#also SCREAMS they got inoue

[eyeshields]

Illustrations celebrating Eyeshield 21 21st anniversary/the release of the BRAINxBRAVE oneshot (part 1 / part 2 / part 3 / part 4 / part 5).

Artists from left to right, top to bottom:

Eiichiro Oda (One Piece)

Akutami Gege (Jujutsu Kaisen)

Masashi Kishimoto (Naruto)

Tite Kubo (Bleach)

Kohei Horikoshi (My Hero Academia)

Boichi (Dr. STONE)

Osamu Akimoto (Kochikame)

Takehiko Inoue (SLAM DUNK)

[cookieswithay]

"The happy feelings club!"

🧡Ichigo x Orihime🧡 Ichihime fic

💝Episode 1: The gingers meet!

°•●•°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°•

• Ichigo's pov!

• "Don't let it happen again, Kurosaki."

• "Yeah, yeah. It won't."

• Once again, I'm leaving the principal's office. But at least I got sent for actual reason this time.

• Hi there, I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. Near straight A student. I got 2 sisters and 1 insane dad. And I'm a natural carrot top. You'd think with my high grades and all, teachers wouldn't pay me any mind. But no. I'm on everyone's radar. The color orange means trouble. Everyone picks a fight. But, I know how to win this messed up game...most of the time.

• "Did you hear? That guy punched someone."

• "No way, that's horrible."

• "Whispers" aren't anything new, but this rumor has truth in it. (Although those girls could at least TRY to be quiet) The "guy" I punched, was some loser who thought he could get handsy with the girls in my class. I don't know them very well, but I'm not a fan of hearing my classmates scream. So I took care of him. Nice and quick.

• (Tatsuki wanted to kill him, so I just took the fall.)

• "Oh no,"

• One of the girls griped.

• "Here comes that orange haired girl again."

• Orange haired girl? This cruddy school has one? Since when? I turned around and sure enough, there's a carrot top! She's running down the hall...towards me. I...should run, but... My feet feel stuck to the ground. She screeches to a halt and fell to her knees panting. So...she shouldn't of ran that fast. A few minutes passed and she's still wheezing. Damn, is she okay?

• "Um, are you okay?"

🧡

• Orihime's pov

• My lungs...are burning! But...I wanna...pass...these out! My name is Orihime Inoue! I have a busy older brother and I'm new to this school! I also like "weird combinations" of food. (Sweet treats ramen is so tasty!) And last but not least, I'm in charge of the happy feelings club! A blissful hour of doing your favorite things at school! All I need to do is get 3 more members and we can stay afloat. Hence my constant flyer passing! Like right now. But, I REALLY need to...catch...my breath. This tall guy...looks real nice.

• "Should I get the nurse...?"

• (Ichigo said that) Ah! Not the nurse again! I'll get scolded! I shot up. And I was face to face with a...with a...super cute boy. His hair is orange too...And...he probably has girlfriend! Don't wanna get my hopes up for nothing! I scrambled to my feet. I'm not dirty, am I?

• "Hi!"

• I said, flashing my persuasion smile. (It always works!)

• "I'm Orihime Inoue and I run the happy feelings club!"

• The cutie noodle looked confused. But, that's okay. It's a new club, so of course he never heard of it. This is what flyers are for! I pulled one from my backpack.

• "The details are on here."

• I gave it to him, nearly touching his long fingers. He's reading in his head. ...Why am I so NERVOUS!? He's reading the flyer! Not looking at me! Should I run!? Hide? Pass out!?

• "Ah-em."

• Huh?

• "Yes?"

• Did I say that too fast? He had on a half smile.

• "The meetings are after-school on fridays and wednesdays, right?"

• I nodded. My favorite days of the week.

• "Good, I'll be there."

• Oh..my...gosh! A new member! After two weeks of demanding nicely, someone finally joined-

🧡

• Ichigo's pov

• Out of nowhere, Orihime fell into my chest. It hurt but...some softer things touched me too. ...Holy crap! What do I do? Move her? Ask if she's okay? What am I saying, of course I check if she's alright! ...Um. Where to tap? I don't wanna make her uncomfortable or anything. Suddenly, she popped up and...looks raring to go like she didn't just fall? What is this girl?

• I was gonna actually ask that, but someone caught my eye. It was that one black haired chick with the fuchsia eyes. She's snickering with her tomboy friend. (Menoly, she goes to Tatsuki's boxing class.) Why...is that ticking me off? ...Whatever, whatever. Back to Orihime.

• "Orihime-"

• I paused. She looked...hateful and she was gripping her hair. And that's kinda hot. Not angry, but not fully sad either. But, what's the hair clutching about. ...I get it! Those two owe her money. Of course. I would be furrowing my brow too if I was in this situation. Man, people are so cheap nowadays.

• "Ah-em."

• I looked down straight into Orihime's big brown eyes. Shit, she's pretty. She looked down at a hip and back up at me. Ah! I haven't let her go! I stumbled back, muttering a apology. Damn, I'm bad at this.

• "So, I'll see you after school?"

• I said somewhat cooly. She nodded, with the biggest smile on her face. I couldn't help but laugh. Seriously, what is this girl? I just felt like ass a minute ago and now I feel like I won the lottery.

• Rinnnnng!

• That's the bell. Here dies my good mood. I looked back at Orihime.

• "Um, bye."

• I couldn't of said anything smoother than that!?

• "Bye!"

• "See you after school!"

• I waved and watched her skip off to whatever class she's in. Huh, I'm actually looking forward to the club thing.

🧡

• A few hours later

🧡

• Orihime's pov

• "So, tell me more about this hunk you met."

• Um...I did, did I say hunk? He's just really, really handsome is all. I pulled some games out of the cabinet.

• "He was really just nice, Rangiku."

• (Rangiku is one of my favorite upper classmen. She's nice and taught me how to get on Mr. Hitsugaya's good side! He gives out snacks! And she has a thing for Sora. She said she's gonna get serious soon.)

• "Men are nice,"

• She said, leaning on the table.

• "But they all have little quirks and one of your mystery man's caught your eye."

• She...got me there. I really like his hair...and his face. Plus his voice too. She opened her arms up.

• "Come here, tell me all about it."

• I sighed and laid in her squishy embrace. This is probably my favorite thing about Rangiku. She so soft! I could almost...fall asleep on her... Suddenly, I felt hands on my sides. Oh no. She's gonna tickle me again!

• "Don't fall asleep on me now, Orihime~!"

• "I wanna hear all about your little crush."

• Eeeek! I don't wanna pee! Again.

• "Rangiku, stop it!"

• I said through laughs. My uniforms gonna get all crinkly! I tried to push her away, but she laid me on the table!

• "Wow, your skin is so smooth. What lotion do you use?"

• The answer is Cloudy delight moisturizer, but I can't breathe from too much laughter! Suddenly, she stops. Thank goodness. My bladder couldn't take too much more.

• "Oh shit..."

• She mumbled. Wait? What's wrong? I grabbed onto Rangiku's arm, pulling myself up. Is it a teacher? It was just tickling-

• It's the cute guy from earlier in the door way.

• (And two guys I ran into at lunch.)

🧡

• Ichigo's pov

• I'm sure my face is beet red. But, I mean, come on! It's my first seeing two girls ontop of one another. (I'm not a adult film kinda guy) My hand shook on the doorknob.

• "Um...is this a bad time-"

• Suddenly, Keigo's hand was on my mouth.

• "Shut up, Ichigo! This is a once in a lifetime moment!"

• "Don't mess this up!"

• He shouted, while yanking me down. What the f-!? Mizuro put his hand over my mouth too.

• "Please ladies, continue,"

• "We don't mind."

• The older girl snickered.

• "Well, I guess we could do a little a something."

• She said, while tugging on her shirt. Orihime squeaked from under her. She looked just as embarrassed as me. That's it. This ends now. I bit down on one of Keigo's finger.

• "Ouch!"

• I shot up.

• "Knock it off!"

• I snapped. Man, this is a bad look for me. I'm flushed. Probably sweating now. And I had yet another "loud outburst". (Counseling stuff, don't ask.) Orihime's gonna think I'm crazy. The blonde burst into laughter.

• "Easy, easy, kiddo,"

• She crawled off the table. And Orihime.

• "I already have a guy I'm into, so calm down."

• She must a upperclassmen. No one my age would talk down to me like that. She strolled over, sizing me up. ...What's happening right now? She reached out and...patted my head?

• "No wonder a certain somebody likes you!"

• "You're adorable."

• What the- I am not adorable. I pushed her hand away.

• "Who're you anyway?"

• Yeah, I'm done being polite.

🧡

• Orihime's pov

• "I'm Rangiku Matsumoto. The prettiest 3rd year."

• As she introduced herself, I sat up and fixed my clothes. (My underwear wasn't out, was it!?) That was embarrassing. Hopefully mr. unknown doesn't think I'm in love with Rangiku or something. Or a creepy pervert. I'm being crazy. If he ask, I'll explain. Easy peasy.

• "Okay, okay, I'm sorry for intruding,"

• I turned around. She's gonna leave!?

• "You two have fun,"

• Fun? (Why'd she say it like that!?)

• "And you two are gonna clean up with me!"

• The brown haired guy looked horrified.

• "You're a total hottie, but-"

• Rangiku snatched him by collar and pulled threw the door. He was screaming alot. (The other guy followed with no complaints.)

• "Bye bye, you too~!"

• She shut the door, leaving us in quietness.

• "I'm sorry about my friends."

• ...He's apologizing too?

• "No, no, it's my fault!"

• "Rangiku probably freaked you out."

• He turned red and shook his head.

• "It's fine, really."

• I nodded. And hello the crushing quietness. I looked around. What could we do? What's screams 'welcome new member'? Bingo! I grabbed the kitty notebooks.

• "Wanna draw cats with me?"

• He looked surprised, but smiled.

• "Why not?"

• Alright! Perfect time for my new scented markers! (Hopefully, they actually smell like their names.) I spread them out on the table and passed him a notebook. This is gonna be great! I'm great at drawing kitties!

🧡

• Ichigo's pov

• This takes me back. The markers. Cats. And the breeze outside. When I was younger and my sisters were like 4, my old man went out. (I dunno if it was shopping or doctor stuff.) But, he was taking awhile, so that freaked them out. And I remember pulling out my school books and markers. We drew for what felt hours. Needless to say, we had alot to show to dad. Heh, feels like forever ago. Although, I'm not any better at it. They still look like malnourished stick cats. Poor things.

• I looked over at Orihime. She was laser focused. I wanted to peek at her drawing but...I got lost. The afternoon sun made her look great. Ah, what am I doing!? I'm s'posed to be drawing right now. Suddenly, she shot up. I flinched. (Did she notice me?) She turned to me.

• "Do you hear that?"

• "Hear what?"

• I said way too casually.

• "Just listen."

• She whispered. So I did. ...What're we listening in for?

• Mew.

• Orihime grabbed my face and pointed towards the window.

• "It's there!"

• I pried her hands off and walked towards the window. What the- It's a frickin cat in the tree. (Cliché much?)

• But, how'd it get up HERE of all places? We're on the third floor!? Orihime popped out from under my arm.

• "I think I can grab it from here."

• What!? She tugged me back and lifted her leg on the windowsill. Hiking her skirt up with it. Oh hell no. I gripped her waist.

• "Orihime!"

• She turned around, looking genuinely confused. I snatched my hands back.

• "Lemme get the cat."

• Good excuse!

• "I'm taller."

• She nodded, and got back in. We swapped places.

🧡

• Orihime's pov

• "Let's make a plan."

• The mysterious prince said. He turned around, towering over me. Oh my...

• "I'll get the cat and you grab a teacher, okay?"

• "Okay!"

• I can do that!

• (I needed to give Mr. Kyõraku a assignment anyway)

• He smiled and stretched his long legs out the window. That's my cue to run like a track star!

• "Good luck!"

• I shouted and ran out the room. Just like earlier, I'm running down the hall. I'm hearing alot of not nice comments as I do, but I can't stop now. For the kitten's sake!

• A little more running later...

• "Mr. Shunsui!"

• He jumped and sat up straight. I slammed my hands on his desk.

• "I found a...a cat...I need...we..."

• I gotta...catch my breath! Just all the other times, I come in here, he chuckled.

• "Slow down, miss Inoue."

• He patted my head. (I'm kinda wheezing on his desk.)

• "I'm not going anywhere."

• My lungs are on FIRE, but...that guy probably has the cat already. And it could be hungry. I took a breath.

• "Me and this guy found a cat in a tree!"

• "A cat?"

• I nodded quickly.

• "On the 3rd floor too!"

• Mr. Shunsui stood and tugged his hair.

• "Oh boy."

• "Let's go find the kitty."

🧡

• Ichigo's pov

• This cat is putting up a fight. I know it's scared and all, but I seriously not being threatening. I'm even smiling! (That's what's scaring it, my guy) And what's really irritating is, I almost got it. I can literally poke it with my finger. But, I'm almost out the window. If I loose my footing, I'm dead.

• "Come here..."

• The cat meowed and hugged the branch tighter. Dammit...I got it! It's afraid to fall! Just like me. I can do this. I saved one of Karin's friend before. Still shaking like crazy, I lowered my hands.

• "Fall right here,"

• I said, in my softest voice.

• "You're gonna be okay..."

• Slowly, the cat began to relax. (Although It looked at me with a oddly expressive face as like it was trying to call bull shit.) After a little time, it fell into my hands. It's a tad heavy, but it's nothing I can't handle.

• Suddenly, my foot slipped.

• Am I falling out the window!?

• Yes I am.

• Everything moved extremely fast. I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die! I'm gonna die-!

• "Ichigo!"

• My leg was caught. I looked up.

• "Orihime?"

• (She knows my name?😳) She smiled.

• "You're gonna be okay!"

• A much bigger hand grabbed my other leg. I shivered. Which teacher did she bring!?

• "I gotcha kid."

• Ohh, it's Mr. Shunsui. (Glad she didn't get crazy Coach Zaraki)

• After a little pulling and touching places, I hoped no man would. I was back inside.

• But, without the cat. When did I drop it!

🧡

• Orihime's pov

• "Ichigo, what's wrong-"

• The cat.

• "Eeek! Where's the cat!?"

• We both pushed Mr. Shunsui out of the way and looked out the window. Where is it!? Where is it!? (I hope I'm not saying this outloud.)

• "There it is!"

• Ichigo shouted, pointing down. I hopped on his arm, getting a closer look. Down below, I saw a dark skinned guy with wavy hair. He had the kitty in his hands. (The poor thing was trembling) Have I met him before? He looked up at us.

• "Is this yours?"

• He called up. I shook my head.

• "I wish, but he's a stray we found in the tree!"

• I shouted back. I'm sure I know who he is. Mr. Shunsui scooted me over.

• "Son, could you be a dear and bring that cat up here?"

• He nodded and walked off. So did my teacher. I looked over at Ichigo. He was panting and sweating He looked my way and raised his hand.

• "Good job, we saved a cat."

• Oh, we're gonna high five. I only put my hand on his. I'm too tired to actually slap it.

• "Good job."

• I wheezed. He chuckled and looked back at the sunset. A light wind blew by. ...I'm so thankful for golden hour.

• "So, can I become a member?"

• Huh?

• "Of course!"

• "This is the most fun I had in weeks!"

• He looked over at me.

• "And cause your a nice guy!"

• I don't want him to think he's just a source of entertainment or anything. Ichigo stuck out his hand.

• "Agreed?"

• I smiled.

• "Agreed!"

• We shook hands.

• "Welcome to the happy feelings club."

°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°

• "Orihime,''

• (We're putting the stuff away.)

• "Yeah?"

• "How come you suddenly know my name?"

• I know I forgot to tell her about it. She thought for a moment.

• "The cat you drew earlier!"

• "You signed it."

• Ah, she saw it!?

• "That's great."

• I said with a fake smile. She nodded.

• "It's going on your nametag!"

• Huh!?

°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°•●•°○°

This was so long! But, y'know what, first episodes are always long. (And I may of done it on my tablet) Anyway, I really like this one. I can't wait for the next episode. Stay cool!

Little tag list: @elyonholic @o0o0thorn0o0o @ichihimelover1503 @takibikaen @usoppsstar

[jariten]

I was wondering, would you mind talking about why Slam Dunk is one of your favorite manga? I've seen it on a lot of people's favorite manga lists and I'd like to know your favorite aspects of it. I started reading it because of you (I'm at Shouhoku's first match against Shoyo - I say "first" in case they play against each other again) and personally I find it really charming so far, Sakuragi is a really endearing protagonist and I can see how later mangaka were clearly inspired by him and Rukawa to make their own characters (cough Naruto haha). I like the Akagi siblings too, and Miyagi is really funny. I'm rooting for Shouhoku High!

Where to even begin ever since I first read it in what... 2017? It completely upended and forever changed the standards of which I hold comics to forever and gave me a genuine internal crisis of knowing I'm neverrrr going to have a reading experience like this again where I laugh out loud, get so overwhelmed by excitement my body starts moving on its own and I have to suppress my screams, sequential art and panels that makes me rethink how I want comics to capture the flow of action, truly visually diverse cast of characters, the character development is great, the way the characters bounce off each other is great, the balance of off court matches and games I think is perfect, I love the length of the series and how it leaves me perfectly satisfied, and I can read it again and again and it will feel just as exciting each time.

I did end up having reading experiences that captured the same excitement as Slam Dunk like Rookies did a great job sucking me into the sport and grow to care about it together with the cast, not to mention that I think Morita is an excellent sequential artist and master of the visual aspect of manga which is obv the great influence Makoto Kobayashi has had (on Inoue as well) like Judo Bu Monogatari had the humor the action the character dynamics and again just the most amazing way of capturing the speed and dynamic action of Judo and visually interesting and diverse cast.... most action manga just aren't visually exciting to me anymore bc of these series. Its like playing a really good video game or watching a really good movie that kinda ruins other games or movies to you from that point on bc they were just so good and made you realize what you want good things to be like. Of course theres plenty of genres where these comparisons arent applicable but the sentiment of wanting a reading experience that absorbs me in this way is always there

I also saw the Tokimeki part of your ask but I will have more to say when I do my planned reread (I'm thinking of starting right before or after new years depending on what else i got going on) but it was also very much a game changer for me in appreciating adolescent drama and even the ~emotionally distanced~ male love interest. I've searched for anything that will capture me in the same way but no luck so far... again the reread might have me making some new connections previously unseen to me

[atalossofwords]

To Come Home - Bleach&KHR WIP

The first two chapters of this are published here. This is a Cloudy Sky!Ichigo bonds as Xanxus' Cloud Guardian, inspired by many other fics!

I've been stuck on this chapter for the last few months, so since I'm halfway through it, I decided to post it here to see if that got me animated to finish.

Ichigo was expecting the meeting to be hellish. He expected the two Skies in his city to be old men or yakuza thugs, and their circles not much better.

