#that's something Quincies have to do!

[troius]

Japan really is a different culture, I went to high school with a bunch of the kids of doctors and none of them wanted that career. Whereas here, it's such a truism that Ichigo is only an exception because his dad's medical career is like, highly fraudulent.

[marzipanilla]

Quincy NYE kiss

[averlym]

miscellany (again),, tags in the last image by @pyrotechnicarus

[fisheito]

Looking around the user interface in awe Wow lookit all these fancy renovations!!! We got so many new filters abdLOMUY MYHIF GLOB

Why the adoDOKK THEY SO CUTE?!!?,,???

Ehehje yakumorb

Oh i don't get jumpscared by eiden titti in the intimacy rooms anymore but NoW i HAVE TO SEE HIS sTUPID POINT BLANK SMILE?

...why are the first two rows so... i don't like the lack of variety going on ..

[generic-lab-assistant]

Just two fellas

[bi-force-1]

As much as I love Nick Valentine, it's a shame he was the only one Bethesda seemed to give a damn about either.

[satsugacafe]

𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐎𝐟 𝐒𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐬 | (𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭 3)

➳❥ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Yhwach, Jugram Haschwalth, Askin Nakk Le Vaar, Bazz-B, Ishida Ryuken, Ishida Uryu

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 4

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 |

𑁍 Yhwach — Dominant and Assertive Simp

˚₊‧꒰ა The Quincy King is possessive of you to a high degree and would not hesitate to remove anyone who tries to approach you with any intentions (sort of yandere if you ask me). A hand around your waist or shoulder in public to make it clear—you’re the King’s. And look out for the kisses that scream ‘Mine!’

˚₊‧꒰ა You are the only person on this earth and in the afterlife who has some leeway to command or ask him for something without being judged on the spot or removed. And believe it or not, Yhwach will simply smile and respond with an “As you wish, my love/dear.”

˚₊‧꒰ა When it comes to being in his presence, you’re the only person who can have the King hovering around 25/8, and it’s not because he wants to have you around, but more wanting to have your undivided attention on him. Often pulling you away from councils to spend time, leaving Jugram to handle it.

˚₊‧꒰ა As the King, the majority, if not all, the noble houses follow his rule. So this invites gifts and the royal treatment. You would like a huge room that connects to a library and a garden? Bet. You wish for diamonds and pearls? Of course! Anything for you once he can display his wealth and power.

˚₊‧꒰ა If you’re a member of the Sternritters, he would prefer to have you assigned close to him at all times wherever he goes. This way, he can protect you from any harm and danger on the battlefield, showing off his grand strengths and feats (gotta make himself look good in your eyes as your protector). He will also assign personal escorts, like Jugram or one of the other Schutzstaffel to keep you safe at all times.

˚₊‧꒰ა In private, you would get to see his domineering aura slip away as he cradles your face, presses soft kisses to your forehead and drapes you in his cloak to keep you warm. His tone softens as you both talk about your future together or as he listens to rambling about some hobby or item you like—making mental notes.

˚₊‧꒰ა He isn’t a man of romantic words—always speaking about the future of the Quincy Empire—but when he does express his heart, which once again includes the empire, he reassures you that there can be no future for the empire if you aren’t at his side. You are his motivation and goal.

𑁍 Jugram Haschwalth — Overprotective Simp

˚₊‧꒰ა He’s like a silent bodyguard HOVERING. He has eyes everywhere on you, and should you mention it, his response is always along the lines of, “It is my duty to protect and ensure your safety, my love. You must be safe at all times.”

˚₊‧꒰ა He’s a man who lives on acts of service and will go out of his way to do almost anything for you, whether it’s your favourite drinks or handling a task that gave you a hard time. He is silent about this, never one to speak about it since he believes actions speak louder than words.

˚₊‧꒰ა Now, we all know this man is stoic and all about propriety, however, you will get the small and meaningful moments when he cracks a genuine smile or holds your hands amidst the crowd. In private, the way he holds onto you as if he’s afraid of losing you brings out his softer side. Holding you close to his chest as he whispers about protecting you from the harshness of the world.

˚₊‧꒰ა “I noticed you were very close and friendly with that person.” Enough said to let you know that he was jealous. Did he need to eliminate someone who thought they had a chance? It was brewing under his skin, itching to claw its way out.

˚₊‧꒰ა But Jugram being Jugram, wouldn’t further elaborate on the statement but rather spend more time with you so you didn’t need to be around the other person. Anyone who believes they have a chance will be receiving a healthy dose of misfortune.

˚₊‧꒰ა Treats you like you’re made of glass. It can be annoying at times because he fears when you have to fight, always jumping in front of an attack to defend you and never letting you get a moment to act independently during a fight. Yet, it is also sentimental when it comes to affection—his touch is tender as though you would break.

˚₊‧꒰ა You once asked him to train you to fight and despite his silent demeanour, you could see the questions floating around his head. “Why? What for? I’m here to protect you, aren’t I? Am I not doing a good job? Did someone harm you?”

˚₊‧꒰ა Will lose his mind (silently) if you ever decide to wear something revealing. It’s worse when you walk around, flaunting how you look as other Sternritters ogle your body in the outfit. He’s ready to pop a vein, and you can feel his intense, cold stare. Bazz-B and Askin make sure to tease him, which earns them glares.

𑁍 Askin Nakk Le Vaar — Playful and Flirtatious Simp

˚₊‧꒰ა This man could never take things seriously and is always up for jokes and games. Very touchy. Always poking, pinching, biting and turning everything into a competition for the sake of laughter and seeing you both happy. Amidst the fun and games, it’s also the perfect opportunity to make himself extra flirty. “Oh, come on, you know you can’t resist my charm.”

˚₊‧꒰ა Eccentric. And you will have to endure his quirkiness which is mostly shown through the gifts he gives you and his sense of fashion. One day he comes in looking like a peacock and the other, a runway model. There’s no in-between with this man. At least you get to raid his extensive collection of shades.

˚₊‧꒰ა Askin is a cool as a cucumber and not interested in sweating over something that isn’t worth his time or effort. This behaviour extended into his approach when it comes to giving you support. He understands your goal is important to you, thus important to him, however, you shouldn’t pressure yourself and over-stress. Take it easy.

˚₊‧꒰ა Not so much the jealous type with his whole laidback personality but doesn’t appreciate when others overlook the boundaries of what should and shouldn’t be. Masks it behind sarcastic remarks and playful banter, it’s obviously clear that he doesn’t enjoy the other person’s proximity. “Who’s the new friend? Should I be jealous and ready to fight?”

˚₊‧꒰ა With all the laidback personality he possesses, he has his degree of protectiveness ready to use. He knows you’re strong and you can handle yourself, but at the same time, he wants to be your protector. “Don’t worry, I’ve got this. Just sit back and enjoy the show.” And then he proceeds to show off.

˚₊‧꒰ა With his unpredictable nature, you can expect to be randomly cheered up or surprised by him in the middle of doing literally anything. He’ll just slide into your room and mumble something about how he brought you a snack, or ‘Let’s go somewhere, I found a cool place.’

˚₊‧꒰ა The best person you have to compliment you. They roll off his tongue like silk, always making you feel pretty and boosting your confidence, even during the most random times. It could be in the middle of a conversation about something he did as a kid, and he’ll stop to compliment your outfit or smile.

𑁍 Bazz-B — Aggressively Passionate Simp

˚₊‧꒰ა The Mohawk King is fiercely protective of you with a high degree of aggressiveness. Will not hesitate to burn someone to cinders if they mess with you the wrong way or come too close for his liking. “If anyone even thinks about messing with you they’ll have to deal with me.” Just kiss his bald spot and he’ll calm down.

