#Keep Momo and Orihime away from abusive assholes.

[enixamyram]

I did this for Once Upon A Time and Sons Of Anarchy on Screenrant, so let’s do one for Bleach! This is my opinions on a (obviously fan made) list. Because I like expressing my opinions, especially when I see a list that I very strongly disagree with to the point where I’m almost seeing red... So anyway, here’s:

Disagree. I know there are a lot of people who wanted them together, but I never once saw a romance. This is for a variety of reasons but my main one being the amount of times they insulted and assaulted each other meant I’d never really be able to accept them as a romantic pair. Instead I can accept them as a wonderful platonic friendship of two buddies who occasionally smack each other around when they think the others being a bit stupid.

Disagree. The thing is, I knew Orihime and Ichigo were going to be romantically involved way before I ever actually shipped them - before I even liked either of their characters no less. They follow all the usual tropes and to try and downplay them by claiming Ichigo sees her as “a sister” makes no sense to me. It seems to me like that’s just pulled out of nowhere with absolutely no evidence and it’s just an excuse to give for why they shouldn’t be a couple.

Disagree. I mean I don’t have very strong feelings against it, but like Rukia and Ichigo, I much more enjoy their friendship and genuinely could not imagine them as being romantically involved. (I don’t exactly ship either of them with anyone but if I did have to pick a pair, I’d like to imagine that Yoruichi and Soi-Fon might have a thing eventually...)

Disagree. And I’ll admit; this one I DID ship from the beginning. Way back when we got our first flashback of their time growing up together, I thought they were so cute and really enjoyed all of their scenes. They continued to have some of my favourite interactions and I was very happy when they did end up together in the end!

... What... The... Fuck...?! NO!!!!!!!! HELL NO! FRACK NO! FREAK NO! SHIT NO! Who in this hellhole wants this?! Quite honestly a pairing like this just straight up makes no sense to me unless it’s because they enjoy some kind of twisted dark angsty relationship. We saw only a very tiny bit of Aizen before he “died” and then when he came back the first thing he did was stab Momo and leave her to die. I genuinely cannot wrap my head around why anyone would want anything even close to this.

I mean, I don’t like this pair... But I also don’t agree the show ever hinted for it to be romantic. Maybe it’s just me - maybe there’s something in the manga that I have missed and will catch when I do my read through - but all I ever got was a (abusive) father-daughter vibe off of them. Either way, the pairing or relationship (whatever it is) sucks to high heavens so agreed.

Nooooooooooooooo. This is another pair who have a good and enjoyable friendship and I cannot imagine them as anything else - and I really don’t want to try because something about Toshiro’s youthful appearance and Rangiku’s developed appearance just feels really creepy to me. They are partners in work who definitely would sacrifice for one another but that’s it, and it’s perfect just as it is. No romance needed or wanted.

Disagree. I enjoyed the relationship between these two. I mean, don’t get me wrong, Gin was an idiot and insanely extra to go through all of what he did for her, but in the end he did it for Rangiku and there’s a (twisted) sweetness in that. I’m still sad how their story ended, while also accepting that’s probably the only way it could have ended when you take in Gin’s obvious determination.

Ugh, God no! Much like Aizen and Momo, I fail to see how anyone could genuinely ship these two based on the canon material we were given. I feel like most people who do have to make it very OOC and do it for the “good girl turns bad boy” trope. Because legit, All Ulquiorra does to Orihime is abuse her in every sense of the word and as such, this pairing really does need to crash, burn and have its ashes blown into the wind.

I genuinely have no feelings for this either way. Don’t like, don’t dislike. I straight up don’t really care.

---

Anyway! Those are my personal thoughts on these particular ships. Just needed to get this out of my system after I saw the list at work today! XD

[rinusagitora]

Another empty seat in the city of ghosts.

Fandom: BLEACH

Characters: Ichigo Kurosaki, Karin Kurosaki, Rukia Kuchiki, Orihime Inoue, Isshin Kurosaki, Kisuke Urahara, Ururu Tsumugiya, Toushirou Hitsugaya, Momo Hinamori

Pairings: HitsuKarin, others not mentioned

Words: 2.4k

Summary: Shinigami!Karin AU. Chapter 7/8. WARNINGS- mentions of suicide, dysfunctional families;  Karin has taken her life. What follows is a maelstrom of emotion.

