Magical Inquiries (Closed)

[Celes Castellanos]

Using her hand as riot shield of sorts was not an entirely new concept to Celes. After all, her release did manifest itself as a spear and shield. Using a defense wall was second nature to her. That being said, the motions that she would execute would almost be imperceptible to Kimiko. In fact, they would take the appearance of blurs to her even if she was able to track them. Celes was not surprised by this, A Shinigami of her stature was likely to be able to fight at incredible speeds. Even then, Celes well above most of her peers physically. Her movements could attain even faster speeds. That being said, it seemed that Celes' next little tease would be taken as cruel. 

Others could not read her mind. They did not know that Celes was holding back the Byakurai by a large margin. Her already weak reiatsu made it difficult to manifest a proper Byakurai, much less one that was able to pierce its targets. Turning it back even more would result in a little spark of electricity. It seemed though, that nobody else was sharing in Celes' teasing nature. Audible gasps could be heard even through the thick of combat. Had she gone too far? Was this too cruel? Celes began to juggle the ideas in her head. Yet even despite her rationalization, what she saw in Kimiko's eyes was utter terror. The battlefield was a great place to meet the true qualities of an individual. 

There was a clear indication of confusion within Kimiko. She wanted to will herself to move. She most likely felt that she had to as to avoid certain death. These were all illusions brought about by Kimiko's mind. The Byakurai wouldn't come close to harming her severely and Celes knew that she had the capacity to move. There were certain mental blocks keeping her in place though. At least, this is what Celes tried to gather. Whether she was correct or not was ultimately yet to be seen.  The Vice Captain was very happy to see a response, even if it was simply a reflex and not a true voluntary reaction. Regardless, Celes would rather her try to act out of it. 

With what appeared to be an audible cry of desperation, Kimiko would swing her Zanpakutou up at the finger that was ready to unleash the Kido upon Kimiko. It may have been pure reflex, but Celes could admire her trying to defend herself even now. Even if it meant maiming her sparring partner. Thankfully for both of them, Celes was quick on her feet as the blade despite Kimiko's above average speed for a student of the academy seemed to linger in the air for Celes. Moving at an incredible speed of 400, Celes quickly both brought her finger down and even quickly sheathed her blade which was being held in her hand. This was not the end of her maneuver though. She would with equal speed to before, fall backward and lift her legs over her torso, kicking backwards. This would create enough momentum to clear the area, assuming that Kimiko let her. 

In the event that Celes was successful, this maneuver and display of athleticism would leave about a dozen feet of distance between herself and Kimiko. She would hear the student with both a visible grin and presumably a bit of a frown. "Okay... I didn't expect something like that at all from you," Celes chuckled. Her voice would ring with excitement and a bit of a giggle. "Your response may have been reflexive, but it was a good choice. I may be faster than you, but you possess a keen eye and excellent reflexes. I would be lying if I said that I enjoyed other spars more than this one. Finally, someone who shares my passion for the physical arts." 

As Celes briefly went on about shockwaves, it appeared that the student that served as her opponent would listen carefully. She then seemed quick to formulate a response. "That makes sense. As much as I like Zanjutsu, I can't always focus on that: doing so will just get me in trouble. Even so, I'm not into shockwaves. I prefer direct contact." Celes offered a quick retort in turn. "Oh you and me both darling. I prefer the thrill of physical strikes, but I recognize the versatility of shockwaves. They give practitioners of the more physical aspects of being a Shinigami like you and me a retaliation against that pesky Kido." The Vice Captain would smile happily as she continued to peer at Kimiko. 

Just by measuring the flow of combat at a very basic level, Celes saw that this fight would not last very long. There was so much to give to Kimiko. So much practice to be had. Yet this fight could not go on forever. Celes smiled a bit absentmindedly. She wanted to prepare herself to deal the final blow. It was not intended to display disrespect to Kimiko. But they needed to put the breaks on this somehow. Then again, perhaps Celes could take the fledgling out to eat afterwards. After all, such was the motto of her Sifu in Baguazang. It was to train hard and eat harder. In some ways, she still carried that philosophy to this day though she rarely had a chance to share in the company of a fellow fighter.

It was clear to Celes that Kimiko would continue her rush down tactic. It worked so well for her before. There was one key different with this, however. Celes was not going to try and block this attack. Instead, Celes would attempt to make the first strike amidst Kimiko's plan. Her hand was now on her sheathed hilt as she bent her knees. She closed her eyes for a moment as her breathing slowed. After a few short breaths, focusing on the moment that Kimiko would enter her range, Celes would strike. This was a particularly lethal technique that could fell even the toughest in a mere moment, but Celes would be clearly holding back.

It would occur in a mere instant. In fact, most would not even be able to see the attack coming nor tell when it was truly finished. Descending upon Kimiko like a bolt of lightning, Celes had used the Iaijutsu slash much like Kimiko had before her, but to much greater effect. For one, the attack that Celes threw out at Kimiko would fly out at an incredible speed of 1000. To most of the spectators if not all of them, this speed could be considered insurmountable. Assuming that the strike got to where she wanted it to, Celes knew that Kimiko would be a fool to continue the fight or even make any aggressive movements at her adversary. 

The technique was simple in its execution yet came out at an incredible speed. Assuming that everything went as planned, Celes was now holding her Zanpakutou just mere inches away from Kimiko's neck. If she succeeded, she would have never even cut Kimiko. As she tried to rationalize to herself before, she did not wish to harm Kimiko. If all went as planned, Kimiko may have shown a bit of fear from the proximity of the blade or hell, even the speed that the technique was executed yet. Celes used it to great effect to attempt to get her opponent to concede. If Celes had Kimiko with a sword mere inches from her neck, she would speak. "Will you practice temperance and live to fight another day? Or will you give in to your pride and sacrifice yourself to preserve it?" Her stare would be a mixture of one of coldness, yet there was a hint of affection in it. Much like how a teacher admires and loves a student platonically for their growth. 

