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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[ No, this is great. She's vibing with this. It is exactly what she wanted to hear. His grin is infectious, and Aerith, too, smiles again. She's relieved to hear it, if only because that means she made the right choice coming here. With an eager, energetic nod, she lets out a chipper response. ] Great.

In that case, I'm right where I need to be.

[ To be truthful, they probably don't need to worry about someone listening in at this point. Is anyone else going to even keep up? ]

Well then, you noticed by now, right? Ringo's trail.

[ It's vague enough for him to deem this conversation needing a more private area, though. ]

Edited (i forgot how to write a tag in one setting.) 2022-08-10 03:07 (UTC)

That so?

[ he puts his feet back on the floor and hops up from his seat. ]

How about I buy ya a drink then, partner?

[ see: message received. ryouma has exercised caution in one area and does his best to at least prevent being eavesdropped on as much as possible. wouldn't be very good at representing the alliance if he sucks at information exchange, so he can wait until they're out of earshot of anyone else to continue this discussion. ]

[ "Partner" is the funniest thing she's ever been called. She's going to use this as much as possible now. It is his code name in her brain now. She's always been a little bit of an outsider in the world, and while Aerith isn't foolish enough to think that's more than part of his accent, it still brings her a little bit of amusement. She'll take it.

She's following him much in the same way a cat stalks behind you when they hear the promising sound of a can opening.

By the time they've gotten settled, though, she's gone over the details in her mind, over and over. The first thing she says, when they're alone, is not really an exchange of information. She doesn't even comment on the drinks. ]

...I'm sorry. [ She inclines her head. There's a glimmer of shame in her expression, sincere as it can be. ] There was a third party. Someone not here for the festival, for Tanabata. I thought... it could have been the kappa, but...

[ Obviously not. ]

[ it's all a part of trying to keep up a convincing enough cover for anyone trying to snoop, so it's best he keep up his usual routine — he has meetings, there are drinks, it's usually boring and people can ignore him. he'd be surprised to know how she'd taken being called "partner", but no matter. ]

Sorry..?

[ it's the apology that's confused him. ]

I'm sure ya got nothin' t' apologise for.

[ ryouma pulls a little black notebook out of his pocket along with a pen and opens it somewhere in the middle because he's gonna take notes the old-fashioned way. he ordered some whiskey for simplicity's sake but it's just sitting because he's more interested in what aerith has to say. ]

Whatever it is, I'm sure we'll sort it out. Workin' together means havin' a lotta resources t' throw at this stuff.

[ Now she knows an apology only serves herself, in truth. Perhaps he'll understand later in the conversation, but for know, there's no point. Aerith watches him, eyes big and curious. He's got this down to a fine art, honestly. ]

Out there...

[ She's considering how best to word this. Would he believe her if she just said "the flowers told me"? Honestly. She's thinking about Monika's wish now, not for the first time tonight. She knows how the girl had felt. ] Speaking of resources: There's nothing to keep you alive in the Wastelands. It's dangerous. Nothing can survive out there.

[ Isn't it strange, then: ]

But that's where they took her. You've seen that much by now, right?

That's what they say, but I never like believin' nothin' 'til I see it with my own eyes. Evidence suggests that ain't entirely the case anyway — seein' as everybody who hates this city seems t' hang around out there — so sayin' so jus' confirms what I was thinkin'.

[ ryouma doesn't bother pretending like he's cool and simply not letting on about how much he knows. why bother? he wants what he wants and everyone probably knows it at this point, so he might as well just say so, including the fact that there's plenty he doesn't know at all. it's not like part of his plan wasn't seeking help from people in the other factions. ]

Question is how y' know that t' be true. Other thing I been hearin' is that it's damn difficult if not impossible t' get any reliable information about what's out there, so I gotta say I'm curious how ya cracked it.

[ What sticks out to her about his response, in truth, is probably minor. It's that Matoba hasn't spilled his connection with her, and Aerith wonders why for a moment. It works in her favor, though: While some people aren't fools, if Ryouma doesn't know, it's possible Sephiroth doesn't, either.

She raises her brows, before smiling, teasing. ]

I have my ways.

[ She knows that won't cut it, but she's nothing if not playful. ]

The flowers...

[ Wait, no. Sakamoto might be able to keep a secret, but... would he believe her? She pauses, looking aside with worry in her face before wiping it away by shaking her head. ] Forget it, you wouldn't believe me anyway. Shouldn't keep you waiting; everyone here is struggling to survive, but... it's not just in the city.

