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

[beyondtheblade]

[Tsubasa's more than a little surprised to find Chris hugging her. For the second time since she's been here, no less! She's not quite sure what to do with herself, but luckily Chris leaping back saves her from having to think too hard on it. Her face is flushed a bit, but she's able to keep her composure this time.]

Well, I did tell you. Have a little more faith there before you go making such bets, Yukine.

[A beat.]

It's a good thing I didn't lose that, given I have no money here.

[The Kazanari family has more money than god, do you think she carries cash?]

[subconmodo]

[He gives her an odd look, then pops up nearby.]

[Not that yell boy doesn't love his shouting, but he's going to wear out of his voice.]

No, there's no reason. It's just a matter of whether or not you want to impede its movement for awhile or if you want it separated from everything else in order to attack it.

Do you want a cage match or a cage?

[subconmodo]

[Somehow, he has a very intense feeling of deja vu.]

[It takes awhile to creep in, at least, several other angry festival-goers having been trying the same thing, but there's something about the way the walls of this particular trap are being assaulted. Almost as if...]

[He disappears and reappears in the offending trap, then proceeds to stare blankly down at the spygoat. It takes a beat, but eventually he manages to find his voice]

HOW?!

[cleansingstrike]

[It makes all the difference, with one hand freed up she's able to nail the sign securely back into place.]

My thanks to you, milady. 'Tis a busy day.

[mithrarin]

[Dust nearly drops his sword in surprise -- which just goes to show how very surprised he is, considering he simply doesn't do things like that.]

[The tentacles slam into the ground just shy of him, shocking him back into awareness. He flings himself out of the way, rolling on the ground before skidding into a low crouch.]

Gladly!

[ittenbari]

Y-yeah...

[That's about the best he can do before he sniffles loudly, then rubs at his eyes.]

Big brother's just gonna...gonna...

[Probably cry more.]

[ittenbari]

Uh...

[Sakon bends backwards to dodge someone else's flying punch, but still manages to keep eye contact with Minako.]

I was trying to get outta here, but...

[It's not working.]

[ittenbari]

[That just sets him off crying even more. He cries when they're crying because it's just too sad, but then he cries when they stop crying because it's just too heartwarming not to.]

Y-yeah...what she said...

[He's not cut out for this kind of thing...]

[trustheart]

[She actually gets the kids to calm down a bit... but "big brother" seems to be another story.]

Honestly. Big brother's kind of a crybaby.

Let's cheer him up. Any of you half pints wanna get a snack?

[trustheart]

...

Mother fucker.

[She growled again, before letting out a scream of frustration.]

I only have my first shinki with me! I'll only be able to do moderate damage with it, not a full rend. Do ya think that trap of yours will hold out?!

[onedrinkwithme]

[No need to get invested in the man's well being after all.]

Tis true but I believe you have answers for us.

[Aw, look at Ryou trying to intimidate them. Meanwhile Aymeric's own glare is fierce enough to make some men wet themselves. He's dealt with dragons smaller and much deadly than you, buddy.]

[swordofzero]

[Shape shifting weapons. Was that her shinki? It didn't seem likely as she was not using it to actually rend the creature, some different kind of magic perhaps.

But he did not have time to be distracted, the nearest crowd seemed to fighting, attacking others without a thought.] We need to split them up. [He rushed towards them, scanning the crowd for anyone who didn't seem infected.] Are you any good at knocking people out without harming them?

[swordofzero]

Oh [He tries to think about how such a gun might work and comes up blank. They definitely seem to be bullets and not energy beams or such... But there is a lot he doesn't understand so he takes her word for it and takes the vial with a nod.] Right. Ready?

[He gives her only a moment and then throws the vial steadily up into the air. He knew as he did so that this was probably a terrible idea.]

[swordofzero]

He has something to do with this! [Suzaku doesn't pause as Edge calls him, he just gestures into the crowd at the back of the retreating man who was getting further into the throng of people.] We need to catch him.

[hattersgonnahat]

[Overlord?] ...Actually, you look mostly like a book.

But, you're right. I am gonna need something taller.

[replicatedform]

[Respecting their recently made decision, Yamanbagiri quickly move in to start knocking people out. While his sword isn't drawn out from its sheath, a strong enough strike from any blunt object is still, well, force.

Some of the people might look startled when they see the person they're fighting just suddenly fall over.]

[revolutionfalcon]

["Obvious" is an understatement, and Shun gives a faint snort that's rather lacking in actual humour.] When both your "Gears" look like they'd be useless as armour without some kind of magic involved, it's plenty obvious enough.

[The "impractical" point for Shun is honestly more the skimpy factor than the large weapons attached, since the single solitary time he tends to care about what someone is wearing is if he considers it wildly impractical.]

These things go wrong all the time, and the person responsible usually isn't anywhere near. We'll be lucky if we find hints towards them. [Sotero running around the moon viewing is about the only time he can think of where the one responsible for a party going wrong was actually there, and even then, nobody caught him.]

[letteropener]

I don't think they know.

[Celestia groans softly, catching herself in midair with a shiver. Not seriously injured, she nevertheless hurt from her pelting.]

That is remarkable. Normally the Royal Canterlot Voice is effective.

[letteropener]

[Oh goodness. Celestia straightens up slightly to pat his back, as comforting as can be.]

Would anyone like to recite a line? Give him a little sneak peek? Otherwise he might cry all through the show because you're all so good!

[mithrarin]

No idea if I can help with it then! [The Dust Storm has only ever worked on magic, but then, he's only ever tried it on magic.]

[...Not that it much matters, he figures. Now that Chris has invoked her shinki, he's useless here except as a distraction, a second target to give her time. So he'll play that role, delivering stinging swipes with his sword to anger the ayakashi and keep its focus on him.]

[reloves]

[ Hehehe. Perfect. Minako is definitely not above telling white lies - especially not when they're for the greater good! The greater good of Tsubasa coming out of this whole experience with some fun aside from just having done a lot of work, that is. ]

It was something about the goldfish.. Here, come along, I'll show you!

[ Before waiting for an answer, Minako is already heading off in the direction of the stall. ]

[reloves]

Oh, come on! You just have to ru--

[ But as Minako steps closer to Sakon to try and reach him - maybe to physically pull him out of there, judging by how Minako usually goes about these things - something unexpected happens. Someone tries to punch Sakon, but since Minako was heading towards him, it ends up hitting her instead.

Straight on the head, too, which makes her drop to the ground. Woman down, alert, woman down. ]

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki has ditched the palanquin by this point; its conveyors' spirits were willing, but their inability to work in tandem made things precarious. The four goats are practicing rolling at the same speed off to one side while Hibiki leans on a tree.

She doesn't seem to think much of the fact that she came in person to see Chris, raising her chin to arrogantly educate Chris on The Shikyoin Hibiki Way. ] Witnessing my opponents' performances with my own eyes is my style.

[priforprince]

Senten.....

[ It's no good. She can't.

Hibiki swoons into Tsubasa's waiting arms. ]

[priforprince]

[ Thunk.

If it's any consolation, Hibiki is going to wonder the same thing when she reaches this video feed in her rapid-fire perusal of her various spycams.

The spygoat looks up at Snatcher, thinks about what it is seeing. Then, deciding Snatcher is unlikely to assist, it runs into the wall again.

Thunk. ]