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

[nopixiedust]

A - Orihime's Meadows

[No matter the feeling in the air, Wendy seems determined to make sure things go right. So as people are passing through to the various tents or to go see Orihime, Wendy herself pops up nearby with a determined grin on her face.]

You'll do your best, right? This is really important to make sure those other gods don't look down on anyone here! [And that includes Orihime.]

B - Child's Play

[This neighborhood is obviously a family one... That much anyone can tell from all the screaming and crying coming more than a few houses down this block. On the street, dress in overalls and her hair pulled back into two long ponytails, Wendy screws her mouth up.]

Alright. Do you think I would make good bait?

[That's the best thing to do here, right? At least she can handle herself.]

[brynwieldr]

[Rude. All the same, he gestures to the children. Go right ahead, Chikusa.]

[koukai_kirai]

[Hijikata’s no good at Good Cop, so it’s a good thing somebody here is. He just keeps flowering as the young man squirms, clearly trying to make up his mind.]

[Okay, okay, okay, but... like, what they don’t know isn’t gonna hurt them, is it? If I just put the stuff away and all?]

[That one gets an eye-roll out of Hijikata.]

Listen to you going on. You’re a man, aten’t You? Take some goddamn responsibility.

a

[nopixiedust]

We won't let them.

[With her arms crossed, Wendy casts a glare over the active meadows and taps one foot impatiently.]

I didn't punch Dust's god in the side for nothing. Although seriously, if they wanted her to fail, you'd think they could be a little more subtle about it.

[koukai_kirai]

You’re point’s taken, I suppose. It’s just irritating now and then.

[But he’s a good enough tactician to know she’s right and not argue too much.]

So? Any idea what to do with these things?

[koukai_kirai]

[Well, that’s... unexpected.]

[Hijikata raises an eyebrow at the bird, then, feeling a bit silly about it, raises his voice, still holding the teenager up like he’s a misbehaving puppy.]

Did you want something?

[reformedsinner]

Indeed.

[Good Cop or no Good Cop, that line was delivered in a tone of bone-deep chill.

Hakkai keeps smiling through it, and keeps his hand outstretched in the direction of the door.]

You owe them an apology, don't you?

[kokuyoyo]

[....Well. Time to make strange, long, creepy crow noises right into the darkness, and at those poor kids.]

[Here in the city, it's probably not a sound that's ever been heard before. Which means at least a few of them are guaranteed to jolt.]

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai hadn't exactly expected Chikusa to take wing, but his surprise and gratitude echo in the bond between them regardless as the crane circles above. It's colder, and he's had to get more height for a decent breeze than he would have on a warm day; Hakkai raises a hand in a wave of acknowledgement as he starts out, following Chikusa's directions.]

I'll stop them at this end of the alley. Can you land behind them?

[kokuyoyo]

[Oh, good, he has his attention. The crane lets go of Hijikata's sleeve and points his beak down the street. Apparently there is something he wants him to see?]

[....Or maybe he just wants him to put the teenager there, who knows, birds can't talk.]

[kokuyoyo]

[At least the chill doesn't bother Chikusa that much, or he's certainly ignoring it well enough. As he starts to follow along, keeping an eye on the group, he considers the request.]

Do you want me to slow them down?

[His ability should at least make sure that it's a little harder for the gang to run away on them. Chikusa on his own in this form is only a bird after all.]

[reformedsinner]

[Almost a decade, but Hakkai's not going to argue, instead sighing dramatically enough to be visible even from Leo's bench.]

I'm not sure whether to thank you for that or not, but there's no need to break anyone's bones...

[He looks up, to see the less showy of the two punks taking a swing in turn, and sighs again.]

Or perhaps there is.

[The pop of a dislocated shoulder is barely audible, but the scream of the kid dropping to the ground and curling around his injury is hard to miss. Hakkai ducks the second swing, one foot coming around to neatly sweep the other boy's feet out from under him and drop him into his own pathetic heap on the concrete.

The tagger tosses his paint back into the box, grabs the box, and makes a break for it in the same direction as the first three would-be escapees. Hakkai crosses his arms and waits.]

[reformedsinner]

If they go for you, yes.

[A bird taller than most of them might be intimidating enough that they won't make a run at Chikusa, but if they do, he's still only a bird -- his bones are fragile and he's less mobile on the ground.

If they try to make a run at Hakkai, he's confident that he can stop a gang of teenage punks.

He slows to a stop at the mouth of the alley, squinting into the shadows beyond. There are kids in there, all right. Five or six of them, mostly high-school age, turning with threatening scowls on their face as his echoing footsteps alert them to the presence of an intruder.

They're still looking past him, though, and they're as blinded by the sun as he is in the shadow. He steps forward, more quietly, closing the distance.]

