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

[unlucky7]

"It would also be good to consider how my ability could work with the abilities or forms of others too." There's not much an illusion can do with Kimi's ability, but maybe giving his vessel form a slightly less concerning appearance could be useful.

As Ebisu stops under the tree, Ginia considers the space. "Kimi, can you observe from the front?" At some point, she'll have to see how lights and shadows affect her illusions. Right now, Ginia focuses on a straight forward approach. Concealment is the parallel to invisibility. She remembers what the tree looked like without Ebisu standing in front of that and throws up that image in front of the god's position. It's apparent from the sides or back, but right now she wants to focus on concealing from a single direction.

"What do you think?"

[chibisu]

In the space, he gives a jaunty little salute, and Ebisu holds his vessel form out once more. From his position, he hums a little bit and tilts his head this way and that as if that makes any difference for a knife. "Hey, Kunimi, move me around a little bit, could you?"

Obligingly, Ebisu's hands begin to pass the knife around: from one hand to the other, around his back, up in the air. It's all a sort of knife juggling that's done quite expertly, showing off the exemplar's own skill.

After a moment, Kimi waves his hand. "Alright, that's good! It looked pretty solid from just one direction, although just changing position around the young master let me see him easily enough. Did you mean to do that?"

[unlucky7]

Ginia laughs and claps lightly at the dexterous show, bowing her head to their exemplar.

"That's correct. I thought it'd be easier to focus on one angle while I'm still figuring out my limits. Now that I know it works, I can work on coverage on all sides." It's also easier only focusing on one side. There's still light strain like holding a borderline, but it's not as bad. "If I ever need to hide our god, it'll be easier against less complicated backgrounds."

She pauses as she studies the illusion. "Though I suppose I could disguise him as something else, in theory."

[chibisu]

Kunimi nods slightly at the applause, smiling a little, and Kimi elbows him in the side with a much wider grin of his own. "If worst comes to worst, we can always have him lay down on the ground and you can cover him like a rug," Kimi says, honestly only half joking. Ebisu might be at risk of being trampled, but, hey. Most people don't look down.

"Do you think it would be easier to change small parts of myself?" Ebisu asks, curious about the second option. "For example, my nose structure, or the color of my eyes. Things such as that."

[unlucky7]

"That's easy enough to try.

If she can cover his head with a hat, making small adjustments should be possible. Ginia focuses on his hair, trying to imagine what it would look like with a shade closer to her dark brown. The shade of his hair shifts, passable, but also a bit off on a way she can't pinpoint.

"Ah, maybe it's because I'm not used to seeing you with a different hair color..." Ginia muses to herself as she studies the illusion from different angles. "Kunimi, can you brush his hand through his hair, ah, thank you." The illusion doesn't break, but as his hair shift, the fakeness is apparent. Something to work on there.

[chibisu]

"I suppose it would have to keep up with my movement, along with anything such as wind..." That sort of thing would take a lot of focus and a lot of practice, he supposes.

In the meanwhile, an idea suddenly strikes Kimi, and he claps his hands together with a wide grin. "If seeing is believing, so to speak, why not just experiment with actual real color?"

Can he get them all to dye their hair... A fun experiment to try out.

[unlucky7]

Ginia looks at Kimi with an innocent smile, eyes looking at his black hair.

"Will you lead by example? Red hair would be very striking on you."

[chibisu]

If there's one person who shouldn't be played chicken with, it's the guy who meets her gaze squarely with a grin. "And I think you would be a great platinum blond."

While this all is going on, Ebisu stares thoughtfully up at the sky before voicing aloud, "I want blue." A bark of laughter escapes Kimi, while Kunimi looks as if he's trying to decide if he wants to have a heart attack or not.

[unlucky7]

"Give me a good reason to and cover the cost and I'll consider it." Ginia is quick to retort. Is that a challenge? She's not backing down from a harmless challenge, Kimi. It's just hair dye, it'll fade out or she can redye her hair.

Ebisu's words also bright a sudden laugh and a charmed smile.

"Light blue or dark blue? I know a few places that sell wigs, we could buy one and see how it looks before we dye your hair."

[chibisu]

"Solidarity?" Kimi offer, lips quirking up a little bit. After all, his hair is going to be red...

...And Ebisu's possibly blue, at the rate things are going. The god considers her suggestion for a moment before he nods sensibly. "We can buy a few of varying colors and shades. There's no point in holding back, after all." They have no shortage of money.. Which only means it's all the more important to have it flow back into the economy! He's a god of money, trust him, he knows what he's talking about.

[unlucky7]

Solidarity is a compelling reason... is there anyone else they could convince to join in? Ginia's pretty sure she could convince Kasumi; she's a good senpai but far less serious and mature than she thinks she is. Something bright would look nice on her. Perhaps pink?

"Maybe we should poll the office and see if anyone else wants to join. If we're buying dye, might as well pick up an order for everyone at once."

Sorry, Kunimi.