The Far Shore Mods (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
godsoffortune) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
thenearshore2018-12-17 12:27 am
godsoffortune) wrote in thenearshore2018-12-17 12:27 am
Entry tags:
- !intro log,
- chikusa kakimoto | katekyo hitman reborn,
- chris yukine | senki zesshou symphogear,
- ebisu | noragami,
- garry | ib,
- ginia | original character,
- hibiki shikyoin | pripara,
- joscelin fitzthomas | oc,
- keith | voltron,
- minako aino | sailor moon,
- noctis lucis caelum | final fantasy xv,
- rita mordio | tales of vesperia,
- takashi shirogane | voltron,
- tsubasa kazanari | senki zesshou symphog,
- wei shen | guardian,
- wendy | kuroshitsuji,
- ω emizel | disgaea 4,
- ω hat kid | a hat in time,
- ω hong zhu | guardian,
- ω jen scotts | power rangers time force,
- ω pidge gunderson | voltron,
- ω roxas | kingdom hearts,
- ω ruler (jeanne d'arc) | fgo,
- ω yunlan zhao | guardian,
- ω yusaku fujiki | yu-gi-oh! vrains
December Training
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
Shinki Training
Physical Training
Rest and Refreshments
In Summary:
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~
no subject
Ah, yes. Thank you. [She reaches out for one of the pamphlets.] I am Kazanari Tsubasa. I woke today and was told that I am evidently embodying Susanoo in this place.
...a friend of mine is here, as well. I... had a shinki seek me out, too. It is a lot to take in at once, if I'm being honest.
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I'm Ginia. Nice to meet you. I hope your friend is a god? I know it can be rough for gods to find shinki they know.
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The friend I met is mercifully not. Her name is Yukine Chris. [A beat, and she casts her eyes down.] However, she told me of one of our other friends, who... is. [She sighs, and straightens up.] But I am aware there is little recourse I have there but to accept such as fact.
[She sure doesn't sound a-okay about it, though.]
no subject
I know Chris. She's one of my gods.
[Ginia holds up her left hand, kanji printed in red on her skin.]
no subject
[...she bows again. Should a god be bowing to shinkis? Who knows, half a day of being called a god isn't going to change traditional mannerisms.]
I would like to thank you then for helping to take care of my friend.
[Polite, quiet.
Definitely the exact opposite of Chris.]
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Though among the old, being nora is the far greater crime.
The politeness is appreciated, though it also feels undeserved.]
The arrangement is new, so we're still getting to know each other. But she's a good person from what I've seen.
[Ginia waves a hand over at a few folding chairs stacked nearby.]
Want to sit?
no subject
[She follows the wave over to the chairs and retrieves one.] Thank you, I have been sort of meandering about for quite a few hours as it is.
[It's actually a bit of a relief to take a seat.]
Truth be told, were it not for Yukine's presence I think I would still be doing that. [It helps to have something to steer you back towards a focused state of mind, sometimes.]
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[Her expression falls a little neutral as she looks around the space. It is better today, no argument there, but it's still sparse. Something is still happening and Ginia doesn't like it at all.]
I can't answer specifics about being a god, but I can give you a shinki's perspective on things at least, if that'll help.
no subject
[It triggers a bit of suspicion to the goings on in Tsubasa's head, but a lot of little things have been doing just that. She's generally the front line blade that does as she's told, she's not the investigative sort. But she's seen enough and been apart of enough things between her family and S.O.N.G. to have at least a little bit of unavoidable curiosity.
Regardless:] I would appreciate that very much. To be truthful, there is still a lot there I am trying to understand.
[Or be comfortable with, whichever comes first.]
no subject
The unavoidable reality is no one from our generation asked to be here. The gods don't get any more say than the shinki, but the greater system still favors gods overall. Without a name from a god, shinki lose access to borderlines and other spells. A god can also name or release a shinki without their consent. We are tools for gods, that's the hard line.
But shinki and gods can find peace and happiness and work together. Communication, being honest and transparent, all of that is important. Find out what your shinki does and doesn't want to do. Not every pair has to fight ayakashi. Not everyone even answers prayers. Every temple figures out what works best for them and their followers.
I think a god and shinki should do their best to work together, but also acknowledge if things aren't working out. A shinki leaving to serve a god of their choice is not a negative reflection on the god they're leaving. Same with if a shinki decides to nora. It's important everyone is happy and comfortable. Communication is key.
Admittedly, I'm still working on the communication part. I've made my mistakes in figuring out what I wanted.
no subject
That is all very good to know, thank you. That is honestly how I would best prefer to approach such things, so I'm glad to know I am not the only one with such a mentality.
[She furrows her brow, considering other elements of that.] They had already assigned me a shinki. Rita Mordio. I made certain that she wished to work with me, and that I did not desire to be some sort of controlling entity.
