Audacious Godan

[Nakajima Kimiko]

So far, Kimiko liked to believe that the little visit she had brought Celes onto was going rather well. There was the unfortunate matter that was her meeting with Kin, yes, and the teacher truly couldn't say that it was a very enjoyable experience for either of the two parties involved. With that said, otherwise, things were going in a way that she believed to be smooth enough. In the span of perhaps an hour or so, they were together able to gaze upon the immense courtyard of Nijūkan North and understand the sheer numbers brought about by the community that was brought about within this school, and they were able to visit the northern temple of the institution, perhaps one of the greatest foundations of the entire culture born from the aforementioned community. They were even able to participate in a brief praying session with one of the students here. And now, after all of that, they had headed off to the cafeteria of the western living quarters in order to eat lunch.

There were times throughout this process during which the Captain of the Tenth Division retained a rather-morose attitude. That much, Kimiko and a number of her students understood somewhat quickly. It was perhaps one of the reasons behind why Asuka had even tried to ask them to come pray for her in the first place, all things considered. Nevertheless, the swordswoman was glad to see that the Celes she knew was still behind that gloomy mask she had been keeping up since she arrived here. She could see her pride in her, her awe of the work that has been achieved in the maintenance of the dojo, and the excitement that she appeared to have over eating food, even if she trying her damnedest to appear bothered by her body's cravings. In a way, it made her happy. Maybe the destruction of her division's barracks, as painful as it was, hadn't completely eliminated what her friend once was. She could still recover from the pain, regain the light she once had.

In Kimiko's eyes, there was no better proof of this than the way her teacher behaved in the cafeteria. Once she had finished explaining to her what Hikashi's Dragon's Breath Bowl was supposed to be, the woman appeared to be surprised, which was something that wasn't entirely astonishing to Kimiko; after all, upon looking back to the rest of her career, she too sometimes found it impressive that the cook has decided to expand his operations so far away from his base of operations in the first districts of Rukongai. She also appeared hesitant again, once more unsure if she truly wanted to eat something... up until her stomach growled again. By that point, the constant demands of her body would be enough to make Kimiko smirk. "Heh! Come on, Celes, there's plenty of time for us to eat at least one bowl each before my class starts this evening," she told her friend then with an encouraging tone, pushing her friend to eat something, anything. Fortunately, that is exactly what would happen.

In a moment's notice, Celes would order a Dragon's Breath Bowl and so too would Kimiko, and then they would find themselves sitting side-by-side at one of the tables. A light sigh of relief and excitement came from the dojo owner then as she gazed her bowl, already visibly eager to eat the entirety of the bowl's content in spite of the fact that it was fuming. The sight of the warrior already preparing to plunge her chopsticks in the red-hot mixture was already enough to cause the entirety of the cafeteria to watch in awe, much like they always do whenever Kimiko is around... but the fact that somebody else had even dared to go for the mixture also caught a lot of people's attention. Case in point, not long after Celes sat down, there were already a few students who were asking her questions. Their curiosity was enough to cause the scarlet-eyed swordswoman to let out a chuckle. "Handle it? If there's anyone around here who can take on this bowl, it's her!" She exclaimed then with a bright smile, albeit not too loudly so as to not get too much of the cafeteria's attention. "Now, watch and learn!" 

Then, with an expert hand, she spun her chopsticks, dug into the bowl at the same time as Celes, and began to eat. At first slow, it did not take long for both she and her friend to eat the almighty stew. They took out the extravagance of its contents and the terribly-hot spices that came along with it with strength unbecoming as their throats burned and their lungs were quickly filled with steam. With that said, it would not take long for their spectators to notice that there was a difference between how the two women took on the bowl. Kimiko was evidently taking it in on with utmost willpower. She was expressive in the way she ate, determined to see it through with sheer enthusiasm in spite of the pain the bowl brought upon her body. Meanwhile, Celes was much calmer, barely appearing to be affected by the stew's effects. In fact, it was almost as though she felt no pain at all from the process, like she had taken on things that were much, much more taxing on her body in comparison in the past.

By the end of their consumption, Kimiko and Celes both were left with reddened cheeks, sweaty brows and steamed breaths. However, again, there was a clear difference between the two. The first was still as expressive as ever, steam leaving her mouth in droves as she let out a sigh of satisfaction, while the second merely boasted about her achievement in front of the students who doubted her ability. The way she grinned so proudly after she finished her bowl was enough to cause the Captain of the Eleventh to let out another laugh. "Excellent! I knew you could do it!" She said then, obviously amazed that her friend could simply eat the damned thing seemingly without any real effort at all. She also hoped that the people who had watched this process would be able to understand the lesson that this scene brought along with it; after all, there was value in willpower, but there was also as much value in quite simply training the body to become the sturdiest imaginable.

