June Intro/Training Log

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: July 26
Where: Bishamon's temple, the Far Shore
Summary: Training and informational sessions for newly arrived gods 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.




Divine Bureaucracy

Wasn't it the newly revamped Shinki Agency's job to assign shinki this time... They thought it was the original team of Amaterasu's shinki's job this one last time before Shinki Agency took over the responsibility. Needless to say, when the shinki wake up at the Meeting Hall, there's a lot of shouting. Eventually, one of the Shinki Agency representatives herds the new shinki together and instructs them to please all go to Bishamonten's temple for the time being and they will send a runner with the god-shinki assignments as soon as they can.

New gods and old gods alike will not be notified that there is a mix-up unless they come to Bishamon's temple for Training, until the Shinki Agency can figure out what happened.

Important addendum: For this round, gods still have a vision of how their shinki died, however they can't make out any details, particularly about who they saw die.
Once a shinki of the Agency gives the god the name of their shinki, the god is then able to find them by name. Once they give their shinki a vessel name the god will have the full vision of how their shinki died.

This addition comes in response to some questions and need for clarification. Apologies and thank you for your input.

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:

• New characters are welcome to ask old characters if this mix-up is common (spoilers: it's not)
• New Shinki: Get all the information you can handle from the pamphlets provided (links above and see FAQ)
• New Gods: take what information you can from Amaterasu's shinki (see FAQ) while waiting to find out if you've been assigned a shinki
• Veteran 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

[freezetheheavens]

Then prove it.

[don't be a coward. Don't hide behind others.]

[festal]

( She's a humble person for the most part but there are things she's proud of! There are her siblings, her friends, her country, her healing abilities... and sometimes, she isn't too bad with a bow and arrow. )

Thank you. You can count on me...! Oh, but hopefully you won't have to.

( Which reminds her--

She reaches for a small purse tied to her waist and pulls out a small, glass vial of water. ) I-it isn't much but... here. I-It's purifying water from my temple. I thought I would share some... e-especially after what happened with the fireflies.

[freezetheheavens]

Then live. It doesn't matter if you're dead or not, you're alive now.

[Don't waste your second chance.

But in a way, he supposes he can sympathize with Shion. After all, Toushirou's dead, too.]

The best you can do is find answers on your own in a way that it won't hurt you.

[freezetheheavens]

I wouldn't mind. A spar does sound good right now.

[He has every reason to be confident in his abilities, okay. But he also knows there are always ways to improve himself, so he doesn't exactly hold himself in such a confident manner all the time.

A nod of agreement.]

I'll agree with you there.

[Especially since it's hard to figure out who is exactly trustworthy.]

You as well.

[And with that, he'll take his leave.]

[asterflower]

[Shion might not remember his past but growing up in a brain washing, controlling, "big brother is watching you" city that parades as a perfect utopia leaves Shion always a little on edge about unknown places. He doesn't have to remember what happened to feel his nerves on end about this place.

So when the other mentions making a run for it he actually looks back up at him with a curious and genuinely interested look in his eye.]

Maybe... Where should we go, though?

[Neither of them know this place very well.]

[lostinshadows]

I'd rather it'd be you who heals me than someone I don't know.

[Especially since healing...often slips Lavi's mind whenever he gets injured.

A blink when Sakura pulls out a vial of water. Upon hearing what it is, he shakes his head.] No, it's okay, Sakura. Thank you, but I'm fine.

[A reassuring smile.]

You might need it more.

[diehardreaper]

Fancy that, so you do happen to be one of us - so to speak.

[ Meeting another reaper always helped to stave off the homesickness. Death could be a rather cushy job if you got used to it after all.

But her question does make him think. ]

Wager not. Far as I'm concerned, I've been dead quite a while. How can you kill that which has no life, eh?

[ He thinks he's so clever... but back to business. ]

But... you're a shinki then? You wouldn't be the first! There's another one too. Buggered if I know why it happens though.

A

[diehardreaper]

[ Have an impressed whistle from seeing that scythe as he approached. His single hand is in his pocket as his jacket hangs over his left shoulder to cover the empty sleeve. But his eyes are still on the blade with a tinge of nostalgia before turning his attention to this... kid. ]

S'that yours? Lucky sod, got to keep your scythe! I haven't seen mine in an age!

