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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[ HUMANS CAN GO TO HELL, NERO, ]

Well...

[ oh god, this widow's acting shy all of a sudden-- ]

Is the chef available?

[ ... ]

[CAN HUMANS DIE TWICE UNLESS MURDERED? HELLO. THIS IS CLEARLY HIS FAULT FOR DYING.]

I'm afraid he's rather busy at the moment, but if you'd like to stay until closing...?

[ He supposes, but knowing her luck... ]

Oh, yeah, those, too, then!

[ Both of them?! ]

[ PEOPLE CAN DIE IF KILLED, OBVIOUSLY ]

That'd take too long. How about... you?

[ why is this widow chinhandsing now ]

[THEN IT'S HIS FAULT FOR HAVING PEOPLE WANT TO KILL HIM. PUZZLE SOLVED.]

Of course.

[For the moment, he takes the seat next to Shylock.]

[Izuku looks at his friend quizzically.]

A persona? Like acting?

[Is he any better at acting? Well, Izuku will have to give it a try!]

I'll add it to the order.

[Internally he's so worried about how irresponsible she's being with her cash, but also it's her cash. She can do whatever she wants with it, even if it's a terrible idea.]

That's right. Sometimes, crafting a unique persona can assist us in mustering up the courage to behave in certain ways that we may otherwise lack. To devise a being that we may live through and to play out a self-appointed role, it is not uncommon for those who wish to live out a life that is unlike that which they already live.

[Does he mean role-playing? Yes he means role-playing.]

We do not have to get into the specifics of what sort of character you may wish to portray, but perhaps a general idea that you could act through could offer you some courage. Tell me, what is it you imagine when you envision a scion of Hell?

( ...eh, why not? She scopes out a little cucumber-and-cream-cheese concoction and pops it in her mouth.

... Not bad. A little rich. She's not sure she'd eat a lot of these. )

You'll 'ave the whole class held back.

( There is no seriousness to the way she says that, because she is well acquainted with being that person anyway.

Also, it means she won't have to go to charm school, which is all the better. )

Wouldn't it serve as an example, instead? We'd get less rude customers that way.

[ It's a genuine question; to Power, this is a logical approach! Seeing the look on Bishop's face, she relents slightly and tilts her head back in a long-suffering sigh, as if she's the one putting up with his nonsense. ]

... But fffffiiiiine, I suppose non-lethal methods would mean more living customers. I'll hold back. Most humans are so puny that a full-strength blow from me would destroy them, anyway.

[ there’s a moment of silence from jack, their expression a comical mix of confusion and surprise for just a moment. for someone to be so unabashed towards them— especially after they know their true nature!

and, then… ]

Haha!

[ they laugh. or, it would be better to call it more like a chuckle, but it is as genuine as they come, their eyes brimming with curiosity. ]

I see. That’s one hell of a skill to have, Detective. I can’t help but admit that I’m a little excited about this.

[ mort considers that perhaps if he truly had a mentor in his life, he would have heard that phrase more often. being praised like this was definitely different, and yet he doesn't consider it so bad.

he can tell it is a statement that is well-intentioned, and beyond that, she seems genuine in her desire to assist him. also another foreign feeling, but he decides not to place too much stock into it. especially, when she...

asks for a opening line. opening line... he seems to mull over this before: ] My name is Mortelix, but you... You can call me Mort. [ his poor greeting aside— he reaches over musashi here and gently opens the drink menu in front of her. ]

What type of drinks do you tend to favor? Perhaps, I could help you decide.

My, what a useful skill. You could have all the fun you want and still manage to relive it the very next day. [ he says as if everyone's definition of fun was potentially fighting to the death. regardless, if this stranger shares this line of thought or not seems to be of no consequence. which... may have just ben a running pattern in this exchange. #meandunapologetic

mort does have a lot of questions involving this stranger's bodily disposition and the implied immortality, but does eventually decides to pocket this for now as exploring it within his own time sounded equally rewarding. ]

The Great Mortelix. [ a pause. ] I do prefer Mort, however. [ a name he is more than willing to spare with those who tickle his naturally inquisitive nature.

does this mean he has a free pass for face touching now??? ] What should I call you?

[ 'How it's supposed to work'... Barok tries to remember the days when he himself had that kind of bright-eyed optimism about the legal system. It feels like several lifetimes ago. And the system he'd idolized back then, the famed most advanced court system in the world, had proven itself to be so weak to rot and corruption...

Barok van Zieks is still proud to be a British prosecutor. He is still proud of the accomplishments of his country. But he will never again put blind faith in the institution itself without holding every individual player under tight scrutiny. ]

Is it not a depraved mockery of justice already?

[ He huffs, darkly amused. ]

But even when it is so, that is no excuse for us to succumb to resignation and let it sink further. The only way to bring about change is to be uncompromising in our values, even as the path it leads us on is not necessarily the one deemed most 'efficient'.

[ Van Zieks raises his eyebrows and crosses his arms. ]

Am I incorrect in assuming this entire investigation is taking place under your guidance? If you wish to disavow the actions of your fellow Alliance members, I can just place criminal charges on each of them individually, of course.

[Ugh, blech. She made a face and then held up a finger, wagging it in front of the bartender while she spoke in a sing-songy voice that would have made a condescending teacher or math tutor proud.]

Uh uh uh. The customer is always right. And besides, have you actually had Triple Sec? It's awful. Blech. Oranges.

"Hmmmm? Oh right, right. We should get the good stuff shouldn't we? Fine, I can splurge. It's for a good cause. Getting me strength potions and you money," she said, nodding vigorously and motioning towards one of the bars in town. It wasn't even a seedy one, thank god.

