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]

Ha ha, sometimes it's a valuable learning experience to get your hands dirty with something other than battle... but I suppose you're playing to your strengths.

[He raises his eyebrows, smiling.]

Do you never make a mistake that way?

[revolutionfalcon]

Does anybody never make mistakes? [He doesn't rise to what seems to be bait to him, even if he did tense a bit in reaction, but he does cast Hakkai a significant glance with that question. He's not going to directly rub salt into wounds unnecessarily, but he can't imagine Hakkai of all people needs to be reminded that playing to one's strengths doesn't necessarily mean not making mistakes.]

I just figure it's more efficient for people to do the things they're inclined to. There's no shame in admitting you don't have the patience to do something.

[reformedsinner]

Who does your cleaning for you?

[As far as Hakkai's concerned, it might not be fun, but it's part of taking care of yourself-- but then, he didn't grow up with servants. Or parents, for that matter. He spreads his hands, dismissing the question with an edged smile.]

-- And, of course, no one can avoid mistakes completely. Can they?

[So, perhaps, don't judge him, Shun. Still smiling, he dusts the soot off his hands.]

If you're not going to help me clean this up...

[revolutionfalcon]

[That isn't actually what Shun meant, and he raises a brow when Hakkai asks that first question.] I clean anything that's mine myself. I don't ask others to do that kind of thing for me, I meant it's more efficient when it's something like this.

[He gestures to the hall in general. As it is, it seems like Hakkai is very determined to push this under the rug, so Shun just shrugs and intends to move on...until that trailing off semi-request, at which he glances towards the set-aside broom.]

I could always run that over you if you really want. [From his dry tone, it's pretty clear it's in lieu of refusal rather than any kind of actual threat.]

[reformedsinner]

Ha ha, just checking.

[He raises an eyebrow at the offer, moderating his own aggressive cheer with a touch of real amusement.]

And no, thank you, I don't think a broom is quite the tool for the job. I suppose I should let you get back to patrolling, then.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun isn't one to hang around at a time like this when his presence isn't really needed, so he shrugs slightly and starts to head off.]

Try knocking the nest down next time, at least. [That way they can just scramble instead of using him as a ladder.]