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| This article, Blank period: To Wing Bind, is part of Bleach: War for the King's Seal, which continues on from the opening segments of the site's former Fanon Canon project. Use of this page's contents is determined by the author of this page, unless otherwise specified. |
This article, Blank period: To Wing Bind, is the second chapter of The Western Branch arc, which is itself the third arc of the Blank period. This chapter serves to introduce the various facilities used by the "Cultural Exchange Initiative" into the story, whilst relocating several characters to Reverse London. Kenji, Rin, and Mikado are the main characters, with Hisagi making a cameo. Canon characters making an appearance include Sullivan Squire and her aide Arkvine.
It turned out that Hisagi wasn’t half as cruel as we made him out to be, for not only was I allowed to bring Rin along for my trip west, but Mikado as well. The downside? I had to churn out a ridiculous number of pages to satisfy Hisagi’s call for Cataclysm chapters.
Damned slave driver.
But we were finally able to get underway. Kei grumbled a bit about essentially taking on my duties, and it was understood that I would do the same when — and if —we switched, so I was covered, but it meant less time for Kei to serve drinks. Hence, his foul mood. Which was his calling, if I was being honest. The guy had a good ear, was a great conversationalist, and knew his craft. Taking him from the bar hurt Division morale.
Now, that small thing that made Hisagi not so cruel?
Mikado. Even though I’d never tell her that.
England, United Kingdom. Hadn’t been here in a donkey’s age, the last time being a few months after I graduated and had some leave gathered. Spent a week at a racecourse getting drunk and gambling. I had so much fun I had made the whole trip an annual thing, dragging along a few squad-mates with me. Hadn’t done it since Sakae and her cronies attacked, though. Many of the faces who came with Van and me weren’t with us now.
As we stepped from the Senkaimon straight into a pre-arranged courtyard in Reverse London, I felt the cool air caress my face and took a moment to clear my mind. My anger cooled, and a brief smile spread across my face. But, whilst the air was cool, there was a peculiar scent I just couldn’t place.
Then the silence and serenity of the moment got shattered.
“Aren’t you excited!?” Mikado practically squeaked. “We’re getting to see a whole new culture! With Dragons!”
“Is it too late to leave her at home?” I asked. “Damn, the gate just closed.”
“Leave her alone,” Rin answered, though the laughter in her eyes showed she found Mikado’s giddy reactions as hilarious as I did. She, too, smelled something, for I could see her nose twitch. “What exactly are we going to be doing anyway?”
“Teaching and listening, but mostly spying,” I answered. “Though of course, you’ll keep that quiet, or Hisagi will scalp me.”
As this was a fairly unorthodox assignment, the regulations weren’t as strict as they might usually be. As such, rather than her regular Shinigami uniform, Rin wore a pair of jeans, the knees of which had been frayed apparently by design, and a short-sleeved white football top with a blue peacock as an emblem. Mikado, taking her cue from Rin and adopting a similar western vibe, had opted for a yellow summer dress with a medium hemline, and a hat whose rim was far too big.
Me? Double denim. Blue biker jacket and black jeans, stout leather boots, and aviator sunglasses. Worked a charm every time.
Our contact was something called a “Top of Horns”, by the name of Sullivan Squire. He was the leader of the Sabres, which was, as I understood it, the patrol-centric Division of Wing Bind. I don’t know what I was expecting.
When I met him, the first thing I noticed was that he was a she. Damn, intel dropped the ball on that one. That could have gone south very quickly!
Sullivan was a tall woman, athletically built, with tidy chin-length black hair hidden mostly by a military cap featuring the Wing Bind logo prominently on the front. Her attire was a simple black suit, reminding me of a colour-inverted version of typical Sternritter attire, connected at the front by a thin chain. If I knew this was going to be so formal, I wouldn’t have followed Rin’s lead. But then we were currently in our Gigai, so we could change in a heartbeat if needed. Still, being in regulation attire, complete with my Lieutenant’s badge, would have made me feel a little more comfortable.
