#Isshin is neither or good or a bad dad

[iamumbra195]

Me after I research the way ppl with light coloured hair were treated at school in Japan and make a bunch of headcannons about how Ichigo was probably picked on for his hair since he was little and teachers probably turned a blind eye or encouraged it and Masaki would always come to pick him up and yell at his teachers when they made comments about her 'fixing' his hair so he could fit in and then she decided to put him in karate classes so he could at least learn how to defend himself when she's not there and told him that he has to get big and strong so he could protect himself and his sisters like the superheroes on TV and when she died, everything got so much worse for him and he quit the dojo but he was getting older and bigger kids starting picking on him and beating him up and he wasn't good enough to beat them so he would come home all bruised and yuzu cried every time so he always tried to hide it from her but Karin always knew somehow and Isshin always patched him up and tried to reach out and tell him that he could talk to his teachers but Ichigo always refused because he didn't want anyone to take his mother's place and it would only make things worse for him if he got adults involved and Isshin understood that but hated feeling helpless, like he couldn't do anything to protect his own kid until finally it got bad enough that he couldn't stand by anymore because one of the stupid shits pushed Ichigo down the stairs and he broke his arm so he told Ichigo he would either have to get directly involved or Ichigo had to learn how to fight properly so he could protect himself and obviously Ichigo picked the latter so Isshin basically taught him hakuda because that was the only hand to hand combat he knew and this accidentally made it so that Ichigo dipped into his reiatsu reserves and made him as abnormally strong as he was in canon and after a while this training devolved into their usual silly chaos in canon because Isshin is not nearly as bad as the fandom makes him out to be and that's how they bond:

[gunnerpalace]

(These asks were reordered from bottom-to-top to top-to-bottom for clarity.)

Alright, so the first thing I want to say in response to this is actually best summarized in the form of a song:

You are somebody that I don't know But you're takin' shots at me like it's Patrón And I'm just like, damn, it's 7 AM Say it in the street, that's a knock-out But you say it in a Tweet, that's a cop-out And I'm just like, "Hey, are you okay?"

And I ain't tryna mess with your self-expression But I've learned a lesson that stressin' and obsessin' 'bout somebody else is no fun And snakes and stones never broke my bones

So oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh You need to calm down, you're being too loud And I'm just like oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh (oh) You need to just stop Like can you just not step on my gown? You need to calm down

I would like you to seriously reread what you’ve written here (and copy-and-pasted to others) and tell me that it doesn’t come across as more than a little obsessive and psychotic. "This may seem like hate, but it's not," you said anonymously, before going on a rant to strangers on the internet whom you had nominated as the representatives of "you guys." Sure, okay, Heather.

Well, regardless, let’s go through this. First, you don't understand 685/686. I've been over this before several times, but I will go over this one final time, as simply as I can. That said, I can't guarantee that you will understand it when I do. I was unable to successfully tutor 1st graders how to do addition because my perspective was, "Either you understand it or you don't," and I don't have the background in math to make such a simple concept exciting. The same might be true of this, because there is no way to critically analyze these chapters more succinctly than this, and so you still might not get it.

The point of 685/686, thematically, is that absolutely no one got what they wanted.

Renji wanted to surpass Byakuya. He remains Byakuya's Lieutenant and has to settle for being under his sister (figuratively and probably literally too) who now also outranks him as a Captain.

Rukia wanted to reform Soul Society into a more humane institution that protects all souls. It is the same as it ever was, and if anything has doubled down on its practices by rebuilding the Soukyoku (on which it tried to kill her) a hundred times larger, and she is one of its main wardens.

Uryuu wanted anything but to be a doctor, ever since he watched his mom being autopsied by his dad. He is now a doctor, and all alone at that.

Chad promised his grandfather to never hurt people with his fists. He is now a boxer, doing exactly that for money.

Orihime wanted to go out and have several different exciting careers. She is instead a stay-at-home mom.

Ichigo wanted to save a "mountain full" of people, be Superman, leave Karakura, and be a Shinigami. He instead appears to run Isshin's clinic now.

So, yes, you are correct: Kubo chose that Ichigo wind up with Orihime. It is exceedingly clear, from the context, that this is absolutely not a good thing.

That point is further reemphasized by Yhwach’s threat to come kill Ichigo and everyone else when they are at their happiest. And when does he reappear?

When Ichigo saw Rukia again.

Not when Ichigo asked Orihime out. Not when they started dating, officially or unofficially. Not when they were married. Not when she gave birth to his son. Not when his son said his first words.

Not when anything happened with Orihime or Kazui, but when he saw Rukia again.

That is your “Kubo-sensei” telling you directly that the happiest moment in Ichigo’s life was just simply seeing Rukia again, and not anything involving Orihime in any capacity whatsoever.

All of that should tell you that Ichigo and Orihime’s relationship is not exactly the stuff legends are made out of, because them winding up together is explicitly portrayed as a downer ending. A bad ending. 

If you cared at all about the characters—if you cared at all about their desires, or their happiness—or if you cared at all that IchiHime was presented as even merely good, let alone destined or fated or whatever else, then you would be offended by this ending too. 

Because the ending is “Kubo-sensei” straight-up unequivocally telling you that IchiHime is bad and tragic. It is something that one must demonstrate “courage” in the face of. It requires stoicism. It is a bad ending, but that’s life. That’s what the ending means.

He did you dirty too. You just don’t want to see it, because you are so obsessed with the concept of “winning.” Well, this was mutually-assured destruction: everyone lost. Especially you.

Moving on: no, Kubo doesn’t really get attention or money from us. I’m not really sure where this idea comes from.

I’m not an expert on Japanese intellectual property rights and licensing, but I know enough about them in general to know that very little if any money goes to Kubo personally from ongoing Bleach merchandise sales. For example, KLab more than likely has a contract with Shueisha (representing Kubo, hence why they’re put together on BBS’s title card), TV Tokyo, Dentsu, and Pierrot, wherein they pay those entities a fixed amount to license Bleach per year or per contractual term. It’s not like Kubo is making money off of every orb purchase or every figurine sold or something. These things don’t work like that.

As for attention, he’s still hiding from social media (for reasons of his own, unrelated to the fandom), and the people who give him attention are... you. People like you. “True Bleach fans” who can’t stop treating all his shit like it’s solid gold. We have made it fairly clear we don’t need him or care what he thinks.

