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

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.]

[kokuyoyo]

[Ah. Chikusa immediately jerks back as the unexpected slash comes out, even considering its target, and takes stock of his surroundings. No shinki visible, a pair would just Rend the creature...]

[Chikusa doesn't really get people a lot of the time. However, he does understand the actions of fellow paranoid assassin, being one himself. There's only one other person he immediately knows of that has Umbra and would act like this, since it's certainly not Kairi's M.O....]

[With one hand in his pocket to hold onto a yoyo, he sliced through a leg. It's a very precise hit.]

...Ginia?

[unlucky7]

[With that line of logic, it's painfully apparent. Guilty as charged. Ginia drops the spell and raises her hands, eyes honing in on Chikusa's hidden hand. She's never seen him with a weapon and she'd rather not find out by being a target.]

Hi.

[She moves closer, looking at the dismembered ayakashi, limbs twitching and trying to knit back together. Signing practice is good, but Ginia opts for her phone for clarity in the moment.]

Are you leaving it or do you have other plans?

[kokuyoyo]

[Oh, good. He was right. Chikusa eases up, letting his hand slip out of his pocket and slice through another wing that's almost near to connecting.]

...I might capture it. They... tend to get out of containers eventually. But you can manage to keep them in for a while, especially depending on how you store them...

[unlucky7]

[Of all the people to capture ayakashi for any reason, Ginia is the least surprised by Chikusa. It doesn't mean she's not surprised by the casual statement and she blinks at him as everything processes.

She looks at the ayakashi, casually cuts through its throat so it can't warble out a song.]

How long have you been collecting ayakashi and why?

[kokuyoyo]

Ah... I guess not that long.

[...Relatively speaking. It hasn't been over a year. Don't get him wrong; Ginia has proved to be a reliable companion and someone who makes sense to him. He likes her, as much as he likes anyone outside of his temple.]

[...But he had liked Ayumu, too. He thought her understood her. Even now he wonders if it was a mistake to show her the blight poison.]

[So he keeps his words simultaneously truthful but dishonest, watching the creature's limbs try to crawl back.]

I want to understand blight better... [Not wrong.] Maybe figure out better ways to take care of it...

[unlucky7]

[Ginia takes Chikusa's words are face value. She suspects in general people always hide things, but that's their prerogative. In all this time she's never come across his ways as a poisoner, and casually mentioning ayakashi experiments is a little bit taboo.]

Admirable. How's that been going for you?

[Beat]

What does Hakkai think?

[kokuyoyo]

Eh... Interesting, I guess.

[It was certainly a struggle, finding a way to work with something so supernatural when he's used to working with regular poisons and venoms which occur in the natural world. Yet he'd been stubborn, forcing it to work with him... and he guesses his will had paid off. He can't say he hasn't learned anything.]

[...Including that first test run, which is one of the many things that has him pause. What... does Cho "grab an ayakashi with his bare hand" Hakkai... Cho "I'm already heavily blighted but I'll let you test a blight poison on me" Hakkai... Cho "I almost turned into an ayakashi" Hakkai... Cho "My ex willfully blights me and I don't have as much of a problem with that as I should" Hakkai...]

[What does that guy think about it?]

[Chikusa snaps out of his head after a moment, just in time to send a line through a re-attached wing.]

....He's fine with it, I guess.

[unlucky7]

[It takes a second or two too long for Chikusa to response and Ginia wonders what's going on his mind but doesn't dare to ask. Even if he hadn't gotten the ayakashi, she would have.]

Need help collecting ayakashi? I'm not doing anything else.

[She pauses, offers a light smile.]

My dates went well. Thanks.

[kokuyoyo]

...If you want. Although I'll need a container to put it in... and then another container to put that in...

[Ayakashi are rather debatably a solid, after all, with the proof in front of them visible as bits of the dove try to ooze their way back together. This sort of thing is a necessity.]

[He inclines his head slightly at her thanks, going through a mental list in his head. Chikusa doesn't really care about anyone else going on dates today outside of Hakkai, but that doesn't mean he's forgotten the match ups he's made.]

That would be... D2... and Zhao Yunlan, right...?

[unlucky7]

[Ginia nods in confirmation. Given how things could have gone overall, she's glad she ended up with someone she already knew and someone else nice. There's not much else to say about them though, especially not with an ayakashi. Ginia slashes another borderline, undoing some of the ayakashi's work.]

There's a home goods store nearby. I'll grab some containers.

[She pauses long enough to size up the overall size of the ayakashi and calculate the size of containers needed before springing off with a long leap.]

