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

B - Training

[holygrailed]

[Oh? Irisviel pauses as she's passing by and looks at the child addressing her. Her mouth forms into a tiny circle and she shakes her head.]

No, I have not. There were shinki providing directions to the temples though.

[nopixiedust]

They should have given you a pamphlet, especially if someone is the type who doesn't know how phone works!

[Says the person who arrived not knowing how phones work. That, and all the other information within, are why the pamphlets are so valuable. Especially since... Crossing her arms, she scowls.]

There should have been directions to my Sanctuary, too... I run a place where shinki can go to if they're having trouble with their gods, or have lost one.

[holygrailed]

[That sounds far, far better than what today offered. Not that it was shabby by any means, but certainly sparse.]

Do you have a copy of the pamphlet? And can you tell me more about the Sanctuary?

[nopixiedust]

I imagine they should still have some copies lying around... [Sighing, she turns on her heel and gestures for the other girl to follow after her.] This way.

Anyway, it's a temple that's on the Near Shore where I keep some things stocked. If a shinki is left on their own without a god, then ayakashi are more attracted to them. You need a name to be able to defend yourself with a borderline, after all. If you don't have that, then you're left all on your own.

[holygrailed]

Borderlines? What are those?

[With only just returning to the are, Irisviel hadn't quite made it to any of the actual training. It's quite clear whatever onboarding there was in the morning, it was quite minimal.]

It's very kind you're looking after nameless shinki. Are there many?

[nopixiedust]

...I'm going to kill them.

[She's going to break their kneecaps, bring them down to her level, and choke everyone involved in this fiasco.]

[Still, it's not this girl's fault,and Wendy sighs while placing one hand delicately upon her head.]

Anyway, it's a spell shinki can use to defend themselves, both as a shield and as an attack. It's one of the first things they should tell you... And you can only use it if you have a name from a god.

[Thus why the Sanctuary is important.]

Anyway, most people tend to find new gods pretty quickly, but you never know when someone might need a little more time or don't know many gods, right?

[holygrailed]

[Oh my. It's a shocking declaration and Irisviel isn't sure if it's hyperbole or serious. (That Irisviel considers it a possibly serious statement is a strange realization onto itself too.)]

Yes, that makes sense. It's not a decision to make lightly.

[Even if they're assigned at the start without any say. Is there a shinki that's refused their first god on arrival?]

Do you think you should show me a borderline?

[nopixiedust]

Oh, sure. I can make it happen even as we're walking.

[Lightly, she gestures to the side, but while keeping her hand into the proper shape for casting. Might as well let the new girl see what she needs to, after all. With that done, as she's skipping along, she slices her hand along through the air-]

Line!

[And there's a bright and fairly sturdy borderline up alongside them, on the right side.]

It looks simple, but some people seem to find it tricky. So I guess it depends!

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel mimics the hand shape as she watches. A slash of a hand, an utter of a word, and then there's a shield. She gasps and approaches, gingerly touching it with her fingers, jerking back quickly at the strange feel.

Hand shape, a slash, and a word. Irisviel takes a step back and faces the opposite side of the road, slashing a line with her hand.]

Line!

[A borderline appears where she laid the line, clear and shimmering.]

Oh! That was easy!

[nopixiedust]

Oh!

[Letting her own drop, Wendy gives a polite clap of her hands. That's good- she's seen some people just fizzle out when trying out borderlines for the first time.]

It looks like you're a natural. Good for you. Then, after we find this pamphlet, I'll have to show you how to do the attack one. That'll be helpful.

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel approaches her borderline and gingerly touches it, surprised as her hand passes through without any resistance. She pulls her hand back through and moves again, this time walking through her own barrier. Yes, of course that makes sense. A barrier should hold things out but let her through. She can feel the borderline too from within, sustained by an unknown source. But ahh, if she was to let go of the source...

The barrier disappears instantly.]

Yes... I suppose I might be. [It's not arrogance, but a quiet statement of fact. She falls back in step with Wendy.] I would appreciate that, thank you.

