40 - May Event: Mystic Messengers' Mark

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
When: May 15th
Where: Votelli's Forest
What: The boar and deer population of Japan has boomed in recent years as hunters age and people move away from rural areas. The people have called upon the gods to help with this "pest" issue.







All over Heaven, gods receive invitations stamped with the chrysanthemum of Amaterasu. Each and every god has been invited to join the old gods on an old-fashioned hunt to do something about the boar and deer populations on the Near Shore. Votelli's forest has been chosen as the location of this sacred hunt, as it offers an expansive landscape for the sport as well as opens up the opportunity for many of the gods - both old and new - to speak to Votelli herself face to face. Other activities are planned for those who do not wish to hunt, such as an archery contest and a demonstration of Takagari - the Japanese art of falconry.

Face to Face

Votelli and Sotero wait in the forest with whoever will join them before slowly, cautiously exiting. They don't fight anyone who wants to stand in front of them as they appear before the Heavens for the first time, but they feel compelled to step in front eventually. There, all in attendance can see them for who they really are: very young gods.

Votelli appears between 12 and 14, a lithe teenage girl. Historically very timid and easily spooked, she has found a certain measure of confidence... while still holding tight to Sotero's hand. She wears newer, finer clothing compared to her first outing, provided to her by her friends. Her hair is just as long and black, though. Those who saw the goddess fighting in the Cultist Compound might mistake Votelli for her young sister. And Sotero their younger brother.

For Sotero looks 10 - but a lanky, tall boy who in reality acts much closer to 6 years old. Normally very brash, petulant, and loud... he stays close to Votelli and doesn't resist holding her hand. His expression is not playful or sly this time, but very focused - putting on a brave face like he might very well have to protect Votelli instead of the other way around.

Suijin is the one speaking for the Heavens. "We have been told that the two of you wish formal acceptance into Takamagahara. Is this true?"

Votelli speaks first: "It is." Then she tugs gently on Sotero's hand. "... Yeah. It is," he eventually echoes.

Suijin lifts her broad hat. "Do you renounce all allegiances to the cultists who created you? If so - name them."

Votelli nods. "I do. ... His name is Imai Takeru." Sotero looks worried, turning to Votelli. "But they're my mom and dad!" He turns back to Suijin. "You'll hurt them if I tell you!"

Suijin shakes her head. "Only gods of calamity kill humans. We will sever their ties to you. They may continue to live in peace if they never again use the kind of magic that created you." Sotero looks unconvinced, at which point Suijin looks a little frustrated. "I expect a name before you are granted formal entrance to Takamagahara, but perhaps another name will suffice as a peace offering between us - an act of faith until all of these human spellcasters are discovered."

Sotero gulps, while Votelli holds him a little closer.

Suijin speaks again, with a more commanding tone: "Rogue God Sotero - name the one in the Heavens who allowed you entrance into our domain. Name the traitor and we will know your true intentions."

(Prompt continues as one thread below, allowing for characters to interject before Sotero speaks again.)

Event Bonus:
3+ comments in this thread gains 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.

Face to Face (Before/After)

Before: Prior to the above prompt, if any characters would like to provide words of encouragement or solidarity, that can be threaded out individually! We will provide a top level each for Votelli and Sotero with a "Before" subject line.

After: Since the above thread will resolve somewhat peacefully, Sotero and Votelli will be around to speak with characters individually during the bento lunch. We will provide a top level each for Votelli and Sotero with an "After" subject line.

Event Bonus:
3+ comments in a thread with either Votelli or Sotero gains 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.

Gathering for the Hunt

The hunt starts early in the day, but not so early that the gathered gods can't enjoy a handmade bento lunch before getting started. Each god and shinki who arrive will find themselves in a clearing at the edge of the forest, rolling green surrounded by the lush backdrop of thick vegetation holding the prey of today's hunt. Blankets are spread over the grass in inviting splashes of color and tables are set up with stacks of bentos, a variety of foods and snacks and drinks available for any craving or preference, no matter how varied or strange.

Those who were here and involved in the Hungry Forest event might also find the setting very familiar. And perhaps a little unsettling, if they'd been among those kidnapped and held captive within its depths. Although today the expanse of thick trees and shadowy underbrush seems like just a normal forest, lacking the draining effects and other dangers it had once harbored.

