#Karin Kurosaki energy | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cheshiresense · 8 months

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[Last Part]

Can't have a Yuzu POV without a Karin POV lol~

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Karin makes it back before curfew with fifteen minutes to spare. Their brother had extended hers and Yuzu's curfew to 10pm since they'd hit their double-digits, and she's always been mindful to never break it. Yuzu isn't usually one to stay out late, but Karin likes her freedom to wander around without supervision enough that she isn't going to risk a grounding just because she couldn't be bothered to check the time. Besides, she knows kids her age don't get half as much trust or leeway from their guardians, so Karin isn't going to disappoint Ichigo's expectations by not following the few rules he'd set for them.

Not to mention she has exactly zero faith in her own ability - or honestly anyone else's - to slip under her brother's radar anyway. Only an idiot would think they could, and Kurosaki Karin wasn't raised a fool. Sneaking in late isn't even worth considering.

So she's back by 9:45 sharp, and she unlocks the apartment door to reveal a scene in the sitting room that's not entirely unfamiliar ever since dinner last Tuesday.

"Shoes," is Ichigo's greeting, and Karin immediately rallies.

"I rinsed them!" She insists defensively. "Thoroughly!"

She had. Karasu River, specifically that spot where their mother had died so everyone's avoided it ever since like they might get cursed if they stray too close, is a great place to get rid of evidence.

"And now you're thoroughly tracking water through the door," Ichigo points out dryly, which, oh yeah, she is, whoops.

Karin makes a vaguely sheepish face before quickly toeing out of her sneakers and leaving them outside to dry instead. Just her luck that Yuzu dropped a vial of her newest poison yesterday and burned a hole straight through the entryway doormat, and they haven't had a chance to replace it yet.

She shuts the door, drops her duffel bag against one wall, and ambles over to her brother for a hug and a cup of tea from the fresh pot on the kotatsu. Or rather, Ichigo goes about pouring her one while she slumps into his side with a content, if tired, sigh.

Ichi-nii has never really been one for hugs, even when she and Yuzu had been smaller, and that's no different now. Occasionally, on a birthday or new year or when - very rarely - something had made them cry, he'd dole one out to each of them, stiff and a little awkward, but genuine in a way Karin knows he'd had to learn just for them, and that alone had made it precious. Besides, he's never refused their hugs when they take the initiative to go in for one, and Karin knows full well that anyone else would be thrown across the room or tossed out a window, Mizuiro included, so that's just as good even if Ichigo doesn't often return them.

She leans against him now, and he endures it stoically, handing her tea and also casting a surreptitious eye over her for any signs of injury. There are none of course— Karin's been learning how to protect herself ever since her brother had become the undisputed head of the household, even if Isshin still remains determinedly blind to anything related to his son to this day. And on top of that, Ichigo's long since ensured their safety from most lesser predators in this town, so it's not as if they have anything to worry about.

Of course, there are still morons who slip through Ichigo's iron-fisted oversight - or rather, are allowed to slip through - either because they're new to Karakura or they're lured in from a neighbouring town, all of them deemed harmless enough prey for Karin and Yuzu to play with. They make for wonderful test subjects for Yuzu when she's getting creative again, and very convenient outlets for Karin whenever soccer and karate aren't enough to siphon off her excess energy. Unlike Yuzu, Karin really isn't made to sit still or stay indoors all day.

She blinks when Ichigo jostles her out of her thoughts with a nudge and a succinct reminder, "Greet."

Karin's pretty sure there's some kind of What Manners And Social Norms To Teach Your Kids So They Can Fit Into Society self-help book squirrelled away in Ichi-nii's room somewhere. Possibly even a series. Of course, her brother certainly doesn’t follow his own lessons on conduct, but this is one of those things that Ichigo has always implicitly expressed his preference for her and Yuzu to ‘do as I say, not as I do'.

So Karin can only swallow a forbearing grumble along with her tea before nodding curtly across the table, "Good evening, Hirako-san, Urahara-san."

Ichigo's already turned back to some papers in front of him, because bright side— her brother's number of fucks to give begins and ends with the most perfunctory of civilities, so at least Karin doesn't have to waste time on small talk. Yuzu, her crazier half, is the only one of them who actually enjoys that stuff. Karin sometimes can't believe they're related.

"Brat," is Hirako's response, and his voice says amusement but his eyes say caution. Well, amused caution, but Hirako seems to find almost everything a little funny, and it's not even some weird bravado because his reiatsu manifestation is constantly a glittering field of yellow-gold-blue that takes the form of a sunny beach. Usually.

On the other hand— "Good evening, Kurosaki-san," Urahara returns, perfectly polite, with a perfectly pleasant if distracted smile, perfectly suited for someone who's genuinely glad to see an acquaintance's sister home safe. Except his reiatsu manifestation is a fucking ocean of blood, deep and dark and completely still on the surface no matter what he says or does. The only times Karin's seen even just a ripple in it is when Ichigo is talking. Her brother at least seems to have a knack for taking Urahara off-guard. Nobody else though, and the external mimicry of human reactions - no matter how expertly crafted - doesn't impress Karin one bit when she can see the disconnect between his insides and outsides.

So she snorts and goes back to ignoring them both. Since the dinner last week, these two have come back a couple more times, mostly meeting with Ichigo for something or other, probably a ghost-related problem, with Urahara also dropping off a stack of books and scrolls for Yuzu, and they seem like they'll be sticking around for a while. But until Ichigo tells her that they're going to be part of the family, like Mizuiro, Karin's not going to waste her time on getting to know them. Honestly, just by dint of being people, and worse, troublesome ones, means that they're more likely to get themselves offed at the business end of Ichigo's swords than anything else.

"Ichi-nii," She says instead. "I have another away game on Friday. Can you sign me out of class?"

Ichigo makes a noise in the affirmative. "Leave the form on the kitchen table before you go to bed. Is it in Naruki City again?"

"Yeah," Karin makes a face. "Back-to-back matches against Hiromasa. Dunno why they even bother when they're not serious about it anyway. And they're so annoying. We always kick their asses but they still look down on us cuz I'm a regular on the team. What, a girl can't play soccer now? But we literally run the score up into the double digits every time we play and all they say is that they were going easy on us cuz we've got girls on the team!"

She stops and takes a deep breath. She's actually complained about this before, multiple times, ever since she'd turned nine and been deemed old enough - and tall enough - to play in official matches. Or as official as elementary school club competitions can get anyway, and being able to play against other schools was awesome, but that didn't mean some of their opponents weren't dickheads. At least she'll finally enter middle school next year and probably won't ever bump into this particular group of idiots on the field again, but until then, she's no doubt going to complain some more.

And her brother always listens with the sort of patience he wouldn't extend to anyone else's whining, which Karin likes to take shameless advantage of, but on occasion, she also needs other ways to vent, and that was really what today had been all about after enduring last Friday's game.

Right on cue, Ichigo asks without looking up, "Haven't you gotten it out of your system yet?"

Karin huffs and takes another long drought of tea before speaking. "Kind of? But the guy didn't even put up a fight! He even pissed himself, Ichi-nii! Before I even did anything! It was gross!"

Ichigo finally lifts his head just to level a look at her. "You play with your food too much."

Karin stares indignantly back at him. "I do not!"

"How long have you had your eye on this latest one?"

Since like, three weeks ago, but that's not Karin's fault! "It's not my fault he took forever to take the bait. You'd think it would've been easier with the way he stalked my jogging route every single day just to see me in a tank top and shorts. Besides, I was saving him for after last Friday's match! You know, as a treat."

"And now it's already Tuesday," Ichigo mutters, but he also pats her on the head in a vaguely comforting if condescending manner, like he's consoling her for a botched job.

Karin splutters. "Ichi-nii!"

Ichigo smirks briefly. "You're still young. You'll get better. There's no rush."

Karin pouts into her tea. Eleven - literally twelve in less than half a month! - isn't that young. She's definitely not a kid anymore. Ichigo was already scaring the crap out of half the town before he'd even hit his pre-teens. He hadn't even killed anyone yet back then but people twice his size would pick fights with him that he'd always win, and then he had started killing once he'd turned thirteen, which had only cemented his reputation. Karin and Yuzu had had to beg forever to get their brother to teach them some of the tricks of his trade, because they hadn't wanted to wait years to follow in Ichigo's footsteps, and Ichigo had thankfully agreed that it made sense for them to learn how to protect themselves.

Still, no matter how many bodies she and Yuzu have put in the ground - not that many actually, they've got a long way to go to catch up to Ichigo - Karin isn't so oblivious that she doesn't know that a good portion of the respect they receive these days is entirely down to their brother's looming shadow behind them. But everyone needs a goal or two in life, and one day, she wants people to look at her and flinch because she's scary enough all on her own.

"Did you clean up properly tonight?" Ichigo adds like an afterthought.

Karin rolls her eyes. "I would've called you if there was a problem. You know I have like three different cleanup crews and Mizuiro-nii on speed-dial."

She can't wait until she's tall enough to bag and carry adult corpses around on her own. It's embarrassing to have to call someone every time she - okay, she admits it - makes a bit of a mess. It's not an issue when Ichigo is there, and she just has to help him, but when she's alone, it pays to have extra hands in the aftermath, even if it feels kind of like she still has to be babysat.

"Cleanup crews?" Hirako suddenly interjects from where he's just been watching them and listening like he's never heard a single conversation in his life and it's somehow super fascinating. What a weirdo. "Where'd ya get those from?"

Karin squints at him. Why does he want to know? Shinigami old as dirt still don't know how to do their own cleanup?

"They're just local yakuza," Ichigo actually takes the time to answer, which seems exceptionally tolerant of him. He must really like this guy for some reason. "Someone always has some free time to lend a hand, and they don't mind sharing their dump sites."

Hirako arches an eyebrow. "They don't?"

Ichigo smiles lazily at him. "Not anymore."

Hirako stares at him for a beat longer before bursting into raucous laughter, except the sunny beach from before is shifting, sliding, fucking shimmering, and then it's no longer a beach even if it's still a field of yellow-gold-blue. Instead, sand dunes rise where there'd only been wild grasses and rocky outcrops before, an endless desert as far as the eye can see, while the sea isn't a sea at all but something that could be an oasis or just a mirage, now gone hazy behind a wave of heat, and all of it so deceptive and deadly that you might wonder how you could've ever mistaken it for anything remotely harmless at all.

