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

Haha, with an introduction like that, I don't know if I will either.

[He pauses briefly to fish out his remaining takoyaki before gesturing for Soma to go on. He figures there's at least a 60% chance that this advice will be at best impossible and at worst a disguised insult, because that's the sort of advice people tend to give him. It's tough out there as an exorcist who's constantly accused of not taking things seriously because his face also appears on ridiculous movie posters.]

But you very kindly didn't laugh at me, so I promise I'll take it to heart and do my best.

Yes, well, I also shouldn't judge a book by its cover, hm?

[ He breathes in sharp to indicate that he is about to sneeze. Which he does a few seconds later; sneezing loudly into his handkerchief and sniffling immediately afterward. Soma takes a second to sniffle yet again before tucking the handkerchief back away. ]

No reason to ruin a nice conversation with cruel laughter.

[ It is what he decides to add before giving his own advice. ]

Most of my advice is rather simple. You already know not to take the contract lightly which means that you'll work hard on anything that you're given. [ A smile. ] It depends on what you want to do with yourself. There is some criminality here, but from what I've found, some "legit" means to carry oneself forward.

I wouldn't be able to help with the legit means, but I would know what to do if you wish to be an enforcer, a debt collector, a proper owner of a ladies' club. [ He lets out a sigh. ] It isn't just being violent... though, there is violence to it, of course. Obviously. [ His own suit says that much. ]

It's the threat of it. No, not just the threat of it. The threat that you'll go further than what they're capable of handling. [ He hums. ] Killing someone is something, but leaving them alive is its own reward.

You follow?

[Natori politely ignores the sneeze, though some part of his mind idly wonders if Soma's got a nosebleed from all of the violence he's clearly been a part of. He nods along, face clear as if he's any novice taking advice from a senpai, as if he the pretty-boy actor-exorcist could possibly approach these sorts of tasks in the same way as the man describing them to him.

He can't help but think to himself, wryly, that Soma was right to question whether he'd be able to follow the advice. If his options were do or die, Natori thinks he could muddle his way through it. They're talking about ayakashi, after all, not people; he knows ways to dispose of difficult ayakashi, of leveraging the threat of an exorcism against an unruly spirit. He could probably pull it off. But as much as he hates ayakashi in general, the idea of being actively cruel to them, in the name of furthering the goals of an already too-powerful ayakashi clan leader...

Natori knows what sort of acting jobs he should pass over, the sort of performances that don't suit him.]

I think I do, yes. [He smiles self-deprecatingly, lightly but comically despairing.] But your assessment was likely right the first time, Soma-san. Luckily for me and my employer both, I'm probably better suited to staying on the 'legit' side. I'm sure I'd make a mess of it, and not in the way Tenko-hime might intend me to.

Honestly, I find that surprising, but --

[ His eyebrows lift as he tilts his head to the side. He lets out a long, pleased sigh; he finally is starting to feel a little more alive now that he has food in his belly and able to rest on the bench. ]

-- I suppose not exorcists are the same, hm?

Do you? I suppose I should feel flattered. It might be a different story if most of my abilities hadn't been sealed, but as it is, I'm only working with what you see in front of you!

[He smiles his friendly media smile again, gesturing down at himself self-deprecatingly. The Natori clan specializes in paper-based spells, and boy do his arms show it (read: scrawny boy).]

Mm, and in this place it seems there are as many different types of exorcists as there are ayakashi. [That said, there's only two of them who insist on using the word 'ayakashi' instead of 'youkai' just about every time they speak, to the detriment of Natori's "pretend he doesn't know who Matoba is" mode of operations.]

And that lizard of yours?

[ He cocks his head to the side, wondering exactly what that is about. Soma feels he has been polite about it this entire time, but it is time to address the lizard in the room. ]

Is that so? [ His expression softens at that remark; he fixes his stare at Natori's face and muses to himself about what is said. The young man's hiding something, but he can't quite pin what it is. Is it the connection to Matoba? What other exorcists are present? Bad blood? The list is endless as to what it could be. ]

Have you run into many? [ Let's start there. ]

Haha, that's just a freeloader. [His face stays neutral and his voice is light as he says it, but it's still a sore spot, doubly so when it's stuck around when all of his spiritual abilities have left him. He turns his head to look over his own shoulder, towards where the lizard is currently resting on his back under his clothes, and jerks in its general direction with his thumb.] My shiki are a lot more useful, but this thing doesn't do anything at all. [As far as he knows, anyway. Gone are the days where he'd obsess over what the lizard could possibly indicate, whether it's a curse or bad luck or something feeding off his lifeforce. Instead, he's reached a stage of zen nihilism over it: either it will kill him or it won't, and there's no use wondering about it when he can't change it.] Ah, but do you want to hear something creepy? It's been on my body for as long as I can remember, but it's never once gone on my left leg. Weird, right?

