October Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: September 4th
Where: Meeting Hall, 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.

It seems Bishamon's temple is unavailable this week due to business, although she has generously allowed a number of her shinki to go on with their usual tasks of passing out pamphlets and assisting the newcomers to settle in.

Gods and shinki arriving at heaven's meeting hall are, should they allow it, guided kindly towards a traditional-style dojo and banquet hall towards the back of the meeting hall itself. 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 banquet hall for an informational meeting covering the basics of proper god behavior, although the minor deity conducting the meeting is in too much of a rush to take questions afterwards. 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 volunteers are stationed around the dojo, 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. Shinki are encouraged to work together to practice what they've learned and discuss their perspectives.

The garden is available for borderline practice, and a few of the last training's slightly tattered crayon-drawn borderline targets have been brought back out and pinned to bales of straw to make a practice area. One of Amaterasu's shinki is drawing replacements with a large inked calligraphy brush. His targets are simple but elegant, but somehow, before they make it over to the target bales, they're ending up crayon-scribbled into much brighter colors. Maybe it's the child shinki who are in charge of putting them up? They do seem to be giggling a lot, and Amaterasu's artist shinki is looking more and more annoyed...

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.

There's an additional task that the hosts are more than willing to ask for help with. The Meeting Hall seems to be suffering an invasion of cute soot sprites. Although they're harmless little spirits, they leave smears of ash and soot wherever they go, and the shinki are running themselves ragged trying to keep the hardwood floors and white walls clean! They're handing out cleaning rags and flyswatters to squash the soot sprites flat and scrub the resulting smears away -- and, for the softhearted, butterfly nets: although they implore anyone with a net to be sure they let the soot sprites out again far, far away.

Rest and Refreshments

The meeting hall's facilities are less modernized than Bishamon's: there are rainwater barrels set out by the dojo with fresh towels for hardworking gods and shinki to wash their face and hands. The water is ice cold, so it's very refreshing, too-- brr!

By lunchtime, the banquet hall where the gods' informational session was held has been cleaned out and re-set with cushions to sit on around long, low tables. Gods and shinki who come inside for lunch will be served a plain but hearty meal, with soup, rice, fish and pickled vegetables to refresh them for the afternoon's training.

The hall will stay open even after the lunches and tables have been cleared away, so that those who want a quieter space to talk with their new partners can find somewhere in the room. Hopefully the occasional stampede of soot sprites won't be too distracting.

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
• Help catch soot sprite pests
• Spectate if you want
• Have fun~

Comments

[nightcure]

[ Noctis just watches for a second, because... wow, this is kind of weird to watch. But kind of cute, also. He leans against a wall, arms crossed. ]

Having any luck with the little guys?

[challengesfate]

Hm? [She turns, takes in the new face, and then gives him a tired smile.] Ah, they are actually very stubborn. Not that I can lecture spirits on something like that.

[The little guys try feinting left, then go right, but Lucina's still keeping pace with them.]

[nightcure]

Hey, if they're so stubborn, maybe you could use a hand. But these little guys are spirits? They don't look like it.

[ ... he wouldn't really know, though, but he kneels down all the same. ]

You wanna listen to the nice lady and give her a break for a bit?

[challengesfate]

Apparently, they are. Most things here that aren't a God or a Shinki are usually spirits. Except for the cats. They're real cats.

[At least she thinks so? Momma Cat is real at least.

The soot sprites cheep and chirp, hopping up and down as if trying to convince Noctis of their plight. They don't want to leave! They want to stay!]

Hm...I don't want to do anything to hurt them...perhaps if I carried them elsewhere, they would stop trying to go back?

[nightcure]

I've met the cats. Turns out that's my power, I can talk to them.

[ Here comes one that seems to like Noctis in particular.

He scoops one of the little sprites up and holds it in his hand. ]

Maybe? They might wear themselves out trying to get back, though.

[challengesfate]

Really? That's - that's incredible! We do have a cat at my temple, would you like to speak to her one day?

[The sprite jumps up and down a little bit before rolling around in Noctis's palm, getting him all sooty. Aw geez.]

But what if they found the place they went to more agreeable than here? There must be some place they would like.

[nightcure]

Definitely. Cats are the best.

[ He's content to let the spirit play, at least. Look, it's cute, even if it's making a mess. He can wash his hands later. ]

Huh. Worth a shot. Hey, little guys, you want to go somewhere cool? I promise you'll like it way more than this place.

[challengesfate]

[The spirits give it a moment of thought, turning and looking at each other, then at the two gods in front of them...

And then give a collective shrug. Eh, they'll see how cool it is when they get there.]

Oh...perhaps they're willing to give it a chance! That's much further than I'd gotten.

[nightcure]

Hey, I'm just as surprised as you.

[ With how stubborn the little spirits are, he expected them to just ignore him and the offer. ]

Got any ideas where we should take them?

[challengesfate]

Hm...well...there might be an older building that no one has taken residence in, or a particularly large temple where no one would mind a few nooks taken over by little soot creatures.

[nightcure]

A temple might be more fun for the little guys. More places to get all dirty or explore.

[ He addresses the spirits now: ] How's that sound? How do you like a big place to soot up?

[challengesfate]

[What? A place for them to make sooty? A big place? The little sprites all cheer, especially the one in Noctis' hand.]

They seem to like that idea best. But hm, which to bring them to...

[nightcure]

[ Aw. Little Sooty is so cute. ]

Maybe take 'em to a bunch of different temples and leave it to them.

[challengesfate]

That's a good idea. But...we should make sure no one is living in them, first, unless the god in residence is okay with sharing some of their space.

[nightcure]

Yeah, got a point there. Are there any abandoned ones, at least?

[ ... then he stops. Oh. ]

Man, we've been talking this whole time and I don't even know your name. I'm Noctis.

[challengesfate]

I believe there are some...

[Oh...right...introductions, yes, that's important.]

My name is Lucina. It's good to meet you, Noctis.