godsoffortune: (baths)
The Far Shore Mods ([personal profile] godsoffortune) wrote in [community profile] thenearshore2016-04-15 06:57 pm

003 | Save The Boats

Who: Everyone!
What: It's a few days after Hinamatsuri - time for a party!
When: Late evening (March 5, 2016) into early morning (March 6, 2016)
Where: The banks of the Kamo River
Summary: The Heavens have thrown together an outdoor party to celebrate Spring and ALSO to ask the Far Shore residents to keep the boats from Hinamatsuri from coming to shore.



Hinamatsuri is celebrated in Japan on March 3 every year. It is a festival to celebrate all of the young girls of Japan, not as important as their own birthdays, but certainly a big day for all families with a little girl among their household. It's perfectly normal for all of the cuties to dress up and get all sorts of delightful treats out of the day.

One of the normal festivities is a ceremony during which ornamental dolls are placed on tiers on boats and floated down the river. It is thought that all of the bad luck for the coming year floats down the river with the dolls, taking that bad luck away from their young girls to keep them safe for another year.

But the boats don't always make it all the way down the river like they're supposed to, and the Heavens sometimes like to make sure that the year will be full of less bad luck for the people of Japan. So they have decided to have the almighty gods do some legwork and disguised it as a fun Springtime party! They expect gods and shinki alike to push the boats away from the shoreline wherever they see them venturing near.

New gods and shinki will have been ushered immediately to the party as well, given all of the normal information, and then left to mingle among their new cohorts. This is a perfect opportunity to introduce the newbies to both their co-workers and the kinds of jobs they'll be expected to perform.



Buffet

A luxurious buffet is set up for everyone to enjoy. There are all kinds of foods to enjoy, though they all seem to be of a local variety. The Heavens have apparently used the funding from their own temples to purchase local food and support local businesses at the same time. In particular among the food and copious amounts of booze, you will find some Hinamatsuri staples - hina-arare, hishi mochi, chirashizushi, and a salt-based clam soup called ushijiru. Among the booze you'll find shirozake, a sake made from fermented rice, also a regular fare of Hinamatsuri.

The Boats

As if they are literally overflowing with bad luck, the boats seem to be making a desperate attempt to land themselves upon the shoreline. They are reluctant to make their way back into the water and will gladly run people down if they're allowed to and are happy to ram into someone over and over again to try and get their way. When they are finally pushed back to the center of the river, they will begrudgingly continue on their way. Of course, some of them will simply sink because of the weight of all that bad luck, but who can really blame them.

Children

As expected of a day dedicated to celebrating children, there are dozens of children running around and playing games during the festivities. It's hard to distinguish, but some of them appear to be human children while others are shinki. They are happy to let anyone in on their games and will gladly bother adults to come play with them or to let them try some of the liquor. (Mods will be available to play out any child interactions you may want, just flag us down.)

Counselling

Off to the side, there is a tiny table set up with a small, nicely written sign that reads "Gentle Counselling". On the other side of the table is a sweetly smiling shinki who is willing to listen to your problems and answer any questions you might have. She is also here to help out any gods that are having a hard time dealing with knowing about how their shinki died and any shinki that is having trouble coming to terms with the fact that they are dead.



In Summary:
  • Keep the boats off the shore
  • Enjoy the food and booze and spring atmosphere
  • Have some fun with cute little kids
  • Seek counselling if you need it!
  • Flag the mods in the top thread if you'd like an NPC
  • Have fun~
dominatriarch: ([...] | We took the floor)

[personal profile] dominatriarch 2016-05-13 04:34 pm (UTC)(link)
It takes a certain sort of soul to become a shinki

[ Unfortunately, that's all she'll say on the subject of what makes a shinki. Telling him any more than that might lead to things shinki shouldn't know, after all. ]

Even if humans die all the time, not all meet the requirements. Even if they do become shinki, there are shinki a god can consider unusable for slaying an ayakashi.
reformedsinner: (slasher smile)

[personal profile] reformedsinner 2016-05-13 05:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, how mysterious! Should I feel special?

