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

[cloak]

Really?

[Did his flat tone actually sound a touch eager for just a second? Maybe.

The thought that there are people who can stay in the air longer than others is an interesting prospect after all]

[revolutionfalcon]

Munakata Reisi. Tall guy with black hair and glasses, usually wears a blue uniform and is ridiculously formal about things. [He doesn't know if Wendy's met him yet, but there's also only so much description he can give of Reisi that doesn't happen to coincide with describing Saruhiko as well.] You already know Chinatsu, and other than her and him it's just Fubuki and Kotori.

[nopixiedust]

Oh! That guy! We met before- at the moon viewing. I didn't know he was one of yours. [After a second, however, she leans closer with a slight frown.] Although the two of you being together is almost worrying on the emotional front...

[revolutionfalcon]

[At that remark, Shun grimaces slightly. For the most part, that wasn't a particularly pleasant night for him.] Munakata was the only one of my shinki who got affected by whatever the spell on that gathering was, so it's not the kind of time that would've been ideal to meet him.

[handsome_genius]

Of course! I mean... what's the point of a place that big if no one is living there anymore? Or- or all the food that Yona receives? I can't justify using all of that up, it would be wasteful! But if I don't, the food may spoil anyway...

[ He sighs thoughtfully. ]

I feel like I could survive on my own like you do, like I know how, it's just seeing a place that big go to waste that I hate more.

[nopixiedust]

[That was a bad night for everyone. Wendy is pretty sure she saw a murder attempt. Everyone is a disaster in the afterlife, that's the lesson she's primarily learned.]

Mm, yeah, it'd be nice to see him when he's not beating himself up about anything. He'll have to get used to seeing me anyway, at the very least, since you and me know each other.

[yousaytron]

[Keith's more than happy to let Yoon take the lead in talking - if it really is so quiet at his temple, then he could probably use the outlet. He's content to just listen and nod along for a bit.]

I think there's a difference between living on your own and being in a place where you know you shouldn't be on your own. [Spending a couple of weeks alone in Red sounds completely different from having to spend time keeping up a large and effectively empty temple.] Especially if it's still running like there should be more people in there, managing for yourself isn't the same as managing for several absent people.

[revolutionfalcon]

He's usually one of the most tightly-controlled people I know, so it's unlikely you'll ever see him that unravelled again. [Reisi is, for better or worse, inclined to maintain a front of calm and control regardless of the situation. The moon viewing had been an incredible break of habit compared to his usual demeanour.]

But he could probably use someone telling him off the way you try to do to me as well.

[nopixiedust]

[Wendy rests her cheek in her hand with a grin.]

So is that a positive point of mine?

[revolutionfalcon]

I don't know if I'd call it positive, but it can be useful.

[Apparently it's more of a pragmatic matter to Shun than a pleasant one, though he does somewhat respect Wendy's determination on the subject.]

[pure_radiantics]

[ She nods with a big smile. ]

That is very true, Chikusa, that less theft is preferred by most people. We're supposed to be guiding moral compasses for our gods after all.

[ And that could very well be opening up a huge floodgate with Chikusa, but she's prepared for it today. ]

[pure_radiantics]

[ Kairi pulls out her phone, scrolls to Izumo's contact information, and then holds it out for the young man in the cloak to see: ]

Here he is - Izumo Kusanagi. If you want, I can introduce you both, or at least tell him I suggested you contact him.

[ She shrugs a little, but is still trying to smile. ]

It couldn't hurt, right?

[ The worst that could happen, she figures, is that Izumo can't actually help him, but maybe they could become friends. ]

[kokuyoyo]

But isn't that kind of thing... just highly variable?

[Well, she's sure opened up some kind of something. Chikusa shifts, head tilting to the side.]

What people define as 'moral'... changes from time period to time period, or even country to country... Even different religions change up on what they find to be moral.

So the old guard can say.... a shinki should be a moral compass. But that term is so vague, and as a social construct created by people... It can be completely abused with ease.

[nopixiedust]

Hee. Well, I guess that's good enough too. Well, just let me know when a good time to come over would be then, okay?

[She has all the time in the world on her hands, after all.]