And it's even worse beside him, because Urahara is sitting there, blandly smiling away from behind his fan, and he doesn't look much of anything, but the ocean of blood he's literally submerged in stirs for a minute like there's something large and lethal swimming in its depths. Karin can't see what it is though because the blood is so thick that she can barely even make out Urahara's face, let alone anything else.

She rubs at her eyes. They're giving her a headache. This is why she prefers baseline humans over ghosts. Ghosts naturally have more reiryoku than average living beings, and Shinigami have even more than that - way more - so Karin in turn sees a whole lot more than just flashes of transparent images when she has to look at them. And it would be bad enough if it was just that, but these two lie so much. She doesn't know if it's a Shinigami thing or Ichigo just attracts complications, although now that she thinks about it, Mizuiro had given her headaches at first too. It'd just been easier with him because when he'd started coming over to hang out, he didn't have anywhere near as much reiryoku as these two guys, and now Karin's just used to him so it doesn't much matter anymore.

But these two. She doesn't even know what Hirako's deal is, because as far as she's aware, he hasn't really lied about anything so far. His insides match his outsides, so to speak. But his manifestation also seems to imply that everything he says is as much a truth as it is a lie, or that it could be a lie just as much as it could be a truth, depending on the situation. Which doesn't make any sense, at least not to her.

And don't even get her started on Urahara. That man oozes shady vibes so it's not exactly a shock that his manifestation reflects that. It's just... who the heck has an ocean of blood representing their soul? It's not the fact that it's blood that confuses her; it's that the blood is all there is. Even if you kill a person a day for a thousand years, it can't be all that you are, right? Even Ichigo doesn't have something like that. Although to be fair, his reiatsu manifestation can probably come across as pretty disturbing too. But Karin basically grew up with it so she can't really say for sure. It's certainly never frightened her. Not that Urahara frightens her either. It's just... weird.

Both of these old dudes are so weird. They're the first people she's come across whose manifestations are as complex as her brother's, but she doesn't really know what she can interpret from them because manifestations are different from emotions, and besides that, emotions are her sister's wheelhouse anyway. Yuzu is the one who can pick up what someone is feeling at any moment and extrapolate from there. Karin just gets a bunch of pointless shitty abstract art shoved at her eyeballs, and Shinigami are clearly the worst about it.

And just to make it really unfair, Yuzu says that emotions rarely get too loud for her. Karin doesn't know if it's because her sister had been born with natural talent when it comes to controlling her ability while Karin... hadn't, or if Karin's ability encompasses so much of one of the senses she depends on most in everyday life that it simply affects her more easily, but either way, if the manifestation is a powerful one, then the longer she focuses on it, the more it can overwhelm her.

It'd been almost unbearable at first when she was younger, all of eight years old and finally tapping into her portion of the family inheritance, except even a glimpse of another student with slightly above average reiryoku levels could wipe her out for hours. There'd been days where Ichigo had had to pull her out of school just so she wouldn't have to see anyone, living or dead, and she'd needed almost six months before she'd gotten a proper handle on it.

During last Tuesday's dinner, she actually couldn't even see what Hirako and Urahara's faces looked like until near the end of it. Their reiatsu is just that strong, which means their manifestations appear completely solid and three-dimensional, and that means that those manifestations are the only things Karin sees most of the time when she has to look at them.

She doesn't even get the benefit of practically being able to read minds like Yuzu can. Although Yuzu always says it's nothing like reading minds. Karin remains unconvinced. Emotions can reveal a lot, especially with context clues. Manifestations on the other hand almost never react to whatever is happening in real time. Unlike emotions, they're rarely a consequence of outside stimuli. Hirako's had changed earlier, from illusory beach to the real desert hidden underneath, but that's because his manifestation has always been like that, switching between the two when the mood - his mood - strikes. Even now, it's already settling back onto the beach scene. It may have been somewhat affected by what Ichigo had said - by cleanup crews??? - but it hadn't shown anything that hadn't already been there, part of Hirako's soul.

In contrast, Urahara's the real outlier. Karin doesn't even want to think about his manifestation, never mind look at it. It's not that his soul has become something new either - the whole person would have to be swapped out for that to happen - but she's never met anyone, ever, whose manifestation seems to hinge so absolutely upon one person before. She's not even sure if Urahara is aware of how... fixated he is. And she definitely doesn't know what it means. Ichigo doesn't even like the guy, and Urahara - inside or outside - doesn't seem particularly hung up on Ichigo. Except of course for the little matter of how his actual-facts immortal soul is doing the near-equivalent of placing itself in the palm of Ichigo's hand, which- what. Didn't they just meet like two seconds ago? If Karin actually believed in love at first sight, she'd say this might be what it would look like if it could manifest a physical form in the creepiest way possible, but she doesn't, so to her, Urahara's just insane.

Anyway, no one can blame her for not wanting anything to do with these crazies, especially when coupled with her ability. She wouldn't give it up if she could, because it's hers, and it makes her special like Yuzu, like Ichi-nii, makes her part of the family in a way no one else but the three of them can be, but at the same time, it's honestly a pretty useless skill. Manifestations are just... portraits of souls laid bare, which sounds all kinds of impressive and philosophical but is actually just a fancy way of describing a lifetime of squatting in an art museum with all its exits sealed.

It's terrible all around, made doubly so by their houseguests, and in Karin's opinion, the sooner Ichigo gets tired of them, the better.

The room has gone silent, and Karin only notices when the mostly empty tea mug is plucked from her hand. She's pinching the bridge of her nose with her other hand, eyes closed, but she opens them then to peer up at her brother.

"It's getting late," Ichigo says without much inflection in his voice, but he also pats her head again, and a flare of reiatsu floods her retinas like cold spring water on a hot day, washing away the pain. "Go to bed. Lights out by eleven."

Karin's more than happy to get out of there, away from Less Crazy 1 and More Crazy 2.

"Mm, I know," She gives her brother a quick hug before clambering to her feet. "'Night, Ichi-nii. I'll leave the form in the kitchen."

Ichigo grunts his acknowledgement, and Karin spares a moment to nod in the general direction of the Shinigami before wandering away, pausing only long enough to scoop up her bag before making her way up the hall and to the master bedroom. She and Yuzu still prefer sharing each other's space even though Yuzu is fastidiously possessive about her own belongings, so Ichigo had given them the biggest room when they'd moved in, while he and Mizuiro had split the single and study-turned-bedroom between them. The best perk of this is of course the fact that she and Yuzu get the en suite bathroom to themselves.

Her sister is still up, bopping to some music on her headphones while reading one of the scrolls Urahara had given her. She barely glances up when Karin comes in, although she wrinkles her nose plenty when it's clear Karin hasn't had time to do her laundry.

Karin rolls her eyes and shuts the door behind her. "I won't leave anything lying around, don't faint."

Yuzu glowers at her. "I don't faint!"

Karin snickers as she ducks into the bathroom. "Whatever you say, princess."

The thud of a pillow hitting the bathroom door is her reply. It's actually pretty hilarious when Karin thinks about it. Yuzu's manifestation is a sterile white room lined with perfectly preserved faceless corpses wall to wall, but give her a human body with its guts spilling out, and she immediately runs for the nearest toilet. She doesn't mind the scent of blood, but gods forbid any stains linger where they shouldn't.

Speaking of, Karin digs out the set of clothes she'd changed out of earlier, after her stalker had been dealt with. She hadn't even gotten them very dirty this time, and she'd made sure to scrub everything clean in the river anyway before coming home, but she'll still have to toss them into the washer again if she doesn't want Yuzu nagging her about it. In the meantime, she shoves it all into a vacuum seal bag and leaves it in the corner. She can haul them over to the laundry room next door in the morning with the rest of the past week's load.

Her knives are tucked inside the duffel as well. Those she'll take care of tonight. Ichi-nii went all the way to Nagasaki to commission them for her from a semi-retired blacksmith last year. They're elegant and gorgeous, and they cut like a dream, sheathed in black leather and embossed with a small stylized K on the flat of each blade, only noticeable when the metal runs red. It's the best gift Karin has ever received, and if they ever rust, or she ever loses them, she'll probably bawl her eyes out.

She hops into the shower next, sighing happily as she relaxes under the hot water. Despite the atrocious company Ichigo keeps these days, today's still been an overall good day. She'll be able to go back to her jogging in peace starting tomorrow, and the upcoming match on Friday doesn't seem quite as irritating now that she's had someone to stab a time or ten. Of course, after the match is another matter entirely. Maybe she can tag along to Yuzu's bake sale on Saturday. There's always a couple suckers at the outskirts of Karakura too stupid to live.

It's something to look forward to. For now though, she finishes her shower, brushes her teeth, and then gets to work cleaning her knives. She doesn't have all night.

"Was Onii-chan still talking to Hirako-san and Urahara-san?" Yuzu asks a little later as they get ready for bed because their brother always knows if they stay up too late.

"Yeah," Karin says around a yawn as she sets her alarm. "They might still be out there. Can't you sense them?"

Yuzu shakes her head, leaning over to switch off the lamp on her nightstand. "They're... quiet, I guess. Quieter. I have to be in the same room as them to pick up on their emotions."

Karin hums as she rolls herself into her blankets. "What do you think about them?"

"I don't, really," Yuzu admits easily, so they're agreed on that at least. "Although if Onii-chan gets rid of them, I hope he can wait until after Urahara-san has finished teaching me."

Karin snorts. Typical.

They're silent for a moment until Yuzu speaks up again. "I think they're trouble. I mean, Onii-chan did mention it during dinner last week. But I think it's a different kind of trouble than the usual stuff. Not like yakuza or random creeps or even the monsters. Worse, I think they're going to bring trouble."

Karin frowns into the dark. Well, it's not anything she hasn't thought of herself. It's another reason why she dislikes them. If they've got problems, why do they have to dump them at Ichigo's doorstep? What have they ever done for Ichi-nii?

Still, "Ichi-nii will be able to handle it," Karin says with certainty. She's never known her brother to fail at anything. There has never been a problem Ichigo couldn't solve. He'd even cowed their father without ever laying a single hand on him, and that was back when Isshin had still been stronger than Ichigo.

