#do you ever think in-ho’s employees gossip about him the way we do

[tellywoodtrash]

ebss 08.07.19 lb

first off, are you kidding me? these ppl would rather work for pk, who was the devil incarnate? y'all are fucking crazy.

secondly, may i remind you AGAIN, it's been like 10 minutes since pooja walked in here. and whole company has been rebranded in that time, including the workers' uniforms. pooja must be the first boss in world history to so easily and freely sign away money on such things, warna maine toh hamesha budget ke liye 3 mahine naak ragad ke bheek maangi hai.

kabir’s optimism is fucking unbelievable. literally. his wife and kid left him out of majboori, all the family assets were taken away, his dad “died” two days ago coz he decided to wrestle with him on the edge of a cliff, and this fucker’s happily grinning and pontificating “such is life!”

even anand is looking down from the heavens going “babu moshai, yeh kya chutiyapa hai?”

speaking of “ass”ets; mmmmmmhmmm. i am liking these pants, kabir.

seriously, these people's slavish devotion to the mittals does not track at all with what we've seen of pk. fucking retconning bullshit.

“fiqr mat karo, main aa gaya hoon.”

man fuck outta here with your saviour complex.

yeah this guy fake af. respect for kabir first, and then turned it into “woh khota kabir”.

lmao his name is anupam chopra. heehee.

oh ho, chopra UNCLE is now rejecting jhappis from kabir baba.

please note, i am fully prepared take one for the team and accept that hug on your behalf. it's a sacrifice, but i shall do it.

everyone has ‘what a chutiya’ face. he's THAT manager everyone hates.

hey kabir are you an rbmk reactor, coz you just blew this man's whole existence up with zero fucking warning????

once again i'd like to mention for the audience at home that i am literally only watching this show anymore for this face.

(and that other face. and to see the two faces very close to each other.)

literally no one here is impressed by chopra's attempt at a response.

lol even the workers are like *mais voice* aye chal naaaaa.

manageron waali thaat. you will be the first to be crushed when the revolution comes. i can't wait.

z+ security ko bouncers bana diya hai in logon ne. just amazing.

OH. FINALLY KABIR REMEMBERED THAT HE WAS IN THE ARMY. GOOD, SINCE HE BROUGHT IT UP HIMSELF, I CAN FREELY YELL ABOUT THIS NOW: YOU LITERALLY JUST GOT PROMOTED TO FUCKING SPECIAL AGENT OR WHATEVER THE FUCK. LIKE, VYOM'S DEATH/SUBSEQUENT EVENTS HAPPENED WITHIN THE LAST YEAR, SO THIS PROMOTION WAS REALLY RECENT. YOU'RE STILL EMPLOYED BY THE ARMY AS FAR AS WE KNOW. WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ROOTING AROUND FOR CERTIFICATES AND ENTRY LEVEL JOBS WHEN YOU YOU ALREADY HAVE A DAMN GOOD JOB?????

like ok, yeah i get you wanna get your dad's companies back or whatever, BUT WHAT IS THE PRIORITY RN? DOING THIS SHIT, OR GETTING A STABLE JOB (WITH BENEFITS!) AND TAKING CARE OF YOUR FAMILY?????????????? ABSOLUTELY FUCKING RIDICULOUS.

god i really need to take a snack break coz this level of chutiya writing. pls hold.

ok i have had some carbs and taken some deep breaths. let’s get back to this hot mess.

pooja the chuhiya finally decided to get out of her bil and check out what all the commotion is about, just as kabir is asking the security waalas to try him. (he really has some anger issues he should look into; he's looking for the slightest excuse to throw down with anyone, anywhere.)

ew he is being kinda creepy. i hate men.

but i appreciate him trolling chopra.

i really really hate men. scum of the fucking earth.

abbe oh, "udhaar” ka sahi, uske paas kuch toh hai.....

ok pooja, call in the armed guards now. this fucker needs to be shot. just a little. maybe in the shoulder or something.

UGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH HE IS REALLY BEING INSUFFERABLE. ALSO WHAT YOU MEAN SHE KNOWS NOTHING ABOUT THE COMPANY?????? SHE'S BEEN HERE HANDLING SHIT MORE THAN YOU EVER HAVE. YOU RAN AWAY TO JOIN THE ARMY TO AVOID HAVING TO HANDLE THIS VERY SAME BUSINESS. TOH TERE KO ITNAAAAAA KYA PATA HAI ABOUT RUNNING A CONGLOMERATE?????

“tumhe mere zaroorat padegi, pooja sharma.”

sure. but probably not in the way you're thinking.

pooja spitting some real truths about employee loyalty under capitalism.

but she's back to being an asshole about poor people, so i hate her again.

this thing he did with the tissues infuriated me in the precap, and it's got me grinding my teeth now too. what a fucking asshole. i haaaaate him too. LORD WHY HAVE YOU GIVEN ME THESE TWO HATEFUL CHARACTERS WITH THESE FACES THAT I CAN'T LOOK AWAY FROMMMMMMMMMMMM???????

you think you look as cool as she does when doing this, but you do not. you’re overdoing it.

i hate to see you go but boy, i love watching you leave. mmmmmmhmmmm, truly a nice pair of pants.

do these ppl actually work or do they just sit around discussing gossip? y'all work on a daily wage system ffs.

