(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

[semilethal]

[well thanks to that fall donnie at least doesn't get knocked over.]

I am. Food, shelter, mechanized battle suits, capital... [kind of holds onto brother but mostly lets him use his own (freakishly prevalent) strength to cling to donatello. he's a bit more unsure about touch than usual since he doesn't have his...ANYTHING tech (well, he's got his goggles and his wrist computer, even if it doesn't work), but this is michelangelo. he always, always gets a pass.

donnie gives mikey a few rubs on the head as he looks over his little brother's shell at leo. here's mikey, safe and somewhat sound. so...where's raph?]

[neonleon]

[Leonardo stretches his arms, rolls one shoulder to relax it and catches Donnie's eyes. Carefully shakes his head. No Raph yet. He's just as worried, but he probably shouldn't show it.]

Yeah, how is all that going by the way?

[He does feel better with two of the three brothers here now. He's keeping an eye out for one more turtle.]

[ohmigosh]

[ The headpats are indeed very comforting. But that next realization makes Mikey fret and his voice is similarly indignant. ]

They took your battleshell!? What is wrong with these monsters! Just let me know who I gotta sic Dr. Delicate Touch on, Donnie! They can't get away with this!

[ If only it was that easy, but alas. ]

[semilethal]

[mikey if he could point you at someone to do your alternate personality violence upon in order to get even one piece of his tech back and/or functional, he would so do it. he would let you loose like the hounds of hell.

as it is, donnie just continues to pat mikey as he staggers them both back over to leo, his balance all off without his battle shell (oh and because of the mikey-barnacle also)]

Mmrnh, well, getting replacements isn't working out as well as I hoped. [he's wearing like an off-brand jansport] I don't think we'll get much help from the locals without something in return. [you won't maybe, you off-putting nerd]

[neonleon]

I've been working on finding us weapons, and looks like anything that doesn't fall apart in one use is gonna cost us.

I don't know where our stuff is.

[He'd done some asking around different stalls, hoping someone maybe had information about illicit selling of Newly Found items (not just their weapons, but Donnie's stuff as well), but no such luck. He reaches up to pat Mikey's head while he's still attached to Don.]

We may have to play the game for a bit until I can find a new angle. Somebody's gotta slip up somewhere.

[ohmigosh]

[ Mikey salutes after Leo's statement, feeling a lot more confident in this whole situation at least having the fam. An incomplete fam, but as Mikey said earlier, he's pinning all hopes they're alright too, wherever they are.

... And that Raph isn't alone. Alone Raph would be bad. ]

You're the boss, Leo!

[ He looks over to Donnie again, beaming. ]

We were looking for a pizza place to schmooze with our charm before we found you-- or well, you found us! You in, Dee? We can get not-Hawaiian just for you!

[semilethal]

[yeah, raph alone is very bad. even moreso than usual after...that whole situation.]

Hm? Oh, yeah, I could go for some grub. [it's so weird. moments ago donnie was...well, it's just that mikey has this effect on people. makes everything feel less like a crisis and more like an adventure.]

[neonleon]

[Mikey really does have that effect on people. And something Leo's glad for especially right now. He drapes an arm over whoever's more easily accessible for it.]

We look like kappa here so we could probably use that and work it to our advantage.

[ohmigosh]

[ Mikey slips down from Donnie's side to turn and face his big brothers, eyes already glistening in artistic and dramatic possibilities. ]

What are we thinking, long lost nephews? Orphans left by the third marriage of their long lost, twice-removed cousin with a mohawk and cut eyebrow who fled the country in a nationwide political scandal?!

[ He sounds too excited about this. No one is surprised. ]

They'll never say no to orphans, baby! Or maybe they can? They did say this was Hell, but... Hell is awfully nice. It kept us together, kinda! And we saw more pitchforks during the anti-mutant scare.

where donnie tries his best

[semilethal]

This is probably the Toronto of hell. [not that donnie believes that horseshit about this place being hell.] So, normal New York.

