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

Wildcard

[unlucky7]

After the ayakashi is rended and the dust has settled a little, what is likely a very concerning text message comes in Kiwami's, Unmi's, and Kimi's phones.

I have the mask in my possession.

At least it's confirmation she's alive?

[abgrund]

[ That burden is definitely out of the realm of his comprehension. ]

Then perhaps you should return to your temple and take a rest.

[abgrund]

Oh, with magic.

[ It's the truth, at least. Ain isn't really inclined to reveal too much about himself unless necessary, especially when it comes to his true nature. People are given information on a 'need to know' basis. ]

I suppose you can tell already, but I am not a human. It's nothing to be alarmed about.

[abgrund]

[ Someone's really loyal. Fervent belief isn't really healthy, but it seems to be just something harmless for now. ]

I'm sure you've been a great help to her, [ he offers. ]

[abgrund]

I'm not hungry.

[ ITS TRUE... He doesn't need to eat, and thus won't be hungry. ]

[revolutionfalcon]

[As soon as Ginia is in a solid position on the back of Booster Strix, they set off at a brisk pace back towards the thick of the fighting. The feeling of the speed is unmistakeable, but at the same time, it somehow feels like there's less resistance than there'd usually be going at this speed.]

Likewise. Even if we can't catch the bastard, we might be able to get a lead out of this.

[yasei]

"It would be inconvenient." If anyone else specific were to catch him first, goes unsaid.¨Of the people from the Heavens originally..belonging, Ebisu seems to be the most agreeable. (Obi may not dislike Little Miss Ammy as just another child, but as a ruler, he's got his doubts regarding the Lady Amaterasu.)

Obi bounced up a bit further up, finding his way across balconies and rooftops with ease, eyes trained on the fleeing human... Unless he unexpectedly knows magic, he shouldn't be too hard to catch.

Hunting, be it people or otherwise, seem to be instinct.

[reloves]

[ Thank god there's not a new horde of kids showing up. Because Minako would feel too bad about dragging Ginia away from them, yet at the same time would also feel majorly disappointed that said kids are taking away her fun friend-and-snacks time. But thankfully it's nothing to worry about now. ]

Your treat, really? [ She perks up instantly, her attention turning to Ginia in a way that's reminiscent of when you tell a pet it's time for food. ] So I can pick anything at all?

[priforprince]

I may yet.

[ And yet, the compulsion to remain and heckle is too strong. Too strong!!

Tea sip. Hibiki seems content to leave the subject at that. ]

[priforprince]

[ You're welcome.

Both of you.

She'll send three million roses to the wedding, half out of respect and half to mess with one of the brides. ]

[priforprince]

Kh......No openings.

[ This could definitely be going better.... ]

We may have to cut our way through....

[yasei]

[ So did he give her a passable excuse in case she is in need of one? ]

Thank you Miss.

[ He does not see how he was being weird about that part though, actually. ]

But maybe it's more a desire to try out some of the attractions rather than actual wiseness.

[yasei]

[ So don't butt into if he knows him at all, because it's really none of his business. ]

It doesn't really seem that trivial. [ Also it makes a person stand out. He would never understand who some people seem inclined to make themselves stand out so much when it makes it so much more difficult to be inconspicuous when wanting to. ]

Caster? I can't say that name is familiar to my tongue.

[ He calls him by his actual name, to it's actually the truth. ]

[yasei]

[ The philosophers of old obviously never came across vengeful cultist or ayakashi or whatever is causing it. Shove them in an ayakashi den and see that happen, might be fun.

Obi moves on to the coat that she brought over, adjusting it to the best position and stitching together seams. When Ginia returns Obi waves with his needle-hand. ]

I take it that went well, Miss~?

[yasei]

[ He wouldn't know! But they are easier to open than the bottles if you don't want to break the neck. The taste of the alcohol is pretty decent though, despite the suspicious packaging.

Obi opens his own can, and peers over at the other man. (He doesn't look bad with a pout. Makes him wonder what he'd look like with other expressions. Probably good, since he's so pretty.) ]

Do you not like festivals?

[yasei]

Maybe not, but [ he makes a vague hand gesture ] Normal fighting isn't gonna do much from my end, and I don't really know any spells.

[ His limit goes to Borderlines. He's getting really good at them at this point, but they're only a certain level of useful. ]

[smilingbullet]

[ Poor, poor spygoat. ]

You can't change who I am or what entertains me just because you've named me. You do know that, right?

[ He sprays her again just to punctuate his words.

If such things were possible, his fashion sense would have improved during his time named by Forrest. And yet here he is, wearing a pink shirt with orange text saying what'nt gone be nobody's cool. ]

[smilingbullet]

[ Magic does make sense, these days it's not a strange thing to see at all., nor is meeting non-humans ]

Yeah, I figured. Humans don't generally leak smoke...ish stuff. What do you call that, anyway?

[ By the way- ]

It probably wouldn't be advisable to let the higher-ups get a good look at that injury.

[subconmodo]

[And the trap is most certainly feeling it. It's not used to having anything resist it, much less anything capable of doing real, considerable damage.]

[There's the sound of something cracking, and the swirling fog on the western wall begins to thin.]

Already?

Hey! Use your shinki already! It's starting to break through!

[curruid_coinchenn]

I won't need saving and I'm not worth saving.

[ If he let himself get that blighted, he deserves whatever consequences would come. Berserker continues to focus on the mechanical task of severing the creature's tentacles. Any strikes to himself are merely ignored, despite the rising pain of the blight. His expression doesn't change as he completes his work, brutally efficient. ]

[smilingbullet]

It is, yeah. [ Keeping busy is good. ] You okay?

[curruid_coinchenn]

... No.

[ A simple answer. Berserker can't ask that of her, if only because it would be unfair to her. Carefully, he cradles her in his arms, still not looking too thrilled with the situation. ]

We're going back to the temple and you will rest.

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ It's for intimidation, much like everything else about him. His size, his armor (though he's not wearing it now), the markings on his face and body. It keeps people away and warns them of the type of person they're dealing with. ]

It is trivial because I say it is. Do you question a stranger's choices often?

[ Distrustful. He does not trust the other person near him -- he finds himself questioning the motives of everyone in this place. He does not want to be someone else's curiosity. ]

Then you know another name, don't you? [ Flat, apathetic, not accusing. He's been called his True Name by strangers before here and it angers him, a situation he wants to avoid again. ] Just be up front with your intentions.

[unlucky7]

I make plenty at my job.

[With food, wardrobe, most other needs taken care of by her temple, and less spare time these days, spending her money on everyone else is the best route.]

So don't feel bad if you see something you want.

[subconmodo]

Or... that. I guess.

[He stares down at the goat for a moment onger before sighing and grabbing it up, tucking it underneath an arm]

[Apparently stealing these little guys is the only way to enforce the whole goat-free zone thing]

Looks like I'm making another cloak tonight.