jigokulogs | March 2022 IC Mingle

Entry tags:

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!

If you have any questions about the mingle content, please ask them here!
If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[At the very least, LB is scarily good at remembering faces, so her face flashes with recognition as she glances over to him.]

Ah, I suppose I don't mind a little bitterness - eheheh - I do tend to drink my coffee without sweeteners, after all.

[LB takes a look at his glass, but from the clear liquid, she was just going to assume he likely was drinking something else that likely tasted like shit.]

But, um... perhaps something that has the taste of something besides pure alcohol?

[ He gives her a smile and an amused huff. ]

Then maybe not the straight stuff just yet. Those taste can take some getting used to, although rum is easy enough to drink straight. My recommendation to first time drinkers is a cocktail, something easy to drink like a gin and tonic, or a martini.

I suppose it's not far off from straight coffee, in that sense.

[But coffee was so ingrained into her culture that it was hard to remember the times when she didn't like it as much. This shit, though? Ugh, if it weren't for the promise of taking the edge off (and her nanomachines usually wouldn't even allow her that much), she wasn't even sure why people drank it in the first place!

Nevertheless, she nods to his suggestion, soon ordering a gin and tonic for herself, just to try. As the bartender turns to mix the drink, she continues.] I'm going to have to get used to the taste of alcohol, eventually, so hopefully there is some stuff that isn't as bad until I can get to that point.

[She sighs with a shrug.] But what about you? Have you been having a good time at the party so far?

Its been alright, considering the circumstances.

[ Although he had already been in several fights since arriving at the Shuten clan arena. ]

Needless to say, adjustments are going to have to be made. Not to mention figuring out if I really died or not. How about you? How are you holding up?

[The bartender finishes her drink and slides it over to her. LB brings the glass to her nose first, getting a whiff of the subtle aroma first.]

Not much of a party person? [Her guess might be wrong, but she doesn't even know what clan he's in just yet. With some hesitation, she brings her glass to her lips, taking an experimental sip of her gin and tonic. There's a bit of a wince at the taste, but at the very least she finds she doesn't mind it as much as everything else she had tried so far.]

I guess I still don't really know if I died or not either, eheheh. But so far? This place still doesn't seem as bad as what it was rumored to be.

[ He nods and chuckles in morbid agreement. ]

Can't say I am, can't say I'm not. Honestly just in a bit of a mood.

[ He throws back his drink and orders another from the bartender. ]

Ended up in the Shuten clan, and crazy bastards over there just enjoy beating the ever loving crap out of each other like sacks of dumb meat.

[ He rolls his eyes before taking a sip from his refilled glass. ]

Bastards got me good, and I wasn't even fighting. [ He says lifting his cheek to the light where a there was a red welt. ] Broke that asshole's nose.

Mmm...

[LB just simply makes a sound of affirmation as she takes another sip, finding that she actually liked the hint of juniper within it - that much was actually a little reminiscent of her home country, even if the alcohol was not.

As Bishop goes on to talk about life within the Shuten clan, though, her head perks up with interest. She was more widely familiar with those within her Tamamo clan, so hearing how other factions were run were definitely of interest to her.]

No shit, haha? I'd say that it must be fun to watch, but I take it that you don't get to do a whole lot of watching.

[And that much was confirmed as he shows off the mark on his cheek.] Heehee, nice. At least you didn't completely lose, hm?

I didn't lose, I'm just saying they were able to sucker punch me.

[ And then he proceeded to disassemble them from top to bottom, then right to left. ]

I swear if they pull this shit again I'm going rip their arms off and beat them to death with it.

[ He can do this, once he's at full strength. ]

Where's you end up, LB?

Well, it would have been rather embarrassing for them if they didn't manage that much, heeheehee!

[She didn't know much about the Shuten clan, aside from the fact that they were fighters. If one completely lost without even throwing a punch, well... that probably wouldn't bode well for them at all.

Perhaps the next statement would disturb most people, but it somehow manages to draw a more genuine giggle than most from her. Of course, she doesn't think Bishop is being entirely serious either.]

You know it'll probably happen again. And you likely don't want to underestimate the ways someone can beat the shit out of you, without arms.

[She takes another sip, still wincing a little at the taste, even if she was slowly getting more used to it.]

I'm with Tamamo. In comparison, it seems like my faction is having a more conventional method of fun.