˚₊‧꒰ა Passionate when it comes to expressing his love towards you and also every affectionate, physically. He enjoys having you close to him, like glued to his side with an arm around your waist, while he whispers in your ear about how much you mean to him, and he doesn’t hold back with his feelings. It’s as intense as his powers.

˚₊‧꒰ა Listen, you need to know that people will be getting turned into cinders very quickly once they try to get close and comfortable. With the way he’s always around you, showing you off and having no shame for public displays of affection, people should already know you’re taken by the fiery mohawk guy. “Do I need to turn that person into a burnt piece of steak?”

˚₊‧꒰ა So I mentioned that he’s into PDA, so get accustomed to being pulled into corners of the hallway or gathering rooms to make out, even when others are present—except for Yhwach being around. Hickeys are being left in visible areas for everyone to see what you two have been up to and expect a smack to your ass from time to time.

˚₊‧꒰ა With his possessiveness comes his devotion and loyalty. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re stuck with me for life.” His loyalty to you is unwavering—he’s standing by your stand side no matter the situation, ready to defend and support you.

˚₊‧꒰ა Expect one of his forms of affection to be bold gestures. Showing off with over-the-top gestures, like creating a spectacular display of his Burner Fingers just to impress you. At the same time, you don’t have to worry about the cold with him around. He’s your personal heater.

˚₊‧꒰ა Playful banter is never ending with his guy. You two will be acting like children. “Let’s playfight! Race you to the gathering room! Wanna see me chug this in one gulp? Think you can beat me? In your dreams!” The both of you are always competing over the smallest of things.

𑁍 Ishida Ryuken — Subtle Simp

˚₊‧꒰ა Attentive about everything you say and do, given his medical background, and will always make it his business to check up on you, ensuring that you’ve eaten and gotten enough rest. You might get a little scolding when you tell him you have eaten or rested enough.

˚₊‧꒰ა Do not look towards receiving any PDA from this man, I’m telling you, he’s reserved. He just doesn’t want Isshin to see and make a fool out of him. This does not take away from the affections he chooses to publicly display, like giving you his jacket when it’s cold, holding your hand and rubbing his thumb against your skin, a kiss to your forehead or temple.

˚₊‧꒰ა You don’t have to worry about getting sick and being alone or paying an expensive medical bill, Ryuken is here to cover that for you. He’s both your doctor and benefactor, so points for you. He’s always ensuring that your health is well-cared for. As much as he appears calm on the exterior, he’s worried on the inside.

˚₊‧꒰ა You don’t have to worry about him looking at another person, his eyes are reserved for you and you alone. Ryuken’s loyalty is unmatched and unwavering, and he will be by your side every step of the way. That man is there to support you through thick and thin.

˚₊‧꒰ა Likewise, Ryuken’s jealousy is…erm, subtle like him. He can and will get jealous at times, however, he hides it so well (kinda like Jugram). He will become more attentive and protective, spending more time with you when he feels or notices something getting closer. “I noticed you’ve been spending a lot of time with that colleague. Is everything alright?”

˚₊‧꒰ა In privacy, you will see his layers of reservations peel off with ease, knowing that he can display how much he adores you without someone noticing. Ryuken will more than just hold your hands and have his arms around your waist. Kissing you a lot more which grows more passionate with each kiss and his hands keeping you pressed against his body.

˚₊‧꒰ა Surprises you from time to time with gifts, mostly things you’ve spoken about, and he made a mental note to get them. It shows how much he pays attention to details and the things you care about.

𑁍 Ishida Uryu — Gentleman Simp

˚₊‧꒰ა Uryu is so sweet when it comes to you. The way he gently looks at you with such admiration and adoration anytime you’re speaking or helping him is masked perfectly behind his calm appearance, but the eyes never lie. Not around you. He’s much more patient and willing when it comes to you.

˚₊‧꒰ა He would often surprise you with small, thoughtful gifts. Like in winter, he’ll present you with a new custom scarf he knitted. It doesn’t matter if you have fifty million scarves, he still wants to give you the one he made by hand because he cares for you, and it’s better than the others you have.

˚₊‧꒰ა He is a respectful gentleman, never pushing you to do anything your uncomfortable with, and will stand up for you if he notices others forcing you. “If you ever need some time alone or someone to talk to, just let me know. I’ll understand.”

˚₊‧꒰ა You can look forward to his gentle protective nature, always looking out for your safety. If you were walking home late, he might insist on accompanying you. Along the way, he would make some small comments and jokes to bring about a sense of extra security amidst the cold, lonely night. “It’s not safe to walk alone at this hour. Let me walk you home.”

˚₊‧꒰ა He probably hates when Ichigo and the gang are around, given their nature to snoop and learn that he’s crushing on you. They make everything worse, especially Ichigo and Renji who will constantly tease him while telling you all the embarrassing things about Uryu until he decides enough is enough and fires a bunch of arrows at their asses.

˚₊‧꒰ა Given Uryu’s nature to display great levels of respect, he’s someone who gives lots of support and compliments, ensuring that you know your worth and are amazing in his eyes. Paying great attention to details, that way, he is able to assess the situation and know the right words and encouragement to give. “You’re an amazing and strong person. It’s one of the things I admire about you.”

˚₊‧꒰ა You don’t have to worry about jealousy when it comes to Uryu. That was a lie in fact. Uryu would be imagining shooting the person with his arrows like a dart board. He’s similar to his father—not one to come out and admit he’s jealous, but his behaviour would change. Meaning, he becomes more attached even when it seems out of character.

©satsugacafé 2024: no permission to repost, plagiarise, copy or translate my work onto any other platform or this one.

[aliceinwonderpants]

More Operator meeting the Hex fluff.

Aoi

Aoi, while teaching then origami: So what kind of music you got in the future?

Operator, way too focused on getting that one fold right: A bunch of stuff. Like there's this space shanty I found while rescuing one of my frame.

Aoi: Space shanty? Like sea shanties, but in space?

Operator: I think so yes?

Aoi: Tell. Me. Everything.

Quincy

Operator, huffing: I cannot believe you organized a playdate for me.

Quincy: Come on kid, the little rats in the neighbourhood are dying to meet D's little sibling.

Operator, who totes learned how to skateboard so the vent kids would keep their home: Alright, fine.

They mostly stay on the sidelines and watch the other kids, but they have a good.

Lettie

Lettie: Want to know about eldritch gods of the past?

Operator, inexplicably covered in rats: Only if I get to tell you about eldritch gods of the future.

Amir

Operator, looking over Amir's shoulder: Amir, what are you... is that frame fighters?!

Amir: Oh. It's just a little something I'm working on. It doesn't have a name yet, but it does have warframes fighting each other.

Operator: You made frame fighters! This is so cool!!

Amir: Screaming internally at being called cool.

Eleanor

Eleanor:

Operator:

Eleanor: Why can't I hear your thoughts?

Operator: No idea. Might be thousand years nap in the void. The grineer queen couldn't take over ky body either.

Eleanor: We'll unpack that later. For now, come here, you're my nap buddy now.

The Hex have since taken many pictures of the two fast asleep and cuddling.

Arthur

Arthur: I've noticed you've been acting more like a kid since you first visit.

Operator, going stoic soldier mode: Do not worry. I doesn't affect my performance in the future. I can still pull my weight.

Arthur: Kid, no. That's not what I meant.

Operator, arms crossed and definitely not pouting: Plus, you guys never let me help out around her.

Arthur, pinching the bridge of his nose: Kid. Drifter told us some of what you've been through. We don't want you on the front because despite everything, you are still a child and we are adults. It's our job to see to your well-being. From what I know from the future, a lot of people rely on you there, but here, we've got our Drifter with us. We can't do anything when you're over there, but as long as you're with us, in our time, please let us take care of things.

