24 - Autumn Reception

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone!
What: Autumn Reception
When: September 30, 6 PM
Where: The Gods' Meeting Hall
Summary: The Heavens are throwing a formal party! Old and new gods alike are invited, so put on your nicest outfits and some good dancing shoes, and come see what this shindig is all about.







Front Door

The door of the Meeting Hall is wide open, warm golden light spilling out from the well-lit corridor inside. Shinki in white robes with golden chrysanthemums -- a fancier, heavier version of the usual robes -- stand to either side of the door, ready to check invitations. Each invitation is taken, the name carefully noted on a scroll held by one of the door attendants, and the invitation returned.

Since the invitations were delivered to gods, shinki are being allowed in as part of a god's entourage, but unaccompanied shinki will be questioned, and any god who forgot to bring their invitation will be turned away to go find it. Better make sure you have a last-minute date to the ball!

Reception

Once past the vigilant door guards, attendees will be escorted to a truly massive room, the floor polished hardwood and the roof far overhead supported by wooden columns so big that it would take four people holding hands to reach around one. White-robed shinki, in the same more-formal garments as the gate guards, are circulating throughout the room holding trays stacked with exquisitely crafted hors d'oeuvres, bottles of soda, or glasses of sake and sparkling wines.

The room is about half full, and soft music is playing from an unseen source. It's clear that several of the old gods have arrived, too, although they're largely keeping to themselves among small groups of their shinki, whose formal dress seems to be some variety of uniform -- color, cut and style vary wildly between different gods, but within a group, they all match.

Banquet

Two hours after the doors open, it's finally time to eat! Food is served in an adjoining room, where long tables are set to accommodate all the guests. Platters of sashimi, sushi, vegetables and deep-fried tidbits are brought around, as well as individual plates of the main courses; most of the food is Japanese, but not all, and the white-robed shinki serving take special requests.

As the banquet begins to wind to a close, the peal of a bell rings through the room, and Amaterasu steps out onto a raised dais towards the front of the room. She's accompanied by four of the white-robed shinki, all of whom are wearing swords, and although she looks like a girl of no more than twelve, her expression is grave and worried.

"Thank you all for coming here tonight, and for your efforts to support peace in the Heavens and in the mortal world. We are grateful for your hard work.

"Over the past several months, we have faced many challenges. Ayakashi have intruded into these lands more than once, and I myself came under attack when my temple was set on fire. We are making every effort to discover the responsible parties, and once we do, they will face Heaven's justice. For now, I have an important request for all of you.

"Please be watchful and alert. Be careful what you bring with you to the Heavens and watch for strangers in your temples and shrines. But even in a time like this, remember that we must remain in harmony with each other. Conflict in Heaven brings conflict on earth. If you think you have seen anything suspicious, bring that information to the nearest guards. I hope we can all work together, our new colleagues as well as the old..." She hesitates, drawing herself up, and then says quickly, "Thank you. Please enjoy yourself tonight," before turning to leave the room, guards close behind her.

Dancing

After Amaterasu's speech, the dinner dishes are cleared, and the guests are welcome to return to the previous room. The music is louder, enough to cover quiet conversation or to be danced to; it's a selection of Western ballroom dance tunes and classical Japanese music, and the center of the room is clear for would-be dancers.

The circulating servers are offering little sweets on their trays now, along with the same drink selection.

In Summary:

• Don't forget your invitation
• Enjoy the party
• Dinner and a speech
• Try some dancing
• Have fun~

Comments

[kagenonadeshiko]

Sure.

[Ayumu takes his arm carefully with a demure smile befitting any lady acquaintance on a date. She glances down at her plate then back up again, surveying the crowd from under her lashes. She'd had a little bit of time to get used to how quickly and easily subterfuge comes to her, where she learned it doesn't matter, just slip between in and out of character is seamless.

To all outward appearances, she's simply a shy young Japanese woman accompanying a gentleman on a date, regardless of how rugged or uncouth he might seem.]

The pillars seem sturdy. They might be difficult to take out and offer reasonable cover if we have to flee. The other guests as well. With a good diversion to gather them in one place, they'd be useful for obstructing an enemy's view.

[erogappa]

So long as we don't get attacked by something that could go around them, like fire. Or gas.

[ Or magic, but if it's a magical attack they're pretty much fucked regardless.

Still, he has to admit it. This is kinda fun! It's easier to look at the room and imagine how he'd attack it rather than thinking about ways he'd defend himself here, and he's pointedly not going to consider that what says about him. ]

That's a good spot to defend against ayakashi though, don't you think? The columns are close enough together than it shouldn't take too much effort to put borderlines between them, and the wall behind looks sturdy enough.

[ There's no way out of a defended position like that -- if they end up back there, they'll be trapped, but it's probably good to consider all the options. ]

Want to steal knives from the snack table when we get back over there and hide 'em all around the room?

[kagenonadeshiko]

Sounds like a good time.

[There'd been so many little things she'd wanted to do like that at the temple but Hakkai kept telling her that his enemies would likely just teleport in. In the end, she hadn't even gotten to trapping the outer walls. Sometimes her ex-god could be a real stick in the mud and not any fun at all.]

It's a shame everything's so secure. With fewer eyes and access to more of their supplies, I'm sure we could set up some really nasty surprises where they least expect them, too.

[She giggles a bit, oddly carefree and girlish, given the subject matter.]

They could be fun to make.

[Ayumu's made it a habit not to question where she learned most of the things she knows or why she seems to have so many rather strange hobbies outside of cooking. Maybe there's perfectly reasonable explanation for it all but she certainly can't fathom what it could be.]

[erogappa]

[ See, now that? That sounds like a challenge. ]

Oh? So you're saying you don't think you're up to the task with what's available?

