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]

[ Hibiki, for her part, reaches down for a coin without bothering to look. She wants a coin to be here, so it shall be. And behold, it is.

This is how the entirety of her life operates. She has never questioned it, and she never shall.

Into the machine the coin goes. Hibiki flexes her fingers before placing one hand, graceful and light, upon the controls. ] Now, the dance of talent begins.

[ The claw begins to move. ]

[unlucky7]

[The gentle chiming melody of the of the crane's movement plays. Will it be the triumph melody of Hibiki's success or a dirge of failure? None know but Hibiki Shikyoin.]

[priforprince]

[ Focus....When to drop it? Not now....

Not now..... ]

Hnh.

[ The button is pressed with full self-assurance! And.....

....A rabbit plush drops into the prize chute shortly afterwards. Hibiki smirks, but otherwise doesn't look super impressed with herself. But not because she discounts her abilities.

Because she always knew herself capable. She has simply offered yet another ample illustration thereof.

Ta-da. ]

[unlucky7]

Your expertise is unparalleled.

[Ginia knows she's good at UFO catchers (thank you very much) and Hibiki's ego doesn't need any more flattering, but hey, she puts on a good show. She applauds lightly.]

Going to keep the rabbit or give it to someone else?

[priforprince]

[ Now that she has her prize, Hibiki examines it for quality. This is hardly a Pangora rabbit, that's for sure.... ] It will find an appropriate destination.

[ She's going to give it to someone else.

Don't make her say it. ]

[unlucky7]

[Her dignity and pride can remain intact today. Ginia looks around the arcade, tempted to stay around and win a few more prizes, but there's work to day. The arcade will be around tomorrow.]

I should get back to patrolling. Thanks though, I had fun.

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki nods: that's fair, and she's no more need of Ginia. The revolution has already received the necessary support from her talents.

Plus she has to find Wendy, but, that's definitely not a factor here. ] Your skills were well-used. I'll call you again should the situation require it.

[ everyone's shinki is hibiki's shinki, if they're a talented shinki

they just don't know it yet ]