#kotetsu toshiro

[anisotropy-kotetsu]

Toshiro is such a soft boy. He's very, very nervous and shy upon first meeting, but he's never rude. Perhaps he'll joke around and his joke might not land, but if anyone took offense he'd cry as he apologized.

He doesn't really make friends, he's not outgoing enough to initiate such a thing. However, if he did have friends he'd spoil them in many kind gestures and acts.

[scremogirl]

★♑︎☆彡𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃𝐂𝐀𝐍𝐎✪𝐍!☆♏︎★

How the Captains and Lieutenants (+) would react to PDA

I’m obsessed with this anime you don’t even understand. Imma do a spin off of this but with the arrancar and sterneitter and Yhwach… yes I like Yhwach. Suck my dick. All the captains are the ones in the picture aka pre attack TYBW captains. Ikkaku and Kaien are the only changed lieutenants. This took to long to write so I barley proof read it, it just gets a little reparative at times. Read the note at the end plz. Enjoy my loves.

Chōjirō Sasakibe

W/ others: Young Chojiro would find it sweet. He has a very strong heart and will acknowledge the love of the couple but do nothing more. Older Chojiro would probably scoff and tell them to be a little more prideful about when and where they show their affection.

W S/O: I think no matter what age he’s pretty much the same. Wouldn’t do too much or too little. Younger him wouldn’t be as affectionate because he might have other priorities. Older him though, even tho he has more responsibilities, he’s laid back and will rest with you on a bench as you talk about your day. Would probably like feeding the ducks at a local park with you.

Suì-Fēng

W/ other people: *Side eye*. She ignores it for the most part but wishes they would do it in private. As long as it’s not anything tooo intimate then she doesn’t mind really.

W/ S/O: She doesn’t like it. Again, she doesn’t mind anything very subtle. Intentional but discreet brushing of the hands, holding eachother pinkies under the table, or sitting close together, is all alright. Hugging and Kissing on the other hand? No. Maybe if she’s feeling a little soft or has a good day, a kiss on the cheek would be exceptional, maybe a pet name. Other than that, absolutely not. She does have a reputation to uphold after all. (*cough* and she doesn’t want Yoruichi to see *cough*)

Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi

W/ others: He finds it endearing that people can express their love for eachother so openly. He won’t comment on it and keep going on with his day. If it gets a little to handsy between the two he’ll probably strum his guitar a little harder to block it out or just get up and walk away.

W/ S/O: He enjoys it. He likes the feeling of his hands in yours and arms wrapped around each other. He’s a little more open about it in private but that doesn’t mean he’ll completely stop in public. He’s more of a words or affrimation kinda guy, I mean he puts so much emotion into his lyrics, how could he not be? He’ll whisper sweet nothings in your ear, and if he’s in the mood, a couple filthy promises.

Izuru Kira

W/ others: Izuru is a naturally introverted and quiet person. Seeing people so open and confident in their love for eachother makes him a little jealous. He wishes that sometimes he could put himself out there just a little more, but he’s comfortable in his little bubble so the thought alone kinda scares him.

W/ S/O: As I said before, he’s a shy lil boy. Not to much in public or you’ll kill him. In private tho, 🤭. He’s literally all over you, begging and whimpering for just a little bit of attention (he’s def a sub imo). He likes having someone to hold every night he goes to bed and every morning he wakes up. Tbh, I think he goes for the extroverts; he’d appreciate it if you make the moves most of the time. But when he’s in a mood, best believe he’s not letting you go anywhere, for someone so slim he can be exceptionally strong; aka his status as a lieutenant. He loves words of affirmation, giving or receiving.

Retsu Unohana

W/ others: She thinks it’s sweet, at least Retsu does. As long as they aren’t doing too much she just goes on about her day. Yachiru on the other hand would have scoffed a little, shaming them for their openness, thinking that those moments between two lovers should be saved for the more private and intimate moments. (*She a reformed crip*)

W/ S/O: Im a little indifferent on this one. I don’t really have an opinion on her when it comes to this. I think before the main story and tybw she wouldn’t even be interested in anything but battle. Main story Unohana (+) pre-attack tybw, wouldn’t mind hand holding. She’ll call you cute/endearing names like “dear or hun” but other than that, I don’t think she’ll be that mindful or care about it.

Isanae Kotetsu

W/ others/: She’s shy and reserved just like izuru. More prone to blushing at seeing other people cuddle up to each other . If she makes contact with either of the two she’ll put her head down and scurry away. She’s so cuteeeee☺️.

W/ S/O: FLUSTERED AF. Will blush, stutter, and whimper at any sign of affection; especially in public. Y’know when in anime the two love interests are walking home together and one grabs the other's hand and turns away blushing? That’s her. She rarely makes the first move but will silently ask you too.

Shinji Hirako

W/ others: Fuckin Hypocrite. He'll scoff and get in his “I wish that was me so imma be a hater,” moods. Seeing people canoodling with each other in public kinda makes his dick hard ngl. He imagines it’s him with his s/o. niggas a pervert on bro.

W S/O: Touchy grabby touchy grabby. Won’t keep his hands to himself. Loves the fact others can see how shy he makes you. Will whisper the filthiest, diabolical things in your ear. Scratch that, if he feels like it he’ll say it out loud. Depending on who you are though, he won't actually say anything, he’s truly a respectful person; just likes to tease. Besides anything sexual, he loves holding your hands and looking deep into your eyes. It’s not hard to make him blush either but he’ll do so with a big smile and soft gaze. He just wants everyone to know how in love he is.

Byakuya Kuchini

W/ others: He doesn’t really care. Little displays of affection are okay in front of him but for the most part, because of who he is, people tend to not take it too far when he’s around.

W S/O: Like Soi Fong, he has a reputation to maintain. He’s a very private and uptight person. Most would say he has a stick up his ass (*kenny*). Another person who prefers to show affection in private. He’ll let you lay your head on his shoulder or vice versa; hands intertwined while you observe the koi fish in his private pond. In meetings with the other nobles, he’ll grab and squeeze your hand from under the table to reassure you. Who knew he could be a lil softie.

Renji Abarai

W/ others: Doesn’t matter to him. Don’t try and bang in front of him and you're cool. Renjis a very laid back guy even if he can be a hot head. He prefers if people would do it in private but if it starts to get to much for him he’ll just get up and walk away.

W/ S/O: I can only imagine him w/ Rukia I’m so sorry. Butttt, if I had to give a take on it I’d say he can get really flustered.

Sajin Komomaru

W/ others: Slightest bit jealous. Because of what he looks like, afraid that nobody would wanna do those things with him. He doesn’t have an opinion on PDA, as long as they’re respectful of the others around.

W S/O: It’s a pretty known fact that Sajin is insecure about himself. However, after he takes his face covering off he does become a little more confident. He’s another private one. Loves cuddling next to the fireplace. In his human form tho, he feels like he has an opportunity to finally show how much he loves you in public without fear of getting judged. He’ll hold you hand and call you a little pet name but for the most part he’s “meh” about it. Afraid to get fur in your mouth.

Shunsui Kyōraku

W/ others: Also another pervert. Have you read his books? Is the cheesy romantic type who says shit like “they just love eachother so much”. That one guy in meet cute romance novels who sits in the back of the cafe or park benches and writes a story based on couples he sees walking by. On some “her big blue eyes started into his narrow darker ones 🥺,” type shit.

Would probably write smut about it ng hold you. Lisa peer edits 4sure.

W/ S/O: Shameless bastard. Like shinji, he does not care who he’s around. Gets a pass because the head captian thinks of him as a son. Will do it infront it him even, making you give him a slap to the head. He’ll just wink at you and give you the biggest, wettest kiss on your cheek ever (*que Yamamoto leaving the room mumbling about how the younger generation has no shame*). Physical touch and words of affirmation are his strong suit. Will tell you your beautiful no matter when or where. Loves taking naps with you under the many beautiful trees located in *byakuyas’ home* the seireitei.

Nanao Ise

W/ others: Unprofessional. She thinks things like that should be indoor activities in their own space. Would probably speak up about it if it was getting too much. Wouldn’t be bitchy about it but would definitely have a very stern tone.

W/ S/O: Again, save it for inside. Would be flustered at any type of affection but more so in public. Would have the brightest cheeks and tell you off for doing things like that in public. She kinda gives me veryyy subtle tsundere vibes, like you gotta squint to see it. In private however, she’ll come up to you with redden cheeks and an embarrassed/ little irritated expression and hold her arms out for a hug.

Kensei Mugurama

W/ others: Get it outta his face. Doesn’t like it with other people, but he won’t have any strong reaction to it. Probably just gives a roll of his eyes and a head shake. Just seeing other people be lovey dovey makes him cringe.

W S/O: Just like his flat skulled friend, very much a hypocrite. Will have a firm grip on your hand every time you two go out, arm around your waist, hand on your lower back. Even though he has this tough persona attached to him, he doesn’t mind showing just how much he cares about you. Will let you sit in his lap with his arms around you or hands on your hips with his face buried in your neck. He does this the most in public, especially if he doesn’t feel like socializing. Would be a little cheeky and start peppering kisses along your neck.

Shūhei Hisagi

W others: Tbh I’m a bit indifferent to him too. He’ll either glance at them and walk the other way. Or, B, become flustered and dip. He just doesn’t know how to react. Kinda just stares for a couple seconds, blushes, huffs, and walks away.

W S/O: Just like his best friend (insert Izuru), he’s a bit bashful about it, but just like his captain he can be a little slick. After a couple of drinks the boldness comes out. He loves wrapping his arm around your shoulder and pulling you towards him with a kiss on your cheek. Will also pull you into his lap and would most likely fall asleep. When he’s a bit more in control of his actions, he’ll grab your hand as you stroll through the town. Still a fan of kissing you on the cheek and will throw in a babe here or there, the works.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya

W/ others: Another one who finds it inappropriate in public. He’s but a child, spare him please,

W S/O: Lil boy.

Rangiku Matsumoto

W/ others- Yet another one who finds it cute. Would comment on how adorable the couple is, will even say it to their face. She can tune it out if she wants too but finds it funny to tease them. Especially if it’s one of her friends (Izuru abuse).

W S/O- Loves, loves, LOVES PDA. Cute nicknames, hugs and kisses, holding hands, going on dates. Loves to feel wanted and appreciated. Probably loves PDA the most out of everyone on this list.*Gin can’t do anything about it cause he dead*

Kenpachi Zaraki

W others: Finds it disgusting but doesn’t care. Slighttttttttly a perverted about it. As long as you're not jumping each other's bones, you’re safe.

W/ S/O: Kinda like Kensei. Very protective of you and a little saucy. Does not care who's watching because he knows they won’t do anything about it. Won’t say it but he loves when you’re perched on his shoulders (your weight/height does not matter this niggas almost seven feet and beefy). Loves for you to sit in his lap too, another one who likes napping with you outside. Lowkey likes it when you, yachiru, and himself go out and do whatever, kinda like his own little family. (has a breeding kink btw)

Ikkaku Madarame

W/ others: Would straight up tell them to knock it off if it’s getting too much. He finds all that cheesy, coupley, romance stuff disgusting. (Would headbutt someone).

W/ S/O: Doesn’t give a damn just like his captain. Very brash and straight forward. Will come up and kiss you in the middle of training if he thinks he did something particularly good in which he deserves a reward. Would sling an arm around your shoulder and kiss the top of your head while sitting in a bar drinking and laughing. Plot twist! If YOU were the one showing PDA he’ll become bashful and scold you about doing things like that in public. Calls you babe 24/7 and does not care who's around when he makes naughty jokes.

Mayuri Kurotsuchi

W/ others: Will stare at them until they stop or throw up in each other's mouths. Finds it absolutely repulsive. Why are you doing that in public, let alone in front of him? Will comment on it, telling them that wherever they are is no place for such nonsense. Will walk away and mutter how nasty it is under his breath.

W/ S/O: No.

Nemu

W/ others: Does not care.

W/ others: Wouldn’t initiate it but would reciprocate if you did. She basically a robot ion know what you want from me.

(+ Akon)

W/ others: Why though? Might get flustered if they start making out but for the most part he gets second hand embarrassment.

W/ other: Again would get flustered by kissing, but wouldn’t necessarily push you away or tell you to stop.

Jūshirō Ukitake

W/ others- Thinks it’s so cute. Would smile and wave at the couple. If they started to get a bit more handsy with eachother his pale face would turn the brightest of pink as he excuses himself.

W S/O- In terms of the top three PDA lovers I’d say Rangiku, Shunsui/Rose tied for 2nd, then him. He’s literally the sweetest person in all the seireitei. Loves sitting out in the open with you, on a cute little picnic date. Pet names thrown around the room, hugges and kisses are open anytime. Would blush and rub the back of his head with a soft laugh and even softer smile if you ever catch him off guard in public. Would say he loves you no matter who’s around.

Kaien Shiba

W/ others: Won’t pay attention to it. They love each other, so what?

W S/O: Woule give you big bears hugs whenever he sees you. Timid smiles with a heart of gold. Around you 24/7 so everyone has gotten used to it. Your own personal shadow.

꧁༺!𝐁𝐎𝐍𝐔𝐒!༺꧂

Sōsuke Aizen

W/ others. Pre betrayal Aizen would say he finds it charming in a way. Would softly smile at the two and keep going on about his day. Post betrayal Aizen would give them the side eye. Thinks it’s disrespectful to do things like that in his presence. Might rock your shit tbh.

W/ S/O- Pre betrayal Aizen would encourage it. He wants to show everyone how sweet and gentle of a boyfriend he can be. Will grab your hands, waist, hips, or arms at random times to catch you off guard. Post betrayal Aizen could not give 2 fucks.. Would come up behind you snaking his hand around your neck and kiss behind your ear, while you’re mid convo with someone might I add. Will have you sit on his throne with him, might force you too if you’ve been acting up, especially if he knows you hate attention (sinister af).

Gin Ichimaru

W/ others: Would observe them from afar. If they're getting annoying with it he’ll come up to them and purposely make them uncomfortable. Deep down though, he’ll find it cute and long for someone to connect to like that

W/ S/O: Similar to Aizen in the way he just does not care. Even after the betrayal of the Gotei 13, he stays the same. Would grab your hips and kiss along the column of your neck staring straight into the eyes of the person you're talking to. Would whisper teasing words to you no matter where you are. But as I said earlier, the real Gin would just want you to feel like you are always an attachment of him. He really does love you

Kaname Tōsen

W others: Can’t see them.

NAH IM JUST PLAYIN 😭. He thinks it’s a bit unsavory to be doin things in public. He does think, however, that if they’re that secure in the relationship and in their love they have the right to express it.

W/ S/O: Pre betrayal Kaname would hold your hands most of the time. Would possibly give you a quick peck on the cheek or forehead when he knows nobody is paying attention. Most of that stuff is in the privacy of your home. Defo gets more confident and will subtly grope you while whispering sweet nothings. Post betrayal Kaname may or may not be as strict about it. It’s 50/50 he wants you to know he loves you but he also wants to be professional. Maybe if you catch him in a less populated area. Who knows 🤷🏽‍♀️.

Kisuke Urahara

W/ others: Would watch them from behind his fan and bucket hat. Doesn’t mind it at all, he’ll just laugh about it and say that they’re just doing what most couples do.

W/ S/O: Run. Will not leave you aloneeeeeee. Will grab at any part of you. Will grab or slap your ass in public too he dgaf: But when you whip around he’s already out of sight. Now you and the other people around you are left speechless as you stomp around to find him. He loves pet names and will let them spew out whenever. Likes to tease you a lot and does it even more in public. He just like seeing you so shy (* was gonna say blush but uh…👋🏾*). He’s way more on you in private though. Laying in bed cuddled up with you is his favorite. Likes having his face smushed in your chest no matter the size. Arms around your waist and breathing softly as you play with his hair. That won’t last long though, Defo sleeps in the starfish position and will slap or kick you in the face. Good luck tho cause he sleeps like he’s dead. You’ll either push him on the floor or sleep on the couch.

Yoruichi Shihōin

W/ others: She’ll just tune it out. If it’s getting too much she’ll ask them to stop. Just don’t do it when she’s around.