SPOILER: Click to show

{Iaijustsu}Technique Name: Iaijutsu (Sudden Strike Technique)

Class: 4

Technique Type: General Physical Technique

Usable By (Technique is available to which races?): Any

Technique Element: None

Technique Description and Effects (Explain appearance, powers, and effect): The user of this technique draws their sword and strikes with one fluid, lightning-fast motion. This technique can easily catch an unprepared opponent off-guard. This attack is made at 2x the user's Speed, or at a speed of 600 (whichever is faster). Due to the sudden nature of this attack, characters with less than 200 Instinct are caught completely flat-footed and unable to react to this attack, unless they meet one of the alternative requirements (see drawbacks below).

Except where noted, this is otherwise an ordinary melee strike and has no reiatsu cost. Proficiency with this technique allows the user to immediately sheathe their weapon after making their attack.

Mastery of this technique allows for it to be combined with Shunpo to draw, strike, and sheathe the weapon in the blink of an eye. This variant costs 50 reiatsu to perform, and gains the benefits of a 3x Speed Boost (instead of the usual 2x). This variant is imperceptible to characters with less than 200 Senses. Characters with 200+ Senses detect a blur of movement from the user but may not be able to react to the attack unless they have 200+ Instinct and/or one of the benefits listed in drawbacks below.

How to use technique (How is it activated?): Simply draw your weapon and strike in a single fluid motion.

Technique Drawbacks (Limitations, repercussions for use, etc) This technique rarely works more than once per thread, as any opponent who witnesses this technique being used can react to it normally (regardless of Instinct). Even against aware opponents, this attack retains its speed however and should not be underestimated.

In addition, characters who know this technique or have Battle Analysis of 2 (or above) can easily identify the ready stances used in this technique and predict the user's intent. Such characters are never caught off-guard by this attack but will still need to react to its incredible speed.

This technique can only be used with a sheathed sword. In order to use this technique more than once during a single thread, the user must sheathe their weapon prior to using this technique again. This technique requires 2 SKP in Weapons (Sword) in order to be used, and 3 SKP to be mastered.

Made By: Kerrigan

Reserved? (Yes/No) (Can others use your technique, or just your character?): No

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko had admittedly reacted quite quickly to the apparently-oncoming discharge of electricity aimed at her forehead. Although she had reacted well, the sheer sense of danger that she had felt in this instant had left her briefly separated from the fact that she was part of a spar and not a real battle, and so had actually planned to slash at Celes' finger, no matter the consequences. It was an act of desperation through and through, and it was needless to say that, all things considered, it had not been a good decision, that she had gone too far against the officer. However, then again, one could say that that so too did the Vice-Captain in hindsight. It was doubtful that no one else would have reacted the same way the student did here.

Fortunately, no cut fingers would haunt anyone's thoughts today as, before Kimiko's blade even had the chance to touch Celes' finger, the Vice-Captain had moved her finger away and sheathed her blade before moving away from her opponent. It all happened so quickly that the officer appeared as a blur to Kimiko's eyes, causing her to be simply unable to react to it all. Considering what had just happened earlier, it was not too surprising to see the student's instincts somewhat diminish: she had just been subjected to an act of violence that she believed could have killed her in the moment, and so she needed a time to straighten her thoughts anew. With that in mind, this allowed the both of them to create a fair amount of distance between one another through their movement, and by the time they were done, the area had been cleared. It was back to square one.

Another conversation was shortly spouted from the women after this maneuver, one which Kimiko listened to quietly so as to ease the tension that had formed in her mind. She was glad to see that the Vice-Captain was enjoying this spar as much as she was. "I could say the same. You're the best opponent I've had in a while," she replied to the compliments with a smile and a respecting tone. To share this love for battle with somebody else - especially a decorated officer, of all people - was an interesting thing to experience, something which she did not often do back in her previous life. In a way, it was like sharing a hobby with a distant friend, a person to trust and respect. As savage as some may believe sharing a hobby of fighting to be, Kimiko nevertheless saw it as such. At this point, she'd definitely see herself share this hobby with anyone who likes fighting, even her own opponents who would be so kind to return their respect to her.

In any case, by the time they were done complimenting each other and speaking of shockwaves, the fight would resume for one last time. By now, Kimiko could tell that all of this was slowly coming to an end. How long has it been since this spar started? Five minutes? Ten? She couldn't tell, and yet it felt like a good while had already passed. Her muscles were starting to ache, her
breathing had become stiffer, and her opponent was now starting to
rapidly pick up the pace to a point which her own capabilities could not
bring her too. Realistically, given the sheer disparity between their skills, the next attack or two will take her down if this continues to go on. Even so, she did not mind. As previously mentioned, she wanted to go on for just a bit longer, just a little bit more before having to go back to that dreadful class.

And so, the student rushed forward with sword raised high and scabbard prepared to shield her from any oncoming attack from Celes. Her fist clenched hard against the grip of her Asauchi as she did so, and her eyes grew wide with both excitement and anticipation. She had no idea what to expect, what to really defend herself against. Really, in this moment, her opponent could be throwing anything at her: another sword swing, another shockwave, hell, even another Kidō attack for all she knew. Nevertheless, she remained attentive and alert to whatever may come towards her. She'll let the words of the crowd fuel her being, energize it to the brim, enough so to counter what she may face in the coming moment, and for a split-second, she almost felt confidence boom within her soul. Maybe she could win this after all. Maybe she could see it to the end and come out victorious.

