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

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.]

[alchemists]

[ Mistakes have been made. ]

Sit!

[ She tries making a bunch of different hand signs from the training books she's read before but the pups don't know them yet. ]

[chibisu]

[They definitely don't know those different gestures she's making! A couple puppies come to a pause at the command, but they soon the rest of the horde once it's clear not everyone is following.]

[From the spot where puppies once crowded about, a now very messy haired boy sits up, blinking focus back into existence.]

[alchemists]

[ Elfnein has an arm poking through the pile of puppies now climbing on her, she's already been pushed to the ground. ]

H-help

[chibisu]

[Getting up to his feet, he hurries over.]

I'm coming-!

[Or he'll trip over a puppy and make the pileup worse. That... That's happening too.]

[alchemists]

[ Oh no, now the puppies are wondering what that loud sound was and start running over. ]

Please look here friends!

[ Elfnein starts drawing bones and tennis ball shapes in midair so they'll go to the now glowing drawings. ]

[chibisu]

[Fortunately, the light show has all the puppies perk up, and making a beeline right for that instead. Lights! Time to investigate, with their mouths, obviously.]

[Meanwhile, Ebisu pushes himself up.]

Ah- are you alright?

[alchemists]

I'm ok somehow.

[ Outside of being covered in dirt and puppy drool everything is ok. ]

[chibisu]

Okay, that's good. [With less tripping on his face, he makes his way over to her.] I'm sorry. It's because of me that you went through that kind of trouble...

[alchemists]

It's really not a big deal, puppies that don't have training don't know when something is bad. So it's normal for them to try and gang up on one thing they find interesting.

[chibisu]

Have you dealt with puppies a lot before....?

[alchemists]

No, but I've read a lot of books on pet care recently.

[chibisu]

Oh! Do you have a pet yourself then?

[alchemists]

I recently adopted a cat.

[chibisu]

Ah, that's nice... I don't seem to have a pet at my temple.

[alchemists]

Have you considered maybe adopting one of these puppies then?

[chibisu]

Ah.... [That has him pause, looking back towards the Meeting Hall.] I don't think that would be wise.

[alchemists]

Is there some reasoning for why? If dogs aren't your things then there was a cat adoption event recently.

[chibisu]

Ah, well... I wouldn't want to trouble Amaterasu-sama or any of her shinki.

[alchemists]

I'm a little confused as to how it would trouble Amaterasu..

[chibisu]

Well, that's one of her shinki, isn't it?

[alchemists]

Oh... I didn't realize that.

[ Elfnein just thought they were normal dogs. ]

[chibisu]

Mm. They're technically hers, I think... and so I don't know what she has planned with them.

[And he doesn't want to ask.]

[alchemists]

If they're here then maybe they were brought in to help with the stress of new arrivals ?