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

[subconmodo]

A: The Festival -- If you want something done right...

[The music is terrible. Why is the music so terrible? Aren't people who perform at these big, important events supposed to actually be good at their jobs?]

[He's pretty sure he just saw a drumstick go flying past his head]

[Somehow, it's still tolerable. Barely, but he's managing. Until he catches ear of a familiar sound: someone's playing the cello. Badly. And he's not sure if it's because the instrument is out of tune or if the player is trying to squeak and squeal everyone's eardrums to death.]

[There's only one thing he can do.]

[Festival-going residents of the Far Shore may notice a man in all black, his head bowed and face hidden by a large, wide-brimmed hat playing the cello. The music, Toccata in D Minor, doesn't fit the atmosphere at all, but damn if it isn't being played well.]



B: The Parade -- Putting a stop to hilarity

[It is with the utmost reluctance that Snatcher has deigned to help this fine noon. If it were up to him, he'd start holding bets--10:1 on the angle biter there, 5:1 on the repressed housewife--but alas. Duty calls.]

[The things he does for a promotion]

Watch your feet!

[It's all the warning that your character gets before Snatcher zips past, spacing out circles of black thorns in his wake. One of the festival-goers steps into its center without knowing and is immediately trapped within a circle of magic, separated from the man he was fighting with, who looks around wildly in search of the quarantined partier.]

You get stuck in one, it's your own fault!



C: The Near Shore Five-O [Locked to Aymeric]

[From all the books he'd read, he would have thought stakeouts would be more interesting. A secret drug trade here, selling of government secrets there, that sort of thing. Instead he's just been watching a guy go through his daily life and perform charming acts of familial domesticity that made his non-existent stomach turn.]

You're absolutely sure this is the guy?

Festival

[holygrailed]

[The music is played very well, but it does seem strange compared to the rest of the festival. Is that a good instrument for a parade? Either way, Irisviel hears the music weaving over the noise of the crowd and decides to track down the source to better listen.

When he finishes playing, she applauds lightly.]

You play very well.

[subconmodo]

[He smirks beneath the hat, craning his head up slightly to get a better look at the newcomer, revealing a glowing, yellow mouth.]

Heh. I can play others too, but I don't trust anyone around here with a piano.

[He pauses and shakes his head]

Though I'm not terribly fond of duets to begin with.

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel steps back at the sight of the glowing mouth, unease running through her. 'Face like a jack'o'lantern' echoes in her mind.]

I dare say a piano would be difficult to move in a parade too.

[Her tone is friendly, but it's cooled and hardened a little too.]

[subconmodo]

[He takes note of that. Must be getting a reputation.]

[He lets out a short laugh]

Not with that attitude it isn't!

[holygrailed]

Oh? And how would you move a piano then?

[Irisviel brushes her hair out of her face, subtly pulling free a strand of hair and hiding it against her palm as she clasps her hands together. Take no action unless needed, but remain prepared.]

C :3

[onedrinkwithme]

[One can tell that Aymeric has done this before given that he has a couple books packed in his satchel and a couple mugs filled with tea. Do ghosts drink? At least the thought counts.]

Aye, I have been here before and he was on a list of those who were in the area of the forest kidnappings. That and he's been known to take trips that lead him out of the country, having witnessed a sigil in a place where he may have visited.

[He's also making sure to watch the rest of the family; there can be something telling that they may reveal.]

Personally, I am quite curious why as a father would be perfectly content with harming a child around his own children's age.

[subconmodo]

[This one drinks. At least now he does. It's taken a bit to get used to]

Degree of separation. There's a difference between what's yours and what's someone else's.

[onedrinkwithme]

Until it happens to them.

[Not that he would be fine with his kids getting hurt. Seems like the guy is doing it on his own.]

I think it is close to the time when his wife leaves for work...

[subconmodo]

I take it we don't have to worry about her.

[He hums thoughtfully]

I wonder how out of line it would be to pay him a visit once his brats aren't underfoot?

[onedrinkwithme]

Unless we have a counter in case he has a charm or spell to repel us, it would be best to only watch until we see an opening.

