August Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: August 15
Where: Bishamon's temple, the Far Shore
Summary: Training and informational sessions for newly arrived gods and shinki



In anticipation of the latest round of new arrivals, Heaven has partnered with the new gods and shinki to organize a very helpful informational reception.

Gods and shinki arriving at heaven's meeting hall are, should they allow it, guided kindly towards Bishamon's temple. In that vast complex they are brought to a traditional-style dojo. 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

Unfortunately, Bishamon is away on business today, but her shinki as well as Amaterasu's ever-present shinki and any volunteering gods will offer 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 receive as orientation 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 as well as offering a lecture on the basics of what is expected of a shinki and the importance of teamwork with other shinki and with gods. It is encouraged that shinki group up together to practice what they've learned and discuss their ideologies.

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.) This is vital for 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.

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

[dragonflood]

[She finishes her check and turns to him.] Why not?

[It's just an ability she gained, just like the ink—which she can't figure out how to use, but that only makes her more determined to master the other one—and people need to know their abilities. Particularly if they're going to use it in combat; she hadn't thought about it in straightforward terms like that, but she can't truthfully say it hadn't been at the back of her mind.] If you can avoid blight, it seems like it'd be worth it.

[Granted, the only one she's seen with blight had said it didn't hurt, but that's only one person. She doesn't fancy getting blighted herself, whether it hurts or not.]

[Currently, all her jump-off is doing is making it feel like she's landing from one, though, but she hasn't actually noticed she's doing it; she thinks of a teleport as a "jump," so she jumps.]

I'm Rekka. Filling in for Rangda.

[reformedsinner]

There's no reason at all not to. In fact, it sounds like a useful technique.

[He offers her a small, polite bow.] Cho Hakkai, for Li Tieguai. Have you been here long, Rekka?

[dragonflood]

It's not a technique yet...

[She bows, too, but it's more compulsive than anything else; after working for her organization's overseeing body for a while, certain courtesies come more naturally to her than it used to.]

Not long. [There's a pause as she considers asking why he wants to know, but it's not like she hasn't asked that question herself.]

[So she returns to the topic at hand.] Are you going to make one? Teleport technique?

[reformedsinner]

Hmm, it might be worth trying to integrate it with my fighting style.

[Especially for ayakashi who are winged, or otherwise inconveniently mobile.

Or opponents whose strength it's difficult to meet head-on. For instance, stronger gods. Hakkai's expression is growing more thoughtful, but, after a moment, he comes back to himself and smiles cheerfully at Rekka.]

I'll need to practice myself first, though, before I try it in a fight! I imagine it's disorienting?

[dragonflood]

I've been going in straight lines so far, so not yet. [It seems to her that as long as she always keeps the enemy in front, it shouldn't be too hard to orient herself, but she hasn't exactly tried it with an opponent, either.]

It doesn't need to be integrated if... [She stops there, because that's not her call to make. Instead—] What's your fighting style?

[reformedsinner]

Some long-range energy attacks combined with close-range hand to hand.

[So, really, teleporting could integrate well. He adds, thoughtfully:]

Although one of my shinki is a sword, and the other a robe. I've been trying to integrate more swordsmanship as well.

[dragonflood]

[That's a more general answer than she was expecting, but it's not like she doesn't tend to hide the extent of her own abilities, herself.] Sounds well-rounded. [A bit of a generic answer. But Rekka hasn't actually thought through how to use teleportation in combat aside from really generic things such closing the distance or dodging attacks.]

If it's swordsmanship you need...shouldn't you focus on mastering that, first? [She may or may not be Very Opinionated about sword-users.]

[reformedsinner]

Ha ha, yes, of course.

But when swordsmanship fails, surprise may carry the day!

[Mightn't it? Hakkai has no doubts of his own skill, no matter the number of opponents, but the fact that he can't touch ayakashi without causing more injury to himself than to them is forcing him to reevaluate a number of his fighting techniques.]

[dragonflood]

[That laugh and answer sounded a little...casual to her, so she can't help but side-eye him for a second. The moment passes, because it's not like new gods get to pick their shinki's form.]

Do you want to try it, then?

[She hasn't managed to lose anything when she teleports, so something as frenetic as a fight can get doesn't seem much of an issue. (Her mind jumps to a spar first because of course it does.)]

[reformedsinner]

[It's unquestionably casual. He's no expert with a sword, and he knows it, but strength, speed and a certain willingness to kill have served him well using that weapon in the past. Expertise with the weapon can wait, since there's no guarantee he'll have the same shinki for long enough to develop it.

He considers the other god, and, after a moment, breaks into a cheerfully aggressive smile.]

Why, yes! What do you think of a game of tag?

[Teleport tag. It should be a good way to develop the reflexes.]

[dragonflood]

[...Tag.]

[...Is that the same tag she's thinking of, or...?]

How do you play it?

[Human barchess was one of the methods Makai Knights used to train, she knows. And barchess itself has its own merits, as she knows from a friend. She has nothing against games. ...For the most part. That cheerfully aggressive smile is somewhat suspicious...]

[reformedsinner]

We take turns trying to tag each other -- any touch counts. [He reaches out to lightly tap her shoulder with his fingertips.] Once you've been tagged, it's your turn to try to tag the other person.

I find practical applications help me learn.

[dragonflood]

[As someone who rejected a mentor role shortly before getting yanked here, she has no comment on the learning applications. The game itself, however—]

Sounds simple enough.

[And since she's just been tagged, it's her turn to be the pursuer, right? She teleports behind him, and whirls around to grab his shoulder or back. The slight tensing of her leg would probably give her away to someone who noticed her "pushing off" in the first place, though.]

[reformedsinner]

[She shifts to push off, and Hakkai starts to whirl, moving on reflex to dodge before he remembers: ah, he's supposed to teleport.

He blinks out, halfway through the turn, and reappears a few feet to the left still turning, still coming back up to his full height.]

It's not that easy!

[dragonflood]

It'd be disappointing if it were.

[Teleporting mid-turn. That's something she'd definitely have to get the hang of later.]

[Since he's facing her again, she won't be able to try the same thing twice (though she kind of wants to). She knows well the folly of swinging wildly...]

[So she teleports to his right this time, throwing out her hand instead of needing to turn.]

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai dodges, but he dodges to the right. So many guesses he could have made about her destination, he thinks as her hand hits him in the shoulder, and he'd guessed exactly wrong.

But that means it's his turn: without teleporting, he reaches out fast to grab at her wrist and return the tag.]

[dragonflood]

[Through real fights, she's learned not to be content with the accomplishment of a single blow, but she also can't teleport so quickly in succession—her training today had focused more on making sure she hadn't dropped anything. She draws her hand back after the tag, but teleporting backwards takes her a second.]

[Possibly a second that'll cost her.]