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

paws

[formant]

( the thing is: shinsou loves cats. he never really seems to have the opportunity to have one himself, so cat cafes are a luxury he commonly likes to indulge in, if given the opportunity. this is not his first time in here, and while having money lifted out of his pocket on his first visit might seem to be a dissuading factor for returning, he... tries to discover ways to make do. such as: carefully leave his excess cash hidden as well as he can in his apartment before coming this way, so there's not much for them to steal as he spends an hour or two with the cats.

even if they are youkai, they're still cute enough.

he's watching the older man from a short distance away, a large black-and-white cat curled up in his lap. it purrs as he idly pets it, watching the scene unfold. he thought he was making some fairly good points and arguments, but... oof, that "please" at the end there really undermined them, didn't it? he almost winces. he doesn't exactly want to pity someone who's senior to him, but... he's dangerously close. )

Asking nicely probably won't help.

( they're pretty clever. shinsou hadn't been able to get back any of the money he'd lost his first time here. he pauses before continuing, expression tentatively sympathetic, ) They really took your whole wallet? ( bad luck... though, hadn't he said this wasn't the first time something like this had happened? there might be more afoot here. )

[horrifictie]

[ Harry, on the other hand, is not a cat person. Even with his retrograde amnesia he has the distinct sense of preferring dogs. Or even birds, the noisy sort that would constantly need his attention. Still, he thought this place was an interesting rest stop to explore. Not so much anymore. ]

The whole wallet. Not that it has much, but it's all I have for the moment.

[ The Sutoku Alliance took him in and gave him what he needed for basic first week survival. It stings to lose it to a bunch of demon cats. He sighs and turns his head over the shoulder to glance at the young man.

SUGGESTION - He seems fairly at ease in this cafe. Maybe he knows something you don't? ]

If not nicely, then what's the best approach? I've never interrogated animals before. Or demons.

[ Not that he remembers. ]

[formant]

( as much was evident in how he was handling the assembled felines. cats didn't really respond well to the structure of authority and discipline that this man was seemingly trying to convince them with — that's why police units incorporated dogs instead (well, one of the many reasons). regardless, sympathy is writ clear as day on shinsou's face as he confirms that he'd had the whole wallet lifted. it may not be much, but — they'd all arrived here with basically nothing, so to have even that much taken away...

he's not really much of a detective. hero-in-training, sure, but solving mysteries and closing criminal cases was a totally different department. that having been said, he's still got the instinct that he's not going to leave someone high and dry when he feels like he might be able to help.

he frowns, hesitating because he's not sure he has the most desirable answer. but that doesn't mean this is a lost cause. ) Honestly, you'll probably struggle to get them to confess. They, um, ( he sweeps a broad hand over the head of the cat in his lap, smooshing its ears as he says in confidential undertone, ) they're very proud of what they do here. ( bakeneko seem to be pretty low on the youkai totem pole, so that they have this cushy of a set-up and a respectable income stream from it... it might be too much of an affront to their pride to simply give the wallet back. )

But it's not exactly like they... have pockets. It has to be somewhere in here, right? Maybe if we can find their stash, you can take your wallet back. ( the black-and-white cat he'd been covering the ears of squirms out of his grasp, looking up to fix him in a sharp glare, ears pinned back.

oops. ) Uh, and maybe leave a little extra behind, for their troubles.

( the bakeneko still didn't look appeased. )