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

[thirdbeauty]

[Secret Shoppers - 1F]

[The new shopping center was already on Natsuru's radar before it became a mission. Now, she was being given an opportunity to not only take advantage of a few opening deals, but to have an all-expenses-covered shopping trip at a place that's admittedly a little outside of her usual shopping budget. Shoplifting was out of the question, as was taking too much advantage of her goddess' kindness. But if Heaven is paying for everything, in exchange for her investigating the cause of this string of bad luck... that seems like a fair arrangement!

She steps into the department store with wide, hopeful eyes, and immediately zeroes in on the music section on the first floor. She's not someone with particular tastes in music, in her own opinion, but... she has to check out all the latest idols! It's... research, so she can become the best idol she can be in CelePara. But... the listening stations don't seem to be working right. She'll find a good song, and then suddenly the headphones are blasting death metal in her ears, causing her to shriek and tear the headphones away.]

Wh-... What the heck was that?!!!

[Or there won't be any sound, and the controls aren't responding no matter how she frantically taps at the touchscreen or tries to examine or adjust the headphones' connection. Someone help???]

[Secret Shoppers - 3F]

[Here is where she's going to spend the bulk of her time, and Heaven's money! The Juniors department on the first floor had some cute styles, but despite the age Natsuru assumes she is, her figure is a bit too developed for the slimmer cuts on the tops or dresses. Here, in the women's clothing department, she's able to find a lot more things actually in her size.

She's in and out of the fitting rooms a lot here, and maybe you might run across her trying on something new. She starts off with cute and sweet styles, and the sort of casual clothes she's been comfortable with thus far. Short skirts and thigh-highs are a common trend, with tops that are modest but complement her figure. Since she's going all-out, though, she quickly starts to depart from her comfort zone into more unique cuts, or pricier dresses in both dark and light colors.

She's inspired by Maria, and even her memories of Kainé, in trying to be even more daring, too. One top she tries can... barely even be described as a top. Figuring out what reveals just enough and what reveals too much is a new thing for her, and she looks self-conscious as she examines her reflection and adjusts the fabric of the more revealing outfits she tries. She would still welcome the company of another person, and an outside opinion in general...

Of course, it's just her luck that she would find someone by accidentally bumping into them as she backs away from the mirror, still wearing one of her potential purchases.]

Ah-! E-Excuse me...

[How embarrassed she looks depends on how much skin she's showing, and where. Please don't look anywhere weird, potentially strange person!]

[Retail Rescue - 3F]

[Anyone running across Natsuru in the lingerie section will find her dressed in the employee uniform, a borrowed name tag reading "Naomi" on her chest. The whole department seems to be in disarray, and Natsuru frantically moves about trying to get everything back in its proper place. Bras with the other bras, organized by style and size... panties go over here... and there are foundation garments she's never even heard of that go all kinds of places!

Once she's got a couple of sections done, she takes a moment to catch her breath. This is hard work, but... there really are some nice styles here. Her fingers trace over the delicate lace-trimmed fabric of one garment, and she speaks in a quiet voice that's not intended to be overheard.]

So soft-! And everything here's really pretty, too. I wonder...

[Might they have something like this in her size? She could definitely do some more shopping once she's done 'working'...

She's so lost in thought, she doesn't notice if anyone's come up behind her.]

[Retail Rescue - 6F]

[Still wearing her borrowed "Naomi" name badge, Natsuru is now dressed in a cute waitress uniform at the cafe. She's so in work mode, she walks right up to whoever arrives with a cheerful customer service smile, in an attempt to force even those from the Near Shore to notice her. Her regular job at the sweets shop has definitely prepared her for this.]

Good afternoon! Have you had a chance to look over the menu yet?

[Wildcard]

[Run into Natsuru just about anywhere you like! She can also be found browsing the books and movies on the first floor, shoes and accessories on the second, jewelry or cosmetics on the third, or having a relaxing meal or drink at the restaurant or cafe! And of course, she's available for all the bad luck mishaps and/or investigations... just drop me a line through PM or at purpleminiskirts if you want to plot!]

secret shoppers - 3f

[humanitree]

[Mikaela didn't buy things for herself-- honestly she had no need for them. But that didn't mean that she wasn't curious. In fact, her eyes kind of light up as she sees the unique styles of clothes for sale here and just how different they were from the ones she'd see in Elphegort. Many of the styles were more revealing.

