July 2022 IC Mingle

[jigokumods]

MAIN NAVIGATION

1. ITADAKIMASU!

After the harrowing incidents involving the curse last month, unity is the theme for welcoming the new influx of Lost Souls. The factions are still busy with cleanup efforts and making sure their personnel are in fighting shape. What’s more, most of the usual spots that would play host to the factions’ parties are either closed until they’re repaired, or in no state to be hosting parties that big.

Thus, an agreement has been reached. All of the factions will hold their mingles together and host a food truck/yatai festival in the blocks surrounding Theater Square, in the Sutoku Alliance’s territory. This gets money into the hands of the local vendors, and allows the community to spend time together in relative peace. It’s still Jigokucho, there are punks prowling to start fights and steal wallets, like they always are, but it’s a breath of fresh air after everything that’s been happening lately. Just keep your wits about you and enjoy the food. Takoyaki is one of the most popular items and competition between the carts motivates chefs to make them flair and style!

Kushiten, yakitori, dango, croquettes, senbei, onigiri, yakisoba, taiyaki, you name it, it’s probably represented here in some form. There are even any number of your favorite treats from home, even if your home isn’t Earth. It might take a little poking around to find them, but isn’t that part of the delight of exploring a city’s food?

The falling Stardust has made its way into the food as well. You may notice that some vendors are grinding up the glowing stellar fragments and putting them into the food itself as a spice. Are… you supposed to eat that?! Oh well! When it’s time to party, you can’t go wrong with a little Stardust.

2. MUSIC GOT ME FEELIN SO FREE

In the center of Theater Square, surrounded on all sides by the many colorful food stalls, they’ve set up a stage for local artists to perform on. There are a great variety of acts who come and go to play a few songs. The music reaches all throughout the square and may be little more than background noise, until just the right tune catches your ear.

• Jenny⁣ – This all-girls story of hidden love should be hitting all the ladies in the crowd a certain kind of way. Have you been admiring a friend or coworker and just never taken the plunge? Now’s the time for that kiss, the music is playing.
  
• KONNANじゃないっ⁣⁣ – This sweet idol bop about striding bravely towards your best future fills you with inspiration and hope for the future. You may feel compelled to bring your hopes and dreams into every conversation. The future is bright!
  
• Running Up That Hill⁣⁣ – As the singer performs some kind of interpretive dance, she sings about her frustrations with never truly being able to see from another person’s perspective. What would you do to show your true self? Maybe it’s time to iron out that ongoing misunderstanding you’ve been circling.
  
• Love Warriors⁣⁣ – A simple act with a guitarist and singer, she sings a mellow piece about the true value of love. What a beautiful message. Your heart might begin to overflow with feelings of care and affection. Will you finally spill those all-important three words? I-love-you.
  
• One More Time⁣⁣ – The last act of the evening is lively, colored lights flashing out across the square. They begin to play an impossibly catchy beat that no one can resist dancing too. Dance like no one is watching and enjoy the sweet catharsis of a good dance session. You’ll feel better for it tomorrow.

(Players are more than welcome to use their own song and effect. 💖)

3. BIRD BOMBS

At some point during the festivities, the Daitengu takes the stage. They’re in exceptionally high spirits. They give a shout-out to Toraguma and Tenkohime for helping to make this happen. As usual, The Enma is not present. However, the Daitengu forgoes any snide remarks, although they do seem a bit let down. Hope springs eternal, one supposes.

Next they would like to announce that they have even more reasons to celebrate: a truce has been declared between the Shuten and Tamamo clans. The war for the Underground is over (for now) and new construction has started on a new casino and adult entertainment complex in the once-contested territory. They hope that this will lead to an ongoing era of financial cooperation between the three factions.

They thank Sakamoto Ryouma for making all of this happen and give him a shoutout in the crowd. Word has spread all over the Alliance about their deeds, and what they managed to pull off; a blessing and a curse. It becomes obvious that not every tribe within the Sutoku Alliance was okay with putting the Alliance itself up as collateral to make this happen. The Kasasagi Tengu Tribe, in particular, has decided to let their protest be known by storming the party in a flood of aggressive magpies. They vulture the food, they pick at jewelry, they’re an absolute menace.

