#[ he has killed so many hollow... and probably shinigami too.. ]

[hitsugaya-toushirou]

If I can ask, what reads do you dislike from the fandom? It's ok if you don't want to answer, I was just curious.

I'm so sorry anon this ended up being extremely disjointed and kind of stream of consciousness 😭

In general there's too many to count honestly, but in reference to that post I made 👇

It's umm. Very bewildering to me to act like Ichigo is depressed in the Fullbring arc because he's living a normal life, instead of that y'know... He's powerless? More powerless than he's ever been in his whole life even? He didn't just lose the powers he gained over the series and get reset to zero, it went beyond that and he even lost the ability to see ghosts, which he's probably had since he was born.

Not only did he have to grapple with that, he was kind of uhh isolated? From the spiritual stuff. Rukia never visited in a gigai (she has a job to do I get it lol). His dad never feels the need to explain ANYTHING to him, leaving him open to Ginjou's manipulation. Urahara obviously has not been keeping contact with him seeing how Ichigo was so suspicious of Karin at his shop. (Neither of them stopping Tsukishima from attacking his friends and family is a whole other can of worms.) Watching his friends go off and fight Hollows while he has to sit there unable to do a thing? It's lonely. It's depressing. That's why he fell prey to such a shady group like Xcution! He was desperate for even a shred of his former power!

And you have to remember that the first half of Bleach before the timeskip takes place over... 6 months-ish? Give or take. Ichigo was constantly fighting for his life, or his soul, or his friends lives, or the worlds. He never actually got to rest with just the security of having his powers in his life lol.

Ah, it's also very funny to me to think Ichigo would join the Gotei when he dies lol. Like that is just nooot a good choice for him to make. If he was smart it would play out like this:

Gotei 13: Omg Ichigo u finally died! We have a spot open just for u!! 🤗

Ichigo: ...I'm a substitute tho 😐

And then he goes and kicks it in Rukongai with all his homies. Like obviously he'll visit plenty to hang out and give them a hand with things, but he shouldn't enlist. Could you imagine?

Let's just put him in two canon situations.

"Ichigo we need you to go slaughter an entire race of people because they won't do as they're told, and are making our jobs harder. We are giving up on diplomacy and going full genocide babey! Men, women, helpless children and elderly and all!" or "Hey! Things are kinda out of wack Ichigo :/ Can you go slaughter a bunch of Rukongai citizens to level things out? About 28,000. Thankies 😚"

Even if it's for the so-called "greater good" do you think he would do it? Absolutely not.

Okay so now what? Is he committing treason by refusing? Is he getting jailed? Is he fighting all his friends now to stop them from killing innocent people? Is he throwing a coup?

Being a Shinigami is NOT just cleansing Hollows, and Ichigo would have a deep moral opposition to a lot of it.

Like there's a group that's straight up assassinating people, and everyone knows it lol. There are people jailed not because they have committed any crime, but because maybe they could be dangerous some day. Who even knows what fully constitutes as dangerous? There's people like Mayuri obviously, but who's to say someone who advocates for switching to a new system of government isn't considered dangerous? And all we've seen is likely just the tip of the iceberg.

And to say Ichigo would change it all... Ichigo changed the hearts of the upper echelon of the Gotei a little bit but guess what... They're not in charge!!! The Seireitei is an aristocracy-based militia. The Central 46 make the rules, the Central 46 dole out the punishments. These rich haughty people who only care about their own self-interest are not gonna listen to Ichigo, they're not gonna be changed by him. So now what? Are we back to a coup? Lmao

Also like. On top of all that, for the entire series besides the epilogue, Ichigo is a teenager lol. I doubt he even understands the full workings of Japanese politics, let alone the intricacies of a feudal ghost aristocracy, that he only stepped foot in for... less than a month? And he was fighting tooth and nail for a large chunk of that lmao.

An entire government is just not something you can change with a punch or sword strike (Well I guess technically you could with a lot of sword strikes, but that's a tooon of bloodshed and not a route Ichigo would go down). Also like. It's not Ichigo's responsibility!!! It should not be on the shoulders of a child to overturn the corrupt layout of a world he doesn't live in!!!

I don't know where to end this so, apologies for the tangent <3

[despairforme]

"You look delightfully like death was bred into your veins." -from undertaker 😅

     DEATH wasn’t the only thing that was bred into his veins. He supposed death was more of a consequence of who he was. Always seeking battle. Always seeking death. He had left countless of dead bodies behind him - and in front of him was an endless road of future kills. Not a SINGLE one of his kills had meant anything to him. Maybe that was part of being a Hollow, or maybe it was just part of being him. Nnoitra didn’t regret anything he had done. Whether or not this all made him, as the other put it ‘ delightful ‘? That was a different question. It was all the same to him. 

     ❝ Yeah? Ya like DEATH, huh? ❞ Did he WANT A TASTE OF IT? Nnoitra could easily deliver it to this creepy looking dude. Not that the guy had really done him anything, and Nnoitra didn’t feel compelled to kill him. Then again, only a small portion of his kills happened for a reason. He didn’t need a reason to fight - it was just WHAT HE DID. If he wanted to be strong - to get stronger, then surrounding himself with battle was the only way to go forward. Nnoitra didn’t think that this stranger had the same sort of philosophy as him. Few did. He seemed more playful than Nnoitra was.

[hiyorisarugaki]

“Girl story time! How long did it take for noodle brain and you to hook up?”

"WEll... depends how long ya have. This ain't some story that'll take six minutes! I mean... we got loads'a years 'ta cover!"

"I've known him for at least 250 years. And I've liked him for at least 200 of them. Not that I'm countin' or nothin'. It started the moment he started tutoring me when I was in the academy. He'd tutor me, a gifted student- obviously- who had trouble with reading kidou and well... he was roped into lookin' after me. Back when he was a green bean shinigami in the twelfth division. Anyway, I treated him 'ta a meal cuz I'm a generous god and had passed the academy with his help durin' examinations, but when the order arrived, his plate looked better. He swapped ours round and well... I mean... nobody's done that for me before. It's not just the way he's casually feedin' me... but like givin' me something he was looking forward to as well. Who does that? Only... only like family does that. And I'd never had a family. Not a proper one, anyway. Certainly none enough to care 'ta give me a full portion of what they wanted. So... so I guess... I started thinkin' and noticin' him more. Seein' how popular he was. How strong he was. His talent was gonna take him far. More than just a seated officer. I had 'ta catch up if we could still be friends. It meant working my ass off every day. Especially when he became a captain and left the 12th division. I was desperate 'ta catch up and become someone important in the gotei, too. So I worked hard 'ta be lieutenant. I know some people think Hikifune-Taichou just gave me the position, but I never got anythin' just given 'ta me in my life except for my cute fangs. So yeah. I worked for everything. I made all the budgets and rotas and even filled in every position when a shinigami needed days off or wanted'a visit their family. I was relied on by Hikifune-Taichou. But yeah, I became a lieutenant. And that way, I was almost closer to Shinji too. But it still don't mean... he noticed me. Not like a woman, anyway. Like, he didn't sweep his cape of hair and go wow, that's a strong and cute woman right there. Let's make her my bride! Tch. As if. He was too busy going around flirting with so many girls. Geez. I don't even remember their long legs and stupid, swooshy hair." She obviously does remember them. Probably even better than Shinji, because she's grinding her teeth. If it wasn't for her bothering and pestering him for meals, she'd never have got his attention. And of course... she grabbed his attention in violent ways, too.

"Anyway... he never noticed a damn thing. So we get 'ta the night of the hollowfication where Sosuke reveals his slimy ass plan. We survive his experiments, but then... I kinda knew, that even if I did have a chance with him, I couldn't get with him. I mean, what.. he's stuck with me in exile, we actually got a chance now since there's no other competition... but, it ain't easy 'ta confess. Especially when Aizen's out there and we're all... dealin' with a mountain of shitty inner hollows. And then, on top of that... he's got this guilt about what happened since Aizen was his responsibility. It's too much for him. Being responsible for us and the situation and to put my feelings on top of that...?? That's... not good. Plus, I'd changed too. I... I'd lost my rank and prestige and... really anything I could offer him. I wasn't a good prospect for him. I also... had planned on killing Aizen or die trying. And... I almost did die trying. I wanted 'ta confess then,too... y'know when Gin got us. But... that would also have been shitty. Who would say no to the feelings of a dying girl?"

She takes a breath then. The things after that were murky. Or Hiyori had purposefully blanked them out because... Shinji had left. She has believed that there was nothing else she could really lose, other than her life. She'd lost her home already, her rank, her position, her ability to form rational thoughts... even her strength after the bifurcation. Really, nothing else was left for anyone to take.

But Soul Society decided it wasn't enough.

They took Shinji and her friends too.

Hiyori swallowed hard. She still does, hate Shinigami...

"Well... I guess... I guess he missed me when he became captain again. And I behaved less violently too. I mean, how can ya really smack a guy that lives a dimension away? He gained a thousand new friends in Soul Society. I was left with minus three. I think... he must've started worrying and thinking of me more then. That's how he came by often 'ta check on me. Then he kissed me. And we started courting each other and now we're married after I said I'd start looking for houses in Soul Society again. I was happy when he asked. It's like a dream come true..."

[bleachbleachbleach]

Fic: Away, Away

This was written for Day 13 of @hitsuhina-week! If you prefer, you can also read this on AO3. Which is my preference, because Tumblr keeps eating my spacing whether I use Rich Text or HTML so it looks absurd on here. >.>

Aftermath / Going on a Trip Together Hinamori Momo + Hitsugaya Toushirou Pre-Series

--

This will be the last time. 

(Whisper it, so he won't hear.)

--

Every spring, Junrinan finds its way to the western mountains. (The souls of Rukongai wander.) There is no grand procession: They disperse across the vast range, often alone and sometimes in twos. They are always careful not to cause disruption, because while one soul in a forest full of spirits generally isn't worth the effort, seven is a meal.

They are three. 

Soon, they will be two. Hinamori can't stop whispering her new name, hi na mo ri. It's early to be out here, but the snows were mild this year and new growth is already peeking from beneath the thick, rich leaf rot. She feels an affinity with this year's tender saplings, a feeling that grows hotter with every whispered repetition of her name. Her grandmother had given it to her, showed her how to write it. She'd studied her name harder than she had the exam.

Hinamori has an acceptance letter. In April, she is leaving. 

Hinamori nearly walks straight into a nettle spirit--the hair-eating kind--draped across the game path plain as day.

"Do you wanna be bald?" Toushirou grouses as he yanks her back just in time. "I guess it fits. You're acting like a blind old man." 

Hinamori blinks, brushes imagined hair from her face. It's the fifth time she's tried to walk straight through a spirit in as many days. 

"Studying is bad for your eyes," says Toushirou. He doesn't care for moony Hinamori. Momo had paid a lot more attention to what was in front of her. But she's Hinamori now. At least, that's the only name she'll write, dragging her thin stick through the dirt outside the house. So that's what he calls her.

Toushirou squeezes through a bumble of pot-bellied mushroom spirits and Hinamori follows him, stepping carefully into his tracks.

"You'll need to keep reading even when I'm not around. It'll go if you don't practice," she says.

Toushirou makes a noncommittal sound.

"I'll send you letters full of kanji and quiz you on them when I visit." I'll learn how to write them pretty, she promises, just like Baachan does.

"Will you write me back?" she asks.

"Probably not."

This hurts her. But Toushirou plans to go the rest of his life without writing a single thing. It's not personal.

"Why would I need to tell you what happens in Junrinan?" he says. "You already know."

--

And if I forget?

--

Life in Junrinan doesn't change. That's what Toushirou was promised. The winters are quiet and slow, and in spring they go to the mountains. Summers are for farming, and autumns for harvest. Then winters are quiet and slow again.

Spring passes with bracken and angelica in hand. It is counted in the spirals of ferns as their number grows in the baskets. Some are dried; some are steeped. Mostly, they are sold. Many of the men in Junrinan spend springtime waking before dawn to sprint to the mountain, forage the lowlands, and return to the village for evening revelries, but Toushirou and Hinamori and their grandmother have always spent the whole of the season between the trees. The mountains prefer it when you stay. 

This will be true no matter how long Hinamori is gone.

April 12th through July 20th, then our first break, she says, scratching numbers in the dirt. But Junrinan doesn't have dates the way the Academy does. She draws the way the trees will change. The change happens in a long straight line, and beyond July 20th there is an emptiness rather than a repetition. How do you draw an unwritten future?

Hinamori writes her name again.

--

In the spring, everything is full: Toushirou enjoys the wet green of it, the late snows and vernal flooding. The water flows down from the mountains ice cold and the forests are loud and thick with spirits.

The spirits have no names that are written and no faces that have ever stayed the same, unremembered but immemorial. They are loud. Most of them respect the borders of his body. They brush against his legs with thick wet fur or scrape his cheek with leathery wings. They coil around his throat, treating him like a tree or rock. Some of them are trees and rocks. They are the mountains and forest, just like the wandering souls of Junrinan. They all belong here, more or less.

Toushirou can see most of them. When the blurry ones pass through you, it's feverishly unpleasant for the split-second it happens and then is nothing at all. The blurry ones, Toushirou figures, aren't actually in this forest. They are like shadows at sunset, cast long and far from their bodies. Their true bodies roam a different world entirely.

That's what Hinamori wants to do. 

Hinamori used to clamor for shinigami stories any time one of them passed through town. She'd been told one time that all travelers carried stories and now expected it.

The shinigami never expected her. Unless commerce was involved they didn't tend to acknowledge souls, or even look at them. So they always seemed surprised by Hinamori, like it hadn't occurred to them that they'd meet a real, full person out here. Which is fair enough, Toushirou grudgingly allows--there are plenty of souls in Junrinan so old and staid they cannot move, nor speak. (Don't touch them. It's unlucky.)

We don't talk about those.

The shinigami talk story: The story of black dye. The story of a tall bathhouse. The story of grilled meat on sticks. The story of the time they saw a noble. The story of a big fish. The story of a bigger fish. The story of the bullet train. The story of my sister, who isn't very interesting but is the only thing that comes to mind right now sorry. The story of 19th seats should be paid more. The story of the soul who wanted a story. 

Almost none of the stories are about death.

"Little girls shouldn't go into those mountains," one shinigami once said, which is as close as a story ever came to it. "Nasty stuff in there. They're called Hollows, you know. Real bad guys."

The shinigami patted the sword at his hip. He'd just told Hinamori a story about the third son of a lesser noble whom everyone loved and thought deserved better than the shadows of his elder brothers. And how preposterous is it, really, that he should have to prove himself when his brothers never did? Pushed out here into the boonies, seeking honor and fame. He really feels for the guy. Don't you? Don't you?

"You seem to know a lot about 'this guy,'" Toushirou offered.

"I'm a master storyteller," said the shinigami.

I've killed a Hollow before, you know, boasted the master storyteller. He'd led a unit of twelve men into those mountains out there, which were so quiet you could hear your own heart beating. When you can hear your terror--that's when you're on the cusp of valor. His eyes lit up. I was the one who cut the mask, he said.

Twelve is obviously far too many (seven is a meal), and those mountains have never been quiet. Toushirou didn't think he'd really been.

In the spring, though, there's a dark scar where once there'd been a copse of trees. Shattered branches and burned ground. His grandmother says it smells like Hollow. 

"They see things differently," his grandmother half-explains, of the shinigami and their Hollows and the silence of their mountains. Of course this would seem a different place to them.

"They're idiots," says Toushirou, though suddenly he's not sure. The scar is hair-raising, and his stomach roils. Maybe they really shouldn't be out in the woods.

"The shinigami know more than you," says Hinamori, taking his hand in hers. She grips it tightly, reassuring, or maybe annoyed. Both. She has a lot of school spirit for someone who hasn't even been yet.

But she doesn't let go of his hand, even after they've returned to the cover of the live trees, kitsune fire nestled in the brambles at their feet.

Toushirou makes the mistake of noticing a spirit that tends to linger just out of sight. It feeds on your instinct to look, and it grows higher and higher the more you crane your neck, so sure you'll be able to sneak a glimpse of it. By the time you realize the trick, you've always been had. It's very annoying.

--

This will be the last time.

(Scream it.)

--

"It's so dark out here," says Hinamori, in spite of the kitsune and all the rest. Lots of spirits glow. She is still holding his hand.

Toushirou thinks of the small lamp Hinamori had bought to study by, the wild shadows it cast on the interior walls and the way it had made all hours bright. He thinks of all the hours she hadn't slept. All because some shinigami had told her a story about a school. 

Anything would seem dark by comparison. He can't remember the last time she hadn't had her lamp on when he went to bed.

