jigokufever | June 2022 Test Drive

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June 2022 Test Drive

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]]

Welcome to the test drive meme!

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NEWBIE TOP LEVELS

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Scatter.

[Whether Shenhe is distracted or simply biding her time, some aren't inclined to wait. An arrow whistles by her and strikes at the puddle in its center, a paper spelltag folded through its center; the puddle roils angrily and then disperses, leaving behind only the traces of the spirit that it carried.]

[Behind her, Matoba keeps his eye on the puddle for a moment longer, hands still poised on his bow before he lowers it, and draws his eye towards Shenhe. The spirit was dispersed, and yet there was still something cold in the midst.]

My, quite bold of you to combat a spirit bare-handed.

[ She is unfazed by the arrow whizzing past her, her attention fixed squarely on the puddle that it makes contact with, watching as it seemingly dissolves. It’s only after it’s dissipated that she turns to discern the direction from which it came and finds Matoba there. ]

I’ve fought worse.

[ She stands there for a moment, not quite sure what to do now. She should… Probably thank him? ]

I wouldn’t have thought to shoot an arrow at the puddle.

[ Nailed it. ]

Ahaha, well. You would need to have a bow for that, I think.

[An equally stupid reply? A joke? All of the above??]

[Matoba hangs his at his back, but remains where he stands, a distance several paces back from the woman. There he examines her- human? Perhaps. A somewhat familiar sensation to her aura, but not enough to discern anything clearly. His eye draws again to the fist that had struck at the isonade spirit.] Rather, it seemed as though you were expecting something else, instead.

Am I wrong?

[ The appraising nature of the glance he gives her does not escape her notice, but it doesn’t bother her - after all, she is returning it with an appraising glance of her own, although she’s entirely unsure what to make of him on her end. There’s certainly some kind of ethereal quality to the way that Shenhe appears and carries herself, though. At his observation, she lifts her hand once more, but this time to examine it. ]

My body feels… Weaker. I was not expecting the blow to land the way that it did.

[ Which is to say, still strong, but perhaps she cannot single-handedly punch craters into the ground…? Most peculiar. ]

Hm?

[Matoba's eye shifts from her face towards her fist, and her attempt to ...gather power? He thinks he feels some sort of shift in aura, and something about that is somewhat familiar. He thinks he understands, although he wasn't that sort of practitioner, himself.]

...Oh. A martial user? You will find that the toll we have paid to enter unto the Underworld is a little different than what the Dead pay.

[Presuming, of course, that she wasn't actually dead. Matoba holds out two fingers of his own, gathering power to himself as if to cast a spell- and then dispelling it away again without any incantation.] ...A seal, on abilities and peculiarities of all kinds. Spiritual, magical... Even physical abilities are not spared, according to my investigations.

Sealed, that is, for you to earn back by the grace of your new Master. [His eye narrows with his sarcastic smile, tone implying a pronounced dislike.] This is a city ruled by spirits.

[ Were Shenhe a more expressive woman, surely Matoba’s explanation would have garnered at least a handful of emotions playing across her face. Confusion and annoyance, just two name two, but what does surface on her expression are barely echoes of these emotions.

She folds her arms, shifting her weight from one leg to the other, as her brow furrows just the slightest bit in contemplation. ]

So that’s what it is. They hold our powers hostage so that we might do their bidding to gain them back.

[ She honestly can’t decide if being nerfed like this is a blessing or not. Still, she can’t help but ask: ]

What if someone were to be more content without them? Has that… happened?

[ Asking for a friend... ]

That's right. [He's delivered this news to many before, making it a priority of his to always meet whatever new faces in his wheelhouse passed through. The Matoba were a chief clan, after all; it would be remiss of him not to network properly. And the reaction was always something similar.]

[But...]

I imagine so. Given that they seem to dispense them at their whim, in my experience they're normally... rewards. For good behavior, you see. Or accomplishment within the organization.

...Haha, so I suppose, if you take it easy and don't do anything useful, perhaps you'll simply coast by without anything to your name.

[Although, that was certainly an interesting reaction to have, upon learning of their situation. Matoba can't say he doesn't understand the sentiment, but... This was the first he'd had this conversation with someone who had this reaction. Hm.] ...If you don't mind my clarifying, you wish to remain powerless?

[ He does seem like he’s broken this sort of news to people many times before, Shenhe notes, and although she wouldn’t ever say it out loud, she’s glad to have run into someone who knows more about the nature of this place.

What she isn’t glad for is what he tells her, though. Adjusting to living amongst other humans was already a challenge for her in Teyvat, especially Living in a Society built around contractual agreements, and now she has to consider this… hell realm. And in addition to that, what is she to do? What does this mean for her disastrous fates, her cursed soul? ]

No. [ Maybe a little bit. ] I… I was simply wondering.

Your weapons, then. Were they… rewards? What did you do to obtain it?

[Call it adjusting to life in Hell. And for humans who could be allies in the future, Matoba would spare no convenient show of assistance if it might inspire feelings of being indebted to him in the future.]

[Not that it was his only reason. But this was a world of exchange and arrangement.]

I see. [Obviously he doesn't buy that for a moment, and his smile says as much, but remains polite enough to be just on this side of disbelief.] In any case, there are humans here who make do without any spiritual power. But personally speaking, I would not find it very convenient.

