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

Re: security

[forsakens]

[ Oh, well if it isn't Chikusa-san? Ichiru seemed a bit amused as he turned to catch sight of the poor man being bound by tiny little critters all around. Even the one that was trying to get away was almost beaten by the others.

Ichiru really couldn't help but land a chuckle at the sight of Chikusa's misery. It's been a while since he had seen the man. In fact, he recalled Chikusa having some outrageous plans to get back at his brother. Ichiru almost went along with it but, in the end, that never actually happened. ]

What a surprise, seeing you here-- with so many friends Chikusa-san. You must be a really nice guy after all.

[ Yes, he really did just bring that up. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[He hates this, and he hates Ichiru. With the various cats weighing him down and growling unhappily at The Interloper (they must not like that one to start with), Chikusa huffs at the sight of the other boy.]

...I'm being bullied.

[forsakens]

[ Which isn't news to Ichiru. He's quite used to people hating his guts. Chikusa was no different, really. He just watched with a hand under his chin for a moment. What a sight this was indeed. ]

You shouldn't let others bully you, Chikusa-san. It's because you let them, no?

[ He casually picks off one of the creatures on Chikusa-- rather forcefully at it. ]

[kokuyoyo]

I just exist. I don't-

[And then a cat is snatched, an action that is met with overall yowling and accusations of You rogue of no values!!]

[Thanks for that, Ichiru.]

[forsakens]

[ All the while it accused Ichiru he didn't to care about it too much as he held it in his hand before flicking it out a window. Animals were one thing. Spirits, well they're dead. They'll be fine right? ]

Is that so? It seems like your existence is important to those spirits. Shall I assist you in removing them-- or perhaps, you are fond of them?

[ He tilts his head. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[Good thing cats land on their feet, right...? Although what cats that are still on his body only dig in their claws further, hissing at Ichiru. Chikusa gives another low sigh of annoyance. Great. Ruined clothes. Just what he's needed.]

They smell someone they know.... on me.... apparently. Am I going to still have clothes if you remove them?

[forsakens]

[ He supposed. Not that it mattered how the creature landed as long as he can get rid of it. Of Ichiru only gives the hisses and such even more of a dead pan stare. Ah, spirits, such clingy things they were. He's not responsible for Chikusa's ruined clothes, but he supposed he could find him something new if they really had to. ]

That's quite a predicament isn't it? I honestly, can't imagine what they smell on you that would smell like someone else. Who knows? I can always test it.

[kokuyoyo]

Another nekomata.

[From around his shoulders, one of the cats pipes up.] Kin!

...Is what they keep saying. [It seems doubtful to him that they're family by blood, considering the vast range of breeds that have cluttered around his feet, but he guesses that doesn't really matter. Family can take all sorts of shapes.... from criminal to oaths to whatever.]

She invited herself into our house months ago... and I guess she's ours now. Or something.

[forsakens]

You can speak with spirits?

[ He seems kind of curious at Chikusa's response. ]

What a strange predicament.

[ Indeed it does. Not that Ichiru would understand family on that perspective-- at least not completely. ]

Eh? I suppose she must be quite fond of you to stick around...

[kokuyoyo]

More like they never shut up....

[Chikusa is fairly certain it has nothing to do with him on his end, at least. Why Pookie ended up slinking into Hestia's temple all those months ago and not someone else's is a mystery. Personally, he thinks it's because there were so many fireplaces around.]

[For now, all he can do is sort of shrug.]

I guess she's fond, although she messes with me a lot....

[forsakens]

Like I said, I could shut them up for you if you need.

[ That must have been some experience that he had to deal with and now all the cats thing he was some sort of solace for them. How funny. He didn't know Chikusa very well at the moment, but he picked up enough right??? ]

It's a form of love in some aspects. I heard somewhere that people tend to bully the people they care about.

[kokuyoyo]

If you want...

[Although it might be hard to hear him over the chorus of complains the nekomata themselves have about this plan of action. And is that the cat from earlier trying to crawl back through the window...?]

[Either way, as the noise dies down, Chikusa eyes Ichiru for a moment.]

....I don't want you to love me.

[Humor...?]

[forsakens]

[ Naturally, then hissing would only get louder as he swipes another one and another one. Looks like they really did liked Chikusa. Ichiru really didn't see the point in these meaningless annoying pest of spirits. He pulls another one off of Chikusa and out it goes, along with the one that was trying to crawl through the window (?)

Yeah, he didn't seem like he was treating anything delicately. Of course, Chikusa, gets an amused laugh from Ichiru as he was in fact explaining the cats and their affections towards Chikusam not Ichiru's like or dislike for Chikusa, but hey humor right? ]

It seems like you misunderstood who I was referring to, but I suppose if you really do swing that way, I wouldn't mind showing you affection.