Hinamori is going to snap the bones in his hand. He yelps. Tears prick in his eyes. "What's wrong with you?"

She doesn't let go, and then she doesn't let go.

"It's so quiet," she says faintly. Her free hand wavers over her heart protectively.

It's so dark. It's so quiet. Quiet enough to hear your terror.

Except it's not. It's not dark.

It's not quiet.

The forest is full, air thick with chirrups and buzzing, screeching, hooting, chittering. Bodies clack and bones shudder. Reeds whistle and something large makes a whomping, resonating tone. Foxfire hisses as it makes sparks, throws phosphorous motes that dance high above. A heartbeat glow marches up the ridged spine of a lizard spirit. The forest is as it has always been.

Toushirou's eyes widen. 

"You can't hear them anymore."

To Hinamori, it is all darkness and silence. 

She sinks to the ground, burying her head in her knees as though to hide from the quiet. From the black. She drops his hand.

"Momo--"

She shakes her head. She opens her hands to the sky like she's waiting for a bird to land. For a split second, a small warm flame billows from her palms. 

Then the entire forest catches.

The thought had been innocent enough--to be her own light in the darkness, conquer her fear. But the forest only hears the conquering. It's the kitsune who don't take kindly to Hinamori's light. Their fire screeches up and outward and then all the spirits are in frenzy. A meal! scream some; and others, a threat! A danger to be expunged. A strange thing not of this forest, these mountains.

Outsider! the world around them hisses. Away.

away, away

Hinamori screams as the flames leap forward--the claws, the vines, the terrors and all in between. She throws herself in front of Toushirou. 

Toushirou can't find his voice at all. The wide whites of his eyes feel the propulsive gust of the forest coming down on them. On Hinamori. No! he can't shout, cold fear coiling over his frozen legs and pricking at his shoulder blades. Something serpentine rushes past him and he's on the ground. His head smacks hard against a writhing tree root and he tastes bile, feels nothing. 

Hears everything.

away

When he wakes, snow is falling, wet and sloppy. Kitsune are nibbling at the singed edges of a hanafuda. Hinamori is in her grandmother's arms. She's crying.

--

Before Hinamori started studying, with her bright lamp and her long nights and her feverish poetry scratched into the ground, before the hunger came, she'd woken one morning to a futon streaked with her blood. Her grandmother said that this was womanhood.

"The tea will stop the bleeding," she assured a tearful Hinamori as they scrubbed at her futon, pinking the waters. Toushirou beat at the stain with his feet, splashing everywhere.

"You don't have to touch it," Hinamori had said quietly, her eyes fixed on the water. "It's my mess."

"Baachan said I have to help," Toushirou objected. "Besides, am I supposed to just sit here and watch you bleed?"

--

Just one last time.

--

Hinamori isn't hurt, but she is in pain. The forest doesn't want her anymore. (She is leaving.)

"The forest sees them differently," his grandmother says, the other half of her earlier explanation. "Them," meaning shinigami. "Them," meaning Hinamori, now.

Shinigami see and are seen differently. They belong differently. Toushirou had only ever distinguished them by their black clothes, and sometimes their attitude. But his grandmother talks about reiryoku, about reiatsu, about the realms the shinigami travel through and the spirits they are blind to. The spirits that belong to different worlds than theirs, even when they're side by side. Some worlds are bound to one another, tied by fate and duty; others are repelled.

As Hinamori's reiatsu blossomed with her womanhood, slowly folding outward past her skin, beyond her body, her worlds were chosen for her. Like the bleeding, there's a tea to help this, too, but it's not the same. 

There is no going back.

"What're you looking at," Toushirou scowls at her. He's not sure what to do with her pain. There's nothing he can do for her pain. But she's looking at him differently, a little less like Hinamori and a little more like the rest of Junrinan does, and that scares him.

She asks him if he'd felt anything. Something cold.

She's asked him before. Every day since the incident, she's asked him.

His answer is always the same. No. Just fear.

He should be helping his grandmother. They're here in the forest for a reason, and that hasn't changed; they have foraging to do. But he doesn't want to leave Hinamori alone. 

"Don't be afraid of it, Shiro-chan," says Hinamori. Hinamori, who's now afraid of the dark.

Hinamori, who is leaving.

--

She doesn't have a choice. When her power comes into her she knows there is only one place she can go. It's a place she has always wanted to go. (She has always wanted to go places.) But now she has to.

She smiles. 

If she is going to go, she's going to fly. She will love, and yearn, and cry. She will give all of herself to the future before her, even when it means that precious things can be only memory. If there is something Hinamori leaves in him when she goes, it's flight. 

Someday, Toushirou will remember to remember that.

--

"Will you write me?" she asks.

--

--

(You will be written.)

--

She returns for the summer, then is gone again. Winter, then gone again. But she doesn't come home for the spring. They'll be going to the realm of the living. They will fight Hollows, just like the Gotei 13. She explains the meaning and stroke order of the characters, go tei,  though she doesn't explain what the Gotei 13 actually is. That part must already seem obvious to her. Shinigami stuff. That's all Toushirou will ever need to know. Seems pretentious.

When Junrinan returns to the mountains this year, Toushirou and his grandmother stay behind. "It's dangerous," she says. She squeezes his shoulders.

It's dangerous now. 

There is no going back.

Junrinan may not change, but life does, and by the second summer, Hinamori has mostly forgotten the shapes of the forest spirits. Toushirou is forgetting them, too. 

The difference is, Hinamori has found replacements. She talks about incantations and sword stances, friendships and histories. She has been to the realm of the living. It's only been a year, and already they have nothing in common but their memories, ever-receding. 

Sometimes she wakes up screaming. She doesn't say why.

--

Toushirou dreams of a chill ripping through him. He dreams of a place where there are no mountains as far as the eye can see.

--

He wakes to Hinamori.

[doudecim]

I want to say that 99% of the fics here are on FF.net for I have only recently discovered the wonders of AO3, and I still didn’t dig deep in there to find all the HitsuKarin goodies.

That being said, I will put the list under the cut because this will be one very long post. So, I hope you all enjoy it!

one-shots

A Constant Fascination, by back-in-a-bit. — 'Colour me blood red passionately.' Hitsugaya makes it his personal mission to get Karin to blush. Pity it's easier said than done. In fact, it might just take him a lifetime. [rated T]

A Fall in the Fall, by MeteorLeopard. — This was ridiculous! There she was, just looking at the fish, and the next thing she knows, she's up in a tree being held against her will! And it's all his fault! [rated T]

a little suffering is good for the soul, by the milliner’s rook. —  Future fic. If there are stupider ways to get courted, Karin can't think of them. [rated K+]

A Woman Scorned, by Glowing Blue. — The twisted fairy tale of Karin finding her own invite to the ball, though she's hardly looking for a Prince Charming. [rated T]

but leave the soul alone, by the milliner’s rook. — AU. Death, it's catching. Or: the one where Toushirou and Karin share night shifts at the hospital. And coffee. Terrible, terrible coffee. [rated K+]

Collection, by ichilover3. — A drabble/oneshot dump. Shenanigans, silliness, and sexy-times abound. Also alliteration, apparently. [rated M]

crawl into your shadow, by the milliner’s rook. — AU. There's a witch in this sleepy little village now that goes by the name of Karin, but nothing has changed since she's arrived. Not really. [rated T]

Delirous, by carved in the sand. — Matsumoto finds her captain to be a lovestruck teenage boy. [rated T]

duckling theory, by the milliner’s rook. — The first thing Karin notices is watermelon. Looking back, maybe it should have been startling green eyes. [rated K]

For You, by Glowing Blue. — Death had never been the paradise everyone wished it to be. But then they found each other. [rated T, two-shot.]

frostbitten, by the milliner’s rook. — Set during the time skip. The winter they meet is unkind with snow. [rated K+]

Frozen Moments, by CrazyAce'n'PokerFace. — 101 drabbles/one-shots that give a glimpse into Toushirou and Karin's life together. A love story told in snapshots. [rated K+]

funny valentine, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — I'll be yours if you'll be mine. [rated K+]

humour me, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — True love's kiss. That ought to do it. [rated K+]

i’m high on believing, by the milliner's rook. — For the record, he prefers his plain black shoes to her fancy red sneakers. [rated K+]

ice breaker, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — AU. There are better ways to get found out than making out in a closet and tumbling onto the ground. [rated T]

if my heart was a compass you’d be north, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — Future fic. Give me a reason to believe. [rated K+]

In Every Season, by Adobo-chan. — A collection of HitsuKarin oneshots. [rated T]

In the Dark, by ichilover3. — It really wasn't anyone else's business. She should be allowed to fornicate with midgets if she wanted to. [rated T]

innocent guilt, by SebonzaMitsuki27. —  AU. Oh, I know! You're a tramp with wings! [rated K+]

Juxtaposition, by Lady Azar de Tameran. — Something within Hitsugaya Toushirou thinks that he may have met his match. [rated T]

keep me in your pocket, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — Set during the timeskip. Don't stay out of touch, okay? [rated K+]

Kuchiki Rukia, the Glorified Courier, by MeteorLeopard. — Delivering super-top-secret messages between dimensions is tough work; believe me, I know. If it weren't such a rewarding experience I'd downright refuse to play the messenger. Honestly. [rated K+]

liliputians, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — Future fic. It's alright, kid. I'm short too. [rated K+]

Lovely Complex, by Unknown lazy ass. — She slyly grinned, “Wow, you really are head over heels for me, aren’t you Toushirou?” [rated K+]

Momo knows Best, by MeteorLeopard. — Sometimes having a meddling older sister... sucks. [rated T]

of halos and wings, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — Future fic. He had betrayed Hinamori with nothing but his heart. [rated T]

Old Haunts, by the milliner's rook. — Future fic. You were just gone, Toushirou, what was I to think? I thought—I thought you'd come back, and you did, twenty years too late. [rated T]

Peeping Tom, by Glowing Blue. — The love story of Hitsugaya and Karin, as seen from open windows and heard through thin walls. "Hisagi's eyes had a tendency to stray." AU. [rated T]

phantasmagoria, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — Flickering through black and white, they find their perfect shade of grey. [rated K+, two-shot.]

put down your sword and crown, by the milliner's rook. — AU. When her old man dies to save Ichi-nii's life, everything changes. Days after the funeral, the word Quincy is spoken for the first time, and at five years old, Karin becomes defined by it. [rated K+]

Red, The Colour of Despair, by the milliner's rook. — It was strange how much difference one colour could make. [rated K+]

Revenants, by carved in the sand. — Hitsugaya ponders the ghosts that haunt the girl he still loves. [rated T]

Sports and Sex are Universal (but never the twain should meet), by back-in-a-bit. — Toushirou gives Karin a flat look. "I'm not high-fiving you over sex," he says. [rated M]

Subtle, by nublados. — Toshiro comments on the subtlety that is Karin Kurosaki. [rated K+]

The Art of Asking, by Felix02. — He should have known that her father wouldn't be able to keep a secret, especially from one of his daughters. [rated T]

The Art Of Getting By, by the milliner's rook. — AU. There's some difficulty between juggling flirting, killing Hollows and getting to class on time with the hottest guy in high school, but Karin's certain she'll get the hang of it eventually. [rated T]

The Staircase not Taken, by MeteorLeopard. — Perhaps it was a good thing that the stairs were destroyed, her brother acting demented and a violent fight going on without her just upstairs. After all, the visitor who happened to drop by was worth the wait. [rated T]

the winter sun smiled for things to come in spring, by the milliner's rook. — What is it with you! You're either too young or too old! What the hell! [rated T, two-shots.]

Urahara's Lawn Mowing Service, by MeteorLeopard. — Incorrect phone numbers are a messy business. Even messier though is the business that happens after said incorrect phone call. "Fine, but I bet your girlfriend didn't call back because your lawn needs to be mowed." [rated T]

velocity, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — Aim for the goal, and don't look back, no matter what. [rated T]

where angels fear to tread, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — They belong in hell. [rated K]

You Taste Like Birthday, You Look Like New Year, by the milliner's rook. — Future fic. She likes his hands, Toushirou notices. Loves them, in fact. [rated M]

complete

lune, by SebonzaMitsuki27. — AU. Me and you and moonlight shivers. [[rated T] other main pairings are ByakuyaHisana, ShinjiHiyori and UlquiorraNel, so beware that HitsuKarin is not the only focus in this one.]

Waterlogged, Wind-chapped, and Sun-bleached. — They grow up together, and the slow progression of their relationship shapes their world. AU. [rated T]

Wendybird Chronicles, by the milliner's rook. — She wonders if they ever had a chance. If they might have missed it, somehow. [rated K+]

on going

Wrong Number, by Lunatasha. — Unknown (10:22): So! I just read all of the conversations I had last night while I was out drunk and thoroughly embarrassing myself and please let me apologise for bothering you (especially as I think you were working if you were in your office?) last night. I mean in hindsight I probably should have stopped messaging you as soon as it was clear you weren't who I was looking for, but drunk me apparently hates sober me so yeah, I'm sorry. That being said thank you again for helping me out even though I must have been bothering you, I appreciate it. [rated T]

Only in Dreams, by TullyBlue. — Brother, she had called him, but he spent the entire meal acting like she was a ghost. Eating with the twins, he can’t even imagine being that cold to his sisters. Yuzu’s laughter brightens his day and that admiring glint in Karin’s eye, that he only catches every once in a while, means the world to him. The so-called brother in his dreams makes Ichigo’s skin crawl. Everything else, though, he wants to see more of, to know more about, to understand. Old, wood floors, a spacious room, flowing black robes, and those swords... [[rated T] other main pairings are IchigoRukia, UryuuChad, GanjuHanatarou, so beware that HitsuKarin is not the only focus in this one.]

abandoned or on permanent hiatus, probably won’t ever post a new chapter again

Blizzard Blues, by the milliner's rook. — Future fic. I heard your brother had an eight pack, Captain Hitsugaya! That he was shredded! [rated T]

Catalyst, by Etiena. — With captain-level shinigami in her family, it is no surprise that Kurosaki Karin has potential. But it isn't family which triggers her change. Instead, a chance encounter with a young shinigami captain leads to startling revelations. [rated K+]

Go Against the Grain, by Adobo-chan. — Old law deems that only a son may become the Kurosaki House's next leader. Born from this ancient tradition, a tragic betrayal and her mother's sacrifice, Karin is brought up as Kurosaki Kazuto, the 29th head of the family. [rated T]

oh sinful rose, by the milliner's rook. — AU. Five years after the monarchy is overthrown, a noble finds a forgotten princess in chains. DISCONTINUED. [rated T]

Quandary, by Glowing Blue. — Funnily enough, meeting such a spirited single mother was actually part of his job description. AU. [rated T] (I love this one so much!)

Roommate For Sale, by SavageTrickster. — AU. There are many things in life that she didn't know, but the one thing Kurosaki Karin was certain of is that her overprotective brother is going to blow his top when he meets her new roommate.

[deivorous]

@colmilos​ replied: @deivorous where were you when they annihilated everyone then :/

Oh I am so glad you asked. I’ve been brewing this headcanon for  whole three days (legit. It’s super new.)

There’s really only two viable options for why Grimmjow wasn’t present during the Quincy massacre of the remaining arrancar.

1) He wasn’t in Las Noches and likely hadn’t been for some time.

This isn’t unlikely. Grimmjow owes no loyalty to Hallibel or Nelliel, he projects the facade of a solitary hunter, and without Aizen acting as a lynch pin to hold the Las Noches hierarchy in place, having that many strong hollows around is probably acts agaisnt his instincts. Conflict is bound to break out between such strong hollows in close proximity, territory boundaries would be pushed and tested, and until a natural hierarchy is reinstated, there is a massive power vacuum that other hollows would be vying to fill.

At the end of the Winter War, Grimmjow was grievously injured and fracción-less. The same can not be said for either Hallibel or Nel/liel. It’s not improbably that Grimmjow simply never returned to his territory in Las Noches...

However, I think he would have.

His desire to be the King is innate. It’s not a lust for power or authority but rather a survival instinct that drives him to seek safety in being at the top of the food chain. If he is the strongest then no one else can threaten his existence. To give up his seat at Las Noches is the equivalent of abdicating his claim to the throne. Even battered, defeated, and on the brink of death, his instincts would never allow that concession. 

This forces us to seek an alternative reason for his not being present.

2) He had been present.

If we are to conclude that Grimmjow would not leave Las Noches because of his desire to be King then he must have been there when the Quincy invaded. He clearly seeks to protect Hueco Mundo (though he disguises it as a threat to Kurosaki’s life), because he’s accepted some sort of responsibility over the realm. Though the Espada have been abolished he and Hallibel (Nel is excluded because we have no evidence that she spent any time in her adult form over the time skip) are still the two most powerful individuals in any sort of ‘leadership’ position over Hueco Mundo.