“You’re Sullivan Squire, I take it? I’m Kenji Hiroshi, Lieutenant of the 9th Division. My companions are Rin Shihoin and Mikado Sayaka. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.”
Charm like laser beams, me.
“A pleasure,” And I shook her hand when offered, remembering the cultural cue as a form of greeting in the west. “This is Arkvine, my aide. If you follow him, he will show you your embassy and dorm rooms. Good day.”
Short and sweet. She struck me as the reserved kind, so instead of making a scene or commenting on what was essentially a dismissal and fobbing off, I merely bowed my head in recognition of her request and fell in behind the tall, dark-skinned male, called ‘Arkvine’, who wore a similar suit to Sullivan. His eyes were hidden behind a set of glasses very similar to my own.
“All business, your boss,” I remarked.
“She has been quite busy of late, and more so because of this cultural exchange your… Hmm, forgive me. I can’t recall your leader’s title?”
Mikado slipped in without missing a beat.
“Shunsui Kyoraku, or Captain-Commander. He leads the Gotei 13. Below him are the Captains, and aiding them are Lieutenants.”
Arkvine looked me up and down with a measuring eye. “And you are a Lieutenant?”
“Correct,” I answered. “Something akin to your role, I’d imagine. I see you’re fobbed off with the donkey work, same as me.”
All that betrayed him was a slight upturning at the corner of his mouth.
“We’ll start with the dorms, which are on Surf Street.”
“Sounds good,” I replied. “But before we do, what is that smell?”
“There was a crash early this morning involving a fertilizer truck,” Arkvine replied, without even cracking a smile. “Dragon dung can be quite potent.”
I was about to roar with laughter, thinking the statement a joke, but Rin jabbed me in the ribs with her elbow and slowly shook her head. That was when I saw her signal with her eyes.
I took her cue and looked around.
Dragons, in all shapes and sizes, from long and spindly to big and burly, and very unlike any Dragon I had ever seen portrayed in any form of media or literature before, were being worked with by various people. They weren’t just domesticating and controlling Dragons. They were actively putting them to use! I saw a stall selling burgers and kebabs, saw the slogan “only the finest Meatball meat!” followed by a price list, and swallowed what I had been about to say.
“Rin, Mikado. Don’t touch anything,” I whispered.
“... Agreed.”
Had to say, the dorms were quite impressive, once you looked past the exterior. As I understood it, buildings in Reverse London occupied the same space as their counterparts in Front London. If one building were to be destroyed reverse side, its frontside counterpart would be destroyed too. Thankfully, the interior was very different. They had done their research well because the interior was a dead ringer to our own Division barracks. Each room, whilst small, featured a single futon, a small desk complete with a sleek computer, a wardrobe, and a chest of drawers. There was likewise a small corner bathroom complete with a standing shower, toilet, and sink.
“This is way better than my old room,” Mikado whispered to me. “Look! Mr. Urahara’s been here. That’s the same telecommunication equipment he fitted in the Seireitei.”
“Good. Our students won’t be cut off,” I answered. “Well spotted.”
The embassy was decorated in the same style as the dorms, only larger. By all accounts, it was equipped to house several Shinigami, referred to in the cultural exchange program as “liaisons”. And eagle-eyed Mikado pointed out the same telecommunication equipment as the dorms. I had a brief discussion with Hisagi, letting him know we had arrived safely, before returning to my companions.
“Very impressive,”
Arkvine inclined his head an inch. “I will leave you to settle in. My colleagues will be along shortly if you have any questions. Good day!”
As soon as he had left, I swallowed a lime-green pill. My Gigai fell backwards, my spiritual body stepped forward, and I rested my hand lightly on my Zanpakuto. Rin and Mikado echoed my action.
“So… Reverse London,” I mused. “This is going to be interesting.”