001 | The Welcoming Feast

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: A little bit of explanation, thank goodness.
When: Early morning. (February 15, 2016)
Where: The Heavens. Specifically in the Meeting Hall.
Warnings: Exposition is coming your way, sit back and enjoy the show!



The Heavens have summoned you. And there is no way to turn down a summons from the Heavens. Of course, some of you know where you are and what you are probably doing here, but most of you might be completely confused as to what is going on. All gods have been ushered into the meeting hall, where every person suddenly becomes anonymous and obscured, while every shinki has been gathered up outside in the hallway, both sets to listen to the same message sent by Amaterasu herself. And while you cannot see her properly or really figure out what her voice sounds like, you definitely know that it's her speaking:

'Welcome, one and all, to Takamagahara. There are many new gods and shinki here today, and I hope you all find your stay pleasant. I wish that I could explain to you exactly why you find yourselves here now, but I am unsure of the details myself. Please make use of the shinki dedicated to our services in order to make yourself more acquainted with your new position. You can find them by looking for my golden insignia.

As compensation for the trouble you are all being put through, I have had a wonderful feast prepared. I only hope that it is to your liking. Feel free to eat and drink as much as you would like, though please do not leave before the clock chimes midnight, for that is when your homes will be prepared.

I ask that all pre-existing gods please help those new to our ways. Let them know what is and is not acceptable and what duties will be expected of them. I am counting on your all to support the Heavens in this confusing time as we attempt to sort things out.

Thank you all for your time. And I am truly sorry that you have found yourselves in this situation.

With that, the figure that is Amaterasu bows deeply and disappears from their sights. The gods are released from their chamber and the shinki are allowed to roam. All exits are manned by a white-clad shinki, bearing a golden, embroidered Chrysanthemum on their chests. So, technically, there is no way out. You can't even seem to teleport out by any means.

All that's really left to do is enjoy the food and hope that you'll actually be able to leave after the clock chimes midnight. Though the clock doesn't seem to work on a minute-by-minute basis either...



Banquet Hall

There is food from literally every culture and walk of life here. Everything is prepared gorgeously and deliciously, no expenses spared. There are shinki bearing the Chrysanthemum carrying out new platters of everything as it's eaten up and nothing seems to go hot or cold as time passes - it always at the perfect temperature for eating and it never tastes anything but delicious. Maybe there's a little magic making it taste so good...

On top of the delectable dinner, there are plenty of desserts and every kind of alcohol available and constantly being refilled. The liquor is being offered to gods and shinki alike, no matter how old they are/look. Let's hope that you can hold your alcohol.

Counselling

In the main hallway, there is an innocuous door with a small, nicely written sign that reads "Gentle Counselling". Inside the door is a small room with a few sweetly smiling shinki inside who are willing to listen to your problems and answer any questions you might have. They are also here to help out any gods that are having a hard time dealing with knowing about how their shinki died and also any shinki that is having trouble coming to terms with the fact that they are dead.

Did Someone Say Games?

A large room connected to the back of the banquet hall has a wide variety of games set up for everyone to enjoy. There are old-fashioned board games (like chess and Othello) as well as newer ones (like Candy Land and Sorry!). On top of that, there is every kind of console available with every video game ever made - and plenty of handheld devices for everyone to be able to play. The devices don't seem to work outside of this room, though, so you'll have to stay there if you want to keep playing. Gaming is, after all, a great way to get to know new people!

After Midnight

Finally, the clock starts to chime. It seems like it's been days and yet only minutes at the same time. Time seems to work so strangely here in Takamagahara and it's hard to keep up with what's going on. But now that the shinki guarding the doors have left their posts, you are more than welcome to leave. In fact, the Heavens seem to want you to leave because all of the food has disappeared, none of the games work anymore (including the board games, which keep flipping over when you try to play...), and the friendly shinki are smiling as they usher you out the doors.

You are welcome to start wandering around Takamagahara, but it's an ambiguous sort of place and might just take you straight home anyway. Feel free to go home and start bonding with your partner. Or sneak home with someone else because your partner is a meanie-pants. It's up to you!



In Summary:

• Amaterasu says you're stuck here and she doesn't know why. Sorry!
• There's lots of food to eat, though! Eat your fill.
• Oh, and there's booze too. Try not to get TOO drunk.
• Guidance/Grief counselling is available, if you need it.
• Use gaming to get close to others!
• Try to start bonding with your god/shinki. Or just form new friendships. Whatever you feel best doing!
• Have fun!

Comments

OTA!

