Bleach Hereafter RPG

Today was a festive day. It should be; and it was evident in the busy streets of Seireitei as people got ready for the festival. He was currently on the roof of the First Division barracks, the same spot where he reflected on his career before assuming the title of Vice-Captainship just a few months ago. Still, he could see from here the view of the park thanks to his eye ability.

Sokyoku Hill, was decorated with several lanterns, the towers in all their glory, lighting up; and the main building, walls painted in white and roof drenched in deep sunset welcomed the crowds, shinigami and ordinary souls alike.

He was one step closer to his dream.

Hyakuji would have looked forward to this day if he still had the reason to do so. But right now, it felt like it was just out of a sense of duty that he had to assume this position. Without his sole motivation, the love of his life, the duty of Captainship felt like a heavy weight placed upon his shoulders.

For whom was he fighting for now that his beloved was gone? What cause would be his inspiration to make a change in Soul Society? There was none. Anymore.

But then again, this was his sworn duty, and should he be called on to a greater task, he would just have to bow down to it. That was how a role model shinigami should be.

A deep burdened sigh came out of his lips. His ever-piercing blue eyes darted towards the sun, which was now kissing the horizon goodnight as the moon gradually showed off its borrowed light.

For some reason, he felt familiarity with the scene. He was just like that moon. Captain Shishio was that once glorious sun, now succumbing to his retirement.

“It’s just a borrowed light,” the Vice-Captain muttered, his weary eyes shifting to the direction of the park again.

“Vice Captain, it’s time,” a voice called out from behind. It was Hiro, one of his loyal subordinates.

“It was a pleasure to be of service to you, Sir,” the man followed up. Ever since he rose up to the Third Seat, Hiro, along with the others, never left his side. They were not merely his subjects, they had been his confidante, his friends.

“Iie, it was my pleasure and privilege, Hiro-kun,” Hyakuji replied. It was the first time he addressed him like that, which made the shorter death god teary eyed.

“A-arigatou, fukutaichou,” Hiro bowed deeply.

“Perhaps, this would be the last time I’ll see you as the First Division Vice-Captain. We will be busy with the others in attending to the guests and guarding the vicinity.”

“I understand. Though, I’d make sure to meet you guys as often as I can,”

“Speaking of which, where are they?”

“They are already in Sokyoku Hill. Fudou-san said he can’t bear saying goodbye to you. Nijikata-san was immediately called in to help but sends his regard nonetheless.”

“I see, well… Please send my gratitude to them. Until then,” Hyakuji this time offered a bow, and left right away.

---

The Vice-Captain made his way through the crowded street. He was not wearing his jinbaori this time; a char-coloured sleeveless overcoat worn over the shinigami uniform. A deviation from his previous promotion. Despite the occasion, he deemed it was more important to give the spotlight to the retiring Captain, than steal his show. It was, after all, just a borrowed light.

He passed through the gates, with several shinigami already bidding him their congratulatories. He’d only bow and smile, his eyes wandering around looking for his co-Vice Captain.

“Apologies, Ukai-Fukutaichou,” he’d appear from behind him,”It was a rather large crowd tonight, and I didn’t want to cause some fuss running around.”

“I made it just in time, didn’t I?”

[648]

Cole had been assigned to guard the library during the big ceremony. It wasn’t particularly surprising, while he was a bit beyond a mere acquaintance of the man getting promoted, his commanding officer in the the Fifth Division informed him that his reiatsu, and therefore presence, would be disruptive in a large and festive crowd. The man wasn’t wrong, and while the seated officer seemed to have it out for Cole, not being there still stung a little bit.

So, he decided to turn this into the test of another spell he had been developing. If anyone came by, they may wonder why he was wearing a thick, opaque bandana with complex designs covering his right eye and the side of his head. But, it seemed unlikely that anyone would be coming by today; Captains didn’t retire very often, and everyone wanted to be there for the occasion.

The rookie Shinigami leaned against the door to the great library, and uttered a single word. ”Clairvoyance.”

The eye that had been looking into the soft glow of the runes beneath the bandana was suddenly seeing things, but from a point several feet in front of him. Whoa; that was a bit vertigo inducing. He closed the eye not covered by the cloth, and he saw only from the invisible eye created by the spell; he focused on the connection, and the vision turned slowly until he was looking at himself. Carefully, he opened his other eye to look at the point he was looking from. He made ‘eye contact’ with the point, and there was no visual indicator of his remote viewing. Perfect.

