jigokulogs | June 2022 Event

June 2022 Event

1. SWIMSUIT TROUBLES (1 POINT)

As the city goes through its daily motions, the heat bears down harder and harder while bringing out some increasingly overheated behavior from the local population. Summer is here and the natives are flocking to the shopping district: both as a respite from the scorching temperatures and to stock up on the needed supplies to beat the heat.

That means one noticeable problem: the bathing suits left on the racks aren’t the most fashionable at this point! Suits are scarce and what is left over are the skimpy, the oddly-patterned, a size too small, or all of the above. Then again, you are probably just feeling lucky you aren’t in the Shuten Clan, who have been provided their own precious supply of freshly laundered tiger stripe bikinis. And nothing else.

You may be able to borrow around within your own faction, where the pickings might not be so slim, but are still unlikely to match your personal style. Better hope you ran out to buy something nice when the Daitengu first announced the party.

2. BEACH GAMES (1 POINT)

The indoor beach facility that the Alliance has provided is extraordinary. It’s massive! It seems to extend to the size of an entire soccer field. With the combinations of Kappa tech and Tengu magic, the experience has been made as close to a natural one as anyone could ask for. The heat of the beach feels true to the real world, the sand is white and pure, and the waves rolling in and out are just like the mortal realm. Even the palm trees and beach scrub seem entirely authentic. The vibe is immaculate.

Each faction has their own area set up for meeting and mingling but everyone is welcome to let loose and interact among all the groups.

SHUTEN CLAN

The Shuten Clan has set up their beach fort with food and drinks. The drinks on offer are a particularly strong Oni beer and a few spirits (especially sake). These drinks have been mixed so that anyone who imbibes them will feel a heightened sense of competition and the need to prove themselves!

There are plenty of opportunities to show off:
Learning surfing with a few knowledgeable Oni.
Volleyball matches.
Shoulder chicken tournaments.
Beer pong.
Drinking contests that never seem to stop.
And friendly scuffles with some of the Shuten who are feeling more rowdy than usual.
In particular, the volleyball matches appear to be the Shuten Clan’s sport of choice. They’re taking these matches deathly serious. With all powers allowed in play, the game is truly deadly with how powerful, how fast, and how fierce those spikes and volleys are. Hold nothing back and leave it all in the ring!

Toraguma himself is here in his tiger striped best! He’s observing the games and taking note of which Shutens do well and which ones shame the clan with their defeat. He’ll give out rewards to those he thinks are exemplifying the pride of the clan. Don’t worry though, if you’re not up to snuff you won’t be punished; except with Toraguma’s obvious disappointment.

TAMAMO CLAN

The Tamamo Clan doesn't disappoint either. Their tiki bar is set up with a far greater variety in stock than the Shutens. Every drink seems to be made to that Lost Soul’s exact tastes. Watch out, this may compel you to pound them back more quickly than normal. The drinks will make you feel much closer to those around you — either in camaraderie, or something more intimate. The Tamamos have arranged a number of floats, inner tubes, and water wings lounging in the water. Enjoy your time together!

When you aren’t relaxing, the Tamamo Clan has also arranged huge buckets of water balloons and have filled their water guns. The instructions are clear: whether sniping from afar or going in on a full assault, go nuts. Especially against the Shutens. Lady Tenkohime herself has a high-caliber, sniper-grade water rifle with her at her lounge chair. She will occasionally pick some unlucky soul to fire off devastating rounds against. She is not soaking them in just water, of course. This is the Tamamo clan’s patented ‘perfume’, which inspires the most amorous feelings.

Finally, the Tamamo have also inspired a spicy wet t-shirt contest. It’s essentially a sexy beauty contest, but given the variety of bodies and hidden ‘talents’ tucked away under everyone’s clothes, it should prove interesting! Tenkohime has described the simple rules:
One must wear the provided white shirt and only that shirt.
The crowd will soak them down.
And the crowd will judge how well they pull it off.

SUTOKU CLAN

The Sutoku Clan has been given free reign on a fleet of jet skis and paddle boats; perfect for two. There are boogie boards and larger inner tubes ready to be attached to different jet skis. Just be careful, ok?

