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

[bartenderizing]

[ He was hoping to figure out who his god's new shinki were before she did, just to make sure they weren't super violence and dangerous (you know. Like him, sometimes.) The training was also part of it, but the thin blond was still apprehensive. He had a purpose, though.

So the direct confrontation has him pausing enough. ]

Ah, I guess? Oh, right. Before I forget- Izumo's looking into your request, but things will be on hold while the bar is under repairs.

[ He might not remember her name (that's because she told you who she was as a title/role, not some personal name,) but he can at least remember that much. ]

[nibelungvalesti]

That is excellent to hear, although I am sorry to learn the bar has been damaged.

[She means that, as much as she can mean anything that isn't directly related to her duty. The place had been quite nice, and served mead. It is no meadhall, but it sufficed for a purpose.]

[bartenderizing]

Yeah, but it seems like he's using it as an opportunity to add some things. If you want, I can try to let you know when the place is ready to open again.

[ Shizuo, is the training grounds a place for this? ]

[nibelungvalesti]

[The training grounds are also a place where mead should be quaffed after battle, so it is faintly relevant, yes.]

That would be appreciated. In the meantime, however...?

[bartenderizing]

However?

[ Oh, right. The training. Though this continues to be something that he's not completely sure of, at least when it comes about to participating. ]

Ah, right. Yeah, I know that practice weapons were being offered, but none of them really seemed right. It's fine if someone's armed if I'm supposed to go against another person, though.

[ Shizuo didn't really have a sense of self-preservation, or fear. This at least explained why he was stepping out to the field without anything more than his own hands. ]

[nibelungvalesti]

Practice weapons.

[The Valkyrie normally sounds imperious, arrogant, and oftentimes disdainful. To hear her actually, purposefully be all of these things is to wonder how 'goddess of scorn' is not one of her official titles.]

What weapons would suit you?

[bartenderizing]

[ It's what they were for, whether or not they were actually designed for safe practice was another thing. Shizuo just knew that they weren't to keep and were meant for this training day.

And yes, while Shizuo admitted to hating violence, this was him looking past that. ]

I don't know if any would. Honestly, I'm- uh- I'm not strong, but I've got a lot of power. I'd be afraid of breaking anything I use. So I'm used to using my hands.

[nibelungvalesti]

[The faintest ghost of a smile crosses the Valkyrie's face, a moment before she draws her own sword, then reverses it to offer it to him.]

Try to break it. Do not hold back.

[She has no doubt that he won't believe her without a demonstration -- so rather than simply tell him about the ether coating which renders the weapons she creates indestructible, she'll allow him to prove it to himself.]

[bartenderizing]

[ When he takes the sword- the grip strong but clearly by someone who's never held one before- he looks more at her expression and the invitation. It's not suspicion that stops him from doing so, though. ]

... I'm not breaking your own personal weapon. That doesn't seem right.

[ Instead he lightly tosses the blade into the ground, though easily sinking in more than half the way. Which was obviously more than he had expected, so he pulls it back out with a bit of a tug to offer back. ]

Sorry. Here, I'll, uh, get one of the practice ones.

[nibelungvalesti]

[Gone is the faint amusement, replaced by a narrowing of her brows.] Ridiculous. Do you believe yourself superior to a true god? A weapon properly forged with an ether coating cannot be broken. The gods do not, could not battle with mortal weapons.

[bartenderizing]

Superior?

[ This is to someone with the lowest confidence in the heavens, amusingly enough. But then she says the stuff about the coating and Shizuo's expression gets a little more serious. ]

So it was a trick the entire time. It wasn't about whether I could or not- I'd just feel bad if anything had happened to something that was personally yours. How the hell was I supposed to know that you were fucking around with some weird game? That really pisses me off.

Ah, but if what you said was true, then you're fine with whatever I do.

[ He stops offering the sword back, thrusting it into the ground with considerably more force. About as much as he needed to get out his anger. It's- It's not going to be seen. That's now a small pit that goes down about 100ft with a sword at the very bottom of it. ]

[nibelungvalesti]

[The Valkyrie puts up with this temper tantrum with barely a flicker of acknowledgment.]

[Compared to some of the gods she knows, this is really nothing.]

A trick? My instructions were to try to break it, without holding back. A trick would be to tell you that you could break it. Or hand you a weapon without an ether coating and say breaking it would be impossible. Your attitude is of one who would not have believed me had I simply told you at first that you could not break the weapon.

