jigokulogs | August 2022 Event

August 2022 Event

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Toraguma and Tenkohime were not exaggerating when they said that Sai no Kawara was bound to attract extraordinarily deep pockets. The Celestials are already familiar to the Lost Souls, but among the crowds of customers are humans and yokai of wealth that can only be calculated in the billions, and even trillions. Powerful executives have come out to play, the sort of power brokers that almost exist beyond faction politics, the tier who makes the most money out of the city's dealings.

The event has an air of class that is far beyond what the average Lost Soul will have ever imagined…

1. GAMBLING PROBLEM (1 POINT)

The main event comes in the form of the games. This is where the Shuten Clan shines, as they offer up a plethora of gambling opportunities for the rich and powerful to partake in. There might be a Lost Soul or two at the tables, if they're feeling particularly lucky. Buy-in to a game isn't cheap, but if you're low on cash, you can substitute a handful of stellar Stardust to the pot.

Western games like Poker, Blackjack, and Roulette share space with Eastern standards like Cee-lo and Cho-han. Shuten Clan dealers have been training hard for this moment. They have learned to cheat on behalf of the House to scrape as much from these high rollers as they can. Those Shuten attendants who win big for the House will be duly compensated for their fine efforts.

If you're very clever, or very lucky, you might just be able to secure quite a payout for yourself as a player too. Just don't get caught pulling any funny business. The Shuten Clan bouncers have also been training quite thoroughly for this event. If you're not one of the fabulously wealthy tycoons, the bouncers have little incentive to play nice with you.

Should fighting break out, there is an arena onsite. Bets are flying there, too. Are you willing to wager your own pretty face?

2. PLEASURE PALACE (1 POINT)

Tenkohime wasn't exaggerating when she called her turf in the newly renovated underground a palace. The attendants at the Palace of Sai greet their wealthy clientele warmly, and they have a host of wondrous and rare delights to offer. As a rare treat, the Lost Souls are encouraged to indulge in this decadence. If the prices make you choke, remember that a little bit of Stardust will go a long way this season.

Food and drinks are of the highest quality. Delicacies from across Japan and the world abroad have been prepared, including many dishes not even of the Earth as you might know it. Particular favorites from the drinks menu are:
Side Cars that have been made with cognac from a 300,000 yen bottle.
Platinum Passions that have been made with L’esprit de Courvoisier; 800,000 yen per bottle.
Eightfold Blessing is a captivating and aromatic mix considered to be Tenkohime's very own specialty. It grants the vigor to fulfill any desire; 1,000,000 yen a glass.
The pricey and fabulous drinks are just an encouragement. The Tamamo's best trained consorts are ready to offer their private services, usually in pairs. They have some Tanabata wishes of their own, and want to make them come true through their talents and skills. Not every encounter is sexual, some consorts simply wish to spend time with their clients and make them feel like the most important person in the world today. With the big price tags on their hours, the customer might very well be.

In addition to expensive meals, sex, and company, the Tamamo Clan also offers theater and performances. They have contracted with the highest caliber performers in the city, even those on loan from other factions. Dancers, musicians, and entertainers of all varieties are waiting in the wings to put on a show.

3. GOSSIP (1 POINT)

One of the performances gracing the stage in the Palace of Sai may seem familiar! The band Moonday played at the food truck festival last month. As it turns out, the lead singer -- a wolf girl named Ringo-chan -- is the daughter of one of the wealthiest executives within the Alliance's network of finance kings; Kaberou. She's run away from her restrictive life to rough it with her band. Big money is riding on convincing her to come home. There's another rumor floating around that the pirates attacking the supply lines have been putting pressure on Kaberou. Is he securing buyers for these pirated goods?

Rumors are flying: the kind of rumors that can bring riches or ruin. The Daitengu has commanded their people to keep their ears open. Do they happen upon a juicy lead? Do they find a way to reconnect Kaberou with his estranged daughter? Do they discover more about the pirates? Do tell, do tell!