[kokuyoyo]

[It's fine. He might not have all the time in the world, but he does have a capable and energetic partner in the form of Minako. He can wait long enough while she goes and gets the supplies. By the time Ginia comes back, he's continues to vivisect the ayakashi to keep it from moving too far. It seems too distressed to be able to use its ability on Chikusa... or maybe that's just because there's no one for it to turn him on right now.]

[Or maybe Chikusa is just already naturally paranoid. Whatever.]

[As he ears her approach, Chikusa continues on as if she hadn't left.]

Were they any good?

[Yes, he's making grabby hands for the containers.]

B

[junkyarddog]

[And here the boyfriend is, at last. But you can't blame him for any delays, Chikusa. You had him walk through an aquarium! It's full of cool distractions! He's been having a hard time not marveling at the various fish and tanks that catch his eye.

But, finally, he does arrive, trotting up to Chikusa to peer into the water with eager interest.] Are you catching fish, Kakipi?

[Ken, you don't catch fish in an aquarium. But then again, the concept of petting sea creatures has never really occurred to him, so he can't immediately conceive of any other reason there'd be an open tank where Chikusa's stuck his hand in the water.]

[kokuyoyo]

Apparently that's not allowed in an aquarium... Ken, come here.

[He's already loosely tugging on Ken's sleeve, encouraging him to sit on the seats all around the rim of the pool, and fully expects him to go along with it. It's not like there's any reason not to. From there, he'll guide his hand by the wrist into the cool water- a doable temperature inside the comfortable air of the aquarium.]

[The rays seem to be pretty friendly. One is already coming over to investigate curiously.]

[reloves]

[ Minako has not forgotten the promise to be introduced to Chikusa's boyfriend. If it wasn't for the fact that her biggest goal here today was making sure everyone is having a great time, then that'd surely be her biggest goal instead - meet Chikusa's boyfriend. It's just that important for her, okay! How can she be friends with someone and never meet their significant other?

But with Minako being Minako, of course she has horrible timing. The moment she spots Chikusa with another boy, she's steamwaltzing right over, cute fish petting moments (accidentally) be damned. ]

Chikusa! [ She's beaming. She honestly looks on the verge of radiating light and sparkles, her smile is that wide. And said way-too-enthusiastic gaze turns to Ken only a moment later-- ] Is this your boyfriend?

[junkyarddog]

[Ken is watching the ray approach his hand curiously when the voice rings out, and his head snaps up in surprise. If Chikusa weren't still holding his wrist, he'd probably have pulled his hand out, but it stays where it is.

He blinks at the approaching girl - someone Chikusa knows, obviously, but Ken hasn't met her before - before glancing to his partner, then back at the girl. In fact, he's hardly ever had his relationship with Chikusa acknowledged by somebody else - Gojyo's needled him about it, and Hakkai is certainly aware, although he's never really commented on it much to Ken. But this is just about the first time anyone's openly, loudly acknowledged Ken as being Chikusa's boyfriend...and the person doing it is a cute girl.

Ken turns quickly, unmistakably red. It's just as well the question is directed at Chikusa, because Ken's momentarily tongue-tied. This is embarrassing! And how did she know they're boyfriends, anyway? Did Chikusa talk to her about him?

And then the ray nuzzles Ken's hand, after Ken's entirely forgotten about it, and Ken lets out a startled, borderline canine and thoroughly undignified yelp.]

[kokuyoyo]

[Well, there goes that moment, and Chikusa dully looks up with complete willful ignorance to the way Ken startles at being called out so blatantly. After all, while his partner certainly couldn't have expected Minako to come barreling in like the world's glitteriest wrecking ball... Well. Chikusa told her he would introduce her. (He guesses.) For most of the day, he's been kind of expecting this. Maybe not at this exact moment, but... whatever.]

[His head bobs in a- well, it falls forward as if remembering gravity's call, and takes a second longer then necessary to rise up, and that's almost a nod, maybe, in some alternate universe.]

Mm. Right. He's-

[All proper introductions get caught off as a yelp breaks through his words, and Chikusa pauses for a moment. For most people, being so close to dog yelping would probably hurt their ears. Chikusa merely pauses as if tryig to remember if he's left the stove on before he turns his head slowly to look at the other boy.]

...Afraid of fish. Apparently.

[Which rays definitely are, despite not looking anything at all like the commonly known fish. Although Ken looking that red and frazzled is kind of hilarious. Maybe cute? He can't tell sometimes, honestly. He likes being around Ken almost all the time, after all.]

I told you he got dumb around cute girls...

[Good news, Ken: he's still been shittalking you even when introducing you as his boyfriend. That's some sort of good news, right?]

