36 - Dragon Dance

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Help the Heavens cover for a missing goddess at her temple festival.
When: March 18
Where: Near the Sensou-ji temple in Asakusa
Summary: After Kannon's disappearance last year, the Heavens are concerned that things might go wrong at her temple's March 18 omikoshi festival. They've asked new gods and shinki to attend the festival and keep an eye out for trouble. Meanwhile, trusted newcomers and older gods and shinki alike are watching over the cultists that have been identified.






The Festival

Shrine-carriers, musicians and dancers congregate early in the morning in their matching outfits to get organized into their parade. Luckily, all of the parade participants this time are alive and well. There aren't even any troublesome ayakashi hanging around... so why is everyone having such bad luck?! Laces are breaking, costumes tearing, small children are getting sick from nerves, and even the drums seem to have gone out of tune. It looks like this parade is going to need a whole lot of help to prevent disaster.

For those who aren't busy with the parade preparations, food and souvenir booths throng the area in front of the temple. There's traveling games, too, and plenty of people showing up early with their families to find a good spot to watch the parade. This is one of Tokyo's most popular temples, so it's quite a crowd!

The Stakeouts

Any gods or shinki who were told about the cult problem by Amaterasu -- or anyone who might have heard from friends and allies about the plans -- can help Amaterasu's shinki keep a tight watch on all of the known cult members. Her shinki are looking for any sign of the young gods who she believes are behind all of this trouble, but are there other clues that might be found by a keen observer? Join in on staking out a cult member, and see what you can see.

Current cult members that the shinki are watching include:

• Mitsui Ryou - lives alone in a medium-sized apartment, appears to work a 9 - 5 schedule with occasional late nights.
• Imai Takeru - lives in a small two-story house by himself, has an unpredictable schedule.
• Shimoda Tsuki - lives alone in a small apartment with a lot of plants, works retail with varying shifts.
• Oota Saburo- lives in a medium-sized apartment with his wife and two young children, works a 9 - 5 schedule with frequent work trips.
• Maeda Shinnosuke - lives alone in a small, messy apartment, works construction (early mornings, long days.)
If your character is taking part in the surveillance of any of these people, please feel free to comment to the Cult Clues thread below with the name of the character they're watching, and the times that they're watching that character, in order to learn what they might see. (Note: surveillance doesn't have to take place only on the 18th. Characters can take part in watching the cult members at any time after Amaterasu's announcement on March 8.)

The Parade

At noon, the parade begins. Misfortune is still dogging the participants and the crowds around them, but it looks as though everything will go all right up until the final turn as the heavy, gilded shrine turns back towards the main temple building, tips, and slowly falls over sideways, straight for the crowd.

What's worse, when the shrine hits the ground, it cracks open -- and a huge, jellyfish-like ayakashi wearing a giant white mask with a single black eye inscribed on it heaves its way out and begins lashing its tentacles in every direction. People stung by the tentacles are driven into a furious frenzy, and fights are breaking out everywhere. Stop the humans from fighting, take care of the injured, and destroy the ayakashi before the situation gets any worse.

The Pursuit

In the middle of the fighting crowd, two white-robed shinki are chasing after a very average-looking salaryman in a tan coat. He doesn't seem to know that the shinki are chasing him, but he is moving fast, and they're in danger of losing track of him. They're calling out to any Far Shore denizen close enough to hear, shinki or god:

"Don't let that guy get away! He knows what happened!"

Anyone who has met or spent time staking out Mitsui Ryou will recognize him as the escaping salaryman. If your character takes part in the pursuit, please comment to the Cult Clues thread with a link to your thread - the character who successfully catches Mitsui will be determined by RNG on January 6, 2019.

In Summary:

• Attend the Sensou-ji festival
• Enjoy food and games
• Help Amaterasu's shinki stake out the cult
• Fight a masked ayakashi
• Have fun~

Comments

[trustheart]

Ah... Elfnein!

[Chris's cheeks turn a deeper shade of red at the sight of her.]

I didn't see you in the crowd... you really liked it?

Re: Festival 2

[trustheart]

[Oof! Surprise Irisviel! Chris had seen her in the crowd, but she didn't expect to be hugged like that. It doesn't trigger the same reaction as Hibiki - it's more like the distant memory of being hugged by Sonia or her mother - but she does freeze up for a moment.

That moment passes, however.]

I-Irisviel! You liked it?!

