- Location
- Elsewhere
The first thing I noticed is that Ryuketsu feels pretty similar to Suzumebachi. I don't think that's a bad thing necessarily since it's pretty different thematically, but still.
Indelible Stains [Bleach SI/OC]
- Thread starter zarinthel
- Start date
Was expecting him to be more official looking. Also, gee, Ryuketsu is pretty terrifying, talk about being eaten alive
- Location
- Dallas
All I can hear in the background is "THERE WILL BE BLOOD! SHED!"
If there's one thing I appreciate is the dialogue between the characters. It really does nail down that bleach style.
It's a kind of...really anime way to describe it. The thing is with bleach is all the characters are these eccentric and quircky people with a (barrying the humans) REALLY whack set of morals. Like everyone's on the brink of just cutting a motherfucker open but don't because it would be a little too impolite. But they're totally willing to throw down and cut a bitch.
You specially get that with Shion and Ryuketsu. Who btw, is totally the girl you bring with you to a khornate quinceanera and I am all for it.
If there's one thing I appreciate is the dialogue between the characters. It really does nail down that bleach style.
It's a kind of...really anime way to describe it. The thing is with bleach is all the characters are these eccentric and quircky people with a (barrying the humans) REALLY whack set of morals. Like everyone's on the brink of just cutting a motherfucker open but don't because it would be a little too impolite. But they're totally willing to throw down and cut a bitch.
You specially get that with Shion and Ryuketsu. Who btw, is totally the girl you bring with you to a khornate quinceanera and I am all for it.
Really fond of Shion so far, the mask of cheerful politeness while being a bastard worse than Mayuri works great and their interactions with the cast have been fantastic so far, I'm looking forward to see what they'll do now that most of the interesting people to fuck around with in the division are gone.
Not sure what Ukitake was thinking, sending Miyako to a division where the defacto leader got rid of the members he didn't like is...an interesting way to show concern for someone
Not sure what Ukitake was thinking, sending Miyako to a division where the defacto leader got rid of the members he didn't like is...an interesting way to show concern for someone
So this shouldn't be reassuring at all, but I guess when you're a captain the number of people who would be willing to screw with you is vanishingly small.
Bull in a China Shop
There's one thing that Shion really should have seen coming.
"Hey! Lieutenant Kaien Shiba here, pleased to meet you," Kaien Shiba says, lifting one hand up as he strolls into Shion's laboratory. "Have you seen my lovely wife around? I was over doing some work in my division, and then I had a brilliant idea-- I could just come and do that boring stuff over here, with my lovely Miyako!"
Miyako's apparently gone as far as warning him about Shion's habit of leaving hanging slash marks in the air, so they don't even get the joy of watching him walk into one as he saunters his way around the lab.
"Miyako doesn't come down here," Shion says, not moving from their position on the floor. "This is the SRDI building, not the division's main house."
They watch him step directly on top of one of their sketched out barrier designs. Should have installed an automatic trap for anyone who did that. Shame on them for thinking it was pointless, due to the lack of people who ever came into their personal space.
"But she's the 3rd, right?" Kaien's got both hands tucked into his belt as he stares down at Shion, brows twitching into a vague scowl. "What do you mean, she's not a part of what your division gets up to?"
Shion tilts his head.
"She can do whatever she wants," he says. "Unless she wants me to send her on a mission to the Rukongai or to the Human World, in which she needs to get into the line. Everyone wants to go sample collecting."
"I don't get you," Kaien says. He crouches down in front of them, the delinquent way he holds himself at great odds with the nobility of his station. "I thought you were the arrogant type, never showing up for the Lieutenant meetings. But Ukitake'd never let Miyako transfer under someone like that."
"So you did mean to find me," Shion says, voice dry. "And to think, I'd long been used to having no visitors at all."
Kaien laughs.
"Don't sell yourself short, Lieutenant Shion!" He says, bumping a fist against his chest. "Now that you've got me and Miyako hanging around, you'll have plenty of company!"
Shion smiles brightly back at him.
"That's not what I meant at all," they say. "I'm more used to being proactive and going to visit people, that's all. You have to find entertainment where you can."
Kaien gives Shion's shoulder a friendly slap, the motion vibrating through Shion's whole body.
"That's right," he says. "I heard you and Kaname both went out for drinks after your promotion! Makes me wish I'd taken Ukitake's offer a little later, so I could have gone with you two. Oh, to be a fly on that wall."
Shion's smile remains firmly fixed in place.
"There's no reason why we can't recreate the experience," they say. "In fact, I'm also friends with Seinosuke, over in the 4th. We could invite him as well-- make it a really special occasion."
"It's like you read my mind," Kaien says, pumping his fist in the air. "What a great idea! There's this bar down on--"
"Lieutenant Kamiya," Miyako says, her long dark hair tied up and out of the way except for a few strands that escape to frame her face. She gives them both a gentle smile. "Kaien. What's this? I was so worried about how the 13th Division might be getting on without me, only to find out that you've managed to find enough free time from your duties to come down here and organize a full event."
Kaien immediately rises back up to his feet, beaming.
"Miyako," he says, walking back towards her and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Look at you."
That's it, Shion is putting new safeguards in their lab.
"You look at me every day, Kaien," Miyako says, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Your new responsibilities suit you."
"You far outshine me in that category as well," Kaien says, smiling down at her. "Why, your new responsibilities seem to have added a new, ethereal shine to your--"
"Please don't let me interrupt you two," Shion says, smile taking on a near plastic sheen. "But the door is just behind you."
Miyako brushes Kaien's arm off her shoulder.
"My apologies, Lieutenant Kamiya," she says. "I'll escort him out at once."
She drags her husband back out through the door, though not before Kaien gets in one last kicker.
"The bar down by the 10th!" Kaien yells. "You know, the one with--"
Shion adds soundproofing to the list of modifications they need to make to their current barrier set up.
Tousen is already at the bar by the time Shion manages to drag Seinosuke there, looking deeply uncomfortable in his carefully ironed Lieutenant's robes. A single cup sits in front of him, untouched.
"Kaname," Shion says, waving as he slides into the other side of the bar. "It's been so long! I was worried you wouldn't come!"
"I hoped you wouldn't come," Seinosuke says, thin features pinched from the deep discomfort of being away from his division. "Then we could have all just gone home."
"Kamiya," Tousen says, after the barest pause where he clearly has to go through quite a lot of reiatsu signatures to figure out who else has come to visit. "I don't think I've had the honor of meeting your acquaintance."
"Lieutenant Yamada," Seinosuke says, sitting down only after looking like he was going to be infected with some lingering disease. "Fourth division."
"Oh... of course. I should have known you would have accompanied him. Your work for the 4th division and Soul Society has been exemplary."
Seinosuke's nose wrinkles.
"I assure you, I'm doing the absolute bare minimum necessary for my position," he says.
"He's so modest," Shion says to Tousen, throwing an arm around Seinosuke's shoulder and tipping their head to rest on his shoulder. "He's really very good at his job."
"Get your hands off me," Seinosuke says, voice chilling even further.
Shion ignores him.
"And I've heard you're doing an exemplary job at being a lieutenant, Kaname," they say, voice bright. "In fact.. Isn't there a promotion in your future? You're going to outrank both me and Seinosuke here."
They feel Seinosuke tense underneath their cheek. He hates being reminded he's never going to get promoted.
Not unless Unohana dies, of course. And what are the odds of that?
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Tousen notes, hands tense around his untouched cup. "Though how you learned about my bankai..."
Inquiring for Aizen, or for himself? Not that it matters.
"You've never heard of the keepers of the Historical Record, Kaname?" Shion says, lifting their head off of Seinosuke's shoulders to instead resettle themselves, lacing their fingers as a rest for their chin as they stare over at Tousen. "How odd. I thought the actions of one of the 5 noble clans to be common knowledge..."
Seinosuke gives them an extremely irritated look.
"I've never heard of it either," he says. "And my job would have depended on the noble clans."
Tousen's hands tighten around the cup enough for a small crack to form.
"My, my..." Shion says, smiling with sweetness and generosity. "Perhaps I should enlighten you, then. The Tsunayashiro Clan does work closely with the 12th Division, after all."
"Tsunayashiro?" Tousen repeats, and they can almost hear the hew and cry of feasting locusts. "I've found it's... actually rather difficult to learn much about that clan at all, Kamiya."
"The Noble Families keep to themselves," Seinosuke notes. "Even when they need healing, they rely on healers retired from the Fourth." His words are tinged with disdain. "Convenience prioritized above competence... Though I do commend them for their active canvassing of our division for potential recruits."
"Is constantly combing over a division for its most competent healers and stealing them really something commendable," Tousen says flatly. "Not to distract from the subject of the Tsunayashiro."
"It's proactive," Seinosuke says.
"Yes, and so was Urahara-senpai," Shion says, merriment still bubbling in their throat. "When he contacted the Clan with a fascinating proposal. I'm so lucky to have inherited such a competently run division. You see--"
He stops talking as he sees Miyako enter the bar and quickly pace over to their table, offering all three of them a deep bow.
"Did something happen?" Shion asks. "I wasn't aware we had anything terribly explosive going on in the labs right now. And none of my barriers were triggered..."
"I can go with you right now if there are any on site injuries," Seinosuke says, seizing a possible escape route instantly.
"I didn't mean to alarm either of you," Miyako says, eyes widening. "There's nothing wrong-- at least, nothing wrong at the 12th Division. I'm here to apologize for my husband. Even after he was the one who wanted this... meeting to happen, he ended up having to remain at the 13th due to Captain Ukitake's health...I'm afraid he'll be unable to attend at all."
"Oh," Shion says, mood immediately restored. "That's great."
Miyako gives him a sharp look.
"It is never good to shirk one's responsibilities, Lieutenant," she says.
"I could not have said it better myself," Shion agrees immediately. "That's why I'm so excited for you to attend in his stead. Please, have a seat."
Now he's getting uncomfortable looks from all three of them. They can feel their day improving already.
"I insist," they say. "Really. I'm sure you'll fit right in."
"I--" Miyako stammers. "I'm not on your level, lieutenant?"
"It's not like there's one level a lieutenant can be on," Shion says. "In fact, we span the distance between heaven and earth, if you're trying to be dramatic about it. See, I'm barely lieutenant level, whereas Kaname over here is almost a captain! So really, you'd be keeping me company."
Miyako doesn't look convinced.
"Not even mentioning me at all..." Seinosuke says, voice dry. "Am I not even a lieutenant in your eyes, Kamiya?"
"You're an amazing example of a lieutenant," Shion reassures him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "But it's because you're perfectly average, so I don't think that would have proven my point to Miyako about the large gap in lieutenant abilities..."
"I don't think placing yourself at the bottom did any good, either," Tousen states. "A flawed example from the start."
"Doing myself an 'injustice'?" Shion beams. "Kaname, you're too kind to me."
"Perfectly average?" Seinosuke repeats, sounding disgruntled. "I assure you, Kamiya, I am an exemplary lieutenant."
"Yes, yes," Shion waves Miyako onto the seat next to Tousen. "You're so strong and talented, Seinosuke. And you never, ever fall asleep at your desk."
Shion makes strong enough eye contact with a waiter that they manage to get almost immediate service for the whole table, despite how little the poor young man seems to want to stand anywhere near their table.
"A toast!" Shion says, lifting up his cup. "To future and past lieutenants!"
They keep their cup lifted in the air til every single other person at the table has properly clicked glasses with them.
"Cheers!"
It's been too long since they went out drinking, even if Seinosuke is ruining all the fun right next to them by eliminating any trace of alcohol from his system after every sip.
"Excuse me, Lieutenant Kamiya..." Miyako says, face slightly flushed.
"I've told you before, Shion's fine..."
"Ah, yes, Lieutenant! I couldn't help but overhear you talking to Lieutenant Tousen about the Tsunayashiro Clan. You see--" She hiccups a little. "I'm... well, my dear Kaien's the clan head of the Shiba Clan, you know...though my own rank is rather nebulous."
Seinosuke blinks, and Tousen's focus instantly tightens onto Miyako.
"You are... Kaien Shiba's wife?" He clarifies.
"Yes!" Miyako blushes a little. "We're newly wed, in fact... So I was really curious to hear more about the other Five Clans, because it's a little embarrassing to still be learning new information about it..."
"What a wonderful curiosity you have," Shion says, lifting their cup up in another silent toast. "But I'd hate to bore my other companions..."
"On the contrary--"
"Do not fear boredom," Tousen enunciates carefully, "On my account."
"A captive audience," Shion says, delighted. "And I didn't even have to capture anyone... So, the Tsunayoshiro Clan. As I was saying earlier, Urahara-senpai had enlisted the aid of his friend, Yoruichi Shihoin, head of the Shihoin Clan, when he realized that our newly changed up 12th Division was lacking something deeply important--
"A sense of decorum?" Seinosuke suggests.
"A conscience," Tousen says flatly.
"An ability to spy on people without their knowledge. Thankfully, he was able to rectify this lack by entering into an agreement with the Visuals Department-- a special group run by the Tsunayoshiro Clan in order to preserve the historical record of the Soul Society. Well, I've heard that it used to be run by the large numbers of the clan's people, but at this point there's only one survivor of the Clan... so he was only too happy to accept the 12th Division's generous offer of aid. Or, at least that's what Urahara-senpai's notes said."
