#Ichihime Week
Explore tagged Tumblr posts
Text
Late, I know, butâŠ! Only by two days, so Iâll still label/tag it:
Ichihime Week, Day 7: Mythical Lovers / Rainbow
I was planning on adding in magpies in the background this time, but I was getting lazy, and itâs already late, so maybe next time ^^;
(Also I was thinking of making a rainbow version, but it didn't come out as I would have liked? Idk. I still think itâs cute, though, so I put it under the cut)
Alrighty, listen: I really didnât mean to wait this long to post. But, like, very shortly after Eid, my iPadâs storage filled up, like, to the point I couldnât even access my mail (thatâs how I found out, pfft). I was wondering why Iâd ever need 256 GB 4 years ago⊠but still, it was $100 extra bucks. Sure, it was a grad gift, but 128 GB was expensive enoughâstill a lot of storage, too⊠Not enough, clearly!
Hoarding layers (and recoloring my own art, pfft) has really caught up to me⊠but also, it wouldnât help too much if I didnât either. After deleting what I could bear to part with, that took away around 5 GB, but merging layers in other works barely made a dent.
So Iâve spent these past few weeks wondering what to do, thinking about emailing my 2019 (imported from my 5s) and 2020 works to an email I also created 4 years ago for some reason I totally forgot about and never used so that I donât end up taking any space in my actual one and then uploading them onto two (since I really donât want my files corrupting) USBs via my laptop, trying to get those USBs from Target (but since I was adamant this time in getting 256 GB USBsâI donât want to have to worry about storage for a longgggg timeâthere were none in stock), ordering them off of eBay instead since my dad insisted on their cheapness, waiting a week for them, then transferring them to that email and uploading them onto its Google drive if the files was too bigâŠ
But that was taking much too long and still left space on my iPad while I was doing it. I managed to complete the 2019 and 2020 pieces from my iPad, but it also only ended up being around 1 GB⊠So, like, I need to clear more years (breaks my heart, it does ;~; Sure, I still have access to them via that email and those USBs, but itâs not convenient anymore, and there are still pieces I plan on getting back to⊠ackkkkk).
Contemplating it some more and discussing it with a friend, much as I abhor subscription services, I finally decided to purchase a premium membership on Ibis for that 20 GB of cloud storage. I can afford the 30 bucks a year, and I like the app anywayâserves me goodâand not having to watch an ad every 18 hours to access my go-to brushes would be nice, plus having access to the other stuff, but yeah: âđâšcloud storageâšđ đ€
Anyway, Iâm pretty sure a good chunk of whatâs taking up my space is actually the cache, as Iâm already more than halfway through my drawings, and Iâm not sure if Iâll reach that 75 GB of storage Ibis was apparently taking up with just my drawings. So Iâll probably need to download everything, then delete the app and redownload it âcause stupid IOS doesnât let you easily clear it đ«
Anyway, I really thought Iâd be done by now, but am notâthat said, I managed to clear out around 10 GB off of Ibis (not my iPad; I somehow managed to gain back 5?? Somewhere?? Iâve no clue; I donât see it), which is wayyy more than enough to get one drawing done for IH week, so I paused the whole storage thing for now. I actually tried to get day oneâs drawing done on the 6th, but Iâm dealing with perspective thatâs hurting my brain, so I decided to get day sevenâs done instead, âcause I thought Iâd be on timeâŠ
Me? On time? Man, who knew I was so funny⊠đ
But yeah, day seven is done! Iâll definitely revisit that day one drawing in the future, but not anytime soon. As if I wasnât backed up already, this whole storage mess has backlogged even further, and there are other dates coming up đźâđš And, yâknow, gotta finish the storage transfer, too⊠Ahhhhhhhhhh!
Anyway, on a more positive note, gradient maps are actually very neat to useâhad a little too much fun, eheh. I wonât confess how much time I spent testing it out on this piece, but here be my favorite:
Theyâre so golden <3 âșïž
#bleach#inoue orihime#kurosaki ichigo#ichihime#ihweek2024#ichihime week#fanart#digital art#the cons of digital art manâŠ#and well me being a hoarder too but shhhh đ€«
94 notes
·
View notes
Text
second date fireworks đ
[Ichihime week 2023, Day 3 - Date / Fireworks]
281 notes
·
View notes
Text
#ihweek2024#ihweek#ichihime week#ichihime#IH FanFiction#ichigo x orihime#ichigo kurosaki#orihime inoue#my ultimate otp
11 notes
·
View notes
Text
Day 3... Fireworks!đ
#IHweek2023#Ichihime#bleach#Bleach Fanart#sugar dove drawings#Ichigo is so hard to draw he is the only obstacle that prevents me from making ichihime fanarts XD#I struggle with male characters in general but Bleach male characters are really difficult for me!#oh#Ichihime week#last time I participated in the week was 3 yrs ago or smtng#it's lovely to see the fandom engaged in such event <3
57 notes
·
View notes
Text
I'm tired, so just the sketch. I looove creepy Kazui stuff.
47 notes
·
View notes
Text
I will do my best to participate in the July ichihime week! I'll probably get some free time during my internship, so I'll be able to write for most of the days!
5 notes
·
View notes
Text
say yes
orihime doesn't actually believe him at first when he asks her out | (ao3)
Orihime doesnât actually believe him at first when he asks her out.
The weeks leading up to the wedding pass by in such a rush that sheâs mostly just focused on planning her leaves at work and getting the veil done in time. Even though it was handy to have the Kurosaki Clinic as a meet-up location for everyone, she hadnât actually planned to spend so much time there. There was so much to do off-late, and the last thing she wanted to do was distract Ichigo from his studies (contrary to his lackadaisical attitude, she knew he wanted to do well with his courses). But an evening had become many evenings, and Ichigoâs sisters were so sweetly persuasive that Orihime often found it hard to say no. The Kurosakis were a rowdy family, but they were warm and kind and welcoming in a way that was addictive to just lean into. Ichigo had to have gotten it from somewhere, after all.
And then the wedding happens, and Rukia actually wears the veil, and sheâs so busy crying that she hardly has the time to process what it all means. Marriage had always been a distant concept to Orihime. Sora had never married, and she had never actually given much thought to it until she saw Rukia walk down the aisle with her own brotherâsomber and serious and beautiful. A bride.
It was only when her eyes met Renjiâs that Rukiaâs expression broke into a small, knowing smile. A Rukia smile, undoubtedly, with all its usual restraint, but there was a familiarity to it that gave Orihime pause. It felt like a secret shared. It felt intimate, a wisdom beyond Orihimeâs years. For the briefest of seconds, she wondered what that must feel like. That closeness. That vulnerability.
Then she felt afraidâand promptly beat her curiosity back into submission.
So when Ichigo admits that heâs been thinking about her for a while, that heâs been harboring feelings for her, it doesnât reallyâregister. His eyes are uncertain, searching, and she instinctively wants to reach out to him, but she doesn't know how. She suspects she must have stuttered something back, but she is, ultimately, in utter shock. Four years of doodling his face on notebooks and following him to hell and back, and she never once thought about what would happen if he honestly, seriously, actually liked her back. It doesnât make any sense.
In the end, she realizes she must have misunderstood him, which sounds a lot more like her the more she thinks about it. Her daydreams about Ichigo have always been vivid with detail, turning his mild affection into rapturous sentiment, so she files it away as her usual whimsy and moves on.
But then Ichigo asks her if she wants to go on a walk one day, and Orihime isnât sure. Theyâve done things like that before, but those instances were spontaneousâhim walking her back home after she dropped her notes off at his house, or him lingering by her doorway, long after a hang-out with their friends. Heâs never asked like this before and it feelsâdifferent.
And when she actually shows up to the end of her street where they were supposed to meet, he looks nervous. Worse, he can tell something is off.
âIs something wrong?â he asks with a small frown.
âNo! No, of course not,â she blurts, then quickly smiles as if to pacify him.
They walk up to the river together and find themselves strolling along the bank for a while, but itâs quiet. Orihime keeps trying to recall what he said at the cafe the other day, about what he could have possibly meant when he said, Iâm trying to be honest about my feelings and itâs okay if you want to stay friends.
Her nails dig into her palms.
âItâs kinda cloudy, huh,â Ichigo remarks, a little sheepish when he looks over his shoulder at her. Orihimeâs stomach drops at the way he looks, windswept and casual with both hands tucked into the pockets of his jacket. His eyes are so warm, so kind, and she wonders if he knows that she loves him. Something lurches within her, and she almost feels sick as she stops in her footsteps.
"I'm sorry." She shakes her head. "I'm sorry, this is just. This is a lot."
"What is?"
"This," she whispers. She dares not call it what it isnât, already wanting to flee. Ichigoâs eyes widen, and she can tell heâs realized, kind of, what sheâs talking about. She pushes on, her voice small and guilty. "This doesn't feel very real to me."
A casual conversation with Ichigo is all well and good, even if it makes her stomach goopy sometimes and sheâs got to scream herself hoarse into her pillow to beat down the rush. But she just canât picture Ichigo doing that about her. Even her wildest imagination draws short.
âAre you talking about what I said the other day at the cafe?â he asks quietly.
Orihime nods, not really looking at him but out towards the Karakura horizon.
âDo youâdo you not feel the same?â
The shock of that question instantly draws Orihimeâs attention back to his face. She realizes heâs trying to brace himself, and the corners of his eyes are creased like it wouldâŠ
(Like it would hurt if she says no)
âItâs not like that,â she mutters, mustering courage. But it falters when their eyes meet, and she flushes. Even saying that much is too much. Still, she finds her voice for long enough to say, âBut, um. You said you liked me.â
Itâs Ichigoâs turn to flush. âY-yeah.â
Oh.
âAsïżœïżœas friends?â She wants to kick herself for asking the question, and then promptly wants the ground to swallow her up when Ichigo looks like heâs in pain.
âYe-NoâI mean.â He covers his mouth with a fist to clear his throat. âI just, uh. You know. I like being friends with you, obviously. But itâsâitâs not. Fully, like.â
Orihime nods quickly but completely devoid of comprehension.
âI think itâs been a little different for a while now,â he admits, almost guiltily. âMaybe for a long time, I donât know.â
Orihime tries to breathe, to think of the implications. But in the end, sheâs just swept away by the golden sunlight on his face, by the courage it must have taken for him to admit such a thing. She still has a hard time wrapping her head around it, but she recognizes, intuitively, that heâs trying to give her something. Something important. And she canât not handle it with care. Not when itâs from him. Even if it feels like sheâs cupping her hands around something tenuous.
âIâm sorry I didnât tell you earlier,â he adds, and she can tell from his tone that heâs serious. âI think I was trying to figure it out for myself.â
Orihime laughs feebly, embarrassed. âYou donât have to be sorry for something like that.â
Ichigo smiles a small smile back at her, both hands in his pockets. He still looks tense, uncertain, and Orihime wants to make him feel better, but between them is a wall that hasnât come down before, and she doesnât know what itâs going to feel like when it does, but she bets it's intense. It has to be. She hates to admit that sheâs a little afraid of it.
âIt doesnât have to be anything you donât want it to,â Ichigo says quietly. âWe can forget this happened.â
Orihime watches him, the way the light hits his face as he waits for her answer. She shakes her head. âNo, I just.â She braves herself to look up at him, to try and say what she has in her heart. âCan we take it a little slow, Kurosaki-kun?â
_____________________
Tatsuki calls her crazy for not jumping him the second he confessed, which is really typical of her, but Chad just frowns when she tells him what happened.
âYou like him,â Chad points out.
Orihime nods. Thatâs not something sheâll ever deny.
âHe likes you.â
She gnaws her lip, fighting down the anxious surge in her stomach.
âHe does,â Chad insists. âI know him.â
For a minute, Orihime stews on his words, the two of them quiet as they walk along the side street together.
âGive him a chance,â Chad says, glancing down at her with a small smile. âLet him show you. Ichigo wonât let you down.â
_____________________
Orihime pays a little more attention.
