[BSD-RP] Soul Society: Rukongai

[Shinigami]

護廷十三隊
Three Months Later

 

[Shinigami]

Drip...Drip….Drip…
DROP
Chilling droplets dripped from a dark ceiling...plummeting down through the air, through the darkness until finally...it lands.
There is a stirring within this world of black, accompanied by a painfully exhausted groan. The body, nothing but a mere silhouette stirs and moves, rising to sit up best it could. The surroundings were difficult to discern, was it a dungeon? A cave? Whatever it was, wherever it was, it was a place void of warmth, of any true light. The silhouette of a body began to scoot along the ground, labored breaths escaping them in puffs.
Straining one’s eyes in the darkness, peering into the void, the abyss as eyes adjusted, a more defined outline could be made out. Hair, spiked in design. Closer, deeper, the further one peered and the form of a young man with a stern expression upon his countenance, absent of any distinctive eyebrows could be seen.
Kyomu’s hands rested on his legs, fingers slightly curled as he stared into his palms...best he could. His hands and arms shook sporadically, eyes seemed more lifeless than normal, scuffs and scrapes decorated his body that seemed more refined since months ago.
Three Months...thats how much time had passed since then.
His vision hazed over for a moment or two before clarity was returned to the young Captain. He saw himself as he did, standing before his gathered subordinates, as well as women, men and children who were not part of the Gotei 13. Behind him were plaques, extravagant in design with a picture of the respective body, and fine candles resting on either side of each one. It represented those who lost their lives in pursuit of giving their Captain a better chance, a fighting chance at the mission burdened upon his shoulders.
While his subordinates remained silent and orderly, the families were not as disciplined. They were neither assassins or warriors, not most of them at least. Tears were shed for sons and daughters, nephews and friends..brothers and sisters. There was much weeping, there was great turmoil and unrest from those who demanded why. There was much anger pointed sharply like blades towards the passionless Captain that stood before them. Some needed to be restrained as their emotions brought with it blind courage to rush the man they blamed for the loss of their loved one. Kyomu offered them only his condolences and an apology to them, that seemed anything but sincere. The one thing he denied them as pain gripped and gnawed at their hearts was the answer of why. Why this had happened, why he did something so foolish, so STUPID.
Once the ceremony had concluded, and the families had shed all the tears they could, and stomached all the hate and fury they could endure, they were sent off...some willingly, others not as much. Once they were all gone, Kyomu sealed off all exits and entrances as he stood before his division once more, his Lieutenant at his side.
”I’m sure you’ve all heard your fair share of things. Rumors, gossip and hearsay regarding the matter that took place prior to the Kototsu incident.” He began, passing his gaze over the multitude before him. ”I did attack the First Division barracks, and I did point my blade towards the Captain Commander.”
A confession that shook many to their core, they knew the implications of such an act, they knew the consequences of traitorous behavior...and the fear set in on many of them. Kyomu did not give that seed of fear to fully settle and bear root as he continued. ”It was an order handed down to me from Central 46 themselves. You all were told nothing of the matter so as not to implicate any of you should the inevitable happen, which it did. I tell this to you, and only you because you deserve to know. Those families demand answers, and though many of you would say they have a right to know, I remind you not to forget who we are.”
His gaze sharpened, and like a blade it pierced through each and every soul that was gathered there. ”We are the Second Division. We are the shadows, whispers and rumors. We are secrecy incarnate. They are not trained, they have taken no oaths. What I have told you, you take to your graves. Either naturally, by your hand….or by mine.”
