#toshiro ( musing )

[muses-with-afp]

Among the cobwebs tangled about in the ole noggin is: Byakuya really is just out there living a whole 'nother life inside his head, isn't he?

We see this get clocked by Toshiro in Chapter 674 (above) and, hopefully, Rukia and Renji (i.e., the "they" to whom Toshiro is referring). You could surmise that Toshiro is very perceptive and that's how he discerned what Byakuya was doing. And, sure, Toshiro is plenty perceptive. But... also... like... how often does Byakuya do this? How often does he put on some weird "performance" that he's fairly certain others "see through"? Or, at least, he intends for others to see through?

My guess is: The whole damn time.

I like to think the below Q&A from KlubOutside isn't just some continuity error that Kubo is fixing in post, but, rather, a suggestion that Byakuya is really out there living a life completely untethered from reality.

KlubOutside Q&A, as translated by reikorun

Like... we know from the SS Arc that Rukia does not view her relationship with Byakuya as warm and fuzzy. She says as much with her words and actions throughout that arc.

But... umm... the above seems to suggest that she and Byakuya likely discussed Renji at some point during their 40/50-year relationship. And, from that/those discussion(s), Byakuya left feeling intimately acquainted with not only Rukia, but Renji as well. Enough so that the man married to formality thought he could totally dispense with it when he met Renji.

Rukia, on the other hand? Girly, didn't blink an eye at her crazy "brother's" crazy antics during the SS Arc. She was like "he'd kill me himself and not give a damn" (paraphrasing). And like... understandable since it did seem to be going that way, but for Ichigo et al.

However, what subtle "hints" had Byakuya dropped that he just assumed she understood during the SS arc? Probably a million. Maybe he thought they were totally aligned then. Maybe he thought she knew the extent of his troubled heart along with the whys and hows and whatfores.

Maybe he was really out there living his best headcanon life.

[tofixtheshadows]

hi!! so there are a lot of improbabilities that make this hypothetical unlikely but: if kabru had met toshiro first & recruited him (toshiro being so passive + not with a clear goal would have helped there & kabru is ptsd-driven but very noble in his goals which can be explained) AND they got all the way down to the bottom (idk if i believe in them...but hypothetically!) would the winged lion find either of them to be a good target for next dungeon lord? one over the other? im thinking kabru has the intensity and complexity of desire necessary but i can't imagine what it would look like if he became lord of the dungeon. do you have any thoughts?

Good morning. This is a very fun thought experiment!

(side note: I got a second anon this morning with a very similar request? not sure if related. I'm gonna let this answer speak for both of them)

Toshiro sure would have had a different time of it if Kabru had gotten to him first, huh? On the one hand, Toshiro seems to like Kabru; I think it's sweet that Kabru seems to gravitate towards hanging out with him when he isn't with the rest of the main cast. So they probably would've been good in a party together.

On the other hand, Toshiro never would have met Falin and fallen in love with her. Even if she didn't reciprocate in the end, I don't think he regrets anything that happened. Even his difficult friendship with Laios was ultimately positive (for both of them!).

They definitely would not have made it to the deeper floors, I think Senshi is crucial to achieving that ... but this is a hypothetical.

I'm puzzling over the question of Toshiro, because he is a secondary character and there's only so much we know about his motivations. His big one in canon is to save Falin, even if it means all he can do is put her to rest. Without that, without her, what sort of desires does he have?

Toshiro originally came to the Island because of a demand from his father: for one of his three sons to find "something interesting" enough on their travels to bring back home that would convince their capricious bastard father to make them his heir over the others. So they're all off on their separate training journeys with their respective retainers with the added caveat that they can't return without something to impress their father. It's implied that after falling in love with Falin, Toshiro had wanted to bring back home a wife.

Since he's said to inherit the family after he returns home without her anyway, I've been assuming that the "thing" Toshiro ended up bringing to Toshitsugu Nakamoto was the story of the dungeon, the demon, and his friend Laios, king of a risen country and Devourer of All Things Horrible.

Anyway, the things we know about Toshiro's home life are kind of fucked. It's amazing he turned out to be so nice. He's always been a shy, sensitive person, and he was sickly as a child; Maizuru cared for him despite her spymaster duties and ended up filling a motherly role for him, even though Toshiro's mother is still alive. Historically, it wasn't uncommon for noble children to be raised more closely by their governesses/household retainers than their parents, so perhaps something similar was happening here (disclaimer that I don't know much about feudal Japan specifically).

