[ closed ] 別道 「 another way 」

[kaientai]

Who ⬤ Sakamoto Ryouma + the Stars
What ⬤ Ryouma holds a meeting for ranked Sutoku Lost Souls (finally)
When ⬤ the beginning of July, after the mingle
Where ⬤ Konoha
Content Warnings ⬤ none that I can think of!



[ weird how things come full circle. the first meeting ryouma ever put together in jigokucho had been here at konoha under similarly dire — if you want to focus on the negative — circumstances. ryouma thinks they're doing great!

ryouma is also still wearing his bird wounds for the optics.

doing. great.

in any case, there is no time to lose, and so the call goes out to all the Sutoku Lost Souls who command any bit of influence. proper time to plan and a bit more clout to his name this time enables ryouma to do better than just renting out one of the VIP rooms for a few hours like last time — borrowing a room much more suited to the purpose. ryouma has no love for the nightclub or the boardroom atmosphere, but it is the faction's central hub, and as much as he might have preferred to do this at a more intimate location that's more his speed, he feels like it's important to make the gesture.

plus, he's invited the boss. ]

I'm sure you all know why we're here, so now it's time to fill you all in on what's been going on! This is gonna be a lot that I gotta say, so it'll save us all a lotta time if ya let me get to the end before ya ask questions, okay?

[ if anyone was expecting him to look sorry... he does not. he doesn't look worried either, even if some people think he ought to, but unflappable confidence in times like these is just ryouma's thing. it's worth noting that ryouma also looks slightly different and now carries two swords in addition to his gun, which… might be interesting? ]

Ever since what happened at the Night Parade, I've been working real hard to find a way to restore the peace around here. Nobody told me to do that, mind, but forgin' unlikely alliances is sorta what I'm known for where I come from.

[ and you really don't want to know how much things here have followed the trajectory of his former life, considering how it ended, but at least he succeeded at the time? ]

It was only a little plan at first, just a small thing to try and prove it could work out, but then it started takin' shape over time, especially when I caught wind that we were gonna end up negotiatin' with whoever won the turf war anyway. Problem was, Shuten and Tamamo were pretty evenly matched there so things were at an impasse, which ain't real great for them but the perfect opportunity for us.

[ as he keeps talking, ryouma starts to pace, and his accent slips more and more over time as he finds a flow. he's excited about all this and is eager to finally have people to collaborate with. now more than ever, he's picking up on the same feeling he used to have back when he was alive, instead of how it's been while he's been a counter guardian. for better or worse, everyone's getting ryouma in his element. ]

I met with—… well, a lot of people, but most importantly, I met with Majima and Musashi — lieutenants from Shuten and Tamamo, respectively. A couple of folks who were working with me on it aren't here anymore, but one of them gave me the clue that'd be the key to the whole thing, which is lucky because the Shuten Clan was the hardest sell on this whole thing.

[ here ryouma takes a momentary pause. he has a sip of water and looks around at everyone he's addressing right now, sure that he's at least interested or annoyed everyone into having their attention. that's how it usually goes, in his experience. he also lights a cigarette because he finds it relaxing, and everyone else will just have to deal. ]

So, what did I sell them on, right? I'm gonna tell ya.

[ he actually has something prepared to show them, so he starts by unrolling a map and flattening it out on the table before he pushes it forward. he's old-fashioned; he doesn't know about powerpoint. this map is the same one used at the negotiation meeting, meaning everyone's respective aggressive scribbles are exactly where they left them. ]

This is how things in the Underground will be divvied up, more or less. As you can see, this location'll be jointly controlled by all three factions. Givin' a little ground keeps the peace down below, which is good because we don't want the Department steppin' in, but not everybody's happy with that. It's understandable, what with it bein' a loss, but I consider any time we can settle something without bloodshed a win. In any case, the Alliance's most important asset down below — in my opinion — is the waterways and how we can use them.

We need those 'cause we're takin' over the black market.

[ so there. because… that's what he wants to do. so he'll do it. this is definitely not the time to sound wishy-washy. ]

We know there have been leaks and it's eatin' into everyone's cash flow. It's just not been a solvable problem before, so naturally… we're gonna solve the unsolvable problem.

[ as one does??? ]

That is, I'm confident that with a combined effort, we'll succeed. That's the advantage we have now that we didn't have before!

