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

[revolutionfalcon]

[It's not as if they haven't already broken into the police station (though without much actual breaking), so Shun picks through the place until he finds the right desk of the right idiot who's happened to not be able to remember their login details otherwise.

By way of answer to that question when he comes back in, he holds up the paper before setting it down on the table next to him.]

There's always one.

[kokuyoyo]

Good.

[Going through his own bag, laptop held within, he takes it and a flashdrive out. His constant preparedness serves him once again...]

This might take a little bit...

[revolutionfalcon]

That figures. [Shun doesn't seem to mind - if they're copying a large amount of video files, it taking a while is to be expected. It's just useful that Chikusa actually brought a drive, because he doubts his duel disk would interface with this sort of system.]

As long as it gets us more than the nothing we've been getting for most of the day, it'll be worthwhile.

[kokuyoyo]

Mm.

[It's a wordless agreement, something he doesn't bother to spare more than the absolute bare minimum of energy on. Instead, Chikusa patiently begins to go through the videos, tapping his glasses down to the edge of his nose so that he can better look over the top of them.]

[It's going to take... a good... long... while... before Chikusa mumbles from where he's hunched up, assuming Shun is still waiting around.]

The amount of people... picked up around... [A quick check of the date.] The same time disappearances started happening.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun's mostly just pacing and waiting for something to come up at this point, since Chikusa's handling the computer end of things. He's also hovering a bit closer to the door, making sure nobody's coming this way while they're occupied with this.

He turns his head when Chikusa mumbles his findings, though.]

That figures. They would've needed a decent number of people here to do the spell, and then to maintain it.

[kokuyoyo]

The problem... is that while I can tell the license plate numbers- [Because what else would a traffic camera be good for?] -the faces area lot harder to distinguish. Not to mention, it's not like we can tell who is a cultist based on their face.

We'll have to look at different places that might have cameras... and compile more information.

[revolutionfalcon]

[At the mention of the plate numbers being clear, Shun comes a bit closer.] I'd make sure we have a record of the plate numbers as well. If we can get hold of someone decent at hacking, we might be able to find out who the cars are registered to. There should be at least a few hits that are actual cultists.

[Of course, there's always a chance they're renting or borrowing or something to try and obfuscate things, but it's still worth a shot.]

[kokuyoyo]

That goes without saying.... [Thus, he's downloading what he can.]

But do you have a plan on how you're going to find out?

[revolutionfalcon]

Check them in person if I have to. Just because you don't like doing legwork doesn't mean nobody else is going to do it.

[If something has to be done the long, dragging and inconvenient way? Shun is still going to do it if it needs to be done.]

[kokuyoyo]

It has nothing to do with that... [Even if he does really fucking hate legwork.] What I don't like.... is needless legwork. That's expending too much energy... and too much time.

[He checks up on his progress with the footage.]

You should do something more streamlined... Like gathering information on who the cars are registered under, narrowing down your suspects based on people who have actual reason to be here... Process of elimination.... [Chikusa reaches up to nudge his glasses.] Something like that, anyway.

[revolutionfalcon]

That's why I said "if I have to". As in that's the last resort plan and I'd prefer to do something more straightforward. [Shun would also argue that Chikusa considers any legwork that's literal legwork to be needless, when it isn't always. But in any case, he doesn't intend to pass over the more obvious methods of gathering the information unless they actually don't work.]

It's going to take time either way, and finding a way into those records. [Worst case scenario, break into one of the buildings and find a computer they can log into, like they're doing here.]

[kokuyoyo]

Police station.

[...Don't ask him why he has the answer to that so immediately. Not that shun really cares at this point; he knows what a filthy criminal Chikusa is just from lack of care.]

...They have a specific department that handles vehicle registration.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun has gotten slightly out of touch with societal details like that in the wake of his world's deterioration into war, so it's reasonably useful information. And of course, by this point it's no surprise that Chikusa knows it.]

So either look for another person stupid enough to leave their login details around or kick someone in the department off their computer.

[kokuyoyo]

Someone might even just leave theirs open while they go to lunch... depending.

Anyway. You can look into that, if you want, while I finish getting the information from this... and sorting it out...

[revolutionfalcon]

Might as well leave it until you've sorted the information, so I know what I'm looking for. The getting in part is going to be comparatively easy. [It'll be tracking down the numbers, names and other information that'll be annoying, and having the plates off Chikusa will at least mean having that in order before he sets out.]

[kokuyoyo]

Mmm. I'll let you know when I've organized everything. [Chikusa rolls his head from side to side a little, working out kinks that, while not harmful, are certainly annoying to feel.] It's going to take forever.... How troublesome.

[revolutionfalcon]

If it manages to get us closer to finding out who was behind that spell, then I'll consider it worthwhile. [Chikusa's work and whatever work Shun has to put in to track down the individuals who are most likely connected to the cult. They're inching closer, but it's painfully slow progress from where he's standing.]

[kokuyoyo]

Mm. Well. You're not wrong.

[The closer they get to those nuisances... the better.]

I'll meet up at your temple with the list, then... Unless you want to come to Hakkai's...

[And he's pretty sure Shun doesn't want to.]

[revolutionfalcon]

You can come to mine. Text me in advance so I can make sure I'm actually there and that the vultures don't come after you. [Shun puts that somewhat dryly. Chikusa is right in his guess that he doesn't want to come to Hakkai's, but his temple has its own concerns, and with Shun it's best to know when he's going to have visitors anyway so he's not halfway across Tokyo and/or the Heavens.]

[kokuyoyo]

Then I'll see you then.

[After he has to take ten thousand years to get through all of this. The things he does to get back at the people responsible for kidnapping Hakkai...]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun just inclines his head slightly and turns to leave. He should probably investigate the forest itself a little bit further before he departs for the day anyway.]