A grave silence befell the room, a shudder crawled up the spine of the weak willed. Those who would have gossipped, quickly reassessed their brash decision. He went on to order them to continue their respective tasks right after declaring the promotion of Kazumi Fujioka from sixth seat to fourth seat for reasons unspoken. Having dismissed them he had Kazumi and Sakiko stay behind, a brief passing glance landing on Xiaolin as he left with the others.
He briefly debriefed Kazumi on her new task, while entrusting the two females with their own training curriculum. ”Lieutenant Yugure and I will be otherwise indisposed for awhile. I trust you both to perform your duties...stick to what I have told you...and keep an eye on Xiaolin.” The last part would undoubtedly come at a surprise, but again, like always he offered them no explanation behind his orders.
The picture blurred and distorted, a droplet of water sending ripples through the image as he stood now at the entrance of his clan’s compound. He looked at Yasu, his eyes speaking orders his lips could not give voice to. With tacit understanding he moved inside as she remained behind. The Elders would have gotten word of his failure by now, they would want to know why, would demand answers from their weapon. As he ascended the steps he had reflects on the fact he had still remained dishonest to his squad, to all except Yasu. He had neglected to inform them on the matter involving his clan. How would they take it? There were already many a rumor swimming throughout the Rukongai and the Seireitei alike about the Mukuro, his squad didn’t need any more fear added to them.
Shobatsu’s face flashes in his mind, as does the covered borders of the Central 46, of Yasu, then Honoka.
The Young clan lord...no. He stands now not as Kyomu, the young Lord of the Mukuro Clan, but as a Captain of the Gotei 13. The mighty massive doors open ajar, allowing him passage. He peers at those before him in the darkened room, and then…
the door closes.
There is only silence, an unsettling emptiness that stretches well beyond the corridor and the long winding steps. It is an eternity, or so it feels before those same doors open once more. The stench of blood wafts from the opening, it is the smell of death that heralded the exit of Kyomu.
He sent for Yasu, and ordered her to be brought inside. Here, at his home where he had trained and learned all he knew...he would find himself anew. He would re-train, rebuild, re-discover and unlearn a great many of things. Practices kept from him would be unearthed, regimens foreign to Yasu would be forced upon her. It was because of Shobatsu that he was in the state he was now, but that was irrelevant. What was important was, he needed to become stronger for what was to come.
The image of the many scenes reflected into the splintered and fractured window of reality from Captain Higen’s bankai repeatedly flashed into his mind, tattooed to his very eyes. He needed to be stronger...and he needed Yasu to become stronger too.
The days twisted into weeks, and bled into months, one after the other. Kyomu’s mind emerges from the waters of remembrance in the ocean of the past. He pants, struggling to his feet, his wounds become more distinctive, and reveal themselves to be deeper than previously perceived. At his feet are hollows of many kinds, many of which are of the adjuchas class. He flexes and rotates his wrists, invisible fetters weighing heavy on him, heavier since the beginning, having adjusted several times over. The walls surrounding him in this large, dark damp open space appear to be composed entirely of Sekkiseki (殺気石, “Spirit Reducing Stone”), How long had Kyomu been locked away inside such a place, with hollow after hollow seeking his life?
His steps are heavy, they drag after nearly every other one. He moves now, seeking the exit, seeking the light...seeking his Lieutenant. He walks until his feet will carry him no more, and he once again collapses to his knees, sweat pouring from him like blood. Fingers coil into fists, striking the ground repeatedly as he grits his teeth, rather in pain or aggravation no one knows. He rolls over to sit on his butt, he brings his hands together, wincing every so often, a sharp pain coursing from not only his fresh wounds but some of his major muscles as well. A shaking hand retrieves a dark cloth, fingers fumble to tie it around his eyes. He takes a breath...and then another. His hands join together as his mind sinks into the void, his body and mind swallowed by blackness. He breathes. He rests. He waits.

