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]

I. More Questions Than Answers
[There stands in the middle of one corridor a figure dressed in black from head to toe. Not an inch of skin to be seen, it might be natural to question whether there is anything under his coat at all, given that all one can see inside his hood is pitch black. Whether this figure has eyes to see or not, he holds between gloved hands one of the many questionnaires that have been distributed.

And he watches it for far longer than is necessary to actually read it, in stony silence. Upon close observation it's questionable whether this boy is even breathing, for the stark stillness of his frame. A passerby or observer might, eventually, be privy to a sigh and a helpless shrug of his shoulders]

What is my favorite part of life with my god...?

[Really, if his purpose is to serve a god, then how he feels about them doesn't really seem relevant. And to that end, he balls up the paper and glances around for somewhere to dispose of it]

Not like that'd matter, anyway.

II. Flying Solo
[Rather than train alongside other shinki, Roxas decides simply to observe from a distance. He gathers what information he can from hanging around the periphery of the dojo, skirting as far from others as he can. It isn't that he imagines himself to have a problem with those present, or even approaching them, but something seems... off about it, in a way he can't pin down.

So he observes others receiving instructions about how to use borderlines instead, and aims to emulate what he sees. Except when he tries, pointing his finger at the floor, he gets a spark of electricity instead and jumps, hooded head whipping around in search of the source.

What was that just now?]

III. Rest Stop
[Eventually Roxas' day of productive lurking comes to a close, or so it seems to him when he's given some snacks. At least this is one thing that strikes him as intuitive enough. He finds a quiet place and sets down his small plate beside him, picking up one colorful piece of candy and bringing it to the opening of his hood. And there it vanishes into that black void.

This is a process that repeats itself several times over. Whether there's a face in there or not, it certainly seems that he's eating, albeit just how remains a mystery. Whatever the case may be, he's putting those sweets away quickly enough to suggest that he's either in a hurry or has taken a liking to them]

IV. Wildcard
[Got other ideas for this little lurker? Throw them this way]

3

[abgrund]

[ Ain and Roxas are under the same god, so he had felt it enough an impetus to idly keep an eye (his only eye) out for the boy as they go about their duties. Once he's done with his assigned task, he wanders around the Hall until he can see Roxas hiding away in a corner.

He floats over, a small tray of mochi on his hovering pendulum, and sits down next to him. Though it would be more accurate to say that he sinks down instead, letting the lower half of his body dissolve into a black mist.

Roxas' way of eating doesn't seem out of place to him, so he would float the tray a little over to between both of them.

Want one? ]

[cloak]

[Although the ominous feeling returns the moment Ain draws close, Roxas has accepted that it's simply something he'll have to get used to. They've both been assigned to the same deity, which means they'll be working together. And surely if there was something bad about Ain, that wouldn't be the case, right? It might make it uneasy, but he does seem nice enough.

And that thought is only reinforced by the offering of more sweet things, which Roxas has determined to be good by now. He takes one of the mochi from the tray, squeezing it experimentally as he looks it over]

Thanks. [And, after turning this pink lump this way and that] What are these, anyway?

[abgrund]

[ Ain does not make an attempt to conceal his aura for multiple reasons; one that he was never told to, and that it might be impossible for him to do so now that he has left Ishmael's blessing behind. ]

They are called... mochi. [ The word is pronounced a little strangely, as if he can't quite shape it with his voice. ] Native food.

[ Everything is foreign to him here. ]

You like it...?

1

[subtract]

[When he finally finds Roxas, it feels like his heart stops.

It's him. It's definitely him. The cloak is a dead giveaway, but the memory—no one else could possibly have that memory, that death. He can still remember his own deletion so clearly, the sensation of everything falling apart and fading into nothingness. His last thoughts of his friends, of Roxas...

Is this how Roxas felt when he discovered Add was his shinki...? He's trembling slightly, unable to move. There's so much he wants to do, to say, but he can't.

Their eyes finally meet when Roxas crumples the paper. Add is standing several feet away, eyes still wide like a deer in headlights. He opens his mouth soundlessly a few times before piecing together a single two-syllable word.]

