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

Event Rewards

[godsoffortune]

Comment here with links to threads of 10 or more comments in which characters are fighting ayakashi or answering prayers! The threads do not have to be complete to receive the reward, only above the minimum comment number.

For each thread:

Gods will receive 200 followers.
Shinki will receive 20 exp.

[unlucky7]

Ginia is fighting ayakashi or answering prayers with the following characters:

Ain (god)
Romeo (shinki)
Shun Kurosaki (god)
Chikusa Kakimoto (shinki)
Hibiki Shikyoin (god)

[unlucky7]

[The Romantic Brunch]


[Ginia definitely didn't sign up for blind dating. It's a bit of a shock when she heads to her desk ready for a full day at work and is instead dragged off by her fellow at Ebisu's temple to change into attire suitable for a day of dates. The outfit of choice is a tried and true one: a teal sweater dress with boots and a light scarf and purse. They braid her hair back, put on her makeup, then drag her off to the first location.

Embarrassingly, they remain close by, making sure she doesn't run. They remain near the entrance of the restaurant. Ginia fidgets as two shinki dressed in Ebisu's black suits flank her, a third shinki patrolling for cards.]

You can let me go. I'll see this through. It's only two dates.

"Yes, but we're curious who your first date is."

"Oh, what about that person? They look like they could be from the Far Shore. Kasumi! Can you check for us?"

"On it! Hello! Excuse me! Are you here for a blind date?"

[Ginia pinches the bridge of her nose as her fellow shinki/coworker runs up to yet another person. Please help?]

[The Aquarium]


[Free of her coworkers and the first date finished, Ginia is a little bit more relaxed at the next location. Perhaps even a little giddy as she waits in the welcome center at the entrance, pouring over the map of the aquarium and noting the must-see exhibits. Definitely the penguin and seal show, the jellyfish tunnel is a must too. Her date card is hanging out of her hand, but with how she's holding it, the symbol is slightly obscured.]

[The Aquarium - II]


[After her date is finished, Ginia hangs around the aquarium a little longer. She takes a second leisurely lap through, keeping an eye out for people she knows - she won't disturb any dates unless someone waves her over though - and enjoying the exhibits again. Her posture is a little more relaxed than it usually is and she observes the tanks with a contemplative silence for minutes on end. Come say hi?]

[Ayakashi Menace - I]


[As promised, Ginia puts in her time fighting ayakashi. In between her dates, or in the late afternoon/evening, Ginia can be seen chasing down ayakashi with a flurry of borderline slashes, splashes of blessed water, or shielding people with borderline walls. She's fast, agile, and if she spots you, quick to whistle and tilt her head toward the threat for assistance. No time to stand around with ayakashi on the prowl!]

[Ayakashi Menace - II]
[And sometimes, there's a borderline appearing out of the blue to wall ayakashi off, or a flurry of slashes sending ayakashi scattering. Maybe it's a rescue that comes in time, but with no benefactor around. Working under the cover of an umbra spell, Ginia bolts around, an invisible force of destruction to ayakashi, doing the best she can solo. Perceptive people might hear the sound of footsteps or sense someone watching them.]

[Wildcard]
[As always, up for wildcard ideas! Feel free to PM me or contact me through plurk at cordially if you want to plan something specific, otherwise have at it!]

ayakashi menace

[abgrund]

[ Ginia might come across Ain supposedly taking a stroll in Tokyo's suburbs. No doubt they're both here because they're homing on the dove ayakashi; though he takes a rather unconventional approach to them. Once he spots some roosting in a tree, he raises a hand in front of himself, and a black bow materializes in his grasp.

The bow lacks a bowstring; but he makes the pulling motion anyway and a dark spear shoots from the handle and into the tree. However, it doesn't quite hit the birds as they immediately fly upward and out of range. The arrow itself disappears a second later. ]

Hmmm.

[revolutionfalcon]

[A: Ayakashi Menace I]

[The dove ayakashi are having enough of an effect on Shun that he can absolutely recognise how dangerous they are, but thankfully he has willpower to spare. Especially since he has a much better method of chasing them down than a lot of other people.

A flock of the shadowy doves flash through the sky, closely pursued by Shun on the back of a person-sized robot bird, blue and silver and with powerful-looking engines under its wings. It makes speed advantage the doves have non-existent, but actually boxing them in to rend them is a little more annoying, so Shun's definitely keeping an eye out for people on the ground to call on.]

Do you have a way of blocking these things in?

--

[B: Ayakashi Menace II]

[Meanwhile, the shadow ayakashi are much more Shun's speed, because if there's one thing that he's never had an issue with, it's dealing with violent humans. It does make getting to the actual ayakashi incredibly annoying when it's moving around so much, though, and Shun's halfway down an alleyway and letting out a sharp sound of irriation as he scans for the creature while almost instinctively ramming his elbow up into the solar plexus of a human the ayakashi is influencing, causing them to drop bonelessly to the ground.]

That's a pathetic way to operate, even for a monster.

--

[C: Prayers]

[This absolutely is not Shun's area of choice, but he's long learnt that people will make prayers regardless of what his actual domain as a god is supposed to be. There's also the point that his boyfriend is a love god (among many other things) and thus extremely busy today, so he feels like he should probably take what comes his way for solidarity's sake.

Thankfully, a lot of it involves adding some additional flourish to people's gifts, and if nothing else, Shun has a hell of a lot of flowers at his disposal. Still, he looks singularly unimpressed after leaving yet another considerable bough of them on someone's doorstep, leaping up onto a nearby power cable with a sigh of annoyance.]

I don't know how he puts up with doing this sort of thing all the time...

A

[abgrund]

[ Ain is dressed remarkably harmlessly for the occasion as he takes a walk through the district. The effects of the doves are not so much felt by him but by his cat, who has taken up a permanent perch on his head and burrowed its claws into what passes for his cranium. ]

I could. I can't promise it won't draw attention, though.

[ Surely Shun knows enough of his powers to guess at what he means. He could easily construct a dome; a slowly contracting net to ensnare the ayakashi. ]

[wildguardian]

A. Romantic Brunch - Closed to Nephenee

[Zhao's showed up with a good-natured grin, a yellow rose with a spray of baby's-breath around it, and an invitation in hand. His style is a little casual for this breakfast spot: leather jacket, green shirt open at the collar, skinny jeans and boots, but he's carefully groomed enough to make the casual look appear deliberate.

(Mostly, he's just refusing to wear anything that would require a tie.)

If anyone pauses to look at him, which he's learning is a clear sign they're someone from the Far Shore, he lifts his invitation to flash the symbol at them with a grin.]

Am I who you're looking for?

B. Amusement Park - Closed to Shen Wei

[Flowers are a good date gift when you're sitting at a table, but less good when you're about to go ride roller coasters. Zhao, in a moment of something that he hopes was inspiration and not bad judgment, had bought a satiny red ribbon in the best Valentine's-day wrapping style, and tied it around a small handful of his lollipops. Candy's a perfectly reasonable unisex gift, right? The ribbon makes it more thoughtful and less cheesy, right?

