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

[locked] to poor, poor Sabimei

[kokuyoyo]

It's no surprise to see Sabimei right back at it, figuring out the complex magic required to both make the animated dummies work and keep them from attacking anyone and everyone under the sun. Still, both parties had been gone that one time, so one could never tell....

But now that he's come back, it's the perfect time to see if he can get the drop on the older shinki. It's been far too long with too many borderline lessons, and a shinki like Chikusa is doesn't have that much time to waste. He just wants to learn a new spell. So if he can maybe get the drop on Sabimei, that might finally convince him...

Or it'll just shut him up. That'll make him feel better too.

So from where he's hidden behind Sabimei's back, gray beanie not particularly eye-catching, Chikusa eyes the older shinki carefully with his hand ready... and quickly snaps it out to point at him. "Silence, Sabi!"

Let him see your notes already you dick.

NICE TRY, PUNK

[godsoffortune]

[The man whirls, one hand slashing down to send a borderline sizzling up in white-gold splendor between the two of them. He glares.]

You again? Learn to recognize your betters, Chikusa.

[With an irritated flick of his fingers, he dismisses the borderline, and crosses his arms, doing his best to loom. It would be more effective if he weren't half a head shorter than the lanky teenager he's trying to loom over.]

[kokuyoyo]

[DAMMIT]

[With his attempts foiled once more, Chikua slumps against his hiding spot, squishing one half of his face and sending his glasses askew. From his mouth stutters out what could be mistaken for a death rattle to anyone not familiar with teenagers, who otherwise recognized that sometimes they just Do That.]

I've never met someone... who's called themselves that... and had it turn out true.

[Both while he's been alive and dead. And before Sabimei can forget- ]

Teach me a spell already.

[godsoffortune]

[At least Chikusa's slump takes enough of his height to make Sabimei's straight-backed loom almost impressive. He's still glowering.]

You can't just collect spells like phone charms without putting in the time for real mastery. I'll admit you're good.

[He smirks.]

But you're two hundred years too green to catch up with me that fast.

[kokuyoyo]

[Almost impressive...]

[Sabimei's boasting doesn't seem to be getting through nearly as much, however, and Chikusa still seems to be in his default state of 'not impressed'.]

You're not letting me catch up... because you're not teaching me anything. What do I have to do already....

[godsoffortune]

You know what your problem is? You think you can catch up just by learning more spells.

[He snorts, and whips a hand out to point.]

Bind, Chi!

[kokuyoyo]

[With how things usually happen inbetween them, and also that very notable first meeting outside of training, Chikusa has sort of been waiting for this. Combined with his own quick hands....]

[Chikusa snaps his hand out.]

Line. [And from behind a wall of pale shimmering blue-] Just doing this over and over... Doesn't seem like it's catching me up either.

[godsoffortune]

You look more confident with your spells to me.

[He sniffs, dismissively.]

And I am an expert.

[kokuyoyo]

....How can you even tell...

[Chikusa is more than aware of what his default expression looks like, thank you]

[godsoffortune]

You're faster and your casting is smoother.

[Shrug. Who judges by expressions, anyway? That just tells him what Chikusa thinks about his casting abilities, not what they really are.]

[kokuyoyo]

[Uuuuuugh, he doesn't want Sabimei to be right....]

I thought I've always been fast.... [A side-effect of using yoyos as weapons. If he's getting faster with drawing a line, he wonders what that means for his less magical means of battle...]

[godsoffortune]

You didn't start out completely hopeless, at least.

[He looks amused.

Halfway through at least, his hand whips out again.]

Bind, Chi!

[kokuyoyo]

[Chikusa might be slumped, but he's still looking at Sabimei. That means his hand snaps up for another borderline. He's starting to look particularly petulant, too, although that might half be how his face looks squished up on one side like that.]

How many times am I going to have to do this before you teach me anything else then....?

[godsoffortune]

Until I think you're ready.

[His smile is pleased enough, though.]

Don't worry, it won't be too long. Have you learned any others since the last time I asked you?

[kokuyoyo]

[Not too long.... Chikusa's barely raised eyebrows, half hidden in his bangs and the beanie over that, say he's a little doubtful, but, whatever. It'll be good if it's true.]

....Mm. Yeah... Someone I know showed me how to do Umbra.... and... [The corner of his mouth twitches.] ...I found.... a pair of song spells...

[That he theoretically knows how to do.]

[godsoffortune]

Did you really?

[He sounds genuinely interested at the mention of the song spells.]

Which ones?

[kokuyoyo]

[If he shows he knows them, will he finally be allowed to learn a new spell...]

Fire Fighting... and Ward Off Lightning.

[godsoffortune]

[He glances around, then grabs a dead twig from under a nearby bush, and murmurs something under his breath with a musical intonation. The end of the stick bursts into bright flame.]

All right, put this out.

[kokuyoyo]

[Slowly, Chikusa narrows his eyes at the twig, and his gaze flickers momentarily up to Sabimei. Is this going to be a trick to just distract him and try to bind him again...]

...If I do... Will you teach me how to do what you just did...?

[He hates singing in Japanese, and he'd sooner see Sabimei get burned with his own fire than sing for free.]

[godsoffortune]

Let's see if you can put it out first.

[He holds the burning twig at arm's length, waiting.]

[kokuyoyo]

[UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGH]

You can't even just give a guarantee like that...?

[godsoffortune]

Better hurry up. It's burning down.

[He wiggles the stick gently side to side.]

[kokuyoyo]

Hhhhhhhh....

[If that sounds suspiciously like Chikusa is expiring from this not-technically-mortal coil, it's because he kind of is on some level. Still, his brain does some quick calculations. He hates singing, but there's still a chance that this might be some kind of push to get Sabimei to actually teach him something besides just how to block a spell with his borderline.]

[Ugh.]

Come, pillars of frost, crossbeams of crystalline ice, and girders of snow.

[For all his complaining about having to do this in any capacity whatsoever, Chikusa's singing voice isn't half that bad. It's definitely not the kind that one would expect from him, although perhaps it's the way his Italian accent folds strangely around the foreign Japanese in his mouth that adds something unique to the poem.]

Rafters of the falling rain, and thatch covering of dew...

[It's taken a lot of figuring on how to sing the right notes, helped by Davesprite and Kairi both in their own ways, and Chikusa is fairly certain that he has it right... but he'll do a repeat as well, just to make sure. He's not going to give Sabimei a reason to not teach him anything. At least, not right now, at any rate.]

[godsoffortune]

[The fire on Sabimei's stick flickers, gutters, and -- on the second repeat -- dies. His eyebrows quirk upwards.]

You do know it after all.

[He sounds unflatteringly surprised. He tosses the stick to Chikusa with an easy underhand gesture.]

[kokuyoyo]

[Chikusas hand snaps up a little too quick, anticipating another attack, but he corrects it at the last moment to catch the stick.]

I told you I was.... So?