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

[swordofzero]

“I’m Japanese.” His words somehow managed to sound defensive and uncertain all at once and he frowned. “In my world Britannia has invaded a third of the world.” More safe general knowledge. Britannia as Suzuku knew It didn’t seem to exist here. Though he made a note to look up the British empire.

“Including Japan. I already knew that, I guess but hadn’t really stopped to think about it.”

[unlucky7]

Ginia inclines her head at his swift correction as she mulls on the information. The history of the present world is one of constant change, of empires rising and falling, of revolutions and gaining freedom. Suzaku's is clearly different if Britannia is the ruling empire, even capable of taking over Japan.

"It's probably best talking things with your god, but I'm willing to listen if you need to sort things out. I know what it's like suddenly remembering things and not in a great way."

[swordofzero]

I don't want to bother him. [He shook his head. Kija should not be troubled with such things. But more than that. The idea of going to the god he served and explaining how he was a traitor. Someone who had murdered scores of his own people. Someone who had sold out his friends, family and country... He's not sure he can bear to have that conversation.

But he looks at Ginia as she speaks.] You remembered something too?

[unlucky7]

It's not bothering him; he's your god. If you stew on things, he'll probably know anyway.

[It's a feeling she understands though. She spent half an hour sitting with Caster in mullish silence before opening up to him. Even if she didn't tell him all the details, it felt better having someone know.

When the question turns to her, she shrugs a little.]

Fleeting things, disconnected moments, like someone had recorded a day of my life, but cut out moments and spliced the rest together. But I remember some people.

[swordofzero]

I guess that's true. [As awkward as a conversation would be he didn't want to cause harm on Kina by not talking to him about things either.

He frowned as Ginia described her memory. At least his had been most of a day. Not all of it but what there was had been linear. Nothing before or after those handful of hours but that time was whole.]

It's strange, isn't it. I think I preferred nothing than mostly nothing except one afternoon. [It had definitely left him with more questions than answers.]

[unlucky7]

[What is a day without further context? Ginia wonders about the things from her memory - the training, the rigidity of everything, the constant guard - and she can guess, but it's dangerous, faulty.]

I think I feel similar, but maybe now that you have one memory, more will come in time.

[Sometimes optimism is all there is to hold onto.]

[swordofzero]

Perhaps. [Does he want to know more? Yes but also at the same time... He fears what he will learn. So far just one afternoon and he knows his father had been the prime minister of Japan, that he was dead. He has learned things about himself he perhaps needed to know but the necessity didn't make them less painful.

Words from an angry Japanese man and an angry Britannia student. He's aware they may not be the most accurate but it's all he has.]

I wonder what makes us remember...

[unlucky7]

By any chance, did you remember things through a dream? Or more accurately, you were asleep and you had a dream but you knew it was a memory?

[Through dreams seem to be the common thread for shinki regaining memories.]

[swordofzero]

Yes I woke this morning having dreamed an afternoon. But I know... It felt real. It was memory not a dream.

[He's not really someone who has dreams he remembers in the morning. He's not sure if that is just how he is or if it's a side effect of being a shinki of having no memories to draw dreams from.]

[unlucky7]

It seems to be the constant in how all shinki remember things. I've spoken to a few others who woke up with memories.

[Maybe that's why shinki don't dream or can't remember dreams if they do. Ginia briefly considers asking one of Amaterasu's shinki about it, but decides against it with how cagey they are about memories.]

Are you going to be okay? Want to talk more about it?

[swordofzero]

[They all remembered things through dreams. So perhaps whilst sleeping things slipped through whatever was keeping their memories from them.

He nodded at the question.] I will be. Thank you for talking with me.

[unlucky7]

Of course. If you need anything else, you're always free to contact me.

[A shinki's memories are their own and a matter that belongs to them and their god. Ginia worries about him, but she won't press.]

If you're going to go back into the ring, watch your back. Don't let your memories distract you.

[swordofzero]

Thank you Ginia. I would like to make the same offer to you.

[He is always willing to help her. If she needs it. He nods, looking a little sheepish.] I will stay focused. Memories are no excuse for being distracted in a fight.

[unlucky7]

You have a good excuse to take it easy on training, but I get it.

[After throwing herself into training immediately after a failed ablution, Ginia is the last person to advise someone to take it easy. Her smile is sincere, but brief. She'll leave him to his day.]

Take care, Suzaku. See you around.

[swordofzero]

[Taking it easy left far too much time for his mind to think too much. But he smiled at her.]

I'll see you soon, Ginia.