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

[revolutionfalcon]

[At the very least, Archer's remark confirms something Shun had been wondering about, and he lets out a long, irritable hiss as he rubs a hand against his face.]

Do you know what's causing it, or is it just wrapped up in all this? [Something like magic in the fumes or a curse on part of the volcano. Shun's got his scarf pulled up over his mouth and nose, but it's not exactly enough to entirely prevent the fumes getting through to him.]

[rockthemonkey]

[Alright, even if there was a giant wolf running towards them, Goku wouldn't be running away and leaving Romeo to fend it off. That wouldn't look cool at all.

Goku can't see or smell or sense anything attacking them, but he steps in front of Romeo anyway, a protective hand on the boy's shoulder.]

Hey, it's okay. Lemme handle it, alright?

[rockthemonkey]

Then you can get me lunch instead!

[That's just as good as saving someone's life in Goku's opinion. He'd tell Nia about all the times he's been beaten up, gotten in over his head somewhere, fallen off a cliff and broken his leg, or gotten lost in the woods, but he doesn't really want to lower her opinion of him. Not yet. Not again.]

Um, I dunno, really... We could try and find anyone else that needs help?

[rockthemonkey]

... Uh.

[Goku prods at Hibiki with the end of his staff. Poke poke.]

You okay?

[rockthemonkey]

[You could attribute it to the godly ability to fly through the air and float around as they wish, but really, Goku's just that bouncy. There are springs where his feet should be.

By the time Rin catches up to Goku though, he's not bouncing anywhere. He's stood still, staring forward vacantly with his hand outstretched.]

... I dunno. No, I'm okay, it's just...

[rockthemonkey]

[Goku jumps when Gojyo's hand meets his- but his reaction isn't to snatch his hand back, but instead to grab Gojyo's tightly.]

... The flowers- they're all falling.

C

[redotiertwo]

[Davesprite isn't having much of an issue climbing, but hey, he should probably be wearing more than just...well. His face. He didn't really stop to put any sort of protective gear on before flying up here, though he's not completely sure how sprite anatomy responds to things like volcanic fumes anyway.

Still, he guesses he should probably take the mask, even if he also immediately starts turning the thing around like he's never seen a real one before in his life.]

I guess the real question here is if I can get this thing on over my shades, isn't it.

A

[redotiertwo]

[Davesprite is more on the "distressed" end than actually hurt, considering his temple is still in Western District and has been for his entire tenure here. The sound of a braking car is good enough to get his attention, though, and he turns rather sharply to Hakkai once he manages to pull his attention away from the spewing volcano.]

Yeah...yeah, I'm pretty sure everyone's fine. [He takes a moment to actually look at the car properly.] Is that your car dragon.

Swamp Gas I

[declamando]

[Maria startles a little at the sudden reaction - she'd meant to call out to a familiar face, but it seems like Alex isn't exactly in the condition for that right now. Expression sobering, she raises her hands as if to indicate that she means no threat.]

It's me, Alex. I only just got here. [It's a bit hard to distinguish her features under the wet cloth she has wrapped around her mouth and nose, but the hair is difficult to mistake.]

the world is lava

[declamando]

Maria has no interest in losing her new home to a sudden volcanic eruption, but there's not a lot they can currently do to stop the lava flows. She can, however, try to employ her new skills as a shinki to help out with the efforts, and so Maria assists in Joss' dodge by throwing out a borderline to smash the boulder off-course and away from the temple itself. After that first day at training, she's taken the opportunity to try and hone her skills in that department before she had to try them by fire, and it seems that's been very literal in this case.

"Are you alright?" Maria asks, glancing over to his position. It's not going to be a good day for any of them, but the least they can do is try to have each other's backs.

Mountain Climbing

[declamando]

[The sound of something thudding against a stone wall is difficult to miss, and Maria, having just gone around a curve in the rock that hid the area behind her from sight, hesitates before doubling back. It's better to be safe than sorry in this kind of situation, especially when someone else's life might be at risk.

It's hard to tell whether there's someone in the tube without actually looking over the side of it, though, and Maria's not sure that's such a good idea. So instead, she crouches near the side and calls out, her voice very slightly muffled by the damp cloth over her mouth and nose.]

Is someone there?

hallucinations

[revolutionfalcon]

[The attack is met with an impact of metal - a strange, spindly metal bird that pushes back against the hand and attempts to wrap its odd limbs around it to hold it fast.

Standing behind the bird, one hand on the several knives on his belt, is an older teen in a ragged coat and with a red scarf pulled up over his mouth and nose. What's visible of his face looks exhausted and pained, and faintly irritated as well.

He's had enough of dealing with his own hallucinations, let alone anyone else's. When he speaks out, his tone is clear, commanding and grave.]

Even if you're seeing something that was real once, it's not here right now. Snap out of it before you do something you can't take back.

A

[revolutionfalcon]

Do you even need to ask?

[Shun had not long come back from his patrol when the volcano erupted, so unsurprisingly, he's on his way through Central District to assist in the situation, flanked by several green and white metal birds.

