Fantasy House of Opportunity

[Dusky]

This RP is inactive.

STATE OF FINANCES

Maria

Debt: 10,000c


Savings: 0c


Hourly Wages: 5c

Mago

Debt: 500c


Savings: 0c


Hourly Wages: 13c

Noh

Debt: 1,950c


Savings: 0c


Hourly Wages: 10c

Shu

Debt: 0c


Savings: 0c


Hourly Wages: 5c

Emi

Debt: 900c


Savings: 0c


Hourly Wages: 7c

Mai

Debt: 1200c


Savings: 0c


Hourly Wages: 10c

Hayato

Debt: 750c


Savings: 0c


Hourly Wages: 10c

Takeru

Debt: 0c


Savings: 0c


Hourly Wages: 5c

Byakko

Debt: 0c


Savings: 0c


Hourly Wages: 5c

HOUSE OF OPPORTUNITY

Just another day...

​

BAR It's a busy day, but not for drinks, so it's as Noh is idly cleaning a glass and Maria is refilling someone else's that they hear the noise.


"Hey!"


A ball of green bounces into view before them, then drops again.


"Psst!"


Oh, there it is again - hopping up and down so they notice it. They have to peer over the bar to look at the frog spirit, Kaoru, who grins and waves.


"Ey guys! Bosslady sez everyone's gotta gather in the ground floor meeting hall - she has some kinda announcement to make, I guess." Before anyone can ask any questions, the amphibian adds, "Man, I gotta bounce but I can't find Mai anywhere. Let 'er know for me, rrrribbit. Thanks!" With that, he hops away.


Noh saw Mai not two minutes ago as she crossed the game room to travel from the reception hall where she works to the staff's break room.

BREAK ROOM She's not happy today. Mai can feel her ponytail mussing just from the stress, and the reprieve from work isn't doing as much for her headache as she may have hoped it would. The break room is empty, at least. There are a few deceptively plush-looking chairs by the plain wood table, a refrigerator in the corner which works by forces one does not understand, and little else. Jinbaba does not necessarily want her employees to feel welcome here, it would seem.

KITCHENS The kitchens supervisor bursts in, sparking. She's one of those object yokai, and a modern one at that, being the personification of a firework. These days, they'll make anything kami...


Any introspection that might have been done is loudly interrupted by her exuberant voice. "GUYS!! BIG news! Jinbaba's having a get-together at the ground floor meeting room! You've GOT to go there, RIGHT NOW! No, really, it's a mandatory meeting. BE THERE IN TEN, PEOPLE!"


As quickly as she showed up, she is gone - but she does manage to goose Shu and wink at Mago as she leaves. So far, Hayato has escaped her notice...

HOTEL RECEPTION AREA The hotel supervisor approaches the desk as Takeru is checking a guest in and Emi is getting their bags. She immediately begins to talk, despite it being perfectly clear that they are with a customer. When one of their coworkers try to point this out, she gives him a stony stare.


"So, employees, I am here right now at this very moment in time today to inform you of the fact that your boss, and your employer, Jinbaba, is requesting all of you to be present in the room in the building at the ground floor - that is, the bottom-most, as we do not have a basement - the room being the meeting room and the building being this building, the House of Opportunity, in approximately an estimate of about fifteen minutes, or, a quarter of an hour. Be there unless you wish to see retribution. Thank you. Good bye."


She does not hang around to see if there are any questions.

 

[Teh Frixz]

Maria


"Oh. Well then I guess we have to go. Might be able to earn a few more bits to eat today by attending." Maria turns around from the bar, finishing up one of the aspects of her job she enjoyed. Mixing and refilling drinks for the customers when the bar man was too busy or it was dead and they couldn't be bothered.


Balancing taste and flavor, all the interesting tools, the looks of respect and thanks from patrons. It made her nigh constant smile real for a bit.


Taking her tray off and setting it down, she turns ever so slowly to look at Noh. Her teeth showing more than usual as her lips peel further back.


"Will you let Mai know or should I? I just need to drop off this drink" she tilts her head sideways, neck making a popping sound as she tries to look cute enough to get out of the Mai search.

 

[KamiKahzy]

Mago - Kitchens > 1st Floor Meeting Room





The kitchens were indeed busy, but for the chefs that worked there this was just another day for them. Orders were flying left and right, food was being prepared, and all around there was a mass of white coats and red aprons bustling about with their work. And in the middle of it all, at an island station directly in the center of the kitchen, there was a pig. A tall, massive pig with huge arms, a gut to match, and a confident smile plastered on his face as he worked. His uniform was the cleanest one in the kitchen, and traffic seemed to flow around him like a rock in a stream. His fingers were as thick as sausages, yet he chopped, rolled and plated with a dexterity one might expect from a hawk or a large cat. Other chefs would come by regularly to take away finished meals or to drop off fresh ingredients for the spirit, and with barely a thought his rhythm was unimpeded as the flow of food continued at his station. Periodically he'd lift his head and bark orders in certain directions of the kitchen, sending ripples through the workforce as they moved to correct themselves. This spirit was Mago, the Chef de Cuisine of the House of Opportunity's kitchens. He commanded a silent, healthy respect from those beneath him, and right now he was content that everything was running as it should be.


So it was understandably jarring when his supervisor barged into his domain and began to shout in her typical fashion. 'Damn dat woman,' he thought to himself as he stopped slicing the salmon he had before him and stabbed the knife forcefully into his cutting board. The thud resonated through the space over the din of clattering utensils and even the supervisor's boisterous voice. It caused her to pause for the briefest of moments as the rest of the kitchen suddenly ground to a halt. Mago hated to have his flow ruined, and his face visibly soured as he stared at the offending spirit before him. To her credit she recovered quickly and finished her announcement before flashing her brilliant smile at everyone and taking her leave. Her passing wink at Mago cracked his stony exterior and brought his warm smile back from hibernation. He couldn't stay mad at her for long, she had too pleasant of a personality for that. Plus her backside was a sight to behold as she sashayed out of his kitchens, goosing one of his other chefs on the way out. He swore he heard a squawk from the poor guy but it just made Mago laugh in his large, booming voice.


