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

[myblueskies]

You can't eat the meat? [He looks concerned.] Does it make you sick?

[He has no idea what students he is talking about, or how they have anything to do with meat. But...] It's okay sir. You don't got to eat it, no one will be made. We can make you one with just vegetables if you want!

[creepface]

V-vegan... [ For about 70 years, so it'd definitely make him sick for more reasons than one at this point in time, so he nods. ]

You s-sure? I d-don't wanna make anyone m... m... angry but I c-can't... The st-students were a-animals, I can't- [ Please take the stick away from him and he'll relax a little. ]

[myblueskies]

Vegan? [He doesn't know that word but the man sure does look really worried, and the students were animals? What students? Did he come from a place with lots of animals that talked? Like where miss Celestia was from?

He reached out and took the stick from the man, slowly so to not scare him.] No one will be angry sir. Everyone here is realy nice and it's okay if you don't want to eat it, you can eat whatever you want!

[creepface]

[ Rasu nods.

He's been in Sheol for so many years, where birds and dogs and pigs are students that he, as a nurses assistant, takes care of. He stopped eating meat pretty soon after arriving there. ]

Th-thank... th-thank you, s-sorry. [ Some god he is, fretting over a stick of meat. ] I, I, should... g-get... vegetables...

[myblueskies]

It's okay sir! I can help you! [He doesn't have to say sorry! Romeo knelt up on his chair so he could reach for the plate of vegetables.] Which ones do you like? Um... Don't worry if you can't remember or don't know. You can try them all and find out!

[creepface]

A-all vegetables... [ He eats pretty much all of them with no problem. He's a sucker for beans though. ] I d-don't want to th-throw it away th-though... [ That would be terrible. ]

[myblueskies]

Okay! [All the vegetables it is! He is going to try and fit as many as possible onto the stick because this man definitely needs help keeping his spirits up and Romeo finds that food always helps!]

I won't throw it away sir, don't worry. There's lots of people here and they eat a lot.

[A stick of meat left untouched is going to be eaten up in no time, don't worry!]

[creepface]

G-good, we sh-shouldn't w-waste food... S-sometimes food runs o-out when b-bad things h-happen.

[ He's so thankful for the help there's tears in the corners of his eyes. ]

Th-thank you, I'm s-sorry for being t-trouble.

[myblueskies]

It won't be wasted it's okay sir! There's lots of food here but you're right we won't waste it!

[He begins cooking the vegetable skewer carefully.] Is it your first day? It was a little bit scary on my first day too but lots of people helped me! So you're not trouble at all! Have you found your god yet?

[creepface]

O-okay. [ Rasu nods. He kind of starved to death, so he doesn't want to waste it, even if he couldn't bring himself to actually eat it himself. ]

Ah, um... [ He uncertainly points at himself with a thin finger. ] I'm s-supposed to be one...?

[myblueskies]

You're a god? [Romeo grinned at him as he carefully turned the skewer over so the vegetables didn't burn.] That's good 'cause that means you'll have a shinki and our job is to help our gods and support them with everything! So if you ever get scared or confused again they can help you!

[creepface]

[ Another awkward nod as Rasu looks at him with his wide eyes. ] I've m-met him. It's s-still very w-weird... I've n-never thought of m-myself as g-god material...

[myblueskies]

Good! I hope he's really nice! [He turns the skewer over again, he thinks it is almost done! Vegetables don't take as much time to cook as meat.]

Someone must think you will be really good at it though or you wouldn't be here!

[creepface]

H-he seems nice, I th-think. [ That's a definite plus to skipping out on the meat. ]

A-are you sure? D-don't gods need c-confidence?

[myblueskies]

I am sure! They must think you will make a great god! I'm sure you will get good at having confidence if you practice lots!

[One last turn of the skewer, this is really nearly done now.]

[creepface]

Y-you think I c-can get confidence e-even after a hu-hundred years?

[ He picks at his black nail polish, trying to consider if he'd really be able to be brave and confident like that. ]

[myblueskies]

You have a hundred years? [Romeo's mouth dropped open. He couldn't even imagine a hundred years! Had this man really lived that long?]

[creepface]

S-sort of, I um, d-died when I was t-twentythree bu-but was in Sheol f-for about 70 y-years... A-as a gh-ghost, I guess a lot w-would call it? [ So technically he'd only really lived for a bit more than 20. ]

[myblueskies]

A ghost? So you died but now you're a god and not a shinki... [He had died seventy years ago! Twenty three is still quite old and seventy years as a ghost was a really really long time!] Where's Sheol? [He hopes it was a nice place if he had been there for so long!]

[creepface]

Ah, y-yes, m-maybe because I've b-been dead for so... l-long...? Before coming h-here? [ He's not sure how he'd be able to become a shinki the way he was after living in the afterlife. Would he have to die again? In that case there would be nothing left of him; he's already a soul, so if he's destroyed there would be nothing to turn into a shinki. ] Ah, it's, it's what we call the a-afterlife where I'm fr-from...

[myblueskies]

Oh so it's like the heavens! [These vegetables are done! Romeo grinned triumphantly as he took them off the grill carefully and presented them.] I hope they are tasty!

[creepface]

S-sort of, I g-guess? I d-don't know much about th-that, yet. [ He very gratefully accepts the vegetables. ] Th-thank you very m-much.

[myblueskies]

You're welcome, sir! I hope it's tasty! [He grinned at him again and settled down into his chair now he didn't have to kneel up to reach the brazier.]

My name's Romeo. I'm Elfnein's shinki but she's doing important research at the moment so isn't here.

I've been here a while though so if you got any questions I can help you!

[creepface]

[ Is he NOT supposed to think about Shakespeare when he hears his name? Because he is. Who wouldn't, if they've heard of it. ]

O-oh. I'm Rasu. I'm, um, s-supposed to be Sukunahi-hikona.

[ He nibbles at the food, and is relieved to find it tastes good. He would've eaten it regardless, but still. ]

It's, it's good.

[myblueskies]

[It's all fine. Romeo and Juliet is firmly on Romeo's list of things to read when his reading is good enough!]

Sukunah... Hikona [God names are hard to pronounce! He grins though glad that the vegetables have turned out alright.] it's nice to meet you mister Rash! Have you been shown where your temple is yet?