32 - Blow Your Top

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: A volcano eruption threatens the Western District
When: Jan 14 - 16
Where: The Western District of the Heavens
Summary: The Western District volcano is erupting again, endangering nearby temples and sending ash sprinkling down across the Heavens. Is it natural, or another attack? Those who dare climb the volcano can find out.






Earthquake Warning

On the morning of the 14th, an earthquake rattles windows throughout the Heavens. It's not strong enough to knock down buildings -- unless they're about to fall down anyway, like some of the older abandoned temples -- but it's strong enough to knock things off shelves and startle any late sleepers out of bed.

After the earthquake, strange sights abound around the Heavens. The poetic koi are swimming in organized schools in all of the canals, heading upstream towards the east. Springs of pure water burst out in some areas, and in others, normal springs or fountains have gone temporarily dry. Blue and green lights bob and weave across the landscape.

Falling Rock

The volcano begins erupting with a roar and a bright scarlet glow on the horizon. Ash and bits of rock fall across the Western district, and may even reach into the Southwest, Northwest and southern Central districts. Volcanic glass fibers that look like golden hair collect on trees, fences and buildings.

Trails and fountains of lava are also erupting from freshly opened fissures and wending down the sides of the volcano. Gods and shinki who live in the Western District are going to need some help clearing ash and glass from their roofs, trying to re-route lava flows (the good news is, if you cool one side down enough, you can turn them! the bad news is, that takes a lot of work) or just offering them a spare room to stay until things calm down.

Swamp Gas

It's not just lava and springwater erupting from mysterious new crevasses -- and it's not just mundane volcanic gases, either. Divine volcanic vents are blowing mind-altering fumes all over the Heavens. Anywhere across the Far Shore, but especially as characters get closer to the volcano, they may experience one or more of the following effects:

• Confusion
• Intense emotions
• Anger and irritability
• Impulsive behavior, loss of emotional control
• Hallucinations
• Unusually clear insight into other people and situations
• Coughing, eye and throat irritation, difficulty breathing
• Irresistible impulses to speak in poetry

Most symptoms will clear up after a few hours in fresh air, and all of them will be gone within 48 hours of the last volcano gas exposure.

Mountain Climbing

Natural disasters don't just happen like this in the Heavens... do they? Amaterasu's white-robed shinki are convinced that something is wrong, and they're organizing into search parties to go up the mountain and seek out the cause of this eruption. New and old gods and shinki are welcome to join them, or form their own groups. All of the hazards -- tremors, lava, ash, and volcanic gas -- will get worse as characters ascend the volcano. Strange little spirit flames, in shades of red and blue, dance on the rocks, dazzling, confusing and threatening to singe interlopers.

And there's someone up here, too. A mysterious figure with glowing red eyes is keeping watch on the intruders and vanishing behind boulders whenever someone turns his way. He won't let anyone traveling with one of the white-robed shinki get too close, but solitary gods or shinki might manage to lure him into conversation, if they try....

OOC: Please comment to the 'NPC REQUEST' thread below in order to talk to the mysterious figure on the volcano.

Those climbing the volcano will have a chance to battle the mysterious figure should their characters choose to do so. If you're interested in a fight, please comment to the 'NPC FIGHT' thread below before the top-level is posted. A top-level for the fight will go up on IC Jan 16/OOC Sept 4.

In Summary:

• Don't get rattled
• Help out the Western District with their volcano problem
• Watch out for volcanic gases
• Find out who's behind the eruption
• Have fun~

Comments

I

[unlucky7]

Alex, is that you?

[Ginia's shoes crunch on volcanic rock as she lands behind who she thinks is Alex. It's hard to tell right now with all the smoke and ash and the way people appear and disappear because they were never there in the first place. She types up a message on her phone, not wanting to startle Alex but also so tired of reaching out for people that aren't there.

When Alex turns on her, she stiffens and takes a step back. With the lower half of her face obscured by a respirator mask and bandanna, and eyes covered with safety goggles and a hoodie pulled over her head, it's probably not easy to tell who it is, though only a handful of people use a cellphone to talk.]

[erogappa]

[ Can a borderline hold back lava? He doesn't know. Can his borderline hold back lava?

Almost certainly not.

Unbidden, Chikusa's face pops up in his memory, that blank, oh-so-punchable disappointed look, telling him again how shinki magic is about being superior. If Chikusa were here, he could do it.