That's why, when a literal kid entered the meeting room, followed by an assortment of personalities that looked as diverse as Ichigo's own circle, he was surprised, and curious. He didn't know many other Skies, and none of the ones he knew were human, besides Yuzu.

He's used to a Shinigami's circle; old Yamamoto's small and distant circle, Aizen's fake circle. All very formal, distant, and almost hidden from the outside eye, nothing like Ichigo's circle, who are all very open and close to each other, even the Shinigami.

The kid introduced himself as Tsunayoshi, and the older sky as Xanxus. Interestingly enough, it seemed like Tsuna was the one leading the meeting. From where she's napping on the rafters, Yoruichi informs them that Xanxus is, actually, a Storm-Sky, just like Ichigo is a Cloud-Sky, and seems to be bonded to Tsuna.

As Kisuke greets them, Ichigo chances a glance at Byakuka, who tilts his head in confirmation. Huh. Ichigo doesn't know how he feels about that.

Ichigo introduces himself and his elements, noting how both Skies look interested when he says these are his main elements. Considering Xanxus is apparently Tsuna's second-seat storm, that makes sense.

The meeting in general is... okay. Ichigo hates standing in ceremonies, and explaining himself. Half the time he just does whatever Kisuke tells him to, how does anyone expect him to explain anything? He lets Kisuke and Byakuya take the lead, only speaking when prompted. He mostly pays attention to the Skies, and his guardians.

Tsuna's guardians seem... young. Most of them are either fifteen or sixteen, with the exception of the Sun and Mist. It makes sense, since Ichigo's human guardians are also the same age as him, but it is still... curious. Most of them don't give off the mafia vibe, even if all of them are wearing suits. The sun – Reborn? – and the Cloud – who Ichigo has the feeling would be a great fight; by the way Yoruichi settled on a beam right above him, she agrees. Ichigo would never escape his reputation as a Cloud-collector – look like they are the most used to all this ceremony.

Xanxus' guardians, however, do give off the mafia vibe. Above that, they give off the dangerous mafia vibes. Xanxus himself is full of scars, and with the exception of the Mist, all of them look like killers, even the child-storm.

For some reason, though, Ichigo can't really get his attention away from Xanxus. He doesn't know if it's because he's never met a human dual Sky before, if it's because, just like Ichigo, he has the kind of face that screams I'm one inconvenience away from murdering someone, if it's because he looks like he'd be one hell of a fight.

(Discreetly, he looks at Grimmjow, who also has his eyes set on the Storm-Sky. Yeah, Ichigo hopes they can arrange a less formal meeting. Grimm can have a go at the Sky, and Ichigo is dying to harry that Cloud into a chase.)

Soon enough the meeting ends, and Kisuke elbows him to get up and accompany them out. He can see Toshiro hurrying out, back to the basement where Rangiku and Nelliel are doing god-knows-what, and Grimmjow is heading to the same direction, but dragging his feet. Chad and Uryuu are huddling together, probably to head together to Inoue's, where they all have a study session after Ichigo is done here.

Kisuke puts a reassuring hand on his back, softly enough no one else sees except Byakuya, who huffs an exasperated breath.

Ichigo already feels better here, outside the shop, with sunlight on his skin. He looks at Tsuna's elements, specially at the Cloud, and offers a hand, sky flames bright on his grip.

"Hey, it's nice meeting another Sky. Feel free to drop by, yeah?" He says, scratching at his nape. He can feel Byakuya glaring. "Just... maybe send a letter first."

Tsuna laughs, clearly getting his meaning, and offers the same to him. Ichigo always finds it weird, the instant connection he has with other Skies, the understanding that, fundamentally, they were both doing what was best for their people.

Then, Ichigo extends the same hand to Xanxus, and it happens.

Ichigo remembers harmonising with all his elements, of course he does.

The warm, simmering heat of Chad, his first bond and his most reliable one, always there for Ichigo no matter what. Hands on each other's back as they rested, training together, long nights of silence spent on each other's company.

They were half-bonded the moment Ichigo's Sky flared to life, when Rukia was taken away. The moment they fully bonded it felt like the most natural thing, like something that was always meant to be there.

Kisuke's mist, the bond setting in place as his mentor kneeled and apologised, from them on the no-secrets policy between them, the promise that if Ichigo wanted the world, Kisuke would be the first to get it for him.

The days from then on spend with each other, first training and learning, and then simply... enjoying each other. Kisuke's several mental issues settled when he found the one person who would always, always accept him. Ichigo delighted in knowing there was someone that could match him, be it in conversation, studying or fighting, someone who would always be one step behind him.

The steady, calm drizzle of Shinji's rain, the bond settling and calming his hollow in a way nothing else could. With it, slowly, came the awareness of the rest of the Vizard; with their sky bonded to another, they couldn't help but be just that little bit more attached to him.

(It was... An unique experience. Shinji was his Rain, ever-present and slippery, but he was also a Shinigami Sky, and it was with this bond that Ichigo learned what the difference was.

Sure, the Vizard were bound to Shinji, but Mashiro and Kensei orbited each other earlier, would always turn towards each other first, the Storm-and-Lightning of mayhem. Lisa, also a rain, was still hurt from leaving the almost-harmony she shared with Shunsui. A hundred and more years together, and they just now settled on anything close to steady. With Soul Society opening their captain positions back up, their bonds were drifting apart; Rose's cloud drifting further away, Love's sun setting to shine somewhere else.)

It meant Shinji wasn't used to his own attachment, to the way his hollow and Ichigo's clashed, to the way he wanted needed Ichigo close. It meant time spent together, discovering new limits and long talks about just what it meant to be bombed, to be a Circle, and more importantly, to be a Sky, with people who depended on you.

Ichigo is going to be honest, after that mess in Hueco Mundo, everything happened so fast he barely had time to actually pay attention to his new elements, in between training and planning Aizen's defeat.

It was Yoruichi, her Cloud mingling with his so slowly he didn't even notice it, at first. It was Ishida, animosity broken when Ichigo almost died in Hueco Mundo, the feeling of losing his Sky before he could have it properly. It was Nelliel, the injured Arrancar glueing her Sun to his sky the moment they touched, before even revealing her identity.

During the battle of Karakura, new bonds brimming with nervous energy of a not-yet-settled bond and the adrenalin of a dangerous fight, it was Grimmjow, defecting and turning sides with a snarl, his Storm tired of being caged under Aizen's false sky. It was Starrk, taking one look at Shunsui, longing and needy, and accepting Ichigo's extended hand, when the Captain wouldn't extend his own.

The aftermath, losing his powers... Without his bonds, Ichigo is certain he would not have made it.

No powers, and Soul Society and his own damn father trying to lock him away from his Circle, or at least from all the non-human ones. 

Ichigo could still see Chad and Ishida at school, and as much as he was glad for that, he was getting increasingly more irritable as time went on and it became clear they were dealing with the problems Ichigo usually dealt with on their own.

(It hurt, of course it did. He was supposed to be the one to protect them, wasn't he? Chad just clasped a hand on his shoulder, supporting, and Ichigo could see Ishida's eyebags as he scoured through his family's library, in the hopes the Quincy might have a way to help.

They were trying, and that was all Ichigo could ask for.)

It lasted for about three weeks before Kisuke kidnapped him to his basement, where Grimmjow, Nelliel and even Starrk seemed to be about to climb the walls; turns out, Hollows bonded physically a lot more than emotionally; being away from him was almost painful for them.

Shinji took five minutes to preserve his dignity before he, too, was climbing on the cuddle pile. Kisuke and Yoruichi were keeping an eye on them all, mist-and-cloud mingling together as they lounged on their own little bubbles.

What surprised Ichigo, however, was the white haori standing on the sidelines. Toshiro, nervously twisting his hands, scowl firmly in place.

He offered one hand to Ichigo, when Starrk was done with social contact and went somewhere else to brood, and Grimmjow and Nelliel somehow got in a tussle with Shinji.

He knows they can bond, he says. He felt it when they were training, before the battle, but everything was so hurried and chaotic he thought it was better to not say anything. Ichigo scoffed, got to his feet on his own, and put Toshiro in a headlock, their bond settling between them with a crackle of electricity, the rush of competition and understanding.

Ichigo had called him setupid, and told him to stop being a coward, next time.

The latest bond, and Ichigo hoped the last one, happened after Ichigo got his powers back.

(He'd hoped, secretly, that Rukia would be it, but it didn't work. Apparently, she was a Glacier Flame, and those didn't bond to Skies at all.)

It happened when Byakuya of all people shook his hand when he arrived at Soul Society to visit, his Cloud setting on the very edge of his senses. It was, funnily enough, the least compelling of all his bonds, the only one that was truly a Shinigami bond, and Byakuya still looked alarmed enough that Ichigo halfway thought he'd run away.

They worked it out, though. Ichigo couldn't see himself without any of them, now.

Even remembering how all his harmonizations went, Ichigo wasn't ready for this.

It felt... like he could finally relax, like a warm bath after training, the water eveloping all his body, a promise of rest and a safe place to let his guard down.

It felt like when he was on the battlefield, his elements at his back, looking out for him so he could keep going forward. Like someone would always have him covered, making sure it would be alright.

It felt like those late-night conversations with Kisuke or Shinji, baring his soul to them and knowing it would be accepted and understood.

It felt like having a whole sky above his head, ready to fall down should he need it.

Ichigo blinked, his flames still cloud-indigo and reaching for Xanxus' sky. Was this what his elements felt, when they harmonised? Was this tug to get close and bask in that flame normal?

If it was an all-time thing, he seriously needed to cuddle his elements some more. He almost felt bad for all the times he kicked one of them out of his bed.

"What the fuck." Xanxus swore, his eyes wide in surprise, flames unnerved and surprised and delighted.

Behind him, Ichigo could hear Kisuke crackling.

[10dance]

Oh my goodness... I really have no words for this chapter other than more screaming, but I'll try to organize my thoughts! It's been more than a week since this chapter came out but I still can't believe it happened. It feels like a dream.

First, the thought that Sugiki got over his obsessive desire to monopolize Suzuki by realizing "they can't dance together if they become one" is kinda funny even if that's not true. I'm glad that he reached this conclusion, though. Good for him! Sugiki had a lot of highlights in these short 15 pages (including the ending), but one I really liked was "You'll do anything? You can't breathe without me?" It's almost a little taunting in a way. And then Suzuki blushes and says Sugiki's the only one... His expression speaks volumes. The slightly scrunched eyebrows, as if saying after all those months of agonizing over these feelings and this relationship, it's still him. God, my heart. Inoue is just so good at drawing detailed expressions that just say so much without dialogue!

Sugiki thought they could kiss right then, but Suzuki had to come clean... I have been wondering how this moment was going to go down for so long, probably years at this point since Suzuki started hooking up with Norman. We always knew Sugiki can be ridiculous at times but it really peaked here. I think he has good reason to, though, considering just a few minutes ago he thought he was going to be rejected again by the man he loves, no wonder he's short-circuiting...

This interrogation scene made me laugh so hard when I saw it first the first time! Sugiki confidently assuming that he meant Fabio, and then imagining Saichi only donning a cute apron... Are you sure you're not the one attracted to him, Sugiki? But then Suzuki dropped the bomb, and Sugiki would have never guessed it in a million years, I feel so bad for him. Is it kind of weird to ask how many times they had sex? Yes, but I think it's also kind of reasonable? Especially when Suzuki's answer of "Uhhh... I don't remember..." made it so much funnier. That's the worst answer you can give!! Sugiki then says he'll go fuck Norman for a while as well, that's going down in the top most ridiculous Sugiki moments of all time. Though I won't lie, ex-rivals/friends/one-side-is-still-holding-a-grudge is a nice BL dynamic...

Suzuki, pulling his collar, got Sugiki to turn around and we finally see Sugiki crying for the first time in the story. Such a vulnerable and intimate moment between the two but there's also so many eyes on them. I'm scared that someone might've taken a video or something, but I think that's unlikely.

Sugiki crying and asking Suzuki to make him his only is so... ah, it just tugs on my heartstrings! He looks so submissive and breedable pathetic, and I love pathetic men especially if they don't do this often. Jokes aside, I read Sugiki's crying as not being able to contain all of his emotions and ending up a sobbing mess (hugs him). He might be jealous in that moment (I'm calling it now that Inoue will use it as a gag), but it felt more like he was just focused on Suzuki to only belong to him from this moment on rather than anything else. And we know the answer is yes B)! Their kiss is my current discord pfp because of how glorious it is.

After most updates I am always dying while waiting for the next one, but this time I can die happy knowing they are finally together. It was truly a cathartic reading experience when it first came out. Of course, we are getting ever closer to the Ten Dance Championship, but for now I'm just glad these two idiots worked it out after 13 years of publication!

10 Dance - chapter 42, part 2 summary

Suzuki has asked for Sugiki to be his. How will he respond, and where will the two end up after Suzuki makes a shocking confession?

Full summary and highlight images under the cut.

Chapter 42, part 2: 好きにならずにはいられない (Can't Help Falling in Love)

Published online on October 4th, 2024, available to purchase on Comic Days, or rent for 10 days on Yanmaga.

The scene continues from last time, where the Shinyas started a conversation on the busy sidewalk in front of Sugiki's studio and Suzuki asked for Sugiki to be his. Suzuki states that both of them are worse off being apart from each other. Sugiki responds to Suzuki's earlier offer to become the same person, saying that they won't be able to dance together if that happens. He asks if by wanting him to be his that Suzuki means for Sugiki to become his possession. Suzuki starts to protest, but Sugiki asks if not being with him makes it feel like he can't breathe. Suzuki says that's correct, and that Sugiki is the only one who makes him feel that way. Sugiki smiles and says that it's the same for him, grabbing Suzuki's shirt and pulling him closer, poised to kiss him.

Suzuki stops him and tells him to wait. Sugiki looks annoyed and wonders why, and Suzuki starts to sweat as he confesses that he had a relationship with another man. Sugiki menacingly asks if he could repeat that, and Suzuki quickly and quietly mutters that he had sex with another guy. Sugiki claims he already knew that, making Suzuki wonder how he found out. Sugiki guesses that it was Fabio, since he saw the video Fabio posted of them kissing on social media. Suzuki brushes that off, and Sugiki then speculates that he got seduced by his "indecent housekeeper", picturing Saichi wearing nothing but a frilly apron. Suzuki denies that, and Sugiki asks who it could have been. Suzuki takes a deep breath and says that it was Norman, which leaves Sugiki shocked. He asks if it happened just one time, and Suzuki admits that it went on for a while. Sugiki wants to know how many times, but Suzuki says he doesn't remember. Sugiki quickly turns to walk away, saying he's also going to go sleep with Norman for a while. Suzuki is confused as to why he'd do that, saying that's not what being the same person as him should mean. Sugiki determinedly says he's going to become even more like Suzuki than Suzuki himself is. Suzuki asks if Sugiki even knows what he's saying, reaching out to turn him back around. He's shocked to discover that Sugiki has tears streaming down his face.

Sugiki slumps and puts his head against his chest, telling Suzuki to make him his one and only possession. Suzuki smiles, and the two hold each other and share a kiss.

Previous chapter: #42 part 1

Next chapter: There is currently no information on the next release date.

[verawhisk]

HI I AM RETURNING YOUR ASK!!!

fav fighters and why??????? go into so much detail tell me everything i am a preteen girl laying on her stomach swinging my legs :))

*cracks knuckles disgustingly* sorry this is gonna be really long and formatted like a buzzfeed article pls brace yourself and get a nice hot drink to sip on

el cucuy: lean, a little bit mean, definitely screams

(tuf 13 finale)

i first discovered tony through the ultimate fighter compilations and i instantly related to him because i’m also a non-white kid who grew up in a country ass town of fuckville, nowhere and got teased by my white classmates for it. clearly he had a rough childhood but i like to think that everything he’s been through has made him a stronger and wittier fighter. i unironically consider him one of the toughest and smartest in the game--which is weird because most people are chomping at the bit to call him stupid or cringe, but i stand by it!!

(tony OBLITERATING michael at the ufc 262 pre-fight press conference) 

obvi his fighting style is super exciting to watch too. his spinning shit is top tier and i love that he has this edgy yet fun-loving personality where like. he’ll rip a guy’s arm off but he’ll do it with a smile on his face lol. it’s just very endearing to me for some reason.

(ufc 229: tony ferguson vs. anthony pettis)

also: least important of all the points but he's soo funny and i feel like if he were my age i'd just be in love with him?? i'm just so drawn to bizarre and lighthearted people LOL he's so friggin cute.

(ufc 216 embedded: vlog series - episode 4)

nick diaz

(elitexc: nick diaz vs mike aina)

my emo boy, my cesar gracie jiu jitsu black belt, my one and only (jk he would never) nick diaz!! now i’m not gonna lie it’s a lot harder for me to squeal about nick because he’s said multiple times that he doesn’t like fighting; it’s just what he does. the list of things he actually seems to care about include his family (most notably nate),

(ufc 266: espn interview with brett okamoto)

doing triathlons, and teaching jiu-jitsu and it tears me up inside that he fights because he feels pressured by the ufc and the fans. he’s even said multiple times that he started fighting to protect himself from other kids when he was in high school.

i feel conflicted because his “you-gotta-do-what-you-gotta-do” attitude is the reason why i love him so much, but it’s the same reason he keeps fighting (and suffering while ufc executives make money off of him)….

(ufc 47: backstage interview)

i guess the most appropriate thing i can fangirl about is his almost childlike bluntness and how much he hates the fame and the press. apparently he once rejected a sponsorship deal (that probably would have made him a lot of money) because he thought the product was ‘the stupidest fucking thing he'd ever seen in his life’. he also straight up said at a press conference for him vs. gsp that the ufc was "selling wolf-tickets" (aka lying to hype up the fight) like… RIGHT in front of dana lmao

if it were like the early 2000s i would definitely go on about how hot and fine he is, but given that he’s past his prime (through no fault of his own, he had 5 years of his career stolen from nsac for smoking weed) and signed to a fight promotion that doesn’t care about him, all i want is for him to retire peacefully and to be able to do what he wants :(

(dream 3: nick diaz vs katsuya inoue. hehe look at him bowing)

whenever people talk about nick’s fighting style, they always default to "he's got an iron chin, he's got endurance, and he talks a lot of shit" but he's also a jiu-jitsu practitioner who can be very respectful? he helps opponents up after fights (lifted frank shamrock from his feet and called him a legend) and even expresses remorse when he seriously hurts them (accidentally dislocated joe hurley's arm, immediately released him, and couldn't stop checking on him even though he just won) and like. idk. it makes me mad. he's actually so intelligent and polite and i wish more people would focus on that..

the highlight: an mma fighter for jesse pinkman enjoyers

(ufc fight night 135: pre-fight interview)

LOL obvious answer incoming. it’s justin gaethje!! now out of all the fighters i like, i think my love for him might be the most superficial 😭 i just find his face and body and whole demeanour so cuuute like?? his red hair? his big blue eyes? his cute little lip scar that he got from a headbutt (of course he did)? the fact that he seems so incredibly one-brain-celled almost every time he speaks? gaethje is a cage fighter with the bone density of a gorilla, but uhhh he's also kind of.... babey.

