jigokulogs | September 2022 Mini Event

September 2022 Mini Event

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While an official announcement hasn't been made yet, it is all but guaranteed that each faction will be sending out forces into the Wasteland to confront Iron Bear for that 100 Billion Bounty. Meanwhile, though...

1. SHUTEN CLAN

Training Day

The street gangs in the area continue to be of note. Normally, this would be a cause for some concern among the Shuten Clan. However, they're good news this time around. The glory of the bounty has caused several of the old gangs to disband and swear up with the Shuten Clan, instead of being a thorn in Toraguma's side. With new recruits, that means it's training day again. Get the new guys into shape by showing them the ropes. Team up among yourselves and instruct these unruly street bros what it means to be a member of the Shuten Clan!

Training day is expected to be rough, but hopefully it's a nice change of pace to be the one barking orders. Initiation rituals can range from hardcore drinking contests, to tests of physical strength, all the way to old reliable: fighting it out. You have a long lead on how creative and demanding you want to be. It's your clan too, after all.

Tools of the Trade

The bounty has just boosted the Shuten Clan's numbers, it has also triggered an increase for demand in weapons and arms. The Shuten's are seeing increased profits in their smuggling business. Sellers are being met with both would-be bounty hunters, and average citizens who are feeling anxious about the state of the world. Currently, Shuten arms shipments are a target to both thieves and the police. They need your protection. Thieves are not necessarily unaffiliated, the other factions would like in on this profit margin.

The Shuten Clan is calling on their lost souls to help transport, protect, and sell weapons. They want you to get these arms into the hands of anyone with the cash. To make your sales, you may want to demonstrate the unique benefits of the different options available. Clients come from all factions, so be on your best behavior to impress, and don't get caught up in a stupid sting operation. The Clan is not interested in losing money bailing you out.

OOC note; Any character outside Shuten can post a top-level trying to obtain Shuten weapons, either purchasing or attempting to steal them. Enma characters can also post top-levels related to this prompt.

2. TAMAMO CLAN

Bottom's Up

The fervor surrounding the bounty and the Wasteland is stressful. The Tamamo Clan specializes in stress relief of all kinds, and they are offering up some new potions just for the occasion. Some of these shady products are little more than placebos, while others might have actual effects. No one can really tell which is which, they all taste the same (read: bad). They might make you feel relaxed, or they might make you even more stressed out. That stress might even end up radiating onto the people around you. Who knows what they'll do, really. It's a dicey option, but maybe the distraction is worth it.

As this is the Tamamo Clan we're talking about, some of these potions will be aphrodisiac in nature. Hey, it's a form of stress relief. Still, the quality and intensity of these potions varies greatly, you don't entirely know what kind of ride you're signing up for.

The big gaps in quality of these potions is due to their rushed creation. Like all the other factions, the Tamamo Clan has other priorities right now as they prepare to head out...

OOC note: This is another "anyone can post a top level related to this prompt" one. We do ask if you're leaning towards the aphro option to properly label your top levels with the appropriate warnings!

Ancient Arts

Even the relaxed Tamamo Clan is feeling the tension in the city. Tenkohime has ordered mandatory weapons drills with the magical weapons in the Clan's armory. She's preparing for war and wants everyone to be at their best. You need to know every tool at your disposal. There are seals, explosives, traps, and more; some stranger than others. Test them on each other and maybe the unsuspecting members of other factions... Just try not to actually kill each other.

Weapons drills will be conducted where lost souls are encouraged to experiment with how different seals will interact with different weapons and abilities. Those who opine that the Tamamo Clan is merely the clan of "fox bitches" will be in a for a rude awakening when all the smiling threats become reality. Tenkohime herself, along with the old fox Kinsei, will be supervising training. Hunter Anna, who works alongside Kinsei in the armory, is also available to share a wealth of knowledge and tips.

They are all watching you with high expectations.

3. SUTOKU ALLIANCE

Jigokucho's Got Talent Part 2

While the last-minute help with filling holes in various clubs bookings was appreciated, a more permanent solution for Moonday's unfortunate hiatus is needed, urgently. One can't just replace the most popular band in the city overnight! It's time to look for Jigokucho's next top performance act to begin in earnest. And that means auditions.

All factions are encouraged to stop by Konoha to audition, but all the acts are judged solely by Alliance swear-ins. Your fate will ultimately come down to whether Sutoku can even tolerate you in their clubs, though. Hope your reputation doesn't precede you. Will you become a hit, or will you get the gong? The only way to find out is to try!

