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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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no subject
[He hesitates, but Cain is a force of nature, so he lets himself be steered. He straightens and pulls his hand away from his chest, reaching into his pocket for a handkerchief.
For now, he doesn't lean on him. That feels dangerous.]
Keisuke Sannan. I'm newly arrived and haven't been assigned yet. Understandably I wouldn't want to burden or injure anyone right now, so I do appreciate your assistance.
no subject
[Cain isn't going to force this issue, but he is going to hover at this guy closely as he leads them to his apartment.]
Once you're able to sit down, is there any like...medicine I'd be able to get you?
no subject
[Right, there was a medicine, but he doubts anyone here has it. And it barely did a damn thing. Ugh, what's he going to do now? Just bear with it, and ever-increasing bouts of bloodlust? It seems impractical to say the least.]
I'd developed one, but it hasn't arrived with me. I believe it's wisest that I endure things until the urge subsides.
[Urge? That's not what he meant to say.]
no subject
Hmm, did he say urge?
Well, they had finally reached the door of the apartment, and Cain was going to hold it open for him.]
Do you mean you're about to get sick?
[Please not on the carpet.]
no subject
No.
[It's impolite, but he doesn't bother asking if he can take a seat. He just does, wherever is convenient. Because, just as he thought it was getting better, it's getting worse.]
...Gh.
[Keeping his composure is hard.]
no subject
He came back, kneeling down to offer the glass.]
Seriously, you're really not looking good. I have some water here for you-are you sure you don't want me to call the clinic?
[He's taking off his gloves and leaning forward to check Sannan's temperature in case he now had a fever.
no subject
It's... [His eyes fix on a vein in Cain's wrist as he raises his hand. Cain will find him to be ice cold but sweating, pupils wide and his teeth clenched. How many times has he been through this? He did without much blood for years. He isn't like... like the horrible ones, the ones who would feast on corpses.
He's not like them. He can't be.
But he doesn't take the glass of water, either. It's overwhelming, this, and considering all he went through right before arriving, it shouldn't surprise him that he needs--]
Blood. [A choked sound.] Please...
no subject
..Blood? Is...that what you need?
[Even in his world, the stories of bloodsucking creatures were not unheard of, and the Sage said there were many different versions of stories for them world. So it would seem almost entirely reasonable of a request, if very odd.]
I uh, well I can't say I've ever had this happen to me anymore. But I'm not human, I'm a wizard. That's not gonna be a problem?
no subject
Fine...
[The fact that he's not sure what a "wizard" entails is neither here nor there. He will do anything to stop this ever-increasing spiral of pain.]
Small cut... is fine.
no subject
[Well, Cain isn't sure what else to do and all he can hope for is that he's not making a terrible decision. Cain probably could fight him off if push came to shove, and he'd been resisting it this whole time, which spoke volumes about the man's feelings on the matter.
He had a knife with him all the time, so it was easy enough to cut a thin line on his wrist, causing some of the red blood to trickle down his skin. He held the wrist back out, close to Sannan's face.]
Is this okay?
no subject
I'm so... I'm so sorry.
[He doesn't want this part of it. He always thought he could withstand it, really, until he absolutely couldn't anymore. The weakness of his flesh even mow disturbs him. But Sannan is at least gentle and tentative in what he's doing, as though testing his own limits, lapping at the cut and actively fighting back the urge to do more.
It's enough, after a few moments, that his shaking stops and his body seems to relax somewhat.]
no subject
He held his wrist there until it seemed like Sannan had gotten better, drawing it back only slightly.]
Are you feeling better now? You sure that's enough?
[He really had seemed in terrible pain, and Cain barely felt anything. He's not sure what Sannan is worried about.]
no subject
That's... it should make the pain stop.
[His hair regains its color and the red in his eyes fades after a few more seconds.]
That was unsightly of me.
no subject
Oh, your hair wasn't always that color? I'm glad I can help but like...that really didn't do anything to me. You shouldn't be so worried.
no subject
No. It turns that color at certain times. Unfortunately it's rather telling of my condition, currently.
[He looks down at his hands, which have at least stopped trembling.]
I could do with more, but I won't impose. This will be enough to get me to a doctor.
no subject
That would be pretty cool, but I guess in your case it's not fun if it makes it so obvious. You sure you're okay, though? Seriously, that barely even hurt. I probably wouldn't even notice if you need more.
[Still tasted like blood to him. Oh well, guess he'll never know.]
no subject
I couldn't possibly. I know my limits, and... [He shivers, then pushes his hair back.] You're unfortunately rather tempting.