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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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What's the job? [ It's sad with the air of someone who hasn't quite committed to something— if only because Aerith is her own boss, and has zero intention of doing anything Tamamo designated. There's nothing wrong with it, she just has her preferences. ]

Your buddy might be happy if you say host!

[nehan shakes his head as he draws his finger over the rim of the glass he has, displacing the lime wedge attached to it. what a waste of a drink, but as he said, he has no interest in fucking right now.]

Hosts aren't allowed to fraternize on the job. And if I do become a host, he wont get money out of me. [one ear flicks as he looks over his shoulder to peer at the man, now mingling with some women, clearly new guests and not lost souls.]

No, I'm tasked with something else entirely, and this place isn't the best to share information in. [he reaches out and draws a line down the wall she knocked on earlier, the very sound making the occupants knock back and demand some privacy.]

[ Something like the sensation of a spider crawling down her spine strikes her. She sees it; flashes of her childhood in Shinra's labs, and her mother's face. It fades from memory every now and then, as if she's truly been buried into the Planet and Lifestream. There's moments like this, though, where she can almost hear Ifalna's voice. A memory that bubbles to the surface of her mind.

Yeah, he gives her the willies with just one sentence. ]

Too many people? [ She poses it as a genuine question, but wonders still. ]

I don't think it's about money, or being allowed or not. [ A short pause, as she lifts her gaze to two dancers in twined in some sort of passionate tango she doesn't recognize, but feels in her spirit. ] People want what they want.

Too many people in close quarters. [a correction to her comment, because that distinction is more important.]

There's no privacy.

[but at least he's alone in the apartment he's chosen for himself. there are people right next door, but he appreciates those walls between them, even if the unit is narrow and the walls are thin. he's a small man, it's fine enough for now.

even if it wont be for long.]

I'm not interested in hearing the business of other people through their walls.

Everyone wants privacy. [ Her response is measured and not quite true; she's had too much of that in her lifetime. She could do with some company. Maybe that's part of why she keeps talking to him. ]

Oh yeah? What about my business? [ That's not a come on, but she knows how it sounds. ]

Well, I haven't really started one yet, in any case. I've got a few ideas... but that's something we have in common. To tell you the truth... I don't know how long I could work in one place. [ All of the slums was her playground, the moment she could run through it. ]

[nehan isn't even going to address the words about her business... it sounds like a come-on, and like he said, he has no interest in fucking right now-- unless the person can help him secure his survival.

but right now, he doesn't know if she can do that.]

If you're fortunate, the fa-- the clan will shuffle you through different assignments, depending on your skills.

Really! [ What do you know? Looking around the room, she decides she would really rather be her own boss, even if parties are probably just as interesting of a business. ] Good to know, but, I was thinking more along the lines of opening up... a flower shop?

[ Eventually. It's a pretty long way off, she thinks. ]

What about you? Anything you want to start up?

Nothing. [a lie-- he wants a laboratory. or is it actually a lie? after all, he's not planning on churning a business from that laboratory... just provide the clan what they want from him, once they discover that he's a pharmacist.

it makes him think, one ear flicking.]

I just want to grow plants, drink wine, and have quiet moments in between the assignments the clan will surely give me.

[which isn't... entirely a lie...]

Sounds ambitious to me.

[ The twist to her words is sardonic, as if they should all have the rights to that sort of that. ]

What kind of plants do you grow? [ A thread that connects them. She holds it tight. ]

[one ear flicks, and nehan finds that she's presents some sort of contradiction-- her words are mostly friendly, but sometimes her tone can be almost hostile, as if she doesn't think much of his desire to raise plants... surely she considers him off-putting, it's the only thing he can think of for now. and yet she's asking follow-up questions as if she were actually interested.

he has to wonder what her deal is.]

Aloe. Mint. Lemon balm. Turmeric. Thyme. Rose hips. Basil. Chamomile. Ginseng. [all medicinal.]

[ A flash strikes her, lightning hitting her brain in one firm zap. She sees Shinra's lab, hears the sound of her mother's footsteps carrying her away... ]

You make medicine...

