February Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: October 15th
Where: Meeting Hall, 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 the Meeting Hall, 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 traditional reception room within the Meeting Hall for an informational meeting covering the basics of proper god behavior. A minor deity is giving the speech, and none of the white-robed shinki enter. 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 in the white-and-gold of Amaterasu's hosuehold 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 explanation 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.

A training game has been set up through a section of the Meeting Hall gardens, with little cut-outs of ayakashi hidden in the landscaping, tucked into bushes or taped under bridges. Prize ribbons are being offered for every ten "ayakashi" a shinki (or team) discovers.

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. Several magically animated straw-stuffed training dummies, many of which have been carefully mended and patched with neat black stitching, are set up on the lawn with a white-robed shinki hovering nearby to watch over them. They make good training partners, although anyone who comes too close risks being targeted for a sparring match whether they wanted one or not.

The pond behind the dojo has had dozens wooden poles sunk in it, spaced a few feet apart, with a bunch of brightly colored ribbons tied around the pole in the very center. Some of the white-robed shinki are practicing scaling the poles and leaping from one to the next, until they get close enough that they can snatch a ribbon from the center pole, and several have fallen in and are being teased by their fellows.

Rest and Refreshments

Instead of snacks being served at the training session, this week, white-robed shinki with little flags are conducting groups of newcomers and volunteers down to the Tokyo Daijingu shrine and into a street festival currently being held in Tokyo. Traditional dance troupes are performing on street corners, and vendors have every kind of fall street foods, from barbecue to takoyaki, chocolate-dipped bananas and red-bean pancakes. New arrivals will get a white-and-gold envelope with spending money for the fair, although gods and shinki who have had some time to settle in will have to handle their own lunch expenses.

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
• Go to a festival
• Spectate if you want
• Have fun~

Comments

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[That's enough prompting for him, at least. Quickly, he moves over to fill in the extra space next to her, and offering up a hasty,]

Thank you.

[Maybe this will give them a better chance of getting service? We'll see...!]

[unlucky7]

[Ginia nods at him. It might seem like she's ignoring him as she pulls out her phone and begins to type on it, but she holds up a message for him to read.]

No problem. Go ahead and order ahead of me, I'm not hungry.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[The method of her reply comes as something of a surprise, and before he really has a chance to think about why she might have done it that way, he blurts out,]

Are you sure?

[Oh, but what if more discreet communication is the kind of etiquette that he should be using, too? If it isn't just a personal preference of hers, what if it's rude not to respond in kind...? The line moves yet again, and as he moves along with it, he fishes his own phone out. Giving it a questioning sort of gesture, he drops his volume a bit and follows up with another question.]

Should I be using this too?

[unlucky7]

[Ginia nods and smiles as she also moves with the line. Just one person left in front of them. Though now that she's closer, the smell of the melted chocolate is nice, a rich sweet smell. Oh, it does look good and a lot of people seem to be enjoying the food...

As he takes out his phone and drops his voice, she blinks at him before quickly shaking her head.]

You're fine; I can't talk so I have to use my phone. Or is it easier for you to listen instead of read? I can have the phone read the message out loud. I also know sign language.

[There's no sadness, no embarrassment, just a fact.]

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[Oh!]

Sorry, I had no idea!

[That... is such a simple answer to why she pulled her phone out, it’s almost shocking he didn’t consider it himself. Sheepishly, he pockets his own phone once again.]

Reading’s fine, I... don’t know how to sign. [He’s pretty sure of that, at least, even with the memory loss withstanding.]

[unlucky7]

[She waves her hand dismissively. No need to apologize, of course he didn't know, they just met.]

Just arrived or have you been here awhile? I'm new myself.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[The fact that she seems to be taking the misstep on his part in stride is honestly pretty comforting, even if he still feels kind of bad over it.]

I just got here, yeah... [At least there's a feeling of newbie-solidarity in this interaction.] It's... a lot to get used to.

[unlucky7]

Have people been filling you in on things? Are you a god or shinki?

