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

[reloves]

[ Minako clings a little tighter to his arm for a moment, grinning at him. ]

Well, you didn't have to tell me that. I know you're awesome. [ Despite never having seen him use any of those abilities, but she means it in general! He's nice and extremely generous with the flirty compliments, so what else could a girl want. ]

Me, though? Hmm..

[ She thinks for a moment. She can't say anything as clearly about herself as he can about himself.. She's pretty sure she's not a ninja, since she remembers them as being from the past, but she has absolutely no idea what she is. Just.. normal, right? ]

I guess.. I must've gone to high school? I'm the right age for that. [ So that checks out. She doesn't bother pushing herself to remember anything about it, since memories can be dangerous, but theorizing surely can't hurt. ] Do they have high school where you come from or did they have some sort of special ninja school?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Edge turns the term over in his mind, just to be sure, but as is almost always the case, an unfamiliar term reveals nothing on further thought.]

I'd have to say it must have been some sort of other education, because 'high school' sounds new to me. If I had to guess, I probably studied under some other ninja to reach my mastery.

[And then he laughs, light and easy.] Dating is a little different for shinki, huh? But I think I like it. It's fun to imagine and wonder.

[Hopefully she doesn't find it too auspicious that they're approaching the temple of no less than Satan himself. Hey, it's just who Edge is a shinki to!]

[reloves]

[ She laughs happily. ]

I already like it for sure! I mean, I must have gone on tons of dates while I was still alive, though it's not like I can remember any of them.. But I still think this feels super refreshing anyway!

[ Not to mention that it's kind of fun to discover all these differences once you get over the fact how weird it is that someone doesn't even know about horses or high school. It almost feels a little like some fantasy story or historical drama you'd see on TV - except Edge actually lived that life. It's interesting and fun.

Her smile turns into a slightly more curious expression as she glances ahead of them though. ]

Hey, do you know where this path is leading to?

[ Because "temple of Satan" is certainly not anything Minako would expect to be walking to. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Ha ha! I kind of like being your first date, even if it's not technically true!

[He manages to look away from her long enough to glance forward, wondering what might have her attention. Is it the temple?]

This is where I live with my god. We can go down to his shrine in the Far Shore from here, and really get this going. Not that it hasn't already been great!

[He's not exaggerating, either. Compared to a lot of the people in the Far Shore, be they cute girls or no, Minako is stunningly easy to talk to.]

[reloves]

Oh, I see...

[ Don't mind her just staring at the freaking temple of Satan over there for a moment. Although it's also just since she hasn't really gone out of her way to look at other temples yet, so she's mostly just used to Zelda's temple. ]

These temples sure all are really different from each other, huh? I should've guessed.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Yeah. You know, it's funny, my god is supposed to be evil and terrible? But he's really just a decent guy who got the title. Sometimes I think the people who came with us and got to be gods instead of shinki don't really have it much better than us.

But it's all about finding happiness and purpose where you can, right? [Right back around to positive. Their situation is naturally prone towards deeper and perhaps more depressing thoughts, but that doesn't mean they have to dwell on them.]

[reloves]

[ She nods. It's not something Minako thought much about, but maybe it's just since Zelda's goddess role seems so suited for her. So some gods get roles thrust upon them that don't suit them as well, huh.. Must be hard.

She doesn't really want to dwell on that idea either though, so she just smiles back at him when he says that last thing. ]

Of course! What's important is that he's a decent guy-- If your god was rude to you, I'd have to go kick his ass, you know!

[ What happened to the innocent maiden thing, Minako.... Then again, it means she's comfortable enough around Edge to show the (obvious) slightly less elegant side of herself. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Edge actually only half-registers this slip of demeanor. In part, he sort of expects all the girls here to have a side like this, because it certainly seems universal.]

[And in part? Well, he likes it.]

No, no, he's only ever done one thing that disappointed me, and it turned out in retrospect to be the greatest gift he could have given me!

[Being of course a gentleman, Edge opens one of the temple's double doors, holding it for the lady as suits.]

[reloves]

[ See, this is why she only has to threaten the asses of people who are mean to Edge and not Edge himself! He's the perfect gentleman! She smiles at him as she walks through the door, spinning around to look at him again as she's passed them. ]

You sure make it sound mysterious.. Is it a riddle? I'm no good at those, you know!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I bet you could figure this one out. He wasn't a cute girl. But since that left me free for our date, that turns out to be super for me after all!

[So long as she gives him the chance to flirt? She's getting flirted with. And so he offers her a hand again, the better to escort her back to transport them down to the shrine on the Near Shore.]

[reloves]

[ Going to the Near Shore really is new for Minako, but she doesn't really feel nervous. After all, this is a date! It's exciting! She doesn't even really need him to hold her hand, but that doesn't mean she doesn't like it all the same.

And so she easily grabs his hand with a smile. ]

Well, then it's about time for us to go to the main location of our date, huh? [ Since a satanistic temple might not just be the ideal location for it. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Yeah. You know, I envy the gods, they can just -- [He makes a little pfft noise, cutting his other hand through the air] --and they're wherever they want to be. We'd be down there already!

But I guess we're lucky we can use the shrines. There's still a way down without us having to beg a god to take us down. That would feel an awful lot like having a chaperone, wouldn't it?

[The transition? It's simple enough. One moment they're in the temple, heading into the room that serves for this purpose -- the next, down in the Near Shore, stepping out of a small and practically unseen shrine into the crisp winter air and afternoon sunshine.]

