jigokulogs | July 2022 Mini Event

Entry tags:

July 2022 Mini Event

MAIN NAVIGATION

Tanabata is on the horizon, and the city seems to be recovering well from last month. But there's work to be done, and it's time to get to it...

1. SHUTEN CLAN - THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS

With construction wrapping up, the new Shuten Clan casino will be opening soon. The casino has a number of new staff positions opening. It is a golden opportunity for anyone looking for a cash rich position. The money promised upon assignment to the underground casino is bound to be life-changing. Given the potentials in clientele, Toraguma is expecting the very best. Shutens are to report to the above ground Celestial Phoenix casino for their training.

They will be taught all the traditional casino fare, both Japanese and abroad. This includes being taught how to cheat at these games as well. For example:
Blackjack dealers will learn card count, and how to catch others doing the same.
Roulette attendants will learn both how and when to discreetly adjust the wheel.
Craps and Cee-lo dealers will learn how to feel for loaded dice and how to switch in the house's dice without notice.
Cee-lo dealers are also taught a specific way to line the dice tray to cause more lost throws.
Cho-Han dealers will learn how to distract players as they adjust the dice.
That's not all the Shutens will be learning. The clan needs skilled bouncers as well: people who can handle rowdy customers or haughty celestials. The more tenured Shutens will take up the roles of rude customers and challenge the trainees in how to handle them.

While not everyone will receive employment in the casino, they are all expected to participate in training. Shuten officers are expected to guide and oversee their juniors.

2. TAMAMO CLAN - CHARM SCHOOL

The Tamamo Clan also has preparations to make in anticipation of the underground's opening. The clan is opening their own brothel and cabaret, as well as providing food and drink services to the new Shuten casino.

All Tamamo Clan members must report for training at Mizukume. The lesson of the day is to use one's charisma to secure a huge payout. For example:
Hosts and hostesses will learn the art of schmoozing away clients' money.
Performers will learn more provocative means of soliciting large tips.
Oiran are taught the erotic arts; the perfect balance to both please a client, and how to leave them begging (and paying) for more. There's no technique Tenkohime finds too shameful. Money is power, and power is freedom.
Food service workers are provided master classes in mixology, plating, and how to serve high-profile clients without breaking a sweat.
Each role comes with its own set of pressures, but also the promise of great reward. Everyone is going to get rich, if everyone plays their part well.

Tenured Tamamo are asked to roleplay as clients for the benefit of those Lost Souls new to the work. While not everyone will be selected to work in the Underground, everyone is expected to train for it.

3. SUTOKU ALLIANCE - BLACK MARKETS AND BACK ALLEYS

After months of meetings, it's finally time for some real action. Sutoku Lieutenant Ryouma Sakamoto has made some pretty big commitments on the Alliance's behalf. His temerity comes from his earnest belief in the other Sutoku Lost Souls! No pressure, though!

To succeed, the Alliance must determine who is behind the current black market operation. Ryouma is relying on the Alliance's extensive information network and the hard work of the Lost Souls to make it happen.

This is the work that Ryouma mentioned when he welcomed the new arrivals recently.

This assignment is all about what you know. The Sutoku need to learn more about the competition, through any means necessary. The Alliance wants to know everything about what goods are moving around the city and who is moving it. Time to follow the money. You might even discover an unfulfilled niche in the market through your investigations.

The current influx of Stardust in the city is a great opportunity to investigate the existing dealers and supply lines. The Alliance is gathering Stardust just like everyone else, but it is becoming increasingly scarce as the factions vie for it. The value of this commodity is shooting up every day. Take some cash or other compelling bartering tools with you to grease the palms of a few shady dealers. Try to convince them to be more honest about their supply lines, beyond just the sparkly stuff. Stick the landing, and you might just be closing in on the heart of those shipping loopholes.

This is no easy undertaking. Creativity and tenacity will determine just how far you can go. Be careful not to be too obvious, the threat of unwanted attention will cause your sources to clam up.

4. DEPARTMENT OF THE ENMA - CRACK DOWNS

The Stardust's street presence has shifted naturally over the past few weeks: from an easy resource to simply scoop up in garbage bags overnight to a hot commodity. The street value of the material has increased considerably, and that means that the unaffiliated street gangs are greedy to get in on the action.