Mago then looked to the staff and forcefully clapped his hands twice. Everyone who wasn't already focused on him immediately swiveled their heads to give him their attention. "Awright, lissen up! Put all dis on hold for a hot second, we gots a meetin' ta get to. Stow yah crap an' get goin', Jinbaba's even saltier dan I am." Immediately the chefs moved to put their work in places it would be safe while they attended this mandatory staff meeting. Many were fine leaving their food out in the open, but some had to scramble for fridge space to keep their work fresh. As the other chefs started to mill about Mago turned around to face a large row of ovens against the back wall. He strode over to them and announced loudly, "Sooties, front an' centah!" For a moment nothing happened, and the sounds of the chefs packing up was the only thing that could be heard. But then, slowly, a swarm of fuzzy black spirits emerged from underneath the ovens and began to pile up on the ground in front of Mago's feet. They stacked on top of each other like ants, some falling off to the side while others latched on tighter to those they were balancing atop. Their movements were childish in a way, slower and uncoordinated, but the sight of them got Mago smiling once more. They might be dirty little spirits, but they were beyond helpful and more than willing to be of service when asked. He knelt down so he wasn't towering over them so much and said, "Keep everythin' fresh while we're gone, ya get me? Ovens an' stoves on simmah, keep stirrin' da soups, all dat." The soot spirits nodded their tiny heads and began to move back beneath the stoves where they had come from. Some floated up into the air in a lazy fashion before landing on ladles and various spoons all across the kitchen. Long, thin limbs sprouted from their fuzzy bodies that reached out and began to stir the dishes at an even pace. Some were a bit more enthusiastic about their work, and they were clearly the smaller and younger of the bunch.


Mago smiled to himself as he began to walk out of the kitchen with the last of his crew. Before he left he turned his head around and shouted into the kitchen, "An' take it easy! Don't want soot all ova' da food." A tiny chorus of squeaks and chirps responded in kind, much to Mago's satisfaction. He turned back and let the double doors swing shut behind him as he made his way downstairs towards the main meeting room. He turned quite a few heads as he walked through the casino, and one had to wonder if it was his size, his reputation, or his winning smile that was the cause. Mago wasn't sure, but he did make sure to wink at a few of the women he passed by, earning him more than a few couple giggles and a few winks in return.


When he finally got down to the meeting room he parked himself in a spot near the back so his large frame wouldn't block anybody else's view. He looked around to see who else was gather, and just as his supervisor had said Jinbaba had called out practically everyone that wasn't essential to daily operations. And speaking of his supervisor, the large pig just so happened to spy her off to the side of the gathering crowd. He waved her over and patted a seat next to him, wasting no chance to be closer to the sparkling beauty. Once she was seated he leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Youse can sit in my lap iffin ya can't see." He punctuated his flirt with a cheeky grin and casually threw an arm over her shoulder. She didn't get to be a tease in his kitchen without expecting some back after all.


@Anomaly @Nano @Turnip

 

[Dusky]

HOUSE OF OPPORTUNITY


Meeting Hall When Byakko enters the meeting hall he immediately sees an excess of spirits gathered. The thronging crowd mills about the room, which is surely approaching maximum occupancy. There is a balcony overhead where three figures are visible; the one on the right is a breathtakingly beautiful woman in human guise, her narrow eyes surveying the assembly with amusement as she reclines in a chair. To the left is a fearsome creature, cloven hoofs on four thick legs supporting a sloping, scaled body, long neck leading to the head of a dragon topped by a large pair of antlers. In the center is a chair, almost as ornate as a throne.


Nearby, a firework yokai is laughing loudly, having just sat down next to Mago. "Now, now, is that any way to talk to your superior?" she is asking, but her smile softens the words.

 

[Turnip]

Hayato


Sizzling spices, smoking pans, and a broiling fire. Though this wasn't exactly the life Hayato had envisioned for himself, the House's esteemed kitchen was what he happened to call home now, thanks to the whims of a certain Jinbaba. Not that he minded too much, though. Cooking was something that came naturally to the basan, a skill that proved useful when he was living out in the streets. Being given a roof over his head and the opportunity to cook to his heart's content was something that he could definitely work with... for the mean time, at least.


Today was like any other day in the kitchen, though the workload seemed a bit more grueling than usual. Hayato's latest culinary masterpiece-in-progress was tuna sashimi. For reasons understandable, he had refused to cook anything with poultry or eggs and found himself working with fish and vegetables instead. Needless to say, after a few months of working the kitchen and familiarizing himself with the different utensils at his disposal, he became a natural at the craft of cooking seafood dishes. With knife in hand, Hayato cut through the tuna with relative ease, each slice coming out a perfect rectangle of fishy goodness. Now it was time for the next step, to consider the presentation of the dish. Presentation was one of Hayato's top priorities in the kitchen and something he prided himself on for every meal he cooked- after all, why bother eating anything when it's going to look like garbage? Slowly, carefully, he stacked each slice of sashimi, one on top of the other, until...


"Bkawk!!" The supervisor's voice boomed through the whole kitchen, startling him from his concentration and causing him to send the sashimi flying across the room. "M- my masterpiece!" Hurriedly, he scattered to the floor and attempted to salvage the dish as best he could, but to no avail. The basan could only listen to the announcement (and Mago's retort to this) halfheartedly, instead preoccupied with mourning for the slices of fish that now lay upon the floor. Thankfully, this would keep him from harm's way, avoiding the supervisor's rather frisky hands during her exit.


