25 - Troubled Waters

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Alleviating the troubles caused by conflict in Heaven
When: October 10
Where: Orihime's meadows in the Far Shore, as well as various places in Japan, China and Ireland
Summary: Orihime has been tasked by the Heavens with resolving the conflict caused in the mortal world by the new gods' struggles against one another. Several gods have been killed recently, and their violent deaths have led to dangerous corruption being released in the mortal world. Help Orihime expunge the corruption and return the human world to a peaceful existence.







Orihime's Meadows

Before traveling to the Far Shore, gods and shinki can meet and make plans near Orihime's modest home at the edge of the Southeastern District. Her dwelling is too small to accommodate even one team of gods and shinki arranging something as serious as this, let alone several. It is obvious she thought about this fact, and has crafted four cloth tents out in the meadows surrounding her home. The sounds of the milky way river are now joined by rustling fabric in the wind, for each tent has a flag mounted atop it and standing in front of it:

• The blue tent belongs to the team for Ksitigarbha. It has a sigil in black on the flag.
  
• The green tent belongs to the team for Li Tieguai. On its flag, a mortar and pestle in white, but the visible part of the pestle resembles a staff crook.
  
• The red tent belongs to the team for Cu Chulainn, with an impressive reproduction of a two-headed dog celtic knot in shining silver.
  
• The brown tent belongs to the team for Loki. Its flag bears a two-headed snake in gold.
All four tents are spread out in cardinal directions. Near each tent, she has a few stacks of wooden prayer tablets related to each of the problems, as well as maps and supplies for those who might need them.

In the center of all four tents is a simple chair and table where Orihime herself is generally sitting, talking to others nearby, or writing notes based on those conversations. She does a lot of listening when people ask her for new supplies she hadn't thought of previously, but has only been supplied with four shinki runners to get those supplies, one per group. Additionally, she cannot teleport down to the Near Shore herself, nor can anyone use her home to teleport down to where each of the troubles are; that is a problem for each group to solve on their own, with Orihime only able to mediate and provide suggestions.

Child's Play

Kshitigarbha, protector of children and of hell beings, is one of the recent casualties. Without his protection, it seems that babies' fears are giving rise to new and awful ayakashi throughout the city of Xi'an. Shadows on the wall above the crib, oversized stuffed animals, monsters hiding in the closet or rattling the windows at night -- all the fears of earliest childhood are taking real, malicious form. Babies are panicking, parents are exhausted, and all this stress is pulling in even more ayakashi! Someone needs to lure out these nursery nightmares and defeat them before the situation gets worse.

As gods and shinki work to rend the ayakashi tormenting children, they may notice a strange shadow passing by in the street outside, or scratching noises at the nursery window. Something more seems to be waiting outside....

Flu Season

With sky-high living costs and limited space, Tokyo has a large homeless population. Li Tieguai, protector of the poor and patron of medicine, was another recent death: now, winter's coming, and without his protection it seems like everyone's getting sick at once. They're suffering from everything ranging from plain old head colds and 'flu to more serious things like pneumonia or infections. Help pass out tea, soup and blankets, make sure they get the right medications, and get the sickest people to the hospital.

Carrion crows crowd close around the sick and croak, watching the gods and shinki helping them.

Wild Hounds

As if honoring the fall of the Hound of Chulainn, stray dogs have begun to form into large, dangerous packs in rural and suburban areas of Ireland, and even well-trained housepets have started breaking their leashes and joining them. They're starting to chase and bite humans, and it's only a matter of time before someone gets killed. Gods need to defeat the ayakashi possessing the "leaders of the pack," and get the pets back to their worried owners.

The groves of trees where the dogs are lairing seem unusually dark and shadowy, and footsteps seem to echo those of the gods and shinki tracking them down.

Prank War

Teenage pranks are turning unusually cruel and dangerous lately: with Loki gone, a few groups of bored kids have coalesced into more serious gangs in Chiba, and they've been seen setting fires, tormenting animals, vandalizing businesses and intimidating or robbing people walking alone at night. Someone needs to stop them from causing trouble, put them on a better path, or turn them in to the police before someone gets badly hurt.

Even as they're working to stop the teenagers' mischief, something seems to whisper to them and encourage them to join in and cause a little trouble. After all, it's just some fun....

Boss Battles

Those who helped to resolve the problems caused by the gods' deaths have one final enemy to face. Four dangerous ayakashi are behind these conflicts. Each character can participate in one boss battle, but it's fine for characters to form multiple different groups (i.e. multiple threads under one boss's comment.) To ensure that the NPC knows when to respond to your characters, please indicate which characters will be in a thread in your first comment.