Also, he has seen the way Shen Wei watches him eat lollipops, which adds just the right amount of plausibly deniable come-on to the gift choice.

He's overthinking this.

He leans one shoulder back against the pillar at the entrance of the amusement park, applies a cheerful and careless grin, and watches the crowds, searching for a familiar face. His invitation's held casually in one hand, symbol visible.]

C. Ayakashi - Open

[Zhao Yunlan's got some time between his afternoon at the aquarium and when he's supposed to show at the amusement park; he's killing it hanging out in a park near the aquarium, enjoying the slightly warmer weather and watching the wind raise little whitecapped ripples on the river.

Or he had been, until he spotted a bizarrely colored little teddy bear waddling on its own towards a young human couple.

That bear has real, sharp teeth.

Zhao's on his feet in an instant.]

Hey, teddy! Pick on somebody your own size!

[The bear's head swivels around, and its mouth gapes to show off a very good view of those real teeth as it croons, You smell nice....

Zhao suppresses a shiver -- fuck, that's creepy -- and throws his hands wide in a come-and-get-me-then gesture.

The moment the thing commits to coming after him? He is going to run.]

Wildcard

[Got a different idea? Go for it!]

[myblueskies]

Another one? [What is it with teddy bears in this park! These ayakashi are bad and trying to ruin everyone's fun day!]

Line!

[A borderline slashes out at the bear and Zhao has a small child running alongside him.]

[reformedsinner]

Dates - Closed

Romantic Brunch - Petra Ral

[Hakkai doesn't look particularly pleased by his presence at a frilly, airy, lovely French buffet on a sunny Valentine's morning. His expression hints at distant storms, his arms are crossed, and he's holding an invitation between two fingers as though it's been dipped in something vile.

There are visible talon scratches on his forehead and hands, and he's dressed in aggressively teacherly style: his usual slacks and collared shirt, his usual reading glasses, with a charcoal gray argyle sweater vest added as a concession to the weather. The scarf around his neck, also gray, hosts a small white dragon who has managed to snuggle down into the knit fabric so well that only a nose, tail, and two wing tips protrude.]

Aquarium - Takashi Shirogane

[By the time he arrives at the second location, Hakkai looks less annoyed and more long-suffering. Jeep has surfaced from his scarf, and he's purchased a bag of roasted chestnuts, which he's alternating eating, feeding tidbits of to the dragon on his shoulder, and throwing to the large and cawing flock of crows he's collected around his ankles in front of the aquarium entrance.

There's an invitation protruding from the pocket of his sweater vest, but only a sliver is visible; potential dates will have to brave the flock of carrion crows to find out if he's the one they're looking for. It's possible this is deliberate.]

Amusement Park - Chinatsu Hiyama

[Three dates? He's been set up on three dates? Chikusa is going to be doing double chores for a week. The resigned patience of Hakkai's afternoon date is wearing visibly thin as he waits at the amusement park entrance. Jeep is back at the temple, he's holding yet another invitation, and there are several new owl scratches on his face.]

Late Dinner - Sha Gojyo

[The Korean barbecue restaurant Hakkai had picked for their date is a cozy family-run place, big enough for privacy but small enough not to be a hot Valentine's spot. He's running a little late when he arrives at the front door, still in his sweater vest and scarf ensemble, thoroughly owl-scratched, smelling faintly of amusement park ride funk (one-quarter popcorn, one-quarter sugary snacks, one-quarter sweat, and one-quarter old vomit ill-masked by disinfectant) and, overall, not nearly so put together as he'd hoped he would be.

Well, he's here, anyway.]

[redmare]

[ Saying no didn't seem like an option, and rather than have the owl mess up her hair or face, Chinatsu caved. According the card, it was the amusement park. Talk about textbook shoujo. She sighs as she makes it to the entrance, looking around for anyone holding a similar card.

It doesn't take long to pinpoint the man covered in scratches like he pissed off a cat. Or maybe a certain owl.

She also couldn't help but notice that well--okay it wasn't that obvious anything, he was still quite handsome-- but he was also a little...uh...old. ]

Um...excuse me..are you uh..do you have one of these..by chance?

[ Her voice is small, tone polite. ]

[alchemists]

Blind dates

1a - closed to Joscelin

[ Elfnein was waiting at the front of the aquarium for her blind date. She ended up borrowing clothes since she didn't own anything that would work for a "date". Thankfully she managed to make an outfit out of a cardigan and skirt with leggings and boots. Just enough layers for the this time of the year but not over the top to were she'd be over heating. ]

1b - closed to Hat Kid

[ It was later on in the day but still plenty of time for the amusement park. Elfnein had already been here before so it wasn't a big deal if she didn't go on every ride; what really mattered right now was meeting up with the second blind date. ]

2 - Praying for Love

((ooc: If there's a prayer you'd like to do with Elfnein go for it! I'm just putting down wildcard for now. ))

[myblueskies]

Elfnein! Elfnein!

[A pattering of feet as Elfnein's ever excited shinki comes running into the part of the library Elfnein is working in.]

We got a prayer! A man wanted to take his date to a restaurant but it's all full! So he needs help making a meal! We can help right!

[Romeo's culinary skills are still pretty limited. But he can make pretty awesome coffee.]

[swordofzero]

Blind date: Closed to Ross

Suzaku was very surprised when he received his card, stating he was to turn up for a date at an amusement park. He was vaguely aware that it was Valentines day and that there had been talk on the Bulletin boards about blind dates. But he had not signed up. He had no idea why he had received the invitation. Dating and amusement parks were not things he had ever thought to try.

He doesn't need an angry owl to pester him though. It would be awkward, Suzaku had no idea about dating, but he would not stand someone up. He could imagine how embarrassed and upset they would be if they ended up alone.

So here he is, at the entrance to the park, invitation in hand. He is alert, looking for danger as well as keeping an eye out for anyone who may be his date this evening.

Ayakashi: earlier in the day. OTA

It seems that Valentines day is the perfect time for ayakashi to be out stalking. Emotions are high.

Seeing the flutter of a shadow that seems too solid to actually be a trick of the light Suzaku chases after it, into an alleyway.

He recognises the danger seconds before he is attacked but all that does is give him enough time to react as two men and a woman rush at him.

He dodges the first punch and twists round, grabbing one of them. They are yelling, furious. Suzaku doesn't want to hurt them, but he focuses on trying to subdue them.

[OOC: I'll match formats! Let me know if you would like to plot something else!]

blind date!

[shiitan]

Ross, on the other hand, did need an owl to pester him. While he had gone to the amusement park eventually to appease it, he was more than willing to just pass through the entrance without looking for anyone. Just coming here might be enough, he thought.

Of course, it was not, and he soon found himself being accosted by the owl once again. About the only upside was that he was managing to dodge left and right to escape those talons and its beak as he still tried to move forward.

Why are you so invested in his dating life, owl?!

[myblueskies]

Date: Aquarium, closed to Hat Kid

Romeo was very excited! It was valentines day and he was going to go on a fun date and make a new friend! Minako and Chikusa had been really nice to organise this for everyone and Romeo had been looking forward to it since talking to Minako on the BBS.

