Let Us Cling Together [Kimiko] [JT]

[Addy Kuchiki]

Running her hand through her wet hair, Addy stared at her reflection. What did she see in the glass? Who was the woman standing in front of her? What were her beliefs? Her motivations? Who was she at the core? Who did she want to be at the core? Uncomfortable questions. But why? Because they struck too deep? All she wanted was to better the world. Yet it seemed that no matter how hard she tried, her goals remained ever out of reach. She was tired. She wanted to stop. To just be. Yet she couldn’t. She had swore an oath to protect innocents. An oath she was failing, an oath she must renew.

What did she lack? Much. But the one weakness that stood out the most to her was her strength. Not only her physical, but her mental as well. She was letting things get to her. Small things. Minor annoyances. If that was all to it, then she wouldn’t have minded. She wasn’t perfect. But she could be better. Her battle that occurred a few weeks ago proved that. It wasn’t just her performance in battle that disappointed her, it was how she acted. So had felt so upright, so heroic. At least in her head. But because of this, she started a needless battle and lost. Quite badly as well. Embarrassing. She needed to be better.

It had taken her weeks to come to terms with this. Days filled with devouring copious amounts of junk food and feeling like trash. Not her best moment she would admit. But here she was, back in full. Ready to start her self improvement. She would learn from her mistakes. Become a person she could be proud of. But she needed help. She couldn’t do it alone. Thus she sought out the person she could rely on most, Kimiko. Both strength and knowledge could be gained from her captain, someone she knew would always have her back. And these were things she needed so desperately.

Readying herself for what was going to be a long day, Addy tidied up her room before leaving. She wore her usual outfit: a black sleeveless shirt, black leggings, and traditional chinese shoes. A blue obi wrapped around her waist and yellow socks finished off her ensemble. Her room had been piling up trash these past few days, but she had managed to clean up a huge chunk of it earlier. She didn't think it was worth it at the time, but upon seeing the results, she was glad she did. And with a final deep breath, she made her way out her door to begin her journey.

Her destination for the day was Nijukan, a place that she had only visited with Kimiko. It was quite the walk, but one Addy planned on knocking out quickly. There were things to do, and she didn’t want to waste any time. While she was in a better mood than she was in earlier this week, she still wasn’t at a hundred percent. And she doubted she would be anytime soon. She would only feel complete once she was confident in her strength. Once she was sure she could fix her past mistakes.

The transforming scenery blurred by as she shunpo’d to Nijukan. Her first stop was a restaurant. It was here that she would meet her captain. Then the two could eat and chat. Catch up. It had been a decent bit of time since she had seen Kimiko. There had been so much going on lately, with missions and emotions, so visiting Squad 11 hadn’t really been one of her main priorities. It probably should’ve, seeing as how they were her allies and such. Oh well, nothing she could really do about it now. Just another thing to add to the list.

Sliding into the restaurant quietly, Addy kept a lookout for her captain. There weren't many people sitting down, so this task wouldn't take her long. She wasn’t sure if Kimiko was here yet, so if she didn’t spot her soon then she’d just find a seat for the two of them. The cooking food smelled heavenly and she could hardly wait to sit down. She had skipped breakfast, so her stomach had been constantly growling the whole journey. Still, until she found Kimiko, she would force her stomach to wait. Breakfast tasted better with friends after all.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

The walls of the temple resting near the northern walls of Nijūkan West stood tall around those who sought their warm embrace. Behind them, where faith and spirituality were both at their most prominent point, peace resided unharmed by the elements of the outside world thanks to a mixture of soothing lights and attractive scents, and so what they guarded was often considered to be amongst the most comforting locations of the entirety of the 40th western district of Rukongai. That was in spite of the district's history with the supernatural and damned that has haunted them for so long, and also in spite of the fact that the temple welcomed any and all religion within its folds, no matter the differences between them. This has led many to the temple, many of which who did not actually follow the path of the sword, but instead plain commoners of Rukongai. However, there are times that even Kimiko herself, the esteemed master of the great Nijūkan schools, would visit its walls.

She wasn't quite sure of when she began to visit the place. Perhaps it was a couple of months or years after she had the temple built from the ground up. Either way, it did not really matter. What instead did was the effect it had on her conscience. While she did not believe in any particular religion, she believed that simply being in the presence of those who held a greater spiritual belief allowed her to quiet down the many negative thoughts that occupied her head. They cleared that conscience, so to speak, brought to her mind visions and ideas of tranquility for her students and the rest of the people at her disposal within the Soul Society. It also allowed her to ignore the being which resided deep within her soul, and to permit a greater communion between herself and the spirits which instead rested within her blades, most especially Shizukakane who quite enjoyed the minimal soundscape of the temple. In so doing, she found herself remaining within the temple for quite a while this cloudy morning, if only to quiet her thoughts even further.

Once her stay within the temple ended, the swordswoman found herself walking down its steps and then the school's steps with a steady, yet slow pace. Her eyes were looking onward, but they were not as resplendent as usual. They were duller, more tired and exhausted. Those who witnessed did not confront her about it, as they believed this to be nothing more than the effects of the tasks that she had accomplished as of late for Seireitei, but there was a much simpler truth to it all. That truth was that she had fallen asleep during her meditation within the temple. That should have been nothing more than an embarrassing event for the likes of her; after all, she had been rather tired as of late, mainly because she has had a notable amount of vocal feuds with Taishokukane in regards to what had happened between her and that Squad 12 girl she had tried to take in as a student, a Noble brat going by the name of Oboro Ume. However, falling asleep from Kimiko's perspective is to enter the realm of her Inner Hollow. It is to allow the beast to do whatever she wants to do to her psyche during that time.

In reality, her sleep had lasted for perhaps a couple of minutes. No one had noticed her slumber. At least, none to her knowledge. And yet, while she remained in that plane of her mind, it felt as though it had lasted for a much longer period of time. There, trapped in darkness for whoever knows how long, she was granted images of vast destruction. The schools of the north and the south and the east and the west were all in tatters together, with their ruins burning infinitely at the hands of a man wielding a great sword of fire, and at their base were left the shriveled and charred corpses of those that Kimiko referred to as her students. Their eyes had melted in their sockets, their tongues had been cut off to prevent them from screaming as they were boiled alive by the flames, and their hands had been removed to remind them that their swords were all useless before the power that has put an end to their lives. It was all a horrible vision, something that her imagination had conjured in her panic, and every time she attempted to escape it, she would be forcefully returned to them. That is, until she was finally able to return to the real world.

