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]

A new friend, huh... [Rita is definitely not in that group... possibly. This whole situation might push her out of her comfort zone enough to make her, if not a social butterfly, at least willing to socialize.]

I'll try. Might take me a bit, but I can at least try.

[reloves]

Don't worry if it takes a while. That's just how friendship works, after all. [ Maybe not always with Minako, as shown by how outgoing she is even just right now, but she seems to at least be somewhat aware that she isn't exactly the typical model when it comes to organic friendship growth. ]

But I really think it'll make your experience here a lot better, at least!

[blahblahblah]

Get back to me next year, maybe that'll be long enough. [It's in a dry tone; it'd sure be nice, but she has a feeling it's not going to be that easy. She sighs after a second.]

I hope it does. Make things better, I mean. Getting used to this is going to take me a little while.

[reloves]

[ Aw, Rita. Minako does feel a little bad for the other girl - if not just because she doesn't like seeing people feel down. And also since she can definitely get it, even though she is never the type to vocalize real struggles. ]

Weeell, I could always give you a number for someone you can call or text at any time when you need a question answered or just someone to talk to while everything is still confusing. And that someone just happens to be a shinki too, so they'll totally understand!

[ Her tone makes it very, very clear that this person is just Minako. She's not being particularly subtle about it. ]

[blahblahblah]

[Rita normally wouldn't whine either, but today's been an experience and the sun's still up, so there's plenty of time for everything to go further to hell (to Heaven?). Her eyebrows go up as she recognizes what Minako's proposing, but after a second, her lips twitch into a faint smile.]

Boy, I sure hope they'd be okay answering really dumb questions from someone with minimal patience. I'd appreciate that person's help a lot, though.

[reloves]

Dumb questions are even better! In fact, there's no such thing as a dumb question, there's just.. [ She grows silent for a moment, like she can't think of an appropriate way to end that statement. ] .. dumb.. dumb people who give up and don't even ask at all!

[ She nods to herself. Good save, Minako! ]

So, here--! [ Minako's already writing down her phone number before handing it to Rita. ] Just text whenever you want! No one should have to deal with stuff in this place all by themselves, that'd suck.

[blahblahblah]

[There's a short moment where Rita is inclined to say something unbecoming, but she stuffs it, given Minako's been trying to help.]

Okay. Thanks, really. Having someone to help me will make me a lot more confident about all this.

[Out comes her shiny new phone, and as she starts to add the number with unpracticed swipes and pokes, she pauses.]

I never did get your name, did I?

[reloves]

It's Minako! Nice to meet you.

[ Minako has seen people give more fancy introductions with the titles this place has given them and all, but.. she's really not the type to do that kind of thing. Especially not when she's talking to someone she's already 100% intending on becoming friends with. ]

I live over at Metis' temple.

[blahblahblah]

[She punches Minako's name into the phone before she forgets it, only struggling with the keyboard a tiny bit, then looks back up as she pockets it again.]

Rita. I told you who I'm with already, I think.