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

[chibisu]

"Nope!" It's impossible to hide the delight from his voice, so Ebisu doesn't bother to try. Besides, why should he? Kunimi is so amazing, he should definitely be praised like this! "Do you want to look really hard for yourself? I can even call Kunimi out again, so that you can see if anything changes!"

Another pause, before he adds something, clearly reminded. "He'll hold onto my hand, and Kimi also says he'd like to come out, just in case."

Ebisu should not be left on his own, un-possessed, with access to a sharp knife on his person.

[veiledflame]

"Yeah! I want to see!"

He brightens immediately, stepping back to give Ebisu room to call out his shinki.

[chibisu]

Ebisu looks around, quickly ascertaining that the place they're at can take on a pair of grown men, before taking a breath. "Kuni, Ki, release." In a flash, his shinki appear- one of them taking the knife at his belt with him. Just like their god, both Kunimi and Kimi are wearing gas masks. Safety first, and all that. Really, it works to their advantage. This way, the way Kunimi is warily watching Sotero is a little less blatant.

...Also his face is just like that, sometimes. Let's not talk about the stress and exhaustion talking, either.

Without thinking or needing to be prompted, Ebisu beams at his fellow child god. As well as he possibly can while wearing a mask, anyway. "Alright, you can search as much as you want. Although I guess I can't take the mask off to make it thorough..."

[veiledflame]

"Uh, hi," Sotero says, looking up at the intimidating, gas-mask-wearing, scowling (well, staring, anyway) adults.

He leans in towards Ebisu, lowering his voice dramatically.

"They're not gonna grab me and throw me off the mountain if I search you, right?"

[chibisu]

Kimi promptly ruins the very serious and stoic effect by sputtering out a laugh, and can't even raise a hand to cover his mouth. Thanks, gas mask. While Kunimi stares into the void where presumably a stress free life and regular sleeping schedule went, Ebisu just shakes his head.

"No, they're fine. They just look like that. They're a little worried, too, but they wouldn't do anything bad."

[veiledflame]

Kimi looks much less terrifying when he's laughing, even if he's laughing at Sotero; the boy bristles, but seems to shed his fear as he steps forward to briskly and inefficiently pat Ebisu down.

Eventually, he steps back, squinting intensely.

"Okay," he admits, "I can't find anything different, but what if you call Kunimi back?-- You can ask me another question after."

[chibisu]

"You won't find anything then, either." Ebisu can say this confidently; he knows his own shinki best after all. "Still, if you're satisfied... Hōki, come." Immediately, the larger and more imposing of his two shinki disappears, vanishing... into apparent nothing.

While Sotero continues his investigation, Ebisu continues talking. "Then, as a fire god, would you know why this volcano happened?"

[veiledflame]

"As a fire god, I would," Sotero says immediately, "but I'm not gonna tell you how, so you can save that question."

He pats down Ebisu again, and steps back, at last, visibly bewildered.

"...He really is invisible, huh? You're lucky having a shinki like that."

It's clear he has no idea how to do a pat-down, and he could've missed a sword, much less a tiny bit of jewelry or clothing stud; but he looks as if he's convinced of Ebisu's assertion.

[chibisu]

"Awww..." Shut down before he could begin. But then, he did leave that as an option. He'll adjust. "Then- Oh wait. That was the second question." Letting his hands swing back down, Ebisu considers things.

"What would you like in exchange for that?" Without thinking, he takes Kimi's hand as well, with the shinki calmed down.

[veiledflame]

"I never said I'd pick all my favors right away," Sotero says, and grins. "I'm saving this one. What's your next question?"

[chibisu]

"If you say so, although remember to try and pick soon..." Was there maybe an expiration date in that packet? Maybe. Just a year later, however, so it's fine. They have enough time, so long as Sotero doesn't forget.

"Then... Would you considering helping to stop the volcano from going off more?"

[veiledflame]

As long as he has a handful of favors he can call in when he wants, Sotero will still consider himself to have had the better side of the bargain.

He frowns at Ebisu.

"Maybe," he says, cautiously. "I'm not going to cool it down all the way, that's too much. I could cool it down some, though."

[chibisu]

"Then, that would be greatly appreciated!" Even with the gas mask, the way Ebisu is beaming shows through in his voice. Even a little bit of help is better than none at all!

"Could you do it right now, then? It would be greatly appreciated."

