May Training

[brynwieldr]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: May 23rd 2017
Where: Odin’s Temple
Summary: Training and informational sessions for newly arrived gods and shinki; bonding opportunities for all other gods and shinki

Gods and shinki who arrive at the meeting hall are, for once, not led to the back for an introduction to their new roles. They’re instead rounded up and shown the way to Odin’s Temple, where "Odin" is waiting for them. Hopefully the sight of a twenty-something in loose pants and a t-shirt isn’t too shocking compared to the formally dressed old gods.

Basic Information

Unlike previous introductions, Leo has all the newcomers meet in the front room. There’s chairs and a sofa and ottomans for anyone who wants to sit, and they’ve brought in a dais of sorts for Leo and Kairi to stand on.

"Welcome to Heaven, or the Far Shore as some of the older gods call it. I am Leo de Borel, formerly a prince of the Kingdom of Nohr and currently the god Odin. This is my shinki, Kairi. The old gods have asked me to host training this time, but before we do that, you should know what you’re getting into. Some of this information is not my own, but was gathered by my husband, Aymeric de Borel. Unfortunately he's currently down with a sleeping sickness and couldn't join us today."

Leo then launches into basic rundown of Heaven and how things work here--the gods answer prayers, the shinki assist them, ayakashi are the monsters they fight and are generally the main thing causing the people on the Near Shore grief, and a brief summary of the greatly diminished cult--and asks for the gods and the shinki to follow either him or Kairi, depending on which they are. He’ll help anyone who’s not sure which they are figure it out, and then he and Kairi take their groups outside where Leo has set up some training grounds.

God Information

As they head outside, Leo explains a god’s role a bit more in depth to any newcomers and will answer questions should anyone else ask them. Once they get outside and most of the important questions are answered, Leo hands out pamphlets he had made that summarize most of the important information shared today, with an emphasis on not telling a shinki about their past no matter what, and tells them that today is mostly going to be about them figuring out their powers and perhaps finding a shinki or two they work well with, should they not already have one. If they have any other questions, they’re welcome to come find him and ask.

Shinki Information

All of the shinki, no matter how recently they arrived, are treated to a parallel speech by Kairi, but it’s with a bit of passion focusing on god-shinki bonds and what they could be, which she hopes applies to brand new shinki as well as shinki who are only as "new" as she is. She cites a shinki’s ability to help their god/dess with prayers in more ways than as a vessel, for one thing, and that temple structures will vary with the gods themselves. Some become families, for instance - here she looks to both Raichi and D2 - and deep friendships that can last beyond any struggle you can imagine - she looks at Lance and Dust. She explains how there was a time when just being attached to the same pantheon as your god meant that another temple might help you, and some of the new gods may still feel that way. Her point remains that if there’s a specific sort of bond you’re looking for, that god might be out there waiting for them, and she encourages them to ask an older shinki for advice if they’re uncomfortable in their current temple setup. "No one will understand better than your fellow shinki," she insists with a smile.

Speech over, she offers pamphlets to those who might not have received one previously and directs any shinki still struggling with spellwork to where Leo has arranged for a few of Amateratsu’s shinki to teach them how to cast a borderline. More experienced shinki are welcome to assist, but once you think you’ve got it the shinki are welcome to join the gods in the training grounds. Kairi tells the newbies the same thing Leo told the gods: their main goal for today is to get in some practice and maybe find a god they work well with.

Physical Training and Pair Ups

It’s a simple set up this month, since Leo’s yard isn’t really built for this sort of thing, but the basic set up is what you’d expect; there’s dummies for more solo practice, a sparring circle for some one-on-one training, and food laid out for anyone who gets hungry. (And if anyone asks who did the cooking or otherwise thanks Leo, he will direct them to Yoon because he did all the cooking, except for the pizzas. Praise him.)

Once everyone is more or less at the training area, Leo asks everyone to hold a moment so he can explain one last thing.

“The Heavens have asked that my shinki and I do our best to pair unpartnered gods and shinki up, be they new or old, in hopes of making stronger, more lasting bonds. If you meet someone you think you might work well with in the long term, please let either Kairi or I know and we’ll make a note of it.”

And that’s the last you’ll hear from Leo officially, unless you have questions.

Battle Tactics

Or maybe not. For those of you with a partner or who are just interested in learning new techniques, Leo’s arranged for something a little unique this month.

Perhaps you and your partner aren’t really fighting optimally, no matter what you do, or are just getting outmatched by some of the more intelligent ayakashi and have to resort to brute forcing your way through them. Leo has offered to spar against those who want to work on their teamwork (with or without his own shinki) or otherwise observe a fight so he can offer advice afterwards on how you might improve your teamwork.