Before anyone ventures beyond the clearing, the hosting gods and shinki are careful to explain the nature of today's hunt and also warn the newer gods and shinki about which of the beasts are fair game and which are not - namely the more tame sika deer, considered sacred to several of the gods and often seen as their messengers. The other creatures in the forest, however - the herds of roaming deer and the wild breeds of boar - are all fair game to the hunters, and in fact, there's already contests and wagers popping up on who will bring in the biggest trophy.

There are even rumors of one especially large and clever boar thought to dwell within the deepest reaches of the forest, rarely seen but of particular bane to hunters and trackers who have sought it many times over the years. It has avoided all pursuit, however, and its renown only grows with each passing year. Will this hunt finally uncover the elusive creature of legend?

Event Bonus:
A thread of 10+ comments gains 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.
Saving a sika deer from being killed gains an additional 250 followers / 25 exp per thread.

Ready Aim Fire

The clearing at the edge of the forest had been well prepared for hosting the Heavenly Host, both as a base camp for those entering into the forest in pursuit of their prey but also to entertain those left behind or not participating in the hunt itself. Those who remain outside the confines of the forest will find an assembled archery range for the non-hunters to still get some practice in or perhaps learn from one of the more experienced archers.

Contests take place throughout the day - some are distance based, each one with a varying range of difficulty depending on your level of expertise. Others have the range set up for challenges of field archery, adding in the difficulty of foliage or wooded areas and making aiming and targeting considerably more difficult. Some of the targets are even enchanted to move, hide, or dodge, creating some of the most challenging conquests for only the most dedicated of marksmen.

On the far side of the clearing - a very safe distance away from where any stray arrows might drift - several of the older gods remain behind to show off the art of takagari, or Japanese falconry. Once a sport restricted to nobles, warriors and samurai, many of the traditions and methods once practiced in the ancient days of Japan have been lost to history, but the finer details have clearly been preserved here among its gods. While the old gods hosting this practice remain in the background to watch over the proceedings (and keeping their favorite birds with them and out of stranger's hands), anyone is welcomed to approach the rest of the hawks and birds of prey, give hunting with them a try, or perhaps watch one of the experts in action.

Event Bonus:
A thread of 10+ comments gains 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.
Participants in a head-to-head Archery or Falconry challenge gains an additional 250 followers / 25 exp per thread.

The Great Hunt

The forest is quiet, other than the call of birds and the scurrying of smaller wildlife as the hunters enter. The ground is thick with tracks to be investigated by anyone with a discerning eye. Those who know what they're looking for will find thickly-layered paths made by deer, boar and other beasts of the forest who have wandered familiar trails into the undergrowth. Following these paths will find many hunters some easy targets, as the forest is lush with wildlife and the herds have swelled in recent years to the point of overpopulation. It will be rarer for hunters not to spot their prey the deeper in they go, but as the day wears on, it does seem to be getting more and more difficult to find those herds of deer and boar...

The deeper into the forest one ventures, the thinner and more scattered these tracks become. The deer paths seem to veer off before the forest grows to its thickest and should hunters keep pressing deeper, they'll eventually find that even the boar tracks start turning scarce. The call of birds becomes quieter and more elusive. The thick shadow of trees overhead makes the forest seem darker and closing in around you. Even the very air around you seems hushed and tense as if the very forest itself is watching your progress.

Not all the creatures avoid the depths of this forest, however. Approaching the heart of the forest, there does seem to still be at least one creature who frequents it, although the tracks are much more massive and sunk deep in the dirt as if pressed there by a great weight. Some of them are scraped and smeared as if that weight was dragged a time or two. Was the great beast that lurked here injured?

If good luck is with you (or perhaps that is bad luck?), you might be alerted by the sound of underbrush rustling nearby. But what bursts out... could it be the massive boar of legend or is it something more sinister? For there are several dark ayakashi that have also been lurking in the depths of this forest of late, hunting for prey of their own, their forms distorted and rotting and their eyes red and crazed - all the eyes that have now spread out across their blighted forms, that is. Should they spot you, they will give an enraged roar and charge, frenzied and driven mad from Blight. Hope you came prepared to be the hunter or the hunted.

