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

Hm?

[He glances down to her, trying to note whether it was an earnest request or said in mischievous jest. In the end, he decides it's likely a little bit of both.]

Sure. What is the occasion?

[~~Rope Cloud into this and you've got a deal, missy.~~]

[ He'd be correct, of course. It's a bit of both, but there's an undercurrent of disbelief starting to mix into her tone, now. They'd just been talking about dates, after all, and she thinks he's pulling her leg. ]

Dunno! You missed me?

Edited (thats not the icon i wanted :/) 2022-07-14 22:05 (UTC)

[Aerith was an interesting person, and one with quite useful abilities to boot. To say he was pulling her leg was not so much it, but to say that his agreement was conditional certainly was.]

[(He had, also, seen Aerith and Cloud dancing earlier, though- and that only made the both of them more interesting for it.)]

I did miss... the chance to speak with you, [He inclines his head in admission, and thoughtfully eyes her flowers.] More privately. The network is a little too free-range for some things.

Is this just a hobby of yours, or do you intend to grow at a larger scale?

[ She's not even going to second-guess where this is going with him. Aerith tilts her head, raising a brow before she responds. ]

This was my business back home. Flowers were a real rarity. Lots of people told me they couldn't remember the last time they saw a "real one" when I sold it to them.

[ This is not, in truth, a total lie. ] I'm going to keep going.

I see.

[He pinches the petal of the flower tucked into his obi thoughtfully. There were a number of flowers that were grown for things beyond their aesthetic beauty; and some of them had quite useful ...medicinal purposes.]

If there is a certain flower, or flowering plant, that I would like to acquire... What would it take to obtain in some decent quantity?

[He sure is not making it sound like he's interested in bouquets, huh.]

[ There's a moment of consideration, where she does math and logistics and whatever else kind of bogus calculating mentally— none of it matters, she'll charge him extra for any trouble, anyway. ]

That depends. On the work involved, the level of intensity it is... What do you want, Matoba?

[Being charged extra for a special order was certainly a fair ask, in Matoba's eyes. The real question was if she could keep it on the quiet side.]

[But, no way of knowing until you try;]

How about oleander?

[Lovely. Deadly.]

[ Her expression, as neutral as it reads, is considerate. She wonders about this guy from time to time— and it catches her off guard, to see someone she had been making wards of protection with asking for something so deadly. Ten leaves is enough to kill a large animal; someone like Toraguma might need a little more, and the gears are turning in her mind... ]

Oleander is a shrub, so growing it, transporting it, replanting or repotting it...

[ Not that she's mentioned it, because it's a secret she's going to keep no matter what, but shrubs aren't presently in her wheelhouse. Perhaps if they were a flowering shrub, she might be able to make it work, but... ]

— Three million yen.

[ Cheeky. ] Why the interest in oleander?

Let's work on negotiating that down, [Matoba replies swiftly, smiling.] I can provide a space for you to grow it in alliance territory, without the need for transport. Of course, if that is more of an inconvenience, you may grow it and I can handle the transportation from my side.

[The Alliance did, after all, handle large portions of the city's trade and transport.]

[Matoba was a businessman at his core.]

I am an exorcist. You could say I have a fascination with things which are connected to death. Mums, spider lilies, camellias... They are all favorites of mine.

And I am especially fond of things which have many uses.

[ On some level, she can respect a business man. She thinks about this, arms behind her back, swaying to and fro in a leisurely manner, all while festivities bubble noisily around them. Really, she's got a habit of doing this. ]

They do have multiple uses. [ With a raise of her brow, she stands still, eyes him for a moment. Her gut is telling her to ask... ]

Which means you know how to actually use it. So, what's it really for? I know you can banish things if you really want to, and you know I'd help you if you asked.

[ Her heels click as she rolls back and forth on the balls of her feet, waiting. ]

[Swinging his gaze back down to Aerith, he meets and holds hers steadily, with all her innocent girlish charm, trying to negotiate some leverage out of him.]

[If she's going to be a business partner in this, it will be a little difficult to grow such large quantities without a bit of information, won't it?]