She understood why she was granted such a vision. She did. It was obvious that it was yet another message from her Inner Hollow, another attempt at trying to force her to abandon the schools by revealing to her what would happen if any word about Ruhe or even herself would come out within Seireitei. It was also obvious that she was granted this specific vision specifically because of the outburst she had with Ume. In a way, it was as though she was told her time within the Soul Society had now truly be rendered limited, and it was now really only a matter of people properly looking into her activities before she would find herself forced to witness her work being destroyed as collateral. And yet, in spite of how evident it all was, it troubled Kimiko much more than it ever should have. It was as though, in that time she found herself wandering within the imaginative remains of her dojos, she was reminded of how utterly fragile they were, and how she herself could not stop what may as well be their eventual destruction.

Such a realization made her forget things. No. That was not quite accurate. Rather, it made her want to forget things. She wanted to just delete those visions from her memory, to forget about her Inner Hollow, about Kazuhiko, Ruhe, Celes, and even herself. It was this very wish of hers that compelled to move further and further down the steps of Nijūkan West until, upon reaching their very base, she would decide to head towards one of the many restaurants that occupied the district. The Shutokendō of the 40th district, no matter their respective cardinal direction, had always been bastions of not only swordsmanship, but also cuisine from every level. So, she headed towards the one within which she believed she could quite literally just eat her problems away. She often did that, all things considered, but there was one kind of restaurant out there that she believed vastly outperformed the others when it came to keeping food and only food on your mind.

This was what brought her towards one particular joint near the edge of the district. The joint in question was one which specialized in the serving of American fast foods, a simple place referred to by its owner as "Challenger's". Why it was named in such a way, Kimiko had never really bothered to ask, as in the end, it was really the menu that they offered which caught her attention the most. Pizzas, hamburgers, fries, even bacon & eggs alongside chicken nuggets. You named it, they had it. The superior officer couldn't quite remember how many times she had visited it, mainly because she quite simply adored the pizza pies that they were making over there, but right now, she felt that she had to visit them. It was just... an urgency, she supposed. So, she pressed on, walking past several citizens and giving them acknowledging waves along the way, or at least the best that she could muster in the moment. Then, once she reached the restaurant, she pushed herself past its main doors.

Since it was the very middle of the afternoon, there weren't a whole lot of people around the restaurant for the time being. The most of the people who occupied the district were busy working their tasks of the day or training at the dojo, and so, the queue leading towards the counter was exceptionally small. This was perfect for the Captain, and so she would first decide to head towards the line in order to wait alongside the others. However, right before she could do so, she would spot a familiar face at the many tables of the establishment. She would first blink, surprised to see said face here, though soon, she would walk towards her and try to force a smile upon her face. "Well, well, well! Look who it is!" The Captain's energetic voice would call as she approached her student and subordinate, who had apparently decided to wear more casual clothing given that she wasn't on a mission. It was quite the contrast between her and Kimiko, to say the least, considering that the superior officer was still wearing her haori as well as her usual Shinigami get-up. "How's it going, Addy? It's been a while since I've last seen you around here. Are you still following the lessons I've given you?"  

Yeah. Yeah, this could do too. The less she has to think about everything that's happened, or at least the less she has to think about it all on her own... the better.

[Addy Kuchiki]

It didn’t take long for her captain to arrive, and judging from Kimiko’s expression, it seemed that she too was dealing with troubles. Made sense. After all, problems were quite abundant for shinigami. Especially for one of Kimiko’s rank. More power usually meant more problems. But that was duty. Their role. But the best thing about being a shinigami was that they were never alone. Allies were all about, so despite all the hardships shinigami had to endure, they didn’t have to go through it alone.

Giving Kimiko a friendly wave, Addy attempted to match her captain’s enthusiasm with a small smile of her own. She wasn’t sure how successful she was in that endeavor. Faking emotions was never her strong suit. There was just so much she needed to deal with that it was proving to be a challenge to even simply smile. Regardless, she was pleased to meet Kimiko. Talks with her were always pleasant, so Addy didn’t have to fake the positive vibes she experienced by being next to her.

“Good afternoon Kimiko, always a pleasure to see you. How are you doing today?” Kicking out a chair gently with her foot, Addy motioned towards it with her head. There were menus on the table already, so the two could order while sitting if they chose. Ordering at the front was quicker, but there wasn’t really a rush, so she would let Kimiko decide on the method. There weren’t many people around, so each choice was viable.

“Eh, decent I guess. I am still alive, so there’s that. The past few weeks have been a bit rough for me though. And yes, I have been following your lessons. Thanks to them, I recently unlocked my Shikai. Still trying to understand what’s all going on with that.” There had been a few bad things that had occurred this month, but there were also quite a few positives. Her strength had grown, even if it took a near death experience for that to occur.

As she waited for a response, Addy took the time to browse through the menu. Quite the variety of food was on display, so she wasn’t lacking in options. Still she wasn’t particularly in the mood for something meaty, so she immediately scratched burgers and the like off her list. Perhaps pizza would do. Simple and it had somewhat of a unique flavor depending on the type she chose. She didn’t have it too often, so it would be nice to remember the taste. Pointing at one of the pizza pictures on the menu, Addy glanced towards Kimiko. “Might do the pizza option, it looks pretty solid.”

[Nakajima Kimiko]

It had been some time now since Kimiko had seen Addy. Or, at the very least, it had been some time in her eyes, judging by everything that's happened over the course of the last month or so; after all, it was sometimes rather difficult to recall the small things when the big things tend to overshadow them in droves. Still, even though it had not been long since the blonde had been admitted to both the Eleventh Division of the Gotei 13 as well as the ranks of Nijūkan as a prominent Shichidan, she had made quite an impression on the Captain, in part due to how she had been able to tackle Mana ever since their very first spar. Her ability to follow the training regimen that had been granted to her since that day has also been quite impressive. For all Kimiko knew, if her skill is going to be able to continue to grow as predicted, it was entirely possible that this most recent student would be able to rise up in the ranks of her school just a little bit further in about a month or so. And of course, there was her general friendliness. That was always a welcomed perk.

When she arrived at the table and was offered a chair, the superior officer would give her subordinate a smile before letting herself somewhat unceremoniously drop onto it. The casual tone of her overall behavior was still there even after all that's happened since their last meeting. The only difference was the weight that had begun to build on her shoulders since then, even though she was trying her best to hide it all behind her signature social shine. "Oh, I've been doing okay! It could be better, but I've been managing myself the best I can. I just came back from the temple, in fact," she would explain with the usual motivation present in her voice. This was nothing more than an act at this point, both for Addy's sake as well as hers, but it was better to appear as such than to sulk around like Celes has been doing as of late. Just imagining herself wandering around the school grounds all sad and depressed was enough to give her a bit of a headache, no matter how hard she was hurting at the moment.

