Forging Bonds [Kimiko] [JT]

[Addy Kuchiki]

Caressing the two Asauchi on her sides, Addy whistled softly as she made her way down the street. It was a nice sunny day outside with only a few clouds dotting the bright blue sky and a multitude of people were out and about, each with their own reason. Some were here to sell a variety of knick knacks, others were here to converse, and even more were here for their own personal reasons. And wasn’t that a cool thing to see, everyone living their own life, going about and doing their own things. Life at its finest.

It was a completely different experience than how it was at her manor. Almost the opposite in fact. Here people weren’t afraid to show their emotions, be they positive or negative. Just from her ten minutes of walking, Addy had seen angry customers, smug merchants, and laughing children. At her manor, the most common expression that she saw was cold indifference. Or better yet disappointment. Nobles didn’t like showing their emotions for whatever reason, so all of these feelings in the air were quite refreshing to experience.

And similar to those around her, Addy too had a reason for being out here on the busy streets. While she did in fact like going on daily jogs, today was not one of those days. No, her being here had to do with her recent joining of Squad 11. Her academy days were behind her, and she was officially a shinigami of Gotei 13. An unseated shinigami, but a shinigami nevertheless. And due to this, she had a meeting with her captain, Kimiko Nakajima. Not actually in the barracks surprisingly, but at some type of restaurant. A more casual meeting, something Addy approved of. Bonding over food was a favorite pastime for her.

As for how she felt about the Eleventh Division, what was there to really say? She had only been in this branch for less than a week, and so far it was pretty solid. Nothing really stood out to her, but in a way that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. She had been expecting constant fights and tomfoolery, but there had been much less than expected. From what she saw at least. Such things could be happening elsewhere. But as the saying went, out of sight, out of mind. Plus you couldn’t put a group of combat oriented people in one building and expect them not to fight. It was practically a given at that point.

Not much of the Eleventh Division barracks had been explored, a mistake that Addy would rectify in the upcoming weeks. Currently her mind was busy elsewhere, and it had to do with the blades on her hip. She was getting closer and closer to her zanpakuto emerging, she could feel it in her soul. Just a bit more training and a bit more getting in tune with herself, and she would have what she desired. Hopefully. While she was confident she was making progress in this area, it was hard to put a time limit on when she would accomplish her objective. Still, she knew she was close at least. And for right now, that was good enough for her.

Stopping right outside a ramen shop, Addy glanced at the sign above her before parting the curtains and heading deeper within. Hikashi's Terakawa. Judging from the aroma bombarding her sinuses, she had a feeling this would be a visit she would remember. “Ah hello, hello! First timer?” Addy had only taken a few steps inside before she was greeted by what she presumed was the chef. Nodding towards him with a smile, the blonde Kuchiki looked around briefly before responding.

“Yep! I’m actually waiting on someone currently, but judging from the look of things, they haven’t arrived quite yet.” Addy was early by fifteen minutes after all, so she had assumed such a situation would occur. She didn’t mind waiting and enjoying the sights around her, so it didn’t really matter to her how long Kimiko would take to arrive. She would be here enjoying life all the same. Sitting down at a nearby seat with empty spaces on either side of her, Addy made small talk with the chef while she waited. The menu here seemed quite expansive, so she wanted to know as much as she could before making her order. If the food suited her tastes, then perhaps she would come here again whenever she had the time.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

To say that there was a lot of things that were currently on Kimiko's mind was nothing short of an understatement. In fact, it could be said that this week had been one of her most stressful in her entire military career thus far. There were many reasons as to why that was, all of which were more unpleasant than the last. The first of these reasons - the very one who could be described as being the most primordial of them all - was obviously Ruhe, the refugee who remained within Nijūkan North. Having now received an ultimatum from Aramis, the Captain of the Twelfth Division, the swordswoman needed to find a way to bring the little Quincy girl out of there as quickly as possible before they would get caught, and it was needless to say that it wasn't particularly pleasant to have that on her mind. Then, there were the other reasons: the record rate of paperwork she had been receiving, the number of new recruits that have suddenly been joining both her squad and her schools, the possibility of yet another attack against the Soul Society happening at any given moment, and of course, the handling and monitoring of her new advisor, Kazuhiko... It all kept piling on, and on, and on.

An officer who was unqualified for her position would have most likely cracked under the pressure. That was for certain, and there would not be many fellow officers who would be able to blame them for that. Hell, should they had ever been made aware of the many worries Kimiko currently had, many of her subordinates wouldn't even be really sure of how she was able to hold up; after all, the worries she had for both Ruhe, Kazuhiko, and her schools were already difficult enough to manage as is. In truth, there were a number of times when even she wasn't quite sure of what was pushing her to keep going, especially given that the matter of her Inner Hollow was becoming more and more pressing by the day. However, every time she would ask herself that question, there would always be something that would remind her of what was pushing her forward. There would always be a hint, a glimpse, a sign. Today, quite ironically, that took the form of a simple meeting with one of her newest recruits.

Her name was Addy. So far, she and the dojo master hadn't really met each other just yet; rather, Kimiko had simply read about her while the paperwork was beating her energy to a pulp about a week ago. Really, at first, she had treated her profile like any other recruit's, mainly because doing so was the one thing that was keeping her from succumbing to the psychological wounds that the bureaucracy of the Gotei 13 were dealing to her mind and body every time she dedicated herself to the completion of any form of documentation. Simply imagining herself training these people and shaping them into the best warriors the Eleventh could ever receive was... Well, it was just more exciting than writing down words that are most likely not going to mean anything in the long run. With that said, as she read more and more about the girl, she couldn't help but become more and more intrigued by her profile. A member of the Kuchiki clan that wielded twin blades who could not cast magic at all? How familiar. It was like looking at herself in the mirror. Minus the nobility, of course.

It was when the Captain understood that the twin blades the recruit wielded were apparently two distinct Asauchi that she decided that she would have a direct meeting with her. That didn't seem like much in the grand scheme of things, especially given that her being apart of one of the greater noble families took precedence above all in her report, but to Kimiko, it was much more important than everything else. It was one thing to possess an Asauchi that happened to slowly split into two during its evolution into a Zanpakuto, and it was another to have two Asauchi altogether. She knew this, because she was in a similar position to Addy in that aspect. The only difference between herself and the recruit was that she had received her second Asauchi later on, when her spiritual energy had grown to such heights that it could not be contained into a single conduit any longer. That was throughout the course of several years. If someone like Addy could wield two of the things at once at her current level, then the potential that she presented was nothing short of outstanding.

It was this very thought that allowed Kimiko to leave her barracks today without any stress in mind. Her concerns for the week, her need to immediately shelter Ruhe and monitor Kazuhiko, everything had disappeared in favor of this very meeting, on the pretense that everything else was going to be just fine for the time being. Maybe this was a bit foolish of her, but it was a good excuse for her to be able to take a break of sorts, or at least she believed it to be. So, she moved along. Upon the beginning of the afternoon, she exited her barracks, walked through the main courtyard, and then proceeded down the streets of Seireitei towards the western White Way Gate. Her pace was slower than usual, all things considered, though she didn't mind. It allowed her to better appreciate this sunny day as well as say hi to some of the people she passed by. Eventually, she would reach the gate, and by then, she would begin to proceed into the streets of Rukongai.

About a few more minutes later, her steps would begin to resonate near the one ramen parlor that the Captain most cherished above all others. She had come earlier than expected. The time that she had arranged with Addy was about 12:30 PM, and yet she had roughly arrived around 12:15 PM. Oh well. It was going to be difficult for her to wait in that shop, especially given that it always smelled so good whenever she was inside of it, but she could wait. It wasn't like she could just do nothing during that time, anyway. Maybe this could even be an excuse for her to take a second ramen bowl while she was at it! The image that that this thought brought about in her mind was enough to bring a quiet chuckle out of her, and a slight shake of the head.  Come on, Kimiko, pull yourself together,  she would tell herself in that moment with an amused smile as she approached the shop.  You know what happens when you eat too much from Hikashi's.

It took Kimiko a couple more steps to reach the shop, though once she arrived, just about every remnant of stress that once plagued her mind vanished in an instant. Immediately upon pushing away the sheets of tissue which hid the customers' seats from view, she would be hit with the great smells of the ingredients that were cooked behind the counter. She would be reminded of the many meals she has had here, as well as the tastes which came with them. It was enough to almost make her salivate. For a moment, she almost felt as though she was about to outright ask for a meal right then and there. Fortunately for her, though, she would be quickly noticed by the owner of the shop, who would smile brightly upon seeing her. "Oh, Kimiko! Welcome! It's been a while again!" The man would call with his usual friendly tones. Once again, it was completely informal, the kind of tone that Kimiko appreciated above all. "How have you been?"  

Hikashi was perhaps one of Kimiko's oldest acquaintances within the Rukongai. The first time they had met, it was long ago, back when she was nothing more than a simple student of the prestigious Shin'ō Academy. In spite of this, the two of them barely seemed as though they had aged even but a single year. How frightening was the passage of time within the Soul Society, how agonizing... and yet, pleasing. "Heh, come on, Hikashi! I was here just yesterday! Don't tell me you're staring to forget me!" She would respond to his call with a bright and energetic smile. While they were familiar with one another, and thus the man was more so familiar with the meeker person she once was, she much preferred to display to him the person that she had now become. It was better like this, she thought. "I've been doing very well. Jūichibantai and Nijūkan have both never been better! And I can see that your shop is doing just as well, too!"