Oh? Do ya now?

[ he likes playful because that means he's comfortable. everything's better when it's informal in ryouma's book, despite being the guy in a uniform most of the time. ]

Ya oughta try me some time. I've seen a lotta things ya probably wouldn't believe. For the record, I'm not tryin' start a war with 'em. If they gotta bone t' pick with somebody in this city, I wanna hear 'em out.

[ he's not going to give all his plans away for free, but he can say that much. ]

[ Ah, he's dumb. (Or perhaps, she's simply too cryptic for a guy like him.) Aerith quickly shakes her head, hands up as if to diffuse a potential situation. ]

No, it's not like that. [ With a sigh, she looks to the ceiling: there's no way to avoid simply spitting it out, is there? Thankfully... he did say this form of his was magic, right? ]

They say it's nothing but waste out there. Inhospitable, dangerous— the works. It feels like it rejects you when you try...

[ Here, she raises a hand, and points— overhead, far beyond the two of them, to the outside. Beyond Hell itself. ]

But out there... it's green.

[ no, she's right, he's dumb. he manages to get by on charm and good luck a lot of the time, especially when things are weird and magical and he's relying on the advice of people who know way more than he does. ]

So... hold on. Lemme get this straight. Contrary to what everybody believes, there's actually life out there? At least... where ya think she's gone to?

[ he remembers a conversation he'd had with matoba before where he'd laughed and questioned being asked to give his opinion on things ryouma considers above his pay grade. ]

Honestly, I had a theory once—... or, actually it was more somethin' I came up with on the fly talkin' to somebody, but that at least means gettin' carted off t' that place ain't an automatic death sentence. Makes ya wonder why all the cover up, huh?

Maybe. [ She gestures with open palms, as if to signal she's open to any possibility. In other words: She doesn't know. Ryoma's theory is as good as anyone's.

It's here that she supposes there's no point hiding it. Aerith pulls out of the red lilies out of her hair, it's petals wilting only slightly for something that's been around body heat all day, and holds it out for him in offering. ] Go on, take it.

[ It's not a trick though. She has no interest in tracking him. ] Everything in the world is connected. People, animals, plants, the planet itself. We return to it, everyone. [ A shrug. ] Eventually.

[ A beat. ]

I don't think that's where she is. I'm sure of it. As for why the cover up, don't know. But, if I had to guess? Resources. [ She was a walking resource to Shinra. It makes her skin crawl to think of what could be thriving out there, trying to survive, only to be sucked dry. ] The black market runs outside, through the Wastelands. You guys got the black market under your thumb now, don't you?

[ ryouma takes the offered flower, unsure what to expect. she wouldn't just be handing him a regular flower for no good reason, he's sure. ]

No matter where these are, they're still connected, is that it? That's a neat trick!

[ ~~he has good reasons to believe whole-heartedly in things being connected across long distances...~~ he doesn't look concerned or suspicious over the idea. not much fun tracking him anyway these days. plenty of time hanging around in his office. or out drinking. ]

Heh, I ain't gotta explain a thing to ya, sounds like. Resources were exactly my first thought, too, seein' as the city's got a major one cuttin' right through it.

[ he has a lot of interest in that river. ]

Anyway, what we've made is some good progress, but I'm far from finished. It's gonna take dealin' with this Iron Bear before anything's settled for real.

[ He might be a moron, but he's intuitive enough to grasp her meaning. She gives him a encouraging smile, as if he's defied her expectations. It might be a little mean of her, but it's genuine. ]

I was... kind of hoping you might know already. About that place; where it's green.

[ The wistful tone that paints her voice is telling. A part of her just wants to see this place, to see what's there and to protect it. Another part of her is eager to get this show on the road. ]

This "Iron Bear" guy. You think he could be just the face of it or...?

Believe me, I wish I could say I did.

[ considering the whole knowledge is power angle, admitting he doesn't isn't ideal, but there's no point in pretending. it's an excellent lead though, so naturally he will explore it. ]

So ya know it exists, but it's like a tracker, yeah? The Wasteland is a big place, so headin', distance — ya gotta good idea of where t' find this place? At least better'n anyone else right now...

[ ryouma has no objection to another joint effort. it's what he figured was the most likely outcome of things, seeing as no one has ever tried to do what he wants to do before. ]

The face, the head of the snake; whatever ya wanna call it. When it comes t' Iron Bear I ain't tryin' to get in the middle of any of that oni business, I'm only interested in the business and seein' Ringo-chan safe an' sound.

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August 2022 Event

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