30 - Deep Clean

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: The Heavens have issued everyone invitations to a relaxing hot spring vacation.
When: Dec 14 - 16
Where: A traditional onsen hotel on the Far Shore
Summary: The invitations might have looked like an opportunity for a pampered getaway, but this onsen seems a little run down. And shouldn't there be a bigger staff? Is this an excuse to get the new gods and shinki to clean up an old building, or is it an opportunity for a rustic getaway? It's all in how you look at it....






Rustic Baths

Heaven's messenger doves drop invitations off by the doorways of temples throughout the Far Shore in the second week of December. Ornamented with a calligraphed swirl of steam, they invite the residents of each temple to relax at a recently re-opened hot spring in the safety and comfort of the Far Shore's southern fields.

Upon arrival, visitors will discover that the hot spring itself is heavenly. Cloudy waters in every shade from nearly white to turquoise fill pools that are cut cleanly into stone. The hottest baths are filled from pipes ten feet up, with steaming waters cascading down, cooled enough by the fall not to burn. Outdoors, fences cleverly masked with bushes and vines provide privacy for bathers. The indoor baths are set into the floor in solid wooden buildings, for those who would prefer not to brave the elements for their relaxing soak. Other wooden buildings are airier, with traditional sliding paper doors and tatami rooms within for visitors to sleep.

Unfortunately, it doesn't look all that ready to "re-open." The buildings are worn down by time and neglect; sliding doors are off their tracks, paper screens are torn, tatami is worn out, and the landscaping is badly overgrown. This looks more like a haunted house than a luxurious getaway. At least the baths are nice.

Cooking & Cleaning

There's a noticeable lack of staff around the hot spring; the only caretakers for the place appear to be two elderly shinki in plain indigo robes, one man and one woman. The man can be spotted here and there around the place over the few days that their guests are present, industriously scrubbing floors, patching screens, repairing tatami and cutting back bushes. It's far more work than just one person can do, and he'll be eager to explain the tasks and accept any help that's offered.

The other shinki is a slight, stooped old woman who bustles about with fresh towels and robes, lays out futons and pillows for the guests, and cooks three meals a day. She, too, is terribly overworked, and help with the laundry or the cooking will be gratefully accepted! Surely, if everyone works together, they'll be able to make this a wonderful.... vacation?

Spooky Sleepover

For those who take the two shinki up on their offer of hospitality, they will find that the rooms are comfortable, the futon are soft and warm, the stars are beautiful far from the lights of more densely populated areas of the Heavens... and as soon as the lanterns are all snuffed for bedtime, the remote resort starts to feel a little creepy. Strange creaking noises resound overhead. Is that the wind, or someone walking on the roof? What about the shadows cast through the paper screens by the moonlight? Is the flicker of light outside someone taking a flashlight as they go for a late-night walk, or a will-o'-the-wisp beckoning the unwary to their doom? And what about those distant animal howls in the forest?!

Investigate the mysterious noises, or pull the covers up and try to get some sleep. Extra-brave guests could even take the opportunity to light some candles and tell ghost stories.

The Bath's Master Returns

On the 16th, the two shinki will wake all of their guests up promptly at dawn by ringing a big brass bell in front of the dining building. Bursting with pride, they introduce the bath's proprietor, home at last from a long flight: he's a man in his thirties, tall, heavy-set and wearing a trailing feathery cloak, with a red face and a very large nose. (Or is that really a cloak? It could be wings....) He fans himself vigorously with a white feather fan, and welcomes the remaining guests in a booming voice, before inviting them to enjoy a lavish breakfast spread and come back soon!

Guests who have stayed until the final day will find a gift at their place setting when they go inside, especially if they helped the proprietor's poor overworked shinki with their tasks. Comment below on the "Gift" thread to learn what your character found in their package.

In Summary:

• Vacation at a run-down hot spring
• Help the staff get things in order
• Try not to get scared by the spooky surroundings
• Get a present from the bath's proprietor
• Have fun~

Comments

spooky sleepover

[myblueskies]

[Romeo's been listening to the story with wide eyes, he's not really scared though. It's just a story and sometimes being a little bit scared is fun!