If I really want to, hm....

Much of my magic is still sealed, so direct exorcisms are still quite difficult for me. Furthermore, there are not so many magic users amongst the Alliance. Unlike the Tamamo, our strengths lie elsewhere.

Ah, but that reminds me. Tamamo also has quite the number of apothecaries, doesn't it? [He tilts his head, playful.] Are they to be your customers, as well?

[ For all her girlish charm, she's no fool. A thoughtful pause overcomes her, and perhaps Matoba already knows what she's going to ask. ]

You're looking to make potions.

[ But not, she realizes, the sort that keep you healthy. ]

Of a sort. Currently, we are only starting with tranquilizers and anti-toxins, as a matter of fact. [His voice lowers. He's sure Aerith is aware of this, but he doesn't want passer-by to hear him add,] I hope to also investigate whether any of the compounds that are created could be passed on to Emily-san for utilization in the clinic. Medicines are quite expensive to import, much less in an unofficial capacity.

[His voice returns to its normal volume. Still soft, but not secretive.]

But oleander is highly toxic, [He smiles.] As it happens.

[He's not doing it without his own interests, of course, but it wasn't as if Tamamo didn't have all their own monopolies on the market of poisons and potions worked out already. If nothing else, the Alliance was a clan of ingenuity, and so ingenuity they would use in order to create what they needed, themselves.]

...I think that Tamamo and the Alliance have this in common, among other things: a preference for preventative measures and deterrents, rather than outright weapons.

This isn't my pet project, by the way. I'm just overseeing it. [The perks of being a Lieutenant.] But as one who specializes in destruction, I would be remiss not to make use of the opportunity.

Don't be silly, Matoba.

[ What part of this sounds silly to her? It's a mystery. He can ask, but she'll never elaborate.

The truth of the matter is that Aerith couldn't give less of a shit about clan politics. Factions this, factions that— it all seems like a great, big distraction, and while the Daitengu had a means for coming back, who is to say the others don't? There is a balance to strike in a city this big. Matoba looks to strike some kind of business alliance with her, and while she thinks it's very forthcoming of him, there's a number of reasons why she'd agree to it or reject it.

More importantly, though, she knows Emily enough to chide him. ]

You should be calling her Dyer-san. [ There's pixie-sweet smile on her face as she says this, though, mischievous and playful. ]

You know I cant't do this for free, though. [ Emily already has an in with Aerith's garden— theoretically, he should know this. But...

Hm. There is something to keep in mind. ] More importantly, this is a bad spot for business talk. You seen the inside of a taxi yet, Matoba?

[The part, he's guessing, where she'll buy that he is funding this in any way for medicines and the like. Perhaps that is not his personal goal, but that was how Kimmuriel had pitched it to him, and that was how he had agreed. Of course, they had both also discussed the opportunity to work up to proper poisons...]

Oh? My mistake. [Is this a Western name order thing...? He ponders that for a moment, then adds,] Emily-- Dyer-san isn't aware of this project, at least not from me. I didn't see any point in mentioning before we had results.

That said, I did not intend to have you working for free, of course. But three million for a few shrubs is quite steep, don't you think?

[Theoretically. He supposed it, from their prior connections, but these were two different spheres, when it came to what he knew, and what he would say.]

...I am familiar with taxis. [He says it a bit dryly. It was easy to assume, he supposes, that he was not from the most modern of times with his manner of dress.]

[ Curiouser and curiouser. Aerith tilts her head, looking up at him in rapt attention. She's listening— ]

Aww, really?

[ —and teasing.

Three million had been both a joke of a price as well as half-sincere. When you don't quite know what someone's intentions are with your goods, you need to be careful, and work smartly. Aerith is considering her options in her mind, and of course, she expects some kind of compensation, but more than that comes to her mind. Matoba assumes she means a business at large, but while it's on her mind, Sutoku is still part of the Hell that she wishes to make bloom with vibrancy. ]

I'll lead the way. [ He has no choice in the matter. If he wants her stuff, he'll go.

