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fectless · 3 years

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(This is technically in response to the post right below this one, as world building totally counts for it, right?)

Anywho, more fandom thoughts, but for BLEACH this time. I recently started rewatching the anime again for the nth time as part of my language practice (and having the Japanese subtitles on while watching it in Japanese is an experience) and reached that episode where Aizen and co. get rescued by Menos Grande after declaring their intentions to Soul Society. And then a few things hit me.

The first: Rukia says, the first time Ichigo sees her sending someone on via Soul Burial, that one neither feels hunger nor gets sick in Soul Society. We know that this is false for a few reasons.

Those who can become shinigami definitely need to eat and all souls need water which implies that they can suffer from thirst (and perhaps heat exhaustion).

Captain Ukitake is suffering from an unknown disease that makes him literally cough out his lungs. I’ve read something about it being a defect in the make up of his soul that is only not killing him because of the pact with the Soul King’s arm, but I cannot recall if this was canon or fanon (as the Blood War arc was just like that). If so, does this mean that sickness does occur in Soul Society, but so rarely as to not be mentioned? Or does it occur more in the outer districts? Why does it occur?

Hisana died from a sickness as well. Yes, it’s stated to be exhaustion, but I feel like that doesn’t make sense? Like, the flashback in the anime has her abandoning Rukia after she collapses while carrying her around. And she collapses later when she regrets this and goes to look for her sister. And then she dies.

Seriously, why does it occur? It’s weird. And it cannot be an Aizen thing as I’m pretty sure Aizen is younger than Ukitake. Is it because of what happened to the soul king? Does it have something to do with when people get sent on (like if they were close to being a hollow)? Is it because they died while sick? Is it because of their resolve?

...Do we never see sick souls in Soul Society other than them because they usually just. Die pretty soon after arriving?

And if spiritual power leaking is what causes spiritual pressure, and the “vents” can be closed... do people in the districts sometimes close them by mistake and then blow up? Is spontaneous combustion a thing in the afterlife?

The second: I’m pretty sure “Ichirin no Hana” is a love song that Byakuya is singing to Hisana’s memory.

Someone has probably stated this before, but the lyrics of the song literally say how some one, a “single flower,” is precious and can’t be replaced. How that flower bloomed despite being stuck somewhere dark and how they looked lovely but like they were about to wither away. And that the singer would accept all of their pain if only that person would smile and stay with them...

The title of the song also matches the title of the chapter in which Byakuya reveals to Rukia the secrets he’d been keeping from her about Hisana. He uses the same words, “ichirin no hana” to describe the season in which she died

Literally his whole dilema during this arc, the entire way he interacted with Rukia up to this point, was that he was conflicted between his sense of duty (to his parents, his wife and keeping his word) and his feelings for his beloved Hisana. Rukia’s physical resemblance to her sister is almost uncanny and the lie she is told when she asks why she was adopted was, “You look like Byakuya’s late wife.” How much must he have hated that? A person whom he had sworn to protect that, had she arrived two years earlier might have saved his wife’s (after)life? A person that looks just like his beloved, who reminds him of her every time he sees her (for those first 50 years), but is not and never will be Hisana. And then. To know that she’s going to be executed for crimes, that she felt she could not rely upon him enough to even let him know she’d encountered trouble in the human world when he’s been doing his best to ensure she’s safe (because that is one of the few reasonable explanations for why Rukia hadn’t been promoted yet, and then was promoted during the 3 year gap)? To see her stripped of her rank, her strength even (with that collar and the stone of the prison tower). To see a small form who so resembles his beloved all listless and soon to die, wearing a white yukata like his wife had in her last days...

Watching it again made me feel things, okay? Like yeah, it seems like it’s a stupid dilema from some perspectives. Especially considering Central 46 had a run in with Aizen by then, but. Byakuya was raised in the Seireitei. He was raised knowing that his life was the Seireitei’s tool. That his duty, his reason for existing was for the sake of his family’s honor, so he must be composed, must act as the family and Soul Society bid him. That’s some mighty powerful brainwashing/indoctrination right there. And he broke it once already to marry some nobody from the slums. He did something not only against the norms, but something selfish. Maybe if she’d had high spiritual power this would have been accepted, but she was sickly and likely did not. He went against the clan elders who had probably instilled obedience in him since birth and was afraid of doing it again.

(And if you count the filler arcs, you can bet that they held that one Kuchiki who went traitor against him too. Like: “he married that Hisana girl against our orders? What next? Will he betray Soul Society too?”)

And maybe I’m making a bigger deal out of his upbringing than I need to. Maybe it wasn’t really like this. But I feel like it really was. (Moreso with the filler arcs and what I’ve heard of the light novels.)

Also, this song and the way that the opening animation fit together really solidifies the whole “Ichigo and Rukia were always meant to have a tragic romance” vibe that I kept getting the first time I encountered this series.

The third: Rukia was likely younger than six months (physically) when she was abandoned, but I’m pretty sure that she was older than three months when she and Hisana died.

Her blanket was pink in the flashback.

Sure, the above might not seem to have much significance but it’s been proven in canon that clothes are part of oneself. I reblogged a post a while ago that went into detail, but to sum it up, clothes are part of your self image and your self image determines a bit about what you look like when you die.

Babies are usually no longer swaddled by the time they’re six months old, and some places recommend that you stop by the end of their second month.

Babies have pretty bad vision when they’re born. They take four to six months to reliably track objects in motion and use binocular vision decently. They take about four months to see across a room, and about two months to see farther than maybe 30 cm away. And around the three month mark, they start having decent color vision. Around then is when babies supposedly start showing color preference.

Babies tend to have poor long term memory. (To be fair, they’ve got a lot going on compared to being in the womb and sensory overload sucks.) Their memory by the age of six months is only a few weeks. Two months old had a memory span of a few days.

If she’s been consistently wrapped in a pink blanket, then by the time she’s old enough to see color, she would be old enough to remember what color her blanket usually is— or if it was a different color that particular day.

The fourth: when Gin raises his spiritual pressure on Aizen’s orders, Chad remains standing. This raised a bunch of questions as Gin is stronger than Yammy (to the best of my memory).

Chad remained standing. Yes, his whole fight with Captain Kyouraku was about his resolve and how he would stand by his friends and fight for their safety/ideals but. Like. Earlier that year, his spiritual strength was on par with Yuzu. He’d been friends with Ichigo for years which was why he was even that strong. He’d been in a Hollow attack maybe three times before Rukia was arrested and could only barely see them the time Ishida pulled a stupid and used Hollow Bait. Sure, he has experience fighting and he’d trained under Yoruichi, but it feels sus considering how the others fared.

Orihime fell to her knees pretty quickly after Gin turned up the pressure. She’d also fought against high-ranking shinigami at that point, and trained under Yoruichi, and fought off Hollow (alone even! And she was the reason why Sora moved on, despite Ichigo’s Blade purifying him) before. And yet... It could just be a lack of resolve, as that had come up in earlier chapters but it doesn’t feel right.

Ishida is excused from this due to circumstances.

Tatsuki has been friends with him for ages. Sure, it seems like they weren’t as close after his Mom’s passing, but by then they’d already known each other for quite some time. I’m pretty sure that they were hanging out semi-regularly through junior high/middle school, at which point he got close with Chad and she got close with Orihime. She also has experience fighting (admittedly in martial arts rather than the street fights Ichigo and Chad get dragged into). She experienced at least one hollow attack during Ishida’s Stupid Day. But she collapses as soon as Yammy shows up? That feels off.

In contrast, Ganju was struggling about the same amount. He was born to a noble family— who are known to typically have decently high spiritual power, like his older brother Kaien and his cousin/uncle Issin. He was raised in the Rukongai, meaning he likely came across Hollow attacks. (And those definitely occur.)

Makes me wonder things about Karin’s strength. Like, she managed to escape from the hollow who attacked their house to run for Ichigo’s help (manga) or lived long enough while alone with it that Ichigo and Rukia could come save her (anime), both of which are quite impressive for an eleven year old. She also kept up with Hitsugaya when they played soccer and he’s a captain. Based on Ichigo’s experience, it’s likely that she too will become stronger as she grows up. And does she have an inner hollow too, or is that Ichigo only? If White was simply a parasite and decided to stick to Ichigo I could accept it. But as a hollow Ichigo is a Vast Lorde, and hollows of that level can split into parts (like Starrk and Lilynette).

Does Yuzu not really have any spiritual strength because she inherited more of the Quincy genes from her mom and the hollow genes she inherited don’t balance out that same way it does in her siblings...? Food for thought.

TLDR: how and why is sickness as thing in Soul Society? Byakuya listens to rock music and I’m p. sure the third opening song is him angsting over his wife’s death; it also gave me strong feelings about how he was prolly brainwashed growing up so his angst over Rukia’s fate is not actually stupid. I continue to have IchiRuki feels. Rukia and Hisana died when Rukia was about 3 months old. And I am more confused now about how spiritual power works than I was before I started rewatching the anime for language practice. Also, more questions have arisen about hollows.

