April Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: November 6th
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 the many veteran new god and shinki volunteers.




God Training

Newly arrived gods are escorted into a much nicer room than the warehouse where the last set of new gods got their informational speech. It's a smaller meeting room, with tatami floors and a small dais 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. They 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.

Shinki Training

Various shinki in the white-and-gold of Amaterasu's hosuehold are stationed around the dojo, passing out helpful informational pamphlets. They will be happy to instruct the newcomers in the use of the borderline as well as offering 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.

Butterfly spirits are swarming the flower garden to one side of the dojo, fluttering across bright pink late-blooming cosmos. Shinki who want to practice more precise borderline aim can try using them to gently herd the butterflies one way or another, or, if their borderlines aren't quite that good yet, they can try to catch one with a net. Just be careful! It would be a shame to hurt them.

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.

The animated training dummies are missing this week, although the mundane ones are still intact on their stakes; the white-robed shinki who has previously been seen looking after them is wandering among the mundane training dummies, muttering, making notes to himself and swearing under his breath. Anyone who stares at him for too long, god or shinki, newcomer or established, is going to find him marching over and assigning them a task. Measure the air temperature in each square foot of the dojo, determine the exact height of each dummy and the location where it's most likely to be hit by opponents of different heights, hook an accelerometer to someone's sleeve while they smack a dummy around -- there seem to be hundreds of little, fiddly measurements he needs, and he's not taking no for an answer.

Rest and Refreshments

There are casks of fresh, cold water near the dojo to make sure no one gets dehydrated, and a fresh autumn-themed lunch will be served a little after noon. Rice with mushrooms, salt-grilled fish, roasted sweet potatoes and fresh fruit are on the menu; the shinki will try to accommodate any special dietary requests, and both the new arrivals and more experienced volunteers are welcome to partake.

One of the white-robed shinki has a whole pack of half-grown puppies that she seems to be trying to train. A few have mastered sitting, a few have figured out how to fetch, and all of them are young and excited enough that they're dashing off in all directions at the least provocation. Watch out! Dog incoming! Maybe she needs some help with that?

In Summary:

• Get all the information you can handle
• Veteran new gods and shinki are welcome to volunteer showing the ropes
• Get in some training
• Play with the dogs
• Spectate if you want
• Have fun~

Comments

[chibisu]

A - God Training

[Today, there is a small child joining all the new shinki listening to the minor deity speak. He's a well dressed boy, put into clothes as if they were his Sunday best, and sitting very quietly and politely on a chair. His legs may be swinging idly, but his eyes are focused intently on their speaker.]

[When the minor deity is done, he turns to the nearest person and smiles.]

So what did you think of it?

B - Shinki Training

[MEANWHILE, as the god lecture goes on...]

[A pair of shinki are lingering on the edges of the dojo, dressed in sharp black suits. One of them is a bit of a brutish looking man with a strong jaw and broad shoulders who looks like he could win a fist fight even in his professional suit. The other is much shorter, with his bangs swept along the right side of his forehead. Both of them look a bit exhausted as they stand there, notably as far away as they can from Amaterasu's shinki who are teaching anyone about borderlines.]

[Eventually, however, the younger looking of the pair finally murmurs a few words to the other before he detaches and beings to approach people.]

Excuse me. My name is Aomi. Would you mind practicing borderlines with me? I would like to practice with someone new.

C - Physical Training

[Once their god is out of the god's only room, both shinki immediately return to his side regardless of what they've been doing beforehand, and the larger one carefully holds the child god's hand in his as he hurries them forward. Of course, he wants to head right to the part of the dojo more meant for physical training than anything. Once there, he can be observed cheerfully telling his two shinki something.]

[The younger of the pair seems almost embarrassed, rubbing the back of his neck while his elder gives him a sympathetic but amused smile. Eventually, however, the tiny god wins out, and calls out both names...]

[The older shinki seems to disappear entirely, no animal or item or piece of clothing left behind. But the younger?]

