Heaven's BBS | Video

[revolutionfalcon]

Posted by: Chinatsu Hiyama
Date: November 13th, 6:57PM

[The video opens on...someone who is definitely not Chinatsu, sitting on a stark white couch in front of smooth earthen walls. It's a woman in her early to mid 20s, wearing a yukata in a careless enough manner that it's listing badly to one shoulder, with her hair done in a circular curl on one side of her head, finished with a shining, formal pin despite the abundance of hairs that have come loose of the hairdo. The arm holding the phone has a network of very faint knife scars down it, only visible because of her sleeves being tied up right now so as not to get in the way.

Though she's clearly not feeling it, she manages to force a smile and wave to open the conversation.]

Hello everyone. I'm not Chinatsu-kun, which you must already know if you know her, but I'd like to thank her for lending me her phone. This is...something I think I should say myself.

[Her attempt at a smile collapses quickly into something more strained and worried, though she manages to salvage it to collect herself into a more serious, but still grave manner.]

I haven't met most of you, but my name is Kotori, and I'm one of the shinki to Kurosaki Shun, otherwise known as Nekhbet. [She bites her lip a bit, keeps going.] I know there's some of you I should've told this to personally, and I'm sorry to them, but...he's missing. Not gone like what happens to you newcomers sometimes, just--

[Letting out a breath, she tracks back to an explanation.] He took me on an early morning patrol on the 11th. Maybe two or three AM, it's not uncommon for him to run out at that hour...but one of the places he wanted to check was that forest that moves around the Heavens. I think some of you might know what I'm talking about already. It's been...worse, in the last few days. Like it's reaching out to us. It had already been getting worse, but this...

[She grits her teeth, running a hand through her hair.] Don't let anyone else near it alone. I don't know what happened that day, I couldn't see it when I was a vessel, and all I could hear was the trees. And then I was changed back and he ordered me to run, and he never gives orders unless it's-- [Another break off, like she's angry with herself for having to pause so much, before she takes a deep breath.] I was lucky to find the edge of the forest, but he wasn't with me. That forest took him, and I don't think Kurosaki-sama is the only one. I don't think it's going to end by itself. I could feel it on my heels when I ran, and I can still feel it now...like it's trying to lure us and keep us there. Have any of you felt it too? Or seen others taken by it?

It needs to be stopped. And I don't know how to do it...but I can try and help you all a little if you're going to try. I owe that much.

[[This is the pre-event announcement/lead-in for the Hungry Forest event that begins on IC November 14th. Characters may ask questions of Kotori or discuss disappearances between themselves (or just make certain disappearances public knowledge), or try to plan things out for the next day - whatever helps!]]

Comments

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[unlucky7]

Thank you for the information, Kotori.

My god - Caster, also known as Cú Chulainn - has been missing since the 11th as well. He mentioned being curious about the lights, but I'm not sure the exact time he left.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Kotori's lips tweak into a faint smile before it disappears again all too quickly.]

I think I've met him. Blue hair, strong magic, inability to pay attention to anything but a pretty woman in the vicinity? He seems like a good person, though, I'm sorry to hear it's happened to him too. Are the others in your temple alright?

[unlucky7]

[...Yeah, that sounds like him.]

He is a good person, but I apologize if he gave you any trouble.

But yes, the three of us are fine. And the rest of your temple?

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[mithrarin]

Chinatsu hasn't been taken by the forest, right? You're just borrowing the phone.

[Be clear. Dust has priorities here.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Kotori purses her lips slightly, as if she's not impressed with his perception of what are also her priorities.]

If anyone else from the temple had gone missing, I wouldn't just be naming Kurosaki-sama. Chinatsu-kun is fine.

[mithrarin]

Just checking. Sorry. It's not... like her to not be yelling a bit about this.

[Dust will accept his chastisement, but he's not embarrassed about his fear for a friend.]

From: Thanatos

[trademark_skull]

Reaching out 'how', exactly? Because if you're hearing voices it's probably just a prank or something.

[Although, won't deny that it has been a little more quiet than usual lately. He had just assumed everyone's been busy.]

[revolutionfalcon]

Have you been near it yourself recently? It might be harder to explain if you haven't.

[Her tone is patient (if still sounding a bit weary), but it is a strange situation to try and put to words.]

[trademark_skull]

I haven't. [Not since the lava flow has Emizel really ventured too far in the Heavens. But you can't just leave him hanging after say something like that.]

What is it?

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[abgrund]

Did you


feel any ayakashi?

[revolutionfalcon]

No, that was one of the strange things about it. Neither of us got any sense of ayakashi, though there was definitely a different kind of bad feeling around there.

[Kotori feels as if it's something she's encountered before, but it's long enough ago that she can't place what it might be, so she lets it go.]

video ♔ from Apollo

[priforprince]

Kurosaki Shun is missing?