Regarding BBS, maybe you haven’t noticed, but the majority of the imagery they use is IchiRuki-focused. The last title screen was IchiRuki. The Guild button is IchiRuki. The Events button is IchiRuki. The Chronicle Quest button is IchiRuki. Here, I’ve helpfully highlighted this for you:

While they do occasionally toss IH a bone, the last January event also ended on an IR note despite the ridiculous crowing about it being IH. While I’m at it, even the current supposedly “IH” title screen is anything but.

It doesn’t take Michelangelo or Da Vinci to figure out the composition here is not terribly suggestive. While Rukia is indeed off to one side, the fact Uryuu, Zangetsu, and the title card are between Ichigo and Orihime (and they’re looking in different directions) makes it pretty evident that they’re not being visually associated together. It is at best a “general” title screen. Uryuu is showing more visual interest in Ichigo than Orihime is.

I’ll come back to “the anime” in a minute. Let’s talk about their “tag-team move.” Do you mean the one that ended like this?

This one that didn’t work whatsoever?

This one where Ichigo wasn’t concerned at all that Orihime might be dead or dying as she lay there on the ground?

This one where he absolutely gave into despair?

How romantic. Truly, what an excellent battle-couple they make. Their combat effectiveness and synergy is just astounding. I for one would love to see it animated.

(Let’s not forget that later, Orihime can’t repair Zangetsu without some nonsense shenanigans from Tsukishima either. Just like how her healing abilities are useless against any sufficiently strong residual reiatsu. Ah, but that would require reading the manga closely...)

Finally, on to the idea of the anime returning. Here’s the thing: news about a trailer also doesn’t really mean anything. Sure, it could be TYBW. Or it could be The Honey Dish Rhapsody. Or it could be a thousand other things. I neither know, nor particularly care, what it actually is, on top of my explanations as to why animating TYBW would be a dumb business decision.

Here’s why: even if it is a TYBW anime, it will have to be an adaptation of TYBW. They will still have to follow the plot of TYBW. And TYBW was a pile of shit. It wasn’t just a pile of shit for IR, it was a pile of shit in general, and a pile of shit for IH in particular.

Perhaps you don’t recall that Orihime spends most of the arc off-panel, having been ditched in Hueco Mundo for most of it (chapters 500–586)?

Oh, but just think, you wouldn’t just get to see the Ichigo-Orihime “tag team” attack totally and utterly failing! You’d also get delights like:

Orihime and Chad utterly failing to believe in Ichigo! (Just like in the Xcution arc where it was demonstrated that Byakuya was a truer friend to Ichigo than either of them!)

Orihime being reduced to a pair of tits, each bigger than her own head!

Ichigo totally ignoring Orihime!

And who can forget the delight of Orihime selling out her dignity to dress slutty at Kisuke’s suggestion to try and get Ichigo’s attention, only for it to not work at all?

Yes, truly, TYBW would be a fantastic arc for IH that would surely win over the populace and convince everyone of the chemistry between these two characters!

Except it wouldn’t. Because they have no chemistry. And they didn’t. See, what’s really funny is that not only did TYBW not give you anything, but it was just following up on the Xcution arc not giving you anything.

Because ORIHIME VISION was played for laughs, just like say, Shuhei constantly is.

Because despite Chad and Orihime being about as important to Ichigo, he couldn’t even bother to say bye. 

Because he just didn’t have time to deal with her bullshit.

I could go on, but this post is already long enough.

You see, you’re real keen to dismiss "all the scene or poem shit or parallel or the hell else thing," but the truth is, that’s all there is to a manga. It is panels of art and text on a page. The rest is just in your head. And it is from those panels of art and text that animated scenes and spoken dialogue would be created. And the funny thing is... there are no IH moments in these arcs. They simply don’t exist.

So really, what you’re hoping and praying for is not just for TYBW to be adapted. Given your evident thirst, I doubt that the perhaps 5–10 minute epilogue of 685/686 at the end of 4–5 seasons would be enough for you. You’d need the animation team to decide to sprinkle in a whole lot of IH filler along the way too.

That didn’t work out so hot for the Xcution arc. How did that one end again? Oh, that’s right: they made up their own (better) ending for it. Are you really willing to bet your money on a TYBW anime going out of its way for IH, if you even get it? Or would you really be satisfied with those 5–10 minutes? Are you really so sure you’d even still get them?

Ultimately, I don’t care. You’re blocked. But, I will say this: in a way I almost kind of pity you. It seems really sad being a militant anonymous IH, desperately and eternally craving outside validation. You have so very little to cling to. It must be hard.

Good luck with that, Heather.

[ljungfrun]

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

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

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

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

[heavenxpiercing]

@naivety​ || happy new year ::>

Barely the first week of the new year and he was already off to a bad start. Insomnia coupled with a sore throat that would definitely turn into a cold if he wasn't careful was not the way he'd like to start any week, but this early in the year, it felt extra frustrating. 

The sore throat was just an annoyance. He knew it would pass in a few days so long as he didn’t stay out in the cold any more than was necessary. Insomnia on the other hand... Well... He was pretty sure he knew what it was that was causing it.

Everyone was always on some spiel about starting fresh and leaving regrets in the year previous. Personally, Ichigo thought it was a bullshit sentiment. It wasn't like he had total say over what he carried into the new year. Best intentions set aside, that kind f sentiment always kinda pissed him off. Regret and guilt were two of the things he'd never been good at letting go of, no matter how much may want to... 

Still, he should have known better than to act as if accepting such things as a permanent part of his life would make anything easier. As if simply living with it was enough to keep all those thoughts from plaguing him. 

Only one thing ever eased them, even fleetingly, and he was long overdue. Besides... He shouldn’t have put it off this long in the first place. She was more than guilt and regret. She was family.

🏐 🍓 🏐

There were much better times and ways to honor the dead than this. Much easier too. Dad had a shrine for both her and Mom set up in the house after all... But that was the whole point of this, wasn't it? The fact it wasn't easy. The fact he had to struggle and push himself here past midnight... 

Sometimes he wondered if he got like this because she was there. Because Rukia found her and let her come to the human world... Others he wondered if it was because she was cold and hungry all alone in the Rukon, begging for him to help... to find her like he promised... 