He had found his way here, luckily there was a shrine to Gegute not too far away! He even had a heart balloon. There had been a man in a park handing them out, it had been a little tricky to get noticed by him but he had been nice once he had seen Romeo and told him he was giving balloons to everyone to spread happiness on valentines day. Romeo was not sure if you were meant to give presents on valentines day like you did at Christmas but he was sure his date would like the balloon nonetheless!

Ayakashi: OTA

"Hey! Bad bear! Leave them alone!"

Romeo might have done better with a plan. But he had seen the teddy bear hanging onto a young woman and she was getting more and more selfish. He had been sat in a tree in one of the parks of the Near Shore when he had heard the woman telling a young man that the chocolates he had gotten her were not enough. That she had expected more from him. That had sounded mean and Romeo had peaked down to see what was going on.

They had argued and that's when Romeo had seen the bear clinging to her leg! He had acted without thinking, jumping down from the tree. He backs away a bit as the bear turns towards him, but at least it had let go of the woman. The couple looked confused and hurried off.

Leaving Romeo with a bear chasing him! "Line!" Time to fight a bear then! Before it went and tried to ruin anyone else's day!

[hattersgonnahat]

Said date was not even sure how they was supposed to find their date when the whole thing was meant to be a surprise. Even with the symbols, who has time to check every single person that might have one? ...Okay so maybe the list was narrowed down even more by those who could actually notice her.

So for now, why not just check out the aquarium a bit first? There's so many exhibits there's no way she could get them all anyway. Plus make time for the show later. ...Penguins huh? There was no way they were the same as--OH MY GOD LOOK AT ALL THOSE FISH.

Standing on the base on the tank, and face pressed against the glass the girl was. For the moment she was completely transfixed on the school of fish going by. Just how do they do that? Like, how do they stay as a group? And without bumping into each other? Is it something they plan beforehand? ...Do fish even talk to each other? So many questions.

Eventually, she pulled away. In the corner of her eye she spot something floating above the crowd. A...balloon? Strange, can't really recall anyone selling those. And it was heart-shaped, so it's possible it was only for this day.

Whoever they were, they seemed by themself, possibly waiting around?

"Looking for someone?" she snuck up without thinking too much of it, leaning forward with arms behind her back. A symbol had been pinned to her hat but, eh, it probably wasn't anything that important.

Yona | OTA

[darkestbefore]

A. Blind Dates

1. The Aquarium; Closed to Zetta
[ Yona has never been to an aquarium before - in fact, she'd never even heard of such a thing, but upon arriving, she clutches the invitation she'd received and glances around her with wide eyes, trying to take in everything at once. And potentially more caught up in taking in the displays of colorful, exotic fish than looking for whoever she's supposed to meet here. Oops? ]

2. The Amusement Park; Closed to Ren Amamiya
[ The second card had sent Yona to an amusement park late in the evening and she shows up at the gate, invitation clutched in one hand and using the other to bundle into her cloak a little more warmly, the chilly February air making her breath puff visibly in front of her. But her cheeks are rosy and she glances around her with quiet excitement, wondering who she will meet here tonight. ]

B. Ayakashi Menace

[ It was no surprise to hear that there were ayakashi out taking advantage of all the hopes and wishes of those searching for love and romance on this particular holiday. but that just makes her more determined to protect those who are out and about today. Meaning she's patrolling the Near Shore quite intently - sometimes on her own but often with the aid of a companion or one of her shinki, just in case she lands herself in trouble. Which, it's Yona; this is more than a little likely. ]

C. Praying for Love

[ This might not be Yona's season, but she still does have a hand in matters of love and romance, despite it not being the height of Summer. Therefore, she's very attentive to each prayer she receives, weighing their need and urgency before glancing around to see who might be nearby to assist her. ]

Excuse me, might I borrow your assistance for a bit?

[swordofzero]

Of course, Lady Yona. [Suzaku smiles at her, he's not seen Yona for a while. He had been meaning to check up on her, he worries about her and has not forgotten how kind she was when he was Kuja's shinki.

He is only too glad to help her.] What do you need?

Chikusa "i don't know how this happened" Kakimoto - ota

[kokuyoyo]

A - Brunch

[For anyone who has known him for even a passing moment, organizing such a huge event with so many people for something like romance, well... It might almost seem out of character. (Unless you're one of two people who know for certain the true identity of the romance writer on the BBS, anyway.) Still, he was dragged into that promotional video anyway and he is, in fact, here at the restaurant.]

[As one of the organizers and also someone who already has his romantic life neatly in order (an apparent rarity in the Far Shore), Chikusa isn't participating. Instead, he's seated himself comfortably over at a table with his laptop, a couple of books on romance, and his phone. Apparently he bought a table for himself, since there's food available with him which he's lazily picking through while reading. He's dressed in decent enough attire which is obnoxiously red and pink colored, and almost definitely can be blamed on Minako, so... He stands out, a little bit.]

[Every now and then, a white owl with brilliant blue eyes manages to find its way inside, whether hopping along the floor or smoothly gliding, and always inevitably gliding. For those who've been reluctant to come, they might recognize it as the same douchebag bird which forces the unwilling to attend the dates they've been signed up for. Chikusa seems to be rewarding the creature for its determination, feeding it grapes or bits of pastry. Can owls eat food like this? Don't worry about it.]

[Regardless, whether they're waiting for a date or it's in the moments afterwards, people are free to approach Chikusa or his prick of a pet. Just to chat? To complain about their date? They can really do whatever they want, although there's no guarantee that Chikusa will ever humor anyone.]

[Although he does seem to disappear for some reason at one point...]

B - Aquarium

[Listen, it's halfway through the day, now. He's tired. The aquarium is nice and exactly his speed. Chikusa is technically here as the co-manager of this whole event, but it's hard pressed to see that when he's apparently locked himself in place near the tide pool where he can dip his hands into the water and pet rays.]

[Honestly, he doesn't think he's ever been in an actual aquarium before. It's... nice? He thinks he might like it.]

[If anyone he recognizes from the Far Shore comes along, whether separating from their date or after the event itself, he obligingly looks up at them.]

....So?

[That sure isn't a clear question at all!]

[But it's fine. He's mostly waiting for his boyfriend to show up anyway. He told him where to go....]

C - Ayakashi

[Chikusa actually is doing his job instead of just lazing around, as it turns out, at least where it concerns the restaurant and aquarium. Occasionally, something seems to catch his attention...]

[And that's how one can find him almost anywhere around those areas, hunting down or outright fighting ayakashi away from "his" current territory. Considering it's Chikusa, when the opponent's aren't tricky (like the shadow ayakashi), his type of borderline fighting style tends to involve... dismemberment.]

[Constant dismemberment, honestly. What? It's just effective when he doesn't have either of his gods with him.]

You're going to regret this...

[He won't let them have a quick death, no. He's going to catch these pains in his asses, and make them into a poison. That sounds like more suffering than just killing them...]

[....So yeah, should someone.... stop... him? Or maybe help.]

