Kenoma Team Training

[lachtara]

WHO: The Kenoma
WHAT: Training Activities
WHERE: Starts at the Citadel, varies per activity
WHEN: Starting on 6/4
WARNINGS: None yet...?

After a period of relative quiet, the Kenoma will receive a Communion post of utmost importance:

"Good day, everyone. This is Ciel. We may have received a passing grade from the Regent following the events in Venera, but they have sorely underlined how ill-prepared we were for a proper mission on Horos. Emet-Selch, Eustace, and I are in agreement, thus we have organized a series of training and teambuilding exercises. We ask that you all please attend, there will be... prizes."

---

OVERVIEW

When trainees arrive in the Courtyard after the Communion, a plethora of training activities await them.

The courtyard itself is sectioned off into areas, one for each training activity for the day. The activities vary from one subject to another, and still manage to be related to their tasks as a Kenoma while still leaving room for "fun". Weapons training, tag, survival training, and strength training are all provided. Kenoma is also welcome to spar on their own if they so choose. (This is not included as a specific prompt to avoid too much PVP, but you can add it in a TL if you like.)

Instructions on each activity will be provided to the participant before they begin. For those who can’t participate or choose to show up for moral support or to dodge the activities, water will be provided so that you may gossip around the proverbial "water cooler".

Each of the three trainers are on hand in some capacity or another to provide instructions on that activity or training on a specific skill.

These exercises can be done at any point and do not necessarily have to be done on a training day with the group. Characters can return after the crowd has dispersed to train on their own or with a chosen individual. The equipment will still be there and trainers (or fellow Kenoma) can be brought here at their leisure.

---

I. WEAPONS TRAINING

Racks of weapons are lined up on the far side of the courtyard. These range from swords to polearms and rather sizable knives to swords and tonfas. Feel free to grab a weapon of your choosing and have a trainer engage you to show you how to use it. Or, if they have experience, other students may also advise you!

The intent is to train on the proper use of several types of weapons and how to wield them effectively. It may also delve into how to most efficiently disable/neutralize/injure someone in a fight, depending on which teacher you wind up with.

---

II. AGILITY

There is an open part of the field that has been roped off specifically for...tag! Rope bridges, mud pits, chest-high walls of rock, and even a large wall of ice (?!) dot the field to give people plenty of places to hide and run. (If you would like your own obstacle, feel free to comment to ask so we can make sure it’s within reason of what our characters could do.)

Participants will be provided with a waxy paint to put on their hands which will stain whatever person it comes in contact with with a very luminescent purple glitter. (It washes out, of course!) The last person standing will get a prize of…dubious worth.

Now get running!

---

III. SURVIVAL

There’s two locations for this: the outdoor courtyard closest to the main citadel kitchen, and the kitchen itself.

For the outdoor location, bundles of tree branches and firewood are provided if needed, students are expected to start their own fire and cook wild game with what they foraged.

A - Foraging
Time for a field trip to the mountains and woods outside Achamoth! Students will be taught basic survival skills including: first aid without the use of magic, how to find and create shelter from natural terrain, how to identify and forage for food that is safe to eat, and how to create traps to catch wild game. Yes, you too can experience the joy of floor meat!

All foraged supplies can subsequently be used for Home Ec cooking lessons.

B - Home Ec
For the kitchen, there's a dedicated area where several Aions at once could attempt cooking with utensils and more elaborate ingredients. There are some servants keeping an eye out just in case and could be flagged down for help or assistance if requested/needed, but otherwise, Aions are free to make use of everything available to their own ends. Is this really useful for "training"? Cooking is a science that shapes and nourishes both body and soul, of course, it's important enough to have a part in the curriculum!

---

IV. STRENGTH

Step up to the starting line with one partner. One person will carry the other across a small section of the course to the finish line at the opposite end. There are a few minor obstacles such as walls and puddles. Nothing that you have to put too much effort into getting around. The person who can see will guide the person carrying them to the finish line using only their voice. Try not to bump into anything.

If you feel *really* ambitious, extra weights will be provided. Or you can forgo the rules and carry two people (or more?). Your choice, really.

