A silent teacher [JT | Yui]

[Yuki & Yui Tsumugi]

Watching the little hollow cross their arms, Yui couldn't help but smile. She loved the expressiveness that the hollow seemed to give off! It was certainly a nice of pace, all things considered. Especially while she'd only really had the opportunity to practice on her own since she left Soul Society! She couldn't quite explain it, but everything had felt... rather nice. Like this was a sort of 'return to normal' for the girl. And, while her forms still needed a good bit of work, she was willing to put in the practice with the little hollow's suggestions and corrections!

As her stance was shifted about, moved in slight ways thanks to the little hollows abilities, Yui took a deep breath. She did what she could to relax herself, trying to keep her movements as close to her goal as possible. Making sure that each step was in the correct spot, each swing had occurred at precisely the right time and location, and that her guard had been where it needed to be throughout all the motions. She knew quite well that even the smallest of slip-ups could spill the end for someone. It wasn't a fate that she wanted to face.

Though, it seemed that the little hollow had their attention pointed elsewhere at the moment. Looking around until she found them, Yui took note of the fact that they were headed over to the weightlifting equipment! Holding a neutral stance while watching the hollow, she paid close attention to them regardless. Perhaps they wanted to show her something? She couldn't help but smile. "Wow," she started, "th-those look like they can be pretty heavy!"

She began to ponder the thought of the little hollow lifting some of the dumbbells. It came to no surprise to Yui that someone's physical strength often didn't add up with the appearance of their physique! She'd met people in Shin'ō that had looked rather thin and frail, yet hit with the force of a truck if they wanted to! Perhaps the little hollow was somewhat similar to that? As they got into position, and immediately lifted up the dumbbell, Yui threw a fist into the air! "That's so cool! You got this-"

Her words were cut off by the drop of the weight.

Immediately dropping her Zanpakutō and rushing over to the hollow, a level of panic began to set in for the ex-Shinigami. She tried to do what she could in order to help lift the weight off of them, but she was afraid of not being of much help! The girl wasn't exactly the most physically able; quite the opposite. She was actually a bit more on the frail side, when push came to shove. "I-I... Um..." she began to stutter, doing what she could to pry the weight off of them from multiple different angles, but to little avail. Panic turned to dread.

Though, she did have an idea amidst all the worry! Rushing over to some of the other weights, Yui did what she could to grab a number of the smaller ones that would fit on the end of a barbell, bringing them over to the hollow as quickly as she could. Trying to pry up one of the corners of the dumbbell, she did what she could to slide these weights underneath, giving the little hollow hopefully enough room to escape after a little bit!

And, eventually, it seemed that they were free. Letting out a sigh of relief that everything had gone as well as it could, Yui couldn't help but smile in-between breaths. Placing her hands on her knees in order to recuperate from what had just happen, she looked toward the hollow as they wrote once more on the receipt paper. She giggled. "Y-you're perfectly okay!" She exclaimed, "I'm just glad you're safe!" In truth, she'd meant that. Last thing she wanted was for something like that to happen to a friend of hers.

Though, before she could find herself lost in thought yet again, it seemed that a new question had been proposed to her. Her eyes widened. "W-well..." she started, "you seem to know a whole lot about swordsmanship, and a lot of what you've shown me seems to be pretty familiar as it is! I want to ask; d-do you by chance know how I could awaken my Zanpakutō? If not that's perfectly okay! I just... I'm not sure how to go about doing that!" She chuckled nervously.

[Deleted]

Truth be told, Caballero was being just a little bit melodramatic with weight pressing down on their neck. For someone else, it probably would've been a pretty nasty experience, considering the bar would be pressing against their trachea, impeding proper breathing. However, the tiny bean's body required no oxygen, so it was the same as if they had gotten caught by the arm. It was probably the surprise, and the feeling of being unable to move, that made them panic a little and ask Yui for help. The defected Shinigami panicked as she, too, was unable to lift the dumbbell off of them at first. She did prove capable of quick thinking under pressure, coming up with an idea that allowed Caballero to slither from under the weight by giving them some extra space. It helped that their body was very malleable. At the very least, when Caballero apologized, she did not seem to mind the Adjuchas's antics, and even said that she was just glad they were safe.

They would then move onto another topic, as Yui did have something that she wanted to work on. It actually was a very reasonable request, although it was one that Caballero was not sure they would be able to accomodate. Of all the things they could teach her--which probably weren't much beyond swordplay--, the Shinigami was asking them if they had any clues or information on how she could awaken her Zanpakuto. She was well aware of the fact that the nature of the request would make it very difficult, which ended with her nervous chuckle.