D - Wildcard

[I'm good to throw Chikusa into any other ideas that people might have! Just let me know.]

C

[unlucky7]

[Ginia's glad she's not the only person with a tactic of "do as much damage to the ayakashi as possible with borderlines until a god-shinki pair can handle them." With her dates done with the day, Ginia considered heading back to the Far Shore and naming a soulless shinki for some rending on her own, but with too many questions and risks, she decides to keep what she's always done.

With the bonus of working under the cover of umbra.

As Chikusa dismembers a dove ayakashi, there's an extra slash that cuts across the wings of the ayakashi. Ginia, standing on a retaining wall, keeps still, curious if Chikusa can see through the spell.]

Nanako | OTA

[welcome_home]

Ayakashi Menace

1. Taking Wing
[ Nanako stares up at the flock of doves perched overhead, eyeing them suspiciously, but even from here, she can tell they're not right. She frowns, hands propped on hips, as she regards what to do about it. ]

We can't let those birds ruin everyone's Valentine's Day!

2. You're Not My Teddy
[ She'd seen them in a window-front and even Nanako had been drawn to the cute appearance of the cuddly teddy bears waiting to be gifted to unsuspecting partners. Except coming closer has given her a weird feeling and she turns to see someone walking away with one of them in their arms. But was that... was that a claw she saw wrapping around the unsuspecting human's side?

Her eyes widening, Nanako is quick to run after them, despite the fact that she might be running straight into danger herself. ]

B. Praying for Love

[ Nanako is flitting here and there around the Near Shore, listening for prayers coming in for people wanting help conveying their feelings or finding the courage to give their gifts. She is a delighted little cupid, bobbing her way on feathery wings as she chases down the tug of prayers that call to her, dropping down to assist wherever she can. She might not be old enough to have dates of her own, but she's delighting in making sure those who are so desperately praying for assistance or good fortune have just the right nudge they need to succeed in their efforts.

And she might be watching the fruition of any of her efforts with a delighted little giggle, peering to watch the various humans offer chocolates and confess their feelings... ]

C. Chocolate Delivery!

[ While Nanako is still small enough not to take part in many of the traditions of this day, she does still put a lot of effort into one aspect of it. The morning of Valentine's Day itself, several of her very close and precious friends will find little packages of homemade chocolates wrapped up with bright paper and colorful ribbons and bows. The chocolates are obviously made by a child's hand, but Nanako had done her best and put a great deal of effort in making sure her friends got something special today of all days. ]

A 1

[kokuyoyo]

So we need to kill them.

[Mukurou keeps coming back pissed off because the doves are in the way of him reporting back to Chikusa, with varying amount of blood on his talons and feathers each time. That would be enough to be annoying, because then Mukurou bites at his fingers when he's giving him snacks that the shitbird doesn't need. However, they might also overwhelm the owl...]

[And, even more importantly, these ayakashi might affect the whole dating set up thing he has going on. If there's one thing Chikusa hates more than hard work, it's when he does hard work and it goes to waste.]

....Anyway... I'v been wanting to see if my vessel form has changed for you...

[It's a guarantee that he's a hafuri vessel for Hakkai in all the ways that means, after all, since he died for him, and the change of his bird body is confirmed quite solidly. However, he doesn't know if that means the same thing for Nanako. How much can he really change as a hat, anyway...?]

Yata | OTA

[thevanguard]

A. Ayakashi Menace

[ Valentine's isn't exactly Yata's favorite holiday. In fact, he kinda thinks the entire thing is ridiculous and unnecessarily stressful.

But also, he can ignore all that gross lovey-dovey stuff to go zooming through town and pick fights with all the dumbass ayakashi who are treating this like an all-out buffet. So really, at the moment, for him it's a win/win?

...At least until he comes across one of the evil killer teddy bears and then all bets are off. ]

B. Praying for Love

[ Yata can't hear prayers himself, but he is here to assist any gods that need it. Even if he is regarding the whole thing with a rather skeptical expression on his face. ]

Wait, people are seriously praying for shit like this?

C. This is So Cliche, Shoot Him; Closed to Saru

[ Despite his attitude all day about the holiday at large, he might be a little bit cagey a few days ahead of time and at some point during the day itself, Saru will receive a text invitation with a location and time on it for that evening.

The location itself is outside a restaurant Yata found in the city, something even higher-tech than an internet cafe, the entire place in neon blue lights and meant to make you feel like you were living in some hi-tech sci-fi future. It was the geekiest place he could find on short notice, but the place still looked pretty cool.

Even if he is lurking outside the door, cheeks flushed from the cold and hands shoved deep in his pockets and looking more than a little awkward as he nervously shifts and waits for his partner. ]

[monkeyblue]

[If Misaki thought Fushimi wouldn't check the address that he gave him, he was dumber than Fushimi thought. And if he thought he wouldn't check the menu and see that they were having a Valentine's Day special, he was really dumb. He was almost tempted to tell Misaki "no" and leave it at that. He hated this sort of thing.

...but Misaki obviously wanted to do something and they have a few dishes that looked good and anyway, Fushimi wasn't cooking tonight so it's with some grumbling to himself that Fushimi eventually joins Misaki outside the restaurant.]

You're not subtle.

[priforprince]

[ Romantic Brunch; closed to Nia ]

[ Hibiki is even later to her first date than she'd planned on being for effect, due to a rather...unfortunate...tech support call she'd had to place earlier this morning. No hint of that, or of shame at her tardiness, can be seen on her face as she comes up behind her designated date and touches one of those cat ears with a rose. ]

I've kept you waiting.

[ When Nia turns around, she will be presented with the sight of: their table, now surrounded by dozens - nay, hundreds - of identical, pristine, perfect red roses. And also Hibiki, smiling as if Nia had never tried to take over a private bath Hibiki had happened to be occupying at the time.

There's personal business, and then there's Romance. Never the two shall meet, for the Perfect Beauty Knight. ]



Depriving you of my presence is unforgivable. I hope this small gift eases the pain.

[ Aquarium; closed to Petra ]

Does the ocean please you?

[ A giant otter plush is talking to Petra!

Oh, no, wait, there was a person behind it. A charming person in a Prince costume, against whose silver hair the light from the aquarium ripples charmingly, attracting the attention of.....small children, and other teenage girls on dates, whose boyfriends don't understand what they're looking at.



Hibiki smiles as willingly as she can around the giant stuffed animal, completely devoid of shame. An aquarium isn't her...usual milieu...but there's nowhere she can't excel!

She shall prove once and for all why the aquarium is a Top Date Spot in films! ]

[ Amusement Park; closed to Celestia ]



Stunning as always, Princess Celestia.

[ Whether Celestia is in human or pony guise for this date is immaterial. Here comes Hibiki, suspiciously bare-handed. Delight in the anticipation of what this might portend.

She places one of those bare hands over her heart and bows, practically down on one knee. ]

Even the merry-go-round animals long to genuflect in your presence.

[ Praying for Love; open to all! ]

Tch. Now?



[ The spygoat who'd just brought Hibiki a platter full of prayer slips rolls in a circle, which is all it can do when asked a question. Hibiki picks through the slips. ] My next rendezvous approaches....

