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Entry #1
The 20th year of Tengo
4th of Minazuki
My name is Kuchiki Byakuya: son to Kuchiki Sōjun and Ayane; grandson to Kuchiki Ginrei, the 27th Head of the Kuchiki Clan.
Upon the suggestion of my governess, Hisako, I have decided to begin committing my daily thoughts and activities to paper. The Kuchiki clan has always acted as custodian of the Annals of History of the Seireitei, so I think it only fitting that I provide this diary as an aid to future historians.
Entry #2
The 20th year of Tengo
7th of Minazuki
I spoke to Grandfather about my starting a diary this morning. He supports the project.
I believe it would be a good idea to dedicate subsequent entries to brief biographies of my immediate family. I suppose there is no need to add Grandfather's, his memoirs are already vastly detailed, but Father has neglected to keep a record of his own life and achievements. I should rectify this. Grandfather agreed when I proposed the idea.
Entry #3
The 20th year of Tengo
17th of Minazuki
Today marks the second anniversary of Mother's death. She enjoyed camellias. I laid a bouquet on her grave.
Her name was Kuchiki Ayane, nee Hashimoto
Her favorite treats were green tea flavored manjū [ink blot]
She liked
Entry #4
The 20th year of Tengo
11th of Hazuki
A stray cat has been frequenting the kitchens. It is male, I think, violently orange in color and very rotund. When I alerted the staff to its presence and demanded an explanation, they assured me their high standards of hygiene have never been compromised, but they did admit to occasionally feeding the cat scraps of food that are normally destined for the trash.
Occasionally. That creature is as round as a plum. They even call him Maru-san.
Hm.
Entry #5
The 20th year of Tengo
1st of Kannazuki
I have been remiss in filling out this diary properly. Grandfather asked me about my progress today, and I had to lie. I shall redouble my efforts to make time for writing, in between training and studying. (Mem. Fill out Mother's entry properly)
Entry #6
The 20th year of Tengo
5th of Kannazuki
Father cancelled our meeting this afternoon. I shall have to reschedule an appointment for an interview. (Mem. Ask court healer for approximate date of recuperation)
Entry #7
The 20th year of Tengo
9th of Kannazuki
Instructor Tsukuda praised my Zanjutsu progress today.
Entry #8
The 20th year of Tengo
15th of Kannazuki
Grandfather announced at dinner I am to begin training in Shunpo this week, with Lady Shihōin Yoruichi herself. I have never met the Captain, but her achievements are many and well-sung.
This should prove to be an interesting experience.
Entry #9
The 20th year of Tengo
22nd of Kannazuki
THAT WOMAN IS VILE, VILE, VI
Entry #10
The 20th year of Tengo
23rd of Kannazuki
I asked Grandfather today if my instructor was indeed the famous Shihōin Yoruichi. He confirmed as much. [ink blot]
I don't und
Entry #11
The 20th year of Tengo
25th of Kannazuki
I regret my earlier entries. Not because they are untruthful, but in retrospect, I see that I should have allowed myself some time to collect my thoughts before writing anything down. (Mem. Consider tearing out relevant page? Feels dishonest)
In the meantime, I have had my second lesson with [ink blot] Instructor Shihōin.
Or rather the first one, as I cannot in good conscience count our meeting on the 22nd as anything resembling a legitimate lesson. It started out well enough, I suppose, the calm before the storm, as it were. She introduced herself and asked me a few questions about myself. She was pleasant, if a little overly presumptuous, but I attributed her familiarity to her long-standing relationship to Grandfather.
How foolish of me.
Shihōin Yoruichi is a disgrace to the Shihōin name and to instructors the realm over. I realize my words may seem harsh but she She appears to have no solid course syllabus or even a rudimentary plan for our training sessions. When asked, she responded with a curt, "We'll just wing it." (Mem. Grandfather did not know the meaning of this phrase. I think I can infer from context, but I should ask Hisako just to be on the safe side)
Also, she keeps calling me Byakuya-bō and I
Entry #12
It is two and a half hours shortly past my bedtime, but I realized I never wrote down an actual account of today's lesson.
