#older them can also get it but older isshin is just a little much for me

[und3adqu33n]

Finally got around to watching thousands year arc and ya know what? Young isshin and masaki can get it

[fangirlingpuggle]

Half asleep Bleach AU where Yuzu and Karin are older than Ichigo.

 Masaki and Isshin have the twins first and Urahara and Isshin are just like ‘...which one has the hollow powers?? Fuck which one can fight Aizen??’ and the whole plan is thrown off cause they have no idea which of the twins has the powers if they even do.

 Masaki finds out about the plan when Isshin starts asking if she has any hollow bait and Hypothetically if he exposed their babies to that to check if they have any hollow powers would they be ok??? She is not amused. Turns out she can still use Quincy powers when angry enough.

 They have Ichigo not much later (Not as big of an age gap) and the twins are crazy protective over their baby brother. And after Masaki dies even more so.

 They also find out about Shinigami, Quincy and hollows...and try to figure out what powers they have, mostly training by themselves because no one’s actually sure what powers they have and using wrong training technique may murder them.

 Just Rukia showing up meeting high school age Ichigo and then his two college age sisters who are radiating crazy amounts of power and clearly know all about hollows and Shinigami and she’s very sure she saw one use kido...and may have seen them summon a bow she’s really not sure.

 They never told Ichigo anything cause they know their baby brother 1100% would get involved and with his hero complex and wanting to save everyone would get himself killed since he has the survival instincts of a flightless canary walking into a roomful of very hungry cats.

The two try help out and make sure he doesn’t kill himself...only they get distracted for 1 day and next thing they know Rukia’s been kidnapped and their little brother and his friends are STORMING THE SOUL SOCIETY! Urahara only realises how bad he fucked up until after he sent them off and suddenly realised actions have consequences aka Karin ‘has kicked a hollows head off and used it as a football’ and Yuzu ‘smiles while threating you in a way that will make Unohana proud’ Kurosaki.

 The two show up and almost get the chance to drop kick Aizen, he does leave with a black eye broken glasses and a hole in his chest. Yuzu and Karin don’t pay attention to his exit screaming at their baby brother who is so confused ‘You guys have spirt powers to’... he’s so oblivious he never noticed.

 The Hueco Mundo arc has Ichigo in the middle of breaking in having the sudden feeling of impending doom. As Karin and Yuzu realise ‘HE’S INVADED ANTOHER PLANE OF EXISTANCE AGAIN!!!’

Bonus: Grimmichi Grimmjow getting the shovel talk from the two must threatening older siblings ever.

Grimmjow tries to fight Ichigo only to be dragged in to the Kurosaki kitchen by the scruff of his neck forced to sit down and given a plate of food by Yuzu who doesn’t stop smiling politely the entire time.

The twins also seeing their second fight and just standing back and watching.

Karin:…we seriously should have talked to him more about flirting this is just embarrassing.

Yuzu: lets just leave them to it let them get it our of their system go kill the others and then we’ll give him the birds and the bees and the hollows talk

Karin:He’s going to be so embarrassed  probably want the fight to the death

Yuzu: Well maybe next time he’ll think before he tries to fight an entire plane of existence

[zabiume]

Not to be dramatic or anything, but I just caught up with Sailing to Byzantium and i think this is my fav Bleach fic ever. I love how the dads are both trash, but also really human, they make mistakes but never out of pure malice, they love their children but they're also insanely awkward with their feelings for eachother and expressing it to their kids, they clearly love their wives but doesn't mean they can't find something else in eachother also without lessening what they had for them, and just, your prose is rlly lovely to red, especially for two characters who are rlly complex and difficult to pin down. Isshin's chaotic good but also remarkably level headed and means well & Ryuken being too proud but also a softie beneath it all and they both deserve happy endings despite them not being the best with their kids, the NuANce of it all was gorgeous. + Family road trip & Ichigo&Uryu shinengans and found family my beloved <3 their friendship is very dear to me (&makes where they are currently in anime canon a little more bearable for the next couple of months lol) and them begrudgingly accepting their dads deserve happiness bcs what is life without people to love share it with ++ you managed to include Orihime, Chad and give real dignity to the relationships the dads had before w. Masaki and Katagiri without putting them in competition. This got super rambly, I'm so sorry, but just wanted to say this is by far one of my fave Bleach fics ever and your writing is gorgeous <3 (Also very much into your Karakura squad one shot series, because what is Bleach about if not the power of friendship? :))

wow, thank you so much💖 i'm so honored you enjoyed my prose and portrayal of one of my favorite bleach rarepairs😅 i think if you've been around my blog for a while, then you'll know i just LOVE the idea of building love back up again after heart break (i mean, You Can Show Me Your Heart also had a similar theme lol). big fan of the idea that love doesn't ever end, you can always find it again and it can be just as deep and meaningful—even if it's far from where you thought you would be when you were younger!

at the risk of oversharing, i think one of my biggest emotional journeys in my early 20s was the discovery that (for me at least), most parents fall into two categories: the ones you can forgive and the ones you can't. sometimes parenting mistakes are vile and awful and downright abusive, but sometimes parenting mistakes are just a result of people having kids before realizing what that means or actually entails. i think this is especially true for parents in ryuuken's generation—the well-meaning but awful at expressing it generation, who just want what's good for their kids but have very limited, society-driven views of what success and happiness looks like. you know those articles about how more dads know how to change their kids' diapers today than they did throughout the 50s-90s? i think that's kind of how i viewed isshin and ryuuken vs ichigo (who is about to be a father) in this fic too. there is no doubt in my head that ichigo will do better than isshin, but that doesn't mean i'm not at least a little sympathetic about the contexts isshin and ryuuken come from.

i think ryuuken and isshin are both characters who are very eager to run from their past, which puts them at odds with their kids, who are starving for a connection to their roots. of course, i'm not necessarily an apologist for either of them, but i did want to explore these conflicts, and the love that runs beneath all of it. i don't often get a chance to explore love between significantly older adults, so most of my writing is often in the realm of everything feeling Big and Explosive and Important (because when you're young, it really is!). getting to strip all that back and write about these two old geezers and their big family felt great :D of course, i love the karakura kids, so 99% of my fics are either about them entirely or have them in it in some shape or form. i wouldn't want it any other way and i'm glad people are enjoying it 💖💖💖 thanks a lot, i really appreciate it!

[rayshippouuchiha]

Ray-Ray, do you have any headcanons for a Ready Made Family AU: Kyoraku Style? I feel like he and Ichigo would make a great pair, because Shunsui is known as a womaniser, whether he is exaggerating or not, but Ichigo has her sisters to protect and she isn't gonna take any of that from him.

Okay okay okay! I got another ask that immediately made me think of this one:

Ray darling I have this AU rattling around in my head where Ichigo kills the Kenpachi(not Zaraki) without knowing how he is. Like the 11th is out in Rukon for some reason and the dude messes with one of Ichigo's friends Ichigo stabs him. He now has a division he has no clue what to do with and he's not allowed to refuse. Also, Ichigo has absolutely zero tolerance for the anti-kido, no helping your friends bullshit. I've no clue what do with this so just shouting it into the void for others

And I realized it would fit perfectly into this AU!

So! We've got an Ichigo who, through a series of events, has ended up on her own in Rukongai with two little sisters to raise and care for.

All three of them need food to various degrees as well as shelter but even with Ichigo eating way less than she needs to be on the regular and spending more than one night out under the stars while she works to bring in money, it never seems to be enough.

But Ichigo is strong and her power seems to only grow with every fight, with every hardship she overcomes. She is an uncharted ocean of reiryoku who spends her days and nights with her teeth gritted, trying desperately to keep her power from leaking out, from alerting anyone to the truth of her abilities.

It is, in fact, what had caused the final fallout between her and Isshin.

Isshin had wanted her to submit herself to the fate of becoming a Shinigami but Ichigo ... Ichigo, for all that she could hold her own in a fight and often enjoyed it, had only wanted peace. Had only wanted a life of her own with her sisters safe at her side and, perhaps, one day something warm and sweet to call her own.

Isshin had disagreed.

Ichigo had been forced to insist.

And now her life has become a string of fights with only brief moments of peace between them. Has become this delicate balance between staying hidden and pushing herself desperately to become stronger and stronger because the twins need her to be the best she possibly can be.

So she hunts hollows, tracks down thieves, does construction, lifts and carries freight, fights gangs and petty criminals, and deals with all of the darkness that the Shinigami all too often overlook, safe as they are in their glorious fortress. Anything and everything she can do to provide for the girls.

She gains a bit of a reputation in the outer districts as someone to call on when the Shinigami will not help. And so, in the end, no matter how much the idea makes Ichigo's teeth itch, she becomes some bastardized form of substitute Shinigami in all but name and rank.

But at least she stays hidden from the powers that matter and she holds onto that last bit of freedom with ragged hands.

It gets a little easier when Yuzu and Karin grow a little older, able to be trusted with a neighbor or on their own for a few hours here and there and freeing up Ichigo to find even more work.

It's not perfect but it's a life, one Ichigo is almost proud of even.

So, of course, a Shinigami has to ruin it all.

Ichigo is carting crates at a bakery closer to Seireitei than she normally likes to get. She makes an exception for this place because the woman who runs it doesn't mind watching the twins and has a habit of plying them with treats throughout the day as Ichigo works.

She senses the trouble first, hears it second, and has to wait precious seconds before it comes into her sight range.

A Shinigami. A captain too from the looks of his clothes.

Ichigo grits her teeth, grabs at her reiryoku with all her strength, and vows to keep her head down.

Which means, of course, that the Shinigami, a handful of his followers trailing behind him, heads directly for her.

Or, to be more accurate, the shop she's working at.

He's loud, boarish in appearance as well as attitude, but the way he shoves rudely past Ichigo without sparing her a glance is actually preferable.

His rudeness to the shopkeeper is more grating but Ichigo simply shoulders another crate and goes about her business.

But then ,,,,

"Brat," Ichigo hears the Shinigami hiss.

And that word sets the hair on the back of her neck on end.

She half turns just in time to see the Shinigami draw back one massive hand, obviously intent on striking someone down.

Ichigo has enough time to register just what, who, has drawn his ire before her mind blanks and her body moves without her consent.

One second she's standing across the shop, a crate on her shoulder and another at her feet, and in the next she's standing in front of the Shinigami, one arm raised to catch him by the wrist, Zangetsu settled firmly in her free hand as easily as breathing and Karin cowering behind her.

"Touch her," Ichigo says flatly, "and it'll be the last thing you do."

A hush falls over the entire area, even the Shinigami's followers go completely silent as they straighten to attention.

"Is that a challenge, little girl?" The captain sneers as he jerks his arm free.

"It's a fact," Ichigo tells him simply, not bothering to try and stop him. Because it is. Peace might have been Ichigo's dream but there is nothing and no one she would not destroy to keep what is hers safe. "But if you want to take it as a challenge I've got no problem making sure you learn the lesson."

The captain laughs, his followers laugh, and Ichigo can't help the way her mouth curls up just a bit at the corners in a snarl.

"I am Kenpachi Kiganjo," the captain, Kenpachi, announces then, one hand already reaching for the zanpakuto on his belt, "and you are going to die."

"Well," Ichigo says, a hand gesture sending Karin scurrying away with Yuzu to hide behind the counter as she tightens her grip on Zangetsu's hilt, "you're welcome to try but I'm warning you now, I've got shit to do later so I'd rather make this quick."

~~~

The shockwave from their clash blows the windows out of the shop but Ichigo can't focus on that at the moment.

~~~

The fight is long and brutal and ends with far more blood than she enjoys.

Ichigo has no interest in killing this Kenpachi Kiganjo, has no interest in the trouble that killing a Shinigami-taicho will doubtlessly bring her.

But he leaves her with no choice.

He refuses to stay down, refuses to accept defeat gracefully.

And the one time Ichigo tries to end the fight and walk away, the one time she tries to show him some degree of mercy, he turns his attention towards the twins yet again, mouth spewing out filth.

So Ichigo does the only thing her instincts and her nature will allow her to do to someone who would speak of what is hers in such a manner.

She puts Zangetsu cleanly through his spine.

He's dead before he realizes she's struck.

Again silence takes over the street.

And again Ichigo pays it no mind.

Instead, she cleans Zangetsu's blade and turns her back on the rapidly cooling corpse.

A long low whistle has the twins poking their heads out of their hiding places, their screams of "Ichi-nee" filling the air as they run to her side.

With the girls wrapped firmly in her arms and all of her efforts to fly beneath the radar thoroughly ruined, Ichigo doesn't bother to pay any attention to any of the other Shinigami who have begun to clamor for her attention.

