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

A

[replicatedform]

What?

[That poor nearby person happens to be a cloaked swordsman. Startled, he takes a step backward to put some space between himself and some waving pamphlet. Oh yeah, someone's holding.

If Minako pay attention, under that hood is a fairly nice looking man. Or... beautiful, maybe?]

Oh—I don't mind. Just... put that down first?

[reloves]

[ It really is only when she gets up and close with him that she manages to actually look under the hood, and.. well, she sure likes what she's seeing there. Minako freezes up for a moment, completely awestruck, and then moves the pamphlet down so quickly that the movement is almost robotical. ]

O-Of course!

[ Anything for this guy. Already. ]

Are you.. maybe an angel? [ It's hard to tell whether she's serious or that's just supposed to be a flirty line. Maybe both. ]

[replicatedform]

[For a moment, he wonders why she froze. Just as he's about to ask her, he blinks. And again.]

What? An angel...?

[After blinking for a moment, he feels his cheeks growing warm and he instinctively raise a hand to his hood.]

No—I'm not an angel! What makes you think that?

[He doesn't have wings? Or... wear fancy robes?]

[reloves]

I mean.. I'm.. dead, right?

[ Not a fact she wants to linger on for too long. Especially not when all she can remember is just the fact that she's dead, which is frankly just unsettling. But Minako is an expert at pushing down unwanted feelings for long enough that she doesn't have to show any of them in front of other people. ]

And that's what's supposed to happen when you die! A beautiful angel shows up in front of you! .. Probably! [ Look, not remembering anything makes it kind of hard to remember what she even used to think the afterlife would be like. But this feels right. ]

[replicatedform]

Well...

[Okay, that's a topic he really doesn't want to think about. Especially around this time, when new shinki shows up. So!]

Unfortunately, I'm not an angel. Just a shinki. [A pause, as he thinks back to what he knows about angels. Shows up after death, and... oh.] I guess... shinki are like angels? Since we serve our respective gods and help people.

[He may or may not be trying to make her feel better? Awkwardly. Because he remembers being new and lost.]

[reloves]

[ Oh, don't you worry about making her feel better. Minako seems super cheery for someone who just realised they died and know literally nothing else aside from that - maybe even a little too cheery, even. But this is just how she deals with heavy stuff, just shove it all right on down. ]

That means I was right anyway! Or.. well, kind of?

[ Point still stands though, he sure is one hell of a handsome guy. ]

You sound like you're super used to this though. Have you been here long?

[replicatedform]

[She's... fine. Maybe she does handle it somewhat well? Better than someone having a crying fit. Or a breakdown.]

Maybe a little right.

[Okay, she can have that point. He blinks at her question, before he thinks for a moment.]

I guess so? I've been a shinki for almost... four months or so.

[It feels simultaneously both short and long, somehow. Or maybe his perception of time is that messed up from being dead.]

[reloves]

Four months...

[ There's a moment where she lingers on the words, letting out a "hmm" sort of sound before having seemed to made up her mind about whether that's a long time to have been dead or not. ]

Well, that's four months longer than me! So I'm sure there's a lot you could teach me! [ And she would just love getting taught things by a cute guy, thanks. ]

[replicatedform]

[After a blink, he gives her a nod. After all, that's one of the reasons why he come along to these sessions, meeting new people and helping them out.]

If it's possible for me, I wouldn't mind teaching you what I know.

[Pamphlets and lectures are one thing. It's another to get someone's personal experiences and views.]

[reloves]

[ Yes, teaching is clearly the most important part here. Clearly. Obviously. Why would Minako ever want to spend time together with a handsome guy otherwise, huh? Look at this innocent girl, free of ulterior motives.

(Her eyes are practically sparkling at the thought already.) ]

Then you can start right now! What's the most important thing I should remember? [ And then she adds, just to apparently make it worse-- ] If you tell me, there's no way I'll ever forget!

[replicatedform]

[She seems quite eager to learn. Whoever her god will be is definitely getting a good shinki.]

The most important thing to remember? [That's easy for him to answer. After all, he remember some of his own moments with his god.] It's supporting and watching out for your god. You look after each other, whether they ask for it or not.

[That's probably general enough to say? Yeah.]

[reloves]

Okay.. That shouldn't be too much of a problem.

[ Although it kind of depends on the god.. Minako is just going to assume she's going to get someone sweet and kind, or maybe even a handsome guy, and then it's not even going to be difficult to be by their side and help them out. ]

I mean.. It seems almost a little like being partners for some school project! You always end up looking out for each other. [ Except a little more high stakes than that, huh. ]