Piercing through the cool ceiling, through the earth and rushing towards the skies, directly below one can see the Mukuro Clan compound, shrouded in a dark fog and a mist of silence.

 

[Shinigami]

“He struggles in the dark. Shall I assist him?”
“No, I’ll get to him.”
From her web’s perch, she began to descend, the mop of taffy-colored locks hiding the softness of her gaze. A slick black substance cushioned her feet as she touched down, guiding her down effortlessly. It moved like water but was darker than a moonless sky.
Her arms reached high into the air, and a sigh escaped past her plush lips. Looking around, she could see that her essence had reached lengths away from her current location. She’d reached new distances with Shikai. After all, three months more significant doing nothing.
That day, she’d lost almost everything, and it scared her. It still does. With her hands now resting against the blackened ground, that dark mass receded into the palms of her hands, revealing the pale cobblestone pathways, the forest-green grass, and the leaf-less bark of many trees that surrounded her.
“What was the distance this time, Odei?”
“Two-hundred-and-seventy-three meters. You’ve grown, Yasu.”
“You’ve grown with me.”
The two of them exchanged a few more words before parting once the time grew closer to finding her captain, and she was almost finished patching herself up in ointment and bandages. Pulling her hood over, she dug into one of her many pockets and found a piece a foil, folded into a rectangular shape. In the human world, they called it gum. Some had a minty taste, others sweet or sour. Yasu preferred the sweeter ones. Shoving the chewy stick into her mouth, she found immediate deliciousness and chewed away, even blowing a few bubbles here and there.
Her steps were light and little. A lot has changed since the attack of the Kokotsu, among other things. Yasu had nightmares, often finding herself waking with a scream, and her body riddled in a cold sweat. Her attitude changed. Rather than putting up a blissfully ignorant facade, she was harsher. Straightforward but confident and protective. If she stayed as she was, there’d be no hope for her in the future.
Not as though she had a choice, anyway. With a deep inhale, she caught onto the lavender scent that belonged to none other than her precious captain. Lost in her thoughts, Yasu continued.
Yasu watched in silence. That was all she could have done. Amongst the masses, there were many not of this line of work. She could understand their feelings. Had she been in their position, Yasu couldn’t help but sympathize… However, this was what may be entailed upon joining the Gotei Thirteen, let alone the Second Division. Those of which join them are briefed of the dangers before anything. If one was unable to stomach the idea of sacrifice, then that meant this division was not suited to their tastes, and they were welcome to transfer.
Looking, and unable to move as some of the strays lunged to lash out their grief, those glee-filled eyes she possessed were filled with sorrow that day, but her expression, similar to her captain. Maybe it was the lack of eyebrows that made his apologies seem the most insincere, perhaps not. The funeral was anything but short and sweet, but eventually, it came to an end.
Right at her captain’s side, her arms and legs were wrapped in bandages. While no real atrocities existed, her internal crisis was something fouler, and these blessed fabrics evened out the damage inside and cleansed her of destruction.
When he spoke, Yasu couldn’t bring herself to look at him. She stared ahead, picking a spot and sticking to it as he explained that they were all dying for. Waves of gossip spread so easily at that, but they were quickly silenced upon a further reminder of just exactly who they were and what they did. The meeting concluded after assigned everyone to there original posts and tasks, save for Sakiko and Kasumi. Captain Mukuro had given then a different briefing and offered nothing but a smile when they glanced in her direction.
Parting ways, Yasu trailed behind Kyomu.
“Where are we going now?”
They were directly in front of the Mukuro Compound entrance. The silence between them was stifling. He looked at her in demand to stay put, and she stepped to the side in compliance. Sitting down, she sat quietly, listening to all the sounds around her. Even with the lack of words, Yasu had an idea of just why they were here. And the stench of iron that soaked into the area around the compound was potent and fresh.
Once she was escorted inside, the scent only grew stronger, and her extra sensitive sense of smell made her gag. Soon enough, she found herself in more challenging situations that ended up with her vomiting anyway, and in volumes larger than what may be possible. Her flawless skin became painted in scars, resting along the length of her arms and her legs.
Among other changes, her hair had grown longer, the ends reaching just past her shoulder blades. She lost her sleeves and went with a sleeveless garb and hoodie. The gloves were a signature look, cut and designed to help her with grasping and feeling for things properly. Meanwhile, from the waist down, she’d completely shielded herself in black and white. However, the signature plum-dyed obi stayed. It matched her eyes, after all.
From the day she stepped into this compound, she was beaten and followed all of what her captain demanded. The floor was her permanent bed if her strength failed her. There were plenty of times that she slept outside because of the overbearing weight she carried, and the pain that flashed through her nerves if she went out of line. She didn’t argue, because she knew that it was for the best. She didn’t know who else would push her this far and not coddle her.
The innate power that stirred inside of her had grown after three long months without breaks; it happened only once, but she pinned her captain down using only her hands and strength, a feat that she holds over him despite her other losses. Something else she finds to be progressive of her is her advancement in Kido. Still not at the level of her captain, Yasu had gone to none other than the Kido Prince, Captain Yū Nakamoto, for her private training, and after much deliberation, her novice ways have been replaced.
She’d gotten stronger, but was still far from stepping foot into the level of a captain…
Standing in front of where the lavender scent was the most potent, the lieutenant cupped her hands around her mouth and yelled into the depths of the large cavern.
“Taichou. Are you finished yet?”
Getting no response, she let herself in, and POP! went the gummy bubble. Ah, the sweet taste was a delicacy, almost rivaling the captain’s not-so-secret stash of strawberry pocky. The sounds of his pained grunts and heavy breathing grew louder, which meant that she was getting closer, but she began to understand why he was in so much pain.
Her legs trembled, and she was slowing down; her footsteps becoming sluggish, and her body stumbled in a drunken stupor. She reached out all around her, looking for some support to keep her body up. Soon enough, she felt herself being pushed forward by an entity, the slick feeling of Odei wrapped around her lower body and forced her forward.
“T-taichou… Out of all… places… you chose this one.”

