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

[mithrarin]

[Dust takes off at a run, tail and cloak streaming behind him. No rest for the wicked.]

[trustheart]

Heh, that's what we keep saying, isn't it?

[She closed her eyes, and smiled.]

You're right, though. They liked me...! I put myself out there and I didn't have anything to worry about. I feel... I feel kind of silly for being so worked up...

[priforprince]

[ Even that much is an outrage, so it's a good thing Hibiki is concentrating on her illusion. Even though anything hurled at the fake will fly right though, Hibiki has it react as if it'd been struck - and adds an illusion of the projectile hitting, then falling to the ground.

But how long must she continue this charade?! ]

Still nothing....?!

[ How powerful IS that ayakashi?! ]

[priforprince]

Gh!

[ She's away, which means it's not getting worse - but she's also not getting better.

Her fingers are incapable of handling a cup in this condition. It immediately falls.

If it hits the ground, it will somehow manage to shatter. No matter what materials it's made of. ]

[priforprince]

ARE YOU FINISHED?!

[ Yep, she's up. ]

[beyondtheblade]

I'll keep saying it until it isn't a question.

[She reaches out then, to pat her on the shoulder.]

I knew they would, but you weren't silly. Remember what I told you, it's something everyone has to cope with.

I've been hoping I wasn't just forcing my own perception on what I thought you wanted, but you took that and exceeded. I'd say I don't think I've seen you quite that happy in awhile.

[beyondtheblade]

[It's a paper cup. Tsubasa catches it. Incredibly fast reflexes.

She sighs, irritation evident, bringing it up to Hibiki's mouth.]

Drink.

[trademark_skull]

...

[Just had to bring up those two again, huh?]

I can't really blame them for going after them too. Those two still have some part in this. [And there sure was things that Votelli didn't want to share, when they had talked.]

[But on a lighter note(?)] Charms aren't that bad, you can just burn them.

[blahblahblah]

[The smile helps Rita feel a bit better about things, and she smiles back, though it doesn't quite reach her eyes.]

Super crooked. We'd have to put some work in to get it straight... Want me to help?

[fauxcalibur]

[He lifts his head obediently. It's a bit difficult to tell, considering his hair has red streaks in it to begin with, but he doesn't seem to be bleeding. He's got quite a bump forming, though.]

Well, I can't die under most circumstances, but I can certainly crack my head a bit!

[beyondtheblade]

[She gives a strong nod.] No, it's fine. We're both rather new to this, aren't we?

[She turns to look at the battle behind them.] Many are fighting, this monster is being weakened by a lot. We need to add to what's being done by the other gods attacking with their shinki, hopefully together it's enough to rend this monster.

[Tsubasa knows grabbing her hand isn't necessary, but it's symbolic.] Come, Kaki!

[beyondtheblade]

[She lets out an uneasy breath at that question, even as she moves to scoop the two of them up. Rather effortlessly, really, which should go to say something for what the armor does to her upper body strength.]

No, I can't say I know a surefire place to take them except for away from here. [She slings them over her shoulder, and sees a tentacle rearing up for them.] Move! I'll return momentarily!

[She takes a running leap and the blades on her legs snap out, explosive propulsion from the backs of them sending her soaring through the air for several moments. She lands somewhere considerably further away, as a tentacle comes smashing after Suzaku.]

[onedrinkwithme]

[Hmm, there's a bit of a resemblance but he's definitely better looking.]

I will admit that it does a little.

[fauxcalibur]

[Once the strings are back on, he closes up the case and stands up.]

I'll have to if I want to keep playing!

[There's zero recognition. Though considering how he towers over her, the difference in perspective alone is enough to confuse matters.]

[onedrinkwithme]

Do you think them worthy of execution?

[Like seriously, crank the thing up to 20 why don't you, Heavens. Besides, it's Aymeric's job to think of the worst case scenario but even he has the mindset of proving one's innocence before immediate killings. He knows too well; they are not simply seeking the two just for questioning but they seek blood. And he cannot condone it until everything is there.]

It depends on the charm. Some are much stronger than fire it seems.

[fauxcalibur]

I suppose...

[He sounds pretty disappointed. In fact, he's practically pouting as golden light starts to surround him and his armor manifests.]

Maybe some time in the future...

[onedrinkwithme]

Nay, compared to others, I am but a shield.

[Besides, calling a head summon is not being a slouch either. One tentacle takes the initiative to try and strike Aymeric from behind but he twists around enough to dodge and parry it back.]

Do not underestimate me! [And he releases a fury of slashes at the ayakashi, making it stumble back. This time, he addresses Ren.] I have a hunch that you are not someone to be trifled with either.

[trademark_skull]

N..No. And I don't really agree with all the things that the Heavens do. But, aren't they the ones that attacked first?

[By all demon logic, they had it coming.]

[onedrinkwithme]

But why did they attack first if that is the case?

[There in lies another question: what did Heaven do to make mortals this angry for it to go this far?]

[fauxcalibur]

So then I could punch them if I put my armor on!

[Problem solved!]

[trademark_skull]

There could a bunch of reasons why.

[...And humans, mortals are usually not as great as you might think they are.]

[onedrinkwithme]

There could be but no one attacks just because they simply feel like it. Not in cases I know. There is always a root cause.

[fauxcalibur]

Hm? I thought I'd fight without one!

[Sure it's going to blight him, but that part hasn't occurred to him yet. He hasn't even noticed the terrible shape his hands are in.]

[fauxcalibur]

Hm? Is that so?

[Guess who stopped paying attention about halfway through the meeting when he first got here.]

No wonder my hands hurt a bit!

[He doesn't seem too worried about it.]

[trademark_skull]

...'Guess you don't know very many demons.

Though, if it had been for selfish reasons, you would pick a battle you had a chance of winning. Nobody would go after something that big unless they had a damn good reason to.

[So, maybe dad is right about something.]