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

[nonsenseprince]

I didn't say I wanted a different god...

[Izuku rubs the back of his neck, head tilting a little bit as his gaze falls some.] I think what you're saying is important, and... a lot to take in. I think that, if anything, it shows me that I'm really lucky. [There's the slightest smile, as he thinks about it.] I think that someone like you would be the kind to get attention fast, especially if you're always like this and no one else is.

[His hand falls, and he smiles up at Bakugou, a little bashfully.]

You're kind of weird and rude. But somehow, I just can't not believe what you're saying.

[bakusatsuo]

[Bakugou snorts, looking away.] Just means you know what the truth sounds like when you hear it, I guess.

You're not officially my shinki until I name you, though.

[nonsenseprince]

[Izuku perks up a little, curiously. He remembers this.]

Right. Once you do, you'll be able to call me in whatever weapon's form I have... I'm kind of curious what it'll be.

[bakusatsuo]

Could be an animal, too. But yeah, once I name you, you'll automatically take that form. You ready for that?

[Bakugou sure as fuck isn't.]

[nonsenseprince]

Uhm... [He looks down at himself, a little nervously, but after a moment, his resolve returns. He nods.]

Yeah. I'm ready.

[bakusatsuo]

Alright. [But Bakugou doesn't launch into the incantation immediately, head bowed slightly as he thinks. After all, Deku needs a vessel name, doesn't he? And it has to be...good. Good, as in Bakugou doesn't want it to be sappy, and not too insulting either. (He doesn't mind if it's a little mocking, but...he's been going after Deku for a long time, over a lot of shit he now realizes was either his own misconceptions or his own hangups. And now that he knows Deku isn't looking down on him, he doesn't have to hate the idea of him catching up quite as much, doesn't have to feel like Deku's growing strength is somehow vindicating the looking down his nose at Bakugou that had, in reality, never actually been happening. He can acknowledge Deku as a rival now, grudgingly - because it's hard to change his thinking so much, so fast. And that means that shitting on Deku just to shit on him - it's stupid. It's pathetic. Even worse doing it now, when Deku has no memories and has been dumped into Bakugou's care. It's got all the heroism of taking potshots at someone who's asleep in bed. He can mess with Deku a little, but giving him a name that's an outright insult would be shitty. He told Deku he'd take care of him, and that means not taking advantage of him in little asshole ways - Bakugou knows that, even if a small part of him that's not quite over his anger and resentment is sulking about it.

It takes a few moments, but it comes to him. Bakugou is, after all, pretty gifted with coming up with names. (Not that it generally appears as though he is, unless you really look at the wordplay involved.)

He extends a hand toward Deku, fingers splayed.]

My name is Mars. Grasping thy true name, I bind thee here. With borrowed name, I dub thee my servant. The name answers, the vessel to sound. I call thee as my divine instrument. The name, Midoriya Izuku. The vessel, Yú. Come, Yúki!

[Unlike when he named Zhao, it's not the overly formal words that weigh heavy on his tongue this time; it's dread. He's about to see Deku's death. (Or, as he fiercely corrects himself, his supposed death. There's no proof it's real! There's no reason to believe it is! The heavens don't work the way the old gods are used to, not anymore! He doesn't have to believe any of this!) Whatever it is, whatever he sees...he's going to have to maintain his composure. There's no rule, no actual consequences to letting a shinki see that their god is upset over seeing their death, not as far as Bakugou knows; there's no reason not to tell them their god is privy to that information, even. If he's upset by this, there's no reason he should have to hide it from Deku...except that his pride demands it. Maybe Deku doesn't remember him, maybe he doesn't have any image to maintain with him because he's barely started rebuilding one yet, but Bakugou still can't bear the thought of looking weak in front of him.]

[nonsenseprince]

[In any timeline, with any memory, hearing words like this come out of someone like Bakugou's mouth is a little jarring. But after the beat of silence, and deliberation, and focus, that jarring feeling only lasts a second. Izuku is focusing on what Bakugou is saying, on the feeling stirring in his gut. It's almost like the moments before lightning strikes.

[And then Bakugou names him. He calls him. And suddenly, things change.

[It'll be worse for Bakugou. It's six in the morning on a November day, and Izuku is running. Training, chasing the image of All Might and of Bakugou. Who can say why Izuku decides to cross the road where he is. Who can say why the driver of the car doesn't even slow down. All that can be said is that the final thing Izuku saw was a flash of pavement, and the final thing he heard was a sickening thud.