Instead, she takes a deep breath and steps.

~~~

It doesn't end there of course. Ichigo's luck isn't that good.

Now she's being hunted.

Shinigami seem to be around every corner, her description on all of their lips.

Some manage to find her but she leaves them all beaten and bloodied but alive in a pile behind her.

Instead of the regular beatings discouraging them it only seems to make them more eager, more determined to get closer to her.

It takes months before she sticks around long enough to listen to any of them talk.

To be more accurate they start to ambush her in groups and scream at her as she's busy fighting.

When she finally gets the majority of what they've been trying to tell her, Ichigo just thinks they're all even more ridiculous than before.

There's no way she's going with them back to the Seireitei because there's no way she is a taicho now. She wants nothing to do with Shinigami and she didn't even go to the Academy, which is a fact that makes them all seem even more rapturously delighted for some reason.

Only they don't relent. Weeks more pass and they keep coming, day after endless day. They interfere with her attempts to find work, scaring off any who would hire her and not leaving her in peace long enough for her to hunt Hollows or gang members.

In the end it's the one called Ichinose, a tall and stoic Shinigami, who manages to convince Ichigo to at least visit Seireitei. It is, he says, the only way she might be able to get herself out of the situation she's found herself in.

So, with the twins tucked somewhere safely out of sight, Ichigo goes.

Ichinose is, thankfully, quiet and polite company for the entire trip. Though the speed they move at might also have something to do with that. Ichigo does not, after all, have the better part of a month free to make the trip to and from the inner parts of Seireitei. Haste is necessary.

She doesn't like the whispers or the way people stare at her in her simple and obviously threadbare clothes. Doesn't like any of it at all. But this is her only real option. The Shinigami will not leave her alone and she needs them gone more than she needs to avoid Seireitei at the moment. If this trip will do that then no amount of whispers and stares will stop her.

Ichinose is leading her through a large courtyard when someone finally stops them.

"Oh," a voice, warm and husky and filled with a lazy kind of cheer, calls out then, "who's this little beauty, Ichinose? Don't tell me you're taking her back to the 11th. Haven't seen Kenpachi in a while but she'd be wasted on him."

Ichigo feels the way a scowl immediately crawls its way across her face even as she turns to face the speaker.

"Such a mean expression," the man, tall and handsome in a disheveled sort of way beneath his straw hat and ridiculous pink kimono, practically purrs at her. "It doesn't suit you, little flower. Bet I could make you smile a lot better than Kenpachi ever could."

Frazzled and irritated, run ragged by the stress of the past few months, Ichigo reacts instinctively when he reaches out to grab her hand.

Her fist buries itself right in his smug face and he folds like his strings have been cut.

"Ah," Ichinose speaks up from her side then only to send ice trailing down Ichigo's spine with what he says next.

"I'd like to introduce Kenpachi Ichigo," Ichinose says, "our new 11th Division taicho. I've brought her to tour her new Division."

"Hey," Ichigo cuts in then, rounding on Ichinose with her eyes narrowed sharply, "I thought you said I could get out of this mess if I came here."

"I lied," Ichinose says placidly, barreling on before Ichigo can erupt at him, "Kenpachi-taicho, please meet Kyoraku-taicho, captain of the 8th Division."

Ichigo freezes and turns slowly to stare down at the man whose nose she's very clearly broken. The second Shinigami-taicho she's laid hands on in the past few months after years of avoiding any trace of them.

And in that moment all she can think is

"Are all the taicho here such assholes or am I just special?"

[hibiscusangel15]

Rumors

Day 22 Prompt: there’s been talk about us

Summary: Rumors chased after Ichigo and Rukia their entire lives. People liked to gossip about their appearances. About their statuses. It was always the trivial matters that rubbed others the wrong way.

And then came the rumors about the nature of their relationship. For Day 22 of @ichirukimonth​ 2021.

Rating: Gen/K

*Also crossposted to AO3 and FFN!

If you like my fic, please consider buying me a coffee!

                                       We fear that which we cannot see.

“Hey, have you heard?”

“That Kurosaki kid—”

“Yes, that Kuchiki girl—”

“No way! A delinquent joining our class?”

“Of course that untalented recruit is a noble. It’s the Kuchiki influence. I thought so, too!”

Rumors chased after Ichigo and Rukia their entire lives. People liked to gossip about their appearances. About their statuses. It was always the trivial matters that rubbed others the wrong way.

And then came the rumors about the nature of their relationship. A bit surprising, to be sure, but not altogether unexpected, given how petty gossip hounds could be. Just another bored rumor passed along the mill that would eventually be forgotten and replaced with something new.

They both denied it as firmly as they could. It never satiated others’ nosy appetites for long.

All those rumors fell away when she was whisked back to Soul Society. They were the last thing on his mind when he and the others fought to rescue her. He’d forgotten about them completely until she and the other Shinigami showed up during the next semester, unannounced, and the rumors started up again.

It didn’t help that she was living with him now, either.

“What’s the deal with you and Rukia-chan anyway?” Isshin asked while helping his son with the dishes. The girls were having fun getting to know each other upstairs, so he figured he’d step in.

Ichigo threw him a peeved side-glance. “What do you mean? She already told you she has no money or relatives here to help her.”

“So you volunteered to take her in without a second thought, huh?”

“You expect me to let her fend for herself?” The defensive edge in his voice made Isshin pause.

He smiled as he took a dish from the rack to dry. “No, of course not. You’ve always been the type to stick your neck out for someone in need. Why do you think your mom and I named you Ichigo?”

Ichigo said nothing, just continued washing dishes. If one good thing could be said about his punk of a son, it was the fact that he never flaunted his inner strength.

“You’ve never really had many friends growing up. For the longest time, the only friend you had was Tatsuki-chan and then Chad. Everyone else was too scared to try and talk to you. So I’m glad you’re putting yourself out there this year and making a bunch of new friends, Ichigo.”

His son’s face softened.

“That being said, you never answered my question, my son.” Isshin’s eyes sparkled with a single-minded pursuit. “Could it be you don’t trust me enough to tell me the truth? Or is it that you're too shy?”

That all-too-familiar scowl returned to Ichigo’s face. “What the hell’re you talking about, Dad?”

“There you go, dodging the question again! I’m talking about Rukia-chan! Is she, y’know, your girlfriend?”

“My...girlfriend?” A dish slipped from Ichigo's grasp and shattered into pieces.

“Aw crap!” he swore, stooping to the floor. “Sorry, Dad!”

Before he could reach for the largest piece, Isshin gently pushed his son's hands away. “Let me handle this, Ichigo. I don’t want you hurting yourself. Go get the trash can.”

“Dad, it’s no trouble. I can get it.”

Isshin paused. “To be honest with you, son, my joints ain’t as spry as they used to be. I probably can’t get up right now even if I wanted to.”

“Oh, what? You’re such an old man,” Ichigo said as he pushed himself up.

At that moment, Isshin slipped a small pill into his mouth. Urahara’s gigai tech might have been impressive when he was first gifted the thing, but damn was it getting more and more unresponsive as he got older.

After Ichigo cleared the shards away, Isshin let his son finish washing the dishes. It was the easiest way to trap him there, at any rate.

“Anyway,” he began again, “what is Rukia-chan to you?”

His son hesitated, brown eyes darting around as if he could pull some bullshit excuse from the murky dishwater.

He covered it up with yet another scowl. “We’re just friends. Sorry to disappoint you and Yuzu.”

“Aw, c’mon, Ichigo! Your sister and I are just curious!”

“You guys are way too keen about my nonexistent love life. Why don’t you two get lives of your own?”

“You kids might not understand this since you’re so young, but when you become a parent, your life revolves around your kids! That means your life is my life, too!” Isshin clenched his fist. “So c’mon, Ichigo! Tell me everything! Don’t be shy!”

“I’m not being shy. Quit bugging me.”

“Oh?” Isshin’s eyes gleamed. “Only a truly shy man would be so cold! Come now, my son! Confess your deepest, darkest secrets to your father!”

As soon as he tried to embrace his son, all turned black as his face rammed right into Ichigo’s elbow.

                                                           * * *

The girls upstairs heard a loud crash and Ichigo’s infuriated cursing.

Karin frowned at the floor. “There they go again. God, it’s so exhausting living with them. Sorry, you’re just going to have to deal with them for the time being.”

Rukia slapped on an innocent smile. “Oh, I don’t mind! I think a lively household is kind of fun!”

Another crash thundered through the house as the two men continued brawling away. Karin sighed. “Fun, huh?”

“I just hope they remember to clean up after themselves! I’d hate to clean the kitchen again when I already did it last weekend!” Yuzu said.

Rukia had heard their muffled fighting before when she hid in Ichigo’s closet. To actually bear witness to the Kurosaki family’s antics was another matter entirely. Compared to the piercing silence of the Kuchiki household, this was a much more comforting change of pace.

“Now don’t take this the wrong way, Rukia-chan.” Yuzu fidgeted on her bed . “But…um….”

Karin tilted her head back with a loud sigh. “She wants to know if you and our stupid brother are dating.”

“Karin!” Yuzu shouted, scandalized.

“It’s what you wanted to ask her since she arrived, right?”

“Dating?” Rukia repeated. “No, we’re just friends!”

“Just friends, huh?” Karin muttered.

“Yes, of course.”

“So you say.”

“Karin!”

“I’m just saying it’d be way more interesting if all this was some elaborate ruse for Ichigo to introduce his girlfriend to the family is all.” She flopped back onto her bed, letting her legs swing freely over the edge.

“That certainly would be more interesting, I suppose,” Rukia conceded. “Unfortunately, that’s not true. No offense to your brother, but he’s too honest to think of doing something like that.”

The three paused when Ichigo’s booming sneeze echoed up to them from downstairs.

Karin smirked. “Friend, girlfriend. It’s all the same to me, I guess.” She pointed a finger at Rukia. “You and I might get along swimmingly once you drop that nice-girl act and be yourself, though.”

Rukia blinked. And here she thought her human girl schtick would work here, too.

The smile that crossed her lips was softer, more natural this time. “You and your brother have the same instincts, I see.”

“I’d say I’m better at reading people than he is. He’s a big dope.” Karin waved dismissively.

Yuzu’s warm smile grew. “Whether you’re just friends with Ichi-nii or something more, I’m still glad to have you in our home, Rukia-chan! It’s nice to have more girls in the house for once!”

Rukia dipped her head. “I’m grateful that you’re letting me stay here without questioning my motives. I hope I won’t be a burden to any of you.”

“If you can keep my brother and my dad in line, you’d be more of a help than a hindrance,” Karin said. “Anyway, Yuzu tends to snore and fuss in her sleep, so I hope you can deal with that, too.”

Yuzu flushed and threw a pillow at her sister’s bed. “Karin! I don’t snore!”

Siblings showed the oddest resemblances to one another from time to time. Karin's teasing grin was so much like her brother's that it made Rukia smile in return. Ichigo then barged into the room and plunked himself on the edge of her bed to hang out with them. They all talked about their day and mocked each other in that special way only siblings could. It was warm and exasperatedly caring.

All those silly rumors that once passed around Karakura High about her and Ichigo dating would definitely escalate if anyone saw her living with him. It didn’t matter to her either way.

For once, she'd found a place where she didn’t have to worry about being judged. Rukia could dare to be happy. She dared to relax and laugh along with them. The Kurosaki family treated her like she belonged, and that was enough.

                                                               * * *

“Wait, they live together? Are you sure?”

“Of course! Kojima-san went to their house the other day to bring Kurosaki all the homework he missed, and he told me that Kuchiki-san was the one who answered the door! And she took it from him on his behalf! Like she was his girlfriend or something!”

“No way someone as pretty as her would be shacking up with a guy like that, right?”

“I don’t know. You remember how she climbed in through the third-story window and kicked him in the face and smacked him around? If anything, I feel sorry for Kurosaki.”

Now those rumors couldn’t be helped either. Rukia needed somewhere to stay, and like a little pest, she wormed her way into Ichigo's home and his everyday life. And with his month-long Vizard training going on, he wasn’t exactly around to put a stop to them.

The rumors really started to get out of hand once Ichigo, his friends, and all those weird kids who joined in the middle of the semester disappeared at the same time. No one knew where they went, or if they were even alive.

Some theorized that they had all dropped out to form a street gang. Others proposed the idea that Kurosaki and Kuchiki-san had eloped and invited all their friends to the wedding. All of which were extremely ridiculous, but who was to prove them wrong? Certainly not the subjects of the rumors themselves.

Oddly enough, both Asano and Kojima were the first to dismiss any rumors they heard. They seemed less enthusiastic about it, like their friend’s love life was no longer a fun puzzle to work out. They hung a lot more around Arisawa, who was equally morose and exhausted with it all.

Of course, this only fueled the wild rumors further. Perhaps they were bummed out that they weren’t included in whatever escapades Kurosaki and his other friends got involved with.

Then Kurosaki returned. Without any of those weird friends of his. Without that odd Kuchiki girl by his side. 

Kurosaki Ichigo became a recluse, even among those he once called friends.

Perhaps they’d broken up. Maybe she had to move away.

The mystique of their relationship died down pretty quickly after that.

It was not until May of their final year of high school did rumors about Kuchiki Rukia returning circulate around the school. Someone claimed to have seen her hanging around Karakura again. With how eagerly Kurosaki cancelled the rest of his sports team contracts to leave school earlier, it seemed more and more plausible.

Inoue Orihime’s own confirmation that the Kuchiki girl was indeed back only fueled the flames. Apparently, Kuchiki Rukia and all the new kids had to move far away all of a sudden. No, they weren’t all a weird family. No, she would not return to Karakura High.

As for the rumor covering Kuchiki Rukia and Kurosaki Ichigo’s relationship status, Inoue, Arisawa, and Kojima were all tight-lipped on the matter. Despite their best efforts, Asano Keigo was not all that great at keeping secrets, and it only took a bit of pressure for him to crack.

“No, they’re not dating! Can you believe that?” he’d screech at anyone who would listen. “I swear, I’ve tried so hard to hook them up, but nothing I do works! Tell me, what’s a guy gotta do to help his dumbass friend score, huh?”

                                                           * * *

Rukia was in the middle of writing up a report when Ichigo decided to show up for an impromptu visit. Admittedly, it was nice catching up with him, but it did wreck her entire work schedule for the day.

Well, perhaps wreck wasn’t the right word for it. She didn’t mind his company. She just normally finished up faster than this.

The odd look her brother threw her when she requested that they be left alone put her off. It did not help that she had flushed when Renji raised a tattooed eyebrow at her before he left, nor the fact that the servants hushed their giggles when Ichigo looked over his shoulder at them.

“Hey, is something going on around here?” he asked after catching the latest servant stifling a smile as she passed. “The servants have been whispering to each other all day.”

That’s because you decided to barge in so blatantly like you live here, you fool, she wanted to say.

Rukia shrugged affectedly. “People like to talk.”

About us, to be precise.

Ichigo scoffed. “People are always talking about me like I’m some kind of freak because of my hair. I’ve never cared all that much about gossip. It’s all bullshit anyway.”

She set her brush down on the inkstone. “I see. You too, huh?”

“Too?” he repeated, finally looking over at her.

“You heard Nii-sama explain why I was adopted into the Kuchiki clan, correct?” She took his silence as a yes. “The Kuchiki name is a prestigious one, but that notoriety does not come without its costs. The moment I was adopted, I was immediately placed in Squad Thirteen despite never having graduated from the Shinigami Academy. I was deemed a product of nepotism, and the other squad members hated me for it.”

Rukia shut her eyes. The memory of Kaien’s warmth flickered in the back of her mind. That would be a story for another day.

“It may seem ridiculous to you, how such a thing could hurt me.” Her smile did not reach her eyes.

He shook his head. “It’s not ridiculous, Rukia. What’s ridiculous is all the stuff people assumed about you. They don’t even know you.”

“No,” she said. “But even worthless rumors can start to take their toll once enough of them build up.”

“Oh yeah? Well, I’m gonna change that.”

Her smile fell. “How so?”

“We’re friends,” Ichigo said without any hesitation whatsoever. “So anyone who talks shit about you gets the business end of my sword.”

“A little extreme, don’t you think?”

Ichigo snorted but said nothing else.

To alleviate the tension brewing around him, she teased, “And what rumors about yourself have you heard lately? I’ve heard quite a lot. I’ve even been asked to confirm a few, on occasion.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

Rukia turned the various rumors over in her mind, struggling to find the best way to spin it. A joke perhaps? Could he laugh off something like this?

No, Ichigo would probably get embarrassed and storm off to find the cretin who started these unsavory rumors in the first place. She would assume such talk was unbefitting of those who served in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, but apparently she was mistaken.

“Nothing much. Petty gossip.” She continued writing her report as if such matters didn’t concern her at all. “About you and I, mostly. What we are to each other.”

Ichigo scowled. “Not this again.”

“Unfortunately, yes.”

“It’s like people don’t have anything else to do with their lives. Stop trying to live vicariously through us already.”

Rukia paused. “Live vicariously?”

“Yeah, it’s like when people try to experience stuff through—”

“No, I know what it means. But what did you mean by that?”

The moment he met her eyes, she understood. There was a frantic, helpless gleam to them, but even so, he did not dare look away.

It was not a challenge, but more a question. It was a plea. His confession.

“Oh. I see.”

“Look, I wasn’t trying to…. I mean, it’s not…. This wasn’t the way that I wanted to….”

Ichigo put his head in his hands and took a deep breath. When he finally sat up straight again, he looked her right in the eye. “Rukia, do you want to go out with me?”

“Oh?” She leaned her head in a hand, the corner of her mouth tugging up. “Are you sure you want to prove those rumormongers right?”

He scowled. “This isn't about them! I told you, I don’t give a shit about what other people think. It wasn’t the rumors that made me like you.”

“What a bold thing to admit.” She covered her mouth in mock surprise.

“Ugh, shut up! It’s hard enough to say as it is.”

Rukia began to laugh. “You’re so strange, Ichigo. I like that about you, though.”

He tried and failed to hide how red his face had become. “Don’t make fun of me.”

“I’m not.” Her smile became more genuine then as she reached her hand out to his. “I am happy you asked. Although, I hope you know that it is uncouth of you to drop in on a woman unannounced. According to what I read about courting in the World of the Living, it is also customary to have a chaperone along with us on our dates.”

“Yeah, that’s been outdated for centuries now. What the hell kind of books are you even reading?” he scoffed.

“How rude! And here I was, excited to ask Nii-sama to accompany us for our first date!”

“What? Don’t bring Byakuya into this!”

Their silly bickering echoed all throughout the courtyard. Even still, they did not let go of the other's hand.

                                                             * * *

"Hey, have you heard?"

"That Substitute Shinigami and Lieutenant Kuchiki are dating?"

"Why is this news? Weren't they already a couple?"

"Ah, I see! So I was right all along."

Years and years of speculation, only to have the confession be far more mundane than they hoped.

The funny thing about rumors was, once they were confirmed, they lost their appeal extremely quickly.

Another rumor soon came to take its place.

"Kurosaki Ichigo is a noble? No way!"

"Sure, he looks a lot like Lieutenant Shiba, but isn't he just a human?"

"You sure he didn't just marry into the Kuchiki family?"

And so it goes. And so the rumors circled back once again.

                            If you can say that your heart doesn't change

                                               Then that is strength.

                                                                -

                                       No, nothing can change my world.

The only time a petty rumor is actually one hundred percent true lol. But I mean, it's not hard to disprove with the way they're always looking at each other.

I suppose this fic can kind of fit in the same AU as Home and Clearing Away the Rain. Maybe consider it a prequel of sorts, if you like!

Thanks for reading! Until next time!

[ramblingkat]

More Bleach fic. Whee!

Soulmates AU, and a Time Travel AU. What fun!

This was a spur of the moment fun thing. Hope you enjoy. I’m pretty sure there will be more of this. 

***

It was a lovely morning out. Far too early to be up, but Kisuke knew that Tessai-san would frown at him he slept too late. Not when they had the shop to open for the morning crowds. Especially when Tessai-san himself still had to come back from his overnight trip to get new merchandise. 

It may seem deserted most of the day, but since Kisuke tended to sell older styles of candies and treats as well as stuff absolutely nobody wanted, he got some of the elderly people who were out and about in the late morning to visit with each other. 

Unexpected, and while he had set this shop up so that nobody would bother him, even he didn’t have the heart to take away a place that these people seemed to love. 

Life was too short for humans to steal little pleasures from them. 

Kisuke was a monster, but he wasn’t as heartless as he liked to pretend to be. Life would be much easier if he was. 

Right now, though, it was that soft part of the morning, where the birds were still waking up and the air was sticky with the cool of the night. Kisuke rarely saw this time of day. Unless he did what he did last night and simply choose to not go to bed. 

In theory, he should be sweeping, and there were slow, lazy movements of the broom as he shuffled his way along the porch. Maybe he should look into getting some assistants to help with stuff like this. 

He was lost in the thoughts of how one might go around getting help for the shoten when there was a tiny tug at the hem of his haori. The man froze, startled that someone had managed to sneak up on him like that, and Kisuke turned his head, looking for the source of that tug. 

On the ground by the porch, was a tiny little boy. He was five, and looking up at Kisuke with the biggest brown eyes he had ever seen. 

Kisuke knew for a fact the age of the boy, because he had seen the child right after birth, to make sure that the new member of the Kurosaki family was in good health. 

The baby had been a torrent of power then, but now he was…. Well, not invisible. There was still too much power coming off him for that, now that Kisuke was focused. But he blended into the world around him. 

That was a mystery, one he’d investigate later. 

Right now, he was more curious why Kurosaki Ichigo was now hugging his leg.

Masaki and Isshin were nowhere close. When he focused, he could feel their reiastu, even Isshin’s muted one, smooth in quiet waves of what felt like sleep. Oh ho, seemed as if someone had done a bit of an escape. 

Kisuke patted the bright orange hair, still uncertain why he was being hugged like he was. “Hello,” he said, not sure what else he was supposed to do here. “How did such a little boy ended up in front of my shop so early?”

Ichigo’s arms tightened more around Kisuke’s leg, and he rubbed his face against the man’s knee. Which surely couldn’t be comfortable. But Kisuke was distracted as he looked at the boy.

Something was...different. 

Then Ichigo tried to get up on the porch, offering his hands up so that Kisuke could help him. Seeing no reason not to, Kisuke did just that. 

The touch of skin to skin made a shiver of power spike up Kisuke’s arm, and he almost dropped the boy back to the ground. Something in him refused that, and he ended up scooping Ichigo up into his arms. 

Against his shoulderblade, something burned, and from the way Ichigo hissed, he felt it as well. 

Ah, this was how Kisuke was going to die. Something told him that Masaki was not going to be pleased to find matching marks on her five-year-old son and a man several centuries older than that. Isshin would grumble, but he didn’t have any room to talk. Kisuke remembered how old Masaki was when she and Isshin met. To souls of their age, a decade or so was not really all that different. 

Reluctantly, Kisuke set Ichigo down. The little boy whined and latched back onto Kiuske’s leg, refusing to let go. It took some time for Kisuke to get the boy to release him, and that was only accomplished by promising to be right back. 

Not that Kisuke planned on being gone long. He just stepped into his room at the back of the shop to sent a message to Masaki, as she was the more sensible of the pair. She could come collect her little escapee, and Kisuke could go have a minor meltdown in the training area. 

As he headed back to the porch, Kisuke heard a small scraping sound. When he peeked out, he saw Ichigo trying to hold the adult sized broom that Kisuke had been using. He looked up, rumbling with the broom a moment, then scowled at Kisuke.

It was absolutely adorable. 

“Gotta finish your chores,” the little boy said, trying to use the broom again. Kisuke had to cover his mouth, and used a stealthy bit of kido to save the image. He could transfer it to other material later. 

“Ah, forgive me, Kurosaki-san. Let me get something and I can do that.” 

For some reason, the brooms Tessai-san preferred came with smaller ones. Less full broom and more of a spot check broom, for getting in smaller spots. 

Perfect for tiny hands. 

Which was why, when a frantic Masaki arrived, she found Ichigo and Kiuske sweeping the porch together. Ichigo was talking all about his baby sisters, and Kisuke was nodding as if this was the most important information he had ever been told. 

Masaki was not certain she trusted Kisuke fully. She liked him well enough, and he had helped save her life, so that got him a certain amount of leeway. But something about him meant she kept one eye on the man when she was physically near him.

And definitely when he was near her son. 

But Ichigo, who finally spotted her, smiled when he saw her. “Momma! I found him! I found the man in my dream!”

As he spoke, Ichigo grabbed Kisuke’s hand and was pulling him over for Masaki to meet. She looked up at Kisuke, who seemed to be as honestly confused as she was. 

“You and I are going to talk about you leaving without permission,” Masaki told her son, who pouted at her, and refused to let go of Kisuke’s hand. Then Masaki looked at Kisuke. “What is he talking about?”

Kisuke got the shifty look that she was definitely wary of. “There may have been a small situation after Kurosaki-chan here decided to invite himself to my home today.”

“He’s mine,” Ichigo stated. “For always.”

“Maybe we should go inside and talk,” Kisuke offered. “If you think that Isshin-san is able to take care of your daughters without you.”

Masaki grimace. “Let’s make this quick.”

When Masaki and Ichigo left, much to the protest of the latter, Kisuke was still alive, had all of his limbs, and a promise of a future conversation. 

He also had a picture, which was carefully set aside. The image of a little figure with orange hair, and a green man with a stripy hat, each of them with something he thought was supposed to be brooms, smiled back at Kisuke from the paper.  It made something in him go all warm, and it was perfect blackmail material for later. 

After all, eventually, his soulmate would get older, and Kisuke would be able to whip out this picture then. He could just imagine the annoyed face he’d get. 

Something to look forward to. 

[brokenangelwings22]

Here's probably my only entry for IHweek. I've finally returned to writing. This is an excerpt from chapter 2 of my story Come Back Down to Earth. You can read the first chapter either on AO3 or FanFiction

Confession (IHweek 7/4) Please enjoy!

Chapter 2: Crawled In and Never Left

Give me the chance to tonight

I'll prove to you what's in my eyes

(It’s My Turn To Fly - The Urge - Titan AE soundtrack 2000)

Ichigo considered himself a reasonable man, but his patience was growing thin with his roommate.

“C’mon, man! You had a solid chance with Hime last night!” Renji pleaded with him. “Why are you so obtuse?”

“That’s an awfully big word for you.” Ichigo rolled his eyes at his friend. “Ever think of taking your own advice with Rukia?”

Renji let out a long suffering sigh. “You’re both hopeless, and therefore perfect for each other.”

“I’m perfectly happy with how things are with Hime. I don’t want to chance it.”

Renji pulled out a box of pretzel sticks from the cupboard. He fixed a concerned look on his face, and the seriousness unnerved Ichigo.

“Look. I’m not gonna force you. Even if I think you’re absolutely nuts not to. I will, however, point out that you’re an idiot for not telling her how you feel.” Renji pulled out a piece of pretzel and pointed it at Ichigo to emphasize his thought. “You’re gonna lose her one day if you continue to be ridiculous.”

Ichigo narrowed his eyes as his scowl persisted. “You think I am not aware of that?”

Renji placed the stick between his teeth and grinned toothily. “Yup!”

A sleepy noise came from behind the two men just as Ichigo opened his mouth to snap at his friend.

“Mm morning guys,” Orihime yawned as she stepped into the kitchen. “Any coffee? It’s too early.”

“Sorry Hime. Were we too loud?” Ichigo asked, his previous scowl morphing to something more kind.

“No,” she murmured. Her voice was still thick with sleep. She stumbled a little, bumping into Ichigo. “Oh hi wall. You smell nice.” Orihime leaned into his chest and snuggled him.

There was a strangled sound from Renji as he watched the young woman wrap her arms loosely around Ichigo’s waist. Instinctively, Ichigo wrapped his arms around her to steady her.

“Renji,” Ichigo said softly as to not disturb Orihime. “Please brew some coffee for her.”

“Jeez if I had known that Hime could instantly dissolve your sour mood with an embrace, I’d handcuff you both together.” Renji grumbled and shook his head, walking over to the coffeemaker on the counter.

Ichigo hummed a distracted acknowledgement as he idly stroked Orihime’s long auburn hair. She snuggled into his broad chest further. “Thanks. I’ll move her back to her room.” He was already moving towards the living room as he heard Renji’s snarky reply.

“Oh take your time. I’m merely here to serve.”

~*~*~*~

Ichigo sighed heavily as he stepped out from Orihime’s room and shut the door behind him quietly. He turned to walk down the short hallway, only to stop dead in his tracks when he saw his two friends standing a few feet away with evil grins on their faces. Squaring his shoulders and fixing a glare at Renji and Rukia, he taunted “Don’t you both have something better to do? Like, absolutely anything?”

Rukia’s grin sharpened further. “Nah, we’re more interested in heckling you.”

Ichigo grumbled, raking his fingers through his unruly hair. “Yeah yeah. You’re both insufferable.”

He flicked Rukia’s forehead and smacked Renji’s upper back swiftly as he moved to leave.

Rukia’s retort was loud as she declared, “And YOU are the annoying brother I never asked for and yet somehow got!”

Renji’s muttering was barely noticeable under the small woman’s rage. “C’mon, Rukia. Let’s leave him be.”

Ichigo rolled his eyes, stepping around the ornery woman and made his way to the kitchen. Of course, Renji was right. It annoyed him to no end that he hadn’t spoken with Orihime about how he felt towards her. Hell, if he were being honest, he knew that he was in love with her at first sight.

She’d stumbled into his dad’s clinic, buckling under the weight of her brother’s prone body. This girl, only 12 at the time, carried her six foot and change older brother from the scene of the car accident all the way there. She was battered and bruised from the wreckage too. It broke him to his very soul when he had to tell her that his father was unable to save Orihime’s brother. The ambulance Isshin had called to rush him to the trauma ward of the hospital had simply not gotten there in enough time.

He did his best to console Orihime, who collapsed in a heap on the clinic floor. Her clothes were soiled with dirt and caked in her brother’s blood.

Yuzu had entered the room, and with a kind and understanding voice, ushered the broken girl to the bathroom to wash up. Orihime stayed at his house for several days, mostly walking around with mechanical movements, much like a zombie or a robot, just going through the motions of a semblance of normalcy. At night she’d cry herself to sleep. Ichigo stayed by her side when she was awake, and would help her to bed when she could barely stay up right.

Slowly, but surely, Orihime processed the loss of her brother. Ichigo stuck to her like glue, promising her and to himself that he would always be there to protect her. Orihime professed her gratitude to him soon after she moved back to her apartment, telling him that she was eternally grateful for everything he had done. As time went on, they became inseparable. They went to the same middle school and then high school, which introduced them to new friends that they quickly established into a tight-knit group.

Orihime had grown up beautifully. Her smile, warm and bright, had the ability to render him speechless and lightheaded. He felt invincible and vulnerable all at once. Far too many times, their friends would catch him when he was slack-jawed and mindless, teasing him mercilessly when Orihime wasn’t looking.

He began calling her ‘Hime’ their senior year. He hadn’t meant to, but it just slipped out. She had been followed by a group of boys who often flocked around her, taken by her beauty and her curvaceous body. One of them had ventured to put a hand on her shoulder without permission and Ichigo had snapped. Any restraint he had frayed instantly and before he understood what was happening, he had slammed the cretin against the wall and threatened him.

“You don’t touch women without consent, especially Hime.” He growled at the other guy, clenching the offending limb.

Orihime had called his name softly, telling Ichigo to let the man go, and he had simultaneously dropped him and her request. Ichigo made it a point to be by her side every chance he had. To protect her, love her from a distance if need be. It was enough, at that time.

But once Ichigo, Orihime and their friends entered university, the strain to keep a tight seal over his feelings became increasingly more difficult. His best friend flourished in academics and her social life expanded to include other people outside of their small group. With that also came obstacles, and Ichigo had to fend off more than a few of Orihime’s admirers.

Ichigo gripped the handle of the carafe of coffee angrily at the memory. The steam and scent of the hot brew brought him back to the present. He sighed after loosening his grip and poured two cups, adding cream and sugar to Orihime’s.

Soft footfalls behind him reached his ears, along with a quiet yawn. A grin spread on his lips as Orihime came into view.

Orihime blinked away the remnants of sleep from her eyes, smiling brightly at Ichigo when he offered her the cup he’d gotten for her.

Taking a big sip, she sighed happily. “Thanks, Ichigo. You always know how to make my coffee just how I like it.”

Ichigo smiled gently at her, shrugging his broad shoulders. “Well, after knowing you for ten years, I’d like to think I know you well enough to get your preferences right.”

Orihime giggled and gazed up at him from behind the mug pressed to her lips. “You do, and I’m grateful for that. Lord knows why Rukia insists on adding extra sugar and Tatsuki puts in too little cream. You are a hero among men, good sir.”

Ichigo’s smile widened at Orihime’s playfulness. “I try my best, m’lady.”

“Where are Rukia and Renji?” Orihime asked as she looked around the kitchen.

“Don’t know. Don’t care. Hopefully somewhere off annoying someone else more deserving.” He shrugged nonchalantly.

Orihime snorted bemusedly, shaking her head in disbelief as he tried to sound convincingly bored and grumpy. She raised her hand to place it on his right cheek in a fond manner.

“What am I going to do with you?” Her question came out more flirtatious than she intended.

Ichigo’s eyes widened at her sweet gesture and instantly leaned into her touch, closing his eyes and revelling in it. He had never realized how touch starved he truly was until Orihime would step into his personal space with her warm smile and kind gaze. It was as if that one thing, a fleeting brush of her fingers, or a soothing embrace had the ability to heal his wounded heart or eradicate any scar left on his soul.

Losing his mother at such a young age had made him a hardened and angry child. He blamed himself for her death, believing that if he had done something, spent more time with her, taken care of her and his sisters more, that she may very well have recovered from cancer. But his father had explained to him many times that the disease was caught too late, and the malignancy had metastasized from her cervix to her uterus and ovaries very quickly. Ichigo was still struggling with the loss of his mother two years later, when Orihime stumbled into their clinic with her brother.

He’d figured that no matter how miserable and heart wrenching it was, he had found purpose in consoling Orihime. It gave him unbelievable strength to bond with her over the loss. Helping her ultimately helped him as well in the end. The desire to be with her only grew. It had crawled in and never left. He’d become greedy for it, overthrown by his desperation to be close to the light that was Orihime.

She continued to lightly graze his cheekbone with soft brushes against him, her warm fingers causing pleasant tingles on his skin.

Orihime cupped the side of his face as she watched in awe how he was drawn to her touch, feeling the soft smile that pulled at his lips. When he raised his hand to place it over hers, she felt herself being pulled by an invisible force, almost magnetic. He had always been like that, and she adored being the one that he let in entirely. She stroked his cheek and began to pull her palm away until he held fast to her. His eyes fluttered open, and the look he had in them made the breath catch in her throat.

“Ichi-“ she murmured breathlessly.

The raw emotion that flashed in his dark amber gaze made her spine tingle, her heart stutter and her cheeks warm. He had the ability to render her tongue-tied with the flicker of something deep and foreign to her. Ichigo pulled her into his arms, finally allowing her hand to move, and she found herself slipping it to the back of his neck and burying her fingers into his soft hair. He wrapped his arms about her, pulling her to his lean, muscular body and sighed happily as Orihime sifted her fingers through his hair, scratching at his scalp comfortingly.

Orihime pressed her ear over his heart, as he towered over her five foot one frame. The thumping, strong sound of it beating quieted her mind immediately. He slid his hands up and down her back, and she felt herself melt into it.

“I… I just need this, Hime.” Ichigo’s whisper filtered into her ear as he pressed his lips to her temple, sending a shiver through her body. Though quiet, she heard the fervency in his tone. She nodded against him, continuing her movements through his hair. She felt him shudder in their embrace and the breathless ‘thank you’ that he uttered.

“Were you thinking about something?” Orihime whispered back, her eyebrows drawing inwards as the possibility fluttered through her mind.

Ichigo nodded, letting out a stuttering sigh. “Yeah. Don’t worry about it. I’m better now.”

She hummed thoughtfully at his response, resigning herself to his simple answer. She wouldn’t push him further.

Finally Ichigo pulled back from her to look her in the eyes. His gaze was still intense, as it flickered with what she could only identify as resolve and something far much more akin to what she assumed she wore as an expression often in his presence. It made her heart skip a beat and her mind to race at the possibilities.

“Hime,” he murmured. The way he said her name was like an urgent plea. It caused her stomach to swoop down like she was on an out of control rollercoaster. She waited on baited breath as he gathered his thoughts.

Ichigo’s mind was restless. His need to put into words how he felt about her, loved her, desired her rushed through and permeated the recesses of his brain. He should’ve been used to the intensity of it by now, but he most certainly wasn’t. The way she watched him gave him strength to form the words, stilling the overbearing thoughts warring to leave his mouth.

“I want to kiss you,” he whispered. His simple response was anything but, knowing deep down that this could make or break their friendship. The smile she gave him nearly shut down his brain entirely.

“What took you so long?” Orihime breathed before Ichigo’s mouth was on hers, his lips holding nothing back as kissed her with all the desperation and hunger of a man starved. The radiating joy splashed over the burning desire thundering through his veins.

Orihime parted her lips as she let out a sound that would’ve embarrassed her outside of this situation. Instead, she felt exhilarated to an immeasurable degree. Her body quaked at the reverence and pure heat he poured into it. It was as if the dam of years of keeping everything bottled up in fear of losing each other burst and flooded them all at once.

She clenched her fingers in his hair as he delved his tongue into her mouth. Orihime felt her body fight between melting and being drawn taught, like a string on a bow. Ichigo’s hands slid down to her hips, flexing and gripping at her flannel pajama pants and flesh. She angled her head when he held her firmly, seeking out his tongue with her own.

Ichigo was quickly lost in the taste of her skin, the sounds she made and the feel of her. His nerve endings felt like they had caught fire. It was a sensory overload in everything Orihime. If he didn’t think he was greedy before, he certainly was now.

