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

[no_kyouken]

[ Majima's full affect changes when he speaks again, the contempt and superiority is sneering. ]

Yeah, dumbass.

[ There is a very particular way that yakuza speak: informal and rude. The directness of their attention and the unseemly guttural turning words into growls and snaps. He twists the knife in the wood and makes an audible crack as he pulls the blade up and stands. He towers down into Kazuma's face, mouth twitching with arrogance. ]

That bitch dealer switched out th'tiles and I want my money back.

[ He grabs Kazuma by the suit front and lifts the blade threateningly. Scene set, bruh. ]

[karumic]

[Success: Kazuma manages not to hit him! Barely. His eyes go wide and angry the moment Majima gets in his face, and he starts to try and twist out of his grip--maybe to knock the knife out of his hands at least--

But stops himself just in time. Majima is putting on an act and Kazuma is not supposed to retaliate, he reminds himself. He allows himself one angry exhale and, once again, he forces himself to relax.

If this were a real scenario, Kazuma would certainly be taking too long to respond than is ideal, and he's sure his expression is probably better described as "mutinous" than "pleasant." But at the moment it's the best he can do, and this is what practice is for, isn't it? (Wow, this sucks.)]

I apologize for the trouble. I... assure you that you will be duly compensated?

[He makes a face and his next question is clearly addressing Majima himself, rather than the character he's playing.]

Do we compensate them?

[no_kyouken]

Not usually.

[ Majima answers in a more normal, dry tone. ]

Knife is first, can't let me keep that. Maybe then talkin'.

[ He's not going to just hand it over, obviously. So how do you take it without turning this into an extended knife fight. ]

[karumic]

[Kazuma's brow furrows. He only knows a few ways to make someone let go of a knife, and he's pretty sure all of them count as retaliation. Still, there has to be a limit to that somewhere, right?

He makes a move toward the knife in Majima's hand, a clear telegraph of him attempting to disarm the man by grabbing and twisting his wrist. It's slow on purpose, less a real attempt to make him drop it than an offer of an opportunity to course correct, if Kazuma is taking the wrong tack.

He's reasonably confident he knows enough martial arts to be able to disarm someone in a real situation, but that doesn't matter much if it would be bad policy.]

[no_kyouken]

There ya go. Do it clean an' swift, follow through so that ya have full possession of th' thing. Ya can hand it off t'one of th'other attendants. Doesn't need t'be involved no more.

[ He motions Kazuma back to start from where he was and do the full motion. ]

[karumic]

[Kazuma is able to disarm Majima with a lot more confidence this time, now that he's sure it's what he's actually being expected to do. It's almost a relief; he was starting to think he wasn't allowed to push back against the clientele in any way. This at least he can handle.

Though, it does help that Majima is being compliant for demonstration purposes, and is not a real angry customer.]

Why don't we discuss this more calmly, sir? There's no need to escalate things.

[no_kyouken]

[ Yeah well. Speaking of the angry customer. ]

Think you can get away with swindling me?

[ You're about to get punched in the face, bruh. Do something! ]

[karumic]

[Kazuma does have the reflexes to avoid getting punched, though he suspects Majima is telegraphing on purpose. He gives a grunt in surprise and annoyance, but at least this time he's quicker to remember the exercise.

He even holds up his hands in a placating gesture instead of immediately jumping to retaliate. He's learning!]

Watch it--

--I mean--there's no need for that, uh, sir. If we keep a calm head I'm sure we can come to an agreement.

[no_kyouken]

[ He pushes a little longer, calls Kazuma's mother something disgusting, the usual. But he winds down the exercise in about the reasonable amount of time a drunk like this would get tired. ]

Dodgin' their attacks will wear 'em down, once they're startin' t'lose momentum that's what ya can real easy get their arms and take 'em out.

[ He spreads his hands, looking to everyone still watching for any questions. ]