AO3

Karin sat in the corner of Ichigo's eye all night. A dark silhouette in the corner, watching him watch her. He didn't sleep at all that night. Afraid she'd vanish the second he closed his eyes. A legitimate concern, for all he knew. Karin was vindictive enough to kill herself the second he turned his back, it wasn't a leap of logic to assume she'd skip town on her funeral day to make her start in the Seireitei as early as possible.

He snarled every time he thought about it. How easily she left them for greener pastures like they didn't love her so much.

Ichigo hurt so badly. How could she have put her family through yet another death? Put Yuzu through it? Yuzu, blind to spirits, unable to pass into the Seireitei to visit. Unable to see Karin for decades, if ever again.

Eventually, Ichigo gave up on sleep and sat up. Karin didn't move. Statuesque in her staring. Ghostly. How appropriate.

"I'll take you downstairs while I get ready," he said, pushing his fingers through his hair. "Orihime is downstairs."

Karin's head cocked. "Like I can't watch myself?"

"You killed yourself," Ichigo reminded her.

"I agreed to stay for the ceremony."

"You say a lot of things that you don't mean."

Her eyes were like daggers. Silver, sharp, fearsome. Ichigo was not afraid though. She said, "Like what? Like I didn't mean I needed help protecting myself against hollows?"

Ichigo groaned. "I'm not going to argue with you." He grabbed her by her shoulder and opened his bedroom door. "Orihime! Are you awake?"

Orihime jogged up the stairs, her footfalls pounding up every step, and then stopped before his room. She was tired, her eyes pink, but she smiled at Karin.

"Hi. I hope you slept," she told Karin. Ichigo was glad Orihime was talking to her instead. Orihime had a soothing quality about her. Ichigo had no idea how it worked, but it was damn effective, and he was grateful it be used on Karin, with an ever-present temper.

Karin merely hummed. Ichigo had to roll his eyes, watching Orihime's smile do the exact opposite. It looked like she was about to fucking explode.

"I'll see you downstairs," Karin grumbled, pushing Orihime's hands away. 

"Fix your attitude while you're at it!" he called after Karin.

He'd chase her down and make her apologize to Orihime, but he had a funeral to prepare for. Ichigo rarely had occasions to wear it to, and he liked it that way. A dress suit had no pride in it, not like his shihakusho. All a black suit meant were farewells he wasn't ready for.

Ichigo moistened his mouth. He hadn't realized he was about to cry, nor did Ichigo realize his mouth had gone dry until it felt like there was a thin film coating his cheeks and tongue.

He wasn't ready to let Karin go, as angry as he was with her deliberately abandoning them.

Ichigo's suit was too small for him those days. Pinched his armpits, bit into his hips, too high on his ankles. Showed how often he wore it. "God damn it..." Briefly, he considered using his blue suit, but Yuzu would fucking annihilate him. Ichigo would let her, too, if he was in her shoes.

Wakes were for the living, after all. Karin was just sticking around to see all the damage she wrought.

Ichigo returned downstairs. Rukia cut him off at the base.

She was pretty, wearing a black dress with a modest bodice and mesh frills for the skirt. It looked like something Yuzu would wear if she was into the whole alt scene. But Rukia was stern. Something told Ichigo she wasn't there to hold his hand.

"This is unbelievable," she said.

He said, dumbly, "What?"

Rukia pushed him up the stairs with one hand. He let her, only out of confusion. "You understand the danger you're putting everyone in keeping her here, Ichigo? I get your reikaku is shit, but she's spouting reiatsu like a fucking firehouse." She pointed at him with a slender, sharp finger. "This whole wake is a bunch of bullshit. What's punishing her accomplishing?"

"It's-"

"Do you fucking feel any better? Does it make Yuzu or your dad feel any better?"

"Well, no, but that's not the point- ow!"

Rukia slapped him. Her nostrils flared. "You're being an incorrigible jackass. I have never seen you so apathetic before." Rukia folded her arms. "What this is, is you're leveraging your power over your family and the Seireitei to abuse a sick, young girl."

"Rukia, what the fuck?" Ichigo pushed her off him. "She doesn't get to just dump us here and fucking run off."