You. [ She just noticed you. Hooray. Picking a prayer, she stuffs the rest in her pockets, where they seem to utterly disappear despite these being form-fitting pants.

She's a genius. Don't question it. ] I'll have you assist me.

Aquarium!

[wingsofaid]

[There's just so many new sights to take in. First had been the luxurious breakfast with all the expensive sweets and now there's this wondrous new place. There's so many fish in so many colors! It's a challenge not to just get completely absorbed by her new surroundings.

Petra's all smiles when she turns to her date and giant otter plush she's holding. She's currently wearing a forest green dress and boots, tights, and cream-colored knit cap, scarf, and gloves set.]

Oh, it's really lovely. I don't think I've seen anything like this before. And that's a cute toy.

[reloves]

(a: anywhere and everywhere at any time; open)

[ Minako may not have arranged any dates for herself today, but it's for a good cause! After all, how can she help out everyone today if she's off on a date instead of being available the whole time?

Assuming that there are people who need help finding their date location - or maybe people who just can't find their date in a crowded area. Maybe you are one of those people, and the upside of that situation is that it's at the very least very, very easy to spot Minako around. She's wearing a skirt suit with a hat, looking super professional.. if it wasn't for the fact said suit is completely hot pink and littered with a bright red heart pattern. If you need help, you can find her and approach her easily.

But even if you don't necessarily need help, Minako approaches anyone who is just standing around with the scary combination of a stewardess' over the top friendly helpfulness and the determination of a prowrestler in her eyes, tightly holding onto the clipboard in her hands. ]

Can I help you with something?

(b: the dates; open)

[ Or maybe you're on a date. Or waiting at a location for your date to show up. No matter whether it's just you or you already with your date having fun together, you may suddenly find yourself getting a very strange feeling.. Almost as if something or someone is watching you..

Which may or may not have something to do with the sudden pair of binoculars watching you from a distance that you can spot if you bother to look around. And the girl holding them, for that matter. The moment your gaze seems to cross her binocular-assisted one, she quickly drops them and starts furiously writing something down on a paper on her clipboard instead. Maybe you should do something before you end up having a stalker for half of the day... ]

(c: ayakashi menace; open)

[ But her duties do not end there, no siree! Making sure people are having fun blind dates is one thing, but she can't just let those ayakashi run around when they have the chance to ruin that fun! Especially when Minako doesn't seem to have much of a choice but to deal with them in some cases - like how she seems to have been driven into a literal corner by a group of humans under the control of one of the shadow ayakashi.

But Minako knows what to do in these situations. She's climbed up on a table like it's the last defense between her and the possessed humans, and she does the thing that comes most instinctively in this situation-- making a dramatic speech, of course. ]

Using humans to carry out your nefarious deeds.. That's just the lowest of the low! Valentine's Day is a sacred holiday, blessed by the goddess of love herself! It's a day where people celebrate companionship and dream beautiful dreams of love.. and ruining those dreams absolutely can't be overlooked!

[ She's dramatically pointing at the shadow ayakashi in the distance - beyond the crowd of humans - now. ]

Hallmark and chocolate manufacturers everywhere may forgive you, but I certainly won't! I, Minako, will--

[ The influenced humans start picking up just about anything they can from the tables nearby and throwing it at her, making her stop mid-speech to let out a shriek and try to dodge those things instead.

Maybe you should help her in the middle of this disaster scene. ]

(d: end of the day; closed to edge)

[ Today has sure been A Day. Not that Minako regrets any part of the big plan she ended up carrying out together with Chikusa - not in the slightest. She feels like she's been able to attain her goal of making sure people have a fun rather than a lonely Valentine's Day pretty well, and.. honestly, it's a pretty big confidence boost, especially since Minako is not always as self-assured as she likes to pretend she is.

But it's still been tiring. Between running all over the place, fighting ayakashi, helping people and.. well, "helping" people Minako is incredibly exhausted. Maybe she won't consciously admit that to herself just yet, but her body starts giving out before her mind does, making her sit down on the edge of a fountain and letting out a deep sigh.

Right, right, there's still one more thing to do today. She can't just go back on a promise, especially not one of a date on the sacred day of love itself! She wouldn't be Minako anymore if that was the case! So no matter how tired she feels, she still texts Edge that she's done for the day and where she's waiting for him. ]

b

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki is reviewing her script between dates, resting on a park bench with one arm sprawled out so she's occupying the entire thing. No bench for anyone else. Only SHIKYOIN HIBIKI. As it should be.

A prickle on the back of her neck, however, has her lowering the script and frowning. What the...? She can't focus. It's almost as if -

It can't be. This feeling can't finally be returning. She won't let herself hope. And yet. Against her will. A lone flame ignites.

Do people finally notice her in the Near Shore now??? ]

Garry - ota

[artificialrose]

[While he has his day planned out for a variety of dates- hey, it's a fun way to meet people- Garry isn't so busy that he can't spare a little bit of time for desperate prayers to his god of fortune and disaster, or to battle ayakashi away from what should be a happy holiday.]

A - Mournful Doves

[Taking in a deep breath, perched on the branch over an already bickering couple, a warped bird with far too many eyes along its wings takes in a deep breath, lets out the beginnings of a long deep coo- ]

[And then is thwacked out of the tree by a long plain wooden staff with an unbecoming squawk.]

[That would be Garry, brows furrowed, and he hastily shoots a line after the bird. Already the pair seem to be calming down a little bit without that sound harassing them, but while it's still alive...]

Come here, you little...

[Please help this poor person running after a bird, one hand with a stick, the other trying to shoot it out of the sky with a line.]

B - Concert Love

[Along with someone else- perhaps who'd gotten a similar prayer, perhaps who just heard and decided to help out- Garry is scouting out the concert venue with a faint frown. The prayer is a little tricky:

"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!"]

[Well, he really does want to help, but...]

Do you think they'll even still hold a concert in the rain...?

C - Wildcard

[I'm good for any other prayers or ayakashi you want to go with!]

Dates

[artificialrose]

Brunch - Sha Gojyo

[Garry... is so glad that he thought to dress up a little bit.]

[It's all clothing picked out in mind of the aquarium date he has after this, which he figures will match well enough for a waterfront amusement park as well. A simple button up shirt open a little bit to reveal the black camisole underneath, a matching long black skirt with some transparent fabric layered over it, a blue-green resin ring on one hand, and a simple teardrop pendant to match it. He's kept makeup low for this, although there's still features of it.]

[Sure, it's not completely fancy, but it shows he's made an effort, and that counts for something, right?]

[With his invitation in hand, Garry glances around the tables for anyone else sitting on their own and, hopefully, their invitation in sight. It would make it easier if he could spot someone right away... but he can also get a seat himself to wait at if need be.]

Aquarium - Shen Wei

[This feels much more his speed, and Garry is a little bit excited as he waits right in the lobby of the aquarium. Hopefully his matching date comes inside out of the cold, or they might miss each other. How awkward would that be...]