[Exorcist chat can come in a sec; he needs to be self-loathing about the lizard he's incapable of exorcising first.]

[ His head cants to the opposite when the lizard is named "a freeloader." He muses over the idea that it doesn't do anything at all, but it doesn't seem to be a lie. ]

Guess that means something is not great about that left leg, hm?

[ A pause. ] Pardon me. [ Soma attempts to lean in close to reach out so that he could lightly poke Natori's cheek -- once, twice. It's missing the lizard, but he's just curious. ]

Hello. Kazuki Soma here. Are you able to communicate at all? [ He supposes he could have asked the person themselves, but as mentioned, he was just curious. ]

Probably, right? The doctors have never found anything strange about it, but I still ask at every checkup just in case!

[No he doesn't; he doesn't ask anyone questions about it anymore, not when the best guesses of the exorcist community were that he'd lose that leg one day. Zen nihilism. It is what it is.

It's not the first time that someone's tried to poke the lizard, but it is the first time did it when the lizard wasn't even visible. His cheerful expression turns quickly into sheer bafflement, though Soma gets his pokes in before Natori bats his fingers away with his hand.] It's not even-- it's on my back right now.

[Not that he wants Soma poking his back either?? He leans away like he honestly thinks Soma might follow up.]

It doesn't respond to anything, for the record. [He cuts the "and I could have told you that" tone out of his voice as much as possible, because what a power play for Soma to say he's involved in organized crime and then just poke Natori's face like that.]

Better safe than sorry.

[ Soma decides to say rather than call out the lie. There are certain lies that he sees no reason to point out; it'd ruin whatever relationship that the two of them are building. ]

I thought it might be able to come when called.

[ And he draws his hand back. ] It seems like it really is just a lizard on the skin. [ Oh, well, right? ] That's rather benign all things considered, hm?

[ Actually, going back to another point! ] Do all exorcists have something odd like that with them? I suppose that it'd make sense, wouldn't it? Dabbling with youkai is bound to get you an odd attachment or two. [ As he thinks of Matoba's covered eye. ]

Yes, it's just an ayakashi. [He sits up straight again as Soma backs off, and even goes to defuse the situation by adding a friendly] When I was a child, I'd sometimes try to ask it questions-- turn left for yes, right for no, that sort of thing. If it was listening, it didn't play along. Though really, I should just be grateful that it doesn't speak out loud. Imagine how awkward that could be.

[He can only imagine how much worse it would be if he had to live with something on his skin that could talk to him, whether it weighed in on his actions or just spoke up for itself. Maybe he would have learned to hide what he could see and hear a lot quicker than he did.

Back on the subject of exorcists, and Natori's suspicions are growing stronger and stronger that Soma and Matoba have met. Odd focal points, attachments from dabbling with youkai... But he's a petty bitch and isn't going to bring up Matoba unless asked. The usual policy for operating in Kumamoto.] No, not at all. In fact, every exorcist I've met back home hasn't seen anything like it. ['It' being the lizard, specifically.] Honestly, I might be luckier teaming up with the exorcists here from different countries and traditions. It's a much larger range of expertise than I'm used to.

You've had this youkai since you were a child?

[ Fascinating, really. ]

It's not always nice to be the odd man out. Sometimes we all want a little bit of feeling like we belong. [ Soma attempts to sound sincere in his words, but since that isn't something he believes in it; he can hear the phony salesman pitch tone that his words take.

He pauses to give an apologetic smile to Natori. ] And yet none of them know what the youkai is. If it is skin deep or not, hm. [ He breathes in before he digs around his suit. Taking out a knife that has been dyed red from what he was doing prior, he holds it up. ] Have you tried that yet? Cutting it out?