[bartenderizing]

[ Good. It wasn't supposed to impress anyone, so much as focus the anger elsewhere. ]

I know people that control fire, fly and blast energy from their hands, and one makes weapons out of shadows. If you said that you were using weapons with some special coating that makes them unbreakable, I would've taken that as fact.

[ He accepts things surprisingly easily. It's mostly that his fear comes before anything else. He's still only human. ]

Making it sound like breaking it was possible was still a trick, just by holding that kind of information back.

[ He points over to the dojo, where all the practice weaponry was offered. ]

Do all of those have the same coating?

[nibelungvalesti]

Hardly. [Back comes the slight scorn, as she shoots a disdainful look towards those weapons.] Many here believe that 'practice' is achieved by swinging around a blunted, inferior instrument against an opponent who has no willingness to wound you. Their weapons reflect that taste. I find it contemptible.

[bartenderizing]

... That also kind of changes things, given I was talking about using those. It's really easy for me to accidentally break them when I can't tell how much force I'm holding them with.

[ It started to seem like this really was some huge misunderstanding, or something. Which honestly gets his temper back under control. ]

I still have trouble imagining what kind of weapon I'd be good at. Still, whether or not your stuff is unbreakable, I'm fine using my hands until I figure that kind of thing out. It's not like I'm afraid of getting hurt.

[nibelungvalesti]

You possess no small amount of power, even by the standards of Asgard.

[With a look to the hole that holds her sword somewhere down below.]

While it is wise to accept you will be struck, it is folly to invite it. Nevertheless, perhaps gauntlets will suit your strength?

[bartenderizing]

I mean, it's not like I'm inviting it. I just don't really feel it.

[ But- well, he never thought of that as an idea. Probably because when thinking of weapons, he kept thinking back to what kept being offered. Maybe that was the limits of a modern guy that didn't have a lot of exposure to these kinds of things when growing up. ]

Gauntlets? Do those work as a weapon, or are they meant to just protect my hands when doing things?

[nibelungvalesti]

If you are striking something or someone, is there a difference between the two?

[She has rarely worked with brawlers in her time, but nonetheless the theory should be sound. And she definitely won't turn a person away simply because they did not use a sword or a bow or a lance.]

[bartenderizing]

I suppose not... Is there a specific kind you suggest?

[ Hey, he doesn't ignore advice people give him. Shizuo's a pretty sincere type. ]

... Are there different kinds of gauntlets?

[nibelungvalesti]

Yes, but not for your purposes. You are not interested, for example, in locking a weapon to your gauntlet. You merely need something with which to augment your strength and allow you to unleash it.

It will also allow you some measure of protection from weapons, which I admit I am not certain how you otherwise achieve.

[bartenderizing]

I dunno what it really means to lock a weapon, but I'd just grab something to stop it.

[ Protection is an... ambiguous word. (No, it's not.) ]

Nothing really serious ever happens and I don't exactly feel anything that's supposed to hurt. I mean, a boulder fell on my head a few days ago with nothing too serious happening, aside from the blood.

[ But then again, head wounds love to bleed. Lenneth had seen him at the bar between then and now with no discernible injuries. ]

[nibelungvalesti]

While that raises any number of questions, the only one of great relevance is that no matter your resilience, direct contact with an ayakashi is dangerous. It will do you little good to strike one and find yourself blighted, and thus I recommend protection for at least your hands.

Depending on your fighting style, further armor may be beneficial as well. [She can well understand how someone with his reported level of resilience might not need it ordinarily, but that didn't stop blight.]

[bartenderizing]

Ah-

[ He had forgotten about that for a moment. Despite learning borderlines, Shizuo's first instinct is to handle things personally. And by that, most definitely physically, which may or may not involve his hands right on the ayakashi. ]

You're right about that. I wouldn't want to cause trouble for others, especially Yona, if I had done something to be blighted. Though it'd be weird to imagine me wearing a bunch of armor. I can at least look into these gauntlets.

[nibelungvalesti]

No doubt, but weird is preferable to blighted. However, you will not be in danger here from them, so the discuss can wait. Hold out your hands to me, then ball them into fists.

[She motions with her own hand, a slight gesture that nonetheless is perhaps rudely commanding.]

[bartenderizing]

Yeah. It's just not something you really think about in these times. The armor, not the risk of blight. Ah, right.

[ At least he assumes he's from the same general time as they were all in now, given how much matches up. If the goddess was rude or commanding, he didn't really see it either. (Probably because he hangs around Sharak, who is openly and unapologetically both.)

So he holds both hands out, lightly balling them up. ]

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