Operator: Fine.... Can we still go out to blow shit up this afternoon.

Arthur: Wouldn't dream of skipping out, kid.

[gallusrostromegalus]

Just wanted to say I’m enjoying all of the world building and snippets from AEIWAM - it’s clear how much fun you’re having and how much though you put into it. I’ve started rereading bleach because of that, though I always wind up stopping after the rescue rukia arc 😅. Maybe I’ll make it past that this time.

Eh, I gave up after My Blorbo was killed off in deeply narratively unsatisfying fashion, so you're not alone. Anyway, have some More AEIWAM Worldbulding Nonsense:

---

The Kuchiki-Yamada-11th Division Fucktangle

-

It started with Chigiri Shijima.

The first captain of the 4th Division, part of the original Dirty Dozen Yamamoto hired off of Death Row to fight the first Quincy Invasion, was an unassuming and chronically fatigued looking woman* with a profound sense of curiosity about the limits of The Flesh:

(from Kubo's sketches of the original 13) *Chigiri might be male in canon. I don't care

She became fast friends with the young Yachiru Unohana, who shared her fascination with the limits of the flesh, though from the opposite direction. Chigiri was the first person to show Unohana how to channel her Reiatsu to prefrom Kaido, and let her sit in on /Hold people's ribcages open during /do some of the surgical cuts for Chigiri's Field Surgery sessions, much to the horror of everyone else involved.

After the War, when the Captains had to shape up from a gang of mercenaries into a real governmental organization, Chigiri met and eventually married a Similarly-Sadistically-Curious young Dentist named Fumihiro Yamada. Longtime friend and frequent visitor to the hospital Unohana attended the 100-day ceremony of their first and subsequent six children, the start of a grand tradition- Unohana, under one name or another, has been present at the Okuizome of every Yamada born for the last millennium, and delivered most of them for the last 800-odd years.

The Yamadas are one of the most prolific Shinigami families, producing more Shinigami by percentage than any other clan, and have served in all divisions of the court Guard. Eighth Division Fifth Seat Suichi Yamada is the current highest ranked Yamada, but there have been four Captains Yamada. There's also a Seated Yamada in the third divison, and another in the 12th (though there's a popular rumor that 15th Seat Tosako Yamada isn't part of the 12th so much as a Spy to keep the 4th abreast of any important developments in medical science, rather than deal with Mayuri directly).

It is little wonder then that, despite the lack of noble standing, the Yamadas are one of the most highly regarded families in the Seireitei, and even less of a wonder that, every time the gene pool starts to get a little shallow, that the Noble Houses start looking at the latest generation for potential spouses.

The Kuchiki Clan in particular has intermarried heavily with the Yamadas, to the point that Byakuya Kuchiki is actually fourth-cousins to the infamous Former Fourth Division Lieutenant and Current Head of the Private Central Medical Institute in the Noble Quarter, Seinosuke Yamada:

(Description: A cool and handsome if somewhat menacing Wizard)

...and his less-famous younger brother, current 4th Division 7th seat Hanataro Yamada.

(Description: the most bully-able looking dweeb you've ever seen)

Due to the way the Kuchikis keep marrying daughters they won't legitimize for some goddamn reason to Yamada Sons, there's an argument to be made that the Kuchiki Clan is a Branch Clan of the Yamadas...

In fact, until Rukia was adopted into the Kuchiki Clan, if something had happened to Byakuya, Seinosuke was Byakuya's closest living relative in their generation and a reasonable argument could be made that he was the Hier-Apparent.

This, of course, would not do.

The thing is, Hanataro's shy and gentle demeanor is very unusual for a Yamada. The whole clan has a reputation for being Manic Sociopaths with dubious ethics and a tendency towards sadism. They make excellently competent officers, but not exactly 'friendly', like a terrible hybrid of a Border Collie and Cane Corso. Seinosuke himself is known to take great pleasure in bringing back patients that are actively begging for death.

There is a persistent rumor that this infamous disposition is at least partially due to the influence of Captain Unohana, who has been an active member of the Yamada household for the last millennium, presumably so they're very acclimated to her nonsense by the time she starts recruiting the prize ones for the 4th. She's delivered most of them and officiated the marriages of more than a few, and given the woman's patience in cultivating the Seireitei's Most Magnificent Flower and Vegetable Garden, it's suspected she's been cultivating the Yamada line as well.

Seinosuke was her lieutenant before the current Isane Koetetsu, and the bond between them was almost legendary. They would frequently not actually bother to finish sentences around each other, or communicate entirely by gesture because they were so familiar.

---

It was little wonder then, when Seinosuke's little brother also joined the 4th Division, though it wasn't exactly happily received news. People get jealous and see favoritism where there is none- Hanataro had entered the 4th on his own merits, and actually against his brother's recommendation.

Hanataro also had the strange fortune of entering the 4th the same week as the Tragic West 66 Incident in which several captains, lieutenants and nearly all of the 9th division's seated officers were killed by the machinations of (as was believed at the time) former captains Urahara, Shihouin and the head of the Kido Corps.

Three days after that, 11th Division Captain Kenpachi Kiganjo was struck down in a duel, and infamous barbarian Kenpachi Zaraki took over the 11th.

... So the day afterwards, when the lower officer in charge of assigning jobs to trainee medics saw that apparently this Zaraki bastard needed a complete medical checkup and every vaccine ever, he thought 'Well, let's see if Little Hanataro really did get in on his own merits. He's A Yamada after all, this should be a piece of cake for him-'

-and sent first-day-on-the-job Hanataro to the famously hostile 11th Division on his own.

---

"Um, Excuse me, Mister- I mean, Captain Zaraki?" Hanataro mumbled peering in the door of the captain's room at the nest of pillows and blankets that might contain his charge.

The 11th was deserted- not really a surprise, given the heavy casualties the 11th had suffered the week before. In fact, all 20 of the surviving members of the 11th were still recovering at the 4th, and Hanataro had wandered around looking for someone for a solid half hour until a little girl with neon pink hair had playfully tackled him to the ground and then, giggling, shown him to the Captain.

"KEEEEEEN-CHAAAAAAAN!!!" Miss Yachiru shouted, leaping into the nest and tackling her adopted guardian with similar glee. "Re-Chan sent one of her guys here for something!"

There was a low rattling noise of irritation that reminded Hanataro eerily of the family's temperamental rooster, but much, much larger. The nest of fabric shifted, arching up into an alarmingly tall shape, Yachiru balancing on top and scolding it for sleeping in so late, he's probably very busy-

A lithe but powerful arm longer than Hanataro was tall suddenly lurched out from the nest and slammed on the floor in front of where he was sitting, swinging the entire torso of 11th division captain Kenpachi Zaraki around and bringing Hanataro eye-to-fearsome-yellow-eye with the giant.

"...the fuck're you?" Zaraki grunted, blinking slowly at Hanataro, not entirely awake yet.

"I- I- I'm-" Hanataro sputtered, struggling to introduce himself when he noticed something peculiar- an extra bit of translucent flesh behind Zaraki's eyelids, sliding sideways across his eye to behind his tear duct- "- I'm sorry, do you have Nictitating Membranes??" Hanataro gaped.

Zaraki glared blankly at him for a moment, before breaking into a slow grin and, very slowly closed the pearly membrane over his eye and opened it again to Hanataro's slack-jawed astonishment.

