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Post by Yukishiro Ryouma on May 18, 2015 11:14:13 GMT -6
Hideyoshi took a step backwards and then, his eyes narrowed. “You are a Ryouma, are you not? Your duty, our duty is to better the family. Marrying is your purpose and it is the way to your happiness. Your misfortune is no reason to forget that. The family, I, gave you time to heal. It’s time you remember who you are.”
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on May 18, 2015 11:16:51 GMT -6
Yumiko's eyes flashed violet as her rage peaked and she drew Mizue no Kagami from where she had it hidden against her hip.
Her brother paled, but in that moment, she didn’t feel the pain of his fear. She felt something else she didn’t put a name to. Kin to when she had beaten Vale in the sands of Hueco Mundo. And this was the heir of the Ryouma clan.
“I apologize,” she said in her sweetest voice. “You thought I would leave my zanpakuto behind, but I don’t like being separated from her.”
Yumiko waved her free hand and the sheath vanished again, wrapped in the light disguise of Kyokko. . “Kido relaxes me,” she murmured, eyes were strangely calm. “It has since the beginning, from when the Ryouma clan locked me away in darkness to the betrayals that are a part of Las Noches.”
She closed her eyes for a moment, felt a faint tingle of calm at who was outside and then focused on her target. “I have control, and I no longer need protection from the family. Sazanami ni nageru, Mizue no Kagami.” Her blade shone, rippled into the slender glass-like appearance, and then, sakura blossoms clustered around her.
As the ribbons wrapped around themselves twice, she unleashed the fluid reflection of Senbonzakura on her childhood study room, tearing into everything of that room. She spun the blossoms back towards her after erasing that room. The blossoms faded from view before reaching her.
An arm embraced her and she turned away, letting a tear escape her control.
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Post by Commander Shunsui Kyoraku on May 18, 2015 13:59:59 GMT -6
As Yumiko started shaking, Juushiro held Yumiko close. Meanwhile, Shunsui and Byakuya entered the courtyard. Both were dressed in formal black kimonos with the symbol of their house on the back marking their place as the heads of their respective houses. His best friend wore a dark blue kimono upon which his own house’s Kanji were written. Leaving Yumiko for his friend to comfort, Shunsui approached the young heir, waiting imperiously for the formal gesture from the boy before handing over a leaf of documents.
Only after that did he let a sly smirk curl up his lips.
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Post by Yukishiro Ryouma on May 18, 2015 14:09:37 GMT -6
Hideyoshi continued his attempt to calm his mounting anger at the appearance of his important guests and took the documents offered. The top document was a formal decline of their marriage proposal signed by Kuchiki’s own hand. He took a breath. His Elders had told him an initial decline would be expected - that time would be essential for this plan to fall through. Time he wasn’t sure he had as he skimmed over a letter accompanying some material from the Fourth Division Captain. Apparently, it wasn’t healthy for his sister to be put in such a formal engagement. He schooled his features before pulling out the final long document. His eyes narrowed.
“What’s this?” he hissed.
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Post by Captain Byakuya Kuchiki on May 18, 2015 15:07:10 GMT -6
Byakuya spoke up. “The formal documents needed to change guardianship of a young noble, specifically making Yumiko a ward of another noble house, until further notice,” he murmured. “Such actions override your proposal of marriage.” Through veiled eyes, hiding his dark amusement at Yumiko's attack on her family, Kuchiki watched the Ryouma heir read the signatures of the two necessary houses needed, Kaori Shihoin and Tsukiro Ashimitsu as well as Suisenro Koriyama. Both parties were neutral.
Hideyoshi Ryouma cleared his throat. “I’m afraid I am not familiar with this action,” the boy stated, keeping his voice neutral.
You already betrayed your anger at it.
“And I will educate you,” the Kuchiki head responded. “That is the reason I have accompanied the enforcers of this movement.”
It had nothing to do with the marriage proposal.