After she made herself comfortable on the chair, her eyes would naturally drift towards the pamphlets that had been laid on the table. Each displayed the menu of the Challenger's restaurant, of course, and in so doing, she would make sure to pick one of them up after she made this realization. Quite frankly, in spite of how many times she had visited the establishment prior to this moment, she had never actually bothered to look at these pamphlets. She had always instead gone to the front, ordered what she needed from the list that was available at the front, and then would eat at a random table that happened to not contain them. Maybe these were new and she had quite simply not come to this place after their introduction? Either way, it did not really matter to her, so long as she would be able to get something that would fill up her mouth with goodness and satisfy her stomach until she can no longer about everything she has seen at the temple.

Her scarlet eyes wandered from meal to meal as they analyzed the entire menu, taking into account every single detail that was available to them in this instant. As to be expected, nothing on this list would be something that Kimiko would not eat. Everything looked good to her, from the hamburgers to the fries to the chicken nuggets all the way down to the cheese bread and proper pizza pies. They even had stuffed crust pizza too! Ah, it all looked so wonderful. So wonderful, in fact, that she had almost forgotten that Addy was talking to her as she looked at it all. With a blink, she would try to rapidly recall what the girl had said to her mid-sentence. It was only once she heard the words "unlocked my Shikai" that all thoughts about food vanished. "You did? That's excellent, Addy! At your pace, I'm sure you'll be able to use Bankai in no time!" She would first congratulate with enthusiasm before she would then slightly mellow out upon noticing that her student did not appear to be entirely happy about what happened. "Well, anyway... you should show it to me next time. As your teacher, I'd be glad to help you understand it as much as you can." 

She would attempt to focus on the food again, if only to avoid having to talk about Addy's rougher weeks for the time being. In her mind, it was always best to discuss such matters over food rather than before food. So, she would continue to scour the menu, and allow her student to the same. Considering that she had gone to this place so often that she had ordered every item from said menu at least once prior to today, the Captain would decide that it would be best for the Kuchiki woman to choose which meal they would go for. Eventually, and perhaps ironically, Addy would point out the one item on the menu that Kimiko enjoyed the most. "Perfect! There's a couple of ingredients we can choose, so feel free to choose whichever you want for us. Well, not pineapple. Don't take pineapple," she would warn her student then with a comically-exaggerated pout before she would let out a chuckle. "Just kidding, just kidding. Anyway, don't worry about the tab. This one's on me." 

With that out of the way, the Captain would then settle her menu pamphlet aside before she would wait for someone to come to take their order. Surprisingly, someone actually did come, which surprised Kimiko too. How long had it been since she had last come to this place? Surely, it couldn't have been that long. She could've sworn that she had come here only a few weeks ago... Well, anyway, the waiter was less-so a waiter and more so one of the employees of the restaurant who had acknowledged them at their table. He appeared to be a man in his thirties or forties, if one compared him to standard Humans. He also recognized Kimiko right away, and so did she and potentially even Addy should she had seen him at the dojo before, as it did not take long for them to strike a swift friendly conversation. Of course, this conversation would not last long, as the man was working and he could thus not waste too much time. Thus, once she would take their shared order, then leave.

A few more minutes would pass, during which Kimiko would find herself simply waiting quietly. Much like the time she spent at the temple, it realistically did not take very long. However, for Kimiko, it did. In her silence, she would find herself briefly returning to her thoughts, and more specifically, the visions that she was forced to see. The longer she saw the burning buildings and the corpses, the harder it was for her to remain composed in the moment. Her smile would remain, because she had been able to keep it there for a very long time thanks to all of the work she has done for her schools. However, its brightness faltered ever-so-slightly. Addy would perhaps be able to notice this if she gave her any attention in the moment. That said, it was doubtful that she would be able to get the truth out of her. For all intents and purposes, she was able to keep Ruhe's existence away from the rest of the schools. If she could still do so even today, she could make sure to keep her identity as a Vizard just about as secret for as long, no matter the circumstances.

The Captain was forced to repeat this particular fact ten times in her head before the visions faltered. By the time she had repeated it fifteen times, she could focus on the restaurant again. Then, just before the twentieth time had come, she was able to smell the meal that was coming towards their table, and her attention was returned to the real world. More specifically, it was turned towards the employee from before who came towards their table with one big pizza in his hands. At a glance, one could easily evaluate its size as being equivalent to an extra-large, or perhaps even a bigger size. "Ah, there it is! You better be ready, Addy. Whenever it comes to pizza, I eat a lot," she would tease the Kuchiki girl before she would pay the waiter the money that the establishment was owed. It wasn't much, given that she had a discount due to her position within the district, but it nevertheless remained a notable amount of Ryo from her pocket. 

The woman would give the pizza on the table one good glance before she would pick one of its slices. She did so with an expert hand, enough so that it was not even allowed to slightly bend as a typical slice should, before she guided its tip to her teeth. It did not take long thereafter for her to enjoy its contents. "Oh, wow, this is good! I should take this mix more often," she complimented before taking another munch, then letting out a content sigh. Once this was done, and perhaps finally from Addy's perspective, she would stare at her student with a more serious gaze. It wasn't the kind that one would expect from the Captain Commander, but the air that she gave out in this instance held enough veterancy to properly communicate her willingness to tackle a difficult subject. "Alright, so... I can tell that something else happened other than you gaining the ability to use Shikai. How have your latest missions gone? And please, be honest with me." 

[Addy Kuchiki]

“Thanks for the pizza. I’ll cover us next time then.” It seemed the two were sharing a pizza, not that Addy minded. The question was, what toppings would suit the two of them? She didn’t care for pineapples, and judging from Kimiko’s statements, neither did she. Perhaps pepperoni? It would give her pizza a bit of a kick and she quite enjoyed the taste of those small delectable slices of pork. She would share the idea with Kimiko, and if her captain was fine with it, then that would be their topping. If not, she would just get her half covered in pepperoni.

Once the decision was made, it didn’t take long for a waiter to arrive. One who recognized Kimiko. Which wasn’t a surprise. Her captain was a well known woman, and it seemed she knew at least one person wherever they went. The man who took their order did seem vaguely familiar, but Addy wasn’t sure from where. Maybe the dojo? She wasn’t too sure, but that was the only spot she could think of that she had visited with Kimiko. Either way, she left Kimiko to deal with the majority of the talking as she let her mind wander.

As the waiter took back their order to the kitchen, Addy watched her captain in silence. Kimiko seemed to have a bit on her mind, as the silence between the two stretched longer and longer. Judging from her facial expressions, there was a lot going on in her head. Addy doubted any of it was good. Should she say something? Could she even? She was here to ask her captain for help. Would the other way around even work? What could she even offer to her captain at her current strength? What could she offer anyone? Still, might as well let Kimiko know that she was there for her. For whatever that was worth.

