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]

[He won't unless Jakob deserves it.

That makes the small blond light up like it's Christmas all over again.]

Then can we do it again? I like having tea with you! I wanna try baking someday so I could make snacks?

[gentilitea]

[ He…could get used to making Roxas happy like this. ]

Certainly, I shall make time for you. [ Add’s antics might keep him busy on most days, but a man’s gotta take a break from time to time as well. ]

And I can even… [ bake all the goodies for him, he wants to say, but he gets the feeling that Roxas wouldn’t want it that way— ]

…teach you how to bake.

[missingache]

[A happy Roxas is better than an angry and moody one, right?]

Okay! [He blinks and stares at Jakob like he was the most wonderful person in the world. His voice drops down a bit.] You would?

[gentilitea]

[ Always!!! ]

I…I certainly would! [ Despite the stutter, he does mean it—it’s just that being looked at that way is making him feel things.

Warm, fuzzy things… ]

Taking an interest in the domestic arts is very admirable in one so young…

[missingache]

[Warm and fuzzy things are okay to feel, Jakob!!!]

Is it?.... I just know my god Son Hak doesn't cook, and Shiro can't cook. I eat out a lot... So I wanna learn to bake, because pizza can be baked.

[Watch him eat nothing but pizza after learning.]

[gentilitea]

[ They’re all still so weird and new!! ]

Oh, that is a pity. [ Note to self to bring lunches to Roxas’s temple for pretty much the forseeable future. ]

Then certainly, while pizza is a good start we should expand your repertoire to many other things. It wouldn’t do for you to eat pizza all the time.

[ Even if he can, like, sneak vegetables in there for Roxas. ]

[missingache]

[Tell Roxas that! He's having them too for a different reason.]

Really? But you can do so much with pizza. Like put macaroni and cheese on it, or make it a dessert.

[Please sneak vegetables in there. The boy needs it bad.]

[gentilitea]

[ He’ll work up the nerve one of these days… ]

Macaroni and… [ He looks horrified at that. ] It appears that you have much to learn.

[missingache]

[Good. Friends tell each other things.

Meanwhile, Roxas blinks.] Is macaroni no good?

[But it was so popular...]

I learn whatever you teach me!

[gentilitea]

It is not that, so much as… [ It’s totally that. Some things just don’t go well together, okay!! ]

There are certainly many other tastier options you can try for instead.

[missingache]

[Jakob... never go to America. There's much worse than mac & cheese on pizza.]

Really? Like what? Please don't say squid...

[He has tried squid pizza and it was gross...]

[gentilitea]

[ He’s heard of it…wtf is up with the Near Shore, honestly!! No wonder you hardly see any gods from that part of the world!! ]

Er, no. But I do wonder if you have any other particular favorite toppings aside from… [ cringing ] macaroni and cheese?

[missingache]

[America is where gods go to die.]

.... I like cheese. And chicken. And sweet potatoes!

[Ooooh would those be good on a pizza....]

[gentilitea]

Oh, such excellent taste! Those would work marvelously together on a pizza.

[ With a few add-ons for sure. But the flavors are nice and simple and an easy jumping point for further lessons. ]

[missingache]

[Would they? Jakob has a much better palate than Roxas does, so the small blond just nods.]

I wanna learn how to make that then! And other stuff. Please.

[gentilitea]

Anything you desire. [ At this point it’s practically like he’s Nora’ing for another shinki already, huh… ]

I don’t think I can really refuse you. [ Is this…what friendship was all about?? ]

[missingache]

[Roxas tilts his head at that. Can't refuse him?]

You can say no if you want to. I wouldn't be offended.

[gentilitea]

Well, I…I enjoy it. Doing these things for you, that is. [ For some reason. ]

[missingache]

[Is he your Corrin replacement

Huh. That sounds like a good enough reason.]

Can you promise you won't do something if it makes you unhappy? I don't want to make you feel unhappy.

[gentilitea]

[ Shh shhh ]

I don’t think you could possibly make me unhappy. [ Honestly, he’s a little startled by how much he believes it to be true. ]

[missingache]

[Jakoooooooob...]

I don't think you could make me unhappy either! Maybe a little worried sometimes, but not unhappy.

[gentilitea]

Worried, is it… [ —more to himself than to Roxas. He doesn’t quite understand why Roxas would bother, especially when he doesn’t remember what happened before, but he figures the boy’s always been full of surprises like that. ]

Then I will try not to cause you as much worry in the future.

[ Though goodness knows how he’s supposed to manage that. ]

[missingache]

[Everyone who is precious to Roxas is auto-worried over. Jakob included. It feels okay to worry over people because that shows you care, right?]

Sounds good to me!

[Just don't tell him when you get hurt? Because that might make him cry since he doesn't remember how to use magic just yet.]