[Open] The Colder It Gets, A Vice-Captain's Respite

Late evening. fall winds, a chilling time of year. The Seireitei is mostly quiet, only the occasional sight of lanterns moving give much indication of life at a distance. The walls block most sightings of the Shinigami tasked with patrol routes, though their reiatsu isn't far enough to be undetected by most, a quiet wave of energy in the distance moving slowly around in swirls. Colder than usual, this night was just chilly enough to see one's breath before them. The feeling of a warm fire and a thick blanket seemed like a comfort most Shinigami would seek tonight, but one errant reiatsu would be alone in the distance, a rare reiatsu to feel so far away from the main halls. Second division Vice-Captain Nishimura, Nobuyuki.

It was a rare sight to see his signature reiatsu off on it's own like this, the Vice-Captain tended to stay so busy that he was rarely seen by those outside of the second division. The amount he worked made some question if he simply preferred not to associate with other Shinigami, though those who did have the rare chance to talk would likely say he seemed welcoming enough anyway. This night however seemed different, he seemed to be far away from general work as he knelt on a blanket near a moderately slow moving river. A single pole jammed in the ground would seem to be a makeshift fishing pole and the small circle of rocks he'd put together made for a fine fire pit, albeit rather small, but at least it had a small kettle boiling water above it..

Eyes closed, mind wandering, truly a peak moment for anyone trying to relax, this was the most serene anyone would find the second division vice-captain in at least the last few months. There was a sense of peace both in his motionless stance and the surroundings he'd chosen to rest in. The pole would occasionally flick, a bite? Maybe, possibly multiple hooks slowly catching fish passively, or even perhaps a long tradition of failed fishing all together, it had been so long since his last cast there was no telling which of the three it would be. There was even several small boxes, presumably food, tied together in a tall stack with a bow on top. The quiet scene was nothing more than picturesque, a dream for anyone seeking to rest properly.

Sumoki was a bit of a weird duck, that much had been made apparent throughout the bulk of his career as a Shinigami. Frankly this had been his first day off in a long, long time and he was hoping to find some rest and respite by the river on the outskirts of the Seireitei. His job was hard day today, but by this point his tenure he had own the right to take off when he wanted to in order to go recuperate, and that was exactly how he had found himself here, staring down at a man he'd sparsely met with a fishing rod.

Without skipping a beat, he would set up about ten feet away from him, setting himself down to relax and listen to the water running beneath him. It was serene, the water was nearly transparent and he could more or less watch the fish being caught by the man with each passing moment. It took Sumoki roughly 5 minutes of loafing around to speak up in a loose attempt to make idle chit chat. "You know, I wasn't aware anyone else around here had found my spot. I suppose the fish bones from previous trips should've tipped me off, but still."

He closed his eyes for a moment, resting them for a moment before continuing. "I'm guessing this is how you like to spend your off time eh? Can't blame you, it's serene, peaceful. Wish I could get out here more."

The sound of company joining the vice-captain didn't seem to warrant a reaction on it's own. Nishimura continued his quiet work, only the softest of sounds produced. A slow reach to the pole and several gentle tugs to confirm if a fish were on the line would lead to a long pause. Wrapping his hand around the pole he'd give a sharp but short few yanks of the rod before jamming it back into the dirt. He'd begin pulling the line in by hand, until a fairly good sized fish was revealed to be hooked near the end of the line.

As the two remained silent, Nishimura would take the hook from the fish's mouth, rebating with a small piece of flesh before tossing it back into the river unceremoniously. Finally words had been spoken about the fish bones. "I use them as hooks sometimes, but the smaller bones tend to be too flimsy. Sometimes I find one that lasts quite a while-", he while reaching into the dirt to pick up a fairly sturdy looking fish bone that had already been shaped into a sharp hook, "-but where there is quality, there is also failure. Seems to be the pattern everywhere, even in fishing." Nishimura would take the fish and gently place it on the ground before giving it a quick strike to the head to silence it forever. The precision of the strike showed he probably had fished many times before, a muscle memory had formed for such a quick and clean kill.

