34 - Love is in the Air

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: An enterprising pair of shinki is trying to spread love throughout the Far Shore with exciting blind dates.
When: February 14
Where: Hot romantic spots throughout Tokyo
Summary: Blind dates on Valentine's Day? Sounds like fun (or possibly a disaster, but everyone needs some good disaster stories.) That's not all that's going on, though. Ayakashi are looking to chow down on the negative emotions that a romantic holiday can generate, and those who aren't busy with their own dates might be sucked into helping out followers who need help to make the day go well.






The Dates

Blind Date Matchups

Those who have signed up -- or whose friends and colleagues have signed them up -- for dates will get cards with specified times and meeting places inside for the big event. The cards don't list their dates' names, but instead have a matching symbol to allow everyone to find their proper partner. If anyone tries to stand up their date, they can expect a small and angry owl to harass them until they give in.


• Date One: The Romantic Brunch.
  Couples will find themselves with reservations (and pre-paid coupons for the prix fixe menu) at a swanky French restaurant with a wide balcony overlooking the lake in a central Tokyo park. They can dine on dainty pastries, sweet milk coffees, bowls of grapes and hothouse strawberries, and a selection of fancy chocolates and petit-fours-- plus, some of the trees in the park are blooming in holiday-appropriate red and white!



• Date Two: The Aquarium.
  Couples scheduled for this date have tickets to a rooftop aquarium in Ikebukuro: brightly colored fish, animals including penguins, seals and pelicans, a small petting zoo and plenty of shadowy, secluded nooks to cuddle in make for a fun lunchtime date. The tickets even include admission to the one o'clock penguin and seal show!



• Date Three: The Amusement Park.
  This date sends couples to spend the evening enjoying themselves at a seaside amusement park. Ride the roller coasters! Take selfies with the costumed attendants! Share an overpriced ice cream cone while you watch the fireworks after sunset, then wind up the night with a ride on the colorfully lit Ferris wheel with a romantic view of the Tokyo skyline.

Ayakashi Menace

There's more than just romantic couples out to enjoy themselves today. Romantic holidays can be tough for those whose love lives aren't so rosy, and as always, those negative feelings draw in ayakashi who are ready to ruin everybody's day.

All across the city, besides the usual ayakashi, characters might encounter the following:

Flocks of dove ayakashi whose mournful call induces self-doubt, suspicion and paranoia in everyone who hears it. Are your friends really your friends? Is your lover betraying you? Shouldn't you hurry up and stab them in the back before they can do it to you? These ayakashi are small and agile, difficult to catch but easy to destroy once they're caught... if you can overcome the urge to turn on your allies first.

Long-fingered shadow ayakashi, large and powerful, and capable of sneaking around by blending into genuine shadows. These ayakashi draw those who are alone into their clutches, filling them with resentment and despair. Anyone battling them needs to watch out for the humans they might already have influenced, who may become unpredictable and violent as the ayakashi influencing them grows more desperate.

Cute teddy bear ayakashi, that influence anyone they cling to into greedy obsession: they need attention, affection and gifts, and they can never have enough. When attacked, the teddy bears turn out to fight a little more like a grizzly bear than a stuffed toy, so gods and shinki beware!

Praying for Love

Those who aren't busy with their own dates might find themselves busy taking care of other people's instead. On a day like this one, everyone's praying that things turn out perfectly! Prayers gods might hear include:

"He's just got to ask me out! I made him the biggest box of chocolates... please, let senpai notice me!"

"Does she really like me? Please, give me a sign."

"I got concert tickets for our date, but it's supposed to rain. Please let me find a way to make this work out anyway!"

"The restaurant I wanted to take him to isn't taking any more reservations for tonight. What can I do? I can't cook!"

Wild Card -- players are free to make up their own romance-adjacent prayers for their characters to fulfill.

In Summary:

• Enjoy your dates
• Fight some ayakashi
• Make sure to answer prayers for a good Valentine's Day
• Have fun~

Comments

[wildguardian]

We sure will. Old Zhao and Hades here, love experts on call!

[Exactly the kind of love experts that a lady with roses and barbed wire on her phone wallpaper -- and with that a keen a hand with the inky liquid eyeliner -- needs. Zhao leans over to take a thoughtful look at the boyfriend. He looks a lot less goth, which, frankly, speaks well of him that he's going out with someone as tough as this mortal.

More exclusive, huh.]

Tell me, is he a one-on-one kind of guy? Or does he like going out and partying?

[You can't always tell from a scarf and the atmosphere of a stuffed animal owner.]

[wildguardian]

You say "accident," I say "afternoon snack," same thing, right? [He bumps a shoulder affectionately against hers, and points as a stingray the size of a dinner tray ripples smoothly around the edge of a spire of coral and scatters the tiny electric-blue fish schooling there.]

Rays too! I've gotta say, those kids planned a nice day out for all of us.

[swordofzero]

"Apologies I thought you were being attacked by it."

He had also thought he was a human of the Near Shore, it seemed that was not the case. He doesn't drop the borderline but he doesn't make any other move to attack any further.

"I acted without thinking."

[ofnovalue]

I appreciate your consideration... I apologize for flinching. [ How embarrassing. She really was painting the image of an anxious wreck, wasn't she? Such a terrible impression... ]

[galrarm]

[ Shiro crosses his arms as he watches the fish. ]

... Thanks. I've got two friends who are shinki here, even. [ He lets out a breath. ] I've accepted it, but it's definitely not ideal.

[galrarm]

[ Unfortunately for Shiro, he's an absolute disaster in the kitchen. He can't even make his own pancakes, how pathetic. ]

A bowl of rice and some vegetables has always been one of my favorites.