"We can get a bottle over there and bring it with us. Two if you think we'll need to get him properly tight."

She'd been thinking about speaking about other things, and moving onto the next step, but the question that was asked... oh, that was kind of important. Admittedly? She wasn't entirely sure how she felt about all that, though she didn't get requested except once, for anything like that, and it had been a rather ... unusual request.

"So. I'm not really a hostess. They make sure I'm trained just in case? But I'm a bouncer. I help Musashi with security. So, I can answer your question a little differently. On the one hand? If you're set up as an entertainer, but not an oiran? No. They won't normally be able to hire you for that kind of thing." The girl was cautious, so she'd phrase it carefully too. "But in theory? If a client wants to make a special request they can."

"But here's the thing. Nobody here needs to do that sort of thing with a client, not the oirans and not you. So, if someone wants to make a special request? They can. But you have the chance to say no. The work you do will pay your debt eventually." A cough and her cheeks heated. "I did one special favor for some very unique clients. But I agreed to it. You can always say no. And if they push? You call me. You call Musashi, and we ... politely tell them the rules again." She smiled over at her and patted the wooden sword that was resting to the side.

"But the clients who come to Tamamo places know the rules. You don't piss off the boss lady. We're here as a formality. Nobody's going to ask you to do anything you don't want."

[ Musashi enthusiastically nodded. He was taking to the lessons a lot better than she thought he would! The guy still had a certain strangeness to him, but now it was blending into an allure of mystique, rather than something off-putting. It made him seem sexier, which was exactly what a host should go for. Always go for sexy.

She took the menu, humming. ]

I'm in the mood for something fruity...

A bouncer? That surprised Monika a bit, she didn't look like the kind of person you'd typically picture as a bouncer. But that was a different world where people from countless realities sometimes possessed unnatural skills and powers. So it wasn't that weird, all things considered. And when Tenshi finished, Monika smiled with relief.

"That's good to hear. Honestly... It's been on my mind ever since I arrived here. When I was first introduced to the Tamamo Clan and everything it means." She looked away once again awkwardly. "I'm a bit of a pushover, I can't say no when someone asks me a favor... But that is definitely something I'll say no to."

Just the thought was... Horrifying to her. To someone who valued romantic love as the highest and most beautiful of things, she couldn't imagine sexual intimacy to be a thing devoid of love. She respected those who did it, but she could never be one of them.

"I'm a big romantic at heart. So having to do those kind of things would be... Devastating."

She laughed awkwardly after saying that, feeling heat radiating from her cheeks. Gosh, was it ever embarrassing...!

"Sorry for that tangent, ahaha!" She cleared her throat and took a deep breath. "And, thank you. I feel a lot more safe about this now."

Having to make a thrilling escape sounds good to me! I know one of my scenarios is having him eavesdrop/hang around under the guise of being a 7/11 worker by one of the businesses involved, and he could get caught by a nefarious crew that way and need help finding his way out? Whether that's through Ydris feeding him blackmail, personally intervening, or just telling him where to run would all be fine by me!

closed starters, coming on up!

[ As someone possessing a single star in the Sutoku Clan, Kim is by no means considered to be an authority, but he is at least an authority over the newcomers. He had been informed by his superiors that it was his job to help loop some of the newcomers into some of Sutoku's business, a familiar task he tends to find tedious at best; while he has nothing but sympathy for those who had unceremoniously found themselves here, it reminds him too much of having to train fleet after fleet of novice police officers back home, only for the bulk of them to quit within months, if not weeks, of completing their training.

Still, he knows better than to complain, and he certainly considers it a more palatable task than what other means of violence or seduction the other clans are getting up to. He sent the person he had been assigned a message asking for him to meet him well outside of the area they were supposed to be surveilling for a debrief, and that was that. Soundwave is a curious name, but this world is filled with curious names, and so he had not expected anything any more exciting than a particularly non-human looking Lost Soul. Strange eyes, animal ears, a tendency to float were more or less the extent of which he was expecting.

He usually prides himself on his stoicism, even in the face of youkai that he finds frankly terrifying, but it's impossible to maintain that when something out of a young Kim's wildest dreams suddenly comes lumbering around the corner. ]

What in the...?

[ He had asked Soundwave to look out for a man in an orange jacket. He had neglected to ask Soundwave to identify himself in kind, and so he simply gawks, eyes wide and mouth ajar, craning his neck to look for the newcomer's driver. Not that he has any expectation that Soundwave is the one steering this particular vehicle, but when it comes to mechanics, he's easily distracted. ]

And sorry right back at you! That sounds great -- I whipped up a starter, so please let me know if that works!

"There's a few people among us who arrived with a contract who don't work as oiran. I definitely can see why you'd be a little concerned, though. I get that if you're really set on only ever doing that with that one special person? You won't want to, and the idea of being paid would feel wrong." A quick, firm nod. "And like I said, we've got staff. Let us know if anyone gives you trouble. That's what we're here for."

"Don't worry about it. And... uh, so you know? This isn't too far off topic. People sometimes chat during these. Usually lighter stuff, but it's a social gathering for some people, a chance to know not only the tea? But the person themselves." She started the brazier up and motioned for the girl to watch as she started to brew with the powder and wisk. "Really, this whole ceremony is about a sort of shared experience. I'm awful when it comes to meditation? But it's supposed to be related in a way. Living in the moment. Let the outside world just kind of filter away. It's what the entertainers do here. All sorts. They take people away from their cares."

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July 2022 Mini Event

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kim kitsuragi | disco elysium | sutoku

for soundwave

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