The pig's boisterous voice would then thunder across the room, and eventually snap Hayato out from his rather pathetic state. From what he gathered from Mago's little speech, looks like Jinbaba was holding a meeting, though for who knows what? The basan quickly regained his composure, picking himself up and brushing over the tail feathers sticking out from behind his aporn. "Well, there ain't any use in cryin' over spilled... fish," he muttered to himself. Now clapping his hands in a "chop chop" manner, he began to round up his fellow chefs and cooks. "A'ight, ya heard the boss man, clean it up! We got a meetin' to get to! Don't think I don't see ya tryin' to season that gyoza, get yer butts movin'!" He proceeded to do this for as long as the other chefs were scrambling about, and made his way out along with them once things seemed to calm down.


Once arriving at the meeting room, Hayato could feel his spirits slowly dropping. Though it certainly was true he was forced to work there against his will, the kitchen's fiery atmosphere was much more suited to his style than this plain, old room. Business meetings weren't really his thing in the first place (he never was a fan of the boring and serious vibe), so he couldn't say that he was particularly interested about... whatever this was going to be about. He placed himself at the very back, refusing to take a seat. Instead, he leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, occasionally fiddling with the bandana covering his luxurous hair. "As soon as this is over," he though to himself, "I can get back to makin' that perfect sashimi..."

 

[Edric Yuma]

As soon as the supervisor left, Emi turned to his coworker, who was wearing a scowl upon his face. Deciding it best not to talk to him right now, Emi turned back to his customer, a sheepish smile on his face. "Um... Shall we resume? We apologize for the rude interruption."


When Emi, alongside a scowling coworker, finished their business with the customer, Emi turned back to his coworker. "Cmon, cheer up! It's just a lousy supervisor. Let's go to that meeting."


Steering his coworker towards the elevator down, Emi hummed a merry tune, his heavy footsteps falling in time with his tune. He was a simple spirit, and working at a hotel was about as simple as a job got. He just wished that one day he'd get a raise, as the he was finding it hard to pay off his expansive debt.


As they entered the elevator, Emi tried his best to start a conversation with his coworker. Pulling at the lever, he remarked, "I wonder what the old hag has to tell us now."

 

[Dusky]

HOUSE OF OPPORTUNITY


ELEVATOR

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The fellow hotel worker, Yashiki, rolls his eyes. "She just gets on my nerves." His face grows grim. "Everyone does."


The man looks utterly human although slightly transparent - a ghost, one might wager, interrupted in his search for resolution of his unfinished business by Jinbaba's wiles. Y?rei are some of the more saddening figures to see under her service. Other yokai are torn from a life, but the ghosts are denied their afterlife.


Of course, other yokai don't get an afterlife in the first place.


As the elevator reaches the ground floor and shudders open, Yashiki steps out with a shrug of his shoulders. "Whatever. I'll probably just sleep through the thing, anyway."


The meeting hall is packed. There are still about five minutes to go before this affair sufficiently important enough for customer service to be halted.

 

[simj26]

Noh

Time ticks forward ever so slowly. Ah, the days of youth. It only seemed like yesterday that he had his entire being and existence wrested from him by an old lady. Not that it mattered in the first place. His existence was probably nothing important if he couldn't even remember what it had been like. Not even a single smidge of memory remained of what his entire life had been. Noh set the glass down on the counter, and with a practiced flick of his hand, sent it spinning into the air. To the one or two customers that still sat upon the bar's counter, he winked as they cringed and waited for the inevitable crash. With deft hands, he caught the neck of the wine-glass between two fingers while it still somersaulted through the air, and slid it between the bars that hung atop of his full-time post. The soft clinking from the wine-glass connecting with another wine-glass coincided with the sighs of relief from his customers. He bowed low. When he straightened up, his face had fallen. Literally. His audience were only momentarily taken aback, before they recovered and laughed off the old joke that their favourite bartender enjoyed playing. He loved it when they reacted. It was always fun.


Nevertheless, it was boring. It was that time of the day when there were no spirits trying to get drunk off spirits (he just couldn't resist that joke again), and no one wanted to gamble enough to lose and drown their sorrows in hard liquor. He dawdled, and spun a shot glass between one finger and the countertop, before he realized that, there was a miniature, green....thing hopping about in front of him. He snatched up the glass, and peered over the side.


"Kaoru, as I live and breathe." Noh muttered, but before he could invite the frog to a drink, he was sorely interrupted by the urgent message from the old lady herself. Darn it. He scratched the back of his head in annoyance and leaned back, quite precariously, onto the wall of expensive liquor behind him. Just when the day was getting to be peacefully dull, she had to come into the picture. The one lass in this entire establishment that he had no wish of going on a date with. He straightened up and cast a look over the casino grounds, towards the break room. Come to think of it, he had seen Mai earlier, heading down over there.


The familiar sound of a neck being cocked sideways made him turn to greet the owner. Seeing the yokai with her mouth lined with razor teeth, attempting to do her bestest to appear pretty and cute just to wrap him around her little finger (and though he would rather not admit, the method would work quite well), he pressed a finger to his face, just above his chin, and drew a line, splitting the featureless skin open. The rosy lips emerged, and pearly teeth seemingly grew out of the dark depths of his mouth. He grinned, leaning on his counter. "Maria, darling. It's a bit too early and I'm a bit too sober for your charms. Maybe a bit later would work." He gave a chuckle, then straightened up once more. "I'm kidding. You always have a way to make me do what you want. You go ahead first, then. I know where Mai is. Probably." He blew her a kiss jokingly, and pushed his way out from behind the counter.


---


Whether Maria left subsequently or not, Noh made his way to the break room. His hand hovered over the door knob for a moment, then thought better of it. Instead, he moved upwards, closed into a fist, and rapped its knuckles on the door. "Mai? You in there? The old lady Jin's calling for our attendance down at the ground floor?" He cleared his throat, dabbed on his eyes, and drew his eyebrows on, before he continued. "Your knight in shoddy armor has come to escort you to the meeting grounds, my lady. It would behoove you to not let my heart be shattered through ignorance, my love, my Juliet!" It was normal practice now, at least for him, to exclaim sweet nothings...which were just that. Nothings. For whatever reason, it just felt natural. Harmless, obviously useless, flattering and one-sided flirting. Mai, however, really did need to hurry up. Jinbaba wasn't one to be kept waiting.