”Clairaudience.”

There was a brief ringing in his ear covered by the bandana, and he let out a light cough to test the audio. Perfect, and much easier to get used to. He grouped the remote viewing spell with the remote listening spell, closed his uncovered eye, and sent his pair of magical senses flying across Seireitei to the festival ground.  While he couldn’t be there in person, he still wanted to watch.

If Hyakuji was preparing to be the new Captain, and Tensai was saddled with tech support, Rekka had most of his time free since his division wasn't one of those directly involved in the event outside of documentation purposes. That would be left to the team that ran the newspaper and magazine, which Osaka got whisked away to help with. Of the Third Seat's family and friends, Satsuki was on duty at the medical station and his cousin Natsu was running a food stall. And as for the others...

"YUKINA-SAN DAISHOURI!" Yukina, carrying an improbably-large stack of festival prizes, dumped them on her childhood friend/rival/potential fiancé, burying him under a pile of plushies, commemorative merchandise, and food items.

"Nice! Is this the super rare limited edition Yachi plushie? And look! An Ugendo model kit, complete with Captain Shishio minifigure!" Rekka emerged from the mountain of prizes bearing his choice of loot.

Yukina pulled out another prize from the pile and handed it to Rekka. "Oh, but you should check out this model kit! It's a Captain Shishio figma that comes with a scaled Gunpla-style Shiroi Hosho! I got it just for you!

"Thanks! And here, I signed ya up for a Pai Sho tournament that gives out a special set that's modeled after the Captain's Bankai. Figured you'd like it."

Yukina soon absconded with the ticket to the tournament as well as the rest of the prizes. Meanwhile, Rekka continued his tour. First, he stopped to cheer for the Amanto Kujaku Gang, who joined a cavalry battle tournament in addition to some other sporting events. Strangely enough, nothing particularly abnormal happened this time, which was abnormal in of itself. After the sportsfest finished a few hours later, the Third Seat decided to try out his luck at the games, meeting up with Sora and Kaoru.

"I... I want that." Kaoru pointed to one of the displayed prizes, a recipe book for the healthy snacks contained in Captain Shishio's signature gift baskets.

"Is it even possible to win third place on purpose?" Sora wondered. He needn't have, since apparently it was possible for Rekka, who easily got the book for Kaoru.

Somehow, they ended up at a betting pool run by some 8th Division members, who were placing bets on who would be the next leaders of 13th Division. For some reason, every single Vice-Captain and Third Seat was on the list, as well as a few other choices like Tensai Toshiaki (perfectly reasonable, given his valiant efforts fighting off Demons and whatever Tendo made in his lab), Tendo himself (maybe he'd be allowed to return), and Irisa Ishiwara (why the heck was his old Kido teacher on the list).

"Greetings, Third Seat Hageshi! Come to bet on yourself? Don't you worry a bit, this is perfectly legal!" the Shinigami running the booth called.

"Of course I know it's legal, all the officers got a copy of the approved booths list. And it's pretty obvious that your Captain expects this one to make a killing. Which is why only Third Seats and below can bet," said Rekka. "Though I heard the higher-ups nerfed this booth significantly before allowing it to be set up."

"So you'll bet, then?"

"Muimina Hyakuji for Captain and Yoshinori Okamoto for Vice-Captain," Rekka announced. "If I win, give me two weeks of Europe patrol duty and two weeks of Africa patrol duty!"

This caused a considerable stir at the booth, with such comments as "is that even allowed" and "does it even work that way". Eventually, the bookie turned to face Rekka again.

"I've never heard of someone asking for more patrol, as a prize no less, but I suppose we'll allow it," he said.

"Sweet! Hey, Sora, wanna go to Tunisia?"

"Tatooine?! Of course!" The two high-fived.

Lastly, Rekka went to a cafe styled booth run with the help of the Shinigami Women's Association. Upon sitting down at an empty table, a familiar face came to take his order.

"Sorry for not being only yours for today, Senpai. Hehe." Ran, in a maid uniform, said. "May I take your order?"

"Jelly-filled donuts, both kinds. And a pitcher of iced tea." said Rekka. "Here, have a limited edition Yachi plushie."

"Thanks!"

Soon, Ran returned with rice balls as well as actual jelly-filled donuts, plus the iced tea.

"I'm surprised you even came."

Two Shinigami women were watching the preparations for the ceremony from atop one of the obelisks that led towards the festival grounds. Was it legal to secretly scale their way up the towers and perch on the top like a bunch of pigeons? Who knew, and it's not like either of them cared about a little bending of the rules. Besides, they'll be able to slide down and join the ceremony whenever they want.

