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

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun only looks at the message long enough to read it before giving a faint, derisive snort and throwing the phone over his shoulder so he can kick someone else in the teeth.]

If you think adding petty theft to it makes you less pathetic, you've got another thing coming.

[Shun couldn't really care less if Chikusa thinks he's pathetic, but the point is that using this as a chance to steal is even more so.]

[revolutionfalcon]

It's harder to use my powers on a target moving that fast without affecting something else. I'd rather leave as little trace as I can that we were here.

[Slightly rotted walls, paths or garden wouldn't be particularly conducive to that. In any case, Shun drives it back towards the borderline before catching it in their sights to perform the rend, figuring it's best to do it before it figures out up from down again.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Considering his time with Ren, Shun is more than used to disturbing changes in attitude and enthusiasm in situations like this, so that's not exactly a concern right now.]

I'd say so. It's just a question of how long it takes. [He's heard ayakashi whisper about the scent or taste of gods and shinki before, so he has no doubt they're a more appealing lure to them than humans are. But if this one's been keeping itself hidden so effectively for so long, he doubts it'll show itself easily.]

It's obviously being smarter about it than most ayakashi already, since its voice doesn't track back to one place. Probably a powerful one, but even powerful ones don't always keep themselves hidden as well as this one has.

[revolutionfalcon]

Looks like the Heavens are trying to get that happening, considering the number of them around his temple. [Rin doesn't really seem like the ideal shinki to be looking after someone like that, even if the guy is well-meaning.] I know he's been staying with another god while this blows over, at least, so he'll have that much for a little while.

[revolutionfalcon]

That doesn't mean you running off half-cocked is going to do us any favours.

[He says that even as he kicks in the jaw of another of the teens and grabs him on the way around to swing him into one of his friends. There's less than a handful left now, which is probably just proving Kanade's point about him having it covered.]

Tell me if you see any signs of movement.

[creeping_spirit]

[Her blade bites deeply this time, jarring on bone, and the claw jerks and spasms with the blow. Tsuzuki's spell-creatures are snapping at its wings, and the crow croaks but stays down, for now, shuddering as it turns its head to begin pecking at the harrying wolves.]

[creeping_spirit]

[The ayakashi's scream is pained, at first, and then furious as it lunges towards the two gods to find a borderline blocking its attack. It shrieks, rears back, and strikes.

And strikes again, mouth open and acidic venom flying from the bite to sizzle deep lines into the concrete.

And again, coiling more of its massive body to put weight behind the blow. How long can Kotori's borderline hold under the impacts?]

[creeping_spirit]

[The arms dwindle in diameter, the hands shrinking to doll-hands, but they're still just as spindly and long, reaching out and out towards Hibiki with mindless determination.

Until, that is, the creature is illuminated with the rose-borne spotlight. It shrieks, curling up all of its hands into fists to hide the eyes inside, and spasms.

There are two figures above its back, freshly illuminated by the spotlight among a forest of hands. The creature, still visibly cringing, doesn't open its hands again. Its sensitive eyes stay closed inside its fists.

Instead, with blind fury, it starts swinging its fists to strike at everything in sight.]

[appealingdame]

[These very important incidents when Sakura needs to be rescued. What else is a shinki for?]

You're welcome, Lady Sakura! [All chirpy and cute. Sakura likes that side of her, right?]

Hm? [Charlotte tilts her head at the question a little hesitantly. Does she mind... Why isn't Sakura just telling her what it is...] Er... Well... Why not? Yeah, sure let's go!

[creeping_spirit]

[The ayakashi cringes away from the bright light emanating from Grell, hands closing into fists to protect its eyes from the glow even as her slash travels through a half-dozen wrists and sends the hands flying in a splash of gore.

Then, the other god fighting the creature throws a glowing rose into what looks like a tiny, localized sandstorm, and a beam of brilliant light plays across the ayakashi.

All of its hands snap closed into fists, and Grell's blade sinks deep into its soft body, purplish goo erupting over her sword and her hands from the wound.

Blindly, it starts punching, at Grell where its fresh wound throbs and towards Ronald's whistle, hands flying with pained fury.]

[creeping_spirit]

[The dogs still snap at Samus' heels, and the giant reaches up to snatch at the tiny human on its shoulder, ready to crush him with a single hand--

-- until the matching massive, burning creature appears not far away. Its hand stops mid-grab, and it stares for a long moment before lurching forward with new determination, hands reaching for the construct to rend its fragile-looking wicker form.]

[creeping_spirit]

[The crow's beak spears down towards the wolves, picking them off with the accuracy of a robin eating worms, but its wings trail uselessly and Maria's hacking through one of its legs to leave it helpless and immobile. It caws, furious, and stretches its neck in an attempt to snap up the caster beyond the harrying wolves.]

[priforprince]

Rr...

[ The tray is for her!

