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.

Welcome to the IC mingle!

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[Matoba hums, eye scanning the crowd and listening in as others placed bets. Despite the mingle being in honor of them, the so-called "Lost" Souls, the majority present were still ayakashi. Who was the crowd going for...?] I have made a few stable investments thus far, but nothing major. I tend to prefer those over bets, myself. Good business requires both to succeed, I suppose.

[He doesn't reply to the offer right away, instead watching as the spirit and the yamawaro went for another bout. As Soma suggests, the ape-like spirit shows a nimbleness that the spirit lacks. That masked spirit was likely more of a spellcaster type; Matoba held domain over a couple of them. Ginji. Aikawa. Shiki which had been in his family's service for generations immemorial....]

[Between shoves, he finally shifts his glance to meet Soma's, interest holding.] Natives?

[Soma's new "friends".]

[ Soma only offers a small shrug of his shoulders at the idea of what makes good business. He has his own thoughts on the matter, but no need to get into them. ]

No. Other Lost Souls. [ The paper in his hand over -- ] This comes from the natives, however. [ And he intends to take people out for drinking should he win his bets. More drunk fools, but at least he'll move them to another venue where their nonsense won't disturb the flow of everything too much. ]

... pardon. [ Soma pauses to take out a handkerchief and press it against his nose. He sniffles loud enough to be heard over the din of violence around them. ] Allergies.

[Not yet- until Matoba found some suitable venture, anyway. He hums with interest as he glances over the betting slips that the Shuten barkers had been handling. The Sutoku surely would be taking a healthy cut on the bets in the house tonight. No wonder they offered to host.]

Youkai among the Lost Souls as well. [He hums to himself as he ponders that situation. something about it felt off to him. Aside from maintaining control, what would they stand to gain from suppressing lower class ayakashi than themselves?] ...I have come across one or two. I thought it a bit strange, especially with how their powers also appear to be largely sealed. It's sensible for us humans to have been suppressed, but.

[He's still thinking on that when Soma pardons himself, and Matoba tilts his head to glance back towards him- by the time Soma has turned back again, Matoba's brow is slightly raised, and there's a bit of mischief in his smile. There's a momentary lull where that gaze holds, the calculation behind Matoba's eye unmistakable.]

[Perhaps the Tamamo clan dealt in more drugs than just those of pleasure...?]

I wouldn't have taken you for indulging in that kind of past-time, but I suppose a party is a party, [He teases. He's joking? Probably. Soma did claim to have been a yakuza.]

It's really not strange at all.

[ He lightly shakes his head as he dismisses the idea that it is odd that abilities that people have from other worlds are sealed away. It would disrupt order to allow wildly untested people to be allowed to do as they would in their own worlds, after all. ]

I am an ex-yakuza. If I didn't indulge in these sort of things, I think they might take away my membership that they've already revoked. [ Soma lightly jokes back about his own situation. ] More money is always helpful, anyway.

A person can only do so much with the coin they're given.

[In Matoba's eyes, he sees no difference between ayakashi from one world to another, blinded by hate for them as he is. Soma's reasoning makes a perfect amount of sense, but Matoba simply hums to himself and considers it.]

[The conclusion he comes to on his own is that the bosses of this world didn't want any competition.]

Haha, I suppose keeping up appearances is a part of both our jobs. [Both in the eyes of other exorcists and in the eyes of ayakashi. Even with their reputations practically in the dirt, for what they represented, the Matoba held a power in their name alone that could make ayakashi bend to their will, and that was valuable.] Which is why, unfortunately, I can't really enjoy this little party. I can't say I can trust bread and circus being provided to us by ayakashi who would otherwise devour us without a second thought...

If they see me partaking of the merriment now, they might get the wrong idea.

[That he was one of them. Pretending to play nicely in itself was distasteful to him, but there was also no point in picking fights before he could get himself established, either. He would rather simply absolve himself of the situation, and hang back.]

It's a shame the lords don't seem to be here tonight. I was looking forward to witnessing King Enma on the dancefloor... [His eye drags across the crowd just in time to catch a body flying off the floor from the sumo match, and he gestures.] Ah. There's your coin.

It always is. [ No matter what, Soma hides who he actually is; nothing's changed in the slightest. ] Understandable. When I first joined the yakuza, I couldn't bring myself to eat peacefully in front of them. One wrong move and --

[ He makes a slicing motion across his neck. ]

You don't have to enjoy it, but don't forget to use every piece that you can from it. [ Yet again, he smiles. ] It's easy to forget those things when one's living on edge.

[ Soma gives him a sympathetic look before clapping his hands together upon seeing the body hit the floor. His smile widens that much more. ]

Wonderful. [ He has a great amount of cheer on his face. ] I'm stuffed from where I was, but always nice to have the funds for tomorrow's meal, hm?