Thereâs a little bookstore in midtown Karakura that she likes, and she builds the courage to ask him if he wants to go with her.
(âThat sounds like a great idea, Inoue,â heâd breathed, and Orihime wasnât sure if it was a trick of the light or if he looked a little relieved by her initiative).
Either way, Orihime watches the slouch of his back, the thin, long lines of his fingers as he gently pulls books out of the shelves and frowns at the little blurbs on the back. His movements are so familiar to her by now, but she ends up watching him more than the books, fascinated by his every gesture, the firmness of his shoulders, his arms.
âHere,â he says, and she starts a little. Heâs holding a book out to her with a little smile. âI think youâll like this one.â
She takes it from him gingerly. Itâs a heist adventure set in outer spaceâexactly the kind of thing she likes to get lost in during breaks at work, and it touches her deeply, the fact that he knows what she likes to readâthat over years of borrowing and lending from each other, heâs learned. She smiles and holds the book to her chest, determined to find something for him too.
But fundamentally, the truth is that Ichigo is no different from who he used to be. Even as they talk about their friends, or when she brings him yakisoba and they sit by his bedroom window to eat it, heâs still the same heâs always been. He talks flippantly about his teachers but passionately about his classes. He scoffs at the ridiculous things she says and teases her about her wild imagination. He looks lost when she meanders her way through a story but listens patiently anyway. These are all things that the Ichigo of last year used to do. The Ichigo she knew and had grown comfortable with, to a point where she didnât feel conscious about being in his room, or talking to him like this, with no one else around. Itâs easy to forget that he likes her in those moments, which makes her think maybe he doesnât like her that way at allâmaybe he was just trying to tell her how much he values her as a friend, and she was reading into it too much, or projecting orâorâ
(Or heâs always felt like this, her brain provides. She takes a gigantic hammer and smashes this thought, then steps on it with her foot for good measure.)
Orihime knows that Ichigo has always loved herâjust like heâs loved Chad or Rukia or a person he just met that needed saving. Ichigo is a kind, giving person. She knows better than to mistake that for pining.
But there are times where his thigh brushes hers, or she laughs at something he says, and he gives her a look, a look that heâs never given her before, tentative, searching. She wonders what would happen if he would lean down and kiss her then, just his mouth on hers, nothing more. Itâs nothing she hasnât imagined before, but like all her other fantasies, itâs not something sheâs ever thought would actually happen. Sheâs imagined burger kingdoms (because if thereâs a Burger King, he has to have a home, right?) and clouds that taste like cotton candy, and this is just one of those thingsâperfect, but too good to be true.
âI donât know what Iâm doing,â she pictures telling him. âI like you,â she pictures telling him. She even knows the exact face he would make, a little stunned, because sheâs always coming at him from a little left of center. A little tender, because heâs always been so kind to her. Ichigo would never hurt her, but sheâs a coward all the same, satisfied with having him only in her burger-kingdom-candy-cloud fantasies. Sheâd never know what to do if he gave her his hand.
She throws her head into her pillow and screams. At least this hasnât changedâand it provides her a little comfort.
_____________________
Heâs walking her back home from his house one day when he says, âI donât know what Iâm doing wrong.â
Orihime whips her head up so fast she nearly gets dizzy. âWhat?â
He doesnât look at her. âIâm terrible at this. Being a boyfriend.â
Orihime wants to reassure him of his merits, but sheâs still stuck on boyfriend. Kurosaki-kun, her boyfriend. The shape of those words makes no sense, not in that order, not even rearranged. A hysterical part of her wants to laugh, and then lie down sideways and roll all the way home.
Ichigo lifts his gaze from the ground and frowns at her. âYou donât believe it.â
âKurosaki-kun?â
He kicks at a pebble in his path and watches it totter out of the way. âYou donât believe that I like you.â
Itâs only slightly accusing. He mostly just sounds sad, like thereâs something wrong and he has no idea how to fix it.
âThatâs notââ she begins. True, she wants to say, but she canât bring herself to admit that it would be a little bit of a lie to say she had wholly embraced this idea that Ichigo was apparently in love with her. âKurosaki-kun.â It comes out a little helpless, and she canât help but stare up at him, hoping heâll understand.
âI do, you know,â he says quietly. Stubbornly, almost. Thereâs a determination in his eyes thatâs so familiar to her by now, a brimming thunder in him that speaks of hidden depthsâthings he feels that he canât quite find the words for. Ichigo has always spoken so much with so little that when he says, âI do,â again, she knows. Heâs been saying it to her in one form or another for a while now. Had he always been, even when he hadnât quite known that that was what he was saying?
âIâm the terrible one.â she says finally, shaking her head. âKurosaki-kunâKurosaki-kun is so brave, so warm.â She looks up at him, and she tells herself she isnât going to cry, even if she feels it at the base of her throat. âI wouldnât even know what to do if you gave me your hand.â
Surprise breaks out on Ichigoâs face, followed by understanding.
âYou could hold it,â he said quietly. And then color fills his cheeks, his own admission embarrassing him as he looks away from her face. âI-If you wanted to.â
Orihime lets out a breath, the thrill of possibility and permission making itself clear in the air between them. She stares at his hand, so large, so there, and lowers her own to lock their fingers together. Warm. His hand is warm. Her cheeks are on fire. Ichigo still doesnât look at her, but his cheeks are pink too.
âIâll hold it,â she decides, carefully cradling it with both her hands like itâs the most important thing in the world. Ichigo nods and squeezes his grip. She squeezes back.
They walk home that way. Neither of them says a word.
_____________________
Later that night, much, much later, Orihime rolls over in bed and stares out her window. Itâs dark outside, quiet, and all she can think about is Ichigo. Sheâs spent a few nights like this before, her love for him so full that it had a presence of its own in the room. Ichigo, with his hand on his chin, talking about anything, everything. Ichigo at war, his back to her because he trusts her with it. Ichigoâs hand in hers, not limp, not asleep, but awake and alive and hers to hold.
I like you, she tries with her mouth. I like you.
She picks up the phone and dials his number without thinking about it, really.
There are one, two, three, four rings between them, and then his voice arrives on the other end, thick with sleep, concerned. âHello?â A pause, like heâs pulled the phone away from his ear to see whoâs calling. âInoue?!â
âKurosaki-kun,â she returns.
âWhatâs wrong? Are you in trouble?â
She smiles. âNo. I justâŠI wanted to tell youâŠâ
âTell me what?â
âI like you, Kurosaki-kun,â she confesses, true and soft and clear. Itâs only when sheâs said it that she realizes itâs the first time sheâs said it to him out loud, with him awake to hear it. âI like you,â she says again, stronger this time, more insistentâno room for error, or misunderstanding or doubt.
Thereâs a long silence on the other end, and it draws for so long that Orihime almost falls asleep to it, but for once sheâs not afraid. Sheâs ready for the wall to come down, however long it takes, or however fast.
Finally, Ichigo laughs, just a heavy exhale from his nose. âSheesh. Is that it? I thought you were seriously in trouble or something.â He doesn't sound disgruntled, though. He sounds pleased. Thrilled, really. It's like the warmth is emanating off of him, and Orihime can feel it all the way here, three blocks away. And then he says, âMe too,â and itâs like heâs here, burrowed in her ribs alongside that beating thing she calls a heart.
She falls asleep that way, her phone cradled to her chest, static waves connecting her to him. Itâs the best sleep sheâs gotten in years.
_____________________
Some time later, after a few days have passed, she takes him to the park for a date, his hand in hers as they walk between the trees. Heâs in a light jacket that looks good on him; sheâs in his coat, two sizes too big on her.
âI want to race you to the end of the park,â she declares, tilting her gaze towards him to see his reaction.
He blanches. âItâs the middle of winter.â
âThat makes it sound like you donât think you can win in these conditions,â she observes, tapping her chin with one finger. âCould it be that the mighty Kurosaki-kun isâŠslackingâŠ?â
Ichigo frowns. âOi.â
âItâs just a few hundred meters,â she assures him.
He sighs, letting go of her hand and heading over to the other side of the walkway so he can get into position. âReady when you are,â he says.
Orihime grins. They ready, set, go it, and then sheâs darting, dashing through the park like her feet canât carry her fast enough. Ichigo is hot on her heels, but itâs clear sheâs going to be the winner, wind whipping at her hair and her clothes. Something fuels her from within, gives her a boost that makes her reach the parkâs edge a second faster than he does, shoes roughly scraping against the pavement upon her landing. She could have run forever with how buoyant this feeling is in her chest, but she settles for grinning, holding her hands out to him as he catches up to her. Heâs sulking.
âIâll buy you hot chocolate,â she promises soothingly, then laughs at the hope that strikes his face. Itâs cute enough to deserve a kiss, so she stands up on tiptoes and plants one on him, her lips soft against his cheek.
âO-Okay,â he breathes, a little flush rising to his cheeks.
âLetâs go!â She pumps one fist in the air.
Ichigo takes her other hand, tugging her back before she can walk into oncoming traffic. She settles back with a sheepish grin. He shakes his head. They look both ways this time.
Then they cross the street.
#originally meant this to be one of my entries for ichihime week but it didnt quite fit the theme! anyway i missed them so much uwu#ichihime#myfic
126 notes
·
View notes
Text
Putting under read more 'cause it kind of turned out way longer than intended and has big images attached. ^^'
Warning: I literally am reviewing and judging sketches Kub0 drew of the Ichi//Hime fam post-manga and just being critical of I//H as a whole.
âKub0 has yet to release any artwork of the Ichi//Hime family together!â
I just recently recalled this statement made years ago by anti I//Hs and became rather curious over whether or not this statement was still true or not. Itâs been about 8+ years since the manga ended and I//H became canon with their mini-me child being revealed alongside. So, out of genuine curiosity, I decided to see if Kub0 had since drawn the I//H family in any capacity.
Only to discover that, nope, he indeed had not.
The closest I could find of any drawings made by Kub0 that involved Ichig0's family post-manga were these two sketches he made:
A sketch of Ichig0 and Kαzui with Kub0's signature.
And the pic he drew of Ichig0 with Kαzui during quarantine (which I will admit is super adorable omg).
Two pictures featuring a father and his son.
But! You'll notice with both of these sketches, 0rihime is missing. You know, the wife of Ichig0 and mother to said child?? She's not so much as shown in the background or right there alongside her husband and kid! She's just, not present what-so-ever...
And the saddest part? When I tried searching for any sketches Kub0 made of Kαzui with 0rihime, nothing came up. Not a single sketch featuring mother and son. I only found those two pics of Kαzui with his father. That's it.
And there wasn't a single sketch that had all three of them together.
The closest I could find was of an edited version of the quarantine pic an I//H fan drew where they added 0rihime in. That's right, an I//H fan had to add 0rihime into the sketch in order to get a proper Ichi//Hime family pic, because Mr. Tite Kub0 couldn't be bothered to do so himself in the first place. I also found other edited pics that just took separate pics of the three and mashed them together, which is just... sad.
I think the closest there's been to the three being seen together as a family was in the manga and even that is a bit of a stretch.
This then led me to see if Kub0 had since drawn Ichig0 and 0rihime together and came up with two more sketches:
A sketch of the two standing next to each other, looking at one another.
Another sketch of the two's portraits.
And just like with the previous two pics, I noticed something about both pics. In the first one, 0rihime and Ichig0 are keeping a distance between themselves, and the sketch overall is rather simplistic and not really readable. I can barely make out either of their expressions, though 0rihime looks shocked? Confused?? idk Meanwhile, Ichig0 looks either blank or irritated? He might be talking to her??
As for the second sketch, Ichig0 looks like he had more time and effort put into his portrait, while 0rihime looks thrown in last second. Given how much bigger Ichig0 is, it gives off the impression that Kub0 drew a pic of Ichig0 first, and then added 0rihime off to the side, in the background, which explains why she's so small and seems tacked on. You can essentially remove her from the sketch entirely as she doesn't look part of it as a whole.