@Teh Frixz Frixz


@waifu

 

[Teh Frixz]

The maw like smile remains though her eyes lose the few specks of sparkles she managed to scrounge up for Noh.


Jinkiniki didn't make friends often, especially not with people that didn't supply them with their food. Noh went out of his way to say nice things and treat her as something beyond a cursed spirit.


She stood silent for a bit, watching the spot where Noh had pushed his way through before getting the now gently bubbling drink and delivering it to the waiting guest. Now without her work things, Maria starts off towards the location of the meeting.


The ground floor of the casino was a tacky scene of shrines, groveling workers and in her opinion, vapid, guests. Settling in a corner, she stands silent to watch the scene unfold.

 

[waifu]

Mai

​

"Thank you for coming! Please do come again," Mai waved at the happy family exiting the establishment with a smile on her face, and then immediately let out a sigh once they were out of sight. Today was yet another rough day at work. The number of customers she had to deal with on an everyday basis was an overwhelming amount. Mai sometimes wondered if this place was the only form of entertainment in their lives.


It also didn't help she barely slept last night. Her head was killing her, maybe even literally. Once the reception hall was somewhat less crowded, Mai started making copies of the reservation list for the night. As she diligently wrote down the names of all the expected guests, her head started hurting. Mai winced, brows furrowed tight with pain.


"Hold it in, hold it in, hold it in...." Mai began to chant a string of words to herself quietly. The words were of no help however, and she knew that by now. She liked to recite them anyway. Except for that one time when Ryougi, the haughty inugami that worked with her at the reception desk, caught her saying it out loud and told her to go relieve herself someplace else. It was easily the most embarrassing moment of her new life so far. Nonetheless, Mai continued to finish her list.

-

​

"You, It's time for your break. Go," Ryougi proclaimed, studying his watch.


"Oh okay, thanks, Ryougi! I'll try to come a little early, okay?" Mai handed the guestbook to Ryougi, beaming.


"Right," the inugami replied, clearly uninterested in what Mai had to say.


Mai was so relieved that it was finally time for her break. She quickly made her way to the break room, her ponytail swinging aggressively behind her. Ryougi wasn't particularly fond of Mai, that much was obvious. Mai hadn't exactly been honest with him either, so she didn't blame him for having an unfavorable opinion of her. Nobody in this place knew about her after all, except for Jinbaba, of course. Funnily, when Mai first joined the House of Opportunity, she had no recollection of what she was doing there. In fact, she thought she was just an amnesic human who had somehow gotten lost in the spirit world.


Her first few days here were really hard. She wasn't allowed to leave, and even if they had let her go, she had nowhere to go. She had no idea who she was or where she came from. The constant headaches didn't help either. Mai cried herself to sleep every night, until one day she met her. That's when Mai realized what she was.


"Uhhgh," Mai groaned in pain as she shut the break room door behind her. Her pain had gotten much worse by now. She crouched down and held her head in an attempt to calm herself. A pair of tears raced down her cheeks. She felt as if someone was hammering her head into the ground. Mai loosened her ponytail, revealing a second mouth in the midst of her hair. Thankfully, the pain lessened after that. Her hair stretched out to an extraordinary length and wrapped around the handle of the refrigerator that was in the break room. The refrigerator was sealed.


"Why won't it open?.... Maybe there's something else in this room, aah!" Mai exclaimed as her hair extended in all directions, searching to ingest something. There was usually food lying around here. After searching the entire room, it finally settled on a trash can. Her hair lifted the trash can to its second mouth and emptied the contents into it. Mai covered her ears, her second mouth always made such disgusting noises when it ate. She didn't care what it ate, as long as it stopped causing trouble. Just then someone knocked on the door.


Mai immediately started panicking. Oh no, this was bad. To make matters worse, it sounded like they were calling her to come out. She recognized the voice almost immediately. It was the bartender, Noh. She shrunk her hair back to its normal length and tied it in her usual ponytail. She put the trash can back to its place, and made sure she looked presentable before answering the door. Mai swung open the door, looking both exhausted and guilty. It looked like she was trying to tell someone she did something sneaky by her body language. Her cheeks reddened as she realized Noh had come to get her. She bowed furiously out of embarrassment. "I.. I'm so sorry for making you come all the way here!"


Once she was done apologizing, she stood up and clasped her hands together. "Um, let's go, shall we?"

 

[Reinhardt]

Byakko


As Byakko entered the meeting hall, he felt a bit displeased. He barely knows why, but he was disturbed by the chaotic noise, and the disorderly acts of the various creatures in the hall. He preferred a calm, and serene sight, with everything in order. That was one of few reasons he had chosen to work in the theater, for there, calming silence was abundant. The audience always avoided making unnecessary noises and movements, they gave their whole attention to the act unfolding before them. There, he would get a glimpse of his long forgotten memories, regarding a very familiar feeling. Anyways, back to where he currently was - the meeting hall.


It was vast, yet was jam-packed with the various creatures, all from the different sections of the House of Opportunity. In fact, one could see each and every kind of yokai, all in different shapes and sizes. Heck, there might even be creatures from different origins. In simple words, there was a humongous amount of individuals, that grew and grew every passing moment. Byakko was not a man, err, tiger of such a crowd. Especially in its disordered, noisy state. Thus, with much effort, he searched for a location that would suit his tastes. He squeezed through the tight crowd, going here and there for lengthy minutes, until he found it. A perfect spot. Well, not truly perfect, but it was close enough.


To the side of the hall was a small section It had a partly-opened window on its side, allowing the chilly winds to seep in and make the air a bit cool and fresh. It seemed not too isolated, or too crowded, only a few creatures preferred to stay on such a location. He would have immediately went there, if not for the various creatures blocking his way. So, slowly, he inched towards it, never losing his determination to reach the said place. On his difficult journey to his destination, he bumped onto a quite loud creature. It was an object yokai, one that had the form of a firework. Her laugh was intolerably loud, probably due to her 'appearance', which could be assumed that was not her fault in any way. This, unfortunately, irritated Byakko.


