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

[So yeah, she was. And that was mostly his intention too-the girl seemed more than a little shook up, and defensive enough that she'd probably appreciate a diversion from whatever she was thinking about before.]

Well I hope you believe me now. It's really not something I wish I had, especially like this.

Anyway, my name's Cain. What's yours? I don't think I've talked to you much yet.

[He's still leading them in the direction of the safe houses, but hopefully seperately enough that she didn't protest.]

( Proof helps, okay? It's hard to believe shit without verification when it's so easy to write anything. Hell, to say anything. If she was really sceptical of it, she probably would have quizzed him further, but having blood rained upon you makes you just that little more willing to believe the other weird shit people say.

And this is just how she is, Cain. Maybe with a little more irritability since her hair is currently turning into a blood sponge. )

Ah— ( Right. She's trying not to give aliases out any more. Ugh. ) ... Kate.

( That said, being a few steps behind is a little annoying for talking, and she does come into step beside him. And that's definitely the only reason. It has nothing to do with the rattling noises that seem to be echoing through the street, as though the buildings themselves are trembling under this curse. )

[Cain did at least notice her discomfort in the surroundings, but wasn't going to comment on it. She could walk anywhere around him she felt comfortable, as long as it was in his line of sight.]

Nice to meet you. Though it probably would've been better at the beach...

[If he's shifting to be between her and the creepy sounds coming from behind them, it was nothing. She didn't need to worry. He had his sword at the ready.]

You got anyone waiting for you I should keep an eye out-well, an ear out for?

( That comment gets a snort, at least. )

Understatement.

( This probably ranks among the worst ways she can think of to meet someone, really.

And as for that second part? )

... No. ( She hasn't been around that long, and she doubts any of the people she's met so far are really counting where she is in the middle of all of this. They have more important things to be doing. )

[Yeah. He wishes he could laugh more, but well. Look at what happened. And meeting ugly is never fun, but often times you can forge strong bonds out of it. At least, Cain hoped that's what could happen this time.

Still, he felt a pang of hurt when the girl said she didn't know anyone. He hoped that it wasn't actually true, but in the meantime he wasn't going to let her go alone.]

Ah, sorry about that. I'll stay with you for the meantime then-if you don't have a partner. It's better if we stick together out here until we get back to safety, right? And I can ask someone I know-

[He heard a noise behind him and looked, just as quickly turning back again to try and urge Kate forward.]

Ugh. Don't want to alarm you...but we might need to make a break for it soon. Just keep walking quickly and stay in front of me.

( Oh, she knows people. But she doesn't think any of them would be worried about her. There are more important things going on than the location of one lone teenager.

Cain rambles on, speaking words which make Kate certain that she wouldn't be able to ditch the dude even if she tried, so she may as well take advantage of not having to be alone in this encroaching darkness. Another body between her and whatever's going on here. (Yeah. That's it. We'll say nothing of the relief she feels at not having to wander around by herself, with Jigokucho's maze-like map only made worse in this disorienting rain.)

She hears the noise at the same time Cain does — too loud to be any of the eerie rumblings that have scored this whole mess, too close to not be a worry — and twists her head even as Cain tries to push her forward.

Those silhouettes... )

That's—

( Is it worse, or better, that what appears isn't anything monstrous looking, but rather two adult humans? A tall, gangly male with a nest of curly hair and a pair of glasses, his hand fiercely gripping that of the short woman in a simple business skirt suit, her hair put up neatly in a braided bun. )

It's okay! We're not here to hurt you.

We just want to keep our Katydid safe.

( But Kate looks horrified. )

[The one dark silver lining on this whole thing was that Cain knew they weren't real people, and he stated as such.]

They're not real.....I can see them. We need to keep walking.

[They looked perfectly normal now, but he really didn't want to find out what monsters haunted this girl's past like this. She seemed to recognize them and was horrified enough. He drew his sword fully from the sheath, weapon at the ready as he pushed them both to walk faster.

And yet, the two figures were still following. He couldn't comment on the choice of words...were they her parents? She did not seem welcome to see him.]

Let's just concentrate on getting out of here. You don't want whatever that is to be the thing that drives you crazy, right?

( The leap of her heart is the most sickening part of it all. That girl who so desperately wants to bolt into the arms of the people standing there, the hot tears pricking at her eyes. All of that.

