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

[nopixiedust]

...Did you set the vultures on her again?

[revolutionfalcon]

Not since she made that pathetic attempt to apologise to Chinatsu. She was stalking me during the setup for that god meeting, and refused to tell me why until I started rotting her useless accessories.

[So...he's branching out in his creative ways of making Hibiki repulsed by his presence, if nothing else. Then again, he hadn't had the vultures with him at the time.]

[nopixiedust]

[there's an argument for what constitutes 'useless', but, whatever.]

....So what was the reason?

[revolutionfalcon]

Apparently she was investigating the spell barrier, though she should've known better than trying to hide from me and creep around instead of going the other way.

[She'd been so reluctant to talk that it had looked suspicious as hell to boot.]

[nopixiedust]

...I mean, it's not a wrong thing, considering she both doesn't like you but you get results.

[revolutionfalcon]

She doesn't like me because she knows I don't tolerate her ridiculousness, so it was a bad idea anyway.

[Following someone who has a knack for finding you and setting nasty things on you doesn't exactly seem like great idea material to him.]

[nopixiedust]

You go a little further than 'don't tolerate'...

[Vultures. Vultures.]

[revolutionfalcon]

That just makes it even more of a bad idea, then.

[In short, Hibiki made bad life choices and what else is new. She's definitely done even more stupidly reckless things to earn his ire before.]

[nopixiedust]

Did you do this to people where you came from too, or do you just have even less patience around here....?

[Questions that need answering.]

[revolutionfalcon]

I usually did worse to people where I came from, because the people I was lashing out at weren't just persistently annoying.

[Most of them were actually dangerous, or if they were persistently annoying, he was unfortunately having to work with them closely enough that he couldn't just set his birds on them.]

[nopixiedust]

Well, that's something, I guess. [Wendy gives an overdramatic sigh and places one hand to her cheek.] I feel like a mother with squabbling children, and I don't even get the benefit of having had my golden youth.

[revolutionfalcon]

You make it sound like I set the things on her for petty slights. [He's actually had pretty damn legitimate reasons basically every time it's happened - their first meeting had been more on the petty side, but then again, he hadn't harmed her directly that time either.]

[nopixiedust]

It's still a pain, petty or not, since I know both of you. Maybe I should just invite you over to tea and see if I can't get Hibiki to understand your deal, even if not you...

[revolutionfalcon]

I'd rather not. [Shun sounds like even the thought of having to endure dinner at Hibiki's temple is repulsive to him.] I can't imagine she'd agree to having me in her temple, anyway.

[nopixiedust]

[Uh oh, there's that sly teasing smile on her face.]

So if I got her to agree, would that mean you'd do it?

[revolutionfalcon]

No. [He's just making that abundantly clear straight from the start.] Just because I say someone wouldn't allow something anyway doesn't mean I'd do it if they did.

[nopixiedust]

Awwww. [She doesn't sound sincere about it in the slightest.] Well, I guess I'll have to invite you to tea when it's just you and me one day, then.

[revolutionfalcon]

One of my shinki is fond of tea ceremony, so you could always do it the other way around. [Shun doubts Reisi would have much of an issue including someone like Wendy, considering she's pretty good at adapting herself to formalities.]

[nopixiedust]

Oh, really? [She leans in close, interested.] Which one? It'd be nice to visit your place more, and meet more of your shinki.

[revolutionfalcon]

Munakata Reisi. Tall guy with black hair and glasses, usually wears a blue uniform and is ridiculously formal about things. [He doesn't know if Wendy's met him yet, but there's also only so much description he can give of Reisi that doesn't happen to coincide with describing Saruhiko as well.] You already know Chinatsu, and other than her and him it's just Fubuki and Kotori.

[nopixiedust]

Oh! That guy! We met before- at the moon viewing. I didn't know he was one of yours. [After a second, however, she leans closer with a slight frown.] Although the two of you being together is almost worrying on the emotional front...

[revolutionfalcon]

[At that remark, Shun grimaces slightly. For the most part, that wasn't a particularly pleasant night for him.] Munakata was the only one of my shinki who got affected by whatever the spell on that gathering was, so it's not the kind of time that would've been ideal to meet him.

[nopixiedust]

[That was a bad night for everyone. Wendy is pretty sure she saw a murder attempt. Everyone is a disaster in the afterlife, that's the lesson she's primarily learned.]

Mm, yeah, it'd be nice to see him when he's not beating himself up about anything. He'll have to get used to seeing me anyway, at the very least, since you and me know each other.

[revolutionfalcon]

He's usually one of the most tightly-controlled people I know, so it's unlikely you'll ever see him that unravelled again. [Reisi is, for better or worse, inclined to maintain a front of calm and control regardless of the situation. The moon viewing had been an incredible break of habit compared to his usual demeanour.]

But he could probably use someone telling him off the way you try to do to me as well.

[nopixiedust]

[Wendy rests her cheek in her hand with a grin.]

So is that a positive point of mine?