#kuchiki-abarai family feels

[substituted-shinigami]

Hey guys, anyone want to do discussion points or what if scenarios? It might be fun!

Here's one: If Rukia, Renji, and Byakuya got kicked out of Soul Society after the Soul Society Arc, what would their living situation be?

A while back (which for me could be anywhere from 1 to 10 years, lol), I saw a post about this. I believe the philosophy was that the whole Aizen situation was a media nightmare and so they kicked Rukia and Renji out as part of a cover up. Byakuya tried to stand up to them and got kicked out too. Even his own family disowned him for all the "trouble he's caused them over Hisana and Rukia". 

So according to the post, their living situation was similar to the Advance Team Arc, with Rukia living with Ichigo, and Renji and Byakuya living elsewhere (I believe they were sharing an apartment?). I think I've seen other posts about this where they actually ended up either living with Urahara or the Visored.

Now obviously this didn't happen and would never happen, so don't worry about taking this too seriously. This is literally just a "What if it had happened?" scenario. Where do you think the characters would have ended up? How do you think it would have panned out?

This is already getting kind of long, so I'm gonna put my thoughts on it underneath a "Keep Reading" tag

Personally, I think Rukia would have stayed with Byakuya. This might sound strange, their relationship was strained at best, but I think her choosing to stay in Soul Society was her choosing to try again. She wanted to try again to connect to the people in her life. So even if they got kicked out of Soul Society, I don’t think she would have given up on this dream. (Plus it means she could teach him all about the living world!)

I think the real question would be Renji. Sure Byakuya and Rukia living together would be super awkward to say the least, but they're at least siblings. But Renji isn't. He's not entirely on the outside, being childhood friends with Rukia. But they've been separated for about 40 years and have a lot of emotional ground to cover! 

On one hand, they don't have status to worry about anymore, she's no longer a noble and he's not a lieutenant, but on the other hand they haven't had a chance to properly discuss all that happened between them either. And if they are living together, they might choose to NOT have those necessary discussions in order to keep their living situation stable.

On the flip side, Renji and Rukia tend to thrive in dangerous situations where it's them against the world. So while they may be dancing around those hard but necessary conversations, they are ALSO dancing around all those hollows in Karakura Town and punching them in the face with some SUPER SICK COMBO MOVES!!!

So basically they will eventually be fine, but not as quickly as they would have been if they had just, you know, talked first and punched later.

So here's my final thoughts. Rukia would be living with Byakuya. Where they would be living would be determined based on if Byakuya had been able to hold onto any of his wealth and then been able to trade with Urahara for some World of the Living funds. 

Renji I could see still living with Urahara, but depending on Rukia’s and Byakuya’s situation, I can see it taking all three of them getting part time jobs to get by. Also, I doubt Urahara would take all three of them in. They could technically live in his basement, but unless he had a use for all three of them, I doubt he'd take them in. (Although the idea of all three of them doing secret missions together as some sort of mission impossible secret task force is pretty cool!) The visoreds tend to stick to themselves, so I kinda doubt they'd take them in either.

So yeah, maybe all three of them DO get a very stuffy, very angsty apartment together, and are extremely relieved when the Arrancar finally attack. xD

So what do you all think? Do they all stay together? Do they all split up? A combination of the two? Where do they all live? Feel free to comment or reblog to let me know!

[bleachbleachbleach]

You've always been my go-to for all things Bleach lore and world-building! Do you think Shinigami all sleep in futons or beds? Or maybe it varies from character to character? We've seen the 4th division with beds in their wards, but I think every other character has slept in futons.

Haha, thank you! We do love a furniture deep-dive here, and people's headcanon speculations about shinigami life even more.

I started a list of any time we'd ever seen a character in some kind of bed (futon or frame), but it mostly just ended up being a long list of "_______ at the 4th," lol, so we'll see all those aside (almost all those aside). But canonically, there is a mixture! We see:

Hinamori in Aizen's futon

[Bleach 100]

Ukitake in his quarters

[Bleach e40]

Isane in her quarters

[Bleach 179]

Hisana at the Kuchiki house

[Bleach 179]

I think Rukia had a similar setup during the Bount Arc, as well.

Also, I'd like to note that for the record as I was retrieving *bed pictures* I got emotionally destroyed by my re-encounter with this panel. It is just SO deeply sad:

[Bleach 180]

The incredible, isolating vastness of the room, and the way the shadow cuts across the space. ToT <33333 It also reminds me of a really excellent meta piece done by afinepiece, where she analyzed the panels from Byakuya's story about Hisana and pointed out sections where the panel visuals might suggest Byakuya's memory/headspace more than physical reality. Her journal is deactivated but I know the reblog is on B3 somewhere! I'm inclined to go with that reading here, even though I also feel like the room probably just *looked like this* because every room in Soul Society is like this. (Maybe it's also for airflow, given her illness seemed partially respiratory and possibly contagious? ngl I'm basing this off that one anime elaboration scene and my co-blogger's post about Circus Hisana and Elephant TB).

In my mind Byakuya's convalescent setup was the same as Hisana's (is this the sad Seireitei equivalent of couples' outfits) but I was wrong:

[Bleach 180]

He's in a bed! But from the look of this building he's probably at the 4th and not at home. Put simply, this building is too brutish and workmanlike to be part of the Kuchiki complex:

[Bleach 180]

Hanatarou's quarters (implied)

[Bleach e259]

The tatami floor, layout, and big closet on the right-hand side seem to imply that Hanatarou uses a futon.

Abarai family quarters (implied)

[Bleach "No Breathes from Hell"]

This is probably not the only room in this house and they could put *anything* in those cabinets, but their sheer number and the style of the room suggests that this converts to a futon-filled bedroom, regardless of what might exist in other parts of the house.

Bonus 1: Renji in jail

[Bleach 118]

Is this at the 6th? Is this at the 4th? I always assumed the 6th, though obviously the 4th was involved. Idk, Byakuya left him on the ground. Maybe if you don't pick up your invalids the 4th just stashes them in their jail.

Bonus 2: Hitsugaya in Junrinan (non-shinigami, non-Seireitei)

[Bleach -16 (in between 286 and 287)]

These examples are pretty skewed in favor of futons, but if we think about this collection of characters, there is an overrepresentation of people who trend more traditional in terms of aesthetic, so they might not meaningfully represent the whole. Also, half the list is the same family.

We've seen a number of different offices and meeting rooms for each division, as well as some private residences, which have been a mix of Western and traditional styles in terms of the building itself and the furniture within it. Most of the offices seem to have Western furniture (or at least, the 10th, 6th, and 3rd), whereas Byakuya and Aizen, at least, seem to prefer the traditional at home.

Though, I don't know what this big-ass room is, but given its size and feeling of formal reception, this may well be the 5th's office?

[Bleach 100]

NB 1: I tried to look up what the office looks like under Shinji, but what is happening here:

[Bleach "No Breathes from Hell"]

NB 2: The 2nd also has traditional receiving rooms (used by both Yoruichi and Soi Fon, wherever the division between Shihouin and the 2nd is. But I assume Soi Fon's office is not the Shihouin Family Receiving room).

--

My feeling is that the differences are more regional/Division-based than personal preference-based, and *when*/by whom this design language was established depends on how much time and money the people in charge want to devote to furniture.

But that doesn't necessarily mean each Division is uniform, since we can see Isane and Hanatarou, both seated officers of the 4th, have different-style rooms! Maybe this is an effect of the 4th being an early bed adopter for their general professional purposes. Unohana is 100% a futon lady. I feel like Isane just accepted whatever was originally in the room, and that if there were no bed at all in the room she would sleep on the floor before asking to remodel. Does that mean a previous 4th VC wanted to modernize the VC quarters?

Was that previous 4th VC the original bedframe proselytizer, and got permission from Unohana to do up their quarters like a model home that gave examples of both types of room? Do Isane and Unohana live in an IKEA showroom?

What are the benefits of futons?

the room can be multi-use, a general common room by day and sleeping dorm by night

don't have to make a bunch of bedframes

Given what a big deal everyone makes out of transporting goods from the Living World, I feel like they probably make all their furniture and don't import particleboard from Nitori, so this would be expensive! Plus, given the amount of building reconstruction that needs to happen, I feel like there's probably a fairly small quota of wood released to civilians and/or divisions for non-essential use.

What are the benefits of bedframes?

BUNKBEDS

easier cleaning/long-term savings?

Yeah, you'd have to make the bedframes and have a whole separate common room, but having beds implies you've probably done away with the tatami in the room, since you're not really supposed to put heavy furniture on the mats. And I don't think in a barrack with heavy use you'd be able to rely on shinigami simply "being careful." Same logic as college dorms and their "IKEA, but completely indestructible" furniture.

So if you decide in the long-term that you don't want to do tatami maintenance/replacement and want wood furniture on wood floors, maybe the bed route is for you! ("You" here meaning "your division"!) At which point it'd be a matter of:

caring enough to do a cost/benefit analysis about this

whether or not you want to preserve the traditional aesthetic

whether you have the initial capital to invest in making the change

Some additional thoughts:

We know that at least a portion of the 2nd has heated floors, as financed by Oomaeda. I'm not a heated floors aficionado--though I stayed at an AirBnb once with a heated driveway--NUTS) but I feel like that would...not work with tatami? That over time the heat would dry them out too much and make them brittle? So maybe the 2nd has beds.

Despite the fact that the 10th office changes out their couch out a few times during the canon timeline, I feel like there's a 0% chance Hitsugaya has considered a bedding/architecture overhaul during his tenure at the 10th. He's spent the last 15 years developing a real filing system and an actual budget procedure. He didn't come in with extra money to put towards beds and the 46 doesn't generally approve that kind of line item. That's more of a "gift fund" expense.

Shinji is trying to get a Pod Hotel proposal approved, on the grounds that the idea would benefit more than just the 5th. They could implement it in the Tsumesho (Gotei WeWork)! And provide them in strategic outposts across Rukongai!

During what decade was the 11th briefly "HAMMOCK DIVISION" because it seemed like the cheapest, most low-maintenance option?

[serene-faerie]

IchiHime & RenRuki AU Week

Day 4: Historical (Regency AU)

London, 1813.

The social season has officially arrived, and the marriage market is in full swing. As the young ladies of the Ton prepare to make their society debuts, there is another new 'debut' into high society that creates waves throughout the Ton.

Renji Abarai, the Viscount of Blackwood, never counted on ever setting foot into high society. Only a few years ago, he was a common-born soldier from the streets of London. But only recently, Renji has discovered that he is actually the illegitimate son of the former Viscount, who died without producing a legitimate heir. However, despite inheriting the Blackwood estate and becoming a nobleman in rank, Renji feels incredibly out of place among the Ton, for he is still very new to high society, and he does not conform to their expectations and finds it very difficult to navigate the intricacies of the upper class. Nevertheless, Renji must take advantage of the social season to find himself a wife so he can consolidate his position among the Ton. With the help of his good friend, Viscount Ichigo Kurosaki of Thornhill, the two of them navigate the balls and soirées of London to find themselves some potential wives.

As luck would have it, Renji encounters a lovely young woman at a ball, with whom he forms an instant connection: Lady Rukia Kuchiki, the younger sister of Duke Byakuya Kuchiki of Cherrybrooke.

