Koizumi Ren: Shikai Training

Koizumi sits in the center of the small, empty room in the 4th Division barracks.  Postured upright, and cross-legged, with his Zanpakuto laying sheathed across his lap, he awaits instruction from Captain Aki on properly communicating with the blade's spirit.

[we're actually in the 4th division so i changed it]

Looking at a small piece of paper Aki observed it with the greatest effort she could to try and figure out where she was suppose to go in the 4th division to meet a shinigami named Koizumi. Scratching her head she threw the piece of paper away and sighed. After taking a few more turns here and there she stumbled upon a building. It had the right name on it so with no regrets she entered the door and walked through already seeing the young pupil ready to go.

"Woah aren't you eager." She walked in smiling, placing herself a few feet in front of him sitting on the floor. "No tea or floormats? I thought the 4th was more well rounded then the 3rd was but I could be wrong. So what is it that you need to call out a captain from another division?" Fully aware of what he's goal was Aki asked grinning waiting for an answer she already knew.

Having lost track of time, Koizumi is snapped back to reality from a deep thought by the Captain's words, stumbling to find an appropriate response.

"Ah, C-Captain, I...I was waiting and...I wondered if you weren't coming and...ahm..." Koizumi stammers before gathering his mind back together. "Ahem...my apologies, Captain. This building is for meditative use. It is free of any and all amenities and decoration in order to keep distractions to a minimum." Koizumi explains, gesturing at the featureless walls, save for the single window at each side allowing light to filter through. "Oh, but back to why I've asked you here." Koizumi continues, "My name is Koizumi Ren. With our Captain absent, we have had to seek outside our Division for assistance from time to time. I was hoping you would be willing to help me become stronger. For the benefit of the Soul Society, please, Captain Aki, teach me how to properly communicate with my Zanpakuto." Koizumi gazes into the Captain's eyes with determination...

While Koizumi let out his answer Aki pulled out a small jar, which for most would be filled with sake Aki opened it to drink some other weirdly mixed concoction of her own design. She wiped her mouth with her sleeve and passed the jar onto Koizumi with a smile after he finished his explanations.

"Yeah I actually wasn't gonna. Not to decline your request but cause I hate the place. The smell of anesthetics really makes my skin crawl. But tis your lucky day. If it weren't for the large amount of paper work that came my way you would be sitting here for another couple hours!" She spoke the truth of course, but also she was aware of the captain's absence and thought she would help out a fellow division for once.

"Well here I am. Well tell me, what do you know so far about that blade your holding. Like, what's its name?" Aki smirked mischievously.

"I thank you." Koizumi replies as he rests a hand on the sheathed blade. His fingers trace the petals of the rose that serves as the katana's guard. "It's name...I am unsure. Sometimes when I hold it, I am certain I can hear it whisper something to me, but the only word I can understand is 'Bara'," Koizumi admits.

Aki leaned back using her hands to rest. She looked at him with a smiled as usual and began to speak once more, "Well that isn't a lot now is it. Well I won't go all lecture mode on you like at the academy. Cause those were like torture. But I'm sure you know the basics of all swords. They all form from the same origin, an Asauchi. But yours is no longer an Asauchi, it's slowly telling you it's name." Aki sat up again with her back straight for once and lifted her umbrella that rested on her back.

The umbrella's form melted to reveal that it was actually her zanpaktou. "See the difference between the shikai and bankai are very simple. In shikai the zanpaktou let's you into their world and in Bankai you bring them out to yours aka the physical world. Seeing as you know Bara means you've formed your asauchi from being nothing to your own. You have imprinted your spirit into it for it to mold to a unique zanpaktou. You've picked the perfect place, by meditating and connecting with your zanpaktou you can talk to your sword. And they'll let you into their world, but also by meditating you can enter your inner world yourself. Wanna give it a shot?"