jigokulogs | July 2022 Mini Event

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July 2022 Mini Event

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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.

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[ That smile... she couldn't help but flush a bit at the sight of it. It was the first time since she'd met the guy she felt like she was seeing something less routing, less practiced from him. Maybe it was less "regal" and more just... someone who genuinely hadn't had much of a social life before? She couldn't tell for sure, but she also wasn't there to judge.

It was just... nice. That smile. ]

Much better! [ She clapped her hands together, nodding vigorously. ]

And now you should try an opening line. Maybe get them to order a drink?

... Yeah, you definitely don't have anything to learn from me, at any rate. You're gonna be a top earner, for sure. Hell, you'll probably be a platinum, even down here, in no time.

[ She felt like she'd already said as much, but seeing him in person, hearing how he talked about the industry, it just all further affirmed it. Aster was a pro, in every since of the word. The gap between them, as far as charm went, was exponential... Way ahead of her, at any rate. ]

I hope you don't get priced out of my range, though~

[When you're doing something worth criticizing...]

I'm good at dying - but not very good at staying dead.

[Which is exactly what it sounds like - at least before he ended up here, Owen was a man who could die time and time and time again but he would always, always come back.

It certainly came in handy more often than not, even if it could sometimes get to be quite annoying.]

Is that so hard to believe, sir...?

[didn't even offer his name before he started touching owen's face smh]

[ to be honest, there's no denying that the other individual had a certain sense for business. or perhaps, it was more accurate to state that he knew when to take his chances. while others may have been more cautious, perhaps aware of the precarious nature of those who act on whim, he sees aster as someone who was bold and unapologetic in his actions.

still, mort doesn't exactly have an interest in eating as much as he does in analyzing his surroundings and particularly, his present companion. still, this was supposed to be practice and so in this, he supposed he was meant to play the role of a "client" flawlessly, but... of course, that means he wouldn't give in that easily outside of his personal feelings of intrigue and mystique. ]

Of course not. [ but, looking at the rest of the menu, he gives a brief shrug. ] But, I'd like to see the face of someone who would like to take advantage of me. [ because that would be interesting... he's ngl.

but, yeah, he will give in to the drink despite the price, if just because mort... is not all adept at handling money. it isn't that he doesn't know what things are worth or that he hasn't learned, but being a dragon meant he was always surrounded by riches. he has storerooms of only the most valued goods in the entire continent...

he's never really had to ponder on money before this... ]

[ it's easy to hear those words and somehow find some vague hint of a challenge in them. perhaps, that's just the way mort's brain was fine-tuned, but he finds himself drawn into shylock's line of inquiry. his brows raise slightly, as something of pure, unadulterated amusement crosses his features.

everything about shylock seems to raise more and more questions for mort, and being a dragon, a being known for their infinite curiosity, it'd be a lie to state that mort didn't want to completely dissect him (metaphorically, of course)!

but, focusing to the task at hand— ] There are, but it's certainly no place for a dragon. I'm sure they'd shut their doors in fear if I were to walk through. [ ... and maybe in annoyance to that, he'd have no choice but to kill them. but, he digresses. ]

So as you said, it truly will be a night of firsts.

sorry for the late response, but YES! i love it whenever people freaked out over him being a giant robot. meanwhile he'll be confused because organics don't typically like his kind ~~for understandable reasons lmao~~

i think a first meeting would work best here, just to see Kim freak out over him before getting to the mission and stuff!

[ a nod. okay, that's better. ]

I would like today's special, please. And the chef himself, if he's available.

[ damn ]

Edited 2022-07-26 12:28 (UTC)

She looked around the apartment with the eye of someone squinting and trying to count the stains in the wall. Hmmmmm. No, no, she wouldn't say anything. she wouldn't say anything. Oh look, black clothes. Good. She had something to focus on instead of being stupid and commenting on his door.

"A couple hours should be enough. She didnt seem to care if the stardust was cold. ... uh, hot. If it was hot." Looking down at the map and focusing on that, she frowned and tapped a spot. It wasn't far from where the isonade had been coming up. Nobody went there these days. "Here. I remember right where it was."

