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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[ i'll be doing closed threads, but please feel free to either ping me on

odasaku, dm, or on discord if you are in the server! ]

[ well, in all honesty, jack is not too surprised with their task. after two months here and an instinctive knowledge about how the underground works, due to their associations with the darker side of victorian london, this hardly surprises them.

what does surprise them is how shockingly unconfident they are about using this body for anything that might be...of service for the customer. mixology? fine. oiran training? out of the question (a little too on the nose?). but performance...? what a terrible subject, especially for someone that is supposed to disappear into the shadows.

if there's anything that jack is not, it's showy.

or, at least in a way that would bring in a buck. most of their showiness would probably end up making the customers run the other direction. which is why... ]

So what is your plan for getting tips, Lieutenant Musashi?

[ she may not clean her office, but jack has seen it in her personality. if there's anyone that's showy and extravagant, it's her. ]

Well, best to start from the beginning, right?

Let's assume you get assigned to a client, since a newbie isn't going to be requested. You see them at the table, and you need to introduce yourself. Show me what you'd do, in that situation.

[ Jack had the looks, to be sure, to draw out some loose purses, but looks could only carry someone so far. The art was less in the appearance and more in the skill of hosting, itself. She'd seen old grannies steal away big spenders on charm alone, so it definitely spoke to the value of the intangibles. ]

I...uh...

[ well, that's a little sudden! but this is training, isn't it? give them a second to turn around, musashi, because they need to get into the right mindset...

...

no, not that mindset. goddammit, flat escardos, you and your eccentric personality permeating into everything, even now. there has to be something else they can use.

okay, how about-- ]

Good evening, Master, welcome. [ with a coquettish smile, they approach musashi, giving a small bow. ] How may I serve you tonight?

... Close.

[ Close?!

Musashi raised her finger, as if to boop Jack on their nose. ]

But... while we may be used to that word, "Master". [ Well. Jack was, at any rate. ] Unless you're playing the part of a butler or servant style service, that's not the word you want to use for your client. It can still be a respectful term, but it needs some endearment to it. Like "dear" or "darling".

Jeez...

[ for a moment, jack can't help but shudder involuntarily at the thought of having to say something like that. in the back of their head, something like that is...well, mildly embarrassing. they rub the back of their head with a sudden timidness, looking away.

really, it's sometimes such a pain to have to be influenced by this personality. ]

Apologies, about that. Maybe if I were... [ they glance back at musashi for a second, before breaking away again. ] If I were in a different form, it wouldn't be as reluctant.

[ A different form? She supposed that made sense... she'd remember hearing that Jack didn't have a set Saint Graph, that whatever physical form they took depended on a lot of factors... at lease she half remembered that, from something Mash told her awhile back. She couldn't even remember how or why it came up...

Ah well. Point was, she figured if it made them more comfortable... ]

Do what you need to do to help yourself relax. While some clients find the nervousness cute, if it's too real, it usually creates a hesitation to spend.

I know, I know.

[ and this is exactly why they feel better as a bouncer than as an actual performer...in this form, at least. at this point, they sound little more than a whiny teenager. and while there are forms that might be suited towards oiran work, they figure that those might end up being just a little too much for a customer that just wants a drink.

perhaps something in between that. cheerful, energetic, and ready to please the customer... perhaps something more feminine? ]

I have an idea, but I'd have to ask you to keep a secret. The Boss herself asked me to keep this under wraps, so I want to be discreet about it.

[ the less people that know, the better. but if she's a lieutenant, then... ]

[ Musashi had a feeling she knew where Jack was going with what they were saying. She gave a nod, understanding why the boss might want to keep it secret, too. ]

You can excuse yourself to change in private, if you have to...

Oh, that won't be necessary. Here, I'll show you--

[ and in the time that it might take for her to blink-- ]

[ the blonde boy known to no one but them as flat escardos disappears, instantly transforming into a young woman in the attire of someone that clearly would work at a modern hospital. ]

See? [ matching the transformation, the voice is now no longer that of a young man, but feminine and friendly, of an adult woman. ] Hehe, I'd have to do something about the clothes and get something more "job appropriate", but that's not really a problem. That said...

[ ... ]

Hello, love. It's my pleasure to serve you today. [ they cock their head to the side, giving musashi a coquettish smile. ] Is there anything that I can get you started with, dear?

[ She'd known about it, sure, but she still hadn't expected them to transform right there in front of her... and the form they took was so cute in their own way! Even if they were dressed professionally, there was just something absolutely endearing about the shift in how they carried themselves, the lilt in their voice, just...

Just completely, if likely unintentionally, feeding right into one of Musashi's worst habbits, her cheeks dusted pink and her voice a tad nervous. ]

Y-yeah, um... M-maybe a highball?

[ truth be told, jack had an inkling about her weakness. nevertheless, they do not expect that noticeable of a reaction; it's that easy? it's almost concerning how easy it would swindle her with a cute smile and a few sweet words, but the heroic spirit figures that this, too, can be used as training.

so, using that and the amusement of seeing their faction's lieutenant blush like a teenager as some bizarre motivation, jack continues without missing a beat. ]

Of course, dear. [ they smile warmly, giving her a short bow. ] Wait patiently for me, okay?