"WHAT THE FUCK THAT'S SO COOL I'VE NEVER EVEN HEARD OF HUMANS HAVING THOSE DO YOU KNOW IF IT'S GENETIC OR-" Hanataro yelped with excitement, jumping to his feet and grabbing the captain's head and staring at his eye, nose pressed to Zaraki's cheekbone for a moment before abruptly remembering where he was and letting go, dropping into a bow hard enough to audibly bonk his head on the floor. "I'msosorrysirpleaseforgivemeidon'twanttodie-"

He was interrupted by Zaraki's loud cackle of amusement and the sensation of being lifted. Zaraki was sitting- well, had extracted his gangly limbs from his nest and arranged them into a pile mostly in contact with the floor- and picked up Hanataro by the collar of his Shihakusho and set him back up on his feet. His cackle trailed off into amused clicking and he sat back, regarding the tiny medic with a peculiar sense of favor.

"Good catch Mr. Sorry." he teased, Yachiru climbing onto his right shoulder. "Dunno who my father was, but my Mom an' Sisters 're Eagles and they got 'em too."

"...Eagles?" Hanataro blinked, cocking his head sideways with confusion. "Like. Birds?"

"Kami, technically, but yeh." Zaraki shrugged, rolling his neck and stretching, still waking up. "So who're you or am I gonna be calling you Mr. Sorry forever?"

"Ohhh... That- well that doesn't exactly explain things but I think I get how- uh, sorry, I'm- I'm not sorry, I'm Hanataro Yamada from the 4th Division!" He yelped, staggering back on topic. "Captain Unohana said you needed an intake medical exam and vaccinations?"

"Yeah probably." Zaraki shugged, scratching at his neck. "Yachiru too- Tired to get as many of 'em in her as I could afford but you know how it is out in the sticks."

"Hm." Nodded Hanataro, who did not. "Um, well- If you wanted to get started, we might be able to finish up before lunch, you must be busy with a whole division to put back together-"

"Yyyyy... -nah." Zaraki yawned. "Stayed up all last night writin' letters to fill it back up and posted 'em early. No rush until I get summat back."

"Which is probably good- I don't think you've EVER gotten a shot, have you Ken-chan?" Yachiru asked, kicking her feet in the air behind his shoulder.

"...Oh." Hanataro mumbled.

-

"...Has anyone seen Yamada?" Yamada the elder enquired after Yamada the Younger, the late afternoon sun casting golden beams through the windows onto the dispatch desk of the 4th.

The incessant chatter of the nurses, medics, janitorial staff and the dispatch officer came to a sudden and extremely suspicious halt.

"It's just that he promised to meet me at the end of his shift so we could walk home together, and it's not like him to be late." Seinosuke spoke lightly, eyes casually panning over the remarkably guilty-looking faces around him.

"He- he's not back yet?" dispatch officer Hiyako Gendo gulped, eyes suddenly fixed on the clock. "I sent him out like five hours ago..."

"Sent him where?" Seinosuke asked pleasantly and the medics collectively flinched.

"Uh, to the- um-" Officer Gendo sputtered, color draining from his face.

"You haven't misplaced my brother, have you?" Seinosuke smiled with gentle menace.

"No!" Gendo yelped. "I- uh- well- the new captain needed an intake exam-!"

"...Which new captain?" Seinosuke spoke softly, looming over to the dispatch counter. "We have promoted an unprecedented SEVEN new captains this week and I would not want to waste time searching nearly two-thirds of the court guard."

"Eight, actually." one of the nurses squeaked, and Seinosuke's head swiveled to face her like an owl. "Eep! We- um, there's a new captain of the 11th division as of last night, Sir." she stammered.

Seinosuke turned back to the dispatch officer, staring down at him with the burning eyes of a wrathful god.

"Hiyako." he spoke gently, putting a hand on the dispatch officer's shoulder. "We're friends, aren't we?"

"Y- yes? Sir?" Hiyako Gendo gulped.

"Good, good- So you wouldn't do something like, I don't know, send my baby brother into the division with a history of such violent enemity with that only combat certified officers are cleared to enter it?" Seinosuke asked fingers over the pressure points of Gendo's shoulder.

"Um." Gulped Gendo.

"-Perhaps you sent him with a senior officer?" Seinosuke tried. "I can understand wanting to give him an impression of how dangerous this work can be on his first day, to make sure he really does have the guts for the 4th, but that should be done in a fashion where he is only an observer to the example of an experienced officer and not, say, totally alone without telling anyone to go check on him?"

"Well-" Gendo whimpered.

"-Because, Hiyako, and I need to emphasize this-" Seinosuke continued, fingertips digging into Gendo's shoulder. "-That there is no body in the morgue right now, because during his promotion to the office yesterday, the current Captain-Kenpachi bisected a significant amount of the sewer and municipal support systems 200 feet below the 11th whilst rendering the previous Captain-Kenpachi into a fine red paste in a single strike!"

Gendo made a strangled noise of pain.

"So please tell me that my sweet, gentle little brother with the constitution of a bowl of oatmeal is literally anywhere besides the vicinity of that monster, preferably in the company of someone with at least half a functioning braincell?" Seinosuke pleaded, leaning in close and steadily increasing the terrible pressure of his grip.

"ISentHimThereAloneOverFiveHoursAgo!" Gendo shrieked, finally flinching and grabbing at his shoulder.

Seinosuke froze, save to let go of Gendo and let him collapse out of his chair, howling in pain. Slowly, he stood up, pleasantly blank smile on his face, and turned to leave the division.

"Someone please inform Captain Unohana that I have deployed to the 11th to retrieve my brother and if there is so much as a HAIR out of place on him, Zaraki will be the shortest-serving captain in history!" He called out, re-tying his Zanpakuto on his belt before vanishing in a burst of Shun-po.

"-Was that you, Seinosuke?" Unohana called from her office down the hall.

-

"-Well, most venom isn't a single chemical but dozens, if not hundreds of compounds with complex interactions so any samples have to be refined down to the individual components and tested both singularly and with the others which can take ages but it's yielded some incredibly effective drugs so far!" Hanatarou babbled excitedly, drawing a grid on Zaraki's thigh, oblivious to Yachiru putting his hair in pigtails.

"My goodness! We certainly have come a long way from using bee stings on arthritis!" Yumichika laughed. Zaraki's self-appointed third seat lounged against the wall near the door, enthralled by the process. His mothers had been something between field medics and hedge witches out in the far western districts and was keeping pace with Hanataro's enthusiastic infodumping about venomics while he prepared the captain for the next round of vaccinations.

"Not that far- your beestings were one of the earliest things we tested for pharmaceutical application, and it turned out that the entire combination of bioreactive compounds in the amounts found in an individual sting was the most effective dosage! More sanitary to use a needle than an actual bee though. Speaking of-" Hanataro turned to Zaraki. "Are you sure you want to do ALL of these today? Unless you're planning on messing around in the sewers, your chances of catching any of these are extremely low, so we can stagger them."

"If I'm gonna feel like crap tomorrow anyway, might as well feel like crap once and be able to fuck around in the sewers if needed." Zaraki shrugged. "-Why are the doctors in charge of that anyway? You've got better shit to do?"

"Ah, well-" Hanataro sighed, capping the marker and getting the next round of vaccines in order. "-Civic maintenance *used* to be part of the security duties of the 11th but... well, after we lost Kenpachi Tokagero down there, your predecessors... never resumed their duties? So it's kind of fallen to us since, but to be honest, the previous guy wasn't exactly someone I'd trust to maintain the necessary standards..."

"Yeah, no shit." Scoffed newly-appointed lieutenant Ikkaku, who was attempting to sort through the literal heap of paperwork Kiganjo had thrown into the corner instead of filling out.

"No I think the shit is supposed to be in the sewers." Zaraki grinned and Ikkaku responded with a single-finger salute.

"Right- lets try to not bend any more needles, okay?" Hanataro smiled, preparing the first syringe.

"Yeah, yeah-" Zaraki rolled his eyes, but obediently inhaled and exhaled, focusing on the square Hanataro was touching. Reiatsu manipulation didn't come naturally to him and it had taken a couple dozen broken needles to work out a technique that allowed Hanataro to actually stick him.