[Well. Let's just say that there is a small child now drowning in denim. It is a kimono, and it is sized for an adult, not a child. That doesn't seem to be bothering the god any as he beams down at the garment before carefully picking it up and tropping through the dojo.]

[He seems... so cheerful about it...]

D - Rest

[The two shinki have finally gotten a bit of rest. While they've both passed on the lunch offered by Heaven, they seem relieved to have cups of water to sip on while they stand to the side and leave their god on his own...]

[...while he goes to venture over to the puppies, only to be immediately be knocked over as the puppies swarm him.]

[GOD DOWN, GOD DOWN]

D! PUPPIES AHOY!

[welcome_home]

[ Nanako fully intends to help. At some point. Probably. If he even needs help?

Getting swarmed by excitable affectionate puppies doesn't seem to be the worst of fates to have in this place, after all.

Still, she's giggling as she comes over to see what the fuss is, spotting the young boy currently buried under wagging tails and licking tongues. ]

Are you okay?? Do you need help?

all the smol things

[chibisu]

[It really isn't the worst thing that could happen, it's true, and the quiet laughter coming past all the wiggling furry bodies attests to that.]

I can't get up!

smol things are best

[welcome_home]

[ Still giggling, Nanako reaches out to wave a hand over the pile of wriggling bodies. ]

Here, can you take my hand? I can try and pull you up?

D

[toremainbehind]

[Izumo can't help but laugh when he sees the tiny god be knocked down by the puppies.

At least they seem to be loving the tiny god. He walks over to him, a grin on his face.]

Need some help there?

[chibisu]

[With a bit of struggle, a tiny arm thrusts out from the puppy horde and waves frantically. Despite this predicament, however, there's still some laughter beneath all the fur.]

[toremainbehind]

[Grinning, he walks over and his presence attracts some of the puppies. They immediately run over to Izumo, yipping at him while the taller god checks on the smaller one.]

C

[letteropener]

Oh goodness.

[Celestia paces over to him quickly, looking down with a gentle but concerned smile.]

Something seems to have gone slightly wrong here, that is far too big.

[chibisu]

[Coming to a stop as he's approached, he lets go of what of the kimono he's managed to lift up and lets his hands swing back down. The sleeve of the kimono flop down noisily. That's just the life when it's made of... denim...]

Oh, you don't have to be concerned. Most shinki do adjust for their god, but it's not always guaranteed. When I become bigger, I know his vessel form will fit on me!

[....Just. Not now.]

A~

[disciprined]

[It hardly seems more logical the second time around, but it does at least make slightly more sense.

[Can you attend the lecture again? Apparently, you can attend the lecture again. She didn't even have to sneak in: though Mirei would have stood out somewhat in a meeting room, if a quick PriPara Change was the price of a chance to review last week's material, she would have gladly paid it. Nobody, however, seems interested enough to try and keep her from her revision, so she simply walks straight in, takes a seat, and tries not to draw too many comparisons between the welcome the newcomers are getting and the rather more improvisational feel of her own arrival. The warehouse must have been a one-off.

[She isn't too surprised to be approached after the meeting, or to be met with the same question she had asked the first time around. What is surprising is that she appears - from her lofty eminence as a middle-school girl - to be being addressed by a child.]

It makes somewhat more sense with experience, though it still sounds rather implausible. Is there nobody we can speak to about this?

[It is never too early to learn the word 'implausible', Laala Manaka.]

[chibisu]

If I had to imagine, you would want to send a message to a god of sufficient standing and pass it along. However, Heavenly bureaucracy means that it may take some time...

[Ah, the woes of working with such a large system. Yet that's really all that can be done when things need to be kept organized. He thinks for a moment, hands pressed together, before he shakes his head.]

[In a bit. For now...]

What aspects of it do you think need the most improving?