---

V. REFRESHMENTS

For those who are not athletically inclined - or claim not to be athletically inclined - a large chunk of ice with refreshments dotted throughout awaits you on the sidelines. They will take a little effort to free them. Most will be freed with a little pull while others are completely encased in ice and may not be worth the effort.

Feel free to hand out refreshments, gossip about the participants, or scheme to your hearts' content.

Comments

QUESTIONS

[lachtara]

Ask here if there’s anything you’d like to know!

Injury Report

[affal]

Please comment here if your character sustains an injury during training! Makoto's Curse of the Innocent gives him an empathetic sense of the physical pain of those around him and compels him to heal anyone nearby who is injured, so this is primarily to give me an idea of what he would be sensing. In addition, if you are either interested in or wish to opt out of Makoto thread-hopping in to do some healing (whether either of them like it or not), please also feel free to say! Otherwise I was just going to roll some dice and see if he can resist the urge or not.

[vivificantem]

0.v. Intended Purpose.

[To be honest, Paul's not certain how much he wants to be here; he's...honestly just here to make sure things don't get too out of hand, and to offer healing if needed in case things get out of hand. It isn't the first time he's offered this, and it likely won't be the last, so if you need healing on a day where Makoto isn't present or is otherwise occupied, he's also around if nothing else.]


I. Polearms.

[Of course, he'd been advised a while ago that he should consider polearms of some sort; he's not quite certain himself on what criteria that suggestion was based, but he can agree that being able to defend himself is probably for the best in the event of situations where avoidance isn't always feasible. He's been lucky in that regard so far, but...

So here he is, and he's never turned a weapon like this on anyone in his life and it shows; for now he's just testing the weight of it, trying to get used to the feeling of it without actively volunteering himself to have at anyone. He's open to instruction from pretty much anyone willing to offer it; he cannot, however, guarantee that the effort won't completely suck. At least there will definitely be genuine effort?

...He tries really hard, it's just often a really bad try.]


V. Interest.

[Otherwise, is he going to be spending time hanging out near the refreshments? Possibly, though not at all to judge, because...well, we all know the weirdly graphic proverb about removing the branch from one's one eye before worrying about the specks in another's. That said, he is interested in seeing how all of this is going just as a whole, even if he's disinterested in everything else about being here, including the refreshments themselves.

It doesn't mean he's averse to conversation, though.]

While I'm sure this will help, it feels a little...optimistic?

[It's as even-tempered as he ever is; more a statement than blunt judgement. But still, it's...yeah...]

I.

[gravings]

[ Coming to her first training session with her fellow Kenoma, she wasn't sure what to expect -- or if she would have anything to offer her impressive-seeming peers. She braced herself for the worst, that she would be utterly outshone and outclassed. But seeing Paul, she realizes she was worrying too much. She means that without judgment, of course. But it's encouraging to think that they're here to practice and learn, not just go all-out on each other.

She watches Paul for a minute before timidly stepping up to him, a halberd too tall for her hugged to her shoulder. Despite the athletic nature of their activities today, she continues to wear a large hood that swallows most of her head. ]

Pardon me... my name is Gray. Can I help you train in any way...?

[ She leaves her offer ambiguous, trying not to make it sound like she definitely thinks he needs a lot of help. ]

V

[hundredpower]

[Barnaby's grabbing a drink (after a swift kick to the ice to dislodge one of the harder-to-reach drinks; he'll leave the easier targets for the others) when Paul speaks up. He looks over, puzzled.]

Optimistic in what sense? [Their ability to train together as a group? Things seemed to be going pretty smoothly so far, from what he'd seen, so perhaps he was referring to something else.]

V.

[zauneyete]

[ Someone who had been...mostly at the refreshments table area the entire time looked up with a snort, his own flask in hand. ]

You're not wrong. [ He said, clearly not really participating in the festivities. Like Paul, he's mostly here to observe, and mostly here to get a good picture of who, or what, would be the most useful in a pinch. ]

Those who are already good at these sorts of things are either...bored, or not participating. Those who are bad are...

[ Somewhere, someone slipped on the ice. Maybe it's a retainer coming in, maybe it's someone else, but it's out on the field. ] Probably not improving, don't you agree?