There is not much to report, but I think it merits recording anyway, as a testament to my so-called instructor's utter ineptitude. I should note here that she is nowhere near as fast as advertised, merely wily and supremely full of herself. I have no doubt whatsoever that she made her first lesson deliberately impossible. Nevertheless, I am positive I would have covered the distance to her 'satisfaction' if I hadn't faced certain technical difficulties. (Mem. Ask Hisako for a hair tie)
But instead of pointing out my errors in a courteous fashion, as any proper instructor would, she saw fit to laugh act in an entirely unprofessional manner.
I do not understand how Grandfather ever could
I have a feeling this diary will prove to be indispensable in the months to come, if I am to retain my sanity.
Entry #13
The 20th year of Tengo
3rd of Shimotsuki
DIARES ARE NOT FOR GIRLS I ASKD HISAKO AND SHE ASSURD ME THAT IS NOT THE CASE SHIHŌN YORICI CAN JUS GO
Entry #14
The 20th year of Tengo
4th of Shimotsuki
I am pleased to see I have kept up with my resolution to devote more time to updating this journal. Going back to past journal entries, I can see the rate of my updating this journal has significantly increased. When Grandfather next asks about my journal project, I will not have to lie again.
I have yet to make proper journal entries of the biographies I intended to include in this journal, but I am considering adding an appendix at the end of this journal for easy reference. Father also expressed an interest in my journal project a few days ago and lamented the fact that we have yet to schedule time for that interview so I could include it in my journal. His work at the Division keeps him rather occupied, so it is understandable that he has not yet found the time to help me fill out his journal entry.
Also, Shihōin Yoruichi is a horrid person. I do not understand how she has managed to fool so many into finding her pleasant and innocent. But I know her true colors.
Entry #17
The 20th year of Tengo
11th of Shiwasu
CAT SHE WAS A CAT
THIS WAS A PUBLIC EVENT HOW COULD SHE
I DIDN'T
FOR A MOMENT THERE I EXPECTED BETTER OF SHIBA KŪKAKU BUT NO
THE TWO OF THEM
THEY HAVE RUINED MARU-SAN FOR ME RUINED I CAN NEVER TOUCH HIM AGAIN WITHOUT
SHE WAS NA
[unintelligible smudge]
I have decided that a better title for my [ink blot] Instructor is Demon Cat. For that is who she is. A cat. And a Demon in disguise.
Entry #20
The 21st year of Tengo
3rd of Mutsuki
The Demon Cat has a minion.
Of course she would. Of course.
It is tiny and answers to the name Suì-Fēng and she tried to engage me in combat, the GALL
Regrettably, I must admit she is… fast.
Entry #27
The 21st year of Tengo
10th of Kisaragi
Today, I met Captain Urahara Kisuke of the Twelfth Division. I confess, I am… at a loss as to what to make of the man. Our interaction was brief and he was pleasant enough, but there are certain parameters that need to be taken under consideration.
To my recollection, Grandfather has always had nothing but complimentary words to say for the Captain's work, though when asked, he did admit to finding him a little peculiar. I have no reason to doubt his words (track record notwithstanding; I am convinced the Demon Cat puts up a façade in his presence, it is the only explanation), but the man was introduced to me as the Demon Cat's 'best friend.'
On the other hand, the Minion appears to dislike him greatly. And she worships the Demon Cat.
…I must think on this.
Entry #29
The 21st year of Tengo
2nd of Yayoi
I have decided that Captain Urahara is, like many others, yet another victim of the Demon Cat's counterfeit public persona. It is a pity, not to mention a great mystery, since I keep hearing praise of his immense intellect.
