February 2022 Test Drive

[jigokumods]

MAIN NAVIGATION

1. ENTRY

It feels like a dream as you wake up in what appears to be a government office. It is remarkably mundane: white walls, small screens with the number that is being served and at what desk, chairs along the perimeter of the room, and pleasant music playing from unseen speakers. There's nothing out of the ordinary, right?

Then you take a look at the inhabitants in the office: Lost Souls and youkai alike make up the ranks of a never-ending line in front of a desk manned by an akaname in a suit. However, another youkai, a hyakume, is your first contact in this world. You're instructed to take a number and stand in the queue. Take a seat if you want– but you're reminded to be quick when your number is called or you'll be passed by.

Congratulations: you're in Hell.

If you're lucky, you're in line behind a fellow Lost Soul. If you're less lucky, you're stuck behind any number of youkai that may be disturbing to look at or ones that may actively try to harm you. The ones with long arms may even try to steal your ticket from further back in the line.

Make small talk, try not to freak out, and keep your ticket safe (or maybe try to steal a better one) as you make your way up in the line.

2. THE CITY

Once you've been processed through the line, you're given your assignment to one of the four possible clans with directions to their respective clan offices. The city itself looks remarkably similar to a modern Japanese city, complete with narrow alleyways connecting wider streets. Glaring neon signs advertising various businesses compete for your attention, even the most mundane businesses.

Once you tear your attention away from the myriad distractions, your task is to find your way to the office. The akaname didn't exactly give you clear directions, just a piece of paper with an address printed on it. You’re on your own to find your way there.

• Those assigned to the Shuten Clan are directed to the gambling district.
  
• The Tamamo Clan members are directed to the red light district.
  
• New members of the Sutoku Alliance are pointed to the entertainment district.
  
• Those assigned to The Department of the Enma are sent to the administrative district.

Ask your fellow Lost Souls for directions or stubbornly find your way to the office all on your own. No matter how you get there, once you've made your way to the office you're given your lodgings (for rookies, it’s always the cheapest inn or apartment block in the area) and told to go out and get a feel for the city.

3. STREET FIGHT - SHUTEN TERRITORY

Scuffles break out all the time in Jigokucho, especially in the district dominated by the Shuten Clan. Whether it's a rival clan posturing over someone being on the wrong turf, shakedowns of all sorts, or just someone with a chip on their shoulder picking a fight: it always draws a crowd of onlookers.

No matter what street you're going down or what you're on your way to do, there always seems to be a fight to block the way. Take a look, take bets, or maybe you're the one caught in the brawl. Maybe someone decided they didn't like the way you looked at them or maybe they're trying to catch you in a petty scam. You may also feel the need to step in when fights are looking particularly one-sided.

Get used to this happening.

4. STICKY PAWS - SUTOKU TERRITORY

One of the more adorable features in the city is a cat cafe. Located within Sutoku territory, it always draws a steady crowd. If you're lured in by the adorable cats in the window, you're welcomed into a pleasant, cat-friendly environment with cats of every shape, color, and size lounging on various surfaces while being doted on by patrons. Of course not everything is as it seems: these are no ordinary cats. They're bakeneko in disguise and this cafe is a clever way to spirit away a few more coins for the Sutoku Alliance's coffers.

You may notice your wallet is a few (thousand) bills lighter at some point during your visit or your wallet may be missing entirely. Maybe it was one of your fellow patrons helping themselves while you were playing with a cat or maybe it was one of the cats. Who's to say? You quickly realize this place is not on the up and up; you have to do something about it.

Chase down one of the cats, confront your fellow patrons, or maybe try to shake down the owner for information. The latter won't get you very far, but maybe it'll make you feel better about losing your cash to a cute scam.

5. HELP WANTED - TAMAMO TERRITORY

CW: potentially NSFW, optional aphro

If you find yourself in the red light district, you might find yourself pulled into something else entirely. A scout in front of one of the numerous clubs drags you in off the street, assuming you're from the Tamamo Clan. It doesn't matter if you are or not, the scout is not listening to your protests. They say something about staffing shortages as you're shoved into the employee area of the club. The club manager then pushes some clothes at you and tells you to get out onto the floor once you're dressed. It might be a host club, it might be a bikini or banana bar, or maybe something even more salacious – whatever it is, you're working there for the night.