[hundredpower]

I. WEAPONS TRAINING

[Barnaby isn't interested in learning how to use a weapon, simply because he doesn't need to. The only thing he's bothered to grab from the armoury is some light plate armour to cover his chest, legs and arms, which is laughable compared to his hero suit, but until he can find a better replacement, it's useful enough for training purposes. And since he's already used to fighting in a heavy suit, it's nothing that will slow him down or hinder his mobility.

He's finishing adjusting his straps on his armour when whoever will be training with him comes to join him.]

I won't be using a weapon, but feel free to choose whatever you like.

[He has the most experience against firearms, so more training against melee weapons would be helpful in particular, given they're more commonplace here, he thinks.]

III. SURVIVAL

[...In contrast to his combat prowess, however, Barnaby is absolutely a city boy and doesn't know the first thing about how to survive in the wilderness, beyond how to give emergency first aid. Still, he's trying not to look too perplexed as he lugs a load of sticks and heavy branches along in search of a site to make a shelter. He's willing to learn and realises how important it is; they won't always be assigned to another city like Venera, and there's always a chance conflicts could arise en route to a location.]

Somewhere down this hill would be advantageous to keep out of the wind, but wouldn't it be a problem if it rains heavily...? Or would it be most useful to prioritise staying near a source of fresh drinking water, given we're supposed to forage for our own supplies...?

[He'll be hemming and hawwing overanalysing all the different options for way too long if left to his own devices, so someone should probably help him decide.]

IV. STRENGTH

[Armed with a blindfold at the starting line, Barnaby motions to whoever has been paired up with him to head over and get ready. Hopefully they're a trusting sort, because...]

I'll carry you, and you can direct me. We'll begin as soon as you're ready.

[He's going to princess carry them... It's just how he carries everyone for some reason??? It's fine.]

VI. WILDCARD

[Choose your own starter! I'm happy to go with any of the prompts not already used above. Barnaby won't be using his powers unless we've plotted something in advance, as they have an hour-long cooldown and he will want to reserve them for the most useful training scenarios.]

closed to Zenos

[hundredpower]

[Barnaby had never been good with the training simulations back home, and both he and his partner agreed they worked best when they were in the thick of real danger, not a scenario with no stakes. So he'd sought out whoever claimed to be one of the strongest amongst the current roster of the Kenoma to spar with and found Zenos, a man he's not familiar with but more than willing to test to see if his claim stands up to any scrutiny.

He's still wearing the light plate armour he'd been using for weapons training with the others, though it might as well be for show; if Zenos really is powerful, he already realises the best defence is not to get hit in the first place. As they take their positions to begin the sparring match, Barnaby calmly sizes up his opponent.]

Thank you for agreeing to this. I want to make sure my skills aren't slipping, so please don't hold back on my account.

III.

[gravings]

[ Gray listens to Barnaby's musings with a small smile. It's clear that he's out of his element, but his speculations are still pretty astute. She's impressed, but she also can't help thinking that his seriousness is cute. ]

You aren't wrong, Mr. Barnaby... Those are all good things to think about. I think the best answer is somewhere in the middle. If you're too high on a hill, the wind will be too bothersome... but if you're too low, that's where the insects and cold gather. And if you're too close to water, you'll end up moist and cold too.

[ She's no expert survivalist, but she had no choice but to be outdoors for most of her young life. With no technology and no easy amusements, and nowhere to go but the untamed mountainside around her village, nature's temperaments come relatively easy to her. ]

I think... that in a real survival situation, there isn't much time to scout for a perfect spot either. Unless you're planning to stay long-term, you might just be better off looking for a big rock or cave... or even a tree you can break.

i

[epiprocta]

[ Truth be told, these sorts of group training activities aren't really his thing? There's something a little too buddy-buddy and school-gym-class about the vibes of these things, and it feels like his usual regime would be more effective but ... well, whatever. He'll go along with whatever will help keep his mind occupied.

So Gen comes slinking onto the training field not long after everything's been setup, scuffing a hand through his hair as he looks around for where to get started -- and gives a curious cant of the head when he spots an obnoxious gleam of metal. What the ...

... aha. Haha, damn.