[nopixiedust]

[Pausing in her fast pace, Wendy waits for Irisviel to inspect her borderline.][It would probably be a pain dealing with a person oblivious to the fight between spirits... although, on the bright side, Wendy guesses they'd forget about it in five minutes anyway. For now, she just beelines for a door that's come into view.]

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel waits by the doorway as Wendy looks for the pamphlet, looking around the space. A group of shinki children pass by singing a song together, their voices rising and falling in a matched harmony. It's wonderful, and yet there's a sense of sadness as Irisviel watches them pass, looks toward Wendy's direction.

It's sad children died so young.]

[nopixiedust]

[It takes a little, but soon enough she's hopping out with a pamphlet being waved about in her hand.]

Found it! Here you go. Hopefully it clears up questions you have.

[holygrailed]

Thank you very much.

[She takes the pamphlet, surprised at how much information is on it. Not wanting to take up too much of Wendy's time, she skims over the main points.]

Oh, our gods feel our emotions?

[nopixiedust]

Yeah, but only the really strong ones. [Completely carefree, she skips over to find a bench that looks warm enough. In the sun, away from snow, all that.] So, unless you're a complete mess, your god probably won't feel the regular stuff!

I've never had any problem with it.

[This is because Wendy is a relatively calm and well adjusted person.]

[holygrailed]

[Did that mean Berserker felt her moments of happiness and wonder? It feels a little embarrassing to know now, but this could be good. If her god is a man who has discarded his emotions, then may she feel enough for the both of them.]

Do you and your god get along?

[Irisviel joins Wendy on the bench, continuing to read over the information, talking a little to herself.]

Ahh, I wouldn't want to blight Berserker... I see...

[nopixiedust]

Yeah, the three of us manage alright. Alex is pretty lowkey, which is good, considering Hibiki is the exact opposite. So it's fine, really.

[Casually, she swings her legs out back and forth.]

I guess that makes it easy to not really overwork them with any emotions of mine.

[holygrailed]

Oh, you're a nora? Ah, that's the word, right?

[There's no judgment in her voice, only seeking clarification.]

[nopixiedust]

Yeah, that's right. [She's not really expecting any problems, especially from a five minute old newbie... But, well, you never know with people. Wendy answers casually, even as she's ready for any negativity.] It seemed like the best thing to do, after I lost my first god within a month.

[holygrailed]

I'm sorry, that must have been difficult losing your god so soon.

[The sympathy is genuine.]

I understand why you took two gods then. Is that also why you started the shelter?

[nopixiedust]

Of course. Would you believe that no one had gotten anything started up before then? I mean- [She waves a hand dismissively.] Other new people like ourselves can't be blamed too much. We're all just scrambling to even get things together, and a lot of people don't think of the big picture when they're just trying to find a new place for themselves.

But honestly, Heaven... They definitely don't have an excuse for not pulling their heads out from- [..Okay so-] -their own temples.

[holygrailed]

I was told by a god the system of assignment was one that didn't happen before us, that shinki were named by gods finding stray souls. Perhaps the need of a shelter never occurred to them.

But that's no excuse to not see changing needs and make adjustments.

[There's a responsibility for the experienced to help the less experienced, Irisviel feels. That such a thing would be left up to a shinki who just lost her god feels unfair.]

I don't know how much I can do as I've only arrived, but do you need help at the shelter?

[nopixiedust]

Yeah, they're pretty stupid. [Let's not dance around the bush here.] I had to talk to Amaterasu just to get funding. Although maybe I wouldn't need it now...

[Even without Hibiki's bullshit, it seems like they've been getting a lot of money recently...]

Anyway, the most we need to do is help out with the cleaning and sometimes taking care of any ayakashi near the place.

[holygrailed]

[Wendy's bluntness is appreciated. It's a comfort to know people aren't afraid to speak their minds, even to a new arrival. It's far better knowing how people feel about those in charge and the situation at large than a polite glowing review.]

I do not know how much I can do against ayakashi, but I'm happy to help with cleaning. Where is the shelter at?