A large snack bar has been provided with cheerful yokai behind the counter ready and willing to serve up your heart’s desire. There are some strange candies towards the end of the bar, they taste a bit funny but once you eat one you’re compelled to have a few more. These sweets will give you the power to breathe underwater. What is the meaning of this power? Well, you’re in the Alliance, after all, you figure out what’s under the waves.

Sutoku games include things like kan jam and frisbees, but Sutoku Souls are also very much encouraged to participate in the Shuten Clan’s volleyball tournament. Much to Toraguma’s frustration, the Alliance has planted a Tengu referee who seems to really favor the Alliance players over his own. Use your powers liberally.

The Daitengu is in attendance with sunscreen marks on their mask, for some reason. They’re being a total busybody, as usual. They’re really taking the time to chat up Tenkohime and Toraguma, even if the two want to rip each other’s throats out. Could a resolution to the turf war be on the way? One can only hope!

ENMA DEPARTMENT

The Enma is instructing the members of the Department to volunteer (aka voluntold) for lifeguard duty. The shifts are short — it is ultimately a party — and participation will net you both free food and drink from any of the vendors, as well as license to let loose for the rest of the party! The fare provided by the Enma vendors is pretty staid, but it does fill you with the odd need to run down the beach shallows in slow motion. Not sure what that’s about.

There is one further task that is expected of the Enma Department: suikawari. It is a big deal and to be taken seriously! This is the Enma’s favorite beach activity and the only diversion that he cares about. Your guess is as good as anyone’s, but it’s probably because the game resembles a form of execution. Regardless! Every officer is expected to do at least one round of the game as a form of initiation to the Department itself. Captain Shiki hosts the game in the absence of the Enma. Someone should tell her to chill out with that whistle, though.

3. BONFIRE (1 POINT)

As the hosts of the event, the Sutoku Alliance has set up a massive bonfire as the sun begins to set and stars light up the magical sky. There’s a romantic feeling in the air. Things seem as chill as they ever could be, there are no Haniwa in sight! Things feel peaceful for the first time in a while.

A final happy hour is declared, with free libations for everyone to close out the night. It’s time to finish this party in style. For anyone particularly watchful, they may spy the extraordinary sight of Toraguma and Tenkohime together. Off in the shadows while the party rages on, they are sitting together and watching the waves roll in. What could they be discussing? It will remain a mystery, getting any closer to them would be a deadly mistake.

The evening closes without any major incidents. Nothing seems like it could spoil the mood. It almost feels too good to be true.

4. AND THEN... (2 POINTS)

As all the party goers change back into their clothes and exit the facility, there is a rumble of thunder over Jigokucho. The stars are quickly swallowed by a darkening sky and the ground shakes. A minor earthquake? That’s not unheard of but the sky above is looking threatening. Evil. Darkness washes out over the entire city, none of its many bright lights able to cut through. Something is wrong. Something is happening.

A warm rain begins to fall, spattering across you and your surroundings. It becomes quickly apparent that you are not doused with water, but with blood.

The silence is shattered suddenly when a scream cuts across the whole of Jigokucho. An accursed miasma pours out from every direction. Then you see them: the Haniwa. They are everywhere, gazing from every direction, pressing in. Something has gone terribly wrong.

Captain Shiki is the first to act. She makes a call to Kaigo no Bou, but what she hears is enough to freeze her in her tracks.

The containment center deep beneath the tower where the Haniwa were being stored has been compromised. All of the cursed energy that was stored there has leaked out into the city from below. The guards below are dead. No one is answering their radio. It is not just the containment center that has been compromised, but all of Kaigo no Bou.

Captain Shiki struggles to remain calm as she gives out orders. Her entire command structure has been decimated, but she has to keep these people safe. She urges everyone to seek shelter, immediately. Everyone needs to partner up and stick together.

None of the faction leaders present arguments and they enforce this ruling with their Souls. They direct everyone to make their way back to their home base. Shuten to the Arena, Tamamo to Mizukume, and Sutoku to Konoha. There, their faction leaders can protect them.

As for the Enma officers: they are on rescue duty. You will be heading out into the city to rescue as many people as possible from the nightmarish effects of the cursed energy on the city. Captain Shiki will act as their point of command at the indoor beach.