 

[Shinigami]

Darkness, it surrounded him. Up, down, left and right...all that was around him was black. The young Captain gripped the handle of his zanpakuto, freeing the cold blade from its home, safe and snug within its sheath. There was a dull sheen to the steel, as always it appeared bland, unimpressive to the eye. Fingers clutched the blade tightly.
Inhale...pause...exhale...breathe.
A single, simplistic downward stroke of the sword as if to sever the entirety of the darkness before him. That stroke slipped and led into another stroke, the blade arcing upwards towards his left shoulder. The tip of the blade lingering in the air. The blade, like its master was still. Motionless. Void of movement and seemingly, void of breath.
"No...too slow. There was a delay."
The young lord's voice. Though calm there was a hint of dissatisfaction, aggravation...disappointment. So, he brought the blade before him, and began again.
Inhale...pause...exhale...slash...breathe
AGAIN
Inhale...pause..exhale...slash...breathe
FASTER
Inhale, exhale, downward slash, left swipe, circular slash JAB!!!
And breathe.
There was a slight, inconsequential tremble at the very tips of his fingers as he held his zanpakuto. Repetition. To find himself once more, he needed to follow the path of the steps he had already walked. However there were many steps, and the path they traveled was perilous, exhausting and a lengthy journey.
"I see you've made some improvements."
The voice filled the space, and forced the blackness to retreat. Kyomu who had been sitting in his meditative stance had finally stirred. He lifted his hands, undoing the cloth bound around his eyes. All that had transpired had happened within the confines of his mind, where he could act while at the same time, observing his movements for any errors, anomalies, issues.