W S/O: Does what she wants. Totally think she’ll love to cuddle up to you in her cat form. Lives for head and belly rubs as well as scratches to her ears. Human form Yoruichi is way more devious. Would lay her head in your lap, arms crossed as she sleeps. Would kiss your cheek, say her 2 cents and walk away. She doesn't care who's around or what you're doing. If she wants to love on you she will.

Just as another psa I don’t write for Toshiro romantically or the lieutenants from squad 2, 5, or 7.

[chiefatticcreator]

Two Big Challenges, by Gairon

deviantart link

[distinguishedshoeduckdonut]

無限リハビリ篇

Gotei 13 First Generation And Gotei 13 New Generation

[mygaynessissimp]

So uh, started to work more on the bleach mermaid/siren/merman au, here's more I've gone done, please give me more ideas.

Shunsui Kyōraku would be a Koi.

Suì-Fēng would be a mantis shrimp.

Kisuke Urahara would be a Greenland Shark.

Tōshirō Hitsugaya would be a Atlantic white-sided dolphin or a seal.

Kenpachi Zaraki would be a orca.

Isane Kotetsu would be a Salmon.

Byakuya Kuchiki would be be a Koi.

Rukia Kuchiki would be a Koi.

As Nodt would be a Sloane’s viperfish.

Gremmy Thoumeax would be an Alligator Gar.

Gin Ichimaru as a sea snake.

Sōsuke Aizen as a great white shark that is abnormally larger than any other great white shark.

Kaname Tōsen being a barracuda.

Coyote Starrk would be a great white shark while Lilynette Gingerbuck is a remora.

Baraggan Louisenbairn would be a coelacanth.

Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck would be a blue sea dragon.

Tier Harribel would be a bull shark.

Ulquiorra Cifer would be an angler fish.

Nnoitra Gilga would be a stone fish.

Luppi Antenor would be a leafy seadragon.

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez would be a tiger shark.

Szayelaporro Granz would be a lion fish.

Aaroniero Arruruerie would be a goblin shark.

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

An Unwavering Light - Chapter 4

Rating: T/Teen for violence (specifically for descriptions of injuries) and mature themes, including ones about trauma and depression.

Setting: begins before the confrontation with Aizen and co. in Fake Karakura Town arc, and goes from there to the Thousand Year Blood War arc. This chapter takes place during the events of the manga from chapters 392-422

Music to listen to: nothing anymore by Shiro Sagisu (YT | Spotify), Light's Theme by Yoshihisa Hirano and Hideki Taniuchi (YT), Nothing Can be Explained Instrumental by Shiro Sagisu (YT), and Ambered by Bluetile Lounge (YT | Spotify).

Fic synopsis: During the confrontation against Aizen, the unthinkable happens. For Hitsugaya, a vow is broken, and for Hinamori, her future is unknown. With everything in shambles, how can they piece their lives back together? Or their bond?

Chapter synopsis: Hinamori is taken to Twelfth Division to begin her physical recovery. Hitsugaya undergoes Hojiku-Zai and reflects on his regenerated limbs.

AN: Yes that's right! You're not just getting one chapter this time, but two! We have more angst but also some brotp goodness!

I'll say upfront, for anyone worried about there being body horror in this chapter (if you remember what Hojiku-Zai is like, then you know what I mean) rest assured there isn't any here as I don't like writing that sort of thing.

This chapter was intense to write, and I know the next one will be too. It also occurs to me I am posting this on Rangiku's birthday...yay for timing!

Disclaimer: BLEACH and it’s characters belong to Tite Kubo.

<< Prev chapter || Chapter Index || Next chapter >> coming soon

______________________________

When Hitsugaya comes to, the first thing he sees is the sky, and in lower part of his periphery, the towering silhouette of Soukyoku Hill. His mind is hazy for only a few seconds before snapping back to reality.

On either side of him are Fourth Division members, who carry him on a stretcher and don’t notice he’s awake. Despite their rushing steps, he’s barely jostling around.

With a grunt from the ebbing pain, he casts his gaze to the right. Isane walks speedily alongside those carrying him; as she does, she’s calling out orders to those around her. In the gap between her and one of her subordinates, he sees Komamura and Hisagi being carried on stretchers as well.

Where’s Hinamori? He can't sense her reiatsu anywhere. Is she still back in the Fake Karakura Town? The only thought stopping him from trying to get off the stretcher is that Unohana had shown up. She's in safe hands, but it doesn't stop the urgency that thrums through him.

“Captain Hitsugaya, you’re awake!”

He returns his attention Fourth Division’s lieutenant. A few of the surrounding officer glance at him, but are quick to turn their gazes away.

Isane offers him a relieved smile, but her concern keeps it small. “You’re back in the Soul Society, we’re taking you to Fourth Division. We’ve been told Inoue-san will assist with healing our wounded. Given their severity, we can ask her tend to your injuries first.”

 “No,” he rasps out.

Isane blinks, her smile vanishing. “What?”

“Contact Kurotsuchi…I want Hojiku-Zai.”

A flicker of horror crosses over her face. Even the officers carrying him slow their pace and exchange surprised or concerned looks.

“Captain, are certain?” she asks. “Inoue-san shouldn’t be more than a few hours. We can treat your wounds until she arrives and can ask her to see you fir– ”

“I’m certain.” He hadn’t meant to snap, but he can’t afford to wait any longer. “I’m aware of the consequences, Kotetsu. Tell Kurotsuchi if he’s returned, or whoever he appointed to oversee Twelfth Division in his absence.”

She takes in a heavy breath, considering.

He doesn’t have time for this. He can’t be like this for a moment longer. The urgency buzzes along his nerves and he holds on to it, lets it take over his senses.

Eventually, Isane raises her hand, signalling her officers to halt. Then, she bows to him; even as she does this, she winces. “I’ll inform him and Akon-san right away.”

_____________________________________

Hinamori drifts in the darkness. It had been numbing up until a stinging sparks in her eyes. She has no choice but to open them.

She does it slowly, but even then, it doesn’t stop her from grimacing from the brightness of the light. Where is she? Why is it so bright?

Shadows come into the edges of her vision, hazy and moving around her. Then sound returns, and there’s the beeping and humming of machinery. The air is cold, and smells odd. The figures around her are speaking, but she can’t make out what they’re saying.

One of them gets closer. They’re holding something and bringing it towards her face. “Lieutenant…we’re about to…you’ll be out for…”

Their words fade in and out. She’s too weak to speak. She simply stares back at the figure as they put what they hold over her face. Whatever it is, it’s making her return back to the darkness. She doesn’t fight her eyes closing.

_____________________________________

There’s a whirl of machinery that runs through the whole of Twelfth Division. In this room, it’s quieter, a background noise to the comings and goings of division members just outside of the door. Looking around, Hitsugaya suspects it’s an examination room. It’s sparsely furnished, with only a thin mattress over the metal table he sits on, a two-tiered tray that’s been wheeled over to him, and a chair in the corner.

He glances at Hyourinmaru, still dirty with concrete dust and rubble, propped up against the wall at his bedside. He remains silent, but Hitsugaya can sense his seething; at him or something else, he can't tell.

The wall he presses his back against is chilly and gives off a dull shine from the overhead lights. Despite the coldness and strange odors scenting the air, he’s glad to be in a room like this. It’s quiet, the silence in stark contrast to everything that’s happened in the last several hours. There’s also the fact that during the few times he needed to visit, he’d seen other rooms in the division, and tried not to think about what half of the machines in this barracks did.

He shudders. He never thought there would come a day when he’d ask Mayuri for anything. He’d always been conflicted about his fellow captain; on one hand, he has a brilliant mind that has led to leaps in technology for the Soul Society and the work the Shinigami carry out. On the other, his methods were abhorrent and went against most of what he’d once thought Shinigami stood for.

How things had changed. How he had changed. Over the years, and in a matter of a few hours.

The door opens with a low, metallic whine. Hitsugaya is oddly calm when Akon enters the room with two needles and a vial. In the latter is a green liquid that sloshes around as he approaches.

“Captain Hitsugaya,” he says in way of greeting.

Hitsugaya only nods in return.

Akon keeps his expression measured, but Hitsugaya senses a slight hesitation in him. He wonders if he spoke with the Fourth Division member Isane left with him, who stands outside of the room.

“Are you aware of the side effects for Hojiku-Zai?” Akon asks.

“I’ve heard that it’s painful,” he says. “Incredibly painful.”

“It may also lead to small defects, such as aching joints or missing fingers or toes. However, it’s a rare occurrence and your limbs should be the same they were before they were severed, but I feel I should still warn you. Knowing this, do you still want to proceed?”

“Yes.”

Akon comes around to his left side and puts the needles and vial down on the tray. Hitsugaya’s uniform sleeve and pant leg had been cut off by Fourth Division members. Akon removes the several layers of gauze wrapped around his shoulder first. “You’ll want to bite down on something,” he advises, nodding to the folded cloth next to the needles. “It’s far more painful than you realise.”

“Kotetsu numbed my shoulder and leg before I got here.”

“It might help a little, but it will only work so far. I assume she wasn't able to numb every area, given the type of wounds. As such, it likely won’t stop the pain that’s going to come from the regrowth of your nerves.”

“Then what if I was unconscious?”

“It doesn’t work unless you’re awake.”

How Mayuri had come up with his contraptions and procedures often bewildered Hitsugaya. He can’t say he’s surprised that a requirement for something like this involves being conscious. “Very well.”

He grabs the cloth offered to him by Akon and puts it between his teeth. Akon stops on the last layer of gauze and assists Hitsugaya to lie down. He then sticks one of the needles through the vial’s cork top and extracts some of the green liquid. “I’d also advise you to not look, it’s not…pleasant.”

Hitsugaya grunts in ascent. Despite the warning, he eyes the needle as he lays his head back against the mattress. Akon removes the final piece of gauze.

“It will be quick,” he says, but it’s less of an assurance to ease any anxiety Hitsugaya may have and more of an affirmation to what Hitsugaya hoped the procedure will be. He can’t wait for anything else, he needs something quick. He knows pain, has experienced in many battle, and nothing would ever come close to what he'd been gone through only a few hours ago.

As the needle draws closer to his shoulder, he shuts his eyes. With sight gone, he reaches out his senses, picking up on all of Twelfth Division’s reiatsu, but he searches through and over them, until there’s a small fire. She’s further down the hallway, her reiatsu steady but weak.

He’d sensed it earlier when he was being taken by Isane and her officers to Twelfth Division.

“She needs to undergo several operations,” Isane had explained when seeing his stricken reaction. “Minazuki couldn't heal her internal injuries. Once her operations are complete, she’ll be transferred to Fourth Division.”

“When will that be?” he’d asked, voice taut.

Isane’s expression had softened to one of sympathy. “We’re not sure, but Akon-san has estimated up to two weeks.”

Akon's free hand presses down on the gap between his neck and shoulder.

Live, he begs again. You have to live, Hinamori.

Hitsugaya clings on to that plea even as the needle pierces his arm and he bites into the cloth to muffle his scream.

_________________________

Hinamori kept the smile in place even as he turned to go back to his division. She's never been happier for him than in this moment. It wasn't only because he deserved a promotion like this after decades of hard work, but because he'd finally come out of the slump. It's hard not to blame him for getting into one, with his captain vanishing without warning or any clues as to what happened.

She feared he had lost his purpose, but with his shoulders squared and his steps purposeful, any worry that lingered lifted from her heart.

The haori suited him in an odd way. To think a Soul this young could achieve a rank this high, but given his prodigal level in skills and intellect, it shouldn't surprise her. Still, even thought it had been a month since he was appointed captain of Tenth Division, she had to stop herself from doing a double take at the haori and new hairstyle.

She'd get used it in time, and she has no doubt he will be a captain for many decades, maybe even centuries.

But the longer she looked at his receding back, the more a strange sensation crept in. It's one she'd experienced a few times, perhaps even tried to ignore many more. There's a distance between them, one that had began when she started at the Academy.

She'd always known she wouldn't see him around as much, but they're friends, always have been, but it didn't mean they would walk the same path. Certain things, like promotions and her dedication to Fifth Division, made it harder to close this gap between them.

It's not an issue, she told herself when a ting of sadness edged it's way in and damped her smile. They'll be friends be for centuries, until death. So then, when had it gone from knowing that to hoping it can be like that?

________________________

By the time he is taken to his room in Fourth Division, Hitsugaya wants nothing more than to sleep. Unlike others, he had this one to himself and away from the majority of the noise of the division. A faint pain throbbed through his regrown limbs. Without having to tell Isane this, she and another division member wrapped them in bandages coated in the same salve that she used to numb his wounds before.

“Where’s Matsumoto?” he’d asks after she’s finished and her assistant leaves the room. “Is she here?”

“She will be shortly,” Isane says. “She required further treatment from Twelfth Division. Her operation began after you left and shouldn’t take more than two hours. Lieutenant Kira did what he could at the time, but Lieutenant Matsumoto ended up straining herself too much when she came to the Soul Society.”

Hitsugaya’s eyes widen. “She came here during the fight?”

Isane’s lips form a thin, tight line and she avoids his gaze. “I don't knwo why that is, but she'll tell you in time. She’s scheduled to arrive here after her operation. We’ll use extensive kido to ensure she’s discharged in two days time.” She gestures to the bandages. “We’ll remove these tomorrow morning, the pain will have subsided by then. We’ll also perform tests on your limbs to ensure there isn’t any abnormalities. We trust Akon-san’s assessment of the treatment, but we just need to make sure.”

He can only nod.

She bows. “I need to attend to other patients. Dinner will arrive for you shortly. We have officers stationed nearby if require anything.”

He bows his head in return. “Thank you, Kotetsu.”

He barely touches dinner when it’s served to him. Along with no appetite, a sense of nauseous threatens to churn his stomach even at the scent of food. He ignores the concerned look for the officer who comes to collect his dishes several minutes later.

There’s a constant commotion going on outside his room, coming through as muffled rushed footsteps and the occasional shout. He doesn’t pay attention to any of it.

In the silence, with his pain in his limbs numbed, he stares at the ceiling, at the space between two lights, eyes heavy but unwilling to close. He breathes in deeply, quietly. There isn’t a coherent thought going through his mind. Only a series of sensations, wordless and weighing his head down. His chest still hurts, but it’s less of a clenching twist and more of the aftermath of holding something too tightly. It flows out wide, as though he is caught in the ripples of a stone that’s shot through water.

This ache threatens to bring back, in vivid detail, everything that happened today.

I couldn't protect her.

With a fierce shake of his head, he chooses to focus on something else. Hyourinmaru now lays on a table at his bedside. The weapon is only a little bit cleaner, with the hilt and sheath baring smudges of dirty. He makes to reach for his zanpakuto but stops when he's about to move his regenerated limb.

Swallowing thickly, he tilts his head a fraction and stares down at the arm. He’s barely moved the new limbs, and when he did it was involuntarily. He feels and senses everything about them – their weight, the fabric of the dried bandages, the natural coolness of his skin – as if he hadn’t lost them in the first place.

With a strange hesitation, Hitsugaya lifts and bends the arm at the elbow. Nothing out of the ordinary happened. No pain. No odd sensations. As if it were the arm he’s always had. But it isn’t. It’s something entirely new, unknowable yet looking the exact same as before.

_________________________

He’d fallen asleep at some point, but jolts awake in a cold sweat and a cry strangled in his throat. He’d kicked off the sheets and his arms reach out in the air. With his aching heart racing, he barely remembers to breathe. He wipes his hands over his face, trying to get rid of the blood that isn’t there, until he remembers where he is.

It happened all over again.

He swallows back the threat of tears and curls inwards. He keeps his eyes wide open for the rest of the night and into the dawn before a division members comes to check on him.

_________________________

Hinamori awakens in a darker room. There's still the humming of machinery, but there's now a window letting in the first rays of the sunrise. She breathes in, but it's strange. It's air, but thicker and hotter. Something is attached to her face and digging into the sides of her head. A mask, she realises.

She tries and fails to raise a hand to her remove it. She can feel something working within her to keep the pain at bay, but it must be affect her movements too, making them sluggish and heavy.

