Forging on a Friday (Social-OPEN)

[Tsukuyomi Kawada]

This was definitely a change of pace, but he just had to get away from the Kawada Manor. Over the last few weeks the Vice Captain of the Eleventh Division had been forced to use any time that he was filling out paper work or handling the duties of the Division with training. So many different techniques that he had been entrusted to learn at the hands of his grandfather. His body constantly pushed to the limit yet despite it all he knew that it was worth it. The relationship between him and his grandfather though was something he could do without as such he did everything he could to never come across the elderly ass.

At the moment Tsukuyomi was out in the Rukongai specifically district one just outside the Red Hollow Gate of the Southern Entrance into the Seireitei. Outside of the Shinigami stronghold Tsukuyomi often came to the establishment that he was currently in at the moment. While some Shinigami drank and others bet to relax and spend their free time the young Vice Captain had developed the hobby of building his own weaponary.

A renown blacksmith that had been attacked by a Hollow several months earlier had thanked Tsukuyomi and upon request had helped teach the young man how to forge his own additional blades. It was thanks to him that the sword that Tsukuyomi placed along his back dubbed Unum had been successfully crafted. There was just something about putting the work into the metal that brought him such pleasure.

Many of the members of Division Eleven had scoffed at his new sword as it wasn't a zanpakuto yet when they saw Unum happened to be sharper than the majority of their own dull underdeveloped zanpakuto they seemed to seek out the skill of making their own as well. That was what led to what could be a very busy day off. Tsukuyomi had told his subordinates several days ago that if they wished to learn they could meet him at the blacksmith today. He didn't realize though that the invitation had been spread across more than just his own Division and soon there could be any sort of Shinigami just to see what all the fuse was about.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Hikashi's Terakawa is one of the better ramen shops located within one of the first districts of Rukongai. Held by the friendly Hikashi, it is considered to be notable by the most modern civilians of Soul Society for not only its classic take on cuisine, but also its refined tastes and excellent recipes. Everyday, the shop's limited seats receives a fair amount of customers all willing to eat something or simply converse with the owner of the restaurant, and among these visitors was Kimiko. Yes, indeed, the now-graduated student has been visiting the shop on a regular basis ever since Celes decided to introduce it to her. Every time she would go there, her problems and whatever negative feeling she may felt before her arrival to the shop would cease to be, leaving nothing behind but a pleasantness that she could only experience then and there. As such, it was not uncommon to see the girl head there after training to relive these great feelings with every bowl.

Unfortunately, there were times in which she could not go to the shop, and it seemed that today was indeed one of those times. Although rare, Hikashi is at times compelled to close his business for the day. It was a personal business, so it was only natural for the man to decide when to close his shop and when to stay open, even if he often prefers to remain open. Whatever reason that may have been, it resulted in Kimiko arriving to the shop at the end of a training day with an excited mindset only for that mindset to be crushed into oblivion by the sight of the "CLOSED" sign attached to the front of the shop. In an instant, her excitement vanished only to be replaced by pure, unadulterated misery, and with pain in her heart, she started wandering around Rukongai then in an attempt to find another place where to eat. After all, now that she was a proper Shinigami, she could not rely on the food offered by the Academy's cafeteria any longer: she needed to get out and spend bits of her salary on food and drinks. Such is the pain of unfortunately being the owner of spiritual energy.

The swordswoman would wander from street to street rather aimlessly as she tried her best to find a place to go to, her stomach grumbling every now and then to remind her of her hunger. It was ironic that, despite having fully adopted Celes' philosophy of always concluding training with a full stomach, she has never actually went out of her way to find another ramen shop or really any other restaurant for that matter, not even bars. All that did was unfortunately make her current plea rather pathetic to look at. Fortunately, there weren't a whole lot of people that were giving her much attention. Some were clearly aware of her identity, but they found no reason to call for her or speak to her for now, which she found to be quite comforting due to her problem. Despite carrying the garbs of the Shinigami, the first districts of Rukongai were often visited by the warriors of the Eleventh, so that was probably why no one was bothering her right now more so than anything else.

After a bit of walking around the district, Kimiko eventually reached the one nearest to the Red Hollow Gate, the one guarding the southern entrance to Seireitei. By then, she had been walking for a while, enough so for the sun to have somewhat distanced itself into a mere sliver of light in the sky. The day was starting to end, and her hunger had yet to end; in fact, it had begun for far too long. Naturally, this realization made the woman feel impatient. Damn it, she was so damn hungry! Is there no establishment around she could possibly go to satiate this grumbling stomach of hers?! Ugh... she really should have at least made a sandwich or something, or purchased some food-to-go somewhere around Rukongai. The last time she lived in the 25th District of South Rukongai, there was a small shop where one could purchase ingredients to at least allow those with spiritual energy to not wallow in their hunger.

It was then that the swordswoman finally noticed a certain establishment located to her left at the time. From the outside, it looked like any bar one would expect from the first few districts of Rukongai nearest to Seireitei. For a moment, she hesitated, as this really just looked like a place to drink to and not eat, but eventually, she simply gave up and headed for it. At this point, there really did not seem to be anything else for her to go to. Maybe they do have something to eat there; really, she'll take anything at this point. Well, maybe not anything, just something that at least looks comestible enough. As such, with a quiet step, the Shinigami headed forward through the entrance of the shop with the calmest gaze she could possibly muster so as to not appear too embarrassing to the others. The last thing she wants now is to be laughed out by whoever tends to drink alcohol around here.