[ He's joking. Don't take him seriously. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[And as the next cat goes flying... All's fair in love and war, which means Ichiru is about to get what is definitely a telekinetic yank of his hair. So, uh, guess what spirits are mildly telekinetic...?]

[Chikusa ignores any of it himself, even as his clothes get torn to shreds.]

You said people who bully are doing it out of love.... You're definitely one.

[He's just saying.]

[forsakens]

[ There's a small click of his tongue but nothing else as he dismisses the cat's childish yank of his hair, following well the ripping of Chikusa's clothes. Well, they both expected that much. Chikusa could always bill Zero later, anyway for the damages. That's what Gods are there for right? Cleaning up their Shinki's mess? ]

Eh..? that's a bold accusation there Chikusa-san. What could possibly give you such an idea?

[ Eventually all the spirits end up off the general vicinity. Ichiru is pretty sure they were going to try to claw him in his sleep, so the thought didn't bother him too much. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[Clearly they need to tug more, right? Some of the nekomata that have been torn off are starting to gather together, whispering. That's surely a good sign right? Ha ha...]

[In the meanwhile, Chikusa just deadeyes at him.]

....Everything about you.

[forsakens]

[ Naturally, given how ridiculous it seemed right now as he was being yanked around by angry spirits. They were going to give him split ends or make him bald-- or something. Really, he didn't seem to care as it continued to be a process.

He's ready to take them with whatever they are planning honestly. Seriously, he's seen things way more threatening than a few house cats. He knew that Chikusa would dead eye him. Why wold he not right?! ]

Should I be offended or take it as a compliment?

[kokuyoyo]

Have you ever been offended in your life...?

[Ichiru seems like the kind of person who is eerily hard to antagonize in that way, although Chikusa has to admit that he's not the kind of person who puts in a lot of work in that particular area. If it's easy, it's fine, but most things take work.]

[In the meantime, the cats finally seem to act. There's a good number of them to the side now, so, all using their powers together, they tug at Ichiru's pants legs in an effort to trip him.]

[forsakens]

Probably not. Now that I think about it.

[ He shrugged nonchalantly at Chikusa's words as if he didn't find any shame in being caught for his sarcasm. He seemed rather fine with the accusation honestly. He was definitely hard to antagonize even if people antagonized him. It was his personality and it was simply annoying to most people. Others ended up not caring too much about it either.

Most things definitely take work and simply not caring was much better. He didn't seem to be affected by what most people said about him. Of course, like any other being here, he had his own triggers and they weren't nice triggers either. There weren't many people that found his nerves though.

Ichiru watched the creatures grouped together and and watching them use all their weak strengths, they tugged at his pants. Unfortunately for them, the most they were going to do is rip the poor pants to shred. Not that Ichiru cared about that either. He didn't seemed to have budged from his spot but it was annoying, like he was being stung. At some point he lifted his leg in some effort to kick them off his leg. ]

[kokuyoyo]

I wonder if you were set on fire...

[Because that annoys most people, right? And isn't a bizarre escalation that most people wouldn't suggest. Chikusa doesn't really care. It is what it is.]

[In the meanwhile, it's a lot more amusing to watch the cat's scatter. With their telekinesis, they don't necessarily have to be near the two boys to use their powers on them, but they know better than to be anywhere near the kicking distance of assholes.]

[forsakens]

You're more than welcome to set me on fire if it makes you feel better, though I can't say that's healthy.

[ He's really pulling Chikusa's leg for sure with that comment-- though please don't burn him. He's a jerk but he hasn't done anything to deserve being burned, yet. It's beyond escalated. It made Ichiru feel even more amused that he would suggest going that far.

That's good for them because he was going to keep kicking them around until he left him alone. Of course, he's got that messed up look on his face too. Those things really didn't want to mess with him--- really. ]

[kokuyoyo]

....You know... You say that, but I think that's what these cats will end up doing to you eventually...

[Truly, this is a spectacle to watch as war wages between Ichiru and the nekomata.]

[forsakens]

They'll end up burning me?

[ He replied raising a brow at Chikusa's comment. ]

They can try, I suppose.

[ Oh look, he sent them all tumbling over again as they yanked his hair. He was really starting to find that habit really ridiculous and childish. ]

[kokuyoyo]

I mean.... If they can do enough to tug at you, they can probably do worse.

[Seems the logical conclusion to him.]

Aren't cats spiteful anyway?

[forsakens]

What else could they possible do to me?

[ It's more rhetorical than anything. ]

I've read somewhere that they can be.