Weapon Mechanics Inc

Mia bent down near the cool water and splashed some on her face, the spouts contents welcoming after the bankai training. Masaru wasn't harsh, but he knew exactly how to get her to think and fight with her powers and draw out reserves she never thought she had... She felt herself improving with every practice! But...it was so draining.

It was also so embarrassing. She was wearing a resting robe, one they had gotten specially for her for use after practice... They kept it far from her flames so she didn't have to be covered in just her cloak after...

Lowering the robe a bit, she decided to just stick her roasting head under the water and soak it... So hot... Even with Masaru's ice it still didn't help with her flames much!

Masaru sat on the wooden porch, his legs over the edge as Mia used the spout's water to cool herself off, he had his ice which kept him mostly cool, but he did have a cold towel that'd been soaked as an extra in case he needed it, so the ends of his hair were damp and sticking to him some.

They'd been doing well with the training, and he was glad to see Mia improving as the sessions went on; it took awhile to learn full control and how to fully use one's bankai, but in time she'd definitely have it.

"Doing alright?" He questioned, glancing over to her at the spout.

Mia lifted her long braid over her shoulder, not letting the water run down her bare shoulders and get on the robe... The cool water felt nice, when she was in bankai the heat didn't bother her one bit but after?

Turning off the water, she let her head hang a bit before squeezing her hair a bit and then pulled up the robe to cover her top again. She shook her hair so her bangs fell right again and smiled over at Masaru a bit weakly. "Just wishing I had your ice."

Water dripped down her neck and face as she walked over to the porch where he was sitting, her hands undoing the large braid so she could let it dry on the wooden planks. Sitting next to him, her body still radiating the heat from her bankai, she nuzzled up to his arm. "So much cooler...it feels nice Masa..."

Masaru gave a small chuckle, "I can cool a towel if you'd like."

Before he could offer the suggestion that it was cool where he was due to his abilities, Mia had moved over to him and nuzzled right up to him. Once she was comfortable his arm moved around her as he gave another laugh; "I'm glad I can help."

"Could you just cool my hair? It would probably work the same..." Mia murmured, closing her eyes for a moment as she felt Masaru's arm settle around her. It was definitely cooler over here, hiss powers so nice in the heat of summer. Even if Summer was fading a bit...

"You have the best powers, you really do..." Snuggling just a bit closer, she curled her legs up on the platform and leaned against him more.

Masaru did as asked, cooling her hair for her like she'd wanted; obviously he didn't freeze anything, just cooling so she'd feel better.

At her comment as she leaned against him more she had earned another laugh; "Say that when it's winter." He joked. "I'm glad they're useful now though, this heat can be exhausting..."

"In winter you can just make better snow and ice from whats already there. Plus we can always bring out really warm blankets and hot drinks and snuggle up to stay warm, and my powers can help too! So... its definitely better than summer. You can only take so much clothing off..." Mia may have rambled on her love of winter and wintery cold, but she was feeling better as the cooled hair soothed her hot body.

An obvious sigh of relief made her smile, bringing the damp and cold hair around her neck and stuffing it into her robe. She was cooling off nicely, even laying against him and sharing body heat just a bit. "Thank you... Your powers are beautiful Masa, you and your zanpakuto really are..."

"Right, right; I agree, I definitely prefer the colder weather." It was much more comforting to him, and if he needed to warm up then he could just get some blankets or a coat to do the job for him. "When the weather gets cold I'd say you're abilities will be plenty helpful."

He leaned in some to nuzzle her head slightly before placing a small kiss there; "Welcome, I'm...glad you think so. Ikari can be frightening sometimes though...I'm glad you thought it wasn't scary back then..."

He'd been worried about using his shikai at first on that date, considering what it did to his eyes' appearance, but Mia had said they weren't frightening, which had been a huge relief...

"Hehe, I know... Sorry I was just rambling." Mia nodded against him, stilling as she felt his head nuzzle hers and then feel him kiss her. She laughed softly, her arm reached out to gently brush damp hair from his neck before playing with it.

Masaru's voice was hesitant again and Mia shook her head. "I said your two's powers were gorgeous and wonderful! Mm, I don't think I could be scared with you controlling it. You...you are really strong and careful, so even if I was even scared even just a bit... I just have to remember I trust you and the fear would go away."

