Post by Tetsuko Shindou on Feb 14, 2019 12:42:05 GMT -4
One day remained until the beginning of the festival’s events, and Tetsuko Shindou was spending this final day in Kashima. First it would be the battle tournament, then the cross-school event, each of equal importance. Each would be a chance for Tetsuko to prove she stood among or even at the top of her peers. Each would be a chance to bring honor to her school, to her city, to Kashima. Each would be a chance to show the world the strength of the first Shindou Hero, of the shining gem that was Ryouichi Shindou’s legacy. With such numerous and serious chances, heavy burdens weighed upon Tetsuko’s shoulders. It felt like everyone had some expectation of her, and this was plain for others to see. Yet… When some suggested she care less about this stress, these burdens, Tetsuko could only find herself in disagreement.
For she wanted to carry this weight.
The sun was setting on the hardworking town of Kashima, on the fateful day before Tetsuko’s trials came. The men and women from the steel mills were heading back home from the industrial zone, and those who worked portside were counting their hauls. Toward the city’s centre, the skilled swordsmen of Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryuu were wrapping up their training today, instructed by the Masters who led the esteemed sword school.
Tetsuko herself, however, was not their to train. She had come to prepare, of course, but not physically. To put strain on her body now would only bring unneeded risk. Instead, Tetsuko had come with the intention of priming her spirit. Under the darkening skies of coming night, Tetsuko Shindou walked slowly along the path into Kashimajingu Shrine. Its large gates looming over her as she walked toward them, past the space where she had once fought Master Gai alongside Elise. Into the guts of the place, where she felt the burdens of past Kashima swordsmen bearing upon her, as though their spirits were still lingering there.
In front of the tori, the large gate, Tetsuko bowed deeply toward the main shrine. Even if she didn’t buy all the deism and superstition, Tetsuko was still a big believer in tradition, and this mental exercise that they called prayer was best undertaken with all the proper steps in mind. Walking deeper into the shrine, the Shindou girl found her breathing becoming more purposeful, more strained as her heartbeat quickened. Just being here was enough to make her feel as though kami were passing judgement onto her. This was their realm, it was only right they’d scrutinize her for seeking their help.
Then again, that wasn’t how they did it in Kashima. To the chief deity of the shrine, Takemikazuchi, they did not pray for strength. But instead for the will to become stronger.
Her next stop was the wash basin, to clean herself and cleanse impurities before she made her offering. Taking the ladle, Tetsuko began to wash her hands and face, feeling the water soothe her fears somewhat. She wished this water really was blessed, enough so that it could wash away this troublesome darkness and doubt within her, the insecurity and hesitance that she loathed so much. Tetsuko wished this water could wash away her plentiful imperfections, instead, it just made her clean enough for the gods to consider her prayers.
Clean enough, good enough, it was all the same.
Tetsuko had always been aware of how weak she was. Not in the physical sense, of that she made sure. Instead, she was painfully knowledgeable of just how fragile her heart was. How moveable and asinine it could be. All those fears and worries that burned without fuel were a testament to that, to the part of herself she despised. To the part of herself she could overcome by attaining her immovable heart. The part that she’d always seen as absent in her own family, and thus, another weight to the burden on her back.
Now that she was washed, Tetsuko made her way to the main hall of the shrine. With a handful of coins she’d brought, Tetsuko offered her monetary offering to the Gods, unfortunately all she could bring. There was nothing else of value she could offer them, but hopefully this would suffice. Ringing the ball to catch the ear of the great kami Takemikazuchi, Tetsuko bowed deeply. Twice. She clapped her hands twice, before joining her hands… And giving her silent prayers.
Tetsuko didn’t, in a strict sense, believe in any gods. Religion had never been a big deal for her, she’d never really found it within her to believe in higher beings with higher power. Yet she prayed nonetheless. For to her, and the warriors of Kashima, gods were not in the heavens, but in the hearts of men. Praying to them was just asking that part of you, that ideal form, to be strong…
So it was that Tetsuko Shindou asked for all the strength she’d need in the upcoming events. To challenge opponents far stronger than her, far more confident, far more powerful. She prayed for the strength of her bloodline. For that was all she had. No power within herself, merely the power of her grandfather, a man they’d called the Iron Will of Kashima. Or her mother, a tender woman who’d once been titled its Silver Hand.
She prayed that she could follow this legacy, and become its Steelheart.
There were no other options available to her. No matter how many times her heart sank into a panic, that didn’t change anything. Her only option was to prove herself, for anything else was not a future worth imagining. Tetsuko… Needed to put on a good showing as the first Shindou Hero, as the bearer of her grandfathers lofty legacy. More than that, she needed to pick up where her mother had left off. To achieve what she never could, or rather, never would… If Tetsuko failed her, she failed more than just herself.
She’d fail her family.
Her friends. Elise.
Her school.
Her city.
Her body shuddered at the thought. She could not allow that to pass… She could not allow herself to dishonor everyone and everything that had got her to this point, to being able to at least outplay her weakness. She could not let this chance to help achieve what her mother could no longer pass her by… It was simply not something she could allow herself to do. Her insides still felt twisted, shaking, but on the outside, she kept it together. Maybe, to be immovable, she had to be a bit brittle.