Furthermore, in CFYOW he exhibits no objection to Nelliel’s desire to rescue Hallibel, and in fact, aids in her extraction from the Royal Realm. He shares Nelliel’s goal in rescuing her. The paragraphs below show Grimmjow creating a diversion from the more injured Hallibel so that he can cover their escape back to Hueco Mundo, which he states in as many words “take the dead weight of yours and go back to Hueco Mundo ... You think the Soul Reapers will actually turn a blind eye to us? I’m not going to let them stab us in the back on the way out.” (Thank you @mindinmuken​ for the pages!)

This clearly indicates that Grimmjow and Hallibel have developed some sort of camaraderie or at least a mutual understanding - and he is willing to fight for her.

Therefore, excuses such as ‘he was away hunting’ and ‘he didn’t feel the need to fight’ when the Quincy attacked simply didn’t hold up. If his territory (Hueco Mundo inclusive), and Hallibel (his newest goal) and his throne were under threat, he would fight. He’s never been shown to be the person who backs down from a battle, no matter how suicidal (see Grimmjow vs Ulquiorra & Grimmjow vs Ichigo).

So if he was fighting along side Hallibel during the invasion, and only she was defeated in battle, where was he?

Simple. She told him to go. One of them needed to survive.

The Quincy were not shy about their goal - the total annihilation of the Soul Society AND it’s system. This system is clearly not a great thing for hollows - seeing as it creates them - but it does have some benefits. Death by shinigami permits the souls to re-enter the cycle of reincarnation. Shinigami are regarded as a Hollows natural enemy. But this isn’t true. Where a shinigami purifies a hollow, a quincy annihilates it and all the multitude of souls it contains.

This balance of the worlds was a concept that was introduced very early in Bleach, and just about anyone who’s anyone seems to be aware of it (the narrator in this scene is Rukia). It’s not a stretch to believe that the Arrancar are also aware of this to some extent - either innately or via Aizen - and the Espada in particular are made of a huge amount of souls.

Grimmjow himself states that he’s eaten 3000 hollows - adjuchas - and those hollows would have eaten a vast number of souls too. Even if you keep that number small and say that on average eat 500 other hollows, that still means Grimmjow is comprised of 1.5 Million Souls, and that’s not including all the souls he ate as a gillian and before he became menos, and that’s likely to be low-balling the average gross size of the adjuchas he’s consumed. Hallibel and Nelliel are Vasto Lorde (at least one is canonically) and are likely even larger than he is.

A quincy killing even one Vasto Lorde strength hollow obliterates an enormous number of souls from the balance.

Furthermore, the Arrancar are likely unaware of the animosity between the Quincy and the Shinigami. As far as Hallibel, Grimmjow, and Nelliel know, the Quincy simply aim to destroy the current system then the solution is simple:

Kill Hallibel, Grimmjow, and Nelliel.

If these three and their contained souls were destroyed then there would not be a war to destabilize the realm system. The Quincy would have won before the Shinigami could do anything to oppose them.

This is a sentiment that is shared by Ichibe.

“If we carelessly purify or eradicate you... the balance of the three worlds WOULD collapse.”

That is strong language. Though there is some wiggle room in including ‘as things currently are’, if the Quincy eradicated the three surviving Espada they needed do much more to win the war.

Considering all of this, the moment Hallibel and Grimmjow realized the Quincy’s goal the strategy to their fighting would have changed completely. Nel was fortunately already hidden and protected as a child, however, neither Grimmjow or Hallibel likely know exactly how many souls needed to be destroyed to unbalance the world.

The goal became survival at all costs. Live to fight another day. Do not throw this war away by careless action.

Grimmjow was absent when the Quincy were anihillating the surviving Arrancar because he obeyed for the first and only time, the one order Hallibel has ever given him:

Run.

[midnightactual]

Kurayami’s Perspective

To understand Kurayami, it’s important to understand what a typical zanpakutō even is in the first place. Most of the available evidence in the series revolves around Ichigo, who is obviously unique, but it still gives us some insight into what the average zanpakutō is like.

ZANPAKUTŌ IN GENERAL

Ōetsu has the following exchange with Ichigo in chapter 523:

Ichigo: Oh yeah?! So these guys are the embodiment of asauchi! But... why are we being attacked by them?! Ōetsu: So close!! Ōetsu: Embodiment, huh? Yes, yes, yes. So close, so close. It’s a bit different, but that’ll do for now. But what’s more important... is that they’re angry at you. Ichigo: Angry?! About what?! Ōetsu: The way you two use your zanpakutō. Ichigo: How we use it...?! Ōetsu: You don’t understand? I don’t blame you. How you fight? How you swing it? No, no. Then what? It's something more fundamental! Ōetsu: Have you been using it as a tool? Have you been interacting with it as a subordinate? Have you been relying on it like a partner? As a family member? As a friend? A superior? A junior? Pet? Acquaintance? Lover? Mistress? Ōetsu: GIMME A BREAK!!! Ōetsu: This how they feel about you. This is what I mean by more fundamental.

Just from the way this is being discussed, we can say that zanpakutō are none of the things that Ōetsu lists off. When Ichigo eventually returns in chapter 538, the asauchi he selects takes on his appearance and hairstyle. In chapter 540, when Ōetsu disintegrates the asauchi for forging, it starts with a hole in the heart, like a Hollow. In chapter 541, “THE BLADE AND ME 2″, we get the following:

Ōetsu: Have you figured it out, Go-Ichi? Ōetsu: The reason why this asauchi turned white... the moment it touched you? Ichigo: ... No... Ōetsu: Perhaps you thought to yourself that... it’s just like... the Hollow in you. Ōetsu: That's right. This guy is... the Hollow inside you. I had that asauchi become the catalyst to draw this zanpakutō out. Ōetsu: Do you understand what that means? Ōetsu: This Hollow is... your zanpakutō, Go-Ichi. Ōetsu: The Hollow named White that Aizen created is made from layers of many Soul Reaper souls. Oddly enough... that is also how my asauchi are created. Ōetsu: That Hollow entered your body... and melded with your Soul Reaper powers. It became your zanpakutō. Ichigo: Wait a second... so then... Ōetsu: That’s right. I know you know... Ōetsu: ... About the man who's been... pretending to be a zanpakutō inside your soul!

We go on to learn that “Zangetsu”, the Old Man, is a manifestation of Yhwach, and Ichigo’s Quincy powers. Ōetsu and Ichigo then reforge both Zangetsu in chapter 541, “THE BLADE IS ME”, and Ichigo bids farewell to both, giving the following internal monologue before the title drop:“I won't ask... for your help anymore. I won't tell you to stay out of my way either. Nor will I ask... you guys to fight with me. I... will fight on my own. Thank you. Zangetsu. You are... me.”

All of this is very unequivocal: asauchi are created in the same fashion as artificial Hollows and become zanpakutō upon fusing with Shinigami powers. Once fused in such a fashion, they are their wielder and there is no real distinction between the two. It would seem from the actual Zangetsu’s behavior that he generally represents instinct, impulses, killing intent, and self-preservation instinct, although he is no mere “Id” given his relatively cordial interactions with “Zangetsu” in chapter 112. All of the talk of him being a Hollow and “taking over” Ichigo is just that: talk to motivate Ichigo through fear. (Which is necessary for evolution, remember?) Zangetsu has no real interest or desire in taking over Ichigo any more than Zabimaru wants to take over Renji. He also can’t, since he’s already fused with Ichigo’s Shinigami powers and is Ichigo.

“Tensa Zangetsu” in chapter 409 tells us, “I don’t care. I don’t care what happens to things you want to protect. [...] Make no mistake, Ichigo... What you want to protect... is not what I want to protect!” In chapter 420, White Tensa Zangetsu says, “Tensa Zangetsu is you,” and “What I wanted to protect was... you... Ichigo!” This not only foreshadows what Ōetsu says, but given that both Zangetsu are fused at this time, we can discern that this is the desire of both, to include his “actual” zanpakutō. This reasoning is presumably why Isshin’s Engetsu refused to teach him the Final Getsuga Tenshō in the first place.

(This is not an Ichigo analysis, but it seems evident that Isshin and Ichigo’s Final Getsuga Tenshō would not be the same. The existence of White Tensa Zangetsu suggests that Ichigo’s Quincy, Hollow, and Shinigami powers are acting in unison and that what he uses against Aizen is in actuality likely a combination of what Isshin called the Final Getsuga Tenshō, Letzt Stil, and Segunda Etapa. It is unclear whether what Isshin called Final Getsuga Tenshō is available to all Shinigami, only Shiba, or only himself and Ichigo. By comparison with Letzt Stil and Segunda Etapa, presumably all Shinigami should have something similar as a final mode, but perhaps it’s a Shiba specialty, as it seems unlikely only Isshin would know of such a thing, and if ever there was a time for people who did know to use it, Thousand-Year Blood War was it.)

(This is also not a Tōshirō analysis, and I don’t presume to know what’s up with Hyōrinmaru in chapter -16, let alone The DiamondDust Rebellion if it’s taken as canon, but suffice it to say, based on what Ōetsu says his experience is clearly not typical in any event. Nor is it a Kaname and Kenpachi analysis, as it’s not clear what’s up with taking the zanpakutō off someone else who died. Nor is it an Arrancar analysis, as their zanpakutō seem very different.)

All this still raises several questions, such as ones like: why does an old and experienced Shinigami like Shunsui treat Katen Kyōkotsu in chapter 649 in exactly the sorts of ways that Ōetsu mocks over a hundred chapters earlier? That’s unclear. It could be that what Ōetsu reveals isn’t widely known, and that Shinigami are allowed to labor under false impressions of what their zanpakutō actually are for some reason (such as to limit their strength). Or maybe Shunsui just finds it entertaining despite knowing the truth.

Anyway, to recap, in general:

asauchi are created in the same fashion as artificial Hollows, and effectively are themselves weaponized Hollows (which fits well with the zanpakutō which Hikone used, Ikomikidomoe, which was made from a primordial Hollow)

the asauchi facilitate drawing out the “instincts” of their wielder into a manifestation which is similar to but distinct from Hollowfication, creating a zanpakutō and its attendant spirit (or at least manifesting this spirit if it existed a priori) while leaving the wielder seemingly unaltered

zanpakutō spirits are their wielder at base, and a zanpakutō is an extension of its wielder

zanpakutō view the protection of their wielder as an overriding priority

KURAYAMI IN PARTICULAR

Accordingly, it should be understood that Kurayami, like most zanpakutō spirits, is a reflection of Yoruichi’s base impulses and desires. Unlike most Shinigami, by virtue of her high office and family pedigree, Yoruichi knows this. She was thus increasingly horrified by what she saw as a result, and internally continued to otherize Kurayami...

... But she probably missed some things in the process, because she was too close to see them clearly for what they truly were.

Kurayami is a hardliner. Her attitude toward Yoruichi is similar to Zangetsu’s attitude toward Ichigo. As discussed, Zangetsu postures in the fashion he does to try and compel Ichigo to take steps that are necessary, but which Ichigo refuses to take. The ultimate examples of this are Zangetsu taking control of Ichigo’s body in an attempt to take down Byakuya, and likewise fatally wounding Ulquiorra. Kurayami’s constant admonitions of Yoruichi, advocacy of first strikes, and appeals to violence are her version of the same idea, as Yoruichi’s preferences for socializing, toying with her opponents, and avoiding killing might get her killed instead one day. (See also: Askin.) She always pushes for the maximal use of force, for overkill, because as Ripley says in Aliens: “I say we take off and nuke the entire site from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.”

Kurayami only cares for Yoruichi’s continued existence. Despite being perfectly aware of Yoruichi’s guilt regarding what occurred during her time in the Onmitsukidō and Gotei 13, Kurayami would happily kill a million, a billion, or a trillion people if it meant that Yoruichi continued to live. The lives of others aren’t meaningless, but they simply do not matter to her in comparison. It’s not exactly that she only views Yoruichi’s compassion, empathy, and sympathy as weaknesses, as they can be tactically advantageous, but she believes Yoruichi is too committed to them even when it imperils her.

Kurayami largely disdains others. Being Yoruichi herself, knowing everything she knows, Kurayami can reflect upon Yoruichi’s life and judge it from a somewhat different point of view than Yoruichi herself. What she finds isn’t great. Kurayami’s perspective is that others have used and abused Yoruichi, either blatantly to get what they wanted, or subtly through needing her. Her position is thus that almost everyone else can fuck off and die. “Leave Yoruichi alone,” and “You all don’t deserve her,” are fairly apt summations of her point of view. While this hostility isn’t (usually) actively violent or lethal, she is unlikely to treat most of those Yoruichi knows in any fashion other than condescendingly.

To summarize: Kurayami is actually Yoruichi’s biggest advocate and booster, just in her own way. She’s hard on and critical of Yoruichi because Yoruichi has been trained to be predisposed to learning best from that kind of input, and because Kurayami cares enough to settle for always being cast as a villain if it means Yoruichi goes on and succeeds. She believes that almost no one is worthy of Yoruichi’s time and attention, let alone her blood, sweat, and tears. And finally, she has an infinitely negative amount of compassion for anyone who would oppose Yoruichi, regardless of any and all reasons involved in any dispute or conflict.

She loves Yoruichi (and how can she not, since they’re one in the same?) and would gladly turn the universe to ash for her to keep her going even one more day. Lobbying for murderous rampages is in effect a posture she adopts to make a point rather than a desire she lusts for. She’s never actually at risk of losing control or going berserk—it’s always only ever about doing what needs to be done with minimal risk.

[recurring-polynya]

What are your thoughts on Bazz-B? He and Renji seemed to have developed a good rapport and I feel that they would’ve been good frenemies had be survived. I can imagine them exchanging fashion tips which would have interesting results!

I imagine that in another universe, they could have been friends, but I feel like the fact that Bazz grievously injured/ambiguously killed one of Renji’s best friends would put a big damper on that.

I really, really, really do not like the Sternritters. I don’t even like them as villains. Out of them, Bazz is probably the least objectionable, but I still don’t like him.

Here are a few thoughts on why, but I’m gonna put them under a cut, because that’s my policy when I say critical things about characters. If you like the Sternritters, I’m glad for you and please feel free to skip the rest of this post!

One of the major themes of Bleach has always been about moral ambiguity, that people are rarely pure heroes or villains. In the earliest episodes, Rukia warns Ichigo to kill Hollows from behind, to never try to glimpse the person they once were, advice that Ichigo roundly rejects as he’s constant turns enemies into friends/allies. This works really well at the beginning of the series and... less well each time we got through this.

My understanding is that Kubo’s original plan for Bleach ended after the Soul Society Arc, and that makes sense to me, because it seems so well plotted out to me, and then the subsequent arcs just seems to try to be recapturing the magic. The thing that is coolest to me about this arc is that the shinigami characters have real depth, and that our initial impressions of them are insufficient. The Gotei is going through an existential crisis, where an injustice (Rukia’s execution) is being prosecuted, and in addition, Aizen has laid a groundwork of mistrust and misinformation. You have characters like Renji, Kira, and Hinamori, who are torn between their orders and deep personal feelings. You have bystanders like Hisagi and Komamura, who don’t really have skin in the game, but feel a sense of unease about the way things are going. You have characters who seem sympathetic-- when Aizen comforts Hinamori that Renji won’t be fired, and the fact that Tousen seems to be someone who would be on the side of justice if only he had the full story, that turn out to be disingenuous. Then you have characters like Kenpachi, who, at least in the second half of the arc, is on Ichigo’s side, but not really for any noble reason, just because he likes Ichigo and also he wants an excuse to fight other captains. There’s Kurotsuchi, who is nominally on the side of the good guys, but is not, in fact, a good person. By the end of the arc, I feel like Kubo has done a really good job of presenting a diverse group of people who live in a flawed system and who were played by someone who took advantage of that. I have no objection at all to the idea that Ichigo considers many of the shinigami his friends afterward, including a very strong friendship with Renji, who is presented as a villain initially.

The Arrancar arc, is more of a mixed bag for me. I still think it mostly works. Arrancar are not humans. They follow Aizen, but in some ways, they are also his victims-- post-Arc, I don’t find myself begrudging any of the surviving Espada for having gone along with him. They are Hollows, and they come from a life of violence and anger and brutality. They have risen above that, which means different things to the various Espada. Harribel, Starkk and Nel are all sympathetic, even tragic characters. Nnoitra and Szyalapollo are monstrous, but in the way that terrible humans are monstrous. Grimmjow is an interesting character, because he falls somewhere in the middle.

