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

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.

[doodlebuginette]

"It's the only weapon I've ever used."

The voice startles her, though it's not unfamiliar. And that's not entirely true, but she's not in the mood to mince words right now. Besides, she likes her yoyo.

"Lucky for them, I'm courageous enough to take the challenge."

And now she's being a little ridiculous. But so is Hibiki, sometimes, so she doesn't feel bad about it. She does appreciate the sparkles and the falling flower, however, and reaches out to catch it when it comes close enough.

[priforprince]

"It's a casablanca."

A silhouette appears against the stars, nodding to the flower in Ladybug's hand. The silhouette is hatted. Cloaked. Magnificent.

And any ayakashi that come near it are repelled by sudden, brilliant flashes of purple light. Don't barge in during an elegant conversation!

Keeping their temper, the figure smirks in the shadows, looking over at Ladybug with their chin dipped low. "In flower language, the casablanca lily means: Dignity. Nobility. And - great love."

The figure lifts their head. Against the latest flash of light, a golden mask and bright green eyes gleam out. "Surely this flower exists for my sake."

[doodlebuginette]

"It's gorgeous. Thank you~"

She does notice the silhouette, and turns that way. There's no real question of who it could be, but she's willing to play along because she's in the mood for a distraction.

She's not even irritated when she notices the ayakashi being repelled, because her heart's not really in fighting just now. But it seemed like something she should be doing, and so she'd volunteered.

Ordinarily she'd question how someone seems to know so much about flower language, but she supposes if anyone's going to know a lot, it'll probably be Hibiki. She's just not going to think too much about that last bit, though.

Before she can say anything, the dark figure lifts their head and Ladybug smiles up at them despite the absurdity. "I can't think of any other possible reason for its existence."

[priforprince]

"Were you unaccompanied this Valentine's Day?"

The COMPLETELY ANONYMOUS AND DASHING STRANGER, who simply happens to possess a certain panache and an incredibly deep voice, continues to repel ayakashi and speak in a calm tone. Apparently encounters with other masked vigilantes are not enough to disrupt their composure.

What an admirable and stunning person, yes? Even under such circumstances, they want to ensure Ladybug went on a nice date!

[doodlebuginette]

"I had a couple of dates scheduled, but only one showed up." But that's all they are. Blind dates.

She recognizes that voice, but she's willing to play along with it for now. And since it's been brought up, she can't help feeling curious about whether or not the other had gone on any fun dates.

But she's not going to just come right out and ask about it, because that would be rude. So instead, Ladybug glances around again. It's still quite odd that the ayakashi seem to be staying away, but there won't be any complaints from her about it.

"And how about you? Anything... exciting to report?"

[priforprince]

"Nothing beyond this irritation."

One of the ayakashi tests the light and discovers it isn't harmful. In fact, said light might not be....really there? It sniffs, decides this is worth it, and leaps for the stranger.

Who draws an antique-blunderbuss-shaped water gun full of holy water and shoots it dead-on. The ayakashi drops, hissing, trying to re-form. "Is your shinki about?"

The horde around stirs. The light isn't harmful. The pistol is.

But there is only one pistol. And many ayakashi.

[doodlebuginette]

Oh. Well this isn't really what she'd wish on anyone for Valentine's Day. "The day's not over yet!" Anything could happen, right?

Before she can say much more, though, one of the ayakashi grows bold enough to try its luck against the light.

Which isn't really there?

Ladybug blinks and glances around at the horde. Now that she thinks about it, she can't remember where Dust said he was going to be. "He's busy, but I could call him if we really need him!" She's only assuming, of course. Had he mentioned any specific plans?

"What about yours?" In the meantime, she'll resort to smacking any ayakashi that draw too near with her yoyo.

[priforprince]

"An irritation of this level isn't worth summoning my shinki."

This, despite having to be sure the mysterious figure downs each ayakashi with only one hit. This, despite knowing the only thing that can eliminate them is Rend. That must be some shinki!

Still.....hm. This is getting annoying.

"Yours will suffice."

There is a gathering cloud of ayakashi behind the figure, now.