Were that the case, I am not sure I would be much good here. I am used to working with a team - I learned the hard way that going it alone is detrimental, in the long run.
no subject
She returns to her phone for her reply.]
Among the new gods and shinki, you'll find it isn't hard finding someone to help out. We take care of our own. There are exceptions, but the old gods and shinki tend to leave us alone.
no subject
[The ones not ripped from their own worlds, for instance.]
Dare I ask what sorts of exceptions, if you're free to speak on that?
no subject
[Hey, the pay is good and Ebisu's shinki need all the help they can get. Ginia doesn't mind promoting them.]
Amaterasu's shinki manage these training events, but as can you tell, sometimes things go to the wayside without a reason why. They're more likely to ask for our help while giving us little information as a whole.
no subject
[Mind you, she hasn't worked a day in her life that's not been as either a soldier or a singer, but neither that nor her very real silver spoon is available to her here. It's worth keeping in consideration.
Still, something else perks her interest, and taps her chin.]
Amaterasu...
I was so taken off guard by arriving here in the first place, I didn't really properly interrogate the shinki that greeted me.
[Of course she'd have to phrase it like that. "Interrogate." Her manager is a trained assassin and she's been a soldier a great deal of her life, what do you want from her?]
Just how literal are our, ah - designations? Knowing what I do of myth and gods in my own world - Susanoo and Amaterasu, as well as Tsukuyomi, are quite related. I do not wish to reach too far in assumptions or concern, but something about that fills me with a sense of...
[What's the word... She waves a hand.] Unease.
[After all, Tsubasa is part of an organization that has studied ancient myth. They draw power from fabled artifacts which just as well verify said myths a lot of times, on top of being raised in otherwise very traditional settings, so Japanese mythology is certainly one of the things she's seen enough of. If she has an inkling towards much in the world beyond music, it's such myths.]
no subject
And when it comes to Amaterasu's shinki, interrogate is sometimes the better word given how little they share.]
It's a little complicated.
[Ginia taps the corner of her phone against her chin as she tries to remember what she knows and understands. It's certainly a divide among the old and the new gods.]
As far as Heaven is concerned, you are the latest reincarnation of Susanoo. Whether familial ties grant you any special boons, that is difficult to say.
You should also know Susanoo has some history among the new gods. Hold on a moment, I'm sending a link to your phone.
[Ginia scrolls through her bookmarks and pulls up the first history post and sends a text to Tsubasa through the contact list. March and April, an interesting point of history.]
no subject
Still, I suppose it is something I will need to bear in mind...
[Her phone goes off and she takes it out, pulling up the link and going into it. She takes a few moments, sparing Ginia a couple of honestly surprised expressions, before setting it back down and sucking in a deep breath.]
And the 'heavens' consider us both to be Susanoo. That is... I am honestly not quite sure how to process this.
[She frowns.] How likely is it others are going to take issue with me over such things?
no subject
I imagine you'll be a point of note, but not much more. The old tend to give us distance and space.
I wouldn't worry about anyone having a problem. It was almost a year ago so with how quickly people come and go, it's possible no one even remembers. But the new generation recognizes we're inhabiting roles so no one will hold someone else's actions against you.
[Some names come with baggage, but the actions of someone prior have little to do with the present holder. Still, it's good knowing that history just in case.
But for the old gods, hmm. Would they consider Tsubasa to be potential trouble? Ginia's thoughts wander to Ebisu and the distance and wariness around his temple, of the repeat history there.]
I can't quite say with the old gods though. Ebisu or his shinki would be able to give you an answer being the only old god that regularly talk to us.
no subject
That would certainly be... ideal. But, thank you, that is good to know. Still...
[She tilts her head a bit at that last part.]
Hmmm... I suppose then it would be good for me to at least be a little cautious? At the very least, should I have opportunity to speak with this Ebisu or his shinki, then I shall.
no subject
[Ginia gestures at the volcano in the far distance, looming past the Western district.]
Though shinki can't tell who a god is on sight. I'm not sure if a god can recognize a god and know who they are without introduction either.
no subject
[She points, as well, to the volcano.] What happened in that district? I realize that may seem obvious, but. It is not every day you walk outside and see volcano damage, and it seemed fresh enough that things haven't been repaired fully around it.
no subject
[But there's no short answer without a long answer behind it. The much longer answer is complicated and a lot to take in on the first day, but better to know and be ready than not know and get caught off-guard.]
There's a cult of humans on the Near Shore that's been trying to overthrow everyone here. The volcano eruption is very likely their doing.
no subject
I will... seek the longer answer later, but I am guessing these are the same cultists that Yukine has informed me of.
no subject
Very likely. The part I'll stress is be mindful of your shrine and any open areas someone might be able to hide curse charms in.
no subject
Yukine said a friend of hers was trying to do something to protect hers. Still, I will try to keep a mindful eye, for the time being.
It would not be the first time I've had to deal with outside forces such as this.
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