September 2022 Mingle!

[jigokumods]

MAIN NAVIGATION


The influx of fresh Lost Souls means the factions need to have a little welcoming party for them. So some recreational activities are in order. All Lost Souls will receive a message from their respective faction leaders with orders to go have some fun.

Shuten - WEENIES ON PARADE

Shuten Clan newbies will be summoned to the Arena, which has been set up with a very different kind of fight than usual. The members of the Shuten Clan do nothing by half-measures. Partying, drinking, and eating are all encouraged to excess. This time they're inviting new recruits to test their mettle in various eating contests. You'll need nerves of steel and a stomach of iron to succeed. Hot dogs, marshmallows, pizza, lobster rolls, breakfast cereals, rice, and more are all on offer.

See how much you can eat and try not to get sick! Competitive eating is a messy, disgusting affair, regardless of the emergency buckets stationed strategically throughout the building.

If you're feeling especially ballsy, you can take on the biggest onis and other youkai by teaming up with your fellow Shutens. They're all confident enough to take that bet.

Glory, prize money, and antacids to the winners. Shame to the losers – they'll be run through town in weenie costumes.

Better eat up 🙂

Tamamo - ALL NIGHT LONG

The newest Tamamo recruits are summoned to a local gymnasium. Strangely, rather than sports equipment laid out on the court, there are a number of light futons, blankets, and pillows. Everyone will be sorted into one of two yukata patterns – one purple and one blue – and sent to their respective sides of the court to lie down in bed and pull up the covers.

It is then that the referee will explain the rules of competitive pillow fighting. When the whistle blows, jump up and grab one of the authorized pillows at the center of the court. It's a game much like dodgeball, but the goal is to hit the opposing team's king with a pillow from your half of the court. Team members use blankets and sometimes their bodies to protect their king.

There will be a few rounds, and you can rotate who is king at your discretion. Protect them with your life! Or whatever. Star players will receive a bonus and a coupon to one of the best Tamamo spas.

When the competitive stuff is done, the sleepover proper will begin. There will be liquor, sodas, and light snacks for everyone while movies are projected onto a screen late into the morning. The movies range from classic dramas and romances to outrageous yokai comedies.

Sutoku - GROSSERY GANG

The Alliance has found themselves in the possession of an entire truckload's worth of reject children's toys. Ever the opportunist, the Daitengu has assigned the project of inventorying and trashing the particularly offensive ones to the new guys.

Of course, you're expected to play with a few of them as well. Maybe one of them is decently fun, and they could sell the rest, you know? Many of these toys are gross out bathroom humor in nature, and spit water randomly at anyone who loses their round. The Daitengu has thoughtfully provided a selection of alcohol to make this game a little more adult friendly. Toys that lack the appropriate spitting mechanism can still be played over shots, really, go nuts.

While you 'work', there will be plenty of motivating music piped into the warehouse. The sound quality is not great, but they tried?

Everyone who sorts through a decent amount of toys will get a little extra pay, although who is really paying that much attention to who's doing what here?

Credit where it's due: We turned kids toys into drinking games

Enma - BREAKING THE ICE

Welcome to the Department of the Enma. New Lost Soul recruits will be summoned to a large conference room in Kaigo no Bou, which has been outfitted with a variety of buffet table offerings and tables which seat between 5 - 6 people comfortably. You are invited to fill your plates at your discretion, the craft services people are used to feeding bottomless yokai stomachs and the food will not run out.

Clipboards with a variety of icebreaker questions have been provided at each table. The pens have assuredly been firmly affixed to the clipboard. Please return them together.

Every 30 minutes Captain Shiki will blow her whistle to signal that you are to migrate to another table with fresh companions. You are, indeed, being forced to get to know your coworkers, lucky you. This isn't tedious at all.

Pick a few of the questions below to answer, and get chatting. Or Captain Shiki may come over to stare at you with intense disapproval. You can't get away with just zoning out to that sweet smooth jazz playing overhead!

1. If you had a time machine that would work only once, what point in the future or in history would you visit? 2. If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go? 3. If your house was burning down, what three objects would you try and save? 4. If you could talk to any one person now dead or alive, who would it be and why? 5. If you HAD to give up one of your senses (hearing, seeing, feeling, smelling, tasting) which would it be and why? 6. If you were an animal, what would you be and why? 7. Do you have a pet? If not, what sort of pet would you like? 8. Name a gift you will never forget? 9. Name one thing you really like about yourself. 10. What's your favorite thing to do in the summer? 11. Who's your favorite cartoon character, and why? 12. Does your name have a special meaning and/or were you named after someone special? 13. What is the hardest thing you have ever done? 14. If you are at a friend's or relative's house for dinner and you find a dead insect in your salad, what would you do? 15. What was the best thing that happened to you this past week? 16. If you had this week over again, what would you do differently? 17. What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about 'God'? 18. What's the weirdest thing you've ever eaten? 19. If you could change one problem in the world today, what would you like to change? 20. What book, movie or video have you seen/read recently you would recommend? Why?

