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

[dredefulchilde]

Joscelin vaguely remembers having met Alex Benedetto at some point. The name, at least, is familiar. Chris Yukine is not someone he knows at all, but if they're a good fighter, he approves. Ginia is a talented fighter herself. She needs to be allowed the opportunity to shine with a god who will use her to her full abilities.

Ebisu, on the other hand, is a complete surprise.

"That little princeling? Why him? A stiff breeze could blow him away; what good is he against ayakashi?"

[unlucky7]

"Not everyone needs to fight ayakashi."

It's interesting. A few months ago, she thought her full abilities was fighting, that she was best served with a god who could fight or otherwise defending her god. Fighting with Chris was thrilling and energizing and she enjoyed it, but life has been different with Alex and Ebisu. There's more she can do, she's learning to do more too. If there's something she can't do or is poor at, she can count on others to help out.

It's nice to know she's more than just a weapon.

"Helping humans with their problems is equally important."

[dredefulchilde]

"Is it?" Joscelin has a hard time agreeing with that sentiment. Ayakashi are born from negative feelings; doesn't destroying them help the mortals the most? No negative emotions, no problems.

They'll have to figure out the rest.

"What do you do with him, then, if you don't fight?"

[unlucky7]

Rending ayakashi is fixing a possible source or result, but sometimes isn't the root. There are all sorts of methods to stopping negative emotions, including preventing them in the first place.

"Answering prayers, mostly. His domains cover a lot so it's always busy. Sometimes it's making sure a tour is successful, other times it's helping someone finish a report for a presentation. We rarely deal with ayakashi."

[dredefulchilde]

Joscelin looks utterly unconvinced.

"That sounds dreadfully dull." As do all the prayers he's seen or been on. Like the time last month he got roped into playing music along with that alarming horse goddess.

"Were I in your shoes, I would've wanted to ally myself with a war god instead. Fighting's far more interesting than handing out brochures."

[unlucky7]

"To each their own," she signs with a shrug.

A shinki finds the god or gods they want. She did ask Shun and Iskandar to name her, so she can't say she didn't look for a god to fight with, but she's happy where things are now.

"Fighting isn't everything for me."

[dredefulchilde]

"But it's so fun! And you're quite good at it--I've seen you. You're wasted as a travel agent, Ginia." He says this while smiling, waving one of her pamphlets at her.

"I certainly couldn't do it. Sitting behind a desk, arranging prayers. I need to be active. I very much doubt there'd be a place for someone like me in Ebisu's temple."

[unlucky7]

"You never know."

It's a simple statement, neutral, but there's a hint of a challenge behind it too. For awhile, she thought she wouldn't have a place there. That she didn't have the skills needed to help they way they could, that she'd only get in their way or slow them down. The first week was a trial by fire, but slowly, surely, she figured out her strengths and weaknesses.

She can't see Joscelin doing paperwork on the long-scale. He's right when he says he needs to be active.

"There was a meeting in October everyone attended. A party, almost. But Ebisu's temple stayed on the Near Shore to keep watch and were able to respond to a crisis and keep it under control before everyone else could get there. I met one of his shinki proper by helping him out with a hiking tour on New Year's. There's all kinds of work there."