jigokulogs | March 2022 Mini Event

March 2022 Mini Event

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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.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Lan Wangji hears the faint splash and ragged gasp, as Wei Wuxian finds some deep reserve in himself. he makes the final push forward instead of letting the currents finish dragging him to a worse fate. he's well beyond his second wind, but momentum gets him scrambling onto the shore once he can get traction on the riverbank, and at least nominally into cover. he doesn't chance looking back; he's water-blinded for the moment.

that's what makes his luck run out. he tries to pull himself to his feet, but trips over a root and goes sprawling wholly flat. his own labored breath roars in his ears. for a frightening moment he can't make his body work again, can't find the strength, and he's hearing the scream of the dead around him, instead of the rush of the river]

[unheard through the pounding blood in his ears, there's further splashing, as Lan Wangji makes enough of a muddle of his attempted "pursuit" to "assist" the Kappa that they hesitate, pausing to regroup. Wei Wuxian's fall gave him only one advantage to work with: that his face-first descent into a hollow between ornamental tree roots took him out of line-of-sight from the level of the water.

out of the confusion, Lan Wangji reaches shore in a few last, powerful swimming strokes that still don't rival the movement of the kappa through the water. but as he ducks low to dash up the shore, the changed shape of the white silhouette of his robes in the dimming light makes it just that much harder to get a read on what he's doing, or which way he's going. it's not stealth, but it is tactics he's used before to dodge attacks from a distance.

that gets him up the bank and to Wei Wuxian's side, where he can grab his shoulder and haul him up in one movement, getting them both moving forward again. he keeps Wei Wuxian in front of him, dark-robed and hard to see, and he will straight up take his weight if he can't keep them moving forward as if in chase any other way.

there's some room to maneuver between the bank and the city limits. Lan Wangji is desperately doing math in his head, working out escape routes if the Kappa don't stop; urgently, as they run:]

Where?

Edited 2022-03-15 21:26 (UTC)

[he has to drag Wei Wuxian the first few steps, because when that horrible moment of weakness passes he instinctively fights the grip. but Lan Wangji is stronger and keeps the momentum going, and they stumble uphill and away, and Wei Wuxian seems to realize he's being helped and not hauled back and starts working with him at last, barely.

he's up but shaking, a fine tremble laced all through his muscles, internally cursing how poor a shape he's in. he remembers being able to swim twice that length, with water ghouls or spirits in comparable pursuit, with ease -- but that was a long time ago, he reminds himself. he's just got to work with what he has now. fuck.

he twists away from Lan Wangji's grip when he asks, and beckons, still moving away from their pursuers but veering east as well. they're off-course from the route he'd plotted out beforehand, but not so badly they can't correct. he doesn't say shit. he hasn't realized Lan Wangji has recognized him anyway, and he still thinks he can get out of this without that happening, as long as he doesn't open his mouth or take off his face covering in front of the man.]

[Lan Wangji doesn't disabuse him of this notion -- he doesn't realize he doesn't know, and he'd be baffled at the idea that he wouldn't be expected to recognize Wei Wuxian deaf, drunk and blindfolded. but then again, memorizing the very footfalls of someone who you only want to imprison would be very weird, even for as peerless a jailer as Hanguang-Jun. and they have rather different understandings of Lan Wangji's potential motivation.

his breath is harsh in his own lungs. he's in much better physical and spiritual shape than Wei Wuxian, and his stamina is holding good, but even he is missing his golden core. on the surface, the weakness doesn't show; he can still control his breathing well enough for that.

he'll follow Wei Wuxian's direction without a word, but he's loath to let him twist entirely away from his touch, not when he's this exhausted. he'll keep a hand on his back for support, steadying his steps.]

[he flinches ahead of the touch a little bit a couple of times, but he can't really go fast enough to escape it entirely, yeah. they're heading roughly towards a tangle of low buildings just barely visible through the trees now, a land maze the Kappa will like less than their liquid one. on the way he dips just long enough to tear a plastic bag full of more dark clothing under a bush.

they can't afford to stop and rest and change quite yet, but hopefully soon. Lan Wangji can hear the sharp rasp of his breath, even if he's not speaking.]

[when they're almost to the city edge, Lan Wangji grabs his wrist long enough to tug him to a stop. his voice is a low growl of warning.]

Guards.

[he was working with Enma at the checkpoints, earlier today; he knows where they have patrols planned in the evening hours.

it's not that the Department of Enma will necessarily care that Wei Wuxian tweaked the Kappa's or the Sukotu Alliance's tails, but the Alliance doubtless has their own eyes inside the other factions... and Lan Wangji isn't interested in seeing the Department of Enma gain something to hold over Wei Wuxian's head.

he jerks his head to the right, a slightly different approach.]

This way.