~~~(TBC)~~~

I certainly hope you all liked this! I should have the chapter finished bit up fairly soon. Thanks so much for reading!

Also— I’m uncertain why this isn’t showing up in the tags, so I’ll try it again.

[m34gs]

*pops up out of the hole I've dug myself in bc GrimmIchi with sunglasses and a Hawaii shirt on*

Hiiiii!!! It's me bugging you again!! (Raid doesn't work either, others have tried lol)

GrimmIchi Western Au??

Are they rival ranchers? Or maybe one/both of them are outlaws? How do they meet? Is it hate or love at first sight? Close to a town or a couples days on horseback away? Nearest doctor if one of them gets injured? How do the other characters play into this Au? What would the conflict be??

🧡💙🧡💙🧡💙💙💙🧡🧡🧡

*Lowers my baseball bat when I see it is you, my friend, and not, in fact, a whack-a-mole*

You are welcome to pop in here as often as you like, friend!! Especially when you bring such lovely ideas to the table. This will be a long response, so you know the drill. Under the cut she gooooooes!

So from the way your ask is worded, I am getting a strong wild-west sense. And I love it!

So, I think Ichigo is a rancher. His father is the physician in the nearest town, but Ichigo wanted to start his own life. So he saved up, did errands around the town and odd-jobs for anyone who needed it to earn enough coin, and then he purchased some property and got himself some cattle. He has a few horses (necessary for work and also the fastest way for him to get to town if he needs to). But he can't manage all those cattle on his own entirely and keep a house. So he often has one of his sisters stay with him, sometimes both. Karin loves helping with ranch chores. Yuzu likes to help with indoor chores. He often has them come over when they need a break from town or when their father is travelling or going to be away. He is the only doctor for a large area, so sometimes he travels out to other towns. They save all their non-emergent issues for him and he addresses them all at once.

Urahara I would put not so much as a doctor...but a pharmacist perhaps. He and his husband Tessai. Their children, Jinta and Ururu, help out around the shop, though Jinta has been known to come and give Ichigo a hand on the ranch now and again. (Their parents are friends)

Renji is a hired hand on the ranch. At first, he applies for the job because he is broke as hell and Ichigo is handsome, and let's face it Renji is not blind. He knows how to appreciate the fineness of Ichigo's body. But nothing comes of it, the romantic feelings he has quickly fizzle, and soon he's feeling more like Ichigo is the found family he always wanted instead. He was an orphan, living off of pennies.

Grimmjow is definitely an outlaw. Runs with some bandits. They wanna steal cattle and resell. And they are notorious. I think for this they could keep the title of Espada for their little gang. He is one of the loose cannons, though. Never know what he's going to do. Him, and his little sister, Nel. Nel and Grimm have been on their own from the beginning, and they only ever looked out for each other.

Until one night, they go after the Kurosaki ranch. And as they are stealing the cattle, Renji and Ichigo are chasing after them...and Nel falls from her horse. (or was she pushed...by Nnoitra?) Ichigo, even though they're enemies, won't let someone just get trampled in front of him. So he slows and he helps her up, and by that point the other Espada have left, and Grimmjow isn't aware his sister is missing yet...

Ichigo helps Nel to the ranch house. She's slightly injured, so they summon Isshin (not with any ritual though, they just send Renji to wake him up and bring him to the ranch). He comes and treats her.

Grimmjow is distraught over his sister being in the hands of the rancher. He is certain she's scared, certain they're being cruel to her. So of course the second he can, he rushes in, guns blazing, ready to kill and ready to save her. Only to find Nel giggling and hugging Ichigo and waving hello to her older brother.

After that...well, it's a steep learning curve but Grimmjow and Nel start to trust other people, get on the good side of Ichigo, and now they're friends. And Ichigo won't deny there is attraction to the tough-looking outlaw. And Grimmjow will stubbornly pretend he still hates him and is only there because of Nel and the fact that the head of the Espada will try to kill them when they find out Nel is now friends with Ichigo.

I think in this AU Orihime owns a bed and breakfast...where Uryu and Chad are the chefs. She inherited it from her brother when he passed away. But her cooking was so bad she almost had to close. Then Uryu and Chad showed up, an ultimate cooking duo, and she didn't have to close, she just switched to more of a hostess/bartender role. It's the favourite place in town for everyone to eat now, and Ichigo definitely treats Nel and Grimmjow to the food there.

Kenpachi is the sheriff. Strong, not concerned with politics at all, and very eager to fight anyone who disturbs the peace. Ikkaku is a member of law enforcement as well. And he's in love with the tailor; Yumichika, who makes the best dresses in the town. Nel definitely begs her brother for one, and he grumbles but then he starts helping out on the ranch and doing errands for the physician and pharmacist to make enough money to afford one. Ichigo may or may not secretly let slip to Yumichika about how they aren't well off and how much Nel admires the dresses and get them a discount, but that never gets around to Grimmjow (Ichigo and Yumichika are buddies and they totally have drinking nights where Yumichika just rants about how handsome Ikkaku is).

Some of the regulars at the bar (Hisagi, Izuru, Shinji) play instruments. They often play at Orihime's, which brings in more customers, and they get coins dropped in a little jar for them when the customers enjoy the music (they almost always love the music and the jar is never empty). Ichigo definitely drags Grimmjow out of his seat to dance when his favourite songs are played. And Grimmjow enjoys this, despite himself.

So those are my thoughts! What about you? What sort of things would you add? Any other characters? What happens with the stolen cattle? Do they ever get it back? Are the rest of the Espada caught? Do Grimmjow and Nel get pardoned for their past crimes or does the past catch up to them? How long does it take Ichigo and Grimmjow to fully realize they are in love? How do they confess to one another?

[recurring-polynya]

What comparisons can be made between renruki and Ichiruki? I often wondered about this.

This is such a hot button issue that as soon as I received this (perfectly polite) ask, my body tensed up and my brain went Am I being trolled?

It’s honestly a shame that there is so much bad blood behind this, because it is, in fact, a very interesting thing to talk about, and I am going to attempt to do so in good faith, because I love thinking about this kind of thing. Even though I am very openly a Renruki shipper, I love all three of these characters very much, and I think that Ichigo and Rukia’s relationship is very important! I am doing my best to be neutral, although I have not read very much Ichiruki fanfic/meta, so please give me a benefit of a doubt. Obviously, I can’t stop anyone from reblogging this and putting their own comments on it, but I have no interest in getting in debates over it, so don’t be surprised if I don’t engage.

This is both long, and I am sure some people don’t care, so I’m gonna put the rest under a cut. I have tried to hard to write this in a way that will not make anyone mad, but if you think it will make you mad, please give yourself the gift of not clicking on it.

So, what is the same between Ichigo and Renji? Lots, actually. Physically, they are both tall, strong, and have ridiculously colored spiky hair. They are outwardly grumpy, but secretly have soft, gooey centers. Neither one of them is dumb, but they are both dumbasses. They are protectors: they would rather take any amount of pain or damage onto themselves than see a loved one hurt. Their friends are everything to them, and that goes triple for Rukia.

How are they different, then? There are three major bullets:

- Ichigo is alive. Renji is dead. Perhaps this is a little flip, but Renji belongs to same world that Rukia does, and Ichigo does not. This is not a value judgment, it is just a fact: If Rukia ends up with Renji, she stays where she is. If she ends up with Ichigo, either Rukia or Ichigo have to make a huge change. I will get back to this.

- Youth vs. Experience. Ichigo is a 15-year old boy, as we are told about 1000 times. There is some mystery over how old Rukia and Renji are, but they have graduated from secondary education and are currently employed. I think it’s safe to assume that they are roughly close in age to each other, but I think Rukia may perceive Renji as seeming older than herself-- he graduated from school, and she didn’t; he’s on his third squad transfer, whereas she’s hasn’t budged from her initial, entry-level job, and he’s now middle management. However, the arc of the story we don’t get to see, is that over the timeskips, Rukia not only catches up to, but surpasses him. Also, not for nothing, but I think that in the same way Rukia is immediately drawn to Ichigo because of his resemblance to Kaien, I think she is also drawn to him for his resemblance to Young Renji-- a grumpy, prickly young man, leaking self-doubt from every pore, whom she is more able to be generous towards through the lens of age and experience. (And I think this comparison could support either ship)

- Ichigo is the protagonist. Rules don’t apply to him. Fate breaks on his sword. He represents the triumph of love or hard work or dreams or what have you over the cruel millstone of the world. Renji, on the other hand, is firmly bound to the rules of the world in which he inhabits. In fact, that is arguably the entire purpose of his character. Renji’s fights are often used to set the stakes of the conflict-- ah, Renji got mangled, this guy must be tough. In the Soul Society Arc, he is an antagonist because he is doing what he is supposed to. In the TYBW, Kubo literally throws the two of them in a pit to fight some asauchi just to make the point that Renji is a shinigami and Ichigo is something else.

Let’s jump over to Rukia for a moment. Rukia is a great character, one of my favorite characters in any media. Rukia contains multitudes. She is tough and strong, but often melancholy. She can be beautiful and elegant, but she also lies and breaks rules and tried to put Kon in a dead cat once. Emotionally, she likes to present a cool front, but she has a big, loving heart, and she feels deeply. As a character, all of this makes her very easy to project onto, which is why I think so many people OTP her with someone, no matter who.Some people choose to try to make her into one of these things or another, and some people try to keep her as the full bundle of contradictions that she is.

There is no romantic content in canon Bleach. There is no romantic content in canon Bleach. There are many, many scenes that can be interpreted romantically, but no one goes on a date, no one kisses. Ichigo gazes longingly into the eyes of all his friends, it’s just a thing he does. Orihime does explicitly proclaim at one point that she loves Rukia, although I suspect that in the original Japanese, it’s the word for “friendship love” and not the very-rarely-used “romantic love.” I have seen a scene-for-scene comparison of IchiHime “romantic moments” only it’s Chad and Uryuu (which I choose to believe supports IshiChad, rather than negates IchiHime, but we may all choose for ourselves!) My point is that shipping in Bleach is a DIY craft, which, when we’re all having a good time, is what makes it so fun.

So, bringing all of this together, given that Ichigo and Renji are fairly similar characters, why are the ships so different, and what makes one appeal to some people and be abhorrent to someone else?

I think about romance stories a lot. I actually took a class on romance novels in college and I just really like to think about the mechanics of stories. In the truest sense of the word, “romance” is about extremes-- about sailing the high seas and wearing ostentatious shirts and shouting off a cliff in a rainstorm. When we talk about romance as a genre, the characters tend to behave in a way that we would not prefer our actual romantic partners do, but the over-the-top nature of it makes us swoon and our hearts drop -- except when it doesn’t. What is heart-breakingly romantic to some people can be a huge turn-off to others. The biggest fight my husband and I have ever had was over a kdrama. The male lead was hiding his identity from the female lead in order to help her, and I found it all to be deeply, deeply romantic, and my husband turned to me and said “He is being dishonest with her and I think it’s morally wrong” and I almost died.

So, let’s break down some of the themes of the two ships, which I think gets at the meat of what you were asking. Now, like I said, shipping is very participatory, and anyone may have their own ideas of how these relationships would be, and I am a big fan of “a great writer can get away with anything”, but in broad strokes, I think that these are the themes of the two ships:

IchiRuki:

Love conquers all/ Love is enough to overcome differences of class, age, lifestyle, geography, etc.

Instant connections/Love at first sight

Love is a force of the universe that cannot be denied or defeated

Young love

Grand gestures

Your partner changes you (in a positive way)/You effect change in your partner

Your partner is the center of your world

Your partner is the one person who can get through to you/You are the one person who can get through to your partner

Banter

Dumbassery

RenRuki:

Love takes work

Best friends to lovers

Second chances/Broken things can be repaired

Love is a choice

You improve with age

Shared experiences build love

Pining

Working together with your partner to create a mutually satisfying life together

Your partner enriches your world, but your independence is maintained

Banter

Dumbassery

There is also some degree of character interpretation at work, too-- there seems to be a huge degree of disagreement between fans as to whether:

a) Ichigo enjoys his normal, human life, and even though he do anything to protect what he loves, he would prefer to live a human existence with his human friends and family. He credits Rukia will helping him realize his strength and powers.

b) Ichigo is unsatisfied with his human life and that meeting Rukia opened the doorway to a life of excitement and adventure, on top of being given the strength to protect his loved ones.

As far as Ichigo pairings go, I think that most IchiHime people fall in category (a) and most IchiRuki (and GrimmIchi) shippers fall in (b). In both cases, peoples’ ships align with their view of what makes Ichigo happy. Most IchiRuki content I have seen  seems to feature Ichigo moving to Soul Society, rather than Rukia moving to Karakura. Rukia pretty explicitly indicates at the end of the Soul Society Arc that she wants to stay in Soul Society, plus she’s got a pretty established life there. Contrast that to the story of Isshin and Masaki-- Isshin seems pretty flippant and disaffected about his life in Soul Society; it doesn’t seem like it was a particularly hard choice for him to give up being a shinigami. Also, it’s pretty clear that what Isshin did was illegal, and I’m not sure there would be an easy way for Rukia to just say “WELP, I’m off to live as a human, smell you jerks later.”