Kimiko's entry in the establishment wasn't really loud enough to get everyone's attention. Since it was evening, there was an apparent number of people within it already, and the most of them were busy talking to one another and enjoying their drinks. She could see that a lot of people around here were Shinigami from the Eleventh, with some being people that she has seen earlier today. Huh. This must be a popular place for her squadmates to go to. Most importantly, however, there seemed to be a forge directly settled not too far from the tables. It was an impressive thing, something which was clearly used by a professional blacksmith. The sight of it was already impressive enough for the swordswoman, seeing as she couldn't really think of a time where she saw a forge in person, but what was most impressive was the fact that Vice-Captain Kawada was standing right in front of the forge... Wait, Vice-Captain Kawada?

For a moment, the rookie simply stood there in surprise at the sight of her superior officer simply working the forge here. Why was he here? Shouldn't he be working back at the barracks? Hm... Well, no, she couldn't really remember if anything pressing was really going on at the moment. What was this about, then? Left rather curious by the sight, the Shinigami thus decided to approach the forge, though carefully enough to not accidentally burn herself in the process. "Uh, hello, Kawada-fukutaicho..." she waved quietly as she tried her best to power through the hunger, visibly unaware of the reasoning behind Tsukuyomi's presence here. "I... was not expecting to see you here."

[Tsukuyomi Kawada]

The heat of the forge still was something that despite possessing the mighty power of fire himself, Tsukuyomi wasn’t all that adept at handling. The constant oppressive heat that it gave off was like facing down the onslaught from a powerful foe. He’d learned that by enduring the light of the forge though it could be used to craft allies that could see him through battles, could aid him in snatching victory from the grasp of his foes. It was an art that so many in Soul Society no longer believed to be necessary. All of them relying solely on their zanpakuto. Tsukuyomi knew very well that both of his would rather stand alongside him in combat at every opportunity yet accepted that due to his talents he was best suited with the approach he’d been using recently.

The building was quite lively today, something that Tsukuyomi wasn’t quite sure he enjoyed. Sure his men were the majority of the patrones inside at the moment. This meant that not only were his men happy, but the owner would be happy as well. Eleven had a bad reputation when it came to manners, something that Tsukuyomi had been working to snuff out since taking the position of Vice Captain. While he was here, even if he was working with the forgue, his men would behave themselves and all the product would be paid for in the end. Tsukuyomi had to think of this as a reward or benefit for doing their job. It wasn’t just a vacation away from duties for him, but his men as well.

A little more time would pass before Tsukuyomi felt the presence of something else. Not like his men that walked nearby, but rarely looked upon him. No, this individual gave Tsukuyomi the feeling that he was being watched. A sensation that he didn’t like, one that made him feel as if a foe was watching or even worse, the Phoenix Guard. He couldn’t waste time, he had to finish an adequate blade before that corrupted force started to move. He had to find a way to break through the ceiling of his skills. To reach the same level of his Grandfather. In order to at the very least reclaim the false freedom he had once possessed. To break away from the invisible collar around his throat.

Turning Tsukuyomi would see the individual was the new recruit from the academy. The girl Kimiko who he’d sparred with while she had come along with her class on a sort of field trip. Tsukuyomi had pushed for her to join Division Eleven and thankfully that had been accomplished. Now that she was here though it meant he had to devote more of his already dwindling free time to aiding in her development. “I wonder if this is how Kimiko-sensei felt when she had been teaching me?” Tsukuyomi asks himself in the confines of his own mind. “I don’t stay in my office at all times. Even someone of my position has other things they wish to accomplish. Tell me, do you know anything about a forgue?”

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko always thought Vice-Captain Kawada to be a sort of mysterious figure among the roster of the Eleventh Division. Unlike many of the brutes which filled the seats of the squad, he was among those who could be considered to be quiet and mostly collected. It was a trait that was rather alien to the division, something unusual, as brashness and overt pride were both things that were most prioritized by mostly everyone in the squad. It was also something that she had to admit she liked about him. As much as she did not really mind the attitude of her squadmates, there are times which she honestly would not mind taking a break or two from the constant shouting. She can still remember all the bragging and trash-talking she would hear on a daily basis ever since she officially became a Shinigami. "I'm the best swordsman to have ever lived" this, "I will kill every Hollow who stares in my way" that... More often than not, it feels as though she's standing right beside a group of bosozoku who can't keep their mouth shut.

There wasn't a definite answer as to why she honestly expected the man to be in the office right now instead of this forge. Hell, she had honestly not expected him to be away from his office today at all, as it was a Friday evening. Fridays are typically still considered work days, right? Right? "Uh, right, yeah... That makes sense," she acquiesced awkwardly as the higher-ranked officer made sure to point out that Shinigami are not always bound to their duties. What he said was not false in the slightest; after all, it is only natural for anyone to benefit from free time after having completed the brunt of their work. Still, she couldn't quite shake away the image she had somewhat tied to the young man. It was not a good thing at all, but she just couldn't help it. Perhaps it was because of his quiet trait that she believed him to be the bureaucratic kind of Shinigami, even if he was part of the squad that could be described as anything but bureaucratic.

It was fortunate that the Vice-Captain did not bother to push that particular subject any further, for he then went on to ask Kimiko if she knew anything about a forge. The question made her unconsciously turn her eyes towards the one which stood nearest to the both of them, with its embers bright and its equipment still left to be used for the remainder of this evening. Well... How could she answer this in a way that could not somewhat appear uncultured or downright annoying? She was not good with words, and she was especially less good with them whenever she needed to explain something that she had no experience with at all. Obviously, she knows what a forge is. Who doesn't? Well... Okay, let's rectify that question: which Shinigami who has died not too long ago does not know about a forge? At this point, seeing this thing in modern Human media is totally normal whenever the crafting of a weapon, armor or accessories tend to be some kind of focus point.

