December Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: September 25th
Where: Bishamon's temple, the Far Shore
Summary: Training and informational sessions for newly arrived gods and shinki



Gods and shinki arriving at heaven's meeting hall are, should they allow it, guided to Bishamon's temple, where a reception area and a traditionally styled dojo and training ground have been made available for the day. 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 Western-styled reception hall within Bishamon's temple 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 shinki volunteers, both in the white-and-gold of Amaterasu's shinki and in Bishamon's red-piped black uniforms, are stationed around the dojo, passing out helpful informational pamphlets. They will be happy to instruct the newcomers in the use of the borderline as well as offering an explanantion 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.

Someone has brought two overflowing boxes of back issues of From Ama, the Heavenly magazine, which includes profiles of successful shinki and gods, historical tidbits, and the occasional magazine quiz to help shinki determine how well they're currently working with their god or what their greatest strength might be.

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.

This month, a clever shinki magician has created a dozen straw-stuffed training dummies, some with sword-length sticks and some with polearm-length sticks, that have been enchanted to really fight back. Unfortunately, the spell isn't perfect yet! They're good training partners, but sometimes they might go a little haywire and try to smack passersby.

Rest and Refreshments

Along with bottled water, there are several large boxes of energy drinks and vitamin drinks in small amber glass bottles, and an array of protein bars and meal bars. One particular shinki in white, a bespectacled twentysomething man, is explaining the health benefits of everything on the table (even the water!) with great enthusiasm to any guest who looks even a little confused. It takes great tact to discourage him.

Party games have been set up on the lawn near the refreshments table: Twister, Kubb, lawn Jenga, and more.

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
• Play some games
• Spectate if you want
• Have fun~

Comments

[bussounoshima]

That's fine, but sit down then.

[If he's going to be walking back later, he needs his rest. Sharak takes a seat and lights a cigarette. The temple is safe as anything can be here. Kouten's barrier hums around them to anyone sensitive enough to notice. The chickens and rooster cluck happily outside, ready to throw a shitfit if anyone approaches.

And Sharak is here. That's security enough.]

You look even worse than the last time I saw you.

[killsthebuddha]

[ Settling down carefully on a cushion, he takes a moment to get as comfortable as he can. It’s not terribly successful, but he can appreciate being able to sit down somewhere again. For the first time since he’d arrived, he finally lets his guard down somewhat. ]

Do I? This shouldn’t be a surprise to you, as far as I remember. [ Narrowly avoiding obliteration by Nataku was a little rough. ]

[bussounoshima]

Oh, you were pretty bad when I saw you. [In India, at least. He'd still been injured when they met here, but he'd had a little time to recover then.] All burned up in the backseat of that car.

[And then she'd gone to check on her charges, to visit the youkai village nearby and make sure they were all safe. Then Nataku had arrived to declare his intentions.]

If you remember something else, please let me know.

[If someone could please tell her that her people are safe, she'd declare all debts paid.]

[kokuyoyo]

It's the most I want to waste effort on.

[After all, why bother besides that?]

[killsthebuddha]

[ So she was being dicked around, too, it seems. His eyes widen slightly, surprise briefly flitting across his face.

He’s starting to get pushed past his limit for meddling god bullshit right now. ]

You’re missing Nataku and his shikigami, for one. When that brat god went after a village under your protection, my party came to see what made him such a worthwhile replacement. [ Because going into battle against a god with injuries like his had been the completely normal, rational thing to do. Sharak would understand. ]

Re: Physical Training

[doodlebuginette]

[Marinette nodded.]

I remember that. From before.

[The redhead's wording caught her attention, though and she was reminded of a different redhead with the tendency to question literally everything.]

So it's okay for a shinki to get their memories back naturally, but not okay for them to be reminded of things they don't remember. [It wasn't a question, but it did confuse her a bit.]

Has a god ever come back as a shinki? [That didn't seem likely, but she still felt the need to ask.] Sorry for all the weird questions. I think I'm still trying to process everything.

Re: RnR

[doodlebuginette]

A little, maybe?

[It was surprisingly easy to admit that, and she's smiling when she turns to see who'd approached her.]

I think it's more to do with the fact that I'm used to making my own food though. But in the spirit of trying to get along, I suppose I can give one of these a try.

