14354/The World Under the Surface

The World Under the Surface
Date of Scene:	08 March 2023
Location:	Foot Clan Headquarters: Rec Room
Synopsis:	No description
Cast of Characters:	Shredder, Jayna

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Shredder has posed:
    Kera was the name of the girl who first spoke to Jayna. Her team was Jayce, Mick, and Ron. The four of them had been incremental in her exposure. Safety first. The base of operations wasn't in Bushwick at all, but in Brooklyn, and old emptied nuclear power plant by the East River. It didn't look like it was guarded, but a few visits had informed that there were a lot of eyes watching the place. To many of the visitors, it was a party central. Game systems, indoor basketball, food, fun. Most of the inhabitants were no older than their twenties, and many were still teens. There was only one rule. Do no harm to anyone else who is there. Everyone there is to be treated like family.

    To a lot of them it really seemed to be. Youth who would otherwise be on the streets had a place to call home. Those who had bad family situations had an escape. Several mutants seemed to be present, including an occasional pair who looked like a warthog and a rhino.

    That doesn't mean it was a gentle place. Most of the people there came from the wrong side of the tracks, so to speak. rough around the edges, but if someone decided to not play nice with others there, they were quickly kicked out.

Jayna has posed:
    At first, Jayna was just excited to find like minded individuals to spend time with. It was very isolating knowing only her brother here in this new city. So she found herself making excuses to come and hang out just to see people.

    As time began to pass, her visits turned from casual times relaxing and enjoying the light atmosphere to actually talking with some of the others on meaningful things. She was used to this image of America as a place where anything can happen, where you are judged on your merits, and justice prevails. Because most of her perceptions were rooted in American media, and movies and tv shows tend to gloss over some of the more unsavory points. She found herself becoming more sympathetic to those who called this place home because no other place would allow them to.

    She began to form some attachments, to the people, and to the vibe itself. While she had initially come to New York to try to track down the heroes she had seen flying above in the skies, to make her case to join them, she was starting to see that it was a lot more complicated than that. And there were heroes braver and with more to risk who could not fly above the skyline, but instead were out in the streets, where the people were.

    She started to see a lot more of herself in these people. Someone who was not wanted where she was born. Someone who was cast out, and forced to find her own family. And now, she was starting to wonder if this was the family she had been searching for her entire life.

Shredder has posed:
    Kera comes out of the side rooms where a lot of the beds are. She's one of the permanent residents. Her hair isn't fixed, which never seems to bother her, the lower half of a red gi on her hips, and a starkly clashing ashe gray tee on the top half that has some random business event from 2012 printed on it. The top of her gi is over her shoulder as she comes through the main room, mostly quiet at the moment, she glances around, looking for Jayna. She runs her hand through her hair, which counts as fixing it perhaps, giving it a general direction to lie on her head.

Jayna has posed:
    Jayna has come to realize that there is very little pretension here among the group, and so she has not taken great pains to "do herself up" as she had seen folks doing on tv. She is wearing a loose fitting cropped purple t-shirt, hanging almost to the shoulder on one side revealing the strap of her sports bra, and purple leggings with a yellow zigzag line down the side. She spots Kera and offers a friendly wave as she looks around the rest of the area, before making her way over to the other girl. "Anything going on tonight?"

Shredder has posed:
    "Yep," Kera says, giving an arch of her left brow. There's a scar on it, mostly visible because of the thin line where there is no hair on that eyebrow.

    "So, you said you wanna be part of doin' something here. I know you've been hangin' out a bit. I got training tonight. They been watchin' you, and said you can come and join if you're ready. Gotta warn you, they don't hold back on peeps who wanna join the clan to fight and protect. You can get killed out there, so they wanna make sure you are good enough not to get killed or get your family killed when you take to the streets. What do you think? You ready to go down the rabbit hole?"

Jayna has posed:
    Jayna chews at her lip for a moment. The idea of getting someone else killed worries her. She does not have access to any powers of any kind on her own, so really, she is no better off than anyone here. Probably worse, since they have more training than she does. But she has to start somewhere.

    She nods. "Yeah. I am ready to go down the rabbit hole," she says. She does not exactly know what a rabbit hole is, but that seems to be the right answer.

Shredder has posed:
    Kera gives Jayna a punch to the shoulder, her preferred term of affection. "There we go, lez get real." She gives a nod of her head to indicate Jayna to follow, and heads for a double door that is less commonly used, and requires a fingerprint to access. Kera's seems to be one of the coded fingerprints. She's hardly alone, a lot of people have seen coming and going, but there is a certain barrier there. Not everyone gets to come in this wing. On the other side of the door things are different. It's quieter. No loud music, though a little can still be heard from the other side, it seems well insulated from the party on the other side of the door.

    The hallway has another double door off to one side far before the end of the hallway, and Kera takes a moment to finish putting on her gi before opening it. Now looking more formally ready for training, she opens the door.

    The smell of sweat, like that in a locker room can be smelled immediately. Most of the people are in black or white gis, a few red like Kera, and even fewer are purple. Martial training seems to be happening in one section, disciplines involving muscle tension or mental focus are in another, and training with weapons in yet another. It's almost like walking into a military training regiment.