[While he waits, however, he holds his invitation behind his back with both hands, idly flicking it back and forth while he inspects the way one of the walls has been designed. Places like museums and aquariums really can be amazing with how they're designed...]

Amusement Park - Son Goku

[The restaurant was warm. The aquarium was pretty decent. But outside an amusement park? As it becomes darker and colder, even as they're slowly warming up to March? Nope, Garry has busted out his usual long jacket for this one even as he stands on the tips of his shoes (boots, really) to try and look for his last partner of the day. In the hand held over his eyes, he's made sure to display his invitation with the proper symbol. It should help, hopefully.]

There really are a lot of people here today.... I hope they don't get lost.

[yasei]

Date I: Romantic Brunch w/ Celestia
[ Obi did not count on this. He signed up just for fun with the full intention of going to all of them but then he realized who his first date was an nope! He did not dress up for her!

Obi would have been able to stand his Mistress up no problem, had she not been intentionally sensing him through their bond, but apparently he's not going to get away so easily because he has to try to dodge around an owl- it's not subtle. And eventually the owl decides to bodyslam him from above and this is a great start to this whole thing. ]

Ow! C'mon, why can't I leave! She wouldn't want me to show up anyway!

[ That was not a silent shout, oops. He halts his words, and awkwardly glances in his mistress' direction. ]


Date II: The Aquarium w/ Gojyo
[ Nothing can be worse than the first match up, it literally can't, so at least the bandage was ripped off and he's much less nervous. It's good if final rehearsal is a disaster...or something.

He's never actually been to an aquarium though, so even at the entrance where he's meant to look for a person with a matching symbol card he gets distracted. Thankfully his card is sort of showing because his arm is gradually drooping more and more. At least it's obvious why he isn't asking around to see other people's cards, considering the wide eyes and generally owlish look on his face. ]


Date III: The Amusement Park w/ Natsuru
[ Finding a date without getting distracted by a first time at an amusement park fares no better than fist time at an aquarium, but Obi eventually does manage to stop standing around to simply stare, at least partially, and he is able to look for people who seem like they're from the Far Shore- that is, suitably ignored by the mortals- and approach them. He has no frame of reference if it's a man or a woman that he's going to meet but that's not going to stop him from approaching any person that he meets. Suffice to say, there are a few misses before he spots another young lady that seems to be a Far Shoreian. ]

Excuse me, Miss, do you have a moment?


Ayakashi Menace/Praying for Love - OTA
[ So Obi ditched Celestia. As soon as he was able to without getting owl bombed again. Now, he's just looking for people who seem to be about to go on some prayer or other, or to fight ayakashi. (He'd definitely prefer the latter but anything to keep his mind off of that brunch disaster.) ]

Hey, morning, afternoon, good day, do you want any assistance with the assistance stuff? I'm really idle right now and would really like to help out a bit.

[ Some people would definitely know that he is ditching.

He does the same once his other two dates are over as well, no matter if they were any form of successful or complete disasters. ]

ayakashi menace/praying for love

[reloves]

[ Yeah, Obi, this timing is really, really suspicious! At first Minako doesn't realise that his date sure ended early since she's running all over the place to a point that she doesn't even know what the exact time is anymore right now, so she stops when he speaks up to her, totally unsuspecting. She just blinks, considering what he's saying for a moment. ]

Oh, really? Well, I guess...

[ ...

She's quiet for a moment. You can practically imagine the gears turning into her head, slowly clicking into place to make her realise something. ]

.. wait, didn't you have a date?

[smilingbullet]

Aquarium w/ Dust
[ D2 is using the day to distract from this morning, which was not his intention and he doesn't know if he's successful or not but meeting new people is always a good way of distraction. Except, he discovers, purely by accident when he looks around trying to find somebody with the same symbol on their card as him- ]

Coincidence meeting you here, Dust.

[ D2 definitely saw- and he holds his card up to show the symbol on it. He's got the worst shit-eating grin on his face. Avoiding people he knows is an option for not having to talk about your god disappearing, but in the end he does enjoy hanging out with friends, even if it was unplanned this time. (Dust has probably already seen every piece of clothing D2 is currently wearing, from the black military pants and boots, to the colorful hairpins in his hair and the hoodie that says "BECOME DOOR!" on the front. Sorry for not dressing up.) ]

Amusement park w/ Ain
[ In the end this whole dating thing is a little awkward when you have near zero experience, but at least he got away with wearing half a military attire (black boots and pants) and colorful hairpins and a ridiculous hoodie ("BECOME DOOR!" is still a confusing phrase but at least it's funny) but who knows if that will last. Today has been a mess thanks to this morning.

But well, he's arrived at the amusement park, and he's trying to figure out who he's supposed to approach- he's honestly getting a little tired, it's been a long day right from the start, but he has committed to this. He shakes his head, readjusts a few hairpins, and gets back to trying to find people from the Far Shore who seem like they might be looking for someone as well.

He accidentally slips into Extra Polite during some point of it. (He needs caffeine, probably. Then he'll be more back on track.) ]

Beg your pardon, Sir, if you have a moment to spare? You wouldn't be here for the blind dates, perhaps?

Ayakashi Menace - open
[ D2 is not, in any shape or form, equipped to properly deal with ayakashi right now. He's godless and nameless and he only managed to find half a dozen holy water bullets for the only gun he was able to find (the one he arrived with) and it's not like he's had time to make more. He's been busy. He also couldn't find a single squirt gun even though he's supposed to have had several. All of them disappeared with the golden temple, it seems. He has been able to remedy that but he's already out of holy water.

So running into ayakashi is a bit of a disaster, particularly when he wants to fight (because what else is he even good for) and can't and nameless shinki is probably ayakashi's favorite food.

Which means he's had to do a lot of running away today, because there are so many of them around on a day like this. He hates turning heel the instant he sees an enemy and running away but-- he's definitely dealing with some Blight From Contact (plus he's dealing with some guilt that he needs to deal with but later- he really needs to talk to Kairi but not now- right now is not possible anyway) and today is a veritable mess-

Anyway- help! ]

ayakashi... /gallops up on a noble steed

[priforprince]

[ Just as a shadow ayakashi reaches for D2, a brilliant flash of light repels it! It and its fellows crouch, looking for the darkness that always exists on the other side of light -

But that other side is nowhere to be seen. This is illusory light, and its realm is absolute.

Its source, however, raises an eyebrow, cool as can be. Even Shikyoin Hibiki knows a serious situation when she sees one. But. ]

You don't seem to be enjoying the day.

[ LET HER HAVE THIS, PUNIVERSE. ]

[twin_star]

brunch [closed to Yuna]

[Trees, blooming in February! It must be a special day indeed. Hokuto didn't think it would look quite so magical. The invitation for brunch had come as a big surprise, as she was certain that she hadn't signed up for this. Did someone else toss her name into the mix? She can't imagine who...

In any case, a free brunch sounded lovely, even if she's not really sure about the whole 'blind date' thing. At the very least, she could make a new friend. Perhaps they'll be just as surprised to have been set up as Hokuto was.