Rukia Kuchiki hadn't counted on getting married this season. Though is already out in society, and her brother is trying to arrange an engagement for her, she isn't interested in finding a suitor for herself. Rather, she is helping Orihime Inoue- her best friend and the daughter of an impoverished noble family -in finding a husband. The last thing she expects is to encounter the new, rakish Viscount Renji Abarai of Blackwood. But when Orihime becomes quite taken with Viscount Ichigo Kurosaki, Rukia finds herself intrigued by Renji himself. Despite his reputation as a rake, Renji is an eligible bachelor. And he needs help in adjusting to high society. As the sister of the highest-ranked duke in London, Rukia decides to teach Renji about how to be a proper noble. And so, a tentative friendship begins between Renji and Rukia. As the season progresses, Renji gradually learns the ways of the upper class from Rukia, and they come to find that they have common interests with each other. It isn't long before they begin to fall in love with each other. Rukia comes to love Renji's passionate sincerity, his uniquely handsome looks, and his kind, fiery heart. And only Renji can see Rukia's true self beneath her mask as a lady of the upper class, and he loves her witty jokes, her feisty nature, and her interest in his colorful life. But though their love is true, and Duke Byakuya himself approves of their courtship, there is still a challenge they must face, for one of Rukia's spurned suitors is determined to claim her for himself. But Renji will do whatever it takes to be with the woman he loves, even if it means going against a suitor of a much higher rank than himself.

Meanwhile, Ichigo is in love with Orihime Inoue, the beautiful daughter of an impoverished noble family, who has considerable talent as an opera singer. Orihime is under the sponsorship of the Kuchiki family, and she likes to perform songs at many society events. Her beautiful voice was what charmed Ichigo, and since then, he has begun a courtship with her. Ichigo loves Orihime's singing voice, her genuine kindness, and her sense of humor. Orihime has seen Ichigo for who he is beyond his rakish reputation, and she has come to love Ichigo for his handsome looks, his kind heart, and his interest in theatre. But though they make a wonderful couple together, Orihime's own family scandal could potentially put a damper on any plans of marriage for them.

Can these two couples find a way to get married to the people they love by the end of the season? Or will they become the biggest scandals of the Ton?

[actuallysaiyan]

Meet Me In Our Special Spot(Renji Abarai x Fem!Reader)

warnings: love confessions, smut, unprotected sex, vaginal fingering, mentions of jealousy, lots and lots and lots of kissing word count: 2k pairings: Renji Abarai x Fem!Reader summary: you tell Renji to meet you in your special spot and your feelings just come spilling out... a/n: for the amazing and wonderful @yeowangies! thank you so much for supporting me and giving me these amazing ideas!!

Meet me in our special spot 

That’s what your note read. That’s the note you decided to send to the fiery redhead you were head over heels in love with. It made you feel nervous to even have given him that note. You knew what was coming from this. But it was about damn time you told Renji exactly how you felt. Even if he didn’t return your feelings, you know you will feel better just by getting this off your chest.

You sit under the big tree in the clearing that you and Renji used to hang out in when you two went to school together. It was the place you two would hide away from the world. It was the place where he told you about his feelings for Rukia and how he felt about her joining the Kuchiki family.

This was the place where you and your best friend could just relax and be yourselves. It’s where you could pretend not to have all these heavy responsibilities hanging on your shoulders. Even if things looked bleak or rough, you and Renji would find solace beneath this tree and you’d be able to express yourselves in the way you wanted to.

So that’s why you decided to ask him to meet you here so you could confess to him. Even if he loves Rukia and you aren’t going to be his number one choice, being able to say these words will help you move on with your life.

“Hey!” He calls from a short distance away.

Your heart stops when you see him. He looks just as beautiful as the day you met him. You’re heart skips, restarting at a breakneck speed. The closer he gets to you, the more you become even more nervous about this whole thing. He smiles sweetly as he sits next to you.

“What’s up?” He asks, leaning his head on your shoulder.

Your smile falters and your cheeks burn. How are you going to be able to continue this conversation? Renji’s brows furrow as he notices just how you’ve become quiet and withdrawn into yourself. He looks up at you, cupping your cheek and guiding your face so that he can look into your eyes. He sees a storm brewing deep inside them, which allows him to see just how serious this meeting is.

“Renji…I need to talk to you about something,”

He nods his head, turning his body completely to be able to face you properly. Just those little things he does for you to show that he’s attentive and that he cares just makes you even more anxious about this. Finally,  you take a deep breath and look him in the eyes.

“I know that maybe you’ve got a thing for Rukia and I know that she’s prettier than me and that she’s stronger than me…”

Renji’s eyes widen as you begin to sputter up this word vomit. It all just comes out; years of unrequited love heavy on your chest and it’s finally coming out. He shakes his head, a hearty laugh falling from his lips. Your cheeks burn even more, making you look away with tears beginning to well up in your eyes.

“You don’t have to laugh in my face!” You cry out, pushing him away from you.

Renji sighs, “Come on…just hear me out. Sorry I laughed, but that was a lot all at once.”

You finally face him again. You’re so embarrassed about all of this. The worst part was that you didn’t even really say what you wanted to. It was all about Rukia once again, which pissed you off even more.

“It’s just I know you love her, and I…I…” you swallow hard. “I love you, Renji.”

He feels like he’s about to faint when he hears you say you love him. His cheeks turn pink at just those words. Coming from your sweet lips, no less. An absolute angel is telling him that she loves him. He’s in heaven now.

“I don’t love Rukia.” He sputters out. “I did have feelings for her in the past, but now…”

There was silence for a few moments. Neither of you know how to proceed from this moment on. Then you feel his hand on top of yours, trying to intertwine his fingers with yours. You look into his dark eyes, swooning at the way he looks so lovesick for you right now.

“Now, I know I’ve got deeper feelings for you. I just never thought I was even in your league.” Renji confesses, his heart feeling much lighter now that he was able to say that.

You don’t even know how to respond. So you don’t. Instead, you lean in and kiss him on the lips. It’s so tender and sweet, it makes your head swim. You’ve never known a sweeter kiss than this. His hands caress your face so gently, showing you the softer side of him.

“I wish I would have never made you feel like second best,” he breathes. He leans his forehead against yours, your noses rubbing together so softly. “You’ve been my top priority since we’ve met…”

Then he pulls you into another sweet kiss. You press back; kissing him deeper and hungrier. Your hands move from his shoulders to up his neck where you play with the scraggly hairs at the nape of his neck.

“I should have just told you how much I love you…” he whispers in your ear when he pulls away from the kiss.

There’s a moment of comfortable silence before you push him back against the ground. He smirks at the playful way you’re acting with him now. His heart feels so full of love and adoration when he sees that beautiful smile on your face.

“Then,” you say before pecking his lips. “Let’s show each other just how much we love one another.”

His cheeks burn when he realizes just what you mean by this. You two were both in the forest, and surely nobody would come by, but there was a chance someone could catch you.

“R-right here?” He spluttered, looking into your eyes for any hint of regret.

You laugh softly, “Sure, why not? Isn’t it part of the thrill?”

This is when something snaps inside of him. The way you’re being so daring and pushy, it ignites a fire deep inside of him that he never realized was there until just now. He has a strong grip on you now, pushing you underneath him.

“Then let me start, please…”

There was no way you could even say no to him. His dark eyes are even darker now; filled with lust and love. He presses another kiss to your lips, this one is much more fiery and passionate than before. Your tongues rub and roll together.

Then he begins to undo your top, his eyes connected to yours the entire time. You feel your body burning up as his rough hands caress and cup your breasts. His breathing gets more shallow as he begins to knead the soft flesh.

“You’re so beautiful, honey.” His words feel like arrows going straight to your heart.

You look away shyly, “you’re just saying that…”

“No way! You’re the most beautiful, angelic person I’ve ever laid eyes on.”

Your eyes widen before you blink a few times. This time, you pull him in for a deep kiss. He moans as your tongue slides into his mouth, and his hands busy themselves with shrugging off his own clothes and removing yours.

The minute you’re both naked, it’s so relieving. It’s like the perfect moment in time for the two of you. Soft kisses and lingering touches arouse both of you even more than previously. Renji spreads your thighs, wishing to take his time with you.

“Fuck you’re soaked, baby…”

Your cheeks burn even more at his words. It’s almost too lewd for you, but you know it’s just because this is your ultimate fantasy. His long fingers spread your slick all over your folds and clit, making you shudder from head to toe. He continues these tantalizing and teasing touches, watching you with a focused smirk on his face.

Your mouth falls open in a cute little whimper as he pushes his finger into your dribbling hole. Your walls begin to suck in the digit further and you buck up your hips to feel even more stimulation. Renji’s cock throbs at the reaction.

“Baby,” he grunts. “You’re fucking tight.”

You whimper his name as he pushes his finger in and out, curling it against the spongy spot deep inside of you. You’re gripping the grass beneath you as a means of keeping you grounded. Renji can’t keep his eyes off of you as he fingers you. He’s never seen nor felt anything this heavenly before and now he’s trying to figure out just how long he’s going to last once he’s inside of you.

“Please, Renji—” you moan. “Please fuck me.”

He swallows hard and pulls himself from you. Then he gets on his knees, spreading your thighs even wider. With racing hearts, you two meet in another loving kiss. His hands reach down to guide the tip of his leaking cock to your entrance.

“You ready for me?” he asks, his tone a bit more cocky this time.

“Just please, please put it in!”

He doesn’t need to be told twice. His cock begins pushing into you, making you cry out just for him. It’s a sound he never ever wants to forget. Your walls begin fluttering around his girth, making him grunt as his balls already feel tight. He’s cursing himself mentally, begging himself to hold on for a while yet.

“You feel so fuckin’ good,” he sounds drunk on you right now.

You wrap your arms and legs around him as he begins rutting into you. Both of you have been rendered dumb just by this simple act of love. It’s all too much for the both of you. The more the head of his cock presses against your sweet spot, the dumber you get. You can only moan and beg for more.

“I got you,” he nuzzles his face in the crook of your neck. “I’m always here for you,”

You moan in response, begging him not to stop. He chuckles at the way you sound so needy, but it soon turns into a moan of his own as you begin to clench around him. 

He pulls away for a moment, looking at where you’re both connected. Renji watches as his cock disappears and reappears in your tight little cunt. It’s such a mesmerizing sight to behold and it’s causing him to get closer and closer to his peak.

“I’m not going to be able to hold on for much longer if you keep squeezing me like that,” he groans. His long fingers brush against your swollen nub.

Then with more precision, he rolls his hips in the perfect way to stimulate your sweet spot. Your eyes begin to roll back in your head as the pleasure builds faster and faster. Your nails dig into his back as you get closer to your climax.

“That’s it,” he says before kissing you. “Let go for me. Cum for me, beautiful.”

He swipes his fingers against your clit over and over, and that’s all it takes for you to come undone. You let out a strangled cry of his name, panting and whining as the pleasure takes hold over you. The clenching and pulsing of your gummy walls make him growl in your ear as his own orgasm crashes over him.

“Shit fuck! Oh fuck I can’t…” he whines as the pleasure becomes even blinding. Stars dance in his vision as ropes of hot cum fill your tight little cunt.

He moves against you to ride out his high, then immediately realizes what he’s done. He pulls out, panic written all over his face. That’s when you cup his face and pull him in for the most loving kiss.

“I love you, Renji. Please, just stay here with me.”