She looks around the room for someone or for a button to press, but this isn't like any room in Fourth Division. Where is she?

You're in Twelfth Division, Master.

She startles at Tobiume's voice. She's barely perceptible, as though speaking to her through a thick wall. Hinamori raises her head, and immediately regrets it when a wave of dizziness hits her. She lowers her head with a wince. She feels around, until her right hand ghosts across the sheets and bumps into her zanpakuto. The connection between them is tenuous, only made slightly stronger when she wraps her fingers around the blade's sheeth. She chances turning her head, an there lies Tobiume on a stand next to her bed.

"Why...?"

She doesn't finish her question. The word briefly flashes a memory before her eyes, but she can't make out what it is.

Healing...It's the only word she can hear from her zanpakuto.

The darkness has fallen to far for her to drifts back into. She can only stare at the ceiling, waiting for someone to come.

_________________________

The rest of the morning goes by in a blur. Hitsugaya remains seated in bed, staring out the window into an empty courtyard. He can't think a coherent thought, can only languish in a haze that consumes his mind.

Eventually, another officer delivers his breakfast. He's about to send it away when he notices movements over the officer's shoulder.

His eyes widen when he spots Rangiku over the officer’s shoulder.

She stands in the doorway of his room, one arm bandaged and a slouch in her shoulders. What strikes him the most, however, are the dark circles beneath her eyes, the paleness of her skin, and the frizz in her hair.

“Captain,” she says.

The officer – Mori, he remembers now -- finally notices her. “Ah, Lieutenant Matsumoto. Are you alright? Did you need something?”

Rangiku shakes her head. “No, I was coming to visit my captain. I’ll come back later.”

“It’s fine,” Hitsugaya speaks up. “You can come in.”

Mori worries his lip for a second, then bows. “I’ll return shortly.”

Rangiku steps aside for him to leave. Even left lalone, she doesn’t move into the room from the doorway. She leans against it, as if she’d been putting on an act before with how well she really is.

“Are you sure it’s all right for you to be walking around?” Hitsugaya asks.

She says nothing, only meeting his gaze, and it's enough to tell him she has been through something awful. Something has broken within her, like him.

Her gaze softens, and she lets out a short, quiet sigh before righting herself. She nods to his untouched breakfast on his bedside table. “You should eat.”

“I’m not hungry,” he says, not sparing the food a glance.

She walks into the room. Her steps are slow, hiding the unsteadiness he can sense from her. “Still, it’s not good to have an empty stomach," she reasons, "especially at times like this.”

Did she even realise she spoke the words Isshin’s used to tell them whenever they skipped a meal?

“Did you eat yours?” he asks.

That gets a flicker of a smile from her. “You have me there.”

As she sits down in the chair at his bedside, he takes up the bowl of soup and hands it to her. “Then here. I don’t feel like having miso today anyway.”

She blinks at his offering. “I…” She lets out a strange sound, a cross between a humored huff and a withheld sob. “Thank you, Captain.”

She’s quick to take the bowl and start draining it, and he withholds his questioning by eating a piece of tamagoyaki. He leaves two for her, giving her the dish after he’s done with it.

He’s never been like this with her. They look out for each other and ensure each other's welfare, but never like this. It’s never gotten to the point where they are concerned the other hasn’t eaten, to the point where they can barely speak to each other but can still convey without words they’ve gone through something unimaginable.

“How are your arm and leg, sir?” she asks. “Captain Unohana told me you underwent Hojiku-Zai."

There's an additional question there that goes unspoken: Why did you choose that method? He ignores it. “They’re doing tests on them within the hour. After that, they’ll assess whether I can be discharged later today or tomorrow.”

“But how do they feel?”

“Fine, nothing out of the ordinary.” He’d only moved his regenerated limbs to sit up, but otherwise kept them immobile. However, to prove his point, he lifts his left arm. There’s stiffness from keeping it still, making his movements stilted as he raises it. “It’s like nothing happened.”

It feels like a confession, a vulnerable moment he’d normally keep from her. He blames the exhaustion and the wordless thought eddying in his head. He can’t deny, however, that it’s a relief to speak with someone like her. Someone who knows him, has seen him in harder times.

“How are your injuries?” he asks while lowering his arm to his side. He doesn’t want to think back to the fight, but can’t help it as he recalls, “On the battlefield, I sensed your reiatsu change suddenly. You were almost on the brink of death. What happened?”

Perhaps without realising, Rangiku clutches the left side of her waist. “I was attacked by a creature created by those three Arrancar – Ayon I think is what it was called. Kira-kun did what he could. Twelfth finished what he’d started, and then Fourth healed over the rest. It’s all better now, and Captain Unohana said I shouldn’t have any issues.” She raises her bandaged arm. “This is just for scratches and strain. They’ll probably remove it today.”

He gives a nod. “That’s good to hear."

She waits, shoulders tense and fingers lacing together in her lap. She must sense his hesitation and eagerness to ask her further. Is now the best time? If not now, when? If she weren’t here, he’s certain his thoughts would fall back to what happened yesterday or to Hinamori is, helpless to do anything for her. He knows even after he gets out of here, that’s still going to be case. For how long, he can’t predict.

“Something else happened there,” he says, voice gravely. “You vanished from the fight in the Fake Karakura Town. You ended up here, and from what Kotetsu told me, Aizen and Ichimaru did as well.”

She eyes twitch at the mention of Gin’s name. It’s as he suspected, but seeing her reaction makes him change his mind about where to lead this conversation. “I won’t ask you to explain your actions now, but I will in the coming days.”

Her shoulders fall. “Yes, of course.”

He lets out a short breath. Despite the obvious relief that she doesn’t have explain what happened after the vanished, there’s still an air of tension around her, and it’s his turn to wait for her to come out with it.

“They’ll probably be coming to do your tests soon.” He blinks at her words, and all the tautness floods out of him. She makes to stand, as if she hadn’t noticed the tension in the air at all. “I’ll leave you to –”

“You can stay.” She freezes at his offer. “Unless you need to return to your room.”

She hesitates, briefly glancing at the doorway behind her, then sinks back into the chair. “I guess someone needs to make sure you don’t act out.”

It’s as close to normality as he’s gotten in the last twenty-four hours. If this were any other situation he’d lecture her, but instead, he huffs. “That’s my line.”

__________________________________

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[stonecoldaries]

random bleach drawings

[dnyane]

[gallusrostromegalus]

More Zanpkaptou Spirit Concepts under the cut, featuring Hanataro's Hisagomaru, Yamamoto's Ryujin Jakka, Isane's Itegumo and Hitsugaya's Hyorinmaru:

Of all the Zanpaktou designs in the zanpaktou arc, my least favorite was probably Hisagomaru, because it did Hanataro's character a disservice. Hanataro is a guy who is dedicated to helping others even to the point of risking his life, and you don't get like that without some guts and in my experience, an undiluted and all-encompassing RAGE against the vile circumstances of life that lead to suffering like this, something that cannot be vented in a normal argument, so it gets bottled up and redirected into helping others and battling the cosmic forces. Hisagomaru is the embodiment of that bottled-up rage. Thusly Hisagomaru is the single most furious animal I can think of that has every reason to curse the universe for it's cruel joke of an existence, but since it cannot fight that, it chooses to survive in spite of everything, and it survives by being a living water bottle:

Hisagomaru is a Rain Frog with a long stripe up it's back that turns from black to white starting from it's head as it stores up injury and injustice and also anything that stresses out his much-beloved Hanataro. In fact, Hanataro is nearly invulnerable- while the medic has to strike others with Hisagomaru to heal them, the sword-frog automatically absorbs any injury done to his wielder, waiting to return the injury with insult.

As it stores up these injuries it also... grows. An "empty" Hisagomaru is the size of a regular rain frog, but it can grow to a topological scale if needed. There isn't actually a limit it must reach to release the injury, or an upper limit on how much it can store- it chooses when it's tactical to release the injuries in a destructive strike, and before then, can swell to spectacular size. The glowing "guage" stripe therefore is not a measure of how much power Hisagomaru has stored up (that's the size) but the black vanishing from the stripe is a measure of Hisagomaru's patience with your malarkey slipping away. Before she realized Kenpachi could see Zanpaktou spirits in general, Unohana wondered if Kenpachi might be a latent psychic of some sort because he somehow always knew if the 4th division had had a particularly rough day in triage or exactly where to run to protect the 4th division in field missions despite his wretched sense of direction. Kenpachi is later embarrassed to admit "I just look for the Big-Ass Frog."

---

Ryujin Jakka is not actually the oldest Zanpaktou- all of the noble treasures came into creation before him, and there are some other spirits than bonded themselves to swords before the creation of the Divine Forge that are still wandering around, but Ryujin Jakka was the first sword Royal Guard Nimaiya Oetsu ever created in the Divine Forge and is the zanpaktou that has stood the longest with it's master. Whenever Yamamoto dies, Ryujin Jakka will too. As Oetsu's "Early Work" though, the forgemaster hadn't nailed down all the details of crafting Zanpaktou yet-and thus Ryujin has some unusual abilities that Oetsu did not include in later works. Like Senbonzakura, he can choose to manifest in a way mortals can interact with... ...And used this ability for ~*Romance*~ Ryujin Jakka is the only zanpaktou with children, a fact makes Oetsu chew the walls in hysterics. Not with humans- humans that can actually withstand Ryujin's Very Literal Burning Passion are few and far between- but Ryujin has charmed his way into the affections of several Kami and even a powerful demoness that got trapped outside of Hell, and he and Yamamoto keep in touch with his various progeny*. Yamamoto tends to wave off Oetsu's pleas to PLEASE bring Ryujib back to the forge I need to neuter him hadn't learned much about lamination I can make him stronger! because, never having had children himself, Yamamoto is enjoying a sort of vicarious grandfatherhood through Ryujin. *Mostly. Kami are notoriously bad communicators due to their extreme lifespans and it's been so long that Ryujin can't actually remember what the daughter he had with the Goddess of the Wind looks like or where she lives, but after learning Kenpachi was raised by The Firebird, Yamamoto has had a few nagging concerns... Being the spirit of Fire and therefore, change, Ryujin doesn't stick to a single manifested form- sometimes he's a burning edge on Yamamoto's clothing, sometimes a humanoid figure made of flame, sometimes a dragon, but often he chooses the form of a Phoenix. Ryujin is extremely aware of the kind of collateral damage he can cause and has no doubts of the respect other spirits afford him, so he is quite deferential to the less-powerful beings around him and picks diminutive forms to limit the chance he'll harm someone if manifested, and thus picks a more humble bird to transform into a phoenix as his attire. All the same, Yamamoto was not pleased to hear Kenpachi describe The Spirit of Fire Himself as "An Extra-Spicy Chicken" and ended up chasing Kenpachi halfway around the Seireitei while Ryujin cackled with laughter. While she can't see them like her father, Yachiru is unusually good at sensing them, and Ryujin is exceptionally fond of her *. He will come out to play and teach her how to home her spiritual sense when she comes to visit the first division. *Its odd for Ryujin to be so affectionate towards a human like this, and it makes Yamamoto's worries about The Firebird worsen.

---

Isane Kotetsu's Itegumo or "Ice cloud" has no canon appearance and it's release command is "Hashire" which can be translated as "Run", as in to Sprint or travel quickly" and thusly I have concluded that Itegumo is an Avalanche. If that doesn't sound particularly terrifying to you, please enjoy this video of an Avalance in Kyrgyzstan (everyone was alright) to give you an idea of what Itegumo is capable of in just it's Shikai release.

It's one of the least physically defined Zanpaktou out there, appearing as a shimmering cloud of prismatic sparkling ice crystals. If there was a genuine vote of the most beautiful zanpaktou spirit, Itegumo might well win. Even Senbonzarkura has felt a pang of jealousy upon seeing Itegumo swirling and glittering around Isane. Itegumo is a largely quiet and serene sort of spirit, perfectly content with the fact that Isane rarely needs it's power- it doesn't get pent up for battle like some spirits do, but instead is purely reactive- meaning Itegumo can go from complete tranquility to mass destruction in an instant if that's what circumstances dictate. This does not stop Itegumo form unnerving people, because it likes to people watch from high places. Isane picked out her office specifically because there's an odd high window with a ledge that it likes to hang out on and peer down at people from, like an overhanging snow embankment. It also tends to chill the air when it manifests as a spirit, something thoroughly obnoxious in winter but much beloved in summer.

Kenpachi is chronically annoyed by Itegumo. It's massively powerful and would be one hell of a fight for him... and it's got no interest in fighting save to protect Isane, and Kenpachi has too much self-respect to go around threatening women, especially doctors, just to start a fight, and too much self-preservation to actually bother Isane because she can and would castrate him. Itegumo's habit of looming on high pisses Kenpachi off too, and more than one appointment to the 4th has been interrupted with a "DO YOU FUCKING MIND?" when it's lurking becomes too damoclean. Worst of all, a big guy like Kenpachi tends to overheat in summer and he's very willing get into Isane's good graces to have her come over the the 11th and cool the place off when the weather hits triple digits, but Itegumo's next favorite person after Isane is Captain Komamura, because wolves really appreciate winter in a way almost nothing else does, and with the fur coat he can't take off, Isane always puts Sajin first in line on the cooldown triage, so Kenpachi is left trying to choose between suffering the heat or suffering another discussion of administrative policy and philosophy.

---

Hyorinmaru is almost as old as Ryujin Jakka, but instead of having children, the Ice Dragon Sword has had many wielders. He was actually carried by a previous 10th division captain Tayuki Tanaka (the one before Captain Matsumoto and Captain Shiba), to great effect, and now that Hyorinmaru has chosen Young Hitsugaya as his wielder, there are many high hopes for the boy!

Fuck 'em. Growls Hyorinmaru one night when Toshiro comes to him about the pressure he feels to achieve. I'm an old fart who doesn't know when to quit, what of it? he asks with a flick of his tail.

"Then...Why did you pick me?" Toshiro wonders, curled up against Hyorinmaru's jaw. The Spirit is massive- an ancient dragon easily over 100 feet long and a torso so thick that Komamura could probably stand up comfortably inside his stomach. Toshiro cards his fingers through the long blue-green mane of the beast- the hair is thick and rough, the the mane of a horse, and soothing to comb out.

An eye bigger than Toshiro's head rolls back to give him a spectacular side-eye, before closing and Hyorinmaru sighs fondly, a sound like a small avalanche. It's alright- your sensitivity is one of your most admirable qualities Toshiro- I know it hurts sometimes, but it gives you spectacular insight and nuance that allows me to speak to you- everyone just hears noises and sees movements, not even gesture. But you understand me perfectly.

I chose you because you do understand me- and that's all I desire out of our partnership, really. To be known, and if I may earn it, loved. he explains to the boy, sitting and staring up at his eye. To be loved as you are is the greatest treasure in this world and any other. Trust me- I'm a dragon! I know all about treasure.

Toshiro cracks a smile and Hyorinmaru turns his head to affectionately rub his browridge under the boy's chin. "-I know." Toshiro sighs, flopping over him and sliding a bit so he's laying over the top of Hyorinmaru's muzzle. "I just worry about letting everyone else down."

Like I said. Fuck 'em. You are kind, Toshiro, but it's your prerogative to meter out your generosity as you see fit. It's a kindness for you to serve as a shinigami because you have me, but it's also just that. A favor. You owe them nothing, and if you decide to quit tomorrow and spend the rest of your existence making dandelion crowns, I will stay by your side all the same. He explains, tail lazily swaying across the width of the 10th division courtyard.

Toshiro huffs a sarcastic laugh. "Tell that to the old man..." he grumbles.

What's he done? Hyorinmaru rumbles, eyes snapping open, even if he has to go a bit cross-eyed to look at Toshiro. I will tell Shigekuni off if it comes to that- I'm still four years older than he is and he needs to respect his elders!

Toshiro laughs outright. "Nothing he just- I don't know. He doesn't actually *ask* things of me, he just... offers me personal tutoring in Kendo and just assumes I can handle this officer's position and... it's like he implicitly expects me to become a captain."