To try to wrap things up, I think the actual dynamics of an IchiRuki or RenRuki relationship would be very similar, actually. They would banter a lot and dive headfirst into danger and support each other no matter what. Byakuya would treat either guy with the vaguest, most grudging amount of respect. The primary perpetual, unresolved argument between Rukia and Ichigo would be “The Living World is dumb/Soul Society is dumb”, whereas with Rukia and Renji, it would be “Squad 6 is dumb/Squad 13 is dumb wait no I didn’t mean that Captain Ukitake is an angel.”

Personally, I headcanon Renji as being more able than Ichigo to step back and be the support person in the relationship (see that bullet about Ichigo being the protag), so I think that RenRuki could manage to run a functional household, whereas Ichigo and Rukia would just go on adventures until they got arrested for tax evasion.

*For the record, I am very pro-IchiRenRuki, except that they would be even worse at running a household. It’s just Renji trying to explain how a chore wheel works while Rukia and Ichigo walk out the door on him.

[transmogrified-in-the-void]

look im depressed have this “thk and ghost land in bleach” crack fic ok

Urahara honestly didn’t even know when it happened. It definitely started out slow, with Ichigo Kurosaki coming over more and more frequently for training. Eventually his sisters (terrifying and sweet, how fun) started to appear with their older brother. Soon, the candy shop owner found himself with a store full of teenagers. With rooms. Who lived there. Urahara doesn’t even know where the rooms came from in the first place, although he suspects that Tessai had something to do with it. Regardless, they all fell into a pattern, and, while none of the spiritually aware children lived there per-say (Ishida remained adamant that he would not be living with shinigami), they were around often enough that they could be.

Then Aizen happened, and Ichigo lost his powers, part of his soul, and the first thing that happened was everyone came back to the shoten for him. Urahara thinks quiety, in the back of his head, that had this small family not been made. Had his innocent candy shop not become home to so many, Ichigo could have been alone for a long time.

He did make the sword to return that missing part of his soul, of course he would. Because, as much as he tries not to show it, he genuinely cares for the band of misfits now under his wing, and damn it all if he doesn’t try to fix the pain he caused.

And they fall back into their routine. There are some bumps, namely Urahara finding out how Isshin “trained” Ichigo and proceeding to make the shoten a permanent home for the Kurosaki children. Not that anyone was complaining, Tessai loves talking with Yuzu, and Karin and Jinta compete to see who gets more work done. Meaning less for him and that is wonderful.

So imagine his surprise when two writhing sources of reiatsu, or something similar, suddenly appear at his front door. 

Urahara was in his lab when it happened, and he spent no time getting to the door. Sliding it open, he sees two creatures that look like they could be Hollows, but something’s wrong. Distinctly, profoundly, wrong.

The first thing is how human these creatures looked. One tall and thin, their black body writhing as they desperately claw at their face with one hand. A quick glance shows that their other arm is nothing but a stump. In front of the tall creature is a significantly smaller one who is trembling, but also trying to pry the tall one’s hand away.

The second thing is their masks. Where Hollow masks are made just to hide the face, these ones seem to be encasing the whole head. 

The third is the amount of terror pouring out of the tall one. It’s near suffocating, and yet they don’t make a single sound. Not one.

Urahara sees the small one signing something, but he’s not in any angle to be able to see what they’re trying to say. The tall one does though, and seems to grow more agitated before tilting their head back and shrieking. 

They start to claw at their chest (with no hole in it), then their face, then their stump, shrieking and definitely waking up at least Tessai and Ichigo, sensing them coming towards the source of the sound quickly. 

The small one suddenly turns to Urahara, a sudden spike in their reiatsu appearing as a many-layered voice cries out inside his head.

Help them! Help Hollow! It begs. Sibling in pain! Help them!

Tessai is the first to arrive, pausing at the scene, partially out of the mass amount of reiatsu

“This little creature wants me to help their sibling.” Urahara says. “Although I’m unsure how.”

Tessai nods, looking the tall one up and down. Then Ichigo arrives, and the small creature’s reiatsu flares more, and everyone takes a few seconds to get used to the sheer amount

Higher one! Help them! Help them!

Ichigo flinches, and Urahara tucks away what the little creature said for later. 

“Why can’t you help them?” He retorts. Of the three, Ichigo definitely was not the one to go to for healing.

The little one stills, like memories are coming back to them. 

Unifying Void. Killing Infection. Saving sibling. Can’t Focus. Can’t use SOUL. Help them! Help them! Higher being! Help them!!

Tessai steps forwards, going near the still-writhing tall creature. The small one watches with a dead look, although it’s hard to get much out of a full-head mask.

Help Hollow? Shell-less Shaman helps Hollow? Ghost thanks! Help them!

Tessai starts to heal the stump, which had started bleeding blackness. The small one’s thoughts continue to be impressed upon the trio, although Urahara’s almost positive they don’t know they’re doing it. Especially with how dark they start to get.

Green SOUL? Wandering Shaman? Higher being? Three higher beings. Danger to sibling? Kill them if danger. No Infection. Radiance dead. Squished. Hollow okay? Hornet okay? Lost sibling okay? King is dead. Kill mother. Shaman heal Infection? Where Shaman go?

More questions than answers, but the thoughts and immense amount reiatsu dissipate, leaving the two creatures. The tall one is sitting up now, looking around and analyzing their surroundings. The second one is signing, now where Urahara can see it.

Hollow! You okay? I killed the Radiance and now I’m here. Think she brought us here. They sign. Is she gone? Shell-less Shaman healed your stab wounds. How is your mask? Do you need a bench?

The tall one holds up their hand, signing the best they can with one arm. 

I am fine, sibling. Why do you call me Hollow? Is it a name? Have you bestowed me a name? What is your name, if you have one? It signs back, and the three shinigami (well, two shinigami and one part shinigami), watch in rising horror as the small one (Little Ghost, a name apparently given to them by their sister), is technically a god and a god killer, and a master of the nail, whatever that means.

Hollow does ask about the Nailsmith and the Nailmasters (what are with these names??), and Little Ghost talks about how Nailmaster Sheo now is a Paintmaster, happily with Nailsmith to make their own art and their own path. Hollow is not happy with how Little Ghost calls Sly a conniving bitch, though.

Once the catch-up is done, Hollow looks between Ichigo, Tessai, and Urahara.

You feel like Pale Being. They sign. Like Father and Mother (Little Ghost’s reiatsu screams hatred at the mention of their parents), like Radiance, like the Troupe Masters.

Little Ghost starts to flit at the mention of Troupe Masters, looking through a bag with fervor, but Urahara ignores them in favor of figuring out what is going on here.

“I don’t know what ‘pale being’ you speak of.” He starts. “But if they’re some kind of god, I can guarantee that we aren’t.”

Hollow seems to relax at that. Little Ghost sits down with a soft ‘thump’ and puts something on. Suddenly, there’s a chirp and a small creature that looks like it’s made of fire appears and nuzzles against Little Ghost. Hollow shifts at the creature.

Is that a... Hollow trails off.

Grimmchild! They sign excitedly before jumping and sprouting a pair of wings in pure joy. Didn’t think charms worked- You! They point towards Ichigo. Wield your nail!

They pull out what looks like some sort of sword, and things start to fall into place. Slowly.

Ichigo looks reluctant to fight this early in the morning, so Urahara gestures that he go back inside to sleep. He unsheathes Benihime, and Little Ghost lets him hit them.

Or so it seems because Urahara feels something go through his body, making his very soul quiver, and suddenly Little Ghost is behind him, and Tessai is looking increasingly concerned. 

“Urahara-dono, maybe we should do something.” He says, and Urahara almost agrees. Until he sees what Little Ghost is signing to Hollow.

You can be free, Hollow. They sign. Pale King isn’t here. You can feel things, you can finally cry and smile and not hide. You are free. Ghost emphasizes the last word, and in that moment Urahara knows he might just have to bring these two into the family.

[cheshiresense]

Could you do KoyoIchi (Swinging Pendulum), please? C: I have fallen in love with this ship ever since you posted those short one-shots (or whatever they are called) a while ago.

Hmm you didn’t include an AU and I’ve already done a KoyoIchi SP AU in the last batch, there’s not much else I can write for that I think. So how about KoyoIchi post-canon AU instead, where Ichigo’s human body gives out after the Quincy War, so he ends up splitting his time between SS and the Human world afterwards.

Edit: omg wtf did i do i went off i’m sorry this ended up semi-background pre-relationship KoyoIchi + like a dozen unrelated headcanons thrown in it’s a mess fml

1. It’s not usually done, he’s technically dead now (but not a Shinigami, not a Quincy, not a Hollow, and not even a Human anymore), but he has a lot of support from a lot of people - Kisuke has no qualms crafting him a gigai that would allow him to draw his blade even without stepping out of it, and Kyouraku basically gives him free run of Soul Society after they hammer out what Ichigo is supposed to do there considering he’s now stronger than the entire Gotei combined but also he’s technically only eighteen years old.

(It would be scarier, Kyouraku thinks, if Ichigo’s moral fibre hadn’t already proven itself superior.)

In the end, they settle it like this - Ichigo attends the Academy part-time for all the lessons Kisuke and Yoruichi and Shinji never bothered hammering into him because it was never important to the war, attends university in the human world, and the rest of his time is his do with as he pleases, whether that’s taking missions directly from Kyouraku, visiting with his friends in various squads and being roped into doing paperwork, or digging up yet another rebel faction or secret invasion out of the woodwork (”Please don’t dig up yet another rebel faction or secret invasion out of the woodwork for at least a month, Ichigo-kun. One month, you hear? We still haven’t finished cleanup from the last one.”).

Because it’s Ichigo, it works. it’s not like he wasn’t already coming and going from Soul Society when he was still human. The Shinigami have let him get away with far too much already to put restrictions on him now, especially considering he’s saved all their asses twice over now, and that’s not even counting all the trouble in-between. If there are some who complain, well, there are even more who are capable of making sure nothing ever comes of it.

So okay, no rebel faction, no secret invasion, but Ichigo’s not Ichigo without something to work towards, and he’s always wondered why the Shinigami side of his family was slumming it out in Rukongai when they’re supposed to be nobility like Byakuya and Yoruichi. The answer is simple enough - Aizen had mind-whammied everyone after Isshin ran off and fabricated a coup that resulted in assassinations courtesy of the Second Division before the remaining Shibas were ousted from Seireitei overnight.

(It was only too easy for Aizen to make them believe it.Nobody ever questioned whether or not the Shibas could. They had the power. They just never had the ambition, which nobody could understand.)

No way is Ichigo going to take that lying down. So he goes and yells at Kyouraku, who says it’s complicated and would take time, but Ichigo reminds him of the Visored and Kisuke and Yoruichi and Tessai, all let back in in the wake of the Winter War. If they could be pardoned, and rightfully so, why can’t the Shibas too?

“I’m not saying they can’t forever, Ichigo-kun,” Kyouraku says placatingly. “But Central 46 will want… assurances-”

“You mean they’re scared to let my family back in cuz they might still be a little bit pissed from having three-quarters of their members murdered in their beds,” Ichigo summarizes flatly.

Kyouraku sighs and gives up all pretenses of a neutral party. “If you have a better idea…” He waves a hand at the general situation, eyes dark and intent on Ichigo’s face.

Ichigo snorts and straightens up. “Yeah. It’s called ‘being too strong to fuck with’. The old bastards are in session right now, aren’t they? I’ll be right back.”

One day, Kyouraku muses as he watches Ichigo go, this will probably not work, and it’ll come back to bite them all in the ass. Then again, Central 46 has run Soul Society their way or no one’s way for far too long; Yama-jii had always given them too much power. They’d learned nothing from Aizen, so maybe Ichigo is exactly what they deserve, straightforward and running on emotion, but fair, always, and decent in a way that Kyouraku thinks most of their government has forgotten how to be, if they ever knew to begin with.

One day, even Ichigo’s threats won’t make Central 46 back down. But a god doesn’t bow just because someone demands it, no matter how important they think their bloodline or rank or status is. And Ichigo is probably the closest thing they have to a god these days. A god, with plenty of friends to back him up if he needs it.

So Kyouraku leaves him to it - better Ichigo than him, less headaches in the long run - and he isn’t at all surprised when Ichigo sweeps back into his office five hours later, expression grim but triumphant, reiatsu still writhing like a living shadow around him as he informs Kyouraku that his clan will be needing their old estate back.

Kyouraku pushes over the paperwork he’d completed an hour ago, authorizing the full restoration and compensation of the Shiba Clan. Ichigo smiles at him almost fondly, features only slightly tinted with a banked sort of inhuman rage that he carries around almost constantly these days - it’s three steps left of his cousin’s memory, with Hollow glinting in his eyes and the shade of his ancestor draped across his shoulders. He’s gone again in the next moment, off to tell his family the excellent news, and Kyouraku thinks it was probably a good thing Yama-jii died when he did. However reasonable Ichigo still is, he is no longer that boy with the too-forgiving heart who took the insults they served him with all the doormatted self-sacrifice of a storybook hero.

(He came back from the Soul King Palace equal parts pensive and victorious, with old eyes and reiatsu levels they could no longer sense and a terrifying sort of detachment when he looked at them all. But his friends had fallen on him without care, only relief, and the icy distance in Ichigo’s mien had melted. Kyouraku had understood though, in that moment, that Soul Society would stand only so long as Ichigo allows it.

He likes Ichigo, he genuinely does. Jyuushirou had too. That hadn’t stopped his old friend from attempting to leash him, which had almost backfired in the end and literally only hadn’t out of the goodness of Ichigo’s heart, and it doesn’t stop Kyouraku now from catering to Ichigo’s whims. Only time would tell if this approach will work better or worse than Jyuushirou’s law-abiding one, and in the meanwhile, it doesn’t hurt that Ichigo doesn’t actually want anything Kyouraku doesn’t want to fix anyway. Soul Society has been his home for over nine centuries now. He does not want to see it burn. If that means dragging it kicking and screaming into a new era with a boy their world created to fight their wars for them looking over his shoulder, then Kyouraku will do it gladly.)

It takes almost three months for the Shibas to gather again and move back in. They’d scattered, after their exile, all across Rukongai, but Kuukaku is their head, and Ichigo has single-handedly wrested back their birthright for them, and when both of them call, the rest of the clan answers, trickling in in twos and threes and fours, suspicious and wary and not inclined to trust anyone but their own, but they come, and the first thing they do is raise wards around their home strong enough to withstand a siege from the Royal Guard.

“That’s everyone?” Ichigo asks, looking from the civilians to the once-Shinigami to the children. All in all, they barely make thirty total, and over half of them are from their retainer families.

Kuukaku shrugs tiredly at his side. She’s never looked older than she does now. “You know Isshin’s staying in the Human world for your sisters, but other than that, pretty much. Everyone else is dead.” She pauses. “Well, except one, but I doubt he’ll come. Kaien’s wife’s brother,” She adds for Ichigo’s benefit. “Koyonagi Senzou. He was the Kidou Corps Commander before Tessai, demoted to Academy teacher after some mission the higher-ups covered up. He was the only one the Gotei kept on after we were kicked out. Never found out whether he actually wanted to stay or if Central 46 insisted he stay. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was the latter. He’s wasted at the Academy, too useful to kill but too dangerous to let out of sight. As far as I know though, he’s still there.”

Ichigo frowns as he digests all this. “And he won’t come by to see you guys?”

Kuukaku shakes her head. “I doubt it. He was never really one of us.”

“Why not?”

Kuukaku shrugs again. “He never wanted to be. I didn’t know him very well, Ichigo, but he loved exactly one person, and she was more or less killed under Kaien’s watch. It wasn’t Nii-san’s fault of course, but she was sent out on a mission given to her by the Thirteenth Division lieutenant, and she never came back. He attended her funeral. That was the last time any of us saw him, although our Shinigami members reported glimpses of him in and around the Academy over the years.”

Ichigo hums. Kuukaku gives him an arch look and then snorts. “Shall I prepare a room for him anyway when I start renovations?”

Ichigo grins at her. “That’d be perfect, Kuukaku, thanks.”

2. Of course Senzou has heard of Kurosaki Ichigo. You’d have to be living under a rock in a cave in a different dimension to not have heard of Soul Society’s God-Slaying Saviour.

And of course he’s a Shiba. That lot always was more trouble than they were worth, too powerful for their own good, and too reckless or too confident or too stupid - Senzou has never really figured out which - to hide it from the world or at least play it down to keep the world from turning on them because of it. No subtlety at all. And look where it got them in the end.

In the aftermath of the Quincy War, he hears of the Shibas’ return to the city, and he can feel the power in the wards they almost immediately erect around their home. For protection, no doubt, because old dogs can learn new tricks after all, but to Senzou, it just looks like a very pretty cage. Why they - or the Visored for that matter - came back to serve the very people who betrayed them in some of the worst ways possible is beyond him.

Not that it makes much of a difference to Senzou. He’d ignored them for decades before their exile; no doubt, he’ll happily ignore them for decades more. They’re related only through an unfortunate marriage, and considering both parties are long dead now, what little obligation he had to them likewise expired years ago.

But, he thinks, as he watches an increasingly familiar head of orange hair slide into his classroom, someone forgot to give that memo to the Shibas’ newest pride and joy. Even Senzou - with expectations that literally no student has ever met - can admit that Kurosaki Ichigo attending Kidou lessons is a complete waste of time. Senzou spends his days teaching idiots the incantations for each of the ninety-nine standard spells, trying not to scratch his own eyes out when he has to grade their papers, and making sure they don’t blow themselves up when they practice producing them. Even the most advanced of the sixth-years can only manage spells in the fifties range, with a fifty-fifty chance of average-at-best success.

Ichigo memorized all the incantations in the first two weeks he was here. His first essay on the use of forbidden Kidou - instead of a regurgitation of laws citing the illegality of them that everyone else turned in - became a dissertation on their pros and cons, arguing that every case in which they’re used should be thoroughly investigated not only by Central 46 but also by a panel of Shinigami, and why the laws against them should be amended to allow for unexpected circumstances. The brat even had the gall to throw in quotes of interviews he’d conducted, and if it had been anyone else claiming to have received firsthand and eye-witness accounts of forbidden Kidou usage from names like Tsukabishi Tessai and Hirako Shinji, Senzou would’ve set them on fire for being such a bad liar. He couldn’t even fail the boy for incomplete research because the books he referenced might not be found in the Academy library but they all had Urahara Kisuke stamped on them.

And his practicals? A high level of reiatsu usually means the caster would have a harder time performing Kidou, especially when they’re first starting out, too much power shoved into the lower-level ones, too little control to hold together the higher-level ones.

Not Kurosaki Ichigo. That boy spent the first week putting holes into everything except his targets, went away for a weekend, and then came back with singed eyebrows and bags under his eyes but a resolute set to his jaw and picture-perfect Kidou at his fingertips. He didn’t even need the incantations anymore. And to make him even more of an anomaly, he could perform spells right up into the nineties. In fact, the higher the difficulty and reiatsu output, the better he was with them.

There is nothing the standard Kidou curriculum from any year can teach him. His learning curve is insane, and his essays read like he’s gearing up to go toe to toe with Central 46, never mind an Academy class.

He doesn’t need to be here. Senzou knows it. The other students know it. And Ichigo most certainly knows it too. And with the special allowances granted by the Soutaichou himself, he doesn’t even need permission to skip. The boy’s been given unprecedented free reign to come and go as he pleases, and yet he comes back, week after week after week. He doesn’t even have the decency to sleep through Senzou’s lectures. He’s a flickering candle in the corner of Senzou’s eye, all flame-bright hair and brown-gold-brown eyes and shadows that won’t stop moving, and that unwavering attention he pins on Senzou every time makes it damn clear exactly what he’s waiting for.

Shibas. No subtlety whatsoever.

The bell rings. Bags are packed. There’s a scramble for the door.

“Kurosaki-chan,” Senzou calls in bored tones without looking away from sadistically adding an extra assignment to the board. If no one notices, that’s their problem. “Stay behind.”

There are some interested whispers and prying eyes, but one glance from Senzou sends them scurrying away. And then Ichigo is there, sauntering up with his perpetual scowl - not at all like Kaien this one. The two are as charismatic as each other, from what Senzou’s observed. But Kaien had people wrapped around his finger because he had a knack for putting them at ease and making them feel special and making himself both approachable and worth looking up to. Ichigo on the other hand scared a lot of people when he first showed up at the Academy with an armful of books and a gruff disposition that didn’t lend itself to making allies, let alone friends. He wasn’t arrogant, just introverted, but it made him the kind of genius that people resented.