“You doing okay Kimiko? Seems to be a lot on your mind.” A simple question. An opener. One that she allowed Kimiko to do with as she wished. If she was given a simple answer, then Addy would let things lie. No need to press if her captain didn’t want to talk about it. But if she did, then Addy would be there to listen. She might only be there to vent too, but even that was better than nothing. Something she knew from personal experience. Before Kimiko could respond, their order arrived. And judging from the aroma, Addy was sure that their food would taste heavenly. Only one way to find out.

“So do I. Try your best to keep up.” Responding to her captain with a lighthearted jab, Addy began to fill her plate with slices. Taking a big bite of her first piece, she closed her eyes in satisfaction. The taste was everything she imagined it to be. A combination of flavors that blended together in a perfect mixture. It was one of the best pizzas she ever had, although that could just be her hunger talking. Either way, the food was delicious and she couldn’t complain. Sadly her good mood vanished upon the arrival of her captain’s next words.

Slowly chewing the pizza that now tasted like ash in her mouth, Addy attempted to gather her thoughts. The question had caught her off guard. The two had barely started eating! She didn't want to wait until they were done? Oh well. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she wondered how she should go about explaining her situation. It was a painful memory, but avoiding the issue wouldn’t help. That was her whole point of being here after all. Better to just dive in then. It wouldn’t be fun, but it would be necessary.

“During the mission before last, I encountered a Quincy. Quite the strange one as well. She wore all white, perhaps a uniform of some sorts? She was powerful. Bold. Despicable. Her mere presence was enough to anger me. It was by sheer luck I survived. Thanks to a lucky shot I managed to escape with only my shattered zanpakuto and a wounded shoulder. If her arrows had struck my leg instead of my shoulder, I wouldn’t be here. I acted foolishly in that fight and paid the price. Wasn't strong enough to back up my words.” Shrugging her shoulders with a painful swallow, Addy avoided Kimiko’s gaze. The whole encounter was embarrassing to talk about, and she regretted some of the actions she took. But live and learn right? Because if she didn’t, she might not live next time.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko wasn't a fan of pineapples on pizza. Never really had been up until this point. Although it had been quite some time now since she had last tried them out, just to see how they tasted like when combined with the classic cheese pies, she had immediately thought of the combination as something that was deeply unsavory. Something so sweet and so juicy should not, under any circumstances, be paired with something that was so salty and so greasy in comparison. It just didn't work. And yet, in that moment, the Captain almost wanted to try that sordid topping again. Perhaps it was stupid of her to think of this way, but she believed for a split-second there that her hatred for it would perhaps surpass the emotions that she currently felt. It would have perhaps been a better distraction than simple good food, a better way to briefly forget the emotional darkness inside of her as well as the literal darkness that was even deeper within.

However, she was not granted this hatred. Instead, she was granted something else that she personally enjoyed much, much more: pepperoni. While it was not her favorite topping of them all, the Captain could easily describe them as the complete opposite of pineapples. Compared to them, they were simply perfect. Their strong taste of dried pork was already good enough as is, but when combined with the salt and the cheese usually found on a pizza, they formed a recipe that was just truly special to Kimiko. It was why she got hooked on them so long ago, back when she was still Human, and it was why she still continued to eat pizza today. The stuff was just that good, that blissful for her weary mind. So, with her regret now vanished, she awaited her meal alongside Addy, hoping that it would not take too long to arrive. She could already hear her stomach grumble from the thought of eating it, and she wasn't even particularly hungry either.

As she waited quietly for their plate to arrive, the swordswoman would do so patiently, but again in silence. She hadn't expected the mere thought of eating pizza to chase away the terrible things she saw earlier today, and unfortunately, she was right in assuming so. The longer she would remain there in silence, the more difficult it was for her to maintain that smile of hers. But then, just as it seemed as though the images she revisited were about to reach a most terrible point that even she had not anticipated, she was suddenly interrupted by Addy. With a blink, she would stare at her student in surprise, taken aback by the mere simplicity of the question that was given to her. In fact, she was so taken aback that she merely sat there for a moment as she tried to digest that information. Unfortunately, she would not have the time to actually answer it, as before she could do so, their food would finally arrive to their table.

By the time the pizza returned, that flash of doubt and hesitation disappeared, and she returned to the image of herself that she had carefully constructed for herself since she became the master of Nijūkan. The food was now almost the only thing that was on her mind, especially now that it remained in front of her, and it showed in the way she enjoyed her first slice alongside Addy. She could taste the pork of the pepperoni, the salt of the pie and the creamy sensation of the cheese all at once, and it was all delicious. Such was the quality promised to her by none other than Challenger's. Considering the circumstances, a part of her had wanted to remain there forever, or at the very least until the pie was done. Hell, she would have probably ordered another pie if she could, assuming her student and subordinate was still up for the task of eating it together. But, unfortunately, she knew that she couldn't quite do that. Not after she heard what Addy said about her past few weeks. So, she confronted her directly. Now that they were over food, they could talk better, or at least she thought they could.

Due to all that's happened as of late, Kimiko hasn't really had enough time to put into reading all of the reports of her subordinates. However, when Addy began to describe what had happened to her, she instantly began regretting having not gone to work as often as she should have during the last few months. With widened eyes, she listened intently as her student told her how she fought a Quincy in the field, and how she was only able to survive the encounter because of luck. Then, with eyes that had not lessened since, she heard Addy proclaim that it was all her fault that she had almost gotten herself killed, as that she had simply not been strong enough to face the individual who beat her. The more words she heard then, the more the Captain felt a great anger build inside of her. She knew exactly what kind of Quincy had attacked her student, knew exactly what kind of person they were and why they would have attacked Addy... and the mere thought was enough to almost send her into a rage.

Her conscience of the situation was what allowed her to control herself. Well, rather, it was what allowed her to control herself before she would have damaged the entire restaurant with her spiritual energy, as it had steadily begun to rise around her the more she listened to Addy. By then, her smile was completely gone. Instead, all that remained was the look of someone who was not a teacher anymore in the moment, but rather the military commander that she had been designated as. "If her uniform was some kind of military outfit, that woman was not a normal Quincy. She was an officer of the Vandenreich," she explained quietly then before she then forced herself to take another bite from her pizza slice. It didn't seem as though she enjoyed the food this time around. Rather, she instead used the slice to further calm herself down. "It's been a little while now, but they've been becoming more active as of late. Some time before you were admitted into our squad, one of their scout teams tried to infiltrate the Soul Society through the Wilderness outside of the 80th district. We were able to take them down, but since then, they have been showing up here and there. I don't know what it means yet... but I'm expecting something big in the coming months."