Hanataro focused, feeling the pressure drop with the hand on Zaraki's thigh, focusing his own energy into the tip of the needle with the other, until the difference flipped and-

"Ssk!"" Zaraki hissed a bit as Hanatarou slammed the needle into his leg with the force of a sword strike, but that's what it took. "Yer gettin better- that one stung a bit!"

"Sorry!" Hanataro squeaked, withdrawing the intact needle and changing it over to the next syringe.

"Keep at it and you might be able to really hurt me in fifty years!" Zaraki laughed, ruffling his hair.

"Okay, next is for Orange Fever- this one is famous for burning after injection but we'll see-" Hanataro started then looked up at the feeling of someone's absolutely furious reiatsu approaching at speed.

"Someone coming? You all put yer heads up like bird dogs." Zaraki chuffed.

"I think someone's come to-" Yumichika started but the door beside him slammed open and they were all greeted with the terrible sight of the most feared man in the fourth, wild-eyed and teeth bared, utterly consumed with rage-

"Hi Seinosuke!" beamed Hanataro, entirely used to what his brother looked like after a long day at work or being woken up suddenly. "What are you doing here?"

-

"Hanataro?" Seinosuke yelped, startled by the entirely peaceful and almost domestic scene before him. Zaraki seemed to be politely interested in the vaccination process, the menace that had been at the lieutenants meeting yesterday was sitting in the middle of the 11th's paperwork with a senbei cracker hanging out of his mouth, and Hanataro was getting pink bows tied into his hair by Miss Kusajishi. The remains of afternoon tea were on the table behind him.

"That's him! Who are you?" a third, effeminate man asked from beside the door with a faint prickle of reiatsu, politely reminding Seinosuke to mind his manners in someone else's house.

"This is my older brother Seinosuke!" Hanataro cheerfully explained, reflexively capping the syringe he was holding. "Not that I'm not glad to see you but- OH NO IT'S ALMOST DINNERTIME!"

"It's fine, it's fine." Seinosuke wheezed with relief. "It's my obligation as the oldest to be a worrywart."

"Tch- No point in worrying for this one." Zaraki teased, poking Hanataro in the shoulder. "-We should all be worried about him! He's only gone and stabbed me thirty-two times and I haven't landed even one blow on him!"

"Sir..." Hanataro groaned at the joke.

"Thirty-two?" Seinosuke blinked.

"Could only afford shots fer the kid, so I need all of 'em." Zaraki shrugged. "Not that I was makin' it easy for 'im."

"Um, yeah..." Hanataro hummed. "There's some technique for giving someone with extreme positive spiritual pressure shots that I don't know, right?"

"You? Ask them to lower it?" Seinosuke stared, beginning to wilt as the adrenaline drained out of him.

"Yeah, I... kinda suck at that." Zaraki grunted, looking away from them, right eye shut despite the left one being scarred. "Might as well keep Stabbin'?"

"What's with your eye?" Seinosuke frowned, veteran of spotting unspoken injuries.

"Oh yeah! Check them out- He's got Nictitaing Membranes!" Hanataro beamed.

"He WHAT?" ---

Four hours after that, the Yamada brothers set out for home, Seinosuke with the beginnings of a fascinating new study on Kami-Induced Occular Mutations and Hanataro with a promotion to 'pocket medic' that he wouldn't find out about until Zaraki abducted him from his rounds for 11th division boot camp some four months later.

--- (Tumblr says this is getting too long and is glitching, More about Byakuya and Seinosuke's Marital Conspiracies later)

[boatswainscall]

1999 SPOILERS AHEAD, SPECIFICALLY ABOUT AMIR

My friend and I have been swapping screenshots of the KIM conversations we've been having and as I expected Amir has broken my heart, and definitely not for the last time.

Amir was already lowkey screaming for help with his "I put the FUN in DYSFUNCTIONAL" joke he made in one of my past DMs with him (literally like day two I think or something lol). But the cracks are starting to show.

(from my friend's conversation with him today)

"On the wrong side of the tracks" that could mean a lot of things but its adding credence to my theory that like Eleanor he wasn't military before this, at least not a front line soldier. He's clearly incredibly smart and skilled at what he does but he was ultimately in the wrong place at the wrong time ie getting infested by Albrecht.

I'm getting the impression that, either due to him feeling insecure around the more experienced military types (Quincy especially) or because of his upbringing or both he is obsessed with keeping the mask of "business as usual" up & not showing any kind of weakness or potentially giving the others the chance to call him out/demean him for being fucked up over this whole situation.

Which is obviously not what I think any of the Hex would actually do if anything some of them (Quincy and Arthur specifically and maybe Lettie) would lay him out for thinking he was the only one stressed the fuck out by what's going on but it would have the same effect either way.

He clearly has a complex about putting on a brave face and being independent or keeping up appearances as the fun goofy guy. Which at least for me is Screaming "neglected by parents for his neurodivergent needs as a child and forced to pretend to be fine about it/cope through hobbies & hyperfixations" for me. He's also definitely projecting his insecurities about his neurodivergent quirks and nerdy hyperfixations making him "annoying" given how he more or less said it himself in my talk with him today and his bitter comments about how attractive he sees Quincy as being (clearly in contrast to how he feels about his own appearance).

Not me about to cry over all this lmao. All from DMs with him and not even full voiced cutscenes. The writing in this update is fucking mindblowing.

[newbiespud]

Okay, I lied. One last set of Warframe 1999 spoiler thoughts to get them out of my system:

Bookending the story with Transference into Arthur (once very rudely without permission to start off on the wrong foot, once begrudgingly with permission to bring them home) is just great theming structure. Building thematic parallels into your story isn't hard, it's just so much better when the characters' and their growth reinforce their meaning.

On the surface, the Drifter's "help" to the Hex looks like a mere cheerleading pep talk, but that's not how I took it. Who knows more about fully matured Warframe powers than the Tenno? How can they lend that expertise to the Hex in their desperate moments? Eleanor can wrangle the Infestation within with a little willpower boost; Tenno do it all the time, or else their Warframes would be out of control. "Quincy, remember, your frame has the Seek power and it's busted." Aoi especially just needed a bit of support from someone who's used a fully kitted-out Mag before and mastered her magnetic powers. "Amir, here's something you would have never found out on your own: Your Warframe body has a Parazon, which doubles as a hidden blade AND a data-link!" And, of course, Arthur - if your body can't move, then I can move it for you. It's all the Tenno being an experienced Tenno to help the Hex.

I was definitely in the camp of "wait, I thought Albrecht shot Amir- OH THANK GOODNESS WE STOPPED THAT."

It's so incredibly great that the instant-messenger stuff allows us to discuss and digest a lot of Warframe's weirder lore in an in-character way, on top of all the other ways it's great. Love me a game system that accomplishes multiple goals at once for different player interests.

My absolute favorite thing overall? Thematically, this is a mirror-image of The Sacrifice. Somehow, through sheer empathy if nothing else, the Tenno have the power to share their inner strength with troubled, broken, hopeless beings, take away their pain, and unlock their full potential. The Operator did it with Umbra (and by extension every other fully converted Warframe), and now the Drifter's done something arguably even more impressive - using that power on partially still-living humans, with understanding, consent, and mercy.

Look, I'm arguably a writer by trade. I love analyzing story structure, and I especially love seeing action genres take a stab at being emotional, vulnerable, and empathetic while still being kickass action. That's a delicate balance, but oh boy does it make for a delicious dish for my particular palette.

[miidnlght]

Yhwach and Jugram yandere headcanons . ̬ 𝓸𝓯.ㅤ★ܠ𝟬𝟮⃝▒

Yhwach

Very possessive. If anyone ever got too comfortable with you, they're suddenly gone the next day whaatt xd. He'd want to be the only one you talk to and would most likely try to isolate you.