However, Caballero would be damned if lack of proven knowledge was going to stop them from doing something to help a friend. For starters, they tilted their head to the side and rubbed the underside of their helmet-like mask with one stubby little arm, as if they were mulling it over. For one thing, Caballero's fanboyism regarding the Soul Society meant that they had some knowledge about a Shinigami's release. They had even seen a Captain's, after all. For one thing, they knew there was a release command, although they way that they went to express it was probably not the best, yet again. In their mind, however, it was nothing short of genius.

For Shikai, say cool words, and sword name!

The only question was, how exactly did Yui find out what While they wrote that, something else came to mind. The last time Caballero had faced off against Akira, the goth Shinigami had mentioned that, after being able to summon Filo--a sword literally made out of their own Reiatsu--, Caballero had achieved heights similar to that first level of release. How would they be able to pass that on to Yui? Of course, they were unaware about the existence of Zanpakuto spirits, and that the Shinigami had to commune with them to reach the highest realm of their abilities, specially for Bankai. There was no guarantee

Caballero then thought that the times they had evolved most quickly had been when they had been put under duress. Thus, they decided that they might as well try that. They reached for Yui's leg, grabbing onto the cloth so that they could lead her toward the sparring area. If she did follow them, Caballero would put some distance between the two of them, and create a weaker version of their usual Filo blade.

To wake sword up, we fight. Practice. I not hurt you!

It didn't seem like it, but the little guy's strategy was actually solid. By summoning a lower class Filo, it would be easy for Yui to beat it, provided she was able to Release her Zanpakuto. However, being powered by Caballero's mighty Reiatsu Strength, it would still be able to win against Yui's other techniques just by virtue of power alone. Of course, the tiny knight trusted their own dominion and mastery over their blade, coupled with the fact that they could dismiss it at will. They would do their best not to hurt Yui, but if she wanted to awaken her Shikai, this was probably the best method. Power drew power, at least in Hueco Mundo. The stronger you were, the stronger opponents you fought, and the stronger you had to become to beat the odds!

Caballero would bow toward the Shinigami, opening with their usual challenge stance: they pointed the blade toward Yui, then swung it to the side. Of course, she would be given the first move, as it was not Caballero's goal to beat her, but rather allow her power to flourish. They just happened to be a pretty good punching bag to do so, considering how difficult it was to truly break them.


OOC:
Reiatsu: 3850 -50[Class 7 Filo] = 3800

[Yuki & Yui Tsumugi]

As the tense situation began to calm itself down, with the little hollow sliding their way from underneath the dumbbell, and as Yui followed up with her request, she felt an almost gnawing presence looming over her. She couldn't quite put her finger on it, but it had felt as though something - or someone - had been watching her. Taking a quick second to look around, she turned her head, and shrugged her shoulders. Whatever it was, hopefully it'd go away sometime soon.

Refocusing on the situation at hand, Yui put her focus toward the little hollow, as they finished writing another note for her. She found herself chuckling once more. "Hopefully it's that simple~" She spoke, "it feels like the basis for most Soul Reapers to eventually develop a Shikai of some kind! Last thing I'd like is to be left out from that, aha~" In truth, that was the last thing that she'd wanted. Especially after having fled from Seireitei all those years back.

Drawing her sword, and taking the time to focus on her weapon, Yui closed her eyes. Surely the name of her Zanpakutō couldn't be that difficult to figure out, right? Taking the time to concentrate on her weapon, Yui found herself huffing in defeat a few moments later. Just how was she supposed to do this? It proved to be quite a challenge; thankfully though, she had someone here that was willing to help her. For that, she'd been exceedingly grateful. She couldn't help but smile at that fact.

As the note had been given for a little fight to take place, Yui was immediately taken aback."F-fight!?" She exclaimed, "I'm... Not sure that I'll be able to do much against you, aha~ I'm willing to try, though!!" Holding her sword in front of her, Yui took a deep breath. She didn't have much of a plan of action here, but hopefully it was going to go somewhat well! She hoped, at least.

Running up toward the little Hollow, Yui took the opportunity to strike with a downward slash toward the hollow at the highest speed she was capable of. Naturally it wasn't going to be nearly enough to do much to the little hollow, but a stressful situation was hopefully going to be what helped the girl! Swinging her sword down as hard as she could, she did what she could to pay attention to the hollow's movements, prepared to throw her guard back up if need be! This was her first real fight with someone much stronger than her, so she found herself a little nervous, but hopefully it was going to go well!