GODDDDDDDDDDDD, WE GOT IT YOU'RE AN EGALITARIAN ICON, MAN OF THE MASSES. ALL HAIL KABIR FOR DRINKING CHAI IN A CUTTING WAALA GLASS INSTEAD OF IN A CUP.

great. na jaane kya kalesh machaane waala hai workers ko uskaake. BRO GO BACK TO THE DAMN ARMY AND DO YOUR DESK JOB. make this a pet project you work on the weekends or something.

jesus. iska ABHI BHI khatam nahi hua.

mom is even offering him nimbu paani for the hangover. this dude does nottttttttt deserve his family.

lol chachi baat sahi hai par chup karo na.

mom is like “beta, aise kab tak chalega???”

again, it's been literally 2 - 3 days since he's been left penniless by his wife and had his dad FALL OFF A CLIFF IN FRONT OF HIM. i don't condone his sudden alcoholism but maybe give the dude some more time?

sab se tang aake piya nimbu paani.

yeah i definitely like sullen dhruv more than the old one.

kabir is back and promises mom ki end of day tak job mil hi jayegi.

“arre waah, kahaan??”

trollolololololololol.

aahaaaaa, ab samajh aaya iska agenda. apne bete ko bhi yahin job mein lagaakar, they want to take over this whole thing.

pooja tearing him a new one about that. yaaaaaaas. you go, boss bitch.

yeh kameena company le doobega. that's probably where kabir will come in to “save” pooja.

*~*~sabke*~*~ pait mein dard hai, toh kaam bandh.

gosh she really took NO time into turning into indian jeff bezos huh.

aur kuch nahi toh chopra is at least well-versed with union laws. and lol, also understood that kabir was the one who vargalaofied them, and is offering to “handle it”.

she's refusing. good. is saamp ko jitna door rakho, behtar.

lolllllllllllll very sweetly she turned it on them. i'm not cheering for her as a corrupt business owner harassing workers, just smirking at the way they thought they'd fuck her over so easily coz she's a woman who knows nothing, and she refused to fall for that bs.

bache toh sirf vijay aur yeh chacha.

“tumhare woh dinanath chauhan dikhe na; mr. kabir mittal; toh unse kehna ki pooja madam ne kahi hai ki vijay ki acting thoooooodi si kachchi hai. riyaaz ki zaroorat hai.”

hee hee hee.

“jaiye, chachaji.” lmao god i love her snark face.

‘bade aaye the mujhse panga lene waale.’

———————————————————————

oh kal she deigns to visit the gareebkhaana herself.

ugh, this nonsense is a ~thing~ between the two of them now, i guess.

[shaunstoffer]

I left the school I worked at in Vietnam to start a new journey backpacking Japan, visiting my family in Singapore, and to live and teach in Taiwan. I didn’t dislike Vietnam but couldn’t get past some of the cons that made me not want to extend my stay past my fifteen months of living in Ho Chi Minh City.

Some of the things I do and don’t miss about living in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam:

The corruption: My temporary residence card was a piece of crap to begin with. It cost me well over $100 and was simply a cheap quality business card that had my photo laid on top and laminated. The seal was uneven and already breaking after just a few weeks in my wallet. So, I tried to double laminate it like a stubborn fool only for it to get bizarrely stuck in the laminator and come out looking like this. As a result, I tried several different ways to leave Vietnam from trying to purchase an exit visa, paying a bribe, and hiring a man who specialized in immigration issues such as this. In the end, the only method that worked was ironically getting help from a friend’s, whose dog I was fostering, cousin who worked for immigration. He simply met me at the airport, talked to immigration for maybe one minute, and waved me through hundreds of people queued in immigration and security. Literally he instructed me to go to the staff lines, which were empty, while hundreds of people waited in the regular lines. Each employee would look at me confused, I’d point to him, he’d give a thumbs up and a nod, and they would wave me through without a second thought. It was the most impressive thing I’ve seen in a long time.The pollution: My neighborhood in district seven was among the cleanest in Ho Chi Minh City, which isn’t saying much frankly, but I still never got used to waking up and seeing smog that would conceal the sky. I ended up getting a Vietnam “cough”, something a lot of expats initially develop from the exposure to pollution and are left with no choice but to either get used to it or leave. I was missing fresh clean air and nature more than I ever imagined to the point that every holiday I took I would go somewhere with mountains or beaches or both. Fresh air is something I’ll never take for granted again. The flooding: There’s nothing more comical than watching a horde of people with their feet on the panhandles of their bikes, going a kilometer an hour, and doing everything in their power not to come to a complete stop as that would cause them to have to put their leg, sometimes thigh deep or more, in the dirty flood waters that have nowhere to go due to the poor sewage system which is regularly clogged by locals uncaringly sweeping their into the drains. It was also unpleasant to be driving to work or the gym and experience a mild drizzle turn into a full on flash flood within five minutes. Many people wear heavy raincoats while driving, as umbrellas aren’t rational, even when walking due to the strong winds. However, people typically still bring an extra outfit in their bag or wear shorts and flip flops to avoid being stuck in wet clothes the entire day.