All Factions - THE GIFT OF SONG

Did you all enjoy having some of your wishes granted? Well, so did a flock of those annoying magpie! They asked for the gift of music. These feathered nuisances, however, have fallen in love with an old school metal band. That is all they will be singing for the foreseeable future! Different members of the flock have taken up different instrumentals and vocals for the track, spread out across electrical wires and rooftops, singing their favorite rockin' tune to the skies!

Lost Souls have been asked to please catch them and get them to knock it off, they are truly annoying everyone, across all factions.

Should you catch these musical magpies, and not one of the other clans, they will tell you their sorry tale! They love this band, but the group broke up years ago. All the magpie want is for their favorite old dudes to be reunited to jam with them, one more time!

The old dudes are out there in the city, but who knows why they broke up and if they can even be convinced out of retirement. Good luck, if you succeed your boss will give you a favorable bonus, which would be a great boon to a newbie just getting settled.

In the meantime:

Shabadabadia
Shabadabadia
Babababa
Babababa
Babababa

Welcome to the IC mingle!

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Comments

[nightcalling]

How could you tell?

[ the words are strained and rough. making it through this... it's a tough one. she doesn't have earplugs, so even if she looks away the sound will just filter in. the oohs and ahs... the sweet talk... the miscommunications that resolve themselves when the main characters learn to simply trust one another.

god. she's starting to shake in place. she reaches forward, snatching the bar from sen's hand and immediately unwrapping and dumping it whole into her mouth.

at least she has something to chew on now. she's not herself when she's hungry, after all. ]

[reifies]

[ Sen had been watching the movie the entire time because he's been curious of it, but it— ]

It's kinda like voyeurism.

[ The movie. ]

You peek into someone's life and all.

[ But then he turns to look at Nazuna again with some shrimp crackers. Girl, eat these too. ]

... But I suppose in your case, it's a big turn-off.

[ haaaaa ]

[nightcalling]

Voyeurism, huh?

[ at least, that's what she would say if her mouth weren't currently full of snickers. instead it comes out garbled and messy, and she makes the uncharacteristically wise decision to chew and swallow before saying anything else. ]

If it were just peeking in on someone getting down and dirty, that'd be fine. That's just porn with extra steps. It's when you add all the... the lovey-dovey crap to it that it's weird.

[ she shoves a few shrimp crackers down her gullet. a reasonable bite this time, instead of the enormous bar from earlier. ]

...I wish they'd put on more of the funny stuff. Seems like these youkai know how to live life right.

[reifies]

[ It's a no-brainer that Nazuna doesn't seem to like that sort of thing, so Sen wonders if she's missing out. Is he missing out? Well.

Anyway. ]

Maybe you can request a movie you want to watch to whoever puts these on. I heard there are all kinds.

[nightcalling]

[ she pauses halfway through chewing. her eyes widen. sen, from the looks of it, you have opened up a world of possibilities to nazuna. ]

You can just. Do that? [ she stares, wide-eyed, directly at him. ] It's not a preset list or anything?

[reifies]

[ What is "preset". Sen seems to be in thought for a while, trying to figure out the best way to word this. ]

Technology is pretty advanced here, so I think if it can't even change a movie, that's... well, it sucks.

[ Good thing he figured out how movies work now. He's learning so much in hell. ]

[nightcalling]

[ it's... a point. it's a good point. she doesn't even bother to respond to sen's thoughts on the matter; she just stands straight up, like someone stepping on a pink-haired rake, and stomps (quietly) over to the place the projector is kept.

...about a minute later, she comes back, sitting down next to sen. ]

They're not gonna change it.

[ this, it's clear, may be the single worst thing to have ever happened to her. ]

[reifies]

... They must really like this movie.

[ Hm. Sen ponders a little before getting some wine bottles and putting them in front of Nazuna. ]

It's a good time to get drunk so that you don't focus on the movie!

[ He thinks this is such a good idea. ]

[nightcalling]

Is this hazing? Are they trying to kill me?

[ okay, well. that's a bit overdramatic... but she perks up as soon as she sees the bottles. she's not going to say no to booze, even if it's not her booze of choice. ]

Hey, hey, that's... [ not a great idea? a quite frankly terrible option? not the best thing to do when she's already three beers in? ] ...a great idea. Lemme see that.

[ she snags one of the bottles, reaching up to uncork it with a single claw. that's... that's pretty cool, actually, if a little intimidating. with the blocker out of the way, she lifts it to her lips-

and drinks-
and drinks-
and drinks,, finally gasping as she lowers the bottle from her lips. ]

Pfaaaaah... Man, I needed that. You have no idea how much I needed it.