However as there's a bang and Hakkai points there's a sharp gasp as Romeo jumps and spins round, eyes wide. There's nothing there though and he grins as he realised mister Hakkai's trick!]

You got me, sir!

[reformedsinner]

Ahaha, only for a moment, though!

[Hakkai's laugh is merry; he gets to his feet, brushing a little dust from his slacks, and crosses over to the screen door, sliding it open.

There's nothing outside but a quiet night, after all. His eyebrows quirk, and he slides it shut.]

But I didn't make that noise.

[He returns to his spot, smiling, and nods to Romeo.]

Would you like to tell one next?

[myblueskies]

[He grinned though it faded a little when he realised the noise had been real! He's not afraid though!

He thinks hard for a moment, thinking about scary stories he could tell. Scary things were ghosts and faries and demons... He thought of all the stories he knew until he thought of one that would be scary enough!]

Okay once upon a time. [That's how stories started.] There was a lazy man called Pomo who didn't want to do any work so he decided to be a doctor. But he was a bad man and a bad doctor because he had never learned how but he lied so people would give him money. The people pretended to help died and then he died too...

But! When he died there house was surrounded by crows and even though people chased them away they would come back until one night there was no squawking but...

[He paused for a moment, trying for dramatic silence.] A clattering of hooves! When everyone looked out the window there was a big black horse with a man on it. They knew it could only be a demon! It stood with it's nose at the door and the man was silent. The next night it came back and did the same thing and all the people were really scared. [A clattering made Romeo look around, eyes slightly wide but he turned back to Hakkai to continue his story.]

The... people were really afraid so they went to the parroco and begged him to save them from the devil. He was nice and agreed to help them so the next night when the demon horse came back they all hid in the kitchen, quietly like mice so the demon couldn't gobble up their souls and take them to hell!

[Maybe this story was a little too scary. He hopes mister Hakkai doesn't get scared easily!] This time though the hhorse came into the house and all the way up the stairs! The people were so frightened they jumped out the window!

The parroco came and looked at the man who was hiding his face in the demon horses coat. He said "In the name of God what do you want?" The man told him he wanted mass said for him so he could rest in the... bit of hell that's not too bad. Um... [This story is long and he can't really remember it all. He thinks for a moment as the floorboards creak around them.]

Oh yes! So he told the parroco to say mass with his back to the alter and if he did it wrong he would dragged to hell with him and no one wanted to serve the mass because they were all so scared of doing it wrong but finally he got a priest to help him.

They said the mass and made no mistakes but the priest was so scared he didn't talk for a long time and the parroco was scared too. The end!

[reformedsinner]

[Luckily, Hakkai doesn't scare easily at all. He laughs, applauding. Perhaps not the best rendition, but Romeo is only a child, and for a child, that was an excellent story.]

What an excellent story!

[And not one he's heard before, although the theme of a damned soul coming back to demand proper burial rites certainly makes sense. Outside, another clattering noise echoes; tree branches on the roof tiles, Hakkai suspects.]

[myblueskies]

[Romeo beamed at the praise, though he thought his story hadn't been as good as mister Hakkai's. The clattering made him look around again, imagining a dark horse or ghostly footsteps. The stories had been quite scary.]

I think I like stories about happy things better than ones about morbid shit. [Not that he's scared or anything but... what was that creaking?]

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai's eyebrows arch.]

My, my. Language.

[Not that he actually cares in any way, but image is important, after all. (In this case: his image, not Romeo's.)]

Hmm, I think I know a few stories with happy endings....

[myblueskies]

[He blinks in confusion at the raised eyebrows, had he done something wrong?]

Language, Mister Hakkai?

[He was still speaking Japanese right? It's asked innocently, genuinely innocently rather than a child testing the boundries or trying to get out of trouble.

He is glad Hakkai knows some happier stories though!]

[reformedsinner]

Yes, it's better to know when it's appropriate to swear!

