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

C

[freezetheheavens]

[He really should've known Goten would be out here.

And it's not exactly difficult to pinpoint his location either.

When the shinki's voice cries out, there's suddenly a crackling of blue-white lightning that streaks by, startling the dog enough to let Goten go. However, before the pack can attempt to move in before Goten can right himself, Toushirou suddenly appears by the shinki's side and grabs him from the middle before jumping up into the air, his sword held in his other hand.

The pack snaps up at him, the same dog that had grabbed Goten already aiming for another jump that the god waves his sword, freezing it in its tracks.]

[sonofson]

[The bite hurts but he's more startled by Hitsugaya's sudden appearance. The blue-white lightning is almost blinding when he doesn't expect it to be coming. He flails a bit, not struggling but a bit thrown off balance by the speed of everything. Even the bite on his ankle is forgotten. Goten should be use to this from training with Hitsugaya but it's because of how the god appeared out of no where that he's a thrown off.]

Hi-Hitsu?!

[Goten relaxes a bit, but only a little because well...he probably shouldn't be out on his own, oops. He gives a nervous laugh.]

-When did you get here? I thought you'd be with Ali...

[freezetheheavens]

He's helping some others right now.

[And somehow, the god seems a little more irked than usual about this situation. He glances at the shinki, disapproval evident in teal eyes. Though, with his hold on Goten's body, he uses his own god power to start healing that bite.]

Where's Aymeric?

[Goten, why are you alone?]

[sonofson]

Oh...

[He wishes Ali was with him, maybe the other shinki would be on his side or defuse that disapproving look that makes Goten feel smaller then he already is.]

I donno.... I didn't come here with him.

[He admits it quietly before starting to wiggle in Hitsu's grip. His ankle is starting to feel better, healing before blight or anything like that can really set in.]

We're all suppose to be helping, right?

[freezetheheavens]

[Goten, neither Alibaba or Yoon will be able to defuse this disapproving look. Yoon, at least, will join him in the disapproval here.

A blink and he sighs out heavily.]

You came here alone.

[Why is he not surprised.

He releases him.] We are, but I would've thought you'd bring someone along with you to help out. [Even if it isn't any of your gods.]

[sonofson]

[He has hope they would help somehow, okay.

Goten waves his arms a bit as Hitsugaya lets him go. He dips for a moment before flying on his own.]

I'm okay, really Hitsu. I got better at borderlines and all that stuff. There are other people around...

[Ignore that bite from earlier. Now its just a decent tear on his pant leg. Hitsugaya's healing is super appropriated.]

[freezetheheavens]

[Goten, your god is not happy.

Though it's hard to tell considering how blank faced Hitsugaya is at the moment.]

There are, but you got a bit careless. [Hence that bite.] You know Aymeric would only end up getting worried if you came back to him injured.

[sonofson]

[Goten frowns, sulking lightly. Hitsugaya is right about that, though he doesn't want to admit it. He just got a little overly outnumbered. It'd be easy if he was more willing to actually hurt the dogs but he's not.]

Yeah...but I'd be more careful! I mean, I'm gonna get a little hurt. That happens with all fights, even our sparring. Aymeric shouldn't worry so much...

[And he still has the blonde thing if things really get bad]

[freezetheheavens]

He'll always worry, especially if you happen to be dealing with ayakashi.

[Another glance at him, the disapproval practically radiating off of him from the look alone. But his eyes shifts back to the pack, all of them growling and snapping their jaws at them.]

Right now, we need to get rid of the ayakashi that's forcing these dogs to behave this way.

[sonofson]

....

[Goten has nothing to say to that. He bites his lip a bit and gives a slow nod. Hitsugaya is right. So instead he looks back down to the pack of dogs.]

I haven't seen any ayakashi yet though...

[freezetheheavens]

The fact that it’s hiding doesn’t bode well.

[And those dogs seems like they’re ready to attack once more. The bigger ones are already taking a stance to pounce.]

But I suppose we’ll need to handle these first. [He sounds almost exasperated by it, even if Goten might be able to feel a brief flare of Hitsugaya’s reiatsu.]

[sonofson]

....bode?

[Goten just stares up at him before shaking his head. He doesn't know what that word is, for a second he thought he said bow.]

Hitsu, I don't wanna hurt them though! But they keep coming and attacking people.

[Oh he knows that feeling alright. But he doesn't want Hitsu hurting them either]

[freezetheheavens]

Then it’s fine to put them to sleep.

[He’s not exactly an expert like Hinamori is, and using such a spell on a large pack can cause something to go awry, but it’s worth a try.]

Goten, stick close to me and close your eyes. Don’t open them unless I tell you to.

[Because if Goten gets caught in the spell, the shinki will end up falling asleep, too.]

[sonofson]

Put them to sleep?

[He blinks. Several times.]

You mean like...knock them out?

[With so many, that sounds really hard to do. Plus trying to hit them just right for that to happen sounds just as difficult. Though Hitsugaya's plan gets weirder and weirder]

Huh? But what are you gonna do? I don't wanna miss it...

[Hitsugaya has really cool powers and whatever he has planned, well, Goten doesn't want to miss out because he was floating there with his eyes closed. Sure it's important they take care of the dogs but he wants to see Hitsugaya in action too!]

[freezetheheavens]

If you see this, you’ll end up being affected, too.

[And he’d rather avoid that, okay.]

[sonofson]

So...its a power you can't control that well?

[That's what he's understanding. Sorry Hitsugaya, but thats no fair. His shoulders slump a bit]

So I just gotta close my eyes and you can do it and I'll be fine?

[freezetheheavens]

Yes.

[He glances over st him.]

No more arguing.

[sonofson]

I'm not arguing...

[Oh, now he is. Goten claps his hands over his mouth. Whoops.]

...

[Letting out a sigh and his shoulders drop, his puts his hands over his eyes]

Alright, Alright...

[freezetheheavens]

[Once he's sure Goten has his eyes closed - and not peeking - he looks back at the pack.

The dogs all snarl at him, and the big ones jump up, only to have their senses lost to them as purple cherry blossom petals falls around them, rendering them unconscious in a manner of seconds. As soon as he's sure the pack has safely fallen unconscious, he lightly nudges Goten as the petals disappear.]

You can open your eyes now.

[sonofson]

[Goten moves his fingers and peeks out before dropping his hands. He blinks twice before looking down to the pack and gaping in awe.]

They're....They're really asleep! Hitsu....how did you...

[Goten didn't feel him move. He felt something. But nothing that alerted him to anything. Just what can Hitsugaya not do?!]

[freezetheheavens]

I used a spell to put them to sleep.

[Even if he wasn't sure it'd work, but he'd rather not tell Goten that right now. His eyes scans the area, as if trying to find any more dogs around.]

They'll be out for a while, and hopefully when they do, the ayakashi controlling them would be gone by then.

[sonofson]

Wow Hitsu....I didn't know you could do that.

[He perks up]

If the dogs are down then we gotta look for the ayakashi!

[freezetheheavens]

It's like those other spells I've used against you.

[For the most part.

He nods.]

It'll give us plenty of time to search for it.

[sonofson]

Alright! Let's get that ayakashi and take it down!

[He practically bounces in the air, grinning in excitement. There's no hint of worry at all here. It's practically a game so long as no one is getting hurt or is in danger]

I betcha I can find it before you can, Hitsu!

[Already starting to take off]

[freezetheheavens]

[Goten.

A sigh before he uses shunpo, disappearing and mostly using it to catch up to the shinki - not to overtake him, not yet.]