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

[priforprince]

[ Still holding the rose to her lips, Hibiki tilts her chin till she's in full profile from Minako's perspective. One eye, half-lidded for maximum eyelash effect, meets Minako's gaze. And doesn't let go. ]

Come here.

[ There is almost but not quite a tilde in that invitation.

Hibiki enjoys Minako. ]

[reloves]

[ It's like an absolute siren call. Hibiki could have told her to do anything in that moment, looking at her like that, and Minako would have done it.

Just coming over though? That's simple, and she doesn't hesitate whatsoever. Her feet move before her brain can even think, and she's right next to Hibiki in the blink of an eye. ]

You.. wanted me to come?

[ Minako lives for attention, but Hibiki's attention is even more special than the usual. ]

[priforprince]

Of course.

[ Hibiki adjusts how she's seated on this bench. Now the bench is like 85% Hibiki and 15% available if Minako wanted to sit down. Generous indeed. ]

What greater pleasure could there be than spending a fleeting Valentine's moment with such a tireless proponent of amore?

[reloves]

[ There's a whole lot more than 15% if you count Hibiki's lap as a viable sitting spot..

But Minako will be good and not incredibly thirsty for once and just.. sit down on the 15%. It's a good excuse to be all up against Hibiki anyway. ~*Romantic*~. ]

Well, I'm sure you know I'm honored.. [ She has perfected the bashful act. Red cheeks, fluttering eyelashes, hands on her cheeks. ] Spending even a moment with you is like a true Valentine's miracle-- I didn't even dare to wish for it!

[priforprince]

Did you prepare any dates for yourself?

[ This smile longs to be Minako's only Valentine's date. As does this light in Hibiki's brilliant eyes and this arch of her regal eyebrows.

She intends to make the...most...of this between-dates period. ]

[reloves]

[ She shakes her head.

It's.. not a total lie, but also not the total truth? She'll say anything that sounds like it'd even remotely please Hibiki though, she can't help it. ]

Of course I didn't plan any blind dates for myself! I need to be free to make sure everyone else's dates are going well, of course..!

[priforprince]

Then, this delight is mine and mine alone.

[ Hibiki takes the rose she'd been thrown and tucks it into Minako's hairbow. She appreciates the gift, but! Now that it has been sprinkled with her amore, it's best returned to its rightful home. ] Please make me the only Valentine's date you require.

[reloves]

[ Give her a moment, Minako's brain is short-circuiting for a moment while frantically thanking her past self for stealing that flower from a mortal, if not just so she could live this moment. This is it, right? Life doesn't get much better than this? If she died (again) now, it'd be fine. That's okay. She's had her best moment.

She realises she should probably find her words again though instead of gawking at Hibiki like she's some sort of fabulous statue in a museum. ]

I.. How could I ever need anyone but you..

[priforprince]

[ It's okay if Minako wants to go find a Hibiki statue in a museum to gawk at, too. There are probably some in Hibiki's home puniverse. She has probably had some installed in this one. (There are oracles in Delphi who definitely....appreciate....the current incarnation of Apollo.)

But anyway, the main event. Hibiki produces a small box of inordinately expensive chocolates. ] This will be the only treat you require, as well.

Say "aah".

[ is she finally going to get to do it outside of a dream

is she finally going to get to feed someone chocolate ]

[reloves]

[ There's a voice in the back of Minako's head saying that she really should be setting everything up for the next round of dates already.

But if there's anything Minako is good at, it's ignoring that nasty little voice of responsibility in the face of true and pure love. Look, Hibiki is offering her chocolates. She's offering to feed her. Only someone completely inhuman could say no to that!! This is a once in a lifetime experience!!

So Minako obediently opens her mouth, looking like her mind has definitely left her body right now to go live on cloud nine. She's even leaning a bit closer, like she's that eager for Hibiki to put the chocolates into her mouth. ]

A.. Aaah...

[priforprince]

Hm.

[ That is an incredibly pleased smile on Hibiki's face as, focus narrowed until her entire puniverse is this exercise, she carefully plucks one of the chocolates from its box and slowly, oh so slowly, brings it to Minako's lips.

Here we are. A pick-me-up for the diligent girl arranging everything. ] Bon appetit.

[ This chocolate is unbelievably decadent, Minako. Rich and flavorful and overwhelming. It's like eating Hibiki's wallpaper, but in a good way.

And it's being placed into your mouth...right....now. By someone who will also take her time removing her fingers. ]

[reloves]

[ It's more than a pick-me-up, really. To Minako it suddenly feels like she's been a traveller in the desert finally finding water after going thirsty for weeks. This moment is so perfect that she doesn't even mind Hibiki acting slowly - this would have felt like an eternity in her heart anyway.

And then Hibiki puts the chocolate in her mouth, and when she starts to chew it, it's so delicious on top of it all. This is it. She can die (again) happily now. Minako is even just eating it with her eyes closed, trying to stay in the moment of Hibiki having hand fed her. ]

I must've been blessed today.. [ AT LEAST FINISH EATING AND SWALLOWING THE CHOCOLATE BEFORE SPEAKING UP, MINAKO.. But she's way too far gone to think about that. ]

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki did sing so amazingly once that she caused an oasis to form in a desert. This is not an exaggeration. Minako knows more about her Prince than she realizes.

Hibiki, for her own part, is pleased enough with this response to not react to Minako speaking with her mouth full. ] I am a god.

[ She's going to be next for her next prayer. This does not occur to Hibiki. ]

[reloves]

Hibiki-sama!

[ Minako did seem like she was about to pass out from her chocolate-eating experience just now, but she suddenly bounces back up with renewed energy, sitting up straight. She's still not taking her eyes off Hibiki for a moment though. ]

I promise you.. In my heart, you'll forever be the most dazzling and charming god of all..! I won't forget this moment!

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki inclines her head: this is the desired reaction. ] Naturally. Succumbing to that passion will never lead you astray.

[ hibiki, no

Now, for a finale.....Ah. She smiles. ]

You are my Valentine, Minako.

[reloves]

[ Minako might have to reconsider the whole "not passing out" thing upon hearing that..

But she does freeze up the moment she hears it. She stares at Hibiki for a moment or two without saying a thing, like her brain needs a few moments to fully process those words. ]

I'm.. your Valentine..? Today, on this holy day, I'm.. Hibiki-sama's Valentine..?

[ Still doubtful as to whether or not her mind can really contain that information. ]

[priforprince]

That's right.

[ Gentle fingertips brush beneath Minako's chin, a reminder of the chocolate. And a thumb lightly dusts across Minako's lips.

It's not an indirect kiss, not technically, but it gets the idea across. ]

Even the chocolate melted before your grace.