One time you were reading a book in the palaces library when a, lets say, brave soul decided to sit pretty close to you striking a conversation about the book you were currently reading. And when he got closer that your sides touched, as if on cue Yhwachs spiritual pressure was felt and suddenly the quincy next to you was decapitated, blood splashing everywhere, on your clothes too. "My apologies darling..." he lightly smiled, you weren't sure if it was directed at you or the body. "I'll have some servants clean you up...I'll also have to make a private library for you hm?...so no one will bother you." He said the last part darkly before exiting.

He's overall sweet and tries not to scare you, but won't hesitate to punish you if you're being bratty, for exp only allowing you to dry hump him until you learn your lesson or not letting you cum until he says so. Loves to let others know you're his so he'll always leave something characteristic of his on you, like his reishi lingering on you, his cloak wrapped around you. Very controlling and demanding.

Jugram

Has a death stare battle with anyone that looks your way guess who wins. At first he was cold and only wanted to keep you in his room and he honestly had no idea with what to do with you, but he felt the need to keep you close to him forever, so when you first showed him affection, he got more addicted than he already was and started being softer. Unlike Yhwach he doesn't realize he's a "yandere".

Very overprotective and would be at most rest if you only stayed locked up in his chambers. Doesn't wanna lose you and would deem killing someone "necessary" for your protection. Often catches himself staring at you from a distance. If y'all ever argued he'd be the one giving you the silent treatment with that cold demeanor, he'd also be veryy passive aggressive. yes he's petty like that.

Is pretty gentle during love making though. He prides himself in being the only to see you like that. After he cleans you up and give you some cuddles he'd tell you to rest in his bed and practically lock you up in his room so you don't even have a choice to leave girl atp you live in his room.

Requested by: @stuckinhell2 ˚₊✯͡ 🜚 *·.

[felassan]

Just some info I noted down from today's video in text form, under a cut due to what some peeps may consider spoilers, and length.

This video took place well into the game, meaning the beats in it are later in the storyline.

At least part of Davrin’s personal arc involves rescuing the griffons. In an earlier part of his arc you are introduced to his nemesis, the Gloom Howler, a creature that has been hunting and stalking Wardens for quite some time. It has kidnapped a bunch of non-Assan griffons and Davrin has been trying to track it down. In the quest shown in the video, he has found a lead and wants to go and track it down and get the griffons back from the Cauldron (a secret Grey Warden redoubt that was attacked). Davrin wonders what the Wardens were hiding inside the Cauldron, as he has no idea. When the party reaches the Cauldron, they find that something large tore down the gate. The party needs to find a way inside and help Davrin investigate.

Davrin prefers a Direct approach in dialogue. Tough dialogue choices can gain approval from him

The bond between a griffon and a Warden moving as one and having unity between them is called “turlum”. Davrin and Assan don’t yet have this

Grey Wardens: Lancit, Remi, Landon, Quincy, Miriel, Fisher, Greta, Beckett, Flynn (an apprentice physician, whose mentor is called Oskar). I think Flynn’s pronouns are they/them. We will do quests with Flynn including A Cabin in the Blight. They were treating patients and became low on medical supplies. Their mentor Oskar has some and lives in a cabin outside the village. Flynn asks Rook to tell Oskar they could use his help if Rook sees him when they are out there. Flynn is local to Lavendel and saw the Blight surge through their home.

A Grey Warden merchant / quartermaster is called Holden. The little girl seen with Davrin in the release date trailer is called Mila.

If you do content in an area it helps you discover more shortcuts, giving you more flexibility in how you navigate between different remaining missions and quests

Each exploration space has its own story to tell. The quests and sidequests there are narratively relevant and also contribute to a meta story/meta narrative about that space. In Hossberg / Lavendel the aim is to get to the center of the Blighty stuff that has been going on there

Another Warden sidequest called Lives Spared seems to involve some missing Wardens who haven’t checked in in a while

Rook inherits the Lighthouse willingly or unwillingly from Solas. It’s located in the Fade and is where Solas was able to start planning his rebellion against the elven gods millennia ago

The Lighthouse shapes itself around your personality. Companions’ rooms there shape themselves around the companions as they live there and go through their arcs. A glowing light above the entrance to a companion’s room indicates that they are ready to talk to us

Hossberg is a later game area. Hossberg Wetlands are dark swamps and the area has almost completely been consumed by the Blight, making it a lot more dangerous than before. As a zone it’s quite contiguous and has lots of branching paths and different areas to explore. The Grey Wardens set up shop in an outpost/fortress (this is only one of their bases) there called Grey Hold in the small town of Lavendel, which used to be a beautiful place full of life and flowers. The Blight has had a serious effect on Lavendel, but the residents are still there and trying to make the most of it. There are plenty of opportunities to help the residents.

The Wardens have noticed that something strange is going on; the Blight is not behaving as it should or as they would expect, or like it has done historically. A codex entry pops up called “An Improved Blight”. (basically we are getting Blight dialled up to eleven) Rook is there to work with the Wardens, help them out, and help them find the answer to their question about the Blight. In their outpost the Wardens have built up a small fighting force to hold off the darkspawn. They understand the stakes of the gods being released and want to help you but they have other priorities, so increasing their power allows them to contribute more meaningfully to your fight against the elven gods. The Blight has changed. It’s become a lot more organic, a lot more alive. Once a slow-moving wall, it now has almost-sentience and almost-thought behind it. This has something to do with the released Blighted elven gods.

Something bad happened to a place called D’Meta’s Crossing, it’s no longer standing.

It sounds like Weisshaupt has fallen.

Merchant shops can be upgraded, doing so unlocks new items.

The Crossroads is a location in the Fade that contains a number of eluvians, allowing you to travel across Thedas in a matter of minutes. At the point the video takes place, the Crossroads are under assault by the elven gods. It’s now a dangerous place.

The big eluvian in the Lighthouse is called the Vir Revas. (that could translate as Way/Path of Freedom). It’s the central focus point of the Lighthouse and it takes you to Solas’ pocket area of the Crossroads, which looks different to what we’ve seen in Trespasser. “A path has emerged from the mists of the Fade that leads to a gathering point where all eluvians meet – the Crossroads”. We will spend a lot of time travelling through the Crossroads as we go from area to area. At one point, it was also a space that served as Solas’ main base of operations and training ground for his rebellion against the elven gods. As we go through it we will find fragments of the past, things that Solas did previously that will give us insight into him as a character, and also into the elven gods and their motivations. If you go exploring in the Crossroads there are opportunities to relive some of the memories Solas had during his rebellion. We will actually get to take part in this ancient rebellion.

The Crossroads as a realm reflects the waking world. It’s a mix/ amalgamation of all the real world spaces that are tied to it, in this case for example Hossberg and other mountainous regions that exist in the game. The architecture around the eluvians here very clearly reflects where they lead. The first time you go to any of the new regions in the world you traverse the Crossroads to get there. After that you can fast travel if you want. But exploring the Crossroads is recommended because some of the deepest secrets lie within

There is a mysterious spirit in the Crossroads called The Caretaker who was there before Solas was. They started to help Solas with his rebellion and also to turn the area into a safe haven for spirits, as Solas loves spirits. In the video we see them piloting a boat through the air to transport Rook somewhere. Because the gods are assaulting the Crossroads, it’s no longer the safe haven it once was. Rook works with the Caretaker through a lot of ancillary content to rebuild it into a safe home for spirits.