[ He will... someday. But back to the matter at hand. ]

To be honest, mate, you'd think it'd be simple but it isn't. Can't cut down an ayakashi without using a shinki to do it. Try anything else'n it'll do you no bloody good.

[asterflower]

[The other speaks to Shion like a total stranger but also like he's familiar with Shion all at the same time. Shion isn't sure how to handle that. He just has more questions and questions that can't be answered. The name calling and teasing doesn't even bother him as much as everything else that's said.]

I can protect myself.

[He says that with a soft voice, maybe a little unsure in the conviction of the statement. He just feels like he... Has to say that. To prove that he's okay and he will be okay and he'll survive. Is that strange? Shion's head hurts...

He doesn't want to be alone. He doesn't want to be defenseless either...]

Y-you won't catch me off guard again.

[Even if he doesn't even know this person???? How frustrating...]

[festal]

I have plenty.

( Her mind is made up and she insists. )

You can give it to a friend instead if you want. But I want to give this to you now, Lavi.

( -san, as always because she's as polite as she is shy. )

[koshien]

Harass! [ mei says, falsely indignant: he's pouting, playful. ] It's serious! If I'm distracting, imagine how distracting an ayakashi might be. I can't transform into a demon or something at will, so this is just the best I can do!

Out of the kindness of my heart, Chikusa~ [ he bats his eyelashes, even. ] You know?

[asterflower]

[The statement has Shion clenching his teeth. He wants to survive and he doesn't want to be alone. That so much he knows to the deepest part of his heart. He nods slowly.]

Is that even possible? I've read about the issues. But... My past belongs to me. I want to know what happened to me. Even if it's dangerous.

gross

[koshien]

Jesus-- [ yeah, that definitely startles mei. he jumps, whirls around, and definitely doesn't drop the sword, though it does wobble a little bit in his grip. if it wasn't for his pitcher hands he may have just cut his own foot off.

horrifying. he glowers at this stranger for the interruption for a second. ] Don't sneak up on someone like that!

[ kazuya would be laughing his ass off. ] What?

[revolutionfalcon]

[The bags and paleness are absolutely something Shun notices immediately, because he looked about the same a few days ago. So he fixes Izuku with a somewhat severe frown even as he replies.]

That's what I was just doing. [Pay attention. And speaking of paying attention, Shun steps forward and leans in a little as if to highlight his noticing of Izuku's condition.]

And looking like that, I don't know if I trust you to stay upright for a full spar. [Since Shun has very little consideration for the personal space of others, he lifts a finger with the intent of tugging slightly at the puffy area under one of Izuku's eyes.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Why the turtle has a fluffy tail, Shun has no idea, but he's already resolved himself not to ask. He raises a brow slightly at the mention that Urashima's been practicing with her all day, but if she hasn't been hurt yet then maybe it's not an issue.]

Have you been sparring others in that time? Different kinds of practice have different risks for keeping something clinging to you like that.

[He's still going to double-check that it's actually fine.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun, for his part, instead lets out an irritable sigh.] That's all I can think, with things how they are. I've met maybe a handful of people who were gods in their own world, or a similar class of being, but other than that, we're almost all humans, and there's a huge amount of people untrained to handle a role like this on top of that. So no, I don't have a damn clue what kind of criteria they're picking people for.

[There's definitely a note of frustration in his voice about that. It's one of the biggest questions he's had since getting here, but it's also one of the ones least likely to be answered anytime soon.]

[revolutionfalcon]

There's some loose information about the killer - size and build, that sort of thing - but it's not that useful until we have more context, because it's still vague enough it barely narrows the pool.

[If there was any sign the killer had known the victims, there might be more of a lead, but as it is, there seems to be no real connection there at all.

It's while Shun's musing on that when Jennifer makes her apology, and Shun's attention immediately snaps to her with an air of something almost like defiance.]

You were lucky enough to get a second chance. Don't waste it apologising to people you don't owe a damn thing to. [Useful or not, she was the one who returned, and guilting herself about it helps nobody, as far as he's concerned.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[This isn't the first time Shun has sparred with these blades, so he does have somewhat of a feel fot the collision of them. But about the most skilled person he's ever done that with previously was Bishamon, and that was over a month ago when he first got interested in the idea of learning swordplay at all. The determination in his eyes remains unchanged, and as Hitsugaya pushes back, Shun shifts his balance backwards along with it so he's still sufficiently grounded to parry that follow-up.

