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

[sing_for_me]

[Alex barely contained her surprise when she spotted the ears next. This was a person..with an actual tail and animal ears. She averts her gaze, at least not to be rude and stare at his..parts..for too long.]

Y..yeah..sort of..I---

[A familiar feeling starts to hit her. The same one she got when she met Temeraire. She cuts herself off, turning from left to right to try and catch a glimpse of him. But it wasn't coming from any other direction. The feeling was coming from right here. Her brow furrowed, confused. Tem was no where in sight. In fact, the only one here was--

Her turning stops when she's facing the young man once again.]

...It's...you..?

[foxrightsactivist]

[There's nothing wrong with the staring! At least, Kaden doesn't feel there's anything wrong. Though she looks away, he keeps smiling and looking right at her. Maybe he's the odd one out here, maybe he's the weird one since he doesn't look like a human, but he doesn't seem to mind in the slightest.

Except, when she stops short and pauses for a moment. Maybe she's found her dragon, he thinks, but apparently not.]

Huh? Me?

[Confused, he turns to look over his shoulder at the long, fluffy, silky tail behind him.]

No, I'm not a dragon. I'm a fox.

[sing_for_me]

Eh? No--that's not what I--

[Alex shakes her head, trying to gather herself. Was she just imagining it? No...the longer she looked at him the more she felt it.]

You're....my shinki...

[foxrightsactivist]

Your-- Oh!

[With that, he turns back to face her with a smile. One of the robed shinki had said that his god would find him on their own. Maybe he sensed her, too, in trusting her right off.]

Well, nice to meet you then! I'm Kaden.

[sing_for_me]

[What a..bright smile. He accepted it just like that. No questions. Alex had questions though. How was she assigned a new shinki when she had lost the other? She figured that pretty much disqualified her from this..Yet here he was.]

Yeah..it's nice...to meet you...I'm..Alex.

[And here she was introducing herself.]

Sorry..um..are you..sure..I mean..you're okay with..this..?

[foxrightsactivist]

[Oh, Kaden has plenty of questions. There were a lot of things in that pamphlet he just didn't understand. But those can come later! Right now, he's just pleased to meet the person he'd been assigned to.]

Huh? Well, yeah, I guess. Why wouldn't I be? I don't really remember anything about where I came from or who I am. And if you'll be the one taking care of me, it's the least I can do to return the favor!

[It makes sense to him. Perfect sense!]

[sing_for_me]

[The one taking care of him...He already has enough faith in her to do that? Not that she wouldn't, of course, but he was so trusting right off the bat. Like how she was.]

It's..not a favor.. You deserve to be taken care of.

[foxrightsactivist]

Yeah, and so do you! Everyone deserves to be taken care of.

[There's a somewhat irritated voice coming from further up the path, and Kaden's ears twitch for just a moment before he quickly gets back to sweeping. Someone noticed he wasn't keeping up with his chores. But he can sweep and talk at the same time, right?]

I don't remember anything about who I am or where I come from... But you seem like a nice person. I wouldn't be so sure about this if you weren't! And there are things out there that can seriously hurt gods like you, right? That's what one of those robed shinki told me. So, let me help!

[sing_for_me]

[Ah...a really good-hearted guy. How was it she got assigned such pure ones?

She notices his ears twitch, looking around to see the source of the noise, which isn't all that loud to her. The poor thing hadn't been stuck on cleaning duty all day because she took so long, did he..?

When he speaks, he grabs her attention again. There's a short pause, but she starts to relent. How could she say no to someone like him?]

If that's what you want to do...but, Kaden...

[Her fingers fidget and flick at each other as she looks down at her hands.]

If..you don't feel happy with me...don't feel like you need to stay..okay? Just um...just let me know...

[While she may still be recovering from losing her previous shinki, Alex was still willing to try. But she also had no delusions about this. She wasn't suited for this role, and Kaden deserved someone capable.]