"Oh, it very much has! I have been receiving a lot more customers lately. And by customers, I mean your students! I think I'm starting to become their mascot," the man would joke, acknowledging what seemed to have been a popular advice that Kimiko had been spreading across the Eleventh Division and her schools for a long while now. This would bring a light laugh out of Kimiko as well as a bit of an embarrassed blush, though fortunately, they would not remain on the subject for too long. "Anyway, what will it be today? The Spicy Shoyu Pork Ramen bowl, as usual?"

"No, I'll take the Dragon's Breath! You've been telling me that you were bringing it back for so long! I want to get a taste of your new recipe for it."

"Of course! Alright then, Dragon's Breath, coming right up!"

With that all said, the Captain would then go on to take one of the seats which were available. Coincidentally, it was right beside somebody else who was in the shop at this present time, one that she had not noticed just yet before her conversation with Hikashi had begun. After she sat down, she would let out a brief sigh of excitement as she waited her food, then find herself naturally turning her head towards the person she was sitting next to. For a brief moment, she appeared ready to start a simple conversation with the stranger, but as she further stared at the woman, she would find herself blinking as the wheels in her head slowly turned. Long blonde hair, dark silver blue eyes, reddish cheeks... Wait a minute. "Oh, wow, hey! I'm so sorry. Whenever I'm around here, I can only think about food," she would excuse herself with a brighter smile then as she gave a light wave to the girl. "You must be Addy, right? One of our new recruits? I didn't think you would be here earlier than me! Usually, I'm the early one, heh."  

So this was Addy Kuchiki, in the flesh. Well, she certainly looked better here than on the picture that was stapled onto her profile. Then again... everyone looks better than the picture that were put into their profiles. Even today, she still believed the one that was taken for her when she had just graduated from the Academy was perhaps one of the most awful pictures that had been taken of her throughout her entire life.

[Addy Kuchiki]

Unfortunately for Addy, this ramen shop seemed to specialize in spicy dishes. A delight for some people sure, but people that weren’t Addy. She preferred her tongue to not be on fire while she ate thank you. Still, she had to give the chef kudos for the names on some of these dishes. Like the Dragon’s Breath dish that a customer just came in and ordered. Just the name alone struck fear in Addy’s heart and taste buds. That was a dish she was sure her body couldn’t handle, and she wasn’t even going to try.

The dish she had ordered a few moments ago had a much softer name. Nothing quite as grand as the Dragon’s Breath. It was simply the normal variant of the Spicy Shoyu Pork Ramen bowl. She had already confirmed with the chef that nothing truly spicy was in the normal pork ramen bowl. She would actually cry if her first bite at this place destroyed the inside of her mouth with heat and spices. Such a thing had happened to her before, and she still remembered that terrible experience to this day. Always double check what you’re ordering. If not, you’ll regret it.

Moving to the side a few inches so the person next to her had more space, Addy turned to face the customer next to her. Squinting her eyes in confusion, she quickly eyed her neighbor up and down before a lightbulb went off in her head. It was her captain! The whole point of her being here in the first place! She had been so distracted by the menu she was browsing and all the sights and sounds that she hadn’t even heard when Kimiko arrived. A bit embarrassing, but who could blame her? Hikashi's Terakawa was quite the place.

“Hehe, all good! The food here seems to be quite appetizing. Haven’t been here before, so take my word with a grain of salt.” Returning her captain’s smile with an even brighter one, Addy tried to calm her beating heart. There was nothing to be nervous about, just two women out having lunch. A bit different though considering how many ranks Kimiko was above her, but it was kind of a similar situation. If she squinted.

“Yeah, Addy Kuchiki. Nice to meet you! I’d rather be early than late, although I’ve been told I take that saying a tad bit too seriously. Still, it was a nice day out today so I thought I’d show up early and enjoy the scenery, you know?“ You had to enjoy the sights whenever you could. After all, who knew when extra work would just crop up and devour the rest of your free time? No matter how often she tried to catch up with homework and the like, there always seemed to be more waiting. Sure she usually waited until the last minute, but that was because there was always more important stuff for her to do. Like training! Couldn’t really slack on that.

“So you come here often? Or I guess semi frequently since I assume you’re too busy to always eat out like this? You seem to know your way around the menu quite well from what I could hear. Dragon’s Breath sounds kinda dangerous though, surprised you chose to go for that one.” While Addy understood that not everyone had a distaste for spicy food like her, ordering something with a name like that still sounded extreme to her. You were just asking for your stomach to be punished. A body could only handle so much spices before rebelling after all.

As she continued her conversation with Kimiko, Addy kept a side eye on Hikashi preparing their meal. Not because she was paranoid, but because it was quite the sight to behold. She always enjoyed watching masters perform their craft, and Hikashi cooking was no different. Seeing him smoothly chop, stir, and mix all the ingredients into their appropriate forms was awe inspiring. Addy had cooked a bit for herself before, but nothing on this level. Just something quick and easy so she could continue whatever she was doing for the day. Plus she didn’t know a whole lot about spices besides the basic ones like salt and pepper. A master chef she was not.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The spicy bowls which came from Hikashi's Terakawa were rather famous across the early districts of Rukongai. For years, decades even, the many who had heard of the shop would wander towards the ramen shop and order one of those bowls in order to get a taste of danger, so to speak. But it wasn't always like this. Once, it was more of a general ramen shop, the kind that produced anything and everything. Whatever one could think of, Hikashi could make it and then give it to a customer without any notable difficulty. It was hard work, but it was satisfying work, the kind that kept him going for so long for so many years. However, at a certain point, there came a time during which his restaurant had slightly fallen off when compared to its competitors. The people wanted specialties, meals that differed from the normal and the usual. The problem was that, for as much as he tried, the man simply did not believe that he had any kind of specialty to give to the people. That wasn't much of a surprise; after all, he was the owner of a ramen shop, and therefore, he believed that every meal he created was good. 

Unfortunately, as unsurprising as it was, it became a problem for his little corner. Slowly but steadily, the usual numbers that gathered to his business dwindled. For a while, he remained quiet about the matter. In fact, he had almost become at peace with the fact that this shop was going to close any time soon. But then, perhaps in a rare moment of weakness, he had found himself letting out a short, but noticeable complaint about the state of his affairs before one of his customers. It was not a rant or a fit; no, it was nothing but maybe a few words of discouragement. Even so, those words had garnered the attention of that aforementioned customer, a particular Shinigami officer who had come to visit since she had been introduced to the shop by her mentor. Not wanting to see the shop closed, she had tried her best to keep the man's spirits up, if only because she believed the place to be special in its own way. Even to this day, both she and Hikashi could remember the words that had changed the business ever since: "Maybe you could spice things up?"

Kimiko wasn't quite sure of how long it has been since she said that. She knew that she had spoken them before she had founded her dojo, but she wasn't sure of how long it had been even before that. It must have been a decade at the very least, maybe even two. However long it has been, however, she could tell that these particular words were what inspired Hikashi to start dabbling further into spicy meals. It was an interesting development, to say the least. She had always been a fan of spicier meals, of course, but she had never thought that a ramen shop like Hikashi's would be able to turn its business around by specializing itself around more powerful flavors. And yet, it did, just like that. It was all it took to bring the customers Hikashi had lost right back to his ship. She wasn't entirely sure of how long that was gonna last, especially given that there was only so many spices some people could ingest before it became bad for them. Nevertheless, she always encouraged them to come to this place, if only to test their might.

Maybe that was the reason why she had decided to use this spot in order to meet with Addy. She had used this place before in a similar way, more specifically with... another member of the Kuchiki clan... but in her eyes, there was more to this place than the nostalgia she held for it. It might only be a simple ramen shop in most people's eyes, a little restaurant of no particular significance, but to her, it was the perfect place for a one-to-one meeting. Here, they could speak out their minds about everything. They could talk to one another truly not with any ranks in mind, but rather on equal grounds, as the both of them would be challenged by the power of the food served to them. Sure, Hikashi was there too, if only to listen to them speak to one another, but he was no judge. Above all, he has always been an advisor and a counselor. Whatever comment he says here and there, he will never hold any heavy opinion or grudges, not against the ones that don't deserve them, at the very least.

In retrospect, it was rather amusing how much of this fact was reflected in the way the two officers had not noticed each other right away. Kimiko, being the warrior that she was, should have noticed her subordinate right away, and yet she couldn't. Here, in Hikashi's little shop, her attention was simply left that much weakened. But she did eventually notice that smaller noble, and shortly after, the smaller noble eventually noticed her. In the end, that's all that mattered. "Heh, it's not just appetizing. Hikashi's Terakawa is one of the best ramen shops in the entire Rukongai!" The Captain insisted then in a friendly manner, mainly as an attempt to not give her subordinate too much of a scare; after all, it was their first true meeting with one another in-person. Once said subordinate had finished introducing herself properly, her new acquaintance would fully settle herself on the seat to make herself more comfortable, then would return the favor: "Nice to meet you too, Addy. You can call me Kimiko."

Introducing herself in this situation was perhaps not that important in the grand scheme of things. Having once been quite the popular student at the Academy, and now being a Captain, it was highly doubtful that Addy didn't know who she was. For all she knew, the people Addy has spoken to since her recruitment has long since told her name a hundred times. Hell, it was also possible that she knew of the other titles she carried along with her as well. There were many, far too many to count, but "owner of Nijūkan" was the one that was most commonly spread about Seireitei. Even so, she felt it important to at least mention it here. That way, it would prevent the recruit from ever using honorifics, and thus, she will naturally become more familiar with her. It's a nicer way to avoid having to repeat that lesson over and over again. It wasn't always successful, especially whenever it came to dealing with the manners of the freshest recruits of the Attack Squad... but most of the time, it was enough.