Good luck shooing them away. The vibes are counting on you to deal with these feathered buzzkills.

Welcome to the IC mingle!

• If you have any questions about the mingle content, please ask them here!
• If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.
• For Rewards, given both the Stardust and Turf War prompts are involved in all three, threads in the Mingle log count for TWO (2) points!

Comments

Nero Turner | Mahoutsukai no Yakusoku | Tamamo | OTA

[perfectdistance]

1. Food

[At this point, Nero's wearing a yukata incorrectly, the front is folded over the wrong way. But at least the rest of him is fairly put together, his hair tied up in a pretty silver ribbon instead of his usual elastic.

Nero looks through this great festival of food and seems to be writing little notes to himself. A lot of these he's never encountered before, but when he sees, what can only be described as a spiral meat lollipop, he laughs to himself.]

They really got these here too?

2. Bird

[He listens to the Daitengu speak and centuries of being a pessimist are working against him at the moment. It's a lot of talk. It's a lot of announcement. It's hard to believe that everybody is on board with whatever plan the faction heads are starting.

When the birds begin sweeping down and picking at anything sparkly, Nero's got a death grip on a particularly ornate looking fork, with a magpie trying to take it from him.]

Let go.

3. Wild Card

[Get me on Mira#5533 if you've got suggestions]

2

[murrvelous]

[ wizard versus bird in a classic and epic struggle over a utensil. it's a pretty shiny looking one, which is of COURSE what catches murr's eye before seeing who is holding onto it.

but instead of helping nero, murr is... more than happy to slink up next to the other wizard and hum. ]

Heya, Nero! [ a beat, then: ] Why is the bird winning?

[perfectdistance]

[At least he wasn't expecting any help to come from Murr. There is that.]

It's fuckin' stubborn.

[He's yanking it away from the magpie. Not his artifact, you awful bird!]

[murrvelous]

[ well. the good thing is that murr didn't forget to start carrying around a nice plastic bag with some of those fish crackers! easier to bring than the original packaging, so.

he takes one out and flicks it at the bird, missing wide right. he flicks another, this one left--- bouncing off of nero's forehead. ]

Oops! Hm. Guess it doesn't want a snack, huh.

[ the third one hits the bird. ]

[perfectdistance]

[The bird starts going for Murr's jewelry, but at least that means it's less interested in Nero's One Fork.

This is humiliating. A cracker bounced off of his head.

At least his artifact is safe.]

I'll take it.

1.

[mortelix]

[ the concept of a festival itself isn't as foreign to him as half the things were in this land. even the villages near dragon valley dabbled in similar events, but whether mort specifically ever attended one was another matter completely. it's why, he does seem a bit curious to what the beings of this land (currently displaced and those who always had been present) would deem so entertaining about such an event.

as he himself is entirely blind to the whole concept, he endeavors on studying at an individual who appears to be quite knowledgeable. it's why nero could probably notice someone staring at him for a hot minute. the reason this staring is probably so... unique (and equal parts strange or off-putting) is the fact that he appears to have absolutely zero semblance of shame as he does so.

while others may have practiced some discretion, mort has none. it's why when nero may have been completely talking to himself, mort chimes in right beside him. ] And what are these supposed to be exactly?

[ what is he looking at, nero??? ]

[perfectdistance]

[He'll hand over a few coin for the meat lollipop.]

It's a spiral wurst. It's a Southern country festival thing.

[When it comes to food, he doesn't really mind sharing what he knows.]

[mortelix]

I admit, I'm wholly unfamiliar. Is there a benefit to them appearing that way? [ ... there has to be more to it than this??? he's always known other civilizations to be humble in some ways, but extraordinary in others...

so obviously, this meat can't just be meat? (except it probably is just meat). but, as nero purchases it, he seems to just... watch and wait. as if he expects something to occur.

as unlikely as it is, mort doesn't discount the possibility. ]

[perfectdistance]

In a spiral?

[He takes a bite out of the wurst. Delicious, well seasoned. Nero's in a good mood, but that could be just because of the festival atmosphere.]