[There was a time where he would be alright with coming in once the obstacles are out of the way but he's grown from that mindset. They need to exorcise caution...damn, he should have brought more tea. They might need a big pot.]

The Parade

[trustheart]

[Chris isn't happy with the way the day's gone - getting a chance to sing was good, but all the bad luck and rampaging monster she could do without - so, she's hoping it's out of surprises for her.

Seeing Snatcher stopping people from fighting? That quickly proves her wrong. But this time, it's marginally not unwelcome.]

Hey you, shadow guy! You think you put some of those thorn traps in big and ugly's path?!

[subconmodo]

[Wonderful. It's her. Snatcher isn't exactly thrilled to be ordered around by Chris, but as he sees the Ayakashi running off (or whatever verb one would use to describe the movement of a mass of tentacles in a mask), he decides it's worth a shot.]

[Easier to destroy the source than to do damage control the whole time.]

Fine! But if you're planning to attack it, you'll need to be in the trap with it!

[trustheart]

What? Why?!

[Chris is going to demand more, but one of the massive tentacles swings at her, forcing her to move out of the way before she can speak again.]

Is that something that really needs to be the case, or are you just trying to set up for a fall?!

[subconmodo]

It's a trap for a reason, lady! The only one who can go in and out whenever they please is me. That's just how the magic works!

[He notices the Ayakashi winding up for another hit and concentrates, sending a geyser of shadowy flame erupting from underneath it, sending it off balance.]

Now do you want my help or not?!

[trustheart]

...

[Chris let out a growl of frustration.]

Is there a reason why the ayakashi can't be the thing in the trap?!

B

[priforprince]

[ Thunk.

Thunk.

Thunk.

Thunk.

These traps probably aren't supposed to go "thunk" when things roll into their barriers, but spygoats aren't known for caring what sound effects are supposed to ensue. And there's one in this circle. Rolling into the barrier over, and over, and over again in hopes of escaping.

Thunk. ]

[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?!

[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. ]

[subconmodo]

[Somehow the soft smack of Snatcher's hand meeting his forehead manages to echo within the odd, magical barrier.]

I'm going to have to start making "No Goats" signs, aren't I?

[he drops the trap and gets behind the goat to start pushing it on its way--away from his traps.]

Next time I see you in one of those, I'm going to be very disappointed. Do I make myself clear?

[priforprince]

[ Freedom! The goat needs very little encouragement to wheel that way, having been trying to escape from the get-go. Then, at the exact possible last second....

....it realizes it didn't thank its rescuer, turns around, and starts making a beeline back for Snatcher.

Baby steps. ]

A

[junkyarddog]

[Snatcher may eventually become aware of a scruffy blond teenager who's slowly crept closer during his performance, until he's only a few yards away, crouching and listening intently with his head cocked; the posture is mildly animalistic. Ken has quite possibly never heard classical music played live before on anything other than a microwave clarinet, and that's assuming M.M. ever bothered playing something highbrow for the Kokuyo gang, which would be like casting pearls before swine, and certainly any memories of doing so are gone. This is a new experience for him, and while it's rather over his head, it's being played well enough that it'd be hard for him to dislike it.

He listens all the way to the end. But if Snatcher was hoping for compliments, or even any sort of informed opinion, he's going to be rather disappointed.]

That thing's really big, byon. [Ken's never seen a cello, either.]

[subconmodo]

[Snatcher glances up at him]

Nice to hear my performance was appreciated.

It's called a cello.

[junkyarddog]

How come you're playing it, anyway?

[Ken sniffs at the air, then wrinkles his nose. Something about this guy smells...different...

Even when not channeling, Ken's senses are far sharper than a normal human's. And he smells something...unidentifiable off of Snatcher, perhaps because he's not human.]

You smell weird, byon.

[subconmodo]

Wow. Thanks for the compliment. Really appreciate it.

[don't mind him. Salt is just a natural part of his being.]

Anyway, I'm playing because the guy who was here before couldn't play the cello to save his life. And as I consider myself a relatively merciful god, I thought I'd give the people here a performance that would leave them with their eardrums intact.