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

[waitingforhope]

[Smiling at his assessment of the situation, she nodded.]

Yes. That's exactly what it's like.

My body was so used to wielding that kind of weapon for so long that it remembered what to do. Like muscle memory.

[light_of_willpower]

A lot of it is muscle memory, honestly. But the other part of it isn't just muscle-memory alone, but...

[Pausing, clearly trying to think of how to explain it. Because muscle memory relied somewhat on one being able to react. To 'not have to think' to do a movement because they'd done it so many times before. But the kind of familiarity she implied had another component. At least from what he was thinking--one that he'd been trying to relearn and study himself, while relearning his skills.]

Muscle memory means you don't have to think about how to do a movement--you just do, because you've done it so many times before. It's reactive really. But the other part is, you're not thinking about 'how' to do a movement--because there's no need. But you ARE thinking about "is this the right move?" or "do I want to tweak this and go right, instead of left?"...and it's the kind of thinking that can happen in less than a second as you make a decision, yet seems to take no time at all to do. It's a knowing and understanding that goes deeper than just the muscle memory alone.

[He might've gotten a little passionate there.]

[waitingforhope]

[More than a little, from where she was sitting.]

[But in some ways, that drew her in all the more. Listening to him speak. Not just about the subject itself, but the way he spoke. That little glimmer of light in his eye. Before she knew it, her chin was resting in one hand as she turned her head to watch him. Allowing him the whole of her attention.]

So what would you call that, then? That level of knowing and understanding?

[light_of_willpower]

[A blink, and then he realizes, and the whole of her attention, and there's a hint of blush. Head down, although he's quiet and thinking.]

I...honestly don't know what to call it. I don't know that there is a term for it. I just know what it feels like.

[waitingforhope]

[It was sweet how timid he got whenever he noticed her looking.]

[...of course, once she realized his reaction, Mai too felt her cheeks inexplicably heat up, and she also averted her gaze. Instead choosing to look out at the scene in front of them, peaceful as it was, as she spoke.]

I suppose it doesn't really matter what you call a feeling like that, does it? As long as you understanding the feeling. That's enough.