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.

Comments

cw: minor body horror

[nerine]

[Monts acquiesces to his request and takes his hand giving it a tight squeeze while squatting to the group close to him. But it doesn't appear to stop the flame and it doesn't stop her from feeling the utter helplessness of her position. She has no magic or any skill to alleviate whatever this is. He says to stay with him and hold his hand and she can do that, but there has to be something else.

Being this close to the flame, she can feel its heat and hear it crackle. What the hell is it doing to the wizard's body?]

Can't we just put it out? I just think—... Here, I'm just going to—...!

[And without thinking, her other free hand reaches up and pushes down on Shylock's chest and against the flames. It envelopes her hand and the fire swiftly punishes her for her insolence. The smell of her flesh being singed begins to fill the air between them and she can see the surface of her fingers turn shiny and red.

And yet her face is that of concentration, the same frustration, and even more determination. Her nose wrinkles more at the smell than anything and her hand moves back and forth, trying to see if she's being effective at all, indifferent to the damage.]

[breweries]

[ there's no way to put it out; if powerful wizards such as oz and especially figaro have no other way of putting it out, there's not a chance that other methods would work on him -- but that's it, isn't it? shylock is in a different realm filled with people with different abilities from his, so surely...

surely his hypothesis may be proven sooner than expected. shylock's face may be contorted in pain, but he's able to catch the determined look in monts's face, the fire in his chest reflected in her eyes as she bravely represses it with her own bare hands. a rather ballsy move that he'll appreciate in the long run, but the fact that she felt nothing at all despite her own hand getting incinerated-- ]

M-Miss Monts...

[ but to no avail, it continues to burn underneath her singed hand. it wouldn't do her good to damage her fingers because of him too, so he raises his free hand and laces his fingers with monts' over his heart, holding it there for a hot (heh) second before gently prying her off. ]

It's fine. Don't... sacrifice your lovely hand for me. It'll blow over any second now.

[nerine]

[Monts sighs, understanding that it's no use. Shylock's fingers around her burnt ones pry them off.]

You have some gall saying stuff like that when I'm not the one in pain here.

[Once her hand is away from the flames, the red welts and darkened surface of her skin where fire tried to consume her begin to recede. Her damaged flesh transforms back into a smooth unblemished surface. It's as if nothing has happened at all.

The smell lingers but that also comes to pass.]

... See? I'm fine.

[Monts' fingers squeeze Shylock's hand.]

If I can't stop this, then I'll just stay with you, okay?

[breweries]

[ amazing... simply amazing. somehow knowing that this girl can't feel the pain and anguish he's going through right now puts him at ease -- which does little to abate the fire in his chest, but. you know. he'll take what he can get.

he squeezes her hands back, and he manages a smile despite all the wincing. ]

That's... all I wanted all along. Thank you...

[ and they stay like that for a while, with shylock grimacing and making painful faces as he grins and bears it. when it's starting to look like there's no end to this, it does -- the fire slowly subsides underneath their palms until it fades away into the night, leaving a certain singed spot in front of his yukata.

he's looking utterly drained though, and he all but lays limp on the ground with the wall acting as his support. ]

[nerine]

[Her lips remain a tight line as she keeps her gaze steady over his burning heart. Mari's experience with magic was limited, but she knew enough to know that it was intricate, complex, and utterly infuriating with its seeming lack of logic behind the various systems.

The entire time, she doesn't let go of the wizard's hand until the fire dies down She briefly checks to see if there's some sort of burn on the surface of his skin before speaking up again.]

Not that I know anything about magic where you're from but if it's like anything I know, it seems like a pain in the ass.

[He looks drained though and so she holds back any other smart remark.]

Can you stand Shylock?

[breweries]

[ nope, no burning of skin from him either, oddly enough. it's a magical flame and at the same time isn't...? it's hard to explain, but magic really do be like that.

shylock blearily looks at monts, and he still has the gall to chuckle at his own right state. ]

You're... not wrong about that.

[ it's simple on paper, but when you literally put your heart into it, that's where it gets tetchy. shylock staggers as he gets up on his feet, wobbling a little before resting his back against the wall once more. ]

It seems I've worried you a ton. I apologize, Miss Monts.

[nerine]

Don't apologize. I'd make you say sorry for burning my hand, but... Well.

[It's all gone with little proof that anything occurred except for the lingering smell.]

... Do you want me to take you home? Or is there someone here who can help you?

[She stands up still holding onto his hand, not letting go. Shylock gives Monts this feeling that letting go was tantamount to giving up on him even if there was nothing she could do, realistically.]

[breweries]

Fufu. I shall make it up to you for burning off your lovely fingers next time.

[ even now he still has the gall to make light of what happened just now. to be fair, that's better than mulling on other depressing matters, isn't it?

at monts' question, shylock shakes his head once more. ]

I'm a ranked officer, I'm afraid. As much as I would like to go home and have a nice glass of wine, my fellow cohorts would be looking for me by now. [ he squeezes her hand. ] But I do appreciate the concern, more than I can ever express. Thank you for staying with me.