Event Bonus:
A thread of 10+ comments gains 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.
Defeating a blighted ayakashi animal gains an additional 250 followers / 25 exp per thread.

A Different Sort of Hunt

For those not interested in partaking in 'the Great Outdoors', there is a different sort of hunt available to those with more experience hunting targets on two legs instead of four. The Counselors, their shinki, and Amaterasu's white-robed shinki emblazoned with their chrysanthemums... they all make it clear earlier in the day that they're still hunting down the last remnants of cultists free out in Japan and the world beyond, tracking down the locations of where the remnants are hiding out. For those willing to join this second hunt - whether they needed "warming up" hunting the deer and boar or not - the Counselors will make their research available - clues, whispers, addresses, IDs... whatever they could gather up until today.

Several of Takamagahara's own gods and shinki are out doing the footwork needed to round up the numbers of those that remain at large and any of the new gods and shinki who would rather lend their aid to this cause will be welcomed. Track down any remaining leads you have or get a location of a potential compound or blighted areas from the Hunt's hosts to go look into for yourselves - The Heavens want all remaining cultist members found and accounted for and are putting forth every effort to see this accomplished.

OOCly: Players are encouraged to select locations for compounds or heavy concentrations of cultists within Japan and outside it as well. Many locations in Australia, Europe, etc. have been named in previous Missions as places where blight circles have been located. Any of these - and other places - are places the Cult could have spread to. Next month, these will all become locations where Finale actions can take place. "Check in" with where your character(s) are going, but you don't need mod permission!

Event Bonus:
A thread of 10+ comments will gain 100 followers / 10 exp per thread.
Cultist hub of activity discovered and reported back gains an additional 250 followers / 25 exp per thread.

In Summary:

• Join the old gods on a hunt
• Enjoy the meal and activities
• Speak to Votelli or Sotero
• Participate in the hunt - whether your prey be two-legged or four
• Fight the giant boar ayakashi
• Have fun~

Comments

[yousaytron]

Gathering
[Ugh, this place.

Keith wasn't so unlucky as to be caught up personally in the kidnappings that had taken place here before, but the memories of hunting down Saori in it's depths are hard to forget. It's enough to put him on edge, but not enough to deter him away from joining in the activities altogether, and his unease is probably largely apparent in the way he keeps himself on higher alert than normal. Keeping an eye on his surroundings, his back to the areas with less tree-cover... maybe someone should convince him to relax for a hot minute and actually grab a bite to eat before the day really gets going? Sheesh.]


Ready, Aim...!
[Before actually starting his own trek into the forest, Keith does stop to check out the archery range for a refresher course in proper bow usage. He'd been interested enough in trying his hand at it during training days, though having some more experienced, dedicated teachers around is proving to be incredibly helpful.

General stance and posture tightened up, he seems to be having a rather easy time with drawing the bow, pausing, letting an arrow loose... and hitting in the center circle of the target!] Hah-! [He's starting to really get the hang of this, he thinks to himself with a small, satisfied smile.]


The Hunt
[Bow? Equipped. Knife? Secured to his belt. Senses? Sharp. So so sharp.

For certain, he seems to have very little trouble navigating through the forest quietly. While he might not be entirely familiar with the prey they're after, something about the hunt itself feels a intuitive, somewhat natural to him. This, of course, means if he spots someone blundering or potentially giving themselves away to their target, he's likely to quickly and quietly catch their attention and attempt to wave them over before they're spotted.

Otherwise, he's confident enough to avoid specifically partnering up with anyone, but that doesn't mean he won't help out if he stumbles across someone struggling with the task at hand.]

ready, aim...!

[incinerators]

Keith!

[ after keith successfully hits his mark, pyrrha calls out to him from behind him. once she's in view, she waves at him and sets up shop at the station next to him. ]

Here to practice too?

scoops you up in my arms

[yousaytron]

[Oho, good to see a familiar face at the range...! He offers up a slight smile in return as she settles in next to him.]

Figured I'd get a little bit of practice in before going in. [And, since she clearly has some experience with shooting,] Got any pointers I could use?

[incinerators]

Truth be told, I'm not very familiar with archery, either.

[ but!! ] If you'd like pointers on general accuracy, however, I'd be able to provide you with those. Otherwise, we can practice together?