And with that, all is well again. Everything is right in the world. He pulls you to rest against his naked chest, not a care in the world.

“I love you too.”

[recurring-polynya]

Bleach Returns 2024 - Day 5 - Black and Blue

Author's Note #1: I thought this was sort of a fun prompt that one could riff on in a number of different Bleach-appropriate ways. It made me think of the color schemes of the boys' Academy uniforms contrasted with the shihakushou, so I liked the idea of doing some sort of now-and-then type story.

Author's Note #2: In early Bleach, Renji makes several statements implying that he has seen or possibly even fought Byakuya some time in the past, before he became his vice-captain. That seemed like a fun idea, and I wanted to write a little something about it. Also, Momo is here because I think there should be more stories about Momo being down to clown.

In case it's not obvious, this takes place a few years before canon, when Renji is still at Squad 11.

Rated PG for language, implied violence.

| read on ao3 |

💙 🖤 💙

"Hinamori," said Renji, "I am not actually going to become an adjunct fighting arts teacher."

Hinamori, who had been gushing for the last ten minutes about how excited she was that Renji was going to become an adjunct fighting arts teacher, was not dissuaded. "I know it seems like a longshot," she said. "The Academy doesn't exactly like to admit that the Eleventh Division even exists. But a lot of students are really interested in going there! And you aren't just some guy from the Eleventh--you're an alumni, you were third in our class, you've been writing that column in the newspaper--"

"HInamori," Renji cut her off before her face started turning blue. "That's not what I meant. What I meant is that I asked you to get me into this thing on, uh, you know. False pretenses."

This thing was some sort of open house day, where the grounds of Shin'ou had been opened up to a select set of visitors. Mostly, it was for prospective students and their families, or at least the ones who were already residents of the Seireitei. Renji sure didn't remember getting any invitations to tour the campus. There were various other festivities designed to attract the attention of donors or higher-ups in the Gotei or the Kidou Corps who might have research dollars or internships available. And there were some networking opportunities for people who were interested in part-time teaching positions. These weren't exactly easy to sign-up for, but it helped if you had a friend with connections.

Hinamori froze mid-step. "Abarai!" she gasped. "You have got to be kidding me!"

"I didn't think it would be such a big deal," Renji grumbled. "I mean, I'll go to the interview or whatever! I don't want you to get in trouble with your boss." Hinamori was an assistant layout editor in the publishing department. There was even one of her own drawings in the latest edition of Intermediate Bakudou: Theory and Applications--a diagram of tenteikura that was so good that even he could understand it.

Hinamori huffed and crossed her arms. "Oh, don't worry about that. The issue is--" she took a deep breath through her nose. "Abarai Renji," she said, "tell me this wasn't a ploy to come see the Kuchiki Byakuya demonstration fight."

Renji rolled his face down to regard her. "Of course it was a ploy to come see the Kuchiki Byakuya demonstration fight. Do you know how rare it is for him to fight in public anymore? He hasn't done one of these in thirty-five years. This is only going to be the third time I've seen him in action and the other two were pure luck. This is a huge opportunity for me and I honestly did not think angling me an invitation would--"

"Oh, stop it," Hinamori sighed. "You could have told me. I would have gotten you in anyway. I'm just mad because Kira told me you were only coming for the Kuchiki Byakuya Demonstration Fight and he's unbearable when he's right."

"Is he coming?" Renji asked, feeling a bit hopeful about the prospect despite himself. It had only been in the last few months that he'd started talking to either Kira or Hinamori again, after the big blow-up when he transferred to the Eleventh. Even though most of the blame for that probably belonged on his own stubborn ass, now that it was over Renji couldn't believe how much he had missed the two of them.

"He said he would meet us for dinner later," Hinamori scowled. "He said that he has it on good authority that historically, Captain Kuchiki's demonstrations are impossible to follow, very boring, and also that if he was going to have to hear the detailed play-by-play from you anyway, he might as well skip the actual event."

"You know what?" said Renji, "it's fine. You'll appreciate it more than he would, anyway."

"Will I?" Hinamori replied dryly.

"You have an appreciation of elegance. Of economy of movement. Of a guy who is just really fucking good at what he does."

"He has nice hair, too."

"Not that I was trying to find out, but I know what shampoo he uses. If you act like the demo was super awesome in front of Kira, I'll tell you, even though we couldn't afford it if we pooled together all the money we got."

Hinamori squinted leerily at him for a moment, before her face split into a big, teasing grin. "It's a deal."

🗡️ 🌸 💀

"I expected to see a few more shihakushou in this crowd." Renji glanced over the crowd while Kuchiki Byakuya's lieutenant hauled yet another one of his unconscious officers out of the sparring ring, The audience was mostly the white, blue and red of Academy uniforms, with a smattering of expensive civvies. The handful of other shinigami Renji could spot all seemed to have younger versions of themselves in tow.

"Are you feeling self-conscious?" Hinamori murmured. "It's your own fault for being seventeen feet tall."

"It's not that," Renji whispered back, although he was convinced that the Academy must be taking them shorter these days. "I just think that more people would be interested in seeing the best swordfighter in the Gotei at work!"

"I think that most people who care about seeing Captain Kuchiki fight are already in Squad Six, and he seems to have brought most of them with him," Hinamori suggested. As if on cue, Lieutenant Shirogane prodded a fresh victim into the circle. Nervously, the woman dropped into a combat stance, her practice sword held out in front of her.

"Observe," intoned Kuchiki Byakuya. "This disarming technique was developed by Kuchiki Souta during the 400 Days War."

"Oh, shit, the 'Seizure of Assets,'" Renji gasped.

"The wh--wait, what just happened?"

Captain Kuchiki was now holding two shinai. The poor Squad Sixer was holding her hand and looking like she was trying not to cry.

"He wrapped his arm around her sword and levered it out of her hand. I bet it hurt like a bitch."

"You followed that?"

Renji had watched Captain Kuchiki's stance, the way he held his shoulders loose, how he started with most of his weight held on the right leg. He had noted the distance between Captain Kuchiki and his subordinate. He had seen a blur of black, felt the way Captain Kuchiki had focused his reiatsu on the left side. "Kinda," he replied.

"The caveat to all of the maneuvers I have been showing you," Captain Kuchiki Byakuya droned, "is that they will not work against an opponent who is prepared for them. Even a fighter of middling strength should be capable of maintaining a grip on their weapon. You may need to utilize a distraction or to take advantage of sloppy form. Who can tell me what Sixteenth Seat Gotou's mistake was?"

He waited.

At first, the crowd was silent. Then, as the wait wore on, the students began to murmur among themselves, but everyone seemed hesitant to call out an answer.

"Do you know?" Hinamori hissed at Renji. "I don't even know. She was too stiff? Caught flatfooted?"

"The question is for the students," Renji replied out of the side of his mouth.

"So you don't know, either."

"Of course I know. Her mistake was going up against Kuchiki Byakuya."

Hinamori huffed and rolled her eyes.

"I heard the correct answer," Captain Kuchiki's voice ran out. "Who said that?"

If a single blade of Senbonzakura had fallen to the ground at that moment, everyone would have heard it.

"You, there," Captain Kuchiki said, his eyes drilling directly into Renji. "Repeat what you just said."

If it were thirty years ago, if he were still in his blue-and-whites, if this were the first time Renji had laid eyes on Kuchiki Byakuya, he would have glanced from side-to-side, hoping the man was talking to someone else. He would have rephrased his answer, tried to make it sound less blunt, more thoughtful.

"I said, she isn't you," Renji replied loudly.

"Say more," said Kuchiki Byakuya.

Renji cleared his throat. "Your speed is so fast that almost no one can follow it. You made a quick feint to the right and you spiked your reiatsu to scare her. You outclassed her so badly that she had no chance of reacting."

Captain Kuchiki's gray eyes were as placid as the surface of a lake. "Did I do this to show off?"

Renji could feel some of the kids standing near him start to sidle away. Renji knew a few things about intimidating people, and he was pretty sure that Captain Kuchiki meant his question sincerely--exactly as sincere as Renji's answer had been.

"Not at all," Renji replied. "Everything is relative. Any graduate from Shin'ou could do that to a tough from Rukongai with no spiritual pressure. A seated officer can dispatch a Hollow before they know what's happened to them. Overwhelming your opponent swiftly is a safe and efficient strategy. A shinigami must never stop pursuing strength and they should not hesitate to use it against their opponents!"

To her credit, Hinamori was still standing next to him, back ramrod straight, staring dead ahead. Not a sound came out of her, even though Renji could practically hear her thinking how ridiculous he was. As soon as she passed that exam, she was gonna make a killer Vice Captain.

"Just so!" declared Kuchiki Byakuya. Then, he frowned and squinted. For the briefest of seconds, Renji wondered if Captain Kuchiki recognized him. "Who are you?"

"Abarai Renji, sir! Eleventh Company, Sixth Seat!"

"What are you doing here, Eleventh Company, Sixth Seat Abarai Renji? Surely you're not here to consider enrolling at Shin'ou?"

Renji felt his face go warm. "I already graduated, sir! 2066! I'm--!" He took a deep breath and squeezed his eyes closed, "I'm just to here to interview for an adjunct position!"

When he cautiously cracked one eye open again, Kuchiki Byakuya was regarding him with those flat, gray eyes. "I see. Which subject?"

Renji blinked. "Which…?"

"Which subject. Do you intend to teach?"

Renji's ears were ringing. "Fighting, sir!" he barked.

Kuchiki Byakuya gave the very slightest of nods. "Indeed. How interesting." For a moment, it seemed like that was that. He was going to go back to his lecture. But then something changed. For a million kan, Renji couldn't have told you what it was. The man's face didn't budge. There was no shift in his posture. But Kuchiki Byakuya had changed his mind, Renji knew it in his soul. "How would you have avoided being disarmed? Future Professor of Fighting Arts, Abarai Renji?"

Intellectually, he knew the answer. It was on the tip of his tongue. His tongue just refused to make the words.

"Oh just do it," Hinamori hissed out of her back teeth. "You know you want to."

"YOU WANNA FIND OUT?" Renji bellowed.

Kuchiki Byakuya's eyebrows lifted exactly three thousandths of a millimeter.

🍶 🍜 🩹

"So, did you get the teaching position or not?" Kira asked, sipping at his sake.

"It remains to be seen," Renji replied, shifting the icepack on his forehead.

"On the plus side, I think the head of the zanjutsu department was pretty impressed when Lieutenant Shirogane personally delivered him his office and said, I quote, 'my captain says someone should hire this man for something.'" Hinamori took a philosophical bite of tamagoyaki. "On the other hand, Abarai-kun insisted on going through with the interview with a severe concussion."

"I see," said Kira.

"I"m pretty sure," said Renji, examining his bandaged fingers and wondering if the pinky was also broken, "that I spent most of the thing explaining how we set up the brackets for the annual Tournament of Blood."

Kira made the face of a man who had already endured more than his fair share of Tournament of Blood discourse. "Why?"

"Well, the guy asked me to describe an improvement I had made to an existing practice and you know how un-fun the lower ranks of that tournament was before I got Ikkaku to, uh, come around on my vision. The guy seemed kinda into it. I think the whole job offer thing could still happen."

Hinamori rolled her eyes and tossed back her drink.

"Orrrr….maybe that's just the head injury talking. It doesn't matter. I don't actually want the job anyway."

