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

[gentilitea]

That would imply that I was ever involved in this foolishness to begin with. [ Said with a scoff as he looks Hakkai from head to toe. Not that the man has ever struck him as a liar, but… ]

I would imagine that even you had better things to do with your time.

[reformedsinner]

I'm sure you know what they say about "all work, and no play."

But -- [his gaze grows thoughtfully sharper.] I admit I had thought you had disappeared. Have you been back long? Or was I misinformed?

[gentilitea]

I’ve only just arrived. [ And he already looks fed up—nice to think of play when your master isn’t fucking Add the chaotic stupid gremlin. ]

Though I can assure you I deeply regret my absence. My master has been left unsupervised for far too long.

[reformedsinner]

Then you're still one of Add's shinki? [Well, that's going to be awkward. There's no hiding the situation, though.]

I've just been speaking with him about maintaining a more peaceful stance between our households.

[gentilitea]

[ That…doesn’t sound good. Honestly, it feels a little like he’d just died again. ]

What has he done this time?

[reformedsinner]

Nothing at all. Actually, it's my shinki who caused the problem, which is why I'm reaching out. [He spreads his hands with an innocent smile.

It's possible that the innocence isn't all that convincing, but he's trying.]

It's less trouble for both of us if there's no conflict, after all....

[gentilitea]

[ That smile immediately makes him suspicious, if that reply already hasn’t. Add’s not the one at fault here? ]

That’s true. [ At least to the no conflict bit. He’s pretty sure he doesn’t want Add poisoned again…hmmm… ]

But what are you proposing, exactly?

[reformedsinner]

Ah, I did discuss the details with Add, but -- my shinki to apologize for his actions; any future conflicts or missteps to be brought up between us directly before any retribution ensues.

After all, it's easy for things to escalate if two people continue trying to take revenge on each other....

[gentilitea]

[ Cringing. He knows full well that other people would get caught in the crossfire if Add’s left to commit petty acts of revenge indiscriminately. ]

Of course. I will inform you of any foolishness on our part immediately. [ A part of him wants to ask just how much damage has been done already, and yet something more still niggles at him… ]

That aside…your shinki. Have they ever…poisoned him?

[reformedsinner]

I believe that's one of the incidents that started the current problem, yes.

[He raises his eyebrows, waiting to see just how much of a reaction that admission will get. It's not as if he can hide it; mild-mannered honesty is probably the best fallback position.]

[gentilitea]

[ To his credit, Jakob manages to maintain a perfect poker face, though his body has definitely tensed up at the admission, his hands balling into fists at his sides as he recalls what a disaster that time had been.

And how he’d vanished shortly after…

With an effort: ]

Under normal circumstances, I would be compelled to seek revenge. But considering that Add would intervene… [ He trails off, shuddering. ]

Yes, I hate to admit it, but you are in the right. It is far better to avoid conflict entirely.

[reformedsinner]

I do, of course, understand your feelings on the matter. [He raises his eyebrows, smiling just a little.

Not too much, though. It would, after all, be rude to provoke Jakob.]

But it's also true that revenge only breeds more revenge.

[gentilitea]

[ That smile annoys him well enough, though. Ugh, why is this guy so…nice? Gross. ]

Indeed. [ He’s pretty sure Hakkai’s trying to make a point about that unjust attack with the dust bomb, but he’ll let it slide for now. ]

I do appreciate your mediating in my absence, however. Add is quite prone to causing uninhibited chaos if left to his own devices.

[reformedsinner]

Unfortunately, so is Chikusa. It makes for a challenging combination when they're angry with one another.

I must say I'm happy to see you back, at least.

[Maybe things will be slightly less explosive with both Add and Chikusa under some kind of supervision.]

[gentilitea]

[ “Chikusa,” huh. Not a familiar name, but one he’ll file away in case shenanigans happen again. ]

Well, that’s surprising. [ It’s one thing to be told that by the likes of Kairi or Hajime, but he'd always regarded Hakkai with this kind of…stiff courtesy. ]

Was Add really causing that much trouble?

[reformedsinner]

I'm afraid he came rather close to swallowing up the Heavens in some sort of blue corrupted energy rifts.

[This is probably not the kind of statement Hakkai should deliver with cheerful equanimity, but that's how he's said it regardless.]

[gentilitea]

Oh.

[ Well, he needed to hear that anyway. And he’s managed not to lose his cool then and there, if only because some part of him is like, Of course he would. ]

Well, you’re in surprisingly high spirits after having gone through something so dire, then. I take it someone has managed to prevent the worst from happening?

[reformedsinner]

Yes, we do all still exist, so there's no point in dwelling on possibilities.

I believe a few people managed to break into his temple and stop it before it had all gone too far.

[So it's all fine, probably.]

[gentilitea]

[ All he hears is the “probably” in Hakkai’s words, which really don’t help, but what can you do when you’re kind of a stressed-out, overworked babysitter to begin with and you feel too tired for the afterlife all of a sudden?

He sighs. ]

Then they could not have escaped anything borne of Add’s machinations without some casualties. [ Which means he’ll have to look for them and make sure they’re really okay, ugh. Having a conscience sucks. ]

[reformedsinner]

No, both Caster and Dokugakuji were killed.

They've since come back to life, though. [So, you know. All's well that... ends... well?]

[gentilitea]

Er…I’m relieved. For their sakes.

[ They’re not people he knows and are therefore of no particular importance to him. Still…to think that Add would go so far, even unintentionally… ]

You have my thanks for calling my attention to his…activities. It seems I have much work to do.

[reformedsinner]

I wish you the best of luck.

[He's sure going to need it.]