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

[strikingchords]

[Lan Wangji blinks. and blinks again. the kitsune pauses for a moment, because the adult said something weird, then decides that it's a trap and continues the final race for the bottom of the rice bowl -- they're going to hit the stage where they can turn back into a fox and lick it clean any second now.

the adult who'd given them food isn't sure whether this is teasing or not. but when in doubt, he has a foolproof strategy: respond with exactly the same solemnity that he uses to respond to everything else.]

No need.

[there really, really isn't. just thinking about Lan Yuan makes his chest tight. he's sure that he's being taken care of diligently by the rest of the clan, but he misses him; his child now, Wei Wuxian's son, for all that they aren't related by blood. A-Yuan and he had been a powerful comfort to each other, those past months before he'd arrived at Jigoku-cho.]

Children are a blessing. They must be cared for.

I am grateful.

[that earns him another pause, as the baby kitsune absorbs with horror that someone just said something so serious and embarrassing. then they transform back into a many-tailed fox kit with a poof and yap at Lan Wangji in consternation before grabbing the bowl in their mouth and making a break for it.

Ophelia is correct, children are clearly the worst.

the stranger doesn't seem particularly phased by this, though. he just frowns in the direction the fox kit escaped until the dust kicked up by their bolt settles.]

...

Hm.

[gentlygently]

[Ophelia nods in acknowledgement of his words, both the 'no need' as well as his comments about his child. Or children in general? She thinks that perhaps his words apply a bit universally. It's only when the kitsune turns into a fox and high-tails it from the vicinity that she realizes that she made an assumption that she perhaps should not have made. She has no idea how to read him, but she has no idea how to read anyone, so she's not too fussed about it. Still, the frown suggests a negative reaction to the leave-taking.]

Ah. I assumed that the... [She gestures in the direction that the kitsune disappeared.] Child. Was not your child. Because you did not refer to them as your son when you spoke. Was this an error?

If they are your child, I offer another apology, as it is equally terrible that you are here without an important member of your family as it is to have them here in hell with you.

[strikingchords]

[ah; that complexion on her words does make a lot more sense than... whatever it was that Lan Wangji was assuming. he's not sure, actually, because his response was so visceral and immediate. he can't hold "sorry" and "A-Yuan" in the same space in his head. there's just no room in him to have regret about the choices he made there: he's grateful, grateful, grateful.

with her regret clarified, he finds himself wondering whether all of the yao children here have died to reach this hell, or whether the spirit realm is simply their natural home... now that it's on his mind, he hopes rather fervently for the latter. he doesn't want to think of that cheerful, irreverent kit in pain or dying, either.

(is he dead? he still isn't sure how he came to be here. he wonders at what point he'll know.)]

No error. My son is elsewhere.

[he'll absently start to clean up the kit's leftover mess, automatically fastidious...]

That child was hungry.

[gentlygently]

[She nods to both answers, then observes him cleaning up the table.]

Would you like assistance?

[It's a blatant bid to extend their interaction, and she follows it with a polite:]

My name is Ophelia.

[OOC: Did you want to continue, or chalk this up as a brief first meeting and kick up a new thread for the new month? :)]

[strikingchords]

[he's not... opposed to this interaction, strange at it is. Ophelia is both polite and direct about what she wants, and that honestly goes a long way with him these days.

after considering it for a moment, he nods.]

My thanks.

Courtesy name, Lan Wangji.

[he'll move to continue cleaning up the plates, passing her some if he sees a good opportunity for it.]

((I am happy to do either/or! my ooc plotting comment for April is here and I've put some links in the replies to that already if you want to hit any of that up. ♥))