I read a fair amount of GrimmIchi fic, because a) it often features Renruki as a side ship and b) there are a lot of really, really talented GrimmIchi writers, but I do not love the ship for it’s own sake, and it’s mainly for one reason: Grimmjow purposely hurt Ichigo’s friends in front of him, and I do not think that’s a thing Ichigo would take lightly. Now, one of the things that make GrimmIchi writers so good is that they are often willing to do the heavy lifting of examining Grimmjow’s brutality, and way Ichigo views the Hollow within himself (for some people, this is even one of the attractions of the pairing). We get a lot of canon scenes with Grimmjow in various situations-- when he backtalks Aizen, when he “rescues” Orihime from Loly and Menoly, when he tries to get her to heal Ichigo just so he can fight him again, when we see him willing to fight his fellow Espada. He’s a meaty character and there’s a lot to dig into. I would still, someday, like to see Ichigo say, “Hey Grimmjow, y’know, you badly hurt my friend Rukia and it messed me up a bunch and I am having trouble getting over it,” and for Grimmjow to have to deal with that. (Polynya, you say, didn’t Rukia kill one of Grimmjow’s Fraccion like 5 minutes earlier? Yes, she did, and whether Grimmjow would respond with “yeah, well, Rukia killed my friend and it hurt my feelings too!” vs. “yeah, well, Rukia killed my friend and you don’t see me crying about it!” are both really interesting ways you could take this)

ANYWAY, getting back to the Quincy. From our earliest introduction to Uryuu in the series, we know that Quincy ought to have a legitimate beef with Soul Society. For starters, there is their underlying philosophical difference: Quincy don’t think that the shinigami do enough to protect the Living World, and they have taken matters into their own hands. They want to see Hollows annihilated, rather than purified. Then, on top of that, the shinigami eradicated their people, and treated them like lab rats. You could spin a lot of gold out of this, but instead, we got the Thousand Year Blood War Arc.

The Quincy are, basically humans with powers, and yet they are extremely bloodthirsty and cruel. We see Bambietta killing people to blow off steam, they take glee in killing lesser opponents (both Hollow and shinigami), As Nodt tortures Byakuya rather than just killing him cleanly, Giselle takes over Bambietta’s body in a horrifying way. Yhwach chastises Yamamoto for having “gone soft”, and says “you used to be cooler when you were a murderer.” The Vandenreich isn’t about justice or improving the system, it’s just about revenge and power and proving racial superiority. Are y’all ready for the hottest take I have ever had? Here it is: The Bount Arc, which is bad and should feel bad, provided a more well-characterized and relatable set of villains than the Thousand Year Blood War Arc.

I mentioned earlier that out of all the Sternritter, Bazz is the best of a bad lot. He gets some good flashbacks and his story evokes both Renji and Rukia’s childhood relationship as well as Gin and Rangiku’s. He's shown hating Yhwach in his youth, but then it’s never really followed up on. Nothing about this works to make me like Bazz, though, it just makes me feel like Yhwach is terrible, a person who ruins lives in both big and small ways.

I honestly hate the scenes where Bazz and Renji banter. Up until this point of the story arc, we have been slammed over and over with how much worse the Quincy are than previous villains. They cause massive destruction, they maim and kill beloved characters. Then, halfway through the arc, Kubo suddenly tries to start walking this back. Byakuya and Kenpachi were supposed to never fight again, but, uhhhh, Byakuya got healed in the Royal Realm and Kenpachi... got better? Look, we fixed Kira! Mayuri brings everyone back as zombies, that’s cool? Let’s have some banter, ha ha, the Quincy are fun! I don’t want to blame Kubo on this because he wasn’t feeling well and also, all of this smacks of editorial pressure, but it doesn’t sit well with me. It seems out of character to me for Renji to joke with someone who has hurt his friends and destroyed his home, and I sometimes justify it in my mind by saying that Renji probably doesn’t know that Bazz was the one who hurt Kira, but in some ways that makes things worse.

To be honest, a much better way to humanize the Quincy would have been to do so through Uryuu. One of the huge flaws of this arc is that there is so little focus on him, the character who ought to tie all this together. Uryuu has been harping for years that shinigami are his enemy and that he’s proud of his heritage. This is literally exactly what he has always says he wanted, and the fact that I, the reader, never believed for a microsecond that his loyalties were divided speaks to how awful the Quincy must be. How did Yhwach first approach Uryuu? It would have been cool to be introduced to the Vandenreich via the narrative device of Uryuu’s introduction. Was anyone nice to him? Do the Quincy have any redeeming value? What if there had been a scene where Bazz-B is goofing around, maybe training with someone, and Uryuu says to himself, “He reminds me of Renji and I hate all of the feelings that are currently in my body”? That would make a cool fanfic, actually, and anyone who wants can have that idea because I will never, ever write fanfic about the Sternritter.

Finally, on a note about fashion, the Sternritter uniforms (along with all their other symbolism) skirts way too close to “Nazi” for my tastes, and one more thing I hate about them is that they have retroactively ruined Uryuu’s aesthetic for me.

[unohanadaydreams]

We know that Aizen taught calligraphy and Kira taught haiku at the academy at one point or another, so what other classes do you think there are? All Kubo mentioned was that there are 6 years, but what kinda progression plan would that be? There has to be more electives. I can't imagine hakuda, hoho, zanjutsu and kido manage to fill all 6 years full-time.

To be as far from in-depth or thoughtful as possible, I think the academy students probably pull a lot missions along with their classes.

With the way the Soul Society is arranged, there’s VASTLY more souls in the Rukongais and the nobles have a vice fucking grip on the upper workings of the Seireitei, so I think they get rid of a lot of Rukongai students in the academy. Because they’re not going to make a fair playing field; the majority of jobs are going to nobles and noble adjacents unless you’re GOOD.

If you’re not a noble with tutoring before hand or someone with proficiency that is destined for promotion, your time at the academy is probably a way to get rid of you.

I mean, look at how underlings IN the Gotei 13 are treated by captains like Mayuri. And captains treating underlings unfairly is common place, because Kubo goes out of his way to state that Aizen treats HIS fairly.

This is further driven home by the fact that Aizen’s calligraphy class is SO popular that students are in the fucking hallway to attend. Imagine how garbage an experience school probably is in this academy if Aizen treating students with basic dignity and respect is all it takes to get a packed class.

We know students go on missions because of Momo and the gang. Although we can surmise that THEY were attacked by hollows because of whatever Aizen was cooking up, I think it’s fair to say that plenty of students die to hollows.

I don’t think they ever state when in Momo’s schooling that happened, but I know they were supposed to be fighting replicas which makes me think early on. Probably fair to say students in the later years are applying their knowledge in field missions a fair bit in an attempt to weed out those Rukongai students who couldn’t work hard enough to fill the gap between their experience and the nobles.

Also, when Orihime and Uryu get lost, it’s immediately noticed. Part of this is Mayuri’s scheming, sure. But it me think students are REALLY trained on how the Gotei 13 works before they even get promoted to be shinigami.

Mostly because Kenpachi is the only character who gets routinely lost in the Seireitei and while some of it might not be genuine, I think it helps showcase that he didn’t come up through the academy.

The way Kidō corps chooses its member is lost on me considering some of the shinigami we know like Nanao and Momo are fucking BALLER at it but they were passed over. I guess Nanao has a valid excuse because Shunsui’s pull to keep her close was probably strong. But Momo had no ties outside of her desire to be near Aizen.

I’m guessing some of it might be personality based. The two members we know of are very calm, rational, and supportive of the groups they find themselves in. Momo having such an extreme allegiance to Aizen might have counted her out? (Sadder take: Aizen vouched for her to join the Gotei 13)

But yeah, I think they fill PLENTY of time doing missions. Applying their knowledge in the field with replicas and then real hollows as well as training up on the way their destined corps operate. Realistically, I think they probably know half way through where they’re going; it would be SUPER unrealistic to just...try to be as well rounded as possible for 6 years and hope for the best. It would be like training 6 years in college trying to be the best at everything but not wanting to focus on one thing TOO much because you have no idea where you’re going.

I think the less likely you are to succeed, the less training/teaching you get and more missions you do as a student. People with great power get fast tracked and seem to just go through schooling as a formality (think Hitsugaya).

I also think plenty of students are interning. If you’re trying to get into research & development, what’s the point of training to fight for 6 years? If you’re gonna work on the Seireitei Bulletin as your main job, probably need to learn the ropes before you get hired. Medical interns are probably very integral to the 4th. And the Kidō corps is so secretive; they’re picking people and throwing them in to swim or drown imo.

I also think this may be where students get picked off, other than missions. If you aren’t cut out for Kidō corps but you’ve already spent a year there and know more than the average shinigami? Well. Can’t have that. And I’m sure Mayuri just kills whoever the fuck he wants.

Since we have a corps focused on assassinations, I wonder if this is a large pool of them? Students who go back to the Rukongai as failures know enough to fuck with the way of things. I’m sceptical that many live tbh. In Bleach, it seems like you become a shinigami or you’ve never tried. The lack of flunkies seems telling. Also nobles seem fit to be thrown to the maggots nest as well. Why sully your good family name on a failed student or a dead one when you can just pretend they don’t exist! Erase them from history by throwing them in prison or the maggots nest and cutting them out of the family photos.

So in short, I think they are going on missions, interning, or getting thrown in the rats nest/killed off for technicalities. The usual school experience.

For funsies, I think it would be cool if they also had shinigami hippies who lobby for zanpakuto spirit rights. They’re sentient and have their own souls and like, aren’t your property, man. They too get got, but they fight valiantly in the mean time.

Also, Naruto-esque stadium fights. They’re mostly rigged if there’s a spawn of a great noble house competing but it’s a good time unless your opponent is a blood thirsty dick who fights to kill. They’d have specific areas of fight (Kidō, zanpakuto, hakuda, etc). Maybe some competitions for healing done on the wounded from the fighting comps. Mock trials. Sign up to take part in a fake assassination attempt where your life is not guaranteed and you must sign a waiver because the line between lethal and non lethal for poison can be hard and the students are still learning. Basically an annual thing that the humans are like ‘hahaha what the fuck’ when they find out about it.

And there’s probably a portion of shinigami that get trained to work in the human world specifically. That means classes on taxes, probably. And warning against the evils of human propaganda like intrinsic equality.

[rinusagitora]

Another empty seat in the city of ghosts.

Fandom: BLEACH

Characters: Toushirou Hitsugaya, Momo Hinamori, Kisuke Urahara, Tessai Tsukabishi, Ururu Tsumugiya, Jinta Hanakari, Yuzu Kurosaki, Ichigo Kurosaki, Karin Kurosaki

Pairings: HitsuKarin, others not mentioned

Words: 1.6k

Summary: Shinigami!Karin AU. Chapter 1/8. WARNINGS- mentions of suicide, dysfunctional families;  Karin has taken her life. What follows is a maelstrom of emotion.

AO3

It was hard to believe that, only days ago, Karin took her own life.

Toushirou saw it coming from miles and miles away. He was the one who cleaned up her cut wrists. Hurried over when she was suffering. But it wasn't enough.

Ultimately, Karin got what she wanted: a chance to be a shinigami.

Toushirou and Momo were being processed by the gate guardians. Following Aizen's desertion, they'd tightened up gateways to other dimensions. Now, captains and lieutenants were unable to travel without permission, unless they wanted to receive potentially fatal electrocution from the sigils staining their skins.

But they passed through later. Upstairs, Kisuke Urahara was showing them their gigai.

"Hinamori-fukutaichou, I'm afraid this is vastly different from your last gigai. Since your stay is short-term, it's more or less a... silhouette. Only purposes being harboring your soul, and suppressing your powers. Since it's a ceremony with so many powered folks packed together, we're trying this to avoid hollow attacks."

"Aye," Momo replied, nodding.

"Yours is similar, Hitsugaya."

Toushirou frowned. "It's Hitsugaya-taichou," he corrected Kisuke. Kisuke merely chuckled. He probably blamed Toushirou for Karin's suicide as well. Like he'd talk her into something so traumatic. Asshole.

"Yes... yours is similar, of course, except for... well, deadened nerves. Kurosaki Yuzu is livid."

"Fuck me..." he grumbled.

"I'd rather not, but I'd be prepared for a slap or two. Hopefully, she leaves the nether region alone, but if not, it is equally as dead."

"Thanks for the heads up," Toushirou said. "Where is Karin?"

"The temple, with Kurosaki Ichigo. He's kept a tight leash on her since the... the..." Kisuke couldn't finish. He looked like he was about to cry.

"Thank you," Toushirou said. As much as he hated Kisuke, Toushirou knew Kisuke was fond of Karin, perhaps as fond as his children were.

"Well, I will see you two there... I have to get ready for the memorial service."

"Thank you, Urahara-san. Take care."

He and Momo stepped into their gigai, prepped with black kimono, although Momo's hem and sleeves were adorned with flowers. Lilies and marigolds. How appropriate.

"You remembered the envelope?"

"Of course," Momo replied, straightening her collar. "The car is waiting. Shall we?"

"Aye."

On the drive over, Momo lit her pipe. Toushirou was never particularly fond of tobacco, or how his sister's habit ruined her skin, but given what was to come, he could sure use a puff. Or a drink.

Maybe he should've brought Rangiku... She didn't cope much better during funerals, but she, at least, would have something that she was willing to share to take off the edge. Very much unlike Momo. The only thing she ever really shared with him was conversation. Practically force-fed him, refrained from sharing the shit he cared about.

They came to a stop before the temple. Many were filing in. Toushirou recognized a few. Uryuu arrived just before them, Hiyori loitered in the doorway. Many he didn't recognize.

Jinta and Ururu were there with their other father Tessai. They bowed in unison.

"Yuzu is livid," Ururu said.

"So Urahara told us."

"I stand by her."

Tessai knocked Ururu upside her head. "Enough, honey," he warned, then turned to Toushirou and Momo. "Thank you for coming. Karin-chan will be pleased."

"I imagine," Momo replied, still smoking. "What should we expect from Kurosaki Ichigo?"

"We're keeping him in line if Yuzu doesn't," Jinta replied. "He agreed to keep the peace when Tou-tou and he talked."

"And the Kurosaki girl?" Momo asked.

"Yuzu?"

"Nay, the one we're here for."

Ururu looked inside. "She's... not crying. I think she's distancing herself from this ordeal."

"Perhaps it's for the better."

Tessai said, "Hand-off will occur before cremation. Kurosaki Isshin only agreed to allow us in for the service since Karin asked, but the burial is for family and Kurosaki Ichigo's close friends only."

"I see Kuchiki-fukutaichou as well."

"She won't be causing trouble. She's here as a family friend."

Toushirou and Momo bowed again. "Many thanks," Toushirou said. "We'll head in."

Rukia was the first to spot them. She strode over. "Neither of you are welcome. Please leave before Yuzu sees you."

"The deceased requested us, and the patriarch has permitted us entry," he replied. Everyone was so fucking hostile...

"No matter. Do you want to start shit?" she hissed.

Momo said, "We haven't started anything, Kuchiki-fukutaichou. Besides... do you think it wise to start shit here? Our powers are merely dampened, but I know for a fact there are enough of us gathered here to alert trouble if contention brews."

Before Rukia could reply, Yuzu stormed over. Rukia quickly escaped.

"What the fuck are you doing here?"

"Your father said we were welcomed to the ceremony," he said.

She jabbed a finger against his chest. "You may as well have murdered my sister! I don't want you here!"

Toushirou sighed. "And I do?"

"And who is this skank?" Yuzu hissed, jerking her chin to Momo.

"My sister." Toushirou frowned. "Don't treat her like my mistress."

Momo encased Yuzu's hands. "We are here to grieve just as ye. I understand how difficult this is. My husband passed during a tumultuous time... We hadn't time to bury him, either."

Toushirou almost rolled his eyes. Momo learned how to lie from the best. But it worked. Yuzu relaxed.

"I'm sorry. It's been... it's been a long couple of days."

"There's nothing to apologize for, Kurosaki-san." Momo bowed. "If you need anything, please let me know. I haven't service at home, but Urahara-san can reach me if needed."

"Thank you."

"May we take a seat?"

"In the back, please. The front rows are taken."

"Aye. Thank you again, Kurosaki-san."

Momo and Toushirou took a seat. Because of their gigai suppressing their powers, Toushirou was unable to see Karin, although knew she was there. There were too many people of strong reiatsu concentrated in the temple. It risked a hollow attack. The dampening was meant as a security measure.

The Seireitei owed Ichigo too much to go against a small favor, however cruel it was to Karin.

"I can see why Kurosaki-san is so upset," Momo said.

"Karin was in pain," he insisted.

