29 - Autumn Leaves

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Uncover the remaining secrets of the mysterious forest.
When: Nov 29 - 30
Where: Chichibu National Park & the Central District
Summary: A heavily forested wilderness area in Chichibu National Park is attracting dangerous numbers of ayakashi, and Heaven's forces suspect that this might be the mortal forest that was connected to the Heavens in order to kidnap gods and shinki a few weeks ago.






Walk in the Woods

On the morning of the 29th, Heaven's messenger doves drop off small folded cards at the doors of every temple. The cards read,


We believe that we have identified the location on the Near Shore where the human accomplices were working. As it is a large area, we offer you this information, in case you are able to assist us in searching for clues to the identity of the culprit. Please investigate with caution: there are reports of ayakashi in the area.


Attached is a map to a large national park in the Kanto region, with a section of the park cross-hatched in red pen. Anyone who goes to investigate the marked area will discover that it is heavily forested and contains about a mountain and a half; the ground is steep, muddy with autumn rain, and slick with dead leaves, though some red and orange colors are still grimly clinging to the branches overhead. Watch your step! The supernatural menace seems to have faded, but the purely natural hazards can do almost as much damage.

Heaven's forces, wearing white short jackets with gold chrysanthemum emblems over much more sensible jeans and hiking boots, can be seen here and there throughout the forest, searching for clues themselves. If somebody gets in a real jam, they might be willing to lend a hand.

Mysterious Trees

Towards the center of the cross-hatched area, investigators may begin to see some familiar signs. Are those bits of torn-down spell papers still fluttering from nails driven into the trees? Vines and tree branches cut and broken by the hostage rescuers breaking through? Footprints, torn bits of black hooded cloaks... there are clues aplenty here.

There's something else, too: a mysterious presence still seems to haunt the forest. The trees might not move when anyone's watching, but it seems like they're in slightly different positions every time you look away and back. And what was that flicker of movement in the underbrush? Is there still someone here?!

Comment on the NPC REQUEST/CLUE SEARCH thread below to request specific details, or to go hunting for that mysterious presence.

Ayakashi Attacks

There's more than one mysterious presence in these trees... and some of them are definitely not friendly. The forest's aura is unsettling and creepy enough to partially mask their approach, but ayakashi of all types and sizes seem to have been drawn here. Some wind along tree branches or soar through the air on fleshy, wide-spread wings. Others crawl or even burrow in the ground.

And all of them are excited at the possibility of a divine meal. Look out!

Autumn Leaf Viewing

An area of the Central District planted with maple along a stone-walled canal has been decorated with hanging lanterns, comfortable spread mats and cushions, and an abundance of delicious food and drink on the afternoon of the 30th. Everyone is invited: new gods and old, those who helped investigate the Near Shore forest and those who didn't. For those who did investigate, though, one or two of the white-robed shinki who are helping with the party preparations and enjoying the food and drink themselves will take the opportunity to pull them aside and ask about their findings.

The party includes games as well as food and drink. Kites, poetry games, tag, hide-and-seek, card games and dice games are going on all over. There's even some determined board game and mahjong players who have brought their favorite game to the outdoor venue and are setting up on mats with immense care.

At one edge of the landscaped area where the party is being held, the ground slopes up, and is planted with a riot of bright gold, white and rust-red chrysanthemums. Like the ones that bloomed everywhere a few months ago, these flowers exude a sense of peace, confidence and security to anyone nearby, and especially those who pick the blooms to wear in their hair or their buttonhole.

In Summary:

• Investigate a wild forest
• Watch out for nasty trees
• Exorcise an ayakashi infestation
• Enjoy some hard-earned relaxation
• Have fun~

Comments

[erogappa]

Real as you are!

[ A human girl would have laughed about that, right? One more sign that Votelli isn't human... or at least, not entirely. ]

Have you ever been to Heaven? It's pretty nice!

[rockthemonkey]

Well- [Goku barely stops himself from contradicting Gojyo. He hates lying. But those other gods said he was a god too, so maybe it's not lying? It's not like being a god is anything special.]

The people are pretty nice. Otherwise Heaven is kinda boring. [Goku has not really been around long enough to be bored of the Far Shore, but he can't help how he feels.] I think Earth is more fun. There's lots of different things to see here.

[fleetforestsprite]

[She shakes her head vigorously.]

I've never been! He says it's full of--

[--She breaks off, reddening, and her shoulders hunch up.]

It's fine here. Just lonely sometimes.

[erogappa]

[ Look, heaven is actually terrible, okay? But that's because he's not there voluntarily. Given a choice between living alone in the woods and hanging out with talking horses and glowing cherry trees, though? He'd pick having people around. Maybe Votelli would too. ]

I don't like bein' alone either. [ If they're going to hang around and chat for awhile, then he's going to get comfortable. With a groan he shrugs out of his backpack, drops it on the forest floor, and sits on it. ] Oh, that's better. [ He rubs one shoulder wryly. ] Do you have any family anywhere else?

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku nods his head as vigorously as Votelli shakes hers.]

Yeah, being alone sucks! [We're all desperate, clingy people here, it's fine. Goku smiles and sits down cross-legged. They're not going anywhere now.] You should come visit us! We can introduce you to our friends!

[They're all weak to cute, young children, so that should go great. She can come get spoiled.]

[fleetforestsprite]

I can't go anywhere else! [She laughs, surprised, and plops down cross-legged across from the two of them.]

And I don't think I have any family. It's just me living here, and Sensei visits sometimes.

[erogappa]

[ She can't leave? Because he won't let her? Gojyo's opinion of this guy wasn't high to begin with, but it somehow just keeps on dropping. ]

He seems like he's pretty important to you. [ Yes, this is a terrible idea, but hopefully Goku won't call him on it. ] Do you think I could meet him?

