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

[unlucky7]

I think I'll go back to the festival, but you don't have to stay with me. I've already taken up enough of your time.

[letteropener]

I would be going back to the festival anyway, it's delightful. But it's all the more delightful with company, I think.

[unlucky7]

Only if you're certain I'm not in the way.

[letteropener]

[Oh, Ginia. Celestia simply smiles at her again.] I asked, did I not? I'd be very glad for your company.

[unlucky7]

[It's a strange feeling knowing her company alone is worth something, especially to someponyone that is under no obligation to be kind. But if Celestia insists, Ginia accepts.

'Maybe one day,' so Ginia thinks, 'I'll be worthy of it.'

So they return to the festival, Ginia happy to follow a god not of her own for a bit longer.]

[letteropener]

[Celestia leaves Ginia little time to brood as she strides back to the festival with purpose, seeking out one of the dancing troupes to watch with delight. They're a fortunate pair, able to see over most of the crowd -- though...]

Would you like a better view?

[unlucky7]

[The more distracted from her thoughts the better things are for Ginia. She watches the movements of the dance troupe with interest, foot lightly tapping with the beat.

At Celestia's question, she looks over curiously.]

[letteropener]

A simple spell and a little work and we can have the best seats in the house. [And it might be a little mischievous, to judge by Celestia's smile, but nothing harmful to anypony.]

[unlucky7]

What do I need to do?

[Magic is definitely not her wheelhouse so you just give directions and she'll follow along.]

[letteropener]

Give me one moment, is all.

[Even as she speaks, Celestia vanishes behind a curtain of light, which slashes open to reveal her pony form once more. The transformation is terribly unsubtle, yet as ever, no one around them so much as bats an eye in her direction.]

[Spreading her wings carefully, Celestia vaults into the air, putting on height quickly. Her destination is a low, fluffy cloud some distance above -- which she simply pulls a large chunk out of with her hooves.]

[unlucky7]

[There's a lot to say about the structural integrity of clouds and whether they can physically manipulated, but you know what? When you're a dead spirit of a human in service of a god and you've spent some time talking to an alicorn that can shapeshift, accepting things at face value becomes pretty easy. Magic is a good coverall for all things. Besides, maybe this is normal and she's simply forgotten.

So Ginia will simply watch in light amazement. Wow, Celestia is fast.]

[letteropener]

[Back down she swoops, the chunk of cloud now in every way a little mirror of its larger progenitor as the air shapes it.]

[She drops down on the edge of the crowd near Ginia, then looks up at her with a smile.] And now the spell. Are you ready?

[unlucky7]

[What a cute little cloud. Ginia smiles at Celestia and nods her head. Whenever you're ready.]

[letteropener]

[Golden light surrounds Celestia's horn -- then jumps to Ginia, briefly sheathing her in a radiance as warm and gentle as a summer day. It fades quickly enough, leading nothing feeling different, but the cloudwalking spell is no major feat for Celestia.]

[With the enchantment laid, she beckons Ginia onto the cloud.]

[unlucky7]

[The warmth is comforting and fades too quick. Ginia stares at the cloud, a slight bit of trepidation stopping her. She looks at Celestia than back at the cloud, her mind piecing together what was going to happen and suddenly balking at the logic as well as assuming the worst.

(Look, there are far easier ways to kill someone than luring them onto a cloud and then dropping them. Right?)

Taking a deep breath, Ginia steps onto the cloud. She half expects to look like a fool as her foot goes through, but no, it feels solid (or at least solid-like). The cloud holding the weight of one foot, she steps onto the cloud fully.

...Huh.]

[letteropener]

Now, get settled and hold on!

[Celestia waits for her to do just that before she tugs the cloud back into the air with a sweep of her wings. Just like that, Ginia is sitting above the crowd, perched on an amazingly comfortable seat to watch the dancing from an undeniably exquisite viewpoint.]

[Once she has it positioned just so, Celestia lands gently on the cloud, then settled down next to her.]

[unlucky7]

[Ginia centers herself in the cloud seated cross-legged, letting her fingers dig in. It's akin to squeezing a firm mattress covered by a cotton-y cover. How interesting.

And then she's in the air, high above, and thank all the gods in the Far Shore Ginia has no fear of heights or falling. Her breath catches in a gasp as she stares around at the view. The dancers below, the wider sprawl of the festival, the surrounding area, everything is small, but connected and part of a much bigger picture. For the second time that day, tears spring to her eyes, but it's different this time because her smile is real.

It's beautiful. Everything is so beautiful.]

[letteropener]

Enjoying the view?

[Celestia's sidelong glance and knowing smile prove she has an inkling of what might be going through Ginia's head. She wasn't born yesterday, after all. This may be a lot of effort to try to bring some joy to a wayward shinki, but she regrets none of it. It's utterly worth it.]

[unlucky7]

[Ginia wipes at her eyes as she nods, carefully pulling her phone back out.]

I get it now. [Her phone says as Ginia stops to look out at the scenery again.] What we're here to protect. I want the people below to be happy.

[letteropener]

That is a very good reason. [And a heartwarming one, but also a dangerous one. One can, after all, give too much of oneself in the service of others, and Ginia seems... Well, Celestia has the impression that she does not have a terribly strong sense of self, and that being a shinki has diminished that further. Something to note and be careful of.] The world is a very wonderful place... and everypony deserves the chance to be happy.

[unlucky7]

[There's no disagreeing with that statement, though whether Ginia realizes she's a part of the world and deserves happiness too remains to be seen.]

Are there festivals like this in Equestria?

[letteropener]

[As Celestia is very well aware of. She'll work on that.]

[One hoof goes to her chin as she contemplates.] Well, I would say this festival has a strong cultural element to it that Equestria does not usually possess, but at its basic, a gathering with entertainment and good food? Absolutely.

[unlucky7]

What kind of things do festivals in Equestria celebrate? What kind of food is there?

[letteropener]

We ponies are herbivores, so we rely heavily on baked goods, grains, cheeses, sauces and marinades, and so forth. Fruit is incredibly popular in Equestria as well -- we have some of the finest orchards and farms in the world. And we have a number of holidays as well, many of them not unlike human ones, from what I've read.

[unlucky7]

What are holidays like? What do you celebrate?

[There's the vaguest understanding of what a holiday is, but all specifics and certainly all associated memories are gone. So let the wayward shinki live vicariously through your memories.]

What's your favorite one?