Shion sets their cup back down, leaning back in their seat.
"Naturally, as a lowly lieutenant, there's no way I'd dare to contact the clan head over such a small matter. So, I guess it will remain just like that...?"
"Lieutenant, I don't think it's good to leave something like that..." Miyako says, voice stiff. "If it's not something you feel comfortable with, I'd be happy to speak to the Clan head on your behalf."
"There's no n--"
"Do not." Tousen's voice overrides Shion's own. "The... Clan Head. His name is Tokinada, correct? Tokinada Tsunayashiro."
"That does sound right," Shion agrees, leaning back against Seinosuke once more.
"There will be no need for you to go, then," Tousen says, voice clear. "I am personally... acquainted with that man."
This is the man that killed Tousen's old friend, after all. The man who killed his Rukongai wife who was Tousen's old friend.
Would he really kill Miyako if she went to see him?
Probably not. Since her husband would miss her, after all.
"That's a highly placed connection, Kaname," Shion says. "I didn't know you had it in you!"
"... The world is an unjust place," Tousen says, unseeing eyes fixed both on and beyond Shion. "We've discussed this before. Though, during that time your previous third seat was still alive."
Shion laughs.
"That's right. It seems the status quo is still shifting underneath my feet. But look what I got instead!"
Miyako winces.
"Please don't use me to speak badly of my predecessor, Lieutenant," she says. "I heard he was a brilliant man, and his loss is a tragedy for Soul Society."
"Is that really what you heard?" Shion says, sidetracked. "Wow...maybe he really was the type of person who's genius was only recognized after death. What little of it he had."
"Lieutenant, please take this seriously. Our division has a responsibility to--" She hiccups. "To strive for the betterment of Soul Society! And that's my duty as--" she hiccups again. "As your subordinate and-- and as Miyako Shiba!"
"That's the spirit." Shion says. "That's what Urahara-senpai used to say! Well, not the subordinate part. Or the Shiba part! But the rest of it."
"So almost none of it," Tousen murmurs.
Beside them, Seinosuke sighs.
"I'm done here," he says. "I've wasted enough time in this place."
"Aw, don't be like that..."
Seinosuke shrugs Shion's hand off of him as he stands up.
"It wasn't particularly pleasant to meet either of you," he says. "I hope we don't meet again. Goodbye."
"He always says stuff like that," Shion advises his remaining tablemates. "I wouldn't take it personally."
"Kamiya."
"Yes, Kaname?"
"I misjudged you, when we last spoke."
Shion cocks his head.
"No..? I don't think you did?"
"You said this: 'Letting a failure of justice just fade away... doesn't seem right to me.'"
"Did I say that."
Miyako's eyes flicker back and forth between the two lieutenants, tense for a reason she can't quite understand.
"Whether you said it or not," Tousen says, voice matter of fact. "You have more than demonstrated it through your actions. "I think.. You will be the exact kind of person that Soul Society deserves."
What a brutal curse.
"I hope to say the same of you, Kaname," Shion says, completely sincere. "I do... look forward to seeing where you end up in the end. I'm sure it will be exciting to watch."
"Now," Tousen says. "We understand each other. Good night, Lieutenant Kamiya."
"Bye, Kaname~" Shion waves as the blind man strides away. "See you around!"
"Lieutenant," Miyako says, voice careful. "That seemed...a little insensitive. To constantly bring up your sight like that."
"He doesn't mind," Shion says. Which is a shame, because they'd been trying to get a rise out of him. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."
It looks like that got her to sober up quickly.
"Yes, Lieutenant?" She says. "If it's about Kaien--"
"It's not about him." Shion doesn't need other people to act as repellent: He can make sure the man doesn't set foot in his lab on his own accord. "So... it's occurred to me that I didn't give you any actual responsibilities in SRDI."
"I-- I just assumed that you wanted me to carve out my own niche, Lieutenant," Miyako says. "Though I don't know exactly why you requested me to transfer over... or why Captain Ukitake agreed to it."
"We both saw something special in you," Shion says, smiling.
"You'd never seen me before I showed up at your lab."
"Maybe I used the super special surveillance that I just mentioned..." Shion trails off at Miyako's expression. "I'm joking, joking...well, anyway. Now that you're here, I definitely see something special in you. So, the seat that actually controls SRDI has been constantly moving around. When Urahara-senpai was in charge, he ran it, so he was both Captain and President, and Mayuri, who was third seat, was Vice-President. Then I became Lieutenant, and Mayuri, became President, and Akon was Vice-President. And now, they're both dead so the Vice-President position is back open again! Got all that?"
Shion offers Miyako a hand up.
"Whenever you want it," they say. "Whenever you decide that you're comfortable with our division. Then, that title is yours."
It's a lot of responsibility to hand over to someone who's slightly tipsy in a bar.
But, the hand that takes their offer is firm.
"Yes, President," Miyako says. "I understand."
She's a quick learner, when she wants to be.
Central 46 sent a direct messenger to them: Project Spearhead is canceled. All future funding will be revoked. Shockingly, the justification was that the project was canceled for ethical reasons. Only took them a decade or so after the whole thing got started, hm?
Not shocking that it was unethical, seeing as the project was all about creating artificial souls for use as potential shock troops, just shocking that Central 46 cared. Or maybe Aizen was already running the place?
Shion doesn't pay it any mind until Miyako drags a still struggling Oko Yushima into their lab, narrowly avoiding gutting him when he stumbles too close to one of the ever lingering slashes.
"President!" Miyako reports.
"Hi, Miyako," Shion says, standing up from their seat on the floor and dusting themself off. They're almost done with their modification of Bakudo #58 after these last couple of years-- or as done as they can be without any quincy or Visored to test on. "And hello, Oko! I'm glad to see you blossomed into such a promising young scientist after just a few years under our wing. You've come a long way since the last time I saw you, yes?"
Oko spits on the floor, green hair matted and barely hiding the gleaming madness in his eyes.
"I found him trying to dump his remaining mod souls into the Dangai," Miyako says. "Thankfully, I stopped him before he did that-- those are sentient beings, Yushima! You can't go around treating the abyss between worlds as your personal trash can." She props one hand on her hip, which also happens to be very close to her blade.
"It's Central 46 who's throwing my work down the drain," Oko mutters, eyes sliding away from her. "If they'd realized what my shikai can do, they'd have told me to toss all those souls in themselves. I can't even destroy my own life's work without disturbance?"
"Your life's work?" Shion says, amused. "It's not even been a decade since you started working here-- and Mayuri was already working on this concept before you joined."
Not that they mind someone trying to steal his bad ideas for their own gain, or anything.
"That's not the issue at hand, President," Miyako sighs. "The project--"
"I stole nothing from that guy!" Oko rasps, head snapping up. "He was the one who stole from me! You remember, Lieutenant! He was the one who wanted my knowledge of mod-souls. But the artificial souls I made for him are nothing compared to the ones I was working on now! Kurotsuchi merely wanted to prove he could recreate something exactly the same as a Shinigami. But that's not what Central 46 wanted. That's not what I was going to make!"
He pulls one of the mod-souls in question from his pocket, it's candy-like casing gleaming in Shion's dimly lit lab.
Miyako's eyes narrow, clearly preparing for him to attempt to re-enact his innovative garbage disposal method in front of a live audience.
Shion slightly shakes his head at her. He'd hate to interrupt... any of this, really.
"That's not what you were going to make?" They repeat. "But it seems like that's exactly what you made."
Oko makes a strangled, gurgling noise. Poor kid.
"No! That's why they're called Mod-Souls! Modified. Souls. They're enhanced!"
"Yes, enhanced to be capable of producing their own zanpakuto...?"
Miyako's head jerks in Shion's direction, Ah, right, that's not common knowledge. They'd known about it, Mayuri had known, Oko had known...why, that's almost a department secret.
"That's a byproduct!" Oko growls. "That's why Central 46 canceled the project, I know it. I don't even know why that's possible...the modifications I did are for physicality! You see this one? It's got enhanced leg strength! It doesn't need a shinigami's weapon!"
Mayuri had wanted them to be able to produce weapons. Because...
"Is something truly 'alive' if it can't speak with it's own soul?" Shion wonders.
"It doesn't matter if it's truly alive!" Oko throws the capsule away in an aggrieved huff, leaving it to roll into some dusty corner of the lab. "They were meant to inhabit human corpses anyway. Waste not, want not."
Shion rolls their eyes, growing bored with the temper tantrum.
"Miyako," he says. "So, I've heard him out. Now it's your side. Why didn't you just kill him?"
"Because that would be unethical, President."
Quick response time. Shion nods unenthusiastically.
"And...so you brought him to me because..? I didn't know you valued my personal entertainment that highly."
"I don't, President."
"That's a shame."
"It's a virtue, President. I brought him here because I wanted to ask you about his zanpakuto."
Oko's hands clench defensively around his sword.
"I always encourage curiosity. Though that's a very personal question to ask someone, Miyako. Good thing you asked me and not him." Shion hums to themself, a merry little tune. "What did you want to know, Vice-President?"
Miyako straightens up.
"President..." she says. "We've had someone capable of opening a portal into the Dangai on our staff the whole time, but we have to visit the Human World through the Senkaimon gate?"
Oko's head snaps around to stare at her.
"That does sound right," Shion says. "Why? Does inefficiency bother you, Miyako-chan?"
"I... no, President. I was just asking for clarification."
Shion nods agreeably.
"Of course. Naturally, the Senkaimon is maintained by the Kido corps to control who can go in and out with official permission, and to seal any strong division member so that their reiryoku doesn't cause... undue ripples in the Human World." Or a massive earthquake. Or wanton destruction. Or cats and dogs to rain from the sky in a hurricane of fur, Shion doesn't know. "I used to maintain those seals for a short time, actually. Very boring work."
Miyako nods.
"That makes...perfect sense, President. But then.. Isn't Yushima's ability.. Rather dangerous? To be able to make that journey without a proper seal."
Shion smiles at her.
"We don't make those kinds of judgements here, Vice-President. As long as he's working for the division, isn't it fine? But I see your point."
Shion curls two fingers, beckoning Oko forwards towards them.
"Hello, young man," they say. "Congratulations on rising so far up the ranks so quickly. You're the 5th Seat, is that right? A rising star."
The young man nods, ever eager for recognition as Miyako lets go of him so he can step forward towards Shion.
"Yes!" He says. "Yes, that's exactly right. Central 46 just doesn't understand my vision. They're afraid. But you aren't. You understand. With my ability, I don't need authorization at all to be able to get the corpses I need to continue the research. We can keep it in house, until I'm properly able to show them what my achievements could do for Soul Society. Their still afraid of the Quincies, even after all these years, but they don't have to be! They could---"
Shion presses a single finger to Oko's lips.
"Shh," they say.
A slow trickle of blood pours down a small cut on his cheek, as he'd walked slightly too close to one of the many cuts that always hung in the air around their desk.
"You're far too useful to kill," they observe. "And yet... Vice-President. Please, clarify one point for me. What, exactly, was young Oko doing when you stopped him?"
"Throwing away all the mod-souls into the Dangai, President," Miyako says. "I already told you this."
"Yes." Shion nods. "Tell me. Does this man seem like the kind of person willing to do that?"
Miyako hesitates.
"... No, President."
Shion continues to smile.
"Wouldn't it make more sense, for someone who specialized in creating Mod-souls, to instead... oh, I don't know... create a mod-soul with all his memories? One hellbent on finishing his work?"
Shion's butcher's blade caresses Oko's neck.
"What do you think, Oko-kun?"
"I--"
"In that case, wouldn't they naturally develop a zanpakuto that can do the same things you can do..."
The blade cuts deeper.
"Under that hypothetical, aren't you useless to me? Oko-kun."
"President." Miyako's voice cuts through Shion's fun, and they glance up at her. They'd forgotten she was still here.
"Yes, Vice-President?" They say.
She swallows.
"It's my job to protect the 12th Division members," she says, keeping her voice steady. "I didn't bring him here for... you to kill him. I don't want that to happen."
Shion raises an eyebrow.
"Surely you don't think I was really going to kill him, Miyako-chan?" He smiles at her winningly, showing off how he re-sheathes his zanpakuto even as Oko remains locked in place, frozen in pure terror. "I was just having a bit of harmless fun. A little prank."
"Yes, President."
She doesn't believe him. How sad.
"We could always hand him over to Central 46, I suppose," Shion says. "Maggot's Nest has been awfully empty of late, I've heard."
"N-no!" Oko says frantically. "Not there!"
"Or I could offer him to the Kido Corps? They've been terribly understaffed ever since their second in command died, and their leader turned traitor. Of course, everyone's short staffed these days."
Miyako keeps shaking her head, disappointment clear in her eyes.
"Miyako-chan," Shion says dryly. "If you don't like any of these options, feel free to throw your own hat into the ring. I am always open to constructive criticism."
"No you're not," Miyako murmurs.
Oko tries to take a step backwards, and another small cut opens up on his calf.
"No, I'm not," Shion agrees. "So get on with it."
"I think you should make him work for his mod-soul." It comes out in a hurried rush, all at once.
Oh?
"What was that, Vice-President?"
"If the-- the 'hypothetical' that you suggested to Yushima-san is true, then wouldn't it be better if he was watched over by the same 'people' that he created? They're the ones most invested in the process, after all."
