jigokulogs | March 2022 Mini Event

March 2022 Mini Event

MAIN NAVIGATION

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ Since arriving here, Yuri's found himself strangely capable of reading all the foreign text he's encountered, but the ink-black blocks on the advertisement she's showing him? They don't spell out anything or even look like text as he takes the paper in hand and studies it. ]

If the boss says it's fine, sure. I'll check with her, but just so I'm clear, how do these patterns translate into the menu?

[ It says 'scan for menu', and he's scanning! ]

According to the one who gave me these, you're supposed to look at them through your camera on your phone, and it will show you the way to the menu. But...

[and here, she looks aside.]

I'm not perhaps the right person to ask for a demonstration.

[please say there's someone better with technology around. please.]

Interesting. I do have a phone here.

[ Yuri produces the device they'd supplied him with and leans on the counter, fiddling with the buttons until he presses the right one to turn it on. He's got no lock screen because what is security... so what comes up is a plain home page with select apps, defaults untouched. ]

I've only begun to use it myself. Did they say what a camera is?

It's a device to create pictures, near instantaneously. Somehow, they've managed to attach it to this telephone.

[while she isn't one to sneak up on other people, looking around, she points at the application with the icon that had been pointed out to her.]

If you touch that, you'll be able to utilize your device to create the pictures. Supposedly it's straightforward, but I still feel like I need a pair of afternoons to understand what this is meant to do beyond communication.

[just barely stopping herself from commenting that in her time, people wrote notes and letters by hand, as is proper.]

[ Yuri taps on the icon pointed out to him and the display changes, showing the wooden countertop, the plate of samples, and even Emily as he turns his phone, watching it capture the world in its small screen. His expression changes with it, eyes lighting up in surprise. ]

So anyone can create a realistic picture with this device. That's...incredible and somewhat unnerving.

[ Nefarious deeds just got harder... and easier, with the introduction of photo evidence. Before he gets lost thinking through the implications of picture-taking though, he recalls what they're trying to do in the first place. Yuri angles the phone towards the countertop. ]

Let's see those papers.

[she nods in agreement - it is strange, when she thinks of it, everyone having a camera in their hand, but one must adapt to the times such as they are. but the papers, the papers that she had been instructed were key for the parade. offering it up, when the camera catches sight of the code, it pulls up a new window - if he clicks, it says, it will take him to a link.

he'll have to trust it for a moment, if he wants to get anywhere.]

[ Yuri reads over the instructions, then reads it again. He's not seen the word 'link' used in this context, but he taps the phone experimentally. The display changes once more - and would you look at that. Text and pictures of delicious dishes fill the screen. ]

There it is. These patterns really became a menu. [ He looks on in fascination. How did that all work, he has no idea. ]

[coming a bit around, Emily can't help but to peer at the device with wide eyes, entranced by the display. the how of it all working is far beyond her, but the modern world seems filled with impossibilities.]

Goodness...so they were being entirely truthful about this.

[it's one thing to hear it, another to see.]

...Oh! And I did say I would offer to bring back any advertising for those who were kind enough to hold any of our flyers, to promote you as well. Cooperation, for the parade's sake.

Now how can we say no to that? I'll put in a good word with the boss. Wait here a moment, and feel free to help yourself to our samples.

[ Yuri gestures to the yakitori plates as he ducks into the back kitchen with the menu. While he does fluff up a point or two, it's really after taking a look at the pictures that the youkai makes her decision quickly.

He emerges a few minutes later with both approval and a piece of tape to affix the flyer to the storefront. ]

You've got her stamp of approval. We're still finalizing our menu, so all she wants in return is your honest opinion about the food. Did you have a taste?

[she almost declines, since here, some foods were a gamble, but he's gone before she can say anything. there's a joke here to be made about a partial tengu eating chicken, yet thankfully, it goes down well. the sauce on one is sweeter, and she thinks she likes it more, when he returns.]

I have, thank you very much. Tell her that she's cooked the meat well, and out of the options, I prefer the sauce on this one - [indicating her favorite] - since the sweet mixes well with the ginger. Though everyone has different tastes, so keeping two variations is likely ideal. Or more, if she feels inventive.

That flavor has been popular today. Let me write it down.

[ And by write, Yuri means typing on another electronic device that he pulls out from behind the counter, one that's larger than a phone. He navigates the tablet with a bit more familiarity having taken feedback enough times by now, but with the way he peck-types at the keyboard it's still taking him a while. He looks up in between sentences. ]

Where I'm from we'd just use ink and paper. What about you?

The same, for most of my notes. I had a typewriter, but that was for important things...and when I so much as mention it to others, they give me a look I've learned to interpret as "she's shockingly old fashioned."

[a little shrug, but she still keeps a smile on.]

I quite understand it from your side of things far better.

I'll take old-fashioned. I've been straight up called stupid by the brats on the street, hah.

[ He'd gotten a fair bit out of them, in the end, but he'd had to put up with some playground bullying to get there. ]

I suppose they expected a member of the Alliance to know these things better than anyone.

As if an affiliation directly grants one knowledge of the unknown. That would be far too simple.

[she'd spent too long in studies over the years to ever believe that possible.]

That said, the Alliance is my patron as well, so you needn't feel utterly alone, sir.

I'm sure they knew, but couldn't resist a jab at another faction.

[ Faction pride was strong here. Yuri's not hung up over the encounter, but he does want to familiarize himself with the technology as soon as possible. Her words draw a small smile from him. ]

Then we're birds of a feather. No need to be formal. Call me Yuri.

[of a feather, hm...she can't help but wonder if her wings helped influence his choice of words, but she takes it in good faith.]

Emily. It's my pleasure.

Likewise, Emily. Well I think I've held you up long enough. We'd better get back to work, yeah? Our salary is meager enough as it is.

[ In retrospect, that could've taken way less time! ]

I expect I'll see you around, being in the same faction.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

March 2022 Mini Event

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

should we wrap here?