open 🌙 july catchall

[nerine]

Who ⬤ Monts and Various
What ⬤ July Sub-stories and Catchall
When ⬤ Throughout July.
Where ⬤ Here and there in Jigokucho, mostly in Tamamo Territory.
Content Warnings ⬤ The Amazing Mr. Libido and perhaps some sauciness because of Stardust. Will be added as needed.

Notes ⬤ Prompts in the comments!



"Meet me like I'm midnight."

Comments

OPEN 💫 July Catchall

[nerine]

[As the curse over the city is lifted, the afterlife goes on ]

❇ SUBSTORY: Do the Hustle - Mr. Libido

[Is Mr. Libido simply a new type of streaker? Of course, he has the "consideration" to still be wearing underwear as he graces various shops around the Tamamo territories with his presence. He gets shouts, he gets hisses, he gets spat on, but he's a sneaky little guy, dodging as soon as someone tries to get into his space.

Currently, he's hitting up the hostess clubs. It's not hard to tell, what with the various young female-identifying youkai sporting more sour expressions instead of the usual inviting and sensual greetings that they give their guests. Mr. Libido will be inside the club gyrating his heart out as he's surrounded by the beautiful flowers of the night.

Speaking of, Monts is ready to work pretending that nothing is wrong. She'll greet her customers with her best smile, but she's more than willing to work with you if you want to capture the fiend.]

❇ SUBSTORY: Starry Eyed - Stardust

[On some other night, even though work is over, plenty of the clan members are out and about trying to collect the precious stars that have fallen into the streets. Monts is in a giggly mood as she exits the doors, holding a bag she's been gifted by a customer.

So she may be straying rather far into other territories looking for the stuff, which may not be the wisest of ideas especially so late in the evening. Join her, dissuade, her, help yourselves to the stardust? Your choice!]

❇ Every Other Day

[When the nightlife has settled down, here are a few things you may find Monts doing around Jigokucho:

❧ Early morning coffee. You'll hear music playing from a phone. Up on the balcony above a shop, Monts is drinking coffee from a thermos. She'll wave down at you especially if you're from Tamamo. If you're not, you'll get a brow raise, but she won't reprimand you. Either way, perhaps another coffee run is in the works.

❧ Shopping in the conbini. Why? Well, remember those youkai kids who wouldn't give up the totem from last month? She just feels like getting them snacks even though they're brats. They make a game out of trading and you can join in too.]

❇ Wildcard

[ooc; PM if you would like a custom starter written up for you or if you have an idea that isn't here!]

stardust;

[tonguecutter]

[ Like a dutiful bird, Beni has taken to collecting stardust on behalf of her faction, even in hours as late as these. Since this stardust is supposed to magnify feelings of satisfaction and happiness as people indulge in their wants, the exposure hasn't quite hit the sparrow in full yet due to...not partaking in her desires in the first place yet...

At any rate, Beni being out and about this late in Sutoku territory might seem like it's heading for a repeat of being caught off-guard and grabbed, but this time she's far more aware, far more on guard, and it doesn't take much for her to catch notice of someone in a gigglier mood than normal, with movements more relaxed than would be wise at a time so late, in territory so out of pace.

Wait a second, that's... ]

Is that you Monts, chirp?

[nerine]

Hm? Oh, hey there!

[Monts gives Beni-enma a very energetic wave, her bag swaying in her other hand.]

How are you doing Beni? At least it isn't raining!

[tonguecutter]

[ That...sure is Monts! Waving energetically, at her, at this time of night. Her eyes fall on the bag of stardust, swaying, and it clicks into place. ]

I'm doing fine.

[ How kind of her to ask. And she's right; at least it isn't raining. Raining blood especially. ]

...You seem like you're in a very good mood though, cheep.

[nerine]

Aha, you think so?

[Monts stretches out her arms and takes a deep breath.]

Well, I'm having fun! Collecting all this dust feels like a... Scavenger hunt! Except without the annoying clues that waste your time. They're just so bright and shiny and I can't help but feel cheered up when looking at them and holding so much!

Are you collecting them too Beni? I'll help you out. I'll even split but I'll have to keep the majority to keep Tenkohime happy.

Mr. Libido

[getting_better]

[ Since the truce between Shuten and Tamamo was signed, a number of oni's have breathed a (quiet) sigh of relief as they visit the pleasure district to indulge in their pent up desires. Of course, they were reminded by a number of more responsible and cool headed officers to keep the image and stick to their code. Maybe even try to smooth things over with little things, like taking care of any problems that show up.