Enma officers are called upon to round up any black market dealers of Stardust and confiscate as much of their supply as they can find. This might just bring them into some direct conflict with the Sutoku Alliance members hoping to connect with market insiders. That's just how things boil out sometimes, though.

It is more important to the Department to get Stardust out of the hands of the black marketeers… and into their own lockers.

Officers are given permission to use any amount of force against individual actors, and members of the Law and Records Department are expected to draft up warrants (no matter how doctored) to obtain access to buildings they otherwise would never be allowed into; even Mizukume and the Arena. The Department's orders are clear: if it's not an approved market, shut it down.

This is in the name of maintaining Order, so get out there. Move at least in pairs, or you're likely to meet some serious resistance, and keep an eye out for the newbies.

5. ALL FACTIONS - LUNAR RABBIT RETURNS

It isn't just the factions, dealers, and petty gangs who are interested in the Stardust now that it's a premium item.

A familiar face has resurfaced: the mysterious gyokuto medicine woman and her army of white rabbits. While her little kin have managed to gather a healthy amount of Stardust for her "research", she still needs more. She is willing to pay a huge premium to those who retrieve more materials for her.

She understands that this will require you to either pilfer from one of the factions, or potentially someone even more dangerous. She will be providing samples of one of her drugs, which can grant temporary invisibility in moonlight. Use it for whatever hijinks you want, but she really would prefer if you brought her the goods in the end.

If invisibility doesn't cut if for you, she can provide another sample that provides 10 times your normal strength. While you can KO anyone who gets in your way, it wears off within 5 to 10 seconds. She is very clear that you should not take more than 3 doses of this, or you will very possibly die. Probably. Maybe? It will be unpleasant. So use it only when you need to.

The reward for getting her some Stardust, depending on the amount, can easily pay all a character's expenses for a month, if not longer. The temptation is great, but do you trust this strange rabbit woman?

Welcome to the mini event!

If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
Looking for a partner for your prompt? Post here!
FOR THE PURPOSES OF REWARDS, since all of these prompts tie into the main plot in some way, we will count all qualified threads in this post as 2 point threads!
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

[ It was the end of yet another shift, but in truth, this one had Tama more exhausted than normal.

Harmony-san hadn't seemed to know what had happened the other day with him and Matoba; that was for the better, of course, but he had to explain why he'd disappeared during his lunch break, and why he needed yet another apron. She'd tutted, but was an understanding boss, saddling Tama with a pink and white apron this time, and telling him he could make up the hours. He'd picked up his 'paycheck' for the week at the end of his shift as well- he'd opted to get paid in stardust this time around, given he...wasn't exactly useful to Sutoku in the ways that the clan had been seeking, this month. Tama'd hid the bag of stardust under his apron, and had been just about ready to leave, but seeing Kimmuriel walking by...

Wait, maybe Kimmuriel would be someone who could think of something better? He'd done business-like things, if Tama recalled the discussion at the beach correctly, so maybe he'd be well-suited to trying to direct an idiot like him! ] Ah, Kimmuriel-san!

[ Ah. The only issue really was that he had no idea if...that was a sensible thing to ask someone? Or even how to ask it. Or if he should impose in the first place...it all resulted in Tama standing there a little uncertainly despite being the one to call out, only to rush over once he realized he'd sort of froze up. ] Oh, were you shopping? [ Sometimes, the easiest way to get over anxiety is to forget you had it. ]

[Revenge sure is a wacky little thing, huh? As is resentment in general. Just zany, goofy little things; same with purity and innocence! None of that has any place at Aster's table, as far as he's concerned.

And he's scored an opening as far as host work goes, which is: client purchasing! Hypothetical, of course, but it's still a chance for Aster to try himself out and hone what's already a point of modest pride for him. Speaking of purchases, however...Menu, menu. He scans over it intently for a moment, before turning it around and nudging it towards Mort.]

I've heard that too, huhu~ Isn't there something about how, if we share a cup of sake, we become bonded? It's a big thing, so some of my patrons keep telling me! Though I think they're just teasing me, but it's a sweet idea...At any rate, you wouldn't buy something poor quality to celebrate our friendship, would you?

