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.

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...Then I don't know what I want to ask.

[and that is the truth. because her heart right now, for the other woman, is buried in sorrow. she'll give the blood from it to her, if she needs it to live, and be happier.]

[ The room is devoid of mourners, aside from one. The woman in black next to her, Aerith, wonders if she can be counted as one. They never prepare you for attending your own funeral, she supposes, and though Emily has graciously paid the price for her passage, something feels wrong about the whole ordeal. ]

You worry too much. About others, and not yourself.

[ Simply, Aerith says that, before continuing that same distorted tone. ]

I'm sorry about all that. I have a lot of locks up for protection. [ A beat. ] But now you know. About me, and my mother, and what we went through. Don't be sad about it. I'll see her again. And I'll see you again, too.

As yourself, or as someone else?

[when you see me, I won't be me. she clasps her hands in prayer, and bows her head. at the least, she can mourn her. she can hold her memory near. she can say she was loved, and that she was lost.

(distantly, there is the sound of a flute playing, but Emily does not move. one of the curtains rustles, and the song moves with someone's breath.)]

[ Whoever is watching is not removed from the scene, but Aerith wonders if it would be possible to move them to begin with. With her hands still crossed before her, resting over her abdomen, she thinks. A clock ticks in the background, unseen. Time moves again, and they are running out of it. ]

I don't know yet.

[ It's the simple. Yet, there is more. With an inhale, she continues. ]

You won't either. What I can tell you is... These flowers.

[ Her hand raises, to grace the petals... just barely. They are damaged, bloodied, horrible. Scarred from their journey, just like Emily always will be. There is no healing or fixing wounds that deep, Aerith knows. You merely live with them, life becoming more bearable eventually. ]

They mean "reunion." I'll find you again. Even if you don't know it's me. I will. Because somebody has to be there for you, even if you don't know it.

[ Tick. Tick. Tick. ]

I'm glad you made it.

[she cannot speak, not anymore. when she wants to protest that she doesn't have to go. don't leave, where she can't protect her, can't shield her. can't care for her. but that's not her choice to make. instead, she weeps silently, tears shed for a fate that could have gone differently. tears to fall on the flowers, because someone was there. it is the only thing she can give right now. the only thing she knows to do in these circumstances.

the flute plays on, slow and steady, still soft behind the curtain. whoever is watching either cannot come closer, or will not.]

[ In the deathly still silence of the room, there is the sound of a woman keening. A banshee's wails against the rhythm of a flute that accompanies her both like a hug and a blanket, something to warm you in the dead of the night when every stone has been upturned and found empty, fruitless. In this wasteland of a world, tipped on it's side and half-between truth and reality, it's hard to tell what's real. Here's the truth:

Aerith Gainsborough is asleep somewhere in Hell. Emily Dyer is asleep somewhere in Hell. Their minds converge on the precipice and meet there to share secrets. In the moments of the early morning before they wake, unrested and uncomfortable, Emily sheds tears for a woman no one can save. Here's the truth:

She learns a little more about Emily, too, and the grief of failing to redeem yourself in the eyes of the people who you desperately need to save.

And for the road, here is the illusion:

She was never meant to be here, anyway. ]

I'm sorry. Really. [ Her hand comes to rest on the small of Emily's back, sliding across to catch her waist in her grip. It's strange, and looking down into her own casket, she watches the one eye of the Aerith-shaped corpse open, a crack in the universe staring back at her. Her expression twists into an ugly, ferocious frown, furious but cathartic in it's honesty.

And Aerith, quickly, covers Emily's eyes, to spare her the sight of it, and the way the wooden mannequin posing as a corpse sits up, coin still in place, the way the universe splits down the middle so the room's lights strobe mercilessly. One hand touches the casket's wooden body, the other: palm flat, facing up. A gesture known the world over. She covers Emily's eyes to protect her from the sound the corpse wheezes out in an agonized moan— ]

White flowers—

[ Chopped up and reversed and spit out with venom and purpose.

