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!

• If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
• If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

Comments

[laughitoff]

[he gives a startled little jerk at the sound of her voice, half-rising from the bench. his instinct's to get up and flee before she can get a great look at his uncovered face, but his knees give out immediately, and he sits back down hard with a huff of breath. the opportunity passes; she's peering down at him before he can even begin to get his body to cooperate again. purely unaugmented human bodies are...actually, they're fine, but his arrived in Hell in rough shape.

nothing to do but brazen it out and make like he's not doing anything wrong, he supposes. at least she's not one of the Kappa that pursued him earlier.

he tries a confident smile. it feels as wobbly as the rest of him.]

Ah, well...not as bad as it looks...probably.

[gentlygently]

[All she does is blink at his alarm, unfazed by his apparent struggles. She remains where she is, relaxed and inquisitive.

Her head tilts.]

You cannot stand.

[She points this out as if he's unaware of the fact. And though he smiles at her, she does not make an attempt to mirror it. Smiles are currently problematic in their nuance, and she has no desire to tackle those when she has a more interesting puzzle in front of her. Though, she is a bit apologetic when she says:]

I am unable to evaluate how bad it looks, as I am only familiar with what damage to a human body looks like in theory.

[laughitoff]

[huh! that's a lot of intriguing implications in a couple of sentences. he should probably be more immediately alarmed by them, or immediately curious and wanting to pry for more of what that's about directly. he might be, still. but emotions are filtering in on a delay through his exhausted haze right now.

he registers, at least, that her tone is not accusatory or unkind.]

Not damaged. Just...got excited to get some exercise. Overexerted.

...

Sorry for worrying you.

[gentlygently]

I am not worried.

[She informs him of this point-blank, then fishes for data on the emotional responses she should be mirroring.]

Should I be worried, if you are sorry for it? Is the assumption that you look bad enough that that would and should be my automatic reaction?

[She's still processing his words, though, and takes them face-value. Her baseline information suggests that, yes, this reflects her descriptions of an 'exhausted' human distress state. She files away the example.]

But I understand. Overexertion will force you into a rest state. [She glances at their surroundings.] This location is sub-optimal for such an occurrence.

[laughitoff]

[he's from a timepoint most of the scattered inhabitants of his city would consider 'ancient.' he doesn't have any of the references that a modern person might have to contextualize the way she's speaking. but he also knows there's something odd about the questions she's asking, the understanding she's trying to achieve...

it's enough for him to drag himself a little more upright on the bench to stare at her, eyebrows raised, equally and openly curious.]

Well. I was surprised there was any sort of out-of-the-way place in this city, really, so I'll still count it as lucky, ah. And, well, yes, I'm not vain enough to think I look great right now, unworried maiden.

[she's right, though; other people could wander across here at any point. he tests his legs again gingerly, whether they'll support him for long -- whoops. hm. nope!]

[gentlygently]

Then I will be worried.

[Her brow furrows and she cobbles together an expression from a few of the ones that have been directed at her since she arrived that seemed negative, but on her behalf. It's a bit wonky, more 'disconcerted' than 'worried' but it's an attempt. And she...still doesn't help him when he falls, but the fact that he does not seem to be able to get up...she does have a solution to that.]

And I will assist you to a better resting place. [Her frown deepens, indicating greater negative emotion.] My body is not overexerted. Do you have an optimal location for rest that you would like to be assisted to?

[laughitoff]

[he's at least caught himself on the edge this time -- his arms are working better than his legs -- so he doesn't completely faceplant and humiliate himself in front of her. fuck, though, it's been a long time since he's felt this physically helpless? the leaden feel of it seems like it's beginning to seep into his thoughts as well, making everything greyer and slower than it should be.

he tries to shove the feeling back, gulps another deep breath, and looks back up at her]

Yes, but which faction are you with? If you're not from my area, there might be problems...

[not that she couldn't lie to him, either way, but...without SOME kind of assistance, he's a sitting duck. and even if she doesn't happen to be from Sutoku, it's not like he doesn't want the other factions to know anyway, eventually. he'll take the risk.]

[gentlygently]

[Her 'worried' expression doesn't ease, now that she's found it. The distress is more obvious now, especially when he flounders in catching himself. She has no native empathy, so this is definitely a learning experience, and now that she knows to be worried, letting him hit the ground and creating more distress seems counterproductive.

At least the answer to his question is easy.]

Sutoku Alliance.

[It's good he has a location to go to. So it is easy enough to formulate her own question in return.]

May I physically assist you? I would need to touch you to do so, but I require confirmation that this would not make your uncomfortable.

[She is confident in this question even as she eyes him, sizing him up. As he is seated, she cannot determine his height, but by her estimation he is taller. However, it is debatable if he weighs more between her artificial construction and his...

Actually, now that she is observing closely beyond 'human and distressed' he seems to carry around less meat than in her observations of other human and human-like individuals of similar height. While she does not understand the significance of this, it does mean she has more options in the type of support and/or transport she can offer.]

[laughitoff]

[that is the kindest assessment of 'good lord, how long has this guy not been eating' that Wei Wuxian is likely to get in his early days in Jigokucho, and he's only getting it because Ophelia doesn't yet have enough data on humans in good health versus humans who are...not. oh dear.

he does seem openly relieved at hearing she's from Sutoku. small mercies. if she'd said Enma he would be a lot less sure what to do.]

Yeah, it's--yeah, that would be appreciated. No need to strain yourself if it's too much, though.

...either way, let's talk a bit more once we're not out in the open.

[gentlygently]

Then we will talk later. For now, I believe that carrying you and/or supporting you would be within the weight and fatigue tolerances of this body.

[She's polite about informing him of this as she moves closer. Once within reach, she studies him as she's trying to figure out how to do this. The options she has in her database are bare descriptions and she's unaware of the actual mechanics of...how. It's a puzzle. So she watches him a little blankly as she tries to puzzle through it.]

As you cannot stand, I am to carry you. As such, you are much larger than I am and therefore—

[She pauses and lifts her arms a little awkwardly. Her voice goes a little halting and slightly unnatural with her uncertainty.]

Over. My shoulder? On my back?

[laughitoff]

Haah...if you let me lean on your shoulder, that should be fine. I'm not so close to death I need to be fully carried just yet.

[he is, unfortunately, very experienced in the vagaries of just how far he can push his own human body! and also in how far he can push other human bodies, incidentally, but that's a much messier topic and not relevant to what's happening right now.

anyway, he can walk, slowly, if he's supported; maybe carrying him would be more practical, but he has his pride.]

[gentlygently]

Then you are welcome to lean.

[She reassures him of this as she offers a single arm this time for leverage and assistance. Of course, if and when he takes her up on it, she has no idea where they're going to be going nor how long it will take them to get there. Even as she encourages him upright, she presents this question.]

Where are we going? Is it far? If you collapse, I am carrying you.

[She says this very practically. Less a warning and more a statement of intent.]

[laughitoff]

[he makes a faint, embarrassed noise, but points the way]

Fifteen minutes...? I don't live that far off.

[of course, the estimate is longer when he's setting the pace at 'slow and exhausted,' but he can manage it without her actually carrying him, though his lean on her arm is quite heavy. one foot in front of the other, the goal at the end. he's felt worse and still made his way out of battlefields, he tells himself, but it's scant comfort.

they get some looks, but he does his best to come off as 'drunk' instead of something more suspicious, and it seems to work all right to make sure the stares don't linger.]