June 2022 Test Drive

[jigokumods]

MAIN NAVIGATION

1. CLEAN UP

The curse has broken, finally banishing the oppressive air around the city and the many sightless eyes of the accursed haniwa. Life will have to return to normal now but first there is lingering clean-up that must be attended to:

SHUTEN CLAN

The Shuten Clan is out in force to rebuild damaged storefronts. Eager oni appear in their festival happi, singing oni working tunes. You can pick up the words easily enough, join in and help out. The mood starts bright, but after a number of unlucky accidents there is less singing and more grumbling. The cursed energy left behind has made all of you much more prone to workplace accidents but the storefronts need to be scrubbed, broken glass needs sweeping, new furniture needs construction. There are any number of thumbs smashed by hammers, hands cut on saws, heads hit with falling debris or that board of wood you didn’t see someone carrying towards you. It’s a cursed day to be out on the job.

Rewards will come in the form of free drinks for a week from specific bars and a generous amount of chips for the casinos. If you aren’t of age to drink or gamble? Well… they’ll look the other way this time. Have fun.

It should be noted that the uniform -- a happi, a hachimaki, and fundoshi -- is required. The Shuten Clan is very traditional, after all.

TAMAMO CLAN

The bathhouses in Tamamo clan territory remain full of bloodied water. They need to be drained and scrubbed to make them new again. However, reaching the drains is a tricky business. You can’t simply reach in to pull out the plug, you will have to wade into the water to twist it free. Easy enough, right?

Unfortunately, residual curse energy has made this a very dangerous task. Phantasmal hands will reach out and try to drag you under as you get too close to the drain. The phantasms can be distracted, so you’ll need some teamwork to succeed. Your reward is a significant amount of free bath coupons. Some of the advertised baths even have “special” properties. Take the chance to relax, you probably need it.

Those that are rejuvenated in the newly purified baths will find themselves with seemingly limitless vigor. That vigor may sometimes manifest in the form of desperately needing to fuck the first thing willing to do so. Which might turn out somewhat embarrassing...

SUTOKU CLAN

The residual cursed energy in the Sutoku Alliance territory has congregated in their many arcades. The prizes in the UFO catcher machines seem off and they keep shifting around. If you happen to win a prize, the prize slot snaps shut on your hand with amazing force: the machine out for blood. To clear the curse, the prizes need to be removed from the machines and purified with the help of a local shrine maiden. Unfortunately, the key ring to open the machines has been stolen by some of the unruly prizes. You will need to use your UFO catcher skills to fish it back out.

Try not to lose any fingers.

Other machines are shooting tokens out of their coin slots at astonishingly painful speeds. A strange phenomenon, as even the machines that take swipe cards are doing it. Where are those tokens even coming from? You will have to get the machines open and give them a deep cleaning to get all the residual blood off the coins and mechanisms. You need the same keys that are stuck inside the UFO catcher…. Better hope you can fish out the one you need.

For your troubles, you will be given unlimited free plays for a month. Perfect for winning a totally-not-cursed prize for your sweetie.

ENMA DEPARTMENT

It’s the Department of the Enma’s turn to go begging for good will. They are considered to be mostly responsible for the way the cursed haniwa were handled in the first place. Enma souls should get out on the streets and see what the people need: Food, clean water, housing repairs and maintenance, as well as exorcisms. They’re all high on people’s priority lists and most people want it done pronto. Try not to get snappy with the angry people, the department’s reputation is on the line.

The Enma is slated to give a press conference at some point. It's up to the rest of the Department to assure that there will be reception to his words. They are likely to be of grave importance to the rest of the city.

A hard day’s work is its own reward, but you’ll also get a day pass to a theme park on the edge of the city – in the name of community outreach, of course.

2. GHOST SHARKS

The very streets themselves are treacherous with residual curses. The isonades may have been intimidated out of town for the moment but the anger of their ancestors lingers in the bloody puddles that still glisten in the streets. Come too close to these puddles and spectral sharks will lunge from beneath the surface: Blood for blood! Lives for lives!

While spectral in nature, the teeth on these sharks can still do real harm to anyone they lash out at. They don’t seem to take damage in kind, but will pop and disperse for a moment when struck. The ghostly sharks are being populated by a magic totem that has been partially buried in the dirt of a local park. Destroy it and the sharks will disappear.

Unfortunately, a pack of snotty local children have taken a shine to this magic totem. They are not keen to let you take it from them, nor break it. It’s theirs. It’s special. If you’re feeling brutish or cruel, you can fight the children or deceive them, but your boss would probably suggest you try to bargain with them for appearance’s sake. They’re entirely unreasonable though, as children can be, and it will be quite a chore to get them to agree to your terms.