Barnaby gets no real warning before Gen's voice calls out at him from all the way across the training field, ]

LOOKING GOOD, BUNNY-CHAN.

[ Yeah he's totally stifling a little laugh at the tail end of that embarrassing nickname, but at least Gen's not just shit-stirring. (Just mostly shit-stirring.) Hands in pockets, he makes his way over to the weapons rack as he looks Barnaby's armor over. ]

You really think that's gonna make up for your fancy mech suit, though?

[sterngaze]

[For once, Liem has eschewed the long, dark robes he typically wears around Achamoth for something a little less likely to get in the way. He shows up for training in a shirt and pants suited for moving around in, though his sleeves are still very much full-length. Liem makes an appearance for group training after the activities are first announced, but he can also be found using the training rooms or hunting around Achamoth on subsequent days, often during dusk or dawn. It’s good to keep occupied, after all.]

I-A. ARCHERY HELP

[Liem has been using the Citadel’s training facilities regularly for the past couple of weeks to keep his bowmanship sharp, and although his custom is to practise solo, he’s not averse to training with an audience. He can be found in an open area set aside for ranged weapons practice, filling the centre of a painted target with crossbow bolts or, later on, with arrows. And although he wasn’t involved in organizing any of these events, he’s available to give assistance to those who are trying to learn how to hit a mark.]

I-B. HAND-TO-HAND

[Liem has never been especially strong at fighting in close quarters. He knows how to give someone a good stabbing, but that’s always been a last resort. So his ability at unarmed combat is rusty at best, and his swordsmanship is nonexistent. But while he probably should learn to use a blade longer than a dagger, skill with unarmed combat seems a more versatile thing to know. With that in mind, he leaves sword training until another day and focuses on hand-to-hand for now. Maybe a helpful instructor pointed him toward you, or maybe he’s seen you in action and judges you as having expertise to share. Either way, he’s not shy about approaching to ask for tips, demonstrations, or a sparring partner to get in some hands-on practice.]

II-A. BE CARRIED

[For a man of such unassumingly average size, Liem is decently strong—but only by normal human standards. He agrees to participate in the strength training exercises only reluctantly, and it goes without saying that any of the unusually tall or bulky aions will have to look elsewhere for partners to carry them. Eyeballing the obstacle course, he holds a blindfold in his hands and firms his lips into a thin line. He’s already ended up on the ground more than once today, but depending on the quality of his directions, he feels like the odds are fairly good he and his partner are both going to end up there again at some point.

Well, there’s no time like the present to begin. With one final look at the course in front of him, he ties the blindfold securely in place, muttering,] I still don’t see why the blindfold is necessary.

II-B. CARRY

[This certainly won’t be the first time in the few weeks since Liem arrived on Horos that he’s been carried, although it will be the first time that the person carrying him is doing so while blindfolded. These training exercises have a bit of a bizarre twist to them that he doesn’t quite see the point of, but gods know he’s familiar enough with blindfolds, even if not in this exact context. And after he’s tried his hand at carrying someone across the course himself, it’s only fair to try the reverse while he catches his breath.]

Whenever you’re ready.

III. WILDCARD

[Want to do something else? Hit me up at Sporelett or ping me on discord, and we can figure something out!]

II-A

[gravings]

[ As one of the smaller Aions available, Gray feels like it's her duty to offer herself up as a human weight. After shyly (and apologetically) introducing herself to Liem, she gamely prepares to get picked up, watching as he ties his blindfold on. ]

I'm not sure either... Maybe it'll make more sense as we go.

[ Now that he has his blindfold on, she realizes that she somehow has to get herself into his arms without his being able to see her. She gently touches his arm so that he can have an idea of where she is. ]

Um, when you're ready, I can hop into your arms?

[ ??? She hopes that will work. The alternative is him awkwardly groping around to pick her up, but even she has a limit to what she'll tolerate. ]

I-B

[hundredpower]

[Barnaby's been training on his own and sparring with others, so it's not difficult for Liem to witness his skills in hand-to-hand combat. Barnaby's style is quick and a little unusual in that he favours kicks over punches, keeping his enemies at a distance over grappling with them. It's his strong suit compared to any kind of weapons, which which he has little experience, so he's happy to assist Liem when approached.]