Ya know, since the melted asphalt was partially her fault.

[...]

Alright. Any other tips for this?

"Yes. You've got the idea. Too stuffy, too formal, and you're focused on the formality of it, the rules and you're not appreciating the tea, not appreciating the moment," she said, smiling over at her. "It's a weird balancing act, but you also don't want to worry so much about balancing the act too much because then you're still missing the point. You do these things, but don't focus constantly on each of them."

She opened the case, taking out a wisk, a small container with little packed sweets, a caddie with tea powder in it, the tea bowl, kettle and brazier. Offering her the wisk, she smiled. "So, in turn, the host should let each of the people inspect the elements, to look them over, to appreciate them. The ideal is that they're family heirlooms. They don't even have to be pricey. Just... this was my grandfather's, and his grandfather's before him. You're appreciating the history in it, all the times its been used, the care someone takes of it. The weather in each piece. That sort of thing."

Got it! Thank you much for the information!

[Well it was his promotion and probably the recent tower excursion that got the man to even listen to him, even if it went badly. Cain's still not sure if his reputation is irreparbly damaged, but he didn't have much choice other than to continue.

Still, he was considering Barok's words with a bit of confusion.]

But that's not how that's supposed to work...I mean, when I was with the knights, we always worked hard to ensure the trust of the people we protected. Lying to put up an image would just make that worse when they found out.

[He also was from a country where people were always fairly straightforward compared to others, so in some ways it really didn't make any sense. Though..he can see it being a possiblity.]

You're right that the Lord Enma doesn't seem that type of man, though. But if we continue to let other comrades of ours bend the rules whatever way they can to keep order, then it reflects on everyone. Same with his absence in public spaces.

[Though, he looked up again at where Barok's voice was at the speaking of truth. His commitment was genuine and Cain could only admire it, even if it seemed a bit harsh at times.]

And...I suppose you're right in not keeping secrets from people even if it hurts them, but sometimes it protects people. I just don't want this department to sink into some depraved version of justice.

[Master Leshy is good. That's the kind of title he deserves. He's not precisely easy to ingratiate one's self to... but that's a start.]

Scholar. Perhaps. Some would not see it that way.

[It seems to amuse Leshy, thinking on how Magnificus would take umbrage with the beastman claiming such a title. Naturally, that makes it more appealing. He is a scholar of survivorship, an expert at the craft. It is something he knows and he teaches. What is not scholarly about that?

The flashbulb goes off the moment Nie Huaisang slumps. A resonant clap of shutters from the device echoes through the room.

The composition was lined up, the only thing needed was a gesture worth capturing. A split second can make all the difference. Leshy looks to photo as it slides out the side of the camera...

It's shaped like a blank playing card. The image of Nie Huaisang seems to surprise Leshy, a clear photograph just like the real thing. It's so interesting, being a world not so... limited. He seems to marvel at it]

What fidelity.

[Leshy certainly looms tall and imposing. Surely, he would be even taller if he did not slouch forward like a crooked tree grown out from the side of a hill. The slouch is perhaps more intimidating, angling his vision downward at her. His eyes, though, they seem not to point directly forward, pupils just offset enough to may it seem like he looks a little bit of each way, unfocused.

That is, until he speaks, His eyes turn to orange and black, a hypnotic pattern spinning]

Yes, the photographs. The Mother Fox desires to take stock of her kits. [the camera is lifted for her to look at, if not pointed in a way that looks like he will yet photographer her. Just showing off the device in his hands. It is a massive thing for a handheld camera, with a large flashbulb.]

You will pose. I will capture.

[The ends may not entirely be honourable, but the means? Well, that's incredibly familiar to a pair of heroes-in-training like them. Even if the Daitengu wants the supply for themselves, it would still be good to cut off the supplier in the long run.]

[Fumikage has also donned a suit for this stakeout, and he stands beside Izuku, watching him tugging at the collar of his own. He crosses his arms before speaking.]

