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

[reformedsinner]

What have you been working on?

[Not much of a conversationalist, is he? It's rather charming. In its way.

Hakkai's smile brightens with amusement. The puppy is scratching its ear now, showing no inclination to move.]

[lionhearrt]

[ He shrugs. ]

It's not mandatory.

[ Translation: He's done zilch. ]

[reformedsinner]

Oh, you're taking the day off, then?

[Some translations are easier than others. Hakkai chuckles.]

I'm surprised you've chosen to hang around here if that's the case. Surely there's better vacation spots.

[lionhearrt]

I was taking a walk.

[ Nothing more. ]

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai smiles, shrugging.] Ah, I see! Other than this -- [he waves at the puppy, which yips and begins trying to gnaw on Mikoto's shoelace--] have you spotted anything interesting so far?

[lionhearrt]

.....

[ That has Suoh looking down at the runt looking a little uncertain for the first time. He's really not good with pets. ]

Is that yours?

[ He's talking about the dog currently gnawing at his shoe. ]

[reformedsinner]

No, I think he may be a stray.

[Hakkai looks down at the puppy himself, placing one hand with dramatic thoughtfulness on his chin.]

Do you like dogs?

[He's guessing, from the uncomfortable expression on Mikoto's face, that the answer is "no."

He's also wondering how hard it would be to convince Mikoto to take a puppy anyway. Hypothetically.]

[lionhearrt]

They don’t like me.

[ Usually they’re running away or playing dead when he gets near them, so this is throwing him off a little. ]

[reformedsinner]

This one does. [The shoe is now completely untied, and the puppy is still clinging determinedly to the end of the lace, tugging and wrestling with it with an excited little growl.]

Perhaps it's because it's a spirit?

[lionhearrt]

Hn.

[ He makes a neutral sound, the answer doing little to endear him to the runt. And to emphasize this point, he bends down to pick up the little rascal by the scruff of its neck. When he straightens, Suoh has him up at eye level, gold eyes staring back at the ball of fur. What he’s after is anyone’s guess. ]

[reformedsinner]

Are you sure you don't also dislike dogs?

[The puppy swinging from Suou's grip whines, confused, and then begins barking with such force that he rocks back and forth.

Hakkai raises his eyebrows, dubious. It doesn't seem like the sort of behavior meant to endear himself to any dog.]

[lionhearrt]

[ The startled howls do little to move him. He watches him for another long moment until it starts to struggle at which point, Suoh sighs and hands him over to Hakkai. ]

Take him.

[reformedsinner]

[Chuckling, Hakkai reaches out to scoop up the puppy, which, overstimulated, tries to nip at his fingertips. He shifts it to the crook of his arm, where it can't manage to actually bite anything other than his sleeve, and glances up at the other man.]

Well, I'll go put him out in the garden with his siblings, then.

Shall I let you return to your walk?

[There's definite amusement in his tone.]

[lionhearrt]

[ Once the little shoe-snapper is firmly secured in his arms, Suoh turns to leave. He raises his hand in silent good-bye and continues on his morning walk. ]