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

[missingache]

[?????????

Roxas looks down at his food with a surprised expression.]

Oh. I forgot I was cooking that... sorry.

[That's one for the discard plate. He'll try it again.]

[mersunary]

[He's got no need to apologize!]

It's okay! I'm having trouble getting the hang of this, myself.

[For that kind of struggle, she doesn't seem too bothered, at least. It's a little disappointing that he doesn't seem to be an expert like she may have been misguidedly hoping for, but. That's fine.]

Have you managed to make a good one yet, or was that your first shot at it?

[missingache]

I'm... usually not bad. I've been taking cooking lessons.

[But he's struggling. Mostly because he is getting distracted. With someone else here though maybe he can focus on it.]

That was my first. [His second one will be plain batter and cabbage again. Nothing fancy as he pours it. Doesn't have much of an appetite for anything.]

[mersunary]

[No appetite, or perhaps being a little more cautious with a new endeavor, Soleil won't call any attention to it. The less complicated it starts out, the easier it'll be to understand, she figures.]

I guess this will be a learning experience for the both of us, then! [Because, obviously, she's going to continue watching in the hopes that she can pick up whatever the trick to flipping one of these with those tiny spatulas is.] I'm sure you'll get it this time.

[missingache]

Right.

[Roxas stares at the cooking dough rather intently. Or it seems so. He's made pancakes before, so he waits for the edges to dry, bubbles to burst. Then, with both spatulas, he slides the metal under the sides, loosening the pancake like object. Without hesitation and using both devices again, Roxas flips the okonomiyaki over.]

Like that?

[mersunary]

[She's paying close attention, and he does make it look pretty simple.]

Like that...! [Okay, she can give it another shot with that image in mind. Easy peasy!] It's kind of an odd combination of concepts, isn't it? [She starts picking out her own ingredients, arranging them neatly on the grill before topping them with batter.] That one you've got makes it look pretty tasty, though.

[missingache]

I guess? Making pizza is harder to me... This is all about paying attention.

[The last bit of this before he plates the pancake is adding the sauce. Roxas would make it look nice, but at this moment a messy looking swirl is fine. He's not trying to impress anyone.]

I don't know what it's gonna taste like. Never had it before.

[mersunary]

[The whole cook-your-own-meal set up definitely has a cozier vibe, so why bother worrying about appearances?]

Hmm, that’s true. [With the batter sizzling, she lightly starts to pry up the edges of her own creation.] You usually think of putting sweeter things in pancakes though. I wouldn’t have thought of making it more like a dinner sort of meal before.

That one should be much better than your first attempt, at least.

[missingache]

[Having shown up on a cook-your-own-meal day, Roxas would agree.]

I looked at a cookbook and a lot of sweet things you can make savory. Like cinnamon rolls. Replace the cinnamon with garlic, wrap bacon inside, and you can get garlic bacon rolls that look like cinnamon rolls. [Talking about food is calming. He's finding it a little easier to focus on what he's doing.]

First attempts are practice. It's okay to mess those up.

[mersunary]

[That sounds super tasty...! Her eyes practically light up at the thought.]

Have you made anything like that before? I bet it's really delicious! [Savory not-cinnamon rolls! Who would have imagined.]

Hmm, true. Besides that, you're only trying to feed yourself with something like this. It isn't a competition. [If it were... she'd be taking this much more seriously.]

[missingache]

Sort of? I found there was pre-made dough in weird cans at stores. I made biscuits with bacon in them. I wanna try the savory roll recipe, but the dough looks kinda complicated. [He can barely make pizza dough!]

..... why would someone turn food into a competition?

[mersunary]

Pre-made dough... that is definitely a smart short-cut for something like that. [The kinds of conveniences that are available on the Near Shore are truly amazing!] I'll have to remember to try my own hand at it sometime, I bet they were really tasty.

[As for that second comment;] I'd imagine for the same reason you might make a competition out of anything else. Show off your skills, or push your abilities past their limits. Competition can foster some pretty intense growth, after all, and learning off an opponent with a different skill set can always be useful.

[Let's go ahead and finish loosening up her own pancake now. Flipping it with these tiny spatulas is still something she's not confident with, but the only way to learn is to keep trying. She positions the spatulas under the food, steadies herself and...!

The execution is a little sloppy, but the pancake is, at the very least, completely turned over. Nice!]

[missingache]

They were! Shiro liked them a lot. I could make them again if you ever want to try them. [Because cooking is a way to cope with sadness. And cooking for others helps.

That does sound like fun. Roxas isn't sure if he would be comfortable enough yet to try to have a cookoff with someone else.] I haven't really tried to compete with anyone except my first god when he was teaching me to fight...

[With Shiro it was just practice. Hak was a lot rougher. Hak pushed Roxas a lot when they were fighting, and that's something the small blond appreciated.

He perks up when Soleil is semi-successful.] You did it!

[mersunary]

[Take a moment to be proud of the moderately successful pancake flip, Soleil, you earned it.]

No trouble at all! [For someone who seemed a little lost earlier, maybe a little trouble. But that’s in the past now.]

Shiro, the guy with white hair and the scar on his face? [Clearly, his most distinguishing features. Clearly.] Is he your god? I’ve met him before, he seems like a pretty nice person!