"Well, obviously," Yuzu says, equally confident. "Maybe Onii-chan will even have some fun with it. I know the monsters don't give him any kind of challenge anymore. And he likes Hirako-san and Urahara-san well enough."

"He likes Hirako," Karin corrects, shooting a flummoxed look at the bed across the room. "Urahara, he could take or leave. I'm surprised Ichi-nii lets him come here at all."

"Yes," Yuzu says with an audible smile. "Onii-chan lets him come here."

Karin blinks. ...Huh.

"So, what, is it like... a crush?" Karin grimaces. Ew. "They're old and weird!"

Yuzu giggles. "I don't think I'd go that far. Yet. Besides, they're also powerful and interesting and not afraid of him, and you know what Onii-chan's like."

"Yeah, but I also thought Ichi-nii doesn't get crushes," Karin grouches. "I can't believe it's both ways."

"Both ways?" Yuzu echoes, and Karin can almost hear her eyes go wide. "Urahara-san too?"

Karin squints up at the ceiling. "What, you didn't pick that up from him? I mean I don't think it's actually a crush. Like you said. But there's something there."

"Urahara-san is a bit strange about Onii-chan," Yuzu agrees thoughtfully. "But I'm not exactly sure what it is. His emotions are hard to read sometimes. Hirako-san is easier. And nicer."

Karin makes a disgruntled sound. 'Nice' isn't how she'd put it, considering Hirako's reiatsu manifestation.

"Hirako-san isn't that bad," Yuzu says, amused. "And they're both kind of like Onii-chan, so that might be good. It's good to have friends."

Karin shrugs and grabs an extra pillow to hug. "Whether they're like him or not, if they do something dumb, Ichi-nii will handle it all the same."

Yuzu laughs, bright and cheerful and just a little anticipatory, even if she does seem to have a better opinion of them than Karin does.

The conversation between them fades away. Karin shuts her eyes and lets her thoughts drift. She has morning practice tomorrow and can't be late, so old weird men calling on her brother are frankly the least of her priorities.

#bleach #myscrap #stunted empathy verse #kurosaki karin #kurosaki ichigo #hirako shinji #urahara kisuke #kurosaki yuzu #karin's way less impressed with the two old dudes who followed her brother home #not that yuzu was all that impressed either beyond what kisuke could do for her lmao #anyway fleshing out karin and smacked her with a much more unique ability than yuzu's lol #not that yuzu's is particularly common in the bleach world but you see the empathy trope in general more often #they're kind of opposites in that #yuzu's relatively more normal in the spiritual powers department #not so normal with her poison obsession in everyday life #karin kind of doesn't want to have much to do with the spiritual side #and is more normal with her daily life #kind of #okay murder's not normal but she goes about it more straightforwardly at least #the main point is i hope they actually feel like people instead of cardboard cutouts lmao #sorry kubo but they were so flat in canon

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phoenixyfriend · 1 year

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Having a mini-phase where I'm really into Bleach again, anyway:

Aizen kidnaps the Kurosaki twins when Masaki dies and has them raised in Las Noches, alternately pitting them against each other and then against minor arrancar. He wants to see how much of their Shinigami/Quincy backgrounds he can force to the foreground via constant stressors and being surrounded by Hollow energy. If he's very lucky, one of them will accidentally become a Vizard of their own volition, which he would love.

Can't let them die by way of aggressive morons, though, so they're usually in the company of an espada with self-control and maturity, like Starrk, Nel, Harribel, or Ulquiorra.

After all, what mad scientist would pass up the chance for Twin Studies?

They're still alive, and Aizen finds it funny to taunt them with just what they're missing out on. They hate Aizen, but they're also a little resentful of the fact that (at last according to Aizen himself), there are lots of people who could theoretically come and save them, like Urahara and Yoruichi and their dad, but aren't. Aizen himself oscillates between 'your loved ones are too weak to find you, because I'm a genius and can hide your reiatsu even if they do look into Hueco Mundo, muahahaha' and 'look, they don't even care enough about you to come looking.' You know, just to fuck them up in the head a bit.

There are several options:

Orihime finds them when it's her turn to be kidnapped, and then Ichigo has a (loving and resentful) surprise waiting for him when he arrives.

Orihime doesn't get kidnapped, but Aizen draws Ichigo out anyway by sending a taunting six-years-late ransom video with Yuzu and Karin in it.

Yuzu and Karin slip out when Nel gets chucked off the tower, and spend the next few years until Ichigo shows up just hanging out in the desert, because none of them know how to open a Garganta, not even Pesche and Dondochakka. (They do, actually, but Aizen's still keeping tabs on his pet projects, and is blocking that ability from the Fraccion because, well, he can't just let the girls go home before he's revealed himself to Soul Society.)

The Invasion of Soul Society causes so much hullabaloo that they (barely) manage to escape through Aizen's Negacion exit. (They aren't sure if they succeeded on their own, or if Aizen let them go to cause more chaos.)

They befriend Lilynette and at one point mention that they miss their brother, Ichigo, whom they loved the way Lilynette loves Starrk; they haven't really been told the truth of Starrk and Lilynette being two halves of the same soul, but it's enough that Lilynette bullies Starrk into kidnapping her and her human-ish friends to the Land of the Living and/or Soul Society, which Aizen actually didn't predict.

#Kurosaki Twins #Kurosaki Yuzu #Kurosaki Karin #Kurosaki Ichigo #Aizen Sousuke #Coyote Starrk #Lilynette Gingerbuck #child abduction tw #Inoue Orihime #Nel Tu #Nelliel tu Oderschwank #There are so many ways to spell her last name but meh #Dondochakka #Dondochakka Birstanne #Pesche #Pesche Guatiche #phoenix posts #bleach

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bombomderps · 1 year

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"You without sin, are like the sun"

I wanted to sketch another snippet from the Diamond Dust Rebellion novel but then I realized it was Toshiro’s birthday...and then the new episode came out...and one thing led to another...so there you have it..Masaki and Isshin’s poem, but make it my favorite crackship that never was. And ngl, the symbolism between those two is what made me ship them ever since that filler came out, so I wanted to do something less literal for them for a long time.

Couldnt do a more polished picture because all my shading energy is going to my secret santa lol, so another grayscale will have to do. I tried to clean up the sketchy lines, but this is not quite my finished black&white style...it’s a mess...like this ship. No regrets.

I absolutely loved today’s episode, seeing Isshin’s Engetsu animated was so excited and the more I see him in action the more I cannot unsee Karin as having a fire type spiritual powers (even her football combusts when she was just playing hunting hollows, nothing will convince me otherwise.) So, in summary, Happy Birthday Shiro-chan, hope you continue the Squad 10 tradition of eloping with a Kurosaki.

#日番谷冬獅郎生誕祭2022 #BLEACH感想 #bleachtybw #bleach fanart #hitsukarin #toshiro hitsugaya #karin kurosaki #toshiro x karin #isshin kurosaki #masaki kurosaki #isshin x masaki #everything but the rain

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theyanderespecialist · 9 months

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Aizen's Queen (Scenario Mini-Series) Yandere Aizen X Female Ichigo (Bleach)

[Hello, My Sexy Muffins. This chapter is the first part of the Darling Female Ichigo Kurosaki, In which any bleach character can be yandere for her! So Here we go! This scenario is if Ichigo was taken to Hucho Mundo instead of Orihime!]

(Disclaimer: Aizen is not yandere in canon, and Ichigo is not female in canon. Aizen is not in a romantic relationship with Ichigo in canon. This is just for fun and not to be taken seriously, and simping for fictional characters and yanderes and shipping for them is fine. Just do not be illegal or gross about it! Yanderes are Not Ideal Partners to have in real life. Also, remember to separate fiction from reality and headcanon from canon)

(Once again, please enjoy this chapter here!)

(Also, Ichigo is aged up to 18 in this just so you know!)

(Aizen's Queen)

(Aizen's POV)

I watch as Ichigo is brought into the room. She is restrained and glaring up at me. With such hate in her eyes. Give it some time, and those stunning brown eyes will hold love for me. I smile down at her.

"Ichigo," I say, savoring the way her name sounds coming from my mouth. "Welcome to my home."

"What the hell do you want, Aizen!?" She demands of me.

"It is simple, My Ichigo," I tell her, and her eye twitches. "I am going to make you my queen. You will rule by my side. We will enter heaven together."

"Like hell, I will!" She snaps at me.

"I am afraid you have no choice, Ichigo. You will be mine. I do not care what I have to do, and I will have you as mine. Besides, better if you say yes. I mean, what would happen to your dear little sisters. Yuzu and Karin." I tell her, and she glares hatefully.

"KEEP MY SISTERS' NAMES OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!" She shouts, and if not restrained, I know she would try and attack me.

"I will keep them out of my mouth. And They will be kept safe as long as you do as I say. I can order any of my Espada to go and slaughter your sisters." I explain to her. "Your spirit energy is sealed away. You would not be able to get to them in time. Even if you had your powers at your use."

Her face changes from anger to worry and fear.

"All you have to do is be mine, and I will keep them safe, even when I destroy Karakura town. I will make sure that your family is spared." I tell her and get down, flashstepping to her. "All you have to do is be mine."

She stares at me, and I gently take her face in one of my hands, stroking her cheek with my thumb.

"What do you say? My Queen." I ask her, and she glares at me.

"Fine..." She says, and I smile, leaning down, and kissing her.

To seal the deal, I kiss her. This is our first kiss, and she tries to pull away at first. I do not let her. She thinks better of pulling away and letting me kiss her. She does not kiss back, she is not ready for that, but I know one day she will be. We will be able to have a life together for all eternity. She will learn to love me eventually. I will make sure of it.

[YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS another chapter is done! I hope you all enjoyed this, and stay sexy, all of my sexy muffins!

Also, if there is any Bleach Character, male, female, or genderbent. You want to see Female Ichigo! Comment them below, and if you are on Tumblr, put them in my ask box!

Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed this, and stay sexy, all of my sexy muffins!]

#Yandere #yandere aizen #yandere bleach #yandere mini series #yandere scenario #scenario #mini series #everyone x female ichigo #female ichigo #female ichigo kurosaki #aizen x ichigo #aizen x female ichigo #aizen #sosuke aizen #bleach aizen #bleach #bleach female ichigo #bleach ichigo

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zaynnaz · 8 months

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Title - Sands of Masks and Flames

Summary - In Hueco Mundo’s desolate sands, Karin Kurosaki awakens as a hollow. Her strength, rare for her size, makes her both target and asset in a power struggle with her unique abilities. As factions vie for dominance, Karin confronts her new identity, tangled allegiances, and a destiny intertwined with a throne she never sought.