The woman who had just said that, dark-skinned and with blue-green hair, sat next to her friend, who was standing with her arms folded and watching the distance.

"I'm... not sure why I came here, either. I guess it's more intuition than rationality..." In truth, she had a suspicion on what will take place, and who will succeed Shishio, owing to a particular discussion back on the Briar's Patch Casino Ship, and she wanted to see if her suspicions were correct.

The last months were not particularly kind to Maria Tokareva. After years of uncertainty, search for where her sister may have ended up, she found the final clue to her fate at the worst possible moment - informed by her friends that they were battling her sister for the fate of the world. That something had happened to her that transformed her into, if the post-Event reports by the Gotei 13 were to be believed, "a monster that almost toppled the balance of Souls and brought upon the end of the Universe". This teased her concern, her curiosity, her desire to learn exactly what just happened - whether her sister had truly become such a nightmarish villain, or whether this was only part of the story.

Thus, she spent all the free time she could muster to independently travel to the World of the Living, and continue searching for Valentina's trail, leaving even some of her closest associates, including Yoshi, Hyakuji and others, in the dark about it. Even today, she stood atop the white obelisk covered in the same cloak she'd venture into the world in, having returned from Earth mere hours before joining her friend, Fatima, from the Twelfth Division in the ceremony. Her expression was more serious and mature, her face was just a little more worn down.

"So, this is the first time you see a retirement ceremony, I take it?" Fatima commented.

"Well, I've not been here for that long, so... yes," Maria answered.

"Same here. Except I've been here for a century."

A few seconds of silence, interspersed by blows of wind, followed, before Fatima spoke again:

"...I'm not gonna lie, I drastically overestimated how fun sitting here would be. Do you wanna go catch one of the merchants instead? They said all the fast food vendors will be there."

Maria sighed. "...yeah, sure." The two women swiftly hopped off, descending down to the streets of Seireitei.

"You're quiet, Yoshinori."

Perched along the edge of one of the final buildings before the festival grounds near Sōkyoku Hill, the lone form of Yoshinori Okamoto stood, eyes of deep emerald overlooking the expanse before him. Arms crossed over his chest, Yoshinori was garbed as he always was when on duty. His standard issue black Shihakushō hung loosely upon his form, now complimented by a white collar affixed over his shoulders. Upon his right breast bore the badge of a Vice-Captain. His golden smoking pipe tucked between his lips, it was only when he heard his name that he allowed himself to turn around to meet them.



Azula Hijikata. Standing upon the roof of the building that they now both shared, the purple haired First Division officer seemed to wear quite the amused expression upon her face as she regarded Yoshinori curiously. Her bespectacled gaze sparkled as her attention flitted between Yoshinori and the unveiling festival below.

"This wasn't as you planned, was it?" The woman asked, a knowing tone to her voice. His brow furrowing ever so lightly, Yoshinori's mild annoyance left his expression in a prolonged exhale, prompting a stream of tobacco smoke to leave his nostrils, forming a cloud in open air before him, eventually dissipating into the wind.

"He knew this was coming. He knew from the very start." Yoshinori revealed, as he turned back to glance at the festivities. He didn't seem angry. In fact, as the annoyance left his face, it was replaced by a deep, contemplative sadness. Time had not healed his wounded soul. His time as Vice-Captain was exceedingly brief, so much so that one could not reasonably expect the type of mental recovery that Yoshinori was seeking to occur within the time span allotted. But Yoshinori could not help but feel a stab of pain hit at him at the thought of his plan being flushed down the metaphorical toilet.

"I think any sane individual could see this coming, Yoshi." Azula noted, crossing her own arms over her chest,"The man's been ailing for quite some time now. Captain Shishio is as brilliant as they come, and it is in that brilliance that he probably is quite aware of the status of his body. He knows when enough is enough."

"He told me that I would make an excellent Captain one day. But he said in the meantime, I would need to find a Captain that would support me. One that I could depend on...and protect." Yoshinori replied, taking another draw from his smoking pipe.

"And who do you think that individual is?" Azula hummed, a muted chuckle leaving her features.

Yoshinori didn't immediately answer. In fact, he never did provide Azula a proper answer. Expelling another plume of smoke from his lips, the dark skinned man would close his eyes ever so slowly. In doing so, he allowed his mind's eye to wander, to paint the vivid image of the coming ascension to whom he already knew in his heart would fill the position.

