002 | Tokyo In Trouble

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Surprise! There's a disaster on the Near Shore.
When: Late at night (February 24, 2016) into mid-afternoon (February 25, 2016)
Where: The Meeting Hall of the Heavens AND various places around Tokyo
Summary: A nice little greeting for the new guests and an unpleasant surprise for the older ones~



A sudden, loud blast of noise persists throughout the entirety of the Heavens. It sounds much like a war horn of ancient times being played at a decibel that is meant to shake the very core of every being within its range. No matter how much you might try to block out the noise, it remains ringing in your ears deafeningly, and somehow you find yourself compelled towards the Meeting Hall - the place where you were first introduced to the Heavens and what you have gotten wrapped up in.

Anyone checking their phones will notice a large, bright red alert flashing at them - 'EMERGENCY! REPORT IMMEDIATELY!' It seems that the Heavens have taken to using modern technology for their messages as well.

Once you have reached the Meeting Hall, you will find that every wall has turned into a sort of television screen, displaying various streets and buildings in Tokyo, everyone one literally crawling with ayakashi both big and small. A voice that you recognize as Amaterasu's - though you would never be able to describe it properly - rings throughout the halls.

"We need your help, brave gods, loyal shinki. A rift the likes of which we have never dealt with has opened on the Near Shore. We must end the ayakashi who are harming our dear followers. Please come to our aid in this time of need."



Meeting Hall

The once garishly decorated Meeting Hall looks very much like the base of operations for an army at war. There are gods gearing up with shinki and man-made gear as well and plenty of gods and shinki saying prayers before they head out to battle. Everything you might need to make yourself feel safe during a fight has been provided, including every type of weaponry. But, of course, only shinki wielded by a god can actually destroy an ayakashi.

Counselling

In the main hallway, there is an innocuous door with a small, nicely written sign that reads "Gentle Counselling". Inside the door is a small room with a few sweetly smiling shinki inside who are willing to listen to your problems and answer any questions you might have. They are also here to help out any gods that are having a hard time dealing with knowing about how their shinki died and any shinki that is having trouble coming to terms with the fact that they are dead.

February 24

The rift that has opened is so vast that there is literally nowhere in Tokyo that you can go without encountering a rampaging group of ayakashi. Everything is utter chaos and there are creatures everywhere for you to fight. Let's just hope that you can get out of this dangerous battlefront mostly unscathed.

February 25

Towards the middle of the day, it will seem that the ayakashi are becoming fewer and further between. Things seem to be calming down a lot, though they are nowhere near normal yet, especially since the rift is taking longer to close than the Heavens would like. Fortunately, no new ayakashi have escaped into the Near Shore from the rift since this morning, due to a barrier that has been placed around it. Still, the ayakashi seem to be really hell-bent on getting away from you all now rather than fighting...



In Summary:

• There are a ton of ayakashi on the Near Shore that need to be destroyed.
• The newbies are getting one hell of a welcome as a result.
• Seek counselling if you need it!
• Go kick some evil ass.
• Comment to the first thread to get a randomly generated number of ayakashi to face.
• Mods will gladly play out any ayakashi interactions where requested.
• Try not to get killed~

Comments

[returnedfromtheline]

He can understand the idea of 'what if' and that being apart from their god is not good but still-

"Tch-"

Making such an irritated noise he crosses his arms.

"You won't be able to do anything much with that. You heard that only shinki can kill ayakashi, right? If you want to do something- haven't you learned how to make a borderline yet?"

Yukine himself went a while without knowing how, but still, the new shinki should have been learning that-!

[sleepingknight]

"...A what?"

Hey, guess what nobody bothered teaching her, Yukine.

1/2

[returnedfromtheline]

Okay, you've only been here for like, nine days, but--

"What?!"

He turns away for a brief moment, trying to get himself under control, but his ire-filled murmurings would be easy to overhear...

"Am I the only one helping these guys out? Damnit, Kazuma-san, help me out here-! Or anyone else for that matter! There's only like a zillion gods and shinki up here! Rrrr-"

2/2

[returnedfromtheline]

Okay. Kinda better now.
Yukine turns back around and although his eyes are still tight he's trying to put on a patient smile.