#bleach meta #bleach anime #remind me to look into Japanese textiles and dyes during Meiji era #maybe I should have split this into multiple posts...#long post #wish I knew how read mores can be put in on mobile #this is more than 3 sentences #bleach

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starryocean · 4 years

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I finished So I’m a Spider vol 8 last night and... (no spoilers in comments please)

Poor, poor Kyouya. I feel for the guy. ;_;

Also, initially I felt sympathy for Bui-whatever (the summoner dude), but after finding out he’s the one responsible for kyouya’s state? Fuck him. Like, he didn’t just enslave Kyouya, he fucking full on forced him to eat his own sister. That goes from general imperialist awfulness to straight up sadistic violence for no reason at all. Even if his rationalization was “I need to train this goblin so it’s more useful to me” he didn’t need to do THAT for fucks sake. There was literally no reason for Bui-fuckhead to make Kyouya get the Kin Eater title. No reason at all. Nothing other than to be sadistic.

I mean yeah, sure. Dude wants to get home and find his kid. But in what way is doing that of all things going to speed up your return home? How do you even know they’re going to LET you go home in the first place? You said yourself in your notes it’s a penal colony full of unwanted and useless soldiers of the Empire, they’re probably not gonna let you go home. Stop torturing the poor fucking goblin, you utter piece of shit bastard.

On a completely separate note, speculation time: I think Kyouya naming himself Wrath is contributing to messing with his head, combined with the Wrath skill. Admittedly, we never see Kyouya (confirm to have) deactivate(d) it, but considering he calmed down enough to go through that village, evolve, reminiscence on the past, resolve to go to the goblin village, and then get part of the way there before descending into madness again...I think he turned it off briefly. It just switched on again because—since it’s mentioned that Naming is important—his name of Wrath allows the Wrath skill to switch on and off on its own at random times, depending on certain triggers. Eg, the village was a source of trauma for him, as was his original home, so as he got closer and closer to confronting his past traumas/regrets the skill switched on due to that trigger.

Again, no spoilers in comments, so please don’t say anything about that.

On another completely separate note, I really like how they handled the goblins in the story, both in function and design. We’ve already seen that this world has monsters unlike common conceptions about fantasy monsters in our world, breaking those conventions we set for ourselves. Goblins are especially a huge hot-button topic as a monster, and I’m glad that the story used those already-established rules to present a design that’s very much NOT antisemitic and also very cute, while building up the goblins as a lot more than people give them credit for. It helps reinforce the fact that even if they’re classified as monsters, they’re still sentient, sapient beings with their own cultures and practices, their own lives and rules that they live by.

It’s a very humanizing thing to see, one that I don’t see often enough when it comes to fantasy monsters, and I like the execution of it a lot. A whole, whole lot. I made a joke to myself earlier about this—the incel Goblin Slayer, the chad Kumoko. Because the way the concept is handled here is a HELL of a lot better than in that show lol

Also, I know Kyouya’s gonna be okay in the end, cuz we see him in the S story, which is several years AFTER this all happens. What I’m curious about is how Kumoko and friends manage to finally pacify him, and get him to turn off the Wrath skill. It may even involve Naming him to something else, as Kyouya showed you can rename a thing and have it stick with how he changed his name to Wrath. But I’m hoping there may be a cool-down hug involved, as I’m a slut for that kind of thing lol.

Btw, Sophia has zero sympathy. But what else is new lol

Can’t wait for volume 9. It sounds like it’ll be Happy Happy Fun Times(tm) ahead for the whole gang, and considering we had a huge breather novel in vol 6 and the lackluster action in vol 7, I’m getting antsy for some good fights. Vol 8 delivered on that front, so I hope there’s some more in 9.

#david says boring stuff #so im a spider so what spoilers #so im a spider spoilers #so im a spider so what #so im a spider #kumo desu ga nani ka spoilers #kumo desu ga spoilers #kumo desu ga #kumo desu ga nani ka #reading tag

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darisu-chan · 5 years

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Waiting

Yo! I’m back with more prompts from last year.

Hope you all enjoy it!

You can also read it here.

Prompt: summer

Summary: After not being able to answer to her confession, Ichigo waits all summer for Rukia to come back.

Ichigo sighed for what felt like the hundredth time in just an hour. It wasn’t uncommon for the teenage boy to be moody, but even then he rarely sighed. In fact, so far, he had been in a better mood than usual. It wasn’t strange to see him smiling these days, sight which would have been rare only a few months prior. Certainly something had changed in his life that had contributed to his overall happiness. His family had a good inclination on what exactly had happened, though they had ultimately decided not to mention anything, least they, somehow, ruined the teen’s good humor. However, looking at how pitiful he seemed, his happiness had been tarnished anyway.

“Hey, Ichigo, are you alright?” Isshin, the boy’s father, had been worried about his son the whole dinner. He hadn’t smiled to his sisters, complained about Isshin’s antics, nor had he punched him in the face, just nothing. And he had been particularly obnoxious too! He hadn’t even been able to cry to Masaki’s poster once! That normally occurred at least twice before eight pm. Just what was going on with his son?

The boy simply shrugged, and instead of complaining his father was being nosy, he merely said, “Nothing.”

Father and daughters exchanged an incredulous look, at a loss on what to do. Yuzu, the youngest sister, decided to try next, believing her beloved older brother would certainly show her any kind of reaction.

“Is the food not to your liking, onii-chan?” She asked him, using her best cutesy tone of voice, as well as staring at him with puppy eyes, which would usually do the trick.

“It’s good.” Was his reply. He hadn’t even turned to look at her! He hadn’t eaten either. He had just played with his food ever since he sat down on the dining table. This worried his sister, who knew that her brother, though not a glutton, had a healthy appetite. It meant that whatever was going on was more complicated than they had previously thought. Helplessly, Yuzu turned to look at her twin sister.

Karin, who in many ways was like her older brother, sighed heavily. Alright. It seemed it was time to take out the big guns, she thought. Nodding to her sister, she turned towards Ichigo and gave him her cockiest smirk, one that would surely piss him off.

“What? Cat got your tongue, Ichi-nii?” No response. “Or was it something else?” She wondered, the smirk never leaving her face.

“Karin-chan.” Yuzu warned her, but her plan was already in motion. There was no time to stop it now.

“Or, maybe, it was someone, right?”

That at least got them a reaction. Ichigo had stiffened immediately upon listening to her words. Yet, he hadn’t looked at her even once.

It was finally time to strike.

“Sooo,” she drawled out the syllable, “are you gonna tell us what Rukia-chan did to you or what?”

Karin hadn’t even finished speaking when her brother got up and left towards his room, slamming the door for good measure. The three which were left flinched when they heard the door slamming. Then, Yuzu turned to look at her twin and glared at her.

“Now you’ve done it.”

The other girl rolled her eyes. “Yeah, yeah. But now we know what’s the problem. It’s obviously Rukia-chan.” That was something the family had inferred from the very beginning, but they had needed a confirmation of sorts.

Yuzu gasped at that. “Do you think onii-chan confessed to her and Rukia-chan rejected him?”

“I dunno. Could be.” The other sister answered, trying to not sound disappointed.

Isshin, then, dramatically stood up and rushed towards his late wife’s poster.

“Masaki!” He wailed, tears streaming down his face. “Our idiot son failed to get our third daughter! Now he’ll never be a man and we won’t have grandchildren! Oh, for shame! And he’s also gonna die a vir─”

Before he could go on with his rant, Karin punched him on the face, letting him fall to the floor with a loud plop.

“Glad you’ve got your priorities straight, old man.” She muttered as she crossed her arms, fed up with her father already.

“Masaki! Now our daughter is being mean to her father! Where did I fail, Masaki?! Please tell me!”

Yuzu ignored them, for she was already used to their behavior. Instead, she thought long and hard about the situation.

“What should we do? Should we go and talk to Rukia-chan?” In her highly romantic mind, there was no good reason why Rukia, her brother’s closest female friend, would reject Ichigo. They were simply meant to be, and if the girl couldn’t see it, then Yuzu would show her exactly how special her brother truly was!

However, Karin didn’t agree with that way of thinking. “It’s best if we don’t get in the middle of whatever’s going on. Ichi-nii’s old enough to handle it… I think.”

“Well said, Karin!” Isshin had finally stopped crying, and was up and about with a full energy. “If Ichigo can’t get the girl he likes, he’s not man enough!”

“Never mind the fact that Rukia-chan also has the right to choose.” She grumbled.

“Yes, well, but if we let her choose, she might go for another boy, like that guy with tattoos she frequents.” The father answered. “Now that I think about it, there are many better guys out there. No, we must not let Rukia-chan choose or she’ll never go for your brother!”

“You’re so mean, dad!” Yuzu complained this time. “Onii-chan is quite a catch!”

“Exactly.” Karin nodded. “If Rukia-chan’s not fast enough, another girl’s gonna swoop in and get him, like Orihime-chan or Tatsuki-chan.”

“No.” Yuzu shook her head. “Tatsuki-chan’s more like a guy friend for onii-chan. And I don’t think Orihime-chan’s his type. Rukia-chan’s feminine and headstrong at the same time. Therefore, she’s the best girl for onii-chan. Exactly his type!” She explained matter-of-factly.

“Precisely, Yuzu! That’s just the type of woman the men in my family are attracted to! Why, if I was a few years younger, I’d─”

“Dad, if you don’t want me to punch you again, please stop talking.”