"She's not-" Rukia stopped before her voice reached a shrill crescendo. She took a deep breath. "Allow me to return to the original point. This is reckless. You're gathering many of us here. I, Hitsugaya-taichou, and Hinamori-fukutaichou, all are wearing gigai that suppress our power."

Ichigo lip curled. "He's already here?" God, just hearing that little bastard's name made his blood boil.

"Focus, Ichigo!" she snapped. "Our gigai may suppress our powers, but what's suppressing yours? Your father's? Your friends'? Yours? Karin's?" She leaned in and hissed, "Forget how fucking unethical this is. The wake is gonna turn into a fucking free-for-all for hollows! You wanna put Yuzu through that? After this?"

Ichigo's sighed. He pinched his sinuses. "Okay, I see your point. But we've already got the hand out planned."

"I told you this days ago and you ignored me!" Rukia scoffed. "Get your fucking act together, and fast."

Rukia stormed back down the stairs. Ichigo cursed under his breath. Briefly, he laid his head against the cool wall. Could he do anything right? Anything to keep everyone safe and happy?

Reluctantly, he came into the commons, tugging off his blazer and throwing it over his shoulder. "Where's Yuzu?"

"Gone already," Orihime said. "I saw her walk out before I hopped in the shower. Didn't look like she wanted to talk."

Isshin came down the stairs then. Orihime hopped over to him, and Ichigo let them talk for a minute. Someone needed to comfort Isshin. He had no idea how to do it.

Ichigo then clapped his hands. "Let's go. People will start arriving at the wake soon, we best be there before it reaches critical mass."

Once they filed into the van, Ichigo sat in the back with Karin. He was both repulsed by her and gravitated to her. Wanted to get himself as far away from her and hold her. Brotherhood was so fucking confusing. Life was so fucking confusing.

Why couldn't he have the answers like Shinji did? Or Kisuke? All that experience under their belts, and yet Ichigo only learned combat.

Idiot. He should've gotten more life lessons out of that shit while he could.

They'd be at the temple soon, though. Ichigo said, "We're gonna stay in the back so you can watch all the people you hurt."

Karin snort. "Ironic, coming from you of all people." Ichigo ground his teeth.

"Guys... stop. Let's just have a quiet ride," Rukia said.

"No," he replied. Rukia had a point. Piling so many spiritually sensitive people into one place was a bad idea, but what was done was done. "What Karin did was the epitome of selfishness. We're not gonna tiptoe around that."

Karin screamed, "The epitome of selfishness? Me? You're the one who refused to teach me how to protect myself against hollows, Ichigo! You left me to the wolves, all of you!"

"That's not fair to us!" he snapped back.

"Fair? You wanna talk about fair?"

"Enough!" Rukia boomed. "Both of you. You're fighting like children. You're adults. Warriors. This is unbecoming of both of you. If I hear anything above a whisper while we're in the goddamn temple, I'm going to choke both of you out!"

Ichigo and his sister begrudgingly quieted. He stared straight ahead, seething with conflict and anger.

But they parked eventually. Ichigo took Karin inside and they waited in the back corner.

"I hate you," Karin said. "All this you're doing is complete bullshit."

"No one else is pointing out what an ass you are, so I gotta."

"Because no one thinks I'm an ass."

They were interrupted by a familiar face. Sarugaki Hiyori hadn't bothered wearing a dress that day, or even black. Not that Ichigo was particularly torn up about it. The black was for Yuzu.

She said, ever-displeased, "I'm here on behalf of the Vizard."

Ichigo smiled and bowed. "Thank you. Your representation means a great deal to our family, Sarugaki."

"Cute," she replied, before turning to Karin. "You're a spunky one."

Karin folded her arms. "What's it to you?"

"Got a good head on your shoulders?"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. "No. She killed herself. Sarugaki, what's this about?"

Hiyori hushed him with her sandal slammed against his mouth. Ow. Message received loud and clear.

"Well? Do you?"

"... in Karakura, where we're hunted," Karin said, "I died by choice. No thug, no hollow, none of that." She frowned then. "I hunted hollows with no training, infrequent help... and won, many times. Enough that I know what I want now."

Hiyori looked Karin up and down before nodding. "You'll do fine, kid."