We know that Maizuru loves Toshiro and dotes on him, but she's also very strict and frankly terrifying; she used the same Hag summon that she was monitoring Izutsumi with on Toshiro as a child just to keep him from wandering off. We also know that when he found out that Maizuru was having an affair with his father, it put a distance between them. Whether this is because he felt betrayed on his mother's behalf or because he dislikes his father that much, or something else, is unclear.

Toshiro was childhood friends with Hien, but as they got older, she had to take his place as one of his retainers, which seems to have severed that closeness. Canonically, he isn't close to his two younger brothers either. Toshitsugu literally bought Inutade and Izustumi (the latter as a drunken "gift" for Maizuru!). We see that Toshiro is uncomfortable with this, but doesn't know how to approach the issue. He lets Izutsumi go the second she's out of sight for five minutes, which implies to me that he really wanted the excuse to do so. Inutade is harder, because she loves being with the Nakamoto family and hero-worships Toshiro's father.

...all this to say, Toshiro has complicated relationships with his family and household. There's love there, but also a lot of coldness enforced by the upper-class need for propriety. Toshiro falls in line and acts as the proper stoic samurai, but he chafes at this; he envies Laios's gift for feeling and expressing things openly and readily. I think that's what the Winged Lion would prey on, given the chance.

I don't think he would be prime dungeon lord material, but if it came to that, I could see the Lion tempting Toshiro with a kinder vision of his life, one where he and his little brothers weren't pitted against one another, where his family was warmer, where there weren't barriers of class between him and his retainers, where he was allowed to be more himself.

Now ... Kabru.

Kabru is interesting because, since his ultimate goal is to seal the dungeon and eradicate monsters, I imagine that meeting a demon would be like a guy who's given a genie and wants to wish for no more genies. And if said genie is trying to take over the world via wishes, the genie is a bit screwed. I really think that Kabru is the character who would stump the demon(s) the most, despite his complex desires, because they are antithetical to the demon. Laios also had complex desires, but the Winged Lion lured him and set him up as the hero of a fake prophecy because a lot of Laios's desires revolved around monsters, so his wants aligned perfectly with the demon's methods. Oh you want monsters? That's great, they're the things I use to solve most of my problems anyway.

Even in the absence of prior knowledge of demons, I think Kabru's back would be up as soon as the Winged Lion tried speaking to him. Kabru's insight is almost preternatural, and he's well-versed in persuasive speaking thanks to his own silver tongue. He would mistrust the Lion immediately, especially considering its monster-like form.

Giving the demons bestial appearances is an artistic choice on Kui's part, so I don't think there's any indication that the Winged Lion & co can't look human, but the Lion might have been constrained both by Thistle's seals on it and the need to maintain the lie that it's just the innocent guardian deity of the Golden Country. If it could, I think it would try to look less monstrous, with Kabru.

Still, the point of the demons, I see, is that anyone can be tempted, anyone can be manipulated, because we are all full of buried desires that can be unearthed, and wanting things and having to defend them make you susceptible to manipulation.

Consider what Mithrun told Kabru: they keep the knowledge of demons secret because knowing the truth would not stop people from trying to have their wishes granted. After all, Mithrun was a Canary, but he fell for its temptation anyway. I've seen people characterize this as a sort of rock bottom decision, and maybe that's true, but I also pin it on his toxic inferiority/superiority complex. That's exactly the kind of thing that makes you think you're built different.

Would Marcille have stopped before unsealing the Winged Lion if Mithrun(/Kabru) had actually gotten to sit down with her for five minutes and explain why becoming dungeon lord would be a very bad idea? Maybe. Or maybe her desperation, and her own pride, would have made her decide that she knew better, that she'd be careful, that she'd go in with a plan and definitely get what she wanted with no dire consequences.

I think Kabru could be desperate enough to make a similar decision, even if his desires were antithetical to the demon. And the demons have an advantage over the aforementioned genie simile: their ability to eat desires.

If the Winged Lion were smart, it wouldn't let Kabru seal it away like Thistle. Given the opportunity, its best chance for dealing with Kabru would have been to immediately eat his desire to stop another Utaya.

I'm gonna plug this wonderful and tragic little one-shot someone wrote recently about the dungeon lord Kabru hypothetical: This place is not a place of honor.

[playingwithstarsabove]

I like to think that the Phantom Thieves didn't forget about Toshiro during the events of Strikers. They most likely got him souvenirs from the places they visited and put it into one big care package for him. Then they had Sophia expedite deliver the package to him after Osaka the minute She got them his address. Or better yet, they got Sophia to introduce herself to him and tell him about the care package. Just a nice headcannon to have.