But, there is a catch…

[ and he offers an apologetic smile for the trouble that is the rollercoaster of this explanation. ]

We have two months to do that, or Toraguma will personally come and collect my head. And go to war on everyone else. Tenkohime, of course, will not be interfering, and I'd assume they'll clean up what's left and go back to tryin' to kill each other when the time comes. In which case, this place is finished. You all lived through that curse, same as me. If somethin' like that happens again and everybody's all too busy fightin' each other, that's the end of the road.

[ considering the pressure ryouma lives with, he's not trying to shovel it on now to stress anyone out, but he has also never been one to downplay things in the interest of sugarcoating them. they need to be realistic, or it's not going to work. ]

I'm not gonna let that happen. I didn't a long time ago when I was weaker and dumber, so why let it happen now? I have complete faith in all of us. That bein' said, I have more detailed plans for what I intend to do about it, but the first thing we need to do is start investigatin'. Second, I'm lookin' for volunteers to come in on this and take ownership on the side of what's happenin' in the Underground. I don't have the time and, honestly, no interest in managin' all that, but I won't just drop it on somebody an' cut ya loose. If ya wanna work with me too, lemme know.

I know that's a lot, so I'm gonna shut up and yield. I'll answer your questions now, too. Otherwise, I'm happy to hear your ideas. Plans can always stand to be improved, right?

---

Welcome to the meeting log! Yay!

• This is a meeting for all Sutoku Alliance members who have any number of stars.


• Since there will be many people involved in this (at least ten, I think??), I've decided to organise this a little weirdly given time constraints and mod responses and the like.


• I've laid everything out as far as everything Ryouma has to say. Then after that, everyone is free to respond/react/threadjack each other, etc. This way, everyone ICly has all the pertinent information going forward, and no one will have to rush and wonder what was or wasn't explicitly stated, and threads can progress at their own speed after that. I usually don't do "infodump" style posts, but I didn't want to lock anyone into long tag orders to get the info out.


• Finally, there is an OOC interest check for the parts of all this that deal with developing the Underground itself. Since Ryouma is gonna be deep diving into his black market business, I wanted to hand off the rest of this to other people. I have plenty I want to do, and other people should have the opportunity to take over and carry on! Since it will require a bit of coordination and communication with the mods, I'm doing this because I don't want to assume that someone's character having IC responsibility means you wanna take that on OOC. SO! Please only respond here if that's something you would be interested in!

Comments

OOC Interest Check

[kaientai]

Please only respond to this if you want your character to take over or help out with the Underground stuff!

[identitycrisiscore]

CLOUD WOULD NOT BE ABLE TO SAY SO DURING THIS MEETING but with the return of his Motorcycle by mid-July, he would volunteer to be a goods runner, using the underground as a pipeline to and from the city. He's not entirely enthused about the idea of running illicit goods, but he figures illicit goods under their control is better quality control than what's happening now.

Strife Delivery Service would obviously be running more above-board products in addition to this, but he figures if they're going to run logistics they should run as much of it as they can.

[psionicmolotov]

Kimmuriel's invested in shoring all this up because he needs black market stock for Reasons, so he'll definitely help. His portals are of limited use in transport, but he's got a lot of experience in moving less than legitimate things from A to B and a lot of experience in doing/inspecting all the paperwork (or lack of) that comes with that.

[playfoul]

i'm in oocly and icly! stick yuri underground i'd love to have him return to his sewer rat roots. he can keep tabs on what's happening beneath as the factions move in. maybe help with mapping out new trade routes eventually since tunnels connecting everywhere should be very useful for smuggling

Re: OOC Interest Check

[aceslow]

Kim isn't thrilled about this, but he'll accept that it's the cost of peace and, importantly, of Ryouma keeping his head. He has a reluctance to get his hands dirty personally, but he's familiar with how this sort of thing works after a long career in the police, and will offer his expertise in routes, securing secrecy, and taking care of the little details that would go unnoticed by those without his experience.

[worldbent]

oops I forgot to ever add my writeup here

Matoba is interested in taking point on the clan's handling of magical objects and weaponry that come through the black market; he has also already begun various handling of R&D into more ways for them to defend themselves in general!

He believes that something (or someone) may pop up again via the black market that holds clues to whatever Haniyasu is up to (or what he think may be pulling the strings, but he'll be mum about that), and he wants to get his hands on them to check before any other clans.