“Don’t be so mean to your poor old father, Karin!”

Before their argument could carry on, another voice could be heard throughout the house.

“Could you guys shut up for one second?! You’re too loud!” It was Ichigo, who had been listening to his family talk about him for the past fifteen minutes or so.

“Sorry, onii-chan!” Yuzu shouted back, feeling slightly ashamed for discussing her brother’s love life behind his back.

“Anyway, I guess it’s best if we wait until his bad mood goes away.” Karin replied to the unspoken question of what they could do next.

Isshin sighed. “I’m gonna go pray to our ancestors. Otherwise, I might really not get grandchildren.”

“You do realize Yuzu and I could still get married, right?”

“No! You’re my babies and no man will ever touch you! I forbid it!”

“Ew gross.”

“Daddy, stop it!”

***

In the privacy of his own room, Ichigo muffled a groan against his pillow. Why did his family have to be so meddlesome? It was bad enough they were talking about him behind his back, but now they were talking about Rukia too! That was both embarrassing and unacceptable. Especially since they had gotten it all wrong. What had happened hadn’t been her fault at all. If anything, he was the one to blame, as he had been the one to hurt her when all she had ever done was wear her heart on her sleeve and say those words which had turned his world upside down. If anything, he was the one who needed to be haunted down and hit square in the face for being such a damn fool! Well, that would probably end up happening once Byakuya found out about what exactly he had done to his precious younger sister. Ichigo was not looking for that ass whooping, and yet he knew it would probably hurt less than what he was feeling at the moment.

The girl of his dreams had confessed to him, and Ichigo, like the idiot he was, hadn’t said anything. He had just let her walk away to never be seen again.

Alright. That was an exaggeration. Admittedly, Rukia had confessed to him on the last day of school before the summer holidays. Apparently, she was going on a trip with her brother and would be back until the weekend before classes started again. She had wanted to get her feelings off of her chest, as they wouldn’t be seeing each other for months. Admittedly, a part of Ichigo felt she had been unfair, springing those feelings on him and then walking away. Even going to her house had been off the table because, as luck would have it, she was supposed to get on a train that very afternoon. However, a larger part of him blamed no one but himself. It was really no secret among their friends and relatives that feelings were brewing between them. On the first week of classes, after meeting each other, rumors had spread about them hooking up, which was very far from the truth as they couldn’t really stand each other at first, and only spent so much time together because Ochi-sensei had paired them up for a project on the first day of school. Ironically, the experience had made them become friends, and even as they befriended the rest of the class, it wasn’t unusual to see him hanging out with Rukia. Next to Chad, she was his closest friend. That was a problem in and on itself. Kuchiki Rukia was special to him in ways Ichigo couldn’t begin to describe. It hadn’t gone unnoticed, of course, as not only his family but Kuchiki Byakuya himself had pointedly asked them about it, his tone of voice suggesting he knew more about their relationship than even they did. Mutual friends made it their daily task to pester them about it. Each and every time they denied it, but Ichigo new deep inside him that it wasn’t the truth. As strange as it sounded, in the few months they had known each other, Rukia had become an integral part of his life, one that he wasn’t willing to lose. That was why the moment those pesky feelings had appeared, he had tried with all his might to push them away. He had truly believed they were unrequited, and hadn’t been able to bear the thought of Rukia finding out and rejecting him, thus destroying their friendship. It was upsetting to think that what had happened instead was that she had been the one to confess to him, and he had been the one to not say anything.

Guilt gnawed at him. One of the reasons he hadn’t even thought about asking Rukia out was that being rejected would hurt like a bitch. Now he had subjected her to that pain he had tried so hard to spare himself from. Coward, his mind called him on a loop. If only he had said something, anything, they wouldn’t be in this situation. Ichigo wondered how she was faring. He knew for a fact Rukia hadn’t really wanted to accompany her brother, but it had been her responsibility to oversee with him their company’s new businesses. It probably sucked even more as she was probably feeling like shit right now. Fuck! What if she was currently blinking away tears, thinking about him? It had only been a day after all, and the pain would still be fresh. Wait! Did that mean he had made her cry? Double fuck! Oh no! He was definitely so screwed! If he had made Rukia cry, never mind the injuries Byakuya would give him, Ichigo would throw himself out of a window or commit seppuku or anything that would restore his honor. He wasn’t even exaggerating.

But what if Rukia had believed she’d be rejected? She had told him on the very last day of the spring semester, knowing she’d be going away. It certainly wouldn’t made the pain hurt any less, yet, it would mean he had just, inadvertently, given her enough peace of mind to move on. The thought made Ichigo blanch. Rukia was a very beautiful girl ─ not that he would ever tell her, but he’d be a goddamn idiot not to have noticed. It was highly probable other guys would like her. Hell, just in their class alone she had more than one admirer. What if she met someone new? Someone who came from a rich and honorable family like she did, someone more up to Byakuya’s standards? Or what if Renji swooped in? It hadn’t been a stretch when his father had believed Rukia was seeing Renji, as they did spend time together, being childhood friends and all. It wasn’t a secret that the guy harbored such feelings for Rukia. She probably wasn’t even aware, but now with Ichigo apparently out of the picture, nothing was stopping Renji for doing what he himself had failed to do. He could see it now, Renji taking her out, maybe to the park, and bringing her flowers (lilies, her favorite), dropping on one knee and confessing his undying love towards her. His treacherous mind supplied pictures of the two of them, making him gag.

He was the worst!

He had had the purest, most gorgeous girl ever declaring her love for him, and he had blown it! Due to what? The shock? Fear? His brain rebooting? Excuses, all of them! The only thing Ichigo had left was wait until the end of summer, and make some sort of gesture to convince Rukia he was madly in love with her, hoping against hope she wouldn’t reject him.

Yep, that would have to do.

Ichigo cursed and muffled another groan.

Summer couldn’t end fast enough.

***

“Kurosaki.”

“Hey, Kurosaki, I’m talking to you.”

“Kurosaki!”

Ichigo blinked and turned to look at the boy beside him. “What?” He drawled out, blinking owlishly.

“I’ve been talking to you for the last five minutes, and you’ve been unresponsive. What in the world is going on?”

Ishida Uryuu was probably the closest thing to a brother he had. He was his cousin on his mother’s side, and although he had other cousins from his father’s side of the family, he and Uryuu had grown up together, as they were of the same age. Over the years, they had developed a sort of rivalry which resulted on them calling each other by their last names. However, his cousin was one of the few people who knew him inside out. Ishida had probably guessed already that there was something wrong with him, so there wasn’t any use in lying.

“Nothing.”

It didn’t mean he couldn’t try, though.

Ishida sighed in exasperation and put their books away. He had invited Ichigo to his apartment in order to finish their summer homework early on. As he had some trouble in a few of their classes and Ishida was a complete nerd, Ichigo had accepted. The original plan was to go over their homework, eat some takeout, and, if there was time, they would play videogames. Although he had gone with high spirits, he hadn’t been able to focus so far, and it was clear his cousin had gotten already fed up with his moping.

“Look, you can try to lie to me all you want, but you and I know I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

It was the truth, Uryuu was remarkably persistent.

Still, Ichigo did not answer. He merely went back to the algebra problem he had been trying to solve for the past fifteen minutes or so.

“Is this about Kuchiki-san?” Ishida tried again. Bingo he thought when Ichigo flinched. “Because if so, you have nothing to worry about. She’s going to come back soon enough.”

Cursing his treacherous body for reacting to her name, Ichigo shook his head. “It’s not about her.”

“Really now.” Ishida muttered dryly. “So who’s got you in such a mood? Maybe your father has finally decided to make you speed date in hopes of getting a grandchild.”

He snorted. “Don’t even joke about that.”

“Then what is it?” His cousin questioned. “And don’t tell me nothing again, Kurosaki. I have no patience today.”

Ichigo, then, realized he had two options. He either lied again and hoped Ishida would drop it, or he took a chance and talk about his feelings for the first time.

“I’m just scared that I blew it.”

“With who? Kuchiki-san?”

“Well… yeah.”

Ishida gave him an incredulous look and then scoffed. “I think it’s impossible you’d blow up your chances with her. For some odd reason, Kuchiki-san’s smitten with you.”

That got him raising an eyebrow. “Jealous, Ishida?”

“Not of whatever you’re thinking of.” Uryuu answered honestly. “Although Kuchiki-san’s very pretty and whatnot, I value her as a friend. Only.” He said very pointedly. “But I’ll admit I envy the bond you’ve got with her. It’s one of a kind and I wish I had something like that.” After saying those words, he blushed, probably recalling a certain orange-haired girl they both knew. Coughing, Ishida went back on track. “Which is why I doubt you could ever do something that would make Kuchiki-san dislike you.”

Oh, if only his cousin knew!

“What about accidentally rejecting her?”

Ishida blinked at him. “How the hell would you manage to do something like that?”

“By not answering to her confession?”

Ishida groaned. “Useless. You’re useless.”

“Thanks. Like I didn’t know that.” Ichigo replied sarcastically.

“I just can’t understand how you couldn’t say anything when the girl you like confesses to you. Are you daft? Do you know how many would kill to be in your position?”