In any case, introductions were soon over, after which Kimiko would allow Addy to speak. As it turns out, the woman was talkative. While it was possible that this was simply because she was nervous before the Captain, her behavior was nevertheless not found to be distasteful by the higher officer. Frankly, she much preferred that over a recruit who was afraid to speak. The Kuchiki girl spoke of her early arrival, using the weather as an excuse for doing so. Then, she asked a few questions regarding Kimiko's attachment to the shop. It was a lot to take in all at once, but again, the swordswoman did not hate this. In fact, it made her smile widen a little bit. "And here I thought I was the only one who liked doing that! We haven't been getting good weather often lately. It's always nice to appreciate the sun whenever we can," she would go on to comment at that moment, nodding as she gave a glance over her shoulder. Even now, she could feel the comfortable rays of the distant star push against the tissue hanging from the entrance of the ramen shop. 

After she was done, she would appear as though she was about to answer the questions that were asked to her. However, right before she could do so, she would find herself briefly distracted by Hikashi's work behind the counter. The man had always been good at his job, but it was clear that time had turned him into an even greater master of his field. The way he was handling the meat, the spices, the ingredients, and all of the tools required to turn them into culinary art was nothing short of mesmerizing. Let's not forget the scent that came from it all too. It wasn't even ready, and yet it already smelled good. It took her entire willpower to disconnect herself from it all and look towards Addy again, if only to make sure the sight of food wouldn't cause her to be unfocused once again. "Heh, well, I've been coming to this place for a long time! I think the first time I came here was about a month after I began attending Shin'ō. I must have eaten the whole menu at least once by now," she answered then with a certain sense of reminiscence in her voice. However, soon enough, that reminiscence was replaced with the kind of excitement that could only be brought about by a notable sense of hunger. "Eh? No, no, Dragon's Breath is the best meal around! Yeah, it has a scary name, but there's nothing else like it."

"Now, now, let us not underestimate the almighty Dragon's Breath! There is a reason why I gave it that name!" Hikashi called towards Addy as he cooked, laughing as he did so. It didn't seem that way, given that his back was turned to the women in that moment, but he was trying his best not to smell too much of the food he was preparing, as the spices were so powerful that simply breathing them in from too close could be distracting. "Kimiko here is one of the only people around who's even able to eat that stuff! I've only brought it back because she asked me to!"

"And yet, now, everyone wants to get a taste of it!"

"Because you told them to!"

The chef and the Captain would then exchange a brief chuckle before Kimiko would turn towards Addy once again. "Anyway, he's right. If you want to eat spicy here, I think you should start with the Spicy Shoyu Pork Bowl, and then go up a notch every time you come back," she advised with a slow rolling gesture of the hand. "That way, you get more and more used to it, right up until you face the dragon."

"Huh. That is a good slogan. I should stick that one to the menu next time."

[Addy Kuchiki]

“One of the best ramen shops in the entire Rukongai eh? The food must be out of this world to get such a claim.” While Addy enjoyed eating out as much as the next person, it wasn’t something she did too often, for a variety of reasons. One of the main reasons was time. Going out to eat was a commitment, a commitment she didn’t usually want to make. That was time she could spend on training or knocking out the busy work she had left to gather dust. And the food would be gone by the end of the day, so she still wasn’t sure if it was worth it once everything was said and done. But even she had to admit that some dishes were worth taking the time out of her day to eat.

“Understood Captain….er Kimiko I mean.” It would take a bit for Addy to get used to talking to her captain casually like this, but in the end she preferred this to the alternative. She already suffered enough doing this type of thing at home, so she would hate to undergo the same fate in her new squad. Calling Kimiko by her official titles or with honorifics was respectful and all, but it did create a disconnect between the two. If they ever wanted to forge stronger bonds, then a bit of casualness towards each other was a must. It was hard to become friends if you were constantly afraid of offending the other person or doing something that they disapproved of. You kind of had to be yourself, and then go from there. At least that was Addy’s mindset on the situation.

Now that her deluge of words had finished flooding from her mouth, Addy took the next few moments to listen to Kimiko’s response. Other shinigami that she talked to previously had mentioned that she had a bit of a motor mouth, but she couldn’t really help it! There were so many thoughts running throughout her head, and she wanted to get them all out. It was just part of who she was. Why stay quiet when the alternative exists? There was so much she wanted to know, and without asking, how would she ever gain the knowledge that she sought?

Taking a quick glance at the weather outside, Addy gave her captain a small nod. The weather today was quite pleasant, but that was unfortunately a rarity. Most other days it was either rainy or the sky looked murky and unpleasant to look at. It was hard to really enjoy yourself when the sky above looked like it wanted to strike you down. And while it was surprising that Kimiko had tried the whole menu at least once, it was to be expected. She had been coming here for such a long time after all. Addy imagined it might get boring eating the same thing over and over at a place you visit frequently.

Although the dish received great recommendations from both Kimiko and Hikashi, Addy still wasn’t sure how to feel about the almighty Dragon’s Breath. The best meal around according to her captain, which was quite the high praise. The only problem was that Hikashi mentioned that only Kimiko was able to eat it. What that meant or entailed, Addy had no idea. But she was even more wary of the dish now than she was before. Perhaps her captain had something of an iron stomach? She had heard of people like that before. No matter what food they ate, their body was unaffected and able to handle the spiciest of meals. An impressive trait to have. As expected of her captain.

“Unfortunately Kimiko, I hate all things spicy. Or at least my body does. Can’t really handle it that well. Hurts my stomach, turns my face beet red, makes me sweat, the whole shebang you know?” Motioning with her hands the effect spicy food had on her body, Addy tried to get Kimiko to understand her point of view. Keep eating spicy food to work up her tolerance? In theory that might seem like a good idea, assuming she even wanted to suffer through that to begin with. And she did not. Why eat something spicy, when something sweet exists? The two couldn’t even compare in her opinion. “I prefer sweets instead, with peppermints being my favorite. Do you have a favored sweet Kimiko, or do you prefer every dish of yours to be spicy?” Judging from what Addy had heard, she wouldn’t be surprised if the only thing her captain ate were dishes that would destroy her own taste buds.

Taking a moment to face Hikashi, Addy scratched her chin before questioning the chef about something that had been bothering her. “How many people have actually gone out of their way to try Dragon’s Breath anyways? And how many people actually liked it?” While Kimiko only had positive things to say about the dish, Addy was starting to suspect her captain was a bit biased. It was her favorite dish after all, so she could see where she was coming from. But the real question was if it was anyone else’s favorite dish, or if Kimiko was just the outlier.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Out of this world. Yes. It didn't seem like much at a glance, but the ramen shop sure held these words quite nicely within Kimiko's eyes. She doubted that Hikashi - the perfectionist that he was - was ever going to agree with them, which was made quite apparent by his lack of response after he heard them, but she did believe in them to some extent. The food here was good, no, better than what was usually served in many other ramen shops, and it was also not too pricey. It was succulent, always making sure to leave you on the edge of your seat every time you'd see it being served to you, but it also was conscious of your time and wallet. That wasn't something that Kimiko believed was common across many restaurants of Rukongai; hell, she didn't even think there were many in Seireitei that she could describe in such a way. Thus, she did believe it to be quite unique amidst the masses of businesses scattered about the heavenly realm. There really was no other place like it.

This was why she was excited to share a meal here with Addy. It was her way for her to share one of her hobbies with somebody else, even if it was quite the simple one. Moreover, in this particular case, it was her way for her to get a good look at her new recruit, to better understand her throughout their stay here. But that was something that she figured the Kuchiki girl would be able to understand in due time. For now, the Captain simply enjoyed the fact that her subordinate was both eager to try the food here and also not entirely reticent to the idea of forgoing honorifics... even if the request was very briefly forgotten for a moment. "Nice save! You're already doing better than some of the other recruits I had to talk to earlier today," she would jest then with almost-vibrant energy. The amount of emotional power coming out of her was almost excessive. "There was one of them, I think his name was Paul...? He just couldn't stop calling me Captain! No matter what! I had to make him learn by giving him extra lessons after a while. He still calls me Captain today, but I think he's doing it on purpose now, heh. Gives him a good excuse to train."

It was clear that the swordswoman was not at all bothered by the little story she had just brought up. To her, this was just a little something to bring up in order to reassure Addy that any more mistakes that she made moving onward wouldn't be too bothersome to her. She wasn't a fan of the mistakes, of course, and in fact, it was something that she had come to somewhat dislike whenever she interacted with the aforementioned Paul. However, unlike Paul, she was more considerate of where Addy came from. He was once but a civilian of Rukongai like the grand majority of the people within the Eleventh. He was also a humble man who had a hard time separating himself from the hierarchy not out of conformity, but he simply believed that he was not worthy of doing so. Not yet, at the very least. Meanwhile, Addy was a member of the Kuchiki clan, one of the four greater Noble clans of the Soul Society. The Captain wasn't quite sure of how things went in there, but for all that she knew, straying from the standards of the clan most likely meant severe punishment.

The recruit probably moved on from the Kuchiki clan since then. Well, if her decision to join the Eleventh instead of the Sixth was any indication of the fact, at the very least. Even so, it was going to take some time before she would be able to fully disconnect herself from such a world. Kimiko knew this, because it was something that she herself had gone through. For many years, she had always tried her best to be an exemplary officer, one that could not stray from the rules. It was why she worked so hard at the Academy, and why she - in spite of her early graduation - still tried to stick to the rules. However, now that she was high enough in the food chain that was the Gotei 13, she could that her past attitude was not what brought her so far. As such, she did not want people to follow that same path. It just wasn't worth it. Better to act natural and strive to both achieve what you really wanna do and, in so doing, become what you really wanna be than act like something you're not.

