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

[fauxcalibur]

[So he's supposed to stop that from hitting the ground?

Simple enough!

He could probably run over and catch it fast enough, but he decides to make a diving catch instead, rolling and jumping back up to his feet with a huge smile on his face.]

I caught it!

[priforprince]

[ .....

Well. She supposes someone of limited perception might not have figured this part out from her primer. She shall be patient. This is a King.

A King. ]

....Let's bounce it back and forth between us next.

[fauxcalibur]

Alright!

[He spins the ball in his hands a few times while he thinks the next step over. He's about to copy her serve when he pauses.]

So I shouldn't try to hit it too far?

[priforprince]

Unless you'd like to give me points.

[ She wouldn't say no, mind you. But she might get bored. ]

[fauxcalibur]

We can't have that!

[But it means he'll have to be careful. He mimics the serve he saw from her earlier, but hits the ball as gently as he can.

It still goes farther than it probably should.]

[priforprince]

I thought as much.

[ ....Hibiki could let that serve go. It's going to be "out", anyway.

But she's more interested in getting a rally going to see what he can do, so she goes for the ball instead, hitting it back over to the side of the net opposite where her opponent is standing.

Now, show her! The abilities of one who had been lauded as a King! ]

[fauxcalibur]

[His eyes never leave the ball, so when it starts flying back towards his side of the net, he's already in place to hit it back.

He's just a little too caught up in the game to remember the "hit it gently" part.]

Ah...that will go out...

[priforprince]

It will.

[ Exertion once was necessary. Exertion twice sounds like work.

Hibiki watches the ball go, then turns back to Richard. He's not very good at obeying the rules of this game, but she's learning something about him, anyway. ]

You possess no restraint, do you.

[fauxcalibur]

Absolutely none!

[And he doesn't seem to be even the slightest bit ashamed of that, either.]

[priforprince]

[ Once more, the concept that this man might be an idiot wafts its unwelcome way across Hibiki's brain. But perhaps he is the wild card she requires. Backstage, doing the music, certainly. And more?

We'll see. ]

Channel that momentum into your brain.

[ For her sake. If you can. Just to see if it's possible.

Here, have the ball. She aims it close to the net this time, trying to trip him up. ]

[fauxcalibur]

[What he lacks in restraint he certainly makes up for with speed, so rushing closer to the net is a piece of cake. And he does think through what to do next just enough to realize hitting the ball away isn't going to work.

So instead he tries jumping up so he can slam it downwards instead.]

[priforprince]

[ He's learning. Hibiki's eyes flash, and she darts beneath the ball to receive it. At first, she doesn't look like she's going to be returning it to him, as she just hits the ball upwards, still on her side of the net -

But then she leaps to spike it over. A two-step dance isn't so bad, either. ]

Heh!

[fauxcalibur]

Ah!

[He laughs delightedly as he throws himself beneath the ball so he can hit it up to keep it out of the sand.]

This sort of thing becomes so much simpler when my life isn't on the line!

[priforprince]

My spikes can bury you in the despair of defeat anyway, if you'd like!

[ A Prince always shows excellent hospitality. Very crowd-pleasing.

She doesn't seem worried about returning that ball, whenever and however it'll come her way. Do your worst, she's up for it.... ]

[fauxcalibur]

[He doesn't even put that much thought into where he's hitting the ball next. The goals are just "over the net" and "maybe out of reach if it goes there." He's mostly just having fun with this, after all. The real challenge is keeping up a good defense.]

I wasn't defeated by the last set of spikes I was faced with, so I don't expect this to be any different!

[Saber, those were giant spikes of earth and someone was doing their level best to kill you with them.]

[priforprince]

Such confidence befits a King.

[ But Hibiki is a clever (?) Prince. She's deliberately trying to put this ball, every time, in the spot it'd be most difficult for Richard to reach in time. Even if he returns them, this will test his endurance.

Genius aims to overwhelm. But it also plays the long game. ]