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

event priparations

[priforprince]

Any arrangement you create will rejuvenate the hearts of all who see it.

[ Sakura did not, perhaps, ask the most helpful consultant. To Hibiki's credit, however, she has done no backseat driving. Merely witnessed the sight of someone beautiful creating something beautiful.

How splendid. ]

Beneath your fingertips, the flowers blossom happily.

[festal]

( Oh... she's always flattered by Hibiki and she still will never get used to it. Her cheeks burn a bright pink and she manages a shy smile in return, )

You're too kind, Hibiki.( In her hands, she turns an extra flower she'd been debating adding to her most recent arrangement. ) It r-really isn't that much...

( Especially compared to some of the other arrangements others have made. )

[priforprince]

You're too modest.

[ That extra flower looks fantastic. Hibiki picks another just like it up from the available supplies and tries to tuck it behind Sakura's ear. ]

There's no shame in enjoying your own talent.

[ Sage advice in self-confidence from someone whose temple is now flanked by giant gold statues of herself. ]

[festal]

( She stays perfectly still, holding her breath when Hibiki moves closer and going from pink to a brilliant shade of red. Oh, she feels... very warm, suddenly? And she ducks head head down, looking absolutely shy. Focus, Sakura, focus. )

I've only recently picked ikebana as a hobby... I'm sure Amaterasu-sama has much more experienced help....

[priforprince]

Time is meaningless to the gifted.

[ Sakura's humility is extremely charming - even soothing - in its own way. But Hibiki's compliments are sincere, as well.

There is one more flower of the variety Hibiki'd given Sakura available. She picks it up, as well, and slides it into the buttonhole on her own jacket lapel.

Now they match. ]

[festal]

( That actually gets her to smile, even if it's a shy and quiet one of sorts, )

Oh, Hibiki... You're always so kind to me. ( And raising her eyes, she does her best to meet Hibiki's gaze. She... she can make eye contact. She can do this. And she does! ) Thank you.

[priforprince]

[ Real eye contact does not go unnoticed by Hibiki. She smiles the smile that she knows best sets off her eyes. Sakura's reward for being so brave is getting to behold a beautiful sight. ]

The pleasure is mine.