[The confused innocence in Romeo's voice sounds genuine; he might never have had anyone explain the complicated rules of politeness to him, Hakkai supposes. 'Don't swear around grown-ups and authority figures' tends to be one of those that sticks the first time a lecture ensues, though.]

[myblueskies]

[More confused blinking. He understands that Hakkai is trying to teach him something, though he thinks that he's not really mad at him. He's not shouting or hitting and he's not sent Romeo away. But he doesn't understand the lesson.]

To swear? I don't understand sir. Did I say something wrong?

[reformedsinner]

Hmm, I don't know that I'd say it's wrong, but words like "shit" are considered rude. So, it's fine to use them around your friends, but some grown-ups might get mad if you say that where they can hear you.

[And how much that matters depends on the grown-up. Hibiki can be safely offended, for example. Suijin should probably be treated with care. Hakkai's tone stays helpfully light and friendly.]

[myblueskies]

[It was a rude word? Romeo looked suitably horrified at the fact he had said something rude, and in front of such a kind and nice adult as mister Hakkai!

Mister Davesprite! For a moment Romeo was mad that he hadn't told Romeo that the words were rude, Romeo didn't want to be rude to people at all! It wasn't very nice!

Mister Hakkai didn't seem angry luckily, in fact he was being really nice in letting Romeo know what he shouldn't say some words in front of grown ups.]

I'm sorry mister Hakkai! I didn't know it was a rude word! I won't say it again.

[Though... there had been a lot of words that Davesprite had said that Romeo didn't understand...] Sir? Is metaphor a rude word? What about fucking or dude? [A pause as he thinks of other words he hadn't understood.] And literary canon and comedian?

[It's probably better to ask a grown up that isn't going to get mad, then accidentally be rude in front of a grown up that will be angry at him.]

[reformedsinner]

Ah, it's all right to say it around your friends if you want to! But you should always know what the words you're saying mean, shouldn't you?

[... metaphor, fucking, dude, literary canon? Suspicion begins to brew in Hakkai's mind.]

A metaphor isn't rude. It means saying that one thing is like another thing, such as if you say, "The wind is so cold, it cuts like a knife."

Fucking is a rude word, and it means sex. Dude isn't rude, but it is casual.

A literary canon is a list of important books, and a comedian is a person who tells jokes.

May I ask you a question, Romeo? Have you been talking to a young man with orange wings?

[myblueskies]

[He nods a little sheepishly. He should have found out what the words meant first. He's learned his lesson though, he will be more careful in the future.

Metaphor means what Davesprite said it did, that's good. At least Davesprite didn't lie. Maybe he just didn't know the words were rude either! Or maybe it was because Romeo was a kid, so it was alright to say rude words in front of him. Because he wouldn't get mad like a grown up would.

He nodded at the question.]

Do you mean Mister Davesprite, sir? I met him at the leaf viewing party.

[reformedsinner]

Ahaha, I thought you might have. He's a nice person, but you should be careful of imitating the way he talks!

[It works for Davesprite. This doesn't mean he should be an example for the youth of Heaven.]

He likes to say things that shock people, you see.

[myblueskies]

To shock them? Does he like scaring people? [It's all a bit confusing, but at least mister Davesprite was a nice person. Romeo had thought he was and he would be sad if he actually wasn't very nice at all.

He will be careful not to copy his words any more though!]

[reformedsinner]

Not scare -- shock. That's the kind of feeling that comes when people are surprised because someone else is rude, or doesn't act the way that they expect.

Does that make sense?

[Hakkai contemplates, for a moment, adding some etiquette texts to Romeo's curriculum. It couldn't hurt.]

[myblueskies]

I think so sir... [He is quiet as he thinks about this.] Doesn't he feel sad if he is rude to people? I always feel bad if I'm rude to people because you should be polite, especially to grown ups. [Then again Davesprite is a grown up and Romeo is just a kid. Maybe the rules are different. Maybe it is okay for Davesprite to use rude words in front of Romeo because he's not an adult.]