But, it is discourteous to reprimand a being of their apparent flaws. However, this yokai was accompanied by another one as loud as her. And such led to Byakko being unable to stop himself from intervening in their...intricate conversation. Still, Byakko felt the urge to avoid harming their feelings, thus the next set of words he spoke were done in a very gentle manner, that he even adjusted the tone of his voice.


"Pardon me from intruding, lady.", Byakko stepped in closer to the laughing, firework-yokai. "...And gentleman.", he addressed the large creature beside her, appearance resembling that of a pig's, err, boar, should one acknowledge his tusks. "...But I adjure you to lower your volumes. There is all ready quite the clamor caused by the plenty gathered here. I do hope you understand, not all are inclined to this kind of atmosphere."


The tiger, then went on his way, leaving no chance to hear what the two has to say about his interference. It took him no more than a few seconds to finally arrive at his desired destination. There, he took the opportunity to make one's self comfortable. He shoved the window, making it open wider, thus allowing more of the chilly wind to enter, which in turn blew past him, giving the sensation of a cool breeze - a feeling familiar to him. Too familiar, in fact.


Tags: @KamiKahzy @Anomaly

 

[Nano]

Shu


It was just another bland and uneventful day in the kitchens. At least, it was in the mind of a certain crane. Despite all of the movement and buzzing going on in the kitchen, none of the chefs in the kitchen were bothered at all. After all, it was something that occurred everyday and had become something that they all considered natural here. Like the rest of the chefs, Shu had also become long accustomed to how things worked in the kitchen. In a way, the monotony of all of the days at The House of Opportunity comforted him and allowed for his bitterness about having been tricked into giving away his name to gradually ebb away, yet it also worried him. If this anger was gone, would his resolve to leave this place become non-existent as well?


Another thing that Shu had already noticed was that the more time passed, the more the already distant memories of his past prior to coming to The House of Opportunity began to feel like just a dream. Perhaps it was simply the fact that everyday was the same with slight variations, but it was still frightening nonetheless. He already didn't know the reason why he had come here and it didn't help that his only clue was the words 'don't forget' and 'promise' which constantly echoed in his head. If he forgot even more about who he was in the past, would it cause him to become another one of those lost spirits who forever worked aimlessly at this prison? He really had to save up enough and soon or else his very soul was probably going to rot away.


These thoughts were once again pushed to the side when the kitchen's supervisor suddenly burst into the room and began to shout about Jinbaba and some meeting. This caused a chain reaction of clattering utensils and--one of the more extreme reactions--even sashimi being thrown into the air. Luckily, Shu hadn't been holding onto anything in particular, saving him from ruining any of his work like some of his co-workers had. It was at times like these that he questioned the actions of the kitchen supervisor. As one could clearly tell from the scene, her explosive personality proved to be quite destructive at times, making him wonder if she could ever announce these kinds of things in a more normal and ordinary fashion.


After the firework tsukumogami finished speaking, Shu turned to move around his ingredients and cooking utensils as to prevent anyone from bumping into anything on their way back into the kitchen after the meeting. He picked up the bag of rice flour only to be interrupted by a certain someone goosing him on her way outside of the kitchen. Startled, Shu dropped the bag of rice flour with a small "thump," which resulted in a puff of white rising up into the air. The white powder slung onto his face, making him appear even more ghostly white than usual. He blinked, dumbfounded, at the retreating figure of the perpetrator as he wiped the powder off of his face. Well, that was certainly new, not that he didn't see something new everyday. Spirits were odd in all sorts of ways, after all.


"Now, shall we go see why the empress so demands our presence?" Shu murmured to himself as he finally got his work space into order. Ignoring the urging of Mago and the basan, he yawned as he finally walked out of the kitchen. The firework spirit had stated that the meeting was starting in ten minutes. There was no need to hurry unnecessarily.


Once inside the meeting room on the ground floor, Shu took a seat in one of the less noticeable places in the back of the room before untying his hair. There still wasn't much going on as the meeting hadn't started yet. Should he sleep?

 

[KamiKahzy]

Mago - 1st Floor Meeting Room


Hana's coy response caused Mago to laugh right along with her, creating a loud but oddly synchronized harmony between the two of them. While her laughter was high pitched and more like the popping of New Years sparklers, his was deep and booming like a monastery gong. He enjoyed a few moments of their shared joy before he responded back in kind. "Supahvisah? Nah, nevah. But a lovah? Now dat's sumtin else entieahly." Mago gave Hana a broad wink before squeezing her shoulder gently where his hand rested. He'd been trying to convince the sparking beauty to be with him for years now, and every time he was met with failure after failure. Even though she was a shameless flirt, Hana took her job far too seriously to consider sleeping with any of the employees. Mago respected that, and in truth it made him crave her all the more. But they knew each others limits and had enough respect for one another to know when a line was crossed.


Ironically enough it was about the time he decided they should end their game for now when a handsome spirit with a peeved expression walked up to them and tried to garner their attention. He managed to interrupt both of them mid-laugh before he began speaking with some of the most flowery language Mago had ever heard in his life. He barely heard that kind of talk when he was personally serving Jinbaba's celebrity guests their meals in the dining hall, and some of them were royalty! Mago had never met this spirit before, but he guessed the guy had to be from the theater crew. Nobody else in this House would feign such dignity otherwise.


Mago watched the spirit walk off towards a window with a confused expression on his face. He looked to the spirit, then back to Hana before snorting and chuckling to himself. "Didn't know we hiyah'd dictionaries fa' actahs." This caused Mago to laugh once again, nearly making him forget what the spirit had just said to them both. Mago reigned it in after a moment and decided now would be a good time to focus on the reason they were here. Jinbaba would be showing up soon, and she was not one to be ignored.


@Anomaly @Reinhardt

 

[Teh Frixz]

"I think he is asking for you two to shut up while we wait. I don't mind but I suppose he does. Rude of him to not just outright say it."


