jigokulogs | March 2022 IC Mingle

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March 2022 IC Mingle

1. WELCOMING COMMITTEE

cw: optional aphro in Tamamo Clan prompt

The influx of Lost Souls means the factions need to have a little welcoming party of sorts. The leaders of each faction each send a message to their new recruits, telling them to meet at their respective headquarters.

The Shuten Clan directs their new recruits to the Arena. There’s plenty of food and booze to go along with the exhibition matches from the toughest fighters they’ve got. Enjoy the view or get involved in an arena fight, if you’re feeling spicy. If bloodsport isn’t your cup of tea, there’s a number of gambling games to partake in, too – don’t worry, your money isn’t at stake here, unless you want it to be.

The Tamamo Clan recruits are sent to the brothel Mizukume. Hosts of all sorts are there to fill your every need. If you’re not one to be doted on, there’s also exotic dancers in every state of undress for you to look at. You may be tasked with being a host or a dancer yourself. If you’re not in the mood for that, there’s plenty of food from Tamamo-controlled restaurants to eat and seemingly endless drinks. The drinks may or may not have a little something extra in them, so check the labels carefully.

The Sutoku Alliance meets at the nightclub Konoha. It’s truly a celebration with an enormous amount of fast food from every joint in their district and an equal amount of cheap drinks. Sing your heart out with live band karaoke – don’t worry about them not knowing your song, they seem to have a depth of knowledge beyond this world. Once that settles down, there’s plenty of dancing to do or you can be a wallflower, whatever suits your mood.

The Department of the Enma meets at a meeting room on the top floor of Kaigo no Bou. The room is uncomfortably opulent and wouldn’t be out of place in a Heian imperial court. Fine silk tapestries cover the walls, richly lacquered wood is inlaid with gold, and it all feels like it was decorated by someone with more money than taste. There’s fine food and even finer drink available. Various multi-armed youkai play in a jazz band, playing their instruments in a much more complicated manner than strictly necessary. Stretch your legs and dance. Take a peek out the window for a bird’s eye view of the city. If the interior is too stuffy for you, escape to the roof for some fresh air – just be careful not to fall off.

2. PARTY TIME

CW: optional aphro

After everyone’s had their fill of food, drink, and entertainment: the party isn’t over. They’re told to make their way to Konoha with the instruction to show their faction’s pride. That’s a careful way to tell them to raise hell. Upon arrival, all recruits are provided with an advance on their pay by The Enma. Food is provided by the Shuten Clan, a variety of all sorts of meaty foods. Drinks are provided by the Tamamo Clan, but be wary because some may have that special Tamamo kick to them (read: aphro). It’s technically a neutral meeting place, but there’s almost certain to be a fight sooner or later. Entertain yourself, meet the other factions, and raise some Hell.

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Junpei Yoshino.

[ While there’s the mildest scrunch of his nose at the loud drunks milling about, the boy seems deadset on ignoring them and just staring straight ahead.

At one point one of them wobbles backwards right into Junpei, causing his body to tense up and his eyes to widen in fear. The other person doesn’t seem to even notice, laughing at some personal joke and stumbling forward.

Suddenly, Junpei’s pace quickens. He’s clearly spooked and seems to have forgotten Kim is following him. Panic is spiking. ]

[ Kim nods at the introduction - another Japanese name, from the sounds of it; he's starting to get better at identifying them - and is content to walk quietly beside Junpei, ensuring that his presence is as inobtrusive as possible, partly because Kim is not naturally a sparkling conversationalist and partly because it seems like Junpei would prefer it that way. The loud drunks get little more than a roll of the eyes from Kim as he quickly steps out of the way, a bit amused even as he rolls his eyes at them; no matter where you go, late-night partiers are always the same.

It's only moments afterwards that he notices the change in Junpei, shoulders tensed and eyes wide, clearly in the midst of an anxiety attack. He was right not to leave him alone. Whatever this kid has gone through -- it wasn't good. ]

Junpei, hey. [ He reaches out to grasp at his shoulder. ] It's fine. They were just a couple of drunks. They're not going to hurt you.

[ Even that touch that he knows is coming from someone that has thus far done him no harm causes him to freeze up. The noise, the crowd, the not knowing what was going to happen to him from day to day - it was all bubbling up to a froth inside of him. ]

They could. I was pulled into a fight my first day here. You can’t ... really predict how a stranger will act. It was true back home, and it’s even more true here. But ... it’s okay. It’s fine. I have to get used to it, right?

