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

[brynwieldr]

[And Leo's judging stare turns to the three goofs.]

Please tell me you won't point that in my face? I like my eyes. They let me see you.

[onedrinkwithme]

Nay, you seem to be the type who enjoys a sword more.

[As Aymeric takes his position, one of the kids just looks confused and whispers to his friend, "Did that guy just make an innuendo?" The elezen shakes his head and chuckles, focusing on the target before him and shoots, watching the cork hit a bullseye and knocking down the bottles.]

[brynwieldr]

[Does Leo dare pull a Niles?

...yeah.]

Only when wielded properly. Need I remind you, you're a swordsman, not a--

[Oh.]

Hm. Show-off.

[onedrinkwithme]

Only when it comes to you.

[The poor kids just staring and standing and going "Whoa dude..." unsure how to take the pubic display of affection. Should they just leave and let them be or-?]

It seems that there are others who are enjoying the spectacle as well.

[Or Aymeric can call them out on it, smiling innocently and giving a little wave. That makes them shuffle and mutter apologies before scattering as if they were just caught in the cookie jar.]

[brynwieldr]

[Leo nods as they shuffle off, chuckling once they're gone.]

We're terrible, Aymeric.

[onedrinkwithme]

[He chuckles as Aymeric cannot help but bring one of Leo's hands to his lips.]

I like to think otherwise.

[He acts as if they are already married, sheesh.]

[brynwieldr]

[Leo blushes, smiling.]

Terribly sappy. So very sappy.

[onedrinkwithme]

And yet I hear it as a good thing.

[brynwieldr]

That's because you have a fetish for tree syrups.

[onedrinkwithme]

I have an appreciation for birch and like to not waste it all at once.

[The poor stall guy, he did not sign up for this.]

[brynwieldr]

You have three bottles of maple in your kitchen and three bottles in mine.

[He can deal.]

[onedrinkwithme]

Yes, and?

[brynwieldr]

I don't know if you realized this, Aymeric, but maple isn't birch. And don't think I missed you eying the walnut syrup.

[onedrinkwithme]

Nay, maple is sweeter from what I have gathered and I never had a syrup made from walnuts and would be interested in trying some.

[As he talks, the booth operator clears his throat loud enough so both can hear him and not be a rude person, saying that because Aymeric knocked over the target, he needs to pick a prize. Oh yeah, that's a thing.]

Ah, I had almost forgotten. [And back to Leo.] Your choice then.

[brynwieldr]

[Leo looks over and chuckles when he spots a tree with a bit smile on its face. He indicates that he wants that plushie, promptly passing it over to Aymeric once he has it.]

It even looks like you.

[onedrinkwithme]

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

I will admit that it does a little.

[brynwieldr]

Tall, has some pointy bits, and it has your smile. Very much like you.

[onedrinkwithme]

It just needs some garments and it would work.

[Just imagine it wearing the armor. That would probably be funny.]