23 - Crazy Cat Shuffle

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Crazy Cat Shuffle
When: September 20
Where: Shibuya & Ikebukuro, as well as the Far Shore
Summary: The new Crazy Cat mascot keychains are sparking real passion in Tokyo's hot spots. Brawls have broken out over the extra-rare versions, and all of this angst is attracting ayakashi. The gods have been asked to step in before things get out of control.







Crossing Crisis

The Shibuya scramble crossing is always busy, but it's especially wild today. Ten new Crazy Cat vending machines have been installed at the mouth of the alley across from Shibuya Station's exit. Rumors are flying that these machines have extra Blue-Star Cats in them: the very rarest kind! A crowd of hundreds of excited fans have gathered, but the people at the front of the lines are buying lots of cats, and the mood is starting to grow sour as the people at the back of the lines begin to wonder if there will be any left by the time it's their turn.

This crowd needs crossing guards... or just someone who can snag some of those ultra-rare Cats and sell them to the back of the line for crazy cash. Everything a god does is righteous, after all.

Sunshine Struggle

Crazy Cat machines dot the Sunshine City complex in Ikebukuro. The machines here are attracting some particularly nasty ayakashi: jealous little purple creatures with too many legs that stoke buyers' envy and need for more and better collectibles. Under their influence, it's not just the Cats going fast. The local stores are selling out of everything cute on the shelves.

Worse, some of the ayakashi victims are turning to theft when they run out of pocket money. Time to exterminate those bugs before they start a new crime wave.

Taking Stock

Accident? Sabotage? No one's telling, but a delivery truck carrying boxes of new keychains to restock the machines blew a tire and overturned on a major street. Under the influence of those greedy little ayakashi, collectors are descending on the wreck to snag their favorites before the police show up.

The dazed driver doesn't know what to do, the crowd is starting to get violent, and those Cats do look amazingly cute. And appealing. And, for that matter, valuable.

Bad Kitty

The cat keychains are super cute! Even gods or shinki might be tempted to buy one and take it home, but taking these keychains back to the Far Shore will give away their hidden secret. It's not just human envy that's attracting ayakashi to the Crazy Cats. There are ayakashi hiding inside this batch of cute kitty dolls, and bringing them through a shrine to the Far Shore will force the hidden creatures out of their plushie prisons.

They're big, they're mad, and they're hungry. And the Heavens are full of souls that smell delicious.

The ayakashi escaping from Crazy Cat dolls on the Far Shore resemble gigantic (taller than a person at the shoulder) versions of the cute plushie cats, with very real and sharp teeth and claws. They run and attack at random once released from the dolls, so even gods and shinki who did not bring the toys back could be faced with a fight. The patrolling shinki will do their best to hold them back with borderlines, but they need help to rend these crazy cats before they do too much damage!

In Summary:

• Placate the crowds
• Squash bitty ayakashi
• Struggle with temptation
• Defeat the cat invasion
• Have fun~

Comments

Re: sunshine

[lookingforhead]

[Celty can't help but wince as the person kicked by her savior drops in a heap. Any window of exit she might have gained is lost by her checking to make sure the man is still breathing.

But Wendy's now distracted some of the other folk long enough for Celty to then turn and start pushing back the rest, using some subtle shadows to help push or trip up those grabbing for her helmet.

But the crowd at large isn't deterred for long. Celty wiggles through the mass, stepping over another fallen shopper while she keeps one hand on her helmet and the other out to protect the small child.]

[nopixiedust]

[There's hardly any need to worry. Wendy might be small, and not possess shadow powers, but she's not afraid to slam her little foot as hard as she can into people's knees.]

[A vindictive child's kick is nothing to sneeze at.]

Back off, all of you! Don't make me hit a little higher!

[She'll do it, too, even as she squeezes next to Celty.]

[lookingforhead]

[Celty doesn't doubt it.

She's been keeping to more subtle use of her powers but now she needs to get out. The helmeted shinki crouches, another wave of shadows rushing out and snaring a few folks by the feet and legs. She then raises her arm, making a pitch black riot shield of sorts. Taking Wendy by the hand she rushes forward, pushing her way through the crowd.]

[nopixiedust]

Whoa-!

[Trotting after Celty, Wendy admires the shield. She knows the other shinki can't answer her, but- ]

That's really handy!

[lookingforhead]

[Fortunately the crowd isn't actually that deep, but with the way people were piling up on each other it was hard to see outside the crush. All of a sudden they're back out in the open air and Celty only hesitates for a second before she keeps running, evading the other shoppers.

They round a corner and through a door. It was the first one she saw but the womens restroom should offer them a brief respite.

Celty leans against one of the stalls, bent over as if she's trying to catch her breath,
not that she actually has any to lose.]

[nopixiedust]

[Just in case, Wendy slips out of her sneakers and tries to stuff them against the bottom of the door. Hopefully that will lodge it a little bit...]

[And in the meantime, she trots up to Celty.]

How are you feeling? Do you still have your phone?

[lookingforhead]

[She takes a few more 'breaths' before looking up and nods. Her phone is quickly fished out from a pocket.]

I'm fine. They just seemed to want my helmet.

[nopixiedust]

Yeah, they're all weirdos.

[Wendy makes a face.]

Do you think you could put it in a bag and hide it until we got out of this place?

[lookingforhead]

[Celty hunches her shoulders a bit. She doesn't really like this plan. Still. Maybe better to take a different route on this than usual.

She removes her helmet carefully and then, with a wave of her hand makes a bag out of her shadows, a simple black duffle which should keep her helmet secured. Another helmet then shapes around her neck. A simple black one with no cat ears.

The urge to put them there remains but Celty will have to go without being cute for a little while.]

[nopixiedust]

[Just until they get out of the building.]

[Still, Wendy has to blink.]

That's so handy... I wish I could do that. If you ever find a way to teach it, tell me first, okay?

[lookingforhead]

I'll see, but I can't promise anything. I think this is all a part of me rather than just magic I can do. Or something like that. I can't really explain.

[nopixiedust]

Awww.... Well, then at least you're pretty lucky for that, right? There's the bright side!

[lookingforhead]

[Celty nods in agreement. She thinks so too.

Speaking of luck.

She slips over to the doors and peers out. It looks like the people who were chasing them before have moved on. She looks back and gestures Wendy over, wanting her opinion.]

[nopixiedust]

[Carefully, Wendy gets closer and peeks out as well, looking around.]

...I'll go out first to make sure the coast is clear, okay?

[lookingforhead]

[Celty nods and gives Wendy a thumbsup. She steps back, letting Wendy take the lead, but her hand raises a bit in case there is trouble.

People are still shuffling around outside, hastily in search of the objects of their consumer desires but they at least seem to have let go of their pursuit for the cat helmet.]

[nopixiedust]

[Even without Far Shore invisibility, no one is really going to pay much attention to a small girl. Wendy darts out, looking carefully, before she turns around and starts gesturing to Celty.]

C'mon, let's make a run for it!

Gonna leave this here

[lookingforhead]

[Celty nods in agreement. She doesn't like leaving all of this unfinished, but maybe it's best to leave for now and come back later. In any case she was glad to have Wendy here with her to rely on for help.]