Perhaps his perception of her is colored by the bias of nostalgia, as I have been informed they have been friends since childhood. Though I am beginning to suspect the poor man may have had no choice: I am given to understand he is low-born, but entered the employ of the Shihōin clan at a young age, and was thus forced to interact with the Demon Cat on a daily basis. It is highly possible he only defers to her out of respect for the clan that employs him, which is certainly to his credit.
And yet the Minion continues to glare daggers at him on any given occasion. It seems her sense of decorum only applies to her interactions with her master, as she continues to be inappropriately informal and incongruously brusque even with me. Captain Urahara, despite the elevated status his new position affords him, never once crosses the line to the obscene familiarity the Minion so readily displays, mindful of his own station.
I fully acknowledge that what I am about to commit to paper is a highly scandalous proposition, but it is becoming clearer and clearer that, in isolated instances, heritage may [ink blot] not be the best indicator to worth (Mem. Find a better hiding place for this diar journal).
I arrive at this conclusion due to my recent observations, as I now believe Captain Urahara to be the Minion's moral superior in every way. And as I initially observed, a pleasant and courteous man, indeed. He even graciously offered to tutor the Demon Cat in areas she's clearly lacking, yet he incurred nothing but the ire of the Minion once again.
I do not understand this malicious little creature. All he did was suggest the Demon Cat might benefit from practicing with his own sword.
Entry #36
The 21st year of Tengo
24th of Yayoi
She is under the delusion that I am not aware of her nefarious plan.
I AM.
Not only does she have the audacity to hold her lessons in the [ink blot] Rukongai ever so frequently, she keeps cultivating an atmosphere that is meant to goad the Minion and myself into engaging in competition. And the Minion keeps falling for it, the utter fool.
Transparent and ineffective training methods aside, it matters little. This time around, I was the one who emerged victorious and reached the tea shop first.
As expected.
Entry #47
The 21st year of Tengo
17th of Uzuki
Captain Urahara is a very strange man.
Given his rank, I assume he must be a highly capable Shinigami, and Grandfather, who was present for his examination assures me as much, but I find he habitually wastes his time on irrelevant, often superfluous matters. I suppose the very nature of the SRDI lends itself to experimentation, but many of his projects have little to do with the improvement of Shinigami affairs and procedure.
That having been said, some of his recent projects are rather [ink blot] fascinating.
Grandfather returned home a week ago bearing a remarkable memento. The best I can describe it is as a rectangular piece of hardened paper, which was imprinted with the likeness of himself and his colleagues. He called it a 'photograph.' I fear this may put talented artists out of business, because it more or less accomplishes the same goal a painting would, but is leagues above in terms of accuracy in capturing the subject's likeness. Admittedly, the colors –or lack thereof- are somewhat lackluster.
Grandfather said that the traditional painting of the Gotei Captains and Lieutenants is not likely to be replaced any time soon, but this photograph process will make archiving future versions of the roster a much easier affair. Which, I suppose, makes Captain Urahara's contraption a useful object after all.
I saw Captain Urahara a few days later during my scheduled lesson with Shihōin Yoruichi. When I asked about the photograph technology, he expressed his delight and offered to capture my likeness if I so wished. I was not exactly given a choice on the matter (apparently the Demon Cat loves having her photograph taken, to the shock of absolutely no-one; at least that is what I inferred from the sheer volume of photographs of her in one of Captain Urahara's drawers I was not being indiscreet I just). Though, admittedly, I did not protest much, either.
Throughout the whole process, Captain Urahara kept up a constant stream of enthusiastic prattling about how the technology was "So much better than collodion photography, and don't even get [him] started on unwieldy daguerreotypes."
I confess I did not understand a word of it.
I also did not much care for the Demon Cat's attempts to sabotage my photograph session by contorting her already unpleasant face into ghastly grimaces and trying to be in the photograph enter the frame (Mem. Captain Urahara tells me this is the proper term) despite express instructions to keep her distance.