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Post by Commander Shunsui Kyoraku on May 18, 2015 15:19:27 GMT -6
Shunsui kept himself from chuckling but inside, he knew that victory was theirs. Standing to his full height, he nodded towards the arrogant cub. “As the Captain Commander of the Gotei 13 assigned this power by the Soul King himself, I have ratified this action and for war wounds unaccountable, do give Yumiko Ryouma into the care of the lesser noble clan and guardianship of Juushiro Ukitake.”
“Do you accept the responsibility of this position, Ukitake?”
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Post by Captain Juushiro Ukitake on May 18, 2015 15:32:35 GMT -6
Juushiro nodded. "I am well aware of the responsibilities and accept them with honor," he responded. The captain turned to the Ryouma heir and inclined his head. "I will not stop her from visiting her family if that is her desire. However," he raised his head and his own narrowed eyes met that of the young man, "any changes you wish to make for her future, you will have to discuss with me. And her. Before you present it to Central."
He felt the boy flinch back and hoped the scolding set in. He did not want to tear up what ties remained between Yumiko and her family, but he would not let those ties chain her down either. There were times that a gentle hand would not save those he cared about.
He nodded to his fellow captains and left with Yumiko, leaving Shunsui and Byakuya to deal with the rest of the formalities.
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on May 19, 2015 10:57:23 GMT -6
As Ukitake-san led her away from the Ryouma estate, and the trap set in her arranged marriage, Yumiko was silent. She didn’t know how to feel. She should be relieved, glad even, but the clarity of her emotions were lost in a fog of half-lived memories and hurt. As her brother’s accusations echoed in her ears, she couldn’t help but feel something similar to the loss she’d felt after realizing Las Noches had been defeated. The hope of returning to her family was just another illusion torn down. A few more tears slipped down her cheeks. Yumiko closed her eyes as they turned a corner and leaned against the father figure she wished she could remember more about. Her hands clenched around her zanpakuto. She didn’t want to lose anything else. |
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on Nov 1, 2024 0:50:32 GMT -6
Bleach Unrated: REBOOTEDCurrent Arc: The ChaosEpisode 564 "Noble Blood": The afternoon cast shadows over the leaves of the trees as Yumiko sat down at a table on an enclosed veranda at the Ryouma estate. Folding her stiff black kimono underneath her, she waited in silence as a maid poured her and her absent host the tea. A few dotted mocchi cakes sat to the side on platters. Yumiko didn’t recognize the woman, but then again, she wasn’t surprised. It had been over a decade since Yumiko had set foot on the grounds of her birth. Since she had become a ward of Ukitake, she had spent much of her time in Karakura, where her relationship with Vale took up most of her mind and feelings, She had visited Ukitake and a couple others in Soul Society, but even before Vale persuaded her to return to Las Noches, she’d spent little time in Soul Society or Seireitei. And when she surrendered to Sousuke, falling to the fate set before her, she didn’t look back. For a long, long time. She couldn’t help but wonder if she would be here now if her father hadn’t been killed during that tragic slaughter. Yumiko’s fingers folded underneath her sleeves as anxiety crept in on her from the silence of the shadowed garden. She had come here to do honor to her father, but now, with that task complete, Yumko waited on another’s word. After some time, the door to the room opened and another person entered. She remained silent as he took a seat beside her. “Sister,” he murmured, “welcome back.” Yumiko lowered her head to the table. “Hideyoshi-sama.” |
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Post by Hideyoshi Ryouma on Nov 1, 2024 0:52:40 GMT -6
Hideyoshi waved a hand, bidding she rise. “I’m glad you respected my letter and stayed after the memorial. Even when you arrived today, I wasn’t sure that you would, given our unfortunate history and lack of a reply in that regard in your response.”
Yumiko lifted her head, watching the maid pour them a new pot of tea and replace the refreshments. “I prepared a hasty reply to your summons. I apologize,” she replied, tone even. “But I am here. Father died and it is only right that I return to the estate after such a tragedy. It would dishonor him if I didn’t honor your wishes this day as well.” She reached for her teacup, steadying her nerves and her resolve. “I missed you as well, brother.”