OOC note: Again, this prompt is more or less open to everyone. Sutoku characters are the only ones who can play the part of talent judge.

Running with Wolves

The White Wolves have concerns about the physical fitness of the Sutoku Clan. If we're going to the Wasteland, you need to be able to survive out there! The solution? Exercise drills! Mandatory ones! Yes, this means all you chain-smokers out there. You must pass the White Wolves' extremely high standards. Hope you like push-ups. And sit-ups. And pull-ups. There will also be a lot of running, sprinting, leaping, and other field sports.

Every single Sutoku swear-in is expected to participate. Even if you're an officer. Especially if you're an officer. No excuses will be accepted. And, look: even the Daitengu is participating. They seem to be having fun. You can try to weasel out of it, but good luck. The White Wolves are always vigilant, and they have perfected the disappointed puppy dog face. It will rend your heart in two more effectively than any swipe from their giant swords.

If you are looking for an example of White Wolves' standards, look to your resident junior member: Megumi.

4. DEPARTMENT OF THE ENMA

Friendly Reminder!

Despite the Department's best efforts, the unaffiliated bounty hunters continue to be a problem. There are just too many jerks out there looking for a payday, and the Enma's Department just can't handle them all. They may be the arbiters of law and order in the city, but they can only be in so many places at once. The manpower just isn't there for a full crackdown. But, at some point, inspiration strikes:

A memo circulates among department members instructing them to create several Public Service Announcements to dissuade these miscreants. Come up with creative setting ideas, involve the other members of the Department, and maybe some other factions, too. The best PSAs will receive a small token of the Enma's appreciation: a one-of-a-kind commemorative mug. Show these bounty hunters that their behavior will not be tolerated!

Toys for Good Children

The bounty hunters rounded up thus far have provided the Department with something useful: all of their confiscated gear. Melee weapons, guns, survival tools of all shapes, and a large collection of swords. The big item on the menu is weapons and ammunition, a lot of it. So much so that the storage at Kaigo no Bou is starting to burst at the seams.

Their weapons and tools may prove useful to the Enma...Well, once everyone figures out just what this stuff does. Some of it is your standard weaponry, some of it defies explanation. Sort through the gear and find what's useful, and what isn't. Anything that isn't too dangerous can be sent right back out on the streets. Give it to some thugs as a gift, they'll be grateful and maybe cause problems for the more chaotic factions. It's not your problem once it leaves your hands. And if you happen to get something in return for your generous donation? No one saw a thing.

OOC note; Another prompt where mostly anyone can participate, at least in the "letting the weapons filter back into the streets" aspect. Have your character cut a deal with a Department member to get a cool weapon!

5. ALL FACTIONS - WE KNOW WHO YOU ARE

During the evening news, the anchorwoman is visibly sweating and looking increasingly panicked. She goes on in a trembling voice to say that they have been sent a message from... Iron Bear.

They play the tape...

"I'm disappointed in all of you. You've become fat off of the raven's labor, amassing ill-gotten wealth and resources. I will not stand idly by while what is rightfully mine is disgraced by tainted, swollen fingers. None of this is yours and I will be the one to reclaim it.

But know what is coming next will not be done by us.

When this city is in ashes, it is by my redeeming hand you will rise. Only I will be able to rebuild this world, and restore its glory.

They cannot save you.

We are the holy chosen of this realm, and we know who you are!"

When the tape has concluded, there is a sudden and impactful rumble in Shuten territory. One of their weapon storehouses, namely one that contains plenty of volatile materials, explodes violently. It scatters fire into the nearby streets. Shuten forces will need to rush in to help clear anyone out, but anyone nearby is expected to help. Most of the area is non-residential, so casualties should be minimal, if rescue efforts are quick. But that's just the start of it...

The Iron Bear's words ring true. The bomb couldn't have been planted by his followers, not completely unseen. Someone else planted that bomb. Worse, there are more bombs throughout the city that need to be defused. Time is ticking down quickly, and no one knows whom to trust.

The factions have already begun to sabotage each other. The Iron Bear delivered the first blow of this new war without lifting a finger. Things are looking rough...

Welcome to the mini event!

