jigokulogs | July 2022 IC Mingle

July 2022 IC Mingle

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!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Murr sure lives up to the Western wizard mantle. Nero could use a nice, quiet cup of wine and relax somewhere safe and far away from birds.

He pulls his cutlery out of this magpie's beak and smacks it with a blunt part.]

The cracker ones? Looks like you got tons.

Almost an unending supply!

[ what next does murr have to berate these birds with? why, it's none other than kibble! yes. cat kibble. ]

Ooh. You're really good at smackin' things... must've had a lot of experience doing that to people, I bet.

[ what's more annoying? birds or wizards??? ]

[ Are there cats in hell? Like real cats that aren't wizards? Hoping for the real cats to show up and eat the birds. ]

I wouldn't have so much practice if everybody would stop stealing.

[ there are definitely bakeneko, but most of them are smart enough youkai not to come and attack birds (especially as to not piss off fellow sutoku members). they still like the kibs, though. they're pretty high quality.

how would murr know, though...??? ]

Only one reason why people would be stealing from you!

[ more kibble is flicked, more birds are annoyed. ]

[Murr. Are you eating cat food.]

Ain't like I make anybody in the manor pay for their meals.

[He swings his fork like it's a weapon, because it is. Back off, birdie.]

[ not regularly, but isn't his ~~coat~~ hair softer and shinier than usual??? ]

Truuuuuuue~

[ as one of the birds gets closer, he snatches it out of the air. ready to give it a bite, the bird retaliates by poofing into smoke right before his very eyes. ]

... ugh. Guess you're not gonna be able to bake any of these into a pie, huh!

[MURR!!]

Not if they all disappear like that. Were they really birds?

[Are they just bird shaped magical objects? Can't exactly go eating that.]

[ IT'S NOT THAT BAD! just a little gritty. ]

Probably not. They're really good with makin' illusions around here! Curses, too.

[ he eyes another bird that gets a little too close, and reaches out to grab it. instead of being caught, it immediately pecks at murr's fingers. ]

Hey! Their beaks are pretty sharp for not bein' real!

[ one booboo: acquired. ]

[STOP! You are not a cat!]

Some of 'em might be real birds and some of 'em ain't.

[He picks up a chopstick and hurls it at the closest bird. It does, at least, dissuade it for the moment.]

[ every second that murr exists, he is one second closer to obtaining cathood. ]

You might be right! Hold on, let's ask them.

[ and he stops his assault for now. he's not running out of ammunition anytime soon, but with his arms raised: ]

Hey! If you're real, stop attackin' us!

[ murr's reward for his bravery is for one to land right on his head and just. perch. ]

Eh?

Can you speak to animals now?

[Isn't that much more an Owen thing? He looks skeptically at this perched bird. When will it turn on the?]

They're smarter than regular birds! I think.

[ the bird on his head makes itself comfortable. maybe it's acting as a deterrent? ]

Probably understand us better than we do them.

[ and murr hums, staring at the birds that continue to hover and harass. ]

With how the factions kinda fight with one another, I'm not surprised these birds are here to stir things up.

[ He looks warily at the bird on Murr's head. It may be calm now, but there's no telling what it might do a moment later.

In that way perhaps that's why the bird is nesting on him. ]

How often do the fights come up?

Oh, all the time! They all have their little squabbles and fight for the same things... kinda reminds me of home a little, you know?

[ the bird stares back at nero with an almost grin, if birds could grin. almost challenging him to do something about it. ]

Wish I had all of my magic and my ring but that hasn't stopped me from havin' fun now and then!

[ He's watching you, birdie. No holds barred if you steal his knives. ]

How much of your magic do you have right now?

Very little!

[ the bird really wants that knife, nero. it's staring at him with beady and unusually focused eyes. ]

I can make some sparks and firecrackers, things like that, but nothin' that impactful! Otherwise you know I'd be having a lot more fun!

[ and the world would know. ]

Shylock's done a lot for his clan, so he's a lot more important than little ol' me... and he has his magic back completely too!

[The world would most definitely know if Murr had more magic. There would be chaos in the streets.

Nero continues glaring at a bird.]

All of it? Damn. Guess he matches the whole Tamamo feel.

[Shylock is also very foxy.]

He does! Honestly, it feels like he's right at home.

[ and murr slowly reaches up to grab the bird, only for his fingers to get pecked a few times. he withdraws his hand and shakes it a few times, mostly to get the pain out. ]

And I feel right at home, too! 'cause he lets me stay with him, even though I'm not in the same clan. Don't tell anyone, okay?

Who am I even gonna tell about that?

[He's not in the business of talking about other people's questionable tastes. He has his own to deal with.]

I don't know! That foxy lady, maybe? But she'd probably be okay with it... she seems like she's okay with a lot of things.

[ like, very sexy stuff.

the bird on murr's head chirps before flapping off, and murr waves at it. ]

There it goes. Maybe the rest of them will go with it?

[Looks at all the other birds swooping down and attacking people.]

No.

Well, at least we're fine. Right?

[ of course as soon as murr says this, a few birds come back with a vengeance, immediately pecking at the western wizard's face. ]

A-ah! Come on, what's wrong with youuuuu!

Stop temptin' the birds.

They're tempting me!

[ with his limited amount of magic, murr will have to rely on another way of getting rid of the birds.

and so he pulls out a gun. ]

Hey! Stoppit! Whose side are you on?!

[Who let Murr have a gun!?]

July 2022 IC Mingle

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