(OVERFLOW) AUGUST 2022 TEST DRIVE

[jigokumods]

MAIN NAVIGATION

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

alphen | tales of arise | overflow

[sincleavers]

[top level here!]

yoojin

[sincleavers]

Country-specific? [When you put it that way, it really does sound unfair. Especially given it's a country he's never even heard of.]

There has to be more to it than that, though...right? I'm sure I'm not the only one who's never heard of it. And you said it's similar to something from another country where you're from... It just seems so random.

[Well, at least that question isn't a surprise.]

Lenegis is a... I guess a colony in my world. I've never been there, but the city there is supposed to be larger and more technologically advanced than anything in my country.

[fffffclass]

[ SEE. Alphen gets it. Come on, Jigoku-cho--where's Korea's afterlife huh?? not that he wants to wind up there anytime soon, mind you. Yoojin is very happy being alive. ]

Right? [ Yoojin sighs ] It's not fair at all.

What's your world like, if you don't mind my asking? Mine doesn't have colonies anymore so I'm a little curious. Because it's also another world, of course.

[sincleavers]

Not fair, and also just a...strange choice.

[You know it's bad when himbo extraordinaire is judging you]

My world... [Oh boy, where does he even start?] Most of the realms in my world are nowhere near this developed. The realm I'm from, Calaglia, it's...much hotter than this. [More on fire.] The colony doesn't belong to us -- to Dahna. It belongs to our neighboring world, Rena. It's part of how they keep a hold over us.

[He's quiet for a minute, frowning. That sure got serious. Maybe it's a good time for a subject change.]

Is yours a lot like this place?

[fffffclass]

Not really... It's hard to explain. I'd call it a very normal world? It's definitely more advanced. We don't have yokai or anything, but we do have monsters and the dungeons they come from.

[ It's...a whole Thing, really. ]

Do you really talk with your neighbouring world??

[sincleavers]

I guess "normal" depends a bit on point of view. I wouldn't call anything this advanced "normal," compared to what I'm used to. [Monsters and dungeons are pretty much right up there, though.

He crosses his arms, thoughtfully. How to word this?]

If you could call it that. They travel a lot from Rena to Dahna, but it's mostly a show of force. Mostly them giving orders, rather than talking.

kisara

[sincleavers]

[Well, it sounds like Kisara has gotten the gist of the situation pretty quickly, and Alphen nods to confirm.]

That's exactly what I was thinking. There's a lot about this place we just don't know, yet, so it's hard to say just what this thing is capable of.

[Which means they're going to have to get creative. Alphen was thinking something very similar to what Kisara proposes -- indeed, he had tried to do something...somewhat similar before, but it's harder to spring a trap when you're working alone. Maybe that's something easy to forget, when you're traveling with other people: how hard it can be to do things by yourself.]

That's exactly what I was hoping to do. Lure it out, trap it, and retrieve the stolen goods.

[sisterlyshield]

This sounds like it'll work to me. Leave the baiting to me.

[A hand poised to her chin, she thinks about where they're at presently and how to proceed. As her posture shifts, she smiles, feeling particularly confident about their plan of action.]

Although I do think one of the alleyways can be used for this, maybe we should consider which one. If it's too populated, it'll be difficult to manoeuvre. If we start getting multiple cats, that could be a problem too, especially if we can't see the differences between them. Let's pick a place with relatively little foot traffic. I can leave out my bracelet. One will come from one side and the other will take the opposite. A pincer tactic.

[sincleavers]

[As she explains the plan, it starts to come together in his mind as well, and he nods along. Makes sense, as far as strategy goes -- give the creature fewer exit points and you've got a much better chance of catching it, after all.]

I think the back alley behind the cafe might work for something like this. It's a dead end, so there's limited escape routes, and less chance of drawing too many cats.

[He's feeling fairly confident about the plan, too; the only thing that would make it even more airtight is if they had their friends there for backup. Dohalim's vine ability would make this even easier...but there's no use wishing for things like that, not really. He glances back in Kisara's direction.]

If you're the bait, then I should get in place.

[sisterlyshield]

Sounds like a suitable place to me. Let's make it happen.

[Because there's no time like the present and in this place, it seems like the two of them may have little more than time. Her posture shifts and she's trying to set her armour proper.]

Lead the way. I'll make sure we catch this troublemaker.

[Well. One of them will, anyway.]

[sincleavers]

Can do. We've got this.

[No time like the present indeed. Alphen nods, gesturing toward the door closest to the back alley. If the goal is to bait out the bakeneko, then they ought to move slowly, right? With purpose. In this case, their looks might be a big help, too -- none of the clothes on Dahna are anything like the ones in this world, so with any luck, they'll stand out enough to be an enticing mark.

He tries to separate himself a bit from Kisara as they head toward the door, and doubles around so he can come into the alley from the side, rather than straight on. It should have the added effect of leaving Kisara on her own -- another way to make her a more enticing mark. Once he's in position around the corner, he tries to get eyes back on her and the rest of the back alley.]

mikey

[sincleavers]

A wardrobe change? [???? why tho] I think I'd rather stick out, in that case. I wear armor for protection -- it kind of loses the benefits if you're not wearing it.

[invinciblemikey]

... You've never fought shirtless? It's much better.

(no weight! unweighted! seamless!)

[sincleavers]

Shirtless? [But...but think of the weak spots! The vulnerability! Although...now that he is thinking about it...]

