July Training

[godsoffortune]

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: December 22nd
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 more experienced god and shinki volunteers.




Meeting Hall

God Training

Newly arrived gods are escorted into a small meeting room, with tatami floors and a stage 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. Paper and pens are provided to all the attendees as an unsubtle suggestion to take notes on the information they're given.

The speaker delivers his welcome speech in a rather bored tone, occasionally stumbling and checking his own notecards. He particularly dwells, towards the end of the speech, on the fact that an unauthorized god has recently tried to access the Heavens, and any contact from other gods asking to access the Heavens through their temples should be immediately reported. Newly arrived gods 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. They are allowed to remain in the room as long as they wish, should they want to discuss questions with each other or with more experienced gods who are here to help out.

Shinki Training

Various shinki in the white-and-gold of Amaterasu's hosuehold are stationed around the dojo, passing out informational pamphlets that have been freshly printed. They will be happy to answer any questions or instruct the newcomers in the use of the borderline. They also accompany their answers, or lessons, with 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.

A variety of weapons are available in the dojo for shinki and their gods to practice with, and a row of straw targets are set up along one wall. Outside, in an area carefully roped off with red ribbons, are six animated training dummies, also made of straw and dressed in plain cotton jackets and trousers. They will immediately engage anyone who enters the area marked with the ribbon, but will not pursue opponents outside it. A white-robed shinki nearby keeps a sharp eye on the animated dummies, and will intervene if anyone tries to destroy one.

Physical Training

A race track has been laid out, winding through the gardens to a towering pole, 9 meters in height, planted in the center of a pond with a cluster of pretty ribbons tied at the top. White-robed shinki are standing by with stopwatches: anyone who wants can race their friends along the path, with the first one to return to the starting point with a ribbon winning the challenge, or solitary racers can recruit a shinki to time them and try to beat their own speed. But be careful not to fall off the pole! The pond isn't dangerously deep, but the bottom is very muddy, and in late December, it's also very, very cold.

On the lawn near the dojo, a wide circle has been marked out in white paint, and big baskets set around the circle are filled with sachets full of chalk dust in a rainbow of colors. Pick your color, grab a handful of sachets, and join the fray! Anyone inside the circle is a fair target to have one of the sachets thrown at them, and on impact, they splash out enough brightly colored dust to mark the spot they strike. Head or torso hits are an automatic out, leg hits mean the target isn't allowed to move from their position, and arm hits mean they can't use that arm. Borderlines -- and any other magic -- are allowed, and the game can get intense.

Rest and Refreshments

The weather outside, although not freezing, is quite chilly, and in the middle of the afternoon, the shinki will invite everyone into a prepared banquet hall for food and to warm back up. Charcoal braziers set in the center of square tables radiate warmth, and are covered by grates; other shinki bring trays of fresh ingredients, both meat and vegetable, that can be grilled over the hot coals.

After the meal is finished, one of the white-robed shinki, a middle-aged woman with her hair cut in a fashionable modern bob, enters the room with an expression of great, if restrained, delight, pushing a cart with a portable karaoke machine and speaker on it. She sets up the karaoke machine at one end of the room, and begins encouraging others -- both her fellow shinki and the newcomer guests -- to join in with a song. Whenever there's a break, she puts in music selections of her own; she has a trained, jazzy voice and a great fondness for midcentury enka.

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
• Relax, sing and barbecue
• Have fun~

Comments

[priforprince]

Allow me to be the judge of that. [ She moves to the front with alacrity, seeing it as her right. It's good he understands such things.

As promised, the vouchers give them dibs on the next batch of fresh food, including some items of which there are only a handful. Hibiki gravitates towards the best cuts of meat...

Is there no dessert, though? Only a grill party. Alas. ]

[myblueskies]

[The benefit of her going first us he can copy her, even if he's not sure what to do to redeem this magical special dibs voucher.

All the food looks really yummy! But... Romeo might still be learning about lots of different things but even he can tell that this meat isn't cooked.] Won't we get sick?

[priforprince]

There's sure to be chefs on hand to serve us. [ Yes? It wouldn't be special dibs if this weren't full serve, yes?

Yes???


WHERE IS THE COOK. SHE SEES THE GRILL BUT NO COOK. ]

[myblueskies]

Oh over there! [Romeo has spotted the grill as well and a glance around at a couple of other people solved the mystery. They were cooking on the mini fire grills on the tables!]

We get to cook them!

[priforprince]

"We"?

[ Wait, those are. Gods and shinki. Grilling the. ]

It's self-service?

[ Gratuitous English, don't fail her now! ]

[myblueskies]

Self service? [Those words aren't ones he knows and he butchers them pretty badly. But he grins.]

