July Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: December 22nd
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 more experienced god and shinki volunteers.




Meeting Hall

God Training

Newly arrived gods are escorted into a small meeting room, with tatami floors and a stage 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. Paper and pens are provided to all the attendees as an unsubtle suggestion to take notes on the information they're given.

The speaker delivers his welcome speech in a rather bored tone, occasionally stumbling and checking his own notecards. He particularly dwells, towards the end of the speech, on the fact that an unauthorized god has recently tried to access the Heavens, and any contact from other gods asking to access the Heavens through their temples should be immediately reported. 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.

A variety of weapons are available in the dojo for shinki and their gods to practice with, and a row of straw targets are set up along one wall. Outside, in an area carefully roped off with red ribbons, are six animated training dummies, also made of straw and dressed in plain cotton jackets and trousers. They will immediately engage anyone who enters the area marked with the ribbon, but will not pursue opponents outside it. A white-robed shinki nearby keeps a sharp eye on the animated dummies, and will intervene if anyone tries to destroy one.

Physical Training

A race track has been laid out, winding through the gardens to a towering pole, 9 meters in height, planted in the center of a pond with a cluster of pretty ribbons tied at the top. White-robed shinki are standing by with stopwatches: anyone who wants can race their friends along the path, with the first one to return to the starting point with a ribbon winning the challenge, or solitary racers can recruit a shinki to time them and try to beat their own speed. But be careful not to fall off the pole! The pond isn't dangerously deep, but the bottom is very muddy, and in late December, it's also very, very cold.

On the lawn near the dojo, a wide circle has been marked out in white paint, and big baskets set around the circle are filled with sachets full of chalk dust in a rainbow of colors. Pick your color, grab a handful of sachets, and join the fray! Anyone inside the circle is a fair target to have one of the sachets thrown at them, and on impact, they splash out enough brightly colored dust to mark the spot they strike. Head or torso hits are an automatic out, leg hits mean the target isn't allowed to move from their position, and arm hits mean they can't use that arm. Borderlines -- and any other magic -- are allowed, and the game can get intense.

Rest and Refreshments

The weather outside, although not freezing, is quite chilly, and in the middle of the afternoon, the shinki will invite everyone into a prepared banquet hall for food and to warm back up. Charcoal braziers set in the center of square tables radiate warmth, and are covered by grates; other shinki bring trays of fresh ingredients, both meat and vegetable, that can be grilled over the hot coals.

After the meal is finished, one of the white-robed shinki, a middle-aged woman with her hair cut in a fashionable modern bob, enters the room with an expression of great, if restrained, delight, pushing a cart with a portable karaoke machine and speaker on it. She sets up the karaoke machine at one end of the room, and begins encouraging others -- both her fellow shinki and the newcomer guests -- to join in with a song. Whenever there's a break, she puts in music selections of her own; she has a trained, jazzy voice and a great fondness for midcentury enka.

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, sing and barbecue
• Have fun~

Comments

[unlucky7]

Shinki Training
Come, pillars of frost, crossbeams of crystalline ice...

[Ginia sits cross-legged on the ground, a metal bowl with a small fire burning in it in front of her. She's signing at the bowl as she whistles a song. The fire flickers and dies a bit; was it the wind or something else? She stares at the flame, frowning before noticing company nearby. Ginia waves and gives a polite smile, grabbing her phone - or signing depending on the company - and typing up a message to play.]

Know anything about song spells?

Physical Training
[Armed with an armful of purple chalk satchels, Ginia lets her competitive streak run wild as she hurls a relentless assault of chalk bombs. She's fast with borderlines, slashing chalk bombs out of the air with slashing borderlines, popping up barriers to protect herself or popping them up in front of others to shield or hinder them. Think fast!]

Rest and Refreshments
[Ginia's never one to turn down a free meal, especially when it involves grilled food. With space and tables limited, she's glad to make space for anyone looking for a place to eat, stranger or friends alike. There's currently a spread of vegetables and meat set out on the grill, Ginia carefully flipping things over.]

Give it another minute and before you help yourself.

[She writes and plays through the phone at her side, the voice reading her message a digitized alto.]

Wildcard!
[Feel free to throw an idea at me or message me at cordially if you want to plot something out!]

[reformedsinner]

I've seen them performed... but I thought you had to sing them?

[She's certainly creating the melody with her whistle, at least...

Hakkai frowns, perplexed.] With normal spells, conviction is an important part of making them work, I know.

[unlucky7]

[Ginia nudges the bowl away with her foot, making sure there's nothing it can catch on fire as she takes her attention off it while she types.]

Chikusa mentioned that, but I've been able to sign other spells without problems so I thought maybe this would work if I signed and whistled at the same time.

[Though writing it out that way, it does seem pretty foolish. Song spell, of course. Maybe singing is required.]

[reformedsinner]

Have you? Well, it's certainly possible it'll work, then.

[He frowns thoughtfully.] But I'm no expert. I went to some of the classes Bishamon's exemplar was teaching, but that was months ago, and unfortunately he wasn't able to keep them up for all of us. -- I believe Chikusa knows one of Amaterasu's shinki who specializes in magic, if you'd like to find someone who's an authority.

[unlucky7]

Do you know the name of the shinki or should I go looking for Chikusa?

[Not that she minds looking for Chikusa. Ginia has found him to be reliable and forthcoming when it comes to useful information. But if Hakkai knows, all the easier.]

[reformedsinner]

Something "mei." Sabimei, I believe? [He frowns, dubiously.] Although I'm afraid I've never met the man myself, so you may wish to ask Chikusa for a description regardless.