I think I can see the appeal when you're training. It's a good way to figure out your endurance and your weak spots, but...in a matter of life or death, I'd much rather be wearing armor.

[invinciblemikey]

No one out there where I'm from wears that shit, though. I've fought rivers of people, none would or ever will, neither will I. Give it a try one day. If your concern is being vulnerable, it's a good exercise to learn how to defend those spots better.

(or just be short. imagine the effort to reach his rib.)

[sincleavers]

Believe me, if it was only people I was fighting, I wouldn't be so concerned. You're right -- fighting without armor is a good way to learn to defend weak spots. I'll have to give it a try.

[But he ain't about that when fighting literal monsters. HE CHOOSES LIFE.]

larcei

[sincleavers]

[That's an interesting question -- his eyebrows lift in response. He hasn't been thinking about this place as a whole, really...but maybe the answer is the same no matter what.]

It's the same for me. I don't like bullies.

[There's more to it than that, of course. There's centuries of bad blood between those in power and those they exploit. Feeling powerless to fight back. Realizing, too late, that you're not as helpless as some others may be, that you can make a stand. It's a simplified version of his feelings, but it's no less true.]

What's your name? I'm Alphen.

[astraledge]

[A simple answer, but one that sounds honest. Larcei nods. She doesn't like them either. Being able to actually do something about them for a change is refreshing.]

Larcei. And I don't like them either. [She glances around the streets, with their unfamiliar paving and sounds and smells.] But there's likely to be no shortage of them in a place like this.

[sincleavers]

[Something about the fact they can agree, there, makes Alphen feel a little better about the whole situation.]

I know what you mean. Some of them seem almost like they enjoy being so aggressive.

[Which is...something he doesn't really understand.]

[astraledge]

[Larcei raises her eyebrows in surprise. For someone who has the build of an experienced combatant, she didn't expect to hear that. Still, it takes her a moment to translate what she knows in her bones into a sentence in words.]

It makes them feel powerful. Even when they really aren't. [Especially when, sometimes.] They want to see that there's someone weaker than they are.

[sincleavers]

[As soon as she says it, he knows it's the truth -- and he knows that it's familiar, too. The Renans at home, and the gangs here... He nods, his expression a little grim.]

There's always someone looking for power. I guess some things don't change no matter where you are.

marie

[sincleavers]

That works for me. I'll take whatever recommendations I can get. [Since it seems he may be here longer than first expected.

He keeps part of his attention on the surroundings as they walk, not necessarily due to suspicion, but because the whole place is so new to him. Dahna has cities, towns...but this feels totally different. Bigger. More free, in a way. He hasn't seen anything resembling the Renans who stood watch to keep each realm in captivity. Even the occasional thuglike figure on a streetcorner seems less intimidating.

Still, he manages a light laugh at the mention of exterminators.] You got it. I'd be happy to help. I'm Alphen -- nice to meet you, Marie.

[adversus]

[Marie can imagine that it might be a bit jarring at first, given all the yokai wandering about as well. Still, she knows nothing about his world, but she is quite interested to learn about it. Something that she'd have to pry out of him, once they're seated at one of the bars.]

It's nice to meet you, Alphen! Welcome to the hell hole that we called Jigokucho!

[It's said with a playful tone, as she turns around and winks at him. Marie flashing a friendly smile, before turning her gaze away to guide them to the Sutoku area were she certainly felt more comfortable.

Eventually arriving at a large entertainment area. Eyes trailing back toward Alphen once more, wanting to garner his thoughts on where to go so that he's comfortable as well.]

So! What kind of food do you like? There's street food, bar food, food from the store... There's also restaurants that specialize in certain types of cuisine. I'm not too particularly picky, but I do like food with a lot of spice.

[sincleavers]

[Jarring has certainly been an understatement, especially when he was in the middle of something back home. Her tone isn't lost on him, and all said, he appreciates that kind of levity -- makes him feel less like he's been pulled out of one hell and into another.]

If everyone here is just as welcoming, I'm sure I'll feel right at home.

[Right -- the factions. He knows he's going to have to figure that part out eventually, the nuances, the ins and outs of how that life works. But for now, he'll settle for getting whatever information he can.

Uh oh. She said spice. That's the magic word, and his eyes light up a bit.]

I'm the same way when it comes to spice. The spicier, the better. Do you have a favorite spot for that?

[adversus]

You know, if you ever have trouble adjusting, I'm only one call away. If you have any questions that you need to ask, just shoot me a message, or call me. I'll try my best to answer what I can.

[You know. If he knows what a phone even is. It doesn't occur to her that he might not know what it is, but still. The sentiment still stands.]

Oho, a man after my heart. I do know a good restaurant, actually! This way~

[Marie reaches for his shoulder, and squeezes it in a friendly way. Her hand loosening up to pat it, before starting her walk toward the restaurant that she had in mind. For a moment, wondering if she should take him to the teahouse that had that incredibly spicy, chili oil pocky but decides not to.

She guides him through one of the alleyways, and into a literal hole in the wall restaurant. Luckily, the small restaurant having two seats left, which they're guided to upon stepping into the restaurant. Menu placed in front of them; some menu items familiar while others weren't. However, one thing was certainly familiar: the small chili pepper icon indicating how spicy each dish was.]

I got this today, so order whatever you want. But just so you're familiar with how to pay for stuff here, you can pay with yen, or stardust. Although, technically, with stardust, you're suppose to collect that for your faction.

[She has to be responsible now and actually give Sutoku her stardust, rather than keep it for herself now. Ahem.]