(wsof 34: justin gaethje vs. luiz firmino ROLLING THUNDERR WOOOOO!!!!!!)

but ofc the most important thing about a fighter is their fighting!! my favourite thing about gaethje’s style, weirdly enough, is how light and bouncy he is. i can’t think off the top of my head of any other fighters that have this weird quality?? it's how he’s able to apply lots of pressure on his opponents but also spin super-fast like a top whenever he needs to; like in the middle of a fight he'll go from kicking legs like he's 200 pounds to doing spinning shit like he's 125. idk it's crazy, i don't know how it works and i probably never will, but i just find that really fascinating

(ufc 209 embedded: vlog series - episode 3)

aand thats it!! phew you're finally free lol. i do love the other lightweights and some of the welter/middle/heavyweights but these three are my absolute favs so far! granted i've only watched like a portion of the ufc archive and i've yet to really explore anything else like one or bellator even though i really should--not to mention all the current ufc happenings. i'm pretty out of the loop but uhh you know i'm just a girl watching some cage fights and that's it really <3

anyways i hope you had fun reading this :> agghghhgh thank you for asking me back WOO

[kabutoraiger]

i don’t usually do book reviews here but i feel the pressing need to for the one i just finished, “havemercy”. for all i know this is well known among fans of gay fantasy, it’s almost 15 years old, but unfortunately for teen me my local library did not stock such things in 2008... and still does not now. i had to acquire my own copy.

to start i have to say i respect this book so much for basically just being a romance novel masquerading as a high fantasy epic. it takes 200 pages for any sort of plot to begin (and even then it’s quite tenuous) which is, imo, wonderful. like i’m just envisioning some fantasy bro sitting down and - presuming he gets past the fact that the first main character is gay - waiting and waiting for the plot to happen through chapters of nothing but relationship building. any page now, he says to himself. any page now.

otoh i have wildly conflicting feelings about the romance...s? romance A is rather oryxcore at a glance, dapper semi-jaded mid 30s gentleman/the bright-eyed young ingenue who respects him so so much, but. after the initial romantic tension stage - which was amazing, credit where credit’s due, if these authors know how to do anything well it’s the tension - they became pretty dull pretty quick.

the younger man just lacks any kind of interesting quality to him, is the biggest problem here. he’s this perfectly pure hearted little waif who blushes and cries all the time so there’s just nothing to give him a leverage in his relationship with this older man. when the story begins he’s almost like his handler trying to get him un-depressed, which was good, but once that hurdle is cleared his interactions become pure adoration and it’s just. ehh. the older man isn’t remotely a creep or anything, i should say, but. as a connoisseur of these things i am simply very particular about how they’re done. and this ain’t cuttin it.

and “romance” B..... lord. well i WOULD say that this is some prime enemies to lovers ft. angry repressed bisexual who might as well be an inoue character and sexual tension so thick you could slice it... except they’re literally revealed to be long lost brothers near the end. 💀💀💀 mesdames authors you have got to be fucking kidding me with this! they couldn’t have not known! everything about this book and their authors bios screams that they were livejournal fanfiction girlies before getting this published they HAD to have known they were writing the most inc/estuous without actually going there long lost brothers plotline of all time. so god, why?? puts my head in my hands.

in the end i. still find this book fascinating in its structure, that they got it published like it is, which is so unlike any other genre fiction i’ve read. but maybe that’s just because i don’t read many books in general. (have been trying to fix that.) i would like to try the next in this series out of sheer curiosity more than investment, to see if it’s similarly written.

i think most interestingly havemercy suffers (writing-wise) from a problem i’m familiar with myself: where you want to convey something but are too young & inexperienced of a writer to do it justice. there is so much in this book that’s like. references to the machinations of war and politics sounding awkward and abridged bc it’s obvious the authors didn’t quite know how to depict them. the narrator pov telling us that like, “[character] is extremely wily and a great tactician” but bc the authors didn’t really know what it means to be a great tactician, the things [character] says don’t match this.

i just don’t encounter that very often reading published fiction: this feeling of perfectly grasping the writing issue the authors were having. maybe it’s the inherent solidarity of also having been a livejournal fanfiction girlie. i was there too in those trenches, and thus i understand. ...except for the secret brothers thing. i may never understand that choice.

[tsuki-sennin]

Maaaaaaaaaaaan, Revice ended yesterday, and so all of a sudden, these Donbura Dorks decide they have to end their show too, huh? And here I thought we had something special :<

-Aww man, don't remind me.

-"Yes, that finale was pretty poggers and based. My compliments to Mr. Kinoshita and the crew. Now... we have no reason to continue with this charade!"

-Hooray, we all get to go home!

-Haruka can't see herself stopping the whole hero thing, huh?

-"Well, as long as there's a single human being left on Earth, I doubt that the desires that corrupt the Hitotsu-ki will ever disappear..."

-"THAT'S SO NOT TRAFFIC SAFE!"

-Donbrothers is over.

-Pick the MVP!

-Man, I'm gonna miss this absolute banger of an OP next week. ...who even are the new Ranger dudes, anyhow? Are they friends with Mr. Geats already? Is Cosmic Fury gonna air alongside Geats?

-Wait, is this a clip show!?

-Aw son of a bitch, Inoue tricked me!

-...did Inoue even write this episode?

-Hang on, lemme check...

-Saburo Yatsude... that's the pseudonym used by Toei itself. I believe they also wrote the scripts for the Den-O crossover specials and Zenkai Red last year.

-Checked and cross referenced some Wikipedia articles (very cursorily mind you). The only show among the Noto's inspirations to have a Saburo Yatsude "Created by" credit is The Kagestar. This makes me believe that some producer really likes Sonoza, and I can't blame them for that.

-Well, you have been through an awful lot for a teenager, Haruka. A lot of kids fantasize about superheroics, but rarely do they take full notice of the consequences, both social and physical. I'd know, I was one of those kids, writing self-inserts kept under lock and key. Hell, even now, as a 21 year old, I still think it'd be worth it just to have something else going on in my life.

-You're a bit different though. Even if you were basically dragged into Ranger work kicking and screaming, you perform your combat duties very admirably, and still strive for that normal life. Not to mention how far you've come as a person. The Haruka from 25 episodes ago absolutely wouldn't have gone out of her way to help out her teammates the way she's been lately. I'm proud of ya, kiddo.

-Shinichi, did you have to transform between cuts to make your point? Seems a bit extra. Ah who am I kidding, that's just who you are, I wouldn't have it any other way <3

-Let's see... you've definitely haven't changed as much as Haruka has, but there's so much about you that interests me all the same. All the small things you use your powers for to help others, the way you stick to your asceticism despite all the obvious personal risk to your safety, the way even slightly giving into your desires seems to burn you up so quick... remember in Episode 20 when you immediately started living up the hero image? Do you even use your Kibi-Points, I wonder?

-Tsuyoshiiiiii, my man!

-"I kinda am a total scrub... if only I were a cool guy... Heh, guess I kinda got my wish in a way!"

-...and yeah, that's very much like you :)

-Hmmm... who's Mr. InuBrother?

-"Wan..."

-Don't put words in the doggo's mouth!

-Oh shoot, hello Sononi!

-...er... I'm sure Condorman's a pretty cool hero! Kohan Kawauchi's responsible for the creation of Moonlight Mask, Japan's first ever tokusatsu TV superhero, so he evidently knew what he was doing. He also created Warrior of Love Rainbowman, which was an inspiration for Cutie Honey.

-He was also an Islamic convert, which led to the creation of this show called "Messenger of Allah", starring a young Sonny Chiba, of all actors! I was a big fan of him as a teenager, but I don't think I've ever heard of this. Which is crazy to me, because a show like Messenger of Allah is absolutely something that should be explored from top to bottom.

-Sorry, I should be focusing on Donbrothers right now, but... Huh... I keep wondering how shows like these get made.

-Uhhhh... Sononi! You're presenting your case for Tsubasa, right? Yeah, show me.

-Gotta save the love of your life, Tsubasa-san!

-"Who the fuck are these weirdos, this is bullshit"

-Oooooooooooh, Dog Man throwin' shade!

-I have to wonder... the actor playing Sayama, Ryoji Sugimoto... do you think he wonders exactly what he's supposed to be doing as a character?

-Damn, Crane Lady got kicks.

-Yeah, I think that's one of my nicknames for Natsumiho.

-Man, that Momoi Tarou.

-He's one of a kind madman.

-Yeah, guess he really speaks for himself, huh?

-Oh yeah, the Enya Rideon.

-Beeg AND Smol!

-Oh yeah, the headpat lmao

-"Wait, Don Onitaijin is five guys, burgers and fries?"

-I love that little plush doggie they use for Tsubasa, I hope they keep it around when he... maybe or maybe not joins with the rest full time.

-SONOI

-"Now, hold on a moment. ...there's another Don. ...technically two? Or perhaps not."

-"I'm gonna be the strongest hero! Waaaaaaaaah!"

-Dragon Punch! Shoryuken! Dragon! Dragon! Rock the Dragon!

-Tiger Cutter! Tiger Uppercut! Lions Tigers and Bears! Oh My!

-"But nah, my rival is Don Momotaro. And you can't have him."

-Oh shit, Donbrothers MVP time.

-And the winner is Don Kaito.

-YEP FUCKING CALLED IT LMAO

-"I win."

-Shut up Kaito kjlhklghvghjg

-"...why were you all rainbow-y in that stock footage?"

-Awwww, he wants to reward us :)

-"For you all :)"

-Free photobooks :)

-"I was born to be a hero. I've always been a hero. I am the hero."

-Heeeeeeeeeeeeeey, what're you lads doing here!?

-"Jesus Christ, it's been 26 episodes and this shit isn't over."

-"Next time, Sonoza... I will defeat Momoi Tarou! Then Sononi can deal with Inuzuka Tsubasa as she pleases and you can resume your manga browsing with Kito Haruka. Now... watch me blow some bubbles."

-Are we at a water park next episode? Epic.

[recurring-polynya]

[Renji birthday] Hey, hi. What about Orihime does smt to surprise Renji for his birthday, a thank-you him helping her at New Year celebration? Include fireworks that Renji secretly enjoys? Thanks. Anything (fic, hcs, sketch..) is fine.

I’m sorry this is late, but it’s still the Renji - Orihime Birthday Weekend, so I think it’s okay!

I love the idea of the Renji - Orihime BroTP, but somehow it’s so hard for me to write, I always do a bunch of false starts or get stuck. For this round of prompts, I was trying to do the ones that inspired me the most and I liked the idea a lot more than I had ideas, if you get my drift. Anyway, I love them both too much, though, so I muscled through.

I’m sorry if this is a little ramble-y and quite silly and I didn’t manage to squeeze in fireworks (I’ve written several fireworks scenes in the past and didn’t want to repeat myself), but what it is is four thousand words long. Also, I managed to remember that Kon exists, this is possibly the first time I have ever put Kon in anything. I hope you like it!

Read on ao3 or ff.net

🎁    🎈    🎊

“Inoue,” Renji hissed. “Why am I here?”

Orihime took a quick step backwards as Keigo ran past, screaming. Ryo followed a second later, also screaming. Renji, who had served at Squad 11 for many years, managed to leap out of the way just in time. “It’s Ichigo’s birthday party,” Orihime explained. “He wanted you to come.”

“It’s not though,” Renji pressed. “It’s Arisawa’s birthday, and we’re at Arisawa’s house. I don’t think Arisawa even knows who I am.”

“Yes, she does, silly,” Orihime replied. “I told her lots of stories about you and she said she wanted you to come. There’ll probably be a football match later, and Ichigo told her we could have you on our team, as long as he got Rukia.”

“I got hauled in all the way from Soul Society for football?” Renji asked, sounding not-at-all upset about this.

“No, I told you! Ichigo wanted you to come.”

“But it’s not his birthday.”

“But it is his party. He and Tatsuki share, you see, because their birthdays are so close and they have all the same friends. It’s Tatsuki’s year to host the big friend party. Ichigo just had a little family party on his actual birthday.”

“Ohhhhh,” Renji replied, finally understanding. He nodded for a moment. “What’s a family party?”

---

Orihime cleared her throat, and tapped her in her palm. “Thank you all for coming to this very important meeting.”

Chad, Ichigo, and Tatsuki were all crammed together on Orihime’s couch. Rukia sat on the arm, next to Chad, Kon in her lap. Uryuu sat in Orihime’s desk chair, which she had hauled in from her room.

Orihime thwapped her pointer against the large pad of paper on an easel that she had borrowed from the Student Health Advisors Club. On the first page, she had drawn a large picture of Renji and written his name. “It has come to my attention that Our Friend Renji has never had a Family Birthday Party.”

“Quick question--” Tatsuki interrupted. “Is he wearing a… fur bolero in that picture? And is the bone dragon an actual thing or just...Orihime artistic spice?”

“It’s a cowl,” Rukia said, at the same time as Chad said, “It’s a stole,” and Uryuu said “It’s a capelet.”

“Thank you, that cleared up nothing,” Tatsuki replied.

“It’s his bankai form,” Ichigo said, grumpily. “His sword turns into a giant flying snake skeleton that screams like a pterodactyl. It’s super sick and he let me ride on it twice and that cape thing is really soft, actually, but he says it gets hot. As far as I know it has nothing to do with his birthday.”

“Er, no, I just got carried away while I was drawing,” Orihime admitted. “Your bankai is very cool, too, Kurosaki-kun.”

“Got it, right,” Tatsuki nodded, sounding very much like she just wanted to move on. “He doesn’t have a family?”

“I think you’re worrying over nothing, Orihime,” Rukia said, sounding a teensy bit defensive. “Many people in Soul Society don’t have families. If there’s anyone in Soul Society who’s good at scraping up friends to spend a holiday with, it’s Renji. Everyone likes him. Half the Gotei turns up at the bar for his birthday parties.”

“I know that,” Orihime said quietly. “I know that because last New Year’s, when I was lonely, he played badminton with me, even though he was very, very hungover and pretending like he wasn’t, and then he went and rounded up all my friends in the middle of the night, and before he left, he told me there was nothing wrong with making your own holiday. But family birthdays are different! Family birthdays are about the people who love you most doing special things, just for you!” Orihime set her jaw. “When I was little, Sora always tried to make my birthdays super special! We didn’t have a lot of extra money, but he would take the day off just to spend it with me and we would go to the park or watch movies or he would let me paint his nails and braid his hair. He would take a picture of me and put it in my special birthday album with my height and weight and current favorite food.” Orihime’s mouth snapped shut. Everyone was staring at her. She’d said too much, just like she always did. Her cheeks started to burn.

“When I was little,” Ichigo suddenly said, a little bit too loud, “my mom told us that we could have whatever we wanted for dinner on our birthdays. One year, I…” he paused, his eyes darting over to Tatsuki. “I had just seen Kiki’s Delivery Service, and I was obsessed with that fish and pumpkin casserole the old lady makes?”

Orihime gasped, and clapped her hands over her mouth.

Uryuu rolled his eyes. “Who wasn’t, Kurosaki?”

Ichigo snorted, but his shoulders relaxed a little. “Anyway, it took her most of the day, and I think she must’ve gotten really frustrated at some point because me and my sisters got sent over to Tatsuki’s house so the Old Man could help her. It came out kind of lumpy and huge, but it was delicious, it was exactly what I had imagined it would taste like.”

“I remember that thing,” Tatsuki added. “She made us come over for dinner because there was so much of it. It was incredible.”

“We didn’t do Birthday Dinners for a few years after she died,” Ichigo said slowly. “But then after Yuzu got good at cooking, she said she wanted to try doing it again. My dad really likes the Godfather movies and he always used to ask for spaghetti for his birthday, which it turns out isn’t that hard to make. Karin and me helped out, and we’ve been doing it again ever since. We don’t usually do fancy stuff, it’s just nice to get to pick.”

“Ichigo made me omurice on my birthday and let me use his body to eat it!” Kon announced.

“You didn’t have to tell everyone that,” Ichigo stammered, turning pink. “It’s the only thing I’m good at making.”

“My abuelo always used to sing Las Mañanitas on my birthday,” Chad put in. “First thing in the morning. Sometimes he would come into my room and wake me up. Sometimes I would come down for breakfast and he would be there, with his guitar. He wouldn’t even say ‘good morning’ until he’d sung Las Mañanitas.”

Orihime’s spirits lifted a little. “See? That’s exactly what I’m talking about!”

Rukia crossed her arms over her chest. “Renji gets up at the crack of dawn. I’m certainly not going over to his place to sing at him while he mixes up his horrible protein beverages.”

“Well, it wouldn’t have to be exactly that,” Orihime went on. “I just thought, since his birthday was coming up in a few weeks, maybe we could throw him a party here, in the World of the Living that was… I don’t know… a little more heartfelt than just going out drinking.”

“I think that’s a very thoughtful idea, Inoue,” Uryuu said.

“Oh! I was worried you wouldn’t want to help, because… you know.”

“I had a row with Ryuuken last week,” Uryuu sniffed. “I’m honestly in the mood to do something nice for a shinigami. Besides, it’s Abarai, he doesn’t really count anymore.” He paused for a moment. “You either, of course, Kuchiki.”

“You wanna have it at my house?” Ichigo offered. “Since me and Tatsuki are the only ones with backyards, and I don’t imagine Tatsuki would want to explain this to her mom.”

“I appreciate that,” Tatsuki put in. “I can help though, if you want. In my family, we like to decorate, and I still have a bunch of streamers and balloons left over from last week.” She gestured at Orihime’s drawing. “We could probably make him a banner or something out of that. It’s pretty good!”

“Oh, that’s such a good idea!” Orihime exclaimed. She should have known her friends would be helpful. She flipped to a new page on her notepad, and began to write things down.

“I can help decorate!” Kon piped up. “I am very artistic, you know!”

“I can bring my guitar,” Chad offered. “I don’t know if Abarai wants to hear me sing…”

Ichigo shoved him in the shoulder. “Shut up. We always want to hear you sing and you never do. If Renji doesn’t want to hear you sing, he’s got no taste and also, he can suck it.”

Rukia rubbed her forehead, like she felt a headache coming on. “Renji goes to all his friends’ poetry readings and community theater and open mic nights. I am sure he would be overjoyed to be serenaded by Chad.”

“What about you, Uryuu?” Orihime asked. “I know you and your father don’t get along, but is there anything that you associate with feeling special on your birthday?”