He'd encourage that anyone else that's interested in developing methods of defense or studying Haniyasu's influence to chat with him/be directed to him!

[medicative]

[close to where Ryouma is, there's one Emily Dyer, dressed in a simple kimono and writing down as fast as her hands can go. digital information can only be trusted so far, and she can transcribe, but ultimately right now she trusts her own hands more to take notes in the meeting. standing after he finishes speaking, she raises her voice just a touch so people can hear.]

I realize that this will generate much food for thought. Should more questions or ideas come up after this meeting, you can still contact Mr. Sakamoto to discuss them. If he is unavailable, you can contact me instead.

And it's worth reiterating, no one will be forced to take on any task on their own.

[that's all. she's going back to her notes so Ryouma will have a record for later to ponder over.]

[kaientai]

[ ryouma continues to be glad that emily wants to help because he failed to even consider the value of taking notes. which is why he thanks her quietly, as an aside. ]

Hope I wasn't talkin' too fast for ya. I appreciate the hard work, of course.

[medicative]

It wasn't too fast at all. Really, these will be for your own personal reference afterwards, so that way you can refer to them should people come to you with more questions or the like, or if you need to remember the finer points of a meeting like this.

[pause.]

I wasn't quite sure what else to do for the meeting, anyway.

[kaientai]

For me?

[ that's new, even if this isn't his first time having help like this. ]

Well, I'm very grateful to have them. I'm bad at taking notes and can't read my own handwritin' half the time. And the support too! I'm sure some anxieties are soothed havin' ya with me.

[ she probably lends some stability to this, being a trusted and responsible sort who has proven herself. ]

[identitycrisiscore]

[ Cloud feels like an outsider to the meeting - and has, for the first time since the Kaigo no Bou incident, re-donned his SOLDIER uniform, all business. His promotion may only be recent - and, in his mind, more for reckless heroics than his contribution to the politics of the Clan - but even still, he'll speak up, to be the dissenting voice among the group. ]

You think they'll let us hold it? The Black Market, I mean. It might be an unsolvable problem but - as soon as we solve it, they're going to want a piece of that, too.

[ He has some thoughts on how to manage the flow of goods, at least. But he won't get into them just yet.

And frankly, it's not like he doesn't trust the other factions - Cloud was the one who got his life saved by Toraguma, at least. He knows he's in some ways a bargaining chip in this whole affair. But there's at least worry for if that's not enough. ]

[kaientai]

[ ryouma smiles because he's gotten that same question a few times. it's a fair question! he's just glad he already has an answer for it. ]

That's possible, but it's too costly and difficult for them to go it alone, or else I don't think I would have gotten them to budge on it in the first place. That being said, we won't stand for threats either. Every ship I ever owned before was armed!

[ so why not gunboats now?? ]

Honestly, I'm a little tired of us just having to hope for the best with the others. We need to build up our strength and reinforce our position. Then we don't have to wonder if they'll let us; they'll have to ask permission!

[identitycrisiscore]

[ It's a good answer, Cloud thinks - they can't take over without making it costly, and Ryouma doesn't plan to let them take it without a struggle. ]

So how do we plan to shore up our strengths, then? It's not like we don't have plenty of people who can fight, in their own way - but we aren't organized like Shuten or Tamamo are.

We're flexible, but that means we need a way to coordinate.

[kaientai]

Can't go wrong with gettin' ourselves the best weapons and technology to start with. Ideally, ya don't need to fight if you've got enough firepower because no one wants t' mess with ya.

[ this has always been ryouma's primary strategy, and it's served him well so far. this is how he earned his reputation as an arms dealer — intended at the time to be an insult — but ryouma wears it proudly. it's nothing but the truth. ]

Coordinatin' and teachin' everyone how to defend themselves would just be smart, though. I should hope we won't find ourselves having to defend against our allies, but it'd be embarrassin' if we can't pull our own weight either. Wouldn't be right havin' ya carryin' the whole Alliance for us!

[worldbent]

Oya. The indomitable bushido.

[His eye falls to one of Ryouma's swords. He has his own questions about that, Ryouma, but he'll keep it for a non-business atmosphere- still, do you expect him not to tease a little?]

... The Black Market, I believe, was used both to supply the creation and perhaps some distribution of the haniwa, last month. I still don't know the full nature of their magic, but I suspect that because the ground we stand on is a river delta, Haniyasu-no-kami was able to take domain over it, populating them where they liked.