[unlucky7]

[Ginia nods. She should find Chikusa anyway; they haven't had a chance to talk since the ablution and now that there's been space, maybe it'll be easier.]

Thank you, I'll find him later.

Did you learn any spells when you were a shinki? Any tips if you did?

[For all she's done with borderlines and Bind, this spell feels like hitting a wall. Maybe it's because it's a song spell and harder, maybe she's doing something wrong, maybe it's simply impossible for her, or maybe it's too soon to tell.]

shinki training

[abgrund]

[ That's quite the interesting way to evoke spells. He's always wondered why they need to speak it out loud - what of people who have no voice? People who have no lungs and speak only by some eldritch enchantment?

(The latter is him, for the record.)

Ain peers at Ginia quietly until she notices him. He debates leaving, but it's impolite now. ]

I don't... Are you using one?

[unlucky7]

[Ain is one of the most distinctive people Ginia's seen around and as he was watching, engaging can't hurt. She nods, moving the bowl away so it can't accidentally catch anything on fire as she takes her attention off it.]

Trying to, but I can't tell if I'm doing something or it's the wind.

[abgrund]

[ He's worked with Rin in trying to control his flames before, so he thinks he has something to offer. ]

I can shield you from the wind if you'd like.

[ Given how his presence is sometimes quite creepy, he's grown into the habit of asking first before showing. ]

[unlucky7]

[There's a pause for a second before Ginia nods. Borderlines, other forms of shields, there are a lot of ways someone could help and Ginia's curious how he'll help.]

[abgrund]

[ Ain remains where he is, a distance far enough to be polite but close enough to be within conversational distance. He doesn't appear to move or even raise his hand to cast a spell - instead, a pair of black shadows emerge from his back, expanding to surround the both of them in a dome of fog.

There's no wind, but the darkness isn't oppressive - instead, it gives the impression of being underwater. Some light filters in from outside, so they can see without it being too bright. ]

[unlucky7]

[Ginia's legs tense as the shadows emerge, a brief impulse to flee rising; if she hadn't asked for his help, she would have. But as they're both inside the dome, Ginia settles, looking around at the enclosed space. Now that she's had a moment to appreciate it, it's impressive. She bows her head appreciatively at him, still feeling flickers of tension on her spine. Worst comes to worst, she can always borderline her way out of things and if things turn real bad, Caster will find her.

She focuses back on the small fire in the bowl, feeding it a few sticks from a small pile at her side to help it grow. Steadying herself, Ginia pulls up the song in her mind, whistling the notes as she signs the words to the tune.]

Come, pillars of frost, crossbeams of crystalline ice, and girders of snow. Rafters of the falling rain, and thatch covering of dew.

[And... nothing. Grr.]

Shinki Training

[lostinshadows]

Just the basics. Dunno how it'd go if you can't sing, though.

[Lavi sits beside her.]

[unlucky7]

[Ginia huffs and frowns, nudging the bowl aside with her foot.]

I haven't had trouble signing spells. I'll concede if song spells are different, but not until I've given it more time.

[lostinshadows]

Which song spell were you working on?

[Just curious.

He gives her a slightly apologetic look for disturbing her, though.]

[unlucky7]

[Ginia pulls out a folded piece of paper from her pocket and hands it over. It's a photocopy of the spell she found in the library, or rather, the musical notation and the text for the spell.

"Come, pillars of frost, crossbeams of crystalline ice, and girders of snow. Rafters of the falling rain, and thatch covering of dew."]

[lostinshadows]

[Lavi does take the paper, peering at it curiously.

He makes a soft sound.]

It's nice of them to give you the musical notation for it. But first time I'm hearing this song spell.

[Still, he can't help but study the notation for a bit longer.]

[unlucky7]

[Small blessings for that. It'd be a different kind of hell if they left the music off, though at that point, Ginia would have overlooked it as a piece of poetry. If it wasn't for talking to Chikusa and learning about song spells, she probably would have it ignored it entirely.

Ginia waves lightly to get his attention.]

Is there another one you know?

[dredefulchilde]

[Joss plops down next to Ginia without fanfare and watches her cast the spell with a great deal of interest.]

So that's how you do it. Will I have to learn the hand motions too, or is it because you can't talk?

[unlucky7]

[Ginia arches a brow at him. Attitude still needs work, but also not her job to rein him in. She sits back and stares at the small fire before she types up her message.]

It's because I can't talk. You can says the spells to cast them, though this one is different because of the music component.

[That said, signing spells definitely has its perks. Not needing the target to see or understand the signs and still work is pretty useful.]

[dredefulchilde]

[He peers closer at the fire, and the flickering light only further emphasizes the dark circles under his eyes and the hollows in his cheeks. It’s been way too long since he’s consumed any life force.]

I’ve never seen any spells cast before. Which one is this?

[unlucky7]

[There's a kid that could stand to look better. Ginia frowns at his condition. Is his god taking proper care of him?]

You doing okay? You look like you haven't eaten or slept in days.

[dredefulchilde]

[His shoulders stiffen and he turns away from Ginia|]

I’m fine. I slept great and I had a big breakfast before I came here. I just haven’t gotten to fight recently, that’s all.

[unlucky7]

[Huh. Ginia studies him a little longer. He's a strange kid and sure, she worries, but she's still not quite sure what to think about him.]

I'm not entirely sure. I think it's either some kind of ice spell or fire defense spell.

[Which would easily be both. Hence the small bowl of fire.]