[Deleted]

Through the speakers, the song that was playing ended, changing to a different, but still motivating theme. Caballero had gotten used to that noise by now, and since they appreciated music, they little trouble letting it play while they focused on the task at hand. Even when the gentle, if slightly self-deprecating Shinigami said that she would be able to do little against them, Caballero shook their head and gave her a thumbs up. She had asked for their help, and they would do the best to deliver.

Truth be told, even if Yui had been sure about Caballero's training method, the tiny bean would have harbored doubts all the same. The nature of the Zanpakuto releases was far too veiled for them, due to the fact that each user experienced their own in a different way. It didn't matter if they were a Hollow; had they been a Shinigami, there was no guarantee that what Caballero told Yui would have worked for her in the same way. As such, all that they could do was appeal to the spirit's reaction against a powerful Hollow, and let it awaken from there in an attempt to protect its wielder.

To that end, the little knight waited patiently for Yui's first attack. While she brought down her sealed Zanpakuto, Caballero effortlessly lifted Filo at 125 Speed, faster than Yui without being impossible for her to react. Their aim was to parry her strike and open her defense just a little bit. When her blade met Filo, sparks flew for a single moment, lighting up the sparring area. After parrying her blow, Caballero continued moving at that speed, which was very comfortable for them. They unleashed a simple series of strikes carefully aimed that Yui would have to block.

Should she fail to do so--or if her reaction was not fast enough--, Caballero would be able to keep any harm from befalling her by staying their blade just before it made contact: their speed and instinct would serve them well in this endeavor. It was a given that they would not spaz out, or attack violently: by this point, Caballero's swordplay was refined enough to know that technique trumped explosiveness for the sake of it. True, bursts of speed were important at the appropriate moment, but one must not forsake how the attacks should actually be delivered in favor of pure strength or quickness. It was not necessary to violently beat down an opponent to make them feel powerless. The same effect, or perhaps even a stronger one, could be achieved by handling the opponent calmly.

Plus, in this situation, it was not like they were attempting to overpower Yui. No, far from it; they wanted her to defend herself, to have the chance to attack, but to feel slightly overwhelmed by a more powerful opponent. Power often did not come as a reponse to a desire; it came because of one's hard work clashing with the need for further strength. At least, that was what they had discovered over their short-lived time as a Hollow. If they could manage to push Yui in a controlled environment, then her Zanpakuto might begin to communicate with her to give her the edge, just because she would be facing a more powerful opponent that a sealed weapon would not work against.

Regardless of the success of the combination, Caballero would put some distance between them, drop their stance to one hand instead of two, and begin walking a slow circle around Yui, as if allowing her to gauge the situation and maybe talk to her blade. It was clear that, despite their sparring, they were being very mindful about her current state--again, it was not their goal to win. Winning here meant that they would see Yui's Shikai. For a fanboy like Caballero, seeing it would be an amazing reward all on its own. But if they wanted to reach that point, then they would need to work hard to help Yui!

Caballero gave her another quick thumbs up to signal that everything was alright before they began concentrating their Reiatsu. There was no other purpose behind this maneuver than to let Yui feel their power, to shake her a little bit in hopes of causing a chain reaction in her spirit. Their Hollow Reiatsu spread inside the basement, permeating the walls and making the atmosphere a bit heavier--hopefully Ailene would not mind them behaving this way. The aura would still be felt as overwhelmingly positive, just and righteous, but justice needn't be soft.

The tiny bean could only hope they would not scare their newest friend, since Yui seemed like a wonderful person and they did not want anything bad to happen to her.

OOC:
Caballero is using a cinematic form of gravitational pressure to stir Yui's Zanpakuto into helping her.

[Yuki & Yui Tsumugi]

As her first strike was made against the little Hollow, Yui watched as her sword bounced off their own, a practically effortless display causing her to reel back for just a moment to recuperate herself. At least, that was the goal; instead, it seemed the little hollow had other plans. Immediately rushing to protect herself from the Hollow's strikes, Yui moved her blade in a way reminiscent of the forms she'd practiced not too long ago, narrowly guarding herself against the first strike. Though, her timing had notably fallen short from then on.

As the next strike had come toward her, stopping just before making contact, Yui found herself letting out a shout in surprise, before falling backward. Quickly scrambling to get back onto her feet, Yui once again took up a stance, and would've been prepared to block the next incoming strikes if it weren't for the little Hollow's backing up to create some room between the two of them. With a huff, Yui took a moment to look down to her sword, before looking up toward the Hollow once more. They seemed to be rather fast, all things considered, but she wasn't going to let that get the better of her!

