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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!
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rank1: <user name=wintryday> (pic#15591149)

[personal profile] rank1 2022-07-01 10:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Huh,” he replies.

Why the fuck didn’t that occur to him? Jeez, there are ten year olds who’d at least find a stick or something. He’s not gonna beat himself up though —- since when has he ever been the strategy guy?

“So who are you? This your place?”
perfectdistance: ([G] Talk 2)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-07-01 10:10 pm (UTC)(link)
"Nero. Nah, I'm just helpin' out." Best to nip that in the bud, or else somebody might actually think he's got answers to anything. He's just here as a temporary employee for the day, or something along those lines. Being inside just seems better than running into ghosts in the cursed corners. If that means doing a little bit of unpaid labor, so be it.

He'll lead them both into a convenience store, with the bathroom at the back. "Clean that up before it gets infected."
rank1: <user name=wintryday> (pic#15591139)

[personal profile] rank1 2022-07-01 11:46 pm (UTC)(link)
“Nero. Thanks, bro.”

He grimaces as he thrusts his hand under the faucet, cold water immediately streaming shock red into the porcelain. Motherfucker’s gonna leave one hell of a scar.

“I’m Travis. It always this fucked up around here?”

There’s a note of affection there: fucked up is just fine.
perfectdistance: ([G] Talk 6)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-07-02 12:15 am (UTC)(link)
"Yeah, no problem." He takes an idle look around the restroom, where things are not going nearly as insane as in the arcades. While he's only been here a handful of days at most, he's definitely noticed the chaos going on.

"Seems like it."
rank1: <user name=wintryday> (pic#15591141)

[personal profile] rank1 2022-07-02 01:39 am (UTC)(link)
Like an animal, Travis just shakes his hands off, spraying bloodied droplets everywhere. He turns, looking for paper towels, but it’s a blow dryer. Oh well, toilet paper it is. He pulls out an arm’s length.

“You ever get to kill shit or is it just clean-up duty?”
perfectdistance: ([G] Talk 1)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-07-02 04:03 am (UTC)(link)
Somebody's gonna have to come in here and clean up that blood. With how low on funds he is at the moment, it might just have to be him in in a few hours. All this cursed business and there's all the mundane shit to deal with too.

"Wrong person to ask. 's gonna be better if ya ask somebody who's been here a while."

There are the ghost sharks, but he's not entirely clear on how to fight those. Or if fighting ghosts even really counts as killing them when they're dead(ish) anyway.
rank1: <user name=wintryday> (pic#15591142)

[personal profile] rank1 2022-07-02 05:31 pm (UTC)(link)
"Yeah? I guess I'll just shake down people in the streets until someone ponies up the details," he replies, clamping a wad of toilet paper down. It'll stop bleeding soon, hopefully. He guesses he'll just figure out stitching it up himself if he doesn't have the cash for a doctor. "What are you the right guy to ask for, huh?"
perfectdistance: ([G] Talk 1)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-07-05 02:15 pm (UTC)(link)
There's a part of him that would actually enjoy watching Travis shake some randos down for information, as long as he wasn't part of any of that. Sounds like prime entertainment.

"A meal." He's a cook really, and if he's going to get stuck here, he might as well find that sort of job. Surely somebody's hiring.
rank1: <user name=wintryday> (pic#15591142)

[personal profile] rank1 2022-07-08 01:43 am (UTC)(link)
"Oh shit, really?" Travis says, as though cooks are some rare-ass profession and not something he's done himself. But hey, anyone can slap some steaks on a grill. If this guy can make a meal–– "What kinda cuisine?"
perfectdistance: ([G] Smile 4)

[personal profile] perfectdistance 2022-07-08 03:21 am (UTC)(link)
The problem of living in a fantasy land setting, means that whatever he says here has the smallest chance of meaning anything to Travis. "I'm best with seafood." Shrimp, crab, lobster, fish. Those are all easy to get no matter where he was living.