Even the staff of the Enma Department will find lips much looser than usual around them. When you're this rich, you think you're above the standards of the law. There's plenty of conversation that might be of interest to the Department. In particular, one name does keep coming up...

It comes up when discussing Kaberou's dealings with these pirates, and how much of a wrench his daughter's negligence to the life has been for his business. It's spoken of in hushed tones, even by the Celestials. It is an ominous name: "Iron Bear"

4. TANABATA (2 POINTS)

The grand opening of the underground is the centerpiece of an otherwise familiar Tanabata celebration. Using the accumulated Stardust, the Tamamo Clan's onmyouji have collaborated with Kappa engineers and the Shuten Clan's resident blacksmith to create a truly wonderful spectacle for the festival.

Despite Sai no Kawara existing underground, the overhead sky is full of brilliant stars on display. It is a one-to-one recreation of the cosmic tapestry of the Milky Way streaking through the sky like the astral river from the Tanabata legend.

The stars Vega and Altair, also known as Orihime and Hikoboshi, are highlighted in the tapestry. They take form and dance together above everyone, they encourage the feelings of love to fill the air. Romantic love, platonic love, familial love: it doesn't matter. This is the product of peace, hard work, and cooperation. This is the dream of the Daitengu and their lieutenants. Dance to the music. Drink your fill. This is a celebration of love, and there's so much love here, for everyone.

Attendees are encouraged to write their wishes on the colorful talismans distributed. Bamboo trees decorate the central square, waiting to be draped with wishes. Even if you are not familiar with Tanabata, it will be easy to pick up on the ritual. The magic in the air tonight is incredibly strong, these wishes might even come true.

5. "WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE" (2 POINTS)

Late into the evening, the Daitengu takes to the stage. They welcome everyone and hope that they have had a good night. Toraguma and Tenkohime flank them, and each says a few words to the crowd. Then, Sutoku lieutenant Sakamoto is called up to the stage for the moment of truth.

Toraguma, regretfully, announces that Sakamoto has made good on his promises. The holes in their supply lines have been uncovered found, the black market is becoming less of a bleed on their finances, and the road to finding out who -- or what -- is causing the disruption is becoming clearer. The great oni will always honor a promise kept, and reaches out his hand to shake Sakamoto's in a gesture of gratitude.

The timing, as usual, is a little dramatic.

A group of shadowy figures wearing rough-spun gear storm the stage. Several of them snatch Ringo-chan from where she is waiting to perform and drag her away. Another lunges at Sakamoto with a make-shift sword of crude metal. Just before the blade can cut Sakamoto, the would-be assassin is stopped by Toraguma. With their wrist snatched and broken, the assassin screams out:

"We come on behalf of the Iron Bear, and we know who you are!"

In his rage and fury, Toraguma breaks the assassin's neck, slamming him down to the stage. He dies within moments, while the rest of the attackers flee. They've kidnapped Ringo-chan.

Sai no Kawara is quickly flooded with armed and armored officers of the Enma Department. They instruct everyone to remain calm. No one panic. The Enma himself has arrived, and he is going to start questioning everyone about what just happened. Who is the Iron Bear? What in hell do they want? It's time for some answers.

Well… As far as parties in Jigoku-cho go… this one could have been worse, yeah?

Welcome to the August event!

Art in the final prompt by Yang Tuo
If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
Each prompt is labeled for it's value in terms of qualifying threads for Rewards.
If your character is in the Shuten Clan and cheating on behalf of the house, find out how well they pulled it off by posting here! Those that do well will get a special bonus from Toraguma.
If your character is trying any of the games of chance, find out how they paid out here!
If your character put on a performance at the Palace of Sai's stage, find out how the crowd reacted here! Regardless of clan affiliation, those that do well will be rewarded by Tenkohime!
For results on the gossip floating around the festival, post here!
For Department members, if your character is going to interrogate NPC festival goers, let us know here and we can post some more specific results!
TANABATA WISHES! POST THEM HERE!
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

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[Beni.... She tries to not look at it as best she can. It's the sparrow's own wish after all! If she wants others to know about then she'd say something, tell them when asked. High-quality ingredients that can nourish the mind, body, and spirit though....