"You don't think a little stint in academia might look good on your resume?" Kira asked archly. "For when you do finally get serious about making vice captain?"

Renji tried to remember the exact look on Captain Kuchiki's face the third time he had peeled himself out of the dirt and said that yes, he would be up for demonstrating the next block, thank you. "I think," he said, "I've improved my job prospects enough for one day."

[jubileemon]

Rukia and Renji's Romance Analysis

Although Ichigo and Rukia also love each other, their friendship is considerably less intense than her lifelong attachment for Renji.

Backstory

Indeed, Renji Abarai's love for Rukia Kuchiki dates back to their childhood in the Rukongai district. Despite the disparities in their backgrounds, Renji consistently treated Rukia with respect and kindness. While Renji and Rukia share a deep history as childhood friends from the Rukongai district, their lives took different paths when Rukia was adopted into the noble Kuchiki family. This social and power disparity, along with the rigid rules of the Soul Society, influenced Renji's interactions with Rukia.

As the series progresses, the layers of their relationship are explored, revealing the depth of their bond and the struggles they face due to their pasts.

Introduction

Abarai's initially antagonistic appearance in his debut in Bleach, when he attempted to bring Rukia back to the Soul Society, can be attributed to the hierarchical structure and rigid rules within the Soul Society.

At that point in the story, Renji held the position of 6th Seat in the 6th Division under Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. This mission not only introduces the hierarchy and rules of the Soul Society but also reveals the strained dynamics within Rukia and Renji's friendship. Ichigo's intervention in an attempt to save Rukia leads to a brief but intense fight with Renji. Ichigo's unexpected burst of reiatsu, fueled by his resolve, highlights the depth of his determination. Byakuya's subsequent involvement showcases the vast power of the Kuchiki clan.

Renji's periodic visits to Rukia's prison, despite her impending execution, demonstrate his unwavering loyalty and care for her well-being. The revelation of their childhood friendship adds emotional complexity to their connection. The strain in their relationship, caused by Rukia's adoption into the Kuchiki family, reveals Renji's personal struggle to rise to her new social standing and gain acknowledgment from Byakuya.

Misplaced Retribution

Renji's retribution during his second fight with Ichigo Kurosaki in Bleach reflects the complex emotions and internal conflicts he harbors. Blaming Ichigo for Rukia's impending execution becomes a way for Renji to deflect his own feelings of guilt and self-disappointment. His confession to Ichigo, where he admits to being envious of Ichigo's determination, unveils a deeper layer of Renji's character.

In reality, Renji grapples with regret for not having fought harder to protect Rukia when he had the chance. His self-hatred stems from this perceived failure to uphold his own principles and defend his friend.

Being Her Protector

Renji's act of protecting Rukia from Sosuke Aizen is a poignant moment that underscores the depth of his feelings for her. This scene occurs during the Soul Society arc when Aizen reveals his true intentions, and Renji intervenes to shield Rukia from harm.

Renji, at this point, is willing to defy the authority of Aizen, who holds a high position in the Soul Society, to protect Rukia. This showcases the strength of his commitment and the prioritization of Rukia's well-being. This scene contributes to the narrative's exploration of Renji and Rukia's relationship, showcasing Renji's devotion and his willingness to go to great lengths to keep her safe.

One-Sided Love?

Throughout the story, Renji's love for Rukia is portrayed as a mutual and reciprocated relationship, revealing the depth of their connection. From their shared history as childhood friends in Rukongai to their intertwined destinies in the Soul Society, the narrative carefully unfolds the layers of their relationship.

Rukia's protective instincts and concern for Renji's well-being in certain situations indicate a depth of emotion beyond platonic friendship. Her reactions to Renji's battles and challenges suggest a personal investment in his safety and happiness.

Rukia displays emotional responses to Renji's actions and presence. Moments of blushing, especially in the manga, suggest a deeper emotional connection on her part. He consistently makes significant sacrifices for Rukia, demonstrating the intensity of his feelings. Rukia acknowledges and appreciates these sacrifices, indicating a mutual understanding.

Married Life

After the timeskip in the series, Rukia's interactions with Renji as a captain and their shared responsibilities provide glimpses into their evolving relationship. Absolutely, the final chapter of Bleach provides a significant culmination of Rukia and Renji's relationship. The revelation that they are married with a daughter named Ichika underscores the progression from childhood friends to a blossoming romance and eventually a family.

The issue of Renji not taking up Rukia's surname after they got together and had a child is actually pretty easy to explain... Rukia is the younger sister and prospect heiress of the leader of the family, Byakuya, who is still liable to get married and have kids since Soul Society nobles can have children. (It's even a plot point in the anime filler arcs). Were Renji to take up the Kuchiki surname, he and Rukia would unintentionally "create" a branch line of the Kuchiki clan, which could get incredibly messy if Byakuya ever sired an heir. By having Renji keep the Abarai surname and passing it to Ichika instead, they're saving themselves and Byakuya a lot of trouble.]

The choice to depict them as a married couple with a child serves as a poignant and conclusive moment, giving fans a glimpse into the characters' happily-ever-after.

[enretrogue]

𝗦𝗘𝗣𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗕𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟯 𝗙𝗜𝗖 𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗦

.☘︎ ݁˖ = BLACK/POC WORKS | 23' FIC REC M.LIST

HOTD

AEMOND TARGARYEN

Homemade Dumplings — @inkareds

Little Dragon — @valeskafics

Sleep Well, My Queen — @aglaias-blog

Stress Relief — @hematoanne

The Best Way To Learn — @fleurriee

Remedy — @the-dendrophile-bookdragon

PEAKY BLINDERS

ALFIE SOLOMONS

Mr. and Mrs. Solomons — @readyouforfilth

September Drabble Challenge: Day 16 — @dlmlufics

Tie Me — @raincoffeeandfandoms

Reddish Marks — @dearshelby

I Know Him (ft. Finn Shelby) — @anonymooseforever007

THOMAS SHELBY

The Ring — @anotherblinder

Imagine Tommy Seeing Your Spine Tattoo — @heartcereql

The Wrath of a Mother — @cinewhore

A Man With a Reputation Masterlist — @kadwrites

Don’t Be Late — @dandelionprints

Pawn Shop Blues — @heartcereql

Until We Meet Again — @cryingforlife

I’ve Got My Eye On You — @padfootdaredmetoo

Seventeen Days — @gypsy-girl-08

Time After Time Chapter Twelve — @all-mirth-no-matter

For You — @noforkingclue

SHELBY FAMILY

Are You Laughing At My Brother? — @zkvry

TRIPLE FRONTIER

BENNY MILLER

It’s You — @theunbearableweightofpedropascal

Gym Crush — @crazyk-imagine

Good Luck Charm — @grownup-thatbeautiful

I Got You, You Got Me — @reveluving

FRANKIE MORALES

The Day Three Words Are Said — @undercoverpena

Gold Band — @moralesispunk

TRIPLE FRONTIER BOYS

Home Is Where The Heart Is — @violentdelightsandviolentends

MCU

BUCKY BARNES

Bumblebee Being Your Muse — @angrythingstarlight .☘︎ ݁˖

BLEACH

BYAKUYA KUCHIKI

Byakuya As A Father — @sashi-ya

Devoted Husband!Byakuya — @driaswrld

JUSHIRO UKITAKE

Interrupted While Making Out — @brittscafe

KENPACHI ZARAKI

Don’t Worry About It (ft. Yachiru) — @j-u-u-z-o

Opposites Attract — @brittscafe

KISUKE URAHARA

Supa Special — @wiinterz .☘︎ ݁˖

Fluff HCs — @halcyon-writings

RENJI ABARAI

By The Light Of Dawn — @mrs-kurooo

Roommate!Renji — @fairyoddmelinda .☘︎ ݁˖

Touch Me, Feel Me — @backwzzds .☘︎ ݁˖

Blurb 2 — @dreadsuitsamus

Reminisce With You — @feitanii .☘︎ ݁˖

Simple Things (+Ichigo Kurosaki) — @karikarasuno

SHUNSUI KYORAKU

Yellow Dress — @eiflawriting .☘︎ ݁˖

Feature Me — @dejwrites .☘︎ ݁˖

ATTACK ON TITAN

CONNIE SPRINGER

Touch Starved!Connie — @s-sugustar .☘︎ ݁˖

We Leavin’ — @nadiahshaven .☘︎ ݁˖

Trigger Fingers — @nysrage .☘︎ ݁˖

EREN JAEGER

Show Off (+Jean) — @theragethatisdesire

JEAN KIRSCHTEIN (KIRSTEIN)

Husband!Jean HCs — @jeankirsteinsgirl

Three Little Words — @310802

Heaven — @firefly--bright

ONYANKOPON

Play Fighting w/ Ony — @dilfl0v3rss .☘︎ ݁˖

All Mine — @halfrican-heat .☘︎ ݁˖

Backseat Driver — @halfrican-heat .☘︎ ݁˖

Upstanding Gentleman — @halfrican-heat .☘︎ ݁˖

Jamaica Trees and What’s Between Your Knees — @aiyaaayei  .☘︎ ݁˖

REINER BRAUN

Recovery — @pinkmirth

MULTI CHARACTER

Smutty Blurb — @ getoscrybaby

DIVERGENT

FOUR/TOBIAS EATON

Power Couple — @heliads

[imaginingbleach]

feel this is quite relevant: 19?

Bleach Ask Meme!

19. If you’re a fic writer, who do you write for?

Bold Characters are ones I'm always willing to write for lol (love fluff btw)

Characters I'm comfortable writing for:

Ichigo Kurosaki, Renji Abarai, Sosuke Aizen, Shuhei Hisagi, Toshiro Hitsugaya, Byakuya Kuchiki, Rukia Kuchiki Isshin Kurosaki, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, Shunsui Kyoraku, Yoruichi Shihoin, Soi Fon/Sui-Feng, Jushiro Ukitake, Kisuke Urahara, Shinji Hirako, Ulquiorra Cifer, Nnoitra Gilga, Tier Halibel, Grimmjow, Coyote Starrk,

Characters I haven't but would be willing to;

Tatsuki Arisawa, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado (I think I wrote for him but can't remember), Yumichika, Momo Hinamori, Gin Ichimaru, Nanao Ise, Izuru Kira, Ikkaku Madarame, Rangiku Matsumoto, Kenpachi Zaraki, Kukaku, Kon, Old Man Zangetsu, Zangetsu, Senna

Characters I'm not familiar enough with to write for yet;

Akon, Nemu Kurotsuchi, Kaien Shiba, Retsu Unohana, Bambietta, Bazz-B, Giselle Gewelle, Jugram Haschwalth, Ryuken Ishida, Masaki Kurosaki, Meninas McAllon, Yhwach

Characters I'll write for platonically/as family or friends;

Karin Kurosaki, Yuzu Kurosaki, Ururu Tsumugiya

Characters I'm just not sure about writing for (sorry);

Sajin Komamura, Isane Kotetsu, Kiyone Kotetsu, Loly Aivirrne, Luppi Antenor, Emilou Apacci, Dondochakka, Dordoni, Lilinette, Szayelaporro (the mood has to strike? I dunno), Pesche Guatiche, Tesla Lindocruz, Franceska Mila Rose, Cirucci Sanderwicci, Cyan Sung-Sun, Ggio Vega,

Characters I just don't feel like writing for (sorry);

Keigo Asano, Jinta Hanakari, Chizuru Honsho, Don Kanonji, Mizuiro Kojima, Aaroniero Arruruerie, Findorr Calius, Rudbornn Chelute, Charlotte, Zommari Rureaux

[glacialdeath]

NAME: Rukia Kuchiki

TITLES: Lieutenant, or Captain of the thirteenth

NICKNAMES: ‘Ruki-Ruki’ via Yachiru, Ruu

BIRTHDATE: January 14th

SPECIES: Soul / Shinigami

NATIONALITY: Japanese

GENDER: Cis Female

PREFERRED PRONOUNS: She / Her

ROMANTIC ORIENTATION: demi-romantic

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: demi-bisexual

FAMILY:

PARENTS: ??? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

SIBLINGS: Hisana Kuchiki(deceased) and Byakuya Kuchiki(adoptive)

SIGNIFICANT OTHERS: Renji Abarai

EYE COLOR(S) : blue purple

HAIR COLOR(S): black

HEIGHT: 4'9'' ( 144 cm )

WEIGHT: 73 lb ( 33 kg )

FACE CLAIM: manga

BODY BUILD: slim, pear shape-like with some muscle on her

Potential Fatal Flaw: independence, recklessness

Tagged by @orangeshinigami Tagging: anyone who wants to :3 feel free to tag me if you steal

[ao3feed-ichiruki]

Betrayal

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/rHX7Qd3

by LunaticR

Between Ichigo and Rukia there are more feelings than they have ever admitted. It all starts with a dream and a kiss, and from there the chaos begins. How important are their own marriages and families to them?

