[ 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!

[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.]

[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. ]

[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.

[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!

[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.

[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.

[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

[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. ]

hope a lil threadjack here is ok!

[worldbent]

That will be our job, Strife-san.

[Matoba folds himself gracefully beside this discussion, his interest caught as he listened in. The Black Market in itself interested Matoba for a number of disconnected reasons, but his aims lay ...elsewhere.]

I would like to take responsibility for honing our offensive and defensive methods. We all have our specialties. Mine is finding ways to destroy things.

[It's not something he says pridefully, even though he's smiling like always. It just is.]

Of course, there's more to attack and defense than just weapons alone. There are a number of ways to ensure your enemy will want nothing to do with you that don't involve killing them.

[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...]

[medicative]

You're very kind, Ryouma.

[her presence wouldn't be enough to sway someone, she thinks, but just present a little more of a unified front for those in the Alliance. if those in the Lost Souls that were moving more to the beat of the Daitengu's drum showed their support to one another, it comes off better.]

There are a few small things I wanted to discuss with you, but they can wait until after this meeting, since they don't have any bearing on it.

[translation: if he wants to hit the izakaya after this is all wrapped up, she'll go with him.]

[kaientai]

I'm just callin' it like I see it~

But yeah, of course! It'll be nice to unwind afterward little too, I think.

[ getting all this big club atmosphere out of his system by going anywhere else is a great idea. ]

[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.

[worldbent]

[Matoba holds the look, and smiles, brightly. It was a part of his "charm"- the ability to say gruesome and cruel things without tarnishing that smile for even a second.]

[If Ryouma's having regrets now, it's a little late. But luckily for him, Matoba knows how to play the cat-and-mouse game of when to press with his strangeness and when to lighten the mood. That, too, was a tactic.]

Ahhh.... This is why you are always broke. [It's a lighthearted little dig, but even other Lost Souls have been telling him such stories. Promises of dinner and the like; anything to get that one more connection, huh?] But it should hook them. If I must be the carrot to be dangled, then fine, I suppose I shall do it.

[Matoba purses his lips and glances up towards the chandelier of Konoha's luxury room.] ...Well, I've never served a god before, so I had better brush up on my ceremony...

[medicative]

[FAST FORWARD TO MEETING END because they'll both be happier then, and packing up.]

I think that went about as well as it could have, all things considered.

[now everyone knew where they stood.]

Ready to go?

[kaientai]

[ ryouma doesn't have regrets exactly, he's just gotten comfortable; his work as a counter guardian was different. those were assignments. paperwork. ryouma hasn't had to make the life and death decisions he is now since way back and it obviously feels a lot uglier when you're playing the long game. still, ryouma started this, so he will see this through. ]

Well, what can I say? That's living money! It's—... well, I suppose they just call those "investments" now, huh?

[ but "living money" is so much cuter, in his opinion. the amusement in his expression is brief, however, because this all brings to mind the more pressing issue behind his goals. it's a familiar worry that is strangely bittersweet. he did not miss those times when the fear his country would no longer exist in the future would keep him up at night, but ryouma also recognises that he was at his best back then. it kept him focused. he could probably use a little of that clarity right now... ]

What happened a few months back can't happen again. I'm sure there was a lot more goin' on behind the scenes, but the other factions can't go along thinkin' they can just roll over us that easily. They don't respect us, which is why they thought they could march in and take away people's homes and livelihoods. If I'm bein' honest, I'm willin' to do whatever it takes, assumin' our people are comfortable with it.

[ because he's not about to force anyone to do anything they don't want to do.

otherwise, the sense he's gotten recently — what with his power being restored to him and all — is that things aren't going to descend further into chaos for the moment, so it's time to build back stronger while they can. ]

perfectly fine!

[identitycrisiscore]

Our job, huh?

[ He folds his arms - like Matoba wears a smile, Cloud wears a frown. It doesn't mean he isn't thinking about it. ]

Hrm. Makes sense, I suppose. I don't know that I'm that good a leader, but it's better than waiting on the sidelines.

[ He turns back to Ryouma, nodding along. Ryouma was right - relying on one person wasn't a good idea, even if he had been the hero of the hour. ] But I think making sure we don't have to get into open conflict is the best plan. Not that we couldn't handle it - but the smoother things go, the better advantage we have, regardless.

I guess what I'm saying is - you want my help training people - I can do that.

[kaientai]

[ ryouma does a big stretch now that it's all over and he can loosen up a little. ]

Oh, yeah! Definitely ready to get out of here, though.

[ even in this area — which is better and more secluded than the VIP — you can still feel the bass through the floor, and after a few hours of that, he misses the quiet where that doesn't happen. ryouma doesn't have much to pack up, at least, so there's that. ]

[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... ]