And, for Orihime's sake, she has no choice but to...But...

She whisks, more than takes, the tray out of Alex's hands. For Orihime's sake. ]

My ministrations are the ultimate panacea.

[ THIS IS SOUND LOGIC ]

[priforprince]

[ How strange. ] What a poor-tempered infant.

[ But she's hardly going to contest letting Obi handle the child. Instead, she goes to peer out the window. ] Could something be encroaching....?

[ Oh. Oh, that concerned, serious look on her face. That's very nice.

It merits a good few seconds' appreciation. ]

[replicatedform]

[With a startled cry, one of the boys looks around and see a crane with a bag in its beak?!

"Give that back, you stupid bird!"]

Oh? Something important in there?

[They all jump in surprise, before quickly turning around to see a frowning Yamanbagiri staring at them, with his hand on his hip.]

What are you all doing here? This isn't a normal gathering spot for kids like you.

[There's nothing interesting here to do, beside staring at this building. One of them turns his attention back to the bird and seems like he's going to try and chase it.]

[untodeath]

[ While Grell had enough foresight to wear leather gloves this evening, they wouldn't protect her forever; fair reason not to drag the fight on for too long. More concerning to her, the goo is rank and unsightly. It would be SO much more satisfying if she were met with the familiar splash of sanguine, instead.

Pulling the blade free from the ayakashi's back, she pivots to cut through one fist-- barely ducks the second, as she reaches into her pocket; uppercuts another, before using her teeth to uncap the bottle she holds securely in hand! It's risky, but she drops to a knee, shoving the mouth of the carrier into the monster's gaping wound, thus effectively delivering a dose of holy water. ]

[replicatedform]

[The boy nearest to her seems to look around for a moment, looking a bit confused. Their friends notice and asks him what's up. Nothing, he thought he heard something...

Being bigger and a trained swordsman, Yamanbagiri easily caught up to her. Until he's walking beside her, looking at the teenagers.

... They didn't notice her? Yet?]

Try being louder. Or more... [Obnoxious.] Obvious?

[Fine, he'll follow her lead for now and see how it goes.]

[replicatedform]

Might bring more later, but for now:

Yamanbagiri + Tsuzuki
Yamanbagiri + Celestia
Yamabagiri + Chikusa
Yamanbagiri + Kanade

[priforprince]

Stupidity has no chemical cure.

[ If it existed, she'd be taking it by now. She may even have a whole team of scientists employed back home trying to figure out how best to shield a celebrity from the unfortunate environmental effects of being around idiots.

Research has proved...inconclusive. ]

[replicatedform]

[Yamanbagiri gives Davesprite another look over, before he sigh and nods. He put a hand on his hips. The orange, alien guy make sense, and does give him another opinion he haven't thought off yet or in his rush.]

... Asking their supplier sounds like the simpler option, if we don't mind waiting a little instead of longer. And I'll talk to them.

[There's something to be said for a ragged looking swordsman being the more "normal" choice between them. Probably.]

I'll see if I can find this shelter's manager, or whoever can contact their supplier.

[usedperishsong]

Don't burn yerself out just yet!

[ Where is it...Where is it????? Kanade seems distracted, even as she punches and kicks (lots of kicks, actually, as if she's unconsciously unused to having her hands free when she fights) her way through would-be assailants. ]

The last boss's being a sneaky pain in the ass.

[freezetheheavens]

[Considering the amount of shinki they have surrounding them, Hitsugaya might summon one of his shinki soon.

...Or probably Goten or Alibaba. Whichever one of them that might be closest.

But there is some respect glinting in teal eyes at the power Emizel has shown. So this is the kind of power that he holds, huh? But he doesn't linger too much, holding out his hand.]

Come, Giki. [Hopefully Goten is nearby.]

[replicatedform]

[Yamanbagiri stops right behind them. For a moment, his hand was resting on his sword, before it slides off and rest on his hip instead. And with his other hand, he reaches out and tap the nearest teenager on the shoulder.]

Hey, what are you guys doing here?

[Startled, they quickly turns around and looks surprised to see Yamanbagiri. With a yelp, they back away, getting their friends' attention, who also just notice him.

"Wh-Where did you come from?"]

I was walking by. [His eyes went from them towards the paints and the brushes in their hands. And he frowns.] But what are you doing with these?

["What's it to you?" They're gripping their items, staring at him with suspicions. But they're not retaliating... yet.]

[usedperishsong]

More of a pain in the ass, right?

[ His delicacy was clearly appreciated. ] Sure.

OI!

[ And she tries to give two of the kids a flick with her index fingers in the backs of the head simultaneously.

Pain in the ass she can definitely do. ]

[freezetheheavens]

There are some over there.

[He nods over to the side where there seems to be a few folded up cloths. The god holds out his hand over the ill, focusing on his god power to help him recover.]