It's an illusion. It has to be. And Cain confirms that, just as hands reach out, skin peeling back from fingertips, rotting away with each step they take towards the two. Their hands joined. Inseparable, even as they fall apart. )

C-C'mon. ( You're going with her, dude. She needs someone to give her that push as she stumbles into a run. Uncoordinated, uncertain, trembling. All the things she never is while running, but it no longer matters. )

[Briefly he wondered if he was wrong, these were people she did want to see but it didn't matter. They were dangerous and as soon as Kate broke out running so did Cain. Seeing her stumble, he reached out to grab her arm and take her along with him. He'd apologize later if he accidentally ended up dragging her, but they needed to get out of here fast.

There were various sounds behind him, from running footsteps to what sounded suspiciously like a bunch of human screams bundled together. Cain actually winced at that, but he kept running prepared to stab anything that came after them.]

To the left here-that will get us to one of the safe houses!

( Their footsteps seem to echo in Kate's ears, but she won't look back. She can't look back. If she looks back, she'll fall into their arms and not give a shit.

They're not real. They can't be real. She has to keep running.

Left he says? Fine. Whatever. Left it is. Adrenaline pushes the run into a sprint as she sees the building, summoning every last bit of energy as she skids into the building and slams herself against the nearest wall, gasping for breath.

No... The heat pricking at her eyes returns in the silence of the safehouse and she lets out a shuddering breath, sinking to the floor.

She is not going to cry over this, dammit. )

[Cain was less put out from the mad dash, but he also hadn't been the one experiencing whoever those were. He'd thought they might have been monsters of her past of some kind, but by the way Kate was reacting, it might have been the opposite.

Which was probably worse.

Still, he had to do his best to help her even if he didn't understand the situation. He did a quick check to see if anything was there before coming to sit down next to her.]

It looks like we can rest here for awhile, thankfully. How are you holding up then?

( It would be better, Kate thinks, if it was just the same nightmares she'd seen other times. A blond man with too bright eyes and a threatening grin. Hands at her mouth, her wrists, her throat.

It's easier to be pissed off about being scared. But this? This leaves her shaking, her eyes hot and wet as she buries her face in her arms and draws in shaky breaths. )

I'm fine. ( She has to fight to get those words out, though, so clearly she's not. ) Just... Just some stupid made up bullshit.

( The words grind out between her teeth, caught in a growl because that's better than the tears she's fighting to keep from springing loose. )

[He absolutely didn't believe her, but he knew when people were being defensive. That was enough to tell him not to push it, despite what theories he'd come up with. If it had been one of the previous central witches that had shown up....

Well, he had to find a way to distract them both while she hopefully was able to calm down.]

Yeah, I know I was seeing some unbelievable stuff when the haniwa were in my room. Definitely not what would make good conversation. Hey, in the meantime while we rest, why don't well tell each other little things about each other?

Like...well one of my favorite foods is bacon. But any sort of fried meat or seafood is great.

( It... kind of works. Mostly because that's a whole lot of carnivorous behaviour, and Kate, who suffered endless lectures from coaches about proper nutrition, immediately has to ask; )

... You eat vegetables, right?

( Carrots! Beans! Things that aren't fried! )

[Cain gave a jokingly offended expression at that. Who did she think he was, Bradley?]

Hey, I eat vegetables. They go great in stew, and it's what I have to do to stay healthy. The bonus is Nero, our resident chef is real good at hiding them for the kids. I think he has experience.

[He paused like he was considering something, then pointed at her.]

So I did my part, what about you? Favorite foods? Or did you cause mayhem in the kitchen once?

( Oh, well. That's better. She's seen one too many kids her age say they don't eat any vegetables. And some adults too. )

... Why don't you guess?

( Kate, don't make the himbo do all the work. Just because you don't want to answer a simple question. )

[Well, when he starts spouting the shit he's going to, Kate will have to remind herself that she enabled this idiot. He's more than used to pushback on all his questions, anyway.]

Well that's not very fair, but I'll give it a go. I mean I'm guessing you're not as much of a meat lover as I am from youor response, but I bet your the type who secretly likes sweet things. Hmm, like those cute little cakes Rustica eats with his tea.

( ...

Kate doesn't hide her expression at that thought. Sweet is... too much, generally. And most of it's terrible for you, anyway. )

Nope.

( Though, to be fair to him, her favourite food is a cheat day meal. So maybe unhealthy isn't wrong, either. )

And who's Rustica?

Okay then, that just eliminates some choices.

[He's not giving up, even if he has to play 20 questions!]

Maybe you actually really like spicy food. Like...I think the Sage called it 'chili?'

[Oh, and as for Rustica, he should probably realize when he's dropping random names.]

He's a friend of mine, back in the world I came from. He often likes to have tea parties.

( Hm. She rolls the answer around in her head. She doesn't mind spicy food, it's true, but... )

Closer. ( But not the answer. )

What's he like?

( Other than the tea party throwing type? )

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

June 2022 Event

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