The way the Captain had switched tones so quickly was rather impressive, all things considered, but Kimiko wasn't really a fan of doing so. She had not come here to discuss military matters with Addy, or anyone else, really. Those subjects were the kind that she preferred to maintain away from her students, if only because these matters can sometimes lead to sordid consequences to the people of Rukongai, depending on how intense they may be. So, eventually, she would take a deep breath and try to return to her teaching self by focusing on Addy specifically with a bit of a smile. "Maybe you underestimated her. It happens to all of us, especially when we don't really have enough experience on our hands. I can still remember that one time I had to fight that awful Hollow who just kept throwing magic shit at me. I beat it, but she also beat me, all because I was too angry to deal with her magic properly. Do you wanna know how long it took for Yonbantai to get me back into shape? Three days. And that was just because I ended up unconscious after that fight." 

A chuckle came out of her as she remembered that moment. It was rather shocking to her how much she had grown since then. It was also shocking that she hadn't seen that Hollow again since that moment. That coward must still be around today; after all, she still can't remember what she had done to that thing before she fled. Either way, after she laid down her story, she would take another bite of her pizza slice, then gulp it down, allowing both her story and her food to put her back into a mood that was at the very least acceptable from her point of view. "Anyway... what I'm trying to say is that I was in a similar place back then, when I was a Seated Officer like you. After I returned from most of my tougher fights, I'd just feel lucky. I never really thought that I deserved what I got from them." Another pizza bite. A few more munching. Then, a brief sigh as she recalled what has been the true source of her power all along... but that was irrelevant. "But... I eventually realized that it's never about luck. It's only about your skill and your will to apply that skill. If you didn't have those two things, then we wouldn't be enjoying this pizza right now."

There were other factors too, of course, but even to this day, Kimiko believed that these two had more precedence over the others. Just far more. In fact, she would dare even say that a person who lacked skill could still do something so long as they have the will to achieve it. It was why Addy was here, yes, but it was also why Kimiko was here too. Willpower was just about the only thing that allowed her to truly survive the torment of her Inner Hollow... even if it had left her unfortunately damaged in a few ways.

[Addy Kuchiki]

Willpower. A strong determination that allows you to do something difficult. The will to succeed. The will to try. Was that really all she needed? No. If it was, she wouldn’t have lost. But that wasn’t all the advice that Kimiko had given her was it? She needed both skill and willpower in order to achieve her desires. Without both, failure was almost always guaranteed. These two traits weren’t always the easiest to achieve, but nothing worthwhile ever was. In order to grow, you had to put in the effort to do so.

The Quincy in the all-white uniform was in fact part of something bigger, as Addy had assumed earlier. Such a thing just made the most logical sense. This also meant that she wasn’t alone. There was a whole army of the Vandenreich out there, something that she would have to eventually deal with. Not anytime soon, as those much stronger than her were already working on the problem. But the fact that a Quincy had even managed to sneak into the Soul Society in the first place spoke volumes. Perhaps this place wasn’t as secure as she once thought.

Frowning at the implications, Addy wondered what the plan for dealing with them was. Judging from Kimiko’s words and tone, it was probably above her pay grade. Which stung a little, but she only had her strength to blame. If she had been strong enough, she could’ve captured the Quincy. If she was strong enough, she could’ve done a lot of things. But she wasn’t, and none of what she conjured in her head would ever come to be. Still, she could hope. Maybe she would encounter another Vandenreich in the future. And if she did, she needed to make sure she was ready.

“Ah, a long range spammer. My least favorite type of opponent. My condolences.” Her captain was right, she was lacking experience. Even now. She had come so far, yet she still had so much more left to go. The stronger she became, the stronger the enemies she encountered were. Almost like a never ending loop. Everyone had their moments, but it was how they learned from them that made a difference. A failure could be turned into a strength as long as you learned from it.

“That is true. I guess I wouldn’t be here otherwise.” Staring down at her plate quietly, Addy reminisced on all of the memories that came before. Without each and every one of those experiences, she wouldn’t be here. Some of those moments were bad, but the multitude was good. And she wasn’t alone. She had her captain, her squad, and the other shinigami to help her out in her time of need. With help like this, she could come back stronger. More prepared for the dangers she would eventually face. “Huh, never really thought about it that way. Thank you for the insightful words Kimiko.”

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko was somewhat glad that Addy didn't bother going too far into the Vandenreich subject for the time being. It wasn't because she felt as though her student wasn't ready to hear about them; quite frankly, she would have no choice but to have a full-fledged conversation about them with the entirety of the Eleventh Division if their efforts keep going at their current pace. No, it was more so because she quite simply didn't want to talk about them. As much as she disliked the Quincy cult, her relationship with them had become so much more complicated than she ever wanted it to be, and it was all due to just a few key elements. Ruhe was obviously the primary element in that lot, quite unsurprisingly, but Lucien was in there too. And then, there was the matter of Lucien's spies being possibly present all around her throughout the entirety of the Soul Society, the fact that they cannot interrogate any member of the Vandenreich, their willingness to fight forever on and on for the sake of a being who so very clearly does not love them as much as they love him...

The Vandenreich, its connections, its focus, its goals. Everything that composed it from top to bottom, no matter their complexity and nature, lead to nothing more than a dark spiral from which its officers lie at the very bottom with no chance of escape. It didn't take very long for Kimiko to behold the spiral. All it took was but a conversation with Lucien. She saw it for the wicked thing that it was so very clearly and, thereafter, tried so very hard to steer Ruhe away from it, if only because she oh-so-believed that she did not deserve to be caught in its terrible grasp. And yet, despite every effort she has made to keep her safe, she failed to do so because of circumstances that should never ever have had so much power on her conscience. It has only been a few months since she saw Ruhe willingly return to the Vandenreich's military all so that she could remain safe from their Emperor's light, and yet it felt like she has been haunted by that very memory now for whoever knows how long.

Fortunately for her, they did not return to the subject of the Quincy. After they were done speaking about that woman, she was able to teach her lesson without interruption and there were no signs of them ever actually having to return to it any time soon. This was a good thing for Kimiko. Now, she could bring her mind away from the pain, if only for a short while. Or, well, she at the very least believed that she could, even if the taste of the amazing pizza at their disposal had somewhat soured due to the subjects they had just tackled. "Of course, Addy! If you ever need more of them, I'm always here to give them!" She would thus decide to eventually respond to her student with a teasing tone before she chomped down on her slice yet again. By that point, she was practically done with it, having almost reached the trust as her teeth tore through bread and cheese and pepperoni. "Besides, it's not like I'm gonna run out of them any time soon."

