godsoffortune: (Default)
The Far Shore Mods ([personal profile] godsoffortune) wrote in [community profile] thenearshore2018-08-17 02:23 am

August Training

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~
killercoat: (you imbecile)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-08-20 04:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ The Heaven's library? Not only for the book that contains the spell, Akutagawa seems interested in the place in general. It would be a good place to pass some time. Although, he heeds Chikusa's warning. The library moves things around.

Akutagawa frowns.]


That sounds troublesome. Do you have a description of the book? What does the cover look like? What is the title?

[ Maybe he can use the clues that this shinki provides to locate the book.]
kokuyoyo: (Please don't place wagers on my)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-08-20 08:56 pm (UTC)(link)
[A long, thoughtful silence. Or maybe that's just Chikusa being himself.]

...Scrolls are a good place to start.

[Congrats. You're this far back in time, Akutagawa.]

Assuming you can find one, at any rate... and if it's the right one.
killercoat: (Bossy)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-08-21 02:34 am (UTC)(link)
...scrolls?

[Akutagawa raises an eyebrow at the mention of the archaic form of written text. Though it shouldn't be a surprise, the heavens seem like they wanted to maintain the old ways, even if that thought is quite absurd.

Although, when Chikusa presents the possibility that he might not locate it, Akutagawa scoffs.]


I'm not afraid of a challenge. I'll definitely find it.

[ If anything, he appears to have a large capacity of time.]

So the difficulty is really in finding it, if that's the hard part, then the spell should be easy to learn.
kokuyoyo: (Please don't place wagers on my)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-08-21 07:45 pm (UTC)(link)
It depends.... I found it easy. [But Chikusa knows his only use is being smart. It's why he's put so much work into spells as he has; he can guarantee its success with stubbornness and learning.]

But it takes a while... and constant work. And some people won't get it even then... especially if they have no one to practice on.
killercoat: (Default)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-08-22 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
[So it differs from person to person, it might be difficult for some and it might be easy for others. Akutagawa doesn't know how he will fair, but he's not discouraged by Chikusa's honest admission. He's quite stubborn himself, and he has too much pride to fail at something that people were able to learn. Maybe these qualities are enough for him to succeed.

He then looks over to Sabimei, the shinki that Chikusa was trying to provoke minutes ago.]


So you were practicing back there?

[ Akutagawa is not one to ask or accept help, but if he did need someone to practice with, would he also have to choose such a method?]
kokuyoyo: (Please don't place wagers on my)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-08-22 02:50 am (UTC)(link)
Ah.... Something like that.

[Because, sure, let's call it practicing.]

Rather... I'm just trying to get him to shut up and land a spell on him once... [And Silence gets his point across just fine, he thinks.] I've been trying to learn spells from him, since the library is so annoying... but he might be moreso.

So troublesome...
killercoat: (thinking)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-08-22 05:12 am (UTC)(link)
[ Even if he doesn't know the entirety of the situation, it does sound problematic. The library sounds really tedious, and if someone who is knowledgeable about spells is uncooperative he can see how that could be irksome.

Though it seems like Chikusa is more into taunting the shinki instead of learning from him. It's not Akutagawa's business, but it just seems counterproductive. If Chikusa truly seeks Sabimei's expertise, isn't that the wrong way to go about it?

Still....]


Even with those obstacles, it seems you're doing fine. You were able to hold your own against him and if spells are easy for you to grasp, you must have an impressive arsenal.
kokuyoyo: (I mean I don't even call it a hangover)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-08-26 07:48 pm (UTC)(link)
[It's fine. Sabimei hasn't... quite told him to knock it off yet, and, besides, he seemed to find it to be a good sign when Chikusa first approached him.]

[...Not that Chikusa bothers to explain any of this. Instead, one shoulder twitches up in something that might be a distant cousin to the shrug.]


I guess... I've been researching them for a while, now. Probably.... for most of the time I've been a shinki.

[It had been necessary to him, in his view, when he had been Axel's. Now, well. Now part of it is habit... but part of it is never wanting to overlook another weapon that he can use, when it feels as though he doesn't have a lot to choose from.]
killercoat: (Default)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-08-27 04:35 am (UTC)(link)
You must have been here for some time, then.

[ In the way that Chikusa says "for most of the time I've been a shinki", he gets the impression that he's been a shinki for a while. So, the shinki definitely endured time in order to learn the spells that he has and even discover more.

Akutagawa has only just arrived, but he already feels restless. Like he doesn't have time, and he wants to learn these things immediately, but that's not really possible.]