My students:My neighborhood, Phu My Hung:An unfortunate quick stop to Singapore: I reluctantly took a trip to see my mom and her side of the family in Singapore for my birthday prior to going on a three week holiday to Japan. I was fighting a serious case of homesickness and had contemplated going back home for my holiday instead of Japan. However, after spending three days with my family I couldn’t wait to say goodbye and move on to the next adventure. Aside from a nice birthday dinner and some much appreciated birthday gifts, I was all but forgotten. No one wanted to go out to eat, I ended up getting sick again, and every conversation went to gossiping about people or questioning my every life action. “What are you going to do after you’re done teaching?” “How are you qualified to teach social studies?” “What’s this? Why are you growing a beard?” “If you don’t like it you can go eat somewhere else!” It’s been a long time since I’ve been around people who made me feel so alone and small and I attribute my coldness and lack of trust to my undesired experiences and interactions with a fair amount of my family. To them it’s normal, to me it’s something I would never tolerate from any other persons. I chalk it up to different cultures but also to a lack of understanding from both sides of my family. I’ve never been understood and people can seldom relate to me, I ultimately think it attests for a lot of my loner mentality and lack of emotions.

Fair warning Singapore is a fun place but definitely strict when it comes to drugs. If you want a party beyond alcohol, don’t come to Singapore or try your luck in Geylang.The view from my grandmother’s apartment in Braddell Place.Six different currencies I’ve managed to collect overtime. Thai baht, US dollars, Japanese yen, Malaysian ringgit, Singaporean dollars, and Vietnamese dong. (From left to right, top to bottom.)Osaka Food Market: The seafood market was easily the best and my favorite out of the three I visited in Japan. Some of my favorites of the foods I tried were Kobe beefsteak, raw sea urchins, and fresh fire-roasted scallops.

Osaka’s Streets: Osaka is absurdly clean and people follow every traffic rule there is. No one j-walks, no one loiters, and everybody is helpful and courteous despite the language barrier. In Japanese culture it is rude to stare and common courtesy is expected such as holding the door out for someone, allowing someone in a hurry to pass you by, and to greet and thank customers and patrons habitually. That being said, a lot of Japanese will still see foreigners as outsiders, especially if they do not speak Japanese. Meaning just because they are polite to you does not necessarily mean they care or want to know about you.

My regular traditional Japanese Food: Sushi and dumplings.A Guilty Pleasure: I go to a McDonalds in every country I visit because it’s always a little different from the menu to the seating. Japanese McDonalds have bacon lettuce burgers, teriyaki chicken fillets, and double beef and egg burgers for example.Vending Machines: Vending machines are sprawled out everywhere, literally every block has one. From soda to coffee to beer and even ice cream. There are very few things, especially beverages that you can’t find in vending machines in Japan.

Trains: Japan has a lot of conveniences such as toilets and breastfeeding rooms everywhere for the self-explanatory. Trains are definitely one of those conveniences offering different trains like local, sub-express, and limited express. The system is a bit confusing but there are some conveinces to help you such as maps posted every where, machine for route finders and fare adjustments, and there is almost always a tenant who speaks reasonable English at every ticketing queue.

My first experience on the train in Osaka I followed Google maps which took me on an unnecessarily longer route. I showed the ticket tenant my ticket and asked if my directions were accurate. He literally gave me my money back, bought a new, cheaper ticket, and walked me to the right line, stop, and told me when and where to get off. I had never been so thankful or respectful of someone’s courtesy and helpfulness.

7th Eleven: These are everywhere as well in Japan and offer some of the freshest meals as well ass an exceptional variety of beverages.

Toilets: Something I have to admit I miss about Japan is the toilets. The seats automatically lift up and down and there is always a set of buttons that allow you to control music, clean the toilet for you, a bidet with adjustable buttons for the spray strength and temperature. It became one of those weird things where you actually looked forward to using the toilet.

Traditional housing in Japan: Oddities: For whatever reason Japanese people love Spam, they literally have flavors I didn’t even know existed. Nightlife: Osaka has a thriving nightlife from strip clubs to highball bars to British pubs. People in Osaka are generally more open and friendly towards expats whereas many Japanese can be particularly cold to foreigners. For example, many foreigners who have tattoos are not allowed into saunas, gyms, and springs unless they find a way to cover them up. Also, many foreigners are politely unwelcome at restaurants or bars simply because they are foreigners as well as aren’t fluent in Japanese. They’ll be politely told we are closed or full.