3. CURSED CORNERS

There are certain corners and alleyways which are simply predisposed to gather cursed energy. These areas are still haunted enough to affect the reality around you. You may experience hallucinations or visions of lost loved ones, past regrets, personal failings. These visions are played out in the area for all to see. You will remain frozen in place until your moment is done, or someone brave comes to pull you out.

Now that the worst of it is over, some of the more morbid and voyeuristic members of the public may be lurking around these haunted areas, waiting to see what horrors will be unveiled. They have out their phones and their cameras to record the show.

The cruelest of the spectators provide commentary to their social media followings as they observe. Anything for that monetization!

The biggest of the streams is a kerakera onna who goes by her channel name: Lipsticki. She leans in over the rooftops to cackle loudly at people’s misfortunes and give petty, scathing commentary about their misdeeds and failings.

4. THE ENMA SPEAKS (PLOT RELEVANT)

Outside the hospital where the Enma was being treated, there is a huge press gathering. The judge arbiter has been deemed fit enough to release. Hungry for word, journalists from every publication swarm the area. Most press-outlets in the city are controlled by the Sutoku Alliance, who have a vested interested in interrogating the Enma.

A number of other onlookers have tacked on as well, including Lost Souls both old and new. Lost Souls may even find themselves ordered to attend the statement by their faction.

It is assumed that the Enma must have something of grave importance to say, after all.

The Enma approaches the podium. He is dressed in his usual suit, his crown, and his stern expression; it puts a hush over the crowd through its tremendous pressure alone. No questions have been asked, yet, but a statement has been prepared. He clears his throat:

"The cause of the curse, the enemy of Jigokucho, is... Haniyasu. The Department's focus will be shifting to determining our next action in regards to this entity. That is all."

Just like, the Enma's secretary and a retinue of armored shinigami move to flank the Enma and guide them to a waiting limo down the steps. The press yells their questions over one another, but are pushed back. The Enma doesn't even seem to perceive them, simply focusing on getting into the car.

Unfortunately, if you're a representative for one of the factions -- especially the Department of the Enma -- that makes you fair game to hound for questioning too. Do you stand your ground or try to run away?

[[banner art by s-tokimura]]

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Comments

Jonathan Sims | The Magnus Archives

[eyediot]

[CLEAN UP - TAMAMO]

[The man barely has his feet under him as he wades into the bath, trying to focus on the matter at hand and not the way the blood is already mixing with the mess his clothes were to start with.]

Come on... Just... Let me through...

[He's taking it slow and steady as he inches slowly closer to where he's fairly certain the drain is. He continues murmuring his placations to the water, but by the way his hair is drenched and sticking to his forehead and neck, it's clear he's already failed a few times at this.

It seems like this might be the one though! He stops to squint at the water before carefully starting to lean down and-]

Augh- [It's the most undignified yelp as he either trips or is pulled under with a splash.

And a few breaths later turns up at the other end of the bath with a sputter, spitting out some of the water and glaring.]

Was that really necessary?!

[CLEAN UP - SUTOKU]

[Perhaps a clean up task requiring more physical work wasn't really the best to ask of Jon. But something more patient and less strenuous may be right up his alley.

He squints intensely at the UFO catcher machine, trying to guess where the best way to hit a prize is. Clean out the machine of its prizes seems simple enough. He'd been decent enough at these sorts of machines growing up, though not good enough to write home about.

At one point, he's almost got one to the prize chute-] Yes, yes, come on, let's get on with it. [- before it falls out of the crane arms and back into the pile, wiggling happily that it wasn't caught. He bursts a bit louder:] Oh, come on!

[It isn't until later that he manages to get a few into the prize chute, kneeling down to get them out and add them to a pile. But there's the unceremonious yelp of an Englishman as that door does close on his hand.]

All right, of course, just - Come on, let go. Let me go. [Said with all the force of a man telling a small puppy to let go of a ball so it can be thrown again. It's clear it might take a while without some assistance.]

[GHOST SHARKS - A]

[For a man who's clearly already seen some danger judging by the amount of weird scars on him, Jon doesn't seem too bothered to be hit and attacked by these spectral entities. Mind, he would prefer not to be, given the way he still tries to dodge out of their way.]

Look - I'm not entirely sure what you even want with me here, I'd just like to keep walking down the street please.