( Chrysanthemum flowers bloom in a range of colors in shades of white, yellow, orange, lavender, purple, or red; as well as bicolor flowers. This ancient flower is traditionally viewed as a death flower. )

To spare her the viciousness of her face, as the room spins between lights on and off, dark and light, alive and dead, all while the wooden mannequin shrieks with such intensity, with such righteous fury, that she shakes. The room shakes. ]

Let's mosey.

[ They fall backwards, pulled by Aerith, into their respects minds, their bodies.

The land of the living. ]

Edited 2022-07-01 22:41 (UTC)

[Emily cannot do much more than shudder, shake, the tears that fall from her eyes wetting Aerith's hands, lost to grief and resignation. she cannot do anything here except be a witness, except hold these memories close. she is helpless, unable to break out, gone to the darkness and the void and the ocean of sorrow that exists in her. she is a ghost, come to see the newly made dead.

and they fall, they fall as the dream shakes apart, as the mannequin howls like those countless dead that cried outside of the house, they fall and fall -

Aerith is floating, and something soft brushes her arm, her face. she'll land on her own two feet, and that distant tune is louder now, having been drowned out for a moment there. there is a paper sliding door before her - the world around is a hallway, a wooden house in the older style. like a temple, almost. it's quiet here, save for the musician. sunlight is diffused through the paper, offering a unmistakable glow.

wherever she is, she's very far from a funeral.]

[ She feels like a cat that could lay here for hours, curled up in the filtered sunlight of another dream, or world, or something else. That much feel true, but there's a part of her that is exhausted, and doesn't want to keep moving, to tumblr further and deeper into a life of the unknown.

She wasn't lying; giving up is just what she does best. ]

Hello?

[ She calls out, hand to the sliding paper door. The floor beneath her feels like tatami, but she doesn't bother look to down, to see where she's going. Eventually, she'll move it, calling out once more. ]

Helloooo?

[she opens the door to a room lit by the sun - the door to the outside open, and someone sitting on the engawa, the music they play louder now. it is a simple room, bookshelves filled with different tomes, pillows for the floor, brush and ink on a low table with paper, and a koto set in the corner. items that suggest this is a room for study, but also relaxation. outside, a true forest full of life, the evergreen scent of plants and earth, crisp and refreshing.

this is not her dream. this is not Jigokucho. this is not Emily's dream, for there is no sorrow. this is somewhere else, a place that rings of the past and yet holds no clawing attachment.

the musician sits with their back to her. long, glossy black hair flows down their back, and they are dressed in simple kimono, light gray with long sleeves. they stop when she steps in the room, and though they do not turn around to see her, there is a smile in their words.]

What a series of trials you have lived through, fledgling. And yet you still love the world and what it holds. Despair cannot find a purchase on you.

[the voice gives the impression of smoke, of distant bells, of something older than the body that might contain it. and Aerith, her soul as it is, will sense something more - if before, she touched Emily's heart, this is a different one, more slowly and steadily beating.]

Edited 2022-07-02 06:33 (UTC)

[ The breath catches in her throat, tightening sensation as she feels the presence of a new soul. Somehow, she wonders if it's completely new to her, but never has a voice rung in her head like bells. She doesn't think of church bells or anything of the sort; what comes to mind is the bells you ring when giving up coin to pray to the gods. This is not a kami, she thinks. She still falls quiet with polite reverence— for the oil spill slick hair and elegance of the simple kimono, a robe the color of smoke plumes.

An exhale leaves her without realizing it. She relaxes. The voice compels her to honesty; how? Why? She wonders if it's the state she's existing in.

She thinks to move closer, but can't. ]

Of course not. I'm not going to be held down by anything, not even someone else's grief.

Then you're wiser than those many times your age.

[they gesture outward, flute in hand, before tucking it away into one of their sleeves. the world is peaceful here, calm, but with the thrum of life in every breath. someone can be big and small at once.]

