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

[reloves]

[ Obviously Minako knows Hibiki is charming. It's the first thing she'd think of when it comes to Hibiki. But that touch on her cheek? She still didn't see that coming at all, and she freezes up in surprise...

.. and then just starts swooning. Possible imminent other disaster following up that earthquake? There it goes, straight out of Minako's mind. It no longer exists. She's too busy making heart eyes at the person in front of her. ]

O.. Of course I'll worry about you though! [ Her tone is so dreamy though that it doesn't seem like a huge negative concern anymore. ] If anything would happen to you, then what would all of us here do?

[priforprince]

[ A careless almost-laugh greets this concern, appreciated though it may be. ] The tremors of the earth and smoke of the mountains all bow to the force of my brilliance.

[ Funnily enough, Hibiki also feels much better about the ongoing disaster now that they're engaged in this activity. She makes sure to take....her....time....with this gentle backhand caress.

And then she leans in verrrrry close to whisper: ]

Your sadness would be the true catastrophe.

[reloves]

[ Critical hit! Minako has fainted!

Okay, maybe not actually fainted, but she does look like she's starting to get a little light-headed from getting exactly the sort of attention she always dreamed of having. Maybe this place truly is heaven, if she'd have to put any label on this weird kind of afterlife place. ]

Then.. I promise I'll-- I'll never be sad, Hibiki-sama..!

[ She's wobbling on her feet at this point. ]

[priforprince]

Hurry to cover. It's going to be a stormy day.

[ Hibiki winks to speed Minako on her way. Or to try and make her keel over. One of these two things. Who knows which one. ]

[reloves]

[ Honestly, it's definitely going to be the latter option. Obviously. How can Minako's heart deal with getting a wink on top of it all any other way?

So she's definitely falling backwards while letting out a squeal. Clearly this is a productive use of her time in the middle of an earthquake's aftermath. She'll just.. lie here. On the ground. Getting soaked by the new spring. No biggie. ]

[priforprince]

Heh.

[ Ah, not to worry, mademoiselle! You swooned next to a Perfect Beauty Knight, who was half-expecting this scenario! Hibiki lunges in one smooth motion, intending to catch Minako by the shoulders with one arm and behind the legs with the other. When she stands up, barring unforeseen interference, she has the young lady in a perfect princess carry.

Her pleased smirk lasts as long as it takes before she realizes that now they're both in the path of the falling water from the new spring. Water drizzles down. It soaks her bathrobe.

.....That volcano must be sacrificed to the revolution. ]

[reloves]

[ Even if Hibiki carrying here sure doesn't change anything about the whole being soaked thing, at the very least he's not lying on the ground.

And she's in Hibiki's arms. Which is just.. wow. Something else entirely. Suddenly it feels like almost fainting due to the other's intense levels of charm might actually not be all that bad. For a moment or two Minako definitely seems to remain in her dreamy state..

.. but then she does realise she's slowly getting soaked. Which means the same is happening to Hibiki. That makes her open her eyes wide, snapping out of it. ]

Ah-- wait! You're getting all wet, that's no good!

[ What if the water ruins Hibiki's perfect hair?! ]

[priforprince]

[ It's certainly disheveling said hair in a dramatic fashion!

Hibiki is more bothered, however, by the way it drips into her eyes. And by how cold she feels now. ] ....Let's remove to more stable ground.

[ There are towels in her temple. She turns to carry Minako there, apparently not thinking to let the other girl down now that she's awake... ]

[reloves]

[ In most cases Minako would have asked to be let down now. But.. you know what, she likes this! It's nice being carried by Hibiki! And as long as it doesn't seem to bother the other to be doing this, then it's okay to take a little advantage of it, right? It sure is in Minako's mind.

Besides, she can offer something in return - smiling up at Hibiki. ]

Don't worry, I'll help gently dry you off once we're there!

[ Touching Hibiki's hair (even with a towel) is a gift in and of itself. ]

*floof her hair, minako*

[priforprince]

[ ....Were the tables just turned on her?

No, impossible. (Never mind that Minako has already proven herself to be a...helper: this fact does not occur to Hibiki.)

Hibiki laughs, lightly. ] Your love is all I require in return.

BEST. LIFE.

[reloves]

No, no, I insist! I couldn't possibly have you take such good care of me without doing something in return for you!

[ And her intentions are partially selfless. Even though it turns into a win-win situation because it'd mean Minako also gets what she wants. ]

Just show me where the towels are!

this could be YOU, aino minako: https://bit.ly/2x4xR2e

[priforprince]

[ The impossibility has turned into a personal request from a lovely damsel! Hibiki is weak to those!

Hibiki averts her eyes. Already being drippy masks the tsundere sweat drop that she has just generated. ] Then....I'll be in your care.

[ Aino Minako....she's formidable.

How intriguing.

In any case, Minako, here is your chance to see the front gates of Hibiki's giant purple-and-white castle temple! Said gates are flanked by enormous golden statues of the god in residence.

Assuming there are cases in which one is just too perfect, you see, it is only natural to love oneself. ]

she's about to put that cow out of a job

[reloves]

[ Those golden statues? Beautiful. Amazing idea. Minako can even appreciate them in multiple ways, since first of all of course Hibiki's beauty should be eternalized that way, but secondly, that's totally what Minako would do too if she had her own temple. Arrange giant statues of herself. As always, Hibiki's taste is impeccable.