Rating: Mature

Word Count: 17k+

Warning: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death.

Where Can You Read: https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13272786/1/Sands-of-Masks-and-Flames & https://archiveofourown.org/works/49651099/chapters/125318689

Chapter 1: Insatiable Disparity

Time stretched on, unending. Screams and cries were the melodies that filled the very air she breathed. Yet in the depths of this chaos, memories – fragmented and fleeting – clawed at her mind. An existence before this nightmare. A faint impression of who she used to be, but it was almost as if she were trying to grasp water in her hands. Slippery, elusive.

She clung onto one certainty: a name, or the beginning of it. 'K'.

This singular thread connected her to a past, a proof that she wasn’t always this... monster. Each time she devoured, each soul she consumed, fragments of understanding came flooding back, mingling with the insatiable hunger that dominated her existence.

The more she fed, the sharper her thoughts became. Every hollow she consumed increased her strength and her wit. Initially, she had been content preying on the ones her size. But monotony took over. The thrill of the hunt faded when her prey became predictable. Larger hollows posed a greater challenge, one she eagerly accepted.

Need food… Food, the thoughts of the creature repeated in its mind.

Drawn by a powerful spiritual energy, Karin found herself at the edge of the Menos forest, a place rife with towering Gillians. The very thought of consuming such a being sent shivers of anticipation down her spine. However, caution also wrapped its cold fingers around her heart. She wasn’t foolish enough to dive headfirst into unknown dangers. Observing before attacking, that was her strategy. 

As if the forest itself sensed her hesitation, a spectacle unfolded before her eyes: three hollows, roughly her size, challenging a Gillian in unison. A collaboration among hollows was unheard of in her experience. Yet, as the Gillian retaliated with its powerful red beam, obliterating one of them effortlessly, the gravity of their situation became clear. 

She watched, heart racing, as the remaining two desperately tried to dodge the beams, their agility impressive but evidently not enough. Just as the situation seemed dire for the final hollow, it managed to take a sizable bite from the Gillian’s mask. The giant let out a world-shaking roar of agony, collapsing under its own weight. 

Seizing her chance, Karin darted from the shadows, drawn to the injured Gillian. The smaller hollow, intoxicated with its victory, failed to sense her approach. As she neared, every instinct screamed at her to strike, to claim her prize and ascend in power.

Karin was swift, she decapitated the hollow with a swipe of her clawed hollow hands. She quickly consumed its mask and turned to the giant that had fallen. At this moment she was feeling an exuberance of pride in her swift assault that caused her little trouble. 

The eerie silence that descended upon the Menos forest following her swift victory was a testament to Karin’s emerging prowess.Consuming the Gillian, she had tasted not just raw power but fleeting moments of a past long buried in the depths of her consciousness. 

Huh, she thought suddenly, then a moment of clarity for the first time in what seems like an eternity. 

As the name "Karin" echoed in the hollow recesses of her mind, it acted like a beacon, illuminating patches of memories. In those fleeting moments, shadows of emotions - pain, love, fear - all flitted across her psyche. It was a feeling of nostalgic yearning, an anchor in the tempestuous sea of her current existence.

Who… Who were they?, Karin struggled against her blurred memories in desperation to know more.

Suddenly, a crimson glow materialized. As the crimson glow intensified, bathing the Hueco Mundo in its eerie light, Karin felt its menacing warmth on the back of her neck. The very ground seemed to hum with the vibrations of the charged energy, and the arid air grew even more stifling. Every particle, every molecule resonated with the imminent danger of the Cero beam. But within Karin, a storm of emotions raged, providing her with clarity rather than chaos.

Not this time, she thought fiercely, her determination burning brighter than the impending doom.

The sand beneath her feet shifted slightly, reacting to the potent spiritual energy. It whispered tales of countless battles that had come before, of the countless souls who had met their end in this very realm. But the whisperings also held a challenge, urging her to not become just another footnote in the Hueco Mundo's battleground.

She could feel the rapid beat of her heart echoing within her, each thud a stark reminder of her humanity amidst the monster she had become. It was this duality that gave her strength. Her feet barely touched the ground as she twisted her body, evading the Cero with an agility that seemed graceful. Her hollow form glided effortlessly over the dunes, with movements reminiscent of a hauntingly beautiful dance.

As she moved, the very atmosphere seemed to respond to her. The shadows lengthened and coiled around her, becoming an extension of her form, shielding her and amplifying her evasive maneuvers. Her senses sharpened; she could almost taste the metallic tang of the charged energy in the air, feel the weight of the history-laden sand grains, and hear the soft, desperate whispers of lost souls carried by the wind.

She felt the moment approaching, that split second where the balance of power could shift. Gathering all her strength, she launched herself at the Gillian. The world around her blurred, reducing to mere streaks of color. Every fiber of her being screamed with the exertion, yet her mind remained clear and focused.

With a piercing battle cry that was equal parts rage, hope, and determination, she struck. The force of her attack sent shockwaves through the Hueco Mundo forest, as the monster was taken down with an unexpected ferocity.

As the dust settled, Karin stood victorious, breathing heavily. The aftermath of the battle was a testament to her prowess. The world around her seemed to pause, as if paying silent respect to her strength and will.

The act of consuming her foes not only strengthened her but connected her with fragments of her lost self. It became a compulsion - a thirst not just for power, but for identity.

Days turned into nights and nights into days as Karin hunted relentlessly in the Menos forest. Each Gillian she consumed brought her closer to unlocking the mysteries of her past. But with each memory that surfaced, a new emotion brewed within her: a cocktail of anger, sadness, and determination. These feelings, foreign yet familiar, drove her onwards.

I will remember. I will know who they were. Who I was, she thought to herself with sustained determination and defiance to her hollow’s all-consuming existence with growing intelligence.

In the world of Hueco Mundo, where the strongest survived and the weak were consumed, Karin was quickly climbing the ranks of her power, her witt growing further in combat. However, the journey wasn’t just about power anymore. It was a quest for self-realization, a desperate search for the girl named "Karin" who once existed in a world far removed from this dark abyss.

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joz-yyh · 2 years

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Day 3: Overcome / Vanity 🪞🕸️ (Inspired by the song: Mirror ft. Henri Werner, Krysta Youngs)

Part of my Occult AU -- In celebration of Halloween, Ichigo and friends decide that it would be a spooky good time to visit Urahara's Antique Shop and buy a "cursed object," to see if any of the old myths are true.

You’ll Find A Rough Script About This AU Under The Cut!

The plan is that each one of his classmates is supposed to choose an object from the shop and "try out" their own ritual at home and then report back the following day to see if the spell was legit or not.

While browsing the menagerie of oddities, Ichigo comes across an old hand mirror among the dusty, cluttered shelves and is instantly drawn to it.

"What did you pick, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime asks, her arms clasped behind her back. The boy shows off the ornate mirror to the redhead, her cute blushing face reflected back at her. "Oh, pretty,” She giggles, “Somehow, I get a creepy feeling from it." “Then, I am definitely buying this one. Thanks,” Ichigo smirks, heading towards the counter where Urahara is keeping a trained eye on him.

That night while examining the mirror, Ichigo finds a hidden scroll inside the handle. He waits til 3:33am as per the instructions, looks into the mirror and speaks the incantation aloud. Minutes pass, he tries the words again (maybe he mispronounced something), but nothing happens.

He goes to bed disappointed, but what Ichigo fails to realize is that he actually did summon Shiro. The white demon is hiding in the mirror, watching silently, keeping his presence a secret. Shiro takes his time haunting the organette day by day. Sometimes, Icihigo will hear a crack, like something breaking, or thump of something falling, but he can never pinpoint what it is because everything looks normal when he goes to check.

Sometimes, shadows creatures will pass across the walls in his house. Sometimes, things move or disappear. Sometimes, Ichigo catches a pale image of himself in the rain, in the glass of a window. He thinks that it's all just his mind playing tricks.

Yuzu is getting really unnerved by all these shenanigans. Karin thinks it's cool that their house is haunted now.

Isshin, who is more spiritually inclined than his son at this point, starts to notice something is amiss and asks Ichigo if he's sensed anything out of the ordinary.

Icihigo denies it and keeps the mirror wrapped up and hidden in a drawer.

As the end of October nears, Ichigo’s friends are still investigating curses and once again visit Urahara's shop. "Have you been getting enough sleep, kid,” Urahara asks, “You don't look so good." Ichigo nearly screams in terror at the feeling of the man’s hand on his shoulder.

“Yeah, I am fine,” he says, quickly smoothing over his reaction, “All this ghost stuff is kinda making me jumpy.”

“Haha, I guess so,” the shopkeeper laughs, a cryptic edge to his voice, “Though, I must say I am surprised that no one in your little group has been able to conjure up a real life ghost yet. I guess all these ancient relics are nothing, but junk afterall. Sorry kid, no refunds.”

Later that night, Ichigo hears a voice calling out to him and he freaks out when he discovers that the source is coming from inside the mirror.

Shiro has been feeding on the boy's fear and has built up enough vitality that he can finally reveal himself and explain what's been going on.

The demon tells the boy that he could not have been summoned without a powerful psychic, one he’s compatible with and that once summoned, he can travel anywhere so long as there's reflective surface around.

He assures Ichigo that he can only take life energy from the one who invoked his services so, his family and friends are safe.

He continues to tell the teen that he's almost strong enough to leave the glass prison that he's been stuck in, that he just needs a little more (a kiss) and he'll be set free. (and here is where the the art comes in so, this is where I am ending it for now. I hope you enjoyed reading up to this point. If I ever find the time, I might flesh this out into a full-fledged fic).

#my art #ichihichi #ichihichi week 2022 #shiroichi #occult au #bleach #shirosaki #ichigo kurosaki #demon shirosaki #wip #my bleach art #so work with me on this I know it's a hand mirror but Shiro can will it to grow larger #if he chooses #ichihichi week #shiroichi week #shiroichi week 2022 #hichigo #hollow ichigo

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toshiro-taichou · 1 year

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Bleach OC: Ryu Kurosaki

Name: Kurosaki Ryuosuke (Ryuosuke Kurosaki | 黒崎龍之介).

