July 2022 Mini Event

[jigokumods]

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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.

Comments

Majima | Yakuza 0 (Slumscape CRAU) | Shuten

[no_kyouken]

ROLEPLAY (Closed to Haru, Kazuma, Skylark)

[ Majima rubs the back of his neck, good eye closed with a wince. He really doesn't want to do this. His time spent as the manager of the cabaret Grand was... miserable. It was an exercise in humiliation, trapped in a town he couldn't leave, earning money for a man that he would rather not think about. His nose wrinkles, head shaking wearily. It's a small display of reluctance, but then he's pushed the emotion down. His hand lingers at his neck, bothering a scale there, but he's decided where to start with the lessons: ]

Listen, a place like this... ya ain't just doin' a job. It's playin' a role, an' ya can't break character. Customers with money come in an' treat ya like shit cuz it's part've th'fun they came for.

An' they're payin' good money for it. Standin' up for yerself ain't gonna get ya nowhere; ya don't matter. It is your job t'make every fuckin' excuse for why th'customer ain't done nothin' wrong, while still keepin' them under control.

Ya never have, an ya never will have an accusatory thought in yer head about th'customer. Customer's king.

So how do ya keep th'place runnin' smooth if yer playin' a yes-man? What ya can speak to are th'rules of th'club, an' yer there to enforce them. Customer is king: but they don't own you, Shuten does.

An' Shuten ain't gonna tolerate anyone who fucks around with their business, yer just helpin' any misguided customers from gettin' in deep where they don't wanna.

Ya can turn most've these meltdowns into an earning opportunity... Once ya got 'em under control an' on th'way out: ya remind 'em that any unseemly episodes can be smoothed over with a generous expenditure. Have 'em buy drinks for th'house as a partin' gift, an' remind 'em it'll play well with their social circle.

[ He looks fucking tired with this, but whatever. ]

Are ya ready t'try it out, or do ya wanna play th'customer first an' watch me do it?



[[OOC; Hello my students. Make individual threads for yourself below. This can flow into dealer or bouncer training, so just go for it. ]]

GENERAL (WILDCARD)

[ What other Shutens may notice while observing Majima's role-playing sessions is that he is... a very good actor. He flips into different roles with total commitment. When he's playing the dealer, his entire dialect changes: from the lilting and informal Osaka-ben, into the crisp and proper Tokyo-ben. His whole posture becomes more straight and proper, nothing ruffles him.

When he plays the nasty customers, he has a variety of them under his belt: from a drunk yakuza, to a self-important Celestial, to a lecherous businessman.

Then there at the end... it's just fucking dour, exhausted Majima again. He goes and drops into a chair on a far wall, picking out a cigarette and rubbing his head like it hurts. Getting back into this mindset sucks and he would rather not be here, or doing this.

Still, he looks up at anyone's approach, ]

Yeah?

wildcard

[heretic_blade]

[ Izō had spent most of the night being the absolute worst customer he could be to really put the less experienced members through the wringer. Kinda cruel, but it needed to be done. With things winding down a bit, he spots Majima and makes a beeline for him. ]

...Hell of a performance ya put on out there.

[ The one persona Izō hadn't seen from Majima yet, the one he'd only heard mention of. He presses a gentle kiss to Majima's temple before plopping into the seat beside him. ]

[no_kyouken]

[ He lets Izo kiss him without protest, shrugging uncomfortably at the comment. What is he going to say? That he learned how to shut himself off and be anyone else? That it masks an agony he can't articulate? ]

Yeah, well... know th'business.

[ Maybe it's more obvious now, why he prefers Goromi. She gets to be open and expressive instead of rigid and subservient. ]

[heretic_blade]

[ Izō could tell the whole act brought him nothing but pain. The comment wasn't meant to twist the knife or anything, just stating a fact. He pats Majima's shoulder with a sympathetic smile. ]

Yeah, well...Ain't gotta do it again. [ He's not going to pry further. It's not his business. If Majima wants to tell him more, he will. ] Should go do somethin' t' unwind.

[no_kyouken]

Gotta hang out here an' keep an' eye on th'kids.

[ The addition of teenage girls to the roster really does something to Majima's already devoted loyalty to the others. ]

roleplay... hello

[karumic]

[The more Majima describes their supposed role, the more Kazuma hates it. He may not know much about himself, but one thing he does know is he has a very hard time with simply standing there and taking abuse.