It's very different from hand-to-hand, Shun's learning quickly. He's been largely trying to apply his skills from that to this, but given how badly that's gone so far, he's instead keeping an eye on Hitsugaya's motions - the ways he moves, the stances he uses to strike. Obviously, his opponent is extremely experienced, and he may as well take advantage of that in what he can pick up from him.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Normally, Shun keeps himself above falling into the more exciting, thrilling air of challenge outside of when he's dealing with people he already knows. Combat is something he's had to take seriously all too often, and sparring is generally just the same unless he's familiar enough with the person to know he can take it seriously as a challenge and a combat all at once and let himself loose a bit.

But Yata's getting enough into it that it almost seems insulting not to pick up the same spirit, and with a faint snort of what might be amusement, a smirk creeps onto Shun's face in reply.]

You must like asking stupid questions. [Still keeping an eye on Yata, he turns on his heel and beckons sharply in the direction of a clearer area.] I'm going to be disappointed if you're all mouth, but most people here don't stay that stupid for long.

wildcard

[mostsuitable]

[There comes a point in Riza's training when some especially helpful shinki come by to insist that she take a break and grab some refreshments, practically ushering her toward the garden. While this may be her first time, it's the second for Munakata; this happened to him at the last training nearly two weeks ago.

Still, he turns to the blonde stranger with a polite if unreadable smile.]

They have a point. It would do well us to stay hydrated on a day like this.

[freezetheheavens]

[Toushirou can respect his determination.

At the same time, he also has heard about what happens to a shinki who tries to learn too much about their past. But he doesn't show another reaction otherwise.]

Then proceed with caution. [His tone holds a note of warning, too. It's all fine to learn about your past, but don't do it in a manner where you're likely to blight yourself and your god.] But also remember that if you have a god, you have another person to worry about when it's time to face the consequences.

[minogame]

( He can't help but tilt his head to the side at the line of questioning. It's like he's never even thought that fighting with a turtle on his shoulder is not a good idea. She'd been fine everytime he was training and had stuck with him even when he was running between shores but... should he leave her somewhere safe? He reaches to pet her and taps at her shell, thinking for a moment before he starts to look around them, )

Hmm...

( A wooden bench nearby. He goes over to it and sets her down right on top of it, giving her more last pet on the shell before dashing back towards Shun. He can't help but glance back one last time, like he's worried she'd be safer with him in the middle of a sparring match than off on her own but she's a hardy turtle. If she can beat up demon roosters, then she'll be fine. )

Is that better?

( Can they start? )

/casually just fast forward this?

[freezetheheavens]

[Then he hopes that Shun continues to be a fast learner because they may keep at this for a while. Even with Toushirou still a bit winded from where he was dragged into this place from the middle of a fight, it's obvious that he isn't as exhausted as one normally would be aside from the occasional heavy breath he'll release.

The spar can go on for hours on end if the other doesn't let up. But it does happen eventually when it becomes apparent that continuously going through the motions begins to wear down on them. As they finally come to a temporary conclusion to their spar, Toushirou stands a few feet away from Shun. The wooden sword obviously has seen better days, but the shinigami looks....a little pleased, for the lack of a better word, at how the sparring has gone.

But he won't completely let down his guard either. Shun's proven several times at how he'll keep getting back up to start another round and even tired, he might still not back down.]

[redotiertwo]

Oh, they fucking did. I'm almost offended it didn't come with the requisite bitchy finger-snap routine.

[Because really, who the fuck thinks cleaning followed by dinner is a good reception. He would've taken the zombie festival over cleaning.

Somewhat of an understanding nod comes at her description of her headspace.]

Yeah, I figured it'd be something like that. And you probably will, being real about the general organizational level around here.

[redotiertwo]

[The wing twitches a bit at her touch, but settles soon enough. It's still kind of a weird feeling even if so many people like to make it their introduction to him.

Davesprite just continues staring once she seems to take his comment at face value, almost sighing in relief when she realises it's sarcasm. He's met quite enough sarcasm-blind people here already.] Thank fuck, I thought you were one of those people who couldn't recognise sarcasm if it backhanded them in the face while stunningly done up in an extensive written definition of the word. And... [He'd like to say he doesn't know where he got them, but he can't really do that honestly now.] ...it's recent news because shinki don't normally remember that sort of shit without losing their minds, but apparently I'm half dead crow. Fucking glamourous, I know, hold your applause.