Ah, Hyorinmaru nods. Shige's always been emotionally constipated and I don't think there are enough prunes in all the realms to fix him- Shigekuni isn't trying to convey his expectations of you, he's trying to express his confidence in you. Hyorinmaru sits up a bit to stretch.

"It's so weird to hear you call the captain-general by his given name..." Toshiro mutters, climbing up to sit on the dragon's head and hang onto an antler. "But what do you mean, confidence?" MMMMGRH! That's better- Hyorinmaru grunts, stretching out his forelegs, each as long and thick as a cedar tree, sword-sized claws wiggling as he stretches. He offers you tutoring in Kendo because he's sure you can handle his lessons and are smart enough to really benefit from them. He hands you assignments as a vote of confidence in your capacity. He probably thinks he's being reassuring.

And perhaps... Hyorinmaru stretched out his hind legs and back, spine rippling in a great wave from his head to the tip of his tail. He's old now, and I can't help but think he's considering possible sucessors. Having someone as talented and even-handed as you are in the court guard probably relieves much of his worries about what will become of the organization after he passes. "...Oh." Toshiro mumbled, still hanging on as Hyorinmaru paced in a circle, mock-trampling the grass out of millennia of habit before he settled down again. "Okay, but that's not like. Actually instilling confidence in me. Just more expectations." he said, stretching out on top of Hyorinmaru's head and gazing up at the stars now that the dragon had settled.

It's your choice to take those lessons and assignments, Toshiro. Hyorinmaru explained. If it's too much, tell him no.

"Oh, like it's that easy."

It really is. Hyorinmaru rumbled. Zaraki, who Shigekuni doesn't even like, tells him to fuck off to his face all the time, and the worst that happens is a cross word, because for all his years and respect, Shigekuni cannot demand that which he is not owed. He is immensely fond of you, and being told 'No' by you will probably only increase his respect for you.

Toshiro pondered this for a minute, before taking out his phone and opening the text communication application.

<It was very generous of you to offer me the additional tutoring in Kendo and I want to take it up, but I cannot do that right now. Maybe after Summer?>

He finished typing, rolled over and held the screen down to Hyorinmaru's eye for him to read.

Do you actually want to take him up on it after summer, or are you lying to be polite?

"No, no I learned not to do that with Momo's Birthday party." Toshiro sighed. "I do want to learn but I swear hollows are like, ten times more active in summer."

Then send it.

After a moment's wince to screw up the courage, Toshiro pressed send, and sighed with disgust at the nerves.

I'm proud of you. Hyorinmaru hummed, facial tendril reaching up and lightly squeezing the boy's shoulder. The phone beeped a reply and Toshiro startled, almost falling off the dragon's head but accidentally tossing the phone on the ground. Toshiro grumbled at himself, accepting the tendril's help down and retrieved it, opening up the message.

"...Really?" he sighed, glaring with disappointment at the screen. Without looking at Hyorinmaru's interrogative eyebrow, he plodded back over and held the phone up for him to read.

Captain-General Yamamoto: <😎👍>

...Young People and their Emotications. Sighed Hyorinmaru, rolling his eye but still seeing and enjoying Toshiro's frustrated sigh at the incorrect slang.

For AEIWAM:

Is Zaraki's able to see Zanpaktou spirits because he himself was once a weapon?

Any plans for Sode no Shirayuki? How does she feel about being considered the most beautiful Zanpaktou?

Point 1: Yes, also because he's the (adopted) son of a Minor Kami and a [SPOILER], but mostly because it's funny if he has no spiritual sense except that he can see sword spirits. Zanpaktou spend most of their time Resting in a little pocket dimension inside the Sword- all those showy super-attacks take a lot of energy, and they are fueled by but one person! But if a Zanpaktou wants to talk to their wielder or is bored and wants to watch The Shinigami Show, they can manifest outside the sword in a spirit form only visible to Their Wielder Specifically, and other Zanpaktou that are also currently in spirit form or in shikai/bankai. In general, one Shinigami cannot perceive the zanpaktou spirit form of another Shinigami, Unless Some Weird Shit Be Afoot, so it's a hell of a surprise to the spirits when they find out Zaraki can see them, as they (like everyone else) assumed he was Human. He can't see Zanpaktou when they're resting in the pocket dimension though, because they're in a different dimension. Kenpachi does have a bit of a problem though, in that Sword Spirits look just as real and normal to him as humans and other people, and he's seen such an enormous variety of People that he does not necessarily notice that a Zanpaktou is a Zanpaktou. He thought that was Just Some Guy, and he's the last person who should be commenting on appearances. He's learned from living in the heavily forested Far North where they are common, that Many Minor spirits like Koropokkuru and Kodama are invisible to most people and startle if seen, and that more material beings don't like it when he talks to them without being some kind of introduced first, so he's adopted an informal policy of generally ignoring people until they make the first move. ...Which is how nobody in the Gotei-13 noticed Kenpachi could see Zanpaktou until a solid 57 years after he became captain, when he lightly ruined one of Shunsui's moon-veiwing parties.

Point 2: She doesn't think much about it because she is not "Generally Considered" to be the most beautiful zanpaktou, even if she was voted to be so. In AEIWAM, Sode no Shirayuki is an Ice Apparition that takes the form of an Artic Hare and All the Chappy Gikon have a crush on her, and when all the Chappys took a vote, they agreed unanimously on the most beautiful, and espouse her virtues to anyone that will listen. She's usually busy beating the shit out of someone if there's a Chappy in her vicinity, and so she doesn't listen to them and is entirely unaware of their affections.

Point 3: Lots of the Zanpaktou Spirits look different than how they're depicted in the Zanpaktou Arc, because many of those designs were frankly Uninspired, especially compared to the ones that appear in the Manga. ...This post got kinda long though, Zanpaktou spirit appearances under the cut:

Zabimaru appears much as they do in the Manga, and writing their dialogue because they are two entities of different genders sharing a body, or at least, a butthole. Zabi The Monkey is still female and and Maru The Snake is still male, and they don't use pronouns so much as weild them like nunchucks. Kenpachi got on very well with them back when Renji was in the 11th and still do- many spirits are alarmed to be percieved, but Zabimaru was delighted and took a great deal of pleasure at making running rather cheeky commentary during meetings to (lovingly) agitate Renji and see if they could crack Zaraki's Pokerface.

Senbonzakura is one of the few Zanpaktou that semi-regularly manifests in a way humans and other mortals can see, a privlege granted to him by his exceptional age (he's almost as old as Ryujin Jakka and Shinken Hakkyoken) and the patronage of the Kuchiki clan. A great many people have seen him, but few notice that they have because Senbonzakura is a Tree. He appears as an enormous, ancient and beautiful cherry tree with a crooked root that is the perfect for leaning against and meditating, and is far and away the most stable member of the Kuchiki family, if only by virtue of his extensive root system. Kenpachi didn't actually notice Senbonzakura was a sword spirit the first time he saw him- the central courtyard of the Kuchiki manor is a perfectly normal place for a grand old tree like that. He realized what was going on and hour later when he came back down the same hall and realized the tree was now mirror image to it's previous position and had a good laugh at the Spirit's joke and they became friends, much to the detriment of Ginrei Kuchiki's blood pressure. It's bad enough having Yachiru regularly hop the fence to eat snacks and steal fish out of the pond, but Zaraki semi-regularly turning up to have the craic with the family sword is just too much. Senbonzakura is equally find of Kenpachi, because he took the teenage Byakuya under his wing and imparted on the boy the wisdom of a broader appreciation of Senbonzakura- "Sure, the blossoms are pretty and all but that's one week in a whole year of tree. If my opinion is worth anything, He's at his best in late summer when he's full of fruit." "-Count on a Bird to have properly nuanced opinions on trees." agrees Senbonzakura.

Rangiku's Haineko looks like a snow leopard with a coat of fine flaky ashes instead of fur, whose spots glow from the inside like a still-smoldering log. Of all the spirits, Hainkeo is the only one that really Unsettles Kenpachi- She doesn't actually make noise when she moves, is disturbingly well-camoufalged even in the city, and never flinches from making eye contact. Kenpachi isn't sure if Haineko is genuinely unsettling, or if she bothers him because he he was raised by Eagles and lost many friends and even some family to the ravages of cats.

Sogyo no Kotowari are still twins, but Ukitake has seen them change over time- they look like little boys now, but during Ukitake's early days, when the Soul Society was a much rougher place, the twins looked decidedly more Shadow Over Innsmouth. Even today, when they're really upset, they still have a tendency to go a little fish-eyed. They were another one Kenpachi did not realize was a Zanpaktou spirit and one night The Twins had come out to play in the garden during one of Shunsui's "Moon-Veiwing" parties, and Ukitake happened to mention he is the oldest of eight children. "Seven brothers and sisters!" Kenpachi laughed. "How can you, of all people, not have a spare sibling to babysit for you?" "Babysit? For me?" Jushiro blinked at him, confused. "My siblings used to call on me when my nieces and nephews were still young, but I'm a bachelor." "Don't tell me you're babysitting The Twins?" Kenpachi demanded, pointing at them "Here? Now? Surely you've got a less-busy sibling who didn't have a boozing session on his calendar that could watch them?" Jushiro followed out to where Kenpachi was pointing. "You... You can see them? The two little boys over there?" "I only got the one manky eye, Jushiro, the other works fine. Cute little shits." "You- They're- They're my Zanpaktou! You can see Zanpaktou spirits??" "Ohhhh, yeah I can see how getting a sitter for sword spirits would be tricky." Kenpachi nodded. "-THAT'S NOT THE RELEVANT POINT ZARAKI!"

The design I did like from the Zanpaktou filler arc was Minazuki- a shroud over an invisible body and a watery, disembodied voice? Choice combination of elegance and menace, befitting a Stingray. ...but definitely could be weirder. Imagine her cape as what looks like thick, mottled green fabric which an almost wet-looking sheen if she passes through direct sunlight- until you touch it and realize the cape is the smooth, slippery and exquisitely camouflaged flesh of a Potamotrygon brachyura Stingray, and you need to be REALLY careful about the little tail of fabric trailing behind her, because those spines aren't decorative. She shifts, standing up to become more humanoid and her single orange eye appears under her hood, floating in the middle of the space where her head should be. Or if she doesn't feel particularly humanoid, she bows and the eye passes through the fleshy cloak to the top of her head, now shaped more like a stingray but... gooey and uncertain around the edges, like she's bleeding into an invisible river around you. regardless of position, the eye always follows you, unblinking. Kenpachi is of the Opinion that Minazuki is the most beautiful of all the Zanpaktou, and insists he's not biased- Sure, he's madly in love with Retsu and therefore Minazuki because they are more one being than two, but he also damn near died of a freshwater stingray's spine once. "That just makes you more biased." Sighs Yumichika. "You're horny for anything that almost kills you."

Katen Kyokotsu appears much the same as she does in the Manga, and as part of her subterfuge to hide Shinken Hakkyoken, she doesn't distinguish between either of 'her' bodies when speaking. They're both her and if you try to distinguish between them you're clearly some kind of Idiot. Most humans are Idiots though. At the Moon viewing party where Kenpachi revealed he could see The Twins, there is BEDLAM. "You can see Zanpaktou spirits?" Unohana blinks. "-Just. In general and not when you're particularly close to someone?" she asks and when a puzzled Aizen frowns at her, she clips him under the ear before he can speak. "Yeah? It's not that big a deal, lots of people can see minor spirits-" "No! being able to see minor spirits at all is really rare, even among humans in the afterlife and Shinigami, and I've literally never heard of someone who can see Zanpaktou!" Ukitake yelps. "...Huh. 'Snot that great- they mostly just look like other people. Better dressed, usually, but it's really nothing." "How. uh. Long have you been able to see them?" Shunsui asks, suddenly nervous. "Since forever?" Zaraki shrugs, pouring himself another cup of tea. Shunsui stares at him, trying to puzzle something out. "You... didn't think it was Odd when Katen Kyokotsu appears next to me? She loves those meetings." "What, the Oiran with the purple hair and-? Ah." He realized as she manifested at the sound of her name, regarding him imperiously. "My Lady." Kenpachi nodded his head at her. Good Manners around the Oiran had been instilled into him by Madame Tsubaki with some force. There was a moment of silence while those assembled waited for an answer. "...Yeah I'm not gonna lie. I thought she was your Dominatrix or something." Kenpachi sighed. Katen Kyokotsu roared with laughter and Shunsui crumpled into a ball on the floor.

Apparently there's a charter limit I'm approaching, more later.

[jplupine]

~31 Days of Bleach Masterlist~

This is a Kinktober challenge, therefore all fics listed are rated 18+. Please be advised the content varies, so heed the warnings and tags.

Dom!Character: 🌙 | Sub!Character: 🌕 | Dynamic Switches: 🐺

Underwater ~ Tier Harribel / [Teaser] 🌙

Tentacles - Szayelaporro Granz / [Teaser] 🌙 [Art]

Public ~ Gin Ichimaru 🌙 [Art]

Strap On ~ Isane Kotetsu 🌕

Heavy Petting ~ Byakuya Kuchiki / [Teaser] 🌕

Blood Play ~ Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez 🌙

Knotting ~ Sajin Komamura 🌕 [Art]

Shibari ~ Shunsui Kyoraku 🌙

Size Difference ~ Kensei Muguruma 🐺

Vibrator ~ Toshiro Hitsugaya 🌙

Primal Play ~ Kenpachi Zaraki / [Teaser] 🌙

Portal ~ Akon 🌕

Orgasm Denial ~ Shuhei Hisagi 🌕

Body Swap ~ Kisuke Urahara 🌕

Genderbend ~ Yoruichi Shihoin 🌕

Cock Warming ~ Renji Abarai 🌕

Oral ~ Muramasa 🌕

Unknown ~ Kazeshini 🐺

Clothed ~ Noba 🌕

Enemies ~ Sosuke Aizen / [Teaser] 🌙

Praise ~ Isshin Kurosaki / [Teaser] 🌙

Aerial ~ Abirama Redder 🌕

Trapped ~ Zabimaru 🌙

Transformation ~ Hyorinmaru 🌕

Corruption ~ Hichigo Shirosaki / [Teaser] 🌙

Pet Play ~ Ggio Vega 🌕

Collaring ~ Kugo Ginjo 🌕

Marking ~ Bazz B 🌙

Somnophilia ~ Coyote Starrk / [Teaser] 🐺

Feral ~ Ichigo Kurosaki / [Teaser] 🌙

Cuddling ~ Yasutora 'Chad' Sado / [Teaser] 🌕 [1]

[chiefatticcreator]

Why have only Isane and Soifon gotten married to Toshiros cock? Is there anyone else that would do it as well?

Isane it's because someone saw how smitten she was with Toshiro and jokingly suggested she should marry his cock... and isane said yes immediately.

With Soifon it's because with how tsundere she acts, Yoruichi teased her that this would be the only way to be certain she loved Toshiro's cock, and then preparations were made.

All the others girls know they are Toshiro's sluts, and don't need an official marriage to say it out loud.

[distinguishedshoeduckdonut]

Battle Captain Gotei 13!!

Captain New Generation vs Captain First Generation

[unohanadaydreams]

If captains were days of the week, which ones do you think they’d be?

This is so up my alley tbh.....hyper specific and weird headcanons, my beloved.

Monday:

Byakuya Kuchiki. He is the master of viewing every day as just another day. While lesser men are oozing into work with their brain cells still marinating in last night's sake bender, he is hours deep into the kind of paperwork that dries out your retinas on contact. Also I think he gets bored without work (and prefers Gotei 13 work to the Noble shenanigans he has to face raw on the weekends). He's just that kind of guy.

Tuesday:

Toshiro Hitsugaya. With a lieutenant like Rangiku to wrangle into the week, he only hits his stride after he's successfully hunted her down and ensured the weekly planner is in her room, in her hands, on her favorite couch, and tucked into her obi. Which naturally eats up a lot of his Monday. His daily nap is extra satisfying on Tuesdays, too.