Kshitigarbha - Child's Play

Li Tieguai - Flu Season

Cu Chulainn - Wild Hounds

Loki - Prank War

In Summary:

• Check in with Orihime and your new teams
• Save scared children
• Help the sick
• Tame stray dogs
• Stop pranks from going too far
• Watch out~

Comments

[festal]

( Leo is horrifying on the battlefield and this is far from that so maybe she's just afraid Leo might be a little too intense for a bunch of teens just causing trouble... )

I know but... can't we try negotiating first? ( A very Sakura like answer. Luckily, it seems like Leo is willing to talk it out with them and she gives him a small, grateful smile, ) Thank you, Prince Leo.

( And, well... she wasn't going to get involved because she was only passing through but since it was her idea, )

Uhm... sh-shall we go together, then?

[festal]

Hehe, that's right.

( She isn't particularly familiar with Orihime but the legend sounds familiar to one from home and well... Sakura could never turn her back on anyone in need, princess or not. Easily enough, she'll split her load with Hibiki. She can't just give it all away (she has to do something, after all!) but just by giving away half, this has already come much more mangeable. )

Thank you. If it isn't too much trouble, c-could you help me carry these over to some of the volunteer clinics?

[creeping_spirit]

[A poleaxe drives into its side, and Shun's sword bites into the cracked armor, splitting one plate wide. It rears back, hissing, and narrowly avoiding being struck by Kotori's borderline -- but the borderline still cuts off its movement, leaving it with nothing to do but double back around towards the two attacking its lower body.

Ren's attacks split another plate loose, with an awful tearing noise, and the ayakashi convulses, cracking its body like a whip to try to shake the attackers free.]

[creeping_spirit]

[The crow croaks hoarsely, as if disappointed at her escape, and hops forward, its clawed feet sinking deep into the loam of the park as it hits the ground. It pecks again.]



C̗̺̗̻̠̬ͯò̊̑m͔̙̘̳͛ͮͨͥ̊͟e͉͈͎̳̪̟͚͆̀̚ ̩͓̱͈̘̦c͇ͫ̾͊̿̌̆͡l̀o̠̊͋̂ͫ̽̋͞s̼͓͂e̹̥̻̭̤̾r̢̟͖̙͒̍̇̽̎ͬ


[Its wings are still spread wide, casting a shadow on the ground, and within the shadow, the sound of coughing rises from scattered humans.]

[minogame]

( Urashima can see Shun coming and isn't really sure what to make of it. He sure looks scary (but what's new?) and

Well, that sure was a swing right for the leader. Urashima gasps and looks like he really wants to ask Shun what he's doing. Look, you can't just walk up to people and punch them in the face like that? But he isn't going to complain too much, here. )

Ah... r-right!

( Except he can fight too? But okay, Shun seems to have a handle on this for now. Some of these punks are beginning to complain this is too much work over some dang kittens and it's pretty split between if they'd rather run off or go for the kittens just to spite these two weirdos getting all worked up over some strays. When one tries to make a move just to prove he can do it whether people approve or not, Urashima is quick to give a swing of his own, right at the face. Urashima might be small and he might act like he's soft and squishy but that sure was a hit. )

[minogame]

( Oh, boy, it's not everyday Urashima gets to see the teacher voice from a bystander's point of view. He looks pretty pleased about this like a little brother watching his older ones get caught after always being the troublesome one. )

Ah, sensei is really scary when he's mad!

( "Shut up, what about him?!" One of the other teens asks. But Urashima isn't the one in school uniform here nor is he the one causing any trouble. )

Orihime's Meadows

[appealingdame]

Hey, wait your turn!

[Charlotte yells at the poor, unfortunate soul that totally pushed in front of her and her goddess to snatch up that map and gives them a glare.] What the hell, people here are so rude...

[She pointedly takes the map and gently passes it to Sakura.]

Here you are, my lady! Did you need anything else?

[Isn't she great...]

[minogame]

( Would it be possible? He thinks for a second, )

Maybe? ( It's an honest answer. ) But whatever happens, you better hurry!

( You. general you. They need to run away or Obi needs to hurry up and rob them. )

[minogame]

( Just like that, he takes the box of kittens and... doesn't really seem to know what to do now? His hands are full so if anything starts, he can't really fight without dropping them or shoving them at this girl. Luckily, it looks like these teens are also pretty confused. What the heck? Who's this girl? What's her deal?

Urashima will try to make eye contact with her, though. he recognizes an opportunity when he sees one so... let's beat it? )

[minogame]

( He can tell it doesn't hurt but it still feels weird and he isn't sure he really likes it. This girl doesn't seem to mean anything by it all though so? Who knows? )

... It feels cold. ( That's the best way he can explain it-- that chill down his spine from it all. ) Can you stop it?

( Please? He's asking nicely!!! )

[priforprince]

Any load I bear for your sake is light as down from a swan.