Alias: Kurosaki Ryu (Ryu Kurosaki | 黒崎龍).

Age: 17 years old.

Birthday: 15th June 2006 (Gemini)

Gender: Male.

Race: Human.

Personality: Ryu can be very serious in certain situations when the time calls for it. However, unless there's a situation, Ryu is very lazy and always seemed to have zero energy which his parents are wondering how since neither of them are like that. Although, if he speaks with his friends, he's got that Kurosaki type of annoyance that the Kurosakis get from Isshin, pissing off anyone with just a word.

Habits: Ryu has a very bad habit of falling asleep anywhere, sometimes even standing up.

Hobbies: Falling asleep and listening to music.

Character TYPE

Profession: Substitute Shinigami.

Base of Opperation: Karakura Town, World of the Living.

Occupation: High School Student.

Zanpakuto: Enshento Sandāurufu (Ancient Thunder Wolf.)

Relationships

Father: Daisuke. Status: Alive. Race: Human. Ryu does not get along with his father and prefers to stay far away from him.

Mother: Karin Kurosaki Hitsugaya. Status: Alive. Race: Human (Shinigami)

Step-Father: Toshiro Hitsugaya. Status: Alive. Race: Soul (Shinigami) Ryu sees Toshiro more as his real father than Daisuke but always refers to Toshiro as 'Father' to show sign of respect.

Half Brother: Kimoto Hitsugaya Status: Alive. Race: Human (Shinigami) Ryu and Kimoto are very close.

Half Sister: Kurayami Hitsugaya. Status: Alive. Race: Human.

Half Sister: Yukihime Hitsugaya. Status: Alive. Race: Human.

Half Brother: Takashi Hitsugaya. Status: Alive. Race: Human.

Uncle: Ichigo Kurosaki. Status: Alive. Race: Soul (Shinigami). Ryu has never met Ichigo until he was 17.

Auntie: Rukia Kuchiki Kurosaki. Status: Alive. Race: Soul (Shinigami).

Uncle: Sojuro Kusaka Status: Alive. Race: Human (Quincy) Ryu gets along with Kusaka but always questions the friendship he has with Toshiro.

Auntie: Yuzu Kurosaki Kusaka. Status: Alive. Race: Human (Quincy).

Cousin: Kaien Kurosaki. Status: Alive. Race: Soul (Shinigami)

Cousin: Ichika Kurosaki. Status: Alive. Race: Soul (Shinigami)

Cousin: Kon Kurosaki. Status: Alive. Race: Soul (Shinigami)

Cousin: Hisana Kurosaki. Status: Alive. Race: Soul.

Cousin: Kiyoshi Kusaka. Status: Alive. Race: Human (Quincy).

Cousin: Masaki Kusaka. Status: Alive. Race: Human.

Cousin: Ichiro Kusaka. Status: Alive. Race: Human.

Grandfather: Isshin Shiba Kurosaki. Status: Alive. Race: Soul (Shinigami) Ryu prefers not to spend much time around Isshin as he begins to question his own sanity.

Grandmother: Masaki Kurosaki. Status: Deceased. Race: Human (Quincy).

Friend: Sora Ishida. Status: Alive. Race: Human (Quincy). Ryu loves pissing off Sora as it always ends with him laughing till he's out of breath.

A bit of Backstory as to why Karin was with Daisuke:

Karin has always had a crush on Toshiro but knew that he was a Shinigami and will outlive her. So when she was a teen, she went to some parties with a few friends and that's where she met Daisuke. She decided that she would let Toshiro go and started to date Daisuke but Daisuke only used her and cheated on her. Weeks after their breakup (with Karin finding out about him cheating), she found out she was pregnant. As she didn't like the idea of abortion, she decided to keep the baby. That's when she met Toshiro again and fell in love all over again. When Toshiro heard about Karin's condition and the cheating ex, he was pissed but decided to help Karin. In resulting them two getting together and having Toshiro's name on Ryu's birth certificate instead of Daisuke.

#hitsukarin #bleach oc #bleach next generation #one of the hitsukarin children

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hoetachi · 3 years

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WUSYANAME? + Ichigo Kurosaki

mulan’s input: he got the drip for this song, if we being honest summary: in which he just wanna know the name that goes with that pretty lil face genre; fluff pairings; ichigo kurosaki x black! reader

drabble

what’s your name?

it was a question he had on replay whenever you showed up. You was new to his town and based off of what his boys been saying, you were an angel to be around. A heart of pure gold & love, an welcoming energy and a smile to turn away any storm that might approach. That was you, and he wanted to witness these things for himself

“Are you gonna ask her or stare like a creep while we’re here?” Rukia scolded as she whacked the back of the ginger’s head with a rolled up magazine

“Ouch and what the hell are you talkin’ about? i’m not staring at no one” He lied as his glanced towards your direction. The both of you locked eyes and a bright pink blush swarm his cheeks as he quickly looked away obviously, causing a sweet giggle to come from your person which only deepened his already flustered cheeks

“Obviously there’s no hallows around for you to be staring intensely like that. so are you going to go introduce yourself or not?”

“He’s probably gonna scare her off with his rep or maybe he don’t got the balls to go and talk to her” Karin teased as she kicked her feet up with a smirk.

If there’s one thing that anymore learned about Ichigo, it would be don’t underestimate challenging him. Any previous fear or nervous can be wiped away with determination, if he put his heart into, which currently was the reason why he was approaching your booth with the confidence of an king

You noticed his stride towards, which caused you to put down the pen inside your notebook, giving your aching a small break to hear what this kid had to say

With a charming grin, he stood before with a cool demeanor. “Hey there beautiful, I’ve noticed you around school and some parts of town so i decided to come and finally introduce myself to you” He winked as he stuck his hand toward you. Your eyes darting from his hand to his face before you gently took it and gave it a firm shake before letting it out

“Really? so what’s your name?” You gave him a smile, one that light up the darkest spaces in his mind. He really looked like he was gonna turn into putty if you decided to simply tap his shoulder for his attention.

At first was amusing until you noticed he was just standing there looking at you. You waved your hand in front of his face, yet you didn’t get a reaction out of him

“Umm… your name, ginger?”

You rolled your neck at him as he stared at you— basically with heart eyes. You couldn’t help the giggle that erupted from your throat once again. You wasn’t expecting someone like him to be so all over place at the sight of you. In other words, you found it’s kinda cute in a way

“Hey! tell her your name, you dimwit!” Rukia hid her laughter behind her hand as Karin irritatedly threw a can at the dumbstruck reaper’s head, bringing him back to his senses and making him remember why he even approach you in the first place

“Oh- my name is ichi—” He whipped his head to an empty booth. Thousands of questions ran through his mind as he looked around the small restaurant for you, but to no avail. He audibly groaned at the missed opportunity due to his obvious drooling, but how can you really blame him when your that girl. You have—no, you are star quality behind those gorgeous warm eyes and just standing there in those seconds before you vanished from his presence, you could say he fell in love with the way the sun shined against your sephia, reddish-brown, skin or the way barbie-styled silk press ponytail elegantly perched just an inch off your shoulders

Whatever it was, it definitely did a number on his thoughts about you. Who would’ve thought a basic question like that would caused the delinquent soul reaper to freeze like a deer in headlights. Thinking about the stolen moment due to his confidence falter for a second in your beautiful presence

A frown emerged on his features whilst he stuffed his hands deep in his pockets. Only if you said your name first, maybe he wouldn’t feel so… lost at the moment

“..just wanted to know your name”

karin rised from her seat with a witty grin a she rested a hand on his shoulder. “You win some, you lose some” She shrugged, attempting to get him out his little feelings over something so little. However, her attention was elsewhere as her brow raised at a small folded piece of scratch paper was laid out neatly on the wooden table you once sat at

“Hey bro, i think she left something behind” She brought to his attention while walking over and plucking it from its spot

Suddenly his mind became curious once more at the mention of you. “Really? what is it?”

“A note of some sort. It’s probably for you.”

He took the piece of paper before taking a lone seat away from peering eyes. On the folded part it read ‘for ginger ♡’ and the way his previous blush came at back, was on tenfold.

Taking a shaky breath as his heart beat out of his chest at concerning rate he finally decide to unfold the small paper and it’s contents eagerly

‘You cute and kinda silly… and i have a gut feeling you have pure intentions, ginger. So here’s my number (xxx-xxx-xxxx) as a second chance. Call me y/n, and also if you ever get lost too xoxo’

if anyone who was wondering what the hairstyle looks like

reblogs are ALWAYS appreciated <3.

#blkradio #bleach x black! reader #ichigo kurosaki x black! reader #ichigo x black! reader #ichigo kurosaki #ichigo x reader #x black reader #bleach fluff #bleach x reader #bleach x black reader #ichigo x black reader

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cooliogirl101 · 3 years

Note

If Sayuri was transported to Bleach canon alone (assuming the same premise of the lightning mist au, where Sousuke is dead so she doesn’t seek to find a way back), what would she do?

Well in the lightning mist AU, she basically went into a deep, deep depression and didn’t come out of it until she found Sakumo and Kakashi. I don’t think she would bother seeking out canon!Aizen-- she wouldn’t be able to bear having him look at her without any of the warmth, love, and recognition her Sousuke looked at her with. She’d wander the world lost, grieving, not wanting to live but not having the energy to die either.

Ichigo first meets the woman in white when he is nine years old. He sees her standing by the river as he’s walking to karate practice, staring blankly into the distance.

She’s not the first person Ichigo’s found wandering around Karakura Town looking a little lost. The others, they’d mainly looked confused, unsure of who they were or what they were supposed to be doing. This one, though...this one just looked sad.

“Hey!” He calls out. She doesn’t respond and so he runs up to her. “Hey, are you alright? Do you need help?”

Close up, Ichigo can’t help but notice that the woman looks...really, really thin. He swallows, looking up at her sunken eyes, the dark bruise-like shadows underlining them, her hollowed-out cheeks...

“Are-- are you hungry?” He asks the stranger hesitantly. “Do you want to come home with me? Mom would be okay with it, she loves having guests over! And she’s a really good cook, everyone says so. You should come! I think we’re having curry tonight.”