He was always worried about them, but the shinigami woman loved his powers and his use of them. He didn't hurt others with them...though she was sure he would if he had to.

"It's alright, you can ramble all you'd like."

Masaru's smile softened as Mia said his and Ikari's powers were gorgeous, and wonderful even; it made him happy she thought that way, and that she held that much trust in him. He would never take Ikari's power's for granted or use them foolishly, of course, but just hearing she had that trust in him was nice.

"I'm glad you have so much trust in me." He added before giving another soft kiss to her head as she continued playing with the dampened ends of his hair.

"But its already things you know! And feel the same way about. It seems silly to repeat it." Mia blushed a bit and shook her head in the negative.

Hiding her face against him a bit, she left her mouth free to talk but felt a bit shy and nervous over what she wanted to say. "...Its silly to say this but... I trust you utterly Masaru... Not blindly but, I know you would never do anything to hurt me if you could help it. A-And you would never allow anything to hurt me if you could help it as well, even yourself or your powers. Even my powers or myself too... I...just get that feeling from you."

"Even if I already know, I don't mind hearing it repeated, so you can say those things as many times as you'd like." Unable to help it, Masaru laughed some again, squeezing Mia in a one armed embrace for a short moment before his hold relaxed.

"It's not silly, not at all...It's nice to hear that; you're right though, I can promise all of that; I won't allow anything to hurt you, nor will I will hurt you...I also trust you as well...I want you to know that..."

Even if it went without saying, it was only right to state it outright...

"...Mm." Mia gave a short flustered reply and nuzzled against Masaru as he squeezed her lightly, trying not to blush too much and ruin the cooled hair that he had given her. She could just ramble all she wanted to him and he would let her? He was so... so... silly...

Mia squeaked almost silently as she jolted a bit in place, Masaru's words almost having physical force from her reaction. She buried her face fully in his clothes and mumbled a few incoherent happy sounds. The hand in his hair kept playing but haltingly.

He trusted her... and he would... protect her... Mia could manage a nod and did so, she was just so happy.

As Mia buried her face in his clothing to hide some, feeling her nod against him after a moment, Masaru's smile remained warm as he continued to hold her to him.

He felt her hands still occasionally playing with his hair and after a moment he continued to comfortingly nuzzle and sometimes give small kisses to the top of her head.

She was happy; he'd spoken only the truth, but it had meant a lot...

Mia felt soothed but the head kisses didn't help her ability to speak much. Masaru was so...cuddly and loving! It still was something she was getting used to...

Finally though her playing with his hair helped her, the fingers touching his dark locks making it much easier to speak if she focused on them. "Th-Thank you."

Aaah this was so embarrassing! She lifted her head up a bit away from his chest so her words were less muffled. "Thank you..."

She was vibrating slightly, wanting to hop up and wrap her arms around Masa or crawl onto his lap. Anything to get closer...

"Welcome..." Masaru replied, giving a small, happy chuckle as Mia looked up at him; she was greeted with the same soft smile she usually saw on his features.

She was moving slightly in his hold, and after a moment or two had passed he pulled her closer against him before he fell back slightly, resting his back against the porch and lying; he'd been careful to pull Mia back with him gently.

"Sorry." He apologized with a sheepish chuckle; he had just felt this would be nicer than sitting up for a bit; it wasn't like anyone other than the two of them were around anyway.

These sorts of...affectionate actions were becoming more common with him, after their...confession he felt more confident about such actions like these...

That soft smile and laugh made Mia melt inside, feeling parts of her just respond to him in a happy manner whenever she saw that. As he pulled her closer against him, she let out a breath and made sure to follow him as he leaned back.

Scooting up and snuggling up to him, she molded her body around his a bit before sitting up slightly so she could do something. She looked down on Masaru, her hair falling from her robe slightly as her head shook slightly to the side. "No."

Kissing him gently, Mia moved to kiss his cheek gently after...and then his jaw and then his neck before finally settling against him. She was blushing madly, but... it had been...nice! This was nice, Mia snuggling his chest and then kissing that too.

He'd been way more affectionate since their confession... she'd... she'd need to be so too! More confidence!

An unintelligible stutter escaped him as Mia moved to sit up some, though he wasn't able to question anything before she leaned in and kissed his cheek, before more lower to his jaw, and then to his neck...and so on...

She'd easily silenced him, and also had him blushing before and after she'd settled against him; how could he not blush went she was doing that!