Jayna has posed:
    This was not exactly what Jayna was expecting, but as soon as she walks in it makes sense. This is how they honed their skills that she saw on display that first night. There had to be some training, and so of course there was a place for that training. She takes a look around as she adjusts to the sounds and the smells of the training room. She manages to avoid shifting too much out of nervousness, wanting to remain firm and committed.

    She is acutely aware of the fact that she is NOT wearing a gi, and stands out. And that her chosen color appears to be a color of some prestige, making her appear like some sort of pretender. But she hopes she will have a chance to prove herself.

    She says nothing, simply following behind Kera, suspecting that she will be told what to do when the time is right.

Shredder has posed:
    Nobody seems to notice at first, but Kera makes her way to the area where groups are training, mostly a group in white. A bald, strong looking man in a black gi with gold trim adjusts his attention. "Continue!" he declares to the group. A series of strikes continue to be practiced, and he makes his way to meet Kera. She stops, places one fist against her open hand, and bows deeply. He returns with a nod, and before speaking any words to her at all he looks at Jayna.

    "Shoes off!" he says in a sudden and stern voice. "You do not wear shoes in here!" There's a wince on Kera's face, one that says 'oh, sorry I forgot to tell you that'. But she doesn't speak.

Jayna has posed:
    Jayna gazes with wonder at the discipline being shown by the trainees. She watches with wide eyes as the trainer approaches the two of them, and starts to move to copy Kera's greetings, her own fist moving to an open hand when he corrects her.

    She could wilt under the sudden scrutinty, and part of her wants to. But the other part wants to make a good first impression, and so without pause or hesitation she kicks off both shoes, sending them backwards beyond the room through the doorway that they just passed into, moving to stand with bare feet on the mat. "Yes sensei," she responds quickly, bowing her head. She had done at least a little research into the martial arts, and while it did not include general custom, she had picked up that word for teacher.

Shredder has posed:
    The sensei nods, as if the matter is concluded. "Who is this?" he asks, his accent thick and Japanese.

    Kera answers. "Master Tatsu, This is Jayna, she is wanting to learn the ways of the foot. She has been reviewed and is permitted, and is willing to learn." Kera's demeanor seems to radically shift from her casual, devil-may-care tone that she's seen when she's out of uniform, and now has a very formal stance and tone, one of discipline and order. It's almost like she's a whole new person.

    The sensei doesn't answer Kera but looks back to Jayna. "Is this true?" he asks. "Why do you seek this?"

Jayna has posed:
    Jayna has the presence of mind to look forward as Tatus speaks with Kera, not turning to regard her friend. She can hear the shift in her voice, and knows that there is an added tone of respect and discipline. She does her best to emulate that as she responds to his question.

    "I wish to learn more about myself, and what I can do. And be a part of this community. And contribute to it in whatever way I can." She hopes those are good enough answers. She is not really sure what he is looking for.

Shredder has posed:
    "Hm," Tatsu nods. "That is a good answer." He looks to Kera. "Go, continue your training," he tells her. Kera gives her an approving wink, and does as she's instructed. The sensei looks over Jayna. "The way of the Foot is difficult, and it is not to be taken lightly. If you choose it, you may not change your mind." The declaration that she must commit may seem early, but he doesn't have any hesitation in making it. "If you will be part of the family, the family will protect you, and you will be expected to protect them. Family does not change, but stays through all things. Can you do this?"

Jayna has posed:
    Family. Jayna has yearned for one all her life, to find and embrace her. Other than her brother, she has never known one. But her brother is not here, and he is her real family. What would he think of all of this? She suddenly wishes that she had brought him into this earlier, allowed him to know what she was doing. So she could have talked to him about it. She was not expecting to be called to a commitment so early. But perhaps she should have.

    Either way, this is what she wanted to do. If she told her brother, it would only be so that he knew what she was doing with her life now. She does not need his permission, or his advice. And so whether she had spoken to him or not, it made no difference.

    All of these thoughts go through her mind swiftly as the question is posed, and she is able to answer without any delay.

    "Yes, sensei."

Shredder has posed:
    Tatsu narrows his eyes a little, and nods again. "The path of the Foot is one to free, one to grow. The master of the Foot clan has given all for the family, and he demands all in return. You will receive a white gi. It will be yours until you graduate and take part in a more advanced training." He calls something out in Japanese, and a young dark-skinned man, perhaps eighteen in age comes running up. He's one of the few in a purple gi. "Get Jayna a gi, then send her to the mat." The young man bows, and quickly rushes off to attain the uniform.

Jayna has posed:
    There is a certain thrill that goes through Jayna as she realizes that her answer was considered acceptable. Her heart is still pounding, knowing that she is in the precipice of /DOING/ something with her life. And she is not about to let any hesitancy creep in.

    She nods in acceptance of what Tetsu has said, but does not speak out, as she has not been spoken to. She suspects that that is the way of things. And she waits for the young man to return with her gi.

    And begins to wonder just how much they are going to expect of her 'on the mat' already.