[he doesn't need to see Wei Wuxian's expression to see the sharp calculation in his narrowed eyes, when he looks at him. it's not great to keep going with Lan Wangji; the longer he does, the more likely he'll have to actually unmask in front of him!

(it does not even cross his mind that Lan Wangji would continue to help him even knowing who he was. that simply does not seem possible.)

there's a distant snapping of twigs behind them, though, and he glances that way. they can't delay further. he doesn't know the Enma guards' routes. fine. he turns to the right.]

[Lan Wangji's heart is pounding, but his mind is still clear and cold. his hands are steady. he's spent a long time carefully reinforcing his natural tendency towards a level head for just this reason: he's reliable in a crisis. he can decide what he wants to do, weigh the odds, and stick with it.

right now, he's going to take one more cue from having spent the day with the Department of Enma. he'll duck the patrols and head for one of the abandoned checkpoints. he knows that the contraband got cleared out when the market took down its stalls, so the temporary holding containers they were using for the forbidden wares should be empty.

he has one of the keys with him, tucked into his sleeve; he hands it to Wei Wuxian when they get there.]

Hurry.

[Wei Wuxian just stares at him for a moment. there's a tumble of thoughts going through his head, threatening to work their way past his teeth and pour from his mouth: why are you helping me? aren't you still concerned with wrongdoing? aren't I am obvious wrongdoer? do you think I'll share information with you if you assist; does that make it worth it? are you suspicious of the Sutoku Alliance too? why did it have to be you, of all people?

fortunately, he's got some common sense, enough to know not to dawdle in a situation like that. he grabs the key with a stiff nod, unlocks the container, and ducks inside with his bag.]

[he doesn't hear any footsteps leading away from the container. Lan Wangji must still be just outside...?

(he's got his back to the door, scanning both sides of the street; wary, wary. he can't afford for Wei Wuxian to be seen here and put Lan Wangji as well as himself on the bad sides of both the Department of Enma and the Sukotu Alliance alike. he can feel the ticking-down of the limited timeline before it'll become impossible to return to the Kappa, still damp, to report on the escape of the trespasser.

he stands like a rock despite the threat, waiting patiently.)]

[luckily for them both, Wei Wuxian doesn't mistrust Lan Wangji so badly that he barricades himself in the container instead of following his plan, though it comes close. he scrambles out shortly in a relatively nondescript gray robe and a cheap plastic mask instead of the full head covering, his hair wrung out and in a ragged ponytail to at least nominally disguise how he wears it.

he wishes he could take a breather at this point instead of continuing to scramble, but the tiny break at least lessens his wheezing briefly. tries to disguise it as he nods to Lan Wangji, poised to see what move he'll make next]

[Lan Wangji turns back when he hears him emerge and holds out his hand for the key, meeting Wei Wuxian's eyes through his disguise as if it's so much glass to him. his gaze flicks to the right, signalling where he expects more company -- but not quite yet.

he is very calm, standing there in his wet robes.]

Discard the mask soon. Its description will be remembered.

[he nearly flinches away when Lan Wangji meets his eyes through the mask, but -- no, there's no way. there's no way he could know.

inclines his head instead, gets the door locked again, and thrusts the key at him, biting his tongue on words of thanks or otherwise]

[Lan Wangji doesn't seem to expect them, as Wei Wuxian drops the key into his hand, as he closes his fingers around it and gives Wei Wuxian one more slight nod.

he just turns to the right -- the place he'd just identified as the direction of potential pursuit? -- and... goes, without another word.]

[he stares after him another moment, still flabbergasted, then remembers he can't waste any more time here and hightails it as far onward as he can, before finally half-collapsing deeper into the city and getting found by some other people...

at some indeterminate point after all that, though, he is absolutely going to skulk back to check on the area again, and see if Lan Wangji took another shift there, and check that the Kappa didn't taze him and throw him in the river.

he paces around and tells himself not to do it, that it's a stupid move, that he still doesn't owe him anything, but eventually he finds himself heading over there anyway.]

[as he approaches the bridge, he sees a tall, straight figure standing on it, illuminated by moonlight in a frankly unreasonable display of lighting assets, looking out into the water. it's dressed all in white... he can't tell if it's still damp, from this far distance.

...

Lan Wangji doesn't lie. but it's amazing how much you can get away with by simply showing back up at the place you wouldn't dare return if you'd helped your prey escape, inform them of the simple, true fact that he got away, and offer to take your punishment for failing to stop him.]

[does he look like he took any punishment at all. he doesn't, does he. throw this man and his unreasonable heaven-blessed and author-condoned aesthetics in the river.

then again, Wei Wuxian kind of wants to throw himself in the river for being stupid enough to come back, so maybe they're on the same level, in whatever nonsense weighing scale he's got going on in his head right now.

squints up at him, trying to figure out a bit more about his condition without letting on that he's there, if he can.]

