[locked to sutoku alliance] video, un: levirage

[fibrillate]

Hello, everyone!

[on the screen is a polite-looking person with messy green hair and purple eyes. they give a wave and smile with their whole face from behind their white-rimmed glasses.]

My name is Leviathan Astrape—Levi, if you'd all like—and let me be the first to welcome you to the Sutoku Alliance! What we do here is a little more up in the air than other factions, but I think that just gives us the freedom to be who we are. If you're not sure what to do next, just keep your ear to the ground and get to know as many people as possible! It really can't hurt in the long term, and it's always better to know more than to know less.

[they don't sound stiff as they're saying it, like they have some practice with public presentations like this, but anyone watching the tracking of their eyes could probably tell that they're reading off cue cards.]

And on that note, we have a few names to know. They'll spend some time introducing themselves, I'm sure, but please keep an eye out for Artemy, Kim, Xingqiu, Yuri, Ydris, Marie, and Cloud. [a pleasant smile as they get to the end of the list.] Please also look out for Emily Dyer, especially if you need any kind of medical assistance or you're interested in helping out there. And our lieutenants within the alliance are Matoba Seiji and, of course, the death-defying Sakamoto Ryouma.

[they gesture in front of them with an open palm towards the person behind the camera.]

You're coming in during exciting times, everyone. We just had a bit of a shake-up at the Tanabata festival. The daughter of an important financial magnate has been kidnapped by an enemy of Toraguma, and though we haven't heard any orders from the Daitengu quite yet, I think we all know how things like this play out.

[and bringing both their hands in front of them, at waist level, they smile and give a polite little bow.]

So please, take this time to get to know your fellow alliance members. [they look towards the camera, then glance at their lapel, where they have a pin with the kanji for sutoku. they laugh like they knew they were forgetting something, and look back up towards everyone else.] And don't forget to pick up your official faction pin from most places within our area if you're interested.

[they wave goodbye, then stand there for a couple seconds. without the feed cutting, they walk forward towards the camera and start talking much more casually.]

Was that okay? Getting those names right was harder than I expected, and I even cut out a lot of the last names. I don't know how you did it the first time.

Hehe, y' know, I wondered about that "death defyin'" part on paper, but hearin' ya say it like that makes it sound pretty heroic! And honestly, I'm pretty sure ya did way better with those names, now that I'm thinkin' about it...

[ anyone who isn't new here will recognise the voice that responds to them from behind the camera, especially with that accent. ryouma is pretty sure he botched a couple names last time, mostly for that same reason. he might be able to fake it and cover it when he's speaking his own language, but when it comes to foreign-sounding words all bets are off. ]

So that was perfect! I think ya gotta real knack for this sorta thing!

[ which... hmmm, take that with a grain of salt because this man long predated show business, but still!! judging by his tone, ryouma is very pleased since all his coaching and cheerleading and cue card holding paid off, in his opinion! sure the rest of the faction will agree... right? ]

((this is a mingle post! feel free to threadjack and get to know everyone within the faction. and thank you again to min for contributing ryouma here!))

Comments

video; un: saulgoodman🏎️⚖️

[slippin]

[ The feed opens on a man—your average besuited middle-aged white guy—at what appears to be a spotless marble-top desk. He unlaces his fingers to scoop up a lapel pin, turning it so the camera's afforded a full view of the Sutoku insignia. Deftly, with more than a hint of showiness, he pins it to his suit and leans back, satisfied.

Who's filming this? Where did the desk come from? Why is there a faint echo when he speaks? Is he perhaps staging this in the bathroom of an upscale restaurant? Look, don't worry about it. ]

Tough act to follow [ That's not him razzing Levi, that's him attempting to cut them some slack. The difference lies in the lopsided smile. ] but here goes: the name's Saul Goodman and I'm a lawyer. Now, you've gotta be asking yourself, “What's a lawyer doing in the bowels of hell?”

[ A pause.

He glances to the side and waits. And waits. ] No? [ Dropping any pretense of surprise: ] Okay, well, moving on. My legal experience is rich and varied, but I primarily think of myself as a problem-solver. Maybe you're in the middle of a business deal and something smells off—happy to help. [ All of this, it should be noted, is accompanied by effusive hand gestures. Lots of pointing. ] Maybe you need a legal edge on the competition. Cops hassling you? Good news, giving the cops a hard time is practically my calling. [ A hint of a real smile—his eyes darting to the camera—and then it's gone. ]

Saul Goodman: no problem too big, no print too fine.

By the way, who came up with these pins? They're great. Snazzy. [ They also mean someone around here can conceive an idea and see it through to execution, and that's someone he'd like to talk to. ]

video | un: godot

[beenwaitinglong]

I'm not surprised whatsoever to find a lawyer in the bowels of hell. [There's a beat as he pauses for a dramatic sip of coffee from a pure white mug.]