"I'm in no position to judge her," Momo reminded Toushirou. "But look at the Kurosaki family... Stiff as boards. The little one is the only one weeping, and neither of them is consoling her."

"They're... dysfunctional. I'm sure she refused it."

"For good reason?"

"Aye. They... nay, we all, have lied to her for years. I'm sure she harbors conflicting feelings."

Momo hummed. "Aye."

Toushirou took a good look at the altar, surrounded by white lilies. He frowned. White was never Karin's color. Blacks, reds... Hydrangeas or marigolds would've been more appropriate.

But she was beautiful in her photo. Smiling, youthful. It made him mad too. She was happy with him. With Jinta and Ururu, not some sad, doctored school photo.

Thankfully, Momo didn't seem to pick up on his internal tantrum, merely smoked.

The time came for the service. A priest stepped up and uttered a sutra. Toushirou admittedly zoned out during it. None of it concerned them. What did was Karin. She was in there, but he was unable to console her, take her to her new home, to ease her pain... It was bullshit. Complete bullshit.

Once the service came to an end, Toushirou and Momo quickly escaped, joining Kisuke outside.

"I don't have much time... I'm going to the cremation as well," he said.

They wordlessly stepped out of their gigai. They were tucked into the back of a van and covered with a shimmery sheet that made them completely vanish. Momo and he bowed.

"Best of, Urahara-san."

"Kurosaki will meet you by the aqueduct under an overpass. It's in the center of town," he explained. "Anticipate some... some shit from him too. He's very upset."

"Thanks."

With that as their goodbye, they sped off to the heart of Karakura. Toushirou saw Ichigo's hair from the sky, and they sunk to the ground.

The second Toushirou saw Ichigo, he wanted to strangle him. It felt like they were sizing each other up. Toushirou was sure to lose an arm, but it would've been satisfying clocking him.

Karin was sitting on a bench. There was still a generous amount of chain leftover, thankfully. Toushirou just hoped she hadn't experienced the chain consuming itself... the immense pain.

Toushirou couldn't bring himself to bow to Ichigo, but Momo did. "Thank you for allowing us into your sister's service, Kurosaki-sama."

"It wasn't my choice."

"Nonetheless," Momo said, smiling. "I'd like this to be done in an as expeditious manner as possible."

Karin hopped to her feet. Toushirou instantly wanted to sweep her off her feet and carry her like his bride into the other world, away from that mess. That nightmare. "Let's go," she said.

"Hang on." Ichigo stopped her with his arm out shooting. His eyes bore into Toushirou's, and he glared back. "I want him to admit his fault in this."

"Jesus Christ!" Karin shrieked. "I killed myself because there's nothing for me here! Toushirou had nothing to fucking do with it."

"Bullshit! He had to have said something."

"It's your fault I killed myself, alright? It's all your fault! I got tired of getting steamrolled and gaslit by you so I killed myself to get the hell away from you!" Karin ducked his arm and ran over to Toushirou. He happily accepted her embrace. "I'm going to the Seireitei. I'm becoming a shinigami... It's the only way I'll be happy. Fulfilled."

Ichigo looked hurt. Crying. Toushirou turned away, opening the senkaimon into the other side.

He had no idea what awaited them in the future. He hoped, at least, Karin's suffering eased.

[darisu-chan]

whatever our souls are made of (his and mine are the same), pt. 21

Hi!

Welcome back!

Hope you guys like this one-shot too.

You can also read it here.

See ya!

i’ll be there to hold you in the dark

Prompt: supernatural

 Summary: Ichigo and Rukia watch a horror movie. What could go wrong?

There are many things that Rukia adores about the human world.

 From juice boxes to video games to, very recently, social media.

 And Ichigo enjoys showing her every single one of them.

 He particularly delights in watching her face light up each time she discovers something new.

 But, of course, there are some human things that Rukia likes more than others.

 Movies are one of them.

 With Yuzu she has watched several animated and romantic movies.

 He and Karin tend to prefer action films or comedies, and Rukia sits and watches them too.

 They have tried to watch several genres.

 Even dramas and tear jerkers.

 But there is one genre that they haven’t explored yet.

 Horror films.

 And it is not that Ichigo dislikes them.

 He just doesn’t care for them.

 Honestly, when you’ve been able to see spirits from a young age and when you’ve fought several battles against Hollows, Quincy and other Shinigami, they just aren’t very scary.

 He never would have thought Rukia would enjoy them anyway.

 After all, as a spirit herself, she’d probably find them unrealistic or insulting even.

 So, he’s never showed them to her.

 That is, until now.

 It is a Saturday and it is sunny outside.

 They’ve been out all day.

 First they strolled in the park, then they ate burgers in the mall.

 Somehow they ended up in front of the cinema.

 “Ichigo! Let’s watch a movie!” She says as she scans the posters for the current films.

 Ichigo chuckles and nods to her.

 “Sure. Choose one.”

 It’s not like they’ve got any plans and watching a movie does sound nice.

 Besides, there are a couple of good ones out there.

 An action movie, a drama based on a book Ichigo’s read, an animated film that seems interesting.

 Hell, he’d even watch the newest rom com if Rukia wanted.

 However, she doesn’t choose any of these options.

 Instead, she stands directly in front of a black and white poster and grins at it.

 “That’s it! I wanna watch this one, Ichigo!”

 His gaze moves over to the poster in question and he actively gapes at it.

 There is a woman ─ or at least he assumes that’s a woman ─ with long, black hair, dark eyes, inhumanly pale skin, an open mouth and her hand reaching out.

 The rest of the poster is black with red letters announcing the film.

 It is definitely a poster for a horror film.

 He believes it is that movie people have been hyping all summer.

 The one that has made grown men leave the theater crying.

 And that’s the one Rukia had chosen.

 “Sure you wanna watch that?”

 He asks her, just in case.

 “Of course! It looks fun!”

 Her answer comes off as strange until Ichigo remembers Rukia is an avid horror manga reader.

 Remembering her taste in books, the film is right up her alley.

 Because, instead of finding them frightening, she finds this genre funny for some reason.

 “Alright, but you better not grab me in the scary scenes.”

 He jests as Rukia rolls her eyes.

 “Please. As if I’d get scared over something like that.”

  So, that’s the end of the discussion.

 Two tickets, one large popcorn box and two large sodas later, they are sitting down on their respective seats, waiting for the movie to start.

 Rukia is positively excited.

 She can’t stay still as she waits in anticipation.

 Ichigo is much calmer.

 Although he has no interest in the film, he enjoys observing Rukia.

 Seeing her so happy makes him happy in return.

 So he relaxes and prepares himself for two and a half hours of comedy.

 Rukia follows suit and, as the lights go down, she positively beams.

 The movie starts with the death of a woman and her child and then the suicide of the husband.

 It is grotesque.

 And it is as cliché as Ichigo expected it to be.

 There’s a curse, an abandoned house, two spirits, and lots of killing.

 The gore is not excessive and the jump scares are fine, he supposes.

 It’s not groundbreaking or anything, though.

 He doesn’t scream or jump, although the rest of the audience certainly does.

 What it is really surprising is that Rukia is one of the ones to scream.

 At one point, she grabs his arm and starts digging her nails into his flesh hard.

 He would have teased her about it if it hadn’t been for the fact she was clearly scared.

 And, that is something he has never seen.

 Rukia.

 Frightened.

 Well, that is not true.

 He has seen her scared before.

 But only in life or death situations, when it was possible one of them wouldn’t make it.

 Furthermore, he had seen her scared for him.

 For his life.

 But never like this.

 Who would have known a dumb horror movie would make her react like this?

 And, maybe he can understand.

 The actress portraying the main ghost makes a good job seeming unnerving.

 She crawls and moves around unnaturally.

 Then each time she opens her mouth, a terrible guttural sound can be heard.

 All in all the film is eerie and it is dark inside the cinema.

 So he can understand why Rukia’s so scared.

 What he doesn’t anticipate is that, after the movie is over, she is still frightened.

 As they walk home, the sun starts to set.

 The darker it gets, the jumpier Rukia becomes.

 She grabs his arm and looks at every corner or at bushes, trees, or anything that could remotely conceal something.

 It would’ve been sort of funny to see a ghost frightened of seeing another ghost, but she is trembling.

 It’s clear the film had an impression on her.

 And not a great one.

 Yet, Ichigo figures that once they get home, she’s going to forget about it.

 And for some time it seems like she does.

 She has dinner with the family like normal.

 She and the twins talk about several topics, with Ichigo and his father chiming in every now and then.

 She makes fun of him as they tidy up the kitchen together.

 And Rukia even has the time to read one of her manga before going to bed.

 He figures she’s over the movie.

 There is no reason for her to be scared anymore.

 And so Ichigo goes to sleep without thinking too much about it.

 Until Rukia wakes him up in the middle of the night.

 Like around 3 am, she throws his door open and practically sprints towards his bed after closing the door.

 She’s trembling and, are those tears in her eyes?!

 “Rukia! What’s wrong?” He asks her once he takes a good look at her. “Are you sick?”

 She hurriedly shakes her head as she holds herself.

 “Nightmare.”

 Oh.

 Well that explains it all.

 “Because of the movie?”

 He questions and when she nods, he just sighs.

 “Come here. I’ll keep you save from ghosts.”

 He jokes as he scoots over so she can get in bed with him.

 “Not funny.”

 Rukia sniffs before looking around his room.

 “I want to sleep close to the wall. The closet’s scary. Something could jump out of there.”

 Ichigo is dying to reply that the only spirit that has ever come out of that closet is Rukia herself, but he bites his tongue.

 Now is not the time for that.

 He stands up and lets her crawl in bed until her back hits the wall.

 Then he follows suit.

 She scoots over towards him and presses her face on his chest.

 Like a reflex, he holds her tight.

 He looks up at the ceiling waiting for her to stop trembling.

 And it suddenly dawns on him that they are cuddling.

 That Rukia is in his bed with him.

 At night.

 In a cramped space.

 And they are cuddling.

 He blushes.

 It figures that the first time Rukia is this close to him would be because she’s scared and not for any other, far more agreeable reasons.

 That’s just his luck.

 So he pushes any weird thoughts out of his mind and focuses on the girl in his arms.

 She hasn’t stopped trembling.

 Not yet.

 “Are you that scared, Rukia?”

 Ichigo has to ask her.

 She simply nods with her face still pressed on his shirt.

 He turns her over.

 “Look at me.”

 He commands.

 And when Rukia turns, there are still tears in her eyes.

 It is such a pitiful sight.

 A lieutenant of the Gotei 13 had been reduced to tears because of a dumb movie.

 Ichigo needs to fix this.

 “Hey, don’t worry. I’m right here and I’ll protect you of anything, okay? So don’t be afraid anymore.”

 Rukia gives him a teary smile.

 “Okay.”

 And she closes her eyes, finally relaxing.

 He smiles and buries his head on her hair.

 Tomorrow she will probably deny any of this.

 She might even give him hell for his cheesy lines.

 But it doesn’t matter.

 Because as of right now, he’s going to hold her and keep it close for as long as she needs.

 (Also, after this incident, horror movies will be banned from the household)

[littleeyesofpallas]

Let’s talk about the Shunshunrikka Orihime’s power for a sec... (going over the 6 individual spirits makes this too long, so I’ve excised that bit and put it into its own post for later...)

『三天結盾』!! 『盾の外』の拒絶

"Satenkesshun: 3-Heaven Binding-Shield"!!

"Outside the Shield" rejection

キミと敵と���間に「盾」を張りキミに与えられる「攻撃」を「拒絶」する

A 'Shield' will be placed between YOU and the enemy given to YOU to 'Reject' the 'Attack' that you are given.

This is just Orihime’s basic defensive combat shield.  All Orihime’s shields actually function on the same basic power, but in different directions.  This one rejects what is “Outside,” preventing it from coming “Inside.”  The strength of the shield is contingent on Orihime’s willpower, and implicitly on her understanding of her own powers and the target.  We learn a little later, in relation to a different shield power, that her powers “Reject” the abstract concept of specific events, (we’ll into that in a bit...) but this form of her shield is the one most similar to Hacchi’s Visored barrier, but where as Orihime with her primitive grasp of her own powers has her trying to physically block attacks, Hacchi’s barrier works by rejecting intentions.

ネコが... あんな広いところを まっすぐ 地面のフチみたいに歩いてる... 鳥も他の生きものもみんな近付かない... 近付かないだこの結界があるから

The cat... That vast space right in front of me. Walking like it's the edge of the earth's surface... Birds too, other living things, everyone won't come near.  It can't get close because this barrier exists

この結界が意識の中からこの建物と空間の存在自体を完全に消し去ってるからここに建物があること自体認識できない... ここに近付こうとする考え自体が思い浮かばないんだ...

Because this barrier completely erases the existence of this building and space from my consciousness, I cannot recognize that there is a building here... The idea itself of trying to get near here, I can't remember...

こんなに強い結界なのに...  あたしの盾舜六花の盾と少し似てる

Even though it's such a strong barrier... My shield, Shun Shun Rikka and it are a little similar

恐らくはその能力を持っているが故に彼女だけだが結界に覆われたこの場所を探知し...

Probably because she has that ability, only she can detect this place covered by barriers...

ウタシ結界をすり抜けて侵入できたのでショウ...  人・間・の・ま・ま・で・そんな能力を持っているなんて ...少し信じ難い話デスけどネ

To be able to slip through my barrier and invade, I wonder...  A.Hu.Man.As.It.Is, possessing such an ability ...it's a little hard to believe

This comment about Orihime’s powers being highly unusual for a human will come back up again in a bit...

==============================================

『双天帰盾』! 『盾の内』の拒絶

"Soutenkishun: Pair Heaven-Returning-Shield"!

"Inside the Shield" rejection

盾を張った内側という限定空間内『破壊』を『拒絶』するつまり 盾で覆った対象を破壊を受ける前の状態に戻すことができるんだ

We "Reject" the "Destruction" within the limited space inside the shield.  You can restore the shielded target to the condition before it was destroyed

This is Orihime’s basic “healing” ability, and it rejects events that have taken place “Inside” the shield.  As is specified later by Aizen, she doesn’t actually “heal” injuries, she undoes the event in which the damage was inflicted.  Her powers are first really elaborated on in the Arrancar arc when Aizen expounds on her powers because of his own interest in their usefulness

LUPPI: あいつの腕は東仙統括官に灰にされた! 消えたものをどうやって治すってんだ!! 神じゃあるまいし!!

His arm, Supervising Officer Tousen made it ash! How can you heal what's been erased!! You're not god!!

回復とか... そんなレベルの話じゃないぞ...

Such recovery... Such a LEVEL, you can’t suggest...

AIZEN: ウルキオラはこれを「時間回帰」若しくは「空間回帰」と見た

ULQUIORRA here, says it looks like "Time Regression" or "Space Regression"

LUPPI:人間が そんな高度な能力を... そんな訳ないだろ...!

A Human having such a high-grade ability...  Such nonsense, don't you agree?...!

AIZEN: その通りだどちらも違う それは「事象の拒絶」だよ

彼女の能力は対象に起こったあらゆる事象を限定し・拒絶し・否定する

何事も 起こる前の状態に帰すことのできる能力だ

I agree, both are different. That is, this is "Rejection of Events"

Her ability targets all events that have happened with Restriction:Rejection:Negation

Her ability can send the all that has happened to the previous condition

それは「時間回帰」や「空間回帰」よりも更に上

神の定めた事象の地平を易々と踏み越える

That is even more than "Time Regression" or "Space Regression" This easily tramples on the ground of God's determined events

There is a very deliberate focus on the talk of a “god” here, in that Orihime’s ability to not just “heal” wounds, but to undo whole stages of reality, albeit in localized spaces; and with Luppi and Hacchi both remark that a human having these powers is impossible.  This, in context of Aizen’s talk of there being no god in heaven but him, later developments in the arc in which both Chad and Orihime’s powers are clarified to be similar to Arrancar and Visored, and that their powers at this point are still supposedly derived from Ichigo (not yet retconned to being a result of the Hougyoku) all give the strongest suggestion that Ichigo was already a unique hybrid on his way toward the ascended god-form beyond Shinigami and Hollows that Aizen sought, and that Orihime’s powers, being derived from Ichigo’s are also expressly god-like.

Hacchi also teaches her this when he fixes Tsubaki for her, after he is destroyed by Yammy.  Orihime couldn’t heal him herself because she had been trying to collect the broken pieces of Tsubaki’s body and undo the specific wounds of each part.  Hacchi teaches her that their powers (as his Visored kidou work on the same rejection principle) that she doesn’t need a “thing” to heal, she just needs to know about the “event” in which is was destroyed and reject that.  It’s less explicit when Hacchi says it, but I also want to point out that this also establishes the nature of Hacchi’s powers by association.