“I panicked, okay?!” He yelled, not wanting to keep getting scolded. “I didn’t see it coming, and when my mind worked again, she was long gone!”

Once he had realized Rukia wasn’t inside the empty classroom anymore, Ichigo had rushed outside, running through the corridors, trying to reach her. However, when he had reached the school gate, she was already inside her brother’s limo, being whisked away to the train station.

Ishida tsked. “Well, have you at least texted her?”

Ichigo shook his head.

“Kurosaki!”

“It’s just this kind of things should be told in person, y’know?” His cheeks turned red as he talked.

“You’re surprisingly romantic for a brute.”

“Gee, thanks, cuz. What would I do without ya?”

“Enough. We can still salvage this.”

“We?”

“I’ll grace you with my help, just this once, and only because, frankly, I’d only be able to put up with Kuchiki-san as my cousin, and I can’t be sure you’d choose someone as great as her next time.”

“Now, who sounds like he’s in love with Rukia?”

Ishida rolled his eyes. “You know it’s not like that.”

“Oh, I know, ‘cause you like Ino─”

“Shut up!” Completely and utterly flushed, Uryuu reached out and covered Ichigo’s mouth with his hand. Then, taking calming breaths, he moved aside. “Anyway, what you need to do is text her the day she comes back, asking her if you two can talk, then you’re gonna take her somewhere romantic and drop on your knees, begging her to take you, is that clear?”

“Yeah, I’d figured out as much. What I still need to think about is the place and the grand gesture.”

Ishida pondered on this for a moment. “You need a place which is both romantic yet private… Oh, I know! What about the river bank close to your house? At sunset it must be quite a sight.”

Ichigo nodded, pleased. “Great idea.”

“And as for the gesture… what about flowers?”

“Too cliché. Rukia wouldn’t like that…”

“What about giving her a letter? You’re much better at writing than talking, and we can’t have you becoming speechless again.”

He would have hit his cousin for that comment, but it was actually a pretty good idea. Ichigo let Ishida know, and the boy nodded, pleased with himself.

“Now all it’s left is for you to get on writing that letter and wait for the rest of summer to end.”

He sighed loudly at that.

“Now, let’s finish our homework. I don’t want to get behind on account of your girl problems.”

***

“Ichigo! Aren’t you having fun?!” Keigo exclaimed rather loudly.

As a matter of fact, he was not, but it wasn’t as if he could ever tell his friend that. They had been planning this outing since before classes ended, and Ichigo didn’t want to be the one to ruin it. And it was not as if it wasn’t a fun event. Summer festivals, even with the crowds and the way vendors would scam the general public on their booths, were highly entertaining. The fireworks were something to look forward to, and the food was good, while the company was even better. His friends were all there and Keigo hadn’t been pestering too much. In any other occasion, he would have enjoyed himself. Unfortunately, his mind was plagued with images of black hair and violet eyes, which didn’t let him focus on anything else.

“Yeah… I am.” He said, trying to smile, but obviously he didn’t do a good job as his friends didn’t buy it.

“Kurosaki-kun, are you feeling sick?” Inoue asked him, her tone worried.

The rest also stopped what they were doing to look at him.

“Yeah, Ichigo, you looked kinda pale.” Tatsuki assed.

He waved them off. “I’m fine… So, what’s next?”

Not wanting to argue with him just in case that would set him off somehow, his friends kept walking, moving to the next booth. Ichigo felt bad about the whole situation. He truly was trying to enjoy himself, yet he was having what Ishida would refer to as Rukia-withdrawals. She had been gone for a few weeks now, and she hadn’t called him nor texted him. To be fair, he hadn’t tried to either, but the lack of communication was slowly killing him. The more time passed, the more he worried his cousin was wrong and that Rukia wouldn’t take him back or even hear him out. His heart clenched with pain just by thinking about it. On the other hand, he knew there wasn’t much he could do at the moment other than trying to enjoy his summer. Rukia would, probably, not want him to wallow in self-pity. Yet, he couldn’t bring himself to feel excited about anything.

It was funny, really. Ever since his mother passed away, Ichigo hadn’t felt the right to just be happy. Until Rukia wormed her way into his life and heart, that is. He hadn’t felt alive, like he could breathe in piece, until he had met her. It was like he actually mattered. Like he had a place in this world and he wasn’t just getting by. But without her, or, more specifically, without her reassurance, Ichigo was a lost cause. It was hard to admit, but he didn’t know what to do with himself now that she was gone. Probably the only thing keeping him from being out of wits was the fact he knew Rukia would be back, eventually. He thought to himself that, if she ever left without knowing if she’d ever come, he would more than likely lose his mind.

“The fireworks are about to start!”

“Everyone, let’s move back there!”

“Yeah, the view’s good over there!”

Ichigo followed his friends, just going through the motions. They all sat down on the outskirts of the festival. His friends were clearly excited about the event. Keigo kept whooping, Mizuiro was taking pictures with his cellphone, and even Tatsuki looked relaxed. He walked away from them, though, wanting to sit by himself. He felt as if he couldn’t share their joy at the moment. Ignoring Ishida’s worried glances, he settled down as far away as he could. A noise suddenly alerted him to another presence. Glancing up, he saw Chad sitting down next to him. For a moment, neither spoke a word, merely enjoying the fireworks as they eclipsed the night sky. One that wasn’t blue but not quite violet either caught his eye. The lights looked like Rukia’s eyes.

“You know, summer’s ending fast.”

That was all that Chad said. Ichigo smiled at him.

“Yeah, I guess so.”

They fell silent again, merely enjoying the moment.

It was all they needed.

Ichigo hadn’t really thought about it, but fireworks truly lit up the sky. Where once was a bleak nothingness, now there were millions of colors dancing against the darkness, twinkling like stars. Somehow, the view was comforting.

“Before the holidays are over, let’s hang out again.” Ichigo found himself saying.

“Ah.”

“Let’s invite the rest too.”

“I’m free next week.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

As summer faded away, his resolve only strengthened.

Even if he wished for it to end soon, Ichigo decided to stop feeling bad for himself and start living once more.

Rukia would never forgive him if he didn’t, after all.

***

“What’s up, Ichigo?” Isshin asked his son, plopping next to him on the couch.

“Nothing. Just finishing up this level.”

In an effort to be a little more social, Ichigo had moved his videogame console from his room to the living room. There, he could play with Karin, while Yuzu eagerly cheered them on. Today, though, both girls were out. Karin was out playing soccer with her friends, while Yuzu had gone out shopping with her own friends to a new store which had just opened. That left the two men of the house by themselves.

“Slow day at the clinic?” Ichigo suddenly asked.

It wasn’t every day he would be the first to start a conversation with his father, so Isshin was a bit perplexed. He quickly recovered and smiled at him, even if his son was still focused on the screen. “Yeah, kinda. With everyone out of town, few people are getting hurt.”

“Well that’s a good thing, isn’t it?”

“Not for our business, no! I wish more people got hurt so I could cure them and charge them!”

“Tch. You don’t even accept all the money anyway.” He muttered as he blasted more robots.

They grew silent as Isshin contemplated his next move. There were things he wanted to tell his son about, but he didn’t know how to. Ultimately, he decided on a roundabout approach.

“I see you’ve been very intent on playing this game lately.” He said, gesturing to the controller on Ichigo’s hand.

“Yeah, I wanna beat it before school starts again.”

“Right.” Mulling over his words, he tried again. “What about your homework, though?”

“Ishida made me finish it on the first week.”

“Ah, Uryuu-kun’s always been a diligent one.”

“Yeah, I guess.”

Silence fell over them once again. Soon, the screen changed and the words “You Win!” appeared on a bright green color. With the pushing some buttons, the screen was back to black. Putting his controller away, Ichigo turned to look at his father.

“Alright, what do you wanna talk about?”

“What?” Isshin blinked at him.

“You’re sitting here.” His son answered, gesturing towards the coach. “That means you wanna tell me something, don’t you?”

The father laughed. “Nothing escapes you, huh?”

Ichigo scratched the back of his neck. “I guess… So…?”

“Did I ever tell you about the time I started dating your mother?”

That picked his interest. Moving to sit closer to his father, he shook his head. “No. I don’t think you ever did.”

“We met when she was a third year in high school and I was a freshman in college. To be honest, we met by accident, when she pushed me away from a moving car which almost ran me over. I was too dumbstruck by her to tell her anything cool, but somehow she still befriended me.”

“Huh.” Ichigo muttered. “You never told us that story.”

“Well, I didn’t want my own children to think I was uncool.”

“Too late. We already think that.”

He chuckled. “Masaki didn’t think I was cool either. No wonder it took years for us to start dating.”

“Wait, what?” The son gaped at him, dumbfounded. “I thought you said it was love at first sight!” He accused his father.

“For me it was. For your mother… not so much. She believed I was an idiot, and I guess she wasn’t mistaken.” He grimaced at that.

“Yeah, no shit.”

Ignoring Ichigo’s commentary, he continued on with the story. “Still, she wanted to be my friend. I guess she realized how lonely I felt living in a new town, feeling severely out of place. Much to Ryuken’s chagrin, she visited me often and invited me to hang out with her. And I was happy because I’d never had a friend like her. When I was with her, for the first time in my life I felt like I belonged.”

