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

[ Her response, a low and teasing hum, definitely doesn't help. ]

You'd have to find out, I think.

[ Just saying. ]

[ For a second he thinks he might have crossed the line. When she retaliates, though, he gives that soft little 'huh' he's so fond of, the one that's just barely audible - not a scoff, but more of understanding. ]

I guess I will. I'll keep it in mind, next time there's a chance to show off. Not like you've missed a performance of mine before, right?

[ In this kind of banter, even the Honeybee Inn dance counts as a weapon. ]

[ Unfortunately, he is quite right. Aerith wants front row to this, should it ever happen. ]

I've never missed one of your's, sure. But I think you'll be remembering mine, won't you?

[ She got the head start on this one, and she isn't going to let it go. ]

[ He can't help but catch himself, a tiny 'ah' escaping before he unties his tongue and finds his response. The tips of his ears are probably red with embarrassment, but thankfully they're mostly hidden under his hair. ]

For a while to come. You sure know how to leave a good impression.

[ Which might be the closest Cloud Strife will come to remarking on Aerith's 'assets'. ]

[ She'll take it. Like a champ, in fact. He's always fun to banter with, and anyone eavesdropping has to think it's fun, too, right? ]

Thanks! Someone's got to pick up the slack so you have something to study for your debut.

Maybe, but I don't think I could deliver the same kind of performance. I think I'm missing something.

[ The words are out of his mouth before he can take them back. So what does he do? Commit. ]

But it never hurts to practice.

[ Ah, there we go. An opening. ]

How about right now? [ No time like the present, right? ]

R...right now?

[ Oh, his heart just lept into his chest. This was one turnaround he wasn't expecting. ]

W...what kind of practice did you have in mind, Aerith?

[ She flashes him a brilliant smile, all teeth and rosy cheeks, but Aerith does not answer. Instead, she peals off to the shore, rushing into the ocean, braid swinging madly behind her. As she goes deeper, the skirt of her pale pink dress floats along the surface, exposing her milky white, long legs.

Twisting at the hip, she waves at him to come join her. ]

C'mon! [ Don't mind the bratty tone. Apparently, she just isn't done playing with him. ] It's way cooler in here than out stuffy there.

[ Getting wet counts as practice, right? ]

Edited (hmmm. freudian typo.) 2022-06-23 05:52 (UTC)

H-hey! Wait up!

[ He watches her go into the water, chasing after her in his one-piece swimsuit and monochrome open shirt. Honestly, she's right, it is cooler out here. ]

[ The fact it might be harder to spot the fact he had been blushing for a moment there watching Aerith? A small bonus. We won't talk about it. ]

[ He does manage to catch up with her, briefly winded - but only briefly. ]

What's gotten into you? [ It's more amusement on his part, than anything. ]

Edited 2022-06-23 06:40 (UTC)

[ That's a good question. She smiles at him, then watches the stars twinkle in the reflection of the water. Crystal clear, she can see straight to the bottom. ]

Hmm. [ It's that sweet tone of voice again, the one she adopts when she knows she's about to knock him off his center. ] You have!

[ Sinking deeper down, Aerith giggles and lets the water take her. Her head stays over the surface but she leans back to take in the night sky. She could sink to the bottom now that she's said it.

It's true, terribly so. She missed him. ]

[ There's a moment where he pauses - he feels something tug on him. Something that implores him he should immediately dive after her, that she will sink, that he needs to scoop her out of the water and... and what? ]

[ He'll half obey the impulse, at least, diving under the waves for the briefest moment before swimming up next to her, staring up at the sky alongside her. ]

Me? [ There's that little bemused scoff of his. ] How have I gotten into you?

[ It's simple moments like this that mean the most to Aerith. Calm, quiet, unendingly free. Her hands come to rest over her abdomen, fingers laced, and she listens to the waves, the chatter of people. The orange-red flames of the bonfire flicker in the water's pellucid surface. ]

It's beautiful here. [ Tilting her head to star at his profile, Aerith thinks about all the time they have together here, and considers it as a blessing. ] Ooh. Cloud's asking now. [ The non-existent studio audience goes oooohhh with her. ]

Well... Like I said. I'm not sick of you. And... we've got all this time now. Let's enjoy it!

