Bleach Hereafter RPG

Asuka raised an eyebrow at the Shinigami standing before her. "Oh, it's you Hyakuji." She spoke. She knew the other Shinigami due to the time he spent in the Kanemi manor and because of his apprenticeship under her sister, Yuna. He seemed an intense guy, which made it odd that Yuna had taken him under her wing. Despite the differences, they both seemed like naturals when it came to supernatural combat. Asuka had seen the two of them practice sparring and had to commend his skill.

Still, prodigies like her sister annoyed her. Asuka did not consider herself a natural at anything. She gained her power and skill through consistent study and refining. 

I suppose it could be worse. He is around my age after all. There were some ridiculously young Shinigami, even ones that outranked her. It was rare, but they served as a reminder that she was already behind in the race to get the respect she deserved.

She took a look at his uniform. She gave a slight nod of recognition upon seeing it. "Ah. You made third Seat." It took her a second to remember why that had happened. She banished the thought. She had decided she did not want to think about it. "Good job." She remarked.

Asuka held her door open for the Shinigami. She then walked towards a table and took a seat, gesturing to a kettle and a cup. "Please/ Sit and pour yourself something. Then we can talk about whatever it is you came for."

{254 words)

His expectation somewhat died down as he recognized the hostility on the voice of the Shinigami in front of him. He suddenly realized that this was the same hostile aura Asuka gave him while they were still living under the same roof. Back then, the members of the Kanemi family seemed to be kind to him except for one--and that was Asuka. They didn’t talk to each other much. Let alone spar or do things together. He didn’t know why she always gave him a cold shoulder but he didn’t really bother asking her at all. As long as he can talk to her casually, there was no need to confront her or somehow deepen the relationship.

He noticed that the girl was examining him. And then, that comment. "Ah. You made third Seat." His face turned quite irritated at the supposed praise. While he sensed Asuka was being sarcastic, the very fact that he was indeed the current third seat made him more uncomfortable. And the commending that came from his master’s sister wrung his heart even more.

“It’s nothing much. I didn’t do anything to get here.” he replied. He was supposed to ignore what she said but he couldn’t help but get defensive.

Asuka invited him in. As he followed her, his eyes wandered around the mansion and noticed there wasn’t much change since he left the house. He couldn’t help but smile and feel nostalgic.











The Kanemi mansion was just like any other traditional Japanese mansion. What stood out as one entered through the wooden gate was a large garden with small trees around and cherry blossoms standing on each end a few meters before the main entrance. The whole mansion stood at the center of this luscious green space. The main entrance to the house was wide, with large blocks of wood on each side and was immediately connected to the corridors going left and right. There were a few steps leading to the door where they took off their sandals. Instead of entering through the main door, Asuka led the visiting Shinigami to the left side. As they walked through, Hyakuji could see the intricate patterns on the wooden panel dividing the veranda to the inner parts of the house. "Still hasn't changed," he thought to himself. One room was wide open flaunting an empty yet spacious area with tatami flooring and sliding doors serving as walls/ partitions to the other rooms inside. Near the end of the long corridor on this side, was a small table overlooking the rest of the garden. While the half part of the wooden panel was blocking the inner room, a decent amount of artworks and books was quite an eye-catcher even if one would just take a quick peek inside.


When they reached the table, his face became expressionless again while Asuka took a seat and offered to help himself with something on the table. A small Japanese kettle for holding tea. It has an exquisite design telling of a lavish lifestyle of the nobles. And two cups.

Hyakuji took a seat, his hands clasped together on the table. “I thought you were going out.” His eyes took another glance at the kettle. “...but it seems you were expecting someone to come by this late night.”

“Whether it’s me or somebody else,” he added, “ I wouldn’t miss this chance so I’ll go straight to the point...” his hands clasped tighter together. You can say he was still quite hesitant to ask for help. After all, he got used to being alone and independent while he was still living on earth. Even when he became a plus, he managed to “live” and survive for himself without help. Whether it was a good thing or not, the Shinigami training at the academy and him joining the squad of black soldiers, even managing to get to higher ranks, taught him the importance of teamwork.