He really hoped it was the former... though he doubted they’d let her come see him... 

Shaking his head, he swallowed thickly as he tried to push that train of thought as far away as he could. Aiko was probably fine. She was strong and smart, and Rukia promised she’d look for her... Besides... now wasn’t the time to dwell on such things, it was only slowing him down.

🏐 🍓 🏐

Panting at the top of the hill, Ichigo let out a soft sign. Stretched out before him were hundreds of grave markers bathed in moonlight. It was always a strange, but almost... comforting feeling, coming here in the dead of night. Empty of the living, full of the dead. He couldn’t really admire the sight for long though. The wind shifted, a large gust rustling the surrounding trees and making him shiver. Shaking away his previous thoughts, he made his way down the familiar path to his own family’s grave. 

It was a newer grave. Neither of his parents had grown up in Karakura though neither of them ever talked about it... Isshin’s parents were probably listed on some grave in the soul society... His mom’s... he wasn’t really sure... Either way,  only two names had ever been listed on it. Masaki Kurosaki and Aiko. They weren’t sure, Isshin had told him, whether or not she’d want to leave her original last name or take theirs, so they left it simply as Aiko... 

About a month had passed since he visited it, but dust had already accumulated over the marker... With a sigh, he set down his bag to tidy up. He tossed the dead flowers and began polishing the stone with vigor. It was cold, cold enough to radiate chill even through his cleaning cloth. By the time he was done, his fingers were stiff and frozen to the touch.

He probably should have brought gloves... and a blanket for that matter... Cursing his thoughtlessness, he was glad to at least remembered the incense and lighter. Though, as he lit the incense, Ichigo felt a deeper pang of regret. He didn’t have fresh flowers to offer, but it really couldn’t be helped, it being the middle of the night in the dead of winter...

At least he’d had the presence of mind to bring something else instead.

Finally sitting down after he finished cleaning, Ichigo pulled out a couple of bottles from his bag. A bottle of melon ramune for his mom. A bottle of strawberry milk for Aiko. Placing one on either side of the grave, he took out his own drink, tapping the bottle to each of theirs. “ Happy new year mom... Happy new year, Aiko... ”

[darisu-chan]

Warm By the Beach

Fucking late IR Month submission, but I’m getting it out of the way before IR Month this year.

Hope you enjoy it!

You can also read it here.

Prompt: Honeymoon Spread

Summary: Ichigo. Rukia. And the beach.

Ichigo sighed in exasperation. When his father had called him telling him he had tickets to go to the beach, he had thought they were all going to Okinawa to have a nice family vacation. When Isshin had asked him to ask Rukia to tag along, Ichigo hadn’t thought much about it. They had been dating for four years after all, and Rukia had been invited to all family excursions ever since. So, naturally, he had asked her. His girlfriend had been worried at first. With Captain Ukitake gone, it was up to Rukia to lead Squad 13. Thankfully, Kiyone and Sentarou had come to the rescue. With their squad taken care of, both Shinigami had left work on a Thursday night and went straight to Karakura.

He really should have known something was amiss when they arrived home, and he noticed his sisters were nowhere to be found. Ichigo should have known his father was being fishy when he assured them everything was ready for the next day. He should have noticed by the way goatchin insisted in them going to sleep early that night. And he really should have known there was an ulterior motive to their vacations when Isshin left them at the airport, with their bags and IDs, and disappeared from sight.

Great, just great.

It was good that Rukia was one to go with the flow. She didn’t even blink when Isshin left them by themselves. Instead she took a look at the tickets and told Ichigo there were only two hours left for their flight. They documented their bags and had something to eat before getting on their two and a half flight. Once in Okinawa, they went to the hotel Isshin had reserved for them. That was when Ichigo finally noticed something was completely out of place. The room only had one bed, as he had expected. What was weird was that the whole bed was covered in rose petals. There were two wine bottles waiting for them at the only table in the room. There were heart-shaped pillows on the bed as well. Something in Ichigo clicked then, and he realized with horror they were in a honeymoon suit.

Once again, either Rukia was oblivious or she didn’t care, for she simply thanked the bell boy for his help. Then, she began exploring the room. The closet was big enough for their clothes, she announced with a grin. The bathroom had a tub, and they had left behind around four towels for them to use. There was a mini fridge filled with soda, water bottles and peanuts ─Ichigo had to warn her not to eat anything, otherwise they would be charged for them. Finally, she went to the balcony, from where she called Ichigo excitedly.

“Look! The view is beautiful!”

It really was. You could see the ocean from there, and the beach below. It was such a peaceful sight. But that didn’t change the fact they were in a room meant for newlyweds. Ichigo’s mind was constantly setting off alarms which said abort abort abort.

Suddenly, a loud beeping noise interrupted Ichigo’s panic attack.

“It’s your father.” Rukia said, looking at her cellphone. “He says we look inside our bags.”

Ichigo felt a cold shiver run down his back.

His father had packed the bags for them. Last night he hadn’t thought much of it for he was exhausted after long days of making sure things were ready before their vacation. But now, after everything and seeing they were in a honeymoon suit, Ichigo was sure his father had packed something embarrassing. He quickly opened his bag and rummaged through its contents. Aside from clothes which were more elegant than he was used to, he didn’t find anything out of the ordinary. Except, when he looked deeper in it, he found a huge bottle of lube and no condoms. Instead, there was a note, handwritten by his father, which read,

Ichigo, you turned 24 this year, which means you’re a man and it’s time for you to give me grandchildren. I understand that you’re a busy person, which is why I planned this three-day vacation for you and Rukia to be all by yourselves. Don’t worry, son, your daddy’s got you! Enjoy my little present, if you’re gonna make babies with my third daughter, you’re gonna need it.

Love, dad.

P. S. don’t worry about Byakuya-kun, I’ll handle him.

He quickly destroyed the note, throwing its remains in the trash can, while vowing to pummel Isshin to death once they got home. The old man was gonna get it. He, then, looked at Rukia, who was reading a note as well. Ichigo’s blood ran cold. Just what kind of depravities had his crazy father written her? What if he told her that they had planned this together?! He felt like throwing up.

“Hey, Rukia?” He called her.

“Yeah?” His girlfriend said, eyes still focused on the note.

