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

[iron59]

[He shrugs a little, crossing his arms.]

I wouldn't call it better. Our instructor wasn't that good. My brothers and I really pummeled him.

[The ghost of a smile flits over his face, and he reaches out to take her hand.]

I'm Lucky. Have you been learning here?

[pure_radiantics]

[Brothers... and an instructor. There's no mistake - he must be a god. It makes her think of Nanako too.]

Lucky, huh... Well, see, because I'm a shinki, the only learning I remember is from here at the Far Shore.

[Even if there was training for her before now, which she doubts based on recent memories.]

So I've been learning about five months now.

[iron59]

OH. Uh.

[He swallows and looks at the floor.]

Um.

[He looks back up with a smile, glancing around and making sure he's not in anyone's way. Once he's confidant he has the room, he takes a stance not dissimilar to hers.]

Well, maybe we can practice a little together, then?

[pure_radiantics]

Sure thing, I don't mind that at all!

[She comes to stand next to him so that they can do the same things.]

Why don't you do one of your katas you know and I'll try to follow along, then we can switch? How does that sound, Lucky?

[She grins and stretches her arms to one side, then the other, before swishing them back and forth at her sides. There, she's ready for whatever he'd like.]

[iron59]

Kata?

[It takes him a moment to catch up, looking confused.]

You mean the forms! Right. Okay, so...we start like this...

[Adjusting his stance slightly, he starts moving, face blank and focused as he concentrates on the movements. It's an aggressive form, and he moves through it with an air of practiced ease; this is something he's done often, but a trained eye might catch little hesitations and slips, as well. He may not have done it as much recently.]

[pure_radiantics]

Sure, forms...

[She normally reserves that word for the ways that shinki use Borderlines, but she doesn't mind calling it that in front of him.]

Hmm-- okay!

[Kairi is too busy working on mirroring his movements just now to notice his own apprehension. For all she knows, he's just doing his best as a young man who isn't a master yet. By the time she's got the form down, moving in time with him, he's probably able to mask his hesitation and slip-ups.]

[iron59]

[In truth, though his training was very thorough, it was very, very far from traditional. Don't expect him to know the words for anything he's doing, Kairi. Nevertheless, as he softly corrects her and works through it a couple of times, watching her catch, he starts to relax a little, though he remains focused on what they're doing.]

You're pretty good at this.

[pure_radiantics]

Well, thanks for paying attention when I make mistakes, Lucky! That's the only way I'll know how to do better.

[She relaxes her pose into a casual stretch just to let loose for a bit.]

I've gotten pretty good at watching what someone else does and copying them, at least. It's how shinki have to learn all of their spells, after all.

[iron59]

You have to work together or...or it's bad.

[He falters at the thought, missing his turn and almost tripping over his own feet. Fortunately, she's taking a moment to stretch, so he tries to play it off like he just stopped a little too quickly on accident, stretching a little himself. No one here was going to beat either of them for getting it wrong, at least.]

Really? That's kind of cool. Spells, I mean. Can you do any?

[As quickly as his face flashed with memory, the look is gone, his smile back as he looks up at her. After all, hey! Magic!]

[pure_radiantics]

[She smiles back.]

I like working together.

[She feels bad that he seemed to have a bad memory there, but she can definitely do something to perk him back up if he wants to see magic.]

Yep, I can cast a couple of spells now! The most basic one Shinki can do is called Borderline. That one I can show you at least. The others can only be used on other shinki.

[She takes a step away from him to the side and then casts the Line directly in front of both of them.]

Line!

[The wall rises up from the ground as she moves her pointed finger from in front of herself towards him, but keeps the wall several feet in front of them both.]

[iron59]

[She had nothing to do with the memory, but he's not going to even mention it if she doesn't. He watches her move with an look of open curiosity, focused for a moment on her hand. As the line appears, however, he jumps backward, clearly not really prepared for it to simply appear. From a standing start, he clears a good four feet, which is more impressive once one realizes he's barely taller than that.]

Wow. You can just do that?

[pure_radiantics]

Well now I can just do that.

[ She laughs a bit. ]

It took me a lot of practice first - your hand has to be formed just right and there's a lot of confidence involved with making the spell resist someone else trying to get past it.