Also, this same sketch had an I//H shipper tack on Kαzui to try and make it a family pic, just like with the other one.
Despite Kub0 canonizing Ichig0 and 0rihime as a married couple with a kid, despite it being nearly a decade now, despite I//H shippers asking Kub0 to give more details about how the two got together and what their relationship is like as a family and couple, he still hasn't bothered to actually give the Ichi//Hime fam any proper spotlight.
I hate bringing up other mangas for comparison, but even Nαruto, despite its own controversial ending and endgame ships, showcased some sweet family moments with their next gen families and even had cute couple-y moments between the endgame pairs. Kishim0t0 at least bothered to put some effort into trying to sell his endgame ships to fans. Meanwhile, Kub0 has left I//H high and dry of any basic domestic fluff.
And honestly?
I just find that to be plain sad. Sad that even though a pairing is made canon, is made to be married with a child, there's still this lack of intimacy between the two. Yes, many I//H antis have pointed out how much Ichig0 and 0rihime lacked development and intimacy prior to the ending, but it's post-ending where I feel the failure of I//H really comes to ahead.
I//H stans tend to use Ichig0 and 0rihime's marriage and product of their consummation as a crutch or a "got'cha" to prove them being canon somehow means they're a perfect pairing. But it really doesn't mean anything if there's no real intimacy outside of a legal piece of paper and offspring. Those two things don't prove anything and shouldn't be used as evidence for a happy, healthy relationship.
Because, despite what is believed by many, a marriage and kids does not automatically translate to a good relationship. People can be married with kids and still be unhappy or lack real closeness or intimacy in their relationship. Just like how the alternative (i.e. not married and no kids), can mean a happy and close relationship. Basically, a marriage and children are not required nor are proof of a happy, healthy relationship.
Kub0 himself has already proven to me that he doesn't even care about Ichi//Hime as a pairing, despite the marriage and kid. He hasn't shown that Ichig0 and 0rihime are close and seems to actively avoid drawing the family together, leading the fans to do so for him out of desperation. He was more than happy to show 0rihime's one-sided devotion towards Ichig0 throughout the manga, but never bothered to show Ichig0 ever returning those feelings, and then just ended with the two married with a son. Only later offhandedly mentioning that the two got together sometime after university when a fan asked him about it. And Ichig0 had to be prompted by his friends to make a move on her, not because he did so on his own accord.
Ichi//Hime may be endgame canon, but it's still hollow and empty.
Update 7/9/24
I had actually forgotten about another pic Kub0 did and was only recently reminded of it by a twt user.
The pic features Ichig0, Rukiα, Ichikα, and Kαzui altogether.
And I have to agree with the twt userâs assessment on it, it does look like an accidental family pic. I can totally see some people who arenât familiar with Bleαch taking this out of context and mistaking Rukiα and Ichig0 as the parents. Itâs a very cute and silly sketch too, with Rukiα and Kαzui messing around with Ichig0 and Ichikα dealing with their antics. An overall happy, wholesome pic.
Which makes the fact that Kub0 drew Rukiα alongside Kαzui and not his own mother, 0rihime, all the more noticeable and depressing. It really does feel like Kub0 is actively avoiding making any happy I//H fam material. He always falls back on drawing Ichig0 and Rukiα together (which he has admitted to enjoy doing).
#Mine#Bleach#Anti IchiHime#Ship Discussion#sorry I rambled towards the end I wrote the first half of this like a week ago and then finished it the day of posting#I kind of repeat myself in those last few paragraphs sorry >.>'#Also for Clarity: I'm not defending Nαruto or its ending and endgame ships I just used it for comparison purposes
32 notes
·
View notes
Text
~ special shout-out to who made THIS WEEK even better: @serene-faerie @vanillaxbiscuit @netomitsu @jessfandrawer @gutros @yuuj1nee @marmeladovnas @zabiume
31 notes
·
View notes
Text
đ(Old)Ichihime fics while I struggleđ§Ą
âą "The happy feelings club" Pt1đ
âą "The happy feelings club" Pt2đ
âą "Late night snacking"đȘ
âą "A visit to Orihime's house"đ
(These are old, but I like to think "goodies. The artist who drew these thumbnails is @o0o0thorn0o0o, please check her out)
#bleach#old post#but still good#struggling on my current fic#ichihime#ichigo kurosaki#orihime inoue#promoting channels#promoting myself#have a good week everyone#need sleep#yawn đ„±
18 notes
·
View notes
Link
Chapters: 3/3 Fandom: Bleach (Anime & Manga) Rating: General Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Inoue Orihime/Kurosaki Ichigo, Abarai Renji/Kuchiki Rukia Characters: Inoue Orihime, Kurosaki Ichigo Additional Tags: Slice of Life, Post Manga, Falling In Love, Feelings, lots of feelings, Soft, Soft Kurosaki Ichigo, but not OOC I don't think, i don't know how to tag this honestly is very soft Summary:
From the TYBW to them getting married, a soft insight on their love story.
#finally finally finally finished this!#took me ages but Im actually happy about how it turned out!#actually I uploaded it like two weeks ago#honestly idk what is time evenš?#ichihime#ichihime fic#my fic
11 notes
·
View notes
Photo
Requested by @cookieswithay. I hope itâs to your liking!
Two versions âcause I couldnât decide which background colors I preferred.
#bleach#inoue orihime#kurosaki ichigo#ichihime#requests#fanart#digital art#in other news: first week of college#and i already wish it were spring break#i feel so done that i didnât even get new semester anxiety haha#at least mondayâs off so thatâs good
193 notes
·
View notes
Text
golden hour đ
[Ichihime week 2023, Day 6 - Honeymoon trip]
187 notes
·
View notes
Text
On the Shoreline
Hitsuhina Week: Day 6 - Something beautiful / Waves
Prompts: Waves, stars, vacation together
Rating: K/General but with mild themes
Setting: some time after the No Breaths From Hell oneshot
Synopsis: Upon Momoâs suggestion, Toshiro joins her and a group for a break at a seaside town. However, with his mind is heavy with recent revelations, he wonders why they are all there.
AN: Once again, Iâm writing something for both @yearoftheotpevent's challenge and Hitsuhina Week.
This really started as one thing and completely transformed into something else! I was intending to do a short piece about Toshiro and Momo taking some time to relax at a beach, but nope, the angst had to get in there and not only make this fic longer, but change the whole story.
Do I think the Shinigami would actual do this after the events of the No Breaths From Hell one shot? Nope, but I wanted to try it out anyway.
In terms of music while listening I can recommend (in no particular order): Recollection 1-3 , World #07 Blues, going home, and compassion by Shiro Sagisu from the BLEACH osts, And She Translated into Sky by Levi Patel (Spotify or YT) , and Skel and Andra by Sigur Ros (Spotify or YT). If I had to recommend when to listen to these songs, I only three I feel strongly about are listening to And She Translated into Sky, Skel, and Andra in the last section of the fic, where Toshiro and Momo are walking on the beach ;)
Hope you all enjoy it!
__________________________________
Toshiro watches the heat sizzle on the horizon. Despite the sweat dripping down his temple, he doesnât wave the uchiwa with any vigor. Eventually, he glares at the few clouds in the sky, all too far away to block the sun.
âWhy did they have to pick a damn beach of all places?â he grumbles.
He tries to ignore the commotion going on inside, where everyone is trying to decide who is going to stay in which room. He should be in there, but itâll only irritate him further, and for once it wouldn't just be from everyoneâs usual antics and pointless arguing.
It had been a two months, but how can they all be acting like this after what happened?
He tilts his head down and waves his fan faster. He knows everyone has their ways of coping with things, but he'd have thought there would still be some discussion about what happened, even if it was only in passing. Why does it feel like he's the only one stuck on the revelations that came?
The door slides open and Rangiku pokes her head out, looking to the left, and then meeting his gaze when she swivels her head to the right. âThere you are! Whatâre you doing out here?â
Toshiro pushes himself off the wall. âAre you all done in there?â he asks dryly.
âYeah, everything is sorted.â She grins as if all the arguing hadnât just occurred. âYou know itâs cooler inside, right? When did you leave?â
âDoesnât matter. Which room am I in?â
Rangiku huffs and steps out of the foyer, closing the door behind her. âI get that itâs hot, Captain, but you really need to relax.â
âI only came because they needed someone to supervise all of you.â Thatâs not entirely true, and she knows it. It had been Momo who invited him, Rangiku and Granny who encouraged him to accept, and Shunsui who had assigned him and Rukia with watching over everyone â all the while grinning and lamenting that it had been over a decade since Toshiro had a proper holiday in the World of the Living.
âItâs lucky we came at the very beginning of summer, thereâs more rooms and not a whole lot of people on the beaches around here. Youâll be able to use Hyourinmaru to your heartâs content.â
âFor all of you, you mean.â
âOh, Captain, donât be so cruel, I know youâll use it more for yourself than anyone else!â He goes to rebut while she rummages through her shortâs pocket, but he stops when pulls out a key and hands it to him. âBesides, I did a good thing for you! Like you requested, youâll have a room to yourself with aircon.â
Oh, thank goodness.
âItâs between Madarame and Yumichikaâs room and Abarai and Kuchikiâs rooms.â
He wilts. As if the heat isn't bad enough.
_________________________________
Walking into the First Division's main hall, heâs reminded of the days during and after the Quincy invasion. Most of the captains had arrived, but the usual chatter and carrying on is absent.
Iba, who stands closest to the entrance, is the only one who acknowledges his arrival. âCaptain Hitsugaya,â he says with a nod.
Toshiro does the same in return as he walks past. "Iba"
Kensei, his arms folded tightly over his chest, leans against a wall next to Shinji, whoâs gaze is off to the side, lost in thought. Sui Feng paces from one corner of the room to the other, each time passing Isane, who looks flatly at the ground. Lisa stands in another corner, reading one of her books, her face hidden from view.
Kenpachi, surprisingly on time for once, stands near the meeting hallâs closed doors, his back turned. As Toshiro approaches though, he shifts to look down at him. He grunts in greeting, and looks away. Itâs somehow both like him and uncharacteristic of him to act in such a way.
Byakuya and Rukia both arrive, and the quiet discussion theyâd been having before dies as soon as they enter the hall. Like him, theyâre only greeted by Iba and try to find a place to stand. Byakuya glances at Toshiro and gives a nod. He returns the gesture, and watches as Byakuya and Rukia choose stand next to Isane, who barely manages a smile to Rukia. Both look like they want to say something, but neither speaks.
Toshiro chooses his place, standing near the meeting hallâs entrance but away from Kenpachi. He folds his arms into his sleeves and keeps his gaze on the main hallâs entrance.
The air is tense, and the silence quietly rings in Toshiroâs ears. Itâs only broken when Rose and then Mayuri arrive.
The latter starts to speak â what he says Toshiro doesnât pay attention to but it's enough to make Sui Feng stop and say somethign back to him. Their impending argument is interrupted when the meeting hallâs doors finally open.
Shunsui stands on the other side, his usual smile and casual air nowhere to be seen. Everyone files in and takes their place in the hall. Despite the solemnness of their movements, Toshiro can feel the urgency among them.
They need to discuss what happened. They need answers. How do they stop this? How many of their own had they sent to Hell over these centuries? When would their new enemy next strike? What can they do to defend themselves?
What if this conflict doesn't end like the others? What if they die? What is they have to face their own?
_________________________________
âLetâs go get some ice cream.â
Toshiro blinks out of his revere and lifts his head from his propped-up hand. Momo stands beside the table, smiling and holding a straw hat. He hadnât even sensed her coming into the lobby.