[Of course, he's trying to talk to the puddle. He looks down at his right hand, with a few bits of bite marks already before he shakes it out and tries again, giving it a bit of a berth before one pokes its little smooth nose out and lunges again. Jon will try to dodge from the looming mass of energy, but he isn't exactly able to see if the way is clear.]

I said- [He may be bumping his small shoulder into someone or something. Whoops.]

[GHOST SHARKS - B]

[What's funnier than a guy treating a surely possessed crane game like an untrained puppy? The same man glaring blandly at a group of children.]

I'm not sure why they even want to bargain with you. That thing is causing trouble in the streets, so you'd best just give it up.

[Where normally he'd have a bit of sympathy for a situation like this, the kids' attitudes have all but worn that emotion down to annoyance.]

No, I haven't got any money to give you, let alone that exorbitant amount. You're quite annoying, you realize that? Just hand it over, and then I can leave and you can go back to doing whatever it is you do.

clean up - tamamo

[everblooms]

[ The young woman he's been paired with for the purpose of scrubbing the tub free is a willow-y thing, twiggy in the arms an big, green eyes. Needless to say, she's a dainty looking woman. It's perhaps unsurprising that he leapt into the water, but she also hasn't been eager to indulge in a blood bath after the rain. He can take the lead all he pleases; Aerith is not going to deny it.

There had been something of a vague warning that the tubs are hard to clean. They had not been briefed on this; he's assaulted on all sides by ghostly specters. Aerith shouts for help, but no one comes, and it's up to her to take matter into her own hands.

As such, he'll see the end of the Mythril Rod shoved at him. It's top and bottom are both circular disks, perfect for gripping tightly, she thinks. ] Hold onto this! I've got you.

[ Yeah, no, she's not jumping in there. Sorry. ]

hilariously she's still stronger than he is

[eyediot]

[Even if he hadn't been a regular in the water, growing up by the ocean did mean he was given some cursory education on what to do should the worst happen. He focuses on keeping his head tilted up and above the surface, before he sees the rod extended out. It takes him a moment to realize what exactly he's looking at in front of him, trying to focus before he carefully grabs the end with his right hand.

He'll use it to start gently pulling himself to the side of the tub and pull himself out. And sort of unceremoniously plops himself to sit on the edge, feet still dangling in the water. But he's kind enough to give a bit of space, so he doesn't drip on her; she's too nice and clean to have jumped into this mess.]

That was... attempt number three, I believe?

...Thank you.

NOOOOO KING WE'LL GET YOU A GYM MEMBERSHIP

[everblooms]

[ His kindness is not unnoticed, but Aerith simply cannot risk him getting pulled under again. She yanks him back, making sure his feet are clear of the water. A disaster is narrowly avoided, as she watches one of the hands slink back underwater, somehow managing to exude the spirit's disappointment. ]

Phew. Not too bad, huh?

[ Could have been worse, she muses. Her hands are dirtied now, and Aerith huffs a little as she wipes them down on the skirt of her dress. Thankfully, it definitely has seen better days. There's stains that haven't quite made it out, a few bleached splotches and tears decorating it. ]

Third time? That won't do, not at all. Do you want some help?

queen he will die

[eyediot]

[Thankfully, he's easy to yank back and away. He didn't even see the hands starting to reach for him again, and the slow ripple of their descent is unnoticed.

Though he does catch her wiping her hands... On her skirt? It makes him just a little self conscious, his own clothes stained with the fresh blood over the darker, older rust colored stains. No, her clothes needed to be salvaged before he somehow ruins those. He sighs and reaches for the leather jacket he'd had the foresight to fold and set out of the way - it isn't without its own problems, blood and mud stains that are far older than he's been here in the city, and sets it between them. A fair offer of something less nice to wipe her hands on.]

It might go faster, yes. I just can't see the blasted things once I get close enough.

clean up - sutoku

[psionicmolotov]

[ Kimmuriel has long since discovered the crane machines' viciousness as he helps to clean, and is currently using a variety of shitty arcade prizes to thwart them because he kind of needs his hands.

He looks over from shoving a plastic semi-translucent toy gun into the prize slot of the machine he's attending to when he hears the yelp. ]

It cannot hear you, you know.

[eyediot]

[Jon doesn't look up or away from the offending machine, still holding tight to his arm. Once again, he finds himself thankful to have Daisy's heavier leather jacket to stem the pressure so his arm isn't directly injured by it.]

Oh, we can't be sure of that. You never know, it may surprise us.

[psionicmolotov]

And you are willing to sit there the entire time, debating with a cursed piece of machinery?