[kokuyoyo]

[So Hakkai wants to beat up teenage children himself. Well, that's fine, too. Chikusa isn't going to say 'no' to less work.]

[As Hakkai draws closer to the alley, Chikusa begins to circle downwards so that he can land appropriately. It takes a little bit of effort, to make sure that he can get to the other end of the alley. After all, such places aren't meant for a bird as big as himself.]

[Yet, fortunately, Hakkai's presence draws the group's attention well enough for him to flap into place right outside the alley before he steps in with long, careful steps. There. This should be good enough.]

[sweetdeath]

I think it made a big difference for him.

[He's sleeping peacefully now, even if his breathing is still congested. Tsuzuki reaches out to pull the man's blanket up a little further, and make sure he's tucked in well, before he looks back at Zelda.]

That's a great power. ... Um, anyway, what I was going to ask about is -- we were moving some crates of water and canned soup over there...

[He points in the direction of the tent with the field kitchen set up to warm the soup and water for tea.] Can you help me with them? They're kind of bulky to carry by myself.

[reformedsinner]

[The wingbeats at the other end of the alley echo into silence, and Hakkai pauses ten feet inside the mouth of the alley on his end.

He smiles very brightly and raises his voice, loud enough to get even mortals' attention.]

Excuse me! Did you happen to leave trash out this morning?

[A few of them jump and swear, and they're all focused on him now; one young woman laughs scornfully, and one boy with junior-high baseball star biceps swaggers forward a few steps.

So what if we did, loser? he shouts. Get out of here.]

If it was you, I'm afraid you really should clean it up.

[kokuyoyo]

[Underneath the sound of posturing, there's Chikusa's voice.]

If they jumped at your voice, it'd be funny to see what they do at a crane call.

[waitingforhope]

[Mai spared only a single glance Hakkai's way to confirm this was a familiar face before turning her full attention back to the child. Her eyes were only half open, and for a moment, Mai wasn't sure she'd heard anything being said to her.]

[Then, a small scrunching of the nose. And Mai couldn't help a faint chuckle.]

I know. I don't like taking pills either. But it's important.

It'll make you feel better...right?

[She looked to Hakkai for backup on this.]

[waitingforhope]

[Well.]

[That...was...]

[Unexpected. And only slight cause for concern. She knew there were gods and shinki running around offering their aid, but without further explanation as to how and what had just been dropped into her lap, Mai could only stare back at the crane for a long moment. Looking for signs of a tell or trick. Or, preferably, owner.]

...is this medicine?

[Could the crane understand her? Would it offer a response she could understand if it did?]

[kokuyoyo]

[If there's an owner somewhere, well, they're not nearby. It's only the crane, staring expectantly at Mai. When she asks her question, it at least nods, so it can give that much.]

[An inspection of the bottle will offer that it is fever medicine, at least, although only for adults. She'll have to adjust the dosage if she wants something suitable for a small child.]

[waitingforhope]

[A nod. Okay, that was...something.]

[Picking up the bottle, she turned it over in her hands and inspected the label carefully. Fever medicine. She frowned and continued on. Something in the back of her mind was warning her. Something she used to remember when dealing with the children of Earth. Especially young children. There was an age limit...10, was it? Or 12? For a dosage this high...]

I can't give this to her. [She looked hesitant, but was prepared to be more cautious than risk giving her medicine that would make her worse.] She's too little. She needs children's medicine.

[kokuyoyo]

[There's a faint annoyed sound- at least, it's probably annoyed? Birds are strange creatures, and cranes aren't exactly common household pets whose tells can be recognized.]

[Still, at least he's obliging enough to turn away and start going over to the school.]

[...Perhaps he should be encouraged to hurry. Legs as long as those can go faster, right?]

[reformedsinner]

Wouldn't it?

[There's your encouragement, Chikusa. Hakkai is still smiling at the teenagers -- specifically, the loudest of them, who's taking another threatening step closer; he's several centimeters taller than Hakkai, and clumsy with it. A new growth spurt, probably.

Hey, didn't your hear me the first time? Get lost.]

I'm sorry, but I couldn't do that.

[reformedsinner]

Yes, it will. [He lowers his voice into a confidential whisper.] It is very bad-tasting, though! Do you think you can be brave and swallow it?

[A true challenge, worthy of a heroic effort. He reaches out to turn the girl's hand palm up, and place the pill in the center of her palm.]

I promise you'll feel better once it's down. You should drink the whole bottle of water, too.

[kokuyoyo]

[Well, that's all he needs. Cranes aren't the kind of animals that are often heard in the city, or neighborhoods like this. So while they aren't particularly frightening animals on their own- besides being birds, and horrifyingly tall for birds- the strangeness of the situation is enough on its own.]

[And this is an alley. When Chikusa gives his sudden, loud, warbling call, it bounces.]