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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[ For a second, his frown deepens. He looks like he is going to say something but lets out a long sigh, instead. ]

Come on, flatterer, let's share some food instead of arguing.

[ Artemy gives up, feeling like he isn't going to win this encounter and the two of them are in the same clan -- same faction -- while differences are good, there should not be bad blood between anyone. ]

[The guy's lips tug down and, for a moment, Ethan thinks about Matterhorn's similarly put-upon expression. The furrow of the brow, the potential lecture to be had, and the ultimate decision that it's not worth then time compared to other things.]

Heh. At least you're not nagging me to wash my hands.

[It'd be stupid to wonder if those guys were doing okay. Still, the thought passes his mind, against his will, a feeling that he can't quite put a name to. He shakes the thought free from his head and slides over into the seat next to Artemy.]

You looked like you were thinking about something real heavy, you know. Not exactly the party kinda atmosphere.

[Now that they were sharing he doesn't try to hide when he reaches over to swipe another french fry.]

Or maybe you got a headache? Some of those youkai we're working for now can really belt out lyrics I gotta admit.

I'm not so picky about those things.

[ He runs his thumb along the inside of his own palm -- and only stops when the fries are stolen from him. Pushing the plate closer to the youkai, he decides to make it so that his companion doesn't have to reach so far to grab the fries. ]

Heavy thoughts are following everyone. Mine just happened to catch up with me despite the distractions all around.

[ Artemy feels like he can dodge the question with a vague statement such as that; he lets out a long, troubled sigh. The impossible are around them; the youkai that exist in this world are, in their own way, miracles. ]

They have a lot of passion in their hearts and little in the way of conveying it into a melodious sound. [ Which is to say that he agrees that it sounds like a lot of noise, but there is joy behind it. ]

But you'd be somewhat used to it?

[Heavy, heavy thoughts. It wasn't like he could honestly say that things were fine and not to dwell on it. There was a level of positive thinking that was just stupid, after all. Who wanted to have those thoughts catch up with them, though? If a person could flip a switch and get rid of them, they would, right?]

Yeah, yeah. [a surprisingly concise response to that while he swipes from the now-closer plate]

Used to it? [youkai wat. Ethan's still adjusting to the fact he blended in more with the locals than his fellow lost souls.]

[Hell, he was trying to be polite not saying anything about the complete and utter lack of tails on everyone.]

If I was the type to constantly get invited to parties with free food, why the heck would I be swiping any?

[He grins, even though there's a lie in that one, too. Food hadn't been a problem for a few years while he worked at Rhodes Island. He still swiped stuff from the cafeteria. Old habits died hard.]

Then could it be that you're a Lost Soul?

[ It seems like he's made another mistake. This isn't the first time that he's assumed someone with an inhuman appearance to be a youkai.

His face flushes a little. Not just embarrassment eats at him, but he feels like he is making close-minded mistakes. This is why he wants to come to understand the culture of this world as soon as possible. ]

Sorry for the mistake. [ He can't help but toss in quick. ]

Eh, not the worst thing you could have guessed.

[If things were more like on Terra, he might play up on having the guy feel embarrassment. As it stands, though, standing in line at the check-in and signing his initial paperwork, he realized he was in the minority. People didn't know what a Savra was and it was at least some kind of trade for not knowing what Oripathy was either.]

I'm not even the most out-there guy at my old workplace~ still, it'd be nice to stand out for my style instead of all the stuff people think is weird~

[he leans against the table, elbows propping himself up]

I wonder what I look like to them, then. [nodding his head at the youkai] It'd be pretty annoying if they said "ah, no, you're totally not like us."

I suppose not.

[ Still, there is still an apology laced in his words. His eyebrows furrow as he wonders what is a youkai versus the other species that he has encountered; what are they really? ]

You're considered weird? [ A pause follows. ] I don't quite see what it is about you that is odd. [ But perhaps, that is also related to the culture that Ethan comes from? ]

What you look like to them -- [ Turning his gaze towards the youkai, he muses aloud: ] No matter what it is you look like to them... you're now they're brethren just as I am. [ They've been welcomed with food, drink, song, laughter, and all of their warmth; they gave it freely and asked for nothing in return. It is a welcoming party, and they are now all as one, right? ]

Uhhhh, hmm. It is hard to explain what sort of thing's weird and normal when you're not starting from the same place.

[He also wasn't the best at explaining it. There were people who studied genealogy and the physiology of the races. He just, well, lived it. He could be pretty sure when he was dealing with someone like him- even if he couldn't cite the exact difference between him and a Pythia or an Archiosaur.]

Brethren, huh? [he repeats the word, also turning his gaze to the youkai]

I feel like it'll take some time before it really sets in. Like, what makes me closer to them than any of the other factions? I'm not ungrateful or anything and it's a real swell welcome party. Just, you know.