A frown shortly followed these last few words as Kimiko realized what she had just said. When she first imagined them in her head, she could've sworn that they sounded way better, but after saying them out loud... Well, they felt shockingly hollow. It was as if they came out wrong. No doubt, in spite of the upbeat tone that she was attempting to maintain, she doubted that Addy would've been unable to notice the slight bit of exhaustion and exasperation which escaped her breath in that moment. She would first try to conceal their lackluster tone for a time by biting into the crust of her pizza slice, gulping it down piece by piece, and then preparing herself to pick up yet another slice that was available to her amidst them all. However, by the time her hand had begun to pull the second slice towards her, she would remain immobile for a moment and turn her head towards the nearest window. Beyond the glass, there was nothing substantial, just a normal road like any other. Yet, in her eyes, her Inner Hollow was there again, staring back at her in silence. She was not smiling.

Kimiko stared at the window for a time before, eventually, she would just let out a long sigh, then a light snort before shaking her head. Her own smile now looked slightly defeated. Its usual light had dimmed and her stature appeared lessened, like the weight upon her shoulders became much more visible in an instant. Then, without warning, an apology. "I'm sorry. I know that I'm not really being... convincing right now. It's not my place to look like this... Not anymore, at least... but it's just... yeah. Things have not been going well for me either." It didn't seem like much, but in that moment, it truly didn't feel like she was someone above Addy. She didn't see her as her student or her subordinate. She just truly saw her as another person like many other. It didn't feel like a good thing, or rather, it didn't feel like it should've been for someone like her who was so high up the food chain of the Gotei 13. And yet, it was enough to at least convince her that she was doing the right thing at this moment.

Her scarlet eyes eventually returned from the window back towards Addy, and at this point, their brilliance was gone. Their crimson had turned closer to a tired blood red, and their lids looked just a tad heavier, enough so that it felt like Kimiko was struggling to keep her eyes wide open. It was a stark contrast to just about everything the officer had seen from her teacher and Captain thus far. "I've just been thinking about a lot of things lately. Nijūkan, Shutokendō, Jūichibantai. Even the Hakabe. Just everything. And every time I think about them, I always just... find something to worry about." She finally pulled up the second pizza slice she had been holding onto for so long before taking a much smaller bite compared to the ones from before. "I helped making those things what they are today, and yet I feel like it's not enough. Jūichibantai has suffered so many losses from all sorts of things lately in spite of my lessons, and then there's been these attacks against the Soul Society too. It makes me feel like all it would take for that whole thing to fall apart is just... one more attack."  

She looked back towards the window again. This time, her Inner Hollow was gone, and in her place was instead what appeared to be a shopping cart. It seemed like it was owned by a traveling merchant simply passing by for the time being. Children came along at the sound of the bell attached to its counter, and soon enough, they were granted cones showcasing many different colors. It was a lovely sight. For Kimiko, though, it was just something to stare at from beyond the glass. Nothing more, nothing less. "A while ago, I was told by the Captain of Jūnibantai that Quincy reiatsu had been detected in our northern school. It wasn't very long after that scout operation I told you about earlier, so we both assumed that it was someone from the Vandenreich. He told me that, if I couldn't find that Quincy under a week, he would request Ningen-taichou to do it himself. Basically, he would have just asked him to burn the school to the ground." 

A crack suddenly was heard from the table as Kimiko's spiritual energy rose sharply, then returned to normal. If Addy looked down, she would quickly realize where the crack was located, as it was nearest to her. "I was able to find the Quincy... I think a day or two before the deadline that bastard gave me. He was a man living in a hut near the school. We didn't even have a discussion or anything. The guy just... attacked me the moment he realized what was happening. I killed him on the spot." She lied as she breathed, making sure to conceal the identity of Ruhe - or Kin, as she was known by the people of Nijūkan North - so as to not bring further suspicion to her name. "I didn't really care about the Quincy. He was just another cultist like the rest of those who fight for the Vandenreich. What I cared about was my school. Maybe Ningen-taichou wouldn't have accepted that request, but... If I didn't find that guy, my northern school could've been destroyed. Just like that. Just because someone had infiltrated it."

A slow inhale of air came from the Captain that moment before another sigh was released from her lips. "It just makes me wonder what would've happened after that."

[Addy Kuchiki]

Quite a bit was said on Kimiko’s end. Her worries, her struggles, her thoughts for the future. It was obvious from a mere glance that her captain wasn’t one to talk about her problems. Instead, she was the type of person to shoulder all the weight on her own, even if she didn’t have to. “I feel as if you should look like whatever you please Kimiko, at least with me. Even if you’re a captain, you’re still like the rest of us. It’s okay to let your walls down occasionally I think.” Always wearing a fake mask of confidence seemed stressful, especially if you didn’t actually feel that way. And while a mask was necessary occasionally, was it still a mask if you never took it off?

“Yeah, I can understand that. You do have quite a bit to be concerned about, I won’t lie. But surely you don’t have to worry about it all alone? Aren’t there others you can rely on? Even if only for a little while? You even got me, for as much as that’s worth.” Patting her chest with a confident thud, Addy maintained eye contact with her captain throughout her whole speech. She wanted Kimiko to know that her words came from the heart. Kimiko wasn’t alone, and Addy wasn’t afraid to prove it. From what Addy could see, her teacher was piling too much on herself. At the end of the day, she was only one person, and she could only do so much.

There wasn’t much advice Addy could give about Kimiko’s school, as that whole situation was out of her expertise. She couldn’t imagine building something from the ground up and then having to constantly watch out for enemy attacks. Attacks that were trying to destroy everything that she had created. Everything that she had put her heart and soul into. Plus there had been attacks against the Soul Society as well, something she wasn't aware of. Surely she should have heard some news on the matter, unless the higher ups were keeping everything hush hush?

“Could the Ningen-taichou have burned your school down? Surely not, right? Just like that?” She couldn’t imagine such a thing occurring, especially with Kimiko’s strength. Were they not afraid of the repercussions of attacking a place under her captain’s protection? The whole situation Kimiko had been involved in seemed dicey, no matter how you looked at it. She had barely found her target as well, only a day or two from the deadline! So it was understandable why this topic was still on her mind. What would’ve happened if she didn’t find the Quincy? What would have Kimiko done? Would she have watched her school burn to ashes?