[Though hold that thought because they're now the front of the line. Ginia gestures at him to go ahead and order.]

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[The clearing to the stall seems to catch him a little off guard, but he hurries up to the counter and, without really thinking about it, orders two chocolate bananas.

As he digs the payment out of the envelope he was ushered off with, he answers her questions.]

A shinki, and, yeah, everyone's been really helpful so far.

[Hopefully the vendor won't find that statement strange enough to dwell on or ask about.]

[unlucky7]

[At most, there's a light glance his way, but the vendor simply exchanges money for food before calling over the next customer in line. Success!

Ginia notices him buy two chocolate bananas, but doesn't think anything of it. Maybe he's hungry. No judgement here. With a final look at the stand, she steps aside.]

Same here. Meet your god yet?

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[A nice, easy transaction! And he's left with two treats after it's all said and done, one of which he holds out toward Ginia. She did say she wasn't hungry, but perhaps just her being in line gave him the thought to get the extra.]

... Not yet. [It's hard to hide the bit of anxiousness he feels at the fact, but he's doing his best to try and not take it as a bad thing, as just a 'not yet'.] Did it take a while for you to find yours?

[Assuming she's met her own, anyway.]

[unlucky7]

[Wait, what? Ginia blinks as the chocolate banana is held out to her. She takes it, not wanting to offend, but still confused by the gesture.]

Thank you. I'll pay you back.

[At least once her hands are a bit freer.]

I haven't met mine yet. I'm sure you'll meet yours soon.

[She puts on what she hopes is a reassuring smile, but she too knows the anxiety. At least they can be anxious together?]

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[That is actually kind of a big relief, like he's not the only one set to wait a while longer.]

Someone told me they'd never seen a shinki go without finding their partner, so... hopefully neither of us will have to wait too much longer?

[He doesn't sound completely optimistic, but he's trying his best.]

A-ah, don't worry about paying me back, though. I'm just using the money they gave out earlier, and I wasn't looking to really get anything else.

[unlucky7]

[Hopefully. And if not, there's a place for shinki to shelter at, though mentioning that right now feels a bit too dire.]

If you do want something else, let me know. Or I'll return the favor some other way in the future.

[Nothing wrong with getting a free snack, but he's young and it's weird having for a teen pay for food. There's a balance, a favor for a favor.]

Want to find a place to sit?

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[Favor for favor is fair, though he's not likely to make any outright requests of her. It felt like the right thing to do in exchange for her helping him secure the spot in the first place, but trying to split hairs over what's a fair favor for a snack seems a little silly.]

Oh, sure, there should be somewhere to sit nearby.

[Hopefully, anyway. Who can tell with these crowds, but getting away from the swarms of people sounds like a nice enough idea.]

[unlucky7]

[With the popularity of the festival, it turns out seating is fairly limited. Almost every available fence, out-of-the-way stairs, bench, and the few tables and chairs set up is taken. Whenever one opens up, it's quickly taken by someone else.

But at least there are plenty of out of the way places to stand at. Pausing at a spot behind some of the food stands where other people have gathered to stand and eat, Ginia shrugs.]

Sure is a busy place. I guess this is as good as any? Or we can try leaving the area and see if there's a park or something around?

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[As much as the idea of finding somewhere without this much crowding is incredibly appealing, there's also something a little troubling about the idea of straying too far away and getting lost by mistake so... a mildly quieter environment will do just as well.]

This is probably the best we'll find without traveling too far away, I think. I'm fine with it, if you are.

[unlucky7]

[It'll do. Besides, walking around with food in your hand is a pain, even when people tend to ignore you and move past. So if this is where they're parking, Ginia takes a bite of the chocolate banana.

Hey, that's pretty good. The banana is the perfect level of soft without being mushy and the chocolate works well with the banana's lighter, neutral flavor.

She'll give Shinji a thumbs up and sign, 'thank you' regardless of whether he understands sign language or not. Hopefully the two work together well enough to convey her meaning.]