[ she holds the bottle out, offering it to sen in turn. she can share! sort of. ]

[reifies]

[ Uncorking it with a claw was really cool, and it gets Sen to smile as he watches her chug the bottle. When she offers the bottle, he takes it and drinks some too. He's a lightweight, so he'll have to be careful about his intake... ]

Glad to help! Maybe the next movie will actually be funny so that it'll be fun to watch.

[ Watching a movie while drunk... ]

Want another bottle?

[nightcalling]

Huh? No way, man. Don't pop until the last one's done, y'know? [ she scoots in, nudging him gently with an elbow. ] What, you worried about backwash? Come on. Just swig and pass like anyone else.

[ she reaches up, making grabby fingers at the bottle in sen's hand. ]

The first one was pretty good. I liked the chase scene, y'know?

[reifies]

[ He feel like he learned what backwash means just now from how Nazuna worded it, so he drinks some more before passing it off to her. ]

So many things blew up in the back too... it was really funny to watch.

[nightcalling]

Right!? It was freakin' awesome! Explosions, and the cars flipping, and the... [ she gestures wildly, trying to remember the word. ] ...you know, the drifting bits? It was so cool! Way better than this crap.

[ the moment it's in her hands, she takes a good long swig again. does she need this much when she's already drunk some? no way. is she going to do it anyway? helllll yes. ]

[reifies]

[ That bottle might as well be empty very soon, so according to Nazuna's wishes, he only opens the second bottle when it looks like she emptied it. Or close. ]

That's true. Compared to that movie, this one doesn't have many things going for it at all. I can see couples having awkward moments and being loving more often in person! But those flipping and blowing up? No way.

[ Here is your second bottle, girl. ]

[nightcalling]

Yeah! See!? Flippin'... flippin' cars is way better!

[ oh. oh, no. she's starting to get a little unsteady in her sitting position, isn't she. ]

We should... We should blow up a car. [ she sounds very resolute about this. ] Not with anyone in it! Just. A real junker. That'd be cool, right?

[reifies]

Yeah! Sure. I'll be sure to ask you tomorrow if you're still up for it.

[ From what he remembers, Nazuna said she didn't want to go to jail, so he'll try looking out for her. ]

[nightcalling]

Yeah! Yeah. Tomorrow.

[ sen, you're doing a hero's work. she may not remember this in the morning, but tenkohime probably will. she takes another swig, clanking the bottle down on the ground between the two of them. ]

What's your name again, guy? [ a beat. ] Wait, did I ever ask?

[reifies]

No, because I introduced myself first.

[ But he thinks that someone with Nazuna's personality is always busy here and there, so he's not offended by her forgetting his name. ]

It's Sen. Easy, right?

[nightcalling]

[ he's not wrong. but also, she should remember him. they had such a great conversation about flowers, after all! ]

Sen!! Right, yeah. [ she reaches up, slapping a hand on his shoulder. looks like she's perfectly fine to be up close and personal with him, after all. ] You're a fun guy, Sen, you know that?

[reifies]

I'm glad!

[ It's a great thing to call him, and he honestly feels a little happy about it. He's fine with her getting in his personal space, since he usually does the same to others too. ]

I think you're a really interesting person. You always have something to talk about and it's fun.

[nightcalling]

Interesting... Fun? Heck yeah, I am! [ and so modest, too! but she's not just here to talk herself up. if anything, she's more interested in praising him right now. ] You're... You're real good at this, you know. The whole Tamamamo thing! Just askin' right away where to fuck for money...

[ a beat. ]

That's so cool, man! I'm kinda jealous, you know?

[ there is not a drop of irony in her voice. this is the most sincere she's been since arrival. ]

[reifies]

[ Sen laughs a little. Someone being jealous over something he does... and thinks it's cool? Nazuna seems so genuine (especially since shes drunk(?)), but Sen still has a hard time getting it around his head. ]

Really? I wasn't kidding when I said that's the only thing I can do well. I'm used to doing things like that, so I should be direct about it.

[nightcalling]

So?! So what if it's all you got! It's one hell of a talent to have, you know! [ she leans in, raising one hand to her lips and whispering - or at least trying to. it's still a bit loud. ] That's what we vampires are supposed to do to find a bite, you know? Humans love that stuff! Sex, flirting, skin-on-skin action...

[ she holds up two fingers, then mashes them together. it was probably supposed to be some sort of evocative gesture at some point? who knows. ]

Vampires are supposed to be the queens of that kind of stuff, and here you are, showing me up on day one. Too cool, man! You're too cool!

[reifies]

[ Sen laughs a little again. Being around Nazuna is fun. He feels better about himself a little and she's fun to talk to. She doesn't shy from topics that he's not afraid to talk about either. It's nice. ]

Is it hard to find someone to bite? I think you'd be able to snag someone easily.