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

[ittenbari]

[The headbutt is what gets him to take a second to consider the situation.]

Hey, what're...

[He squints at the doll and turns it from side to side, finally noticing that something is a little fishy.]

Wait, what's...

[This is definitely unusual.]

WHAT DID THEY DO TO YOU?!

[Well, it was a step in the right direction.]

[priforprince]

[ The doll takes this opportunity to dramatically sag, swooning in Sakon's arms. It has been fairly beaten-up recently, after all. ]

[ittenbari]

[He hugs the doll to his chest. This poor thing! This is too much!]

What am I supposed to do now?!!

[priforprince]

[ The doll has no ideas, but Hibiki, far from the party, sneezes. What? What has been happening with the ridiculous tickle in her nose recently...?

Is she going to have to return to the training so Wendy can find her a tissue? ]

[ittenbari]

[He looks around frantically.]

Somebody's gotta know what to do, right? Right?

[Wait.]

Why am I asking you? Someone turned you into a doll!

[priforprince]

[ The doll wilts, as if it only has just realized this fact.

Hibiki is getting sick of sneezing. She puts down her teacup and stands up. Ugh. She didn't want to return, but it seems she must. There is no way she could ever possibly procure her own tissue, and without Wendy around to immediately replace it, she also doesn't want to use her handkerchief.

Shinki can be less convenient than butlers, sometimes. ]

[ittenbari]

Is there a doctor?

[He's loud enough that people will pay attention, even if they can't figure out what the hell he's on about.]

Or a wizard?

[Because maybe that's actually what you'd need instead.]

Or a wizard doctor?

[Even better. If there is such a thing.]

[priforprince]

[ The doll gives up and just lies damsel-like in his hold. If ever anyone has needed saving from a bold hero, it is this doll, right now.

....The training session sounds especially loud today. Hibiki, standing outside looking in, flinches. Dare she...? ]

[ittenbari]

[Since most people think he's joking (or hopes he is, considering), Sakon isn't getting a whole lot of responses to his pleas. Which means he's going to have to take care of this himself.

He's not sure how to carry the doll. It would be rude to carry it (her?) like a sack of potatoes, but at the same time he feels kind of silly doing a princess carry. And obviously dragging it is out of the question. So he's just kind of awkwardly moving it around trying to figure this out and looking increasingly distressed.]

Why did this have to happen...?

[priforprince]

[ The doll flops pathetically with every different moving method Sakon tries. The extra movement attracts the attention of one of the training dummies.

It appears to be watching.

Hibiki has the chills. She.....really doesn't want to head to the training arena right now, for some reason.... ]

[ittenbari]

[Sakon avoids horror movies at all costs, but he has the feeling that this must be what it's like to be in one. Like, where you're afraid to turn your head because something is going to be there, but at the same time if you don't turn your head, you're not going to see what whatever is there is up to and you'll die even faster so you should try looking even if all you get to do is scream and -- ]

Breathe, Sakon. You're overthinking this, right?

[priforprince]

[ No answer to Sakon's plight is forthcoming from the doll.

The training dummy might be a little bit closer now. Just a little. Who knows.

Hibiki is pacing back and forth outside the training grounds. This is baseless. Ridiculous! And yet, this sense that if she walks into this area, she'll see something abominably stupid remains... ]

[ittenbari]

[Something's rattling, isn't it? And the sound is getting closer and closer.

Maybe if he just...just sloooowwlllllyyyy turns his head, it will be okay.

The training dummy makes a swing for his head.

It's not okay.]

WHY DOES THIS KEEP HAPPENING?!

[priforprince]

KEEP IT DOWN!

[ Whoa.

That was Hibiki's voice. From.

Somewhere! ]

[ittenbari]

[Sakon looks at the doll in confusion and manages to roll to the side to avoid the swinging practice sword purely on instinct.]

I'M SORRY!

[The apology seems to come purely on instinct, too.]

[priforprince]

Screaming your apology defeats the point!

[ The doll's limbs bump against Sakon. Clearly this is censure, and not just physics at work. ]

[ittenbari]

I'm sorry!

[He has to keep rolling from side to side to keep from getting hit and getting pummeled by the doll isn't making it easy. Luckily he seems to have excellent muscle memory for this sort of thing. You kind of wonder how many times he's had to do something like this.]

I'm sorry!

[And each time he apologizes, it does get a little less loud. At least there's that...]

I'm sorry!

[priforprince]

[ That is...something, yes. Enough that Hibiki has turned the corner in order to see exactly what's happening, and....

....

No, she's. She's looking, herself, personally, with her own two eyes, exactly according to her preferences, but she still doesn't know. ]


....What do you believe you're doing?

[ittenbari]

I really have no idea anymore!

[This whole situation really has spiraled completely out of control. If the practice dummy would stop trying to beat him to death even for a second, maybe he could figure it out, but...]

[priforprince]

Then stop!

[ Except then you'd be battered by the practice dummy, wouldn't you. Hibiki sighs. ] Hold still.

[ She really doesn't want to get involved in something this stupid.

But she also can tell that if she watches for even another second, if she is forced to be exposed to another modicum of this absurdity, her mood will be irreparably ruined. ]

[ittenbari]

Yes, ma'am!

[Sakon freezes obediently, though he does keep looking back and forth between Hibiki and the practice dummy with increasing panic in his eyes.]

[priforprince]

[ Well, small favors. Hibiki pulls out an antique fencing rapier from apparently nowhere and darts forward. ] HAAAAAH!

[ The dummy falls, impaled through the chest on Hibiki's sword. Hibiki straightens and slings her substitute doll on her back like a sack.

....When did she grab it??? ]

[ittenbari]

Wh-what an amazing rescue!!

[Sakon looks up at her from the floor in complete awe.]

I'm impressed! I'm really impressed!

[Is there a reason he had an affinity for that doll? Possibly.]

adorable

[priforprince]

[ Of course you're impressed. She did something.

Hibiki sighs and frowns down at him, as regal as one can be with a beat-up copy of oneself flopped over a shoulder. ]

Don't involve other people in farces.

[ She slides her sword out of the dummy, which flops: hit a vital point. (They had vital points?) ]

[ittenbari]

Huh?

[He scratches his head as that takes a few seconds to sink in.]

But it's yours, isn't it?

[Since it's a little clearer now what's actually going on. And it makes a lot more sense this way, thank goodness.]

So I'm the one who got involved, right?