Of course I can help. We could start by sparring, and if there's a technique you're curious about, I can demonstrate after. Are you interested in learning more for self-defence, or for direct combat?

[Barnaby's experience is definitely more in the latter category, but he's certainly capable of giving tips on either.]

i-a!

[lifespanned]

[ A bow and arrow seems like an elegant weapon choice to her— it doesn't seem so... well, hefty as all the other options they've been given. She's not sure if she could ever become proficient at swinging around a sword or a hammer. But a bow... it's just drawing back the string and aiming, right? How hard could it be?

Right??? ]

Wow, you're really good at this.

[ She's been watching him strike the targets so easily on the sidelines for a bit, admittedly too out of her league to actually waltz up to the weapons and give it a shot for herself. Nope, she's just sitting in the grass a bit away, eyes round as saucers while she looks on. ]

Any chance that means it's easy to learn? Haha.

ii-b.

[subsist]

[ ah, the good ol' trust exercises. kaeya can see the benefit of them, especially considering he's pretty sure not a whole lot of the aions from the kenoma trust each other. it's not like he can count himself as one of those who do either, but still — there is merit in finding out whether or not your comrade can be relied on when you're at a disadvantage.

at least, that's what he thinks the lesson is behind this particular activity. ]

My fate is in your hands.

[ while he isn't tying the blindfold around his eyes just yet, he looks at liem with an inquiring gaze. ]

How would you like to be carried?

ib/iii-ish, i'm sorry for the latest of late tag-ins u_u

[expiera]

[Luck or misfortune, the 'opponent(-slash-instructor)' Liem ends up facing against is a familiar fellow Aion. Ciel certainly doesn't look imposing with her full height of 5'4, though it's admittedly more like 5'5 in practice thanks to her steel-tipped boots. She hasn't been engaging very much personally either, having opted for more of a supervisor/demonstrator role than actual sparring partner, but since Liem seems to be looking...]

May I help you, Liem?

[As if she was a store clerk wondering if he's looking for a specific aisle, though her eyes are clear and sharp as she scans him with scrutiny from head to toe. Is it just her, or is he looking paler than she remembers...? His complexion never looked particularly healthy, admittedly, and it hasn't been something she's ever asked him about either. This is a training session, but it's also one where everyone can take things at their pace. Plus, health IS important if you're going to fight. Maybe this is a good opportunity...?]

[zauneyete]

I. Weapons training

[ Silco wasn't here to participate in the fighting. Or the training, actually. It's not that he doesn't want to defeat the Pleroma, or that he didn't expect that they would have to fight, however, he was resistant to admitting that he needed to work on anything in his life, ever.

He'd come to observe. He wasn't here to play at warrior, as he would never be the type -- what he had been able to figure out about his slowly burgeoning powers confirmed it. That suited Silco just fine.

Besides, he knew how to do something. He didn't intend to fight with it, but he inspected the lines of weapons. They certainly had gone all out, hadn't they? He picked up a knife, and looked it over, an inspection, not an attempt with a new weapons. He had his own knife in a small sheath sewn into his coat, after all. His fingers lingered for just a moment, when he set it down, but he wasn't sticking around to play with weapons. He is there long enough to be bothered, however, if you're so inclined. ]

V. Refreshments

[ Before one thinks that Silco was here to serve refreshments, perish the thought. The man, after arriving, subsequently looking at a single weapon, and putting it down, made his way over to the area with refreshments.

He doesn't even bother with the whole...display. Way to make drinking not enjoyable. No, he's here mostly to watch, maybe make a bitchy comment or two, and do absolutely nothing at all. If one were to think that this was a waste of time, Silco would pointedly state that it is, before going back to watching the festivities.

Is it because he wants to be here as a show to his loyalty to the regent? That could be it, but he's too focused, most of the time, on watching what everyone else is doing. His fingers on his single exposed hand rub together, occasionally, as if it's a reflex -- or perhaps in thought.

Out on the field, someone slipped, trying to scale the ice wall, and Silco scoffed. ]

I think walking around it would suffice.