Her rise of confidence was instantly squashed the moment she felt Yunorashi's blade rest near her neck. It all happened at what seemed the speed of sound itself. Instantly, the Vice-Captain had moved to her position and swung her blade towards the direction of her neck, enough so to completely immobilize Kimiko. The student took a moment to understand what had happened. Her sword, which had been prepared to thrust into Celes' chest, was now frozen and so was the scabbard she held in her other hand. She has had no time to deflect the attack nor even sense it coming. If anything, if she would have been a Hollow or Arrancar, her head would have already gone flying far, far away from where it is normally supposed to be. It was at this moment that Kimiko realized where she currently stood and, eventually, she chuckled quietly before sighing. It was her way to admit defeat.

Yeah, this battle was over. She had lost. There was no way she could get out of this without injuring herself. To think that she'd be caught by the very move that she has been trying to train for for so long... How ironic. "I see the good in both of those options..." the student answered Celes' question with a quiet smile before she slowly straightened herself, "... but I want to see how far I can go first before letting myself become too prideful for my own good, and I feel like we'd both agree on that." Her tone had become more serious then, more personal, though soon, she took her usual calmer one again and smiled. "Anyway, it seems that I've lost... It was a great spar."

[Celes Castellanos]

The battle was now over. At least in Celes' eyes. After all, the Vice Captain had her blade quietly hovering above Kimiko's shoulder, mere inches away from her neck. This would take the fight out of anyone, even Celes if she couldn't react to it. To some degree, Celes was the type of warrior who would continue on relentlessly. To fight until every bone in her body is broken. Until all the blood has pooled from her body. Until the very last of her indominable fighting spirit was vanquished. Even she felt that it was not necessary to die to preserve their pride. After all, their sacred charge came first. This is what Celes believed anyway and she would stand by it till the day she died. 

It seemed that the look of defeat had finally touched Kimiko yet as Celes asked her question and cautiously waited for a response, even she would be a little surprised. "I see the good in both of those options..." The Vice Captain would continue to listen as she rationalized the initial comment. It seemed that she would be smart enough to withdraw, but there was a lot of unchecked pride in her. Pride that quite frankly may be her undoing one day. This troubled Celes. This student was much like her. Someone who rejected the ideals of Kido and of most ranged combat. Celes could relate to Kimiko more than she was able to with most others in the many decades of her being a Shinigami. 

It seemed that Kimiko had a little more to say which admittedly made Celes chuckle. It seemed that she was right. "... but I want to see how far I can go first before letting myself become too prideful for my own good, and I feel like we'd both agree on that." Celes sighed as she in one swift stroke withdrew her blade from Kimiko's neck and sheathed it just as swiftly. By this point the notable gasps at the strike were abandoned in favor of silence. Celes chuckled. She did not really like the audience so to speak. This was intended to be a spar, not necessarily a show. Despite that, Celes was happy to both help Kimiko improve and perhaps even inspire others among the students to choose their own path. 

Overall, as she sheathed her sword, it allowed Kimiko to rise to her full height as she seemed to relax. What Kimiko would say next simply put a smile on Celes' lips. "Anyway, it seems that I've lost... It was a great spar." Celes rose to her own height and laughed cheerfully. She would reply in a rather cheery voice. "Oh dear. Take heart in the defeat. Don't see it as a lack of skill. See it as an indication of where to improve. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Work towards those and sharpen all your blades." To Celes, this was the most wonderful feeling. Acting as a mentor of sorts. To help Kimiko grow not only as a student, but as a future Shinigami.

That being said, Celes would in fact add on to her former comment. "Besides. I enjoyed our spar quite much as well. You have a good foundation and an excellent set of skills that we can hone and refine. That being said, there is something I would like to discuss with you. Preferably in private. Besides! We have to get something to eat. My treat." Celes laughed happily. This took her back to her Sifu's mantra of training hard and eating harder. Celes would not have it any other way. Kimiko looked as though she needed a break anyway. This fight looked like it took it out of her, even if it was just a spar. Celes was naturally expecting pushback from the Instructor. 

Pivoting around and beginning to walk to the instructor who she saw spectating the fight, Celes would begin to speak. "Now then. You've seen what Kimiko can do. She was able to stand up to a Vice Captain of the Tenth Division. Clearly you can see that there is merit in her abilities. That being said, I insist that she be allowed to rest and that I accompany her to get food. After all..." She looked around at all the other student and would chuckle. "She did more work in these few moments than anyone of your other students who were spectating." She would lean in and talk quietly so only he would be able to hear her. "Don't make me pull rank in front of your students." 

Celes was hoping that this would do it. That he would finally let go of this notion to pound Kido into Kimiko's head. It seemed that old habits die hard. "Now hold on. I agreed to let her train under you for this moment. I am still the instructor and I will not stand for this! Those that are unable to perform Kido effectively do not deserve the mantle of Shinigami. They do not deserve the honor that comes with it." This was the breaking point for Celes. She had made it clear before that she resented that claim. Celes had worked hard to get to where she is and she was not about to be talked down by a Shinigami who most likely retired to resort to teaching.

Celes snarled as for a moment as her reiatsu flared. It was a simple intimidation brought upon by decades of experience. Her reiatsu may not have been very strong, but she was able to perform a gravitational pressure inherent to any individual. It was a skill that wasn't unique, but Celes had a bit of skill in focusing it in a little area. It was not this alone that would sway the Instructor, however. In those briefest of moments that Celes was flaring her reiatsu, it did not entirely feel like that of a Shinigami. The smallest portion of it felt like that of a Hollow. This made his skin crawl and his face just went pale in shock. Due to the brief moment, he wondered whether he was hallucinating. 