Maria, tired of staying back, meanders over to the small gathering. A pig and a firework, she stares the loud pair up and down with her constant grin. Might look alright at first but Mago could only come out of that union as bacon. She'd make sure it wouldn't happen. For both their sakes.


"Anyone know what the meeting is about?" Maria reaches down to her fanny pack and retrieves a single piece of meat to chew on, popping it in her mouth like a mint.

 

[Edric Yuma]

Emi watched Yashiki, a concerned look upon his face. Yashiki was always so negative, even when it was a day when they had nothing to do. Maybe they all had been forced to work for Jinbaba, and Yashiki hadn't completed whatever his spirit-long goal was, but there was no point in crying over spilled milk. Even if that spilled milk was their memories, friends, accolades... okay, maybe there was a reason to cry. But in Emi's mind, he couldn't bear ever being so negative for so long. He didn't even know anything about the spirit, even though he had often tried talking to him. If only he knew more about Yashiki, Emi could've found a way to cheer him up.


As he walked into the room, he spotted a boar and a firework sitting together. Smiling happily, he waved at the boar. "Hi, Mago!"


Now there was someone to admire. Mago was the spitting opposite of Yashiki. Even if Mago had an unhealthy obsession with females, he always brought the party to himself, was always bubbly and cheerful, it came as no surprise to Emi, when he learned that almost everyone knew who Mago was. That boar was always drawing attention to himself, and sure enough, a tiger came up and mentioned something to the two.


Emi sighed. He had always wanted to be someone like Mago, one of the most extroverted spirits in the house, but even though he stuck out like a sore thumb (He was the only white blob one head above anyone else as far as the eye could see,) Emi could never muster up the courage to start a conversation. "Hi" and "Bye" was about as far as he ever got.


What was that saying? No crying over spilled milk? Emi walked over to the edge of the room and stood next to a yōkai, not wanting to block anyone's view. There were things he liked about himself too, and Emi was grateful he hadn't turned out like Yashiki. No point in feeling bad now.


@KamiKahzy @Nano @Anomaly

 

[Dusky]

HOUSE OF OPPORTUNITY


MEETING HALL

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Hana tuts, the end of the fuse which trails from the base of her head sparking dangerously. "Oh, Mago, you kno-"


She doesn't seem seem to take the tiger's interruption well. Her fuse bursts into spitting flame, traveling nearly half its length before it sputters out with the few deep breaths she takes, eyes closed. She laughs half-heartedly at Mago's joke, nods along with Maria. "It'd be a shame if someone said something to Jinbaba about his insolence, wouldn't it?"


After Maria's next question, Hana picks up, some of the sparkle coming back into her eyes. Grinning, she says, "Oh, wouldn't you like to know! Well, I DO know, but I think I'll leave you the surprise of finding out from Jinbaba. I love it when things happen with a BANG like this."

 

[simj26]

Noh

Noh sniffed and rubbed his nose, checking his watch irritably as he leaned against the doorframe. It was taking quite a while. He was used to waiting, but that didn't mean he enjoyed it. Why, when the guys back then made him wait, he'd smack 'em on the head. ...what guys? Who were they again? Their names, their faces, he can't exactly recall. Damn. He was getting all these homesick thoughts again. And to think he thought he'd forgotten all of it already. Some things just stick. His thoughts derailed the moment he heard the door knob turn, and he straightened up, tugging at his vest and shirt. When the door flew open, he bowed low, and stretched out an inviting hand.


"Oh, thank the heavens. I thought you were going to stand me up." Noh's eyes found purchase on her blushing visage, and immediately retracted his hand to scratch his chin, averting his eyes from the female yokai. He thought he'd gotten used to how cute they were after all the years he had been shining the drink glasses here, but apparently, he hadn't quite climbed over that fence just yet. That or they were just so able to make more headway with the cute factor every time he saw them, and that was quite detrimental to his mental health. He worried that one day, he might just hit the limit of the cuteness proximity radar. He cleared his throat in a shoddy attempt to clear his own head, and reached forwards to take the yokai's hand, keeping one eye on her hair. He'd been bitten more than once already just for looking. "Come on, dear, we really must be hurrying. We'll miss the movies if we tarry any longer." He let out a small chuckle, and, still warily, tugged her along, taking strides across the casino, leading her to the appointed venue. Maria was nowhere to be seen. Must've gone already. Probably reached already at the rate he was waiting for Mai. "Jokes aside, Jinbaba's gone and called us down to the ground floor. Got any ideas why?" He wasn't quite sure why he asked. She probably had no idea. No one actually had any idea what Jinbaba wanted half of the time until she said it aloud. If anyone did know, it was probably that Hana gal.


Maybe he didn't like to keep awkward silences. Especially not between him and a girl like Mai. Well, to be exact, between him and any girl. Still. Silences weren't his forte. He just wanted to talk. Would anyone fault him for that? Probably not.


@waifu

 

[waifu]

Mai

​

Mai smiled shyly as she took Noh's hand, her cheeks lightly tinted. She was easily embarrassed, but she thought nothing of it. In all their previous interactions, Noh acted similarly so she knew that was just how he was. She was shocked by his demeanor at first, but she eventually learned to laugh at his antics. Mai had always admired Noh. Despite the circumstances they were in, he was always so joyful and full of life. Completely different from her, and her.


Mai didn't mind the silence between them as they started walking towards the meeting hall. In fact, she cherished it. This was how it was like to have friends, right? She was unsure. She couldn't recall having any friends, except for maybe Maru the susuwatari. Maru worked in the kitchen and smuggled food to her sometimes. Regardless, Noh and her were probably not friends. They had barely interacted with one another. Mai was also scared of the bar area, so that didn't help.


Noh broke the silence by asking about this sudden meeting they were having. Mai scratched her cheek in thought. "Hmm, I'm not sure myself, actually. I wonder if we're in trouble? Did someone do something?.... oh! Maybe we're all getting a raise!" She suggested excitedly, as if they were actually getting one.