Staring at her captain, Addy wondered how to phrase her next question. It was a bit personal, but it was one she felt she needed to ask. To see where Kimiko stood on the matter. “Kimiko….If you didn’t find the Quincy, would you have let your school be destroyed? Or would you have….ya know….” Moving her hand in a circular motion, she watched Kimiko closely. The rest of the sentence was left unsaid, but the implication was obvious. Even if it was against the rules, would Kimiko have fought for the place she cared so dearly for? What did she value the highest in this matter? Would she trust Addy enough to even tell her the truth?

[Nakajima Kimiko]

Kimiko's eyes slowly began to drift away from the window and back towards Addy again after she was told that she could look like however she wanted at any given time. It took a moment for the words to settle in, though after they truly did, all that they were able to do was simply cause her lips to briefly appear as a soft smile. She should have been encouraged by them in one way or another, or at the very least be relieved by the fact that her student truly believed that such a thing was possible. However, her Captaincy as well her position within Nijūkan had both long since proven to her that such a thing was simply impossible. If she starts appearing so vulnerable in front of her subordinates and her students, they will start losing faith in her and possibly move elsewhere, and that was not something that she could allow to happen. Things were already starting to become bad as is: they do not need to become any worse, especially during such time of crises.

That being said, it was true that she perhaps needed a proper confidant, someone who she could just talk to when she absolutely needed to talk to someone about such things. A long time ago, she had Shizukakane, the spirit of her first Zanpakuto, and she also had Celes. They were there when she needed guides into the unknown that was this spiritual world. But over the course of time, they began to change, and with those changes, they lost their position as confidants. The first became less and less available as he fought off against Kimiko's Inner Hollow, becoming weaker and weaker as a terrible consequence. As for the second, she simply... changed. She had already been somewhat bad when it came to listening to her a few times prior, but nowadays, it is almost impossible to talk to her appropriately. The last thing that happened between her and Kimiko's students also didn't really help either. The Spirit King is probably the only one out there who knows how many people within the school are still complaining about that.

Maybe Addy could be the Captain's confident. Yeah. Maybe she could be it. There were other options, of course, but amongst them all, she simply seemed to be the better choice compared to the rest. Gideon was nice, but he has always been more so an assistant rather than someone that she could properly talk to. She could say the same thing about Binita and Charles, even if she had to admit that she had a stronger connection to them due to their brutal honesty. As for Kazuhiko, the person that she has hired to be her assistant since what happened between them... Well... It was difficult for her to even imagine herself treating him in such a way. He was not by her side because he wanted to, but rather because he had been forced to by her own decisions, and so she found it unfair to lay upon him her thoughts and feelings about every situation that she is currently facing. Someone who might as well be considered to be imprisoned should not have to deal with such things, after all.

Yeah. She could do. Upon arriving to that conclusion, Kimiko's soft smile would widen just a little bit, looking as though she was relieved to hear that someone like Addy would want to listen to her problems. She wouldn't be able to talk to her about everything, but it was better than nothing, at the very least. However, when she began to tackle the next subject, that relief would soon be replaced by the same anguish she has always felt all this time whenever she recalled Ruhe. Revisiting the topic with somebody else sounded like someone that she needed to do in her head. Yet the more she spoke about it, the less relieved she became. This was only accentuated when Addy mentioned Ningen's potential involvement in the ordeal. After she heard his name come out of her subordinate's mouth then followed by questions fueled by doubt and perhaps even disbelief, the Captain would stare at her for a moment in silence before she would look towards the window again.

She liked to think that such a thing would not have happened. She wanted to think that Ningen would never burn a school to the ground under any circumstance. But what came out of her mouth then reflected her belief more so than any other thought that appeared in her mind only a few minutes prior. "Ningen-taichou is the strongest among us. He is the most powerful of us all. He has seen more things than any one of us have, and he has also fought things that were probably stronger than all of us at once," she would first declare to Addy, if only to showcase how much she admired and how much she understood the man. There was even awe in her voice, a certain level of worship or great respect. Then, she would let out another sigh as she once again recalled the flames of her vision. "He has also witnessed the entirety of our war between us and the Vandenreich. Everything. From its very beginning to what it has now become today." 

Outside the window, her Inner Hollow remained immobile with her smile still nowhere to be found as, slowly, the area around her began to burn. Surely, it took the shape of her vision. The buildings crumbled as they began to feel the wrath of the flames. The people turned to sooth and ash as the fire devoured their flesh. Some screamed. Some didn't. Either way, their lives came to an end all the same, leaving Kimiko contemplating it with an exhausted look. Obviously, she knew that this was nothing more than yet another message from her Inner Hollow. Nevertheless, it hurt her anyway. "I think he would've done it. Probably not immediately after being asked to do it; I mean, he's not a machine. Only those from Jūnibantai tend to think like that. But... if there was a chance his Zanpakuto would have cleansed the Quincy from existence just to make sure it would prevent any chance for an invasion from Rukongai, he would've done it." 

The flesh and bone and constructs of the people outside continued to burn as she stared at them all, powerless to do anything to stop it. The imaginative fire would beam against the scarlet of her eyes, invisible to anything and anyone but her. Then, she heard Addy's question. In that moment, the fires seemed to stop crackling, and every person who had turned into a charred corpse standing upright in her vision turned their heads towards her. Her Inner Hollow, in the meantime, began to frown seriously. It was as though they were waiting for her to speak. To this, Kimiko would frown deeply and allow a certain version of herself to appear before Addy, a version that she did not show to the masses nor the majority of her subordinates. Her eyes turned sharp like knives, staring ahead towards the window as they were about to cut down anything and everything that would stand in her way. Her breathing and her posture both straightened. Her spiritual energy hummed quietly with power that was at risk of surging any given moment. Then, she spoke but a single sentence:

"I would rather die before the heavens than see it be destroyed by their light."

The silence that followed this moment would almost be total for Kimiko and Addy. The Captain, at the very least, could not hear the people around them or outside the window anymore. In fact, she could not see anything anymore, just her Inner Hollow and the table she shared with her subordinate. What was once a burning district in her vision had been replaced with the figure of her dark half standing there in the darkness. Clearly, she was judging Kimiko for her decision yet again. In response to this, the swordswoman would bring her hand to the pizza slice she had begun eating, then bring it to her mouth so she could take another bite from it. The flavor was able to bring her back to reality and to chase away the steel cold that had begun to settle in her heart. She munched a couple of times before, finally, her expression lessened back to what it was prior. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought this up," she apologized then, regretting having shown that side of hers to Addy as she then went on to eat her pizza without a word. It didn't taste as good as it previously did.

[Addy Kuchiki]

Although she didn’t know much about this Ningen character, Addy could understand his general vibe based on Kimiko’s words. He was strong, the strongest amongst them according to Kimiko. High praise, since she thought her Captain was the strongest. He also seemed to be quite old. She couldn’t even begin to imagine his age if he did actually witness the Vandenreich war himself. And he was still alive. After all this time. Which spoke volumes about his skill level. Clearly, Ningen-taichou knew what he was doing.