I have my interest in those routes, Sakamoto-san, but that's a more personal matter. What I want is to get my hands on anything with a whiff of magic that comes through that trade. There is going to be another attack- another hint- something with a trace of their magic on it again. I want my hands on it before it makes it into the city proper.

[Part of this is tracking them down. The other part is keeping the city safe. Gods know almost no one in this city gave the haniwa the due breadth they should have.]

[Under his breath, he adds a mutter.]

.......Honestly, have none of you ever handled cursed objects before? People were storing them in their homes. Of course Haniyasu-no-kami was able to take over with ease. Perhaps I should be teaching some manner of knowledge and self-defense, as well.

[kaientai]

[ he just laughs and manages to look just a little embarrassed at the teasing. of course matoba would notice too — as observant as always — and it's definitely identical in appearance to the one hizen tadahiro (the guy, not the sword) carries around. ]

I've a similar personal interest myself, but at least at the start our goal is the same — we have t' figure out who is runnin' the current operation. The more we know, the easier it'll be to know where t' apply pressure. We aren't trying to break this thing, I just wanna acquire it.

[ he makes it sound way easier than it is, of course. ]

To that end, we also need to start raisin' major capital, 'cause when the time comes we're really gonna need it for a lotta reasons. Fortunately, I think we've got solid folks that showed up here this time that can help, even with teachin' people what's what about these things.

[ because of course he heard that loud and clear and already has ideas. ]

Once it's ours, you're absolutely right. We should be safeguardin' the city. Nothin' like the haniwa or those bullets should ever get in without us knowin' about it again.

[worldbent]

[Given how closely he has handled that exact sword- it would be difficult not to. If he really wanted to tease he would start talking to the sword; be glad he has a sense of decorum for the importance of this meeting.]

Ahhh, I am sure that it can't be helped to chop a few limbs off along the way, but I'm sure we can keep it alive. Buy off the connections that can be bought off, but I'm happy to apply more painful pressure where it's needed.

[Matoba taps a finger against the cocktail table he's seated at, with his cooling tea.] Are you thinking to utilize the Celestials? They're hardly sympathetic, but I actually think their neutrality is a key point as to their use. They seem as though they might be surprisingly easy to be swayed by things we can provide.

Like entertainment.

[Suffice to say, in the last few weeks, Matoba has learned just how hard that might be swayed. Then again, he hardly knows exactly what he did to earn the favor...]

[kaientai]

[ kind pacifist that ryouma likes to be, the sort of attitude that goes along with the need to apply painful pressure is ill-fitting. he gives matoba a long look for a few seconds and remembers that he's the one who started off describing the whole thing like it's a beast to be tamed in the first place, so it's not like he can blame matoba for running with it.

ryouma might as well try to accept that this is the way things are. he was prepared to adopt someone else's heavy-handed tactics for power once, this shouldn't be that different... right?

he much prefers where the conversation is going because exact methods they can figure out as they go along. probably. ]

That's exactly what I intend to do. Don't see any reason that the factions should have t' dig too deeply in our own pockets when the Celestials are sittin' on a fortune they'll part with as easily as they do.

This actually goes back to an early idea I had when this whole thing was taking shape. Back when the Celestials first came down here, I chatted up a few of 'em when I had the chance and told 'em what I was gonna do about tryin' t' bring everybody together. Nothin' specific or useful, mostly 'cause I just made up what sounded interestin' an' they ate it up. Anyway, I got a pretty good stack'a money outta that 'cause they were gonna invest in an event I was gonna setup.

Real upscale deal, top-shelf everything. If ya think I have ideas for all this, I been workin' on that a lot longer. Good opportunity for a dry run for the Underground, I'm sure? Plus, the new Ember features got me thinkin' it'd be a good tie-in.

[rainswords]

[ A loose sense of obligation is what brought him to the meeting. Much like the first time he considered not making an appearance. He has nothing to contribute here, however, he should probably get a better idea of where the Alliance stands which leads to him making it on time.