This "Mr. Libido" was one such problem. One would think a pair of tough and hardy oni's would be able to take care of this wirey little nusience, but no. He was surprisingly fast to the point that they were eventually starting to tire. So there they were, two lumbering oni's outside her club trying to chase down a half naked yokai. And failing.

"What do we do? This guy is too damn slippery" "We've gotta get rid of him stupid, this ain't just about keepin' up appearances! This is about pride, dammit!"

The two are quick to really quick to anger but their size was just not an advantage in this case.

"Wait! I got an idea! Call bro!" "Bro? . . . Oh. Wait no, wasn't he passed out drunk?" "Do you have a better idea? He managed to land a solid hit on Toraguma! He can do something about this! For sure! Wake him up!"

An hour and half, and a lot of quiet begging from the onis, and a familiar face appeared in front of Monts club, though he's far from the clean image she might remember of him. Deshrivled hair, shirt half tucked, hand holding and shielding his face from the lights, and smelling of liqour. Bishop was not in the best of states. Peeking between his fingers, eye bloodshot and unfocused, he entered the club and found Monts - mostly because she's the only face he recognizes and doesn't care if she's with a customer or not. ]

....I was summoned here by a pair of morons about a half-nekkid guy. This is the red light district so I'm hoping you can give me a good reason why this particular half-nekkid guy should be a concern.

[nerine]

[Oh dear.

Monts regards the state of the disheveled Bishop warily. The other hostesses are whispering amongst themselves, already agreeing to let her deal with him. He stinks of liquor and looks like he doesn't have any money. Also, he's a Shuten; based on prior experience, clearly, Monts is the best person for the job. She's free anyway!

Glancing between him and the gyrating man in his white underwear and socks in the far, far corner of the club, Monts starts to mentally prep herself. It's gonna be a long night.]

Hi Bishop.

[Before she answers his question, Monts decides to be blunt.]

You look like shit.

[getting_better]

Oh yeah? Well-

[ She looks good. Presentable, as she should be. Technically he should be too, so he just sighs. ]

-nevermind. So. Naked dude. Where?

[ He'd scan the club but, he can barely see straight. The two onis who called him were hanging a few meters back whispering to each other wondering if this was such a good idea. ]

[nerine]

[She makes an apologetic hand gesture at Bishop.]

Sorry, that was rude of me. But you don't look like you should be working.

[Regardless, what she does next is to put her hand on Bishop's shoulder and gently lead him to a booth seat; his oni co-workers are free to come along since she's also gestured to them with one hand to follow.]

Well, he's just been using the place as a dance club now so...

[Points to the corner. Look at Mr. Libido go. Gyrating. Waggling his eyebrows as the other hostesses steer clear of him.]

We've tried to chase him out, but he keeps coming back because he likes it here.

Starry Eyed

[swordofhisou]

[Tenshi was tagging along with another Tamamo member because she did want to make sure nobody gave them too much hassle... well, that and two sets of eyes made it easier to find the stardust. It was really more the latter, but hey? Doing her job and serving as protection and muscle certainly at least made it look like she was being a good little worker.

So, she was following along with a light smile on her face. She had a heavy-looking scabbard over her shoulder with the sword sheathed in it, though she didn't intend to pull it out if she could help it. She might not look that intimidating, but she could handle herself. Smirking over at the girl, she laughed lightly.]

You're in a good mood. You know, I don't think we ever got properly introduced... Tenshi.

[nerine]

Heh! You're right, I haven't really said my hellos to other members.

[Monts gives Tenshi a cheerful wave as her greeting, before sweeping a couple of Stardust fragments off the top of a trashcan.]

Hi Tenshi, I'm Monts! I've been here for a while.

Looks like you're armed and ready for a brawl! Hopefully not though, I've had enough drama.

[swordofhisou]

Heh. Well, I mean I'm one of Musashi's security girls, so I'd better be ready for a fight. The plan isn't to actually end up in one, but gotta have a few good bouncers at the clubs don't we?

[She rather liked being one of the better fighters in the faction, or at least in her own estimation. It made her feel important, after all. As the two of them started to search, she glanced around, relaxed and started to collect little pieces here and there, ignoring the faint tingling warmth.]

So, you've been here for a while then? What do you think of the place?

starry eyed

[exiguous]

[ Mona is dutiful (?) in collecting stardust, though some of her collection is going to go towards her research...but most of it is for her faction. She's not expecting to run into someone whom she doesn't recognize, and this person appears to be in a very good mood.

