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

[chibisu]

This is clearly news to Ebisu, who's not entirely sure where shinki fall to a god let alone his whole place in just about everything.

"But how do you know what defines a 'friend' from an 'acquaintance'?" he asks, genuine. "Is there a point where those things become different?"

[ittenbari]

"Hmmm..." That's a hard question to answer because he's never really bothered to distinguish the two. However, he does know that not everyone can be like that. But not even those people can get by with just one friend.

"I guess everybody kinda figures that one out for themselves? Like, with me, if I like you and I wanna look out for you and go do fun stuff with you or whatever, you're my friend. But that's just about everyone I know, you know? Problem is that some people don't quite think the same way so I guess I'm more an acquaintance to them, right? But it doesn't matter so much to me if they think of it that way."

[chibisu]

"So friendship can be alright even if it's only one sided...." He sounds pretty contemplative as he says the words out loud. "Is it alright if it's like that? Even in a business arrangement, both parties should be benefiting from the transaction, whether through services or products."

[ittenbari]

"Depends on the person. For me, one-sided friendship is okay. One-sided love is okay. As long as I know someone else is happy, I'm happy. Sure, it's better if it goes both ways and I guess there are people who can only handle it if that's the case, but it doesn't have to be that way."

It's not something he's thought to deeply about before this, but as he says the words he knows it's 100% true for him.

[chibisu]

"Huh." Well, he's learning all sorts of new things today. It makes sense that it's different for different people, so he can understand that much. It's the rest that he's trying to understand. "Then, it's possible that I'm someone else's friend, but I haven't realized it before?"

[ittenbari]

"Yup! Maybe a lot of someones!"

It sounds like the kid is finally getting it! Good for him! Hopefully he'll find lots of people to play with and he won't have to act like a tiny old man anymore.

[chibisu]

"Huh." Amazing. Ebisu stares off in absentminded thought, the wheels in his head turning in all sorts of ways. It's not something he's ever really thought too hard about, besides that surely him and Yato had to be friends. But if it's like this....

He looks over to Shima again. "Then, are we friends?"

[ittenbari]

"Sure!" Sounds like this kid needs someone to explain fun to him and that's definitely something Sakon can help with.

[chibisu]

"Great!" That seems to be enough to Ebisu, and he smiles, eyes bright. His shinki seem happy with the result as well, judging by softer but similar expressions on their faces. "Then, you should come to my temple sometime! I don't know what we'll do.... but we can do something. I think that's how it works."