Shion laughs, lacing his hands together in front of him.
"Wow...that would be fun. Hypothetically, If I were you, have I noticed any new members of our division that you don't remember joining recently?"
Miyako nods.
"I have some ideas. I do my best to make sure that all members of the division are properly integrated, President. It's important to me that the division is accepting of one another."
"I couldn't agree more," Shion says, patting Oko on the shoulder with a bright and friendly smile back on their face. "Well then! I'm glad we've sorted this whole thing out. This turned out to be such a wonderful conversation."
"...Yes," Miyako says. "I think I am going to go home early for the day, President. My husband gets sad when I don't eat dinner with him."
Oko nearly runs out of the office.
"We wouldn't want to make the Lieutenant sad, now," Shion says. "He might come over here."
Miyako gives him a reproachful look.
"Kaien is always eager to make friends with his peers," she said. "You could give him a chance."
No.
"I'm always open to making new friends," Shion says. "Though I don't think we're quite--"
"Miyako!"
Speak of the devil.
"Kaien!"
Shion slowly sinks their head down in their hands.
"My lovely wife! I've missed you so dearly! I came down to see you, and--"
This place really is hell, Shion thinks. There's no heaven after earth, huh? After all the good deeds they did in their life.
"Hey! Lieutenant Kaien Shiba here, pleased to meet you," Kaien Shiba says, lifting one hand up as he strolls into Shion's laboratory. "Have you seen my lovely wife around? I was over doing some work in my division, and then I had a brilliant idea-- I could just come and do that boring stuff over here, with my lovely Miyako!"
Miyako's apparently gone as far as warning him about Shion's habit of leaving hanging slash marks in the air, so they don't even get the joy of watching him walk into one as he saunters his way around the lab.
"Miyako doesn't come down here," Shion says, not moving from their position on the floor. "This is the SRDI building, not the division's main house."
They watch him step directly on top of one of their sketched out barrier designs. Should have installed an automatic trap for anyone who did that. Shame on them for thinking it was pointless, due to the lack of people who ever came into their personal space.
"But she's the 3rd, right?" Kaien's got both hands tucked into his belt as he stares down at Shion, brows twitching into a vague scowl. "What do you mean, she's not a part of what your division gets up to?"
Shion tilts his head.
"She can do whatever she wants," he says. "Unless she wants me to send her on a mission to the Rukongai or to the Human World, in which she needs to get into the line. Everyone wants to go sample collecting."
"I don't get you," Kaien says. He crouches down in front of them, the delinquent way he holds himself at great odds with the nobility of his station. "I thought you were the arrogant type, never showing up for the Lieutenant meetings. But Ukitake'd never let Miyako transfer under someone like that."
"So you did mean to find me," Shion says, voice dry. "And to think, I'd long been used to having no visitors at all."
Kaien laughs.
"Don't sell yourself short, Lieutenant Shion!" He says, bumping a fist against his chest. "Now that you've got me and Miyako hanging around, you'll have plenty of company!"
Shion smiles brightly back at him.
"That's not what I meant at all," they say. "I'm more used to being proactive and going to visit people, that's all. You have to find entertainment where you can."
Kaien gives Shion's shoulder a friendly slap, the motion vibrating through Shion's whole body.
"That's right," he says. "I heard you and Kaname both went out for drinks after your promotion! Makes me wish I'd taken Ukitake's offer a little later, so I could have gone with you two. Oh, to be a fly on that wall."
Shion's smile remains firmly fixed in place.
"There's no reason why we can't recreate the experience," they say. "In fact, I'm also friends with Seinosuke, over in the 4th. We could invite him as well-- make it a really special occasion."
"It's like you read my mind," Kaien says, pumping his fist in the air. "What a great idea! There's this bar down on--"
"Lieutenant Kamiya," Miyako says, her long dark hair tied up and out of the way except for a few strands that escape to frame her face. She gives them both a gentle smile. "Kaien. What's this? I was so worried about how the 13th Division might be getting on without me, only to find out that you've managed to find enough free time from your duties to come down here and organize a full event."
Kaien immediately rises back up to his feet, beaming.
"Miyako," he says, walking back towards her and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. "Look at you."
That's it, Shion is putting new safeguards in their lab.
"You look at me every day, Kaien," Miyako says, placing a reassuring hand on his arm. "Your new responsibilities suit you."
"You far outshine me in that category as well," Kaien says, smiling down at her. "Why, your new responsibilities seem to have added a new, ethereal shine to your--"
"Please don't let me interrupt you two," Shion says, smile taking on a near plastic sheen. "But the door is just behind you."
Miyako brushes Kaien's arm off her shoulder.
"My apologies, Lieutenant Kamiya," she says. "I'll escort him out at once."
She drags her husband back out through the door, though not before Kaien gets in one last kicker.
"The bar down by the 10th!" Kaien yells. "You know, the one with--"
Shion adds soundproofing to the list of modifications they need to make to their current barrier set up.
Tousen is already at the bar by the time Shion manages to drag Seinosuke there, looking deeply uncomfortable in his carefully ironed Lieutenant's robes. A single cup sits in front of him, untouched.
"Kaname," Shion says, waving as he slides into the other side of the bar. "It's been so long! I was worried you wouldn't come!"
"I hoped you wouldn't come," Seinosuke says, thin features pinched from the deep discomfort of being away from his division. "Then we could have all just gone home."
"Kamiya," Tousen says, after the barest pause where he clearly has to go through quite a lot of reiatsu signatures to figure out who else has come to visit. "I don't think I've had the honor of meeting your acquaintance."
"Lieutenant Yamada," Seinosuke says, sitting down only after looking like he was going to be infected with some lingering disease. "Fourth division."
"Oh... of course. I should have known you would have accompanied him. Your work for the 4th division and Soul Society has been exemplary."
Seinosuke's nose wrinkles.
"I assure you, I'm doing the absolute bare minimum necessary for my position," he says.
"He's so modest," Shion says to Tousen, throwing an arm around Seinosuke's shoulder and tipping their head to rest on his shoulder. "He's really very good at his job."
"Get your hands off me," Seinosuke says, voice chilling even further.
Shion ignores him.
"And I've heard you're doing an exemplary job at being a lieutenant, Kaname," they say, voice bright. "In fact.. Isn't there a promotion in your future? You're going to outrank both me and Seinosuke here."
They feel Seinosuke tense underneath their cheek. He hates being reminded he's never going to get promoted.
Not unless Unohana dies, of course. And what are the odds of that?
"Don't get ahead of yourself," Tousen notes, hands tense around his untouched cup. "Though how you learned about my bankai..."
Inquiring for Aizen, or for himself? Not that it matters.
"You've never heard of the keepers of the Historical Record, Kaname?" Shion says, lifting their head off of Seinosuke's shoulders to instead resettle themselves, lacing their fingers as a rest for their chin as they stare over at Tousen. "How odd. I thought the actions of one of the 5 noble clans to be common knowledge..."
Seinosuke gives them an extremely irritated look.
"I've never heard of it either," he says. "And my job would have depended on the noble clans."
Tousen's hands tighten around the cup enough for a small crack to form.
"My, my..." Shion says, smiling with sweetness and generosity. "Perhaps I should enlighten you, then. The Tsunayashiro Clan does work closely with the 12th Division, after all."
"Tsunayashiro?" Tousen repeats, and they can almost hear the hew and cry of feasting locusts. "I've found it's... actually rather difficult to learn much about that clan at all, Kamiya."
"The Noble Families keep to themselves," Seinosuke notes. "Even when they need healing, they rely on healers retired from the Fourth." His words are tinged with disdain. "Convenience prioritized above competence... Though I do commend them for their active canvassing of our division for potential recruits."
"Is constantly combing over a division for its most competent healers and stealing them really something commendable," Tousen says flatly. "Not to distract from the subject of the Tsunayashiro."
"It's proactive," Seinosuke says.
"Yes, and so was Urahara-senpai," Shion says, merriment still bubbling in their throat. "When he contacted the Clan with a fascinating proposal. I'm so lucky to have inherited such a competently run division. You see--"
He stops talking as he sees Miyako enter the bar and quickly pace over to their table, offering all three of them a deep bow.
"Did something happen?" Shion asks. "I wasn't aware we had anything terribly explosive going on in the labs right now. And none of my barriers were triggered..."
"I can go with you right now if there are any on site injuries," Seinosuke says, seizing a possible escape route instantly.
"I didn't mean to alarm either of you," Miyako says, eyes widening. "There's nothing wrong-- at least, nothing wrong at the 12th Division. I'm here to apologize for my husband. Even after he was the one who wanted this... meeting to happen, he ended up having to remain at the 13th due to Captain Ukitake's health...I'm afraid he'll be unable to attend at all."
"Oh," Shion says, mood immediately restored. "That's great."
Miyako gives him a sharp look.
"It is never good to shirk one's responsibilities, Lieutenant," she says.
"I could not have said it better myself," Shion agrees immediately. "That's why I'm so excited for you to attend in his stead. Please, have a seat."
Now he's getting uncomfortable looks from all three of them. They can feel their day improving already.
"I insist," they say. "Really. I'm sure you'll fit right in."
"I--" Miyako stammers. "I'm not on your level, lieutenant?"
"It's not like there's one level a lieutenant can be on," Shion says. "In fact, we span the distance between heaven and earth, if you're trying to be dramatic about it. See, I'm barely lieutenant level, whereas Kaname over here is almost a captain! So really, you'd be keeping me company."
Miyako doesn't look convinced.
"Not even mentioning me at all..." Seinosuke says, voice dry. "Am I not even a lieutenant in your eyes, Kamiya?"
"You're an amazing example of a lieutenant," Shion reassures him, giving him a pat on the shoulder. "But it's because you're perfectly average, so I don't think that would have proven my point to Miyako about the large gap in lieutenant abilities..."
"I don't think placing yourself at the bottom did any good, either," Tousen states. "A flawed example from the start."
"Doing myself an 'injustice'?" Shion beams. "Kaname, you're too kind to me."
"Perfectly average?" Seinosuke repeats, sounding disgruntled. "I assure you, Kamiya, I am an exemplary lieutenant."
"Yes, yes," Shion waves Miyako onto the seat next to Tousen. "You're so strong and talented, Seinosuke. And you never, ever fall asleep at your desk."
Shion makes strong enough eye contact with a waiter that they manage to get almost immediate service for the whole table, despite how little the poor young man seems to want to stand anywhere near their table.
"A toast!" Shion says, lifting up his cup. "To future and past lieutenants!"
They keep their cup lifted in the air til every single other person at the table has properly clicked glasses with them.
"Cheers!"
It's been too long since they went out drinking, even if Seinosuke is ruining all the fun right next to them by eliminating any trace of alcohol from his system after every sip.
"Excuse me, Lieutenant Kamiya..." Miyako says, face slightly flushed.
"I've told you before, Shion's fine..."
"Ah, yes, Lieutenant! I couldn't help but overhear you talking to Lieutenant Tousen about the Tsunayashiro Clan. You see--" She hiccups a little. "I'm... well, my dear Kaien's the clan head of the Shiba Clan, you know...though my own rank is rather nebulous."
Seinosuke blinks, and Tousen's focus instantly tightens onto Miyako.
"You are... Kaien Shiba's wife?" He clarifies.
"Yes!" Miyako blushes a little. "We're newly wed, in fact... So I was really curious to hear more about the other Five Clans, because it's a little embarrassing to still be learning new information about it..."
"What a wonderful curiosity you have," Shion says, lifting their cup up in another silent toast. "But I'd hate to bore my other companions..."
"On the contrary--"
"Do not fear boredom," Tousen enunciates carefully, "On my account."
"A captive audience," Shion says, delighted. "And I didn't even have to capture anyone... So, the Tsunayoshiro Clan. As I was saying earlier, Urahara-senpai had enlisted the aid of his friend, Yoruichi Shihoin, head of the Shihoin Clan, when he realized that our newly changed up 12th Division was lacking something deeply important--
"A sense of decorum?" Seinosuke suggests.
"A conscience," Tousen says flatly.
"An ability to spy on people without their knowledge. Thankfully, he was able to rectify this lack by entering into an agreement with the Visuals Department-- a special group run by the Tsunayoshiro Clan in order to preserve the historical record of the Soul Society. Well, I've heard that it used to be run by the large numbers of the clan's people, but at this point there's only one survivor of the Clan... so he was only too happy to accept the 12th Division's generous offer of aid. Or, at least that's what Urahara-senpai's notes said."
Shion sets their cup back down, leaning back in their seat.
"Naturally, as a lowly lieutenant, there's no way I'd dare to contact the clan head over such a small matter. So, I guess it will remain just like that...?"
"Lieutenant, I don't think it's good to leave something like that..." Miyako says, voice stiff. "If it's not something you feel comfortable with, I'd be happy to speak to the Clan head on your behalf."
"There's no n--"
"Do not." Tousen's voice overrides Shion's own. "The... Clan Head. His name is Tokinada, correct? Tokinada Tsunayashiro."
"That does sound right," Shion agrees, leaning back against Seinosuke once more.
"There will be no need for you to go, then," Tousen says, voice clear. "I am personally... acquainted with that man."
This is the man that killed Tousen's old friend, after all. The man who killed his Rukongai wife who was Tousen's old friend.
Would he really kill Miyako if she went to see him?