[And so she reaches out to take the offered granola bar. Maybe it wouldn't even be too terrible.]

Thank you.

Physical Training

[ittenbari]

Oh no!

[The dummy is easy enough to dispatch with a flying kick to the head, but it looks like it's caused problems that are going to be a little more difficult to fix...

Sakon leans over to see if there's anything he can do to help when he realizes he's seen this person before. Because this is someone you remember if you've seen them before.]

Geez, this keeps happening to you, doesn't it? Maybe you should start wearing a helmet.

Yoyo envy is real, yo.

[doodlebuginette]

[As had become habit during her time as Ladybug, she glanced over out of the corner of her eye as someone approached. She'd almost been expecting Chat. Disappointment flooded through her when she realized how dumb she was being.]

Maybe.

[But it wasn't his height, or his hair color, or even the adorable hat atop his head that had drawn her attention. No, it was the bright red yoyo he was oh-so-casually wielding.]

... Where'd you find that?

everyone wants them

[kokuyoyo]

[It takes him a second to realize just what she's referring to, and Chikusa blinks his way back into focus as he snaps the yoyo back into his hand.]

Mine. I came with it.

[Well, two, debatably four, but he only has the one out right now.]

Why?

[bussounoshima]

[Even Sharak Sanzo isn't immune to everything, unfortunately. She's not surprised to hear Genjo had gotten involved, the kid had made enough of a ruckus to attract attention even during the period she remembers. That he'd involved himself while injured is also normal and rational. Civilians had been endangered, after all.

(If he'd had another, less normal and rational, reason for involving himself while injured well. She's not going to criticize her colleague.)]

I can explain about those villagers, if you'd like. [She doesn't think she needs to, though. Genjo and the others are smart enough to figure it out.] I remember Nataku and- I think- his shikigami. [It wasn't long after their appearance that she'd arrived here, but it's a term that makes sense.] I'm missing your arrival, but that's not unheard of around here. Even for the so-called "gods".

[The ones who are supposed to have intact memories can't rely on that anyway.]

[doodlebuginette]

Good.

[She's nodding a bit at the response, because it was pretty similar to what she'd been told.]

That's what I heard, too. [That kind of frightened her a little, but she supposed that was just par for the course. This entire situation was a bit frightening, truth be told. But she had to be brave.] Being friends would make things easier, wouldn't it? [Unless he meant that they'd have been friends before? Ugh. Why was this so confusing?]

Maybe they intentionally kept it vague as a test. [That was one possibility. And hey, he didn't seem weirded out by the way she'd worded her previous question, so that was a win.] I guess I did. [Even though he'd technically approached her after she'd seen that vision or whatever it was.] Do you want to be mine?

[Marinette just smiled at that.] That's true.

You're right. [Trying to make sense of all of this immediately was not going to happen. She'd just have to be patient, and give it time.] I do.

Rightfully so

[doodlebuginette]

[It occurred to her that she was probably being a little rude, but curiosity had overridden her need to be polite just now. As it is, her eyes are tracking the yoyo's motion until it snapped back into his hand and out of her sight.]

Ah.

[She should've figured that was the case. Having already peeked through the assembled weapons, she'd yet to run into anything quite so perfect.]

Just curious. I was going to ask if there were any others.

[risingdarkness]

[He barely even pauses long enough to glare over his shoulder at whoever made the comment. It's bad enough that he has to be here in the first place. The last thing he needs is someone getting snotty at him.]

Are you volunteering to be next?

[risingdarkness]

Why do you care? I'm hungry and it's free.

[Instinctively, he puts himself between her and his growing stockpile of food. He may not remember who he was before he got here, but something in his brain is equating the need to eat with a fear of starvation.]

[risingdarkness]

What? Reading this?

[He grinds the papers with his heel.]

Then they can send me back.

[kuroi_taiyo]

Yeah, well shinki native to this world are pretty damn boring.

[ He... Doesn't seem to care about whether or not he angers a god. Maybe it's one of the things he was aiming for- if so, he's got a skill for it. Especially if you ask the other people that have come across him. ]

I'd rather be rude and make things more interesting.

[bartenderizing]

[ Gruff and irritated is easy enough to deal with. As bad an idea as it might be, Shizuo wasn't actually concerned about the dangers an irritated Sanzo could bring. ]

Anyway, what happened to cause... that.