Wednesday:

Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Not only has he been able to measure out where both the 12th division and R&D are on the various juggling acts constantly at work, but now he gets to see how well they keep those projects flying (and bitch when they don't do so well <3). Also, I'd like to think this is the day they publish the new scientific studies & dissertations in the Seireitei and he gets to spend the rest of the week picking them apart (or admiring his work).

Thursday:

Shunsui Kyoraku. Shunsui loves a good game. I think the suspense of 'can I make it till the end of the week and successfully avoid the majority of my responsibilities yet again' is part of his joy in doing it. Also Nanao hasn't gone full nuclear yet, which she will when Friday hits and she doesn't have the minimum amount of paperwork that absolutely must be notarized over the weekend or the Gotei 13 will let something or other lapse that Shunsui doesn't think is that important, honestly.

Friday:

Tetsuzemon Iba. He has spiritually checked out this entire day because he's using it to fine tune the particulars of the next Men's Association Meeting & plan what details he's going to be leaving out when he gives his weekly visit to Komamura. Obviously he needs to ensure his captaincy is viewed in the best light. And also run his MA game plans by a willing ear.

Saturday:

Kensei Muguruma. The entire week is being sloughed away with every meal he preps in his expensive living world kitchen that he held Urahara at fist point to transfer over free of charge. There's not lieutenant bragging about getting fleeced over a guitar case. There's no editing nightmare that takes two straight days to untangle because two offices can't fucking communicate. It's just him and the food talking.

Sunday:

Isane Kotetsu. Her only day off. She swears she's not going to take over someone's shift on Saturday like the last week or the week before that, but she folds every time. She's starting to think she's developing a complex. Turning in a to a workaholic or something. She and Nanao are starting to relate a bit too much on how many hours they clock each week.

But then Sunday shines down upon her, a beautiful ray of freedom. She even refuses to heal her sister when Kiyone inevitably gets some minor wound or scrape from all her unfocused hyperactivity. But does promise to book her an appointment for the next day.

[toxictaicho]

Bleach Elves 🧝

Which type of elves they would be? Based on their vibes. Under the line:

Noble Elves

Yumichika Ayasegawa

Sosuke Aizen

Momo Hinamori

Toshiro Hitsugaya

Gin Ichimaru

Nanao Ise

Byakuya Kuchiki

Rukia Kuchiki

Shunsui Kyoraku

Marechiyo Omaeda

Chojiro Sasakibe

Yoruichi Shihoin

Senjumaru Shutara

Jushiro Ukitake

Genryusai Yamamoto

Shinji Hirako

Lisa Yadomaru

Jugram Haschwalth

Forest elves

Kira Izuru

Isane Kotetsu

Kiyone Kotetsu

Ikkaku Madarame

Rangiku Matsumoto

Soifon

Rin Tsubokura

Kisuke Urahara

Hanataro Yamada

Mashiro Kuna

Kensei Muguruma

Rojuro Otoribashi

Nelliel tu Odelschwanck

Masaki Kurosaki

Liltotto Lamperd

Meninas McAllon

Gremmy Thoumeaux

Ichigo Kurosaki

Dark elves

Renji Abarai

Shuhei Hisagi

Ishiin Kurosaki

Mayuri Kurotsuchi

Nemu Kurotsuchi

Yachiru Kusajishi

Kaien Shiba

Tessai Tsukabishi

Retsu Unohana

Kenpachi Zaraki

Hiyori Sarugaki

Hachigen Ushoda

Kaname Tosen

Kukaku Shiba

Ulquiorra Cifer

Nnoitra Gilga

Tier Harribel

Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez

Tesra Lindocruz

Coyote Starrk

Bambietta Basterbine

Bazz-B

Candice Catnipp

Cang Du

Giselle Gewelle

Ryuken Ishida

Uryu Ishida

Askin Nakk Le Vaar

Äs Nödt

Quilge Opie

Yhwach

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

On the Shoreline

Hitsuhina Week: Day 6 - Something beautiful / Waves

Prompts: Waves, stars, vacation together

Rating: K/General but with mild themes

Setting: some time after the No Breaths From Hell oneshot

Synopsis: Upon Momo’s suggestion, Toshiro joins her and a group for a break at a seaside town. However, with his mind is heavy with recent revelations, he wonders why they are all there.

AN: Once again, I’m writing something for both @yearoftheotpevent's challenge and Hitsuhina Week.

This really started as one thing and completely transformed into something else! I was intending to do a short piece about Toshiro and Momo taking some time to relax at a beach, but nope, the angst had to get in there and not only make this fic longer, but change the whole story.

Do I think the Shinigami would actual do this after the events of the No Breaths From Hell one shot? Nope, but I wanted to try it out anyway.

In terms of music while listening I can recommend (in no particular order): Recollection 1-3 , World #07 Blues, going home, and compassion by Shiro Sagisu from the BLEACH osts, And She Translated into Sky by Levi Patel (Spotify or YT) , and Skel and Andra by Sigur Ros (Spotify or YT). If I had to recommend when to listen to these songs, I only three I feel strongly about are listening to And She Translated into Sky, Skel, and Andra in the last section of the fic, where Toshiro and Momo are walking on the beach ;)

Hope you all enjoy it!

__________________________________

Toshiro watches the heat sizzle on the horizon. Despite the sweat dripping down his temple, he doesn’t wave the uchiwa with any vigor. Eventually, he glares at the few clouds in the sky, all too far away to block the sun.

“Why did they have to pick a damn beach of all places?” he grumbles.

He tries to ignore the commotion going on inside, where everyone is trying to decide who is going to stay in which room. He should be in there, but it’ll only irritate him further, and for once it wouldn't just be from everyone’s usual antics and pointless arguing.

It had been a two months, but how can they all be acting like this after what happened?

He tilts his head down and waves his fan faster. He knows everyone has their ways of coping with things, but he'd have thought there would still be some discussion about what happened, even if it was only in passing. Why does it feel like he's the only one stuck on the revelations that came?

The door slides open and Rangiku pokes her head out, looking to the left, and then meeting his gaze when she swivels her head to the right. “There you are! What’re you doing out here?”

Toshiro pushes himself off the wall. “Are you all done in there?” he asks dryly.

“Yeah, everything is sorted.” She grins as if all the arguing hadn’t just occurred. “You know it’s cooler inside, right? When did you leave?”

“Doesn’t matter. Which room am I in?”

Rangiku huffs and steps out of the foyer, closing the door behind her. “I get that it’s hot, Captain, but you really need to relax.”

“I only came because they needed someone to supervise all of you.” That’s not entirely true, and she knows it. It had been Momo who invited him, Rangiku and Granny who encouraged him to accept, and Shunsui who had assigned him and Rukia with watching over everyone – all the while grinning and lamenting that it had been over a decade since Toshiro had a proper holiday in the World of the Living.

“It’s lucky we came at the very beginning of summer, there’s more rooms and not a whole lot of people on the beaches around here. You’ll be able to use Hyourinmaru to your heart’s content.”

“For all of you, you mean.”

“Oh, Captain, don’t be so cruel, I know you’ll use it more for yourself than anyone else!” He goes to rebut while she rummages through her short’s pocket, but he stops when pulls out a key and hands it to him. “Besides, I did a good thing for you! Like you requested, you’ll have a room to yourself with aircon.”

Oh, thank goodness.

“It’s between Madarame and Yumichika’s room and Abarai and Kuchiki’s rooms.”

He wilts. As if the heat isn't bad enough.

_________________________________

Walking into the First Division's main hall, he’s reminded of the days during and after the Quincy invasion. Most of the captains had arrived, but the usual chatter and carrying on is absent.

Iba, who stands closest to the entrance, is the only one who acknowledges his arrival. “Captain Hitsugaya,” he says with a nod.

Toshiro does the same in return as he walks past. "Iba"

Kensei, his arms folded tightly over his chest, leans against a wall next to Shinji, who’s gaze is off to the side, lost in thought. Sui Feng paces from one corner of the room to the other, each time passing Isane, who looks flatly at the ground. Lisa stands in another corner, reading one of her books, her face hidden from view.

Kenpachi, surprisingly on time for once, stands near the meeting hall’s closed doors, his back turned. As Toshiro approaches though, he shifts to look down at him. He grunts in greeting, and looks away. It’s somehow both like him and uncharacteristic of him to act in such a way.

Byakuya and Rukia both arrive, and the quiet discussion they’d been having before dies as soon as they enter the hall. Like him, they’re only greeted by Iba and try to find a place to stand. Byakuya glances at Toshiro and gives a nod. He returns the gesture, and watches as Byakuya and Rukia choose stand next to Isane, who barely manages a smile to Rukia. Both look like they want to say something, but neither speaks.

Toshiro chooses his place, standing near the meeting hall’s entrance but away from Kenpachi. He folds his arms into his sleeves and keeps his gaze on the main hall’s entrance.

The air is tense, and the silence quietly rings in Toshiro’s ears. It’s only broken when Rose and then Mayuri arrive.

The latter starts to speak – what he says Toshiro doesn’t pay attention to but it's enough to make Sui Feng stop and say somethign back to him. Their impending argument is interrupted when the meeting hall’s doors finally open.

Shunsui stands on the other side, his usual smile and casual air nowhere to be seen. Everyone files in and takes their place in the hall. Despite the solemnness of their movements, Toshiro can feel the urgency among them.

They need to discuss what happened. They need answers. How do they stop this? How many of their own had they sent to Hell over these centuries? When would their new enemy next strike? What can they do to defend themselves?

What if this conflict doesn't end like the others? What if they die? What is they have to face their own?

_________________________________

“Let’s go get some ice cream.”

Toshiro blinks out of his revere and lifts his head from his propped-up hand. Momo stands beside the table, smiling and holding a straw hat. He hadn’t even sensed her coming into the lobby.

When the small table fan propels back in his direction, sending a welcomed gust of cold air over his face, he remembers to speak. “Aren’t you going shopping with Matsumoto?”

“Yes, but you should come along too. We can grab some ice cream before we go.”

He scoffs. “Forget it.”

Momo puts her hands on her hips. “Honestly, Hitsugaya-kun, you haven’t left this inn once since we got here!”

“We’ve only been here for a day, dummy.”

“Even so! Don’t you want to see what it’s like around here? It’s been a long time since any of us have been to a new location in the World of the Living.” At his blank stare, she sighs and drops the hand holding her hat to her side while the other points to the left. “At least come out and get some ice cream then. There’s a stall down just down the street.” Then, with a rueful smile. “Besides, you know how long it can take Rangiku-san to get ready.”

He almost lets a chuckle out. He rolls his eyes to the ceiling. Even when not looking at her, he can sense Momo’s persistence. She’s always been stubborn, and he’ll never understand why it always came out whenever it involved getting him to go to places he's never been.

He exhales, making a sound between a groan and a sigh. “Fine.”

To his surprise, Momo doesn’t reach out and grab him to drag him outside and down the street. She puts her hat on, waits for him to stand and leads the way out, patient with his slower and sluggish movements. Before leaving the table, Toshiro grabs his uchiwa.

As soon as they step outside, he considers turning back. It’s hotter than this morning, and there isn’t a cloud in sight to cover the sun.

Momo senses his hesitation and gestures towards a stall a short distance away. “It’s just down there.”

Logically, he knows it’s less than a two minute walk to the stall, but did he really want to make the journey?

“I’m pretty sure they have a peppermint flavor.”

That doesn’t really sell him, but he’ll pretend it does. With more irritation than he intends, he grouses, “Let’s just go.”

Thankfully, Momo doesn’t take it personally and giggles. “You really like peppermint, huh?”

“It’s one of the few good flavors for ice cream.”

“Mango and strawberry are good too.”

He only grunts.

Their shoes clack against the pavement, and where possible they stick to the shade of trees and awnings of shops. Save for the few passing cars, the singing of the cicada, and the distant crashing waves, it’s quiet. There are only a few others outside, going about their daily lives.

He fans himself as they walk, but it doesn’t cool him down much. Heat radiates from pavement through to the soles of his shoes, and a sweat is building on his brow. The humans and Momo walk around as if nothing is wrong. How can they stand this heat?

The gust of warm wind certainly doesn’t help matters. It does, however, make him aware of Momo’s hat. On one side of the hat’s band, there’s a cluster of small flowers, coloured different shades of pink and cream, and two short cords a sparkling bead on each end sway to and fro across the brim. It looks like something she would personally pick out, she always had an inclination towards clothes with floral designs on them.

He had picked some of his clothes the week before the trip, but the rest were chosen by Rangiku. He always had an inclination towards darker colours – like the navy blue tank top and grey shorts he wears now - while she always seemed to find the right balance in brighter colours for him. For all of her faults when it came to going nuts on clothes shopping, she always knows what fashionable clothes to buy.

“The others want to go to the beach later,” Momo says. “Are you going to come along? Or is it too hot for you?”

He waves a dismissive hand. “Is Kuchiki going?"

"Yes."

"Then I’ll stay back, she can supervise."

He almost goes back on his word at her saddened frown. “Well, it’s supposed to cooler tomorrow," she says. "You’ll come then, right?”

He can't say 'no'. “Sure.”

Once they’re at the stall, he relishes the chill emanating from the glass display and the cool wind of the fan whirling behind the counter. There’s not too many flavours to choose from, mostly just the popular ones.

Momo pouts. “Ah, it’s a shame they ran out of strawberry.”

He points to the mango flavour. “You could just get that.”

She shrugs. “Maybe, but I like to have two different flavous when I can. What do you think would go well with mango?”

Toshiro considers, perusing each flavour. Eventually, he points to the best one he can think of.

Momo snorts, her fingers pressing over lips in an attempt to suppress a giggle. She fails miserably at his incredulous look.

“What’s so funny?” he asks.

“I’m sorry, it’s just…Peach?”

“It’s sweet, so is the mango.”

“But…did you pick it because of that reason or because it reminds you of -- ?” She starts giggling again.

Why are his cheeks burning? No, this won’t do. He’d honestly picked it because he thought the two would work together. “As if I’d picked it for that reason! We’re not children anymore!”

Realising the commotion they’re causing, and sensing the growing queue behind them, Toshiro is quick to order his two scoops of peppermint ice cream in a cup and storms off to the side, waiting for Momo under the shadow of a table’s umbrella.

Trying to ignore the stares of a few of the humans, he takes the small plastic spoon and digs in. He’s pleasantly surprised; it’s one of the better ice creams he’s had, and it’s quite cold. Gradually, with each spoonful, it has the effect of both cooling him and his annoyance down.

Did she really think he chose peach because of her name? Did it remind her of when they were kids and he’d only remember to buy peaches when she was there? That hadn’t happened since they were very young.

Momo joins him almost a minute later, and they set off back to the inn. She takes a spoonful of each scoop, and he’s about to grumble about the fact she went for his suggestion in the end until she cringes.

Her whole face scrunches up and she makes a sounds between a yelp and a gasp. For a second, he fears she’s hurt. "Wha--?"

"It’s really cold!"

Now it’s his turn to hold in a chuckle. He too fails, and he doesn’t do anything to stop it, even as she complains.

“Oooh! You knew, didn’t you?”

 “Yeah,” he chortles.

“Just because you have a tolerance for the cold!”

“You’re being childish, Hinamori.”

“I could say the same for you, Shiro-chan. You could’ve warned me!”

“That’s ‘Captain Hitsugaya’, Hinamori.”

Feeling he got the last word in, he smirks and slowly eats his ice cream right in front of her. She half glares at him. It’s not long before she lets out a huff, and what little irritation she had leaves her. "It's not a big deal, I'll just have to take smaller bites, and at least it tastes good.”

They continue on the pavement. Despite her bravado before, she still hestiates when she scoops up smaller bits of ice cream and eats them. He smirks, but otherwise doesn't tease her like before.

For the first time since he got here, he feels himself easing a little, and he looks to the source. Momo always has this effect on him at certain moments, where it was just the two of them and no one would be interrupting them. Maybe it’s seeing her this relaxed and content, it makes him want to be the same. Even as they were at the stall and browsing the ice cream flavours, he didn’t feel the usual apprehension to interacting with the person behind the counter – an old habit from his day in Junrinan, he’d realized years ago – because she was there with him.