Roxas?

[cloak]

[Roxas stills upon hearing the sound of his name. Or maybe it's the voice calling it? He doesn't know, but he turns on his heel automatically to face the owner of that voice. For a few seconds he peers up at him, debating why this person knows his name, recognizes him.

There are only a few explanations for that, and the most likely... This'd be the god he was assigned to, right? Although if that's the case, gods sure don't look much different from shinki]

Yeah, that's my name. [It's one thing he does know about himself, if the only thing. He remains where he is, but something about this guy's expression makes it difficult, somehow. Uneasy] Are you okay?

[subtract]

[He's not okay. Nothing about this is okay, but he can't say that because Roxas wouldn't understand. He's a shinki now, he doesn't remember anything they've been through. The might as well be strangers...

There's an awkward pause as Add tries to collect himself, and he doesn't quite manage to regain his composure, but it's enough. His hands are curled into tight fists at his sides, nails digging into his gloves. He tries to stand taller. Look more confident.]

Don't ask stupid questions. I'm fine. [in the back of his mind he's chanting don't cry do not fucking cry] My name is Add. You're my new shinki, that makes me your god. You'll be working with me from now on.

[his eyes are a little watery but he's not crying. someone please be proud of him.]

ii

[revolutionfalcon]

[While not quite in the borderline practice area, Shun's also not too far off right now, meticulously taking down the defenses of a handful of the straw dummies with some well-placed hand-to-hand moves. However, he catches the spark in the corner of his eye when he knocks the last of the dummies aside, and spins in that direction, hackles raised as if he expects that someone's thrown an attack at him.

The somewhat confused-looking hooded person seems to indicate otherwise, though, and Shun observes him lengthily before coming a bit closer, kicking aside one of the dummies that tries to grab at his leg on the way past.]

Was that you? [His tone is extremely blunt, for the most part, and he's looking over Roxas with a rather suspect glare.]

[cloak]

[Roxas gives no indication that the tone has unnerved him as he turns to look in the guy's direction. His hand remains where it is, flexing his fingers experimentally like it'll yield some form of explanation, because he certainly doesn't know what he just did]

I think so...

[Though his flat tone doesn't sound entirely certain as he looks down at his hand again. It's either a strange coincidence that it happened when he tried to draw a borderline, or it was him, and he isn't entirely too sure which.

It's not what he was going for, that part he is certain of]

[revolutionfalcon]

[That's never a particularly helpful answer, though Shun's going to guess it was him anyway. He's seen shinki with powers from home have trouble striking up a borderline without them coming into play, so it doesn't seem like that strange a happening to him.

He stands back a little more.] If you aren't sure, then do it again.

[Staring at his hand isn't going to help him figure it out, but doing the same thing and seeing if he gets the same result is going to give him a bit more of an idea.]

[futhark]

[ Hoods unite. There is that tall guy, dressed in blue, and he's wearing a hood too. It's trimmed with fluffy fur, and doesn't even hide his face that much. The casting shadow bit is nothing in comparison with the blackness of Data-Roxas' hood. ]

Why do you think it wouldn't matter? [ He asks pretty casually for someone who tends to just appear out of nowhere. ] The question wouldn't be asked if it was of no importance.

[ Gotta poke the weird new kid. ]

[cloak]

[Roxas hardly minds being towered over. For that matter, it isn't the first time he's crossed paths with someone taller than himself today. If anything, he gets the impression he must be a bit on the small side]

I don't see what difference it would make. If my purpose is to help a god, then whether I like it or not doesn't matter.

[A purpose, it seems to him, supersedes personal opinion. It's why he's here at all, isn't it?]

[futhark]

[ Ah, so that kid has an understanding of duty that runs a lot deeper than usual. While the system here does give some leeway, with the ability to transfer in place, the purpose they all have never really changed. ]

Perhaps. [ Yep, not going to deny the logic behind that statement ] But if you can find something you enjoy in it, you'll do your job much better.

[ Speaking from experience, working under master one does not like makes everything feel like a pointless drivel ]

Besides, no one ever said that duties can't be fun.