When the small table fan propels back in his direction, sending a welcomed gust of cold air over his face, he remembers to speak. âArenât you going shopping with Matsumoto?â
âYes, but you should come along too. We can grab some ice cream before we go.â
He scoffs. âForget it.â
Momo puts her hands on her hips. âHonestly, Hitsugaya-kun, you havenât left this inn once since we got here!â
âWeâve only been here for a day, dummy.â
âEven so! Donât you want to see what itâs like around here? Itâs been a long time since any of us have been to a new location in the World of the Living.â At his blank stare, she sighs and drops the hand holding her hat to her side while the other points to the left. âAt least come out and get some ice cream then. Thereâs a stall down just down the street.â Then, with a rueful smile. âBesides, you know how long it can take Rangiku-san to get ready.â
He almost lets a chuckle out. He rolls his eyes to the ceiling. Even when not looking at her, he can sense Momoâs persistence. Sheâs always been stubborn, and heâll never understand why it always came out whenever it involved getting him to go to places he's never been.
He exhales, making a sound between a groan and a sigh. âFine.â
To his surprise, Momo doesnât reach out and grab him to drag him outside and down the street. She puts her hat on, waits for him to stand and leads the way out, patient with his slower and sluggish movements. Before leaving the table, Toshiro grabs his uchiwa.
As soon as they step outside, he considers turning back. Itâs hotter than this morning, and there isnât a cloud in sight to cover the sun.
Momo senses his hesitation and gestures towards a stall a short distance away. âItâs just down there.â
Logically, he knows itâs less than a two minute walk to the stall, but did he really want to make the journey?
âIâm pretty sure they have a peppermint flavor.â
That doesnât really sell him, but heâll pretend it does. With more irritation than he intends, he grouses, âLetâs just go.â
Thankfully, Momo doesnât take it personally and giggles. âYou really like peppermint, huh?â
âItâs one of the few good flavors for ice cream.â
âMango and strawberry are good too.â
He only grunts.
Their shoes clack against the pavement, and where possible they stick to the shade of trees and awnings of shops. Save for the few passing cars, the singing of the cicada, and the distant crashing waves, itâs quiet. There are only a few others outside, going about their daily lives.
He fans himself as they walk, but it doesnât cool him down much. Heat radiates from pavement through to the soles of his shoes, and a sweat is building on his brow. The humans and Momo walk around as if nothing is wrong. How can they stand this heat?
The gust of warm wind certainly doesnât help matters. It does, however, make him aware of Momoâs hat. On one side of the hatâs band, thereâs a cluster of small flowers, coloured different shades of pink and cream, and two short cords a sparkling bead on each end sway to and fro across the brim. It looks like something she would personally pick out, she always had an inclination towards clothes with floral designs on them.
He had picked some of his clothes the week before the trip, but the rest were chosen by Rangiku. He always had an inclination towards darker colours â like the navy blue tank top and grey shorts he wears now - while she always seemed to find the right balance in brighter colours for him. For all of her faults when it came to going nuts on clothes shopping, she always knows what fashionable clothes to buy.
âThe others want to go to the beach later,â Momo says. âAre you going to come along? Or is it too hot for you?â
He waves a dismissive hand. âIs Kuchiki going?"
"Yes."
"Then Iâll stay back, she can supervise."
He almost goes back on his word at her saddened frown. âWell, itâs supposed to cooler tomorrow," she says. "Youâll come then, right?â
He can't say 'no'. âSure.â
Once theyâre at the stall, he relishes the chill emanating from the glass display and the cool wind of the fan whirling behind the counter. Thereâs not too many flavours to choose from, mostly just the popular ones.
Momo pouts. âAh, itâs a shame they ran out of strawberry.â
He points to the mango flavour. âYou could just get that.â
She shrugs. âMaybe, but I like to have two different flavous when I can. What do you think would go well with mango?â
Toshiro considers, perusing each flavour. Eventually, he points to the best one he can think of.
Momo snorts, her fingers pressing over lips in an attempt to suppress a giggle. She fails miserably at his incredulous look.
âWhatâs so funny?â he asks.
âIâm sorry, itâs justâŠPeach?â
âItâs sweet, so is the mango.â
âButâŠdid you pick it because of that reason or because it reminds you of -- ?â She starts giggling again.
Why are his cheeks burning? No, this wonât do. Heâd honestly picked it because he thought the two would work together. âAs if Iâd picked it for that reason! Weâre not children anymore!â
Realising the commotion theyâre causing, and sensing the growing queue behind them, Toshiro is quick to order his two scoops of peppermint ice cream in a cup and storms off to the side, waiting for Momo under the shadow of a tableâs umbrella.
Trying to ignore the stares of a few of the humans, he takes the small plastic spoon and digs in. Heâs pleasantly surprised; itâs one of the better ice creams heâs had, and itâs quite cold. Gradually, with each spoonful, it has the effect of both cooling him and his annoyance down.
Did she really think he chose peach because of her name? Did it remind her of when they were kids and heâd only remember to buy peaches when she was there? That hadnât happened since they were very young.
Momo joins him almost a minute later, and they set off back to the inn. She takes a spoonful of each scoop, and heâs about to grumble about the fact she went for his suggestion in the end until she cringes.
Her whole face scrunches up and she makes a sounds between a yelp and a gasp. For a second, he fears sheâs hurt. "Wha--?"
"Itâs really cold!"
Now itâs his turn to hold in a chuckle. He too fails, and he doesnât do anything to stop it, even as she complains.
âOooh! You knew, didnât you?â
 âYeah,â he chortles.
âJust because you have a tolerance for the cold!â
âYouâre being childish, Hinamori.â
âI could say the same for you, Shiro-chan. You couldâve warned me!â
âThatâs âCaptain Hitsugayaâ, Hinamori.â
Feeling he got the last word in, he smirks and slowly eats his ice cream right in front of her. She half glares at him. Itâs not long before she lets out a huff, and what little irritation she had leaves her. "It's not a big deal, I'll just have to take smaller bites, and at least it tastes good.â
They continue on the pavement. Despite her bravado before, she still hestiates when she scoops up smaller bits of ice cream and eats them. He smirks, but otherwise doesn't tease her like before.
For the first time since he got here, he feels himself easing a little, and he looks to the source. Momo always has this effect on him at certain moments, where it was just the two of them and no one would be interrupting them. Maybe itâs seeing her this relaxed and content, it makes him want to be the same. Even as they were at the stall and browsing the ice cream flavours, he didnât feel the usual apprehension to interacting with the person behind the counter â an old habit from his day in Junrinan, heâd realized years ago â because she was there with him.
It's not enough to lighten his mind of the thoughts that weigh him down, but they donât churn in his head like waves in a stormy sea. He could put into words what has been bothering him. He could tell her right now, and maybe heâd be lighter. Maybe sheâd already know and understand, because maybe she is still thinking about these things too.
âHinamoriâŠâ He trails off when she looks over her shoulder at him. Momo walks in front of him in bright and colourful clothes, nothing like the uniform she takes pride in. She cradles the cup of mango and peach ice cream thatâs already starting to melt. Her cheeks are flushed â or sunburned, he dreads â and up until now sheâd been smiling. The little flowers and cord on her hat flutter in the wind, small and strangely fragile.
He walks past her. âForget about it.â
She quickly comes in front of him and asks, âWhat is it?â
Itâs rare for her to prod. Had he detected a hint of desperation in her voice? Had she noticed something in him and had been wanting to ask? He wouldnât put it past her, she and Rangiku both have that uncanny ability to sense when heâs off kilter even when he doesnât show it.
But now is not the time to tell her.
âJust make sure Matsumoto doesnât spend too much, she could end up using Division funds.â
He maintains a stoic exterior in the face of her small, unconvincing smile. âOf course.â
_________________________________
A stick of incense had already been lit; someone else had visited Jushiro's gave before him. It wonât be long before itâs completely burnt out.
Toshiro makes his prays while the incense still burns, putting his hands together, closing his eyes, and bowing his head.
But what can he say? No words or sentiments come to mind. Not even hopes or wishes.
He does, however, recall a few memories of Jushiro. The first of when he first met the older captain; his long, white hair was tied back and he looked less pale than when Toshiro last saw him. He remembers the bags under his eyes getting progressively more prominent, and his absence from meetings becoming more frequent. At some point, the hair tie disappeared. His smile and optimism though, that only vanished in dire situations, but they always returned with as much mirth and sincerity as soon as the problem has been resolved.
How sharply those two things stood in contrast to what had transpired at this very spot.
Toshiro recalls with a repressed shiver the Jigoku no Rinki that had floated in the air around the grave just a week ago. A sign that the balance had been tipped, that Hell held enough power to break the peace. And they gave them that power. It was the price they all paid for becoming as strong as they did. This was the price they paid for allowing Aizen to grow as powerful as he did, and for imprisoning him when he was one of the beings keeping the balance from tipping. The irony sickens him.
He opens his eyes. Why is he here? Could Jushiro even hear prayers from where he is?
To think Souls like Jushiro are ending up there, fighting against all of itâs creatures and victims. He had no way of warning them of what theyâve been doing all of these centuries. What had he endured?
He can't keep the other possibility from turning over in his mind, and it makes his stomach churn. What if he isn't fighting against the creatures of Hell, but had become one of them?
Ichigo had told the captains what he'd seen who he'd fought against. Amongst his recollections was Sogyo no Kotowari, but the description he gave was not like the bankai Toshiro knew. It sounded warped and elongated to the point of being unnatural. Heâs certain Hell had altered the former captain in more than just his bankai. How much has his appearance changed? Would he recognize Jushiro if saw him?
And not for the first time, Toshiro wonders if he will have to cross blades with him.
_________________________________
âGoodnight, sir,â Rangiku says while leaning on Momo and Hisagi. âCall if you need anything.â
Toshiro, his back turned to her, rolls his eyes to the ceiling. âWeâre back at the inn, Matsumoto. Why would I need to call you?â
Rangiku giggles. âI didnât mean on the phone!â
Momo laughs nervously. âBut then heâd wake up everyone else, Rangiku-san.â
Rangiku considers for a moment, her head swaying from one side to the other. ââŠOh yeah.â
âYou sure drank a lot, huh?â Hisagi says.
âHey, you drank too!â Rangiku retorts.
He chuckles. âYeah, but not as much as you!â
Even in the dark, Toshiro can see the flush in his lieutenant and the Ninth Division's cheeks. He knows for Rangiku it's the sake, but for Hisagi it's a guess between the alcohol or from being that close to Rangiku.
Why am I even paying attention to this? Toshiro wonders.
Mercifully, they reach Momo and Rangikuâs room.
âThank you again for paying for dinner, Captain Hitsugaya,â Hisagi says with a bow of his head.
Momo smiles at Toshiro. âYes, thank you Hitsu â Captain Hitsugaya.â She waves her free hand. âGoodnight, and sleep well.â
Toshiro gives her a half-hearted wave back and half turns away.
Hisagi opens their door and helps Momo get Rangiku into the room as she groans about having drank too much. He comes out a few seconds later, closing the door behind him and walking into the room just opposite.
Toshiro remains in the hallway after Hisagi shuts his door. Save for a few shuffles in Momo and Rangikuâs room, the faint snoring from Ikkaku and Yumichikaâs room down the hall, and the waves crashing in the distance, itâs dead quiet.
He should go to bed, but goes back the way he came, coming down to the ground floor and then out into the back courtyard. There are tables and chairs scattered throughout, some with umbrellas and others not. Beyond them, a railing lines a wooden deck that extends out to give a view of the main beach in the distance. Beneath him, only the streetlights, outdoor lanterns, and neon signs of bars, restaurants, and a convenience store illuminate the town.
He goes to the railing and rests his forearms along the top. The moon is a crescent, and he can still make out the tide crashing and receding. For the first time since he got here, itâs quiet. Heâd longed for a moment like this, by himself and in cooler conditions. He thought it would be what he needed, but as he looks out over the town, it doesnât take long for his mind to wonder. None of the humans here - or anywhere for that matter - truly know what is happening. If they did, how would they react?
His mind recalls the few times he was sent on a mission to the World of the Living, believing he was saving their world and keeping the balance. His subordinates would've felt the same, he imagines. Are they working on the reports he and Rangiku left behind right now? Are the captains and lieutenants still working to try and find out more about Hell? What if Hell is planning an attack? What if he -- ?