Uryuu’s face contorted for a moment. “Ah, there is, but I’m sure it’s not helpful.”

“Maybe it will give us an idea,” Chad prodded.

Uryuu frowned. “Well, when I was very small, my mother used to make me a new kimono every year. She was… a very skilled seamstress.” He frowned. “I don’t have Abarai’s measurements, and besides, he couldn’t take it back to Soul Society anyway.”

Kon perked up. “Ichigo! Ichigo, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Ichigo jabbed a finger Uryuu. “Yuzu just got a bedazzler and she has a ton of t-shirt paint! We could bedazzle him a t-shirt! For his gigai! I’ll even keep it in my closet for him with all of Rukia’s crap!”

“Kurosaki, no,” Uryuu insisted.

“Kurosaki, yes,” Ichigo insisted. “It’s like you’ve never even met the man. I’m gonna make the most Renji t-shirt you’ve ever seen and he’s gonna love it so hard he’ll make me his new best friend.”

“I want to help,” Chad put in.

“You may,” Ichigo replied magnanimously.

“It was my idea-- whoa, Rukia, watch out!” Kon cried as he went tumbling to the ground.

Rukia was practically crawling over Chad, trying to punch Ichigo in the head. “He’s my best friend, you ass!”

“He is for now,” Ichigo replied ominously.

“You are my beloved protege, but I will end you, Kurosaki.”

“Kuchiki-san?” Orihime asked tentatively. “Do you think you could come up with a way to get him to come here? I think it should be a surprise, so you would probably have to make up a story...I understand if you don’t want to.”

Rukia looked up from where she was half-hanging over Chad’s shoulder. “Of course I can do that. I love lying to Renji. He can usually tell when I’m lying to him, but he’ll go along with whatever I say anyway.”

“Oh, good!” Orihime replied, a wave of relief washing over her. She had no idea how they would get Renji here otherwise. Mr. Urahara, maybe. Maybe.

Rukia’s brows creased as she rearranged herself to sit on the back of the couch between Chad and Ichigo. “Did you think I would say no?”

“Well… it didn’t seem like you thought this was a very good idea.”

Rukia’s cheeks colored and she waved her hands. “No, no! It’s not that at all! I think it’s a great idea! It’s really sweet of all of you. Renji’s so easy-going, people always… never mind! I’ll help however I can!”

“Try to find out what meal he might like,” Uryuu suggested. Kon was now sitting on his head. “That sounded nice and I can help cook.”

“That’s a no-brainer,” Rukia replied. “He hasn’t stopped talking about Chad’s burritos since the Advance Team mission ended.”

“Burritos are easy,” Chad agreed, “especially if Uryuu helps.”

“What about you, Rukia?” Tatsuki asked. “You have a brother, right? What do you do for family birthdays in Soul Society?”

Ichigo made a Big Yikes face, and Rukia shoved him in the head again. Orihime had stayed with the Kuchiki siblings when she was training in Soul Society, and while Byakuya could be pretty stiff, she was under the impression that he and Rukia were both working to have a better relationship.

“Kuchiki birthdays are very formal,” Rukia said regally, and then frowned. “Mostly, a bunch of Honored Relatives come over for dinner and you have to wear fancy clothes and it’s kind of a pain.” She thought for a moment. “Brother gave me a beautiful set of colored pencils for my last birthday. It’s hard to buy him presents, because he’s so particular and he usually just buys the things that he wants. He writes a lot of letters, though, so I went to my favorite stationery store and bought him some pretty paper I thought he would like. I figured that if I picked wrong, he could just use it to send letters to people he hates.” Rukia’s eyes softened. “He really liked it, actually. I guess he’s not very used to getting gifts that people have spent any time thinking about.”

“Thoughtful gifts are such a nice idea!” Orihime nodded eagerly.

“It’s hard, though,” Uryuu added, “because of the whole matter conversion issue.”

“What,” Ichigo bit off, “is not thoughtful about a t-shirt covered in rhinestones?”

“If all of you help me think of something, I will buy it for him back in Soul Society,” Rukia promised. “Not sunglasses, though. I already bought him sunglasses.”

“Isn’t his birthday, like a month away?” Ichigo frowned.

“Sometimes I plan ahead! Shut up!” Rukia scowled. “Brother and I also like to make each other cards. Brother is an amazing artist, obviously, mine hardly compare to his, but he is very gracious about my efforts.”

“Oh, that’s a wonderful idea, Rukia!” Orihime agreed, writing down “cards” on her notes. She looked over her list. “I think this is shaping up to be a very good birthday!”

---

“Thanks for agreeing to come along,” Rukia said to Renji when he showed up at her front door on the morning of August 31. “How’s your head?”

“I feel great, but I hydrate tirelessly and also, I wasn’t the one who got into a drinking contest with Captain Komamura. How’s your head?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Rukia replied.

“Are you sure you don’t want me to just go? I’m sure I can-- did I read your text right? Ichigo got his soul stuck in Kon’s lion body and we have to go get him out? I… can probably handle that if you need to stay home and sleep it off.”

“Learn to read, oaf. Ichigo got his soul stuck in Kon’s lion body and we are going to laugh at him. Obviously, I wouldn’t miss that for anything.”

“Ahhhh, okay, that makes a lot more sense!”

“C’mon, we should get moving before Orihime takes pity on him or something.” She waved him inside. “Don’t worry, Brother said it was fine to use the family senkaimon.”

“Ah, good morning, Captain!” Renji said, his voice bright with nervous energy.

Rukia turned around and blinked. Sure enough, Byakuya was looming in the foyer. He had definitely not been in the entry thirty seconds ago.

“Good morning, Lieutenant,” Byakuya replied. “How delightful to see you in my house on a Sunday morning.”

“Brother, we talked about this,” Rukia pressed. “We had a whole discussion.”

Byakuya ignored her and plowed on. “I did not expect to see you today, but since you are here, I have something for you.” He held out a handsome, hardcover book. Gingerly, Renji accepted it and frowned at the cover. “It is the next book in the Tales of the Iron Army series,” Byakuya explained. “You are a fan of that series, are you not?”

Renji’s mouth gaped a little. “This isn’t… out… yet…”

“The publisher is an acquaintance of mine,” Byakuya said, looking off into the middle distance. “He offered me an advance copy, so I asked for two.”

“Uh, um, thanks, sir!” Renji managed.

“Think nothing of it,” Byakuya said stiffly. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am extremely busy this morning.”

Rukia stared, gape-mouthed at the spot where Byakuya had been standing a moment previous. She wasn’t allowed to use shunpo in the house.

“What?” Renji choked out.

“Sometimes people just give him things,” Rukia shrugged, trying to play it off, but secretly fuming. She had told Byakuya that Renji was coming over and to (1) not mention his birthday and (2) not be weird. 0 for 2, Brother.

“Rukia,” Renji reiterated, and when she finally looked over, he was holding up a little slip of cardstock that had apparently been tucked into the front cover of the book. On it was painted a little watercolor Wakame Ambassador. He was wearing a humorous hat. In Byakuya’s immaculate calligraphy were the words ‘Congratulations. You are now older. You will still never defeat me.’ Renji stared at Rukia, as if this were somehow her fault. “W-h-a-t?” he mouthed very slowly and deliberately, no actual sound coming out of his mouth.

“Give me that!” Rukia snapped, grabbing both the book and the card out of his hand. “I told him we were going to the Living World, I don’t know why he couldn’t have given you this when we got back. Mikan!”

Rukia’s loyal maid immediately appeared at her elbow. “Yes, miss?”

Renji blinked. “How does everyone in this house move like that?”

“Hold onto this for Renji until we get back, okay? You can put it with the, um, other stuff.”

“Yes, miss.”

“What other stuff?” Renji asked, a grin tugging at the side of his mouth.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You just said ‘put it with the other stuff’?”

“No, I didn’t.”

“You must have misheard, Lieutenant Abarai,” Mikan added sweetly.

“Maybe you should clean your ears out once in a while, dummy,” Rukia suggested.

“Are we really going to the Living World today, or was it just a ploy to get me over here?” Renji asked, doing a double take when he realized that Mikan had disappeared again.

“We’re really going!” Rukia protested, marching into the bowels of the house. “‘A ploy’, ha! You wish.”

“It is my birthday,” Renji pointed out, sounding a little suspicious.

“And we had your birthday party last night! What more do you want?”

“Nothing, actually! Very good birthday, as birthdays go!” He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye. “Thanks for coming, by the way.”

Rukia rolled her eyes. “As if I wouldn’t come.”

Renji shrugged. “Well…you didn’t, for a long time. And those weren’t as fun. So thanks. For coming.”

Rukia opened her mouth and then closed it again. She didn’t know what to say to that.

Fortunately, Renji had a keen instinct for changing the subject when things got awkward. “Were you there when Rangiku’s boob fell out? She says that since it was the right one, it’s a sign that this is going to be an auspicious year for me.”

“I did! I was talking to Momo and we were basically at Ground Zero when it happened! I can’t believe Hisagi was in the restroom.”

“He’s probably still sobbing about it.”

They continued to recap the best parts of the party as they traveled through the senkaimon and picked up their gigai from Urahara’s, but there was something nagging at Rukia, something that had been nagging at her ever since Orihime, with her giant, squishy heart, had suggested that Renji deserved something better on his birthday, something which Rukia knew was unequivocally true.

“Oi, Renji,” she said suddenly as they turned onto Ichigo’s street. Renji was in the middle of a story about Iba’s sideburns, but she’d heard it before, and they both knew he was only telling it to fill the time.

“Eh?” he replied.

“I, uh, I just wanted to say, I’m sorry that our birthdays were so shitty growing up,” she said quickly. “Sorry in the sympathy sense, not the guilt sense. We were just kids, it’s not like there’s much more we could have done. Just... it sucked and it’s not fair and I’m sorry.”

Renji was staring at her with a look of mild horror on his face. “You thought our birthdays sucked?”

Rukia stared back at him. “They weren’t great, that’s for sure.”

Renji’s face fell a little. “Oh. I’m sorry you feel that way. We… we did try, you know. I remember stealing blankets for your birthday, to make sure we had enough for all of us. We always used to try to make sure we had something to eat that day, too.”

Rukia flushed. “I wasn’t talking about me, dummy!” She paused. “You did? Crap. Now I feel even worse.”

“My birthday’s in August,” Renji shrugged. “We didn’t need to worry about freezing our asses off. And we almost always managed to do something fun that day. Going fishing or making a bonfire or lying on the roof and looking at the stars.” Renji gave a rueful little chuckle. “You know, it’s fun when everyone gets together to get smashed on my birthday, but there are so many people and you can hardly hear what anyone is saying. Those old days… I dunno. I guess maybe they just felt a little more personal. When we were here on Tatsuki and Ichigo’s birthday, Orihime was telling me about family birthdays, and I think our old birthdays were a lot like that. Just some nice time spent with the people I like best.”

“You’re such a sap,” Rukia said, trying to keep her voice from wobbling.

“Like you didn’t know that,” Renji snorted. “I’m definitely gonna give Ichigo a hard time, but I’m actually kinda glad he managed to pull this bonehead move on my actual birthday. It’s a good excuse to come see him, and I got to spend a little quality time with you, to boot. Was kinda nice to see the captain, actually, even though he made a quick exit.” Renji sucked his teeth for a moment. “After we get Ichigo sorted, I don’t ‘spose you’d mind taking a little stroll around town and seeing what the other kids are up to today?”

Rukia had her hand on the gate that led to the Kurosaki back yard. “That… could probably be arranged.” She pushed the gate open.

“SURPRISE!”

Confetti filled the air. Someone was blowing an air horn. Everyone (except Uryuu) was wearing very bedazzled t-shirts. Even Kon, sitting on Chad’s shoulder, wore a tiny one with an even tinier lion on it.

“Happy birthday, Renji!”

“Happy birthday, you old geezer!”

“We made you burritos!”

Rukia looked up at Renji. He had one hand clapped over his mouth and his eyes were wide. “Happy birthday, dumbass,” she said softly.

“Excuse me, I will be right back,” Renji said, turning on his heel and walking out the gate.

Orihime’s eyes went wide. “Oh, no! What did we do?”

Rukia held up her hands. “Just give him a second, he’s fine.”

The Karakura kids barely had time to exchange worried glances when Renji burst back in through the gate, at full volume. “What the Hell is this?” he roared. “And where did you get those t-shirts?”

“We made them!” Ichigo shouted back, and thrust a poorly wrapped bundle into Renji’s hands. “We made you one, too!”

Renji enthusiastically tore open his present and held up its contents. “Rukia,” he gasped. “Rukia, look.”

“Chad drew the Hihiou Zabimaru,” Ichigo explained proudly. “I was the one who wrote ‘OH YEAH!!’”

“It’s so beautiful,” Renji sniffed. “Here, Rukia, hold this!” He shoved the shirt into Rukia’s arms and immediately began to wrestle off the one he was currently wearing.

“Uh… buddy…” Tatsuki frowned, trying to throw her hand up in front of Orihime’s eyes, but also unable to tear her eyes away. “That is… a lot… of tattoos…”

“It’s okay, we’ve all seen it,” Orihime reassured her, pushing Tatsuki’s hand away.

“Never mind seeing it again,” Kon added philosophically.

“How does it look?” Renji asked, once he’d gotten dressed again. He was flexing his biceps for good measure.

“It’s a little tight,” Rukia replied, but it didn’t stop her from looking.

“That’s how hot people wear their clothes, Rukia,” Ichigo informed her. “Get with it.”

“I love this so much!” Renji declared, looking down at his own torso again. “I can’t believe you all made this for me. I am so happy!”

“Brace yourself, Abarai,” Uryuu said, “but this is about 1% of the birthday festivities Orihime planned for you.”

Orihime’s cheeks turned pink and she waved her hands frantically. “Everyone chipped in, I hardly did anything!”

“We know you don’t like cake, so we put a candle in a burrito for you,” Ichigo said, jerking his thumb toward the picnic table. “Come sit in front of it, so Chad can sing you your birthday song.”

“We saved you the lawn chair without any wobbly legs,” Kon added generously.

On his way past, Renji slung his arm around Orihime’s shoulders. “Thanks, kid,” he murmured.

Orihime looked up at him. “You’re our friend and I just wanted you to know how special we think you are on your birthday.”

Renji stared at her for a moment, an expression on his face like he wasn’t sure how to make words come out. Suddenly, he tightened his elbow around his neck and crashed the knuckles of his other hand fiercely into her scalp. “I love all of you, too!” he laughed.

“You can’t noogie Orihime!” Ichigo and Tatsuki yelled at the same time, and promptly tripped over each other in an attempt to tackle him. Uryuu flung a pinecone at Renji’s head. With his typical perfect aim, it would have been a direct hit, except that Kon had leapt from Chad’s shoulder directly into its trajectory and got beaned in the face instead.

Orihime was laughing and shouting “That tickles, that tickles!” Renji was cackling. Chad stood, dumbfounded, his guitar hanging around his neck.

“Rukia… avenge us…” Ichigo groaned from the ground.

“On one hand, it’s his birthday and Renji should get to noogie whomever he wants,” Rukia declared loftily. “On the other hand, Orihime is a precious angel. On the third hand, suck it, Abarai!”

She launched herself at him.

[north-pole-penguin]

Why you should watch Slam Dunk

The main dude plays in Jordan 6’s and Jordan 1’s.

The characters are based off of real NBA players. The really cool thing is that this manga came out in 94 and ended in 96 which was an amazing era for basketball and the NBA. Jordan just got done with his 3 peat and retired from basketball. The Bulls and Michael Jordan are a global phenomenon at this point and the author of Slam Dunk, Takehiko Inoue, was a fan for sure. So much of a fan he based the characters from actual NBA players from the time. For example:

Hanamichi Sakuragi: Dennis Rodman • They both got colorful hair and on top of that they got the same game. Hanamichi will get a 100 rebounds and 0 points, is a defensive stopper, and will dive for the ball just like Rodman

Kaede Rukawa: Michael Jordan • Ruakawa is just a straight up a baller through the whole series. Honestly, his personality is really bland but he has that “will do anything to win” attitude Jordan has.

Takenori Akagi: Patrick Ewing • He’s the team capital and plays center. He has the same fade as Patrick Ewing too.

Ryota Miyagi: Kevin Johnson/ Bj Armstrong/ AI • The internet says Kevin Johnson but sticking to the Bulls theme I’d say Ryota is BJ Armstrong but honestly I feel like he plays like AI

Hisashi Mitsui - Reggie Miller. • Mitsui the shooter of the team and everything about his game screams Reggie Miller.

Coach Anzai- Phil Jackson • They are both the Zen masters

I played basketball all my life starting when I would watch my dad play at the park when he would bring me along and I would watch from the side. What I really like about Slam Dunk is that it captures that feeling you have when you played for your middle school or high school team. When you are that age, that’s the only thing that matters. Well, basketball and girls. That’s another thing that’s relatable is that Hanamichi literally started to play basketball just because he wants to get at a girl. Eventually though, it becomes more than just trying to get at a girl for Hanamichi, he finds passion in the game.

I love the character dynamics. Like how Haramichi and Ryota both love girls that don’t love them back. They pretty much have the same personality where they want to fight everyone but will do anything for a girl. Ryota and Haramichi literally joined the High School basketball team to impress a girl they liked. Also, they both got rejected hella times from girls in the past. Well, Hanamichi a solid 50 times where Ryota had 10. Both of them in the double digits of rejections. The bromance is real. I really like Mitsui’s back story that he was a star player but got injured. Basketball is Mitsui’s life and when he couldn’t do it any more, he just started doing bad shit and getting in fights. But Coach Anzai forgives him and lets him come back and this ignites his passion for the game again.

One of the biggest morals you get from Slam Dunk is that hard work, proper training, and persistence can lead to success. Hanamichi was straight garbage at the beginning of the anime but he got taught the fundamentals from Akagi and coach Anzai. Hanamichi took what was taught to him and practiced every day. Before practice, then went to practice and worked on his game after practice. Hanamichi was persistent.  Hanamichi went from not knowing basketball at all to mastering rebounding, lay ups, and working on a jump shot. Seeing him put in the work and having the results show is a great lesson to take from the show.

Go watch it! The anime ended abruptly so the ending is kind of weird, I highly recommended to read the manga where it picks up after the anime to get a good sense of closure for the story. If you like basketball and anime. I think you’d like Slam Dunk.

[trashexplorer]

BLCD Review: Shangri-La no Tori

Title: Shangri-la no Tori (シャングリラの鳥)

Release Date: 2020/10/28

Author/Artist: Zariya Ranmaru

Cast: 

Mastuda Kenichiro x Nakajima Yoshiki

Ichijou Kazuya

Ishiya Haruki

Tsuboi Tomohiro

Inoue Go

Kitayama Kyousuke

Haruka Jinya

Hidenori Takahashi

Okano Yuu

Tadokoro Hinata

Zenzai Tatsuya

Synopsis: With troubles hanging over his head, Apollo arrives on the island for a new job, at a brothel known as Shangri-La. What he didn’t know was the job description–to be a stud to get the prostitutes in the mood before servicing clients. And they’re men! Will he be able to handle it…?

