March 2022 Mini Event

[jigokumods]

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The Night Parade is fast-approaching and each faction will be busy with their own preparations.

1. SHUTEN CLAN

The Celestial Phoenix Casino, a fairly popular casino in the Shuten territory, is overdue on its protection money. This money is sorely needed for parade preparations. Unfortunately, the casino has decided it doesn't need to pay up because they've hired some new unaffiliated muscle. Neither the manager nor their new muscle are the type to listen to reason, so be prepared to exert some intimidation and force to convince these new bodyguards to take their business elsewhere.

The brute squad working for the Celestial Phoenix seems to be made up of several different youkai. Some of them are more human looking than others, but you'll notice no Oni. Even independent Oni wouldn't dare turn against the Shuten Clan. Even lacking in Oni, these thugs are armed to the teeth, swinging several deadly weapons and even a few firearms. This could get rough, so be prepared for the worst. Take the gangsters protecting the Celestial Phoenix out or convince them it’s not worth it.

Once inside, you'll discover that the owner, in a panic, has locked himself inside the casino's value with the protection money owed. This might take some doing to get open...

2. SUTOKU ALLIANCE

The Kappa want to be left alone and the Daitengu has asked Sutoku Alliance members to assure their wishes are respected. Members are tasked with convincing people to stay away from the Kappa's riverside facilities by whatever means necessary. Of course, you may want to take a look for yourself to see what they’re being so secretive about. That’s not recommended, if you don’t want to get into trouble.

It’s not just strangers who are nosy, though. Retinues from both the Shuten and Tamamo clans are making an appearance and asking why the inspections are taking so long. Why are the Kappa dragging their feet? The Alliance prefers to avoid direct violence, so it's up to you to talk to these clan captains in a way that convinces them to leave the Kappa alone.

If you're curious enough to dive deeper into the Kappa's business, however, even your Alliance membership isn't going to keep you safe. The Kappa themselves seem to disappear from sight the further into the sewers you go, as if invisible. Preventing yourself from being spotted by a security camera or a patrolling Kappa is almost impossible. Cover your faces, stick to the shadows, and you might just notice that... they’re building something down there.

Something for the Parade? Who knows? But it’s definitely not decorations or a float...

3. DEPARTMENT OF THE ENMA

The parade route for the Night Parade needs to be "cleaned up". The Department is tasked with getting the low level street gangs and squatters to clear out. The homeless population will resist and may not be so easily persuaded to give up their spots. Your best bet is to offer them food, booze, or shelter for the night. The street gangs will assuredly fight back. Use your strength or your wits to get the job done.

The gangs will not typically be that tough, most don’t want to step up to the Department's goon squad too heavily lest they wind up in a cell for the rest of their lives. Still, some might be hopped up on encouraging substances and try to escalate. Don’t worry, though. You have the authority of the Enma on your side! Don’t think they will get away with waving a weapon in your face.

The homeless, though, lack strength or weapons. They are more fueled by desperation to keep their spots. Winter hasn't been kind to them, after all, and they don’t have much respect for the Enma's authority. Their belligerent behavior is loud, and often violent despite their absence of means to properly defend themselves. At worst, they’ll probably try to use biological warfare. Don’t ask what's in those bottles...

4. TAMAMO CLAN

Parade costumes need to be designed, crafted, modeled, and then likely mended knowing the rough and tumble yokai. The textile shops and tailors of the area need Tamamo Clan members to help them out. Costumes vary from extremely ornate to extremely sexy. These costumes need to merge form and function, for the Tamamo clan parade marchers that means they need to be able to sell their specific wares while wearing them. (wink wonk)

None of the costumes are floor ready and the shop bosses urge you that these cannot be seen by the public until they are ready. This won’t stop some peeping toms and tammies from trying to scope out the goods. Most of the voyeurs are spying for perverted reasons, but some are from shops outside of Tamamo’s influence trying to copy the designs for themselves. Either way, Tamamo Clan members aren't expected to be just pretty faces. So rough’em up.