She's full of energy, going through the selections. But that's also probably part of the reason she doesn't notice the other girl and ends up bumping into her as well.]

I'm so sorry-- are you alright?

[The green-haired girl reaches out to help her steady herself, an apologetic smile on her face.]

[thirdbeauty]

[Natsuru had just settled on the idea of wearing this outfit outside of the fitting rooms for a bit, to see how it actually feels to wear one of the more revealing styles out in public. The women's department is a relatively safe space, since it's mostly other girls.

Still, she feels her cheeks grow warm when she bumps into Mikaela, and awkwardly excuses herself. The gentle touch on her arm just makes her blush even more, as she nervously runs fingers through her hair. She hadn't been prepared to call attention to herself like this!]

Yeah... I'm fine.

[She avoids eye contact at first, but soon her gaze rises back up to meet the shorter girl's. Her smile is still apologetic.]

Sorry, I didn't see you there. I was, um... [too focused on her own reflection?] ... thinking of something else...

Secret Shoppers - 1F

[priforprince]

Panicking never resolved a scene.

[ A hand sneaks under Natsuru's armpit to replace the headphones on the rack. (Normally she'd loop her arm over, but, ah.....certain discrepancies make that...less than feasible.)

If Natsuru turns around, she's gonna be winked at, point-blank. You were researching! On your own! Good girl. ] Caught you.

[ Hibiki found a lot of clothes that suit her, so she's in a good mood. The shop employee hanging out in the background looking about to tip over from all the bags they're carrying may feel differently. ]

[thirdbeauty]

Oh! Hibiki-sama...

[Hibiki's presence is calming, although it does make her blush. Why should this time be any different than any other time?]

I, um, wanted to see if there was any new music out. Listening to the new releases always makes me think of the performances we could put on.

[That music, however, was not helpful. At all.]

[priforprince]

Has anything inspired you?

[ She's been taking a lot of initiative. It's interesting to see. But that also means she's forming her own style, perhaps....

Will she remain dyed in Hibiki's color, or discover her own palette with which to ordain the canvases they display for the audience?

Or will her haplessness lead her....down a road....whence a Prince must rescue her...? ]

[thirdbeauty]

Not... exactly. Not yet.

[She seems upset as she looks at those headphones.]

I just started looking, and all that played was that. It didn't seem very... elegant.

[That seems like a word that Hibiki might appreciate. It is, however, just one of many qualities Natsuru is learning to look for. Not all of them being taught by Hibiki.]

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki allows herself a small, pleased, self-indulgent smile at Natsuru referring to what she'd been listening to as "that". Then she turns to survey the store. ] Seeking out the finest quality is like finding a gemstone in a pebble road. It would be better off displayed on its own...

[ Hibiki heads a few racks of headphones down. There is a sticker advertising that this artist won an award.

Perfect. ] ...but those whose eyes are used to brilliance cannot be deceived.

[ Not that she's - okay she's totally making herself look good, never mind. ]

1F! warning for growly deathmetal..

[papillonprincess]

[ Of course, music was on her mind. It was half the reason why she wanted a decent headset for home use, after all. But if there's something something she needs to brush up on, it's her idol music. Call it research. But as she's poking around the CDs, she suddenly catches this from one of the listening stations which causes her to crane her head over.

This girl... she's seen her before... another member of CelePara?

Never hurts to check on your allies, right? ]

Not quite what you were expecting, I take it?

[ And a smile back as she turns her attention back to the cds on the shelf. ]

Anything in particular you were looking for?

[thirdbeauty]

[Any other song by an idol-metal fusion band might have been fine, if unexpectedly loud. And that's really the problem here, is the volume. Before she tore the headphones away, it actually hurt her ears!

But now that she notices the other girl there, she drops the headphones and gives an awkward little smile.]

Ah... y-yeah.

[And have a nervous chuckle to go with that smile too. She recognizes her, vaguely, as one of the CelePara members she hasn't really spoken to before.]

I was trying to listen to the new idol releases, a-and the volume just jumped up all of a sudden when it played that.

[papillonprincess]

[ Face is definitely familiar as far as Hime's concerned. There's a hum as she approaches, scrutinizing the headphones as she picks them up. The music's still blaring as she turns the set in her hands to look it over in case there are any hidden volume knobs.

There are none. ]

I had a feeling something was going to go wrong here eventually... it could be part of the reason we were called here in the first place.

