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

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel reopens the door to her room and steps in to drape the dress across her bed, rejoining Avenger in the hall.]

Wonderful, we'll all be in close range of each other. Were you going to stay around the temple or are you thinking about heading back to the training session?

[frenchfried]

[ oh. it was kind of rude for Avenger to just shut the door like that, huh. oops. ]

I was not particularly welcome in the training hall. [ she stepped into her room to take a better look around. ] They would not let me in unless I relinquished my weapons in favor of the dull variety. Obviously, it would have been foolish to trust a stranger with them.

[ rather than bother with a rack of any sort, Avenger simply propped her standard in the corner, leaving the cords about it to keep the flag wrapped about the end. ]

[holygrailed]

[The specific style of furniture in each room varies, but they're all furnished similarly: bed with pillows and sheets provided, a chest for storage, a wardrobe, a desk or table, and an end table. There wasn't much else in the rooms, though Irisviel did find a modern smartphone in the end table with a cable and charger, and a radio and a few books in the chest. Further exploring found the bathrooms already stocked with soap, shampoo, and hairbrushes and combs.]

I can only imagine they were thinking of safety, but what would have happened if something happened to your weapons? Who would be held responsible? Let no one take your sword, Avenger.

[Irisviel admires the wrapped flag. A curious thing to have.]

There's an armory in the basement if you wish to store things there as well. There is also a variety of weapons.

[frenchfried]

[ the overall look appeases her. though the object on the table catches her eye and she moves to inspect it. Avenger's still got half her attention on Irisviel, at least, appreciating that they can agree on the handling of one's weapons. ]

I am... fine with what I have... [ she picked up the phone and turned it this way and that. then she tugged on what she had assumed was a smooth rope of some kind but it plopped off of it rather easily to clatter onto the floor. ]

What? What is this?

[holygrailed]

[At the sound of something clattering, Irisviel moves further into the room to take a look.]

Oh, I found one of those in my room too! One moment.

[Irisviel hurries back into her room to retrieve the phone she left on the nightstand, bringing it back to compare it to Avenger's. They're identical, even to the icons on the screen.]

Ah... there's an icon for calling. This must a phone?

[frenchfried]

A... what?

[ she takes off one of her gauntlets and gloves so that she can feel the surface better. when her finger runs across a bump on the side that makes the screen come to life, she nearly drops it out of surprise. the look on her face persists even after the LCD dims again and Irisviel has returned. ]

Did you see that?

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel presses the same button on her phone, the screen coming to life. The background is a generic geometric pattern, colorful icons with small white labels laid out on a grid. She presses one of the buttons on the side and the volume slider pops open, the phone giving a small beep. She presses it again and it beeps again as the volume tics up. A giggle escapes.]

I didn't have anything on me when I arrived and found it in the bedroom. You found one in the bedroom too...I wonder if everyone gets one?

[frenchfried]

[ Avenger rolls her eyes as Irisviel apparently finds this all amusing. was she laughing at her ignorance? that had best not be the case... ] Yes, yes, this is all entertaining, I'm sure.

What is its purpose?

[holygrailed]

Communication, I think?

[Her words aren't entirely confident though. Some of the icons are straightforward enough: the colorful icon that looks like a phone receiver labeled phone makes sense. Camera also makes sense, though that's not right; where does the film go? But email? Messenger? Network? There's a logic she can parse out.

YouTube? Facebook? Completely lost.

Therefore the best solution is to poke buttons, right?

Irisviel presses the camera button, a tiny "oh!" escaping as the screen displays the floor and her feet, moving as she swings the phone around.]

[frenchfried]

[ the object seemed to go crystal clear in an instant, but as Avenger watched closer it was delayed heavily and the coloration and lighting was off from what she could see around Irisviel's grasp. she just sort of stared. ]

Is it magecraft? [ for some reason the desire to ask if it was the work of a witch, specifically, twisted itself into that wording instead. once more the strange subject with unique context that Avenger has zero basis for.

her eyes aren't glimmering. it's just the light, okay? ]

[holygrailed]

No... I don't think so.

[Magecraft Irisviel understands in an innate, unhesitating way and this strange isn't it. It's closer to the realm of technology, though this is far more advanced than anything that comes to mind (which isn't much right now). She lifts the phone and points it at Avenger, awkwardly poking the round circle at the bottom and jostling the phone in the process.

Click.]

