thenearshore | May Training

Entry tags:

May Training

Who: Everyone
What: Information and Training
When: July 15
Where: Bishamon's temple, the Far Shore
Summary: Training and informational sessions for newly arrived gods (although there's none this time) and shinki

The product of many meetings and recommendations, at last it has taken shape. On this day, in anticipation of the new arrivals who appear in a recognized pattern, Heaven has partnered with the new gods and shinki to organize a very helpful informational reception.

The shinki arriving at heaven's meeting hall are, should they allow it, guided kindly towards Bishamon's temple. And in that vast complex they are brought to a traditional-style dojo.
Here the newly arrived gods are gathered, so finding their partner is more simple. The gods and shinki are free to take their time during this day to learn about the aspects of their new life from Amaterasu's shinki, or from the many veteran new god and shinki volunteers.

God Training

prayers

Shinki Training

informational pamphlets

borderline

Physical Training

Rest and Refreshments

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
Don't get dehydrated
Spectate if you want
Have fun~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[He bows, exceedingly correctly. It's more or less the same response he'd expected: wary suspicion, a guarded tone... she'd had the same underlying steel when he knew her before, but now, it's laid bare.]

My name is Cho Hakkai. It seems we've been asked to work together.

[And, although it still seems terribly wrong, he clarifies:]

I am your god.

Oh. Like in this then?

[Ayumu holds up the pamphlet. She's not sure how she feels about all of this and a small part of her wants to laugh at the idea of anyone being her 'god'. At least, this Hakkai character is polite so she'll do her best to be polite in turn.]

I haven't read it all the way through yet. It all sounds very complicated and some of the words are strange.

[How she knows this is beyond her understanding but she knows it and that's what matters. Ayumu's not sure she understands what a 'Google' is but it's a very funny word she'll be repeating out loud to herself later.]

Yes, exactly. I'm glad someone finally put that together -- really, the Heavens weren't ready for us at all at first.

[He feigns a put-upon little sigh, trying to help put her at her ease, and folds his hands.]

I'm sorry to interrupt your reading, but there are a few things I should talk to you about before I let you decide if you'll be interested in working with me. Would you mind a stroll in the garden?

[There's a glint of his own steel showing through his mild-mannered smile.]

I'm afraid it's a little crowded in here.

[And some things -- he's sure she'll hear the subtext -- shouldn't be said in a crowd.]

Edited 2017-05-17 21:04 (UTC)

A walk in the garden sounds good.

[Especially with how he's presenting all of this to her as a choice. Something about that feels different somehow. It's nice. She appreciates it. Ayumu closes the pamphlet and stands.]

Bishamon-sama has a beautiful home.

Yes, she does. She's one of the senior deities here, and she's been very kind to all of us.

[He heads briskly for the exit, pausing to hold the door open for her, and looks out over the grounds of Bishamon's temple. Some people are practicing to one side of the yard, but the gardens to their left are less frequented.

Mildly, he begins to explain, starting, as he starts towards the gardens, with the information that is common knowledge.]

I was a shinki myself until very recently, serving under Kozukata Yuri. It's going to be a bit of an adjustment for me to head the household. Ah ha ha.

[The laugh is not particularly amused. It's not even really all that much of a laugh. He's had a difficult day.]

[Ayumu follows at his side, listening carefully. So he's new to his position, too. It doesn't really bother her much, though. There's something about the idea of helping to run a household that feels natural in her mind so she nods.]

I see. I can help. It must be a big change for you, no longer being someone's servant.

[The way she says it, it sounds like the idea of not assisting doesn't enter her mind at all.]

In more ways than one. I served a Buddhist priest at home.

[As ... unusual as that particular servitude was. They're now well away from prying ears, though, and so he lets his voice drop in volume as he continues.]

... But he, and a number of my other companions, have been imprisoned here in various roles. It's extremely important to me that I discover who's calling souls here to take the places of gods, and find a way to free them to return.

[He glances at her, his expression flat and unreadable.]

It's possible that I'll find myself in conflict with the Heavens. If you assist me, you may be held responsible as well.

[Ayumu ponders the implications of what he's saying, pausing to bend over to smell a particularly pretty white blossom. So she's to work with rebels? It's an oddly comforting thought somehow, the idea of working with a group of warriors. Though Hakkai doesn't look much like the warrior type to her, it's hard to judge anyone by their cover alone. Not everyone shows the world their true face.]

What's your organization like? That sounds like a noble cause.

[Not that it's necessary but it's a nice bonus.]

Disorganized, I'm afraid. If you mean at home, myself, a close friend and the priest's student were all asked to prevent the resurrection of a dangerous youkai king; our association with the temple was previously, ah, freelance.

[Although somewhat less than voluntary in Hakkai's case. There's no need to get into his actual duties to Genjo Sanzo, though, not when he's just meeting someone.

His murderous history is better unspoken.]

If you mean here, there are several gods I've worked with for this cause, but we have no official organization.

[A wise choice not to mention it. Ayumu's willing to work with all sorts of types but child abusers and murders are an exception. She has some standards.]