Her eyes flicker down towards him, gaze sharpening for the briefest moment as she takes in his face. Then she turns away, walking off. Ichigo watches her go, expression thoughtful. When he gets home that night, he makes sure to sneak some extra snacks into his backpack for tomorrow.

Ichigo seeks out the woman in white every day for the next three weeks. It isn’t always easy to find her but something about the water seems to calm her, and so more often than not Ichigo can find her standing by the river. He still hasn’t managed to convince her to take any food but on the bright side, she seems to be tolerating his presence more. She hasn’t walked away from him since that first day and although she still hasn’t spoken, she’s starting to listen more-- her focus on him rather than the water’s depths.

One day in mid-June, it starts raining really hard and so Ichigo sneaks an extra umbrella into his backpack in addition to the multitude of untouched snacks. He doesn’t get a chance to look for her after school-- the rain had started really coming down and Isshin had showed up to take him straight to karate-- and so once karate practice ends, he hardly even waits for Masaki before sprinting out the door.

“Hey, hey, slow down!” Masaki laughs, chasing after him. “What’s the rush?”

“I’m looking for a friend,” Ichigo replies, scanning the riverside for a hint of white. “She’s got brown hair and she always wears white. Do you see her?”

Masaki pauses, pulling Ichigo under her umbrella.

“I don’t think so,” she says after a moment, peering into the rain. “With it raining this much, your friend is probably inside, Ichigo.”

“Maybe,” Ichigo says dubiously, cupping his eyes with his hands in an attempt to see better. Masaki looks at him, a fond smile on her lips.

“Tell you what. We’ll come back and look for her together tomorrow, okay?” She says warmly. “For now though, let’s go home. I don’t want you to get a cold.”

“Fine,” Ichigo says begrudgingly. “But tomorrow, I definitely wanna-- wait, I think I see her!” Before Masaki can stop him, he runs towards the faint figure he sees in the distance, where the rising water is especially turbulent.

As he gets closer, he can tell that the figure isn’t the woman in white-- instead it’s a kid, a little girl probably around Yuzu and Karin’s age. She’s crying, clutching onto a stuffed bear, eyes swollen shut with tears.

“Hey,” Ichigo says softly, so as not to scare her. Behind him, Ichigo can hear Masaki shouting his name. “Hey, are you alright? Do you need help?”

At the sound of his voice, the girl stops crying for a moment. She blinks, looking up at him with large, teary eyes.

“The water is especially high today,” she whispers, so quietly Ichigo can barely hear her. She smiles, squeezing her teddy bear with both arms. “I love to swim. Will you swim with me, nii-san?”

The girl turns back towards the river, bending her legs as if preparing to jump. His heart leaping into his throat, Ichigo lunges towards her with one arm outstretched.

“Don’t--!”

He never makes it. Instead, he feels a pair of arms encircle him from behind, pulling him into a secure embrace.

“Look away, Ichigo-kun,” an unfamiliar voice murmurs, even as a strange tiredness spreads through his entire body, causing his eyelids to droop. “This is not for you to see.”

The last thing Ichigo hears before his vision goes dark is a sickening squelch, not unlike the sound of a butcher knife slicing through a fresh cut of meat.

“Forgive me, I don’t think I introduced myself last night.” Sayuri opens her eyes to find the same red-haired woman from last night in front of her, a kind smile on her face. “I’m Kurosaki Masaki, Ichigo’s mother.”

“...Sayuri,” Sayuri answers, after a sluggish pause. She blinks, gathering her thoughts-- she remembers the weight of Ichigo’s body in her arms, handing him over to his frantic mother, the scent of blood in the rain. “How...how is he doing?”

She has a general idea of Ichigo’s wellbeing-- his spiritual energy is bright enough to sense clear across town, even at this age-- but it’s always better to confirm.

“Asking for you,” Masaki replies, her lips quirking up. “It was all I could do to keep him from following me here-- but then, I wanted to speak with you first.”

Her smile fades, expression sobering.

“You know, I spent hours rehearsing what I was going to say to you this morning?” Masaki asks. “I don’t even know where to start. You saved my son’s life.” She exhales shakily. “I mean, how do I even begin to thank you for something like that?”

There’s another pause before Sayuri figures out she’s expecting an answer. She rewinds the last minute of their conversation and comes up blank.

“I’m sorry, could you repeat that?” She asks after a moment. Masaki’s expression softens.

“I said, I would very much like to thank you,” she says gently.

“Oh.” Sayuri thinks about that for a moment. There was a time where she would have held on to the favor. It’s what Sousuke would have done, collecting debts and loyalties until--

She shakes her head.

“That’s not necessary.”

It isn’t like those debts had done much good in the end, anyway.

“Then at the very least, come over for lunch,” Masaki implores. “Allow me to do that much. Please.”

Sayuri closes her eyes for a brief moment, focusing on the other woman’s spiritual energy. Even that is a struggle, and the fact that she has to think about it at all...there was a time when she would have scanned it automatically, when the act would have come as naturally as breathing to her.

But then, it is so very hard to concentrate these days.

“I can’t eat,” she says finally, a statement that should have seemed obvious to her in retrospect.

“You leave that to me,” Masaki says, eyes warm. “I’ll figure something out. All I need is for you to come with me.” She extends her hand to Sayuri. “Shall we?”

There was a time when Sayuri would have analyzed every possible meaning and connotation behind such a gesture before accepting. Now, though...now it’s difficult to think, hurts to remember, and Sayuri is oh so tired.

And well, it was just lunch. What could it hurt?

(What could possibly cause her more pain at this point?)

She reaches up and takes Masaki’s hand.

Sayuri, six months later, wearing a Kurosaki family sweater, sitting on the bleachers squished between Masaki and Yuzu at one of Karin’s soccer matches: ...I feel like I’ve been tricked, somehow

(idk I just like the thought of Sayuri getting aggressively adopted into the Kurosaki family. No, she did not have any say in the matter)

#Anonymous #wrote way more for this than i planned haha #but dang i actually...really....like this au?#please leave a comment or send me an ask if you liked it :)#i'd love to know what you guys think #tlm!au #lonely ghost au

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dearcat1 · 3 years

Text

(Snitch)

Part 5 of Heirship AU

Xanxus rolls over, using the last of his energy to make sure he's not eating dirt. Kurosaki sits down beside him, so unwinded that it would be insulting if Xanxus wasn't fighting with the reluctant feelings of admiration, respect and perhaps a little fondness. When Kurosaki sets Xanxus's busted gun on his stomach, Xanxus snorts. "You're wasted behind a desk."

"Fuck paperwork," Kurosaki agrees moodily, dropping down. "I'm dropping all of it on Ishida. I was going to drop it on you but… you drop it on Squalo, don't you?"

"Fucking shark," Xanxus grunts, glowering a little when Kurosaki picks him up. "What the fuck?" He can’t complain too much, though. His fucking leg is busted.

"Yuzu made dinner," Kurosaki grunts back and then he jumps the entire fucking length of that ladder in one go.

"Shit," Xanxus wheezes, making sure his elbow is uncomfortably digging on Kurosaki's kidney. "Wasted on main Vongola," that much is obvious. "Fuck that, we can drop the paperwork on Sawada's spawn. You're Varia Quality." Xanxus has decided, fuck Timoteo. Xanxus is going to steal this one for his squad.

“Sawada’s spawn?”

Xanxus stills. He has the option to not snitch, he can shut up and keep the peace, no skin off his nose. He doesn’t really care about the Young Lion and his family. But, and this is an important point, he could not. Xanxus hasn’t known Kurosaki for long but he understands that Kurosaki cares for family just as much as Xanxus does which means that if Xanxus snitches, there will be chaos and blood everywhere.

The Varia are quality, they’ll make it just fine and Kurosaki is a fucking powerhouse. Xanxus isn’t about to just let him go so that his talent can be wasted behind a desk. That’s not the point, though. The point is that if Kurosaki chooses to raise hell, there’s no way to stop him and Xanxus sort of wants to sit back and watch the crazy happen.

Fuck it, it might have been a while now, apparently but Xanxus was the youngest of four for years. He snitches. “Yeah, Sawada has a son hidden away somewhere in Namimori, hasn’t visited in years but the kid is presumably still alive.”

“Presumably?” Kurosaki sets Xanxus down somewhat gently on the couch, turning to smile at his sisters. “Yuzu, Karin, this is Xanxus, he’s our cousin. His friends should be coming over soon enough.”

“Oh!” Yuzu, Xanxus assumes, lights up. “Guests! We are going to need more food!” She whirls around, skipping to the kitchen.

“Hey,” Karin nods at him. “I’ll go help Yuzu out, don’t explode the living room.”

“You explode the living room once,” Kurosaki rolls his eyes.

Xanxus snorts, “yeah, presumably. Sawada had the old man seal him.”

“Hu,” Kurosaki leans back. “So Namimori tomorrow?”

“Shit. Yeah.”

✏✏✏

MY LINKS

AO3: Tumblr Archive & Stories.

Ko-Fi: Exclusive Content.

Twitter: Snippets of Ongoing Work.

#fanfiction #khr #xanxus #katekyo hitman reborn #bleach #ichigo kurosaki #heirship au

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lucxns · 2 years

Text

( stories from the - not so - past. )

IT WAS SIX MONTHS before she allowed herself to even think about going back -- and it wasn’t even her idea. Ukitake-taicho was the one who insisted that she did, to get her out of there. Rukia immediately waved him off. She was busy, they were busy. It was finally time for her to turn her full attention back to the squad, to her duties (her new duties). After she’d met Ichigo, she spent more time in his world than hers, the gaps in between so sparse that even when she needed time back in the Seireitei the longest she could remember was just over a month or so.

So even her jest to him -- ‘Don’t worry, I’ll still be able to see you even if you can’t see me!’ -- it seemed... off. It wasn’t right, like she didn’t belong there without him knowing she was there. Of course she had her other friends, that she would love to see. She could don a gigai, make it entirely possible to solve the problem on all ends.

But it felt... wrong.

And then, instead, she was given an assignment, roughly ten months in. Now she didn’t have the choice. It was one Kuchiki Rukia out to monitor the activities of a Kurosaki Ichigo because, of course, he was up to something, and he shouldn’t be.