5. TASTE TEST (ALL FACTIONS)

For those less interested in their faction's work, the restaurants in the Tamamo territory also need help finalizing their menu offerings for the Night Parade. Taste testers and creative cooks wanted! These aren’t just any dishes though and may have some interesting effects. One may be so spicy that everything burns, your face turns red, and you need to cool yourself off. Or maybe your dish is so good that you need to take a nap – it doesn't matter where you are, you'll just fall asleep right on the spot. Another possibility is a dish that gives you unstoppable energy – literally. It will make you want to get up and go and never stop moving. If you stop moving, it may cause a bigger problem.

Welcome to the mini event!

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Comments

[rainswords]

You know it's funny but I am seeing very little resistance to our intrusion, further, I am sure they must have imagined that they would have foreseen plenty of us getting down here. It's not so difficult to shirk duty or act in pretense to find a method to get down here.

There really are no obstacles when you think about.

Well, aside from these tunnels practically being a maze. We are getting further and further somewhere. At this point, I am not sure where we're going to end up. There are certainly more Kappa about but...

[ He stops. Not just speaking, his steps come to a halt. Then he motions ahead. Where they once followed a single path, it now forks into three tunnels. And that's another problem now. ]

What do you think of that?

[laughitoff]

Hm...well, I don't have terribly fancy tricks for this one, young master. Either we split up to check them faster, or we pick one together and hope for the best. What'll it be? We can hope the Kappa are mostly focused on construction here either way, and their guard's down.

[he doesn't address the 'no resistance' part further than that; he feels like the length and complexity of the trip is obstacle enough for him, at this point. maybe he wouldn't feel that way if he were at his best, but the resentful energy makes him feel the aches and pains of exertion more, the long swim and the tense stretches of dashing and crouching at length. he's more tired than he's letting on.]

Let's hope they're building down one of those, and the noise echoes, at least.

[rainswords]

I made no mention before but just my name will do well if you please.

[ Now give him a moment as he considers each and every open entrance they can take. They could split from here as suggested bringing an end to their cooperative work. They'd seek their own fortune down darkened paths that lead who knows where. Perhaps, one of these tunnels would truly end where the kappa were currently engrossed in their tasks. Or they may be all deadends. Who knows, there are various possibilities.

Finally, he shrugs turning towards Wei Yuandao. They're all practically the same, even attempting to look at the ground for any past steps to hint which way they should go gives him nothing. See, they've all been traversed through. They serve different purposes. ]

Let's say you and I take different routes here, wouldn't it be astoundingly unfortunate is we both made a wrong choice?

[ Unfortunate. Maybe even funny. That explains his short laugh. ]

Let's take some steps towards assurances.

Perhaps if we were to draw guards here, they may come from the route we must take. Of course, I can see how that plan may fail as well but at this point...

[laughitoff]

Ah, are you fussy about such things too? Xingqiu, then.

[he still isn't used to people's mixed standards for courtesy here compared to home, but he'll adjust, whatever.

the plan isn't bad. it's potentially going to get them swarmed, but so too would almost anything they did down here. he considers. what's a situation that would lure guards out? intruders? attack? intruders and attack? he misses having use of his talismans very badly; they would have been useful here.]

Shout an alarm, hide near the tunnel mouths, slip in right after they come out? We'll have to go very fast.

[rainswords]

I'm not fussy at all, I would instead say I am accustomed to it. However — [ A pause, momentary reflection and he adjusts what he is going to say. ] Well it seems I'm not the sole individual who prefers their name used since according to you I am fussy about such things too.

[ But focusing back on the plan, there is also the possibility they may alert guards located back where they came from. This causes him to look back, well, there aren't too many options. They could take a chance, but luck can be fickle. It seems they've come to an agreement. ]

That we will. But it can't be guaranteed they'll continue on quickly. How is your condition? Well, I can't ask this of you so if it comes down to it and they must be led away, then I'll be the bait.