[ Hibiki's face fills the screen in a super close-up, scrutinizing Kotori. Cynical, paranoid, hyperviolent Kurosaki Shun? That is the Kurosaki Shun we're talking about, yes??

What a pleasing irony! And yet: ]

Intolerable.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Kotori has had the...honour of being in the garden a few of the times Shun's set the vultures on Hibiki. So while she doesn't recognise the goddess by appearance, she certainly recognises the voice, and she puts on a somewhat steely, but still polite smile at the reaction.]

You could always come along to confirm it yourself. Of course, if you don't mind the company of Keba and the other vultures...

[video]

[boneofsword]

[Archer inclines his head in polite greeting. He seems a bit weary.]

I'm sorry to hear that. We've met briefly before, I'm Archer, Caster's shinki. [he pauses briefly.] Ginia informed you that Caster is currently missing. Apparently the forest you've been talking about got connected with his temple forest, and he went to investigate. None of his shinki has heard from him since this time, and he haven't been answering his phone.

[Archer narrows his eyes slightly, as his voice gets firm.]

We'll get them back, Kurosaki, Caster, and others that are missing. Don't doubt that.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Kotori bows slightly back, considering it only polite. She wonders as soon as she sees the similar look about him whether he might be having the same troubles, but she recognises the voice when he speaks, even though she hadn't seen him when they last met.]

She did. I didn't realise it could come so close to temples - I suppose it could be considered "lucky" it only took him, but I wouldn't use that word for any of this.

[It's the same story: nobody hearing from them, no contact, no response. Her lips tighten a little.]

I'm hoping for that. I just wish I could have done more. Or even told more. I don't feel like I know much about what's going on even though I was there.

Video

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako of course recognizes Kotori right away, having been there when she and Shun first found her and she would have replied to her anyway, even if the news that she brought wasn't so dire.

The little girl's eyes are wide as she's quick to open a return video, alarmed. ]

Kotori! Are you okay? Did Shun-oniichan get lost in the woods? Should we... go looking for him?

[revolutionfalcon]

[It's been a while since Kotori's seen Nanako, and she'd be far happier to see her if it weren't for the circumstances. As it is, she immediately looks rather shocked herself and waves a hand at that last question in particular.]

Please don't go by yourself, Nanako-sama! I think there are some others planning to set out tomorrow morning, but be careful if you're going to join together with them.

[Once she's gotten that part out of the way, she sighs.] I'm fine, though. And I don't know if "lost" is the right word, but he certainly hasn't come back.

Hachiman, video

[koukai_kirai]

[It's a little while after he's started looking on the network for information about the missing people that Hijikata stumbles across this post. His face is grim when he replies -- mouth drawn into a thin line, eyes shadowed and cold.]

Is anyone else with him?

[revolutionfalcon]

I was the only one with him at the time, and as you can see, I made it out...but I'd say the others who vanished aren't just isolated incidents.

[Kotori responds to his grim manner with one equally grave, though her expression is more faintly guilty. She still can't help but feel like she should've stayed and tried to do more.]

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[shadowrevenger]

oh is that where he was yesterday? sometimes he's busy so i wasn't that worried but he does usually tell me...

he said there are trees that eat people in there ~( ´•︵•` )~

[revolutionfalcon]

[Ren is definitely one of the people Kotori had in mind when talking about "people she should have told personally", and she winces faintly when she sees the name attached to this reply before bowing her head.]

I'm sorry, Ren-sama, I should've told you when you came. Thankfully, I think if it was one of those who'd taken the people who've disappeared, at least someone would have reported their connection to a god or shinki breaking...

[She still doesn't like the idea of "trees that eat people" anywhere near where Shun and a bunch of others have gone missing, though.]

[kokuyoyo]

[.....He swears...]

Why would he want to intentionally have gone there....

[revolutionfalcon]

The fireflies in it have been trying to lure people in for the last few months now. Since he doesn't fall into that sort of thing easily, he was keeping an eye on it to pull out anyone who might've gotten lost in there.

[And to make sure it didn't get worse...except it had gotten worse very suddenly, and now here they were.]

[nopixiedust]

I'm going to kill him when I find him!

[Wendy, no]

[Although, really it's just a turn of phrase. The most she'll do is scold him, and she already knows he'll probably be more pissed off at himself if he feels anything.]

What did you mean when you heard the trees?

[revolutionfalcon]

I think there might be a line... [At least Kotori appreciates that it's just a turn of phrase, even if she's rubbing her brow a bit in exasperation.]

I heard them moving - leaves running across each other and branches creaking. I don't remember it being very windy that day, though, so it's odd.

[It's never particularly windy in the Heavens, in her experience...]