- IchiRuki - Post Canon - Cheaters

- Pre Feigheit

Words: 3812, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English

Series: Part 2 of They deserve a bloody romance || IchiRuki - Bleach || Dead Dove: don't eat

Fandoms: Bleach (Anime & Manga)

Rating: Mature

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Kuchiki Rukia, Kurosaki Ichigo, Inoue Orihime, Abarai Renji, Abarai Ichika, Kurosaki Kazui, Kurosaki Yuzu, Kurosaki Karin, Urahara Kisuke

Relationships: Kuchiki Rukia/Kurosaki Ichigo, Abarai Renji/Kuchiki Rukia, Inoue Orihime/Kurosaki Ichigo

Additional Tags: Ichiruki, Cheating, Post-Canon, Shinigami (Bleach), Marriage, Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Lies, Secrets, Post-Thousand Year Blood War Arc (Bleach), Bad People, liars, Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, What Have I Done, Dead Dove: Do Not Eat

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/rHX7Qd3

[kimium]

Look! It's another self-indulgent list to end 2022!

I kept meaning to make this list earlier this month, but I forgot. However, I had a long conversation with @m34gs earlier this week I was inspired to sit down and write this list.

Here is my list of "My Top Ten Favourite Bankai in Bleach". Please note this is a list of favourites and not actually one detailing power or "which one is the best". Also note that I'm not going to include Squad Zero. Spoilers are ahead for the entire series so I'll put the rest under a cut, just to be safe.

10. Nanao Ise (Shinken Hakkyoken)

I cannot remember if this is a "proper" bankai, but it is on this list for one reason: I love stories where weapons are passed down in the family. The addition of her captain (and uncle) Kyouraku being the one keeping it sealed due to a promise from her mother really adds more to their dynamic. Finally, I am also a big fan of ritualistic weapons.

9. Yamamoto Genryusei (Ryujin Jakka)

I like Yamamoto's bankai because it embodies many religious perceptions of "hell" or "purgatory". It's destructive, it's unbearably hot, and it can reanimate the skeletons of any foe it has killed. That's not just powerful, it's also emotionally devastating. The animation in TYBW arc truly captured the bankai and bumped it up my list of favourites.

8. Hirako Shinji (Sakanade)

Out of all the bankai on this list I think Shinji's is the most tame in terms of power. That doesn't mean it isn't interesting. Sometimes, less is more and the ability to flip perception of space/direction is simple but fun. It also perfectly highlights Shinji's personality!

7. Abarai Renji (Zabimaru)

Another bankai that's simple, the reason why Zabimaru is on the list is because I love the aesthetic. Swords that extend as well as becoming bone? Fantastic! Also, having two animals that talk as his bankai also gives it a fable vibe which is a 10/10.

6. Hitsugaya Toshiro (Hyorinmaru)

Hitsugaya is one of my favourite characters in Bleach and so his bankai had to show up on my list. I really enjoy how his bankai becomes a part of him, giving him mobility and a bit of extra offense that doesn't just come from his sword. Also, in that filler arc where the zanpakuto become human and rebel against their respective shinigami showed that Hyorinmaru is... really attractive 👀

5. Urahara Kisuke (Benihime)

Okay, first Urahara and Benimaru being one of the few pairs that are not the same gender is a major bonus in my eyes. Next, Benihime looks so regal and proper. Finally, her entire ability centered around reanimating and slicing things up brutally? That 100% fits Urahara "I was once the head of the science division". I also feel that Urahara and Benihime have an actual relationship/dynamic that displays centuries of understanding one another.

4. Kuchiki Rukia (Shirayuki)

The main reason why I love Rukia's bankai is because it took the same element as Hitsugaya, and used a different take on the power. One pet peeve of mine in shonen series is when people share an ability but it's virtually the same. Rukia's bankai couldn't be further from Hitsugaya's. With the focus on freezing, it also resonates very strongly with me as a Canadian. Definitely a terrifying power and I also love that Kubo thought about the drawbacks of such an ability (having to warm up slowly so she doesn't damage or send her body into shock).

3. Kyouraku Shunsui (Katen Kyokotsu)

Another pair where the two are not the same gender! The reason why I love Kyouraku's bankai is because it is so unique! Children's games is not what someone would first think as a power, but it works so well! I also love that his bankai has a lot of drawbacks/rules that need to be in place in order for it to work. It just adds another layer to the theme of his bankai. Finally, his bankai is a duo-wielding sword and I am always a sucker for that.

2. Kurosaki Ichigo (Zangetsu)

Yeah, I know, it's the main character's bankai. Yeah, I know Ichigo's bankai isn't as "flashy" as some of the others on this list. However, the big reason why I love Ichigo's bankai is because of the character growth. Ichigo's first bankai, the one he received in the Soul Society arc, really was a speed run bankai. That resulting in him truly not understanding Zangetsu and having that lack of knowledge biting him in the butt in TYBW arc is some delightful payoff I never expected.

So many times in shonen series a main character gains a new power on top of their old one, but for Ichigo he literally had to go back to basics. There was no new power up but rather a better understanding of the power he has. That is why I rate his bankai so high.

Kuchiki Byakuya (Senbonzakura)

Without a doubt, my favourite bankai of the entire series is Byakuya's. For me, it is the most memorable bankai. It was the first bankai we encountered in the series. Byakuya was the person who posed not just one of the biggest threats in the Soul Society arc for Ichigo, but he also posed as a goal to overcome. The moment they re-met in Soul Society was the story's moment to demonstrate how far Ichigo had come as a character.

Thematic reasons aside, Byakuya's aesthetic is beautiful. Visually, Senbonzakura is stunning. Anytime I see it animated I am always taken away by how beautiful it looks. Yet, with minimal exposition we as the audience can understand how deadly it is. That right there is how you do an ability: there is no need for long winded explanations. Visually, the manga and anime can show the danger Byakuya's bankai poses.

Honourable Mentions:

Kurotsuchi Mayuri (Ashisogi Jizo)

Look, his entire bankai is pure nightmare fuel. That alone deserves at least an honourable mention. I also love that he repeatedly refines and modifies his own bankai. That's super cool!

Unohana Retsu (Minazuki)

Honestly, I just like her bankai for aesthetic purposes. It is also creepy as heck with the pool of blood and I couldn't be happier. I love when female characters are allowed to have dark/creepy imagery.

[substituted-shinigami]

Learning to Breathe

(aka Please Remember To Put On Your Oxygen Mask Before Assisting Others)

Characters: Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, and some Fourth Division OCs, (RenRuki)

Genre: Hurt/Comfort, some Angst, some Humor, Family

Rated: T (for mentions of medical tools such as needles and depictions of anxiety, but nothing is graphic or even really overly described. This story is more about the emotions than the medical drama)

Story Summary: Turns out purple eyes and short stature aren’t the only things that run in Hisana’s family, illness does as well. As Rukia and Renji try to help each other navigate through this new storm in their lives, will they remember to take time to breathe? (Rukia gets the same disease that killed Hisana (Bloodlines AU), Post TYBW, Post renruki engagement)

Click the link to read below or click here to read the story on AO3!

(7/7)

Epilogue: Safe At Last

AO3 chapter link

Chapter Summary: Attention Passengers, we have now (somehow) managed to arrive safely at our destination. Thank you for flying Stress Soul Society Airlines, your number one, and only, choice in airplane travel! We hope one day you will fly with us again! (An epilogue in which Rukia and Renji finally get their sandwiches. Oh, and they work things out with Byakuya too.)

“Now the real question is… how in the world do we handle my brother?” Rukia began around a huge mouthful of egg sandwich. In true chaotic style, when ordering her lunch, Rukia chose not to go with one of the “pre-picked” or “highly suggested” options from the bar’s menu, and instead went fully custom, simply picking out several ingredients that she liked, in this case, hard boiled eggs, cucumbers, ham, and cheese, and then just had them slapped together between two slices of interesting sounding bread, in this case ciabatta. (She tried to get two different kinds of bread too, but they wouldn’t let her.) However, while the flavors were good overall, it turned out kind of dry. She reached for a mayo packet. “He keeps pushing you so hard on this, and is convinced it is the correct way. I understand he’s grieving and trying to be supportive, but pushing his feelings onto you doesn’t help either of you!” Rukia snapped, squeezing the mayo packet onto her sandwich with a lot more force than was probably necessary.

Renji licked the sauce from his chicken bacon ranch sandwich off of his fingers, it was on a sesame seed bun and had honey mustard and extra bacon added, and thought for a moment.

“I think I have an idea for how to handle that actually…” he replied as he grabbed a french fry and dunked it into the ketchup. Rukia raised an eyebrow at him.

__________________________________

Later that evening, there was a knock on Kuchiki Byakuya’s home office door.

“Enter,” he said curtly without looking up. The door slid open, and Rukia and Renji were both bowing together in the entryway, “Come in. To what do I owe this visit?”

“Niisama, we require your assistance!” Rukia said as they entered the room. Byakuya’s head shot up.

“What is it? Is something amiss?” he asked quickly, his brows furrowing.

“No, nothing like that, Niisama,” she began, “But as you know, I’m in training for the captain’s exam. However, due to my current illness, some may see me as unfit to lead, and wish to dismiss me.”

“That’s ridiculous, even with the illness you are more than capable. The late Captain Ukitake served as a captain for hundreds of years with an illness,” Byakuya dismissed, as he went back to signing his paperwork. Rukia took a deep breath and let it out again.

“Be that as it may,” she stated slowly and deliberately, “it is still a concern. So in order to prove them wrong, I would like to be extra prepared for the exam. Therefore,” Rukia took another deep breath, “I would like you to train me, Niisama.” Byakuya paused in his writing, and gave his sister a pointed look.

“What about my venerable vice captain, Abarai Renji?” Byakuya asked dryly and a little suspiciously, “Has he not mastered bankai? Is he not capable?”