To where, exactly? Well, a taxi. Though it isn't a luxurious one, it's certainly a mid-point price, befitting of someone getting the feet wet in climbing the ranks of their faction. It's not too far off from the majority of the bustle, a black taxi with LED lights lining it's interior, on the verge of "tasteful". Really, all good business is done in cheap knock-off limos, right? Aerith climbs in before him, caring very little of the fact she's got a short dress on. Matoba doesn't exactly seem like someone to care, himself.

"Around the block until I say we're done," is what she asks of the driver, and they oblige without a word, sunglasses still on. ]

You're right. Three million is a little much! But I want to know what exactly you're looking to do with my plants.

[The teasing has been a bit back-and-forth now, the both of them feeling each other out. Matoba can say now confidently that this girl was far more clever than he might have expected upon their first meeting, but that was hardly a bad thing. On the contrary.]

After you, then. [He understands how business goes, after all. Following after Aerith and stepping up the the taxi, holding the door open as she climbs inside and disinterestedly not taking any note of if her dress happened to hike up or not. Instead he bends gracefully to fold himself inside after her, sweeping his feet in after with the practiced motion of one who has entered many shiny black limos and cars while in full kimono.]

[She, too, seems to have done this before... Or at least, is familiar enough with how these sorts of meetings are supposed to go, to be able to make the moves as if practiced. This, too, he respects.]

I shall keep the name of my associate anonymous, if you don't mind, [He begins, and lays it all on the table:] A member of my clan struck up conversation with me not long after our Boss's "revival", concerned of our uncertain status in the midst of the ongoing feud between Shuten and Tamamo. You will recall a large member-clan of the Alliance, the kappa, are still without jobs and in general, morale was low.

[After the Night Parade and that upheaval. After the Daitengu's miraculous "revival" and accusations towards the Enma, with the kappa still displaced from the Underground and the Tamamo and Shuten still at each other's throats over the scraps. In all of this, the Sutoku Lost Souls, all the shrewd sort, saw a brewing danger greater than the destabilization of the Underground feud. Perhaps Ryouma had solved that portion for the time being, but it was clear not all were happy with the outcome, even tonight.]

The Daitengu was brazenly shot in front of an audience of the entire city, and that is an individual with an entire guard. What would become of the rest of us? As we discussed methods of defending ourselves from possible hostile actions, my associate suggested to me that we make use of their knowledge in apothecary to form antitoxins and tranquilizing drugs, in the event that attempts to destabilize the clans turns less brazen and more cloak-and-dagger.

Unfortunately, supplies for that sort of thing mostly go through your clan and are quite expensive and difficult to obtain for those on the outside, so I have been seeking ways to subsidize this.

[He leans an arm crooked against the taxi door, his chin tilted onto it.] My associate is handling all of the actual development of these agents, but I am funding it with my position and taking care of the organization, more or less. We have started into some research, but progress is slow with what is available to us, among other difficulties.

...Of course, if one is developing antitoxin, it is because it is a byproduct of the toxins themselves. I acknowledge this. I also acknowledge that it would be foolish to develop a toxin and not make use of it, if it became necessary.

Do you think that poison is my weapon of choice, Aerith-san? [He turns to glance at her across the cab, face dimly lit by the passing lights. With the way his hair and the ward over his eye already covered most of it, little could be clearly seen but a glinting eye.]

[ She doubts he thinks that this menacing little display is going to make her quiver in her seat. Instead, Aerith hooks her ankles together and she places her hands over her knees as the car smoothly cruises around the perimeter of the festival. The rainbow lights of the concert stage an lanterns fall over them in slits and squares and other strange, sharp shapes, setting a mood in. ]

No. [ It's simple, straight to the point. ] But it's not about you. [ She looks out the window, expression neutral, impassive, thoughtful— all at once. ] Everyone is trying their hardest to survive here... more and more, things are piling up...

[ When Aerith looks back at him, she supposes that Matoba has enough secrets under his belt that one more won't kill him. ] It was about... two months ago, actually. We held a meeting, following the Daitengu's assassination, to discuss plans for the future and the turf war. At that time... I propositioned that we discuss working with Sutoku Alliance to strike a deal.

