August Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: January 6th, 2017
Where: Outside the Meeting Hall, the Far Shore / the Ryukyu Islands
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 her welcome speech in the monotone of someone who's practiced it far too often. Hopefully no one's feeling sleepy! She adds that gods should be cautious of anyone on the Near Shore who might ask to use their shrines to visit the Heavens, and should instruct their shinki to be cautious as well. There is an unrecognized god who the Heavens believe to be attacking them. 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. Each of the shinki is wearing a brightly-colored sticky name tag reading HELLO, MY NAME IS ________, and all of their names appear to end with the syllable "mei."

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. The white-robed shinki appears to be a particular expert in magic, and will occasionally offer to help out anyone who's practicing a spell more challenging than the Borderline, especially if they look quite lost. His nametag reads HELLO, MY NAME IS SABIMEI. (To interact with Sabimei, please comment on the "NPC REQUEST" thread below! If you prefer, you may also handwave his assistance or advice with your character learning spells.)

Physical Training

Two of the white-robed shinki, whose nametags mark them as Toumei and Kimei, are standing off to one side of the training area near a pair of large, curtained tents. They each have an enormous wicker basket full of clean, folded beach towels, and a rack of what appear to be wetsuits and swimsuits in a variety of styles and sizes. Once suited and toweled, new and veteran residents of the Heavens alike will be handed a pretty white-and-gold cockade that can be pinned to their suit or tied around their wrist by its ribbons, and either Toumei or Kimei will escort them to a beautiful, but rocky, Near Shore beach. Tropical plants, palm trees and high grasses surround the area, and although the sounds of cars are audible from a road not too far away, the only sign of human presence on this beach is an ancient, rotting fishing boat pulled up well past the high tide mark.

It's quite chilly, with a brisk sea breeze, but there's room to run up and down the beach, a net set up for beach volleyball, younger shinki building sand castles, and showers for the brave souls who venture into the water. The surf is impressive today, so swimmers will get the chance for some serious exercise. There's also the chance to climb through the wreck of the old fishing boat; inside, piles of old seaweed and drifting sand host curious crabs, and a curious explorer could even find treasure... although nothing more valuable than large seashells, old one-yen or five-yen coins, and bits of weathered sea glass.

Rest and Refreshments

When sunset comes -- early, at this time of year -- the shinki bring giant picnic-sized bento boxes with five or seven layers of carefully packed foods, and pile wood for bonfires that leap with flames edged blue-green from the salt. The bento boxes contain a wide variety of traditional foods, many in the style of traditional New Year's dishes: sweet potato and chestnut, slivered carrot and burdock, whole fish, toasted mochi, sliced lotus root and more. A fireworks display starts over the ocean once full night falls, fountains and bursts in every color imaginable, some so ornate that it's hard to believe they're not helped along by a touch of magic. The display lasts half an hour.

After the last fireworks, the shinki will guide everyone back to the Meeting Hall to return to their homes. The wind is getting chillier, and gods or shinki who stay too much past the firework display will notice the tiny, creeping forms of glowing ayakashi no larger than a fist, looking like little jellyfish on land. They don't seem hostile; instead, they're fixated on the boat, and will climb on it and settle onto the rigging and wood of the boat, chirping quietly to themselves and snuggling in so that the whole boat seems to glow with an unearthly blue-white light. They can be fought and defeated, but if attacked, will fight back: and be careful! Those jellyfish tentacles spread blight instead of stinging, and they're longer than they look.

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 at a beach (isn't it winter?!)
• Relax and watch the fireworks
• Have fun~

Comments

[swordofzero]

[He sits down and takes the basket with a smile, picking up some chopsticks to select a couple of items. The heavens always seemed happy to provide food on these training days.]

Me too. It will be good to work together. [Saber seemed like a good god. He wished to have shinki and do the work of a god. No one had arrived to warn Suzaku that he was a dangerous god. So far so good. He just hoped he could be a good shinki in return.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Yeah, you two need me.

