jigokulogs | 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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Haha, the truth is that I do something like this for my job. [For both of his jobs, if he's being honest; the question is whether it's a good idea to bring up the whole 'exorcist' thing in front of his still-ambiguously-human colleague. Maybe he can go at it sideways.] I suppose it's unusual to see so many youkai gathering in a city like this. Normally you don't find them in such a built-up environment or using modern human technology. But it's like you said; the similarities just make the differences more obvious.

Yaojing are mostly a myth where I’m from. Whether they’re truly fictitious or not there, who knows.

[After all, they’ve got house-sized monsters that they need to fend off with qi-powered mechas. If you told Yizhi that yao were real, he doesn’t have much reason to be surprised. Frankly, if you told Yizhi that his crush specifically was a yao, a theory he has probably encountered before given Zetian’s many haters, he’d say that it’s fine. Zetian is not a demon, but even if she was, the fact that anyone considers that a gotcha is uncreative and sad.]

My apologies, but I didn’t catch that first part. You do something like...?

[Being in the city? Youkai? Taking breaks outdoors??]

[Natori doesn't recognize the term "yaojing" specifically, but the context is clear enough that he can relax-- the person he's talking to is almost certainly human, if he's talking about myths and legends. It's what makes him feel comfortable enough to answer the question honestly.]

I'm an exorcist back home. Though like I said, I normally do a lot more work in the countryside! I don't know how much of my expertise carries over, but if I can be of any assistance, please let me know.

[He pauses, then adds cheerfully]

I say that, but the truth is that none of my tools came with me, so the only thing I can really contribute is knowledge. It's not worth much, all things considered.

Oh, yes, I understand now.

[Okay, uhm, as far as Yizhi knows the “exorcists” in Huaxia are shills preying on the superstitions of countryfolk. Or at least that’s the consensus of the wealthy and learned. Which, now that he thinks about it, is just as untested as the rural belief that spirits and demons are really infiltrating their villages. SO YOU KNOW WHAT HE’S GOING TO TRUST. He has no reason for distrust or duplicity against a fellow Lost Soul. They are all in the same boat. This guy totally exorcizes demons for real like a storybook hero and that’s why he’s got weird barley hair.]

It might be better that your tools didn’t come... who knows how the natives will react to that!

It seems like many Lost Souls didn’t come here with much, so you’re hardly worse than everyone else. I don’t have much to boast of either.

[Not only is that why he's got weird barley hair, it's also why he's got weird red eyes; exorcist life leads to some odd appearance quirks.]

Haha, it's true! That's also why I'm trying to be discreet about my normal job. No reason to start trouble. [And especially not when his abilities are sealed. He figures that must mean the higher-ups are aware of his job, but there's a difference between a handful of powerful ayakashi knowing what he could do and, say, advertising it in the middle of a party.] So I'm counting on you! After all, Lost Soul Tamamo need to stick together, right?

[Again with the formulaic requests for support and the movie-star smile; it's more of an inside joke for himself riffing off of the end of interviews, given that they don't even know each other's names.]

[Red eyes? Damn! Unfortunately, the spot of “hottest man with smouldering red eyes” in Yizhi’s heart has already been taken :( But then again Natori must have enough fans already. Missing one more (hopefully) won’t hurt him.]

Mmm, interestingly said. [He listens attentively, nods, and raises his glass as if in assent. Then:]

Why limit ourselves to Tamamo? The Lost Souls elsewhere are just as lost as us.

[He’s curious about what this pale-haired stranger really thinks. Of course, they can be fine friends, but- this would apply vice versa to Yizhi as well- what could another person from the looks-pretty-talks-good faction do for Natori?]

[Natori would like to have some sort of intellectual reasoning behind his focus on the Tamamo, but the embarrassing truth is that he had his feelings hurt by someone from home intimating that they'd choose their newfound youkai clan over Natori should this gang struggle turn a little more physical. At least if they're both in Tamamo, he figures, they won't be pitted against each other by their mysterious ayakashi bosses. But he knows that's an extremely petty (or pitiable) thing to say, so instead without missing a beat]

There's no need to limit it. After all, if a bunch of ayakashi could turn us against each other merely by putting us in different groups, I'd really get depressed if it were that easy! [His voice stays light as if he's joking regardless; there's a reason his second job is as an actor.] But I can't deny that I'm curious. Why us, you know? What do we have in common? [Besides the obvious #hot girl problems.]

[Hey, nothing wrong with being pitiable. Everyone has some pathetic things that they try to hide. Sometimes the people who’ve been through the most are the strongest and the kindest.

Yizhi pretends to ponder the question, then taps his cheek.]

Well, what’s your skincare routine, sir? You must have one. If you say you just wake up with your skin this smooth, I’ll cry.

[#hotgirlproblems is the obvious, low-hanging fruit, so Yizhi is starting with that. His own routine is like twelve steps and involves a minifridge full of products, so if Natori reveals that one can get those results for free it really will be devastating.]

[And that feels like the start of an answer already-- not just that they both have very pretty faces, but will use them to avoid engaging in something deeper. God only knows how often Natori has deflected a serious conversation by sparkling up a storm and turning up the romantic act.]

Haha, I'm sorry to have to say it so bluntly, but the truth is I don't follow much of one when I'm on my own. [His nighttime routine is more along the lines of "unplug the answering machine so no one leaves curses on it and hopefully remember to take the paper out of his pockets before throwing his clothes in the washing machine and crashing on the couch," sorry Yizhi. That said, at least he has some professional help:] But I'm an actor for my day job, so there's a few makeup artists out there who scold me about it every time they try to make up the difference!

[Yes, and that explains Yizhi’s desire for inter-faction alliances- there’s only so much diplomacy can do.]

Okay. So it’s makeup.

[He exhales, playing up his relief, and takes a sip of his grape soda.]

Honestly? They probably took whoever looked like they’d work in their lines of work. Entertainment, for us, whatever gang fighting industry they have in Shuten, that sort of thing.

March 2022 IC Mingle

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