April Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: November 6th
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 rear of 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 a much nicer room than the warehouse where the last set of new gods got their informational speech. It's a smaller meeting room, with tatami floors and a small dais at the front of the room where the speaker stands. 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.

Butterfly spirits are swarming the flower garden to one side of the dojo, fluttering across bright pink late-blooming cosmos. Shinki who want to practice more precise borderline aim can try using them to gently herd the butterflies one way or another, or, if their borderlines aren't quite that good yet, they can try to catch one with a net. Just be careful! It would be a shame to hurt them.

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.

The animated training dummies are missing this week, although the mundane ones are still intact on their stakes; the white-robed shinki who has previously been seen looking after them is wandering among the mundane training dummies, muttering, making notes to himself and swearing under his breath. Anyone who stares at him for too long, god or shinki, newcomer or established, is going to find him marching over and assigning them a task. Measure the air temperature in each square foot of the dojo, determine the exact height of each dummy and the location where it's most likely to be hit by opponents of different heights, hook an accelerometer to someone's sleeve while they smack a dummy around -- there seem to be hundreds of little, fiddly measurements he needs, and he's not taking no for an answer.

Rest and Refreshments

There are casks of fresh, cold water near the dojo to make sure no one gets dehydrated, and a fresh autumn-themed lunch will be served a little after noon. Rice with mushrooms, salt-grilled fish, roasted sweet potatoes and fresh fruit are on the menu; the shinki will try to accommodate any special dietary requests, and both the new arrivals and more experienced volunteers are welcome to partake.

One of the white-robed shinki has a whole pack of half-grown puppies that she seems to be trying to train. A few have mastered sitting, a few have figured out how to fetch, and all of them are young and excited enough that they're dashing off in all directions at the least provocation. Watch out! Dog incoming! Maybe she needs some help with that?

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
• Play with the dogs
• Spectate if you want
• Have fun~

Comments

[swordofzero]

Of course. [Suzaku was happy to help, he smiles at Edge glad that he looks a bit happier than the last time they met.]

To let people through a borderline? Is that possible?

[There was still so much to learn]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Happier? Well, he has a goal to focus on, and that's far better for him than sitting around thinking.]

That's what I'm told. Never seen it before, but after that last battle... well, if we can pull it off, it would be really helpful. [Much better than fighting retreats to protect innocents...]

[swordofzero]

The last battle? [Suzaku frowned, was he talking about the meeting? Suzaku hadn't been there, he had been asleep but he had heard there was some trouble]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Yeah? [One eyebrow goes up.] Meeting of the gods, sudden attack in the Near Shore, blight, giant ayakashi?

[swordofzero]

I wasn't there. [He had only heard about it from Hakkai and not in much detail] I was asleep for three days, apparently that's quite normal. [Nothing to be worried about. Giant ayakashi though, that sounded like a problem.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I -- what? How is sleeping for three days normal?!

[He sure would be a little worried if he slept for three days...]

[swordofzero]

It is normal here. People have slept for a lot longer, weeks or even months. [He has no idea either, but seeing as the answers to many of his questions were that nobody knew for sure, he was learning to take these things in his stride.] Mr Spears assured me that people didn't seem to take any lasting harm from doing so.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Okay, 'normal here' isn't normal. I think that's pretty clear from what everyone here considers normal.

Really, you slept that long and didn't even wake up starving?

[swordofzero]

I guess [He shook his head] I was just as hungry as I was before I went to sleep. [It seemed he was always a little bit hungry and he hadn't thought about it much, just put it down to another strange thing.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

You know, I'm using this as more evidence that this is a bad place that's bad for the people in it. That's crazy.

[swordofzero]

[Perhaps. But it didn't feel bad. Strange yes but bad not so much.

It was crazy to sleep for so long with no bad effects though, he didn't disagree with that.

But]

How are we going to figure out allowing people through borderlines then? Do you have a plan?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Borderlines are all just a matter of willpower, right? So this has to just be the same! You've got to figure out how to let people through with concentration and determination.

[He has a very straightforward way of thinking.]

[swordofzero]

Concentrating on what you do wish to let through whilst keeping the rest out. [He stepped a little way away] So if you put up a borderline I'll try and walk through it

[onehandsomeslickninja]

You got it. Sounds simple to say, doesn't it?

[He doesn't expect success on the first try, but -- well, need to start somewhere, right? Edge slashes the air with his two fingers, describing the limits of the wall.]

Line!

[Up it springs between them, uninvitingly solid.]

[swordofzero]

Many things are easy in theory. [And harder in practice, Suzaku watches as Edge throws up a borderline. He nods and walks towards it confidently towards Edge.

And bounces. Which was expected. He takes a step back and allows Edge a moment before stepping forward to try again]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Nn, okay, he hadn't expected it to work but that's still irritating.]

[Edge shuts his eyes and concentrates all the harder.] This would be easier if you were a cute girl.

[swordofzero]

It would? [How would that make any difference at all? Surely that would not effect the strength of his borderlines... Suzaku gives him a moment to concentrates and then walks at the borderline again.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Because it'd be a lot easier to get in the mindset of wanting you to be able to approach even if I was trying to keep everything else out. [And perhaps proving the point, his Borderline remains resilient. A little softer perhaps, but certainly an impediment to progress.]

[swordofzero]

I see [Suzaku bounced again unable to pass through the borderline. He stepped backwards again and looked around the room] Do you want me to go and ask one of the girls to help you?

[Said with a slight smile, though it is a mostly serious offer.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Hey, if I could grab a girl to help me, I would have done that instead of picking on you. No offense.

[Really, Edge just prefers hanging out around girls. In his mind, who wouldn't?]

But I gotta work with what I have, so... hmm.

[swordofzero]

None taken [He thinks. He doesn't mind being a last resort, it will probably help Edge in the long term if he figures it out now despite finding it difficult.]

Do you want me to try again? [Or try something different? Suzaku watches Edge to see if he has figured anything out yet]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Well... I could do this the easy way. I guess getting a little help isn't bad for the first time, when you're trying something new...

[swordofzero]

What is the easy way? [He's paused a little distance away, ready to try and walk through the borderline again but waiting to see what Edge is thinking of.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Using a tool for focus.

[Edge flips out a half-dozen knives from one sheath and in the same motion flicks them out into a curve between the two of them. His other hand comes up, two fingers slashing up to bring up a Borderline along the path of the knives. This one practically hums with strength and solidity.]

[swordofzero]

[Suaku watches as the knives come between them and Edge throws up another borderline. He's not completely sure what Edge's plan is but he steps towards it nevertheless, to attempt to step through.]