With a look of defeat, the instructor gulped and he would turn around. His voice was rather shaky. "C..class dismissed." Celes smirked. He gave in, but not for the reasons that Celes thought she did. She was very aware of inner hollow, but she was not aware that he would be leaking his reiatsu even in the smallest amounts. Celes was not able to sense energy well enough to make that judgement about the own feeling of her reiatsu. Either way, she did not care as to why he gave up his stance. With this, Celes walked back to Kimiko and smiled happily. "Well. Now we can go and get something to eat. Wouldn't you say?" The Shinigami just giggled as students began to disperse. In truth, Kimiko most likely had very little else she could do for now. At least this is what Celes thought.

If Kimiko agreed, Celes tapped her chin and began to think. Where could they go? There was always the Tenth Division Barracks. Unfortunately she had very little there. The next best choice was a place in the Rukongai that Celes lately enjoyed to go to. This is what Celes would recommend. "Well. There is a nice little ramen shop just outside the walls of the Seireitei. It's close enough that we can go and get something to eat. It would be a nice get away and quite frankly, sparring gets me really hungry so I was going to go anyway. Like I said, it'll be my treat for giving you trouble towards the end." Celes would smile, hoping that Kimiko would agree to head to this little place. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko's overall posture slowly tensed down now that the battle had come to an end, with her sword eventually returning to its scabbard. The excitement she felt from the fight, although once almost overpowering, was now slowly being washed away by it all. Well... at least she got what she wanted. The spar was among the best ones she's personally ever had - including the ones she's had at the arcades with other players there - and it seems as though her skills have been truly recognized by Celes as being quite good for a student of Shin'ō Academy. Truthfully, she had really hoped to win against the Vice-Captain, as slim as that possibility may have been. Maybe that was why she seemed to have been left disappointed by the outcome of the spar. Nevertheless, Celes' words stood true: she was still young and inexperienced. One day, she will perhaps be able to do something like that with ease.

"I'll then make sure those blades are sharpened every day," she nodded as she responded to the blonde with a smile before she then looked on over to the crowd of spectators that had formed. The teacher aside who still kept gazing at them with that grumpy look of his, most of the students were now staring at her with a bit of admiration. In all honesty, she wasn't sure what to make of this. On one hand, it was nice to see so many people acknowledge her true skills in something and it at least was not the bad kind of attention she had expected to get from this class, but on the other hand, it was a little bit daunting and she wasn't too sure on how to react in front of such a crowd. She may be good with her sword, but she's no master. She still has tons of work to do to reach the point that she wants to achieve. Hopefully, this won't get everyone to spread rumors about her.

In any case, after she gave a look to the crowd, Kimiko turned her head back to Celes as she was about to tell her that she would be going back to her class now. The spar was over, so... technically, and quite unfortunately, she needed to go back to that boring magical escapade of electric farts that's awaiting her, no matter how tired she was. Knowing that teacher's attitude, she's most likely going to have him on her back for the rest of the class, perhaps even the rest of the semester at this point. Oh well, there's really not much that can be done about that: she'll just have to work order to shut him up and prevent him from giving her grades so low she won't pass the curriculum. At least the bleeding from earlier already stopped due to the wound on her shoulder being not that deep, so she theoretically should be able to get back to casting spells without too much trouble.

However, before Kimiko could say anything, the Shinigami suddenly invited her to eat. "Wha...? U-Uh, okay, maybe after cla...ss...?" She started before her gaze followed Celes as she headed towards the infuriated instructor, and from there on out, she simply stood there with a dumbfounded look. Was she literally going to scold that old man again? Well, from the looks of it, it sure seemed like she is heading off to do just that. Although she was at first honestly starting to feel a bit sorry for the guy, she soon completely changed her mind once she heard him talk about how she did not deserve being a Shinigami solely because she has no interest in Kidō at all. Yeah, no, now he was starting to be annoying. Not only was he annoying, he was also stubborn too. Why can't he just admit that he is wrong? It's been twice now that he's had to deal with Celes' retorts.

Quite curiously, though, this time around, the Vice-Captain did not even need to raise her voice for the man to quiet down. In fact, no words were spoken between one another after the instructor's rant, as instead, from an outsider's point of view, the two just stood there with Celes in particular looking quite a fair bit angry at him. Kimiko would watch with a lift of the eyebrow as the old man froze and stood back in horror at what seemed to be absolutely nothing by the officer's angry expression. For a moment, she wanted to interject, but something about this interaction made her not want to get any closer. It just felt... wrong, like Celes had used some kind of technique to scare him. She could understand being scared by a ground-cracking stomp, but a stare? That was just unnatural.

Evidently, it seemed it had been enough to make him crack as, shortly after, the old man decided to completely dismiss the entire class, leaving the students to do whatever they please for now. Well, that was unprecedented. A stubborn fool suddenly caving to someone he seemed to be in such a disagreement with solely because that said someone stared at him? How odd. Nevertheless, this left Kimiko's schedule now on a completely-vacant note. Apart from perhaps studying a little bit more for the following classes of this week, there was not much else to do for the rest of the day, thus then leaving her free to go eat food with Celes. The Shinigami seemed to be pretty happy about how well her interaction went with the man, from the looks of it, and to be completely honest, so was Kimiko.