I couldn't tell you if I was born with it or if it just moved in when I was very young, but I don't remember a time when I didn't have it. [He does remember repeatedly pointing it out to his parents and being told not to tell stories, which is why he can relate to Soma's suggestion of not being the odd one out. Two times over: first for being the only person who could see it, and then when it was still unique even when he found other people who could see the same landscape as he could. So does Natori agree with that sentiment? Absolutely. Does Soma?]

Mm. [He hums noncommittally, more out of politeness than anything else. He once again wonders if Soma is just trying to be empathetic, or if he's actively poking for weak spots. Or just has a strange sense of humor, he amends once the knife comes out.]

I'll pass. It hasn't had any difficulty moving around cuts or bruises, so it seems more likely that you'd just take out a chunk of my skin instead. [And after a moment, he adds] ...Do you not need to clean that off afterwards...?

I wonder if it would do anything if your life was threatened.

[ He looks the knife over, thoughtfully. Before he huffs a laugh out of his nose, he puts the blade away without doing anything more. ]

I do need to clean it before it starts to rust. But I'm also not sure if I'm fond of it enough to keep. [ Soma had been given a nicer blade by someone else, and so the one he used for the petty fights might just end up tossed. ]

Anyway, as scary as all my chatter is, I have no intention of harming you. [ So, what is it? ] Just seeing where your sense of humor lies.

From experience? It wouldn't. [Granted, his life hasn't been threatened in the way Soma is implying (suggesting?)-- usually it's more along the lines of "wretched exorcist, I'll eat you!" or some such from the ayakashi that he's hired to take care of. But talking to Soma feels strangely like those conversations with powerful ayakashi, down to implicit threats of violence. It's interesting that Natori finds himself dealing with them in the same way.

After a moment, he lays his hand on his heart in exaggerated relief.]

Well, that's a relief! Though come to think of it, I wish I could say it's my first time having a bloodsoaked knife brandished at me by a human, but unfortunately the exorcist community has some... complicated politics.

Truly useless, then.

[ The way that he says those words isn't so much as insulting as it is as sympathetic as he can make them sound. If one has to have such an odd creature crawling all over their skin, he would think that it could at least be a little useful in some way. ]

Once it happens a few times, you just end up getting used to it, right? [ His shoulders shake as he silently laughs. The tone of his voice shifting to something much more friendly. They're really getting along now, aren't they? ]

Complicated politics? Is it all right to ask how they're complicated?

Exactly! Just a freeloader, [he repeats lightheartedly. (He hates it so much--)] Mm, actually, maybe it's even more useless here than it normally is? At least back home, I could tell if someone else was capable of seeing ayakashi if they reacted to it.

[Which is obviously a moot point here, where everyone can see it.]

Haha, something like that, though I'd assume you're still more familiar with it than I am. [He feels pretty safe making that assumption-- after all, exorcists only snapped and took drastic, showy actions against the existing power structure a couple of times a year. It was usually a much smaller, quieter resentment: making unexpected partnerships against a common enemy and winnowing away at their resources; inviting in deals with ayakashi to one up the competition.]

Sure, though I don't know how interesting it might be! Mostly we spend a lot of time gossiping when we should be focusing on the ayakashi. Lots of backdoor dealings, hoarding techniques and jobs, stealing research, things like that. It's pretty childish.

Or a youkai in disguise themselves, hm?

[ So, it seems like it did have a purpose, but nothing that can be used presently. How unfortunate. ]

What you talk about sounds very much like the world that I've come from... the criminal one, I mean. [ Soma can't help but give him a little smile, like they're sharing a joke together. He does duck his head down to quietly laugh, because he agrees such business is very childish. It gets in the way of what is really important, but no matter. ]

I thought it might be something a little different, but really... it sounds like all worlds are all about the same, hm?

Also possible! But normally I'd be able to tell, even if they looked human. Paradoxically, only an extremely powerful ayakashi would be able to hide its own spiritual energy that effectively, and it's pretty unusual for them to try.

["Pretty unusual" because he has seen it, particularly with spirits who yearned to be human so strongly that they deluded even themselves about their status. But even then, there were tells.]