He shakes his head, then lets it fall to rest on his arms.
He pivots his mind to what had happened just a few hours ago. With the exception of Rukia and Ichika, theyâd all gone to a shokudo for dinner. Rangiku had gotten started early on the sake, encouraging Hisagi, Ikkaku, and Renji to join her. It didnât take long for the four of them to be carrying on, quibbling one minute then laughing together the next. He sat next to Rindou, who signed to him and the others about the food and what he had done today at the beach and in the town. Opposite them, Momo sat between Nanao and Kiyone, but every now and then she would glance in his direction. When he caught her, sheâd either smile and return her focus to either Nanao or Kiyone, or sheâd ask him something: âWhat did you order to drink?â, âHowâs your dinner?â, and âDo you need extra ice?â.
It was a light-hearted atmosphere, but far removed from how he felt. Again, he wonders how they can act like this after everything theyâd seen and heard. he almost had the urge to scream at them. Why weren't they discussing what they'd learnt? Why weren't they back at the Soul Society doing something about this?
But more than that, as heâd stared into his dinner, and as he glares at his feet now, he wonders why he canât be like them. He can carry on professionally, continuing with paperwork and scheduling and leading his division, but outside of thatâŠ
Heâd struggled in a similar way with the peace, always hypervigilant of a new threat that could appear after the war against the Quincy. He wishes heâd never lost that feeling, then maybe he wouldnât feel as though he were struggling to stay afloat.
With a sigh through his nose, he straightens and walks back to his room. He doesn't plan to go to sleep, he knows he'll just be staring at the ceiling. He'll take Hyourinmaru, go somewhere secluded, and train.
_________________________________
âWhy do you persist in coming here every week?â
Toshiro stays placid in the face of Mayuriâs irritation. The Twelfth Division captain hasnât looked over at him, too focused on the readings a console produces.
Around them, thereâs six division members busily doing the same, but two whisper their findings to each other and note them down on clipboards. However, every now and then, each officer glances over in the direction of the two captains. The only Soul who doesnât is Nemu, who sits next to Akon and watches him as he types things into the system and explains to her what he's doing.
While being led to see Mayuri by Akon just a few minutes ago, Toshiro noticed in other lab rooms how frantic the officers were. They spoke in clipped whispers, and were quick to turn their backs when they realized he was passing by. By comparison, this lab is calm.
Toshiro folds his arms into his sleeves. âPerhaps it would be best if we speak in your office, Kurotsuchi.â
âAnd why should we do that?â
With a final glance to the others in the room, he says, âIâm checking for any updates on the de-zombification side effects.â
Now Mayuri whips around to him, his headpiece almost hitting the back of Akonâs head; neither his lieutenant or Nemu flinch. âAnd itâs as Iâve said: weâre still investigating all avenues.â The Twelfth Division Captain thrusts a hand to his console. âAs is, we have more urgent matters at hand. Hell has made itself known, and we have been tasked with investigating how the Jigoku no Rinki was able to appear here, among other things. As a captain of Gotei Thirteen, you must say this take precedence, correct?â
Toshiro withholds a glare, because of course Mayuri is right. He should leave it there, just thank him for his time and go, but heâs lost his patience. âItâs been over ten years,â he whispers.
âAnd you rarely asked me about progress in those years,â Mayuri retorts, choosing to not lower his voice in return. âSuddenly, youâre in here every week and disrupting our work as a result.â
âItâs not my intention, Kurotsuchi.â
âThen explain yourself, if you would be so kind.â His voice is almost venomous, but Toshiro doesnât back down.
He closes the gap between them and keeps his voice quiet. âThe last progress you made was over three years ago, and it got shelved when the last solution failed to produce any results. As far as Iâm aware, you havenât explored any other options since, or if you have, you have not made me or Matsumoto aware of them.â
âAre you questioning my rigor? Are you not grateful anymore that I saved you and your lieutenant?â
âYou know I am. If not for you, we wouldâve died there and then. I am simply asking why you havenât --â
âThen leave it be! How dare you make demands when I have done that much for you!â
âMatsumoto doesnât have much longer left to live!â
Mayuriâs annoyance alleviates somewhat, his frown deepening and turning into one of confusion. After a pause, he speaks more quietly. âItâs not her youâre concerned for though, is it, Captain?â
That catches Toshiro off guard, and he grunts in surprise. Of course heâs concerned for Rangiku, and up until now heâd had little regard for his own life being shortened. Heâd willingly take the price it paid, for better or worse.
Since Hell had made itself known, however, heâd been on edge. Heâd let the anxiety he kept pushing down and simmering away get the better of him. If he dies in combat now, the Soul Society would have no choice but to perform a Konso Reisai twelve years after his passing. Could they find a way to return the balance by then? He would've once unequivocally said âyesâ, but after everything that happened, from betrayals in their own ranks to the return of the Quincy, he didnât know anymore. If they had given Hell so much power without realizing all of these years, just how long would it take to restore the balance between all the worlds?
He has no doubt Mayuri is investigating all of this, trying to determine the best course of action for Shunsui and the rest of the Gotei Thirteen. But when would it happen? What if it took too long? What will become of him and Rangiku?
âMaster Mayuri.â
Both captains look towards Nemu. The young Soul appears as neutral as her voice had been, but her hand is fisted into the sleeve of Akonâs uniform. The Twelfth Division lieutenantâs attention had also been diverted away from the console, and he looks between his captain and Toshiro, waiting for someone to speak.
Mayuri huffs, his anger cooling a fraction. âBy my estimates, you and Lieutenant Matsumoto have well over a hundred and fifty years left. We have time to find a remedy and restore your lost lifespan.â He levels Toshiro with a hardened gaze. âIf you continue to come here for any reason other than findings towards any of our research on Hell, I will have no choice but to report this to the Captain-Commander. Are we clear?â
To Toshiroâs bewilderment, he actually waits for his answer. He has no choice, and withholding a cringe, he nods.
Satisfied, Mayuri turns away and waves a hand towards the labâs entrance. âAkon, escort him out of the division.â
âYes, sir.â
Toshiro remains rooted to the spot for a moment longer. Itâs useless, he knows, but he somehow hopes Mayuri will change his mind, will give him even an inkling into anything heâs found.
After a beat, he follows Akon out. Neither say anything as they walk down the corridors.
Itâs not her youâre concerned for though, is it, Captain?
How had he known? Did Mayuri have the same fears? That he will perish sooner rather than later, and he too could be forced into Hell if they do not find a solution to restoring the balance between all the worlds? Itâs hard to imagine someone like him worrying about such things.
But then, he did have Nemu, and for all of his faults and failings, he was treating this Nemu better than the last.
Toshiro shakes his head. Everything seems wrong. Because if Mayuri Kurotsuchi of all people can understand what heâs going through, then the world has surely gone mad.
He knows as soon as he leaves here, heâll go train. Itâs the best way to deal with the pent-up emotions. It's the only way he can think of deal with their current predicament when they lack any answers.
_________________________________
Ichikaâs laughter comes through the walls. Despite the fact it was the reason for his rude awakening, Toshiroâs oddly relieved to hear it. Heâd seen her in the aftermath of Hellâs invasion of the World of Living; she was pale and quiet, clinging to Renji so tight her knuckles were white. She also hadnât bothered him with spontaneous visits to the Tenth Division office since the incident.
Regardless, after two weeks, she was running around and causing mischief like always â at least according to Ikkaku and Renji. Children have that ability to bounce back, even in times of uncertainty. He remembers when he could do it, but it is a trait that has slowly faded over time.
Toshiro groans as he sits up. A tiny sliver of daylight piercing his room through the curtains. He checks his denreishikai; itâs just after eight in the morning. Heâs usually up with the sun, but being on this holiday in this God forsaken heat continues to make him sluggish.
He rises from his bed and goes to the wind to draw the curtains back. At least the clouds are back today. He has a view of the biggest beach in the area, and judging from the gleam one personâs head gives off, he guesses itâs Ikkaku doing laps in the ocean; Yumichika probably isnât far from him, likely being one of the people sitting under a beach umbrella.
If theyâre already there, then the others are likely not far behind. As if on cue, he hears Renji and Ichika leaving their room, excitedly chattering about going down to the beach. As they pass his room, Rukia comments on her husbandâs clothing â âDid you pick that shirt? And what does âSunâs out, guns outâ mean?â â but Toshiro doesnât hear the rest over Ichikaâs laughter.
He glances at the bag Hyourinmaru is hidden away in. He briefly recalls his training from last night - not that he was able to do much without drawing unwanted attention from locals. He'd practiced his zanjutsu in a forested area on the other side of town, and had returned to inn in the early hours of the morning. At least it had tired him out enough to make him fall asleep.
With a long exhale, he focuses back on today. If heâs going to use his zanpakuto while at the beach, heâll have to be discreet about it; and he has no doubt the others will be clamoring for him to make shaved-ice.
He goes to the bathroom, which is several degrees warmer than his room. After showering and getting changed into a shirt and a pair of board shorts, thereâs a knock on his door.
âCaptain, are you awake yet?â Rangiku asks in a singsong tone.
Toshiro sighs. All of this cheerfulness is too much after just waking up. âYeah.â
She opens the door, but sheâs not alone.
âWeâve got your breakfast here, Hitsugaya-kun.â Momo holds out a plastic bag and takeaway coffee cup. âI just chose what I thought youâd might like, I hope thatâs okay.â
Rangiku enters his room, but stops only a few steps in. âCaptain, itâs freezing in here!â she complains, rubbing her bare arms. âHow do you stand it?â
âItâs hot,â is all he says as comes over to them. âWhy didnât you wake me earlier?â
âWe figured you could do with a sleep in,â Rangiku says. âItâs so rare that it happens, and youâre on a break, youâre supposed to do things like that.â
âIâm supposed to be supervising over all of you.â
âSupervising,â Rangiku says under breath with a sigh. âHonestly, Captain.â
âSo is Captain Kuchiki,â Momo says at the same time. âHonestly, Hitsugaya-kun, itâs okay to relax even when youâve been assigned to watch over us.â
He shakes his head. âIn any event, whatâs happening today? I assume youâre all going down to the beach?â
_________________________________
Toshiro watches Granny hanging the washing. Heâd tried to help her, but sheâd waved him off and told him to go rest inside.
âYou hardly ever get a break these days,â she said. âYouâre such a hard worker, but you should rest more often.â
He'd made a pot of tea, and by the time sheâs done itâll be cool enough for her to drink. He'd also set up a bowl of amanatto and placed it next to the clay cups on the tray.
As he waits, he fiddles with one of his old spinning tops. Heâd dug it out from the closet, buried behind futon mattresses and other things from his childhood. He still doesnât understand why Granny keeps most of it, sheâs always been a practical person who hates clutter.
He slowly wraps the cord around the top of the toy, but never releases it. He holds it loosely in his fingers, but his gaze remains on Granny. She bends down to her basket and pulls out another sheet to hang. In isolation, it's a peaceful image.
Her life rarely changes. She still goes to the same stalls and shops for food and household supplies. She still drinks the same tea blends, washes the same clothes and linens, and wakes up and goes to sleep at the same times every day.
Her life is simpe and despite itâs repetitiveness, itâs unplanned. Things are just the way they are, and they work for her.
For the first time in decades, he wishes he could return to that life. Even with all the negatives that came with it, compared to life he leads now, itâs peaceful and far less complicated.
He planned things to a fault, he shouldâve known it would be his downfall one day; or at least, lead to disappointment when something came and ruined everything. Of course the peace couldnât last, something had to disrupt it. Life is never the same, it's never consistent. How long had he expected it to go on for?
But that was the thing. He never made plans for the peace, he had simply lived in it. It was almost like his life before he became a captain, only with more responsibilities he could handle.
Granny turns to him after hanging up the last of the washing. Her smile widens when she spots the teapot and bowl of amanatto. He canât help but smile back despite the growing heaviness within him.
