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!
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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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Fifty fifty? Yeah, that's fair. You get half the share of the stardust we get, I get the other half. You can do what you want with the reward. Any money I get I'm just going to tell the rabbit to give me potions. They're more interesting to me." A quick shrug. They'd figure it out later. Everything fifty fifty was simple enough. His suggestion of a plan wasn't a bad one. She was just shit at making them.

"And yeah, the old man. Not exactly the sharpest tool in the shed, but tengu know tengu, so it's worth a shot. But since you said prepare? I'm guessing you have an idea. I'm all ears."

"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.

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."

"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.

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.

He nods in confirmation, taking note of the location. "Okay. Next up is-" He groaned. "-that old tengu." Now he sighs as he rubs his forehead.

"Lets get that over with." He rises to his feet and straightens out the lines of his coat then heads out the door.

"We should probably bring something to loosen his lips a little more. Hmmmmm, he didn't seem like the type to really like foods...maybe some booze?"

"Sake. Good sake. I'm pretty sure half this town's full of booze hounds, so we get him a decent bottle, he should open up. Besides, he wasn't wearing a pin, so I don't think he's exactly loyal to the faction and those guys were being punks." She nodded. All they had to do was be nice and steer the conversation to 'those damned kids' and she was pretty sure that the old man would be putty in their hands.

She was already heading towards the door with in mind a place that was definitely not a vending machine. Vending machines were not where you got the good stuff. "I'll pick up the tab on the sake. I've got enough for that."

"Tenshi..."

He says with a fair bit of warning, aprehension, and general "oh no" vibes as she walked towards the machine.

"I know Japanese products tend to have a higher quality, but vending machine sake? C'mon..." Now he just feels bad for the old tengu, at least for now. "If this guy is a drinker, then he'd know the difference between the good stuff and this."

"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 was actually going to swindle the old codger, he lets out a sigh of relief. Somehow, he felt that would have killed their plan ASAP if they did.

"Just one will do. One good one and a silver tongue." He shrugged. "Thankfully, alcoholics know how to talk to alcoholics, and I know my alcohol."

Once once the district with the bar he goes - "Hey, hang on a sec." - and he walks faster and towards a small unremarkable and old looking booze store, emphasis on old being the only hole-in-the-wall store with wooden frames and a traditional sign that just reads "Osake". Sliding the door open and stepping in to the dimly lit store, and and old yuki-onna pops out from behind a shelf and goes -

"Oh, Bi-chan. Good day. Here for the usual?" "Not this time, Fumiko-san. I'm here for some sake. As a gift. Ah, she's a friend - her name's Tenshi." "Good day, dearie."

Bishop signals with his eyes for Tenshi to be polite, revealing his regular source of alcohol.

"Well, you are in Shuten, so you'd better know your booze pretty good if you want to hope to keep up with the oni, hah," she said, following behind him to enter the establishment and looking around. For once? She bobbed her head politely, and seemed unnecessarily curious about everything. She might be remembering this place for future reference. She knew someone who liked their drink after all.

"Good afternoon. Thank you," she said, offering the snow maiden an appropriate bow. One look, and yeah... she knew what this was. You did not piss these people off. "Uh... for future reference, miss. You wouldn't happen to have good plum wine would you?" A nod and she smiled, beaming. "Oh good."

Good that she caught on, was the glance he gave her as the yuki-onna sauntered around the small store to get the order they placed.

"Since you're with Bi-chan, I'm guessing you must know your wine so I won't recommend any of the ones in stock now. I'll have him tell you when we have something good in stock."

While she was talking, Bishop had gone over to the nearest shelf and crouched down looking at some bottles of whiskey and scotch.

"And Bi-chan, don't touch those bottles. Those are reserved." She said, causing him to twitch and put the bottles back and stand next to Tenshi to whisper- "Every single time, she knows."