“What did dad write you?” Ichigo asked, fidgeting where he stood.

“Oh, he was telling me he reserved a private part of the beach so that no one would bother us. He also said he packed us clothes for the evening. Kurosaki-san was very thoughtful, don’t you think?” Rukia said, smiling.

“Right.” Ichigo sighed in relief and thanked the heavens his father had enough sense not to send such things to his girlfriend.

“So, we should start getting ready. They’re getting us dinner there.” She added, grabbing a white dress from her bag.

Ichigo nodded, pulling black pants and a white shirt which seemed to match for their violet accents. They, too, reminded him of Rukia’s eyes. He also found black swimming trunks that would do if he wanted to take a dip later on. Meanwhile, his girlfriend left to the bathroom, taking with her the white dress and a bag he knew had such necessities as body lotion and deodorant she kept in his father’s house for whenever she visited. Knowing she was going to take a while, he started changing into his clothes, making sure he looked presentable. He also put on a beige belt, a chain and a bracelet. Yuzu had probably packed those for him, which made him believe his sisters had also been part of his father’s plan. While he waited, he also put their luggage in the closet. They could always sort out their clothes after dinner.

Suddenly, the door opened and out came Rukia, wearing the dress. It reached below her knees, letting her smooth legs show. She had put a golden chain belt around her hips, accentuating them. She was also wearing a red necklace, a gold bracelet and a comb kept her now long hair from falling over her face. He could also tell that she was wearing a bit of makeup, her lips looking impossibly rosy. Ichigo felt all air leave his lungs. She looked stunning. She certainly was the most beautiful woman in the world. He wanted nothing more than to pull her close and kiss her until neither of them could breathe anymore.

“So, how do I look?” Rukia asked him sultrily.

“Uh…” Ichigo gaped. “You look… amazing.” He finally said, stumbling through his words.

“You don’t look bad yourself.” Rukia said, smirking. She had the nerve to smirk at him! The vixen knew the things she did to him. “Shall we go?” She asked.

Ichigo simply nodded. They grabbed a wine bottle and a bucket with ice the hotel had kindly given them, and they set off. The receptionist told them the way to their private beach. It was a bit far, but when they arrived they knew it was worth it. The ocean looked so clear, sparkling under the sun. They quickly took off their shoes, and started walking around. The sand was soft and warm under their feet. Rukia found a nice place under a palm tree, where she lay down, a white rock supporting her back. Ichigo put the bucket between them and sat down, admiring the view that was in front of him.

“Your father was very kind for gifting us this vacation.” Rukia said. “He really shouldn’t have.”

Ichigo was now starting thinking about how much money his crazy father must have spent for his wish of becoming a grandfather to vome true. Still, it had been nice of him to send them here. The hotel was very elegant. The view from their room was phenomenal. And the private beach was a nice touch. All in all, he was probably going to thank his father when they came back.

“You know how the old man is.” Ichigo said, shrugging. “He would’ve found a way to get us here even if we had refused.”

She smiled. “Your whole family’s very kind.”

He snorted. “Yeah, when they’re not complaining or making a fuss out of nowhere.”

His girlfriend laughed. “They’re very lively too. Meanwhile, you’re very grumpy.”

Ichigo glared at her. “Ha, ha. Very funny, Rukia. Like you’re one to talk.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” She said, getting defensive.

“That if I’m grumpy, you have a bad temperament.”

“At least I have a normal hair color.” She said, sticking her tongue at him.

“Take that back!”

“Never!”

They continued glaring at each other, until they burst out laughing. Even after four years of dating, bickering was as normal as it had been when they were younger. The only difference was that, right after fighting, they always either laughed or shared a tender moment. That day it was both.

“I’m glad I came here with you.” Rukia told him.

“That’s my line.” He added, smiling softly at her.

God, he was so in love with her he had grown soft.

Then, Rukia gave him a look that had his toes curling and his heart beating fast. “You know, we’re alone here, in a private beach, by ourselves.” She started saying.

Ichigo merely nodded, his mouth feeling dry.

“I was thinking…”

“Yeah?”

“We should enjoy our time together. We hardly get to be completely alone.”

Hypnotized, he only nodded again. “What did you have planned?”

“Well… I’m not wearing a swimsuit underneath this dress.” And with that, she stood up and pulled on the straps of the dress, until it fell down and pulled on her feet.

Ichigo didn’t say anything else. He immediately jumped to his feet, and pulled her close, his mouth hot against hers, hands already wandering to where he knew Rukia was aching. As he made out with her, he silently thanked his father. It seemed his plan had worked. Well, only half-way through. Rukia always took her pills. It wouldn’t do if Byakuya found out they were having sex before marriage. Although, one day for sure they would get married and give Isshin a grandchild. Just not at this moment. Right now, they were far more content spending time together at the beach.

[hashtagartistlife]

I, a whole dumbass who doesn’t know the concept of ‘spacing things out’: *uploads two pieces of writing in rapid succession*

anyway, daemon au continuation! pt 1 here. a note: this is pretty much being uploaded as it’s being written, no editing, not much thought into how the whole thing will fit together (got a broad outline, but not much inbetween), daemons are being picked mostly for the..... uh.... #Aesthetic, details may be subject to change, I’m always taking more daemon suggestions, even for characters whose daemons have already popped up, etc. 

@femmeflannellesbian who left the BEST tags on my pt 1, here’s to you. Good news: Daemon au is being written whether or not you pay me! Bad news: It may or may not be shit. :’/ anyway, thanks for the tags on the last part, they always cheer me up. <3 

The two of them watch the dissection of their mother, the entire, bloody thing, clinging to each other all the while.

.

.

.

Six years later

.

.

.

The first thought that occurs to Ichigo is: she’s an awfully brazen thief.

Then, the second thought that occurs to him: she doesn’t have a daemon.

The second thought is rather more shocking than the first; living people don’t just not have daemons. That’s an impossibility, an irrationality; a warping of the way the world is meant to be. Living people can’t not have a daemon.

So, she’s not alive.

Most other people would have quailed at this conclusion. Not Ichigo. He’s made that mistake once before and he won’t make it again. Just because she’s a ghost doesn’t mean she can’t be a thief— and it also doesn’t mean he won’t kick her ass. She’s picked the wrong house to try to burgle tonight.

