March Training / Fourth Wall Event

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Information and Training and... Fourth Wall Event Kickoff!
When: April 22nd 2017 (Kickoff) but Fourth Wall lasts through April 26th
Where: The Far Shore (to start); All Locations here and Map here
Summary: Unexpected visitors arrive in The Far Shore for a little while.





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.

Gods and Shinki: The Real McCoys

New gods and shinki - the real ones, the ones that were expected - 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 Heavens are going about their usual business preparing for the new gods and shinki that they were actually expecting, when unexpected visitors appear out of thin air, as if having teleported in on their own power. They are scooped up along with the new gods and shinki and, initially, treated no differently. "Gods" are new arrivals who have strong memories of who they are, while "shinki" are experiencing various states of memory loss.

4th Wall Gods: A House is not a Home

New gods are normally shown their new temples in the morning and introduced to their new partners. The characters who arrived for the event and experienced no memory loss seem like they should be "Gods" and so white-robed escorts with chrsyanthemum logos on their backs take them to where they think their temples should be - in the Western District, where the other "New and Obscure Gods' Temples" always are. Despite many cleanup attempts, the Western District is still scarred from the aftereffects of a volcanic eruption and earthquake only 3 months ago, with fissures in some of the roads and burn scars in the wild landscape. Along the way, the escort can answer questions as provided on the God 101 page.

When they arrive, the escort is surprised to discover a set of ruins instead. This happens, they explain, but usually when a god leaves The Far Shore, not when they arrive. While the escort starts to rifle through some paperwork to figure out what's going on, the "God" is welcome to explore the ruins and - to the shock of both - the ruins transform.

How it transforms is up to the 4th wall player! It should not be very large, no bigger than a one-room building or, if more natural, a small garden or lake complex. Alternately, the ruins can not transform at all, or simply get cleared away into something more clean-slate like a rock garden plot. Get creative!

Afterwards, the "Gods" are encouraged to show up at the afternoon Training session to better understand their circumstances. Before the escort leaves, the "God" will be provided a phone with which they can access the Heavens' BBS system; their display name will be a warped version of their real name, such as "Bob Smith" appearing as "bOBsMITH" or something else that looks like a glitch.

4th Wall Shinki: And you may ask yourself

New "shinki" will wake by the Meeting Hall in a set of white robes from laying down on a tatami mat with a small box wrapped up and set at their feet. (The box can contain a few belongings of the character's from their canon, provided it can fit. Due to the memory loss, it can include things the character wouldn't recognize.) From the way that the bustling people around the area are talking, this is not a common occurrence.

At some point, a person in white robes with a big chrsyanthemum logo on the back will come to interview the person. "We are working on assigning you to a god and temple, but some things have come up," they try to explain, and will then be able to answer other questions as outlined on the Shinki 101. The "shinki" are encouraged to get dressed and explore the Far Shore if they would like, because eventually they will be assigned to one of the temples out there anyway. At this point, the shinki are also handed a phone in order to connect with the Heavens' BBS system; their display name will be a warped version of their real name, such as "Bob Smith" appearing as "bOBsMITH" or something else that looks like a glitch.

God Training: New and 4th Wall Both

Newly arrived gods are escorted into a small meeting room, with tatami floors and a stage at the front of the room where the speaker stands. A minor deity is giving the speech, and none of the white-robed shinki enter. Paper and pens are provided to all the attendees as an unsubtle suggestion to take notes on the information they're given. Newly arrived gods are encouraged to discuss the information with each other and ask questions of more experienced gods, as well as instructed to guide their new shinki appropriately. They are allowed to remain in the room as long as they wish, should they want to discuss questions with each other or with more experienced gods who are here to help out. The speaker delivers her welcome speech in the monotone of someone who's practiced it far too often. Hopefully no one's feeling sleepy!

It's around this time that the 4th Wall "Gods" might realize that, for as weird as everything's been, their experiences with their temples this morning are not the same as most new Gods. Additionally, they do not possess the power to teleport to and from the Near Shore; they might need a buddy to help them with that part! The 4th Wall Gods can't hear any prayers whispered on the winds either. They can't name shinki, whether those shinki were in the Far Shore before today, or only arrived through the 4th Wall situation. (There is one other kind of shinki that might still respond to their commands though...)

Shinki Training: New and 4th Wall Both

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.

What are borderlines? The 4th Wall shinki can't do them, no matter how hard they try. If they had previous magical powers, those still work though! Existing gods can name these "shinki" but 4th walled gods can't. The 4th Wall shinki have no death memories to convey to the god and no shinki vessel power, but they can still be used to Rend an ayakashi.

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. There are stacks of informational pamphlets sitting out on tables around the dojo.

Physical Training

The dojo is stocked with a wide variety of practice weapons, traditional and modern, to offer some practice opportunity to gods who, for example, find themselves with a sword shinki but are at risk of cutting off their own toes. It's also useful for veteran new gods wishing to train with their current partner shinki.