Probably not. Since her husband would miss her, after all.
"That's a highly placed connection, Kaname," Shion says. "I didn't know you had it in you!"
"... The world is an unjust place," Tousen says, unseeing eyes fixed both on and beyond Shion. "We've discussed this before. Though, during that time your previous third seat was still alive."
Shion laughs.
"That's right. It seems the status quo is still shifting underneath my feet. But look what I got instead!"
Miyako winces.
"Please don't use me to speak badly of my predecessor, Lieutenant," she says. "I heard he was a brilliant man, and his loss is a tragedy for Soul Society."
"Is that really what you heard?" Shion says, sidetracked. "Wow...maybe he really was the type of person who's genius was only recognized after death. What little of it he had."
"Lieutenant, please take this seriously. Our division has a responsibility to--" She hiccups. "To strive for the betterment of Soul Society! And that's my duty as--" she hiccups again. "As your subordinate and-- and as Miyako Shiba!"
"That's the spirit." Shion says. "That's what Urahara-senpai used to say! Well, not the subordinate part. Or the Shiba part! But the rest of it."
"So almost none of it," Tousen murmurs.
Beside them, Seinosuke sighs.
"I'm done here," he says. "I've wasted enough time in this place."
"Aw, don't be like that..."
Seinosuke shrugs Shion's hand off of him as he stands up.
"It wasn't particularly pleasant to meet either of you," he says. "I hope we don't meet again. Goodbye."
"He always says stuff like that," Shion advises his remaining tablemates. "I wouldn't take it personally."
"Kamiya."
"Yes, Kaname?"
"I misjudged you, when we last spoke."
Shion cocks his head.
"No..? I don't think you did?"
"You said this: 'Letting a failure of justice just fade away... doesn't seem right to me.'"
"Did I say that."
Miyako's eyes flicker back and forth between the two lieutenants, tense for a reason she can't quite understand.
"Whether you said it or not," Tousen says, voice matter of fact. "You have more than demonstrated it through your actions. "I think.. You will be the exact kind of person that Soul Society deserves."
What a brutal curse.
"I hope to say the same of you, Kaname," Shion says, completely sincere. "I do... look forward to seeing where you end up in the end. I'm sure it will be exciting to watch."
"Now," Tousen says. "We understand each other. Good night, Lieutenant Kamiya."
"Bye, Kaname~" Shion waves as the blind man strides away. "See you around!"
"Lieutenant," Miyako says, voice careful. "That seemed...a little insensitive. To constantly bring up your sight like that."
"He doesn't mind," Shion says. Which is a shame, because they'd been trying to get a rise out of him. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about something."
It looks like that got her to sober up quickly.
"Yes, Lieutenant?" She says. "If it's about Kaien--"
"It's not about him." Shion doesn't need other people to act as repellent: He can make sure the man doesn't set foot in his lab on his own accord. "So... it's occurred to me that I didn't give you any actual responsibilities in SRDI."
"I-- I just assumed that you wanted me to carve out my own niche, Lieutenant," Miyako says. "Though I don't know exactly why you requested me to transfer over... or why Captain Ukitake agreed to it."
"We both saw something special in you," Shion says, smiling.
"You'd never seen me before I showed up at your lab."
"Maybe I used the super special surveillance that I just mentioned..." Shion trails off at Miyako's expression. "I'm joking, joking...well, anyway. Now that you're here, I definitely see something special in you. So, the seat that actually controls SRDI has been constantly moving around. When Urahara-senpai was in charge, he ran it, so he was both Captain and President, and Mayuri, who was third seat, was Vice-President. Then I became Lieutenant, and Mayuri, became President, and Akon was Vice-President. And now, they're both dead so the Vice-President position is back open again! Got all that?"
Shion offers Miyako a hand up.
"Whenever you want it," they say. "Whenever you decide that you're comfortable with our division. Then, that title is yours."
It's a lot of responsibility to hand over to someone who's slightly tipsy in a bar.
But, the hand that takes their offer is firm.
"Yes, President," Miyako says. "I understand."
She's a quick learner, when she wants to be.
Central 46 sent a direct messenger to them: Project Spearhead is canceled. All future funding will be revoked. Shockingly, the justification was that the project was canceled for ethical reasons. Only took them a decade or so after the whole thing got started, hm?
Not shocking that it was unethical, seeing as the project was all about creating artificial souls for use as potential shock troops, just shocking that Central 46 cared. Or maybe Aizen was already running the place?
Shion doesn't pay it any mind until Miyako drags a still struggling Oko Yushima into their lab, narrowly avoiding gutting him when he stumbles too close to one of the ever lingering slashes.
"President!" Miyako reports.
"Hi, Miyako," Shion says, standing up from their seat on the floor and dusting themself off. They're almost done with their modification of Bakudo #58 after these last couple of years-- or as done as they can be without any quincy or Visored to test on. "And hello, Oko! I'm glad to see you blossomed into such a promising young scientist after just a few years under our wing. You've come a long way since the last time I saw you, yes?"
Oko spits on the floor, green hair matted and barely hiding the gleaming madness in his eyes.
"I found him trying to dump his remaining mod souls into the Dangai," Miyako says. "Thankfully, I stopped him before he did that-- those are sentient beings, Yushima! You can't go around treating the abyss between worlds as your personal trash can." She props one hand on her hip, which also happens to be very close to her blade.
"It's Central 46 who's throwing my work down the drain," Oko mutters, eyes sliding away from her. "If they'd realized what my shikai can do, they'd have told me to toss all those souls in themselves. I can't even destroy my own life's work without disturbance?"
"Your life's work?" Shion says, amused. "It's not even been a decade since you started working here-- and Mayuri was already working on this concept before you joined."
Not that they mind someone trying to steal his bad ideas for their own gain, or anything.
"That's not the issue at hand, President," Miyako sighs. "The project--"
"I stole nothing from that guy!" Oko rasps, head snapping up. "He was the one who stole from me! You remember, Lieutenant! He was the one who wanted my knowledge of mod-souls. But the artificial souls I made for him are nothing compared to the ones I was working on now! Kurotsuchi merely wanted to prove he could recreate something exactly the same as a Shinigami. But that's not what Central 46 wanted. That's not what I was going to make!"
He pulls one of the mod-souls in question from his pocket, it's candy-like casing gleaming in Shion's dimly lit lab.
Miyako's eyes narrow, clearly preparing for him to attempt to re-enact his innovative garbage disposal method in front of a live audience.
Shion slightly shakes his head at her. He'd hate to interrupt... any of this, really.
"That's not what you were going to make?" They repeat. "But it seems like that's exactly what you made."
Oko makes a strangled, gurgling noise. Poor kid.
"No! That's why they're called Mod-Souls! Modified. Souls. They're enhanced!"
"Yes, enhanced to be capable of producing their own zanpakuto...?"
Miyako's head jerks in Shion's direction, Ah, right, that's not common knowledge. They'd known about it, Mayuri had known, Oko had known...why, that's almost a department secret.
"That's a byproduct!" Oko growls. "That's why Central 46 canceled the project, I know it. I don't even know why that's possible...the modifications I did are for physicality! You see this one? It's got enhanced leg strength! It doesn't need a shinigami's weapon!"
Mayuri had wanted them to be able to produce weapons. Because...
"Is something truly 'alive' if it can't speak with it's own soul?" Shion wonders.
"It doesn't matter if it's truly alive!" Oko throws the capsule away in an aggrieved huff, leaving it to roll into some dusty corner of the lab. "They were meant to inhabit human corpses anyway. Waste not, want not."
Shion rolls their eyes, growing bored with the temper tantrum.
"Miyako," he says. "So, I've heard him out. Now it's your side. Why didn't you just kill him?"
"Because that would be unethical, President."
Quick response time. Shion nods unenthusiastically.
"And...so you brought him to me because..? I didn't know you valued my personal entertainment that highly."
"I don't, President."
"That's a shame."
"It's a virtue, President. I brought him here because I wanted to ask you about his zanpakuto."
Oko's hands clench defensively around his sword.
"I always encourage curiosity. Though that's a very personal question to ask someone, Miyako. Good thing you asked me and not him." Shion hums to themself, a merry little tune. "What did you want to know, Vice-President?"
Miyako straightens up.
"President..." she says. "We've had someone capable of opening a portal into the Dangai on our staff the whole time, but we have to visit the Human World through the Senkaimon gate?"
Oko's head snaps around to stare at her.
"That does sound right," Shion says. "Why? Does inefficiency bother you, Miyako-chan?"
"I... no, President. I was just asking for clarification."
Shion nods agreeably.
"Of course. Naturally, the Senkaimon is maintained by the Kido corps to control who can go in and out with official permission, and to seal any strong division member so that their reiryoku doesn't cause... undue ripples in the Human World." Or a massive earthquake. Or wanton destruction. Or cats and dogs to rain from the sky in a hurricane of fur, Shion doesn't know. "I used to maintain those seals for a short time, actually. Very boring work."
Miyako nods.
"That makes...perfect sense, President. But then.. Isn't Yushima's ability.. Rather dangerous? To be able to make that journey without a proper seal."
Shion smiles at her.
"We don't make those kinds of judgements here, Vice-President. As long as he's working for the division, isn't it fine? But I see your point."
Shion curls two fingers, beckoning Oko forwards towards them.
"Hello, young man," they say. "Congratulations on rising so far up the ranks so quickly. You're the 5th Seat, is that right? A rising star."
The young man nods, ever eager for recognition as Miyako lets go of him so he can step forward towards Shion.
"Yes!" He says. "Yes, that's exactly right. Central 46 just doesn't understand my vision. They're afraid. But you aren't. You understand. With my ability, I don't need authorization at all to be able to get the corpses I need to continue the research. We can keep it in house, until I'm properly able to show them what my achievements could do for Soul Society. Their still afraid of the Quincies, even after all these years, but they don't have to be! They could---"
Shion presses a single finger to Oko's lips.
"Shh," they say.
A slow trickle of blood pours down a small cut on his cheek, as he'd walked slightly too close to one of the many cuts that always hung in the air around their desk.
"You're far too useful to kill," they observe. "And yet... Vice-President. Please, clarify one point for me. What, exactly, was young Oko doing when you stopped him?"
"Throwing away all the mod-souls into the Dangai, President," Miyako says. "I already told you this."
"Yes." Shion nods. "Tell me. Does this man seem like the kind of person willing to do that?"
Miyako hesitates.
"... No, President."
Shion continues to smile.
"Wouldn't it make more sense, for someone who specialized in creating Mod-souls, to instead... oh, I don't know... create a mod-soul with all his memories? One hellbent on finishing his work?"
Shion's butcher's blade caresses Oko's neck.
"What do you think, Oko-kun?"
"I--"
"In that case, wouldn't they naturally develop a zanpakuto that can do the same things you can do..."
The blade cuts deeper.
"Under that hypothetical, aren't you useless to me? Oko-kun."
"President." Miyako's voice cuts through Shion's fun, and they glance up at her. They'd forgotten she was still here.
"Yes, Vice-President?" They say.
She swallows.
"It's my job to protect the 12th Division members," she says, keeping her voice steady. "I didn't bring him here for... you to kill him. I don't want that to happen."
Shion raises an eyebrow.
"Surely you don't think I was really going to kill him, Miyako-chan?" He smiles at her winningly, showing off how he re-sheathes his zanpakuto even as Oko remains locked in place, frozen in pure terror. "I was just having a bit of harmless fun. A little prank."
"Yes, President."
She doesn't believe him. How sad.
"We could always hand him over to Central 46, I suppose," Shion says. "Maggot's Nest has been awfully empty of late, I've heard."
"N-no!" Oko says frantically. "Not there!"
"Or I could offer him to the Kido Corps? They've been terribly understaffed ever since their second in command died, and their leader turned traitor. Of course, everyone's short staffed these days."
Miyako keeps shaking her head, disappointment clear in her eyes.
"Miyako-chan," Shion says dryly. "If you don't like any of these options, feel free to throw your own hat into the ring. I am always open to constructive criticism."
"No you're not," Miyako murmurs.
Oko tries to take a step backwards, and another small cut opens up on his calf.
"No, I'm not," Shion agrees. "So get on with it."
"I think you should make him work for his mod-soul." It comes out in a hurried rush, all at once.
Oh?
"What was that, Vice-President?"
"If the-- the 'hypothetical' that you suggested to Yushima-san is true, then wouldn't it be better if he was watched over by the same 'people' that he created? They're the ones most invested in the process, after all."
Shion laughs, lacing his hands together in front of him.
"Wow...that would be fun. Hypothetically, If I were you, have I noticed any new members of our division that you don't remember joining recently?"
Miyako nods.
"I have some ideas. I do my best to make sure that all members of the division are properly integrated, President. It's important to me that the division is accepting of one another."
"I couldn't agree more," Shion says, patting Oko on the shoulder with a bright and friendly smile back on their face. "Well then! I'm glad we've sorted this whole thing out. This turned out to be such a wonderful conversation."
"...Yes," Miyako says. "I think I am going to go home early for the day, President. My husband gets sad when I don't eat dinner with him."
Oko nearly runs out of the office.
"We wouldn't want to make the Lieutenant sad, now," Shion says. "He might come over here."
Miyako gives him a reproachful look.
"Kaien is always eager to make friends with his peers," she said. "You could give him a chance."
No.
