Who: Sayuri and Kenshin Where: Sayuri's house When: Week 9, Thursday Evening What: To be human... Rating: highish for violence and bloodied, human Kenshin eventually Status: Closed, In progress
The shock of humanity had come across the island Sunday morning. Kenshin, having had no need for sleep for a long while, had been immediately and painfully aware of his sudden mortality. The first breath, like being awake after centuries of hibernation, had been harsh and invigorating all at once. Of course, it had been worrisome at first. He'd thought it a spell cast upon him by one of his mistress' enemies before they had found that it was an epidemic that spanned the entire island.
To Kenshin, his new found humanity was anything but the curse that so many seemed to think it was. He was human. He hadn't thought he'd be able to truly taste or relish warmth or even breathe in fresh air again. It was, to him, a gift that he dared not hope would last. He had set to enjoy his time with Sayuri, to eat with her and enjoy human activities that he had long since forgotten. Still, in his mind there lingered the shadow of her former husband.
Kenshin had fought for humanity, an assassin able to handle himself even against some Supernaturals thanks to his training in Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu from such a young age. He was still a powerful warrior in his own right, even rendered human, but he would need to sharpen his senses and skills, no longer enhanced by vampirism, to be what they had once been. And so he had taken to training again, intensely in the earliest of hours so as not to disturb Sayuri while she slept.
That particular morning, he was enough used to it that he found himself back in that cabin in the woods, practicing katas and picturing Shishou critiquing him as he sipped sake from beside one of the trees. It was strenuous effort, but he placed himself back on his master's strenuous routine again. Katas. Speed enhancement. Perception training. All of it came back to him as he moved, fluidly and with a grace that the human eye could perceive now and perhaps appreciate.</ij-cut>