AUGUST 2022 TEST DRIVE

[jigokumods]

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1. SHUTEN TERRITORY - Muscling In

art by tohdraws

In the aftermath of the curse crisis, the Shuten Clan forgave a bunch of protection payments in the region, and helped cover the costs for rebuilding. Unfortunately, some of the street gangs in the area are much less civically minded. They have used the Shuten's relaxed policies as an opportunity to turn their own screws on the local business owners. These unaffiliated youth gangs have been much rougher with the locals, and have been asking for even larger collection fees. This has pissed off the folks who are just trying to get their lives and businesses back on track!

Unfortunately, the opening of Sai no Kawara in the underground drew so much of the clan's focus and manpower, that the issues up top just slipped through the cracks. Until now! Toraguma is in a bad mood and is looking for people to take it out on: the youth gangs will do just fine.

Volunteers are being solicited to join the regular Shuten enforcers in driving these interlopers out of Shuten territory. The gangs are wise to the usual Shuten tactics, though, and they're prepared for a fight. They are also appealing to the influx of Lost Souls: they act as though they're the victims of the factions' power struggles! They propose that taking up arms against the Shuten Clan will win them favor with the other groups in the city. (It will look less good with the Shuten Clan, should you be assigned to them.)

Fight with the Shutens, or with the gangs. Either way, a fight is coming.

2. TAMAMO TERRITORY - Throat Goat (NSFW)

at by akai riot

This prompt is overtly sexual in nature. Please use the proper NSFW labelling in your top levels and threads.

While the Palace of Sai in the underground is doing well, that doesn't mean the other businesses in the Tamamo Clan's collection have been slacking. One of the least "classy" soaplands has decided they're going to hold a contest to drive up business for themselves! They are partnering with some of the other sex clubs in the area for the sleaziest of events.

The Hyottoko Cup is looking for volunteer participants! The competition is pretty straightforward: a ruler is drawn on the throat of each participant and an array of members is presented to swallow. Whichever contestant can take the guests deepest and longest will take home the "coveted" Hyottoko Cup! Ok, there's a little judge favoritism involved too, so put on a show.

The guests have likewise been pulled in as volunteers, with instructions that they don't have to make this easy on the participants. Guests are provided with special seals that they can use for the length of the competition to enhance their natural assets. For those lacking the equipment entirely, there's a seal for that too.

Have fun and play nice.

3. TAMAMO TERRITORY - Strike a Poise (GEN)

Other businesses looking to jump start this month's earnings are also getting in on the spirit of competition! Businesses less oriented towards sexual service have come together as a means to draw in the high dollar clients, and one local club has proposed something old school.

Sign up for the Poise Contest, where contestants are placed into more and more ridiculous geta while tasked with serving drinks to the guest. Spills are expected, and the guests are cheerfully kitted out with cheap club-branded ponchos to protect their clothes. (Marketing, am I right?) While spills are expected, the contestant will lose points for each of the spilled drinks. Try to keep your balance as you attend to increasingly absurd drink orders. The intensity of the traditional footwear will only make your job that much harder.

Do you have what it takes to pour a champagne fountain while wearing teetering tengu geta? Prove your balance and dexterity is the best and the take home prize is some sweet cash. For Lost Souls freshly in the city, the chance to win some extra money can't really be passed up, huh…

4. SUTOKU TERRITORY - Jigokucho's Got Talent

Ever since Moonday's beloved singer – Ringo-chan – was kidnapped at the Tanabata festival, the band has had to cancel all of their scheduled gigs. Unfortunately, they were a hugely popular act, booked solid in most of the Sutoku Alliance's various nightclubs. This has left a ton of empty spots that need to be filled quickly, before the crowds get upset and demand… refunds.

That's where you come in, Lost Souls! Desperate promoters and talent bookers are literally grabbing Lost Souls off the street and begging, pleading, with them to perform a set for the night. They just need to have something to fill the space Moonday would have otherwise occupied. At least give the crowd something to see!

Acts do not need to be of the musical variety. Any performing talent is accepted, no matter how esoteric or bizarre! If it can fill out a 15-30 minute set, the club owners will be happy and the customers will at least see something interesting; even if it's a bad kind of interesting. So get on stage and show this city what you've got!

( Help us fill our time slots, please! We're desperate! 😩)

5. DEPARTMENT OF THE ENMA - Sticky Paws II: Outta the Bag

The Enma Department is busy: they have a kidnapping to investigate, a primordial god to pin down, and the crisis of their ever-shifting public image to manage. However, crime never sleeps and is always there to add to the troubled Department's workload. Worse still, we thought this little crime spree was over six months ago! But here it is again, much to the Enma's chagrin.

Cat cafés are a popular tourist attraction all across Jigokucho. About six months ago, a gang of bakeneko infiltrated several of the cafés to rob customers occupied with kitty bliss. Wallets, jewelry, and anything else those sticky paws could snatch away were being picked in droves. The cat capers are afoot once more!

Are you a hapless victim of these furry thieves, or are you helping the Department of the Enma track down these cat burglars? Unfortunately, the bakeneko are exceptionally clever and are using a seal to disguise their secondary tails. This makes them look just about like any normal cat. Better make sure your lead is good, or you'll be chasing down an ordinary Felis Catus. Soft to pet, but not going to return your pilfered cash.

Of course, the café staff might be in on this caper too… It's never easy to tell who's getting a cut of the profits. Be careful who you trust out there.

6. ALL OVER - The 100 Billion Yen Man (PLOT RELEVANT)

The local TV news has been announcing that Kaberou Kannazaki – the legendary finance wolf and the father of kidnapping victim, Ringo-chan – will be making an announcement this week. People have flocked to television sets throughout the city; at the squares, around TVs in bars, electronic stores, each other's phones, and any other venue with a connection. The kidnapping has been a highly public ordeal and the talk of the town. Many of the locals were present at the festival and witnessed the crime. They want to hear what the word is!