“Renji is very capable!” Rukia snapped defensively.

“Buuuut, I’m not a captain…captain,” Renji said, trying to get the bickering siblings back on track, “And as much as I would like to help, you would be more suited for the job. Plus, unfortunately, I’m going to be pretty busy.”

Byakuya narrowed his eyes at his second, "And why, pray tell, is that?”

“U-Um…well,” Renji stammered, before finding his voice again, “because of all our new recruits, of course, sir! Now that the reconstruction is well underway, we are finally building up the Sixth Division again, and I’ve barely had a chance to meet any of them!”

“So? You do not need to have a personal interaction with every one of your underlings.”

“He does if he’s going to be training them,” Rukia piped in, now that she had cooled down a little. Byakuya sniffed at that.

“We have other people who can do that.”

“Oh yeah?" Rukia asked, cocking an eyebrow, "And how’s that been going for you?” Byakuya pursed his lips and frowned. Rukia continued, “Besides, it’s not just the recruits he needs to socialize with, it’s people from the other squads too. During this time of reconstruction, it's important to keep up relations between squads, and Renji is very suited to do this.” Rukia didn’t say that Byakuya wasn’t very suited to do this. She didn’t have to.

“Perhaps,” Byakuya relented, “However, if Vice Captain Abarai is running around doing all of these tasks, then how will he, Renji, also be able to help you out as well?”

“Ah! But you see, that actually works in our favor, Niisama!” Rukia started excitedly, “After all, if I’m seen getting ready for the captain’s exam, but call on Renji for every little thing, then they may get the impression that I do not have the fortitude to be a captain. Therefore it is imperative that Renji helps me out less, so that way I can prove those who would vote against me wrong!” She finished triumphantly.

“Perhaps…” Byakuya said again more slowly, “However, what happens if you require his assistance, and he’s not there? What happens when you feel faint? If you fall, and cannot send out a hell butterfly?”

“We both have soul pagers, Niisama, I can always text him if I really need something,” Rukia stated matter-of-factly. Byakuya looked down as he neatly folded his hands on his desk. He sighed.

“I can see that this matter is very important to you…however, please keep in mind that you may not have as much time as you may think. Do you not wish to spend it together rather than chasing an uncertain future which may be devoid of each other?”

“We do not yet know the future, Niisama," Rukia said kindly, "And whatever it might be, we will be doing it together. But we don’t have to be physically together all the time in order to do that. And besides, as important as we are to each other, there are a lot of other people who are important to us too. Ichigo, Orihime, Chad, Ishida, our divisions, the other vice captains, and you, Niisama, you are all important to us, and we want to spend time with all of you as well. That way, if anything were to happen, none of us will have any regrets.”

Byakuya was quiet for a moment before finally nodding, “I understand. I wish…I too wish to spend time with you...Rukia.” She smiled at him.

“As do I, Niisama, as do I.”

“It is settled then. I will train you, and Abarai will return to his odious task of socializing both within and without the Sixth Division, unless you truly find yourself unable to be without his personage. Is there anything else?”

“Um… Nope. That’s pretty much it,” Rukia shrugged.

“Good. You may take your leave then,” Byakuya finished, and went right back to work as if he hadn’t just had an emotionally trying experience. Rukia and Renji blinked, and turned to leave, when he piped up one more time, “Oh. One more thing.”

“Yes, Niisama?” Rukia asked, as they turned back around.

“If…If you ever need to go to the Fourth Division, for appointments or treatments, and Abarai is not available…and you need someone familiar to go with you…I can go if my schedule allows it…” Rukia's eyes opened wide.

“Oh! You don’t have to do that Niisama! I know how you feel about that section of the Fourth after…well…”

“Yes, however…” Byakuya began, as he put down his pen again, “As you said, we do not yet know the future…so perhaps it will be different this time…”

“Yes…Yes! Thank you, Niisama!” Rukia half coughed, half sobbed, “N-Niisama?”

“Yes?”

“May I…hug you?”

Byakuya blinked, “Oh…I suppose…” He stood up. Rukia briskly walked over and wrapped her arms around him. Byakuya patted her back awkwardly. Renji, trying to remain professional, barely kept a smile off of his face. Byakuya, also trying to remain professional, barely kept from glaring at him.

Eventually, Rukia stepped back, wiping her eyes. Renji, as if trying to clear the air, coughed and said, “You know, we can also all do fun activities together too! Like go see a play at the theater or something.” At that, Byakuya's face visibly brightened.

“Ah! Yes! I just remembered. They are doing a rendition of Kanjinchō at the kabuki theater by the Fourth Division next Thursday. Do you wish to go, Rukia?”

“Oh? Well, yes! Thank you, Niisama!” Rukia nodded vigorously, still wiping her eyes.

“I suppose you can also come, Abarai Renji,” Byakuya said with a wave of his hand. Renji’s eyebrow twitched.

“Thank you, sir.”

“Although,” Byakuya thought aloud, “the play does occur just after dinner. Therefore, we may want to acquire our evening meal at a restaurant nearby in order to not be tardy.”

“Oh! Well in that case, Niisama,” Rukia began, as she shared a mischievous smile with her fiance, “we do know of this really great sandwich shop…”

Byakuya looked between the grinning pair with growing trepidation, "I'm sorry… A what?!?"

[serene-faerie]

IchiHime & RenRuki AU Week

Day 6: Ballet Dancers

Rukia Kuchiki is the star ballerina of the Gotei Ballet Company. Graceful, elegant, and beautiful, she is the diamond of nearly every company production, and a celebrity among ballet dancers. However, when she's cast as Odette in the company's upcoming production of Tchaikovsky's Swan Lake, Rukia is not as excited as she used to be. These past few years have felt so monotonous to her. She longs for something different, something to remind her of why she loves ballet in the first place.

That something comes in the form of a street dance that she witnesses one evening, on her way home from rehearsal. Rukia is amazed by the movements and choreography, but the last thing she expects is to have a sudden reunion with the dance group's leader, who happens to be none other than Renji Abarai, her childhood friend.

Renji hasn't seen Rukia in many years; not since her adoption into a wealthy family. In the meantime, Renji has made a name for himself in the street hip hop scene, becoming one of the best dancers in the city. Now, there's an upcoming dance tournament that Renji is determined to win. If he were to win, he could make a better life for himself and open up his very own street dance studio, instead of relying on an old warehouse for practice. But he doesn't expect to suddenly reunite with his childhood friend after a dance battle one evening. And he certainly doesn't expect Rukia to ask him to teach her the ways of street dancing. For Rukia, watching Renji dance had awoken an urge to learn his style of dance. Perhaps this is what she needs to recapture her love of ballet once more. Renji agrees to teach her, and so begins a rekindling of an old friendship through dance lessons.

As the days pass and lessons go by, Rukia and Renji slowly reconnect with each other. Through his lessons, Renji helps Rukia rediscover her love for ballet, while Rukia helps Renji prepare for his upcoming street dance competition and secure the building where he hopes to open his dance studio. Before long, old feelings are rekindled between them, and neither Renji nor Rukia can deny themselves their feelings for each other anymore.

But as the ballet performance and the street competition draw closer, other issues arise. Namely, their respective performances happen to be on the same night at the same time. Can they figure out how to deal with this and give the performances of their lives before their big days? And can they figure out their own blossoming feelings on time?

[grimmichi-ao3-feed]

[New AO3 Fic!] SILK

by Nysspy

At 28, Ichigo never imagined himself running a coffeshop, still stuck in his native Karakura, where nothing can remain a secret for long given the size of the town. Nor had he imagined that he would always be in a kind of non-relationship (which he hated) with an ex who would come to see him a few days a year, ‘for old times sake’... A sentimental void for sure, but at least the sex was good... At least that's positive... yes.

He hadn't seen the arrival of a new fireman coming either, as temperamental as he was urban. Let alone the fact that they were going to try and kill each other when they first met, so if on top of that he'd been told that he might end up getting on well with him, AH! What a joke...

No, in fact, Ichigo had imagined a completely different life when he finished university. But, apparently, the universe wasn't having a good day writing the script for his life.

Words: 3668, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Bleach (Anime & Manga)

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Kurosaki Ichigo, Grimmjow Jaegerjaques, Muguruma Kensei, Kuchiki Rukia, Abarai Renji, Arisawa Tatsuki, Shiba Kaien, Urahara Kisuke, Shihouin Yoruichi, Sado "Chad" Yasutora, Various Shinigami Characters (Bleach), Various Arrancar Characters (Bleach)

Relationships: Grimmjow Jaegerjaques/Kurosaki Ichigo

Additional Tags: AU, Coffee Shops, Bookstores, Firefighters, Slow Burn, Post-Break Up, Kensei & Ichigo, Beachtown, Musics, struggling with feelings, a bit angst, Smut, Adulthood, Family, (enemies is a big word here, (not really enemies but they don't like each other at first), Soldier Kensei

Read it now on AO3!

[recurring-polynya]

I hope you wanted a novel on this, because I have a lot of feelings on this topic. I love this meme!!

So for starters, I avoided writing Bleach fanfic for a long, long time because I am an extremely basic white girl with zero knowledge of anything and it felt very presumptive to write something entirely set in a culture that is not my own. Then, at some point, I read a fanfic where they killed Keigo in the literal first sentence and I said "it's fanfic, you can do what you want, maybe you need to get over this." And the fact of the matter is, I have learned so much through the process of writing, like way, way more than I ever would have through just reading. So if anyone else has the same hangups as me, all I can say is, be respectful, do your best, listen to others, we are all learning and growing all the time.

If any of my answers are inconsistent with my actual writing, it's because I've been learning a lot as I go, but in some cases, I stick to what I've been doing, even if it's wrong, for consistency's sake. I will do this until I can't stand it anymore, at which time I will switch over. Life is too short to go back and edit old fanfic over naming conventions (or eye colors, sorry Orihime).

By what names do you refer to characters in Bleach? (Family? Given? Personal nickname?) Is there rhyme or reason to this?

I have names in my head that I call all of the characters, which I think correspond mostly to how they are primarily addressed in the anime--it's first names for all the human world characters (including the Vizard). Most of the shinigami are by family name, except for Rukia, Renji and Byakuya. Um, and Kaien, for some reason. No, it's because he's a Shiba, because I also think of Ganju and Kuukaku by their given names. Yoruichi is Yoruichi, but Urahara is Urahara. Arrancar and Quincy are first-names (which I have not really thought of before, but I assume are their given names. Who even gave them their names?? Imagine naming a baby "Grimmjow." Imagine it.)

2. If applicable (e.g. you write fic/art with dialogue/RP/have character convos in your head) -- How do you have characters refer to each other (names/titles/honorifics)? Is there rhyme or reason to this?

I usually write in close third party perspective, and go with how I think the POV character would address the other characters, which is not always the same out loud as it is in interior monologue. Obviously, this also depends on circumstance, too-- in a casual setting, Renji calls Rukia "Rukia," but if he's at a formal Kuchiki thing, he call her "Lady Rukia" and if he's referring to her in a non-casual work setting (such as referring to her in conversation with his subordinates) he calls her Lieutenant Kuchiki. There are also characters who exist in sort of a marginal space (namely the lieutenants), where it depends on who else is around and what the tenor of the conversation is. If *just* the Nerd Squad is getting drinks together, it's given names, but if the Squad 11 guys are there, too, it goes to family names, like it's somehow less intimate, idk.