No, the problem was obviously that she simply just did not know how to use this thing in the slightest. Usually, this shouldn't really be a problem as she somewhat doubted that even the Vice-Captain believed she knew how to use it, yet the fact she didn't know how to use it made this all rather bothersome to her. Call it pride or ego, she simply prefers to have at least a minimum of knowledge over the subject of a conversation. It allows her to speak more fluently and with a modicum of comprehension without appearing too ignorant. Think of it as a sort of footing, a safety net she could rely on. In this particular case, however, she really didn't have that at all, not even the semblance of one. Her knowledge of any form of blacksmithing was rather limited. She saw a few fictional characters use a forge in anime, manga and video games, but those are the works of somebody's imagination, not true representations of reality. Really, it was doubtful she could even do so much as do something without burning herself.

Alright, Kimiko, just say something that doesn't too bad now. Your knowledge may be limited, but hey, this is the Vice-Captain! He'll understand. Surely, he will. He won't get angry. Hopefully. "I can't... say I know a lot about them," she tried to answer in her usual humble fashion as her eyes turned from the forge back towards Tsukuyomi. "I think I once saw someone craft a sword on the Internet, but... that was a long time ago." While she spoke of this matter, her attention would somewhat return to the forge again. Come to think of it... It was strange to see a forge here. Why would a Shinigami want to interact with a forge? Granted, she supposed it was to make armor, but do they also make weapons here? That would be very interesting. With her lack of knowledge behind how to create a weapon aside, the idea of creating blades for her own liking was nice enough. It would be a good little hobby to acquire alongside reading and training.

[Tsukuyomi Kawada]

Something a little out of the normal that much was for certain, that was the conclusion that Tsukuyomi came to while he watched Kimiko thinking over her response: he was so used to individuals that didn’t think before responding just going with what they knew immediately. The only exception being when he dealt with or rather was controlled by his grandfather. That man could hide anything and everything from the Vice Captain without Tsukuyomi ever picking up on anything. A mere fact he was aware of and hated all the same. Right now though he didn’t have to worry about his horrific family. He waited patiently giving Kimiko all the time she needed while waiting for the metal that he had been working on to reach the heat he wanted.

When Kimiko gave him her answer Tsukuyomi shook his head in acknowledgement then waved to the employee of the restaurant. Tsukuyomi came in here quite frequently in order to get away not just from his job duties, but his family as well and thus a relationship of understanding had built up. Whenever Tsukuyomi waves it’s time for a cold drink in order to help his body handle the heat of the forge. It’d take a few moments which meant that Tsukuyomi could continue on with his discussion. “Still not quite sure how to handle the internet from the human world. Either way though if you want I can show you a few things. Can’t ever have enough weapons in a fight.”

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko remained quiet as she awaited some sort of reply from Tsukuyomi towards what she just said. Although she had taken a brief to come up with an answer, she hoped that the one she was able to formulate was somewhat acceptable to the person standing before her, though again, she found herself wondering if she had gone too far in expressing her lack of knowledge on the matter by tying the minimum that she possessed at this point of time to the Internet. As wonderful as that Human technology is, some of the information coming from it is sometimes a bit impractical. For instance, the person that she has seen crafting a sword was, well, not really a person but more so a team of craftsmen who specialized in the translation of video game weaponry into true weaponry. None of the weapons that were made there were very practical for normal Hands, so any blacksmithing knowledge she may have acquired then was very dubious at best. Still, it was fun to watch that sort of thing while she was still learning how to speak English.

Fortunately, it seemed that the Vice-Captain did not himself have much knowledge of what the Internet was supposed to be: the way he briefly mentioned it before moving on towards the subject at hand gave that fact away fairly well. Well, that and the way he mentioned the Human World. Hearing that from him made Kimiko remember that her superior officer was actually younger than her and that he began serving the Gotei 13 as a Shinigami at a younger age still. It was most likely, then, that he was actually born in Rukongai or Seireitei, and so did not have much knowledge of Human technology. The Internet, cellphones, maybe even television... He must not know about these things very much, especially if he comes from Rukongai where technology is just very limited overall. Kimiko herself has only been able to start watching television again once she joined the Eleventh Division since there was just no real technology in Rukongai beyond the basic tools of past Human eras.

In any case, it would seem that Tsukuyomi was offering to teach her how to smith weaponry. The offer slightly surprised the female Shinigami. She has always been somewhat expecting the Vice-Captain to train her every now and then; after all, he was the one who advised her to join the Eleventh Division a few years ago back when she was still at the Academy on the pretense that she could be a good for the squad. However, she had never actually expected that he would train her in the ways of blacksmithing, even if it somewhat made sense in hindsight. The Eleventh Division is a place which greatly values the importance of the blade and conventional weaponry on the battlefield; as such, it made sense that at least one of the superior officers of the squad would have some sort of interest in blacksmithing in order to allow Shinigami to construct backup weaponry used when their Zanpakuto are destroyed during a fight. Nevertheless, she couldn't quite say that she would be very good at it. It is just such a foreign thing to her, something that she might not understand very well.