Unclasping her hands and bowing once more, Tetsuko departed from her shrine, back toward the sword school. The gods, dormant within her, had heard her plea. Would it be answered?
Only she could tell, when and if the time came.
For she wanted to carry this weight.
The sun was setting on the hardworking town of Kashima, on the fateful day before Tetsuko’s trials came. The men and women from the steel mills were heading back home from the industrial zone, and those who worked portside were counting their hauls. Toward the city’s centre, the skilled swordsmen of Kashima Shinden Jikishinkage-ryuu were wrapping up their training today, instructed by the Masters who led the esteemed sword school.
Tetsuko herself, however, was not their to train. She had come to prepare, of course, but not physically. To put strain on her body now would only bring unneeded risk. Instead, Tetsuko had come with the intention of priming her spirit. Under the darkening skies of coming night, Tetsuko Shindou walked slowly along the path into Kashimajingu Shrine. Its large gates looming over her as she walked toward them, past the space where she had once fought Master Gai alongside Elise. Into the guts of the place, where she felt the burdens of past Kashima swordsmen bearing upon her, as though their spirits were still lingering there.
In front of the tori, the large gate, Tetsuko bowed deeply toward the main shrine. Even if she didn’t buy all the deism and superstition, Tetsuko was still a big believer in tradition, and this mental exercise that they called prayer was best undertaken with all the proper steps in mind. Walking deeper into the shrine, the Shindou girl found her breathing becoming more purposeful, more strained as her heartbeat quickened. Just being here was enough to make her feel as though kami were passing judgement onto her. This was their realm, it was only right they’d scrutinize her for seeking their help.
Then again, that wasn’t how they did it in Kashima. To the chief deity of the shrine, Takemikazuchi, they did not pray for strength. But instead for the will to become stronger.
Her next stop was the wash basin, to clean herself and cleanse impurities before she made her offering. Taking the ladle, Tetsuko began to wash her hands and face, feeling the water soothe her fears somewhat. She wished this water really was blessed, enough so that it could wash away this troublesome darkness and doubt within her, the insecurity and hesitance that she loathed so much. Tetsuko wished this water could wash away her plentiful imperfections, instead, it just made her clean enough for the gods to consider her prayers.
Clean enough, good enough, it was all the same.
Tetsuko had always been aware of how weak she was. Not in the physical sense, of that she made sure. Instead, she was painfully knowledgeable of just how fragile her heart was. How moveable and asinine it could be. All those fears and worries that burned without fuel were a testament to that, to the part of herself she despised. To the part of herself she could overcome by attaining her immovable heart. The part that she’d always seen as absent in her own family, and thus, another weight to the burden on her back.
Now that she was washed, Tetsuko made her way to the main hall of the shrine. With a handful of coins she’d brought, Tetsuko offered her monetary offering to the Gods, unfortunately all she could bring. There was nothing else of value she could offer them, but hopefully this would suffice. Ringing the ball to catch the ear of the great kami Takemikazuchi, Tetsuko bowed deeply. Twice. She clapped her hands twice, before joining her hands… And giving her silent prayers.
Tetsuko didn’t, in a strict sense, believe in any gods. Religion had never been a big deal for her, she’d never really found it within her to believe in higher beings with higher power. Yet she prayed nonetheless. For to her, and the warriors of Kashima, gods were not in the heavens, but in the hearts of men. Praying to them was just asking that part of you, that ideal form, to be strong…
So it was that Tetsuko Shindou asked for all the strength she’d need in the upcoming events. To challenge opponents far stronger than her, far more confident, far more powerful. She prayed for the strength of her bloodline. For that was all she had. No power within herself, merely the power of her grandfather, a man they’d called the Iron Will of Kashima. Or her mother, a tender woman who’d once been titled its Silver Hand.
She prayed that she could follow this legacy, and become its Steelheart.
There were no other options available to her. No matter how many times her heart sank into a panic, that didn’t change anything. Her only option was to prove herself, for anything else was not a future worth imagining. Tetsuko… Needed to put on a good showing as the first Shindou Hero, as the bearer of her grandfathers lofty legacy. More than that, she needed to pick up where her mother had left off. To achieve what she never could, or rather, never would… If Tetsuko failed her, she failed more than just herself.
She’d fail her family.
Her friends. Elise.
Her school.
Her city.
Her body shuddered at the thought. She could not allow that to pass… She could not allow herself to dishonor everyone and everything that had got her to this point, to being able to at least outplay her weakness. She could not let this chance to help achieve what her mother could no longer pass her by… It was simply not something she could allow herself to do. Her insides still felt twisted, shaking, but on the outside, she kept it together. Maybe, to be immovable, she had to be a bit brittle.
Unclasping her hands and bowing once more, Tetsuko departed from her shrine, back toward the sword school. The gods, dormant within her, had heard her plea. Would it be answered?
Only she could tell, when and if the time came.