It is very probable Kazuma will be very bad at this job; unfortunately, the training is mandatory. He's sure the feeling that he does not want to be here is just radiating off of him, but he makes an effort to relax his jaw and keep his face impassive. He does, alas, have to cooperate with the Shuten if he wants to get anywhere.

So he'll do his best to suck it up and try not to be too mutinous about it.]

And what if the customer simply refuses to listen to reason?

[He adds, after a beat:] Sir.

[no_kyouken]

Then ya are gonna remove 'em. But sendin' somebody outta here roughed up is a blow t'their reputation, ya reserve that for when th'management tells ya to. Pamperin' their egos is money in our pockets.

So ya need t'learn how to physically contain somebody without hittin' 'em.

[ He watches Kazuma, appraising. He is waiting to see if the information is going to take. ]

this is so late i apologize orz

[karumic]

[Kazuma crosses his arms and tries not to make a face. Probably fails.]

With all due respect, if they're the ones causing trouble, what do we care about their reputation? Won't that just send the message that anybody can come here and cause trouble?

[He isn't really trying to argue, just understand, but he can't help if a little petulance sneaks into his tone. Surely there are limits to how much they can accommodate people who are deliberately making a ruckus.]

[no_kyouken]

Not just anyone, anyone with enough cash.

[ He puts a cigarette to his lips lazily. ]

Gettin' away with some shitty behavior is what they're payin' for. Some fuckers throw that kinda money around wherever they go.

[ And being a self-important pig is how they spend their whole life. ]

We just wanna keep pickin' up what they're throwin' around.

roleplay

[empression]

[ Haru... looks more and more uncomfortable the longer she listens. Because this is a little too familiar. She'd been far too subservient to her father's orders and "suggestions" for far too long, convincing herself that surely, this was for her own good and if not, then surely it would help her father in the long run and he would smile at her like he'd used to.

Can she act like the customer is king, no matter how they treat her? Yes, unfortunately. But... she does look a little pale at the idea. ]

... Um, before that, how does one get them under control... acceptably?

[no_kyouken]

You are gonna try t'calm 'em down emotionally. If ya give 'em an' out where they don't look bad, they may take it an' calm down. Ya can offer small things, like a free drink, t'see if they just wanna sit down and behave themselves.

[ He jerks his thumb at the bouncers in training. ]

Ya leave anythin' physical up t'these guys, but yer th'one who does all the talkin'. If somebody needs t'be restrained, ya hold down th'fort until they get there. Once yer problem guest has realized they're really gettin' tossed out an' are about t'be embarrassed, that's when ya try squeezin' 'em a little.

[empression]

[ She looks over at the bouncers in training. She's quiet for a moment, debating the pros and cons of maneuvering around the customer and being soothing and gentle and waiting for someone to help her.

She is 158 cm but she clears her throat. ]

Majima-san, would I be able to train to be physical as well? Politely but firmly, of course.

[ Sir, I wish to Toss. ]

[no_kyouken]

[ He does not know how that will work, but also he just shrugs. He's not determining who gets hired down here, he's just helping with the training. If that's the side she wants to hear about, sure. ]

Sure. When yer on that side've th'house, ya ain't gotta say much at all. Ya ain't there t'be reasoned with, yer top priorities are keepin' th'guests and other workers safe, an' not roughin' the customer up too much. Most've th'time ya don't wanna humiliate 'em unless management gives ya th'sign to.

Teach me your ways, Sensei! (wildcard)

[demonrebel]

You know, smoking is bad for you.

[Before Majima could rebuttal, Dante leans forward and offers the man a light. It's a fancy red and gold flint lighter he pocketed from some wannabe Bosozoku fella the other night. He has no use for it but felt the urge to be a brat and stole it. Dante doesn't normally do shit like that but he was feeling extra petty. However, that means Majima has a new gift from yours truly.]

But sometimes you can't help but want a smoke.

[He slides the fancy lighter into Majima's pockets before wandering off to drag over an extra chair.]

Nice performance, though. I'm impressed.

[no_kyouken]

[ Hm? He continues to look dour for a moment, but then a small smile pulls at the corner of his mouth. He idly touches the shape of the lighter in his shirt pocket. Smooth, very effective. ]

Didn't I tell ya I used t'run a place?

[ A rhetorical question, actually. Most of the people who interact with Goromi have already heard how he learned that performance. He just has more. He learned how to shut his ego off and be just about anything. It's a skill as much as it is a reaction to some very heavy shit. ]

It's shitty work.

