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

[lostinshadows]

[Lavi shrugs, giving her a grin. No worries about wanting to laugh.]

Hey, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

[He has so many regrets.]

But knowing you, you can figure it out.

[unlucky7]

[Compliments are a strange thing. With how trashed her sense of self-esteem and self-worth is, Ginia finds them hard to believe even from the people closest to her. But compliments don't have to be given at all, especially from acquaintances. Lavi's words bring a small smile.]

Thanks for the vote of confidence. Besides warding off lightning, other spells do you know? I'm trying to see what my other options are if I really can't cast song spells.

[lostinshadows]

Not much. I know Umbra, Silence, and Bind.

[He shrugs.]

[unlucky7]

Still more than I know. I only have Bind.

[But someone else that knows Umbra and Silence. Good to know.]

This is going to sound weird, but do you mind casting Silence on me? I'm curious if it'll do anything.

[lostinshadows]

[Well, that's a little surprising.]

I don't mind. You trust me to cast it on you, though?

[unlucky7]

I trust you don't have a reason to give my name out to anyone else or use it against me carelessly. And if you do, it's either justified, or my temple will come for your head.

[Ginia smiles and shrugs. It's simple enough really. Beyond that, better to know how Silence works now than in the middle of a fight.]

It's Shuuki.

[lostinshadows]

Scary woman, aren't you?

[That has his lips quirking up.

Scary indeed. But she has a point. Lavi would never out someone unless they deserve it.

He nods and prepares the spell:]

Silence, Shuuki!

[unlucky7]

[Damn right. It's a plain threat, but only one she'd ever enact if the situation called for it and not carelessly either. The last thing anyone needs are temples clashing with each other.

It's easy to tell whether Bind works or doesn't work, but Silence... Ginia tries clicking her tongue, feeling the flick of her tongue, but no sound. She tries again, still silence. Her lips purse into a whistle and while she can feel air move, there's no sound.]

I'll be damned. [No change to signing, that's good.] I can't whistle. No sound when I click my tongue either.

[lostinshadows]

They really weren't kidding about the whole silent part.

[He honestly didn't think it'd work since Ginia's already a mute.

Huh.]

[unlucky7]

[Ginia snaps her fingers and claps her hands together, the sharp clap and clap sounding effortlessly. Another whistle, another tongue click, nothing. It's a little disappointing it only masks mouth-made sounds because even at the cost of losing possible song spells temporarily, the boon to moving silently would be worth it.]

The more you know. How long does the spell last?

[lostinshadows]

Not for too long. Just give it a couple of more minutes.

[Well, at least she can still snap her fingers.]

[unlucky7]

Minutes matter a lot in a fight.

[Ginia glances at the time on her phone, attempting to whistle as every minute ticks past. After three minutes pass:]

Do other spells last this long? I've cast Bind before, but only in spars and I usually released the spell after.