[ and, with a wink, they will actually be turning around to leave to get a glass, which they will soon bring back. their movements are smooth yet reserved, almost like a proper lady that's ready to serve her client.

the glass has water by the way-- no, musashi, you're not getting drunk on the job. ]

One highball for you, as requested. [ sitting down next to musashi, jack offers her the menu. ] If there's anything you'd like to order to eat, please take a look at the menu. Our options are quite delicious, after all, whether you want to eat alone or... with anyone else.

[ She was almost disappointed to get a glass of water back, but it was a helpful reminder that this WAS, in fact, training. Which made her listen to Jack's next words a little less dreamily and more mindfully. ]

Hmm... In truth, you probably shouldn't mention eating alone. You're already sitting with them at this point, so you should sell your company as part of the experience by making sure to keep their attention on you. That pitch wasn't bad, but while they can switch out their hostess, we don't really want the client to do that. Especially for your own sake.

[ See? She recovered well enough! ]

Ahaha, I see, I see.

[ letting the facade fall for a moment, jack takes the moment to sit down next to musashi. their legs are crossed, hands folded neatly on her lap as she considers the advice.

really, it is quite a save that musashi did-- they were this close to thinking that it was that easy to mess with.

there's a light, thoughtful hum in their voice, juggling their thoughts before speaking up. ]

Perhaps you have a firmer head on your shoulders than I thought. [ ... ] Thank you for offering to help, by the way--customer service is more difficult than most would think

Edited 2022-08-06 03:09 (UTC)

I may be an easy mark, a lot of the time, but it's because I let myself live life a little more freely, yanno?

[ Musashi sipped her water shrugging. ]

Traveling all the time as I did, I stayed at a lot of inns and red light districts. I picked up on the business by just being a constant presence on the client side.

Living life freely to that extent...I suppose that you're the type that can't be constrained to fit the mold that life had provided for you.

[ it's not the first person that they would meet that would have those characteristics. jack wonders for a second what would happen if flat and musashi were to meet, but the impending headache prevents them from following that train of thought any further.

still, maybe they thought that one of the renowned swordsmen of japan would be...more refined, but perhaps it's exactly that ability to break the mold that makes her stand out from the rest. ]

I can't say that I fully know what it's like. Even if I have information that is relevant to my possible identities, it is only a 'what-if'. At best, it's probably similar to reading it on a text book or watching a movie.

Well... All the more reason to start writing your own book, right?

[ Hmm. That was probably too oblique, she realized, after saying it, letting out a nervous laugh. ]

W-what I mean is, well... Here, away from anything that the Throne or the World might have ahead of us, you're closer to the path I'm on than you think. Just as I'm finding my own horizons, you can start looking for your own.

Like... Define for yourself who you want to be, yanno?

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hellborne - 2022-08-11 03:13 (UTC) - Expand

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ryototsukai - 2022-08-11 23:18 (UTC) - Expand

You want to teach me to what, I'm sorry?

[ are these the actual words that jack is hearing, right now? with blue eyes wide as plates, the question comes out almost involuntarily out of shock. though it is only a whisper, they can't help but wonder if this is what the boss had meant by getting better tips.

well, it's not as if they should be so surprised. they had knowledge of sherlock holmes being the type of person that would bend the laws in order to get to the truth of the mystery, so... why wouldn't herlock sholmes be the same?

still... ]

[It would certainly not be the first time he's bent the rules to achieve a goal, though Sholmes would hardly say this qualifies. This is just a bit of-]

I wish to teach you how to properly read a client's body language so that you might pinch every single penny from them!

[He says it brightly, unabashedly. Though he is not much of a teacher, normally, or a mentor of any sort, he believes this task is one he can achieve with an attentive "student" -- and one can only hope that Jack complies.]

But I believe the preferred term is... schmoozing.

[ 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.

[Jack's laugh appears to help quick Sholmes' own smile upwards. He is curious, he must admit, to know a little more about this man -- even if they have done nothing but butt heads thus far. Well. A little, at least.]

Do you not have even a sliver of it, already? The basics are simple enough: ingratiate. Compliment when you can. Let us practice.

[He straightens in his seat, gestures at Jack with splayed hands.]

Find something about my person that you would compliment, as though we have only just met.

Charm the other party in order to lower their defenses, I see.

[ yes, it could be said that they have some experience with that, though jack doesn't see it as something to boast about-- not in their case, at least.

they give sholmes a quick once-over, weighing the ideas of what would be the best aspects of the man to compliment. once they've chosen the winner, their expression changes into one of admiration, almost like a star-struck child. ]

Ah-- could it be that you're the great Herlock Sholmes!

[Oh-- Well, that is certainly the way to do it. Even if Sholmes realizes that this is all for the exercise itself, it's impossible for his ego not to flare. For him not to preen proudly in the wake of recognition for his great detective-ness.

He plays along with relative ease:]

Ah, you would be correct, kind sir! Do you mean to tell me that you are a long-enduring fan of my tales?

Of course!

[ jack decides to take a step closer to sholmes, almost like an excited fan that has met their hero. eyes bright with a curiosity that is not all untrue-- part of them can't help but truly wonder what this consulting detective is truly like. ]

One thing is knowing about your stories, but another is seeing the person themselves! You're really the man that goes against the Scotland Yard?

[ and in their head they can't help but pray for there be a scotland yard or they're going to look so stupid-- ]

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July 2022 Mini Event

jack the ripper (berserker) | fate/strange fake | tamamo

for musashi

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1/2

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for sholmes

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