thenearshore | 23 - Crazy Cat Shuffle

23 - Crazy Cat Shuffle

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 very rarest kind!

Sunshine Struggle

Taking Stock

Bad Kitty

In Summary:

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

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[None of that is in any way reassuring or really any more specific than what Shun was hearing before, and he hisses in mild annoyance as he spin-kicks someone back into the crowd.]

Whether it hurts isn't the problem. It's whether I'm going to pass out where I stand afterwards that I'm concerned about. [Because he's had some close calls even using his own powers here, even if they were a while ago. He's not sure he wants to know what kind of energy drain someone else using his energy for a spell is going to cause.]

[ Caster commends your paranoia, Shun. Many would say that caster-class is inherently untrustworthy, but the truth is- neither of the classes is. Anyone claiming otherwise is either naive or a fool. ]

First, I don't intend to take more than I need. [ There isn't time for lengthy explanations when he's in the middle of smacking people off the truck right and left, and trying to not break too many teeth at that... but he is going to answer the concerns in a most concise way possible ] Second, I can't take much if we're going by just hand-contact. You won't pass out, but I can't promise you won't get a mild headache later.

[ He holds his palm upwards, as if suggesting to take his hand ]

We both have better things to do than guard this truck for the rest of the day.

[That, at least, is a bit more relevant information. Shun still doesn't look particularly convinced, but he's thinking over the advantages and disadvantages quickly as he kicks another few people back into the crowd. There's not really enough ayakashi here to take advantage of it even if he does pass out, nor are they really vicious enough to be doing so. And if it does deal with the people, that's going to take out another considerable threat.

Unconvinced as he is that Caster isn't still going to find some way to take advantage of it, Shun figures the payoff is probably higher than the risk in this case. Though he still eyes off the offered hand for a moment longer before he moves.]

If you're lying, I'll come and kick your ass myself. [Or try, at least. But after a moment to let that sit, he reluctantly reaches out to take Caster's hand.]

Absolutely do. [ Caster is not fond of liars but then he got some weird definition of those. It's different to not give some information, basically the omission game he's been always playing, that's not a lie, that's acceptable strategy.

He catches the offered hand - that's literally handholding that is happening, but it's all about direct contact. With that consent, he reaches and carefully drains a bit of that life energy radiating from under the skin. Bit by bit, not too much.

Enough to throw the staff away, and write a long string of runes in the air- it stays in the air for few seconds, before flying towards the crowd in form of a bunch of strings, and anyone touched by it? Falls exhausted to the ground. ]

See? Not that scary.

[ He says letting go of Shun's hand, and writing a follow-up, this time shorter, targeting few confused stragglers who seem shaken off from their maniacal need of looting the truck. Apparently, people dropping unconscious all around you can do that, but Caster wants no witnesses, they fall to sleep as well ]

I wonder what they will write in the newspapers. [ "Accident with a truck, it knocks the whole crowd unconscious! Fortunately, no fatalities" Either way, the crisis is solved, and Shun did not contract some magical necrosis, all is good in his book. ]

[It's an odd feeling, but Shun figures he's had weirder in the time he's been here. Though he clearly doesn't really like staying in extended contact with somebody he doesn't know well, he doesn't withdraw his hand until Caster lets go of it, which he takes to mean that he's taken what he needs.

And then he immediately crosses his arms, because apparently even that much contact was too much for Shun's purposes.] Probably something about a freak accident, or a disease if they really want to scare people. It could be anything when nobody knows what really happened.

[With that solved, though, Shun looks around the area with a careful eye, trying to spot whether any of the ayakashi that have been driving this are hanging around.]

I don't like this. This would have to have been set up to be so focused on those keychains, but so far basically all its been has been mindless chaos. It's a lot of trouble to go to for just that.

[ Thank you for the meal, well snack more likely, but still. It worked, bought them time, at least until ambulances appear to haul those mysteriously asleep people ]

I've entertained the thought that machines might be cursed-- [ Caster jumps down the truck and moves towards its back to do what everyone in the crowd just failed - break inside ] -but you're right, it might be just the objects themselves.

[ The door creak as he forcibly tears them open, and right, inside instead of the machines are packaged the content of them itself - they keychains, lots and lots of cute kittens lying around ]

Huh.. these are kind of cute.

