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

[deathmetalist]

Agh!!

[ That's the problem with becoming too engrossed with what she's doing. She didn't notice the man before her approach until he already spoke.]

D-Don't sneak up on a person! [No. He didn't really... she just hadn't been paying attention. Lowering the shamisen she laughs, sheepish.]

I'm not part of the band! I just wanted to mess around a little. It's pretty cool, huh? How they could make some of their songs sound more up beat! [It was all pretty nice, including the more traditional, but she liked the stuff you could move to best.] I don't think the shamisen fits me though.

[revolutionfalcon]

It's not my fault you weren't paying attention. [Shun puts that very bluntly, though he also walks quietly as a matter of course, so it's not exactly easy to spot him approaching even if someone is paying attention.

At least her answer does give him one regarding why exactly she was hiding out behind the stage like that, though, and he eyes the instrument in her hands. It's not one that's particularly familiar to him - he's seen it before, but his city wasn't enormously steeped in tradition, and he's never had any specific interest in music.]

But you're obviously familiar with stringed instruments. [Shun doesn't get too specific considering he's already suspecting she might be a shinki, but stating the obvious doesn't really touch on someone's past. If she could pick it up and play it, she's familiar with the class of instrument.]

[deathmetalist]

I turn into a guitar! Maybe that's why? We're in the same species!

[Or whatever stringed instruments are called as a whole. It makes sense to her. Honestly, she doesn't think too deeply about it. If she can play, she can play, and that's fine with her. Actually, playing an instrument sounds kind of cool.]

Were you wanting to try as well?

[revolutionfalcon]

[Shun just gives her a very long look at that first remark before sighing slightly in exasperation. He's experienced enough with weird by this point, but this seems a bit more genuine than what he usually deals with on that front.]

It's better not to think about it too hard anyway. [She's definitely a shinki if she's talking about turning into a guitar, so excessive thinking is just likely to lead her in a bad way.

Shun draws back slightly in apparent confusion at the offer before shaking his head.] I'm not interested in that sort of thing. I was just wondering why someone was hiding behind the stage.

[deathmetalist]

Oh, that--

[It's not that she's trying to hide, but...]

I didn't want to disrupt anyone. The performances earlier were great so I was trying to stay out of the way. [Also if she sounded bad that would be even more embarrassing with an audience.]

Are you security?

[revolutionfalcon]

Something like that. [There's something faintly dry to Shun's tone at that, but he's overall so serious that it's hard to pick out.] I don't make a habit of letting suspicious-looking behaviour lie considering how much goes wrong in this place.

[She's a new shinki, so there's a limit to exactly how much she'd be able to make go wrong, but still, as far as he's concerned it's better to be safe than sorry.]

[deathmetalist]

Hey, I'm not suspicious...!

[ . . . Wait a minute. After her initial protest, she pauses in some confusion. She knows that in the Near Shore there is supposed to be those things called Ayakashi. But things go whacky here, too?]

What do you mean, wrong? Isn't heaven supposed to be a peaceful place?

[revolutionfalcon]

[That gets a faint, almost derisive snort out of Shun.] So they say. But we rarely go more than a week or two without something going wrong, whether it's an ayakashi attack or curses on the Near Shore or whatever else. If you were hoping to rest in peace, you've got another thing coming.

[Shun puts it very bluntly and neutrally, as if it's simply a fact of life here that needs to be taken into account.]

[deathmetalist]

What kind of heaven is this!? Did I go to the wrong place or something!?

[She doesn't really want to fight anything weird, and why are there things out there that want to eat them anyway!?]

[revolutionfalcon]

Like it or not, that's how things are here. Gods fighting evil spirits, basically, and they need the help of shinki like you to do it.

[Shun, honestly, would much prefer it if they didn't have to drag the spirits of the dead into the whole thing, but unfortunately there's no way to get rid of ayakashi without a shinki.]