Mission Name: Ring around the Shidaidaka
Rank: EVENT
Objective: Throw a hoop around the Shidaidaka's neck. Easy, right ?
Location: Namahage Festival.
Reward:  10 Tickets
Mission Description: The ancient game of hoop throwing is an almost universal custom. Normally one simply has to throw a hoop over a stick in order to win a prize. However a type of Yokai known as Shidaidaka is peddling a variation of this game in which one has to throw a hoop overt it’s neck. However it is not as simple as it seems due to the fact that the Shidaidaka tends to grows taller and taller the longer one looks at it.
Mission Details: The secret to beating the Shidaidaka is to continuously stare at the ground as they grow shorter if one stares intently at their feet.  Looking at any other part of their body will however cause them to keep increasing in size.

Though of all the games he thought that he would be playing in the mean time, hoops was not one of them that she thought it would be having to play. Looking up at the creature who handed hanbei the rings, he could not help but think this was going to be easy for a moment. There were a number of Yokai that had long serpentine necks, though as he took the ring and looked to the target ready to throw the ring over its neck... but just as he was about to let the ring fly, the Yokai would begin to grow... it was at that point that hanbei would make a pretty ground shattering conclusion. The Yokai that they he was having to deal with was Shidaidaka, who were known to grow exponentially when they were looked at directly by another person. Almost ad infinitum. Size was a very important thing for a Yokai, it was the difference between making an entity a spirit or a god in some cases. Especially when it came to beings like the Tengu or others. One could mistake the creatures for giants if you had looked at them for too long. It was thought that older ones had the ability to become mountainous... a feat that not many creatures had the luxory of becoming...




Looking away hanbei would try to think his way out of this particular scenario, knowing that he only had three tries, but he only needed to get the ring over the head of the creature once. The first thing that came to mind was the idea of using a reflection from a store across the road. Hanbei was able to see the Shidaidaka clearly, but, would it be enough? Taking a quck look down to judge the distance between them Hanbei would orient himself to be able to deal with the reversal of the mirror. Taking one practice move, then another, then another before finally looking into the mirror and throwing the hoop, Hanbei would smile as it seemed to be a good throw, only to be dismayed at the beingst capacity to still grow. The length of its neck and body extending and causing the hoop to lightly bounce off the side of the creature's chest as it flew by. Though it seemed that it didn't grow as fast as it normally would, or hanbei would have noticed it growing before-hand. Sighing audibly the Yokai would smile and let out a slight chuckle.

"Nice try human! It was a good idea, really! But I learned to grow that way a long time ago. I can grow with you so much as looking at my image, the clearer the image the faster i grow!" Hanbei had to rethink his strategy.

we shall see![/i] With a little bit of math in his head and angling his arm just right with the Yokai giggling and carrying in on the background. finally not looking at the creature at all it actually shrunk a significant degree, far smaller than Hanbei would have thought, going down nearly to the point of a child as Hanbei would test once, twice, three times, before finally throwing the hoop, planting it firmly around the neck of the Yokai who would grow as Hanbei turned around, the hoop forming a necklace for the creature as it would raise its arms in triumph in time with Hanbei as they would shake one anothers' hand and hand over some of the prize tickets for the small event.

"You were beginning to stress me out in the end... but, how did you figure it out little man?" Hanbei thought about telling him and decided to relent, telling thim that he looked at the mans' shadow and not his body to throw the hoop and know what direction he was kindof in. The man seemed impressed contragtulating him once again before letting Hanbei go... it was time to move on to the next game, hopefully this one would be just as interesting...

[fin 750/750]