June Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: December 7th
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.

Once they've had a chance to have things explained, they'll have the chance to relax and enjoy an afternoon party.




Meeting Hall

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.

The speaker delivers her welcome speech with the intonation of someone who's practiced it many times. Newly arrived gods 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. They are allowed to remain in the room as long as they wish, should they want to discuss questions with each other or with more experienced gods who are here to help out.

Shinki Training

Various shinki in the white-and-gold of Amaterasu's hosuehold are stationed around the dojo, passing out informational pamphlets that have been freshly printed. They will be happy to answer any questions or instruct the newcomers in the use of the borderline. They also accompany their answers, or lessons, with 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.

The dojo is back to its old, fully functional self; a set of motionless straw targets line one wall, to be used by people practicing with any of the weapons spread out on tables or hanging in racks on the walls. Outside, six animated straw targets wait in an area marked off with red ribbons and warning signs. Anyone entering the marked area may find themselves in combat with one (or more) of the magical training dummies. Those who leave the marked area, though, won't be chased.

Physical Training

Beyond the dojo, a scavenger hunt has been set up throughout the grounds of the Meeting Hall. Brightly colored plastic balls are hidden in shrubbery, tucked into support beams, floating among reeds in the ponds, and lurking in even cleverer hiding places. When a god or shinki gets their hand on one of them, they will burst open to reveal a hidden prize, such as candy, small toys, or accessories. How many can you find?

As well as the scavenger hunt, the white-robed shinki are engaging in more serious physical training and will be happy to let new gods or shinki join them. Sparring matches with practice weapons from the dojo, jogging laps around the hall, sit-ups, push-ups... or, for the younger shinki, competing to see who's the fastest to climb a tree.

Rest and Refreshments

Midafternoon, once the last of the scavenger-hunt prizes have been found, the white-robed shinki will turn their hands to clearing away the training equipment and laying out a lovely buffet table. Bright lanterns are hung from the trees, and a few shinki even take up a station on one side of the training area and begin playing shamisen, koto, wooden flute and drum. Although their instruments are traditional, their music selection ranges from some very classic Japanese tunes to others that sound surprisingly modern. The koto player can really rock!

Old and new gods and shinki alike are welcome to circulate, socialize with their friends, partake of the buffet food and enjoy the music. There's even room for those who feel inspired to dance, and plenty of privacy offered by the extensive garden for those who would rather retreat with their new partners to have a serious conversation.

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
• Relax at a party
• Have fun~

Comments

[welcome_home]

Yeah. It is. [ Her voice is sad for a moment as she remembers, but she shakes her head, as if to shake that off, and reaches out to abruptly hug him with a warm smile instead. ] I'm really glad, too, though! This is much better!

[ Her cheeks flush happily at this and she nods quickly. ] Okay! I can come get it! But you didn't have to get me anything, Adrien!

[reloves]

Oh, don't worry about it! [ Minako smiles widely at the returned offer, but is also quick to try and repel the other's doubts. It's not that she doesn't get where Zelda is coming from - if she was a princess, she probably didn't have the time to do normal girl things that feel plenty familiar to Minako, regardless of her own lack of memories. But it's not like Zelda's lack of knowledge about these things or perhaps possible stiffness is going to be a problem at all. ]

I'm sure you'll be great at it! I guess some people might say it's a little too quick to judge something like this, but I already feel like things will be plenty of fun right now! Or at the very least, I'm super happy to hear you call us partners.

[ Since Zelda is the perfect partner. Gorgeous, kind, a princess? Full score across the board. There's no part of Minako's outward happiness right now that's anything less than 100% genuine. ]

I can teach you all about the stuff you don't know about! Like pyjama parties-- it's when you all sit together in a bedroom at night in your pyjamas and you play games or watch movies or just.. well, talk about stuff! Like the boys you like or anything you want! It's pretty great.

[welcome_home]

[ She makes a face. ] Yeah, something bad happened and I found out I could do things, because I was scared. But I did practice really hard after that! I want to be a really good god and help lots of people.

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako takes a moment to think before shaking her head, a small frown on her lips. ]

No, I don't think I've met her yet. I wonder if she's new? [ There were always lots of new gods here and some stayed for a while, while others didn't. Nanako met a bunch of them eventually, especially the ones that stayed for a while, like she had. ] But I'm glad that you like her! Not everyone gets along right away, so that's really good!