Suddenly, Yoshinori's image would flicker from view, vanishing entirely as the Shinigami committed himself to a Shunpo. Reappearing several times in his descent down to the festival, the silver haired rogue would eventually land solidly upon the ground not too far from a squadron of his own agents, who seemed quite preoccupied in setting up a vendor's stall.

"Vice-Captain!" One of the men greeted with a bit of surprise to his tone at the sudden appearance of their previously absentee vice-leader. A neutral expression painted upon his features, Yoshinori began to advance towards the group, the only sound audible between the two being his own gladiator sandals hitting the smooth dirt and the occasional hissing of his pet serpent, Hanzō. Taking up a stray hammer in his hands, Yoshinori relieved another Shinigami of a few wooden planks. Offering a small smile, Yoshinori would address his subordinates for the first time that afternoon,

"I'll help. Let's get this set up."

As Yoshinori turned on his heel to directly aid the construction efforts, he felt his mind wander one last time, his psyche snagging onto one particular line of dialogue: Who did he think Shishio's replacement was going to be?

"A man meets destiny on the very road he took to avoid it. Tell me, Fate, will I be right?" Yoshinori turned his eyes up to the sky, as if in reverence to an unseen force.

Post Count: 1 | Momoshiro | Muimina Hyakuji

---

While it had been quite a long time (even for a Shinigami) since a Captain had retired or even been killed in battle, there had been many occasions for festivals and ceremonies in Soul Society. So much so that their preparation and deployment was met with ease and completed with trained efficiency and an unusual level of inter-division cooperation. Aside from the occasional "PIVOT! PIVOOOTTTT!" type of argument, the whole operation ran like a well oiled machine.

It wasn't long until the festival was in full swing. Shinigami, Seireitei citizens, and Rukongai residents all filtered into the grounds and took part in all of the activities within. There were carnival games, food vendors, even a small ferris wheel at one end. There was a space off to one side for exhibition matches with a blocked off fighting pit. Restricted, of course, so no releases were allowed. No one wanted a repeat of the last time Captain Godai and the Kenpachi went at it. A speaker system had been wired throughout, using the existing lamp posts for best effect. Music and announcements were played through them as the people of Soul Society enjoyed the entertainment.

All in all, it seemed to be a grand time. The event could be heard across all of Seireitei and even echoed out past the walls into the Rukongai. Within, 1st Division Shinigami patrolled through the crowds and along the high walls that encircled the park. If there was a scrap or disagreement, they were quick to take action and de-escalate the situation.


Later on, as the sun started to set...



As the day went on and the Sun began to lower in the sky, the crowds began to move towards the large stage for the main event... the retirement ceremony itself. Close to the stage was special seating for the higher ranking members of the 13th Division. Behind them, the unseated members. Behind them, everyone else. It was first come, first seated. It was not long however before the whole stage area was filled with people. It was quite evident that Aritaka was beloved by most of the residents of the Soul Society. Typically, most people come for the festivities and leave soon after. Hardly anyone tends to stay for the ceremonies. Yet the place was packed. The seats all filled and those that couldn't find a seat were standing anywhere they could find room.

The stage itself was well lit and there was a broadcast of it on a large screen to either side of the gathering. On stage there were all of the Captains who could attend, seated in the back. The twins from the 2nd Division were missing, as was 12th Division Captain Daisho and the 6th Division Captain, Kunimitsu. The latter, unfortunately, was out on assignment.

Eventually, the Captain Commander rose from his seat and walked up to the podium. A stern but kind man, Katsumoto was one of few words. His speech was full of praise for Aritaka and noted his various accomplishments throughout his career as a Shinigami, making note to drive home the point that he achieved so much despite his inherent illness. During the speech, Yama started to nod off but Hayato was seated next to him and, after an inaudible chuckle, he nudged the sleeping giant of a man awake again. Down the row of seats, the 4th Division Captain gave Yama a look and then nodded her thanks to Hayato.

At the end of the speech, Katsumoto beckoned Aritaka himself to the stage. Shishio was wheeled across the stage by his once-Vice-Captain, Hitoka Yachi. She was visibly nervous in front of the large crowd but was doing her best to hold it together for her Captain. Shishio was in good spirits and looked stronger than he had in some time.