I experienced all these things in a variety of way such as being told at a hookah bar in Kyoto that they were full, until they saw my Japanese girlfriend and magically two seats became available. I also booked a hotel in Tokyo with a Taiwanese girl who spoke Japanese and laughed when a sign posted read:

The famous Glico Running Man:

Highballs & Sake: Highballs, which are basically tall cocktails comprised of liquor, normally whiskey and a lot of club soda. At first, this drink seemed unappealing to me as I prefer whiskey on the rocks or neat, but overtime they grew on me and I ended up having numerous highballs over my time in Japan.

Sake, on the other hand, is something to be either taken as a shot or sipped and enjoyed. A general rule of thumb is that quality sake is served cold where has lower tiers are served warm. I had the pleasure of trying a variety at various bars and have to admit I became a fan of aged Suntory whiskeys.

To politely cheers in Japan you should either pour your sake bottle or be holding your sake glass with two hands to receive your sake. You should also cheers lower than the person you are cheering with.

Japan isn’t cheap to eat or drink out at and one should expect to spend around 600-700 (around $6) for a standard beer at a bar.

Hookah in Japan: I fell in love with smoking Japanese shisha in Japan because it was something cheaper, social, and I wouldn’t be comatose in bed the next day. I also happened to Casanova my way into charming a female employee who gave me quite the hook up.Traditional Japanese Eateries: What I loved about the neighborhood, Tennoji, that I stayed at in Osaka was the variety of traditional eateries a short walk down the street form my hostel. The language barrier was difficult at first as I didn’t learn how to say useful phrases such as, “one please” “thank you” or “excuse me” until after a week of practicing in Japan. I relied on Google translate, pointing at pictures, and the dumb luck of having an occasional English speaking server or chef.

Osaka Castle: Is it touristy? Yes. Is it worth it? Hell yes.

Nature and weather during summer’s June: All over fellow travel blogs and travel websites I heard that June was the worst month to visit Japan due to the lack of blooming cherry blossoms and the unfortunate rainy season. However, of the three weeks I spent in various cities in Japan it only rained, and mildly at that, a fraction of the time. There was no flooding, no heavy rain, and no thunder or lightning. A simple umbrella and you can get around no problem. As far as nature goes, there is a bit of a lack of variety in color but there are still plenty of flowers and everything is very green and pleasant to see nonetheless. Many flowers won’t be in bloom but nature is still worth visiting in parks and gardens for sure.

Survival Japanese: Simplified for English pronunciation.

One = Itchy

Yes = Hi

Cheers – Comb pie

Please – Own knee guy she mas

Thank You – are we got toe go zi mas

Excuse Me/Sorry = Sue me ma send

No Problem = Moan die nai

Story Time: My last night in Osaka I spent the day in the slums run by the Yakuza. I walk into the first restaurant I see without any foreigners and the server tells me, “only Japanese menu.” I reply “mondai nai (no problem),” and the cook comes out to take my order but instead asks me about my cauliflower ears. I explain I’m a semi-retired fighter on holiday.

We start taking about fighting and I show him old videos of me and some of my old training partners killing it right now. They start bringing up old Japanese Pride fights and ask me to send them one of my old fight pics. They print two copies out and get me to sign them and they tape one on the wall and tell me they are going to put the other up in a nearby bar. It turns into a small group of the staff but we are all vibing.

I ask them if there are any Yakuza bars nearby I should be wary of and they laugh. They tell me you’re really close to one and I go seriously? The cook pulls up his shirt to show a full back piece of Shiva and I’m like oh shit. He explains he’s lower tier but not to worry, if you respect us we’ll respect you. I offer to buy them a round of drinks and they starts cheersing me and return the favor by giving me a free meal.

We keep talking and they literally say we’re going to close the restaurant down and take you to a local bar. Being me, I reluctantly say let’s go. They literally close the place down and we go to a Yakuza bar that’s something like a speakeasy where, go figure, is the second picture hung up. The bartender’s and other patrons go what are you doing bringing this foreigner here? They go don’t worry he’s with us, he’s cool. They warn me the boss isn’t in tonight but if he decides to show up you have to leave, it’s not personal but you aren’t one of us. I tell them I understand and we start eating and drinking but then a random member stands up and slaps me in the face – twice. I stand up and square up like what the hell? They all start laughing and say we wanted to see how you would react then say don’t worry, we all like you now because you didn’t back down, it shows you have pride like us. We go shot for shot, drink for drink ALL NIGHT. Eventually, I leave and they ask for a way to contact me to keep in touch, I right down my number and bid them farewell.

Never a dull moment. This is my version of Bert’s “I Am The Machine!”

Osaka I left the school I worked at in Vietnam to start a new journey backpacking Japan, visiting my family in Singapore, and to live and teach in Taiwan.

[zephfair]

Day 12 Grimmichi ficlet

Day 12: Coffee Shop AU

Ichigo and Rukia are just bros working in a coffee shop who enjoy a good lazy gossip about their regular clientele.

Rated T for language

Fluff and silliness

Again, no plot, what even IS a plot???

