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]

Huh. Safe to say she doesn't know.

[He frowns, then hums thoughtfully.]

Which is a bit odd when you think about it. Would have thought religion to be a family affair.

[onedrinkwithme]

It is where I hail from but if he is keeping this a secret from her, she may have a difference of opinion.

[He raises an eyebrow at the next words.]

Interesting...left late into the night one moment, arrived home the next evening rather late. Now if we have a location, that will help.

[subconmodo]

[He shuts his eyes, counting back the days. ]

Somehow, I don't think we'll need one. I already have a guess.

[onedrinkwithme]

Oh? Did you seem him before today?

[subconmodo]

Not personally, no. But the date lines up with the Doll Festival.

[onedrinkwithme]

That would make sense if he were to oversee the event; using his position in his company can very well be a front.

[But he cannot blame every single misfortune on the cult. That might be too telling. Not only that but there was no attack except seeing those dolls...]

[subconmodo]

Could be. Hard to tell without evidence though.

[And apparently an interrogation is out of the question. Although...]

Hey, Stretch, this charm you were talking about... Does it only apply to gods and shinki?

[onedrinkwithme]

[Stretch? Really?]

It only appiled to myself but only because I was the one who entered the property. I cannot say what would happen if a shinki came in contact.

[You got a plan?]

[subconmodo]

Good thing I'm not using a shinki!

Jeremy! Get over here!

[said minion makes his way over to them, standing at attention and waiting patiently.]

Yeah, boss?

Guess who has one glowing eye and gets to do recon? Congratulations!

[he squints over at the apartment]

Hey, Stretch, see any open windows over there?

[onedrinkwithme]

...the last one left of the main entrance.

[Pointing to said window. Probably the eldest kid left it open. No questions where the minion came from either.]

[subconmodo]

Perfect.

[Snatcher promptly picks Jeremy up, takes careful aim, and promptly lobs the little guy through the open window.]

[onedrinkwithme]

[Did you just yeet the minion?]

Was that needed?

[subconmodo]

He's in, isn't he?

[As if on cue, Jeremy pops up in the window and wave--ALL GOOD HERE]

Now all we have to do is wait for him to finish up in there and come back with with the spoils.

[onedrinkwithme]

Yes but it is possible for him to just jump in on his own.

[What if he crashed into a thing and alerted the people inside? Lucky that the little guy is waving as a sign. All there is now is to wait.]

[subconmodo]

He's fine. Worst that might have happened is that he tore a stitch or two.

[onedrinkwithme]

[Eyebrow raise.]

Hmm, I do not hear anything from those living within.

[So far so good.]

[subconmodo]

Of course not. Even if our invisibility dissent extend to him, my minions are more than capable of getting around without being noticed.

It may not be as easy as back home, but if there's something to be found, he'll get it for us.

[He sounds almost proud as he says it, and sure enough, about ten minutes later, Jeremy crawls out the window and runs over to them, clutching something tight in his little hand]

[onedrinkwithme]

That was rather quick. What do you have there?

[Paper? Hmm.]

[subconmodo]

[He holds it out to Aymeric]

I think it's a ticket, but
I can't read this picture language like Boss can. Found it in one of the guy's pockets.

[onedrinkwithme]

[He'll go ahead and take that ticket. Thanks Jeremy, you're a great minion.]

Hmm, Agano Station is where the ticket is from.

[subconmodo]

Agano... Isn't that the name of a river around here somewhere?

[onedrinkwithme]

...what was the name of the river where the doll incident occurred?

[Snatcher you might be very right.]