Before saying another word, he took a moment to try read the facial expression of his host but the faint reflection of the garden on her eye-glasses covered her eyes thus he couldn't see clearly. Nevertheless, he continued, “...I need your help. I want to look for shishou outside Soul Society. The captain ordered the investigation to be put on hold indefinitely. I couldn’t just stand and do nothing.” He paused for a moment, wondering if the words inside his head need be uttered, but then whispered softly that Asuka could barely hear, "I can't let her suffer the same fate as Ayame." At this, he gritted his teeth, his fist clenched. While he had nothing to do with Yuna’s disappearance, the whole mansion, and even the star-lit night sky could feel a sense of guilt on his end regarding the matter.

[810] Asuka Kanemi

“It’s nothing much. I didn’t do anything to get here.”

"Nonsense. You rose through the ranks like everyone else does. You have prodigious talent and the position happened to open up. Once a vacancy appears and you are of sufficient skill, it only makes sense to fill it." Asuka replied bluntly. She had no time for hollow modesty. "There's no fancy test until you get to Captaincy. And even then you can always just challenge your superior to a battle to the death if you want. Though they don't really tend to like it when people do that." 

She hated when Yuna did the same thing. When she achieved something ahead of Asuka, she acted the same way. It was to be expected of a Shinigami in polite society to be humble and not to brag. Perhaps Hyakuji had picked up the habit from her, from some other source, or had come to this way of thinking on his own. Asuka still couldn't help but be reminded. 

As they passed through the house, Asuka felt sure once more that she should move out as soon as possible and back to her quarters with the rest of the fifth division. She had enjoyed the fineries of life in the nobility too long. Everything here was swiftly becoming a distraction. Normally focus came easy to Asuka, but now she felt her mind taken in other directions. 

Once the two of them were at the table with the tea, Asuka frowned slightly at her guests question. "I had arranged to meet with someone but they... were no longer able to visit." Asuka replied. Her normally blunt manner a little more evasive on this subject. 

She wished he had not noticed that detail. But she supposed she should have cleaned up. The Shinigami had a keen eye for detail, that much was for sure. 

Once Hyakuji made his request for her aid, Asuka's frown deepened. She was about to take a sip of the tea she poured, but instead she put it down. She regarded the other Shinigami, looking him up and down again. it only made sense that he was attached to Yuna. From what Asuka had heard, she managed to help him out when in a dire situation and then trained him. Still, it was odd to see signs of vulnerability from someone usually so intense. 

"What makes you so sure she left the Soul Society?" Asuka replied. "Where would she go? The World of the Living? Hueco Mundo? No, the simplest explanation, which is most often the most likely, is that she deserted and is currently on some farm in the outer Rukon." 

Asuka sighed. "Why do you think your Captain called off the investigation?" She asked rhetorically. "I suspect that it's for the same reason that most decisions like that are made: To save face."

"I've met old man Katsumoto before. He prides himself on being a traditional Shinigami. That means ascribing to a very particular sense of honor." Asuka took a sip of tea. "Katsumoto believes that by not looking into this too closely, he does us a favor. We would not want to be associated with a deserter or a failure after all. If he doesn't investigate, he can explain it all away as a mysterious disappearance. He also does Yuna a favor by not shaming her." 

"Of course, if the two were to cross paths, he would likely have her arrested like any other deserter, regardless of personal feelings." 

Her theory was not entirely flawless. It was plausible enough given the evidence, but it was far too neat and tidy. There was no evidence that Yuna had deserted either, even if it was the most likely possibility. There was, of course, another element at play. One she was loathe to consider. 

Hyakuji may have been close to Yuna, but there's no way she would have told him about our father and the family curse... There was a chance he could have picked up the story from somewhere else. It was an old rumor, but one too scandalous to die entirely. Asuka herself had to learn about these things from others. The topic was Taboo in the Kanemi family and in the Kanemi household. 

(708 words)

The stars in the dark night sky soon hid behind thick clouds as the two shinigamis exchanged words regarding the matter. The branches of the trees in the garden started swaying at the guidance of the cool breeze while the leaves of the cherry blossoms slowly rained down to the grounds.