@simj22

 

[AngstyAlb]

Takeru the Tengu

​

Takeru frowned but remained silent as he and his fellow coworker were addressed by their supervisor. His poor customer went ignored as he was obliged to listen to her, he didn't want to get his own stare as his other coworker did. As quickly as she arrived she left, and Takeru felt urgency rise within himself. He'd only been working here for a short amount of time, he wanted to keep his clean streak going for as long as possible.


After tending to the customer, Takeru looked over to Emi and gave a little sigh in response. "I suppose so, I don't think I've gotten used to being spoken to so sternly is all." It always startled the tengu when someone raised their voice with him, even a direct tone made him feel a bit unsettled. He wasn't sure why, probably due to most things he experienced recently in life being brand new to him.


He was rushed along to the elevator with Emi and upon turning around to face the door he noticed Yashiki was there as well. Due to his transparency his eyes would sometimes glaze over the presence of the spirit, and he felt bad that he hadn't acknowledged him because of it. Before he could offer a hello the elevator was already at its destination and his coworkers were splitting off to their preferred social groups.
​

Takeru considered going with Emi but noticed he was going to spend time with the cook Mago. He admired the swine's jovial nature and he seemed easy to get along with, but after noticing his treatment of many women that wandered too close to him he couldn't say that's who he wanted to learn about the world alongside of. His innate sense of values, though unpolished, directed him elsewhere.


Towards the back was a boy he recognized from working in the kitchen as well. His mouth twisted in displeasure due to the fact he just couldn't remember his name and he felt riddled with guilt because of it. He noticed he was standing towards the back instead of taking a seat, how considerate of him! Perhaps there wouldn't be enough seats for everyone and some spirits were older or weaker than others. Two able bodied young men like them should stand in the back, yes he rather liked this idea.


"Em, excuse me, is it all right if I stand back here with you?" Takeru inquired after tapping on the boy's shoulder to get his attention. "Sorry if I'm bothering you, I'm Takeru and I work in the hotel. If I may ask, what's your name?" The tengu blinked nervously, his taloned feet fidgeting against the floor.


Tag: @Turnip

 

[simj26]

Noh

A raise? From Jinbaba? He let out what seemed to be a mixture of a laugh and a scoff at the idea. It did sound enticing. A raise meant he would find himself again much faster. If there was anything left to find. Even the sands of time were confused in this realm. He can't quite be sure of what had changed in the world outside in his time here. Were there any threads left in the world outside to pick up and follow? Was it worth cutting all the threads he had here right now in this world of Jinbaba’s? His eyes unconsciously fell on Mai as this thought crossed his mind. It wasn't just her. As much as he loathed to admit it, even that Mago goof was considered good company. He’d lose all the connections he’d made here. He’d forget them. It wasn't exactly like the feeling he had back then, but this was good enough. Even as these thoughts plagued him, however, he kept his wry smile, and resisted patting Mai on her head for obvious reasons. He really liked her, not in the ‘like’ kind of ‘like’, but just sorta just ‘like’. It didn't help that she was genuinely cute, both in and out of her two different personalities. Just a little disturbing, that’s all. Though the same could be said about the rest of the crew.


“Well, we’ll just have to see, won't we?” Noh’s attention switched from his quarry to the meeting hall as they entered, the all-too familiar faces greeting them. “Looks like the gang’s gotten together before we did. Guess we don't have any private time for ourselves, huh, Mai?” Takeru, Mago, Hana, and Maria were just some of the faces he could make out from his cursory glance. Relief spread through his body when he didn't see the wretched old woman amongst them. It won't be long now before she DID arrive to the scene. The whole thing did seem as if it were casting a gloomy shadow over the meeting hall, however. In a last ditch attempt to liven up the place, Noh gave a smirk and spoke up.


“Having a blast making those ‘bang’ puns, are you, Hana? You’re not even shedding any light on the matter.”

 

[Dusky]

HOUSE OF OPPORTUNITY


Meeting Hall Hana smirks at Noh. "Ex-act-ly~. If only I had your talent for a blank expression, though!"


The hum of conversation in the room dies down as a short, squat woman walks onto the balcony. Her bejeweled cane is the only extravagant thing about her, a mystifying thing considering her vast wealth. The rest of her is plain, matronly. Her dress is a frill-less affair which could have been bought at a charity store, such was its simplicity. Her hair is pulled into a tight bun, and her thin facial features surround severe eyes which are currently gazing down at the congregate. Gravely, she begins to speak.


"Rocco's Gambling Saloon opened some time ago, as you all know, and has in its... second-rate nature... only over attracted those with small ambitions. Unlike our fine establishment, there is no Opportunity to be had there. Imagine my disdain, then, when Rocco paid me a visit this morning and inadvertently informed me he has a spy here, digging for blackmail not only on me but on all of you as well."


As whispers explode, Jinbaba slams her cane on the balcony floor and her voice fills the room, magnified to a great volume. "SILENCE." When she is satisfied that she has everyone's attention, she continues with her normal voice. "It is the duty of everyone here, from myself to even the lowest of you, to squash this bug. As incentive... Everyone's pay will be docked five percent, until we have caught the vermin." As murmurs fill the room again, her voice grows loud once more. "AS FURTHER INCENTIVE... THE ONE WHO TURNS THE SPY IN TO ME OR GIVES ME THE INFORMATION LEADING TO THE SPY'S CAPTURE WILL BE GIVEN AS A PRIZE ALL OF THE SAVINGS WHICH ARE ACCRUED THROUGH THIS METHOD."


She grins with too many teeth. "Think on that." Her brief announcement over, she steps away. The kirin turns and accompanies her. The woman on Jinbaba's right, who had been fanning herself with a bored expression, watches the other two go with dismay, then sighs and stands. "Very well, very well," she calls out with a crisp, but haughty, voice. "You may all return to your posts." Then she, too, abandons the balcony.