[his condition is STARING MYSTERIOUSLY OUT OVER THE WATER, shadows hiding his pale face when he tilts his head to check on a splash and make sure it's just a fish and not another escapee...

at the very least, he's not too hurt to stand. maybe it's fine?]

[...

cool! it is now Stand Around And Fidget, Because You Are Too Angry At This Man To Evidence And Ask About Concerns Openly, But Also You Unwillingly Feel Like You Owe Him For Saving Your Bacon Twice Now, Even Though He Didn't Know It Was You The Second Time And You Didn't Ask For It Either Time, So You Feel Uncomfortable About Walking Away But Also Uncomfortable About Engaging time! absolutely his favorite! oh, hell.

luckily if he hesitates long enough, Lan Wangji is bound to notice him anyway, due to not really being under cover when he's scanning the area.]

[see, this is why Lan Wangji doesn't like accepting thanks for helping Wei Wuxian! Wei Wuxian is right. he didn't ask for it. he wouldn't have taken it, given a choice; has made it clear, in fact, that he'd literally rather die than accept Lan Wangji's concern. help from Lan Wangji is an insult, given by someone Wei Wuxian despises so deeply he believes he'd try to buy his way out of punishment from his family for what he did after Nightless City. that he'd turn around and slaughter innocents for the sake of showing cooperation with the sects, instead of standing by his decisions and the people he'd made them for.

(and doesn't it make sense that Wei Wuxian wanted him to get lost back then, now that Lan Wangji knows that part? how could you trust someone you think would do that to help you further? how could you want someone that faithless at your side...?)

he's aware.

but, he still couldn't not do it. couldn't stop himself from trying then, or earlier this month, or now. he doesn't even want to, and he won't pretend it's not selfish. Wei Wuxian could despise him with justice for this, too.

it's not that he's exactly standing around and thinking this through as he surveys the rippling dark water under the bridge. he has a job to do, and he's too conscientious not to focus on that. but he carries the conclusion heavily, with his scars. they're all a part of him now.

it doesn't take him as long as Wei Wuxian would have preferred before he sees the dark figure, his eyes go wide, and he moves quickly away from his post again, swift and silent and heading Wei Wuxian's way.]

[Wei Wuxian finds himself unprepared, despite having come out this far for this very thing. he does not--want to have this interaction, this confrontation. he thinks it will be a confrontation, or his body certainly does, shoulders already tensed against the inevitability of it.

why did he come out here? what does he even hope to get out of this? nothing, that's what.

he holds still as a spooked deer, nonetheless. maybe a miracle will happen and Lan Wangji will punch him in the face, and then they can have a straightforward fight, and he can go get drunk afterwards to numb the wounds and feel a little better.]

[Lan Wangji isn't pulling any punches, apparently; he comes right up to Wei Wuxian, only a few short feet separating them, eyes narrowed and blazing. he looks him urgently up and down for... something?

(he's trying to gauge how recognizable Wei Wuxian will be, in darkness, to the same kappa, if he's seen. it's hard to be certain. it's not like he's known to them; not like Lan Wangji knows him. how much does that change things?

Lan Wangji isn't sure.)

his voice is lowered to nearly a hiss when he speaks, equally urgent.]

Wei Ying.

[he's done a pretty good job changing his silhouette, actually. he'd worn a dark, close-fitting outfit when he went in the sewers, and he's back in the billowing but threadbare robes he came to Jigokucho in, which disguise the details of his frame somewhat. it wouldn't have been easy for them to get a straight-on look at him either to mark his height--he'd been ducking and weaving when he wasn't in the water--though of course not impossible.

he's also pretty good at putting on an attitude like he has every right to be here. what sneaking? what crime? it's a public riverbank, and he's been doing his part to guard it like a good little faction member. raises his eyebrows]

What, Hanguang-Jun.

[Lan Wangji... is never very readable at the best of times, but he visibly relaxes slightly as he takes all of those preparations in -- that, and the fact that Wei Wuxian hasn't apparently sustained any major injury. lets a careful breath of relief out.

actually, Wei Wuxian's assumption of "why would I have any shame in returning?" is pretty good. Lan Wangji knows for a fact that it worked on the Kappa on his own behalf; they never seriously considered the idea that he'd helped the escapee, just because he'd had the nerve to come back.

Lan Wangji can strengthen that impression for both of them, now that they're both here and he's thinking about it.]

My watch ends in less than one incense time.

Guard with me, until then.

Edited 2022-03-24 06:45 (UTC)

[he's gotten his own look at Lan Wangji, and concluded much the same in turn about his hypothetical injuries. he feels a little bit relieved about it, heavens know why. the feeling's uncomfortable, but it -- and the niggling sense of debt, even if Lan Wangji doesn't know he's owed it (Wei Wuxian thinks) -- does compel him to listen to the request.]

Fine. Why, have there been any disturbances here?

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