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!

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[ The slap to his back pushes him a little forward, and Megumi clicks his tongue in response, still feeling affronted by the casual treatment. That camaraderie isn't the most stressful or confusing thing about this interaction, however. The conversation they are having is way worse. ]

Don't just make assumptions -- [ Assumptions that he's having trouble denying, because they would be lies. Megumi can be a decent liar in some situations, but this wouldn't be one of them given the fluster he's currently feeling.

The next question - almost a request - causes his brain to freeze up completely. If his mind were a computer, it would be going into error mode. Megumi's definitely red in the face now and trying not to think too hardly about the topic matter. ]

You're drunk. You don't know what you want.

_{[ It's hard to focus too much on Megumi's reactions with him feeling this out of sorts, but he's very much amused by what he can see. His arm wraps around Megumi again, but this time at the waist instead. Just gonna try to sneak in another sniff here, sorry. his half-form also comes with some animalistic behavior that he can't always help. ]}

You're right. I probably don't know what I want when I'm sober either!

_{[ The honesty hour continues... ]}

Someone should kiss you, then. I think you deserve it.

[ Drunk enough to be handsy. That's the situation right now. Megumi tenses up at the hand resting on his waist, that fluster still evident on his face even if he's trying to stop himself from making a scene in public. At this point he's had some experience being close to other people (only one person, really), and while he's shed some of his touch aversion, it still takes time for him to be comfortable with intimate touch (even slight). ]

Your hand ... [ He grabs Akira's wrist and peels it off himself, hooking it back around his shoulder instead, where the touch makes him less embarrassed. Akira looks to still be on about the kissing, which he's writing off as drunken babble now. There's a sigh. Well, if he indulges his babble with conversation, he can keep him alert enough to finish the walk home. ]

And what makes someone deserving of that?

_{[ This time, he allows his hand to be misplaced back over Megumi's shoulders, giving him a toothy (and fangy) grin. It was easier to rest a lot of his weight on Megumi in this way. ]}

Like I said, you're caring.. and protective. And you cook for us.

_{[ That basically sums up Megumi's personality right there.. ]}

And your eyes.. they are so pretty. Someone special should be allowed to look into them as long as they want.

[ The outpour of compliments is just so overwhelming. He's never thought himself a very good person and doesn't put much effort or thought into his physical appearance, so it's always a surprise when he receives compliments. It certainly makes him feel seen, a bit bashful. ]

You're spouting nonsense. Don't look at them ... [ He just has normal eyes? Some pink colours his cheeks now, and he keeps his gaze away from Akira, keeping his attention on the direction they're walking in. ]

I'm just returning the favour. [ Not so much for cooking, but in how he cares and protects. He wouldn't give that treatment to someone who didn't already show him kindness. ]

I'll look at them if I want to.

_{[ assertive...
Akira suddenly stops, and without any warning, he wraps his arms around Megumi and just.. hugs him?? He's going for it, boys. ]}

You didn't have to.. and you didn't have to house me.. or take care of me.. I'm just a loser who ended up here, but you and Yuuji-kun have shown me so much kindness..

_{[ Oh. He's admitting he's a loser now. Akira is honest, but he's usually not that honest. His body quakes as he hiccups slightly, keeping his arms tight around the other boy. ]}

[ The hug is not at all expected, Megumi tensing up and freezing in place for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. Akira's clearly drunk, and it seems he's just the type of drunk to get emotional. While Megumi can be insensitive at times, his attitude occasionally bordering on 'mean', he doesn't feel inclined to push the other boy away. ]

I never thought that about you. [ A 'loser', as Akira had called himself. He's never had that impression of him, but he knows the other boy has his reasons for feeling that way. Reasons probably related to what happened back home. After he gets used to the sensation of having those arms around him, Megumi's posture eases up, and he eventually raises his hands, resting them on Akira's back and letting out a sigh.

Why did he let him stay? Well ... ]

You're a good person. Good people ... deserve kindness in return. [ A philosophy of his that he's clung on to, guiding a lot of his actions. He just thinks good people should have good things happen to them.]

