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

[unlucky7]

[How do you recognize what you can't remember? How do you recognize who you don't know?

Simple: you don't.

There's no feeling of nostalgia, no Hollywood movie moment as the world slows down to a crawl and recognition dawns on her. Ginia doesn't stop walking, not because she's ignoring him, but because his words don't register as anything related to her. The "wait" could be for anyone.

So she walks on, long strides with purpose, with power, moving fast even as she doesn't know where she's going. Ginia stops again, considers her surroundings with the slightest turn of her head. It's the prefect chance to catch up.]

[iron59]

[A day ago, he'd be heading in the opposite direction as fast as his legs would take him. Today...today, he runs after her. Because even if he doesn't buy the story of magical time travel, he's had a bad day.

Bad week, really. Most of it his own fault.

She's as bad as Beth, marching along like she's on some drill, but he's got the stamina to press after her, and she's only walking, after all. As she pauses, he skids to a halt beside her, almost falling over. He reaches out and grabs her sleeve. It never dawns on him that this isn't the smartest thing he's ever done.]

Hey...!

[unlucky7]

[It's a horrible idea and he should know it. Ginia sees him out of the corner of her eye and marks his presence enough, but when he grabs her sleeve, her attention snaps to him. She's sparred with people, patrolled, been around others, but no one's grabbed her out of the blue and her free hand immediately drops toward the knife hidden under the back of her jacket as she pulls the grabbed arm away.

He's a child though--the same one from the shade--and even with her free hand twitching for a knife, a borderline at the forefront of her mind, she holds still just enough to not harm him.

There's no recognition in her eyes as Ginia stares at him, just the startled confusion of an operative-turned-shinki unsure what to do next.]

[1/2]

[iron59]

[The response is immediate when he grabs her, and he doesn't think either, pulling back even as she reaches for her weapon, the blade he nicked from the dojo earlier dropping into his hand behind his back as he pulls away. It's Ginia, he isn't going to hurt her, but sometimes, training takes over.

For a split second, he stares at her with wide eyes.]

[2/2]

[iron59]

[After the moment passes, however, he can't help but crack a smile and start laughing.]

Okay, I deserved that. Sorry. Small of the back. I'm an idiot, of course that's where you'd keep something. Never even noticed. My stupid coat's too long for that.

[Still laughing, he casually works on putting his knife away, tucked back into his sleeve. He can't think of any reason why he should worry about her knowing he's carrying; it just means she won't try to force a knife that's too big on him.]

That look on your face, though? Priceless.

[Stuff is off, sure, but this is Ginia and he trusts her implicitly. Whatever's going on, there's got to be a good reason for it. And as long as she isn't going to act mad that he ran away, he's willing to act like it never happened, too.

On the other hand, this might help explain why the strange little child was sitting alone before.]

[unlucky7]

[He has a knife. It puts Ginia on greater edge, but she still doesn't strike, confused at what to do. Her confusion only grows as he laughs, noting the ease his knife disappears into his sleeve. It's smooth, seamless, deliberately apparent to her. Why?

She takes a step back at his second comment, a frown forming. Is he mocking her? Her eyes harden as she watches him, hand slowly pulling out her phone from her pocket. She types quickly and holds up a message for him to read.]

Do I know you?

[iron59]

[He knows that he deserves to be treated a little badly, and he's earned that. Even if he had a good reason...a great reason...to run off, well, it wasn't a good idea. But there is a limit to how badly he'd messed up, and it's not like he'd killed anyone, even when he could have.

The cold shoulder and tense reaction he can deal with, but when she pulls out her phone to type at him like he was still 9 or something was too much. His laughter stops, and the smile goes with it.

His eyes stay on her face for a moment, even after the phone's been held out, and then he slow drops his gaze to the screen. He doesn't even think about it as his hands lift and he begins to sign.]

I guess not. I thought you were someone else. Sorry.

[He offers a meek smile and turns away, starting to walk back towards his spot in the shade.]

[unlucky7]

[Ginia blinks as he signs back at her, hand slowly lowering her phone. She watches him go, trying to comprehend what just happened.

"I thought you were someone else."

It's a dangerous path for a shinki to wonder about their past, wonder about who they were. Even if they can get memories back, it's dangerous trying to fill the gaps of their life. There's no gold to fill in the cracks, just shadows and pain and long fall down. She should let the child go, move on, preserve herself.

But she doesn't want to be rude, not to a child, not to someone that seemed so expectant.

(The military and government accounted for a lot when they created their training program. The one unexpected weakness that slipped through the crack was the response Generation One and Generation Two had to children. The weakness was eradicated in subsequent generations as much as they could.)

Ginia's steps are long as she catches up to Felix, turns on a dime in front of him, signing quickly.]

Are you new here? Do you need someone to show you around?

[iron59]

[He pauses, not looking at her directly even as she cuts him off. This whole place is new and overwhelming, but all of the little pieces are starting to add up in the back of his mind. He glances up, just enough to see her hands moving.

Thoughts dance through his head, a feeling in the pit of his stomach making it harder and harder to breathe as he tries to make his fingers respond. He steps back, still not looking up at her, and then turns, walking off to the side.

He says nothing, just ducks away from her and keeps going. IF this is a game, he doesn't want to play, and if not, he's not sure he wants anything to do with it right now.]

[unlucky7]

[Ginia lets him go.

She wants to follow, stop him again, help him out, do something, but he read her signs, ignored them, moved past her and at that point doing more is pushing her luck and there hasn't been much of that in her life.

God or shinki? It's certainly the question of the day. If he's a god, then he'll have a shinki in his charge. If he's a shinki, his god will find him soon enough. Ultimately, none of her business. It still doesn't remove the feeling of unease and worry. The feeling she should do something more, try again. He's just a child, the youngest she's seen around.

She takes a step after him. He's a kid who knows how to handle a knife. The second attempt might end bloodier. Is it really worth it when he was the one who approached her and then left just as quickly?

Ginia lets him go.]