He doesn't plan to tell her about Hell yet. He wonât break this peace for her.
_________________________________
Itâs far too hot, even under the shade.
Toshiro lies his head and torso over the picnic table, a cup half filled with melting shaved ice in one hand and a spoon in the other. The shelter above and around him is made of wood and obstructs the view of onlookers that werenât on the beach. Combined with having so few humans around, it allows him to discreetly use his zanpakuto to make shaved ice in one of it's corner.
Rangiku had gone out and bought bottles of syrup, paper cups, and wooden spoons from a nearby convenience store. All of it is stored in a freezer bag along with a bucket of the ice heâd conjured up five minutes ago. Hyournmaru lies out of sight in his own bag, but the cold flowing form the blade brushes along the floor of the shelter, cooling his feet and ankles. He considered himself a glorified placeholder for the table, and so long as he is here, no humans would come along and accidentally spot his weapon.
With some effort, he raises himself to take another spoonful of slushy ice and munches on it. He watches the group on the beach, all doing various things. Ikkaku and Hisagi race each other, doing several laps in the ocean. If it werenât for the heat bearing down on him above and the hot sand between the shade and the ocean, heâd be doing laps himself.
He slides his gaze over to Kazui and Ichigo, both wading into the water while Orihime collected seashells along the shoreline ; theyâd taken the train to come down for the day. Orihime finds a shell that makes her grin and she jogs to the Abarai family. Ichika makes a sandcastle with Rukia, giggling when Renji comes up behind her with a wreath of seaweed and tickles her with it before draping it over one of the walls. Itâs then Orihime gets their attention and hands them a few seashells to decorate another wall.
Further up the beach, Nanao walks up to Rangiku, who sunbathes on a towel. She lectures Rangiku about something -- likely the fact she's sunbathing in the first place -- and his lieutenant squints up at her in response. Yumichika, relaxing under an umbrella, makes a comment which makes Rangiku snap at him and Nanao wearily rolls her head to one side.
Rindo, Momo and Kiyone had gone for a walk up the beach to the rockpools. Toshiro spots them as specks in the distance, and the footprints they'd left behind are gradually washed away every time the waves surge in.
He takes another spoonful of shaved ice, then eases back down to the table and begins to doze off. Thereâs only the darkness beneath his eyelids, the crashing of waves, the hot breeze that blows through, Hyourinmaru's cold circling around his ankles and the distant voices of the Shinigami and humans. He canât relax, ending up in a state between being awake and on the verge of napping.
Itâs twenty minutes later when heâs startled by a call of his name. He opens his eyes and turns his head just in time to see Kazui and Ichika racing towards him. He lets go of his completely melted shaved ice to raise himself up.
âCaptain Hitsugaya!â Kazui calls out again, grinning.
âHe heard you the first time, dummy!â Ichika chastises.
He thinks to lecture her about calling Kazui a dummy -- it seems like the responsible thing to do -- but someone beats him to it.
âDonât call Kazui-chan bad names, Ichika-chan!â Momo calls out from behind. She pants and tries to keep her hat on as she rushes to catch up to them.
Ichika blushes slightly in shame, but otherwise doesnât respond. Kazui isn't phased, his grin still in place.
With as much energy as he can muster, Toshiro lazily waves his hand in greeting before the children come to a stop in the shelter. âBabysitting?â he says to Momo.
She shakes her head. âThey just happened to be on their way to see you too.â
He returns his attention to Kazui and Ichika. âYou two looking for some shaved ice?â
They both nod eagerly.
âPapa said you make the best shaved ice ever,â Ichika says.
Iâm the only one here who can, he thinks. He only grunts as he twists around to the freezer bag. The ice had gotten more slushy, but it's still usable. âWhich flavours do you want?â
âWatermelon!â they say in unison.
Toshiro smirks. âGood choice.â
He takes out the syrup and puts it on the table, then scoops two cups into the ice and sticks a spoon in each. He hands them over to the children. âItâs all yours.â
As expected, they go crazy with the syrup, completely dying the ice red. Momo intervenes before it can get too messy, making sure most of the flavoring stays in the cups.
âYou two should eat that under the shade,â she says, pointing at the umbrellas Yumichika and Nanao rest under. âAnd make sure you bring the empty cups back here, okay?â
Toshiro withholds a chuckle. Since when is she their mother?
Ichika and Kazui both nod to Momo, then turn back to Toshiro.
âThank you, Captain Hitsugaya,â Kazui says with a quick bow of his head.
Ichika does likewise. âThank you!â
He waves a hand. "Enjoy, I guess."
They take that as their cue to run off. They go to Yumichika and Rangiku, who both cease their argument when the children arrive and make room for them under the umbrellas.
He turns to Momo, but sheâs still watching Ichika and Kazui. She's flushed across her cheeks and shoulders, and sand dusts her shins and sandaled feet. Strangely, he senses hesitation from her, as though she is nervous about turning to face him. Itâs in her posture, which though looking relaxed to most, has the signs sheâs trying to hide. Her arms are loosely braced over her midsection, and her shoulders are a few inches higher than normal.
âYou want one too?â he asks, getting her attention.
Momo shakes her head, smiling. âOh, no, I was just coming to see how you were doing.â
He ignores the small, warm flutter her concern sends through his chest and takes an empty cup out of the bag. âYou might as well have one.â
She considers for a moment. ââŠWell, it is getting hotter.â
âOrange, lime, or watermelon? Matsumoto didnât buy mango and the strawberry is empty.â
 âYou remembered?â
He hides his embarrassment by saying nothing and stooping lower than necessary to fill up the cup with ice.
From behind, she giggles. âIn that case, orange please.â
He fishes out the syrup and a spoon before he twists back around and hands everything to her.
âIâm sure everyone appreciates you doing this,â she says while pouring the syrup.
âFeels like that the main reason Iâm here,â he mutters drily.
âThatâs not true!â
âI didnât mean it, dummy.â
She makes a sound between a sigh and a chuckle. âNow whoâs calling people bad names.â
He rests back down on the table, watching as she takes a spoonful of orange ice and chomps down on it. She gives an appreciative hum and her smile turns into a grin. âThank you, Shiro-chan.â
And despite her old habit, heâs certain if he were in a better mood heâd give her a small smile in return. âCaptain Hitsugaya.â
She continues to eat as if she hadnât heard him.
It feels like this is where their interaction should end, that she should walk off back to the others. She stays rooted to the spot, and itâs unnatural to him.
âYou didnât have to come check on me,â he says.
She pauses, staring down into the shaved ice. âI know.â
Why did it sound like sheâd taken his comment as a jab? His frown deepens. âWerenât you going to the rockpools before?â
âYeah, but Rindou-kun and Kotetsu-san wanted to go out further than I intended.â She raises a foot and wriggles her toes. âI wasnât wearing the right shoes to go with them.â
She isnât lying, but he senses thereâs more to it. As he considers whether to prod any further, she suddenly stops eating, sticking the spoon into the ice. âHave you just been lying here all day?â
He shrugs. âMore or less.â
âBut thatâs no good. You should have something to do here!â She shakes her head. âThe majority voted for a beach, but...maybe we shouldâve gone somewhere else.â
âWhy do youâŠ?â Why does that strike a nerve within him? Why did she feel the need to make sure he is having a good time here? She didnât belong under the shade, she loves the sun and places like this; most Shinigami did.
Why is he even here?
He gives a frustrated grunt. âJust go back to the others already.â
At her widened, alarmed eyes, he realizes heâd said it with the irritation he'd been trying to hide and with more strictness than heâd intended. Damn this heat! No, he canât blame it on the weather. Heâd let the heaviness in his mind get the better of him, and the uncertainty about why they are here.
He forces himself back up, ignoring the strain in his arms. After a beat, he begins to apologise. âI didnât mean --â
She lays a hand on his. She curls her fingers loosely around his wrist, a silent way of saying he can remove himself from her grasp. Her hand is colder than usual, thanks to the shaved ice. But had they always been this small? How had he only just noticed it?
âI get it. I know the heat gets to you,â Momo says. She looks out to the sea for a pause before continuing. âI-I know itâs not much, but in the evening, itâll be cooler. If you want to and youâre up for it, we can come back here and walk along the beach after dinner.â
âWhy do you want to do that?â
âBecause you deserve to enjoy the beach too.â
I donât even like beaches, is what heâd say aloud, but he wonât.
"AndâŠ" She purses her lips, and her cheeks become a shade darker. "We're friends, aren't we? I want to spend some time with my friends. Don't you want to do the same?"
Thereâs that look, the one she always had when she tried to help others. Heâll never tell her how much it meant to him to see she was still capable of showing that gaze after everything she went through.
At his lack of a response, her gaze flutters to the ground. âI mean, if youâd rather be alone, then thatâs okay too. Just so long as youâre able to enjoy yourself.â
âNo.â He gentle extracts his hand from her grasp. She raises her head, confused.
Itâs then he feels how tired he is. Itâs not lethargy from the heat, itâs something deeper. Something that was the result of holding back too much, and maybe, as she waits for him to elaborate, itâs time she knew about it. âWeâll go together.â
His heart clenches at the stunned softness in her eyes. Eventually, she smiles. âOkay.â
âOi, Hinamori-san!â
Both turn to look in the direction of Hisagi, who waves to her. âWeâre doing the race now!â
âIâll be there!â she calls back. Then to Toshiro. âI promised them Iâd be the time keeper for a race theyâre doing.â
Toshiro watches Hisagi, Ikkaku, Renji, Ichigo, Kazui, and Ichika all gather together on the sand. Nanao stands off to the side a small towel in her hand â probably the as a flag to signal for them to start. Rangiku uses the end of an umbrella to draw a long line in the sand.
Toshiro doesnât see the point of racing on a beach, especially in this heat and with all of their abilities, so all he has to offer is, âWhatever keeps them entertained.â
Momo backs out of the shelter, and with the spoon still in her mouth, says something to the effect of, âIâll see you later.â
He watches on as Momo rushes down and takes her place next to Nanao, who hands her a stop watch.
 Kazui quickly eats the rest of his shaved ice, while it seems Ichika had passed hers to Rukia. She and Renji are amping each other up, but Ichika bursts into laughter.
I want to spend some time with my friends. Don't you want to do the same?
They've never been a normal group, but this seems in character for all of them. For the first time since coming here , Toshiro has a fleeting sentiment that he's glad they can act like they always do despite what looms over them.
_________________________________
Heâs rarely wondered about the future. He always did schedules for division-related activities, and would keep appointments made in mind when planning his week or month. But he never thought of any of these things beyond what was necessary. He never considered what his own future held.
There were only four instances he can think of when he pondered on what lay ahead for him: the first was when he had to leave Granny to go to the Academy, the second was when he'd been appointed captain of the Tenth Division, the third was while he recovered from his injuries after Aizenâs defeat, and the fourth was in first few months after the war against the Quincy ended.
Heâs always considered himself someone who lives in the present, who only plans for the future if the present shows him he needs to. Even then, he only went as far as he needed to, never going beyond into the 'what ifs' that weren't related to the task at hand.
Lately, he wonders how the buildings around him will change as the years go by. Will they need repairs from unprecedented weather events? Will they be renovated to look different? Will the Tenth Division get another barracks as itâs forces grow in numbers?
He wonders how tall the trees in his division will grow, and if any of them will have to be cut down.
He also wonders what beings he has yet to meet. Unless Ichigo and Orihime plan to have another child, he doubts there will be more than three humans he'll ever have to introduce himself to. He keeps away from the Arrancar where possible, but he's certain there's Souls still out there he will cross paths with more than once. What new recruits will have to introduce himself to? Will any of the captains retire and be replaced?
He wonders when Hyourinmaruâs Completed form will become his true bankai, where he will no longer have to wait for the petals to fall. He wonders if the transformation will ever be less painful or strainious.