Review Proper

Excuse me for one second—

Finally got that out my chest. 😌 

Anyway, Shangri-la is actually my least favorite Zariya work now (it was Coyote before). There’s not a lot to go on atm because things between Teo Phi and Apollo haven’t even begun to progress yet. Y’all should be tired of hearing me say this, but I’m trash for Zariya’s settings and sensuality. This, however, is the first work of theirs in a long while that’s more serious and realistic in tone. It does scream Saezuru a lot, but I’m not exactly mad at it. Again, it’s still the first volume, so we’ll have to see it through to judge it. I also do like how Zariya portrays prostitution in here in a more legal and consensual light which I think is very important and nouveau. Seldom can you see regulated and consensual prostitution in BL manga; and the respect the owner, birdies, studs, and clients have towards each other is commendable. Makes you wanna dip your toes into the world as well since they’re all safe and having fun. Rights for sex workers, y’all!

Moving onto the voice work, if you’ve read my October Releases post, you’d know that I was skeptical about the casting because even though I knew that Matsuda Kenichirou would be a perfect for stoic Apollo, I wasn’t so sure that Nakajima Yoshiki could pull off Phi. This is Marine Ent we’re talking about; the studio who cast the highly underwhelming Liquor and Cigarette. Doesn’t help that I’ve been listening to nothing but Nakajiki top roles for the past year. The last time I’ve heard him bottom was in Kurahashi Tomo’s Hello Morning Star which overall was as underwhelming as L&C despite Nakajiki delivering a good performance. Thankfully, however, Nakajiki blew all my worries away because after finishing this BLCD, I can confidently say that there could be nobody else who was more perfect for this role than him.  👏👏👏 The tone he used is definitely reminiscent of both his Atsuto and Akira-san, but unlike those two, his Phi was clearer and how do I describe it? buttery? And that’s exactly how I want my Phi to be. What was I even worrying about? He’s a fucking vers, so of course he’s going to be perfect for Phi! I’m certain that his Phi will be my favorite performance of his when volume two comes out. 

As for Matsuda Kenichirou— ohhh I didn’t want to say this, but it’s almost going to be ten years since I’ve last heard him in a BLCD. 😂 I feel so old! Now, Matsuda Kenichirou voiced Mink in DRAMAtical Murder and I hated Mink so much that I mostly didn’t even pay attention to him when I played his route. I do still have a vague idea of how he sounds like (read: a big boring blah), but hearing him sound like Kawahara Yoshihisa and Yasumoto Hiroki combined still came as a shock. Maybe it was because Mink was in monotone for the whole game, anime, and BLCD that I didn’t realize. And you thought Apollo’s stoic? 😂 But I guess Matsuda Kenichirou was indeed a good choice for Apollo because of Mink. If the sir isn’t so busy and is interested in voicing something other than Apollo, then might I suggest he team up with Okitsu? 👉👈

Again, it’s too early for me to judge their chemistry because Apollo and Phi really have 0 chemistry in the manga at this stage. Both did well in their roles regardless, though. Our minor characters here were all voiced, by the way! I loved how they didn’t cut their dialogues out but even added to them!!! Marine Ent really hit it with this one. All the supporting casts were all good in their own right and are more than capable of starring in their own BLCDs which adds more to the atmosphere of them being prostitutes and studs!!! UGHHHHH!!! NOW THIS IS WHAT I LOOK FOR AN ADAPTATION!!! No wonder it’s been nominated for best BLCD!

I would definitely recommend listening to this if you’re a fan of the series. Reading the manga along is doable, too. SuBLime also has licensed this series, so you’re in for a superior experience if you’re going to do a read-along! I just hope that the healthy brothel relationship lasts until the end of the series. 🤞

[sleepygaymerdisease]

ok you know what actually i cant shut up so here we go. SPOILER WARNING (for kamen rider ryuki and this stupid special)

ok first of all, im just gonna have to ignore how flawed the rtr premise is. the crossover bits made like no sense to me but i dont know those guys so i wont talk about that. what does bother me is this like, fundamental misunderstanding of the mirror world and how it functions. it's intentionally mysterious in nature and a lot is left unexplained in the original show, sure, but that doesnt mean that there arent any rules to its logic. it's meant to be a tool for the narrative. it has a metaphorical function to talk about the cycles of violence. and like, okay i guess inoue tried to make it about that, but it still doesnt make any sense? the original show is basically like "i think that violence can solve all my problems, because i cant imagine anything else, so i dont care about the casualties that are required to grant my wish, and therefore im fine with making riders fight each other to the death." this one tries to be, like, "sorry, but i think violence might work for some reason, to stop some other guy who's killing but that's wrong because violence is always wrong, so im gonna have you guys kill each other until only one remains so you can then kill the evil killer. sorry." literally what's the point. the person in charge hates the violence and the riders arent even doing this to grant their own wish anymore. like what? shinji as a character tends to value other people's wishes, so it does end up working out for the girl, but what would the plan have been if literally anyone else won? why would they want to keep fighting after all that? why would they go against this other bad guy? why would they care about the wish of someone who just made them kill? why would they keep killing? why would they trust this narrative? makes no sense. it's even worse if you assume that someone like asakura (etc) won, because then theres a chance that they'll just keep killing innocents. the riders don't even get to fight for their own selfish reasons anymore, either. it's all built around fighting for someone they dont know to stop someone they dont know for the sake of the greater good. congrats for missing the entire point of ryuki. "lets just get rid of the whole wish thing" are u serious.

it also makes me mad because i actually really like amnesia plots but this was all done so badly it makes me want to scream. there was seriously no point to it at all for this special. like. god. it was literally done so the characters could he grouped together like dolls and so their brand new drama would have no stakes or real personal attachment to it. and it doesnt even apply to all the characters either?!?!!? goro and asakura knew EXACTLY what was up the entire time and thats unexplained. and guess what. their dynamic was the most compelling part of the entire special. it turns out that characters knowing and hating each other and decieving each other can actually be really interesting but nooo inoue doesnt want to deal with any of the canon events or memories or relationships of characters unless he likes it. it's so obvious that he doesnt value the story itself. it actually would be interesting if the characters' memories were messed with if it was done well. could you imagine? feeling the need to fight but not remembering why? slipping into the familiar groove of violence that you shouldn't have the muscle memory for at all in this lifetime? or, even better, thinking that the fight is still on? as if the ending didnt happen at all? still desperately fighting for your wish again, and slowly having to realize that it's not real? that those are thoughts and feelings that you are borrowing from you that doesnt exist anymore? that you dont need that wish at all? that you already got your happy ending? and what about the anger in discovering that your memory was tampered with? where's their rage at the one who traps them, who continues this cycle of violence that was supposed to be broken? what about the borrowed grief of their past lives, unsure if theyre feeling it all over again or if theyre a bystander of their own misery? and what about the grief at knowing their current lives are being dismantled all over again, that they can truly never quit? what about the hopelessness at realizing that they dont even get to grant a wish at the end of all this senseless violence? instead of using the amnesia as a tool to elaborate on the previous events of the show its used to deliberately shove everything aside to ignore it, and things are only brought up again via flashbacks for brief moments of dramatic flaire.

also yami shinji as a concept is also interesting but done absolutely terribly. it makes me mad that inoue made this concept but keeps dropping the ball. its not even that hard to have an evil version of the main character but he fumbles it 3 separate fucking times. ohh my god. yami shinji might be from the mirror world but you have to explain what that actually MEANS for shinji as a person and why this is a reflection of shinji and not just an entity that wants to escape that also just happens to look like him. it would be interesting if yami shinji was supposed to be a manifestation of shinji's greatest fears. he could be a version of the protagonist who makes the decision to finally and truly give into violence without any remorse. and that's kind of what inoue was going for but it has to be more obvious that this like externalization of an internal conflict is like actually something that shinji has truly considered. WHICH MAKES ZERO SENSE WITH THE AMNESIA PLOT. if your protagonist is a blank slate who doesnt remember anyone and doesnt have any internal conflict and doesnt have any motivations anymore and doesnt have any hesitation about his actions and hasnt gone through even a sliver of the hero's journey, then what the fuck is the narrative foil doing here??!?!?

this post is getting too long sorry. tldr: this was incredibly, spectacularly terrible. fixing this would require starting from the very beginning because the entire premise is at odds with the show itself, but even on top of that nearly every single writing choice and character interaction makes no fucking sense at all.

inoue really does everything in his power to undo the ending of the original show and replace it with the worlds shittiest fanfiction. "what if this time everyone lost their memories so their relationships with each other were completely different and they had to kill each other for completely different reasons so they had different motivations too" congrats! you have made something else.

[adelindschade]

Karma is a female-dog

Moroha found the dance between Setsuna and Hisui hilarious. Never one for romance, she enjoyed the awkwardness that surrounded the pair. The boy was much more in love in the half-demon than she was him. Inevitable heartbreak, Moroha predicted. She also relished in the red that overcame his face whenever she pointed it out. In front of her father, his father – anyone, really! And he’d lash out with his weapon of choice – just too slow to make a contact; she was too swift.

So, karma had to repay the favor.

One errand. That’s all. A trip from one village to the other for mere supplies. Of course, her mother insisted she wear something less conspicuous. A frivolous kimono borrowed from Sango. And no teeth. Be polite – don’t say anything smart. That part was uttered by her hypocritical father – though his intentions meant well, too concerned his daughter would be harmed by people propelled by prejudice. Not that she couldn’t hold her own…

Which is why she didn’t mind picking a fight with a demon that she came across attacking a procession of men. They were no match for the gigantic beast but she came prepared with her sword, hidden well. Not even her father spied the piece as she slipped off. Nor would he have said something because better safe than sorry. Her mother would have opted for a bow. Thankfully, she gathered that, too, having tucked it away out of her father’s sight and grabbed it as she rounded the hut.

A rebel through and through. Seventeen going onto forever. She was invincible.

Her hair was done in a much more mature fashion – much to her chagrin as she had to set aside precious seconds to tie it back. Another man had fallen from his horse; another slain. She raised her bow and shot it straight – piercing armor made of bone. The beast howled and glared down at the surprisingly small woman.

“You!” It thrashed, attempting to grab her. Her reflexes were keener than its own, evading capture with a simple jump back. She wielded her preferred weapon, a sword of strength and stealth that matched her own.

It screamed as its wrist was sliced clean up. Screw her kimono – she doubted it was the first time the fabric had been spoiled with blood. Sango would know how to clean it out. She made another slice, aiming at its neck. Blood was rampant in the air but she did her best to ignore the stench.

For a demon so large, it offered little fight. She was disappointed to see it cut down so fast. She wanted something more. With a heavy sigh, she yielded her sword and secured her bow back in place.

“Not even a bounty,” she lamented as she walked pass. A corpse or two lay in her wake; nothing could be done for them. Her father would’ve pitied them but moved on. The living would attend to the carnage. She had another mission. Her mother would have a fit if she did not come by sundown with the desired herbs.

“Miss! Miss!”

She paused mid-step, glancing back with curiosity. A man of noble tier scrambled her way, traumatized by the slaughter yet having not a scratch on his body. He must’ve been important to be protected.

“Yeah?”

“Miss! I must know your name to express my deepest gratitude!”

“Uh…” she mustered. If she said her name, it could come back to bite her. Yet, what harm could it do?

“Moroha,” she decided to oblige him.

“Lady Moroha? I am indebted to you. You have demonstrated great skill and bravery in face of true terror. As a reward for saving my life from certain death, I’d be honored if you would accept my proposal of marriage.”

“What…?” she stammered.

“I am Nobleman Akio Inoue, the youngest child and only son of Chieftain-”

“Sorry, but no,” she rudely interrupted. So much for avoiding harm. She just insulted some high-and-might-nobleman. Would her father care? No. Would he hate the idea of having to deal with the aftermath of a man’s wounded pride? Of course. But he’d rather deal with that than send his daughter off to a stranger. “My father would not accept,” she attempted to ease the brunt of the blow.

“Whom is your father?” he inquired.

“Uh…”

Myoga had called him a Lord. And her mother a Lady. But she had always known them to be called nothing more than a half-demon and a priestess. Informally, Inuyasha and Kagome. She always called them Mom and Dad. Yet, her heritage may claim more rank above the nobleman’s if she took into consideration the demon hierarchy. She wouldn’t explain such to him since she scarcely understood it herself.

“None of your concern,” she eased. “Your expression of gratitude will suffice. Carry on,” she dismissed hastily. Her steps fastened and she swiftly escaped out of ear shot, though she heard him call her out plenty in her retreat.

She nearly forgot the experience altogether, grumbling to her father about the scolding she received from her mother upon returning home later than usual and bearing blood all over the borrowed clothes. He laughed, patted her hair, granted her his usual line of “could be worse” before walking off into the village where she was certain he sought to converse with Miroku over their latest job.

Or tease Hisui over his crush on Setsuna. Inuyasha found it humorous a slayer was enamored with Sesshomaru’s offspring. ‘Kid is suicidal,’ her father would tease. Setsuna wasn’t as warm to Inuyasha as she was to Moroha – distrusting of the adult half-demon more so for his connection with her estranged father than anything else.

Talks of proposals were long forgotten until one unexpected visit from a nearby nobleman had Moroha hiding behind Kaede’s hut. Her mother was alarmed.

“I’ll be off!” she squeaked but her mother kept her cornered.

“Why are you so scared of being seen?” her mother questioned with crossed arms. “Shy is not a word I’d describe you as.”

“Uh…”

“Spit it out, Moroha!”

“I SAVED HIM FROM A DEMON AND HE PROPOSED TO ME AND I SAID NO!” Moroha breathed all at once. She was wide eyed and panicked, much like her mother who exhibited the same nervous expression.

“What?!”

“I DIDN’T TELL DAD BECAUSE DAD WOULD – WELL, YOU KNOW HIM! SO, I DIDN’T SAY ANYTHING AND I THOUGHT IT WOULDN’T BE A PROBLEM BECAUSE I’D NEVER SEE HIM AGAIN BUT THAT’S NOT THE CASE!”

“Moroha, one trip by yourself and we’ve slighted a noble family! I don’t know if your father would be proud of you or furious!”

“Just hide me! I was never here!!”

“Uh, oh,” Kagome winced.

“What?” Moroha whispered.

“He’s caught the village’s attention.”

“No, no, no, no,” Moroha pleaded helplessly. She hid into her mother’s shoulder.

“I seek a fair maiden by the name of Moroha!” the man announced. “I was told she resides here!”

The demon’s ears twitched.

“Did he just…?” Setsuna asked, eyeing the stranger whose caravan arrived in their measly village.

“Fair? Is he talking about our Moroha?” Hisui chuckled. That earned a small grin from Setsuna.

“She must have hit him too hard on the head,” she replied. He laughed at her jab.

“She is cute… when she wants to be,” Shippo jabbed. “She’s a bit of a tomboy.” He spied an emerging figure from the nearby tree stepping onto the road. “Uh-oh…”

“What about her?” Inuyasha stepped forward. His voice was harsh and cautious.

“I desire to seek out her father,” he replied sternly. “I have business with him that requires immediate attention.”

“How so…” Inuyasha insisted, arms crossed and eyes set in a beady glare.

“It does not concern you, half-demon! Step aside!” the man cast with a strong arm to the left.

“It sure as hell does when it’s my daughter you’re talking about,” Inuyasha spat. His hand wavered over the sheath of his trusted sword.

“We don’t know a Moroha! He is confused!” Kagome intervened with lightning speed. She bowed incessantly. Inuyasha looked down with utter confusion.

“Priestess, you know this half-demon?”

Before Inuyasha could say anything, Kagome snuck a small glare his way. “Don’t say anything!” she hissed.

“Okay…” he grumbled.

“We know a Moroha!” Hisui spoke out. He was the recipient of icy glares from both parents and child alike. Setsuna was unmoved.

“What business do you have with her?” her cousin pitched.

“I desire to speak with her father at once!”

“He’s right here – what do you have to say? Get on with it,” Inuyasha spat, baring his teeth.

“Inuyasha…” Kagome whispered, tugging him back by his arm to no avail.

“In no way could a half-demon like you reproduce such a fine creature as she,” the nobleman sneered.

“Thanks for the compliment but get on with it before I part you head from your body, idiot,” Inuyasha snarled.

Kagome paled. Moroha shrunk in the shadows.

“Perhaps I can intermediate,” Miroku intervened. He stepped between the two. “I can attest my friend, though foul tempered, is indeed the father of the woman you inquire about.”

“I agree with Inuyasha – what business do you have with her?” Sango joined. Her hand was purposely placed on her weapon, ready to draw.

“She is my betrothed!”

“No, I’m not!” Moroha shrieked as she emerged from her hiding place. “I said no!”

“You said your father would not approve,” Akio mused.

“I said no and that he wouldn’t approve!” she raised her voice as an angry red overcame her features.

“Which I don’t!” Inuyasha joined.

“Get that through your thick skull! Move on!!” Moroha seconded.

“You are… partially demon,” Akio nodded. “That explains your strength and bravery. Nonetheless, I am indebted to you, and your heritage does not dissuade me from fulfilling my promise.”

“The hell you will! Hands off my daughter, you freak,” Inuyasha snarled, drawing his sword.

Setsuna chuckled. Hisui sputtered, doing his best to hide his amusement after a reprimanding look from his uncle, followed by his own parents who were worried by Inuyasha retaliating.

“This is one big misunderstanding,” Kagome waved off before retracting her daughter behind her.

“A priestess and a half-demon… such a peculiar union…”

“If you got something to say, pal, say it!”

“Inuyasha! Sit, boy!”

A thunderous thud followed, with her father planted on the road.

“Ow!!”

Moroha stiffened, never so happy in her life to be free of such damning beads.

“Sorry, Dad!” She squeaked.

“Why do you approve of such a match? Surely, I’d elevate her station, and bestow our children with a better quality of life,” he made the mistake of justifying. “They would exhibit a lesser degree of demonic energy as she or yourself. We could disguise that properly.”

“CHILDREN?!” Both daughter-and-father cried incredulously.

Kagome sputtered. “Excuse me, she’s seventeen!”

“He’s surely digging his own grave,” Sango sighed.

“Perhaps it’s best we let her father do the honors,” Miroku agreed. He wasn’t naïve enough to think he’d react any differently where his twins were concerned. They stepped out of the way in tandem.

“This will be a slaughter,” Setsuna theorized.

“I am not a cow to be bred!” Moroha squawked. “I’ll kill you myself!”

“No one is killing anyone!” Kagome disagreed. She breathed nervously. “I’m sorry you came all this way… but marriage is not in the future for you two,” she attempted to mediate.