In any case, the conversation would continue on ahead. The subject, unsurprisingly, centered around food. It was to be expected; after all, Hikashi just seemed about close to finishing Addy's bowl by the time they started talking about Kimiko's. As it turns out, it appeared that the Kuchiki girl wasn't actually a fan of spicy meals, as she couldn't handle them very well. Instead, she preferred eating sweets. While this may not have seem like an useful piece of information to anybody, it did grasp the Captain's attention quite a fair bit. "Aaaaah, I see. So you're more of a sweet tooth," she would note with a hum as she considered her subordinate's answer, then smirk. "Fair enough. Peppermints are not really my thing, but I'm a pretty big fan of chocolate. Although, maybe that's because the kids near one of my dojos keep giving me these little cakes." A small chuckle left her as she recalled the last time such an event occurred. "They always put too much sugar into them. I swear, all it takes to keep me going is just one bite of those cakes to keep me going for the whole day!" 

That was an understatement. One time, the cakes the children had made were practically whole balls of sugar just covered in chocolate, with little peanuts added to them to add a little bit more flavor. Under any other circumstance, that kind of meal would have probably killed someone, if only because sugar overload can easily lead to heart failure. But for someone like Kimiko, who constantly ran around all the time? Well, she somewhat needed it. In fact, she needed all the food she could get. The amount of movement that she must maintain every day through training requires an enormous amount of calories as well as a whole bunch of other elements. Any less than that, and her metabolism will start to shrivel and then most likely die. Such was one of the prices that she needed to pay as a master of Hohō. Not that she minded, really: she found it rather pleasant to not have to worry about her body too much while enjoying herself with all sorts of food.

In any case, after she laid down her personal preference when it came to sweet, Kimiko would look back towards Hikashi's handiwork once again. It was involuntary, but by the time she did that, it was simply too late. Instantly, the impression that the ingredients had already grafted onto her upon their first sighting returned in full force. Again, it took her entire willpower to ignore it, or at least continue her conversation with Addy as she waited in anticipation for her meal to arrive. "I don't think there's any kind of food I really hate. Still, if you ask me... I think I've always liked spicy food better. You can say Hikashi pretty much convinced me the moment I stepped foot in here. I just believe that there's nothing out there that has as much of a kick as spicy sauce," she chuckled again as she did so, then as her fingers slowly tapped against the counter. There was a lesson to be learned from this, one that she hoped Addy would be able to figure out on her own. However, she wasn't going to spill it out. No, that would be too easy. 

A brief moment of silence would then follow after the fact, allowing the Kuchiki woman to perhaps think a little bit more about what the Captain just said. Meanwhile, Hikashi would continue to cook, seemingly about to finish one of the meals that he had been preparing thus far. Eventually, Addy would break the ice by asking a question to the shop owner, to which he would respond with a hum. "As of today? I would say that there has been a number of them who have tried it! I could not tell how you many specifically, but there have been a lot of them, especially lately! A lot of them have also liked it! Well, I believe they have. I would say about half of them, um... fell unconscious after eating it." He started as he filled up one of the two bowls before him with the shoyu sauce, pork and vegetables. Then, once he was done, he would turn around and towards the Shinigami and bring her what she had ordered. "That is why I believe that you should start with this instead. Here is your Spicy Shoyu Ramen Bowl, just as you asked! Have a nice meal!"

The tone which Hikashi used to describe the power of the Dragon's Breath was fairly casual, which heavily downplayed the meal, but there was something about his words and the fact that Kimiko hadn't actually said nothing to defend the meal in that moment that seemed intensely ominous. That meal... Was it actually capable of knocking someone out? Was it actually that spicy? There was no way. It couldn't be true; after all, the Captain was practically salivating at the thought of eating that damn thing. Surely, it couldn't be that strong? Right?

[Addy Kuchiki]

It didn’t come as a surprise to Addy when Kimiko mentioned other recruits having a problem with calling her captain. Could you really blame them? The majority of shinigami were taught to treat their superiors with the utmost respect. And if they chose not too, consequences were sure to follow. No one wanted a mark on their record just because they forgot who exactly they were speaking to. Better to play it safe and be respectful rather than take a chance being overly friendly and regret it. It was a bit different here since Kimiko herself wanted to be more informal, but in other squads Addy was sure the situation was different.

Kimiko’s brief mention of extra lessons did make the Kuchiki pause for a moment. It left her quite curious. Were the extra lessons code for punishment? Or was Paul actually learning something new that would help him in his future endeavors? If so, that didn’t sound like much of a punishment to Addy. But maybe that was just how they did things in Squad Eleven. Plus from the tone of her captain, Kimiko didn’t seem that bothered by the event. It was more of a fond annoyance rather than actual exasperation. Which was good to hear. Addy would hate to have a captain that was always high strung. You’d be tiptoeing around on eggshells all day if that was the case.

Nodding her head vigorously at Kimiko with a grin, Addy found that she wholeheartedly agreed with her captain’s choice of favorite sweets. While peppermints were her favorite, chocolate was still up there as well. It didn’t matter to her what type either. White, dark, mint. Any of these flavors were a blessing upon her tongue. But like Kimiko said, they did tend to have a high concentration of sugar in them. So although they were quite delicious, Addy had to be careful of how many pieces she ate. If she wasn’t, her body would regret it in the future. Maintaining a physique like hers took a bit of care and planning, something she wasn’t going to mess up just because she had a bit of a sweet tooth.

As Kimiko’s fingers tapped on the counter, Addy gave Hikashi a small clap. “Nice work Hikashi! I hope to have the same experience here as Kimiko did in the past.” The more her captain spoke, the better the image of Hikashi grew in her head. Yet the more the two talked, the harder it was for Addy to wait on her food. With this many commendations, the food couldn’t possibly be unpleasant. Especially with the fragrance caressing her nose at this very moment. Good memories, great smells, and a wonderful chef? This afternoon was soon turning into a lunch to remember. And Addy was all for it.

Moving her hands in her lap, Addy glanced down at the bowl that was placed in front of her. As good as her ramen bowl smelled, she was glad that this dish wouldn’t make her fall unconscious after eating it. While Hikashi did say it was usually a fifty-fifty chance of such a situation occurring, she didn’t want to take that risk. No, she just wanted to enjoy a delicious meal without any side effects. And that was what she was going to do! But where to start? Blowing gently on her ramen, Addy watched as the broth rippled away in a smooth motion. Exquisite.

Dipping her spoon into the broth, Addy took a refined sip of her ramen bowl. As much as she wanted to take the whole bowl and slurp it down, she knew her mother would have a heart attack if she found out. Plus her noble habits were quite ingrained into her at this point, so why fight what came naturally? Her food wasn’t going anywhere. She would make sure of that. But eating habits aside, what did she think about the taste? As she took a bite of the soft noodles that were marinating in spices and vegetables, Addy felt a sense of calm expand over her body starting from her mouth. This was heaven. And her mouth was the gateway to it.

The next few minutes were filled with Addy quietly eating next to Kimiko. While she normally liked to fill the silence with idle chatter, she was unable to do that at the current moment. And she would be in this state until her bowl was finished, and not a second sooner. This dish deserved her full attention, and she wanted to enjoy every moment she had with it. The ramen had a hint of spice, but one palatable enough that not even she had a problem with the spiciness. Quite impressive in her opinion.

Once her bowl was spotless, Addy dabbed her mouth with a napkin before directing an enormous smile Hikashi’s way. “Ten out of ten Hikashi! I will definitely be back here again whenever I have the time.” After giving the chef her compliments, the Kuchiki eyed the menu next to her in contemplation. Did she dare order more? While she was mostly full, the meal was so good that she was tempted to try another dish. Perhaps she should wait until next time so as to not spoil the taste of the rest of the dishes too soon? Decisions decisions.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Food preferences were usually capable of revealing a great deal of information when it came to the person which held them. On their own, they didn't mean much; in fact, it was doubtful that anyone could really tell much about them at a glance. At best, someone would simply conclude that a certain someone liked a certain kind of food, and that was that. Over the years, however, Kimiko was able to deduce many things from the food people ate. These deductions weren't entirely accurate, of course; after all, she wasn't some kind of food expert nor an incredible investigator, the both of which would have most likely been able to achieve any form of analysis in a much better than she ever could on her own. Even so, it was one of the many reasons why she decided to bring Addy here. She wanted to understand her a little bit more, to figure out how she will be able to shape the girl over the coming years as her subordinate within the Eleventh Division.

The girl was a sweet tooth. That much, she had made it rather plain. The Captain had met a number of individuals who shared this liking throughout her time within Rukongai, and if there was one thing that she could tell about them, it was that they were a kind of people that enjoyed leisure and relaxation. These individuals preferred the path of least resistance, the battles that would grant them a sense of domination that was incredibly easy to access. They were also the kind of people who had a penchant for excess, and thus, they often did not care of their body very well. It was needless to say that such qualities were not really features that Kimiko was hoping to witness whenever she was analyzing an officer of her squad, as those were the kind of things to expect from one of the least-combative squads. Hell, quite frankly, she had to admit that she was rather discouraged by these assumptions. But then, right before her disappointment could reach its apex, Addy had mentioned peppermints.