Ichigo cleared his throat and squeezed his eyes shut. “I have a large Wile E. Coyote Acme Special for Ishinda. And an extra-large Road Runner Meep-Meep for Chad.”

“It’s Ishida, you moron,” Uryu said, grabbing the cup. “We went to high school together for God’s sake. How can you still be messing up my name?”

“Blame Rukia,” Ichigo pointed his thumb in her direction. “Her handwriting sucks.”

“What’s with the names of these drinks, Ichigo?” Chad sniffed his drink but took a sip anyway.

Ichigo gritted his teeth, but Rukia leaned over and answered for him. “It’s Urahara’s idea of snazzy marketing. He came up with all these wacky names that we’re supposed to shout, probably just to embarrass us. But only Ichigo ever does it. He’s such an obedient, conscientious employee.” Rukia happily pinched his cheek until he pulled away and swatted her.

“Stop it! I’m just trying to be a good worker.”

“It shows. Look at the rush in here,” Uryu said dryly, gesturing to the empty coffee shop.

“Doesn’t mean I can’t still be a good employee,” Ichigo said stubbornly, grabbing a towel and going to work on the counter.

“Yes it does,” Rukia leaned on the counter right in his way. “We can’t compete with some of the other coffee places around, especially that hardcore one across town. What’s it called? Hoco Modo?”

“Hueco Mundo,” Uryu corrected. They all looked at him until he pushed up his glasses in embarrassment. “They’re known for their strong brews.”

“And their good-looking employees,” Rukia said slyly. “Which one interested you?”

“Their coffee is very good,” Uryu replied primly. “And their employees at least know how to work and keep their noses out of customers’ business.”

Rukia shrugged. “We’re pretty sure Urahara is just using this place as a front for some kind of underworld activity.” She elbowed Ichigo who scowled. “Ichigo and I get to drink free coffee, be lazy and gossip about the clientele. It’s a great job.”

“Speak for yourself,” Ichigo muttered and escaped to the back to start taking stock of their supplies.

He hid away happily from Rukia’s teasing until the bell over the door rang and Rukia called out, “Ichigo, we actually have a customer! Get your cute little ass out here!”

Grumbling, he stepped out from behind the curtain, ready to tear into her. But two bright blue eyes were staring at him, right above a very white and toothy smirk. Ichigo almost tripped taking his position behind the coffee station.

“Caffe Americano with 10 extra shots,” Rukia told him.

Ichigo gaped. “Are you serious?!”

Rukia nodded solemnly. Ichigo looked back up at the customer who was still smirking. “Are you serious?!”

“Abso-fuckin’-lutely.”

“That’s a whole shitload of caffeine.”

The guy leaned on the counter, getting into Ichigo’s personal space. “Are you going to make my coffee or not, cute ass?”

Ichigo narrowed his eyes and grabbed the espresso. Oh, it was on now.

He had to look away while he prepared the drink, Rukia close at his side, the man still leaning forward. Normally, it would have made Ichigo nervous but now he was so irritated that it only spurred him on. He completed the caffeine-laden concoction and stood back with a mix of pride and disgust.

“Do you want whipped cream on that?” He glanced at Rukia’s handwriting. “Gram Joe?”

“It’s Grimmjow,” the man corrected and reached for the cup, brushing against Ichigo’s hand before he could set it down. “No whip.”

Then he drank deeply, chugging at least half of it before he wiped his mouth with his other hand.

Rukia and Ichigo looked on in awe when he didn’t fall down dead.

“Not bad,” Grimmjow said. He took out his wallet and dug out a $20 bill. He held it over the tip jar for a moment then smirked and reached over the counter, tucking it into the top of Ichigo’s apron. He winked. “Decent coffee <i>and</i> a cute ass? I’ll be back.”

“Please. Don’t.”

But Ichigo’s plea was ignored by everyone. As usual.

He trudged to the coffee shop after class and mindlessly made coffee. More customers slowly heard about the shop and trickled in, but there were still long breaks of tedium when Ichigo and Rukia would stand around and share lazy gossip about the regulars.

“When is Ishida ever going to ask out Orihime?” Rukia asked when Uryu held the door and blushed at their mutual friend.

“Chad’s band has a show tomorrow night. We going?” Ichigo asked when Chad left a stack of flyers on the counter.

“Renji asked me out again,” Rukia told him. “I said I’d only go if he asked my brother. He was so scared I think he peed a little.”

Then there was the big blue bastard who started to become a regular. After his first intimidating order, he toned it down a little, but Ichigo still managed to mangle his name accidentally on purpose. So Gram Joe became Gro How and Grim Ho and his personal favorite Grin Joy. That was the least appropriate because the only time the guy grinned was when he was leering at Ichigo.

When the time for midterms rolled around, Ichigo took a couple days off with Urahara’s blessing, but he came back to an unwelcome surprise.

He pushed Rukia immediately into the back room. “What is going on out there?” he hissed.

“Well, Ichigo, it’s a coffee shop. We make coffee drinks and serve them to customers. Have you been gone so long you forgot?”