[beyondtheblade]

Yes, it was. It is not as though I had many other friends before Tachibana, Kohinata, and yourself, you know.

[Well, there was Ogawa, as well. But that's a thin list.]

I was once a very different person, Yukine. You all changed that, even if we had a hard time getting there, at first.

However, I would like to think we're all changing still. I certainly don't yet think I am my best self, and I know that in order for me to be that I have to continue evolving.

What about yourself?

[trustheart]

...

I'm. I'm never going to do this if I don't face unexpected challenges.

[She pauses for a moment... and clenches her hand into a fist, before nodding.]

I just... want to ask one more thing, senpai. Kanade... was... was she ever afraid?

[beyondtheblade]

[Tsubasa's eyes flicker at that question, and she draws in a breath.]

Everyone is afraid of something, Yukine. Everything that Kanade was able to do was born of her fear, her anger...

But she was ultimately able to channel those things, and able to push past her limits. For better or, in her case, worse...

[She sighs.]

Fear is not necessarily bad in and of itself. It's merely a question of if it controls you, rather than something you can see as an obstacle to overcome.

I used to let it control me, and set myself down a very destructive path, one you saw firsthand. However... you have the opportunity to do the opposite, should you choose. As long as we're living, we all do.

[trustheart]

... I've never thought of her life a normal person, you know. Even when you were telling me stories about her, I just... always saw her as this amazing person who got ripped out of your life. This radiant, shining individual Hibiki and I never got to know.

[She takes a deep breath.]

It... helps to know she was a normal girl. That she made mistakes, that she hurt, that there were things behind her song. That made her be someone you wanted at your side.

[She looks up at Tsubasa.]

I don't want to just do the opposite of her, Tsubasa. She helped make you who you are, and she made a difference for a lot of people. I want... I want to be the same kind of person she was. For you and everyone else.

...

I guess I'm making this kind of over-dramatic. But. I'll sing today, senpai. Thank you.

[swordofzero]

Staking out

[Suzaku had woken and quickly figured out that ten days had passed since he had been invited to Amaterasu's meeting. It was worrying that he had slept again and for even longer since he had not even been awake a whole day.

But it was a mystery he already knew there were no answers to and so he didn't waste time worrying about it. Instead he made sure to let Saber and Edge know he was awake, checked what was happening and learned about the festival.

But first he had a job that he should have been doing for the last ten days and so his morning was spent outside of a two story house belonging to Imai Takeru. Staking out a house was not something he had done before but he could be still and quiet and he could watch.]

The Parade

Things often went wrong and with heaven being worried that something would happen today it seemed almost inevitable that it would. So Suzaku made sure to be back at the festival in time for the parade. The moment the shrine started to fall he was running toward the crowd, shouting at them to run and get out of the way.

As the ayakashi bursts out he threw up a borderline between it and the nearest group of humans.] You need to get away, run.

[Not being able to see the ayakashi the humans that managed to see Suzaku mostly looked confused, the shrine had fallen but surely the accident was over now.

The pursuit

It was madness, humans fighting, the ayakashi driving them into a frenzy. Over the noise and the confusion Suzaku heard the shout and saw the escaping salaryman. Suzaku didn't hesitate running after him. He glances at anyone else who seems to be chasing him.] Keep going, I'll try and cut him off.

[Being able to jump long distances helps a lot when trying to get through a crowd, Suzaku focused on the goal, trying to get past the man and stop him from escaping.

[swordofzero]

Suzaku only wakes up on the 18th but he spends the morning staking out Imai Takeru.

He is also helping chase down Mitsui Ryou in his top level Here

Parade 2

[hypomeneo]

Irisviel!

[Paging anyone with actual non-magical combat skills - this Caster doesn't have them aside from dodging. And he's in the rank E club for durability. By Servant standards. Which means he's weathering any blows received as he fighting to Irisviel and not having a fun time of it.

But Irisviel is going to get killed if she stays there, so Waver grits his teeth and takes the pain. And snaps the wrist of whoever tried to yank his hair. No. There's a snap of bone. Apparently even rank E strength can do damage to a mortal.]

Irisviel! Yell out if you're conscious!

[swordofzero]

Line! [A shimmering borderline cuts into a tentacle that is snaking towards the group of humans Tsubasa is currently trying to help get away. It retreats slightly giving Suzaku enough time to run up to the group.]

You need to get out of the temple. [He's not sure any of them cane even see him, being noticed by humans is still something he struggles with.]