A brief but animated scuffle ensues. His dad intervenes and is generally useless. Ghost girl tells him she’s part of some dead secret service that kills monsters (bullshit) and puts supernatural restraints on him when he doesn’t believe her (bitch).

And then, just because Ichigo’s life is a constant one-upmanship of Murphy’s Law, said monster appears and starts decimating his family.

His third thought for the night: ghost girl is tiny. She is possibly even smaller than his sisters and yet there she is, drawing a sword out of nowhere, telling him to stay in his room like a good boy and not get in the way—

Motherfuck, is that Karin lying bloody in the hallway?

The next few moments are a blur for him. He vaguely recalls Serafin shooting past him, a meteor of rage and feathers, the both of them tearing through ghost girl’s restraints like a hot knife through butter. Somewhere along the way, he must have picked up a baseball bat, because in the next moment he’s swinging it at the monster’s face and being knocked backwards into a telephone pole. Ghost girl appears with her sword, still resolutely daemon-less, and between her and the monster Ichigo can’t tell which is more unsettling. And then he remembers ghost girl didn't knock him into a telephone pole, and decides to go with the monster.

Then ghost girl falls, too, and it’s just him and her and Serafin and the monster lumbering in the background and a sword pointed at his chest, bearing a decision that is not a decision at all.

“It is not shinigami,” ghost girl says,  half a smile on her face; “it is Kuchiki Rukia.”

“Kurosaki Ichigo,” he says.

“Serafin,” his daemon nods from where she’s perched on his shoulder.

“Let’s pray this isn’t our last greeting,” they say in unison, and then the world dissolves in fire and heat.

Kurosaki Ichigo’s last thought for the night, as he collapses into Rukia's lap after cleaving the monster in half: whether those are tears or raindrops on her face, and just what on earth he could possibly have done to make her look so sad.

*

When he wakes up again, he's inches from death-by-smelly-feet.

“I--CHI--GOOOO!” his loon of a dad sing-songs, and Ichigo, honed by years of his dad’s antics, piledrivers him into the ground by his face. At the doorway, Lyrani winces.

“You’re the one who didn't stop him,” Ichigo says accusingly. Lyrani chooses to ignore that and slinks out of the room. 

Serafin finally shakes free of the bedcovers she'd been trapped under and flits over to inspect the situation. “But— but, the injuries—” she says, hovering over Isshin, and that's when Ichigo notices it too.

“What about your injuries?” he demands of Isshin, and Isshin just looks nonplussed.

“Injuries? What injuries? When did I get injured?”

“You— what about last night—”

“Ah!” his father's face lights up as though they’re finally speaking the same language. “So you did wake up for that ruckus! And you didn't even think to come downstairs, huh? I tell you, no use having a son in the house, absolutely no use at all—”

Ichigo lets his dad babble on with a sound of disgust and stomps out of the room, since he’s clearly not getting answers from him. He finds the twins downstairs, looking at a giant hole in their living room wall. He catalogues no broken bones, no bruises, no trauma in their expressions and wonders if he might be going just a little bit mad.

He looks at Karin for an explanation, and she shrugs. Her daemon (in the form of a small, lazy black cat today) takes up the story for her. “Truck crashed into the side of our house last night. Car and driver got away scott-free. Well, at least the house is insured.”

The explanation is typical Karin and Zenka (short), but he gets the gist. Through the ruined wall, he sees Mizuiro waving at him from the pavement. He waves back weakly, and Mizuiro points to the destruction, expression curious. Ichigo only offers him a shrug, and then Isshin shoots past him, seemingly recovered. Ichigo decides to leave the excuses— however unbelievable they may be— to his father, and turns away to get ready for school.

“A truck?” Serafin queries, low and conspiratory. Ichigo scowls.

“Hell if I know.” He pauses in the kitchen to see the bar stools— distinctly and viciously ruined in last night’s scuffle— restored to their former not-so-glory. He can even see the chip he made in one of them when he was twelve, having accidentally dropped an entire set of plates on it. A truck crashing into their house last night made absolutely no sense as an explanation— but then again, it’s not like what really happened was the height of sensical anyway.

“Do you think she made it out okay?” Serafin asks, a touch of anxiety colouring her voice, and Ichigo doesn't need to ask who she is.

“Well, it looks like she was ok enough to somehow heal everyone and fake a truck crashing into our house, so she's probably fine,” he mutters, but Serafin doesn't look all that comforted by that, and to tell the truth, neither is he.

When he manages to make his way to school, he finds Mizuiro and Tatsuki in the middle of a conversation about him, the latter well on her way to forming some pretty dire misconceptions.

“A truck?! Then is he injured, or-- or dead--"

He whacks her in the head with his bag. “Sorry to disappoint, but I’m not dead. And that's my seat you're in.” He directs the last part to Altair, Tatsuki’s golden eagle daemon, who squawks in indignation and takes off, leaving long gouges on the desk that’ll be a pain to write on. Ichigo’s scowl deepens. 

“Ah, Kurosaki-kun! G-good morning!”

Inoue waves a cheery hello as he pulls out his seat, her ring-tailed lemur daemon— Ichigo can't remember his name, it was something long and fancy sounding— chattering around her shoulders. His reply is a beat late and a little bemused.

“Y-yeah? You're as bright as ever.” He sits down and starts pulling books out of his bag. “Yo, Mizuiro, what's third period today?”

“Social studies.”

“Oh. I didn't bring my textbook, but that’s fine, Miss Ochi doesn't care--"

“You’re Kurosaki-kun…?” a new voice interrupts him, and Ichigo finally pays more attention to the fact that he has, apparently, been assigned a new seating partner. There is an unfamiliar daemon draped across the table next to his, something small and furry— a hare? A rabbit? He's always been terrible at telling them apart— grooming itself with dainty licks. It flicks a cool look up at him, and looks supremely unimpressed with what it sees.

“Ichigo.” Serafin hisses in his ear, nudging him under his hair rather insistently. “Ichigo, holy shit.”

“What?” he mutters, distracted by the utter indifference of the new daemon. How does something so small ever get to be so haughty?

Serafin pecks him, and he startles. “OW!”

“Nice to meet you,” his new partner tries again, amusement evident in her voice. Ichigo looks up, and freezes.

“Oh,” he agrees. “Holy shit.”

