thenearshore | 011 | Black Parade

Entry tags:

011 | Black Parade

Who: Everyone!
What: Parade of the dead
When: All day May 26
Where: Shinjuku
Summary: The Near Shore needs a little protecting from the dead

The last few days have been filled with festival food, high energy, and lots and lots of parades. Near Shore residents really know how to enjoy their holidays, stopping up traffic for hours on end as floats and palanquins go by and filling the streets and courtyards in the area with food stands and festival treats. Many Far Shore residents may have found themselves drawn to this particular festival, as it is being held in honor of a shrine.

When an unexpected parade starts up, the people gather round to watch the impromptu spectacle. It's a little strange, yes, but nothing too terribly off-putting. That is until the parade reaches the shrine itself, at which point all hell breaks loose as the members of the parade start attacking anything and anyone in their way.

The Heavens will then call upon all the gods and shinki who are available to help, because these attackers are not normal at all - they are, in fact, the undead.

Let the Festivities Continue

The festival is a large, booming one. There are dozens upon dozens of food stalls set up all over the place with so many different kinds of foods that it could make your eyes go buggy, most of them fried in some way. On top of that, there is live entertainment walking around, stalls with souvenirs, and lots of excellent company nearby. Surely you'll be able to enjoy the festival to its fullest.

The Walking Dead

It is not immediately evident that the parade is being manned by corpses, but keen observers would be able to pick out the noticeable rotting elements of the dead. Anyone with a soul-sensing ability might even realize that they're not soulless, just lifeless. When the parade reaches the shrine, every god and shinki will be needed in order to protect the Near Shore from this menace. Corpses must either be exorcised or completely mutilated to the point where they can no longer move in order to release the soul.

Not Rootbeer Floats

On top of the mass of dead bodies being possessed by stray souls, some of the floats on wheels in the parade seem to have been taken over as well. They are moving slowly and with purpose towards anyone that crosses their path. At first, it may seem like the float is just veering a little off course, but it will soon become evident that it's headed towards you. They may be slow, but they're very large as well, meaning there's a lot more than needs to be destroyed to release the soul.

Souls, Souls, and More Souls

In Summary:

Enjoy the festival
Help save Near Shore residents
Take down the dead bodies
Try not to cry
Cry lots
Have fun~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Ayumu's expression softens.]

The first day can be kind of rough around here sometimes. You haven't run into any trouble, have you?

[So far no one's died today that she knows of but it's still early. When one's been around this place as long as Ayumu has, it's hard not to notice patterns.]

[With that, he has to pause. What kind of trouble usually happens with things like this? He can't say he's sure, although...]

There's been troublesome things...

[A small sigh, tinged with exasperation.]

I still don't know how to serve Axel-sama.... And someone was annoying about me getting food not long ago...

Has he said anything to you?

[The other part's not too surprising. She'd balked a little when Axel first suggested they steal food, too.]

Do you know what a shinki is, Kakimoto-kun? What they're supposed to do?

[Maybe it's not really her place to educate him on his duties but... well, his god can correct her on whatever he feels needs correcting. If it is the same Axel, it wouldn't be the first time.]

[Carefully, he nudges his glasses back with the heel of his palm.]

Axel-sama said I'm his partner and weapon, to destroy ayakashi. He mentioned prayers as well.... and missions from the heavens.

[There's a pause, and he shifts in place as if movement will help him voice something that's been bothering him.]

He said... since it was my first day, he didn't want to demonstrate what that means, exactly.

[It's understandable. The first day can be pretty overwhelming, especially when one's new to both themselves and this place. She taps her chin thoughtfully a moment before replying.]

That sounds about right but it sounds like he left out an important part. You're supposed to protect him. Helping him do things for this followers is a big part of it, too. But in the end, you're not just his weapon, you're his shield, too.

[But if his god is the same one she knows... it won't be an easy task. Axel likes his freedom and he's pretty insistent about taking care of himself. Or at least, he was with her.]

Have you heard much about the ayakashi yet?

[His nod of agreement is immediate, no hesitation. Even if he'd never been told that, Chikusa knows he'd long ago made up his mind that he wouldn't let anything happen to Axel without it going through him completely and utterly first. It may not mean much now, but he's determined to become a shinki good enough to protect his god.]

[It's all he knows to do.]

Someone else told me... He said they were unnatural in form, vividly colored, some with extra eyes and... something he said I would recognize when I saw it. That they're wrong. [Ah-] I'm not to touch them, either.

That's right. They'll blight you if you touch them and you'll have to wash it off with shrine water. Some ayakashi talk, too, but it's hard to tell how much they understand. But they seem to be driven mostly by instinct.

[At least, that seemed to be the case with Axel. He hadn't seemed to recognize her as anything but a food source the last time she saw him. She takes another bite of her skewer.]

They're easy to recognize and they can't be defeated alone. To get rid of them completely, gods and shinki need each other.

[She purses her lips briefly before continuing.]

Has anyone told you about borderlines yet?

[The talking is new, but a lot of this seems to be things he knows already. Not that he doesn't appreciate hearing more, of course. With how disorganized things seem, it looks like he can still manage to find out new information from every person he encounters.]

[...Like now. He blinks, flicking through his memories quickly.]

Is that... related to shinki magic?