[fallow-hollow]

Every day I think abt the fact that the hag spell used on Izutsumi was an “improved version” of a spell used on Toshiro to keep him from straying too far from the house, which terrified him as a little kid

[shadowedresolve]

"Sakura-san! It feels like it's been forever."

When Toshiro finally made his way back to the real world after believing he might not ever see it again, he knew he might not be able to see the Phantom Thieves for a long time. With what he planned to do - and has done, now- exposing his father's crimes, as well as accepting his own responsibility for staying silent for so long - he'd known that his life would quickly become a chaotic one.

But to call it merely a scandal would be putting it lightly. With the constant attention and scrutiny he was suddenly subjected to, under fire with criticism from all directions and having sent ripples of shock through the entire country - he didn't want to subject those kids to any potential negative attention that might come from being associated with him.

It might've been fine, of course, but it wasn't worth the risk. Anyway, the media had had enough of a field day trying to figure out the truth behind his abrupt disappearance alone, coming up with all kinds of crazy, ridiculous theories... though of course, none even as close to as crazy as the truth. The thought makes him laugh. ...They really have no idea.

But he couldn't keep the poor kids worried any longer after seeing firsthand how worried they were for him. In particular, he's especially glad to be able to meet with Futaba today. He's grateful to each and every one of the Thieves, and they've all wormed their way into his heart, of course, but when he thinks back on his time in the Kingdoms... often, it's Sakura's words to him that he remembers the most.

"I'm sorry about the hassle. Avoiding the media can be a bit of a nightmare, but... let's say I've picked up some tricks along the way!"

@oraclememehacker ( starter for futaba! )

[quillheel]

─  romantic gestures.   bold what applies to your muse , italicize if there's potential / it depends.

holding hands · buying flowers · cooking · cuddles · writing a poem / song · holding door open · tying shoe laces · sharing a milkshake with two straws · offering their jacket when it's cold · kissing in the rain · publicly confessing love · long walks at the beach · doing the titanic pose on a boat · taking cute pictures in a photo booth · sharing a taxi / uber · kissing the back of their hand · slow dancing · getting tickets of their favorite artist / sports team / other · introducing them to your parents · lighting candles · flower petals on bed · love letters · star gazing · brushing / doing their hair · picnics · teaching them to play an instrument / sport while gently guiding their hands · compliments · late night drives · taking selfies together · drawing them · self-made gifts · massages · proposing with a family heirloom ring · lending them your favorite book to read · paying for dinner / coffee · mixtapes / playlists · surprise birthday parties · feeding them · handing them keys to your apartment · making space in drawer for their clothes when they stay over · sharing a blanket · couple costumes · tucking a hair strand behind their ear · running after them at the airport / keeping them from leaving · moving cities to be together · blowing a kiss · breakfast in bed · defending them in a fight (verbally / physically) · joint bubble baths · dropping the L-bomb ("i love you") · dedicating a song at the karaoke bar to them · wearing their clothes · yawning before putting an arm around them while watching a movie · granting them the last bite (from meal)

tagged by: stolen from @infog <3 I legally HAD to tagging: @tenebriism @braveryhearted @autonomousxselves @fantomevoleur @musesofthesun @pluviacuratio @tendercoded / @manebloom / @lncanting @cozyfarms @deiscension @shadowedresolve @sakuaxe @lovlorne @leuvspell @adoranoia and you!!!! ( multi's, decide as you please! )

[cc-ichigo-kurosaki]

Why Ichigo (still) calls people by their first names

(cc) Toshiro: Wait, Kuchiki and Kuchiki are not here yet.

(cc) Ichigo: Why can’t you just say their first names?!

Or their titles? -well until Rukia becomes Captain one day-

(cc) Toshiro: I have professional standards, Kurosaki.

[regnigt]

thought regarding episode 309/chapter 428 of Gintama...

(Gintama spoilers for Farewell Shinsengumi arc)

Okay, so obviously Katsura's faction made a coordinated action on the same day. A number of his followers led by Elizabeth made contact with a number of the ex-Shinsengumi including Saito and Yamazaki. Then the group cornered Okita and, after a lot of back and forth accompanied by Kagura joining Okita, the Shinsengumi group and proposed alliance was revealed. Meanwhile Katsura had headed over to Cabaret Smile where he got disguised in a super fine courtesan get-up (which would take some time to get into), waited in the wings, and then stepped in at the optimal moment to Save The Day, letting Gintoki escape and getting himself arrested with the intention of helping to free Kondo and Matsudaira from within prison. He must have been very confident that he would indeed be placed in the same prison they were.

