Who is Queen? [Shishiyuki, Kasha]

"Yes, I suppose that is true. But I would rather know something unsavory about myself than simply live in ignorance of it. After all, that is what lets me correct the issue, improve myself further. I always strive to be better, if only for myself."

That was quite honest of her, something that Shishiyuki would typically never have admitted to anyone but herself. That, ultimately, she sought to improve simply for her own pride, her own sake. Her family honor, her pride in her lineage, all of that ultimately could not match up to the simple fact that she wished to be whatever ideal form of herself she could be.

"Tell me, Kasha. What do you know of my sister?"

"Your sister? I guess she'd be pretty hot right about now. Wouldn't she?"

The response was followed with her own thoughtful look, what would Midori Koizumi look like nowadays? Oh well, didn't really matter. She needed to be serious here, well she didn't need to be she would handle it with a bit more care.

"Left the family young, big guts honestly and was then exiled and denounced by you publically as well and now she's all cozy up in Zero Division."

She demonstrated that she was a little more well-known on matters than the brutish woman let on. A little coy grin while waiting to see where Shishiyuki was going with this.

Shishiyuki simply shot Kasha a sideways glance at that particular observation, not exactly one to think fondly of that. Regardless, she let the woman finish.

"Yes, that's right. Rumor has it that she's currently returned to the Seireitei, in light of the death of Yushiro Shihoin and the general changes in the nobility. She was always somewhat close to that family."

There was an undeniable bitterness to that sentence, the natural honesty of this conversation making decades of irritation at that situation only more immediately apparent. After all, she had never particularly wished to formally exile her own sister. She simply had no other choice at the time.

"She could likely kill the both of us without terribly much effort, you know. I wonder what it is that has made her grow so strong."

Did not care that she might've been getting daggers or questioning glances shot her way, she wasn't shy about what she liked or didn't. Not that she'd seen the woman in a long time, she was just using Shishiyuki as a metric and she liked her so it stood to translate to the other sister, right?

"Probably hatred towards you. Let's be real, you did kick her and her kid out on their asses. Anyway, you're taking too long to get to the point. What about her?"

Kasha was initially waiting to see where she was going with this before giving up and going straight in, rather than wasting time beating around the bush with the finer details that weren't as pertinent.

"I had thought as much, but I think she was already beyond me well before that whole affair."

Shishiyuki studied her own hand as she spoke, eyes trailing over each scar and each faint movement of the muscles as she slowly flexed each finger. It was more a way of focusing than anything else, and she did so for only a moment or two before continuing on.

"You and I are rather old, speaking relatively. But we have both, I think, been thoroughly surpassed by many younger than us. I wish to know what it is that allows these few to reach such heights in so little a time. It is not simply a matter of being born into power, else we would likely be among them. But it is not some principle of effort, either. Those who are born with power still seem able to match those born without it."

But what? What was it that caused such a difference?

"Is there simply some degree of potential that we all are born with? I wonder this often. Whether the day will come that I can improve no further, and if I will find that level of skill lacking."

"Pretty much, think about it. Why would we even bother with successors if we all had limitless potential to dip into? It's natural to be surpassed, Kasha will surpass me one day. Your student will surpass you one day, or both of them will just die. I guess that's also an option."

The tough as nails Kasha looked at Shishiyuki from the corner of her eye, a little thoughtful at the ulterior meaning of this conversation. Insecurities? Morbid curiousity? Philosophical?

"Anyway, of course everyone has the limit to them. You'll reach you peak, and then you'll deteriorate and expire. Maybe not in the literal sense but you get the point. Just enjoy everything up until you get to that point. I'm pretty sure I'm already there, now I'm just watching and waiting for Kasha to surpass me except he holds it back, stupid pacifist. He needs some action to man up in all ways than just one."

"You are correct. The nature of our succession does build up more powerful successors rather than merely passing on stagnant tradition. I suppose there is something almost amusing about that knowledge, when one considers how little the heads of the schools seem willing to allow for change."

Amusing, perhaps, but not at all surprising. Being as old as she was meant that Shishiyuki had certainly been around this generation for a long while now, and been able to see those that followed. There was development in each, but it always seemed there was little understanding between them.

"I think your outlook is quite bleak, but I would not consider it incorrect. I wonder if this means those who follow after the ones that have already surpassed us will simply surpass our successors. But, now I think that I look too far forward, and think too hypothetically, even for my own liking. I will take your advice and simply take this matter, at least, in stride."

"Now you're getting it. Fuck all this philosophical shit, rabbit holes remember."

Didn't she just bring up the whole going down rabbit holes and excess analysis, also the keep it simple, shithead was her other golden rule. Kasha was a simple girl like that you know. Fighting, relaxing and other pleasures were all she needed to be content with life. Critical thought about the world around her and its more esoteric attributes weren't her cup of tea.

"I don't think it's bleak though, I think you just don't know how to have fun. Tell me, what do you even do for fun or to relax? Don't tell me you walk around all day acting like you've got a stick up your ass to keep that posture for everyone who's laying eyes on you. Ain't gonna be content with life like that."

"I don't do terribly much with my free time. I rarely have any to begin with."

Shishiyuki could have made some effort to pretend that she did, in fact, enjoy any particular leisure time, but that would have run counter to the honesty she was enjoying at the moment. The most she could say that she did with regard to any sort of leisure was the occasional game with those who asked her for one.

"And what do you think I ought to do to 'relax,' hm? I don't believe that you and I quite have a similar idea of what would be enjoyable."

"Gods, how have you survived your life up to this point."

She didn't know how she could go through life the same way, doing literally nothing but pleasing people and dedicating herself like she had some kind of martyr complex. No siree.

"I think you need to be more open-minded for one, less fed up with your principles too and more willing to just go easy on yourself like jeez, you ain't perfect and nor will you ever be. Do we not enjoy similar things? I like to fight, I like saunas, I guess there are other things that you wouldn't approve but wouldn't want to spoil your chastity or anything."

Kasha couldn't help but tease at the end. The point still stood though, in her infinite wisdom it was that Shishiyuki was herself first before she was the Koizumi Head and she should understand that rather than devaluing her entire self down to the criteria of a role.

"Well Shishiyuki? What do you want?"

She found herself leaning in just a bit closer but it was entirely out of genuine curiousity towards what she might or could get as an answer.