Before she could form any negative answer, however, her stomach groaned as hunger stroke her again. Right, she still has an empty stomach right now... If she can stay here with Tsukuyomi at this bar, she could perhaps be served food down the line while crafting weapons. Unfortunately, this meant that she was more or less forced to suffer a little bit of embarrassment from this moment, as her stomach groan was at least loud enough to be heard by the both of them. "T-That sounds great, let's do it," she comically muttered both quickly and quietly as she stood there with a nervous smile, frozen by the partial humiliation she felt from this moment. Well, looks like she really doesn't have a choice but to be honest with him: there is no way anyone could ignore such an obvious noise. "I just... will need to eat something eventually. Anything. The place I usually go to was closed this evening and I haven't eaten since lunch..."

She sincerely hoped that the young man did not take this as a form of disrespect. If she could have prevented this noise from occurring in any way, she would have had done so ten times over before it could have even had the chance of resonating so powerfully. At least nobody else around was able to hear it. It was minimal relief considering the one who actually heard it was the only person she was talking to at this point in time, but she would at least not be ridiculed by the other customers of the pub.

[Tsukuyomi Kawada]

“No need to play it off. Order what you need. Better to learn on a full stomach than just watch with an empty one.”

Although noble in name along with the rank that now flung onto his name, Tsukuyomi wasn’t what one would typically think of for either position. While he had been one to keep to himself when he had first become a Shinigami, staying out of groups and working only with himself. Eventually through the tutelage of his previous Captain he’d learned the importance of working alongside others. The harsh ill tempered young Shinigami had become a leader that wouldn’t see something as basic as a growling stomach to be disrespectful. It just served to give him the reason why she’d come to the restaurant in the first place. While many came for the companionship she’d come for the food.

He was quite pleased to see that she was one of the few willing to learn the art of forging. Tsukuyomi often offered to instruct others in the Eleventh on how to forge their own blades yet the majority of them always gave the same answer. Usually something along the lines of nothing they could ever forge would be better than their zanpakuto or nothing would ever be able to beat their zanpakuto so why would they waste the time on learning something so primitive or useless. It wasn’t something that Tsukuyomi really liked to hear yet knew he couldn’t blame anyone for having that opinion as he’d likely would have felt the same way only a couple of years ago.

Definitely a man of few words Tsukuyomi turned his attention back onto the forge noticing that the metal was reaching the point he’d been looking for, pulling it from the core Tsukuyomi holds the shaft with his left hand while he begins to bring the small hammer in his right down onto the hot metal rectangle. Although he wasn’t the strongest physically by any stretch, Tsukuyomi had worked enough that he was of average strength. His slender frame and build made it difficult in some situations although one thing he’d learned about the process was repetition was more important than brute force.

Over the next couple of minutes Tsukuyomi continued to hammer the metal, getting it into the basic shape that he sought and then shoved it back into the core. “Like most things this’ll take a certain amount of time to really figure out. Although things may not always come out how you want, if you invest enough time into it and treat the metal well you can end up with a weapon that saves your life.” Tsukuyomi holds out his right hand towards the wall a few feet from him. Leaning up against the wall were three blades, one of which suddenly flew off into Tsukuyomi’s hand. Holding it out to Kimiko for her to take. “The first successful blade I managed to make myself, Unum.”

[Nakajima Kimiko]

No offense from the grumbling of Kimiko's stomach seemed to have been taken after all by the Vice-Captain. Despite the noise that it created, he did not take it harshly or impatiently, instead only shrugging it off as naught but the tiniest of concerns. Given that the swordswoman was previously afraid that this would have bothered him, seeing him be so indifferent to it obviously brought her relief, or at least enough relief to not think of it as a problem any longer. As embarrassing as it was to even hear such a thing come out of her body, she would not be needlessly punished for it today. For all she knew of the young man, the Vice-Captain could have criticized her for not taking her hunger seriously or something as silly as that. What? It may be a ludicrous thing to associate with Tsukuyomi, but if associated with anybody else from the Eleventh Division, they would have surely laughed at her the very moment they would have heard her stomach grumble like that.

This did not really change the embarrassment of the situation, however. Sure, he shrugged it off, but just having to go through this ordeal was terrible enough. As such, once the man told her to order something, she would simply nod quickly in an awkward fashion as she tried her best to brush it off in a similar fashion to his. "R-Right... Right, I will" she acquiesced before she then turned her gaze away from the forge and instead towards the rest of the pub. There were a few employees walking around who wore robes colored differently from everybody else's, enough so to identify them properly and spare any confusion that may be had when attempting to call for one's attention. Upon realizing this, the swordswoman would wave towards the employee nearest to her position. The employee in question was a young Caucasian man, one with short brown hair and brown eyes. In the grand scheme of things, he did not seem to be very remarkable in hindsight, but the small blade scar that he held on his chin was curious. Kimiko could swear it was very similar to the scar one of her Shinigami comrades, Binita, had on her face.

"Can I help you, miss?" He spoke with a polite tone, enough so to appear bright and welcoming like any other employee would in any restaurant. Even though the Shinigami had not even told him anything yet, he already seemed ready to take note of any order she may take, judging by the pen and note book that he raised in front of himself. The presence of the pen itself was strange as it looked modern enough to not be something you could easily find in Rukongai, but she paid no mind to it. It was probably something that the restaurant had spent their money on in order to facilitate the employees' work.

"Uh, yes... May I please ask you what kind of food do you serve here?" She asked in a tone most likely alien to Tsukuyomi, something much more polite than she was used to. It was the dialect that she tended to adopt back then in the Living World, one that she only used with teachers and workers. Although she has somewhat dropped that dialect since then, it at times resurfaces depending on the context of the conversation she is having, and this happens to be the right context for it to come back.

 

"Our institution prides itself in the cooking of exotic meat and fish," the employee explained with a smile. "Today's most popular meal are our grilled skewers of Yakitori meat. Would you perhaps like to order them as well?"