[reloves]

Wouldn't you want to be a prince though and look all cool and romantic?

[ Because with her kind of dramatic flair she can't imagine anyone not wanting to be like that. ]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

[Honest answer? Nia glances sidelong, almost feeling a little guilty about the question.]

Not really. Not my style. Maybe, maybe I might've enjoyed it if I hadn't just been shipped off there out of the blue. Or if any of it seemed the slightest bit like something I knew. Or if I hadn't known there were a bunch of evil spirits crawling around I couldn't do anything about except stall. Or maybe if thing's gone better with Shizuo. But all in all, waste of a day.

[revolutionfalcon]

[As the spar goes on, Suzaku may notice Shun getting more involved, the brief breaking of approving smirks at a good move or other small, acknowledging motions. For him, spars aren't about the victory, but about the learning and in some sense, enjoyment of the challenge. A strong opponent you can't overcome will often teach a lot more than one you ultimately defeat, and Suzaku, for all Shun considers his attitude leaning towards a doormat, can certainly hold his own when it comes to the field of battle.

Shun flips back to land on his feet, still at the ready, but he eases off at Suzaku's slight nod, figuring that indicates the end. There really isn't a great deal more they could do to clash, and they've both given full strength to the bout, so he can't argue with ending it here.

He inclines his head in return, touching at his neck to see if he's sweated enough to require taking a drink break.] Your fighting strength is a hell of a lot more formidable than your attitude. I'll remember it.

[Both how he might respond differently next time, and the fact that Suzaku is a respectable opponent.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Oh, sure, I can get you started on that. Of course, it's mostly just a matter of practice once you get the technique down. [He figures.] I suppose the first question is what weapons you'd prefer to use. Knives are trickier and more lethal. Shuriken are easier to hit with, but you need to land a fan of them to be really effective.

[spellswords]

[Fair enough...

She's a bit of a sore loser which doesn't help but she seems to mellow a little as he continues and her expression softens. Honestly she had appreciated the challenge in the end and it had done wonders to give vent to her frustrations about her situation.

Right. Shinki have no memories of their previous life.] I see. Well, normally that is the case and any other magic discipline requires such. Red magic is a bit unique and allows for instant casts if you do it correctly. [And then sometimes you also have Swiftcast as your roleskill for even speedier casts, as she demonstrated.]

I am somewhat familiar with the ninja discipline although yours was different enough to surprise me. [Though it was still very similar to Yuigir's shinobi skills nevertheless.]

[spellswords]

[That's kind of an unsettling thought when she considers then what kind of god she might be.]

It's a place to start if nothing else. I was given the name so I'm certain there must be something. Lead the way. [Admittedly she's also just curious about what temple he lives in. The idea that she has one too is ridiculous but maybe she'll know what to expect from hers if she sees his.

Also she doesn't really want to be in the meeting hall anymore and ever is she fond of libraries.]

[spellswords]

[She cants her head at him, expression curious. Well if he puts it like that he can't expect her to not ask.]

A nuisance in what way?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Edge also has a decade on her, spent in good solid training (and world-saving). Give her ten years more and she'll be an absolute terror on the battlefield, he has no doubt. Maybe half that.]

Oh, really? [Edge's eyes open wider for a moment, before he shuts them with a smile in his voice.] Well, you're doing better than I am. I had to figure out I was a ninja. Though luckily, everything from my clothes to my weapons sure helps make that clear, doesn't it?

[He doesn't go much for visual stealth, that's for sure.]

I don't know a thing of what your magic is like, but now I'm even more curious.

[kokuyoyo]

...The books move around.

Every day.

No matter how long you try to organize them... [Slowly, he reaches up again to nudge at his glasses.]

[unlucky7]

[What can anyone ask for but an honest answer? So it goes, so it goes. Ginia can't say with any certainty her first day would have gone well if it'd been at an amusement park. Her first day was fine as it was.

She finds a spot for them to sit at, setting her plate of food on her lap.]

So you and Shizuo. Things improve any since then?

[defensivematrix]

I agree. I am also eager to see your temple in it's full glory.

