November Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: February 21st, 2017
Where: Outside the Meeting Hall, the Far Shore
Summary: Training and informational sessions for newly arrived gods and shinki



Gods and shinki arriving at heaven's meeting hall are brought into small one-on-one meeting rooms as they appear, with a white-robed shinki offering them an explanation of their current role, the name of the god they will represent or the god they will serve, and directions to the temple that will be their new home.

They are cordially invited to a training session beginning in early afternoon, after they've had the chance to return to their homes, meet their new partners, and have their questions answered.



Morning/On the Road

New gods and shinki are being packed off to their new temples for the morning to settle in and meet their partners -- this is also a good time to visit with new neighbors or explore the area! What does your new temple look like? Are you headed straight there, or taking the scenic route to get a better sense of your new surroundings? The Western District is still scarred from the aftereffects of a recent volcanic eruption and earthquake, with fissures in some of the roads and burn scars in the wild landscape. The volcanic ash, though, seems to be serving as fertilizer for vast swaths of unfamiliar and colorful wildflowers that line the roads despite the fact that the weather is late-February chilly.

Shinki Training

A well-appointed dojo has been prepared for newcomers to practice their physical or magical arts. Outside, there are two impromptu target practice areas: one is for long-range weapons, with targets set up against hay bales at the other side of a wide, grassy area and a line drawn for the weapons' wielders to stand behind. The other is for borderlines, and a number of young children wearing short coats marked with Amaterasu's golden chrysanthemum on white are dashing around practicing their own borderlines against scary paper masks tied onto bushes or other haybales. The game seems to require a cutting borderline that will cut the mask without damaging the gardeners' hard work on the bushes.

Inside the dojo, there's room for several pairs to spar, and weapons are set up all along one wall, everything from polearms to rifles, chakrams to broadswords. They're all meant for practice, with edges dulled or padded to avoid any accidental deaths, but sparring partners will still have to be careful to avoid injury. Although there are many fewer white-robed shinki here than usual, except for the children, there is one adult shinki keeping an eye on things inside the dojo and one keeping an eye on things in the yard. They are willing to answer questions, help with borderlines or teach shinki new spells on request. Comment to the NPC REQUEST form to request a thread with one of them or if you have questions about handwaving an interaction.

Physical Training

The last vestiges of winter have melted away from most of the Heavens, but one section of the Meeting Hall grounds appears not to have gotten the message. Snow is piled waist or even shoulder high, the trees and bushes show no sign of fresh leaves, and an ornamental pool is frozen as hard as a rock, with the drifting shadows of koi barely visible under the thick ice. It's the perfect opportunity to play in the snow, and many of the shinki children are already taking advantage of it, sliding on the ice or throwing snowballs.

For those who brave the heavy snow, they may discover an an old woman in the center of the frozen area. She's wearing heavy white makeup and a straw coat, and humming cheerfully as she pounds rice into mochi. Anyone who finds her will be offered freshly made mochi and a cup of warm sake to fortify them for the snowball fights!

Rest and Refreshments

Gods and shinki who are finished with their training can step into a large room in the Meeting Hall that has been set up with comfortable cushions and low tables. Tea, liquor and a wide variety of savory dishes are available, with the drinks already set out on the tables and the savory dishes set up in chafing dishes on a buffet table along one wall. Guests can help themselves, settle in, chat, and make new friends. There's even a dessert table, well-stocked with plenty of chocolate, most of which seems to be mysteriously heart-shaped.

After eating, there are a variety of board and card games available for guests to play. From classic games like shogi, go and mahjong to more modern ones like Trivial Pursuit or Pictionary -- or Cards Against Humanity -- there's something for everyone.

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
• Veteran new gods and shinki are welcome to volunteer showing the ropes
• Practice sparring or shinki magic
• Enjoy a buffet dinner and party games
• Have fun~

Comments

[missingache]

[Shinki Training]
[Roxas is feeling a little insecure when it comes to borderlines, but he's trying! When he makes a line, it barely cuts the mask, and there's a few leaves on the ground that have been knock down. Fellow shinki that are more adept at it would be great as partners, even if it was just giving advice.

When not practicing with borderlines, Roxas will be waiting for a sparring partner, two padded swords in hand that he is practicing swinging. His memory he got told him he had two, so why not practice with two?]

[Closed to Shinji]
[Carrying around the book with the spell Truth in it, Roxas looks around and walks up to a young man who looks like maybe he can help?]

Excuse me? Are you a shinki?

[Rest and Refreshments]
[Once again Roxas has a lot of food in front of him, and a plate he's putting things on he doesn't like. He's always up for company while he eats as he curiously watches everyone as he's tasting everything he can.]

[Wildcard]
[Hit me with anything or plan with me @chromatus or pm this journal.]

shinki training

[galrarm]

[ If Roxas is looking for a sparring partner, he doesn't need to look much further. Shiro takes a padded sword for himself, swinging it a bit before nodding. ]

Mind if we spar?

[missingache]

[Well hello there one of his favorite people!!! Roxas nods enthusiastically.]

Sure!

