May Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: July 15
Where: Bishamon's temple, the Far Shore
Summary: Training and informational sessions for newly arrived gods (although there's none this time) and shinki



The product of many meetings and recommendations, at last it has taken shape. On this day, in anticipation of the new arrivals who appear in a recognized pattern, Heaven has partnered with the new gods and shinki to organize a very helpful informational reception.

The shinki arriving at heaven's meeting hall are, should they allow it, guided kindly towards Bishamon's temple. And in that vast complex they are brought to a traditional-style dojo.
Here the newly arrived gods are gathered, so finding their partner is more simple. The gods and shinki are free to take their time during this day to learn about the aspects of their new life from Amaterasu's shinki, or from the many veteran new god and shinki volunteers.




God Training

Bishamon herself, as well as Amaterasu's ever-present shinki and any volunteering gods, will be the foremost source of information regarding being a god and what is expected of them, such as prayers. It is encouraged that gods group up together to practice what they've learned and discuss their ideologies.
Newly arrived gods are still expected to communicate to their shinki the information* they themselves get oriented with when they arrive.

Shinki Training

Various volunteers are stationed around the building, passing out helpful informational pamphlets. There are many shinki, including Bishamon's and Amaterasu's, who will be more than happy to train in using the borderline and some of the basics of what is expected of a shinki. It is encouraged that shinki group up together to practice what they've learned and discuss their ideologies.
Bishamon's lead shinki Kazuma offers a lecture to new arrivals that will thoroughly cover some essential points about teamwork with both shinki and other gods.

Physical Training

The dojo is stocked with a wide variety of practice weapons, traditional and modern. There are volunteers here as well, willing to assist in basic training. (Or even more advanced sparring, depending on the volunteer.) Essential for gods who, for example, find themselves with a sword shinki but are at risk of cutting off their own toes.
Also useful for veteran new gods wishing to train with their current partner shinki.

Rest and Refreshments

There is a garden off the dojo that is free to be used for rest and conversation.
Should anyone wander outside the designated area, some shinki of Bishamon's will attach themselves to them and not leave them be until they return to the dojo.

There is a refreshments table provided. It is covered with light snacks and various kinds of hydrating drinks. There is a little sitting area set up for people to relax in after they have finished their training or if they're just taking a quick break to cool down. Even hand towels are provided by Bishamon's helpful shinki. The Heavens wants everyone to stay in good condition!

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
• Don't get dehydrated
• Spectate if you want
• Have fun~

Comments

[revolutionfalcon]

[A: Physical Training]

[It's about damn time they implemented something like this, as far as Shun's concerned, and he figures passing the suggestion onto Suijin probably at least helped them get there. Even so, he's not all that interested in what the old gods consider important to their roles here, so he figures he'll leave explaining that to the people who actually are in favour of helping out with the actual training part of things.]

[i: Inexperienced fighters]

[If they don't mind harsh lessons, Shun has no problem with taking total newcomers on to instruct in the basics. It's good to know where they stand to begin with, though, so his first suggestion to anyone approaching him regarding it is about as basic as it gets.]

Show me your stance.

[ii: Sparring]

[On the other hand, if anyone with more experience wants to spar hand-to-hand, Shun has no problem with that either - or even anyone less experienced with a sword, since he's also carrying around a very short practice sword and trying to get in some more training to develop his skills there. Given how visibly said sword is being carried and the fact that Shun's keeping himself in the area of where others are clearly sparring or training, he's going to make certain assumptions of anyone approaching him, looking them over with a wary eye.]

Are you here to fight, or do you want something else?

--

[B: Refreshments]

[Shun isn't the best person in the world at taking consideration of his own needs, but he can still be found drinking water at the refreshments table every so often. Unfortunately, since he refuses to sit down, he's kind of blocking some of the rest of the things on the table where he's leaning against it.

On one hand, if anyone approaches with obvious intent to get to the food, he'll shift aside at least for the time it takes it to do that. On the other, if he doesn't know the person in question, they'll be getting an almost palpable glare for the entire time they're there.

Anyone he does recognise will probably get something more along the lines of a short incline of the head, and a rather pointed glance back at the training areas as if to ask how they went without...you know, actually asking.]

B

[rainbowmaster]

[Johan himself, after being trained by Izuku for a while and possibly going around training with others, has finally decided to approach the refreshments table.

He blinks once upon seeing Shun and there's a brief thought as to whether or not he should leave; though, he decides not to as he decides to simply go around him in order to grab some water.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun shifts aside slightly as Johan goes for the water, though given their previous meetings, something strikes him as...off, here. He's only met the guy twice, but Johan seemed like the sort to start a conversation if he ran into someone he knew.

He considers whether to voice it or not before deciding it's worth a shot, lowering his bottle of water.]

You seem uncomfortable.

[rainbowmaster]

Is it that obvious?

[He grins sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.]

I'm not used to this sort of thing. [Training, he means. Otherwise, he's usually leaping into danger and risking himself.

