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

[kokuyoyo]

[Oh, okay, they're. They're doing the hugging thing again. Okay. Chikusa wobbles a little with the sudden impact before just... standing there awkwardly.]

[What does he do with his hands]

...Ken will want to see you too. Were you sick?

[welcome_home]

[ She's still hugging him. It's okay if he doesn't do it back. But she could maybe use a hug right now, even if she's the one giving it. Don't feel bad, Chikusa, Suou never quite knows what to do with these either.

She shakes her head a little. ]

No. I wasn't sick. I was just... [ Sad. Lonely? ] my big brother and Homura disappeared.

[kokuyoyo]

[....Oh.]

[With the extreme awkwardness of someone who has only watched this maneuver on television, Chikusa just... puts his hand on top of her head. Limply. With all the energy of a snail that has been salted to death.]

....Yeah. [That. That sure happens fairly regularly.] Homura... was a friend or your shinki?

[He feels like he remembers seeing someone hanging around Nanako that hasn't been around in a while... but that could mean anything.]

[welcome_home]

My shinki. [ She sniffles, hiding her face against his stomach. ] Well. She was Souji's shinki, but he let me name her, too, because I didn't have one for so long. She was.... she was family.

[ And she was still clinging to the hope that the fact that they'd vanished at the same time meant that somehow, Souji had found a way to take her with him, wherever he'd gone. Back home, maybe? Even if she couldn't see them anymore, the hope that they were still together somewhere, that Homura wasn't alone, made it at least a little better. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[It's fine, that cloth is absorbent. Chikusa stirs a little, however.]

....You need a new shinki.

[Most other people he wouldn't give a fuck about, but Nanako is.... a small child? And she is not, to Chikusa's knowledge, a small child that knows how to poison a man to death or tear out a throat. This wouldn't be as worrying if she was.]

[...Well. It'd be worrying for other people. But not Chikusa.]

[welcome_home]

[ She blinks at that, head tipping back slightly. ]

...Suou's still here.

[ Granted, she still hasn't figured out how to use a scarf as a weapon, but... ]

[kokuyoyo]

[A pause. Hold on as he goes through the names in his head....]

That's... not the redhead who keeps destroying his temple.... right...

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako blinks, confused, before she understands who he means and laughs a little shaking her head. ]

No. Not him. Suou has white hair. But he's real quiet.

[kokuyoyo]

Oh. [Well, that explains it.] So you don't need more...?

[welcome_home]

[ She blinks at him, a little confused, before shaking her head. ] I didn't say that. I mean... Well. Do you know someone that needs a god? I mean... some might not want me. I'm not sure I'm very good at being a god yet. I can't do a lot of things...

[ And there was some part of her that always wondered if that was why none of her shinki had ever stayed very long. Even if she was also pretty sure that wasn't how it worked. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[There's no immediate answer from Chikusa. Instead, he glances upwards from beneath his patterned pompom beanie to make sure that there's no one else- particularly one of the shinki in white- lurking about. With that established... He looks down at her.]

Ken likes you... so... he probably wouldn't mind if we nora'd for you...

[Because of course they're a package deal.]

[welcome_home]

[ Another slow blink until what he means by that sinks in and her eyes widen a little at his offer. ]

But... that.... What would Hakkai think?

[ She knows that there are some people who think Nora's are very bad things. She doesn't want to get Chikusa or Ken into trouble with their god. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[Chikusa makes the barest possible minimum amount of effort to shrug. And only with one shoulder.]

He was right there I as nora'd to another god who'd named Ken after Axel-sama left so that we'd stay together... and he nora'd Ken after Ken asked him to.

[So Hakkai seems to be fine with nora in his house, it seems, especially when it comes to people he knows. And it's Nanako. There's no question about it.]

[welcome_home]

[ That appeases her a little bit but she still gives his stomach a gentle pat before giving him a smile, touched by the offer. ]

You should still ask him first. And Ken. They should get a say, too. But thank you, Chikusa. That... means a lot to me.

[kokuyoyo]

[The only reason Chikusa bats an eye is because he has to move his hand around one of Nanako's arms in order to reach into his pockets, whereupon he promptly types out a text message.]

....There. Asked Hakkai.

[welcome_home]

[ Her mouth drops open in surprise as she watches him and then she laughs, shaking a finger at him. ]

Chikusa! You should ask him in person! It's important! What about Ken?

[kokuyoyo]

[The only response for "You should ask Hakkai in person" is a single, solitary raspberry. Like he took the first step and then forgot all the rest.]

[As for Ken? He sulks frowns at the ground.]

Ken never uses his phone. Pookie uses his phone more.

[welcome_home]

[ His raspberry gets an eyeroll from her because really, Chikusa? Even she is more mature than that.

But she just chuckles quietly and gives his phone a nudge. ]

Then why don't we go talk to him in person then, if you want?

[kokuyoyo]

...He should be around here somewhere...

[But he guesses he'll start walking if she does.]

So what did you come here for...?

[welcome_home]

Mmm, I'm supposed to practice with Suou. He turns into a scarf. But I have to learn how to fight with that. [ She reaches up to take his hand, walking with him and glancing up at him curiously. ] Do you have any ideas how to fight with a scarf?

[kokuyoyo]

...You can choke people to death...

[ C H I K U S A ]

Or tie them up... or trip them... Maybe you could use it as a whip, sort of...?

[Totally oblivious to how any of this is inappropriate to tell a small child, he continues to look around for Ken.]

[welcome_home]

[ The sound of her shinki immediately bristling and protesting in her head makes Nanako giggle softly as she strokes a hand absently against the scarf she wears. ]

Uhh. I don't think that would work so well. I mean maybe tieing them up or tripping them, but that'd only make them more mad, right?

[ She's not choking people to death, Chikusa. ]

[kokuyoyo]

[It's a legitimate strategy!!]

I mean... If you already have to fight them... Then they're probably going to be mad anyway. So it doesn't matter.

[welcome_home]

[ She hums at this logic. ]

Maybe. But I need to find a way to be able to rend them, too, so they don't hurt anyone. That's what Suou and I have been trying to figure out when we practice.

[kokuyoyo]

....So.... Use him as a whip?

[It's really all Chikusa can think to offer, since his "choke them to death" option was clearly shot down.]