 

[Teh Frixz]

Maria


"I wonder if this docking of pay applies to my food supply. Otherwise, why should I care..." Maria speaks out loud to nobody in particular, a hand reaching down to grip her fanny pack protectively. Her eyes are otherwise half lidded, glancing left and right at the assembled bunch. Nobody seemed outright suspicious other than the firework kami but Maria didn't care too much for any of the more modern spirits and the more modern spirits didn't care for the spirits of the dead so she probably looked just as guilty to them.


A benefit of being Jinikini, Maria really just didn't care. Pay meant nothing to her as long as Jinbaba kept supplying her with regular flesh. Part of her agreement had been that she'd be supplied with enough flesh at intervals that would make it impossible to horde too great of an amount. Just enough for a day at a time with backup enough for twelve hours. That's all that mattered in the long run, a spy wasn't any of her concern.


Or was it? The perpetual grin tilts at the edges as a plan starts to formulate into something along the lines of a legible plan. Cocking her head, she turns to look at Mago.


"Hello again Mr.Chef. I imagine this is hitting you hard huh or possibly not at all. How are you feeling about this?"


@KamiKahzy

 

[Turnip]

Hayato


Though he had put in the effort to avoid the crowd, Hayato suddenly found himself prodded in his lonesome corner. Well well, looks like he couldn't escape the fans no matter where he was. Even if that meant a business meeting, apparently. The tengu introduced himself as Takeru, yet another employee of the hotel. Thinking back on it, maybe he had seen the guy once or twice in the past. Hayato quickly adjusted his position to face the fellow avian, though still found himself leaning comfortably against the wall. "S'alright with me, these ain't exactly the best seats in the house anyways." With a wave of his hand, he gestured to the spot next to him. "The name's Hayato, by the way. Nice ta meet ya, Takeru" he exclaimed. "Y'know, I can't help but think I've seen ya around before, ya mind tellin' me where-"


Before he could finish his thought, the meeting had proceeded to get underway. The small woman had hobbled her way onto the balcony before he could notice and now had the attention of the entire audience. Jinbaba wasn't necessarily a sight for sore eyes, but her presence was enough to bring the atmosphere of a room to even more of a standstill. Hayato could feel his skin crawl as the woman began to speak. He couldn't place exactly when it started happening, but Jinbaba's raspy voice had always managed to leave his stomach in knots. He listened intently to her words, and found a wave of calm washing over him when she finally left.


It wasn't too long before Hayato would be back to his old self. He grabbed Takeru's shoulder in excitement, most likely forgetting about that one thing called personal space. "Y'hear that?! If we catch this spy person, we can get rich! Can ya imagine what we could do with all that dough?!" You could practically see the lights shining in the basan's eyes at this point. "Hey hey, I got an idea, wanna team up? It'd be a lot easier with two people, ya know?"


@AngstyAlb

 

[waifu]

Mai

​

Mai cheerfully greeted the rest of the group as both Noh and her entered the meeting hall. If there was one thing Mai was confident about, it was her greeting skills. She had so much practice now working as a receptionist, she could practically welcome hundreds of customers in her sleep. And sometimes she did.


Mai quietly stood by as everyone started to chitchat. She didn't mind not being part of the conversation, and smiled at the familiar faces as they interacted with one another. It was kind of refreshing to see everybody not worried about work for once. "The meeting hall is so big.... no wonder it's the meeting hall," Mai spoke to herself as she spun around to get a feel of the room. Mai was easily fascinated by things, so the size of the room was very interesting to her. While scanning the entirety of the meeting hall, Mai froze.


Mai covered her mouth with a hand. Was it really.... him? It had to be him! He worked here, so of course, it was definitely him. Mai sneakily walked around everyone and made her way to Byakko. She stood by him and awkwardly crossed her arms, trying to look as natural as possible but failing. Due to some technical issues, the acting crew had asked Mai and a few other employees to help out behind the scenes once. After watching Byakko perform that day she had become his number one fan. She wanted to tell him she liked his work and that he was very talented, but she couldn't get the words out of her mouth.


The meeting took place, and after some very surprising news, everyone was told to get back to work. "A spy.... ?"

@Reinhardt

 

[AngstyAlb]

Takeru the Tengu

​

The tengu released a sigh of relief when the boy allowed him to stand beside him. He leaned back against the wall as well and loosely crossed his arms across his chest. Looking down he noticed that there were bird feathers protruding from his rump. Another avian spirit just like himself, what a fun thing they could have in common! Takeru smiled, eager at the idea of having a friend similar to himself.


He was startled when the boy, who he could now know as Hayato, spoke to him with very informal speech patterns. It wasn't that it bothered him personally, he was just struggling to understand what he was trying to say to him. It didn't matter anyway, the entire room was interrupted by the presence of her, the boss of them all Jinbaba. He held no quarrel with the woman, but he couldn't help but to feel uncomfortable just thinking about her but now here she was in front of them all to address them.


Takeru's head cocked to the side in puzzlement when she mentioned docking their pay. It didn't sound like a very large number to him, and for the most part he'd collected most of his pay and kept away what he didn't use to eat with. He didn't believe he was saving up for anything, he just felt more comfortable holding onto it rather than eating a nicer meal sometimes. When she mentioned that the reward for finding the spy was that entire pool of money, his eyes did light up. He couldn't explain it why the idea of procuring a great wealth of riches drew him in, but his body was telling him that he needed to obtain it.


"That is a lot money, and what I wouldn't give to have that much money in my possession..." he mumbled under his breath to himself while still being absorbed into his thoughts.


"...wanna team up? It'd be a lot easier with two people, ya know?"


At that he was jarred from his reverie and looked over to Hayato whose expression was full of excitement and hope. Takeru nodded, yes that was an excellent idea!


"I think working together would be great! Only two can accomplish what one cannot." He lifted a finger and curled a red clawed finger downwards in a come hither motion so he could whisper into Hayato's ear. "Who do you think the spy is?" He looked up with serious eyes, the bright red turning darker with his head ducked away from the light.
​

Tag: @Turnip