And then Senzou caught him in the hallway one day, looming over a mousy-looking fifth-year student huddled on the ground, and at first, he’d thought Kurosaki was bullying her. Everyone’s golden boy, picking on a shrinking violet of a girl. But then Ichigo had stooped down and gathered up all the books spilled across the floor before offering them back to the girl. The girl had still cowered, but she’d accepted them, and when Ichigo reached out and hauled her to her feet, she’d flinched but hadn’t moved away once she was on her feet again and Ichigo had let her go.

Then Ichigo had told her, quite clearly, “Next time someone can’t keep their hands to themselves, break their fucking wrists. Or kick them in the balls. Or tell them to fuck off. Start a scene so they have to stop. Do something. Don’t just fucking stand there.”

And then he’d stormed off, and the girl - Fujiwara, from the Kyouraku family - had stared after him, all baby-duckling wide eyes. And the next time Senzou had happened across her, it was just in time to see her chuck one of her textbooks at the head of one of her bullies. Said bully had staggered back, and then purpled with anger, already moving forward with fists clenched. Half a second later, he was on the ground and wailing from a broken nose, and Ichigo was standing over him, murder glowing gold in his eyes and black reiatsu streaking his hair and pooling at his feet.

Nobody had touched Fujiwara after that, especially since the girl had taken to following Ichigo around. Ichigo had still scowled like no one’s business, he’d also been seen kicking Fujiwara’s ass in one of the training rooms, they studied together in the library, and they ate together in the courtyard when Ichigo happened to stay for that.

And gradually, other students joined in, tentatively, some nervous, some with hero worship in their eyes, all hopeful. Ichigo never turned any of them away, but one day, he started a debate in the library about laws that would take species outside of Shinigami into consideration that ended with raised voices and enthusiastic opinions that got the whole giggling bunch thrown out, and another day, he suggested a free-for-all game of tag where only Kidou could be used to catch each other which ended with everyone sweaty and gasping and wanting another round, and in calmer in-betweens, he answered when the others finally asked him about what Hueco Mundo was like, what the Material world was like, what Arrancar were like, what Humans were like, and he never lost his temper with them even when he had to explain something more than once.

He was still blunt and borderline rude and not at all like Kaien, like a Shiba, not outgoing or friendly or instantly personable. But the charisma was the same, people couldn’t help but be drawn to him, and it took weeks for Senzou to realize he was just as susceptible to it as Ichigo’s growing circle of friends within the Academy. So susceptible he was literally stalking him everywhere just to see what other chaos he was sowing.

That’s probably why he wants the boy gone so badly. He’d sworn he’d never forgive the Shiba Clan for taking his sister away from him, the only leeway they got was that he wouldn’t actively go after them either because Miyako wouldn’t want him to, and it wasn’t as if it was difficult to keep such a vow. He’d never liked the Shibas anyway. When they’d been slaughtered and cast out, and no assassins had shown up at his door in the aftermath, all he’d thought was good riddance.

But Kurosaki Ichigo…

Under any other circumstances, Senzou would be thrilled. Here is a student who challenged the world around him and brought a storm to the Academy.

But this isn’t any other circumstances, and as Ichigo stops in front of his desk, a beast glinting behind his eyes and a dead king’s inheritance pulsing in the shadow splashed at his feet, Senzou meets his gaze and slices a mocking smile in his direction.

“Kurosaki-chan,” He starts, smirk widening when Ichigo’s eyebrows twitch. “The Academy’s star part-time pupil. What exactly are you still doing in my class?”

Ichigo shrugs. “I signed up for it, your lectures aren’t boring, and I’m trying to figure you out.”

Senzou feels his smile grow fixed. “And how is that going for you?”

Ichigo scruffs a hand through his hair, pauses briefly to frown tug at the shoulder-length strands like he wants a haircut, and then shrugs again. “You’re the one following me around all the time, what do you think?”

They stare at each other for a moment.

“Let me make one thing very clear, Kurosaki-chan,” Senzou finally says. For once, he doesn’t feel like weaving his usual mind games. “I don’t know what your clan has told you, but I have no desire to play happy families with them. I know you Shibas tend to be all about bringing family together, but I am not one of you.” His lip curls. “Do not push this issue any further than you have. Am I understood?”

Ichigo cocks his head, something animal in the way he watches Senzou now. “Kuukaku agreed to reserve a room for you at the compound if you ever want it, but you don’t have to if you don’t want to. I’m not here for that.”

Senzou’s eyes narrow. “Then what are you here for?” He gives the boy a sardonic look and cuts him off preemptively. “Besides class.”

Ichigo grins, quicksilver bright, and something in Senzou recoils with surprise.

“I don’t really have a plan,” The boy tells him. “But I’m getting my family settled back in, and making sure nobody can fuck with them ever again.” He aims another considering look at Senzou. “If you don’t wanna be all buddy-buddy with them, that’s fine. It’s not any of my business if you wanna hammer your shit out with them or not. But you were connected to them even if you didn’t like it, and that doesn’t change just because that connection’s gone. So I guess what I wanted to figure out was whether or not someone’s fucking with you too.”

Senzou opens his mouth, then closes it when nothing comes out. How embarrassing. He settles for a derisive smile that feels a touch too brittle on his face. “I don’t need your protection, God-Slayer.”

Ichigo immediately makes a face. “Don’t call me that. And I didn’t say you did. But when I start something, I like to see it through, so I thought I’d check just to be sure.”

Senzou scoffs with disbelief. “Then why didn’t you just ask?”

Ichigo rolls his eyes like he thinks Senzou’s being dumb on purpose, which is a new experience for Senzou. Usually he’s the one rolling his eyes.

“Well you didn’t want me to, did you?” Ichigo says, looking exasperated now. “You were curious about me, and all the stalking was recon or whatever.” He levels a thoughtful look on Senzou before snorting with something like amusement. “You are the type. But yeah, anyway, now you know. If you need help, the offer’s open indefinitely. But I’ll stop coming to class if you don’t want me here.”

He trails off, arching an eyebrow in question. When Senzou doesn’t reply, the boy shrugs once more, adjusts the strap of his bag, and turns to leave.

Senzou… Well, he’s pretty much been on the back foot this entire conversation, hasn’t he? There’s something about Ichigo that just… throws him off. It’s frustrating. Unnerving.

And yet… Ichigo didn’t push. Kaien would’ve pushed. The rest of his family would’ve pushed. It’s what Shibas do when they want something - push and push until they get what they want, a single-minded persistence hidden under their signature cheerful geniality that makes the rest of the world believe them to be the nicest clan in all of Soul Society.

Miyako had said no, the first time Kaien had asked to court her. But he’d asked again and again, until she’d said yes, and she’d been happy to, Senzou had made certain of that, she’d been perfectly willing, had found a good man in Kaien and been glad she’d finally given him a chance.

But she’d said no first, and Kaien had pushed, and it just… rubbed Senzou the wrong way. Because once upon a time, Shinigami had plucked them out from Rukongai, dusted them off and provided the training and shuffled them into the military, all expenses paid, but no had never been an option, and that had become all the more true after Miyako became such a public, vulnerable figure, not only Third Seat of the Thirteenth but also wife of a clan head.

When Central 46 had come knocking, interested in Senzou’s prodigal skills with Kidou, they hadn’t even needed to drop Miyako’s name for Senzou to know that saying no then wasn’t an option either. He’d been pushed into their service, and it had taken Miyako’s death for Central 46 to finally leave him alone, solely because he had no one else for them to hold over his head.

It’s not the Shibas’ fault, not really. It’s been long enough that Senzou can admit that, if only to himself. Miyako’s choices were her own, and even if she hadn’t married him, Central 46 probably would’ve found another way to get to him through her. But Senzou has always been petty and vindictive at heart, and he’ll blame the Shibas for the rest of his life, because at the end of the day, they’re just like all the other nobles in this place. What they want, they’ll push until they get, because privilege is in their blood.

So Senzou flounders when Ichigo doesn’t push his advantage. The boy is already halfway to the door, and somehow, Senzou is certain, if he doesn’t say anything now, Ichigo won’t come back. It’s so wildly different from what he’d expected, so unexpectedly not-like-a-Shiba, that he has to fumble for something to say for an unforgivably long moment. Him, fumble. This whole conversation has been one unexpected surprise after another, and later, Senzou will blame the shock for his next decision.

“Wait.”

Ichigo stops and turns back. He doesn’t look surprised, but neither does he look triumphant or even just smug.

Senzou suppresses a grimace. “The school has nothing left to teach you about Kidou.”

Ichigo nods in unabashed agreement.

Senzou snorts softly. “But I do. And I guarantee it won’t bore you.”

Ichigo blinks, and a crooked smile slowly curls at his lips. It doesn’t erase his frown, but it softens his brow and makes his features look less harsh. “You sure you wanna teach me?”

Senzou scoffs and pulls out his chair. “I wouldn’t have offered otherwise.” He gives himself a mental shake and drags a grin back onto his face, sharp enough to cut. “Sit your ass down so we can figure out a schedule, Ichi-chan.”

Ichigo instantly loses the smile and glowers like a thundercloud. Senzou all but basks in the familiarity of it, inwardly relieved at being back on steadier ground.

“Don’t call me that, asshole!”

He probably shouldn’t have offered, should’ve just let him go and good riddance. But Senzou hasn’t been taken so off-guard so quickly in a long time, and it had been frustrating and unnerving but underneath both…

There is a storm waiting on the wings of Seireitei, and Kurosaki Ichigo is the one holding its reins.

And Senzou. Senzou is just curious enough to want to see what that storm will bring.

3. “Did your hair grow three inches over the weekend?” Senzou asks the moment Ichigo walks into one of their weekly lessons.

Ichigo dumps his bag in a chair and scowls at him. His hair has been swept up into a bun, which is certainly a feat considering the last time Senzou saw him three days ago, it had only brushed his shoulders.

“This body is seriously shit at regulating itself,” Ichigo grumbles. “I didn’t have time to go to the barber’s, and Kuukaku threatened to shave me bald if I tried to chop it off with my Zanpakutou again.”

Senzou squints at him. “You realize that’s not normal.”

Ichigo rolls his eyes. “I didn’t have a knife on me, and it was getting in the way, okay? Don’t judge.”

This time, it’s Senzou’s turn to roll his eyes. “That wasn’t what I meant, Ichi-chan. Shinigami bodies don’t suddenly grow several inches of hair overnight.”

“You’d be surprised,” Ichigo mutters before shaking his head, and Senzou watches as black reiatsu crackles lazily across his shoulders. “I’m just kinda weird. Excess reiatsu plus funky biology apparently means random hair growth and dye jobs.” He shrugs. “Kisuke’s still figuring it out.”

Senzou hums noncommittally. “Urahara Kisuke. Your… mentor?”

Ichigo pulls out the books Senzou had given him last week, along with a notebook and the latest essay Senzou had assigned him. All are tagged with multiple sticky notes.

“Kind of?” Ichigo sounds like he isn’t all too sure himself and even less concerned about it. “He’s… Kisuke.”

Senzou eyes him curiously. “You don’t care that he basically engineered half your life then?”

Ichigo stills. Then he glances up with Hollow-gold eyes, and Senzou smiles and meets them without flinching.

“Why would you say that?” Ichigo asks in even tones, but the office suddenly seems darker.

Senzou shrugs carelessly. “Urahara has a bit of a reputation for… working outside the box. It’s not just me who thinks it, Ichi-chan. There aren’t many who knew him who wouldn’t take one look at you and guess that he had something to do with your existence.” He pauses. “Although admittedly, I suppose the worst of these rumours come from the ones who want him back most. Central 46 doesn’t benefit half as much without his skills in assassination and technological development. It must’ve been a blow to their egos when Urahara refused their invitation to come back after the Winter War. They might be hoping enough unease over any other projects he’s bound to be working on would be enough to make him come back under their protection-”

“That’s not called protection,” Ichigo growls, and Senzou stops, words withering on his tongue.

There is something about the black abyss of Ichigo’s unblinking stare that makes some base instinct in even Senzou want to back away, run, throw himself at this eldritch entity’s feet and beg for mercy. He squashes the urge and smiles like monsters don’t exist.

Ichigo blinks. The darkness in his eyes recede, and the room clears again, bright with the sunshine pouring in through the open window. A shadow passes over his face, and when he opens his mouth to speak, Senzou catches a glimpse of fangs.

“Well that sucks,” The boy remarks succinctly like the silhouette on the far wall behind him doesn’t outline a grinning mouth with too many teeth. “It’s none of their business anyway. Kisuke prefers his shop. He’s his own boss there, and he likes it that way. Central 46 will just have to deal with Kurotsuchi.”

He flips open his notebook and shoves his essay over. “Now come on, we only have an hour today, and you said you’d go over this bit with me.”

Senzou nods and drops the subject. But three weeks later, he laughs when whispers tell of five Central 46 members retiring from their seats, replaced by one Shiba elder, one Shihouin, one Kuchiki, and two seated officers from the Gotei, one of which has served long enough that she doesn’t mind semi-retiring, and the other who prefers more time at a desk job over constant fieldwork. Both have roots that trace back to the slums of Rukongai. Twelve days after that, the Soutaichou announces a new official position filled by Urahara Kisuke - Human World Liaison - and a team of his choice, effective immediately.

“You don’t waste any time,” is Senzou’s greeting the next time he sees Ichigo after that debacle.

Ichigo, seated on the edge of the Academy roof and surveying the rest of Seireitei (like a ruler looking over his kingdom), waves a dismissive hand that trails solid shadows through the air. “People who’ve never been Shinigami shouldn’t be allowed to judge them. Kyouraku-san agreed.”

“I’m sure he did,” Senzou agrees, fighting near-hysterical glee down to a chuckle as he drops down to sit beside Ichigo.

He wonders if this is what it looks like, for a man to crown himself without even trying while most of the world cheers him on.

He glances to the side, arching an eyebrow when he finds Ichigo watching him. “Yes, Ichi-chan?”

There’s a disappointing lack of irritable twitching this time, but the thoughtful look Ichigo has levelled on him instead is more interesting.

“I have finals starting next week,” Ichigo says abruptly. “So I won’t be coming by the Academy until I’m done.”

Well, less interesting than he’d expected. “I’ll pick up your assignments for you,” Senzou offers, feeling generous. It’s not every day Central 46 takes a beating. He doesn’t care about Aizen, but if there was one thing he did right, it was butchering the judiciary authority on the way out. One group of them anyway.

Ichigo snorts. Rude. “Thanks, but I was thinking, you could join me down there for once instead of me coming up to meet you here. I want to concentrate on my university exams, but I have to eat and stretch my legs sometime. If you want, I could show you around campus. Kisuke can lend you a gigai so you won’t even have to request one from the Twelfth and wait for the acquisition forms to be approved.”

The first thing Senzou wants to say is I can’t. Because he can’t. Central 46 can’t make him do shit anymore, but short of slaughtering his way to the Senkaimon or disappearing into the Rukongai and living out the rest of his life as a fugitive, he can’t leave Seireitei. He doesn’t hate it here so much that he’d prefer either of those options, but the truth of the matter is, this is as much his home as it is his prison.

(A very pretty cage indeed.)

So he can’t, but Ichigo isn’t stupid, he should’ve already figured it out, or guessed, if not from the start after whatever his family told him about Senzou, then in the five months since. Stuck at the Academy because he’s too much of a wild card to go on missions.

Ichigo isn’t stupid, but neither is he cruel, not to those he has no quarrel with - that much Senzou can accept as truth. That he’s bringing this up anyway…

So, “How?” He asks instead, raising his eyebrows when Ichigo actually barks out a laugh. And then his eyes widen when Ichigo twists fingers through the air, and a Garganta springs into existence beside them.

“This can take us there,” Ichigo grins. “And no one will ever even know if you don’t want them to.”

Senzou stares from him to the murky void and back again. “…Why?”

Why are you doing this? Why would you offer?

They’ve known each other for five months, six if you count the one Senzou spent studying him. Most of that time has been spent in private tutoring sessions, and it’s benefitted Senzou as much as it has Ichigo. He technically shouldn’t be teaching Ichigo even half the Kidou Corps secrets he’s already imparted, but Ichigo makes it worth his while - quick on the uptake, a challenge in the sparring ring, and a breath of fresh air from the tedious drudgery of teaching his other students. Occasionally, they even go out for meals, tucked away in a quiet corner of a restaurant or a food stand. And sometimes, Ichigo brings souvenirs back with him from his trips to the Human world - fiction, toys, tech, trinkets the living modern age has that Soul Society does not - and he gifts them not only to his friends amongst the students but also to Senzou these days.

It’s a friendlier relationship than Senzou thought he’d ever have with anyone outside his sister, doubly so for a Shiba. Then again, Ichigo’s barely that, thank the Soul King, even if he was raised by one of the worst examples of that clan.

“Why not?” Ichigo counters, like it isn’t downright unnatural for anyone to do anything for Senzou, mostly because he’d rather stab himself in the face than fall into anybody’s debt. People avoid him when they can because he is cruel, and that’s the way Senzou likes it. He has high standards and little tolerance for things that bore him. Nothing bores him as easily as people do.

Until Ichigo.

“You don’t wanna be stuck here all the time,” Ichigo continues. “And I have an easy way out. So yeah, why not?”

Senzou turns his gaze to the horizion, past the sprawling streets and buildings of Seireitei to the sun setting beyond the wall.

He looks at the Garganta again. When Ichigo doesn’t move to stop him, he reaches over and lets his fingers drift past the mouth of the portal. The void is cool to the touch but not freezing the way he’d half-imagined.

He retrieves his hand. “A campus tour then?” He muses lightly, and Ichigo’s features brighten in response.

Senzou almost sighs. He thinks he might understand now. Ichigo is a little more like a Shiba after all. It’s just that he’s also a little more manipulative than one would expect of him. Senzou had all but told him not to interfere, to play hero for someone else, so Ichigo had backed off. But he’d figured out what Senzou wanted anyway, and his solution was to offer another way out instead.

Persistent, without disrespecting boundaries, and cunning enough to find another answer. In that regard, he’s nothing like his Shinigami relatives, who are always so loud about their intentions.

Charismatic, but… discreetly, almost insidiously so.

Senzou blinks. And then glances sharply at Ichigo again. His eyes look bronze in the light of the sunset, with the heat of his Hollow just beneath it. He has his head propped up against one loose fist, elbow balanced on one knee.

He smiles, almost guileless if not for the possessive resolve in the curve of that expression, and Senzou thinks, unbidden, ah. That’s how he won their devotion.

He gave his friends and family and allies everything they wanted, everything they needed, threw his heart and soul and body into every fight in their defense, shattered himself and rebuilt himself to protect the ones he’d taken under his wing, and so when the time came, how could any of them have done anything less for him?

It had probably not even been something Ichigo had done consciously from the beginning, it was just how he was built, through a quirk of the genetic fun park Urahara had ensured, or perhaps from the numerous near-death experiences life had forced him into. Ichigo probably hadn’t been aware, at first.

But he definitely is now.

Senzou thinks Ichigo is only just starting with him. Senzou’s already been claimed, because - for whatever reason - Ichigo wants him.

It probably says a lot that even this early on, even having already figured it out, Senzou… can’t say he cares enough to protest.

A Shiba in his bones, but leagues more dangerous by far.

4. The Human world is bigger than he remembers. Size-wise, it’s the same. But there’s a lot more in it than he thought, and he isn’t sure if that’s due to the passage of time or because he’d never spent more time than strictly necessary here when he took missions on the material plane back in the day.

Either way, he’s free to explore it now, even if just a small part of it for the time being. The campus of Ichigo’s school is large and sprawling, and with Urahara’s gigai and fake IDs and some Human money (he trades them for a box of seal traps even Tsukabishi Tessai wouldn’t know of because they’re Senzou’s own creation, and Urahara smiles like he understands and doesn’t object), it’s easy enough to come and go once Ichigo drops him off.

“You bought an apartment?” Senzou asks the first time Ichigo shows him the place and lets him poke around inside. It’s recognizably a living space, but it’s foreign to him all the same, with a generous open floor plan and wide windows, marble countertops in the kitchen and dark wooden cabinets and a bathroom constructed of polished chrome and gleaming tile.

“Kisuke bought me an apartment,” Ichigo corrects, flopping down on the couch where he has papers and books spread all over the coffee table and floor. His hair’s shorter today, barely past his shoulders, tipped black and hanging loose. Senzou is vaguely curious about what the boy’s classmates think of it.

“I wanted my own place,” Ichigo explains. “But Kisuke took one look at the rent I could afford and practically frog-marched me here instead. Then he had Yoruichi-san steal all my stuff and move it here, and then he said I might as well just take it because staying would be less work than moving all my stuff back.” He snorts, but it’s a fond sound. “The asshole. It’s not like I’d want to turn this place down. But it’s a bit much, so I try to help him with his research projects whenever I can in exchange.”

Senzou digests this with briefly raised eyebrows but says nothing. Urahara probably considers this another desperate form of making amends, and Ichigo probably knows it too. He probably wouldn’t have accepted otherwise.

“There’s a guest bedroom,” Ichigo calls after him as Senzou wanders down the hall to investigate exactly that. “Rukia’s stayed overnight, Renji too, and a few of my human friends have as well, but I always clean the place after they leave, so if you wanna stay tonight, feel free.”

