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

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Maybe he ought to tell her to go home. He's done it before, in the past he doesn't remember... and he'd learned he was a fool then. Here and now, he can't help but respect her choice. She wants to stand up and fight for what she wants to protect, even if she doesn't know how.]

[It does surprise him. But it also impresses him. She's -- more amazing than he knew.]

Borderlines. Yeah, that might be something. I'll draw one as close as I can, and then see if I can hold it... You can watch for me, so I don't have to look for flying rocks or anything.

[That really will be a help, even if ordinarily he wouldn't think to ask it.]

[reloves]

Okay.

[ It doesn't feel like much, just being a lookout, but she'll take whatever she can do in this situation. It's not as if she wouldn't be on the lookout for anything that could potentially hurt him in this situation to begin with, anyway - so she agrees instantly. ]

Be careful. [ There's something really genuine in her tone and facial expression as she says that. Just trying to make a Borderline shouldn't hurt him, she knows that, but of course she can't help but worry in this situation regardless. ]

[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..]

[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?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Suddenly his hand is in hers, and -- well, that actually makes a lot of difference. If he's ever had this sort of... comfort? Help? Reassurance? during a fight, he can't remember it and it doesn't seem familiar.]

It hit like a hammer to the skull. [He doesn't pull on her for support as he stands, but he doesn't let go of her hand either.] I think I can handle it if I'm better prepared, though.

[He glances from the lava down at her, a little uncertain as to what exactly he wants to ask for, but...]

Give me strength?

[reloves]

[ See, this is the part where she normally wouldn't know what to do. At best she'd just take it to mean mental and emotional support. But there's something about those words that seems so very familiar. Even if she couldn't ever place where she's heard those words before, it makes a strange emotion rush through her, her reply coming almost instinctively. ]

Anytime you need it.

[ But even though the response is instinctive, Minako would have consciously answered the same way. Her surprise turns into a smile, almost too soft for the chaotic situation they're in. If he needs her help, then she'll give him whatever he needs. She wants to help the people here too. And she wants him to be strong enough that he doesn't have to suffer to do so.

And so she does give him strength. Without Minako even fully realising it. Edge will be able to actually feel some sort of energy flowing into him from their joined hands. It's only a subconscious leak of Minako's power, since she was always so used to lending it to someone she no longer remembers, but even just a bit of the power she doesn't remember should be enough to make him feel warmer, stronger. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[He expects the smile, though not its softness. What he doesn't expect is that their touch would bring him strength in such a literal way, like she's sharing what she has with him. For a moment he can only look down at their clasped hands in surprise, hers so soft and gentle against his, but with so much life and strength hidden in it.]

[The strength flowing through him isn't just from her, though it takes root in her warmth and energy. It's admiration, respect, attraction... a feeling like he can do anything. A feeling like he would do anything to keep that smile on her face.]

[Well, he can't really stand against a volcano forever, but... emotions aren't weakness. They're strength. So Edge turns to face the oncoming flow once more, his grip gentle but firm on her hand, and with deliberate precision traces his fingers through the air.]

Line!

[The line erupts in front of the lava. When the molten rock strike it, she can feel him flinch, his muscles jumping as the barrier and his willpower take a hit once more. But it holds.]

[reloves]

[ There's a slight moment of tension, right before he makes that gesture. It's easy to believe in him, but it's also easy to think of the limits of shinki. Could a shinki make a Borderline good enough to stop the lava to begin with? She has no idea of the extra strength she has given him - although she might feel a little fainter later on and maybe never quite realise why - but there's definitely a moment where she wishes with all she's got that he can do it.

And then he can. Her grip on his hand tightens a bit, like she's determined to somehow get him to keep it up through sheer intense handholding alone, but she looks relieved.

It's not a permanent solution to this whole problem, no, but.. they did something. Or, well, Edge did something. But just seeing anything at all done about this situation feels so liberating and great, and Minako looks at him with the most genuine wide smile. ]

You did it..! [ Well.. He is still doing it, but that's just a detail! She's too happy to pay mind to that. He's today's hero. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[The pressure still pushes against him like a mountain leaning on his mind, but now it's steady and solid, not a sharp blow. That makes it easier to handle, and he feels so incredible in this moment he thinks he can handle ten times that force.]

[She squeezes his hand, then speaks, and he looks down at her with his eyes shining as bright as hers ever did, in a cat cafe or in Hibiki's presence or any such thing.]

We did it!

[Impulsively, he sweeps his other arm around her waist and scoops her up, twirling her around in midair with his sheer delight.]

I could never have done it without you!

[reloves]

[ Suddenly being lifted up a bit does surprise her for a moment, but only since she didn't see it coming. Once she realises what's happening, she just laughs and allows him to continue. ]

Oh, come on! I know I'm an incredibly inspiring presence, and that beautiful girls are the best motivation and all of that, but that was all you!

[ Minako's (outward) ego might reach to the moon and back, but she'd never scoop up the accomplishment of someone she knows and claim it as her own. Not in a situation this important, anyway. ]

I told you you were good at this. You should've listened to me from the start!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Edge shakes his head, the barest motion as he sets her feet back on the ground (but doesn't let go). She feels incredible in his arm and against him. Maybe it's just because of the adrenaline and the rush of warmth, but in this moment he never wants to let her go.]

I needed you. Don't ask me how, I don't understand it myself, but I know I couldn't have done that with you by my side. So we did it, and -- and thank you! Thank you.

[reloves]

Okay, I won't ask how.

[ Still convinced she wasn't very useful here, okay! But Minako isn't the type to argue that at all, so she'll just take the compliment anyway - especially when it seems to be coming from him so genuinely. Just seeing him so happy is enough for her.

And it's not as if she doesn't like being held by a handsome guy and all, but she's still pretty aware of the situation they're in. She lets it linger for a few moments before saying-- ]

I think we probably have more people and temples to help out right now though.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[His thoughts had been going in a different direction, and her words startle him back into coherence once again -- enough of a jolt that he actually twitches. But she's right. Edge looks up and around at the Borderline, frowning slightly.]

I think I can hold it long enough for us to find another place that needs help. That should keep the lava flowing in its new channel?

[reloves]

[ She nods. ]

This stuff is kind of slow, right? Once it's flowing into a new direction, it'll probably stick to it. [ Not that Minako is a natural disaster or vulcano expert - far from it - but that just seems like the logical conclusion to her. ]

If we can just try to redirect at least a few of these streams to spots where it won't hit a temple or anything else important, then we'll have helped tons of people already!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

It'll spill a bit, but for the most part you're right. And I can keep holding it. Come on, let's go!

[He offers her a hand. If they're going on together, that's how they're going on together!]

And, uh... When this is all over I've got to ask you something, so remind me!

[reloves]

[ You don't have to ask Minako twice to hold a hand when one is offered to her. She easily grabs it - not like it'll be any hindrance to what they're trying to do here. If anything, it seemed to come in pretty useful (in Edge's eyes, apparently? Minako still doesn't know what happened there) this time, anyway.

And she smiles at him. ]

Sure. I won't let you forget.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Good.

[It's important.]

[Maybe a disaster, but important. But for now, well. Edge sights the next menacing lava field up ahead, and starts off for that. Together!]