Although, there's more to that and Johan is more than aware of it. In a way, he's almost expecting Shun to have made the connections between him and Fubuki by now, but if he hasn't, then Johan won't bring it up.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Maybe if Shun had any external context for the relation, but as it is, all he knows is that Fubuki and Johan happened to run into each other that one time, and apparently had met before. Nothing abnormal about that, from his point of view.

There's a faint huff from Shun at the remark - it feels a little like an excuse, but he prefers not to pry too hard.] Most friendly people just use that as an excuse to be even more obnoxious.

[And Shun quite obviously has certain opinions on that subject. There are definitely worse examples here than Johan, though.]

[rainbowmaster]

[That gets a small smile from him.]

You think I'm obnoxious?

[It's an honest question, but one that Shun really doesn't need to answer. There is a pause, though, since Shun hasn't made the connection and while Johan is more than ready to let it go, he....can't.

If only because he's seen what happens the last couple of times he's talked to Fubuki before Shun came in, and well, he might as well be honest about that if it means making sure Fubuki is safe. He sips his water, debating before:]

How's Fubuki?

[revolutionfalcon]

I think a lot of people are obnoxious. [So that's not a no, but more an indicator that Johan shouldn't take it personally. Which Shun finds a lot of people tend to when he says things like that.

Shun gives Johan a bit of an aside glance at the follow-up question. Given Fubuki hasn't stung him since that time back when they all did shrine visits, he hasn't questioned him about it directly, and his immediate assumption is that Johan's asking regarding the thing with the jellyfish the other day.]

Managing not to get himself ambushed by ayakashi again. Which is fine by me.

[rainbowmaster]

[He just chuckles.

Well, even if Shun meant it personally, it's not as f it would actually bother Johan in any way. He's spent far too much time around people who likes to say rude things that it's better to just shrug it off.

But it's good to know that Fubuki is okay.]

He does seem like he has a knack for getting into trouble.

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun will take shrugging it off over people getting offended, definitely. It's much less annoying than having to deal with people fussing over something that, to him, is just a statement of fact.

The pursuit of the subject of Fubuki has Shun raising an eyebrow a little, so he figures he might as well pursue it back if Johan's opening that particular area of discussion.]

It sounds like something happened whenever you met before. That thing with the jellyfish obviously wasn't the first time.

A ii

[shadowrevenger]

[Okay, so he'd really only come here to find his new shinki, and he'd just seen Shun yesterday...but that doesn't stop him from automatically looking around for Shun while he's here. After all, Ren might have been thinking about skipping out on this, but he can't imagine Shun would have.

And sure enough, there he is. That's more than enough for Ren to head over to say hello to him, but then he sees what Shun is holding and he comes to a stop right there in the middle of the field to stare at Shun like he's the most wonderful thing Ren has ever seen.

Which is probably going to get him killed by a wayward attack or something, please save him.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[As usual, Ren is incredibly easy to spot in a crowd, and when Shun sees him heading in his direction, he turns that way on the assumption that Ren's actually going to make it the whole way.

...And then he stops right in the middle of the sparring area, with one of those looks Shun's learnt to pay much more attention to than he used to. There's a moment where Shun is naive enough to think he might be able to break out of his distraction enough to not stand right in the middle of the fighting area, but once it becomes obvious that's not happening, Shun sighs slightly and heads over.

If Ren doesn't snap out of it enough to react by the time Shun reaches him, he's getting thrown over a shoulder and carried out of the sparring field.]

[shadowrevenger]

[Shun and swords are two of his favorite things and here they are together in one wonderful sight. Of course he just going to stand there staring.

...Thankfully, Shun heading his way is enough to snap Ren out of his trance and get him to go back to heading Shun's way in return. Which right now means moving as quickly as he can without resorting to actually running, because he's just too delighted not to. So they're probably going to end up meeting somewhere not quite in the middle, but especially no longer in the middle of the training field and Shun will (sadly) not have to take such drastic measures.]

You have a sword!

[revolutionfalcon]

[A delayed reaction is still better than nothing, and Shun slows his pace a bit to make sure that by the time they reach each other, it's well clear of the sparring areas. He'd figured there had to be something else to that stopping and staring, but he hadn't quite been expecting the sword to be the cause of it, and Shun glances down at the practice weapon before looking back up with a slight furrow to his brow. After a moment, he shifts the drape of his coat with his free hand to reveal another sword of about the same short length hanging from his belt - this one clearly a proper sword, even though it's sheathed.]

I've had a sword since the start of the month. I just don't have it out because not everyone here is going to be ready to spar with actual weapons.

[He has been carrying it around pretty often, too...though, like now, it's generally been hidden under the drape of whatever long coat or coat-like garment he happens to have been wearing at the time.]

[shadowrevenger]

[...Shun, he completely missed your front door once, how is he supposed to notice a sword you have hidden under your coat...

Not that Ren cares that much about completely missing it, because it's another sword and Shun is wearing it...other than maybe being sad that they could have been sparring with swords and not just their fists since two weeks ago. And also that he could have known how cool Shun looks with a sword two weeks ago. Which he might eventually tell him, but Shun said a magic word and that's pretty much where his focus has gone for now.]

Do you need someone to spar with right now?

