kaientai: (156)
坂本龍馬 sakamoto ryouma ([personal profile] kaientai) wrote in [community profile] jigokulogs2022-07-18 09:38 am

[ closed ]  別道 「 another way 」

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!
rainswords: ᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛ — ʀᴀɪɴsᴡᴏʀᴅs (Default)

[personal profile] rainswords 2022-07-20 08:23 pm (UTC)(link)
[ 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: (az2)

[personal profile] playfoul 2022-07-22 08:16 am (UTC)(link)
[ 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: ᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛ — ʀᴀɪɴsᴡᴏʀᴅs (Default)

[personal profile] rainswords 2022-07-26 04:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ 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: (ap2)

[personal profile] playfoul 2022-07-30 08:19 am (UTC)(link)
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?
rainswords: ᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛ — ʀᴀɪɴsᴡᴏʀᴅs (Default)

[personal profile] rainswords 2022-08-02 08:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Much like your assessment of this meeting. That too can be subjective.

[ He walks his hand on two fingers towards the notebook before he retrieves it and for a second time through this meeting it is open. The pages are on full display for anyone that wishes the peruse the notes he has made. However, there lies a problem with that tactic. Xingqiu's handwriting hasn't gotten any better, everything written looks like odd symbols and patterns. Really it's a sore point for him and a source of embarrassment. What's an author with terrible handwriting? ]

If you can decipher any of this, my thoughts are all yours.
playfoul: (az2)

[personal profile] playfoul 2022-08-03 06:21 am (UTC)(link)
Not a fan of legwork?

[ Or so he guesses from what he's observed of the bookworm. Xingqiu's lack of enthusiasm doesn't surprise him here.

Yuri pulls the notebook towards him and... scrutinizes the text for a solid moment. Uh-huh. Alright. Very enlightening. ...yeah, no. He doesn't know what he's looking at. ]


All I've deciphered is that we won't have to worry about any other faction coming across these notes and knowing our plans.

[ So minus points for legibility, but plus points for not leaving a paper trail! ]
rainswords: ᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛ — ʀᴀɪɴsᴡᴏʀᴅs (Default)

[personal profile] rainswords 2022-08-06 03:02 am (UTC)(link)
The simple answer is no.

[ Not involving this anyway. He will have plenty of someone else's job to do back home in his future so why start early now? That aside, there are some details he is missing so he isn't going to involve himself. Besides, he isn't going to put effort where his opinion is not needed.

Although — for someone that he is familiar with, for a friend then he may bestow assistance. ]


I guess that's fortunate although this means I haven't made any improvement. Well, I guess I'll continue practicing. I am bound to get better someday.

[ That's not happening. At this point and at his age. ]
playfoul: (a4)

[personal profile] playfoul 2022-08-07 05:34 am (UTC)(link)
Not even a little? [ He pries with a teasing grin. ] Our lieutenant's life is on the line here, though he acts rather flippant about it.

[ Ryouma's tone really didn't convey the urgency of the situation. Though Yuri can appreciate the calm approach; panicking never did anyone good.

He pushes the notebook back to Xingqiu. Handwriting has less importance in a realm where everyone communicates digitally, but coming from the olden days, Yuri can appreciate the commitment to pen and paper. ]


That's the spirit.
rainswords: ᴄʀᴇᴅɪᴛ — ʀᴀɪɴsᴡᴏʀᴅs (Default)

[personal profile] rainswords 2022-08-15 04:25 pm (UTC)(link)
That's a curious threat wouldn't you say?

I don't usually favor a direct approach...

[ However, isn't circumventing problems and going about the roundabout way with little action what's led them here? Well, again it's not really something he will greatly involve himself in. Decisions are being made and he will only take note. There is little for him to say, it's all been done and most people seem to be in agreement. ]

You're getting work soon then?

[ The notebook back in his possession is closed and while it hasn't been lost on him that there is less value in handwritten works when technology provides assistance, he won't always have that luxury. Not in Liyue because that is where he plans to return. ]