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

[doodlebuginette]

[It's on the tip of her tongue to ask if she's lost her voice or something, but she doesn't want to seem rude. And besides, Marinette is sure that if it was something she wanted people to know, she'd have already mentioned it.]

It's always great to meet another fashion designer!

And I kind of like weird. Who wants to be normal?

Yep! I just ... showed up with this last batch of new people. And it's been interesting so far. I wasn't terribly impressed by the snacks, but maybe I'm just being picky.

[There's a noticeable pause between those statements, as if this were a perfectly mundane conversation.]

Do you make other things too?

[lookingforhead]

[Well, it's not really a secret, she supposes.]

I'm usually not much for the snacks here myself. But other people like them and I'm not a good judge. I had a rough time finding my god when I first showed up. Did you have any better luck? Do you need any help?

I can make weapons. And tendrils and stuff. If you were watching me during training you might have seen my shadows.

[doodlebuginette]

[Goodness, it was a relief to hear that she wasn't the only one who didn't find the snacks all that impressive.]

I'm sorry you had a rough time. Finding my shinki was pretty straightforward.

[He'd actually found her.]

That's neat! What kind of weapons? I don't believe I got to watch you during training. Maybe I'll catch you the next time!

[She was certainly going to try. Though to be fair, she hadn't really stopped to watch anyone in the training area.]

[lookingforhead]

[The helmet gives little bobs, little nods as Marinette responds so excitedly. It's a bit more than Celty is used to but it's refreshing to see someone so enthusiastic too.

Checking the distance between them, Celty holds out her hand palm down. Shadows stream from her sleeve and closes her grip on it as it forms into a pole. The blade of the scythe forms next, shiny and black, the whole of it as dark as shadow. The whole of it seems bigger than should be comfortable to wield but to Celty it seems as light as air as she strikes a stylish pose.]

[doodlebuginette]

[What Celty may or may not have realized yet is that Marinette is generally this upbeat about pretty much everything. Some people might find it to be slightly overwhelming.

When the shadows begin streaming from Celty's hand, Marinette is taking a couple of short steps backward, more out of reflex than any sort of fear. She's watching curiously as the hand-shadows seem to solidify into an impressive-looking bladed weapon. Her eyes are wide as she takes in the other woman's stylish pose, and she can't help but applaud.]

Wow! That was great! Is that the kind of weapon you use?

[lookingforhead]

[Overwhelming yes, and Celty is the sort to easily be flustered, but she's also the sort to sincerely enjoy people who are enthusiastic about things. As long as they don't hurt anyone in the process.

Marinette's initial backpedaling is met with an internal smile by the Dullahan. She's nice, but she still enjoys spooking people on occasion.

When she types her reply this time she keeps one hand on the scythe. Shadow tendrils snake from her sleeve to help her thumb type up her response to make up for the missing fingers.]

It's the first one I made when I tried, and I'm most comfortable with it. I can make others, but I think this is my favored one, yes.

[Shinki memory loss is a tricky thing, but she's found her gut impulses tend to be trustworthy. Or at least she can depend on them enough to not worry about the things she doesn't know.]

[doodlebuginette]

[That was really great, being able to just make things out of shadows. Sure, she'd made things in the past, but it was nothing like that.]

Did you try many others before you decided you liked this one best?

[She was curious, mostly. And she could certainly understand having one specific weapon that out-shined the others.]

[lookingforhead]

The opposite I think. I tried other things and they didn't feel like as good a fit.

But people here at the training sessions have been kind enough to help me with trying those other weapons and things.

[doodlebuginette]

I know the feeling.

[Then again, she hadn't really tried many of the offered weapons before she'd decided they didn't feel right.]

Yea, people here are usually willing to help out if you seem to need it!