Good luck, everyone.

5. IN THE CURSED NIGHT (2 POINTS)

A rain of blood is sprinkling all around you. It pings off sign posts and garbage bins, it splatters wetly onto the concrete and your face. The scent is pungent and thick; spoiling. It is soaking in to your hair, your clothes, your skin. It is driving you mad: your pulse spinning, breathing short.

There are noises in the impenetrable darkness. Fox feet on the pavement, crow wings shifting on a perch, a stranger's cruel laughter. The dark energy that has swallowed you is bemused by your smallness, is lurking at the edges and waiting for the moment to strike. Hold tight to your fellows, lest in the darkness another hand be placed in yours. Do you know who you walk with? What you walk with?

The Haniwa are watching you from every surface; crowded together as one with their empty eye sockets and open mouths. Their dark eyes turn to follow where you go as you stumble through your nightmares and your delusions. They breathe in your suffering on the air.

Beware the onibi, they will lead you astray.
Beware the grasping hands in the trees.
Beware the whispers in the distance.
Beware the slope to the river.
Beware. Beware.

Welcome to the June event!

Art by astrono77153462
Special shoutout to vandalisto for coming up with the meat of this event; the beach party. They approached us with this as a player plot, and it was good enough that we made it into the full event for the month. Excellent work, Vandal!
If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
If your character participated in the volleyball games, see here! If they participated in the wet t-shirt contest, see here!
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

( She can't deny that it's good to see, or hear in this case, someone familiar. The rain's in her eyes, and this whole thing is a fucking mess, with the panic quickly spreading among people.

Not Kate, though. She's fine. Just... Her vision's a little blurred, is all. )

Don't... fucking grab. Fuck's sake.

( She exhales, dragging her arm back. Honestly, you need a second to adjust and there's someone trying to touch you. )

[She slips away from his grasp, easily done since they're becoming slicker with blood rain with each passing moment. Sholmes doesn't make an attempt to usher her away a second time, but that doesn't mean he's keen on leaving her to her own devices, given how much panic has already bubbled up and ruptured all around them.]

Standing about like a lump on a log is not the preferred mode of action at the moment.

[He brings up a hand to his brow, shielding his eyes as though he were protecting them against searing sunlight. In this case? It's blood, splattering against his fingers.]

Let us move as a pair. It will be safer than the alternative.

No shit, Sherlock. ( Ugh, her hair's already soaked with this blood rain and the darkened sky is making the maze of the city even more indecipherable. Kate wraps her arms around herself and squints through the crowd. )

What way?

( Ugh. What way did she come from? The left, she thinks. )

It's Herlock, my dear girl. [The correction comes swiftly, automatically, without much consideration; given the amount of chaos unfurling as they speak, he's not about to be a stickler about an apparent mispronunciation of his name.] Herlock.

[Well, now he won't at least.]

Back to Mizukume with the rest of our lot. You needn't suss out the directions yourself, just follow me.

[It is easy to become disoriented in this blasted rain, the haze of miasma encroaching from every direction, obscuring landmarks, the harried crowd rushing by. But Sholmes has made certain to cement the correct direction in his mind, and his figurative mental hooks keeps it firmly planted in place. He will not lose his way.

And so he presses forward, glancing behind briefly to make certain Kate is not so stubborn that she won't follow.]

( ... What.

Y'know what. She'll leave the arguing over stupid cliché retorts for another day. He's right that there's more important things to be concentrating on for the moment, and while her hand is definitely hovering over her bag, the weight of the knife she bought after having her ribs fixed up a comfort in the illusion of protection it offers, staying put sounds worse than putting the route back in the hands of SHerlock.

She's coming, she's coming. Jeez, no need to keep an eye on her. But the city is winding, a maze of streets at the best of times, and in the darkness, the unfamiliar route Herlock's taking feels like it's going the opposite direction to the one she remembered taking to get to the beach.

(Though, really, with the lights so dimmed and the buildings around them towering in the shadows, the same could be said about any path.) )

You sure this is the right way?