He tried to beat her with a bag of stacked cups but she dodged and threw a stack of paper plates at his face like a discus. He ducked and the plates flew through the split curtain.

“Ow,” came a voice that sounded like Uryu.

They ignored it. Ichigo glared down at Rukia. “What the hell is he doing out there?”

Rukia glared up at him. “If you mean Grimmjow, he’s playing the guitar.”

“But why?” Ichigo knew his voice ascended into something like a whine.

Rukia shrugged. “He brought it in the other day when you weren’t here.” She elbowed him slyly. “I think he wanted to impress you.”

“Dammit Rukia,” Ichigo rubbed his ribs, “you’ve got pointy elbows. And you don’t know your own strength.”

“I know exactly how strong I am. That’s why I do it. And Grimmjow apparently wants to show you what he can do. Urahara told him he could play here a couple nights a week for free coffee.”

“So I have to put up with that a couple nights a week?!”

Rukia nodded. “That’s not so bad. And Urahara made sure to schedule you specially for the nights Grimmjow said he could play.”

“I hate you all.”

That didn’t improve when Ichigo peeked out from the back. Grimmjow sat in a corner, strumming his guitar, ignoring the group of women clustered around him. He was wearing tight jeans with rips all over the thighs and a T-shirt with the graphic so faded Ichigo couldn’t quite make it out. But he was afraid it looked like a graffiti dick and balls.

Ichigo went to his station and spent his shift making coffee refills for the starstruck women then cleaning everything he could wrap a cloth around. He pointedly went in the back and stayed there when Grimmjow took a break and wanted more to drink.

Grimmjow left soon after, leaving the women to promise they’d be back whenever he played.

Ichigo began to wonder if his budget could handle him quitting on the spot.

But the next time, Grimmjow ordered one drink and then set up in the corner without harassing Ichigo. So Ichigo got to spend his shift actually listening to the music and found himself not totally hating it.

He couldn’t say the same for all the fawning women who rhapsodized over Grimmjow.

After the second week, Ichigo realized he was looking forward to the nights when Grimmjow came in. He stopped forcing Rukia to do his drinks and made them himself. Grimmjow still leered but it was a little distracted by the ever-growing crowd of women that surrounded him.

Then Ichigo picked up an early shift on a weekend and was surprised when Grimmjow came through the door right after he opened.

“What are you doing here?” He blurted out.

“Well, I’m not here for the welcome party I always get from you,” Grimmjow said. “Gimme an extra large drip.”

“You don’t want any extra shots added?” he teased.

“Heh. I don’t really want to be any more awake today than I have to be.” Grimmjow pulled a stool over to the counter and slouched.

“Rough night?”

“Yeah. Got off work late then two of my buddies got into some kind of fight and I had to bail them out.”

“That was nice of you.” Ichigo slid the cup over to him. “So what are you doing up so early today?”

Grimmjow eyed him over his drink. “I wanted to talk to you when there was no one around.”

“But how’d you know I was working? I never open.”

“That girl, the one who always fucks with my name, she told me your schedule.”

“Well, that’s not very safe or confidential of her.” Ichigo made up his mind to take it up with Rukia later.

“Don’t be too hard on her,” Grimmjow guessed his thoughts. “She wouldn’t give me your phone number or address.”

“Geez,” Ichigo could feel his face starting to burn so he turned away and fussed with the machine.

“I wanted to ask you something. You wanna go out tomorrow night?”

Ichigo froze. He actually… kinda… did. But he also didn’t. “I don’t know.”

“I thought we could go to that Shakespeare thing at that museum you were talking about.”

Ichigo barely remembered telling Rukia about it. Had Grimmjow even been in that night?

“I was thinking about going tonight with Ishida.”

“Oh. I gotta work tonight.”

Ichigo squeezed shut his eyes and said, “Ishida won’t mind if I cancel. He can take Orihime instead.”

“Cool. You wanna meet there tomorrow night, seven?”

“Yeah. Okay.”

Grimmjow pushed himself up but Ichigo stepped forward quickly. “Here. Refill.” He sloshed coffee into the cup and Grimmjow gave him a tired little grin, saluted him with the cup and left.

Rukia was so going to get it.

“Or maybe you’ll be getting it tomorrow night,” she tittered when he told her the story.

“You’re such a perv,” he said, but it was affectionate.

“What did Rukia do now?” Uryu asked from the register.

Rukia told him an exaggerated version of the morning’s events, complete with Ichigo nearly swooning into Grimmjow’s brawny arms at the date invitation.

Uryu looked distracted and uncomfortable when Ichigo told him he’d have to cancel, but it wasn’t the suggestion that he take Orihime that seemed to trigger him. Instead he asked, “Instead of the museum, can we go somewhere else tonight?”

“Oh, Ichigo, so popular with the men now,” Rukia said from behind them.

“I’ll be by when your shift is done,” Uryu told him and left without his usual coffee.

“Orihime is going to be so jealous,” Rukia said.

“Because Uryu asked me out or because I’m going somewhere with him?”

“Yes,” Rukia said.