Once this was done, she would set the chopsticks down and look towards the kitchen counter, almost as if she was about to ask for another bowl in spite of how much sheer willpower it took to simply remain standing beside her friend and in front of her students without coughing all over. But then, with a blink, she saw someone - a Shinigami - enter the cafeteria. His large one-armed frame passed by the door with his enormous sword attached to his back with a scabbard, all the while a determined look was painted on his face. For a moment, the man would look around the cafeteria before his eyes spotted Kimiko sitting at one of the tables. The sight of her would be enough to cause him to wince, then huff. "Nakajima! I broke one of your dummies again!" He admitted right then and there, obviously not pleased by what he had just said. Then, after he said that, he would notice that Celes was right by swordswoman's side. Blinking, he would remain still for a moment before he comically squinted his eyes and started walking towards the kitchen counter. "Uh, good afternoon, Celes. I'm... sorry for my rudeness."

Kimiko stood still for a moment, her smile frozen as she considered what had just happened. The broken dummy was something that, in all seriousness, bothered her incredibly, as it meant she would most likely have to buy even sturdier equipment from Senshi once this is all said and done. However, she was shocked by how... cordial the man was. This man... Oh, he had improved himself so much since his incident with Ruhe. In a way, he was perhaps the one thing that she believed she held the greatest amount of pride for as of then. Of course, this feeling was not shared by the rest of her students who very clearly held faces of complete comical disbelief. Knowing that his behavior would most likely bring questions of Celes too, she would let out another chuckle and wave her hand away. "Ah, it's okay, guys! Don't get mad at him. That's just how he expresses himself," he reassured them as she watched the man head towards the counter and also ask for the Dragon's Breath Bowl. Then, she turned her gaze towards Celes and smiled. "This is Bushida Dai, the Fifth Seat of my division. He's currently a Godan here in Nijūkan."

As she presented him, the people at the kitchen had already served the bowl, and by then, the man had gone to sit by himself at one of the tables near the eastern wall. It was clear that he knew he wasn't very well-liked by a lot of people around the school, and it was also clear that he wasn't trying to get their attention. Nevertheless, he effortlessly did so, in part because he had taken the bowl, but also because he had to position his enormous weapon against the wall before sitting down. That thing was very obviously not a normal sword. It was an enormous odachi with an impressive curved blade that was about as tall and as wide as he was, if not more so. The steel, even while idle, almost downright shone with power as it rested within its sheath, all the while a tuff of white fur appeared to have taken the place of the hilt. The mere sight of it was enough for many in the room to immediately know that they could not lift such a monster. 

Even so, the man paid no mind to it. He had gotten used to it, as to be expected from a Shinigami of his stature. No, instead, he focused on his bowl. Quite unfortunately for him, however, it became very quickly obvious that it was more difficult for him to eat the bowl in comparison to Celes and Kimiko. All it took was one gulp of boiling meat for him to visibly wince, then clench his teeth with great might as he recovered. A few nerves had even started to bulge on his forehead as he resisted the burns with all of his might. Then, he would take another gulp and struggle again. And then he'd do it again. And again. And again. And again, still. He was taking it slow but steadily, making sure to take his time in spite of the pain he was visibly enduring. On one hand, it was rather impressive that he was able to seemingly want to continue enduring such pain, but on the other, the sight could be enough to make one wonder why he was even doing such a thing.

 

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes merely sat there, victorious. Having vanquished the Dragon's Bowl, the surrounding groups were surprised by her ability to remain so calm despite the heat. Even Kimiko offered her praise to the Captain of the Tenth Division. "Excellent! I knew you could do it!" Celes responded with a brief smile, steam still rising from her mouth. In hindsight, her pride in this seemed a little silly. She had nothing to prove to anyone, but it restored a small hint of her playful disposition. Placing her bowl down and letting the chopsticks rest idle within in.

As she prepared to rise, aiming to return the bowl to the counter, Celes suddenly looked towards the entrance of the cafeteria. She could hear the lumbering approach of someone. A Shinigami whom she did not immediately recognize. Her eyes remained trained on him for a moment. He had quite a large build and an equally imposing sword to match it. Most notably, however, he seemed to lack an arm. Celes' eyes widened a little at the realization. "Huh... I wonder what the story behind that is?..." She only knew one other Shinigami off the top of her head who lacked an arm and that was the Captain of the Eighth Division, Senshi.

