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

[trustheart]

... I haven't been quite that happy in a while.

[She sounds a bit amazed as she says that, before her smile returns.]

I... I want to keep doing this as much as I can! We should go to karaoke after this? Or something! My head's going kind of a mile a minute!

[She's just so. Excited.]

[beyondtheblade]

[Tsubasa will admit - Chris' excitement is actually a bit contagious. She really hasn't seen her quite like this. Her last performance had a ... couple pint sized interruptions before anyone could really focus on how well it went. Since then it's been a series of one thing after another...]

Good. I'm glad, but ah...

[She holds up a finger, smirking.] If you wanted to do that, I think you'd have to be the one paying.

No money, remember?

[The tables have turned, Yukine.]

[trustheart]

[Chris... actually laughed at that, nodding enthusiastically.]

I'd be happy to, senpai. Just this once.

... Though, uh, I guess I need something to drink first. My throat itches a little.

[Chris sang a lot, when it wasn't a performance, both in battle, at karaoke, and class, but... she had been doing vocal exercises they'd taught her in class before going on stage. So she'd worn herself out a slight bit.]

[beyondtheblade]

[Tsubasa smirks.]

Just this once. Of course. Once we're done with things here, then?

[She blinks once.] Oh! Right. [She reaches into a small bag at her side, producing a cold bottle of water, which she hands over.] The crew had basic refreshments ready for performers, it's easy to get dehydrated when on stage.

That much I suppose we don't normally deal with, as we have assistance. Moving around, the lights on you, just having people focusing on you... Without your Symphogear? That all adds up.

[trustheart]

Right. Still gotta do our duty.

[Chris takes the bottle without hesitation, quickly opening it and taking a sip.]

Ah... that feels better. [She nods.] I'm glad they had it on hand.

And heh, you'd never expect that singing in front of people would be as intense as doing it on the battlefield.

[beyondtheblade]

We do have some assistance. Not getting as tired certainly has something to do with it.

[The smirk widens. Almost like she's led Chris right into a trap.]

It takes a lot of stamina.

[She tilts forward a bit.]

There's a reason I can keep up with the Commander while training, and it has nothing to do with our shared blood, Yukine.

[trustheart]

...

[Chris looks momentarily aghast.]

Are you saying this has all been a scheme to make me exercise more?! Is the Commander here?! Is Luger in on this?!

[The upwards turn at the corner of her lips is a clear sign she's joking, for the record.]

[beyondtheblade]

[Tsubasa removes a bottle of water herself, calmly watching for her reaction, quietly taking a sip while she does.]

Of course not, if he were here, I'd not be half as worried about our tactical prospects.

[Sorry, she took that question in complete seriousness.]

But if you want to keep up, you will have to.

[trustheart]

On the other hand, if he were here, we'd have to deal with him and Iskander becoming friends, and Waver and I already talked about how that'd destroy the universe.

[Nevertheless... she turns serious.]

... This is something worth doing. So. I'll do what I have to.

But.

I'm not ready to give up eating after 9 pm just yet.

[beyondtheblade]

[Tsubasa raises an eyebrow to that first comment, but she's not going to press.

Mostly because she's pleased enough at her progress.]

Yet?

[Another sip. She looks satisfied.] So there is hope yet!

[trustheart]

Ahahahahaha.

[The look on Chris's face seems to say "You'll have to drag it out of me."]

Sure.

... I guess we should actually help everyone get ready for the parade soon, though.

[beyondtheblade]

Heh.

[The look on Tsubasa's face seems to say.

"Yes, I know, and I've gotten this far."

She certainly looks confident.]

But yes, we should. In a few moments. You should probably at least take a little breather.

[Your stamina, and all.]

[trustheart]

You were just telling me to work harder, weren't you? [She sounds smug.] You're right, stamina. I think I'm gonna need... three or four buns to get all that back.

[Grin. Your move, senpai.]

[beyondtheblade]

Hmph.

[She crosses her arms, looking indignant.]

Yukine, such things will only make you feel more tired later.

[...but she sighs.]

This... one time, though. Would be fine.

[trustheart]

[Chris lets out a short, almost inaudible cheer.]

I win~.

[And she's off to practically skip towards the refreshments.]

[beyondtheblade]

[Tsubasa feels as though she has suffered an indignity here.

Oh well.

It's... probably fine.

One small loss is fine if she's helped Chris make this much progress.]

[trustheart]

[To her credit, Chris does restrain herself... by the time she's picking out a snack, she's limited herself to just one bun.]

Aw geez... the idiot's right. It really does taste better after a job well done.

[beyondtheblade]

[Tsubasa is surprised at the restraint, but she's not going to comment on it. She's not about to tempt fate.]

It does, at that.

See? Tachibana does have some wisdom worth listening to.

[Even if it's unsurprisingly related to food.]

[trustheart]

Yeah, she does. I can admit that.

[She takes a few more bites, before stopping and frowning as she looks down at the ground.]

I wish. She could have seen me perform. Not just her, Miku and all the others, but...

... She was the one who saved me. Without her, I'd have... I'd have never...

[Chris can't continue, as tears well up in her eyes at the sudden swell of emotion.]

[beyondtheblade]

[Tsubasa opens her mouth to make another comment, and given that her mention of Hibiki was in jest, she's more than a little thrown off by how Chris acts next. So her mouth immediately shuts and she finds herself at her friend's side, a hand going to her back.]

I'm certain they would have been proud had they seen it, Yukine. You didn't get to see just how happy they were during your performance at Lydian, I suppose, up close...

[She smiles.] There will be other times, Yukine, and...

[She gives a nod.]

I know how you feel. Without Tachibana, the both of us would've been rather lost. However... She'd be rather sad if we weren't able to stand on our own now, I believe.

[trustheart]

... I know. I just... it's hard not to think about how the moment I came off that stage, I expected her to just appear and try to hug me and congratulate me...

[She looks up at Tsubasa with a sad smile.]

You're right, you're right, of course. It's just. Kind of ironic. I kept getting angry every time she'd try that, and now here I am missing it...

[beyondtheblade]

[So instead you immediately hugged Tsubasa instead.

Oh, of course. That explains it. Surely she didn't do it for another reason.]

Well, for what it's worth, I do not think you need to worry about having gotten mad at her over such things.

[She smiles a bit wider.] Because she knows you better than that, I'm sure. Why else do you think she kept doing it?

[trustheart]

Y-yeah... it's like water off a duck's back with her, honestly.

[She sniffles, and wipes some of the tears away with her sleeve. The make up they put on her so she'd still be visible on stage smudges a bit.]

I'd say she did it because she's a loudmouth who has no concept of boundaries, but... I know better than that, now.

[beyondtheblade]

Well, let us be fair - she might also be that. But it comes out of love.

[After all, that is one of the sources of their power, right?]

It's only befitting that she's so powerful, really.

[trustheart]

She's a menace. I don't know what I'm gonna do without her.

[Okay... Chris is starting to feel a bit better.]

But... I guess I have you to help me figure that out.