"I guess so," she smiled a bit nervously due to what happened, then tensed down as she considered the offer of heading just outside of the Seireitei into a ramen shop. Ramen, huh? That sounds nice, actually. Most of the food she has eaten ate so far mostly consisted of the typical rice meals and vegetables handed over by the Academy's cafeteria. It wasn't really what anyone would call good food, but it was serviceable. "Oh, I'd be down for that. It's been so long since I've eaten any noodles..." she'd chuckle as she rubbed the back of her head. "The cafeteria in here is kinda just... okay, to be honest."

[Celes Castellanos]

After walking back to Kimiko, Celes was more than pleased to hear that she wanted to join in on getting some food. Not that Kimiko would have had much a choice anyway. As Celes would've insisted. Overall, she was happy that Kimiko decided to go along. After briefly intimidating the Instructor into capitulating, Celes was a little happy that it did not become uglier. Celes was in her prime. She could have easily forced the instructor to see it her way. To humiliate him and chastise him in front of his students. For a moment, Celes was considering it, but she reeled herself in. It would not accomplish anything and would only create problems.

That being said, Celes just grinned at Kimiko as she seemed to offer her opinion on the food within the cafeteria. "Oh, I'd be down for that. It's been so long since I've eaten any noodles..." Celes chuckled softly before composing herself. She would reply in kind. "Oh I certainly remember my days of eating the food at the Academy. It...leaves much to be desired. It's why we have to treat ourselves. Besides, this spar worked up an appetite. I'm sure for yourself as well as myself." She grinned a little more as she pivoted on her heel to turn around. She would look back at Kimiko and chuckle. "Well follow me. If you can keep up that is." Smiling, she would then kick off the ground, running at a fair speed of 100. She knew that Kimiko could keep up. 

This was all another test. A test of endurance and perseverance. Anyone would be able to just walk there, but Celes firmly believed that training could be implemented into any scenario. This was yet another example of this philosophy. She would not go that fast for herself, but for Kimiko this would be nearing her top speed. Assuming that Kimiko had to slow dowm, Celes would make sure to match her speed. If she sped up again, Celes would speed up with her. Overall, Celes would never be very far ahead of Kimiko due to Celes' modulation of her own speed to match the students. After what felt like ten or so minutes of travel, both Celes and Kimiko if she didn't just stop in her tracks would clear the large wall surrounding the Seireitei. 

There was little reason for the Gate Guardian to give them any trouble as Celes was decorated as a full fledged Shinigami with her black Shihakusho. She didn't expect much trouble getting there. That being said, after the travel time, Celes would see the sign that read, "Hikashi's Terakawa". Celes knew no better place to get some of the finest ramen that she has ever had. As she walked into the traditional ramen shop, she would be greeted with open arms. "Vice Captain Celes! A pleasure to see you here again!" It was clear that the owner of the establishment was very familiar with Celes. Assuming that Kimiko would join her, he would smile at her. 

Overall he seemed rather cheerful as he spoke out at her. "And who might you be? A friend of Celes? She always seems to drag new customers here so I am not complaining!" Chuckling, as Celes sat down, patting the seat next to her for Kimiko, Hikashi would ask a question more so direct at Kimiko as he already knew Celes' answer. "Now then, young woman. What will you be having? I already know what Celes will have. She gets the Spicy Ramen Bowl every single time. In truth, I'm not sure how she downs it every time." It was even clearer that he was very informal with Celes. After all, the two had known each other for a while. Celes couldn't help, but chuckle as she teased. "Hikashi...please don't embarrass me.." 

Assuming that Kimiko responded to the chef, he would nod and walk behind a curtain to get to the kitchen. The clanging of pots and pans could be heard as Celes spoke towards Kimiko. "Don't worry. He makes some of the best ramen you will ever have. I've been here so many times already in the past few decades. Personally, I give him my full recommendation." Celes would laugh as she looked at Kimiko. Assuming that she sat down, Celes would place her Zanpakutou to the side, having them lean against the wall. She believed it to be bad form to carry weapons at the table and besides. She felt somewhat safe around here and found solace in her weapons being so close if she needed them. 

Ultimately, Celes relaxed in her seat and sighed for a moment. She would begin to strike up a rather casual conversation with Kimiko. "So Kimiko. I hope you are enjoying your time at the academy. Learning about what it means to be a Shinigami. The sacred charge that we all carry out." She chuckled as she began to pour two cups of water that Hikashi regularly sets out. She offered one to Kimiko and would hand it to her if she accepted. Celes would then go to drink her own, enjoying the nice cup of water. "I remember my Academy days...though I was a completely different person then. Timid and shy. Unsure of myself. Lacking the confidence I needed to succeed." Chuckling absentmindedly, Celes would set down her half empty cup.

She would then resume. "But you know. Despite my timid nature, I had big plans for what I was going to do. I was going to protect others from Hollows and the other malicious entities that roamed the world. I would be sure to become stronger to defend others as well as myself." Celes voice would begin to grow somewhat shaky as she continued. "And of course to try and cherish those that I hold close." As Celes looked forward in contemplation, she paused for a moment. It was clear that something was on her mind. Perhaps some past trauma? Some kind of bad experience that forever changed her? It was something that Celes guarded fiercely. After a moment, she smiled and returned to her normal demeanor. 

Celes looked at Kimiko once more, her expression being one of joy and admiration. She would continue to speak. "Well. I did not drag you here to reminisce. In fact, the reason I dragged you here was not entirely for the food. The truth is that I have something to ask of you. There is no shame in refusing and trust me when I say that I will not be upset." With that, Celes raised her cup and finished drinking the rest of her water to clear her throat. After all, she was about to ask Kimiko something that may forever change the way that the two of them look at each other. But it was a risk that Celes found worth taking. After all, there was so much in this girl that reminded Celes of herself. 

As she paused for a moment, Celes laughed as she asked her question. "Kimiko, as I said you carry a sharp blade. But I fear that the blade will dull with how your instructor operates. That being said, I want to take you on as a disciple. You wouldn't need to leave the Academy nor join the Squad that I am a part of, but I would like to oversee your further studies and train you myself in what I feel, you will excel at. We are kindred spirits you and I. I would be remiss to let the talent I see in you go to waste." Celes would smile at Kimiko as this was quite the request. After all, this would make Celes much like a teacher to her. It wouldn't be out of the ordinary, or so Celes thought. After all, both had practiced different disciplines of martial arts so Celes presumed that they both had a solid understanding of the dynamic between a teacher and their student.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

With the matter of dealing with the teacher now settled, Kimiko took one last look at the teacher as he and the rest of the students of her class slowly started leaving the courtyard. She could tell that the man - despite the deep scar of horror that had suddenly appeared upon his visage after his latest interaction with Celes - could not have been left any more annoyed by what had just happened. Not only has his class been forcefully interrupted and one of his students stolen before his very eyes by a disrespectful Vice-Captain, but his beliefs had also been woefully shamed before his entire classroom by the very same person. Really, it would not have been a surprising thing for him to suddenly explode with vitriol and do something incredibly stupid as a response to everything that has happened so far... and yet, he didn't, all because of that singular moment that concluded his rebellious attitude.

Well, it was probably nothing. The student wasn't really in the best position to really ascertain what even happened back then. Sure, she understood that some kind of intimidation tactic had been used to scare the old man away, but surely, one cannot simply be intimidated by a mere stare. Not even Hollows can possess such a powerful ability. Hopefully, that is. Truth be told, having never even encountered a Hollow in the flesh rather than on paper, she wasn't really sure of how far the powers of one of those creatures could possibly go. Still, she was confident that the Vice-Captain had used some kind of technique only known to the stronger Shinigami out there to get the effect that she wanted out of this interaction; after all, his comments had definitely bothered her as a swordswoman.

In any case, Celes' return to Kimiko was soon followed by comments of the cafeteria's food, which she agreed was not one would call high cuisine, to say the very least. "No kidding. It sort of tastes like mush at times, I swear..." she commented with a comical look of disappointment as she remembered the very last time she ate rice from the cafeteria. In all fairness, it was not that woeful, but compared to the food that she was used to eat back then, it really wasn't great. Rather ironically, however, just thinking about the food was making her stomach grumble a little. "Right... I always forget about that," she groaned with a light sigh, complaining a little bit from the annoying stomachache that she was now feeling. Although she was aware of how hunger worked in Soul Society as a Soul, she wasn't used to the whole concept of hunger being caused by the use of spiritual power. She wasn't getting hungry back when she was in Rukongai, but now, she's returned to her normal Human eating habits. It was just... odd, to say the least. Even with everything Sakura has explained to her, there are still so many questions in her head that will only be progressively answered throughout her time at the Academy.

By the time her stomach was grumbling, the time to move towards the ramen shop had come. However, to Kimiko's surprise, they would not simply walk there: they would instead run towards it! Seeing Celes suddenly bolt ahead, Kimiko would just stand there for a moment in disbelief before her eyes would widen quickly. "O-Oi, wait for me!" She called then, definitely feeling as though she was left behind before she then started following the Vice-Captain as fast as she possibly could. To say that she had not expected this was an understatement. At best, she had expected walking, but no, this was turning out to be a full-blown sprint! Her legs, which had already been left a bit tired from the spar, were now being put to the test again and it showed. Oh well. They can handle it, right? Yes. They can handle it, no, will handle it, even if they don't want to.

After ten minutes of sprinting, they finally reached the outskirts of the Seiretei, or more specifically, the Gate which was closest to the Academy. Passing by the Guardian of the Gate, the two women eventually finally reached their destination: a traditional ramen shop of old. The sight was a fun one for sure, one that Kimiko would have been happy to see if it wasn't for the current lack of oxygen in her lungs. For a moment, she stayed outside the shop with her hand pressed on the wall of a nearby building to recover more quickly. It was clear that she was trying her damnedest to not appear out of breath in front of whoever owned the shop, as she really didn't want to go in there looking like she was about to crumble on her chair. After a little while which consisted of a rough dozen or so seconds, she eventually had recovered enough to enter the shop without worry. From there on out, she was instantly met by a very hospitable owner.

"You... Yes... You could say that, yes," she smiled quietly, having not realized by then that Celes had indeed been treating her almost akin to a friend as of now. Nevertheless, she tried to not let that thought overwhelm her too much as she sat down by the Vice-Captain, leaning her Asauchi against the wall nearest to her and close to Celes' own blades. More importantly, she was surprised at how informal the man seemed to be with Celes as a whole. He was talking and interacting with her as though they were good friends, something which shocked the student a bit. The shock did not last for very long, however. They must've known each other for a while, she realized. All things considered, it wasn't really that shocking; after all, Celes seemed to be quite familiar with this establishment, so these two must have conversed with one another every time she visited the shop.

With that said, she now needed to order something. Kimiko looked up at the menu with a bit of hesitation. Everything looked good, even the bowl the owner of the shop - Hikashi, as Celes called him - had named just earlier, though she did not want to take the exact same bowl as her. What could she pick...? There were many recipes, with each of them seemingly being quite recognizable to Kimiko. It was a good thing that she had visited a few ramen shops in Akihabara herself before arriving in Soul Society. "Uh... I'll take the Spicy Shoyu Pork Ramen, please," she told the man with a smile. By the time the man turned, however, the woman's smile became a bit more awkward. That... sounded like Celes' bowl, but with a few extra steps, huh? So much for trying to differ her order from hers. Oh well, it was too late now. At least it'll probably be good food regardless.

