March Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: October 25th
Where: Outside the 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 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 what looks like an old, large warehouse behind the Meeting Hall for an informational meeting covering the basics of proper god behavior. Several chairs have been moved in, but they're squeezed together between packed shelves and boxes of old ritual clothing, scrolls and rusty or chipped household goods. 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.

Back copies of the "From Ama" magazine, including puff pieces about new or rising gods or successful shinki, advice columns for resolving problems between gods and shinki, temple photographs and other articles of interest to gods and shinki, have been brought out in boxes and piled up next to a table holding a few remaining copies of the shinki questionnaire for any new shinki who want to keep one around until they can answer the included questions.


What is your name?

What is your god's name?

How do you see your duties as a shinki?

What is your favorite part of life with your god?

What is your least favorite part of life with your god?

What advice would you like to give your god?

Do you wish to be assigned to a different god? []Y []N

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 white-robed shinki are still busy cleaning and preparing the Meeting Hall for the big annual meeting of the gods. They'll recruit anyone who looks as though they're not too busy in order to help scrub floors, weed, sweep paths and walkways, and shoo away any unwelcome little spirits that are hiding away in dark corners of the hall. Heavy lifting is good exercise... right?

Rest and Refreshments

There are casks of fresh, cold water near the dojo to make sure no one gets dehydrated, but for those who've finished working, hot tea and enough seasonal treats are available to make it look as though the Heavens bought out an entire sweet shop. They're being distributed by a few shinki in indigo-blue and plain brown robes with the sleeves tied back, who aren't above teasing the newcomers a bit.

Young shinki are playing in the nicely manicured garden, trying to catch crayfish at the lake edge, dashing around playing tag and hide-and-seek. Just be careful you don't get caught in the middle of a game of "Kagome"! If you do, you'll really be stuck until you guess someone's name.

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
• Enjoy a traditional tea
• Spectate if you want
• Have fun~

Comments

[safecage]

Isn't there a higher up I can talk to? I mean a fellow god has to have some common sense right?

[safecage]

Oh, then it'll be easy for me I'm a great entertainer. People are always in need of those for parties!

[safecage]

At one point I did, but I got dragged into some stuff, and well after that I ended up here.

[safecage]

Can't really be hopeful right now given everything that's happening to me.

[reformedsinner]

[Promises are important. Hakkai nods understanding, not challenging the statement: he might not care about curse words, but if Lucky does, that's up to him.

His eyebrows go up a bit further at the thought that not only could Lucky drive -- and fly a plane -- but that he could do it without the help of his nanites. Considering he couldn't work a phone without nanites, that might need some practice before he tries it for real.]

You can drive? -- And you're welcome, it's no trouble at all.

[safecage]

If you're so fancy why are you enjoying a free meal? Isn't this too cheap for you?

[lightninglobster]

... and just what do you mean by that?

[Ryoma's hair looks fine! Really! It's just hair! It fell like that naturally! Ryoma hadn't thought this much about his hair in literally ever (as best he could remember) and to hear Kaden say something like that almost made him self-conscious. A little bit. If you squinted.]

Yours, as well. If they're not kind, however, I at least hope that they're just and honest.

[Ryoma can deal with a brusque jerk. He cannot deal with an unscrupulous asshole.]

[safecage]

I'm just that good!

[lightninglobster]

[There is no pleasure to be found in this victory--it is duty, and duty is to be respected... as are the fallen.

Perhaps in another life, in another garden, the crab grass could have been a quirky, wild addition to the flowerbeds. The crab grass was to be mourned, as circumstance was cruel at the worst of times--but the mourning could not continue overlong, as Ryoma had more crab grass to take his slow-burning case of hangry out on.]

I... see. I remember the information book saying we need gods to become weapons--what sorts of monsters do you see? Or do they change?

[There's a chuckle, and he matches her shrug with his own.]

That's often the way of things--you do something because it must be done, and if no one else will stand... well. It still has to be done.

[reformedsinner]

I see it was true. [He smiles, innocently enough that it almost looks malicious, and adopts a sympathetic tone.]

Confusing, isn't it? The same thing happened to me a few months ago, although you seem to have taken an unusually long time to return.

[-- and, all right, that's enough taunting Gojyo's brother. His expression falls back to neutrality, and his voice goes brisk.]

Both your goals and mine require being back in the correct world to achieve. There's no point in acting as if we're enemies, and I don't have anything personal against you.

Quite the contrary.

[They might not know each other well -- they hadn't known each other well before Dokugakuji's death damaged his memories, either -- but he'd saved Gojyo's life once.

Hakkai owes him for that.]

[alchemists]

Survival of the fittest?

[reformedsinner]

Ah! I don't mean to mislead you -- I don't know who's responsible for bringing us here! Or what their motivations are. I only mean that I've had the chance to meet all of Amaterasu's advisers at one point or another.

[And while he hasn't seen them all fight, Fuujin had left an impression.