And like fuck is he going to fail where Chikusa would succeed. ]

Okay. [ Superiority. Certainty. Strength of will -- he's got this. He's got this or he'll die trying. He can't see the wall of laval from this angle -- there's a rock in the way -- but he clears his mind, tries to focus on where it must be. How high, how wide. How solid the borderline will have to be. ] Okay, swap on three. One... two...

[artificialrose]

If you're breaking down and coughing while even wearing a mask, it's definitely too far.

[He offers his hand out to her.]

Let's see if sitting down will do anything for you. If not, we can always make our way back down.

[myblueskies]

"What's a gas mask?" He looks at Ebisu, is that what is over his face? It looks weird! "I have a scarf! That helps me not breathe in all the smoke! Is that what a gas mask does too?"

Because if you breathed in lots of smoke you could pass out and that was dangerous!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

All right. Here I go.

[Edge takes a deep breath, then straightens fully and stretches out one hand, two fingers and thumb pointed forward. Another breath, and he slashes a line in front of him.]

Line!

[The Borderline springs up in front of the lava. A second later the molten rock hits it.]

[As much as Borderlines are described as a battle of will, that lava has a lot of impetus to keep moving forward over anything in its way. The impact strikes him like a physical blow, and he staggers backwards with a gasp as the line fails..]

[myblueskies]

Goodbye? Where was he going? Romeo scrambled closer, "What are you doing up here?

Up here being so far from the... It wasn't really a path, but the part where everyone else was!

"You got to be careful!"

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Oh no, this is not acceptable, not at all. Edge kicked a stone aside so it wouldn't fall onto her as he reached her side, then without a moment's hesitation scooped her up. She was tiny, she weighed nothing as far as he was concerned.

Quickly, he grabbed one of the long, scarflike trailing edges of his mask, then pulled it over her mouth and nose. It wouldn't help her current problems, but at least she could stop pulling more in.

"I'm getting you out of here."

[chibisu]

"That's right. And it helps keep things out of your eyes, so that ash and gas doesn't affect it." There's so much that can happen around lava, after all... More than just burns or breathing in something. "I've been trying to make sure lots of people who've been coming here have something like it."

[futhark]

[ It stops being similar to sparring when next hit is a full force one- and luckily he's holding a wooden staff, not a spear. Impalement through the chest is still possible, but require tad bit more work to perform well. Breaking a rib on the other hand, that's might happen

Plus the gas does wonders- not. He always favours the bold so when he notices his opponent instead of focuses on defense, that throws him off. ]

Now you're the one holding back- [ he points out, swinging his staff at Archer in a wide, sideways arch. Though it's lazier then moment before, an attempt at being conversational ]

[nopixiedust]

"Hey-!" Being grabbed so suddenly has her kicking in alarm, although that soon stops when she starts coughing again. It'll leave Edge's scarf wet, but that's the price he's going to be paying here.

"Where?"

[kokuyoyo]

What was that brief moment of pause...? People really can be strange in the world. Still, she's right in that they should probably get going. "Then, I guess just keep an eye out for anything strange." Usually, he only walks at an average shuffle, but he somehow speeds up...

...While still shuffling.

It's a bit of a sight.

[futhark]

And you can't just stand useless spells, can you? [ Caster lets out a brief laugh. "If I wanted to" is a sound excuse in his book. And Judar looks like the kind that never does anything he wouldn't want.

But this whole surprise sandstorm gives him an idea. It doesn't have to be sand, it could have been water instead. Combined with a whirlwind would it be enough to put out a fire. How to get the water though, aside from trying to condense it directly from the air? ]

Hey, could you aim that wind there-? [ He points at an abandoned temple near the wood, close to catching fire. The derelict building will definitely get absolutely wrecked if hit by the wind, but if it does start burning, it will spread to some nearby not-abandoned temples. ]

[myblueskies]

A really bad thunderstorm! Will the temple blow away? [That is worrying!] Shouldn't we go outside?

[Staying by the wall is good for now! Romeo kept hold of Elfnein. He's not too worried. As long as they stick together everything will be alright!

[myblueskies]

[Romeo has his scarf wound round the bottom half of his face to cover his mouth, it was good to stop the smoke out!]

