thenearshore | Closed

Ginia smiles a little, remembering once how quick she was to volunteer to help at one of Ebisu's festivals without even knowing them well. They can use all the help they can get, but Suzaku is focused and studious.

"Not going to say no to help, but you have to enjoy the festival some too."

Romeo glanced at Ginia and grinned widely! He would love to stay and have dinner with this man! He was really kind and it would be nice to stay and get to know him better.

"I would like that a lot, miss Ginia, sir!" They still had another letter to deliver but they would have time! They had set off nice and early to make sure they got everything done!

"Of course." He was sure he would be dragged around the festival regardless, especially if Saber was there. He would want to see everything after all.

"I doubt I'll have a choice in that." He's smiling though, his voice is fond.

"At the Ichiriki? She has such fond stories of its garden," Waver asks, fussing with a pinned label at the armpit of one happi. With all the stress at that point, no wonder the stitch has come undone at this intersection of seam. "Or is she somewhere else in Gion? She does speak of the Nyokoba quite often lately. And the Miyako odori just wrapped up last month."

Or she could be in another hanamachi entirely and Kamogawa odori is running in Ponto-chō all through May, but the Gion Kobu was the best district and where the true movers and shakers of Japan's business and political scene liked to play. Plenty of prayers of high stakes and importance there, Waver knows.

"Who doesn't?" Says the man with eyes for only one set of hindquarters out there. In his very biased opinion, no other ass can compare. But it's a great topic of distraction. "Especially as footie season ramps up. Which reminds me I have to update the lists on the J-League for our Temple. We have to keep an eye on the rivalries."

Prayers had started trickling in at March at the start of the season and now they're starting to get intense. Almost as intense as the baseball rivalries. A shadow falls over Waver's eyes briefly... The lists. Ah, those are in Satya's things.

He smiles.

"No matter the sport, Iskandar's followers tend to get a... little crazy come championships."

... YEAH...

"Just a little."

A shinki can build a foundation on a lot of things, but a steady temple goes a long way. She's happy things are working for Suzaku. He deserves a happy afterlife and someone he can count on but also won't take advantage of him.

New charms for the lucky bamboo, paired coins for the lucky coin toss, these are definitely options to work with given the time they have.

"This has been a lot of help, thank you. Any other suggestions before I run off?"

For Romeo's sake, Ginia will make sure there's custard taiyaki at the festival. She leaves a note and looks over the gathered suggestions. Salmon soboro for the family, also onigiri options. Soup and/or onigiri for the festival, red sea bream preferably, but they'll see what they can get. And finally, making sure there's taiyaki and seeing what fruits are in season.

It's a good list to work with. She'll have to get more input from the kitchen staff for the festival as a whole, but shopping for the family seems doable.

"Can you pull up the soboro recipe? I want to write down the ingredients for shopping."

"I would wager she's dropped by the Ichiriki today, but the Nyokoba is far more likely. Fittings and discussing attire and accessories, providing the touch of elegance and sass only she can. Were it not so hush hush and personal to her, I would have sent you with her."

Terumi smiles as he folds a few intact happi and drops them them into a basket.

"Instead you have my company as we focus on the most lecherous of conversations. Ah, such classic bonding, discussing sports!" He laughs to himself, pausing to reply to something on his tablet as it beeps. "Jitsumi, where do your allegiances lay?"

"Women's league, but also more baseball." Ginia types, Terumi's laughter ringing in the room as she notes a collar that'll need replacing outright. Take a coat, spread it out, inspect the panels, the seams, turn it over, do the same, note any problems, repeat. Tedious, but it's easy to find a good rhythm especially with such good conversation and company. She glances at Waver, hoping it'll help keep him occupied.

"Ahh, baseball, those are truly when things are the most intense. We too know of how intense things can get as fortune and luck go hand in hand. Especially in Osaka. Most especially in Osaka."

All the cities have their charm, but it's hard not loving Osaka's laid-back and exciting attitude. Anywhere that has a saying about eating yourself into ruin is a good place. "Isn't there a bridge named after Ebisu people jump off to celebrate a victory?"

"Yes, in Dotonbori. It always dismayed the young master when he hears someone was injured, he was one of the main proponents of the safety measures around that bridge. But humans will do as humans do, especially in times of celebration." Terumi turns on a flashlight app on his tablet, holding it under his chin to dramatically light his face. "Young ones, have you heard of the Curse of the Colonel?"

"Of course, no prob- whoa!" Kairi comes up on the gardens and sees all of the goodies. She's about to ask what's up when Ginia happily describes it, using a handful of words that stretch Kairi's sign language vocabulary, but she gets the idea from context.

