Post by Toki Akiyama on Sept 4, 2023 17:26:27 GMT -5
As was his usual routine, Toki's first days on an island consisted of him doing odd jobs around towns or cities to recoup the voyage costs. Sometimes his funds were nail-bitingly limited, but such was his lot, he felt. To him, his only skills were hunting and martial arts, so he usually ended up getting involved in a lot of manual labor.
On Shimoshiki Island, where one of the greatest swordsmen in the world began his training, Toki spend time carrying crates full of bamboo swords to schools and whetstones for the local blacksmiths. While interested, his style of combat focused on unarmed strikes. Besides, he figured it would be poor form to just sit back and observe classes or only participate for a short amount of time. Was he curious? Of course he was! However, his nervousness over being a transient outsider left him unsure if it was a good idea to try.
After a long day hauling delivery crates, he let out a heavy sigh and wiped his fuzzy brow. He splashed some water in his face in a nearby stream and stared at his reflection. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he decided to take a short walk through a forest near town. Land away from Zou felt strange. There was no constant shifting and rumbling from Zou's movements. No daily water falling from the skies. Surely he must have been used to it after his months long journey to the Blues, but was still uncanny to him. He leaned against a tree and stared at the sky and light shining through the leaves. "What am I doing...?" He said to himself. He stroked his ears out of nervousness and attempted to regain his composure.
"If I'm not going to even attempt learning anything, why am I out here? I let my shame...win." He muttered. After a small moment of silence, Toki took a deep breath and began to recite "Life...an everlasting journey, cycling through day, night, then day anew. The world marches on, the world marches on, and it falls on us to follow. But worry not, for it is a long journey. Stumble as many times as you must...but you must also stand up once more."
It wasn't just physical strength he needed to train, but mental as well. He can't allow himself to fall into his self-inflicted despair day in and day out, otherwise he'll never find the peace of mind he was looking for. He remembered Wight and his nobility. Perhaps he had been alone too long and needed to form more connections with others. There was only so much he could do alone, after all...and he was beginning to feel the maddening grip of loneliness. Perhaps that's what he needed to heal and be able to confront his past shames.
On Shimoshiki Island, where one of the greatest swordsmen in the world began his training, Toki spend time carrying crates full of bamboo swords to schools and whetstones for the local blacksmiths. While interested, his style of combat focused on unarmed strikes. Besides, he figured it would be poor form to just sit back and observe classes or only participate for a short amount of time. Was he curious? Of course he was! However, his nervousness over being a transient outsider left him unsure if it was a good idea to try.
After a long day hauling delivery crates, he let out a heavy sigh and wiped his fuzzy brow. He splashed some water in his face in a nearby stream and stared at his reflection. A deep sigh escaped his lips as he decided to take a short walk through a forest near town. Land away from Zou felt strange. There was no constant shifting and rumbling from Zou's movements. No daily water falling from the skies. Surely he must have been used to it after his months long journey to the Blues, but was still uncanny to him. He leaned against a tree and stared at the sky and light shining through the leaves. "What am I doing...?" He said to himself. He stroked his ears out of nervousness and attempted to regain his composure.
"If I'm not going to even attempt learning anything, why am I out here? I let my shame...win." He muttered. After a small moment of silence, Toki took a deep breath and began to recite "Life...an everlasting journey, cycling through day, night, then day anew. The world marches on, the world marches on, and it falls on us to follow. But worry not, for it is a long journey. Stumble as many times as you must...but you must also stand up once more."
It wasn't just physical strength he needed to train, but mental as well. He can't allow himself to fall into his self-inflicted despair day in and day out, otherwise he'll never find the peace of mind he was looking for. He remembered Wight and his nobility. Perhaps he had been alone too long and needed to form more connections with others. There was only so much he could do alone, after all...and he was beginning to feel the maddening grip of loneliness. Perhaps that's what he needed to heal and be able to confront his past shames.