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

[creepface]

I, um, it i-is? O-okay?

[ Well, he'll try it, he supposes. Why not? He's got very weak arms though, so if he has to climb that it's going to take a lot... he's not even sure it's possible for his kind of spirit to build muscle, he's never thought about it. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Hey, that's what training is for! Let's get this done! Edge leads the way over to the pole, pointing out the ribbons at the top.] See, there you go. It's important to be versatile, especially in the kind of situations we face.

[creepface]

[ He stares up at it. And stares. For a long while, with out saying anything. ]

U-um. Is p-possession ch-cheating?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I -- uh. What?

[You lost him. Edge just offers the most puzzled look.]

[creepface]

I can p...p...possess anyone living. Is that ch-cheating?

[ If he, say, possessed a bird. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[For a race or a proper contest? Oh yes. But this is training, and since he'd already taken to bending the rules for the sake of it, he couldn't really take a high ground here.]

No, but for training you probably ought to ask permission first...

[creepface]

[ Good to know. ]

I c-can't really talk to the a-animals here...

[ This isn't Sheol. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Aren't the animals here technically animal spirits? [That's how this works, right? He's pretty sure? It's not like he'd ever had cause to understand this sort of thing!] Do they even count as living?

[creepface]

A-ah... [ He didn't think about that. ] If, if they're s-spirits too I c-can't... d-do that. [ He stares up at the top of the pole. Now what? He's not sure. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Well, you could ask a god. Or I could give you a boost and we'll see if we can work from that?

[Boy, did this end up taking a path Edge had never intended when he'd started.]

[creepface]

A-are you sure?

[ The boost thing. Asking a god, he'll make sure to do that. ]

I-is that how people g-get up there?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I think most people would just climb, but you've already established that's not in your skill set. So we've gotta start you somewhere, right?

[creepface]

[ He looks at his arms, even though they're hidden in his big sleeves, at least Rasu knows what his arms look like. ]

I h-have weak a-arms. B-but is it o-okay to do it t-together? Will it c-count?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I -- who's counting? It's training. So long as you get something out of it, that's what's most important, right?

[creepface]

Oh. Th-then, um, o-okay? W-we can... try?

[ He's so hesitant about this, but he'll do it if this guy thinks it's a good idea, so he nods slowly. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Okay, come on!

[It's all about training, right? He'll learn something from the practice! So heedless of the cold water, Edge wades in to put his back to the pole, and interlace his fingers in front of him for a step.]

[creepface]

[ The water makes him squeak, but that's okay, he's felt colder. He just needs to get used to it.

He looks to Edge's hands, and then up. ]

Sh-should I st-step there?

[ If he gets a yes he'll do that. It just feels very awkward. But right, he should do that. So he does, and he doesn't know how strong Edge is, but luckily Rasu is extremely light, unhealthily so. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Edge nods.] You step, I boost you up, you grab for the top or as close as you can get to it.

[And they put it into play! Edge is surprisingly strong given his wiry appearance, readily able to boost Rasu up with a grunt and a heft of his arms. Go for it!]

[creepface]

O-okay, th-thank you. [ It really is a bit surprising, but then again, he's met actual talking animals who were regular animals once, so it's not the most shocking thing in the world. He reaches up, and makes an attempt for the ribbon. Yeah, they're still several meters short. He feels very awkward about the whole affair, but he really is trying. ] I d-don't think I c-can r-reach it like th-this...

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Right! This is where you use the added height to climb!

[Come on, work with him here! Edge isn't having any trouble supporting his weight, but his arms are lifted as far as he can go and still be a step.]

[creepface]

Ah, um, o-okay...

[ He tries, but after he's gotten his feet out of Edge's hands... he falls down within seconds. ]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Whoa!

[Edge tries to catch him, futilely -- all he does is get brought down to his knees in the pond as well, as water splashes over his face and chest.]

Gyaaahahagh!

[creepface]

[ Now very wet and teary-eyed, Rasu sits up. It's okay, he's teary eyed a lot. ]

A-a-are you o-okay? I'm so s-s-sorry!

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I'm fine, I'm fine. Just wet. [Straightening up, Edge proceeds to drip violently, squeezing his eyes shut and then blinking them to clear his vision.] What happened?

[creepface]

[ Rasu squeezes the water out of his long braid. ] I, h-have w-weak arms...? I lost my g-grip?