I had been writing for a while before I found out that Byakuya canonically addresses Renji by his given name constantly, so Byakuya always calls him "Abarai" in my fanfic. If I were starting over again, I would do it the canon way (and believe me, I think about sockpuppeting myself and making a new fanfic identity at least once a month to escape all my Mistakes, but I don't b/c I'm pretty sure my writing is too recognizable to pull it off). Renji will occasionally think of Byakuya as "Byakuya" or refer to him as thus in conversation with Rukia (although he's more likely to say "your brother" or "the captain"). I've had him call Byakuya "Byakuya" to his face, like, twice, and once it was the day Ichika was born, and only because Byakuya had called him "Renji" first, that's the level of emotional weight it carries. Squad Six name culture is inscrutable and I like to keep it that way. People will just start talking about "Kuchiki" you just have to infer the rest from context. People from outside of Squad Six definitely cannot follow a conversation between two Squad Sixers. Rukia just barely can, in the way that Renji can follow Byakuya's fastest attacks, but only by squinting a lot and really working at it.

I almost never use honorifics because I feel weird and fake doing it. Every so often, I will be writing something, though, and it just feels necessary. I cannot explain this, but every time I write Hinamori, she just wants to use the honorifics. This happens with Orihime sometimes, as well.

I have Rukia mostly call Byakuya "Brother." I think I would prefer to use "Nii-sama", but that doesn't fit with anything else I do, so I sigh and deal with it. She will occasionally called him "Byakuya" but I usually have some reason behind it, although it would take ten pages to write out which situations this would encompass. I mostly have him call her "Rukia" but I will occasionally have him call her "Sister," usually when he's feeling particularly Brotherly.

I do occasionally have characters call each other nicknames, but I try not to be obnoxious about it. Since I don't use honorifics, I just have Momo call Hitsugaya "Shirou," which I think is close enough to canon. I'm not sure if people actually call Yumichika "Yumi" in canon, but I will occasionally have characters call him that, mostly Ikkaku and Renji. I think Renji is a nickname giver, tbh. He regularly calls Rukia "Ru," in my stories, but he's also been known to use "Mo" or "Zuru" or "Shuu" for his other friends as well. For some reason, this is not all a placeholder for using the more familiar honorifics, it's more like he's just too lazy to use someone's entire name, and he's Renji, so he gets away with it. Also, at this point, I don't know who canonically calls Chad "Chad" and who calls him "Sado," because the various translations use "Chad" a lot more than they should, and it messed me up, so I have everyone call him "Chad" on the grounds that Ichigo's speech patterns are contagious. This is another one of those things I would probably do differently if I could start over again.

I do tend to use Mr., Ms., etc in the places where -san would be used. I follow the European/British conventions for titles, where Byakuya is Lord Kuchiki because he's the head guy. Hisana (if applicable) is Lady Kuchiki, but Rukia is Lady Rukia, because she's the younger sister, not the Lady of the Kuchiki. At home, their personal servants call them by Lord or Lady Firstname, though. I am still trying to figure out how they address their servants, which is pretty important to the fanfic I am working on now. I am pretty sure I started doing this because most American movies that portray fancy people in other cultures just make them vaguely British. I regret this decision a lot but I'm kind of stuck with it at this point.

Why WHY does Viz use three different words to translate fukutaichou, which is one word? W H Y. A normal person would have picked one and stuck with it, but ha ha ha, not me, because I like words and I like the way words sound and I like being able to mix it up. I want to emphasize that what follows is based entirely on my brain vibes and not on any sort of facts. "Lieutenant" is a rank. "Vice-Captain" (hyphenated) and "Assistant Captain" (not hyphenated) are job titles. Not that there are any unattached lieutenants, but in my heart, there could be. All of these are capitalized when used as part of an address ("Lieutenant Abarai") and not generally ("the lieutenant"). "Assistant Captain" is more than "Vice-Captain." It's not really proper to call someone just "Vice-Captain" without their name after, but I have characters do this on purpose to imply casualness/familiarity (most, it's my OC, Choei who does this, but it's to mirror the fact that Renji and Rangiku refer to their captains as just "Captain"). How do I reconcile this with the fact that there is just one word for captain? I am sad about it. I wish there were three words for captain, too. * The hyphenation is not a thing I made up. Vice is generally hyphenated, except in the case of vice president. "Vice-captain" as a term is primarily used in sports, which makes it even funnier to me.

3. What proper nouns or speciality vocabulary (zanpakutou, etc.) do you use in Japanese vs. in translation? Do you use both interchangeably?

My primary term for any shinigami-related stuff will be the Japanese term, but I will use the English translation as a synonym when I want to keep my writing varied. "Zanpakutou" is a special case, because "sword" or "blade" are sometimes appropriate synonyms, and sometimes not. It's not even so clear-cut as to say that when I mean the spirits, I don't say sword, because they are always sort of a sword, even when they are being a nue or whatever. Once again, I go by vibes. I do not respect the Zanpakutou Rebellion Arc, so I decide what pronouns I think various zanpakutou go by. (Sode no Shirayuki is a "she", Zabimaru is a plural "they" and I haven't written a whole lot of Senbonzakura, but I think they are drifting towards a he/she/they in my mind) I will use "it" sometimes if I am referring to the physical sword, but I otherwise use the swords' proper pronouns, altho I have been moving towards using the proper ones at all times. I think "it" is fine if you don't know anything about another person's zanpakutou, but it's a sign of respect and closeness if you do know. I could probably write another entire post around the etiquette of interacting with other peoples' zanpakutou.

I used to use the English names for attack names, but I have switched over to using the Japanese names, I think that's better.

Rukongai district names stay in Japanese. (Is this even a thing outside of the Renruki sub-fandom? I feel like I see Inuzuri as Hanging Dog a fair amount, but no others. Maybe it's just because Hanging Dog is such a poetic and picturesque name)

I will also use Japanese words for specifically Japanese things. I write a lot about food, and I will generally try to use the proper name for the food, primarily, but I will use English synonyms or descriptions for it, both because, as I say, I like to vary my word choices, but also, I don't want to make my reader google stuff and I do not want to be a person who does footnotes. So, like, I'll say they're eating oden, and later refer to it as "the stew." Other things that go in this category includes clothing and architecture/furnishings (like engawa or shoji).

I cannot explain this, but I like to use some of the more esoteric English translations for things in the manner of "this is the old fashioned/more formal way of saying something." Like, I sometimes have Rukon people say "the demon arts" instead of "kidou" because it's mysterious and inscrutable to them. (I said I cannot explain this, but I think it's a function of my internal echolalia, where I just like the way phrases feel, bouncing around my brain, and a lot of these more elaborate translations have some real Autistic Fizz to them. Court of Pure Souls! House of Godly Gears! DOOM. BLAST.)

4. Do any of these answers differ depending on whether you’re speaking/writing casually vs. ‘formally’ in your fic/art/RP/meta/etc.?

Yes, at least the given name vs. family name thing. As I said above, I take great care in my writing to have the forms of address meet the character and circumstances. For Tumblr posts that I actually took some time to write, I generally just try to have things match, which is to say, I try to either refer to everyone by their given name or by their family name. Sometimes this is immensely painful. I am absolutely not consistent between Tumblr posts. If I'm tweeting about characters or talking about them in chat/verbal conversation, I'm just wilding, I might call someone anything.

5. Any misc. pedantic thoughts not covered by Questions 1-4?

I feel like at some other point, there was a question of "how do you hear the characters in your head?" I am first and foremost, a dialogue-driven writer, so I absolutely hear the characters saying their lines "in voice" in my head. The problem is, I watch exclusively subs, so these voices exist as some weird mashup of what their voices feel like to me, but in English.

In my fanfic, I (try to) spell out squad numbers, i.e. Squad Six, not Squad 6.

B3 mentioned Rukongai naming conventions, and I wanted to add that I assume most souls can't identify most districts by name. Seireitei people know the innermost few, and there are some districts that are famous (or infamous) for particular things. If you're from the Rukon, you know your own and the ones nearby. I think in the Gotei, it's more common just to refer to them by number, and that you would usually only use the name if you (or the person you're talking to) had a personal connection to the place, and knowing/using the name of the place your friends are from is another sign of familiarity and closeness. Or, for example, I once had Hisana know, by name, which district Kira's family had their estate, and he got a little embarrassed about it, because, based on the difference in their status, that's not a thing she should have bothered to know.

This was such a fun topic! Thanks for suggesting it. I don't know if anyone cares about my ramblings on this stuff, but I sure had fun writing this.

Worst Bleach Meme Ever

Not to be pedantic (except yes, I will happily own this pedantry 100%) but something I am really interested in/curious about is like, what are your Bleach AP SC Style Guides? Like, whether it’s a matter of subconscious taste or intentional consistency (or lack thereof):

By what names do you refer to characters in Bleach? (Family? Given? Personal nickname?) Is there rhyme or reason to this?

If applicable (e.g. you write fic/art with dialogue/RP/have character convos in your head) – How do you have characters refer to each other (names/titles/honorifics)? Is there rhyme or reason to this?

What proper nouns or speciality vocabulary (zanpakutou, etc.) do you use in Japanese vs. in translation? Do you use both interchangeably?

Do any of these answers differ depending on whether you’re speaking/writing casually vs. ‘formally’ in your fic/art/RP/meta/etc.?

Any misc. pedantic thoughts not covered by Questions 1-4? 

Feel free to answer/skip whichever questions you like! It’s a meme, do whatever you want lol

[recurring-polynya]

Apparently, if you send someone an ask, but then deactivate your Tumblr, the ask gets deleted. I got this from our old friend k-rukias, and fortunately, I already had it copied over, but anyway, that’s why this isn’t in the standard ask format. Anyway, k-rukias, I hope you’re still out there somewhere and there’s some way you can see this!

k-rukias asked:

you grasp byakuya’s character SO PERFECTLY it always makes me laugh out loud, especially your “Uncle B” stories. i’d love it if you could write more of the kuchiki-abarai family+ichika(maybe throw in some byakuya&toshiro being bffs) I SWEAR YOU DO THE DOMESTIC GENRE SO WELL one can tell you have kiddos 🥺💕

“Give Uncle Byakuya a big hug, Ichika,” Rukia instructed, stifling a yawn. “You’ll see him again on Saturday.” Despite the cheer in her voice, the second Ichika’s tiny face was buried in Byakuya’s chest, she shot her brother a thumbs up and a quizzical look.

Byakuya gave a very firm thumbs up in return. His inconsiderate adjutant was having yet another birthday, and Rukia had asked if they might hold a small family celebration at the manor this year. Byakuya wasn’t sure why. Surely the man would prefer not to see his commanding officer on his own birthday, but Byakuya loved his sister and had made the arrangements she requested.

Ichika finished rubbing her sticky cheeks all over the silk of his kimono. “Here, Uncle B,” she said, handing him a folded piece of paper. “It has to be just like this, okay?”

“Of course, my blossom,” he promised.

“No, it doesn’t,” Rukia mouthed to him behind Ichika’s back. “Okay, kiddo, you ready to go home and see if Daddy missed us?”

“I bet he fell asleep on the couch again!”

“We’ll find out! See you, Saturday, Brother!”

“Enjoy the rest of your evening, Sister,” Byakuya entreated her.

“If you have any questions, please call me,” she begged. “Or send a Hell Butterfly, or however you communicate with people these days.”