If you don’t have a partner or are just interested in something not physical (which Leo totally gets), Leo’s also set up a few things inside. There’s a couple of chess sets out (always a good option) as well as, oddly, a few video games. Leo found a game that allowed him to set up simulated large scale battles if you want to try your hand at that sort of thing, as well as games to encourage cooperation between a god and their shinki. This includes a game where up to four people are trying to run a restaurant and one game that has one person reading from a manual and the other trying to defuse a bomb.

Have fun!

In Summary:

• Be baffled by this millennial looking god
• Attend the information meeting
• Train
• Eat, meet people, maybe find a partner
• Play video games
• Have fun~

Comments

[unlucky7]

[Ginia gives Takami a warmer smile. It's good seeing him out of the temple and accompanying Ebisu.]

I'm happy to see you here, Takami. Even if you haven't been to other sessions, I think your input is still valuable. You're a more experienced shinki so you might notice any information missing among my generation.

[Unmi's point about the lack of equipment is a fair one though.]

I do wonder if many temples have the space or equipment. Most gods of my generation only have one or two shinki. Any equipment is only suited for that number, if there is any.

[Cardio or one-on-one sparring seems to be the training methods of choice, followed by hunting ayakashi.]

Time will tell. See any new gods?

[chibisu]

[Somehow, that almost seems to embarrass him a little, and Takami ducks his head. Still, after a second, his thoughts come filtering out.] "The opening statements were... very focused. It came off as more... informal than I think I would expect from something that Heaven itself was running, while still managing to come off as informational. I think that will work so long as the groups stay relatively small, or else it may need to be more professional. I can't speak for what the gods discussed, of course. Yet on the shinki end it was very..." [He pauses for a moment, crossing his arms as he puts his words together.] "It was very reassuring and focused on emotions, and I'm still trying to decide if that balance was as good as it could be. Alternatively, the use of certain video games was really inspired, and I think that's something that wouldn't be bad to do more of."

[Ebisu beams, really satisfied with this report. It's definitely good to see him out of the temple, after all, and, besides ducking around some of the shinki Leo invited from Amaterasu's temple, this was a perfect chance.]

The lack of equipment is definitely something of a barrier, especially for smaller temples. However, I think maybe that could be assisted by simply passing around more information and exercising more imagination on when it comes to fighting or sparring. If any temple volunteers, I'm certain they'll have something in mind, since they know what most people are interested in.

As for new gods, not quite yet! But I have seen some new shinki.

[unlucky7]

[Ginia knew he had it in him. It's an interesting perspective to consider.]

I'll have to keep those thoughts in mind if Chris or Tsubasa decide to host one of the sessions. I think my generation leans more informal more often than not as a whole.

[She can think of a few people that might run sessions closer to how Heaven conducts theirs, but most aren't here anymore or don't have the numbers needed to support a full session.]

But I think that means we'll make these training sessions our own too. It doesn't seem like there are as many arrivals as there used to be so maybe the format can stand to change a little. I thought I only saw a few new faces myself.

[She'll have to meet them one way or another. It bothers her a little.]

Speaking of sparring, want to go a round, Unmi?

[chibisu]

"Oh, me?" [Unmi only needs to glance down at Ebisu's sparkling intensely interested gaze to know that there's no problem at that end, and he chuckles a little.] "Well, if you're fine with having an old man like myself as a sparring partner. Give me a moment to not be so weighed down."

[While Unmi deals with his jacket and tie, Ebisu takes Takami's hand.]

You haven't been able to practice with anyone from the temple, have you, Jitsumi?

[unlucky7]

[Old man, please. The only thing old about him is age and that barely matters for shinki. Ginia sheds her own lighter jacket, folding it and setting it aside.]

Not really. I've had a few people ask me to show them how to throw a punch when they've seen me working out though. Though I've heard of a few bets floating around.

[Heard, she says, as if she hasn't mused on sparring against Unmi or Kunimi before.]

[chibisu]

"Ho, you're quite a popular figure around the temple already!"

[So it's probably a good thing Kimi moved when he did, and has the kind of personality that is both hard to properly hate in a closed system like theirs and can weather through most bouts of jealousy.]

"Shall we have Takami be our referee, then>"

[unlucky7]

I wouldn't say popular, but I do stand out.

[One of the taller shinki in the temple, foreigner, curly hair, with abs and biceps to die for, she's hard to miss.]

If Takami doesn't mind. What will it be? First to yield?

