Everything turns into perfect focus. The ether carries a sharp coolness to it, awakening his dulled senses. For a moment heโs not on the ship, but somewhere far, far below. Eyes turned skyward, to the pale blue expanse dotted with small patches of clouds, lazily drifting with the breeze. Even the sea is calm; small waves lapping against the hull in rhythmic patterns, steady as a heartbeat. The world exhales, soft and gentle. Kenshin inhales, slow and measured. Figure motionless, cornered by two foxes, his mind wavers between the questions and the underlying meaningย โ and something shifts in the air around them, settling jagged in his lungs. Some instinctual part of him wants to hide, dive deep and drown out all else. Matters not of violence or deceit are strange, tough on his psyche as the human tongue weaves complications with prettier words; however, there is no inherent malice about their curiosity. No, indeed, these are questions driven by a professional interest as they gauge and identify any future problems. The twins are survivors for a reason. An acorn is not the same as the tree. That requires time, diligence, and careโฆ More is at play here, and Kenshin looks at them again, weighing his response โ words laden with unspoken history, throat tight as he struggles to swallow and find his voice. โI knew him well, once. We were partners.โ No longer. Not for many, many years now. Even laconic, mentioning their past hurts. It feels forced, and out of habit, his hand reaches to the nothing hanging around his neck. โWhy the fuck do you think I want my talisman back? That I accepted this gamble with you?โ Maybe he is a fool to dare hope, to dream of freedom. Sigh aggravated, more of a guttural hiss, he rises and walks to the starboard, away from them without another word.
He is a creature full of old pains and even older scars. Plenty of time exists for him to process those events. Plenty of years were spent thinking of the past, mired in regret and what-ifs. Yet, none of that leads to closure nor a sense of peace when it all hangs over him like a guillotine, forever reminding him of his failure; the fact he trusted a human so utterly that it ruined him. He doesnโt like to deal with these scars, but the memories resurface, bloated and disgusting as corpses.
Breathe, breathe, the oceans remind him. Kinkan chitters softly, climbing up before curling around his chest, warm and comforting. His weight settles on the railing, one leg hanging over the precipice โ caught between the land and the sea. Some minutes later, at the approaching footsteps, head canting to see which twin it is, Kenshin eases his shoulders. Sets aside the open wounds and ignores their sting. โDrake is a persistent man. You wonโt be able to avoid him forever. Heโs always moving at sea to make it harder for others to keep track of him.โ He speaks from experience. Still, his voice resumes its calm, a testament to the violence and death heโs witnessed throughout his long, estranged life. โBut youโre right. I havenโt met anyone like you before. Whether thatโs good or bad remains to be seen.โ Eyes northward, searching for the signs of the morning star, the rest of the drink offered to the sea, Kenshin adds, โWhat are the rumors you heard about me, then?โ They have him at a disadvantage, his options limited by their clemency. And the kindness of humans seems more of a myth these days.
Still, he tries. He takes a chance, tired and worn but stubbornly hopeful. (He will weather more storms to come because what else can be done?)
Kenshin walks away, the airy rage reverberating in every step that increased the distance between them after Toshiro had probed into half-cauterized wounds of his unspoken, permeated with agony, past. Riku sighs across him, rubbing a brow while not sparing him a single glance, the discontent apparent with the short silence that followed after Kenshinโs leave. โYou upset him.โ โSeems like I did.โ โSo?โ โThey were partners once, doesnโt that give you any thoughts?โ Then, their gazes meet, like mirrors reflecting the deep golden of their irises, channeling deep into their soul and speaking the words their mouths did not. Toshiro only offers a faint smile as Rikuโs mind plods away at the puzzle pieces, and follows Kenshin to the starboard where heโd found refuge away from the dissecting fox gazes.
Hurt was inevitable, as was his contempt when it came down to Toshiroโs inquisitive nature โ making one feel like he was undressing them to the core with just his eyes. Yet, wisdom came at its hefty price, likability being one thing that could never warrant success. He picks an apple from one of the crates and aims it towards him, a peace offering as fruit. โMhmm. Ya see, mโnot one ta avoid my enemies. Iโd rather deal with โem and โave no other worries that need dealinโ with. Though, Iโm no enemy of Drake yet, but when he does decide ta come for us, weโll just hafta deal with him and find a way to get rid of him fer good.โ Though, those were matters of concern for another time. The Royal Navy hadnโt seen his face when he โabductedโ Riku and neither had they seen the ship. Nothing could establish the twinsโ kinship and nothing could allude to his sister association with the Kraken or him. Nothing yet, at least.
โLet me thinkโฆ Ya want the good or bad ones?โ That muscular memory of his, which easily lifted the melodic tunes of his motherโs singing and laughs while still possessing the strength for long-buried memories better left clamped down in faraway depths of his mind. โYa bring with you a tempest they say, the storm itself, and I can see why after havinโ seen ya fight. I bet ya held back a little last time too, seeinโ how Iโm no match against ya.โ Though what good circulated about him? None heโd heard of but plenty he discovered himself: Kenshin was obliging, wanting to help instead of idly sit by. He was kind to animals many would consider a pest, allowing the tiny Kinkan to scramble around and curl up against him. He couldโve left Toshiro to fend for himself, but had offered to hunt for food nonetheless and opted to scrimp on sleep so he could rest for the entire night. Many, perhaps even Kenshin himself, would consider him distant and standoffish, attributes that could perhaps be recognized on surface level but disproved with hindsight. Then again, there were layers to this mer creature, a thousandfold of them heโd carefully have to peel. โThough, what truth do those rumors hold? The man Iโve gotten ta know these past few days is nothing like โem. Yer honorable, in a life where honorโs barely found. Didja know that animals can sense evil in a way humans cant?โ He nods his head, Kinkan nestled between Kenshinโs chest and his arms, her tail curled against her stomach and eyes closed as she peacefully slept.ย
With a smooth flourish, he pushes himself off the railing. โIโm goinโ ta my cabin where Iโll be makinโ some use of all this daylight, go over routes and plans. Ya can come and chime in with the routing and plans if youโd like. If not, tell Botan if thereโs anythinโ ya need for our restocking.โ He turns with the intention to leave, but one, two steps away, cants his head back once more.ย โOh, and mโsorry if I hurt yer feelings in any way. No more talk โbout that old fiend unless ya want ta bring him up. See ya durinโ dinner, Ken-san.โ