[ He said, half out loud, before he took a sip from his own drink he brought, in a flask. Because of course he would. ]

Widcard!

[ Your character want to pull Silco into something against his will? Please, feel free! You have a different idea? Go for it! You can also hit me up on the game disc or at hundreds if you so choose! ]

Refreshments of a sort.

[lachtara]

[ Emet-Selch had garnered a refreshment of his own from the large block of ice just off to the side. It is nicely chilled with a refreshing bit of condensation on the outside. Perfect for a day outdoors.

He stops at Silco's side and takes a sip. ]

Opting not to participate today?

[ Or would he rather have something to write with to take notes on his comrades. ]

i

[epiprocta]

Do bar owners where you're from make a habit of playing with knives?

[ That languid comment is accompanied by the scuff of booted feet against the ground as Gen steps up to the rack of weapons. Though his gaze does fall upon the row of gleaming knives, it doesn't linger long.

It instead shifts to give Silco a scrutinizing once-over -- the man really doesn't seem the type to dive into the thick of things, does he? Granted, it's hard to be sure given how many people here have ridiculous abilities hidden up their sleeves, but still. He's not sure he's ever seen the guy on the training fields or out in a combat situation before. His eyes light upon the knife in Silco's hand before he looks away; Gen's hands are still shoved in his pockets as he looks back to the row of weapons awaiting them. ]

... got any tips?

[ His delivery is languid, almost casual, but an astute eye might spot the way Gen seems to be keeping the weapons at armslength so far. ]

1 OF COURSE

[spiritfury]

[ Rin is aware of Silco as soon as he's in the area. He is, after all, one of the few people she has decided understands her on a deeper level. As kind as some of her colleagues are...that may be their downfall, won't it? At least until they can successfully burn this world.

She makes her way over, her body seeming to phase in and out, like a series of stills until she's a respectful distance to his right in front of the weapons racks. She's curious about his choice... ]

A knife...it's very personal.

[hikikosaurus]

⚡ Weapons... training?
[It's an interesting announcement that goes out, calling them all for team building and training. More the kind of thing she'd expected before that party, and maybe something she should've put more effort into before they all spread across Venera to investigate in their own ways. Alphys isn't sure that combat abilities were exactly the area the thing they were lacking back there, considering how things went down... But with the rumors that some of the Pleroma will be seeking revenge, she can't really justify ducking out on all of this.

That said, she does shake her head and try to duck out of weapons training.]

N-No way, why would I carry around a sword? I would d-definitely like to be able to, uh, disable people... But I already have magic??


⚡Agility Competition
[This is more her speed, as it were. She's short, she scurries when she puts her mind to it, and she spent ages of clambering around in the piles of trash in Waterfall. As competitions go, it's her best shot. The main problem is...

By habit, she keeps her hands clutched up to her chest, close to where her clothing usually covers her shard. The delay of extending her arms to reach out to her competitors is enough delay for them to usually dodge. And it's even worse when they're people she finds a bit attractive, where the notion of just grabbing at them causes her to blush. It's easier for her to stay in the game by playing defensively, dashing out of others' grasps... but prolonging the game won't go well with her stamina. Maybe it's best to look at it as endurance training as much as agility.]


⚡ Survival Training - hillside outside Achamoth
[This is a new challenge, one that the weeks in the city and time traveling on the water haven't prepared her for. It's obvious from the start that Alphys has never spent a day in the woods in her life, as she stares around at the brush and undergrowth in search of the food they're supposed to forage.]

This looks... so much easier in shows.

[Thankfully they're not just being tossed in the forest to survive a night, the way characters in her show might have... It's proper instructions, explaining things before they start and giving feedback after their various successes and failures. At least building makeshift shelters with the various greenery is clear enough, as is the building of traps for game - once she experiments enough with the different branches and stems, testing for elastic strength and so on.]


⚡ Refreshments
[As much as she's trying to take the need for improvement seriously, the sheer amount of competing at unfamiliar things gets to her eventually. Alphys spends a while ducked down by the ice chunk, movements slower the longer she spends next to it...

But after a while, she grabs one of the weapons from the training she tried to avoid, and takes it to the ice. There's a particular refreshment buried in a couple inches in that seems like it'd hit the spot, and she's putting more effort into chipping at the ice than she ever put into attacking the targets. Incentive matters, huh?]

survival!

