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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Oh.

[ dimitri stares at his hand. ]

... beg your pardon, but why did you do that?

[ he struck his hand sideways. logic dictates that the man has refused his advances and has instead offered a more physical alternative; is he supposed to escalate? the guy doesn't look like he can handle his punches, however. so dimitri just frowns at him. ] And what outcome were you expecting?

It's a greeting. A 'hi-5'.

[He says that like he's not fully experienced with it either and is just trying his best based on what questionable sources have told him in the past.

Thee seems to be no further attempts at anything even remotely resembling aggression now though. With the hi-5 completed, he just nods like they both know about the secret handshake they just did.]

I don't know what outcome it should have, you're the one who offered it.

Oh! Well, now I know what that is.

[ he laughs a bit at his reply, shaking his head. ]

But do you not know how to dance?

[ perhaps he was shy? perhaps he just wasn't aware of the customs of dance, that's possible too - in which case it's his fault for overlooking such differences, and he feels bad for having assumed otherwise. ]

No, I never had to. There weren't many gatherings at the base in Keuruu.

['Shy' is one way of putting it. It's mostly that he doesn't know how to dance though, yes. When you live in a place where 'being quiet' is a valuable survival skill, music and dancing is more of a liability than a fun activity.]

I'm sure the general didn't want anyone wasting their time anyway. Especially not the scouts, we had to go out pretty much any time we were not eating or sleeping.

Ah. That is a familiar experience to me.

[ the routine of battle, the drudgery of reconnaissance. he knows that and has experienced it before; dimitri just nods in approval. that being said, he is still a noble. certain things have just been bred into him, whether he likes it or not. ]

But we are not in the middle of a mission and everyone is being encouraged to celebrate.

If you are not opposed to it, I can teach you. [ wait, he has to attach a caveat - ] At least, I can teach you what I'm familiar with.

[Lalli doesn't really have much of a reason to celebrate anything. For him, all of this is just another big change that has come uninvited and simply further delays him from his ultimate goal of 'go home, save his cousin from his own stupidity, and find a quiet place to retire to for however many years of life he has left in him'. The celebration can come once he's relaxing in a quiet island settlement without the loud noises of this endless city.

That said, Dimitri is at least being polite about it, and learning a new skill can be valuable...it wouldn't hurt to try it once, he figures.]

'kay.

[That, plus the way Lalli looks a bit more open than before, are the only indicators he'll give that he's alright with trying dancing for now. Help him, he's a bit awkward about following someone else's lead without being directly told how to do that.]

Very well.

[ he pauses as he figures out their orientation, then decides, for his sake, that he'll take him to a less-populated corner of the dance floor so they can practice at their own pace. ]

You'll forgive me for taking the lead, I hope, but I'm more than happy to relinquish it once you're more familiar with the steps.

Put your hand here, and let me take your other hand. We will practice the stance first, then I'll teach you the steps.

Edited 2022-03-19 02:02 (UTC)

[Less populated is good. Lalli has been adjusting to life in a busy city, but he still doesn't like feeling closed in and contained. Maybe it's the feral cat within him speaking there.

But he nods as he follows Dimitri's directions, putting his hand where he's told and holding his other hand out for Dimitri to take. It's a little odd to him, but he reminds himself that 'odd' isn't 'bad' and that it's fine to try new things. He's been told that by several people now, cousin included, so there must be some truth to those words.]

Okay.

[He does not seem at all bothered to follow Dimitri's instructions by the way, he doesn't mind not being in control.]

[ dimitri is a patient teacher. he keeps count for lalli and tells him when to move and when to turn. lalli doesn't look eager to him, but he follows along dutifully, which is rather nice for a partner. ]

I'm going to gently tilt your body down parallel to the floor - it's part of the steps of the dance, and you'll have to trust your weight in my hand as I lower you down. Would you like to try? [ dimitri smiles at him reassuringly. ] I promise I won't let you fall on the floor.

[ best he ask him instead of surprising him at all. ]

[Lalli isn't eager to do much of anything, really, but one thing is for certain: when he decides to do something, he does it. He mis-steps every now and then and his brows wrinkle in concentration as they go on, but he's not making mistakes on purpose to be a hindrance. He's actually behaving really well tonight, all things given.

It's actually very good that Dimitri gave that warning too, because otherwise Lalli might have panicked and made them both fall over in a scramble to stay upright. But with the warning, Lalli glances up to him and nods.]

Sure.

[Lalli is a twink so he won't weigh that much. Dimitri should be able to dip him easily.]

[ he sees him trying hard for tonight and dimitri is pleased. lalli seems very amenable to instruction, which makes him feel at ease - most of the time people complain that he's too stiff and too much of a bore, but he doesn't mind, so dimitri just smiles at him and gently corrects him when he makes a mistake.

it's easy to dip him low. he does it slowly so he can get used to the sensation, and then takes him back upright before pulling him back to their forms again. ]

How did that feel? [ he didn't seem nervous about it to him. ]

Weird. Like I was going to fall.

[Lalli is nothing if not honest. Social cues are often lost on him, so he doesn't try to say things in any way except blunt.]

...but not bad. This is part of dancing?

[ it's charming, in a way. it reminds him of how dedue is, and he misses his friend dearly. though he really shouldn't obsess with such things - it just makes staying here less bearable. dimitri focuses on the dance once more. ]

Yes. Think of it like a flourish when one bows - it's a little something that gives the dance a certain thrill.

You do have to have a steady hold on your partner, however. You can imagine how awkward and painful it'd be if I dropped you on the floor.

[ painful indeed! and probably embarrassing. at least he's got nothing to fear with dimitri's strong hold. ]

[Lalli is just a fun-sized Dedue, I can see it.]

Mmm. If you had dropped me I would have taken you down too.

[At least he's honest? But he finds this dancing acceptable, flourish and all.]

That's fair.

[ dimitri just laughs.

he twirls him around some more until the music stops, and it's time for another change in the set as the musicians take a break and have some grub before the next round. dimitri closes it with a bow. ]

It'll take some practice for you, but next time, you can lead.

[Lalli keeps up with the twirls pretty easily, getting better with more practice at it. And when it's time to end, Lalli sees the bow Dimitri is giving and does his best to mimic it. It feels a little silly to him, but it looks like it's important to Dimitri and it really isn't that much effort for him to do.]

Is there going to be a lot of parties with dancing?

[Dancing is tolerable in small doses, but he doesn't want to do this every week.]

Well, you're always free to do what you want, I just find that dancing is something nice to do other than drinking and eating. Or smoking a cigarette.

[ it's harmless! it gets your body moving! it's good exercise! ]

[He makes a face at 'smoking a cigarette'.]

I'll do dancing instead.

[Food is the best, but dancing places above smoking to him.]

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March 2022 IC Mingle

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