[ There's the aforementioned knives, and tablecloths, and he's willing to bet dropping one of those flower arrangements from a great height would give somebody a headache... plates as frisbees, c'mon, this'll be fun!"

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Well, if he's going to put it that way...]

You're right. I guess there is quite a lot here to work with.

[She chuckles a bit, glancing back at the food table.]

While they might not be deadly projectiles normally, the snacks themselves could serve well as a distraction by themselves. But if timed with enough precision, they could still lead to a deadly situation.

[Where did she learn the tactical advantages of staging a foodfight at a party? It's a mystery.]

[erogappa]

[ Is his doubting expression real, or is he messing with her? Who can tell?

He leans out of her grasp a bit, and lifts his plate to his mouth to take a bite of shrimp. ...What? They're good. ]

You're telling me you could kill a man with a precision timed shrimp?

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Ayumu laughs. Talking about creative ways to kill people is fun!]

It might be a little harder with just the shrimp alone but anything's possible with the right place and the right time. And well, if things aren't aligned just right, they might just need a little extra help.

[She digresses though.]

But with that shrimp, a well-timed and precisely aimed throw could make a man choke. Or lose his balance and fall to his death from a great height if positioned close enough to a window. Or it could be used as a diversion from a stab to the the vitals if you're fast enough.

[Which she is. She can cross distances very quickly and suddenly, she's found out during her private training sessions.]

[erogappa]

No way.

[ They've circled around to a less crowded part of the room, where a few lovers (conspirators?) huddle in the corners whispers to each other, but otherwise this part of the room is pretty much empty of people.

There's a table with a lovely glass vase that somebody's taken the flowers from. The neck of the vase is about the same size as an open mouth.

Gojyo stops a few paces away from the table, and holds up his plate with the one remaining shrimp. ]

I don't believe you can make that shot.

[ But his grin says, prove me wrong? ]

[kagenonadeshiko]

[Ayumu's eyebrow arches, her lips twitching with amusement. Oh, he of little faith! She doesn't really like demonstrating her skills outside of actual combat or private training sessons but maybe she can make an exception. It's a party, she's with a friend, and people were suitably scarce in this area. More so, everyone else was preoccupied with their own celebration.]

'Kay. I'll show you.

[The words are spoken with the casual, calm confidence of a woman already absolutely certain of her victory. She walks over decisively, snatching the shrimp off the plate. The next few seconds pass in a blur as she abruptly spins on her heel, the hand holding the shrimp whipping out toward the target with the speed of a striking snake.

At first, it doesn't even look like anything had left her hand but if Gojyo's watching the mouth of the vase closely enough, he'll see the shrimp land on its lip for a very brief moment before it topples in.

Not her best throw in Ayumu's opinion but she didn't really study the target too closely before making the shot.]

So was that a pass?

[erogappa]

[ Gojyo's jaw is somewhere around his sternum.

He expected that she'd be good -- he's seen the way she carries herself, been the victim of at least one thrown possessed bit of household furniture, and he knows that she's stronger and much more badass than she comes off. But he wasn't expecting her to actually be able to make that shot! Not with a shrimp. ]

Yeah, I'd say you passed.

[ Goddamn, girl. ]

Can you teach me how to do that?

[kagenonadeshiko]

[And there's another girlish giggle. Oh, that's an entertaining look on his face!]

Well, I could but I wonder if you could handle it? I'm a very strict teacher and tough on my students.

[She giggles again. There's no arrogance in it or her expression, just light-hearted playfulness and amusement.]

Just ask Chikusa-kun. He's a pupil of mine.

[Exactly what she's teaching him is still kind a mystery to her but she'd offered to teach him what she knows in exchange for help with training to become a better shinki. But one thing she is sure of - they're not easy or gentle lessons for the soft-hearted to learn. Not that she doesn't doubt for a moment than Gojyo would be capable enough at picking up some of her skills. It's the internal aspects of her training that she's a little more concerned about.]

[erogappa]

[ Gojyo pulls a face at the mention of Chikusa -- he doesn't have a very high opinion of the apathetic kid, especially not since he's been spotted around Hakkai enough times that the two of them are associated in his mind -- but Chikusa's not here, so there's no use wasting brain space on him. ]

So now you've got another pupil! Come on.

[ He takes a step closer to her, and drops his voice, grinning hugely. ]

Let's use those sneaky skills of yours and see how many booby traps we can set up before they kick us out.

[kagenonadeshiko]

Hmm. 'Kay. Let's do that. But within reason. I mean, it was tough just to get in.

[Ayumu scans the area, spotting more flower vases. Those are a good start.]

First we'll need supplies. More shrimp and maybe some of those meat skewers. And some more wine.

[Ayumu adopts an exaggerated teacher voice, eye twinkling devilishly.]

Now here's your first lesson, Gojyo, dear. The key to avoiding detection to blend in with those around you. Everyone has their own way of walking, talking, moving, dressing, speaking. If you learn how to mimic those things well enough, you can hide in plain sight.

[She lifts a finger in a 'but' gesture.]

However, we're limited to the clothes we're wearing. It'll be a little harder for you because you're dressed more inconspicuously than I am. In the future, that simply won't do. As my student, I expect you to dress appropriately for events like these from now on. Is that clear?

[erogappa]

[ They definitely need more wine! And they...

...wait a second, is she really giving him shit for the way he's dressed? Really? ]

What's fancy clothes have to do with killin' a man with a shrimp? [ Besides... ] We're blended in enough! No shinki mark means god, right? [ He straightens up, smiling cockily down at her. ] Who's gonna mess with a god?

[ He really doesn't want to wear a suit, okay. ]