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!

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Comments

[fibrillate]

Leviathan nods, understanding the importance of, let's say, inter-office politics. "I've worked in this kind of situation before. I know who my real boss is, no matter who might really be running the show." It seems like, as they tread a little more into the realm of the known, they're getting just a little more comfortable with the reality of this new hell.

"Is the name of the thing meaningful at all? Something that we've heard before, maybe? Because the only thing that I know to say is exactly what the Enma said." They have no idea whether this is the right tree to bark up or if this is the right person to do it at, but, well. What's the worst that could happen, really? "And if this is anything like the way that it used to work for me, there's definitely... more going on. And it's usually all connected."

[watermemory]

"Have you? Then, as much as you may feel you've been thrown into deep water, you may be more prepared than others. I assure you, most others who have been drawn here have felt as bewildered at their assignments, if not more." He peers over at the main road -- now that the Enma has beat a hasty (if dignified) retreat, the crowd is beginning to disperse, but not by much -- there's just as many ordinary people talking to each other, as there are Sutoku reporters hanging about. Minato sighs a little.

"Not that I can say... Pardon, this question is one I'm learning to ask: Are you from Japan?" Leviathan looks human, besides that show of -- magic?, but that doesn't mean they're even from Earth. "In our mythology, Haniyasu is a deity of soil and pottery, formed during the birth of the gods. As to how relevant that is..." He pauses, with an inscrutable look when asked about Haniyasu. If the being he did see in the tower was that... it bore no resemblance, besides the haniwa factor. "I have no idea. Many of our myths populate the streets, but not always in familiar forms."

[fibrillate]

"No, sorry," they say, shaking their head. "I'm from New Gate City," and because they realize it's relevant, "In the year 2120. Japan existed once, but in my time it's mostly historical. But we had an organization, the Zaibatsu, that at least has a similar aesthetic to all of this."

And they're certain it only went as far as aesthetic, because they doubt someone like Richard Magnus had much genuine appreciation for the rich history of the country. "That doesn't really answer why this particular deity would be responsible for what happened, though. You know?" They don't feel like they have to confirm that, really, but at the same time, they are the newbie. "Unless—was it Kaigou no Bou? Unless it was built on some sort of sacred soil. Which still begs the question why Haniyasu would wait until now to do something about it."

[watermemory]

He does frown over that. A mere 200 years, and the main remnant of Japan was a... business conglomerate? For various reasons, the question of what the future really looks like has been troubling him. "When you say 'existed once' -- no. Whatever time you hail from, it's my understanding it may have no bearing on mine. As you might guess, this city appears to be based on a version of Japan's capital, but it bears little resemblance to the one I come from."

He resettles the package under his arm, to cover his troubled look, despite what he says.

"That's the heart of the question, isn't it?... I can say the 'cursed items' that caused the crisis were clay pottery, haniwa. Don't let the name fool you, however, they aren't ordinarily associated." He glances over to the main street again. "My apologies... if we are to speculate more, I'd feel more comfortable if we weren't within eavesdropping distance of the press."

[fibrillate]

That... certainly makes sense. They give a smile that gets about halfway to apologetic; they knew this was a bad idea. "I haven't figured out where I'm staying yet, but if you know anywhere safer, I'd be glad to follow you there."

That's enough of a reason to stop speculating for the moment, but they do lower their voice and add just a little bit of gravity to it. "And... when I say it once existed, I mean that it may still out there, somewhere. Tokyo, maybe Osaka. But the rest of the country is uninhabitable. Most of the world is." Maybe, they think, this is not helping with the discomfort. Maybe it's too late.

[watermemory]

Somehow, it's the maybe that's much more alarming than most of the world. Even with the ravages of the Great War still in Minato's recent memory, a global disaster is too broad to wrap the mind around, enough to discount as something from a completely unrecognizable world. But the detail of only some places like Tokyo surviving is enough to spark the imagination.

There's too long a silence; Minato's face is a composed mask, faint smile and all.

"As I say, it may have no bearing on my Japan. I only asked to see if you needed more context."

He turns (definitely not to cover his discomfort) back to head around the corner he came from, which leads to a different alleyway. There's fewer people here, just a couple of otoroshi sitting on an awning and gossipping. "...I imagine they'll contact you about your housing soon, it's probably backed up. One of the apartment buildings in my district burned down during the crisis, for instance. I don't think anyone was hurt, but still..."

[fibrillate]

They're hardly oblivious at this point; they know they've spoken too much, about something that no doubt is equally too much. But it's too late, and the words have been said, and they just leave them there hanging uneasily as they follow this person towards something beyond prying ears.

This alleyway immediately feels like a more comfortable place for them, and despite the lingering anxiety, they lean against the wall with little care of whether it'll get their clothing dirty. They knock their head gently against the brick and sigh, and they can feel some of the tightness leave their chest.

Until the fire comes up, and their head snaps to attention again. "An apartment building burned down and the Enma has us doing—" They make a noise that reads as disgust far too easily, then clench their fist and equally gently pound it against the wall. "Enough. I'm not going to pretend it surprises me anymore. It's the same every time, everywhere. Of course it would be the same way here."