It's not enough to lighten his mind of the thoughts that weigh him down, but they don’t churn in his head like waves in a stormy sea. He could put into words what has been bothering him. He could tell her right now, and maybe he’d be lighter. Maybe she’d already know and understand, because maybe she is still thinking about these things too.

“Hinamori…” He trails off when she looks over her shoulder at him. Momo walks in front of him in bright and colourful clothes, nothing like the uniform she takes pride in. She cradles the cup of mango and peach ice cream that’s already starting to melt. Her cheeks are flushed – or sunburned, he dreads – and up until now she’d been smiling. The little flowers and cord on her hat flutter in the wind, small and strangely fragile.

He walks past her. “Forget about it.”

She quickly comes in front of him and asks, “What is it?”

It’s rare for her to prod. Had he detected a hint of desperation in her voice? Had she noticed something in him and had been wanting to ask? He wouldn’t put it past her, she and Rangiku both have that uncanny ability to sense when he’s off kilter even when he doesn’t show it.

But now is not the time to tell her.

“Just make sure Matsumoto doesn’t spend too much, she could end up using Division funds.”

He maintains a stoic exterior in the face of her small, unconvincing smile. “Of course.”

_________________________________

A stick of incense had already been lit; someone else had visited Jushiro's gave before him. It won’t be long before it’s completely burnt out.

Toshiro makes his prays while the incense still burns, putting his hands together, closing his eyes, and bowing his head.

But what can he say? No words or sentiments come to mind. Not even hopes or wishes.

He does, however, recall a few memories of Jushiro. The first of when he first met the older captain; his long, white hair was tied back and he looked less pale than when Toshiro last saw him. He remembers the bags under his eyes getting progressively more prominent, and his absence from meetings becoming more frequent. At some point, the hair tie disappeared. His smile and optimism though, that only vanished in dire situations, but they always returned with as much mirth and sincerity as soon as the problem has been resolved.

How sharply those two things stood in contrast to what had transpired at this very spot.

Toshiro recalls with a repressed shiver the Jigoku no Rinki that had floated in the air around the grave just a week ago. A sign that the balance had been tipped, that Hell held enough power to break the peace. And they gave them that power. It was the price they all paid for becoming as strong as they did. This was the price they paid for allowing Aizen to grow as powerful as he did, and for imprisoning him when he was one of the beings keeping the balance from tipping. The irony sickens him.

He opens his eyes. Why is he here? Could Jushiro even hear prayers from where he is?

To think Souls like Jushiro are ending up there, fighting against all of it’s creatures and victims. He had no way of warning them of what they’ve been doing all of these centuries. What had he endured?

He can't keep the other possibility from turning over in his mind, and it makes his stomach churn. What if he isn't fighting against the creatures of Hell, but had become one of them?

Ichigo had told the captains what he'd seen who he'd fought against. Amongst his recollections was Sogyo no Kotowari, but the description he gave was not like the bankai Toshiro knew. It sounded warped and elongated to the point of being unnatural. He’s certain Hell had altered the former captain in more than just his bankai. How much has his appearance changed? Would he recognize Jushiro if saw him?

And not for the first time, Toshiro wonders if he will have to cross blades with him.

_________________________________

“Goodnight, sir,” Rangiku says while leaning on Momo and Hisagi. “Call if you need anything.”

Toshiro, his back turned to her, rolls his eyes to the ceiling. “We’re back at the inn, Matsumoto. Why would I need to call you?”

Rangiku giggles. “I didn’t mean on the phone!”

Momo laughs nervously. “But then he’d wake up everyone else, Rangiku-san.”

Rangiku considers for a moment, her head swaying from one side to the other. “…Oh yeah.”

“You sure drank a lot, huh?” Hisagi says.

“Hey, you drank too!” Rangiku retorts.

He chuckles. “Yeah, but not as much as you!”

Even in the dark, Toshiro can see the flush in his lieutenant and the Ninth Division's cheeks. He knows for Rangiku it's the sake, but for Hisagi it's a guess between the alcohol or from being that close to Rangiku.

Why am I even paying attention to this? Toshiro wonders.

Mercifully, they reach Momo and Rangiku’s room.

“Thank you again for paying for dinner, Captain Hitsugaya,” Hisagi says with a bow of his head.

Momo smiles at Toshiro. “Yes, thank you Hitsu – Captain Hitsugaya.” She waves her free hand. “Goodnight, and sleep well.”

Toshiro gives her a half-hearted wave back and half turns away.

Hisagi opens their door and helps Momo get Rangiku into the room as she groans about having drank too much. He comes out a few seconds later, closing the door behind him and walking into the room just opposite.

Toshiro remains in the hallway after Hisagi shuts his door. Save for a few shuffles in Momo and Rangiku’s room, the faint snoring from Ikkaku and Yumichika’s room down the hall, and the waves crashing in the distance, it’s dead quiet.

He should go to bed, but goes back the way he came, coming down to the ground floor and then out into the back courtyard. There are tables and chairs scattered throughout, some with umbrellas and others not. Beyond them, a railing lines a wooden deck that extends out to give a view of the main beach in the distance. Beneath him, only the streetlights, outdoor lanterns, and neon signs of bars, restaurants, and a convenience store illuminate the town.

He goes to the railing and rests his forearms along the top. The moon is a crescent, and he can still make out the tide crashing and receding. For the first time since he got here, it’s quiet. He’d longed for a moment like this, by himself and in cooler conditions. He thought it would be what he needed, but as he looks out over the town, it doesn’t take long for his mind to wonder. None of the humans here - or anywhere for that matter - truly know what is happening. If they did, how would they react?

His mind recalls the few times he was sent on a mission to the World of the Living, believing he was saving their world and keeping the balance. His subordinates would've felt the same, he imagines. Are they working on the reports he and Rangiku left behind right now? Are the captains and lieutenants still working to try and find out more about Hell? What if Hell is planning an attack? What if he -- ?

He shakes his head, then lets it fall to rest on his arms.

He pivots his mind to what had happened just a few hours ago. With the exception of Rukia and Ichika, they’d all gone to a shokudo for dinner. Rangiku had gotten started early on the sake, encouraging Hisagi, Ikkaku, and Renji to join her. It didn’t take long for the four of them to be carrying on, quibbling one minute then laughing together the next. He sat next to Rindou, who signed to him and the others about the food and what he had done today at the beach and in the town. Opposite them, Momo sat between Nanao and Kiyone, but every now and then she would glance in his direction. When he caught her, she’d either smile and return her focus to either Nanao or Kiyone, or she’d ask him something: ‘What did you order to drink?’, ‘How’s your dinner?’, and ‘Do you need extra ice?’.

It was a light-hearted atmosphere, but far removed from how he felt. Again, he wonders how they can act like this after everything they’d seen and heard. he almost had the urge to scream at them. Why weren't they discussing what they'd learnt? Why weren't they back at the Soul Society doing something about this?

But more than that, as he’d stared into his dinner, and as he glares at his feet now, he wonders why he can’t be like them. He can carry on professionally, continuing with paperwork and scheduling and leading his division, but outside of that…

He’d struggled in a similar way with the peace, always hypervigilant of a new threat that could appear after the war against the Quincy. He wishes he’d never lost that feeling, then maybe he wouldn’t feel as though he were struggling to stay afloat.

With a sigh through his nose, he straightens and walks back to his room. He doesn't plan to go to sleep, he knows he'll just be staring at the ceiling. He'll take Hyourinmaru, go somewhere secluded, and train.

_________________________________

“Why do you persist in coming here every week?”

Toshiro stays placid in the face of Mayuri’s irritation. The Twelfth Division captain hasn’t looked over at him, too focused on the readings a console produces.

Around them, there’s six division members busily doing the same, but two whisper their findings to each other and note them down on clipboards. However, every now and then, each officer glances over in the direction of the two captains. The only Soul who doesn’t is Nemu, who sits next to Akon and watches him as he types things into the system and explains to her what he's doing.

While being led to see Mayuri by Akon just a few minutes ago, Toshiro noticed in other lab rooms how frantic the officers were. They spoke in clipped whispers, and were quick to turn their backs when they realized he was passing by. By comparison, this lab is calm.

Toshiro folds his arms into his sleeves. “Perhaps it would be best if we speak in your office, Kurotsuchi.”

“And why should we do that?”

With a final glance to the others in the room, he says, “I’m checking for any updates on the de-zombification side effects.”

Now Mayuri whips around to him, his headpiece almost hitting the back of Akon’s head; neither his lieutenant or Nemu flinch. “And it’s as I’ve said: we’re still investigating all avenues.” The Twelfth Division Captain thrusts a hand to his console. “As is, we have more urgent matters at hand. Hell has made itself known, and we have been tasked with investigating how the Jigoku no Rinki was able to appear here, among other things. As a captain of Gotei Thirteen, you must say this take precedence, correct?”

Toshiro withholds a glare, because of course Mayuri is right. He should leave it there, just thank him for his time and go, but he’s lost his patience. “It’s been over ten years,” he whispers.

“And you rarely asked me about progress in those years,” Mayuri retorts, choosing to not lower his voice in return. “Suddenly, you’re in here every week and disrupting our work as a result.”

“It’s not my intention, Kurotsuchi.”

“Then explain yourself, if you would be so kind.” His voice is almost venomous, but Toshiro doesn’t back down.

He closes the gap between them and keeps his voice quiet. “The last progress you made was over three years ago, and it got shelved when the last solution failed to produce any results. As far as I’m aware, you haven’t explored any other options since, or if you have, you have not made me or Matsumoto aware of them.”

“Are you questioning my rigor? Are you not grateful anymore that I saved you and your lieutenant?”

“You know I am. If not for you, we would’ve died there and then. I am simply asking why you haven’t --”

“Then leave it be! How dare you make demands when I have done that much for you!”

“Matsumoto doesn’t have much longer left to live!”

Mayuri’s annoyance alleviates somewhat, his frown deepening and turning into one of confusion. After a pause, he speaks more quietly. “It’s not her you’re concerned for though, is it, Captain?”

That catches Toshiro off guard, and he grunts in surprise. Of course he’s concerned for Rangiku, and up until now he’d had little regard for his own life being shortened. He’d willingly take the price it paid, for better or worse.

Since Hell had made itself known, however, he’d been on edge. He’d let the anxiety he kept pushing down and simmering away get the better of him. If he dies in combat now, the Soul Society would have no choice but to perform a Konso Reisai twelve years after his passing. Could they find a way to return the balance by then? He would've once unequivocally said ‘yes’, but after everything that happened, from betrayals in their own ranks to the return of the Quincy, he didn’t know anymore. If they had given Hell so much power without realizing all of these years, just how long would it take to restore the balance between all the worlds?

He has no doubt Mayuri is investigating all of this, trying to determine the best course of action for Shunsui and the rest of the Gotei Thirteen. But when would it happen? What if it took too long? What will become of him and Rangiku?

“Master Mayuri.”

Both captains look towards Nemu. The young Soul appears as neutral as her voice had been, but her hand is fisted into the sleeve of Akon’s uniform.  The Twelfth Division lieutenant’s attention had also been diverted away from the console, and he looks between his captain and Toshiro, waiting for someone to speak.

Mayuri huffs, his anger cooling a fraction. “By my estimates, you and Lieutenant Matsumoto have well over a hundred and fifty years left. We have time to find a remedy and restore your lost lifespan.” He levels Toshiro with a hardened gaze. “If you continue to come here for any reason other than findings towards any of our research on Hell, I will have no choice but to report this to the Captain-Commander. Are we clear?”

To Toshiro’s bewilderment, he actually waits for his answer. He has no choice, and withholding a cringe, he nods.

Satisfied, Mayuri turns away and waves a hand towards the lab’s entrance. “Akon, escort him out of the division.”

“Yes, sir.”

Toshiro remains rooted to the spot for a moment longer. It’s useless, he knows, but he somehow hopes Mayuri will change his mind, will give him even an inkling into anything he’s found.

After a beat, he follows Akon out. Neither say anything as they walk down the corridors.

It’s not her you’re concerned for though, is it, Captain?

How had he known? Did Mayuri have the same fears? That he will perish sooner rather than later, and he too could be forced into Hell if they do not find a solution to restoring the balance between all the worlds? It’s hard to imagine someone like him worrying about such things.

But then, he did have Nemu, and for all of his faults and failings, he was treating this Nemu better than the last.

Toshiro shakes his head. Everything seems wrong. Because if Mayuri Kurotsuchi of all people can understand what he’s going through, then the world has surely gone mad.

He knows as soon as he leaves here, he’ll go train. It’s the best way to deal with the pent-up emotions. It's the only way he can think of deal with their current predicament when they lack any answers.

_________________________________

Ichika’s laughter comes through the walls. Despite the fact it was the reason for his rude awakening, Toshiro’s oddly relieved to hear it. He’d seen her in the aftermath of Hell’s invasion of the World of Living; she was pale and quiet, clinging to Renji so tight her knuckles were white. She also hadn’t bothered him with spontaneous visits to the Tenth Division office since the incident.

Regardless, after two weeks, she was running around and causing mischief like always – at least according to Ikkaku and Renji. Children have that ability to bounce back, even in times of uncertainty. He remembers when he could do it, but it is a trait that has slowly faded over time.

Toshiro groans as he sits up. A tiny sliver of daylight piercing his room through the curtains. He checks his denreishikai; it’s just after eight in the morning. He’s usually up with the sun, but being on this holiday in this God forsaken heat continues to make him sluggish.

He rises from his bed and goes to the wind to draw the curtains back. At least the clouds are back today. He has a view of the biggest beach in the area, and judging from the gleam one person’s head gives off, he guesses it’s Ikkaku doing laps in the ocean; Yumichika probably isn’t far from him, likely being one of the people sitting under a beach umbrella.

If they’re already there, then the others are likely not far behind. As if on cue, he hears Renji and Ichika leaving their room, excitedly chattering about going down to the beach. As they pass his room, Rukia comments on her husband’s clothing – “Did you pick that shirt? And what does ‘Sun’s out, guns out’ mean?” – but Toshiro doesn’t hear the rest over Ichika’s laughter.

He glances at the bag Hyourinmaru is hidden away in. He briefly recalls his training from last night - not that he was able to do much without drawing unwanted attention from locals. He'd practiced his zanjutsu in a forested area on the other side of town, and had returned to inn in the early hours of the morning. At least it had tired him out enough to make him fall asleep.

With a long exhale, he focuses back on today. If he’s going to use his zanpakuto while at the beach, he’ll have to be discreet about it; and he has no doubt the others will be clamoring for him to make shaved-ice.

He goes to the bathroom, which is several degrees warmer than his room. After showering and getting changed into a shirt and a pair of board shorts, there’s a knock on his door.

“Captain, are you awake yet?” Rangiku asks in a singsong tone.

Toshiro sighs. All of this cheerfulness is too much after just waking up. “Yeah.”

She opens the door, but she’s not alone.

“We’ve got your breakfast here, Hitsugaya-kun.” Momo holds out a plastic bag and takeaway coffee cup. “I just chose what I thought you’d might like, I hope that’s okay.”

Rangiku enters his room, but stops only a few steps in. “Captain, it’s freezing in here!” she complains, rubbing her bare arms. “How do you stand it?”

“It’s hot,” is all he says as comes over to them. “Why didn’t you wake me earlier?”

“We figured you could do with a sleep in,” Rangiku says. “It’s so rare that it happens, and you’re on a break, you’re supposed to do things like that.”

“I’m supposed to be supervising over all of you.”

“Supervising,” Rangiku says under breath with a sigh. “Honestly, Captain.”

“So is Captain Kuchiki,” Momo says at the same time. “Honestly, Hitsugaya-kun, it’s okay to relax even when you’ve been assigned to watch over us.”

He shakes his head. “In any event, what’s happening today? I assume you’re all going down to the beach?”

_________________________________

Toshiro watches Granny hanging the washing. He’d tried to help her, but she’d waved him off and told him to go rest inside.

“You hardly ever get a break these days,” she said. “You’re such a hard worker, but you should rest more often.”

He'd made a pot of tea, and by the time she’s done it’ll be cool enough for her to drink. He'd also set up a bowl of amanatto and placed it next to the clay cups on the tray.