[ Of a sort. To what end? ]

[he raises an eyebrow at her. is that meant to be a question?

he'll just answer as if it is.]

I raise medicinal plants, yes. And sometimes, I do make my own medicine.

[ It definitely wasn't a question. Unfortunately, that's just her Aerith. Pardon her. ]

Are you licensed? [ She feels like... no? Why does she feel like he isn't? It has to be by association. That's not his fault; she brushes it aside. ] Not to grow your plants, I mean. To be a doctor!

[nehan raises an eyebrow. that's... a thing? needing a license to be a doctor?

how do people even survive if their medics need permission to do that? is that why there are so many drugstores around, with no actual practitioners, because there's a lack of doctors around? he might not be able to see his own face, but incredulity and irritation is written all over it.]

That's not something present in my world, so obviously, no. If it's necessary to practice here... then I just wont bother being a doctor. [not a legal one, in any case.]

[ A beat passes. Aerith sputters out a surpressed laugh, eventually. ]

Oooh. Mr. Back-Alley Doctor, huh? Well, that's a necessity, too.

[nehan rolls his eyes.]

I'd rather be beholden to a small number of people than have to go through a lengthy and no doubt expensive process just to be able to find a job. No wonder this place has so many pharmacies where people don't know what they're talking about.

[licenses... really now.]

[ Ah! A lightbulb goes off over her head. ]

Speaking of expensive processes, would those kind of prices be what people should expect for your services?

[ Doctors are an expense now many people can afford, you see. ]

[he primarily wants goods or favors-- a response he doesn't want to give because it's just going to open up more questions that will be... awkward, to respond to. especially when he will ask for crimes to be done on his behalf. so he shakes his head, and rests an elbow on the table, chin propped up on his palm.]

Just money, but much cheaper than the doctors in their large, fancy structures, to be sure.

I cant actually say how much compared to the... licensing process, whatever it is in this world, because I don't actually know.

Depends on the person, then. Do I have that right?

[ She only uses this turn of phrase because, truthfully, Aerith employs this method of pricing from time to time. A rich jerk from the top side might see a heftier price than a friend, you see. ]

But, really... I wouldn't be surprised if the majority of "doctors" here use alternative methods, anyway.

[ She points with her chin to the party. They were both thinking it, she imagines. ]

No, it doesn't depend on the person. [it would be better for his wallet if he charged rich bastards more, but eventually that would turn into a fight, the patient yelling extortion.

besides, he's already annoyed that she keeps assuming things here and there as if she already knows him, when they end up wrong.]

It depends on the procedure. If it takes more effort and resources, then it costs more.

Edited 2022-03-18 13:02 (UTC)

I guess that makes sense.

[ You should make it free for people who need it but can't afford it, in her mind. Aerith, however, is perhaps a bit of a bleeding heart in comparison. ]

You getting mad?

[ Just wondering. ]

I have to wonder where all your questions are leading to. [nehan fixes her with a look, finally.]

It's clear, after all, that you're inclined not to like me.

[clearly, if someone keeps asking things like this, they have an agenda. and an agenda nehan doesn't know is one that will be dangerous to him.]

[ oops. That obvious? ]

That's how you get to know someone, though. C'mon, ask me a question.

No. [he's just adjusting his coat so he can make a quick getaway soon.]

I don't think you were attempting to get to know me-- I think you were looking for a concrete reason to dislike me.

[and his expression is vaguely scornful. really, she wasn't even trying to be subtle.]

[ A lightbulb goes off over head, as she considers all her questions... Aerith thinks to herself, silently, that either this guy has been through a lot or has something to hide. He was, by her definition, so quick to get offended... honestly, it'd be cute if she knew him better. ]

Dislike? [ She says it like she's considering it for the first time. ] But I don't even know you. [ Admittedly— there is a negative association. ] Actually, I think I'll let you have the corner. You probably need it more than me right now.

[ Even as she says it, she knows it might not be the nicest thing to say. All the same, she stands, taking her water with her. ] Take a break, okay?

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March 2022 IC Mingle

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