Kuchiki Rukia smiles up at him, completely at ease, one hand extended towards him in a handshake, the other idling in the fur of her brand new daemon.

[cooliogirl101]

Hi. The reviews on ffnet for chapter 11 of TLM got a lot of interesting prompts. I hope you like some as well. I found the scene between Ichigo, Sayuri and the little sisters very disturbing. I'm not sure Sayuri can not be called a villain at this point, even if she feels some mild regret for her actions. So, how do Karin and Yuzu fare in Hueco Mundo ? How do they get along with the Arrancar ? Aizen ? Sayuri ? Who gets to babysit them ? "Fortunately" Inoue would care for them. Thanks a lot !

Oh yeah, no, Sayuri was 100% a villain in that scene, there’s no doubt of that. Personally, I think she would be a terrifyingly effective villain, down to her twisted sense of mercy (because eliminating a threat without killing them is what counts as mercy for her). 

In regards to your questions, I don’t think Inoue would be involved at all. The only reason she was kidnapped was so Aizen could lure half of the Gotei 13 to Hueco Mundo and that only worked because Ichigo was involved. With his sisters kidnapped and in very real danger– well, I don’t really see him doing anything that could possibly antagonize Sayuri, you know? Sayuri told him to grab his people (which includes Inoue) and run, or at the very least, remove themselves from this war. And as much as he cares for Rukia, his sisters are the priority for him. Can you really see him finding the resolve to fight knowing that the second he draws his zanpakuto, his sisters will die?

(“You really didn’t have to do that, you know. The boy has potential…and I would’ve enjoyed a challenge.” “You can enjoy your ‘challenges’ once my neck isn’t on the line, Sousuke.” “Have you so little faith in me, Sayuri? You know I’d never let anything happen to you.”)

In the meantime, I think Sayuri would get Halibel to look after the kids. She’s reliable, one of the most powerful Arrancar, unlikely to get emotionally compromised (like, for example, Starrk), level-headed, and even if she’s not the best with children, she’s a hell of a lot better with them than Ulquiorra. 

Aside from Halibel and to an extent, her fraccion, the rest of the Arrancar would have little to no interaction with them, I think. Starrk because he’d get attached too easily, Barragan because…no. Just no. Ulquiorra already has a job as Sayuri’s bodyguard (“Ulquiorra-san, regardless of what my brother has ordered you to do, I am quite capable of taking care of myself. You don’t need to follow me around.” “I have no doubt of that, Sayuri-sama.” “…you’re not going to stop, are you.” “You already know the answer to that, Sayuri-sama.”). Nnoitra because…no. Just no. Grimmjow because chances are he’d return the twins if it meant he could get Ichigo to fight him again. Zommari isn’t banned from seeing the kids, per se, but he has no interest in doing so. Szayel because…no. Just no. Aaroniero also has no interest in seeing the kids  Yammy because she doesn’t trust him not to eat them. 

As for how Yuzu and Karin fare…well, they’re treated as well as any prisoner of war can be treated. Regular meals, no physical or mental torture, and it doesn’t hurt that both Sayuri and Sousuke have a bit of a soft spot for twins. Karin lashed out a couple times in the beginning but immediately stopped after being threatened with separation from her twin. In reward for good behavior, they’re allowed certain privileges– Karin gets to play soccer with Halibel’s fraccion, Yuzu gets knitting materials (Sayuri promises to help her with her drawing skills if Yuzu helps her improve her knitting), updates on how Ichigo and their dad are doing, books to read, etc. After a few weeks have passed with no signs of resistance, Yuzu gets a fluffy orange cat. Karin gets a hyperactive puppy. They have tea with Sousuke once a week; he listens to them, asks after their well-being, talks to them like they’re adults and unlike Ichigo or Isshin, he tells them about the shinigami (and the many problems inherent in the system) and their own family history (the Shiba clan, how their dad was once a shinigami captain). And they can’t help but feel a little special, that a man as busy and powerful as Aizen Sousuke takes the time to check in on them so regularly. Sayuri hardly ever smiles and when she does, it’s usually for her brother…but occasionally her eyes will warm when she looks at them and her lips will curve upwards when Karin scores a goal or Yuzu brings her something. There are times where she slips up around them, reveals hints of her and Sousuke’s past, and it hurts to hear– neither Yuzu nor Karin can imagine what it’s like having a mother that would give them up. 

Sayuri’s not such a bad person, really, Yuzu decides after a month has passed. A little scary at first, but it’s clear she’s never wanted to hurt us.

They have a point, Karin thinks. The shinigami system…it sounds really messed up. Imagine having a government that allows people like that Kurotsuchi guy to go free! That regularly commits genocide! It’s no wonder they want to change things.

Gin looks at these two children who are already so enamored with their captors and can’t help but feel a twinge of pity. But then, it’s hardly a surprise. Aizen Sousuke once won over the entire Gotei 13 with his charm. As for Aizen Sayuri…he thinks of Tousen, Ulquiorra, the men and women she’s ruined, hungry for every scrap of approval she throws their way. So very desperate to be the one she graces with her rare smiles, the one she trusts with her secrets.

Two eleven year old’s left in the dark by their father and brother, with no prior experience with manipulation? They never really stood a chance. 

(So no, neither Sayuri nor Sousuke would mistreat the twins. They don’t need to.)

I guess, as a question back to my readers: have I made Sousuke and Sayuri sufficiently scary yet? :P

[woodrokiro]

years past. (fic)

FANDOM:Bleach

PAIRING: IchiRuki

SUMMARY: “They say my mother used to smile more. Is that the truth?” Inspired by @deathberryprompts‘ prompt that had to include the words “knife, bridge, and truth). Follows the events following the manga ending, loosely.

“They say my mother used to smile more. Is that the truth?”

She is too much like her damn mother: inquisitive, blunt, honest. Innocent to the point that he can’t find himself able to lie to her.

(Sometimes when he imagines that none of it really happened, that the future wasn’t really the future at all, that he’ll wake up with her in his arms–sometimes he wonders if he’s just talking to a reflection of her.)

– When Kazui becomes a teenager, Ichigo sees Ichika more and more often.