[ He's a demon slayer and soldier before he was an agent. Ripping demon limbs off is what he lives for. ]

Tamamo, huh? That would have been an interesting place to end up. Other than the pretty ladies, most of the really good restaurants and food stalls are there in that district. I could have lived peacefully and made a killing. Shame.

[ But he also dislikes the idea of his cooking benefiting anykind of yakuza, so in a way its much better that he's in shuten. ]

How has it been treating you?

In comparison, it does seem a lot more peaceful, huh? Eheheh... it's been quite accommodating so far, so I can't complain. It's just that all the jobs I've been exposed to so far are things I don't have so much experience in.

[Before this, she was more or less a mercenary, albeit a pretty strange one. And before that, she just tagged around her father's fishing business.

Nevertheless, while she looks thoughtful about this development, LB also doesn't seem all that bothered by it.]

I have a lot to learn, I feel - haha - but I don't mind that so much?

Right, right.

[ He suddenly realizes something while talking a sip from his drink. The Tamamo district is also the red light district. She's now with them. There's a question burning in his head now, but how does he ask it. ]

So what kind of stuff does the Tamamo clan have you doing? Mine just seem to be enjoying having more faces to throw punches at.

Nothing that bad, really. I'm still new, so I haven't been asked to do much, but it's mostly just been some hostess duties and I've seen other new recruits dance for other people's enjoyment.

[She shrugs, not seeming fazed in the least at the statement. Hell, she enjoyed watching some of them, even.]

It's mostly the dancing I'm trying to figure out.

But I suppose I can understand the reasoning of your clan - heehee - it'd probably get boring punching the same faces over and over again.

Dancing...okay, I feel you.

[ He's casual in his acknowledgement, but he has some concerns given what the Tamamo clan has control over. She seems to be somewhat aware of their nature so he won't bother to press with his inquiries. ]

Well, here's to hoping they get bored of punching my face.

[ He raised his glass to hers, clinking them together in cheers in hopes of a less sore face in tbe future. ]

It seems fun, but there's so many intricacies I have to study, haha!

[And yes, even if it does turn erotic, LB isn't particularly bothered by that fact. She knew she had a good body to show off, after all. Even if that was perhaps the one thing about herself that she was confident in.

LB forms a half-smile to his proposed toast, raising her glass to clink against his.]

If you get punched enough times, they'll get bored eventually, haha! But um, best of luck avoiding that until then!

That's not much of an incentive if I have to wait for "eventually".

[ But she does manage to pull a laugh out of him. Not all bad if he's having some kind of fun. ]

There is one thing that bothers me though. What are we doing here? Divided into factions, the need for factions, it baffles me. Doesn't it strike you as weird?

You're still a fresh face, unfortunately. Hahaha... but maybe if there's a new wave of recruits, you'll be out of the woods for a while?

[Look, LB wasn't exactly the most comforting sort. She glances over to Bishop with some curiosity, though, while struggling through another sip of her drink.]

It doesn't baffle me so much. Where I come from, there's no way anyone would be able to stay united as one group for long. Ahaha, and it seems like the same is true for here as well.

[Of course, when she's dealt with constant wars all of the time. Yeah, that'd give her a rather negative view on that much.

No, what I mean is - yokai generally go after humans, body and spirit. So. Why are they in factions like this if they can all work together to hunt down humans? Why have us?

[ He takes another sip. ]

Then, there's also the possibility that there are no humans, which then still begs the question, why are we here? Are we here then to keep this strange status quo, even out the odds, or are we here to add to their ranks and take over?

[ He takes another sip. ]

Or maybe, just maybe, I'm being paranoid, critical, and should probably drink until I can't walk right? Maybe even head over to your district and let out some steam for once.

[ Probably the latter. ]

[Perhaps he does raise a decent point, but LB still looks pretty unmoved from her position.]

I don't know. Maybe yokai aren't all that different from us after all? Ahaha? In that they also have trouble staying in one group for too long?

[But then again, she wasn't an expert on the subject like Bishop apparently was, so she doesn't sound all that confident in her assumption.]

I doubt that they want us to take over, but perhaps they just need more numbers? I... don't remember much about it, but I do remember that the private military companies in my worlds were getting so desperate for numbers that the commercials ran quite rampant on the TVs.