“Yeah… I know that feeling.”

Isshin smiled softly at him. “Your mother, Ichigo, was like the sun. Anywhere she went, she brightened the whole place. It was difficult not to love her, y’know. Ever since I met her, my whole life revolved around her. And I continuously worried about her not being by my side. I thought I might die. That’s what I was afraid of confessing my true feelings for her. I feared she wouldn’t want to be my friend anymore, ‘cause no way in hell a woman like her would like a dork like me. So I let time pass by, and until I had finally set up my own clinic, did I feel like I was man enough to confess to her.” He paused to observe his son’s reactions. The boy seemed very interested in what he wanted to say. “Do you know what she told me when I finally asked her out on a date?”

Ichigo shook his head no.

“Took you long enough.”

The son laughed. “Sounds like mom.”

“Yeah, you’ve got that from her. Always making fun of me. That and your hair, your eyes, your ability to unite people. That’s all her.” He spoke fondly. “Sadly, you got your cowardice from me.”

“Hey!” Ichigo exclaimed, offended.

“When I see you dancing around your feelings for Rukia-chan, I see myself a few years ago.”

“A few years? More like over twenty years ago.” He grumbled.

“My point is don’t waste your time feeling scared. If I had known your mother would be taken from us so soon, I would’ve told her sooner. I would’ve cherished every waking moment with her. I didn’t get the chance, but that doesn’t mean you throw away your shot.”

Ichigo sighed. “I feel like I already did.”

That intrigued Isshin. “What do you mean?”

“Well, before summer vacations, Rukia confessed to me.”

“Really?! And what did you say?!”

“I… didn’t.”

“What?” He blurted out.

“I didn’t say anything, okay?!” Ichigo groaned. “I froze like an idiot and she just slipped away.”

“So that’s why you’ve been grumpy all summer? Well, grumpier than usual.”

“Pretty much.”

That explained everything. Isshin had feared Rukia had rejected him, but this changed everything. It did mean his son had a chance, however slim it seemed.

“Do you know what you gotta do?”

“I mean, I’ve got a plan. I just… I don’t know what to tell her.”

Isshin patted his shoulder. “Son, just be honest with your feelings. I’m sure Rukia-chan will understand.”

“I hope so. I wouldn’t hold it against her if she moved on, though.”

The father shook his head. “She won’t be able to even if she tries. Believe me, I know. People like you and your mom are hard to forget.” He winked at him.

Ichigo smiled. “I guess all that’s left to do is for her to come back, so I can answer her properly.”

“Yeah, and then she’s gonna give you all the smooches you want! Remember to use protection. I know I joke about being a grandfather a lot, but I’m too young for that. And if you want more romantic advice, you can always come to me! I know more than one thing to please the ladies.”

“Dad!"

***

Summer had finally come to an end, which meant it was time for Rukia to come back. Ichigo had been a jittery mess once the final week of the holidays arrived. He had been counting the days until Rukia would get to Karakura. As the date grew closer, the more anxious he became. He had the letter all written down and, after having Ishida read it (which was embarrassing to say the least) everything was set. The only thing that was missing was having Rukia meet him at the river bank. At first, he had thought on making the girls to tell her to meet them there, but that involved getting more people meddling in his very personal affairs. Ishida refused to help him out on that particular detail of his plan, and it would be too weird if either Chad, his sisters or, god forbid, his father of all people asked Rukia to meet them there. No. The only way this could work was if he asked her himself. On the Friday that she was supposed to arrive, Ichigo bit the bullet and sent her a text.

Hey! How was the trip back?

Though a little impersonal, Ichigo hoped it’d show that he wasn’t feeling uncomfortable or anything. It seemed to do the trick, as she answered almost immediately.

Tiring but I’m just glad to be back home

That’s great

Yeah I know (=^_^=)

Taking a deep breath, he began typing his question. He erased it multiple times, but he eventually hit send.

Hey I wanted 2 know if you’d like to meet me at the river bank tomorrow

He waited for what felt like an eternity but was in reality a few seconds.

Sure

At what time?

Okay. See you there!

Yeah! See you

On Saturday, Ichigo woke up early. He took a long shower and then went downstairs to make breakfast for his family. Yuzu was thoroughly surprised but altogether pleased. He also offered to accompany her to do some grocery shopping later that day. His younger sister easily agreed. He also went out and showed Karin some soccer tricks. The girl was taken aback by his offer, given the fact it had been a while since the two had played together. Both girls looked at each other, trying to find an explanation for their brother’s good mood. Isshin, for his part, seemed more amused than anything. He kept sending his son playful looks, knowing exactly what was going to happen that day.

After lunch, Ichigo went back to his room and took out the clothes he had set aside for the day. It wasn’t much, but he thought a pair of dark jeans, a black tank top and a red shirt would do the trick. He put on cologne and made sure he had shaved properly. Finally, he took out the letter he had written and put it inside a blue envelope. With one last look on the mirror, he went out of his room and down the stairs.

“I’m going out. See you later!” He waved goodbye to his family, an easy smile replacing his regular frown.

“Alright, what’s up with Ichi-nii?” Karin asked the moment her brother was out of the door.

“I don’t know what you mean.” Isshin replied, trying to keep his giggles in check.

His daughters didn’t believe him one bit.

“Something must’ve happened to make onii-chan act so… happy.” Yuzu said.

“Yeah! And you must know, so fess up, dad!”

Isshin let himself chuckle. “I can’t tell you much, just know that if everything goes well, you’re gonna have a new sister-in-law.”

The sisters grinned at each other.

“You can do it, onii-chan!”

Meanwhile, Ichigo was a nervous wreck. He had arrived fifteen minutes early, and as time went on, his worries increased. Millions of doubts circled around his mind. What if it was too late? What if Rukia rejected him? What if she had truly moved on? Or, worse, what if she didn’t even come? He began pacing and he was sure he would have dug a hole on the grass if Rukia hadn’t arrived exactly fifteen minutes later, at five o’clock.

“Hey, Ichigo!”

Turning around, he finally got a good look at her after so many weeks.

God! Was it even possible that she had gotten even more beautiful from the last time he had seen her? Her black hair moved with the wind and her eyes seemed to sparkle under the sunlight. The blue dress she was wearing only made her eyes and soft-looking skin pop up even more. And don’t get him started on her lips! They looked specially plump and pink. He briefly wondered what it would be like to kiss them.

“Hey.” He said lamely once she was standing in front of him. “How… how was your trip?”

“Boring.” She deadpanned. “I’m happy to be back, though I didn’t enjoy my vacations.”

“Right.” He replied, feeling his mouth go dry.

“And what about you? Did you have fun?” So Rukia was trying to make it seem as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened between them. However, Ichigo didn’t have it in him to pretend any longer.

“Well, not most of the time.”

That confused her. “What do you mean?”

“It’s just that… I had to think about something.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Reaching into his pocket, he took out the letter and gave it to her. “This is for you. Sorry that I didn’t say anything, I just thought it’d be better this way.”

Rukia’s eyes widened and with shaking hands she took the letter. “Ichigo… I…”

“Don’t say anything. Just read it. It’ll explain everything.”

Nodding, she opened the envelope. Carefully, she took the letter out and began reading.

Dear Rukia,

Writing this is harder than I thought, but there really is no other way for me to say this. But before all that, first let me apologize for not giving you a proper answer. For some reason, which Ishida refers to as my idiocy, I got stunned and couldn’t say anything. I know. How uncool of me. No need to remind me. Then, in the blink of an eye you were gone, which makes me think you really didn’t want to wait for my answer. That or I froze up for longer than I thought. You’re gonna have to tell me which is the true reason you seemingly left so quickly.

Yeah, I know you probably don’t want to read my ramblings and want to get straight to the point. It ain’t happening. I spent weeks Rukia, weeks, trying to come up with something to say to you, as I kept imagining worst case scenarios, like you wouldn’t even want to talk to me again, much less see me. I’m not even sure you’re gonna read this later. That’s how bad it is! I was miserable. Like you’ve got no idea. I felt shitty for letting you go just like that, and all I wanted was for summer to be done already so I could see you again.

But do you know what was worse than the uncertainty? It was not being able to hang out with my best friend. I was afraid to text you, much less call you. Every day I found more things that I wanted to tell you about. I wanted to know how you were doing, if the meetings were as boring as they sounded, if Byakuya still had a stick up his ass, and so on. I missed you terribly. More than I thought it was possible to miss someone. I now realize I took you for granted, and I don’t want a repeat of that ever again. Basically, this is me telling you that next time Byakuya decides to take you away for more than a couple of weeks, I’m literally gonna fight him, Rukia. This is no joke. I’m gonna throw hands at him to get you a responsibilities-free holiday. Fat chance I’m gonna let him take you away this winter break too! And don’t try to argue with me on this. I’ve got my mind set and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Now, on the topic at hand, before telling you anything, let me tell you that, whatever happens, nothing will change for me. You’ll still be my best friend. Forever and always. ‘Cause there’s really no one like you, Rukia. You’re one of a kind and I’m lucky to be your friend. I’m even luckier to be the person you like (if as of the moment you get this letter you still feel this way, that is).

