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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

She'd like her... Well maybe she was a really nice person. Even if a "frog wife" sounded a bit weird- Maybe myths and legends from a world were real in another. She'd accepted that this place was "hell" and that a magical "contract" would make her real. So she should stop worrying about things sounding a bit too video-gamey all the time...

Which was easier said than done, honestly.

"Mhm. I see exactly what you mean." She nodded. "Actually that sounds right up my alley, ahaha."

That was how she'd pretty much managed the club. Just keep things quiet and professional yet comfortable, and make sure whoever comes in feels at ease. The muted clothes part wasn't really her thing... Now that she was free from the game, she wanted to wear really cute and varied clothes. But that wasn't really a problem. While working, everyone had to adhere to a certain dress code.

"I imagine you should be very polite and formal... But not so stuffy that people would feel like it's a serious thing, right?"

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

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

If you worry too much about balancing the act, you're still missing the point... That was going to be the toughest thing for her to get over. "Worrying" might as well be her middle name (if only she had a last name to begin with).

"I see. That's pretty impressive." She took the whisk and looked at the set for a moment. It did look ancient but very well taken care of... But that was a bit of a problem for her, wasn't it? "... Um, I don't have any family heirlooms. Or possessions from my reality for that matter."

She didn't even have a family to begin with. Well, she did technically... But the family she had was not real. Mindless NPCs that were meant to bring some color to her world. Even her past wasn't real, so should she be able to bring stuff from the game into this world, it would have zero value. Her reality was hollow. No past, no future. Only she and her friends had been real. And it seemed even now she was free from it... It'd still continue to haunt her for a while.

"..." Monika's mood had done an one-eighty, her features sadder as she put the whisk back down. "Would purchasing antique suffice...?"

"In our cases, we're using sets that don't belong to us, so the history isn't ours. We're employees performing this. So the client should understand that," she said, offering her the bowl to inspect when she had the whisk back, going through the step of letting her inspect each piece. "If you really want to get good at it, you can get your own set, and start taking care of it yourself. It won't be an heirloom yet, but heirlooms always start somewhere, right?"

She blinked, catching the mood and looking over at the girl for a second. She could be ... dense as a brick sometimes, but it was hard to miss. She'd answered her question, but ... "Buy nice, new, and good quality. for yourself. You'll use one of the ones here while you're at work, but buy one that will last and that you can make yours. It's less important that it be old, and more important that it be yours. Hey, not many people get to start a tea set's journey, so that's something."

"You're absolutely right."

Monika smiled as she replied, and didn't show any further hints of what was going through her head. She was good at keeping up the confident and charismatic facade usually, but she wasn't really used to having to deal with the trauma from her "homeworld" and being reminisced of it by random little things. In fact, she probably should explain what had just happened.

"Sorry. Whenever I start thinking about anything somehow related to my homeworld..." She brought a hand to her head. "It's still a bit hard on me."

It wasn't a lie, but devoid of context it probably sounded far less horrible than what the reality was. So instead she did take the bowl and inspected it before moving on to the other pieces. She continued smiling, but soon asked a question.

"So I feel the need to ask, um..." That was awkward and she couldn't help but blush a little just asking that. But she needed to be sure. No way she'd go through with this if there was a risk. "The clients, they won't like... Expect services that are like, you know... The other services?"

Hopefully she didn't need to spell it out. Being a hostess was supposed to be safe. But her worry was more on what clients expected in spite of the rules. Considering the kind of world they were in, she couldn't be too careful.

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."

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."

"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."

Take people away from their cares... That resonated with her. In fact, it sounded more and more similar to what she had done in her tiny reality, didn't it?

"Back home, I was President of a Literature Club. I really endeavored for the club to be a place where my members could relax. Where they could free of their usual worries if only for just a time. We were only a few in the club and we didn't have much in common besides literature... But we were happy." Of course, not mentioned here is what happened to the club after she'd had her epiphany. But Monika preferred remembering the times when the club had been this welcoming and peaceful place she'd so loved. "That doesn't sound too dissimilar."

Monika observed as the girl started brewing the tea. That part she'd need practice with- Monika was more of a coffee person, Yuri had always been the tea person in their club.

"You know, you said you're not a hostess and all, but I think you're doing a remarkable job. I am a lot more relaxed and confident than I was before this started." She smiled brightly. "I don't think I could have hoped for a better teacher, ahaha!"

"A book club... so, you mean like a club where people get together and read books a lot? Oh, you've got to meet Xingqiu. He'd love that," she said, snickering some. Such a bookworm. "I don't think we have one here, but ... the idea of letting yourself get lost in a novel? It's not the same, but it's not different either. It's that whole feeling of escape."

