jigokufever | 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]]

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At first, it doesn't register that it's Hythlodaeus she's jumping in to protect. She simply sees someone stumble back as one of the ghostly sharks appears. She rushes forward with a massive axe in hand and swings at the apparition, popping it.

Once the creature disperses Azem pauses and immediately freezes, eyes going wide as her mouth works soundlessly for a moment.

"Hy-Hyth?" She kneels down next to him, one hand hovering just short of him as if afraid to touch him. "Are you real?"

His breath stops in his throat as Azem turns towards him. He hesitates to call anything impossible, particularly after all the things he's seen, but to see her face again, to hear her voice call his name...even he has to admit that it feels like the only word that fits.

No, that's not true. Another word might be miraculous. He understands exactly what happened to her; had understood the moment the haze cleared around him on the moon, when he had met that little strange-familiar soul – and yet, here she is. After so much – across dimensions worth of malms - after a thousand-thousand lifetimes...

They are together again.

“I could ask you the same thing,” he breathes, joy beginning to break through bafflement and confusion and – to be fair – a bit of grief. His lips are already curving upward. “And I suspect the answer would be much the same. As real as I've ever been, I think. How are you here?”

The moment he confirms it's real Azem throws herself at him and pulls him into a tight hug. She doesn't care if this is some left of curse, let it take her in this moment if it means she can hug her dear friend. If she can inhale his scent once more.

It hasn't even been that long since she last saw him. Though their parting had been sad and she didn't even get to say a proper goodbye. She couldn't, not after the fight she'd had with Emet-Selch. Not after defecting from the Convocation entirely.

"I'm so glad." She manages, voice shaking just a little bit. She gives him one more tight squeeze before drawing back. Sucking a breath to steady herself and try to put on a smile as she is happy to see him.

"I suspect the same as you." She wants to say more but a splash in the puddle nearby alerts her to the return of the ghostly shark. "We need to deal with this first."

Hythlodaeus embraces her just as tightly, reveling in the opportunity. One he'd never expected to have again. Through his elation, however, the shake in her voice reaches him, and he feels a little twinge in his heart. Does she know everything that has happened, since their last parting? Does she know more than he, since for at least some of her lifetime, he had been -

"Oh." he starts and inelegantly tries to scoot back on the ground, knowing that he has no weapons to strike with. AZEM HELP. "How can we - does it always - "

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on one's point of view, she only knows of his decision to sacrifice himself to Zodiark. She neither knows how that would all work out nor her own fate. Or even the fate of their star. All she knows is she couldn't see it be done and had to find another way and that's how she's ended up here.

Either way, she didn't expect to ever see him again. But that's something they can discuss later. For now they have an angry specter of a shark to deal with.

"I have no idea." She admits as she hurriedly grabs up her axe and takes another swing at the shark. Once again it pops like a balloon filled with water and vanishes.

"I suggest we move from this area." She's not sure how to deal with the problem. It could be a remnant of the curse for all she knows. Without her echo she can't see the solution. "And perhaps find you a weapon. Just in case."

There's plenty of debris around that she can transform into a bow and some arrows for him. But for the time being she'd like to put some distance between her and this shark. She turns and holds out a hand to help Hythlodaeus up if he hasn't already scrambled to his feet.

(That's definitely the more fortunate scenario. Sob.) He accepts it gratefully. It's easy to go back to relying on her, just like old times.

"I would gladly wield a weapon by your side again, for what little good I am with it," he says, the familiar self-deprecation slipping out naturally; although he actually sounds a bit more genuinely enthused than even he expected. Not that he wants more ghost sharks, but the idea of another Azem-style adventure, after so long...well, he can think of few other things that would make this whole thing more fun.

"I haven't been able to make anything stick, here," he continues, already moving away from the puddles, ready to follow her wherever she goes. He is, of course, referring to their creation magicks. He know she'll understand the context, even if (hopefully) she hasn't had the same issue. "I feel like a child all over again."

Azem lets out a laugh. "How I've missed you." She knows better than to take his self-deprecation at face value. Azem might be a prime combatant but their aim is terrible compared to Hythlodaeus'. Not to mention he possesses a gift Azem doesn't.

She begins to lead the way toward an area she doesn't remember seeing any of these sharks around.

"It is nice to have someone around that understands my plight. I'm still unable to do a great deal of what I could back home." She's certainly been left feeling like a child again for some time now.

That twinge in his chest again. How long have they been apart, in her eyes? Weeks? Months? It wasn't unusual for them to not see one another for some time, not with her work and wanderings, but for him it has been so much more than that. His hold on her hand tightens, just a little; he knows that they're rather busy trying to get to a safe place right now, but he can't help but respond with all the genuine tenderness he can muster.

"And I you, my dear friend."

Then he composes himself, returns to the task at hand. His tone lifts and turns light again. "You are having the same troubles? I had been hoping that it was just me. What is this place, exactly, that our magicks have been taken from us?"

Down a less puddle-y and therefore presumably safer street, he slows their pace to be a little more leisurely. "And how long have you been here? You seem quite comfortable with these roads - not that such a thing is unusual for you, of course. You have always had a knack for travel!"

Prior to her arrival it'd only been a day or two, but she's been here for several moons now. Though that is barely a drop in the bucket for how long it's been since he's seen her. And while her appearance is sure to be what he remembers of her, she's dressed quite strangely. She still chooses clothing that has a similar silhouette to what she's accustomed to, a long skirt and a baggy shirt, but it's all brightly colored and patterned. Enough so to be almost eye searing.

His response goes unquestioned as she navigates the maze that makes up the streets of Jigoku-cho. She's wandered around enough to get a better idea of the place but it's still plenty possible to get lost.

"Welcome to what they call hell." She says as she pauses to take a look around. The area seems safe enough, there's even a busy cafe nearby so they should be fine here.

Her attention turns back to Hythlodaeus, serious expression softening. He's real. he's not some nightmare here to remind her of her failure, but real flesh and blood standing before her, holding her hand.

"I'm surprised they didn't give you a bit of a rundown when going over your paperwork." The whole intake process had reminded her greatly of going to any of the numerous Bureaus in Amaurot to get anything done.

"As for how long it's been..." She trails off to count. "Four moons, give or take a week."

[moved here!]

June 2022 Test Drive

Ghost Sharks

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didnt expect to get to use this icon so aptly but here we are

excellent

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1/2

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