[demonrebel]

[Despite the shaggy overgrown bangs and prominent three-o-clock shadow, Dante is still a smooth operator. He blows Majima a kiss before settling down in the chair. A faint hum escapes his lips as he envisions Majima in his full yakuza glory. Majima has the acting chops of a real Hollywood stud but unfortunately, he's stuck here in reality.

Or rather whatever is left of reality here in Hell. Jigoku-cho is a really weird place.]

Sometimes it takes a shitty job to keep food on the table. [He counters with a faint smile.] Trust me, I know.

[He might come from high society but he lived most of his life on the fringes of said society. His entire life was turned right upside down once his parents were killed. Then again, Majima probably knows a little bit about that by now. After all, he's seen Dante at his worst here and there.]

This might be a dumb question and all--but have you ever considered making your own gang someday?

[no_kyouken]

[ He smiles a little more overtly, still looking down at his hands tiredly, though. He does appreciate the gesture of solidarity, that's what makes him attached to Dante a lot of the time. Someone who understands without needing to ask a lot of questions or expectations.

The question he does ask is easy enough to answer though, ]

Couple more promotions, that's what ya get to. Unless ya get stuck as captain under somebody, but there ain't any Lost Souls in my way.

roleplay

[inspiteful]

[ Skylark doesn't miss Majima's initial reaction, however brief it was, and he can already tell that this sort of job was something Majima was old hat at, for better or worse. It reminds him a little of when he worked at the pavilion back home, except he rarely ever had to deal with unruly or belligerent customers himself. He was just an attendant, after all.

He's not sure if he'll get a job here, but he doubts this is the only place this kind of skill will be needed, so... ]

...What counts as getting them under control, here?

[ He feels like he ought to ask since he's seen people get thrown out of the pavilion more than once. Obviously, that might not be the same here. ]

[no_kyouken]

If yer workin' th'tables as a dealer, ya can try t'calm 'em down emotionally. Sometimes ya give 'em an' out, so they don't look bad, and they're happy t'sit down with a fresh drink.

If yer bouncin' an' somebody needs t'be removed, ya need t'do it without roughin' the customer up. That's just an invitation for an even bigger scene a lotta th'time. It embarrasses 'em, and that's a punishment ya reserve for when management tells ya to. So ya gotta learn how t'handle somebody without hittin' 'em.

When yer th'dealer, ya can be talked to an' yer overseein' the situation. When yer bouncin', yer not there t'be reasoned with an' it's yer job keepin' th'other workers an' customers safe.

[ He tilts his head, waiting to see if this dynamic makes sense. ]

[inspiteful]

[ 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?

[no_kyouken]

Correct. Management might've heard somethin' above yer head, good or bad for 'em. So don't go over th'edge without bein' told.

[ There's more to this ecosystem than just what will be seen in the casino. Some customers will be protected, some customers will need to be made an example of. ]

wildcard;

[littleshield]

[ It doesn't escape Felix's notice that Majima's quite skilled; he hasn't exactly signed up for his lessons, but all the same he can very well see and hear what he has to teach to the others. He has no need to be trained for bouncer work nonetheless, fully prepared and trained on how to open a can of whoop-ass when required.

Either way, he has his own business to take care of, so he decides to get what he needs done or what he's lacking up to snuff...or maybe as close as it'll ever be (he is, once again, not a gambling man so RIP.)

But when it's towards the end and he catches him in his current position, he can't help but just...come on over. ]

Hmph. Can't help but notice you look like trash after all of your efforts.

Yet, you seem accustomed to what you were doing earlier.

[no_kyouken]

Hm.

[ He nods wearily. ]

Used t'run a club. It's shitty work, but it pays.

[ And he was being blackmailed for quite a lot of money, so he had learned how to do it from the deep end. ]

[littleshield]

How true of a lot of wretched jobs.

[ Either way, being in a foreign place and having to take up a leadership position isn't easy, even without the potential baggage of the familiarity of certain prior occupations.

Felix had been doing things his own way for awhile—still has—but, the stress of everything that's happened, the fact they're all Lost Souls, and what that means for them before they're able to leave...it's something he's been thinking about since what that thing said. No, even before then.

They need to stick together. ]

Still, you were at it for awhile; enough if I wonder you had a break before now. Hope those you taught expressed some gratitude at the end.

[no_kyouken]

[ His gaze flicks up, mild in its curiosity. This the same kid who made him throw down before he'd fall in line? It's not that he thinks Felix is malicious or unpleasant, just independent. ]

They're good kids.

[ He says this as though Kazuma isn't the same age as him. ]

An' I did this crap for years, doin' it for show for a few hours ain't nothin'.