This all becomes particularly frustrating when he eventually fights Baraggan and Kubo acts like his powers don’t work against Baraggan’s rapid aging power, despite the fact that we know from all this that Hacchi’s powers, like Orihime’s, supersedes time and space based manipulation by being abstract concept based.  His barriers should sensibly be able to completely reject the event of aging.

This power is actually Orihime’s most (theoretically) useful, and it’s both the one Aizen intends to exploit when he first abducts her, as well as the means by which she intends to make herself useful and reject the Hougyoku from existence... a plot hook that never gets revisited despite being the explicitly stated goal of Orihime’s entire projected character arc.  But despite resolving to save the day herself, in her own unique way, and refusing to be rescued... she does nothing of real note the rest of the arc and sits around waiting to be rescued...

Also I totally forgot to throw this in the first draft, but there’s also the time Ichigo realizes he can’t break out of Orihime’s healing shield during Zaraki’s fight with Nnoitra.  They don’t go any further into that at the time, but logically the implication would be that because of how her event powers work, she’s still actively undoing everything inside the shield, including any attempts to break out.  Theoretically she could actually “heal” an Arrancar, and they’d be unable to escape from inside, and they’d continue to have their “injuries” undone, including their masks breaking, reverting them back into a regular Hollow.

============================================== 

 孤天斬盾』!『盾の両面』の拒絶!

“Kotensanshun: Orphan Heaven-Decapitating-Shield"! “Both sides of Shield” rejection!

敵をブチ抜いて中に盾を張り『物質の結合』を『拒絶』する! 要するに敵を真っ二ツにするってこった!

SMASH the enemy, put a shield inside them and “Reject” the “Joining of Material”!  In short, I split the enemy right in two!...

Orihime’s woefully underused attack shield.  The translation can be a little odd sounding in English, but the idea is that her shield rejects “Both sides” as in “Inside” and “Outside” but like the other shields those aren’t the most clear definitions.  For the defensive shield, “Outside” is just whatever is in front of Orihime; for healing, “Inside” is just whatever is under the dome; and in this case the shield works almost like a blade, and rather than a real “Inside” and "Outside” it’s really just “on either side” of the shield. But the description Tsubaki gives here specifies that it rejects the “event” in which the thing being attack is in fact one singular/whole thing, effectively splitting it in two on a conceptual level.

Considering she doesn’t actually use this to beat any enemies after her very first fight against the hollow, Numb Chandelier, there’s not a lot to be said about this.  In her one fight in Soul Society with Ikkanzaka Jiroubou, Tsubaki establishes that her lack of killing intent is what left his shield too weak to effectively attack.

==============================================

This turned out way longer than I thought it’d be, and there really weren’t even all that many scenes with Orihime’s powers being explained.  But this is it.  This is basically everything of note about how Orihime’s rejection shield powers work.  I might do a different one tracing Orihime’s character development setup for the arc scene by scene before it just got totally ignored

[gunnerpalace]

How do you think how Ori would do as a villain?

In my view, Orihime’s pathway to villainy would be using her powers to reject all the events that get in the way of her getting what she wants (which is to say, mostly Ichigo). In other words, going Full Spooky Galadriel and deciding, “In place of a Dark Lord, you would have a queen! […] All shall love me and despair!”

Now, she could settle for the present where Ichigo already knows Rukia, and Aizen and Yhwach are off the board, but we already know what that yields because of 686: a universe where Ichigo is at his absolute happiest when he just sees Rukia again and argues with her, rather than when he marries Orihime or she gives birth to their son, or whatever typical things might be cited as the happiest moments of one’s life. And, honestly? From Orihime’s perspective? That must really fucking suck.

So, if Orihime is going Full Spooky Galadriel (Orihime Untethered), why would she settle? Surely she can do better than that. And the simplest way to do better would be deleting Yhwach and Aizen at the right times in history. 

The right time for the former would be during the late 1980s or early 1990s, and would keep Masaki alive and fundamentally alter Ichigo as a character (probably significantly dulling his focus on protection and removing his disaffection), and removes future problems associated with the Quincy coming back.

Doing the latter could only be done in the latter-half of the 1980s, after Ichigo had been conceived, but before Aizen set any of his other plans in motion. So the Visored and Urahara Shop would still be around, and Kaien and Miyako would still be dead. Regardless, doing this would keep him from doing what he did with Rukia.

Trouble is, the Hougyoku is already in Rukia’s soul by that time. And it seems highly likely that Aizen did not “send” Rukia to Ichigo, but rather that the Hougyoku bent Aizen’s machinations so that it happened. (Why would Aizen be immune to the Hougyoku’s effects?) In other words, the Hougyoku being stuffed in Rukia’s soul makes it seem likely that Rukia would still encounter Ichigo eventually, regardless of how normal and happy his life was, because their encounter is essentially fated. (Kaien more than likely reminds Rukia of Ichigo, in a non-linear framework, rather than Ichigo reminded Rukia of Kaien.)

So the trouble for Orihime Untethered is that she has to:

Delete two of the most powerful dudes in the series (admittedly not at their strongest) to get a lock on the guy she wants (i.e., by removing “incentives” for him to not want to be human, and to remove her main competition) when her powers don’t work on any sufficiently powerful reiatsu.

Her main competition still having a reality-altering device shoved into her soul which may or may not be beyond Orihime’s powers to mess with even if she could kill a merely Shinigami Aizen and a comatose Yhwach. (As it was never made clear whether she actually could destroy the incomplete Hougyoku with her powers, and it sure seems like Aizen is impossible to destroy with one in him in the present.)

So the question here is: where does Orihime Untethered get the kind of monstrous power that would be necessary for such feats? And the only place she could reasonably get it from would probably be if Uryuu decided to somehow lend her the power by going beast mode in a reishi rich environment. 

Whether Uryuu is stupid enough to do that for her without knowing what she really intends, for the sake of making her happy even if he’s not in the picture at all, is an open question. (Perhaps yes, because Uryuu can be dumb like that.)

So, Aizen and Yhwach get deleted and the Hougyoku is plucked out of Rukia. (I feel it’d be going a bit far for even Orihime Untethered to delete Rukia, and I really don’t think Uryuu would agree to that.) This of course means it is never around to be in proximity to Orihime herself and Chad, so she is also retroactively keeping herself from getting powers in the first place.

Oh, that’s a problem. It’s a one-way ticket. This isn’t Donnie Darko or The Butterfly Effect: if your powers get deleted from the timestream you can’t get them back and you’re stuck. Ooh. So maybe don’t delete the Hougyoku from Rukia, even if you can. But doesn’t that then mean you’re relying on encountering her…?

Masaki would probably teach Ichigo about Quincy powers once he was of age, so he’d probably have noticed and gravitated toward Uryuu in school?

But the thing is, even if Masaki (and Kanae) didn’t die, Souken still did. So Uryuu would still become bitter toward Shinigami. Maybe he would turn Ichigo onto that way of thinking too? So they probably still become embroiled with Soul Society.

Okay, so Orihime has to have deleted Mayuri too now, to keep Souken alive and keep Uryuu and Ichigo from fighting against Shinigami. Uryuu in the present giving her the power to change shit carte blanche would probably be cool with that.

So, Souken is alive too. His big thing was cooperation with Shinigami. Working with them to eliminate Hollows in a non-destructive way while protecting humans. His proposal seemed to have been working at least a little.

What’s to say that Rukia isn’t sent as Soul Society’s representative as part of that program? Or one of the people sent? Or that she isn’t sent to walk the beat in Karakura anyway, since it seems to be the 13th Division’s responsibility? Especially so if she still has the Hougyoku in her, warping events around to take her to Ichigo?

So, there’s Quincy Uryuu and Quincy Ichigo (with latent Shinigami and Hollow powers…) working with Shinigami, including maybe Rukia. If Rukia didn’t have the Hougyoku, and turned up like this, Orihime would have no ability to get her powers back and keep up. If you can’t get powers then can’t keep up if Ichigo and Uryuu start getting adventurous in this new, happier Bleach with more functional familial and friendly relationships. So she needs the Hougyoku to still be in Rukia no matter what.

She can’t remove the Hougyoku from Rukia, let alone delete her even if she wanted to, and her having the Hougyoku means she is almost assuredly going to show up. (Plus, even if you could delete her, karma is a bitch. Who’s to say she wouldn’t reincarnate even if you did delete her? Especially if you do it too early? She might just Senna her way back. Hell, even if it works, maybe Senna herself shows up to take her place! Especially since a lot of the filler is now being treated as semi-canonical.)

So, we go around in circles with the real problems.

The first real problem for Orihime Untethered is ultimately that Rukia is absolutely necessary to her own ability to have a role in Ichigo’s supernatural nonsense. Meanwhile, she can’t really strip Ichigo of powers because they’re fundamental to who he is. So there is no way to really undo things when it comes to either of them directly, just the things around them. Ichigo and Rukia are effectively “status locked” in a fashion similar to Doctor Who’s “time locked” concept.

The second real problem is that even without Aizen and Mayuri, Soul Society is still its corrupt self and likely to draw the Kurosaki and Ishida into its shenanigans. And even if Yhwach is eliminated, Wandenreich is also still out there. As are all the Espada. So some version of supernatural nonsense is basically guaranteed to happen, no matter how many other pieces you knock down.

At the end of the day, Ichigo and Rukia are going to meet. They are going to have adventures. They are going to develop a rapport. And her only real solution is going to be social engineering, not her powers. And the truth is, Orihime isn’t really that great at the Mean Girls game, and I doubt Orihime Untethered is either.

I see her trying to force, as much as possible, the series into being a slice-of-life school comedy series, and it kind of playing out like Groundhog Day as she selectively undoes things and redoes scenarios, and it just never works out. And that leads back to the fundamental issue she’s encountering: she is trying to fuck with something that is more or less written into the fundamental laws of the universe itself.

Even if she gets Ichigo, it’s always going to be some form of settling for less. She is always going to be the second-place prize. And she is also likely to be only a temporary one, because if souls are kicking around at a rate of aging ~30 years per 2000 years that pass, an awful lot can change. And that’s before taking into account the confirmed mechanic of reincarnation.

(And this is, ultimately, why 686 is stupid in addition to being a non sequitur: okay, IH and RR had kids. So fucking what? Divorces happen. People can change, grow apart, and move on. As I said once before, what is “five lifetimes” in comparison to like, 5000 years? Or an infinite cycle of maximally 5000 year reincarnations? Barring their souls being killed somehow, Ichigo and Rukia are going to be around for longer into the future than we are now from when the Pyramids were built. You think some possibly expedient marriages are going to keep them apart all that time? Or into their next lives? Yeah, no. That’s the thing: their story isn’t over even if Bleach is. That’s yet another reason that ending is so shit beyond its character assassination and ass-pull pairings: literally anything could happen beyond it. It is not definitive because these are not normal-ass normal people.)

So what does she do, trapped in this hell of her own creation? As I see it, she has three options:

She goes completely crazy and decides to delete existence itself or massively restructure it a la Yhwach. I also really don’t think Uryuu would agree to that and I can see it ending rather tragically.

She decides to just accept being second-best with a smile until it eventually burns her out, at which point she probably tries to find someone who actually appreciates her. (One guess as to who that is.)

She skips being miserable and instead grows up and realizes that Ichigo is never going to be as happy with her as he is with Rukia, and that she needs to find that person immediately rather than wasting everyone’s time, including her own.

So we’ll call (1) the really angsty ending, discard (2) because it’s just a drawn out and angsty version of (3) which admittedly a lot of real people fall into, and we’ll call (3) the happy ending because hey, at least Orihime’s selfish efforts to rewrite the timeline would have improved the pile of shit that is life in Bleach by restoring some sense of family bonds and healthy relationships.

[ljungfrun]

Bleach, From Pilot to Ch. 423: Things I Forgot Or Were Excluded From The Anime

Turns out I had forgotten a lot of things tho they might not seem that important. Anyway, the list is long so I’ll keep it under the cut. It’s a bit messy but I was just writing it as I was reading and then I somehow expected myself to remember what I was talking about. Posting it for anybody else who could use the reminder.

Please keep in mind that I’m pretty sure the translation I was reading wasn’t a 100% correct but I couldn’t be bothered to find a better one. Seems like it improved later on but I’d still take it with a grain of salt. (Like I’m pretty sure this translator couldn’t read hiragana properly, and some names were really messed up.)

