jigokufever | (OVERFLOW) AUGUST 2022 TEST DRIVE

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(OVERFLOW) AUGUST 2022 TEST DRIVE

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.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Top level over here!]

[ how blessed he is to find another chess piece down here; something more exciting than a simple pawn traversing this hellish city. dostoevsky was upset at the start, assuming the worst outcome for his plans but no-- no-- this is surely just a small detour. a stepping stone that leads one closer to the book.

he's not foolish enough to simply approach chuuya out in the open, he waits with full intentions of being noticed, casually sitting at the end of the bar, alone. there is a predictability to arahabaki's vessel that is not so boring so much as refreshing in an unfamiliar place. ]

[Is it fortunate that Chuuya is already tipsy, or unfortunate? Time will surely tell, because it does take him a bit to realize he's being watched.

Not that it takes him that long, because Chuuya's senses have been well-honed by both his time in the mafia and a childhood on the streets. He knows when he's being watched, alcohol fuzzing his brain or no, and it's not long before he casts his eyes around to find the owner of that gaze.

So it's easy to tell the moment he spots Fyodor: His expression twists, lips curling and rage and fury alight in his eyes as his grip on the glass in his hand causes a crack.

Even without his ability, Chuuya's always been just the tiniest bit stronger than a normal person.]

You.

[ fortunate for dostoevsky, powers or not chuuya is physically stronger than him by a significant margin. and he's yet to ascertain how much or how little of them remain' still! such a reaction causes a surge of twisted warmth to lick up his spine. a tilt of the head that is reminiscent of gogol's influence; bird-like and betraying (allegedly) just the tiniest tinge of intoxication (an act, in part, dostoevsky's drink may be almost drained but it had been diluted with water). ]

Chuuya-san.

[ he sets his feet on the floor, bracing himself for what is likely to be a volatile intrusion. ]

[Well that makes one of them who's mostly sober, perhaps. Chuuya meanwhile is definitely feeling his alcohol, and it's probably why his brain isn't reminding him that wanting to kick Fyodor's ass in public is a very bad idea. All he can think of is that he was used, and he died because of it.

At the very least he doesn't walk over and launch his fist at the Russian... yet. Oh no, instead his opening volley is far pettier: he throws his drink, glass and all at the man's head.]

You really got balls showing your face in front of me, you bastard!

[ what is it with drinks ruining his clothing since he arrived here?! there is no time to duck or slide out of the way as the glass hits him straight on and -- oh it got all over hair too. this is giving him flashbacks to that one port mafia executive he hung.

dostoevsky sways a little, offset by the hit.

oh this little shit. rude! ] As opposed to letting you find out later we are both here? Better to rip off the band-aid, Chuuya-san.

[Two port mafia executives have thrown wine at fyodor's head, and two people have ruined his clothes since he arrived here. Get wrecked, Fyodor.

Not that Chuuya and Ace particularly got along anyway, so it's not like it was deliberate. He's just angry, and the way he pushes himself to stand from his seat in spite of the flush in his cheeks that's only partially alcohol, the rest rage, should make that clear.

He crosses the bar to loom over Fyodor... well, as much as Chuuya can loom. Even with Fyodor sitting, it's not a very impressive height difference.

That 'Chuuya-san' only adds insult to injury. At least it isn't 'Nakahara-san', or he'd be extra disgusted. He's one of the rare few who isn't fond of polite address, especially false manners.]

I'd rather not see your face period you piece of shit.

[ honestly! what happened to manners in this day and age? but while the looming is not particularly effective dostoevsky knows chuuya could punch him and it would hurt and he's really not that fond of anyone touching him in general (mostly crime and punishment reasons but even without it).

still, still, chuuya's anger is a sight to see-- the choice had never been random, chuuya's ability is perhaps the strongest and most useful one to fyodor's plans back home but here, without bram's ability it gets trickier.

he's going to have to play ball. ]

I understand that you must be terribly upset about what happened but it was not my intention.

[Oh Fyodor is going to have to try better than that, to pull one over on Chuuya. Maybe he's just a pawn in this battle of geniuses, but he knows enough, through experience.

Fyodor might not like being touched, but Chuuya's reaching down to grab him by the collar, dragging the man up from his seat.]

Don't bullshit me, I worked with Dazai for years, I'm not a moron.

[This is a man who has been given the run around by Dazai so many times he can practically predict what he'll do. Fyodor might not be Dazai, but he's cut from similar cloth.]

What didn't you intend? To use me like an attack dog? I know you did, so don't lie to me. Maybe you didn't intend to get us both killed, but that's the end result.

[And Dazai, the bastard, knew exactly what was coming. He was fine with taking Chuuya out if it meant taking out Fyodor. Not that he should have expected anything else.]

[ a downside of having picked dazai's ex-partner as a pawn but fyodor does not flinch, no resistance at being pulled forward by the collar. he just goes limp which is in itself its own form of trying to keep from being completely dislodged from the chair. ] And I am not Dazai. [ as complicated as those interactions tend to be, dostoevsky wants this stated for the record, there are a lot of similarities but also vast differences.

he wraps his boney fingers around chuuya's wrists, annoyance betrayed in that gesture. ]

It is unfortunate how things went down but this is hardly the final result.

No, you’re not. But there are certainly some similarities in how you use people. [he’s bristling, fists clenches and looking like he’s getting ready to wind up and punch the unresisting man.

There’s some mutters around the bar. They are certainly making a public spectacle, aren’t they?]

And I don’t think you can get more final than fucking hell. You got us both killed, asshole.

[and Chuuya’s raising his other hand now, undoubtably intending violence—

But then the bartender slams their hands down on the counter, shouting at them both:]

Get out of my bar!!

[It’s certainly a splash of cold water. Chuuya is the obvious aggressor here, with how limp Fyodor is.]

[ this is the problem with most people is this. had fyodor resigned himself to hell, metaphorical or literal, he would not have gotten so far. ]

No, Dazai killed you. [ there is a clear distinction and he opens his mouth waiting waiting--

yes, there it is.

fyodor shifts his attention to the bartender, a warm smile, saccharine tone. ]

That won't be necessary, my friend here was just saying hello. He gets very ... excitable but he will sit down and finish his drink quietly, won't you?

[There's a twist of bitterness to Chuuya's lips at that remark, but there's no time to respond... or slug fyodor in his smug face, because the bartender is reminding Chuuya of where he is.

Fucking hell, he didn't usually hesitate to pick fights in bars, but he couldn't afford to get arrested right now.

He shoves Fyodor none too gently away with a frustrated growl, scowling.]

He killed you too, rat bastard. Otherwise you wouldn't be here.

Yes, perhaps but do you really believe being dead will stop me? Assuming this is really the afterlife and not something in-between.

[ he slumps back on the barstool and withdraws his hands, smoothing down the rumpled collar. he's still uncomfortably wet and so--

one moment --

two--

there. he sneezes.

you'd think that if he were dead at least his health would have improved. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

(OVERFLOW) AUGUST 2022 TEST DRIVE

Chuuya Nakahara | Bungo Stray Dogs | Overflow

wildcardish??? profit!!

I'm. I'm so sorry.

omfg incoming trainwreck

If this isn't okay, please tell me!

WHEEZE this is perfect

\o/

ಥ◡ಥ they're so terrible

They're delightful

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