#-- and Shunsui would have dropped all to make that happen if she asked

[abri-chan]

so I kinda get the sentiment of those fans that wanted byakuya to die during the Quincy arc.

He's been a widower for how many years now? 50? He's clearly not in the mindset to recover from the death of Rukia's sister, and has made up his mind to (1) dedicate his life to the clan and its reputation, so managerial, and (2) to raise/protect Rukia as the only thing left from his deceased wife and also to honor her final wish to give Rukia a sibling that loved her, so familial. It makes sense then, that having failed (1) at the start of the war and having already accomplished (2) because Rukia is now grown, there isn't much for Byakuya to do in the narrative anymore. The person he loved is elsewhere, and Rukia is in the future he has no interest in participating, except as an observer.

(byakuya as a character does nothing for me and I loathe the way he treated Rukia--just because you're dealing with trauma inside and have issues to resolve doesn't mean you get to be a dick to your sister. At the same time, it could be that he opened his heart once to Rukia's sister and was spontaneous/followed his heart, only to have the result be losing his wife anyway and being left alone once again. The way the panel with the death of the wife is drawn, it shows how he shut himself from the world because of that one event. It's fitting to his character in a way to never recover from that, and walk himself in... and when the old world dies, he will die with it because he won't step out of his shelter. I think he's one of those characters that subconsciously wants to die, but cannot bring himself to kill himself because shame or duty, but would welcome an event where death just takes him. I think he would be fine with dying during that war too.)

(not me obsessing over paneling bc kubo is good at it, damn him, but I love how he holds her hand almost like she's a princess and he will kiss it. It's almost like he's the one kneeling and below her, even though she's the one laying on her deathbed and he's sitting next to her. He looks below her because he's crushed by her death while she has made peace with it... the framing of above/below each other's level/gaze is pretty interesting in this page--i really like the perspective framing. what was that one good siken quote (i find siken pretentious btw): you throw your sorrow away but you're left with your hands?)

[kyokutsu-sama]

Long night| Shunsui x reader

"You're unbearably romantic when you drink, you know?" Author's note: I had already mentioned before that I would write something like this for him and here it is. A cute and funny scenario because today is Sunday and I couldn't incorporate my smut writer spirit and so there's nothing hot today. I hope you like it❤️

-------------------------------------------------------

You got up from the couch and looked at the wall clock to check the time, it was a little late already and you seemed to have fallen asleep in the middle of the random movie you were watching. It was 2am and you went to your bedroom to try to sleep. Shunsui would have left a few hours ago and he tried to persuade you to go with him but you didn't want to go, although he almost threw a tantrum because you didn't go with him and went to drink sake among all those drunks like him. He gave up and respected your decision, you liked the way he always respected you even if you and he shared different decisions sometimes.

Shunsui arrived home, looked at the door and spent at least half an hour looking for the keys in his pockets, Jushiro was with him to accompany him home because he knew that if he let him come alone he would end up confusing the houses and entering his neighbors' yard completely drunk as he was.

"Jushiro where the hell are my keys?" He asked his friend as he reached as deep as he could into his pockets so he could find them

"Try to look for them in your shihakusho pockets"The friend advised

He reached into his pocket one more time and after heard the keys rattle he smiled.

"Now, where's the lock?"He asked trying to put the keys in the lock but ended up putting them a little higher

"Leave it to me and I'll open it, give me the keys" Shunsui handed him the keys and Jushiro opened the door and they both entered the house.

"Get in my friend, I have a brand new bottle of sake there"Shunsui said going to the living room but Jushiro stopped him

"Nooo, don't even think about it. You've had enough of drinking, go take a shower and go to sleep, you hear?"Jushiro warned him

"Are you sure you don't want to drink a little before you go?"Shunsui insisted

"No, I think I've had a bit too. I'm getting dizzy and my vision is blurry"

"But you look so sober, c'mon man !"

"Don't insist otherwise I'll tell your niece that you went out drinking and left all the work undone on the desk"

"Okay I think it's time to back off, you know too much" Shunsui said making his friend laugh

"Now see if you do what I said and don't wake up Y/n, she must be sleeping already"

"My dear Y/n… I can't wait to see her sleeping like a little angel" He said as his body "melted" as he imagined the scene

"Well, I'm leaving. Take care of yourself and don't do anything stupid, you hear?"Jushiro said just before leaving

"Yeah, I promise. You sound like old Yama talking"He said closing the door and Jushiro laughed

He leaned against the door and sighed, it had been a long night but he still had the damn idea of going to drink the bottle of sake. He went to the living room and saw the bottle on top of the table behind the couch, he smiled and went to get a glass from the small cupboard but when he was already heading towards the drink he ended up tripping over the corner of the couch and dropping the glass he held on the floor and the vase of flowers that was on the table next to the bottle

"She's going to kill me…" Shunsui said as he looked at the shards of glass on the floor and the flowers

You opened your eyes after hearing a noise coming from downstairs and went to see what was happening. You walked with some caution down the hallway and went down the first few steps of the stairs, looking into the living room to see who was there and you didn't see anyone other than your husband and… a moutain of broken glass on the floor. You went down the stairs and went to see what had happened.

"Shunsui what the hell happened here?" You asked approaching him

"Y/n, how beautiful you look, come here dear" He said hugging you and you frowned

"Shunsui you smell like booze" You said holding his arms and trying to push him away a little

"I'm sorry if I woke you up, it's just… I ended up drinking a little and ended up getting careless and...the vase..."

"Yeah, I'm seeing that and I'm also seeing that it was the vase where I had put the beautiful roses that you gave me the other day" You said a little uncomfortably while looking at the flowers lying on the floor completely soaking

"I'm sorry Y/n-chan" He said hugging you again and kissing your face and lips several times

"Hey ! Your beard is itchy" You couldn't help but smile a little at the way he was trying to apologize

"I'm sorry petal"He repeated

You rolled your eyes and hugged him for a moment to let him see that everything was okay and that there was no need to make such a fuss. He stopped for a moment as you wrapped your arms around him, your warmth was calming him. He actually felt a little bad about the flowers and that's why he was doing all that. He seemed twice as romantic when he drank, that wasn't the first scenario you had witnessed. He really should have seen himself when he was in that condition, that would definitely make him laugh out loud.

"It's okay, I accept your apology. Come with me,I'll take you upstairs so you can shower and go to bed" You said holding him and taking him there

He held on to you and you climbed the stairs with some difficulty to see if he didn't fall since he was tripping on every step. You insisted on helping him with the bath, just to make sure he wouldn't fall due to the effects of the drink. He managed to do it alone and appeared in the room shortly after throwing himself on the bed.

"I missed this bed"He said snuggling his head into the pillow

“But you spend almost half the day here sleeping” You joked as you lay down next to him

“Unfortunately it’s only half the time” He laughed and pulled the sheet to cover both bodies

"Rest, you look tired" You turned off the light and laid your head on the pillow

"I will, my dear, but first, I think I should wait to see you sleep first because… you look so beautiful even when you sleep, you know? But you're beautiful in everything you do, so sleeping is no different and-"

"Shunsui, shut up and sleep"

"As you wish, my lady" He smiled and kissed you before going to sleep

When the sun rose, Shunsui opened his eyes slightly and saw you already awake, walking from one side of the room to the other.

"How are you today?"You asked after notice that he was awake and went to sit next to him

"My head hurts and my body feels so heavy"He said rubbing his eyes and yawning

"I wonder why"

"Well, the drink…"

"Exactly, the damn drink"

He chuckled and you kissed his forehead, he probably wouldn't even remember what had happened the night before and that's why you teased him a little.

"You're unbearably romantic when you drink, you know?"

"What?" He looked at you a little confused

"Nothing, forget it. Don't take too long getting ready because you'll be working soon" You said smiling and leaving the room

"What the hell happened yesterday?" He scratched the back of his head as he watched you leave the room

[animeloverskylarmoon]

Mayuri Kurotsuchi (Bleach) - Chapter 3

These meetings always make you anxious. The second you stepped through those doors your chest felt heavy.

The captains were all lined up and Jushiro sent a sympathetic smile. You're technically still a member of his squad, but you practically live at the twelfth division now.

"Kurotsuchi, present your findings."

The head captain's tone never truly held much emotion unless he was scolding. It still made you weary. You're at the center, just waiting.

"Very well."

He stepped over to you.

You're not sure what's about to happen because he hasn't exactly been very forthcoming with his research.

"She possesses power that most of you cannot comprehend." Those clearly aren't the words they want to hear. A few of them shift, and Toshiro's eyes are focused on you. This wasn't exactly helping your case.

"You all fear her because you don't understand her power, it's actually quite pathetic. She is not a threat to us. Let me demonstrate."

You aren't really sure what exactly he intends to demonstrate. When he reaches for your blade you flinch. He pulls it right out of the sheath.

"W-Wait what are you doing!"

He lifts his own blade that glows. You gape when he raises your blade and brings his own down. It strikes your zanpakuto and you're shocked when the metal shatters into pieces. Your eyes shake and the entire room looks stunned.

Mayuri drops your broken sword, disinterested.

You drop to your knees, staring at the shattered weapon.

Jushiro is enraged.

"What is the meaning of this!!"

He looks ready to fight, but Shunsui grabs his arm, shaking his head.

Mayuri sheaths his zanpaktou.

"Is this not what you all wanted? For me to get rid of the threat." His words sound like a jab, and Toshiro looks a bit guilty.

"You view her as an enemy, why should it matter if she no longer has a weapon? Would that not give us the advantage? You fear her. Her power makes you uneasy."

You're still trying to process that it's gone.

You still recall when you got it.

"No way (Y/N)-chan, you have a zanpaktou!!"

The voice of your friend catches you by surprise. Growing up in Rukongai was rough. That's why when you all finally made it to the academy, it felt like a dream.

That morning you had woken to shouting.

You turned your head, and sure enough there was a blade right at the side of your futon.

"W-What! That's impossible! It can't be mine."

A few of the others were staring in awe. No one had truly gotten their weapons yet. You were all in the first phases of the training. According to the captains, attaining a blade usually took months.

You stare at the weapon, hands hesitant.

"Are you..really mine?"

You aren't sure what you're asking, it's not like it can hear you.

"Akaya. That's my name."

Your eyes widen.

"Did you hear that!!"

Your friend shakes her head.

"Hear what?"

You can't believe this. You must be hallucinating.

Unless...

"Akaya."

You say aloud.

It glows and gasps echo throughout the room. You don't know why, but it's almost like it's calling you. Reaching out, you pick it up and the familiarity of it is amazing. You feel connected.

"I'll treasure you, Akaya."

You finally understand what they meant when they spoke about the bond between a reaper and it's zanpaktou.

"I'm in your care."

Sitting there, it feels like you've broken that promise.

The somber looks are shared throughout the room.

"Akaya.." You whisper.

The light that elects from those pieces catches you off guard. Mayuri just smirks.

The entire room lights up and the gush of wind has your hair flying around wildly. A few of them cover their faces. When the light finally dissipates, your zanpaktou is airborne, hovering right in front of you.

Good as new.

On instinct you hold out your hands and it drops right into your grasp.

They just stare, astonished and you grip it.

"Akaya..y-you're okay.."

The second it was broken you should have been more worried about your title of a reaper, but the thought of being here without your blade was much more painful.

"I have adjusted the properties of my blade to reconstruct in the event that it is ever destroyed, but (L/N) has the ability to do it at will."

You look up at him.

"She's not dangerous. That day her zanpaktou was merely protecting her. Like all of us, our blades are part of us. She has just reached a higher feat. One that I intend to implement into my studies."

He's wearing that creepy grin whenever he finds something he'll like to tear apart, but you can't be happier. You're about to express your gratitude, but your head lolls forward.

Mayuri pauses, curious. When you lift your head, your gait changes. Your eyes are glowing.

"I appreciate you trying to prove your point reaper, but the next time you cause harm to my master, emotional or physical, I will not take it lightly."

Yamamoto stands, bringing his staff down.

"You are Akaya."

He questions. Your head nods.

"My alliance is to my master, no one else. Tread lightly."

That is surely a threat.

The spark in your eyes disappears and you blink.

The stares directed at you have you a bit uncomfortable.

"A-Ano..is something wrong?"

Jushiro just smiles.

"Welcome back, (Y/N)-san."

Your face lights up and you're beaming, because Yamamato just takes a seat.

"You'll be approved to return to your previous position. That is all."

Nothing else is said. With a thankful smile, you turn to Mayuri, bowing.

"ARIGATOU!!"

Turns out all you really needed in your life was this crazy scientist.

[bleachhaven]

Soutaicho’s Secret Admirer (Shunsui x Reader) — Part 5/6

Author’s Note:

It should be noted that this story is almost coming to a close...I’m sad to stop writing about Shunsui but it’s time to wrap this one up. So there’s maybe 1 or 2 more parts left.

Warning: A bit of smut ahead. One can only be seduced endlessly for so long without something happening about it.

–

Read Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3  and Part 4 first!

Uncharacteristically, Shunsui was late to arrive at the office. It was almost ten in the morning when he finally strolled in. Nanao would have admonished him without a thought but the dark circles beneath his eyes revealed he had already had a terrible night. She didn’t want to make it a terrible morning as well.

Shunsui didn’t have the excuse of drunken debauchery at some late night party for his tardiness. The last party he’d been to had been Lisa-chan’s Valentine’s Day celebration and that was over two weeks ago.

It was more or less about how his loneliness and melancholy had kept him up late into the night. Something he definitely didn’t want to burden sweet Nanao-chan about.

He had found himself strolling randomly in seireitei at around three in the goddamn morning because simply staying in his bed staring at his ceiling felt impossible. He didn’t have these kind of difficult nights too often but when he did have them, they were quite terrible.

Sure, he missed Juu. But his loneliness was a bit more than that this time.

It has been over two weeks since he had received anything from his beloved Secret Admirer. Fourteen whole days of complete silence from her was quite unusual, and he felt it acutely. Where was she?

The darkest of thoughts had plagued him at night. What if she was sent on a dangerous mission? What if she had been injured? He hated to think it...but what if she was never coming back? Hadn’t he honestly lost enough? 

The thoughts spiraled as the evening progressed into the wee hours of the morning, growing darker and more melancholy.

He knew he was not the greatest catch in the Soul Society. That title fell to Byakuya, uncontested. Shunsui was older than everyone in seireitei - a thousand years too old, he’d say. He was nobility too but he wasn’t one to truly fit into that mould, which deterred most noblewomen from considering him. 

He wasn’t what one would call conventionally handsome either. He knew he wasn’t ugly...but he wasn’t exactly...whole. Not anymore. Maybe once he would have held some appeal and he had many lovers who thought him handsome enough to have a tumble with him... but the eyepatch never failed to remind him that he was never going to be good looking, by anyone’s standards, with a goddamn hole in his face.

Most days, none of this would honestly bother him. But last night it did.

His beloved Secret Admirer probably came to the conclusion that he wasn’t worth all the trouble after all. Surely, there had to be a reason why he had never been able to have a long term relationship. He blamed it on his job but...was that all it was? Maybe he was just not meant to have a happily ever after with someone.

As romantic as he was, he didn’t really believe in the concept of happily ever after. He knew relationships were work. It was a commitment between two people who cared about each other to work on staying together through whatever. With time, he had put any thoughts of a relationship on the back burner. With his duty to the Gotei 13, and his responsibilities as well as the added burden of maintaining his reputation as the Soutaicho...it was a practical choice. 

But his Secret Admirer had made him want. Had made him yearn for a happily ever after for himself in a way he never had before.

He wanted to be loved and cherished as much as he wanted to love and cherish that one special person in his life. But did he really deserve it?

He knew it was her silence that had his latent insecurities rising to the surface keeping him up at night.

So as sleep deprived as he was, he came to the office with a plan. He couldn’t bear her silence anymore so he was not going to. With everything that had come up in the office, he hadn’t been able to finish up the letter he had started to write to her. At that time, it had felt futile considering there was no way to send it to her. 

But he had a brilliant idea. He would have it published in the next installment of the Seireitei Communication including just enough information so that she would know it’s him while withholding enough details to still keep it anonymous. He could trust Hisagi-kun to be discreet.

He had a plan, and it could actually work!

If only he could actually find that bit of lavender paper he had left on his desk.

“Nanao-chan, did you remove anything from my desk by any chance?” he asked, opening up drawers and bending down to check under the desk.

Nanao looked up from the training schedule she was working on. “Nothing more than the usual paperwork. Why what have you lost now?” she asked with an overexaggerated sigh.

“My, my, Nanao-chan. You make it sound like I lose things on a daily basis.”

“The only thing lost on a daily basis around here is my sanity,” she said, rolling her eyes. Still she relented. A distressed Taicho always meant a distressed Nanao. “Fine. Describe it to me and I will tell you if I saw it anywhere.”

“It was nothing official. Just a bit of lavender paper I had been writing on…” he trailed off seeing the look on her face. “What? Did you see it?”

“You lost the letter you were writing to you Secret Admirer?” she asked.

“Nanao-chan! How did you…?”

“You forget, Taicho,” she said quite matter of factly. “There’s nothing that goes on here I don’t know about. But I haven’t seen it. Maybe it got mixed up in some paperwork and got sent to another division. I don’t think anyone would recognize your flowery handwriting which you reserve for your personal correspondence anyway. So nothing to worry about.”

Shunsui simply stared at her. He has known his little fuktaicho for too long to not notice that something was off. All this time, he thought she was just laughing at his expense because he was mooning over someone he didn’t even know. But now...that look...the way she said it without even having to think about it...it all felt fishy somehow. Nanao-chan was up to something.

“Why are you staring at me like that?” she huffed, correcting the papers on her desk that didn’t need correcting. A nervous habit that always gave her away. “If you don’t have any serious work, I have a pile of forms…”

“You know perfectly well who it is, don’t you, Nanao-chan?” he interrupted her attempts to distract him.