_{[ It doesn't matter that Megumi never thought that about him— it's how he thinks about himself. Maybe time runs differently back home— maybe he'll be put back like nothing ever happened— but he knows he probably died at Sirene's hands (or.. talons) so if one demon alone can bring him to death, how is he going to keep protecting others? How is he going to use the powers he possesses? Was his sacrifice in vain? Akira is someone who cries— he was a crybaby when he was a child, but he eventually grew out of it. That doesn't mean it didn't come up from time to time, especially right now when he's drunk and doesn't care.

Again, his moods are like a light switch.

His hug tightens and he does start to cry, though it's rather sudden and it's paired with an uncomfortable silence. It's only because of the liquor he is allowing this to happen. ]}

[ It's such a rollercoaster of emotions that he's dealing with right now, he doesn't know what to make of it or how to keep up. Megumi can't quite see the expression on his face, but he can feel the tension in the other boy's shoulders, the silence that falls between them somehow such a poignant expression of the other boy's emotion - his frustration, his worry, and his sadness. He doesn't know what brought this on, whether it was the words he had said or other intrusive thoughts and memories, but he knows there's nothing that he can say to make this better.

There's sobbing that he can hear, the fabric of his shirt becoming slightly damp. He doesn't know what to say in response to that. Megumi stays quiet, the expression on his face softening as he looks upon his friend with eyes of concern. Though he has no words to say, his arms shift to encircle Akira's back, rubbing at his back softly in a way that he hopes is reassuring. He'll stay like this for however long the other boy needs. ]

_{[ The little episode doesn't last too long. If he wasn't intoxicated, he probably wouldn't have allowed this to happen, but he has even less of a filterv and control when he's like this. He nuzzles his face into the crook of Megumi's neck, enjoying the comfort the other boy brought simply by being here for him. He finally pulls away, looking a little embarrassed and avoiding eye contact. Megumi has probably never seen him act shy like this before. ]}

You're too good to me. I feel comfortable and like I can be myself around you and Yuuji. Is that weird?

[ This isn't a situation he's in very often, held as someone else outpours their emotions, but there's something affirming about being relied on like this. Like he's trusted, and they have a bond. For that reason, and out of sensitivity for the other boy's feelings, Megumi allows the closeness, feeling some of those nerves set in when Akira buries his face into his neck, but not in a prominent enough way to make him want to pull away. He allows all of it, patting Akira's back slowly, because that's all he really knows to do in this sort of situation.

His heartrate settles when the boy pulls away, and he looks at the boy with curiousity when he turns away, his boisterous personality tame in this moment. ]

I don't know if it's weird or not. [ He's not a normal person, especially when it comes to proper expression of emotions, so he doesn't have a clue. But it does sound like, to him, that Akira trusts them. Of course, typical to his nature, he holds on to that knowledge, not voicing it out.

However, with that conclusion, it feels like their bond is strengthened, and that's how he finds the confidence to reach out, bumping his fingers against Akira's hand - the offer to hold it there and present. ]

Come home.

Edited 2022-09-19 14:26 (UTC)

_{[ He doesn't know. Akira doesn't know. All he knows is what he feels in the moment when he can decipher it, and right now, it's hard for him to really be conscious of what he's feeling. He feels.. acceptance? Acceptance when he was reluctant to be accepted. Devilmen and demons were feared back home, but it didn't stop Akira from being who he was: an honest person who needed to show Megumi what he was, but then there was no fear from the other boy.

Come home. A place he could call home. He never really had a "real" home; his parents were never around for him to grow up with them in an ideal real home. Instead he had Miki's family, which, in his mind, was a family. Akira feels no different in the apartment in Enma.

He flushes but doesn't hesitate to hold Megumi's hand, his hold firm and his hand very warm. ]}

Okay.

...

I like this.

