December Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: March 8, 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 midafternoon, once 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, which are spreading out even further with the onset of Spring. Strangely, there are many fewer flowering trees than might be expected.

Shinki Training

A well-appointed dojo has been prepared for newcomers to practice the 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 what look like old clothes and sheets rescued from the rag pile and hung from trees or stuffed with straw to serve as targets. Some of the children are trapping their straw-stuffed targets by dancing in circles around them, hands held as they sing the Kagome song; others are using cutting borderlines to bring sheets fluttering down.

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 interact with one of them or if you have any questions about handwaving an interaction.

Physical Training

The cherry blossoms that had begun to bloom across the Meeting Hall grounds seem to have experienced a mysterious mishap. Buds and half-opened blossoms alike have rained down from the branches, carpeting the fresh spring grass below with soggy brown and black rot. Several gardener shinki, with their sleeves tied back and sensible heavy aprons to protect their white uniforms, are raking up the fallen blossoms and trying to coax the trees back to health with powders and straw wraps to protect the trees' trunks from nightly chill. They need help: climb the trees and sprinkle the knots along the branches with invigorating powders to encourage fresh buds, or help the gardeners hold the straw in place around the tree trunks while it's wrapped with cloth, or just help rake up the dead flowers.

Besides the cherry problems, the gardens are beautiful and just beginning to burst into spring bloom. Tulips, crocuses and daffodils are sprouting everywhere, and once the borderline game is done, the child shinki are quickly organizing a garden-wide game of hide-and-go-seek. Find the best hiding spot you can, and make a break for home base as soon as you're sure the seeker is too far away to catch you! But don't run into anyone on the way.

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. A fresh springtime menu is available: lightly flower-scented teas, plum wine, and a variety of little savory or sweet snacks to nibble on while waiting for dinner. Dinner turns out to be okonomiyaki: bowls with mixed batter and a plate full of tasty add-ins are brought out, and griddles at the center of the table heated to let every guest set out their own favorite add-ins, pour batter over, and make a savory pancake. It's a little tricky to flip with the tiny spatulas provided, but it should only take a few pancake disasters to get the hang of it, probably!

After eating, a few doves will flutter into the room, dropping off scrolls to certain people, and the frazzled-looking adult shinki from the earlier training session dashes to the front of the room to try to keep everyone occupied. He's reading from a handful of printouts with corporate icebreaker ideas: pin a secret card to the back of everyone's shirt and ask whoever you meet for clues to figure out what it says! Fill out a bingo card with different skills or experiences your fellow gods and shinki have! Figure out how to stack every piece of furniture in the room onto just one table... play a game where you're only allowed to reply with questions... switch tables every five minutes and see how well you can get to know the other person there before your five minutes are up. Wait, isn't that speed dating? He seems to be running out of ideas.

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 some icebreakers
• Have fun~

Comments

[trustheart]

"'Getting' implies they weren't already ridiculous," Chris replies dryly.

But... she shrugs, before letting out a sigh of frustration. "Honestly, I'd prefer dumb board games or something. Or video games!"

[cloakedinruins]

"I think that they are trying to keep us occupied and distracted."

He did see the birds deliver messages to a few people right before the shinki started having the rest of them play these games. He wasn't sure why they got them, but in the confusion those that got the messages could have easily escape from the hall and go to some where else. Which meant that there was an unknown plot happening in the Heavens that they were being kept out of the loop.

Shen Wei found the whole thing suspicious.

"Video games?"

[trustheart]

"You almost make it sound like they're up to something."

Chris looked to the side. She'd noticed that as well, but she wasn't quite sure this was what he was getting at. Best to play coy until she had confirmation.

"You know. Video games? Most of 'em have multiplayer modes? They tend to hold my interest better."

[cloakedinruins]

"Do you really think that this place is entirely clear with us?"

Shen Wei was just going to be straight to the point with this one. He didn't care if the white-robed shinki heard him or reported him. He may be outside of his normal influences, but he was also very tired at playing the tune someone had created for him.

"I never had much luck with technology for most of my life."

[trustheart]

"Of course I don't. Ruling parties are never fully transparent."

She shrugs; both her previous sentence and the ones that come after are quieter than before from here on out.

"I can teach you if you want, but there's got to be some interest first."

[cloakedinruins]

"That seems to be the attitude of most people here."

He continues to keep his tone light and non-judgemental, knowing that someone could be listening in on them and that would be painful for them later on. Letting that go, he turns to the more interesting part of this conversation - the idea of being taught how to play a video game. Shen Wei grinned and shook his head a little.

"I don't doubt that you could, but is there a way to keep me from destroying the system it's on?"

[trustheart]

"I'm not saying it's good or bad, for the record. Sometimes you have to compartmentalize. Even if it's annoying."

Hard to be judgmental about keeping a secret when that's her entire life.

"... Are you that bad with tech? If so, never mind. I don't want my stuff getting ruined. You know, once I have it. Still new here."

[cloakedinruins]

"Oh, I know."

He had been part of a government in several points in his long life from military command to judge to SID. There always been parts that he truly disliked even though other parts were helpful to those around him. Governments were just too big to say it was one simple thing or another.

"I've been banned from the IT Department at my university since my undergrad days since I somehow managed to blow up a computer by attempting to turn it on. I'm not sure if it's because I have a magnetic personality or if computers instinctively know that I am terrible with them and decide to not even give me a chance."

[trustheart]

Chris's eyes widened, and she focused pretty much on the second part of what he said. That was just... so bizarre.

"What the heck?! That's not just giving you a chance, the damn thing committed suicide!"

[cloakedinruins]

"That's how most higher end electronics act around me. Coming here has been the first time I've owned a smartphone that lasted longer than a day around me."

He wasn't like the younger Dixingrens who have some connections with the Haixingrens. He came from before the war and his dark energy was from the center of his land. He naturally affected the energy used to power the human world.

I never got the notif for this, my apologis

[trustheart]

"There's gotta be something willful behind that. Objects don't just decide to destroy themselves."

She looked back and forth to both sides, before leaning in. "You might be... cursed."

that's ok :3

[cloakedinruins]

"Ah, no, not a curse."

Well. It's not that it would cause any harm if he would come out and say it, not here, especially when he had no way to return back home.

"My kind tend to be very hard on electronics due to our natural energies. Especially older Dixingren like myself."

[trustheart]

"... Your kind?"

Chris sat back, eyes widening a bit. "You're going to have to explain it a bit further to me. If you can, that is."

[cloakedinruins]

"It's not much of a secret, only that I am one is the secret," he said slowly, reaching up to adjust his glasses. He really doesn't like saying it even if it wasn't a secret. Years of habit, he supposed, that and the fact that he had to enforce the rules of the treaty until everything broke down again.

"We are descendants of aliens that dwell under the surface. Our bodies have a... well, call it a natural low-level radiation I suppose. We know how to insulate our own equipment against it, but generally it's not that common on the surface since we're nearly legends to most people any more."

[trustheart]

"...Huh."

Chris leans back in her seat, eyes wide, before blinking. "I guess... that's no weirder than the origins of humanity from my world. But. Interesting, I guess."