OTA

[kagenonadeshiko]

Gathering for the Hunt

[It's a beautiful day and Ayumu's clearly in an excellent mood, wearing a kimono, humming and singing softly to herself as she spreads a bright blue picnic blanket out across the grass.]

Toyo-chan, could you pull those corners out for me so the blanket's straight, please? Just a little bit. That's it! Perfect. Thank you. Go ahead and have a seat. I'll start getting lunch ready for us.

[As Toyo, also clad in a kimono with cute ribbons adorning her twintails, plops down, Ayumu pulls over the enormous picnic basket she'd brought with her and starts setting out dishes.

Dish after dish after dish.

A lot of it's traditional Japanese fare but there's some Western foods, too, most notably a couple of English dishes that are a bit more experimental since she's still in the process of learning how to make them. But in her typical fashion, Ayumu's made more food than one adult and two children can eat. It all looks and smells delicious, however.

After she has everything set out, it seems to dawn on Ayumu herself that this is too much food for the three of them so she calls out to anyone that happens to pass by.]

If you're still hungry after, I have extra!

Wildcard

[If there's something else you have in mind, hit me up on plurk at mimarin or via PM and we can hash something out!]

[junkyarddog]

[Ayumu, are you suggesting this was an accident and not bait specifically laid out to attract Ken and/or Chikusa? Because this? This is how you get shitteens.

Ken probably would've sought out Ayumu regardless of the fact that she's got tons of food laid out; the food just means he gravitates to her even before he realizes whose food it is, and then he's positively delighted.]

Ayumu! [He runs up to her, looking positively eager; it feels like a waste not to have a tail to wag at the moment. Ken likes Chikusa's cooking, and Hakkai's, and Nanako's...actually, he's known a lot of people in the heavens who make really good food, and he's pretty much become suicidally loyal to all of them in what may not be coincidence. But he hasn't had Ayumu's cooking in awhile, and her cooking - alongside Hakkai's - still feels like home to him, in ways that only Roy could ever rival. And Roy is long gone.] Can I have some?

[kagenonadeshiko]

Of course you can! Have a seat and I'll serve you some.

[It wasn't a trap, not exactly, even if Ayumu was hoping for a peaceful, family outing today. And maybe she had included some of Ken's favorites which she busies herself with putting onto a paper plate now. She'd even prepared a couple of things that Chikusa might like just on the off-chance that maybe, just maybe, she could somehow get it to him without him realizing just who had made it. He's always been so skinny.

But given that Chikusa had drawn a borderline on her when she'd crossed his path recently, she doesn't have much, if any faith at all, in it getting eaten. Still, hope and love keep her going, even if they're never realized. And in the end, when she'd lain dying alone in the street, the light inside her fading as her painful life drew to a conclusion, she'd believed Susumu beyond her reach, too, only to learn far too late for both of them that her efforts hadn't been in vain.

As Ayumu finishes heaping different samplings of meat onto Ken's plate, she sets it down front of him with a slightly melancholy smile. Funny how this moment with Ken right now is reminding me a little bit of her time with Tetsu.]

I have some drinks, too. Mostly just bottled water and juice boxes, though. I didn't want to bring anything that might spoil today. And oh, I haven't introduced you and Toyo-chan yet, have I?

[Ayumu pats the head of the soulless shinki next to her then points to Ken. The little girl's blank gaze follows the movement, a gentle smile surfacing on her face.]

Ken, Toyo-chan. Toyo-chan, this is Ken. Think of him as a big brother, just like Joscelin, 'kay?

[And before Ayumu can finish speaking, there is a five year old suddenly scrambling toward Ken, arms outstretched in an incoming glomp, a cheerful cry on her lips:

"Ken-nii-chan!"]

[junkyarddog]

[Well, Ayumu does have one avenue of recourse - she can send Chikusa's food to him through Ken. Provided Ken neglects to mention who it's from until after Chikusa's eaten it, it shouldn't be much of an issue.

Ken, for his part, is wolfing down food almost as soon as Ayumu sets the plate in front of him. Which makes it a little awkward when Toyo flings herself at him - but fortunately, Ken's got excellent reflexes and body control to make up for all the places his brain tends to be deficient. In one surprisingly graceful movement, Ken scoops up his plate and holds it up over Toyo's head as she gloms onto his torso. He seems surprised, pleased, and a little confused, looking over at Ayumu for an explanation.