As expected of the sparrow! Always thinking of some of the best ways to improve her cooking. It's really endearing, honestly. And reminds her of the Royal Maids she knew from back home.

The amount of dedication the girl has is just that astounding.]

It's not a problem.

[She goes ahead and hangs up, nice and high! As close to the stars as she can get it! Surely her wish will be seen now!]

I take it that you've been enjoying your evening so far.

[ There's a part of Cloud that wants to say that part's unbelievable, too. But as he starts, he thinks to a certain someone kept locked away in the Shinra building. How Aerith just... resigned herself to going back there, after what happened. There was something deeper there, too. Something constantly just out of his reach. ]

That one? ...That one I can believe, weirdly enough. Staying together like that is never as easy as it seems. [ Not that he would know. ...Would he? ]

Only being able to share each other's company once a year... it'd have to be agonizing. Knowing you can only share so much of yourself, for so short a time.

[ He falls silent a little, basking in the illusory starlight. ]

...Cloud. By the way. Cloud Strife.

I see.

[Sending wishes to the other side is it? She gets it, and doesn't doubt that it might just make it to those on the other side who might not be present. At least, in some form or another. Even if Enterprise herself wasn't all that certain about the whole wishes thing.

It was still rather nice, and sometimes faith really is all that was needed to make a difference in life.

Faith in something higher, in yourself, in others.

She gives him a smile, not really able to read any facial expressions, but doing her best with what she had to work with.]

I'm sure they can, in some small part at least... are you feeling homesick then? Or worried?

[ frankly, barton probably had to squint at her an extra moment before realizing that's kate - not that this is usual garb of choice, either. he glances at her, with a blink, before looking back to his blank talisman. ]

[ hm. ]

Yeah, it's happy, but... [ he pencil hovers over the paper, uselessly and idly. ] Something a lil' more than just that, you know?

Uhahaha! Maybe I just need to work even more before my contract is fulfilled. And then I can return back to my retirement in peace.

[It's a partial truth. He still need to fight in the war back home.]

As fun as this city is, I do miss my home and my family.

"A mojito sounds nice. The night is still hot and muggy here, and something to cool off would be lovely."

She said, still keeping a tab on her spendings and earning from the evening thus far. She had made a decent amount from the casino, but she would rather not spend most of it in one sitting. There are still other things she had to deal with first.

"I've been doing alright. All things considered, it could be worse, it could be better." It could be infinitely worse. Luckily it hasn't been thus far, which was good enough for her! Keeping things afloat, even if just barely, meant that things would keep running until safe harbor was reached. And after being here for a bit, she felt at least somewhat stable enough to continue her voyage thus far with a bit more gusto. "Oh? Did you have any favorites yet?"

You certainly didn't look rusty to me.

[Maybe it was like riding a bike? A person never really forgets the movements, even if they might need to do a bit of practice again. Either way, she was having fun like him!

There was another sip of her drink before she has a moment to look just a tad bit bashful.]

Oh- but thank you right back! I... didn't actually know what I was doing most of the time.

[Just letting the booze and noise guide her. It turned out fantastic in the end, though! And that made Enty all the more happy. Which, in turn, just made her more talkative.]

Regardless, it was quite a bit of fun anyway. It must have taken you quite a bit of time to learn it.

[More gushing, more drinking~!]

Could he be absolutely naughty twice in a day? Hm. A consideration he'll have to definitely try to think about. After all, didn't most pros go out after they were done? He could totally do that. "That may be good."

It's not dismissive, at least, and he waits for her to come back, 'thank you'ing her before taking a small drink from it. After he's got some of the drink in his mouth, he nods his head, lips closed of course. He only speaks after his mouth is clear. "It's been interesting. They told me not to leave people who are lonely, but I'm much more comfortable just making certain the lonely people are brought to someone with more social capabilities. Does this position get busy all the time, too? Every time?"