He wonders when Hell will make itâs next move. In the next year? Or month? Or week? Or tomorrow? He can see Jushiro's bankai elongating out of Hell's gates, a grotesque distortion of what they were all once familiar with. How did the rest of him look? Would he remember who any of them were? And if he did, would he resent them for what they unknowingly did?
He wonders how much longer Granny and Rangiku have to live.
He wonders how much longer he has left.
Prior to the completed form, he could never picture how heâd looked as an adult. In a strange way, itâs as if the world has told him he wonât make it, that he will only transform into that age but not live to experience it. He canât picture Rangiku as being older than she is, or any of the his fellow Shinigami for that matter.
That of course included Momo, who sits in front of him, talking while putting paperwork in front of him. He hasnât heard a word sheâs said. Even though he canât picture her as an adult, heâs mostly certain she has a future as one. One where she smiles often, and still calls him âShiro-chanâ because old habits die hard. She still sees Renji and Izuru for the occasional meet up, and goes with Rangiku to bars and carries her back to the Tenth Division barracks. She starts a bigger literature club, where members will talk about the books theyâve read and she will make sure everyone gets a chance to talk. He can see her taking up painting on top of the drawing she already does, and her room will have the faint smell of paints and drawing charcoal.
Maybe there wouldâve been a time he could see himself there too, but that window seems to get narrower and narrower the heavier these thoughts make him feel.
âAre you all right?â
Toshiro tries to keep his reaction muted, but a startled gasp still leaves him when her hand comes over his forearm. Heâs about to come up with some excuse, but her concern softens him.
âYou werenât here, were you?â she says.
He looks at the paperwork, unable to deny it.
She glances down her hand, and appears surprised she touched him. She's quick to lean back, but her hand slides off his arm and remains close by. âWhatâs on your mind?â
The top line of the document in front of him reads âAgenda for joint training session 34â. He takes a stab at what she was saying before. âItâs nothing to worry about, just trying to figure out schedules for the next three months. If we try to do a joint training session next month, it will have to be in the first week.â
Her brow twitches, trying to not frown. Her eyes search his, but again he looks down at the paperwork.
âYes, of course.â
Itâs as she says this that he realizes the document has nothing to do with a joint training session for his division. It was for one with Third Division; she likely showed him as an example of what they could do next time for a kido training session.
He bites the inside of his cheek, ashamed. He's supposed to be a captain, where was his focus?
He waits for her to correct him. Then sheâll try to pry it all out of him, because she always wants to knows whatâs on his mind. He doesnât want to snap at her, would never do such a thing under any circumstances. But this weight, these thoughts, they were beginning to take up more space within him. He doesnât know how heâll react to her trying to navigate through them with him.
âCaptain,â she says, surprising him enough to make him look up. Her smile is small and unsure, but she persists. âActually, I didnât just come here to discuss training sessions. The Womenâs Association is looking to fund a vacation to the World of the Living. Itâs a chance for everyone to have a break from work, we havenât had a proper one in over ten years, right?â
âWhy are you bringing this up?â
Her smile almost wobbles away, but she finds the strength to not only keep it in place, but to widen it too. âIâm inviting you to come along.â
________________________________
Compared to the afternoon, the sand is cooler under Toshiroâs feet. He strolls down to the sea, hands in his pockets and head bowed. Momo is behind him, but she pauses every now and then pick up seashells.
He doesnât stop until he reaches the shoreline. The last sliver of the sun disappears over the horizon, colouring the sky dark blues and purples. A lone boat travels across the waves to a nearby dock. Behind him, a few cars whizz by and people go out for the night to bars and restaurants. Rangiku and a few of the others are among them, going to a izakaya tonight for dinner and drinks. He can already imagine how silly theyâll be acting by the time he and Momo rejoin them later tonight on the way back to the inn.
With a shake of his head, he turns his attention to the waves lapping at his toes. The next surge sends a wave over his feet. The froth of the sea spins around his ankles and the cold of the water tingles across his skin before receding away, only to return seconds later. Itâs oddly relaxing, and heâs entranced by the motions of the waves. They come and go, come and go, never ceasing. Itâs been like this for millions of years, since before he or anyone he knows were ever born. It has a beginning but no ending in sight.
Itâs the first time heâs been at peace since the revelations about Hell came to light. Even so, the unease threatens to bubble up from the pit of his stomach. For even if there is no end in sight he can see, the ocean will vanish one day, whether it be Hell being strong enough to destroy this world, or a more natural end much further down the line.
So caught up in this, he doesnât register Momo approaching until sheâs by his side, and flinches when she speaks.
âThereâs already so many stars out,â she marvels.
Thankfully, her is gaze on the dusk sky. Gone is her hat and hair ties, allowing the breeze lightly tussles her hair around her shoulders and back. She wears a shirt rolled up to the sleeves, and a bright orange summer dress beneath it. In one hand she holds her sandals, and shells in the other.
Indeed, stars glimmer down at them. Being this far away from the lights of the town, thereâs more of them then he usually accustomed to in the World of the Living, and constellations heâs never seen before.
âI can see the pear.â Momo points to a cluster of stars on the right. âRemember that one?â
One of the many silly constellations they made up as children. âIf thatâs somehow it, it still doesnât look like a pear.â
âYeah it does! Thereâs the stem, and thereâs the rest!â As she says this, she traces her finger over each star to map it out for him. âIts just upside down.â
He shakes his head. âYou always had a strange imagination.â
She scoffs. âItâs called being creative.â After a moment, she tilts her head to one side. âI didnât think it would show up in the World of the Living.â
âOur sky isnât much different from thereâs.â
âI guess not.â
The mood has lightened slightly, but the silence that follows is filled with the crashing of waves. They can remain like this, but like earlier today, it doesnât feel natural. He turns to her, but she still has her eyes on the stars. He can leave her to be like this, oblivious to what is going on beneath the surface.
âHinamori.â He has her attention now. He unknowingly takes in a deep breath as his stomach clenches, but he canât stand not knowing anymore. âWhy did you invite me to this?â
The question doesnât catch her off guard like he expected it to. Instead, she tucks the shells sheâd collected into one of her shirt pockets and glides her foot through the water. âItâs a shame we all couldnât be here, and I know what happened is still on all of our minds, but itâs good to see those who did are relaxing a little. The last few months have been tough, and we all deserve to have a break from it. To step away for a little while.â She smiles wistfully. âThatâs why I invited you to come. Even though itâs at a beach, and even though itâs only for a few days, I thought it would be good to spend time with you, Rangiku-san, Nanao-san, Abarai-kun, and the others away from whatâs been bothering us.â
He thought hearing her say he wasnât the only one thinking about the revelations about Hell would reassure him, but it only serves to annoy him. Heâs no fool, he knows the others hadnât forgotten about what happened, but why use their time here of all places? They canât have moved on, this was too insurmountable to move on from.
âArenât we just running away?â He hadnât meant to voice the question aloud, and it makes Momo's brow furrow.
His voice rises as he continues. âShouldnât we be using this time to plan for Hellâs next attack? We know nothing about their strategy. Theyâve done nothing since Ukitakeâs Konso Reisai, andKurotsuchi keeps investigating, but nothing ever comes up. Weâre just here, doing nothing about it.â He throws his hands out to the sides. âWe didnât even know what weâve been doing to our former captains this whole time!â
Momo shakes her head and braces her arm across her torso, her hand holding her opposite elbow. âWe couldnât have known.â
âBut now we do! And what now? Weâll go to battle, thatâs for certain, but what if this battle doesnât end like the others?â
âThat weâll lose?â
âNo, not even that. That weâll be fighting Hell for decades. The first war against the Quincy lasted years, Hinamori. What if this battle is the same? What if we lose more captains, and weâll have no choice but to perform Konso Reisai for all of them?â
âYouâŠreally think the conflict would last that long?â
âI donât know, and thatâsâŠâ He letâs out an exasperated breath. Heâs never like this, shouting and venting his thoughts, and that only frustrates him even more. âWe need something concrete! We need direction, and we wonât get that unless weâre working on it back in the Soul Society. Hell must be doing this deliberately, it's a psychological tactic to weaken us."
She looks at him in confusion and worry, an expression that would normally cool his anger and makes him reassess what he'd said. But he's in too far now, he won't stop.
âYou saw Sogyo no Kotowari.â
She frowns, likely wondering where this is going. âOnly at a glance. Kurosaki-san saw it up close.â
âBut his description fit what you saw, yes?â
She nods solemnly. âI thought I was seeing things, but when I got back to the Soul Society and found out what was happening with the Konso Reisai, it suddenly made sense.â
âUkitake impaled that Espada, but we donât know for what reason. We donât know if he is on our side or not. If he isnât, if everyone we have sent to Hell this whole time isnât, weâre going to have to face them.â
The grip on her arm tightens. âI know.â
âI won't to become like Ukitake,â he says fiercely, bordering on a growl. âI won't become warped. If I have to fight him and the others, then so be it. But I won't to become like them. I donât want toâŠâ
âWhat makes you think youâll die before the conflict is over?â she asks.
He doesn't answer, can't answer as his throat tightens.
Her hand drops back to her side as she leans forward. âYou wonât die, Shiro-chan.â
âHow can you know that?â he struggles to get out.
âBecause youâre one of the strongest Shinigami I know, in skill, in your bond with your zanpakuto, and in fortitude.â Her eyes become glassy and her voice gets increasingly louder. âSomeone like you doesnât die so easily. I know youâll keep fighting, no matter you are faced with! You lived through so much, and survived wounds that would kill so many! You donât give up, youâve never given up, itâs a quality you embody above everything else! Thereâs no way you can die, donât even think about it! And don't push everyone away!â
She pants for breath and bites her lip, trying to prevent tears. Heâs at a loss for words. Had she too been bottling something up? Was it anxiety about Hell, or was it about him?
A wave hits the back of his shins. They both look down. When had the water gotten this high? Is the tide already coming in, or had they waded further into the sea? Wordless, he walks back to the shore, and after a moment, she follows. He halts once heâs back at the shoreline, but she takes a few steps away from it.
As her breathing quietens, Momoâs gaze searches for something in him. Her eyes are so wide, alarmed and still on the verge of tearing up. âI-I didnât understand why you were becoming so distant, I thought getting away from the Soul Society would help, but now I think I know. Are youâŠ?â Sheâs conflicted, her lips opening to continuing her question, only to close seconds later and becoming a taut, pressed line.
Heâd wanted to tell her what was on his mind, but not like this. To his own ear, heâs ended up sounding both paranoid and like a child complaining about something not going his way. He ended up upsetting her. Toshiro sighs, suddenly more tired than before. âWhat is it?â
She still hesitates, her focus on the waves circling his ankles. Eventually, she raises her head and steps closer. âAre you scared?â
It hits him in the chest like a stone thrown into glass. For a second, his blood runs tight and cold in his limbs. His heart skips a beat, then clenches. He can feel hairline fractures running through him, threatening to break apart. Momo hadnât hit the nail on the head, but she knows one facet of what is going on within him.
The impact she made must show, because her expression softens further. âItâs okay if you are, I think we all are. I think itâs why weâre all here. In this time of uncertainty, the only thing we can do right now is to be here with our friends. We canât let the uncertainty of the future stop us from living in the present with those we care about.â
Or we could be planning. Somehow, the thought sounds strange, as if the sentiment behind it werenât quite right anymore.
Momo closes the gap between them, their hands almost brushing. âIf you really feel we shouldnât be here, then why did you come?â Itâs not an accusation, only a gentle question.
Because you wanted me to. She still isnât aware of the hold she has over him, but how would she react if she knew? But her invite hadnât been the only reason, nor had it just been Rangiku and Grannyâs encouragement, or Shunsui appointing him as one of the supervisors.
We canât let the uncertainty of the future stop us from living in the present with those we care about.
Maybe if the mood were different, he would tease her for picking up on his philosophy. In her own way, she had describe what would be his usual way of thinking. He slides his gaze to the horizon, watching the waves form, build, then curl in and crash in on themselves. It reminds him the fireworks, how they rise and flare into existence, only to scatter and fade away after theyâve exploded in the sky.
