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

[sing_for_me]

[Did this have anything to do with Izumo? She thought he'd at least feel comfortable around Temeraire.]

Then...is it ok if it's just me?

[She won't push it further if he says no, however.]

It doesn't have to be at Oshun's temple.

[light_of_willpower]

[That makes Trunks head cant slightly to the side, watching the younger shinki.]


Do people really forget their promises to you that easily?

[Because that's slightly worrying, and he feels bad for Goten if that's the case.]

Re: Shinki Training

[light_of_willpower]

Sometimes it is that "figuring out how to separate it" bit that's the hardest part. With practice, you'll just continue to be able to do it though, so soon you won't have to think.

[Although there is a chuckle at her comment too.]

But I do understand what you mean. Going back and trying to figure out how I know how to do certain things, that muscle memory clearly knows but I don't remember, has been harder than you'd think.

[sonofson]

[Goten blinks at that. He never really thought about it]

Yeah, sometimes. Nanako and me are the only kids here and everyone else is older so they have adult stuff to do. The only thing I can get to play with me is sparring.

[And thats fun. He loves sparring but it does bother him a bit. Mostly when he goes to the Near Shore and sees kids around his age playing with eachother]

[light_of_willpower]

[Sadly, Trunks was wondering if that was part of it. It might also be related to the 'not taking him seriously' even if that had impacted sparring more, for Goten, too. Waving Goten over to come sit beside him for a moment, Trunks makes room. And readies one of the better tasting food-bars, to hand to the younger shinki.]

I had wondered, as I've noticed. You both seem to be the most active of any of the younger ones too.

[Some of Amaterasu or Bishamon's shinki had been kids, as they'd been doing drawings of ayakashi. But they didn't seem to interact as much with others unless they were sought out.]

I can't promise I won't have things to do too, but I will do my best to make time to play with you. Besides sparring. And not just today, alright?

[bussounoshima]

[Genjo's strong. Sharak knows he can manage his personal trauma. They don't need to dwell on it any longer than they have to and if he doesn't want to ask for details, Sharak isn't inclined to give them. It's in the past.]

I didn't think it was. [Kouten has been running in the background at the Temple of Aditi for months now, with no apparent effects. Kainé and Gojyo barely remembered anything at all while they were here, compared to others, and Celty and Goten haven't shown any signs of remembering at all.] Unfortunately, I can't give you much information regarding who else we're dealing with right now.

[But she'll lay out what she does know.]

There's a spellcaster- probably a god, considering their access to heaven- that's been doing work with souls. There was an incident a while ago where a bunch of spirits were made to possess corpses and forced to attack us. Some of them were recognisable to people here. When I arrived there was another incident where a summoning circle was placed in the center of a town and it seemed to sap energy from the people there. Hakkai and I found some... crop circles in the Near Shore that were covered in blight, which may be connected.

There have been other incidents as well, traps that altered moods mostly. A few arsons, which seemed to target Amaterasu particularly and were either very poor attempts to rally us against her or very good attempts to rally us for her. [Either someone is very bad at managing propaganda or they know how to make a cute girl look even more defenceless and pitiful.] We mostly interact with the Shinto pantheon; Amaterasu and her advisors are the most willing to speak to us. The others are around though. The Hindu and Vedic pantheons mostly keep to themselves, for example, but I've spoken to a few of Aditi's sons.

[tl;dr]

[sonofson]

[Goten wonders over and takes a seat by the shinki when he beckons him over. He eagerly takes the food bar and starts to unwrap it.]

Mmmm...I guess so. I try not to think about it too much. I get it...I wish I was a little older though. Then maybe I could do more with them.

[He takes a bite of the bar and looks up to Trunks. He smiles a little and nods]

You dont have to make yourself though...I dont wanna bother you Trunks.

[light_of_willpower]

[Interesting...hmm. Something is still pinging at Trunks, but he's still not sure what.]

There's improving and learning, and then there's being out of one's league.

[Quiet for a moment, and his manner is still friendly, but Trunks is definitely concerned. It's something in the other's phrasing--at least on that last sentence.]

You alright? That interesting week been a bad thing?

[lionhearrt]

[ Yes. ]

No more cooking, then.

[ He'll agree on that condition. ]

[sing_for_me]

You mean not to leave you food anymore?

[light_of_willpower]

[That brings laughter, and a playful poke against Goten's shoulder.]

It's not 'making' me if I want to, Goten. I'm shinki to Mai, who's goddess of children. That means I enjoy playing too. And you, my friend--

[Now that hand is going back on the top of Goten's head affectionately.]

--are not a bother. You're a good sparring partner, a valuable ally and mentor to this less experienced shinki, and a fellow comrade in the 'where do we put all that food and get all that energy from?' state.

[A pause, and a grin.]

I like spending time with Nanako too, and she doesn't spar. I wouldn't do that if I didn't enjoy it, so why would I treat you any differently?

[lionhearrt]

Think you can do it?

[lionhearrt]

[ The kick lands, snapping his head down and spilling a laugh from the King as he lets his power explode out like a volcano. ]

[sing_for_me]

....

[She turns away slightly.]

Then I'll change it to something else.

[Him eating properly was more important than a selfish request of sharing one meal together.]

[lionhearrt]

[ It's as he thought. ]

You can't. Can you?

[sonofson]

[Goten stares up at him, listening to him carefully. He's...not use to being complimented like this. Trunks is't making himself hang out with Goten, he acutally wants to?]

Ahh....i donno about all that...

[He smiles, scratching the back of his head as he feels his face get warmer]

But thanks Trunks...I'm happy you think that! I'm glad we're friends!

[sing_for_me]

[No, she can't just leave you alone like that.]

...If I win, keep one of the finches with you. It's been looking for you anyway.

[light_of_willpower]

Me too.

[Which was the point he'd been trying to make. Good thing Goten understood now.]

So, they have some games here we could try, or we could play something else. So what did you want to play?

[lionhearrt]

[ He takes another drag of the cigarette. ]

And if I win?

[sing_for_me]

You said a song, didn't you?

[lionhearrt]

And the food delivery?

[sing_for_me]

...Im not betting that.

[lionhearrt]

Why?

[sing_for_me]

Because I'm not going to stop.

[Her hands clench into fists by her sides.]

[lionhearrt]

Why.