Thank you, by the way, for looking out for her. She forgets that she needs it. Or rather, pushes the thought from her mind.

[ A silence falls over her, hushed by the sound of tranquility. She could spend time here, she thinks. Sun, quiet, and nothing more. One step closer she takes, then another, and another, before the gap between them is closed. She sits besides the presence, hushed, making sure to smooth down the back of her dresskit before seating herself. The wind tousles the brown bangs that hang in her eyes— how long as it been since she's washed her hair? She doesn't know. Somehow, she finds the time to wonder about these things. ]

Tell me about it!

[ There's a little snort. Still, she doesn't look to the person she's speaking to, content to watch the sun. ] She must be exhausted. I bet she fell asleep at her desk again.

[ Inhaling with a shudder, she lets relief wash over her. It's hard to explain what she's feeling; the anxiety seeps away. ] Are you going to tell me who you are? [ Her brow furrows, looking down, finally. ] You're here, so you must be tied to Emily... not just emotionally. Am I right?

[ The Lifestream gave her this ability once, to dreamhop, to meet people she couldn't see, where she shouldn't be. Only once before. She was sure she couldn't connect to someone she didn't know, and so... surely. This is someone she's touched before, even if she doesn't know it. ]

Indeed. Right now, as she lives, so do I. Our souls share a border, her body both vessel and sanctuary. It should be up to her to explain it beyond that. Ask after the mask she carries, and you should gain more answers.

[there's a faint breeze that rolls through. rustles hair, moves leaves. they shift, folding their hands on their lap.]

You've not met me, though, for I saw no reason to assert myself before I caught you. For the time being, I go by Hibiki.

[響き. "echo." names shift and change over the years, and this is what Emily knows them by, what others do as well.]

[ This isn't like meeting a ghost, but it isn't like her flowers, either. What they tell her is enough, and a little smile cracks across her lips, smooth as river water traveling the brook. ]

So you chose to show yourself to me. [ All you need is one meeting, and she thinks back to the light touch, something soft, a ghostly hand... ]

Is there something you want help with?

[they laugh then, a weathered old thing, because of how honest she is. no wonder Emily is drawn to her, they share that impulse to immediately assist another. only, this one might not ruin herself in the pursuit of it.]

No, Aerith. I require nothing from you. I showed myself to express my thanks, and that is all. Think of it as a slight delay before you go back to your own life. [their shoulders shrug.] Though you may see me again, in another capacity, before too long passes.

Hey! I was being serious.

[ At least it's a playful tease, arms folded and pout in place. With a huff, or a sigh, or a giggle, or maybe all three, she continues. ]

Thank you. I think... it's nice to see an open sky.

[ Reaching out, she lets the warm orange glow of the sun pool into her palm. Eventually, Aeith looks up, high into the sky, where the clear skies greet her. ]

I didn't want to see it once. But now, when it's blanketed like when I'm awake, I feel trapped. I have to change it, not just for me, but for Emily and everyone else, too. I want to see the skies again.

You will. Things will always change, even if all the forces try to keep them the same. Every breath unlike the last. Such is the way of existence. I have utmost faith that this current situation will end - this won't be like before.

[and before she can ask clarification:]

Would you like to see the skies a little closer? I cannot grant lasting change, but this is a dream, after all.

[ A curious cant of her head is her only answer for a moment. Eventually, she speaks. ]

Well... I don't know? What does that mean?

You've seen the wings she bears. I can lend you mine.

[in a dream, anything is possible.]

[ Something twists in her gut. Is it agony? Grief? Or maybe even regret? She can't tell, but she stands, still, fists to her chest. ]

...Okay.

