20 | Shopping Frenzy!

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Helping a grand opening go well
When: August 21
Where: The Near Shore
Summary: The owners and employees at a new shopping center are begging for help. Bad luck has plagued them, and their grand opening is this weekend! Gods and shinki alike have been asked to respond to their prayers on Opening Day, find the source of their misfortune and ensure that the opening goes smoothly.



The Yamada Corporation is opening a new, high-class department store in a Tokyo suburb. They've been running advertisements for weeks and excitement among their prospective customers is at a fever pitch. Unfortunately, things inside the project aren't going so well. Construction has been delayed, deliveries are wrong, employees keep getting sick or hurt on the job and it's starting to look like the grand opening will be a grand disaster. Their fervent prayers for help have reached the Heavens, who are passing them along to you to be granted... but with an addition: Heaven, too, is very interested in learning where that bad luck is coming from.



Maintenance Madness

For a brand-new building, Yamada Department Store is having a lot of maintenance issues. Toilets are overflowing, lights are burning out, stair railings are coming loose, and either the air conditioning is set so cold there's frost on the vents or it's not working at all. The overworked maintenance crew needs all the help they can get! How many gods does it take to change a light bulb?

Secret Shoppers

Are you really going undercover to make sure you stop problems before they start, or just enjoying a day of high-class shopping on Heaven's dime? Whatever your real motivation is, all expenses are covered... but you'll still want to keep an eye out for mishaps. Unfortunately, the grocery and bakery in the basement are under construction (they've had some flooding problems) but there are still six floors of designer clothes, consumer goods and restaurants to enjoy.

Retail Rescue

Between mysterious accidents and that nasty flu that seems to be going around, the department store is badly understaffed. Grab an employee uniform and someone else's nametag and pitch in before the lines get too long. There are positions open in every department, from the restaurant on the top floor to book sales on floor one.

It's not just sales and service you have to worry about: thanks to the store's misfortune, displays are toppling over, the wrong orders are coming in, fancy candies are melting all over the shelves and ink tags are exploding on their own. This is hard work!

Intrepid Investigators

The Heavens aren't just sending so much supernatural help to this department store to keep their faithful followers happy. They have reason to suspect that there's something more sinister behind this mysterious streak of extra-bad luck. Between keeping the lights on and the customers happy,
you've been asked to search the store and investigate all of the "unlucky" incidents in order to determine what's going on. The shinki who brought you this request hinted that Heaven would look favorably on anyone who uncovered something particularly useful....

If your character is investigating the department store and needs to know what they have found, please comment to the "Investigations" thread below with a link to your thread. Your hint will be provided.

Investigation threads longer than 10 comments will earn 200 followers for every god in the thread and 20 exp for every shinki. Once your thread reaches that length, please turn it in by replying to your hint under the "Investigations" thread to let us know you've earned the bonus.

In Summary:

• Keep the lights on
• Take some time out to enjoy a shopping trip
• Make sure the customers are happy
• Discover the cause of the bad luck
• Have fun~

Comments

[royaltyloyalty]

Dokugakuji doesn't normally mind being approached by Near Shore people, which is who he thinks Hannah is, so when she cuts to a very direct question... it unsettles him a little bit. He's never been an outwardly sociable sort, but it's always been worse with humans in general. So that sort of question puts him on edge. It's been awhile since he served as a "repairman" on the Heavens' behalf to keep him a little more... casual.

"If you're looking for someone in charge of maintenance, that's not me. I'm just here for the day." Not a lie in either respect. He can't guess what she's after by asking him, though. So he waits to see how she responds, instinctively tilting the brim of his hat a little lower so as to conceal the tips of his ears tucked inside of it.

[sing_for_me]

She's relieved when she sees he didn't get hit, returning the smile, although a more embarrased one. "I'm glad then." Not that she intended to try and hit him with a door again.

"I just wanted to grab some spare light bulbs.. Are there any here?" Alex peeks inside, trying to see if there was a box of them on the shelves.

[royaltyloyalty]

[He could respond about the cap but it's clear she has something else in mind. He'd meant it more out of deference to keep his true nature hidden instead of waltzing around in the open with them during a mission that was supposed to be more clandestine. He did have some respect for the chain of command, at least.

Still, he can take the cap off. But when he stares back at her... he's not really looking at her. His thoughts are far away.]

I've said plenty already.

[So he was told by Gojyo.]

[bussounoshima]

You've said jack shit, or you better have.

[Because if he's said anything at all, he's endangered Gojyo and she's not putting up with that.]

I've heard what Gojyo thinks happened. Now you're going to tell me what actually happened.

[He already knows what she's referring to.]

[lookingforhead]

[Celty nods, she's pretty happy about her shadows and what she can do with them. However making a mop is a bit out of the question.

Pushing herself to her feet she mimes dusting her hands off to show she's done all she can. But she then types up a quick message and holds it out for him to read.]

I'll leave you to it then. But if something else breaks you can feel free to text me.

[lookingforhead]

[Celty nods and takes the clothes, making her way to the changing rooms once she has them all tucked under her arm.

When she emerges things aren't quite right in a different sort of way. The shirts fit fine and go well with...well it looks like a pair of black jeans that she's conjured for herself. But the helmet is still there and it sort of throws off the entire look.]

[royaltyloyalty]

[Another glare. This time more serious and focused on her.]

So... Did he mention that he tracked me down and accused me of killing his mother - to my face?

[He thumbs at the side of his face.]

I let him hit me until he was satisfied.

[Still debating if he can trust her with the information she's asking for. After all, he has no idea she's who he's bound to now.]