[He doesn't press beyond that, though, glancing at her bottle to see how much of it she's finished. Do all gods have such a remarkable capacity for alcohol, or is it unique to her?]

I suppose I will have to see how useful I am in a fight.
dominatriarch: ([...] | We were born to get together)

[personal profile] dominatriarch 2016-05-16 01:41 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Special. She doesn't quite know how to answer that question. Should he feel special? Special to have been given a second chance at life? Grateful? She doesn't know how to phrase it so... it's back to draining the bottle again. ]

The sooner you learn, the better... for both you and the god you serve. It'll make things easier against ayakashi.
reformedsinner: (decisions made)

[personal profile] reformedsinner 2016-05-16 03:38 pm (UTC)(link)
[It wasn't the kind of question Hakkai really expected an answer to. He's only annoyed at the way everything seems to run, in the end, into a wall of secrets or a wall of his own lack of memory.

He interlaces his fingers together, resting his hands on his knee.]


I think I'd prefer to be useful.

[Violence doesn't unsettle him. His skill at it unsettles him, a little, but he sees no reason to throw away a talent simply because he's ambivalent about its uses.

Destroying ayakashi, at least, seems unambiguously positive.]


Do all gods have to face ayakashi? Are they that common?
dominatriarch: ([...] | Help me to see again)

[personal profile] dominatriarch 2016-05-20 01:28 pm (UTC)(link)
[ She appreciates that about this shinki. At least he has a sense of duty. To be honest, he reminds her of Kazuma at some point... so pardon the tiniest smile when she realizes this.

But back to business! ]


Quite common. I've taken to patrolling the Near Shore nearing the Fiendish Hour to keep an eye on their numbers.
reformedsinner: (look at this mess)

[personal profile] reformedsinner 2016-05-20 08:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Hmm. I'd better be useful in a fight, then! I am her only shinki.

[Hakkai frowns.

Some gods may spend years without a useful shinki, but he doesn't like the thought of remaining by Elsa's side as a useless one while she searches. He at least knows how to use a borderline, thanks to Yukine; he can be confident that he has enough power to defend them.

Slowly, thoughtfully, he shakes his head.]


When is the Fiendish Hour?
dominatriarch: ([...] | We took the floor)

[personal profile] dominatriarch 2016-05-22 12:01 pm (UTC)(link)
[ Oh man, definitely feeling the effects of the alcohol right now. Give her a moment to just... pinch the bridge of her nose. But she has to thank this shinki for giving her things to focus on. It helps stave off the ill-effects of having too much to drink. ]

Twilight. It serves as the boundary between night and day... and the time when the ayakashi come out in earnest.

[ And a sharp exhale. ]

This must be a lot for you to take in on your first day.
reformedsinner: (from the wreckage)

[personal profile] reformedsinner 2016-05-22 11:41 pm (UTC)(link)
Not at all. The more that I know, the better I --

[He breaks off, suddenly unsure how to end the sentence. After all, he's already dead. What is it that he so desperately wants to do? Survive?

That feels wrong, on a level deeper than the simple contradiction of surviving as a ghost. He needs more to do than merely continue existing.

Perhaps he'll find an answer in being of use to his goddess, then.

Hakkai lets out a long breath, and stands, brushing down his pants.]


Thank you for all of your help.

[He bows deeply to her.]

I don't want to trouble you too much -- and I'm sure I should find my goddess.
dominatriarch: ([<3] | And don't you hesitate)

[personal profile] dominatriarch 2016-05-25 01:00 pm (UTC)(link)
Of course.

[ She does look up though at the bow. Yet another thing that needs to be addressed. ]

Another thing. Never bow to a god who isn't your own. It's considered disrespectful to your master. There's a certain code of conduct that needs to be followed... but that can be saved for another time.

[ So much to learn... ]

I hope you find your god soon.

[ It's an honest wish... and probably the first actual smile she's given through this whole conversation. ]
reformedsinner: (oh myyy)

[personal profile] reformedsinner 2016-05-25 02:18 pm (UTC)(link)
Ah, is that so? My mistake! [He barely stops himself from bowing apologetically to her again, straightening up instead, and smiles.]

Thank you.

[--he says, and turns to go.]