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]

[Is he enjoying it? Has he ever, really?

It's Travis who comes to mind as those words run through Kamui's head. He's been on his mind a lot this week: he'd have revelled in the chaos at the casino earlier, tried out half the ramen shops in town by now. Kamui wonders, heart sinking in his chest, what Travis would say about simply following someone else's lead all over again. But he's powerless here-- he doesn't even know if his presence in Jigoku-cho is meant to be, or if things in his own world are going more and more askew the longer he remains.

Live in the light, he thinks glumly; I'm trying, but I just haven't got a choice this time, Trav.]

I'm able to follow just fine, Soma-san. [is what he decides on, the tone of his voice even as he stares down into his bento.

He utters a quiet 'ah' of surprise as Soma nudges him, the contact pulling him thoroughly out of his reverie. Kamui looks over at Soma once more, frowning. In a way, Soma's right: in the 25th Ward, everything was ordered as it was, every person slotted into their correct role within ligt or shadow, for a reason. He is well aware of the delicate balance of the city's many legal and extra-legal organizations, so very much like Jigoku-cho's-- and his own role, embedded deep within and yet fully outside of them all.

The light... Is it really so greedy, to dream of more than that? A life beyond one's destiny?]

I'll see what I can do. [But work's work. If he ever returns to the HCU, who knows.] But they typically take care of it themselves. There's no way to return to your old identity once it's been discarded, after all. Leaving the realm of the living is the only option left in the end.

[trueorder]

Well, that's wonderful!

[ In complete opposite of the even tone, Soma sounds downright delighted. His chopsticks set down on his bento box. He lifts his hands up to clap them together to make a sharp, sudden noise. It was meant to be a nice punctuation mark to the end of his sentence, but well, there was too much of a pause. ]

What you're saying makes sense to me. [ He holds his hand out, gesturing lightly in the air, as he feels a sense of relief that order will be maintained in some other world.

Of course, he thinks of what Yagami said. Yagami was going to drag him into the light and leave him no shadows to hide within. How absolutely irritating! Those shadows weren't meant to hide him but a tool to ensure balance.

His fingers curl down as his hand drops. Picking up the chopsticks with a little more vigor than needed, he runs his tongue along his teeth -- sucking against the enamel until it makes a popping sound. ]

I wish all things worked so well. [ Soma draws those words out as he starts stabbing, digging through his rice. ] I started the conversation topic and then I'm the one that ends up irritated by it. How does that work, huh?

[ He turns to address Kamui with a wide smile and sudden laugh. Like the two of them are actually friends. ]

1/2

[metafictions]

[soma why are you like this]

[metafictions]

[He's not amazing at people, but he's also not blind. It's plain to see that Soma is, in fact, irritated-- the man sounds pleased as can be, but he's stabbing his mound of rice a bit too vigorously.

It reminds Kamui of a dog, baring its teeth.

In return, he offers a reserved smile back. His mouth stays closed.]

Well, we've both had a very long day. Maybe we should stop talking about work.

[God knows his body already hurts. If he contemplates anything deeper than the omelette in his bento after all of this, he's going to have a headache soon, too. He leans back against the bench and focuses on his food, rather than the pain.]

At least until we've finished eating?

[trueorder]

I suppose I am feeling a little more worn than usual.

[ He can't deny that returning to the bottom and having to crawl his way back up is tiring -- emotionally and physically. But if a person were to ask him if he were displeased or frustrated with his current lot; he would have to say he isn't. This is just the way of things, so -- he shrugs and accepts the new order of the world. ]

I am getting a better feel of the world. I like to know how the flow of chaos and order is. With such things in mind, it allows you to know how much you can push and pull things.

[ He hums, then shakes his head: ] Ah, but we said we were going to stop talking on this until we finished eating. Sorry. [ Soma couldn't resist. ]

Anyway, how are your living arrangements?

[metafictions]

It's fine. When our roles here seem so contingent upon work-- and the push and pull of these clans to which we've been assigned-- it's hard to put it out of mind completely.

[To be honest, he's still thinking about it regardless of what he's just said. Just like Soma, he's a workaholic-- and, just like Soma, he's concerned about the flow of this world. Though his thoughts range a half-step higher than the simple political conflicts between clans.

His inability to feel the boundaries of this reality, however, are another can of worms entirely. Much worse conversation than anything else they've talked about so far, to be certain.

Kamui hums, and between bites, replies:] They're... fine. [His place is largely bare, in other words.] I hadn't been expecting much: we are all fairly low rung right now, after all. As long as I've got a place to sleep at night, I'll be all right.