[fortune_detective]

[Naoto reflexively touches her hand to her chin as she considers this possibility further.]

So then, we should be on the lookout for one such circle? How big would it need to be do you think? I imagine someone would have already noticed and reported it as some kind of unsightly graffiti were it too big or too obvious. That is, unless it's been well hidden.

[bussounoshima]

He may have mentioned it. [Don't feel too bad, Doku, Gojyo's been accusing a lot of people of murder to their faces.] He told me he didn't kill you too, though he was planning on it.

[She hadn't believed he really had it in him, and she'd been proven right. At the heart of it, they're brothers, and Gojyo is too starved for love to kill someone who so obviously cares about him.]

... He also told me that if I could get you to tell me why you killed your mother and I thought you'd had a good reason... He'd trust my judgement.

[She's already made her judgement, from what Hakkai told her. But she wants to hear Dokugakuji's side of the story from him.]

[royaltyloyalty]

... Why would he send you to talk to me instead of Hakkai?

[There's some legitimate confusion there. He doesn't know how much has changed in Gojyo's alliances.]

Because you're human? A sanzo?

[Both?]

[kagenonadeshiko]

Not really. Just taking advantage of the opportunity, you know?

[She laughs a bit, though maybe there's a slight unconscious edge to it.]

It's not often I get to shop without needing to worry about how much of my god's money I'm spending.

[Hakkai's generous enough but being so dependent on another doesn't suit her and she can't stand living like a kept woman.]

It'd be a waste not to pick up some more things while I'm here.

[After all, who knows when she might find herself without a god? Especially with how her present one insists on acting.]

[bussounoshima]

I think he thinks we're friends or something.

[Clearly a ridiculous notion. Sharak frowns a little at the mention of Hakkai- he and Gojyo are doing better, but still not what they once were.]

... Well, more likely it's because I'm his god now. He doesn't have much choice but to talk about it with me, I feel it almost every time he thinks about it.

[There's been a lot of blight around the Temple of Aditi lately.]

[royaltyloyalty]

Ah.

[Both of those things make him react like that, all rolled into one, as his hand goes from his cheek up into his hair and down the back of his neck.

No, they're obviously not friends, but also... her as his god. Well then. He supposed she of anyone had a good reason not to want him turning into an ayakashi - at least on her watch.]

Hnn....

[Yeah, he's going to have to tell her, then.]

I guess the first thing you should know is the woman I killed wasn't Gojyo's mother. He loved her more than she ever even tolerated him on her best days.

[bartenderizing]

You 'suppose.' I'm moving on with my work no matter what you decide.

[ You can't just dismiss him like some servant or anything like that. He's his own man and can go back to being a store lackey all he wants. ]

[bartenderizing]

[ It sounds like that settles the question on if a smaller shirt would be needed or not. Either way, it's about her comfort in more than one way. ]

Shirts usually are thinner than pants. People aren't going around expecting or getting into fights all the time. I mean, I guess you could always grab shirts in the men's section if none of these work out for you.

[ See? All about comfort in his mind. ]

[kagenonadeshiko]

Really? Thank you very much. Sometimes I'm afraid I miss things.

[She laughs a bit, pointing to her eye patch. Her peripheral vision on the left is entirely gone now but she's adjusting well enough in her opinion.

(But Ayumu still has to admit it'd been nice to have two working eyes when she was transformed to her younger selves.)

So what's your name? I'm Ayumu.

[battered]

[There's a short moment where Raichi glances quizzically back up at the board he's propping up, as if to say 'What's a 'wotsit'?' before putting the thought out of his mind in favor of maybe, possibly, freeing himself from this situation.]

They didn't ask for my name! [There was no time! And he's also not positive where the guy who stopped him in the first place may have gone, but, there's probably someone who can help? Or tell him what to do next? Right?]

[kagenonadeshiko]

Are you sure? Nothing here's caught your eye at all?

[This store seems to offer such a wide selection of wares. It's surprising to hear Dust hasn't found a single thing appealing enough to buy for himself.]

[clothes_make_the_man]

I've tried almost all of them myself since coming here.

[He doesn't lean too heavily on makeup, though. Just enough to let his own natural color shine through.]

Of course. I'm happy to help. I actually design clothing as well, if you're interested.

[clothes_make_the_man]

It's been a few months for me. It's odd to think that I've actually gotten used to this place in that amount of time, but you'd be surprised at how quickly you adjust.

[clothes_make_the_man]

All right, I'll pick out a few more and pass them in to you.

[And after ten or so minutes more, Forrest cracks open the door to the changing room and hands them in.]

Here, try these.

[very_goodman]

[Finally.

The last expression Hibiki sees on Barry is a satisfied grin before he transforms into the same silly dog costume, sized up a bit now that Hibiki is older.]

Awright, let's do this thing!

[battered]

[While on one hand, he can totally relate, on the other hand, Raichi's never one to snub food. But, back on the first hand, there's some sort of deep seeded fear attached to spending money so carelessly, even if it's not going to impact his wallet at all, and on top of that being in a fancy cafe or restaurant sounds. Intimidating.]

Do you... [but he's really hungry] Think they do carry-out? [They can always just order a lot of food! And then leave with it! That's a normal thing to do right!!]

[priforprince]

Be sure to stem this tide quickly.

[ She'd forgotten this suit made cute little squeaky noises when she walked. Hibiki squeaks on over to the pipe in question, winding up to do her thing. ] It's nearly time for tea.

[priforprince]

I tried to hack them.

[ NO SHAME CENTRAL

No Shame Central is working on her laptop again. ]