[ That whole mess that has you looking like shit, that is. ]

Which we've got a bunch of healers that can help with that, by the way.

Physical Training (with an allusion to Shinki training)

[light_of_willpower]

[Why, was Trunks not surprised to find a 'doll' in the God's place again? Honestly, he was torn by equal parts frustration and amusement--which might be why he kept an eye out for Apollo. First noticing them absconding with the magazine stack, and now this...

Sighing, heading towards the over-turned chair. Not hard to catch the dummy's arm as it goes to hit the prone target to keep it from continuing it's beating. Confirming that yes it is indeed a doll, and not the God in question. If so, then where is the missing God?]

[declamando]

I think you're confusing making things interesting and making people angry. Or perhaps you're only interested in what you find interesting, not what anyone else does. Does that sound right?

[Maria's tone is getting more and more direct each time she remarks on him. While it's rare that she finds people who particularly rub her the wrong way here, she's never been the sort to just dance around that subject when it comes up.]

[declamando]

[Maria only slightly purses her lips at the sight of Chikusa - she hasn't forgotten that conversation either, but she has to bear in mind the circumstances of the night. When everyone was a little bit messed up from the emotional influence, she can't exactly dive on the argument they had as being one they would have had normally.

Still, it didn't seem to completely change anyone either, and they came to somewhat of a stalemate. So she doesn't smile, but she also doesn't pick up that thread of conversation so they can just argue to a standstill again.]

I suppose, but they might have been better served animating slightly stronger dummies. A lot of people here don't seem to hold back when they're training.

Physical Training (It IS the popular option...)

[light_of_willpower]

[In some ways, Trunks used these training sessions with all the new arrivals more as a way to mingle and meet people. Pleased also to see them trying new ideas out, between the bean-bags last time, and the obstacle Course they'd had when he'd arrived. Dummies that fought back were a good idea, but hopefully they'd been calibrated for various skill levels.

An opponent that fought back though, was good. Training solo only got one so far. That, and it was more fun with others; he had no problem adjusting to train up or down too with partners.

Which means it's easy enough to see when Dali is knocked off balance, as she was a new face against the dummies from what he could tell. A hint of frown, as the dummy didn't seem to realize it should stop. There had been a few dummies that had been going out of control hadn't there?]

Friendly incoming on your right!

[Called while he's moving and sliding in to block the strike of the dummy. Alerting the downed Goddess more to his positioning and to coordinate. Much like he'd learned to do with his own Goddess.

He does make a pretty good shield, and the dummy won't give him any trouble.]

(Future) Trunks || OTA

[light_of_willpower]

Shinki Training
[Trunks already has the pamphlet; he read it when he first arrived. He'll take another, and note that the information hasn't changed at all. Not that it's much of a surprise. Still, he's hanging back and mostly observing to try and learn the new faces.

Observing quietly, although if anyone looks like they have questions or seem intimidated by asking Amaterasu or Bishamon's shinki, he'll come over and try to help.]

Physical Training

[THIS is more his speed; especially since he's trying to reacquaint himself with how to use a sword. Mostly by trying to relearn what he can, but letting muscle-memory guide him. It's a slow process, and frustrating at times, but it's working.

Outside, he's keeping an eye on the dummies. It's a good idea in theory, but some of the dummies seem to not realize who their targets are. Which means he's keeping an eye out to see if anyone needs help wrangling a dummy away from themselves or others.]

R&R

[To all appearances, Trunks is the model of polite listening while actually getting bottles of water and some meal and protein bars. Quite a lot of them actually, given his appetite. He's still taking his first chance to politely leave though, and find a different spot. Eyeing the games while folding himself down on the grass with the pile of snacks and bottles of water.]

[priforprince]

[ The doll does not protest. It does, however, look rather forlorn.

Over by the refreshment tables, Hibiki shivers, sending ripples across the tea in her teacup. ]

Such a foreboding feeling...

[ She frowns at her tea, which has settled down. ] Was it nothing?

[priforprince]

That invisible ingrate refuses to be satisfied.

[ This is a bit of a touchy subject. The frowny face adds a tongue sticking out. ]

Anyway, I'll leave you to it.

[ Hibiki is running away from the problem.

Except not literally. Not her style. Hibiki is Nobly Walking Away From The Problem. ]