Peppermints... That didn't seem like much at first. Like pretty much everything that had been discussed before, it seemed like nothing more than a standard preference, much like how Kimiko preferred chocolate. Over, like the Captain's preference for the sugary stuff, there was a catch behind that particular liking. Peppermints, while not as intense as spices, were known to be rather strong. They were sweet, yes, but they were also combative. They weren't combative enough in the swordswoman's eyes, as their taste typically remained in the mouth more so than anywhere else within one's body... but that alone was good. It meant that Addy, in spite of her overall preference for sweets, still had a combative side, a wish to conquer. Or was it a wish to rebel against the laws of the typical? To break free of the chains of the conventions set upon her being? After all, she was a member of the Kuchiki clan, and so far, quite the unusual one at that.

Such a dilemma was made more apparent after Addy's meal arrived. The Spicy Shoyu Pork Bowl both looked and smelled amazing, as to be expected from Hikashi's recipe. At a simple glance, the meat looked succulent and the vegetables that accompanied it appeared radiant with life, all the while they floated above within a tasty-looking broth. It wasn't even her meal, and yet, just looking at the bowl was enough to almost cause Kimiko's stomach to growl. Almost. What caught more of her interest, however, was the way the Kuchiki woman ate her food. She used a spoon, and she was eating quietly at her own pace. The spoon itself was an unconventional tool within this ramen shop that had been set aside for those who were unable to use chopsticks, but there was something more to it than that in Kimiko's eyes. It just seemed too polite for a place like this, too reserved. And yet, her subordinate enjoyed her food greatly. The Captain could see that plainly from the calm look on her face. Interesting...

Hikashi paid no mind to Kimiko's analysis. He knew what she was doing; after all, he had seen her do such a thing before with many of her other recruits. However, it wasn't his job to analyze others nor judge her for this kind of behavior: he was only here to prepare the food. And so, once he was done with Addy's meal, he could focus on the dojo master's. Fortunately, this process of his did not take very long. By the time a minute had passed following the end of the latter's observations, the cook would turn away from his apparatuses, and then put a bowl right in front of Kimiko. "Here you go. Dragon's Breath, just like you wanted!" He would go on to say with a smile after all was said and done. The smile only widened once he noticed his veteran customer's focus completely break once he saw her bowl. "I made sure to combine my old recipe with the new, just to add a little bit more kick to it all! That should keep you going for a long time!"

"Thank you, Hikashi!" The Captain would exclaim almost immediately after his words came to an end, and no sooner than a perhaps less than a second later, her scarlet eyes were stuck onto the bowl while she held two chopsticks in hand. Her movement had been so quick that it almost seemed as though she had pulled the chopsticks from out of nowhere, even though she had picked them up from the small jar resting not far from her and Addy's stools by the counter. In the end, it didn't matter. No, what instead did was the meal itself. If Addy could take a look at the thing as she ate, she would be granted a most fearsome sight indeed. The bowl was an assortments of various meats and noodles bathed in boiling, red-hot sauce. The fumes which came from them held a most powerful, almost-ashen smell. In a way, it was like the entire bowl had been set on fire by Hikashi right before it was given to Kimiko. No wonder this meal was seemingly so legendary within the masses who visited this ramen shop.

And yet... the dojo master did not hesitate. The moment she received her meal, she bowed respectfully, let out a clear "Itadakimasu!", and then brought her chopsticks into the bowl to grab onto a couple of noodles. The instant the noodles reached Kimiko's lips, the battle between the meal and her body began. Her mouth and throat were instantly filled with an intense heat that exploded onto her tongue, making her feel as though it had been outright marked with a boiling iron rod. It scorched her throat, brought about fire to her lungs, and caused her entire body to enter a global state of inflammation. However, from Addy's side... the Captain looked like she was having the time of her life. With a great blush set about her cheeks, she was eating every piece of meat available and slurping into every noodle, gulping it all down like a culinary champion. Was this solely the work of a powerful body? No. No, physical strength had nothing to do this. This was willpower. The power of the soul alone.

The minutes that followed consisted of nothing else but eating. Kimiko would eat her meal with passion and fervor, while Addy would be quieter, but still just as passionate. Bite after bite, they ate, until eventually, one would finish before the other: the Kuchiki woman. By the time she was done, she had granted Hikashi a most solid score of ten out of ten. This, of course, greatly pleased the cook. "Oh-ho! I am very glad to hear that you enjoy it! I must admit that I was a bit worried when you started talking about sweets! Although, that makes me want to experiment again. I believe I have a few ideas for a sweet bowl!" He chuckled before he then lightly tapped his menu. "If you want to eat another meal, go ahead! This will be on the house!"

Whether Addy would accept or decline the offer, Kimiko would have finished the meat and the noodles contained within her own bowl. By then, there was barely anything more than a few bits here and there, remnants of a meal once so fearsome. However, there was also quite a fair bit of sauce that remained, and it looked just about as fearsome as back when Kimiko first began to eat from the bowl. However, just like the initial meal from before, she again did not hesitate to do what needed to be done. Without warning, she would suddenly outright grab her bowl, then raise it up near her mouth. Once this was achieved, she would bring her lips near the cusp of the bowl and begin drinking the spicy sauce contained within it, right then and there. Each gulp, like every one of them before, left an extreme impression onto her insides... yet she did not care. Before Addy and Hikashi, she continued, right up until she was finally done. Letting out a pleased sigh, she lowered the now-emptied bowl onto the counter, then laughed: "Aaaah! That was your best bowl yet, Hikashi! Outstanding!"  

The cook, for a moment, looked absolutely astonished. Once again, his terrific meal had been beaten! Yet, eventually, he too couldn't help but laugh. "Unbelievable! You really are a champion, Kimiko!" He commented with a shake of the head. "That was spicier than even the usual Dragon's Breath itself!"

"Heh, yeah, I could tell. But, I survived to tell the tale! It means my training is paying off!"

That woman was a monster.

[Addy Kuchiki]

Eyeing her captain warily, Addy watched as Kimiko attacked her dish as if it had offended her family. The way she went at her bowl was….awe inspiring to say the least. Addy wasn’t sure if she could even replicate such a feat. Visually, The Dragon’s Breath was just as imposing as its namesake. A molten bubbling red that she could imagine spewing from a dragon’s mouth. It didn’t look appetizing to her, but from how quickly Kimiko finished her meal, it seemed the dish was right up her captain’s alley.

Curiously enough, the spice of the dish still seemed to affect her captain, judging from the blush covering her cheeks. The heat still didn’t stop her though, as the two both finished their meals around the same time. And with their completion came another surprise. A second meal! And on the house?! How could Addy not accept? Ordering the same dish as last time, she eagerly waited for her second bowl to be prepared. The remaining bits of hunger in her stomach would soon be conquered. Filled with a delicious broth and scrumptious noodles that she no doubt would remember fondly.

“Congrats Kimiko. Your iron stomach is truly something to be admired.” Addy wasn’t too sure how her captain’s training helped with something like this, but she definitely believed it. The smell of the spicy dish alone was enough to make her eyes water. Just imagining what Kimiko’s dish would do to her stomach was enough to send shivers racing down her spine. She didn’t think she would ever be ready to eat a dish like that. Some things just weren’t meant to be, and this seemed to be one of them.

“Speaking of training, what type do you usually do if you don’t mind me asking? I think I heard somewhere that you had a dojo or something right?” Turning to face her captain, Addy asked her the question that had recently sprung up in her mind. Her captain was strong, which was pretty obvious considering her rank. But how did such a thing come to be? Was it a rigorous training schedule or something more specific? Did her dojo help? Addy had heard various rumors about Kimiko, some being about her skills while others being about her personal life. But as for how many were actually true? She had no idea.

When her second bowl eventually arrived, Addy would finish it off in a similar way to the first. The new taste was still fresh in her mind, and she wouldn’t tire of it for quite some time. The young Kuchiki would be satisfied with two bowls for the time being, since although she enjoyed the dish, her stomach could only hold so much food. Plus the ramen was actually quite filling thanks to the broth, noodles, vegetables, and whatnot. It was quite the meal, one that she could give ten stars with no hesitation. It deserved that much at the very least.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

In spite of her hunger being somewhat fulfilled, it would seem that Addy was ready to take on yet another bowl after all. For Hikashi, who might as well be the businessman in the room, this was a development that he quite enjoyed watching unfold. Offering food to his customers was certainly a kind act; after all, not every food shop owners around Rukongai would simply give food away like that. However, there wasn't only kindness behind the act. Of course, there was plenty of it, but in the end, he had intended to create a long-lasting customer on the spot. So far, he believed that such a tactic had effectively succeeded. As he watched the young Shinigami order another bowl, he effectively came to the conclusion that he was most definitely going to see Addy come back to his shop one day. It might not be tomorrow. It might not be this week. Hell, it might not even be this month. However, he was going to see her again, and the more he will, the more his restaurant will flourish.

Kimiko unsurprisingly didn't really think about the business side of it all. Handling the shop wasn't her responsibility here, and so she did not think about whatever Addy's relation with the ramen shop entailed for Hikashi. Instead, as the noblewoman's Captain, she found herself granting her attention to the recruit's wish to take up the cook's offer. From the way she immediately accepted the offer without thinking about it in much more detail, it would seem that Addy had not at all hesitated in the moment. She had been granted an opportunity to benefit from the situation even though she had already been satisfied with the initial outcome of her first meal, and she simply took it, just like that, presumably without really thinking about it. It was possible that, once again, the swordswoman was looking way too deep into this, but if anything, this accentuated her earlier analysis of the girl's liking for sweets: she enjoyed excess and overindulgence to a certain extent. 