She sits at the table, fanning herself with the invite, the symbol on it quite clear to anyone who might be passing by to find her. She is dressed in a red ruffled dress with gold trim and a gorgeous flower brocade pattern.]


aquarium [closed to Natusuru]

[She stands just inside the lobby of the aquarium and she's already very excited! She's never been here before (she thinks), and wants to see all the pretty fish and underwater creatures in these impossibly large tanks. Gorgeous!

Hokuto is more dressed more casually (for her), given that it's a walking, exploratory kind of date. Her dress is a lovely dark brown with a small jacket to match. Her hat is a tiny fascinator that she has clipped to her head at the most elegant angle. (Much like her own shinki form, she thinks with amusement).]


ayakashi menace [open]

[Doves are quite harmless creatures, or so she thought. The ones she keeps encountering today are far from it. They have giant eyeballs, for one. They appear sometimes, if you stare at them for long enough, as though they can't help but turn into the things they are on the inside: ayakashi.

They land on the shoulders of people who don't see them. But they make themselves at home there, turning friends against each other like little wicked demons. Hokuto has been busy trying to drive them off, alternating between borderlines (she's been practicing) or her handy shoulder bag (not as effective, but it's heavy enough to be a make-shift weapon in desperate moments).]

Ugh! They're everywhere! They're not very cute like this, are they?


wildcard [open]

[ooc: Hit me up!]

[yoshinocherry]

[Yuna's unsure of how she got involved in this blind date business, but the idea of getting out, sightseeing, meeting new people... it really doesn't sound all that bad. Plus, free food, what could possibly go wrong here? May as well make the most of it, regardless if it ends up being as romantic as intended or not, so after getting dressed up for the day, she makes her way to the designated restaurant.

Upon arriving, she takes a moment to scan over the other patrons, wondering if she's early or if the other half of this 'date' was here already... when her eyes catch sight of the invite flashing back and forth, and then the girl holding it.

Oh! She is quite the cool beauty, isn't she? Any tension Yuna might have been feeling over the arrangement slowly starts to wane, and she approaches the table with a friendly, disarming smile.]

Hope I didn't keep you waiting for too long!

[And, to make sure there's no confusion, she holds up her own invitation, matching symbol clear as day.]

[creepface]

Romantic Brunch - Shiro
[ Honestly, he had no idea that Shingo had put him up to this, but given that his shinki has just recently disappeared he doesn't want t disappoint him, even though he's not exactly in the right mindset for dating today, given... well. Shingo being gone only a few days. That can put a stick in the cog or whatever they say, he can't quite remember.

But here he is, in his tall, extremely too skinny glory, and he's even tried to dress up, even if it's just a less goth sweater. Still got a lot of makeup around his eyes though, so he looks as gloomy as ever.

He's fiddling with the menue in front of him, considering which ones are vegan friendly and who would even be willing to go on a date with him (even a blind one). It's been decades since he was with anyone and, well... it's not like Shingo knew he was gay, so he doesn't know if he's meeting a man, a woman or someone who doesn't identify as either. He just hopes they won't be terribly disappointed. At least he had the guts to show up and display the symbol he was given properly. ]

Amusement park - Nia
[ Rasu hasn't been to an amusement park in a very (VERY) long time. He knows it was after he died at least, because there was none around when he was alive, and also, he was extremely poor even when he wasn't homeless. So he's actually fairly excited, even if he's not sure how the date itself will go. It's been one definite miss so far and one... well, Shiro is very pretty, so that's not a complete bust, even though he's pretty sure there won't be any romancing going on.

He's a bit more bundled up now, since it's evening and he gets cold really easily. Bonus of being underweight. He's got the symbol that's supposed to make him recogniseable to his date, just a tall tall man fiddling with his long long braid long very very nervous and excited at the same time while he waits right inside the park. ]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[Nia's in her usual, yellow jumpsuit and nothing fancy at all. Her day has been spent on dates and fantasizing about injuring whoever signed her up for these, but okay, they could've been worse. But this last guy, she doesn't know at all...]

[Like that's gonna stop her, though. She marches right on up to him, craning her neck back to look up. Kind of a short girl, is Nia.]

Well, whoever matched us up owes me a stepladder or something so I feel like I'm actually here.

[Hope you like Welsh accents, Rasu.]

[rockthemonkey]

Brunch. Closed to Emizel

[Poor Emizel. Goku's at the restaurant bright and early, surprisingly! He probably just followed Chikusa the whole way. This sounds like a great way to start off the day to him- breakfast! Breakfast with cake! He didn't even need to be bribed with chocolate to get this far. Chikusa is a sucker.

For the time being, Goku's kicking his heels waiting for Emizel to arrive. While happily snacking on the selection of fruits available.]


Aquarium. Closed to Rasu.

[ Well, brunch was fun but now Goku's ditched his first date in favour of finding his second! In theory. He had been wandering around the aquarium, looking for whoever it is (this would be so much easier if Chikusa had just told him who to look for), but when he walks past the penguins he gets distracted.

Now he's pressed up against the glass, watching the penguins take turns sliding around on their stomachs with delight. Yeah, he totally looks like an adult. They're cute, okay? His date will surely understand.

His invitation is sticking out of his back pocket, symbol perfectly visible to anyone looking. It's fine. ]


Amusement Park. Closed to Nia.

[ Wait, didn't Goku have a date for the amusement park already- okay, yeah, he did. And he and Garry had fun, probably! But one thing lead to another and after a while Goku may have... ditched the man. Whoops. He didn't really mean to, but it's getting dark now anyway. Plenty of people are getting ready to go home.

Goku is sat on a bench, watching the crowds with a happy smile on his face. It's been an okay day, he thinks. But after a day of hanging out with near strangers, he's looking forward to spending the evening unwinding with his friends. Gojyo and Hakkai are weirdly missing, but that's fine. Maybe he'll wait for Chikusa and Ken to finish whatever they're doing and go home with them. Maybe he'll meet up with Hokuto somewhere.

... Maybe he'll just sit by himself on this bench until the park closes and someone kicks him out. Who knows?]


Wildcard!

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[By amusing coincidence, Goku's second date was Nia's third, and between him and Hibiki and Ross, she'd just had the loooongest day. Right now a friendly face is just what she needs, someone whose company is pleasant and not demanding and will probably involve little more than eating and some chat.]

[She doesn't offer much warning before she hops over the bench, then flops down next to him.]

Oi. Your day as long as mine?

[killercoat]

Birds Of The Same Feather Flock Together
A.[ Even if everyone is enjoying their Valentine's day there is still work that needs to be done. Akutagawa's interest is dealing with the ayakashi harassing the lovers. He isn't doing it to save their romance, that's not really his concern, but simply to make sure they don't become a problem later. He goes for the doves, his coat tendrils are able to reach up into the air and ensnare them. He's able to hold them in place, but he's not in the position to rid of them. Maybe a god and their shinki are able to assist him?]

B.[After dealing with the doves for most of the day, their influence begins to take effect. Akutagawa starts to feel paranoid. He becomes suspicious of those that are willing to help him. Are they going to stab him in the back? Are they trying to steal the credit? Do they believe he's incompetent? Or he might even lash out at an innocent bystander. Instead of using his coat fibers to capture the doves, he uses them to capture people. Wrapping his dark threads around them like a spider in a web. Stop him before he hurts someone, but watch out, he'll put up a fight!]