[ With a nod, she gives her confirmation. ]

[there's a small noise of approval, and their robes rustle as they rise, walking off the engawa, a breeze picking up. they stretch their arms, and both hands reach back to sweep through that long hair - glossy not like ink, but feathers, for as it falls, it changes, and a set of jet black bird's wings is left in its wake. a tengu's wings, strong and with the sheen of the sun, coming from their back as if it was the most natural thing of all.

because it is. they were always there, just not always seen. whatever shape they take, they are their own self, as long as they remain able to say that to whoever asks. and this one wants to fly, so for a moment, let her. it is their wish. it is what is right. it is what the heart needs.

the wings stretch out to their full breadth, and Hibiki turns their head, presses a finger to their lips as the wind picks up-

(later, if she thinks on it, Aerith will not be able to remember their face. there's the impression of sharp, androgynous features, a green shine in their eyes, but a true face cannot be drawn - it slips away like a cloud wisp from the hands.)

and Aerith is on the roof, standing under the sun and perched on the edge. the forest is around her, the sky is open, the air is fresh. life, practically singing in its silent joy. she'll have the sense that it is nothing at all to use her borrowed wings - just like moving a limb, a wish and a willpower is all it takes.

fly as freely as you wish. be in no hurry to wake. you have been caged long enough.]

[ She complains about the sky so much for someone who has spent her life not being able to look at it. All the endless possibilities, good and bad, should excite her, but when she's on the roof, wind at her back, looking out into the open sky like she should be in it, she thinks of all the ways she ~~should~~could fall, stumbling to the ground in some spectacular collapse and ruin it. There's a number of things she doesn't understand, but this is one thing she knows for sure; the sky doesn't want her.

Still—

She thinks of Hibiki's green, green eyes, and the angular, bird-like cut of elegance to their frame, the gift that this is, and inhales deep. Something inside of her gives up, lets herself have something, and she can't deny it for a moment. Hibiki had called her fledgling, and she stumbles out into the greater sky like one. The wings flap, her body moves, but she stutters in the air, clumsy as she is on earth.

It is hard to say when she hits her stride. An hour in, perhaps. What is time in this space, anyway? Maybe it feels like an hour but has been all of ten minutes. She hits a gust of wind eventually, and soars like it's natural. Something clicks. It is hard to describe, and if asked, she wouldn't know how to. She just knows how to do it, now, and slips between branches. The trees are the road she maps out, and the sky is an open field.

Maybe she could fly, after all. This isn't so bad. Maybe the sky did want her.

What is being an "Ancient" anyway? It seemed like everyone had told her it, or had some kind of interpretation of it, or what it should be, but no one ever told her what she was. Who she was. Hibiki has it figured out, but she thinks that Emily hasn't solved the equation yet. Maybe that's what she sees, maybe that's what she connects with. The zest for something new, for a life your own.

But she came back for her. That's all that matters.

It's hardly a surprise when she stumbles and takes a terrible fall; the sky never really did want Aerith.

But the soil always did, and it would always claim her.

She's laughing when she stumbles, joyous and unbound: there's no cage to hold her back. ]

I see why Emily likes you.

[there is no cage, there is no pain. there is only the joy of newness, the impact of falling as a child and getting right back up to laugh and play more. she could keep flying whenever she wanted, free to just be. time doesn't matter here. whatever she wants to be, she can be. there are no expectations.

there is only this. this moment of being. of change, of an illusion that will break the heart to wake from.

they are back on the engawa, sitting quietly, and chuckle when she says that.]

You think she likes me?

[ She falls backward anyway, arms outstretched and chest heaving for air. There's a smile on her face, still in place as always, before her head rolls to the side to stare up at them. Already, their visage is a memory she can't form. ]

Hm. Maybe it's like tolerating you. [ There's a thoughtful tone in her voice, like she's picking her words carefully. When she continues, there's a softness tilting into it, too. ]

But you don't mean her harm. Just to live.

Every living creature wants to remain as such. It may drive some to desperate acts, to retain the self, in the name of being able to draw one more breath.

[the grass is soft under her, and they have their wings again, back on their own frame.]

A truth for your truth that you gave, fledgling. Ask your questions of her when you wake, and she will not lie to you.

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