[foxrightsactivist]

[He'd clearly been right about Alex being a kind person. Sure, being assigned to a god without even being asked isn't the easiest way to go, and he definitely could have been assigned to a worse god. But the fact that she's giving him an out regardless is just... nice. Not that he plans on using it.]

Sure! If I ever feel that way, I'll say so. But for right now, I'm perfectly happy. So let's see what happens, huh?

[No sense in jumping the gun, especially when they barely know each other!]

[sing_for_me]

[His words were reassuring, and his demeanor comforting. Alex couldn’t help but smile a little.]

Then..is there a name you’d like?

[Names were important things, and she’d hate to pick one he didn’t like. She could probably come up with a few ideas based on their brief interaction, but she wanted to ask.]

[foxrightsactivist]

Huh? A name?

[Oh. Right. That robed shinki that had talked to him earlier mentioned two different names. He already had his name, but his god had to give him a name, too...]

I don't know. Maybe something to do with foxes? Since I'm a fox and all. But if you can't think of something, I'll take anything!

[sing_for_me]

Hm..hang on a second.

[Alex pulls out her phone from her pocket, quickly looking it up. She was unfamiliar with kanji...so thank god for the internet.]

Does..this look right?

[She shows him the screen, which has 狐 on the display. It also showed some definitions. 'Trickster' didn't seem like something she'd attribute to him, but they also just met.]

'Kit..sune,' is that it?

[foxrightsactivist]

[Alex may be handling that phone like a pro, but the second it's out and the screen is lighting up, Kaden is peering at it in absolute wonder.]

What is that?

[Completely beside the point. They're looking for names, but he's so preoccupied by the phone that he's barely listening.

Except he is. 'Kitsune', huh...? Something about that feels... familiar. It feels right.]

I guess so. Is that my name, then? Kitsune?

[sing_for_me]

[Alex looks away from the phone to blink at him. Did he not recognize it..? Ah, maybe he was from a place that didn't have them.]

It's a cellphone. Um...you can communicate with people who have one of their own...and you can look up certain things..take photos..stuff like that. You should have one though. Everyone gets one when they arrive here.

[It would probably be easier to understand that way too.]

Mm..kitsuneki doesn't sound right though... [She scrolled down with a swipe of her thumb. Oh, there were other ways to read it.]

Ko..kki.. [That flowed easier.] How does that sound to you? It still means the same thing.

[foxrightsactivist]

Cellphone? Oh, I think so.

[Kaden tilts his head, then turns to feel the back of his obi, where he'd stowed away the pamphlet. He'd stuck some rectangular thing by that name in one of his pouches, but he hadn't really looked at it too closely. But it's something he can mess with later.]

Kokki... Yeah, that sounds good! So it means the same thing as me, but different.

[sing_for_me]

I can help you set it up later then. [She smiles before locking her phone and returning it to her pocket.

She takes a step back, the words instantly coming up in her mind.]

My name is Oshun. Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my servant. The name answers, the vessel to sound. I call thee as my divine instrument. The name, Kitsune. The vessel, Ko. Come...Kokki.

[foxrightsactivist]

[What follows is a warm feeling, pleasant rather than uncomfortable. It spreads across him as that name is spoken, and there's a bright white light that blanks out his vision for a second...

And when it returns to him, he's in a different body. On four legs, to boot. But he still has his ears, and he still has his tail, and he's--]

Haha! I really am a fox!

[sing_for_me]

[Before she can react to his form, the images from his death flash in her mind, causing her to squeeze her eyes shut. It was never a comfortable feeling, learning about how someone died. Even if it wasn't a complete image, it was still enough. After a moment, her eyes open slowly, finally getting a good look at him.]

Oh...W-wow..you..you really are..

[Now that she thought about it, it was her first time seeing one in person. At least, a fox. There obviously wouldn't have been a chance for her to see such a large one.]

It suits you.