Nevertheless, I walked out of the ordeal session with a photograph of myself looking stately (despite the Demon Cat's best efforts to the contrary), which I have included at the end of this entry.
[ink blot] I wish this technology would have been available when moth
Captain Urahara is bringing his 'kodak' to the estate tomorrow to take a photograph of myself, Grandfather and Father and maybe Hisako.
[Photo Insert: Young Byakuya, clad in his training attire, standing in the middle of a laboratory with his back ramrod straight and his hands folded behind his back. His wears a stiff, forcibly blank expression, save for the barely perceptible crease in his brow. The photograph includes the date and location at the bottom]
Entry #48
The 21st year of Tengo
18th of Uzuki
[Photo Insert: Young Kuchiki Byakuya, dressed in a fine kimono, flanked by his father Sōjun and smiling governess, Hisako. Kuchiki Ginrei, his grandfather, stands behind him. The photograph was taken in the back garden of the Kuchiki estate and includes the date and location at the bottom.]
Entry #58
The 21st year of Tengo
5th of Satsuki
I have known for a while now that the Shihōin Clan has two heirs: the Demon cat and her younger sibling. I suppose after meeting the latter, I now fully understand why the Demon Cat was the one who inherited the position of Head of her Clan.
She was not chosen, they were stuck with her.
I regret my usage of crude street slang, but the Demon Cat derserv brings out the worst in everyone.
The boy, Yūshirō, is… simple, is a kind way to put it, I suppose. He is very young, barely forty years old, but the signs are unmistakable. For one thing, he seems to adore his sister when he should know better, even at this age. More importantly, he keeps smiling at everything. The Minion fawns over him, naturally: he is the spitting image of his sister, the poor child.
I suppose I should have expected no less.
I fear I may be coming off as unfairly dismissive of the youngest Shihōin –we do not choose our family after all- but the child did nothing to earn my respect. At his age, I most certainly did not require constant watching, nor did I need a veritable crew of people to cart me along the Seireitei, people who should by all rights be otherwise engaged; I was perfectly capable of spending time on my own.
As I frequently do [ink blot]
And I could be trusted not to disrupt a meal by climbing up the rafters like a possessed little ape.
…I think it is becoming abundantly clear I did not receive a proper lesson. Yet again.
The Demon Cat showed up at the estate in high dudgeon, Minion traipsing at her heels as always. I was fully prepared for a rematch, until I noticed the disturbingly cheery creature clutching the Demon's hand: the brother in question. In a rare moment of decency, she apologized to Grandfather and explained that she was meant to spend the day (Note: 5th of Satsuki, Boys' Day) with her brother. The moment was short-lived, however, as she went on to suggest I join them. There was a tell-tale gleam in her eye as she spoke those words, and I know she did this on purpose.
Grandfather, polite to a fault and oblivious to my desperate signalling, accepted.
The last time I celebrated this inane holiday was several years ago, as Father couldn't Grandfather agreed that I was no longer a boy. And even then, we conducted ourselves as befitting of members of the Kuchiki clan, having a dignified sit-down dinner with Grandfather, Mother (when she was still alive), and Hisako.
I never cared to celebrate this holiday in the first place, and I most certainly did not care to discover how the common man chooses to celebrate it, but I was given no choice. At the very least, Captain Urahara was there to act as the voice of reason. Not that he can be trusted to have a consistent grasp on reality, but compared to the alternative…
And so I found myself being forcibly led to the Rukongai once more, rubbing shoulders (quite literally at that) with all sorts of… with all sorts. Boys' Day in the Rukongai is a decidedly lurid, noisy affair which the small Shihōin took to with aplomb, often joined by the Minion in a number of tasteless antics.
To my immense relief, we eventually retired to a tea shop of questionable hygiene for refreshments and treats, but I did not protest as it was thankfully, mercifully quiet. The small Shihōin obviously took this as a challenge to disrupt the peace within the establishment by slipping away unnoticed to act the part of the aforementioned ape, which even his sister found to be objectionable.