Plate held over his head, mouth stuffed with pieces of grilled meat, Toyo hugging his chest, and the completely nonplussed look Ken is giving Ayumu - it's a pretty comical picture.]

[chibisu]

[With a small group of his own- every single one of his shinki is here, including Takami who normally doesn't make such journeys when it concerns Heaven- Ebisu has a lot of mouths to feed. He's taken to helping prepare some more over in a corner of his own little picnic area, and he knows that they wouldn't be refused if they went for some more... But it's definitely nice to see someone else handing out food.]

Oh, is it really alright, Vesta-sama?

[kagenonadeshiko]

Of course, Ebisu-sama. Sharing the lunch I brought is the least I can do after your kindness.

[Ayumu would've been without shelter for weeks instead of the soothing vacation of sorts she received as a guest of temple. The blanket's not quite large enough for so many people but a few of them should be able to squeeze onto it and she'd picked a pretty good spot in the clearing for her picnic.]

I hope you've all been doing very well in the meantime.

[She smiles graciously at Ebisu and each of his shinki in turn as she starts getting out six more paper plates. Ayumu had brought a whole package of them along with some napkins, just in case.]

Please have a seat wherever you like.

[chibisu]

[To probably no surprise to Ayumu, who was a guest for such a while in the temple, all of Ebisu's shinki take care to make sure their god is one of those who is able to sit down on the blanket. The shinki who manage to make it onto the space as well would be Takami and Aomi, an anxious mess and the exact opposite respectively. While Takami keeps anxiously glancing around as if unsure if they'll all be jumped when they're not looking, Aomi just smiles politely to Ayumu while accepting his plate.]

[Meanwhile, behind them, Unmi and Kiwami carefully take a seat on the grass while Kimi- Ginia's boyfriend if Ayumu has been paying attention- just shrugs off his jacket, lays it on the ground, and flops down contentedly.]

[While the plates are being managed, Ebisu beams at her.]

Oh, we've been managing as well as we've usually been. [That is to say, still dying from overwork.] It seems as though you've been able to recover quite well.

Gathering for the hunt

[unlucky7]

[It shouldn't be a surprise Ginia comes by. After all the revelations earlier - and the fact Ayumu is still here - there's plenty to chat about. Ginia smiles at Toyo and acknowledges the soulless shinki before taking a seat and looking over the spread of food.]

This looks incredible. It must have taken some time to make. Did Toyo and Joscelin help?

[Given Joscelin's attachment to Ayumu, it's an easy assumption he asked her to name him again.]

Re: Gathering for the hunt

[kagenonadeshiko]

Yes, they did. They both worked very hard. Joscelin's hardly left me alone since I got back. Not that either of us really mind. We've had a lot of lost time to make up for.

[And given how devastated she'd been after losing Sanzang and the constant gnawing fear of losing both her god and her home when she'd been Hakkai's shinki before her, Ayumu's more than willing to indulge the boy and try to give him plenty of love, patience, and understanding until the dust finishes settling.

It's been an honest joy having him around again, even with an additional child in the household.]

He and Toyo-chan have taken very well to each other, too. Just like brother and sister. Isn't that right, Toyo-chan?

[The little girl nods vigorously, beaming broadly, as she pipes up in a small, cheerful voice:

"Joss-nii-chan is the best!"

Ayumu giggles, reaching over to give Toyo a high five.

(Look, she watches dramas. She's picking up modern things. It counts.)]

See, you got it that time!

[Ayumu turns to Ginia to quickly explain.]

She's had a lot of trouble pronouncing his name. It figures that she'd get it right when he's not here. But anyway, please help yourself to whatever you like. I'll get you a plate.

[unlucky7]

[This is all very cute. Ginia's face lights in a charmed smile at the interaction between the two. Toyo is truly adorable and while she can't shake a slightly unease about a child soulless shinki, it's easy to ignore. That her and Joscelin are getting along is nice. It's a regular happy little family.]

I'm really happy they're getting along. Joscelin can be prickly, but he's good with children. I imagine he's enjoying being a big brother.

