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

[alchemists]

I agree, helping out this way is fun, you can find new things this way.

[ Well finding new things really means Elfnein has been getting lost due to it. ]

[declamando]

There's that as well, yes. I wonder when the meeting itself is meant to be happening.

[If this kind of preparation is being done today, then it can't be more than a few days away, but she doesn't recall having gotten notice of it from the Heavens.]

[alchemists]

It has to be soon or all of the food people are gathering would spoil?

[declamando]

Exactly, but they sent letters out in advance of that last party. It seems unusual not to do the same for this even if we're helping, but they're only just putting together the invitations now.

[Maybe they'll do it on shorter notice this time, since they might not need full formal dress for this one.]

[alchemists]

Maybe it's less formal compared to the last party? A come as you please type event?

[ Elfnein really hopes it's not super formal again, stealing one dress was enough. ]

[declamando]

It seems like an important meeting. Last time they called a meeting of gods, we all had to be there...though that was spreading important information, too.

[The only time they've had a meeting here before was when it was announced to the newcomers what exactly letting a shinki in on their past would do to them, so Maria looks faintly uncomfortable with the topic.]

[alchemists]

What information was that important to call such a meeting in the first place?

[declamando]

...It was shortly after I arrived. Apparently they hadn't told the newcomer gods before that telling a shinki about their past is fatal, and there had been deaths because of it.

[It hadn't been a pleasant meeting, but at least the information had gotten out there before anyone else died due to ignorance of it.]

[alchemists]

That's horrible, why wouldn't they tell others about that right away? Why cause an unnecessary death for someone that doesn't even know what's going on.

[declamando]

They used to just tell people it was dangerous, I think. They must have thought that would be enough to deter them, but obviously it wasn't for some.

[There's a trace of anger in Maria's voice, as if she's genuinely offended it came to that - but then, she can't judge in full without knowing whether it was the decisions of gods or decisions of shinki that lead to those deaths.]

[alchemists]

Those gods aren't suited for their positions, even if it was a mistake or they fully knew what would happen if they pushed that on their shinki. I can't forgive anyone that would do that.

[declamando]

Yes, well, there's no way for us to know exactly who to blame for what happened, and since it was so long ago now, it's possible those people are already gone. [Maria sounds suitably grave about the subject, but it had happened before even she arrived, and it doesn't seem that common for people to have been here as long as her.]

[alchemists]

I see, so getting upset wouldn't solve the issue if it's already been resolved before we arrived.

[ Elfnein's still a bit upset over it though. ]

[declamando]

That, and there might no longer be anyone here who deserves that upset. It's been a long time since the information was spread, and I've never heard of any other incidents of it happening since then.

[So it seems the lesson was learnt once the information became widespread, implying the initial cases were carelessness as opposed to malice.]

[alchemists]

I shouldn't be letting it get to me, if it's not happening again since the information has been spread then everyone now knows.

[declamando]

We do have more than enough to think about here without focusing on things that happened months ago, right? [Maria smiles slightly, in what she hopes is a reassuring manner.] I think we all have more sense than to do something like that here now.

[alchemists]

Common sense is a very powerful thing.

[ Maria's smile does help with calming Elfnein down a bit. ]

[declamando]

As it turns out. [She smiles back before turning her attention back to the shopping lists.] Anyway, we should focus on this for now. Do you have much to get?

[alchemists]

I forgot about the list while we were talking. I think I had packaged goods left?

[declamando]

I've only just started, really, but I've got a few dry goods on here. [Maria indicates a particular section of the list.] Maybe we should go and check out our options together.

[alchemists]

That is a perfect idea.

[ Maria can get all the stuff from the high shelves. ]

[declamando]

Alright then. I'm not sure which of these is the closest, so we'll have to go through the aisles.

[Hopefully they're in some kind of sensible order, or they might be in trouble.]

[alchemists]

I don't mind, I haven't really been food shopping but if the store follows a basic layout then it shouldn't be an issue.

[declamando]

Well, a lot of stores like to make things confusing, but I suppose we'll see. [It looks like the first aisle is partially sauces and seasonings, and Maria glances at her list.]

Did you need anything like this? I've got mirin on my list.

[alchemists]

I think curry seasonings would be down this isle as well? Those are on my list.