Several magically animated straw-stuffed training dummies, many of which have been carefully mended and patched with neat black stitching, are set up on the lawn with a white-robed shinki hovering nearby to watch over them. They make good training partners, although anyone who comes too close risks being targeted for a sparring match whether they wanted one or not. The supervising white-robed shinki has a nametag which reads HELLO, MY NAME IS SABIMEI. (To interact with Sabimei, please comment on the "NPC REQUEST" thread below! If you prefer, you may also handwave his assistance or advice with your character learning spells.)

Rest and Refreshments

There are casks of fresh, cold water near the dojo to make sure no one gets dehydrated, but for those who've finished working, hot tea and enough seasonal treats are available to make it look as though the Heavens bought out an entire sweet shop. They're being distributed by a few shinki in indigo-blue and plain brown robes with the sleeves tied back, who aren't above teasing the newcomers a bit.

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
• Mingle with the 4th Wall "Gods" and "Shinki"
• Veteran new gods and shinki are welcome to volunteer showing the ropes
• Get in some training
• Have fun~
• OOC Event Information Post - ask us questions if you need to!

Comments

[dredefulchilde]

That was months ago, but they still hold it against me. It's not as if I actually killed anyone.

[But he nearly had.]

Everything was gone. I woke up on the ground, amidst the rubble, all of my things scattered around me but none of yours. There was nothing left. I looked everywhere, but...

[kagenonadeshiko]

That must have been terrible. I'm so sorry.

[When she'd been a shinki, Ayumu had feared such a thing happening. In the early days, she'd been confused and frightened without her memories, not knowing herself, what she was capable of, or who she could trust. She'd adapted with time but in hindsight, she'd never been able to fully commit to a god. Her first god had kept her in the dark and been self-destructive, her second god had vanished leaving her and the cats without a home, and by the time Goku had come around, it'd been a risk she was no longer willing to take.]

I know it hurts to lose your sanctuary when you're a shinki. I'd hoped you'd never have to experience that as mine.

[But it'd always been a possibility. Sanzang wouldn't have abandoned her any more than she'd wanted to leave behind Joss. So she'd wanted to plan ahead just in case, make sure that Joss would have someone to look after him in her absence if it ever occurred again.]

[dredefulchilde]

I've lost it twice. Nari's gone now too. A few weeks after you. I live with Hakkai full-time now.

[Though he mainly keeps to himself. Chikusa and Ken are their own unit, and intruding on whatever it is they have would be annoying. Plus, Hakkai mainly takes him hunting solo.]

I'm glad you're back, Mistress.

[kagenonadeshiko]

I'm glad, too.

[A brief pause as she sweeps his bangs aside.]

Are you happy there?

[She won't turn Joss aside if he wants to come back to her but she's going to demand he return to her either, especially given that she doesn't even have a temple to take him back to at the moment.]

[dredefulchilde]

[Joscelin closes his eyes contentedly, like a cat, as she sweeps her warm fingertips over the cool skin of his forehead. It’s so wonderful to have her back. He feels safe around her. He’s never letting go again.]

I suppose I am, but I want to go back to living with you. When may we go back to the temple?

[kagenonadeshiko]

[It's been an emotional day and still, Ayumu finds herself blinking back sudden tears. Joss wants to come back, even after she'd vanished on him in the night, and it's a relief. With Gojyo gone and no sign of Maria, he's the only shinki she has left. Going back to an empty temple once more would be too much to bear right now.

Impulsively, she kisses his forehead again, murmuring.]

Soon. There seems to be a mix up with my temple right now so I'll be staying with Ginia-san and Ebisu-sama until the matter's sorted out. But once I have a place here again, I'll call you, 'kay? Maybe we can go shopping for some new things once the offerings start coming in again.

[It'll take hard work to regain what she's lost but she's willing to put in the effort.]

[dredefulchilde]

[Of course he wants to go back to her. Why would she even be surprised by it? He may be a one time nora who has been named many times, but Ayumu will always be his one true goddess.

He leans into the kiss and closes his eyes.]

Make sure that you do. I miss my old room. Hakkai's temple is nice, I suppose, but it's rather crowded. My old room was quieter.

[kagenonadeshiko]

We'll work on it, 'kay? I'll let you know as soon I can.

[This time things will be better, she promises herself. Happier. Both of them have seen more than enough sadness and loss for more than one lifetime. Even if she has to start all over again, well, it's spring, isn't it? It's the season for renewal and new beginnings.]

And I'll make time to see you every day, too.

[dredefulchilde]

[Joscelin smirks.]

You had better.

[It's gentle ribbing, a more toned-down version of his usual assholery. And it's also somewhat negated by the fact that he's leaning into her chest, craving the physical contact.]

This whole time, I've wanted things to go back to how they were.

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Ayumu just keeps holding him close, enduring the ribbing. It's rare that she feels guilty about anything but this she does, even with her lack of understanding of how or why she comes and goes. What she does understand with painful intimacy is the grief and sorrow of those that get left behind.]

I know, dear. I know. I'm sorry you went through that.

[While she's perfectly willing to lend an ear, it's also important to keep an eye on the present and future, too.]

What do you think about picnics in the park? I can't seem to use any of the shrines but we can always meet up there.