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

[artificialrose]

He was a very hands on person, so that was his problem. I tried to have him imagine the line as an extension of himself, instead of just some magic spell.

But if you say that's not your problem, it could always be something different.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[Even if it's not an identical problem, it might still be something of a solution. Either way, it's a tip he'll keep in mind to try out.]

What other kinds of things could cause this sort of issue?

[May as well figure out a few things to try and focus on fixing before working on the possible fixes.]

[artificialrose]

Well... Maybe having a target is something that would help as well? You know-

[He gestures to the side.]

The difference between practicing kicking in the air, and actually kicking something. Like that.

[Although he's not really a practiced martial artist or anything, it's just something that seems like it would be different...]

Once you have a more solid idea of what it is you're going up against, it might help you imagine it for practice too.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[Somehow, that feels like that advice might be a little closer to helping with his particular issues. A target could definitely help, but without having actually encountered an ayakashi for himself, trying to visualize it for practice is still sort of beyond him, and kind of throws a wrench into his plans of avoiding them for as long as possible.

That was only a sustainable plan for so long, anyway.]

That... would probably help a lot, actually. [So that's a couple of different angles to attack this problem with.] I'll have to try those.

[artificialrose]

I'm sure you'll get the hang of it soon. Actually, they have a lot of similar activities around here during training days, if you keep coming.

[His hand gestures out loosely towards the more garden areas of the place.]

Not that long ago, they actually had an activity where they made fake ayakashi for people to hunt down and use their borderlines again. I'm positive they'll use it again one day; it's rather nice practice.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[Oh, that does sound like a good training exercise...!]

I know I'll keep coming as much as I can. [Circumstances permitting, there's no reason not to, right?] I want to make sure I can do all of this properly, so that my god can rely on me.

[It can get a little disheartening to not really 'click' with the training easily. Still, the best remedy for that is to keep trying different things until something works, so... that'll just have to be his plan for now.]

[artificialrose]

We can practice together whenever you drop by. I know how you feel, after all. I really want to protect my god as well.

[Especially since he seems like such a disaster...]

[hedgehogsdilemma]

I'll keep that in mind, thank you.

[Maybe, if he keeps having this much trouble, he'll actually take advantage of the offer.

And, since he can't help but be curious...] What kind of person is your god like? [There are plenty of diverse people around, he's been kind of wanting to figure out what kinds of dynamics other god and shinki pairs might have.]

[artificialrose]

Ah... Well. [Garry pauses, trying to figure out how to explain it.] He's a very surprising kind of person... A lot of the time, it doesn't seem as if he has any confidence in himself at all, which worries me, because he says a lot of very intelligent things, and you can tell that he's thought deeply about all sorts of matters...

But he's... been very sick for most of his life, and I think that's warped his view on a lot of things. [To put it lightly.] He can be sometimes bad with people as well, and he's already gotten into an argument with someone... so I do get rather worried sometimes.

Still.... I'm glad we ended up meeting one another.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[That is... kind of a surprising answer, though he's not really sure what he was expecting. He supposes it isn't too strange to think that there would be shinki who take up a much more emotionally supportive role than the one he himself has ended up in, or that there might be gods who don't carry themselves with the confidence of his own. Would he be able to take it in such stride if he were in the same kind of situation...?

In their brief meetings thus far, Garry has struck him as a reliable sort of person, but that reply really highlights this aspect of him, he thinks.]

He sounds... like a lot of work. [To speak honestly, though his tone lends itself less to a critique of the god's character and more of a gentle admiration of what's probably necessary to make their partnership mesh.] But, even so, it's probably good that the two of you ended up together, right? Rather than someone who can't keep up with what he needs in a partner.

[artificialrose]

I would like to think so! [Garry's smile brightens a little more, and he laughs softly.] I hope I can do more than just keep up with him. Since this is Heaven, and all sorts of fantastical things have happened as it is, I'd like it if I could help alleviate some of the problems he has...

[Even if just on the physical health level. Once they get that, Garry thinks some of the other things could end up manageable. Maybe. Hopefully.]

That being said, have you been getting along with your god as well?

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[All sorts of fantastical things indeed, if there's an opportunity to fix physical health problems, it certainly exists somewhere in the Far Shore.

As for his own relationship with his god,] We do get along well, I think. [That sounds about... 80-85% sure.] He's been kind to me, and he seems like he's really capable of his role. I feel like he probably wouldn't say anything if it was the case, but I really don't want to feel like I'm holding him back at all, you know?

[artificialrose]

[So just a 20% bit of uncertainty.... Well, that's fine. Sometimes these things take a while, especially when they're all still relative strangers to one another. Garry keeps a reassuring smile on for the younger boy.]

I can understand that. Have you talked to him personally about your worries?

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[Hey, if there's going to be any uncertainty, than it may as well only be a little bit of it.]

I haven't, no. But it isn't like he's really done anything to make me worry about it, either. [It's, probably just him letting his own thoughts get to him, he thinks.]

[artificialrose]

Well, that's true. Still...[He raises one finger, smiling.] It's good for everyone to stay on the same page when you're connected like we are. You don't have to go baring everything all at once... but just a mention that you're having trouble on borderlines and are working on it, something like that.

It's good to have an open relationship, I think. Besides, who knows, he might have some good advice!

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[The suggestion is definitely a good one, though his desire to not cause too much trouble for his god is pretty stubborn. Still, just letting a little bit of information slip, like what he's working on in particular... that's probably not too much.]

I guess that couldn't hurt. [Hm...] I can mention it to him, if it comes up.

[artificialrose]

Why not take the initiative?

[Which is something he has a feeling most teenagers, and Shinji especially, might be averse to, but, hey. It's worth mentioning.]

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[Why on earth would a teenager willingly open themselves up to that kind of potentially awkward situation? Even the thought of talking about it under natural circumstances has its own brand of Uncomfortableness he'd rather avoid.]

I'll... think about it. If it doesn't come up on its own. ["Maybe."]

[artificialrose]

[Yeah, that's about what he expected. Garry chuckles a little bit. Well, there's no point in rushing this kind of thing.]

Anyway, the next time I go down to the Far Shore, would you like to come with me? We can chase off any ayakashi we find down there, while we're at it, and see if that helps with your practice.

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[That sounds like good practice in theory, but also like it's be pretty stressful in practice. Still, he does need the practice, and he knows that he does need to face something like this sooner or later... he hesitates before answering, but - ]

That... would probably be a good idea, wouldn't it? [He is, at least, fairly receptive to the idea. Garry strikes him as a trustworthy person, so if he thinks it's a good enough idea to pitch, it would probably be a safe enough excursion.] If you don't think it would be too much trouble for me to come along, I'd like that.

["Like", but still. He appreciates the offer.]

[artificialrose]

It'd be no problem. It's better to do these kinds of things in groups anyway, just in case.

[You know, if you suck at fighting still, or are a huge coward, or get jumped by a huge swarm of evil spirits and ayakashi and have to run through the streets screaming your head off...]

In fact, you can even tell me when a good time for you would be. I haven't given you a number to contact me at yet, right?

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[That's some pretty sound logic, in all honesty.]

We haven't exchanged numbers yet, no. [Here he digs his phone out of his pocket, pulling up his contacts to put Garry's information in.]

[artificialrose]

Alright then. [Just a moment and it's done.] Then you can call me whenever you like- even if it's not about anything to do with this specifically. I won't mind.