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

[veiledflame]

[She's having a lot of trouble with this. A lot. Sotero stares at her, straight-faced, as she struggles.

Eventually, he shrugs, and takes a step back.]

Okay, if you don't wanna, I can just go.

[priforprince]

Wait!

[ Hibiki catches herself after she's already thrown a hand out, fingers splayed, in a gesture of desperation. Lowering said hand, she stands up straighter, even as her chin sinks down. ] I'll say it.

[ She bites her lips, and vows with regal solemnity: ] I can say it.

[veiledflame]

Really?

[Prove it.]

1/hibiki

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki swallows, steeling herself. She's doing this for Wendy, actually. She promised she would stop the volcano. And this will stop the volcano.

She can do this and still behave as suits Shikyoin Hibiki. ]

2/hibiki

[priforprince]

[ yes, she will do this

HER WAY! ]

hibiki/3

[priforprince]

[ A hand goes to her chest... ] This eruption blights both the land and my heart.

[ ....and then to her forehead, as she turn to offer a dashing profile. The air is alight, and abuzz, with sparkles - all focused on highlighting that Hibiki is Suave and Impressive.

Such an audience is likely to be unmoved by amore, but Hibiki knows from experience that no one can possibly remain unmoved when she unleashes the full might of her handsome coolness.

Yes, COOL is needed to thwart a volcano! Behold the cleverness that only geniuses possess! ]

Put an end to it for my sake, if you please!!

hibiki is glorious, i'd just like you to know

[veiledflame]

[That's a lot of sparkles. Sotero gawks, jealous that his sparks are the sort that burn holes in clothes instead of just looking, well, sparkly.

How come he doesn't look that cool?

Still, okay, there's an important negotiation going on, and she did her part, so it's time to move to step two. He props a hand on his hip and inquires:]

What's in it for me?

she sure is the hibikiest hibiki to ever hibiki

[priforprince]

A major role in my feature film.

[ This audience had said they didn't care about that. Well. Let's see if Hibiki can't change the young gentleman's mind.

She looks Sotero dead in the eyes with a self-assured smirk - and such confidence only makes her look cooler. ]

You'd like that, wouldn't you? A chance to learn from my radiance.

[veiledflame]

[On one hand: she actually is super cool.

On the other hand...]

Movies are dumb.

[It's possible he's never actually seen one. His scowl is defensive.]

[priforprince]

And so you'd throw away an opportunity to polish yourself?

[ A single keen sparkle winks next to her face. You could keep a warehouse of ice cream in pristine condition in the dead of summer with all the Coolness Hibiki is exuding. ]

No wonder these surroundings are dull....

[veiledflame]

Who says I want to be more like you anyway? Especially from spending a bunch of time working on a movie?

I'm doing more important stuff!

[That declaration is much more strident than his first claim not to be interested in movies.]

[priforprince]

[ ....WHAT SORT OF UNREASONABLY STUBBORN AUDIENCE IS THIS

Very well. Hibiki sighs. She supposes she will hear what this boy is up to - the better to dismiss it in favor of her film.

Er. Of stopping the volcano.

(And her film.) ]

What could possibly qualify?

[veiledflame]

I'm gonna make Heaven be fair to everybody!

[Fists clenched, leaning forward, fervent belief on his face: Sotero looks, for a moment, almost like he ought to be sparkling, too.

(Sadly, without the Hibiki Skills, he's not.)]

[priforprince]

[ It would really add something to the pose, though, young sir. Perhaps you should reconsider that movie option.

Hibiki sniffs. ] If it's revolution you seek, it's well underway. Quit this disturbance and leave the summoning of a golden age to me.

[veiledflame]

I thought you were busy making movies. Golden ages that only happen in movies don't count.

[He sniffs back, more loudly and with a lot less delicacy.]

[priforprince]

This movie will make its golden age a reality.

[ She sounds every bit as sure of this as this uncouth young fellow had about making things be fair. ]

Now, follow me.

[veiledflame]

I might just be a kid but I already know the difference between movies and real life.

[He's giving her a weird look. Follow, where?]

[priforprince]

So you don't wish your revolution to succeed?

[ Follow her....to glory. And the ideal world you imagine.

Or stay stubborn and risk her losing her temper again. She is Trying, but this child is surprisingly persistent!

What will it take to make him cease?! ]

[veiledflame]

It's because I do want to succeed that I'm not just making movies about it.

I'm doing real things.

[So, you know: he's got Important Real Things to do, not involving sparkles.

Possibly involving sparks.

He swings around and starts to walk away.]

[priforprince]

[ HEY WAIT SHE DIDN'T WANT HIM TO CEASE LIKE THAT ]

OI!

[ Hibiki takes a step forward that turns into more of a stamping of the ground. She can't have expended her everything in a persuasive duel instead of a physical one only to be met with bad form!! ] Is this what you're calling an "answer"?!

[veiledflame]

Yeah, it is! My answer's no! If you think movies are all that matter you're not gonna have anything I can use anyway.

[He rounds on her, glaring.]

Unless you've got anything better.

[priforprince]

Of course I do. I make you a wager!

[ hibiki

no ]

[veiledflame]

... What kind?

[hibiki no? Maybe, but that seems to have been enough to get Sotero to stop again, eyeing her thoughtfully.]

And I get to pick what you owe me if I win.

[priforprince]

Very well.

[ She'd planned on calling that shot, too - but even opening acts have the right to choose their playbill, she supposes.

She's also announcing all this as soon as she thinks of it, but that doesn't worry her. Her inspiration is divine in origin, and won't fail her. ]

Stop this eruption, and we'll pursue our separate goals without interfering with each other. If I realize my Paradise before you do, you'll rescind your claim to reworking the system.

[ She smirks. ]

The first in everything is eternally me, you see.

[veiledflame]

If I stop the eruption, you have to help me out with one favor, whenever I ask for it.

-- And if I get things fixed before you do, you have to work for me then.

[He tilts his chin up to stare her challengingly in the eye.]