She was on a mission, after all. She'd wanted to unlock her abilities, and sure as heck wasn't going to stop here just because of one mistake on her part! As the little hollow began to circle around her, she readjusted her stance as necessary in order to keep them in her sight. Though, within a few short moments, Yui eventually stopped turning about, held in place by something.

"Be at ease, child."

These words caught her off-guard rather quickly, leaving her to look around for a moment. She wasn't sure where that voice had originated from, but she'd heard it so clearly! As though someone had been calling out to her. Though, she wasn't able to put a face to the voice at all; it was unlike anything she'd heard of thus far! Leaving her a little unsettled, Yui took a deep breath, and did what she could to focus on the situation at hand. She didn't have much of a choice, otherwise!

Though, reassuring her stance on the matter, she couldn't help but smile from the little Hollow's thumbs up. From there, though, she began to feel almost heavy. Like there were massive weights on her shoulders, forcing her to shed her own spiritual capabilities in order to just keep herself standing. A quick reading on the matter gave her an idea as to whom the culprit of this was; the little Hollow in front of her. She trusted their process on the matter, but still couldn't help but feel a bit nervous.

"Relax, child. I am sure this is but a part of the process." "ˢᵘʳᵉ ᶦᵗ ᶦˢ~!"

There it was again! Though, had she spoken more toward the end? It was hard to tell, but it sounded rather muffled. Taking a deep breath, Yui held her blade as tight as she could. She'd have to trust the process here if she wanted this to go well. I mean, if nothing else? This was one step toward a path of improvement for the girl!

Forcing herself to take a number of steps forward toward the Hollow, very evidently weighed down, a nervous smile rose on the girl's face. She did what she could to push herself! She wanted to live up to the Little Hollow's expectations! She wanted to make them as proud as can be, and wouldn't have it any other way! When she had the opportunity, she'd go in for an low rising slash toward the Hollow, likely only around 75 Speed or so. Given the weight of their spiritual presence bearing down on her, she wasn't able to fully utilize her capabilities.

[Deleted]

Caballero's measures to prevent Yui from getting hurt proved to be a good consideration to have, as she was not able to properly react to his following strikes, and ended up flat on her rear, quickly trying to get back up. The little knight would not press the attack at that point, instead letting her fall back in position once again. She took a moment to settle and take a deep breath, but she did brandish her blade again in a display of determination that made the Adjuchas nod approvingly.

Good. If one wanted to succeed at something, they could not be disheartened after a first, a second, even a third failed attempt. It took repetition and practice to truly become good at any skill, no matter what it was. Even for those born with a rare talent, they needed to make use of it and hone it to the very limit; it would be insulting to those in the same field if, given the capacity, the talented person chose to ignore it rather than make sure it blossomed into something special. Needless to say, swordplay was the same. Caballero firmly believed that if Yui applied herself, she would be able to unlock her Shikai. They were far from adept at sensing energy, but they could tell she was stronger than she probably gave herself credit for. Perhaps the first thing she needed to gain was a bit more confidence in herself.

Right before she moved, however, she seemed to stop herself once again. The startled, surprised look in her eyes as she looked around would've made Caballero frown, had they had any facial muscles to do so. Their instincts told them it was as if she had turned in search for the source of a sound, but rather than the subdued music that was still playing in the background, Caballero had heard absolutely nothing. Given how much they hated loud noises and how used they were to silence, they should've been able to pick up on it. Still, there was nothing. Strange. Caballero did not know much about Zanpakuto spirits, so it was a bit confusing for them.

Regardless, they needed to focus on giving her proper instruction. Once they began flexing their gravitational pressure on the gentle Shinigami, she was forced to flare her own spirit to remain able to fight. Good, that was what they wanted. Push her just enough that it would encourage growth, instead of stagnation. Yui held her blade tightly, and went on the offensive, aiming for a lower strike to be able to hit Caballero. Perhaps due to the strain of fighting against their gravitational pressure, she was slower than usual, but Caballero did not adjust their speed. There was no need to when they were just defending. Using Filo, they moved it to parry the strike with an attack of their own, feeling the surge of their Reiatsu Strength through the blade.

This time, the feeling was a bit different.

Caballero's Filo was not a normal weapon. Much like a Zanpakuto, it was intricately connected to their spirit, as it was made from the spiritual energy that formed their body in the first place. As such, through their blade, Caballero was able to pick up on the subtle fact that something was slowly, but surely, stirring awake. Perhaps her Zanpakuto requiered some more stimulation to truly grow, to allow her to use Shikai? Thus, instead of trying to aim their faux strikes at Yui while stopping their blade, Caballero focused their attention on her sword instead.