What happened to him? Why is he like this?
No, he already knows why. He swallows thickly and closes his eyes, but it does nothing to help. If he looks at the source of all of this now, the fractures might get bigger, but if he doesn't, they'll only run deeper.
And so, he opens his eyes to the stars.
âBefore Hell, Kurotsuchi was working on a cure for the de-zombification process for Matsumoto and I,â he begins, his voice rougher. âThat included returning the years of our life taken by the procedure, or at least, extending out lifespans to something greater than what they currently are. I expected slow progress, but when Hell revealed itself to us, of course work into a cure had ceased all together. Itâs the right thing to do. We lay our lives down for the Soul Society.â His gaze fixes on her. âFor our friends.â
Momo lets out a long, silent breath, her shoulders falling lower. She waits, always patient and willing to listen to him, but there's an urgency beneath it.
With some effort, he continues. âKnowing what will happen once those who obtained bankai die, knowing we can become so warped, that we can fight against our former officers, our friends. If I die before the conflict ends, that's what I'll become. I don't want that. I never want to hurt anyone on our side." I never want to hurt you again. "I didn't want..." I didn't want the peace to end."I don't..." I don't want to die.
Something drops into the sand behind them. Then, her arms around him, pulling him into side ways hug. His widened eyes stare straight ahead, unblinking and unfocused. The last time they had hugged was when the war against the Quincy had ended. Why is it they only hug when they're sad? But the feel of her arms around his shoulders, to know she's here with him, it makes him shudder, verging of a sob. He holds it back, believing it would do neither of them any good, but he turns in her arms and wraps his own around her.
âWithout knowing whatâs ahead, I canât just relax like everyone else,â he admits.
âI know,â she whispers, voice tight. "With all of that on your mind, how could anyone?"
"And knowing I don't have much longer to liveâŠ"
A minute passes, and there's only the waves, which now coming up to their mid shines. The tide is definitely coming in, it wont be long before it gets higher.
Toshiro thinks to pull away, but Momo's arms tighten around him. "There's still time for Captain Kurotsuchi to find a cure for you and Rangiku-san, I know he won't give up on it. We don't know what we're up against, but that's nothing new for us, isn't it?" and he feels her smile against his temple. âIn times of uncertainty and without answers, we only have each other, " she says "You look out for others, and become stronger for others. Itâs why one of the reasons youâre worried about the future, right? Itâs not just about fearing an early death, isnât it? You care about everyone, you want to know what you can do to protect them for whatâs to come. You want to live with everyone, right?â
His heart quivers. Heâd seen everyoneâs confusion and dourness for more than a month, and it did nothing to alleviate the emotions that slowly took hold of him. The peace had softened him, had made him so accustomed to seeing everyone in higher spirits. He missed it, longed for it after what they had learned about Hell. He especially missed seeing Momo that way, after everything she went through, by Aizen's hand and unintentionally his own.
He recalls how fragile the flowers in her hat looked, how small her hands seemed. He hadn't had to think about protecting anyone in years, hadn't had to be vigilant or on guard at all times, but they'd slowly been bubbling back to the surface in the recent months. When Hell comes, those feelings will come back in full force. He would never let anything harm her, not when he now has the powers to protect her.
As the seconds pass, a strange grief takes hold. He mourns for an uncertain future, for a future that will likely not be his. She has been a part of his life for so many years, and there was a time he was certain she would still be there with him in the future, but now, even if he makes it out of this alive, who's to say of she or Rangiku will be there? It's always been a possibility, ever since any of them became Shinigami, but with Hell now posing as a threat - one that has broken the peace they'd enjoyed for over ten years - it only exacerbates the chances of it happening. He mourns for the peace that is broken, because at some point without realising, he had seen that as their future. They would all go on happily, performing their duties with only the occasional hitch, but nothing that would threaten their everyday lives, the very existence of all the worlds.
The peace was too good to last; but it had happened, and he had enjoyed it with everyone else. It's the way of all the worlds; the good can only last for so long, but it never completely vanishes. It finds it's way back in smaller ways.
With a new wave smacking particularly hard into the backs his legs, he pulls away. He takes her hand, ignoring the surprised look she gives him, and leads her out of the water. âCome on, we should head back, the tide is starting to come in.â
Along the way, she stoops down and picks up the sandals sheâs thrown aside to hug him. They walk up the beach and up the mounds and stairs in silence.
What they'd talked about isn't really an answer or a solution to his worries. Heâll feel this unease about the future for as long as Hell is a threat. But the waves, they ebb and flow. The stars burn until thereâs nothing left; they shine brightly until they fade away. The worlds go on, with or without beings who have left them. It's both a disconcerting and calming thought.
As they near the road a few minutes later, Momo she gives his hand a squeeze. "Thank you, Hitsugaya-kun."
"Huh?"
"For telling me everything. I know it couldn't have been easy for you." Then, ruefully, "I'm sorry that this all happened at a beach."
Toshiro could almost laugh, but he manages to withhold it. "It was a majority vote for the location, there was no changing that."
He doesn't looks back at her until they stop on the side of the road. The streetlight next to them casts half of her face in white-yellow light, while the sign of a nearby restaurant casts the other in pink and red.
"You've always been like this. Willing to listen to others, to let them speak their minds." He gives her a small smile. "I should be thanking you."
She gives a embarrassed shrug. "I'm not always like that."
He could argue with her until they're both deaf about her modesty, but he refrains. "Maybe you're right. It's good to...be away for a while, even if it's somewhere like here."
"Even if you can't stop thinking about what happened? Or what's to come?"
It's not her intention, but it almost feels like a test from the universe, to see if he has taken what she'd said to heart. He steps closer, gaze intent. "It's like you said, there was no way we could stop completely thinking about what happened. I can't let these thoughts go, I can't be like everyone else . I won't stop thinking about what happened, not until we can predict Hell's next moves." He bows his head. "I'm sorry for how I've been on this trip."
She shakes her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I'm sorry for trying to force you to relax. I should've just come out and said I was concerned."
"With how I was, I can understand why you went about things the way you did. Besides, the ice cream wasn't bad. Dinner was good too, and the beach wasn't...terrible."
That gets a huff of a chuckle out of her.
"Still, I should've been upfront before we came."
She offers a sympathetic smile. "In the end, you were. We only have a day left, but please spend it however you want to." After he nods, she drops her sandals to the ground. "I should put these on before we go back to the others."
She lets go his hand to slide and clip her sandals back on.
His hand hovers in the air, and he knows he should put it back to his side. He'd done what he'd had to to lead them away from the sea. He's also never been one for physical contact beyond what was necessary in battle. But he didn't want to let go just yet.
With both of her shoes on, Momo straightens. "Do think they are at the bar by now?"
"Chances are."
He looks out to the road, lit by streetlights and lined with restaurants, bars, and closed shops. The weight within him is still there, but lighter. For the first time since he arrived, he thinks of somewhere he wants to go.
"I think I saw a takoyaki stall down there," he says, jerking his chin to the right. "Want to go eat before we join everyone else?"
Momo raises both eyebrows, but before he can ask why she reacted this way, she beams and takes his hand again. "Yeah, let's go."
#hitsuhina#hitsuhina week 2023#toshiro hitsugaya#momo hinamori#rangiku matsumoto#fanfiction#brotp: I've got your back#making cameos are#ikkaku madarame#yumichika ayasegawa#renruki#ichika abarai#nanao ise#kiyone kotetsu#ichihime#kazui kurosaki#shuhei hisagi#atau rindo#this took forever!#but it's finally done!#angst
50 notes
·
View notes
Text
water is the element of change
t4t ichihime week, day 2: water
55 notes
·
View notes
Text
Ichihime week 2023!
Day 1: Tanabata
Tanabata, "äžć€", also known as the "star festival", takes place on the 7th day of the 7th month of the year, when, according to a Chinese legend, the two stars Altair and Vega, which are usually separated from each other by the Milky Way, are able to meet.
--
There is a river in Karakura.
Crossing the Minamikase district, it used to be an uncrossable border splitting her world. The morning would come and she would wonder how he would feel as she got dressed for school. Was he sad, traveling down the path next to the river edge every day? Was this river a cruel reminder of what he believed was his incompetence to protect? Was he angry for the blinding light reflected on the calm water? The night would come at the end of the school day, and she would hope to float down this river, find its source and drench it, empty the sorrows she knew he carried. So many burdens on his young shoulders.
The river reminds her of her brother, of his gentle smile, of his soothing voice, of his laughter, so precious to her heart. Of how she had parted with him in anger and agony the first time. The river had been so agitated that day, so monstrously grey and muddy. For their second parting, she has a feeling the river was calm yet again, just as it was when she and Tatsuki had chased fireflies and gasped in awe at the fireworks.
After graduation, when they were still circling around each other, unsure how to word out their feelings, shy and silly, Ichigo once mentioned how calming the river was to him.
"When mom died... I walked by the bank of the river the entire day, way up to the Kitakawe district." He had smiled, something that was becoming more and more casual for him. "I thought I could find her again if it meant roaming around long enough. But, of course, I didn't. All I found was sadness, and... I don't know. Melancholy, I guess?"
They were sitting on the grass, on the hill by the river, the Saturday morning air gently waving through their hair. She placed a timid hand on his own, hoping to convey some comfort.
"I used to dislike this river, because it reminded me of that day, and the ones after that where a 9-year-old would use his shoes and get blisters from walking all day. But now... I find it a beautiful sight."
Ichigo had blushed deeply, taking Orihime's hand in a successful attempt to make her heart beat faster.
Orihime smiles.
She wished she could be the rain once. The rain that binds people together, that allows one to feel another's pain. She wanted to understand him, help him. She didn't know at the time he too was yearning to help her, shield her from her own tragic past.
Kazui coos in her arms, and she makes a silly face.
"Oh, what is it, baby? You're waiting for Papa, hm?" She raises her arms up to kiss her son on his soft and puffy cheek, which makes him gurgle happily.
She is by the river, watching the calm water sparkle with the dying sun, like oil. It doesn't let the wind break its surface, it stays still and glowing, like billions of gems.
Ichigo is trotting on the bridge to them. He looks so handsome in his two-piece costume, the white shirt two buttons opened for now, his forgotten tie in his hand as he jogs back to them with a dashing smile on his face. His hair is short after a fresh cut, courtesy of Yuzu.
He crosses the bridge separating them hurriedly, as if they have been apart for a whole year.
Kazui waves his little arms at his father, the same smile pulling at his lips. He may have a lot of Orihime's features, like her eyes and eyelashes, as well as her hair, but his smile is the spitting image of Ichigo's.
"Sorry for that, honey." He breathes out, not at all out of breath even after the kilometer he just ran back and forth from their home.
"I would be fine with you not wearing a tie, but since Rukia and Renji insisted on proper clothes..." Orihime teases him, and he winks back at her. "Kazui was growing impatient."
Ichigo kisses his son on the forehead, placing his finger next to the baby's hand for him to grab onto. Kazui immediately takes the opportunity and Orihime chuckles.
"Did I make you impatient too?"
"Of course. 5 minutes without you is enough to make me tap my foot." She jokes, and Ichigo shakes his head mockingly.
"I'll do my best to redeem myself after we visit the Soul Society. Let's get going." He smiles and takes Kazui, offering some relief to the young mother. Kazui is definitely going to get heavier very soon with the way he eats.
They walk together to Urahara's shop, hand in hand, joking and laughing, placing bets on how many people will want to hold Kazui, and how many times people will tease Ichigo for his not-so-new haircut.
She remembers the two lovers from the story. The forbidden love, the punishment. Forced to live separately for a year and allowed only once to see each other again. The weaver princess and her human husband.
Orihime smiles, sending a look at the river. The bridge has been crossed, and their time together is finally here. But never to end.
#bleach#ichihime#ichigo kurosaki#orihime kurosaki#kazui kurosaki#ichihime week 2023#ichihime fanfiction#ihweek2023
48 notes
·
View notes