“I don’t know what you’re…”

“Please, Nanao-chan. It’s perfectly obvious you know exactly what I am talking about. Just...tell me…” he said.

He was so serious and intent. Nanao had only ever seen him like that in the heat of the worst kind of battle. She dropped her pretenses as well.

“She and I have both left enough breadcrumbs for you as it is. So if you’re so desperate to know who she is, why don’t you do the work to actually find out?” she asked him. “Clearly the girl cares about you but is terrified to approach you. Who wouldn’t be considering who you are and the position you hold. She is a nice girl, Taicho. But as things stand, she wouldn’t be the one to approach you so maybe you should find out for yourself who she is and do the approaching.”

So Nanao did indeed know who his Secret Admirer was. He understood her reasons why she couldn’t tell him. It wasn’t really her secret to divulge. Shunsui had to respect that despite his desperation.

“Is my sweet Nanao-chan giving her taicho dating advice?” he teased instead.

“Yes, I am,” she declared with a raised brow. “For even I can see how far you’ve fallen that you need advice from me to get yourself a date!”

Shunsui gasped, buying into the friendly teasing. “Nanao-chan is so mean to her taicho!”

Finally, they both got back to work, but Shunsui’s mind was still thinking about what Nanao had said. Apparently breadcrumbs were laid out and he hadn’t even noticed! He clearly had to pay more attention.

He tried to outline the facts in his mind. 

The letters were always lemon scented. It could be a shampoo or some kind of scented cream...but it smelled fresh, almost as if unintentional. Something to further ponder upon. 

The gifts were always elaborate but simple and he hadn’t been able to trace it through any vendor. The chocolates were handmade so his little Secret Admirer was probably very good with cooking and baking. 

The handwriting was very distinctive as well. Especially the way she looped all her Ls and Bs with a distinctive flowy curve. 

So far, the facts didn’t fit well into place to identify her as anyone he knew...but somehow, it felt like it was just barely within reach now. As if it’s only missing one final puzzle piece for the whole thing to come together.

__

That night, sleep evaded him once more. He couldn’t deny it. He missed her! He couldn’t help but wishing that she was right next to him, romancing him with more than just her words. He wished he could cherish her in all the ways he desperately yearned to.

 He took the letters he kept at hand in the drawer of his bedside table. He found that he liked to read them sometimes, and no matter how many times he read her words, they still managed to make him feel things. The shape of her words, the texture of the paper...it comforted him.

However, the sensual seductive ones were his downfall.

With all the time he has been alive, and all the experience he’s had, one would think he would be able to resist the temptation. But he often couldn’t.

Reading those letters, describing how she wanted to make love under the moonlight or how she yearned to taste him...it had him imagining soft feminine hands touching him. His hand would unconsciously reach into his hakama of its own volition and grasp his manhood, wondering what it would feel like to be touched by someone who ardently wanted to please him.

It wouldn’t take him too long at all. He would cum, gasping into the empty bedroom, wishing he had a name he could moan. Wishing she was here for him to hold.

Sated, he’d finally fall asleep. Yet though his body was satisfied, his mind wasn’t. He couldn’t help but feel alone on this big empty bed.

__

That coveted final piece of the puzzle arrived as, of all things, more paperwork. He was mindlessly flipping through some reports after lunch the next day when it popped out at him like well-lit beacon.

It wasn’t anything special. Just a request for more funds to be allocated for a better training ground for the 13th division. Except it was filled out by his beloved Secret Admirer. The handwriting screamed her identity at him, looping Ls and Bs and all.

“_____-san,” he whispered to himself, wondering how he could have missed it.

Suddenly, everything was perfectly crystal clear. 

Everyone knew that while Kuchiki Rukia settled in enough to pick her own fuktaicho, the 3rd seat of the 13th was acting in that role in an unofficial capacity, putting her in-charge of all the paperwork coming and going from that division. A reason why she was always showing up at the 1st...giving her ample opportunities to learn his habits well enough to leave behind those delightful missives without ever getting caught.

The lemon scent was from all the lemonade he knew she made for her division and for some special occasions in the seireitei. It was her specialty, a way of creating comfort and homeliness for her subordinates. He had tasted her chocolates twice - once at the Valentine’s Day party itself and then when she gifted them to him specifically. Both facts which had been pointed out by Nanao-chan while _____-san stood right next to him. No wonder she had flushed red then. It hadn’t been out of embarrassment but possibly from thinking she might get caught. The little minx.

He couldn’t help but remember every encounter he had with her in the recent past. Her cute blushes...the way she gasped out “Soutaicho!” Come to think of it, every time he saw her, he felt like she almost called him Shunsui out of habit only to change it to his official title at the last minute. He even recalled the twinkle in her eyes every time she looked up at him.

He couldn’t believe it. He finally knew who his Secret Admirer was and she’d been right before his eyes, had he only known where to look. He couldn’t help smiling, thinking about all the ways he would get back at her for running him around in circles. He would torture her so, so deliciously…

“You have that dopey smile on your face. Should I be worried?” Nanao asked, breaking him out of his thoughts.

“Hmm…? Of course not, Nanao-chan,” he said, not really reassuring her at all. “I am heading out. Be back soon!” 

“Taicho!” she called out but he was already gone.

__

...to be continued.

__

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[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]

for the drabble request event: Shunsui/Nanao, "there’s an overnight IT person at school who always answers the phone when i call about a problem with my computer and i totally have a crush on their voice and their exasperation and ALSO the bakery down the street is always running out of my fave scones and the adorable person behind the counter can’t hide their amusement and i think it’s super rude but also super cute AU" (from a prompt list)

So, normally, I am not a fan of Nanao/Shunsui, but I forgot to put it on my list of no-go ships, and as... convoluted as this scenario is, I actually had kind of a way to make it work. I checked with the asker first, and they said it was okay to put Juushirou in it, too. I feel like the point of the prompt list this was from was to have two possible ships in any case, otherwise I don’t understand at all how it would work. Anyway, I tried to make it shippy-but-only-if-you-squint on both sides, I hope it’s okay. I really just wanted to write about IT and scone flavors anyway.

Oh, also, I have no respect for Shunsui, so sorry for that, but at least I had fun.

Read on ao3 or ff.net 

💻     ☕     🧁

Professor Kyouraku Shunsui of the Seireitei University Mathematics Department was very pleased with himself. He had timed his arrival at his favorite campus coffee shop for ten minutes before the end of a class period, exactly at the time when the students would be departing for their 10 o’clocks, but the 9 o’clocks had not yet finished. He had been able to score his favorite table, the one next to the front window, so he could watch the foot traffic. He’d laid out his workspace perfectly: laptop front and center; a fresh, fragrant Americano just off to the right, and his little notebook of handwritten instructions to his left. With everything laid out so nicely, he was sure to be very productive. He just needed to remake a few plots for that journal paper. It was only a week overdue at this point, but those editors got so antsy when you just went a smidge over a deadline.

Humming to himself, he ran his finger down the list of procedures as he completed each one. “Amazing!” he exclaimed when a black window popped up on his screen, his own username displayed and a little white cursor cheerfully blinking beside it. “Look at me, a computer genius! I should call my good friend Nanao. I’m sure she would love to hear how well I was able to follow her instructions.”

Shunshui wiggled his fingers, gleefully typed “matlab &” after the prompt, and hit “enter” with a flourish.

Nothing happened.

Shunsui tried again.

Once again, nothing happened.

“Well, that’s a shame,” he frowned, and picked up his phone.

He selected the main campus IT helpline from his contacts, then entered the extension for the math department special helpline, and then he typed in the super-secret extension for the math department special helpline manager.

It rang 9 times. Finally, a clipped voice answered. “Math Department IT Helpline, may I have your name, please?”

“Hellooooooo, Nanaoooooo! It’s meeeeeeee!”

“Your name, please.”

“I’m so hurt, Nanao. It’s your good friend, Shunsui, of course!”

There was a loud clacking of keys from the other end of the line. “And how may I assist you today, Professor Kyouraku?”

“Would you believe it, Nanao, but Matlab won’t open again?”

There was a long silence on the other end, and finally, a dragged out sigh. “What step are you on?”

“I made it all the way to the end of the steps. I even typed in the little ampersand, but nothing! I am all ready to make these figures, and Matlab just doesn’t want to get out of bed, you know?”

“So, you successfully used PuTTY to open a Bash terminal?”

“That’s right, I am very skilled at computers, you know.”

“If you say so. Close it.”

“Close it? But I just got it open!”

“Close it.”

Shunsui sighed. “Goodbye, little friend,” he lamented, hitting the ‘x’. “It is gone.”

“Okay, open PuTTY again. Are you using the saved session I helped you set up last time?”

“Doot doot doot,” Shunsui sang as he double clicked on the PuTTY icon. “There it is! Yes, I am using my saved session, the Shunsui-at-Work one.”

“Great. Select that session and hit ‘load.’”

“I did it.”

“Perfect. Now, over on the menus on the left, expand ‘SSH’ and pick ‘X11’.”

“Ahh, Nanao, what a brilliant person you are to remember all these things!”

“I do this all day, Professor Kyouraku.”

“And you’re so polite, too! You know you can call me Shunsui, though. Yes, here I am, at ‘X11’.”

“There’s a little box that says ‘Enable X11 forwarding, you need to check that.”

“It’s already checked.”

There was a pause. “It is?”

“Yes, there’s a little ‘X’ in it.”

“Oh.”

“We set that up before, I think.”

“I never know with you. Okay, let’s brainstorm. You aren’t part of the cloud computing pilot, are you?”

“I am, actually!”

There was a low muttering, followed by Nanao clearing her throat. “You aren’t trying to launch Matlab from the sentinel node, are you? You use PuTTY to connect to the sentinel, but then you have to manually SSH to your cloud server from there, do you remember?”

“Oh, Nanao, I don’t know what any of those words mean. I am not actually trying to get on the cloud right now, I am just trying to use the department server, does that help?

“Oh, thank God,” Nanao’s beautiful voice muttered.

“I didn’t even know I could use the cloud servers if I wasn’t in my office,” Shunsui mused.

“You can, you just have a different IP you need to-- wait, you’re not in your office?”

“I am in the little coffee shop on the north end of campus. They have the most delightfully lemon ricotta scones--”

“I have been there, the scones are great. Are you connected to the VPN?”

“We should meet here sometime! I love to come here, it’s so relaxing and both the tea and coffee are always so fresh. Do you like matcha?”

“I hate matcha. Are you connected to the VPN?”

“I hate matcha, too! How funny! I just heard from one of my colleagues that they do a really good matcha latte here and I thought--”

“The VPN, man, are you connected to it?”

“Ahhhh.... no. Do I need to be? I thought that was only when I was at home. I’m still on campus.”

“You’re still on campus, but if you’re not in your office, you’re not on the department LAN and you need to connect through the VPN.”

“Ohhhhhhh.”

“Do you know how to connect to the VPN?”

“Ah, I should, I do this when I am working from home. Let’s see, it’s over here on the bottom right…”

“Yes, exactly.”

“Right click… select Cisco…” Shunsui picked up his coffee. “I think my coffee is just about the perfect temperature right now.” He took a sip. It was delicious. “I probably should have had my coffee before I called you, eh?”

There was a muffled thud on the other end of the line.

“Nanao, did you fall? Are you all right? I can come over and help you if you need.”

“It’s fine. Someone, uh, dropped something.”

“The VPN is connected.”

“Fantastic. Just… just go through the steps you did before to get to the Bash terminal. Can you do that? I will just sit here and drink my own coffee.”

“You have your own coffee? Oh, that’s delightful! We’re coffee friends!”

“Just try to start Matlab again, please.”

“Everything just takes so long to connect, you know, once you’re on the VPN. This coffee shop should have better wifi, in my opinion.”

“Mm-hmm.”

“Any plans for the weekend?”

“Probably helping you open Matlab again.”

“Ha, ha, oh, Nanao, you’re such a kidder! You know I don’t work on the weekend. I bet you have many exciting hobbies, like going to the theater… or writing poetry…”

There was a long pause. “I’m actually really into historic costume recreation, and a friend and I are going to a millinery workshop.”

“Ah, I knew you were artistic as well as brilliant,” Shunsui sighed, carefully typing in his password once again. “Here we go, Nanao, do you have your fingers crossed for me?”

“I have all my fingers crossed for you.”

“I am typing in ‘matlab ampersand’ again, that should do it, right?”

“Look, the ampersand has nothing to do with the graphical display, it just runs the program as a background process so you can still type things into your terminal.”

“Amazing how you can remember so much! I am hitting ‘enter’ and-- and--”

“What’s happening?!”

“Ah, that beautiful orange saddle surface is here to greet me, once again,” Shunsui sighed as the Matlab logo filled the screen. “You have saved me once again, Nanao. You must allow me to buy you dinner sometime, or at least a coffee.”

“You can tell your department head how much you use the helpdesk, and that I deserve a raise and three more work-study students.”

“I will certainly do that. Have a tremendous day, Nanao!”

“You, too, Professor Kyouraku.”

Shunsui stretched and interlaced his fingers behind his head. All that hard work was exhausting. He’d been so ready to get started, and now his rhythm was off. There was no way he could jump directly into those plots. He stood up and meandered over to the counter.

The cute barista was on duty today. His pale hair was tied up in a casual bun, and the sleeves of his sweater pushed up over his forearms. “Good morning, Professor,” he said with a sunny grin. “Working hard or hardly working?”

“Oh, causing trouble for our IT department, once again,” Shunsui sighed.

“The one you have a crush on? Did you ask for her number?”

“I have her number, I call it every day when I cannot figure out how to use my computer. She has no interest in an old fellow like myself. She is far too good for me, Juushirou! But speaking of things that are too good for me, please tell me that you have one of my favorite scones for me today?”

“Hmm, we just had a big rush at breakfast time,” Juushirou frowned. “I’ll have to go check. Oh, we have a new flavor today!” He leaned forward over the counter and waggled his eyebrows. “Strawberry basil?”

“I am sure they are a delight, but I have had a very harrowing morning, and I need the comfort of the familiar.”

“I understand!” Juushirou shook a finger sternly. “Shunsui’s favorite flavor… Shunsui’s favorite flavor… it’s not orange ginger, he finds those too zingy.... maple bacon, too trendy… the less we say about the matcha scones the better… oh dear, oh dear, it appears the lemon ricotta basket is empty.”

Shunsui flung his arm over his eyes. “I knew I should have ordered one with my coffee! I have been trying to cut calories, but today has been so trying…”

“I’ve got Morning Glory muffins? Or egg white breakfast cups?”

Shunsui made a face. “Thank you, but I think I would rather just go without.”

Juushirou gave off his hearty laugh. “I’ve never seen anyone make such a sad face over scones.” He furrowed his brows. “Those lemon ricotta scones are very popular, you know. We run out of them almost every day.”

“I am a man of discerning taste, Juushirou, who is frequently disappointed.”

“You know what you need?” Juushirou suggested perkily. “A savory scone. Completely different flavor profile. It’ll take your mind right off the lemon. We have cheddar chive? Pancetta sage?”

“Juushirou,” said Shunsui. “I will take a white chocolate blackberry scone.”

“Wonderful choice!” Juushirou agreed, and then leaned forward conspiratorially. “Those are my favorites.”

“I know,” Shunsui replied.

[tayman001]

GrimmIchi (post epilogue): Includes some Anime characters and an original character of mine also using Anime terms. 2

Taylor: The maximum amount of kids a man can give birth at one time is 10 and the number in general is random each time so...

Grimmjow (visibly scared): shaking uncontrollably Ichigo: Great Tay now you've freaked out Grimm... tries to comfort Grimmjow Taylor: ...you have to wait another month until we know for sure how many at once you'll be having but I will say this 10 is the rarest amount and only a lucky few ever get only that amount. Grimmjow: Then I hope I'm not lucky because I don't think I'd survive that... Kazui: Awesome so if it is 10 I'd have 10 younger half brothers! Ichigo: Kazui don't you see your Dadjow is freaking out. Kazui: Isn't he an Arrancar? If so than shouldn't his Hierro protect him from harm? Grimmjow (visibly panicked): Ichigo: Please go to your room Kazui because you aren't helping. Kazui goes to his room Uryū: If you want I can be his personal Doctor to make sure he doesn't suffer any injuries during his pregnancy, Ichigo. Ichigo: Sure, Uryū. Taylor: You'll probably say no but I can inject something into him specifically designed to allow him to survive just in case it turns out he is to have 10 kids. Ichigo: You sound like Mayuri with his experiments so no. Taylor: If you think its an experiment you are wrong so no I'm not mimicking Captain Kurotsuchi since I actually test my experiments on clones of volunteers that are specifically designed to run tests on so that actual people aren't harmed so no the substance has already been tested and is unharmful in fact it actually will make him live longer but if you truly don't trust me or my science then fine, if Grimmjow does and 10 kids and ends up dying you'll have no one to blame but yourself. proceeds to walk away Ichigo: Wait... Fine inject him with it. BUT IF HE ENDS UP DEAD YOU'LL BE DEAD BECAUSE I'LL KILL YOU IN COLD BLOOD! Taylor: If I wanted him dead I'd never have said anything. injects the formula into Grimmjow Grimmjow (feeling drunk): his words are slurd and are not understandable Ichigo: What the fuck have you done to him! I TRUSTED YOU! Taylor: That is supposed to happen idiot and its only temporary it does that so he doesn't feel any pain during the procedure. Grimmjow (still feeling drunk): changes are happening inside him that aren't affecting his pregnancy *moments later* Grimmjow (is an immobile slob): What happened and why can't I move? Ichigo: What the fuck have you done to him Taylor! Taylor: He needs that wait to survive the 10 kids since the pregnancy needs blood to give birth and as a result of the pregnancy any fat he has is measured in blood for the pregnancy so each pound of fat is equal to a liter of blood and each child needs 100 liters of blood to be used to successfully be born and for the pregnant man to survive with 100 extra liters per child just in case the procedure takes longer than the estimated time so in total for 10 kids he needs to weigh 2000 pounds which he now weighs well plus the weight he had prior and if you are worried about his weight the formula makes it so he never suffers health problems again and I even have a formula solely for the no health problems just in cause you were worried about your gluttonous appetite might lead to those and I have another formula solely for always being mobile. Ichigo: Yes inject both of those sole formulas into me then inject the mobile one into Grimmjow. Taylor: does just that Ichigo: Now leave... I wanna go order 50 boxes of Pizza. Taylor leaves and so does Uryū A month later Ichigo (pigging out on some pizza): moans and chumping Grimmjow (feels 10 things kicking inside him as they form): moans in pain Ichigo: Grimm what's wrong? Grimmjow: moans in pain Ichigo: Grimm please say something! Grimmjow: moans in pain call... moans in pain ...everyone. moans in pain Ichigo: calls everyone An hour later Taylor, Kazui, Uryū, Brandan, Rukia, Renji, Ichika, Chad, Noba, Orihime, Nozomi, Karin, Yuzu and Riruka show up Karin and Nozomi: Ichigo why'd you call us like I don't see why... Karin: ...Nozy and me... Nozomi: ...Kary and me... Karin and Nozomi: ...had to come.