There is an area in the Crossroads called Beacon Island

The darkspawns’ different looks is very intentional. Their new look is in part because Ghilan’nain, described here as "the god of monsters", has always been focused on using the Blight essentially as a crafting material, a way to alter life itself. she’s been enhancing and changing the darkspawn as part of her army. She uses Blight like a medium to sculpt and warp the darkspawn to do her bidding and suit her purposes. The idea is that the Blight and the darkspawn are an organic weapon. Instead of making swords and armor, the darkspawn use the Blight to augment themselves, effectively defeat you and give the gods the world that they desire. The darkspawn aren’t just coming out of nowhere. They emerge from Blight pools, like the Blight is spawning them. Part of Ghil’s attempts to turn this into an army for the gods is to use them for overwhelming force. Hurlock Blighters have disgusting growths on their backs that they throw, making them function like grenadiers as they rip off these pieces of themselves and throw them at you - these then explode as Blight – this kind of enemy design for the darkspawn is supposed to lean into the idea that the Blight is organic and disgusting. In places there are Blight boils throughout the area, and if Rook doesn’t destroy them during combat ghouls will continue to emerge from them.

It sounds like in terms of ‘factions of enemies’ and their designs, we have the darkspawn which use overwhelming force tactics, the Venatori which focus on magical power, and the Antaam which focus on physical strength

Zipline traversal is in

Each mage’s (Neve, Bellara, Emmrich) healing ability is thematically appropriate to them

I think Davrin’s special exploration ability, or one of them, is called Blight Hunter. (one of the ones Rook can channel through the dagger when that companion isn’t there). This summons Assan from above to destroy Blight Abscesses. He seems to have another as well that Rook can also use via the dagger called Griffon Strike. In the video Rook uses this one to destroy a mechanism that was keeping a load of wood suspended in the air from a beam.

We see Rook also using the dagger to "charge beam" and destroy what looked like a thick tendril of organic Blight across the ground, and to destroy a ‘wall’ of blight abscesses that was blocking the way. At one point in the video Rook comments that the dagger is vibrating, "like a song in a wine glass"

When companions go ahead to meet you at quests they’re invested in, they won’t complete them without you, but they do get things ready. If you start doing those quests and don’t have them in your party, they will move ahead of you and wait for you at the next point.

[averlym]

,,, little lemmings in line...

[kaibutsushidousha]

What are your thoughts on orihime?

Ichigo's little group of friends exist to be basis of Bleach's arcs. The Soul Society arc is envisioned as Rukia's arc, which is a no-brainer because Rukia is a Shinigami. The Lost Agent is envisioned as Chad's arc, and even if it fails that role, the choice is understandable due to Chad being a Fullbringer. The Blood War is envisioned as Uryuu's arc, obvious again because Uryuu is a Quincy. But Orihime is a Fullbringer, so realizing what makes her fit at the center of the Arrancar arc requires a little more thought.

Well, I'd say the answer can be found about as early as possible. Orihime simply isn't like any other character in the good side. A whole lot of characters in Bleach have tragic pasts, but only Orihime is shown having a tragic present. The other Karakura people have comfortable houses with providing families. The Seireitei is a high class place directly contrasted with the poor Rukongai. The Visored and Xcution are united communities. Unclear about the Quincies in Silbern because we never the status quo there before the times of war.

Meanwhile, Orihime lives alone thanks to cutting ties with her parents at age 4 and losing her brother at age 12. She survives out of part-time jobs and financial support from distant relatives who determine how much money she gets based on her grades. The status quo of Bleach is pretty rough on her, and if I'm not forgetting anyone, her alone. She's doing what she can to survive under a constant threat of hunger, which is something Bleach otherwise only portrays as the lifestyle of a Hollow. I'll get back to this later.

The point here is that Orihime's life sucks. But that's not a thing that ever shows. Orihime in public is just a silly airhead constantly presented as the most cheerful person around. Her screentime in normal school situations is marked by her filtering her unpleasant reality with outlandish imagination. Her antics make her look really stupid, but we're shown that she isn't as she has 3rd best grades in their school. Intentional as her silliness is, she can't afford to be a bad student because that affects how much bread she gets to every month, as mentioned above.

And Bleach wastes no time explaining why she's like that. Still in volume 1, it's already established that Orihime spent her whole life being protected by others. First Sora, then Tatsuki, and now Ichigo. And because she grew up like this, her greatest wish is to not be a problem.

She let Sora bite her because life going on without him was being a problem to him and having to protect her was being a problem to Ichigo. She puts on a smile at school and keeps her conditions a secret to avoid being a problem to anyone who could care about her living situation. She let Ulquiorra take her because she didn't want to be a problem to anyone willing to fight Aizen for her sake. Her experience in Soul Society should have told her that this last one would backfire tremendously, but in her moment of weakness, she couldn't fight against her ingrained habit of avoiding being a burden.

Another key point of her early characterization is obviously her relationship with Ichigo. He was just a cool funny guy at first, until Sora's incident made him interesting, so she asked Tatsuki about him, and only really started caring after hearing about Masaki's death. This happens in a volume where she takes the cover and her opening poem is "If I were the rain [...] could I tie hearts together?". The rain is the symbol of Ichigo's grief, and Orihime falls for Ichigo by associating the lost of his mother with the loss of her brother. She connects best by relating to suffering, which shows later in the many, many, many times she's shown healing Arrancars after years practically living like a Hollow when in the world of the living.

This is kinda of a sudden change of topic, but things are sorta moving in chronological order here and the next big checkpoint is Orihime's first fight, so I'll conclude the talk about her position there and now talk about her powers.

Orihime gets Shun Shun Rikka, a Fullbring centered around rejection of events. Like Bleach abilities tend to do, this power goes incredibly well with Orihime's established characterization. Reality sucks for her but she keeps things by rejecting it through her filter of imagination. She can attack with this power, but it's best suited as a shield (preventing causing problems for others) or healing (making people forget their problems).

She then proceeds to not do much in Soul Society, then early into the Arrancar arc, she loses to Yammy and gets to negatively compare herself to Rukia, who did well in her first on-screen fight ever. Her feelings of uselessness pile up and compound into the 5 lives scenes, which as I already told you before, I consider the emotionally powerful dialogue Kubo has ever written. Not much to comment on it, the moment speaks for itself.

For Orihime, the bulk of the Arrancar arc is spent interacting with Ulquiorra. It's a really challenging experience for her because Ulquiorra has zero emotional depth. He was an ancient Hollow with no eyes, ears, nose, or mouth, being unable to perceive the outside world until Aizen broke his mask. Starrk, Barragan, and Grimmjow's backstories establish that Arrancars inherit experiences from their Hollow selves. Breaking their masks didn't change who they are. But Ulquiorra has no experiences because his Hollow life was spent entirely in the nothingness of himself.

Orihime has always been engaging with people through a smile-shaped web of lies, social conventions, and bravado, but Ulquiorra still haven't experienced humanity enough for that to work on him. He responds only to cold truths, so Orihime's typical conversation strategies are proven useless. It forces her to change her ways. She can only teach him about the heart by being honest and direct. Arrancars are about literal broken masks, but Orihime makes herself part of their story by having her metaphorical mask broken.

After that, we have the Lost Agent arc, which doesn't really take Orihime further (and doesn't really need to since Arrancar was her main focus arc) but does an amazing show of progress for post-Ulquiorra Orihime by introducing Riruka, a tsundere who hangs with Orihime a lot. While Riruka is as full of walls and bravado as Orihime originally was, this Orihime gets to be effortlessly vulnerable, recapping her horrible backstory to her new friend, being called creepy for her apparently fake smile, and clarifying that she actually can smile for real because she was already saved from her past.

The final arc doesn't do much with her aside from putting her in the final boss battle, so I guess I'll use this space to talk about how her progression in combat participation feels really well-paced. She goes from being squarely away from major action in Soul Society to not interfering with the fight but making a point to stay near the battle vs Grimmjow to start tactically throwing shields vs Ulquiorra to getting Ichigo actively ask for her help vs Ywhach.

