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

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."

[chibisu]

"Well, you've lied to us before..." Kimi pauses, however, as his god nudges him a little bit, and he obligingly falls silent. Ebisu goes back to where he had left his computer- somehow not bursting into flame against all odds- and settles down. It takes another second before his hand reluctantly lowers itself.

"Finally... Kunimi, that really wasn't necessary..." It was probably extremely necessary, but that'll be an argument for another time. Ebisu continues on. "Anyway, I mean open and honest. There are still a lot of things you're hiding, right? If I let you stay with me, then I could be getting all kinds of trouble and not know about it."

[veiledflame]

"Well, I'm not going to just tell you everything. I bet you've got secrets too."

Sotero's lower lip sets in a pout. "Plus you're the one asking me for a big favor first. If nobody finds me you're not going to get in trouble, right?"

[chibisu]

"And I won't get hurt if I don't fall into a steam vent or an earthquake, so does that mean I shouldn't have come here prepared?" It's hard to see behind his mask, but he's definitely puffing his cheeks out.

"Anyway, if I help you, then you'll want me to keep you as one of my secrets, right?"

[veiledflame]

"I guess. What's you keeping me secret have to do with whether I'm allowed to keep secrets, though?"

He can admit, privately, that it does sound unfair. But not that unfair. Anyway, it wasn't in the deal.

[chibisu]

"If I don't know everything about my secrets, how can I keep them so well?" Checkmate, other small child. And don't worry, he's working on the 'not in the deal' part, which is why he gestures for Sotero to come over.

"Come on, we'll work on this contract together. I have the bases written up for most of mine, so it won't take too long."

[veiledflame]

"So, my side of it is that I have to cool down the volcano, right?"

Sotero scoots closer, squinting at the paper. Some of the characters are a little complicated for him. Still, he's not putting his name on anything that says he has to tell Ebisu absolutely everything.

[chibisu]

Hope you're ready for lots of talking, Sotero, because it's going to happen. As Kimi comes to take a position behind him, one hand on Ebisu's shoulder, the ancient child god starts to patiently recite the terms even as his fingers get to writing things out.

"That's essentially correct at the most basic level. On your side of this agreement, I would like you to promptly work on cooling down the volcano. This would entail, granted that it is within your full ability: ensuring that the eruption and further eruptions are delayed if not stopped, having this slow down the encroaching lava trails which threaten the homes and lives of the gods which live in the Far Shore along with those of their shinki, and allowing it to be safer to traverse this mountainside so that individuals who do not have an affinity with fire or volcanoes can investigate the cause of this natural disaster in order to better deal with it."

And, yes, he is writing this all up into the contract. It's on his laptop, he can adjust and delete as needed. Pausing, he looks at Sotero. "You're strong enough for that much, right? We can adjust if you're not."

[veiledflame]

"That's way too much!" Sotero sounds outraged. "How about, keeping anybody who's not on the volcano safe? I can't make it safe to walk all over on top of the volcano if people think they're gonna try that."

Besides, he doesn't want to make it safe for Amaterasu's shinki and whatever other do-gooders are dashing up here to walk all over. Where's he supposed to hide then?

(Maybe in one of Ebisu's shrines, if that's part of the deal: but still.)

[chibisu]

"I can work with that." It will give everyone time to get their affairs in order, and for Heaven to find other gods or shinki who will be better suited to dealing with the intense heat and all the other inherent dangers of an active volcano. "But then, how are you going to do restrict the volcano in that matter? I need to make sure I write it down."

He's already deleting what he'd asked for, hoping to coax the other god into working with him. For such an uneasy setting to be working out a business deal, with tensions high, it's better to play things safe for the while... It'll be one foot in the door for future negotiations, after all.

[veiledflame]

"By just cooling it down," Sotero says, leaning over to blink at the text. "I can cool it down part of the way, and then the eruption should stay smaller, so it doesn't get anybody off the volcano. I don't think I can just stop it like that, though." He snaps his fingers in illustration.

[chibisu]

"I didn't know there could be small eruptions." Ebisu adjusts himself so that Sotero can see his screen more clearly. "I thought volcanoes always erupted a lot, and the lava didn't stop. Oh-" Something occurs to him, and he looks around.