's probably more stable than running a stick right through it when it's not rolled up.

[It's just meat.]

1

[federates]

[ barton, atp, is also wearing a yukata* (thank you, mysterious not!hizen) - maybe not wholly incorrectly, but it could use a few adjustments. point is, he's not in a position to critique. nero's comment, pointing out the meat lollipops, draws his attention. ]

Are they hard to make...? It just looks like meat on a stick. [ he hasn't a clue, lbr. ]

[perfectdistance]

[If there's anything Nero will speak freely about, it is food.]

You really only see spiral wurst like this in South during Walpurgisnacht. It looks pretty simple, but they're well seasoned with herbs and spices. Getting 'em to curl up just right and not burst is surprisingly hard.

[federates]

Huh...

[ yeah, he had been clueless. he'll have to ask about walpurgisnacht soon. it now sounds more like - not that he wouldn't have been able to enjoy it regardless, he does like most anything - a taste he would favor. barton scrutinizes the meat a moment longer, and then he gets the vendor's attention. ]

Well, why don't we get one, then?

[perfectdistance]

[He'll hand over the cash for his share of the wurst.]

It'll be good. [He doesn't know how they got the ingredients, but it smells right on the money to him.]

2

[holeful]

Ah, I think maybe you'll need to distract the bird with something else? Magpies like shiny thing-

[He is interrupted as another magpie swoops at him and claws his head.]

[perfectdistance]

[Looks at him with concern.]

They like stealin'.

[He should know.]

[holeful]

So give them a less precious thing to steal instead!

[Another magpie swoops down but instead lands on his head and start pecking at the piercing in his eyebrow.]

[perfectdistance]

[Increasingly concerned about Fukuda]

Hey, y'know you're gettin' pecked at right?

FOOD

[enterthe]

They sure... do.

[Ydris eyes that lollipop with some unease. How disturbing, but they suppose it's basically just a kebab? Oh no, they won't dare say that aloud. They are not getting into "what is a sandwich" debates, they don't have the strength.]

Is that one from your homeland?

[perfectdistance]

[The endless debates. "What is a sandwich?" "Is the ocean a soup or a salad?"

The spiral wursts are laying there fairly innocently.]

Yeah. They're popular in South Country around spring.

[enterthe]

[Okay, upon closer look, they're actually kind of cute. Holding them out on a stick is convenient and unmessy, too. This is a good, orderly food that Ydris can come around on, they like it now.

Taking one, Ydris chomps into it. They don't really chew, it seems to just enter their mouth and be gone. What's the light smell of burning? Don't worry about it!]

Hmm, very good. Tastes more of summer seasoning, to me.

[perfectdistance]

[They're very cute well-seasoned meat-on-a-sticks. Every culture has to have meat on a stick! It's the basics.

Nero takes a bite of the other. The light burning smell can at least be covered by all the other stalls cooking at the same time. It could've come from any direction. Who knows?]

"Savory and bold", right?

2

[pathofsacrifice]

[ What.

He has been doing what he can to help those being swarmed by these magpies, but he almost is not certain if he should step in on this one. Is the young man fighting the bird over a fork? ]

Let it go. I promise there are others in the city.

[perfectdistance]

[ Nero looks like he might actually kill this bird over his fork. ]

Not this one! It's special!

[ Sometimes your magical artifact is a set of extremely fancy cutlery and you'll fight anybody and anything that might try to take it from you. ]

[pathofsacrifice]

[ For a second, he wants to argue, but he sees the look the young man is giving the bird. ]

All right.

[ He crosses the short distance to grab onto the waist of the harassed man so that he could pull him back; it's like trying to pull the fork out of the bird's mouth but giving the win to Nero.

Or well, that's what he's trying to do -- Artemy didn't think this through as much as he should've. ]

[perfectdistance]

[If his plan was to pull Nero, perhaps he should have informed Nero about this plan. His arms go around his waist, and he pulls- which means Nero is toppling to the ground after him.

Though he does, at least, still have his death grip on his fork, even as he lets out an undignified yelp.]