Dudebros [Koga, Ranma]

"You sure are a noisy one aren'tcha?"

Accompanied by a booming chuckle, a rough voice called out to the eccentric man screaming at his zanpakuto. Koga wasn't familiar with everyone in his division, but he wasn't oblivious to the rumors and words he'd heard among his peers. Ranma Gekiretsu. The man who yelled at his sword, constantly demanding that it answer him. To a degree, Koga could relate. He wasn't ideally linked with Sensouya too much, either. If anything, that bastard of a spirit reveled in deceiving him at every turn. Even now, he wondered if the expression of the zanpakuto he had spent his time attempting to refine truly represented him at his core. What if it was just another one of his tricks? Tch. Self-reflection was difficult with all the noise. Better to approach this loudmouth and get his mind off of things. Stepping forward, offering to shake his hand, Koga tilted his head sideways with a wide grin.

"Name's Koga. And you are... Ranma Gekiretsu. The guy with a reputation for having a few screws loose upstairs. How's it hangin'? Any closer to a discovery or still the same ol' silence?"

"Pfft, hell if I know. Mine doesn't treat me with any silence, but he's a real fuckin' asshole. I can say that much."

That said, Koga could certainly relate to the struggle before discovering his zanpakuto's name. Constant meditation accompanied by repeated silence. Of course, there was frustration. Who wanted a spirit that wouldn't answer when you needed it most? A blade like that might as well be useless, but that wasn't the way he should approach advice to a fellow member. Koga could clearly tell the man was experiencing a crisis at the moment, and it wouldn't do to tell him he should cut his losses. Stroking his chin, he stepped forward to lean down and ruffle the man's hair, a reassuring grin playing across his rough features.

"I don't quite understand how yer zanpakuto works, but I know there's any number of ways ya could draw him out. I'm no expert on the matter, but they tend to come out at the darndest of times. Judgin' by those scars, I can tell you've probably been in plenty of life-or-death battles. Hmm... and meditation doesn't seem to be working. When you discovered your Shikai, did your spirit communicate with ys then? What happened? Can you pinpoint that memory, or is it all a blur to ya now?"

"Your zanpakuto sounds like a real shitter if ya' ask me."

He stated those words bluntly, an exasperated grin playing across his mouth. As much as he hated to admit it, outside of all the wackiness his recount entailed, they found a relatable strife concerning their zanpakuto. Both were given Shikai only for their weapons to offer nothing else and force them to discover an answer. Sensouya was similarly a pain in the ass who made his life difficult at every turn. In truth, he didn't exactly think his Shikai was the spitting image of cool - not in comparison to Hōkamaru at least. Propulsion hammer that could collect energy. How fun.

In the hands of someone proficient with Kido, it would probably be an incredible weapon. Since Koga was nowhere close to proficient, his zanpakuto branded him with something close to a fuckin' disadvantage. God, thinking about that bandaged bastard was making him angry. Observing the spectacle with his weapon, Koga stroked his chin in relative silence before offering his opinion on the matter.

"Good questions. If what we learned in the academy is somethin' to treat as gospel, zanpakuto are manifestations of our soul. Once we apply our spirit onto our blade and discover their name, we come to know who they are, their intentions, their desire..."

Koga leaned in for further observation, tilting his head to the side as he packed back and forth.

"...And yet, oddly enough, half of us find that we're nothing like our spirits sometimes. Judging from my first impression of you, ya dun sound nothin' close to your zanpakuto. That said, I think yer overthinkin' too much. Yellin' and spazzin' out over it isn't going to help. Shit answer, but, if he appeared at random before, perhaps he'll appear at random again... What would ya even say to him if he answered you? Do you care about him or do you simply want him to answer ya?"

"Thank him, eh? I don't know your spirit at all, but who knows? Maybe he'd appreciate that. Either way, ya should learn to relax more. What's the big rush, anyway? Ya got all the time in the world. My zanpakuto spirit's a real piece of work. To be honest, I'm not exactly clamorin' to see that bastard any time soon, even if I'd like to learn Bankai one day."

Additionally, he felt Ranma ought to relax more. This guy seemed wound up for something that really didn't matter right now. If he possessed a cool Shikai, did it matter if his spirit ignored him? Maybe it did. Since he wasn't exactly buddy-buddy with his own spirit, it wasn't his place to judge Ranma.

As it stood, the simple fact of it was that Rome wasn't built in a day. His yelling at his weapon all day wasn't going to make it hop up and talk to him. It'd only make others look at him weird and give him a poor reputation, and Koga couldn't let that happen.

if they were gonna be working together, he wanted his division mates to feel comfortable, he wanted them to feel connected to their environment. And then, a flash of inspiration struck him. This was the perfect opportunity for them to get to know each other and hang out. Clapping his hands together, Koga's eyes surveyed the surroundings.

"At any rate, since we're already here, let's relax and unwind. Ya wanna go grab a bite to eat and drink the day away? I know a good ramen joint that serves a damn fine bowl. And we can go for drinks afterward. When in doubt, the best way to relax is to get shitfaced. Whaddya say, Ran?"

"Hahaha! That's the spirit, man!"

Koga chuckled heartily as he slapped a palm against his back. That was the spirit. He could worry about talking shit to his zanpakuto another day. Getting his balls twisted in a knot wasn't going to get him any closer to a solution, and he had plenty of time for that lousy spirit to visit him and say hello. Of course, Koga paused for a moment the minute Ranma talked about naming his kid ramen.

He held back the urge to slap him in the head, tilting his head to the side instead, raising an eyebrow at how dumb that sounded. Ranma didn't even sound like ramen. Moreover, who named their kid after a bowl of noodles and broth!? Turning his head toward the barracks exit, he motioned for Ranma to follow as they set off toward their next destination. Since he was feeling generous, he'd probably pay for the ramen and alcohol. Probably.

"Alright, next stop, Ichigeki Ramen Shop! And then we're gettin' shitfaced. I hope you can hold your alcohol, Ran. I won't go tootin' my own horn, but I'm somethin' of an expert at drinking until sunrise without lettin' up. Think you got what it to takes to face me?"