[He certainly did a good job taking care of her when their ages were temporarily reversed. Ginia bows her head in appreciation as she takes a plate, helping herself to a polite, but generaous portion of food. There's a lot, her appetite is insatiable, and it'd be a shame to see it all go to waste. She takes a few bites, another smile breaking out.]

Tastes as delicious as it looks. Thank you for your hard work, Toyo-chan.

OTA

[handsome_genius]

Gathering for the Hunt / Ready Aim Fire
[ Yoon really wasn't planning on coming. Between his rocky relationship with Leo and Aymeric being knocked unconscious, he'd only heard whisperings about it from other people. Then, as he was walking towards Hakkai's school, Yaone happened to see him. Since he had nothing but free time on his hands and plenty to learn with regards to being her apprentice, he followed along at her encouragement.

And her encouragement was? "Accidents happen."

So even though he hasn't mastered Ginia's Mend spell or all of the unmagical ways that Yaone might know to heal someone, he can do field dressing. It's what he had in his bag when he arrived, and it's what he's kept replenishing ever since. His first day as a shinki was the Black Parade, so he's pretty sure nothing can top finding his would-be 1st God bleeding out from his own power's aftereffects.

He mills about the area, watching for anyone who might be on the verge of accidentally injuring themselves - via choking on some of their lunch, raptor claws, archery mishaps, a slip of the tongue about someone's past, or coming back from a hunt with injuries and blight both. You never know! ... Which also means he might be a little overeager, seeing something that wasn't there, and running over to someone who wasn't actually going to need his help at all. ]

Ah...? What's going on there?

Wildcard!
[ Ginia's set up a First Aid Tent, so he definitely might have found his way over there. If you want to grab Yoon for a Great Hunt or Different Sort of Hunt thread, he'd be up for it, he just wouldn't go alone. ]

[chibisu]

[Fortunately for Yoon, in this case, there is something he can help with as he hurries over. Ebisu is accompanying two of his shinki, one dressed in archery gear and the other still wearing a plain black suit- Aomi and Takami respectively. Takami is holding a small handkerchief over his hand, jittery and grimacing a little, and he jolts when Yoon approaches them. It's Ebisu who speaks up, however.]

Oh, it's only a small cut. An accident happened, so we were going to go back to our group to help get it cleaned.

[handsome_genius]

Well if it's only a small cut, I can handle it too.

[ Yoon immediately pulls out his vial of antiseptic, dumps it against a bit of cloth. The cloth is very small, enough to press against a tiny finger. ]

There, and...

[ He holds it steady with one hand while fishing into his bag for the amazing thing called a Band-Aid. ]

[chibisu]

[Bandaids really are amazing, honestly, and Yoon isn't alone in appreciating them. At Ebisu's gesturing, Takami slowly comes forward, still holding to his hand. Take your time, Yoon, he's not going anywhere. When it seems like the other shinki is ready, he finally reveals the injury. It's just a cut along the outside side of his hand, not too deep but definitely having bled quite a bit despite not being that much.]

[Ebisu pipes up from besides him.]

Have you had to deal with a lot of injuries so far?

[blahblahblah]

One might be forgiven for forgetting that Rita was even on the Far Shore: she's been more or less totally invisible for a month and change. If anyone had come to call at her temple, it's visibly occupied with a huge pile of books that seems to grow as time passes - largely things like history, but also technology and even medicine - along with a series of papers and even a beaker or two. (Where did she even find those...?) It's a somewhat wilted teen researcher, then, that shows up at the hunt camp. She looks... oddly both tired and revitalized, like she's seeing with a new vision but can barely function for all that. Either way, it's probably fine... maybe. At least she's here in something resembling normal clothes, sporting dark cargo pants and a bright red T-shirt.

[A | gathering for... snacks]
But it's not long before Rita surrenders to the call of food and, more importantly, caffeine. She seems more awake after a cup or three, and she leans back after a bit, looking around with a bit of a frown. She's still sipping at a cup, but now it's more thoughtful instead of half-asleep still. As she hears what's supposed to be going on, that turns into curious glances into the forest like she's looking for something. It almost looks like she has questions but isn't going to ask them. Her pockets clink a little as she shifts with the soft sound of glass... what did she bring with her?