[frenchfried]

[ Avenger froze instantly, staring right at the device in Irisviel's hand when it clicked at her. ]

What did it just do?

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel turns the phone around to show the picture of Avenger's shocked face, slightly blurry, a finger covering the bottom of the frame.]

Isn't that incredible? I wonder if to tell how much film is left?

[frenchfried]

[ Avenger makes an even weirder face. ] It's - like a mirror, but... [ she reaches out to poke the screen, tentatively, but the tap of her armored finger against the surface is far duller than expected.

click.

oh. there's that, too. ]

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel blinks as the phone takes her picture, catching her expression in a state between a half smile and mid-blink, head slightly tilted toward. It's a very unflattering picture.]

[frenchfried]

[ she very slowly pushed the device back toward Irisviel so that she could take a look for herself. then she turned her own over and stared down at it somewhat ominously. ]

This is all so unusual. [ Avenger will just. put it down on the end table again. face down. ]

[holygrailed]

There seems to be a lot we'll have to learn.

[Irisviel pokes at the phone a little more before slipping the device into the waistband of her skirt.]

What is your impression of Berserker?

[frenchfried]

My impressions? [ Avenger took her eyes away from the device and walked over to the nearby window to get a feel for what sort of a view she would have from this side of the temple. purely for defensive measure and not that there was anything of a "view" to speak of. it gave her a moment to mull over her thoughts. ]

There's nothing to say. He is strong, respectful, yet straightforward. These grounds suit his nature and purpose, so I could say they have chosen well in giving him his duties here. [ she turned back to Irisviel and gave a shrug of her shoulders. ] As of now, I see no complications or complaints to come from serving him.

[ translation: "it's whatever." ]

[holygrailed]

[Irisviel remains where she is, hands lacing together as she watches Avenger move about the room. With her armor and weapon, the thematic similarities of their names, she has the vague notion Avenger is better suited to Berserker as a shinki. But many gods have more than one shinki and though the assignment is new to their generation, it was an assignment with meaning all the same.

They are united in a goal. That has meaning.]

I am glad you feel similar. I look forward to getting to know our god better, you as well.

[Irisviel smiles, warm and kind.]

I do hope we can get along.

[frenchfried]

[ the compatibility advantage of pure #aesthetic is not to be underestimated, but in all things there should be a balance, and Irisviel might just be that. not that Avenger particularly wants or needs that balance. she would be just fine performing her duties on her own. Avenger has half a mind to be offended that someone higher up thought her incapable of being on her own in such a position of power.

power, though, is something that can come from numbers as much as anything. and since influence is what governs the strength of their god - and, indirectly, their place as shinki - Avenger can easily admit that someone like Irisviel would be more popular with the common folk. call it a hunch.




sometimes, Avenger really hates feeling right. ugh. seeing how much of that other woman she can see in Irisviel brings something of a pout to her lips. ]

All that's important is that we can communicate clearly when we must.

[holygrailed]

[There is steel and there is silk; both have their applications and strengths and weaknesses. Irisviel's charming and cheerful can be just as detrimental with the wrong crowd.

She inclines her head toward Avenger, disagreeing on what is only important, but it's not a point to press. They've only met and there is so much to learn and take in. If they are to get along, it will be through time.]

I'm always happy to talk if you would like to.

I'm going to take inventory of the kitchen before I return to the training grounds. If you would like me to cook anything, let me know.

[frenchfried]

As you like...

[ that didn't seem to interest her much, but Avenger didn't want to just sit around in this room alone with that device. ]

You said there was storage for weaponry? I'll be there if you need anything. [ the implication of "it had better be important" is in her tone but, again, no expectation. it's a day of getting used to their new environment so she'll probably check out the kitchen just as a formality. so long as it has the basic utilities it will be enough. all she would truly need is a fire pit and a sharp blade if desperate enough. ]

[holygrailed]

Yes, take the stairs down to the basement.

[Irisviel smiles and gives a small nod of her head before departing for the kitchen. It fits the rest of the temple in terms of style and mood. The appliances are functional if not a little dated, and the fridge and pantry are surprisingly stocked with fresh fruit, vegetables, grains, bread, and meat. Perhaps ironic given none of the inhabitants actually need to eat and the chances of guests coming over seem low, but it's pleasant seeing how prepared things are.

It's entirely superfluous, but after taking stock of everything, Irisviel takes out a large pot and begins gathering ingredients for stew.]