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

[galrarm]

[ Likewise, Shiro isn't really sure who signed him up. He definitely didn't. He has his suspicions, but... those can wait until after his two dates. Best to focus on the task at hand--the task being... brunch. With a stranger.

Shiro spots him, and he comes over with a warm smile. He shows him the symbol--the match. ]

Hey there. I'm Shiro.

[creepface]

[ Rasu knows who signed him up, but that just dampens his mood. It's pretty much the last thing Shingo did here, and it's... not feeling that great. Hopefully this will go at least somewhat good so he doesn't disappoint Shingo, even though he's not here to see him fail. ] Ah... [ He looks between the symbol and Shiro's face, promptly blushing. Oh no he's so pretty. He's feeling entirely inadequate even though he never even signed up on his own. ] H-hi. I'm R-Rasu. Nice to, m-meet you. [ At least Shiro doesn't seem entirely put off by him (yet), maybe he'll even sit down by the little table Rasu's already sitting at. ]

[galrarm]

[ He definitely notices the blush, but Shiro isn't the type to point it out--not if it's going to embarrass him. Instead, he takes a seat across from Rasu, folding his hands on the table. ]

Nice to meet you too, Rasu. So... have you ever had French food before?

[creepface]

[ Having it pointed out would most definitely embarrass him. His eyes moves between his black painted nails and Shiro's face - it's rude to stare, but it's hard not to. ] N-not really, I m-mostly just know they eat s-snails and frogs and um, I don't eat a-anything from animals so... I h-haven't really checked it out. [ He wishes he had, at this point, maybe he would know what these fancy words the dishes were called meant. Escargot? No idea what that is. ] H-h-have you?

[galrarm]

Well, luckily, I'm sure there's plenty of French food that doesn't involve anything from animals. I haven't had much; I'm more used to Japanese food and simpler stuff.

[ He gives Rasu a reassuring smile. ]

Seems like it'll be a new experience for both of us.

[creepface]

M-me too. Th-there's a lot of things you c-can do with s-simple ingredients. [ He's kind of an enthusiast about food. He's enthusiastic about other things too, but right now they're talking about food. And it's a relief to know he's not the only one not used to this. ] I h-haven't been to a r-restaurant in, um, many years... D-do they not wr-write what's in the food in f-fancy places like these? [ Maybe he can check on his phone what the dish is, and if it looks somewhat non-dangerous to him he can ask what's in it. Would that be rude of him to do? ] D-do you know what e-escargot means?

[galrarm]

Exactly. Honestly, I prefer the simpler things to fancy food.

[ And a lot of the food here seems too rich and extravagant, especially after several years in space and then a long time in the Black Lion's consciousness. Simply put, Shiro feels out of his element, but... it'll be alright.

Stick to lighter fare, and all that. ]

It doesn't seem like they write the ingredients, but I don't see the harm in asking. [ He pauses. ] I'm pretty sure escargot is snails.

[creepface]

I, I like making more c-complicated things once in a wh-while but it's... r-relaxing to both m-make and eat simple th-things. Y-you don't have to, um, b-be worried about messing up...

[ Like how worried he gets when there's more than one set of tableware. He prefers chopsticks on most days, so it's not comforting to see so many sharp knives around. He's not the most graceful of people. Only one knife at the time, please.

He lets out a tiny little 'eep' even though he expected snails to be on the menu, but... still. It's creepy. It makes him think of very dark times in his life where he had to eat anything to survive and still failed and ultimately starved to death. And then all the animals in the afterlife talked, were just like him, and after that... he just couldn't eat meat anymore. ]

Do you th-think they have fruit b-bowls or b-berries or s-something?

[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! ]

[creepface]

[ He won't be uncomfortable unless it's something like lobsters. Since some cook them alive. Or other creepy things like squid that you pour that sauce on that makes it move. He knows it's not alive but it creeps him out. ]

L-like the movie that c-came out the other y-year. I m-mean some y-years ago.

[ In his world it's only been a few years. It's been more here.

A server comes closer, interrupting (sort of, it's the person's job) to ask about their order. ]

Ah, um, is the rice pudding v-vegan friendly?

[galrarm]

Was there a movie like that?

[ He comes from a time when World War III happened quite some time ago, after all.

The server notes that they can make it vegan-friendly, and Shiro gives Rasu a smile. ]

I bet some berries would go great with that.

[creepface]

YYes, it's about a r-rat that loves to c-cook and a h-human who is very bad at it and th-they meet. It's v-very endearing. [ If he finds it here he can show it to you, Shiro. ] Th-that's a great idea...! C-can I a-also have some b-berries and, if, if you have a fruit salad, please? [ They do indeed have that. Oh, this sounds like a pretty good meal to him. ]

[galrarm]

That sounds adorable. I'd love to see it.

[ He smiles a little, and Shiro orders his ratatouille. The server takes down their meals. ]

Anything to drink?

[creepface]

I, I will show it to you if I can f-find it, I think d-disney and pixar e-exists here.

[ He's been happy to discover that moomins do, at least. ]

Um, [ he thinks it over for a bit, assuming that they don't have matcha since it's a french establishment. ] chamomile tea, please.

[galrarm]

I'm looking forward to it.

[ He gives Rasu an easy smile, then orders himself a lemon tea. The server nods and takes down their drink orders, assuring them they'll be out soon. ]

So, Rasu... you're a god, I'm guessing?

[creepface]

[ Here's to hoping the food is as good as the place is fancy. ] Y-yes. Um, S-Sukunahikona. H-healing and br-brewing sake. [ Sounding a bit formal there, are we ]