It's not the first time something like that's happened, so I'd guess the objects over the machines. [And that's pretty much confirmed when Caster yanks open the back of the truck. No machines in sight, and only a mass of the keychains within.

Shun looks over them to make sure there's not any of the greedy ayakashi hiding among them, but shoots Caster a sidelong glance at that remark.]

Don't you start. [He doesn't really see it himself, but he tends to have a somewhat different idea of cute than other people do.]

[ The reply is just a bark of laughter. ] They kind of are-

But don't worry, a curse like that won't affect me. [ He's not going to waste money on pulling gacha for rest of the day. It seems one bag = filling for one machine, and some of them opened in the crash. He grabs the keychain, seemingly from the rare sort and inspects it, before showing it to Shun ] Last time it happened- what was the cause of the commotion?

It wasn't "commotion" last time, but we've had supernaturally contaminated products. Last time it was chocolates, but it was a long while ago.

[Even before he got here, which means it would've been a good half year or so ago by now considering Shun's coming up on that length of time himself. It's old news, but still relevant enough.

Somewhat cautiously, Shun steps into the back of the truck, looking over the bag Caster shows before pulling out his wakizashi so he can prod at and turn over a few of the charms without touching them.]

[ A faint ambulance siren can be heard in the distance. Oh finally. And meanwhile, Caster doesn't even hide that he pockets one of the super rare kitty cat charms- for research you know ]

Chocolates..? What happened to those who ate them? [ The moment phrase "supernaturally contaminated products" is thrown, it stops being the question "if something happened" and changes into "what the hell happened next?" ]

[While Shun raises a brow at Caster taking one of the charms, considering his own boyfriend still has a stock of the chocolates from that first incident, he can't really complain too hard.]

Apparently Far Shore people just got something like food poisoning. But Near Shore residents were driven to try killing themselves. The chocolates somehow contained ayakashi, so eating them let them out.

[It's not the only time something like that has happened either, and Shun was unlucky enough to be around for the second.]

[ So that's what happens after ingesting ayakashi? ]

Disgusting things... But that makes them a lot smarter than expected. If this happens on such a big scale, it's not just a coincidence. [ Do they have a hivemind? Or maybe there are various levels of ayakashi, grunts, and those issuing orders.

They don't know that much about their enemy, don't they? ]

No, but I don't think it was the ayakashi themselves. Apparently with the chocolates, they were only handled by people the Heavens trusted. So the obvious conclusion there is that there's a traitor in their midst who set it up.

[Considering the attacks they've had since then, especially the one on Amaterasu's temple and the cherry blossom viewing, Shun finds the idea that their enemies don't have some kind of high-up spy in the Heavens difficult to believe. It's too much to buy that those plans went off without a hitch otherwise.]

Now that took a darker turn... [ Caster ponders on what he just learned, but before he gets to answer the ambulance and then another one arrive- ]

I suppose that's our cue to get out of here. But I have to say I'm tempted to set all those things on fire now.

[ Can they just... dump it into a river or sea? ]

As long as you're not careless, that doesn't sound like such a bad idea. [Shun is definitely not the kind of person to be asking for a level-headed opinion on these sorts of matters. He could always stay and try getting rid of them with his god powers, but that would take an unnecessary amount of time and effort.]

You know what? That's exactly what I'm going to do.

[ Once he gets the packs of the toys outside because setting them on fire while a rescue operation is happening will make things worse. Good thing he can make it in few jumps, because that whole Servant strength allows him to carry a lot of heavy stuff. ]

In the meantime. you have fun out there, Nekhbet! [ Fighting ayakashi, and angry mobs ]

Edited 2018-01-12 20:46 (UTC)

Go ahead. [Shun's not being asked to help in this instance, so he's not going to offer, especially since there's a lot more to worry about out there right now. So he turns on his heel and starts to leave the truck even before Caster's done talking.

He does give a faint scoff at Caster's making a point to use his god name at the end, though.] Idiot.

[It's quiet, but not quiet enough that he's trying to hide the remark in any way.]

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23 - Crazy Cat Shuffle

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cw: suicide mentions

Re: cw: suicide mentions

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wraps it up a million years later

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