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

[swordofzero]

Oh [Suzaku looked at the girl who seemed to have attracted a swarm of butterflies. That was... unusual.] Maybe try and shake them off. [He knows that they are delicate, he doesn't want to pull them, he's improved at borderlines but the risk of cutting the girl and killing the butterflies is too great.

He looks around and grabs one of the nets] I can try and remove them.

[frailrobin]

They just kept following...

[ And in shaking her arm, for a moment they flutter off, only to immediately land back on her. Some have also settled on her head. ]

I just arrived, so I can't do much with a borderline. My god hasn't actually named me yet.

[swordofzero]

I see [It was strange for them to be so attracted to her even when she tried to disturb them.] I wouldn't risk a borderline so close to you [She was new, Suzaku knew very well how that felt.]

I arrived a couple of weeks ago. I'm going to try and get some of these in the net [He carefully brings the net to her arm, trying to scoop at the butterflies.]

[frailrobin]

It's fine, I understand the concern.

[ It'd just invite guilt if he tried to help and only caused pain. Which is why she's been so gentle with the butterflies- Who knows what they did or if they were actual spirits or something. ]

As long as you don't hurt them. They're not doing any harm, after all.

[swordofzero]

I won't harm them. [He manages to scoop some butterflies in the net. He's a little unsure what to do with them though, perhaps if he goes a distance before he releases them they won't find their way back to her.]

[frailrobin]

Thank you for your help.

[ Choosing to believe the promise, Chise nods and helps to get them scooped into the net. Either to gently shake her arm or to nudge them off with a hand- It seemed they weren't very fond of the black one in comparison to the rest of her. At least not to the point that they took to the rest of her. ]

I could try returning to the front of the meeting hall and see if it's far enough?

[swordofzero]

You're welcome. [He focused on collecting the butterflies. He noticed as well her black arm and how the butterflies seemed to be avoiding it. He didn't ask questions though, not only because it would be inpolite but also because he was aware that as a Shinki she might not know the answers.

He nodded at her suggestion] It's worth a try.

[frailrobin]

[ She nods a little at the agreement before giving a more appreciative bow, backing up a few steps after the butterflies seem to have been contained. ]

In that case, thanks again.

[ If only for being left, stuck with the net full of butterflies as she turns and runs to return to the meeting hall, going around to the front to sit on the stairs. She isn't particularly fast, but Chise wasn't exactly trying to sprint in the first place. It was a gainful jog at best, to hustle and not waste too much time.

Whether or not he meets up afterwards, she couldn't say, but it certainly taught her to watch out for swarms of spirit butterflies. For... whatever reason that happened. ]

[swordofzero]

You're welcome [He nods at her politely and watches as she jogs away to the other side. Just for safe measure he moves further away himself taking his net of butterflies with him. He releases them at the other side of the hall, gently herding them in the opposite direction to the girl with borderlines.]

[frailrobin]

[ At least with her long out of the way, whatever was drawing the butterflies in seemed to break up. It wasn't instant, but it took her being almost out of sight and a couple extra seconds before they went back to moving as they had before.

At least these butterflies were harmless? ]