[galrarm]

Alright.

[ He smiles and steps a bit closer. ]

Go ahead and come at me whenever you're ready.

[missingache]

[He nods and raises his blades. Then he charges, fainting to the right at the last moment to swing at Shiro.]

What is up friend

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[As luck would have it, Shinji is similarly looking for a fellow shinki to help out with his own spell practice, though his own methods aren't quite as forward as the one Roxas has taken up.]

Oh, I am, yes. [If he's needed for something else, he can put his own pursuits on hold for now. Though, that book... maybe they're after the same thing. Wouldn't that be something?] Is there something I can help you with?

Certainly not Up Dog

[missingache]

[Oh good. Roxas wasn't sure how many more people he could ask before he would get discouraged. He holds up the book with a nod.]

I'm learning a spell in here but it's kinda hard since I've never seen it used. Do you know Truth?

Yeah, 'cause that's a bit more like a Henway

[hedgehogsdilemma]

[You could do worse than asking someone with a deep red '勇' over their throat. It's a pretty good give-away.]

Oh! [How terribly convenient! He's hesitant to claim to 'know' it, exactly, but,] I've been practicing it a little. I don't know if I've got it down perfectly, but I can help you out with it, if you'd like.

.... okay, I gotta. What's a Henway?

[missingache]

[Look, he's seen Near Shore residents with all sorts of tattoos. One never assumes until they ask.

He lights up and nods at that.]

Please? I'd like to see it!

Shinki Training

[hakingitup]

[He's always interested in sparing with his shinki. Nodding, he picks up a padded lance instead to give it a spin.]

Let's do it.

[missingache]

{A lance... that tugs at the back of his mind as something he's fought against before. Weird. He doesn't remember when or with who... It's irritating and he feels more than ready to fight.]

Don't hold back!

[Roxas rushes at Hak and jumps at the last moment, trying to slash downwards as he comes down at Hak.]

[hakingitup]

I won't!

[He blocks the downwards slash, and pushes him away. With that, he pulls his lance back and moves to swipe towards his face.]

Give it your all!

[missingache]

[He's not mad at you! He swears! Just... it's hard to explain without dwelling on it and then feeling guilty for dwelling on it and stinging Hak...

Roxas slides back a few feet when pushed back and is ready to charge. The lance coming at his face stops him short, and he kind of falls to the ground to avoid it.]

.......

Shinki Training

[brokenlight]

[Hopefully Roxas doesn't mind a sparring partner!

Ventus is there, grinning as he spins his own padded sword in his hand.]

You ready?

[He holds his sword backhanded.]

[missingache]

[Does not mind at all!!!! Roxas is looking forward to it even if he's a little confused as to how Ventus is holding his blade.]

... aren't you supposed to hold it differently?

[brokenlight]

It just feels more natural for me to hold it like this.

[He shrugs.]

It's like how I hold my Key-- [Ventus quickly stops himself.]

rest and refreshments!

[gentilitea]

Were they not to your liking? [ The food looks fine to him, even if he hadn’t made them and they were therefore inferior because of it. ]

If you like, I can prepare you a much more sumptuous banquet instead. It shouldn’t take long.

[missingache]

[Wellllll... Roxas looks a little sheepish.]

I don't like vegetables... [A banquet better than this? It's tempting. Really tempting. Jakob is super talented after all.]

But we're supposed to meet the new people and make friends. Wouldn't that stop you from doing that?

[gentilitea]

What do I need friends for? [ Uh. ] I find vegetables generally more appetizing.

shinki training

[swordofzero]

[Suzaku has mostly been working on other training today, though practicing basics is always good he doesn't get in the way of the children and their game. But he does spot Roxas as he walks through the dojo and sees how the borderline doesn't quite cut.

This isn't one of Amaterasu's child shinki. He's clearly one of the newer shinki.] That was pretty accurate, you probably want to make the line a little tighter.

[missingache]

[Not too new, been here since before Christmas. He's just mostly prone to hanging around his gods and their shinki.

Roxas looks at this new person and blinks.] Tighter? How do I do that?

[swordofzero]

Just a bit more focused. See how you knocked some of the leaves. [He points.] It just needs to be a bit more focused on the mask, a line short enough just to cut it. You will probably find that it will cut more powerfully as well that way.

shinki training

[nopixiedust]

Wow, you suck!

[Definitely the kind of thing Roxas wants to hear while doing his best to practice borderlines, right? Well, Wendy has been having a pretty annoying day, with how disorganized everything is... She can't help it if she's feeling a little snappish, and that her snappishness comes out as mocking.]

[Or maybe she could. Whatever.]

[Either way she's hanging around, perched on the branch of a nearby tree.]

No wonder you're practicing, huh?

[missingache]

[Wow???? That just makes him stop and stare at her. Then Roxas huffs, crossing his arms.]

Not every shinki is good at them! There's others just as bad as me or worse.

[Maybe like one or two... but his point stands!]

[nopixiedust]

That's a low bar, isn't it?

[Her legs swing idly even as she grins a little more.]

Nobody wants to just say "Well, there are people worse than me!"