How could Shihōin Ken'ichi produce two such offspring, I have met the man and his Lady wife, they are highly respectable
Captain Urahara managed to hold the boy's attention for a full two minutes when he pulled out his earlier purchase of origami paper and showed us the folding sequence for a samurai hat. Contrary to the Demon Cat, who has no eye for artistry and failed in her own attempts spectacularly, he is quite skilled, I must say. I would have normally refused to wear mine, but the Captain did put a lot of effort into it, and I did not wish to appear rude and ungrateful.
The Minion received one as well [ink blot] The Demon Cat made some absurd argument about the celebrations excluding women (which is FALSE. They get a whole day to themselves; just not this day) and insisted the Minion should have a hat, too. To my disappointment, Captain Urahara agreed, though I hope perhaps he was only trying to placate them. He was about to begin crafting one for the Minion when the ungrateful creature asked for one made by her Master's hand, instead. Truly, her ridiculous devotion knows no bounds. The Demon Cat obliged, which resulted in the most pitiful excuse of a samurai hat I have ever seen.
The Minion, oblivious by nature, wore it with pride as though it were the most priceless circlet.
It is not that I care about the ridiculous little trinket. Far from it. It is nothing but a cheap, crudely made paper hat, but this is a matter of principle. The day is called Boys' Day, not Girls' Day or Children's Day. The Minion should not have received one, end of st but I suppose she would've made a fuss if she wasn't the center of attention, as children are wont to do.
So I said nothing, comforted by the fact that if I must wear the humiliating headdress for the rest of the day, at least mine and the boy's were of far superior craftsmanship. Even the Demon Cat herself must have known: before we left the teashop, I saw her surreptitiously pocket an origami flower Captain Urahara had forgotten on the bench in order to study it, no doubt.
She could do with learning a thing or two about artistry and subtlety.
Entry #59
The 21st year of Tengo
7th of Satsuki
I forgot to include these in the last entry. Captain Urahara has developed the –somewhat annoying- habit of carrying his kodak everywhere.
[Photo Insert: A shot of the Second District marketplace in the Rukongai, focused on a stand displaying Kintarō dolls for sale, some of the figurines riding a giant koi. This is the only captioned photo, indicating that it was taken by Byakuya himself]
[Photo Insert: A shot of the Second District marketplace in the Rukongai, focused on the lines of koi streamers criss-crossed over a small square. At the top rightmost corner, a small, dark arm can be seen in the background, the rest of the body out of frame. The hand is reaching out for the knot holding the koi streamers in place]
[Photo Insert: Young Byakuya, clad in his finest, looking impatient and irritated. A grinning Yūshirō stands on his left, and Suì-Fēng on his right. The latter stands ramrod straight, hands folded behind her back, a faint smile on her lips. All three are wearing origami samurai hats; the craftsmanship of Suì-Fēng's hat is visibly shoddier.]
Entry #73
The 21st year of Tengo
12th of Hazuki
Captain Urahara says I have 'an eye for photography.' The kodak is somewhat unwieldy, but an interesting device nonetheless. I confess, I enjoyed being on the other end of the lens far more than the opposite on Boys' Day. And the photograph development process was very interesting.
I should ask the Captain if it would be possible to borrow I can commission him to build one for me. But first I must ask Grandfather if he will allow it. I hope think he might, so long as I promise not to neglect my studies.
Entry #114
The 22nd year of Tengo
6th of Uzuki
[Photo Insert: A shot of the Kuchiki Manor gardens with the cherry trees in full bloom]
Entry #422
The 25th year of Tengo
14th of Nagatsuki
Today, Grandfather announced that the young Lady Ueno Hitomi is to be my betrothed.
Entry #423
The 25th year of Tengo
15th of Nagatsuki
Lady Ueno Hitomi is seven years younger than me. I am told she is of pale complexion and blonde h comes from a highly respectable clan who have been loyal retainers to the Kuchiki for many centuries.