[ Aerith raises one finger before continuing. ] They only needed half of the underground, and the Kappa were out of jobs, being hunted down... [ It hadn't sit right with her. Not at all. It still doesn't, in truth, but those are bygone moments, now. Still, he could ask around, and get the confirmation that Aerith did proposition this during the meeting— ]

I thought that two groups of people could handle Shuten as quickly as possible, or force some kind of surrender... My proposition was largely considered too risky. Some way or another, Tenkohime heard about it, and wanted to know why I felt that way. We still don't know who, or what killed the Daitengu... and only a short time later, the rain had fallen... on the order of Haniyasu. [ A beat. ] It seems.

[ There is something bigger beyond the city. Between the black market, the attempts on their lives, everything else... There's more to be uncovered. She knows this. Clan politics are just a footnote to her— a good partnership, however. ]

Matoba, I can get you the things you're asking for. [ But she does think there's a target on her back, from Tenkohime's questions back then. Something is amiss, and she thinks that it'd be a great disservice to the Tamamo Clan's name for her to be working with someone from another clan. All the same... ]

But the same way that Tamamo has a sort of lock on these things— magic, and herbs... I know Sutoku has more information. I want to help, any way I can, to make sure we keep this place alive and well. It'd be a shame to lose this city, but we know that it's under attack. That's all I want.

[ Ah— ]

And maybe room for a flower patch or garden of some kind in Sutoku. If this place is going to go up in blooms, then I really gotta hit up the other clans, too!

[It's not. He doesn't know another way to be, and it's probably obvious enough that even when he's doing something like reaching a hand out in cooperation, the other is always itching on a proverbial trigger, waiting for the other to be slapped away (or chopped off, to really equate things).]

[You have to give something up to get anything in return. Whether that was information, or pride, money or blood. He suggested "negotiation" and he knew that it would be one or more of these things.]

I'm glad, [He says finally, somewhat amused at her chiding.] That you are someone who sees the greater good. I have witnessed a number of negotiations that fell through because of something as petty as personal mistrust or dislike. Of course, when it comes to something like exorcist clans, the generations before mine were full of prideful do-nothings who sat back and let things languish to a point that they we are all on the brink of dying out.

[His jaw tightens as the corner of his smile lifts. No, they still did not know who exactly killed the Daitengu, whether it was Haniyasu or otherwise. In all the fallout of the Tower attacks, and the Enma being freed from Haniyasu's captivity, even he had still not heard any clarification from the Boss on just where that accusation had spun from, and whether Haniyasu's appearance had been the true cause.]

[But Matoba, too, feels something larger from this. Larger than a primordial, but likely weakening kami, whose relevance could be guessed at, but whose power he would not have figured anywhere near enough to do what was done last month. There was a greater power.]

Please let me know what kind of information you are looking for, and I will do my best to get it to you. [He folds his hands with a bow of his head.] If it is information on Haniyasu-no-kami, it is a subject I personally know a modest amount about, and I have my own conclusions based upon those to share. If it is information on the Alliance, I will share what I think I best can without putting my colleagues in danger.

[Matoba draws a spelltag from his yukata. It was a paper butterfly, the corners of its wings painted with small bullseye-like patterns.] Please take this. If you have information you must pass or ask for more discreetly, this one will fly back to me as an informant. It may prove useful in the future... And I think it will be lovely in the garden, don't you think?

[He flashes a cheeky smile.] ...There is a somewhat derelict strip of park on the edge of the independent cafes... Now that you mention it.

Edited 2022-07-18 20:40 (UTC)

[ There is a needles that sticks deep into her side, a thorn that makes her uncomfortable. The truth is: She doesn't really trust Matoba, but it isn't really his fault. Not entirely, at least. Aerith signs herself up for this and knows she's playing with fire. When she thinks about it, she imagines her home in Sector 5 not entirely as dissimilar to the one Don Corneo had set up for himself in Wall Market. The difference is that Elmyra's husband hadn't used his influence and comfort for taking. He gave, and she wonders if that legacy is trying to take root in her now.