- I did not know there was a pilot chapter so yeah... that entire thing I guess. - Orihime being that open about her crush from the beginning - Orihime’s parents being such cruel people - Orihime’s hairpins being a gift from Sora - The backstory of the mod souls - Chad’s crazy about cute things - Keigo is from Naruki City, not Karakura - Mizuiro being really popular with girls - Renji and Byakuya with weird hoods, idk if that was part of the anime and so far there’s been a part from the anime that wasn’t in the manga (The part with Ichigo seeing Rukia fight a hollow in town before she comes into his room) - Orihime is bad with electronics - Ishida is poor - Tatsuki told Orihime that she is probably at the level of a black belt in karate (I don’t know if she was honest about that but she said it) - Orihime is really dang smart - I forgot Nemu was technically Mayuri’s daughter -Also Mayuri is awful, he belongs in worst dad club with Isshin (I also didn’t remember Isshin being SUCH a creep but I guess I forgot to write that earlier. Or I just decided not to since reviewing this list afterwards I realize I left some other creepy things out.) - Mayuri can turn into liquid - Zanpakutou Materializing Dolls, and other artefacts. So many artefacts. Never to be mentioned or used ever again. - Kira feeling super guilty over raising a sword at Hinamori. - Orihime just chilling with Yachiru, Ikkaku, and Yumichika after the was separated from Uryuu. Oh and Zaraki’s there too. - Hisagi having been accepted as a shinigami before he passed the exams, expected to become a seated officer - Rukia idolised Kaien’s wife - That Komamura was that loyal to Yamamoto - I remember Kenpachi fighting Komamura and Tousen, not picking a fight with Komamura, Tousen, Iba, and Hisagi. Neither did I remember Ikkaku and Yumichika joining in, it’s just entirely gone from my memory - Byakuya’s scarf is a really expensive heirloom. - Byakuya was really cold in the beginning, supposedly not caring about his subordinates (idk if he really changed later on but this stood out to me in the moment. Also speaking of Byakuya, I think he seemed older to me when watching the anime because of the voice.) - Really I had forgotten a lot about the animosity between Byakuya and Renji - Rukia doesn’t refer to Gin as “Captain Ichimaru” and he doesn’t mind since they’ve “known eachother for so long”. Apparently she’s deathly afraid of him. - Kaname got his zanpakutou from the grave of the lady he liked? I’ve always wondered how people get their zanpakutous anyway ‘cause I don’t think Zaraki had any training and I’m pretty sure it’s the same sword he had when he met Yachiru, yet Zangetsu comments on how the sword is crying. (I’m also curious about if people could potentially wield other zanpakutous, which I think is a thing in the quincy arc but I’m talking like... normal people. I think it’d be neat since there’s already two people that have just... picked up a zanpakutou before they even became shinigamis.) - Rikichi! He’s such a big fan of Renji! He got Hanatarou out of jail just to help Renji. He didn’t only get him a new uniform but also a hair tie and a bandana. I’m a little sad that he never seems to show up ever again? (At least I don’t remember him being in the quincy arc but that’ll have to be it’s own list I guess) - Ukitake and Kyouraku stopping and destroying Soukyoku - Kiyone calling Isane sister. - Soifon getting ready to take out Kiyone and the other vice-captain. - Kyouraku being praised for being the best at seeing the true character of anyone he meets, and Ukitake always being the centre of a crowd although (frail, but affable and kind) - Yamamoto thinking of Ukitake and Kyouraku as sons - Katen Kyoukotsu and Sogyo no Kotowari are the only zanpakutous that exist in pairs (allegedly) (I don’t remember why I wrote allegedly but I had some thought behind it......) - Soi Fong’s name was Shaolin Fong until she inherited her grandmother’s code name. - Soi Fong not being angry with Yoruichi because she ran away, but because she didn’t take her with her - Iba having been part of the 11th division, but becoming Komamura’s vice-captain (supposedly for his mom) - Iba wanting to get a chance to fight Ichigo - Byakuya only showing Senkei Senbonzakura Kageyoshi to people he wants to kill personally, Ichigo being the second person. I can’t recall if the first person was ever revealed? - Kira going along with the scheme and leading away Hitsugaya and Matsumoto from the Central 46 chambers. He was told they wouldn’t do anything to Hinamori - Hinamori joined the Gotei 13 because she admired Aizen, which would imply she met him before the soul burial training accident, but idk if that’s a translation mistake - Unohana confronting Aizen in the Central 46 chambers and calling him a treacherous reprobate - How Kyoka Suigetsu works. I forgot that for it to work on someone they need to see the release, and that after that the person who saw it will be completely hypnotised every time he releases it from then on. - Aizen was certain that he could use all three of Kira, Hinamori, and Renji back when they first met, but Renji was problematic so he was sent on to squad 11 while Kira and Hinamori were made Aizen and Gin’s vice-captains - Ichigo and Renji trying to fight Aizen together - Ichigo being a fucking monster! Who stays conscious after having their stomach cut open like that? In the anime it was just a really bad slash but since the manga is a but more graphic I’m only now like “oh wow that is really fucking bad” - There were names for the four basic types of combat for shinigamis. Zanjutsu(sword skills), Hakuda(hand-to-hand combat), Hohou(foot work), and Kidou. - Hollowfication is brought up this early, but I guess it makes sense because he’s explaining the Hougyoku. - Urahara, not Aizen, hid the Hougyoku inside Rukia. - Urahara was exiled for creating an intractable gigai? I don’t think so Aizen, but okay. Also he was trying to turn Rukia into a human soul. Hm. - Komamura coming in to destroy Aizen mid-monologue. Thank you. (After reading Ichigo’s last fight with Aizen I am so tired of him talking aaahhhhh!) - All the gate guardians except for Jidanbou are traitors, Kuukaku shows up with Jidanbou (was this in the anime???) - I remember Ichigo hanging out with squad 11 after the whole Aizen thing, but I did not remember Iba being there too which is nice. They didn’t get to spar tho. - Matsumoto and Kira getting drunk and venting about Gin, though it’s portrayed pretty comically. Matsumoto proceeds to invite pretty much anyone who passes by, except for Kyouraku. - Ryuuken is part of the shitty dad club. - Shinigami Isshin was revealed pretty much right after Shinji, I didn’t remember it being so early. - Also I didn’t remember the protection charm either but hey it worked. - Did- Did Orihime really only get to use Tsubaki ONCE?? - Also that entire fight with Yammy and Ulquiorra is just so much bloodier than in the anime - That moment when Ichigo tells Chad to leave D.Roy to him and Chad runs away, that hurt, ow my heart - Keigo being there to watch Ikkaku fight Eduardo. Also Keigo having a chat with Yumichika. - Ikkaku losing his molars in the fight with Eduardo is. - Yumichika going “oh and btw, make preparations for Ikkaku’s funeral” - Flashback about Ikkaku fighting Zaraki in the past. - Ikkaku being determined to fight and die under Kenpachi’s command. - Ururu kicking Ilfordt in the face- I mean Ururu going in to exterminate Ilfordt. - References to Toshirou’s bankai being incomplete. - Shawlong being the first arrancar to be created. (Allegedly? Supposedly? Succesfully? It depends on a lot, it’s a bit of an assumption.) - The power limit that is placed on captains and vice-captains when they go to the world of the living is symbolised by the division’s symbol. Oh and it takes away 80% of their power. Motherfucking damn bitch Ikkaku. Also good job Rukia. (I don’t remember what these last two sentences are refering to tbh) - Tatsuki watching the fight (I’m assuming the first) between Ichigo and Grimmjow, or at least part of it. - I guess I forgot to mention this earlier but Orihime being jealous of Rukia and her relationship with Ichigo - Tousen really not liking Grimmjow because he causes discord - Ichigo trying the beat the answers out of the Vaizards. - Goddamn Ichigo has a lot of attitude. - Urahara telling Orihime that she would be a burden in battle and Rukia talking to her afterwards. Orihime and Rukia need more talks. - Orihime getting kidnapped by Hiyori. - Hachi having similar abilities as Orihime. - Hachi also suggesting against Orihime fighting the war. - Orihime being so determined to fight. Goddamn I wish Tsubaki wasn’t her only way of doing damage. Give her one of those funky artefacts for fuck’s sake. - Yumichika not getting along with “Fujikujaku”. - The trees in Hueco Mundo are made of something quartz-like - Ulquiorra complimenting Orihime on her looks (Tbh I’ve forgotten about this scene again but I don’t think I intended to lie to my future self so I’m assuming it might’ve been something vague) - Orihime planning to reject the Hougyouku with her powers to destroy it, why don’t I see more about that?? - Wonderweiss being fond of Tousen. - Szayel sending out the execution squad after Dordoni - Only Grimmjow ever uses Gran Rey Cero (Idk if I ever really thought otherwise but it’s on the list so I guess it’s a confirmation I wanted to make) - Tesla threatening to destroy the Shun Shun Rikka - Nnoitra using Nel as a shield when Ichigo attacks at one point - Nnoitra and Neliel didn’t even fight after he tore off Dondochakka and Pesche’s masks in the flashback wtf. Now that I think of it, I’ve never seen manga screenshots of that part so I guess it’s only in the anime. Well that’s disappointing. Then what did Szayel even do? (Still sad they don’t fight more in the manga, bluh. Also I’m still not sure what Szayel actually did.) - Nnoitra thinking it a shame that they (him and Neliel I think) won’t get to fight again. - Mayuri observing Uryuu through bacteria, and Uryuu calling him out for violating human rights - Szayel rebirthing himself from Nemu, wtf. I’m not sure if that was in the anime. (Okay it was, she just didn’t get straight-up pregnant) - I also forgot about Szayel taking over Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou - The Jesus Szayel and Baphomet Mayuri chapter pages were new to me - Mayuri to Nemu: “Good job, keep suffocating Uryuu with your tiddies. If he dies, he dies.” - Nnoitra, after releasing Santa Teresa: “Kinda sexy, isn’t it?” (I don’t trust this translation a 100% but what was written was “I look sexy, right?”) - And Zaraki responding with “your reiatsu is making me hard…” - The Living World as seen through the Garganta in Las Noches is upside-down - Hikifune and the Royal Guard being mentioned during Turn Back The Pendulum - Hiyori looking up to Hikifune as a mother - Urahara being Commander of the Detention Unit in the 2nd Division, and the unit keeping people who wanted to withdraw from the Gotei 13, not just criminals. - Urahara making Mayuri his Vice Captain in the research institute - Barragan’s fraccions having packed together his throne and brought it with them - I can’t believe Charlotte’s magical girl scene was only in the anime but I suppose it makes sense - Hisagi’s fight with Findor  was also shorter in the manga which is… kind of a shame? Idk it was pretty well made in the anime, but I guess it’s because they were just coming back from a break and all. - Hisagi and Kira stopping Yumichika from rushing in after Ikkaku was beaten, Komamura stepping in to take care of the arrancar… whose name I’ve already forgotten once again. - Iba calling Ikkaku out for not using his bankai and punching him in the face. Good. I like Ikkaku but the pillar did get destroyed because of him so it was a pretty bad move. - Hinamori making a kidou net - Kira used to be in the 4th division, did I already write that? - The Gran Rey Cero being forbidden to use inside of Las Noches but leave it to Grimmjow not to care about any of that - Kyouka Suigetsu’s ability can be cancelled by grabbing the blade. - They sent Aizen to Avici, or I guess a prison named after Avici - Yamamoto scolding Byakuya, Shunsui, and Kenpachi for losing their captain’s haori and they proceed to insult it - They actually mention Mayuri going back to Hueco Mundo

[moonasheschevalier]

Rereading some Arrancars arc chapters again, yes.

Things to analyze: Ulquiorra didn’t start the fighting with Ichigo. Ichigo did.

He tried to aggro Ichigo tho, twicely. And he started by saying that Rukia’s dead. Knowing that Ulquiorra is good on observing/ making strategy/planning etc, seems like he mentioned what could knock off Ichigo from the balance in the first place - Rukia’s life in danger.

Then Ulquiorra just says that he was the one who brought Ori to HM. Then Ichigo attacks.

Sometimes it just seems like Ulquiorra just enjoys to piss off his enemies, eh?

What kills me and any desire to ship IH whenever I reread this chapter is that:

Even Ulquiorra is surprised that a person, Orihime entrusted her hopes to, doubted Orihime.

I’ve been asking myself: why Ichigo, who never shows any feelings greater than  love for his friends to Ori, was so pissed off by the fact that Ulquiorra brought Orihime to HM? I’m not stating anything in this case, but... maybe the real reason for Ichigo starting the fight was the guilt? That he doubted his friend.  Cuz that all seems really strange. Ichigo has such a faith in his friends, but seems like, he, what, accepts somehow the fact, that he may not know Hime that much to be sure in her motives?  I also remember Kubo’s answer QA for JET Artbook when he mentioned that Orihime was supposed to have horns and tails. Probably she could be a Hollow/Arrancar. And that concept - Arrancar Hime going to HM on her own - seems more likely, more suitable for the idea that Ichigo doesn’t know her and may have his doubts. But still, despite Ori knows a lot about Ichigo, Ichigo knows quite little about Hime and so he doubts his friend. Remember Fade To Black? Yup, I do. While Ulquiorra observed and analyzed things about Orihime better than Ichigo ever did. He analyzed her love for her friends, Ichigo, her chahacter like... in a month in total. While Ichigo knows her for years and yet knows nothing. 

Of course, knowing and understanding are different things.    Another question that kept bothering me: Rukia’s dying there while Ichigo fights Ulquiorra. So saving Orihime, by logic, should be the next mission, while saving Rukia - the primary.  We all know that they didn’t expect any help from SS back then. Getting a healer to Rukia (and Chad) was, actually, also important.  That does look like a guilt, not personal hate:

Also, Ulquiorra’s aggroing Ichigo looks like Ul’s interest in trying to understand why Orihime puts her hopes on Ichigo so much. Why he’s so important to her.

Ulquiorra, please note, just deflect’s Ichigo’s attack, still doesn’t attack. Ichigo attacks again.

The way anti demonize/evilize Ulquiorra always amuses to me. When Ulquiorra realises that Ichigo isn’t worthy the effort he says that:

”Surrender” (I wonder, is it what Ul says in japanese? He might saying “muda” or something like it, idk) Seems like Ulquiorra lost any interest in Ichigo and was ready to just let him go and get going back to Orihime. (Yes, he went right to her room after that fight) Yet Ichigo attacks again.

Oh, the irony. “Who would surrender to you“. Orihime did to not endager her friends, Ichigo included. Also, people, please stop blaming 15-16yo girl for not sacraficing herself right on the spot; actually Ulquiorra and Aizen predicted that move:

Really, thank goodness Orihime didn’t see/hear that fight.

After that Ulquiorra strikes Ichigo. Now I wonder, probably Grimmjow was right when he said that Ichigo enjoys fighting. Because the main goal here was saving Ori, wasn’t it?

But Ulquiorra doesn’t kill Ichigo:

He gave Ichigo 2 chances to get away.

I remember when some anti said that Ulquiorra killed Ichigo two times. 

No. He killed Ichigo once, but before that he gave Ichigo a chance to go away.

Ichigo is a quincy/shinigami/VL, he coud’ve survived this one. He’s that OP.

I’m not saying Ulquiorra’s is a merciful/kind or whatever, but that’s a proof that he wasn’t some sadistic maniac who wanted Ichigo killed. He lost any interest in Ichigo, Ichigo wasn’t worthy Ulquiorra’s (and, what, I bet, he tried to prove, Orihime’s) expectations anymore:

I remind you: Ichigo is Shinigami/Quincy/VL, he’s got the strength to survive. Zangetsu woudn’t let him die. Orihime neglects the reality but she didn’t rise somebody from the dead, to heal Ichigo she needed him to be still alive. Otherwise she could’ve become a God(dess) not just intervene into God’s domain. Unfortunately Kubo and Co never let her become more than just heavy wound healer.    And the last point (for now): why evilizing Ulquiorra is futile:

(also what I really like that even after what Hime’s seen she wasn’t afraid of Ulquiorra)

IIchigo is healed up, he’s alive. Ulquiorra sees that. Does Ulquiorra want to kill Ichigo? No. He doesn’t give a damn about it. He already won when Ichigo tried to fight him. He came for Orihime, that’s it. Ah, yes, this one. Now this is the moment where I can bet that Ulquiorra: - never was afraid to fight Grimmjow - never was afraid to fight to the death

Their fight, however, could’ve put Orihime’s in danger. And that Ulquiorra understood perfectly. Whenever you see Ulquihime//Ulquiorra’s redemption in the end it’s impossible to see it without Ichigo’s influence. First of all, Ichigo didn’t want to fight Ulquiorra without some serious reason. Ichigo fought him and lost, and I bet, he understood that Ulquiorra wasn’t some sadist who needed to be killed no matter what:  

And when I say that Ulquiorra gained that humanity thanks to Orihime and Ichigo - I mean it. Ichigo was about to kill not Ulquiorra in the end, but Ishida.

Then you see how Ulquiorra’s saves Ishida from Ichigo’s cero. 

By stopping Ichigo, not killing him.

I wonder did Ulquiorra stop Ichigo because Ishida tried to safe both Ichigo (his humanity) and Ulquiorra? Maybe he tried to save only Orihime, but still. That’s the angle I never have looked from on it. 

I think there was something for Ishida too in Ulquiorra, some gratitude, perhaps, or the will to repay the debt, idk. And that fits cuz Ulquiorra says:

“All of you“. He’s a nihilist who never had anything he could’ve lose.

Untill the day Orihime changed his world. 

Untill the day she was in danger.

Then he understood, I bet, the fear, when he could’ve lost something/someone he cared about. So, yeah, neither Ishida, Orihime or Ichigo never hated Ulquiorra and Ulquiorra himself acknowledged all of them.  There never was any stockholm syndrome when we speak about UlquiHime. She saw the changes in him. Quite The opposite: they knew each other for a couple of days. Ulquiorra isn’t a sadist/maniac/psycho etc. He gave Ichigo a chance (even 2) to get away, and he didn’t attack Ichigo first. Ichigo wasn’t careful, thought he could’ve stood against Ulquiorra. That was a war Aizen unleashed in the first place.

Ulquiorra’s a hollow, many human souls’ve been eaten alive over and over again to get into one. His life’s not a fairy tail and it was never supposed to be. Hollow/Arrancar’s life is a nightmire. His life was always a fighting. And yet he still was ready to let Ichigo go, he saved humans he couldn’t understand and despised in the beginning. 

[miracleforestfruits]

There is so much disgusting bullshit, logical inconsistencies and out of character behaviour in Narita’s Bleach novel Can't Fear Your Own World. It’s obvious that he wrote it to cover for some of plot holes, many of which were left by Kubo in the original manga, but instead he added even more idiocy and couldn’t explain anything. His ‘ideas’ seem straight out of retarded fan fantasies about overpowered characters and ridiculous plot development that doesn’t make any sense. There are some moments in his shitty work which directly contradict already lousy manga’s plot. He also gave some unimportant or new characters retardedly strong abilities which don’t fit into overall power balance of the manga. Overall this talentless moron just made Bleach look even worse, though it seemed impossible after the trainwreck ending. This novel is nothing more than a waste of paper, it’s on the level of the most distorted fanfiction and shouldn’t be considered anything more than this. Below you can see examples of such idiotic inconsistencies and contradictions from his shoddy trash.

Firstly, he completely twisted and grossly misrepresented Quincy characters. A random maid from Silbern that appeared literally in one chapter of manga suddenly turned out to possess a great skills and be on par with the main Sternritters. Making insignificant characters into mary sues is one of the general problems of this novel. Narita gives too much attention to Liltotto and Giselle in the novel clearly because they are popular even among Gotei fans. He simply rides on cheap popularity, while these two are actually secondary characters and didn’t show anything special in the manga. They should have been dead, but he revived them due to illogical bullshit to attract more wankers. They couldn’t survive Auswahlen and keep their Quincy powers. Auswahlen takes away Quincy powers in the first place with the part of Yhwach’s soul. Also Yhwach would have immediately felt that their souls didn’t come to him. It’s impossible to fake through. It’s also stupid that Narita constantly repeats who is who among the Quincy, because he apparently understands that retarded Gotei fans don’t remember Sternritters.

There are many retarded plot moments and mary sueish powers for the newly created and old manga characters equally. Suddenly, some secondary characters turned out to possess Soul King particles in them, even though they must be extremely rare like Mimihagi in Ukitake. Fullbringers were ordinary people in their own arc in the manga and their abilities originated from the Hollows’ power. So by making them somehow connected to the Soul King Narita severely retcons manga material. There can’t be so many Soul King’s parts freely roaming around, and Fullbringers can’t be so freaking special after they lost to Shinigamis.