The next strikes Caballero delivered were meant to make Filo clash against it, in hopes that their own spirit colliding against the one in Yui's Zanpakuto would cause it to respond to the 'threat'. Of course, this was just a pretty wild theory they had just pulled out of a hat; there was no precedent for it, no indication that it could be useful. But still, they felt it was worth a shot. They would not try to batter or break the sword, instead, they unleashed slower strikes that Yui should be able to block, this time limiting their speed to be just above hers so dodging was a less appealing option.

[Yuki & Yui Tsumugi]

As she'd gone on the offensive, still being pressed down from the same gravitational force that the Little Hollow enacted upon the area, Yui did what she could to force herself forward, trying with all her might to continue to fight! She wasn't the type to just lay down her arms and give up - all right, maybe she was, but that wasn't what she felt comfortable doing here! Especially while striving for something that was so, so close! She couldn't give up.

Even as the Little Hollow had deflected her blow with relative ease, aiming to go in for a strike of their own shortly thereafter, Yui did what she could in order to deflect the first strike. Thankfully, she'd been quick enough to do so! With a noteworthy "twang" from the clash of blades, the girl took a step back to deflect the next one. A bit close, almost missing her opportunity, but she'd managed to block the strike. The sound grew a bit louder, as weapons struck each other once more. Yui took another two steps back, reeling from the strike.

The third, on the other hand, caught her off-guard by quite an amount. Throwing her blade up in a defensive maneuver as best she could, Yui flinched, and swiftly shut her eyes. As she did, the sight of darkness in her eyes was quickly replaced with an overwhelming light, quickly threatening to blind the girl, despite the fact that her eyes had been closed.

---

Slowly blinking as she opened her eyes, Yui took a moment to look around. It seemed that she was in some kind of... building. One that was not at all like the place she'd been with the Little Hollow in. "H-hello?" She called out, a concerned feeling quickly encompassing her. Something about this place didn't set the best with her; like someone had been watching over her shoulder.

Quickly throwing her head behind her, Yui found that the place had been seemingly empty. Nobody had been there. Instead, just the empty shrine stared back at her for a moment. Though, behind the wall that she'd been facing, a rather loud crash had sounded, prompting the girl to stand and take a few steps back. "W-Who's there!?" She exclaimed, shakily holding her sword in front of her.

The sound of slow, methodic footsteps followed, with two individuals walking from behind the wall, and now standing in front of Yui. Both wore rather simplistic clothing, though one looked a bit more... eccentric than the other. "We finally meet," the woman spoke, "it's good to see you for the first time." As she finished, the other took the opportunity to speak.

"Always such a drab, waiting for you to show up; welcome home, Yui~" As the blond-haired one spoke, Yui felt that same sense of dread kick in. While the woman in the yukata radiated an almost cozy feeling, this other man left her with not only a sense of unease, but an extreme sense of dread. The panic on her face began to set in.

"There is no need to-" As the woman began to speak, the blond one raised his hand in front of her face. An almost eerie smile spread across his lips. "There's no need to speak," he spoke, "not while I can share our side. Isn't that right, girl~?" He looked back toward Yui, as though waiting for confirmation from her. Yui gulped, and nodded her head simply out of fear.

Clapping his hands together, the man smiled. "Very good, indeed! Why don't I share this girl's name?" He pointed to the woman in the yukata, whom had been looking down to the floor, distraught. Something here felt very, very wrong, and Yui couldn't quite put a finger on it. She was very much not fond of this whole situation. As the yellow-haired man slowly strolled over to Yui, she began to tremble. He held a hand in front of her ear, before whispering into it; "Kori no Itto~" Taking a number of steps back, and placing a hand on his chest, fingers outstretched, he spoke once more.

"My name, is Yuki~! Now, run along, dear Yui; we will meet again."

---

Collapsing to the ground back in the real world, Yui gasped as she took a look around her. It seemed that not so much as even a second had passed; she was on the ground, recovering from the last hit that had been made against her. Just what on earth was that? Who was that? There was no way in Hell that Yuki individual was a Zanpakutō Spirit. He didn't have that kind of "feel" to him. She'd have to worry about that later, though. For now, she needed to do what needed to be done.