I will pick my way around what is safe eventually... Even if I must find some taste-testers. [Cheerfully, Matoba laughs at his motion.] As expected. The families in Kumamoto aren't as cut-throat as the strongholds of Tokyo or even Kansai, but I still take care to remain in our own jurisdiction. I value their usefulness in matters outside of our usual wheelhouse. [Like the bodies that weren't eaten; like digging up family registration on a 16 year old boy.]

...Usually they're the ones staying out of our way, of course. They have no way to fight back, after all...

[Matoba, who tells that very boy to use everything and everyone he can, is hardly the one who needs that lesson.]

Of course. Well after all, I've found a few useful things already. [He watches Soma's little celebration thoughtfully. The next day's meal, huh...]

Do you enjoy tea, Soma-san?

As you say.

[ Normally, when Soma uses that phrase, it is an attempt to merely agree without actually agreeing. But he does have a slight smile to indicate that he does actually agree that it's good to find usefulness in people outside the usual wheelhouse. Not necessarily what Matoba is saying, but close enough.

He nods along that the youkai have to stay out of the way, because they have no means to fight back. It reminds him of the yakuza; average citizens could do nothing against the clans. But there were rules of how to conduct such things.

One day, he'll have to ask what the rules are for youkai. ]

I'm glad to hear that you've found such things.

[ A pause. ]

I do enjoy tea. How did you know?

[Youkai, and yakuza both, in this case. Men who believed themselves to have a bit of power, sometimes, had to be put in their place, the same as the uppity mid-rank youkai. The Matoba would not like to see it as such, but man and youkai were not always so different.]

[When the Matoba came rolling through, weaklings scattered, or were destroyed.]

[It was good, Matoba thought, that there were Lost Souls who understood the way of the world. His smile rests thoughtfully for a moment as he considers this before replying.] Oh, just a hunch. You see, earlier, I met someone who has never heard of the proper method for preparing matcha, so I explained some of the practice behind it. It left me nostalgic for that flavor of home....

Perhaps you might be inclined to join me, sometime? Tamomo territory seems to hold many fine tearooms.

I wouldn't have pegged you as the sentimental type. [ His tone teasing, since it is only a little bit of sentimentality. ] It's odd, but I haven't even begun to miss home, but still, I'll join you on the venture.

[ He offers a polite smile. ]

But does that mean that you're with the Tamamo? [ A laugh follows. ] I haven't really had the chance to visit that many faction territories myself. It feels like I've been running all over with little to show for it.

Haha. [It's funny because it's true!] I have some simple pleasures in this life, with tea and sweets among them. I can simply enjoy them on my own, but enjoying them with company makes it all the better, don't you think?

[He may or may not actually think that, but it's a useful thing to say. He laughs alongside Soma's suggestion, because it was laughable, based on what he'd observed so far. There could not be a clan whose values he was less in tune with.]

Fortunately not. I am quickly finding, meeting some of their recruits, that their priorities do not [...] align with mine. Though there certainly are some interesting fellows among their ranks, aren't there?

[Himbos. He means there's a lotta damn himbos up in there.]

...That said, I do appreciate their taste in dining options.

Yes, company always seems to enliven anything.

[ Soma definitely does not believe in that, but he can sound like he believes in it. There was a time he probably believed that, but he's dead inside due to a lot of things; so, shhh. ]

Yes, it feels a little [ ... ] off from mine, as well. But that is all right. The Tamamo found who they need. [ Supposedly. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]

They do seem to make quite the tasty treat. [ Clapping his hands together, he adds: ] All right, you convinced me. Let's go out for some tea later. [ A beat, as he looks down at the pieces of paper in his hand. ] My treat since you're the one scouting the area.

[Truly kindred spirits, bonding over their lack of ability to feel anything.]

[Matoba laughs, a puffed out sound that he mildly attempts to hide behind a sleeve, as Soma's comment apparently drudges up some particular thought.] ...I do wonder about that. [He thinks of Natori, now surrounded by such a raucous bunch and still trying to maintain his fake little playboy act, and gets a little curl of delight. He's probably suffering, the sullen little nag.] Perhaps the reason they are there is because they are so in search of it? Just a hunch, I think.

[Certainly, tea in a quiet spot would be far more preferable to this thudding nightclub full of drunks. Matoba smiles, tilting his head towards the slips.] That seems fair. But certainly, don't let me go and drink away your next meal. [And perhaps, on the way, he'll note some other "useful" things.]

Maybe they were moved by what our price is.

[ He gives a small shrug to indicate that he doesn't know why a clan came forward to have them sign over another. It seems a little random to him, but in the end, it doesn't matter.

People have never mattered to Soma. ]

Not to worry, there are always fights and there are always pockets to be picked.

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March 2022 IC Mingle

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