[It didn't even matter if the new recruits had no experience at all - weapons and nanomachines had a way of making even the people that should have never been on the battlefield - like her - become formidable forces in combat. Perhaps LB should be more alarmed than she actually was in that she was insinuating that the same thing was happening here, but at least she had some sanity to her here.

Still, though, she does her best to mask the cynicism within after a short sigh, forcing a smile as she listens to Bishop go on. She assumes by now that she would have felt it if the alcohol within her drink had any effect on her, so his first suggestion just makes her a little more depressed that it seemed as though the nanomachines still filtered it here. But then she supposed that it was only fitting of Hell.]

Well, as a representative of Tamamo, it would be remiss of me not to recommend finding something to your tastes in our district, heheh. But then if the former makes you feel better, I'm not going to stop you from that either.

[Because hey, the drinks were Tamamo too.]

[ The thing that truly bothers him is the fact that he can't seem to pinpoint a reason for all this, other than it feels just like a really annoying yakuza recruitment scheme. It could just be that but his instincts are screaming at that there is more that's not being said. ]

I was, still, a practicing alcoholic so I don't know how much stress I can release from that. So - [ He shrugs. ] - maybe sharing my bed would be nice. Might as well cut myself some slack while in hell, right?

[In comparison, LB was just far more concerned with trying to figure out how to fit in before she worried about the big picture.

Though LB liked the idea of drinking away her problems, in theory, she frowns a little at his response.]

Oh. [Right. Alcoholism was probably bad, huh? Even if she would no doubt suffer from that if it were even possible.] Maybe don't do that if it's a problem for you? Eheheh?

[She rubs the back of her neck, before she finishes off her drink.]

But yes, if that's the preferable option for you, I'm sure you could probably find someone suitable to your tastes.

Oh no it's not a problem. It's just...how do I say this? Well, since I'm in hell and away from my world I should try to relax. Do things I don't normally do, try something different, let my hair down and such.

[ It's also a bit embarrassing for him but it's been way too long since he's been in bed with a woman, so maybe it's time to change that. ]

It is kind of strange for me as a demon slayer to go sleeping with a yokai though. It feels kinda like a tiger laying with a deer situation. I'm sure I'll get over it in time though.

Might as well, while you have the time for it.

[This is the first in a very long time that LB had any sort of free time. And honestly, she didn't even know what she wanted to do with it. So, she was going to be one of the last people to judge how others spent their time.

She shrugs, though, at his next remark.]

You're not slaying them anymore, right? [She used to kill other humans, it certainly didn't mean that she couldn't sleep with them later. That's the analogy she's going with.] Ahaha? As long as both parties are into it, I don't see why you couldn't sleep with a yokai if you wanted to.

Well, it's kinda hard for me to lower my guard around them. I mean, I've been hunting them for my whole life, it's not like a switch I can just flip. No offense.

[ He says to the bartender who's probably been idly listening, who also just as quickly says 'no harm done'. ]

It'll definitely be easier for me to go with one that's more human, for sure. Or human to begin with. [ At least he won't have to really worry. ] How about you? Do you wanna help an old weary soldier relax?

[ It is a joke if his tone was any indication, just him thinking out loud and making things more relaxed. Perhaps from the influence of all the alcohol he's drunk to this point, especially since he just finished his second glass and just ordered a third. ]

Suit yourself, then. You don't know what you might have been missing out with them, right?

[She gestures toward the bartender, giving a playful wink over to them, but they just give a polite chuckle before returning to their work. Finishing off her drink, she pushes the empty glass to the bartender's side of the bar, making a polite, dismissive wave when they ask if she wants another.]

As for me, well... I had only really seen humans up until arriving here. I don't know if I'd go for any of the yokai here, but... [She forms a brief smiles as she recalled passing by the odd oni or two - LB had a bit of a thing for muscles, okay.] ...I don't think I'm necessarily against the idea either, heheh!

[She raises her brows oddly at his question. It's not like she was a prude or anything - more that she wasn't actually certain if she'd accidentally kill someone by fucking them or not. A brief thought passes in that she could accept the invitation - even if she really wasn't that into him - just to figure it out or not, but if she did kill him, then that was probably a little rude.

Still, joking or not, she'd let him down gently.]

I'm having so much fun here, though! Besides, I don't have same steam to blow off that you do.

(no subject)

getting_better - 2022-03-31 21:47 (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

fuckinghysterical - 2022-04-02 01:05 (UTC) - Expand

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only