Trying to ignore it, his arm secured around her once she was settled comfortably before giving a small breath.

"I-I...just...want to be as confident as you...and let you know it was okay..."Masaru was blushing and Mia felt she should defend her actions... His stutters had...been so cute...and she was the cause so it made her little tiny sand grain sized ego grow just a bit. She had barely stuttered too! Yes!

Nuzzling the scar on his chest, she smiled as she felt his arm secure its hold and that small breath too... "...S-Sorry...was it...too... t-too bold?"

"N-Not at all, what you did was p-perfectly fine; it was nice..." Masaru replied, quick to reassure her that her actions had been fine; "I-It's perfectly fine for you to do that."

She was currently nuzzling his chest, and as she did that his free hand that wasn't holding her moved up some to her hair again, teasing it like he'd been doing before they'd laid back.

Mia smiled a bit and tried not to laugh. Masaru...was flustered by that? Well of course! But it still was something she wasn't used to... She made him so flustered sometimes...

"Thank you... I'll do it more...then..." Mia murmured as she rested her head against his chest and finally stopped her nuzzling. Hair pets were relaxing and she closed her eyes. A thought came to her and she frowned just slightly, they were laying in the training grounds so it was hard to not think of training but... "Hey Masa? I've never seen your bankai before... I know you are strong enough that your shikai is fine for practicing with me... but... It feels silly I've never seen it before..."

Resting his head back as Mia lay against him, resting herself, he momentarily shut his eyes, his hand still moving slightly to continue petting her hair; this was a nice break, relaxing...

His eyes opened again as Mia spoke up though; his bankai? He...Hadn't ever said anything about it before had he? He never really talked about...

"I've never really spoken about it, let alone used it in front of you, huh..." He mused; "I never really thought about it, though... It's similar to how my shikai works, I can just pull off a new techniqu-...a couple new techniques..."

He always kept one ability secret, and if he thought about it the only person that probably knew about it from him personally had been Setsuna...

Not explaining to Mia...when he thought about it it felt kind of wrong...

"Mm, you were always quiet about it but I never thought to ask... Sorry... So its just the same? Do you keep the pretty eyes?" Mia sat up just a tiny bit so she could turn her head more to look up at Masaru. She smiled softly, enjoying the relaxing playing of her hair for now.

Being snuggled up to him like this and the cool air around them was soothing as she spoke up after a short moment. "What kinds of techniques?"

She was allowed...to ask such things, even though her mind rebelled and tried to apologize for asking such a personal question! Mia was someone very special to him and him to her! It was allowed to ask personal things...

"It's similar, yes; I do keep the eyes, since I need to see water particles..." Masaru answered, thinking some on his bankai, he had plenty of training with it, but it was rare he ever had to seriously use it; he certainly hadn't used it in their training, it wasn't suitable for it.

He gave a small, sheepish laugh as Mia asked about the techniques; "They're not nice..."

They weren't something one could have fun with, definitely not; his bankai's abilities were clearly meant to kill and cause damage. "There is one where my opponent has the chance of being encompassed in ice; if they're agile enough though, they might only get a limb caught, but...I would be able to put pressure on the ice, and with enough it would...shatter into thousands of small pieces which in turn would slice and likely ruin whatever had been captured within it..."

Definitely not nice...

As he explained he'd continued playing with Mia's hair, not wanting her to...think too much about his explanation of that first technique...

"Mm...that is good. Your power is really amazing! How do you control so many things so minutely? It...you are very very ingenius aren't you?" Mia knew Masaru was smart, he was incredibly smart...but just controlling water particles like that seemed a ton of work. Her powers seemed to rely merely on intuition or emotions, less on thinking. If she thought too much in fact, they seemed to be harder to control.

Masaru's sheepish laugh had her mind focusing on him again, her head tilting just a bit as she shifted more to be able to watch his face. She didn't think they were nice... Mia might personally think of the cute aspects of his power but it was clear he definitely knew how to kill with them.

"Ouch. That sounds really painful, I wouldn't want to get caught in it." Mia winced, imagining the poor leg that would be just sliced into pieces. Either that or crushed before it shattered, which would be just as bad. The hair playings had no real effect, but that was mostly because she wasn't too bothered by such an ability and was relaxed anyways. They were shinigami...their powers were not meant for fun, even if you could use them for it...