She takes a seat - and a cookie - as she mulls over how to answer back. Still chewing, but hands free, Kairi chuckles a bit to herself that she can now - technically - chat with her mouth full, by responding with sign language in kind. "How wonderful! Is figuring out the present for the volunteers the part that you want my help with? The family must be having a really hard time deciding."

"Pretty much! I think I'm going with a similar photo album idea as a present for the family." The family traveling in are definite agreeable to being there. A present is less a bribe here and more a treasured keepsake.

"But for the volunteers, I'm a little stuck. We're looking at around or more hundred people, all ages and genders. Something memorable, but also not too expensive or would take too long to manufacture."

"You're welcome." He shook his head, "I will text you if I think of anything else, if you need anymore help please let me know."

He was happy to help, he just hopes everything runs smoothly.

"Okay!"

Luckily the sticky notes mean it is easy to find the recipe again! This method really works!

He leans over the book to read out loud for Ginia to write down.

"They need salmon, it says salted salmon but that there's a recipe on the next page to make it salty if you just got normal salmon. Then you need sake and mirin! And rice if they are making it to eat with rice!"

Ginia writes down the ingredients (an easy enough list to remember) in her phone, mulling on whether she should buy extra to bring back to the temple. No, it'd be more helpful to see if anyone needs snacks or other supplies picked up from the store.

"If we're going to the store, is there anything you or Elfnein need while we're there?"

"Sounds great. Hold onto the folder. I'll make sure you get a bonus on your next paycheck too."

Consider it payment for use of ideas or something like that. Or a 'thanks for saving my ass' bonus. Time there's not enough of but money they certainly have no shortage of.

"Tell me about it. There's no shortage of ayakashi when the Giants face the Tigers." Ahhh, Tokyo's Yomiuri Giants and Osaka's Hanshin Tigers, that most bitter of baseball rivalries. "I always have weather duty during those games, but I'm told the hunting is something else."

Always a good opportunity to practice wind magic as there's plenty of prayers for a fair outing or a good breeze that benefits the team, though he imagines that's going to change now. Waver sighs in satisfaction as he folds another happi for the pile and takes the entire collection of intact coats to the basket. At least some people have proper respect for clothing.

"Oooooooh... I've seen the Tigers fans on that bridge. I've had to pull a drunk idiot or two out of the drink a few times." HEADSHAKE. Just wait... he'll work himself up to a--- no, hold on. "The KFC mascot that Iskandar calls The God of Fried Chickens? No... can't say I've heard of a curse around him..."

"Holidays, exam season, and baseball games, a frightening time for ayakashi, moreso if a vent opens up." Terumi sighs and tosses his head back, fanning himself dramatically with his tablet. "But we are not a temple that seeks out ayakashi."

Not to fight at least, Ginia thinks to herself. But the Curse of the Colonel... she knows she's been by the bridge - Kasumi thought it was very important for her to know the location as part of her onboarding - and vaguely remembers Kasumi mentioning something.

"Kasumi mentioned there's a giant chicken ayakashi that lurks in the water and eats people when they fall in the canal?"

Terumi looks stricken, then contemplative, muttering under his breath, "I suppose that's not unreasonable..." Composing himself, Terumi sets down his tablet and folds his hands together, looming over the table as much as his short stature allows. His sense of presence makes up for his lack of height. "It's a recent thing as far as history goes. The Hanshin Tigers won the Japan Series in 1985 thanks to the help of an American on the team. There was quite the celebration on Ebisu-sama's bridge, very rowdy.

"In honor of the team, each player's name was called out and someone resembling the player leapt into the water. Lacking someone resembling the venerable Randy Bass, the crowd seized upon a statue of Colonel Sanders from a nearby KFC and hurled it into the canal. Since then, the Hanshin Tigers have had a losing streak. It's believed until the statue is recovered, the curse remains. As it stands, the Tigers did make it to the Japan Series in 2003, though lost. Most of the statue was retrieved in 2009, though I believe it's missing some parts. I do seem to recall the Tigers made it to the Series again recently, but also lost."

Ginia finishes her pile of clothes and sorts everything into the appropriate baskets. Is there truly a curse over the team or is the belief enough to affect them? Even if all of the statue was retrieved, what if they lose again? Would they shift the terms of a curse or find fault elsewhere? Alternately, perhaps there's a god cursing them or an ayakashi stalking them. Who can tell?

"Do you think there's really a curse?"

"Hm. It's a popular debate in the temple. More than a few have dredged the canal over the year, especially when the bridge was being rebuilt. Ebisu-sama has attended a few games too, other gods as well. Sometimes there are ayakashi involved. In the end, for all the support we give, it is always what the humans themselves do, no?"