[jyajyaaan]

Banquet Hall

The food smelled delicious, but that only served to turn his stomach even more. While he was (theoretically) still able to eat even in this form Vector stayed as far away from the food-laden tables as possible, giving each shinki attendant that dared to approach him with a tray in their hands a long stare until they finally got that the featureless mask that seemed to cover all but his eyes wouldn't be removed no matter how politely they offered or prodded.

While his body remained calm and cooly poised his mind raced, taking in little details over little details as he analyzed yet another setup he wouldn't be able to escape from. What was the game this time? He wasn't surprised to be cast in the role of a god, but it had lost it's sheen the moment he had realized that it didn't mean absolute power. What good was being a god if one couldn't to what one wanted?

Nothing. It was just another empty title with many strings attached and little payoff just like Emperor, godly vessel and Prince had been before. Worth nothing. A bitter joke.

He could feel those that had been forced upon him vaguely, their emotions echoing inside his mind like vague memories after hearing a certain song or seeing a certain sight. One seemed to hold up better than the other. Too bad for them he didn't feel like taking care of others when he had still plenty of his own emotional wounds to nurse.

Ahh, this smell. Sadness, regret and worry mingled with his own frustration and made the chatter of the party turn into a twisted sizzling as his body was etched away alive. The smell of coffee turned into burned hair and roasted meat turned into his own burning flesh.

Life really sucked no matter what world he was reincarnated in.


...which counted double when his attempt to consume something after all ended with a coughing fit and him almost running into a window in his attempt to keep his cowl and cloak tight around his face despite of it.


Gaming

[In the end he had decided that watching games would be more entertaining than watching others eat things he couldn't, even if he's not in the mood for games himself.

Lingering in the doorway Vector watches a couple of players go at it with way more enthusiasm than skill until he can't hold it in anymore.]

Tch, that's it? Pathetic!


After Midnight

[He leaves alone, wrapped tightly in his cloak and clearly not wanting to take anybody with him.]

banquet

[spacedog]

[Coal instinctively wants to help. Not that he knows what to do when someone appears to be choking other than stand back and bark repeatedly, but he hurries over anyway.]

Are you okay? [His face is full of concern as he leans towards the masked figure.]

[jyajyaaan]

No, but that's starting to get normal for me. [He hacks some more and then straightens his back. Wiping the tears out of his eyes Vector gives Coal a quick once over as he makes sure that his face is hidden once more.]

You're pretty nice to worry over a total stranger.

[spacedog]

Maybe? Everyone here is a stranger to me. [He laughs a little at that.]

My name is Coal. I'm a shinki. [He offers his hand for a handshake. That's as much info as he can really give for an introduction, but it seems to be enough.]

[jyajyaaan]

....they told me I'm Ma'at.

[Holding his hand up he reveals what looks like a grey glove with stylized knuckles and claws until he wriggles his fingers.]

- and I think I'll skip on the shake for the sake of your hand. It wouldn't do to put a scratch on another god's pawn less than 24 hours in.

[spacedog]

[He takes this seemingly bizarre hand in stride because, well, he doesn't have much to compare to. He drops his hand back down with a nod, though the entire gesture is really just as awkward as you'd expect.] Oh, um, thanks. Nice to meet you Ma'at.

[jyajyaaan]

Likewise.

[Gesturing to the still-full cup of high grade alcohol, he nods. His attempt only spilled a little bit of it.]

You can have my drink, if you like. It seems consuming human food is not an option for me right now.

[spacedog]

[Coal takes the drink gratefully, not realizing it's chock full of alcohol until he brings it close enough to take a sip. It's... potent. He winces just a bit but manages to get a tiny mouthful of the stuff down. He's just... going to drink this very veeeeery slowly.]

Thanks. Though... I suppose technically this is shinki and god food? We're not real humans after all.

[jyajyaaan]

Same difference, as far as I'm concerned. It's all still part of the human world, which I am not.

[Catching his hesitation, he gestures with his hand.]

You'd do best to drink it slow or it'll go straight to your head.

Midnight

[ridethathippo]

[Apparently Vector's wants do not coincide with reality. Although he'll have a few minutes alone to himself to wander around, but eventually he'll hear the sound of jogging footsteps approaching.]

Hey, wait a sec--! [Yuya speeds up in order to catch up with the hooded pointing, finally pointing to himself when he can get in sight.] Hey, have you seen someone who looks like me? But with black hair?

[jyajyaaan]

...?

[Vector stops and turns to face the approaching kid, fully intending to stare him down until he goes away on his own.]

I haven't. If you lost your god or shinki they must have taken a different way.

[ridethathippo]

Huh? Oh, no...He's my twin. [So neither of the above, although they're both shinkis.]