"Is the best offense and defense a shinki has. You might not get it on the first try, but I should at least show you before you go out there to fight ayakashi. Okay?"

[sleepingknight]

She patiently waits until he's done grumbling to himself, still looking faintly puzzled.

"Mm, sure."

He'd know better than her, at any rate.

[returnedfromtheline]

"Okay."

He looks around and scratches the back of his head for a moment. There's no ayakashi here, so he'll have to do without.

"The basics of it is that you make your hand like a halberd, like this." He forms his hand into the proper shape, his thumb, index and middle fingers pointed out while the other two fingers are tucked in.

"Then you draw a line between you and the ayakashi. It would be easier to practice if there was one here, but you'll just have to imagine it. Anyway, the idea is that it's a line between you and what's on the other side. You can keep out anything, and let anything through. Here, I'll show you."

He draws a short line between himself and the rack of swords. The barrier shines a faint white.

"Like that. Give it a try."

1/2

[sleepingknight]

She mimics him as he makes the gesture with his hand, although from the look on her face, she obviously has no idea what it's supposed to do. It isn't until he draws the line himself that her expression turns to one of surprise.

"Whoa! So it's like some kind of defensive spell?"

--Is apparently what she's getting out of this.

But hey, it's her turn now, so with all the confidence in the world, she turns and points at the ground, tracing a line through the air...

2/2

[sleepingknight]

...And deflates a bit when it does nothing.

"Awww..."

He did say she might not get it on the first try, but it's hard not to feel disappointed.

[returnedfromtheline]

Sorry, not everyone one is as awesome as Yukine.

"Don't worry about it. It really is easier to draw when there's something on the other side you want to keep out, like an ayakashi."

He grins a little. "Like a 'defensive spell', eh? Yah, it is like that. With experience you can fine-tune it to cut, too."

He turns towards a bucket of arrows. Making the gesture again, he cuts all the arrows in half. The feathered ends clatter as they fall to the ground but Yukine pays it no mind.

"For now, having it as a shield will be the most useful. So keep it in mind. While you're in your human form, something like this will be more useful than that," he points to the sword at her waist.

Although, if the sword has a value of 'one', then it would still be more than something she can't do yet and therefore has a value of 'zero'. (sigh)

"Anyway, be careful out there."

[sleepingknight]

She's a sword person for a reason, Yukine. She always relied on others to do the healing and buffs while she charged ahead into the fray, okay.

She looks suitably impressed (and maybe... envious?) when he cuts those arrows apart.

"Well... you didn't explain it that well! You made it look like all you do is draw a line, but there's got to be more than that, right?" Otherwise, hers should've worked too!

[returnedfromtheline]

Her talking back to him actually takes him off guard for a moment.

"Th-there's really nothing more to it! You just do it!"

Considering that the way that everything including becoming a hafuri 'just happened', that's honestly the best answer he's got.

"If you want a more technical explanation, talk to Kazuma-san."

[sleepingknight]

Booo. She crosses her arms, frowning.

"If I can't find him before we gotta go, a sword might be more reliable." At least she knows how to use one, after all.

[returnedfromtheline]

"I keep telling you guys- the shinki will be the weapon. So you really don't--"

Yukine abruptly sighs, looking away. (It's hard, arguing with a girl.)

"Whatever. Fine, do what you like." He then looks back at her sternly. "But practice the boarderline when you get back."

[sleepingknight]

"If we were weapons all the time, we wouldn't need the barrier, would we?" C'mon, it's a pretty similar idea.

"I'll practice once I've got a chance, but we don't have time for that right now!"

[returnedfromtheline]

"Being in vessel form all the time would be--" Yukine actually shudders at the thought. Sweaty hands on him all the time? UGGGHHHH.

"Anyway, I'm holding you to that. If you want someone to practice with, send me a message."

[sleepingknight]

She gives a grin and a quick, loose salute. "Yup, yup! I'll give it a try later!"

And with that, she turns on her toe, practically skipping her way along - if faster and more fluidly than one might expect.