jigokufever | February 2022 Test Drive

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February 2022 Test Drive

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.

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Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ydris stood, or more accurate floated, precisely in place. None too bothered by the chunk of a bottle wedged into their melting wax. Their illusion burnt away with the explosion. Pity. Oh well. The look on their waxen face was expressly neutral, but something read just so fed up with it all.

The customer was frantically wanting to pat out the fire out, but counter intuitively riddled with glass shards. Ydris didn't have much pity to offer, swiveling just slightly to Izō with an "are you seeing this shit?" tone]

What did I just say-? [something about alcohol being a bad idea, right?]

[ Well, that escalated exactly as Izō thought it would, though the end result was much different from his expectations. He jumped up with a shout, trying to tell Ydris to watch out but there's no need. At least he was out of the initial blast zone.

A manager rushes over from the back to try to deal with the customer. ]

Somethin' tells me we're fired and probably ain't gettin' paid.

Best to get moving, then. Come along, if you want your swill. [You can leave! If it sucks, hit da bricks!

No reason to stick around, everything was much too chaotic now for Ydris'
liking. Oddly, they thought to leave some (partially crispy) bills at the table and take a not yet ruined bottle on Izō's behalf. Which, at that point, people mostly see as a threat and steer clear. Fine by Ydris, they're floating right out the front door and leaving the damage behind them.

Izō at least had a clear path to follow after them, if he even wanted, it was not like anybody wanted to give chase. Putting out the alcohol fire was their higher priority]

[ Izō isn't going to stick around -- he does not want any part of that, especially since he's technically responsible for the tab. The only problem is that his clothes are still in the back room...

Well, the chaos makes for a quick detour. He doesn't change, instead just grabbing the hanger his clothes are on. They're the ones that wasted his time, the clothes are payment enough. It's not like they got his name or anything, so...maybe he'll get away with this.

He makes a mental note to never, ever return to this club ever again. ]

Fuckin' wait up!

Keep up.

[Ydris barks back, their projected form manifesting over their wax body in a glow. It can't quite complete around the glass shards and part of a bottle still embedded into the side of Ydris' head. The overall effect is more unnerving than they intend...

Oh well, too bad. Ydris lags just enough to give Izo time to catch up and follow in the way cleared ahead of them. Trouble would be...]

...wait, where should we go? [they're out on the street, some people are still yelling and making a commotion.]

[ He tries his best not to look at Ydris's head. That's unsettling.

Once he catches up, he points to an alley up ahead. ]

There maybe? Might go t' a cross street or somethin'.

[ It's there best bet out of the clusterfuck in front of the club. ]

[Unsettling is a valid description. People on the street don't seem too happy with Ydris' appearance either. All the better for the dragon, who wants everybody to clear a path of escape. Disturbing them to cause that is just fine!]

Hold your alcohol then, before I overheat it. [The hands pass off the bottle of alcohol, which is rather hot glass to hold, if not searing. Ydris is floating the direction suggested, with approximate human speed, there's no trouble with keeping up. Down the alley and they should be well away from the trouble they caused... well, mostly Ydris, but they'll call it a group effort]

[ Is Izō drinking it directly out of the bottle as they make their escape? Yes, yes he is. ]

How 'bout I drink it instead?

[ Now that they have a moment, Izō stops to catch his breath. ]

Gotta admit that was pretty fuckin' cool. Jus' what th' fuck are ya, anyway?

[Multitasking, impressive. Ydris immediately warms up to Izō at the praise. That was definitely all very fucking cool of them and not at all awkward and clumsy-]

I'm fuckin' annoyed my illusion won't close, is what. [Ydris has habit they can't quite self diagnose and it's very quickly picking up and repeating other people's speech patterns]

Is there glass in my head? Can you get it out-?

[ Hey, Izō likes praise, so other people have to like it, right? ]

What? I mean yeah, it's there, but...ya jus' want me t' pull it out?

[ Someone who kills people on the regular shouldn't be weirded out by doing this, especially not since Ydris seems like they're not really in any pain. ]

[They drop the illusion from their head for the time, the edges of what remains burning subtly. Not looking like a human head is probably less unnerving. It's just wax,]

No, never mind. It is likely too hot for you to do without gloves or healing... Stand away. [a crackling fire noise, their equivalent of a grumble, before they just intensify the flame at the back of their head. The glass bottle simply melts away. There, that solves it]

[ This isn't the weirdest thing Izō's ever seen in his life, but it's certainly up there. He stares at Ydris in a mixture of fascination and horror, his mouth agape. ]

...Hey, what th' fuck are ya?

[ Polite. ]

[The illusion is free to return in full, once the glass protruding is gone. It illuminates out from their core and then solidifies into place, a shell around their inner form of fire, wax, and metal.

They don't mind the question all that much. It's straight forward, at least.]

I am the Fire Dragon of Myddvai. [specifically the second one, a reconstruction, but that's getting into far too much.]

I'm well aware that I don't look like a dragon. No need to say as much, if you felt such an urge. [a very common response, they've heard it like a thousand times. They'll hear it a thousand times more.]

[ A dragon that doesn't look like a dragon. Oryou was the same -- an orochi isn't quite a dragon, but close enough. Izō doesn't actually look that bothered nor impressed by it. ]

Nah, I didn't. I know someone like that...Looks like a normal person most'a th' time but she can change into a huge fuckin' monster. Can ya do that?

[Ah. They jumped to an incorrect assumption of what the reaction would be. That's somewhat embarrassing. Not that Ydris will admit that! They shove right passed and answer the question posed promptly]

No. I once had a separate dragon form, a large and immobile one. It shared my consciousness, until it was destroyed as I arrived here. Now I am just... as I am. [no second body, no sharing a consciousness with a fifth ember, though their faction leader claims to have that part of them. It's a part of their promise. Not that Ydris has much trust anything will work out... it's better than nothing.]

Are you human? [might as well ask their own overly blunt question, if they're doing sharesies]

Huh, that's real fuckin' weird.

[ As for Ydris' question, Izō shrugs. ]

Dunno. Kinda? I was... [ Congratulations, Ydris, you suddenly triggered an existential crisis in him. ] I got a tengu inside'a me. Guess he made himself more comfortable like this.

[Ydris has like three existential crisis a day so, yeah, they get it, take your time on that one Izō.

They might(?) assuage some of the man's fears, answering with a snappy confidence]

You address them as a separate being from yourself, so I would not consider that changing of your essence. [though it does give Ydris some pause, because if Izō isn't considered human for some reason, why do they suddenly get a pang of protectiveness over him? Just instincts, for Ydris, when it's for a human.]

I was build by the humans of my world to oversee them, as their sovereign deity. Should you consider yourself human, then you may call upon me in the future as an ally.

I'm still hangin' onto th' parts'a me that are human, so...guess I'll be takin' ya up on that.

[ Plus there's this whole weird loyalty thing Izō has going on. Ydris proved themself to be a trusted ally in a short amount of time and didn't leave him behind, so now they've earned his loyalty.

Not that he's ever going to say as much out loud. ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

February 2022 Test Drive

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