Yuzu: Karin you do realize I was called to so don't go assuming Ichigo called you and your girlfriend on a whim since he probably has a reason for calling all of us. Chad and Noba: silence Rukia and Renji: Why did you call all of us? Riruka: I bet something stupid. Orihime: Maybe it has something to do with Grimmjow's pregnancy? Uryū and Brandan: Probably. Kazui and Ichika: But why were we called aren't we still too young to hear where babies come from? Taylor: I doubt that is why we were called here since if that were the case they would have only called the two of you not all of us. Shinji, Shunsui, Nanao, Momo, Suì-Fēng, Nelliel, Marechiyo, Kensei, Shūhei, Kisuke, Yoruichi, Rose, Izuru, Isane, Kiyone, Byakuya, Tetsuzaemon, Atau, Lisa, Yuyu, Mashiro, Tōshirō, Rangiku, Kenpachi, Ikkaku, Yumichika, Mayuri, Akon, Sentarō, Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro and Chizuru show up Taylor: Hi, Captain Hirako, Head Captain Shunsui, Lieutenant Ise, Lieutenant Hinamori, Captain Suì-Fēng, Nel, Lieutenant Omaeda, Captain Muguruma, Lieutenant Hisagi, Kisuke, Yoruichi, Captain Ōtoribashi, Lieutenant Kira, Captain Kotetsu, Lieutenant Kotetsu, Captain B Kuchiki, Captain Iba, Lieutenant Rindō, Captain Yadōmaru, Lieutenant Yayahara, Lieutenant Kuna, Captain Hitsugaya, Lieutenant Matsumoto, Captain Zaraki, Lieutenant Madarame, 3rd Seat Ayasegawa, Captain Kurotsuchi, Lieutenant Akon, Lieutenant Sentarō, Tatsuki, Keigo, Mizuiro and Chizuru. Shinji: ...Taylor I told you, you can call me Shinji I don't care much about formalities. Shunsui: Hey Taylor. Nanao: You'll never get promoted Taylor if you slack off and don't do what your ordered to do! Taylor: Lieutenant Ise who said I wanted a promotion? Since I'm perfectly fine staying unseated even if I have the strength of a Captain. Momo: Nanao why not just let it go? Nanao: I might as well since he seems to have his mind set. Suì-Fēng (focused on Yoruichi and not realizing she is talking out loud): I wanna marry Lady Yoruichi! Yoruichi (hearing Suì-Fēng say that): flash steps over to her So its a promise then? Suì-Fēng (shocked and embarrassed): I, uh... Yoruichi: kisses Suì-Fēng Suì-Fēng and Yoruichi leave to spend some alone time Taylor: Well that was kinda unexpected but I had a feeling that info would soon come out. Nel: I fell on my face when I arrived since I keep tripping out of the sky Garganta. Taylor: If you don't look wounded than its clear that your Hierro is strong enough to protect you from the impact. Nel: True. Marechiyo: I kinda knew Captain Suì-Fēng was a Lesbian all along! Suì-Fēng returns and kicks Marechiyo so hard he passes out and needs medical attention Taylor: I would have told him to shut up but it was already too late since as soon as he opened his mouth I knew it was only a matter of time before this happened. Kensei and Shūhei: Yeah he can be a idiot sometimes. Taylor: Say how is your lives treating you after the two of you tied the knot? Kensei and Shūhei: Pretty good. Shūhei: And I'm Pregnant and he is due next month. Kensei: I'm still kinda scared to be a father. Since the last time I tried to handle crying all I could come up with was "Laugh or else!!!!" Shūhei: Yeah and that was 100 years ago when you were yelling that to me when I was a kid. Kensei: Yeah but I'm still confused on why you stopped crying? Shūhei: I saw your chest and 69. Kensei: Oh come here. Kensei and Shūhei make out Kisuke: I wish Tessai could have been here... Taylor: Why where is he? Kisuke: Hospital... Someone ran him over in a hate crime. starts crying Taylor: He is gonna be ok, Kisuke after all he is your husband and you know how strong he is. Kisuke (stops crying): Yeah you're right. Rose: playing his guitar Izuru: guarding the perimeter Isane: gets bumped into I'm sorry that was my fault. Kiyone: Isane its not your fault you were the one bumped into not him since he bumped into you. Byakuya: Ichigo Kurosaki why the fuck did you ask all of us here like really. Taylor: Captain B Kuchiki, I think it has to do with his husband Grimmjow's pregnancy.

Byakuya: ...wasn't he married to Orihime Inoue? Orihime: He was but I divorced him once he told me the truth so that he could marry the one he loves. Tetsuzaemon: Atau I'm gonna go take Sajin for a since he is is bugging me to walk him. Atau: does ok in sign language Taylor: Let me guess Captain Iba, you are taking care of Sajin Komamura who was your captain back when you were the Lieutenant of Squad 7 but who was turned into a wolf after using the Humanization Technique back during the war with the Quincy. Tetsuzaemon (ashamed): Yeah... Taylor: There is no reason to feel ashamed after all he was your captain for a long time and you still care for him and its not in your nature to leave anyone behind, now is it. Tetsuzaemon: That is true. Taylor: I can look at ways to reverse his condition if you want I just need to clone him genetically so he doesn't end up dying in case a formula doesn't work. Tetsuzaemon: I'll have to ask him. Taylor: If he is in the form a normal wolf he can't speak in any language that we as humanoids can understand so how can you understand his wolf speak? Tetsuzaemon: He taught me it when he was still a werewolf. Taylor: Oh. Lisa: Hey Taylor. question do you have Line? Taylor: Uh no but I have Facebook. Lisa: You should get Line! Yuyu: Yeah get line!~ Taylor: How about stop asking! Mashiro (using her Hollow mask): Mashiro Super Cero! Taylor: jumps out of his body, puts on his hollow mask and blocks the cero with his hand Mashiro: Big deal so you countered it... Here it goes Mashiro Drop Kick. Taylor: grabs her foot and throws her across the room Mashiro (dizzy): I was just getting started... passes out Kensei and Shūhei: She deserved that. Tōshirō: Why is it that everyone is so manic today? Rangiku: Relax Captain. Kenpachi: attempts to attack Taylor Taylor: cuts Kenpachi's arm off Kenpachi: Asshole! Taylor: I warned you never to attack me. Ikkaku and Yumichika: Well it looks like we need to take the Captain to Orihime again... Mayuri: I would like to test a new drug on you Taylor. Taylor: Too late you are already testing new drug of mine. Mayuri: Huh? Akon: Captain... Get off me your crushing me. Mayuri: Well now look what your drug did Taylor, I can't move and if I don't get off of Akon quickly I'm gonna end up killing him. Taylor: checking Akon's vital signs Nope he is lying in fact he is too ashamed to admit it that he is actually aroused by all of this and is in fact not being crushed to death. Akon: blushing Mayuri: blushing Oh so he likes this huh? Maybe this isn't so bad after all. Sentarō: I'm gonna go fight with Kiyone for old time sake. goes over to where Kiyone is to pick a fight Tatsuki and Chizuru: making out Keigo and Mizuiro: making out Taylor: Ichigo please tell me you didn't invite anybody else. Since I doubt this place can handle anymore people. Ichigo: Nope this is everyone. Kazui: Dad I'm sleepy can I rest on your belly until I can reach my room? Ichigo: Sure Kazui. Kazui: climbs onto Ichigo's fat belly and falls to sleep Ichigo: starts eating more pizza Hours later Ichigo (looking like a immobile blob): I think I ate too much pizza. Kazui: still sleeping Taylor: Well you aren't immobile even though you look like it. Rukia: GET THE FUCK UP ICHIGO! Taylor: Captain R Kuchiki there is no need to yell like do you wanna wake Kazui? Rukia: Oops sorry. Kazui: still sleeping so... comfy... love... dad's... fatness.... so.... soft...... Ichigo: Please tell me he'll wake up eventually since I don't intend to have him sleep only on my belly. Taylor: Depends on his actions. everyone eventually clears out except for Taylor, Rukia, Renji, Ichika, Orihime, Riruka, Chad, Noba, Karin, Nozomi, Yuzu, Uryū and Brandan Kazui: still sleeping Ichigo: Why has he still not woken up like did he fall in love with my belly or something? Taylor: That is a likely reason. Grimmjow: If he loves it why not teleport him in and have him stay there until I give birth to his half brothers. Ichigo: Yeah I'm not gonna risk digesting Kazui, Grimm.

Noba: I have that risk when I do my job as a living Taxi. So I release my passengers as soon as I start burping just so I don't digest them and they never reach their destination because of it. Rukia and Renji: Yuck. Chad: What's so yuck about it, its hot. Karin and Nozomi: We have to agree with Rukia and Renji since YUCKY! Yuzu: I agree with Mr. Giant since if my Future Husband went around and did that I'd be turned on by it. Uryū and Brandan: We are agreeing with Chad and Yuzu. Taylor: I like it as well. Orihime: Of course you would after all you made this Gigai for Noba since Kisuke decided against making them any new Gigai for the three of them... speaking of which where is Ririn and Kurōdo? Riruka: I wouldn't know since I have never met them. Meanwhile Ririn: showing off her new sexy look which she's been doing for years Kurōdo: showing off his new handsome look which he's been doing for years Meanwhile Taylor: I have a feeling they haven't stop doing what they said they were gonna do when I made and gave the three of them their new Gigai. Sometimes I wish that I didn't ask them what they wanted and just remade their original Gigai and only asked Noba what he wanted. Meanwhile Gō Koga returns to Karakura Town for the first time in years Koga: I really hope those kids don't assume I'm here for revenge. Meanwhile Noba: A Bount! Meanwhile Ririn and Kurōdo: BOUNT! Meanwhile Ichigo: But the only Bount left would be the one with the Doll known as Dalk the one who Yoruichi said Thanks me for defeating Kariya. Uryū: You think he is here for revenge. Taylor: Doubt it since I can sense him and based on his Spirit Energy he isn't here to fight in fact he is here for peace. Rukia, Renji, Chad, Noba, Ichigo, Grimmjow, Orihime, Riruka, Uryū, Brandan and Ichika: HUH? Kazui: still sleeping gay Taylor: Um.... where'd Kazui decide to say that out of the blue sure he is sleeping but still it must have been a reason. Rukia, Renji, Chad, Noba, Ichigo, Grimmjow, Orihime, Riruka, Uryū, Brandan and Ichika: Beats us. Gō Koga shows up in the house Koga: Sorry to barge in uninvited but I wanted to say sorry for my actions years ago... wait... I must have the wrong house since none of you look familiar. Taylor: The ones who you've never seen before are myself, Grimmjow the blue haired guy, Kazui the little orange haired guy who is sleeping, Ichika the red haired little girl with violet eyes, Brandan the auburn hair guy and Riruka the magenta haired lady with the magenta eyes. I'm pretty sure you remember Ichigo, points to Ichigo Uryū, points to Uryū Rukia, points to Rukia Renji, points to Renji Orihime, points to Orihime Chad, points to Chad and Noba. points to Noba Koga: WAIT HOW LONG HAS IT BEEN? Taylor: 10 years and 20 months since you and the other Bounts showed up about 3 months before the fight with Aizen took place and its been 10 years and 17 months since that fight with Aizen. Koga: ...I might as well leave since it seems I waited to long to apologize. proceeds to leave Ichigo, Rukia, Orihime, Chad, Uryū, Renji and Noba: There is no need to leave. Koga: OK if you... Ririn and Kurōdo show up Ririn: Stop there this is no place for someone of your kind Bount. Kurōdo: If you don't leave we will have to destroy you. Taylor: Ririn and Kurōdo back down he isn't an enemy any longer. To Be Continued

[cooliogirl101]

Sayuri (or Christina!Sayuri, whichever you think this is more in character for) decides that the best way to keep Aizen out of trouble is to give him a brand new nemesis that he can focus on entirely, rather than world domination. This nemesis- his twin sister. Your thoughts? Would Sayuri go supervillain to keep her brother from doing it first?

You know it’s funny, I originally considered taking TLM in that exact direction? Like Sayuri wouldn’t become Sousuke’s enemy enemy– I don’t think she could stand having him hate her. But a game to keep Sousuke engaged, to keep him from becoming so desperately bored that he decides to remake the world just to make things interesting again? A giant game of chess, with the entire afterlife as their chessboard and themselves as the opposing kings? That, she can do. She’ll play the black king, if it means Sousuke gets to be the white one. And even if she loses, even if she dies, Sousuke will still end up a hero. He’d be loved. She’d be okay with that being her legacy. 

They iron out the rules beforehand. Sousuke will get the Gotei 13 as his army while Sayuri gets anyone outside the Seireitei. Their game will officially start the moment Sayuri defects– and unlike Sousuke in another lifetime, she doesn’t make a big show of it so much as slip quietly away into the night. 

She starts with the hollows, because they’re the easiest. Once she proves herself to them (the Adjuchas, the Vasto Lorde, the natural Arrancar), she turns to the Gotei 13′s other enemies– the Quincy (and wasn’t that a headache and a half, figuring out a way to unite Quincy with their natural enemies), the Bounts, the Modsouls, the Fullbringers, everyone else who was forced into hiding by the Gotei 13 simply to survive. It’s the hardest thing she’s ever had to do, uniting races that have no business being united. 

But she does. And they follow her. 

She isn’t sure at what point precisely that she starts to care what happens to the pieces on her side of the board. At what point sacrifice starts to sound like a dirty word, at what point she starts making an effort to preserve lives not for the sake of optimizing her chances of winning, but for the sake of…preserving lives. She isn’t sure at what point she stops being okay with Sousuke cutting down her people left and right. 

(He won’t stop though, she knows that much. Not when he’s having this much fun. Even if she asked him, even if she begged him, they’re both already in too deep.) 

“You’re getting sloppy, sister,” Sousuke tells her with a smile during one of their meetings. Sayuri feels her ribs ache– the memory of her last run in with Kyouraku Shunsui still there, even if her wound isn’t– and smiles placidly back. 

“You needn’t worry about me, Sousuke. I’ll be fine. Aren’t I always?”

(She thinks about scrambling, tripping over herself to catch Lilynette as she fell out of the sky, Starrk’s anguished scream, Tsukishima stepping in with a grim look on his face to cover her exposed back. She looks at Sousuke’s playfully smug grin, the confidence of the entire Gotei 13 behind him– the confidence borne out of thousands of years of victories– and she feels…she feels…)

“Off so soon?” Sousuke calls after her as she walks away. 

“I have a war to win,” is her only answer. She keeps her expression carefully blank. 

The plan had always been for Sousuke to win. To give him a challenge, certainly, but his victory had always been the end goal. She isn’t sure when that started to change.

Precisely one hundred, twenty-three years, and eighteen days after their game begins, Sayuri wakes up to two very familiar and four unfamiliar spiritual energies outside her door. 

“Nelliel?” She calls out warily. “Would you care to explain why I sense Urahara Kisuke and Hirako Shinji outside my bedroom? Along with–” she pauses for a second. “–four teenage human beings?” 

“Dang. You weren’t lying about her sensing abilities,” an unfamiliar male voice says. 

“Of course not. Have you ever known me to lie?” She hears a voice she (unfortunately) knows very well reply. Throwing on a robe, she marches outside. 

“Urahara-san. Hirako-san.” She pauses, before stating blandly, “You’re not here to kill me.”

“No,” Shinji agrees. “I’m guessing ya would have woken up far sooner had we any hostile intentions towards you. Which is lucky for us, since I’m guessing that’s the only reason your guards let us through.” 

Sayuri stares at him through narrowed eyes, unmoved. 

“You’re not here to kill me, or to hurt anyone here,” she repeats. “So why are you here?”

Shinji glances at Urahara for a split second before turning back towards her, smile dropping. 

“The Gotei 13 did something to me I didn’t agree with. Specifically, your brother did something to me– and a few others– that we didn’t agree to. And because we didn’t turn out quite the way they wanted, now they want us dead,” Shinji says, voice dropping to something angry and dangerous as white bone starts creeping across his face. “As for why we’re here…this is what you do, isn’t it? You take people the Gotei 13 doesn’t want to exist, and you give them a place to live.” 

Sayuri stares back at him, expression giving nothing away. 

“And them?” She asks, tilting her head towards the four humans standing behind him. “Why are they here?” 

“Ah.” Urahara speaks up. “They’re here because the Gotei 13 took Ichigo’s dad–” Urahara points towards a teenage boy with shockingly orange hair. “–into custody for falling in love with a human. And now they’re here because they want your help in getting him back.”

Sayuri purses her lips. 

“I don’t trust you,” she says honestly. She’s never had much patience for lies. 