Shifting to spin around and planting himself down by the fire, the vice-captain would look to Sumoki, a simple nod of agreement to the question before adding, "It's a peaceful way to drain stress, but being so time consuming it tends to be a rare treat. I just hope everyone has some kind of way of resting they enjoy, even if only once in a while." Nishimura didn't speak much more than to confirm his past time, the observation of bones was very likely his doing, though others may have contributed as well. Nishimura clearly didn't seem to mind other people sharing his idea of fishing. Furthermore, Nishimura certainly didn't object to someone else claiming the spot as theirs as well, it was a nice spot so it came as no surprise that someone else found it peaceful. A final act of welcoming came as Nishimura finished pushing a long stick into the side of the fish, offering it to Sumoki, while looking to make sure the fire was good and hot still.

Sumoki was, at least in some small way enraptured with the mans meticulously well thought out routine in regards to fishing. The way he used every part of the fish, the way he worked to be rid of the fish, there was no wasted movement and that level of efficiency was something he both envied and admired equally. He took the process in as best he could, hoping to replicate in the future but it was clear that this was something Nishimura had perfected and practiced over the course of many years, and many sessions out here by the river.

As the man began to speak, Sumoki perked to attention hoping to pitch in, perhaps willing to opine with his own ideas towards the practice. "Bigger bones are nice, they last much longer but then sometimes the fish won't bite. They notice the makeshift hook and cut bait because the bigger bone isn't quite as easy to disguise, the water eventually reveals it to them and yet we here on the surface would be totally oblivious as to why the fish stopped biting. Quality leading to failure, one of the universes favorite little ironies."

Sumoki from then on just nodded along as best he could, choosing to reciprocate and thank the man silently as he was handed a fish of his own. He sat up, sitting directly across from the man as they both began to rotate their soon-to-be-meals over the fire. "I suppose everyone has to decompress in their own way. Lord knows when I was in the second squad I felt like I needed at least.. well, 7 days off a week frankly. Seishin is pretty fucking grating if I'm being honest but.. hey, I'm beyond that now and that's what counts right?.."

Sumoki smirked, watching as the fish began to char a bit at the edges of it's skin. "I'm guessing you're slowly but surely coming to realize that yourself, right?.."

Listening silently to the other shinigami speak, Nishimura would simply nod at his words. The judgment of fish bone sizes was accurate. "The trick to disguising a fish bone is not much different than being a shinigami." He spoke quietly as he shifted the pole some, turning to fully watch his baited line move about in the water. "The idea of taking the great size of something, such as a fish bone or our reiatsu, and utilizing it with the precision and efficiency of a scalpel." As he spoke the final word he'd give a light tug, then begin reeling the line in hand over hand once more to reveal another fish worthy of a meal.

A quick strike to kill the fish, Nishimura would find another long enough stick. Skewering the fish with the stick he'd set it up by the fire nearer to himself than the first, which seemed to be coming along nicely. "As for the Captain, it seems that we don't talk often these days. Not for any particular reason, but with my previous ventures I believe we've just not had a chance to match our schedules much. That said, I have a respect for the Captain. To have earned such a position shows dedication and diligence that I can be envious of and hold a desire to one day obtain myself."

With that the vice-captain would lift a small bamboo container from his belt and pour some macha it into the boiling water over the fire. A light stir before pouring two cups of tea and setting the pot down on the blanket. Holding one up to offer to Sumoki, he would add, "By the way, I've come to learn from the bones that strength comes in all sizes. The thin bones serve well as needles for sewing, and the heads make for a good fish stock. The real question isn't, how does one obtain power, but how does one utilize the power they have?" With that, the vice-captain went quiet in thought. This was one thing he was known for, seeking lessons to teach to newer recruits, though often bouncing them off established shinigami who knew the lesson all too well. If he could ever make time, it would almost be expected to find Nishimura volunteering at the academy.