Parade

[hypomeneo]

[Yes, that rending problem. Add that to the list of grievances to be aired when Waver meets whoever designed this damned system and murders them for this fuckery.

Waver slams down his own borderline as he stares the ayakashi down. Yes, he's a Caster, and yes, he would like to be farther away, but right now he's between an ayakashi and an angry crowd and there's no good place to go and every reason to keep the two apart.]

This one has a mask!

Tell me later if that's normal!

[Waver's eyes widen as Discerning Eye kicks in and the feathered fan materializes in his hand. He sends out his own borderlines to complement the timing of Ginia's own and furiously thinks:

Okay, how the fuck did that get here?

... wait. Think about the known causes of ayakashi...

That damn thing walked in here and no one was the wiser, wasn't it?]

[wishwing]

Good to hear it! On the mark of three I'll raise you up high. Are you ready?

[ Rion makes a gesture and tries to prepare for lift off! Hopefully it'll go smoothly. ]

ayakashi

[phantomtrick]

Alright, let's move there's no time to waste.

[ Ren is just a shinki with little experience. He thinks he can manage himself at least so he runs in with Aymeric. ]

No one asked these guys to show up. Did they steal an invitation?

Parade

[swordofzero]

[He recognises her, even in the armour as the god he had met at the last festival, before he had fallen asleep. He runs over as the humans begin paying attention to the voice that came from nowhere.

He sent off two wordless borderlines towards the ayakashi and glanced over at Chris.] Do you have holy water?

festival prep

[phantomtrick]

[ This likely isn't the answer that Ain's expecting to hear. Ren opens his mouth and speaks truthfully anyways. ]

Hunger. That's what I feel.

[They're getting ready for the festival and it's making him excited. Is that so wrong????]

Parade

[swordofzero]

Lord Saber. [Suzaku runs up to him. Even though he has been asleep for a few weeks he looks ready for anything and had been keeping an eye out for Saber since the shrine first fell.

Why is Saber in a fist fight with an ayakashi? That is a sure way of getting dangerously blighted.] Line! [A borderline springs up between the tentacle and his god as Suzaku runs up to him, reaching into his bag for a bottle of holy water, which unless Saber stops him will be poured over his gods hands.]

[abgrund]

[ It certainly isn't, but Ain's also used to getting this kind of non sequiturs from Ren. ]

I can get you some food.

[ They say that shinki retain the memories of how hungry they were when they died. he won't be surprised. ]

What do you have in mind?

[abgrund]

[ While they've never met in person before, Ain knows of Minako and her efforts at spreading cheer. Thus he doesn't seem to respond to her surprise all that much. ]

Yes. There is a lot of misfortune here. I thought something responsible, but I don't detect anything malicious.

[reloves]

[ The "y" of a yes already slips out of her mouth when she suddenly seems to swallow up the rest of the word, straightening herself like a kid trying to look more important than it really is. ]

Is that really okay? I'm supposed to be helping out..

[ Her tone by itself already indicates that she very much wants it though. Even as she's trying really hard to look Responsible. ]

[reloves]

Here, then I'll help you!

[ She doesn't seem like she's planning on going up there herself, although it's not a problem of fear as much as one of responsibility.. Minako might not exactly be the best when it comes to dealing with kids, but even she isn't going to put one up there only to wander off and let this kid find a way back down on their own.

.. probably. She's trying!

So Minako squats down, making it easier for the kid to climb onto her. ]

Just be careful in case there's any ayakashi around, okay? All this bad luck seems super suspicious.

[onedrinkwithme]

And yet I hear it as a good thing.

[brynwieldr]

That's because you have a fetish for tree syrups.

[onedrinkwithme]

One needs no invitation in order to crash a party.

[A tentacle starts to move towards a child but Aymeric catches onto it quickly, using a piece of the broken shrine to Shield Lob it. Stopping for a moment, it turns to the two who are in its way.]

I suppose a god is better pickings than a mere child, hmm? Let us see your mettle, if you possess any. [And then to Ren.] I do hope you have a weapon on you just case.

[onedrinkwithme]

[He's unfamiliar with his new companion but hey, the more the merrier.]

Then I may suggest to mind any metal nearby.

[Right on cue, there are several random items falling into Ryou's path but seem to move when the other two run by. With the way Aymeric is using his arms, he's putting his god power to decent use.]

[onedrinkwithme]

I have an appreciation for birch and like to not waste it all at once.

[The poor stall guy, he did not sign up for this.]