Standing over the Captain was a man who resembled him in complexion, eye color, hair color, style and over all...disposition. The man was aged a hundred times over, his arms resting behind his back. The two stared at one another, and Kyomu was returned to that moment once again.
His steps were heavy as he ascended the mountainous steps of the compound. The journey down the hall, it felt as if it took an eternity. Vivid moving images of his life played out along the walls on either side of him. A constant reminder of all that he's been through, all that he's endured and once he reached those massive doors...the images vanished. As the doors cracked open, the opening large enough for only Kyomu himself to barely make it through they closed abruptly. The clan's elders sat around a small table, and though their forms were obscured by the shadows in the darkened room he could still, no...feel their dissatisfaction of his return. Through their own sources, their own eyes ears and hidden means, they had discovered that Shobatsu Murasaki, the Captain Commander still drew breath.
The air about them demanded answers from the young lord, demanded an explanation for this failure. Normally one for wearing his Captain's haori halfway off his body, this time Kyomu adorned it in full, both arms fully sleeved. He gazed at them with the eyes not of an assassin, born and raised by the clan. These were the eyes of a Captain of the Gotei 13.
He offered the gathered elders no words of explanation, and uttered no words of apology. Today, he offered them only the steel of his blade, his zanpakuto pulled from its wooden scabbard, targeting the extremities of each one. Taken aback by this action, for the first time in centuries, the elders were caught by surprise. The child they had raised and trained to become a Captain, positioned to lead the clan for them to guide, and manipulate had turned astray. Their marionette was now stringless.
The stench of blood and death strangled the dark room. Kyomu stared down at the bodies of those he had slain. The blood he spilled, was that of his family, his own clan. Sheathing his sword, he moved to exit. What could he do now..what would he say? As the large doors parted open Captain Mukuro's path was obstructed by a man he had not seen since he was a young boy.
It was the forgotten elder. He was out on a mission, one which took a hundred years to complete. Despite his absence he had heard of a great many things which troubled him while he was away. Rumors and whispers of corruption, of the elders straying from the ways of the clan. Those likened to ghost had become possessed themselves. Possessed by greed, arrogance, by the corruption of man.
"Kyomu....so. It did come to this in the end."
His voice weathered, tired as he lamented. He shook his head and stepped up to the young lord. He glanced just behind him, then gazed back at the young man before him. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then stopped. Turning his back to the Captain he tilted his head as he spoke once more.
"I shall help you."
That was months ago. Since then he has exhausted much to help Kyomu stabilize the situation within the clan while working to help both Kyomu and his second in command. Kyomu lets the memory slip from his hold. He inhales deeply as he struggles to his feet.
"Yasu, how is-"
The elder raises his hand to stop Kyomu from speaking further. He motions for the young lord to follow, the two making way through the littered hollow corpses on the ground.
"The young lady has made some improvements. She's no you when you were younger..but she has potential. She's made her way here. She seems to have memorized a certain...scent? I believe? Effective...against anyone other than you, I or others of the clan of course."
He spoke of course, of that smell of lavender that Yasu seemed so fond of. It was a scent he recognized upon his reunion with the young lord that day. Kyomu was a professional, and above all...a Mukuro. They were not known to make such amateurish errors like leaving behind a scent. They were living ghosts. They came and left without a trace, absent of presence, of scent, of sound. Now the sweat, blood, gore and musk from the ordeal Kyomu had endured clung to his body like a heavy coat. A bath was certainly in order.
The lavender that Yasu smelled more than likely lingered on one or two of the earlier hollows Captain Mukuro had bested during his training session. Their journey soon brought them in the path of young Yasu, trotting about in this cavern of death and darkness. It would be impossible for her to not feel the effects of the plentiful Sekkiseki that seemed to compose the walls, floor and ceiling of this massive place.
"Yasu."
He spoke as he stared and studied his Lieutenant as she came into his obscured view. How much progress had Yasu made since their start? How much progress had he made? Regardless it was certainly time for them to make their preparations and return back to the Seireitei. They had been gone long enough. He gave his Lieutenant a meaningful look, looking towards the elder, nodding his head as they proceeded towards the exit, the three of them together.

 

[Shinigami]

“Yah, yah! Stop pushing me.”
Yasu practically cursed and stopped herself from going any further, begging for Odei to recede into her body instead of pushing her forward. Begrudgingly she accepted and returned to the depths of her sheath. The smell of blood and sweat suddenly washed over her, growing stronger even if she didn’t advance.
“Yasu.”
A single name uttered, but it put Yasu into good spirits. Lifting her head, she raised her arms meekly in greeting and bowed. The other party following just behind her captain was none other than an elder. The signature blond locks and toned skin was a Mukuro thing. However, he seemed to have the one thing Kyomu lacked: Eyebrows.
“Taichou. Chourou-sama.”
She offered yet another bow, lower this time. Over the months that passed, Yasu had also gained a bit of manners. Seeing the look on her captain’s face, she nodded gently and turned to follow him towards the exit.
Reaching the outside, Yasu became familiar with the floor. Even if she had advanced in the long months of training, she was still as childish as ever. Rolling onto her back, Yasu reached towards the sky and let out a rather inhuman screech. Surely startling her captain and his elder, she’d rub at her stomach and chew her gum rather obnoxiously before exclaiming.
“Waaaa, I’m so hungry. Ne, ne, Taichou can’t we get some snacks? Ah! I want to try some new food, yah.”
This pink-haired lieutenant -- despite acting out of sorts on the floor, pulled at her captain’s hakama from the ground to pull herself up. Eventually, she brought herself back up to her feet and began her ascent onto his backside, finding her perch and becoming her second job as a nuisance, a living backpack.