“Is she already spoken for?”

“No! She’s seventeen and under my care!” Inuyasha growled with a raised fist.

“Oh, so you already prepared a match with someone of your likeness,” Akio accused with narrowed us. “I disagree – it’d be a disservice for your daughter.”

“That’s not your call to make and she isn’t marrying anyone anytime soon! Not if I have any say in it!”

“Yeah! Marriage ain’t for me, buddy!” Moroha copied.

“I wouldn’t turn it down so soon if I were you,” Hisui humored. “This could be your one and only chance.”

Moroha steered towards him with raging eyes.

“No one asked you, Hisui!”

“Butt out, you! Miroku! Manage your son!”

“Now is not the time, son,” Miroku meekly said as he approached his offspring.

“I’m inclined to agree,” Setsuna joined.

“With me…?” Hisui prompted, hopeful she was aligning herself with him.

“This one or perhaps, if he’s still enamored, the wolf boy, too,” Setsuna added.

“Enough!” Inuyasha bellowed. He nearly drew out his sword had it not been for Kagome who stepped in front of him, guarding him.

“Would you decline nobility and comfortability?” Akio asked Moroha.

“I do! I’m staying right here! Time to go! Good-bye! See you never!”

“Manners,” Kagome warned.

“Screw manners,” Inuyasha cursed.

“So be it,” Akio dejected. He pulled the reigns of the steed, prompting the horse forward. He passed by the family of three as he did.

“No offense has been taken, I assure you,” he calmly said as his eyes set upon Moroha. “I bid you good fortune, Lady Moroha, and you, too… half-demon, priestess…”

Inuyasha was tense, hands fisted, alongside his daughter who bore teeth as he passed. A real feral child – however cute she may be in her mother’s eyes. Kagome waved awkwardly.

“You missed your chance to marry rich,” Hisui teased as he joined the threesome alongside his parents.

“You handled yourself pretty well given the circumstances,” Miroku chuckled.

“Moroha…” Inuyasha warned. She felt his eyes burn into her skull. She trembled.

“Mom can explain!!” She squealed, running away.

“Not a chance! Get back here!” Inuyasha gave chase.

“I wonder what your dad would do if someone tried to ask for your hand,” Hisui joked to Setsuna.

“Kill him, no doubt,” Setsuna answered promptly.

The color on his face drained.

“Maybe we should pick our battles,” Sango warned – enjoying the terror on her boy’s face as she, too, foresaw his crush teetering on delusional.

[hashtagartistlife]

and then there were none

Ichigo Kurosaki, college student, gets roped into a dorm game with a long tradition and finds it a little more than he bargained for. Kuchiki Rukia, college student, has never done anything by halves-- and that includes stupid traditional dorm welcoming games. The r.a.s regret the day they placed her knife in his hands.

There was a tumblr post going around that I can no longer find about a welcoming game at an American college dormitory. The basic idea behind it was that everyone in the dorms get a plastic knife with someone else's name on it, and they had to find that person and 'stab' them with the knife (just a simple touch was counted as valid) to 'murder' them. The 'victim' is then out of the game, and they had to hand over their own plastic knife to their 'murderer'. Whoever is on the 'victim's plastic knife was the new victim for the 'murderer'.

My first instinct upon seeing anything vaguely amusing is always 'make it ichiruki'. So here's the fic about it.

(There's two chapters planned, and please don't ask me when the next chapter will be up, it's not high on my priority list. But it WILL come, some day. I don't make it a habit to abandon fic, even though sometimes it seems like I have. Promise.)

___________________________________________________________

So, college dorms were pretty wild. 

For small-town Karakura boy Kurosaki Ichigo, living in a co-ed dorm at a university in America has been nothing short of an eye-opening experience. There are people walking around barefeet in only a towel. Some girl set off the smoke alarm because she was cooking cup noodles in the bathroom at 2am. He’s pretty sure he’s heard his dormmates having sex through the walls on more than one occasion, and the food served at the cafeteria is only edible about half the time. All in all, it’s a little bemusing, but not at all unpleasant, and by the third week of his move he thinks he’s settling in ok. His room is mostly in order, and he’s made at least passing acquaintances with the people on his floor. His English is improving at a frankly astonishing speed, and classes don’t start till next week. He’s figured out which stall in the bathroom spits out the most reliable hot water, and he really thinks he’s got a good handle on this whole ‘dorm living’ thing—

that is, until he gets back to his dorm room one night to find a plastic knife shoved under his door. 

“The fuck…?” he mutters, trying to figure out if this was an American befriending ritual, or maybe someone was just attempting to threaten him (badly)? Did his room look like a trashcan? Did Chad (he thinks that was his name) from room 209 remember what he said about not having a grasp on American cutlery yet and decide to help him in a subtle way? 

He raps on the door next to his, and a muffled voice yells ‘who is it?’

“It’s Kurosaki from 206,” he replies, and the door cracks open to reveal a single brown eye and a strand of auburn hair. 

“Oh, hi, Kurosaki-kun!” Inoue Orihime from 207 was…. an odd girl. She liked putting parsley in her coffee and read astrophysics textbooks for fun. But Ichigo doesn’t remember her ever being this defensive— she’d always been enthusiastic about greeting people, so the way that she refuses to open her door more than an inch is uncharacteristic of her. “What’s wrong?”

“Well, I just got back from the library and there was this knife shoved under my door—”

At this, Inoue screams and slams her door shut; Ichigo is left more than a little bemused. “Inoue? What the hell— it’s only a plastic knife!” 

“I know that, Kurosaki-kun! As if I’m just going to let you win this— but by the way, this is terrible strategy, now I know to avoid you like the plague—”

“Strategy?! Inoue, what the fuck— wait, is this plastic knife meant to mean something? Is this some American etiquette thing? I have no idea what’s going on. Please explain to me what this knife means—”

Inoue opens her door a crack again, and looks at him suspiciously. 

“Wait, so you didn’t hear the murder announcement at breakfast today?” 

“Murder announcement?! Jesus FUCK, who died—”

“Nobody died, Kurosaki-kun, don’t be overdramatic—”

“AS FAR AS MY ENGLISH SKILLS GO, INOUE, MURDER MEANS SOMEBODY DIED—”

“Wow, you really don’t listen to the breakfast announcements at all, do you?” Inoue sounds supremely unimpressed, but at least she opens the door a bit further; except what the hell is she only wearing a towel—?!

“Inoue why the fuck are you only wearing a towel—”

Inoue waves her hand like that’s a negligible detail. “Just got out of the shower, but also murder strategy. You’re immune if you’re naked, and some of the second years recommended this. I’m in this to win, Kurosaki-kun, there’s a whole year’s supply of cup noodles in this for me—”

“Wait, what? Cup noodles?” That got his attention. Anything that scored him a whole year’s supply of free cup noodles was okay in his book. Questionable towel-wearing included. “Now you really gotta explain what’s going on.” 

“I should leave you to rot, one less person to compete against for me.” Inoue purses her lips. “But you were the first one to pour a bucket of water on that fire I started last week, so fine, I’ll let you in on the murder details.” 

“Not a sentence I thought I’d ever hear in my life, but cheers, America,” Ichigo mutters. 

“So basically, murder’s a game that the whole dorm plays every year,” Inoue starts explaining, and Ichigo’s still trying to get over the weirdness of the word murder being used so casually— “and everyone gets these plastic knives with someone’s name written on them, and the idea is you have to stab that person with the knife and ‘’’kill’’’ them. Then you get their knife, and you just keep killing people and collecting knives until you’re the last person left! Hmm, there were a couple of rules, you can’t kill someone in the dining room or their own rooms, and you’re immune if you’re naked, but I think that was it? Anyway. So yeah! That’s what’s going on here!” 

Ichigo squints at his knife in the half-dark of the corridor that, for some reason, has had all its lights screwed out. “Ok, that’s…. Great, I suppose? What happens if I don’t know who the person on my knife is?”

“Then you find out, Kurosaki-kun! This game was ostensibly devised so that we make friends, you know.”

“There are no friends when it comes to a year’s free supply of cup noodles,” Ichigo says, and Inoue claps her hands. 

“Precisely! You’re getting the hang of it now. Ergo, for the next week, I don’t know you, ok? Good luck!” 

Inoue slams her door shut, and Ichigo shuffles back to his room, feeling slightly more enlightened than before. 

But still— 

“Who the hell is Rukia Kuchiki?”

__________________________________________________________

By the second week of Murder, Ichigo’s seen enough naked butts to last him a lifetime. It seems that voluntary nakedness is a vastly preferable fate for many than losing a shot at a year’s supply of free cup noodles, and honestly if that doesn’t sum up the average college student mindset Ichigo doesn’t know what does. (He’d probably be a lot more judgemental about it, though, if he hadn’t spent at least a few hours earnestly contemplating the strategy himself.) 

Thankfully, he and Chad have an alliance of sorts that makes him wearing a towel round the place redundant. He’d enlisted the giant’s help in identifying his would-be target, and after ascertaining that he wasn’t the name on Chad’s knife either (Chad had one Asano Keigo as his victim, Ichigo only knows him as that guy who swallowed a whole tablespoon of cinnamon powder on a dare), the two of them had agreed to watch the other’s back. Chad was set to pull off his first attack tomorrow, but Ichigo still had no clue who or where Rukia Kuchiki was. 

Part of the problem was that the dorm was so friggin’ huge; there were four wings, each with five floors, and each floor had ten rooms. That was 200 potential students he had to parse through to find his victim, and it wasn’t exactly like he could go around asking people if they knew her. Murder had amped hostility on campus up by 300%, and almost nobody stopped for idle chatter anymore.

Whoever had devised this as a way of promoting friendliness and unity on campus was a giant fuckin’ moron. 

“Still no word on Kuchiki?” Chad asks, after another day of paranoia and stalking Asano to make sure the plan goes off without a hitch, and Ichigo shakes his head. 

“Are they even real at this stage? Are we sure I haven’t been given someone who doesn’t exist?” 

“Ghost student?” 

“Fuckin’ potentially? Who the fuck knows with America.”

Chad hides a smile behind his rickety old guitar and starts tuning. “I’ll ask around my bandmates tomorrow, if you’d like.” 

“Naw, s’alright. I don’t want word to get out that I’m looking for them. What kinda giant flashing beacon that says HEY, I’M YOUR POTENTIAL MURDERER, right?” 

“If you say so.” 

“I do.” Because dammit all, Ichigo’s serious about this thing. A whole year’s supply of cup noodles is no joking matter. Speaking of which, he wonders how Inoue is doing with her murders…

_______________________________________________________________

Inoue, as it turns out, is doing swimmingly. While Ichigo has done little more than sit around and twiddle his thumbs, Inoue has already racked up an impressive collection of plastic knives— three, she informs him that night, while cheerfully throwing him a celebratory can of leek soda (Ichigo gingerly sets it down behind her sofa when she's not looking). She was making good headway on her next victim, as well, and if all went according to plan she'd have her fourth knife tomorrow morning—

“But, you know, Kurosaki-kun,” she muses, sipping on her own can of beetroot soda (where did she get these concoctions from!?), “You're awfully cavalier about this whole thing. For all you know, you could be my next victim,but here you are, sitting on my couch. Or do you just not care about cup noodles?”

He snorts. “If you ever got ahold of my knife, I'm pretty sure I'd be dead before we even got to have this conversation.”

“True,” she concedes— credit where credit is due. “So nobody’s popped up to try to kill you yet?”

“Nope,” he replies, popping the p a little. Honestly, that was the only thing making him feel better about his complete inability to murder anyone— the fact that whoever had his knife was having just as much difficulty tracking him down. One week in, and he'd not seen hide nor hair of this Rukia Kuchiki person, and, big dorm or not, her (her? Ichigo assumes it's a girl, though Rukia is very unusual for a Japanese name) elusiveness is getting to be extremely impressive. “But Chad is watching my back for me anyway. I'm covered.”

“Hmm.” Inoue purses her lips. “That's a lot of faith in someone you've only known, for, what, three weeks?”

“Chad is trustworthy,” Ichigo says firmly. He stands and stretches up to the ceiling, stifling a yawn. “And speaking of Chad, I better get to bed. He's ambushing Asano tomorrow, I told him I'd be there for backup.”

Inoue waves. “Good luck to Sado-kun, then. I’m gonna stay up a bit to refine my own dastardly plans.”

He shakes his head and opens the door, peering out into the corridor to make sure the coast was clear. He and Inoue were literally next door neighbours, but you couldn't be too careful these days. “When you win this thing I'm gonna be expecting free noodles from you occasionally. Remember I stopped you from burning down the whole dorms last week.”

“I'll consider it.”

“‘Night, then.”

“Goodnight, Kurosaki-kun. Dream of Rukia Kuchiki tonight!”

“At this stage,” Ichigo mutters, as he slips back into his room, “anything to help me find out who the hell she is.”

_______________________________________________________

Drastic times call for drastic measures. The next morning, after a successful ambush on Asano (Chad is now +1 plastic knife; his new victim is called Yammy Llargo), Ichigo tracks down someone he'd been avoiding ever since his move to America and claps a hand on her shoulder. 

“Hey.” 

Arisawa Tatsuki whirls around and body-slams him into the ground. “Who the fuck do you think you— Ichigo?”

He winces. “Hi.”

Tatsuki puts her hands on her hips and does not offer him any help getting up. “Oh, so you're talking to me now?”

“I just said hi, didn't I?”

“You know, you're such a fucking asshole, did it ever occur in your pathetic little brain to apologise—”

“I'm sorry,” Ichigo mutters sullenly. “Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you I was also going to college in America, I'm sorry you found out only when you bumped into me at the dorm welcoming party, it's just that we had that whole farewell party for you and we had that touching goodbye and, look it's just awkward that I got a second round admissions letter the very next day, it's like saying bye to a friend and then finding out you're walking the same way to the carpark, ok, it’s embarrassing—”

“Oh my god, you drama queen. Were you ever planning on telling me? Ever? Your best friend since childhood?”

“... I might’ve planned to tell you at the beginning of the next semester by pretending I was on exchange,” he admits. Tatsuki throws her hands up in the air. 

“You were going to avoid me for a whole semester?!”

“Look, I didn't know I’d end up in the same dorm as you, ok? It's a big campus!”

“Un-be-lievable,” she says, turning on a heel and walking away from him. “You know what, keep ignoring me. Don’t hang out around here. I don’t want your incredible loser vibes accidentally rubbing off—” 

“I said sorry, didn’t I? Wait, wait, I had something to ask you!” 

“Sorry doesn’t pay my bills, Ichigo!” 

Ichigo catches up to her and falls into stride. “You don’t even pay bills! You’re on a full scholarship!”

Tatsuki manages a smug smile. “If you’re so jealous, maybe you should have kept up with karate.”

Ichigo grumbles. “Yeah, right, like I had a chance at a physical education scholarship with you in the same dojo.” 

“I’m glad you’re finally acknowledging my superiority—!”

“You beat my ass continuously from when we were six to sixteen, I threw away any pride I had a long damn time ago.” He makes a face at the memory, then shakes his head to refocus. “Anyway, this isn’t why I was here. Listen, have you heard of anyone around here called Rukia Kuchiki—?”

Tatsuki cocks her head to the side at that, a thoughtful expression on her face. “Kuchiki…? Name sounds familiar. Why?”

Ichigo feels his heart speed up in his chest. “What, really? Where did you hear it? Do you know her?” 

And now she was grinning again and— oh, no, Ichigo does not like the look of that smile. “Why do you want to know?” she asks, and the question is laden with suggestion. Ichigo flushes. 

“None of your damn busi— look, it’s not what you think—”

“Aw, my little mama’s boy Ichigo is all grown up, I remember when you used to go crying to your mom for a scraped knee and now you’re chasing after women—” 

“It’s for murder, you absolute pain in the butt! She’s my target!”

Tatsuki bursts out laughing, hearty peals of laughter bouncing off the courtyard walls. “Alright, alright, I get you. I was just teasing, Ichigo, geez. Anyway, the name sounds familiar, but that doesn’t mean I know her. I can’t remember where I’ve heard it before.”

Ichigo deflates as quickly as he’d been riled up. “Are you serious right now—?”

“Hey, you can talk, mister ‘I’m-really-bad-at-remembering-names-and-faces! And yeah, I’m serious. I don’t have a stake in murder anymore. I got killed two days in.”

Ok, that surprises him. He raises a skeptical eyebrow. “What, really? Who the hell did you in?”

“Some girl named Orihime Inoue,” she grumbles, kicking a nearby rock. “Tae-kwon-do black belt, apparently??? She doesn’t even look the type!” 

Ichigo makes a noise of sympathy and understanding. He should have guessed.

“Anyway, now I’m roped into helping her. So I don’t think I’d be able to tell you about Rukia Kuchiki, even if I’d known any more about her. Victims who are murdered have to help their murderer, and all.”

Ichigo frowns. “Wait, those are the rules?”

“That’s what Inoue said.” 

“............ I am about 95% sure that those were not part of murder rules.”

There’s a short silence between the two as they process this.

“...... scary girl,” Tatsuki finally says, in a grudgingly admiring tone.

“I’ll say.” 

The two of them stop their brisk walk in front of a huge pair of doors emblazoned with the words GYM, and Tatsuki waves him off. “Anyway, I gotta go train now. Any further questions before I go?”

Ichigo thinks a bit. “Yeah, why drama queen? Since I’m a guy, shouldn’t it be drama king?”

“Do I look like a linguist? You always scored better than I did at this stupid language. Take it up with whoever your hero was, Willy Shakealot or something?”

“Shakespeare,” he says sharply. “And Shakespeare wasn’t a linguist. In fact, I’m pretty sure linguists really hate him. He made up a lot of weird words and shit.”

“He did? Huh. Didn’t know you were allowed to do that.” 

“You’re not, Shakespeare just gave zero fucks.” Ichigo shrugs and takes a half-step back, raising his hand in a goodbye salute. “Why else do you think he was my hero?”

Tatsuki rolls her eyes. “Whatever. You’re still a loser.” 

“And you’re a bitch. Let me know if you remember anything about Kuchiki.”

“Only if we get to go halves on the cup noodles.” 

“I’ll think about it.”

“Then I’ll think about it, too.” 

That was probably the best he was going to get out of her. “Later, then.”

“If you can bear the embarrassment of us meeting again despite already having said goodbye, then sure.”

Ichigo shakes his head and lets her have that parting riposte. He hadn’t won a single match, verbal or physical, against Tatsuki since they’d been in diapers; he figures, what with the way his luck was going lately, that he wasn’t about to start now. 

__________________________________________________________

Just as Ichigo walks away, a tiny girl brushes past him on her way to the gym. Her black hair falls short and sleek, tickling her jawline and the nape of her neck, and the clean scent of cucumber and mint follows in her wake. She jostles him a little, bumping into his elbow, but Ichigo hardly notices the slight press of her body against his, small and light as she is. She mutters a hasty apology, and disappears into the building before he can formulate a reply. 