He barely spares a glance for Yata's condition.] Put some actual clothes on and make yourself useful instead of gaping like a fish.

B

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun hasn't exactly stopped much to prepare before heading up the mountain - he's wearing his scarf up over his mouth and nose, and his coat is fire-resistant anyway, but that's about it. The sight of movement out of the corner of his eye catches his attention easily, but he doesn't react in time to dodge the spell flung his way.

It doesn't take him long to pick up the sight of Caster while scanning over the area, though, and he definitely is on his way down to confront him about it, even if Caster explains before he can actually demand it out of him.]

You could have mentioned that before you started flinging glowing projectiles at people in a place where they're going to have to be worrying about flying embers already.

B

[revolutionfalcon]

[That...is definitely a bird. Shun even has a sneaking suspicion of what the bird might be after his past conversation with Chikusa about hafuri vessels, but it's not until Chikusa bends down to display the note taped to his beak that the suspicion is confirmed.

Shun looks past the neat handwriting to glance over Chikusa's considerably-sized form with a somewhat dry look.]

I'd almost call that inconveniently big for any kind of job that isn't like this one.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun's mouth tightens a little bit at the implication that it's a good thing it's people he knows.] I'd prefer if it was something like that. It'd be easier to deal with.

[Less personal things slide off his back easily, but it's things like this that actually mess with his head. It's not dissimilar to the time those strange flowers had triggered the worst flashback he'd had in a while with the voices of the dead.

After a moment or two more hesitation, and a glance over to see if the crowd of his allies is still there - they are, of course, he wouldn't be that lucky - he shakes his head.] Let's move on.

[reloves]

[ There don't seem to be any rocks hurtling their way towards them for now, so instead Minako glances over at the Borderline he's created in front of the lava. She really isn't too sure how much it could even help, but Edge showed such great skill last time, even just letting her pass through it so easily.. She figured that if it's him, he should at least be able to do something about this.

But it doesn't seem to be that easy. Her heart skips a beat out of worry when she watches him look like he just got the wind knocked out of him, and Minako instictively steps closer to him and grabs the hand he didn't use to make the Borderline with, not hesitating for a moment. ]

Are you okay?! Is it too much?

[reloves]

That.. sure is a sight. It doesn't stop Minako from starting to move too, getting started on a steady jog, but it sure looks a lot more actually athletic than Chikusa's seemingly effortless fast shuffling does.

"Do you always run like that?" She blinks, looking at him as she asks it while they keep moving. Minako is keeping an eye out for anything strange already, and she has found it in Chikusa's speedy shuffle, clearly.

[letteropener]

[Celestia lets his Borderline go up -- since it severs the spell quite effectively in doing so. In that moment, she reaches out and grips the boulder with her telekinesis, heaving it off them and shoving it into the path the lava will take when the Borderline drops. It isn't enough to completely block the path -- can he hold off a second more? That is all she needs!]

[reformedsinner]

"He says, it's not his fault you're short," Hakkai relays with a cheerful smile. "But what Ken says is true -- we were worried about the volcano. I hear they don't usually erupt."

He turns his smile on the boy, summoning his best oblivious demeanor, and continues, "So we're up here to see if there's a reason it's erupting, or if it's just a geological oddity. Have you seen anything strange?"

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Oh, no. Oh, horrors. A wet scarf. That was too steep a price to pay, better abandon her to her fate.

"Away!" he said, tucking her close in to his chest to minimize the jarring as he hopped over a large fallen column. "If you've got requests, I'll listen!"

[reloves]

[ For a moment she glances down to the runestones in her hands before looking back up to him. ]

Thanks. [ It's a little more muted than her usual over the top enthusiasm, but the genuineness in her tone makes up for it. Minako knows it's pretty stupid to run straight into all of this when she has no real way of protecting herself against the heat and fire and rocks (even though she was going to do it anyway), so she gladly accepts the help. ]

Shouldn't it be the other way around though? I think I should be asking you if you don't mind having me around! [ She presents it pretty playfully, a teasing smile appearing on her face, but there's a core of truth to her words that she keeps in her heart rather than speaking it out loud. He is definitely the more useful one in this situation, after all. ] I was just planning to see if there was anyone still over in the Western district who needed help.

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki cannot hear you, Elfnein. Or perhaps she can, and is ignoring you. Whatever her reasoning, she continues to play out her own drama, bike slowing to a faint wobble. ]

It's no good....I'm already....at my limit.....

[ And there she goes. Tipping over like a fallen tree.

Timber! ]

[reformedsinner]

You've heard of me?

[Hakkai's tone is cautious, but not aggressive. The boy's jumping back, and now he sounds confused. Do they know each other?

His face isn't clear; the air here seems strangely clouded, twisting with fog that had concealed the child until he was almost on top of Hakkai in the first place.]

What's your name?

[reformedsinner]

It is. [Hakkai pats Jeep's dashboard fondly, and the car flicks its headlights on and off at Davesprite.]

-- If you need somewhere to stay, my temple's only had a little bit of ash. Oh, and some shingles falling off the roof, but I should be able to get those nailed back on before it rains.