“Wouldn’t expect you to,” Urahara says, smiling. “But you also know we’re telling the truth.” He pauses. “Aizen Sayuri, the greatest sensor that ever lived. So intuitive that even the most skilled liars are doomed to fail. Funny how that ended up working out for us, huh?”

Sayuri doesn’t quite roll her eyes but it’s a near thing. 

“Go get the rest of your people. Don’t look at me like that, I can sense them hiding under us in the Menos Forest; they aren’t subtle. And tell Sarugaki that picking on the Gillians isn’t nice, especially given that they’re no match for her. When you get back, I’ll have Starrk assign you all tents.” 

As she walks away, she hears one of the humans– the red-haired girl– whisper to Nel. 

“That’s incredible, that she can sense so far! Does she always know everything that’s going on around her?”

“Not everything,” Nel replies. “But…she looks out for us. It’s what she does.” 

Later that night, Sayuri looks out at the assortment of humans, shinigami, modsouls, Quincy, Bounts, Fullbringers, and hollows below her. She can sense them, each and every one of them a bright star in a sea of spiritual energy. 

Closing her eyes, she takes it all in. It’s easier for her to see with her eyes shut, anyway. 

Beautiful, isn’t it? Shiroi Seiun whispers in her mind. And they’re yours. They’re all yours. 

Yes. Sayuri mulls over her thoughts for a moment. It’s funny, she started this war for Sousuke’s sake, in an effort to save him from himself. But now, when she thinks about what she fights for…

A sudden thought hits her, causing her to open her eyes again. She furrows her brow, contemplative. 

“You know, I was just thinking,” she says slowly, out loud. “With all this, all that we’ve done, all that we’re trying to do– have we…have we become the good guys?”

Shiroi Seiun laughs softly in reply. 

What do you think, my little cloud?

[gunnerpalace]

hey there! so i used to be a huge fan of bleach, and loved ichiruki, and i was reminded of them today but i haven't been involved with the fandom since the series ended. however, i've heard of different variations of why the series ended/ships happened the way they did, and was wondering if you knew or could direct to me a post that explains that? i apologize if i'm bringing up bitter feelings, but i've always been curious if bleach's ending was a big FU from kubo or if he always intended rr/ih

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a post that really goes over it structurally in that kind of way (from a shipping perspective). I’ll get back to what you actually asked me after some asides, because it’s not so simple to just analyze the ships in a vacuum.

I’ve had my own post about why the ending was a fuck you moment, thematically, because it failed to resolve any of the themes and momentum of the series in a way that would be appropriate (either internally or in the context of the supposed genre of shounen.)

I would also say that the ending was a fuck you moment in terms of lore, backstory, and mystery, because all of the historical and political dimensions (i.e., things involving the Soul King and Great Houses) were unceremoniously shuffled off to Can’t Fear Your Own World. Not that any of those things were ever brought up properly in the manga to begin with; the proper and natural time for that would’ve been at the conclusion of the Soul Society arc, when Ichigo and co. spent a week there, which we saw none of. So I would say that everything in CFYOW is basically retconned bullshit hung off prior convenient plot hooks, and that the same was true of TYBW and LSS/TLA/Xcution as well. There may have been some notes and forethought, but it’s about as “valid” as Kevin J. Anderson and Brian Herbert’s Dune works are compared to the original Frank Herbert ones; it’s second-hand, at best.

(This is setting aside that Bleach was clearly made up as it went along. For example: Noriaki literally admitted that he didn’t know who had killed Aizen in Soul Society until he realized that Aizen not being dead was the most shocking answer; the clear baiting and abandonment of Kisuke as the villain hinted at through various means such as his unclear and later retconned reasons for being exiled, and so on. Bleach was very much a J. J. Abrams-style mystery box work that was made as it went with, at best, rough notes, which is why its themes and focus change, for the worse. I also have a post about why it stopped being special, which is part of a running series I intend to write on how to rewrite it to fix and preserve that)

The best recent thing to compare it to is, really, HBO’s adaptation of Game of Thrones, wherein D. B. Weiss and David Benioff openly admitted to removing or deemphasizing story elements, and ignoring themes in adapting the work. The difference is that Bleach was not being adapted from anything; it degraded due to its own creator not understanding what he had created.

(To put it very simply, because this would be the point of Hyperchlorate Part II and would take a whole post to explain: the ending of the Soul Society arc did not properly establish and flesh out Soul Society as a place with a history, space, and purpose. Instead, the Arrancar and Hueco Mundo arcs decided to be a thematic inversion and deconstruction of the Karakura and Soul Society arcs. This again had an ending that did not establish or flesh anything out after Aizen’s defeat, with an even greater diffusion of focus onto ancillary characters. The Xcution arc tripled down on this by addressing something entirely new and retconned in, only to abandon it midway through in favor of going back to invoking Soul Society. And Thousand-Year Blood War took all of these problems to 11. tl;dr: Noriaki tried themes, people hated it, and so he just shoved in more and more dumb sword fights between people nobody cared about, half of whom hadn’t previously existed.)

So, let’s get back to your question. Let’s talk about ships. I’ve clicked a lot of keys and spilled a lot of ink on this subject over the years, but I no longer particularly feel like searching my own archives (really ought to go back through and organize them better) beyond this post and my own follow-up to it about the chronology of IR interactions, so I’m just going to repeat myself.

First, let’s say that Bleach was not ever a manga about ships.

I’m not disavowing that what Rukia and Ichigo had was special. That was called out multiple times through the focus of the art, the dialogue, and by the characters themselves. (Directly by, for example, Orihime’s outright statement to the effect in Soul Society, and her later jealousy regarding it. Indirectly by, say, Uryuu’s acknowledgement that him saving Rukia first would piss Ichigo off. In fact, the biggest indirect indicator doesn’t even involve Ichigo and Rukia; Shunsui asks Chad why he’s there and Chad says he wants to save Rukia, Shunsui calls bullshit that two months isn’t enough time to risk your life for that, and Chad agrees and says he’s there because Ichigo wants to do it. Shunsui moves on, but his argument is left hanging: why was two months enough for Ichigo? Because, as Orihime will later say out loud, Rukia is special.)

What I’m saying is that that was never the focus. It was explicitly constructed that way.

How do I know? The Grand Fisher fight. The Grand Fisher fight is emotionally charged, bringing up both Ichigo and Rukia’s greatest traumas, and is their one real moment of not understanding each other for a time. It was a triumphant moment that made them truly glad to know one another, and you can see it in their reactions afterward (Rukia thanking Ichigo for not dying, Ichigo asking Rukia if he can keep being a Shinigami). There was a lot to unpack there, and you can see it in the way they look at each other.

What happened immediately after the Grand Fisher fight? Noriaki skipped a whole month. We go from June 18th of 2001 to July 17th of 2001. He deliberately skipped all of the emotional impact of that event, and Rukia being around for Ichigo’s 16th birthday. Just never happened. We never hear about it. Wasn’t his focus as a writer.

Now, I’m convinced that was because he was scared of what he had on his hands. He wasn’t willing to commit to either a couple’s battle shoujo or a shounen with male and female seemingly-heterosexual co-equal deuteragonists who clearly had a strong emotional bond. More specifically, he wasn’t willing to make Rukia a centerpiece of the manga despite having designed her first, having made her the moral and philosophical core of his manga, and having based Ichigo entirely around completing and complementing her. But hey, that’s just my opinion, right? Except it kept happening.

From the Grand Fisher fight onward, the name of the game in the manga, structurally, became keeping Ichigo and Rukia apart.

The moment she was taken back to Soul Society, her prominence dropped. We got emotionally charged scenes of them regardless. Right at the conclusion, after yet another emotionally heavy set of Ichigo and Rukia interactions, we again skip almost a month, from the end of the first week in August of 2001 to September 1, 2001. (Due to some completely unnecessary timey-wimey bullshit with the Precipice World.)

In the Arrancar and Hueco Mundo arcs, they have roughly a day together over the course of three months. What happens after every meeting? They’re shuffled apart and split up, and we cut away. This time, for over a year!

Ichigo and Rukia again have a very emotionally charged meeting in the Xcution arc. And what happens at the end of that arc? We skip ahead another month to TYBW. (Xcution ended sometime in May of 2003, TYBW starts June 11, 2003.)

And in TYBW, Rukia and Ichigo barely meet up at all. Indeed, the focus is scarcely upon them.

In CFYOW, neither of them even appear, let alone have any relevance to the plot.

The implication, in my opinion, is pretty obvious: Noriaki was deathly afraid of dealing with the outcomes of their interactions, and that ultimately became him being deathly afraid of allowing them to interact at all to begin with. Why? Well, as I said in one of the last linked posts:

As an author, sometimes you will find your characters will do things you didn’t anticipate or plan for, and you’ve got two choices: you can go with the flow and do what’s natural and deal, or you can fight it and try and impose your vision anyway.

He refused to let his art take the direction it needed to go in.

Now, some people might say he got bored of them, or of having them together. I say that’s bullshit. And the reason I say is down to three things:

He didn’t ignore them, he did his best to keep them apart. I outlined this above.

He did not emphasize anything or anyone else instead. His focus was all over the place. While, admittedly, Ichigo’s prominence also declined, so did everyone else’s.

It would have served him well to focus on their interactions to expand his universe and explore its lore. The things that were detailed in the databooks and CFYOW could’ve been presented naturally and easily if they were together. But that came with a cost of shifting the focus. A cost he refused to pay.

Let’s talk more about (2) and (3) now.

Regarding (2), Chad and Orihime are inextricably linked in Bleach, because they essentially have the same relationship to Ichigo. “But Orihime loves Ichigo, and Chad is his no-homo bro!” someone proclaims. So what? They’re presented as equal and parallel at every step.

They both gain their powers at approximately the same time.

We are told they gained their powers due to the Hogyouku (in Rukia at the time) interpreting their wishes (and no one else’s, such as Tatsuki, Keigo, or Mizuiro), meaning they probably had the same strength of desire.

They both go to Soul Society “for Ichigo.”

They both utterly fail against Yammy and Ulquiorra.

They both spend most of the Hueco Mundo arc doing nothing.

They are both featured prominently in the Xcution arc, and both fail to see through Tsukishima’s powers despite their love for Ichigo. (Meanwhile, Byakuya coolly tries to murder someone who he thinks is his mentor, in Ichigo’s name.)

They both get sidelined in Hueco Mundo with Kisuke in TYBW, doing little to nothing.

They both are utterly ineffectual in the final fight in TYBW.

They are often portrayed together, they are often as effective as one another, and they are equally as developed in their relationship to Ichigo going forward, which is to say: not at all. The loss of focus on IR did not come with an attendant rise of focus on IH, any more than it did with the sudden rise of IchiChad. Nothing was built in IR’s place. There was no emotional or human content which filled its gap.

This is where the IH ending coming “out of nowhere” stems from: it indeed came out of nowhere, because Ichigo was never shown to have any interest in Orihime in all this time, nor an especially close relationship with her. He never hangs out with Chad or shows a bond with him either. He never hangs out with anyone, in fact. (Indeed, “friends” in Bleach do not do any of the things that friends actually do in real life. Nor do parents. You might say that interpersonal relationships and communication largely don’t exist in Bleach. But that’s its whole own topic.)

I would honestly say that more time and emphasis was given on Ichigo’s pseudo-surrogate mother relationship with Ikumi than was spent on him interacting with Orihime. (I would say Noriaki has serious hangups about relationships of any kind, be they romantic, familial, or friendly, and also has some severe hangups regarding mothers and fathers, but that is also its whole own topic.)

Regarding (3), Noriaki apparently wanted this big, Game of Thrones-style world with a long history and political machinations and so on. This is the whole point of TYBW and CFYOW. Trouble is, early Bleach was successful because of its small-scale intimacy. So how do you go from one to the other? You have to lay the foundations at every step. And Noriaki steadfastly refused to do so at every step. Having Ichigo and Rukia interact, and focusing on Rukia while Ichigo was sidelined without powers, would’ve permitted that organically. Indeed, if RR was the endgame, it would have given time to establish that, were it his desire. (Because Rukia never showed any interest in Renji, and frankly Renji always seemed way more preoccupied with Byakuya.) It didn’t serve his goals, but he did it anyway.

It’s much simpler to say he lost focus, and that he started to hate the manga as a whole. Why else would you have Mayuri fighting a giant hand when that achieved nothing, and Kenpachi fighting Thor when that achieved nothing? It became empty. Hollow, you might say.

But that takes us back to the question you posed: where did the ships come from? Nowhere. IH, RR, and fucking TatsuKeigo weren’t established anywhere. They just appeared. Why?

Well, why did every single character wind up doing the exact opposite of their intended and stated goals in the end?

Why did Soul Society revert to its previous attitude and rebuild the Sokyouku?

Why did nothing get resolved?

Why did nothing change?

Why was it all revealed to have been completely and utterly pointless?

In my view, it’s because that ending was a giant fuck you to the readership and Shueisha. There is no other way to interpret an author pulling a 180° and completely nullifying their characters’ arcs, and their work’s themes. Aizen’s little speech at the end is the cherry on top. I read it as Noriaki saying that he’s showing “courage” in telling us all to fuck off.

As to why? That’s an open question. His relationship with Shueisha was contentious, so maybe he was mad at them. (They gave him a deadline once he was dragging his feet, and reclassified Bleach as a joke manga.) His readership was on the decline after the Soul Society arc ended, so maybe he was mad at the audience. I don’t know. I also don’t really care. What I am convinced of is he decided to blow up his franchise and to not leave a single stone unturned when he did so.

That’s where that “ending” comes from, which is why despite it featuring IH and RR, both are thoroughly unsatisfying and without setup: it was the only way to piss absolutely everyone off, including people who wanted that outcome.

In a way, it was his greatest success since the early days of the manga.

Anyway, this was messy, but it’s not a simple topic to address. The tl;dr is that Bleach was a trainwreck from the very beginning that only succeeded on the merits of its characters, and that Noriaki deliberately avoided the promise it had to be something unique and grand. The ships are just a part of that, and cannot be understood in isolation from it.

[unohanadaydreams]

How do you think the captains would react if you got hopelessly lost like on the way home or something? Also I love you and your blog makes me smile. 💖

Ahhhh, thank you so much, you are so kind!

Captains Reacting To You Getting Lost:

Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto: He would be very disappointed that you couldn’t find your way home and will be arranging a formal training time where he’s literally just walking you through the Soul Society, pointing out landmarks and dropping off paper work to the other captains.

Shunsui Kyoraku: He would sort of delighted, chuckle, ruffle your hair, and call you hopeless in a lighthearted, teasing manner. He genuinely finds it adorable. He’d start asking if you were just so busy thinking of him that you got distracted and make you forget any ill feelings you had toward getting lost, if you had them! He would likely offer to pick you up and walk you home next time, but it’s up to you!

Yoruichi Shihoin: She would find it hysterical and ask you to recant the details because she honestly wants to know just how you managed that. She’s used to scatterbrained geniuses, so she takes it in stride and finds it a bit endearing. She’ll bring it up casually in conversation until the end of time, though. She’d probably jokingly give you a golden star sticker the next time you made it home without getting lost.

SoiFon: She would make it a bigger deal than it likely was, partly because she would be flustered from you coming home late, and partly because she can’t belive someone SHE decided to be involved with can’t navigate the Gotei 13. She would take you on her next circuit of soul society, which would be useless to you in a practical sense, because she would be using hiding places and underground networks mostly.

Rose Otoribashi: He would ask you if you’re alright and tell you that if you were truly lost, you never would’ve made it home, so really you just went on a nice little scenic walk! He’d like to try that with you sometime soon, actually. Maybe you could make a picnic of it? He could even bring his guitar while you two simply floated through the Gotei 13.

Gin Ichimaru: He finds it’s pretty funny that you can’t navigate the Gotei 13 and would start offering to walk you home, only to conveniently get a soul butterfly summons half through. Even more conveniently, he would walk you home using drastically different routes when he does this. If there was ever a time you couldn’t find your way home, he would eventually appear back by your side, his smile a little too wide, apologizing for being gone so long.

Retsu Unohana: Although she’s concerned you turned up late, she understands how overwhelming the random dead ends can be throughout the Gotei 13. She prefers using the janitorial routes, herself, and would be very willing to show you around if she had time. If not, she would ask Isane to show you, before kissing your cheek and softly reminding you to send her a butterfly if you think you’re lost again.

Isane Kotetsu: When you’re late getting home, she starts thinking of increasingly bizarre situations as to what could have possibly happened to you. By the time you get to your door, she’s already gathered a search party of squad 4 members, ready to sweep the entire Gotei 13, because what if you got held hostage by the 12th division in some unspeakable experiment involving the time space continuum? What if an elite band of hollows even worse than arrancar are leading you to some dark forest for some horrid suprise? She cries a little bit when she sees you from relief and from feeling silly, but she forgives you easily and is glad to walk you home or have a squad 4 member walk you home from now on.

Shinji Hirako: He’s amused and unbelieving that you could get lost on your way home. He almost wonders if you’re lying. Were you walking blindfolded? Are you five years old again and need a chaperone? Really, if he has to come lead you home by the arm to get you there on time, then so be it. Of course, he’s going to tell anyone around he’s there to make sure you don’t get lost and playfully pinch your cheeks while he’s at it. And, no you’re not allowed to pout like that, because he’s doing you a favor.

Aizen Sousuke: He doesn’t outwardly seem to care or react much, aside from a smattering of false platitudes. If anything, he enjoys that you get lost. He takes it as a sign that you’re less intelligent and more pliable to his whims. If you can’t find your way through the Gotei 13, then you surely can’t manage any of his scheming. He’ll kiss your forehead and silently wonder how you even managed to pass your school exams.