Oh! [His eyes light up, and he taps at the second-most expensive entry on the drinks list, and then at the fruit platter listing. Totally pushing his luck here, but this is about training first and foremost, so it's worth a shot.] Perhaps some fruit too, if you wanted to stay refreshed~ Lining the stomach's never a bad idea, even if you're strong...I wouldn't want you to risk getting taken advantage of, Mister Dragon ♡ You might tempt me to be the one doing the teasing again!

Nero.

[ don't worry king, shylock is here at the most opportune moment. normally easties are capable of being formal, but he supposes that being ordered to do so in this faction is going to be a tall order for him, huh.

he chinhands at his fellow wizard, his smile nice and easy. ]

You're too stiff. Loosen your shoulders, then try again.

What if I am?

[ so dangerous, whether he's in jest or otherwise. shylock is unironically a man of culture, you know? he does have eyes and he knows how to use them. mort is easy on the eyes for a specimen that shylock has yet to see for himself before, and this western wizard is very intrigued indeed.

but they're not here for that (maybe). shylock watches the other man look through the various tools he has in store, laughing quietly at his quizzical expressions. honestly, he doesn't have much use for most tools in his arsenal, given that he uses magic to mix drinks, but since not everyone is a wizard... ]

Are there truly no bars where you're from? Or is this your first time being in one?

[ jokes on you mort there is no such thing as straight alcohol when shylock's in control ]

"Well first, we need to make sure our identities won't get found out so we need a disguise. It'll be impossible to hide that their culprits will be one man and one woman so at the very least we have to not give away any distiguishable features other than our height. We also have to be able to ditch the disguise ASAP once we make the getaway."

He starts to walk down the street but takes the side alleys to avoid the cameras as much as he can. Clearly this isn't his first rodeo.

"Second, we have to plan our route, which means we have to scout the area. Although, given how sudden the idea is and how everyone is scrambling for these stardust, we'll have to settle with at least just knowing where they store it and at least one exit."

He continues walking, if she's paying attention it's towards the Shuten district but not towards the Arena, but towards a garbage disposal space.

"Lastly, we have to decide on a meeting spot and how far we have to go to evade capture. Provided we get away." Once near the spot he circles around towards the bushes past the small wall that encloses it and starts to dig around spot, the strap of a black bag appearing which he pulls out of the dirt and tosses over his shoulder.

"C'mon. Lets head to my place." Someone has been thinking of doing something like this for a while it seems, if the contents of the bag are exactly items he needs for the first part.

The king, queen, and jack. There's a total of four each, one for each suit. Spades, clubs, diamon, and hearts.

[ He reaches over and carefully spreads the deck so she can see each suit and all the numbered cards along side the face cards, then draws the joker card from the end. ]

This one is the Joker, you don't use this generally but it still comes with every fresh deck. Don't know why though since these are order made. Tradition, I guess. Anyway.

[ He points to the numbered cards and slowly moves down the cards as he explains - . ]

The numbered cards keep their face value, so two to ten are worth as you see while the king, queen, and jack are all ten. Then there's the aces that are either worth one or eleven depending on how the player wants to use them. [ A beat. ] Although, you won't find the aces there anymore.

[ And if she were to search, he'd be right. All the aces are missing from their places, but he reveals them shortly - showing the palm of his gloved hand, then the top, then with one quick motion as he flips his hand over, the four aces arranged like a fan. Some sleight of hand to show her what she can expect from more experienced cheaters. ]

[ Once more he just stared, then looked back at the onis who had just stepped back or out waved to leave it to him. ]

We do not declare battle. We subdue if they draw a weapon then throw them out. If they cheat, we call them out and then escort out.

[ Oh god, he's starting to really feel like the pot calling the kettle black. ]

You do realize we're trying to run a business here, right? And if someone were to die here, then it'd look really bad, yeah?

[ Please say yes. Please. ]

She made a face. "Fiiiiiiiine. I can wear a wig." Because bright, neon blue hair was pretty defining as features went. She was down with a costume, though she thought it was kind of silly personally. However, if it got her the stardust, even better. "But yeah. I don't know that we can do lots of scouting, but they can't do lots of protection, so we hit them fast while we do this."