[reloves]

[ It really is a smooth transition. Minako has to blink for a moment to make sure they really just did go from one place to another without her barely noticing it, but her excited mood returns soon after as she glances out at the Near Shore, her breath forming little clouds in the air. ]

You know, if we had to do it that way since there was no other choice, I wouldn't mind. [ She glances at him, leaning her head against his arm for a moment. ] Let them see us go on a date! The whole world can know!

[ And Minako certainly isn't shameless enough to worry about someone having to take them from one place to another like some unfortunate third wheel.

She stops leaning against him after a moment and instead takes a few more steps forward to glance at where they've found themselves now - and the sight of the buildings and everything makes her smile. ]

Wow.. Somehow it doesn't even feel weird to be here.

[ Well, Minako, you do come from modern Japan. Kind of how it works. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[The Near Shore is still a strange place to him, full of things he doesn't understand, more people than he feels quite comfortable with, and an air about it that just feels off from whatever he expects.]

[Looking at it through her eyes, though, he feels he can appreciate it a lot more.]

[He lifts his free hand to his heart.] I only wish I had time to show you everything. Or maybe the other way around, if this seems like a place you understand. But for tonight, we can enjoy the festivities for the upcoming holiday, and a meal worth eating.

[reloves]

It's alright. We can always come back another time, right?

[ Since Minako sure wouldn't mind having more dates with him. It's not as if she doesn't like hanging around in the temple with Zelda, but being out here.. That's nice too. Variety's the spice of life, after all. ]

Let's get going for now then! I want to take in as much as we can!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[There's a lot to see and hear and do down here, as well Edge knows. Most of it is new to him, newer than it is to her since she seems to feel comfortable here, but none of it bad that he'd run into yet. Plenty of opportunities!]

It's not normally like this, but they've put up all these decorations for the holiday coming up. [He points out some of them -- lights around a door, a strange Santa display in a shop window, to indicate what he means as they walk.]

[reloves]

[ Now Edge gets to see the true extent of Minako's energy.. She seems incredibly curious and immediately invested the moment he points anything out, and she's quick to grab his hand or arm to physically drag him over there to take a closer look at it. She seems especially charmed by one of those miniature winter villages in a storefront, and smiles at him once she finally manages to tear her gaze away from it.

(Still getting her fingers all over that window though.) ]

It's so cute..! Don't you think so too? Seeing all of this stuff makes me feel so super warm inside!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Edge isn't quite as high energy -- at the moment, anyway -- but he's got the fire and the willingness to keep up. Again it strikes him just how nice it is to be with someone who seems happy and eager to be delighted, instead of the serious and somber sorts who seem like they'd sooner die than have a smile touch them.]

[Okay, okay, that's an unfair exaggeration, but the more she tugs him around, the more enthused he gets. At the village -- well, he's calculating whether it will be a suitable present for her, since she likes it so much. But no, he quickly decides; it's seasonal and she needs something to appreciate longer than that.]

It feels like a place you want to be, doesn't it? A cute, happy little village tucked away in the snow. I think it's a promise of the holiday spirit that everyone's reach for in their hearts.

[reloves]

[ She lets out a sigh of admiration. ]

You're so good at this sort of thing-- do you know that? The way you put thoughts into words is super special. [ Although Minako's compliments are always genuine, there are some that are definitely exaggerated a bit with that over the top feel - this one less so. Because even though Minako knows there's a lot of cute guys out there, you don't run into one that's all poetic like this every day. ]

You must've been some special ninja poet!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[That compliment definitely hits a little closer to really sincere through-and-through than most of the goofiness they gleefully trade back and forth, and that has a faint touch of color show just above his mask. He runs his free hand through his hair, fingers pausing on the back of his head.]

Honestly, I think I'm just really inspired by you.

[She gives him a compliment both genuine and straightforward, she gets one back.]

[reloves]

Are you saying I'm like your muse? That's so sweet!

[ And also totally a romantic cliche Minako buys into big time. Not that there are romantic cliches that Minako doesn't love the heck out of, but still! With the limited amount of memories she has, this is the first time she's experienced this as far as she knows. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Hey, maybe! [That fits a little, doesn't it? At the very least she's inspiring him to do his very best, even in coming up with good or interesting things to say.] All I know is I love it when you smile so I want you to do a lot of that.

[reloves]

[ Of course she's going to lean a little closer to him with a big smile when he says that. ]

Then you're in luck! That comes pretty naturally to me. [ And even easier since she doesn't have any of her memories. Aren't you in luck, Edge.

Minako's already moving on as she's talking though. Standing still is hard. ]

What else do they have around here?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Considering their overall circumstances, he wouldn't blame her if smiling were a little harder these days... ]

[So is she just incredibly resilient, or is she smiling a little more than she really feels? Or a little of both? There's a third option, which is that she hasn't actually thought about it... but though she's bubbly and bright, at no point has she ever come off as stupid, so that doesn't even seem possible.]

[Oh well. He wants her smiles to be genuine. That isn't even a selfish thing, at this point -- not that he's not loving getting to take her out, but she's just the sort of person who's so easy to like.]

Let's see. There's a book store, I think. [He points out the stores as she tugs, aiming for where she isn't looking.] That looks like electronics... that's a music store... That's a cafe with cats?

[Wait, is he seeing that right?]

[reloves]

[ A book store isn't really Minako's thing, but a music store does sound pretty good. All thoughts of either of those go straight out of her mind though the moment he says that last thing. ]

A cafe with cats?!

[ She's all over that. Thankfully she was already tugging him along, so it doesn't seem as sudden when she drags him straight over to where he was looking - and it is indeed a cat cafe. There's already cats sitting behind the store front window. Minako practically has sparkles in her eyes. ]

Look at them, they're so cute...!