And several broken ribs.]

[lightninglobster]

[Ryoma listens attentively--he can place some of the children in his mind very easily, picking out Koki and Suzu, finding Fumiya's familiar voice, figuring out his position in relation to Sakura's softer, older tone... but the child behind him is a bit of a mystery.

It's okay to be wrong sometimes, in some things. It's a lesson that Ryoma learned a little too late, but let's not think about that.]

I'm going to guess... Koko?

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai's silent for a moment, waiting to see if Ain is going to speak further, but he shakes his head at last when the other man stays silent.]

I'm sorry I can't be of much help. That's one of the stranger aspects of this place.

[lightninglobster]

Thank you. I have a feeling I've done this for a long time.

[Because thinking too hard about it makes his gut twist and his head hurt, so Ryoma's going with base assumptions and moving on with his life. Unlife. Whatever. He laughs--good-naturedly, nothing cruel or mocking--as he turns to face the girl, head cocked to the side as he sheathes his practice sword.]

I'm a shinki as well, miss.

[He's a very ostentatious shinki. Pimp-your-sword, if you will, trick it out with the good helmet and a nice coat thing that flutters in a dramatic breeze.]

I've never seen a weapon like the one you hold... it's a very interesting piece.

[reformedsinner]

Ah, I suppose that explains why we haven't met before! You've only recently returned, then?

I'm one of the newcomers to the Heavens -- I'm currently performing the duties of Li Tieguai, and have been for about, ah, four months now.

[lightninglobster]

[It's not so much an attempt to scare as it is the human equivalent of giving a perturbed wall-eye and trying to convey 'I feel uneasy'. It'd probably be easier with a tail to complete the effect.]

I... suppose so? What am I asking about?

[Can he take a subtle step further away, feigning like he's totally not doing it in response to Niles bein' goddamn Niles?]

[lightninglobster]

If you don't mind. I've recently been informed that some flowers are also weeds, and I have no idea what the difference is. It's surprisingly complicated, for something that seems so...

[Frivolous. Temporary. He eyes Forrest a moment, but lets the sigh slip past--perhaps it's frustrating to have so many people be oblivious to a thing you're experienced with.]

Simple.

[lightninglobster]

[Ryoma follows directions in bewildered silence, balancing the phone on his palm as if he expected it to snap at him if he were to grip it with any sort of pressure. He tapped on the 'contacts' button--and jerked back a little as eh screen jumped, an entire list of unfamiliar names sprouting up before him.]

How fascinating.

[He murmured, wonder actually touching his voice for the first time in this whole situation that seemed primed and intended to irritate people who were born back in the good old days... or worlds that still resembled the good old days. You know! Good old days! Cholera and war and feudalism!]

How do you get the list to change?

[He poked at the screen, experimentally--and then jumped a little again as it shifted, because Ryoma had just initiated a call to someone completely unrelated. It's like a buttdial, but done with the fingers of the technologically incompetent instead of the sweet, sweet glutes of happenstance.]

Is it supposed to do this?

[redstray]

Huh...that so?

[ He tilts his head as he tries to get the orange open, frowning in concentration. But in the end, he decides to bring out his knife and cuts it open, using his fingers to peel the rest.

The birds become more interested as Eric brings one slice to a bird. He watches as it hops towards him, plucks the orange slice out of his fingers and hops excitedly away. ]

They really do like it.

[skybluelaguz]

[ He keeps his friendly demeanor, but he noticed the beorc didn't seem as friendly. Still, he kept the smile on his face. ]

I'll do my best to keep it brief. I received this smooth, small box and I was wondering what it was for.

[ Is he showing Chikusa a phone? Yes, yes he is. ]

[skybluelaguz]

Ah well, I hate to tell you but turns out there was a goddess in a medallion and another one woke up, turned the majority of people to stone. All that's left is the army we were with and we had just gotten to the Tower of Guidance to fight that goddess, but now I'm here.

[ He doesn't know if he should explain that if she didn't even know. But it was better to get it out of the way first. ]

It's been a whole mess over there.

[skybluelaguz]

Can't say I have.

[ Ranulf hears that laughing and he mock pouts. He probably did look a little ridiculous. ]

Normally meat, fish. Some fruits and berries as well. I've tried beorc dishes before though, some pies and bread but, nothing like this.

[priforprince]

I can observe without imbibing.

[ The bird finishes with her face, perches on her epaulet, and begins attending to her shoulder. ]

[futhark]

Huh, why. Are you worried because you've got some non-combat vessel form?

[ Shinki are god's weapons, and one could easily argue that god without a shinki is kind of useless, at least when facing ayakashi. But he knows that shinki who are not literal weapons are sometimes frustrated by that fact. ]

Don't be. My Exemplar's form is a pendant, and we've defeated many enemies together.

[ Archer isn't around, so he can say a nice word about him where he won't hear it. ]