Which is funny, considering he hardly sees his son in any case. Since he and Orihime divorced a few years ago, Kazui only sees his father one weekend every month and has insinuated to prefer it that way. Regardless of how much he may look like him, no matter that his mother left Ichigo with nothing but a lovingly firm I found someone who loves me more note– Kazui is his mother’s son, through and through. And Ichigo really does understand. The way Uryuu treats Orihime is not lost on either son nor father: how much he loves her, how much more he could ever give Orihime than a hollow I love you because you love me. There was never a competition.

Ichigo is thankful his son doesn’t refuse to see him. He’s just a bit concerned about the girl from Death that follows after.

He’s not stupid, and he’s been through this himself–he knows what the fuck is up. He sees how his son looks at her, how he stares down at his shoes with a “‘K bye,” when she has to leave, how sour he is when he tells his father he hasn’t seen her in awhile.

(He’s also seen the terrible, I-mean-god-awful Shakespearean sonnets hidden in the boy’s closet about red hair and violet eyes, and begins to think maybe he really does have some Kurosaki in him.)

And really, Ichigo would just like to avoid this girl, avoid inwardly scowling at the way he knows she will unintentionally hurt his son. He is always sure to say a courteous hello… But. Well–there is also the fact that it is so damn hard to look at her.

Unfortunately, on the weekends she stays it seems she suffers the same insomnia that Ichigo has. That her mother had.

He’s reading a book when she shuffles out in one of Kazui’s shirts (he beats down the inner Isshin wailing inside of him), blearily rubbing her eyes and yawning, halting suddenly when she sees him. They stare at each other–violet to amber eyes–and Ichigo is reminded of so many moments so, so long ago.

“… Hi, Mr. Kurosaki. Um,” she begins shifting foot to foot. “I was just…. Is there anything to eat?”

The kids devoured the rest of the leftovers he made earlier in the night, so there really wasn’t anything but the basics. Regardless, he can never discredit either Yuzu or Orihime for teaching him how to be a good host– so he gets up with a gruff  "sure" and moves his way toward the kitchen.

It’s… Awkward, to say the least. Neither are quite sure what to say to each other, how to start the “I am the father to your is-he-isn’t-he boyfriend” or “I may or may not be fornicating with your son” conversation. The only sound is Ichika occasionally shifting in her chair at the kitchen island behind him, the continuous chop of Ichigo’s knife against the vegetables for a stir fry. And Ichigo’s okay with that, he really is, he doesn’t want to start a conversation with this personified representation of a whole world that he will never, ever get back because of some damn rules saying he can’t–

“So… You and my mom were close?”

A pause of the knife against the cutting board before it starts again. “You can say that,” he finally mumbles.

“Well, she was the one who named me Ichika.”

“That was after Orihime.”

He hears her snort behind him. “Sure, ‘Ichika’ from ‘Orihime Inoue’ over 'Ichigo?’ OKAY.”

He looks back behind him at her smug expression, and he can’t help it despite himself–he grins back. “Yeah, maybe I didn’t get that either.”

She laughs, and it’s almost exactly like Rukia’s that he–no. It’s different. It’s a different person. “So…? What’s the real story?”

He shrugs, turning back to his cooking as he tries not to remember dark ebony hair through his fingers, the morning light that fell over an elegant backside, kissing down the cobble stone bridge of a spine–

“We were very close friends. Yeah.”

“Oh. Well, why aren’t you now?”

“We see each other every now and then.”

“The last time I can remember is when Kazui and I were kids. When we first met, like, nine years ago.”

He’s getting impatient. “Look, Ichika, is there something you’re getting at or…?”

When he looks back, she’s carefully observing him, her fidgety nature (definitely from her father he thinks wryly) all but gone as she observes him with those damned eyes. “No, absolutely not. I’m just wondering why my mother and the man she named me after haven’t seen each other for near ten years and she’s about as likely to talk about you as you are about her.”

He doesn’t say anything, just turns back to his cooking. So she hasn’t told her anything either, huh? Figures.

Ichika clearly catches the tone of the room. The silence is only broken by her soft “thank you” when he gives her the plate, but he doesn’t much hear it. He’s already on his way to his bedroom.

—

Despite himself, he really begins to like the kid.

More weekends come and pass, and every time he finds himself making her a meal at two, three, sometimes four am while Kazui is still asleep.

They start to have have much lighter conversations, thankfully. Ichigo will ask how Soul Society is holding up, what the new policies are like, whether Kenpachi is still a crazy son of a bitch. She’ll sometimes ask about the human world, but he has a feeling these questions are more reserved for his son. Instead she usually asks him about himself.

What was he like as a kid? What were the adventures with her mother like?. She’s more respectful on the subject of Ichigo and Rukia’s relationship itself, only strangely asking whether it was true her mother smiled more once (to which he shrugged because? He guessed? Rukia smiled often from what he saw, but he thought it was only at his ridiculous teenage antics); otherwise, she didn’t broach more on what they were like she did the first night.

Then Kazui graduated high school.

She attended the ceremony with his parents and stepfather–quiet for once, much different than the wild and free caring girl he had ever witnessed before. He got to witness the strange relationship between she and Orihime: an evident respect, and yet a wary sadness on Orihime’s part. He can guess what his ex wife is thinking; but he chooses not to acknowledge it, only smiles at her agreeably as she squeezes his arm with a watery smile.

He was absolutely not prepared for the conversation awaiting him at 12:37 am tonight.

He comes out from a late practice in the clinic to find her waiting for him, per usual, at the kitchen island. He snorts, shakes his head as he wanders over the fridge, prepared to make a scramble or something, as long as it doesn’t have onions because she’s made it pretty clear she hates onions–

“Your son proposed to me, Mr. Kurosaki. I said yes.”

He turns. She babbles on, looking at a point over his head. “He’s going to ask for your blessing in the morning, when I’m conveniently asleep, but I thought I’d warn you. He’ll ask my dad in a few days, when he gathers up that courage. My mother he’s saving for last. He already asked Mrs. Ishida, and she gave her–well, somewhat of a blessing. I think she’s scared, but honestly? We both are, and we’re really asking for the support of our loved ones to back us up on it. We don’t really know how we’re going to do it, but we know we love each other and–”

“It’s not possible.”

She takes his pale complexion and his wild eyes, concerned. “Mr. Kurosaki…?”