She whisked away at the tea quietly for a moment, musing to herself. "Well... don't actually do things the way I do them? Heh, but if I'm helping you get comfortable good. That's what I think you need." She considered a moment and then smirked. "So... uh, there's a story about a place I heard about. Long time ago. Before Gensokyo. Before here. When I was still human. It was a red-light district. The samurai used to go there. Fancied up. Swords at their sides. All pomp, all prim, all firm and proper. Entrance to the district, they'd all stop by a booth. Little old man would offer to polish their swords for a zeni. They would bow, thank him, give him their swords and he'd take very good care of them. Some would put a little simple mask on. Nothing fancy. You could see right through it, but as soon as they walked past? Not so prim, not so proper. They'd relax. Because they weren't 'them' anymore. They could let all those things they kept up for appearances aside. You weren't supposed to remember what happened there. It was an escape."

(OOC: Totally swiped that one from a roleplaying game. Heh.)

"Mhm, sorta." She tilted her head. "We didn't always just read books. Sometimes we'd discuss, confide in one another or even share poems... It was fun."

It had really been fun, hadn't it? Before her epiphany, when they were all together. Maybe not the best friends in the world, but certainly a perfect match. She wasn't even sure how much of those memories were real... But she treasured them. Even if she felt awful thinking at what had become of the club, all because of her.

The topic was prone to making her sad, but she focused on the story the other girl just told her. She smiled as she listened to her telling it all. Not really surprising, even samurais were people. Human beings. That was something to remember, to live by. Everyone is "human."

"We all wear masks, huh?" She laughed and shook her head. "Some a lot more intricate than others... But it's nice when we can finally put our masks down."

She was noticing that the girl looked a little morose. However she had no way to tell why, and empathy just wasn't her strong suit. Starting to pour the strong sample of the tea, she held up the cup to breathe in the aroma and then offered it over to her. "Turn it. Breathe it in. Take in the aroma and let it fill you up before you take a sip." She managed a smile over at her, reaching for one of the candies to offer it afterwards.

"And yeah. People do in this place as well. They get to take them off around you, and ... some folks want you to be yourself. I have a feeling people would appreciate it. You seem pretty endearing."

She appreciated that the girl didn't ask where those slight mood shifts come from. So many people had asked details about her past already, and she felt just about everyone would hate her if she said the truth.

"Do I? Ahaha, thank you."

She did exactly as she asked of her with the tea. It was simple enough. The real difficulties would be to keep it all together in front of actual clients. Rehearsing privately was always so much more easy than doing the real thing.

"I'm really just pretending to have it all together... But I guess that makes it easier for me to relate to people." She raised a finger. "How about I do a test run with you? Pretend you're a client and all. This way you can tell me what I'm doing wrong and all."

"Most of us are just faking it. Very few of the people you meet are actually geisha or hosts to begin with," she admitted to her as they set the cup down and nodded. She finished the tea off and blew out the brazier, allowing the set to be passed over to her, so she could take it on and do the same. This was exactly what they needed to do. "If Tenkohime picked you? She saw something in you that she was sure a client wants. I know what she thought they wanted in me... and I make good security on top."

There was a little color in her cheeks before she coughed into one hand. "Take Musashi too. She's a master of the sword. Definitely not a geisha, but she's very good at it, and she runs security too, so don't worry too much if you feel out of place. I think we all do." Settling back, she grinned over at her and winked.

"Now, like you said. Your turn!"

"Right...!"

Monika stood up and prepared herself. She had never met Musashi, but she'd heard of her many times by now... Definitely someone to look out for, she seemed pretty important.

And she could guess the reason why there were colors in her cheeks... Honestly she respected people who could do those kind of jobs. Most people looked down on jobs more sexual in nature, but that was mostly ignorance and arrogance speaking. It took a great deal of confidence to do that kind of thing. She could never, even if she had been comfortable with those things.

"Well, let's pretend I'm dressed properly for the occasion, ahaha!"

She closed her eyes for a moment. What she needed was to slip into a role, basically. No different from before. So long as nothing unexpected happen, the mask wouldn't slip. And if something unexpected did happen... Well, she'd deal with that in time. When she opened her eyes anew, Monika smiled gently. Far more confident of a smile than what she had shown so far. With the facade under control, she placed a hand on her own chest and bowed politely.

"Welcome. Make yourself at ease, please."

Maybe there were more proper lines she should be saying, a proper way to hold herself... But she figured she should also add her own personal touch. Else she would be no different from a robot programmed to do certain things. She placed the tea set just as Tenshi had shown her, very carefully so. She was maybe just a bit stiff and overly cautious, betraying the anxiety hiding beneath the mask.

"Oh don't you worry about the dress. You'll find good clothes for this kind of thing. Demure kimono fit nicely," she said, rising along with her and bowing when offered a seat before taking it and settling down, starting to still her mind and be quiet, letting this girl practice on her.