"I'm always open to making new friends," Shion says. "Though I don't think we're quite--"
"Miyako!"
Speak of the devil.
"Kaien!"
Shion slowly sinks their head down in their hands.
"My lovely wife! I've missed you so dearly! I came down to see you, and--"
This place really is hell, Shion thinks. There's no heaven after earth, huh? After all the good deeds they did in their life.
- Location
- Academy City
- Pronouns
- They
Hell is other people, Shion. That said, you should really be more respectful of Kaien. He does to you what you do to everyone else, only you work hard at being obnoxious and with him it just comes naturally. In that sense, I suppose you could even call him your senpai.
- Location
- California, USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Man, your writing style has a way of making me feel lost and confused even while everything I'm reading makes perfect sense.
I feel like Shion's greatest asset is that everyone they deal with is aware they're nuts, but that's kind of expected for a seated Soul Reaper so they get underestimated on just how much of a nut they actually are. And most of the people who know aren't people Shion sees frequently.
The difference between "the lieutenant is someone who semi-seriously threatens people with a sword and booby traps the lab" versus "will actively murder people for funsies if they can get away with it."
Also, anyone looks like an improvement after Mayuri.
Kudos to Tosen for a sick ass burn in this chapter. "You are the kind of person Soul Society deserves" is brutal.
The difference between "the lieutenant is someone who semi-seriously threatens people with a sword and booby traps the lab" versus "will actively murder people for funsies if they can get away with it."
Also, anyone looks like an improvement after Mayuri.
Kudos to Tosen for a sick ass burn in this chapter. "You are the kind of person Soul Society deserves" is brutal.
Modus_Tollens
SCREAMING.
- Location
- ALSO SCREAMING.
This story is going to turn Tosen from the hypocrite who only has the moral highground because the Soul Society is trying to dig a mineshaft to the mohorovicic discontinuity to one I'd pass accelerant and matches to. I know the man is drinking right now but, damn, I want to pour him something with a higher alcohol content.
I'm waiting for the sudden onset of Gin. He needs to get his ass in here and start eating popcorn.
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I feel like Gin is definitely going to fall under "oh god there are two of them now" territory.
He should be around at this point, I think...? He was under Aizen's unit as a creepy kid for a while.
I keep jumping on the bleach wiki to refresh myself when I see a name or reference I don't recognize, only to usually have the story explain it like two paragraphs later, or I end up spoiling myself on a plotline that hasn't happened yet...
Damn, at this rate Miyako will die of a heart attack before a hollow gets the chance...though I guess she is too occupied with keeping her fellow division members alive to die on a mission, so I'm curious if Kaien is gonna make it or if the Shiba family will still fall.
Sereitei might not be hell, but it is pretty damn depressing that it's probably the best the afterlife has to offer. If you live there, you might have to deal with the pletora of horrible people like Shion, Mayuri or lovesick newlyweds, but compared to the other options it's still the jackpot of the afterlife lottery.
True, though I'm not sure if they'd get along or if they would hate each other's guts.
Bird in the Hand
The office is empty when the black furred paws of a cat carefully pad into the room, whiskers and tail twitching as it surveys the dusty space. There's a distasteful sprawl of scribbled concepts that covers the floors, the walls, even the surface of the remaining tables. Some of it is detailed research, some of it cleverly disguised warding-- but most of it is just like the inside of Kisuke's mind.
Nothing but useless, irritating junk.
Seriously, doing such a needlessly risky task for Kisuke. If it were anyone but her, they wouldn't even be able to get in through the front door.
Don't worry, Yoruichi, that stupid man had said. My two students will be far too busy trying to kill each other to even bother with pest control! They're not that type of paranoid.
But there's no signs of a war in this room. Nor anywhere else in this Division-- everything is calm, quiet. Orderly. The chaotic Division that Kisuke had inherited and loved is already gone. So, there's no reason for her to stick around either. Get in, get the materials, get out.
No one's changed the locks since she last broke in decades ago.
Materials for making gigai, materials for spiritual construction, a few mod souls for free labor-- what else had he wanted, again. Research notes he'd left behind in the confusion. His old files. Some more--
"My, my," Shion Kamiya says, smiling in a way that she knows he copied from his Captain. "What have we here? A stray little mouse in the grain? A rat in a trap? A--"
"Don't play games with me, Kamiya," she says, the low rasp associated with speaking in an inhuman form properly distorting her voice. "I don't need to keep any witnesses alive."
"But wouldn't Urahara-senpai be so, so sad I died?"
Kisuke's second pick from the hidden layer of maggots and dung that fuels Soul Society had been someone he'd intended to balance out Kurotsuchi-- another mad genius, more charismatic and yet less ambitious than the clown.
At least, that's what Yoruichi had thought. But Kisuke had been quick to correct her-- Shion Kamiya was, he had said, not at all less ambitious-- his ambition was merely limited to the service of being in the exact right position to laugh at someone's misery.
It's all funny til he laughs at you, Kisuke had said, drunk one night and tipsy enough to dip a toe nail into the depths of his own guilty conscience.
"I think he'd be disappointed," Yoriuchi says, finally.
"That's no good," Kamiya sighs. "I want him to cry at my graveside. He's the only senpai I have, you know?"
"Didn't you plan on killing him?" Yoruichi grouches, tail flicking back and forth. She can't afford to be delayed by whatever obnoxious game Kamiya wants to play.
"Kill him?" They sound genuinely puzzled. "I'd never do such a thing."
Now they are simply lying to her face.
"Kisuke told me. That you asked if you'd be promoted if you killed the people in front of you."
"But I'd never kill Urahara-senpai!" Kamiya manages to sound properly horrified. "I just wanted to know what the boundaries were. Who I could kill. You can't design a proper maze without walls, you know. How will people know they're trapped?"
"As long as they're stuck, who cares if they know they're trapped?"
Yoruichi makes to jump away from him, only for her tail to prickle in warning, her senses narrowly keeping her from the edge of the table-- the warded edge of the table.
Kamiya beams.
"Because I love to watch people.. Figure that part out, Yoruichi-san."
This bastard.
She bares her teeth at him.
"Kurotsuchi's dead, then." She's in this position because she was too trusting of Kisuke's information on his own division. Clearly that's the end of that.
"Mayuri?" Shion wrinkles their nose in disgust. "Did Urahara-senpai really think he'd still be around? He thought I was equals with that fool? That can't be true. That's awful... I can't believe this."
Kisuke's not going to want to believe this. First Aizen, and now Kamiya.. It seems everyone's exceeding his expectations these decades.
Kamiya is still talking.
"I should.. Yes, that's right. You're here! You can give my gift bag to Urahara-senpai! Stay right there. I'll be right back."
They rush off, clearly not intending to be gone for long. Good, because Yoruichi isn't planning on being here for long. Breaking through a barrier is nothing for the former captain of the 2nd. She slips through, once again picking up the bare minimum of materials Kisuke asked for before immediately slipping back into the night, leaving Shion to return back to an empty table.
"How terrible..." Shion murmurs. "Ah, well. I'll just have to give this to him in person."
They watch various wards pulse and restabilize as Yoruichi darts through them, leaving nothing at all to prove she was ever here.
"Honestly...what a scary lady."
It's not a problem now that they have her signature, though, Bakudo #58 (Modified) will track her through hell itself.
"Kamiya."
Shion stares at Tousen with complete wonder, absolutely delighted that the man would be willing to acknowledge that they existed outside of forcible acquaintanceship. Imagine! They are just two friends, meeting outside a completely normal sunglasses store! They should leave their lab more often.
"Kaname!" They say. "What a serendipitous meeting. What can I do for you on this fine day?"
A shudder of pure disgust.
"... As you probably know, Captain Aizen has decided it is time for Gin Ichimaru to rise from 3rd Seat to full Lieutenant. As such--"
"Do you need to still call him Captain when you're both the same rank?" Shion wonders aloud. "I wouldn't."
"That's because you are a degenerate soul. Do not interrupt me. Captain Aizen heard about the...celebratory nature of my own promotion, somber though those grim circumstances were, and, kind soul that he is, wondered if you'd be willing to offer Ichimaru that same warm welcome into being a young Lieutenant."
Clearly, Tousen hopes Shion will say no.
"What a coincidence," Shion says, giving Tousen that tiny bit of hope. "As it happens, one of my longest running personal projects has just wrapped up a few years ago-- I'm at quite loose ends until the next phase of that project kicks into gear."
Utter misery in his gaze, with a hint of classic schadenfreude.
"Then it seems like you'll be able to give Ichimaru your full attention," he says.
"Absolutely," Shion says. "I'm happy to contribute to Soul Society any little way I can."
"As long as you're not busy with your other projects."
"Really... would something as interesting as helping out our newest lieutenant come up just like that?"
Tousen's entire body flinches as a bloody presence storms into the area, merry bells jingling with every step as he stalks past him to stare down at Shion.
Kenpachi Zaraki snorts.
"You're the 12th guy, right. We've gotta talk."
"I don't know," Tousen says. "You tell me."
He picks now to find his sense of humor.
"Captain Zaraki," Shion says. "I am indeed Shion Kamiya, Lieutenant of the 12th Division.. What can I do for you on this fine day?"
There's something about this guy that makes him feel tall enough that his shoulders can block out the sun.
Kenpachi grunts, shaking his head back and forth like he's a wet dog and sending all of his small bells jangling.
"You hear that?"
"...Yes," Shion says dryly. "It's quite loud."
"That's what I thought as well," Kenpachi says, loud and aggrieved. "And yet, nobody can dodge a single blow, even when they hear it coming!? What the hell's with that!"
"Most people do not rely on hearing to such a large extent," Tousen notes.
"Shut up, I don't even know who you are," Kenpachi growls. "You. 12th Guy."
"Shion."
"I went to Unohana. I told her to fix me, because I was so strong that nobody would give me a good fight. But she shoves me off to her annoying little twig of a subordinate--"
"Seinosuke recommended me?" Shion brightens up even more. This is possibly the best day of their last decade. Admittedly, it's been a boring decade.
"Whatever his name was, he sent me to go looking for the 12th guy who's aura stank of blood."
Kenpachi's gaze has never left Shion's face.
"And that's you."
Shion twirls a finger in their hair.
"That was so sweet of him to say. So, you want something that makes you weaker? Something that lets you... have a little fun around town?"
"I don't want fancy tricks," Kenpachi dictates. "Just a way of having straightforward deathmatches."
"Of course, of course..." They already have ideas. "And this should preferably be something you can turn on and off at will? In case you meet an opponent on your level."
"Now we're talking." Kenpachi nods, looming even closer. "It's so boring in this place. It's unbelievable. It sucks."
Shion nods along with him.
"It's really one of the places where you need to make your own entertainment. But I have confidence that the fun is going to find us all, one way or another."
"Hah!" Kenpachi snorts. "Well, make your little device, 12th, And we'll see what that's worth in terms of fun."
He leaves as quickly as he came, a storm boiling across the horizon.
"It looks like you'll be too busy to host a welcome for Ichimaru after all," Tousen says, having remained silent all the way through that wonderful interruption.
"What are you talking about, Kaname?" Shion says. It's time to properly crush that small bit of hope. "Hospitality is my number one priority."
The sudden MIA of Sojun Kuchiki on a routine mission to the Rukongai sends all of the Seireitei into a tizzy-- all of the Seireitei, that is, except for young Gin Ichimaru, who had managed to find the time in his busy schedule to come meet Shion for some celebratory drinks at the bar.
Shion waves to him as he comes in, their first drink already in front of them.
"Gin, isn't it," he says. "Hey! I'm Shion, Shion Kamiya. I thought about delaying this little thing until we had a couple more new lieutenants-- I think Nanao is about to make it any year now, and little Byakuya is going to have to step up, what with the likely death of his father and all! But I'd hate to make you wait for such a nebulous time. Not when we have the present."
Shion lifts their glass in a toast.
"Shion," Gin repeats, sliding into the seat next to him with his stretched out smile permanently locked into his face. So young to be so rude! Not that they can talk. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Heh...?" Shion places a hand on their cheek. "Am I really so gossip worthy? I don't get out much, you know. I feel so out of the loop."
Gin chortles a little.
"Nah, I was just saying that to wind you up. Your friends have some of the tightest mouths in the Seireitei, ya know?"
How disappointing.
"Really... I guess I'll just have to work harder to be the kind of guy everyone's whispering about." Shion rests their chin on one hand as they stare over at Gin. "On the other hand, it seems like you don't have any friends to leak your secrets. How sad."
"What're ya talking about, Shion?" He's so obsessed with playing the part of the villain. "I've got tons of friends. Everyone's so happy to see me, they rush to me as soon as I show up somewhere. They can't help it."
Shion nods earnestly at him.
"Yeah, you're right. There's no way someone as noble as Captain Aizen would let his precious subordinate operate without friends...I must be mistaken."
The faintest hint of tightness in the shoulder. Gin can sense that he's being made fun of, because it's how he would make fun of someone.
But his allegiances trap him, even as he scrambles to turn the joke back onto Shion.
"You really admire him that much? Actually, that doesn't surprise me at all, what with your friends being a nursemaid and a buzzing old cricket."
Another person who thinks Shion and Tousen are really friends. This is fantastic.