If you're serious about your cause, you'll wanna get organized. Take stock of those willing to stand with you as well as their strengths and weaknesses. And come up with a code or creed for you all to follow and enforce. Strength comes with solidarity.

[How she knows this is a mystery but Ayumu feels quite certain she knows what she's talking about though where the knowledge comes from is a blank.]

There's more preparations to make but that'd be a fine start.

[Most people do. It's why Hakkai tries to keep his history under wraps. He raises his eyebrows at her confident response. He'd known she was a fighter -- but it sounds almost as though she's a revolutionary.]

Perhaps if we planned to take widespread, public action. At the moment, I'm still more interested in gathering information. If I can prove myself trustworthy, I'm more likely to get the information I need to discover who brought us here and if there's a way to undo what they've done.

Involving myself in an organized secret society isn't very conducive to the plan.

[If they need to act, yes. If he's just gathering information, he thinks personal loyalty and friendship should be sufficient to build his ties.]

[Ayumu's quiet at first while she digests his words. It's been a stressful day but she doesn't let it show. So he's more interested in reconnaissance than revolution at this point in time. If she could read his mind, she'd call his assessment of the situation careless and naive. Loyalty can be twisted, even broken, with the right knowledge, pressures, and applications thereof. In the hands of a clever and skilled strategist, friendships are an easily exploited weakness that can be used to destroy a target from within.

But she can't so she simply takes his words at face value.]

Ah, I see. A covert operation then. They're more likely to succeed with some level of organization but it sounds as if what you're looking for is a squad.

[In her mind, if there are additional resources to draw upon and they've proven themselves trustworthy and reliable, there's no reason not to use them.]

Whose trust is it that you seek to gain most at this time, Cho-sama?

Amaterasu.

[Her subordinates are not sufficiently trustworthy. Amaterasu is clearly being used as a pawn, her innocence and youth an excuse to keep her uninformed. Despite that, she holds power, and her intimates occupy an important place in the Heavens. If one of her advisers, or more, is working against her, it's vital to gain her trust and confidence before moving against them, or she's likely to turn to protect the people she knows best.]

And please, call me Hakkai.

The sun goddess?

[It's the first name Ayumu's recognized all day and it shocks her into slightly raising her voice. She catches herself quickly, takes a deep breath, and nods. It makes perfect sense if this is Heaven and a place where gods reside.]

Sorry, Hakkai-sama. That surprised me.

[Ayumu takes another steadying breath before nodding once more.]

What information have you gathered about her so far?

The Queen of the gods. Precisely.

[Aim high. It may increase the odds of your bullet coming back down directly on your head, but sometimes you shoot the moon.]

We've spoken several times. But, first, Miss Yamazaki: do you want to be my shinki, or would you prefer to find another god? I can't promise a peaceful existence, and I've seen several of my closest allies disappear.

[Even though Hakkai had presented working with him as a choice, it hadn't really sunk in that he seriously meant she had a choice. All the time she's been here, she's been waiting for her god to find her and take her wherever it was that she's supposed to go. To her place in this strange new world.

Go where she's assigned, do what she's told, speak only when asked to. For some reason, Ayumu feels like that that's the natural order of things. And to have someone seriously suggest that isn't the way things are supposed to work, well, it's a little distressing. And confusing. She'd gone straight to work without a second thought, just assuming it's what she's supposed to do.

For a moment, her anxiety is clearly visible. Ayumu hasn't been the most stable of individuals today but she tries to suppress it quickly, keep her panic from showing. Danger doesn't scare her. All this talk about covert operations and squads is comfortable; it's been one of the few times today she's felt confident and at ease in this situation.

So she shakes her head.]

I can handle this sort of work. Danger doesn't scare me.

[On the other hand, being flung out into the wild without knowing who anyone is, who she is, or what this place is really like - that terrifies her.]

[Hakkai watches her face as she speaks: that flash of fear is quickly masked, but her eyes are still a little wider. So, danger doesn't scare her.

Being without a purpose when she is also without her own memories, though, seems to.

It's not the kind of response he wanted, not exactly a free and reasoned choice, but if she's comfortable with the danger he suggested then he can't bring himself to throw her away. If she thinks better of it later -- well, he'll let her go then.]

All right.

[He's been named enough times that he knows the ritual well. As for a name...

He lifts one hand, two fingers outstretched to trace the character for soot.]

Lingering here gripping thy true name, I make thee my servant with thy alias. Thy name is follower, thy vessel is sound: obey my order and become my shinki.

Thy name is Susu, thy vessel is Mai. Come, Maiki!

[It's a strange sensation, as if someone has grabbed a hold of her core, her very essence, molding it into a different shape. Ayumu's body feels lighter as it blurs, becoming thinner, silkier somehow. It almost feels as if she's floating in mid-air as their bond snaps into place.

Ayumu's lost memories flood her new lord's mind. It starts as a rapid barrage of flashing images of her childhood when she was small and alone as the path that led her to her doom started many years before. Her parents' instruction, their cold insistence that they weren't family, years of harsh training far more severe than a child should ever experience. Images of a young girl whispering sweet words into a servant boy's ear, of her as an adult falling into bed with her enemies followed by bloodshed.

