015 | Sky Full Of Stars

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Tanabata Festival
When: All day July 5
Where: The Near Shore
Summary: The Heavens are throwing a party and you're invited!

Edit: OVERFLOW is here!



With Tanabata drawing close, the Heavens have decided that there is nothing wrong with a little celebration for the annual occasion. So they have invited everyone on the Far Shore as well as a large number of people from the Near Shore to attend a festival for Tanabata. Tanabata festivals are not uncommon in this area, so the Near Shore residents are none the wiser, though some of them are a little uncertain about where this street they've never heard of popped up from...

Tanabata is a festival held to celebrate the one time a year that the lovers Orihime and Hikoboshi can meet across the vast expanse of the Milky Way. Many birds have been working their tail feathers off to create a bridge for the two lovebirds and that bridge - perhaps unsurprisingly - touches down on this street, in the middle of the festival.

The Heavens have prepared entertainment, food stalls, and as many tanzaku as might be needed for everyone to write down wishes, along with plenty of bamboo stalks to hang the wishes from.

New arrivals will find themselves ushered to the festival and offered traditional clothing after their normal briefing at the Meeting Hall.



Stalls

There are festival stalls of every kind present, all run by shinki dressed in white robes and bearing the golden chrysanthemum of Amaterasu. Many of them seem a little bruised still, but they are happy to smile for anyone who comes to the stall they are running. There is food, games, and drinks available of all kinds, so feel free to roam around to your heart's content sampling everything that you can.

Performance

A large stage has been erected at one end of the festival street. The Heavens know that there are many talented gods and shinki present, so they are more than willing to clear spots in the scheduling for those people to perform. Anytime a Far Shore resident isn't on stage, there are plenty of Near Shore acts to go on, ranging the gambit from traditional music and instruments all the way to a rock band that has somehow found themselves here for the celebration.

Wishes

Pieces of paper called tanzaku have been strewn about a number of bamboo shoots all over the festival. There are brightly colored decorations on the bamboo and the papers themselves exist in every color of the rainbow as well. Attendees are encouraged to write down any wishes they may have and hang them from the bamboo, a normal Tanabata tradition. Wishes can range from 'I want a soda' to 'World peace' and anything in between. Obviously, some of these wishes may not be able to be granted during the time of the festival, but gods and shinki alike are encouraged to answer any wishes they can as well.

NOTE: Please report any wishes your characters answers to the first comment on this post along with a link to where the wish is answered. There will be small bonuses awarded for answered wishes.

The Bridge

As stated previously, the bridge that will allow Orihime to meet her lover touches down in the very center of the festival's street. It may be made of tiny pieces, but the bridge itself is sturdy. While it may not be able to take just anyone who sets foot on it across the Milky Way, you are allowed to walk along the bridge yourself, though you will always find yourself turned around after a short time and heading back towards where you stepped on. Lovers in particular are encouraged to walk the bridge together to deepen their bonds, but be cautioned! If you walk onto the bridge with someone, you might start feeling affectionately towards them even if they are your sworn enemy! Such is the power of love on this day.

In Summary:

• Enjoy the festival
• Watch some quality entertainment
• Make and/or answer wishes
• Meet Orihime
• Traverse the bridge
• Have fun~

Comments

[sweetspringwater]

[Behind the veil Suijin's eyebrows raise slightly in surprise.]

From festivals to such a topic... What brings you to ask a question like that?

[That is far more pertinent than answering for now.]

[onerous]

[Yuri looks a little embarrassed, but her words are at least mostly true.] I was just thinking about all that I had to learn still. The gods here seem to just... know things, instinctively. Like there's a knowledge on how to be a god they're born with that comes naturally. You can always tell who's one fo the gods brought from another world and who's an old god from this place originally, it's like a completely different aura.

But... We haven't meant an old god who's been reborn recently, so... [Amaterasu kind of counts, but Yuri's not sure if she's supposed to know about that, so she doesn't bring it up.] I don't know if it's different. It must be easier to just know, but if they're taught and need to learn too like we do, I wanted to know. Because then maybe I could find out how they know, and use that for myself...

[She rests her elbow on her knee, chin in hand] I... want to be a good god, someone worthy of this name, but it feels like stumbling through the dark sometimes.

[sweetspringwater]

[At least she has the grace to be embarrassed. It is not a particularly tasteful topic among gods, but nor is she wrong for seeking out as much information as she can about her station. Yet, for her to even know that gods are reborn would have required some other interesting conversations…

The shinki attending the game has wisely read the atmosphere and distanced himself from the two of them, and fortunately it is just them at the tank for now. Still, she answers in a soft tone,]

It is pleasing to hear that you are taking this situation seriously and are striving to become worthy of this station.

What you speak of, in broadest terms, comes to experience and nature. Every god has an innate 'nature' that drives what they do in every situation. They also have centuries of 'experience', living in this world. These two factors perhaps give us that ‘aura’ you spoke of.

As you have apparently learned, gods lose their experiences when reborn. Unfortunately, much knowledge is lost. In that situation, however, the god’s exemplar is the one who can fill in that missing knowledge, along with the other shinki and occasionally any other gods who worked closely with them. This is how a reborn god learns.

Perhaps now you can see that comparing the new gods to the old is incompatible in this situation. The new gods have no old shinki. Even if there were some shinki among us willing to be bound to a new god, they have no experiences accumulated with you. Most of you are foreign gods, whose lore is unknown to us. Additionally, from what has been observed, you seem to have no guiding nature from the god you have replaced. A certain compatibility, perhaps, but not akin to the innate nature we old gods have.

[She then smiles kindly at Ixtab.] You can begin to see how our support of you is complicated by such things. [Her expression then shifts to become more serious.] A word of advice though: a god’s death is not a topic to speak of so openly. Should it be absolutely necessary for you to bring it up in the future, do be careful.

[She then gracefully stands. She did promise to answer the god's questions last they met, but nor does she want to overburden her.] I have given you enough to think over for now, I believe. I shall leave you to continue enjoying the festival.

[onerous]

I, uh-- [She only now realizes the shinki have been giving them a wide space and at least she has the grace to look embarrassed.] I'm sorry.

[Still, Suijin's answer gives her a lot to think about, and she looks down at her hands and the swirling fish.] Innate, guiding nature... So, is it really impossible for us to become what we're trying to replace...?

[Then again, Yuri can't say for certain if she does or doesn't want that. She glances to Suijin through her lashes and nods in acceptance of her departure.] I hope we can speak again soon. I'll always have more questions, if you're willing to give answers.

[sweetspringwater]

As much is possible, I wish to ease your way.

[She pauses as she turns away, offering one last answer before she goes.]

Humans are full of amazing innovation, potential and capability. If anyone would know whether or not it is possible for you to completely 'become what you are trying to replace', it is you.

[And she shall leave on that note.]