"Tousen's actually younger than I am," Shion says brightly. "Though I suppose you were speaking in terms of a cricket's lifespan. You shouldn't judge people like that, Gin! Being friends with people isn't about compatibility, it's about sticking with the people that you meet along the way!"
They can't even see a single flinch, but Ryuketsu laughs in their head. Got him.
This guy is going to spend the rest of his life searching for cracks in Shion's life he can use to stab them with.
"I didn't know you were that old," Gin drawls.
"I didn't feel old until just now," Shion admits casually. "But seriously... there's so many new lieutenants these days... and there's going to be even more in the coming future. Ah, the weight of being an example."
Gin's laughter is a constrained hiss.
"You're saying that like Kaien Shiba and Sojun Kuchiki haven't been doing this for forever! And you're even leaving out your own friend."
"You're well informed," Shion comments. Gin is, of course, leaving out the Lieutenant of the 1st division, who's been around since the founding of Soul Society, but at that level, does it even really count?
They beckon Gin forward, closer to them so they can fake whisper a secret.
"But that's the beauty of it! All of those guys are talented, favored and specially trained by their captains! Captain Ukitake and Captain Kuchiki-- those guys are just waiting for when they can step down and offer their seat to a new generation. But me, I'm going to be a lieutenant forever."
There's a crack in his closed eyes, a snort of disbelief that forces itself out of his throat.
"There's no one above you," he says. "There isn't anyone in the Seireitei more prepared to advance than you."
The ambition of a snake spotting prey.
"Only two open Captain positions left, mine and the 3rd," Shion agrees easily. "Do you want to have the 12th, Gin? I wasn't aware you already had a bankai."
A sharp breath.
"Of course... not," Gin says, settling back into his mask with flair and aplomb. "A new lieutenant with bankai? Captain Aizen would get accused of hoarding talent."
What, he seriously already has it? Scary.
"Urahara-senpai had a work-around for that type of accusation," Shion says. "Just recruit people who nobody else wants, and no one will ever ask for them!"
They wink.
"Think of that as my advice for when you make it to captain. I'm looking forward to it."
Now, how is Gin going to force the conversation back to Shion's abilities...?
"We can have another meeting just like this one when we both don the captain's overcoat," Gin says. "You're underestimating your charm, saying that no one would ever want that."
How cute.
Shion pats Gin on the shoulder, feeling him stiffen at the overly familiar touch. Ah, that's right.. Their hair is only a few shades pinker than Rangiku's.
"Sometimes you have to be content with your own inability," Shion says. "I'm afraid bankai really is quite beyond me."
The smile on his face stretches even wider.
"Ya know," he says. "I heard that's what Captain Aizen always said, to. Back when he was a lieutenant, and all."
"Wow..." Shion whistles. "So he really doesn't have a bankai? How impressive-- I would never have guessed. He seems like someone who knows himself quite well."
Possibly the most blatant lie they've ever told in their life.
"I think you also know yourself quite well, Shion," Gin says. "In fact, I--"
A distraught shinigami from the 12th bolts over to Shion's table.
"President!" She gasps. "It's urgent! You have to attend Captain Kuchiki at once!"
Shion raises an eyebrow.
"Well. It looks like we'll have to leave this off right there, Lieutenant Ichimaru. It was a pleasure getting to meet you."
Gin salutes them with his mug.
"No," he assures Shion. "The pleasure was all mine."
The reason Shion had even started with their long term project of modifying Bakudo #58: Kakushitsuijaku was so that they would be able to find the precise locations of Vizored and particularly individualistic Hollows through use of their reiatsu signature when the spell had only ever been created to work on Shinigami.
That didn't mean, however, that Shion had stopped their modifications at merely broadening the scope.
A spell that only gave latitude and longitude was useless when they wanted cross-realm information. A spell that was detectable by any competent sensor was useless when they wanted to be able to find Urahara's shop.
Not that any of this is particularly relevant to what they are using the spell for now, though. Tracking down missing shinigami was literally the original design feature.
Shion traces thick reiatsu lines into the air, drawing four interlocking circles before dividing each of the circles into four even quadrants while the Captain and 3rd of the 6th Divison both watch him with tense eyes.
"Hurry this up," the Captain snaps, voice low and rough. "My son could be in danger."
"Since I've only seen the lieutenant in passing, I need to be careful with my memory of his reiatsu," Shion says, voice indifferent. "You're welcome to try the kido yourself."
Mastering kido is hard, and so most people just pick a few that they think are useful, and learn those. Maybe if Urahara-senpai, or Tessai, or Yoruichi, or even Kurotsucchi were here, he could have asked them instead?
They finally finish the outline, and carefully place their hand in the center of the glowing glyph, each circle igniting as they chant.
"Heart of the Living World. Eye of the Hungry World. Finger of the Pure World. Foot of the Chained World. Arrive with the Wind and Depart with the Rain."
Blue light explodes outward from their hand, pulsing as it checks through each circle. Nothing found in the Living World. Nothing in Hueco Mundo. In this world, however-- the light latches onto a circle, lighting it up as the other three rotate and lock in behind it. In a final surge of light, the circle flares-- and then clears, to reveal a direct look down at the location of the missing lieutenant.
Sojun Kuchiki is surrounded by Hollows that blink in and out of invisibility, blood soaking his robes from various injuries as he tries to continue a hopeless fight against an endless foe.
"Sojun!" Captain Kuchiki cries. "We're coming for you!"
"He can't hear you," Shion says, flicking the ring with his finger to get it to give him a more precise location. "This is a one way view."
This is--
"44th Rukongai, East," he says, slowly looking up to meet the Captain's eyes. To see that terrible, terrible look.. Of failure. "That's a long way away, Captain Kuchiki."
The man can't look away from the vision. Sojun's taken another blow in the short time that Shion's looked away, and is visibly limping now, pain radiating through his face as he keeps fighting.
"Send everyone," the Captain snaps to his lieutenant. "The whole division. I don't care-- everyone!"
"Yes, sir!" It looks like the 3rd seat had already done that, but he's back to sending another messenger, redirecting them all to the 44th, Shion being able to provide even more helpful directions to narrow it down further.
But Ginrei Kuchiki stays, eyes fixed onto his son.
"I can turn it off," Shion says, voice sweet and consoling. "This actually takes quite a lot of energy to keep running." Ryuketsu is humming to him, smiling at him.
"N-no," the Kuchiki clan head says. Shion can't tell if it's a denial of him or of what he's watching.
"Sojun..." the old man whispers. "Sojun, just hold on. Help is coming."
But it doesn't come in time.
"So I had several ideas for a power limiter," Shion says. They are sitting on Seinosuke's desk while he struggles to ignore them, a task doomed to end in miserable failure. "The first concept I drew up was an eyepatch but that's just so... unoriginal. So cliche."
"Why do you need a power limiter? You're not that powerful to begin with."
He doesn't even look at them when he's talking. Tragic.
"Not for me! For Kenpachi Zaraki. Special request. So my next idea was to put it in a full on blindfold. That's a physical drawback on top of a reiatsu sink!"
Seinosuke's head thuds against the desk.
"I... don't think that's a good idea," he says, voice flat.
"Yeah. He'd probably be fine with not seeing, but he already walks through walls enough as it is, and our divisions are pretty close to one another. What if he damages an experiment? More than he does already. So I scrapped that one as well."
"I'd just stick a few needles in him," Seinosuke says, dipping a brush back into the ink and resuming his task. "There's no need to overcomplicate something like that."
"It needs to be easily removable, Seinosuke," Shion sighs. "You don't get it at all. Something that's scary when it's on, but becomes even more terrifying when it's shed-- ah, there's a reason I almost never design kido devices. Coming up with proper aesthetics is just too hard."
"Needles are easily removable." Another confident stroke of the brush. "Anything can become scary when it's worn by a captain. Don't overthink it."
"I think Captain Unohana is skewing your perception of how Captains are..." Shion murmurs. "If only Urahara-senpai were here. He'd have tons of ideas." No, they don't need Urahara. They just need someone 'like' Urahara to use as a template...
Wait... that's it.
"Nevermind!" Shion says, happily jumping down off the table. "I've got it! I don't need anyone! I'm a genius."
"You're a nutcase," Seinosuke says.
"You're making me blush. I've got to go. Bye, Seinosuke! See you!"
"Don't come back."
"President," Miyako says, ducking and weaving around the invisible cuts that hang around the door to Shion's personal lab. "President, have you been reading your mail?"
"Miyako, perfect timing. Do you think jewelry would work properly as a magical drainage device? I was experimenting with some earrings for personal use oh, decades ago, but then I got distracted and never followed up. But I had a better idea just recently-- what if I did a paired channel? One piece designed to drain, and the other can act as a storage device. That way--"
"President Kamiya!" Miyako's hair is slightly out of its normal careful placement, and she seems.. Frazzled? Hm? "Didn't you receive a formal invitation to be at Byakuya Kuchiki's Lieutenant swearing in ceremony!?"
Did he?
"Why would I have received something like that?" Shion says. "Those things are solely the province of the division in question. I value your input highly, Miyako-chan, so if you could answer my question about reiatsu draining jewe--"
A letter is thrust in front of their face.
Lieutenant Shion Kamiya of the 12th Division
For services rendered to the 5th Division Captain and the Head of the Venerable Kuchiki Clan, you are cordially invited to witness the--
Shion gently pushes the letter down to rest on the table.
"I rendered no services," he says, voice casual. "And I'm busy."
"You can't be busy!"
No, clearly he's very busy.
Miyako stares down at him, hands propped up on her hips as she takes a deep breath, and then calms back down.
"President," she repeats. "As your second in command, and the person charged with speaking for the rest of this division, I hope to tighten our ties to other divisions. Not attending would slight Captain Kuchiki for no good reason, and would be ultimately detrimental for obtaining various permissions and funding. I hope you can look a little further than this project. Please."
She's so earnest. Shion had... really thought that spending decades in this division would wear her down a little, constantly dealing with amoral recruits with no taste and no tact.
Perhaps she's already too used to that, since she married Kaien Shiba.
They stare at her in exasperation.
"You go, then."
It's her turn to stare at him in shock.
"Represent the 12th Division as you see fit. If the Vice-President isn't good enough for them, then they can all go join their dead scion."
"Please don't say that, President. I just.. You're normally very excited to meet other Lieutenants. I was sure this was simply an oversight on your part..."
Nothing really interesting has happened to Byakuya except the fresh death of his father. There will be plenty of time to meet that young man.
"I think I'm done meeting new lieutenants for some time," Shion says, voice absentminded. "Miss Nanao is also just about to become the lieutenant of the eighth, I believe? And I only went to welcome Gin because Kaname asked me to. Maybe the rest of them should just work on their connections."
"I don't... think Byakuya Kuchiki is overly worried about.. Connections"
"He should be," Shion says, now truly amused. "But too bad-- I doubt that's a lesson he'll ever learn. Okay, Miyako-chan. Now you have to tell me about your opinions on the jewelry before you leave to--"
Her eyes widen.
"Now I'm going to be late to the ceremony," she says, horrified. "I have to get changed. I have to prepare a gift..." She gives a distracted bow before quickly walking back out the door, her litany of important things continuing as a mumble before it disappears back into polished elegance as the first of the 12th Division crosses her path.
...
"You can come out now," Shion says to the pink little girl that's gleefully hiding underneath one of their lab tables.
The girl giggles, blush stains on her cheek a truly bright shade of pink as she hops up to land on the lap table.
"Hey, Shi-Shi! I found some candy you were hiding!"
Shion's eyebrow shoots up as they stare at the mod soul capsules Yachiru is holding in her chubby fists. As far as he knows the ones he was keeping in the lab were empty, Yoruichi having stolen the only ones that actually had souls in them, but who could know for sure?
"I was going to experiment on those," they start, but Yachiru has already eaten them.
She stares at him, then burps.
"Gross." She states.
"I'll tell Oko to put sugar in his next batch, then," Shion says dryly. "But back to what I contacted you about before our unfortunate interruption."
They hold up their prototype earring, a cutely decorated cluster of three pink skulls each facing outward.
"If you wore this... would it still drain Kenpachi Zaraki's power?"
Yachiru stares back at them, eyes wide and deep and hollow.
"No, of course not, silly! We're separate beings! His power is his, and my power is mine! No take backs. That's how me and Ken-chan have always been."
An existential question. If a sword is given a body before it's given a name, then can they truly be considered an aspect of their wielder? If a girl isn't even a complete sword, has no access to that sword, but is closer to their wielder than that sword, which one of them more deserves a name? Would someone like Urahara instead classify them as a hollow? A soulless existence? Except that even Hollows have souls.
"I suppose that would've been too convenient for my purposes," Shion says regretfully, patting Yachiru on the head. "I'll have to go with plan B. You can still have the earring, though. I'll come up with something else for Kenpachi."
He feels small hands grab onto his own.
"You smell like Ken-chan," Yachiru says to him.
Shion smiles down at her.
"Is that so...? You're not the first person to have brought that up."
She giggles again.
"Your hands smell like blood, just like his do! You must have killed lotsss of people!"
Shion jumps a little, so they can sit on the laboratory table next to Yachiru.
"I did, yeah," he says. "But it was all really boring."
"Not even fighting is fun for you, Shi-shi?"
"I used to work as an executioner, back when I was in the Kido corps," Shion says. "You can't imagine how dull that work is. Not even a weakling could find any fun in it. I had to invent new mazes just to keep myself awake."