Ichigo wanted only to go home after being on his feet for a double shift, but he sighed and buckled into Uryu’s car when he arrived. “Where are we going?”

“There’s something you need to see. But I don’t think you’re going to like it.”

“Well that’s not ominous at all,” Ichigo muttered. He sat in a doze until Uryu parked somewhere across town. Then he looked around with little interest until he recognized the neon sign above one of the doors said “Hueco Mundo.”

“I know you seriously did not just bring me to a coffee shop,” he said in his flattest voice.

“Let’s go in.”

“Yes because what I need in my life is more coffee.” Ichigo refused to budge.

Uryu sighed. “Just trust me for once?”

Ichigo shoved the door open and stalked out. Uryu led him into the coolest coffee shop Ichigo had ever seen. It was the alpha coffee house that all other coffee shops were trying to be but only managing weak imitations of. It was fun, it was hip, it was full of cool people, and the coffee, frankly, made Ichigo’s mouth water. It was coffee Nirvana.

And then he saw the staff manning the counters. Rukia had been right—the employees must have been handpicked for their good looks.

But Ichigo only had eyes for one—the big, tall, stupidly good-looking one with the ridiculous blue hair. He stopped only a few steps inside and grabbed Uryu’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”

Uryu looked at him but followed him back out. They walked in silence back to the car.

“I don’t suppose that Grimmjow has an identical twin?”

Ichigo barked a bitter laugh. “If there were two Grimmjows, the world would collapse under the weight of their egos. No, that was him. Stupid bastard,” he added after a beat.

Ishida was quiet as they pulled into traffic then asked the obvious question, “So why do you think he’s always coming into Urahara’s shop?”

“Well it sure as hell isn’t for the quality drinks and friendly service. And the service is about to get even less friendly.”

“Ichigo, maybe he really does like … the coffee.”

“Or maybe he’s spying for his own shop. Whatever. Who cares.” Ichigo slouched lower. “I’m done.”

They didn’t talk again until Uryu dropped him off at his apartment. “What are you going to say to Grimmjow?” he finally asked.

“I don’t know,” Ichigo admitted.

“Maybe just find out his side of the story before you go off all half-cocked.”

“Heh. Sure,” Ichigo scrambled out of the car then peered back in. “And thanks, Uryu.”

“I am sorry.”

“I’m just glad I found out now.”

Ichigo thought about it all the next day. What he really wanted to do was flip a table or throw something hard at Grimmjow, like his fist. What he really didn’t want to do was show up at the appointed time.

In the end, he compromised and showed up but angry and ready to throw down. It didn’t help that Grimmjow smiled at him—actually smiled, not leered—as he walked toward him.

“Ichigo, what’s up?”

“My temper,” Ichigo said. “Fuck you.”

“What the hell’s the matter with you?”

Injured pride shouldn’t look that good on anyone, Ichigo thought, but he went on. “I know where you work, so tell me, why the hell would an employee of the best coffee shop in this part of the country ever want to come into ours?”

Grimmjow opened his mouth then closed it with a wince. “So you found out about that, huh?”

“Yes, I did. I saw you. So let me in on it. Do you come to our sad little shop to spy? Or do you get off on slumming it?”

“Well it sure as hell isn’t the customer service,” Grimmjow told him.

“What the fuck is your deal?!”

Grimmjow batted away the stiff finger Ichigo poked into his chest. “It’s my business.”

“Not when you came into our shop and made it my business!”

“Fine, you wanna know what happened?” Grimmjow was in his face shouting back.

“Yeah, yeah I really do want to know!”

Grimmjow stepped back with a huff and looked away. “Our owner sent me to look over your place, scope out the competition. As soon as I walked in, I knew we had nothing to worry about.”

“Fuck you.”

“But then,” Grimmjow ignored him, “I did the intimidation drink thing that we always do at Hueco Mundo, and you guys were just so… so...”

“Grossed out?”

“Cute,” Grimmjow said flatly. “You two were so damn cute. And you like each other. That’s completely different than Hueco Mundo where we all hate each other’s guts. I kept coming back because it was funny to flirt with you because every time I come on to you, you get this little flush right over your nose and...” Grimmjow shrugged.

“You’re a big bully who gets off on embarrassing other people?”

“Maybe. A little. But your shop has a whole different feel than ours. People come to you because they want decent coffee and a place to relax and just be themselves. You even put up with my crummy playing. It’s … nice.”

“And you report everything back to your boss?”

“Not after that first time. Shit, he’d probably fire my ass if he knew I was still hanging out there. I think he’s got some kinda grudge against that squirrely dude who owns your shop.”

Ichigo sighed. “I wouldn’t be surprised. Urahara is definitely as nutty as a squirrel. I just can’t believe you never told us that you work for the competition.”

“You never asked me where I worked,” Grimmjow pointed out. “You’ve never asked me anything about myself.”

Ichigo had to admit that was true. “So you’re really trying to tell me that you don’t run back to Hueco Mundo and tell them everything about us?”