Byakuya Kuchiki: He’ll be displeased you were late making it home and insist that you at least memorize your route home, whether it be with him or otherwise. He has a schedule he must stick to and if you can’t abide it, then you won’t have time to see each other that day, which is what he’s most upset about. Of course, he’s not going to say that in any way shape or form before criticizing your lack of spacial awareness and memory.

Sajin Komamura: He doesn’t quite understand how you could get lost, mostly because his sense of smell guides him extraordinarily well, but he’s sympathetic and tells you what truly matters is that you didn’t give up the moment you didn’t know where you were; it’s important to keep moving forward. Dogs are excellent guides, so why don’t you take one of Sajin’s stray friends with you next time? Even if you say no, you’ll notice a very happy, welcoming dog whenever you get lost again.

Tetsuzaemon Iba: He walks you to and from your division almost everyday, so he apologizes when you get lost on one of the days he couldn’t be there to guide you. It’s his job as your very manly partner to support you, after all. He hugs you tightly and gets scolded by Lieutenant Ise when he misses a captain’s meeting to walk you home a few weeks later.

Lisa Yadomaru: She finds it relatable and suggests you make the most if it. Maybe next time you both can get lost together and find some lonely corner(s) to have fun it. Besides, how do you think she gets the best candids of all the captains and lieutenants? Life is an adventure and she’s stumbling through it right there with you.

Kensei Muguruma: He’s worse than you when it comes to finding his way home. He tells Mashiro to make you one of the maps she made him (it’s a very poorly made map with a total of 4 routes and lots of cute characters drawn on it that mostly cover over the routes, making it effectively useless). He would absolutely shrug it off as no big deal, unless it started to cut into his time with you. Then he’d pull out his (horrible) map and start looking for you so he can give you an earful about how your his s/o because he wants to see you not wait for you.

Kaname Tosen: He was wary about getting lost in the Gotei 13 when he first started, so knows the layout very well. He smiles a bit patronizingly when you tell him what happened and lightly jokes at your expense before offering a comforting embrace and peaceful night in. He wouldn’t offer to walk you home, because he enjoys scolding you a bit and wouldn’t mind you getting lost again in the future. (Spends a bit too much time with Aizen, doesn’t he?)

Toshiro Hitsugaya: He would be pretty smug about it. Wow, you got lost on your way home? He remembers when he had a heard time finding his way home, when he was three. What does it feel like having less sense of direction than a three year old? Of course, he can’t just let you wander aimlessly, since he’s your s/o and obviously he needs to look out from you now on. He supposes he can walk you home next time, since you need him so badly. He will dutifully pick you up, with grace befitting a Gotei 13 captain, and wait till you’re not in public anymore to tease you for even needing him.

Kenpachi Zaraki: He is the reigning king of not knowing where the hell he is, at any given moment. The 11th division literally has a task force dedicated to tracking his lost ass down. He’s actually impressed you found your way home, when he gets there 5 hours after you, with a posse of his squad that guided him. Maybe you should just come to his barracks from now on, since it only takes him an average of 3 hours to find his way there, yeah? (Yes, your name is put on assignment for the task squad, even if this is your first time getting lost.)

Kisuke Urahara: He wonders if you really got lost or were distracted by something? He walks you home a few times before he realizes that, no, you don’t pretend to be lost in order to break the rules as he’s prone to do. His time in squad 2 makes him a rather good source for directions, so he kisses your face a bazillion times and promises to show you around on his next day off. Maybe you can help him test out a few gps systems he’s got in the works in the mean time?

Mayuri Kurotsuchi: It’s like you just told him that you don’t know what the Gotei 13 even is. He creates a detailed map for you to carry with you everywhere, has Akon make an even more detailed 3D map for you to wander around in virtual reality, makes you take computerized tests to ensure you studied properly, and sets you loose with a collar that zaps you if you stray from your designated route. He also sets up a scan for your brain, to ensure that you have not been turned into a mindless sleeper agent for one of the Gotei 13′s enemies. He would beyond a doubt lecture you and insult you over this.

Jushiro Ukitake: He’s glad to see you safe at home. His imagination isn’t anything compared to his lieutenants, but he was worried all the same and welcomes you back warmly, while telling you stories about when he’d gotten lost around the Gotei 13 as well as some old stories about Shunsui, Nanao, and others, to make you feel less embarrassed. He mentions it in passing as a cute story to his lieutenants when they ask how his night was and suddenly you have two very eager chaperones bickering about what’s the best way to walk you home, and getting you lost in the process.

Rukia Kuchiki: She’s a bit haughty about announcing that her brother taught her very well in regards to navigating the Gotei 13, but laughs with you instead of at you about your getting lost. She informs you that the Gotei 13 isn’t even that confusing compared to the rukongai districts, so it’s a good thing you got lost somewhere safe. What is she going to do with you? Other than tease you about it, of course. She pulls you down to kiss her, calls you ridiculous, and presents a mascot riddled guide to the Gotei 13 with helpful tips and interesting information that she hands out to her new recruits.

[dreamilymagicalhideout]

Kyoraku Shunsui

You

I don't know why, but I really enjoyed Shunsui's alternate universe.

-

This is the first time you are home alone since you are married to Shunsui. He has some business to attend, and you had your close friends wedding to attend to, so you couldn't come with him like you usually do. Back then before you married him, you are doing just fine with being home alone, but now things have been different. Shunsui could see what other people couldn't, that supernatural thing. He is already used to see the most horrible things that you could never imagine, he could just pretend like he didn't see it and just walked pass by. He could even speak to them, when he doesn't have things to do sometimes he talked to them.

You, on the other hand, afraid at that kind of thing, you couldn't even stand watching a horror movie, you tried few times, it ended up badly. Screaming, crying, even had a nightmare after you watched it. You couldn't even go somewhere alone, you are just too afraid.

Now that you married to him, you experience a really scary things. Suddenly a glass move, but no one moved it, you fill a glass with water and when you comeback it already gone, you heard a desk moved as if someone moving it. Luckily in that experience, Shunsui was with you. So you could hug him, and feels protected, now even with nothing happened here, you feel threatened.

You are now in your room the tv is loud, and you are chatting with your friends right now, Shunsui hasn't replied yet, probably busy because of his work. Shunsui will be back tomorrow, you just need to wait a little longer. Thankfully, until now there hasn't been anything strange in this house. You just need to sleep and then the morning will come.

Then the door opened Shunsui come inside, wearing his brown coat and bring his suitcase. You jumped out of bed and went to him "Shunsui! You're here! I thought-" You are about to hug him when suddenly he looks at you and smile so terrifyingly and then his face looks scary. His smiles is sinister, evil, horrible, and then his head rolled 360 degrees, then his face is inched away from yours.

The world stops, in a bad way of course. Your knees went weak, you couldn't stand on your feet anymore. You fall, you couldn't even scream, you're too shocked seeing what happened. This is your first time seeing a ghost you are just sat there, your body is quivering, you had difficulty in breathing, then you feel as if you couldn't breathe at all. Then you lose your consciousness.

Shunsui just arrived at his house, he is still on his car while gathering his things. "You sure I could come home?"

"Yes, your family needs you, and I want to be alone with my wife, you know what I mean" He said and the chauffeur just laugh, then he went home. Shunsui walked inside the house, he knew that his wife must be in the bedroom at this time. He walked into the bedroom while thinking what is his wife expression when she saw him, she must be thrilled.

When he opened the door he doesn't expect to see his wife lying on the ground. He dropped all his things and checked her body for any injuries, he breathed a relief that he found nothing. He checked his pulse and her breathing, she still breathing, but her face is extremely pale, he pick her up and lay her down on the bed.

He looked around to see if there any signs of burglary, but the bedroom is neat and the TV still on meaning she is watching before she passed out. Is she sick? He couldn't pinpoint what happened. Her phone still on the nightstand, unlocked. He checked that, and found that Nana replied your chat, and you haven't read it yet, so he called her.

"Hello?" Nana greet on the other line "Hello, Nana this is Shunsui, so I just home after a business trip, and when I got home I found that (y/n) is passed out, and you just talked to her on chat, is she sick? Or something happened or anything else?"

"No, everything is normal. Why don't you just checked her? You're a doctor"

"I already did, in the hospital if there's a patient like this we just told the family to wait until they wake up"

"Then wait"

"Yeah, I guess so. I just worried. Alright then, sorry for bothering you, thanks" he end the call and sit on the edge of the bed, anxious, worried for you. A few moments later you opened your eyes, looked at him for a split second, then your face changed.

Your entire face screams terror, he is getting closer and you curled into a ball while screaming. He touched you which make you scream louder "No! Please! No!" You are crying, turn your back on him, you can't see him, you're too afraid. He gets more worried now that he sees you awake, but you are afraid to him.

"Shunsui, help"

"(Y/n), I'm here" Shunsui said, tried to convince you, even though he still wondering what's going on. "Please, please" she is now cried in hiccups. Shunsui's heart breaks along with her crying. "Go away"

"God please"

"(Y/n), please tell me what happened?"

"(Y/n), it's me, it's Shunsui"

"Shunsui is going to be home tomorrow" she said while crying, the cover is covering all of her body now.

"I planned a surprise for you, so I didn't tell you I come home today"

"(Y/n)?"

"Are you *hiccups* real?"

"Yes"

Her red puffy eyes slowly opened, Shunsui is standing a little far from her, giving some space until she is ready. Then there was silence, no one dared to speak, Shunsui waited for her to utter a word first, while she still processing everything that has happened in the last few minutes. "I bring my suitcase along with some snacks for you" Shunsui said carefully, so you won't be afraid.

You looked at his suitcase and the paperbag with snacks on it. You cried again "Shunsui"

"It's you isn't *hiccups* it? It's really *hiccups* you?" You still crying while lay down "Yes, it is" Shunsui said, kneeling beside you, now his head is the same level with yours.

"I'm afraid" You reached out for Shunsui and he enveloped you in his chest. He lets you crying on his arms before asking anything, you're crying for ten minutes straight. "You should drink some water, you probably dehydrated right now"

Shunsui break the hug and fill a glass of water from the table inside your bedroom, then help you up slowly, you take the glass with shaky hands and drink it. "Who made you cry? Did I make you cry?" Shunsui asked you, you still crying and unable to answer. You shake your head to answer the second question.

"You suddenly *hiccups* come *hiccups* and turned out it wasn't *hiccups* you" Shunsui understand instantly what you mean by that, you just seen a ghost. He hugs you and kissed your forehead and whispering sweet things in your ears.

"You want to take a shower, aren't you?" You know Shunsui always take a shower before bed, no matter how late it is. "Can you wait?"

"I'm coming with you" If it were on a different circumstances he would be thrilled, but it's different now.

"Alright" he walked into the bathroom with you following him from behind. You sit on the floor with your back on him, he put a blanket around you so you won't get cold. He took a quick shower and get dressed quickly, so you could rest. He pick you up and lay you down gently on the bed, put the cover on you then lay beside you. Put his arms around you, pressed you against his chest and kiss your forehead. You are crying again.

"He won't harm you" he said as he moved his fingers up and down your back, his other hand is caressing your hair then kiss your forehead and whispering sweet things to you.

"How could you know?" You asked looking at him in the eye, he could see your face is still pale, your cheek is wet, a new tears is fall from your eyes, your lips and hands still trembled. "No one here is going to harm you, what you've seen is just, that's just how they joked" He kissed your eyes and removed your tears.

You hit him "I don't want to be alone in this house anymore"

"Yes, I won't leave you again"

"I'm here, don't worry. No one could scare you now"

"How do you feel?"

"I feel.....afraid" "and... I don't know"

"I can't sleep"

"It's okay, I won't leave you, you can sleep" Shunsui has a feeling that she will have PTSD. He wished she didn't, but it seems like it. Small hiccups could be heard, but she gradually gets more calm down as her body stopped shaking.

It took a long time for you to finally sleep, and even when you did, you keep walking up from the nightmare of what happened to you just now.

[renny33]

Chapter 8

Toshiro and Karin had been avoiding each other for a little over 3 weeks and Toshiro had, had enough. He walked into the 11th squad training grounds and found Karin training with one of the new recruits. He didn't want to interrupt so he leaned back against the wall, folded his arms and waited patiently. Karin was going all out on the poor new recruit; she never did hold back. He watched as she kicked the poor guy back into a wall. He quickly flash-stepped out of the way as she ran her sword through the wall where he had previously been standing. The recruit panted and looked up at him.

“Captain Hitsugaya!” He said and he bowed. He pushed off the wall and sighed. He quite likes watching her fight.

“You’re dismissed.” The recruit nodded quickly and hurried out looking relieved. Karin looked at him and blushed slightly as she put her sword back in its sheath.  

“I was fighting him,” she said, putting her hand on her hips. She refused to show that she was embarrassed.

“We need to talk.”

“About what?”

“About this dumb prank war. If you just apologize and give back my paperwork, we can move on.” She frowned at him and folded her arms.  

“I don't have it.” He scowled at her.

“I know it was you, so you don't have to keep this act up.”

“For the last time, I don't know what you’re talking about! I didn’t take your stupid paperwork!” She was pretty irritated now but so was he.

“I just wanna move past this so just give it back.” Her eye twitched.

“Why would I lie about your dumb paperwork!?”

“You tell me!”

“I wouldn’t!” She yelled as she stomped out. But he followed after her.

“It was already due! Just give it back and we won't have to talk about this anymore!” She walked into her room and spun around to glare at him.

“Toshiro Hitsugaya, get out of my room.” She said as she pushed him out and slammed the door in his face. So that’s how it felt.

He couldn’t believe he was going to use his last resort. A plan he wished not use at all. But it’s what he has to do to get her to return the lost paperwork, or else Head Captain Shunsui will tease him, treat him like a kid and then Ise will scold him for not handing in his paperwork on time. He does not want to go through that experience again. Once is already enough. He would have handed it in time, if it weren’t for Karin who decided to take his paperwork and still not willing to give it back.  

Right after Karin slammed the door in his face, he went around the outside of her room to find an open window that leads you into her bathroom. He saw stream coming out of the window meaning Karin is in the shower. This is a perfect chance.

Toshiro sneaked in through the window and saw her clothes at the side inside the basket. He checked Karin first to see if she was still in the shower, she was, he could see the outline of her body through the curtain, her long legs and big- okay that was a mistake. He quickly looked away with a red face. An image of naked Karin laying on his bed making sounds of pleasure appeared in his mind.

He brushed the image away and took her clothes and went to her room, He froze the rest of her clothes, making sure she would have to stay in her room and freeze. He then quickly sneaked back through the same window.

Operation success.

Karin has finished showering and came out with a towel wrapped around her body. When she went to the basket where she placed the new clothes, she noticed there was nothing inside. She searched around the bathroom, hoping she’d misplaced her clothes but no, they really were gone. She started to panic. ‘Where on earth did, they go?’ She knows none of the 11th squad men would dare to steal her clothes knowing it’s like asking for a death wish. Then, one person came in her mind.

“TOSHIRO HITSUGAYA!” Everyone around the area heard her scream as she stomped into her room only to be hit with a blast of cold air. She looked around and saw that all of her clothes were frozen. ‘You’ve got to be kidding me,’ she thought as she scowled. ‘Does he really think this will stop me?’ She then slammed her door open and stomped out holding the towel against her form tightly. She made her way to his office not caring if people gave her weird looks or checking her out. She slammed his door open and growled.

“Where are my clothes!?” He looked up at the angry woman surprised to see her. He looked her over and turned bright red seeing she was still in a towel.

“W-what are you doing!?” He stuttered as he watched some water drip off her hair to her neck and slide down her creamy skin in between her cleavage. Toshiro cleared his throat as he turned his head away, trying to control himself to not jump her right there and then.

Karin saw how uncomfortable he was, she noticed he couldn’t take his eyes off of her especially her cleavage. This gave her an idea. She smirked.

“You took my clothes just to see me naked hah?” Karin leaned in, giving him a clear view of her cleavage.

“O-Of course not! W-Why would I want to see you naked!?” Toshiro immediately stood up, turning his whole body away from her.

“I dunno maybe because you broke into my room and made all my clothes unwearable.”

“Well, that's not why I took your clothes!”

“Well, it’s either give them back or tell me where you put that box of lingerie is, I can't walk around in a towel forever!”

“I’m not giving them back until you tell me where you put my paperwork!” He turned around glared at her. She glared back.

“For the last time… I DID NOT STEAL YOUR PAPERWORK!”

“Then, you aren’t getting your clothes back.” Toshiro looked down and saw her large breasts that looked so soft and warm. He swallowed his saliva, they looked as if they’re begging him to touch them. When Toshiro felt his hand twitch, he came back from his fantasy and quickly held himself back. “A-Anyway, you need to leave right now. You are distracting me.” Toshiro sat back down. He did shoo-shoo gesture to her, telling her to leave the office.  

“I’m distracting you, huh?” Karin smirked.

“I-I don’t mean it that way!” Toshiro watched Karin slowly walked around his desk almost enticed by it, and sat on the edge of his desk, making the towel slide up. He stared at her long creamy legs shining with water droplets, he then trailed his eyes from the bottom to the upper thigh, he licked his lips at the inviting sight.

Karin noticed his eyes darkened so she decided to take this further, wondering how far can she go before he snapped. She widened her legs, giving him a small peek of what is under her towel. He glanced down and bit the inside of his cheek.  

“Where are my clothes?” She asked softly and leaned towards him pushing her boobs up to make them look bigger. He forced himself to look at her face, he took in every detail. From the way, her wet hair framed her face to her soft pink lips.  

“Where’s my paperwork?” He asked forcing his voice to be steady. Her eye twitches slightly.  

“Fine.” She said standing up and walking to the couch “I'll wait,” she laid down on the couch and put her arms behind her head letting the towel loosen slightly. He quickly stood up and walked over.

“No, get out.”

“Clothes.” She crossed her legs and closed her eyes, He frowned down at her. He didn’t know how much longer he could deal with this before he lost it.  