[ink blot] [ink blot] I am fortunate that my family has chosen well and look forward to learning more about Lady Ueno in the future, through our courtship.
Entry #426
The 25th year of Tengo
27th of Nagatsuki
Sometimes, As always, I wish Instructor Shihōin would mind her own business.
All I asked was whether I would have to give up my future seat as a Gotei Captain when I marry. Though I suspect the Shihōin clan may have had to find more creative ways to deal with the Instructor over the years, I can only assume she is nearing (or past) the age of marriage, and as such, I wondered whether she might be able to shed some light on this matter.
She took offense when I suggested that she may be replaced in the future as Captain of both the Second Division and the Onmitsukidō after her marriage. She refused to answer, but felt perfectly comfortable to pry into my own matters. She seems to hold great contempt for the concept of arranged marriage, which, I must admit, surprised me. Whatever her other faults, her loyalty to her clan has never been put into question; I cannot imagine how she figures she can refuse this without incurring the scorn of our entire social circle.
Her idea of a proper courtship is fanciful at best, one not even commoners would ever entertain. I will transcribe her words below, to the best of my memory:
"If you listen to nothing else I ever say, at least listen to this: find someone you like. Having someone by your side who compliments and understands you… it will make all the difference in the world. Make you a better leader. A better person. And no-one knows who that someone is better than you do."
I suppose her reasoning is not entirely without merit, but it comes from a misguided notion that one's clan might ever act contrary to both the clan's and the person's best interests.
At any rate, I would rather heed the advice of someone with personal experience on the matter. It is clear she has none.
Entry #651
The 28th year of Tengo
1st of Satsuki
I haven't seen Urahara-san in a while. Instructor Shihōin says he is busy with a project in the SRDI. I hope it is going w I asked Grandfather and he confirmed this.
Entry #655
The 28th year of Tengo
19th of Satsuki
Today, Urahara-san joined us for lunch. I cannot be certain, but from what I inferred from the guarded conversation between him and Instructor Shihōin, his project will no longer be supported by the Gotei and will be shut down shortly. Suì-Fēng seemed to have no knowledge of this either, and she followed the conversation with great interest.
When I asked Urahara-san if he had some time to evaluate my kidō progress in the coming week, he smiled and nodded, then quickly ruffled my hair. I did not chastise him for this, he looked tired and sad as I was not in the mood for an argument. It matters little anyway; when he sees how far I've improved in his absence, he will no doubt think again before treating me like a child in the future.
Entry #728
The 28th year of Tengo
8th of Shimotsuki
Suì-Fēng has been secretly practicing Utsusemi on her own, I know it. Even though Instructor Shihōin specifically forbade us from practicing on our own at this stage. It is not that I care for compliments like some sort of mongrel begging for scraps of affection, but she is breaking the rules. I could have easily bested her had I similarly ignored the unspoken code of sportsmanship.
At the very least, my Hakuda performance was exemplary. And our audience seemed to agree. Though admittedly, it does not take much to excite Yūshirō.
So there.
Entry #741
The 29th year of Tengo
3rd of Kisaragi
There has been unrest in the Seireitei for the past two days. Grandfather asked me to stay indoors at all times and ordered a squadron of estate guards to stand watch outside my room. They're out there right now as I write this. All my lessons have been cancelled and the estate has been in lockdown for almost 48 hours.
I overheard Hisako asking him why we did not commission Onmitsukidō as we have in the past, and he admonished her into silence. He left to return to the barracks, as did Father, even though he looked ill and should have stayed home, in my opinion.
I'm [ink blot]
Entry #742
The 29th year of Tengo
25th of Kisaragi
Today I took a stroll around the Seireitei. Hisako packed me some of her freshly baked senbei as a treat.
Also, Shihōin Yoruichi is a horrid person. I do not understand how she had managed to fool so many into finding her pleasant and innocent. But I have always known her true colors.