26 - The Gods' Month

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Helping the Heavens prepare for the yearly Meeting of the Gods
When: October 20 - 21
Where: Around the Heavens (and maybe some mortal shopping trips, too!)
Summary: Amaterasu has been told that the newly arrived residents of the Heavens want to take a bigger part in security and administration, so she's convinced her shinki to let them help with preparations for the big yearly gala. It's also time for shinki to rate their gods and gods to find out what their shinki really think of them....







Security Precautions

The white-robed shinki guards are working hard to secure the Meeting Hall for the arrival of all the gods of Japan. Hard-working shinki are scurrying everywhere! Despite Amaterasu's orders, they're still a little unsure of and standoffish towards the strangers who they're supposed to work with, but there's a lot of work to do, so they're happy to hand out jobs to small groups of newcomers before returning to their own duties.


• Help clear out any small spirits who might have sneaked back into the Meeting Hall after the spring cleaning, from sootsprites to nekomata, animal spirits from the park or well-camouflaged plant spirits.


• Check the magical writing worked into art or inlaid in wood all over the building to protect the Meeting Hall from attack, and make sure none of it is scuffed or damaged.


• Join in on the patrols around the building or spend some time guarding one of the gates. It's boring, but the shinki appreciate the help.


• Test the integrity and extent of the magical protections with glass balls that turn purple outside the protections on the Meeting Hall and clear inside them. But don't drop your glass ball! They're fragile.

Event Preparation

It's not just security that the shinki are asking newcomers to help with. They also have plenty of work to do getting ready for the festivities! The Meeting Hall floors need to be swept and scrubbed, the gardens need to be trimmed and tidied, artwork needs to be dusted, flower arrangements arranged, damaged furniture repaired and rafters cleared of cobwebs. Anyone with particularly good handwriting can help write out invitations and name cards, too.

Besides cleaning and calligraphy, there's lots of food and beverages to purchase! Grab a shopping list, a wad of cash, and head to the Near Shore to pick up the necessities. (Don't forget to keep the receipts.)

Rate Your God

Shinki have the opportunity to submit surveys on their life with their new gods before the big event, and even request a transfer if they want one. Early in the morning, every new shinki will be visited by a small white dove carrying a scroll that, when unrolled, reveals the following questionnaire:


What is your name?

What is your god's name?

How do you see your duties as a shinki?

What is your favorite part of life with your god?

What is your least favorite part of life with your god?

What advice would you like to give your god?

Do you wish to be assigned to a different god? []Y []N


Fill it out, discuss it with your fellow shinki, forget about it until you find it under a pile of junk mail in two months: the choice is yours! Gods will receive a copy of the answer that their shinki submit to "What advice would you like to give your god?" -- there's no name attached, but they might be able to guess.

Heavenly Record Keeping

Gods don't get to skip the paperwork entirely! Although the Heavens aren't asking them to rate their shinki, new gods don't have all of their vital statistics on file quite yet, so they get a questionnaire too. The same white doves will drop their scrolls by in the morning, with the following set of questions:


What is your name?

How many shinki do you currently have?

What are your areas of divine responsibility?

How do you see your duties as a god?

What traits do you most want in a shinki?

Do you wish new shinki to be assigned to you? []Y []N


Unlike the doves attending on the shinki, the doves who drop off the gods' scrolls will remain close by and chirp loudly until they finish and submit their questionnaires. If a god is particularly lazy about it, they might even start pecking.

In Summary:

• Help protect the Meeting Hall
• Lend a hand cleaning and shopping
• Rate your gods
• Help Heaven keep its records up to date
• Have fun~

Comments

[artificialrose]

A - Patrol

[Making his way around seems like something that could get boring for people pretty quickly.... So it's no wonder that some of the shinki seem thankful for someone else to volunteer for the role. Garry can't say he's a great fighter... but he's definitely doing his best to keep moving and keep an eye out.]

[It's great so see another face, whatever they might be doing whether on patrol as well or passing through, and Garry gives a friendly smile.]

Everything going well so far?

B - Shopping Trip

[With his patrol done, Garry had gone elsewhere to help, which is why he and another person have been armed with a shopping list.]

[And... boy, is it a list.]

I can see why they grabbed two people for this...

C - Rate Your God

[Catching his breath, Garry has decided to do the questionnaire that he's been holding off for a while. So he can be found sitting at an empty table in the Meeting Hall, staring intently at the questions. When he notices someone else nearby, he looks up and smiles.]

Hey there. Ah, have you heard of this questionnaire...?

B

[replicatedform]

[Being a surely an available and strong looking guy (probably), Yamanbagiri is going along with Garry for this shopping trip. With the implication that they might need at least two people to carry everything back...]

Yeah. Looks like a lot. [He glances at the list. Drinks, food (mainly ingredients)...] Let's try to get the fresh fruits and vegetables first.

[And hopefully avoid... sales rush against the people in charge of their household's cooking.]