[...Look, maybe they did already spar yesterday, but that wasn't with swords, okay.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Because sometimes Shun just tends to assume people notice things like he does. Even if it's Ren and literally every single piece of evidence stands to the contrary.

At the offer to spar, Shun's interest piques rather obviously, his eyes narrowing a little in thought. On one hand, he's come to enjoy sparring with Ren as more than exclusively a manner of training. On the other, he has no idea of what Ren's experience level might be, other than "probably not much".]

That depends if you know your way around a sword well enough to put up a fight. [Shun's lead isn't nearly as big here as it is with hand-to-hand, but he had been drilling basic forms for about a month before he got this sword and it's not too different to wielding his dagger given its length, so it's still definitely a question he needs to be asking. Not to mention the various sparring partners he's been finding in the space of that two weeks.

His tone wouldn't be half as inviting and challenging if he was asking anyone else, though.]

[shadowrevenger]

["Probably not much" is not far off, and at this point it is probably slightly less than his experience with hand-fighting. There was only so much you could learn through Psyqualia and Motion Figure Systems, after all. But it also isn't "none", and while he hasn't been practicing forms like Shun, you'd better believe how to use what he's been learning on the off-chance he ever gets a shinki who's a sword has gone through his mind at least once every lesson.

So while he's probably (definitely) going to get his ass kicked again, he still feels confident enough to answer that question with one of his more playfully challenging smiles. (Also, how could he ever walk away from that tone of voice? Shun could convince him to do a whole lot with just that tone.)]

More of a fight than the last time I challenged you. Where are the other practice swords?

[revolutionfalcon]

[That's a promising prospect, given how one-sided that long-ago challenge had been, and a smile that would probably be considered unsettling by most other people's standards creeps across his face. As ever, he's assured in the prospect of his own victory, but he's also just as satisfied with Ren's continued willingness to fight against him like this.

With that expression lingering, he turns on his heel and starts heading a little further away from the sparring area, beckoning over his shoulder.]

Over here. They've got just about any size you could want, so you can pick what you're most familiar with. [That might have been obvious from the unusual shortness of Shun's blade, which is only about fifteen inches plus a handle about as short as can be gotten away with, but it'll be interesting to see what he picks nonetheless.]

B

[sweetspringwater]

While that would be fascinating, I know my place is not as a god of battle.

[Suijin’s tone is subtly amused as she steps forward to face Kurosaki more directly. Her dark blue kimono appears less elaborate today somehow- to the point where it, and the god wearing it, seem to simply fall beneath notice.]

I wanted to thank you for your part in making this day come about. That is all.

[And that truly does seem to be all she wants to say. She makes no attempt to hold him from moving on in his search to find someone to fight.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[It's not really a surprise to Shun that Suijin's keeping herself low-key today - she never really struck him as the sort to draw unnecessary attention. Neither of her remarks seem to affect him much either, and he answers with a slight shrug.]

You're capable anyway, god of battle or not. And you can keep your thanks for someone who cares about that sort of thing. As long as this gets people the information and skills they need to get themselves set up here, I've done my job in suggesting it.

[Right now, though, he's primarily waiting on offers, rather than actively searching out people, so he doesn't move to head off. Instead, he figures he might as well at least try asking the question he'd been entertaining since Suijin said she'd pass the suggestion on.]

What did Bishamon think of the idea?

[sweetspringwater]

[She is struck with an urge to tease the serious god – surely he can guess what Bishamonten thought of the idea when they are holding it at her temple and her shinki are volunteering in force. However she keeps her reply straight-forward.]

As you can see, she was fully in agreement. Why do you ask?

[revolutionfalcon]

I meant what she thought about being called out for it. Obviously she agreed. [While Shun had been reasonably certain Bishamon would go with the idea if raised, he wasn't sure whether being put on the spot like that was going to mesh well with how busy she always seemed to be.

He is, admittedly, also curious if his name had come up specifically in discussion. It's not a concern one way or the other, certainly not enough to pursue if Suijin doesn't bring it up, he's mostly just wondering how she'd framed the whole thing.]

[sweetspringwater]

The answer is nearly the same, then. She took it on with straight-forward agreement and no personal comment. You should know that she is quite practical.

[Most of the time.]

[revolutionfalcon]

True, but she's busy as well. At least it didn't sound like it was inconvenient. [Not that Shun would care about that if it was an older god other than Bishamon, given he knows she tends to lend her time to the same sorts of pursuits he does when it comes to keeping an eye on things.]

I'm surprised you're here if it's only to thank people for their involvement, I'll admit.

[sweetspringwater]

[She simply continues smiling.]

It is not only for that.

[Come, now. Would she not be sure to check on an initiative that she'd had a hand in as well?]

[revolutionfalcon]

That and overseeing it, then. I wouldn't have thought it needed you and Bishamon.

[While he can figure she would have been interested in how it went, he also would have assumed one god could pass on that information. Then again, he has been getting rather used to how hectic things have been recently, and he lets out a somewhat frustrated breath.]

Though I suppose you're not going to be busy with all these ridiculous festival preparations much longer. Between Tanabata and Obon, there's barely been space for anything else. [Though he hasn't heard anything in particular on the subject of Obon, so he has to assume something might have come up there.]