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

[cloak]

What makes you think that?

[He folds his arms across his chest in turn]

[nopixiedust]

Because there's a really easy way to do that, but you haven't done it yet. So you probably want to feel or do something- [She swats a hand through the air.] Right?

[cloak]

I don't know what you mean by "easy way".

[New as he is, he's unsure what she's alluding to]

[nopixiedust]

Dying again. Or, I guess... never showing up in the first place.

Ghosts don't show up if they don't have anything in particular they're sticking around for.

[cloak]

So you're saying I want something?

[Without a memory, how would he even know what it is?

What a strange system]

[nopixiedust]

You have to. I mean, haven't you ever heard ghost stories before?

[A pause before she sighs.]

Wait... [Nevermind on that front.] But that's why ghosts are around. Because we wanted something, even if it was just to live longer. Gods just name us, they don't do anything else, right?

[cloak]

Is that really all they do?

[This system is new, and not entirely intuitive in Roxas' view. But then, what is, aside from keeping himself covered up like this? It's one thing that comes naturally when so much else is foreign]

Either way...it'd be hard to fulfill a wish you can't remember.

[nopixiedust]

Yeah, it's a rubbish system. It makes only a little bit of sense if you squint....

But still- [She swats her hand through the air.] Doesn't that mean you're free to do whatever you want? To make yourself however you want?

[cloak]

What if you don't know what you want though?

[Not remembering anything, how would one decide that sort of thing?

If he looks inward, all he's found that he cares about is having a purpose and doing it well. That, and he doesn't like the idea of people being hurt. What would he do with those kinds of odd-ends?]

[nopixiedust]

Try all sorts of stuff. Like-

[...Well. There's only one thing that comes to mind for her, personally. With a huff of almost fond exasperation, she offers her hand to him.]

Come try dancing with me.

[cloak]

...Dancing?

[Roxas echoes the word, testing its syllables out for himself curiously]

I don't know anything about that. [A pause, and he amends] I think I don't.

[nopixiedust]

That's fine. A lot of people don't.

[She shifts her weight to one foot, flicking her fingers a few times impatiently.]

But you'll keep not knowing if you don't try.

[cloak]

[Slowly, hesitantly, because he's uncertain if it's what she wants...

He lifts a hand and wiggles his fingers back at her]

Like that?

[nopixiedust]

[Oh that's- Wendy bursts out laughing, her free hand going up to curl against her mouth.]

That's not dancing! I mean, except sometimes when it is. But I meant give me your hand!

[cloak]

It isn't, but it is...?

[A puzzling notion indeed. Roxas wonders if Add would know, since he's a god, when dancing involves gestures.

But with the clarification, he doesn't hesitate in holding his hand out for Wendy]

Like that?

[nopixiedust]

Yeah, like that.

[Carefully, she begins to adjust his arm.]

You have to move right, depending on the dance you do.

[cloak]

Are there a lot of different ones?

[He lets himself be maneuvered, not having the first idea of how it works.

Maybe this sort of knowledge would be useful?]

[nopixiedust]

Yeah! There's ballet, and idol dances...

[But she'll teach him some sort of slow dance first, to give him something easy.]

[cloak]

And you know those too?

[Roxas wonders briefly if he knows either of those, but he can't conjure anything specific to match the names. The life of a shinki.

He follows along with the stiffness of someone unfamiliar with moving this way, but there's a clear effort to imitate at least]

[nopixiedust]

Mhm! I'm practicing for the idol dances, and ballet is just something I copy since it seems to fit.... I'm a better acrobat.

[She glances up at him with a quirked up eyebrow.]

You don't have to be so stiff, you know.

[cloak]

An acrobat?

[They're all abstract notions to him.

But the comment prompts him to glance down at himself]

I'm not trying to be.

[nopixiedust]

Someone who's really flexible and does flips and can spin through the air.

[You know, that.]

So you don't know why you're stiff?

[cloak]

Do they fly?

[If they can flip and spin in the air]

I'm not sure how I'd know though.

[nopixiedust]

No, not exactly, although sometimes acrobats stay in the air for a while longer than normal people.

[She tilts her head to the side.]

I'll show you sometime, when you have a little while.

[cloak]

Really?

[Did his flat tone actually sound a touch eager for just a second? Maybe.

The thought that there are people who can stay in the air longer than others is an interesting prospect after all]