[gravings]

[ Gray is tagging along as a somewhat-knowledgeable-but-only-in-a-very-specific-way companion to aid(?) in Alphys's education. She blinks and glances up from the bushes she'd similarly been peering into for signs of food. ]

Shows...? What kinds of shows?

[lachtara]

🟣 WEAPONS TRAINING (of a sort)
Emet-Selch sits in one of the chairs that border the training yard. His head is propped up on his hand, and his eyes are closed almost as though he has dozed off. Setting up the training yard has proved an exhausting task and he has come to feel that tiredness keenly.

Though, he needs to make sure he is present and available in case any chooses to ask for magic lessons. Any who ask may need to grab his attention first.

🟣 III. SURVIVAL - B
Emet-Selch may have been many things, but being able to sufficiently fend for himself is not one of his finer talents. Cooking is where this becomes painfully obvious. It's such a bother to fuss over ingredients and tailor them to taste. Not something he cares to deal with.

Though a good leader puts themselves in the trenches with their own. At least, that is his logic when trying to bother to cook something. Even if he does it poorly.

He rinses off some vegetables and puts them in a pan. No salt. No pepper. Nothing else with them. Emet-Selch just folds his arms and waits for them to cook with the heat on as high as it would go. The kitchen staff looks on with reasonable worry on their face.

weapons training

[hundredpower]

In contrast to Emet-Selch, Barnaby has plenty of energy when it comes to training, either sparring with others or practising on a dummy. His daily routine back home often involved hours of intense physical workouts, so this is just par for the course here, too, even without any incentive of a group activity.

He's pausing for a break and refreshments when he notices a familiar face seemingly dozing off sitting nearby. Concerned, he decides to approach.

"Emet-Selch? If you're tired, you should head off and get some rest."

howl

[galdorleod]

A. ( you're doing it wrong right ) / ( feel free to wildcard into any part of this one too )

Howl shows up, but only out of a sense of obligation, and so for once he is late on purpose. While he knows they'll be fighting the Pleroma again at some point, the events of the past month have not left him in a hurry to get to the front lines. Besides, it seems they have no shortage of eager Kenoma, and if everyone else wants to fight so bad, Howl has no problem letting them.

Still, he feels he has to make a show at participating, and so he moves from one exercise to the next as quickly as he can. You can practically hear him eyerolling when he steps up to the weapons exercises. Howl picks up a bow, but he does not even bother slinging the quiver over his shoulder; the arrows rise up into the air, moved by magic, and one by one they thunk forcefully into the bullseye of a distant target. Tossing the bow to the floor, he unceremoniously heads to the portion of the field dedicated for agility training. When the next bout of tag begins, he hops into the air and does not fall back down. The other participants of this particular round cannot reach him, and so, he finishes as the last man standing. Instead of returning to the ground, he hovers to the next exercise — strength training — and with the wave of his hand, he picks up the largest of the extra weights sitting off to the side and moves it to the goal line. The section set up for survivalist training is ignored entirely.

Howl lands beside the block of ice. For his final trick, he presses one palm flat against the ice, and it starts to melt. Within a few seconds, he has a drink in hand, and is sitting beneath a tree looking very self-satisfied.

Did you get all that? Or even just part of it? Howl does accept compliments of all kinds. Scolding comments, less so, but it's not like he's going to lash out over an insult either.

B. ( closed to emet-selch and ciel )

Emet-Selch's presence did not escape Howl's attention during his non-serious jaunt through the training exercises. His gaze lingers on the Ascian at first; unavoidably, his anxious mind wonders if he's alright, if he made it back to Achamoth without too much trouble, if he... remembers the things Howl said to him in the course of purging the Innocence from his body. He seems as hale and whole as he always is, but... well, who can say for sure? Not Howl, not anymore. Not after the memories he saw and the emotions he felt.