[It's the only other thing he can think of, because if not, then he hasn't a clue.]

Yes. Shinki can make a barrier to hold ayakashi at bay. Of course, the god has to stay behind it for it to work.

[If only Ayumu had the faintest idea how shinki magic worked.]

I don't know much about them besides that but you could probably find someone to teach you how to do it.

[If Elsa and her school were still around, it'd be a simple matter of referring him there. But as far as she knows it's gone and no plans to build a new one have been made.]

I was told to find Kazuma of Bishamon, an older shinki. He teaches it... apparently.

[And trust him, once he finds something suitable enough to steal that won't get him in too much trouble as a gift for Bishamon.]

Have you heard of him?

I haven't met him personally but I know the name. And I've heard of Lady Bishamon. She's one of the native gods of this place.

[Another delicate bite of her skewer. There's not much left on the stick.]

Hakkai-san might be a good person to ask, too. He's been here longer than I have, I think.

[Well. A small world.]

That's who told me to contact him.

[He finally goes back to tugging whole bits of meat neatly off of his skewer, just whole pieces. Biting is drippy, okay?]

Oh, I see. Well, I'm sure Kazuma-san should be able to help you, then.

[Ayumu watches him work on his skewer with mild amusement but she's not going to complain. She meant what she said. Whether the dead can put on weight or not, Ayumu's not going to fault him for eating to his heart's content.]

Have you been to Hestia's temple yet?

[Apparently still having some semblance of manners despite being a little thief tugging meat off a stick, he gives a slight nod but doesn't answer until he's swallowed.]

Axel-sama said he doesn't like being near the meeting halls, or in the Heavens like that, so he took me there right away.

[A pause.]

Are all temples... nice?

[Maybe it really is the same Axel. She can't imagine the one she knew caring much for the meeting hall either though she never thought to ask.]

I don't know about every temple but most of the ones I've been to have been nice. Just watch out for ducklings and giant snakes if you decide to go exploring.

[A thoughtful pause. Another bite.]

Maybe some other things, too, just in case we didn't get them all during spring cleaning.

....What kind of spring cleaning were you doing...?

[This seems like the kind of thing he should be asking, because ducklings, giant snakes, and other things?]

Well, one of our missions was to clean up the meeting hall and all the temples, including some old forgotten ones. You could say some interesting things got left behind.

[She shrugs a bit.]

My friend found a bunch of ducklings in a closet on his first day and they all decided he was their mother. As for the snakes, they were in an old temple I was cleaning up.

[What kind of mission is that? Chikusa was already feeling questionable about the Heavens to start with, and this is just making him feel even moreso.]

...I haven't noticed anything yet. The temple seems clean. But... I'll let Axel-sama know.

[Ayumu nods. In her mind, it's better to be prepared than not to be.]

Do you have a phone? I don't know how much help I can be but I'd like to give you my number in case you need anything.

[For an instant, her expression is almost pensive as she makes the offer but his god really is Axel, she can't just turn them loose on their own without making a gesture, at least. Her feelings might be mixed and difficult to sort through but there's one thing she's certain of - she could never hate Axel.]

[This time, he pauses. When Axel had asked about it, his answer had been unhesitating. Why wouldn't it be? Axel is his god, and having him around to follow makes Chikusa feel more secure.]

[But a stranger is a different matter. With one last bit of meat on the skewer, he twists it around between his fingers.]

...If you tell me yours, I'll remember it.

'Kay.

[Ayumu doesn't use her phone often, only in emergencies, and with her head suddenly full of memories she didn't have two days ago, it takes her a moment to recall the number. She lists off her number, being sure to speak it clearly without rushing.]

There you go.

[Carefully, he takes it all in and clenches the skewer between his teeth as he transfers the number to his own phone.]

I'll keep it in mind, then.

[Whether he'll use it is, well... Hard to say. Still. Better to have than not. It might be useful for Axel, too.]

...People are- helpful. Here.

[Ayumu nods. She doesn't expect much but if she can be of any assistance at all, she'd like to be. She'd had such a hard time adjusting to everything herself, after all.]

It seems that way. Most of the people I've met have been pretty nice. Some more than others.

[Considering she's only had problems with that rude boy at Inanna's temple and Susano'o breaking into her home, Ayumu thinks she's been pretty lucky so far in her encounters with other residents.]

A lot of us might come from different places and times but in the end, we all have some things in common, at least. I think it makes sense to try and help each other when we can.

Edited 2016-12-26 00:46 (UTC)

[There's a lot he wants to say about that, questions that are filling his mind. If everyone is from different places, how do you know who to trust? How can you be sure you won't be taken advantage of, or stabbed in the back? Not everyone is trustworthy. Very few are, in fact, although he has to admit he's been forced to rely on the knowledge of others in his situation.]

[However... Saying all of that sounds tiring, not to mention he feels as though it could start an argument or debate. So he nods quietly.]

I see.

[Done with his meet, he twists the skewer in his hands and thinks on what to do next.]

...How long do festivals last?

It depends on the festival. Some last a day or two.

[If Ayumu could read his mind, she'd agree with most of his thoughts. Her own mindset had been near identical her first day in this place.]

I think this one's been going on for a while so this might be the last day to enjoy this one.

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