011 | Black Parade

[godsoffortune]

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

As souls are released from the objects they've taken control of, the air will become thick with a hazy fog of souls rushing away, into the air, and out of sight. This may make the continued fighting a little more difficult, but it means that the job is getting done.

Through some innate sixth sense, some of the dead people may seem familiar to certain gods (or shinki with specific memories). They can recognize some of the souls as friends or compatriots from their home world that had died. And these souls will recognize them as well.

Any characters not currently in the game that have actually died in their canon are free to be used for this part of the event and played out as NPCs by you and whatever partner you are playing with. All of these individuals will react in a similar way, though - they will beg to be released because it hurts them so horribly to be here right now and, of course, they can only be released in the same way that all the other souls are being released: exorcism or total destruction.

In Summary:

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

Comments

[tuishou]

[Wonderful enough that his stomach betrays him and rumbles with the insatiable hunger just as she held up the package and he got a whiff of the thing. The reaction is enough to fluster him-- he'd been preparing to decline the offer. Politely, of course but.

Ah. His shoulders sag a bit, the boy sighing and almost looking defeated.] If you're sure it's fine...

[You bet he will drag this out. Almost as if it was embarrassing to be caught eating in the streets. He knows it isn't, and yet--] What is your name?

[shockshot]

[Ah yes, she knows the feeling all too well. And well, the hunger never went away. Here, she'll get a piece and offer it to him.]

Mmhmm, it's fine! Here, have a piece. I'm Masaki Kurosaki.

[She beams.]

What's yours?

[tuishou]

[Why in Heaven's name people from the Far Shore still used their family names, Neji wouldn't understand. Habit, he supposes, and though his own is to reply in kind...] Neji. [--what good would adding 'Hyuuga' do?

He takes the piece offered with a small, polite inclination of his head.] Thank you, Masaki-san.

[And he hopes it's good because into his mouth it goes and... being eternally hungry is a curse, isn't it?] ...it's good.

[shockshot]

[Force of habit really. Makes her feel funny for being the only one who still uses her family name. Ah well. She offers a small inclination of her head back and...

Aw. He eats so politely.]

That's good. Would you like more, Neji-san?

[She's guessing he wants more. Because she was the same way, especially when she was new.]

[tuishou]

[He really... really would. Why did she have to go an ask such a difficult question. To avoid looking like an ass, Neji just nods. Doesn't reach or move to ask for another piece, though, because--

oh.] That's right...

[He has no money. He has no money. He can't even make a fool of himself and pat his robes down to search for bills- not when he knows he can't possibly have a cent on him. He'd just now returned to the Far Shore.

This wasn't going well.] I was going to offer to pay-- [Where the hell was Yuri when you needed her--

suck it up, Hyuuga.] Let's at least find a place to sit. If that's alright with you, Masaki-san? I'll pay you when I can.

[shockshot]

[Because clearly, Neji's life is supposed to be Hard. Or at least it is when he's faced with food and girls? Maybe? Who knows. But...ah.]

It's okay. You can pay me back when you get the chance. Actually-

[She offers the container. She doesn't know where their gods are, but he's a shinki, and a hungry one.]

Why don't you take this from me, and I'll go and see about getting another one we can share? You can finish that if you'd like Neji-san.

And I'll find you. Just save me a spot on the bench.

[tuishou]

[Well, this has to be the best thing that's happened since his new arrival. If that's not horribly pathetic enough, Neji's not sure he wants to know. He's got an entire container of hot food now in his hands and he's... "elated" is way too strong a word. He's content. Very content.

He thinks to offer to accompany her, but the sentiment dies when he actually does open his mouth. She'll be fucking fine getting eats.]

Sure.

[He's already thanked her, yeah? So he'll give another, kind of dutiful little nod of his head again. Everything about this is killing him on the inside, please understand. Except the fact that Masaki seems nice? That's nice.

The bench is nearby (he is going to keep an eye on her, just what kind of guy did you take him for?). And, well, there's the requested spot saved for her next to him.

Why is he so bad at this.]

