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

[frailrobin]

[ As if giving Hibiki some semblance of aesthetic, while there certainly wasn't any pastel lavender or other soft colors, catching the easily-topped redhead does have a few of those spirit butterflies fly off of her, having been blending in with the white hospital clothes. ]

Thank you... Ah,

[ Reclaiming her footing, Chise holds the dirtied sweater up with both her mismatched hands in a proper return. Some of the pups hover nearby, even putting a paw gently up against a leg with intense concentration towards their purple toy. ]

Your sweater.

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki sees those dogs eyeing her sweater. She eyes them back, then snatches her garment with a sniff. The lady seems unharmed (and the butterflies were appreciated), but.... ] Destructive and unruly.

[ She looks over her sweater, but has to give up her assessment when what she sees threatens to make her head ache. ] Not a combination I'd desire in a pack of companions.

[ The puppies' rears are wiggling, preparing to go for the toy. ]

[frailrobin]

I'm sure they don't mean it.

[ The puppies all had their baby fat and all the clumsiness that comes with an incredibly young age. Even as they wiggle in place, with one of them trying to stand up on their back legs, only to sway off to the side and roll onto a kind of recovery. ]

They'd probably take anything else as a replacement.

[ How did they get the sweater? A question she wasn't sure would get a full answer. ]

[priforprince]

I'm not in the habit of carrying amusements for animals.

[ Just an entire flower shop's worth of roses, a sword, a shield, sentence-ender-cancelling cutphones, a life-size substitute doll, a glove for challenging people to duels...All in her lapel pockets. Somehow.

The puppies jump for the sweater. Hibiki holds it up and away, more out of stubbornness than anything else. Over the little balls of fur roll. ]

[frailrobin]

Well, it doesn't sound like you're the owner...

[ That certainly sounds like entertainment for a particular kind of animal...

Watching helplessly between the puppies and her 'savior' trying to keep the sweater high out of the way, it's a moment before she steps out of their way. While that makes it easier for the menaces to surround Hibiki, it's for a good reason. ]

I'll be right back.

[ And there she goes, away from the potential carnage, leaving Hibiki holding the bouquet... of fine fabric. Chise will be back after a minute or so, with a rope and treats from the trainer themselves. The prince just has to survive the onslaught of excitement from the litter. ]

[priforprince]

[ This is a feat easier said than done! Chise will return to a magnificent tableau:

Hibiki, sweater still brandished aloft, throwing a glove into the puppies' midst. ] I've had enough of your persistence! I demand a duel!

[ !!!!


THE HUMAN

HAS THROWN

A TOY

The puppies all run for the glove, ecstatic. ]

HEY!!

[frailrobin]

[ ...

Oh. Oh dear, this had escalated a lot more than she thought it would. This is because Chise mostly believed that the stranger would be able to keep a cool head on their shoulders.

As the puppies either grab part of the glove or try to squeeze in for a finger or anything, the redhead watches for a second.

Then whistles, causing them all to forget the new toy and just look towards the source of the sudden sound. ]

O-okay... Here, go fetch!

[ With an underhanded toss, she sends the rope off a good distance while going to fetch the poor glove herself. ]

[priforprince]

[ Aaaand off go the puppies. Hibiki is left relaxing, on the verge of reaching for a sword she has tucked into some cartoon hammerspace pocket...somewhere.

She watches the puppies go. ] Honestly. Not a scrap of nobility....

[ It's probably for the best Chise is fetching the glove, as its owner is too busy posing broodily. ]

[frailrobin]

They just started learning, apparently.

[ Not that she thinks animals understand 'nobility.' It feels like this person was caught up and from an entirely different world.

When close enough, Chise holds up the glove she'd collected. All she can offer is a bit of a sympathetic (well, confused,) smile to the stranger. ]

I'm sure that they probably thought you were playing the whole time.

[priforprince]

A ridiculous presumption.

[ Hibiki never "plays". She occasionally acts, but that is a lofty calling and completely unrelated.

...The glove surprises her a bit, as she doesn't tend to expect strangers to do things for her. Still, it is accepted. ] Much obliged.

[frailrobin]

I don't see how it's so ridiculous.

[ However, like the puppies, she didn't know Hibiki. Really didn't know her. ]

You're welcome. Maybe try holding onto your clothes while they're running around? I've brought a few things to help distract them, but it would only work to a degree, I'm guessing.

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki snorts. ] Their handler is lax to permit such behavior in the first place.

[ The puppies are tearing around in some sort of elaborate game of tag where everyone is It now. "Permission" does not seem to be in their vocabulary. ]

[frailrobin]

Not a fan of puppies?

[ It seemed to be pretty obvious, but Chise still found herself asking to be sure. Of course this could be that the person was taking it more personally due to the damaged cardigan. ]

[priforprince]

[ Hibiki waves a hand, dismissing not only these puppies but the very concept of puppydom. ] They're raucous.

[ BARK bark bark YIP YIP YIP YIP bark WOOF

...Hibiki's hand falters, irritated. ]

[frailrobin]

I'm sure they'll be better after some training.

[ Says the one that almost fell onto their face because of the rambunctious energy they've proven many times over to have.

Which is probably why she went to brave the wave of pudgy youths to get and toss the rope off and away once more. They definitely know how to chase. ]

[priforprince]

[ Aaaaaand they're off!! Leaving Hibiki in temporary quiet. She sighs, relieved.

Let her just....enjoy this tranquility......after her ordeal....

It is probably safe to say that Chise was right, and Hibiki is not a puppy person. ]

[frailrobin]

[ Definitely safe enough that she won't press that obvious fact. ]

Thanks for your help earlier, once again. My name's Chise.

[priforprince]

Hibiki.

[ Oh, we're talking about how amazing she is now. Hibiki brightens, instantly feeling better. ] They didn't harm you?

[frailrobin]

[ Ah. Well at least it's easy to raise this one's spirits. ]

No, not at all. I didn't have the best balance is all.

[priforprince]

I fear you haven't been able to rest much here.

[ Isn't this the place where people rest and refresh themselves after a hard day's work subjecting themselves to the sight of everybody else training for reasons even they are starting to suspect aren't worth it?

Or is that just her? ] Let me find solace for you.

[ Before the horde returns.... ]

[frailrobin]

I can't say I've done much to require rest.

[ At least in her opinion. Some would say that anyone would deserve a break after interacting with Shun, but that'd depend on who you asked. However the only thing of note in Chise's mind was having been named, which couldn't really be seen, as her blackened left hand was still holding onto the remainder of the dog treats the trainer had given her.

Which means that where she goes, that horde will eventually descend upon them once again. ]

There's probably plenty of places to sit back up at the dojo. It didn't seem very busy before.

[priforprince]

These sessions do grow duller.

[ But since you're a new face, it's likely this is your first. Well, no mind to that! That line shall cue you in that Hibiki has been here long enough to develop an aesthetically mature and worldly approach to such matters.

She'll start leading Chise towards said dojo in search of seats, heedless of the bag of dog treats. They're safe. It's all right. She'll move, and then, everything will return to as it should be.... ]