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

A faint pause to make a few unique connections to try and rephrase 'designed,' she draws upon a conversation with a unique individual who had drawn parallels with her own world. "I am a creation. An intelligence designed for a purpose." That should clear thing up. Especially as she adds, "The purpose of asking questions. I have not run into 'privacy' and 'personal' as yet. Is this something that would make an individual uncomfortable? This is something I should be concerned about?"

"Well, yes, it's bad manners to pry. Though some won't care and will dig up the dirt on you anyway. That seems to be how they do things around here. Hah. I can see why the clan signed you on," he says with a dry chuckle.

She's a real interesting one, the way she calls herself a creation. That some sort of slang, the way 'raising hell' had made no sense to her? Or metaphorical, like in the musings of a poet or a philosopher? Either way, Yuri's not following. He comes from a time long before artificial intelligence, but if he had to guess, knowing what he knew now about different worlds...

"This may be rude to ask, but are you not human?"

"Bad manners. I see. This seems to be something to be avoided. I will need to discover alternative avenues of inquiry so as not to make other individuals uncomfortable, then." Her natural language processing is straining a little bit at the moment, but she thinks she got the gist.

Focused as she is, the rest of the party around them garners only the most cursory of her attention. Enough for her not to be knocked into and that's about it.

The final question, though, earns a, "I am not human. That is correct."

Because, well. She just looks as close as her world's technology could get her to look. After she speaks, she would smile to accompany her words, if that was something she had quite figured out how to do yet.

Well that explained some things, like her lack of social awareness.

"Do you not have the concept of privacy in your world?" Yuri ventures a guess. He's still wrapping his head around the idea of other realms and existences. It's shocking, but not completely unthinkable after meeting beings like the youkai.

"That would be wise. Be careful when you go meddling, yeah? They say curiosity killed the cat."

It only strikes him after the words leave him. Will he have to explain that expression, too?

"Theoretically I understand privacy. I am. Aware of its existence. But not what counts as private," she explains politely. "I do not have much experience with speech. Or other individuals."

She nods a little thoughtfully at that. "Do you have any ways to 'meddle' that you use? As I am not a cat, so it should be fi—" She cuts off before she finishes, however, though only just.

There's a pause and she blinks a bit as she shuffles through her database. "That is an idiom. I understand. Curiosity can be dangerous. Dangerous enough to kill me?" Now that is an alarming thought and she absolutely sure she does not like it.

"In the worst case, yes. So don't get careless and let people in on your intentions, alright?" Take it from someone with experience prying. Ophelia has asked the right person, and Yuri's eyes glint with mischief. "As for how to meddle... you can always start with a compliment. Butter them up, get them to like you, and they'll be all the more willing to spill the beans."

Yuri scans the crowd, eyes settling on a burly Oni who's just won a round in the ring and is celebrating with a swig of alcohol in hand, soaking up admiring looks from lady youkai. He looks as Shuten as they come.

"Take that Oni over there. I bet he's the type who'd love to boast about himself, and it looks like he's had a few drinks that'll loosen his lips. Wanna give it a try?"

Doubly alarmed, Ophelia is going to be much more cautious about trying to ask people questions in the future. Or, well, perhaps not "much" but at least "more."

"I will hide my intentions," she agrees very seriously. A little frisson of delight (delight? regardless, the emotion is logged) zips through her frame as Yuri offers skill information. This suits Ophelia on both the data-gathering level as well as the learning-to-mimic level. "And I will compliment people."

She follows Yuri's gaze.

"Oh, yes, of course. Are you going to provide an example or shall I attempt this on my own?"

"How about you watch first?" Sure, Yuri Leclerc will give a demonstration in how to schmooze.

He first retrieves a glass, then makes his way to the Oni with drink in hand. Rather than approach straight away, he first spends time pretending to be interested in the brawls going on and claps along when someone goes down.

"That was you in the ring earlier, wasn't it? That was an impressive throw."

"Damn right it was." The Oni grins, then looks him up and down with raised eyebrows. "You're no Shuten. You with Tamamo?"

"Yeah, it got kinda boring on my side of the club, and the matches here caught my attention. We don't see many fighters like you around." Yuri doesn't bother to correct the Oni's assumption. It's more advantageous no one knows he's from the clan known to pry.

It takes a bit for the Oni to warm up to him, but Yuri knows what he's doing and doesn't lay it on too thick, making small talk with questions and well-placed compliments peppered in between. It's not just in his words but his posture, too, the way he leans closer to signal interest. The Oni eventually begins to boast about his accomplishments, about impressing Toraguma, and about some old rivalry he has with another clan member all of which has Yuri bored to death, but he pretends to be enthralled in the conversation.

When the crowd begins to hoot loudly for another match, Yuri uses the distraction to excuse himself and return to Ophelia.

"Well? Learn anything?"

March 2022 IC Mingle

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