Now. How did Katsura know to head over to Cabaret Smile that particular evening? Did he get information that Hijikata would go there and decided to make contact? Or did he get information that Sasaki would bring Nobunobu there and thought 'this will not turn out well, I'll be the hero and use the opportunity to get arrested at the same time'?

Or did he get information about both those things? Giving the simultaneous action with the rest of the faction, I feel that contacting Hijikata was *probably* the main reason. In that case, I feel the most likely explanation is that someone from the faction had shadowed Hijikata and reported to Katsura that he was at the cabaret. Especially since Hijikata seemed to have been sitting there for a while already at the start of the scene, which could give sufficient time for Katsura to act. An alternative is that Kozenigata - the one who actually invited Hijikata and Gintoki to the Cabaret - was actually secretly in touch with Katsura's faction and was tipping them off in advance of his plan. This seems like a bold option, but it would have given Katsura more time to get into his outfit and head for Cabaret Smile.

Or, third alternative, someone was spying on the two of them earlier in the day and heard Kozenigata mention they should go there.

When it comes to Nobunobu's visit, that would probably be top secret and hard to know in advance... UNLESS there were moles in the Mimawarigumi who leaked information? Maybe... actually Sasaki himself? Not necessarily to Katsura or even knowingly to Katsura's faction directly. He might simply have intentionally been juuust a little indiscreet in public in a place where he knew Jouishishi were often about. Hoping to cause a commotion that would make the Joui look good and Nobunobu look bad to further more chaos in the country. But also, there is the tantalizing possibility that Sasaki might have made contact with Katsura already and THAT was why Katsura was so sure that he'd be placed in the same prison as Kondo and Matsudaira. That he knew that Sasaki knew that he would try to break them out, but that he was willing to take the risk of Sasaki's backstabbing because Sasaki might just choose to stab Nobunobu in the back instead, and the country was running out of options. Now, that wouldn't fit with Sasaki explaining his pleased surprise to Nobume the next day that they had caught a big fish with cheap bait, but maybe he was keeping the pretence up in front of her...

[kinglyisms-archived]

My brain for the past week: we need a single father castle soldier.

Me quietly to myself: I don’t need more muses…

My brain aggressively: single father soldier werewolf muse.

[virtuous-absolute]

Short starter call

[epitomees]

~ Zenkichi Hasegawa’s Tags ~ 

More will be added as needed. 

[ofcentvries]

[cc-bleach-blazing-souls]

(cc) Toshiro: -every time someone addresses him by his first name and not by his title and/or last name-

GDI fucking Kurosaki

[playingwithstarsabove]

I Just Realized That if They added Toshiro to Phantom X….

It’s gonna be hilarious that someone in a plain politician’s outfit is gonna be playable beside a bunch of people in extravagant Phantom Thief costumes. Bonus points for wearing the mask in the first five seconds of his awakening and ONLY that mask.

[myuzucompendium]

Another Chance Encounter (Eri/Toshiro)

"Ah, this will be a big scoop for me." Eri spoke to herself out, looking at her phone. She was on the case of a Diet member who was currently being investigated for tax fraud. If she got all the details out on an article first, her viewership was going to skyrocket. And that made her have a big ol smirk on her face. Though, she was feeling a bit of pain in her messed up leg.

Despite all the physical therapy she had done and a surgery or two to fix things, it was still a bit too weak to walk around without a brace on it to keep it stabilized. She tried one time and she ended up on the floor with no way of getting herself back up. What an embarrassing way of having an ambulance ride to the hospital that was for sure.

She was about to head into the Shibuya station to head to the diet building, when she happened to see that Toshiro was in the area. What for? She didn't know, but seeing him in the flesh again made her cheeks brighten up, and a ray of sunshine to envelop her. Making her way over, slowly but surely, she waved and yelled his name. "Toshiro! Toshiro! It's so good to see you again! I'm not going to sprint to you and tackle hug you this time, I promise." At least age hadn't made her any less silly.

@shadowedresolve

[shadowedresolve]

hello all! i hope you're all doing well <33

i'm sorry i've been less active as of late, otl. mostly i've been focused on other fandoms atm, but i do miss writing here so i'm gonna try and be around more often if i can! if i owe any of you a starter or a reply, feel free to remind me in the comments of this post - it's not obligatory obviously, i just find sometimes it helps me after i've been gone a while to get going again, lol. tyyyyyyyyyy ;ww;