Hideyoshi retrieved his own tea with a flourish of his arm. “Don’t trouble yourself with the formalities. What’s done is done, but now is the time to close that time in our lives. We are older, wiser, and we both survived the war. In our own ways. It’s time to look to the future. For both of us.”
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on Nov 1, 2024 0:53:24 GMT -6
Yumiko frowned as she lifted her own cup, remaining silent as he dismissed her affection and continued on with his speech as if she hadn’t interrupted. Lowering her eyes, she nursed her teacup and masked the turmoil rising in her at his words — as they overlapped with his commands the last tumultuous time they had met. “Hideyoshi-sama, the war has proven that any future is uncertain. It may benefit you more to focus on cherishing the present.” She paused as her bother looked to her. “Will you please tell me how are the twins and our honored mother?”
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Post by Hideyoshi Ryouma on Nov 1, 2024 0:55:36 GMT -6
Hideyoshi stayed silent for a few moments before he nodded, an amiable expression gentling his hard eyes. “Unfortunately, the twins continue to occupy most of mother’s time, but their health does improve as they grow. The clan believes it is best that they remain in seclusion where they are safest, and mother agrees to her confinement with them. The duty distracts her from her grief. Besides, father wouldn’t want use to dwell on his death now. He died over a year ago, and finally, all the preparations for his eternal rest are complete. The hardest time is behind us.”
He picked up a mocchi cake and then continued. “The twins will need guidance when they come of age, and without Father at our side, that position falls on our shoulders.”
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on Nov 1, 2024 1:01:45 GMT -6
Yumiko glanced at her reflection in the amber liquid. “If there is anything I can do to assist them at the time, I will gladly do so,” she offered, tone still neutral, “but there is little I can do for them now when I am not even allowed to see them.” She looked up to her brother. “Unless that situation has changed.”
“No, it has not,” Hideyoshi stated. “But if you had not become Ukitake’s ward, you could have joined them in their confinement. Assist them as you did me when I was young.”
Yumiko ran her finger around the rim of her saucer. “I doubt I could give them the same kind of memories from such enclosures, and it is futile to consider it when I don’t wish to join them. I’ve spent my time in such places even if I could see our honored mother again.”
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Post by Hideyoshi Ryouma on Nov 1, 2024 1:51:00 GMT -6
Hideyoshi’s eyes narrowed at her. “Your memories have returned?”
Yumiko met his eyes, her expression calm. “Yes.”
Irritation rising, Hideyoshi stood up from his chair, his shadow growing over his sister who remained in her seated position, her hands folded in her lap. “When?” he commanded. “Why would you never speak of this?”
She sighed, closing her eyes. “I regained them a long time ago, and it wasn’t a pleasant experience. Even now, not many people know. It wouldn’t change the situation we face now.”
“The situation-” Hideyoshi gasped. He huffed and turned around, looking outside. “Does Ukitake know?”
She looked back to him. “Lord Ukita-”
Hideyoshi pushed her correction aside with another wave of his hand. “Lord or Captain Ukitake then, tell me does he know?”
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Post by Yumiko Ryouma on Nov 1, 2024 1:51:52 GMT -6
Yumiko dropped her eyes back to her tea. “He knows more than most.”
But not as much as Vale and Sousuke.
She bit her lip before she could stop herself, quitting a moment later because of her present company. Falling back to her lessons from long ago. But perhaps because of that scrutiny, the ache inside her seemed less potent. With the distance created from the situation, the bitter loss didn’t reach as deeply as it had on other occasions. But she knew it was a facade she couldn’t maintain forever. The hurt echoed inside her when greeting her teacher, biting at her heels each time she said good night. Admitting the truth let her move forward, but it didn’t stop the harm that had already been dealt to her. On all fronts.
Kita wasn’t the only one having a difficult time returning to her old life without a push from others.
She straightened her shoulders. “What did you wish to discuss with me about the future, Hideyoshi?” she demanded, blue violet scarred eyes glittering underneath her lashes.
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