The public doesn't have to wait long. Wolf-eared Kaberou sits at a press desk, surrounded by microphones, and dazzled with flashbulbs. He clears his throat and, as he begins to speak, he is direct and to the point; not unlike a wolf lunging for the throat.

"As of today, I am issuing a bounty on the man known as the Iron Bear, who has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of my daughter, Ringo Kannazaki. The payout to the party responsible for bringing me Iron Bear, dead or alive, is 100 Billion Yen. Individuals or groups, I don't care. Just bring my daughter back to me, and the money is yours."

Well! The Department of the Enma's hopes of an orderly investigation have been dashed, but this is certainly an opportunity for anyone brave enough – or, more accurately, stupid enough – to traverse the Wasteland. Maybe one of you out there will find the legendary Iron Bear and bring him to some form of justice.

Local businesses are quick to leap at this opportunity, too. They begin to aggressively push sponsorships at would-be bounty hunters. Weapons? Armor? Survival gear? All at discount prices! Each faction has their interest in collecting the massive bounty as well. They will all be putting a lot of pressure on recruits to get ready to head out to the Wastes.

If you just got here? Well, it would definitely be in your interest to start finding gear, and finding people willing to collect that bounty with you. It could mean a big step forward toward your eventual contract, after all.

Welcome to the test drive meme!

• First of all, big thanks to our discord chat for the "Throat Goat" prompt idea. Stay golden, gang.
• IF YOU'RE TOP-LEVELING A NEW CHARACTER, post it here!
• Characters already in the game can top level as well.
• Threads here can be considered game canon.
• Characters can be recruited to do work for any faction until they're given their official assignment.
• If you have any questions about the TDM content, please ask them here! You can find information on the story so far here!
• If you have questions about the game itself, please check out the premise, FAQ, and rules pages.
• Reserves are open until September 5th.

Comments

[theskyaccepts]

That would probably be a good thing. They've probably seen stuff like this before but a head's up can't hurt.

[Knowing how gang turf works anyway. Namimori has that problem sometimes, but something tells him he can't just report to Hibari-san in a place like this..]

[starshower]

[The only thing she worries about is, this being the supposed Shuten territory, there might be places that side with them rather than against them. Or places that are too afraid to talk or share information or listen to their warnings... but it's worth a shot. For the ones that are more afraid of these gangs.

As they walk to find the next open business—there are some stalls just down the road—Tifa looks over to Tsuna.]

Are you new here too?

[theskyaccepts]

[Tsuna nods, keeping his eyes open for any further potential threats or people following them. He can't really trust streets like these it seems.]

Yeah, I am. Just kind of showed up.

It's been a lot.

[starshower]

[She's keeping her eyes and ears sharp as well, but once they reach the more crowded parts of the streets, they'll (hopefully) be safer.]

Mm. Yeah.

[Tifa nods in agreement, although there's something sympathetic in the way she looks at him.]

Haven't even been fully processed yet. They said they'd "get back to me" about everything later. Barely know what that means.

[theskyaccepts]

I got the same message. It's a little nerve wracking, honestly.

[His instincts tell him not good, but then, that's also how he approaches most scenarios.]

They didn't even include a when.

[starshower]

[Well, at least they're both in good and like company when it comes to faction matters. It's all a bit silly, as far as Tifa's concerned, but she knows when and when not to say things like that in places like this. Someone is always listening.]

I'm almost worried it won't happen before it's time to turn in for the night. I don't even know where I'll be sleeping.

[theskyaccepts]

[There's a slight look of panic on Tsuna's face as he realizes that possibility. With so much going on, he hadn't quite got there yet.]

Th-there must be a place we can stay. Even if it's like a hotel or something...

[starshower]

You'd think so...

[Tifa folds her hands behind her back, biting down on her lip.]

They wouldn't leave us without an answer before then, I think... [She'd like to at least give them the benefit of the doubt.] From what I've seen, most people are pretty well taken care of...

[Present circumstances not withstanding, of course.]

[theskyaccepts]

You think so? I mean, I've never really been in this position so I wouldn't know.

I'm kinda just guessing.

[But he's willing to trust her. More than his own thoughts anyway, since he's a bit of a glass-half-empty kind of guy.]

[starshower]

[Well, it's a good thing that Tifa is a half-glass-full kind of girl to balance that out!]

Yeah. This may be hell, but I don't think they'd just throw us out on the streets...

... Anyway. Let's check in this shop first.

[She motions to the convenience store to their right as they walk down the sidewalk, and the doors slide open as if to invite them in.]

[theskyaccepts]

Sure.

[Hell or not, it's comforting to see what looks like a regular convenience shop. It's familiar.]

But yeah, they seem weird hospitable here. It's not what I was expecting...

Not that I was trying to expect anything...

[starshower]

For a place that's supposedly hell? ... Yeah. Seems that way.

[But Tifa's lips turn into a crooked frown as they enter the store, and she glances to the front counter where a man "works away" by scrolling through his phone with a bored expression. He only glances up once, barely addressing them before he returns to scrolling.]

Had a few run-ins with some less than savoury people, though.

[Which is why she's a bit cautious now, and even wanders into one of the aisles to "browse" first.]

[theskyaccepts]

That probably shouldn't be to surprising, when you think about it.

[He looks at the bags, considering them for a moment. The snacks here look normal, at least. Not anything weird or out of the ordinary.]

Can't say I'm looking forward to that being the norm though. I've dealt with it enough.

[Though, that's probably par for the course for the mafia world as well.]