As he waits, he fiddles with one of his old spinning tops. He’d dug it out from the closet, buried behind futon mattresses and other things from his childhood. He still doesn’t understand why Granny keeps most of it, she’s always been a practical person who hates clutter.

He slowly wraps the cord around the top of the toy, but never releases it. He holds it loosely in his fingers, but his gaze remains on Granny. She bends down to her basket and pulls out another sheet to hang. In isolation, it's a peaceful image.

Her life rarely changes. She still goes to the same stalls and shops for food and household supplies. She still drinks the same tea blends, washes the same clothes and linens, and wakes up and goes to sleep at the same times every day.

Her life is simpe and despite it’s repetitiveness, it’s unplanned. Things are just the way they are, and they work for her.

For the first time in decades, he wishes he could return to that life. Even with all the negatives that came with it, compared to life he leads now, it’s peaceful and far less complicated.

He planned things to a fault, he should’ve known it would be his downfall one day; or at least, lead to disappointment when something came and ruined everything. Of course the peace couldn’t last, something had to disrupt it. Life is never the same, it's never consistent. How long had he expected it to go on for?

But that was the thing. He never made plans for the peace, he had simply lived in it. It was almost like his life before he became a captain, only with more responsibilities he could handle.

Granny turns to him after hanging up the last of the washing. Her smile widens when she spots the teapot and bowl of amanatto. He can’t help but smile back despite the growing heaviness within him.

He doesn't plan to tell her about Hell yet. He won’t break this peace for her.

_________________________________

It’s far too hot, even under the shade.

Toshiro lies his head and torso over the picnic table, a cup half filled with melting shaved ice in one hand and a spoon in the other. The shelter above and around him is made of wood and obstructs the view of onlookers that weren’t on the beach. Combined with having so few humans around, it allows him to discreetly use his zanpakuto to make shaved ice in one of it's corner.

Rangiku had gone out and bought bottles of syrup, paper cups, and wooden spoons from a nearby convenience store. All of it is stored in a freezer bag along with a bucket of the ice he’d conjured up five minutes ago. Hyournmaru lies out of sight in his own bag, but the cold flowing form the blade brushes along the floor of the shelter, cooling his feet and ankles. He considered himself a glorified placeholder for the table, and so long as he is here, no humans would come along and accidentally spot his weapon.

With some effort, he raises himself to take another spoonful of slushy ice and munches on it. He watches the group on the beach, all doing various things. Ikkaku and Hisagi race each other, doing several laps in the ocean. If it weren’t for the heat bearing down on him above and the hot sand between the shade and the ocean, he’d be doing laps himself.

He slides his gaze over to Kazui and Ichigo, both wading into the water while Orihime collected seashells along the shoreline ; they’d taken the train to come down for the day. Orihime finds a shell that makes her grin and she jogs to the Abarai family. Ichika makes a sandcastle with Rukia, giggling when Renji comes up behind her with a wreath of seaweed and tickles her with it before draping it over one of the walls. It’s then Orihime gets their attention and hands them a few seashells to decorate another wall.

Further up the beach, Nanao walks up to Rangiku, who sunbathes on a towel. She lectures Rangiku about something -- likely the fact she's sunbathing in the first place -- and his lieutenant squints up at her in response. Yumichika, relaxing under an umbrella, makes a comment which makes Rangiku snap at him and Nanao wearily rolls her head to one side.

Rindo, Momo and Kiyone had gone for a walk up the beach to the rockpools. Toshiro spots them as specks in the distance, and the footprints they'd left behind are gradually washed away every time the waves surge in.

He takes another spoonful of shaved ice, then eases back down to the table and begins to doze off. There’s only the darkness beneath his eyelids, the crashing of waves, the hot breeze that blows through, Hyourinmaru's cold circling around his ankles and the distant voices of the Shinigami and humans. He can’t relax, ending up in a state between being awake and on the verge of napping.

It’s twenty minutes later when he’s startled by a call of his name. He opens his eyes and turns his head just in time to see Kazui and Ichika racing towards him. He lets go of his completely melted shaved ice to raise himself up.

“Captain Hitsugaya!” Kazui calls out again, grinning.

“He heard you the first time, dummy!” Ichika chastises.

He thinks to lecture her about calling Kazui a dummy -- it seems like the responsible thing to do -- but someone beats him to it.

“Don’t call Kazui-chan bad names, Ichika-chan!” Momo calls out from behind. She pants and tries to keep her hat on as she rushes to catch up to them.

Ichika blushes slightly in shame, but otherwise doesn’t respond. Kazui isn't phased, his grin still in place.

With as much energy as he can muster, Toshiro lazily waves his hand in greeting before the children come to a stop in the shelter. “Babysitting?” he says to Momo.

She shakes her head. “They just happened to be on their way to see you too.”

He returns his attention to Kazui and Ichika. “You two looking for some shaved ice?”

They both nod eagerly.

“Papa said you make the best shaved ice ever,” Ichika says.

I’m the only one here who can, he thinks. He only grunts as he twists around to the freezer bag. The ice had gotten more slushy, but it's still usable. “Which flavours do you want?”

“Watermelon!” they say in unison.

Toshiro smirks. “Good choice.”

He takes out the syrup and puts it on the table, then scoops two cups into the ice and sticks a spoon in each. He hands them over to the children. “It’s all yours.”

As expected, they go crazy with the syrup, completely dying the ice red. Momo intervenes before it can get too messy, making sure most of the flavoring stays in the cups.

“You two should eat that under the shade,” she says, pointing at the umbrellas Yumichika and Nanao rest under. “And make sure you bring the empty cups back here, okay?”

Toshiro withholds a chuckle. Since when is she their mother?

Ichika and Kazui both nod to Momo, then turn back to Toshiro.

“Thank you, Captain Hitsugaya,” Kazui says with a quick bow of his head.

Ichika does likewise. “Thank you!”

He waves a hand. "Enjoy, I guess."

They take that as their cue to run off. They go to Yumichika and Rangiku, who both cease their argument when the children arrive and make room for them under the umbrellas.

He turns to Momo, but she’s still watching Ichika and Kazui. She's flushed across her cheeks and shoulders, and sand dusts her shins and sandaled feet. Strangely, he senses hesitation from her, as though she is nervous about turning to face him. It’s in her posture, which though looking relaxed to most, has the signs she’s trying to hide. Her arms are loosely braced over her midsection, and her shoulders are a few inches higher than normal.

“You want one too?” he asks, getting her attention.

Momo shakes her head, smiling. “Oh, no, I was just coming to see how you were doing.”

He ignores the small, warm flutter her concern sends through his chest and takes an empty cup out of the bag. “You might as well have one.”

She considers for a moment. “…Well, it is getting hotter.”

“Orange, lime, or watermelon? Matsumoto didn’t buy mango and the strawberry is empty.”

 “You remembered?”

He hides his embarrassment by saying nothing and stooping lower than necessary to fill up the cup with ice.

From behind, she giggles. “In that case, orange please.”

He fishes out the syrup and a spoon before he twists back around and hands everything to her.

“I’m sure everyone appreciates you doing this,” she says while pouring the syrup.

“Feels like that the main reason I’m here,” he mutters drily.

“That’s not true!”

“I didn’t mean it, dummy.”

She makes a sound between a sigh and a chuckle. “Now who’s calling people bad names.”

He rests back down on the table, watching as she takes a spoonful of orange ice and chomps down on it. She gives an appreciative hum and her smile turns into a grin. “Thank you, Shiro-chan.”

And despite her old habit, he’s certain if he were in a better mood he’d give her a small smile in return. “Captain Hitsugaya.”

She continues to eat as if she hadn’t heard him.

It feels like this is where their interaction should end, that she should walk off back to the others. She stays rooted to the spot, and it’s unnatural to him.

“You didn’t have to come check on me,” he says.

She pauses, staring down into the shaved ice. “I know.”

Why did it sound like she’d taken his comment as a jab? His frown deepens. “Weren’t you going to the rockpools before?”

“Yeah, but Rindou-kun and Kotetsu-san wanted to go out further than I intended.” She raises a foot and wriggles her toes. “I wasn’t wearing the right shoes to go with them.”

She isn’t lying, but he senses there’s more to it. As he considers whether to prod any further, she suddenly stops eating, sticking the spoon into the ice. “Have you just been lying here all day?”

He shrugs. “More or less.”

“But that’s no good. You should have something to do here!” She shakes her head. “The majority voted for a beach, but...maybe we should’ve gone somewhere else.”

“Why do you…?” Why does that strike a nerve within him? Why did she feel the need to make sure he is having a good time here? She didn’t belong under the shade, she loves the sun and places like this; most Shinigami did.

Why is he even here?

He gives a frustrated grunt. “Just go back to the others already.”

At her widened, alarmed eyes, he realizes he’d said it with the irritation he'd been trying to hide and with more strictness than he’d intended. Damn this heat! No, he can’t blame it on the weather. He’d let the heaviness in his mind get the better of him, and the uncertainty about why they are here.

He forces himself back up, ignoring the strain in his arms. After a beat, he begins to apologise. “I didn’t mean --”

She lays a hand on his. She curls her fingers loosely around his wrist, a silent way of saying he can remove himself from her grasp. Her hand is colder than usual, thanks to the shaved ice. But had they always been this small? How had he only just noticed it?

“I get it. I know the heat gets to you,” Momo says. She looks out to the sea for a pause before continuing. “I-I know it’s not much, but in the evening, it’ll be cooler. If you want to and you’re up for it, we can come back here and walk along the beach after dinner.”

“Why do you want to do that?”

“Because you deserve to enjoy the beach too.”

I don’t even like beaches, is what he’d say aloud, but he won’t.

"And…" She purses her lips, and her cheeks become a shade darker. "We're friends, aren't we? I want to spend some time with my friends. Don't you want to do the same?"

There’s that look, the one she always had when she tried to help others. He’ll never tell her how much it meant to him to see she was still capable of showing that gaze after everything she went through.

At his lack of a response, her gaze flutters to the ground. “I mean, if you’d rather be alone, then that’s okay too. Just so long as you’re able to enjoy yourself.”

“No.” He gentle extracts his hand from her grasp. She raises her head, confused.

It’s then he feels how tired he is. It’s not lethargy from the heat, it’s something deeper. Something that was the result of holding back too much, and maybe, as she waits for him to elaborate, it’s time she knew about it. “We’ll go together.”

His heart clenches at the stunned softness in her eyes. Eventually, she smiles. “Okay.”

“Oi, Hinamori-san!”

Both turn to look in the direction of Hisagi, who waves to her. “We’re doing the race now!”

“I’ll be there!” she calls back. Then to Toshiro. “I promised them I’d be the time keeper for a race they’re doing.”

Toshiro watches Hisagi, Ikkaku, Renji, Ichigo, Kazui, and Ichika all gather together on the sand. Nanao stands off to the side a small towel in her hand – probably the as a flag to signal for them to start. Rangiku uses the end of an umbrella to draw a long line in the sand.

Toshiro doesn’t see the point of racing on a beach, especially in this heat and with all of their abilities, so all he has to offer is, “Whatever keeps them entertained.”

Momo backs out of the shelter, and with the spoon still in her mouth, says something to the effect of, “I’ll see you later.”

He watches on as Momo rushes down and takes her place next to Nanao, who hands her a stop watch.

 Kazui quickly eats the rest of his shaved ice, while it seems Ichika had passed hers to Rukia. She and Renji are amping each other up, but Ichika bursts into laughter.

I want to spend some time with my friends. Don't you want to do the same?

They've never been a normal group, but this seems in character for all of them. For the first time since coming here , Toshiro has a fleeting sentiment that he's glad they can act like they always do despite what looms over them.

_________________________________

He’s rarely wondered about the future. He always did schedules for division-related activities, and would keep appointments made in mind when planning his week or month. But he never thought of any of these things beyond what was necessary. He never considered what his own future held.

There were only four instances he can think of when he pondered on what lay ahead for him: the first was when he had to leave Granny to go to the Academy, the second was when he'd been appointed captain of the Tenth Division, the third was while he recovered from his injuries after Aizen’s defeat, and the fourth was in first few months after the war against the Quincy ended.

He’s always considered himself someone who lives in the present, who only plans for the future if the present shows him he needs to. Even then, he only went as far as he needed to, never going beyond into the 'what ifs' that weren't related to the task at hand.

Lately, he wonders how the buildings around him will change as the years go by. Will they need repairs from unprecedented weather events? Will they be renovated to look different? Will the Tenth Division get another barracks as it’s forces grow in numbers?

He wonders how tall the trees in his division will grow, and if any of them will have to be cut down.

He also wonders what beings he has yet to meet. Unless Ichigo and Orihime plan to have another child, he doubts there will be more than three humans he'll ever have to introduce himself to. He keeps away from the Arrancar where possible, but he's certain there's Souls still out there he will cross paths with more than once. What new recruits will have to introduce himself to? Will any of the captains retire and be replaced?

He wonders when Hyourinmaru’s Completed form will become his true bankai, where he will no longer have to wait for the petals to fall. He wonders if the transformation will ever be less painful or strainious.

He wonders when Hell will make it’s next move. In the next year? Or month? Or week? Or tomorrow? He can see Jushiro's bankai elongating out of Hell's gates, a grotesque distortion of what they were all once familiar with. How did the rest of him look? Would he remember who any of them were? And if he did, would he resent them for what they unknowingly did?

He wonders how much longer Granny and Rangiku have to live.

He wonders how much longer he has left.

Prior to the completed form, he could never picture how he’d looked as an adult. In a strange way, it’s as if the world has told him he won’t make it, that he will only transform into that age but not live to experience it. He can’t picture Rangiku as being older than she is, or any of the his fellow Shinigami for that matter.

That of course included Momo, who sits in front of him, talking while putting paperwork in front of him. He hasn’t heard a word she’s said. Even though he can’t picture her as an adult, he’s mostly certain she has a future as one. One where she smiles often, and still calls him ‘Shiro-chan’ because old habits die hard. She still sees Renji and Izuru for the occasional meet up, and goes with Rangiku to bars and carries her back to the Tenth Division barracks. She starts a bigger literature club, where members will talk about the books they’ve read and she will make sure everyone gets a chance to talk. He can see her taking up painting on top of the drawing she already does, and her room will have the faint smell of paints and drawing charcoal.

Maybe there would’ve been a time he could see himself there too, but that window seems to get narrower and narrower the heavier these thoughts make him feel.

“Are you all right?”

Toshiro tries to keep his reaction muted, but a startled gasp still leaves him when her hand comes over his forearm. He’s about to come up with some excuse, but her concern softens him.

“You weren’t here, were you?” she says.

He looks at the paperwork, unable to deny it.

She glances down her hand, and appears surprised she touched him. She's quick to lean back, but her hand slides off his arm and remains close by. “What’s on your mind?”

The top line of the document in front of him reads ‘Agenda for joint training session 34’. He takes a stab at what she was saying before. “It’s nothing to worry about, just trying to figure out schedules for the next three months. If we try to do a joint training session next month, it will have to be in the first week.”

Her brow twitches, trying to not frown. Her eyes search his, but again he looks down at the paperwork.

“Yes, of course.”

It’s as she says this that he realizes the document has nothing to do with a joint training session for his division. It was for one with Third Division; she likely showed him as an example of what they could do next time for a kido training session.

He bites the inside of his cheek, ashamed. He's supposed to be a captain, where was his focus?

He waits for her to correct him. Then she’ll try to pry it all out of him, because she always wants to knows what’s on his mind. He doesn’t want to snap at her, would never do such a thing under any circumstances. But this weight, these thoughts, they were beginning to take up more space within him. He doesn’t know how he’ll react to her trying to navigate through them with him.

“Captain,” she says, surprising him enough to make him look up. Her smile is small and unsure, but she persists. “Actually, I didn’t just come here to discuss training sessions. The Women’s Association is looking to fund a vacation to the World of the Living. It’s a chance for everyone to have a break from work, we haven’t had a proper one in over ten years, right?”

“Why are you bringing this up?”

Her smile almost wobbles away, but she finds the strength to not only keep it in place, but to widen it too. “I’m inviting you to come along.”