[let donnie in on the acting. he can totally do it, HE CAN TOTALLY DO IT THIS TIME GUYS] -okay. I'll be...uh, the- the smart orphan. ...with a scholarship, specifically for orphans, to the orphan school of my choice. [wow it's like once the floodgates open, all these awesome artistic ideas come out, wow, he could write Books, maybe even fiction]

[neonleon]

[Donnie should publish, there's probably an agent somewhere around here in Hell, with the WORST contract and lowest percentage of royalties (read: none) on presales. As it is, Leonardo cocks one nonexistent eyebrow up at Don, then looks down at Mikey. Then back to Donnie.]

How about three brothers who got lost and miss their oldest brother who was looking after them after their distant father left them? We just need a meal and a place to sleep for the night.

[Listen the thing with acting and lying is the grain of truth makes it believable. There's enough truth in there...]

[ohmigosh]

How do you do that...! Leo, you've done it again!

[ Ever sincere, Mikey is immediately ready to drop Operation Orphans to adopt the persona of mostly-literally-just-the-truth.

But God willing, maybe someday they can get Donnie in a real and not imaginary school. And hopefully in the Hidden City and not like, in Hell. ]

Which way were the restos here? I kinda let myself get taken away where the lights were shiny...

[semilethal]

[what? awww. he was kind of getting into the orphan thing, he wanted to try it... maybe he will like, pretend to be an orphan with a scholarship on some online forums or something, just to get the urge out.]

Restaurants are westward. -also Michael, don't let yourself get too attached to the people here. Treat it like midnight Brooklyn.

[neonleon]

[Don't worry, Don, your time will come to shine.

But he gets arms around both their shoulders to start leading the way. He'd scoped out a few places when he first got here trying to find coffee, he has an idea of what they're looking for.]

Yep. Don't make eye contact, don't respond to anything that isn't a worker.

[ohmigosh]

Right right right, midnight Brooklyn, Toronto-NY of Hell, city of questionable morals... I got this!

[ HARD AS NAILS. i mean, that'll only last until they reach another Todd adjacent character, but, maybe not ]

... I am trying very hard to not look at that old dog. [ okay yeah that was to be expected ] He has all that gray hair around his face.

[ And also massive fangs but you know. He is moments away trying to make a request to get ONE PET in. His older brothers can feel it. ]

[semilethal]

[yes they can and that is why donnie, bereft of his more mechanical methods of persuasion, extricates himself from leo and points to their little brother. carry him please, or they will never make it to the pizza place]

[neonleon]

[Sees it, yep, on it. While they walk, he will just calmly grab for Mikey's waist to pick up and carry. However Mikey ends up is up to his own baby brother squirming energy, but Leo will hold onto him.]

Don't- Trust me, don't trust dog youkai you don't know, you'll regret it in the long run.

[ohmigosh]

Aw, what? Oughhh.

[ AND HERE HE WAS ABOUT TO ASK FOR PERMISSION. it's not too much of a struggle, but he manages a sad little wiggle, mouthing to the shrinking figure behind them: "I'll come back for youuuuu!" He will likely not, at least. Mikey waves off the elderly dog figure and just kinda keeps dangling over potato sack mode for a moment longer, before wiggling again to sit upright on Leo's shoulders. ]

You know... this is actually a great angle! Ooone sec.

[ Tiny blep, some quick sliding across his phone screen can only mean one thing. ]

Everyone say "we're about to get pizza!"

[ Ready or not, that's a keeper pic! ]

Aww, look at us, bonding in yet another unknown city. [ Known well enough that they're almost there, though! Sorry for the kicky feets, Leo. ] Oh, oh, is that it?

[semilethal]

[manages an unaffected bad boy peace sign with that selfie despite the taxing task of locating a decent eatery] I haven't eaten at most of these places, but this is where the magic happens. [like a whole block full of restaurants they can just go to, like regular people]

[neonleon]

Ooooo!

[Leonardo's eyes light up seeing the row of restaurant options. It all smells delicious too, which is a plus. He's still trying to look at that photo Mikey took though, how is he always so good at that? But it doesn't feel the same without Raph and/or April here.]

Mikey said pizza, what else are we feelin? Maybe we can find a combo somewhere.