jigokulogs | September 2022 Mingle!

September 2022 Mingle!

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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!

If you have any questions about the mingle content, please ask them here! We're trying something a little different to help reduce comment clutter a bit, so that link actually goes back to a header on the Substory post.
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.
For Rewards, threads in the mingle will be worth one (1) point!

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

i. all night long (TAMAMO)
[Barnaby's... well, he's making a token effort to participate in the pillow fight, if that token effort makes him look like an adult who's gotten dragged into playing sports with a group of unruly children, which is kind of what this feels like. Since he's on the taller side he's opted to stand at the front with a blanket to offer cover for his team (and, let's be real, have a little more dignity than being one of those throwing pillows around).

... That is, until a pillow from the other side flies high enough to miss the blanket entirely and smacks him square in the face, knocking his glasses askew.]

Ah--! Watch where you're aiming!

[With that loud complaint, he drops the blanket and straightens his glasses. Could it be... that prim and proper Barnaby looks on the verge of losing his temper and actually getting competitive???]

ii. all night long (TAMAMO)
[With that... event... out of the way, Barnaby is happy to just burrow under a blanket in the dark and watch a movie with a gin cocktail (necessary, after all of that hassle and indignity from before). A saccharine romance is playing and he's torn between dozing off and scrolling through his phone, lingering on his contacts list like there's someone he's considering texting.

Eventually he decides against it and drops his phone on his chest, covering his yawn with a hand, which is when he notices someone watching.]

Yes? Are you looking for somewhere to rest?

[The floorspace is getting pretty crowded...]

iii. wildcard (OTA)
[I'm open to other things not covered here, or cross-faction shenanigans! Feel free to hit me up via PM, the game discord, or

moonsilver.]

[He's fully tuned out of the movie. Romance is... well. It's not dead, but it's not quite alive either, but that's just his own personal thoughts.

He has some snacks for himself and a blanket over a shoulder.]

Yeah. Is there space here?

Of course.

[He sits up and picks up his drink, scooting along the floor a little with his blanket to make space, his voice hushed just enough that he isn't talking over the movie or disturbing those already having fallen asleep.]

I'm afraid it's a tight fit, but it's better than nothing.

[He quietly takes up the space that Barnaby has made for him. At least it's not lonely. Maybe that's why it got set up this way.]

Thanks. It got crowded while I wasn't looking.

[Barnaby was just warming up a spot for him. Bonus (?).]

I didn't realise there were quite so many of us... It's harder to tell just from messaging people.

[It's absolutely a bonus. What's better than a nice warm bed?]

It's a whole other thing to see everybody in person. Makes it all seem more real.

Hah... Yes. [And yet he's still not sure if any of this is real, or one very long lucid dream, given his circumstances back home. His smile fades somewhat at the thought and he turns away to look at the screen, taking a sip of his drink. Best to change the subject before such glum thoughts put a dampener on the mood.]

My name is Barnaby, by the way. And you are...?

[It all feels very real to him, who's been stuck here for a few months by now.]

I'm Nero. [One of the one star officers in Tamamo that got introduced, but wasn't all that around during the post.] Are you settling in okay?

The chef? [He thinks he remembers that right, anyway, though there have been a lot of faces and names to keep up with.]

I still have my concerns, but most people have been kind.

[Aerith had given him a flowering plant for free, Musashi had gone out of her way to take him for drinks despite being a higher-ranked lieutenant, and people have generally been helpful in answering his questions. He can't complain.]

Yeah. Let me know if you need a meal sometime.

[He's already feeding one stray, what's one more, now and again?]

It can be a lot to take in. Can't blame you for being guarded.

Thank you. I'll keep the offer in mind.

[He's not so proud as to look a gift horse in the mouth, under the circumstances.]

Does your restaurant accept people from other factions, or only our clan?

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perfectdistance - 2022-09-15 14:29 (UTC) - Expand

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hundredpower - 2022-09-15 14:44 (UTC) - Expand

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perfectdistance - 2022-09-15 14:47 (UTC) - Expand

Whooooa, score. I figured you'd dodge or something.

[ sorry, barnaby. there was nothing accidental about that throw - there's a young woman, looks to be in her early 20s at most, grinning at you. she's on the wrong side of 5'0". she's got pink hair in a set of hoop braids. and perhaps most importantly, she seems absolutely pleased with the outcome. ]

Hey, toss it back, I wanna try a leg sweep with it.

I didn't think you would go for the face.

