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

R&R

[sweetdeath]

Of course they're edible!

[Don't mind Tsuzuki. He's working his way through a whole decorative box of tea snacks on his own over here. There's powdered sugar everywhere.]

The green ones are the best. Oh! And those pink ones with the dark red flecks! Those are good too.

[skybluelaguz]

[ Ranulf stares at the beorc as he's eating them as if they weren't the strangest looking pieces of food. ]

Hm, is that so? Well I suppose it couldn't hurt to try.

[ He picks up one of the green ones, gives it a sniff before he takes a small bite. He blinks a few times as he chews, trying to get it to stop sticking to his teeth. He manages to swallow it, but he's probably more confused than ever. ]

Well that certainly is...something.

[sweetdeath]

You've never had one before, huh?

[That face. That face! Tsuzuki can't help laughing. It's like watching a dog try to swallow a tablespoon of peanut butter.]

What kind of food do you usually eat?

[skybluelaguz]

Can't say I have.

[ Ranulf hears that laughing and he mock pouts. He probably did look a little ridiculous. ]

Normally meat, fish. Some fruits and berries as well. I've tried beorc dishes before though, some pies and bread but, nothing like this.

[sweetdeath]

Pies and bread are more Western stuff. Good stuff, though, I like your choices.

-- what's "be-orc" mean? Byork. Beee... york.

[He's pretty sure he's still pronouncing it wrong. What language is that, even?]

[skybluelaguz]

Western stuff? What makes it West?

[ He tries to think of what that could mean but he supposed it couldn't be linked to his world again. West was Gallia after all. ]

Beorc is a term in my world for human, like yourself. However, for someone like me to use that word is a great insult in many cases, so I use beorc. As well people like myself are known as laguz. It's what our Goddess named us.

[sweetdeath]

[Right, human, like him. He's definitely human. Tsuzuki smiles nervously for a moment before the expression drops away in favor of confusion.]

Wait, "human" is an insult? Huh. I've never heard anything like that.

I think they call it "west" because the people who first brought that kind of food over here came from way out to the west, on the other side of China.

[skybluelaguz]

In my world, yes. Beorc and Laguz are the names given to us. But the beorc wished to change their name to human. After that, they began to call us 'sub-human', as if we were beneath them. Many laguz began to coin the term 'human' the very same way. It's quite a complicated matter.

[ He shakes his head. ]

But enough my world and it's politic of words, yours is quite fascinating. I've never heard of this China...So even basic geography has changed here. There will be no end to my learning of all these things, i'm sure.

[sweetdeath]

[Tsuzuki winces, sympathy flickering over his face as he looks down.]

Oh. I -- sorry. I didn't mean to bring up anything like that.

There's no China where you're from?

[skybluelaguz]

[ He chuckles lightly, shaking his head. ]

Please, think nothing of it. Times are changing and I would consider many beorc a companion. And likewise for others thinking of laguz as equals.

[ He shakes his head once more ]

I come from a continent known as Tellius. Such countries on it would be Gallia, my home, Goldoa, Begnion, and Kilvas to name a few. All the rest of the land was destroyed in a flood many, many years ago. So this whole world is quite foreign to me.

[sweetdeath]

Huh, yeah, I bet it is. I've never heard of any of those places.

[This world seems familiar to him, mostly, and he's glad. It'd be hard, if he didn't even know what a cell phone was, or how to take a subway, or what Japan was, even. The shinki who don't seem to manage, but still....

He shakes his head.]

It must be hard adjusting.

[skybluelaguz]

It seems most haven't. Though there's at least one person from my world, which in and of itself a nice is a comfort, if not also a concern.

[ He wondered how hard it was for his companion first thing, all these things are quite overwhelming at first. But, they can help each other all the same. He gives a small shrug. ]

I can't lie and say it's been a walk in a park since I got here, but I'm sure things will get easier. Learning about new food, this thing I've heard that's called technology. I suppose meeting new people from different worlds will be quite the fun little adventure. I'm not such an old cat where I'm set in my ways. And what of you? Has it been easier for yourself?

[sweetdeath]

I've been lucky. It was tough to get used to, but a lot of this is pretty familiar to me. I must not be from anywhere as different as, well, as the kind of place you're from!

[He shrugs, smiling with a touch of embarrassment.]

Plus, my goddess is great. She helped a lot.