['First blood' comes to mind, but she doesn't want to injure anyone. It's a friendly match with no more than a few wagers on the line.]

Borderlines or no?

[chibisu]

[Takami hastily gives a nod, seeming vaguely surprised at his new position but not exceedingly so.] "It would be an honor. Then... I believe it would be fair if it were first to yield, or whoever is on the ground floor for longer than, ah... Three seconds?"

[It's not a suggestion Takami seems to have the strongest faith in, but Unmi nods.]

"That works for me! As for borderlines, it's a little more fun without them, don't you think?"

[Which is sure a way to describe a spar, but Unmi still seems rather jovial about the whole situation.]

[unlucky7]

Fairer for me without borderlines.

[A light smile accompanies her played words. Many things power a shinki's borderline beyond age and experience, but Ginia easily concedes Unmi has the benefit of both. It doesn't mean he's the better shinki, but Ginia knows when to defer to her seniors. Maybe one day she'll test her skills as a shinki against him, but starting with a physical spar is a good baseline.

With the rules set, Ginia turns her phone over to Takami for safe keeping. She takes a position a few feet away from Unmi and nods at him.

Her first attack is fast. She closes the distance between them with a few strides of her long legs, throwing a high punch with her right fist as a feign as her left fist comes in for a lower jab. It's a test of his response, ready to adjust depending on how he reacts.]

[chibisu]

[A quick attack seems to be exactly what Unmi is expecting, because his body is more than prepared to adjust itself in anticipation of her attack. First is the slightest adjustment before he stops himself from making it a full dodge to her feint, and his hands are more than quick enough for the attack proper. There's no block or counter attack. Rather, he reaches up in an attempt to redirect her punch, guiding her arm while he twists around its outside to lock it in place.]

[unlucky7]

[No surprise he's fast. Ginia doesn't admire his skills beyond that that as she focuses on blocking his attempt to lock her arm. There are a few base facts about their fight. They're close enough in height and weight there's no advantage or disadvantage there. The big difference is the way they fight.

Ginia twists out of the lock and keeps close. It'd be a different case if she had a knife or any other weapon, but barehanded, she keeps on the offensive with a few more fast punches and low kicks. It's a trained, aggressive style, movements fluid as she tests a theory he's more of a defensive grappler.

Yet there's a slight oddity in her attacks. Smooth and strong as they are, the follow through isn't all quite there. Having broken bones and left a pile of yakuza members unconscious before, Ginia is holding back out of worry.]

[chibisu]

"Oh, very good."

[The compliment leaves him absentmindedly, practically a habit from sparring and training with younger generations of shinki. Most of Unmi's mind is concentrated on the fight at hand. In direct contrast to Ginia's own style, Unmi clearly doesn't see the need to be so aggressive. There's no denying he's quick and experienced, of course, blocking her punches well enough and changing up his tactics on her kicks ranging from additional blocks to sometimes even ducking in closer to lessen any impact.]

[A smile stays on his face no matter what happens. He's just here to have a good time.]

[Part of having a good time means counter attacking at the proper moment and after proper observation. At her next kick, he doesn't only block it, but uses his other arm to quickly ensnare it in a quick tug. All he wants to do is destabilize her, or at least bring her close enough to hook his foot underneath the one she still has on the ground.]

[unlucky7]

[Thanks...? The nonchalant comment comes as a surprise. Ginia is nowhere near as calm and relaxed as he is. Not so serious she's lost sight of things, but not enjoying herself in the same way. She can't, not when the underlying thought every spar is a mirror to a real fight with higher stakes.

She grits her teeth as he catches her kick, already predicting his next move is to destabilize or sweep her. In the seconds she still has her balance, Ginia reaches in an attempt to grab his shirt, ducking in to headbutt his face with her forehead.]

[chibisu]

[A headbutt can be a tricky thing to avoid, considering the circumstances that most often bring it about are, well, this: close combat, hands already occupied. A last ditch sort of thing, at least for those who aren't more than a little intoxicated.]

[Thus, the only thing to do is mitigate the damage- tucking his own head down so that forehead hits forehead instead of his face.]

[He's an old man, after all. The teeth he has are the only ones he'll ever have.]

[unlucky7]

[It was worth a shot. Forehead crashes into forehead and they'll both walk away with a headache. Ginia's also walking away with a sore rear as she hits the ground, still latched on to Unmi to drag him down.

In another fight, she'd jab him in the throat or slap his ear or bite him. Here, she releases his shirt and slaps the ground twice, accepting her loss. Her head aches, but it's a tolerable level. It's what she deserves for a risky move like that.]