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

[yousaytron]

Only if you do your worst in return.

[He may have... some reservations about going all-out in a spar against a stranger whose own level of abilities is a total mystery, but as long as he's careful about it, it shouldn't be too much of a problem. Hopefully.

He moves to widen his stance, hopefully a strong enough signal to give her a second or two to prepare for an attack, before he makes a slashing stroke in her direction-]

Line!

[And here comes one speedy borderline, right at you Kanade!]

[usedperishsong]

Wh--

[ She knew it was coming, but that's fast!

Kanade bends backwards to avoid the line, windmilling a little instead of thinking to get her own borderline up in exchange. It nearly grazes her nose.

Since she's this far back, she ends up turning a backflip and crouching. These are some weird reflexes she's got, but she's not gonna worry about why stunts like that come naturally to her. This is exactly what she asked for, so no point in complaining or worrying! ] You've been to a buncha these.

[yousaytron]

[Hey, he won't question the weird stunts. Sometimes things come naturally to shinki, and thinking too deeply about why that may be feels like an unwise idea, so you just have to accept things you discover about yourself as you go.

That was a kind of impressive little display of acrobatics, anyway.]

Been here a while, you get better the more you practice.

[He's poised to cast another line as soon as the first one disappears, but he's also interested in seeing what she'll pull out to retaliate. Will she make a move...?]

[usedperishsong]

Then I'll hafta catch up! Line!

[ There is a lot of raw power behind this and....basically no aim. She's just trying to collide with his borderline in the hopes of collapsing it.

Going all-in seems to be the style, over here. ]

[yousaytron]

[That's the best way to do it! That is to say, it's the only style of fighting he's particularly adept with, but at least it sounds like a good idea.]

Line!

[His borderline is cast with enough time to block her attack, and wobbly aim or not, it collides nicely. Whether or not it was enough power to take it down or even put a dent in it is hard to say, as he pulls it himself in order to throw a second attack her way.]

And another - line!

[usedperishsong]

Ack!!

[ Kanade is knocked backwards by that one, having time enough to see it coming but also trying to get her own ready while thinking she can tank it.

Tanking borderlines turns out to be a worse idea than tanking punches, which is something she'd tried earlier today. NOW SHE KNOWS.

She wipes off the side of her mouth and grins. Bit her cheek. ] Nice punch.

[ And then, with just enough break to help him think she's gonna give him time to quip back - ] LINE!!

[ It slices towards him faster now. ]

[yousaytron]

[Crafty...! It's almost enough to catch him off guard, though he's not one to really lower it in a fight in the first place. He casts a quick,] - LINE! [In front of him, halting her attack with only moments to spare. Still, the force behind trowing the borderline down so close to himself and the resulting impact forces him to take a couple steps back to keep his balance.]

Already getting better.

[Was a little warm up what she needed to really get going with this? Huh...!

He keeps his defensive barrier up and steady, as if daring her to try and crack it down this time.]

[usedperishsong]

I just hate long lessons...

[ This some kinda trap? Oh well, she'll spring it and see what happens. Kanade grits her teeth, trying to drill her line into his. Stupid piece of....

She's got this. She's got this, she's got this, she's got this.

She, who's lost her one shot at life, has to wipe out the stuff that threatens others'.

She's GOT THIS-- ]

[yousaytron]

[Less a trap, and more an opportunity for them both to try outlasting the other. Endurance or strength, one of them is sure to give first, but the easiest way to build those traits up is to keep pushing them to their limit.]

Tsk-!

[And, right before his barrier gives way to her attack, Keith jumps back, giving himself enough space to narrowly avoid the borderline that shoots through once his shield breaks.]

Good! [They can easily escalate this lesson as fast as she's picking everything up. No slow going here.] Your turn, line!

[Here's another one headed straight toward her - think you can stop it in time, Kanade?]

[usedperishsong]

Line!

[ Sort of! Kanade's borderline collides with Keith's, but her control is still sloppy - she's all power, no finesse. There is no way she'll be able to maintain this for long, she knows....

So she tries to shoot another one at him while she's still staving this one off. ] Again!

[ Long as she hits her target, what happens to her doesn't matter. ]

[yousaytron]

[Keith's not in the business of pulling punches when it comes to training, though he'd generally prefer not to actually injure his sparring partners if they're particularly inexperienced. Even so, maintaining his attack while keeping himself unscathed is no easy feat in this particular instance, meaning that, once she moves to summon up an attack, his own is dropped in favor of a defensive,] Line! [Thrown up in front of him.

No hitting him just yet, but maybe a little insight on the typical rhythm of borderline combat.]

[usedperishsong]

[ Rapidfire switching?! Is that how this works? Kanade makes a note of this.

Not that she'll admit that. ] Multitaskin' not yer thing?

[ Break his line. Break his line break his line break his line -

Her own drills against his even as she quips. ]