I haven't met the god that I'm supposed to be with. Ma-something...Matt, Mate, Mata- eheh, something like that. [ALL THE SHRUGS IN THE WORLD.]

[jyajyaaan]

Is that so. [.....so that's why he looked familiar for a split-second.

He keeps staring at him, stubbornly refusing to show any reaction to that horrible mingling of 'his' name.]

...mattress, maybe?

[ridethathippo]

Hmmm...I doubt it. That'd be a really silly name for a god. [He'll feel pretty embarrassed later when he finds out the truth.

And maybe it's because he's being stared at so intensely that he feels the need to keep talking.] Speaking of names, I'm Yuya. My brother's name is Yuto. What's yours?

[jyajyaaan]

It would be. [Brushing some cloth back into place on his shoulder, he huffs under his breath.]

I was called Vector before my death. I can't say that I particularly like people whose name start with a "yu-" after what happened that last time I let one of those close to me.

[ridethathippo]

[Yuya visibly switches to a frown at the last bit.]

Hey, that's not fair. There's a lot of nice people whose name probably start with 'Yu'! [Then, shrugging:] I can't remember my past, but I think I'm a pretty good person. Same with my brother-- we're not bad people.

[jyajyaaan]

Are you sure about that? [He raises a hand and waves the idea casually off with a little twirl of it.] You must have had powers of some sort, why else would you have been chosen as useful to some god?

[returnedfromtheline]

[Okay- so when a medical emergency(?!) happens right in front of you, you just react, right?

He'd already been looking over in that direction when the hoarse coughing started, so Yukine had a good view when the guy in the cloak suddenly dashed towards the wall and nearly ran into the window.

What the heck?!

Running over to the guy's side he tried to hold him steady with one hand on his back.]

Hey, you okay?!

[What was with the cowl? He couldn't see the guy's face properly like this.]

[jyajyaaan]

Y-Yeah, it's nothing. [He doesn't sound like it was nothing as he props a hand against the wall to steady himself, but he waves it off anyway.]

I tried something stupid and it didn't work, that's all. ....accidental self-defenestration excluded.

[Because that hadn't been intentional at all. Is his face still properly covered? He hopes he got the cloth in place in time. Having no mouth or nose tends to leave bad first impressions.]

[returnedfromtheline]

[Accidental self-... what?]

That didn't look like nothing, you know. But I guess if you can talk, you can breathe all right. Need some water or something? Your colour doesn't look so good...

[But then, noticing the guy's hands, perhaps he's... just like that? Is that possible? (Yep, his face is fine other than being a strange tone of blue-grey?)]

[jyajyaaan]

Thanks, but that's fine. Don't take my face too serious.

[He makes a small throwaway gesture before remembering that he forgot to cover his hands. Ducking them into his sleeves, he grins.]

I just don't get a lot of sun usually. Do you guys always have such lavish feasts?

[returnedfromtheline]

[That is a ...really weird thing to say about your own face...?]

That is so not because of not getting enough sun. [Yukine murmurs it under his breath, but lets it drop for now. Add it on to the huge list of 'weird things' tonight.]

No, we don't always get to eat like this. Heh, that sure would be nice. [Nothing against Daikoku's cooking, but this is a pretty impressive spread.]

Anyway, I need to ask you, are you a god or a shinki?

[jyajyaaan]

It isn't, but that's the explanation that'll let people still sleep at night~

[He winks at him, seeming amused. Never underestimate Vector's good ears.]

I'm a god, although that seems to have been a bit of a mix-up considering that the last thing I remember before coming here is my own death. You're... [he gives him a once over] Hmmm, a shinki, right? You don't have that thing that the other gods do.

[returnedfromtheline]

[Yukine gives a start and blushes a little at the reply to what he'd whispered without meaning to be overheard.
Damn, that guy has good ears.
And... just what does he mean by that... kinda creepy.

He blinks at the guy actually realizing correctly that he's a shinki, but-]

That thing the gods have? What do they have?

[He glances around the room. Nothing has changed for him- he can't tell the difference between god and shinki. Neither could Bishamonten. But this guy can?]

[jyajyaaan]

Hmmmm~ What...? It's hard to put into words, but I guess you could call it a feeling?

[He presses a finger against his cheek as the 'mask' around his eyes wrinkles into a thoughtful expression.]

I guess the best way of describing it is body language. You notice a lot of things when you know how to read it. Who is used to leading, who keeps an eye out for somebody,... Things like that.

[Dropping his arm, he gives Yukine an benevolent look.]

You got to sense who the leaders are, in police terms. It's not that the shinkis are more timid, but they do give me a feeling that they are more concerned with what they are doing than the ones I know to be gods for sure.