After all... I'm here too.

[Yes. Very good setup and payoff, bud, you looked super cool, everyone is impressed.]

Godot. Prosecutor on Earth, legal counsel in Hell, and legend in general.

It would seem we're to be coworkers here.

[slippin]

[ Get a load of this guy, Jimmy's smile says, splitting the difference between incredulous and appreciative. The visor garners a bit of scrutiny, but any questions are brushed aside in favor of: ]

Hey, hey. Excuse me. [ He spreads his hands, raises his eyebrows. Minor correction. ] Co-legends.

[ After a second his good humor falters—the smile crumples, his gaze strays past the screen. It hits him then and there: what should have been. He'd assumed Kim was tapped for Enma because it was the lawyer faction. There was no denying that was where she belonged.

Nope. One in four odds, and yet.

The recovery's fast, if not seamless. His enthusiasm's dimmed, though his curiosity's real enough. ] All the prosecutors I know are sad bastards. [ They are when they're interacting with you, Jimmy. ] So what gives?

[beenwaitinglong]

Ha...! Touché. [If he's gonna go slinging the phrase around so lightly, it's nice that he's at least willing to share it.] Co-legends it is.

[The nice thing about the visor is it hides any trace of expression beyond that smooth, solid smile. If he notices the sudden drop in the man's demeanor, he doesn't give any indication of it.]

A lawyer should keep smiling no matter how bad it gets. Wearing a 100-watt smile while your guts are tied up in knots is the mark of a true professional. That's one of my rules.

[Not to say that Godot is, in fact, an incredibly sad bastard under that glowing grin. (He is though.)]

Apparently, the powers that be foresaw a little legal mischief down here in the Alliance.

[slippin]

[ How is it that the one lawyer he wants more than anything to hate—the proverbial axe grinder is at the ready—is saying stuff that could just as easily come out of Jimmy's own mouth? He squeezes some precious drops of outrage from the irony, at least, but it leaves a lot to be desired.

Blowing out a sigh, Jimmy flexes his fingers. He catches himself, tries to look purposeful about it. ] Might be more of a, what do you call it, self-fulfilling prophecy. [ Ha ha.

But okay, he does actually want to know: ] Speaking of the Alliance, any idea who's in, who's out, who's on the fence? I'm talking groups, not— [ He fingers his lapel pin. ]

[beenwaitinglong]

I'd put my money on that one, amigo. [In his experience, where lawyers go, trouble follows. Or they directly cause it. It's a very dramatic profession that way.

It attracts people like Godot, after all.]

Can't say I've been paying much attention to group dynamics. My chief concern thus far has been finding my next cup of coffee. [He lifts the mug in his hand, as though demonstrating.]

What groups do you mean specifically?

[slippin]

Well, great work there. [ Pure smartassery, though a hint of a smile breaks through at the end. ]

So we've got the Kappa [ his pronunciation is not as bad as it could be—as it usually is—and that's because he's echoing whoever he heard the word from ] and they handle the actual bowels of hell, the sewers, and then...I don't know. Cab drivers? I'd take a few of them. You've seen Escape from New York, right?

[beenwaitinglong]

Thanks. [As though the crack was made in sincerity, and accompanied by a smirk.

He takes a sip, mostly to give him a moment to remember the movie.] Heh. Haven't seen a fleet quite like that around yet, but maybe the ol' Daitengu keeps it hidden.

[But as for the youkai, Godot has at least paid enough attention to that.]

We've got the Kappa, the Tengu-- the nose and eyebrow guys-- other miscellaneous hellbeasts of all shapes and sizes... [No wonder the lawyers have ended up here.] And quite an assortment of [he visibly grimaces] the youths.

[slippin]

[ He goes off somewhere. Stops performing, for all of five seconds, and lets the unreal reality he's in bleed into memory: the movie on late-night cable, volume way down and the best lines bleeped out, but enthralling in spite of all that. Bring on the secret taxi fleet.

(And never you mind how Escape from New York ends. Anyway, there's a sequel!)

Then he's back, listening and catching the flicker of that 100-watt smile. ] Yeah. [ Simple, and a little rough. It wouldn't be so jarring—well, he tells himself it wouldn't—if they weren't practically begging to be useful. To be used. ] Teenagers and their dumb mistakes. [ Rhetorically, spreading his hands and injecting some nonchalant bluster into his voice: ] What're you gonna do?

[beenwaitinglong]

Leave them to it, I suppose. [He's no babysitter. And there's just no stopping the recklessness of youth.] Though I suppose, age and wisdom call us to be the tempering voices of reason... in a pinch.

In the meantime, I'm looking to snag a copy of the local codes. To my surprise, L.A. and Hell are not in the same jurisdiction. [Say, what was the sequel to Escape from New York again...?]