It does, doesn't it? No offense to you and your profession, but we exorcists should probably feel embarrassed about that. [Childish. But then again, who is he to be throwing stones? He's got his own biases and stubbornness.] It's an interesting bit of human nature, isn't it? Too bad we had to go to hell to figure it out.

So, really, only a warning system against other exorcists, hm?

[ But that is good information to know, as well. That youkai generally do not attempt to hide themselves, but he understands why they wouldn't. If the average human couldn't see them, why would they try to hide? The only reason they would seems like if they were attempting to avoid exorcists. But he infers that they believe they can kill them so also no desire to hide. Interesting. ]

I suppose that you should be. Most people don't want to be likened to the yakuza and other nefarious individuals. [ Soma chuckles a little bit to himself. ] But do you believe you'll be able to leave this place once your contract is over? Did you make that your price?

Haha, I like that. There really should be a warning system. [And then he just wouldn't have to talk to any other exorcist ever again, and his life would be perfect. Fund it.] If someone makes a joke about me not being allowed in an onsen, I know to avoid them.

[Some little yakuza humor for his new yakuza bud... but talking about contracts is a more serious issue.]

Mmm, well. Like I said before, they likely take the contract seriously, but... [But the price he asked for is such a powerful object that he isn't sure what's worse: if they keep him around for longer because they want to use it themselves, or if they give it back to him, because they have something even worse up their sleeves and don't need it. Maybe it wouldn't be his problem anymore once he left this place, but he has a hard time picturing himself just walking away from a steadily-expanding ayakashi gang war. Too easy for it to spill out into the human realm; he feels like his pride as an exorcist all but requires him to care. But that's for far in the future.] ...I wouldn't be surprised if there were some technicalities to keep us around for a little longer. Ah, but I didn't die to get here, so who knows. It might be easier for me to leave because of that.

[He can say it with such conviction because Matoba, for whatever reason, remembers three days more than he does; remembers talking to Natori again, cleaning up Homura village, playing politics with Ban afterwards. He's not sure of the exact mechanics behind it, but it doesn't really concern him. Time has always moved differently in the ayakashi realm.]

Exorcists really sound like trouble. [ But he offers a smile; both to show that he didn't intend it to mean the present company and also because he enjoyed the joke. ]

Such is the way.

[ Soma offers a small shrug of his shoulders. He doesn't seem all that bothered about the idea that he may be "trapped" in Hell for eternity. In fact, he would be somewhat surprised if that is not where he was going in the first place. All that matters is his price; he doesn't care about anything else but order.

Chuckling to himself, it seems like his undead life is very much like his living. Everything is for the sake of order. ]

I see. So rather than dying, you just happened to slip. Unfortunate, but I do hope that you live a long and happy life as soon as you leave here. [ He does sound somewhat sincere? ]

It's true! [he says agreeably. It's okay, Soma, you can include him alongside the others. He knows he sucks.

It hits him only after Soma's comments, sincere or not, that obviously it isn't the case for everyone here that they have such assurances that they're alive.] Thank you. I'm sorry, I've probably said something insensitive, haven't I? I didn't mean to brag or rub it in if you're not in the same situation as I am.

Hm?

[ His eyebrows lift at the apology. A warm laugh filters out as he reaches out to lightly pat Natori's shoulder; his own shoulders shaking with light laughter. ]

Ah, don't worry about it at all! It's been a few days and I've already gotten used to my circumstances. [ His prize is what matters to him, anyway. ] So, don't feel like you said anything that you shouldn't.

[ And his laughter dies down. ] You should be happy that your circumstances are better than others. It means that you have more of a reason to work to ensure your faction's success, right?

[That seems like a pretty easy-going reaction if Soma is talking about his own death. Natori can't tell if it's a front or not. Maybe it's easier to make peace with it when you're so heavily involved in violence? Natori's certainly aware that he could easily die while doing his work, but he still thinks he'll feel angry once he actually does.]

Haha, spoken like a true former leader! I shouldn't be surprised if you end up becoming a higher up here yourself, should I? [What with the whole "now you can work hard for your faction" vibe.] But is it really right to be encouraging me when we're technically rivals? Unless I missed you at the brothel.

[That's said with a little bit of self-deprecation, because Tamamo sure is living up to its goals.]

March 2022 Mini Event

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that icon struggle, clasps your shoulder in solidarity