October Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: February 6th, 2017
Where: Outside the Meeting Hall, the Far Shore (and optionally, the slopes of a recently erupting volcano)
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 at least one unrecognized god who the Heavens believe to be attacking them, and another recent incursion by an unrecognized god ended in his defeat and the extinguishing of the volcano he had caused to erupt. 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

There are stacks of informational pamphlets sitting out on tables around the dojo. There are five or six white-robed shinki present, who will willingly answer any questions or instruct newcomers in the use of the borderline. They accompany their answers, or their 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. Both Sabimei and his animated straw training dummies are absent from this training session, but standard, inanimate straw targets have been lined up outside, and a few rings are laid out on the frozen ground for friendly sparring matches. (Shinki characters who are interested in learning more about the borderlines or want to learn new shinki spells or songs may approach any of the training shinki for advice or instruction. Please remember to comment on the Shinki Spells page when your character begins to learn a new spell, excluding the borderline.)

Physical Training

There is still clean-up left to work on from the volcano's eruption. Two tengu (one of whom characters might recognize as the hot springs' proprietor) have volunteered to help transport any gods or shinki who are willing to help clear trees, dig or wash away ash on roads and roofs, and repair damage to occupied temples. The abandoned temples that were damaged by the earthquake and volcano are being left to decay, although anyone who's curious about them could take the offer of a free ride to explore some of those abandoned and damaged buildings as well. Some might contain old books or mementos of the long-vanished owners; others have nothing left inside but dust, mold, and curious spirits.

Back at the training ground, characters who aren't helping clean up the Western district have the option of playing sparring games to test their reflexes. The white-robed shinki are organizing them into pairs in the marked circles and explaining the rules: each participant is given 10 seconds on offense to score a hit with any weapon of their choice, from bare hands to sparring weaponry to shinki magic, while their partner is only allowed to dodge or defend. After five rounds, the person with more points gets to declare a penalty for their partner: drawing on their face with a marker, ordering them to do something silly or embarrassing, making them fetch tea... it's up to the winner!

Rest and Refreshments

After the gods' training lecture is finished, a few of the white-robed shinki bustle back in to set up craft tables and a buffet area. This time, the theme seems to be a sweet English tea: little cakes, scones, jams, cookies, tiny finger sandwiches and a vast array of chocolates are available, as well as many different teapots, with hot water dispensers and loose tea available to let everyone brew to their own tastes as they venture in to rest or talk to their new partners.

Over on the craft tables, there's all kinds of art and craft supplies available, from construction paper to calligraphy brushes, glitter to gouache. Signs on the tables encourage gods and shinki to show their appreciation for each other with a valentine letter or card. It's a bonding exercise! There is a lot of glitter. And glue. Hopefully, no one's wearing their nice clothes.

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
• Veteran new gods and shinki are welcome to volunteer showing the ropes
• Explore damaged temples or practice sparring
• Enjoy a tea and make some valentines
• Have fun~

Comments

[wildguardian]

The tips of Shen Wei's ears turn red when he flushes: it's too cute. Yunlan's smile widens to a grin as the flustered professor swallows and looks back at his phone.

"Yeah, there is. See that icon there?" He points it out on the main screen. "Tap it, and it'll show you the posts to look through."

[cloakedinruins]

Not very many people got close enough to notice that his ears went pink. It was half the reason why he started the whole mask and hooded cloak costume way back when; it covered the tell-tale flush and shadowed his eyes and made him look really scary. But right now he wasn't the Black Cloak Envoy, he was the professor and the professor was trying so very hard to not let his flush spread any further with mixed results.

"Ah.. this one?" He delicately tapped at the icon, and almost loses his phone as the app opens up and shows a bunch of posts. "Do our names get used on here?"

[wildguardian]

"That one," Yunlan agrees, and reaches over to demonstrate how to swipe back through old posts. "Here, swipe this way to see the older stuff, and this way for the newer. Tap on them to see the whole conversation.

"It uses shinki names," he adds, "but gods get to use the name of whichever god they're taking over from. My god's Mars, for example."

[cloakedinruins]

"So if I post something, it will come up as my god name."

On one hand, it might be useful. It was another cloak to hide under, another persona to play if he really did not want to get involved with the politics of the world around him. On the other hand, it would make tracking some people on the app a little harder.

"Thank you, for the advice and the help."

[wildguardian]

"There's an anonymous option, too." He shrugs, and adds, "But if you're using that, no one can follow up with you."

In other words: there's good and bad aspects. Some subjects it's easier if no one can follow up; others, it's pointless to bring up on the network if there's no way for knowledgeable responses to go to private conversation.

Personal topics, he supposes, are the easiest to discuss in a forum where they might be watched and can't talk honestly about serious things-- which might explain why so much of the forum is full of wedding announcements, lost and found advertising and philosophical questions.

[cloakedinruins]

"It might be useful for some things, I suppose."

It sounds almost like the message board that the Dean kept on trying to get him to use. Shen Wei had many reasons why he did not like using a lot of electronics, one of the biggest being that his energies always seem to mess them up after a length of time. It was just far safer to keep to more traditional tools when he was pretending to be a teacher. But it looked like he was going to have to bend to this new place and new ideas just a little.

"I suppose I will need to learn a fair bit more to understand this." He held up the phone and smiled. "Thank you yet again for your help."

[wildguardian]

"My pleasure," Yunlan assures him, and finds himself without any excuses to drag out the conversation any longer. He's showed off the message board, he's flirted, he got a photo and a folded lotus, and he's gotten the guy from stricken to blushing and smiling.

It's probably about time to declare the meeting a success, and follow up later.

"So, Shen Wei, I should go see what my god's up to -- we've got a new shinki in the household, he could probably use a hand. It's been a pleasure meeting you."

He can't resist the temptation to say pleasure in a meaningful tone, sidelong glance and all, but he doesn't linger on that too long.

"And my number's in your phone if you think of anything I can help you with," he adds, scooting his chair back and standing. He keeps the lotus cradled in his free hand.

[cloakedinruins]

Yes, Zhao Yunlan, you're work is done - you turned Shen Wei's head yet again and torn down pieces of his resolve to not have anything to do with you. He was going to try to keep his distance, because he knows it could end badly between them.

And he totally expected that look with that word considering the flat expression on his face in response.

He stood up with him, bowing a little in farewell. "I will keep it in mind. Thank you yet again, Zhao Yunlan."

[wildguardian]

Yunlan laughs, easily, and returns the little bow.

"See you around," he says, and turns to go.

[cloakedinruins]

As soon as his back was turned and he was moving away, Shen Wei reached over to his chair and gripped it hard enough to make the wood crack. It was like that time again, looking up at the window of the school and seeing a friendly face without a hint of recognition in his eyes. The only problem was this was not in Haixing where they had heartbeats. This was the Far Shore and they had different rules to live by.

He took a deep breath and held it, looking over the people around him before exhaling and turning on his heel to find his temple. Maybe there he will mourn the loss of a life he loved.