Sprinkled throughout are scenes of her with her brother, shouting the same things at Susumu that were once shouted at her and giving him the exact same harsh lessons. Her teaching him to disguise himself as her so that he would live, she would die, and the mission would still succeed.

There's a couple of familiar faces - Hijikata and Okita, more of the former, and the other Shinsengumi. The most notable scene is her going to take her final assignment. There's images of her coming and going from Masuya's shop and her tearful breakdown in front of Tetsu.

At last, there's her capture by the enemy and the brutal gang rape, torture, and beatings until her eye socket was crushed, her left arm was broken with the bone sticking out grotesquely, and she was bleeding heavily from cuts all over her body. A myriad of feelings color the final scene - grief, regret, defiance, shame, disgust, and determination. So much determination but also love. Love for her brother, love for the Shinsengumi. No matter what the enemy did to her, she would not break. She'd protect them all until her final breath.

And she did. After that, there is darkness and nothng more.

By the time the vision clears, there's a dark blue woman's kimono lying in a pile at Hakkai's feet, the exact same one Ayumu had worn on her last mission.]

[Memories pour in upon Hakkai with painful, vivid clarity, and tension locks his muscles where he stands, hand outstretched and fingers pointed at the very tail of the character he had drawn to name her.

It's only the tension that keeps him upright and unmoving as he feels the full brutality of her death. Bile bites his throat and sours the back of his tongue. He's no stranger to cruelty and violence, no stranger to pain, nor to the darkness that comes as a respite from pain at last, but this --

(was this what she felt?)

-- this is almost more than he can bear. Fabric settles in airy folds at his feet as Ayumu solidifies into her shinki form, and Hakkai has to force himself out of his rigid stillness, and stoop, with infinite care, to lift her from the cobbled path.

His hands flinch reflexively back from the fabric at first. They're too bloodstained to touch her, too filthy to be allowed to stain someone who. No. He cuts himself off before the reflex of disgust spirals into a cowardly retreat, and forces himself to pick her up gently and hold up the garment she has become. It's a dark blue kimono, the sleeves cut like a young woman's, the fabric good-quality but not too fine for everyday wear.

It helps to focus on the banal. He has to force his face out of rigid stillness, too, into a polite smile as he surveys her new form.]

It seems you'll be my armor. Can you see yourself?

[He'd been able to, in some forms; not fully, but enough to get a rough idea of his shape and function, and sometimes he'd even been able to move independently of his god.]

Yes, I do. So a kimono, hmm.

[Despite being the garment she'd died in, there's no recognition whatsoever. To her, it's just a blue kimono. It's a very strange sensation being able to feel him pick her up but it feels nice to be held so carefully like this. Maybe it's strange to take such pleasure in it when she's an article of clothing but it is what it is.]

I'm not sure how good of an armor I'll be but I'll do my best to protect you, Hakkai-sama.

[Surely she must be able to do something useful in this form but she's just not sure where to even begin. Maybe if she's worn, something will come to her?]

Edited 2017-05-20 08:40 (UTC)

The touch of an ayakashi alone hurts gods or shinki, but you're invulnerable to it in this form -- thus, armor. You likely have some additional power as well in this form, but it may take some experimenting to discover what it is.

[Practical explanations help, too. He's not going to try putting her on here, not when he's still so badly shaken -- he can keep his hands still and his expression under control, but he suspects he won't be able to stop himself from reacting if he tries to wear her before he's had the time to deal with what he saw.

He smiles faintly, ducking his head.]

Return, Ayumu.

[At those words, the transformation starts reversing itself, her kimono form becoming heavier as the fabric dissolves and reforms into the solid form of a woman. Ayumu's smiling when she reappears, looking pleased and a little more sure of herself than she did before. She has a purpose and a function in this world now which is doing much to relieve the anxiety and distress she's been feeling by herself throughout the day.]

I'm glad I'll be of some use to you, Hakkai-sama. I'll work hard to be excellent armor, then.

[She bows. It feels proper to show him this respect. It's befitting for a lord and his servant.]

[His reflex is to return the bow, but he stops himself: she's clearly more comfortable with the formalities, and he doesn't want to insist on an equality that he knows isn't honest. Instead, he inclines his head, polite but not nearly as deep as Ayumu's bow.]

I'm confident you'll do well.

[Mildly, he adds:] It's a much more useful form than some. I know a shinki who becomes a staple remover.

[Ayumu's face lights up at his words of encouragement. Whether she responded like this in her past, she doesn't know but for a few seconds she just sort of basks in it. She truly will do her best not to disappoint him.

When the conversation turns to the other shinki, Ayumu tilts her head a bit quizzically.]

A staple remover...? What's that?

[Other than something that apparently isn't useful, she has no idea.]

Oh, of course, let me...

[He pats his pockets: yes. There's his phone. He has no idea if it's the same one he had before, but it looks similar enough that he easily runs a quick image search and holds it out with this on the screen.]

This is a staple remover. It's about, oh... [He gestures, indicating something around two inches long.] This big.

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cw: mentions of rape, torture, possible child abuse

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