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~

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Oh, that I can do.

[She brightens, and her hands come up. It's still weird to summon the energy like this, and to make it into a bow but...it feels right somehow. ]

Watch my back please? I don't want them to sneak up behind us.

[Well, that’s an interesting to see, although he only glances to it from the corner of his eye. Instead, he focuses on adjusting himself by her side, ignoring the throngs of regular humans trying to escape the chaos now.]

Alright.

[It’s going to be tricky, but so long as the corpses were just part of the parade… He sends out his yoyos against, one whipping out after the other and knocking back another pair of corpses.]

[That's all right. She's going to a bit of a strange place in her head; she's not sure when or why she made it, but it helps her focus on the targets that she's supposed to take down.

What she's supposed to take down, and avoid harming those that could be hurt.

He strikes with his yoyos, and she follows suit. Once he hits those corpses with his heavy yoyos, she shots them; when they make impact, they explode. More like bullets or rockets, then arrows made of soft blue light.

Which...is a bit messy. She's not focusing on that though. They're not corpses. They're moving targets.]

[...That is a very handy bow and arrow technique.]

[Out of all the things Chikusa could be expecting, exploding corpses aren’t one of them, but he only stares in surprise for a split second before adjusting promptly. Soon enough, he falls into a rhythm, doing his best to keep the advancing corpses at bay, but all too quickly he realizes something.]

We should get to higher ground… [Another flick, another crack of a yoyo hitting a skull.] This isn’t the best for either of us…

[Yup. If only it eliminated ayakashi, it'd be just dandy.

But after a quick look around, she realizes the same thing, and nods.]

Yeah, we need...room. Or...a roof?

[Or both. Both would be good. She gets off another shot, but she's uncertain where they should go, and how they should retreat. Maybe one of the stalls...would it support them though is the question.]

[A room or a roof would be for the best, and Chikusa actually straightens up instead of slouching so that he can use his height to look over the heads of other people. Another crack, and he makes a quiet noise.]

This way.

[That ‘crack’ was the sound of him getting a corpse out of the way towards a stall he’s spotted, one that looks like it should be sturdy enough… For one person, if nothing else. The only question is who will be better suited to having a high view, but they can figure that out upon getting there.]

[Either would work really, so long as they had arm room and their backs covered. And she...realizes that she's actually talking to a giant. Whoa. But hey! Height is useful! She moves along in the space behind him, wiggling between the space of people and...ah. Um.

This is tougher then she thought it would be to keep up....]

Um!

This is going to sound weird, but people keep getting between us...can I hold your hand?

[She'll cover your side? Maybe?]

[Huh? ...Oh.]

[Slowing down so that she has a chance to catch up in the mess, he wordlessly offers his arm for her. His hands are a bit occupied, but this is basically the same, right?]

[She'll take it. She hooks her arm into his own and...well, there she is. She's going to try not to be dragged along by his long legs.]

Thanks.

[Thank you Chikusa she's not going to lose you now!]

[To his credit, he’s also trying not to drag her along with his long legs, instead, just making sure to push through and pause if it looks like he’s about to drag her off her feet. Soon enough, the stall is right there in front of them, and he looks down at her.]

Do you need help getting up it?

[She's thankful for that; she might have ended up trampled. She tries not to get dragged off her feet (harder then it looks) but...somehow, they manage.

His offer still has her blink in confusion, at least for a moment.]

I'm going to need a boost, if that's all right?

[She has some mixed feelings on this, but right now she's...just going to go with the flow.]

{And just like that, wordlessly, he tucks his yoyos away while looking around them quickly. If something snuck up on them now... ]

[But no, it looks like they’re good for now. Dropping to one knee, he laces his fingers together as if he’s practiced it and offers his hands to her.]

[If something knocked one of them over, that'd make both of their faces red. But....yes, good, this is the time to do it.

She clears her throat for a moment-there's something about this that strikes her as weird-but she puts her foot on his laced together hands.]

Ready!

[And when he pushes, she'll push herself up, and scramble for the roof.]

[Despite his lanky frame, Chikusa does manage to heft her up with a grunt, waiting to make sure she’s not falling off before he turns his attention back to the crowd. There’s still plenty of regular people here, which makes seeing the corpses at this area troublesome. But then, now that she’s much taller…]

How is it?

[He's stronger then he looks, and she scrambles to get herself settled on the roof. When he asks the question though, she hisses through her teeth, and straightens a little more.]

Bad. It's like a riot, but with zombies.

Axel-sama said the Heavens sent out an order... but there's no telling when we'll get any help.

[Besides the people who've already been attending the festival, anyway. Ultimately, what it means is...]

We're on our own. Can you target well enough from there?

We might be the help, which could be the problem.

[She makes a face, and gathers the energy. Blue light forms, and manifests into a bow made of light.]

I can shoot well from here. It's just target practice now.

[She glances his way.]

What about you? Are you okay down here? I can always move to another spot.

It’s annoying and crowded… but I’ll manage.

[Not the best conditions for using his weapons, but he pulls out his yoyos anyway as he starts to shift around the stall, sticking close to its walls.]

I’ll make sure you don’t get interrupted… So feel free to do what you need to.

[She makes a face, and sighs. That won't work for the long run, but she does have a lot of room to work with, and can take out people from a distance.]

Thanks for looking out for me. I'll make sure to take out as many as I can.

[Via head shots. Explosive ones if she can. She's going to get blisters on her fingers in the very least, but it works.]

[As she gets to work, Chikusa does just as he promised, patiently making his way around each side of the stall once he’s certain that it’s more or less secure for the time being. It’s a thing made easier once most of the humans have evacuated, with the remaining corpses focusing on the people attacking them.]

[It’s not always easy, especially when one or two make it through the gap of her shots, but… it’s easier once he can lash out himself. And, soon, it looks like it’s thinned out enough that he can pull himself up a little to peer at her.]

...I think this area is mostly clear now… Whatever others were in the parade seem to have gone elsewhere.

[It makes her feel as if he were her bodyguard. Ha...is this what gods felt like with their protective shinki? It was a good question...

But she doesn't get to focus that. She's shooting frequently as she can, making the bodies drop where she can. It's enough that she has to glance down at her fingers when he gives her the all clear.

They're red. She's for sure going to blister.]

Thank you so much for the all clear. I've been...a little focused.

[She moves to the edge of the stall so she can lower herself. They've got more work to do, and if they can't do it here...]

[Dropping down to the ground himself, he waits for her to get down as well although he glances at her hands. Quietly, he holds out his own.]

Are you damaged that much?

Eh?

[Her fingers had felt sore, but she hadn't realized they were getting so...red. Bemused, she offered him her hands.]

It's okay. I guess I just need to build up the calluses on my hands or...something.

...If you rub them too raw, they'll become blisters instead.

[He inspects her fingers critically, apparently looking for something.

Your aim will suffer if they get too bad...

I...guess you're right.

[She's not sure what he's looking for, but the intent look at her fingers..,she can feel herself start to flush.]

I'll figure something out. I can make it smaller, and more like a gun too.

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