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

[priforprince]

I've had the debatable pleasure of meeting him.

[ Time for some vegetables. The thought of Davesprite is enough to make her want to build up her stamina with health food. ]

Heeding only a sliver of what he says is best.

[myblueskies]

[He frowned again. He had thought Davesprite was really nice even if he was a bit confusing.]

Do you want some more food, miss?

[priforprince]

This suffices.

[ In fact, she is pleased enough by it to grant him her hospitality! This is not her party, but that does not matter. It can be her party if she says it is. ] You need to prepare your own plate, don't you?

[myblueskies]

[He grins. He is pretty hungry! All of that running and climbing was very hungry work!] Yes, miss!

[And he skips back over to cook some meat to eat for himself!

[priforprince]

Hm.

[ Satisfaction. This day has had its ups and downs, but it seems to be concluding well enough.

Hibiki has some more vegetables. These are really shockingly palatable. ]

[myblueskies]

[Romeo cooked his own meat happily, listening to the music as he did so. This had been a very good day! And he had met yet another really nice person!]

[priforprince]

[ Go ahead and call Hibiki a nice person to somebody else, Romeo. See how that works out for you.

Once Hibiki finishes her food, she ends up absorbed back in listening to the karaoke. She will be doing so, plate pushed away from her so she can prop an elbow on the table - clearing her place is not her problem - when Romeo is ready to rejoin her.

Amateur hour. How sad.

And yet she watches.... ]

[myblueskies]

[He cooks some meat and vegetables for himself and heads over to sit next to Hibiki.

He watches the singers, it seems like anyone can get up and have a go!] Do you like singing, miss Hibiki?

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki sniffs. She could go for a suave understatement at this point, but really, this is an opportunity to educate the boy on what an incredible personage has approved of his dinner.

Yet another gift from Shikyoin Hibiki. ]

No one loves the performing arts more than I. And no one exceeds my skill.

[ Certainly not this...this...

Well, she supposes they're attempting to sing, but she's not sure she can call them a "singer" just for that. ]

[myblueskies]

No one? [He looks suitably impressed, it was a bold thing to state. Not just that she was the best but that she loved it the best too.] Are you going to sing?

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki scoffs. She is forced to lift this glass of, sigh, water as if it were a teacup - two fingers and a thumb only. ] On such an insufficient stage?

[ That's not exactly a no, however. ]

[myblueskies]

[She is holding her glass funny, Romeo tries to copy her but it makes it harder to hold!] It's insufficient, miss?

[priforprince]

The venue is lacking.

[ With a sigh, Hibiki takes a sip and then puts down her (ugh) water. Instead of merely reminding her of someone from the Palps, now he's reminiscent of a certain petite and entirely too practical god. ] Only a top-class concert hall could possibly hold my performance's majesty. Anywhere else would collapse in shame.

[ This is what Shikyoin Hibiki actually believes. ]

[myblueskies]

It would collapse?

[Her singing would make the building fall down? That didn't sound good at all! Maybe it was best that she didn't sing after all!]

[priforprince]

Visit my temple if you wish to bear witness to my skill.

[ And thus, foreshadowing was planted after the fact. Timing! ]

[myblueskies]

I will miss! That will be really fun!

[And for now he will watch the singers here, enthusiastically applauding when each one finishes.]

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki will do the same thing minus the applauding. But she will watch. Oh, will she ever watch.

For better or for worse... ]