She... actually wasn't a slouch when it came to wine, but she clearly wasn't at his level. Regardless, she nodded appreciatively. "It's... for an oni," she admitted, shooting him a warning look when she did so. "So I think you know I'll be looking for a strong variety. Thanks for your consideration."

She did smirk at the seeming knowledge the woman had of everything that went on. She was a snow maiden. They were territorial as all get out. Of course she knew. "I like her. I haven't seen a yuki onna in a while. I'm not down in the valley during winter much."

She comes back a few minutes later with a wooden box that contains a bottle of sake. It looks simple and unassuming but looks like it would be something an old tengu would appreciate.

"Thanks a lot Fumiko-san. You can put it on my tab." She raised a brow at him as she took out a pipe from her sleeve and he frowned and squirmed at bit. "C'mon...You know I'm good for it." "I know, but you of all people getting sake for someone else? I haven't known you long, but I know when someone is up to no good."

Her instincts were clearly very very sharp.

"Well, it doesn't concern me. Just come on back, you hear?" "Yes, yes. Thanks again." And with that Bishop led them out of the store with the sake, letting out a sigh once they're a fair distance away and headed towards the old bookstore.

"Man, she's really damn good with alcohol but she's always busting my balls. It's like she's my mother or something." And also because he's a regular customer who gives her cash.

"Oh, he'll be just fine. He's got me to watch his back," she said with the most cheerful and bright smile someone who looked innocent and incapable of wielding the wooden sword strapped to her back could manage. She gave the yukki onna a wink before bowing and thanking her, making sure to catch up quickly.

"Bet she likes you. Just be careful of those ones," she teased him. "They can be cold as ice underneath all the softness." That got a little light laugh from her. She was just messing with him obviously.

"How'd you find her anyway?"

"Uhhh, a bunch of the guys were telling me that there was a store that wouldn't sell to them and the owner was giving them a lot of lip. So they wanted to rough up the owner a bit, and I stepped in before anything happened. Turns out she only sells to people who know - and I mean know their drink."

He shrugs lets out an exasperated sigh.

"Most of the guys will drink about anything alcoholic so long as it's strong and there's a lot of it. Very quantity over quality, and she hates that." He holds up the sake box. "You noticed how her store isn't as big as the others? Just the way she likes it. She knows every spirit in her store and how it'll be before it's good, so if she says this is good as a gift - I believe her, no questions asked."

He hopes she does like him more than just a paying customer. Alcohol has, and always will be, his only vice and non-violent catharsis in this place and back home. Having a good source is a godsend.

"But enough about Fumiko-san. Let's mosey over to that bookstore and loosen that old tengu's beak."

"Ah, so she's like that. No, that makes a certain amount of sense. More of a personality quirk than her nature, though I wouldn't be shocked if a snow maiden was a perfectionist just by nature. Like a snowflake." She shrugged to herself. "She probably would know exactly the kind of thing an oni would drink and actually pay attention to. It's different for them than for a normal person. They drink constantly. You have to have something really good for one to even notice."

She was already in motion while the two of them chatted, in no real hurry but glad to be at this. She wanted that stardust so she could get those potions... for reasons. No, she wasn't planning anything at all. "You're doing the talking with the old man, right? I remember that part."

"Yeah, yeah." He replied rather unethusiastically, quitely formulating a plan and a conversation pace to get him to talk. He was silent all the way until they finally reached the doors of the bookstore with the old tengu inside.

Bishop took a deep breath, a quiet moment, then opened the door. "Good d-" "SHADDAP!! YOU'RE TOO LOUD!!!" Was the immediate response.

The old tengu was inside sweeping the store, more cantankerous than last time. "What do you want? Make it quick!" Bishop was stunned. "....U-Ummm, we have a gift for you sir. As thanks for...for last time." Even though it was a trade that they did, he's certain he doesn't remember.

"Eh? Well why didn't you say so? You young in's are always so loud and in a rush all the time. Come in, and close that door."