[Evidently he's too trusting that everyone would be a good sport. Disgruntled as he is, he does pick up the pillow and throw it back at her though, if only because he's a little curious what a leg sweep with a cushion would look like.]

Quickest way to score a hit's the noggin, right!?

[ she is. way too happy about this. and even happier when he tosses her the pillow back, grinning and fluffing the pillow up for a new toss. ]

Alright, alright. I'll give you a warning this time, kaaay? [ she crouches down, stretching from side to side like she's preparing to throw. ] Three... two... one...

[ and then, like a discus thrower from ancient greece she spins on her foot, hurling it straight at his shin. might wanna move fast, bunny!! ]

[Well, they don't call him Bunny for nothing, and he does manage to do an awkward hop out of the way before it can hit him.]

...This is ridiculous. [He turns to pick up the cushion where it bounced and fell.] But your technique is impressive. Shall we say you won and call it quits?

[He tosses the cushion back to her, but there's still not much effort behind it.]

Yes. If you don't mind.

[ She has the distinctly harassed look of someone considering just plopping down then and there whether he minds or not, but. It's an ice-breaking sort of event, so she figures she should be on her best manners no matter how much she wants to not be. ]

I won't pester you if you want to be left alone. It's just too crowded over that way.

It's fine, you're not pestering me. Do you want the blanket?

[She probably doesn't want to share and cosy up with a stranger, so it seems like the next best thing. Regardless of what she decides, he'll budge along to make room for her to sit down.]

I'll manage without it.

[ Indeed – she's dragging along a pillow and a thin sheet stolen from one of the futons. It's too warm in here as it is with all these people and the last thing she needs is a heavy blanket. She drops all her things into place a reasonable distance from him and settles herself down – she's not quite relaxing or letting any of her tension unwind just yet, but it's nice to be taking the weight off her feet. ]

I was hoping we'd have our own rooms while we were here, but this will have to do.

Yes, this whole experience has been very... informal, I suppose. [He says it with a weak laugh. It hasn't been too bad, all things considered, even if Nazuna did smack him in the face with a pillow earlier (rude). He has a lot more patience to take these things in good humour than he used to.]

My name is Barnaby, by the way. Have you been here long?

[In the city, that is.]

[ She sort of expects them both to lapse back into a respectful silence relatively quick, so she's visibly perturbed when he speaks up again. There's the urge, again, to just lapse into silence and curl in on herself, but she'd told herself to be on her best behaviour, to make a good impression on these people she'd be working with if only for the long term benefit. So she huffs through her nose and commits herself to... making some smalltalk with a person she's getting to know. Horror of horrors. ]

... Ryoko Shinonome. I've just arrived myself – this is my first orientation meeting. It's certainly... not what I was expecting.

[Ah, is he being annoying...? He's not always the most socially perceptive, but he does notice that perturbed look, so he wonders if he should leave it at that. He had assumed it would be ruder not to make introductions.]

I'm sure we'll be free to leave in the morning, Shinonome-san. In the meantime, why don't you get some rest?

[He's giving her an out to the dreaded Small Talk.]

[ She gives a little snort and pummels her pillow a bit before plopping her head down, absolutely radiating Resigned To Insomnia vibes. She could be bone dead exhausted and all the hustle and bustle around here would keep her awake. It's too loud, too busy and all these unfamiliar voices so close by has her way too on edge.

But she's not going to say all that, of course. So instead she just shakes her head. ]

I won't sleep with all that noise going on. Everyone's too wired up to settle, so they'll be chattering and making noise for a while now. It was just too much to be right in the middle of it.

[ He's not the only one who feels like he's been dragged into a children's game, but Tsukuyo figures the sooner someone wins the sooner it might be over. That and she's never actually been in a pillow fight before, let alone one like this.

Turns out her aim is perfect whether it be kunai or pillows. Sorry not sorry glasses guy. ]

Ain't hittin' ya the point of this game?

[Of course she's not sorry. Done straightening his glasses, he frowns.] Yes, but going for the face is -- unsportsmanlike.

[Not that anyone said there was anything in the rules against it. He picks up the pillow and tosses it back with more annoyance than enthusiasm. This is ridiculous...]

[ Avoiding the tossed pillow, she lets it land near one of her teammates. ]

Yer head was there, so I hit it. [ Apparently she doesn't share his view. ]

I'm just endin' this game as quickly as possible.

[ You know, so her side can win and they can all go back to the overrated activity that is adulting. Sort of. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

September 2022 Mingle!

Barnaby Brooks Jr. | Tiger & Bunny | Tamamo

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