Shortly after arriving, the Shinigami began to approach their table and addressed Kimiko. "Nakajima! I broke one of your dummies again!", he admitted. A small chuckle arose from the lime-haired Shinigami. She remembered times the countless times that had trashed training dummies in the Eleventh Division training grounds. It was during her time as a Third Seat, when she began to hone her body and develop her monstrous physical strength. Did this Shinigami have a similar conundrum? Celes didn't have more time to think about it as he suddenly addressed her as well. "Uh, good afternoon, Celes. I'm... sorry for my rudeness."

The Captain merely blinked in response. Admittedly, she was more surprised at the Shinigami using addressing her with a title. It was just the way Celes preferred it so she was by no means upset. It was a pleasant surprise. She flashed a brief smile and spoke softly, "Oh... no worries. You've done me no wrong.", she briefly chuckled. As he walked off, getting his own Dragon's Breath, Kimiko finally introduced him. "This is Bushida Dai, the Fifth Seat of my division. He's currently a Godan here in Nijūkan." Celes merely looked at her friend.

"Godan...?" It didn't immediately click, but after a few moments, the metaphorical light shone. "Ah. I'm assuming that Godan is a rank here at Nijūkan?", she inquired. Having dedicated her own life to the study of unarmed martial arts, Celes was quite familiar with the belting system used in many traditional styles. Titles, however? Those were new to her. Her eyes drifted toward Dai once more. He did not hide the pain of he felt from the ramen bowl very well. Then, she looked at his ōdachi. She hummed for a moment. "Hmm. I wonder how strong he is..." Perhaps she'd get to see a chance what he could do during classes this evening.

[Ruhe Krieger]

Ruhe wasn't strong. Well. That was a blatant lie, but she certainly didn't feel strong. Not before the monsters before her, and frankly, she didn't want to be. Ruhe longed for a life where she could relax, be a child, with parents that loved her. That in truth was the greatest desire. To have people love and adore her. She'd rather that than to be hated, or feared. At least in here, she had something of the sort of semblance. People didn't think of her as a soldier. They thought of her a child. The saddest thing about it also though...Was that she was. She was a child. A child soldier. Though at least within this little barracks of Nijukan? She was just Kin.

Kin was told that eating spicy food was great for your health and made you strong. Not that she minded. When she used to live in the woods nearby Cochem, spice was always a little something she looked for. Seated before the bowl that radiated heat, she proceeded to eat, tasting its hot and savory flavors, and with it, she took bite, after bite, after bite. It was spicy, and it had an almost sort of uncomfortable heat that sat in the pit of your stomach and made your throat hot. However, Kin wouldn't say it was unpleasant. A small bite of rice sticking to her cheek. Before she overheard a bit of conversation. About classes.

Of course. Ruhe was going to attend. At the very least watch the others train and fight. Spar. She was pretty interested in that, and to be fair? What child wouldn't want in on a bit of the excitement? To see warriors clash their bokken, or practice their martial arts. Though she always felt a bit uneasy when she did. Uncomfortable, and was harrowed by those thoughts. Especially when she looked towards Kimiko and Celes. It made her stomach ache more than the dragon's breath bowl did. Taking a deep exhale, she could feel her cheeks flush from the heat. The meal beginning to take its toll on her.

"Mhm..." 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

As he went to go get his Dragon's Breath Bowl, the large man - who Celes would now be able to refer to as Dai - would appear relieved that he had not accidentally angered her with his temper. The comical stress that had been accumulating within his stomach the moment he saw the lime-haired Shinigami had passed as quickly as it had appeared, and with this newfound confidence, he was able to go get himself one of those fearsome Dragon's Breath Bowls. In theory, this should have been enough for him to properly face the bowl without much difficulty; after all, he was a big man with quite a fair bit of bulk to himself, thus solving the physical problem to some extent, and there was something about his demeanor that made it seem as though he believed that the Captain of the Tenth's chuckle was enough to solve the psychological problem. Unfortunately, in practice, these two things both rapidly proved to him that there was not much that could be done to properly face the meal... and it showed.

Kimiko observed his struggle from afar with a pleased smile. Again, she was happy to see that the man was doing pretty damn well considering his current situation. Well, not with his bowl, that is, since he looked like he was having the worst time of his life, but rather in general. It only made her appreciate his attempt to face the Dragon's Breath Bowl even further. To want to push himself so far ahead of everybody else, even if it hurt him so much to the point that it almost made him look like he was about to pass out... She really couldn't ask for a better subordinate. Heh. Just thinking about it was enough to make her wonder what Binita and Charles were thinking about this. Hell, she even wondered what the rest of the Eleventh Division thought of him. Losing an arm and still wanting to keep it lost rather than to go purchase a new one with his family's wealth was already something that they all respected from Dai, but that didn't change the fact that he had been a bratty thorn on their side for many decades prior.

