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jigokumods ([personal profile] jigokumods) wrote in [community profile] 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]]


Welcome to the test drive meme!
  • Threads here can be considered game canon.
  • Characters can be recruited to do work for any faction until they're given their official assignment.
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  • Reserves are open until July 5th
  • NEWBIE TOP LEVELS


harimaya: (🍶 high ball)

[personal profile] harimaya 2022-06-28 12:50 am (UTC)(link)
Nah.

(Hizen was here for the whole thing? He helped deal with the haniwa when they arrived and he had to deal with the curse after they released all of their nasty cursed energy,)

I was here and the big guy's speech ain't answer nothing.
perfectdistance: ([G] Concern 3)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-06-28 01:01 am (UTC)(link)
Why'd he even bother havin' it?

[There's this whole crowd? This entire crowd of people looking for answers and getting what sure feels like nothing.]
harimaya: (🍶 shochu)

[personal profile] harimaya 2022-06-28 01:04 am (UTC)(link)
Probably 'cause everyone wants to hear something. They messed up pretty bad.

(Whatever! Time to break away from the crowd. Nero is free to follow if he wants... Hizen is sticking to some of the side streets, away from the swelling crowd of people trying to chase after Enma and his officers for answers,)

Let's beat it.
perfectdistance: ([M] And so I won't be loving)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-06-28 01:06 am (UTC)(link)
What'd they do?

[It's barely better than something!

He will follow down the side streets, if only because it seems like there's so many fewer people over here.]
harimaya: (pic#15770152)

[personal profile] harimaya 2022-06-28 01:11 am (UTC)(link)
Collect a bunch of cursed dolls in one place.

(And he waves his hand in the air a bit,)

A shit ton of 'em even tho some people thought it was a bad idea.
perfectdistance: ([M] I do the things I do)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-06-28 01:13 am (UTC)(link)
... All together?

[Yeah that IS some dumb shit.]
harimaya: (pic#15770154)

[personal profile] harimaya 2022-06-28 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
Right in the middle of the whole city.

(Hizen is salty.)
perfectdistance: ([G] Concern 3)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-06-28 01:15 am (UTC)(link)
Do they not know how curses work?
harimaya: (🍙 utsubo)

[personal profile] harimaya 2022-06-28 01:32 am (UTC)(link)
No one knew what we were working with 'til it was too late.

(They knew nothing!! A bunch of creepy dolls showed up and no one had any idea what to do with them until they came up with something and it went bad.)

But that guy... (Enma,) He knows more than he's sharing.
perfectdistance: ([YT] How pitiful)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-06-28 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
They didn't even test 'em?

[There have to be cursebreakers in a place like this.]

Figures. They all like that? [the faction leaders, he means.]
harimaya: (🍙 takuan)

[personal profile] harimaya 2022-06-28 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
(He shrugs,)

Dunno what they did after they took 'em. I know some other guys tried to play around with 'em but... I didn't wanna bother.

(He had a bad feeling about those haniwa from the beginning. He still can't believe how many people were so willing to poke and play at the haniwa before things went bad, too. THey had bad vibes!!!)

Nah. Don't know much about the big guy. (Enma,) Only ever seen him give a few speeches. The others are pretty different...
perfectdistance: ([G] Talk 6)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-06-28 02:56 am (UTC)(link)
[You gotta know about the VIBES. You gotta be able to feel them! Cursed objects are no joke.]

Yeah? What're the other three like?
harimaya: (🍙 famichiki)

[personal profile] harimaya 2022-06-28 02:58 am (UTC)(link)
The boss ain't so bad but I guess he and the fox got something going on... I dunno. Don't wanna get on either of their bad sides.

(Especially Tenkohime... she scares him.)

The chicken's pretty annoying, though. Don't get 'em.
perfectdistance: ([M] And so I won't be loving)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-06-28 03:13 am (UTC)(link)
[Wow, he wasn't expecting gossip so soon.]

The... chicken?
harimaya: (pic#15770152)

[personal profile] harimaya 2022-06-28 03:18 am (UTC)(link)
The big one with the funny nose.
perfectdistance: ([G] Talk 1)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-06-28 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
The Sutoku one.

[He got it.]
harimaya: (pic#15770158)

[personal profile] harimaya 2022-06-28 03:26 am (UTC)(link)
That one.

(Not to be confused with any other chickens on Hizen's list of annoying birds.)
perfectdistance: ([M] So I won't be trusting)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-06-28 03:42 am (UTC)(link)
[Nods to himself. He'll keep a look out for birds.]