[ And her new home according to this news. Does the temple looks the part just as much as he does? Most curious. ]

[defensivematrix]

[ To some those might be just two months, but to Satya they make a great difference. She relaxes as Ginia gives her the permission to continue her inquiries. She finds herself not wanting to end this conversation just yet. ]

I will start with just one. What are in your opinion best qualities that a good shinki should possess.

[ Is this another loaded question? But it seems an important one. However her god is, she is certain that she must give a best first impression. Should she ever find a need to find a different god, having a good reputation around could help her. Heck, even if she never needs to look for a new one, this could open many doors should they be needed ]

[unlucky7]

[What does it even mean to be a good shinki? Ginia's arms cross over her chest, head tiling down as she chews on the question. From the way some of the shinki of old gods act and from the articles in From Ama, loyal devotion are considered the traits desired in shinki. But there's no loyalty and devotion without a god worth serving and if shinki are the moral guides of their god, what good is blind loyalty?

What are the common traits of her temple? They all love a good hunt, though a willingness to fight isn't a requirement for god or shinki. Lancer and Archer are both exceedingly kind, though it manifests in different ways. Smart and analytical, duty-driven workaholics.

So they are good shinki because they work hard. What kind of message is that? Moving from her temple, what about the other shinki she knows? Ginia mulls over the few other shinki she's encountered, considering the facets of personalities and traits. A few constants that come to mind. Ginia types out her list, reads over it once, twice, before finally playing it.]

A willingness to help and protect, both others on the Far Shore and those on the Near Shore. Kindness for those around them. Being able to act independently from your god or fellow shinki, but also knowing when to follow someone's lead.

[spellswords]

[That doesn't answer her question as far as she's concerned unless he was implying that it's lighter than it looks. Either way it looks like an impractical weapon to her. Certainly interesting and perhaps one she'd like to try for herself just to see... but still impractical looking. The fact that he doesn't like to use it seems telling.

She shrugs.]

I suppose on that gods and shinki are the same. We do not get to choose what type of god or weapon we become. [Shinki don't choose their weapons or powers anymore than she did. Whatever god she is...]

[sassywelshcatgirl]

Been picking at him to try to train with me. I'll probably catch him here a little later. We'll see how it goes.

[Nia flops down gracelessly, or at least seemingly so -- it can't be all that bad considering she spills none of her food.]

Baby steps, I guess. Guy's kind of hard to get a handle on, or a hold of.

[spellswords]

[Wow this is a little unfair!! She is utterly weak to such an array of sweets and tea. She still isn't sure what to make of this girl but someone who offers free sweets can't be that bad. And she'll never turn down free sweets besides.]

You did? Is that your power as a god then? To create sweets? [She sounds amused so she maybe doesn't quite believe that at all given what Hibiki described her god to be. An amusing thought nevertheless...

For her part she'll try the fanciest looking sweet on this platter.]

[fauxcalibur]

The Iliad...

[He tips his head to the side as he thinks, then frowns and pulls out his phone when he comes up with nothing. It's funny how much he's gotten used to using it for everything.]

It seems there have been a few adaptations, but only one in the past 20 years or so and it seems it wasn't terribly well liked...

[He has to admit that it's not something he's sought out to watch on his own.]

Is that a particular favorite of yours?

[myblueskies]

[Making sure he was steady on the tree Romeo reached out to grasp one of her hands with his own.] You are a really good god Nanako! I bet you help lots and lots of people. I'm sorry something scary happened though but I'm glad you practiced hard so now you can help everyone if scary things happen again!

[swordofzero]

"I am sure he didn't." Suzaku smiled at him again, he's not sure how much he is helping but Shin definitely seems uncertain about his new duty. Suzaku understands that, it was quite a daunting task.

"You will do fine, it sounds like you have been trying to help him already."

[swordofzero]

You are a formidable opponent yourself. [The spar had been fun, the challenge had been high and though he had already known that Shun was a talented fighter- had had seen him hold his own after having been kidnapped and drained of energy, it was good to fight with him and Suzaku felt he had learned a lot.]

Thank you.

[swordofzero]

I'm not sure, I figure knives will be easier to get a hold of than shurikan, even throwing knives. [Shurikan were a lot more niche.] If knives are trickier then it is perhaps best to start with those.

[They would take more practice after all.]