"As for the meeting place? I know a spot by the river we can get to. It's kind of distinctive. Looks like someone melted the place, and I doubt they've repaired it, but nobody else would go there." She waited while he dug up his bag, folding her arms and nodding afterwards. "Alright. Lead the way. This is definitely more your style than mine it sounds like so you can take the helm here."

I can't imagine that would come into play often, unless the customer truly was belligerent or threatening the other guests...

[ She nods, understandingly. ]

But, I see. I... unfortunately have some experience with buttering people up, but not really having to do so would be preferable.

[Formal is fine. Formal is simple and easy. The problem here is that they want him to flirt and butter up the customers. Look at him, he wants to be an npc so badly, but everything in his life is preventing him from that role.

This would be a hard ask for Shino too, for slightly different reasons.

He breathes in and goes for his second attempt.]

Wonderful to have you here. What can we bring you?

( Turns out being tossed into a job at a high class restaurant pays off sometimes. As does bugging Shylock for more cocktail making lessons. Kate actually knows what she's doing in this section of the training. She might not be ready to teach people, but she finds most of these jobs much easier than the goddamn charm school lessons they've been dragging her to in the afternoon.

She's quiet, stood a few plates away from Anna while they put things together. This is easily the most irritating part of this whole section of training, but she's paying attention, determined to get it right, focused enough that she doesn't notice the disappearance of the woman until she looks up and realises there's one plate too few.

...Sigh.

Anna will eventually find herself joined by one (1) small, familiar brat, who leans against the opposite wall and looks down at the half-eaten plate. )

Y'know they'll make you redo that.

She'd like her... Well maybe she was a really nice person. Even if a "frog wife" sounded a bit weird- Maybe myths and legends from a world were real in another. She'd accepted that this place was "hell" and that a magical "contract" would make her real. So she should stop worrying about things sounding a bit too video-gamey all the time...

Which was easier said than done, honestly.

"Mhm. I see exactly what you mean." She nodded. "Actually that sounds right up my alley, ahaha."

That was how she'd pretty much managed the club. Just keep things quiet and professional yet comfortable, and make sure whoever comes in feels at ease. The muted clothes part wasn't really her thing... Now that she was free from the game, she wanted to wear really cute and varied clothes. But that wasn't really a problem. While working, everyone had to adhere to a certain dress code.

"I imagine you should be very polite and formal... But not so stuffy that people would feel like it's a serious thing, right?"

Do you want to toss up a starter or should I? :3

[ So it's not only 'a bit' about that thing, it's about the very thing... But Cain makes it sound like he's not here to complain about it like everyone else had and that alone makes this the much more intriguing visit. ]

It is.

[ Van Zieks leans forward a little, mustering Cain with his piercing gaze. ]

Integrity has traditionally been lacking in the Department, but that is no reason to abandon my personal morals and follow the flow. Any paper that crosses this desk is going to be based on legitimate evidence or it won't leave this office at all.

full disclosure, i did not have any plans on top-leveling, so i would be pleased if you could start!

[ Though this conversation is not starting off any better than the last two they've had, van Zieks takes some comfort in being able to glower at Ryouma while they repeat this same song and dance yet again. ]

What your people are doing goes beyond 'asking questions' - we've had multiple accounts of trespassing as well as a case of breaking and entering. A possible incident of fraud is being looked into as of now.

All of which I have informed you of prior, so I do not see why you still need to downplay the magnitude of your order to the Alliance.

[Look, he's doing his best. And fortunately the piercing stare was not visible to Cain-not that it would've worked anyway. But Barok would see him visibly relax in relief at his statement.]

Oh, thank the heavens. I thought I was the only one here...

[But no, as much as he wanted to be friendly, he had a job to do.]

I actually spoke to Lord Enma recently, about something different but related. He told me that maintaining order is the highest priority, not whether people viewed us or him in a good light. But I still don't see how they are supposed to trust us, if we lie and cheat like everyone else!

[ Spoke to the Enma...? That's not a privilege granted to just anyone. It gives Cain's presence a weight that his attitude alone would not have been able to. ]

As it turns out, most people are not particularly adept at intuiting when an institution has fallen to corruption. All the Enma would need to do in order to improve image would be to put more effort into lying and concealing. In a perverse way, I am glad he is not invested in doing so.