[B | ready, aim, try]
As everyone else gets ready for the hunt proper, Rita settles in to watch the archery for a bit. It's a very different feel from sitting back and slinging fireballs - while she has some ability to aim those even after firing (or to just drop something that doesn't care about aim), archery requires precision ahead of time. Maybe some of her skills transfer? It's a thought, anyway, and after a short time she wanders over to where she sees those with some experience looking to teach. She opens her mouth to say something, pauses for a second, and takes a deep breath before she starts again. "I wanna see if I can do this," she eventually gets out with some confidence. "Can someone teach me?"

A little bit later she's attempting to take shots downrange; her focus is surprisingly good for her often-short personality, but she's just not that strong. Her bodhi blastia is helping a fair bit, but it's really not enough to be terribly effective. Still, she's doing her best, and it's showing. The arrows are going in the right direction, and she's at least kinda accurate. She's not going to be trading her scroll for a bow anytime soon, but it's not terrible? "Damned old man was holding out on us," she catches herself grumbling at one point as she watches another arrow barely stick into a target.

[C | the great hunt-gather | combat possible]
A bit later, after the original group went into the forest to search for targets, Rita moves in, though she's not looking to hunt anything. Or, at least, not anything moving. No, she's got a vial between her fingers, and she's paying special attention to the plants as she goes in, taking it slow and crouching every so often to examine what she's seeing. A knife comes out of her pocket every so often and she takes samples of a few plants with her, throwing one into a vial and corking it before swapping it into her pocket for an empty one. She can be found quietly commenting on what she's seeing as she goes, but largely she's quiet in case someone's missed a boar.

Which is not unlikely as she gets a bit deeper in. Her steps turn more cautious and she doesn't carry a vial between her fingers as she walks, opting instead to carry her scroll in her hand. By this point she's more than a little twitchy, so surprise her at your peril. Eventually something will surprise her: a boar or two, or perhaps a deer, or maybe if she's really unlucky a blighted animal. And given she doesn't have any shinki to call her own yet, that last would ruin her day both metaphorically and literally. The first she'll attempt to blast to kingdom come but might need to be reminded not to use fire; the second she may or may not remember to leave alone; the last she'll scream her head off on seeing and try to get away from (probably without success). She might need saving, not that she's going to ask for it.

[X | wildcard and notes]
((Rita's been holed up doing various research on modern-day Japan - that is, the Near Shore - while I've been absent the last month or so; I'm looking to get back to business with her now, so here we go. She'll generally avoid the hunt proper unless asked to join in, or unless it finds her in that prompt. I'm game for her to go cultist hunting if someone wants her to come along, but she doesn't really have enough investment to go hunting them down on her own.))

C

[unlucky7]

The trees above Rita rustle slightly, a few leaves drifting downward as someone whistles lightly to get her attention. Ginia perches in the branches above, waving lightly as she jumps down. Despite the height she's jumping down and the weight one expects of a human, she falls in a slow drift and lands lightly.

"Hey, been awhile. What are you collecting?"

[blahblahblah]

The rustling and the leaves catch Rita's attention, and her aim snaps up before the whistle makes her check - nobody that's trying to kill her (let alone a boar, which can't whistle in the first place - would announce themselves like this. So she relaxes a little, which finishes more completely when the familiar form of Ginia drops down. Rita lets out a sigh before dropping her arms and shaking her head.

"Yeah, it has... Ah, I'm trying a little medical research," she adds after a second. "I had something that I could use to heal back home, and I wonder if I could duplicate it here."

[unlucky7]

"Want help? I've learned a bit about medicinal plants in my time here." Some dabbling into agriculture research, but it's also a byproduct of her first two gods too. There's a pang of sadness she pushes away in favor of focusing.

"Nothing else, I can chase off any ayakashi."

[bakusatsuo]

Ready Aim Fire

[Bakugou has tried his hand at a shocking number of things in his young life - and, as a direct result of his fierce pride being satisfied with nothing less, he's become exceptional at almost all of them. His classmates being startled and aggravated at yet another thing Bakugou is good at is a fairly regular occurrence.

Archery, however, is not one of those things. Of course, if one asked Bakugou, he'd say that archery isn't one of those things yet.