Well... you're right about that. [ It's true. Despite some of the sore spots, there's been a strangely... freeing feeling about being in hell. About being able to just... relax and enjoy themselves. There wasn't a distinct hurry to get back home - especially when Sephiroth was... well, here. ]

[ He floats there, with a puzzled expression. It's hard to tell if he's serious, or if he's perhaps mimicking Aerith's own contemplation, throwing it back at her as he floats there alongside her, staring out at the fire on the shore and the stars up in the sky. ]

But I though we were already enjoying it. [ Said in his usual disaffected, even tone. ] Or did you have something specific in mind? Something you weren't expecting to have time for?

[ Silence comes between them as she ruminates on his words, picking out the way he seems to already know or expect her to say it. The truth is that there is a lot in her life that she's never been sure she'd have the time for. Years ago, an open sky like this was a pipe dream and a nightmare at once. She thinks back to the hole in her church, where the sunlight from above the plate can filter in; those flowers may be trapped in that church, but they can still bloom beautifully and live a fulfilling life, can't they? Of course, Aerith isn't a flower. She's a young woman.

She'd mumbled to herself once, about her distaste for the open sky, her preference for the steel one that gave her a chance at familiarity. When you've been uprooted three times in your life, you start to gravitate toward that which is familiar. Is this how a repotted plant feels? ]

Hmm! [ It certainly does help that they are fighting Sephiroth quietly, in their own way. He hasn't felt a need to pick on her much, and she hasn't felt a need to beat him with a stick much, either. He's a mortal man here, whether the legendary hero likes it or not. They're much more easily on level playing fields now. The water is pleasantly cool, and devoid of any life but them. She wonders if the lifestream could feel this peaceful. ]

I never got to show you my favorite places in Sector 5. [ It's a tiny thought, but still. All the little odd jobs she does around the neighborhood... he got a peek, but nothing more.

She chances reaching out to him. ]

Kiiiiinda sounds like you have something on your mind already. So? You're going to tell me. You will, won't you?

[ She already knows, though; leaning in so their faces are close, noses inches apart. This isn't the first nor last time she's done this to him. ]

[ Cloud is notoriously not easy to engage in physical intimacy with, as Aerith well knows. Getting close to the man is hard. But she finds her hands meet his a bit, and he doesn't shy away, letting her take them, if that's what she wants. Floating there - not passively, but receptively, his breath catching a bit as she accosts him, in that way he's used to. ]

I-

[ He isn't sure. Not really. There's something there, but then it's hard to say what that 'something' is. It kind of twists him up a bit, causes his breath to slow with Aerith this close. ]

I don't know. I guess I was just thinking about - I told you before, I enlisted... right after I left home. There's a lot of things I didn't get to see, a lot of things I didn't get to do.

[ He smiles a bit - is his face red? Or is that just the light of the sunset and the bonfire? It's hard to say. ]

I want to... have a chance to experience it. To... I dunno. Find out how much I might have missed that I'd like.

[ Each word he speaks sinks deeper into her and she could drown in Cloud being an adorable little puppy that makes her want to take care of him and tease him at once. Thankfully, Aerith has a grip on him. Anchored by him like this, she giggles a little bit. ]

Like a date? [ She already knows. She always knows. ]

Not the ideal conditions for one... besides, bodyguard duties are still on. I could give you a preview of one part I was planning, though!

[ Without another word, by the light of the artificial moon and stars, she closes the distance to place a soft, chaste kiss on his lips. ]

[ In the initial moment where Aerith plants the kiss on him, Cloud's eyes go wide. His breath catches, his heart races. Whatever thoughts he might have had immediately leave his mind. ]

[ The immediate moment after the shock, however, is different. His fingers lace themselves between Aerith's. He leans into the kiss, reciprocating in kind. Trying to draw it out for a few moments more, the way, ironically, a man with no water will try to make every drop he gets last. ]

[ When the two of them pull away enough for either to speak, Cloud will speak up, if quietly. ]

Think I'll be looking forward to it.

[ When they pull from one another, she reaches up to cup his cheek in her hands. It's a guilty touch, full of somber acknowledgement that they've shared a secret now. She smiles, a glimmering and brilliant sight with a just barely wet gaze. She's a little embarrassed, but she wants to tease him, too. It's fun, and familiar. ]

Keep looking forward to it! At the rate this is going, you'll be anticipating it for a while.