She sat atop the building across from his home, reiatsu masked, tapping away on her phone. He wasn’t up to anything. He was doing as he should -- living life as normal, without her interruptions. The thought sent a bittersweet pang through her chest. Karin... her reiatsu, though. That worried her. Somewhere off in the distance, she felt a flare of other familiar energies -- Chad and Uryu -- fighting Hollows. Easy enough, low level: she checked on her phone. Her goal was to remain masked from all of them, which was a trickier position to be in when most of their group could see her. She made sure to keep herself hidden as possible while still getting a good eye on Ichigo.

She scoffed a little, typing out an angry note to Ukitake, deleting the whole thing, and retyping something a little more respectful that still conveyed her dubious thoughts and suspicions she was sent here with ulterior motives.

Nothing she hated more than having anyone try to play relationship helper in her life. Ichigo didn’t need her as a burden, he was doing fine. Rukia was keeping the Gotei off of his back, he wasn’t being targeted by any Hollows anymore, he could be normal. Her arms folded defiantly across her chest, a small glower on her face as she watched him, working just fine on his homework -- studying as he should be. He could go to university, focus on what he actually wanted to do and accomplish in life now.

Her phone dinged lightly in her hand, and she flipped it open immediately. Not Ukitake, Urahara. Gigai still works fine! Stop on by! Yeah, of course. At least he’d keep it quiet that she was here if she didn’t say something. She debated just ignoring the message before settling on replying, copying in Ukitake and Kyoraku (who she felt had just as much of a hand in this). No.

Instead, she paced the rooftop. Everything was fine here. Everybody was. The world kept spinning. She could go back, peace in her heart knowing everyone was okay, that her job was done here.

❝He’s fine...❞ She muttered. ❝He doesn’t need me here.❞

And the gate slid open.

#( writings. )#( stories from the past. )#oof :')

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rayshippouuchiha · 4 years

Note

In Oyabun au, how do Ichigo's sisters react to all the yakuza following their brother around? What did Ichigo do about that btw? Did he tell his minions to stay away from his family, or does he has a few guys to keep an eye on Yuzu and Karin? What about Goatface? (btw you're amazing, i luv u and your aus ♥️♥️♥️)

Once Ichigo embraces his new Oyabun status he takes a simultaneous step back and away from life at the Kurosaki household. He still loves the twins of course but he’s got no time for Isshin’s denial and bullshit.

Plus he doesn’t want his people showing up at the house at all hours of the night and he needs some room in case someone needs to stay over.

And, all things considered, it’s not really that hard to move out and get his own place. He had some savings from various sources and he’s making enough money in various areas after a few months that bills aren’t too much of an issue.

But, that being said, he does make sure that at least one person has eyes on Yuzu and Karin whenever they’re going to and from school. Though he also lets everyone know that the Shoten is off limits and is a safe space for the girls. He’s not looking to invade their privacy or anything but it’s the best way to keep them safe from this new aspect of his life.

Karin is, at first, pretty unimpressed and worried when she finally notices what’s going on with Ichigo. But she also doesn’t know what to do. Urahara, who Ichi-nii had once told her to run to if something ever happened, has been training her just a bit but he’s also always busy. He’s all dark circles and manic energy in a way that makes Karin reluctant to bring any new sort of issue to him, even if it is about Ichi-nii.

But, in the end, Ichi-nii seems ... happier so Karin resolves to deal with it on her own. Plus, after a few months, Chad starts hanging back with Ichi-nii so at least she knows he has real back up against any and everything.

Yuzu is honestly delighted. Ichi-nii has never had many friends, not until the past year or two and all of those had dropped off months ago, so seeing Ichi-nii with such a large group is nice. She’s not stupid, she knows that they’re, technically, not on the up and up. But she also knows her Ichi-nii so she trusts that nothing he gets too into will be harmful for others. Himself maybe, which is another worry altogether, but not bad for society as a whole.

Plus Yuzu is enjoying having so many other people to eat her baking. If she’s going to open her own bakery in the future she needs/wants all the practice she can get and Ichi-nii’s new friend group is always hungry.

#Oyabun Ichigo AU #Bleach #kornelga #RayRambles

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tayman001 · 3 years

Text

GrimmIchi (post epilogue): Includes some Anime characters and an original character of mine also using Anime terms. 4

Ichigo: Tay can you get it?

Taylor: Sure. goes to the door to answer it Taylor opens the door to find Meanwhile in the Soul Society In the Rukon District Tōshirō: Hey Granny! Tōshirō's Grandma: says hi to Tōshirō Somewhere near Squad 7's Barracks Tetsuzaemon: Captain there you are! Sajin: wolf noises Tetsuzaemon: Taylor said he is willing to help you reverse your condition if you want. But asked to clone you first so that why the real you gets the completed formula instead of risking your death by using use to test the formula until he gets its perfect. Sajin: wolf noises Tetsuzaemon: So you're willing to do it Captain? Sajin: shakes his head up and down to reply Tetsuzaemon: Then I need to take a clump of your fur to send to him. Sajin: wolf noises Tetsuzaemon gets the clump of fur and sets it to Taylor via mail Meanwhile in the World of the Living Ulquiorra: Uh hi? Taylor: Oh Hey Ulquiorra I see you finally finished regenerating after I found that horn/ear thing. Ichigo: Who is it Taylor? Taylor: Its Ulquiorra! Ichigo, Orihime and Uryū (shocked): BUT WE WATCHED HIM DIE! Taylor: Yeah and I know Ichigo was clinically dead during the fight if it wasn't for Hichigo his inner hollow. Ichigo, Orihime and Uryū: THEN WHY ACT SO CASUAL AROUND HIM! Ulquiorra: I'M SORRY OK BUT BASED ON YOUR REACTIONS IT SEEMS LIKE NO MATTER WHAT I SAY OR DO IT WON'T CHANGE THE FACT THAT YOU HATE MY GUTS SO I MIGHT AS WELL JUST LEAVE! proceeds to leave Taylor: Give them a moment Ulquiorra. Ichigo: I guess its my fault that I ended up being clinically dead since you did give me a chance to surrender. Orihime: And you did finally understand heart in your initial last moments. Uryū: And you did help me realize I'm just as reckless as my friends which helped me during the Quincy War. Ulquiorra: ...I sense more people in there and a familiar Blue haired Arrancar's spirit energy Grimmjow: Yeah so what if you can see me, if you wanna pick a fight with me then forget about it since I don't wanna harm my unborn sons. Ulquiorra: What? Ichigo: Oh I'm married to Grimm and he is currently pregnant with my sons. Kazui: Aside from me since Dadjow is my Step Dad, my Mother flash steps to Orihime her. Ulquiorra: I'm so confused. Orihime: Let me explain Ichigo originally married me under a lie that he was straight and we had Kazui together and after the truth came out I divorced him so he can marry the person he actually loves. Ichigo: Yep that's the gist of it. Ulquiorra: And who is everyone else? Rukia: I'm Rukia Kuchiki the current Captain of Squad 13 though during the fight with Aizen was I merely a Squad 13 member. Renji: I'm Renji Abarai, Squad 6 Lieutenant and Rukia's Husband. Riruka: I'm Riruka Dokugamine, Fullbringer. Ichika: I'm Ichika Abarai, my parents are Rukia and Renji. Chad: Yasutora Sado, Fullbringer. Noba: Noba, Mod Soul. Ririn: Ririn, Mod Soul. Kurōdo: Kurōdo, Mod Soul. Kon: Kon, Mod Soul. Koga: Gō Koga, I am a Bount. Brandan: Brandan... sorry not gonna reveal my last name since I hate it so I plan to take my Boyfriend Uryū's last name, 4th Substitute Soul Reaper. Ulquiorra: ...How long has it been since I died? Taylor: About 10 years and 17 months. Ulquiorra: Wow no wonder everyone looks different and unrecognizable, well except for Grimmjow since the only difference his he looks like a tub of lard. Karin, Yuzu and Nozomi barge in with Isshin and Ryūken Ulquiorra: And who are you? Before you ask I just wanna know everyone's names and faces so I am not confused later. Karin: Karin Kurosaki, a sister to Ichigo Kurosaki, 3rd Substitute Soul Reaper. Yuzu: Yuzu Kurosaki, fraternal twin sister to Karin and a sister to Ichigo Kurosaki, Quincy. Nozomi: Nozomi Kujō, girlfriend to Karin, Mod Soul. Isshin: Isshin Kurosaki, father to Ichigo, Karin and Yuzu Kurosaki, former Captain of Squad 10. Ryūken: Ryūken Ishida, father to Uryū, Quincy... dating Isshin. Isshin: Really Ryū did you have to reveal that? Ryūken: Hey I love you so I was gonna eventual reveal it. Ichigo: Dad wtf. Isshin: Ichigo, I'm bisexual so do not think I no longer love your mother.

Uryū: Ryūken WHAT THE FUCK! Ryūken: Why do you always refer to be in such profanity, Uryū! Uryū: DO NOT CHANGE THE SUBJECT ASSHOLE! Ryūken: I won't change the subject if you actually refer to me as father or dad if not Daddy! Uryū: Really Asshole you still expect me to call you that word like excuse me I'm over 27 so NO I'M NOT GONNA CALL YOU THAT LAST WORD EVER! Ryūken: What about the other two words? Uryū: Fine! Dad WHAT THE FUCK! Ryūken: Uryū, your mother and I were married politically not for love, I married her to please my mother who was the boss of the house, your Grandfather Sōken who was my father was the only one of my parents who accepted me for who I really was, your mother knew about that and agreed to the married just to please my mother, though my mother was trying to set me up with Masaki Kurosaki but she fell in love with Isshin Shiba, which frankly so did I and Isshin and I were dating until Masaki revealed she was pregnant which caused Isshin to end things with me to focus on his growing family, which caused me to have sex with your mother which led to your existence. Ichigo: Dad is what Uryū's father saying true were you having an affair with him before mother was carrying me? Isshin: No your mother knew and she allowed it. Uryū: So your saying my existence is solely based on Ichigo's existence? Ryūken: Yeah that about sums it up. Uryū: Well then, Thank you Ichigo for being born. Ichigo: Is that sarcasm? Uryū: No I am literally thanking you for being born, since its clear that if you weren't born my father wouldn't have even considered having sex with my mother and I would not be born. Taylor: Can we not talk about it right now like its really late. Ulquiorra: What time is it? Taylor: About 3 AM. Everyone (except Taylor): OMG WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SOMETHING SOONER! Taylor: I tried but no one would listen. Everyone (except Taylor): Oh. Everyone proceeds to go to bed The next morning Someone breaks down the door To Be Continued

#grimmichi #bleach characters #male weight gain #original characters #male pregnancy

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ariadnekurosaki · 4 years

Text

At the End

Pairing: Ichigo Kurosaki/Rukia Kuchiki

Rating: T

Warnings: Major Character Deaths

Summary: At the end, the black sun and the white moon fall so that the worlds they protect do not. Canon-divergent and angsty.