_{[ He doesn't specify what "this" is, but he likes it. ]}

[ It is a warm hand, and Megumi takes notice of that immediately given how his body tends to run cold. His long fingers are like ice at times, but Akira doesn't seem to mind. This isn't something he does very often with people, Yuuji being the exception, but he doesn't hate it at all, and he can fall back on the reasoning of 'wanting to get Akira to safety' if his rational mind questions his actions. ]

Don't make a big deal of it. [ Megumi adjusts his collar - a nervous habit of his - and starts to walk, face turned away like he doesn't quite want the other boy to see that slight flush to him. It's an embarrassing act, after all, but once again, he tells himself there's a rational reason for doing this. ]

You need a bit of help since you're intoxicated. [ Their apartment isn't too far away, at least. ]

I do.

_{[ He just admits it. Maybe if he were sober, he would deny it, but he just admits it right now. The world is still spinning, but at least he isn't nauseous anymore. He lightly swings their hands, the dismal thought process he had moments prior slowly pushing in the back of his mind as he is distracted by this simplicity.

However, he's not in a good enough mood to start talking all friendly again. He does, however, seem to be walking more steadily, occasionally catching his footing. He sighs. It's the only noise that is heard in this moment of silence, and then: ]}

Stay with me on the couch tonight.

[ At this point, they've left Sutoku and have crossed into Enma, Yuuji and Megumi's apartment not too far away. Megumi continues to guide the other boy, keeping a careful eye out for him in case it starts to look like his coordination has deteriorated to the point he might trip over. The request is definitely unexpected, but not too surprising at this point given the conversation so far. ]

What? There wouldn't be space for us ... We're not exactly small, you know.

[ Megumi might be the leaner one of the two, but he's reasonably tall, all legs and elbows. Is this really who Akira wants to sleep on the couch with? ]

Ohh, ohhh, yeah... you're right.. I guess it is small. Huh.

_{[ For some reason, he looks.. very sad about this? His other hand strokes his chin as he thinks really, really, really hard for a solution. He leans into Megumi, almost allowing his nose to bump against his cheek. ]}

I've got it... you can sleep on the couch... I'll sleep on the floor.

_{[ this defeats the purpose of sleeping together... he is so out of it.. ]}

[ The proximity isn't expected, and he leans back slightly, putting some distance between them both again. Though he's gradually getting used to Akira, it takes time for him to get comfortable with proximity. ]

That doesn't make any sense. I would just sleep on my bed then.

[ In that arrangement, the drunk person who clearly needs a proper rest somehow ends up on the floor, while the sober person takes their place on the couch. He can see now that Akira clearly isn't thinking straight. However, it feels like he's wanting some sort of company at night - to be around other people. Megumi can understand that? Sleeping by yourself can feel lonely, even for him. In fact, it was lonely, when Tsumiki went away and he spend a period of his life living by himself. ]

If we bring out more pillows and blankets, I guess you could take the floor in our bedroom ...

[ Yuuji probably wouldn't mind. ]

I'll sleep where ever you are, Megumi.. I like being with you. And I wanna keep you and Yuuji safe so I should be around you both all the time.

_{[ this guy... he slumps over and puts his weight on Megumi again, keeping their hands held tight. ]}

You are just so pretty. ♡

[ It's so hard to walk when a guy heavier than himself is draped all over him. Megumi lets out another sigh, considering pushing him off but deciding not to in case that sends Akira off balance and he falls over. Everything he's hearing is honestly so overwhelming. ]

And you are clearly drunk. [ It's the second time he's used that word on him, and he's going to chalk that down to drunken babble because the thought of Akira feeling any attraction to him is a lot to mentally process. ]

Walk. We're almost there.

[ Linking their arms now, he starts to speed walk them towards the view of the apartment, dragging Akira along with him. ]

_{[ Akira laughs lightly, not denying it. ]}

I'm super drunk. I don't know what would have happened to me if you hadn't found me, hehe. My hero.

_{[ Akira walks along and when the apartment door opens, he announces his presence. ]}

I'm home! I'm home! I love calling this place my home. My home with my family. ♡

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September 2022 Mingle!

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