Anything that involves upper arm strength, of course, is something Bakugou already has a lot of the skillset for. The muscles through his arms, his shoulders, his back - all of them take recoil from his explosions, and so not only has having to brace themselves against those shocks strengthened them all on its own, Bakugou has gone out of his way to make sure his upper body is in even better condition than the rest of him. So despite being a teenager, he's having a surprising lack of difficulty handling the bow he's started practicing with. Oh, his form is terrible - he doesn't know what he's doing and it shows. He's teaching himself by trial and error and observation alone, too proud to even consider asking for instructions. But he's having no trouble firing arrows, or holding the bow steady while he does. He's also avoiding some newbie mistakes; he had a toy bow when he was a kid, and he retains some very vague memories of the absolute basics.

Now, if only his aim wasn't terrible. He hasn't so much as hit a target yet, clearly having difficulties predicting how the arrow will fly and how to correct for the way it's going to move. He keeps explosively swearing with every missed shot...although, to his credit, each miss is moving closer to actually hitting the target he's aiming at.

For all that he's obviously irritated, though, he's not stopping. Now that he's started doing this, he's not going to stop until he's become good at it.]


The Great Hunt

[Deku had opted not to come to the hunt, so Bakugou's on his own today - which might not have been wise. Bakugou is still stinging and furious from losing Zhao, and he needs to let off steam, so on the one hand, a chance to go let loose on ayakashi would seem to be...well, a godsend. (One might well think that Bakugou's fiery explosions are a terrible idea to use in a forest, but fortunately Bakugou knows how to use discretion with his quirk. He's learned how to minimize collateral damage when he needs to; he's not going to be starting any forest fires.)

But this means Bakugou had charged directly into the most dangerous depths of the forest looking for ayakashi - he's not worried about getting lost; he can always fly up over the trees and orient himself - without actually having a shinki with him. So sure enough, when he finds a vicious boar ayakashi...he can't actually Rend it.

It's not hard to find Bakugou's fight - if it can really be called a fight - with the boar ayakashi, considering the impossible-to-miss sounds of Bakugou's explosions. In point of fact, Bakugou's...well, he's not fleeing, because he'd rather die than back down from a fight, but at the same time he's very limited in what he can do right now. Explosions big enough to really hurt the ayakashi - enough to at least slow it, or deter it - risk starting a fire, and he can't dispatch it without a shinki.

He...may have been so preoccupied with needing to rage that he didn't think this one through. So mostly what he's doing is slinging blasts at it when he can, while keeping out of its reach. He's currently landing on the branch of a tree, scowling down at the boar as he tries to think of what to do.

Are you a shinki who can help him? A god with a shinki in tow? Or perhaps a god on your own who can offer some unconventional assistance? Bakugou looks like he could use it.]

Ready Aim Fire

[unlucky7]

[Bakugou isn't very high on the list of people Ginia likes, but it's not that she dislikes the hot-tempered teen either. Short-tempered people have a way of putting her on edge and irritating her in a way she can't explain and it's not like their history of interactions has been great.

But Zhao is gone.

She already checked on one god, it would be wrong not to check on the other. Especially as Bakugou was Zhao's first and Zhao spoke favorably about him. She doesn't know Bakugou well enough to comfort him in anyway; maybe he doesn't even want it. It'd be remiss not checking on him when they're in the same area.

Ginia doesn't really acknowledge him as she takes the spot next to him with her own borrowed bow and set of arrows. Her experience is still on the beginner level and still rusty, but having practiced earlier and picked up a few tips, her form is good and better than it was earlier. She goes through the motions, feeling out each motion as she draws the arrow back, holds, and fires. It's not a bull's eye, but the shot is getting closer. Ginia acknowledges her shot with a small nod and smile before preparing for her next one, giving Bakugou another chance to observe and adjust his form.]

[bakusatsuo]

[It's not unlike the time they played pool together in Ginia's dream, not that she remembers that incident. Bakugou hadn't known what he was doing then, either, but he'd watched her closely and shamelessly cribbed notes on form and technique from her while pretending not to be doing that at all. Unsurprisingly, this isn't any different. Bakugou doesn't make it overly obvious that he's watching her, but the fact that his form suddenly shifts to mimic hers more closely, and that he quickly falls into a pattern of only shooting after she has because he's spending the time she's lining up her shots studying her form, isn't particularly subtle either.

Bakugou's too proud to lose, but he's by no means too proud to learn and improve. It's one of his more positive qualities.]