Mona doesn't find it too peculiar, though she really should, given that she's starting to feel a little out of it. More tranquil than usual.

Hm. She approaches and puts her pouch of stardust behind her back. She should be more wary of this stranger being on Sutoku's territory at this time of night, but she truly isn't. ]

Are you in need of assistance? This is Sutoku's territory that you're treading on, you know. Unless I've simply missed meeting a member of our faction?

[nerine]

Hm?

[Monts turns her attention to the other girl blinking as she blithely takes some Stardust from a window ledge into her bag.]

Oh, is that where we are now? I was beginning to wonder where the warble of bad karaoke disappeared to.

[Is she being coy? Sincere?? Just foolhardy? All three? Anyway, she makes a dismissive gesture with her hand.]

Well, I won't go too deep, but I did hear from some little bird that there's some in the convenience stores and it'd be a shame to at least not check it out. I'll even buy some snacks so I'm not just stepping in all willy-nilly without giving anything back!

[exiguous]

The convenience stores? Is that so?

[ She's swift to reach over and pick up a small patch Stardust on a window sill adjacent to the other one. She stuffs it into her pouch and thinks on Monts' words for a second, considering this...and then she nods. At least she'll give some of her business to Sutoku. ]

Hmm. Very well, I'll escort you to one nearby, then – my name is Mona. You are?

[ Mona fully intends on snagging any Stardust she can in the convenience store, but perhaps Monts will beat her to the punch...! ]

mr. libido

[girlworker]

[ Helly is on the hunt with the lowest levels of enthusiasm she can muster up. Graduating from office work to catching sexual harassers is... still better than office work, but she's starting to realize her ideal dream job is doing nothing all day. Oh well, beats being stuck in the sterile halls of Lumon.

Word is he's hitting up the hostess clubs. Monts' place of work is number four on the list and she catches him gyrating even before she's past the entrance. Bingo. ]

Hey there. [ She raises her hand half-way up to catch Monts attention at the entry, forcing a smile. ] My name is Helly, I'm with the Tamamo Clan. I'm here for him.

[ A not so subtle point to Mr. Libido, currently with four hostesses doing their best to not shoo off a paying customer. ]

[nerine]

Hey, there. Always nice to have someone else in our group. We've gotten pretty big this past month it feels like.

[Monts waves to Helly.]

Helly, I'm Monts. Heck of a name you got here for Jigokucho.

[And then she glances at Mr. Libido with a light frown on her face.]

Yeah. About him... He's slippery believe it or not. That must be why regular clothes don't stick to him. If you can find a way to get rid of him, be my guest. I'll even get you a free drink for our troubles.

[girlworker]

[ Yeah, Helly in Hell. She kind of likes it though. Her smile falls to a grimace at the mention of 'slippery' and she doesn't need to imagine what could be coating his skin. Eugh. ]

Is there any reason he's been so hard to kick out? He's just one guy, looks kind of old.

mr. libido

[federates]

Aaaaaah!!

[ barton is so annoyed. like he and monts had discussed, having changed into something casual for the rendezvous, he'd arrived sharply at midnight; while a little tired from the day's work, he's grateful for the opportunity to relax and chat some. well, was grateful, until -- just shortly after arrival, and nearing monts -- his attention had inevitably been drawn to the local streaker. ]

[ how many times had he chased this weirdo down already? hell, he's even apprehended him himself. how? how has he eluded the department, not to mention any other peeved vigilantes, so many times? it'd be nearly impressive if just glancing at the guy didn't have him boiling with deep-seated revulsion. ]

[ barton places a hand to monts shoulder and tries not to squeeze, purely out of misplaced irritation. he lowers his voice to a hiss. ]

Damn this guy... You want him out?? [ he does seem to be - uh, enjoying himself. what's host club protocol? ]

[nerine]

[Look at Mr. Libido and his gyrating pelvis. Look at that rotation Barton.

Monts isn't looking, but she is drinking her iced apple cider trying not to pay attention to him. When Barton voices his displeasure, she gives him a look that says, "You've been dealing with him too?

Barton's hand on her shoulder makes her smile. What a comforting man even though he's kind of big and scary according to the other hostesses.]

We all do, Barton. He's been... Uh. None of us even know how he got through the front door, much less the back. We're sure we keep the back locked.

I guess if you and I work together, we could just inflict him on another business here.

[THEIR PROBLEM SOON]

[federates]

[ barton stares back, wishing monts had said anything else (not that the offer of a joint venture is unwelcome) -- "no, we love him here, of course he's welcome to stay!" no such luck, and he almost wants to bang his head against the wall. ]

Breaking in too, huh?