She refrained from laughing when he reacted that way. Sorry, but a senile old Tengu was just funny to her. She had to resist mentioning the fact that there was a remote possibility she was older than he was while she followed in and bowed, keeping her voice moderately on the low side. "Thank you for having us over, oji-sama." She grinned at him despite the loud bombastics. Yeah, Bishop would get around to asking in a second, but being polite and acting the part of a good little celestial would avoid her doing something stupid.

You know. Like opening her mouth and ruining the plan.

Hopefully, this was going to be the most difficult part of today's activities.

They were led to the back room and to a tatami room with a table, the two of them expected to sit opposite him and Bishop obliges.

"Anyway, oji-san. Here, some high quality sake." The old tengu takes the box and slides the cover off, an elegant ceramic bottle tucked away inside. "Oh! It's even got a cup to drink it with!" The old yokai hoists the bottle and cup, immediately putting down before Bishop while he held the cup.

Smiling, Bishop reached over and uncorked the sake - the smell of which filled the immediate area and brought a delight to the tengu's face as his cup was filled. "By the way, I had heard that some magpies had been bothering others during the Tanabata preparations. How dangerous." Said with feigned ignorance.

"Yeah, I heard. Immature little punks, the lot of them." The tengu scorns the actions of his bretheren as he downs the whole cup, which Bishop is quick to fill. "Indeed. Such uncouth behavior, and right before Tanabata too." He says with a smile. This is gonna be a lot simpler than he thought.

"Kids these days, am I right," she said as she settled in and bowed appropriately to him. Oh, that scent. So sweet and light. It was the smell of properly made, light sweet rice wine. Relaxing a little, she let him take the lead in this conversation, keeping her comments easier and less invasive. Basically, if she could support the old man as he spoke, then it would help him goad along.

"They've got no respect, those punks. Don't know how to take their frustrations out and take their time. Always rushing, always rushing. They keep squawking in the district, you know!" he was saying as he watched the wine being poured and drained it.

The tengu let out a loud sigh as he drained the second cup. "It's strange though, how the Alliance would distrupt the festival like that. Seems out of character for the Daitengu, no?" Bishop probes, though by this point the old bird was already in his talons.

"The Daitengu would never!" The old yokai declared before draining the third cup. "It was that damn Kasasagi tribe! Those old fools just can't leave honest folk in peace!"

Bishop immediately smiled at how easy it was to get a name. He looks over to Tenshi, a subtle signal to get ready to leave. It's about time to get to the next stage of planning.

"Of course he wouldn't ever say something like that. He's been the one pushing for peace. You're right," she said, nodding her head, which got a nod from the old tengu and a bang on the table. Well, it was a feeble bang, but still. The point was made.

"They're always so uppity. So demanding. Turks need to know their place. It's why I never go to my favorite diner up north!" He sighed and took another sip, settling again. "At least some of you kids have proper manners. This is good sake."

She nodded to the look, about ready when he gave that signal. She could extricate herself just fine when that came.

He smiled through the onslaught of complaints, always ready to fill the freshly drained cup.

"We're glad you enjoyed the sake, oji-san, but Tenshi and I have some other tasks for today." "Eh? Oh, yeah, yeah. Go on, before you lot get in trouble. Thanks for the sake!" The tengu reaches for the bottle to start pouring himself the cups and making boisterous noises expected from old men in their cups.

Bishop bowed and then tapped Tenshi on the shoulder as he left, making sure to close the door behind then as they exit the store.

"Well, that was easier than I expected. Now we have a name, time to steak out the place. Should be easy enough to find if we ask the locals around the Sutoku districts."

She bowed as well, murmuring appropriately before following him out the door. Once they were there, in the streets, she breathed a sigh of relief. "You know, I actually kind of like that old bird," she said with a snicker. "Tengu can be fun when they're getting aa little hard of hearing."

She walked up next to him, considering and then nodding. "Yeah, that should be perfect." She was already starting off in that direction. "And like we agreed. We're just beating them up. No killing. I don't think either of us wants to start a real turf war with the Sutoku. I've got friends over there."

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