[By then, Norimune's done assisting with the initial forensics, which left them at the speculation stage. The only way to move further is to get more information, more pieces of the puzzle to fit together into a whole picture. It's enough to draw his interest, and why he's walking over towards Matoba.]

We can always meet for leisure, just to break the pattern next time.

[He say with a smile. It's very unlikely to him, between their personalities and how willing they are for idle chatter. Norimune sits down on the couch as well, taking this chance for a brief rest.]

If we wrap this up, the wicked can rest sooner. [The Enma's investigations may take a while, which will cut into their sleep.] Did you know anything about this?

[Might as well get that out of the way.]

[ Haru obediently trails after her, more than a little grateful when it proves to be far less busy the further away they get. What a nice woman? She really gives off a calming vibe, one she could envy if she didn't admire it. Something to aspire to in the future, perhaps. ]

All the same, I'd rather not be rude if I can help it. Thank you very much for your guidance.

[ With the chaos in the room, Enma officers moving to question anyone and drill them for information about the kidnappers, Megumi keeps a levelled head, standing amongst the crowd like he's waiting for something. ]

Return.

[ In seconds, the dogs he had sent to patrol the establishment before melt into tar, reforming beside him and getting to work immediately. They start to sniff the ground, eager to pick up some sort of scent that could lead them to the Iron Bear and Ringo. While his two dogs keep trying, they give a little whine soon after - indication that they can't quite lock on to a scent just yet. ]

There's nothing with a strong enough scent, huh?

[ It's disappointing to learn, but Megumi moves on quickly. He calls out to anyone who might be around to hear him. ]

Does anyone have something that Ringo-san might've touched? Like an autograph ...

[He watches him tie up the wish, before turning his gaze upward as well. The sight of the stars sparkling above, and the various bamboo trees with their many wish papers dangling underneath.]

I could, and I might hear a lot of interesting answers from them.

[It's one thing to hear about it, it's another to understand them.]

Love just seems so powerful and mysterious to me, and how much it can move people.

Why, do you want me to?

[Norimune say with a smile, as he walks over towards Ryouma. Sure, as one of the Department's Inspectors, he is helping with the investigations and interrogations. But why not have a simple chatter at the same time?]

Congratulations on living for another day, Sakamoto Ryouma. Or another night?

[What time is it right now...]

[Sephiroth doesn't out much either, or if he does he sticks to himself. Not because he's an introvert (he's an introvert) but because he dislikes the majority of everyone.]

A girl -- a florist. I thought she might be here. This establishment is run by her clan.

[He could just use names but that'd be something a normal person would do.]

As I haven't seen her so far, I'm just seeing what else is around.

[ She nods, handing over the talisman. Her handwriting is poor, but legible enough for any eyes to catch a glimpse of her wish should they seek to.

"High-quality ingredients from the spiritual realm that can nourish the mind, body, and spirit." ]

That's right. Thank you, chirp.

Hehe, not particularly! Ain't got much t' tell ya anyway. Your guess is as good as mine.

[ given the option, he'll pass on the interrogation, but chatter is just fine with him. chatter is way more interesting! ]

Wasn't my time. It's never up to me to begin with, y' know? So I don't worry about it.

[ ryouma says that — and he's not lying — but he also can't deny that the whole thing managed to shake him up a little. sitting here right now is, in part, to help him relax again after a close call. ]

[ Beni lets out a soft "mm-hm", glancing over at the amount of said paper provided. Giving that random talisman that moment of privacy might seem inconsequential, foolish even, but to Beni, it's somewhat on reflex, out of habit of trying to avoid touching things that are not hers. Touching wishes and feelings that aren't hers. It's only when it's strung up for all to see, tied to the branches and joining the myriad of wishes written, as per the original writer's intention, that it's fair game.

Her own wishes, too, are fair game. ]

I was...But, well, it's a bit difficult to settle on a wish to write down.