The biggest mary sue among the Fullbringers was of course Aura. Narita overpowered her so much that she was stated to be on the level of Aizen, which sounds like a bad joke. And she is still some secondary filler character from the non-canon novel. Narita’s urge to make everyone into demi god seems to originate from his inability to create something really interesting and original, so he just buffs up random nobodies. Aura's reiatsu is said to be of the highest degree as well, she could fight evenly with Urahara and single-handedly defeat several Sternritters. While she was still just a human, that’s so much bullshit. Moreover, she could freely manipulate any matter, though it’s primarily Quincy technique and a human woman shouldn’t be better than them at it. She was also a leader of the cult and a host of the Soul King’s chain of fate - just how much more retardedly overpowered qualities could fit into one character? This shit can’t be taken seriously.

Narita stated that Yhwach actually didn’t want to rule the world, he wanted to merge the worlds and revert the world to its original state. While a new 'prophesied king’ in the novel instead wants to rule over the three current worlds. But in the manga it was already shown that Yhwach became the new king over the world and even created the new castle in the Soul King’s dimension. And the worlds didn’t even start merging, only Earth was shaking for some time after that. Also Narita added an explanation that the world of the living will be alright only until the Soul King stays on the throne. But that’s a straight up lie to cover up for Kubo’s bullshit which he came up with in the last moment. Yhwach overthrew the Soul King and took his place. But the world was still standing and even the balance didn’t crumble. Moreover it was implied in the manga that the world existed even before the Soul King. So, we actually saw that the world of the living won’t be destroyed with the death of the Soul King.

Narita also mentioned that it’s not clear whether Yhwach is relative of the Soul King or not. But that means they didn’t even discuss this with Kubo. And since even this very important moment is still unclear, it most likely suggests that they haven’t discussed anything at all concerning the novel. So it’s highly likely that Kubo wasn’t involved with the writing of this novel which again makes it non-canon. He probably only came up with new bankais and made illustrations.

Narita also borrowed some ideas from the anime filler arcs and sometimes he just retells old manga events and outright quotes it, because apparently he couldn’t come up with anything really new and original. And filler arcs for the most part are complete nonsense, they were made for simple fanservice for the fans of Gotei. Thus another reason to not consider this shitty novel a canon if it’s based on the non-canon material from the fillers in the first place. For example, Narita mentioned that each noble family has a Zanpakuto that can be inherited and one of them is Muramasa. But how can Zanpakuto be inherited if the previous owner has already awaken its shikai and bankai? It was specifically stated in manga that only asauchi without shikai can be stolen or passed to another owner.

Narita obviously tried to make his filler characters more special and strong by tying them to already existing Espada and Sternritters. According to him Hikone was unable to speak or move until Tokinada gave him Gremmy’s brain. That’s completely ridiculous, a pathetic attempt to add more false importance to the new character. Moreover Narita implied that Gremmy didn’t really want to fight against Kenpachi, that’s why he lost. Apparently that was another attempt to cover over Kubo’s fail explaining why Gremmy lost with such huge advantage and didn’t properly utilized his powers. But it’s not true and just another retcon, because in the manga Gremmy didn’t really show any intention to give up and wanted to win. And Kenpachi killed a child, this new development with his brain wouldn’t change the fact and make him look any better. Well, at least Narita didn’t kill a child in his novel unlike that cruel asshole Kubo, that’s something I guess. Also Hikone was made of ten thousands Shinigamis, humans and Quincy Konpaku. That’s a pure nonsense because to make artificial Quincy souls you’d still need a part of Yhwach’s soul which they obviously lacked.

Narita doesn’t remember some important details from the manga, like the fact that Arrancars don’t need to hunt souls anymore, because they’ve already evolved. In the novel it’s stated that Grimmjow continued to chase after Hollows, which is another contradiction. Later Narita even added that Arrancars were eating some lizard in Hueco Mundo, which is complete nonsense, they don’t need to eat. He also forced some popular characters like Grimmjow to encourage Ichihime ship, clearly to promote this shit among the fans, who didn’t welcome it after the ending. Speaking of Grimmjow, Narita and Kubo forced him to follow Gotei’s orders which is an outrageous OOC. Real Grimmjow didn’t obey anyone, even Aizen, and wouldn’t be asking a permission from Urahara to kill Ichigo. He would never help Gotei against Tokinada. Narita added him to the novel only to attract his numerous fans. 

There is a case of Kyoraku’s hypocrisy when he reproached Tokinada for using a child and making Hikone work for him. That’s laughable because they forced Ichigo to do all their dirty work and every Shinigami was okay with it. Nell also acts like a hypocrite since she only cares about Ichigo and doesn’t give a shit about Gotei’s atrocities against Arrancars. Even though it was said earlier in the novel that Gotei didn’t attack them only because the balance of worlds has been shaken. It means they are still not friends at all and ready to assault Arrancars any minute. If this disgusting hoe doesn’t care about it she is not worthy to rule Hueko Mundo, she would just give it up to Shinigamis. Narita created this fake and pretentious alliance between the former enemies only to make an illusion of peace and to distract idiotic Gotei fans from Shinigami’s evil deeds. Of course this phoney union wouldn’t be enough to forget Gotei crimes and sweep them under the rug.

There was a facepalm inducing explanation regarding Hikone’s Zanpakuto. Again, Narita tried to raise powerleves ridiculously high, after this even main manga characters look weak compared to his new mary sues. Apparently there was some Vasto Lorde that ascended to the sky by devouring the Soul King, but then Ichibee defeated him. What the actual fuck? Maybe there is some inaccuracy in the English translation, but even an attempt to devour the Soul King sounds absurd for some random Vasto Lorde. And if he did it, how could he lose to the Zero Squad? He must be stronger than them. So, this absurdly strong Vasto Lorde was sealed in Hikone’s Zanpakuto by Nimaya. Which is a contradiction too, because Zanpakuto were made from Shinigamis’ souls and not from Hollows. Nevertheless, Kenpachi was able to one shot him. Powerlevels are all over the place if Narita didn’t want to imply that Kenpachi is stronger than the Soul King now. Or he just doesn’t follow his own bullshit. Moreover, that Zanpakuto absorbed a piece of the Soul King from Hikone and remembered its true name just before he was defeated. Logically he should have evolved instead. But Narita just like Kubo makes Shinigamis stronger for no reason and without any explanation even if the enemy before them is literally on the level of the Soul King.

By the way there was a notion that Shinigamis were impotent in the reishi-enriched Soul Society and couldn’t do anything to that overpowered Hollow which spread its influence over it. Meaning Soul Society didn’t belong to them originally and they didn’t even have Zanpakutos at that time, but Nimaya managed to seal him in a sword anyway. There were already hints in the manga that Shinigamis are impostors in Soul Society and can’t control anything in it without Zanpakutos while Quincy have natural skills for reishi manipulation, so I guess Narita confirmed it. All in all, Narita twisted the process of Zanpakuto creation to make another stupidly strong character. And Nimaya shouldn’t even posses the technique and skills to create Zanpakuto at that time if no one in Gotei had them. But even then it was made pretty clear that Ichibee and Nimaya are evil. It’s disgusting how they were almost gloating that they could seal so many souls in the sword.

Another hypocritical whitewashing of Shingami’s villainy was when Ikkaku and Yumichika told Giselle that they wouldn’t attack from the back because ‘they are not like Sternritters’. But later in the novel it’s mentioned that Shunsui would attack from behind if there is a chance. It just shows the overall level of Narita’s shitty writing, he contradicts not only manga, but his own text. Also Ikkaku stabbed Yukio in  the back in the Fullbring arc. Narita’s hypocrisy and attempt to present Shinigamis in a good light must be intended for retarded Gotei fans who don’t even remember manga events. Also Narita shamelessly tried to make Hisagi look like some sort of knight when he said that he can’t kill Hikone because as a Shinigami and a warrior he has an honour. That’s a repulsive bullshit because it’s usual for Shinigamis to literally kill thousands of souls for the balance, not even talking about their war with Quincy and the old genocide. Also it was mentioned earlier in the novel that Shinigamis are willing to kill people if it’s necessary to protect Soul Society. So, the defence of Soul Society comes first for them, it’s more important than human lives and Narita even admitted it himself.  

Narita made his share of asspulls. It was said in the novel that Kenpachi had never practiced Shunpo before, nor had he considered solidifying reishi underneath his foot because it was too confusing for him. But somehow he suddenly could  manage to remain standing in mid-air. Narita doesn’t even give an explanation how is this possible, Kenpachi just conveniently does it when he needs it. Shinigamis can evoke any ability if they need it for the win. But even if Kenpachi for no reason learned how to stand in the air, he still can’t use Shunpo properly while Hikone utilised all known speed techniques. Zaraki shouldn’t be able to catch him anyway, that’s another illogical asspull and shitty writing.

Concerning Tokinada, Narita made another primitive villain out of him with stupidly strong power. His ability isn’t even original, like everything in this novel. Kageroza from filler arc also could copy abilities from Shinigami’s Zanpakuto. And Tokinada’s shikai has the power to mimic any Zanpakuto abilities that he has witnessed, even several powers at once. But even with such huge and absurd power Tokinada couldn’t defeat a single captain. Again, retarded powerlevels and nonsensical Shinigamis’ victories.

Tokinada was also chosen as a scapegoat for Gotei’s atrocities. Everything was blamed on him and his noble family even though his clan was created only for the novel and never mentioned before. All other noble families have dirty hands, but Tokinada was specifically made the main villain so brainless fans would forget what other Shinigamis did. For example Byakuya wanted to execute his sister for breaking some superfluous Gotei law, but everyone seems to sweep it away. But Tokinada was excessively put in a bad light like he is responsible for every shit that Gotei did. Narita made Tokinada’s noble clan the main villains, but in the manga Seiretei nobles weren’t even so important. They were rich spongers which gave orders to Gotei and thought they have everything under control until Aizen killed them all. But they weren’t involved with the Soul King. The true villains have been always Zero Squad members who knew the truth about the Soul King and were responsible for him. So Narita just shifted responsibility to a newly created character and his clan even though it was never mention that nobles could even have such authority. 

What was the most infuriating, Narita even put all the blame for the spying on Ginjou and murdering of his friends on Tokinada too. But originally in the manga Ukitake was responsible for it. That’s a disgusting retcon when Narita is again shamelessly trying to present Shinigamis in a better light and want readers to ignore their crimes. He impertinently shifts the blame on Tokinada even though he didn’t even existed when Kubo was writing Fullbringers arc. Apparently they wanted to clear Ukitake’s reputation since he got killed in the end. Overall Tokinada seems like a character that was created only to bear all sins of Soul Society and specific Shinigami to divert attention from their cruelty and villainies. That’s a rewriting of history in favour of the popular characters.

Soul King is said to be neither alive no dead in the novel, which is a direct contradiction to the manga where he was obviously alive if he died when Ichigo stabbed him. It was important to emphasize that the Soul King would be alive, otherwise Kubo wouldn’t make such a big deal out of it. Besides he even invited Ichigo to talk in the beginning of the TYBW arc, though Kubo changed the plot later and forgot about it. Also in the novel Soul King was called the original guardian and the progenitor of Quincy, Shinigamis and Fullbringers. And at that time apparently there were no boundaries separating life and death. This statement is so contradictory and wrong, it shows that Narita doesn’t even understand what he is writing about. Narita himself came up with the bullshit that the worlds would merge without the Soul King, but here he suddenly presents a universe where the Soul King is alive while the worlds are merged already. How does it even work in his opinion? The worlds would merge without the SK, but they are also merged with him in this version. There is no logic at all. And in the manga it was said that the Soul King was created at some point by Shinigamis, so how could he be some omnipotent being before they made him into a Soul King? Sounds like another ridiculous nonsense which Narita added just to make even the Soul King himself more special for his mary sue festival.

Not to mention that Narita didn’t miss a chance to make Fullbringers seem more important again, even though they were weak normal humans with Hollow powers originally and not descendants of the freaking Soul King. Also if Soul King was partly a Fullbringer, it implies that there were Hollows already at that time. But that’s impossible since they would have eaten all souls while Shinigamis still didn’t have Zanpakutos. And obviously Fullbringers would appear later than Hollows, because the Hollows infected their parents initially. Narita pulled that Soul King origins history right out of his ass.

There are minor contradictions with the manga in the details here and there. In the final manga chapters it is said that there have been 10 years of piece already. But Tokinada was a huge threat that appeared in the same period of time. Ichibee decided to tell the story of the Soul King to some random mob soldiers. Why would he share such important information on a whim with simple servants? That’s so stupid, in the manga Soul King’s servants were blindfolded, because they are not even allowed to see him apparently. And Shutara’s servants were some kind of marionettes. Of course no one from Zero Squad would tell servants such secrets. Another detail, Tousen and his friend had Zanpakutos with identical names according to the novel, and even had a similar release commands. That shows Narita’s lack of imagination and plain copying from the manga.

Of course Shinigamis were given easy victory with the power of asspulls in the novel. Thus Hisagi easily persuaded Hikone to not fight just with the famous talk no jutsu technique. Even though earlier in the novel Hikone said that he will gladly die for Tokinada and was ready to cut down their enemies as long as it fulfilled Tokinada's goals. It was also mentioned that Hikone sees him as father. Liltotto even admit that Hikone is a fanatic for Tokinada. He was a loyal servant and wouldn’t disobey orders just because his enemy is babbling something. He had his own will, but still he was created to serve Tokinada. Furthermore he suddenly got attached to Aura and had feelings for her out of nowhere, while she betrayed Tokinada. Logically he should have killed her for it. It’s such unrealistic and mawkish cliche that Hikone started to see her as a mother. He isn’t even a real child and just an artificially created homunculus. Typically, Narita wanted to divide enemies of Shinigamis, because if they stood united, Shinigamis wouldn’t have won. So I guess this sudden attachment to Aura was also made to push Hikone away from Tokinada.

Tokinada was also conveniently weakened when his Zanpakuto absorbed part of his powers. Another plot trick to make him lose. Narita created an absurdly overpowered Zanpakuto for him, as was mentioned already. But even when he stole Aizen and Yamamoto powers, he still could kill a single Shinigami, what a load of bullshit. Is Narita trying to say that even their powers are not enough to kill off a single mary sue from his novel? Well, Tokinada’s Zanpakuto can’t have such huge power in the first place since it’s just a clan relic and not some special craft from Nimaya. But Narita already gave him such sword and then couldn’t allow him to win with it, thus that forced weakness with taking away part of his power.

Hisagi was also given farcically powerful Zanpakuto, it ruins all powerelevels from the manga when a secondary mob suddenly gets an ability stronger and more complicated than some of the main characters. Hisagi was always more of a comic relief character and never demonstrated any major achievements in battle. He was a lieutenant, not even a captain. But Narita raised him to ludicrously high levels of power only because he’s the main character in his retarded novel. It’s inconsistent and plain stupid. Even his shikai was retconned and now can heal his wounds. While his asspull bankai traps his enemy in a sphere where they both are healed and can’t die, creating a condition resembling the world before the Soul King with no boundaries between life and death. Meaning his Zanpakuto must be more ancient than Yamamoto and somehow connected to the Soul King, but it’s impossible for a simple Shinigami soldier from Rukongai.

In the end Narita even added an overly sentimental shoujo banality when Aura suddenly awakened a feelings for Hikone and her maternal instinct appeared out of nowhere. Everything in this shitty novel happens suddenly and contradicts previously established characters and events, that’s the level of Narita’s writing. Aura was indifferent to everything before, but abruptly changed her mind in the decisive battle and betrayed Tokinada. That was obviously made to weaken Tokinada even more and deprive him of his allies. Otherwise Gotei wouldn’t have won, as always they need a convenient plot trick for the victory. Also that maternity and childbirth propaganda went off the charts in the end. Aura never was interested in anything like this before, it’s OOC for her. Seems like Narita got a pay-check from Abe to promote a ‘happiness’ of having children to the Japanese readers.

Even though Gotei won again with asspulls and plot shields of course, their system remained the same, encouraging Shinigamis’ crimes. Despite all Narita attempts to make them into even bigger mary sues and to put Shinigamis in a good light and hush up their atrocities, they will continue to be authoritarian assholes and live in fear. Thus Yoruichi showed her true colors as a member of noble family and was ready to kill Hisagi, because he continued to search information about the Soul King. There are other nobles who want to hide the truth even with murdering Hisagi too. This novel didn’t bring anything new to the Bleach plot, it just reused old materials and created anecdotic and improbable powers for the new filler OCs from Narita. He couldn’t even convincingly cover for Kubo plot holes and failures. On the contrary, his novel became another failure and can’t be considered canon with so many unreasonable contradictions. Narita should have died from cancer in hospital, so that readers would be saved from this abhorrent novel.