And judging from her captain’s powerful closing words, Kimiko knew what she was doing herself as well. The conviction. The passion in her voice. All of it was real. Addy could tell. Her message came from the heart. If Kimiko had to fight for what she believed in, she would. Regardless of who her foe was. Be it an enemy, or the Soul Society. Addy could respect that. One must follow their heart, or they would be forever lost.

As Kimiko stared into space, Addy wondered what personal demons her captain had been fighting for the past few months. She seemed stressed, almost torn apart at the seams. The subject that the two had been talking about must have been on her mind for ages. It must’ve been difficult, knowing that there really wasn’t a simple answer to her problems. No matter how Kimiko went about it, it seemed that the outcome of handling her school matters would still end in pain.

“No it’s fine, I feel like some things are better off being said. Your situation is pretty intense, but I stand by what I said. You are my captain, my friend even moreso. I will stand by you until the end because I believe in your vision. Regardless of the enemies that decide to stand in our way.”

Some words needed to be said. Feelings needed to be exchanged. Before it was too late, Kimiko needed to know Addy had her back in the end. Kimiko could apologize for bringing it up, but she should never apologize for how she felt. She believed in her own words, and Addy believed in her. That was all that was needed.

[Nakajima Kimiko]

With the visions coming to an end, Kimiko felt as though her emotions should've settled down to a certain extent. To see the corpses and the flames and the one who had made sure to create those horrible images disappear all in one go should have made her stop thinking about them. But after she spoke those words to Addy with such powerful intent, she couldn't chase them away, or at least not completely. While the horror was not literally standing before her any longer, it now remained in her mind and in her memories, standing there by the side of the other vision she had received while she meditated at the temple. In a way, this should have been better. It should always better not to stare at terrible things face-to-face, so to speak. However, in spite of the fact that she was still but a child compared to some of the more-experienced Shinigami whom she has worked with over the course of the career, she has come to learn that this wasn't always true. If anything... it was worse to keep it in her mind.

But if there was one thing that she could agree on in this moment with Addy, it was that she was able to express her thoughts to her in a way that she felt was acceptable. It wasn't entirely relieving, all things considered. Even though she was able to talk some of her worries out with her student and subordinate, there was still nothing that allowed her to speak of the fact that she was a Vizard to her. There was also a few other matters that troubled her which she could not quite express to Addy either, or at least not in a way that she believed would not get her in trouble, such as the fact that two of her acquaintances are respectively an Arrancar, who has since ridden herself of her dark powers through one of the many forbidden rituals known as Saigo no Houmen, and a superior officer of the Vandenreich, who arguably is one of the only members of that particular organization that she felt she could respect to a certain extent in spite of his goals. Surely, she could not tell Addy about all of those things.

Still, it was a start. Perhaps one day, if things retain their current course, she will be able to speak more freely with Addy about those things. She remained her student and her subordinate, of course, but just as she declared, she was also someone that the Captain could recognize as a friend of hers. If there is one thing friends must do between another every now and then, it's simply talk to each other in order to solve their most pressing problems, or at least lessen the intensity of these problems just so that they can then become much more manageable for everyone involved. In the case of Kimiko, perhaps this would prove to not really be enough; after all, the problems which affected her were much greater in nature to the point that they could possibly affect a notable portion of the Soul Society, even if she wished that was not the case. But again, it was a step forward. That was all that mattered in the end. Just one step forward towards things potentially becoming a bit better in the end.

She would keep munching on her slice of pizza a couple of times after Addy, taking into account everything that she had said thus far as well as the affirmation of her trust in her. Truthfully, she didn't quite like being told that Addy trusted "her vision". In her eyes, it made her appear less so as a confident and more so a yes-woman. In spite of this, she would eventually gulp down her last bite and give the Kuchiki another soft smile. "Heh... Thanks, Addy. Maybe I just... needed that after all," she would admit before looking back at the slice she was holding onto. There wasn't much that remained of it, only about one more bite of toppings and then the dough which formed the crust. Yet, even though that was just about the only thing that remained of it before she would have to pick up another slice, there was something about its now-lacking content that suddenly made it more appealing to her. It was nice. It was relaxing, even, like she had gone through the worst and there was now nothing but the tail end for her to swallow.

Kimiko would eventually take the last bites out of her remaining slice before gulping it down and looking over towards what remained of the entire pizza pie. There were still many more slices to go, partly because they hadn't eaten very quickly due to how heavy the conversation had suddenly become. A part of that made her feel somewhat awkward again; after all, she was the one who had even brought up such an awful subject to begin with, even if discussing it had been more of a pressing issue. However, before she could let it overwhelm her, she would take a deep breath and push away the darkness again before gesturing at the pizza with her head while looking towards her subordinate. "It looks like our meal has been waiting for a little while. Sorry about that," she apologized again before giving Addy a smirk. "If you want, I can buy us another. But if we do, it's double training until the end of the day! Gotta burn up the calories!"

It was a simple suggestion and also very much a distraction. Yet, the swordswoman that this was now perhaps the way to go. They could talk about more important matters later.

[Addy Kuchiki]

“Double training eh? Can never go wrong with that.”

Grabbing another slice of cheesy pizza, Addy resumed her consummation of the greasy food once more. It had been a heavy talk and a lot of information was shared. Information Addy would investigate on her own time. The whole situation surrounding Kimiko wasn’t giving her good vibes, and until she got to the bottom of it, it would bother her constantly. Was doing such a thing wise? Probably not. But it wouldn’t be the first time Addy acted on her feelings. And she doubted she’d regret doing such a thing either.

“On a lighter note, have you practiced anything fun lately? I’ve been working on my Jinzen techniques, and while I wouldn’t necessarily call them fun, they have been enlightening.”

Speaking with her zanpakutos was always a pleasure, even if it took her a while to get it down. She had finally practiced enough to speak with them even in the midst of combat, which was nice. It was always better to get a second input on the things she was about to do, especially if it concerned her life. It was a bit interesting have two spirits in her swords, as it changed up things a little bit for her. Sometimes when she called them, usually Kat or Agatha would answer. Rarely both. Why this was the case was a mystery to her. Perhaps in the future, she would be able to comprehend why this was the case.

“I could show you some of the stuff after this if you wanted? We gotta burn up all these extra calories anyways.”

[Shizuka Sanamizu ✮]

Addy: 37 paragraphs = 30% social bonus to a thread with Kimiko

Kimiko: 47 paragraphs = 40% social bonus to a thread with Addy