Then, as he thinks back on those memories and emotions, his thoughts seem to self-correct. The snarky mage once told him he was not human at all, but a being called an "Ascian," and very very old being at that, who lost his people and his world once already. It was a terrible story, and one that endeared Emet-Selch to Howl immediately. But the things he saw in those memories didn't fit what he was told at all — and in the worst possible way for Howl personally. It seems he'd befriended not a powerful mage, nor an ageless Ascian, but some kind of... king, or even emperor...? With children no less, one of whom Howl also had the displeasure of meeting in Venera.

As far as Howl is concerned, he had not simply been lied to, but totally manipulated. The emperor had played him for a fool. What a waste of sympathy, Howl thinks to himself bitterly, as he peers at the old man from beneath his seated spot under the tree. He does not care if Emet-Selch sees him glaring. He ought to know how angry Howl is with him.

C. ( pub grub )

Eventually, the smells wafting outside from the kitchen are enough to lure Howl inside. He's ostensibly there to mooch off whatever everyone else is cooking, but when he finds the facilities as well-stocked as they are, a flash of inspiration hits him.

He starts by boiling a half-dozen eggs (and will gladly demonstrate to anyone curious how an ice bath makes them easier to shell). Then, after removing some sausage from their casings, he covers each egg in a layer of meat, rolls them in raw egg followed by flour and bread crumbs, and slides them one-by-one into an awaiting pot of hot oil.

The resulting fried food smells amazing, as fried food should, and as Howl is patting the extra oil from the finished eggs, he glances around to whomever may be watching — or attempting to hide that they're watching.

"Well? Want to try one?"

pub grub

[lockedon]

That looks....

Well, it looks incredibly unhealthy for starters, but Eustace is hungry enough and open-minded enough that he's not about to turn down Howl's offer. Also, food is food, whether it comes in the form of a deep-fried egg slathered in meat or a handful of bones of dubious origin (thanks Dex). It's not as though he's ever been concerned about his figure anyway and one egg is hardly going to make or break his health.

"Sure."

He says that, but he's still kind of eyeballing the eggs a little dubiously.

"Are these a favorite of yours?"

Bitty demon sliding in unfashionably late

[killandrecycle]

I - Weapons are for chumps and people without magic

While she hadn't had to be coerced into showing up for the training exercise, it didn't mean that she particularly LIKED it. She was a magic-user by nature, and the weapons racks, while displaying an impressive selection, didn't seem to really resonate with her. She, naturally, seems to favor the smaller, lighter options. Her arms aren't going to be lifting some sort of greatsword, after all. After trying several different blades of varying sizes, she seems to finally look moderately content with a simple quarterstaff, stepping away from the rack with it.

To say she is holding it wrong is an understatement. She seems convinced she's holding some sort of club to bludgeon with, with both hands wrapped around one end. Seeing her attempt to 'train' with it makes it obvious she has absolutely no formal training whatsoever. Trying to use it like that in an actual fight would get her stabbed in seconds.

II. Magic is for champions and cool people

Now this is more like it. Sure, its a firing range devoted more to bow and arrow rather then magic use, but it doesn't mean she can't practice there as well. Saying practice is not accurate, though. She's clearly just trying to show off. She seems to have as much proficiency with magic as she lacks with the more martial options. Rather then arrows in bulleyes, she's leaving scorch marks there instead, firing little orbs of glowing purple energy. Finally she seems to think her training is enough, and fires a larger orb of energy that simply destroys her target into splinters. With a satisfied smile on her face, she turns to leave. "Sure hope no one else was wanting to use THAT one." Yes she's smirking a little.

III - Delicious treats time

Having put in a little bit of actual effort, it was time to relax. Ordinarily it would have been the first place she'd gone, convinced that she didn't even NEED to train. But all that had happened recently had shown her that she wasn't as untouchable as she'd believed. It had resulted in a little bit of a shift in the girl, though one that might not be obvious at first. She was ever so slightly more willing to actually cooperate now.

But only a little bit. She hadn't offered to help anyone else train once she had 'finished' her own, after all. Instead she had headed straight to get a nice, cold drink. The look on her face when she realized it was literally stuck in the ice was priceless. She nearly falls over backwards trying to dislodge it, but thankfully the only casualty was spilling a little bit of her drink. While she looks a little annoyed, it fades quickly as she steps a short distance from the ice block to watch over those still training.