Forcing herself to stand up, Yui took a deep breath, and cleared the sweat that began to bead on her forehead. Holding her sword out in front of her in a single hand, not unlike how one would wield a rapier, Yui gulped, before calling out. "W-weave, Kori no Itto!!" As her words echoed through the chamber, a flash of light followed thereafter, as her sword had finally, finally changed its shape. As the massive sewing needle took hold in her hand, Yui found herself smiling, wielding the weapon not unlike the Little Hollow. She'd finally done it.

[Deleted]

Although Yui was able to block the first couple of attacks right after Caballero had parried her own strike, she seemed to have just a little bit of trouble. At first, Caballero thought nothing of it and continued, believing that she may have just need to get used to working under pressure. However, the haphazard way in which she protected herself from the last Filo attack, a last minute defense with barely proper technique behind it, made it so that she actually collapsed to the floor. This immediately made Caballero jump in alarm, but they didn't even have time to whip out Tendón to help her break her fall. If anything, she didn't even fall unconscious, at least not for their eyes. No, it'd be more accurate to say her strength had failed her for a moment, and Caballero did not understand why.

Did they really suck this much at teaching others? Maybe. So far, their attempt to help her awaken her Shikai had proven just a crude alternative to proper instruction that had almost resulted in her getting injured. Between that and the dumbbell failure, they really hadn't much to show as a mentor. Non-existent accolades, and experience that only served themselves, it seemed. However, at that moment, the defected Shinigami stood back up not without a bit of difficulty, and brandished her sword again, clearly determined to keep going. The little Adjuchas was already on the process of taking out their notepad again to tell her that it was alright and they could take a breather--mostly so they could think on a proper training regime that would not harm their newest friend--, but they didn't have time for that.

At that moment, she held her sword out, and spoke out loud. "W-weave, Kori no Itto!!"

Caballero witnessed in marvel as Yui's Zanpakuto transformed after she called out the phrase. They barely even spared a thought to the fact that maybe they actually were the greatest teacher ever. Instead, the tiny knight simply lowered their guard as the sword transformed into a... sort of needle? Caballero was not familiar with such instruments, so they tilted their head to the side in slight confusion. At the very least, the weapon could be used to pierce, like a rapier of sorts, right? Hmm... truly odd, truly odd. A Shikai's nature and abilities depended entirely on the wielder; there were no two equal ones in existence. Perhaps some of them may be similar, but they would never be equal. This meant that this sewing needle was a representation of Yui's soul, a weapon that worked best for her. Needless to say, Caballero was extremely curious to see what abilities the newly transformed Zanpakuto would have!

But alas, Yui had accomplished her objective. They no longer had a reason to continue exerting their Reiatsu on her, so their gravitational pressure vanished instantly, replaced by the usual kind aura that Caballero projected toward anything that was not a Hollow. They curiously approached her, as if to take a better look at the sword from different angles, trying to get a feel as for what its ability would be. Of course, that was a moot point, since the icy nature of the Zanpakuto was not directly conveyed through its needle-like appearance.

But never mind that! They needed to make sure that the Shikai was the real thing, and they had just the means to test that. It should not take them that long, actually. Thus, instead of telling her to stop for now, Caballero wrote one more line on their notepad and showed it to Yui by hanging it in front of her face through Class 8 Tendón. The paper would have, in pretty awful caligraphy, the words "Try striking now!" inked in black. As if to further convey their point, the tiny Adjuchas brandished Filo again with one hand, and pointed at the edge with the other. If their two swords clashed now, and Yui's Shikai was truly awakened, then Caballero had a feeling that their depowered Filo would not be able to take it, and would straight up shatter once they clashed.

Given their physiology, they were not afraid of getting hurt by the Zanpakuto, although that might have been a mistake on their part. Her sword may no longer be just a needle, but something far more powerful, after all. Regardless, Caballero was as brave as they were dumb, and in their goodwill, they allowed their own sword to be the punching bag for Yui to test her new power, if she chose to do so. Otherwise, they would wait patiently for her to tell them what else she wanted to work on for the time being. It all depended on her!

[Yuki & Yui Tsumugi]

Taking a number of breaths, Yui couldn't help but find herself smiling quite a bit. Even through all the stress all the strife, she'd finally managed to awaken her Zanpakutō! And, whatever it was that similarly resided within her spirit. She couldn't put a finger on it, nor did she want to. Unfortunately though, it seemed that he hadn't had enough of her quite yet.

As the little hollow held up their paper, the voice of that individual continued to ring out in her ears. "Do strike them, Yui," he spoke, "test your newfound Shikai's strength; show what you can do~!" As his words finished, she found herself flooded with a sense of knowledge; as though it were information she should've had the whole time.