Kimiko was surprised by how persuasive the young man was with her. In the matter of a few seconds, he has not only already presented his restaurant fairly well, but also suggested a meal which was popular in her country. Her Japanese origins have never really been a secret, that is true, yet this man made sure to suggest something closest to them simply by looking at her and deciphering her dialect. It could have been a simple suggestion truly based on the most popular meal of the day; after all, she had no idea of how the menu of this pub looked like. Hell, it was possible that this was simply an Asia-themed institution serving oriental food. Even so, she was impressed by his skills. He must have been working here for a long time. "Oh, yes, that sounds great. I will take that, please," she returned a smile to the man as she made her order.

Once this was said and done, the employee nodded, noted the order on his notebook, then walked away, leaving Kimiko with Tsukuyomi once again. As she turned her gaze back to him, she would notice that he had turned his own attention towards the forge to tend to the metal which roasted within it. The process in which he held and hammered the metal to shape it into something more concrete prompted the swordswoman to stare quietly and listen as to what the Vice-Captain had to say about it all. Surprisingly, this was not really a matter of brute strength as Kimiko had once thought, but rather just another matter of repetition. It was just like any other thing that someone wants to master; at first difficult, the more one works at the forge, the more proficient they become. When put that way, it sure sounded simpler than what the Shinigami had once thought of it. As long as she listens to his instructions carefully, she will perhaps be able to truly craft something worth her while.

Case in point, the higher-ranked officer decided to show what could possibly result from her craft by allowing her to hold one of his blades. The flashy way he even gave that sword briefly stunning her aside (maybe she should ask him to teach her how to do something like that later), she could instantly tell that the simple-looking sword was not normal upon getting a hold of its hilt. It may seem an honest blade while sheathed, but the smallest hint of her reiatsu seemed to be pushed away from its edges after it is unsheathed. It was like an invisible force was pushing her back as she held her hand above the blade. "... So you can imbue weaponry with reiatsu..." she hummed then as she allowed her curiosity to let loose, inspiration somewhat following her words in their wake. Eventually, she would sheathe the blade and give it back to the Vice-Captain. "That's really cool. I had no idea you could do something like that."

[Tsukuyomi Kawada]

Watching the orange coloration of the metal was something that Tsukuyomi always found pleasing, he wasn’t sure why it was this exactly, but he knew it likely had to do with the mere fact that he could see it. What had once been something unknown, impossible even for him to accomplish was now something he did at all times. Although it had been a couple of years now there still were moments when Tsukuyomi had to take a pause and really appreciate the fact that he could see the world around him. This was just one of those moments, a sight that would be nothing more than meaningless words to the angry little blind boy who had grown up on the verge of constant death.

He wasn’t sure if he should order anything to eat either, something he hadn’t really been thinking about until Kimiko had reminded him with her own physical need for sustenance. After a few moments of contemplation he decided that he could wait a while longer. Instead reaching out and grabbed ahold of the glass that now contained lukewarm water. Drinking the remaining liquid was something that Tsukuyomi realized he should have done a bit beforehand once he felt the difference it made. Working the forge was something that placed a toll on his slender frame even if heat and fire were aspects of his own power.

Once Tsukuyomi handed over Unum he made sure to watch Kimiko watching and testing how she handled the thin short sword. The blade, a modest length yet incredibly thin could easily be broken should it come across a heavy weapon such as a mace or axe in battle. The disadvantage was exactly what Tsukuyomi had been looking for when he had crafted the blade though. The thin design gives Tsukuyomi the precision and speed necessary to complement his fighting style while not relying on Mikoto or Honshitsu. For the most part Kimiko did well although he’d been expecting her to swing it a few times which didn’t seem to fancy her.

Either way once Kimiko was finished Tsukuyomi took his blade into his right, proceeding to walk over and place it back against the wall. If Kimiko had her eyes on him still then she’d more than likely notice at this point a few other things by his swords. Not just his three blades were at the wall, but the gauntlets and chest piece of armor that Tsukuyomi usually wore accompanied by the chain mail. The only thing Tsukuyomi was wearing for once were the standard black robes like any other Shinigami. Walking back the forge Tsukuyomi taking a thin blue string from around his wrist ties his long pitch hair up in a high ponytail.

Sweat covering his face while the rest of it although present stays unseen beneath his robes. “Something that isn’t brought up in the academy for one major reason. Most Shinigami either don’t have the patience to learn something they see so primitive as blacksmithing when they can focus on kido or the simple fact that nothing that can be forged will ever rival a zanpakuto.” Tsukuyomi checking on the steel once again sighs as the waiter refills his glass with colder water. “They’re not wrong though. A zanpakuto is the greatest ally of a Shinigami. That doesn’t mean a Shinigami shouldn’t prepare with the best tools possible. If you’d like I can teach you how to not just wield a blade, but make one that commands respect as one day you hope to as well.”

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Shortly after Kimiko returned Unum to Tsukuyomi, she slowly felt the brief and temporary connection that was made between herself and the blade dissipate. It had been a very minimal experience, though something about not having gotten the right opportunity to test the blade somewhat disappointed her. That in of itself wasn't entirely surprising as it wasn't often that she tended to interact with what she could only describe as being a magical artifact at this point, something that was not quite intimate enough to be considered a Zanpakuto, yet also something possibly as powerful as one. If this would not have been a public establishment, she would have gladly attempted to test the weapon onto something close such as a dummy, a tree or maybe even a stone, but the amount of people who enjoyed their food and drink surrounding them prevented her from doing so. She didn't want to accidentally cause any damage to the pub and ruin anyone's evening, of course.

