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jigokufever2022-06-24 11:00 am
jigokumods) wrote in jigokufever2022-06-24 11:00 am
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June 2022 Test Drive
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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i: tamamo
So ... easily roped. Women are powerful. Which is why he's plodding into the room, towel thrown over one shoulder and bucket in hand, resigned to doing more labor. At least he's good at it; he's a war daemon, yaksha meant for battle, but if he had a secondary use outside of hellish warfare it'd probably be cleaning. ]
Woah there—!
[ He looks around like Troy with that iconic pizza box at the absolute shit show state the baths are in, spotting someone about to be swept into a particularly ghastly pool right at the top. He chucks the bucket aside quickly to grab their arm before they fly into bloody sludge, pulling them back against his chest for support. ]
You alright? That could've been nasty.
( ooc. demon fella here, got info for you to reference here and here for all demon-sensing needs. c: )
no subject
( He wasn't expecting any help at all, so the grip alone would have been a surprise. But it comes so quickly, and with a rush of sensing something almost suffocating. Demonic aura clouds his every sense, his own angelic aura muffled by the intensity of it. Memories flood back and his reaction is visceral— even if he normally only vomits from the sight of demon wings, the aura alone brings back enough memories to make him lurch.
It means that even with the supportive chest here to catch him, he almost doubles over, staggering slightly in the way he settles back. He'd spent so much time yelling accusations at others, trying to blame things on demons, but this is the first clear demon he's run into in this place. It's like something is clawing from beneath his skin, itching and burning and throbbing, and his sight and sound are muffled as he struggles to breathe. In, out, in, out...
Shealtiel manages to keep it in. There are no flapping wings to push him over the edge, and so once he's in his right mind again, he yanks and pushes against the chest that had been a support for him, aiming to gain another foot or two in distance. He stumbles for it, catching himself on a wall, instead. )
Ugh—
( Disgusting. Disgusting. Vile. Awful. Demons are vile and hated.
His thoughts echo on like a chant, and he has to refocus his eyes on the stranger in front of him. He can't even be fully aggressive like he'd normally be. He's busy being confused. )
Demon... Why did you help me?
no subject
Daemons aren't exactly popular (understatement) but it isn't often that someone just gags at the sight of him. The reaction does make him pause, initial offense of "I take after my mother and she was a handsome woman" subsiding with a different thought instead—malakhim? Only a malak would have such a visceral reaction to him given that they're complete opposites.
Rokurou exhales, lowering his hands. If this is a malak, his touch would be bad for him. ]
Why? [ he echoes that incredulously; isn't it obvious? ] Did you want to fall into the bloody bath? It'd take a week to fully wash that curse off.
[ The spectral hands in the water, for their part, are obviously disappointed that they did not manage to snag their prey and drag him to the bottom of the pool. They delve again, and the water clouds, murkiness making it difficult to judge where they might be lurking in wait.
Rokurou steps closer to the edge and then crouches beside it to study the water. Distance between the two of them seems to be the better option, so he keeps it now that the guy's leaning against the wall for support. ]
They sent me in to help clean.
no subject
Luci was the one exception, wasn't he? But Belias, and Amon...
And this guy, casually saving him and speaking as if it was a no brainer.
It's uncomfortable. He doesn't know what to think, or feel, or understand from all of this, and so he stays propped against the wall even as he stabilizes. His right hand grips lightly at his scarred left, fingernails pressing into his own skin as his back rests against the wall. )
We're natural enemies, so it feels stranger to think that you wouldn't let me. I'm not about to thank you.
( Which is rude, too. Even he realizes that. But he's firm, determined to stick to his told-beliefs even as he struggles horribly with them. )
...But I won't deny that you did help me. I'll spare you from any attacks since you're not my current mission, but don't think that this means I owe you anything.
I'm here to clean this bath, so you can leave it to me.
( Because, you know, he was clearly doing so well at that before. )
no subject
You don't owe me anything. [ he echoes the sentiment, agreeing in a tone that's gently amused within that natural rasp and drawl, ] I wouldn't let you get dragged in if I could stop it, that's all. That's just the kind of daemon I am.
[ He does cock a brow at mention of being spared attacks; thin lips go lopsided in an easy smile. Unworried at the notion, still a little amused, and friendly despite the obvious barbs Shealtiel's wrapping himself in.
Slapping his hands on his knees, Rokurou pushes himself up, disregarding that you can leave it to me fully in favor of grabbing his bucket from where it's been tragically abandoned. ]
It'll get done faster if we work together. [ he glances back at the other man over his shoulder, ] And what happens if you get sick from that cursed energy?
[ It isn't too different from demonic energy, is it? ]
no subject
Whatever. ( That's as good of a fine, I give up for now as it'll ever get. But he's tired, and he wants to hurry up and clean and see if he can get on the good sides of people who might be able to help him. He grabs a brush and his own bucket and moves to the opposite end of the tub from Rokurou, as if separating himself might make it easier to deal with everything. )
The only reason I'd get sick is if you pulled out some demon wings. You're not going to do that, are you?
( He refuses to make eye contact, busy beginning to scrub at his portion of the bath. His scrubs are the only way he can get his aggression out, currently, so... Enjoy the aggressive squeaking that comes with it. )