The swordswoman would think about this for a time, during which she would allow the steam leaving her mouth to quietly slip out of her lips. This caused some of the students that were previously observing her and Celes eat their respective meals to comically blink in admiration and to evidently take mental notes of what she was doing, as if this was some kind of trick to stave off the heat of the awesome recipe. Kimiko noticed this, but she paid no mind to it. Instead, she focused onto her friend and mentor who she believed had something much more important to ask. "Yep, it's one of our highest ranks. The fifth one, to be more specific," she precised with a smile at that moment as she recalled every element of the wooden board outside, which had been placed near the gates of the school. "We have a total of ten ranks that each represent your level of aptitude with the sword. Think of them, in a way, like the standard martial arts belts. You start at Jūdan, which is the equivalent of the white belt, and you finish at Shodan, the black belt."

For a brief moment, the woman would look down towards her emptied bowl with a hand on her chin, as thought she was wondering if it would be best for her to get another one. She always preferred to talk with others over a meal, especially when it was with Celes. Some say that alcohol is the one thing that is best whenever one wishes to become more talkative, but in her eyes, there was nothing more effective in that particular department than the tastes brought about by food. You just couldn't compare the savory crunch of fried meat, or the succulent sauces and spices of ramen. You just couldn't, especially not with alcohol, that is! With that being said, while this was the main reason behind this consideration, there was also something else too, namely Celes' temper. Quite frankly, she also believed it the taste of food to be pleasant enough to keep people from thinking about things too much, which seemed like something her friend needed at the moment. Even now, the Captain looked just happier, and all it really took was one bowl. Maybe...

Before she could raise herself up from the table to go back to the kitchen counter, her head would inadvertently turn towards the obviously-struggling Dai's direction only to realize that Kin had suddenly also showed up. At first, the dojo master's expression turned from happy to concerned, if only because she didn't want the little thing to feel bad around Celes again. But then, she saw what she was eating... and her eyes went round.  Is she... eating from a Dragon's Breath Bowl...?!  She almost openly blurted out in astonishment, quite simply taken aback by what she was seeing. Obviously, she knew that Ruhe was strong, but this was quite simply unprecedented. She was eating the contents of the bowl like a champ! Sure, there were little signs of discomfort, but she didn't even seem to be phased by the immense heat brought about by the sauce and the spices! It was as though it was doing nothing to her at all, just like what the bowl had done to Celes!

It took every ounce of her willpower to not attract attention to Kin and to congratulate her for eating the bowl like that; after all, she knew that the girl was quite the nervous one and didn't really like having a spotlight set up upon her. Surprisingly, Dai did the same thing... albeit in a less-subtle way. When he noticed that the little girl was eating from the bowl, the poor man who appeared like he was burning from the inside would turn himself towards the girl and try to look away. "H-How the hell are you doing that...?!" He'd ask as quietly as he possibly could, all the while shooting multiple side glances to Kimiko and Celes. Ironically, this is when he noticed that Celes was staring right at him, which caused him to humorously freeze, then take a deep breath, immediately regret making that very last decision as it made him briefly cough from the heat inside his throat, then look back towards the little girl. "This is... one of the hottest meals in the entire Soul Society... and you're eating it like it's just a normal spicy soup...!"

Obviously, the man knew of Kin's true identity and why she might be able to do something like that. Even Kimiko knew. The girl had shown some kind of blood-controlling ability while they were subduing her, and so it wouldn't really be surprising for them to learn that this was just some kind of side effect of that ability; after all, for all intents and purposes, she can maybe heat up her blood and cause the food to be less hot in return, or maybe even turn the sauce into blood, or something like that. It was all of those things, or maybe she was just physically strong enough to take on the Dragon's Breath Bowl like Celes was. However, Dai sincerely did not want to believe that in the slightest. Why? Because if that was truly the case, whatever remained of the pride he once held before he lost that arm would most likely be broken into a thousand pieces... even if the shark she summoned that bit said arm off had already done that quite a time ago.