Once the pair made it to the podium, Hitoka helped him to stand and then she pushed the wheelchair back across the stage and disappeared once more. The two Captains bowed to one another and then Katsumoto presented Shishio with a decorate tea set that he had commissioned just for this occasion. It was a gift he had bestowed onto any Shinigami who had retired under his watch. That number was very small.

Shishio kindly accepted the gift and handed it over to Yachi who had hurried back onto the stage to take it and the promptly disappeared again. Shishio then took to the podium and Katsumoto returned to his seat. All of those in attendance waited patiently. Captain Shishio was known for his special way with words, a trait that somehow seemed... magical.

"Hello, my friends... Good evening."

His voice was like honey, even through the microphone, speakers, and video screens. He smiled warmly as he spoke. Everyone in the audience seemed to linger on every word.

"I am so thankful to see you all gathered here to be a part of this special, bitter-sweet occasion. Thank you for arranging such a grand farewell party for me. So many have put in all their efforts to make my last day as memorable as they have made it during these past years of mine.

It has been my pleasure to be connected with you all during my tenure as Captain of the 13th Gotei Division. Deep down in my heart, I have great memories of the shared times, friendships forged, and the incredible achievements we have enjoyed; all these have been an extraordinary part of my life.

I am delighted to say that each of you, the Captain Commander, my colleagues, and friends have given me the best years of my life while serving towards something greater than myself. You all have strengthened my ideas by keeping faith and having confidence in me. I am proud to claim that my tenure has been outstanding due to the support, appreciation, encouragement, and cooperation I have received from each of you. I cannot thank you enough for this..."

There was a pause, a hesitation in his voice as if he were holding back tears, but he carried on without dally.

"But now, it is time for me to step away and open the door for another to take up this haori and defend the Soul Society as I have. There is no doubt in my mind that your next Captain will meet and exceed every expectation set upon them. I am just sorry I will not be around to see it."

It was subtle, but his head shifted slightly in Hyakuji's direction. He gave a slight nod and continued speaking.

"I... am short of words to thank you, especially... Hitoka, for encouraging me so much, even when things appeared to be quite challenging. She has been by my side these past years without fail. I am so lucky to have her. With the help of her support, hard work, kindness, friendship, and appreciation, we together have achieved than I ever could alone."

Hitoka's loud sobs could be heard from the side of the stage.

"It is hard to bid you all goodbye, but the time has come. I will miss this. I will miss you."

Tears welled up in the eyes of almost each member of the crowd. Even some of the Captains wiped their eyes.

"Thank you again for sharing this amazing celebration with me and for the incredible love, support, and friendship. Good night."

With some effort, Shishio stepped to the side of the podium and then bowed to those in attendance. The crowd roared with applause and cheers. Katsumoto, wiping at his eyes, stepped up again. This time he carried a folded robe. Shishio turned to face him and bowed. Katsumoto returned the bow. Hitoka hurried back onto the stage and helped Shishio out of his haori. She handed it to him and he, in turn, handed it to Katsumoto. The Captain Commander set it aside and then stepped towards Shishio and helped him into the new robe. It was a decorative kimono, patterned with red and white blossoms.

The two bowed to one another again. Shishio faced the Captains and bowed. He then turned to the crowd and bowed one last time. It was in that bow that he faltered for just a moment, but he caught himself and stood upright again. Hitoka hurried back out with the wheelchair and practically forced him to take a seat.

Katsumoto folded the white haori and placed it into a special black box. The Captains all stood and took turns bowing and saying their piece to Shishio until only Hayato was left. There were still tears in his eyes as he spoke with his friend. As the Captains were talking at the back of the stage, Katsumoto returned to the podium to thank everyone for their time and to begin the final part of the ceremony.

"If you brought a lantern, please prepare it."

Suddenly the dimly lit gathering was made bright by the lighting of individual paper lanterns across the vast crowd. The Captains themselves brought their own and held them out on stage, stepping closer to the front. Hitoka helped Shishio with his.

"Now, we release these lanterns which symbolize our joining Captain Shishio on his new journey, together in spirit and friendship."

Shishio let his lantern go and as it floated up into the sky, it was soon joined by others. Those from the Captains and the thousands from the gathered crowd.

It turned out that the rest of Rekka's day would be much busier, since his division was assigned more and more tasks as the festival reached full swing. While most of them were logistical issues like crowd control, heavy lifting, and supply runs, many of 9th's members also staged artistic performances, the publication team was busy taking pictures and videos of the event, and yet another group was assisting 12th with running the sound system. And so, Rekka had been given orders to help coordinate the Division as well as help finish tasks whenever necessary, which he started off with by setting up a command post near the sound system station with which to jump into action as efficiently as possible. Of course, Ran was helping him.