[ Working here already reminds him enough of the work conditions he's been under at home. Once a Reaper, always a Reaper. That's all he can think when confronted with the shinigami who frequent the building. ]

Keeping that in mind, I will take it one step further. I find myself committed to truth as the highest value even if exposing that truth might lead to the distrust of the public.

[ Felix's gaze flickers off to their surroundings for a bit, and he just simply folds his arms. Kids, hm? From what he had seen briefly when the man had been demonstrating, he doesn't think all of them were that young. Though, Majima does seem to be a bit older than some (including himself.) ]

Whatever.

[ ...A stellar response for certain. But, it is in his nature to be kind of like this, even in a normal conversation. It is a bit of an acknowledgment, though. ]

It isn't like I'm concerned about how long you were doing any of that anyway. Everyone needs to pull their weight in their own way, after all.

[ Thankfully, Mima has the pencil held away from her eye when she hears the doors beyond their fluorescent dressing room burst open.

The sound jolts through her, her heart leaping into her throat, and she turns to watch the wall - following the sounds of shuffling, staggering footsteps beyond it with her eyes. She sets the pencil down among the rest of her inexpensive drugstore cosmetics and rises from her seat, rushing to open the dressing room door.

It's getting to be less and less of a shock, seeing things like the green man stumbling down the hallway toward her. Yokai are as common a fact of life as water now. She's seen, spoken to, flattered less human than the shambling mound before her in her new line of work. But still, the way his blood oozes all the way down the hallway behind him is concerning.

His voice shakes in her ears. She struggles not to recede back into the safe modernity of the dressing room just beside her, and instead, contents herself with pressing firmly into the frame. ]

The-- [ Her eyes flit from his massive beard of greenery, over those splintering wounds and cut vines, to the camera caught in long, clawlike fingers, ] --photographs?

[ It's familiar enough territory, at least... but not territory she'd expected to tread here. ]

[ She's learned pages of choreography. Perfected poses and smiles. Danced for hours and hours. Practiced timing every step of her feet, every wave of her hands.

Shockingly, none of that does anything for her nerves as she's spinning bottles and rolling glasses through sweating fingers. One short shot glass escapes from her hand and flies directly into the girl at her side, who's been flitting glass with ease in the corner of her eyes while Mima struggles.

Regardless of where or how hard it hits, the impact pits in her stomach. Mima takes a horrified gasp. ]

I'm sorry! I'm so sorry!

[ His ears twitch a little at Tamamori's call, and then he looks over. Not that he particularly needs to see the human to identify him - his voice is distinctive in a way that almost grates.

He hefts the basket a little. ] I was, [ he affirms with a nod. ] I am finished now. Though I will be making something akin to medicine, not food, with all of these. [ He can't imagine most of these would taste good, and he's not willing to try. ]

Did you have business with me? [ He supposes he can imagine Tamamori running up to him for no reason than to strike up a conversation, but it's hard to tell what's urgency and what's his normal self... ]

Hmm. Well, sure, that's whatcha said.

[ why would you say something so controversial yet so brave? ]

That's a lot to be lookin' into. Plenty of manpower, I'm sure; tax dollars at work an' all that. But do y' actually have anything solid there, though? A shred of evidence connectin' me to anything that allegedly took place?

I'm... not sure. I think I just have to vouch for you. Or one of the captains does.

[ Which were a lot harder to please than her. ]

"We don't need a wig." He says while guiding them to his crappy apartment with patched up holes in the wall and the door fell off when he tried to open.

"We just need a hat and to be quick." Tossing the bag onto the floor, he takes out dark clothing after dark clothing, even boots, gloves, skimasks, and shades. He also takes out a map of the city.

"So before we go bothering that old buzzard, we best start with the end in mind. You wanna trade with the rabbit, but the stardust and cash are gonna have too much heat on them to trade immediately. We gotta lay them low, even just for a couple of hours. So you said by the river, where here?" He says laying the map out.

Threaded | Top-Level Comments Only

Page 23 of 47

July 2022 Mini Event

no subject

then they should simply also become immortal bastards. git gud etc

i.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

lessons!

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

charm school

lessons also

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject