Binding Chains

[Wynne Kuchiki]

Ah, it seemed she forgot yet another tidbit of information she needed in order for her defense to be successful. She seemed to be doing that alot lately it seemed. It was hard, trying to remember all of this, as her first instinct was to block with her body, not with her sword. Her body was much sturdier after all, so why shouldn’t she? But the whole point of this lesson was to use her weapon in tandem with her natural strengths, so she would need to get used to it, no matter how hard it seemed at first. It would only help her in the end, right? She wasn’t too sure on that point, but Kimiko hadn’t let her astray yet, and she doubted she would anytime soon.

Rearranging her sword into a reverse-sheathed position, Wynne prepared herself to block. Hopefully her teacher would approach her at a reasonable speed, since it was hard for her to block due to her inherent slowness. She already knew she needed to train on that in her personal time, but there wasn’t much she could do on that matter at the current time. As Kimiko charged towards her, Wynne would aim to block the ongoing attack with her sword. Since both of their speeds were the same, she wasn’t sure how successful her defense would be. Better than last time, but not perfect. Still, it was progress.

Nimbly jumping back and repositioning herself, Kimiko would repeat the same attack again while Wynne would perform the same blocking maneuver. However this time she would perform a counter attack with her other hand now that her teacher wasn’t planning on leaping back. A wide sweep with her left hand to be exact, a moment after she blocked with her sword. Tightening her grip on her sword, Wynne concentrated on Kimiko’s words and paid attention to everything her teacher was saying. Hopefully if she did this she’d receive way less cuts than she did a few moments ago. "Understood."

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The spiritual energy around Kimiko was pulsating with power. Scarlet with a tinge of dark, it writhed maniacally around her, spreading its overwhelming presence all around her body as it was fueled by the woman's excitement for the activity she and Wynne were currently pursuing together. At times, there was a force that came from the energy which pressed downward ever-so-slightly like an almighty hand, causing the sands below to flatten and the stone to shake. It was such that even the grass that neared the great walls of the Colosseum was forced onto the earth. The corpse-looking one would be able to feel this energy too, this invisible power that threatened to push her to the ground at any time alongside everything which composed this arena. It was fortunate, then, that such a thing never came to fruition. It was also fortunate that one gifted in the spiritual arts did not witness the magnitude of the energy, for if they had they done so, it would have most likely been difficult for them to comprehend its existence.

She was feeling it again: the veracity of her reiatsu. It squirmed and trashed about within her mind like a rampaging beast calling for battle, creating visions of blades drawn and blood shed. The more this went on, the more it gnawed at her senses, pushing her to unleash it in all of its might. A part of her wanted to succumb to this wish of hers and truly spar Wynne in a real fight, or at least something that mimicked it. They could go get the wooden weapons from the racks if they so needed to, even go get some of the people at the barracks to watch them go at it. However, she couldn't find the will to actually do such a thing. She couldn't let her spiritual energy crush her like the people from Rome that suffered during her battle with Teresa. The burden she had felt that day from the realization of what she had done was already heavy as is: she did not need it to be rendered even heavier by the dishonorable act of crushing the equivalent of a student under her wing. So, she held on as physically as she could, focusing all of her thoughts onto the larger woman as she did so.

With that in mind, she could not have been any luckier to have had previously decided to stick to repeating the same attacks on Wynne. As she rushed along and delivered cut after cut towards her partner, the beast's snarls grew quieter and quieter, instead to be replaced with observations. The woman's stance took the forefront, showcasing to her that she was learning from her teachings. Hunger for battle was replaced with a rising sense of pride and accomplishment from the teaching, and her excitement was further kept under control, prevented from going any further. "Yes, good!" The scarlet-eyed one called with a smile as she studied her temporary student's every move, making sure that she would not deviate from her current course by continuing to send her blades towards the woman at a speed of 25. Her attacks were not all blocked, but the grand majority had, and it was more than enough to keep her from going too far.

Then, of course, came the counter. It happened right as Shizukakane bounced against the corpse-looking one's blade. Taking the initiative, the larger woman had sent her left arm in a large sweep towards her. It size allowed it to circle around Kimiko's left shoulder, and in the matter of a few seconds, the Shinigami had felt imprisoned by her partner's incoming grasp. In response to this, the beast unsurprisingly called for her to cut the arm off. It took all of her being to not listen to it and instead duck low underneath the arm. Since she did so at a speed of 35, it only missed by a hair's breath. If she would have gone slower, she would have been caught. "Nice!" She called then before sending her blades towards Wynne once more with more Iaijutsu strikes as she used her footwork to expertly dodge towards her the woman's left. If it was not for the rise of spiritual energy she felt then, it could have been considered graceful. "Keep this up! You're already starting to get used to this!"

That wasn't entirely true. Although Wynne had blocked her attacks with her Zanpakuto and used her left arm in an attempt to grab her, she hadn't baited her into getting grabbed. Regardless, that didn't matter. Seeing this person progress and adopt a blossoming fighting style was nothing short of beautiful. The pride she felt in this person she has just met, this member of a clan she found to be somewhat distasteful, was ever-so-surely overshadowing the unyielding blood thirst she always felt within her while she wielded her blade. It was right. Soothing, even. It made her forget Taishokukane, the being he kept talking about during their clashes within her Inner World, and the nightmares she has kept experiencing at night for so long. No, it went further than that. Not only did she forget those things, but a wish to continue this teaching was then born. She wanted to see this person learn from her. She wanted to see others learn from her as well.

For once, it was not mere bestial excitement or violent emotions that drove her blades forward. As they flew towards Wynne again in hopes of being blocked by her Zanpakuto, the energy that filled them was more positive and pure. The growing tinge of darkness had even retreated, growing smaller and smaller as the two swords clashed with the taller woman's. I think I get it now, Celes, her thoughts rang as she repeated the process over and over again, keeping her gaze onto Wynne as she silently demanded that she attempt to grab her once more. I haven't even really began teaching this person much... and yet, I already feel happy to see her grow. It's nice.

[Wynne Kuchiki]

As Kimiko dodged out of her reach once more, Wynne felt another vein throb on the top of her head. Her teacher was like a wasp, stinging her then leaping out of reach. All Wynne needed was one good grip and then she could squeeze her into a pulp, but unfortunately that would never happen. The speed differential between the two was just too great. Sometimes Kimiko would seem to be just barely out of reach, while sometimes the gap between them would seem insurmountable. The woman’s footwork was impeccable, while Wynne’s was akin to a drunken fool bumbling about after a late night in a bar. If she wanted to catch Kimiko, then she would have to work on that first.

“Yes definitely.” Responding in a deadpan tone, Wynne watched as Kimiko dodged yet another one of her attacks. She was sure her teacher meant the best, but it was a little frustrating watching all of her moves being brushed to the side. Repeatedly. Time and time again. While being sliced open. Was Kimiko secretly a sadist? Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Wynne watched as the shorter woman cut her open yet again before darting backwards. Yes, that theory would answer a lot of questions she had about the woman’s actions. But why me Kimiko? Can’t you hold in your desires? At least for this training session?

Letting out a pained sigh, Wynne tightened her grip on her sword and tried to counter Kimiko with another attack. She didn’t have much hope, since as long as Kimiko outsped her, she wouldn’t be able to land the blow. Such was the way of things. She either needed to have the element of surprise, or she needed to trick her. These were one of the only ways to land an attack on her. At least at her current level of speed, which she planned to change as soon as possible. Being this slow was actually miserable. Something she hated and she would definitely change.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko maintained a steady speed as she maintained her assault onto Wynne. She did so excitedly, yet fairly, making sure to not viciously outspeed her temporary student, though she had to admit that it was somewhat difficult for her to achieve such a thing. Though she makes sure to give a few chances to her sparring partners every now and then, she usually never bothers to maintain her speed in check, not even when her legs are begging for her to do so. In fact, keeping any part of her personal strength at a lower level than their maximum was something she was simply not used to do. The people of the Eleventh knew this, those of the rest of the Gotei 13 who was made aware of her existence knew this, and even the Hollows who had somehow fled or survived against her knew this. Still, for the betterment of Wynne, she held on. She wanted to make her teaching reach the woman the best way it possibly could, and always outspeeding her was not going to achieve anything.

This was made most obvious as the assault went on. As her blades danced near the larger woman's weapon, as though beckoning it to come out whenever they would strike, she would keep an eye on the girl's face to see what emotion she was feeling right about now. The tone of her voice was as dead as ever, but her eyes were much livelier in comparison as they gazed and narrowed and frowned. It was very clear to the scarlet-eyed warrior that the frustration the woman felt about the disparity between them was very clear. Every time she would miss the counter and allow the dual blades to leave a small cut on her skin, the frustration would grow, and her frown would thus deepen. It was akin to watching a hunter become angrier and angrier at themselves for missing a target that is right in front of them, a martial artist unable to execute a particular move even though they believe themselves to be proficient enough to do so.

Her reaction was more than understandable, of course. The dual swordswoman has, after all, gone through similar situations in the past, and really, she still experiences such emotions now. The black blade that she currently wielded was a testament to that. Even so, despite her awareness of this feeling, she saw this as a positive. Frustration, though deeply annoying, typically begets understanding. The more frustrated one becomes, the more they tend to learn about themselves and their surroundings. In other words, it pushes them to find the answers that they so seek. It was what allowed Kimiko to learn Shizukakane's name and eventually find out about her ability to somehow create another Zanpakuto. This line of thought may not be applied to absolutely everyone in this world; after all, there are people who instead strive further in peace and quiet. The modern Human civilization is mostly based on that concept. However, as Shinigami - especially members of the Tenth and the Eleventh respectively - they must instead learn with inner strife and fury.

As of now, there are many weaknesses that currently plagues Wynne. Her speed is one such weakness. She is slow, painfully slow, and because of this, she cannot properly engage a rapid fighter. Slow fighters can be powerful in the right circumstances, though if they are ever in a time in which they must restrain themselves so as to damage their environment, they are often lost. Combined with this slowness was also her lacking footwork which prevented her from properly following her trainer, reflexes which appeared to be overall rather unimpressive, and an inability to form plans rapidly in the moment. This latter fact was most apparent from the fact that she had not even bothered baiting Kimiko yet despite having been told to do so previously. All in all, once again, the only qualities that she had as a warrior was her ultimate strength and resistance to attacks. She could not use the first adequately even if she tried to do so, and so, the latter extrinsically becomes rather obsolete in the long run.

If Wynne can be made aware of these weaknesses, it will then only be a matter of time before she is able to correct them and become a better warrior. That is what Kimiko believed and wanted her fellow Shinigami to understand. Even if it takes a long time for her to do so, by the end of it all, the corpse-looking woman will become a powerful asset for the Tenth that will definitely work well under Celes. This belief in Wynne's potential was what pushed the scarlet-eyed one to become so excited at the prospect of teaching her, of showing her everything. Her teachings may be rough or difficult to understand for someone who is not used to her: she wouldn't be a member of the Eleventh if she would have been softer. Those teachings of hers were also still relatively new and recent, given that she had not really taught anyone properly before. However, at the end of it all, she really meant well, even if she somewhat appeared sadistic while doing so.

Eventually during her assault, Kimiko would feel as though the larger woman had reached a conclusion to this spar. It was after the many failed attempts to counter her, right as her grip tightened around her sword and attempted to raise it once more. Noticing this, the dual swordswoman would decide to give the student a reward for her patience. Pushing herself forward, the Third Seat officer would stomp the ground between herself and Wynne before unsheathing her blades and twisting her body to the left, then spinning her blades in her hands so as to grab them by their hilt and launching them straight for the larger officer's weapon. It was done with at a higher speed than usual, about 50, which was enough to completely break the Shinigami's momentum and leave her absolutely wide open. This would leave plenty of time for Wynne to then put her arm around her and then bring her in an embrace, right as Kimiko placed her swords in a cross formation on her back, with their sharp edges unable to touch the temporary student's arm.

"Ngh! There you go, you got me. We can stop here," she would wince as she would suddenly be brought to the woman. She had let herself be caught on purpose, but even so, it did not feel right to her. Then again, she isn't really grabbed often, not even by her own comrades here in the Eleventh. At the very least, it allowed her to calm down somewhat, as in the context of a proper battle, she would have definitely been dead here. Those damned arms Wynne carried around must be made of diamonds or something, since they felt as hard as rock. "Alright, so... what did you learn from this? Be honest with me."

[Wynne Kuchiki]

“That you let me catch you.” Staring at Kimiko with a frown, Wynne let out a sigh as she took a step back. She understood why her partner did so, but it still rubbed her the wrong way. But what did she expect? To improve so much in one day that she’d be able to counter Kimiko and match her speed? Hah, if it was that simple then Wynne truly had nothing to fear. No life wasn’t that simple. Many days, no weeks of training was in order to get to that level. Quite a bit of hard work would need to be achieved in order to get past her setbacks, that was the only way to achieve her goals.

Now to give Kimiko the correct answer. The only way to outmaneuver a higher speed opponent was through trickery or through an opening, one she usually had to make herself. There were a multitude of ways she could go about it, some better than others. She just had to remember when to do which, as some usually weren’t viable depending on the actions of her opponent. “I need to make openings to catch my opponent off guard, and I need to remember to counter. Some trickery is helpful as well. Anything to tip the odds in my favor since the speed of my opponent will usually be higher than mine.”

Wracking her brain for anything else Kimiko told her, Wynne took another moment to think. There was quite a bit for her to improve on in the upcoming weeks, something she was sure to do. “There’s also my footwork and the other basic stuff. And I think that’s about it.” Other than that, she thought she covered it all. Strength was nice, but it didn’t do much if she couldn’t hit her opponents. As she was coming to find out. But with Kimiko’s advice, hopefully she’d be able to land more blows, and turn her enemies into bloody pulps. Only time would tell.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko had not expected the constraint of Wynne's grab to be this bothersome for her. The feeling of muscle firmly keeping her still as much as they possibly could combined with the fact that, well, she wasn't moving at all was an experience that she had hoped she would have actually forever avoided. She had obviously expected it to not feel right, as she was a fighter who relied on speed in order to win her battles; however, even so, it was like she had voluntarily stepped into something that she now really wanted to get out of. It felt awful and wrong, almost like she had been thoroughly reduced to something less than what she was, and considering that the person holding her was perhaps physically stronger than any other person she has ever met, it also felt as though she had been turned into an insect to be crushed at any moment. If this was a real battle, this would have definitely been the end of her Shinigami career right then and there.

Of course, this wasn't a real battle. It was a spar, nothing more than a lesson to teach to Wynne. She had made sure to let herself be caught so that Wynne could learn from this, else this would have never happened. At first, the scarlet-eyed teacher believed that this would have actually been a satisfactory conclusion to their training session in Wynne's eyes. It was not something that would have happened in a real fight between them, no, but it was a showcase of a conclusion that could have resulted between the tall one and an enemy who was going at a pace similar to hers. Unfortunately, that did not quite happen. If anything, the fact that Kimiko allowed herself to get caught by leaving herself open the way she did had caused the officer of the Tenth to visibly become a bit frustrated. This caused the dual swordswoman to feel a bit of regret in her heart for what she had done, as she hadn't really expected her response to be so negative. It made her feel as though she should have finished the assault differently, and for a brief moment as she was let go of Wynne's grasp, she wasn't quite sure of how to respond.

However, soon after the both of them were separated from one another, the temporary student would then go on to provide a better answer to the question that was told to her. This caused the dual swordswoman to stand there in attention, listening to her ever word with livelier eyes before she eventually started nodding in agreement. It took some time for Wynne to come up with the answers that Kimiko wanted to hear from her, but the majority of them were eventually able to come out in a reasonable amount of time. Hearing them being told so clearly practically chased away the regret that the soldier of the Eleventh was feeling in her heart from the first response, and the pain soon turned into satisfaction. "It's not really trickery, it's feinting... but yeah, that's right," she would precise with a smile before she would swipe the blood off of her swords again, then return them to their scabbards. "You got the major points down. Good work." 

The fact that she was able to get this woman to learn these things did not seem to be much at first. In fact, if she compared this work to what was currently being taught at the Academy, Kimiko believed that there was a good chance a teacher would find this to have been a relatively-weak session that did not actually showcase much. However, in her eyes, it was more than enough for now. This girl was someone who was inexperienced in and somewhat detached of the realm of physical combat. All that she has focused on over the course of her early Shinigami career was magic, and in so doing, she has been rejecting the idea of mainly relying on purely-physical combat up until now. Well, at least partly so, as magic can most often allow one to completely avoid having to deal with an opponent in close range. Her physique is admirable, if not downright incredible for someone of her caliber, but she needs to learn that brute strength alone cannot lead her to victory in every battle before this false notion gets her killed on the battlefield, or worse.

As the Third Seat officer would slowly settle down and allow herself to completely nullify the excitement that she previously held in her heart for this training session, the scarlet-eyed warrior would look at her temporary student, giving a glance at the cuts and scars she has received from Shizukakane and Taishokukane. A part of her wanted to bring the girl to the Fourth Division, though after a moment of consideration, the thought was discarded as rapidly as it appeared in her mind. She could see that there damage had indeed been received. Blood had clearly been spilled here and there, and earlier on, pain had been felt. However, the aforementioned damage was minimal at best. Whatever Wynne's skin was made of, it appeared so sturdy that it could handle Kimiko's full strength without even appearing so much as scratched. Said strength was barely enough to actually cause anything more than the smallest of cuts, and if she would have perhaps hardened the skin in one way or another, she could have perhaps completely prevented the cut from even forming.

Of course, the cuts themselves were most likely annoying and not comfortable to actually have on one's body. That in of itself wasn't surprising; after all, unless the wounded is some kind of weird masochist, wounds of any nature are incredibly bothersome and permanently unlikable. Despite this, the cuts were so small that it was hardly worth worrying about. A day will most likely be enough for them to close and then heal. With this in mind, the Shinigami would look at the rest of the arena for a brief moment, wondering if they should stay and continue doing what they were doing even with the current injuries. The part of her that always trained every single day wanted to stay in the Coliseum to continue sparring with Wynne, though there was another part inside of her that instead wanted to go do something else. Though the lesson was learned, the Kuchiki woman wasn't quite happy to see that her ultimate strength had been turned into something that was presently irrelevant, and Kimiko honestly felt that she did not need to be reminded of it for the time being.

The Third Seat officer would ponder on what they possibly could do for a short time before she would then be reminded of her first spar with Celes. Back then, she had been beaten by the then Vice-Captain fair and square, and noticing that she was not quite happy with the results, Celes had then invited her to go eat at a ramen shop. Seeing as this was the only solution that she believed could possibly be at the very least a light remedy for her temporary student's mental state, she believed it could perhaps be a good idea to introduce Wynne to it. Perhaps the now-Captain of the Tenth has yet to actually do so with her. Who knows. "Alright, well...," she would start before she would then briefly stretch herself. "... how about we go get something to eat, you and I? That would probably be a better reward than letting you catch me, right...? There's a ramen shop I know that you might like." It was all told a bit awkwardly, though her friendly smile was at least warm enough to showcase her honesty.

[Wynne Kuchiki]

“That seems fine to me.” Taking a moment to dust herself off, Wynne attempted to clean herself off to the best of her abilities. She wasn’t sure how successful she was, due to how intense her training session was. She looked presentable, but it was quite clear she had been training a few moments prior. Oh well, she was hungry, so looking all nice and tidy could wait. Someone of her size required quite a bit of fuel, and she had burned a lot. Kimiko had not held back, and neither did she. Turning to her partner, Wynne waited for the shorter woman to lead the way before following her to their destination. She hadn’t eaten out much around here, so she wasn’t sure what shop Kimiko was talking about.

“Do you eat out often? With your squadmates and such?” Wynne rarely hung out with Squad 10, for a myriad of reasons. Her life these past few months had been hectic. With the whole Camila situation and her journey to Hueco Mundo. It wasn’t her best moment. But she had survived. And here she was now. For better or worse. Would she stay here for long? She knew not. But she would live in the moment for now and take one day at a time. Even if it gave her cuts and bruises. Sure they stung, but she learned from these wounds. And she grew stronger, so she wouldn’t be the weak little girl that she used to be.

As the two walked, Wynne stealthily glanced at the Third seat officer to her right. When Celes had first recommended Kimiko, she hadn’t really known what to think about the woman. Intimidating maybe? A no nonsense sort of woman that was no fun? So far Kimiko didn’t seem that bad. She was very focused though. That was something Wynne had noticed. Very focused indeed. Perhaps that was only in battle, so she would have to see. As her body involuntarily shivered due to the innumerable cuts on her body, the enormous woman shook her head. The spar had helped her get to know the combat side of Kimiko, so perhaps the ramen would help her get to know the personal side of the woman? Surely both sides couldn’t be one and the same? Only one way to find out.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko was very glad to see that Wynne did not even so much as hesitate to actually answer her question. A part of her had thought that her request had been given in a time that was somewhat awkward, as after all, they had just finished training, so she was glad to see that this doubt had been quietened as rapidly as it had appeared within her head. "Cool. I'm sure you're gonna what they serve. The chef there is reaaally good," she would tell her fellow Shinigami with a friendly smile as she progressively completely rid herself of all of the energy that she previously displayed during their spar, enough so that it might appear as a bit of a shock to the taller woman. Before, she looked wide-eyed and excited at the prospect of training her. Now, she instead appeared much quieter, calmer, more casual. Though that same socially-awkward air remained nonetheless, it was like staring at a different person altogether. "It's really close to the Hakutōmon, so... we should be there in about a few minutes if we head there fast enough."

With that said, the temporary teacher would then go on to leave the Coliseum at a moderate pace of 25, the same velocity at which she believed to be Wynne's fastest. She would have gone faster if she could, but she didn't want to bother her student of the day any further than she already has by showcasing her lacking speed. As she would do so, the both of them would pass by a few of her comrades who were training at the main grounds. Some of them appeared to be surprised to see her in such a good mood, though none of them said a thing about it as she passed, instead simply greeting her and their guest with a nod of acknowledgement. It wasn't the time to talk about such things, they probably thought, and considering what she had just accomplished with Wynne, Kimiko was glad that they did not bother mentioning Taishokukane. It would have spoiled her mood and made her a bit bitter again. Regardless, they would then both reach the entrance of the barracks, and after that, they would be off into the streets of Seireitei.

As the two of them passed by many buildings which formed the richer suburbia of the nobles residing in the area, the dual swordswoman would walk quietly, observing her surroundings. It was funny how rapidly she has gotten used to residing within the walls of Seireitei. Back then, when she was nothing more than a student of the Academy, the whole place felt new to her, like a place out of a dream or a museum. The feudal architecture, the fashion trends seemingly forever stuck in the past, the sight of men and women adorning weapons at their hips... Of course, there were some elements of the modern Human society, like electrical lines and utility poles, and there were rare occasions in which one would suddenly see a modern building suddenly jut from the other homes, but those were few and far between, and often the work of nobles infatuated with the home design trends of the Living World. Nowadays, Kimiko simply sees it all as something that is merely familiar. It was truly funny.  I've really been here for a while...  she realized as she looked towards the many homes that surrounded them.  How long has it been since I got here...? Twelve years? ... I should look at the date later.

This wondering of hers would go on for a while, enough so that she would briefly forget that she was not walking alone. Fortunately, it was not allowed to go on for much further, as right before it could, it was then interrupted by Wynne's question, which prompted Kimiko to blink back to reality and look back towards her with a look of surprise. "Ah? Uh, yeah," she would answer at first as awkwardly as ever, trying her best to ignore her own embarrassment over the fact that she outright ignored the taller woman for a brief moment there. All the training she has been doing lately has really put a damper on her social skills... Then again, she never has had great social skills to begin with. It was a good thing that the subject in question was at least related to the typical daily activities she partakes in. "I go eat out every evening in Rukongai, or at least whenever I can. Sometimes, I go with people, but I usually do it alone. It's been... a habit of mine ever since Celes and I met. Well, not really lately, since I've been training more than usual, but... yeah." 

She knew her answer wasn't really the best. It could have been said more naturally and without as much stress or awkwardness. However, she thought it was at least sufficiently detailed enough for Wynne to more or less get what she was trying to say. Still, when put that way, she had to admit that the answer somewhat disappointed her. Even though she has been part of the Eleventh Division for some time now and has been hanging out with her crewmates from time to time, she has never really engaged with any of them. She'd converse with them well enough due to the familiarity she now shares with them, and would also at times go along with them to eat or drink together, but she would never actually be the one who would begin the conversation or the one who would invite them anywhere. And it wasn't just with her squadmates: it was also with Celes too. The reason why? Training. It was always training. It was... a bit saddening, really. It reminded her of her life in the Living World, in which she always avoiding the people at her school just so that she could hang out at the arcades of Akihabara.

But now, she at least had Wynne. She still wasn't sure if the taller woman actually liked her, given all that's happened between them at the Coliseum, but eating at a ramen shop will definitely allow them to speak to one another on a more personal level. In her eyes, there is no better place to converse more casually and amicably than over a bowl of ramen, and fortunately for perhaps the both of them, this bowl of ramen was very close. During their conversation, the two Shinigami officers would have passed the western White Way Gate and its Guardian, and so would have gone on to enter Rukongai. As to be expected, though Rukongai's first districts are the most favored, there was an immediate difference between it and Seireitei. The architecture was definitely less modern, more ancient, and the technology was not as advanced. Electricity here did not appear to be as common either. However, the streets were much more populated. It felt more alive, vibrant.

And then, after a bit more walking, they reached the ramen shop. From the outside, it did not seem to be anything special. If anything, it resembled a very traditional ramen shop, the kind you would see in the oldest corners of Japan. Its structure was simple, mostly made out of hard wood planks, with an open counter hidden by sheets of tissue displaying the name of the shop: Hikashi's Terakawa. Just seeing the shop from far away was making Kimiko's stomach growl a bit, and really, it was rather hard to blame her. The further they would approach the ramen shop, the more powerful the exotic smells of the meat, vegetables, and sauce would become. "It's been way too long... I'm so glad it's still okay," she would let out unconsciously with a smile of anticipation before she would beckon Wynne to follow her inside. "I know the chef here. It's... been a while since we've seen each other, but he's a good guy."

After that was said and done, Kimiko would step forward into the ramen shop, lightly pushing the the sheets out of the way as she did so. It would seem that they had come at a time in which customers had not quite decided to come yet, most likely because it was still somewhat early before the common rush hour. However, that did not mean the shop was empty, as behind the counter would be seen a man working in front of many kitchen utilities. At first, he seemed preoccupied by the food he was preparing, but once he heard people coming in, he would look behind him and smile brightly. "Ah, Kimiko! Welcome, welcome!" He greeted with a very amicable and friendly, though informal attitude. "It's been quite some time! You must have been quite busy."

"Very much so," the scarlet-eyed swordswoman would respond back to him with a warm smile before she sat at one of the stools set before the counter. "Ah, it's really nice to be here again... How has the business been lately, Hikashi?" 

"It has been going well! The, um, attack we have had lately was unfortunate for the shop, but ever since then, there has been a lot of people coming to eat my food," he chuckled, albeit with a tone that implied a wish to gloss over the recent events that have occurred in Rukongai. Kimiko personally found no harm in wanting to ignore what's happened to an extent. That day had not been for anyone involved, and many lives had been lost. Honestly, it was a miracle that this ramen shop had even survived the ordeal. In any case, once he finished speaking to her about the matter, he would turn his head towards Wynne. Her sheer size was enough to prompt another chuckle out of him. "Oh, another tall one! Not as scary, though. You must be a friend of Kimiko. She and her good teacher Celes really do bring me a lot of customers. So, what will you be having? I'm sure that Kimiko will have the Spicy Shoyu Pork Ramen bowl. She always takes it."

"Ah, come on, Hikashi, that's not true... I sometimes take other bowls."

"Not in your last visits, you haven't!"

[Wynne Kuchiki]

As the silence lingered on uncomfortably, Wynne looked around the Seireitei as they walked. The scenery was the same as it had always been to her, bland and boring. Just plain old buildings with unoriginal colors. Past them were more buildings of the same. And inside were shinigami who were just like the structures they inhabited. You could glamor up the outside, but you would still be the same on the inside wouldn't you? Grimacing at her negative thoughts, the taller shinigami turned her head to listen to Kimiko as she finally took the time to respond to her inquiries.

Her teacher ate out every evening, or close to eat. Probably because she couldn’t be bothered to make her own meals. Perhaps she was just too busy? With training most likely, judging from the way she was talking. Giving the woman an understanding nod, Wynne directed her attention back towards the front. “Training can be quite time consuming.” After another few minutes of walking in silence, the duo arrived at the ramen shop. One that seemed to thankfully not be too busy. Maybe the two would be able to actually eat in peace?

Feeling her stomach rumble at the smells, Wynne followed Kimiko’s lead and headed deeper into the shop. Ducking slightly and pushing the sheets out of the way, Wynne sat her enormous frame down next to her teacher, eager to begin her meal of the day. Judging from the ensuing conversation, it seemed Hikashi and Kimiko were fond of each other. Which spoke well about the chef’s cooking. “I’ll trust Kimiko’s judgment and take one of the same.” The Spicy Shoyu Pork Ramen bowl did have an enticing title.

Reaching into her kimono pocket and pulling out the required payment, Wynne placed it on the counter before waiting patiently for her food to arrive. The atmosphere between the two women was a little awkward, but it was still amiable. She herself wasn’t the best at conversation so she didn’t really know where to go from here. The two had already fought each other, and that was usually how Wynne bonded with others the most. You got most of the drama out of the way with that method the easiest. Shrugging her shoulders, Wynne grabbed a nearby menu and browsed it curiously to give herself something to do. Would one bowl even be enough to fill her up? If not, she wanted to know what her second option was going to be.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Time-consuming. That term which Wynne used to describe training hit Kimiko - a person who literally trains every day - harder than she thought it would. There really weren't any better words to describe it, were they? Sure, there were the most common ones that people typically tag to it like "difficult" and "exhausting", but ultimately, "time-consuming" was the rightest one of them all. In her case alone, training truly takes the greatest part of her days. After she completes her paperwork in the morning, she refines her swordsmanship either alone or with a sparring partner for about an hour or two, and then spends the entirety of the afternoon within her Inner World to train with the spirits within her blade. It doesn't sound like much on paper, but when put into practice, it practically takes almost the entirety of her day. If anything, if we completely ignore missions or other emergencies, the only times in which she is not training are completely reserved to eating, reading, and sleeping.

Now that she was thinking about it in more detail, it did sound rather unhealthy that she was able to actually hold on to a crazy schedule for more than a decade now, let alone a single year. As far as she is aware, she doesn't even know anybody else who trains as hard as she does. Celes - being the Captain that she is - most likely does not have the time to actually train for too long unless Yunorashi happens to become desperate for attention, Tsukuyomi spends quite a fair bit of time tending to his personal weapons in exchange for more training time, and mostly everybody else she has met in the Eleventh only stick to the times that are to be at least upheld by each member of the division so as to maintain one's combat skills as much as possible. Perhaps the only exception to this latter fact she could recall was Dai, but everyone knows that she is only doing so because he wants to become as strong as her as fast as possible out of pride, not out of necessity. Really, it would be funny if it wasn't so pathetic.

For a while as she and Wynne proceeded onward throughout the streets of Seireitei and eventually Rukongai, the subject would continue to linger on in her mind. It would be trapped into the spotlight, unable to get out despite her efforts to push it away for literally anything else. She honestly didn't want to talk about something that she felt to be a personal issue to someone she has barely met, even if that someone happens to be her student. They are not that close yet, not that friendly, and considering the taller woman's whole demeanor, she didn't feel as though this was going to happen soon. It was rather easy to talk to Celes about things, even if she at times misinterpreted what she wanted to tell her. She was compassionate, energetic, and overall simply a very social person who could spread a sense of warmth in others to make them open up. In comparison, Wynne just felt like she was talking to a statue who would barely so much as even show a modicum of emotion. Maybe one day, she'll open up to her, but for now, it's better to just start somewhere that was more basic.

Fortunately, before the matter would become a daunting exercise in frustration, the smells of Hikashi's Terakawa would reach her nostrils, and by then, it would melt away to instead be replaced with the image of a noodle bowl. It was almost funny how better Kimiko's mood would become the moment she would find herself near food. All things considered, it almost made her look a bit childish. Either that, or just plainly addicted to eating. Still, she couldn't stop herself from getting excited about the prospect of satiating her rising hunger. This aforementioned emptiness within her stomach could partially be blamed upon Celes' philosophy, which is to always eat well after a long day, but it could also be put unto her training. Given how fast the time seems to pass during training, she often forgets her very own needs, and by the time she's done training for the day, she tends to become very hungry. Aside from the Captain herself, the only people who really knew that were herself... and the man that was currently right behind the counter of the ramen shop.

After he teased Kimiko about her selection, the man would happily take Wynne's order with an enthusiastic nod before turning towards his cooking apparatus. "Alright then. Two Spicy Shoyu Ramen, coming right up!" He'd say with a calm smile before he would go on to prepare the meal, taking the coin of the women with him as he did so. Though he had just begun, the officer of the Tenth would immediately be able to notice that he was truly an expert chef. He was handling each ingredient with both great care and surprising speed, using different knives for meat, vegetables, and noodles alike. There were many pots, both large and small, settled before him on the long table he had set behind the counter. Some were filled with sauce, while others instead contained boiling water for the noodles. It was a very interesting process to behold, and it appeared to be a very difficult one to properly maintain too. The fact that he was able to do so all on his own was nothing short of a miracle. "I hope you're gonna like it! I've known Kimiko for a while now, and let me tell you: she always eats spicy! I still remember that one time I gave her my spiciest bowl, Dragon's Breath Ramen. She liked it very much! But her friends? They couldn't take it at all." 

"No, they really couldn't..." Kimiko would snort, amused by the conversation they were having. "By the way, what happened to it? The Dragon's Breath Ramen? I haven't seen it on your menu for a while."

"Oh, I had to remove it. Nobody could actually eat it! At all! Every time they tried, they would just run away from my shop! Honestly, I really don't know how you could handle it yourself."

Between the casual side of the conversation and his amicable behavior, the man truly seemed to be a vocal person. It was no wonder Kimiko, someone who usually preferred to stay quiet, actually liked to talk to him. Like Celes, his attitude was very friendly, polite and positive. Most importantly, however, he reminded her of the Living World. Back when she was a Human there, she'd go these ramen shops from time to time. Of course, they were much more modern in comparison to this one, but the attitude there was very similar to this one. It made the whole act of eating food just so much more... lively. Then again, it wasn't just Hikashi's Terakawa that was like this: most of the restaurants in Rukongai held a similar culture too. In comparison, the restaurants in Seireitei were a tad bit colder. That was not to say that what the Seireitei offered was bad, as their service had access to a better budget, but the attitude of their chefs and clerks were simply not as amicable or familiar.

In any case, after about five minutes, the bowls would eventually come to the two officers. They were each served hot and steamy alongside sets of wooden chopsticks. "There you go." Though the bowls themselves held a rather basic outward appearance as they were each made of plain steel ceramic, it was the content that they hold that easily grasped the attention. It looked amazing. Bathing in an orange sea of shoyu sauce were many noodles coupled with slices of meat and vegetables, with each covered in a notable amount of spices so as to form the perfect bowl. Truly, the work of a culinary artist. But of course, not only did it look amazing: it also smelled amazing. The pleasurable steam of smells and fragrances emanated from the bowl would immediately fill the mind with more than just a few tastes. As to be expected, it smelled spicy, enough to cause one's nose to become briefly hotter, but it also held the scent of pork and carrots.

At the very least, both the sight and smell of the meal was enough to make Kimiko's mouth water a little bit. It was just like back then, long ago, when Celes had brought her here to declare her her student. "Ah, amazing, Hikashi... I really don't know how you keep making such good food," she would say as she picked up the chopsticks and brought the bowl closer to her. "Outstanding."

"It is always my pleasure, Kimiko. Now, you and your friend have a nice meal! I have a few more meals to finish up before Nishi comes pick them up for delivery," he would say before heading out into the back of the shop behind a curtain, presumably to interact with other cooking apparatus that he could not keep right behind the counter. This would essentially leave the two women alone to eat their food in peace, albeit with a few noises that could be heard in the back from Hikashi's handiwork.

Not that it mattered to Kimiko. What instead very much mattered was the food at her disposal. After the cook left she and Wynne alone behind the counter, the scarlet-eyed warrior would press her palms together and bow her head respectfully before letting out a brief  "Itadakimasu". Once done, she would grab the chopsticks with one hand while keeping the other near the bowl for support, then would slowly start eating. It was very clear that she immediately started enjoying her meal, as not soon after she slurped down her very first noodles, she would appear much happier than before. She would continue to eat the food in this happy little moment of peace, slurping down more and more noodles between chomps of meat and vegetables, then would turn her head towards Wynne. "So... what do you think? It's pretty good, right?" She'd ask in an attempt to gauge Wynne's opinion of the bowl. "Hikashi always makes good food. He's never made a bad bowl... Not even once."

[Wynne Kuchiki]

Wynne wasn’t really an expert in the art of cooking ramen, but from what she could tell, their chef knew what he was doing. His hands worked dexterously with his knife, dicing their meat into an arrangement of beautiful slices and covering them with spices that smelled heavenly. Definitely worth her money from the looks of it so far. Hopefully the taste would match up. It only took a few more minutes of waiting before the whole process was done and her bowl was slid in front of her, ready to be eaten. Nodding her head in thanks, Wynne would wait for Kimiko to start eating before she began her own feast. It was time to fill her empty stomach!

Similar to how it looked, the taste of her bowl was heavenly. Sure it was a little hot and the temperature was currently burning her mouth, but Wynne was used to pain so she ignored it, plus she was hungry and she didn’t particularly feel like waiting for her food to cool down. She had been waiting all day to eat, and she wasn’t waiting anymore. Her training had burned through a lot of her reserves, and she needed to refill them. Regardless of the pain. "So... what do you think? It's pretty good, right?" Grabbing a nearby napkin and wiping her mouth, the stoic shinigami turned slightly towards her teacher to give her a response to her question.

“Yes, quite good. Especially after our training session. I forgot to bring some snacks with me so my reserves were running low, so this is especially good. The spiciness isn’t too bad either.” Although the bowl made her eyes water, Wynne wasn’t sure if that was a bad thing. It made her feel alive, which was nice. Something she hadn’t been feeling too much of lately. She could do without the tears at the corner of her eyes though. As she continued to devour the food in her bowl, she briefly wondered about the Dragon’s Breath Ramen. Just how spicy would that one have been? It had been taken off the menu, so perhaps it had been too much for the palate of the normal customer?

[Nakajima Kimiko]

It was very clear that, by the looks of things, Kimiko was enjoying her meal. She was chomping down on the pieces of meat and vegetables with great enthusiasm, and slurping down the noodles quite enthusiastically. In fact, she was doing it so enthusiastically that it was almost a bit distracting, as the noise that came from the act easily filled her surroundings. Some would find this to be somewhat distasteful, maybe even a little bit disgraceful; after all, it almost looked downright beastly. It would not be surprising to see people who are not quite experienced with such foods become disgusted by the sights of someone eating in such a way. However, the Shinigami didn't care. Not one bit. It was hard for her to give much mind about their judgement of her table manners when the sheer beauty of the smells and tastes provided to her by her meal currently filled her mind with such happiness. She may be loud, but she at least wasn't making a mess of herself about it.

Of course, after a while, she would eventually remind herself that she was not alone in this establishment. As quiet and stoic as Wynne may be, it would be wrong not to acknowledge her at least once during the consumption of this meal. It wasn't like she herself was much different back then when she was but a student of the Academy solely under Celes' fold. She was much less talkative at that time, much less open and social. That is, even less social than how she is now with Taishokukane. If it hadn't been for Celes, she would have probably remained just as shy for the rest of her Shinigami career. With that mind, given how recluse her temporary student appeared to be before her, it just felt right to talk to her here. Who knows? Maybe the start of a conversation will allow her to break further out of that shell of hers, this completely-unemotional wall that she seems so wishful to keep up all around her at all times even in a place in which it felt somewhat unneeded.

Given that they were eating, the dual swordswoman first spoke of the meal they were eating. Even if Hikashi's Terakawa was known to typically bring pleasant culinary experiences to those that visits it, it wasn't a place that was guaranteed to make food that people liked. Some people simply don't like ramen, no matter how hard they may try actually liking it. Either that, or they just prefer other foods over ramen... or they downright prefer eating something that doesn't require them to eat with chopsticks, as wielding chopsticks is unfortunately a skill that is not mastered by everyone in the Soul Society. That last one is not really the best of reasons, obviously, but she could still remember her comrade Charles struggling to actually use the chopsticks that had been given to him at the time, and she still wasn't quite sure how she was supposed to react to that. As such, hearing Wynne actually respond positively to her question was enough to make her pleasantly relieved.

"It really isn't, yeah. I'm not really sure what he uses, but... it's probably the best spices all around," she spoke with a calm smile on her face. "Maybe I could get Hikashi to bring back the Dragon's Ramen Bowl... I don't know, I just feel like you'd really like it." As she spoke with such enthusiasm, her gaze would return to her bowl. Unsurprisingly then, she picked her chopsticks once more and took a few more bites to enjoy her meal a little bit further. Between her bites, she would try to provide more information about the supposedly-infamous recipe. "Well, I say that because I feel like you could... handle it, rather. Hikashi wasn't really lying about my friends not being able to take it. There's someone in our squad, a guy called Dai... He's the kind that tries to always be the toughest all the time, more so than a bunch of us, really. Yeah, well, when he tried the Dragon's Ramen, he kinda just passed out. Two bites and he was just... completely out of it."

The memory made her chuckle a bit as she ate, enough so that it made her have to stop chomping onto her food for a moment. Luckily, she didn't choke on the food or cough it out accidentally in the act. However, after her brief chuckling stopped, she found herself staring at the bowl somewhat silently. She was... oddly talkative. Usually, she was more quiet with others, but for some reason, she felt compelled to talk a little bit more in Wynne's presence now that they were here. A part of her naturally felt as though it was because Wynne herself simply did not talk very much, and so she felt like she was subconsciously pushed to speak a little bit more than usual so as to not let the conversation run dry. However, another part of her felt as though it was something else altogether. At first, she thought that it was because the taller woman was her student of the day, so she just wanted to appear more friendly to push her to learn.

After this realization hit her, she took another bite of meat and noodles from her bowl, then used the tissue that came with her meal to wipe off the bits of sauce that remained around her mouth. Once done, she simply stared at the kitchen for a moment almost as if she was taking in the sights, smells, and every other feeling that came with it. Unsurprisingly, many of these feelings were evidently a bit nostalgic. They always got her every time she came here. She would always remember the time she's had with Celes when she first came here. Even now, after a literal decade has passed, she could still remember it as clear as day. So many years have passed since then, and despite this, here she was now eating the same bowl she had ordered so many years ago. It may not quite be the same establishment, given that it was rebuilt after the attack against Rukongai, but she nevertheless held just as much compassion for it as before. It was all thanks to her, the Captain of the Tenth.

She wasn't sure where she was going to go with Wynne. For all she knows, once they're done here, the taller girl is going to go back to her assigned division and never come back to visit her. Even so, though that thought remained in her mind, Kimiko felt as though she wanted to properly solidify whether or not this person was going to become the one true thing that she felt she needed at this point in time. "I know that's gonna sound maybe... a little bit too late for me to tell you, since we kinda already trained a little... but I've never really trained anyone before. In fact, this is the first time I've actually trained anyone properly, so that was why I was a bit weird. Still... I feel like this is what I should do," she admitted as awkwardly as usual with perhaps a tinge of nervousness before she looked back towards Wynne with more conviction. "For now, you have great power. With a body like that, you probably can already destroy a bunch of buildings by just poking them... but your sword skills won't cut it. Not now, anyway. As it stands, I don't really think you could stand a chance in a real fight." Her gaze briefly lowered itself towards the larger woman's blade before it raised back up to her face. "What I'm trying to say is that... though we're not in the same squad, I want to train you as my disciple. I know that Celes just sent you to me so that I could give you pointers... but I want to show you my swordsmanship and allow you to turn it into something that's better built for you. Is that something you think would be interesting to you?"

[Wynne Kuchiki]

Wynne continued to eat her noodles quietly as Kimiko slurped hers down noisily next to her. Judging from the way her companion was devouring the noodles, it seemed she enjoyed the taste quite immensely. “My body is made of sterner stuff. At least compared to most people.” Technically she was speaking of combat related things, but Wynne was sure she could apply it to food, although she never tried it. Most of the time she stuck to the tamer tasting things, but only because she didn’t feel the need to try the other more exotic things. Perhaps with Kimiko by her side it was time to change that?

“Knocking out someone in two bites does seem rather impressive, unless Dai just wasn’t up to par?” Resuming her eating, Wynne continued to devour her food. The chopsticks were easy to wield, something that had been ingrained in her from her parents thanks to her being a Kuchiki. As a noble, there were just some things she was expected to know, and this was one of them. Now not snapping them with her immense strength had been a massive pain Wynne had to go through a ways back, but she had learned how to manage it through some dedicated training, so thankfully she wouldn’t be embarrassing herself here. No splinters in her hand for her!

Turning towards Kimiko as she began to speak once more, Wynne listened with a blank face as the woman began to roast her sword skills. Feeling her left eye twitch slightly, the taller woman grimaced slightly and sat awkwardly in her seat and stared at her noodle bowl until Kimiko finished speaking. What was she supposed to say to that? Did she really want training in her sword skills? Yes it needed work, but did she even want it at Kimiko’s level? Not especially. She preferred fighting with her fists instead. Combat was way more comfortable that way. But then wasn’t that what Kimiko meant, by tailoring a sword style meant just for her? Or was she just making excuses, knowing that deep down she was just a dirty traitor at heart. Ready to betray the Seireitei at any moment. Did someone like that deserve the friendship of Kimiko?

Pushing her ramen bowl away from her and ignoring the way it scraped against the countertop, Wynne turned towards her teacher, hiding the immense pain rampaging throughout her heart. “Yes, if you’ll have me, I would love to be your disciple.” Although she had a tiny bit of ramen left in her bowl, her appetite was gone. Now there was just a pit in her stomach, heaving and churning. What would Kimiko say, if she knew what Wynne truly was? What she was hiding? But for now the black haired woman eating next to her would be her shining light in the oily black darkness. And she would hold on to her for as long as she could.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Dai's little misadventure with the Dragon's Breath Ramen bowl seemed to have garnered Wynne's attention, which caused Kimiko to smile a bit upon recalling it a little bit further. She never really went to many places with Dai, namely because she didn't think of him as a person that really deserved being treated well socially. He was thuggish and arrogant, more so than anybody else in her squad, while also being somewhat pampered and prejudiced. In other words, he was the classic definition of a spoiled brat. It unfortunately was not too far, given that he comes from one of the richer family of Seireitei. Considering all of those things, it was rather surprising that she even bothered to invite him to this place alongside the others... but even so, recalling him choking on the insanely-spicy noodles before passing him out was almost a bit of a guilty pleasure. "I'd say it's a bit of both," she would say as she replied to Wynne's assumptions. "Either way, after all that bragging of his... I can't say he didn't deserve it."

With that said, the two would then go on to enjoy their meals a little bit further. This would go on for a little while before, eventually, Kimiko would feel the need to ask the questions she believed required answering. Needless to say, the first impressions she got from her were... mixed. The twitching of the eye, the grimacing... Those were both things that the scarlet-eyed warrior hadn't been expecting to see at first. However, upon thinking about it a little bit further, she wasn't too surprised to see her reacting this way, and if anything, it made her feel a bit bad that she decided to open the conversation by mentioning the Kuchiki woman's lesser sword skills. The larger woman already knew that the Third Seat of the Eleventh wasn't particularly impressed by the current state of her swordsmanship. She probably didn't need to be told about this for what appeared to be the third time today, especially after all they've gone through together back at the Colosseum. Even Kimiko herself would have felt a bit bad if she would have been in her place.

But still, despite the awkwardness of this introduction, the swordswoman held on to the hope that Wynne would accept her request. She knew that this was what she needed to do, or at least one of the things that she was required to achieve in order to rid herself of the darkness that is building up deep inside of her heart. Well, at least that's what she liked to think. Sure, it was perhaps nothing but a short-term solution for her, but if things work out, then she will perhaps be able to achieve something great from it. Maybe, from this experience, she'll definitely get a hold of herself, become a great teacher, and go on to establish something big that could make not only others proud, but also herself. If she can achieve that with Wynne by turning her into a a better warrior, a better swordswoman, someone that she knew she could see go into battle against monsters and other warriors of various kinds without so much as breaking a sweat... then it would be exactly what she needed this entire time.

When she heard Wynne accept her request, it took her a moment for her to register it. It was all done stoically from Wynne's end with no visible emotions whatsoever - which was, at this point, almost to be expected from her - and rather formally. However, Kimiko's end was much more emotional. From the outside, she simply appeared happy and relieved, but on the inside, she was practically beaming. The weight of the situation's awkwardness had been removed from her shoulders to be replaced with a soft of utter joy. The frustrations she's had with Taishokukane and the nightmares that plague her every night were both instantly forgotten to make way for something purer, more hopeful, jubilant. It was rather foolish of her to completely rid herself of her darkness in the moment, yes, as she knew it would eventually come back later perhaps even more strongly, but she didn't care, not when she was in the presence of her first proper disciple.

"That's... T-That's great!" Her previous, somewhat more-energetic self from the Academy days suddenly came out of her for a brief moment. Her smile was more positive, vibrant, and her position on the stool appeared almost straighter. Already, there were many plans forming in her head about spars and various training exercises. Fortunately, though, she realized how overwhelming those ideas may be to Wynne before she mentioned any of them. By the time she did, she would let out a brief sigh before displaying a calmer smile. "Sorry, I just... I needed to let that out. Anyway..." It was clear that she was having a bit of a hard time containing her emotions, hence the awkwardness that prevailed in her words, though eventually, she would regain her confidence once more. "It's settled. From this day forward, I will treat you as my disciple. We will sharpen your blade, and together, we will create a sword style designed for your hands only." 

It took a lot of effort for Kimiko to say those words, but after she said them, she was at her happiest. Wynne wouldn't understand. Well, perhaps she would, but she wouldn't say it out loud. To her, this was truly the best day she has had in a long while, and in so doing, she wanted to celebrate. So, with a brighter smirk, she would turn her head towards where the cook has gone to deal with the food in the back of the shop, then called: "Hikashi! Please bring more bowls! I'll pay for everything!" 

And so, from this day forward, the disciple of the Captain of the Tenth officially became a teacher herself.

[ E N D ]

[Kitai Yoru]

As per request, this will be graded as a JT.

158 paragraphs written, 790 TP awarded.