[shockshot]

[Yup, she's spoiling him a bit isn't she. But hey. She wants to make sure he's okay, and she knows she's always hungry so...well. It's the nice thing to do.

The decent thing to do too. He can sit and not get bumped into, and eat. And she'll get more food. Everyone wins! She offers him a happy little nod, and she goes to get more takoyaki. She thought of getting more food, but he might think she's over doing it so. Baby steps.

It takes a few minutes, but she comes back with another thing of food, and goes to take her spot beside him.]

Here we are! Thanks for the spot save. Did you see anything interesting, Neji-san?

[tuishou]

[Moments like these (never mind that this was the first and only 'moment like this') made Neji wish he was a little more prone to speaking his mind, a little less prone to guarding and overthinking

everything.

He finishes chewing the small piece of whatever, and looks up and around them first before returning his gaze to Masaki, shaking his head a little. See, 'interesting' meant something a little different than interesting to him.] I'm glad they've found something to celebrate. [--which is said in a way that implies he's not leaping for joy over the messes made so far but he is sincere, which is... something.] But I wouldn't call it interesting.

[--wait.] A festival is nothing new. Being a shinki isn't new to me, either.

[shockshot]

[Who knows, maybe there will be more moments like this. Not just with her, but with other people in general. Maybe he'll be a little less guarded.

One day. Someday.

She smiles at what he says, before using the little piece of wood to pick up a piece for herself.]

It's still very exciting, I think.

[She would have said more, but she paused, and tilted her head.What was he saying?]

So you're not...new?

[Then why did he look so lost?]

[tuishou]

[Ah, he should have chosen his words better. The problem being he had no idea how else to say it. Finally, for the first time, he looks a touch sheepish.

--okay, no, that is the wrong word, but the boy's positively tamed.] I've only just arrived to the Far Shore, as have a few others.

[...but. He looks ahead at the milling people and looks back to her with a sincere expression. He's not lost, gods forbid, he's...] ...But I've been here before. From what I can tell, it wasn't that long ago either. Not much has changed-- only that I can't remember why I am... 'new'.

[Because shinki didn't live with enough puzzles. He shrugs.]

It's troublesome. [Just kind of. Moving along--] I know who my goddess is; even that's the same as before. I still haven't been able to find her in this mess, though.

[shockshot]

[Neji is so tame he is a sheep. But really, Masaki frowns, puzzled, until he explains. Then her expression clears.]

I guess you're like a...boomerang shinki then. One that got displaced and came back.

[Not the exact definition, but close enough. She's never heard of it, but it's easier to understand then shinki turning into gods.]

That's new, least to me. Huh. If it helps, I'm not sure where my god is either. He might not be here at all.

[ because sleeping schedules. She tilts her head, considering.]

Where do you think she'd be? Your goddess.

[tuishou]

'Boomerang'... shinki? [Really, he's just trying the words out on his tongue. Boomerang shinki? That's the best she could come up with? It's his own turn to look puzzled--

and then he feels the chill of being unnerved because he can't be the first one to just-- up and--] I suppose there's a first for everything, if that's the case.

[Anyway. Neji pokes at the food tray he holds and sighs. Has he done that recently? Gods, he can't remember.] I'm not sure. Often times she wouldn't stay at her temple come evenings and I don't know if she'd appreciate a festival of this sort of not.

[They're such a great pair. Know everything about each other. Yep.]

I'm not particularly worried. She seems to have a good head on her shoulders. We'll find each other when it's time.

[shockshot]

Mmhmm. What would you call it? Boomerang seems to work.

[Because they come to and from. Hey! It might not be classy, but it works, right? Right. She shrugs, and pokes at the food, before picking up a bit to eat, chewing carefully.]

But...hm. Maybe she goes for a walk in the evenings?

[Or does god things? Though wouldn't she need a shinki for that...hmmm.]

Who knows. Maybe she'll find you when she needs you.

[She smiles. In the meantime, Masaki will make sure she sends Neji on his way well fed. Or...as well fed as a shinki can be.]