Post by Deleted on Oct 25, 2016 18:19:38 GMT -5
Holding a sword again was so refreshing after having done next to nothing with his hands for over a year. The exertion of swinging it, the feeling of sweat dripping down his skin, the ever growing soreness in his muscles. Raygin loved it all. Having been locked in that room for so long had destroyed him physically and mentally. He withered away, eaten alive by despair and fear, a shell of the person he had once been. But now that fear of death had passed. And with it came determination and resolve. Raygin had faced death once, he had teetered on the border and came back. Now he needed to train. He needed his body to return to the strength it once possessed, to be good enough to be allowed back into the Gotei Thirteen. His injury and condition following it had led to his dismissal from the ranks, and now he needed to find his way back in.
He inhaled, tightening his fingers around the shaft of his weapon, maintaining and holding the position he was in. The sword was heavier than he remembered, which made sense considering how long it had been since he had held one. But slowly it was all coming back to him. The stances, the forms, the techniques. Everything he once had, all his knowledge as a Shinigami, was coming back to him slowly. His body still knew it, the muscles never forgetting, but it would take time for him to wake everything up. Each and every day Raygin practiced. It wasn't a problem either. He knew that the Kawada family would be relieved to see him out of the house. It wasn't for the reasons most people might think though.
The Kawada family was on that had...dropped in value so to say. They were headless, in shambles, and really just a mess. Ever since the disappearance of Shade Kawada everything went downhill. While Raygin was incapacitated he had noticed the treatment, the looks, he had gotten from the other members of his "family". He was seen as a disgrace, a failure, a leech mooching off of their good graces. What made things even worse was that the one person he thought of as a friend in the family had gone completely off her rocker. Didn't matter really. Raygin had a goal. Becoming a part of the Gotei Thirteen was only the first step in his goal. Raygin wasn't looking to become a Captain, or even a Vice Captain. He wasn't looking to reclaim Bankai either. Raygin was looking to simply join a squad.
He wanted out of the Kawada. Their treatment towards him during his days of despair had been one of the key factors that pushed him deeper into his isolated darkness. How Katarina had laid into him, how he had been a terrible person for not going to ever see her despite him being bed bound, how she then acted like he belonged to her. Raygin wanted out of the Kawada. But he couldn't just leave, not yet anyways. Raygin knew that to disown the family in his current state meant he'd be cast out into the Rukongai, and no doubt into one of the furthest districts out of spite. He needed to keep the Kawada name, and use their influence to help get him back into the Gotei...and into room and board within a squad.
Raygin stopped his swinging, having noticed just how aggressive his swinging was getting. He took some breaths, sheathing his Zanpakuto and having a seat on the nearby bench. Taking a towel he dapped at his forehead, soaking up the sweat there before moving down beneath his chin. The fabric dragged itself across the scars the young man had in that area, scars that looked like something incredibly hot had been dripped onto him. They were a mark left by, perhaps, the one friend Raygin still had left in the Seireitei. As a reminder for him to keep moving forward. Ajraka had helped knock some sense into Raygin, and even though it had been quite some time since he had last seen her...he still thought about her often.
Drinking some of his water, the young Kawada resolved to continue his sword drills for another three hours before heading back to the manor. He didn't want to overextend the kindness Captain Grin gave him in regards to using his squads training field. But just sitting there was nice. Being outside was nice. Raygin shut his eyes, letting the scent of the day fill his nose as he just...relaxed.