[laughitoff]

Aren't you being fussy right now...

[really, what a strange, touchy guy. ah, well, that seems like a conversation for when they're not in the mouth of the beast, though.]

I'm fine, I'm fine, and I'm quick enough on my feet. There's just too many either way, so if we need to lure them, whoever has the clearer escape route be the bait, ah?

[rainswords]

What was that?

[ In a way, they're here alone with just the rippling sound of water that flows through the sewers as a backdrop of noise. He may not have picked up every whispered word but just a single one is enough for him to get an idea of what may have been said. He really is just teasing, even if he seems serious in his manner of speaking now.

But with the decision made. Now it only means making enough of a disturbance to alert the guards. ]

Got it, well, you know what we must do now. But after you. [ He almost seems to bow as he motions with his arm that he would follow the lead in making noise. Of course, if his companion isn't willing to initiate their plan then Xingqiu would be more than happy to with song. No, he isn't winning any awards for musical talent, even if the song is unknown to most as it was originally crafted by the young lady who runs the Wangsheng Funeral Parlor, it's obvious that his singing is off key. ]

[laughitoff]

[Wei Wuxian sighs and waves off the question -- and, while he's not about to start shouting and let every Kappa in the area know what he sounds like, he does draw a black flute from his sleeve, and puts it to his lips...

it's. well. it does certainly make a lot of noise. it's not that he's playing it badly, but the tune is high and unearthly and wholly unsettling, resounding off the narrow walls of the surrounding tunnels into a cacophony of hair-raising music...]

[rainswords]

[ Yeah... that is eerie, enough that he quiets down and listens. Stout of heart, he isn't easily frightened but even he can sense the disquiet in the melody rendered from the instrument. He does stand still, taking in each note, but soon enough he knows he has to make some move and listen for something other than the sound of the flute. Steps, shouts, anything that would indicate they have gotten anyone's attention. It almost feels too long that there is no sound that they've alerted anyone but after a moment there are steps, hurried, echoing within the passageway, or rather the source is one of the tunnels.

His gaze settles on the middle one, and he motions towards it. Before ducking off to an adjacent one, hopefully, whoever or whatever is coming won't bother to seek them through the neighboring tunnels. ]

( ooc: if you want we can have them separate around here-ish? )

[laughitoff]

[he hangs back rather than sticking to his companion's side the whole way, and that's where things go to hell a bit: they were both listening hard for attention from down the tunnels, but there's a shout from behind them on the non-tunnel side, too, as the flute music ends up attracting attention from multiple sides.

Wei Wuxian startles, and--with very little time to make a decision, caught out in the open a crucial moment longer than Xingqiu--ends up fleeing for a different tunnel altogether, and out of Xingqiu's sight.]

((sounds good! if you had more plans for Xingqiu's side of this explore thread, we can handwave them meeting up again after getting chased around by the Kappa and keep it going a little longer. if not, i'm fine with wrapping it up here if you are!))

[rainswords]

[ The loud shout that originates from where they came from causes Xingqiu to peer into the darkness they previously traversed. If he hopes to catch sight of anything, well he would be mistaken, but this is really what he had been afraid of happening when he proposed his plan, that guards would come from multiple directions. At least from what he can tell none are coming from the tunnel he has chosen.

Like his companion, he also flees the scene and all he can do is hope for the best. Perhaps one of them would come to find some valuable information. ]

( ooc: not much for plans and we can wrap up here and have them meet up somewhere else after info sharing maybe with the stuuufffff happening. but to handwaving their meeting Xingqiu will share that he continued leaving marks with chalk and if they do meet he will tell Wei Yuandao how to locate them and what each means, like if he wrote walnut it means there is a deadend ahead that type of thing. he did get some info from yuri about carts being moved about by the kappa but that's it. )