I can help! [Wetting the roof is a smart idea! He grabs the bucket and nods. The lava would burn everything but hopefully it wouldn't come this way!] Let's go!

[myblueskies]

[He's so glad! He reached out to take her hand and squeeze it tight. They would go down the mountain! Elfnein wouldn't die up here!]

Okay! Be careful! Keep near me and I'll make sure no fire wolves get you.

[He can see them, prowling on the horizon.]

[futhark]

A runestone. It will keep you safe from the heat and fire.

[ And isn't it Zelda's favorite shinki, of course, she deserves an extra bonus. Instead of throwing he hands her another stone - like a civilized human, er ghost. The courtesy echoes his short-time waiter game. ]

This one will just amplify the other spell, make it last longer, no? We cannot allow those golden locks catching a stray spark.

[ If Minako is going somewhere there's a good chance her goddess might be there. Or that her goddess asked her to do something- either way, now that they met he does feel personally responsible to see her to safety. ]

Mind if I tag along with you?

[myblueskies]

"Oh!" That was a good idea, because his eyes were very sore with all the ash and he couldn't tie his scarf over his eyes!

"It's good that you have been trying to help everyone!" It's what Romeo has been trying to do as well, hauling water and directing people to safer places! The volcano was scary and it was important that they made sure everyone was safe!

[chibisu]

"We've been trying, but this isn't really our area of expertise..." Something that's been troubling him. He can provide items, but money in this case won't really be helpful. With that in mind, Ebisu is really at a loss.

"Still, do you want one? It'd be okay if you kept it, too."

[reformedsinner]

[Gojyo's still refusing to let Hakkai's hand get closer to his torn-out throat; Hakkai sags, giving up the effort, and lets Gojyo replace his hand against the bloodstain on his shirt.

(How big is the bloodstain? He can't see it clearly, either. It alternately looks like no more than a smear, mixed with ash, and big enough to drown the world.)

Maybe this is one of the dreams where he's trying to atone, then. Gojyo won't let him touch the wound on his throat, so it's going to be some other sort of help he asks for.]

You won't let...

[He trails off, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment, trying to focus.]

How?

[swordofzero]

Right... [He leads the way over the rough terrain, trying to guess the flow of the lava and trying to get to higher ground, around it.

The warning is good because they haven't been moving long when he almost buckles in pain as the lava hits the line. A few seconds later the borderline shatters.] So the most we can do is buy a few minutes. [That's not bad though, better than nothing.]

[erogappa]

[ Good -- he keeps Hakkai's hand there, pressed flat against his chest, his own heavy and warm over it as he breathes deep and slow. ]

Tell me what you're seeing.

[ Deep and even and slow, something real for Hakkai to touch. Gojyo's other hand is held off at an awkward angle, to ensure that it doesn't get bumped in case this turns into a fight -- he'll deal with his hand later, deal with this whole volcano mess later. Right now he needs Hakkai in his right mind. ]

It's just us here, okay? It's safe. [ Safe for Hakkai, anyway. If Gojyo's heart beat it would be rabbitting up in his throat right about now. ] Open your eyes and look at me, and tell me what you see.

[reloves]

[ Why is that distracting shoulder there at a moment like this. Any other time she would have been able to just take a moment and fully appreciate it, but right now she has to focus! Stupid sexy Flanders Hibiki!! ]

I'm not sure.. [ Especially since she's pretty sure Hibiki felt the earthquake part of it too.. unless going outside in a bathrobe is just a hobby for her. In which case, please do continue! ] When I went outside, the koi that always swim around near the temple were super agitated. I don't think whatever is going on will just be over with that earthquake we had.

[reloves]

[ She stops walking when she's next to him, taking a look at his temple as well. ]

You live in a place like this..? [ At least she seems more surprised than judgemental. For now. The judgement and forcing him to make better life decisions part can wait until everything is back to normal again, and right now it sure doesn't seem like they've had the worst of things yet with that earthquake. ]

You can't stay here right now though! What if it does collapse? You'd get hurt!

[veiledflame]

"Only if I still get to tell you I'm not answering something." He eyes Ebisu distrustfully, not reaching for his hand just yet. "I'm not going to answer every question you can think of."

[veiledflame]

Sooo.... [He drags out the vowel into a sing-song.]

You're looking to find their enemies to team up with, huh? Wow, you are a bad shinki.