“I am very good at Text Messaging,” Byakuya assured her.

Rukia gave him an Extremely Disrespectful Look, which he tolerated, because she looked very much like Hisana when she made it.

“I will not have any questions.”

As his beloved sister and niece took their leave, he unfolded Ichika’s piece of paper.

He stared at it.

He had so many questions.

--

“I do appreciate that you texted before you came over,” Captain Hitsugaya informed him stonily. “But next time, could you text, like, more than a minute before you show up? Maybe wait for a reply?”

“Is now not a good time?” Byakuya asked. “Have I interrupted Squad 10 napping hours?”

“I just… would have picked up first,” Hitsugaya grumbled, trying to keep a stack of paper from falling off his desk. “And it’s always Squad 10 napping hours.”

Currently, Lieutenants Matsumoto and Kuna were sprawled out on the Squad 10 couches, snoring quite loudly.

“I have seen it worse in here,” Byakuya replied. “I am your,” he swallowed, “friend, and I accept your imperfections.”

Hitsugaya glowered at him. “What do you need?”

Byakuya spread Ichika’s instructions out on Hitsugaya’s desk. “Can you tell what this is?”

Hitsugaya’s eyes scanned the drawing: the lumpy creatures that might be rabbits, the crayon scribbles, the puddle of glitter. “Is this a test?”

“If it is, I am in danger of failing it,” Byakuya admitted.

“Ichika made this?” Hitsugaya guessed.

“I imagine the glitter gave it away.”

“Can’t you get Abarai to decipher it for you?”

“I cannot. I am hosting a ‘Surprise Birthday Party’ for him this weekend, and this represents Ichika’s vision of it. I need to identify the items in the picture so I can have them for the party.”

Hitsugaya nodded slowly. “Ah. These are probably balloons, then?”

Byakuya straightened up. “Balloons or lanterns? Or possibly the overhanging blooms of the wisteria?”

“You’re overthinking it. She’s five. It’s balloons. Can you ask Rukia?”

Byakuya’s mouth turned down at the corners. “Ichika’s art style bears a certain… resemblance to her mother’s. I am worried that if I ask for help…” he trailed off.

“Gotcha,” Hitsugaya replied brusquely. He sucked his teeth, and poked a finger at the page. “Well, this is obviously Abarai.”

“Yes, he is always distinguishable by virtue of the fact that she draws him three times as large as the rest of us.”

“Also, he’s the only one with pink hair and stripes,” Hitsugaya replied, raising an eyebrow. “Oversensitive, much?”

“I am only three inches shorter than he,” Byakuya grumbled. “The hair makes him look taller.”

“You are not getting any sympathy here, give it up,” Hitsugaya grumbled back. “He’s got a hat on, I think? A party hat?”

“Yes, I did get that far. We are all wearing hats.”

“Abarai also appears to either be wearing a lei, or he is in bankai.”

“A lei?”

“A flower necklace? We should have some around here, from the last time Matsumoto threw a luau.”

“Ah, thank you,” Byakuya replied. He had not actually expected Hitsugaya to be quite this helpful, and he wondered how he was going to repay the man’s patience in this matter.

“All this stuff on the table is… food, maybe? Gosh, I cannot tell what any of this is. These things look like fish, but they’re brown… taiyaki, maybe?”

“Oh, yes, I had figured that part out as well. Even I know that taiyaki is Abarai’s preferred celebratory food. I actually have a specially made mold--”

“You should make normal ones. Fish ones.”

“He likes Admiral Seaweed taiyaki.”

“It’s the man’s birthday, don’t make him pretend to like your weird taiyaki.”

“They have more crispy bits because of the arms and legs! He told me that specifically, in a complimentary manner!”

Hitsugaya gave him an Extremely Disrespectful Look. Unfortunately, the young man did not have the advantage of resembling Byakuya’s beautiful late wife.

--

Byakuya was distinctly Not Sure About This, but Hitsugaya had hit a wall and decided they needed to bring in ‘a bigger gun.’

Byakuya hadn’t actually set foot in the Squad 5 offices since Aizen’s departure. He didn’t have a lot of nice things to say about Aizen, generally, but at least the man had a classical taste in decor. Now, his former workspace more closely resembled the interior of an eclectic Living World coffee establishment for beatniks. One wall (but not the others) was painted orange, and covered in strange, stylized art that appeared to have been done by the captain and lieutenant themselves. The rug hurt his eyes. There was a beaded curtain.

“I don’t know why you thought I was going to have any insight on this, Shirou,” Lieutenant Hinamori grumped, squinting at the picture. “Renji’s the only one who can decipher these things.”

Byakuya could not help feeling the tiniest bit smug that he was not the only one who was sassed by his loved ones.

“Well, I figured you’d been to an Abarai birthday party or two,” Hitsugaya excused.

“Yeah,” Hinamori replied. “The grown-up ones. Unless this thing over here is supposed to be a tokkuri, and Captain and Lieutenant Kuchiki are arm wrestling, I can’t help you.” She frowned. “You’ve been to an Abarai birthday party, haven’t you?”

“They’re a little wild for my blood,” Hitsugaya excused. “And nobody likes drinking around their captain. I’ve been, but I usually leave before he starts bench-pressing people.”

“There are captains who come,” Momo pointed out. “And I doubt your presence would slow Matsumoto down, anyway, she’s impervious to that judgemental thing you do with your eyebrows.” She contemplated the paper. “What are these weird marks? Is this a speech bubble?”

“We couldn’t figure those out,” Hitsugaya admitted.

“Lemme take a look,” Captain Hirako, who was unfortunately present, announced. “Sometimes you gotta look at things from a different perspective.”

He turned the paper upside down. He turned it backwards. He turned it right side up, and turned his head sideways.

“I got nothing,” he replied. “Kid’s got good style though. And I think Momo may be onto something, actually. I went to Abarai’s last birthday party, and Kuchiki the Younger beat me at arm wrestling in an embarrassingly short amount of time.”

“It’s your noodle arms, sir,” Hinamori supplied. She stuck out her lower lip. “A different perspective, though, is not a bad idea. You know who you should go ask?”

Byakuya did not want to hear the answer.

--

“This is dango. This is katsudon. This is shaved ice.”

Byakuya was frantically taking notes.

“How… how can you tell?” Hitsugaya gaped.

Hachigou Nemuri regarded him with her serious, dark green eyes. “I have seen many of Abarai-chan’s drawings.”

Akon made a grumbling noise. “Abarai-chan’s drawing fuuuuu---udged up Nemu’s image recognition subroutines for months. I mean, it was a good thing, in the long run, I ended up implementing an entire art appreciation suite of dynamically created subroutines. It took me forever to figure out why she couldn’t recognize normal drawings of things, though.”

“What are these marks?” Byakuya asked, pointing to the funny squiggles hanging above everyone’s heads.

“Abarai-chan can’t write yet,” Nemu explained.

“Yes, I know that,” Byakuya replied.

“Writing is a form of communication that utilizes mutually understood symbols to convey an idea from one party to another,” Nemu recited. “Abarai-chan does not yet grasp the importance of a common dictionary in the delivery of information.”

Akon scratched his neck. “You’re saying Abarai-chan doesn’t know very many kana, so she just makes them up.”

“Correct,” Nemu agreed.

“Can you read them?” Hitsugaya asked hopefully.

“She does not employ a self-consistent character set.”

Byakuya and Hitsugaya’s eyes darted to Akon, who was unwrapping a piece of nicotine gum.

“She makes it up as she goes along,” he elaborated, cramming the gum in his mouth. “There is no translation.”

“Momo thought it might be a voice bubble, like in a cartoon,” Hitsugaya mused.

“Maybe it’s just a title to the piece,” Byakuya surmised. “Father’s Birthday Celebration’, for example.”

“Abarai-chan calls Lieutenant Abarai ‘Daddy’, not ‘Father’,” Nemu corrected.

“It was an example,” Byakuya bit off testily.

“This could be cherry shaved ice or strawberry shaved ice,” Nemu added hopefully. “Abarai-chan likes strawberry shaved ice, but I prefer cherry.”

“You are not attending this party,” Akon reminded her.

“I just thought Captain Kuchiki might be interested to know,” Nemu sniffed. “In case he felt like buying me a shaved ice. As a thank you for my services.”

--

Byakuya examined Ichika’s diagram and compared it to the celebratory items currently marring the beauty of his garden. He had the balloons. The hats. The dango. The taiyaki. Both strawberry and cherry shaved ice. “I think I have replicated everything,” he declared. “Have I missed anything?”

“You don’t have rabbit ears,” Hitsugaya replied dryly.

“The rabbit ears are symbolic,” Byakuya explained. “I am wearing the lei. You should put on a lei.”

“I am not putting on a lei. I am not in the picture at all, actually, so I think I should probably scram.”

“You could stay,” Byakuya replied, feeling a little odd about it.

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow. “Isn’t this a family thing?”

Byakuya blinked. “Family gatherings are large, mandatory, and unpleasant. This is a small party and I am very fond of the Abarai.”

Hitsugaya just stared at him.

Byakuya squirmed. “The fact is… I am not good at things like this.”

“Of course you are. Ichika adores you. Rukia and Renji do, too.”

A normal person would have wrinkled their nose, or sucked their teeth, but Byakuya wasn’t really into making facial expressions, so he just made his usual one and stared off into the middle distance briefly. “Hisana was very good with people. At these times, I often think about how easily she would host a birthday party for a brother-in-law, how natural she would have been with Ichika. She loved children.” He contemplated the drawing. “I am sure she would have interpreted this perfectly, text and all.”

Hitsugaya, who did make facial expressions, blew air out of his cheeks. “If it makes you feel better, I can stay.”

“I would, very much, appreciate it.”

Seike, Byakuya’s chief retainer, shuffled out onto the engawa. “Lord Kuchiki, the Abarai are here.”

“Please escort them out here,” Byakuya replied, plunking a hat on Captain Hitsugaya’s head, and one on his own.

“It’s so unusual for Uncle Byakuya to invite us over on a Saturday,” Byakuya could hear Rukia’s voice before he could see her. His impression was that the ‘surprise’ involved in this party was a figleaf for Ichika’s sake. Abarai was a fool, but he wasn’t an idiot.

“What is this?” Abarai exclaimed as he and his family stepped through the doorway, although he did a genuine double-take at Byakuya’s flower necklace.

Ichika’s face lit up as she took in the decorations, the food. But then her expression turned to dismay at her uncle, standing still and awkward. He had missed something. It was the text. It was important after all.

Hitsugaya’s elbow jammed into his ribs. “Surprise!” the younger captain yelled. A voice bubble! Of course!

“Surprise!” Byakuya added, belatedly.

“Happy Birthday!” they shouted together, with Rukia and Ichika joining in a beat later.

“Well, I’ll be!” Abarai did his best impression of a surprised person.

“Were you surprised, Daddy!” Ichika asked, jumping up and down and tugging on her father’s hand. “Were you?”

“I was very surprised,” Abarai reassured her.

“Why is Captain Hitsugaya here?” Rukia asked, utterly befuddled.

“I heard there was shaved ice,” Hitsugaya excused very quickly.

“Uncle B did all of it, Daddy, just for you! Isn’t it perfect?”

“Of course it is,” Abarai snorted. “If Uncle B did it, how could it be otherwise?”