“Then just hand over the paperwork,” she ignored him and shifted on the couch making the towel become even looser. That was his breaking point. He crouched down and grabbed her chin turning her head towards him before he kissed her. Her eyes flew open and looked at him. He pulled away and looked at her with his eyes half-lidded. “I hate you...”

“Your word is telling me one thing but your mouth is telling me another thing,” she said as she propped up on her elbows and kissed him. He quickly kissed back and pulled her up so she was facing up. The towel slipped off her and the door slammed open.

“Captain~” Matsumoto called as she saw them and her eyes widened. “Oh my.” She said as she put her hand over her mouth and giggled. Both of their heads snapped in her direction and blushed bright red. The temperature in the room started to drop quickly.

“Get out.” He growled dangerously as Karin scrambled to cover herself. Matsumoto flash-stepped away off to find Momo probably. Toshiro stood up and walked over to his desk and opened a drawer, he pulled out her clothes and tossed them to her. She quickly got dressed and tosses the towel down. He looked at her and frowned.

“Eh, that's not the look I would like to get after kissing someone…”  

“Did you do it just to get your clothes back or did you mean it?” She was taken aback by this and frowned.

“What kind of girl do you think I am Toshiro?” He folded his arms and scowled.

“You tease and flirt just like that with other guys… I’ve seen it.” She sighed and put her hands on her hips.

“Toshiro, I never let those guys touch me if I didn't like you why would I let you touch me?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because you want your clothes back. Is it not the whole purpose of this?”

“A bit of this was to get you to give me back my clothes but really… I did it because... I like you...” Karin blushed, looking shy that is hard to believe this is Karin.

“What?” Toshiro’s eyes widened, surprised by her confession. “Really?” He whispered, hoping he didn’t mishear her.

“Yes, you idiot. It’s okay if you don’t feel the same way! We can pretend this didn’t happen and go back to the way things are!” Karin started to rambled. Didn’t see Toshiro step closer to her and hugged her. “Toshiro...”

“You’re denser than I thought.” Toshiro weakly laughed as he buried his nose into her hair, smelling her vanilla and cherry scent. He pulled back and saw Karin had an adorable confused look.

“I like you too.” He gave a special smile to Karin. A smile he never showed to anyone, not even Matsumoto or his sister, Momo, only to Karin. At hearing those exact words coming out of his mouth, Karin’s eyes shined with happiness, happy to know he replicates her feelings. She closed the gap and kissed him and he gladly kissed back, putting all their emotions into the kiss.

After a few minutes, they pulled back and leaned their foreheads on each other.

“Karin.” Toshiro softly spoke, as he looked at Karin who had her eyes closed, taking in the warmth and comfortable feelings from his reiatsu.  

“Hm?”

“Where is the paperwork?”

Karin felt a huge tick on her forehead. Of course, he would ruin this romantic moment. Typical Toshiro. But again, it’s one of the things she likes about him.

“If you didn’t keep interrupting me, you would know it was Rukia who sent the paperwork to Captain Kuchiki.”

“But I remember giving the paperwork to you when you offered to deliver it for me.”

“Yeah, then I gave it to Rukia who offered to deliver it to her brother for me.”  

The realisation hit them like a ton of bricks thrown at them.

“That damn Rukia...” Karin glared at the name.

“I’m sorry Karin for not believing you.” Now knowing who was the true culprit, Toshiro looked down, ashamed at himself for not believing his now-girlfriend.

“It’s okay.” Karin smiled, knowing he didn’t mean it. “But there is something you could make it up to me.” Toshiro looked up and saw a glint in her eyes.

“How do I make it up to you?” He smugly smiled, already liking where this is going. Karin leaned in, next to his ear and whispered into his ear. Toshiro quickly scooped her up and flash-stepped into his room to do the do.

Rukia stood outside of tenth squad’s office with the lost paperwork in her hand. She took a deep breath and sharply knocked on the door.

“Come in.” So Rukia did, entered the office and saw Toshiro, as usual, doing his paperwork but seem happier than before.

“Captain Hitsugaya. I got your paperwork here”  

“Where were they?”

“In my office, sir.” Rukia felt very embarrassed to admit to the captain.

“Thank you, I’ve been looking for them.”

“Actually...” Toshiro looked at her, waiting. “It was me who hid that paperwork!”

“What?!”

“I did it because I was pissed off with Renji and I wanted revenge. So, I asked Lieutenant Kusajishi to draw some drawings for me and I used that to replace the paperwork I took from Karin that you gave her, which I didn’t know it was yours.” Rukia continued rambling about how she didn’t mean this to happen, she tried to tell Toshiro and Karin about the truth and felt very guilty, whilst she kept bowing down to show how sorry she is.

“Enough.” Toshiro held his hand out, interpreting her rambling. Rukia gulped when she saw Toshiro glaring at her harshly. “So, it was you hiding my paperwork this whole time.”

“Y-Yes, sir!” Rukia felt thousands of bullets of sweat coming down on her face, nervous about what is going to happen to her.

“For your punishment...” Rukia hung on his words, praying to God that it wouldn't involve her getting frostbite, have a heavy rock on her lap or anything that comes with pain. “You have to complete all paperwork by the time I come back,”

“That’s all?” Rukia blinked twice. Shocked at the punishment he is giving her, only a pile of paperwork to sign. She is not complaining. She sighed in relief; glad it is only one pile to do. She can do this in an hour.

“No.” Rukia’s froze. ‘What?’

“It includes them,” Toshiro took out paperwork from under his desk.

So, three piles, that’s okay. Easy to finish completely before he comes back.

“And them.” Toshiro pulled another out from the floor.

5 piles… Still bearable, she guessed.

“Also,” Toshiro took two piles out from the ceiling.

7 piles… Okay, that might be difficult to do.

“And one last thing.” They heard a knock on the door. “Come in.” The door opened and it revealed a huge pile of paperwork shyly touching the ceilings. All of the color left her face.

“I find the paperwork that Matsumoto hides.” Rukia was shocked to see the person who was behind the paperwork. It was Karin.

“Karin?!” Rukia watched Karin placed the pile on the floor next to the others, speechless to Karin and Toshiro aren’t at each other’s throats. “Eh? What?! I thought you guys were at a prank war with each other. You weren't liking and, and...” Rukia’s brain blew up, unable to take any of this new information.

“We were until yesterday.” Karin and Toshiro glanced at each other and shared a smile.

“Yesterday? What happened-?”

“Now, if you'll excuse me Kuchiki. I have an important date.” With that, Toshiro held his girlfriend’s hand and then flash-stepped to begin their first date. Rukia smiled how adorable they looked together, then turned around and saw mountains of piles of paperwork she had to complete before he returns from his date as her punishment. She sighed and got right to work, preparing herself for the hellish torture and to lose her hand.

[buriedinbleach]

Shunsui Learns To Love Reports [Shunsui Kyoraku x Reader]

*sigh* I swear, I go into each chapter intending to keep it under 2,000 words. Then before I know it, this happens...

Nanao had looked at you with a healthy dose of skepticism when you came to her promising to get Shunsui to finally buckle down and complete his paperwork. She had worked with your husband for so long that she was used to him shirking his more boring duties in favor of rest and relaxation.  

You only had one condition. The first division offices had to be completely empty.

When she came into the office the next morning and saw a large stack of reports all bearing Shunsui’s signature, she nearly died from shock. After that first week, like clockwork every Friday night she shooed everyone out of the first division offices to clear your way.

Nanao had no idea how you managed to get Shunsui to work, but she also had no interest in finding out.

                                                               ***

The empty hallways of the first division echoed with the sounds of your sandals connecting against the marble floors. Catching sight of a clock on the wall, you hurry past. Half an hour late. Still, you slowed your pace, not wanting to appear out of breath.

When you finally arrive outside the large wooden double doors of the sotaicho’s office, you take a moment to smooth out your clothes, straighten you hair, and take a deep breath before pushing the doors open – just enough to slip inside before shutting them tightly again.

Shunsui sits hunched over a stack of reports behind his desk. Pushing the chair back a few inches, he straightens up and smiles lazily. He may appear relaxed, but his sharp grey eyes follow you around the room as you walk towards him, a wicked grin painted across your lips.

“Ah, there you are, petal. I was beginning to think you forgot about me.” You can feel his eyes roaming your body, as he runs his tongue along his full lips.

“How could I forget? This is my favorite day of the week.” You tell him, leaning down next to him to whisper next to his ear. A pleased hum leaves his lips as he turns his head to steal a kiss, but you’re already pulling back, straightening up to stand.

Leaning over the desk, you glance through the stack of papers, reordering a few before feeling Shunsui’s large calloused hand reach between your legs and begin sliding up. You turn to him, smiling, taking in his smug expression as his hand slowly creeps closer to the apex of your thighs. He’s almost reached his goal, just another inch…

Your hand moves like a flash to catch his wrist, stopping him. The smug smile he wore only seconds earlier is now replaced with a disappointed pout. You have to stifle a laugh. Shunsui tries hard to look petulant, but the way his eyes continue roaming your body – the hunger evident in his narrowed gaze – makes the gesture meaningless.

You give in. Running the tip of your tongue along his lips, he immediately gets the message and his lips part, allowing you to slide your tongue inside. Feeling the warmth of his mouth – the faint taste of sake as your tongue slides against his – draws a contented sigh from you. Hearing the noise, Shunsui’s imagination runs wild. He’s busy imagining all the other noises you make.

He quickly snaps out of his daze when you draw back, tapping the stack of reports in your hands on the desk to straighten them before placing them neatly before him. You turn his chair back to face forward before slipping away, walking back to the opposite side of the desk, taking a seat in front of him.

“Well, should we begin?” You ask casually, unfastening a single button on your shirt. Motivation. Shunsui’s eyes hungrily follow your fingers as they graze your chest briefly before settling back in your lap. Cocking an expectant eyebrow at him, you smile watching his eyes zero in on the small view of cleavage you’ve given.

“My love is so cruel.” Shunsui teases. He sighs, smiling as he reaches out to select a brush, dip it into the ink pot, and signs his name. He picks up the single form, blowing on it to dry the ink, but his eyes focus on you.

“Very good.” You smile, freeing two more buttons. Shunsui’s eyes narrow as he sets the paper aside, not caring where it lands on his otherwise pristinely clean desk.

“Two buttons?!” Shunsui groans.

“It’s a warm night, Shun. I don’t have a lot on, as you can see.”  You cross your legs, gesturing to your short shorts that leave very little to the imagination. Shunsui leans forward over the desk, drinking in the sight of you lazily stroking your thigh. He imagines replacing your hand with his own, massaging your thigh as he works his way up, slipping a finger into the loose fabric, tracing your sex over the top of your underwear. He licks his lips, lost in his fantasy.

“Besides, you only have a few reports to finish tonight. We wouldn’t want to finish too quickly, would we?” Your voice cuts through his fantasy, snapping him back to reality.

“Finishing too quickly isn’t something I’m familiar with.” He eyes you suggestively before grabbing another form. His brush hovers just off the paper as he raises his eyes to look at you. Your fingers dance around the next button, ready to release it the moment he signs.

His brush scrawls across the page quickly, signing his name. Shunsui picks up the page, blowing on it to dry the ink again, an arrogant smile painting his lips as he looks past the paper, his eyes focusing on you. Giving him and approving nod, you release the last two buttons before letting the fabric of your shirt flutter open, exposing your stomach and breasts straining against the cups of your bra. Shunsui chuckles, but you can hear the edge behind his laugh.

“You had to wear the tightest bra you have? You really are being cruel.” He sets the page aside blindly to join the first. His eyes are cemented to your cleavage as he pulls out the next report, a longer one. His brow furrows in disappointment as he realizes he’ll have to tear his eyes off of you for a moment to read.

“Just think of it as motivation.” You stifle a laugh, watching his internal struggle. His eyes travel quickly across the page of the report, still making sure he takes in every word despite the speed. He knows too well that if you think he isn’t reading what he’s signing clothes start going back on – and Shunsui really wants them to continue coming off.

Once he’s finished, Shunsui dips the brush in ink again and signs his name. Lifting the paper, he smiles up at you expectantly, looking like the cat that ate the canary. You push the fabric of your shirt off one shoulder, then the other, before holding the garment out to the side, letting it slip through your fingers – staring at Shunsui with heavy lidded eyes.

“mmm that’s it, petal.” Shunsui smiles, leaning back in his chair to admire you. Running your fingers across the strap of your bra, he straightens up quickly to grab the next report, anxiously awaiting his next prize.

You continue to lazily run your fingers along your bra strap, pulling the tight fabric away from your skin. Your hand pulls down just far enough that Shunsui wonders if your breasts will spill out. No, he doesn’t wonder – he hopes they do – and he stops dead in his tracks waiting to see if he’ll be right.

He makes quite the picture, as his eyes lock onto you with laser focus. One large hand groping blindly for a report that was still six inches below his hand, afraid to take his eyes off of you for even a fraction of a second. But his instinct was right. You slide your hands down your body, over your breasts, before reaching between your breasts, letting your hands hover above the clasp of your bra.

“Your turn, love.” You smile, giving the clasp a little pull. He moves quickly to find the next report, desperate for the second best reward of the night.  

Shunsui smiles when he finally picks up the next piece of paper requiring his signature is a simple requisition form. He glances down at the paper confirming his brush placement before looking back up to meet your gaze. A few quick strokes and he lifts the paper to his lips and blows. Setting the paper aside, he leans back in his chair, stretching his tall frame, waiting.

In an instant the overconfident smile is wiped from his face when you remove your hands from between your breasts. Running your hands over your stomach, letting him imagine those hands were his own, you stand and slip out of your shorts.

“Tease.” Shunsui pouts again, making you laugh as you move to stand next to his desk, just out of his reach.

Picking up a report, you place it in front of him on the desk, leaning forward to give him the perfect view of the curve of your ass and the swell of your breasts as you inhale deeply, taking in his scent. A bit of sake, mixed with floral-scented oil from his hair, and just a hint of sweat – deliciously Shunsui. It made a knot form in your stomach, just inside the warmth pooling deep down in your core. Sign faster, Shunsui!

“Only two more.”

He groans in frustration, turning back to his desk to read the report – another long one. His eyes skim over the words, but he’s cognizant of you moving closer, hovering behind him now. Pulling the pins from his hair, letting it fall to his shoulders before setting them carefully aside on the desk.

Your hands reach under his kimono, needing to touch him. Slipping under the layers of fabric you find what you’re searching for and begin rubbing his shoulders, grazing down across his pecs and back again, repeating the motions over and over, slowly.

“mmm… you know, you aren’t making it any easier to finish these last two reports.” He smirks as his eyes drift closed and his head drops back, resting on your breasts.

“Concentrate, my love. You’re so close.” Your voice is quiet, but as if to punctuate your sentence, you bring your face down next to his and run your tongue along the shell of his ear. Shunsui musters all his willpower and finishes the report, quickly scrawling his name across the paper before pushing it aside, no longer bothering to dry the ink.

Your hands leave his chest for a fraction of a second, reaching for your hips. He opens his mouth, about to demand his reward when a small piece of fabric drops in front of his face, landing in his lap. You bring your hands back to his chest, stroking over the hair, working your fingers over his chiseled stomach and back up again.

“Don’t I get a peek?” Shunsui asks, raising an eyebrow as he glances back at you.

“You can have more than a peek as soon as you finish the last report.” You purr, pressing your lips to his neck and sucking. He allows himself a few minutes, relishing the feeling of your tongue tracing across his neck – your nails dragging down his stomach – before he forces his eyes open and grab the last report.

It’s five pages, the longest one yet.

Shunsui races through the first two pages, so you reward him by rubbing a little lower down his stomach on your next pass. Kneading the muscles, from his shoulders, over his pecs, and finally down his abs.

Another page finished, and your hands move down again. His hips rise up from the chair, desperate for you to reach lower.

The fourth page joins the others on his pile, and your hands begin untying his belt. Shunsui quickly scrawls his name across the signature line and set the page aside, grinning confidently until your hands stop.

“You didn’t even read the last page.” You chastise, keeping your hands completely still. They only start moving again when he picks up the paper, making a big show of reading every word. He stops on the last sentencing when he feels you reach into his hakama, wrapping your hand around his fully hard shaft. A pleased groan slips past his lips as he pushes himself further into your grasp.

“You have to finish, love.” You whisper next to his ear, but your voice is entirely too breathy to disguise your desire.

“I’ll finish alright, petal.” He challenges, finishing the last sentencing quickly, casting the page aside. He turns his chair around to face you, running his hands up your thighs to rest on your hips, as his eyes travel up your body, stopping on your bra.

“You seem to owe me one last piece of clothing.” Pulling you closer as he leans back, stretching his tall frame comfortably. You’re the one grinning confidently now as you climb into his lap, lining your hips up with his, still just barely out of reach. Placing your hands back on his shoulders, under his kimono, you lean forward to press kiss after kiss against his jaw.

“So take it then, sotaicho.” Your bra is gone before you even realize it, consumed with Shunsui’s hands pressing into your skin, settling on your hips, pulling you down onto his length slowly. Your nails dig into his shoulders, too focused on the satisfying stretch you feel as he fills you to realize the strength of your grip.

It doesn’t matter. Shunsui loves every mark your leave on him, wearing them like a badge of honor. You share a groan of satisfaction when your hips finally lie flush with his. You both take a moment to adjust when he captures your mouth in a kiss, hot, heavy, and full of lust.

His touch is hurried – desperate to explore every curve – a stark contrast to his typically relaxed demeanor. His lips leave yours in favor of tasting your skin as he trails kiss after kiss down your jaw, your neck, your chest, until you feel one calloused hand wrap around your breast. His lips are even more urgent now, briefly dragging his tongue across your pert nipple, before wrapping his mouth around you, sucking. Your back arches as your body reacts to every attention he lavishes on you like a well-oiled machine.