The man would eventually just relent for the time being and return to his bowl, which he made sure to stare at for quite some time. It was still not completely empty. He had eaten almost half of its contents, yes, but the other half was still there, and it felt as though it was staring back at him with a wicked smile. Kimiko, Celes and Kin would all be able to tell that he downright feared the bowl, like he didn't want to go through that hell again. Yet, after a time, his would be emboldened and become like solid steel, and with one fell swoop, he grabbed his chopsticks and began to eat again. This time, he ate much faster than before, as though he had orchestrated a wild assault against the most terrifying monster he had ever faced in his entire life. This strategy went... rather poorly, as it immediately caused him to freeze and to appear as red as a beet. Even so, he went on with widened eyes as he chomped noodle after noodle, and pieces of meat after pieces of meat.

No doubt, this was a man of spirit. A foolish and perhaps-even stupid man, yes, but a spirited one nonetheless. Some students, however, didn't get it. They would just stare at him with awkward looks on their faces, as though they were about to just ask him to stop hurting himself. Kimiko, though, just chuckled before she waved at her hand. "It's okay, let him be! If he wants to face a threat like that, then stopping him would just make things worse," she noted, then turned her head towards Celes. It would not take long for her to notice that there was that certain glint of interest in the Captain's eye. In response, she would smirk. "Just to let you know, he still needs to train a little bit more. There's a reason why he's still a Godan... but he's probably one of our strongest students around. Period." There was a hint of encouragement in her voice, almost as if she was now curious to see how something between those two would go, right before she went for the kill. "Do you wanna spar with him?"

[Celes Castellanos]

"Yep, it's one of our highest ranks. The fifth one, to be more specific,", Kimiko finally responded to Celes' question. The lime-haired Shinigami simply nodded in interest. Especially once Kimiko explained it in a way she could definitely understand. "We have a total of ten ranks that each represent your level of aptitude with the sword. Think of them, in a way, like the standard martial arts belts. You start at Jūdan, which is the equivalent of the white belt, and you finish at Shodan, the black belt." She briefly eyed Dai once more. "Guess he must know his way around that ōdachi if Kimiko deems him at least adept with a sword.", the girl thought to herself.

Before she could construct another, murmurs began to arise among the residents of Nijūkan. Kin had entered the room and finally taken her seat near Dai. It was a little funny to see the tiny childlike girl near the hulking behemoth of a man, but this was not what caught everyone's attention. Instead, it was the food that Kin had chosen. The steaming bowl of ramen was unmistakable. She had gone and grabbed herself a Dragon's Bowl. Celes couldn't help but lean forward with interest. As Kin took her first bite, her reaction was impressive. Nobody would've expected this girl to have such a constitution yet here she was, munching on the ramen with little reservation.

The Captain of the Tenth couldn't help, but let out a light chuckle. "Well well. Look at that.", she muttered softly. Her attention, however, quickly shifted to Dai as he commented on Kin's fortitude rather loudly. Had his pride been hurt by this? Maybe. Was he afraid in the face of an impending belly ache if he gouged himself on the dish again? Most definitely. However, this only seemed to motivate the Fifth Seat more. He descended upon the bowl once more, attempting to steel himself and push through the pain. His flushed cheeks and widened eyes betrayed him. Naturally, it earned the concern of his fellow classmates. That was, at least, until Kimiko spoke up. "It's okay, let him be! If he wants to face a threat like that, then stopping him would just make things worse,"

Celes had to admit. She respected the moxie, his will which never broke. It reminded her an awful lot of Kimiko. All of this elicited a soft cackle from Celes' "soulmate". "Laughable. Are you guys seriously impressed by this?", she hissed. Celes let out a soft sigh and shook her head. "I mean... he is headstrong, at least. Tha-" Honegumi chuckled, interrupting the Shinigami. "A spicy meal and the life-or-death rush of combat are two different things, Celes. Besides... he can barely handle the ramen.", she mused.

She eyed Dai, practically staring at him. It seemed that this would not go unnoticed. "Just to let you know, he still needs to train a little bit more. There's a reason why he's still a Godan... but he's probably one of our strongest students around. Period." Celes shifted her gaze to Kimiko and blinked. "Oh. I see.", she said like an utter airhead. This wouldn't last long, however, as her student added, "Do you wanna spar with him?" The girls' eyes widened for a moment. What the hell kinda question was that?!

Her cheeks flushed a crimson red as she focused back on Dai. She stammered softly, "I d- don't think that's such a good idea, Kimiko..." Her recent history aside, Celes was a Captain of the Gotei. She was a decorated officer. She'd likely have to hold back a lot just to give him a fighting chance. That's how it usually was. Contrary to Celes' apprehension, Honegumi was thrilled at the prospect. It could be a fun way to pass the time. The Captain, meanwhile, took a deep breath and asked in a hushed tone, "Can't shit like that wait until class, Kimiko? How long has this kid even trained?" She inquired, trying to gauge more about his skill and how much effort she'd allow to put into a theoretical spar with Dai.