At a glance, this should have been a negative conclusion. There was again, in hindsight, no such positives to be gained from excess and overindulgence. If unbalanced, they both lead to arrogance and laziness, the both of which would lead any Shinigami to ruin. Such was made apparent multiple times throughout the course of history, both in her own squad and the rest of those which compose the Gotei 13. Yet... if Kimiko combined them with Addy's liking for peppermints and seemingly even the spicy bowl Hikashi had prepared just for her, she couldn't help but paint a more favorable picture of the recruit in her mind. Why was that? It was rather simple, really: it was because the Eleventh Division needed those two things - excess and overindulgence - in order to survive. They needed to favor the excessive whenever possible, and they needed to overindulge, for if they do not, they will be unable to survive properly in the middle of a battlefield. Immense strength, extreme speed, superhuman reflexes... All of those things are required in order to achieve the impossible.

Obviously, the Captain was looking very far ahead. She didn't know if Addy really held such an important characteristic; ultimately, this was an analysis that she had conducted out of her subordinate's liking for peppermints, her lack of hesitation in the face of an easy opportunity, and even her noble background. The girl was also still just a recruit. For all Kimiko knew, she could perish on her first mission against a Hollow barely worth mentioning, and that will be where the recruit's career would end. It would be a sad end for sure, especially for a descendant of the Kuchiki clan, but it would unfortunately not be the first early death that the Captain would have had the displeasure to witness, nor would it be the last. Still, she believed the noblewoman to have much more promise than the standard officer who usually find themselves within the ranks of the Eleventh Division. If her predictions were right, she believed her to be much more capable than the standard officer, and much more willing to go further beyond.

The mere existence of this hunch was enough to get a smile out of Kimiko. Call it a boost in her own confidence. All of this was most likely going to take some time, but she had faith that Addy could go far, and that was enough to make her excitement go up just a notch. Thus, when Addy got her bowl and congratulated her for gulping down that powerful Dragon's Breath, she couldn't help but grin. "Heh, thanks! It took a while to make it this sturdy, but it paid off! Still, I think it can take some more," she would first say with her jovial tone before she then put her hand under her haori, near a pocket of the sleeveless Shihakusho underneath. Followed by this movement would then be a few Ryo coins being put onto the counter. From the looks of it, the recruit would be able to tell that it was a substantial amount of money, triple the amount that she owed for a single bowl. "Here, Hikashi! I'm gonna take another one! Make it just as spicy!"

The cook slightly paused after he heard that, and for a brief moment, he couldn't help but stare at the Captain with a look of complete incredulity. He knew that the dojo master was a fearless and powerful officer, but... there was a limit to one's strength. At least, there typically should. So when he heard her literally request another bowl, he couldn't help but feel that she was maybe going a little bit too far. As such, for just a moment, he almost refused Kimiko's request, if only to make sure that he would not find herself with an unconscious Captain in the middle of her ramen shop. Yet, right before he opened his mouth, his eyes found the Captain's, and he froze as he found himself staring at a stronger gaze than he anticipated. For one moment, he almost believed the two beads of scarlet to beam with a vibrant flame. Upon seeing this, his hesitation came to an end, and with a light nod, he replied with his usual smile: "Alright, Kimiko! Another Dragon's Breath, coming right up! Do not blame me if you fall unconscious, however! I have never seen someone eat two of those bowls in a row!"

With her request now followed, Kimiko would then begin to wait. It didn't seem like it, but her body was still on fire from the previous bowl. Her mouth was still hot, her throat burned, and her lungs scorched. Even so, she still wished to go on. At that point, it was solely to express what she wanted Addy to be, and to deliver a message of sorts, one that she hoped she would understand. Regardless, as she waited, the recruit would ask her a few more questions, each of which were seemingly focused on training more so than anything else. To these, she would respond with that same bright smile. "I do, yeah! I'm the owner of Nijūkan. They are in the 40th districts. It's a bit far from here, but with a good grasp of Shunpo? You can get there in about thirty minutes or so if you start at our barracks!" She answered truthfully with what appeared to be a sense of pride. That travel time wasn't particular accurate, especially given that she could cross that distance in less than that, but she felt it best to remain at that number for now. "As far as I'm aware, we are currently among the biggest dojos of Rukongai, if not the biggest around." 

As she answered, the heat coming off of the ingredients of the second Dragon's Breath bowl could steadily be further felt behind the counter. Needless to say, even though the feeling had been felt earlier, Addy would most likely believe it to still be just as intimidating. In spite of this, Kimiko paid almost no mind to it. She appeared too focused on the new subject at hand. "We teach our students the way of the sword. That means we teach them how to wield the blade, how to properly understand everything which makes it a blade, and how to eventually become one with it. We also, in time, teach our students how to follow the Nijū Kanmeki-ryu." It was a rather long explanation, but the bottom line of it all was rather clear: the school was one of swordsmanship. It was conventional, especially given the scale of the threats that are typically endangering the Soul Society, but it was effective enough, if the latest rumors about the "Blade Wall" were anything to go by. "If you want, once I'm done with my bowl, I can show you around one of the schools! I think Nijūkan West is the closest from here."

[Addy Kuchiki]

It seemed that both women still had room in their stomachs for more, as Kimiko ordered another bowl directly after Addy. The difference between the two however was that her captain was given a warning as Hikashi began to prepare their meals. Why her captain chose to order another dangerous bowl was truly a mystery to her. Did Kimiko like living on the edge? Did she like playing with fire? Addy was all for taking risks, just not when it involved her food, or her stomach. The consequences of such a thing were a bit too steep for her.

The fact that no one had eaten two bowls of the Dragon’s Breath before was amazing in itself. Just what was in that dish? Clearly something dangerous, if just two bowls could knock someone unconscious. Would her captain be another one to add to the statistic? Or would Kimiko’s iron stomach remain undefeated? Only time would tell, and Addy was quite curious about the results. Either way, the other woman already had her respect. One bowl was enough to acknowledge Kimiko’s willpower. But two? Truly a remarkable woman to attempt such a feat.

“Ohh you’re the owner too? Nice. That distance isn’t too bad either, even with Shunpo. Gives time to enjoy the scenery, you know?” It was impressive that Kimiko’s dojo was the biggest around, but it made sense. Kimiko herself was highly skilled, and since she was the owner, Addy imagined that it would be challenging to get a better teacher elsewhere. Her captain clearly knew her swords and she had the credentials to back up her lessons. It would be hard to go wrong if you attended her dojo.

“I’m assuming it’s not just limited to zanpakuto? Are there actually different lessons with using a normal sword and a zanpakuto?” While learning how to wield and understand a blade would be the same no matter what medium you used, there was still a difference between a normal sword and a zanpakuto. And Addy was curious if that difference was enough to have a few different lessons involving it. Probably not, but you never knew. She had just started her own journey in understanding her blades, and she still had a long way to go. And she was enjoying every moment.

“I would be honored to look at one of your schools, they sound quite enticing!” Addy would have to be a fool to turn down the offer in front of her. She was curious about the school and all it entailed. Sure Kimiko had given her the basics, but there was still clearly more her captain hadn’t mentioned. Addy would do anything to help hone her swordplay, and if the stars aligned she might even join the dojo. Assuming she was even able to of course. Most of her offtime was spent training with her swords anyways, so she doubted her schedule would change much if she was able to join.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

As Hikashi's hands handled the ingredients with care, the eyes above them would find themselves going back to Kimiko every once in a while. They would offer her quick peeks over the shoulder, nothing more, if only to see how she was currently faring. At a glance, all seemed normal. It truly seemed as though she had handled the first Dragon's Breath bowl like she usually handled them and that, therefore, there was simply nothing to worry about. However, the cook knew his recipe's effects on one's body. He knew of how hot it was, of how powerful it was, and of how its effects could affect one's body; after all, as mentioned previously, he had seen many fall unconscious after eating it. In so doing, it was why he always expected every one of his clients to only take one of the bowls. One of them was already almighty enough, but two...? That just seemed like way too much. There really was no way to tell what kind of fate would be bestowed onto someone who dared to go that far.

Yet the Captain seemed to be thoroughly serious about that second bowl. Judging by that gaze she gave earlier, it was clear that her request had not been a light one. She knew where it could lead to, and she was ready to take it. Why she wanted to do this, he believed it to not be very obvious. This was especially made apparent by the fact that it didn't seem as though her request had been premeditated, judging by the fact that she seemed rather content with her first bowl only about a few minutes ago. In a way, this was something that he couldn't find himself really appreciating. Quite frankly, he believed the officer as a whole to be slightly more puzzling than she was back when he first met her, even while she was at her most honest. Perhaps that was a side effect of her experience as a Captain and as a teacher. She saw many things throughout that career of hers, and those many things have very clearly changed her to a certain extent. Still, he supposed that this had something to do with Addy. She was the new kid on the block, after all.

Such an assumption was made correct when he overheard their conversation while he prepared the bowl. After Kimiko finished describing her dojo, it appeared as though Addy was quite impressed by it all. She was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Kimiko appeared to be the owner, and was openly giving her attention to the travel time. She even asked a few more questions. Naturally, all of those things pleased the Captain, who would make sure to give it all her own thoughts. "Yeah! I know there's some people in Seireitei who don't wanna come to my dojo because of that, but I feel like they're really missing out! Rukongai is a beautiful place once you get a good look at it," she would first comment with a smile on Addy's mention of the scenery, then nod as she then brought herself towards her subordinate's inquiries. "We have separate lessons for both normal swords, unconventional swords, and Zanpakuto, but we're usually able to make lessons for everyone at the same time, no matter their weapon. We also offer personalized training regimen for everyone too! It keeps them going even outside of classes."

