(OVERFLOW) 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! 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

Bradley | Mahoutsukai no Yakusoku

[potensum]

01. Muscling in.

[ Bradley doesn't quite know what the deal is or why all these kids are fighting people, but the truth is he doesn't need to know. All he sees in front of him is a good fight waiting to happen, and how can any good fight even begin without him? He's not in the business of hurting weaklings who didn't ask to get involved, however, so the fact that he's helping those terrorized by the gangsters is merely coincidental and not because he's a good guy, okay?

More than anything, it feels good to let loose once in a while. After pummeling the poor suckers in front of him with his bare hands until leaving them unconscious, he looks at his fists, snorting. It's been too long since the last time he did something like this without magic. ]

Hah. Not too bad.

[ Finally, he decides to acknowledge the poor soul he just so heroically rescued with a cheeky grin on his face. ]

You see that? Pretty cool, huh? You scared of me, now?

02. Sticky paws.

[ He's not sure why someone like him was tasked with helping with something so ridiculous, but it's not like he had a choice in the matter. After chasing and capturing a few cats, Bradley's running around the city carrying a few under his arm - most of them just regular cats, without his knowledge.

How the hell is he supposed to know what's a cat and what isn't!? Tired of running around, eventually he'll simply dump all the cats he captured and dump them inside one of the cat cafes. If they belong there or not, that's not his problem. He was tasked with helping catch as many furry felines as possible and he delivered, so there. ]

1

[perfectdistance]

[There are some people Nero expects will end up in hell eventually, but now wasn't when he wanted it to happen. He looks between Bradley and the beaten up, unconscious person on the street.

Exhausting. He feels some energy drain out of him as soon as he locks eyes with Brad. Well, it's not the first time they've run into each other when Nero didn't want to.]

What part of that is cool? [As if he doesn't know.]

[potensum]

[ Of all the people Bradley wanted to show off in front of, Nero would probably be number one. Not that Nero doesn't know how cool he is already, but he needs a good reminder from time to time. ]

What part of that wasn't cool? I knocked him out with one hit - with my fists!

[ No magic! Come on, it was cool! ]

[perfectdistance]

[A ridiculous man, he thinks with equal parts affection and disdain. Nero absolutely does not want to encourage Bradley go go around picking more fights than he necessarily needs to. Knowing who Bradley is, he doesn't think there's much he can say to convince him not to do that.]

Yeah, just like any thug could do. [Most people would have to commit to more than one punch.]

Let's get outta here.

[potensum]

I'm not just any thug, y'know. You don't have to pretend you're not impressed.

[ He's the thug, mind you. But it has been awhile since someone dared get close enough to him to get punched so cleanly like that. It was a great feeling, but more than that... seeing Nero again was what really had him in a good mood.

That's why he doesn't protest, kicking the hooligan on the ground softly to the side, making his way over to Nero. ]

Hey... I'm starving.

[ Hint hint? ]

sticky paws.......

[sicklysweet]

[Why is everyone so bad at sniffing out the bakeneko? It can't be that hard, can it?

Owen watches Bradley dump his captives from his seat in the cafe, where he's been swarmed by some of the cats up for adoption. He take a sip of tea, wondering if the other wizard has even noticed him yet, or if his senses have ended up just as neutered as Owen's. Either way, he can't not comment on man's hard(?) work.]

Still doing community service?

[It's not like he's a good person, or that they're even paying that much...]

[potensum]

[ He certainly hadn't noticed Owen at all - this was supposed to be a dump 'em and go situation, after all. He can't help making a face the moment he sees him. ]

Ugh. Great. What are you doing here?

[sicklysweet]

Drinking tea and watching fools who don't know cats from demons.

[Ah, it's been a while since he's seen that face.]

Everyone who passes through these doors with a thief has ended up just bringing back normal cats. It's almost pathetic, don't you think, to fail at a task so simple?

[He's like 99% sure Bradley will have lost his rifle, so he's probably not in any danger if he just keeps shittalking him. Probably.]

02

[murrvelous]

[ ah, and it just so happens bwadley has stepped into one very particular cat café, where one very not-cat is lounging happily among his feline bretheren. ]

Look at what the cats dragged in!

[ he claps his hands excitedly. regardless of how the northern wizard might view it, murr is pretty sure that the cats dictated where they got deposited. right in murr's happy place. ]

Why don'tcha stay a while? Unless you have somewhere you have to be?~

[potensum]

[ The only thing worse than finding another wizard in hell, is finding a western wizard in hell. Thankfully for Murr, Bradley has no real beef with him and he respects how ballsy he is when it comes to dealing with Oz, so he's not as irritated to see him as he could be, all things considered. ]

Hey. So you're here too, huh. Alone, or with your owner?

[murrvelous]

My owner?!

[ feigned surprise, as murr rocks back and forth on the couch closest to the entrance. of course there's going to be nice, plush places to sit--- mostly for cats. but murr has been here for a while and most don't mind an overly 'friendly' cat-representative. especially the bakeneko, who would rather loaf somewhere else. ]

Whatever do you meeeean? My only owner is far, far away from here... until I can call it down!

1

[vivens]

[ there's nothing wrong with getting involved in a tussle here or there but sometimes sabo would like to know what the point of it is was. or, you know, if there was something to be gained from the whole ordeal but given that doesn't look like the case here, sabo doesn't take an active part in the whole widespread brawl.

that said, if someone wants to let loose and really go to town on people who may or may not deserve it (if that even matters), then he's not going to judge. they're more than welcomed to and such a case is happening before his very eyes. sabo might have called it excessive if there weren't others who weren't also as enthusiastic. ]

I'm no more scared of you as I am scared of the other people here.

