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

[kokuyoyo]

Can't relate.

[Who wouldn't want to shove their face full of food, after all?]

So no stuffing for you today....

[redotiertwo]

Dude, keep the stuffing to your bedroom, I don't want to see that kinky shit you and your boyfriend get up to.

[Chikusa kind of left the door wide open for that one considering the previous topics of conversation.]

[kokuyoyo]

[On one hand, he shouldn't ask, but on the other-]

Since when is that a kink?

[redotiertwo]

Since the dawn of time, probably, but the internet yields all to those unwise enough to plumb those seedy depths for literally anything deeper than the surface level.

[Just don't use the internet, it's probably safer.]

[kokuyoyo]

....Keep that to your bedroom. I don't need to hear about the kinky shit you and your porn habits get up to.

[Turnabout is fair play.]

[redotiertwo]

Funny how that doesn't really work when you asked me to explain how it was a kink, but you get a D for trying I guess.

[Turnabout might be fair play, but Davesprite pointing out Chikusa just asked for a thing and then acted like he didn't is also fair play.]

[kokuyoyo]

It still counts.

[Or Chikusa is just lazy as he flicks another stick into a nearby trash can after it's been picked clean.]

[redotiertwo]

In the most technical sense, sure, the way an anatomical diagram of a dick counts as porn.

[In other words: it doesn't except to prudes and soccer moms.]

[kokuyoyo]

I mean.... It's still "not safe for work".

[So, you know.]

[redotiertwo]

That depends on what your work is, doesn't it, they're not going to pull up a teacher for looking at an anatomical diagram.

[So it's not not safe for all works...and he probably has a point here that's gotten lost somewhere among the shitposting.]

[kokuyoyo]

[Chikusa can't help but snort faintly at that.]

You and Ayumu would get along on that point... She said the same thing.

[redotiertwo]

Yeah, well, she's clearly the smart person who isn't in the temple anymore, isn't she.

[She was the one who punched Hakkai in the face and left, right...]

[kokuyoyo]

[Sticking some more food in his mouth, Chikusa just stares dead eyed into the distance for a moment. That should be answer enough, but just in case... Tearing off another piece of meet, he sighs.]

With her gone, I'm the exemplar now instead...

[redotiertwo]

Join the exemplar club, the water's fine. Except when you're like me and you're pretty sure the other shinki is at least a little bit salty she's not exemplar instead.

[Kairi is nice enough, but she's...not the most subtle at hiding her disappointment, he'll say that.]

[kokuyoyo]

Ah.... Kairi...? [Chikusa tilts his head back.] She.... probably wants to be valued.

Ken was the same, at the start. [Glancing back down at what food to choose from, he hums.] He didn't like that I was Axel-sama's exemplar...

[redotiertwo]

Maybe, but I mean, Hajime's not exactly the type to just not value someone just because they're not an exemplar. [She's not really the type to not value someone in general - she's accepting almost to a fault.]

The position doesn't even come up that much, does it, it doesn't seem worth getting jealous over.

[kokuyoyo]

Then that's your problem. [If someone isn't valued when they want to be, there's inevitably going to be issues, no matter how small. Well, whatever, not his god, not his problem.]

Anyway, even if it doesn't come up much... doesn't mean it doesn't exist.

[redotiertwo]

...What problem. I just said she wouldn't care if they were an exemplar or not, she'd value them anyway. [Then again, he probably threw one or two more negatives in there than he needed to to make that clear. Force of habit.]

Wasn't the first time anyone heard about exemplars when people were making some huge deal on the BBS about it being the shinki in charge anyway. That was mostly just dumb petty bullshit if I'm remembering right.

[kokuyoyo]

But.... Being seen as an exemplar makes that value clearer. If it's not as clear, and there doesn't seem to be a specific use for them...

[Then it's as if they're not valued at all. Then again, Chikusa can only speak for himself, like now.]

Anyway, when I was Axel-sama's exemplar, I took care of a lot of things... including Ken.

[redotiertwo]

There's not really a specific use for an exemplar either, is there, or if there is it's never actually been relevant for anyone else I've talked to.

[Most of the gist he got about the exemplar position was pretty much "normal shinki duties, except more", so he can't imagine why anyone would be gunning for it that hard. Other than to just have the title, which seems weird to him.]

What, weren't you going to look after your boyfriend if it wasn't in the job description. [Now he's just being a shithead.]

[kokuyoyo]

[He swears to god, Davesprite- this time, one of his sticks gets flicked at his fellow shitty teenager.]

No, because back then I hated him. He was gross.

[...]

He's still gross, but I like him...

[redotiertwo]

[Davesprite doesn't flashstep this time, but his hand snaps out to catch the stick out of the air in a manner that's almost disturbingly automatic. Then he seems to get past it, and tosses the stick aside into a nearby bin.]

So you're into gross dog people, noted. I'm pretty sure the internet can still cater for that.

[Then again, the internet can cater for pretty much anything that's not five obscure interests piled up.]

[kokuyoyo]

He's a warm gross dog person.... who's really affectionate....

[Give Ken some credit.]

Are you calling me a furry...?

[redotiertwo]

That sounds like a normal gross dog person to me. [Aren't dogs supposed to be warm and affectionate anyway.

At the question, Davesprite gives a very broad shrug.] I mean, I'm not not calling you a furry. But if it helps any, I'd be calling anyone interested in me a furry as well.

[kokuyoyo]

Some dogs are just assholes.

...Which Ken can also be. [But they get along so well despite that. After all, Chikusa is an asshole too.]

Do you really count as a furry when you're more... feathery?