I've noticed that in some spaces, age seems hardly important. If we are to exude confidence, none should question us.

[If they look like they belong, they won't get looked at twice, right? He does pause, looking at Izuku's tugged collar.]

Though, if we look nervous, we are bound to attract attention.

[This Stardust was quite an interesting material... and given how it's suddenly spiked in popularity, he could understand people's desire to obtain it. And given how the Daitengu has asked all Sutoku members to investigate, Fumikage does his best to follow the trails of Stardust.]

[With his unique physical appearance, most don't offer him too much grief or even ask too many questions; looking like a Tengu does have its benefits. But while he's casually trying to investigate a potential lead in Shuten territory, he hears the scream further down, near the sewers. And even if he's technically investigating a lead, he's also a hero in training; he can't just leave screams alone when he hears them.]

[So he goes to the source of the screaming, following it down to the sewer drain pipes. There he sees the beaten-up Oni, as well as the figure pilfering through their coats. He sticks to the shadows, but calls out.]

What's going on here?

Really? That shows up in a photograph?

[These cameras truly are wondrous devices. In his eyes, they are the true sorcery in this place, mystical tools beyond Nie Huaisang's comprehension like so many thing here people take for granted.]

How interesting! What else does the camera show?

[He flicks open his fan and starts fanning himself, more out of habit than anything else.]

[ So even here, it boils down to reputation. Guess that some things aren't that different no matter where you go, apparently. He thinks on this for a moment.]

So...basically, let them save face unless management decides otherwise, right?

The image in crisp, but it is only a replica of you. [Leshy hands to card to him. The image on it is small compared to what a more regularly formatted device might produce, but the photo is well taken. It says something of Leshy's priorities that he wanted to catch the moment the man began to slack, to let his guard down maybe.]

Should you have ink, then inscrybe your name to the top. It is your likeness to keep.

[if he only had the correct film, he could have captured the man himself inside the card... but then he would be keeping that. Maybe one day he'll get back his legendary film rolls, craft a proper collection of beasts to command]

[At least the panic doesn't show on his face.]

The chef? I'm afraid he's rather busy in the kitchen, but if you'd like to stay until after his shift...?

["everyone's coming out for tanabata," levi listens to the bartender explain, and they're not surprised by that. they carefully watch the bartender pour the sake while trying not to make it look like they're scrutinizing him too closely, and the look on their face trends a little closer to weary to avoid exactly that. it's what anyone of their assumed status would be feeling right about now.]

[the bartender continues. "chairs are more comfortable than the ground when you've had too much," he says with a laugh, pushing each cup over. levi takes theirs and mutters out a quiet kanpai before taking a careful sip. they're not unfamiliar with how to drink sake, though there's still the desire to tilt it back and drink it like a shot. they won't, though; they can't give themself away as a lost soul quite so quickly. it's just something else they'd had to learn to blend in among the zaibatsu they'd been bumping elbows with.]

[they take a look around the bar, absorbing everything as casually as they can; it's not as wise as it could be to case the joint once inside of it, but they've never claimed to be the wisest person in the world. they have a general idea of what's around them and what people they may have to watch out for, but the glance is over before they can draw suspicion about it—or at least, they think it is. it's probably fine.]

Looks like you're doing well. Like supporting local businesses. [they speak to the bartender in a low voice, the sentences clipped, but their tone genial enough.] Any fun stories with all these newbies?

Edited 2022-07-30 21:40 (UTC)

In light of his new abilities, if Cain turned into a cat and followed some of the black market people around to see where they're coming from or what they are saying about the source, would he be able to get anything?

He'll be privy to one additional piece of information that others haven't gotten, a name mentioned in hushed tones, spoken with fear.

"Iron Bear"

rubs my little fly hands together, nice

if he reports this to captain shiki, will she recognize it?

On it's own, no, but she'll definitely be putting the folks down in the records division on the job to investigate it.

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July 2022 Mini Event

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im(mort)al bastards indeed...

nothing has happened but why do i feel dirty

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Lunar Rabbit

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