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]

No....

[Things were Happening when they were named by two separate gods, that's all that needs to be said. Chikusa won't go into much detail on it, instead just shuffling forward.]

Anyway... I'll go first. Let's just get it over with....

[junkyarddog]

[Ken nods.] Do Kakipi first, byon. Kakipi's always been named first. [Apparently Ken either feels no need to change this, or he actually think that because this is the way it's always happened before, it's the way it always needs to happen.]

[welcome_home]

Kakipi? [ Nanako giggles at this nickname, glancing up at Chikusa in amusement. She's heard Ken call him this a couple times now, but it still amuses her. ] Okay, I will start with Chikusa. Umm... what were the words again...?

[ She closes her eyes a moment to focus on the spell she'd learned, carefully reciting the words Souji had taught her all those months ago. She's said them several times now, but they're still a little tricky for the little girl to get right, especially when she's so focused on doing it well. ]

My name is Nanako. Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my servant. The name answers, the vessel to sound. I call thee as my divine instrument. The name, Chikusa. The vessel, In. Come, Inki!

[kokuyoyo]

[It's not like they're going anywhere; Chikusa waits patiently while Nanako recalls the words. They're a familiar cadence when she says them, a strange weight that curls tight into his being, and he's familiar with the pull that dissolves his body, whisking it away...]

[The purple cat-eared hat which settles on Nanako's head seems to bring with it a dark memory that is thankfully short.]

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako had braced herself for the memory - the worst part about giving shinki a name, in her opinion. Having to see those last few moments without being able to do anything about them. It's always too sad, too scary, and her eyes are clenched tightly shut as Chikusa's new name etches itself on his being and his last moments flash before her eyes.

Seeing Ken there in the memory with him, his face hovering over Chikusa's at the last.... that made it even harder.

Fingers curl into tight fists as she presses them against her eyes, giving a soft sniffle as she tries not to cry. Thankfully short or not, Chikusa is still an important person to her, and to see that still hurts deeply.

But she still manages to reach up a moment later to pat a hand against the sudden new weight atop her head. A.... hat?

Of course he would be a hat. She can't even be that surprised. ]

Chikusa? Are you okay?

[kokuyoyo]

[Nanako's crying.]

[A sliver of confusion goes through their new connection. Chikusa can't exactly see down onto her face like this, but the sound is easily recognizable. As far as he knows, all he did was turn into a hat, right, so why....?]

...I'm not the one crying...

[Ken is going to leap onto this any second, he can tell.]

[welcome_home]

[ She stubbornly wipes at her eyes, as if that will be enough to hide any evidence of it. ]

I'm not crying! I'm okay. Chikusa! You're a hat!

[ That at least gets a giggle out of her, tearful though it might be.

Look at her valiantly trying to change the subject. ]

[junkyarddog]

He would be a hat, byon. [Ken is reaching out to flick an ear of the hat. He's deeply uncomfortable with Nanako's crying, too, but since Nanako is giggling and trying to act normal, he's trying to do the same so that maybe she'll stop faster.] One time he was a yoyo.

[But the 'trying to ignore the crying' isn't really working for him; he's fidgeting, and after a moment he digs into a pocket and pulls out some gum.] Here! [And he abruptly pushes the half-empty pack into Nanako's hand.] You can have this, byon.

[See? You have candy. That means you'll stop crying, right?

Ken is absolutely the most awkward at comforting crying girls. He tries, bless him.]

[welcome_home]

[ Ken's actions just make her giggle again, finding it easier to do with both of them trying to reassure her in their own ways. ]

Thank you, Ken. And yeah, I think a hat's really good for him, too. I'm not sure I'd be very good with a yoyo. Return, Chikusa.

[ Because he doesn't need to stay a hat for the moment and now Ken can hear and see him again too.

She glances up at Ken with a shy smile. ]

You're next. Ready?

[junkyarddog]

Yeah. [Ken nods resolutely. His only real fear in this whole process is that he'll turn into something dumb for his vessel form, and Chikusa will mock him. It's not like he set a precedent or anything.]

[welcome_home]

Okay. [ She nods resolutely and starts the incantation over again, now that Chikusa is beside her once more in his normal form. ]

My name is Nanako. Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my servant. The name answers, the vessel to sound. I call thee as my divine instrument. The name, Ken. The vessel, Ketsu. Come, Ketsuki!

[junkyarddog]

[And, quickly, Ken undergoes his own transformation. Once the weirdness of it subsides, and his senses are functioning as expected again, he's pleased to find that he's obviously something alive - he has eyes, and a nose, and a mouth, and ears. He's even more pleased to note that his senses are even better in this form than in his normal human form.

But what is he?

He's much lower to the ground than before, and all fours; he processes that fast enough. When he looks down, he has long legs and spotted paws. When he looks over his shoulder, he's got a lean yellow body with lots of spots and a spotted (striped? It's a little of both) tail. He lifts a paw to rub ineffectually at his face, but it's hard to judge shape by feel, especially without hands.

He looks at Nanako.] What am I? [It's a little hard to piece together just from the clues. He might have guessed 'cheetah' on his own, considering it's one of his channels, but he finds he can't retract his claws and he's always associated that with cats. (The minor trivia fact that cheetahs can't do that is not one Ken has ever been privy to; none of his channels have retractable claws, so it's never come up.)]

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako's eyes go wide when Ken's shape changes into a new vessel - not something at all like she'd expected. She'd never had a shinki who could change into something like this before and while Ken explores his new shape, she just stares in awe and fascination before his question jolts her out of it. ]

Oh! You're... you're a really big cat, Ken! Chikusa, do you know what kind he is? You're so pretty! Can I...?

[ Sorry, Ken, that the first word that popped to mind was 'pretty'. 'Soft' was a close runner-up, but she hasn't verified that yet, hence the hesitant outstretch of her hand in his direction in silent request. Was it alright to pet him or was that rude when he was still Ken in there? ]

[junkyarddog]

[Ken likes being petted, Nanako. He's shoving his head against her hand almost immediately, a rusty, deep-throated purr already beginning to thrum in his throat.]

I like big cats! I've got channels like that already. Am I a leopard or something?

[kokuyoyo]

Cheetah.

[Fortunately, Chikusa can at least answer this efficiently... especially since this is just another one of Ken's channels, but more literal. Crouching down besides Nanako, he raises an eyebrow.]

...You've kept becoming different animals.... Ever since Axel-sama disappeared. [Nanako will feel a brief pang of grief before it fades away.] Try to remember how to use fingers, Ken...

[junkyarddog]

I might've been an animal for Axel-sama, too...but he never used my vessel form. [Ken sticks his tongue out at Chikusa, which looks considerably amusing on a cheetah.] You've always been boring stuff for everyone but Hakkai-sama, Kakipi.

[Apparently a crane is an acceptable vessel form - perhaps because it's an animal.

After a momentary pause, Ken leans over to Chikusa and rasps his tongue up his cheek. This is clearly him being a shit rather than affection, though Nanako is free to interpret it in a more innocent manner.]

[welcome_home]

[ Since she's the only one who can hear Ken at the moment, Nanako just bursts into giggles when the cheetah sticks his tongue out at Chikusa and then stretches over to lick his cheek.

Delighted, she wraps her arms around the big cat's neck and scratches his ears lightly. ]

I think your vessel form is really cool, Ken! And I like Chikusa's, too. We'll have to practice sometime soon, to see what you both can do, okay?