So, before going away on the first day of summer, you told me you wanted to talk to me. You told me that, try as you might, you couldn’t let go of these feelings. You said you liked me. And that was probably the happiest day of my life. I’m sorry that I went ahead and ruined the whole thing. And although you didn’t really ask me anything, it was a confession nonetheless and I feel like you need a proper answer.

Rukia, I like you.

I don’t know if I started falling for you the moment we met, but I know it was pretty soon in our relationship. Somewhere, somehow, in the middle of all the bickering, the petty fights, the laughter and the heart-to-hearts, I fell in love with you and, honestly, I don’t think there’s a way back. Before I met you, I didn’t know what I was doing. It was like I was in a limbo. But you helped give me a purpose. You’re, quite literally, my ray of light, and I don’t know what I’d do without you. Probably lose my damn mind. See the effect you have on me?

I’m not sure if by the time you read this letter you’ll still like me. I’m aware that there are many guys out there who’re a million times better than I am. I’m quick-tempered, foul-mouthed and a brute (that last part was added by Ishida). But I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life cherishing every waking moment I get to live with you, because, goddamnit, I’d be damned if I let this chance slip away.

So, if you still feel the same way, awesome!

If not… well, I’d still like to be your friend. You’re gonna be pretty fucking difficult to forget, but I’ll try to do my best.

Now I’ve got a question for you.

Rukia

Would you like to go out with me? Like, on a real date?

I was thinking laser-tag and then eating at that ramen stand you like, ‘cause dinner and a movie is way too cliché for us.

I’ll be waiting for your answer.

─Ichigo

P.S. What exactly is the color of your eyes? I’ve been trying to describe them on a poetic way, but I can’t get it right.

When Rukia finished reading the letter, she had tears streaming down her face. Ichigo instantly panicked and attempted to comfort her, but she simply raised her hand to stop him.

“Four things, Ichigo.” She muttered. Holding up one finger, she said, “My eye color changes with the lighting. Sometimes it’s more blue, others more violet. Both are fine.”

“Thought so.” He replied.

“Two.” She said, holding up a second finger. “You’re also my best friend and nothing in the world will change that, you hear?”

“Loud and clear.”

“Three.” She held up a third finger. “I didn’t want to listen to your answer ‘cause I thought the feeling wasn’t mutual. When you froze up, I thought I had fucked up and that’s why I left so quickly.”

“Next time, hit me in the stomach or throw water at me. That’ll do the trick.”

“Duly noted.”

Taking a deep breath, Rukia continued. “And four… like hell I’d stop liking you in one summer, Kurosaki Ichigo. I’m not sure you know but you’re pretty damn difficult to forget. There’s no one like you.”

He chuckled at that, his own eyes filling with tears. “Thanks, you too.”

She snorted. “Is that the best you can say?”

“For the moment, yes. Bu aren’t you forgetting something?

Rukia considered it for a moment and then smiled devilishly. “Y’know, I should probably wait like a whole month before I get back to you on that last point.”

“You minx.” Ichigo grumbled.

She grinned at him as she walked closer to him until their chest were touching. Grabbing his shirt and standing on her tiptoes, Rukia kissed him fully on the lips. Ichigo closed his eyes and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her even closer to him. It was everything he had ever wanted. Once it was over, he rested his forehead on hers.

“Of course I’d go out with you, Ichigo.”

He bent down to kiss her again.

“Would you be my girlfriend, then?”

“Do you even have to ask?”

Ichigo simply raised an eyebrow.

“Yes. I’d gladly be your girlfriend.”

“Good.”

With that, they kissed once more.

#ichiruki #pro ichiruki #ichirukimonth #ichiruki fanfiction #my fanfiction

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scarletwelly-boots · 4 years

Text

Books Read 2019

It’s time again for my annual books read post (a little earlier than usual, but I couldn’t wait). I read 24 books in 2019, 4 books more than last year, though two are in progress and I expect to finish them by the new year.

It is year four of the reading challenge from Popsugar. There were 48 categories this year, so I got 50% again. Unlike last year, I did not change any categories, but I may have taken liberties with some again, we’ll see. So, without further ado, let’s begin the list. [Under the cut]

1. How to Train Your Dragon, by Cressida Cowell (A book becoming a movie in 2019). Okay, so there have already been two movies in this series, but the last one (*sob*) came out this year, so it counts. I read this book and a few of the others in the series a few years ago, but revisited the first one this year. It’s really good, but don’t go into it expecting it to be like the movies. The character names are the same, but that’s about it. If you can get your hands on the audiobook version, it’s read by David Tennant, which is excellent. Definitely recommend; it’s just as good as the movies.

2. Little House in the Big Woods, by Laura Ingalls Wilder (A book that makes you nostalgic). This is another reread. My dad read the whole series aloud to my sister and I when we were barely older than Laura is in the first book. It was the series he read before the Harry Potter books came out, and we both got sucked into that series. So yeah, very nostalgic. This is a series of semi-autobiographical stories chronicling Wilder’s pioneer childhood, and this is the first in the series. Some of the language doesn’t really age well, but for the most part it’s a delightful book.

3. An Absolutely Remarkable Thing, by Hank Green (a book you think should be turned into a movie). Holy. Shit. I was very, very pleasantly surprised by Hank Green’s debut novel (and yes, John Green is his brother). This is a mysterious book about first encounters and internet fame, with a queer young adult (like, really YA, as in post-college) protagonist. She’s kind of shitty sometimes, but I would argue all twenty-somethings are shitty sometimes (I mean, I literally typed “*sob*” two entries up, like I’m channeling my 2009 self, and I didn’t delete it.). I would highly, highly recommend. And apparently, SOMEDAY, there’s supposed to be a sequel, thank GOD.

4. Loki: Agent of Asgard, by Jason Ewing (a reread of a favorite book). I could actually get away with a reread for this one! I love this graphic novel series. I love how they depict Loki, how he finally gets a goddamn redemption arc. It’s a really fun read. Check it out.

5. The Beast Within, by Serena Valentino (a book inspired by mythology, legend, or folklore). A companion novel to Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. I don’t really remember much about this book. It was weird. But like, it plays with the timeline and the curse a little bit, where the beast gets cursed but doesn’t become a beast immediately. He slowly transforms as his behavior gets worse and more cruel. Apparently he used to be friends with Gaston, but Gaston forgot about him once he finally transformed. Really weird. If you’re obsessed with this fairytale like I am, give it a shot. If not, it probably won’t be that interesting.

6. Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen (a book you see someone reading on TV or in a movie). Another reread. I know it’s a classic, but I seriously just love this book.

7. Howl’s Moving Castle, by Diane Wynne Jones (a book about someone with a superpower). Another reread of a favorite book, what can I say. The movie is my favorite movie, but the book is better.

8. Carry On, by Rainbow Rowell (a book told from multiple character POV’s). Okay, listen. I had to reread this book, because it had been a few years and the sequel came out this year. Think of this as generic brand Harry Potter if Draco was a vampire, was Harry’s roommate, and helplessly in love with Harry. I’m serious, it’s generic brand. But damn if I don’t love it. @JKR, this could be us but Harry had to be the jock that married his high school sweetheart and grew up to be a cop. Definitely read.

9. Franny and Zooey, by JD Salinger (a book with no chapters/unusual chapter headings/unconventionally numbered chapters). My brother got me this book for my birthday. Before this I had only read Catcher in the Rye, which I started out hating when I was fourteen but turned into loving when I was nineteen. Honestly I think this novel is better than that one. I really loved it. Highly recommend. What’s it about? Who the fuck knows? But to quote my brother: “At its core, I think this book is about a smart brother and a smart sister. I think we can relate.” So read it and buy it for the smart brother or sister or sibling in your life.

10. 1916, by Tim Pat Coogan (read a book during the season it is set in). This is an Irish history book about the Easter Rising of 1916 and (what I didn’t know when I started reading it in April) everything that came after that can trace its cause back to the rebellion, all the way to the centennial of the Rising. The Easter Rising was the catalyst of Irish freedom. It was like the Boston Tea Party of Ireland, rather than the Battle of Yorktown (as in it kickstarted the War for Independence but didn’t immediately result in freedom), that is, if the instigators of the Boston Tea Party were rounded up, imprisoned in Kilmainham Gaol, and a week later almost all executed by firing squad. It’s a tedious read if you’re not into Irish history or history in general, but I enjoyed it.

11. Loki: Where Mischief Lies, by Mackenzi Lee (a book set in space). Okay, technically it takes place on Asgard and Earth, but those are planets, and planets are in space, so it counts! I’m still reading it, but I really like it so far. (Honestly I maybe just like the idea of Loki in knee high black boots marketed towards women and black nails. I never promised not to be gay.)

12. Norse Mythology, by Neil Gaiman (a book set in Scandinavia). I’m sorry! I read this book every year. Neil Gaiman is an amazing writer, and we all know I’m gay as shit for some good Loki tales.

13. Artemis Fowl, by Eoin Colfer (a book that takes place in a single day). Okay, I know people love this fantasy series, and since it’s Irish I fully expected to, too. But I didn’t like any of the characters enough to read the rest of the series, least of all Artemis himself. I struggle to enjoy stories if I don’t like the main character, and Artemis was kind of a shit. Sorry, I did not like this one.