[revolutionfalcon]

Fine then. [Shun waves a hand as if it's not that important anyway. It shouldn't be too hard to arrange something like that.]

[cloak]

[Roxas peers at the information, and he finds that numbers are surprisingly easy.

What's less intuitive is taking his own phone out. It doesn't even occur to him]

...If you think it's a good idea. Add said we're partners, so I don't want to let him down.

[He doesn't want to be useless, rather]

[pure_radiantics]

Oh, Add! I know him a little.

[ Not well but she knows he was a shinki who came back as a god. ]

I don't mind practicing with you either. I think it's great that you don't want to let your god down! What name should I give to Izumo when he asks who's going to contact him?

[ Since... shinki and all. She wants to let him have a choice what name she gives. Some people have really taken to their vessel name or god name, after all. ]

[pure_radiantics]

[ She starts to think that she regrets asking, but them she muses aloud: ]

You're saying things like what Komaeda talked about - it's important, I know it is, but sometimes it just feels like... some things shouldn't have to be that complicated, I think. You help people when you're able, you don't kick people when they're down, that sort of stuff I genuinely think would make the world a better place if everyone did it. I don't think it has to change from time period to time period or country to country. Some of this should be universal.

If it's as complicated as you're saying, then it sounds like a lot of excuses people make up to not be as kind as they could be and that only lasts until you get, I don't know, stuck in a well or twisting your ankle, then all of a sudden you need help from a friend. If you're not kind enough to have friends, then what kind of moral compass did you really have to begin with?

[cloak]

That's how partners work, isn't it?

[And in that case, he's doing what he ought to do. So he thinks, at least, though he doesn't know much about how everything works just yet]

My name's Roxas.

[Which does and doesn't feel right, in a way he can't quite understand, much like the sight of his own face]

lmao I genuinely wasn't sure he'd tell her

[pure_radiantics]

[ Kairi's jaw drops.

But he's a shinki. So she does know better than to keep talking about anything significant now. The mere fact that he's got the outfit buttoned up so tight strikes her as odd, and something that she's sure he won't be able to explain either. Because again, shinki. ]

That's an interesting name. There's not many of us with only one name that we can remember.

[ She fidgets a bit, scrolling until she can find his name in the listing of phones that can be contacted through the Far Shore's phones. Sure enough, there's a Roxas. ]

And you're right - that's how partners work. Maybe one day our gods will even team up on a prayer and we can be partners of a sort too.

[ That's how she tries to transition it and force a smile. Because right now she needs to leave for fear of saying more. The magic, for one thing, makes a lot more sense now. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[As right as Kairi might be on a lot of that, she really doesn't need to say much more past Komaeda's name. Just the sound of it has Chikusa's mouth twitch, and he raises a hand up to adjust his glasses.]

....Nevermind. I take back... everything I said.

monad's system always called him roxas, and he was the only kh...so he's always gone by the name

[cloak]

Really? Ain and Add just have one name, too...

[He thinks. He's pretty sure, although it didn't occur to him to ask if people had more than one name. Other than vessel names, anyway. Surely that isn't what she's referring to, or she would have called it that]

But if gods do that, I guess they might.

[He has no idea whether Add tends to work with other gods or not]

[handsome_genius]

Well not like dozens of absent people...

[ Yoon's feeling pretty down because of Yona, sure, and the fact that they used to have Hak and Jae-ha as shinki there as well as himself and Shizuo. ]

More like... if a place that big has to exist, then it might as well be... I don't know... another temple that stray shinki and soulless could stay at. It's big enough to handle it. Meanwhile, if I was going to live on my own, I wouldn't need nearly so much.

[pure_radiantics]

... Oh!

[ Did she really just convince him of something? Or did he maybe just back down to appease the nice girl? That didn't seem quite like Chikusa though. ]

Well, uhm, I'm glad!

[ She can't help but smile and giggle a little, thinking that she could at least be proud of how articulate she'd become after that verbal sparring session with the young man she disagreed with so vehemently. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[Enjoy that victory, Kairi. Chikusa is usually a lot more stubborn... although sometimes just as equally disinclined to effort. It's a coin flip. For now, he sighs at her giggling before nudging the conversation along to different waters.]

Anyway.... So I have most things I use regularly. So... it's fine.