[reloves]

[ The contrast between Ken getting all startled and his face growing red and on the other hand Chikusa barely reacting at all is so adorable. To Minako it is, anyway, since she just happily giggles despite both of their reactions being perhaps slightly.. unconventional. It's not as if Minako is the most normal person in the universe, after all, she has no grounds to judge them on.

Besides, she also likes the knowledge that yes, she is indeed a cute girl! Thanks, you two.

Minako smiles at them happily. ]

It's fine, it's fine! I know my presence is incredibly overwhelming. [ It fits Minako's usual style of bragging (she means overwhelming in a good way since she's just that amazing!), but she at least makes clear that it's a joke by winking at Chikusa.

It's then that she turns back to Ken. Sorry, boy, you're not escaping from meeting Minako this easily. ]

Nice to meet you! I'm Minako, one of Chikusa's friends! I was so excited to meet you today.

[junkyarddog]

[Ken turns an even deeper red - all the way to the tips of his ears - and scowls at Chikusa.] I'm not afraid of fish, shitty kappa! I just didn't know it was gonna touch me right then! [He pauses for a moment.] ...it was squishier than I thought it was gonna be, byon. [It certainly didn't feel bony, the way Ken is accustomed to fish being.

Then he looks back at Minako, hunching his shoulders a bit in a defensively embarrassed sort of way.] Kakipi didn't tell me about you... [After a pause, he decides a bit more might be required.] ...but he hardly ever tells me anything unless he has to, byon.

[kokuyoyo]

[What do you mean that's a joke? Minako is overwhelming, says Chikusa, who is overwhelmed by any considerably friendly or energetic person. For now, however, that's only mental commentary. Instead, he just blinks at her, and then at Ken.]

I didn't think you'd be interested.... [Perhaps a fair assumption-] And talking a lot is tiring on top of more tiring stuff. [Oh, there it is, the truth.]

[Well, it has been a lot of work, honestly, even with Minako helping him out. Besides, if he told Ken, then maybe his own soon-to-come gesture wouldn't be as much of a surprise.]

So... What do you think?

[...Is this to Minako or Ken? Hard to say.]

[reloves]

[ Kakipi.. Is that.. Is that some sort of cute lovers' nickname?! Oh no, this is truly getting to be too much for Minako's easily swayed heart. This is pretty much seventh heaven for someone as obsessed with love as she is, and she just has to clutch her cheeks with her hands to try and contain herself.

It only works halfway. She still squeals. ]

I think it's great! You guys are great! [ With Minako being Minako, she considers every question to be aimed at her.. ] I totally approve!

[ She leans a little closer to Chikusa then while looking at Ken-- ]

He seems adorable! [ She gives a thumbs up. ] Nice taste!

[ Apparently Minako has zero problems with saying that within an already embarrassed Ken's earshot. And while being fully aware he can hear it. It even shows she's aware of it since she immediately continues with something that's clearly aimed at him rather than at Chikusa-- ]

Let's get along well from now on too, okay?

[ There's no escaping friendship now, Ken!! You're the boyfriend of her friend, so clearly now you must be her friend too. ]

[junkyarddog]

[Since Minako answers the question, Ken assumes that said question must have been directed at her. Questions about thinking are rarely aimed at him, after all, and with good reason.

When he's called adorable, he turns brick red, even as he tries to huff and play off his embarrassment. It completely fails to work.]

How come you're friends with Kakipi, anyway? [This is preying on his mind.] He doesn't like doing anything that takes effort, so how'd he make a friend?

[kokuyoyo]

...Hey.

[Is the response delayed because that's Chikusa's life story, or because he got briefly distracted by the intense shade of red which has covered Ken's face? Yes. Still, he blinks at that accusation.]

...I mean it's not wrong... [Let it not be said that he's objecting to the truth here.] But people around here are really...

[Nosy people? Bossy people? Chikusa trails off for a second, trying to figure out the exact words to describe the kind of weirdly energetic and people-people that the Far Shore never seems to be lacking of.]

[One would think that 'friendly' would be an easy word to think of, but that's not the kind of life Chikusa has lead. It might only take a second for him to think of the right description, but that's probably more than a second for Minako to barrel in... and probably demonstrate exactly how this friendship happened.]

[If it can be called a friendship, anyway. Chikusa hasn't bothered to fight it yet so far.]

[reloves]

Isn't it obvious? [ Minako smiles widely. ] I mean, who wouldn't want to be friends with someone like me?

[ A pretty biased answer right there, but Minako seems to be saying it full of confidence, as if it's just a true fact in life.. Totally ignoring the half finished explanation that Chikusa himself is trying to give. ]

Either way, he was having a big problem, so I selflessly jumped in to help him! And now we're here doing this together, and now we're friends too!

[ The Minako-filtered version of events, apparently. ]