[Just like that, he was gone. And just like that, he's called into his new form.

[Bakugou may be a little surprised that someone as combat-trained as Izuku has become transforms into armor. His arms and legs are covered with the gauntlets and boots, but he'll recognize the functionality soon enough.

[As though by some twisted design of fate, the One For All lost to the world with Izuku's death is now at Bakugou's fingertips.]

[bakusatsuo]

[The death is so fast, so brutal, that it's oddly almost a blessing. Bakugou flinches at it, his throat closes up, but it's over before he can have much of a stronger reaction than that. He knows, though, that it's going to stick with him. That he'll be reliving those moments when he tries to sleep.

After everything, Deku just gets fucking hit by a car. No more, no less. Dark humor doesn't even come close to something like that.

The weight of the armor is the only thing that drags him out of his own head, because it's unmistakable; it settles on his limbs, refusing to go unnoticed. He studies them, wondering if Deku can see his face without currently possessing eyes. Shinki are aware of the world around them in vessel form in some way, although Bakugou sure as hell couldn't say how.

He hopes Deku can't see his face right now, anyway.]

Armor, huh. [Stuff meant for protecting people, primarily. But there's power in it, too; he can feel it.]

[nonsenseprince]

I-is that right?

[Izuku sounds some mix between excited and nervous about this situation. He's still here, still aware, but he's given up control. This is new, something he knows deep in his bones, but he doesn't question that. Everything is new. This isn't different from everything else right now, he tells himself, and moves on.]

Is it usually armor?

[bakusatsuo]

There is no 'usual' for shinki. Every shinki's got a totally different vessel form. Shinki with more than one god even have different vessel forms depending on which god calls 'em.

[The armor is in the form of a pair of gloves, and a pair of boots. While they're heavier than wearing nothing, they're neither as heavy nor as restrictive of movement as he might have expected; the gloves in particular don't feel much heavier than his grenade gauntlets. With his own regular upper body training, they're really not any sort of difficulty to deal with. The boots might be a little more cumbersome; he's gonna have to do more lower body work to compensate, he decides, but it's still not excessive. He just doesn't work that part of his body as much.

He notices, with something between painful nostalgia and low-key irritation, that the stuff looks pretty visually similar to Deku's own gloves and boots from his hero outfit. Not exact - the color scheme's different, darker and more vivid colors that fit better with Bakugou's hero outfit, and the gloves don't go up his arms the way Deku's do back home - but close enough to see the resemblance.]

Wonder if you being armor says something about you. [He says it offhandedly, like he doesn't know protecting people has always been Deku's major motivation, because he figures that if Deku comes to that awareness on his own, unconnected to his or Deku's memories, then it shouldn't be a problem.] Or do you think I need protecting?

[nonsenseprince]

W-well... If I'm supposed to be a tool to fight with, it's important to be versatile! But I didn't know what I'd be...

[He doesn't want this to be bad for Bakugou;; he has to be his sword and shield now, doesn't he?]

Can you use me to attack, too?

[bakusatsuo]

Who the fuck knows what I can use you for? I haven't tried yet. But...probably. [After all, this armor looks like Deku's support equipment, and while that equipment is meant to brace his arms and legs to some degree, it's also meant to supplement his attacks, isn't it? Especially the boots.]

Good thing they've still got the training dummies set up.

[Bakugou does feel...something, from Deku's armor. It's hard to put it into words, exactly; it'd be even more impossible to say how he's picking up on it. But there's something like power there. A...potentiality. There's more to Deku when he's in this state than him just being armor; all Bakugou has to do is figure out how to draw it out.

Testing out some punches and kicks, Bakugou instinctively feels, is the very first thing to check. Even if Deku wasn't essentially a brawler back home, it'd still occur as the most obvious trigger. So, without hesitation, he begins striding towards the training area and the nearest dummy. Even if he can't draw out Deku's power, at least he can get a feel for how much protection these gauntlets provide when he throws a punch; taking care of his hands, considering his quirk, is a high priority.]

Can you tell if you have to...I don't fucking know, activate anything on your end? Any special powers? If not, it might be up to me. My exemplar turns into a gun, and it's not like he can pull his own damn trigger.