[veiledflame]

"That's not answering a question," Sotero points out. "You're gonna owe me a way bigger favor if I do that."

He plants his hands on his hips, and suggests, "How about, if I need a different place to stay, you let me stay at one of your shrines?"

[chibisu]

"That's not according to the terms of our original contract," Ebisu counters with a blank blink. "I feel like we should make a new one for that." It might make Kunimi's protests in the back of his head calm down slightly.

"Besides- and this can be my next question- why would you need somewhere to stay? I know a lot of people are losing their temples, or in danger of losing them, but if that were the case for you, then you'd already be actively trying..."

[veiledflame]

"Me cooling down a volcano isn't part of the contract, either," Sotero says. "You left my part blank, but your part just said answering questions honestly, and I'm doing that. "

His hands stay on his hips, but he's scrutinizing Ebisu's face carefully.

"I don't really have a place to stay. It's okay up here, but if I cool it down, it'll get even more crowded, I bet."

[chibisu]

"I was hoping that would slip your mind," Ebisu answers honestly, causing Kimi to hide another wheezing "cough". "But, there might be a few parts that are problematic to even drawing up a contract like this. I mean..."

Ducking his head slightly, his eyes peer out from the goggles of the gas mask and he tugs at his hood. "Is it alright if it's one of mine? I mean... If you're a new god, do you not know about me?"

[veiledflame]

Sotero blinks at him, and replies, deadpan, "Nice try."

That said, he shrugs, and slips his hands into the pocket of his hoodie, glancing away. "Anyway, yeah, I've heard about you. I don't care though."

1/2

[chibisu]

2/2

[chibisu]

"...You're not going to succeed at making trouble for Heaven at all."

To the side, Kimi chokes on his own air supply, and Kunimi is scolding him in scandalized shock. Is that stopping Ebisu? Absolutely not. "You should care! After all, they already suspected me of causing recent trouble within the Heavens, or at least my shinki. If they were suspicious, my shrines would be the first they would investigate out of any of the other gods, new or old. Your life is precious, so you should be a lot more care-"

Aaaaaaand that's when his own hand smacks over his mouth.

Ebisu makes an indignant noise against his palm, immediately making other noises after it that hint at some point of protest. Kimi makes another faint choking noise before taking in a deep inhale, calming himself down, and slowly draws himself into a crouch.

"Not to mention, Sotero-sama, even if we did house you at one of my master's shrines, don't you think it would be unfair if you were to be anything but completely open and honest with us?"

[veiledflame]

"I'm not trying to make trouble for Heaven by staying with you," Sotero insists, and immediately spoils it by adding, "and you're a God of Fortune! They shouldn't search your shrines first!"

His scowl darkens.

[chibisu]

What is probably a grumble manages to make it out from behind Ebisu's hand, but that's hardly much of an answer at all. Kimi still makes a go of visibly trying to listen to it. Understandable? Definitely not, still, he continues to speak while Kunimi lives the troublesome life of an exemplar.

"You said you heard about the young master before, haven't you?" He pauses for a moment, expression hard to read even disregarding the presence of a gas mask, before continuing on. "As a god who once betrayed Heaven and houses nora, they're still wary of him, even after bringing about his reincarnation." His fingers tap along one knee. "If there's any reason they won't search one of his shrines, it's because my master is a god associated with water, and that's the opposite of an active volcano."

Still under gag order, Ebisu at least manages to nod his head. Yes, that's all correct.

[veiledflame]

"That's something, anyway," Sotero grumbles. "I just want someplace to stay! If they're gonna start searching other gods' shrines, why wouldn't they look around volcanoes?"

Heavenly politics, from the frustrated scowl growing on his face, appear to be beyond him.

[chibisu]

"You would think," Kimi says while Ebisu struggles to remove his own hand from his mouth. "But the Heavens can think in complicated ways sometimes." You know, that make sense to grown ups, and small child gods who have known nothing but it. Obviously feral fire rebel children miss a lot of the nuance.

"Still, we would like some honesty, Sotero-sama. Along with possibly allowing you to stay in exchange for cooling down the mountain, is there anything we could offer to encourage you to speak with us more honestly and openly?" Kunimi can't get too angry if he says it in a hypothetical. Besides, Ebisu is clearly going to say it anyway, and his struggling might have him accidentally fall off the mountain.

[veiledflame]

"I guess if you're looking after me I could talk to you," Sotero grants, warily. "But I'm already being honest, so I don't know what you want me to say."