[It would take a while to feel for what, if anything, unites them. With all the Lost Souls, they have a common goal: to fulfill the terms of their contract. In that way, he had more in common with some person shuffled into Shuten than with the native youkai of his own clan. It was something to think on, while his stomach was full.]

Mm, that's fair.

[ Rather than take that to mean just physiology, he accepts it to mean in all aspects. What is normal for him was strange to others. ]

You are not the only one who feels that way. [ Artemy does not sound disappointed, because how could he? It is probably odd that he is so accepting of the youkai of their faction. Their greeting, their way of acting, reminds him of the Kin. Odd as they may be, he accepts each of their gestures to be as warm and open as any of his own people's.

It is why he tries to walk in step with them so soon. A kindness that he may not be deserving of, but one he will try to honor; much like how he will honor fulfilling his own contract. ]

So long as you take time to think on it... that is what matters, dүү khүbүүn.

[There was a kind of niceness to flowing so easily into another world. Adaptability had always been key to survival. It was just a matter of how much did that adaptability put you in the hands of others? What defined a community? Ethan had his community defined for him, time and time again. He wasn't about to say that any two Infected were going to get along- nah, that was stupid- but there was something unifying about it.]

[It made the idea of a reunion pretty nice.]

[He turns back to the table to stretch his arms out over it. He'd said it before but the food was probably enough to get his trust for now. he had the luxury of time to think. He'd use it.]

Kibbin? [Wrong by a mile. Wrong by several miles.] You said something like that before, right? What's that? You don't seem like the type to call me an insult behind my back so is it some other sorta thing?

Dүү khүbүүn. [ He repeats the word a little slower. ] And I have been.

I wouldn't call it an insult, but it is being forward. [ Artemy can, at least, admit that much. The phrases and words from the steppe still comes easily to him; he thinks it is all right to still use their language.

... Well, that will be something he muses on a later date. ]

It means "younger brother."

[Ethan blinks, still missing about as much of the pronunciation as beforehand. Terra had its own languages but, again, none of them quite stuck. He picked up what he could here and there to use. Guess he'd be able to do the same thing here, as well.]

Uh huuuu~h, [he nods once or twice]

Forward, huh. I mean, there's plenty of metaphorical bros out there! It depends on how serious you're taking it,

[a beat]

But you're calling it forward because you are totally serious, aren't you? Does this mean I get birthday presents? It's January 29th and I want something tasty~

Edited (he does have a canon birthday whoops) 2022-04-03 02:51 (UTC)

I am totally serious.

[ Artemy did not realize how serious that he would take such a pledge until he came to this welcoming party. His heart is hurting in more ways than what he thought, and everything about the faction soothes it.

He cannot take without giving something back, and so he gives what he can, even if it is foolish. ]

I suppose that it will mean presents. [ A beat as he pauses to look at the plate. ] I'm thinking you want more than fries this time?

[There's something endearing about that seriousness. It's not something that Ethan's ready to whip out at a moment's notice. People come, people go, and once you make that bond you open yourself up to all the good and bad that comes with it.]

[Not that Artemy doesn't make progress just by agreeing to the birthday presents. Ethan shifts up in his seat a bit, a cheeky grin sticking on his face.]

I don't know, what kinda fancy dinners are you used to? For me, let's see... Something like a steak dinner! With a professional cook. You think we got any chefs in the faction?

[With that, he kicks his chair back, leaning on the back two legs and looking over the swath of collected Lost Souls. He is balanced pretty precariously but, well, that scaly tail does actually help him counter-weigh.]

[ He catches the joke, but still -- ]

This is the fanciest dinner that I have ever been to, Ethan.

[ Artemy stands by his point that this is a fancy dinner. There is more food present than he thought possible. There may even be leftovers. The variety is downright fantastical; he has seen more here than he has in all of his years. He understands that he comes from an earlier time, but the novelty does not wear off just from knowing that much. ]

A steak dinner? Only if it is one that knows the lines.

[ The comment comes out too easily, and he shakes his head. ]

We may have some chefs. It will be interesting to see what foods that they decide to make, if we do. The knowledge that people have is far beyond what even I know to make. [ Which really isn't that much, but the point stands! ]

[you know when you take someone to olive garden and they tell you it's such a wonderful place and the best meal they've had]

[That's the kind of sympathy, confusion, and understanding Ethan wears on his face with that. This was excessive, sure, and luxurious in its own way, but it wasn't what he would call fancy.]

Okay, okay, then here's what we're gonna do. I'm gonna start saving up whatever paycheck they give us, and we're gonna find whatever they call a five star restaurant here. We'll chat up our youkai bros, ask them what sort of places they dream about eating that, then we'll go for that.

[The plan is deviating wildly from a birthday wish but, hey, he was mostly joking about the present anyways. He even, following Artemy's general beat, accepts the youkai as their hypothetical brothers. He means less by it but it doesn't hurt to say it.]

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March 2022 IC Mingle

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