[ It’s said with a tinge of delirium. Why can’t his hotel be closer? He wants to be under the blankets, threadbare and gross as they are. They’re preferable to the street. ]

[ Kim's lips thin, looking over Junpei properly now. They've been here for so short a time that any injuries they accrued back home are still apparent -- Kim himself had suffered a concussion not long ago and, cloaked by the dim lighting of the club and the darkness of light, still has swollen bruises crawling up the side of his face, a couple stitches and a bandage hidden neatly underneath his (already struggling) hairline. Which means that he takes a moment to look Junpei over without making it look as though that's what he's doing, searching for a bloodied lip or bruises, on his face, around his neck, around his wrists. A little fear is normal, but Junpei acts like someone who's been hurt before. Who has, perhaps, been hurt repeatedly. ]

Yes, [ he says plainly. ] You do have to get used to it. It's good that you're cautious. But... caution is different from fear. People will be less inclined to bother you if you don't seem afraid.

[ He's really not good at this, he thinks. He's never been good at dealing with juveniles. This is the sort of thing Harry would be good at. ]

...preparations for another day. For now, just take a breath, okay? I won't let anything happen to you either, at least for tonight.

[ There are scars, of course, but they’re meticulously hidden. The scars from cigarette burns are beneath his hair fringe, and his clothing hides any remnants of being kicked on the ground countless times.

No, it’s the little tells Kim has already noticed that are the most apparent evidence of what he’s been through. He’s like a prey animal, jumpy and ready to flee.

Kim’s own blemishes have been noticed, but Junpei doesn’t instantly conclude that means he’s a victim. It’s just as likely in his cynical mind that Kim gets into fights frequently and still has the potential to turn on him. Trusting people had gone both ways for him, and he’s determined not to be a fool again. ]

What’s in it for you?

There doesn't have to be anything in it for me.

[ It's the right thing to do. What sort of jackass wouldn't escort a scared kid home?

Unfortunately, Kim's lived long enough to have met precisely that sort of jackass, and to know that it's the right thing to do is the sort of thing that sounds insipid and false to a kid who's been burned too many times before. He tucks his hands behind his back, posture as tall and confident as ever. ]

If I can prevent needless injury, I don't see why I wouldn't do that. Besides, I remember getting the shit kicked out of me when I was your age. [ He shrugs, a wry cast to his features. ] Some may call it character building, but I happen to disagree. I'd rather not see it repeated.

[ It's a bit of a gamble. Hey kid, you get smacked around on the regular? Me too! ]

[ At the very least the words make Junpei tense up noticeably. Does this guy know? How? Is he psychic? Or have access to his information somehow? The idea that the answer could be he’s displaying all kinds of tells doesn’t occur to him. He thinks he’s flawless at hiding what’s happened to him unless he opts to share that information himself. ]

L-look, I don’t know how you know about ... what happened back home, but I’m fine here. Things are different.

[ They were going to be different. He’d make sure of it. ]

You don’t need to play hero or ... whatever it is you want to do. I don’t need anyone’s protection.

[ He’d muddled through without adult concern long enough, no use getting it now that his outlook was permanently damaged. ]

I don't know anything about what happened to you back home. Just a guess from how you reacted back there.

[ Wrong move, pointing that out, perhaps. But he's not about to lie about it. Junpei should know that it's written all over his face, all over his mannerisms. Where Kim sees it and feels inclined to help, sympathetic after having seen it day-in and day-out for years upon years, others will see it and see an easy victim. ]

And if I wanted to play hero, I think I'd choose something a little more remarkable than wanting to see someone home safely. I wanted to get out of that horrible club anyway.

[ Junpei frowns deeply, turning away to start walking again. It can’t be that much farther. This conversation is making him feel incredibly vulnerable and he doesn’t like it.

At the very least the frustration over it keeps him from being nervous about the others on the street, he’s focusing heavily on the direction he’s fairly sure the hotel is on. ]

I’ll get better at masking it then. I’m not interested in pity. Thanks.

I don't pity you either. I'm a cop back home, Junpei. I'll have to see worse than what I've seen to feel that -- though I doubt you'll believe I have anything to say at this point, [ Kim says, managing to sound relatively impassive about the whole ordeal. In a way, he is; kids like Junpei are familiar to him, and he knows he'll get nowhere trying to bulldoze his walls down. He has no interest in doing so, and Junpei has no interest in receiving kindness. If he can help, he will, but he won't interfere where he's unwanted unless he thinks it's absolutely necessary.

He's not lying either. He feels bad for the kid. Of course he does. But he saves his pity for lost causes, not young people who ostensibly have their whole life in front of them to get their shit together, to carve out a space where they're not being constantly trampled upon, whether it's by their guardians or their peers. He looks out at the city in front of them with a small sigh. ]

But I agree with you. Masking it is wise.

[ Anything else, and people will just take advantage of him. Kim would know. ]

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March 2022 IC Mingle

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