[missingache]

[A nod before Roxas stops.] Not my main god. Just one I'm a Nora to. I don't have a god otherwise... he's really kind, and listens, and is letting me stay at his temple. He's got really nice shinki, too, and since he loves cats he doesn't mind my two staying with us. If I'm in trouble, I know I can talk to him about it. Shiro's really, really smart and always seems to know what to say, and he can be funny, too.

[Gushing about Shiro is hard not to do because that man is wonderful.]

He just can't cook.

[mersunary]

[That’s a bit of an odd way of putting it, isn’t it? Soleil looks briefly puzzled, but lets Roxas heap his praises onto Shiro unhindered. By the end, she can’t help but chuckle a bit.]

Ahh, I guess a person can’t be too perfect, can they? [But, if Roxas is so fond of him,] Is there a reason you wouldn’t want him to be your main god? [And, genuinely, she sounds completely curious.] I haven’t really spoken with any shinki about what being a nora is like, so does it have something to do with that...? Or is the cooking the real dealbreaker?

[That last comment is... probably just a joke, gotta keep the mood from getting too heavy.]

[missingache]

[Soleil might have tried to keep the mood from getting heavy, but it doesn't work.]

... He has two shinki. Two incredible shinki. They were his first. [Roxas pokes at the food in front of him.] I don't want him to have to name me, too. Plus, this might sound weird, but...

[Putting his fork down, he smiles a bit forced.] I want to be an exemplar. And that's hard to do when you have other shinki to compete with when it comes to a god. Shinki that are way better at everything.

[mersunary]

Is that so...?

[It's an interesting perspective, one she hasn't had any reason to encounter before this, and one that definitely does get her thinking. Competition may foster growth, but up against an opponent with such an overwhelming advantage, it's easy to see how that could quickly become discouraging.]

My shinki never had to compete with anyone while she was still here, since it was only ever the two of us. [Thinking about it leaves her feeling a little melancholy, but other than a shift in her focus to pulling the pancake up off the grill, it probably isn't very obvious.] But, on that thought, if you're looking for a place to stay, my temple has plenty of room that no one else is using!

[It's a bit of an off-handed offer, given the context, but her tone is sincere regardless. Perhaps even a touch hopeful? Wouldn't it be a good solution to both of their problems?]

[missingache]

I ha the same problem with my first god... he had another shinki first that was just way better.

[Ryoma was made to be how he was. There was no way Roxas could compete with that.

Roxas glances at Soleil, debating how serious this offer was. Is she actually offering or just doing what other gods have and just make it a friendly suggestion that will never be taken up on? He's really bad at reading girls...]

But we just met.

[mersunary]

[It might be an issue of being bad at reading girls, but surely it’s an odd enough situation to be in regardless.]

Does that matter? [Again, it’s a matter of genuine curiosity.] Berserker and I had only shared a cup of tea before teaming up, it didn’t seem that unusual to me.

[That is, naturally, disregarding any overt flattery that had taken place over said tea that may have persuaded Berserker’s decision, but she does realize that she has, in fact, skipped an important detail along the way this time.]

My name is Soleil, by the way! [There, that’s one more step to potentially overcoming this weird stranger status.] Freyr, if you prefer god names.

[missingache]

[Well... it is an odd situation. And he and Shiro teemed up under similar circumstances. Roxas was named because Shiro wanted to help out, and it's been a good partnership. Still... maybe having a god he doesn't have to share with anyone might help Roxas' mood a bit.]

I'm Roxas. And... your god name is kinda hard to say. Soleil is easier.

[Just mumbling Freyr to himself makes the name come out as Freer. Too hard.]

You don't want to get to know your shinki even a little before you name them?

[mersunary]

[That’s a fair question, honestly.]

That would be a difference between a brand new shinki and one who has been here a while, I suppose. [There are actually some experiences to talk about, rather than someone who is essentially a clean slate.] Okay, then. So far I’ve gotten that you’re driven, [Here, she holds up one finger,] and you like food, [A second finger,] what other kinds of things have you learned about yourself? What do you like to do?

[And, while he talks, that’ll give her an opportunity to finish cooking and topping her food.]

[missingache]

[This is feeling like a job interview almost.]

Uhm... that I can use a weird weapon called a Keyblade, and I have one. I like animals. I have two cats, and I do my best to take care of them... [Thinking...] I found out from Shiro that it's okay to like anyone in a like like way, and Hak taught me how to fight better. I like making not just food, but tea, too. And Jakob's been teaching me to bake when he can.

[What else does he like and has learned...] I think I like a boy, but that's okay. I want a dog one day. And I learned I'm not good with borderlines. I don't know what else to say....

[mersunary]

[A job interview where the offer is unlikely to be rescinded, at least.]

Sounds like you’ve had quite some time to experience things here, huh? [Kind of encouraging that he has discovered things he enjoys, she knows another shinki who’s been around for quite some time with far less to say about what he likes. There’s an awful lot of choice information to sort through here, too, but as for what they can bond over easily,] I think cats are really cute, I don’t have my own, but my temple has a lot of space where they’d be able to roam around. And, if you like tea, I keep a well-stocked collection of all sorts of tasty and interesting flavors.

[missingache]

I've been here since Christmas, so I guess?

[A few months at least. And Roxas was always encouraged to learn about his world. No one ever lets this child just sit around and dwell on things too long, especially now. Plus, his cats don't exactly sit still and he follows them around.]

Jellybean is bigger than a lot of dogs, and he loves climbing. May likes sleeping and being brushed, and she's a lot smaller. [That makes him perk up.] Really?