Closing the distance between herself and the little hollow, Yui did the same thing that she'd been doing for a good bit of the time they'd spent at this; she went in for a horizontal strike against the hollow, that was aimed around their midriff. While she wasn't wielding a cutting weapon anymore, this seemed to be the best course of action against the little hollow. No sense in changing how she fought at this point, yeah?

As she did, assuming that the little hollow sought to block her strike, Yui'd recoil rather quickly at the fact that their blade would be broken quickly thereafter! Doing her best to stop short from the Hollow's body, but being unable to fully do so. While her weapon would've normally smacked into someone's side, due to not holding a sharpened edge, this hollow had been different; the blade actually went through their side, as though she were cutting - assuming the hollow hadn't simply moved, of course.

Pulling back immediately, Yui panicked. Though, she realized that this little hollow had been... different. Not like other hollows in that regard. Watching on toward the hollow, Yui found herself incredibly curious. "Woah," she started, "you're... quite interesting!" She couldn't help but smile. If nothing else, the girl was glad to have not hurt a friend of hers. She wouldn't've felt all that great if something like that had happened, that was for certain. She was glad that wasn't the case!

Taking up a stance a few paces back from the hollow, Yui heard the same voice speak in her head as before. "Try tapping the ground," Yuki spoke, "careful not to touch it, though; you might get frostbite~" If nothing else, this Yuki person didn't seem all that bad! While her Zanpakutō Spirit's voice was nowhere to be heard, it seemed that this Yuki fellow knew a bit about her powers. At least he was being helpful!

Following his advice, Yui pressed the point of her needle against the ground, prompting the rather fast creation of a glowing blue thread. The thread itself had been created from the head of the needle, before quickly flying back to the eye, where it seemed to almost "rest". Wide-eyed and smiling, Yui found herself waving about the Zanpakutō, watching as the thread expanded and contracted in the process. Faint distortions and an almost "frozen" look to the thread helped make sure it was visible.

"T-this is so cool~!" She exclaimed, finding herself rather excited about her powers. Making her way over to a nearby wall, Yui once again tapped the wall, "suturing" the thread into it. As it embedded into the wall and rested there, Yui took a few steps back. Seemed it rested there on its own. Interesting! Though, she wanted to direct her attention back toward the little hollow. "T-Thank you for all your help!" She exclaimed with a bow of her head.

Now that her Zanpakutō situation was sorted out, she wanted to act on another one of her goals for the afternoon. "Oh! I almost forgot; while we were going back and forth, I thought of a name for you! Can't keep calling you 'little hollow', given that could change soon~! So, given that mask of yours kind of looks like a beetle, how about Kabuto~? Kabu for short, of course!" Hoping they were fond of the nickname, she couldn't help but smile, awaiting a written response from who was now her second real friend since she'd left Soul Society.

[Deleted]

Caballero was far from surprised when Yui's blade shattered Filo, meaning it truly was her Shikai and not some sort of fake release, so their first thought was of immediate happiness for their star 'pupil'. What they were not expecting was that their spiritual sword wouldn't even halt the blade's advance. Coupled with their brittle physiology and small size, it actually resulted in the needle cutting through the black Reiatsu that made their body... all the way through! Her release proved very powerful, as it managed to cleave and separate their upper and lower half, making them drop like a doll. Thanks to their pain tolerance and their lack of an actual body, this was only a momentary inconvenience, of course, but they quickly understood that Yui might panic on that sight! As such, they quickly scribbled a note to reassure her that nothing happened.

"I'm fine! No worry, no worry!"

That was on them, they really should have been a bit more careful. Now, it was time to correct that mistake. Focusing their power and concentrating their Reiatsu to the utmost extreme, Caballero didn't take too long to reforge the lower half of their body. This would most likely be Yui's first introduction to their extremely bizarre physiology: lacking flesh, blood and internal organs, these types of wounds were far less damaging to Caballero than they were to other Hollows. Through Focalizar, they quickly regrew their lower half and jumped back on their feet. It hurt, of course, but it was not anything they could not tolerate.

They would then take as much time as needed to reassure Yui that they were okay, and that they were not angry in the slightest. She was a bit anxious, so they felt it would be best to make sure she understood they did not hate her, far from it. Once that was done, and when Yui mentioned they were quite interesting, they would put both stubby hands on their non-existent hips and stood proud, because standing both tall and proud at their height of 3 feet was pretty much impossible. While it may not look like it, Caballero was pretty appreciative of compliments, and any form of positive feedback, really.

