February Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: October 15th
Where: Meeting Hall, the Far Shore
Summary: Training and informational sessions for newly arrived gods and shinki



Gods and shinki arriving at heaven's meeting hall are, should they allow it, guided to the Meeting Hall, where a reception area and a traditionally styled dojo and training ground have been made available for the day. The gods and shinki are free to take their time during this day to learn about the details of their new life from Amaterasu's shinki or from the many veteran new god and shinki volunteers.




God Training

Newly arrived gods are escorted into a traditional reception room within the Meeting Hall for an informational meeting covering the basics of proper god behavior. A minor deity is giving the speech, and none of the white-robed shinki enter. They are encouraged to discuss the information with each other and ask questions of more experienced gods, as well as instructed to guide their new shinki appropriately.

Shinki Training

Various shinki in the white-and-gold of Amaterasu's hosuehold are stationed around the dojo, passing out helpful informational pamphlets. They will be happy to instruct the newcomers in the use of the borderline as well as offering an explanation of what is expected of a shinki and the importance of teamwork with other shinki and with gods. Shinki are encouraged to work together to practice what they've learned and discuss their perspectives.

A training game has been set up through a section of the Meeting Hall gardens, with little cut-outs of ayakashi hidden in the landscaping, tucked into bushes or taped under bridges. Prize ribbons are being offered for every ten "ayakashi" a shinki (or team) discovers.

Physical Training

The dojo is stocked with a wide variety of practice weapons, traditional and modern, to offer some practice opportunity to gods who, for example, find themselves with a sword shinki but are at risk of cutting off their own toes. It's also useful for veteran new gods wishing to train with their current partner shinki. Several magically animated straw-stuffed training dummies, many of which have been carefully mended and patched with neat black stitching, are set up on the lawn with a white-robed shinki hovering nearby to watch over them. They make good training partners, although anyone who comes too close risks being targeted for a sparring match whether they wanted one or not.

The pond behind the dojo has had dozens wooden poles sunk in it, spaced a few feet apart, with a bunch of brightly colored ribbons tied around the pole in the very center. Some of the white-robed shinki are practicing scaling the poles and leaping from one to the next, until they get close enough that they can snatch a ribbon from the center pole, and several have fallen in and are being teased by their fellows.

Rest and Refreshments

Instead of snacks being served at the training session, this week, white-robed shinki with little flags are conducting groups of newcomers and volunteers down to the Tokyo Daijingu shrine and into a street festival currently being held in Tokyo. Traditional dance troupes are performing on street corners, and vendors have every kind of fall street foods, from barbecue to takoyaki, chocolate-dipped bananas and red-bean pancakes. New arrivals will get a white-and-gold envelope with spending money for the fair, although gods and shinki who have had some time to settle in will have to handle their own lunch expenses.

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
• Veteran new gods and shinki are welcome to volunteer showing the ropes
• Get in some training
• Go to a festival
• Spectate if you want
• Have fun~

Comments

[letteropener]

Oh, there's a stand over there! [Celestia motions with both a hoof and a wing to the vendor, busily dunking another banana into warm, liquid chocolate.]

[replicatedform]

Thank you. [And off he goes to buy one! With one (1) banana on a skewer in hand, and dipped into chocolate, later... He take the first bite.

His eyes widen in clear joy at eating something delicious. And pink, cherry blossom petals start to appear around him from nowhere, floating around him.]

[letteropener]

Oh goodness.

[Celestia reaches out a hoof to poke at one petal. This is very unusual!]

[replicatedform]

[That one petal reacts like any normal petal. Light, moves easily in the air and doesn't seem to be that different from a regular petal.]

Mm?

[Blinking, he glances over to look at Celestia. After swallowing the banana piece in his mouth, he blinks again and speaks.]

What is it?

[letteropener]

You appear to be...

Shedding? Leaking? [Celestia is at a loss for words, which doesn't happen often. She prods a petal again, the better to call attention to it.]

[replicatedform]

[He blinks for a moment, before his eyes spot the floating petals around him. He blinks again, before his eyes widen and a blush appear on his face. His hand went up and tug his hood down over his eyes.]

Um... yeah. That... sometimes happen.

[letteropener]

I've never seen such a thing before -- it's remarkable. [No judgment here. Celestia is fascinated and intrigued!] Are they true rose petals in every sense?

[replicatedform]

[He lift his hood up just enough for him to peek out at her. At least she seems... amused? And not laughing.] I'd guess so. I haven't really see them disappear for myself.

[A brief pause.]

And they're cherry blossom petals.

[letteropener]

Oh, my mistake. [Celestia hides a smile behind one hoof.] We have them in Equestria, but I rarely ever see them -- we don't have any around the palace. They look a lot like candied rose petals.

[And therein lies the honest truth: Celestia, a pony after all, has been wondering this entire time if they were tasty.]

[replicatedform]

[He blinks, and blinks again. Before he raise a hand to take some petals. It seems like the whirl of petals seems to be dying down, and no more is being summoned. What's left are the petals that's already there.

Opening his hand, he looks at the petals in his palm.]

Candied rose petals? I never have them before. [The concept... isn't entirely foreign to him.] Or heard of Equestria either.

[letteropener]

Oh, that isn't surprising. We had no humans in Equestria -- until I came here, I'd never met one. Suffice to say it's where I'm from. [As perhaps the name made obvious.]

[replicatedform]

That's interesting... [A world of talking horses. He wonders what kind of society they have. Because of their bodies and everything.] You're the first talking horse I've met. Though I do met a dragon before.

[letteropener]

Pony. [The correction is gentle and without rancor.] I met a dragon here not terribly long ago, though I fear he's no longer with us...

[replicatedform]

Pony. [He repeats it, mostly to himself, and nods in understanding.] He's gone?

[Like those cases where people disappear...?]

[letteropener]

I'm afraid so. That is what all evidence seems to point to.

[Things would be far too easy, she supposes, if when people left the Far Shore some solid evidence of them having done so was offered.]