A loud moan slips past your lips. Oh well, that’s why the office is clear. You begin rolling your hips into him – hard and slow – like ocean waves as Shunsui’s hands drift down your hips, measuring each pass, leaning back and groaning in satisfaction. His eyes drift closed for a fraction of a second before snapping open again. He wouldn’t miss this view for anything in the world.  

He could watch you ride him all night.

The way your hips grind against his, ensuring every stroke hits both of your sweet spots. The way you reach up to lift your hair from your neck to cool your sweat slicked skin before dropping it again. Unintentionally giving him a breathtaking view of your breasts bouncing with every drop of your hips. The way your hands grip his shoulders, desperately clinging to him, needing something – anything – to ground yourself as you feel your body weaving together the threads of your orgasm.

Yes, Shunsui could watch you all night…

But tonight is different. Feeling the distinct flutter of your inner muscles against his dick breaks his reverie.  His grip on your hips tightens as he tries to bury himself inside your heat. His feet push off the floor as he bucks his hips into you, hitting your sweet spots with every stroke as only he knows how.

The pressure building at the base of your spine is almost unbearable. The heat that had been steadily rising in the pit of your stomach boils over, filling your body completely. You practically scream his name as you come. He captures your mouth in another frenzied kiss. Shunsui holds you tightly to his broad chest, as he drives up into you, hard and fast. Your inner walls continue to pulsate around him with aftershocks as he buries himself in your heat. Once, twice, and a third and final thrust fills you with a rush of wet heat.

                                                            ***

Shunsui watches you carefully fastening the last of the buttons on your shirt. You gather up the reports scattered across the desk, depositing them in a neat pile for Nanao to find in the morning.

“I’m not sure why all the other taichos complain about paperwork.” Shunsui says, wrapping a large arm around your waist, pulling you closer, as you walk out of the first division and head home. “I actually enjoy it.”

You can’t help but laugh. “I wonder why.”

[dreamedsilverwings]

Forget me not

Summary:  [IchiRuki Month! Day 20: Eye contact]  He looked up, and their eyes finally met, after so much time, but Rukia noticed that something was missing. His amber eyes didn’t shine when he saw her, they didn’t open as wide as usual, his pupil didn’t expand, nor did his breathing fail him for an instant.

He looked at her as if she was a stranger as if she had never seen her in his life.

On FF and AO3. If you want to read it in Spanish, it’s here.

Notes:  I cried like a bitch doing this, I really do. Maybe I'm a little overdramatic, tell me what do you think. My first language isn't English, so maybe this will be really bad, tell me if there is something that I can improve please, I love to learn.

For Rukia, there came a moment where time stopped. Between the captaincy, raising Ichika, her marriage and her duties with the Kuchiki family, she ran out of time. In Soul Society it was very easy to let time pass, and the excuses for not going to the world of the living were not lacking. Without realizing it, they spent years without visiting their friends. It wasn’t until July 12, that she remembered that it was about to be Ichigo's birthday. When she told Renji, he thought it would be a good idea to go visit the Kurosaki family after so long. When they arrived at the celebration, the reality fell like a bucket of water. Their friends there, who apparently had done a better job of keeping in touch, had aged, while she and Renji still looked as if they were barely scraping their thirties. Even Ichika, who had been a great friend of Kazui, still looked like a teenager while he was already starting to look like an older man. "Kuchiki-san! Abarai-san!" Orihime, who, despite her age, still looked beautiful, greeted her with a smile and a hug. Rukia was about to ask her to call to her by name, that after so many years of friendship shouldn’t have been in vain, but realistically it hasn’t really been quality years. "But look at Ichika-chan, how much have you grown, in height and beauty, you look beautiful!" Ichika smiled slyly, loved compliments and although she was very sure of herself, they never hurt. She liked being able to stand out, whether it was because of her height, the girl was almost as tall as her father, because of her vivacious hair or the beauty of her mother's features. “Thanks, Inoue-san. You look great in that dress.” “Oh, come on, I'm too old to see myself well.” “Don't say that Inoue, you're still a beautiful woman.” Although Rukia's words were sincere, she had little to do with the vivacious Orihime of years ago. Something in her looked ... sad. When he noticed the decorations for the birthday party, she noticed a very important detail, which made her realize how much time had passed away from them. This was Ichigo's seventy-second birthday. She had spent almost four decades away from her best friend. At that moment she couldn’t help asking. “Where is Ichigo?” “Oh,” Orihime paused, “he's in the dining room...” Before she could finish Rukia started to walk away from them, walking to the dining room she had known for too long, she heard Orihime shouting her last name, but it didn’t stop her until she got there. He was sitting in the same chair he used when he was a teenager, although his hair was completely white and his face was wrinkled, she could still say it was him. “Ichigo!” She shouted with joy, feeling her heart overflow like every time she saw him again after a long time. He looked up, and their eyes finally met, after so much time, but Rukia noticed that something was missing. His amber eyes didn’t shine when he saw her, they didn’t open as wide as usual, his pupil didn’t expand, nor did his breathing fail him for an instant. He looked at her as if she was a stranger as if she had never seen her in his life. “Kuchiki-san!” Orihime went in agitated when she noticed that they had already met she looked at her with some degree of pity. “Can I talk to you? “Orihime. Who is she?” Rukia saw him devastated, she couldn’t believe what she had heard. For a moment, it was as if reality had failed her as if the impossible had happened. Did Ichigo not remember her? “Ichigo, don't you remember me? It's me, Rukia, I know it's been a while, but...” she frowned,” I know you must be upset, but this is very cruel.” “Kuchiki-san,” Orihime spoke softly as if trying to rescue the situation. “Who is she Orihime? Why do you speak to me with such familiarity?” For Rukia her heart fell in several pieces, she felt incomplete now. She felt tears forming in her eyes. “Ichigo.” Orihime took her arm, wanting to move her from that place, but she couldn’t move. “Have you forgotten me?” It sounded more like a sob, almost inaudible as if I didn’t even want to pronounce it or hear it. It sounded crazy. She didn’t even realize when Orihime had taken her from the dining room to take her to what had been Ichigo's room, where they had first met. She made her sit on the bed and sat next to her while holding her hand. “Ichigo has a human disease called Alzheimer's.” “What is that?” Rukia didn’t understand anything. She didn’t know what was happening. Orihime bit her lip. “It is a disease that affects memory, Kuchiki-san. Sometimes you don’t even remember how to put your clothes on, don’t feel bad, please. For Rukia the resemblance something impossible, all that was so unreal. Everything in her screamed that something was very, very wrong. She couldn’t even stand the urge to cry. Orihime saw her sadly, closed her eyes for a moment and then sighed. She wiped her tears with her hands and smiled as kindly as ever, but it had been something else, she wasn’t the same girl. “Could you leave me a moment alone?” Orihime nodded and left the room without saying anything else. When the door closed Rukia allowed herself to break once more. She curled up on the bed, while she clenched her hands in her fists and closed her eyes tightly. Biting her lips. What happened to their oaths? With its unbreakable bond? With the battles? With the adventures hunting hollows and surviving school life? With his warm gaze? Where had all this gone? Didn’t mean anything now? She cried like a little girl, who didn’t understand anything about what was happening because this couldn’t be real. It must have been a kind of a joke for taking so long to return, and she really deserved it. She hoped that when she left the room Ichigo would tell her that she was a dumb dwarf so she could tell him that he was a brainless man for such a cruel joke. But Ichigo never went up. Nor Orihime. Not even Renji dared to knock on the door. Rukia inhaled air and dropped her sobs even though she knew it was in vain. She felt as if something had been lost in the depths of her being. Nobody dared to come to the room. She didn’t have the composure to go down either. It came out as if it had been done so many times before, through the window. She ran and ran until her legs couldn’t move more, and only then she decides to return to the Soul Society on her own, hoping that Renji and Ichika would understand. And they did it because for Renji it was also very discouraging that Ichigo didn’t recognize her, but it hadn’t been with the same intensity as she, and he knew that very well. Rukia once again tried to keep her mind on anything. If Ichigo had forgotten her, she would too. It wasn’t difficult; it had been like that for decades.

She filled herself with work, and she looked for even more. She helps Byakuya even though she doesn’t tell him why. She spent too much time in the squad. She tried not to sleep.

“I think that's enough.” Renji told her as she prepared to sleep, after almost seventy hours of not doing it. “Of what?” Renji grumbled, unable to believe how stubborn his wife was despite the years. “Ichigo.” “Ichigo?” She acted as if in her life he had heard his name. “Yes. Ichigo Kurosaki. Our friend, the substitute shinigami, the guy who you gave your spiritual powers, which makes you almost killed, and the one who saved you. “The same one that forgot me.” “Rukia!” He sounded indignant as if he could n’t believe that she had said. “How can you say that? Ichigo has a disease! He can’t help it, and you immaturely, have decided to act as if he didn’t exist while you destroy yourself slowly? You think that is fair? Rukia looked away, knowing that he was right. But she didn’t like it anyways. “He was the only one who didn’t forget me.” Renji looked down in distress, although the years still could n’t overcome having completely forgotten a Ruin in that incident with Homura and Shizuku. Any other day she would tell him to not blame himself, but she didn’t even have the cheer, anyone. He sighed heavily, as he had done for weeks. “I still can’t believe it”. She wasn’t going to cry; she had cried enough. “I didn’t either Rukia, but Ichigo decided to live a human life, and human beings got sick.” He takes her hands like he does every time he tries to make her understand. “We can’t do anything against that, the only thing we can do is support them. “What am I supposed to do? I can’t insert his memories back.” “But you can help Inoue.” Rukia saw him with surprise. “No, I don’t think I...” Renji squeezed her hands. “I have investigated that disease. She will need a lot of help, especially if he also forgets her. “But what about you?” She saw him as reproached for thinking that it would bother him, “But what about Ichika?” “Ichika will understand. She is a big girl already, I can help her while you help down there, we could also help.” “But the squadron.” “I will deal with Shunsui. I'm sure he'll understand, it's the least we can do for Ichigo. “We would leave two squads without a captain. It will not allow it. “You could go and then me. We will find a way.” “I... I don’t think I can do it.” Renji kissed her forehead, with a lot of tenderness, and then hugged her, that was something she really needed for a long time. “You are strong; the strongest woman I have ever met in my life. You can with this and more.”

When Rukia arrived at the Kurosaki house again, she did it with her head held high, although her heart still hasn’t recovered. Orihime received her with a hug, this time even stronger as if at that moment she was her light in the darkness. “Who is she?” This time he asked a little more self-conscious, even with some fear. “It's a friend of mine, Ichigo, she'll stay with us for a few days” Orihime lied when she presented her, she was going to stay much longer. “Her name is Rukia.” “Good afternoon.” He greeted with a courtesy that Rukia wasn’t familiar with, not from him. “Good afternoon, Kurosaki-san” it hurt to not be able to say his name, but she had to do it. “Take good care of me.” She leaned forward, closing her eyes, hoping he would answer something, anything. It wasn’t until Inoue took her hand that she straightened. Ichigo had apparently lost interest completely and had started to organize poker chips as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. “Excuse him,” Inoue said embarrassed. “Don't worry” although Rukia was starting to feel sad, she knew she wasn’t there for that. “Little by little we will improve.” She said with apparent confidence because she wasn’t sure about that.

At first, she was mainly in charge of helping with household chores, until little by little, she was encouraged to speak with Ichigo again. They were sporadic conversations, like "where's Orihime?", "Can I turn on the TV?" or the most common "What is your name?" Until one day, while folding the clothes to keep it while Orihime went to the shopping he knocked on the door even if it was open. “Can I come in?” he asked politely. "Sure," she smiled warmly, pleasantly surprised that he wanted, apparently, to make her company. He sat on the bed, watching as she folded his clothes without saying anything. “Can I help?” He asked with fear, which made Rukia feel bad, maybe she was being too cold with him and he thought she doesn’t want him near. “Of course that you can” she approached the basket of clothes so he could take the garment that he wanted. “I need a little help.” Ichigo smiled, and Rukia couldn’t help doing it too. She watched in silence as he folded his clothes, almost perfectly, much better than the way she did. When they finished, she put the clothes in the corresponding drawers. “Thank you very much, Kurosaki-san.” “Could you tell me the next time you're going this? I like to do it.” “I will don’t doubt it.” “Thanks ...” He looked at her uncomfortably, obviously, he had forgotten what he wanted to say “Could you remind me your name? “My name is Rukia.” “Oh, I'm sorry” he smiled sadly, as he had before, softening her like never before. “Thanks, Rukia.” He left the room and briefly grabbed her shoulder, and she closed her eyes, savoring those words because she hasn’t been able to do it for too long. She had missed them so much.

To fold the clothes together they began to draw, Ichigo always told her that her drawing skills were horrible, and although every time she acted like if she was indignant to make him laugh, the truth is that she was finally taking the time to draw Chappys and other animals. Ichigo, who sometimes asked her to call him by his first name, others by his surname and others who even demanded that he call him “Kurosaki-sama”, but always asked hers, was more artistic. She tried to draw inanimate objects or plants, she had even drawn a realistic rabbit once for her. Everything was normal until Orihime showed her that Ichigo had already made several portraits of her, drawings he did in secret because she had never seen them. He didn’t know how to explain that. Orihime smiled sadly, she already knew that Ichigo was always going to prefer Rukia. “I suppose he wants to remember your face if you leave.” “It must be that.” Rukia knew that he was lying. But it was the best.

“Kurosaki-san” seeing that Ichigo didn’t grumble continued. “What if we adopt a pet? He denied with his head. “You have enough with having to take care of me.” Rukia pouted. I hoped that I could adopt a rabbit at last. “And what about plants? The garden is very lonely.” “I suppose it would be fine.” They went to buy seeds, plants, pots, compost and black soil, also a watering can, gloves for gardening and three hats. Gardening became a hobby for the three, something that Orihime enjoyed a lot. If a plant was dying, she secretly used her powers to heal it and prevent Ichigo from becoming sad. "You love him very much," Rukia affirmed one night while they were watering alone because Ichigo was very stubborn that night and wanted to go to bed early. “I do. I have always done it.” “I admire your strength” she was being honest, she didn’t know if she would have been able to endure this. “And I always yours, I even envied her.” Rukia didn’t understand very well because when the extraordinary there was her.

When Renji came to visit with Ichika, Ichigo didn’t take it well. He remained hidden behind the newspaper while Rukia talked with her husband. If Ichigo didn’t ask anything about Renji because he forgot or because he didn’t want to know the answer, she didn’t know, and Rukia chose not to inquire into that. There were things that were better left as they were.

“I remembered something.” “Yes?” replied attentively while watering the forget me not, which had become, ironically, Ichigo's favorite. “The figure of a woman. A very important woman.” Rukia paid him even more attention. “Important?” “She is a little bit small, with black hair and wearing a black kimono” Ichigo licked his lips, trying to formulate the words, usually he wasn’t that talkative. “She has a strong temperament and proud eyes.” He smiled, his eyes shining with memories. Rukia felt a little hope. “Tell me more, what do you remember?” “The memories of our days together. Days in which we entrusted our lives to each other when we cut ourselves with our swords. There is no way I can forget about her. I know that woman.” Ichigo was exalted, and very much. Rukia released the hose and let it fall to the ground to take her arms to try to calm him down, although she felt like her heart almost came out of her chest with emotion. He was remembering her. “Ichigo, calm down.” “The memories were carved inside the bottom of my soul, they were floating...” He paused, as if having difficulty being able to pronounce the following, and feeling that he had her name on the tip of his tongue, and then, it went out “Rukia!” “Ichigo!” She answered his call with tears forming in her eyes, relieved “Ichigo!” He took her cheeks, admiring her features as if it were the first time, his wrinkled hands felt callused, but that didn’t matter. “How could I forget you?” Rukia shook her head, he had not, not quite “Rukia, you changed my world.” “Oh, Ichigo. You have no idea of the chaos and calm you did in mine.” They laughed as they haven’t done for decades because it was true. For a few hours, Rukia again had her friend, who said her name as if it were something sacred. He hugged her with fear, and Rukia knew why. He was afraid of forgetting her again. She went to sleep, fully happy, knowing that although Ichigo's brain didn’t remember her, his soul did.

The next morning, Ichigo woke up moody, complaining that he had forgotten something very important again and that frustrated him a lot. Rukia put on a record of his favorite band, Bad Religion. That immediately changed the mood of Ichigo, who began to sing and even to dance making Rukia laugh. She had never seen him do it, but in the end, she ended up doing it also guided by his spontaneity.

When Ichigo got tired of them reading Hamlet, he asked if they could see photographs. She totally agreed, without thinking much that he would find pictures of her. “She is your mother?” He asked when they find one in which they are at his father's birthday party, shortly before she married. He knew it would be too much for him to remember the way life works after death, and probably still wouldn’t believe her, so she decided to lie. “Yes, she is.” Ichigo tenderly touched her face in the photograph. “Was she a good friend?” She couldn’t contain the question and was about to tell Ichigo that he didn’t have to answer when he did. “I loved her” such a simple answer made her whole world tremble as only he had before, and no one but him. “I think I still love her.” Ichigo sighed as he turned the page, commenting on a name he could remember or even anecdotes. The ones that amused him the most were the ones he had hitting Keigo. When they finished the album, he asked to go up to his room. Rukia accompanied him, and before closing the door, Ichigo stopped her. “Don’t tell…” Lately, he has been forgetting Orihime's name, much to her sorrow. “Orihime?” “Yes, Orihime.” He said it so as if that way he won’t forget it, but that wasn’t going to work. “What I told you about your mother. It's going to hurt her a lot. “You can trust me” she smiled, it was obvious she wasn’t going to say it, she couldn’t do that to Orihime. “I know it.” She was grateful that even if he didn’t remember her, he still trusted her.

One day, Ichigo arrived with a crown of flowers, forget me not, daisies and cherry blossoms. “Can promise me, that even if I'm too bad to remember your name, will you never forget me?" Rukia smiled. “I'll never do it.” “You promise?” Asked insecure. And she took his hand, closing the secret pact. Ichigo didn't’ need anything else.