________________________________

Compared to the afternoon, the sand is cooler under Toshiro’s feet. He strolls down to the sea, hands in his pockets and head bowed. Momo is behind him, but she pauses every now and then pick up seashells.

He doesn’t stop until he reaches the shoreline. The last sliver of the sun disappears over the horizon, colouring the sky dark blues and purples. A lone boat travels across the waves to a nearby dock. Behind him, a few cars whizz by and people go out for the night to bars and restaurants. Rangiku and a few of the others are among them, going to a izakaya tonight for dinner and drinks. He can already imagine how silly they’ll be acting by the time he and Momo rejoin them later tonight on the way back to the inn.

With a shake of his head, he turns his attention to the waves lapping at his toes. The next surge sends a wave over his feet. The froth of the sea spins around his ankles and the cold of the water tingles across his skin before receding away, only to return seconds later. It’s oddly relaxing, and he’s entranced by the motions of the waves. They come and go, come and go, never ceasing. It’s been like this for millions of years, since before he or anyone he knows were ever born. It has a beginning but no ending in sight.

It’s the first time he’s been at peace since the revelations about Hell came to light. Even so, the unease threatens to bubble up from the pit of his stomach. For even if there is no end in sight he can see, the ocean will vanish one day, whether it be Hell being strong enough to destroy this world, or a more natural end much further down the line.

So caught up in this, he doesn’t register Momo approaching until she’s by his side, and flinches when she speaks.

“There’s already so many stars out,” she marvels.

Thankfully, her is gaze on the dusk sky. Gone is her hat and hair ties, allowing the breeze lightly tussles her hair around her shoulders and back. She wears a shirt rolled up to the sleeves, and a bright orange summer dress beneath it. In one hand she holds her sandals, and shells in the other.

Indeed, stars glimmer down at them. Being this far away from the lights of the town, there’s more of them then he usually accustomed to in the World of the Living, and constellations he’s never seen before.

“I can see the pear.” Momo points to a cluster of stars on the right. “Remember that one?”

One of the many silly constellations they made up as children. “If that’s somehow it, it still doesn’t look like a pear.”

“Yeah it does! There’s the stem, and there’s the rest!” As she says this, she traces her finger over each star to map it out for him. “Its just upside down.”

He shakes his head. “You always had a strange imagination.”

She scoffs. “It’s called being creative.” After a moment, she tilts her head to one side. “I didn’t think it would show up in the World of the Living.”

“Our sky isn’t much different from there’s.”

“I guess not.”

The mood has lightened slightly, but the silence that follows is filled with the crashing of waves. They can remain like this, but like earlier today, it doesn’t feel natural. He turns to her, but she still has her eyes on the stars. He can leave her to be like this, oblivious to what is going on beneath the surface.

“Hinamori.” He has her attention now. He unknowingly takes in a deep breath as his stomach clenches, but he can’t stand not knowing anymore. “Why did you invite me to this?”

The question doesn’t catch her off guard like he expected it to. Instead, she tucks the shells she’d collected into one of her shirt pockets and glides her foot through the water. “It’s a shame we all couldn’t be here, and I know what happened is still on all of our minds, but it’s good to see those who did are relaxing a little. The last few months have been tough, and we all deserve to have a break from it. To step away for a little while.” She smiles wistfully. “That’s why I invited you to come. Even though it’s at a beach, and even though it’s only for a few days, I thought it would be good to spend time with you, Rangiku-san, Nanao-san, Abarai-kun, and the others away from what’s been bothering us.”

He thought hearing her say he wasn’t the only one thinking about the revelations about Hell would reassure him, but it only serves to annoy him. He’s no fool, he knows the others hadn’t forgotten about what happened, but why use their time here of all places? They can’t have moved on, this was too insurmountable to move on from.

“Aren’t we just running away?” He hadn’t meant to voice the question aloud, and it makes Momo's brow furrow.

His voice rises as he continues. “Shouldn’t we be using this time to plan for Hell’s next attack? We know nothing about their strategy. They’ve done nothing since Ukitake’s Konso Reisai, andKurotsuchi keeps investigating, but nothing ever comes up. We’re just here, doing nothing about it.” He throws his hands out to the sides. “We didn’t even know what we’ve been doing to our former captains this whole time!”

Momo shakes her head and braces her arm across her torso, her hand holding her opposite elbow. “We couldn’t have known.”

“But now we do! And what now? We’ll go to battle, that’s for certain, but what if this battle doesn’t end like the others?”

“That we’ll lose?”

“No, not even that. That we’ll be fighting Hell for decades. The first war against the Quincy lasted years, Hinamori. What if this battle is the same? What if we lose more captains, and we’ll have no choice but to perform Konso Reisai for all of them?”

“You…really think the conflict would last that long?”

“I don’t know, and that’s…” He let’s out an exasperated breath. He’s never like this, shouting and venting his thoughts, and that only frustrates him even more. “We need something concrete! We need direction, and we won’t get that unless we’re working on it back in the Soul Society. Hell must be doing this deliberately, it's a psychological tactic to weaken us."

She looks at him in confusion and worry, an expression that would normally cool his anger and makes him reassess what he'd said. But he's in too far now, he won't stop.

“You saw Sogyo no Kotowari.”

She frowns, likely wondering where this is going. “Only at a glance. Kurosaki-san saw it up close.”

“But his description fit what you saw, yes?”

She nods solemnly. “I thought I was seeing things, but when I got back to the Soul Society and found out what was happening with the Konso Reisai, it suddenly made sense.”

“Ukitake impaled that Espada, but we don’t know for what reason. We don’t know if he is on our side or not. If he isn’t, if everyone we have sent to Hell this whole time isn’t, we’re going to have to face them.”

The grip on her arm tightens. “I know.”

“I won't to become like Ukitake,” he says fiercely, bordering on a growl. “I won't become warped. If I have to fight him and the others, then so be it. But I won't to become like them. I don’t want to…”

“What makes you think you’ll die before the conflict is over?” she asks.

He doesn't answer, can't answer as his throat tightens.

Her hand drops back to her side as she leans forward. “You won’t die, Shiro-chan.”

“How can you know that?” he struggles to get out.

“Because you’re one of the strongest Shinigami I know, in skill, in your bond with your zanpakuto, and in fortitude.” Her eyes become glassy and her voice gets increasingly louder. “Someone like you doesn’t die so easily. I know you’ll keep fighting, no matter you are faced with!  You lived through so much, and survived wounds that would kill so many! You don’t give up, you’ve never given up, it’s a quality you embody above everything else! There’s no way you can die, don’t even think about it! And don't push everyone away!”

She pants for breath and bites her lip, trying to prevent tears. He’s at a loss for words. Had she too been bottling something up? Was it anxiety about Hell, or was it about him?

A wave hits the back of his shins. They both look down. When had the water gotten this high? Is the tide already coming in, or had they waded further into the sea? Wordless, he walks back to the shore, and after a moment, she follows. He halts once he’s back at the shoreline, but she takes a few steps away from it.

As her breathing quietens, Momo’s gaze searches for something in him. Her eyes are so wide, alarmed and still on the verge of tearing up. “I-I didn’t understand why you were becoming so distant, I thought getting away from the Soul Society would help, but now I think I know. Are you…?” She’s conflicted, her lips opening to continuing her question, only to close seconds later and becoming a taut, pressed line.

He’d wanted to tell her what was on his mind, but not like this. To his own ear, he’s ended up sounding both paranoid and like a child complaining about something not going his way. He ended up upsetting her. Toshiro sighs, suddenly more tired than before. “What is it?”

She still hesitates, her focus on the waves circling his ankles. Eventually, she raises her head and steps closer. “Are you scared?”

It hits him in the chest like a stone thrown into glass. For a second, his blood runs tight and cold in his limbs. His heart skips a beat, then clenches. He can feel hairline fractures running through him, threatening to break apart. Momo hadn’t hit the nail on the head, but she knows one facet of what is going on within him.

The impact she made must show, because her expression softens further. “It’s okay if you are, I think we all are. I think it’s why we’re all here. In this time of uncertainty, the only thing we can do right now is to be here with our friends. We can’t let the uncertainty of the future stop us from living in the present with those we care about.”

Or we could be planning. Somehow, the thought sounds strange, as if the sentiment behind it weren’t quite right anymore.

Momo closes the gap between them, their hands almost brushing. “If you really feel we shouldn’t be here, then why did you come?” It’s not an accusation, only a gentle question.

Because you wanted me to. She still isn’t aware of the hold she has over him, but how would she react if she knew? But her invite hadn’t been the only reason, nor had it just been Rangiku and Granny’s encouragement, or Shunsui appointing him as one of the supervisors.

We can’t let the uncertainty of the future stop us from living in the present with those we care about.

Maybe if the mood were different, he would tease her for picking up on his philosophy. In her own way, she had describe what would be his usual way of thinking. He slides his gaze to the horizon, watching the waves form, build, then curl in and crash in on themselves. It reminds him the fireworks, how they rise and flare into existence, only to scatter and fade away after they’ve exploded in the sky.

What happened to him? Why is he like this?

No, he already knows why. He swallows thickly and closes his eyes, but it does nothing to help. If he looks at the source of all of this now, the fractures might get bigger, but if he doesn't, they'll only run deeper.

And so, he opens his eyes to the stars.

“Before Hell, Kurotsuchi was working on a cure for the de-zombification process for Matsumoto and I,” he begins, his voice rougher. “That included returning the years of our life taken by the procedure, or at least, extending out lifespans to something greater than what they currently are. I expected slow progress, but when Hell revealed itself to us, of course work into a cure had ceased all together. It’s the right thing to do. We lay our lives down for the Soul Society.” His gaze fixes on her. “For our friends.”

Momo lets out a long, silent breath, her shoulders falling lower. She waits, always patient and willing to listen to him, but there's an urgency beneath it.

With some effort, he continues. “Knowing what will happen once those who obtained bankai die, knowing we can become so warped, that we can fight against our former officers, our friends. If I die before the conflict ends, that's what I'll become. I don't want that. I never want to hurt anyone on our side." I never want to hurt you again. "I didn't want..." I didn't want the peace to end."I don't..." I don't want to die.

Something drops into the sand behind them. Then, her arms around him, pulling him into side ways hug. His widened eyes stare straight ahead, unblinking and unfocused. The last time they had hugged was when the war against the Quincy had ended. Why is it they only hug when they're sad? But the feel of her arms around his shoulders, to know she's here with him, it makes him shudder, verging of a sob. He holds it back, believing it would do neither of them any good, but he turns in her arms and wraps his own around her.

“Without knowing what’s ahead, I can’t just relax like everyone else,” he admits.

“I know,” she whispers, voice tight. "With all of that on your mind, how could anyone?"

"And knowing I don't have much longer to live…"

A minute passes, and there's only the waves, which now coming up to their mid shines. The tide is definitely coming in, it wont be long before it gets higher.

Toshiro thinks to pull away, but Momo's arms tighten around him. "There's still time for Captain Kurotsuchi to find a cure for you and Rangiku-san, I know he won't give up on it. We don't know what we're up against, but that's nothing new for us, isn't it?" and he feels her smile against his temple. “In times of uncertainty and without answers, we only have each other, " she says "You look out for others, and become stronger for others. It’s why one of the reasons you’re worried about the future, right? It’s not just about fearing an early death, isn’t it? You care about everyone, you want to know what you can do to protect them for what’s to come. You want to live with everyone, right?”

His heart quivers. He’d seen everyone’s confusion and dourness for more than a month, and it did nothing to alleviate the emotions that slowly took hold of him. The peace had softened him, had made him so accustomed to seeing everyone in higher spirits. He missed it, longed for it after what they had learned about Hell. He especially missed seeing Momo that way, after everything she went through, by Aizen's hand and unintentionally his own.

He recalls how fragile the flowers in her hat looked, how small her hands seemed. He hadn't had to think about protecting anyone in years, hadn't had to be vigilant or on guard at all times, but they'd slowly been bubbling back to the surface in the recent months. When Hell comes, those feelings will come back in full force. He would never let anything harm her, not when he now has the powers to protect her.

As the seconds pass, a strange grief takes hold. He mourns for an uncertain future, for a future that will likely not be his. She has been a part of his life for so many years, and there was a time he was certain she would still be there with him in the future, but now, even if he makes it out of this alive, who's to say of she or Rangiku will be there? It's always been a possibility, ever since any of them became Shinigami, but with Hell now posing as a threat - one that has broken the peace they'd enjoyed for over ten years - it only exacerbates the chances of it happening. He mourns for the peace that is broken, because at some point without realising, he had seen that as their future. They would all go on happily, performing their duties with only the occasional hitch, but nothing that would threaten their everyday lives, the very existence of all the worlds.

The peace was too good to last; but it had happened, and he had enjoyed it with everyone else. It's the way of all the worlds; the good can only last for so long, but it never completely vanishes. It finds it's way back in smaller ways.

With a new wave smacking particularly hard into the backs his legs, he pulls away. He takes her hand, ignoring the surprised look she gives him, and leads her out of the water. “Come on, we should head back, the tide is starting to come in.”

Along the way, she stoops down and picks up the sandals she’s thrown aside to hug him. They walk up the beach and up the mounds and stairs in silence.

What they'd talked about isn't really an answer or a solution to his worries. He’ll feel this unease about the future for as long as Hell is a threat. But the waves, they ebb and flow. The stars burn until there’s nothing left; they shine brightly until they fade away. The worlds go on, with or without beings who have left them. It's both a disconcerting and calming thought.

As they near the road a few minutes later, Momo she gives his hand a squeeze. "Thank you, Hitsugaya-kun."

"Huh?"

"For telling me everything. I know it couldn't have been easy for you." Then, ruefully, "I'm sorry that this all happened at a beach."

Toshiro could almost laugh, but he manages to withhold it. "It was a majority vote for the location, there was no changing that."

He doesn't looks back at her until they stop on the side of the road. The streetlight next to them casts half of her face in white-yellow light, while the sign of a nearby restaurant casts the other in pink and red.

"You've always been like this. Willing to listen to others, to let them speak their minds." He gives her a small smile. "I should be thanking you."

She gives a embarrassed shrug. "I'm not always like that."

He could argue with her until they're both deaf about her modesty, but he refrains. "Maybe you're right. It's good to...be away for a while, even if it's somewhere like here."

"Even if you can't stop thinking about what happened? Or what's to come?"

It's not her intention, but it almost feels like a test from the universe, to see if he has taken what she'd said to heart. He steps closer, gaze intent. "It's like you said, there was no way we could stop completely thinking about what happened. I can't let these thoughts go, I can't be like everyone else . I won't stop thinking about what happened, not until we can predict Hell's next moves." He bows his head. "I'm sorry for how I've been on this trip."

She shakes her head. "You have nothing to apologize for. If anything, I'm sorry for trying to force you to relax. I should've just come out and said I was concerned."

"With how I was, I can understand why you went about things the way you did. Besides, the ice cream wasn't bad. Dinner was good too, and the beach wasn't...terrible."

That gets a huff of a chuckle out of her.

"Still, I should've been upfront before we came."

She offers a sympathetic smile. "In the end, you were. We only have a day left, but please spend it however you want to." After he nods, she drops her sandals to the ground. "I should put these on before we go back to the others."

She lets go his hand to slide and clip her sandals back on.

His hand hovers in the air, and he knows he should put it back to his side. He'd done what he'd had to to lead them away from the sea. He's also never been one for physical contact beyond what was necessary in battle. But he didn't want to let go just yet.

With both of her shoes on, Momo straightens. "Do think they are at the bar by now?"

"Chances are."

He looks out to the road, lit by streetlights and lined with restaurants, bars, and closed shops. The weight within him is still there, but lighter. For the first time since he arrived, he thinks of somewhere he wants to go.

"I think I saw a takoyaki stall down there," he says, jerking his chin to the right. "Want to go eat before we join everyone else?"

Momo raises both eyebrows, but before he can ask why she reacted this way, she beams and takes his hand again. "Yeah, let's go."

[stonecoldaries]

hermit the frog by marina (and the diamonds) reminded me of isane for some reason so i made up a little backstory for her to animate with