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

[blahblahblah]

Forgive me for being uncultured. [She lets the sarcasm hang thick on her words, before sighing and giving it up as a bad job.]

I guess that's as good an idea as any, though. I'll just do that. As for Japan... that doesn't ring a bell, is that somewhere on the- [She visibly pauses a moment, trying to remember the word.] -the Near Shore? Not here, but the other place?

[trustheart]

Hmph. [Chris proceeds to prove how cultured she is by swallowing a mouthful of her meal in one gulp.]

That's right, but it's also a country where I come from too. Lots of worlds seem to have a Japan, from what I can tell.

[blahblahblah]

[She visibly twitches seeing Chris' table manners, but fights the urge to complain.]

Doesn't sound familiar here. I'm not exactly a geography nut, but if it's that important, I'd probably have heard of it, right? Guess I get to take a field trip one of these days.

[trustheart]

Are you sure you'd even remember it? Most shinki I've met seemed to forget everything about the world they come from.

[She shrugged, oblivious to Rita's reaction to her eating habits.] I've been all over the world myself, though. There are worse places to be.

[blahblahblah]

[That one makes Rita deflate, realizing she may not even know what she doesn't know; even as her expression turns downcast, she grits out a denial.] Then it must not have been important!

Is there anything else I should care about besides okonomiyaki? Or would it really be worth going myself?

[trustheart]

... I wouldn't be so quick to decide that, but I guess that's your business to decide.

But there's tons of stuff! There's anpan! Takoyaki! Sushi! Monjayaki! And you know, stuff that isn't food I guess. It's definitely worth visiting yourself!

[blahblahblah]

Not like I can do a whole lot about it. I'll figure out what it means when it comes up, and until then I'll manage.

-I can visit, but most of those don't sound familiar either. Great, vacation idea for later. Once I've found a travel guide. And maybe money to actually eat any of that.

[trustheart]

I'm sure you could get some of it here, if you actually put effort into looking around for it. But I could help you if you like.

... By the way, I dunno your name. I'm Chris, for the record. Chris Yukine.

[blahblahblah]

Rita. Rita Mordio. And I don't want to think about trying new foods - in a way, everything is new and I don't like it.

But... thanks. That might still be good. I'm just in a mood after today, I think. Sorry.

[trustheart]

... Considering what shinki have to put up with, I don't blame you.

Do you have a god yet? I wanna help if I can.

[blahblahblah]

There's a lot I don't really wanna think about, but I'm not gonna get anywhere running away from my problems. So... yeah. I'll get there. It's just a lot to deal with right now.

[Oh hey, this should be a safer subject. Rita's lips turn up just a tiny bit.]

Yeah, did that before I came back here. Susanoo... ah, no, she didn't want to be called that. Kazanari Tsubasa, she called herself. And I appreciate that. I think I'm gonna need all the help I can get, at least for a little while.

[trustheart]

[Chris's eyes widen as she hears that name, and she almost chokes on her food. She recovers quickly, however.]

You know senpai?! You're her shinki?!

[blahblahblah]

You know Tsubasa? More than just a little, it sounds like?

[...suspicious... Rita's eyes narrow just a little.]

[trustheart]

I should! We're from the same world! She's my best friend!

[... and now it's time to feel embarrassed at that slipping out.]

[blahblahblah]

-oh.

[Rita has no eloquent response to that, because really, what do you say to that?]

Uh. Good thing I met you, then?

[-ugh, this is so awkward, abort, abort-]

[trustheart]

[Chris is just going to... move on and hope Rita doesn't want to dwell on that.]

L-Look. You're right, it's a good thing. We're probably gonna work together a lot.

[blahblahblah]

R-right. A familiar face will help, especially since you know how she fights already, in case she forgets to tell me something because it's obvious to her. Just cut me a little slack to get started, all right? If I say something dumb, it's not on purpose.

...Probably.

[trustheart]

I think you're being a bit overly nervous here. I'm not gonna bite someone's head off just because they're new and inexperienced.

[A beat.]

... Anymore.

[blahblahblah]

That's not as reassuring as you probably meant it to sound.

[trustheart]

No, I guess it isn't. But... I stand by what I said. You ain't got nothing to fear from me.

[blahblahblah]

["Ain't isn't a real word" almost leaves her mouth before she can stop it, but she chokes it back at the last second.]

Then I'm looking forward to working with you.

[trustheart]

Same here.

... You should, uh, be properly warned. Senpai isn't very good at housekeeping.

[blahblahblah]

We'll have to see what happens, but if I have to, I guess I can try and help. What's the worst that could happen?

[Rita feels a chill down her spine. Perhaps she shouldn't have tempted fate quite so openly... well, too late now.]

[trustheart]

... She can turn a hotel room into a disaster area in a matter of being there for five hours. That's the worst that could happen.

[blahblahblah]

I mean, I can do that. So that's not really that impressive. I'd have to work at it a little bit, but... oh.

You mean she does it without really meaning to. That would be terrifying.