And so, the Third Seat spent the rest of the festival running interference and helping the rest of the officers coordinate events. Fortunately, everyone's cooperative spirit paid off, leading to great success in their efforts. 

For the last hour or so before the retirement ceremony started, Rekka was tasked to help gather the members of the Ninth Division and assemble at their designated position, which was achieved with minimal use of portals. The Third Seat also ended up being given a most unusual task, which was to assist in lighting the lanterns to be used. 

"Please light mine, Hageshi-san," a Shinigami passed a lantern to Rekka, who was standing in the front of the division with the other officers. He obliged by focusing his fiery Reiatsu into his fingertip and igniting the wick inside, handing the lantern back afterwards. This happened several more times until the whole 9th Division carried lit lanterns.

And so it began.

It was Rekka's first time encountering the soon-to-be-former Captain Shishio, and would probably be his last as well. The young Shinigami was able to confirm for himself the rumors of the ailing man's remarkable charisma, expressed in a heartfelt farewell speech. Rekka also noted with interest the 13th Division's captain's haori, which though folded and packed in a box, he was absolutely certain where it would end up.

"If you brought a lantern, please prepare it."

"Now, we release these lanterns which symbolize our joining Captain Shishio on his new journey, together in spirit and friendship."


At the Captain-Commander's orders, Rekka and the Ninth Division joined everyone in releasing their paper lanterns. It was truly a sight to behold. And after watching the bright lights float into the sky, the Third Seat pulled out his phone and texted the new leaders of the 13th Division.

"Congratulations, Senpai. One more step to achieving our dream."

"Congratulations, Yoshi-san. I have faith that you can do this."

"P.S. What if I became your Third Seat though?" 

It wasn’t easy to move on just like that. Even so, Hyakuji had to put those feelings in the back burner. This was a time for celebration after all. It was the day to celebrate life, especially that of Captain Shishio who had dedicated his life to service even though his body was already failing.

After some small talk with his co-Vice Captain, he resumed roaming around the festival area. He noticed some people from the rukongai area, either working in different stalls or walking around too. It was those rare times when the rukongai people were allowed to enter Seireitei. Normally, they were barred from entering the said area to protect the nobilities.

Divided classes. Iit was something he felt was a bit unfair since the people in rukongai didn’t choose to be taken here anyway. They were promised a good life. A good place where they wouldn’t have to suffer. But what have they got? Most of them, was granted a worse life than before, the very opposite of what has been promised.

It was one of the things he hoped to change. Once he achieved his dreams together with his beloved. While, she might no longer be with him, the memories, their aspirations stayed with him. One day, maybe he could meet her here. So he had to make sure those dreams were carried through, despite her being gone.

What distracted him from his deep thinking was the feeling that someone was watching him. He shifted his gaze from left to right, yet there seemed to be none. People went about their own business. He was about to look up, but then he caught sight of his friend, Maria Tokareva. His instincts dragged his feet towards her as he called her out of the sea of people, “Maria-san!”

It had been quite a while since they saw each other. Hyakuji was busy investigating the case of the lost shards in the realm of the living, and he had no idea what the fullbringer was doing in the past few weeks since they tried to search for her sister.

“Hey, it’s been a while. I apologise I haven’t got in touched since… I was meaning to, but I couldn’t contact you for some reason,” The Vice-Captain said in a stoic manner, just as he had always been. Though, his eyes told of the suffering he was currently enduring.

“Where have you been, exactly?” Hyakuji continued, this time, with a bit of concern for the girl.

“At any rate, should we enjoy the festival? Let’s get something to eat shall we? My treat.”

He’d continue to walk alongside her, being squeezed into the crowds, until they found their food cravings. Maria ordered a kebab, Hyakuji a plain takoyaki.

Deeper into the night, the ceremony had started. Some Captains gave their well wishes for the retired Captain Shishio. They could only say good things about him, which was pretty much evident with the way he related to everyone. Hyakuji had not met him yet, as he was usually resting in the 13th Division barracks. Even so, the long maned reaper could tell that he was very kind, and he was well-loved by his division members.

As the sickly Captain bid farewell in his speech, he turned to Hyakuji’s direction, complimenting his successor, saying that he had good faith that Hyakuji would also do well, perhaps even better.

The Vice-Captain merely gave a faint smile.