[Ruhe Krieger]

Ruhe found herself eating the bowl of food in question, feeling herself burn inside, and with it, she slowly turns towards Dai and sees his concern as her cheeks begin to flush and burn. Her exhale slow. "I'm hungry." She says, and with it, if it was possible, she'd exhale steam. She had an appreciation for food, no doubt. Especially considering she had to hunt and gather in order to eat. The lack of seasoning for food had often left her wanting. There was only so much she could appreciate regarding the natural flavors. Though this? This seemed almost excessive. She could taste each and every bit of the melding flavors, but it burned in such a way that it quickly made whatever taste there was become a numbing and dumb pain. Ruhe could feel as if her face was pulsing, as sweat gathered, and yet, she'd stomach all of it.

This was the kind of cooking you'd expect in the pits of hell. In those moments, she slowly rests her face into the table, steam beginning to rise from her head as the spice, "rejuvenated her soul". Ruhe was the lowest of all ranks in this dojo, if even technically that. After all, she was more of a visiting guest than a proper student. Still. She did hold a hidden power within herself. This battle that rested before her was far from her hardest opponent. Though it had caused her more pain than most. Her tolerance for pain and punishment though had won her the opportunity to avoid faltering. In those moments, as the green haired woman Celes sat near them? She listened slowly to the conversation. Before looking the captain deep in the eye. Then towards Dai. "He'd lose."

She said it clearly. As clear as day. Though she'd swiftly recoil when she'd come to realize what she'd said, and looks swiftly down at her dragon bowl. "Another bowl please!" To throw off her earlier statement. Holding her bowl into the air. Though Ruhe had seen the sword play here, the martial arts, and had seen how they motioned with the blades. She'd seen and realized the vulnerabilities that came with wielding a bladed weapon, but also its benefits. She'd even gotten to hold a bokken herself, and had swung through practice katas, though she was little more than an amateur when it came down to blade work. Ruhe instead had an affinity for a much different kind of weapon. Ruhe had some keen eyes, and when she gauged Celes out, she knew, she was a monster in her own league.

Just like Kimiko was. When the next bowl of dragon noodles was placed before Ruhe, she'd take the chopsticks with the spoon and would begin to ladle the broth into her mouth, slurping, as she lost herself in the moment. It became easier to eat when you didn't think, but instead mindlessly gave into the consumption. Though, faced with this situation, Ruhe found herself wondering how her training would go for the day. Tears welled in her cerulean blue orbs as she felt sweat drip from her face. Yet, she never seemed to regret her choice in eating this bowl of death. She had to wonder what kind of twisted and tormented soul had decided to make a dish like this. Better yet, why people enjoyed hurting themselves like this. There were other poisons out in existence that were far less painful. Slurping, a bit clumsy with her chopstick work, she seemed quiet, attempting not to draw too much attention to herself. A habit she'd had from her time in a far more demanding and terrifying place. 

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The little girl known as Kin had long since established herself to be a girl of few words. She was able to speak with the people of Nijūkan North, of course, but she it never seemed to the people of the school that she really could properly form long and coherent sentences. This was in part due to the fact that she was very young in the eyes of many, thus explaining her reserved attitude, but also plainly reserved as a whole. However, in spite of this, the small bit of words that she released every now and then had always been as straight-forward as possible, which made her very easy to understand. When she said she didn't want to speak to others, that refusal was heard loud and clear by anyone around her, and so she would be left alone. When she said she wanted to train, even if it was something that was going to extrinsically difficult for her, the other students would gladly offer her their aid, albeit in a way that would somewhat spare her from the typical difficulties tied to the usual exercises.

So, when she declared herself to simply be hungry in this moment, something which appeared to be the sole reason why she was even eating the Dragon's Breath Bowl in the process, the students that were nearby believed her right away with no surprise at all. In fact, they admired her tenacious attitude in that moment. To wish to eat something so powerful and so difficult to consume just because she was hungry was most definitely not a skill acquired by everyone. Yet that wasn't what surprised everyone in the room in that moment. What did surprise them was the very thing that came out of her mouth shortly after: her belief that Dai would lose against Celes. It was said so plainly and in such a matter-of-fact tone that it caused the people who were previously focused on witnessing Kimiko's and Celes' own battle against their meals to simply stare in disbelief. Yet there was nobody else who held the greatest stare of them all than Dai himself.