There's a grill free over there! Let's go cook!

[priforprince]

[ Oh, her poor head. Hibiki rallies to sniff. ]

Preparing my own prize is out of the question. If no staff is provided, I'll have you do it.

[myblueskies]

Do you not know how to cook? [Romeo looked at her with concern. She was a grown up! Surely she knew. How did she ever eat? Unless she just ate apples all day?

Then again she was a god. Maybe her shinki made food for her. Romeo made food for Elfnein. Especially when she was busy.

Romeo's never grilled meat before. But there is no time like right now to learn a new skill! Luckily the braziers are already lit!]

Don't worry, miss! I'll make us some yummy food!

[priforprince]

Medium rare will do.

[ Satisfied that she has delegated food preparation (though his skills remain to be seen), Hibiki goes in search of something to drink. Sparkling water, perhaps. Dare she dream?

No. No, she daren't. This water she has found is....flat. ]

[myblueskies]

[Medium rare? What does that mean? But before he can ask she's wandered off and he's left with a plate of meat and vegetables and a brazier.

He can do this! He knelt up on the chair so he could reach the brazier. He put some of the meat on the brazier and blinked as it sizzled.

So far so good! He keeps watching it though, eventually he would have to turn it over!

[priforprince]

[ SHIKYOIN HIBIKI DRINKS NO TAP WATER

She returns just slightly more ruffled than when she left, figuring observing the boy at work is at least more interesting than having to look at everybody else (given her opinion of everybody else).

Hm. So far so good, mostly. But. ]

You still haven't turned it?

[ We either don't care what's going on over here, or we backseat cook. There are no middle options. ]

[myblueskies]

Do you think it's time? [He picks up the tongs and examines the meat with a frown. Is it cooked? Maybe he should turn it. He can always turn it back later!

He does do with a look of extreme concentration on his face. Up and over. Success! He grins at Hibiki happily.]

[priforprince]

[ He both listened to her and successfully turned the meat, so he gets a serious nod in reply. ] Hm.

I'll be over here. [ In this corner. Away from everyone else.

These Heaven-sponsored events tend to be on the rowdy side. Not her scene. ]

[myblueskies]

Okay, miss Hibiki! [He goes back to cooking. The first one is mostly trial and error but after a few times of turning it is cooked. Probably a little bit more well done than medium rare but it is cooked and smells amazing!

He puts more meat on the grill and a stick with vegetables.] Some of it is ready!

[priforprince]

Bring it here after it's cooled a moment.

[ Get up? For her own food? Nonsense talk. She's busy watching something very important.

(Okay, it's the karaoke.) ]

[myblueskies]

Okay miss! [There are people singing now, he glances over but quickly returns his focus to the food.

Once he figures the neat has cooled enough he jumps down to take the plate over.]

[priforprince]

[ He's obedient, she'll give him that.

Hibiki tucks a napkin into her shirt to use as a bib while eating, cutting her first forkful of meat. This looks slightly better-done than ordered, so she shall grant him some Incredible Celebrity Wisdom! ] Overcooking deprives meat of its flavor. Preserving its integrity is the only way to guarantee a top-class dining experience.

[ Cooking lessons from the Prince who refused to cook. ]

[myblueskies]

[Overcooking? He had cooked it too much? It hadn't looked burned.

His face fell but only for a moment. Because Romeo. He never gave up! He had more meat on this grill and that meant he had a second chance!

This time he takes the meat off earlier, delivering it with the vegetable kebab to her.]

[priforprince]

[ Despite Hibiki's words, she is well on her way to having finished serving #1 by the time Romeo returns with the rest. The chill of the day had turned out surprisingly...bracing.

A nod as she finishes her first serving and tries her second. ] Better. The meat and its juice perform a clumsy, but delicate, waltz.

[myblueskies]

[Romeo grinned at the praise though he didn't understand what dancing had to do with cooking...

Unless...] Oh, was that a metaphor?

[priforprince]

....So you do possess a vocabulary.

[ Somehow this fact makes the food taste even better. ]

[myblueskies]

Yes! [He looks proud.] A metaphor is when you describe something as something else usually to make it sound colder! Mister Davesprite taught me!

[priforprince]

..."Mister Davesprite", hm.

[ of all the shinki in all the world ]

A dubious educator.

[myblueskies]

Do you know him? He's really nice. [He pulls a small face.] Even if he uses lots of rude words.

[priforprince]

I've had the debatable pleasure of meeting him.

[ Time for some vegetables. The thought of Davesprite is enough to make her want to build up her stamina with health food. ]

Heeding only a sliver of what he says is best.