When the pieces were handed to her, she started to look over one, smiling to herself and murmuring. "Don't be nervous. Just think of it as a chance to make a new friend." Because that was kind of one of the things it was.

Monika smiled somewhat sheepishly and nodded. Don't be nervous... It wasn't so bad right now she was just practicing. But that would be very different with actual clients. Well, she had to believe she could do it. For the sake of her contract. Becoming real... No longer being bound by the shackles of her limited simulated reality. That was the dream.

But... Maybe she could turn that initial apprehension and anxiety into an advantage.

"My apologies. I am still new to this, ahaha!" She replied as she would to a client who noticed her anxiety, with a bright smile. Who didn't feel sympathy for a newbie? And sometimes clients might even feel more confident knowing their host is someone who benefits from the learning experience. "But you can be assure your stay here won't be any less pleasant for it."

Tenshi had a suspicion that the clients she was given would be the sort who appreciated someone who was a little nervous, rather than polished and precise. It might put a few at ease. At least, that's what she expected would happen. When she seemed to capitalize on that, Tenshi let a little roguish element form in her smirk and grinned back.

"We all have our first days. I used to be really nervous in my job in town too," she said, continuing to chat amicably as if she were a regular customer. "I trust you will do just fine. This place can be intimidating can't it?" Part of that was an act. She was always surrounded by youkai. It was hard to feel intimidated herself, but she knew a lot of people did.

"Mhm!"

Always make the best of your situation, right? Weaknesses and flaws could be turned into strength sometimes, if you knew just how to do it. Not that she planned to remain nervous for all of her "career," however long it'd turn out to be. She was a perfectionist and hard-worker. It was just a matter of her practicing and getting enough experience.

"But I've always had a calling for helping people..." That was partly the truth, wasn't it? Though she wouldn't word it this way, nor admit it so openly normally. "So I hope my services will please you nonetheless."

With that said she "prepared" the tea. Well, there was no tea... But that was just practice. She had learned a few tricks for Yuri, they'd come in handy for the real thing.

Tenshi watched as she went through the motions, inspecting the last of the implements before handing them back and waiting idly. "A helpful personality has to be useful int his line of work." Particularly because she was doing the non-romantic variety of hosting. "And you seem quite willing to listen. I bet you've heard a few stories lately."

It was idle chit chat, but she was also pretty sure that Monika could probably pick up a fair few if she thought about it and kept up the 'good listener' part of this whole thing. Pity she wasn't in Sutoku. They'd lap thaat up.

"Yes, of course...!"

... Oh gosh. She didn't really have any stories to say that were of any interests. She could go with poetry, but if she did without knowing first whether her client enjoys it or not. She paused for a moment, visibly uncomfortable. She would have to get a couple good stories at the ready for her actual job.

"There is a somewhat bittersweet story that's." She smiled, dispelling all traces of anxiety. "Um... Have you ever heard the tale of the Lady Who Knew Everything?"

"I... actually know OF someone who kind of knows everything, believe it or not, but no. I'm pretty sure I've never heard that one. Her story's anything but bittersweet. She's just a grump." She laughed a little and nodded for the girl to continue while the anxiety lessened gradually. She was certain this wasn't about Patchouli, and besides if it was? Well that was a fun story on its own, she supposed. Anything that kept Monika talking since the chatter was part of what was meant to make folks comfortable.

Oh... Maybe she could take advantage of that anecdote. That wasn't what she had expected, but that response was a welcome development. Much better than her telling the real story of the "Lady Who Knew Everything."

"We all know someone like that, don't we?" She served the non-existent tea. Customers would want to be free of their daily worries, but they'd also want for the experience to be personal, right? Not be treated like a number on a list, otherwise what was the point. "It does sound like this grumpy friend of yours is quite the person, hm?"

A breath of the non-tea and she was drinking in the 'aroma' of it, appreciating it as she turned the cup and took a fake sip. "Patchouli? Oh, we're not friends, though I've dealt with her before. She's someone close to a person I know decently." Which was to say 'we fought.'

"She knows all things magical and scholarly. The greatest of all magi, but she's really weak because she always stays in her library learning. It means she's kind of a grumpy sort who never gets out of her house." A snort and she smirked. "She'd be more fun if she got out more often I bet."

"I know someone like her, though no magi of course. She is very intelligent, reads all the time and refuses to leave her house unless absolutely necessary."

Monika looked down for a moment. Yuri... It was probably obvious by now that Monika's mood dipper every now and then. The reason why might not be obvious, but she knew. Her friends, her reality. Every time she thought of them, it was like something stabbed at her heart.

No matter, she immediately put her smile back on.

"I think it's very difficult to approach and befriend them." A pause. "But they're probably the most loyal and protective friends one could dream of."

July 2022 Mini Event

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