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

[futhark]

[ Then they can bond over being unlucky together - so that's still a good thing... sort of. ]

No one is trying to crush us yet, so probably not.

[ He takes few coins from his pocket - pants with pockets are the great invention truly - and offers it to her as a tribute ]

I was expecting it won't show up on the first try.

[sing_for_me]

[That wouldn't actually happen, would it?]

Maybe yours might have more luck.

[Not that she really believes that, but who knows. She puts the coins in and turns the dial again. Opening their second capsule, does get a different cat with a top hat this time, but it was of the medium rare variety. ]

...It's kinda cute.

[But not the one they were looking for.]

Maybe you should give it a go? Third time's the charm, right?

[She holds out some coins to him this time.]

[futhark]

[ He clicks his tongue and rolls his eyes. This isn't going to work, there is no way it's going to- but sure, he can't say no when she's asking. ]

I'm breaking your streak, so it's not really third- it's my first try.

[ There goes inserting the coins, capsule dropping and- huh, that's what people consider exciting here? He weights the capsule in his palm before putting it into Alex's hands ]

You open it, maybe it will keep your streak. [ So third is a charm ]

[sing_for_me]

[Did he really just roll his eyes? Though it was funny how much superstition they were putting into a tiny capsule for a keychain.

She'll take it and open it up. Alex stares at it for a moment and holds it up for Cu to see.]

Is this the one?

[There's a gasp behind Cu, and more start to join in.]

[futhark]

[ Isn't it great? They still barely register the presence of the gods, but the moment the super cute, kitty-cat keychain appears in hands of one of them, they become VERY NOTICABLE. ]

Looks like this--! Gh- [ He extends his arms to brace against the machine, to keep creating the space between himself and Alex-- and the crowd that squealed - freaking squealed in unison - and pushed hard against him ]

Alex, you've gotta run!

[sing_for_me]

[Alex jerks forward, but not so hard thanks to Cú.]

Eh? What about you..?!

[futhark]

I'll hold them off until you get out of here.

[ If she's holding the charm, they're going to run after her anyway, so the "supernatural Servant strength" could be useful for once ]

They might not see you, but they definitely see the charm!

[sing_for_me]

[She hesitated, but he could only hold out for so long. Nodding, she dashes out form under him, running---well, to anywhere but there. It takes a moment but some notice, while others she pass by get a glimpse of the charm and start going after her. Alex tries to lose them by taking a few turns, but the mob never really goes away. Was there some kind of gps on this thing!?

Hopefully Cú hadn't gotten trampled.]

[futhark]

[ The pressure died down the moment when charm disappeared from the sight of hungry shar-- crowd. Sadly some of the people were perceptive enough of the supernatural to register Alex running away and went into a chase. ]

Oops, gotta catch up...

[ He leaves the gacha machine and follows roughly in the direction where Alex went but- did she turn right here or left or- Then he catches glimpse of her running through the adjacent street. He picks up his pace, so he can try and outrun and jumps into first alley connecting those streets again - set on intercepting her as she pass by- ]

Here-! [ Have a helping hand literally sticking out from the side alley ]