Your persistence must make you a valuable resource to the residents of the Far Shore.

[People have various things they can provide to a community or society. One of them could be spreading the knowledge they've uncovered to the rest. Although, Akutagawa isn't sure if Chikusa is open with the information he knows. He seems more helpful in pointing you in the right direction but doesn't hold your hand.]

But I don't believe I caught your name earlier.

[ He should probably remember it. Just in case the information is inaccurate, or if he has more questions during his search.]
kokuyoyo: (I mean I don't even call it a hangover)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-08-27 07:34 pm (UTC)(link)
Since May.

[So, for over half a year, now. It's almost strange, to think of how much time has passed... and also how much of that time has been more spent with Hakkai than Axel, when he'd dedicated so much to his first god.]

[It's a strange feeling, one he doesn't like, but Chikusa is quick to put it to rest. If he gets lost thinking about the past while he's out during one of these training events, then he'll get nothing done... and he's already wasted enough time with how much he's wandered in and out of awareness.]


I'm Kakimoto Chikusa.... [A Japanese name said with an Italian accent.] And I'm valuable... to myself and mine, more than the Far Shore.

[He owes no one else anything.]
killercoat: (Pondering)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-08-29 02:16 am (UTC)(link)
May?

[It takes Akutagawa a moment to realize what month they are in. He does the mental math in his head and concludes that his assumption was correct.

He nods at Chikusa's name, noting the accent. It seems natural to him, especially if it comes out while giving his name. Maybe he's been abroad or he was born in a foreign country in his past?

Though Akutagawa seems more interested in Chikusa's insistence that he's valuable to himself and whom he is close to. That's reasonable.]


So you've found your purpose here. I can only believe that we've been brought back from death because we hold some value. Even if it mean serving some god who lacks a shinki, or being a part of a bigger scheme, I want to be of use.

[ He wants to be stronger, but he's not sure if it's for his own sake. It almost feels like a weird concept to even hold so much value in himself, but Chikusa's resolve has him thinking.]
kokuyoyo: (Apparently I kept telling people I was)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-08-29 07:27 pm (UTC)(link)
[So. Another person who thinks along the same lines as him. Even having gone through an ablution and having his entire worldview changed by becoming a hafuri vessel, Chikusa can't begrudge anyone that world view. It carried him through a lot, after all... And he'd be a liar if he said it's completely gone. If anything, he's still working on aligning it with how different his life has become.]

[He doesn't say all of that. Instead, he tips his chin down.]


...You'll have a lot of work, then. The Far Shore is being targeted.
killercoat: (what do you mean?)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-08-31 04:00 am (UTC)(link)
[ He's not afraid of work, even if he tends to get impatient. Though the effort is what he expects. However, when Chikusa mentions that the Far Shore being targeted, he wonders in what way?]

Targeted? Like an enemy?

[The ayakashi is one thing, but Chikusa makes it sounds as if it's another threat.]
kokuyoyo: (I mean I don't even call it a hangover)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-08-31 05:21 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah.

[Reaching up, he pushes his glasses further up his nose.]

Heaven doesn't know who it is... and it's a group that wants Heaven to fall. That'd be one thing... but they're involved the rest of us as well. [Chikusa can understand wanting Heaven to be destroyed, after all. It's just another corrupt system of power, as far as he's concerned.] Not too long ago, some gods and shinki were kidnapped, and forced to be used in a ritual....
killercoat: (Bossy)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-09-04 03:11 am (UTC)(link)
[ Akutagawa crosses his arms over his chest loosely as he listens to Chikusa. A group that wants Heaven to fall? Seems like a weird idea. Isn't Heaven the afterlife? Why would anyone want that to fall? What would happen to the spirits of the dead? Did they want them to wander around aimlessly in the Near Shore, or just disappear from existence? What was there to gain from bringing down Heaven?

It's even more troubling that the Heavens have no idea who could be the culprit? There has to be at least a lead or two? Perhaps an old acquaintance that they might even be a suspect? Or perhaps they do have an idea, but they might be ashamed of who it is and feign ignorance. There are many possibilities.]


A ritual? What were they trying to accomplish? [ Especially if they needed to use gods and shinki to implement it. Then it only seems more likely that it's someone who knows the heavens really well, especially the gods and shinki.]
kokuyoyo: (Please don't place wagers on my)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-09-04 03:19 am (UTC)(link)
Who knows... [And thus, the most pain in the ass aspect of this whole thing.] Most of the people who were kidnapped, or who found them, were of the new generation... Us. And needless to say... Most of us don't have the experience in the magic here that would help us decipher what the ritual set up was intended for.

