jigokulogs | 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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ In truth, she'd had a wish in mind. Something about wanting to see Ritsuka again, but... she'd never tied it to the tree. She'd just tossed the paper away, chastising herself for her own selfishness. But... in moments like this, with Emily, she felt like Ritsuka wasn't so far away. Smiling, teasing Musashi for falling so easily for a pretty girl...

A pretty girl who was stronger than she could ever hope to be.

A moment just surrounded by the stars, and Musashi pushed herself further, to take Emily's lips. She was always so warm. And it was funny, really, that she could even tell the difference between Emily and Hibiki here. ]

[it's simple, when one knows them both. where Hibiki is bolder, stronger, claiming, Emily asks and gives. yields to happiness and intimacy, even though they're not so hidden from the world - could someone truly deny the love surrounding them? it spurs everyone into doing what they would.

she kisses Musashi like she's welcoming her back after a long trip, and even when they breathe, she stays very close.

if some of her lipstick comes away on the other, that's a small price to pay.]

[ In uncountable ways, it felt exactly like that; like she'd been away on some journey, and this was "home". And part of her felt guilty for even feeling that way. This wasn't "home". Home was with Ritsuka. But... maybe in a sense, she didn't have to think about it so absolutely.

"Home" could be a lot of places. A lot of people. And Emily... she definitely had that feeling to her, and she had no will to deny it. Her lips, the warmth of being close to her, the sensation of her presence and how it tickled her beneath her skin...

Breaking the kiss and just breathing in her scent, nose against her temple. ]

You're like my Orihime...

But that would mean the heavens would part us at dawn...

[easier to focus on that, rather than the embarrassing ideas of being heavenly arranged to meet. the story was one of heartbreak and longing, but also true love...Musashi would make her heart flutter like that.]

I don't think a river of stars, no matter how wide, could keep me from you. I'd just find a way to leap, or to swim, but I'd find you, still...

[ No she couldn't really be promising something like that, right? But the words just fell out, so confidently, freely, spoken as if she had no doubts.

And if she really thought about it, the reason she could say something like that was... because she didn't. She'd see Ritsuka again, that was for sure. And she'd see Emily again, too. The span of time and worlds meant nothing to her.

Not anymore. ]

[so close, Musashi can't see how Emily's cheeks burn to hear that, someone making such a grand promise. it's an instinct to protest - she's not worthy of that.]

You don't...

[don't mean that? don't really know her? it's both, but also wrapped in the starlit haze. how she longs to stop thinking, worrying, to just be able to take in sweet things without looking for the sting.]

Kiss me again? Please?

[ Emily's doubts were indeed like thorns on a rose, but Musashi had careful hands. Most of the time, anyways. At the very least, she could feel the way Emily shifted in her arms, the rush of her blood, her heartbeat. She could "see" it the same way she could see the movements of an opponent before they even twitched. The Eyes of Heaven granted her a lot, in that sense.

So... she didn't really need to be asked. But she complied all the same, taking Emily's lips once more, deeper this time, more passion in them, to punctuate what she'd said before, to emphasize it all. ]

[she's grateful for it, because kissing means that she can stop thinking so terribly hard. it means she doesn't have to think at all, really, and can simply feel. all her senses taken up with Musashi, letting the self doubts quiet down for a minute. they'll be back later, but they don't have to spoil the moment.

instead, she can kiss her back, which is the only sensible thing to do when you have a kind and thoughtful woman in your arms who wants to kiss you too.]

[ She lets that kiss linger for some time... but even a warrior like Musashi had to come up for air, eventually. Though really, it was more that she just wanted to look at Emily's face again, the rose of her cheeks, the sparkler of her eyes, the curve of her lips... She brushed her thumb along Emily's jaw, humming softly as she did so. ]

I guess I said something pretty heavy, just now...

[it leaves her somewhat breathless, a little dazed, just looking up into Musashi's face. between that and the Stardust, she's unbalanced enough that if she's leaning a little more weight on the other, it's easily forgiven.]

You did...but do you regret it?

... Not the slightest bit. But I'm not so arrogant to think it's only my feelings that matter here...

[ Musashi could say things like that. She could live those words. For her, it was almost second nature, to fight with everything she had, to just see the ones she loved be happy, to thrive. If she could find a way to take Emily and Majima back to Chaldea with her and Izo, it wasn't even a question...

But that didn't necessarily mean it was the right thing to do. ]

Edited 2022-08-19 00:03 (UTC)

[it's complicated. it's hard, when she's someone who has always longed to put down roots more than her world has allowed her to, and yet again has been asked to remake them. it's a conversation she can't articulate right now, with things being influenced and hazy, to explain how such a vow feels. to voice her feelings was always a process, something that required patience and care, to peel away the veils she hid them behind. so, she doesn't know.

but there is one thing she can say, that she can strive for.]

Then I have to do my best to stay where I am. So you can find me again.

I'll have Ritsuka with me, then. I've been dying to introduce you to them.

[ She had no doubts they'd get along just fine. Ritsuka managed that with so many people already, somehow managing to unite a staggering number of disparate hearts under a single banner. More than that, she just... wanted Emily to be part of that "home", to meet her "family", the parts that mattered, anyways. ]

Edited 2022-08-27 04:53 (UTC)

August 2022 Event

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