C

[replicatedform]

[Being a reasonably practical person, Yamanbagiri noticed a small boy in way too big clothes. He blinks and looks around if there's anyone accompanying him. And then looking back at the boy.

... He walks over, raising a brow. He lowers his clipboard, which have a sheet of paper, with his handwritten results about the measurement's he's dragged into taking.]

Aren't they a little too big for you?

[chibisu]

[He is, technically, accompanied! By two adults, even! They're just... not immediately visible. Still, when he's approached, he slowly lowers the part of kimono he'd heaves up so that he could walk properly.]

Oh, yes. Still, I should learn how to move around anyway, right?

C

[reformedsinner]

[It's like some kind of visual gag: the small child is trooping happily through the dojo, and then the jean kimono is trailing on, and on, and on behind him. Hakkai blinks down at him, before raising one finger with a bright smile.]

Good morning!

Do you think you should tie that up? Someone might step on your train.

[chibisu]

[Coming to a stop, he cranes his head back to blink up at the other god.]

Do you think that would really help? It may only become heavier...

[Denim is not a light fabric. However, even as he says that, recognition lights up in his eyes.]

Oh! Are you Li Tieguai-dono?

D

[alchemists]

[ Elfnein is waving a piece of food from the refreshment table trying to get the dogs attention. ]

Here, I have a treat.

[ Puppies always go for food right? ]

[chibisu]

[True enough, while they don't recognize all commands yet, the puppies have definitely learned the context of "treat". Ears all immediately perk up, and the horde turns away from Ebisu...]

[....To start charging Elfnein.]

A

[subtract]

[Add isn't really paying attention to the lecture. He doesn't especially want to be here, but after having two of his friends show up last week, the possibilities of others he knows appearing has been on his mind. So, he only really came here to snoop around at all the new gods and shinki.

He doesn't spot anyone familiar at the lecture, though. Disappointing. He spends the last few minutes of it balancing on the back legs of his chair, looking rather bored. The moment it's over with, he sighs and moves to stand up.

The weird kid next to him asks a question first, though. Add frowns irritably.]

As dull and boring as it always is.

[He gives the kid a once over. Add's never seen him around before, so clearly he's a newcomer. With that conclusion in mind—]

If you're looking for someone to show you around, go bother someone who cares.

[chibisu]

Oh, I don't need that.

[His feet kick a few more times. He'd like to do the balancing act the god besides him has done, but he probably shouldn't try unless one of his shinki is around.]

You're Henir, aren't you? You broke Heaven once.

D

[purr_ince]

[Adrien didn't mean to laugh but it was impossibly endearing. Though he's striding over and gently parting the huddled mass of puppies with a sweep of an arm just to lightly push the aside.]

You doing alright there, buddy?

[The blond extends a hand to the child-god with a warm smile.]

They're just a teeny little overexcited it seems.

[chibisu]

[As he resurfaces, struggling to pull himself up by Adrien's arm, Ebisu's carefully brushed hair is in a tongue-lickd disaster zone now. If he has pawprints on his clothes, it won't be a surprise.]

I didn't know dogs that small could do that!

A

[priforprince]

It's nothing I haven't heard before.

[ Hibiki, the very picture of composure, closes her eyes. Nothing new to learn this time, then....?

How disappointing. ]

Personally attending was unnecessary.

[chibisu]

I see.... That's disappointing, but, it sounds like you've already adjusted to being a god really quickly.

[That's what that easy confidence means, right?]

A

[futhark]

[ Caster tries to keep a low profile while on the training session. Perhaps he will get answers to some question that might have arisen recently, if not he'll have to go around and ask-

and now he is being the one questioned. Huh, ]

I think there's still plenty to learn. It's good they're holding these lectures.

[ So someone can always refresh the memory ]

How about you?

[chibisu]

I think it's really interesting that people have to be told how to act as a god. After all, shinki are there for that reason, and you would understand after listening to prayers, right?

[His legs continue to swing.]

Especially because every god must have different ways of dealing with their followers...