Asuka’s reply gave Hyakuji a hint that she would not lend him a hand in the search of the former third seat. But what surprised him more was the speaker’s grave comment about his master. He frowned as the other Shinigami badmouthed Yuna as if she was not family. “Unbelievable.” He could not understand why Asuka had such hatred for her sister. Back in the day, while he was still residing at the mansion, he did not notice such an attitude from her. The girl was modest and respectful towards her sister as far as he could remember. But tonight…it was far more evident that she had disdain for the older Kanemi.

He tried his best to keep calm, but it was just too much for him given the respect he had for Yuna. “Deserter”. “Failure”. At these remarks, Hyakuji blurted out, “How could you talk about your sister like that!?!”

Hyakuji’s eyes widened, surprised that he let his emotions took over. He looked down; his usual cold eyes became gloomy. It was a rare sight to see this other side of Hyakuji. After all, he never showed to others how he felt towards something or someone. But perhaps, he could be vulnerable at times, especially when it was about the people he cared about. There were only two people anyway, his master, Yuna, and his best friend, Ayame.

He regained himself by taking a deep breath, his eyes closed as he sipped from his cup of tea. Then he continued, “Your speculation is quite interesting. But I won’t buy into that. There’s no way she’ll leave everything behind. I know…” looking at Asuka sharply, “I know because I was with her. I was always with her.”

“She always shares her ideals to me…. her hopes for the whole Soul Society…and how she would do anything to achieve that. There’s no way she would suddenly abandon all that.” With those words, the young Shinigami emphasized that compared with Asuka, he had a deeper relationship with Yuna. He believed he knew better than her. As such, she had no right to talk ill of her like that, even if she was closer by blood.

He paid no attention to Asuka’s suspicion of Captain Katsumoto. The captain might be the typical Shinigami who held firmly to traditions, but he knew how special his feelings were towards his master. He treated her like his own child, such that he became part of that blessing. There was no way he would turn his back on his so-called children. At least, this was what he believed…even if he could not fully comprehend why the captain rejected his proposal earlier.

“All this time, I thought you cared about your sister. And that…you were just not the showy type…. But I guess I was wrong.”

“How careless of me to ask someone who doesn’t bother if one of her family had gone missing at all.”

Hyakuji saw no point in convincing Asuka, as he was not the type who would beg others to do favors for him. A helping hand might be convenient, yes, but if they showed no interest, he really would not mind to go off on his own.

“I apologize for the trouble of coming all the way here. At any rate, it was nice seeing you doing well.”

He stood up, gave a slight bow to Asuka and headed towards the corridor. As he was about to leave, he remembered something that might give a slight chance to win his host over.

“On second thought…” he drew his wakizashi along with its sheath and carefully stripped the torn scarf from the handle. He turned to Asuka again, and slowly placed the scarf on the table.

“This is why I think you’re wrong.”

“We found this along the way…. Near the border on the South Rukongai."

“Are you sure you don’t want to tag along?”


[717] Asuka Kanemi

Asuka raised an eyebrow at her colleagues anger, sipping from her tea before addressing him. "That's the sort of thing people say Hyakuji-san. Words like them have been attached to me at various points, and they will say similar things about you when you slip. People enjoy seeing others fail, confirming their malformed suspicions about that person and making themselves feel better." Asuka replied with a minor shrug of her shoulders. "They will say such things about my sister, regardless of what actually happened. Your anger is understandable, but it will do her reputation no favors."

"As for my sisters ideals. Let us not pretend those are unshakable. She is the scion of a fallen house, and the expectation upon her is to bring us back to our position of honor." She explained. "For that, it would have been unacceptable to die having attained a rank lower than Captain. Then she would have had to retire after a career of honour and death defying glory and raise a healthy brood of young Kanemi and other students ready for the next generation, all the while shouldering the scorn of the so called noble elite and the intrigues of the major houses, who do not want competition for primacy. Nothing less is acceptable for someone who wants a true legacy."

