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

[priforprince]

[ Rrrghh.....

Hibiki lifts herself out of the snow. It takes some effort, but she manages.

As she gets up, the snow atop her head begins to melt into slush and slide off. There is that much indignant heat radiating from her person.

Thus, when she finally lifts her head: ]

DON'T CLAIM VICTORY OVER OPPONENTS WHO WEREN'T PLAYING!

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Berserker doesn't even flinch at the anger on display, in fact, he shows no emotion whatsoever. There's just a cold, apathetic glance at Hibiki. ]

Don't stand on a battlefield if you don't want to get involved.

[priforprince]

WHAT PART OF THIS RESEMBLES--

[ --wait a minute. She knows that face. If not that....demeanor or deportment.... ]

.....You?

[ Or.....not? Something is off. Hibiki scrutinizes Berserker with the same intensity with which she'd been screaming. What is going on? ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

Who?

[ As he considers Hibiki defeated, his Madness Enhancement is no longer triggered. If he still considered her an enemy, things would be quite different. ]

If you've mistaken me for someone else, that's your own fault.

[priforprince]

Impossible. [ The carriage is all wrong. This isn't Caster. She has seen Caster act, and Caster is not nearly a good enough actor to pull off inhabiting his body differently to this extent.

Then, a twin? Or....? Well, that doesn't matter. What matters is: ]

Why would the puniverse believe two of you were merited?! One more than sufficed!

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Berserker continues to look completely indifferent. He knows she's referring to his lighter side, one he's been continually confused for in his short time here already. It's becoming an annoyance more than anything. ]

Are you going to continue to ask pointless questions to yourself?

[ Because he feels like these questions aren't directed at him, as though they're just there to fill empty air. ]

[priforprince]

Were you at least assigned shinki status?!

[ The other one's a god, and Hibiki's opinion of that changes based on whether or not he's wearing a loud floral print shirt. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

No, I'm a god -- Balor.

[ Indifferent and cold, just like everything else he's said. Apathy permeates his very being. ]

[priforprince]

What is the Far Shore thinking....

[ Another one of those taking-up-space questions. Dramatic-monologue-on-stage questions. This might just be...what she does. ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Berserker is beginning to sense a pattern with this one. He looks annoyed now, the most emotion he's shown so far. ]

If you're going to keep talking to yourself, I'm going to assume we're finished here.

[priforprince]

Hmph! Why would I have anything further to say to -

[ Hibiki's irate hypothetical is interrupted by the arrival of a pair of small stuffed goat toys on platforms newly-equipped with skis. Each goat's platform also has a tray mounted to it. And each tray features a pyramid of perfectly-shaped snowballs.

That's this game, right? They're helping. So one approaches Hibiki and one approaches Berserker. ]

What?!

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ For Berserker, the battle is already finished. His enemy was already defeated, so he has no interest in starting another fight. He just looks tired when he sees the offered snowballs and does nothing else. ]

There's no point in fighting further when you've already been defeated.

[priforprince]

And I've no interest in a children's game.

[ It doesn't count as her losing if she didn't agree to play.

So. There.

The goats look sad. Until they realize Hibiki and Berserker are finally in agreement on something. Does that mean....they helped? ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

Says the child.

[ A hint of amusement in his voice. ]

But we're finished here.

[priforprince]

That we are.

[ Hibiki turns. ] It'd hardly merit saying we'd begun....

[ The goat nearest Berserker tips over slightly to leave him the snowballs, in case he changes his mind, then hurries to try and catch up to Hibiki. It slides on the ice.

Wheeee..... ]

[curruid_coinchenn]

[ Nope. The battle is finished and won, there is no point in starting another tedious fight. No need for extra paperwork. Berserker ignores Hibiki's comment and simply walks away. It's like a flip has been switched off and any sort of enmity is completely gone from him. Nothing but apathy remains, no interest in continuing along this path. ]

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki takes her leave, as well. Honestly. Snowball fights in Heaven.

What new lows will this place sink to next? ]