Ichigo shrugs and goes on his merry way. 

_______________________________________________________

The third week of murder brings about a calamitous change in the game as Ichigo knows it, due to several factors:

Orihime Inoue kills not one, not two, but three people in quick succession;

Someone finally stages an attack on him, but runs away without having completed the deed, and

Chad dies.

Not literally, of course, but Ichigo has to admit, the figurative loss still hits him pretty damn hard. Chad takes it as stoically as ever, with a shrug and twitch of his eyebrow, and goes back to working on music for his band. 

“Does anything faze you?” Ichigo wonders, after Chad hands his knife over to Inoue (because of course it was Inoue who took him out. Of course). 

“Puppies.”

“Fair enough.” 

“Kittens, too.” 

“... Right.”

“And birds. And rabbits. And small children—”

“So basically, you’re a sucker for anything cute?”

Chad shrugs again, which Ichigo takes as a yes. He crumples up his soda can and lobs it into the bin. 

“You were attacked today, too. Aren’t you worried?”

Ichigo considers it. “A bit, yeah. Sucks that you got taken out of the game. But you can still watch my back when you can, right? I’ll go halves on the noodles with you.” 

Chad nods. “When I can. I might be busier with my band soon, though.” 

“Understandable. I’ll try and keep myself alive in the meantime. At least I know who’s aiming for me, now. Neru? Nel?”

“Neliel Tu Odelschwancke.” 

Ichigo stares. “How the hell do you remember that?”

“She’s in my music theory class. And she has green hair. She’s not hard to miss.”

“Well, good. Should make it easier to see her coming.”

Chad smiles. “Your hair isn’t exactly hard to miss, either.” 

“Aw, shut up. I take back what I said about the noodles.” 

They sit in companionable silence for a while, the sounds of Chad tuning his guitar the only thing between them. Eventually, Chad breaks the ice. 

“And Kuchiki?”

Ichigo huffs a dry laugh. “No fuckin’ clue who or where she is. I’ve even been asking around, now that a lot of people have been dropped from the game by dying. But nobody seems to know who she is, even though everyone says her name sounds familiar. It’s driving me up the goddamn wall.”

“When I first heard the name, I thought that too.”

“What, that it sounds like a name that’s going to drive me up the wall?”

“No, that it sounds familiar.”

At this point, Ichigo is more tired than exasperated. “Yeah, s’what everyone says. Whatever. I’ll either find her or I won’t, right? No point getting annoyed over it. Better just focus on staying alive, because I swear to god if I die before finding out who she is I’ll be pissed.”

“You better hope,” Chad says gravely, “that Inoue doesn’t get her hands on your knife, then.” 

“You, me, and the entire dorm population, mate.” 

________________________________________________________

Ichigo drops by Inoue’s room that evening, just to check he isn’t next on her list. He’s lucky— he’s not. But some poor fucker by the name of Uryuu Ishida is.

“I waited outside his room all day and he didn’t even exit once!” Inoue’s saying, brandishing the knife with his name on it like a conductor directing Beethoven’s Ninth. “What kind of— of social recluse does that?!”

“Damn,” Ichigo replies, ignoring the fact that he did exactly that for days on end during the summer holidays, rereading The Compleat Works of Shakespeare in English and Japanese. “Sounds like a loser.”

“Apparently he’s like— the dorm cryptid,” she says, lowering her voice conspiratorially. “Nobody’s— nobody’s really seen him in the flesh. They’re not sure he even exists. They think he’s second-year pre-med and that he was valedictorian of his grade last year, but nobody knows for sure.”

“Inoue, how did you manage to find out all this in the span of a day?” 

She looks at him like he’s insane. “I, uh, talked to people?”

“I talk to people too! But nobody knows who Rukia Kuchiki is. Nobody. Zilch. Zip. Nada. At this point I’m about 98% sure she doesn’t actually exist.”

Inoue sighs pityingly. “Kurosaki-kun, you’ve been talking to students, haven’t you?”

Ichigo’s confused. “Who else would I talk to?”

Inoue just puts a finger to her lips. “Can’t tell you. Trade secret. But really, Kurosaki-kun. There are much easier ways of going about this game, you know.” 

“Fat lot of good that’s going to do me, when you won’t tell me,” he grumbles. He takes another look at the name on her knife— Uryuu Ishida, may he rest in peace— and thanks his lucky stars that it isn’t him on there. “Anyway, I better be off. Good luck with the new guy. Not that you’ll need it.” 

“Good luck with Rukia Kuchiki, because you’ll definitely need it.” 

Hell, did everyone make a secret pact today to take the mickey out of him? Ichigo’s too tired to argue, so he just leaves Inoue to her planning and calls it a night. Maybe he’ll have better luck tomorrow.

____________________________________________________________

It takes Ichigo a few seconds to remember who she is, he’s been so tired lately. 

Green hair, he thinks, absentmindedly, before he remembers his conversation with Chad yesterday and yelps, scooting back a few metres. 

“You— Neliel?”

“That’s me!” His would-be murderer is bright and vivacious, and way too perky for this hour of the morning. Aside from the curious green hair, she’s also got a scar between her eyes and a reddish— birthmark? Tattoo? Ichigo doesn’t know— across the bridge of her nose. “Morning, Ichigo!”

Ichigo’s already halfway across the courtyard by the time she stops him. “Wait! Wait! I’m not here to kill you this morning!”

“Yeah right!” he yells back. “I’m not dying before I find out who the hell Rukia Kuchiki is! Try another morning!” 

“You idiot, I’m already dead! Check the morning lists if you don’t believe me!”

Ichigo stops and whips out his smartphone. “You stay right there,” he says, glaring, and Neliel complies, holding her hands up in a gesture of surrender. He scrolls through the dorm noticeboard, and, sure enough, there is her name: one of the last people to be murdered last night. 

“See? I don’t lie,” she says, reproachful, and Ichigo shoves his phone back into his pocket and approaches her cautiously. 

“What do you want?” 

Neliel shrugs. “I just thought I’d warn you about your new potential murderer? Thought that might be good manners, and all. Normally I wouldn’t bother, but, well. Your new murderer’s…… yeah.”

“My new murderer’s… what?” 

She looks intensely uncomfortable at this. “He’s. Well. He’s…. He’s not a friend, per se, but I’ve known him since we were little and I feel a bit responsible for him— uh, he’s a bit rough sometimes, but he won’t actually kill you. I think. Look, just keep your eyes peeled, ok? Anyway, enough of this depressing talk in the morning. Who’s Rukia Kuchiki? Why are you so keen on meeting her?”

Wow, that was so transparent a topic change that Ichigo’s almost impressed. “No, no, go back to my murderer, what were you saying about him?”

“— so, Rukia Kuchiki, huh, cool name, sounds kinda familiar, wonder where I’ve heard it before—”

“Neliel. You were talking about my new murderer and actual murder in the same breath. This does not give me a lot of reassurance, you feel?”

“—no, wait, actually, Rukia Kuchiki,” she mutters, her brow furrowing. Then her expression clears, and she looks up at him with a bright smile. “Oh! You don’t possibly mean Dia—”

And just as that happens, the lockdown alarms go off. 

_______________________________________________________

The loudspeaker in the middle of the courtyard bursts into life with a crackle of static. 

“Attention all residents. This is not a drill. Please make your way to the nearest lockdown location in an orderly fashion. Attention all residents…”

By the second round of the announcement, both of them manage to unfreeze; Neliel curses and starts to turn away, but Ichigo grabs onto her wrist. 

“Oh shit— I have to go find Donddochakka and Pesche—”

“Wait— Rukia. What were you about to say about Rukia?”

She shakes his restraining hand off with ease. “I’ll tell you later! I have to go find my friends!” 

“No, goddammit! Tell me now! It won’t take you that long!” Ichigo yells, but she’s already disappeared into the throng of people. Ichigo kicks a nearby rock and consults his phone to find his nearest lockdown location— the gym, apparently. He joins the crowd moving slowly in that direction, mind still grappling with Neliel’s last words.

Rukia Kuchiki? Oh! You don’t possibly mean Dia-

Dia? Who the hell was Dia?

But he’d have to deal with that later; he walks into the gym and spots Tatsuki, waving at him from a corner with Inoue. He makes his way towards them. 

“—n’t believe that he still won’t come out of his room, who does he think he is— there are safety regulations in place—” Inoue is saying, fingers curled around the knife that still says Uryuu Ishida. Tatsuki attempts to placate her with a long-suffering expression. 

“Maybe he’d already left before you came— hi, Ichigo.”

“Hello, Kurosaki-kun! And ridiculous— I was there at 6 a.m. in the morning. What sort of self-respecting college student wakes up before then?”

“6 a.m.?! Orihime, that’s. That’s stalking—”

“Stalking’s not stalking if it’s done in the name of free cup noodles—” 

“Stalking is always stalking! God, whatever, we’re continuing this another time. Anyway, Ichigo, did you hear? Some nutjob got onto campus with an actual knife.” 

Ichigo flinches. “What? Jesus. I hope Chad’s ok. Where’d you hear that from?”

“From the r.a. over there.” Tatsuki points with a chin, and indeed, several r.a.s are in deep discussion, all of them with a serious look on their face. “They’re gonna make an announcement about it soon. Apparently it’s a scrawny dude, black hair in a ponytail, wearing a dirty white hoodie and jeans. There’s police cars arriving, shit’s crazy.” 

“I’ll say.” At least it was a knife and not a gun, Ichigo thinks, toying idly with his own plastic knife. He halfheartedly scans the crowd, looking for any unfamiliar faces— surprisingly, he finds that he knows most of them already, by sight if not by name. He wonders if any of them are Rukia Kuchiki, and finds himself hoping that, wherever she was, she was somewhere safe. 

It’d be a bit of a downer if she was actually murdered before he managed to get around to it. 

The gym doors open again to let some of the stragglers in, and Ichigo allows his attention to be turned by the motely crew that walk in: a tall, thin man who is built rather like a stick insect, a hulking guy who looks about as wide as he’s tall, and a smaller, scrawny dude who is wearing nothing but a towel as a fundoshi around his waist (goddammit, Ichigo thought that tactic had died out by the first week). And, almost buried by the mass of bodies around her, a head full of green hair. 

Ichigo blinks, and then he starts pushing through the crowd to get to her. 

“Hey. HEY! NELIEL! WE GOTTA CONTINUE OUR CONVERSATION FROM EARLIER!”

Neliel looks up in his direction, and frantically starts mouthing no at him. Ichigo doesn’t give a shit. He’s going to find out who Rukia Kuchiki is, and he’s going to find out now.

“Don’t give me that crap! You said you’d tell me later! Well, it’s later now, so out with it—”

“No, I swear to god, Ichigo, not now—”

“Ichigo?” The stick insect dude suddenly looks viciously interested, and Neliel claps a hand over her mouth. “As in, Ichigo Kurosaki?”

Neliel shakes her head. Ichigo glares at stick insect dude. 

“If I am, who the fuck are you?”

Nel buries her face in her hands, and stick insect dude smiles— and shit, can people even smile that wide? Ichigo feels a chill run down his spine. 

“Your death,” stick insect dude says, and he lunges. 

Scrawny dude, black hair in a ponytail, wearing a dirty white hoodie and jeans.

Ichigo sees the glint of a knife held in his hands, and suddenly realises he’s going to die—

“No!”

That is, until a short, black-haired blur shoots out from the crowd and jumps in front of the knife meant for him. 

It sinks in to the hilt, and Ichigo watches the girl’s eyes widen in shock with a horror that robs him of his own voice. 

________________________________________________________

Both girl and assailant crumple to the ground, and Ichigo’s frantic with worry; he reaches the girl first, hoists her up onto his lap, expecting blood. She was so small; what the hell was she thinking, jumping out in front of him?! She coughs, great big hacking things that he wouldn’t expect from someone her size, and Ichigo holds her around her shoulders, worried out of his mind. 

“Are you ok? Hold on— where did he stab you? Are you bleeding—”

In response, the girl wipes her mouth with the back of her hand and lunges at the felled assailant. 

“You missed, you cowardly shitstain, I don’t know what you’re doing on a campus but you’re going to rot in jail for this—” 

“Young lady—! Enough! Back away and let the cops deal with this—”

“Nnoitra! I told you to leave that stupid knife behind, you idiot—”

“Ow! OW! Don’t just fucking watch, Nel, get this crazy woman off me, what the fuck—” 

“ENOUGH!” The r.a.’s have made their way over by now, and manage to separate the two brawling figures; stick insect dude is being held back by Nel and her two other friends, while the girl is being restrained by an r.a. Ichigo sits on the floor between them, feeling like he just missed something. 

“Wait, hang on, what’s— what just happened— didn’t you get stabbed?” he asks the girl, who is looking very un-stabbed. She glares at stick insect dude. 

“He missed,” she spits, and stick insect dude howls in indignation. 

“I did not miss!” he hisses, and throws a crumpled plastic knife onto the ground. “I had him! I would have had him straight in the gut if it hadn’t been for you jumping in for your boyfriend!!! The fuck, dude! This is sabotage! What have you got against me winning cup noodles?!”

Ichigo stares at the plastic knife bearing his name, crushed like an empty aluminium drink can, and slowly starts piecing the incident together. 

“Wait— so you're—”

“And now I've lost the element of surprise. You scrawny little bitch,” Nnoitra snaps, and Ichigo thinks, a little wildly, that he had no business going around calling anyone else scrawny. He eyes the limp black hair and dirty white hoodie of his assailant and attempts to make sense of the chaos around him. 

“You’re— you had my knife—?”

Nnoitra rolls his eyes. “What, can’t you see? You impaired or some shit?” 

“Oh my god, Nnoitra,” Neliel groans. “Can you keep your big fat mouth shut for half a second—”

“Oh,” comes a small sound from the black-haired girl, and Ichigo turns to see her slowly flushing crimson. “Oh.”

“Oh,” Nnoitra mocks, before Neliel smacks him in the head. “Ow! Nel, you bitch, she is clearly the one in the wrong here, would you knock it off—”

“Well, what the hell was I supposed to think?!” the girl demands, now completely red but with an indignant expression on her face. “You matched the description for the armed intruder perfectly! Not to mention, who plays Murder like they're actually trying to kill someone?!”

“This is why I was trying to warn you,” Nel says to Ichigo in an exasperated aside. “And those are just his last set of clean clothes.”

There's a short silence as everyone digests her words, Ichigo and the girl both eyeing Nnoitra’s hoodie like they seriously doubted Nel’s definition of ‘clean’.

The girl clears her throat and speaks for all of them. “Gross.”

Nnoitra flings himself against Nel’s restraint. “You bitch, I'll fucking cut you up—”

“Enough!” an adult finally makes their way onto the scene, and everyone looks at the harried professor with varying levels of relief. The girl, in particular, lights up at the sight of him. 

“Professor Ukitake—!”

“What’s going on here?” he asks in a tired sort of way, and the r.a.s hasten to answer him. 

“A minor altercation— you know our dorm tradition, Murder—”

“Ah, that damn game,” he mutters, looking extremely distracted. His gaze sweeps over all of them, assessing the situation. “Nobody’s actually hurt, then?”

“No sir,” the girl answers, prompt. The professor nods at her, before turning to the r.a.s for the full story. By now, the police have made it into the evacuation area as well; the three parties convene for a minute or two, discussing the details in hushed voices, before they all turn to Nnoitra and Nel.

“In any case, Mr. Gilga,” Professor Ukitake says apologetically, “although it may be coincidental, it is true that you fit the description for the armed intruder rather perfectly, I’m afraid. The police would like you to accompany them to the station, just for a little while, until the intruder situation is solved. If that’s ok with you—?” 

“Wha— the hell it is! I was just tryna murder Kurosaki over there—” 

The professor winces. “Mr. Gilga….. That’s really not helping your cause there.” 

“Oh, c’mon, it’s just a game—” 

“I told you,” Nel interrupts witheringly. “I told you to leave your damn knife behind, didn’t I? Just go with the officers for now, Nnoitra. It’s just til they catch the real intruder, and quite frankly, I don’t trust you around Ichigo right now.” 

“Don’t be a sore loser, Nel, just because I murdered you last night—” 

Two policemen place a hand each on Nnoitra’s shoulders and escort him out, Nnoitra complaining the whole time but not daring to retaliate. Nel shakes her head and makes an apologetic face in the direction of the smaller girl. “God, I told him… sorry about all this, Di. I might go with him just to make sure he doesn’t get himself arrested… you really alright? Not hurt anywhere?” 

“Who do you think I am?” the girl scoffs. “I’m fine. Never did understand why you’re friends with him, though.”

Nel grimaces. “Yeah, sometimes I wonder that, too. Anyway, I’ll see you later at the gym, we can talk about this then.” 

“Tell your stick insect friend not to lunge at people with knives in the future, whether they’re plastic or not.” 

“Will do. Bye!” with another apologetic half-wave, Neliel and her two other friends take off after Nnoitra. Ichigo, still feeling somewhat bemused by the proceedings, finally turns and manages to get a good look at his…. saviour(?), for lack of a better word. 

She’s short. That’s his first impression, the fact that she is so goddamn short and good lord, she might actually, literally be just half his size, if the way the top of her head only comes up to his chest is any indication. Aside from the height (or lack thereof), she seems fairly nondescript: short black bob, black leggings and a t-shirt with a flannel tied around her waist. She notices him staring and holds out a hand. 

“Diana. We could have met in less embarrassing circumstances, but I guess as first meetings go ‘jumped in front of a knife for you’ isn’t a bad start. You alright?” 

Ichigo takes the proffered hand and is promptly surprised by the firmness of her grip. “Fine. I feel like I should be the one asking you, though. You're the one that got stabbed.”

Diana rolls her eyes. “Please. As if anything wielded by a guy that skinny would ever be able to hurt me.” She grins, all teeth, and whoa, Ichigo may have to reconsider that first assessment of her. He’s suddenly flustered, red dusting the skin over his cheekbones as he tries to come up with a response. She has the bluest eyes he's ever seen. 

Thankfully, the professor from earlier spares him. “Miss Kuchiki!” he calls, and Diana turns— he wants to have a few words with her, it seems, and she gestures to him that she'd be over soon. She turns back to Ichigo to say goodbye. 

“Well, take care, I guess I'll see you around--"

Something clicks in his brain like lightning, and he catches her by the wrist. 

“Wait. Kuchiki—? Like, Kuchiki as in Byakuya Kuchiki Kuchiki? Kuchiki as in the Kuchiki Wing in the Main Library Kuchiki? As in one of the shareholders of our university Kuchiki? That Kuchiki?”