If you have any questions about event content, please ask them here!
FOR THE PURPOSES OF REWARDS, since all of these prompts tie into the main plot in some way, we will count all qualified threads in this post as 2 point threads!
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

going h[a]lfsies
[bottom's up]

[ maybe you're looking around. maybe you're talking to someone else. maybe you're trying to ignore the hawkwers pushing off samples of god-knows-what in tamamo territory. but either way, you've turned your back for just a moment too long, and that's all the sign a vampire needs to strike.

by which i mean nazuna nanakusa taps you on the right shoulder, then approaches from the left, dangling an unmarked bottle between two fingers. the content is neon pink. it bubbles every few seconds. it looks, for lack of a better word, abhorrent. ]

Hey, hey... Check out what I just scored. Pretty cool, right? [ she taps at the glass with one black nail. it roils and burbles; she snickers. ] So? Wanna split a drink with a mysterious cutie?

[ that's her. she's talking about herself, if you didn't catch it. ]

electric [b]oogaloo
[jigokucho's got talent pt. 2]

[ anyone near the auditions who's met nazuna might question why a free-spirited vampire had signed up for such a thing. anyone who's even seen her might have some reasonable questions about where she managed to find a serafuku that fit her on such short notice. and any unlucky sutoku saddled with judging her might wonder what on earth she's intending to do, with her casual drawl and her less-than-promising introduction: ]

Yo. Nazuna Nanakusa, vampire. I'm here 'cause I heard there was money involved. [ she adjusts the mic, stretching in an astonishingly impolite way. ] Oh, I don't leave the house before six PM, so if you're looking for afternoon acts you're shit out of luck.

[ those are all dumb questions. because she's a vampire, she's a part of the night, and she does exactly what she wants. the real question is whether she's capable of the song she's trying to put on...

and regrettably, the answer appears to be yes. her voice is sweet - surprisingly decent for someone with no formal training, though certainly not professional by any stretch. but her command of the stage is effortless and simple, her demeanor becomes a part of the song as much as anything else, and she moves and dances with the grace only someone truly comfortable in their own skin can display.

the song ends. her eyes slowly open, her sensual gaze half-lidded and heavy. and then she says, without a hint of that earlier grace: ]

Well? Pretty sexy stuff, right?

vampiric res[c]ue
[we know who you are]

[ nazuna receives no warning, hears no announcements from the evening news. one moment, she is in shuten territory, looking at some "weapons" and doing her best to flirt her way into a discount - and the next, there is a terrible burst of sound from only blocks away, a sudden heat, a sudden pressure that burns at her insides. the windows beside her shatter; glass scrapes at her arms, her cheeks, drawing tiny rivulets of blood that only go capillary-deep.

something's just happened. something big has just happened. and even if she's not a part of this faction, she knows people who are. she takes off in a sprint, following the scent of smoke as her ears ache and ring. anyone she sees on the way gets a quick wave and a holler from someone who can't quite tell her own volume's off- ]

Oi! Get over here, dumbass! All hands on deck!

down and [d]irty
[bottom's up]
cw: aphro, likely NSFW; please specify if you want SFW for the prompt

[ it's been a long fucking night, and it's barely even midnight. the wounds on her arms have only barely finished healing; pink trails, raised skin are still visible where glass cut just a little too deep. people have been running around, finding bombs all over the place. bombs, according to some kind soul on the network, made from gasoline - bombs made by someone not used to this place's own methods.

(she has her own thoughts on what that means. she doesn't bother bringing them up. it's obvious, right?)

maybe that's why she takes the first thing she's offered without thinking, uncorking it and downing it in a single go. "a way to make the stress go away" - hah. yeah, maybe for some people. but for a vampire, for someone that takes feeding and fucking hand in hand? for someone like her?

yeah. she's horny and hungry now. this sucks. this really, really sucks.

she's found an alleyway to bide in her time in, shivering in her coat and trying to wait out whatever it is that's in her system. not like she can go see levi or kou like this, after all. but when every shift of her clothing makes her bite her lips, when every breeze that passes by draws an honest-to-god gasp from her lips... it's a lot right now. ]

jok[e]rs wild
[wildcard/ooc notes]

[ sorry for multiple top-levels, there was just so much i wanted to do for this one! as always, you can hit me up at beelzebae if you're more interested in a custom starter, and i'm always down to plot things that weren't brought up here! ]

[He's not one of those fancy robots built with anything resembling an organic facial structure, he's a war machine with a design principle focused on optimizing murder. It's why Nazuna might be disapointed to find that once she's face to face with metal, this is not a three (and a half) foot tall youkai in armour or something, it's an honest to god robot that turns its head towards her annnnnd...]

No. I do not possess a mouth. [A beat.] That is not the reason I am rejecting you.

[Making that clear.]