Still, this newfound knowledge of reiatsu-imbued weaponry now visibly intrigued the Shinigami. Although she previously somewhat believed that imbuing something with reiatsu was possible, she had absolutely no idea that one experienced in the likes of mastering the use of reiatsu could do something as ludicrous as this. Fueling a normal object with reiatsu in order to cast a spell or whatever an adept in Kidō can do with their own reiatsu was one thing, but fueling a weapon with reiatsu to make the equivalent of a minor Zanpakuto was another. It only brought her interest in the matter even further, especially once she noticed that the Vice-Captain had made more than just a blade for his own use with his blacksmithing skills. Despite being not terribly interested in the act of making armor for herself, the fact that she could make multiple blades for her own use for becoming to further take shape within her mind.

She obviously was aware that making these blades would demand a lot of effort, however. Just now, the Vice-Captain was visibly pushing himself to resist the heat of forge and withstand the effort of his hammering of the metal. Making weapons may be interesting, but it is still making weapons all the same. If she wants to start making weaponry for herself, then she will have to prepare herself for the effort that may be associated with them. She would also need to somehow fit her visits to the forge within her schedule, which was admittedly already tight as is thanks to her training sessions and the missions she is now given to on a regular basis. There was also the matter of Shizukakane potentially being offended by this. As kind and forgiving as he is, she doubted that he would be completely fine with the idea of crafting another blade. Well, at least she thinks so. It is kind of difficult to put herself in the position of a literal sword ghost.

It was also a matter of respect and principle, as pointed out by Tsukuyomi as he spoke of the Shinigami who refused to even consider using weapons other than their Zanpakuto. She understood where they came from: the Zanpakuto is the Shinigami's greatest ally, regardless of how one sees it. It is always there by their side and it is always defending them in some way or another even if they may appear hostile. To use any other weaponry may shatter that bond, which was exactly why she was somewhat worried about Shizukakane being bothered by this. "Yeah... they're not really wrong," she said as she held her own blade's scabbard close to her hip with a softened gaze before turning her eyes back to Tsukuyomi, "but yeah... you're not wrong either. I've noticed that some Hollows prefer to try to break our weapons before attacking us, so it would be nice to always have some kind of backup."

After Kimiko spoke, she would hear the faintest sound of footsteps coming towards her direction followed by the brief smell of food, prompting her to turn her attention towards it. It was the employee from before who was carrying a plate of the meat the swordswoman had ordered. Just the sight of the food alone was enough to shock the swordswoman. It hasn't even been a minute since she ordered her meal and it was already ready to be consumed? How fast was that chef? Well, regardless of whatever kind of supernaturally-amazing chef may reside in those kitchens, she happily accepted the food with a satisfied nod. "Thank you, that was very fast," she told the employee before setting the Yakitori skewers onto the table nearest to the forge. Once the employee then left to tend to the other customers, she then quickly took a bite off of one of the skewers and just stood still for a moment with a thoroughly-amazed expression.

Fortunately, before she could say anything embarrassing in her delight, she straightened herself as quickly as possible once she remembered that she was standing right beside her Vice-Captain. Gulping the bite that she had just eaten, she would expel a quiet sigh before looking at the forge again. It really seemed like Tsukuyomi wanted to teach her how to smith now, given that he has offered to do so twice now. She really could not refuse his offer at this point: it would be impolite to do so. "That sounds nice..." she said with an awkward smile in regards to the younger man's comment before she nodded. "Alright, well... Where do we start?"

[Tsukuyomi Kawada]

“Being unprepared or surprised is something that can result in your death. Something that everyone should avoid. So if you’re willing to learn then let’s get started.”

Tsukuyomi noticed in the following moments that the food Kimiko had ordered was already coming out. It hadn’t taken much time at all for the food to be brought out, something that Tsukuyomi was always impressed by, the cook was someone that truly had not just a talent for his art, but the experience to get it done right without missing any steps. Despite his last name, rank and appearance though something like this, this place these people, it all still felt foreign to the Vice Captain. This wasn’t what he had grown up with nor what he had wanted from his life. He had to think for a moment as Kimiko’s attention was absorbed by her plate of food. Could he ever be happy as a slave?

“Of course. Any enemy will seek to eliminate the tools we possess against them just as we seek to do the same. I believe the best option is to be prepared in case they succeed. Even if they manage to shatter your zanpakuto, don't allow that to be the same thing as killing you. Whether it be training to use Hakuda, forging a unique blade of your own, or even learning to cast some Kido. Always have a backup plan.” Tsukuyomi gave the advice that he knew would have best suited him just a few years ago when he had been nothing, but rash, arrogant, angry and single minded in his style of fighting. So much so that he had nearly died enough times that he almost couldn’t count them all on one hand.

“When it comes to forging the best thing I believe to do is treat the metal right. No different than how you treat your zanpakuto. This metal will save your life one day, it’ll be the toll that helps keep you alive and save your allies. So you have to show it respect when turning it into what you envision. You see me bringing down the hammer, each strike I focus my reiatsu. Every moment I do what I can to transfer portions of myself into the metal. Careful though without steady concentration your strength and reiatsu can cause the metal to shatter.”