[artificialrose]

[Thank goodness for strong looking guys... Although Garry is trying not to be much of a slouch either, training as he is. Garry hums thoughtfully, tapping his thumb against the list.]

You don't think the drinks, to put that at the bottom so they won't squish anything?

[replicatedform]

[He thinks for a moment.]

Yeah. On the other hand, I'm not sure how fast either drinks or fresh produce sell. We can move the drinks around if we have to. I'd rather get the fruits and vegetables first so we can pick the good ones.

[artificialrose]

Ah.... You have a good point. Produce first, then.

[He supposes they can always rearrange things, can't they? It's no big deal. Garry starts to make his way to the produce section, glancing at the large list they have.]

Have you picked out this sort of thing before?

[replicatedform]

A few times, when I feel like buying some things.

[Following after Gary, he glances at the list again. Then he looks at the produces, looking around to see which ones they need is the closest. Oh, there's some fruits.]

Do you know how to pick good ones?

[artificialrose]

Well, apples are pretty easy.... [Pausing in front of the fruits piled up so high, he picks one up carefully. No point in damaging it just for a look, after all.]

Most of the time, it comes down to how they feel. If an apple feels too soft, or there's an indent where your finger lightly presses down, then they're no good. It really is autumn if the apples are so cheap...

[replicatedform]

[Softly repeating what Garry said to himself, he picks up one apple and feel it carefully.]

So generally, as long they feel firm enough and their colour looks right. [He puts down the apple, and pick another one up.] But it depends on the fruit or vegetable.

[Like... melons.]

[artificialrose]

Yeah. Some vegetables are easy, because all you have to look for is if the leaves have gone brown, but it really is dependent on what it is.

Of course, it doesn't have to look completely perfect.... People charge a lot for how good looking fruits can be, but that's ignoring how they're otherwise fine beyond a shallow glance.

[replicatedform]

Right... But since we're sent to get them for the gala, they probably want good looking ones to use.

[He doesn't know the chefs in charge. And he's not seeking to get chewed out either...

With that thought, he's starting to check for and bag the good apples.]

[artificialrose]

That's true... If it's not an ingredient to be put into something, then appearances matter a lot more...

[Ah, the lives of the rich. Moving onto the next thing on the list, Garry hums.]

Actually, I have seen fruits and things go for a really high price here, if the look good. I hadn't given it much thought, but I guess a lot of value is placed on it...

B

[junkyarddog]

[Honestly, Amaterasu's shinki probably just wanted to get Ken out of the Meeting Hall. The fact that he and Garry know each other and get along okay is just a bonus.]

I can carry it in Kong Channel, I guess...but what're we supposed to eat, byon? They're not gonna make it right away, are they? [What is even the point of food-shopping if it doesn't lead to something edible in short order?]

[artificialrose]

Mmm, no. But that they're not going to make it right away probably means it's going to take a long while to make everything.

[Reaching a shrine that should take them to where they need to go, Garry smiles down at Ken.]

Like the banquet. You liked that, right?

[At least he imagines so.]

[junkyarddog]

Yeah...but it was nicer when I didn't have to do anything for it, byon. [This is huffed quietly, but honestly Ken's not that put out. He's just complaining on principle because he's a teenager.]

Are we just going to one place?

[artificialrose]

[That's so quintessentially teenager that Garry has to hide his smile behind one hand.]

True. Sometimes food tastes so good because you know you worked hard, too. Anyway, I think we should be fine if we stick to one of the larger stores... but we might have to run to another one if we're out.

Think you can last that long?

[junkyarddog]

I guess... [Ken mulls this over.] The stew Roy-sama made was one of the nicest meals we ever had...and I helped him make that one.

[This is said a touch more somberly.

At Garry's question, he huffs.] I can handle shopping, byon.

[artificialrose]

[Right, Roy... Trying to brighten up the atmosphere, he doesn't hold himself back from laughing a little.]

Well, you seemed pretty impatient a second ago! What if we have a little competition, to help speed things up?

[junkyarddog]

[That perks Ken up. Making this a challenge makes it immediately and infinitely more interesting.] What kind of competition, byon?

[artificialrose]

We'll split the list of things we need to get in half. Then, whoever gets everything on their half first, and has gotten the right things without damaging them, wins!

And whoever wins.... [Well, what to make a prize...] Well, how about they treat the other to lunch?

[junkyarddog]

[Ken grins wolfishly.] I'm a lot faster than you, byon. I'm definitely gonna win! [He pauses for consideration.] How're you gonna know when I finish, though?

[artificialrose]

We'll see! As for how we'll know, how about we both meet back here when we've finished?

[junkyarddog]

So whoever makes it back first, we'll know they finished first?

[artificialrose]

Makes it back first with groceries.

[don't... don't forget the food, ken...]

[junkyarddog]

Well, yeah, but that'll be easy, byon!

[Ken pauses suddenly. Wait.]

...do we have to pay for them?

[Ken.]

[artificialrose]

[KEN...]

They did give us money to pay for it, yes.