A few moments after Shishio’s speech, the sky was filled with light, slowly floating upwards to join the stars somewhat. A simple message of gratitude as well as hope… that even as the sun sets, there would be light in the dark– whether it was faint as the dim stars in the night, or as boisterous as the proud moon, who only borrowed its light.

Tomorrow, the sun will shine at the 13th Division under a new leadership.

[663]

Maria did not pay that much attention to the speech by the retiring Captain of the Thirteenth Division, as heartfelt as it was - she and Fatima briefly stopped when they first heard his voice through the speakers installed throughout the event, but quickly moved on to visiting the food and souvenir vendors. She could tell that the rest of Soul Society were enamoured with the veteran Shinigami, but she, having only lived in Soul Society for a few years, did not have that much of a connection with Shishio.

Hyakuji confronted them both - the Vice-Captain of the First Division, walking past the crowds in the event, noticed them from a distance and called out to Maria, getting her attention. Briefly confused at her friend stopping in the middle of a crowded street, Fatima looked from side to side, but quickly realized who was approaching them as well. With a sly smirk, she threw her arm onto Maria's shoulder, watching her and Hyakuji's expressions when he finally reached them, intently.

"Hey, Hya..." Maria answered, with some reservation in her voice. Hyakuji was concerned for her, apparently he had tried to call her, but failed, and was wondering where she has been. Tugging more and more onto her friend's shoulder, Fatima suddenly interjected:

"What, you haven't talked to him yet? I'm surprised, I thought ya two chat about basically anything..."

With a frustrated grunt, Maria pulled Fatima off her shoulder and sighed. "It's nothin', Hya. I've just been busy recently. Training, and doing missions in the World of the Living. Sorry for not pickin' up your calls."

"Dooo you want me to leave you two together, then~" Fatima continued whispering to her.

"Shut the fuck up..."

That was a 'yes' in Tokareva language, so the green-haired Shinigami grinned and stepped back. "All right, I'll catch you two in a bit! See you!" Waving her hand as she stepped back, Fatima suddenly vanished in the crowd, leaving Maria and Hyakuji alone - under the Vice-Captain's offer, they continued on towards the food vendors, where they'd be able to order kebabs and takoyaki to eat along the way. Initially, Maria was entirely silent - then, after some thought, she finally spoke:

"I've heard... rumors that you might be the next Captain, in Shishio's place," Though she wouldn't have been surprised if there were any, Maria was actually working off what Yoshi had told her some time earlier. "If that's true, then... I suppose I should congratulate you in advance. And I'm guessin' that you will be a great Captain, too. I've got no reason to believe you'd be anything but the best."

Once picking up her kebab, Maria revealed her bandaged palms and arms, a sign of fairly recent fist fights and Hollow battles - nothing out of the ordinary for an Eleventh Division Shinigami, though she generally didn't appear this bandaged before. She and Hyakuji did not remain alone for long - soon, they were approached by Tensai, with a ramen bowl.

"Hey, Tensai..." Maria answered first. "Nothing much to write home about, myself. Hya probably has more spectacular stories to tell, I've just been working my ass off for my Division and training-"

A fourth Shinigami joined the conversation with a tackle - grabbing Maria from behind and startling her. Thankfully, she didn't drop her half-finished kebab on the ground.

"Here, this one's for you," Fatima muttered, smirking, her arms wrapped around Maria and sneakily placing a plushie of Shishio into her hand. The dark-skinned Shinigami had another one for herself - of course, hers was bigger and more fancy.

From his post at the library, Cole scanned the crowd through his clairvoyance spell. This was certainly a huge gathering, bigger than he had ever seen in Soul Society. The citizens of Rukongai were in the festival, and every Shinigami from academy students to Captains were in attendance. But, of course, this was far from a common event.

Centuries. To the best of his knowledge, that was how long it had been since a Captain had retired. Hell, that might not even be accurate; Shinigami didn’t seem like the type of job people had the option to retire from. Centuries might have been how long it was since there was a new Captain; that might have been an ascension after a death, or a promotion to the rumored royal guard. For all he knew, a Captain had never retired.  But of course, this wasn’t just a retirement. The captain’s words made it clear that whatever malady had robbed him of his sight was not done with him. 

Cole removed the cloth covering his ear and eye, dissolving the spells that let him view the ceremony as if he was right there.  The lanterns rising over soul society were beautiful, even from his post far from the festival ground.  A memorial for a man that was not yet dead.  It was a bitter irony that the one they were for did not have the capability to see them.