“Why? So they can replicate the way the steamer got away from you and you nearly scorched your face off? I sure as hell wasn’t going to tell them about the time Rukia dropped the soy milk and you came out of the back and slid and fell on your ass.”

“I could have broken my tail bone!”

Grimmjow took a step closer. “It would have been a true shame if you’d broken that cute little ass.”

“Do you really expect me to believe that the only reason you’re still coming around is because …” Ichigo felt his face burn and spread to his ears. But he still didn’t have the arrogance to say it.

Luckily, Grimmjow did. “Because of your cute little ass. And the body and the personality attached to it.”

“You’re full of shit.”

Grimmjow shrugged. “Maybe. But I’m not shitting you about this. I like you. And I like your coffee.”

“You’re ridiculous.” Ichigo grabbed him by the collar, pulled him down and kissed him. Grimmjow overcame his shock in an instant and kissed him back.

“Do you even want to go to this exhibit?” Ichigo asked between kisses.

“No, but I wanted to go somewhere with you.”

“Let’s go somewhere else then,” Ichigo nibbled on his ear.

“You wanna go get coffee?” Grimmjow smirked then almost yelped when Ichigo bit his earlobe.

“We will never joke about coffee again,” he told him seriously. “And we keep our work lives separate. No corporate espionage.”

“Got it. Now, can we go somewhere more comfortable?”

Ichigo led him back to his place where the next morning Grimmjow found out his deepest, darkest secret—Ichigo only drank tea.

[auro-cyanide]

Okay, so I wanted to talk more about the context of this piece I did but I didn’t want to do it in that post because I didn’t want it to get too long and I swear to god it’s gonna be like me rambling about Shou’s tattoo for half of it because apparently I’ve decided it’s a thing. I guess I really like this train of thought because it’s interesting to see where they are going, where they will end up. This is just where I think their trajectory could end up in another 3 years or so.

First up I would like to thank everyone who actually did give me suggestions for Shou’s tattoo, they were great and I tried to work them in as best as I could. And I promised I would actually show what the actual drawing looked like. There are 3 hamsters in balls, a skeleton dragon, 3 twisted spoons, rubble, flowers and everything is on fire.

It ended up being very Shou I think. Which made me think about the context of it a lot as well. It made me want to draw me more actually. I might have to do that.

Anyway, the most random headcanons for 3 years in the future under the cut starting with that bloody tattoo.

Shou has never really been a part of normal society and so the tattoo is a very definite and permanent way to say he never will be. Could you imagine him as a white collar worker anyway?

He got it illegally through contacts. He’s only 16 so technically underage.

Ritsu thought his idea for a tattoo sounded stupid but ended up being low key impressed when he actually saw him drawing it out.

Ritsu had to go and hold his hand when he got it done. Shou nearly cried.

He’s been trying to convince Ritsu to get a sleeve as well ever since but Ritsu refuses.

What he doesn’t know is that Ritsu already has a tattoo, albeit a small one. He got it after Shou got his because he was curious how much it would hurt. Concluded that Shou was being a wuss.

No-one knows he has that tattoo, not even Mob.

Mob still has every intention of living an average fulfilling life despite being the at the centre of a rather impressive circle of people including ex-claw members, criminals, governmental employees, physics, youkai experts, high school gangs, media, several cults and a rather large gossip network.

In fact he insists no such circle exists. He just helps out. Sometimes. He’d really rather not.

Ritsu, Teruki and Shou all consider Mob to be the leader of their group, the one that apparently doesn’t exist according to Mob. Though it’s not always smooth sailing because they all have strong personalities.

Mob is pretty much the only person Shou defers to... like 25% of the time. When Mob pulls what Shou calls his “serious face”

Shou and Teruki get along... okay. They are fine if they are on a mission and god help you if you’re their common enemy, but their personalities tend to clash. Or in other words Shou intentionally rubs Teruki up the wrong way and Teruki’s ego doesn’t tolerate it from Shou especially.

They’ve only gotten into a fight once and it nearly gave Ritsu a heart attack.

No winner was concluded because Mob arrived and pulled them apart. He didn’t say much about it apart from the fact they were “meant to be friends” but apparently his reaction was enough for them to not yet try for a repeat performance.

Teruki and Ritsu get along pretty well, though Mob worries whenever they go off together because somehow they manage to be a bad influence on each other and a third party always ends up at least mildly traumatised.

Ritsu ends up the tallest. Mob is a little shorter, but also a little broader. Teruki is next. Shou remains pretty short, but more stocky in build. He hasn’t tried it but he bets he could bench press Ritsu.

Mob’s parents still don’t know what their sons get up to. However they are vaguely perplexed by the number of times dangerous looking but very polite individuals offer to carry groceries, open doors and treat their meals.

Ritsu: We could frame him. He’ll be publicly humiliated and have to step down. Mob: No Teruki: How about we blackmail him and get him to leave the country? That’s okay right? Mob: No Shou: We could just kill him Mob:... No Shou: Come on, I was kidding Ritsu: I wasn’t