That’s all the conversation between them for the rest of the day. Ichigo already showed him the campus the day before, and after tossing him a key to the apartment, Senzou is free to wander off and explore on his own.

Two weeks of regular visits to the Human world, and he still feels a little awkward in one of the shirts and jeans and sweater that that Quincy friend of Ichigo’s had shoved on him before whirlwinding back out again, apparently neck-deep in the middle of his own finals project.

“It’s Ishida, he makes clothes for everyone,” was Ichigo’s unhelpful clarification. “You help by walking around and looking good in them.”

So Senzou does, and part of him feels like he should stand out more, but nobody gives him more than a passing glance at most. Well, some do, but he recognizes shallow attraction well enough to ignore it.

In the end, he finds himself spending the most time in the libraries and lecture halls, slipping into the back of a classroom and listening to lessons he actually has to pay attention to to even understand some of what the professor is talking about. The science lectures mostly go over his head, and he’s never been interested in that field anyway so he doesn’t bother putting much effort into following them. It’s the literature courses he likes the most. There aren’t any at the Academy, not like this, and there are so many more books in so many more languages and genres than Senzou ever thought there existed in the world.

Soul Society suddenly seems so small in comparison.

It’s always an exercise in patience every time he has to return to Seireitei to teach now. After the first two weeks of almost daily trips to the Human world, he orders - on a whim - the students from his upper-year classes to split into groups before assigning each of them a project due at the end of the term on the theoretical creation of three new Kidou spells.

Group projects are not a thing at the Academy. Senzou wonders why.

He tells them that at least two of the research sources have to be from outside the Academy, and he smirks when he follows Fujiwara Asuka to the First Division compound to speak with her cousin, and then the Eighth to speak with her cousin’s former lieutenant, and then even braving the Fourth, straight-backed and stiff with anxiety but marching in anyway with her nervous group members in tow until she manages to wrangle fifteen minutes of time from a few of the healers willing to answer her questions about Kaidou.

Even here, Ichigo’s influence flourishes.

Outside the classroom, Senzou begins collecting copies of Human books. He half-bribes, half-blackmails the librarian into setting aside a section for him, and then he begins his own project of filling it.

“You’ve been busy,” Ichigo remarks when he staggers in from his last exam and collapses into a chair just as Senzou finishes setting the table for dinner.

Senzou arches an eyebrow, smirking when Ichigo just rolls his eyes.

“People tell me things,” Ichigo informs him, barely waiting for Senzou to sit down before falling onto the meal like he hasn’t eaten in a week.

“You would make a poor king if people didn’t,” Senzou murmurs, smiling serenely when Ichigo’s eyes flick up to meet his. It’s not as intimidating when his cheeks are bulging like a chipmunk’s.

Actually, Ichigo in the Human world just seems less… overwhelming in general. It isn’t as if he’s any less powerful. This particular gigai doesn’t restrict him in any way. But there’s a relaxed quality in him here that Senzou’s observed in the past three weeks that’s always absent when he’s the rawest form of himself up in Seireitei.

“Soul Society needs to change,” Ichigo says at last, instead of denying anything. “If that means kicking it in the ass until it stops fucking up the lives it’s supposed to be looking after, then that’s exactly what I’ll do.”

Yes, and Senzou has no doubt he’ll succeed. The majority of those in power have no desire to stop Ichigo. Those who do aren’t strong enough. And Ichigo wants it. He wants it with a conviction Senzou has never seen in anyone, almost obsessive in its unfaltering desire… like the abyssal hunger of a Hollow and the eternal grudge of a Quincy and the timeless pride of a Shinigami all rolled into one.

Ichigo wants it, and he’ll get what he wants.

The Soul King knows the universe owes him that much, and even if it didn’t, Senzou doubts it would make a single bit of difference to their God-Slayer.

He lifts his mug in a toast. “Then I look forward to your endeavours. You’ll need to watch out for Central 46′s spies though. I’m sure they won’t take this lying down.”

Ichigo cocks an eyebrow. “Is that an offer to keep your ear to the ground for me?”

Senzou attempts an innocent face, which works about as well as he expects when Ichigo snorts. “A mere Academy teacher like me probably can’t help much, but…” He thinks of the seals he’d planted throughout the entire Central 46 compound every time he’d had to report in, slowly but surely sneaking invisible ears into the heart of Soul Society’s government. “I might hear things now and then. I’ll pass it on if it happens to be interesting.”

Ichigo grins and tips his own mug at Senzou like they aren’t talking treason.

5. “So.”

Senzou almost rolls his eyes. The Shibas’ commitment to their theatrics clearly hasn’t changed.

“Kuukaku-chan,” He says instead as he strides into his office and smothers the urge to draw his blade on the woman sitting on his desk like she’s posing for Most Dramatic. He smiles instead, hiding the teeth of it behind his lips. “What a pleasure.”

Kuukaku grins back without any of the same courtesy. Of course. “None at all, I’m sure, so I’ll get straight to the point. What are you doing with Ichigo?”

Senzou does roll his eyes this time. “You’ll have to be more specific. As of yesterday, he’s teaching me how to drive a car.” His lip curls. “It’s a mode of transportation Humans have developed.”

“I know what a car is,” Kuukaku snaps, finally hopping down from the desk to prowl across the room. “Why is he teaching you? What do you want with him?”

Senzou pauses halfway through setting down a stack of essays to be marked. “…If I said vengeance on the Shiba Clan once I’ve convinced him to side with me, would that be about what you were expecting?”

Kuukaku glares and crosses her arms. “Ichigo would never.”

Senzou smirks. “Then you have nothing to worry about, do you? You’ve wasted a trip.”

He brushes past her to flip through the paperwork on his desk. End-of-term reports are coming up, and that’s always a waste of his time, so the sooner he gets them done the better.

“I know you resent us for what happened to Miyako,” Kuukaku says from behind him, and Senzou wonders if he can just walk out. Probably, but there’s no way this woman won’t cause a scene. “But Ichigo wasn’t part of any of that.”

Senzou heaves a sigh and turns back around. “Kuukaku-chan, I thought we just established that we both know that using Ichigo against your family won’t work.”

“No,” Kuukaku nods. “But you could hurt him to get back at us.”

They eye each other for a long moment, not quite hostile but far from amicable.

“…My vengeance for Miyako was not lifting a finger when your clan was all but massacred,” Senzou finally says, ignoring the way Kuukaku’s expression pinches. “And so long as contact with you and yours is kept at an absolute minimum in the future, I don’t care anymore. Besides, there is no point in targeting Ichigo to get to you.” He sneers. “He’s a Shiba, but it would be an insult to consider him one of you.”

Kuukaku bristles but doesn’t explode in anger the way some of her even more hot-tempered relatives would. She stares at him instead, and when she doesn’t speak right away, Senzou goes back to organizing the contents of his desk.

“Say I believe that,” Kuukaku finally says, ignoring Senzou’s scoff. “Maybe you are hanging out with Ichigo with no ulterior motives. The gods know he makes that easy. But if that’s what you’re doing, there’s no way you won’t be seeing more of the rest of us eventually. He wasn’t raised the way a Shiba should’ve been, with none of our traditions and only a fraction of the family he should’ve had. That’s on us. But he’s still family, and so long as he doesn’t say no, we’re going to be a part of his life. You’re going to have to accept that if you plan on marrying in.”

The shelf closes with a resounding thud under his hand, and judging by the give, he’s probably cracked the back of it too. He barely notices as his gaze snaps back up to stare incredulously at his uninvited visitor. “I beg your pardon?”

Kuukaku smiles thinly, and this time she looks more amused than anything else. “Something to consider. But you’re more like Miyako than most people would think.” Her arms drop to her sides as she turns abruptly towards the window. “That’s all I had to say. You’re a smart man, Senzou. I don’t need to tell you what will happen if you fuck up.”

And before Senzou can demand an explanation or - more likely - set her on fire for cracking such an abysmal joke, she’s gone, disappearing through the window in a rush of Shunpo.

Senzou stares after her, then at the books he’d carried in earlier, then at the paperwork he’s putting off for the weekend because he has dinner with Ichigo tonight… just as he does almost every night nowadays.

He runs a hand over his face.

Shibas.

6. He says nothing. He’s self-aware enough to know (now, damn Kuukaku) that there’s something there, a spark, a connection, a pull Senzou has never felt towards anyone. He isn’t going to call it love or whatever Kuukaku thinks is happening because it isn’t. He finds Ichigo fascinating and endlessly entertaining, and anyone willing to face down Central 46 is worthy of some admiration in Senzou’s opinion. That Ichigo plans on turning the whole system upside-down and actually has the power to achieve it only raises Senzou’s esteem for him.

But he says nothing because Ichigo knows all this already. The day Senzou’s first instinct, when an assassin sent by Central 46 attempts to take Ichigo’s head, is to slit the hapless woman’s throat - even though he knows full well that she wouldn’t have come anywhere near to succeeding - is the moment Ichigo gets irrefutable proof that Koyonagi Senzou is willing to kill for him.

Ichigo doesn’t gloat of course, he isn’t the type. Senzou half-expects it anyway, breath caught in his lungs for a moment with something disgracefully close to fear twisting in his gut as he turns to check Ichigo’s reaction.

But Ichigo only wrinkles his nose and toes the fresh corpse at his feet, and then he glances at the blood splatter dotting Senzou’s shirt and offers to get him a new one.

He also reaches out to touch the hilt of Senzou’s Zanpakutou before nodding once, deliberately, solemnly, the weight of it as much a thanks as it is an acknowledgement.

And that was that. Senzou relaxes, doesn’t bat an eye when shadows surge up and swallow the body whole, and goes to change into another shirt. The incident passes, and it will be longer still before Ichigo’s enemies realize they probably should’ve tried harder to get rid of Senzou years ago. They’d thought themselves safe enough though: they would never earn Senzou’s allegiance, but at the same time, nobody - including Senzou - ever thought anybody else would earn it either.

But the point is, Ichigo knows. Senzou has no need to speak of it, and both of them are content with that. If something more comes of it down the road, Senzou doesn’t think he’d fight it. He lost this battle a good while ago, and he never even cared.

In the meantime though, he spies on Central 46 and enjoys what time he can spare in the Human world and continues reconstructing Seireitei’s education system brick by stubborn brick. There’s a kingdom to conquer and a god Senzou has pledged himself to, and for now, that is enough.

[biribirichan1]

We’ll find a way

A million memories flood through Ichigo as he witnesses Rukia, radiant in her royal regalia - ascending the steps to the high priest waiting to crown her as the first reigning queen of their nation. Queen Rukia. His heart felt like it would burst from pride - she had worked so hard to overturn the rules that said that only male heirs could be in line for the thrown. Even as a child, that’s what she’d aspired to. “Just you watch Ichigo, I’ll be Queen one day,” - with her arms held out to the sky, and her eyes sparkling with the ferocity that he loved so dearly.

Ichigo clutched his heart. “Don’t think about her eyes, you fool. You’ll never make it through this.” He knew that his heart was not just bursting, it was also slowly breaking, because he knew today marked the day when they had to part their ways. He’d known for so long that this day would come, had steeled his heart for it - so why did it still hurt so bad? It’s not like he hadn’t been warned. By his dad, by his friends, by anyone who knew. But call it fate, call it being soul mates, there was no keeping them apart. Ichigo had tried. Really he had. The first time he and Rukia had been caught kissing, his dad had given him the scolding of a life time. “We in the Shiba clan exist solely to guard the Kuchiki royalty, not to fall in love with them!” Isshin had roared. “She’s a princess, Ichigo! One day, she’ll be married into other royalty. You’re just looking to get your heart broken, son.”

After that, he had managed to avoid Rukia for a week. A mere week - until the red string of fate crashed them together. He smiled wryly thinking that rather than it being the string of fate, it was Rukia who had crashed him to the wall and kissed him senseless.

“Rukia, we’ll end up like Romeo and Juliet.”

“I don’t care,” she shot back, defiance in every fiber of her being. “Now, shut up and kiss me back.” And Ichigo had shut up and kissed her. He had never been able to say no to her anyways.

As the days turned to months, and the months turned to years, and Rukia successfully avoided all her suitors, Ichigo had started to get optimistic - perhaps, just perhaps, by some stroke of fate, they could be together.

That illusion didn’t last very long. Rukia’s determination and her magnetic personality really got people’s attention in court. Combined with her success on the battlefield, she had become immensely popular. Ichigo had long known it in his heart, but Rukia was born to be a Queen to her people. So it was no surprise to Ichigo, when without his own heir, her ailing older brother, King Byakuya, made Rukia his successor, defying hundreds of years of tradition. When Rukia told him, he had been so happy. He had picked her up and spun her around in the garden they were in and kept saying, “I always knew.” Rukia however, in response had burst into tears - one the few times in his life that he had actually seen her cry.

“Rukia, love, what’s wrong? You’ll be the first Queen of the land. You’re making history. You should be so proud!”

Rukia didn’t say a word. She had just wept, and held him close. Ichigo found out the reason for her tears from his father. “She has to choose her husband within a year of her coronation.”

As Ichigo had ranted and raged, his father laid a hand on his shoulder and told him, “His Highness broke all the rules to make Rukia the next queen. It’s just not possible for one person to alter so much at once.”

And so the race towards coronation began. King Byakuya had wanted to hand off the crown before he passed away to ensure a smooth transition. Their country was at a delicate stage with war brewing on the south borders, so it was essential to keep the morale high. It seemed to Ichigo that all the old advisors planned to incorporate the hunt for Rukia’s husband as part of the morale boosting activities.

“Should we really be having such lavish parties with His Highness in such a state and a brewing war?” Ichigo had complained to Rukia one night.

Rukia just flashed him her enigmatic smile, and said “Looks like someone is jealous.”

“Can you blame me. That pompous ass had his hands all over you while danci-” his words were cut off by a passionate kiss from Rukia. “Ichigo, you know I have eyes only for you, right?”

Night after that, all of Ichigo’s protests were drowned by her kisses and assurances of “Trust me” and “I love you” and “We’ll find a way.” Ichigo knew he was just fooling himself, but how could he say no to her, when all he knew was just to be with her? To love her? To never let her go? So he let himself be fooled and allowed himself to love her as long as he possibly could. And so the days kept going much like before, until it was finally the night before the coronation, and he knew he couldn’t continue this farce any longer. The advisors had finally picked a suitable man in his eyes. Ichigo had scrutinized Prince Renji for days, and couldn’t really find any major faults with him. He knew Rukia would be happy eventually, if she allowed herself to be. After all, she was getting to live out her life long ambition. He was just getting ready to go to her garden, where they usually met, and bid her farewell on his own terms. It was already getting harder and harder for them to meet in secret after she was named King Byakuya’s successor. He knew it would be almost impossible to meet alone after she was crowned Queen.

As he got ready to go, he heard a knock at his door, before a crying Rukia stumbled in and into his arms. “Rukia, what are you doing here?”

“Ichigo, Ichigo”. She kept crying his name and holding him like there was no tomorrow.

“Rukia, what are you doing - we can’t keep doing this! Your coronation is tomorrow -” Suddenly Ichigo felt his heart shatter. Rukia’s tears, her desperation, all clicked into place with such a painful clarity. It’s tomorrow, his heart thundered. It’s tomorrow. All this time, he had been thinking that he would bid her farewell today without really understanding what that meant. His heart had numbed him to his true circumstances. To his reality. But finally with Rukia in his arms, his heart had awakened.

He stopped fighting her, and poured his heart and all his love into her, hoping, wishing it would stay with her for her entire lifetime. Even if he was no longer there. Because today was all he had with her. There was no tomorrow. After tomorrow, all he would have would be his inner demons with her smiles, and the memories of the time they spent loving each other. 

Later as they held each other, Ichigo had tried to say how much he loved her. Had tried to say goodbye. Each time, Rukia had chased his farewells away with her kisses. She didn’t want them. So he resigned himself to just holding her and loving her until the first rays of dawn spilled across the bed they shared.

Rukia was the first to get up. As she pulled on her clothes, and got ready to leave, her mask was back on. She looked at him and asked, “Ichigo, you had once said that you’d leave the Shiba clan as soon as I got crowned. Is that still what you plan to do?”

Ichigo looked at her. “Rukia - I.” He hung his head. “You know I’ll always love you, and cheer for you and pray for your success. But I don’t think I could see you be married to someone else day in and day out. I just couldn’t. It’d kill me, Rukia.”

“I see. Very well then.” And before Ichigo could even say anything, she was gone. Gone from his arms, from his room, and out of his life forever. “Goodbye, Rukia.”

The tears wouldn’t stop anymore. Ichigo looked at his beautiful Rukia, radiant with the crown over her head. “Long live the Queen,” the jubilant crowd shouted. “Long live Queen Rukia!”

Rukia beamed at the crowd in front of her, and raised a hand for silence. “Today we have made history,” she roared. “To anyone who thinks that a woman is any less than a man, take note. The heavens have spoken and the people have spoken. I, Rukia, am proud to take up the crown today, and serve as your very first Queen.”

The roar was deafening. Ichigo looked around to see some of female spectators clapping with tears in their eyes, some waving their handkerchiefs, and some cheering with their fists raised. Rukia’s special squad of female warriors, Division 13, had their swords and spears high up in the air and kept chanting Rukia’s name again and again and again. He couldn’t have been prouder. He knew that Rukia had the whole country mesmerized by her charisma, just as she had him in her spell for all these years. “Look at how far you’ve come, love.” Ichigo breathed.

Rukia raised her arms again for silence. “As you all know, we are passing through a turbulent time. War is brewing on the southern border, and the lack of rains has our farmers in a dire crisis. It is exactly because the times are so pressing that I will need all your support and dedication. Together we will push this country to peace and prosperity once again!” More cheering erupted.

Rukia paused for a bit, and then started again, but in a slightly somber voice. “Though I will warn all of you - the road to prosperity is not easy and requires many sacrifices, changing of old mindsets and new ways of thinking. There are many places in which centuries old tradition have safeguarded our peace and happiness, but there are also places where it has held us back. Kings before me have promised to uphold tradition and honour in their coronation speech, but as you can see I’m a little different.” Rukia gestured to her dress.

The crowd roared with laughter, and Ichigo amused himself by seeing the sour expressions on the members of the royal advisory panel. Trust Rukia to use humour in her coronation speech and piss off those old farts. No one other that that daredevil could have the guts to pull that off.

Rukia continued, “So today, as your Queen, instead of promising to uphold tradition, what I promise to uphold are my people’s happiness and this country’s prosperity. Help me make that a reality everyone. Work with me!”

The crowd went crazy. Never before had a royalty asked to work with the common public. Never had they put the happiness of the people before the country’s traditions. “Rukia, you were born to a Queen. You’ll be amazing.” As he started walking away from the crowd, and out of Rukia’s life, he just wished he could have cheered for her success from right beside her than being just another spectator in the crowd. “Be happy, my love.”

...

“What do you mean, my application to quit got rejected?” Ichigo yelled at his father, who also happened to be his superior as the head of the Shiba clan).

“Here, you can see it for yourself. It has Queen Rukia’s seal and everything.” Isshin grinned.

“Dad - this is not funny. Who does that? I’ve never heard of a royal guard’s application being rejected! This is so ridiculously petty - even by her standards.”

“Ichigo - my boy. Calm down.” Isshin dropped his voice, “You’re one lucky bastard. Haven’t you heard? Rukia got into a lot of trouble after her coronation.”

Panic flooded his heart. “What do you mean, dad?”

“What I mean, you silly son, is who do you think all that breaking tradition in her coronation speech was aimed at? Shortly after she was crowned Queen, she broke off the engagement with Prince Renji too.”

“She WHAT?!” Ichigo sat down on the nearest chair and put his head in his hands. “Dad, I’m so confused. I let her go. I said goodbye. Why is she jeopardizing herself for me?” Ichigo knew how twisted court politics was, and felt nothing but fear for Rukia.

Isshin sighed, “Did Her Highness ever say goodbye to you, Ichigo? She told me she intended to fight for you with everything she had, son.”

“But the advisors, the generals - she’ll lose support in court. Dad, you know how it is...” Ichigo trailed off.

“Well, be thankful that your girlfriend has got quite the super powers. The generals can’t win the war without her, the advisors can’t win against her popularity. She’s been playing her cards magnificently.”

Patting his son on the back, Isshin continued, “Ichigo, stop sulking and go meet up with her. But before you do, do think of how you’ll handle her rage at submitting your resignation. You know how she hates it when people don’t believe in her.”

Ichigo balked. His dad was right. There would be hell to pay.

...

“Ah Ichigo, I thought you quit.” Rukia said impassively.

“Your highness, this is the matter I requested a private audience for - to speak about my application.”

Rukia turned to the two clerks handing off papers for her to sign, and said, “I’ll finish this in a few minutes. Can you give us some privacy?”

“Of course, your Majesty.” The two men turned to leave, closing the door beside them as they exited.

A deathly silence filled the room, until Ichigo could take it no more.

“Rukiaaa,” he pleaded.

In response, he got a heavily embroidered cushion in his face. “You fooool. You were actually going to leave, weren’t you? Didn’t I tell you to trust me?”

“You were crying the night before the coronation. I thought you had given up hope too. How would I know you had other plans?”