( And, as she asks that, the wind — or something pretending to be it — seems to whisper;

Kat. )

[He has traversed winding streets before, choked in fog and crime, where the his city's poor and "unscrupulous" go about their daily lives with no other choice given to them. Sholmes is used to fixing a directional point in his mind and anchoring himself to it, even if the twists and turns try to buoy him away. They do not — and even here, in Jigokucho, he focuses on what he knows must be the right path, even if it takes them deeper into the darkness.

It becomes nigh untraversable, thick and cloying, this murk, even as they are continually pelted with rain. Unpleasant and distracting. Sholmes spares glances back when he turns a particularly sharp corner, making certain she still trails behind him, and a whisper catches in his ear.

Her name. His own follows. He pauses.]

Ah, whispers in the darkness. Very little fits the definition of "foreboding" [or "bad news"] so aptly.

( Annoyance is a really good way of keeping the nerves at bay, in Kate's opinion. The more she finds this a needless waste of time, a series of stupid things designed to confuse them and make a good day into shit, the less she thinks about the fucking smell, or the way her hair is clogged with blood, or the fact that so many of her nightmares start with this much darkness—

Or the fact that the voice whispering her name is bone-chilling in its familiarity.

She swallows. Tries to steady her breathing (is she fucking smelling bleach, now? That septic, sterile cleanliness of rooms where bad news is delivered in hushed tones and with pitying eyes—) as Herlock speaks, eerily calm to her ears. )

Fuckin'— ( Her voice catches on the word, strains, and she hates it. ) ... Fuckin' horror movie shit.

( She wraps her arms more tightly around herself, and tries to ignore how her top soaks her hands red. )

[The voice whispers again in the darkness, and he listens -- closely, straining his ears for a sense of familiarity. He scents a stringent aroma in the humid, blood-drenched air; chemical in nature, wholly unexplained given their positioning in the city, where there should be no such smell at all.

Conclusion? Well, it's a haphazard one at best, but he doesn't think it too unreasonable that whatever is out there is toying with them.]

Except this is hardly fictional at all.

[This is best kept at bay. He turns to look at Kate again, frowning.] Whatever you hear, whatever else your senses tell you, ignore it for now. If you can.

[Reaching out, he offers a hand.]

Hold close to me. And before you balk at the idea, let me tell you that it is for both of our sakes.

( Ignore it is easier said than done, but it's really the only thing they've got. It's some kind of magic but not the kind her vision responds to, which makes it all the harder. Things are just dark, and she has to actively convince her brain that this is just awful, magical trickery and nothing else. )

Ugh.

( ... Fine. She reaches out, squinting through the blood clouding up her vision as droplets roll into her eyes, and—

Wraps her hand around something decidedly not human. )

Shit—

( She breathes the word out and tries to yank her hand back before whatever it is gets its claws into her, but it's quick and strong and...

Heading for Herlock.

Ah, hell. )

Move it!

[He catches the vague shape of it before anything else, but it is exactly its undefined form that makes it all the more alarming. He hand snaps back, and whatever it is now moves towards him, and he dashes to the side to avoid it, only to ram his shoulder into the side of the alleyway.]

Damn-!

[He curses, lifting his eyes to seek Kate through the rain.]

Go! Run! I am right behind you!

[If she thinks he's content on dashing off and leaving her with some unknown thing, she is very wrong.]

( The fact that it lets her go is the most startling thing of all, and some small, dark part of her is thoroughly relieved that it seems to focus on Herlock instead.

But she's not that stupid. These things will never be content with just grabbing one of them, right? She plunges a hand into her bag and wraps her hand around the hilt of the knife she's been slipping onto her person for days now, the weight of it grounding. It's something.

And hopefully, as far as somethings go, it can hurt this thing. She rushes forward, towards the thing rather than away from it, and strikes at the nearest part of whatever it is. Some darkness trying to mimic a wrist, and it works, metal against something solid and real which retracts and coils in anger at being hit.)

Let's go—

( She grabs the sleeve of Herlock's shirt and yanks him forward. Gotta run! )

[It is all chaos and darkness. Even Sholmes' keen gaze, sharp and cutting, cannot make complete sense of the harried attempt to fend off the grabbing hands, so damnably hard to differentiate in the shadows. But Kate makes it easy to track one thing: the glint of a knife striking its target, and said target recoiling in hissing anger, which means that the opportunity to slip away is now.