[ Those headphones are going back on the hook, at least. ]

Idol releases? I take it you were doing some research?

[thirdbeauty]

[Natsuru honestly hadn't thought things would be that bad here, even knowing that they were sent here on official business. Mixing up music is a pretty minor thing, anyway, isn't it?]

Well... yeah, I guess.

[Her motivation is mostly for research and practice purposes, since she's trying her best to become a proper idol for Hibiki's agency.]

It's not just that, though. I don't think. I've always listened to idol music, ever since I came here.

[papillonprincess]

I guess this is how we're paying for whatever we're putting on heaven's tab.

[ Nothing ever comes free, after all. But she does pick up one of the cds on the rack. Not an idol group she's familiar with but still with the same bubblegum pop she's associated to most. ]

Have you found anything good? I'm still trying to get acquainted with the industry, to be perfectly honest.

[thirdbeauty]

Not much I didn't know about already... not yet.

[She's been keeping up with things since she arrived here, after all. There's always new idols and new singles, but she assumes the other girl means anything particularly good that inspired Natsuru in her own efforts as an idol-in-training.]

Oh, but I just recently found out about this group that performs in Akihabara too! They've been around a really long time... they must have had a lot of members.

Secret Shoppers - 3F

[demonsheath]

[ In some kind of luck, Natsuru had bumped into someone else's back, and they were still standing. At the same time, however, some of the clothes that were being held fell to the floor. Even without turning around, as the tanned woman bends over to pick it up, Natsuru would be able to see the tanned woman's long pale hair, with how it goes to a braid halfway to the end.

Her voice is also gentle and patient. It's almost as if no one had bumped into her in the first place. ]

No harm done.

[ Straightening and starting to turn around, the Hannah's mismatched eyes look up to the taller girl, yet she managed to get a good scan without even showing sign of it. Though the girl's chest was still smaller, she would definitely have similar troubles. Smaller than Hannah wasn't hard, after all, but she was still large enough. ]

I apologize if this sounds uncouth or forward, but have you any trouble in finding your sizes here?

[thirdbeauty]

[It's not often that Natsuru encounters women so close to her own height, and certainly never with that skin tone and hair color combination before. All together, it's enough of a surprise to prompt a bit of a stare, as she silently watches the unfamiliar woman turn and straighten back up.]

Really, I should have been more careful!

[She's less subtle about her own quick scanning look. It's hard not to notice Hannah's chest, try as she might to avert her eyes before her glance becomes a stare again. It takes a second or two for it to hit her what specifically Hannah might mean by 'her sizes', and she feels the heat instantly rise to her cheeks.]

Oh-! You mean, um...

[There goes her line of sight, right to Hannah's chest again for about a nanosecond before she forces her eyes back up to meet the other woman's again.]

Ah, actually, not so much! It's... still pretty tough sometimes, but there's so much more variety here. And the salesgirl said they can fix things up so they fit like a glove. [Her exact words!] I even found some amazing bras in lingerie...

[Once she starts, words keep spilling out. She even sighs dreamily when she mentions the bras, which is what makes her realize how embarrassing she's being about it. Suddenly, she feels the need to shift the focus off of herself as soon as possible.]

Um, how about you? Is everything... fitting okay?

[This time, she's not as awkward about looking Hannah over. She's curious if she's trying something on too, or if what she's wearing are her own clothes.]

[demonsheath]

[ Too forward a question, perhaps? That was Hannah's thought with the blush and initial reaction that the blue-haired girl had. While having no basis for thinking it, it didn't seem to matter as to whether or not the employees could make the clothes fit better. She needed something to start with, no matter what. ]

I haven't had much luck, admittedly.

[ It really isn't hard to see that her clothes weren't for this sort of period. At best, it was a dress suited for a traditional styled cosplay. The long navy-colored dress covered everything but Hannah's hands and feet, not even showing the skin of her neck. It actually fit with the way she spoke, but definitely not for the place or year that they were in. The clothes that she had dropped, by the size tags on the hangars, had far too much of a variety for them all to fit properly. ]

The size of the garments seem to be rather deceptive, and others require a different set of undergarments from what I have. Which is the purpose of my question before, you see. It wouldn't seem right to try on various sizes, so I thought I'd ask you for a starting point on what to look for.

[thirdbeauty]

I see...