[ she's gonna be honest here: she didn't really have any expectations asking in the first place, and she's still disappointed in the answer she got. sure, he doesn't have a mouth, but it's about the spirit of the thing, you know? this guy seems fun at parties.

...wait, is it right to call robots guys? are they more like leviathan? huh. she's gonna have to think about it. ]

Kind of a design flaw, don't you think? [ awfully casual to just drop that little insult, there. ] How are you supposed to drink? Or, you know... refuel or whatever?

I do not require liquid fuel.

[i dont know how metal works ok HE'S A MIRACLE OF MODERN SCIENCE.

WHAT POWERS HIS TESLA COIL SEGA.

In any case he finds her question a little strange, to boot.]

If I were in need of such a resource, it would be strange to imitate the organic means of doing so. There are more optimal locations to place a filler neck.

Why would it be strange? Drinking is one of the best things we've come up with, y'know! Vampires don't need fuel, but we sure as hell drink anyway!

[ ...wait. wait, hold on. ]

Hmmm? My, my... Where would you suggest getting filled up, then?

The back of the neck.

[Sorry to burst her lewd bubble.]

[ This sucks. Totoko had been running most of the night, trying to find a place to hole up for a while to no avail. God, it was actually nerve wracking, knowing that so many of the others were looking for bombs that could go off at any moment. For the most part, she didn't want to be stuck someplace dangerous... but also, wanted absolutely no part of the search.

That was more suited to someone who actually gave a damn about anyone besides herself.

It's what led her down an alleyway-- at least if she ran across anyone dangerous, she could try to defend herself long enough to keep running. Throw a punch to the gut, kick them low, all's fair.

Momentarily, she freezes at a familiar figure close by. Someone that really, she'd typically rather not deal with just out of how downright annoying she could be-- but, now wasn't the time to start up some kind of lousy routine of bickering and taunting back and forth, so she'll move on.

...at least, she nearly does. All it takes is another glance, seeing that she's... definitely not doing so hot at the moment. At least, it looks that way. ]

...Nazuna-chan? You okay?

[ She's sticking with the name, even! ]

[ like this, full of whatever chemical or magic tamamo's finest have come up with, nazuna certainly is a sight to behold. her breathing comes heavier than usual; the mere act of inhaling enough to speak is tortuous and never-ending. her fingers twitch, claws scrabbling uselessly against the asphalt of the alleyway beneath her. and when her gaze lands on totoko, it only serves to make her look more pathetic, unfocused blue eyes contrasting the mostly-healed scrapes and tears of broken glass and shrapnel. ]

Huh? Oh. It's just you, Totoko-chan. [ a deep, shaky breath. those blue eyes stay trained on totoko; nazuna forms each word mentally, trying to keep her voice fully under control. ] Yeah, I'm... I'm not in danger. Don't worry.

[ because that's what's happening, here. totoko looks like she's been running; she's probably been checking up on people since the bombs first went off, right? good on her. she really is a good girl, huh. ]

...definitely had better days, though.

[ For a moment, Totoko considers taking that at face value. She said she was okay, that means she checked on her, good, great. No need to ask further questions. While she wasn't necessarily the most caring person in Hell, despite the concerned expression she wore, she could tell when something was up.

Totoko makes eye contact for a split second, before her gaze is drawn towards Nazuna's tattered skin. Has she been... actually helping the others?

Kou's words rattled around in her head as she takes a half step forward. She's a vampire, sure, but had she really been that bad of a... well, vampire? Living comfortably, huh... ]

Yeah. You look like shit.

[ A bit of unnecessary needling, but she rubs at her own arm. ]

Do you need to be patched up? You look exhausted. [ Another step. ]

Real sweet of you to say, Totoko-chan.

[ but her own irritation is short-lived. if anything, it's replaced almost immediately but that horrid need all over again. her brain invents ways that totoko's cruelty could be a kindness in its own right; her voice plays on repeat, looping in her mind with more and more distortion until there's something almost seductive in the woman's tone.

christ. she's still healing up, people are getting bombed, and all she can think about is how nice totoko's totokos must feel to squeeze. this really, really sucks. ]

Vampire. Remember? I'll... It'll heal soon enough. [ she draws in another ragged breath, pressing her back against the wall. and then she grins, those piercing blue eyes alighting on totoko's own gaze. ] Or do you just want to touch me that badly?

