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

[priforprince]

Nearly. [ The game prompts Mordred to scan "Friend Tickets" - but if she doesn't have them, to press the red button. ] A team is required.

Then the show can begin.

[ Should she press said red button, the game will randomly select two existing characters to serve as her teammates. Hibiki does not, however, offer tickets instead.

Friend Tickets are apparently in short supply over here. ]

[roundtablerebel]

[ Mordred growls at the extra requirements. Why does she need a team anyway? She doesn't seem to dwell on it for too long, she'd much rather just start playing. Mordred impatiently slams her fist down on the button and glares at the screen as if it will speed things up. ]

This better be worth it...

[priforprince]

[ Two girls join Mordred's character on the screen. One has long purple pigtails, and the other, red hair with princess-cut bangs.

Well, two Divine Idols aren't a bad entourage, Hibiki supposes. Even if one ascended on a fluke. ] Don't worry.

[ "Our team's ready! Let's go!" say the characters on the screen. ] The curtain rises....

[ The game itself is pretty simple. The characters sing and dance on the screen while Mordred presses one of three buttons to the rhythm, or when indicated. But since this does require focus, it can get pretty absorbing. ]

[roundtablerebel]

Singing? Dancing? What kind of stupid game is this?

[ So this isn't a fighting game then? Mordred is so confused by what she sees that she misses the first few prompts. ]

Shit!

[ Okay, so she just has to hit the buttons at the right time? It takes her a few moments to get the hang of it, but the background elements are so distracting that she still messes up a couple of times. ]

[priforprince]

[ This person - is depressingly poor at this game. Hibiki crosses her arms, digs her fingers into said arms to keep standing, but watches, dutifully. Guiding all to the brilliant light of PriPara is both her duty and, more importantly, her aesthetic. She has seen how much more radiantly that Paradise shines during spectacles in which all sorts of idols participate.

But she can't help it. She hates ineptitude.

And yet, she watches, barely even blinking. Even if the strain is hurting her head. Even if sweat dapples her porcelain brow. She will endure this trial. For PriPara! For a shining future! Such is the nobility of Shikyoin Hibiki.

...If Mordred thinks the dancing is distracting now, though, it's nothing compared to the sudden little skit (Making Drama) or the part where everyone's clothes suddenly light up neon (Cyalume Change). ]

[roundtablerebel]

[ Hibiki's "struggle" goes unnoticed by Mordred who is now completely focused on the game. She's finally gotten a hang of the rhythm but unfortunately, there's not much song left. As predicted she's thrown off by the start of the Making Drama sequence and the Cyalume Change. Just what is this? Who thought this was necessary?

Thankfully she recovers quickly enough to not miss any more prompts, but the image of her character in glowing neon is almost... haunting. Finally, the entire sequence comes to an end and her team begins waving to the unseen crowd.

Mordred just... stares at the screen utterly confused by almost everything she just witnessed. At least the song was cool. ]

[priforprince]

[ "Results announcement!"

Mordred's idol, and accompanying team, ride a rising platform up and up. Her last rally pays off, since there's a fanfare and all three idols pose in victory. "Hooray! The concert was a success!"

Hibiki exhales loudly, relieved. If she'd had to witness failure, she might have passed out. ]

[roundtablerebel]

[ Mordred steps back from the machine, folding her arms while she waits for the results. She isn't that invested so it could say anything and she wouldn't ca—

"The concert was a success!"

...That's oddly satisfying to hear. It also makes her wonder what would have happened if she had managed to hit all of the prompts perfectly. Upon hearing the sigh she glances over at her spectator, only now noticing Hibiki's state. ]

What the hell happened to you?

1/2

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki raises her fingertips to her brow, massaging it. ]

...Your performance was perhaps a bit too absorbing.

2/2

[priforprince]

[ But then she's recovering, with such suddenness that she even lets loose a stray sparkle unintentionally. Twinkle! ]

You enjoyed it, correct?

[roundtablerebel]

[ Completely missing any veiled insults behind Hibiki's words. The sudden recovery is a bit startling and the sparkles make it weirder. She's not gonna comment on that. ]

That exciting, huh?

[ She seems plenty pleased with herself but she doesn't think it was that exciting. ]

Enjoyed it?

[ Mordred takes a brief glance at the machine. ]

I suppose. All that time spent dressing up a character just to press a button when some hearts came up on-screen seems like a waste.

[priforprince]

Coordinating a suitable outfit can increase your score.

[ But, perhaps this person needs simpler terms. And, as the fruit is wavering in the wind, on the verge of dropping into Hibiki's waiting palm, she shall grant the incredible favor of placing things in simpler terms: ] It helps you win.

[ How about that?

Is that more interesting? ]

[roundtablerebel]

[ Mordred frowns. This feels like manipulation but damn if it doesn't appeal to her most basic desire: to win. ]

So if you knew that why didn't you say anything?

[ Not that she really minds. Even if she'd known beforehand it wouldn't have affected the way she made her character all that much. ]

[priforprince]

I wanted to gauge your ability.

[ Is she lording herself more than necessary? Yes. Is it in an attempt to spur Mordred to do better next time, enabling her to fall further in love with PriPara? Or is it merely the smugness of a narcissist who believes her opinions of others to be absolute?

The puniverse may never know. ]

Well, even with a hint, there's sights that only those standing at the top may witness....