“Shut up, fool, not so loud—!” She snatches her wrist back and looks around worriedly, though by now people’s attentions have moved on from them. She answers him in a resigned tone. “Yes, that Kuchiki. He’s my brother. It's not something I like to advertise.” 

Ichigo’s mind is teeming like a nest of ants. “Why— no, never mind that question. Diana’s not a Japanese name, though--"

“It's my English name, obviously,” she snaps. “If you wanted my full name it is Rukia Kuchiki. Why are you so interested in my name anyway? Shouldn't you at least tell me yours first?”

A slow grin spreads over his face; the kind of grin that Tatsuki had once told him made him look like the supervillain in a bad shounen. He takes a step in closer to her, and Diana— Rukia, irritated, stands her ground. 

His hand slips into his pocket. 

“I'm Ichigo Kurosaki,” he tells her. 

In one fluid motion, he pulls out his own knife and taps her with it on the shoulder. Those blue eyes of hers widen first in disbelief, and then in outrage. 

“You— no. No, you can't possibly— you couldn't!!”

“Nice to meet you, Rukia Kuchiki,” he smirks, flipping the plastic knife over to display her name. 

Rukia closes her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose, like she has a headache coming on. 

Then she opens her eyes, takes a deep breath, and socks him in the face. 

[love-the-purple-cat]

Oh don't you dare look back, just keep your eyes on me - Chapter 1 Part 12

Cherī's parents are both what he had expected and yet not quite.

At first glance, it looks like the girl takes more after her mother than her father.

Her mother, Nagi, has rainbow dyed hair (even though it is a duller colour) and wore casual formal clothes. She has a small face, narrow nose, large dark brown eyes, a small narrow chin, and a wide mouth with a thin upper lip. Her physic is of a woman that goes to the gym at least three times a week, or one that runs nearly every day. He could also spot three piercings on her left ear.

Her father, Haru, has black hair and wore scrubs. He has a more round face, with a slightly wide nose, narrow light blue eyes, and downward-turned lips. He also looks like someone that keeps a close eye on his health - and if his assumption for the man's job is correct, then there is a good reason.

It certainly looks like Cherī takes after her mother, but then her father opens his mouth and Ichigo realizes that the girl is a mix of both.

“So yer Ichigo! Cherī's told us so much ‘bout ya!” The man says, a wide grin that practically screams Cherī on his lips.

“It's a pleasure to meet you.” The mother says.

“The pleasure is all mine.” Ichigo says, shaking the offered hand.

They separate. Cherī and Haru go to prepare dinner and the table – he tries to offer help but is shut down before the sentence can even leave his mouth – while he and Nagi go converse in the living room.

“So how's school?” Nagi asks, picking a neutral topic.

“It’s fine. The students have started getting rowdy about the upcoming summer vacation, and festivals.” He says, giving the woman a polite smile.

She nods and they fall silent. Just like Cherī, she doesn’t try to fill the air with idle chit-chat.

“If I may ask,” Ichigo starts. “What is your career?”

Nagi smiles. “I am the CEO of Foxy Books.”

Once again, Ichigo is surprised by an Akao.

While not a major publishing firm, Foxy Books is still up there. It is-yet-kinda-isn’t-exactly an ‘all genre' kind of firm, most people aren’t even sure what genre they prefer. What is more notable about them is that they made consultations and even offer other firms that are sure to publish the books that they don’t. And it wasn’t firms that are going bankrupt or small and barely known ones – well, some were - but actual successful ones, ones that are sure to catch the reader’s eye.

Nagi laughs. “Let me guess, I don’t strike you as the ‘Move, I am a big important person. Secretary, bring me a coffee, fire that person, move my meetings to whenever-the-fuck-I-want.’” Her voice had gone rough at the impression.

“...Kinda?”

She laughs again. “It’s because of the hair, isn’t it?”

“Yes.” His answer causes her to burst into laughter.

“Dinner’s ready!” Cherī's voice carries over her mother’s loud laugh. “What’cha laughin’ ‘bout?”

“I told Ichigo what my job is!” Nagi yells, not bothering to stand up until she got control over her laughter.

“Ha!” Cherī laughs.

“What's so funny?” Haru asks from the kitchen.

“Ma told Ichi what her job is!”

“Ohh! Ah wanted ta' see that!”

Ichigo finds himself in the middle of some sort of inside joke to the Akao family. Seeing his confusion, Nagi manages to squeak out between giggles. “It’s because people's reactions range from outright denial to confusion to easy acceptance. We prefer denial because the faces they make are hilarious.”

He nods, and for a single moment, the family reminds his of Geta-bōshi. He shakes his head, ignoring the pang of longing and the twist of his guts.

“Ah think that's ‘nuff chit-chat fer now.” Haru says, and the bluenette realizes that they were looking at him with worry-filled eyes. He shouldn’t feel defensive and insulted, not when those kind of eyes weren't from pity, not when Cherī had worn them enough times for him to feel comfort. But he does. He feels as though they see him as weak and defenceless, and he hates it.

“Hey,” Cherī's voice draws his attention. “We didn’t mean ta' insult ya, Ichi. Ah apologize if we came off as cruel.”

“We’re sorry if we insulted you in any way.” Nagi says softly, the same way Cherī did when she dyed his hair.

He closes his eyes and nods, trying to reign in those unfair feelings. “It’s okay.” He says but Cherī must have heard something in his voice for she frowns.

“No, it ain't.” She says the words with that stubborn tilt of her head, the same one she had worn the other day when Chad had come their way during lunch. The two hadn’t spoken, but the taller teen had left with tense shoulders and a frown.

“It's okay,” He repeats, a little harsher, a little louder. “The past is in the past and should remain buried underneath soil and concrete.”

The family stops at the words.

They all look at him in a new light, though maybe not the kind one would expect.

The mother smiles a smile that is equal parts understanding and pain. Her eyes, on the other hand, burn with anger not directed at him. “It is,” She says quietly. “And we should stop overturning the earth before we find the bodies that shouldn't be buried there.”

His breath catches in his throat and turns into a lump.

Ichigo looks at Nagi in the same light the family looked at him. He tries several times to speak, but the lump prevents his voice from escaping. Finally, he croaks out, “You...” but doesn’t finish the sentence. Doesn’t know how to finish the sentence.

But his voice isn’t necessarily.

Not when she understands him the same way Cherī does. “The past is never dead. It's not even past.” She says it like a chant, like a mantra, like a quote said so often that it is a being of its own.

Ichigo,...

Ichigo chokes.

-The past is never dead-

Tears are running down his cheeks as he croaks out unintelligible sounds, but the Akao family finds meaning in those sounds for they gather around and wrap their arms around him as he sobs.

“Oh, little heart.” Nagi breaths out and the teen cries harder. It had been so long since he had been referred to as that.  “What has happened to you in these six years?” She asks but doesn’t expect an answer. She just holds him tightly as he sobs. “Oh, little heart. Who has pierced your heart the same way our teeth pierce the skin of an apple? Tell us and blood shall rain.”

The words bring back memories of blood and flesh, of warm embraces and kisses from stained red lips.

They are a promise he finds comfort in.

“I can't.” He sobs. “I can't tell you.”

He wants to. God, he wants to spill his soul to their willing ears, but he is too afraid. Too afraid of what would happen – what the shinigami, Geta-bōshoi, would do if they found out.

“Then give us hints.” Haru rumbles next to his ear. Soft lips press against Ichigo's temple and Nagi mirrors the action. “Give us hints an' look away.”

At that, Cherī lifts her head from where she had placed it against his collarbone. Gently, oh so gently, she grasps his face, wiping away tears with her thumbs.

“Ichigo,” She says it like a prayer. “Look at me.”

He looks at her, choking on his tears.

“Was it Inoue?” His breath hitches, but her face doesn’t change, only her eyes. Eyes that while the wrong colour have that familiar sharpness and cruelty from years ago. “Ishida? Sado?” She gets the same reactions for those names, and he sobs harder.

“Don’t-“ Ichigo chokes out. “Don’t hurt them.”

“But they hurt you.” Nagi croons in his ear, the sound comforting yet cruel.

“They didn’t.” He says desperately, then repeats. “They didn’t.”

“Oh.” The woman says.

Cherī tilts his head up to meet hers. “They may have not hurt ya in da past, but they are hurtin' ya now.” She presses a kiss to his forehead. “An' Ah can’t stand that.”

“Cherī-“

“Ah won't.” She cuts him off, tilting her head so that her brightly coloured hair curtains around them. “Ah would never do such a thing in front of ya.” Another kiss to his forehead. “Trust me. Please.” The plea was said in such a desperate tone that he couldn’t help but wrap his arms around her waist.

“I do.”

They stay like that for a while. Two adults and a child wrapped around a broken child. Because no matter what the Shinigami may say, he is nothing but a broken child secretly holding onto fragments of the past.

And for once, Ichigo doesn’t hate that he is vulnerable and weak. Not when he is in their embrace.

The past is never dead. It's not even past.

[lunnamars]

Hello! I heard you wanted prompts ~~ "winter" with Ichiruki please?

Oh hello! So, although IchiRuki is my otp and forever will be, it's been a while I haven't actually read anything about them and there's the fact I have never written anything related to mah pretty babies. Actually, it turned out a little bigger than I expected, but well, I hope you like it! :) 

Ah, a quick reminder that English is not my first language, so forgive me for my mistakes. 

The cold had never been a problem to Kuchiki Rukia, which meant that the winter would never freeze her. After all, she's cold and snow herself. But the loneliness and the melancholy of that particular season had always affected her.

And there was something about the winter of those 17 months she spent locked in Sereitei and away from Karakura Town that had left her frozen inside. And even after all was said and done, when Ywach was gone and he and the others had gone back to his mundane life, she still felt kind of cold.

It has been a year she hasn’t seen him. And it was really fucking cold.

Rukia doesn’t know actually why she had not followed him through the Senkaimon to his world and why she still prevents herself from going to visit him and his family. Karin and Yuzu must be bigger now and way smarter than their thickheaded brother. Their father probably is still the same and she hoped he was, Rukia has always been very fond of him.

He probably was in his first year of college and she is happy for him. Rukia just wanted to tell him herself.

And when the snow is falling and the winds of winter are freezing her bones, she longed to talk to him. She really wanted to hear his voice, he's her best friend, for fuck's sake! Her partner in crime, her ride or die, the one who could actually make this cold go away. 

Rukia knows she had decided to stay, it was not his fault. She decided to stay because her life was actually there, in Seireitei and he deserved a normal life — that's what Rukia has always believed and he knows that. So she stayed behind and started to train harder than before so she could become the next Captain of the 13th Division. In all honesty, she did want to continue the legacy of Ukitake and Kaien, Rukia wanted to guide those people under her command. 

But she also wanted to be with him. 

Why the hell didn't she follow him? Why the hell didn't he ask her to go with him? Why the goddamn fuck did she tell him he should go, so he could still have the life he should have, and that she should stay?

Those 17 months were one of the hardest, with summer or winter. 

She heard from Renji that Inoue finally got to go out on a date with him and that did not sit well with Rukia. It left a bitter taste in her mouth, but she was somewhat happy for her friend.

But did he enjoy it? How did he feel? What was he thinking? She really wanted to know, like the old times. Maybe he wouldn’t tell her, but Rukia knew that just a look into his eyes would tell her everything. That's how they are. And she's pretty sure that if he walked through the doors of the Kuchiki mansion (in this goddamn cold) right now, she would still know him. Like, really know him.

Rukia had no words for the hell they were — just friends, best friends? Lovers? Something that transcends the ordinary idea of lovers? Soulmates?

She did not care. She just wanted to see him, give him a quick hug and then kick him, hear his voice, tell him that it doesn’t matter who he was hooking up with, she'd always be by his side because Rukia had lived a long and lonely life after death and he was the one who changed everything. 

The only thing she was sure it was that there have always had some unmistakable glint in her eyes when she looked at him and Rukia is a closed person, but he would forever break through her walls, baring her soul.

It was fucking cold, the winter was unforgiving this year and she missed him. 

To hell this idiocy of mine, stop being a goddamn coward, Rukia.

"Byakuya-ni-sama, I'll be off for two or three days, but don't need to worry about me", Rukia walks into her brother's office and says, absentminded while reading some reports. She has made her decision, but Kuchiki Rukia does not neglect work.

"I don't think that will be necessary, Rukia", comes the deep voice of her brother.

"What— why—"

And she stops midsentence and dead on her tracks. Her eyes widen and her heart actually skips a lot of beats.

"Ichigo."

"Yo, midget",  he smirks and suddenly, Rukia could not hear the wild winds of winter.

"Well, as I'm sure I'm not needed here, I'll let you both talk in private", Byakuya says with his usual stern demeanor.

Rukia is speechless (and for the record, she is never speechless) and barely pays attention to her brother's departure. He's here. Why are you here?

"Because I was a dumbass a year ago", he mumbles with his everyday frown. She had missed that too. But the fact he basically had read her mind didn’t go unnoticed by her. "I shoulda stayed with you."

She blinks and swallows hard. Rukia wanted to hear that so badly a year go. Heck, she still wanted to hear that, but her instinct to protect him always kicks in and always will if they ever meet again in another life. "No, you shouldn’t have. Ywach's words were not meant to be taken lightly, you moron."

Is it weird that she missed calling him a moron?

"You're unbelievable. I don’t see your sorry ass in a whole fucking year and the first thing you call me is moron?", he was fuming and she sneered.

"Haa… did you expect me to jump right to your skinny arms?", she raised an eyebrow, mocking him all the while.

"Hey!! My arms are not skinny anymore!", he poked her head really hard.

And then Rukia kicked him. Just like she wanted. But Ichigo was Ichigo and he didn’t even let her savor the moment, their moments of the good old days — he grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer. It was so easy for him to tower over her, especially when he catches her off guard, both things never ceased to make her feel somewhat fragile and protected at the same time. It made no sense in her head. 

Then he muttered, “I was a dumbass. I really was.”

And she responded in the same tone, “Me too.”

Rukia knew she already had the distinct spark in her eyes that only Ichigo was able to spurt out of her. It has been a year and he still does the same thing to her, he’s still completely effective against her — the smirk, the softness in his eyes, his unquestionable handsome features.

Those 17 months were the worst of my life, I’m sure of it. The worst winter, I was cold all the time.

But Rukia is stupid sometimes and always so so worried about him and she suspects she forever will. So she blurts, "Inoue is better for you."

Hurt dances in his eyes and a twist of his mouth scream to her how disappointed he was. But Ichigo never backs down, no, not Ichigo. Just a look into his eyes and expression and Rukia knows why he was there. After all, she had said before and will say it again — they know each other so well that it seems almost some kind of witchcraft someone cast on them in another life.

He pulls her closer, really close, and one hand is around her waist and she’s trapped, almost giving in—

"I don't want to be with Inoue", his tone is final, certain.

Then Rukia whispers with a trembling voice as if she doesn’t believe a word that was flying out of her mouth, "Inoue can give you so much more."

"I don't want whatever she can give me."

Ichigo leans in her brother’s desk behind him and they were almost on the same height. He was too tall and she was too short, so she rarely had the chance to be that close to his face to the point of drowning in his brown eyes, see clearly how he had marks from frowning so much and his well-shaped mouth.

He looked frantically at her, orbs moving fast, piercing her own big eyes, expecting some reaction from her. 

I don’t want to be cold anymore. I wanna go home.

"That'd never work. I'm literally a ghost, stupid boy. And you have an entire life ahead of you. Why waste your life with someone who's already dead?", she starts stumbling over her words and her expression was pleading for him to understand, it was almost pitiful, full of the longing of a whole freaking year. “Besides, what about Yhwach? I know I’m assuming you’d be happy with this predicament, but—”

Now he was truly close, looking at her lips, seeming to not listen to a word that was leaving her mouth; deciding, in the end, to swallow her pleas and doubts, “Then I’ll fight him again and again and again.”

Ichigo mumbled in her mouth and then she comes undone when he rests his hand in the back of her neck, his lips meeting hers. They had never kissed before, but somethings stirs inside her, some old memory and then she’s not frozen anymore. Any argument she had, dies in her throat, dies with her gasp and with her eyes closing ever so slowly, dies with Ichigo flushing her body to his, locking and embracing her, with the intensity of a year apart. 

She finds usage for her hands, resting one on his back — feeling the muscles, the spine, everything — and the other gripping his shirt with all the longing she had inside her. Then she had no idea how, didn’t even see it coming, but his tongue found hers and he tilts her head slightly, kissing with all the fierceness he possessed and Rukia caught her breath. With every nip of her lip and any tease of his tongue, he’s asking her to choose him. 

Asking her to stay with him. 

Like she had any control when it comes to Ichigo. So her answer overflows with every bite on his lips, with her hands running up and down his back, with the soft moan she let it slip. 

They part an eternity later so Ichigo could rest his forehead on hers, both panting for breath and she had never felt warmer in her life — no cold and lonely winter is able to break her now. He whispers again, his mouth brushing against hers, "You don't want it to work, Rukia?"

She closes her eyes and mutters, “I don’t want you to die, Ichigo. Everything I did from the moment we met was to make sure you wouldn’t die.”

“Please, Rukia”, a kiss, “It was really hard—”, another kiss, “to keep up with the speed of the world on those 17 months”, a tug on her lips, “Don’t do that to me again.”

“Ichigo—”, she whimpers.

"Let me stay. Please, midget."

Another kiss.

"Are you trying to convince me by kissing me?", she scoffed.

He decided to leave her lips and trail her jawline with slow-dive kisses, then basically purred in her ear, "I don't know, is it working?"

She could feel his smirk. Bastard.

Rukia rested her head on his temple and whispered with the affection she normally keeps to herself, "I want you to stay."

He stops kissing her and holds her tight in his arms, resting his head on her shoulder. "I missed you, you know? It was raining too much already", he says in a strange strained voice.

She answers with one of her own, but with sincerity, "Me too. The winter was almost unbearable, Ichigo."

He moves away just enough to look at her and then has the audacity to grin at her face after so many confessions, "So… is that an order, Captain Kuchiki?"

"I'm still not a Captain, Ichigo!"

"But you will be, so might as well start training", he shot her his lopsided smile that always lets her wondering how someone was not able to fall for it. She did, but no way in hell she would tell him.

She puts her hand in her chin and actually considers his suggestion, Ichigo just laughed. "Mmm, from that point of view, I guess you're right", then she arches an eyebrow and says in a mocking tone, "That's a first, huh."

Ichigo presses his lips in a thin line and she was almost sure there is a vein pulsing in his forehead, "Oe, you damn shorty—"

Before he finally snaps, she dives in and steals another breathtaking kiss and decides that she loved to hear him gasp. In the end, he had convinced her and she knew danger would always be lurking around, hunting them, trying to tear them apart, to sever their red thread, but Ichigo said he'd fight over and over again. So she'd do the same, over and over again.

"Just shut up and stay, Kurosaki."

Winter will never freeze her again.