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The further this introduction to blacksmithing went on, the more Kimiko found herself thinking about it all. It was, in hindsight, perhaps a bit humorous that she never thought about losing her Zanpakuto prior to this evening. She always has had enough trust in herself - and now, Shizukakane himself - to keep her blade firmly in place by her side. There were times in which she believed its destruction to be a plausible event during a battle, but she has always seen as a mere afterthought, something that was never really meant to be. Really, it seemed normal for every Shinigami to behave this way in regards to their blade. In spite of this, Vice-Captain Kawada just made sense. The soldiers of Gotei 13 may share a bond with their blade, yes, but there are times in which using another blade altogether is an inevitability. This is why many also train in Hakuda or Kidō to further their Zanjutsu, after all. Since she couldn't cast Kidō and was merely only decent in Hakuda, crafting another weapon seemed like an ideal outcome for her.

Her view glazed over the forge once more as she took another bite from her skewer, letting the meat's flavor flood her senses as she listened to her superior's advice. She tried to space her consumption in-between his lessons so as to not turn her attention too far towards her food, but she had to admit that it was difficult. Celes' philosophy of heading to a restaurant in order to eat a lot of food has grown on her quite a fair bit, enough so to make her appreciate it all so much more fondly than she cared to admit. As such, it was now a bit difficult for her to resist the temptation of food. It was a good thing that she trained so hard to maintain this form of hers; without the constant cardio that she monitors to maintain that speed of hers, her habits would have certainly made her gain a little bit of weight. Her style simply cannot allow for fat to gain in the way: it would only slow her down to a crawl and turn her into the shame of the Eleventh Division.

"Right," she agreed with Tsukuyomi, taking into account his words and advice as she settled the skewer onto the plate that was delivered to her. Soon after, she headed towards the forge itself and listened to her superior some more. He was clearly more experienced than she was, treating the blacksmithing arts just like any other Shinigami art: the combination of bright and brawn. Patience is required as well as an innate understanding of reiatsu, and so, the whole process must be taken with a steady step. Break this steadiness, and you may find yourself with not a weapon to be used in battle, but instead merely pieces of scrap metal to be discarded, forgotten. Perhaps it was a bit far-fetched to think of it all this way, but it fitted the Vice-Captain very well. It was a strong art which promotes power and creativity, but also one that does not tolerate hastiness or hesitation. In a way, it also fitted Shizukakane well too, even if less a blacksmith and more so a player.

As the lessons reached their end, Kimiko brought herself forward to the forge away from the plate of meat she left at the nearest table, her gaze looking over it all. She could feel the heat from here, enough so to cause a bit of sweat to form on her forehead. It was admittedly a bit bothersome, but unfortunately, she will have to get used to it. "Okay..." she mumbled to herself as she carefully grabbed onto the nearest piece of metal, then a hammer and a pair of tongs. The metal took the shape of a long rectangle of grey, something which looked completely harmless unless it is perhaps used with brute force by a powerful individual, and for a moment, the Shinigami admittedly had a hard time understanding where she was supposed to begin. Again, her experience in blacksmithing was limited and frankly quite poor, so she was not even sure of what kind of steps she was even supposed to take. The only thing that she really knew was what kind of weapon she wanted. Eventually, she found herself using logic to move forward, and with that, she began.

Grabbing a hold of one end of the piece of metal, she brought the other end to the fire so as to heat it. It was common in movies to heat the metal first so as to facilitate its shaping, and so she found it best to first begin with the tip of the sword. The metal at first remained grey, though soon, it started becoming red, and eventually, scalding white. She could feel the heat where she stood, and she was not even that close to it. Something about this made her feel that she wasn't really sure that what she was doing was right, but now that she had started, she couldn't really just stop. Once the metal grew hot enough, she then pulled it back away from the fire with her tongs, then started striking it so as to flatten it into a tip of sorts. The strikes were as even as she could possibly make them to be, and each of them held a piece of her reiatsu, causing sparks of red to be emitted from the metal. She was a bit too worried she might be ridiculed for asking, and so she did not ask for help right away, but she assumed that the Vice-Captain will most likely be helping her out throughout this process.

[Tsukuyomi Kawada]

Tsukuyomi watched as Nakajima began to try and heat the metal. It was her chance to really get a feel for what he was saying. While she went about heating it, Tsukuyomi inspected what he had been working on knowing that it would eventually turn into a blade of awe. He spoke to Nakajima telling her about how she’d be able to craft a blade seen within her own mind if she practiced long enough. He wasn’t wrong, but what he had been working on for a while now was a blade of beauty, one that could rival even his zanpakuto.

Something he had failed at more than a dozen times now as each blade had either shattered, dulled or simply lacked the beauty he sought. An elegant blade fast enough that he would be able to end conflict in a single action. Tsukuyomi could only hope that Nakajima took his words and advice to heart and would start to really try this for herself. Although he was sweaty Tsukuyomi retrieved his zanpakuto and Unum placed the three blades on his waist.

“It seems my time here is done for today. My apologies Nakajima. Keep doing what you can and feel the metal. If you’re interested, come see me in the future and I’ll help you make something you can rely on.”

Just like clockwork four men entered into the establishment all of them dressed in extravagant uniforms with the symbol of a Phoenix all over them. Addressing no one in the building, the four of them walked directly to Tsukuyomi. “Tsukuyomi, your presence is required.” The Vice Captain to most would seem like someone that couldn’t be ordered nor one that would take orders from anyone without a logical reason. Despite being the de facto leader of the unruly Eleven, Tsukuyomi was known for his logical approach.