“No. No, fuck this–excuse me. I’m sorry, I’m just–I don’t mean to be rude. But it was never possible before, how do you expect…? Look, it’s obvious I like you, Ichika. It’s obvious you make my son happy, and you’re a good girl, and there’s a reason I make you meals in the day or this late at night or let you sleep over in Kazui’s room against any sane fatherly reasoning, but this has gone too far. These are silly notions in both of your heads, and trust me I tried to… I tried to do something very similar to you, I fucking tried–”

“Mr. Kurosaki.”

“But there’s no way Soul Society’s going to up and allow it. There’s no way I’m going to allow it to break my son’s heart like it did mine. There’s no way that this was okay when it was the whole reason she wouldn’t–she didn’t–”

“Mr. Kurosaki, I’m sorry but I’m not my mother.”

And when he glances up at her, really just looks at her he thinks she might be lying because that’s all he sees in that serious expression–

And for the first time in years, he loses it.

Just crumbles, slides down the fridge bad-knees-be-damned. Allows this moment to fucking grieve for past mistakes, for the soft smiles he never again got to wake up to, for the ridiculous dancing-in-the-kitchen married moments life didn’t give him, for the tearful goodbyes while he stood by and did nothing, just let life screw him over for an excuse as simple that he was tired. Always tired, and for what? For her daughter with another man to tell him it was all for nothing?

He feels her sit with him, there on the linoleum floor of his kitchen, feels her cool touch as her hand rests against his shoulder. Neither say anything for awhile, and he is thankful.

“Mr. Kurosaki,” she finally starts when the worst of his moment has passed. She stops shortly before starting again. “Have you ever wondered why Kazui and I have aged the same?”

Of course he had. He’s sure it’s boggled Mayuri from a distance for years. He doesn’t respond.

“Of course, we have too… And we don’t really have an answer either. Kazui says it’s some red string of fate, like soul mates or whatever–you know him, he’s such a romantic–but you know… Who knows? I’m not sure, but it must be something like that. Something in both life and death is telling us we need to exist together.”

He rubs a tired hand over his eyes. “That’s great, Ichika, but I don’t–”

“My mother and father separated years ago. He still looks like he’s nineteen… But she began to age, visibly. She looks about the same age as you.”

He stills, heart dropping to his stomach. When was the last time he saw Rukia? He guesses it hadn’t been since he saw her when the kids met; every time after, they both claimed they were too busy, but…. He hadn’t thought she looked much older last time?

(Really, she looked to him as breathtaking as all the times before.)

“My father still loves her, you know. Always will,” she continues, “They’re still good friends, but… I think he just couldn’t stand by and watch that anymore, you know? And she’s kind to a fault. She didn’t want that for him, so she just stood there when he moved his stuff out and I watched it all and for awhile I hated her. Couldn’t stand the thought that I might’ve been a mistake in this whole scheme of things. And I know–I know that’s not true. Soul Society puts up a big fuss about knowing everything, but there are just the some things that the universe chooses to happen and souls to be born and it’s nobody’s fault. If you hadn’t married Mrs. Ishida, Kazui wouldn’t be alive. If my mother and father hadn’t married, I wouldn’t have been born, and neither of us would be here and this big beautiful mess would’ve been a lot freaking simpler, wouldn’t it?”

She laughs a watery laugh, and fuck it– Ichigo may not have been the best he wanted to be in his life, but he is still a father, through and through. He ruffles her hair as she takes a moment.

“But we’re here, you know? I have Kazui. I still have my parents who love me, unconditionally. You’re a pseudo-dad, albeit a weirdo one, so I hope I have you. At this point, I just want to be with your son. And I…” She looks at him, and–isn’t this the pattern?–he’s momentarily shattered.

“I just want to see what it looks like for my mother to smile like she used to.”

…

The Soul Society wedding is stupidly lavish, all credit due to Ichika’s asshole uncle.

Ichigo tries to swallow his pride and grumble to himself that really, the living world ceremony was much better, much more personal–but whatever, let Byakuya have this. He was already so damned protective of Rukia, he can only imagine how the Kuchiki was with his niece.

Still, considering the time it’s been since he’s saved the world and Soul Society and all that, it was nice to be invited, to be so sincerely welcomed by old friends. He said his hellos to each of the captains (excluding Kenpachi– he was still actively hiding from that friend as long as he could), promised a drink later with Ikkaku and Iba’s gang. Renji even gave him a hard clap on the back, making him swear father to father that the two of them would embarrass their children later at the reception.

He sees her from a distance, from the corner of his eye. Of course he does: how could he not? And yeah she looks a bit older, he can see the slightest wrinkle whenever he chances a glance, but–honestly? There’s not much of a difference.

Not much that he cares about, anyway.

He sucks in a breath, pulls together his courage enough to approach her as the crowd transitioned from ceremony to reception.

And when she turns around to look at him…. It’s so stupid and sounds so much like the shoujo manga his sister used to read when they were kids, but he feels like he’s fifteen again. Her eyes watch him carefully as he shuffles and stuffs his hands in his pockets.

“So… Byakuya sure helped make a nice ceremony, huh?”

A quick beat passes before she snorts. “Fool,” she says, rolling her eyes, “I should hope it’s nice wedding. It’s your son’s, for God’s sake.”

“Yeah, and your daughter’s, so what about it? Can’t I say one nice thing to you without starting an argument?!”

“Of course you can, but I didn’t like the attitude behind it! It’s like you were saying Nii-sama would create anything but a stunning ceremony for our children!”

“Okay, I wouldn’t say stunning, a little over the top if you ask me–”

“Well thank goodness no one’s asking you, then!” She’s huffing and puffing and the hair in her elegant coif is coming out in loose strands and how could he ever help being in love with her?

“It’s not fair,” he blabbers before he can help himself. He shuts his mouth as she looks at him strangely.

“What was that?”

He considers his options. He could lie. Say he was talking about something else. Continue on with the joke about the stupid ceremony. Tease her mercilessly about the stupidly ornate little baubles in her hair, the elegant layers of kimono that don’t suit her at all–

But fuck it. He spent twenty plus years wasting his time.

“It’s not fair… For you. That I told you so.” He answers honestly, gesturing around him.

She stares at him for a terrifying moment, and he’s afraid that maybe he didn’t get it or maybe she understood all too well–

And then she smiles.