Obviously, there were some notable exceptions to that rule when it came to the likes of Shinigami students. While the majority of them could be treated similarly to normal students, there were a couple of them who were able to unlock their Shikai. Since the form required a conscious transformation, they usually didn't lead to any disturbance during classes, but there were a few Shinigami who proved to be somewhat problematic due to their eagerness to use their released weapon throughout the course of said classes. There were even others who unfortunately were downright required to not attend classes until they fully mastered the use of their new ability, as they had somehow achieved a release that was permanently activated. Binita, Kimiko's comrade, had unfortunately been in such a position. Fortunately, her case has been resolved a time ago without any noteworthy incident, and other cases such as hers were quite rare... though admittedly, the eager ones can still sometimes be somewhat problematic.

In any case, Addy would eventually express her desire to visit one of the schools shortly after Kimiko told her they could visit it. She sounded quite excited by the offer too, which was something that the Captain quite enjoyed seeing. Witnessing excitement from potential students wasn't a particularly-rare occurrence, all things considered, but it was something that she always appreciated. "Perfect! Just give me five more minutes, then, and we'll be off," the higher officer would promise with a tone that appeared to be just about as excited as her subordinate's in the moment, before looking towards Hikashi. It appeared that, by the time their conversation had ended, the man was able to finish the bowl, as right as the Captain turned towards him, he was standing behind the corner with bowl in hand. "Ah, thank you, Hikashi! I was just about to ask when it was gonna be ready!"

"Oh-ho, you are in such a rush! You must be afraid of that bowl!" He would find himself teasing with a laugh in response to Kimiko's words, then would cross his arms. Eventually, he shook his head and he carried on an expression of hesitation once again. "Kimiko, at this point, I really must ask you this: are you sure you want to eat another bowl? If you really fall unconscious, I might be in deep trouble! I can already see the rumors spreading! Jūichibantai-taichou, poisoned by Hikashi's Terakawa!" 

"Ah, come on, Hikashi, you're going too far! There won't be any rumors like that going around on my watch!" The Captain would answer then with a light wave of the hand in an attempt to reassure him. At first, he believed the gesture itself to be enough to keep the man from having any more doubts about her constitution, though evidently, it didn't seem to be enough, as he still appeared rather hesitant and worried. Upon seeing this, the higher officer would pause, simply stare at him for a moment, then sigh... right before grabbing onto her noodle sticks and plunging them straight into her bowl with a vibrant grin. "Here. Let me show you how it's done!"

And so, with one last "Itadakimasu!", she dug in. In spite of her hot mouth, her burnt throat, and her scorched lungs, she dug in. Noodle after noodle she ate, drop after drop of magma sauce she ingested, all more powerful than the last. Quickly, her cheeks became redder than before as it suffered the rising heat. It was good. Real good. Apparently, the spices became better after the first bowl. However, the notable trade-off to that taste was the pain. It was now starting to downright hurt. At times, her body begged her to stop, to take even the briefest of pause so that it could immediately seek the nearest source of cold water as quickly as possible. Hell, at a certain point, all it really asked was not water, but instead simple air, as breathing had now become almost difficult to the heat. Yet, she didn't care. She persevered, taking in bite after bite after bite. The mere sight of it all was enough to make Hikashi simply watch in shock and awe, with perhaps even a tinge of horror.

Eventually, the meal came to an end. There, just like that, the second bowl was completely emptied. The noodles were gone and so was the meat, and every bit of the sauce had been drunk. The cook was simply stunned, taken aback by all that's happened. Meanwhile, Kimiko simply sat there for a moment, breathing quietly. For a moment, it almost seemed as though she appeared lost... but then, without warning, she would take a deep breath and showcase a brilliant smirk. "DELICIOUS!" She then loudly exclaimed with a voice that boomed throughout the ramen shop and perhaps even the street behind its curtains. The sheer amount of absolute energy that came from the word was such that it almost floored Hikashi and even a few of the people outside of the shop, leaving them almost inspired by what had just happened. Upon hearing this, a few of the people outside of the shop would start approaching the shop to understand what had just happened. By the time they did, they would hear Kimiko rise up from her stool, then laugh. "Aaaah, thanks, Hikashi! Excellent food as always! I'll be sure to come back later! Alright, Addy, let's go."

And with that, the Captain would begin to walk out of the shop, leaving Hikashi standing there in silence, astounded. As they would walk out, she would make sure to walk at a respectable pace so that Addy could catch up. Meanwhile, the people outside of the shop would simply stare at her with widened eyes as they realized something. For some reason, her mouth was letting out a surprising amount of steam, almost as if there was fire in her throat. Not before long, they would attempt to head into the shop right away so as to understand what had happened. Kimiko would leave them to sort it out. She had better things to do, such as guiding Addy towards her school.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Technique Used}
Technique Name: Akuma no Ishi (剃るかんめき, "Demon's Will")

Technique Type: Other | Strength of Will Buff

Technique Element: None

Usable by: All races

Class: 3

Technique Reiatsu Cost: N/A

Technique Description and Effects

The projection of one's own will to empower the hearts of others. The user channels the strength of their very soul within themselves before shouting it out, most typically either in a short inspirational speech or a motivational war cry. By accomplishing this, the user is capable of bringing forth the Strength of Will skill of all of their surrounding allies by one point for the next three posts, inspiring them to go further beyond towards victory even if such a thing may cost their lives. A master of this skill is said to have such a powerful will that they are able to instead bring the aforementioned skill of their allies up by two points.


Drawbacks & Weaknesses

As saddening as this may be to those who may be interested in learning this technique, not everyone is born with a powerful will. That is simply a natural, uncontested fact that cannot be refuted even by the greatest minds there is in this world. In so doing, it is not difficult to imagine that this technique will not always show any kind of positive effect onto the people surrounding them, especially if they are used by naturally-uninspiring individuals. In order to guarantee this technique's proper success, the user must possess a 2 in at least one of the following skills: Acting, Charisma, or Strength of Will. This technique can be executed by those who have a lesser version of these skills if they so will it; however, upon execution, there will be a 50% chance of this skill failing to provide any kind of inspiration to allies altogether.


Made by: Nakajima Kimiko

Reserved? : No

[Addy Kuchiki]

Although Kimiko’s dojo gave separate lessons depending on the weapon, the class still happened around the same time for everyone. Addy wondered if it was like the academy where the students would be given an assignment and then the teacher would come around and help as needed. The class size had to be similar, since if it wasn’t, this teaching method might prove to be a bit difficult. Maybe there were multiple teachers? Still, there wasn’t much point in wondering too much since she would receive her answers soon. Just as soon as her captain was done eating the fiery bowl of ramen in front of her.

As Kimiko went through a life or death battle with her food, Addy began to feel a small pit of worry in her stomach. The way her captain went about eating was….painful to say the least. In fact, Addy wasn’t even sure if Kimiko was even enjoying her food anymore at this point. Could she even taste anymore? Her captain’s face was so red that Addy wondered if the poor woman’s body could withstand the second arrival of The Dragon’s Breath. Jumping slightly at Kimiko’s loud shout, she discreetly glanced at her ramen bowl. And sure enough, it was in fact empty. Mucho impressive indeed. But was all that pain Kimiko had to go through in order to finish it truly worth it?

“Are you alright Kimiko?” Placing some money on the counter for her first dish, Addy gave Hikashi a friendly farewell wave before walking side by side with her captain. She wasn’t quite sure what she had witnessed, but she was a little spooked nonetheless. Surely her captain’s mouth had to be burning. No, it had to be melting at this point. Not only that, but Kimiko didn’t even grab any water on the way out! Wasn’t the walk to her dojo around thirty minutes? Was she just going to ignore the heat in her mouth the whole time they walked?

Even more concerning was the fact that Kimiko’s mouth was letting out steam for every breath she took. How was that happening? Was her captain part dragon? Rubbing her chin curiously, Addy gave her captain another look over. She had seen a few beast-clansmen before, but never one with draconic lineage. She didn’t even know those existed! And if Kimiko wasn’t part dragon, how could you explain what just occurred? Either way, after witnessing such a feat, Addy felt her own blood pumping. While she wasn’t going to commit the same heinous act that Kimiko just performed, she was motivated to test out her swordplay. Her captain’s will was quite inspiring.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

When the two Shinigami women left Hikashi's Terakawa, the cook only stared ahead in silence, accepting the Kuchiki girl's payment without muttering even a single word. He hadn't expected this, not in the slightest, and the fact that he couldn't was enough to force him to just stand there in complete confusion. That woman, Kimiko... He had been right all along. The person she had become truly was not the girl she was before. Long ago, she was but the disciple of a Captain, an up-and-coming yet rather-timid swordswoman who could barely even speak her mind in its entirety. She was, in every way, something that was close to normal, much like the rest of the people here in Rukongai. But now, he could tell that something had truly changed in her. The dojo had made her more caring and thoughtful, sure, and also wiser, yet there was something else that he hadn't spotted yet as of then, something more inspiring. Either way... it left him so stunned that he barely realized the amount of people that were coming into his ship to understand what had happened.

The people would get their explanations in due time once Hikashi recovered. However, by the time he had finally awoken from his stupor, Kimiko and Addy were both too far away for anyone to go catch them. Indeed, they had already walked down a few blocks of the 1st district onto the road leading west, walking ahead without a care. Nevertheless, the people that the two girls would pass by would find themselves staring in surprise at the Captain's face. Even now, after around a minute of walking, her mouth was still leaving a fair bit of steam. Such an occurrence would perhaps be normal in the middle of winter, but this was the later months of autumn on a day that was both sunny and somewhat hot too. The air was simply not cold enough to cause the breath coming from one's mouth to create steam. In other words, it was plainly impossible for something like this to happen on its own. There needed to be a catalyst of sorts.