At the End

Yhwach’s promise echoes through the air as he leaps through the portal. Rukia and Renji rush forward toward Ichigo, whose body is broken. Orihime is healing him beneath the dome of her Sōten Kisshun, and she is crying.

“I couldn’t stop him with my shield,” she whimpers. Rukia wraps a comforting arm around her friend and watches Ichigo’s wounds heal.

“We can’t just let him get away, we have to go,” Renji says as he pulls Zabimaru from his hip.

“You already know we can’t do it without Ichigo,” Rukia chides. Ichigo’s eyes open and the look in his eyes is both relieved and tender as his eyes meet Rukia’s.

“Rukia…”

“I’m here, Ichigo,” she murmurs.

The yellow glow of Sōten Kisshun dissipates and Ichigo sits up, grabbing for his blade. “Yhwach went through the portal. We have to go after him – we have to do it now,” he says, and leaps to his feet.

Ichigo grabs her hand and she stands as well.

Renji and Orihime are both looking at them. “We’re coming with you,” Renji says.

But Rukia shakes her head. “Go back and find the wounded. Orihime’s powers are needed there, and you need to guard her.” When Orihime opens her mouth to object, Rukia says gently, “My bankai will kill you. Go, save who you can.”

Then she kisses Orihime lightly on the forehead. Her free hand touches Renji’s arm lightly. Ichigo ruffles Orihime’s hair and nods at Renji. It feels like they’re saying goodbye.

Then Ichigo and Rukia take off at a run toward the portal. “Rukia,” he says when they are no more than a step away. His eyes catch hers and there is more in them, as there has always been, than just worry for a friend.

“I know.” Her mouth finds his in a hard kiss and then she unsheathes Sode no Shirayuki and awakens her shikai. They turn back to the portal and leap through.

And Yhwach is there, grinning with his too-many-teeth and laughing at them from under his mustache. “My son,” he says. “And one of your weaklings. Is this the best you can do?”

Ichigo just scoffs but Rukia looks up at the touch of a familiar – too familiar – reiatsu, for Aizen is there.

Soul Society’s most powerful prisoner nods to Ichigo and attacks Yhwach, slashing with Kyōka Suigetsu before flying away. But then Rukia can see an image of herself attacking Yhwach and being beaten back, an image of Ichigo leaping forward and losing an arm even though he was right beside her, and –

“Now, Kurosaki,” Aizen’s voice calls, and Rukia realizes he is using Kyōka Suigetsu’s illusions again.

Ichigo is by her side again and they look at one another before he rushes forward. Ichigo’s Getsuga Tenshō blazes forth in a tidal wave of bright yellow reiatsu. The blast overcomes Yhwach, who screams his pain. Rukia smiles.

And then black energy washes over them all again, and they both know it wasn’t enough. Ichigo falls back by her side and their hands find one another. His mouth finds hers once more and there is a whisper between them (I love you. We have to. I know. I love you too.) before they part. In the blackness Rukia calls, “Bankai. Hakka no Togame.” White energy blasts around her and the world is plunged into the bone-breaking cold of absolute zero. She is clad in a white kimono and jewels of ice, and Sode no Shirayuki in her hands is a long, beautiful blade of ice. White ribbon writhes around her form. Her hair is white and her eyes are palest lavender.

Ichigo spares one second to think that her bankai is the most beautiful he has ever seen. His reiatsu is so strong that it partially insulates him from the killing cold, and he leaps for Yhwach. Rukia’s bankai sends a blinding white pillar of ice and reiatsu flaring up around their enemy.

Ichigo’s blade pierces the pillar and injects black reiatsu into it. White light explodes, destroying everything it touches, and the world shakes. Ishida, the only one of their friends close enough to see what’s happening, looks up as the earth bucks under his feet and gets a glimpse of Ichigo and Rukia wrapped around each other before the light engulfs them. He is sent flying through the air by the blast.

Screams echo throughout what’s left of the Seireitei and the whole of the Rukongai as waves of reiatsu radiate outward and wash over Soul Society.

In the World of the Living, the earth shakes and scientists the whole world over report tremors and earthquakes. In Karakura, streets crack open and buildings fall. As far away as England, vases fall from mantels and shatter glass onto wooden floors.

Orihime’s Sōten Kisshun shatters over Urahara and Renji shifts into bankai and calls “Hihio!” quickly. The skeletal arm rises above them and deflects falling debris even as Renji throws himself over Orihime and Urahara both to protect them with his body.

When the shaking stops, Yhwach’s reiatsu is gone. Urahara stirs beneath Renji and says very quietly, “It’s over.”

His words have more than one meaning, as they all discover when the survivors of their battle with the Sternritter make their way through the destroyed streets of the Seireitei to the epicenter of the final battle with Yhwach.

The crater they find has swallowed up the entirety of the Sōkyoku Hill and the Senzaikyū and turned them both to dust. Shards of ice melt on the ground, and there still a chill in the air although it is no longer cold enough to freeze. In the center of the crater is all that remains of Yhwach: a quickly-disintegrating Quincy Cross. Aizen’s remains lie closer to the edge of the crater, as if he tried and failed to escape the blast.

Ichigo and Rukia are gone; only the hilts of their zanpakuto remain. A red ribbon binds them together.

Orihime, who has reached the crater with Renji, screams, and then keeps screaming. Renji just stares blankly, arms keeping her from flinging herself into the crater. Eventually she is sedated by a member of Squad Four.

Uryū, bloodied and battered from being thrown almost twenty yards by the blast, tells them all what he saw: Ichigo and Rukia sacrificing themselves (and Aizen) to destroy Yhwach.

It is Kyōraku who takes his hat from his head and holds it to his chest, then bows low toward the bound hilts. Byakuya follows, and then others do the same, heads bowing down in a sign of thanks and respect for the substitute Shinigami and the Squad Thirteen lieutenant whose deaths have ended the war.

The aftermath of the war is somewhat less respectful. There is a fight amongst the captains over what to do with the hilts of Zangetsu and Sode no Shirayuki: whether to bury them, burn them, or make a memorial of them. The memorial wins, and within a week there is a raised pillar on a grassy hill holding them in a glass case.

Renji holds on by a thread when the hastily erected memorial is unveiled seven days after the end of the war. Ichigo’s friends are there for the unveiling and he has no idea who brought them, but Byakuya stands behind Karin and Yuzu like a sentry of stone. He gets plastered later, in an izakaya that hasn’t been destroyed, and Rangiku carries him back to the Sixth and listens sympathetically. (She never tells anyone what he screams.)

Funerals are held for the dead. They burn the bodies, and though Renji doesn’t exactly expect a funeral for Aizen he does wonder why he has heard no word of the body being burned. The worlds, destabilized by the death of the Soul King, are righted by some unknown means that no one will speak of. All Renji knows, when he tries to ask, is that the faces of anyone involved grow pale and some even turn a little green. He doesn’t ask again, but in the very back of his mind he wonders if the two things are connected.

Byakuya places a picture of Ichigo on his butsudan next to one of Rukia, and lights incense for them both. No one dares to ask where the photo came from or why Ichigo has earned a place on the Kuchiki family altar. There is a rumor about a ghost marriage.

Chad, Uryū, and Orihime go back to the World of the Living with Urahara and Yoruichi when the latter two have recovered. All three look haunted, but the Gotei Thirteen are not in the habit of caring what happens to soldiers, even child soldiers, after the war.

Isshin Kurosaki and Ryuuken Ishida appear back in Karakura Town a month after the war. Isshin takes care of letting the school know about Ichigo’s death (from the earthquake, he says), which allows his friends to mourn publicly. Ichigo’s entire class wears black armbands with their uniforms for 49 days.

Everyone in school is surprised when Orihime enters school to be a nurse. They are even more surprised when Chad decides to become a counselor. No one is surprised when Ishida starts his own fashion business, although the stark black and white theme of his first collection is startling.

In Soul Society, the Gotei Thirteen rebuild. Tetsuzaemon is made Captain of Squad Seven. It is a struggle to find a captain for the Thirteenth, for everyone thought Rukia would succeed Ukitake after his death, not turn to ice and dust. Renji refuses the position.

The squad runs for years with neither captain nor lieutenant through the sheer stubbornness of Kiyone and Sentaro, until Hisagi apparently achieves bankai and agrees to take the captain’s exam. In passing, Renji wonders how the Thirteenth feels about having a captain who looks like two dead men. The answer is “not great”: Kiyone transfers to the Fourth to serve under her sister and Sentarō transfers to the Fifth a month later.

When the Sōkyoku is rebuilt, bigger and worse, in another part of the Seireitei, Renji gets smashed again and this time it’s Kira who drags him back home. Byakuya catches them but just calmly thanks Kira for returning his lieutenant. There is a hangover tisane waiting for him on his nightstand in the morning. Renji’s pretty sure his captain is the one who left it there, and vaguely recalls smelling sake on Byakuya’s breath. Maybe they are both disturbed by it.

Life in the Seireitei goes on as it does in the World of the Living, even with holes in both worlds shaped like a petite Shinigami and her orange-haired substitute. Sometimes when Renji looks at the Sōkyoku or sees one of the monitoring devices that Captain Kurotsuchi has planted around the Seireitei, he wonders what would have happened if they’d lived.

Sometimes – just sometimes – there is mercy in the cycle between the worlds. Time passes: a decade, then three, and then it has been seventy-five years since the war. In a park in Sapporo, near the Hokkaido Shrine that still stands tall amongst the skyscrapers, a young man and woman lounge in the sun. His hair is still orange, and her eyes are still violet, though she is a little taller. There are rings on the fourth finger of her left hand and a matching one on his. They sparkle and shine in the sunlight.

#ichiruki #ichigo x rukia #bleach #bleach fanfiction

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