Caballero had always been partial regarding their opinion on names. On one hand, they had never needed one. They couldn't speak, and people referred to them one way or another just fine, with terms such as "little warrior". On the other hand, after living for this long in the human world, the tiny knight had learned that names were actually given to you by people that cared about you. Human babies were named by their parents, pets were named by their owners. In a way, it was an expression of affection, was it not? At least, it was how they saw it.

That meant they were extremly happy to receive a name from Yui. This, as usual, translated in them jumping excitedly up and down, then bobbing their head up and down in a happy, if slightly hyperactive nod. Whenever they felt happy, Caballero felt the need to vent it out, and that usually translated into some rather childish behavior. As for the name itself, they were happy with how it sounded, since it was not something misleading like "Deathbringer, Destroyer of Worlds" that may make them seem a threat. As such, they gladly accepted the name "Kabuto" and the shortened form "Kabu". Caballero was not sure what a beetle was, but they pictured a being with a similar horned mask for some reason. But no, that couldn't be. Hollow masks and Hollows in general were unique, right? It was strange, trying to picture this "beetle" creature she was speaking of. Would it have arms and legs? Would it be a swordsman?

At that moment, they also realized that they needed to know how it was written. After all, what if someone asked them how to spell it? With a piece of paper and their gifted pen, Caballero quickly scribbled a note and passed it to Yui, prompting her to put it in writing so they would be able to properly remember their new name. Kimiko had dubbed them "Kishi" back when they still young and naïve (not that that had changed much), when they did not know how to read or write. Perhaps they should ask her to put it in writing later, too?

By this point, it may be just about time for Yui to begin her shift, and it might be best that the Regina's other employee didn't wonder what was taking her so long. If needed, they would follow her back to the surface, or better said, to the teashop. This little detour had been very fun and had earned Caballero a new friend, but it also meant that they needed to get back to their patrol soon. Who knew what other Hollows might be lurking in the streets, ready to pounce! They would not allow that, no sir.

As such, they would wait to see what Yui did. If she really needed to start working again, they'd say goodbye with a hug and tell her that they would be back for a visit soon. Maybe that time, they would also see Ailene... and Mélusine. Oh, no, not Mélusine. She was always angry, and scary, and yelled at them a lot. Maybe just come visit Yui and Ailene, then. No dragons if they could help it.


OOC: In case it's an end to the thread, Caballero has consumed a total of 4 Tier 2 Hollows (4x100 = 400 TP)

[Yuki & Yui Tsumugi]

Quelling her panic rather quickly as she'd slashed through her friend, Yui took a deep breath the moment she read the note. To say she was relieved that Kabu was okay was a tremendous understatement. Everything seemed to be going rather all right; a sentiment that further extended itself as Kabu stood up, placing their hands on their hips after her words. She couldn't help but giggle; she was so very glad that they were okay!

As she eventually gave them a nickname from what they had, she couldn't help but smile at the prospect. Seemed that they were quite enthused! At least, that was the general impression she got from them. If nothing else, she was really glad to have been able to partake in not only such a rigorous - yet incredibly rewarding - training exercise with Kabu, but also due to having the opportunity to make a new friend, and vice versa! It was such a wonderful feeling. Especially given her and Ailene had gotten close as well!

Though, she was taken from her thoughts rather quickly, prompted by the sheet and pen being given to her, alongside the note asking her to write down their nickname onto a sheet of paper. "O-Oh!" She exclaimed, "let me get on that, then~!" Humming softly to herself, Yui wrote down four different lines in both Kanji and English; カブト - Kabuto; カブ - Kabu. Clapping her hands together gently, Yui felt quite glad of the situation at hand!

Though, she was quickly reminded of the time, in the form of a glance back toward a clock down in the cellar they'd been in. "Oh, no!" She cried, "I don't want to upset Amber; I should probably get to work~!" The girl began to snap her fingers, before heading back over toward Kabu. Bowing her head low in front of the hollow, she spoke once more. "I'm r-really grateful for everything you've done to help me~!! I'm looking forward to seeing more of you around here~!"

She gave the hollow a real, genuine smile. She could say with utmost certainty that she was glad to have met them. Though, that didn't change the fact that she had to rush upstairs to get back to work! So, she'd proceed to do exactly that, presumably with Kabuto in tow shortly thereafter. All-in-all, this little adventure had been quite enjoyable! If nothing else, there was quite an amount of enjoyment to be had about a future interaction with the little hollow! Perhaps one sooner than either of them thought~?

[Jeff Franklin]

I count a total of 193 paragraphs! Thus awarding both participants 960 TP, Caballero has also earned 400 consumption TP!