14. Skulduggery Pleasant, by Derek Landy (a debut novel). I just started this one, too, but I really like it already. I think the audiobook is read by the same guy that read Artemis Fowl, but already this is way better than that one. The characters are likable, for one (god, the bar is so low for fantasy books for me right now). It’s a mystery and a fantasy, and the main-ish character is literally an anthropomorphic skeleton detective. It’s excellent. I’m going to read the whole series. (I have to; my mom accidentally got me the 12th installment for my birthday.)

15. Red, White, and Royal Blue, by Casey McQuiston (a book that’s published in 2019). I read this twice. It’s so beautiful. I really expected it to be a shitty YA novel, but it wasn’t! It was very romantic (once they stopped “hating” each other), and gay. The premise sounds far-fetched: First Son of the United States falls for the Crown Prince of England. But, guys, it’s soooo gooooood. Highly, highly, highly recommend.

16. The Wisconsin Road Guide to Mysterious Creatures, by Chad Lewis (a book featuring an extinct or imaginary creature). I mean, you can make your own decision whether these cryptids are real or imaginary. This is a travel guide to cryptids in Wisconsin, which I got on vacation earlier this year. I liked it, but reading a road guide for pleasure is admittedly kind of weird. Recommend if you’re planning a road trip through Wisconsin and want to stop at some cryptid, ghostly, or Nessie-like hotspots. Or if you just want to fuck Mothman, like me. (Dustybae’s not in this particular travel book though.)

17. Take Me With You, by Andrea Gibson (a book recommended by a celebrity you admire). Okay, so it was by a celeb I admire, not recommended by. This is a very quick read, of quotes from Gibson’s poetry. They are a queer spoken word poet with some really good pieces. They’re on spotify and apple music, probably among other sources. Recommend their work, but the book is very short, so maybe only purchase if you enjoy their work.

18. This is How it Always Is, by Laurie Frankel (a book about a family). This book was really, really good. It was passed around the aunts in my family until it got to my mom and I, which was really kind of a magical thing. It’s about a family navigating the challenges and gifts of raising a trans child. I cried a couple times, and it was so good. It’s written by a parent of a trans child, so it came from a place of understanding, and it was interesting to read this type of narrative from a parent’s perspective, when usually being genderfluid myself, I tend to consume media that is from the perspective of trans characters themselves. I had some very interesting conversations with my aunts and mom about it, and I really think this book changed my family a little bit, and I didn’t expect it to change me, too. Highly recommend.

19. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Suzanne Clark (a book that includes a wedding). So the wedding is at the very beginning, and sadly not between Strange and Norrell. But it’s really good. Lots of magic, lots of regency-era Britishness. The book is huge, but there is a miniseries on Netflix based on the novel and that’s really good too. Highly recommend, and still in love with my man John Childermass. Hnng.

20. Wayward Son, by Rainbow Rowell (a book by an author whose first and last names start with the same letter). Sequel to Carry On. Sheer madness. I loved it. Think of it as generic brand Harry Potter post-DH, if Harry sprouted dragon wings during the final battle, is gay as shit for Draco, and a year later Harry, Draco, and Hermione are set loose on America with .5 seconds of research, severe culture shock, one cell phone between them, and a half-assed plan to rescue Ginny who may or may not want to be rescued. Shit show, but well done and I’m fully invested and ready for the third installment.

21. Good Omens, by Neil Gaiman (a book with a two-word title). I’m sorry, I need to shift to caps for this. GUYS I FUCKING LOVE THIS STORY YOU HAVE NO IDEA IT IS THE GREATEST THING THAT HAS EVER COME INTO MY WORLD! I MAY OR MAY NOT HAVE WATCHED THE AMAZON SERIES THIRTEEN TIMES TO DATE AND IMMEDIATELY DEVOURED THE BOOK IN THREE DAYS. You don’t know what it’s about? Where have you BEEN?! An angel and a demon who are gay as shit for each other and love humanity way more than either of their respective sides. One downside is that as the miniseries came out like twenty years after the novel, my two favorite parts were only written for the series, and are not in the novel. But the book is still very, very good. 15/10.

22. Dumplin’, by Julie Murphy (a book revolving around a puzzle or game). I took game to mean competition, so this is about a beauty competition. I watched the Netflix movie first. I honesty thought I was not gonna like it, but holy shit it was amazing. Admittedly I think the movie was better (despite having Jennifer Aniston in it), but the book was really good, too. Recommend.

23. The Picture of Dorian Gray, by Oscar Wilde (your favorite prompt from a past Popsugar reading challenge; a book with a queer protagonist). God, please read this book. This has been up there in my list of favorite books since I was fourteen. Oscar Wilde is a master storyteller, and Dorian Gray is intriguing and despicable and beautiful. I’ve already read this, but I love it too much not to.

24. Terrible Queer Creatures, by Brian Lacey (a book set in an abbey, cloister, monastery, vicarage, or convent). Okay, so it’s not set there for the whole book, but gay monks and nuns are things. This was another birthday present, and an absolute hit. Combining two of my favorite things: Irish history and queer history. I had no idea a book like this existed. I’m still really excited about it. The only issue I have is that most of the one chapter dedicated to gay women involve biographies of people that were actually probably trans men, like Dr. Barry. They could have probably had a separate chapter and then a chapter of the clear lesbians and bisexual women (including trans women, of course). Lumping them in with the women in a chapter specifically dedicated to queer women did not seem particularly inclusive. But overall I really enjoyed the book.

Top Ten Books of 2019 post will be forthcoming.

#books #Book Recommendations #book recs

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craftypeaceturtle · 6 years

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Egotober- Android

Summary: AU with Chase being an android.

Warning: Slight swearing and drug use.

Note: Day three! You can read the previous day here! I took this quite literally and I loved the Detroit series so... Also this had nothing to do with Halloween but I was so excited to write this!!!!

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He just stopped and stared in complete and utter amazement. But none of the footage stopped at all. It was a news channel with the camera men filming from a rooftop near the whole event. It looked like millions of androids were standing on the streets. Millions...

And then to think that Chase was down there too.

Chad wasn’t exactly against androids. He just despised when his family got together to by him one. Otherwise, he didn’t think about them. They didn’t interfere with him and he didn’t interfere with them. But the second he looked at the AX400, he hated him. He was wearing a plain white plastic-looking outfit with his blue armband screaming out what he was. His LED cycled yellow as he looked around the house. Scanning each speck of dirt. It was probably just quicker to scan how many clean spots there were.

Admittedly, he wasn’t the most functional person in the world. Being a drug dealer. But... he was still living.

Kinda…

College didn’t work out but he refused to back down and go back to his family. He loved them and they supported him, but he didn’t want to be stuck in the same place forever. Sitting in his old bedroom wasn’t going to help anything. The apartment was super cheap and was a pure miracle. He had been living there about three months and was still sleeping on a mattress on the hard wooden floor when Chase showed up.

Chase had spent hours silently cleaning anything he could get near, with Chad way too high to really stop him.

Not his proudest moments. But this was essentially one just middle finger from his family. A massive sign telling him that they thought he was too pathetic to keep things together. Which, in hindsight, he was. The first few weeks was Chad trying to make double the mess to spite someone who couldn’t even feel spite. Chase never mentioned it and only cleaned each new mess as they occurred. He always tried to make conversation but Chad always just keep smoking his not-exactly-cigarettes. His voice sounded so shy and quiet, the epitome of polite, but he continually ignored him.

His attitudes changed after having Chase follow him for four months. One of his ‘friends/clients’ had come over to keep him company and had originally said he would only bring beer. But he came over acting completely different. He was more twitchy and angry, but most of all, stupidly eager. He explained that he had discovered some magical drug that was ‘the totally best thing ever dude’.

He had refused.

Yeah, the drug dealer refused drugs, haha.

But Chad wasn’t an idiot. He wasn’t going to try some random powder some addict had found while trying to get his fix. There were so many experimental drugs out there and it was so easy to get things mixed together and next thing you knew, you were high on something you’d never know.

But he only got more persistent.

“You’ll love it dude! I do,” He had said while thrusting this tiny bag of red crystals. Red Ice, as he later found out.

“Nah dude, I told you. You have no idea where that shit has been!” He had tried to reply jokingly but the anger in his client’s eyes pulsed.

It was a powder you snorted but problems started as it exploded in a cloud of red smoke. His friend threw it at him.

He had no choice but to inhale it.

Chase had been there immediately. He pushed the guy out the apartment and made him lay down. “I apologise Chad as I don’t have any knowledge on how to help you best, but I will try,” He explained as he gently lowered him down to lie down on the sofa.

“Chase, I-I really don’t know what’s going to happen. It’s re-red ice! I’ll be high quickly,” Chase had quickly explained.

That was all he remembered of that night.

But he woke up safe. When he was vomiting while crying, Chase cradled him close. He was fine purely because some android was doing his job. From that point, things were easier. Chad became friendlier to Chase, to the point where he was always offering if he wanted any food or a drink. Chase had some feedback to his conversations and so appeared to have more of a personality. He became the same loud douchebag Chad was. That and he now seemed to have habits. The biggest example is his trickshots, which was probably because of some fancy android tech. But that didn’t make throwing a tea bag into a cup from 20 metres away any less cool.