Hence why Minako seems like an excited kid on the annual school trip in Hibiki's arms, smiling super widely. Especially with the other also saying she's in Minako's care. Yes. That's right where she wants to have her!! Another succesful conquest!! ]

I have to say.. of course statues can't fully capture your beauty, but you have an amazing sense for decoration!

you don't want to be ando, minako. being ando is suffering

[priforprince]

[ And just like that, Hibiki feels completely better. She doesn't need other people's approval to know all her choices are the best possible choices - she never settles for anything but the best, in any arena - but comprehension, particularly in the Far Shore, is occasionally rarer than one might hope. ] They're Parademy Awards.

[ This foyer, past the gate, is incredibly opulent. And as Hibiki carries Minako down a shining marble hallway, she may glimpse what looks like an - indoor amusement park?! - off to one side. ] It's the highest performance award possible in my puniverse.

[ Which happens to be shaped like Hibiki. Comprehension is only occasionally rarer. Most of the time, back home, her superiority is unquestioned. ]

[reloves]

[ Minako is not even surprised by the amusement park anymore at this point. It just feels like a Hibiki thing at this point. Everything fun and beautiful and good in this place (okay, maybe not everything, but that's just because there's more people Minako adores) surely has to be contained somewhere in this temple.

The mention of the awards definitely makes her swoon a bit again though. ]

So.. does that mean I could get one too one day if I worked hard enough for it?!

[ Perhaps the only person ever to get excited at the idea of having a huge statue shaped like Hibiki. ]

[priforprince]

If you went into acting, perhaps.

[ Hibiki winks. She knows her audience.

Here is a drawing room, however. Hibiki will set down this lovely lady...standing if she looks up to it, on the chaise lounge on the off-chance of a swoon.

Hibiki always plans for the off-chance of a swoon. ]

[reloves]

[ Hibiki truly has thought of everything.. But thankfully Minako isn't fainting this time. Yet. She can't make any promises.

But she's too determined still to think about swooning right now! She doesn't want to lose her chance to touch that godly hair and fluff it right up!! ]

So where are the towels? [ She's so ready. So. Ready. ]

[priforprince]

....You were serious?!

[ SOMEHOW, THIS SURPRISES HIBIKI

A closet helpfully swings open behind her, revealing all kinds of big fluffy luxurious towels! (Well, they're mostly colored white and purple, but, still.) Hibiki is haunted by a polteageist, out for revenge after so many teacups have been shattered at her hands, and it never misses this kind of opportunity. ]

[reloves]

I would never joke about something so important!

[ Do not underestimate the force of her desire, Hibiki! If Minako wants a towel, then she'll get one! Even if it's with the help of a portergeist.

That being said, she squeals happily the moment she discovers them in the closet, immediately running over to grab one of them. It's immediately noticable just how big and fluffy they are when she holds them - and it doesn't surprise her, it seems like a very Hibiki-y thing. ]

You can just sit still and leave it a-l-l to me!

[priforprince]

Hhhhh....

[ Hibiki's eyes have gone very wide, and she's holding an arm up as if to protect herself. Minako was serious! Then, to satisfy this audience, she needs to....let her hair be floofed?!

Could such an impossibly absurd predicament possibly befall Shikyoin Hibiki?!?!?

She backs up, startled....and hits a chair that sort of slides in place behind her. Polteageist has got Minako's back in every possible way.

It's looking forward to this. ]

[reloves]

[ It definitely isn't the only entity here looking forward to this. Minako is so far gone into her happy dream land that she doesn't even notice just how startled Hibiki is by this whole situation.

No, she seems just as happy as before as she makes her way over to the chair with the towel in her hands. ]

Don't worry, your hair will be dry and as beautiful as ever again real soon! [ Which means step one of Project Beauty: Get Hibiki's Hair Dry And Beautiful Once More (And Be Able To Touch It As A Beautiful Benefit) ensues! Minako moves her towel down upon Hibiki's hair, starting to dry it off. At least she's trying to be careful and gentle about it. Which means it never is fully gentle with Minako being Minako, but it's also not terribly wild. She really is trying! ]

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki, a captive of her fate, sits in the chair. Her body, accustomed as it is to someone waiting upon her, doesn't flee instinctively. Instead, it sits very still and obediently for Minako.

What? It's not like Hibiki makes a habit of drying her own hair.

But as the ministrations continue, the reality of the situation sinks in. Her shoulders sag. ]

To think amore could take such a form.....

[ She looks almost cute with her mouth all screwed up and her hair tousled like this. Very boyish, even somewhat adorable. ]

[reloves]

[ This will truly be too much for Minako's heart. She loves that way over the top prideful and charming side of Hibiki, naturally, but there's something so adorable about her when she starts pouting like this. It's the sort of thing that just makes her want to take care of Hibiki aside from the usual deal of admiring her.

Getting to experience both sides of Hibiki in the same day.. It's beautiful. Wonderful. Even if she has to put in some effort to flip the tables around like this, she will gladly do so in order to live this bestest life! What Minako wants, Minako gets! ]

Your hair is so fluffy, Hi~bi~ki~! [ She sounds so content with all of this, in contrast to Hibiki's own (though super cute) expression, as she keeps at it with the towel. ] Is there even a single part of you that isn't perfect?

[priforprince]

No, every millimeter of me is optimal.

[ Hibiki feels a little bit better now. Still detached from her body, but what can one do? When given the choice between accepting absurdity and mentally clapping one's hands over one's ears and singing loudly, Shikyoin Hibiki has perfect pitch.

Relating self-obvious facts about herself, however, she can do in any condition. ] Such is the nature of absolute genius.

[ The absolute genius is sitting in a puddle. ]