"I'll go and check the list!"

He grins and dashes off towards the kitchen, sure enough he comes back a few moments later with a list and some money from their food buying jar.

"Just a couple of things!"

"Oh. Thank you Ginia." That was very kind of her and he feels a little awkward about accepting. But it is the point of him working here, to earn more money for his temple. Since it is sort of his fault that Saber has discovered Internet shopping...

"I will see you soon."

"What Yukine isn't saying is that we would have helped regardless."

Not that she wants to sink access to a free meal, mind you. She's also transformed, arms crossed and leaning up against a wall.

"It is after all what we are here for - be it in this world, or our own."

Ginia knows they would have helped because it's who they are. With all the disappearances as of late, it's felt more important letting people know how much they matter while they're still around.

The procession begins with music. The steady beat of drums, the trill of flutes, music drifts from within the grounds of the shrine as the procession begins to wind out. Musicians, dancers, people on horseback, priests and miko, there's a grand line ahead before the portable shrine winds its way out on the backs of hundreds of people. It's gold and glittering and large and brimming with divinity and the perfect target for ayakashi.

Borderlines spring up across the path, already flushing off a few minor ayakashi that have managed to cling to people outside the shrine. They skitter around, confused by the borderline and thwarted by further attempts to latch onto someone else and pass through.

It doesn't take long for more troublesome ayakashi to show up. Cicada-like ayakashi ranging from regular bug size to the size of dinner plates begin to fly around and land on rooftops. Their buzzing begins to drone out the music, discordant notes popping in as people lose their beat or miss notes. Borderlines fly as the slashes disrupt them and scatter them into the air. Time to begin rending.

There's enough time to send a message to her temple and get suggestions on the best places to go to before Romeo returns.

"Ever been to a seafood market before?"

Chris wastes no time in taking action. She takes aim with her pistols to shoot down the ayakashi, before finishing them off with shots from Luger's vessel form.

"Senpai, go!" she calls out. "We'll cover you!"

A seafood market? Romeo shook his head! He's not been to many markets truthfully. For the most part he and Elfnein relied on the refilling fridge for food and it's just lately, now they have found fun in cooking more complicated things that they have ventured down to the Near Shore for food at all.

"Is that where we are going, miss?"

The first impression of the card sharp is a perfectly normal shop like all the others in the area. The front display has ads for upcoming releases, sales, and upcoming casual tournament, and even a mosaic of cards creating the kanji for "good luck." The interior is well-lit and clean, the shelves are well-stocked without feeling cluttered, the displays are nice.

There's one other person browsing the selection, but given it's after school hours and there's a steady flow of people in the shopping area, there should be more in the shop.

Behind the counter, the owner - a kindly man with a grandfatherly feeling - smiles broadly as Ginia and Shun enter the store. "Welcome! Please let me know if there's anything you're looking for!" The hope in his voice in palatable.

Ginia smiles and nods at him, giving the store another look around before signing at Shun.

"This might be different than what you're used to, but does anything stand out as why business isn't doing well?"

Shun nods to the owner as they enter, looking over the shop and taking in the...lack of bustle. It's not too different to gaming shops in his world in terms of layout, honestly, but the lack of people is striking even taking into consideration that games like this don't have the same weight here.

The one other person in the shop, a middle-school aged girl, takes a phone out of her pocket and starts texting as Shun glances over to Ginia and signs back so they don't alert the owner to what they're actually doing.

"The store itself looks fine. Even good, considering it's easy for places like this to get disorganised. And I can't see the owner putting anyone off. Might be something else."

The girl puts her phone away, and maybe a minute later, two boys who look about the same age as her stick their heads through the door, looking around cautiously before they come in and head towards the girl. "I thought you were kidding about him not being here today...it's been weeks since he wasn't, hasn't it?"

The owner's smile gets a little strained at the mention of this nebulous "he", and Shun glances over somewhat pointedly before looking back to Ginia.

Aha. Ginia's mouth turns in a small frown. The wrong person can certainly ruin the feel of a place. It wouldn't take much with a younger crowd to drive them off, especially with so many other stores in the area. But everyone has their favorite shops and given the kids here, it must have its fans.

"If someone's causing problems, there has to be a reason the owner simply hasn't banned him. Especially with younger customers around." The owner doesn't seem to be the kind that would let anyone horrible run roughshod over everything. He's gone over to chat with the kids.

"We should see if the other shops in the area are having similar problems too."

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Re: C17B: A prayer for holiday gifts

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04: A prayer for business

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