There are also barkers aggressively recruiting clients for these clubs, promising a good time for anyone who wants it. Whether it be the company of a pretty host or hostess, the lurid appeal of a strip show, or perhaps even other pleasures of the flesh: there's plenty to tempt even the most resistant.

Work at a club for the night or partake in the pleasures. Drinks flow like water, some with a little something extra to help things along. Everything is transactional here. As you have the money, you're bound to find something that tickles your fancy.

Welcome to the test drive meme!

• Threads here can be considered game canon.
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• Reserves are open until March 5th.

Comments

[horrifictie]

[ PHYSICAL INSTRUMENT - Just a couple of badass men complimenting each other's taste in fashion. What's better than this?
ELECTROCHEMISTRY - The only thing better is a *drinking buddy*. He said it first. You can't turn him down! ]

And I'm Harry. [ He cocks a toothy grin and follows right behind, pushing past the dull ache of his injured legs. Old and new won't stop him from keeping up the pace. ] Are you from around here Dante? I'm new to... Hell, I guess.

[ Is it really Hell? He still doesn't entirely buy it, but with what happened just before he woke up in that waiting room... it's hard to be sure if this is a long hallucination or not. ]

[demonrebel]

[If there's one thing Dante loves is alcohol. That and pizza, of course.

He's a bonafide frat boy who never grew up despite not once stepping into a college. While he's more a social drinker than anything, Dante is known to take a swig of the hard stuff on occasion. Just prior to his latest gig, he's been drinking his ass into a near coma in a fit of depression but
that's beside the point.

He just wants to chill out before he ends up busting someone's jaw. This is where the big guy comes in.]

Nice to meetcha, Harry! I didn’t think I would be making a new buddy in hell but here we are.

[He laughs before ducking around the corner towards some little hole-in-the-wall bar nearby. There are plenty of dive bars in Jigoku-cho much like Tokyo itself. Some of these bars are a little cramped but the one they’re going to is actually one of the nicer ones free of the usual rabble.]

Not exactly but this isn’t my first trip south of paradise.

[The irony of that statement isn’t lost on Dante.]

So, what did you do to end up in a shithole like this? You’re friendlier than 95% of the population here.

[horrifictie]

[ He really didn't think he would make friends in Hell either! Then again, Hell is where he belongs for all he has done so maybe it makes sense he would find swift companionship. What's a sinner among sinners? A regular person perhaps. It seems his new friend has a lot of knowledge about the area and that's all he needs to go along with this. ]

Oh, buddy, what *didn't* I do? I actually don't remember most of it because I have amnesia, but the things I do know? It's bad. [ He didn't even explore the concept of an afterlife for several hours straight before dying though. Maybe that's a good thing - learn from experience. ] Let's just say that being a cop might not have been the best career choice.

But what about you? What do you mean it's not your first trip?

[demonrebel]

Amnesia, huh? Talk about an old trope.

[Yeah, that's an old trope that Dante is familiar with thanks to a few “clients” he had in the past. That was decades ago but even so, Dante can’t help but look a bit surprised. Harry doesn’t come across as a scary ax murderer or anything, so maybe he’s not that kind of sinner. Even so, he must’ve done something big to end up here.

Then again, the same could be said for Dante and he’s one of the good guys.]

You were a cop? [He almost does a doubletake at that.] Really?

I always had respect for the boys in blue, unless they got in my damn way.

[Law enforcement in his world exists but they’re pretty useless against demons. While they certainly strived to keep the peace during Qliphoth incident, there weren’t much the cops could do to protect the public. When the going gets tough, they call him.

Mentioning career choices, Dante can’t help but grin when Harry asks the following.]

I’m a Demon Hunter. [He explains once they reach the bar.] But I can’t go around here announcing that with this many undesirables around.

[As for the following question, Dante needs a few drinks before he explains that nonsense. Especially since the whole incident deals with his estranged brother.]

[horrifictie]

[ HALF LIGHT - Demon hunter? Now this you like.
RHETORIC - Respect, but within limits. An interesting comment. Not that the police are equipped to hunt demons when they are barely equipped to police a city. ]

I *am* a cop. Or maybe I'm not? It's a philosophical sort of question. [ Can you take the cop out of Revachol, or does it stay there? He's not entirely sure yet. ] But I'm more interested in this demon hunting business of yours! How does it work? ...Now that I consider it, there might be demons you offed on these streets roaming around.