[ a part of her desperately, desperately hopes totoko will say yes. god. how pathetic is that? ]

[ Vampire, right. Of course, she's still trying to figure out most of this vampire business, based off of what Kou told her. If he wasn't lying, she wasn't in any actual danger? Nazuna wasn't the kind of vampire to hurt anyone, apparently. Totoko herself couldn't turn, considering how resistant she'd be to the concept of falling in love in general.

Someone who's still mostly in denial about her own relationship, still unsure of if it was just something her partner's doing to make herself feel better, or something she's doing just to get a little more attention than usual.

Either way, Totoko shifts where she is slightly, trying not to meet Nazuna's gaze, yet trying to gauge her expression. If she was going to heal, then why the hell did she look like she was struggling to breathe? ]

If that's true, then why're you trying so hard to stand? You don't have to act tough. This sucks.

[ The whole bomb situation. Totoko hated all of this, she had her own places to be, but the last thing she needs is to hear that this girl collapsed and she didn't do anything to help. With a sigh, she steps forward. ]

Ha ha, funny. [ Nazuna and her lewd jokes. Granted... that grin of hers drew hairs on the back of her neck to stand a little. A familiar glare, something she'd seen before recently that made her tense in mild fear.

Oni and vampires aren't the same thing. Nothing to be afraid of. ]

I... look, don't take this the wrong way, but it'd leave a bad taste in my mouth leaving you to heal or whatever you vampires do just to hear you got yourself blown up. So if I've got to drag you to a shelter, I'll do that.

Edited 2022-09-25 15:11 (UTC)

[When an unfamiliar hand taps him on the shoulder—not a very large hand, which is a promising start—Sylvain turns to the right with a smile already plastered on his face. And then kind of keeps turning, until he's face-to-alarming-bottle with Nazuna.

Wow. That's looking very... pink.]

You know. That's preeeeetty tempting. But maybe we could get something a little less, uh...

[He makes a vague gesture with one hand at the bottle meaning to encompass, uh, all of that.]

They tell you what that one does before they handed it over?

Huh? No way, man. Wouldn't have wanted to know even if they did.

[ and if that doesn't tell sylvain all he needs to know about the happy-go-lucky gal with pink hair... well, then he's not listening very close, clearly. she gives a very toothy grin, swirling the pink liquid with a waggle of her eyebrows. ]

But I'll tell you this much. [ she grips his shoulder with a delicate hand, leaning in to give a stage whisper. ] It was being marketed as a "stress reliever." And it's from our lovely friends in the clan..

[ her own badge may not be worth much, unstarred and pinned to her coat as it is. but it's at least a sign they share a clan, if nothing else. ]

C'mon, don't be shy. If I drink first, it's like an indirect kiss, right?

So you're more of a "thrill of the adventure" kind of lady.

[Sylvain grins, leaning in conspiratorially when she does and flicking a glance between the potion and the badge on her coat. "Stress reliever," huh? What's the worst thing they'd be willing to pass off to their own clan members?

There is, maybe, the distinct feeling of being hustled. Which is kind of novel in its own right, inasmuch as he doesn't know why she would.]

Well, when you put it like that, how could I say no? Though I think a kiss would do more for stress than some potion ever will. I'm Sylvain. Do I get your name first, cutie?

Is it worth living any other way?

[ if she gives the feeling of being hustled, it's on demeanor alone. the truth of the matter is this: she doesn't intend to hustle sylvain because she doesn't have anything to hustle from him. she might be talking him into a bad idea, yes, but it's a bad idea she'll be gladly taking part in. ]

Mouth to mouth, huh? You sure move fast, don'tcha, boy? [ but she doesn't say it like she's particularly offended. if anything, judging from the laugh that escapes her, there's a touch of admiration behind it. ] Nazuna Nanakusa. But if we're gonna be that friendly, maybe you should just call me Nazuna, hmm?

That's what I always say. Life is short.

[Wait, is she actually gonna go for it? Sylvain totally fails to keep the surprise from his face, his eyes widening almost comically for a second. Sure, sometimes bad lines work, but it's sort of once in a blue moon...

Well, she might actually be the hundredth girl he's hit on since coming to hell, so maybe that tracks. And she did start it.]

Hey, I'd love to get to know you better too. It's not all or nothing. Nazuna, huh? Lovely name.

[And he's back in usual form, winking down at her. Sure, mutual bad ideas are team spirit, or something.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

September 2022 Mini Event

nazuna nanakusa | call of the night | tamamo

going halfsies.........but only to cockblock

rude????

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jfc I [D]UNNO we'll see where this goes

i'm just gonna roll with the punches and see what happens tbh

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a;

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