[ He sounds a bit incredulous. The machine he's tug-of-warring with angrily blares its various sounds and lights in a horrendous fervour as he starts extracting the cursed prize from the slot, much like a toddler throwing a tantrum.

There is the small thump of Kimmuriel kicking it, which doesn't improve anything. ]

[eyediot]

Oh, we aren't debating. It's going to let my arm go.

[Said with the stern tone of a man who thinks that will work. But he is tugging, and twisting a bit to try wedging his free hand into the crevice of where the door meets the opening to pry it open further.]

You sound like you're having quite the time yourself over there.

[sutoku cleanup]

[taikonogunso]

[The glitz, glamour, lights and sounds of a Sutoku Game Corner is utterly foreign and unfamiliar to Beat Knight.

Somebody getting their hand stuck in an obstinate piece of machinery feels fairly familiar, though. And something like that, especially with all of the talks of curses and malingering malice flying around, is not going to resolve itself... even if it is a little funny to watch Jon. Just for a measure or two, then he'll step in.

It's easy to hear Beat coming in before even seeing him; his armor does absolutely no favors for his stealth score, and his sandals clack across the polished linoleum floor.]

Ho there! Are you having some trouble with this... [... he started the sentence without thinking about how he was going to end it. Oops.] ... machine?

[eyediot]

[Jon can definitely hear someone coming, but until his hand is loose, he doesn't want to risk looking away from the prize still in his grasp.

Still.

Whatever is coming toward him sounds heavy and metallic, and that might be enough to warrant his attention. He's a smaller man, knelt down in front of the game case with his right arm stuck in the door, left braced against the machine's front. Jon tries to get a good look over, not finding anything particular to focus on of this individual.

It only makes sense there would be all manner of beings if what Annabelle had explained was true. And that was always the question, wasn't it.]

Um. Well- Hard to say really. I've got my hand on what I think is some kind of stuffed cat that this - blasted thing will not give up.

[taikonogunso]

Hrmn... [The specifics of what this machine is and does are sort of lost, but there are context clues to be gleaned here. Other toys on the internal shelves, the movement of the crane, and the way that Jon's wrist seems to be almost pulled into the prize slot.

This thing is very clearly cursed.]

I see... I would not want to hurt you in attempting to help, but. Do you think there can be some forgiveness for light property damage, perhaps?

[He's thinking that maybe one of the side panels can be pried away, giving another angle for the item in question to be extricated.]

[eyediot]

Honestly, the keys to the thing are inside so I'm sure they can forgive it.

[Jon doesn't particularly care at the moment. It's not his business and not his machine. If they didn't want it destroyed, perhaps they should have gotten professionals to do this and not someone newly arrived that hasn't even gotten to change out of his bloody clothes.]

Though, if it's all the same to you, I'd much rather have my arm back before we start destroying it.

[GHOST SHARKS - A] sorry, fellow nerd, a reedy bookworm is here to save you

[fuckdogramagra]

[ Being bumped in to, and knocked out of his own reverie of wandering Jigo looking for more places to help, is kind of a blessing in disguise given where he was. He recognized this stretch of street, closeish to the Sanzu river and the (defunct?) black market, and if he's down this way then it means- ]

Hey! Oi, oi, oi! [ Why. Were these sharks. The most persistent thing in Hell?? Despite the very real threat they pose and the equally real fact that Tama had run from them like a weenie two months ago, he's having none of it today, bashing one of them in the snoot with his grocery bag. ] Go on, get! Back in the river! Be reborn, or whatever!

bless

[eyediot]

[The smaller book nerd steps out of the way once there are grocery bags flying. But he watches that with some ease of mind.

'Be reborn'? Whether it's just a random couple of words, but that does bring to mind some questions. He watches the little shark scoot back and away.]

Are they normally on land like this?

[fuckdogramagra]

[ Really, the luckiest thing about this entire situation is that he'd been buying citrus to try and help with his friend's recovery, so the grocery bag packed a surprising amount of wallop- a different ex-street shark tries to manifest, and Tama womps it with the same grumpy look, before looking over his shoulder. Maybe someone had gotten away with not seeing the sharks back some months, but given the ongoing stuff with the haniwa- ]

You're new? [ He might look like an exhausted highschooler, but Tama is at least getting better at being conversationally quick. Thanks, Hell? ] They're haunting down here because they got killed a month ago, I think- don't quote me on the timeframe actually. [ With the sharks temporarily sulking and-or embarrassed that their previous prey was no longer scared of them, Tama turns to properly give the guy a look. Unfortunately, it means he's unawares of one of the sharks manifesting behind him, going to take a bite from his grocery bag. ] If you're a new lost soul, then this is a bad place to linger for long. There's a lot of territorial yokai around this part of Hell, ones much more dangerous than the sharks even...