The student remained quiet after her order. Although there were many things that she wanted to know about, such as the reason why she was brought here, she found herself compelled to wait before Celes opens the conversation first before she does. She could not say why that was, but fortunately, it did not take long for this to happen. "The Kidō classes are not amazing, but aside from that... yeah, the Academy is fun. It reminds me of high school, to be honest," she nodded with a soft smile before taking a sip from the water cup that was offered to her. As much as she hated those classes, what she said was true: she did like the Academy. It was nice to experience school again, and learning about what the world really is all about is certainly an enlightening process. Shinigami, Hollows, Pluses... Those were all concepts that were completely unknown to her prior to her death. It was great to learn about all of them, to know more about how the gears turn forward with the passage of time.

It seems like Celes agreed with her on that, and in that process, she revealed a little bit about herself. From the way she described her younger self and the bits of her life that followed it, it sounded like the Vice-Captain had seen many things, both good and bad. It wasn't hard to tell that she had seen some of the latter given the more somber expression that she showed during her talk, and the sight quietened Kimiko a bit further, enough so to make her take another sip from her cup of water. She honestly did not want to talk about such things, especially not after seeing Celes seemingly become unhappy just at the thought of recalling those memories of hers. Whatever they were, they must be painful, and she'd rather not pull any strings that might turn this good time of theirs into something more dramatic.

Eventually, the reason for this meeting was brought up by the Vice-Captain herself. To put it bluntly, she wanted Kimiko to become her disciple, seeing as she feared that her skills would go to waste under the tutelage of her current instructor. The proposition made Kimiko freeze for a moment. "I..." she muttered in surprise before growing quiet from the invisible hand that suddenly gripped her heart. Was she... serious? It has only been a month since she has joined the Academy. Surely, her skills could not be this noteworthy. Even so, to Celes at least, it seems as though they definitely were. The student would stare at the shop's counter for a moment as she thought about this. If she really was serious... then the choice to be made here could not be any more obvious.

"... It... It would be an honor," Kimiko admitted with a smile that was very obviously beaming with happiness. "I'll make sure to be the best student you've ever had!" Finally! Finally, there was a chance that she could possibly get rid of those terrible Kidō classes! Okay, perhaps that was a bit selfish of her to think like that, but at this point, she really could not care less. The teacher aside, this Vice-Captain has so far been the nicest person she has met in the entire Soul Society and she is absolutely certain that her teaching will be able to bring her to great heights. More time with her and less with that terrible instructor is the best thing she could ever ask for.

[Celes Castellanos]

As Celes waited for Kimiko to answer her offer to make the latter her disciple, Celes could see the shock on Kimiko's face. In some ways, this amused Celes. Maybe it had been a little out of the blue and in some ways, Celes cursed at herself mentally that she ruined it. She should have built up to it. The shock may have left Kimiko making a rash decision or so Celes believed. She did well to hide the fear and worry, but the room would become silent, only the sounds of boiling waters and pots and pans clanking about. This was until Kimiko seemingly found the words to answer the Vice Captain. This would be the moment of truth for Celes. She truly did want to train Kimiko. She was sure that having someone as a disciple would help her become a better leader and in turn, a better warrior. 

"... It... It would be an honor," This placed a look of joy upon Celes' lips. She was ecstatic to hear that someone wanted to train under her. To learn from her. Celes believed in a chain of ascension and she also believed in leaving a legacy. Shinigami may have extended life spans, but death was always around the corner in their line of work. If Celes were to perish, all of her experiences. Her memory and even her name may one day be lost to the ages. Sure she achieved Bankai and for that reason, her name would echo through Soul Society for centuries, perhaps even millennia. But to live on in the memory of another, to truly pass down her teachings, that was the true way to achieve immortality.

Through her reminiscing, Celes heard Kimiko further explain, causing the Vice Captain to smile at her warmly. "I'll make sure to be the best student you've ever had!" Hikashi had overheard this even and through the curtains, the two women would hear somewhat of an elderly laugh. Celes giggled somewhat as she spoke. "In truth, you would be my first disciple. It is not something that I throw out to anyone. Only certain Shinigami that catch my eye. Those with abilities that we can hone together. You possess much potential Kimiko. I want to help you actualize it. Perhaps even one day, you will surpass me in skill. The Soul Society needs strong warriors like us. Ready to bleed for it." 

This was Celes' way of talking about honor. It would most likely be something that would resonate with Kimiko. After all, from interacting with her, Celes could tell that much like herself the student had a strong sense of honor and duty. Ultimately Celes did believe in the will of the individual over that of the masses, but they were a part of the Soul Society. A sacred charge was placed upon them. One they could not easily ignore. Celes would look to reinforce this within Kimiko. She would speak out towards her new student. "Your enthusiasm is excellent and admirable. I won't demand an honorary title from you for I have no earned it yet. Perhaps one day, but it is not required of you today." 

Celes smiled. There was an iota of pride that bloomed within her at the idea of not only training a member of the next generation of Shinigami, but being able to form a bond with her. It was one that Celes was looking to fashion with Camila. Unfortunately, Camila chose a path that was simply incompatible with Celes' own. Last they met, it resulted in a bloody fight and Celes was not proud of her use of Bankai. She was supposed to execute Camila, but part of her couldn't bring herself to. Why was that? She was willing to die for the Soul Society. It had given her so much, yet the idea of harming a friend, no matter how traitorous, did not sit well on her conscious. 