[ Not that she considered herself particularly full of desires and wishes in the first place, but even among the relatively scant few she held, it was a matter of weighing them against each other. Mostly because she's concerned about asking for too much. ]

When is anything ever peaceful between you and I?

[Sephiroth moves to stand to his full height, making him tower over Cloud somewhat. An action he didn't take just for that purpose, but that doesn't make it any less satisfying.]

We will always clash. The friction of our blades will cause the brightest of sparks. That is how it is, and how it always will be.

[Especially if Sephiroth gets his contract deal. It'll be for eternity.]

Thank you.

[ Strung up high, hopefully seen by the powers that be. ]

I have, although I feel kind of out of place...festivals like this in the big city sure are busy, cheep.

[ She's seen schmoozing and drinking and more, cleaned up after them even, but not very often on this scale, involving pockets this deep and gambling to this extent. ]

You look like you fit right in, though.

[ A small laugh escapes her lips. It's a compliment! ]

We're still investigating. So who knows, maybe we might have more to tell next time?

[They're still painting a rough picture of the situation. Just need more information to complete the puzzle before them. Norimune nods in understanding.]

Others might say otherwise, and worry for you instead. [Like a certain sword...] I'm not too worried, but you're too interesting to die.

[Even if history demands it, back in his world.]

[The good thing (or maybe bad) about Sephiroth is that he doesn't really hide behind a facade, he's pretty out in the open with what kind of person he is.

He's also really bad with this whole being social thing.]

What would you consider an 'impossible wish'?

[Considering some of the stuff he's done, he's honestly not sure what he'd consider impossible. Even is own contract deal is something he half believes he can find a way to achieve.]

[ it would have been easy to be offended, but mort wasn't the type who placed that much stock into what others said or how they felt. hence, he seems to take her lack of recognition in stride. instead, he finds some vague sense of amusement in the idea that she didn't really seem to like that title he gifted her.

hence, he decisively opts not to discard it completely. instead, pocketing it for a later time. but, that wasn't to state he couldn't behave in a more genial manner. with a smile, he continues. ] Perhaps not, but I like to think they still hold some weight.

[ after all, titles often came as an indicator of strength. the heir of convenent. the archdemon. the first dragon knight.

now, the spindrift knight. she really did seem as intriguing as he first thought. with that single-minded desire in mind, he continues: ] You may call me Mort. [ it's the worst name in a situation like this, but he seems fond of his own name somehow.

still, he hopes it's enough to put her in the mood (to fight). ]

[ He's glad he found Tokoyami. Of what he understands of the Hero Kids, they're pretty well-equipped to handle a crisis. ]

Well, let's go down the list. [ It's a bit of a snarky reply - they had all seen this coming, in one way or another. He's pretty sure Tokoyami understands, and he composes himself right after. ]

First, a report. Have you found out anything? Secondly, I'd like your assessment of the situation. This is a scenario you were trained for, right? You and your friends.

[ If Tokoyami has knowledge, he'd like to work with it. Hostages and kidnapping wasn't exactly his usual bread and butter. ]

[ it isn't incorrect by any means, nor does it trigger him as illogical, but he definitely does have his own opinions on the matter. not that he chooses to express them. instead, he seems to put a hand to his chin, as if pondering over his words.

"it helped though, right?"

hmmm... ] You may have to try again for me to tell.

[ sometimes... you just want to strike a challenge. ]

[ if the expression shealtiel is any manner offensive, mort doesn't show it. whether it was due in part to expecting these reactions, or if it was simply because it was inconsequential to mort is unknown, however.

either way, he seems to let the insult slide as is, if just for the fact that it wads fairly difficult to insult mort. he has been called a freak and lizard face before, so he'd like to think he's impervious to most words. ]

Very well. [ a pause. ] Excuse me for not thinking you the obedient type. [ is that something to excuse??? ] But, if they're for your duties, what do you expect to get out of it exactly?

[ also how does it feel to be a catalyst to this, shealtiel. ]

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August 2022 Event

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wildcard - we kno who u r

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does this count as praise kink

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