The rookie Shinigami shook his head; running a finger over the satchel of strange and eclectic things he kept on his waist. Maybe he could…no; it wasn’t his place. He had never met Aritaka Shishio, and risking some sort of disciplinary action or further exclusion to make the man’s retirement a little bit more magical wasn’t worth it.

Preparation for the festivities offered ample distraction, but it was fleeting. Eventually, the setup was complete, and the immediacy of the coming ceremony had arrived once more. Making his way into the aisles of seats before the main stage, Yoshinori found himself drifting towards the reserved section closer to the stage. Even though he was relatively new to the Thirteenth Division, he did hold the position of Vice-Captain, and as such was offered what many would consider one of the "best seats in the house". To Yoshinori, however, this was no merry occasion.

Lowering himself into his seat, Yoshinori allowed his emerald green eyes to slide from left to right, watching the faces of various other Senior Officers within the Thirteenth. Like he, they exhibited little in the way of enjoyment in the proceedings. To them, this was akin to a funeral. Many seemed to share in this feeling, in fact. There was a somber note amongst many of the Division's Shinigami, a feeling that only intensified as the Captain himself took center stage. Twisting one of his many golden rings, Yoshinori felt a slight tightening around his neck, which prompted the dark-skinned Reaper to run his hand along the length of Hanzō's scales, seeking to comfort the golden serpent that hung loosely around his collar.

For the entirety of the proceedings, Yoshinori was silent. Legs crossed one over the other, the silver-haired Shinigami carried a regal air about him, his stony expression masking the inner turmoil within. Whereas tears were shed almost unanimously amongst the Captain's closest within the Thirteenth, Yoshinori kept his own heart guarded. Yet his eyes never left Shishio's visage. Not once. Even as the lantern lighting ceremony set itself into motion, Yoshinori's eyes never left that of his now former Captain. With a snap of his fingers, a purple flash summoned his lantern into his waiting hand. With another quick application of extremely low-level Kido, the lantern was lit ablaze with blue-colored flame, before being set loose into the sky.

"Painful to watch, huh?" A familiar voice spoke from behind Yoshinori, interrupting him from his unofficial vow of silence.



Hands perched along the spine of Yoshinori's chair, Azula stood behind her old friend, purple hair draped along the back of the chair, prompting Yoshinori to peek behind him to confirm his suspicions as to the woman's identity. A low sigh escaping him, Yoshinori pulled his golden smoking pipe from the folds of his Shihakushō. Its contents within were already pre-placed, his exact drug of choice left to the imagination, but most assuredly of a greater concentration than his usual grade. Today was a special occasion, after all.

Lighting the pipe up, Yoshinori planted it in his mouth, taking a long draw before expelling its fragrant smoke into the air. His lack of verbal answer prompted Azula to simply smile before electing to continue,"It's always the good ones that leave first. Only Captain Shishio could gather a crowd like this, and bring down the house in tears with only a few words."

Her words were met with a derisive huff from Yoshinori as he expelled yet another plume of smoke from his nostrils,"This seating section is only for members of the Thirteenth. You shouldn't be here. Doesn't the First Division have some special job only meant for the elite?" Yoshinori questioned, his eyes flickering back to the stage.

"You left me on the rooftop. I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Azula explained, prompting yet another sigh from the silver-haired male.

"The Goteijūsantai is going to fall to shit without him." Yoshinori remarked, a hint of frustration in his tone,"Men like him are afflicted with a terrible illness that eventually grows so out of control that he can no longer function without extreme pain, while men like Captain Dais--" Yoshinori bit down hard upon his pipe, so hard that the clamp sound of his teeth hitting solid metal could be heard. He had caught himself fast in his final moments, apparently unwilling to make so blasphemous a criticism about another Captain in so public a space.

"I've heard rumors regarding Shishio's replacement." Azula replied smoothly, moving on from Yoshinori's faux pas, much to the man's gratitude.

"I know." Yoshinori replied smoothly. In reality, he didn't know. His knowledge was a pure hunch, and perhaps even a conjuration of the imagination in regards to its likelihood. But Yoshinori didn't want the clarity. He didn't wish for a distraction from the present. The future of the Thirteenth Division was a problem for tomorrow.

For today, Yoshinori bid a silent farewell to a man that he didn't even have a chance to truly serve. And with it, the Vice-Captain believed he had truly suffered for it.

Post Count: 2 | Momoshiro | Muimina Hyakuji | Hibano | tensai toshiaki | Cole