video; un: sangria

[breweries]

[ the video opens with a smiling shylock sitting cross-legged on a plush couch in what appears to be a dimly-lit bar. the way he holds himself and the pipe that he puts between his lips for a drag is almost reminiscent of tenkohime, but that's just the tamamo way, babey.

also for people with sharp eyes, there's a little haniwa shrouded in a white tablecloth peeking out from the corner of a screen, with a little shotglass full of wine beside it? huh. must be thorsty. ]

Greetings. I trust that everyone is doing well today? [ aside from the haniwa invasion, but he'll get to that in a bit. ] First of all, let me introduce myself. My name is Shylock Bennett, a wizard from the West, and I would just like to announce that my bar, Hemlock, shall be opening its doors to the public very soon.

[ the camera then pans around, showing off the ornately-designed main bar. ah, another haniwa near the doorstep for those with sharp eyes. shylock will give it something to drink later. ]

My bar shall be serving not only the standard high-quality fair that all Tamamo establishments are well-known for, but I'll also be showcasing some of my more magical creations in the near future. Please do look forward to it. It'll be an experience you won't forget -- or in some cases, you'd rather like to forget. I can provide a drink just for that as well.

[ he pauses here to take a long drag from his pipe, the smoke creating all sorts of hazy lines in the air. ]

I must mention, however, that my establishment has a no-tolerance policy towards technology. I'm afraid that you'll have to turn off your phones upon coming into Hemlock, as you are encouraged to talk to the people around you. You must understand.

[ even though he's been doing so well with this video call? yes, absolutely. it's a pain for someone who doesn't like tech in general, you know? but alas, he has to "get with the times", as they say.

he blinks at the nearby haniwa as if he noticed it just now, and smiles. ]

Oh, and in case anyone is concerned, I know about the debilitating effects the haniwa has on people. Luckily, my specialty magic can help neutralize its effects, so if you know someone who is currently suffering from endless nightmares and hallucinations, bring them to me. I'll do my best to smoke them out of their system.

It's such a shame that they're so cursed. Aren't they just adorable?

[ fufu. with one last chuckle and a wave of his pipe, the video then shuts itself off. ]


( ooc: bar prompts over here! no opening parties or whatever -- he wants to make it appear like it's been around for a while. )

Comments

[breweries]

Now that makes me wonder if other clans would have their own respective solution. Of course, the only thing we can do now is deliver them all to the Department, but where exactly will they be storing them? Not to mention how unimaginably cursed the Kaigo no Bou will become over time.

[ryototsukai]

the boss lady mostly just wants them out of any Tamamo buildings. i don't get the impression she trusts the Enma to actually take care of the problem.

[ And honestly, neither did Musashi. ]

[breweries]

Oh, those poor Enma people. It's an unenviable job, I won't deny that. I'm positive that they were just as disgruntled about it.

If you don't mind me asking, Musashi, what do the haniwa symbolize?

[ryototsukai]

well it's

hard to say. more is known about them in modern times than there was back in the early Edo peirod, where i'm originally from.

but the basic gist is they're funerary objects and effigies used in rituals where sacrifices might have been done prior. they were often found as boundary markers on burial mounds.

oh god i just realized that she's a servant, just forget i put in her true name orz

[breweries]

Funerary objects...

Do you think it has something to do with the Daitengu supposed death?

no worries, she's been giving her name out like an idiot

[ryototsukai]

if they were only showing up in Sutoku Alliance territory, i'd think so, but they seem to just be everywhere.

kind of like someone treating the whole city as a graveyard.

musashi........

[breweries]

In a way, every faction has been affected by the Daitengu's death. A ripple effect, you might say.

[ryototsukai]

maybe, but right now it'd all be speculation. do we have any inside info from the Department on this?

[breweries]

I for one do not. I don't do well with the law, you see.

[ too chaotic... ]

[ryototsukai]

that makes two of us.

[ Because she has a habit of dine and dashing. ]

that being said, i do know someone within the Enma. i could contact her, but i can't say i'm her favorite person.

[ Because of the aforementioned dine and dashing. ]

[breweries]

I too know someone from Enma, but he's rather new. It'll take him a while to get accustomed to the chaos in this place.

Still, even if they are the type to damper our fun as foxes, I can't help but worry about them regardless. And there's only so much smoke I can puff out with my pipe at the time.

[ryototsukai]

between this and still needing to manage the campaign below, i'm starting to feel like i need to grow an extra set of arms to juggle this all, like Kannon-sama.

[ don't evoke the name of a buddha just because you're stressed, Musashi. ]

[breweries]

Which campaign?

[ryototsukai]

our ongoing battle for the Underground.

[breweries]

Oh, yes. That.

[ a pause as he takes a long drag from his pipe. ]

It seems there's no end to it even though we've been at it for almost a month already. Have we made any progress?

[ryototsukai]

without getting too into the weeds of it, i'll say we're on a precipice.

either the boss lady will give orders to use significantly more force, or we find our way to a negotiation table. whichever she finds will get her the most profit. or at least spites toraguma the most.

[breweries]

Ever the shrewd lady, that Tenkohime.

I do sense that it will all come to a head sooner than later, either way. Though honestly, the sooner we wrap this scuffle up, the better. It's not going to look good for any of our businesses, not just my own.

[ryototsukai]

she hasn't given any orders to stop serving shuten clan guys, right?

[breweries]

Not at all. I'd be delighted to wine and dine with them. But ultimately it is up to the Shuten if they wish to be served by foxes at the moment, what with our propensity to add certain ingredients to our foodstuff.

[ryototsukai]

as it happens, there's a tall, dark, and gorgeous shuten oni gal i might swing by your bar with, at some point.

[ Yes, she has another girlfriend, no, she does not see this coming back to bite her ]

[breweries]

Oh, my. Might she be the one?

[ryototsukai]

hey hey don't joke like that! i'm definitely not ready for anything like that!

[breweries]

Yes, yes. I doubt that most of us here in our clan are ready for those kinds of relationships either. At the very least, you won't be alone in that.

[ryototsukai]

see, you get it! no problem on going on lots of dates! my heart falls in love so easily, it just gets like that, you know?

[breweries]

I do. There is indeed no rush when it comes to seeking love, but I hope that you will one day find someone that you'll be happy with for the rest of your life.