Not that he integrates himself, what he does upon his arrival is seek the antisocial corner of the room, and glance at his phone before that is immediately put away. It's almost a repeat of the last meeting except he is alone this time with only his notebook for company. Within it, he jots things down here and there. No, his handwriting hasn't improved so really there is no telling what exactly he is writing down. What he is aware of immediately is the difference between that first meeting and now, rather than extending an invitation to all alliance members, this is a private affair (which makes sense). Also worthy of note is that he suspects this time there won't be any strain upon anyone's wallet — the positive aspect of gaining rank.

For the most part, Xingqiu won't say a single thing as he does prefer to keep his opinions to himself regarding the meeting, especially since he doesn't feel it necessary to bring anything up. He has his own thoughts and ideas and he would gladly keep them to himself, thank you.

And while he may not have anything to say, he would linger just a little longer after to listen to any questions others may have, that's about it... ]

[playfoul]

[ Yuri drops onto the couch across from Xingqiu sometime after the discussions have concluded, slouching casually in his seat. He's not into the stuffy board meeting atmosphere. Meetings were livelier (rowdier) down in Abyss, and if Konoha wasn't a reputable establishment, he might have kicked his feet up on the table. ]

Hey, friend. You awake back here?

[ Sorry to the Xingqiu who came here to be antisocial... ]

[rainswords]

[ And right about the time he is done scribbling away he is joined by someone. Looking up from his notebook he sees Yuri's familiar and friendly face. Finally, he shuts the notebook close, not that it would make much of a difference if left open. He sets it aside for the moment, a welcoming smile on his face. ]

Not entirely.

I jest, I've been taking notes. Not that it fully needs my attention but...

[ He doesn't shrug, there is no need but he isn't going to elaborate on that. ]

Are you enjoying this meeting?

[playfoul]

Eh, enjoyable isn't what I'd call this stuffy meeting, but we've talked through what we needed to talk through. The exciting part will be what comes next. [ His mouth curls. ] Cornering the black market? Now that could be fun.

[ Despite a few gripes, he's on board with the plan more or less, and he listened intently especially where the underground was concerned. Yuri glances at Xingqiu's notebook. ]

Care to share your thoughts?

[playfoul]

[ The turf war coming to an end is news worth celebrating, but Yuri figured there was a catch the moment he stepped into the club and was met with this particular congregation of serious-looking faces. ]

Y'know, I was hoping you called us out for party planning, but you drop on us a new mess. Two months and you and your hard-won peace go to the chopping block. Was there really no better deal?

[ What pissed Toraguma off and why does it feel like Sutoku is always getting the short end of the stick? In spite of his cheek, Yuri isn't fussed over the developments. What's done is done, and the focus should be on what's ahead. ]

What are our thoughts for the underground? We gave some ground to get some ground, sure, but I think it's about time we stopped yielding and started working our way back into the operations.

[kaientai]

[ ryouma anticipated no small amount of discourse, so he takes what yuri dishes out gracefully because it could've been worse. ]

Well, I sorta am callin' ya here on party
plannin' business, but it's gone bigger than that now, too. We're playin' for keeps. You're right though — it's about time the others started showin' us the respect we deserve.

[ ryouma won't bring any of his personal business into this, but it was certainly a reminder as to where people outside the faction see them. not as equals, it would seem, and that's never sat right with him. ]

There's a joint project bein' built out down there, and I'm lookin' for somebody t' see it gets handled properly. What I care about are the waterways runnin' through the Underground, an' actually I really wanna bring the Kappa in on this, too. Assumin' we Lost Souls go home one day, what we leave behind is in their hands. If they can help us map out and secure the routes down there, we can help 'em make sure the others can't go stakin' claims they got no right to ever again. But before any of that we need to get a handle on the black market business. That's the promise I made, after all. That's how we grow our power.

[playfoul]

Yeah, we have the night parade fiasco to thank for that. [ They've been playing from a position of weakness ever since. It's no wonder the other clans think Sutoku can be pushed around. ] Being underestimated can have its advantages though. Let them think we're easy to contend with. We don't have to show our hand until we have a winning one.

[ He's used to being the underdog, anyway, and as always, he'll work with what he's dealt. Considering the people in the room and others he's worked with, it's really not the worst hand. ]

I'm sure the kappa can be persuaded to secure the waterways, if they're not already clamoring to help. [ Ryouma did the kappa a good turn getting them their jobs back, and Yuri's sure he can call in a few favors himself. ] I just so happen to be interested in the underground. I'm willing to oversee your fun little joint project, but there's something I'd like in return.