Though the truth is unspoken, she thinks that Matoa feels similarly. For that reason, it isn't merely trust that matters; it's being able to back up your assertations. ]

It's very pretty. [ She says of the butterfly, but he'll hear the reverence in her voice, even as a number of thoughts swim around in her mind. It is fascinating to her, and reminds her of home. She'll keep it safe. ] How about we test it out soon?

[ Putting it away for safe keeping, she flashes him her own cheeky smile. ] I want to know everything you do. If I can do something to further the reach of information, then I will... without a doubt. So, what's sitting hardest on your mind right now, Matoba?

[Matoba's mouth curls at Aerith calling his spells pretty for a second time. But he can't take as much credit for this one.] To tell the truth, while I chose the appearance of a butterfly, this one is a borrowed technique.

...Did you know? In my culture, butterflies guide dead souls towards the Sanzu, towards the afterlife.

[But enough once again with his death fascination. He looks out towards the festival passing them by again, and ponders her question. It wasn't an easy one by any means. He had a lot of things on his mind.]

You said that Tenkohime questioned your attempt at a truce... What part of it exactly did she seem to take issue with? [He'd had some theories that Tenkohime and Toraguma both knew more than they let on, had reasons exactly why they wanted control of the Underground.] Did anything she said stick out as particularly odd?

[ His death fascination settles strangely on her shoulders, as if the weight of what he puts on her is palpable. What Matoba doesn't tell her says more about him than what he does. Some day, she wants to ask, but he questions before she can. Aerith places her hands back on her lap, and the LED lights feel cheesier by the moment. Unfortunately, it's what her money can buy right now. All the while, the meter runs in the background, like a clock ticking down. ]

Odd? [ Closing her eyes, she tries to remember... ]

She felt it was working against the clan... I suppose. She wanted to know why I wanted to strike deals like that. Actually... a lot of things were bothering me back then. [ Nodding, she opens her eyes. ]

I guess the most interesting thing was that she wanted to give the kappa their jobs back.

[Matoba listens to Aerith's gut feelings, feeling them slot neatly into his own. For a clan which prided itself on their independence and untamable natures, Matoba thinks that it was a dangerous proposition to try and bring a clan of beasts under heel. Beasts were never to be trusted- tricksters by nature and without masters- their unpredictability made them suitable acquaintances for the gathering of information, but terrible to be relied upon in times of need.]

[It was cute, when it was casual. But for Tenkohime to be trying to gather all these disparate cats into one basket, it seemed as though she must have some leverage by which to keep them there.]

Softness? [Matoba scoffs. Or the appearance of it, maybe. From his own perspective it was only logical to want to get those who knew how to keep the city's waterways running back to work., but he doesn't think she would be so practical. Disinterest, maybe. That wasn't her goal.] I doubt she's interested in their work, so I don't see why not.

What do you think she gets out of controlling the Underground? Surely you don't think all that grandeur about a brothel is by any means the true aim, hm? [He half-smiles towards her in the neon.] What do you think is down there?

She is interested.

[ Just maybe not for the reasons you'd think, she supposes. Aerith rolls her ankle, humming, and taps her finger upon her knee. She does suspect one thing about Tenkohime's words, and that they had been an attempt to placate her at the time. Worried and looking to do more within the city, Aerith had still been green back then. Now... ]

What does she get? More territory, of course. [ But she gets his point. ]

I didn't tell you, did I? [ She never tells anyone anything, to be fair. ] I went underground. Before the Daitengu was assassinated.

Before?

[That is certainly enough to get his interest. Matoba's head tilts, letting a few moments of shifting shadows and the quiet sounds of driving fill the space.]

[The most he had been able to gather about the business in the Underground before everything went down was that which people had been able to sneak in. That the security down there had been all the kappa's technological failsafes, not those of a magical sort. Even Ryouma, back then, had been dumped off into the river by them for daring to try and get past; now, they could likely waltz down there as they liked. But most of what had been there of interest was gone, after the Enma's sweep.]

How far down did you get?

July 2022 IC Mingle

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