[ He considers Rasu's question, then nods. ]

I'm sure they have something like that, yeah. [ He looks through the menu, then turns his to Rasu and taps an item. Technically it's a side, but it's fine. ] Here's a bowl of mixed berries.

[creepface]

[ Rasu will make you pancakes any time. ] Th-that sounds r-really good. [ Rice and veggies? Yes please. His stomach growls in agreement, which is fine considering they're here to eat, but still embarrassing and makes him blush again. He leans in to check it out and is relieved when he sees it. ] Th-that should work. D-do you think they have r-rice pudding with s-soy milk? Wh-what would you like to e-eat?

[galrarm]

It does, doesn't it?

[ He smiles encouragingly and looks through the menu. ]

We can always ask. As for me... I'll try the ratatouille.

[ He doesn't want to make Rasu uncomfortable by eating anything that comes from animals, honestly! ]

[dredefulchilde]

Joscelin just holds up his card without responding, showing the matching symbol. He sighs.

"You, I suppose. Shall we get this over with?"

He's never been to an amusement park before, and he's quite interested to see what one is like, but not under these circumstances.

[dredefulchilde]

"Seemed rather pathetic from where I was standing. A grown man moaning like that over a tummy ache."

Joscelin has to stand on his tiptoes so he can reach over the barrier and into the tank, and is surprised by how the rays feel. Their skin is so rough! His eyes widen and he looks over to Ginia. She looks like she's just had the same experience.

"I think I was expecting more...slime?"

[dredefulchilde]

Then they ought to put on a record.

[He looks over to the woman and sighs, defeated.]

I play. Piano, I mean. And the violin.

[alchemists]

Correct, my shinki also signed up as well so it's a supporting each other ordeal as well.

[ It's not that bad, it'll be a fun day out! ]

I'm Elfnein, it's nice to meet you. I researched what dates are beforehand and the information that kept showing up was just being with the person you're on a date with and having fun.

[alchemists]

Ok, so we need to go to their house for this. Before we do that why don't we get a few things on the way so we don't have to depend on them for all of the food supplies we'll need.

[alchemists]

I believe so? I signed myself up for the blind dates but I didn't really do much research past what dates entail.

[dredefulchilde]

...Right.

[He does not look convinced, but he takes out an aquarium map and stares down at it for a long minute, trying to figure out if there's anything he wants to do.]

Is there any particular type of fish you want to see first?

[hakingitup]

[He looks at the plaque and tries to ignore her blush. Looking at it carefully.]

...So we find them and figure out if they do?

[why can't they just ta- wait nevermind.]

[hakingitup]

They don't seem like regular birds, so I don't think we can encourage them with food.

[He sighs, and rubs his chin.]

Let's follow them for now and see where they go.

[hakingitup]

...You can't climb a tree, can you?

[He's going to just look at her. No, he's not moving from this spot because he was told to. Only one person can really do that to him.]

...Here. Give it to me, I'll take care of it.

[He might as well if you're not going to.]

[shiitan]

"No, I was," he said as he tilted his head toward the offending owl. "It's just not worth the effort to use a borderline on this thing."

Laziness was always a good excuse. In his case, it was often an accurate excuse. Not only that, but if he had to be here, he figured most people wouldn't want to wait in lines for food with a mysterious owl running amok.

Opportunistic? Him? Never.

[hakingitup]

So, are you a god or a shinki?

[Because if he's a shinki, it should be a good match up to say the least.]

And did you see anything go through here?

[wildguardian]

[He's running, too, leaving the borderline up for two heartbeats after they start to ensure their lead. It's not long enough to discourage the ayakashi from following them. Those claws are gouging the grass as it roars into movement, the ground shuddering under its weight -- already big, and, maybe, bigger as it gets angrier. It's hard to say if that's just its coarse plush fur standing on end.

It's just a little faster than they are, and they only get a few blocks before Zhao has to toss the first borderline back at it, slashing its forepaws on an abandoned street corner.]

How much further?

[irishfriskey]

We'll see about that, won't we?

[He narrowed his eyes as he starts to move. The fabric wrapping around his ankle threw him for a moment but before he was pulled down, his spear was used to pull himself away from that.

Being kept at a distance was a problem. He would have to play a little bit rougher than normal to keep himself alive and get this man away from everyone.]

Come!

[He's getting himself ready to strike back fully. A warrior has to be prepared.]

[artificialrose]

[hi niles]

Well, I think making the entire place dry is a little outside my ability, but we can at least check on the equipment...

[Just in case. Still, as he begins to make his way over there with casual abuse of shinki acrobatics, he glances over at the man.]

...I have to admit, I didn't think this was the kind of prayer you had any interest in.

[killercoat]

[Akutagawa frowns seeing how Lancer's able to pull away from his fabric by using his spear. That's going to be annoying. He tries to figure out a way to separate the spear from its owner. While the man beckons him to follow, Akutagawa does, but he desires to keep the distance they have. He's a mid-range fighter, so having his opponent far from him is more advantageous to his ability.]

If you insist...

[ Akutagawa steps forward, walking slowly as he summons more black tendrils from his coat. They slither outwards toward Lancer. This time the fabric sharpens and resembles something close to blades, each one swipes at the man, trying to inflict him with a wound.]

[wildguardian]

[This ayakashi has a name now: it's Yogi Bear. Zhao's decided. The appearance of the new kid distracts him, though, because she does look like a child, and god, why are there so many kids here?

Whatever-- he can set this ayakashi up for her to exorcise. He's not letting a kid fight, though.]

Hey there! You're his god?

[The ayakashi's getting back up. Zhao slashes another borderline down, protection this time and not attack. It glows warm and golden between them and the snarling bear.]

We need a hand taking this thing down. I can put it on the ground for you, but you're gonna have to make the final blow.