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 doesn't respond, merely nodding minutely in acknowledgement of the warning. In battle, even one like this, he can't afford to distract himself with talk more than necessary. While he can enjoy a friendly combat, this sort of thing, as ever, is blunt necessity.

Since the cutting lines come more readily this time, Shun takes that into account, going for the one that remains nearer after the two lines slam into and injure the snakes. It tries to lash back at him in blind anger, still not quite recovered from the impact, but he slashes his blade across its face, making it reel back again before he focuses their sights on it and wills the rend out of their shared power.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[He's perfectly capable of arguing and walking, but if he could be talking about something productive instead of arguing in circles, he'll take that option. As it is, he does at least agree that they can worry about that part later.]

There's a few healers around, as far as I know, so that should lower the number of people who need to be hospitalised. And that should mean this hospital is dealing with less numbers, so we might not have to divert. It depends on how this goes.

[How long it takes a culprit to reveal themselves, how efficiently they work, how much energy and resources the healers have to work with.]

[futhark]

I'm glad you're alive. [ Yes, not fine, but alive. Still, that's the last thing that should be said aloud, at least in his mind. He immensely respects her strength, and her refusal to show weakness.

There was a wide range of emotions to express, back among his people, joy, anger, love, hate, determination, respect, grieving- albeit brief; but emotional vulnerability? That was never flattering, especially with an audience. One could say it's just children around, but children shouldn't be bothered with adult problems unless a lesson can be made out of it. ]

Right, let's get back to work. Good luck.

[ And so he disappears, and the teleporting power given to the gods, does feel like a retreat- like an escape. ]

[alchemists]

I'll try to make more as fast as I can, I don't want this to end badly because I wasn't able to bring enough to start with!

[mithrarin]

[The statement from Maria, of all people, is so ridiculous he hurriedly brings up one hand, burying his face and his sudden laughter in it. Not that the escaping noises are subtle, or the way his shoulders shake.]

[onedrinkwithme]

They might be the decoys. Anyone would try to chase after larger targets and that would leave the children open for attack.

[onedrinkwithme]

[Again, Aymeric is just very very weird. Or maybe because there has been weirder and Celty is actually one of the nicer beings instead of those suits of headless armor.]

Of course, I would gladly do anything for a friend.

[usedperishsong]

--Seriously?!

[ Kanade slumps over, leaning on the nearest wall. This is mostly for effect, but still.

The need to retort, it was too strong. ]

[usedperishsong]

[ And Kanade just stands there, still grinning, ready to take it.

She'll wait until the absolute last second, the last chance possible for Mordred to catch on and stop. If Mordred doesn't, though, then up's coming one of her own hands

to try and catch that punch. And here's the thing about Kanade:

even she doesn't know why her arms are this strong. ]

[drops_acid]

[He's right, it's very risky. But she wants to find some way to be useful. And she was taught stealth by the best phantom thief in the business. At least in her opinion Lupin is the best.]

If I go quietly and quickly it shouldn't be a problem.

[drops_acid]

[After a moment of hesitation, she decides to gently lay the infant on a table.]

Well... here goes...

[Annnd in it goes. The baby starts fussing immediately. Tears are imminent but she knows it has to stay in until it's done reading.]

Oh no, shh...shh...

[The few seconds this actually takes seem to stretch out for an eternity.]

[drops_acid]

I'd love to try something you made. I don't really know much about cooking myself.

[She's been slowly getting better, coming out of her shell little by little.]

That sounds like a wonderful gift. Mine just... creates chains. They're a little hard to aim actually.

[trapperkeeper]

[The chick stretches its head up for better pets. Lann chuckles.]

He's a sucker for attention.

[trapperkeeper]

[Lann freezes at the rustling sound. Then starts glancing around nervously.]

Dude! Something's out there...

[He whirls at a sudden rustle behind him, then another at his left. And then one coming from behind Tatara.]

Uh, I think there might be a few somethings out there....

[Three, to be exact. And three pairs of eyes approach in the darkness accompanied by three low growls.]

[cuddle_battery]

That's no good. Breaks are really important.

[He's going to start gently guiding her to the nearest place where she can sit down.]

It's like when you're studying so long you can't think anymore. That won't help you pass your test.

[Not that he ever passes his tests.]

Anyway, it's hard to help people if you don't help yourself.

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki averts her eyes and pretends she isn't feeling rather ill right now.

Come on, thermometer. Won't it - won't it beep or something when it's done?! ]

[sonofson]

[Forget about his ankle. This is way more interesting.

Goten stares at him, head tilting to the side for a moment. He then looks Piccolo up and down before raising his hand to point at towards the Namekian's feet.]

Do that! That! See? You shoulda told me you could fly too!

[sonofson]

Okay! Just be careful, okay? I'll make sure none of them get you either, Alex.

[He does listen. He takes a breath before putting his hand over his nose and mouth. She's got sometime but he's never tried to test how long he can hold his breath for. But he gives a thumbs up with his free hand. Better do it before the dogs decide to leap]

that icon is too cute

[sing_for_me]

[Once she's sure Goten has his nose covered, Alex activates her power. A sweet smell starts to spread in the air, the canines quickly picking up on it with their keen sense of smell. They shake their heads, as if trying to get rid of an invading feeling, but eventually they grow less tense, their teeth no longer baring at Alex and Goten.

The bigger dogs do try to charge at them, but Alex stands her ground in front of Goten. They eventually slow down in the middle of their run, whining as they lower themselves onto the ground.]

Goten, keep your nose covered, okay? I don't know how long it'll stay in the air.

[Alex begins to walk, stepping around or over the dogs that have settled down into the ground.]

[birdstheword]

It does? I guess it does feel sort of weird when someone else is touching a super deep part of you, huh? I don't think I would mind if it was you doing it to me though. You're more good then you give yourself credit for.

[She smiles, and pulls her NOTE out.]

This is my super deep part. Sorta like a thread anyone can touch.

[birdstheword]

[Take a chill pill]

Oh, it's my god power. I can see everyone's thread and follow it.

[See? its an innocent power]

[kokuyoyo]

[ n e v e r ]

....And that's it?

[irishfriskey]

Maybe you should have set those up 9 days ago. [Before you died. He would have liked for Caster to live very much.

Lancer blinked for a moment, tilting his head to the side.] Metis? I'm not sure if we've met, Mister Caster... [But, after hearing why he wants to know, he lets out a low sigh. He really, really hopes that he did.

He doesn't want Caster's death to have been for naught.]

But... I'm sure you saved her. You are the great Mister Caster. You probably saved her.

[declamando]

I think we'll all make it through this fine if everyone works together. There's a lot of us who can put our skills to work better here than many other problems we've had.

[People who aren't necessarily combatants have the advantage here if they're familiar with healing and illness. She'd say that's going to serve Elfnein well.]

[declamando]

[Maria doesn't seem to quite get what he's laughing at, so she mostly just watches it happen in mild confusion. She doesn't quite look offended, but there's a note of wariness to the look, like the admission had been made in confidence that she's now thinking could be misplaced.]

What is it?