"Mazes are super fun!"
"Even if you're the type to just charge through them towards the end...? I could make one for you, if you want."
She pouts a little.
"No! Ken-chan's got to come first! I don't want everything to be dull and boring and awful! You'll make the world fun for us, right?"
"...Yeah," Shion says. "I'll make the world a place where you and I can have tons of fun."
Nothing but useless, irritating junk.
Seriously, doing such a needlessly risky task for Kisuke. If it were anyone but her, they wouldn't even be able to get in through the front door.
Don't worry, Yoruichi, that stupid man had said. My two students will be far too busy trying to kill each other to even bother with pest control! They're not that type of paranoid.
But there's no signs of a war in this room. Nor anywhere else in this Division-- everything is calm, quiet. Orderly. The chaotic Division that Kisuke had inherited and loved is already gone. So, there's no reason for her to stick around either. Get in, get the materials, get out.
No one's changed the locks since she last broke in decades ago.
Materials for making gigai, materials for spiritual construction, a few mod souls for free labor-- what else had he wanted, again. Research notes he'd left behind in the confusion. His old files. Some more--
"My, my," Shion Kamiya says, smiling in a way that she knows he copied from his Captain. "What have we here? A stray little mouse in the grain? A rat in a trap? A--"
"Don't play games with me, Kamiya," she says, the low rasp associated with speaking in an inhuman form properly distorting her voice. "I don't need to keep any witnesses alive."
"But wouldn't Urahara-senpai be so, so sad I died?"
Kisuke's second pick from the hidden layer of maggots and dung that fuels Soul Society had been someone he'd intended to balance out Kurotsuchi-- another mad genius, more charismatic and yet less ambitious than the clown.
At least, that's what Yoruichi had thought. But Kisuke had been quick to correct her-- Shion Kamiya was, he had said, not at all less ambitious-- his ambition was merely limited to the service of being in the exact right position to laugh at someone's misery.
It's all funny til he laughs at you, Kisuke had said, drunk one night and tipsy enough to dip a toe nail into the depths of his own guilty conscience.
"I think he'd be disappointed," Yoriuchi says, finally.
"That's no good," Kamiya sighs. "I want him to cry at my graveside. He's the only senpai I have, you know?"
"Didn't you plan on killing him?" Yoruichi grouches, tail flicking back and forth. She can't afford to be delayed by whatever obnoxious game Kamiya wants to play.
"Kill him?" They sound genuinely puzzled. "I'd never do such a thing."
Now they are simply lying to her face.
"Kisuke told me. That you asked if you'd be promoted if you killed the people in front of you."
"But I'd never kill Urahara-senpai!" Kamiya manages to sound properly horrified. "I just wanted to know what the boundaries were. Who I could kill. You can't design a proper maze without walls, you know. How will people know they're trapped?"
"As long as they're stuck, who cares if they know they're trapped?"
Yoruichi makes to jump away from him, only for her tail to prickle in warning, her senses narrowly keeping her from the edge of the table-- the warded edge of the table.
Kamiya beams.
"Because I love to watch people.. Figure that part out, Yoruichi-san."
This bastard.
She bares her teeth at him.
"Kurotsuchi's dead, then." She's in this position because she was too trusting of Kisuke's information on his own division. Clearly that's the end of that.
"Mayuri?" Shion wrinkles their nose in disgust. "Did Urahara-senpai really think he'd still be around? He thought I was equals with that fool? That can't be true. That's awful... I can't believe this."
Kisuke's not going to want to believe this. First Aizen, and now Kamiya.. It seems everyone's exceeding his expectations these decades.
Kamiya is still talking.
"I should.. Yes, that's right. You're here! You can give my gift bag to Urahara-senpai! Stay right there. I'll be right back."
They rush off, clearly not intending to be gone for long. Good, because Yoruichi isn't planning on being here for long. Breaking through a barrier is nothing for the former captain of the 2nd. She slips through, once again picking up the bare minimum of materials Kisuke asked for before immediately slipping back into the night, leaving Shion to return back to an empty table.
"How terrible..." Shion murmurs. "Ah, well. I'll just have to give this to him in person."
They watch various wards pulse and restabilize as Yoruichi darts through them, leaving nothing at all to prove she was ever here.
"Honestly...what a scary lady."
It's not a problem now that they have her signature, though, Bakudo #58 (Modified) will track her through hell itself.
"Kamiya."
Shion stares at Tousen with complete wonder, absolutely delighted that the man would be willing to acknowledge that they existed outside of forcible acquaintanceship. Imagine! They are just two friends, meeting outside a completely normal sunglasses store! They should leave their lab more often.
"Kaname!" They say. "What a serendipitous meeting. What can I do for you on this fine day?"
A shudder of pure disgust.
"... As you probably know, Captain Aizen has decided it is time for Gin Ichimaru to rise from 3rd Seat to full Lieutenant. As such--"
"Do you need to still call him Captain when you're both the same rank?" Shion wonders aloud. "I wouldn't."
"That's because you are a degenerate soul. Do not interrupt me. Captain Aizen heard about the...celebratory nature of my own promotion, somber though those grim circumstances were, and, kind soul that he is, wondered if you'd be willing to offer Ichimaru that same warm welcome into being a young Lieutenant."
Clearly, Tousen hopes Shion will say no.
"What a coincidence," Shion says, giving Tousen that tiny bit of hope. "As it happens, one of my longest running personal projects has just wrapped up a few years ago-- I'm at quite loose ends until the next phase of that project kicks into gear."
Utter misery in his gaze, with a hint of classic schadenfreude.
"Then it seems like you'll be able to give Ichimaru your full attention," he says.
"Absolutely," Shion says. "I'm happy to contribute to Soul Society any little way I can."
"As long as you're not busy with your other projects."
"Really... would something as interesting as helping out our newest lieutenant come up just like that?"
Tousen's entire body flinches as a bloody presence storms into the area, merry bells jingling with every step as he stalks past him to stare down at Shion.
Kenpachi Zaraki snorts.
"You're the 12th guy, right. We've gotta talk."
"I don't know," Tousen says. "You tell me."
He picks now to find his sense of humor.
"Captain Zaraki," Shion says. "I am indeed Shion Kamiya, Lieutenant of the 12th Division.. What can I do for you on this fine day?"
There's something about this guy that makes him feel tall enough that his shoulders can block out the sun.
Kenpachi grunts, shaking his head back and forth like he's a wet dog and sending all of his small bells jangling.
"You hear that?"
"...Yes," Shion says dryly. "It's quite loud."
"That's what I thought as well," Kenpachi says, loud and aggrieved. "And yet, nobody can dodge a single blow, even when they hear it coming!? What the hell's with that!"
"Most people do not rely on hearing to such a large extent," Tousen notes.
"Shut up, I don't even know who you are," Kenpachi growls. "You. 12th Guy."
"Shion."
"I went to Unohana. I told her to fix me, because I was so strong that nobody would give me a good fight. But she shoves me off to her annoying little twig of a subordinate--"
"Seinosuke recommended me?" Shion brightens up even more. This is possibly the best day of their last decade. Admittedly, it's been a boring decade.
"Whatever his name was, he sent me to go looking for the 12th guy who's aura stank of blood."
Kenpachi's gaze has never left Shion's face.
"And that's you."
Shion twirls a finger in their hair.
"That was so sweet of him to say. So, you want something that makes you weaker? Something that lets you... have a little fun around town?"
"I don't want fancy tricks," Kenpachi dictates. "Just a way of having straightforward deathmatches."
"Of course, of course..." They already have ideas. "And this should preferably be something you can turn on and off at will? In case you meet an opponent on your level."
"Now we're talking." Kenpachi nods, looming even closer. "It's so boring in this place. It's unbelievable. It sucks."
Shion nods along with him.
"It's really one of the places where you need to make your own entertainment. But I have confidence that the fun is going to find us all, one way or another."
"Hah!" Kenpachi snorts. "Well, make your little device, 12th, And we'll see what that's worth in terms of fun."
He leaves as quickly as he came, a storm boiling across the horizon.
"It looks like you'll be too busy to host a welcome for Ichimaru after all," Tousen says, having remained silent all the way through that wonderful interruption.
"What are you talking about, Kaname?" Shion says. It's time to properly crush that small bit of hope. "Hospitality is my number one priority."
The sudden MIA of Sojun Kuchiki on a routine mission to the Rukongai sends all of the Seireitei into a tizzy-- all of the Seireitei, that is, except for young Gin Ichimaru, who had managed to find the time in his busy schedule to come meet Shion for some celebratory drinks at the bar.
Shion waves to him as he comes in, their first drink already in front of them.
"Gin, isn't it," he says. "Hey! I'm Shion, Shion Kamiya. I thought about delaying this little thing until we had a couple more new lieutenants-- I think Nanao is about to make it any year now, and little Byakuya is going to have to step up, what with the likely death of his father and all! But I'd hate to make you wait for such a nebulous time. Not when we have the present."
Shion lifts their glass in a toast.
"Shion," Gin repeats, sliding into the seat next to him with his stretched out smile permanently locked into his face. So young to be so rude! Not that they can talk. "I've heard a lot about you."
"Heh...?" Shion places a hand on their cheek. "Am I really so gossip worthy? I don't get out much, you know. I feel so out of the loop."
Gin chortles a little.
"Nah, I was just saying that to wind you up. Your friends have some of the tightest mouths in the Seireitei, ya know?"
How disappointing.
"Really... I guess I'll just have to work harder to be the kind of guy everyone's whispering about." Shion rests their chin on one hand as they stare over at Gin. "On the other hand, it seems like you don't have any friends to leak your secrets. How sad."
"What're ya talking about, Shion?" He's so obsessed with playing the part of the villain. "I've got tons of friends. Everyone's so happy to see me, they rush to me as soon as I show up somewhere. They can't help it."
Shion nods earnestly at him.
"Yeah, you're right. There's no way someone as noble as Captain Aizen would let his precious subordinate operate without friends...I must be mistaken."
The faintest hint of tightness in the shoulder. Gin can sense that he's being made fun of, because it's how he would make fun of someone.
But his allegiances trap him, even as he scrambles to turn the joke back onto Shion.
"You really admire him that much? Actually, that doesn't surprise me at all, what with your friends being a nursemaid and a buzzing old cricket."
Another person who thinks Shion and Tousen are really friends. This is fantastic.
"Tousen's actually younger than I am," Shion says brightly. "Though I suppose you were speaking in terms of a cricket's lifespan. You shouldn't judge people like that, Gin! Being friends with people isn't about compatibility, it's about sticking with the people that you meet along the way!"
They can't even see a single flinch, but Ryuketsu laughs in their head. Got him.
This guy is going to spend the rest of his life searching for cracks in Shion's life he can use to stab them with.
"I didn't know you were that old," Gin drawls.
"I didn't feel old until just now," Shion admits casually. "But seriously... there's so many new lieutenants these days... and there's going to be even more in the coming future. Ah, the weight of being an example."
Gin's laughter is a constrained hiss.
"You're saying that like Kaien Shiba and Sojun Kuchiki haven't been doing this for forever! And you're even leaving out your own friend."
"You're well informed," Shion comments. Gin is, of course, leaving out the Lieutenant of the 1st division, who's been around since the founding of Soul Society, but at that level, does it even really count?
They beckon Gin forward, closer to them so they can fake whisper a secret.
"But that's the beauty of it! All of those guys are talented, favored and specially trained by their captains! Captain Ukitake and Captain Kuchiki-- those guys are just waiting for when they can step down and offer their seat to a new generation. But me, I'm going to be a lieutenant forever."
There's a crack in his closed eyes, a snort of disbelief that forces itself out of his throat.
"There's no one above you," he says. "There isn't anyone in the Seireitei more prepared to advance than you."
The ambition of a snake spotting prey.
"Only two open Captain positions left, mine and the 3rd," Shion agrees easily. "Do you want to have the 12th, Gin? I wasn't aware you already had a bankai."
A sharp breath.
"Of course... not," Gin says, settling back into his mask with flair and aplomb. "A new lieutenant with bankai? Captain Aizen would get accused of hoarding talent."
What, he seriously already has it? Scary.
"Urahara-senpai had a work-around for that type of accusation," Shion says. "Just recruit people who nobody else wants, and no one will ever ask for them!"
They wink.
"Think of that as my advice for when you make it to captain. I'm looking forward to it."
Now, how is Gin going to force the conversation back to Shion's abilities...?
"We can have another meeting just like this one when we both don the captain's overcoat," Gin says. "You're underestimating your charm, saying that no one would ever want that."
How cute.
Shion pats Gin on the shoulder, feeling him stiffen at the overly familiar touch. Ah, that's right.. Their hair is only a few shades pinker than Rangiku's.
"Sometimes you have to be content with your own inability," Shion says. "I'm afraid bankai really is quite beyond me."
The smile on his face stretches even wider.
"Ya know," he says. "I heard that's what Captain Aizen always said, to. Back when he was a lieutenant, and all."
"Wow..." Shion whistles. "So he really doesn't have a bankai? How impressive-- I would never have guessed. He seems like someone who knows himself quite well."
Possibly the most blatant lie they've ever told in their life.
"I think you also know yourself quite well, Shion," Gin says. "In fact, I--"
A distraught shinigami from the 12th bolts over to Shion's table.