[ Though she really has to see about getting more on-call staff so she doesn't have to do this sort of thing personally.

Hibiki really doesn't have an issue with the weight, though. Just the aesthetic. ]

[letteropener]

[Oh, good timing -- just as she managed to get into an alley, as well. As soon as the kids turn to look back at Leo, the Princess enacts her magic, far more subtly than usual. As Leo gets sneered at to mind his own business, a lithe white tiger rises up into the alley, practically bumping either side of it given her size.]

[She winks at Leo playfully from behind their backs, then does her best fierce look.]

[in_praetego]

It never hurts to be on your guard. These ayakashi have ways of influencing humans without our noticing.

[ He's pressing the area between his eyes beneath his glasses. Maybe he should have brought either one of his shinki. ]

The disturbance seemed to fall more under Satan's influence so I thought it was just normal delinquent violence.

[ The gun was for self defense.

But Emizel's voice catches his attention. He's currently linefacing at Rin for that introduction though. Not wanting to take the bait, he isn't going to comment on it. ]

One of those punks had drawn a knife. I figured they weren't the kind to listen to reason so I had to fire a warning shot.

[ Look man, he has to look out for his brother somehow. ]

[usedperishsong]

...O-oi.

[ Kanade steps back, steadying the old lady: easy there. ] Easy there, buster. We got this handled.

[boneofsword]

Doing something stupidly heroic while trying to save someone else counts as both. [while Archer lacks most of the memories from Add's temple he's sure of two things - that Caster went there to save Zelda and that it got him killed.]

[usedperishsong]

[ This kid Kanade's holding has no idea how he ended up in a headlock, but he sure as heck is having trouble getting out of it.

She walks up to him with the kid still tucked under one arm, calm as can be. ] You weren't kiddin' 'bout the problems 'round here. Any luck?

[ She knows it's not the kids' fault. Which is why her captive doesn't have a black eye, etc. ]

[usedperishsong]

It ain't about learnin'.

[ Her voice drops. ]

You. You a shinki or a god?

[usedperishsong]

[ Beating it sounds like a good idea. Kanade will be on Cat Watch to be sure none of them escape again.

She waves to the thugs. ] Later!

[ Let's go, let's go~ ]

[reformedsinner]

Perhaps so.

[Ayakashi fed on negative emotions, didn't they? This sort of whispering influence must be creating a buffet. Still, they often would pursue gods or shinki before humans.]

It may be easier to track it down than to try to get everyone off the streets, though.

[He turns his head, gaze going briefly vague as he sought out his connection with Ken.]

Let's go pick him up, shall we?

[letteropener]

[With a perfect regal walk that just screams, 'I am a cat who has never known hardship', Celestia casually strolls around the corner. The effect is immediate and just as she predicted: the oncoming gaggle of teenagers shifts from an aimless group to one with purpose, advancing forward on her with smiles that promise absolutely no good.]

[As any sensible cat would do, Celestia darts back around the corner, leading the way down this smaller street with the kids in pursuit. Rocks and junk fly through the air, but for a mercy they're poorly aimed.]

[letteropener]

[Celestia nods, then takes to the air with no more noise than a passing breeze. The sight is ridiculous, as she falls into position behind them and matches speed; here is an elegant alicorn simply and blatantly trailing this group down the street. But the Far Shore is so hard to notice from the Near that the kids don't so much as blink.]

[reformedsinner]

[He sat on his desk at lunch and wouldn't apologize... This question's apparently enough to overcome the onlooker's disinterest, and he turns to squint at Hijikata before squaring his shoulders and snarling. Who the fuck are you, old man?

Ah, Hakkai thinks, surveying the teenager from a few steps behind Hijikata and sighing. They do lack respect for their elders around here, don't they.

Meanwhile, in the center of the ring, Fujimura takes a wild swing at Sato and misses without even making Sato dodge.]

[mithrarin]

Know of anyplace nearby? I think they're good and mad at me now. [And if they aren't, he can make them angrier, though now he's holding off on attacking even more for fear of injuring the dogs despite his efforts to hold back.]

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai blinks, and glances up, leaving one of his hands on the cold pack to gently keep it in place.]

Oh? She is being given a chance, at least. And resources-- including our help.

[It's not easy, of course. But it's not as though she's being asked to handle all of these crises alone; it's a real and difficult task, but not one that's difficult enough to be merely an excuse for extending her atonement.]

I'm not convinced she did anything wrong to deserve this in the first place, but this task seems reasonable to me.

[It's also possible, he supposes, that his standards are warped.]

[mithrarin]

[Wendy is almost literally his shoulder-angel, isn't she?]

[Dust barely twitches at her comment, save for the brief flex of his fingers.]

I want to believe that. It's just... not easy for me to rely on other people to get something so important done.