39 - Where Do We Stand?

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Help the Heavens investigate what remains of the cult and their compound
When: May 2
Where: A converted farm on the rural edge of the Tokyo metro area
Summary: Characters can discuss what they know about the cult, choose how much or how little they tell the Heavens' representative Suijin, and help make decisions about where to go from here.






This place was once a farm, then rebuilt into a compound with a big central building, heavy concrete walls and plenty of outdoor spaces for ritual magic. Now, the rooftop has caved in, and the main floor has collapsed as well, leaving a basement open to the skies above. All around, police tape from a local Near Shore department has quarantined off the area. Amaterasu's shinki, in cooperation with those from Suijin, Fuujin, and Raijin have managed to take shifts warning miscreants and the police away from the area, but left the tape to help with those efforts. Just beyond the tape, they've now put up Borderlines to safely guard against ayakashi for the duration of this meeting, but they're pretty far out of earshot and very focused.

Letter of Invitation

Everyone should have seen the digital letter that Amaterasu sent out, but just in case, later that day each temple receives a single letter, with a wax seal on it with Amaterasu's chrysanthemum as the emblem. It is a reproduction of the same digital letter that Amaterasu crafted the day before; it's not printed out, but rather handwritten with painstaking accuracy. The shinki could be from Amaterasu, Suijin, Raijin, or Fuujin, and they will not force anyone to take the letter, in particular if they're told that the god/dess already saw the message on their phone earlier.

Early Arrival

There's a set time that Suijin will arrive - Noon - but as everyone is encouraged to come early, it is possible you are one of the first or last to arrive among the "early" crowd. How did you get there? Was it by stealth or impossible to miss, even by any Near Shore people in the area?

Topics of Discussion

Now is your chance to discuss with your fellows what you know, don't know, wish you knew, etc. about the cult or their compound. Do your characters think they are still being spied on by Heavens and want to hold back, or are they reasonably confident speaking out with the protecting shinki so far away? At the very least, none of the shinki are making very obvious attempts to return to the compound itself. For the very paranoid, there are little alcoves out of visual range or a small room that still has a door on it, albeit not a ceiling.

Suijin's Arrival

Suijin arrives at the appointed time, stepping onto the compound's front drive and under the police tape at precisely Noon. She comes in the capacity of official counselor for Amaterasu. OOCly, this thread will be free-form individual threading.

After her arrival, we will have mirrored top-level comments with Suijin supplying a piece of information as a jumping off point for discussions about each topic. From that point, it will be individual threading, or multi-character threads if you would like. All of these threads will still be addressed to the group at large, loud enough for them to hear and jump in if players would like.

Redacted April 7th via OOC post: We will run this similar to how we ran the Compound's Second Fight: there will be an opportunity for Suijin and/or her shinki to speak, then characters will be given free reign to respond to her and amongst themselves for a period of time. Then, another "round" will begin with Suijin and/or her shinki's responses to the characters. This structure allows for characters to still react with late comments or reactions to anything being said, or jump in whenever they feel comfortable speaking up.

In Summary:

• Talk amongst yourselves before Suijin arrives
• Check out the damage inflicted on the Compound
• Discuss next steps with Suijin, if you would like
• Have fun~

Comments

[myblueskies]

Your next act? [An act is a bit of a show. Romeo is learning!] Do you think the bad cultists will try and ruin your show miss?

[priforprince]

Their past timing has been abysmal.

[ She's still taking that volcanic eruption personally. It was INCREDIBLY INCONVENIENTLY PLACED. ]

[myblueskies]

It has? What happened miss?

[It's a bad thing that they ruined one of miss Hibiki's shows before!]

[priforprince]

Various inconveniences too horrible to speak of.

[ Hibiki waves a hand to indicate the full force with which she wishes to banish such occurrences - not only from the future, but her memory of the past.

And yet. The shadows of their presence remain. ]

To think that I, Shikyoin Hibiki, should suffer a plumbing error....