Ok, that last is probably more about Ichigo himself having learned to ask for help 10 minutes ago after cringing at Uryuu's inability to rely on his friends and taking him as an antithesis model (pun intended).

But still, I love this kind of step-by-step character growth model, it reminds me of how Yugi and Atem's dynamic grew from Yugi unaware to Yugi aware to them starting to talk to them working together vs Pegasus to Yugi dueling alone to Yugi defeating Atem. Always great to see an author commit to a flowchart of development like that.

[satsugacafe]

𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐔𝐲𝐫𝐮 𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐇𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐝𝐞…

➳❥ 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: Hello! Can you do Uryu dating a human without powers headcanon? I would love to read it. Thank you!

➳❥ 𝐀/𝐍: I wholeheartedly apologise for taking long, and giving the impression that I ignored your request. I hope this was to your liking :)

➳❥ 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐱𝐭: You’re a human without powers dating Uryu

𝐌𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭 | 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐠𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

˚₊‧꒰ა It doesn’t matter whether you know about him being a Quincy of not, as a gentleman, Uryu will be looking out for you. Be it walking you home, ensuring Hollows weren’t near your house or area, or no one trouble you.

˚₊‧꒰ა Dates with him will be quiet, but memorable. Picnics, visiting the ice-skating ring and watching him effortlessly glide across the ice, library dates, cooking dates, going on walks, even having a sewing course.

˚₊‧꒰ა Study dates are also on the list. He wants to see you do your best and is more than willing to organise binders and cue cards if needed.

˚₊‧꒰ა That’s one thing you must expect when dating him—somewhere along the line, you would pick up sewing tips from him anytime you have tears or holes in your clothes. Though he prefers you inform him so he can whip up something new and fancy (with a cloak).

˚₊‧꒰ა With the expectation of receiving clothes made by him, he can’t resist placing Quincy crosses in discrete places and brushes them off as his signature. “Uryu, what’s this cross?” “…my signature.”

˚₊‧꒰ა As much as we know he has his Quincy pride, part of him feels relieved to have someone who isn’t a part of the whole “superhuman.” You’re his slice of normalcy and someone he cherishes deeply.

˚₊‧꒰ა You will suddenly feel his gaze on you at random times, and should you meet him head-on, a faint blush will appear before he averts his eyes. He likes to admire you in silence and secrecy. Simply observing you in your mundane world of activities gives him a sense of accomplishment—you’re safe and here with him.

˚₊‧꒰ა Every minute spent with you is one he holds near his heart. He loves the fact that it reminds him of what it felt like to be normal without Quincy’s duties to uphold. He probably couldn’t remember what it felt like to live as a regular human who knew nothing about Hollows since he grew up learning about them all his life.

˚₊‧꒰ა At the same time, he feels guilty when he has to step aside to take care of Hollow situations or leave with the gang to help his friends. Every second away from you, feels like he’s losing what it means to be a normal human, and at peace.

˚₊‧꒰ა That’s why, he would back out on missions and leave it to others to handle. He trusted the others to oversee everything and only reached out to him when the situation was grave.

˚₊‧꒰ა You would eventually know about his Quincy background. Probably due to seeing him in uniform or overhearing a conversation and confronting him. He feels guilty that you caught him, and can’t bring himself to lie even when he wants to. At least your acceptance was a breath of relief.

˚₊‧꒰ა He doesn’t often speak about his background or history. Should he inform you of anything, it would be the basics about his abilities, that Hollows were Quincy’s poison and shouldn’t be allowed to exist, hence the reason he hunts them.

˚₊‧꒰ა You would give him support, which only pushes him to protect you all the more. At night when you think he’s sleeping, think again. He’s on your rooftops being your bodyguard.

˚₊‧꒰ა “I heard from Inoue that you spent all night standing guard on my roof?” Teasing about it makes him turn tomato, if you did find out because you would. Uryu can’t keep you hidden from his friends because they will find out and let it slip. They proceed to embarrass him, telling you how he loses sleep over you every night.

˚₊‧꒰ა Speaking about him being a tomato, that image would also appear often should you bring him home-cooked meals or gifts and emphasise that you were thinking about him since he works so hard to keep everyone safe. “Please don’t overdo it Uryu—you’re too hardworking.”

˚₊‧꒰ა “It’s my job as a Quincy to keep you safe, however, I’ll return safely.” Uryu gets softer even though he acts tough when you caution him on being safe and not overworking because you want him to return to you in one piece and alive. “Yes, Mr ‘It’s my job as a Quincy.’ Just come back safely.”

˚₊‧꒰ა Goes into a slight heart attack if he ever heard you were injured. Even if you tripped and stubbed your toe or walked into a wall because you’re clumsy as hell. Do expect a lesson on being more careful as he dresses your injuries.

˚₊‧꒰ა He will go to the ends of the earth to save you from any enemy. There isn’t a situation created, that could hinder him from rushing in to save you. He’ll fight anything and everything.

˚₊‧꒰ა Uryu understands that as a human without powers, you might feel left out and probably unworthy of being with him. To prevent any insecurities from developing, he tells you from time to time how much he appreciates the simplicity of your non-powered nature.

˚₊‧꒰ა “I know you probably feel as though you’re not doing much given your inability to have powers, but I want you to know that your greatest power is the love and support you give me. Thank you.” He’ll whisper to you softly one evening after returning.  

˚₊‧꒰ა He appears quite shy at first when it comes to physical affection since he’s not the physically affectionate type. Staring at your hand and telling himself to hold it or receiving hugs from you. He genuinely wanted to feel the warmth you emitted through touch. That was in the beginning, but once the honeymoon stage was gone, he was confident. He finds the energy you emit to be tranquil.

˚₊‧꒰ა Kisses to your forehead or temple whenever in public and he chooses to be affectionate. Your cheeks would be the closest to your lips he would get, unless you trick him or there isn’t a soul in sight, and he sneaks a quick one. Behind closed doors, he melts.

˚₊‧꒰ა It was hard for him to imagine being someone into cuddling, but he proved to enjoy the gesture more than he likes to admit. It happens in private when he knows the gang isn’t going to randomly pop out.

˚₊‧꒰ა Uryu cuddling you was a moment he couldn’t believe was so…peaceful. Your scent, warmth, presence, everything, was enough to make him forget about the world. The minute you pulled him closer, kissed his forehead and brought his head to rest on your chest or neck, he melted.

˚₊‧꒰ა Your arms are his favourite place in the world to be. The weight on his shoulders is gone. All his responsibilities—vanished. “This…feels nice. I like being in your arms.”

˚₊‧꒰ა In those moments, he loves to listen to you talk about your day, whether it was a great or terrible day. Uryu wants to hear all about it and help you navigate. Give him something to solve that wasn’t on a world-altering level.

˚₊‧꒰ა He usually falls asleep in your arms like that. When you remove his glasses to stare into his pretty blue eyes while raking your fingers through his inky hair, straight to sleep (probably reminds him of when his mom used to do that).

˚₊‧꒰ა Also, you once came across his Quincy uniform lying haphazardly on the floor, which wasn’t Uryu’s behaviour at all and tried it on. Let's just say that when he saw you in it, he almost caught a nosebleed and mentally saved the image to make a uniform for you as well—just for matching couple purposes.

˚₊‧꒰ა You had convinced him to let you two walk around during Halloween dressed like that so it wouldn’t be suspicious.

˚₊‧꒰ა His father learning about his relationship was quite pleased that his son found someone who wasn’t going to bring problems and was normal. You were a breath of fresh air, and Ryuken was welcoming. You would be someone who would keep his son away from his Quincy ambitions.

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