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

[reformedsinner]

You came here with a gun and no holster? Well, that won't do.

-- they might have one over with the practice weapons.

[He glances over towards the dojo. He hadn't seen one, but there are sometimes firearms among the melee weapons. It only makes sense, as shinki do turn into guns, sometimes, too.]

I'm Cho Hakkai, incidentally. Are you a god or a shinki?

[swordofzero]

[He hadn't thought about that, he hadn't seen anyone practicing with guns in the dojo, mostly swords and lances.] I can go and look [Hopefully no one would mind him borrowing one for the moment, if it made people less worried]

Suzaku Kururugi, I'm a shinki. [His nod is not quite a bow but it is polite none the less] It's nice to meet you Cho Hakkai. What about you?

[reformedsinner]

A god of medicine -- Li Tieguai. [Hakkai returns the nod with a shallow, polite bow at the introduction. Suzaku, being a shinki, shouldn't bow to a god who's not his own. Hakkai, being a god, can bow to whoever he likes, in his opinion. If it shocks the Heavens, so much the better.]

Although I must admit I don't feel particularly divine. We new gods in particular are souls no different from yours!

[swordofzero]

[Well bowing regulations were not in the welcome pamphlet, so trial and error would be his teacher there. A god of medicine, Li Tieguai.]

Souls no different from mine? [Surely that wasn't right. Suzaku looks a little confused. There's a lot that is confusing but so far people have been pretty good at answering questions]

[reformedsinner]

[It's something Hakkai should add, one of these days. Perhaps when the first print run of the pamphlets finally runs out...]

Well -- not any more different than one mortal soul is from another. I can't tell what the difference is between those brought here as gods and as shinki.

In fact, I was a shinki first myself.

[swordofzero]

[Surely the difference was that gods were... well gods and shinki were dead? But he was a shinki first? And now he was a god.

Actually. He lifted the pamphlet and read the end part again. It said it there sometimes gods and shinki swapped. They didn't know what caused it.] How did you change?

[reformedsinner]

I'm afraid that's one question I can't answer. I don't know what triggered it, but I disappeared for a short time, and when I returned, I was a god.

[He shakes his head.] It's happened to a few others, and I haven't spotted any similarities between us.

[swordofzero]

Where did you go? Or do you not remember? [It was more curiosity more than anything. If it happened to a few people it was just a thing that happened here, shinki could become gods and gods could become shinki.]

[reformedsinner]

I remember being here, and I remember my life at home, but that's all -- so either I've forgotten where I was for that period, or I was returned home.

[He spreads his hands, adding:] Which, considering that I began as a shinki, would be rather challenging, wouldn't it? I suspect it's more likely that my memory of the missing time is also missing.

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku nodded. It would indeed be difficult for him to return home when he was dead.] That seems the most likely.

What is it like being a god?

[reformedsinner]

Compared to being a shinki? Well -- I feel much less lost.

[It helps to remember everything about himself. And yet...]

It doesn't help this place make more sense, though.

[swordofzero]

[Lost. Yes lost is a really good way to describe how he's feeling right now.

Unfortunate to hear that this place didn't make any sense to gods either] I see.

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai watches the younger man for a moment, thoughtfully.]

Although being a god doesn't make a difference with that, time does. You'll learn.

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku nodded] I am sure I will. Everyone has been very helpful so far.

[reformedsinner]

That's good to hear.

[The corner of his mouth quirks into a half-smile.]

At least, we all know how it feels to arrive here, so we do tend to be sympathetic.

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku smiles back. He guesses that is one thing everyone has in common. They were all new once. He falls silent again though he keeps his attention on Cho. It seems conversation is not a talent of Suzaku's though.]

[reformedsinner]

[He's really not very good at chatting, is he? As the moment of silence stretches long enough to grow awkward, Hakkai laughs lightly, and glances around.]

I suppose the obvious next question is, is there anything I can help you with? I'm not exactly a veteran -- I've been here about eight months now -- but not many of us newcomers have been here longer than that.

[swordofzero]

[No he's really not.] Eight months. I think that's the longest time I have heard. [Out of the people he had spoken to so far.]

Do you have any advice? [He knows a lot more than he did three hours ago but considering three hours ago the only thing he knew was his name and that he was dead it's not really saying much.] What is something you wish you had known when you arrived?

[reformedsinner]

When I arrived... [He trails off, the smile fading slowly from his face.]

Well. First of all, as a shinki, you can ask for your god to release you and find another, if things don't work out. Second-- even if you do work well with your god, both gods and shinki disappear here, frequently. I had four gods in less than four months. Have a backup plan if your god disappears.

Also... don't trust the Heavens too blindly.

[swordofzero]

[You could ask your god to release you? That surprised him but he just nodded. Four gods in less than four months was a lot, that was a high level of disappearances.]

Don't trust them? Do you think they mean harm?

[reformedsinner]

I don't think they mean harm. I think they have their own interests, and we shouldn't trust that theirs are the same as ours.

[He shakes his head, gaze distant.]

Nor are they always very careful with us. We're newcomers and we disappear easily, which makes us expendable.

[swordofzero]

I see [Sort of. Surely they were brought here for their purpose. Their interests should align. But he still knows so little, it's hard to form opinions on such things.

Expendable. He frowned at that] Is that why they have brought us here? Because we are more expendable than their own?

[He doesn't like the idea of that. Of people being treated like they are worth less just because they are from elsewhere.]

[reformedsinner]

They say they don't know how we got here or who brought us.

[With a half-smile, he adds:] And, since their own gods are disappearing too, I'm inclined to believe them.

[swordofzero]

[Their own gods were disappearing too.] I see [He nods, thinking about that.]

[reformedsinner]

[Hakkai inclines his head, letting the silence stretch for a moment or two before he continues.]

If anything... I'm suspicious that there's some kind of conspiracy involved, or, at the very least, a coup attempt. Amaterasu, the Queen of the Heavens, is very young, and one of her advisers may be trying to ensure they can keep the power they've held as she matures.

Our presence seems to be either a side-effect of causing the normal gods to disappear, or, perhaps, a distraction.