The poor man's eyes were glued onto Kin's once she made her proclamation. Even though his entire body was being wrecked by the power of his meal and the heat that it conjured inside of his belly and throat, he would appear almost frozen as he took in that information. Usually, hearing such a thing from a little girl should have only brought him to completely ignore her; after all, a child is a child, and children often tend to say stupid and ignorant things from his point of view. Unlike everybody else in the room except Kimiko, however, he knew that Kin wasn't what she made herself appear to be. She was the one who had killed several people in front of his eyes by accident as she released her abilities, the one who had caused so much trouble for his Captain as they attempted to secure her, and the one who conjured the beast who ate his arm. So for her to declare so confidently that he would not stand a chance against a Celes... It was infuriating.

As the steam left by the bowl he was eating slowly exited his mouth, he contemplated on what to do. Quite frankly, he hadn't really been listening to Kimiko nor Celes when they spoke of him. He was too focused on his bowl to listen, too concentrated on the idea of surviving the heat that it brought to his body as well as the pain that came with it. But now that Kin, of all people, had told that he would lose against the Captain, he understood what the two officers had been talking about and thus found himself staring at Celes. Maybe he wouldn't stand a chance against her. Maybe he would just crumble upon taking the first blow from her, and that would be the end of that. Yet there was also the possibility that he could at least be on par with her. He may not have learned how to unlock his Bankai yet, but his Shikai was as powerful as Binita's, and it had caused him to earn spiritual power the likes of which easily rivaled Kimiko's, if not surpassed to a certain extent. That could be enough. It could be...

It was this thought that pushed him to return to his bowl with even greater fervor. This time around, he did not struggle. Well, no, he still did, but it was somewhat less apparent. There was a certain look in his eye as he ate, a fire that Celes would recognize all too well; after all, she had seen it during every one of her spars with Kimiko. Of course, the Captain noticed it too. It was enough to make her smirk even more not long after Celes expressed how against the idea she was. She was not at all surprised to see that the Captain of the Tenth was so pessimistic in regards to what could happen between them. Even so, she'd continue to push for it. "Ah, come on, why not? You love fighting! I'm sure one spar against a worthy opponent would be enough to cheer you up even further than that bowl! And relaaaax. I won't have you fight here if you accept. The last thing I wanna deal with is another meeting with Senshi about budget," she exclaimed with a bright smile before her scarlet eyes rapidly took note of the people that had become distracted by Dai's new behavior. Upon confirming that no one was paying as much attention to them, her gaze would become more serious and she'd put her face a little bit closer to her friend's so that she could her hushed words: "Besides... I think he should know... for the future of this place." 

The sudden change in the way she spoke those words to Celes, despite their lower volume, would be immediately felt by her fellow Captain. This time, she wasn't speaking to her as a friend nor her disciple. She wasn't even speaking to her as the optimistic master of this dojo. No, this time, she was speaking to her as a proper superior officer of the Gotei 13, with a charismatic gaze set towards the future. She did not expect her Celes to agree with her; in fact, she fully believed that she was going to disagree wholeheartedly and let this plan fail. The truth was, however, that the furthest awakening of their inner darkness was going to leave the Tenth and the Eleventh Divisions of their organization in shambles. They needed to prepare for that time to come, and in so doing, they needed to develop some kind of contingency. Nijūkan had Emile. Kimiko had yet to properly reveal the truth to him, but she knew he could take care of her dojo once she's gone. However, the Eleventh needed an interim leader, and so did the Tenth. That way, they could remain stable while they themselves take care of their own problems.

There was also something else in that serious tone of her: concern. She wasn't stupid. While Celes' mood had indeed been bettered ever since they passed by the temple and ate their meals, she remained different from her usual self, and that bothered Kimiko enough to still suspect that something was amiss. She wasn't sure if her friend's Inner Hollow was the cause of this, but truthfully, there was nothing else that could explain it in the moment. Only a being of that scale could bring her friend's joyous and bright attitude to such a gloomy low. Case in point, she hoped that her proposition would force her to perhaps reveal what happened between her and the being, and to explain herself. Truthfully, once again, she was expecting absolutely nothing. Quite frankly, contempt for her as well as hatred for trying to pry into these matters were both the more-expected results that Kimiko was envisioning from this. Even so, it was worth a try... if only because she believed that if she could open herself to Celes the way she did so many times before, so too could her friend.