"I don't know what gave you the impression I cared about her. I understand her. I empathize with her. But her journey is her own. If she chose to leave of her own accord, then who am I to drag her back!?" Asuka responded, a little more anger and venom in her voice and eyes as she said that. She composed herself. "It's very easy to talk well of supporting a family when you are accepted in. I had to claw on my own for what I wanted and I had no help from her or our mother."

It seemed that her unexpected guest was going to depart then. Asuka was about to return to her books, but then Hyakuji handed her the scarf. 

The silk garment felt far weightier in her hand then it merited by it's physical appearance alone. Asuka wanted to dismiss it, but she found the thoughts building in her mind far hardered to budge than they were previously. She frowned. 

There's no reason for her to have discarded it if she intended to desert. If an enemy cut it when they killed her, then it would have traces of her blood. 

---

Six Months Ago

"Oh. It's you." Asuka muttered as she saw Yuna seated in the Zen Garden. The spectacled girl frowned as her sister turned, giving the same contented smile she always gave. 



"I was wondering who was down here." Asuka spoke. "I spotted you from the second floor."

Yuna gave the same delighted chuckle she always gave at Asuka. Asuka hated it. Back when she was a child and Yuna was a teenager it was infuriating. It was even more so now they were both adults. 

"Must you laugh at me?" Asuka replied darkly. 

"Like all the other times, I'm really not Asuka." Yuna frowned, genuinely upset. "I thought you were making a funny remark. Wearing a white uniform in a lit garden is pretty conspicuous." She offered Asuka a smile but Asuka's stoney face gave Yuna pause, she sighed and gave a little shrug. "I suppose it wasn't all that funny in retrospect." 

Yuna seemed about to say something, but reconsidered. 

Asuka paused, looking out at the garden. The sound of the croaking frogs, the running water, the rhythmic buzz of the night air. It was the same sounds she had heard a thousand nights before. It hit her then, that this conversation was the same. It was an eternal cycle where the same sounds were given as offerings to this Garden. Asuka would say the same things, and Yuna would say the same things, neither quite sure what would get them where they wanted to be. It must have seemed a paltry ritual. 

She tried something different then. "I'm sorry."

Yuna turned, surprised. Her relaxed smile faded for a moment in confusion. 

"First Division is the most visible division. In some ways, I have it much easier in the Kido Corp. We're all a gang of somewhat insular weirdos. It's easier to avoid odd gazes." She said. "I think it goes without saying that I haven't been as supportive as I could be."

Asuka sighed. It didn't feel like enough, but it was as best as she could do right now. 

Yuna didn't respond right away. Instead she paused for a moment in thought, then turned back to the Zen Garden. There was a moment of silence. In that moment, Asuka frowned and turned away. 

Damn. Damn. I tell people what I really feel and they think I'm some sort of fool. Why even-

"What do you know about Hyakuji?"

Asuka stopped on the spot, then turned. She paused, frowning. 

"You found him didn't you? Helped train and support him?" Asuka replied, recalling the young lad who had spent some time with her sister. "I don't know, I guess he must have been in some sort of trouble."

"He survived being hunted by a Hollow with no Zanpakto." Yuna replied. "He's a rare breed. Acquainted with fear, yet not ruled by it. And skilled too. The boy picks things up so fast..."

Asuka paused. She frowned. "I'm not sure how he's relevant."

"He'll be very relevant soon enough. For now, understand this. When in doubt, listen to him. He'll show you what you need to see." Yuna replied. "We're fighting a losing battle sister. I'm going to need your help putting the pieces together before it's done." 

"This is sounding more and more like a hair brained scheme." Asuka replied, though a chill was beginning to nip at her spine. She did not like the subtext of that last sentance. It was one they did not need to state explicitly. 

Yuna smiled. "You know I like plans. This might be the most important one."

Asuka frowned. Not a lot of what she said tonight made sense, but she supposed she had taken a step forward in the gulf between her and her sister. She decided, instead of leaving, she would sit down with her for a little while. 

---

Present

"South Rukon you say..." Asuka muttered. Then looked up to Hyakuji. 

She frowned more intently, then looked up. She faked a look of apathy. "Well, I suppose it couldn't hurt to take a look..."

(1090 words)