Ichigo got sick, and all he wanted was for Rukia to bring colors or some Shakespeare novel to read together, although that will cost Orihime a lot of grief, he never claimed anything at all. Rukia didn’t understand how she had so much strength. Although Ichigo kissed Orihime's cheek sometimes, every day less often, she knew it was just to keep up appearances. Even so, she accepted them resignedly.

The moment that was eventual came, Ichigo died in his sleep.

She woke up seeing Orihime crying in the dining room, and ran to the main room, he was there, she could see him in his spiritual form, just like the last time he had seen him, sitting on the desk chair. Rukia left the room and took the soul candy. She left her gigai and showed herself before him as a shinigami. “Are you an angel of death?” “I am a shinigami” she answered things as they were, she saw the drawing on the desk in front of the bed, it was a portrait of her smiling with the wreath of flowers, on which he had been working the night before. “I suppose you come for my soul.” “Yes.” “It was nice meeting you.” “The pleasure was mine.” He drew his sword, and he didn’t panic, as if he knew what was going to happen. She stands in front of him, positioning herself. And just for a moment, while she was looking at him to practice the konso, his eyes shone as before, like when he was fifteen, just like when he saw her when they were shinigami. And Rukia knew it, he had recognized her, he had finally done it, this time she wasn’t going to have to remind him her name. “Thank you, Rukia.” And he disappeared when her hilt touched his forehead. Finally, after so much time, Rukia could throw herself to the floor, with the zampakuto without even saving, to let out a heartrending scream, taking out all the pain she had sustained all this time. She cried and cried, until she began to laugh with the purest of joys, seeing how the hand of the body of Ichigo, still in bed, held a small forget me not, as if to make her remember the promise. “I will never forget you, Ichigo.”

[fyrapartnersearch]

You can call me Doll I’m 20 years old I need more money so I can buy more clothes You can view all my info at this google docs link as well: he drove the fast lane on the road to nowhere Reply time and reply length: I am online almost all the time. If I'm not in class, sleeping, or out with friends, then I'm on my laptop. So this means that I can typically reply very fast. However I don't expect my partner to reply as quickly as I do, and I understand that you might get busy. I’m very patient when it comes to replies, just keep me updated if you get busy!. As for reply length I'm very flexible, but these days, I prefer to keep replies in the 250-650 word range. Quality > Quantity is most important to me. Limits:

SoI love 18+ content of any kind(Alcohol, drug use, cursing, smut, so on). I will say that if you are not comfortable with 18+ content, you probably shouldn't message me. My roleplays always consist of a good mixture of drama, fluff, smut, and angst. As for limits, I do not do watersports, sexual gore, bestiality, pedophilia, and so on. I don’t write PWP (Porn without plot) however I will do PwP (So… porn with plot). It’s not what I usually do though.

 I also don't do MxM. However, there are some kinks that I will do that some people will not, so if you're curious you can always ask - I’m very open otherwise. I will do FxFalso, so if that's something that you want it's no problem. Typically for myself, I go with MxF.

  Discuss with Me: I love coming up with scenes or ideas for both sides of the roleplay. If you have something in mind that you would like to do, please share it with me! I am very open. We can also totally do a split roleplay or multiple roleplays at once. I’m open to AUs of most kinds, so don’t worry about that either. Talk about ideas and answer my questions. Tell me what you think of my ideas. Tell me what you think of my OC. I always try to invest myself in you and I hope my partner cares equally for my side as they do for their own in return. Other rules: You can make your OC is hot, smart, or strong. The only thing I do ask is that she isn’t the type who is so perfect that she exceeds what makes sense. If it applies to the story, fine. > For example, if she is a perfectionist whose family always expected the best of her, I get if she’s perfect, but she has to have flaws too.  I love talking to my partners outside of the roleplay, whether it's coming up with ideas or just about anything you want to talk about. I also ONLY roleplay over email, nothing else. MY ONLY PET PEEVE IS when my partner writes their side longer than what they write for my own. I always write more for my partner, so I expect the same in return. It was ingrained into my head after many years and this is the one rule that I don’t let up on. I understand if it happens once, but if you do this in your starter, it’s an immediate drop of the roleplay. Also have good grammar, spelling, and punctuation. I feel that it’s to be expected, but still. Last, if you want to stop the roleplay, I ask that you bring up the issues that you have first before doing so. I can't keep you from ditching without a word, but I at least request that I know what went wrong (or that you are busy and can't continue anymore).

    Thank you for reading! (or at least I hope you did) Now finally onto the fandoms that I am currently most interested in. Btw, if I only list one love interest, that’s because I only have one. This is the only time that I won’t be flexible on changing. If I am caught up with the manga on a series, I require that my partner is too.

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥

Bleach (many love interests beyond what is listed, AU or Canon, caught up with manga) Shunsui Kyoraku I Grimmjow Jeagerjaquez  I Kisuke Urahara ◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥ My Hero Academia/Boku no Hero Academia (So, so many love interests, partner should be caught up mostly with manga, AU or Canon) Dab Ii Chisaki Kai Hitoshi Shinsou I Aizawa Shouta

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥ Naruto (Multiple love interests, AU or Canon) Hidan I Deidara I Kakashi Hatake

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥ K-Project (one main love interest, AU or Canon, immediate yes) Mikoto Suoh

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥ One Piece (Many love interests, Caught up with manga, AU or Canon) EXTREMELY CRAVED Portgas D. Ace I Trafalgar D. Water Law I Zoro

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥ One Punch Man (Canon only, Caught up with manga) Garou I Metal Bat

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥ Haikyuu!! (Multiple love interests, caught up with manga, AU or Canon) Kuroo Tetsurou I Ushijima Wakatoshi I Osamu Miya

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥ Fire Emblem: Fates/Awakening (Multiple love interests, Canon only) Kaden I Leo I Gaius

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥ Devilman Crybaby (One main Love Interest, Change canon to be less fucked up) Akira Fudo

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥ Overwatch (One main love interest, Canon preferably) Hanzo Shimada I  Genji Shimada I Jesse Mccree

◤━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━◥ Kuroko no Basuke (Multiple love interests, AU or Canon) Aomine Daiki I Kagami Taiga I Hanamiya Makoto These are the main fandoms that I am interested in! I only watch shows if there’s hot guys in them. However, if you would like to do a split roleplay where I have one of my most preferred fandoms, I can write any of the following fandoms as well: Durarara!, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Dangan Ronpa, World of Warcraft, Skyrim, Mystic Messenger, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Death Note, and Attack on Titan. Now, as for contacting me, I only roleplay over email. You can email me at: sinsisterr@gmail.com When you email me, include what fandom you’re interested in, limits, rules, love interest(s), or anything else that you think is important! No passwords or anything, just make sure your opening email is friendly and informative.

[arrancarwrites]

A New Start: Ambassadors of our Species! Part 2

AKA: Criessa You Dummy, Do You Know How to NOT Make Enemies!?

(( after binge-reading the last 200 or so chapters of Bleach, I’m trying to do this at least somewhat chronologically. Bare with me a few installments longer so we can get into the fun stuff! This one’s long I’m sorry（ ；´Д｀ ))

~~~

“Who’s she talking to? Head-Captain is in his quarters like always.” Criessa’s ears twitched and she froze, chest puffed out. What did they say? She jerked back around to the man she’d ASSUMED was in charge. The dumb smile on Kyoraku’s face meant he could see the hesitation in hers. Sweat dripped down her cheek. The girl beside him was giving her an awfully disappointed look; Criessa could appreciate the pity. Obviously, she grit her teeth and forced a feeble smile, they know what’s going on….

Criessa spent too much time picking her intro music and forgot to actually find out who everyone was!!!

“Obviously she knows the Captain can hear her! Don’t underestimate someone who snuck in so easily!” Another sweet Soul Reaper underling! Oh yeah, good save! Shunsui winked at her, and she gave him a thankful look. Back in action, she pointed her finger up at Kyoraku and yelled, loudly enough to maybe save some face.

“That’s right! Take me to your leader!”

“Wow you really weren’t prepared in the right ways, were you?” The lieutenant deadpanned, but Shunsui, charmer that he is, stepped in and offered her his arm. Somewhere in the crowd, someone asked someone else what she’d just referenced.

Criessa blanked, staring down at the hairy appendage offered.

“Alright then, Ms. Monserra, let’s relay this very important information to the Head-Captain.”

“Uhh, thanks. I’d prefer not to take your arm though, but the sentiment is nice.” He nodded and brought a hand to his chest, as if hurt; she kept on explaining herself before he could interrupt, “Honestly! It reminds me of the movies and plays I’ve read! Like Prince Charming!” She beamed, bouncing along while he escorted her.

He blinked. “Oh well that’s a heck of a compliment! Excuse my forwardness, again,” He smiled and held his palms up toward her, “Goodness, it seems I’m being a really rude host today! I’m not usually so mean!” He chuckled, “But how do you know about that?”

Criessa watched him carefully. He certainly was a charming guy -not her type, but still.

She raised an eyebrow, “Human things?” Kyoraku nodded and gestured for them to turn down a pathway. “I’ve always liked Human things; they’re colorful and fun. I like games, and Humans have good senses of humor. Entering their world isn’t as comfortable as here, but that’s where I’ve been hiding since Ichigo Kurosaki defeated Aizen.”

The First Division headquarters came into view, stretching up into the sky. Criessa paused at the bottom of the steps. Kyoraku put a hand on her shoulder and hid his smile underneath his hat, hand up to his mouth to stage-whisper. “Nanao and I will keep your secret about not knowing who we were.”

Criessa’s spiritual pressure bristled with her embarrassment. The red-head’s shoulders dropped and she buried her face in her hands. “Oh yeah, way to remind me how silly that was!” She peeked through her fingers towards Nanao, “You’re right I wasn’t really prepared for this.” She fluffed her hand through her hair, and shrugged, “I really just spent WAY too much time deciding on whether or not I wanted to use Welcome To The Jungle or not, I forgot to do any better observations! Well… I guess it won’t hurt, since you’re already keeping one dumb secret for me, I’ll admit it: I’m not anything close to an authority for my species, I sort of barrelled in here half-cocked, but it’s getting bad back home, and it’s not even safe for me to look for the people I’ve lost.”

A white-haired man met them, appearing a few feet away. She met his eyes as she finished her confession.

“I’m worried this is more than we can handle…”

~~~

To say that the real Head-Captain was upset by her presence would be an understatement. Some lingering primal part of Criessa’s brain was screaming how much she really shouldn’t be here, standing before Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto. She took a deep breath and straightened up. No worse than Aizen ever was. She furrowed her brows, eyes still closed. Man, this life after he was captured was making her soft -she never bothered with fear before, what was wrong now?

Olive eyes and freckles. A sweet smile. Blonde hair falling in her face. A warm body underneath hers. Pretty blue eyes.

Oh yeah.

“Arrancar.” Yamamoto’s voice boomed in the silence of the room around them. No one who had remained; Kyoraku, Nanao, or Sasakibe, who was apparently the first division lieutenant, hadn’t so much as breathed loudly since introducing her as, ‘the Arrancar who broke into the Soul Society’. She looked up to meet his gaze. “What is your name?”

“Criessa Monserra. An unranked Arrancar with no affiliations.”

“So be it. Why have you invaded our Courtyards? I want to hear about this nonsense in Heuco Mundo.” The old man never budged from his place, hands firmly on the top of his cane.

“Yes,” She nodded quickly, “Men calling themselves Quincies have arrived and abducted many weaker Arrancars. Anyone left will put up a fight, but Las Noches is carefully monitored. The Espada were our strongest, most reasonable soldiers,” She opened herself to him and frowned, “without them, against an organized force, Hueco Mundo can fall.”

“How am I to believe you know all this, when you say you’ve been hiding in the Human World?”

Criessa brought her hands forward to fiddle, shoving her fingernails underneath each other. “I’ve risked a few trips, long enough to see some old comrades fighting, and see their forces in formation. My last trip… I barely outran them, and have been avoiding detection since. This is my last idea before I risk going back for a blaze of glory.” She curled her hands into fists at her sides. “Honestly,” a smirk, “after Aizen, I’m not stupid enough to side with a losing team. I don’t think joining the Soul Society is a bad future-plan.”

Yamamoto pealed an eye open for her. She supposed it should be a sign he’s taking her seriously.

“You are a Hollow. Our enemy. I could never trust you to join us, who’s mission it is to save Humans, when you are, at your core, the creature that devours them.” She felt anger bubbling hot up her spine. How dare he! “If there really is an organization invading the house of our enemies why should the Soul Society interfere? The Quncies have been dead for 100 years. Whoever this is killing you Arrancar, I should just wait until they’ve finished.”

How DARE he!! The young girl, standing before this pillar of power in their worlds, no more than a  match held to the Sun. But she burned all the same at his dismissal. She grit her teeth, baring her lower fangs.

“Don’t be a fool!” The tension rippled over her, from every corner of the room, “I’m sure you heard what I said earlier! And I’m an Arrancar; I haven’t eaten a Human soul in years.” She shook her head, trying to temper the fire in her chest. “And it would be a foolish decision indeed to ignore the army at your gates! Quincies or not, they’re amassing something!” The Head-captain, now thoroughly irritated, smacked the bottom of his cane on the floor.

Fuming, Criessa ignored his demand for silence. She was really starting to remind herself of Grimmjow.

“I’ve seen your Soul Reapers, Head-Captain! I know the caliper at which you operate! The standards you have set! I never expected you to believe me on my word, but I am powerless here! Check my information! Send me to your scientists! I’m an endangered species, and I doubt you’ll find another Arrancar to walk into your halls asking for permission to join. I thought you’d be able to see the value in that.” She dropped to one knee, and tossed her weapon onto the floor at her own foot.

Again, katanas aimed at her throat.

“I’m not going to be a part of whatever those idiots in white are doing, I won’t die like a dog! I came to you with good will! I’m ready to make this place my new path, but if you’re going to be stubborn about this just because of what I used to be, I was mistaken.”

Fire in her eyes, steam blowing out with her breath, Criessa stared into the awful eyes of her Juge and Jury.

“Lock her up.”

~~~

The darkness made time flow differently, but it wasn’t long enough until the door to her chamber slid open, and instead of Kurotsuchi coming to test more of her anatomy, his girl, Nemu, invited Criessa back into the light of day. She was being released far too early… Something must have finally happened.

“It seems you were telling the truth about the Quincy forces before.” Kurotsuchi bustled around, collecting and typing and moving things, talking over his shoulder to his former captive. One of his lackeys bumped into her, she apologized as she kept running, barely keeping the papers and little tubes in her hands as she dodged. The Captain was still blabbering, “I confess even I assumed you were crazed… or just stupid.” Criessa rolled her shoulders and shrugged. “I was excited to have a new test subject all to myself.” She swore his shoulders fell.

“I could see why. This was always a slim chance.”

“It’s interesting that you would even risk your existence for such a trivial matter. I don’t recall Arrancar being particularly hospitable.” He moved toward the exit, Criessa and Nemu in his coattails. He glanced over his shoulder with a wicked, knowing look in his eye. “Though, you did have quite the motive: Joining the Soul Society, as an Arrancar. Too bad you weren’t very convincing -yelling like that.”

“I don’t know what response you’re trying to pry out of me, Kurotsuchi. My morals align best here.”

“Interesting. What exactly do you define as moral?”

“That’s getting a bit too deep into my personal life, but why we fight is a big deal for Arrancar. We get in arguments about Ethics a lot. Some, who call themselves evolved, think that fighting should have a good, logical reason, like duty, honor, or information gathering. Maybe they’re right. Some just have that itch to do it. It’s instinctual -we’ve been clawing our ways to the top since we died in the first place.”

Criessa shrugged, blinking as they stepped out into the sunlight. She smiled. “I tend to fight for fun.” The odd, bulbous man watched her carefully as they came to a stop. “I know, I know, it sounds barbaric, but it’s not like that. Fun, like games. I don’t want to win, I want to play. I’m no good at laying waste anyway, so I stay out of the way.”

“Captain Kyoraku will be around soon to pick you up. I believe I have enough time for another question.” He turned to her, golden eyes bulging out of their facepaint. Briefly, Criessa struggled to pick one to stare at. “Obviously you don’t keep your head down as much as you say -since you’re here. What are your true motivations?”

The Arrancar kept staring into the left eye of this weirdo captain they’d given her to. Criessa loathed to think of actually hanging her head -she’d never cowered in front of anyone.The birds sang, the insects screamed, and she refused to say anything until her escort was visible on the horizon. But he didn’t need to know that. She leveled her gaze and started walking towards the Lieutenant. She snorted.

“No need in making him walk so far.” Pointedly without looking back, she finally answered Kurotsuchi. “Personal gain, Captain, same as yours.”

~~~

Trailing the coattails of the captain down the hall toward what felt like a big, intimidating meeting, Criessa giggled. Kyoraku glanced over her shoulder, eyebrows raised. She waved him off and rolled her shoulders back.

“I don’t do well under pressure, haha.” She shrugged. “Nervous laughter.”

Oooh, all the captains were gathered when she finally got to step in. They all looked pretty frumpy and serious. No fun. She frowned to herself.

“Head-Captain.” Her focus snapped back to the immediate situation when the pink kimono in front of her moved to his own designated spot, and she stood in front of the old man again. He didn’t say anything to her, and the atmosphere was stifling. Criessa let out a sigh and played with the back of her hair.

“It would be INSANELY rude to say ‘I told you so’ but all things considered, Head-Captain…” She dropped her arms by her sides and blatantly ignored the guffawing at her insolence; staring, unflinching, daring the man in front of her to ignore her advice again. Hadn’t he already lost his lieutenant?

“I will take that and we will consider the apology I owe you null, Criessa Monserra.”

She broke out into a beaming, toothy smile. “Yes sir.”