Coincidentally, right after Kimiko felt as though she would be properly understood by Celes, Dai would have finished his meal. By then, he was panting with steam practically not only coming out of his mouth, but also his nose and perhaps even his ears. It was a comical and perhaps-pathetic sight, which was to be expected from a man who had presumably made this his life goal in this very moment. Still, that did not stop him from raising himself up from the table, shooting a humorous gaze of complete disbelief at Kin asking for yet another Dragon's Breath Bowl, then approaching the two Captains. His face was beet red, but so was his soul, if his looks were anything to go by. "So what's that about Nakajima wanting me to spar someone...?" He asked, trying his best to appear curious and also strong in spite of the fact that he had very clearly heard the two Captains speak earlier, as well as Kin's own opinion of it all. He was also very visibly still in pain from the bowl. "I'd be glad to fight anyone right... after today's class...!"  

This declaration as well as the sweat falling down his forehead would be enough to cause some of the students at the table to slowly begin to chuckle, then laugh. At first, this would cause the one-armed man to clench his teeth before looking up towards the ceiling with tears falling down his eyes. "I... think I need water..." he proclaimed dramatically as an invisible spotlight shone from the heavens, causing Kimiko to stare back at him with an awkward smile.

"I think that's gonna be enough of those bowls for you today."

"I only ate one..."

"My point still stands."

[Celes Castellanos]

Celes patiently waited for Kimiko to give her some insight into Dai's skills. She knew nothing of the man and, needless to say, the girl wasn't in the best headspace to entertain a fight. This apprehension slowly grew as the Quincy girl took a moment to chime in. "He'd lose.", she declared matter of factly. It shook the green-haired Shinigami. It wouldn't be hard for her to tell that it left a similar effect on Dai. His pride. His ego. It had taken a serious blow. The Captain muttered under her breath, "Shit..." She really didn't want this to escalate.

She wanted to back down. To just leave a potential duel between the two a mystery. Unfortunately, Kimiko continued to prod. "Ah, come on, why not? You love fighting! I'm sure one spar against a worthy opponent would be enough to cheer you up even further than that bowl! And relaaaax. I won't have you fight here if you accept. The last thing I wanna deal with is another meeting with Senshi about budget," Celes' face took on a beat red hue. Despite all of her strength, she appeared as shy as a student fresh out of the academy. Why couldn't Kimiko understand that? Why did she have to continue pushing the subject?

Unfortunately for Celes, her thoughts were far from comforting. She used to be able to rely on her Zanpakutō Spirit, Yunorashi, to help her with coping. The two of them had forged an inseparable bond. Now she was dead. Consumed viciously by the Shinigami's Inner Hollow. It came to haunt her every time she heard Honegumi's voice. While on the subject of Honegumi, the Inner Hollow saw her opportunity. With Yunorashi out of her way, she could mold the Shinigami. To carve out that weakness within Celes that she hated so much. A smirk rose on the Hollows' lips.

"So Kimiko thinks that the whelp will make for a worthy opponent? After he barely handled the bowl of Ramen? I have a feeling that we could crush him if we so pleased.", Honegumi callously remarked. The Captain hummed softly. She did her best to tune out Honegumi, but her voice only seemed to grow louder. "Listen. Kimiko has only experienced a fraction of your strength. I'm not surprised that she thinks your weak." Celes stopped humming and gently rhythmically tapped her fingers. "Excuse me?" Honegumi smirked. "She thinks that a mere Godan can stand up against you. Do you think that she expects you to be able to defend those you care about with the way you've been behaving?"

The Captain blinked and refocused her attention on Dai who was now standing tall before the two of them. "So what's that about Nakajima wanting me to spar someone...?", he inquired. "I'd be glad to fight anyone right... after today's class...!" The man had a fire burning in his eyes and it wasn't from the Dragon Bowl. It seems that his fighting spirit wasn't all bluster. He seemed genuine about fighting Celes. Maybe Honegumi was right. She had faced mighty demon lords of Hell. Her body had been battered, bruised, and marred countless times. How could the Fifth Seat compare to that? How could he be so confident? Just as Kimiko had before, Honegumi stoked the fire. "Would Yunorashi have run away from this?"

The atmosphere around Celes changed. Her melancholy look had faded, growing far more stern. Her fingers dug into the wood of the table. "No. No, she would not.", the Shinigami spoke audibly. "Dai, was it? Being a Godan, how long have you trained?", she asked Dai directly, rising to her feet. Honegumi's darkness had successfully touched her soul. The bright light she once represented had dimmed further. There were only a few Shinigami in Soul Society that rivaled her prowess in Hakuda. However, the Captain was no slouch with the blade. She wanted to know. How long did it take for him to rise to his current station at Nijūkan?