I'll hang on to the books when I'm done, if you'd like to take a look. [They might be large print, but hey.]

[slippin]

[ If he thinks about this too long or too hard he's gonna...something. Tear a muscle in his conscience. So he keeps it light, wagging a finger at the screen. ] The distinction between legal, guidance, and camp counselor is subtle, but important.

[ As for the offer. ] That's— [ A quick, quizzical glance off-screen. Blink and you'll miss it, for those disposed to blinking. With some lingering surprise, Jimmy lands on: ] Generous. [ He should probably offer to go fifty-fifty but he literally can't afford it, and Kim's office has to have an entire floor stuffed with untouched legal tomes. ] Even taking coffee stains into consideration.

I was thinking I'd see how close I can get to whatever passes for a jail. [ A beat. ] Staying on this side of the bars. If you wanna, if you're in the mood for some real fun.

[beenwaitinglong]

Ha...! [Oh, this one's quick. How entertaining.] I like that. I'm adding it to my rules.

[Now, he was thinking more like... getting them from a library, and possibly sneaking into a copy room somewhere at some point-- if not just asking the Daitengu's people to get it for him. After all, that coffee's not gonna pay for itself and he's not going to be much help if he doesn't know the Enma's laws (is there a bar exam down here? God, he hopes not.)

But actually... the "real fun" sounds intriguing.]

You know what? Yeah. I'd like to see that. Along with the "courtroom," if possible. Nobody's mentioned a coliseum-style trial by combat, but best to make sure.

[slippin]

[ The line of his mouth relaxes incrementally; he clicks his tongue. ] They never do. That and killing everyone the minute they turn thirty.

If we go early, we can make use of our most valuable resource. [ He gestures toward Godot's mug. ] I'll chip in.


[ ooc: If you're down to play this out, I can hit up the FAQ for info! ]

[beenwaitinglong]

If that's the case down here, there's gonna be a real dip in the population.

[He wasn't expecting a field trip out of this, but hey... There's been a lot of unexpected developments recently.

Cracking a somewhat slyer smile (not that anyone can tell,) he lifts the mug to acknowledge the offer.] You take yours black, Mr. Goodman? I'll pack an extra thermos. [One for Saul, and three for him.]

(ooc: Heck yeah, I'm down if you are!)

un: bael, video

[vogelfrei]

[ That video was an impressive little self-introduction. McGillis must say that he liked it. This seems like a man good to know and bad to trust.

He's an around-30 tall beefy guy who looks a little like if Captain America got more into hairstyling. His filming is likewise well-framed, though the background is nothing but a dingy newby apartment. ]

An effective sales-pitch. If your performance is as smooth in court, I would dislike having an opponent hire you first.

A question though, if you'll allow it: how much opportunity have you had to familiarize yourself with the legal workings of this particular realm? Or is there reason to assume it conforms with what you had previously trained in?

video; un: peter

[maturedecisions]

[ peter is so enthralled by this man's confident (and weirdly... sleazy??) tone of voice and wild hand gestures that he kind of accidentally hits the button to start a video call with him. his finger just... slowly, accidentally, falls toward it throughout the transmission while he's staring, and when his screen suddenly switches to a video call with him, his stomach drops. holy shit that is the last thing he wanted to do oh my GOD.

he practically drops his phone as he's trying to end the call, unable to hit the button quick enough as the video shows his phone dropping and in general the footage is flipping all over the place. and in the background: ]

Crap, crap!

[ finally, he manages to catch the phone and he very awkwardly notices it's still filming and now his face is right there on it. time to... smile... aha... ]

H-Heeeeey, man. Sorry, I — wrong number. I should go...

[ he points a thumb off-screen, as though he's physically going to go. how does he deal with this. this is the worst. he didn't even have to dial a number. why did he say that. aaaaaaaaaa. ]

video | un: kitsuragi

[aceslow]

Nice to meet you, Mr. Goodman. My name is Kim Kitsuragi -- I was a police officer before coming here, so I've certainly met my fair share of lawyers.

[ He's not going to elaborate on whether these interactions were positive or not. ]

Your skills will come in handy here, I think. Though no skill is as impressive as finding yourself a stage from which to film on what must be your first week. Where are you filming from, exactly?

video; un: y.mikotoba

[softshoes]

Mr. Goodman! It is a pleasure to see you again, and as an Alliance colleague, no less. Welcome.

[He beams warmly at Jimmy, live from the least-cluttered corner of his apartment. This time, however, Mikotoba appears on screen in a suit rather than his traditional attire from the other day-- though it's tailored a bit... older. Like, a century older.]

I'm an academic and physician, not a lawyer, but the territory is quite familiar to me. My ward and my daughter are an attorney and judicial assistant, respectively.