He got another cushion thrown at him. “Of course, I was crying! I was scared! Do you know how hard its been - fighting for you - for us?” Rukia trailed off, furiously wiping away the tears that had sprung up in the corner of her eyes.

Ichigo couldn’t take it any more. In one swift motion, he closed the gap between them and took her in his arms, breathing her in. “Rukia, I really am sorry. I should have believed you. Forgive me.”

He heard a muffled no from his chest.

“Rukiaaa, you know how crazily in love with you I am right? I won’t lose faith again. I’ll fight for you - for us, for our love.”

Silence.

Ok, Ichigo thought, she’d need a little more coaxing. “How about to make up when you get off the next day, you and I can have a little picnic in your garden. I’ll get all your favourite snacks.” He inched a little closer. “I’ll even smuggle in some of the juices boxes from the Southern border that you love so much.”

“Ichigo, we’re might be going to war with them!”

“Doesn’t mean they don’t have the best tasting juice in the continent.”

“Humph, fine.”

Ichigo laughed. Even with the crown on her head, Rukia’s pout made her look so much like the child she truly was. He leaned down to kiss her, and thanked the gods, or fate or whatever supernatural beings there were for allowing him to still be with Rukia. He didn’t know if they truly could ever get married, or be together like a normal couple, but he realized in that moment that he didn’t need normal. As long as he was the one in her heart, he was content to simply be by her side and love and cherish her with all his soul.

“I love you, Rukia.”

---

Happy Ichiruki month everyone! This story turned out to be super long because I combined 5 days worth of prompts! Written for Ichiruki AU Week Prompt Day 17: Coronation, Day 18: Tradition, Day 19: All my Demons have your Smile, Day 20: Romeo and Juliet, Day 21: Supernatural. I’m not sure if the characters were too OOC, but I tried to keep Rukia’s feisty nature alive as the heir to the throne, and Ichigo’s angst vibe from when he lost his powers and couldn’t see Rukia. Let me know what you thought! Hope you enjoyed

[cloneslugs]

Wolf + Yayoi + Akiyama :)

this is seriously ill im sorry

Wolf

First Impression: well he seems neat <3

Impression Now: he's very soft and kind.. <3 and very cool very nice man i love you wolf

Favorite Moment: the whole rice thing b/t the divine child and him and kuro, this isnt a moment but i enjoy how he speaks to people he makes me (: 

Idea for a Story: I'd like to see him first meeting Kuro ^__^ that would be cute.. or how he grew up w Owl bc it seems so … … … well anyway he has a lot of cool background that would be fun to explore 

Unpopular Opinion: i think people draw him smiling too much in some interactions i dont want him to even remotely have a sense of humor or even emote well tbqh, not that i think hes unhappy or anything but like well … + also people are freaks w him but that's another story.. i dont think he would date grandpas

Favorite Relationship: kuro <3 it's cute how he actually engages in conversation w Kuro i like how he talks w him and how Kuro talks w him it's nice.. i think his relationship w Owl is interesting but not . good. Emma + Isshin + Sculptor & every other friend he meets i enjoy esp Kotaro ^^

Headcanon: *gives him transgenderism + autism + homosexuality*, selectively mute (:, he also just has a general issue w socializing & when he doesnt know what to say he defaults to repeating people or just ignoring people, he likes being called Wolf by like Kuro and whoever but Isshin deciding to call him Sekiro makes him feel a little something (:, he can "cook" + knows lots of misc skills like sewing and stuff, doesnt like loud noises, doesn't like being in water -_-, i think he has trouble differentiating b/t what he likes v what he dislikes bc hes used to just putting up w things and never really got to acquire preferences ever hes accustomed solely to survival, he's done kuro's hair for him before <3 but he does it very quick and messy but he tries 

Yayoi

First Impression: ig this is her k1 substory idk i just kind of like . wow this lady seems cool ig goodbye 

Impression Now: … hi <3 she holds a very very special place in my heart now i miss her everyday please babygirl come back to me i need you back ive written out how you can come back please 

Favorite Moment: her k1 substory always makes me sad um.. everything in k2 when shes taking charge.. i love watching her interact w kiryu they have a really interesting relationship.. i like when she got on ryuji for his bullshit and i really really like her introduction in k2 i love watching her handle shitty lieutenants <3 i love you.. oh also whenever she looks sad + worries over daigo thank you for being a mom ma'am <3

Idea for a Story: um i have a lot of stuff already written for her bc im a sicko .. um ig most interesting to me is how her relationship w dojima developed & also what she was up to when dojima died and daigo went to prison right after bc i think about that period (+k1 substory) a lot.. </3 seeing what she was doing in 3 when daigo was shot would be nice iwant her to be homophobic to mine i think <3 ik a rggo event covered it but id like to see more of her when she stepped up to he acting chairman & how that went ig more in depth.. or just her general role w the dojima family back when it was relevant and uh yeah <3 

Unpopular Opinion: um i personally would never call her a milf that feels so :x idek to me gross almost not even bc im a homo or anything i just never would it feels too disrespectful aieeeeeee 🙈 also i wish people didn't care for her just as daigos mom or her being more compotent than daigo or whatever idk people are weird about them in a stupid way and i </3 ik shes just a side character but whatever.. also i hate everyone who writes her like "yes i married dojima for power and i crave violence" fuck you im the only right person ever 

Favorite Relationship: um daigo.. i have lots of thoughts they are so nice together ilove them very much <3 kiryu and kashiwagi are very cute w her too they respect her very much its sweet <3 i think nishiki and kiryu helping out w daigo as dojima members when daigo is little has very sweet potential b/t lady dojima and them not saying they outright would be seeking for a maternal figure but um.. also well kashiwagi uhh well i want her to move past her [k2] baggage and um.. um.. 🙈 boyfriend 

Headcanon: she's so bisexual shes very very bisexual and she knows it and no part of it even concerns her shes just bi + also her first major crush was on a girl that went nowhere and it embarrasses her to death <3, her dad is who introduced her to wielding a sword it was a very unorthodox introduction and came about by kind of bittersweet means but she very much enjoys it (he didnt teach her anything more than the very very shoddy basics he really just helped introduce), she comes from a very non-traditional [japanese] family, really bad vanity issues i wont publicly elaborate on, um something about dealing w loneliness, she was like daigo and was top of her class in school, she comes off as prett7 different outside of professional settings + acts a lot colder and meaner than she actually is around work people bc that's the only way she thinks she'll be taken seriously, she was a very excited first time mommy <3 she still loves daigo more than anything, she used to sporadically grow her hair out and chop it all off and grow her hair out and chop it all off growing up mostly as a teen -_-, she doesnt socialize well but shes good at parroting and imitating proper social etiquette,  she has an "older sister", she loved kiryu and then she hated him more than anything and now she likes him again, perfectionist but a lot of things come naturally to her, not very expressive but her eyes give away a lot, she used to really like kazama very fondly until she didnt, shes not much of a hand-to-hand combat fighter but she can handle self defense, cooking does not come naturally to her ):, shes kept every gift + prize daigo has gotten for her, shes not much for gifts (from people not daigo) but she likes flowers 

Akiyama

First Impression: he's funny (: 

Impression Now: he's still just funny <3 but also bisexual i love him he's very endearing and easy to like 

Favorite Moment: hanging out w haruka in rgg5 or any time he is having fun w hana <3 his one substory in rgg5 where you get more of his background is nice or when he first gets together with shinada + tanimura is funny.. anything that's not rgg6 um

Idea for a Story: i want him to hang out w haruka more <3 or just some of his day to day life.. what he splurges on when he does ummm.. background on when he and hana first met + his ex fiance, hin hanging out w the rest of the group .. anything fun i think ^_^

Unpopular Opinion: he has annoying/questionable moments but so does everyone in the series um.. akiyama/hana is superior when he crushes on her hard vs her to him idk if that's even unpopular ummm idk idek any freak stuff w him nobody talks about akiyama much 

Favorite Relationship: hana (: trans bisexuality <3 him + kiryu & haruka are sweet together, him and tanimura are fun.. i think hes a nice central point for both 4+5 protags i just enjoy him <3 hes good w people 

Headcanon: hes the least athletic i think that's canon though, tried to keep a fish tank in the office but hana ended up taking over + then getting rid of it but by then he wanted an office cat or bird or something "more interesting" so that hed feel like taking care if it but by that point she put her foot down on animals, tries out lots of misc hobbies that he eventually drops (golf, tennis(very embarrassing), gardening, etc (mostly sports bc he feels like a lazy piece of shit sometimes + gets splurges of Yeah Fitness!!!)), all kinds of math teams and etc growing up he actually really likes math, has a lot of gifts he chickened out on giving hana just kind of buried in the office, bad at video games, can't cook, he buys lots of cheap things bc he doesnt really see the point of splurging on fancy unnecessary stuff, magazine hoarder bc he just picks up whatever for a mindless read when at the store and forgets if he's gotten it before 

[darisu-chan]

Kaien vs Ichigo: A Memories in the Rain Analysis, Part 1

Hello

It’s me again, back with my bs lmao

I finally finished the mini arc of Memories in the Rain pt. 2 and, as I’ve been sort of discussing certain stuff that’s happened in Bleach as I re-read the chapters, I decided I needed to talk about MITR as a whole. If you’ve been following my posts, I didn’t really analyze the first part. I saved it to compare it with the second part. I also thought that instead of just saying my thoughts as I have been doing thus far, I’d go the extra mile and truly analyze both parts, specifically comparing Kaien and Ichigo.

So, sometime ago, I wrote this post about how it bothers me how people compare Kaien and Ichigo as being the same, and using that to establish IchiRuki. When, honestly, you don’t need to. Ichigo and Rukia’s relationship stands on its own. In fact, it is so strong that, years after the ending, people keep being fascinated by IR. The LA was centered on their relationship as well. And it’s still the Ichigo and Rukia show, thank you very much.

And though I made some good points in that post, I decided to further explore Kaien and Ichigo, as well as the events of both MITR and how that relates to Ichigo and Rukia.

It’s probably been done many times before, but I’ve never analyzed them in much depth, so here we go.

The first part will soley be about Ichigo and Kaien as individuals. On the second part, I’ll finally explore MITR

1. The Shiba Gene

So, as we all know, Ichigo and Kaien look like each other physically, and in Everything But the Rain we finally found out the reason why: they are cousins. This put a stop to all the “Ichigo is Kaien reborn” theories people liked to come up with back in the day.

Now, in the story, this resemblance was pointed out by Byakuya and even Ukitake, to an extent. Which means Kaien was designed to look like Ichigo on purpose to further draw parallels between them. What I mean to say is that this is a seed that was planted in the readers’ minds, and as such, comparing both guys was done on purpose.

Interestingly enough, neither Kukaku nor Ganju are ever seen to believe Ichigo looks like their older brother.

In EBTR we see Isshin as a young man, and we can see how Isshin, Ichigo and Kaien resemble each other, meaning the Shiba gene is a strong one, and, if Ichigo had actually stayed in SS, that same resemblance could have been used as a way for him to claim that part of his heritage, but I digress.

We are all aware they look like each other because they are family, so we don’t need to go deep into detail in that aspect. Now the true question is, just how similar are they to each other?

Physically speaking, there are a few noticable differences, like hair and eye color. Kaien’s hair is longer and there’s the fact Kaien has very long eyelashes, as Kukaku and Ganju have. He’s also taller.

Although key differences, they are not enough to negate their similarities. Hell, Ichigo does look more similar to Kaien than Ganju, his actual brother.

But there’s something very important that sets them apart: Kaien always carries himself as if he didn’t have a care in the world. When we’ve seen Kaien, he’s always able to smile freely. Sure, he also scowls, gets upset, and the like, but he goes back to smiling. This is something Ichigo hasn’t been able to do since his mother died. Hell, there’s a whole chapter about that (Can’t Smile Don’t Blame). There are very few times in which Ichigo actually smiles, and all of them are short-lived. In fact, whenever he’s tried to give big smiles, they seem off, as seen when he smiled to Orihime back at the beginning of MITR and later on, in the Lost Agent Arc, when he smiled at Yuzu. 

Even when Rukia has a flashback of Kaien while looking at Ichigo, their smiles look very different:

Ichigo more often than not smiles through his eyes, while Kaien tends to smile with his eyes closed:

Although brash and arrogant as well, Kaien is also more mature. He can go from joking around to having deep conversations with Rukia. Ichigo, as a teenager, has yet to mature and will become more and more like a grown up as time passes by. At this point in the manga, he really isn’t there yet. Now, this will be important later on.

In short, even though they look very similar, they carry themselves with different auras. Kaien is more of a free-spirit, while Ichigo is a person who seems to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

2. Prodigies

Ichigo, as the MC of a shounen manga, is obviously special. From the very first moment, we know he’s not like everyone else. He’s able to see spirits, which is not the norm. And then Rukia informs us his reiatsu is too powerful for a normal human.

And as time goes by, as he keeps fighting hollows, he grows exponentially. 

When Urahara trains him, he realizes that, which is why he tells Yoruichi that if there is someone who can achieve bankai in 3 days, is him.

As the story goes on, we learn that Ichigo is even more special, as he is also part Quincy and Hollow. But he also has very impressive skills when it comes to swordmanship, shunpo, and the like. 

What is more relevant is Ichigo’s ability to grow at a fast rate, always learning from his mistakes. 

And although he was never taught how to be a Shinigami in the traditional way, we can see how he surpassed his peers.

Now, although Kaien is not as special as Ichigo, we learn from Ganju that, for Shinigami standards, Kaien’s very impressive:

Hisagi, for example, failed the final exam numerous times. Rukia says she barely passed the entrace exam. Finishing the curriculum in two years is a great achievement. And the fact that he made VC in 5 years means a lot. It took Renji, let’s say, around 35 years to be promoted to VC. And Renji was in the special class at the Academy.

People like Ichigo and Kaien are not the norm. They are very skilled and special individuals. Might be because of their genes (it’s never explicitly said, but they might come from a long line of Shinigami), or just because they were gifted with those powers, but the point is these characteristics set them apart as more powerful than the rest.

3. Brash, Rule-breaking, Arrogant

The words above can be used to describe both Ichigo and Kaien, and that’s certainly Byakuya’s opinion of them.

Kaien and his siblings are not like the nobles we know. They’re certainly very different to Byakuya and the Kuchiki Clan, but they also live very differently than Soi Fon, Omaeda, the Shihouin Clan, and so on. They seem to live more like the common folk than like dignified people. Hence, Byakuya seems very against this sort of attitude, at least early on in Bleach. 

Because of being loud, less refined, brash, and with a penchant of rule-breaking, Kaien seems totally different to other nobles. However, I dare say these characteristics extrapolate what Ukitake meant in this scene:

Not anyone would be able to go against the whole Soul Society, specially if you are a Shinigami.

Byakuya was certainly not going to do any rule-breaking. As we later find out, he had even promised not to break anymore rules and was going to stick to that promise.

Renji, until confronted by Ichigo, had decided not to go against the SS.

Even Ukitake wasn’t about to start a revolution to save Rukia. It took him seeing Ichigo to decide on what to do.

Basically, only Kaien would have been upfront about his own intentions.

And what we know of Kaien is that he was the sort of guy who would break the rules when necessary. That means, that he would do the right thing. Specially when it comes to saving his peers. He even tells Rukia as much:

He might not have been the most elegant of individuals, but Kaien’s brashness and even arrogance came from the fact he had a good heart.

Now, who does exactly what Kaien would have done?

That’s right.

Ichigo.

Here the comparison of Ukitake trying to imagine what Kaien would have done is directly compared and contrasted to Ichigo, as before that scene Ichigo confronted Byakuya.

Now, Ichigo wasn’t raised as a noble. He had no idea he was one until almost the end of Bleach. But he was raised with the idea of protecting other people and of doing what is right.

We have seen him protect other people, even before he became a Shinigami (his friendship with Chad, Keigo and Mizuiru respectively reflects this, as he saved the three of them). 

Ichigo is not the kind of guy who can just do nothing while an injustice is taking place.

Ichigo has been, from the first moment we saw him, brash, rule-breaking and even arrogant, but note that from his introduction, we saw him protecting a little ghost girl. It goes to show that Ichigo would go to extremes to protect others and do what’s right. So, it’s no surprise he jumps at the chance to go to SS to save Rukia, and that he grows stronger and stronger each time to save her, as he cannot let her die. 

However, there’s a key difference.

If Kaien had been alive, he would have saved Rukia as 1) he would’ve probably figured out an execution was too hard a punishment for Rukia’s crime, 2) he told her he would always stand by her as long as they were from the same division, and 3) he wouldn’t let her just die.

But Ichigo’s reasons to save Rukia are much more complicated than that. As I’ve said in other posts, Ichigo is filled with guilt, as Rukia’s in this position because of him, firstly because she saved him by giving him her own powers to protect his family, and secondly, because Rukia got taken away to protect him as he feels he failed to protect her.

But, even then, it’s not only guilt that fuels him or the fact that he owes Rukia.

There’s the fact that Rukia is an important person to Ichigo regardless. Particularly, she is kind and good. Certainly not the type of person who deserves to die, much less because of a stupid rule.

Then, there is something else at a deeper level Ichigo doesn’t say out loud

My point with this is that Kaien and Ichigo are certainly the same type of rule-breaking people and that’s the sort of person needed to pull a stunt like saving Rukia from execution, in such a way that this person would even inspire others to help. Both guys are special in that way. However, in practice their actions come from different places. Certainly there’s a closeness Ichigo shares with Rukia due to circumstances that adds more complexity to his intent to save her and that, may I add, also fuels him to such a degree he refuses to lose. 

Which brings us to...

4. Rukia

The last main common denominator between them is no one else but Rukia, a person they both have inspired in different ways. However, the type of relationship they have with her is different.

Let’s start with Kaien:

So, their meeting takes place shortly after Rukia was adopted into the Kuchiki Clan and graduated early from the Academy. Ever since, it seems she was judged for both not really being from a noble family and from having been adopted by one. We can say that no one is looking at who Rukia truly is, but they are making assumptions about her at this point. This is isolating to Rukia, who now has to deal with a new identity and a new way of living. She’s now apart from the one person she had known most of her life to that point (Renji) and is feeling out of place.

Then, Kaien swoops in and he treats her like he would treat any other subordinate. He doesn’t treat her like a street rat, a pampered noble or even a pet. And she says it herself that having that normality is exactly what she needed. Rukia didn’t feel comfortable at home with Byakuya, but she could at least feel more at ease in her division, working under Kaien.

Their relationship was that of mentor and mentee. Later on we find out Kaien trained her in swordsmanship and probably other skills. 

But he also taught her important lessons about life:

And these are lessons Rukia will carry in her heart the whole series. Protecting others, making others feel welcomed, forming hearts with others. Rukia made hers everything that Kaien taught her. 

He’s very special in her life because Kaien was the first person to make her feel as if she belonged in her division, and even as a Shinigami.

In short, he’s acting like a parental influential, or even being the brother Byakuya failed to be at this point in time. Teaching Rukia and accepting her, so that she could feel she had a place she belonged to.

And we know that Kaien was the one to make her feel good

But here we have a power imbalance. Because Kaien is doing the teaching, he’s changing her life, but we don’t know if it’s mutual. We don’t know if Kaien was affected by Rukia’s actions and words. It’s a very unilateral situation.

Furthermore, if we go with the route of Rukia had a crush on Kaien, there’s more power imbalance and impossibilities, as we know that:

She already couldn’t be the person closest to Kaien, as Miyako existed. 

Rukia recognized Miyako as having great qualities, probably what Kaien even liked about her, and aspired to be like her:

So, Kaien and Rukia were never in a position of equality for several reasons, starting from the fact Kaien was her vice captain.

This is even exemplified when the find the hollow that killed Miyako:

Rukia acts like a subordinate, trying to be helpful, and is denied:

Finally, there’s a key aspect that I will be analyzing with more detail in another post, but Kaien is for Rukia what Masaki is for Ichigo:

The root of her trauma is that she failed to protect Kaien, who was the person who taught her so much and helped her when nobody else did. Rukia feels as if she didn’t do anything to save him from his fate:

And when Kaien became a hollow, instead of running or trying to help him, Rukia let instinct take in and we know what happens next:

And the fact she couldn’t save him is worse becase Kaien doesn’t blame her:

So Rukia ends up in a state of guilt, because she couldn’t save the one person she probably wanted to save the most.

This trauma will continue on for some time until HM, where Rukia comes to terms with what happened. However, that doesn’t change the fact that her relationship remains a one-way street.

Now, as for with Ichigo, they have a different relationship altogether. 

It is true that Rukia was Ichigo’s first teacher when it comes to Shinigami stuff, but it is not as if he never taught Rukia anything.

Their relationship is so special because they’re two sides of the same coin. The fact that one is a Shinigami and the other is a human being makes it so that they end in a relationship of equals. As Ichigo needs to learn how to be a Shinigami, Rukia has to learn how to be a human.

Even when they just tell each other their names, the panel demonstrates this equality

Even the way they’re both holding the sword symbolizes this equality:

They’re both holding it and directing it towards Ichigo due to a common goal.

