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

[beyondtheblade]

I assume that the "being stuck as a book" aspect is unusual for you, then?

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Damn straight it is! [The book draws himself upright in wounded pride.] I'm an Overlord! The most badass Overlord in the freaking cosmos!

[beyondtheblade]

Hmmm.

[She blinks.]

So why are you a book, then?

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Need to make a pamphlet for this one... [Grumble, grumble.] Because I had to bind my soul to the Sacred Tome after someone sabotaged it, or else I'd have been destroyed along with it!

[beyondtheblade]

A pamphlet...?

[Another... blink.]

Oh, I see! It's a joke, because you're a book. I get it.

[No Tsubasa, it probably wasn't.]

Well... if you survived, and it was necessary, what is there to complain about?

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Wha--NO! It's not a joke! I just get asked the question so damn much I ought to print out the explanation in easily-digestible form and save myself the energy! [Not that Zetta seems to understand the concept of saving energy, the way he overreacts like a volcano making way too much noise and way too little lava.] And what's to complain about is I'M A BOOK!

[beyondtheblade]

Hm. Well, if you are a book, you should contain digestible information. Perhaps you should consider it.

[She's 100% serious.]

But, you are alive. Would you prefer an alternative in which you weren't?

[badassfreakingoverlord]

[Zetta's... just going to ignore that first comment.] Of course not. Don't think I hesitated for a second to do what I had to. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

[beyondtheblade]

Learning to accept your status in life is important, unless you can find any way to do something about it.

Even if it is living as a tome.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

'Learning to accept your status' is talk for people who'd rather suffer than advance. I refuse to settle for any less than the top, and I'll be damned if I let one little setback get in my way! I will get my body and my Netherworld back.

[Zetta at least doesn't sit around and mope. A point in his favor?]

[beyondtheblade]

Suffering happens, but such things usually lay in the past. There's some amount of acceptance one must have before they can overcome it.

[She shakes her head.] But, at least you have some confidence. I suppose.

[Even if someone talking about taking back the Netherworld isn't exactly encouraging, she's genuine about that much.]

[badassfreakingoverlord]

You can accept your present without accepting your future! [They're both making the same point, here, but Zetta has to make it sound like an argument because, well, Zetta.] I'm guessing you've got some tragic backstory going on, huh?

[beyondtheblade]

[She crosses her arms and leans back.]

Everyone has something.

It's all a matter of whether or not you let it control you.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

That's not true. My backstory isn't tragic at all! [At least not in ways that Zetta registers as tragic.] I've always been on top and heading higher!

[beyondtheblade]

Being trapped as a book seems pretty tragic, if you ask me.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

That's present story. That's not backstory. It definitely occurred at the beginning of the game -- uh, I mean, story!

[beyondtheblade]

[She sighs.]

It happened before now, did it not?

[badassfreakingoverlord]

So? By that logic, hitting on you is backstory! Backstory is stuff like me being an Overlord, and constantly seeking greater strength. It's relevant and all, but it happened before this whole story properly began!

[beyondtheblade]

[Tsubasa bristles with an obvious irritation at him pointing out that first thing again.]

Fine, then.

But you are a god here then, are you not? Given the task that's been presented to us, you do not exactly speak as someone who would seek to offer such help to people.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Fortunately, I'm the most evil of evil gods here, which helps out a lot. But in the service of regaining power, I can't afford to be picky. Answering the prayers of humans is how you get strength around here, so that means I have to do it.

[beyondtheblade]

So, it is simply a matter of selfishness and self preservation. A shame.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

Well, sure. I am a demon. [Zetta sounds downright puzzled, not sure what she'd expected.] What's your point?

[beyondtheblade]

It means I've just been wasting my time, and breath.

[She abruptly stands up, bowing only out of reflex politeness.]

I will take my leave. Good day.

[badassfreakingoverlord]

B-wh-ahuh!?

[That comes out of nowhere so quickly that Zetta is left reeling with the suddenness of it -- and only able to make such feeble protestations before she can make a clean break.]

[beyondtheblade]

[Annnnnd she's gone. Sorry Zetta, but she's toppled enough would-be evil overlords to seriously entertain an actual one for very long. At the very least, she's going to remember this whole conversation very strongly.

Great first impression!]