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

[thirdbeauty]

Oh, it does? I don't think anyone knew about that when I first came here!

[This is good, at least that much is safe to share. She'll still be cautious not to give away too many details, just in case, but she might have to take a look at that pamphlet again. She's not sure what exactly the rules are, when a god comes back as a shinki.

On the other topic, though... Maria's right. She hadn't really stopped to think how much work she actually puts into this whole becoming the best idol she can thing.]

I... guess I am, yeah. I want to do my best for everyone, the other performers and anyone watching...

[She smiles, chuckling softly to herself.]

I don't know if I was really prepared! But I'm glad Hibiki-sama asked me.

[She finds herself wondering... it might be too soon to ask this of Maria, but...]

Do you think... there's anything like that for you? Things that are really important to you? [Maybe she should clarify a little, for their nature as shinki.] ... I wanted to make friends, and help them and make people happy. That's all I knew at first. But this was a lot to take in, too.

[declamando]

Maybe it's more recent information, though it does sound like it's useful to know. [Maria can't really theorise too much on why it wasn't common knowledge when Natsuru arrived - maybe nobody had figured it out back then. It definitely seems like something that would've needed to have happened quite a few times to be observed as a common phenomenon.

While Maria remains smiling a little at Natsuru's discussion of her own motivations, the expression becomes more thoughtful at the question that follows. She's been here such a short time and has been focusing so strongly on finding out what she can do at all that she hasn't really had time to consider that kind of aspect yet.

It does mean she has some kind of answer to start off with, though, even if it comes alongside a slight shrug as if to say she doesn't have a proper one for Natsuru just yet.] I'd say there would have to be, but for right now, it feels most important to find out exactly what it is I can do to start. After I know that, I can wonder about things like what I want to do with it or where I want to go from here.

[To move on, you need to know what it is you're working with, and Maria doesn't yet have that. But it's something she can work on for the moment, too.]

[thirdbeauty]

Right...

[And there's that sheepish little smile Natsuru used to get with Maria all the time. Of course she hasn't had time to figure it out yet. Natsuru was even more lost than her on her first day. But it's encouraging to hear Maria say things that just... sound so much like her.]

I remember feeling like that too. It took me a while to even start to figure things out, and decide what I wanted to do with my life now. ... Afterlife. Whatever.

[There's another thing she's sure of, too. Her pensive look shifts to a bright, friendly smile, her eyes meeting Maria's again.]

So, if you ever need someone to talk to, or just want to... about living as a shinki or the things we can do... I don't mind! I'd... actually really like to be friends, if that's okay?

[She blushes suddenly, as if thinking maybe she was being too forward. It's hard being honest with her feelings while she's holding so much back for Maria's own sake.]

I mean, you seem nice. And if there's ever anything I can do to help someone newer than me....

[declamando]

[It's not surprising for Maria to hear that people would have trouble finding their way and figuring themselves out in this kind of afterlife. Being brought somewhere like this with no memories and only the vague sense of what your abilities might be to feel out is difficult already, and she's only been here for a day. Whether it's going to get easier or harder in time, she's not entirely sure, but that's why she wants to face forward for now.

And that means making new allies and friends as well. The forwardness of the statement doesn't seem to bother Maria, and she gives a graceful laugh at it.]

I think it'd be good to make friends in a place like this. What use is having another life if there's nobody to share it with? [She doesn't know who she might have known in life, and there's no use lingering on it. New life means new friends, along with everything else.

Her smile quirks up a tiny bit more after a moment, though.] I might need to know your name first, though.

[thirdbeauty]

[Maria's response quickly sets Natsuru's nerves at ease. It sounds like something she would have said to Natsuru before, even.]

Yeah! That's how I feel, too...

[Yeah, she thinks she can do this. They're starting over, yes, but having Maria as a new friend and fellow shinki is better than not having her around at all.

Still, she needs to remember that they are starting over here. She'd completely forgotten that she hadn't introduced herself.]

Ah, that's right! Sorry.

[She straightens up and faces Maria directly, hands folded in front of herself.]

Natsuru Senou. It's nice to meet you...

[She offers a slight bow in greeting; it's a bit late in this conversation, but she wants to be polite. She almost says Maria's name again, yet holds herself back, making it sound like she trailed off before finishing. Maybe she should let Maria introduce herself properly this time, if she was going to?]

[declamando]

[It might be late in the conversation, but Maria is never one to think that politeness goes astray. Especially since they both forgot it until now. While it seems like this girl had known her name already, Maria still takes the cue and offers a small and polite bow of the head as she returns the courtesy.]

Maria Cadenzavna Eve. It's nice to meet you. [It does occur to her that she was on the way somewhere before this conversation started, though, and she gestures towards the showers.] Were you headed this way as well? I'd rather not leave the saltwater in my hair for too long.

[thirdbeauty]

[Natsuru's smiling brightly as she straightens back up. She can just let any awkwardness or second-guessing slip away, all but forgotten now. She's just glad she had a chance to... meet Maria again.]

Oh... yeah, actually!

[She'd almost forgotten what she was doing before!]

You don't mind if I join you?

[declamando]

It's a public shower. It'd be a bit troublesome for me if I minded company. [Maria says that with some amusement to her tone - in a situation like this, she really doesn't mind having someone join her. Especially since she only just got here, so it seems rude to rebuff a potential friendship too much.

That said, Maria turns and starts heading towards the shower without hesitation, presumably expecting Natsuru to follow.]