...I suppose I cannot say I know such a life well, though.

[Matoba lifts his bow again, glancing, and holding it up.] These? Oh, no. I purchased them for my own use, here. I was fortunate enough to find a decent enough maker of bows and arrows for my purposes.

My "rewards" have been... well. [He looks at her for a long moment, smile thoughtful.] Nothing physical.

(( sorry I’m a bit slow! I’ve been sick. ))

[ Shenhe has never been one who could tune into the subtleties of conversation nor the world at large, and the same holds true here, where she’s been cast even further into the depths of a place she understands even less than the world from which she came.

Needless to say, everything this man is saying to her feels an awful lot like a puzzle, and she’s truly not sure what to make of any of it. The best she can do is continue to ask questions, in hopes of making sense of all this little by little. ]

… I see. [ To which part? The answer is yes. ] So you were able to secure funds and then purchase items…

[ Look, she doesn’t understand money. She tenses under his thoughtful gaze, brow furrowing ever so slightly. ]

And what do you mean by ‘nothing physical’?

[ooc; no worries!]

[Matoba gives no indication whether or not he's taking stock of whether she's picking up what he's putting down, politely and blithely smiling all the way regardless.]

[...Those are some interesting responses, though. Very... interesting...]

[He decides it would be more prudent to show, rather than tell what he means- and draws out a paper spell like the one that had been on the arrow shot into the puddle. He raises two fingers before himself again, and this time, as spiritual power sharply wells within him, its feeling is dry and hot like purifying fire- like something being scalded clean.]

[It releases as a sudden whirlwind of force that kicks up in the alleyway and threatens to blow Shenhe back a few feet, if she hasn't already sensed and guarded against it.]

... My clan does not practice martial techniques, but we have our own ways. [Although even that hardly told of them. He hopes it at least got the point across- the rewards here that mattered, as far as Matoba was concerned, were not physical.]

[ Emotions rarely, if ever, play across Shenhe’s face, such as she is. But this time her surprise is clear and readable, eyebrows hitching up and opalescent eyes going wide the moment he raises his fingers with the paper spell, a feeling of recognition tugging at her mind. His demonstration is… different, and yet all too familiar.

Having sensed this, she’s properly braced against the surging power he releases, raising an arm up in defense. She lowers it once he’s finished, and asks him, ]

That… Those were exorcist techniques just now, weren’t they?

Correct.

[The paper's ashes scatter with the winds, its power having blown away another puddle that was forming behind him. Pesky isonade... It would be prudent if he were to find the source of their lingering will soon.]

[He dusts the ashes from his hands, and gives Shenhe a polite half-bow with an incline of his head.]

I am the head of the Matoba clan of exorcists, Matoba Seiji. [She braced against the point of casting. So her senses were not too dulled...] Shall I take that to mean that you are familiar with exorcist clans as well?

[ She mirrors his half-bow with one of her own; she was never taught proper manners, but that seems like a logical thing to do in greeting. ]

I know exorcist arts, and have trained to use them my whole life. But I am not part of a clan, nor am I familiar with any of them.

[ At least, not since she was a young child. And even then, could she really call herself part of that family..? ]

I'm Shenhe.

[Isn't that fascinating? Matoba visibly ponders her reply. Taught in the arts but not even familiar with any exorcists... That certainly sounds like an exorcist raised outside of the community.]

[He can't even say that this was necessarily the first such individual he'd met in that position, could he?]

You don't consider yourself one? [He pauses for effect.] I suppose the techniques are useful for a variety of purposes. The elders might not like to hear me say it so bluntly, but what remains of us is not that different from being glorified bounty hunters in many regards.

[He purses his lips.] ...Ah, but I am rambling. That isn't your problem, I suppose, if you are outside the community anyway. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Shenhe-san. The shark spirit which attacked you has been annoying the city streets for a week or so, now. I was actually just investigating them, myself.

[ Shenhe is aware of the many, many reasons why her existence can come across as rather peculiar or unique. But it doesn’t make his pondering, even as expected as it is, any less uncomfortable to someone who’s wholly unused to dealing with people in the first place. She looks as though she has something to add in response to his observation, but ultimately, she grunts and then remains silent and simply continues to listen to him until he’s finished. ]

It’s… A pleasure to meet you, as well, Matoba.

[ Is it, though? But you’d never be able to tell, with the monotonous tone of her voice. ]

I have never seen evil spirits take on that… Form. Although there are plenty of things about this realm that I’ve never seen before.

[Noticing her hesitation, Matoba waits for her to add to her introduction, but she never does. Ah, well. He will simply have to learn more from her in the future.]

The form of a shark, or their mode of transportation via puddle? I have not come across the isonade in my time, but I suppose I often come across new spirits in my work. Human knowledge of them is hardly exhaustive.

...However, I have heard other legends, about ayakashi which travel via puddle, or whose powers may be used via puddles... [He seems almost amused for a moment, before it vanishes again.] But luckily, I have heard a rumor which should prove useful in ending the rampage of these spirits. It seems that they respond to a certain object.

Are you familiar with spirits tied to a cursed object?

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June 2022 Test Drive

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