II

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai stills as he spots the black hooded robe across the training ground. It's been a long time since he last met Roxas, and -- in retrospect -- he has more sympathy for the young man's frustrations with Hibari... but he couldn't describe his opinion as "positive" regardless.

But it has, indeed, been a long time. Does he remember?

The attempt at casting a borderline is a clear sign that he doesn't, and Hakkai crosses the yard, inclining his head to the man. The shinki.]

Good morning. -- Were you trying to cast a borderline?

[cloak]

[Roxas seems quite occupied with inspecting his gloved hand, head bowed as he watches it like it might do something else out of the ordinary. Of course, nothing happens.

When he's approached, he doesn't look up right away, still watching his hand]

Trying.

[He echoes, by way of confirmation, before he puffs out a quiet sigh]

Unsuccessful though.

ii

[kokuyoyo]

...Oh, you're one of those kinds.

[Sorry, Roxas, were you trying to avoid people? Chikusa is also generally trying to avoid people, although it's more to watch on his own as well. Lurking is a tried and true activity.]

[Either way, there's a lanky teenager slipping out from behind somewhere, head cocked curiously.]

[cloak]

[Roxas glances in the guy's direction when he speaks up, though with no sign of surprise. A natural lurker isn't too startled by another.

Only by weird abilities he doesn't know anything about, yet can apparently use]

Those kind?

[He echoes the words, unsure what to make of them]

i

[nopixiedust]

[And as he's in the middle of trying to find a place to throw the questionnaire away?]

[A pair of small hands suddenly lunge up to dig into the chains near the base of his hood and pull with the full weight of a small child.]

[Because that's who's harassing him right now, apparently. It's a young girl, pre-adolescent, and with some sure intensity burning in her eyes as she tries to stare a fire straight into that hood.]

Do not say that.

[cloak]

[And now in the role of Kenny McCormick, this Roxas.

She gets a muffled iteration of "I already did", which might or might not do anything as gloved hands tug his hood back into place.

His face remains hidden by shadow even in this process. Even as he belatedly realized he can't fix his hood without peeling her hands off, and tries to do just that]

III

[all_seeing_eye]

[While he helps himself to the snacks, Roxas may catch sight of a teenage girl staring at him rather intently from just across the clearing. Does she think his cloak is cool? Is she thinking about what his face might look like? Who knows, but she seems pretty fixated.]

[cloak]

[She stares at the void, and it stares back at her.

Which is to say, when Roxas senses he's being watched, he glances right in her direction. And after several moments of sustained silence, he points at his plate of sweets]

Did you want one?

III Rest Stop

[purr_ince]

[Adrien has some water in hand and something to eat in his other Plagg is perched next to him with his own snack. Adrien has been politely quiet to himself but the longer he sees Roxas from the corner of his eye still in that heavy leather..]

Aren't you hot at all in that?

[Granted, Adrien's costume as Chat is leather and it does get hot sometimes in the heat of a battle or summer. But then again his isn't actual leather. Not like Roxas's seems to be - heavy, bulky. Adrien's isn't like that - it's magic and breathable.]

[cloak]

Hot in all what?

[Throughout his brief existence, his uniform has been like a second skin. He lived in it, and he'd sleep in it too...if only he were capable of sleep.

Such is the life of a digital boy made corporeal, not that he remembers.

But new as he is, he hasn't even thought of his uniform as separate from the rest of him]

II. Flying Solo

[pure_radiantics]

[ Kairi was distracted today with her notepad, writing down things as she walked in a way she wasn't used to, so her head snaps up too late when he jumps backwards, nearly bowling right into her. She was about to fall on her butt very ungracefully with a slight shout of surprise, when a yellow-orange cloud zooms in and cushions her fall. She bounces a little on it, then looks up at the person, not angry just really confused what just happened. ]

[cloak]

[Two can play the confused game, because as soon as Roxas turns to see who yelped, she's landed on some...orange thing. It looks puffy, but he doesn't quite connect it to a cloud, and only tips his hooded head curiously at this strange new object that seems to be floating under this girl.

But, at length, he pushes the matter of this unidentified floating object aside to ask a pertinent question]

Are you okay?