[ he grimaces, shoulders squaring. while not truly a viable alternative, unfortunately, ]

What if I just stabbed him instead...?

[ 🙃 ]

👗 Gojyo

[nerine]

[As the Stardust acquisition continues the mood in the red light district heightens. It's incredibly merry at the hostess club Monts is working at. While she usually approaches work as playing a role to earn an income, a means to an end, tonight she hums cheerful songs and sincerely listens to her customers who are buying more drinks much to everyone's delight. Some are going into the back rooms to get the sudden burst of energy out of their system and it could be her imagination, but everything felt so much brighter and hopeful.

Stardust has piled onto the tables and some of the more playful hostesses start creating games to play with their patrons; everyone is putting a bet on something in order to win more of the precious stuff.

The cards and chips are on the tables with Stardust at stake. There are other types of games, but it's easiest to arrange what's on hand in the house.

Monts sits back to absorb the positive energy all around before someone calls for her.

"Hey, MonMon!! You available for a customer?"

She is in fact, available. Stepping out to the front, she goes to greet the new patron. Her dark outfit for that night glitters as the Stardust scattered around Jigokucho and her face lights up when she sees who her visitor is.]

Hey there! It's been a while, hasn't it? In terms of face-to-face anyway.

[pervy_kappa]

[Gojyo had been eagerly anticipating this night. With what had happened over the last month, a little bit of normalcy had felt like a godsend. Now he could let loose, go back to having fun, flirting, and enjoying himself.

And then Monts said she was free.

When was the last time he got to hang out with her? Like, really hang out? Wasn't it back during the previous festival? Shit, just thinking about it made him feel like a shitty friend.

But perhaps that's just how life gets sometimes.

Regardless, he was determined to make up for it.

And so he stopped by her job, slightly more spruced up than usual (much obliged to Majima's sterner stance on him representing a proper Shuten dress code for his juniors), standing in the front lobby of the club as he idly waited. He was casually rocking in place until he saw her emerge from the leading club.

His reaction was almost instantaneous. Pausing in his tracks, he quickly stood up straight, his eyes wide as he looked Monts over. One of his arms quickly folded behind his back as he did his best to look as good while being otherwise inconspicuous as possible. Was this how she always dressed up for work?

Damn. Monts looked good.

She looked really good.

But he was quick to ease up, his usual cocky grin returning as he tilted his head slightly and met her gaze.

It was way too long.]

Hey.

Believe I've got a reservation?

[nerine]

[Monts has honed the skill of being discreet about others' reactions towards her whether it's out of fear and uncertainty or because they see her in a certain light (which she will gladly bask in; she's not above it after all). Other than that, her smile at Gojyo is not out of customer courtesy. She's genuinely happy to see him after so long. It had just been text messaging between them and his presence breaks up the monotony that had followed the lifting of the curses.]

Indeed you do. We made plans after all!

[Gesturing at him to follow her, she wastes no time in chatting with him as they pass the aisles of other hostesses cooing over a particularly generous customer who is being cajoled out of his Stardust.]

I was hoping it'd be a little quiet so we can talk, but as you can see, it's hopping. Everyone's been grabby with the Stardust.

[When they get to their booth seat, she pats the spot next to her.]

But let's catch up first! I know it went downhill, but I'm kind of bummed I didn't catch you at the beach.

[pervy_kappa]

[Damn she wasn't kidding. The club seemed to be bustling with tables filled with drunk clients and giggling hosts and hostesses. Waitresses were running all about hastily, and you could catch sight of the bartender flailing about as usual.

Perhaps Gojyo wasn't the only one who felt it necessary to get back into the fun of things after all that happened.

Speaking of it, his shoulders relaxed the moment Monts took a seat and welcomed him along. Smiling as he slowly sits beside her.]

Yeah, sorry about that. The freaking Enma making all the food for those in their clan free left us freaking slammed! It was just constantly me and Majima carrying supplies around and handing out drinks while Bishop cooked up a storm.

Hope you at least stopped by at least and tried some of the food though. Bishpos crab legs were better than anything I've had in a damn good while. Ah!

[Oh. Right. Before he forgot--

Sitting a little more relaxed, he pulled out a small bouquet of mixed flowers from behind his back. Nothing special or expensive, but still well maintained.]

Wanted to apologize for not seeing ya these past few months. Usually I'm a lot more persistent with those I like to bother.

[He'll even toss a playful wink as he says that.]