[She's not sure what to say. This woman is clearly older, and should be the more experienced. But the way she's dressed seems to suggest that she's not used to the kinds of clothes women wear in this world. Or, at least, modern women.]

Well, we are kind of...

[She tries not to glance a Hannah's chest again. She fails.]

Er... similar? [Pay no attention to the slight embarrassed squeak in her voice.] Maybe you should start with new, um... undergarments? Th-That is, if you start there, you'll be able to wear more of the clothes they sell here! I can think of some things that'd look great on you...

[She said that before she properly thought it, and now her face is turning red again.]

[demonsheath]

It is our similar builds that have me asking you for a starting place.

[ Though this is definitely causing the younger girl to fluster up a lot more over a subject as simple as clothes. There wasn't anything particularly embarrassing about the subject, or the fact that they had a build that wasn't very common among the customer base.

Though Hannah's curious, if she was both flustered and had managed to think of a few ideas. It'd give her a good place to start for the purposes of blending in better. ]

If you don't mind putting more time in assisting me, what sort of fashions are you thinking of?

[thirdbeauty]

[That does make sense from a practical standpoint. There have been times Natsuru had thought along the same lines, like when she was looking for advice from Maria. This is just the first time someone has asked her for advice! That and she still feels awkward when attention is brought to her own figure, or when she tries not to be too obvious about noticing another woman's. She knows it's normal to consider these things, but she doesn't want anyone to think she's weird for noticing too much.

She does want to be helpful, though. She hasn't even fully collected herself again before she nods, her smile as bright and friendly as can be.]

Of course! I'd love to help.

[Ah... did she seem a little too enthusiastic? Oh well, there's another reason to keep blushing.]

Um, it depends on what kind of clothes you like, I guess? Since it's still summer, I usually wear shorts or skirts, or light dresses. Not a lot of things with sleeves or high collars.

[She adds that last part while looking over Hannah's dress again.]

Oh, but you said you needed... underwear too, huh? The summer clothes here are going to show a lot more skin, so you'll want everything... covered and supported.

[She's not as flustered as before. But she still stumbles over her words a little bit and occasionally tries not to examine Hannah's body for too long.]

Should we... take care of that first? Or do you want me to recommend some outfits? Y'know, as an example?

Secret Shoppers 3F

[heptagram]

[Patchouli was almost being dutiful, but on the other hand, maybe she could stand to buy a few things. Sadly, she recognized most of the books already. So, now she was on the third floor and had wound up in the women's clothes section.

Where, she runs into Natsuru by accident. Whoops?]

Oh! Sorry, no, that's my...

Oh, hi, Hatsuru! I haven't seen you in a while... [Bonus points if Natsuru is in something terribly revealing because, well, you know how things go with us.]

[thirdbeauty]

Oh! Patchouli-san!

[Her embarrassment over having bumped into someone is forgotten in her happiness to see her friend. It seems like they've both been really busy for a while, so it's really nice to finally see her again!

Natsuru's not wearing anything too terribly revealing, either. Though, Natsuru being a girl with her figure, the skater dress she'd chosen to try on does show... a lot through the more see-through parts.]

Are you looking for new clothes too?

[heptagram]

[Yeah, that's... that's a surprising amount of chest on show, all considered. So, she's going to try to not look.]

It certainly would be a good idea for me to find something new to wear. Perhaps you could help me?

[thirdbeauty]

[That can't be easy, when it's so close to Patchouli's eye level. Perhaps surprisingly, Natsuru doesn't seem bothered at all by what the outfit reveals. It's a cute dress, and she's worn much more revealing things than this.

More importantly, she brightens up at Patchouli's suggestion. She's reminded of when they got their matching manicures! The biggest draw for her in activities like this is doing them together with her friends.]

Sure! It's more fun shopping together than alone, right?

[She's been preparing for a day like this! Going shopping with Maria, and helping out a struggling model for a prayer... now she feels much more prepared to be active in helping a friend find new outfits.]

Do you know what you're looking for? Or what kind of styles you like?

[She's probably jumping in on more than she can handle, being somewhat new to all of this herself. But she's just excited to be spending time with Patchouli again!]

[heptagram]

[Nope, not easy at all. Also, hasn't Patchy seen Natsuru in less, too]

Certainly, yes. [She smiles a little. She's glad she can rely on a friend for help with this!]

Aha... I hadn't really thought about that, actually. I was hoping you'd be able to advise me a bit... [Maybe they should just try on a lot of different things!]