[No offense to them, but sheesh. The way these two seem to lack any confidence, he's banking on being the one who gets anything done around here. More work for him, but he's fine with that so long as he can have a social life too!]

Seems like we ended up in a good place, though.

[swordofzero]

[He smiles at that. It was true that Edge had enough confidence for all of the combined. On anyone else it might seem arrogant but Edge was friendly enough that it didn't bother Suzaku at all.] We did.

I haven't forgotten that I owe you dinner. I will do my best not to burn down our new temple.

[He's joking... Mostly.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I'm sure we're all counting on you. [Boy, he hopes Suzaku has suddenly developed the ability to joke.]

I have a good feeling about this arrangement, though.

[swordofzero]

[He has always had the ability to joke he just doesn't exercise it much.

He nodded, cautiously hopeful.] I haven't seen you in a little while, how have you been?

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I figure we have the same experience there -- sudden loss of a god and adaptation to that, right? [It had been fairly abrupt and definitely startling, and had spoiled a few of his plans in turn. On the other hand, it hadn't really seemed to make much of a difference on a large scale.]

[swordofzero]

Were they your first god?

[He realised that he didn't even know who Edge's god had been. Or how long Edge had been in the heavens.

He considered Edge a friend, perhaps they should have been things he had known.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Edge nods.] First and till today only. You're having a run of worse luck, though, aren't you?

[swordofzero]

Lord Saber is my third god. [And he's only been in the heavens a little over two months. He's not sure it counts as ill luck but it was a lot of change in a short period of time.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Don't go taking it personally. [Edge has a hunch that Suzaku might be questioning himself at the very least, so he snaps a sharp look onto the other man.] This system is obviously pretty flawed.

[swordofzero]

I'm not.

[He seems very focussed on a piece of fish that he has picked from this Bento box.]

It is odd that people just disappear.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Mmmhmm.]

Not really that much weirder than us just appearing, is it? The whole system is a mess from start to finish.

[As he's expressed before, and will again. Many a time.]

[swordofzero]

I guess not. [Somehow they had brought Saber here_, somelone who had been dead for eight hundred years.]

It is very chaotic.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

That's putting it mildly. Here's hoping we can settle in and get comfortable for a while, though. Maybe see some action!

[He has a few simple desires in life, really.]

[swordofzero]

Let's hope so. [He doesn't crave fighting. Especially with the little he had learned about himself; traitor, murderer, but being able to fight ayakashi, being able to help protect the living. It was what they were meant to do as shinki and he hoped with Saber they would be able to serve that purpose.]

How did you enjoy the training? Being on the beach in Winter is strange.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Brisk and invigorating! [He can't admit to anything else, even as he shivers unconsciously at the memory of the water.] Definitely productive!

[swordofzero]

I'm glad. Productive is good.

I began learning spells a few weeks ago.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Oh hey, me too! And great, you know my shinki name now so I can be subject to them.

[Not seriously, Edge waves a fist at Suzaku in mock threat.]

[swordofzero]

Don't worry too much, I am no good at them.

[He has no idea why, he is very good at borderlines, can keep strong borderlines. He has even made headway in casting borderlines without words. But spells... He hasn't managed to bind anyone yet.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

Huh. Is someone teaching you, or are you learning on your own?

[Edge at least has been studying with Kairi, who as it happens is a very good teacher.]

[swordofzero]

Ginia is teaching me. She is a good teacher. She taught me most of what I know of borderlines.

[Spells though. He just can't seem to get a hang of.]

[onehandsomeslickninja]

[Edge makes a noncommittal grunt.] Hit up Kairi at some point, she's great.

[swordofzero]

I know Kairi. [She was a good teacher as well.] I'll see if she has time for another student.

[onehandsomeslickninja]

I won't take up her time forever, so don't worry on that score. She'll free up soon enough, if not!

[swordofzero]

I'm sure. [He smiled and held out the bento box, shinki appetite or not there was more than any one person should eat in there.]