Ferocious Teddy
[Akutagawa observes from the shadows as he sees a teddy bear clutching onto a person. The toy looks cute, and there doesn't appear to be anything awry with the human. However, upon seeing how the human acted before the interaction with the bear, the personality of the person has definitely changed. There's no other explanation besides the teddy bear.

So Akutagawa moves to detach the toy from the person. He tries his best to do so stealthily, following the human at a distance and allowing his black threads to tail the pair. He gets an opportunity to corner them within a store, his tendrils go in to strike and that's when the bear becomes animated. Lunging towards him with a vicious look and ravenous claws swiping for him. Akutagawa deflects the attack, but the teddy bear seems like it will be a handful to deal with on his own. Help him contain this teddy bear?]

B-Birds

[irishfriskey]

[That's not good. He doesn't know if this person is cursed or trapped or something bad is happening, but he has to get them to stop now. Or someone's going to really get hurt.

He has to stop this now.

Moving in as quickly but as quietly as he can, he tries to use his spear to get some of those darkthreads wrapped around it. Maybe then he can come up with part two of his plan.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Brunch with Natsuru

[Natsuru's date almost looks enjoyable. A pair of minions, dressed to the nines, flank her companion's chair as he awaits her arrival, on the far side of a table just waiting to be filled with food. Everything is perfect, everything in readiness.]

[Except the date that is in the chair and awaiting her arrival is a book.]

[Welp.]

The Amusement Park with Petra

[Floating in midair, a book looks about, twisting left and right to check for someone who bears an invitation with a symbol he recognizes. That matching symbol is easy enough to see on him, because his invitation is tucked into his pages like a bookmark, protruding above the cover without any subtlety at all.]

Prayers

[In-between dates, Zetta and his troop of minions zoom around at top speed, as the Overlord exhibits almost a frantic desire to make this holiday go aright. He's easy enough to catch, though, as he and his crew form a semi-circle around a list of prayers, puzzling over which ones to take.]

Help him notice her? She ought to just march up and demand a date! What guy would turn that down?

[Ask why he's actually doing these prayers? Or possibly save him from ruining people's lives with demonic answers to human problems?]

[thirdbeauty]

[Natsuru really hadn't known what to expect. She'd tried to dress somewhere in the middle ground between super dressy and casual, ending up with a nicely coordinated sweater dress combination, with her hair down. The brunch date looks a little fancier than she'd anticipated, though... especially when she catches the eye of a pretty, well-dressed girl at what looks like her table.

And then a cute, equally well-dressed guy. Wait. Who was her date supposed to be with again? She's already looking incredibly nervous as she steps closer, to see that the chair between the minions is occupied.

By a book.]

Um. [She looks to one minion, then the other. Then back at the book. She thinks she remembers a book like this from the shoots for Hibiki's movie?] ... Hello?

[What kind of date is this???]

[doodlebuginette]

The Aquarium (with Yuna)

For better or worse, she's excited about going to the aquarium. And maybe it's not something she would've thought about for a first date - especially a blind date - she's not going to let that deter her. In fact, she makes a point to get there early and find herself a place to sit and wait for her date. The outfit she chose for this was fairly new, and not one she made, but she thought it was cute enough at least. For the time being, Tikki is hanging out in her purse.

The Amusement Park (with Jae Ha)

After the aquarium, it's off to the amusement park! So far, the day had been really fun, and she's looking forward to more of that. If anything, she's hoping to win a cute stuffed animal or something. Again, she made a point to get there early and find a nice place to sit and wait for her date. It occurs to her that maybe, things would go smoother if people had some way of knowing ahead of time who they were waiting for. But then again, there's something a little romantic about the mystery of it all. This time, though, Tikki is hovering somewhere near her shoulder, acting as an extra set of eyes as they wait.

Ayakashi Menace (OTA)

Just as she promised, Marinette is willing to do her part to keep the ayakashi at bay. In the morning, Ladybug can be spotted out and about. A well-timed yoyo here or there is usually enough of a distraction to separate the monsters from their intended victims. She knows she can't purify them the way she does with akuma, but it's more of a habit than anything. Mostly, though, she's just keeping an eye out for anything that might seem suspicious.

ayakashi

[priforprince]

"Yoyos have a questionable reputation here."

A flicker of cape from the roof of this building. A faint trail of purple sparkles, and, falling from above, a lone lily with crimson petals.

"Seeking to redeem them takes courage."

Does whoever's up here help out? Nope. Not at first, anyway. Being cryptic and mysterious takes priority.

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Aquarium Date With Ross

[Okay, if she has to go on a another date -- which that bloody owl has made clear she does -- an aquarium's not a bad place to do it. And whoever she ends up with won't be Hibiki, so that's a double win. Maybe this'll be all right.]

[Nia hasn't bothered to dress up in the slightest, so she's absolutely unmistakable even from behind, which is where anyone will see her because she's leaning in close to the glass to watch the fish swim. Her invitation sticks out of her belt, the symbol displayed openly so whoever has its match can find her.]

Hell, and I even just ate... [But Nia can't help but think how damn tasty some of those fish look.]

Ayakashi Fights

Whyyyy!?

[Nia's plaintive protest comes as she scrabbles away on all fours just as the teddy bear ayakashi slams into the pavement right on her heels with enough force to crack it.]

[Cute and cuddly little thing, WHY IS IT SO FIERCE?!]

Wildcard.

[Prayers? Team-ups? Mocking others? Just show me the way.]

the worst date ever

[shiitan]

[He was also in the "not even attempting to dress up" camp, so that meant a hoodie and jeans at best. But Nia. Oh Nia. Invitation or not, standing that close to the glass absolutely made her a sitting duck when it came to his usual antics.

That being said, (mostly) harmless comedy violence was the name of the game here. So, when he reached out to knock her head into the glass, it would be with only enough force to be annoying rather than painful.]

[letteropener]

Aquarium with Jae Ha

[Celestia has elected to assume a human shape today, quite wisely believing that humans generally prefer that in their dates over equines. So the invite that matches his belongs to a tall and regal woman elegantly dressed in a suit, whose ethereal nature is belied by the mass of iridescent hair serenely drifting behind her.]

[While she waits, she watches the fish with interest. Observing animals in their natural(ish) environment is always a delight, and some of these look like none she's ever seen before!]

Prayers

[In-between dates, Celestia takes an interest in the prayers coming her way with a desire to help match people that would do her niece proud. But not all of these are easy, so the equine-in-human shape frowns down at a card that vexes her.]

I need a good musician to play by our table during our date?

Prayers

[dredefulchilde]

[Joscelin is not particularly interested in Valentine's Day (in fact the whole idea of it fairly disgusts him), but he happens to be walking by as Celestia reads out the card.]

I don't understand these people. [He's speaking mostly to himself, unaware Celestia can hear him.] So much bloody effort. Take a piano class and leave us alone.