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

[swordofzero]

[It was a very impractical outfit, skin tight, no pockets. He nods at the advice.] My god hasn't found me yet. [The leaflet said to wait so that was what he was doing.

He took heed of the advice though, it will be useful to have but cause issues if carried openly] I'll remember that though, thank you.

[revolutionfalcon]

Did the shinki give you a name to look out for? They only do it sometimes. [Shun finds that a little obnoxious, personally, since the idea that a shinki should have to sit and wait for their god instead of being able to seek them out rings incredibly stupid to him, but by this point he's used to that kind of oversight here.

At the thanks, Shun shrugs somewhat dismissively.] Saves us having to clean up trouble caused by it later.

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku shook his head] No. No name. [Just the leaflet and instructions on what was expected, on the importance of team work.

He looked down again and nodded, he would be careful.] Have you been here long? [He seemed to know more about what was going on that Suzaku at least.] Did it take you a while to find your god?

[revolutionfalcon]

Six and a half months, which is long by the standards of people here. [Shun rattles off the number like it's one he committed to memory. He's been keeping very close track of how long it is he's been here.] And I am a "god", or what they take for one here. I've only been assigned shinki twice, and it wasn't that hard to find them.

[Joker he'd taken a bit longer to get to, but Reisi had been easy.]

[swordofzero]

[Six and a half months seems a very long time for someone who only has memories spanning about three hours. But it does not surprise him as much as the fact that this is a god.

He's not sure what he was expecting from gods, he has nothing to draw knowledge from. But this man was no different than the shinki he had met so far. Was there some kind of protocol to meeting gods? No one had explained that and Suzaku looked awkward though he mostly didn't shift from his formal, attentive posture.]

How did you find them?

[revolutionfalcon]

There's a connection. [Shun explains that part easily enough, but it takes him another moment to consider how to word the feeling.] We can feel the presence of our shinki, like we're in-tune with them a little. Strong feelings and that sort of thing come across as well. So it's not hard to follow the sensation until we find them.

[It's not just useful for finding new shinki, but also finding where their shinki are at any given time, but since this guy seems more focused on the being found aspect, Shun's focusing on that as well for now.

He also, thankfully, doesn't seem bothered by Suzaku's sudden awkwardness. He's not one for formalities.]

[swordofzero]

[A connection. Yes the leaflet had said gods could feel negative emotion from their shinki. But it did not say it could be used to track them. It was useful then.]

It only works one way?

[He doesn't feel anything anyways. Nothing out of the usual. He's not sure how he feels about that, that his god can tell what he is feeling and where he is but he has no way of doing the same.]

[revolutionfalcon]

Right. I think they just expect shinki to observe, and know their god's behaviour. It's the kind of thing they do here. [There's something bitter about how Shun says that - the disparity between the expectations on gods and shinki has always been ridiculous to him, especially considering how little regard some hold shinki in.]

The role of a shinki is supposed to be as a guide as well as to fight with. Don't be afraid to challenge your god if you don't agree with what they're doing.

[swordofzero]

[To observe. He figured he could do that. It didn't sound like something he was incapable of doing, he noted the bitterness in Shun's voice and wondered about it. Did he not like being here?

The second part made him frown slightly. Challenge his god? It sounded... He wasn't sure what he felt about that.] Are gods not just?

[revolutionfalcon]

[The subtle bitterness Shun had been expressing before gets pronounced enough to reach his face at that question, eliciting a brief twist of the mouth best described as disgusted.] The old gods will tell you "everything a god does is just". But they're as fallible as anyone else. And almost all of the new gods are human, or at least were mortal until getting shoved into this position. Thinking we're all just is hopelessly naive at best.

[swordofzero]

I apologise. [His posture has, if anything, got more formal.

Hopelessly naive... The new gods were humans who were now gods. Just as fallible as anyone else. He's not sure challenging his god will be something he will be good at. After all, he is human and therefore fallible too.]

[revolutionfalcon]

Don't do that. [Shun mostly sounds exasperated by it than actually annoyed, but he doesn't like being apologised to for minor things like that.] Just keep it in mind. Gods are still people, so don't put them on some kind of pedestal, for your own good.

[It's hard to say how much this guy will need that information without knowing who his god is, but there are still some rough ones around even if the actively malicious ones seem to be mostly gone.]

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku nodded, not apologising again even though he felt the need to. He would keep it in mind though, gods were people. As strange as that seemed.]

I'll keep it in mind. It seems I have a lot to learn.

[revolutionfalcon]

Everyone does when they first get here. If you stay for more than a few weeks, you'll figure it out.

[With or without the help of his god. Shun knows plenty of shinki have scattered enough gods that they didn't get that kind of support, but most of them have come out fine in the end one way or another. It's not a difficult adjustment, just a lengthy one.]

[swordofzero]

I'm sure I will. [He nods again] Thank you for the information.

[revolutionfalcon]

[The word of thanks gets a somewhat dismissive shrug as Shun turns away, figuring the conversation is about over.] The more information people get early, the fewer messes I have to clean up later.

[swordofzero]

Of course. [He nods again politely as Shun turns away. He definitely knows more than he did before.]

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun will take the not arguing the point for once, because he deals with far too many people who insist he definitely has other reasons than trying to reduce general ignorance here.

As it is, with no remark or even gesture of farewell, he heads back towards the training area.]