[ If you've been by Apollo's temple, Romeo, there is a holy water spring where one didn't use to be!

The lawn care goats are now SO HOLY. THEY'RE SO HOLY. THE MOST MAAAA-NCTIFIED GOATS. ]

[myblueskies]

Oh you mean all the water! [He had noticed when he had been looking after the horses. There was a spring there and there hadn't been one the other day!]

Did something break?

[priforprince]

Don't make me remember the volcano.

[ Too horrible to speak of, etc.

Despite the fact she just spoke of it.

Hibiki presses her fingers against her forehead, attempting to banish such INELEGANT MEMORIES. Woe is she! ]

[myblueskies]

Oh! Yes that was bad!

[Very bad! Was that what made the water? How did fire make water? Now he's confused...]

[priforprince]

In any case, knowing all is a genius's prerogative.

[ Which is another reason why she's spying on this meeting! ]

I observe anywhere my attention is attracted.

[ hibiki, you're a

really bad spy.... ]

[myblueskies]

Are you really a genius miss Hibiki! Because that means you know everything already right?

[Does miss Hibiki know everything? She definitely knows a lot and uses a lot of big words. But she has problems with friends and keeping her spirits up so she's not a genius in that regard...]

[priforprince]

Unsurpassed knowledge and unsurpassed ability. The skill to enact one's objective, without fail.

[ Hibiki flicks a hand through her bangs. ] This, itself - is what is called "genius"!

[ Wow. She defined something. Are pigs flying?

(Answer: no. But a few purple rose petals are, just spiraling down out of nowhere.) ]

[myblueskies]

So knowing lots and being good at stuff and being really determined and working hard is how you be a genius? [He... understood all the words in that sentence. He's proud of himself!]

Elfnein's a genius too then!

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki snorts. ] Would I have scouted her otherwise?

[ Apparently even complimenting someone has to be...all about Hibiki. How amazing Hibiki is, to have recognized someone else's ability! And what an honor for Elfnein!

Indeed, LET HER TELL YOU. About her grand PLANS FOR ENTERTAINMENT. ]

CelePara Talent Agency is a group comprised solely of geniuses. Only those of sufficient ability can illuminate the Far Shore.

[myblueskies]

Is mister Yoon in your talent agency then as well? [A group of just genius'. Elfnein is lucky to be in such a good group!]

Because he's a genius too.

[priforprince]

Yoon’s self-image is woefully inflated.

[ No one who insists it’s spelled “Europe” may ever accurately bear the exalted banner called “genius”! ]

[myblueskies]

So he's not a genius? [But he fulfils all the criteria. Once again Hibiki is very confusing!]

[priforprince]

He aspires to greatness while barely clinging to sentience, like a duckling yearning to fledge as a swan.

[ In another thread, a spygoat squeezes into an alcove with Obi. Scrolling past that feed as she does a cursory status check, Hibiki blinks and decides not to dignify the situation with further reaction. ]

[myblueskies]

So he's a baby genius? [Because a duckling was a baby swan.] So if you teach him well he will become a genius very soon!

[priforprince]

....You’re both beyond saving.

[ Kids these days and their unrealistic mental models of genius cultivation. ]

[myblueskies]

Beyond saving? Why do we need saving?

[He thought they were talking about ducklings growing up to be genius'!]

[priforprince]

Yoon might phrase it in words you’d understand.

[ This is a lie. But the idea of having Romeo ask Yoon about it is amusing, and Hibiki requires amusement, presently. ]

[myblueskies]

I'll ask him then. [He might make more sense then Hibiki.] Maybe he will be at the meeting!

[priforprince]

Perhaps he might.

[ And she wants to see this. So a goat rolls up to hang out with Romeo. Just in case. ]

[myblueskies]

[Yay goat friend to join him. Romeo pets him happily as he skips off towards the meeting.] Bye miss Hibiki!

[priforprince]

Hm.

[ Hibiki returns to her supremely subtle surveillance. A genius, hm....?

She feels especially deserving of her own favorite moniker for herself right now. ]