No argument nor even response as the Vice Captain begins to move towards the exit through the four of them who now spread out surrounding him as if he were being escorted to a dark place. Stopping and turning for a moment, Tsukuyomi would give Nakajima a smile. “Remember to treat the metal how you want the blade to be and envision what you want it to become.” It would be clear to everyone that his mere stopping aggravated the small group escorting him. Whoever these four were they couldn’t be normal yet beyond that nothing and now the fun little afternoon was over for the Kawada Vice Captain.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

It was odd how Kimiko was enjoying this little activity. The rhythm of the hammer the heat of the forge, the shaping of the metal into something more... It was all a satisfying process that somewhat felt similar to training at the barracks, the only difference being that rather than refining her capabilities, she was instead more so focusing on heightening her patience and focus. The thought process was so simple that it was difficult for her to understand why she had not thought about doing this before despite her inexperience. Maybe her Vice-Captain had beckoned her to this forge because he had noticed her hesitation regarding the act of trying new things for her own sake in favor of her training. Maybe he wanted her to take a bit of a break from her typical schedule and try to not think about it for once. If that was the case and this was all supposed to be some sort of lesson, she couldn't help but feel a little bit grateful for his attempt.

Meanwhile, as she thought these things, the forging continued without interruption for a time. With every single strike of the hammer, the swordswoman felt as though she was creating something that usually cannot become anything on its own. The metal, once simply an inoffensive thing at best, started to take shape under the fire as it saw itself turn scalding white. The heat, the hammer, and the reiatsu within the latter were starting to mold it into something that could perhaps be used in combat at a first glance. It was a hard process, something that was starting to have an effect on Kimiko already, but she held on in the vain hope that her first creation would be a weapon at least somewhat comparable to what she has been trying to image in her mind. Perhaps it could be something that she could pair with Shizukakane as a sort of lesser sibling of his, a sword that is not quite a Zanpakutō, but still a weapon powerful enough to be used by a Shinigami.

As this process went on, she would keep an eye on her Vice-Captain to see if he had any thoughts on it all. Her will to somewhat rely on him here was rather unsurprising; after all, he was obviously a better blacksmith than she was, and so most likely knew how this process can go right and how it can wrong. However, before she could retrieve his input, he suddenly announced his leave, something which made the swordswoman stop for a moment. "Ah? Uh... Okay," she could only say then both thanks to her surprise and her completely breaking out of her focus. "I'll see you later then, Fukutaicho." She hadn't expected him to leave so early, especially since they had just started not even a full ten minutes ago. Considering that he was the one that had introduced her to activity, she had believed that he would have at least stayed for at least until she would have finished her first creation or what she believed would be her first creation. But no. That would simply not be.

What was most strange about his exit was the fact that men actually came for him. They were not men from the Eleventh: that would have been a completely normal thing that could have definitely happened. No, they were instead... men in expensive uniforms who sported the symbol of a phoenix, or a bird that at least reminded Kimiko of a phoenix. They said nothing to the rest of the establishment staff, not even the waiter from earlier who passed by them, and overall seemed very out of place. They even addressed her Vice-Captain by his first name and treated him overall like a child, ordering him around without taking in his input in the slightest and acting aggravated when he gave Kimiko one last advice. To say that they bothered the scarlet-eyed warrior was a bit of an understatement. Who are they...? Nobles? She wondered then, and in her line of thought, she shot an annoyed glare at the phoenix men, uncaring of their reaction to her nor whatever their importance may be. You could at least act like you don't own the place.

This glare lasted for a long as the men remained in the establishment, and during that time, the woman did nothing but stand there. Eventually, she realized her immobility and looked back to the forge. A part of her enthusiasm for the activity had somewhat died now that the Vice-Captain had left her to work it out all on her own. As fun as it appears to be in her eyes, she still has no idea of what she is even doing and is still rather intimidated by the mere possibility of messing up. If the Vice-Captain was still here, he could have at least told her something to lessen that possibility, make her more prone to failure. Instead, here she was fighting this battle all on her own without any help at all, without any guidance. It made her stare at the forge, unsure of what to do as the metal continued to be brushed against the forge. Yet, as she stood there, she could hear words resonate within her mind. Not the Vice-Captain's words, but rather somebody else's.

I do not tolerate weakness.

They resonated from her Zanpakutō faintly, as though they were muttered inside of her mind, and perhaps even her very soul too. Hearing them made her look down towards the blade resting on her hip with a calmer gaze. She knew those words. Of course she did. Although it has been some time since she has heard them, they came from Shizukakane's mouth during their very first serious match of shogi. Back then, she had been told this because she had allowed fear to rid her of her power. In other words, although she wanted to succeed, she had already given up due to the possibility of not succeeding. It was a very simple lesson in hindsight, but it was something that has stuck to her during the years that passed while she attempted to become worthy of receiving her blade's name. It allowed her to hold on to the possibility of victory without thinking about defeat. Perhaps now was the right time to be reminded of them again.

With this new perspective, she looked at the forge again, allowing its embers to dance within her vision. This piece of metal before her is perhaps not going to become the sword she wants; hell, it is possible that not even the next ten swords will take the image of the blade in her mind. She will hate the result of those failures, and so she will discard them as they should be. However, she will not allow them to bring her on her knees. If she caves in before such a pathetic enemy whose sole ability is not to kill her, but rather to only damage her pride with a twisted piece of metal, then she is not worthy of even winning against the most pathetic of Hollows. She can win against the Academy, win against the spirit within her blade at a game of shogi, win against anyone below the Vice-Captain who wants to spar with her at the barracks, win against Teresa... so then, with all of that being said, she can thus win against this forge and make whatever she wants with it.

So, she grabbed one of the meat skewers she had ordered, took a bite out of them, and then went back to work.

[ E N D ]

[Kitai Yoru]

26 paragraphs for Tsukuyomi, 20% bonus
42 paragraphs for Kimiko, 40% bonus