[...Which didn't stop Chikusa taking what pictures he could, of course.]

Heaven arrived... only after we'd destroyed most of the ritual, to free those who were captive. As far as I know, no trace of it has been found again... Although it was in a peculiar sort of state anyway, being inbetween both Shores.
killercoat: (miraculous)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-09-05 02:48 am (UTC)(link)
[ Well that's a bit unsettling. Especially since it seems they are still in the dark about who their enemy is. Though Chikusa brings up great points, the antagonists knew a greater caliber of magic in order to perform the ritual. Though the most disturbing fact is that it occurred between the two shores. Is that even possible?]

...it seems like whoever is behind it has a link to the Heavens, in some way. No ordinary person...or group would be able to pull something like that off without Heaven's notice.

[It's probably why this group decided to use them in the experiment, instead of the other gods of heaven. They could buy some time as they slip under the radar, and the Heavens won't immediately act if they felt it's a conflict of their own doing. There's really no need to interfere unless it's a direct threat to them, after all.]
Edited 2018-09-05 02:49 (UTC)
kokuyoyo: (Please don't place wagers on my)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-09-09 09:32 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah... The Heaven's believe it's a rogue god of some sort that wants to destroy them, which could be something of a link, I guess. [Certainly it's the most obvious connection.] But there's also a cult involved... Which makes everything so much more of a pain.

It seems they'll target any temple indiscriminately, no matter what they have to do with the greater Heavens or not...
killercoat: (you imbecile)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-09-10 05:18 am (UTC)(link)
Do you think the cult has some relation to the rogue god?

[ If this god wishes to war against heaven, then it only makes senses to rally supporters. Gods need worshippers to be relevant, and a cult will constantly provide devotees.

Either case, it sounds like a very tricky situation. The Heavens have no idea who their enemy is--at least, that's what they say, and this rogue god is gaining power and strength in secret. It's dangerous, and more effort should be placed in dealing with the threat.]
kokuyoyo: (I don't do stupid things anymore.)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-09-15 10:40 pm (UTC)(link)
I know it does.

[Through a variety of encounters... like interrogating a cultist. It's fine.]

We've seen examples of them doing things like setting up shrines... Although they've been careful to destroy anything that would identify them or their god. They're not entirely stupid...
killercoat: (Default)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-09-17 02:49 am (UTC)(link)
I see...

[ Not being entirely stupid, somehow makes it a lot harder them. They seem to know what to do to keep the Heavens off their trail.]

Then it must be a popular god if they can set up shrines, wouldn't that be enough to narrow down who the enemy is? The heavens must be able to keep track of something like that.
kokuyoyo: (Please don't place wagers on my)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-09-25 02:18 am (UTC)(link)
Not really.

[Trust him, he would love if that fact were true. It would make things a lot less of a pain in the ass.]

For example, the most popular god native to Japan seems to be Ebisu... but he's been recently reincarnated, and, as far as I know, no one seems to be pointing fingers at him. It might be because that reincarnation was forced by Heaven, apparently... and so they've probably already looked into him first ever since all of this first started.

Any popular gods tend to show up in the Central District, honestly... Including my own and a death god. No one has investigated my temple, either.

And, honestly... Any god can have a shrine. It's not a matter of how popular they are. They just need someone paying attention to it...
killercoat: (On the phone)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-10-05 05:08 am (UTC)(link)
The criteria for godhood seems to rather simple.

[ If the requirement is to be recognized, then anyone can easily fit the bill. However, it diminishes the caliber of what he would expect of a god. Maybe Heaven's downfall was not implementing stricter rules.]

So if they're not investigating the gods in their own backyard, then it just seems this matter is not of importance. The initial step in dealing with a threat is identifying the enemy. I don't understand their reluctance to handle the situation.
kokuyoyo: (Please don't place wagers on my)

[personal profile] kokuyoyo 2018-10-07 07:26 pm (UTC)(link)
I think they're just stupid and stubborn.

[...Listen, he talked a lot just a second ago, it's time for less words now.]
killercoat: (silent)

[personal profile] killercoat 2018-10-10 04:59 am (UTC)(link)
Maybe.

[ He can't really say for himself, but Chikusa does give convincing evidence. The Heavens definitely are doing things that he doesn't agree with. The method of how they go about impending threats just seems asinine. Though there must be a bigger picture to the little information that he knows.]

Both of those qualities don't befit how I expect the Heavens to behave. It's a shame if they truly carry themselves in such a manner.

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