There were a few worried faces here and there; after all, judging by the Captain's reddened cheeks, it looked like it somewhat hurt. Yet, even so, she moved along with that big smile of hers. She didn't seem to be phased by the omnipresent and omnipotent heat which filled her every being, moving along as though she was just fine. Instead, she merely let out a brief huff of amusement at the sight of the steam. "Oh! So that's what happens when you eat too many of those Dragon's Breath bowls... It literally gives you a dragon's breath," she would find herself commenting then with nary a single hint of worry, instead smirking at her own observation. Her words didn't seem like much upon first hearing, but the nearby citizens made sure to take note of them with widened eyes. Dragon's Breath had become rather infamous in the area, that was for certain... and it was now becoming clearer to them all that, somehow, she had eaten more than a single of those powerful bowls.

The mere thought of such a thing happening was enough to stir the curiosity of the citizens, and in so doing, they began to proceed towards Hikashi's Terakawa like the people from before. Judging by the number of people who were going there, it appeared as though Kimiko had unconsciously created a bit of a stir as well as yet another productive day for the cook. But ultimately, that wasn't very important. No, what mattered more was Addy and her wish to visit her dojo. Thus, after the two officers found themselves almost left completely alone in their street, the Captain would simply smile at the crowd in the distance before turning towards her fellow swordswoman. "Alright, then. That should be plenty of food to get you through the trip," she told her then before she looked back towards the road. "Earlier, I said that it'd take us about thirty minutes to get to Nijūkan West from our barracks. That is true. You can even reach that place in even less time than that if you're fast enough..."  

A pause would then follow her words in that moment, almost as if she wanted to see if Addy was going to figure out what the problem was in that statement. With that said, regardless of whether or not the blonde woman understood its impossibility at a glance, the Captain would make sure to make the answer a little more obvious by simply... vanishing. One moment, she was by Addy's side, and in the other moment, she was gone at a Speed of 7000. Eventually, the recruit would be able to spot her standing onto one of the building nearest to her position with a smirk. "... but we definitely won't be able to do that by simply walking there. That'd take us weeks. No, we'll only be able to achieve that time with the aid of Shunpo!" Her answer resonated in the moment as clear as day. There it was: another test. This time, however, it was definitely going to be a little more physical. "Follow me as far as you possibly can, without stopping even once! If you do, I'll pay for your next meal!"

And with that, without even granting Addy even a second of protest, the Captain would vanish again. This time, however, it was a Speed of 400, one that the recruit would be able to catch up to in a much easier fashion as the Captain traveled from rooftop to rooftop. Such Speed would progressively increase from that number in intervals of 20 per five minutes, if only to properly ascertain the maximum velocity Addy's body could achieve. Regardless, the two would nevertheless be off towards the great swordsmanship school. Should the Kuchiki girl be able to keep up with the dojo master, the two would be able to go from district to district, enjoying a pleasant trip through a pleasantly-sunny Rukongai. For Kimiko, it would unsurprisingly not be a very difficult journey, and so she would find herself basking in the light breeze which pushed against her face as she moved. For Addy, however, it would most likely be a bit difficult. To maintain a constant pace with Shunpo for such a long distance was most definitely going to be a challenge.

Rooftop after rooftop they would cross, with each becoming smaller and smaller as they passed the many districts following the 1st, until the land eventually became less busy as they reached what appeared to be some sort of countryside. Settlements were becoming more and more scattered, instead replaced with various bits of fauna and flora, and plantations dedicated to the maintenance of various crops. Soon, however, the farmlands would begin to recede and instead be replaced with rockier grounds as they headed towards what appeared to be some kind of mountain range. The grass became plain earth and stone, and the terrain would be inclined upward, as though the upcoming districts were built on mountains themselves. Then, eventually, they would be able to finally get a good view of a single farm settled beneath what appeared to be a road leading even upward, and beyond that farm... would finally be the 40th western district of Rukongai.

Kimiko would stop right at the entrance of the district, allowing Addy to do the same and gaze upon the district in question. In less than a few seconds, she would quickly be able to understand that this was no normal district. No, in fact, it appeared to be a very prosperous town, though one that was more humble in appearance, befitting of the culture which has inhabited it for generations. It was a great city built on a slope with edifices and roads, with each great enough to welcome many people at once. There were various business, shops, and restaurants, and overall, the entire area seemed to be in a very good shape. The same could be said for its people. From the youngest to the oldest, most of the people who traveled the streets appeared to be at peak physical condition. The majority of them also appeared to carry a sword, and even traces of spiritual energy in spite of them visibly not appearing to be part of any squads of the Gotei 13.

Eventually, Addy's attention would be brought towards a single establishment at the far-end of the city. It rested onto what appeared to be another cliff, one that allowed it to go far above, and it seemed to be composed of many structures at once behind sturdy stone walls. From where they stood, it should have appeared ominous... but there was something about the way the sun shone upon it that made it appear much less intimidating and instead more inviting. Regardless, Kimiko would find herself turning towards the recruit at a certain point, then give her a smile. "Welcome to the 40th western district, one of the four great Shutokendō !" She would exclaim then before she let out a quiet chuckle and a shake of the head. "Or, well, at least that's what my students refer to it as. I find the name a little bit excessive, but... Oh well. If my students think it's a fitting name for the place, then I can't oppose them."

[Addy Kuchiki]

“Huh, who would’ve thought that the name of the dish was so literal?” Dragon’s Breath was already such an imposing title, but the fact that it allowed such an outcome to happen after eating was even more fearsome. What if the fiery breath never went away? Were you just forced to accept that you were now part dragon? Such a thing could be cool, but most people weren’t like Kimiko, who was able to easily shrug off the pain. She was made of tempered steel. A fact that not many people could replicate. And all of this because of one dish? The world was truly a remarkable place.

“If we’re fast enough eh? I guess there’s only one way to find out huh?” As Addy began to bend and stretch, her eyes began to survey her surroundings in hopes of finding her wayward captain. All it took was one blink and Kimiko had vanished. Truly an impressive show of speed. It didn’t take her long to find her captain standing on top of one of the nearby buildings seeing as how her tall stature was a bit hard to miss. Bending her back one last time, Addy nodded to Kimiko with a grin as the older woman explained what their current plan was. It wouldn’t be just a walk to the dojo of course, that’d be too boring. No, it was a challenge and Addy didn’t back down from challenges.

“Understood!” Pushing off the ground in a burst of speed, Addy reappeared in the spot Kimiko was just in a moment ago. And sure enough as she suspected, the moment her foot hit the rooftop her captain was gone again. Leaping off after Kimiko in another shunpo, Addy chased after the black haired woman at a speed of 540, her max speed to be exact. Addy never liked holding back, so she immediately chased after Kimiko with the fastest speed she could manage. A free meal was on the line! She would push herself to the absolute limit, even for a simple task such as this. Not only for the reward, but because that was just how she was.

At the speed she was currently going, it wasn’t hard for Addy to catch up to Kimiko for the first few rooftops. Naturally that was when her captain decided to pick up the pace, pushing the woman to her very limits. Knowing she didn’t have the best stamina with her shunpo, Addy would mix one step in with a fast pace sprint in order to keep the majority of her momentum. Was this hell on her legs? Yes. Was she enjoying it all the same? Yes. Pushing her body as far as it could go was a task that Addy enjoyed immensely. It was only by experiencing all this pain and exhaustion that one could truly feel alive.

The journey passed by quickly for Addy as her mind was honed in on the challenge she was currently facing. Knowing where to land and where to shunpo was quite important here. While messing up wouldn’t kill her, tripping in front of Kimiko would be embarrassing. Plus she would lose the challenge, which would be even worse! A light breeze would ruffle through her blonde hair as Addy ignored the sweat dripping down her forehead. This method of moving was quite the workout for her, but she was used to exercises such as this. Now it was time to show off her experience in such matters.

The more the two swordswomen traversed, the less populated the districts became. Buildings would be replaced by trees and nature would reign supreme over the man-made structures. Yet even the farmlands didn’t last long at the speed Kimiko and Addy were traveling at. Brown would replace green and the ground beneath their feet would transform into dirt and stone. A quick glance forward would show the mountain range looming in the distance. It was there that the 40th district should be located. Which meant their journey would soon be coming to an end.

As Kimiko gracefully stopped in front of the entrance to the district, Addy slammed her feet down in order to stop her forward momentum. Taking a series of deep breaths after her brief stumble, the blonde shinigami would glance around at the area in front of her. There was an entire city here, a well kept one too based on the outward appearances. Much love and care was put into this city’s maintenance, and it showed. The same could also be said for the inhabitants, as the majority seemed to be in peak physical condition. The people here were clearly strong, and Addy couldn’t wait to meet them.

At the far end of the city was another cliff, with many buildings perched upon it protected by stone walls. Clearly something important was going on over there, and Addy wondered if that location would be their final destination. It definitely had the looks for it. “An excessive name for an excessive district. Seems fitting to me. Quite the place you have here Kimiko.” And it truly was. The only districts she had seen before that were even remotely similar were the ones around her manor. And that was saying something as this district was quite far out. Usually the districts worsened the further out they were, but it seemed that the Shutokendō operated by different rules.

“What’s going on over there? Your dojo I’m assuming? Well defended by the looks of it.” Pointing towards the far out establishment, Addy took in all the things being shown to her. And there was quite a lot being shown. Just the people alone had her mind racing, but the variety of buildings and establishments had even more questions racing through her head. There was so much here. Which was all well and good, but why? Was it the dojo that brought all these people here? There was a whole community out here that Addy had no idea about until today. And if that was the case, just what else had she missed? What else could she discover, with just a bit more time?