"President!" She gasps. "It's urgent! You have to attend Captain Kuchiki at once!"
Shion raises an eyebrow.
"Well. It looks like we'll have to leave this off right there, Lieutenant Ichimaru. It was a pleasure getting to meet you."
Gin salutes them with his mug.
"No," he assures Shion. "The pleasure was all mine."
The reason Shion had even started with their long term project of modifying Bakudo #58: Kakushitsuijaku was so that they would be able to find the precise locations of Vizored and particularly individualistic Hollows through use of their reiatsu signature when the spell had only ever been created to work on Shinigami.
That didn't mean, however, that Shion had stopped their modifications at merely broadening the scope.
A spell that only gave latitude and longitude was useless when they wanted cross-realm information. A spell that was detectable by any competent sensor was useless when they wanted to be able to find Urahara's shop.
Not that any of this is particularly relevant to what they are using the spell for now, though. Tracking down missing shinigami was literally the original design feature.
Shion traces thick reiatsu lines into the air, drawing four interlocking circles before dividing each of the circles into four even quadrants while the Captain and 3rd of the 6th Divison both watch him with tense eyes.
"Hurry this up," the Captain snaps, voice low and rough. "My son could be in danger."
"Since I've only seen the lieutenant in passing, I need to be careful with my memory of his reiatsu," Shion says, voice indifferent. "You're welcome to try the kido yourself."
Mastering kido is hard, and so most people just pick a few that they think are useful, and learn those. Maybe if Urahara-senpai, or Tessai, or Yoruichi, or even Kurotsucchi were here, he could have asked them instead?
They finally finish the outline, and carefully place their hand in the center of the glowing glyph, each circle igniting as they chant.
"Heart of the Living World. Eye of the Hungry World. Finger of the Pure World. Foot of the Chained World. Arrive with the Wind and Depart with the Rain."
Blue light explodes outward from their hand, pulsing as it checks through each circle. Nothing found in the Living World. Nothing in Hueco Mundo. In this world, however-- the light latches onto a circle, lighting it up as the other three rotate and lock in behind it. In a final surge of light, the circle flares-- and then clears, to reveal a direct look down at the location of the missing lieutenant.
Sojun Kuchiki is surrounded by Hollows that blink in and out of invisibility, blood soaking his robes from various injuries as he tries to continue a hopeless fight against an endless foe.
"Sojun!" Captain Kuchiki cries. "We're coming for you!"
"He can't hear you," Shion says, flicking the ring with his finger to get it to give him a more precise location. "This is a one way view."
This is--
"44th Rukongai, East," he says, slowly looking up to meet the Captain's eyes. To see that terrible, terrible look.. Of failure. "That's a long way away, Captain Kuchiki."
The man can't look away from the vision. Sojun's taken another blow in the short time that Shion's looked away, and is visibly limping now, pain radiating through his face as he keeps fighting.
"Send everyone," the Captain snaps to his lieutenant. "The whole division. I don't care-- everyone!"
"Yes, sir!" It looks like the 3rd seat had already done that, but he's back to sending another messenger, redirecting them all to the 44th, Shion being able to provide even more helpful directions to narrow it down further.
But Ginrei Kuchiki stays, eyes fixed onto his son.
"I can turn it off," Shion says, voice sweet and consoling. "This actually takes quite a lot of energy to keep running." Ryuketsu is humming to him, smiling at him.
"N-no," the Kuchiki clan head says. Shion can't tell if it's a denial of him or of what he's watching.
"Sojun..." the old man whispers. "Sojun, just hold on. Help is coming."
But it doesn't come in time.
"So I had several ideas for a power limiter," Shion says. They are sitting on Seinosuke's desk while he struggles to ignore them, a task doomed to end in miserable failure. "The first concept I drew up was an eyepatch but that's just so... unoriginal. So cliche."
"Why do you need a power limiter? You're not that powerful to begin with."
He doesn't even look at them when he's talking. Tragic.
"Not for me! For Kenpachi Zaraki. Special request. So my next idea was to put it in a full on blindfold. That's a physical drawback on top of a reiatsu sink!"
Seinosuke's head thuds against the desk.
"I... don't think that's a good idea," he says, voice flat.
"Yeah. He'd probably be fine with not seeing, but he already walks through walls enough as it is, and our divisions are pretty close to one another. What if he damages an experiment? More than he does already. So I scrapped that one as well."
"I'd just stick a few needles in him," Seinosuke says, dipping a brush back into the ink and resuming his task. "There's no need to overcomplicate something like that."
"It needs to be easily removable, Seinosuke," Shion sighs. "You don't get it at all. Something that's scary when it's on, but becomes even more terrifying when it's shed-- ah, there's a reason I almost never design kido devices. Coming up with proper aesthetics is just too hard."
"Needles are easily removable." Another confident stroke of the brush. "Anything can become scary when it's worn by a captain. Don't overthink it."
"I think Captain Unohana is skewing your perception of how Captains are..." Shion murmurs. "If only Urahara-senpai were here. He'd have tons of ideas." No, they don't need Urahara. They just need someone 'like' Urahara to use as a template...
Wait... that's it.
"Nevermind!" Shion says, happily jumping down off the table. "I've got it! I don't need anyone! I'm a genius."
"You're a nutcase," Seinosuke says.
"You're making me blush. I've got to go. Bye, Seinosuke! See you!"
"Don't come back."
"President," Miyako says, ducking and weaving around the invisible cuts that hang around the door to Shion's personal lab. "President, have you been reading your mail?"
"Miyako, perfect timing. Do you think jewelry would work properly as a magical drainage device? I was experimenting with some earrings for personal use oh, decades ago, but then I got distracted and never followed up. But I had a better idea just recently-- what if I did a paired channel? One piece designed to drain, and the other can act as a storage device. That way--"
"President Kamiya!" Miyako's hair is slightly out of its normal careful placement, and she seems.. Frazzled? Hm? "Didn't you receive a formal invitation to be at Byakuya Kuchiki's Lieutenant swearing in ceremony!?"
Did he?
"Why would I have received something like that?" Shion says. "Those things are solely the province of the division in question. I value your input highly, Miyako-chan, so if you could answer my question about reiatsu draining jewe--"
A letter is thrust in front of their face.
Lieutenant Shion Kamiya of the 12th Division
For services rendered to the 5th Division Captain and the Head of the Venerable Kuchiki Clan, you are cordially invited to witness the--
Shion gently pushes the letter down to rest on the table.
"I rendered no services," he says, voice casual. "And I'm busy."
"You can't be busy!"
No, clearly he's very busy.
Miyako stares down at him, hands propped up on her hips as she takes a deep breath, and then calms back down.
"President," she repeats. "As your second in command, and the person charged with speaking for the rest of this division, I hope to tighten our ties to other divisions. Not attending would slight Captain Kuchiki for no good reason, and would be ultimately detrimental for obtaining various permissions and funding. I hope you can look a little further than this project. Please."
She's so earnest. Shion had... really thought that spending decades in this division would wear her down a little, constantly dealing with amoral recruits with no taste and no tact.
Perhaps she's already too used to that, since she married Kaien Shiba.
They stare at her in exasperation.
"You go, then."
It's her turn to stare at him in shock.
"Represent the 12th Division as you see fit. If the Vice-President isn't good enough for them, then they can all go join their dead scion."
"Please don't say that, President. I just.. You're normally very excited to meet other Lieutenants. I was sure this was simply an oversight on your part..."
Nothing really interesting has happened to Byakuya except the fresh death of his father. There will be plenty of time to meet that young man.
"I think I'm done meeting new lieutenants for some time," Shion says, voice absentminded. "Miss Nanao is also just about to become the lieutenant of the eighth, I believe? And I only went to welcome Gin because Kaname asked me to. Maybe the rest of them should just work on their connections."
"I don't... think Byakuya Kuchiki is overly worried about.. Connections"
"He should be," Shion says, now truly amused. "But too bad-- I doubt that's a lesson he'll ever learn. Okay, Miyako-chan. Now you have to tell me about your opinions on the jewelry before you leave to--"
Her eyes widen.
"Now I'm going to be late to the ceremony," she says, horrified. "I have to get changed. I have to prepare a gift..." She gives a distracted bow before quickly walking back out the door, her litany of important things continuing as a mumble before it disappears back into polished elegance as the first of the 12th Division crosses her path.
...
"You can come out now," Shion says to the pink little girl that's gleefully hiding underneath one of their lab tables.
The girl giggles, blush stains on her cheek a truly bright shade of pink as she hops up to land on the lap table.
"Hey, Shi-Shi! I found some candy you were hiding!"
Shion's eyebrow shoots up as they stare at the mod soul capsules Yachiru is holding in her chubby fists. As far as he knows the ones he was keeping in the lab were empty, Yoruichi having stolen the only ones that actually had souls in them, but who could know for sure?
"I was going to experiment on those," they start, but Yachiru has already eaten them.
She stares at him, then burps.
"Gross." She states.
"I'll tell Oko to put sugar in his next batch, then," Shion says dryly. "But back to what I contacted you about before our unfortunate interruption."
They hold up their prototype earring, a cutely decorated cluster of three pink skulls each facing outward.
"If you wore this... would it still drain Kenpachi Zaraki's power?"
Yachiru stares back at them, eyes wide and deep and hollow.
"No, of course not, silly! We're separate beings! His power is his, and my power is mine! No take backs. That's how me and Ken-chan have always been."
An existential question. If a sword is given a body before it's given a name, then can they truly be considered an aspect of their wielder? If a girl isn't even a complete sword, has no access to that sword, but is closer to their wielder than that sword, which one of them more deserves a name? Would someone like Urahara instead classify them as a hollow? A soulless existence? Except that even Hollows have souls.
"I suppose that would've been too convenient for my purposes," Shion says regretfully, patting Yachiru on the head. "I'll have to go with plan B. You can still have the earring, though. I'll come up with something else for Kenpachi."
He feels small hands grab onto his own.
"You smell like Ken-chan," Yachiru says to him.
Shion smiles down at her.
"Is that so...? You're not the first person to have brought that up."
She giggles again.
"Your hands smell like blood, just like his do! You must have killed lotsss of people!"
Shion jumps a little, so they can sit on the laboratory table next to Yachiru.
"I did, yeah," he says. "But it was all really boring."
"Not even fighting is fun for you, Shi-shi?"
"I used to work as an executioner, back when I was in the Kido corps," Shion says. "You can't imagine how dull that work is. Not even a weakling could find any fun in it. I had to invent new mazes just to keep myself awake."
"Mazes are super fun!"
"Even if you're the type to just charge through them towards the end...? I could make one for you, if you want."
She pouts a little.
"No! Ken-chan's got to come first! I don't want everything to be dull and boring and awful! You'll make the world fun for us, right?"
"...Yeah," Shion says. "I'll make the world a place where you and I can have tons of fun."
- Pronouns
- he/him
Is she saying this because she's continuing the act or because it really won't effect the other
Nothing that she says refutes or confirms the act she's playing, so she's probably telling the truth about it not working.
nervous_laughter.gif. Shi-shi keeps being a really unsettling cap-lieutenant. Honestly, not really a fun of slowburn, but this one sure is nice
- Location
- Right next to the butcher's shop.
He's a monster, and several people are aware of it. That said, he's powerful enough to get away with it.
Soul Society generally gives no fucks as long as it doesn't affect the lieutenants and captains. Everyone else is just fodder, really. And on the whole, he still looks like a net positive to their forces. Who knows, it might not be wrong. He probably plans to stick around, if only because he's in a position where he can cause and witness maximum suffering.
Soul Society generally gives no fucks as long as it doesn't affect the lieutenants and captains. Everyone else is just fodder, really. And on the whole, he still looks like a net positive to their forces. Who knows, it might not be wrong. He probably plans to stick around, if only because he's in a position where he can cause and witness maximum suffering.
shion's still considered the better option than mayuri by those that paid attention (his own dvision mostly) and more importantly as "lieutenant" of the 12th his whole job is called Invent Plot Devices and Know Everything which makes him. very indisposable even for a captain. hes still constantly testing the waters for what level of public malice he can get away with at any time-- though shion also enjoys his specific brand of "who, me?" humour so its not like they'll ever Really permamently drop the mask. their personality demands a mask so that they can get an impact from it slipping.
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Really liking this so far, new good Bleach content is something you rarely see.
I just have one question, why do the same people who have serious problems with the Blood War have no problems with the CFYOW or even filler? The Blood War has a lot of big problems, but the Narita novels are generally worse and the fillers are pretty middling, aren't they?
Either way, not a real complaint, it'll be interesting to see how this progresses. And I have to give it big props for having such an unobtrusive SI.
I just have one question, why do the same people who have serious problems with the Blood War have no problems with the CFYOW or even filler? The Blood War has a lot of big problems, but the Narita novels are generally worse and the fillers are pretty middling, aren't they?
Either way, not a real complaint, it'll be interesting to see how this progresses. And I have to give it big props for having such an unobtrusive SI.
no idea why other people dislike it, my reasons are just that its a lot of characters who i would have to , you know, characterize and their lore isnt tied into the rest of the setting the way that fillers set in soul society are. i dont think quality has much to do with it
edit: honestly compels me to add that i also dont like their aesthetic.
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- Location
- Midwest
I hope shion becomes BFFs with unohana since he's spending time with kenpachi.