[rockthemonkey]

She just said he doesn't live here, Gojyo.

[Geez, listen. Also, stop saying they want to talk to that guy when that clearly upsets her. Goku takes his own backpack off, with noticeably less groaning than Gojyo, and starts rummaging through it.]

Have you ever tried leaving? Hey, do you like sweet or salty stuff?

[He's got rice crackers, he's got pretzel sticks, he's got anpan, he's got whatever other snacks he could grab from a konbini and probably a packed lunch from Ayumu somewhere in there, knowing her. He has less than he started with this morning, but there's enough that he can spare something for a kid. Gojyo is not being offered anything.]

[fleetforestsprite]

I told you he'd be mad I talked to you.

[So, obviously, they can't meet him. No way. She leans forward, fascinated by Goku's backpack full of snacks.]

Anything's okay. -- I tried a long time ago, but I got in trouble.

[erogappa]

Yeah, [ Gojyo mumbles, running a weary hand over his face. ] You said that.

[ So his attempts to get info from the kid are failing miserably. Maybe the way to her heart is through her stomach, and Goku will have better luck? ]

Hey, you got any of those chocolates left? [ They were hard to miss when they came out earlier -- Goku's not the neatest eater. ] Give her one of those!

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku just thinks getting someone to betray the confidence of their only friend is a lost cause. That's obvious. So, better to focus on what they can do! Like give this girl new friends!]

I think I've got one... [Rummage rummage- he picks out a chocolate bar in one hand and a packaged anpan in the other. He holds them both out to her.] You can pick! The chocolate's sweeter than the bun, but they're both pretty good.

[For cheap, pre-packaged snacks, anyway.]

Why'd you get in trouble? Who with?

[fleetforestsprite]

With Sensei, because I'm not allowed to talk to other people. [She reaches for the chocolate, turning it over carefully and beginning to pry the wrapper open.]

It smells good. [She smiles a little.]

[erogappa]

[ That's because Goku is a good person, and Gojyo isn't. But okay, if she can't talk about Sensei, can she talk about herself? ]

If you can't leave the forest, Votelli-chan, does that mean you've lived here all your life?

[rockthemonkey]

[Gojyo is also a good person, he's just indelicate. Goku starts unwrapping his anpan, because he's hungry as well now. He hasn't had lunch yet!]

It tastes good too! I had one earlier. [Starts munching on his bun.] Hey, do you have a house or something here? It must get cold at night.

[fleetforestsprite]

[She's acquiring smears of chocolate all across her face as she takes a big bite of the chocolate bar, and blinks, clearly delighted.

She doesn't entirely bother to finish chewing and swallowing before she answers.]

I've lived here since I can remember. It's not too bad even in the winter, though. The trees make places for me to sleep when I ask.

[erogappa]

[ She's really kind of adorable. And maybe younger than Gojyo first thought? ]

No way. You can talk to the trees? [ After being kicked out of the forest by the trees, and then attacked by them, Gojyo's not actually surprised, but it seems like a good way to learn about her powers. ] Hey, ask them to make you somethin'! I want to see that!

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku really identifies with this girl. Lonely, isolated, delighted by chocolate... Clearly a person of taste and class.]

The temple I got in Heaven is in the trees! I sleep there sometimes too. But the trees there don't move around or anything, not when I talk to them! That's so cool! I wanna see too!

[And he might end up trying to talk to trees himself later. Maybe.]

[fleetforestsprite]

[She stretches her arms out, leaving the chocolate bar in her mouth, and the ground around her ripples and births a dozen sturdy roots, each rapidly putting out fresh green sprouts that lift her off the ground even as they weave together into a leafy armchair.

When the last sprout finishes weaving itself into place, she finishes taking a bite out of the chocolate bar, catching it in her left hand, and smirks as she chews.]

It's a lot of work for them this time of year, so I can't ask them to do too much more.

[erogappa]

Whoa.

[ No doubt about it -- that was impressive! Gojyo reaches out, carefully -- he doesn't want to spook Votelli and he really doesn't want the trees to think he's a threat either -- to lay his hand on the side of the chair. ]

Hey, uh... Can you tell them Sha Gojyo says sorry about the other day?

[rockthemonkey]

Ah!

[Goku falls backwards in shock, waving his arms dramatically as he does. He recovers quickly, at least.]

That's amazing! [She's magic! So cool!] Um, me too, okay? We were just lookin' for our friends!

[fleetforestsprite]

You can't say sorry to them.

[She giggles, reclining in her newly made chair.]

They're trees.

[Does this mean that trees don't need apologies, or does it mean that trees hold grudges? It's hard to tell.]

[erogappa]

[ It definitely sounds like grudges. Gojyo settles back on his heels, casting a wary eye on the surrounding greenery. ]

Okay. Still. ...How about rocks? Can you talk to rocks, too?

[rockthemonkey]

Rocks are different than trees! [Goku would know!] Uh, I think. [Okay, he doesn't know. He scoots a bit closer to Votelli's new, wooden throne and pokes it gingerly.]

Do they stay stuff to you, or just do what you ask 'em to?

[fleetforestsprite]

Rocks aren't alive.

[So, obviously they're different from trees, right? Votelli's smile is smug as Goku pokes at the edge of her new chair; the wood is solid, and growing more so as the sprouts continue to lace their way through the branches.]

And they don't talk back, but they do what I ask them to anyway.

[erogappa]

[ Gojyo would have argues that trees aren't alive either, not the way people are... but this isn't the time for metaphysics. ]

You didn't say anything, though. [ His gaze is suspicious as he scans the surrounding greenery. ] Did they read your mind?!