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

Rest and Refreshments

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel has watched Chris hover about, occasionally glance at one person then another. A few times they've locked eyes and Irisviel smiled as she sips her tea and eats a plate full of heart-shaped cookies. She smiles again when Chris finally approaches, pushing the plate of cookies a little bit closer.]

I arrived today. I am Irisviel von Einzbern.

Re: Rest and Refreshments

[trustheart]

[Chris nods. This isn't someone she can get information from, but it's someone in the same boat as her.] Nice to meet you, Einzbern-san. My name's Chris. [She sits down and takes one of the cookies readily, before speaking as she chews at the same time.] I hope this isn't too blunt, but ya a God or a Shinki?

[holygrailed]

Oh please, call me Irisviel. It's nice to meet you, Chris. I'm a shinki. And you?

[trustheart]

[Ah... someone being pretty familiar already. Chris is a bit surprised, but nods a bit nervously.] A-ah, okay [her voice cracks slightly] Irisviel. Uh, I'm a God. They say I'm Ishtar, but obviously I prefer my real name.

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel is that kind of friendly and familiar. Besides, if Chris gave her first name to go by, it's only right to go by her own first name as well.]

That's lovely. My god is Balor, but he prefers to go by Berserker. Do you have a shinki?

[trustheart]

Berserker, huh? That's quite a name. And... I do, sort of. He's one of those soulless ones. Kind of makes me uncomfortable, to be honest.

[holygrailed]

Soulless shinki?

[Irisviel blinks, head tilting slightly. It's the first she's heard of the idea and there's a vague sense of unease she can't place.]

What is he like?

[trustheart]

He's... I guess he's a he, I guess? He's just kind of a blank. He insists I need him, too. And acts like he's not even a real person. [She frowns and looks down, feeling the need to stuff another cookie into her mouth. She continues talking while chewing.] I don't like the idea of someone being... bound to me like that. Reminds me of shit I'd rather forget.

[holygrailed]

[Blank, doesn't act like a real person, bound to serve. What is it that sets the soulless apart from shinki like her or the ones helping out? What force at play gave Berserker two shinki but Chris a single soulless shinki?]

Would you be happier with a shinki like... [Her words trail off. The opposite of "soulless" could only be "souled" but even that doesn't seem right.] like the ones helping out? Or would you rather not have a shinki at all?

[trustheart]

... I don't know. To be honest, I'm not sure how I feel about all of this in general. Like, I'm here to do good work, but also, it's just... [She bit down on yet another cookie.] ... I'd prefer to work with someone I can form a real bond with, I guess. Not a servant. [It's hard to feel comfortable with a slave when you were one, after all.]

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel sips her tea and eats a piece of chocolate, silently studying Chris. They are very different, god and shinki, one with memories, one without. She is here to serve her god, to help his goals, and she finds it comfortable in a way that fits what understanding she has.

A vessel in life, a vessel in death. Nothing has changed.]

I cannot be your shinki as I already have a god to serve, but if you would have me as a friend, I will help as I can.

[trustheart]

[Chris looked up with a start.] ... You offer friendship pretty easily... [Her smile turns into one of fondness, after a moment.] You kind of remind me of someone I know.

[holygrailed]

I see no reason not to. If we are all in the same situation, we should work together.

[Granted, there are gods that are diametrically opposed. A day is not long enough to determine whether the roles truly put gods and their shinki at odds with each other.

Her head tilts, smile teasing.]

Do I?

[trustheart]

Heh, yeah. I have this friend back home, she offered to be my friend from pretty much the start, even though I did nothing but cause her misery. [She sighs and looks past Irisviel, resting her chin on her hand.] I still yell at her a lot, but... I rely on her a lot, too.

[holygrailed]

Perhaps you should yell at her less if you rely on her so much.

[The statement is pointed, but also lacking any judgement.]

[trustheart]

... Yeah. I probably should. [She takes a deep breath, and sighs.] Part of it is that I want her to take stuff seriously. A lot of what we do together is dangerous. The other part... she doesn't really respect my personal space much... [The way Chris's face scrunches up indicates there's probably more to this than Chris is saying.] But either way, no matter how much I yell, she never stops being my friend. She never gets mad at anyone, even if they do something terrible. She... she helped save me, honestly...

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel can tell there's more to things, but she doesn't press. Though the offer is friendship is genuine, they've also only met. What Chris wants to share she can decide on her own time.]

I hope one day you can see her again and tell her these things.

[trustheart]

Heh. Yeah... I hope so too. With my luck she'll end up here too someday, and just come barreling into my temple to eat my food or something. [The whole time Chris says that there's a growing smile on her face.]

[holygrailed]

If she does, will you introduce her to me?

[trustheart]

... Heh, sure. If there's anything Hibiki enjoys, it's making friends.

[holygrailed]

Hibiki? [Irisviel's eyes widen at the name.] I met a god here by that name, the god Apollo. Does your friend have light, silvery hair and green eyes?

[trustheart]

[Chris's face contorts into an expression of pure aggravation and weariness.] No, but I've met the one you're talking about. Our Hibiki has light brown hair, sleeps in class, and solves problems by either punching them or trying to hold someone's hand.

[holygrailed]

[Oh... that's a shame it's the wrong person. Irisviel assumes Chris's expression is due to the mistaken identity and not the Hibiki currently here being, well, Hibiki.]

I see, I'm sorry I was wrong. If I see another Hibiki with that description, I'll be sure to let you know.

[trustheart]

[Chris nodded.] Thanks. I'd really appreciate that. If there's anything I can do for you in return, just name it.

[holygrailed]

Your friendship is enough. But... [Irisviel giggles and gives a teasing smile.] if I think of anything, I'll be sure to ask.