That said, her expression would seem rather neutral if Kimiko was looking at her. She was clearly reminiscing about something, nay someone again. Was Camila perhaps the one she referred to about holding that which she cherish close? Perhaps. Maybe it was someone else in Celes past. Kimiko would likely not find out anytime soon as Celes did not go out of her way to talk about it. Perhaps one day. But today was certainly not that day. Her expression would quickly become a smile as she looked at Kimiko. After all, they were here to eat and now maybe even celebrate their new union as teacher and student. It would be a bond that could last forever. 

With that, Celes noticed that Hikashi was beginning to make his way past the curtain. In his hands were two hot bowls of ramen. Included with it were vegetables, little slices of meat and many a variety of spices that made sure to give it that extra kick. Nodding at him, Celes greeted him kindly as she took a whiff of the Ramen as it permeated through the air. As usual, it smelled fantastic. "Hikashi, that smells absolutely delicious. Truly you have outdone yourself." Celes did not need to try the ramen to complement Hikashi. She had been her too many times to dislike it. It was her go to choice. Hikashi began setting down the bowls with chopsticks as he smiled. 

"It is always my pleasure Celes. I overheard the news by the way." He would turn to Kimiko and smile. "You have chosen your teacher well. I have no doubt that under her, you will become an excellent Shinigami. Oh and Celes. Consider these two on the house. Given the fantastic news." Celes would begin to smile at him warmly as he poured himself a glass of water. Raising his cup in the air, he would toast. "To the Soul Society. And to your new disciple." Celes smiled and raised her own cup. "To the Soul Society and to Kimiko." Assuming that Kimiko joined in on the cheers, Celes would drink her cup of water with all of them and would descend upon her food, enjoying both it and the pride at having made someone her student. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko wasn't quite sure of what to say after she had decided to accept Celes' proposal.

On one hand, she was obviously ecstatic and excited for whatever her future may hold now. To learn from a woman who both not only shared her views but also happened to be a very powerful swordswoman seemed to be an incredible experience on its own. Although their previous spar had only lasted a few minutes at best, she had already learned quite a fair bit from it. As such, it was only natural that the idea of not only possibly performing even more spars with the Vice-Captain, but also learn techniques from her was incredibly alluring. Learning those from the Academy's curriculum was one thing, yes, but learning directly from a decorated officer of the Gotei 13 was another matter entirely. She even was her first disciple too...! She could not have asked for a better offer after what has happened back in the courtyard with her dreadful demonstration of that magical spell.

On the other hand, this all made her wonder how she was going to cram that training in her schedule. As much as she adored the idea of training with Celes, she very much doubted that the Vice-Captain was going to use her power as an officer to take her away from the Academy. Yes, it was nice that she was not going to be stuck with just a bunch of Kidō classes for the next few weeks at best, but this certainly added more work on top of everything. Additionally, she also wondered how her teacher was going to react to all of this. It was quite clear now that the man most likely resented the Shinigami for what's happened then, and if he ever finds out about Kimiko learning from her, she could only guess how he was going to proceed from there. Just from his earlier reactions, she could tell that he would probably attempt to shame her out of retaliation or something immature like that.

As she attempted to figure out how this man was even capable of becoming a teacher at the Academy, the student was eventually brought back into reality once she noticed Celes' more somber expression reappear once again, enough so to wash her happiness away. Blinking, she'd watch the Vice-Captain for a moment, though again, she would not attempt to push this matter. This was a happy moment in a happy place, and so, it is to be ascertained once more that she shall not tackle such subjects at the given time. In fact, knowing herself, she most likely never will ask in the coming weeks, perhaps even months of training with her. Nevertheless, should the need to do so eventually arise, she will most likely do so. Until then, she will merely avoid the subject and focus on the matter at hand, even if she could not help but wonder why Celes seems to have become so distant twice in an amount of time that was arguably rather-short.

Well, with all of that out of the way, it seemed now that the time to eat had finally come. Hikashi came forward with two bowls of Ramen prepared for the two women's liking. Celes had her Spicy Ramen Bowl, and Kimiko her Spicy Shoyu Pork Ramen bowl. The very moment they were set onto the counter, steam started pouring away from the bowls, filling the shop with a soothing atmosphere. As to be expected, they were rather similar with the two being filled with a notable amount of vegetables, noodles and slices of meat covered in spices. They both smelled amazing and looked delicious, enough for Kimiko to feel incredibly hungry just by looking at her own bowl. If it wasn't for the customs of her native country still being fresh in her mind and her quiet attitude, the young woman would have by now just grabbed the damn thing and started eating right away.

"T-This looks... Wow," she complimented quietly as she gazed at her bowl for a moment. Hikashi probably could tell that she was complimenting him at this point, even if she seemingly wasn't able to properly exclaim her admiration for his work. This was probably the best food she has seen in a very long while in the entire Soul Society. Not even those who cooked food where she once remained in Rukongai could prepare something so good-looking, without any offense to them given, of course. Almost akin to a cherry on top of this already-amazing cake, Hikashi was kind enough to literally offer the bowls to Celes on the house for what has happened, which prompted Kimiko to nod at him with a happy smile. If this is the kind of attitude she should expect from this place, she definitely will visit it more often. "To the Soul Society!" She would then declare as she raised her glass, toasting with the others as she seemingly hesitated on referencing herself like the others so as to not appear selfish in her eyes. Shortly after, much like Celes, she turned towards the bowl and then started eating.

As badly as this day had seemingly started, it seemed that everything had surprisingly wrapped up in the best way imaginable. Kimiko still has no idea of what the rest of her like will look like at this point in time, but now that she has the support of such people on her side, the future could not have looked so bright.

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[Col Arana]

206 paragraphs works out to 1030 TP nice job!