[ This is almost as good as just edging him, honestly.

Swimming a little further out, she turns her back to him, and lets the water wash away the stress in her bones. Her touch slides away from his, tracing ghostly, warm, gentle streaks in their wake. Eventually, she tosses her head back to grin at him again, over her shoulder. ]

Sorry! [ Maybe he'll pick up on her meaning, though; it's just more time between them. ]

[ There's something to it. To get that far, only to pull away, with a smile and a secret between them. He watches her swim out deeper into the waves, and he thinks he gets it. They have time together, if they want, and if that 'date' when he's done 'being her bodyguard' ever comes around, then they can figure out then where and what they want to be. ]

Good grief...

[ He shakes his head a bit, the water flicking off of the ends of his hair. He chases afterward, lazy breast strokes allowing him to coast and letting the water wash off him. It was... relaxing, in more than one way. ]

You sure now how to leave a guy hanging, don't you? [ There's not any bite to his remake - his tone as flat as can be, but it's hard not to enjoy the bemusement on his face. ]

[ Of course she does. She speaks it with her eyes, the way the corner wrinkle in a silent laugh. She's dripping down into the ocean again, facing away from the moonlight to look at him, and it feels like they've been here in the water together before. How comfortable it is to just stay here, away from the bustle. She'd said once she was afraid of a world that was so full of life, bursting with it, and that's what kept her tethered. Now, she's away from it, with a good friend, enjoying the end of the day. ]

You don't hide that you like it very well, Cloud.

[ Just saying. ]

What?

[ That takes Cloud aback, as he takes Aerith in in the moonlight, drinking in the image of her and the moon and the water. Not because she's necessarily wrong - the banter the two of them have developed feels so natural. Every time he says something, she has a counter, and sometimes, when he says something, he has one that disarms her just the same. And being out here - away from everyone else, in the water (it does feel familiar, doesn't it? strange...) and able to just exist with each other. ]

[ Maybe... maybe that's enough. ]

What's there to be upset about? [ The funniest thing about this question might just be how honest Cloud is. It's not... naiveté, exactly. Maybe he just doesn't care at all. ]

Edited 2022-06-25 07:48 (UTC)

[ He looks good like this, strangely free and alone and all to her. The moonlight catches on his face to make it almost opaline in the light. Cloud reflects Aerith right back at her, and she wrinkles her nose in amusement, picking out how the freckles speckling his cheeks and nose are like a star map. She's seen them in pictures, but never felt like they were something she could touch. ]

Mmm... So that's where you fall on that.

[ It's a flippant remark, characterized by her airy voice and teasing tone. ]

Noted! But, more importantly, Cloud?

[ She splashes the water at him. ]

There's your practice. [ Back on that, finally, it seems. Over on the beach, distantly, someone asks if anyone felt a raindrop. It seems like no one is taking this particularly seriously for the moment. ]

Wha- hey!

[ If Cloud was planning to comment on Aerith's remark, it's lost as the splash hits his face. He covers his face with one hand on reflex, eyes half-shut. Giving Aerith a look as she revels in the sudden attack on him. There's a pause there that's longer in his mind than in reality. A moment to really drink in how much fun Aerith is having. How her eyes brighten when she thinks of some clever remark or silly idea. The way a genuine smile starts at the corner of her lips, twitching with some small secret she can't wait to spring. ]

[ It's... nice. ]

How exactly is this practice? [ Worry not, Aerith, he's going to splash back, one hand catching the water roughly. There's a put-out note to his voice - almost. But he also seems to be muffins a chuckle and he gets into the game. ]

That's what they did to me! [ In a short shriek, she tries to cover herself. It's reminiscent of earlier that day, purposefully so, and Aerith blinks up at him through thick, dark eyelashes.

If it's a game he wants, it's a game he'll get; Aerith splashes him suddenly, donning a mischievous grin. ]

(no subject)

everblooms - 2022-06-25 09:22 (UTC) - Expand

jumping you

identitycrisiscore - 2022-06-25 09:39 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

June 2022 Event

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

hi lol

hello

:)

hmmmm,

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

1/2 jump me if you must

(no subject)

jumping you