Kate's command means she has the same idea. He needn't be told twice. Yanked by the sleeve, he takes that forward momentum and uses his other arm to push off the alley wall, and then they're off.]

What the devil was that?!

[He says amid the rhythm of their footsteps racing down the length of the alley. Good god, this place took a turn and began to live up to its name of hell in record's time. Shadows swirl beneath their feet, rippling beneath the blood rain. He sees fingertips; hands straining to reach for their ankles.]

( Moving is good. Moving makes them harder to catch, and more importantly, lets Kate concentrate on anything but the phantom of that hand on her wrist. She's light on her feet, skipping away from hands which seep from the ground and moving from one side of the pavement to the other to try and remain unpredictable.

But where the hell do they go to be free of this? )

No... no fucking idea.

( Talking while sprinting is not an easy task, but perhaps thankfully for both of them, there's a building with the lights on just ahead.

Maybe that's a safe space? )

[It will have to do. He does not look back, feeling as though something might be clawing at him if he does, keeping pace with Kate and even hopping over a line of hands that lurch from the ground and grasp at their ankles. The lights of the building ahead are a beacon, and they must reach it to find some kind of shelter, some kind of refuge-

Sholmes makes a beeline. The building looks little more than the rectangular facade of an office building, its interior lighting gleaming in resistance against the nightmarish surroundings.

Moments pass in a blur. They are almost there -- and maybe it's only a matter of time in which things do not go so smoothly.

Another shadowy hand rises up from the ground, nabbing Sholmes by the ankle, and the detective lurches forward, collapsing rather painfully to the ground.]

Shit—

( Ugh, they're so close, and she could easily just dart into the building and let Herlock deal with this shit. She could be scot free from these nightmares if she wanted to be.

Oh, she wants to be, but even survival instinct is quieter than that pang of guilt which strikes when Kate considers doing just that. These hands, the ones now rising up to claim their prey, are things from her own nightmares, the ones she tries to push away by working herself to exhaustion or drinking from the stash of booze in her guardians' kitchen.

Shit, shit shit.

In a split second, she's twisted herself around, reaching for Herlock's arm with one hand while the other grips her knife and tries to strike at each raising limb, slashing them back one by one. )

C'mon, man...

( Trying to yank a full grown man away from an inhuman hand while simultaneously trying to attack said hand and avoid getting caught yourself? Not easy. )

[No, not easy at all, but Sholmes' mind is already on fire, even before he hits the ground. He can count the amount of hands gripping onto his legs now, based on where their blasted fingertips press into him. He can feel Kate’s grasp around his arm, pulling, encouraging him back up. He can see that glint of a knife, brandished in her hand, and knows that the time she will buy them both is scant. He cannot fumble another opportunity to get themselves to safety, which is already so near — he would feel the bite of guilt for that, if they so much as survived this encounter.

His free arm pushes himself up to his knees, which will scrape and bruise even through the fabric; but it doesn’t matter. Kate’s weapon must have freed him from one hand—the number count in his head has down accordingly—and it’s enough for him to jostle his legs free and properly bolt back up to his feet.

Sholmes curses beneath his breath. One arm reaches out to practically swoop Kate along with him as he rushes forward, straight towards the lit entrance of the building ahead.

Thanks are in order. But only after they’re safe.]

( Thank fuck. Even Kate doesn't object to being grabbed and ushered along like this if it means they're away from this shit and inside a safehouse.

... Which, as the door closes behind them, it does indeed seem to be. Complete silence, but for their footsteps in the foyer, their breath as they come to a halt. Light and the blessed confirmation that there's nothing hiding on the floor or walls.

Kate grabs the bannister and leans into it, groaning as her eyes slide shut, the hilt of her knife trapped between her hand and the plastic of the bannister, digging into her palm. )

This... is bullshit.

( This whole thing is fucking bullshit. And what's worse is? She knows she's signed up for it. For anything this place can and will throw at her.

What a pain. )

You hurt?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

June 2022 Event

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