The fact they also call each other by their first names is important. Rukia always used “-dono” to refer to Kaien, a term of respect, while he called her by her last name. Meanwhile, Ichigo and Rukia call each other by their first names, symbolizing they’re close, something that is even pointed out within the story.

They also grow together.

Not only does Rukia teach Ichigo about his powers and her philosophy of saving others, Ichigo keeps surprising her at every turn:

Ichigo teaches Rukia how to be human, and not in the way of how to appear human or do human things, but how to feel, how to make connections with others

We always say Rukia changed Ichigo’s world, but he had that same effect in her:

It was always a mutual thing.

A relationship so different to any other in this manga.

But the best example of how different Kaien and Ichigo’s relationships with Rukia are is the fact that Rukia doesn’t think Ichigo is like Kaien from the get go.

She’s reminded of Kaien twice:

1. When Ichigo’s fighting Grandfisher, and I’ll analyze that part in the next post.

2. When Ichigo finally appears in front of her in SS and reassures her he’s not going to die. He smiles at her and Rukia remembers Kaien’s smile. She closes her eyes due to all the emotions she’s feeling.

My best explanation as to why Rukia thinks of Kaien in that moment is, as I said before, because Kaien was also reassuring in the fact he was not gonna die, yet he did and by her hand. Rukia doesn’t want to cause Ichigo’s death and she already feels guilty about turning him into a Shinigami, Byakuya hurting him, and everything else he’s gone through to try to save her. Rukia doesn’t want Ichigo to be like Kaien and die for her sake, as she believes she’s not worthy of being saved:

This is yet another thing Ichigo and Rukia have in common, they both feel guilty for having in some way cause harm to the other. 

Because, above all else, they both want to protect the other.

The thing is, the two actually achieve it: Rukia saves Ichigo’s life in the first chapter and when Byakuya is about to kill him. While Ichigo ends up saving her from execution, making it so their relationship stays equal.

That is the beauty of IchiRuki.

It’s never unilateral, but their feelings parallel each other’s constantly.

They want to save each other and they do.

They learn from one another, and they have faith in one another.

One doesn’t take while the other receive, they both give and receive something in return.

Because, in their eyes, they are equals.

Anyway,

This is the end of this very long post.

The rest of MITR will be analyzed in a later post.

Thanks for reading!

[rayshippouuchiha]

Bleach Runaways AU

Hey Ray! Long time lurker, posting for the first time. I've got a Bleach AU that I know I'm not going to do anything with, but it won't leave my brain. My only recourse is to inflict it on others like Eris tossing an apple.

So in this AU, things are pretty canon up until Karin and Yuzu are born. (Also, I'm referring to Ichigo under gender neutral pronouns for most of this bc I have imagined this AU with fem Ichigo and NB Ichigo and realized I just like Ichigo of any and all genders.) At some point shortly after the twins birth, Masaki catches on that there are Plans taking shape around her little First Protector. And she loves Isshin, she really does! But if he wants anything for or from their children besides their health, happiness, and success, then she needs to reconsider if that's a man worth loving. She's a Quincy. She protects people. That's her birth right and duty, but it's also the path she chose. And to let any of that slide because of a man, because of a shinigami, when her children are in the line of fire? Breaking her own heart a little is a small price to pay.

She bides her time long enough to get at least the broad strokes of what they - Isshin and Urahara - want from Ichigo. They want to turn her baby into a weapon. Masaki's not stupid; she knows that, given what who she and Isshin are and how they met, any or all of their children could be... exceptional, in any number of ways. That's no excuse. No matter what "potential" rests in Ichigo, or what percentage of human they may be, Ichigo is still a person. Still a child.

Maybe Ryuuken was right.

Masaki had thought about confronting Isshin. It was her first impulse, to face a fight head on. But Isshin was...older than her. He may not have his shinigami powers anymore, but he had experience that Masaki mmmmight be able to match. She was not going to gamble her childrens' safety with 'might'. And Isshin had Urahara in his corner. 

Masaki liked Urahara. Didn't trust him a wit, but she did very much like him. He was both not as bad as he made himself out to be and also so much worse. On the handful of occasions they'd spent real time together, she'd enjoyed watching him happen to other people. She did not want to get into a fight with Urahara Kisuke.

So. Running away it was.

Ryuuken, once Masaki catches him up, is more than happy to help. He and Isshin may or may not be frenemies by now, but Masaki is his family and he will always come if she needs him. He sets things up - the money, the transportation, the Quincy connections; everything she needs to get the kids out of Japan under the shinigami's radar. After that, though, his help would be limited. Everything would be up to her.

It's daunting. Some nights, it's terrifying. The thought of being truly on her own, and with three little lives depending on her. She lies in bed beside Isshin and wonders if maybe she had misunderstood. Maybe she was overreacting. Isshin had so much love to give, and he doted on the children all the time. But then Ichigo would do something strange and Isshin would get that look, and- 

Well. If nothing else, she can get Ichigo away from Isshin. It couldn't be healthy for any of them, really, to grow up around a father who could look at his own children with such detachment. It was one thing to have Urahara look at you like he already knew everything that made you tick but wouldn't mind cutting you open to test a hypothesis. It was something else when your husband looked like he might provide the scalpel.

Isshin leaves Karakura for a week to attend a medical convention. Before he goes, Masaki lets him know that she might take the kids into Tokyo while he was gone. The clinic will be closed anyway, so why not make it a mini vacation?

Isshin leaves first, with hugs and kisses and grand promises of more when he gets back. Masaki's heart breaks a little more, thinking of his inevitable grief when he returns to an empty house. But she has to do this. Her children aren't soldiers.  Isshin leaves. Masaki takes the children out the day after. It will be days before anyone notices they're gone. And by then? They could be anywhere.

~~~

I can imagine a few ways to get away and avoid Urahara for a few years, largely via Quincy networks and then by just blending in with human populations, living away from large population centers where Hollows hunt, etc. I figure they're probably in a western country, where Ichigo's hair color isn't as big a distinguishing feature as being Asian- could be the America's, or Europe, or heck, even Australia. (Oh my god, Ichigo with Aussie slang.) In my head, the Kurosaki's are somewhere reasonably remote. A rundown house at the end of a long drive, on a property that Masaki and fam have boobytrapped to hell and back, like Laurie Strode in the Halloween reboot.

Ichigo is still a little nuclear reactor of reiatsu, but they aren't leaking everywhere like in canon. Masaki hasn't kept anyone in the dark. She tells all three kids about their Quincy heritage, and every bit of shinigami knowledge she's pried from Isshin over their years together. She doesn't have the resources to do insane training like Ryuuken with his dungeon, but she keeps her skills up and the kids are competent and clever. I imagine a remote upbringing too, because it's a good way to hide how skilled and weird they all are. Ichigo still wants to help people because that's just an intrinsic part of their characters, and Karin and Yuzu follow suit in their own way. If the kids are a little too canny, well, they live so far out, they have to be a little more on the ball to stay safe. If they're stronger than other kids, that's because they're helping their mom so much around the property since there's no man of the house. Just good kids being good to their mom. And if anyone thinks it's strange the way all three of them go so still around untended graves, well, it's different in Japan, and they're such conscientious kids anyway, it's fine.

In this universe, Ichigo may or may not be as much of a brawler as he was in season 1, this time beating up bullies only instead of bullies+Isshin, but the know archery and they know what the fuck is up with themselves. In canon, we're told that Ichigo comes from this line of prodigies and geniuses, and we see times where he is plenty smart on his own, but one of his biggest strengths imo is his sheer common sense. In this AU, Ichigo is still a master of practicality, but that innate intelligence is definitely fostered and encouraged. Maybe they aren't a genius, but they're close. Plus, with a comparatively unbiased headstart on spiritual training, this Ichigo has already met the Zangetsu's and brow beat them both into  answering a fucking question. They're not necessarily bankai ready, but they have knowledge and their mind is primed to move fast.

Urahara and the Vizard probably find them around the same ages as canon. Ichigo is still 15ish because 15 is a terrible, powerful age, where you're vulnerable and desperately crave validation but also have the chemical molotov cocktail that is puberty flowing through you and giving you the power to fight god even without insane reiatsu and whatnot, soooo, yeah. Ichigo is still a teen. A teen whose home is under siege by the folks Mama Masaki has been running from all these years. And the property and house may be rigged to high heaven and low hell, but most of these people used to be big names and it shows. Urahara and probably at least Shinji get inside. Not sure how the confrontation with Masaki is gonna look, but at minimum, it's Urahara, Shinji, Masaki, and Ichigo in a standoff.

Shinji and Masaki are probably ready to kill, but this is the first time in maybe a decade that Urahara has seen Ichigo, and what he sees is far different than what he expected. This is...workable. Now if only everyone else could calm down for a moment.

They do all manage to sit and talk, and Masaki finally gets the full scope of what's happening with Aizen. She gets it, Urahara's plan. It's exactly the sort of plan a poorly socialized misanthrope with only other poorly socialized misanthropes to consult would come up with. Namely, it would've worked perfectly if only people weren't so darned people-y.

From here on, a tentative alliance is formed. Ichigo is gonna get trained - with less manipulation because the Zangetsu's say no and Mama Masaki says hell no. But Yuzu and Karin get trained as well. I have a personal headcanon that Yuzu would've been the family genius if she hadn't taken on the household responsibilities so young. Little sweet Yuzu being all Shiba brilliant and probably a little demolitions expert to boot. I will leave it up to readers to figure out where Isshin fits in all this, depending on how they like their Isshins served.

Honestly, the rest of the plot can go however folks imagine. Same with pairings, though you and cywscross have sold me on UraIchi. 

Anyway, I hope the void enjoys, and now maybe I can get back to one of my existing WIPs.

~~~~

You better come your ass back here because this is magnificent and my kingdom for this leading to UraIchi

[midnightactual]

Yoruichi and Co. & Kaien (Part 1)

It’s an established fact that Yoruichi grew up alongside Kisuke and Tessai in the Shihōin Manor when they were all kids. She and Kisuke entered the Onmitsukidō and Gotei 13 at roughly the same time. She became friends with Kūkaku sometime very early on as well. (This is unsurprising given the interactions of the Five Great Noble Clans: she visited the Kuchiki, thus meeting Byakuya, and Byakuya had a lot of interactions with Kaien, which you wouldn’t expect to occur on the job; you can infer she was around the Shiba a lot as well.) Kūkaku also clearly had a lot of interactions with Kisuke to trust him implicitly..

The exact nature of the history of those four would require its own post to speculate on. What we’re here to do today is to see how they were influenced by Kaien. For Kūkaku that’s obvious: he was her older brother. But I think it’s very clear that he had quite the effect on Yoruichi and Kisuke (and by proxy Tessai) as well... one that fundamentally shaped the plot going forward.

I’ve previously conjectured that the entirety of Bleach pre-timeskip, revolving around combating Aizen, was not so much the story of Aizen and Kisuke as it was the story of the maneuverings of the Hōgyoku. I stand by that. However, I would also suggest that if there was an opposite to Aizen in that time period, it wasn’t Kisuke...

... It was Kaien.

You could easily say that what the Urahara Shōten does, it does in the name of the example set by Kaien. They are, if anything, his disciples. And what they engage in with regard to Rukia and Ichigo (and other matters) only truly makes sense in my estimation when viewed from that perspective. In many ways, you might say that their efforts to build up Ichigo and Rukia are a direct effort to reconstitute Kaien.

A bold claim, but what evidence is there for this? Well, buckle up, because it’s a long ride...

Yoruichi & Kaien

In chapter 62, Yoruichi is starting to train Chad and Orihime. She says:

Cut to chapter 268, where Rukia is reflecting on Kaien during the Aaroniero fight:

Going back to Yoruichi in chapters 62 and 70:

I personally think that this congruence in philosophy is too exacting to be dismissed as mere coincidence, whether it’s the focusing on protecting or on ‘the heart’. While protecting might be the dogma of the Gotei 13, the emphasis on ‘the heart’ is Kaien’s alone. Where did Yoruichi get it from? Given she was good friends with Kūkaku, and the Princess and later Clan Head of the Shihōin, the obvious answer is... from Kaien, the Clan Head of the Shiba. Yoruichi has most likely adopted and internalized Kaien’s ethos. 

Doesn’t Kaien seem oddly practiced at this speech too, when he gives it to Rukia? Almost like he’s done it before... You can thus imagine a much younger and vulnerable Yoruichi getting more or less the same speech as Rukia did. (In my own personal headcanons, this would be part of what grounded Yoruichi against the influence of her father. I think it also fits neatly into @saranel​‘s thoughts on Yoruichi at one time having confidence issues, as she notes here and here, but that too should probably be its own post.) 

Okay, so let’s take it for granted that Yoruichi knew Kaien and was personally greatly influenced by him. What sort of knock-on effects does this have?

Ichigo & Kaien 1

Well, let’s go to Ichigo for a moment. We know that others see Kaien in Ichigo. Byakuya (and Rukia) do in chapter 56, in the fight in Karakura:

 Rukia does in chapter 117 on the Senzaikyū bridge : 

Immediately thereafter Jūshirō (and Byakuya) do too, also in chapter 117:

And, most concretely, Byakuya does in chapter 167, but we’ll come back to that later because it’s rather important for other reasons.

Yoruichi & Ichigo, Rukia, and Jūshirō

Instead, let’s focus on chapter 117 (and 118) for a moment. Who else shows up there right as everyone is suddenly thinking of Kaien? Yoruichi. And she is none too happy:

She is cold, calm, and on a mission, which is very unlike her demeanor throughout the rest of the Soul Society arc, whether it be before this (more on that in a bit) or later when she’s training Ichigo and fighting Soifon (where she is much more emotive). We see it come to an end once she’s successfully knocked Ichigo out:

She still looks resolved, but there’s a different kind of determination in her eyes... like she’s crossed a threshold. Until she hears Jūshirō. And then her expression becomes rather different again: almost wistful or sad? Why? Because, as Kaien told us earlier, and as Jūshirō told us himself in chapter 135:

@saranel, in her post PSA: Urahara Kisuke and Shihōin Yoruichi are NOT nice people, notes that:

Ichigo expressly told her he doesn’t want the help, but Yoruichi knows the fool is about to die a painful death, so she drugs him, violently incapacitates him and carries him away, despite his wishes. There were also a million different things Yoruichi could’ve done here, but as she herself explains to Ichigo later, none of the rest were real options, so damn his pride.

One of the (lesser) reasons I believe people never took offense to this scene, but did in Kisuke and Yoruichi’s case, is that Yoruichi has a mentor/student relationship with Ichigo.  And I get that, but let me remind you that calling each other out on their bullshit is a cornerstone of Kisuke and Yoruichi’s dynamic:

True friends don’t shy away from calling their friends out when they’re being idiots. And when they’re about to make massive, life-threatening mistakes, then you can damn well bet consent flies out the window. Especially when it comes to war; don’t forget that Kisuke and Yoruichi are soldiers.

Bold emphasis is mine. Yoruichi does on the Senzaikyū bridge to Ichigo what Rukia will later wish she’d done in Metastacia’s lair to Kaien: she saves him from his own pride. Rukia, previously in chapter 135, had declared to Jūshirō:

And as that post intones, Yoruichi doesn’t just advance the same argument as Rukia, she acts on it, as she goes on to explain in chapter 120:

Yoruichi’s look to Jūshirō on the Senzaikyū bridge signifies exactly two things, in my estimation: 1. “Your philosophy was wrong,” and 2. “I’m not letting another Shiba die for no good goddamn reason.” The fact that she seems to be calling him just “Ukitake,” and not “Ukitake-senpai,” or “Ukitake-san,” or “Jūshirō,” as well as the way she describes him to Ichigo, also seems significant to me: she does not hold him as especially close, or with all that much respect given his age and station, and their past history, presumably exactly because she still holds him somewhat responsible for Kaien’s death. We’ll come back to Jūshirō later, however.

Ichigo & Kaien 2

Would you believe me if I told you that Rukia, Byakuya, and Jūshirō weren’t the only people to recognize Ichigo’s similarities with Kaien? Let’s start with Yoruichi, since her narrative feeds directly into the points just addressed. But first we have to rewind a little. When the Ryoka are leaving for Soul Society, in chapter 70, just after her reminder about heart, Yoruichi gets a small monologue:

There’s a lot to unpack here. First, Yoruichi’s words of “Do not stop. Do not look back. Do not think of those you are leaving behind. Just... go forward. Those who can do that, follow me,” tell you that she is capable of doing exactly that, and that should be read as a guide for understanding her departure from the Urahara Shōten for a long time: she was on a mission to go forward in her own way (but that’s a topic for a different post).

Second, notice Ichigo is the one who first steps forward (quite far forward, although they all clearly move around and advance in his wake). This isn’t surprising, but notice that Yoruichi focuses in on and addresses him specifically. This won’t be the last time this happens. That he speaks for all of them makes him the leader, and unsurprisingly Yoruichi goes to him after his fight with Kenpachi to retrieve him in particular. He is already, as of this moment, special within her consideration.

So, to return to just before the events on the Senzaikyū bridge, in chapter 116:

Byakuya’s reiatsu flares when he uses his shikai on Ganju. Notice how pissed Yoruichi looks at it. But once Ichigo explains himself, her expression completely transforms. This is a look of recognition and it is, I think, Yoruichi seeing two things: 1. Seeing Kaien in Ichigo’s behavior, and 2. seeing herself in Ichigo’s behavior. This was exactly the logic she used when rescuing Kisuke and Tessai (and the future Vizard) a hundred years earlier. Ichigo is living up to her model, which we already established was founded on Kaien’s. The moment is short-lived as:

She runs after him and shows off one of the most frustrated and annoyed expressions she has in the manga, because she knows he’s running off to his doom and they’ll lose yet another Shiba for no good reason. This is why she shows up at the Senzaikyū bridge acting like a cold killer: because she’s on a mission to save his dumb ass after she’s truly recognized him as being Kaien-esque.

Kūkaku’s recognition of Ichigo is similar to that of Jūshirō, and occurs in chapter 78:

That we have a sudden close-up of her eye, and then a panel focused in on Ichigo even as she says “these kids,” tells you that she’s looking at him in particular. This isn’t a coincidence. The resemblance hasn’t escaped her, and she likely knew from the moment they’d entered that room.

Kisuke’s recognition of Ichigo is a little harder to pin down, given he knows exactly what’s going on with Isshin, but I think that we see it during the battle alongside Don Kanonji at the abandoned hospital, in chapters 30 and 31:

Ichigo and Don Kanonji are confronting the Hollow in front of the crowd that’s there to watch the filming, putting everyone in danger; Ichigo then hauls Don Kanonji (who’s refusing to retreat) into the hospital, drawing the Hollow away from everyone else and minimizing the number of people at risk. Kisuke isn’t surprised by this action, and seems to have entirely expected it... as though it reminds him of someone.

And finally, we come back to Byakuya in chapter 167:

Not only does Byakuya compare Ichigo to Kaien here, he seems to imply that Kaien has bested him in combat before. That Byakuya makes special note of the duties of the Four Great Noble Clans to provide an “example” for all Shinigami is probably itself a continuing dig at the Shiba, the demoted Fifth Great Noble Clan, who did not do such a thing, in his estimation (thus his animosity toward Ganju, a Shiba, on the Senzaikyū bridge).

But he also tells us that Ichigo, like Kaien, had made an enemy out of “the laws of Soul Society.” Do you know of any other member of the Four Great Noble Clans who not only didn’t uphold the law of Soul Society, but made an enemy of the laws themselves? I do: Yoruichi Shihōin! We see, yet again, the parallelism established not just between Ichigo & Kaien, and Yoruichi & Ichigo, but Yoruichi & Kaien as well.

Jūshirō & Kaien, Yoruichi, Ichigo, and Rukia

To return to Jūshirō, he will, fairly soon after the incident on the Senzaikyū bridge, confront Byakuya over Rukia’s execution date being moved up,in chapter 134. Byakuya will taunt him, leaving him fuming:

Do you think that Jūshirō’s remembrance of Kaien here is based purely upon having seen Ichigo? I don’t. I think it was partially if not largely based upon having seen what Yoruichi did with Ichigo. I think it was seeing Yoruichi’s example of, in Ichigo’s later words to Byakuya, “fight[ing] the law,” in Kaien’s image, which put this thought in his head. (Especially as, at this time, no one knew of Ichigo’s shared lineage with Kaien.)

And when Jūshirō decides to fight the law himself (along with Shunsui) after his request to Central 46 (being run by Aizen) is turned down, what does he somehow have in his possession in chapter 149?

A Shihōin artifact. Isn’t that curious? How do you suppose he got hold of such a thing? Do you imagine it just randomly happened to be in his possession? That’d be a very fortuitous coincidence. I don’t believe in it after everything else that’s been pointed out.

(This is an aside, but isn’t the timing of Jūshirō’s plan to use Fullbringers and Ginjō in particular kind of odd? It only happened some 20 or so years at most before the start of the series. He and the Gotei 13 has been around for at least 2,000 years, and this is the first time it occurred to him? Isn’t it suspicious... that it came so comparatively soon after Kaien’s death, and that the plan seems to have rather resembled that of Sōken Ishida?)

...

But I’ve hit the image limit, so read on for Part 2!