"Thank you."

Hiyori left without another word. Another person filling Karin's head with a suicide mission... just what they needed.

"A friend?" Karin asked.

"Yes. And comrade. She's competent, but... I pick and choose what to listen to from her."

"From me, too."

Ichigo was about to defend himself they were approached by Kisuke.

Kisuke said, "Hey there," and Ichigo smiled. Kisuke was like an uncle to Ichigo in many ways. His mentor, his support, his friend. Even if his kids were turds. "How're you guys holding up?"

"My sister killed herself, so not well," he said in response.

"I'm right fucking here, asshole," Karin barked. Ichigo refrained from glaring at her.

"I know it's a stressful time for both of you, but I hope you remember how much you love each other."

"That's never been enough for her..." Ichigo mumbled.

"Stop talking about me like I'm not here! Everyone here knows about ghosts to some extent, there's no point in trynna be discreet! You're just ignoring me when you're not telling me what to do."

Ichigo folded his arms. "She's been like this for days," he said. When Kisuke hugged them, he hugged him back. Soft. Loving.

"Let's be kind for now," Kisuke said. "You're family. We're family. We'll get through this."

Ichigo pat Kisuke's back. "Thanks," he said. He was trying. Trying to be good, to keep everyone safe, happy.

Kisuke took a seat afterward. Ichigo didn't speak. However, Karin was talkative.

"They helped every way they could. Perfect strangers, with no obligation to me," Karin said. Her eyes bore into the side of his head. "You did nothing but strand me."

"That's not fair to me. Everything I've done has been to protect you guys," he snarled back. Before he could continue, Ururu approached. God, did the place have a revolving door?"

"Yuzu says we'll be starting soon, and asks you to take a seat."

"I'm almost finished here," he grumbled, intending to give Karin a piece of his mind.

"The immediate family needs to be in place. Please don't make this any more difficult than it needs to be. This is a trying enough occasion."

He frowned. Ururu had a point. Best keep Yuzu pleased. After their fight the other night, he didn't want to be on an even worse side of her. "Alright." He turned to Karin. "We're not done here."

She sneered. "We are now."

Ichigo tucked his hands into the pockets of his blazer and walked to the front row to sit with his family. Everyone was so snide, so mean, when he had nothing more to offer but love and guardianship. It was painful.

Thankfully, the ceremony was a breeze. Ichigo grabbed Karin and left for the meeting place, the underside of an overpass by the waterway. He and Karin were silent the entire walk, but Ichigo was practically cooking in the silence. He was so hurt, so mad that Karin was being taken away, and that she so badly wanted to be away. As far away from the World of the Living as possible.

What did Toushirou have to do with it? Why was Karin so obsessed with him? With the Soul Society? What lies had that little freak filled her head with?

If Ichigo wouldn't see her again for years, he was going to get answers.

Karin took a seat on a makeshift bench upon arrival. She looked at her shoes and kicked her feet. They waited in silence. He sweats under his blazer.

Finally, Toushirou and an older woman, stinking of smoke and wrinkled by years of it, arrived. He recognized the woman as Hinamori Momo of gobantai. Shinji's associate. She was... uglier than he remembered.

Ichigo supposed being stabbed did that to a person.

"Thank you for allowing us into your sister's service, Kurosaki-sama," Momo said, bowing.

"It wasn't my choice." He folded his arms. She was kissing his ass, judging by the hateful stares Toushirou shot him.

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

"Let's go." Before Karin reached them, Ichigo stopped her with one arm. He returned Toushirou's glare.

"Hang on," he said, "I want him to admit his fault in this."

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

"Bullshit!" Ichigo argued. "He had to have said something."

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

Ichigo was stunned. Hurt. Knocked off balance, the world flipped around. She clung to Toushirou like a lifeline. Anything to get away from him. 

What had he done wrong? All he did was try to protect his family and friends. Why was it thrown back into his face? Why did it backfire? Why did everything he does hurt Karin?

Before Ichigo could ask, she was gone, taken into the Soul Society to live a life free of them. Ichigo collapsed onto the hard-packed dirt and wept in earnest for the first time in years.

He recalled Hueco Mundo. He recalled dying, hollowfying. How badly it hurt. It paled in comparison to that moment.