"Could you show me? I've never gotten to see lava- at least, not this time."

[veiledflame]

"I guess you really are a water god, huh?"

That is to say: clueless about lava. Sotero blinks at him, steps back, looks around, and takes another extra-large step back just in case.

"--Here."

He reaches down to pick up a rock the size of his palm, rough, pitted and black, and cradles it in both of his hands. The surface swiftly heats from black through to red, softening and sagging down into his palms like taffy, until he holds out a double-handful of simmering lava, blistering with little dark spots as ash snows down onto it from the air.

[chibisu]

He's also recently reincarnated, so he's extra clueless about lava. At least he's not clueless about basic safety, however. Ebisu stays right where he is, giving Sotero all the room he needs for what he's about to demonstrate.

...That doesn't mean he doesn't lean forward in immense curiosity as Sotero holds his hands out, however, causing Kimi to patiently put his hand down against his shoulder to keep him from possibly pitching forward. Kunimi might be there, sure, but better safe than sorry. As the rock begins to sag around the curves of Sotero's palms, red hot and brilliant, Ebisu raises his own to applaud him.

"Wow! That's really amazing! And then, cooling it off...?"

[veiledflame]

"That's easy," Sotero says, and tilts both his hands, dropping the lump of molten rock towards the ground. It goes from blazing-red to dulling black almost at once, and hits the ground as a solid stone again, just a different shape.

Dusting his palms off, he looks up at Ebisu. "Part of it is just stopping heating it up, but part of it is taking the heat back in, too. That's why I can't do it with a whole volcano, especially 'cause I'm not the one heating it up."

[chibisu]

"Oh, of course," Ebisu says, in the bland accepting tone of voice that says he honestly doesn't believe Sotero at all. He really is a horrible liar. A part of him, while probably a part that Heaven would disapprove of, says at least his previous incarnation- incarnations? no one has really ever said- had the sense to be better liars. At least, that would explain a lot, in his opinion.

But he can think about that later. For now, he goes back to typing. "Then, by taking in some of the heat, that would stop as much lava from flowing out, and have it flow out slower...?"

[veiledflame]

"Uh..." Sotero opens his mouth, clearly about to launch into a detailed explanation, before giving Ebisu a dubious sidelong glance.

What he says, after a quick reevaluation, is, "Yeah, it won't be as explosive and the lava will slow down. It's more complicated than that, though, so all I can really say is it won't be as bad."

[chibisu]

Ebisu blink over at him.

"...You can say more, I like listening to complicated things. It will help with the contract, too."

Kimi lifts his fingers to pat his god on the shoulder, drawing his attention back to what's in front of him. "Well, I guess we can take care of that in a moment. Then, adjusting the contract for that..." A few more rapid fire clicks of the keyboard. "In exchange, I will allow you to stay in one of my minor shrines at any point you wish to so long as you contact me or one of my shinki to let us know that you are staying and when you leave. I have a lot of shinki, and there's a department which works at the shrines, so it shouldn't be hard..." A pause as something occurs to him. "Oh, do you want food and clothing to be included?"

[veiledflame]

"It's complicated so I don't want you to get out of letting me stay just because the volcano didn't react the way I thought it would," Sotero declares, still squinting at the computer screen. "As long as the eruption gets better that'll be enough, right?

"And I can just tell one of your shinki at the shrine when I stay there? Oh, um, it's okay not to have food and clothing. I can get that."

[chibisu]

"I wouldn't do that," Ebisu says, declining to mention that he'd just add more onto Sotero's side of the contract in that case. It's fine, don't worry about it. Ignorance is bliss. "Still, you should tell me when you come over to stay."

It'll be a good way to get information and give him an opportunity to learn more about his probable guest. "Anyway, yeah. They'll be able to tell me. We're all very connected." He'll have to make sure all of his shinki are caught up on this whole agreement after they're done with this volcano, especially those working in the shrines... And without letting Heaven catch onto what's going on. Hm.

"Are you sure about that? If you're going to be running from your own temple or shrine to stay at one of mine, then I'd think it would be difficult for you, for whatever reason..." You know, like hiding from Heaven. "And you don't have a shinki, right?"