April Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: May 8th 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, should they allow it, guided to the rear of the Meeting Hall, where a traditionally styled dojo and training ground have been made available for the day. The gods and shinki are free to take their time during this day to learn about the details of their new life from Amaterasu's shinki or from more experienced god and shinki volunteers.




Meeting Hall

God Training

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. The speaker delivers her welcome speech in the monotone of someone who's practiced it far too often.

Once the speech is over, new gods are joined with the rest of the gods in a larger room, although it still has a raised stage and tatami mats. There are worried whispers that they might be given another questionnaire to fill out as was the case a month and a half ago, while others are wondering if this is an impromptu conclave to follow up on Suijin's findings on behalf of Amaterasu.

Well, after a few minutes, Fuujin arrives - with Kaede close behind him. "I hear you all plan on sticking around, so listen up." He crosses his arms and walks towards the front of the stage. "You want to prove we can trust you so much, you can pull your own weight. This whole time, we've been training you and your shinki. Time to show us what you've learned and just how much effort you're willing to put in off the battlefield. Kaede, explain." Fuujin steps back, and Kaede steps forward.

"What my Lord Fuujin means is that we will begin accepting volunteers for temples of the New Gods to host these training sessions. Training should continue to cater to the needs of God and Shinki alike. Prospective Hosts should contact me, Lord Fuujin, or one of the other Counselors Lady Suijin and Lord Raijin, if they are interested in opening up their temple, so that we might make recommendations based on your planned activities." Kaede bows to the crowd. "Lady Suijin and Our Lady Amaterasu also send their regards in this matter."

Although Fuujin harrumphs a little at that final remark, Kaede steps back. "Alright, that's it! Go on if you've got other business."

Shinki Training

There are stacks of informational pamphlets sitting out on tables around the dojo. There aren't very many of the white-robed shinki around, but the few who are present will willingly answer any questions or instruct newcomers in the use of the borderline. They accompany their answers, or their lessons, with an explanation of what is expected of a shinki and the importance of teamwork with other shinki and with gods. Shinki are encouraged to work together to practice what they've learned and discuss their perspectives. Each of the shinki is wearing a brightly-colored sticky name tag reading HELLO, MY NAME IS ________, and all of their names appear to end with the syllable "mei."

A variety of weapons are available in the dojo for shinki and their gods to practice with, and a row of straw targets are set up along one wall. Outside, in an area carefully roped off with red ribbons, are six animated training dummies, but they are damaged in a way that doesn't make them terribly useful as targets. A couple of shinki are trying to repair them on the fly without success, all by hand.

Physical Training

Amaterasu's shinki took the time to reassemble Bishamon's obstacle course on these grounds! Climb walls, crawl through mud, jump across randomly spaced stumps, find your way through a maze and collect one of each of five different-colored ribbons being handed out by shinki attendants for completing each section within the allotted time. Every so often, Amaterasu's shinki high-five each other for setting a good example for future training sessions and sound excited about being allowed to participate in trainings instead of managing them all the time.

There's another segment inside the hall though, away from the noisiness outside. There is a place set up to do low-strain stretching exercises called Rajio Taisou. Afterwards, this includes a duration exercise for practicing seiza sitting position. Those who succeed for at least 15 minutes are treated to an immaculately prepared hot drink of traditional green tea, or a similar sort of beverage upon request, then another at 30 minutes, and so forth. Don't worry, the drink cups are the traditional size - slightly smaller than a modern mug.

Rest and Refreshments

While the usual refreshments and snacks are available, for those who are still up for it, Amaterasu's shinki have one more session that everyone can participate in. They'd originally planned for it to be shinki songs only, but say they decided to make it more general singing practice. They'll sing a handful of kindergarten-age songs twice-through each as warm up, and then move on to some popular enka tunes as well. They have light koto accompaniment, a small piano, and a drum.

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
  
• Discuss with your temple-mates if you'd like to volunteer to host training
  
• Choose your style of physical training: high- or low-impact
  
• Enjoy singing together
• Have fun~

Comments

[21kingpuddings]

[To be fair, he's never seen anything like Dust before...! But he does seem more awed than weirded out, too, so surely that counts for something.]

Cats ate really agile right? [Tamaki please...] So something like this is probably super easy for you!

[mithrarin]

I'm not a cat. I'm a Warmblood. [And if he's super-agile, that doesn't have anything to do with his species. Honest!]

[21kingpuddings]

I don't know what that is...

[He looks a little disappointed, though.]

Does that mean you aren't?

[mithrarin]

It's the name of my kind of people. Same way you're a human. We don't have humans where I come from. [Humans remain very strange for a number of reasons, even as he's gotten used to them.]

[21kingpuddings]

[That didn't answer his question! But Dust has at least posed an interesting enough scenario to distract him from it for a little longer.]

Whoa, really? Like, none at all?

[Not even how Dust strikes him as cat-like, there's nothing... uh, human-like? That... might be kind of super weird if he stops and thinks about it for more than half a second, though.]

[mithrarin]

Do you have any Warmbloods where you com from? [As much as it used to irritate Dust when humans assumed they were the center of existence... he had to admit that the sheer number of them who came from different worlds, compared to anything else, might make that true.]

[21kingpuddings]

I mean... [He pantomimes at something roughly the size of a typical house-cat;] Cats... are warm blooded?

[astounding.]

[mithrarin]

Right, that's... not what I meant. I meant the species. My kind of people. Not humans.

[21kingpuddings]

Hmm, probably not? [He can't recall anything too specific, but he also feels fairly confident that he's never seen anyone quite like Dust before.] But there are animals that are just kind of, you know, smaller?

[Hmm.]

[mithrarin]

Right. And do they have hands, and wield swords, and speak?

[Dust considers humans to be closer to Warmbloods than animals are, all things considered.]

[21kingpuddings]

[He stops and thinks for a moment, like he knows there are a few answers to this...]

Some kinds of birds can talk? And monkeys have hands. [That's. What he meant. Right? (No.)]

[mithrarin]

...Right. And you think that's on the same level as me?

[Dust is starting to think he should be insulted.]

[21kingpuddings]

[Tamaki does not realize at all that he's coming off as pretty dang rude, and the question is a little surprising.]

What? No, no way. You're way cooler than a bird or a monkey.

[What an incredible bar to be setting, just amazing.]