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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• If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

Comments

[metafictions]

Past that, I mean.

[He can't help but mirror her; here they sit, two not-quite-strangers awkwardly contemplating their teacups together.]

You didn't simply send me on my way as soon as I looked all right. Twice, although our clans are at odds, you've shown me to your home. It's... [More time than most would've spared for him, by far, in that cold and impersonal 25th Ward. He trails off. Takes another sip of tea, picks over his words.

His words aren't as confident, now, but they're spoken earnestly.]

I would be happy to call you a friend, Emily. Even here.

[medicative]

[his words are surprising, but she looks up to him, and her expression softens, the smile she wears a true one.]

I'd be honored if you did, Kamui.

[and this is the truth - as swift as she is to reach out and aid others, to give of herself, the word friend implies more than that, a mutual conversation.]

Our groups might be opposed, but as people, we have no more reason to divide ourselves along those lines beyond "they said so." That's not a good enough reason for me to deny proper care. If we can be friends in spite of whatever is going on amongst the higher-ups, I'd truly like that.

[metafictions]

Thank you.

[It's slight and shy, half-hidden by his cup of tea, but his smile is still the easiest and warmest one that Emily will have ever seen on Kamui's face.]

I agree with you completely. A contract is a contract, but I'm not interested in partisanship. It's all arbitrary, really... we have more in common with each other as lost souls than the local clans and their leaders.

[medicative]

Exactly. And beyond the contracts, they haven't given us much reason yet to draw our own divisions. While I'm sure there are reasons and old grudges and a myriad of things that will reveal themselves, for now I can only bid my patrons understand that I would rather stay with those displaced.

[her own tea warms her hands, and in the distance, there's the sound of a crowd passing by.]

Besides, if I see someone I can reasonably help, with my skills or my time, I'd like to help them. Why should I ask their affiliation before I do so? Injuries and illness come to us all.

[metafictions]

Of course. It must be especially true for you, as a practitioner.

[It's mid-day, after all: maybe people are starting to leave the office. Kamui only spares the nearest window a short glance before he turns back to Emily, taking another drink of his tea.]

To be frank, I'm sure we're being deceived by this place somehow. There are too many loopholes in this world for it to make much sense as a true "hell". And I'm certain I'd remember it if I were dead.

[Quite certain.]

I'd rather help my fellow captives, is all.

[medicative]

[it's a subtle thing, the way Emily's hand tightens just a little on her cup when Kamui declares he'd know if he was dead. but she sips from it, and realigns herself enough.]

You can help me a little more if you answer one more question. That sandwich you had when I found you - was that the drugged item?

[if these are being paid for, then she can't do much. but if it's free, she has so many things to warn people of.]

[metafictions]

[Emily's reaction is almost invisible. He's trained to notice the slight adjustment in her grip, however, so Kamui does. Such a reaction could mean anything: that Emily fears death, that she is one of the many who are certain they were killed on the way to Jigoku-cho.

Kamui holds onto it in his mind nonetheless. This one's intuition, not his eye.

But back to business:] Yes, it must have been. It was the only thing I'd eaten that was served on that clan's territory. I paid for it, but there were samples of it and other items.

[medicative]

So it stands to reason that nearly anything on that territory at present might have different effects...oh, I can't truly believe that they'd do that and leave people ignorant of the end results, or perhaps it's culturally known to be a risk you take? Or it's all in due course for the Night Parade.

[she'd like to not distrust chefs based on their affiliation alone, after all.]

That's why the samples. So you could test the effects.

[metafictions]

A man I met told me never to take food from ayakashi. [Thanks to the auto-translate, Emily might pick up that it's a slightly older term.] I would believe it as a cultural risk, personally.

Especially after all those drugged drinks at the welcome event.

[That was the first time he'd been here. Maybe it was for the better that the two of them had both skipped out on it.]

[medicative]

I see.

[she nods, deciding to not say at the moment, technically, he was drinking tea with one in the room.]

Caution is admirable, but if you insist on never taking food from them, you'll only be eating your own cooking from here on out. Therefore, I say simply be aware of what you choose to patronize, and use your own discretion.

Or, if you wind up feeling ill in the future, call me if you can manage it.

[metafictions]

[hibiki-chan.... bestie.... he's not due to meet you for another thread.

Kamui smiles modestly:] I'm not a terrible cook, but I'd still rather enjoy eating out. I'll take your advice, Emily: hopefully you won't need to rescue me again.

[would you look at that. he's polished his cup of tea off.]

Thank you again for giving me a chance to rest. Let's have one more cup together before I go?