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]]

Welcome to the test drive meme!

• Threads here can be considered game canon.
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Comments

[windfalling]

[ Akiyama thinks briefly about taking a step back and letting Tama suffer the consequences, but he did offer to help. What happens next cannot be considered "help" by any stretch of the imagination. Unfortunately for both of them, his footing is just too slippery to hold them both steady. Akiyama, to his credit, at least tries to keep Tama out of the water while he falls in -- "tries" being the operative word here. ]

...Didn't mean to distract you. [ A sigh. First day in Hell and already bathing in blood. ] Sorry.

[fuckdogramagra]

[ As ever, his dexterity is at its highest when it has to do with self-preservation, but it does mean that he's useless when the guy falls in to the water instead. He does jump up, then immediately get to getting the ties at the inner hem of his hakama so he can tie it up and out of the water's depth, then rushing to get in and try and help the stranger up. At this rate, it would have just been easier if he had fallen in the water in the first place. ]

No, I'm sorry! I wasn't- [ A hand stubbornly tries to manifest in the water by his leg, and ends up slapped away- not with a hand, or anything visible, but the sound still echoed. Tama's too busy trying to figure out how his hundred-pounds is gonna help someone up. ] -this blood stuff can really mess you up if you're not careful, you've gotta get dried off quick...!

[windfalling]

[ Truth be told, he doesn't need the help. Not entirely.

Not until he tries to haul himself out of the bath, at least. One of the hands grabs his leg and tries to pull him back under. ]

How...do you deal with this? [ Akiyama is remarkably calm given the circumstances. ] I'm afraid I'm a little lost on how things work around here.

[fuckdogramagra]

[ Even if it's not needed, he has to try to be polite at least- but he can at least focus his efforts on the ghostly hand, swatting it away with...there was almost a visual to it the second time, more like an after-effect impression of a broom than the real thing. ]

Once you see enough weird stuff, you adapt pretty quick. [ Case and point, he's sure not acting like the weird ghost hand slapfight is a thing. Once he's sure the guy won't slip again, Tama goes for the towel the yokai at the front had given him, passing it to the stranger. He's more resistant, at least a little, so he can just get another one. ] But, uh...does that mean you're one of the new lost souls? I can't believe they have you guys in here helping with the stuff...

[windfalling]

[ Akiyama can't help but do a double take. Was that a broom...? Not important. He takes the towel and dries himself off. His suit...will definitely need a trip to the cleaner's. ]

Is it that obvious? [ Despite everything, he still has a good sense of humor. ] Yeah, I just showed up here. I was expecting Hell to be a little bit different, but I guess baths full of blood aren't too far off.

[ Just gonna scrub at his face for a second with the towel. ]

Ah, I'm Akiyama. Sorry we met under these circumstances.

[fuckdogramagra]

Well, good news for you, the blood's not natively a part of the whole Jigoku-cho package. [ Tama shook his arm back behind him, trying to get the few droplets off so he could slip his yukata sleeves back on. He's a bit...insecure, don't mind him. ] Ah, I mean, I guess I don't know what Tamamo is doing in their bath houses usually...but this blood should be a one-off situation. You're all lucky you missed that sordid business.

[ He almost seems surprised by the name- being honest, he'd sort of expected a guy this built and, well, wearing a suit like that would be more. Toraguma-like. ] Ah, Mizumori Tama. Just Tama's fine. You haven't been pledged to any of the groups yet, have you...? It's less that anything is obvious, and more that I'm concerned by how little preparation people go in to these things with. [ Also, he's a nosy bitch, but he doesn't have to say that out loud. ]

[windfalling]

[ Akiyama, for all his appearances, is not actually involved with the yakuza. He's adjacent to and has friends within the organization, but is not involved himself. He runs a money lending business and owns a hostess club...well, did. He's mostly just a functional disaster of a man. ]

Sordid business? [ He pulls a pack of cigarettes out of his jacket pocket and makes a face when he notices they're all ruined. So much for that. ] And you're right, I haven't been pledged anywhere yet.

[ A soaked lighter joins the ruined cigarettes on the floor next to him. Sigh. ]

Blood and yokai aside, this place isn't too different from Kamurocho.