[eyediot]

[A tired high schooler about the same height as him. Damn his genetics. But he steers clear of the bag so it can o its work on these spirits. When the student looks closer, this man is covered head to toe in circular, pocked scars, and a scar across his neck.]

New, yes. Still getting my bearings, so to speak.

[He trails off, trying to really get a look around but it all truly is a blur of lights and sounds he can't get a read on. But he can see some mass forming behind him. Jon doesn't hesitate to try and reach for the bag to yank it away.]

Watch out there!

clean up - sutoku

[aceslow]

[ Kim is here for very much the same reason as Jon: he's been instructed to go forth and help with the clean-up as much as possible, which just has to be in an arcade. He loathes every bit of it. It's noisy, it's infantile, it's flooded with irritating youths, and worst of all, he would much prefer to be playing the racing games.

Still, he's been diligently cleaning out the UFO games to the best of his abilities, though not without an issue or two, one of which he sees some poor man has fallen prey to already. He clucks his tongue in sympathy. ]

Yes, that's been happening lately. Here, I've got it. You've just got to...

[ Kim has sturdy boots that are meant for more than walking, it seems. Instead, he gives the machine a swift kick, thick soles thudding loudly against its side, and with a wheezing cry of pain, the UFO machine lets up.

Now freed, Jon may see that Kim currently has a pair of cheap kitchen tongs hanging from his belt loop. They are not the most fashionable accessory, but he's gotten a surprising amount of use out of them, if not only to spare his own hands. ]

There we go. You got lucky. This sent someone to the hospital not so long ago.

[ Something about severed ligaments. Kim tried not to look too closely. ]

[eyediot]

[The noise and flashing various colored lights have not been helping his headache. He finally stopped tugging in favor of simply staring the machine down, hoping his patented 'Jonathan Sims Glare' might do the trick. Unfortunately it seems the machine here have heard of neither Jonathan Sims or the Archivist.

(The poor love-worn leather jacket is still recovering from its trek in the muck, the mud, the blood splatters of murder(s), the deep trenches of war; it has seen a lifetime of pain. And now this indignity, a deep crease in the sleeve by the door forced closed onto it saving its wearer from further injury at its own painful detriment..)]

Ah...haa... [He pulls his hand out pretty quickly, stretching his fingers and rubbing at his wrist with his scarred hand. He looks up from where he'd sat on the floor and sees a splash of orange and a darker color before him.]

Um. Thank you, I ah. It proved quicker than me in this instance.

[aceslow]

It would prove quicker than most people. We weren't meant to compete against machines, [ Kim says sympathetically, though with a great deal of respect towards the machine itself. He has none for whatever demonic spirit has inhabited it, but he's a man who can respect an impressive piece of machinery. As frivolous as the UFO machine may be, it was made powerfully and with intent. It's fun to watch, when it's not currently trying to kill you.

He leans over, offering Jon his hand to help haul him up. ] And you've got a war injury to show for it, [ he says dryly. ] Proof enough that you gave this your best effort, should our superiors ask for it.

Ghost Sharks A

[alloutofgum]

[ Jon's small shoulder bumps into the big wall of idiot beef that is Duke, who is being more proactive with the situation, and with one swing of his mighty fist, temporarily disperses the shark. ]

Man, alien sharks were bad enough, but demon ghost sharks? This shit's gettin' ridiculous. You alright, mister?

Re: Ghost Sharks A

[eyediot]

[JUST. Sighs. He couldn't really see what exactly it was that lept out at him, but sure. Demon ghost sharks.

Probably the Hunt.]

Yes, I'm all right. Just - still getting my bearings. These things notwithstanding.

ghost sharks b

[hellborne]

Oh, come on. Surely someone must have taught you to be patient with children.

[ listen, it's been kind of fun to watch a bunch of pre-teens bully this grown man, but jack can't help but feel a little bit of pity. ]

Re: ghost sharks b

[eyediot]

[In the pre-teens' defense, this grown man is very easy to bully. He's still glaring a bit at them even before he hears the voice.]

Does it matter? They aren't even children. Probably.

[hellborne]

Come now, you're actually going to tell them that while they're right there?

[ of course the children are getting riled up at that. jack places their hands on their hips. ]

No wonder they don't want to cooperate with you. They probably consider you as an old man who would shove vegetables down their throat.