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

[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...!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Well, there goes there chance to bond over not being fond of books, but hey, when the Near Shore closes a door it apparently opens a cat cafe.]

[As for their cuteness, well, they have pretty strong competition, but Edge has to admit they are pretty darn cute. But what's the deal here? He takes a quick look around, and then spots a sign over by the door.]

"Enjoy a drink or light meal while sitting with our cats..."

[Well. Edge glances back at Minako, then gestures at the door. Shall they?]

[reloves]

[ You don't have to ask her twice. She's already nodding way too enthusiastically. It's hard for her to even tear away her gaze from the cats enough to look at him. Sorry, Edge, seems you have competition now.. The fluffy kind. ]

You don't mind, right? [ Just making sure before they go on. She figures he might be offering it since he's such a gentleman and wants to make her happy, but even Minako isn't the type to just waltz all over someone's personal feelings to do what she wants. Maybe he's allergic to cats for all she knows! ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Mind? [Is -- is his gesture of 'by all means, let's go in!' not clear? The question startles him off his game.]

We wanted a meal, this place has you starry-eyed, what's to mind?

[Belatedly, he realizes he probably should have tacked on something about how he'd walk through fires to see such brilliance in her eyes. Too late now, though.]

It really does look like a nice place, and the cats are just cute as can be.

[So have a little unhoneyed honesty for a change, Minako.]

[reloves]

[ For a moment she stares at him.

Then she reaches up and grabs a hold of his cheek to pinch it. Lightly, at least! She doesn't mean to actually hurt him, it's more just to emphasize some very, very light scolding she has to get in here. ]

I'm just trying to make sure you aren't doing something against your own wishes just to please a girl! [ She's giving you an important life lesson here, Edge!! And despite the fact that she's being very, very Minako-y about it, there definitely seems to be something genuine behind her words. ] I know I'm super cute and gorgeous, but don't let me walk all over you!

[ Then she lets go of him. ]

But.. if you think it's fun too, then let's do it already! I'm excited!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Oh. Oh no. She's so cute Edge can barely stand it.]

[Not just because of her, well, everything. But also because she genuinely means it, according to everything he sees. Beauty is nothing without a good heart. And a good heart makes for true beauty.]

[Before her hand can fall too far, Edge reaches up to catch it, then take it between both of his.]

On my honor, I won't sacrifice my self-respect to make you happy. Especially because you wouldn't be happy if I sacrificed my self-respect.

[He's learned a little in his time in the Far Shore.]

[That point being made, he releases her hand and instead applies the gentlest pressure he can to urge her in. They're doing this, let's go.]

[reloves]

[ Wow, expecting her to move right on after holding her hand like that and then saying something that mature and smart? Then again, maybe it's a good thing that he urged her along, since that totally made her forget her own determination to go in there. Just a moment. Just long enough to stand there and stare at him with a sort of awe for giving the best possible answer to what she said.

But when she's urged along, she does quickly head into the cafe. And she's quick as well to pick a table. Then again, maybe she's not picking the table as much as she's picking the cat, since there's an extremely fluffy white cat lying on top of said table, which Minako is now putting in her lap and cooing at. ]

Oh, aren't you just the fluffiest little thing? Yes, you are! Yes, you are..!! [ All her attention sure seems focused on the cat right now. Sorry, Edge, this is your main competition. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[It's cool. He needed a moment to breathe. This is -- this is getting slightly out of hand. In a good way, but what's going on here?]

[He does take a deep breath, letting her go to chase the cat with an amused smile. Cats can take a little attention if they want. He doesn't mind.]

[Especially not when a rather somber-looking tuxedo cat wanders up to bonk his leg with its head, surprisingly strong.] Whoo, whoa, hello there!

[reloves]

[ Minako is just totally taken in by this fluffy cat. It takes a few moments before she even realises Edge spoke up since she was so busy just fluffing that cat up even more. But when she does look up and slowly seems to realise what he was talking about, Minako just smiles widely at him and the cat. ]

Looks like someone wants some attention from you too!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[By the time she looks up, Edge has already crouched down to give the cat a proper petting. Rumbling satisfaction, kitty heads off to jump on the counter, having been given his proper due.]

Shall we get our food and get seated and see how many we can lure over, then?

[reloves]

[ She leans a little closer to him, grinning from ear to ear. ]

Well, if I was a cat, it'd sure work on me. [ There, he can at least have that compliment while Minako turns back to cradling the bundle of fluff in her arms for a moment. ] What do you want to eat?

[ That is directed at Edge even though she's totally looking at the cat. She's not actually planning on ordering for that cat. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Minako, if you're going to smile and say things like that to him, you shouldn't expect a quick answer to any questions! He has to take a moment to let the prickling of his skin settle down and get his heart into proper order before he can come over to join her.]

Soup-and-sandwich combo, hmm? I think I can see that happening. [The former is a bit new to him, but you bet he's spent time figuring out what in the Near Shore is good to eat since arriving here.]