[ a golf clap. ]

But that was pretty impressive.

[potensum]

[ If he were anyone else, he'd be annoyed at the golf clap, but Bradley actually takes it as a compliment. Any clap is a good clap when you're this amazing, after all. ]

Hehe, I know. What's with you, though? Don't you feel like joinin' in?

[vivens]

[ isn't he easy to please? and sabo will take a moment to consider... it's not like he doesn't want to get involved but... ]

It's not so much of that; it just looks like I'd be taking away some of your fun if I did.

1

[breweries]

On the contrary, I think you're just as talented as ever, Bradley.

[ no one knows how and why shylock has found himself in shuten territory — perhaps seeking out hizen or whichever — but here the bartender is in the flesh, idly smoking from his pipe. ]

Need I remind you that they're mere children, however. They don't seem any older than Mitile and Riquet back home.

[ just sayin. ]

[potensum]

[ Oh yeah baby he knows he's the most talented person in the world, thanks for reminding him. He wipes some blood from his face (not his own) with his thumb, grinning at Shylock. ]

So? It's not like I killed 'em. If they pick a fight with the Great Bradley, they'll get their asses handed to them. That's just how it is!

[breweries]

[ anytime ❤️ there's something really appealing about a northern wizard covered in blood tbh, and bradley's certainly no exemption. ]

Be that as it may, I'm afraid that you'll have to build up your reputation once more from scratch.

[ his lips curl into a catlike smile. ]

I wonder which faction will you be sorted in. My guess is the Shuten Clan, but Tenkohime herself is becoming rather fond of us wizards... [ fufu. ]

1.

[himbosupreme]

[Well, Cain did hear the sound of fighting, and unfortunately he knew probably what was happening. But more importantly, he recognized the voice that spoke right after.]

Bradley?? It really is you this time, isn't it?

[He'd almost thought so before, but turns out it had just been Nero. Wierd coincidence. Anyway, he's holding his hand out and squinting in the direction of the voice.]

Why would I be scared of you, anyway?

[potensum]

[ Ah, right. For a second he forgot Cain can't see shit. He scoffs, feeling like he just wasted all that coolness for nothing. ]

Tsk. Waste of time.

[ He'll approach him anyway and pat his shoulder roughly. ]

You should be scared because you know who I am, ain't that obvious?

[himbosupreme]

[Oh come on Brad. Look at who he has to hang out with all day. He's the least threatening of the bunch. But still, Cain grinned when he could finally see the other man's face.]

Right, you're the great, scary Bradley Bain. You might have to work on your reputation here, though. Is your...uh, are your opponents okay?

1

[worldbent]

[Oh, those Shuten meatheads are at it again. Matoba just happens to be passing through when the brawl breaks out, and is unfortunately easy pickings as A) a human B) a non-Shuten, and C) a slender lil' beanpole. Despite these complicating factors, he picks through the crowd like an inconvenienced cat, only coming to a stop when Bradley smashes his fists into the youkai that had been charging towards him, sending him crumpling into a brick wall.]

[For a moment he just stands there and blinks at the youth with mild surprise, at least until he remembers to acknowledge his "savior".]

Hm? --Oh, yes. Terrified.

[Matoba opens his mouth to say something else, but is interrupted by the battle-roar erupting from an oni youth charging at Bradley from behind. Presumably, the buddies of the guy he just knocked out?]

[potensum]

[ As glad as he is normally to hear about the fear he instills on others, Matoba's mocking tone isn't lost on him. It irritates him, really. ]

Are you mockin' me—?

[ —But that's all he gets to say before he's charged again from behind. Thankfully the guy roared first, and Bradley has over 600 years of experience under his belt to help him avoid the hit and knee him in the stomach instead. It doesn't mean he enjoys it too much, though. He's used to his magic which was mostly stripped from him, plus he has a soft spot for children. ]

The hell... Can't tell if these guys are just like this normally or if they're all tryin' to get ya.

[worldbent]

Why? Going to-- [Matoba's response unfortunately cut off, he's instead treated to Bradley swiftly dodging the attacker and making quick work of him; he can join his friend in a heap on the ground. He gives a soft tsk and looks up; the other goons seem to be too busy brawling some other rival punks to have noticed and take issue with a couple of randoms taking out their friends.]

You could make an argument for both. [Matoba tilts his head to assess Bradley. The man seemed as equally a brawler as any of the large, stocky oni, who outsized Matoba easily.] I belong to a rival organization, you see... Not that these brutes are even true Shuten ranks. Just wannabe idiots causing a ruckus.

[Matoba lays a hand on a bundle of cloth tucked under his arm.] I don't come here too often, but the ...equipment that I can procure in this district is of good quality. It's worth the trip.

1

[kindread]

[ well! roland'd just come around to observe before determining whether or not he felt like fiddling around with someone else's dirty laundry for what he supposes amounts to exposure, if that, but it looks like bradley sure solved that dilemma for him...

at least a bunch of guys being pummeled to the ground by a fighting maniac is business as usual. business enough for him to poke one of those newly unconscious bodies with the tip of his shoe, hands in his pockets, as he tries to navigate around not being the next punching bag for this guy...... ]

If the answer no puts me next in line to be like one of these guys, then no. If the answer yes does that, then yeah, sure.

[ oh, he's an idiot. and still poking that body gently. at least they're still breathing. ]

... Damn. Out cold. You sure didn't leave any for the next guy, did you...

[potensum]

[ Oh, great. This guy he decided to show off for is a certified weirdo. He's not good with those at all, and it shows on his face as he grimaces. ]

Why would I? They started a fight with the Great Bradley, they had it coming.

[ And despite it all, he approaches him, anyway. ]

You friends with them?