But the entire impact of the situation didn’t catch up to him until later.

“Chase, not that I care or anything, like, I’m actually really glad you did, but why did you push that guy out? Y’know the dick who threw powder in my face? You’ve always been super polite,” Chad drawled to an end at seeing how violently Chase’s LED was spinning yellow.

“Do you understand what a deviant is?” Chase muttered nervously while staring down at his feet. He was wearing Chad’s fluffy winter socks, black skinny jeans along with some random hoody. Chase had also began the habit of always wearing Chad’s hat that just so conveniently hid his LED. He looked so human right now that Chad refused to believe that his android was just that.

“Of course. The news is always going on about them...”

“Yeah. I don’t really know what happened. This wall of coding took up my entire vision and you were in trouble. I had to tear it down to get to you. I’ve never really felt the same since. I can understand if you wish to return me,” He replied simply. Android didn’t really stumble over their words. Each sentence was carefully constructed. He never spoke like this normally.

“Chase! That means you’re like human and shit! Of course I could never get away with binning you!” He exclaimed as he pulled the droopy looking man into a tight hug.

Now, he was sitting here. Chase had asked could he go out for awhile about an hour ago. The news station was trained on Markus. And Chad just knew that Chase was down there. Living his life and fighting for his freedom.

He was cheering him on loudly while thinking about how to celebrate with him when he comes home.

#jacksepticeye #detroit become human #au #My writing #egotober #october #not really Halloween themed but I had so much fun writing this #most fun thing in awhile #chase brody

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forged-through-trials · 3 years

Photo

Turns out the Spire was due West, near Skingrad, whereas we were headed East, to Bravil. As the Spire Job was out of our way, I put a pin in it for now, and continued on to Bravil. We had a package to deliver, and nothing would keep this Argonian from her appointed cover-story! The trip from the Archeology Guild Castle to Bravil was mostly uneventful. We arrived just as the shops were closing, so we had just enough time to check them out and try to unload some of the loot we’d pinched off of bandits between here and the IC.

The shopping trip took us to “A Warlock’s Luck”, run by the High Elf “Ungarion.” It was while browsing his wares that I noticed this book: “An Expanded Excerpt from Vampires of Tamriel, Vol. II.” Given my still-open vampire cases, the book caught my eyes immediately, and I bought it, cracking it open immediately. The gist of the excerpt concerned a legendary blade of myth and lore, dubbed “The Light of Dawn.” A glowing sword that burst with sunlight every time it struck a vampire. Trials: “This sounds like exactly what I need! A blade of legend, tailor-made for slaying vampires.” Ruin: “And currently under control of a clan of vampires. I’m not sure pursuing this blade would be the wisest of decisions.” Trials: “...” I fumed, and stomped a foot. “Nanny-Ruin kills my buzz again. Damn, so I need to get strong enough to fight vampires, to get the legendary sword that might make me strong enough to fight vampires? What is this, some kind of Tang Mo riddle?” Ruin: He furrowed his brow thoughtfully, steepling his hands. “I know that you are eager to go after Seridur and Baron von Zarov. Perhaps... assuming we were to find Nornalhorst, the lair of the vampires holding the blade, we can at least check it out.” Trials: I grinned, hands on hips. “Oh, yes. Just a peak wouldn’t hurt...”

With that course of action decided on, we made for the Mages Guild. There, we had to wait until Kud-Ei had finished dinner, but after that, I was finally able to get in a little training in the arts of Illusion. Useful, both for my work as a thief, and for you, Gentle Reader. Next time I go diving into some dark cave, you might actually be able to see something! Kud-Ei: “I guess I do owe you for helping out with Henantier. Okay, what do you already know about Illusion?” Trials: “I can do--WHAT’S THAT OVER THERE?” Kud-Ei: She blinked, then turned her head. “What?” Trials: I proceed to pick her pocket. “Oh, nothing. It was just a cliff-racer. By the way, here’s the gold for the lessons!” After a few lessons with Kud-Ei, I was proficient enough now to finally be able to cast my Night-Eye spell. Surely to be useful the next time I go Dungeon Diving. After the training, Kud-Ei asked if I was interested in a recommendation from the guild-hall. Admittedly, I’m more interested in progress with the Thieves Guild, but knowing a little magic probably couldn’t hurt, so I agreed. Kud-Ei: “I’m afraid I haven’t had time to prepare anything conventional, I’m very preoccupied with this situation with Ardaline.” Trials: “...why’d you ask me if I wanted a recommendation if you didn’t have a task ready for me?” Kud-Ei: “Because I’m not-so-subtly asking you for another favor. I need you to talk to ‘Varon Vamori.’” Trials: “Who d’at?” Kud-Ei: “You’ve heard the expression; ‘the Town Horse’? Well, he’s the opposite. The ‘Town Mudcrab’; a hideous, aggressive creature who spends most of every day mired in his own filth and lashing out at anyone who gets too close.” Trials: Sardonically. “You make him sound like such a charmer.” Kud-Ei: “Surprisingly, Ardaline doesn’t care much for him, despite him bothering her every day. It finally came to a head when he stole her Mage’s Staff. I need you to get it back.” She gave me a few Beguile scrolls to help in that matter. Normally, these things are one-use only, but with the insight I gleamed from Kud-Ei’s lessons, I was skilled enough in Illusion to decipher the enchantment and add the Spell to my Spellbook. It’s not free, of course; it’ll pull from my internal reserves of Magicka, but now that I’m an Apprentice at Illusion, I should be able to handle that.

It was pretty late, so rather than go after Varon Vamori immediately Ruin and I called it a night. Afterward, we still had that package to deliver, so we headed for the castle... and right back out again, as we were told our mark was visiting the chapel for the day. Trials: “Hey, I got a package here, for a ‘Hans Black-Nail’!” Several people ceased praying and raised their heads to give me dirty looks. As if yelling loudly in a chapel was frowned upon, or something? Hans: He stood up and approached me. “I’ll sign for it.” He scribbled on my clipboard and accepted the package. Trials: “Ugh, glad to be rid of it. What’d you order? Because it weighed a ton!” Hans: “Just some... ‘reading material’.” He gave me some shifty eyes. “Hail Dagon.” Trials: “...what?” Hans: “Uh, I said ‘mail Raymond’. I need to mail one of these to my friend, Raymond! Dawn is Breaking! Greet the new day!” Trials: “...” I slowly began to step away from him. “OoooooKAY! I’m just gonna take my money and go.” I grab Ruin’s arm. “Let’s beat it!”

Once our job in town was finished, we tracked down Vamori, at long last. Ruin and I confronted him right away. Trials: “Ho, Dark Elf. We were wondering if we might talk to you about Ardeline?” Vamori: He wrinkled his nose and scowled. “Oh? What about that stuck-up Stacy?” Trials: “...” I frowned at him. “Look, we just want her Mage’s Staff back.” Vamori: “I don’t have it! And even if I did, I wouldn’t tell a Lizbian!” Trials: “...a what??” Vamori: “Quit mogging me and get out of my house! And take Chad-Scale here with you.” Trials: “...” Ruin: “...” Vamori: “What do they call him, anyway? Jaw-Like-Lantern? Wrists-Like-Tree-Trunks? Steals-Your-Girlfriend? Ruin: “...I don’t like any of those nicknames.” Ugh, Gentle Reader, after just two minutes alone with this yutz and I wanted to throttle him. But I was good, and I kept my cool, using the Beguile spell Kud-Ei taught me to get to calm down and open up. Vamori: Openly sobbing. “It’s my chin! She doesn’t like me because my chin is too pointy! That’s it, isn’t it!?” I quickly regretted getting him to open up. Ruin: “Just because Ardaline is not interested, does not mean no one is interested in you. You just need to accept that, and find a woman who will appreciate you?” Vamori: He wiped his eyes and whimpered. “Wh-what about her?” Trials: “...ffffffFUDGE NO!” Vamori: “...Friend-Zoned again!” He immediately began waling and buried his face in his hands. Ruin: “...” He sighed and turned to me. “While I understand your reaction, I think you should have been just a little bit more tactful.” Trials: “He’s a creep with the people-skills of a blighted scrib, and he can go eat a bag of nails. How’s that for ‘tactful’?” Ruin: “...I appreciate that, but we do need him to tell us what he did with the Mage’s Staff.” Vamori: “I’ll tell you if you’ll just get that Alphagonian out of my face! “I took it, okay? I just wanted Ardaline to like me, that’s all! I don’t do things like this, normally. I’m a nice guy, honest!” Trials: “...yeah, that hasn’t really borne out, like, at all!” Vamori: “I was a little ashamed afterwards, but I didn’t know how to apologize or give it back.” Trials: “It’s actually really easy. You say; ‘I’m sorry’, and you give it back!” Ruin: “That would require him to take responsibility. Something he’s proven to not be very adept at.” Vamori: “...besides, I’m afraid I don’t have it anymore. You see, I... I sold it. To a friend of mine, Soris Arenim.” Trials: “...uuuuuugh! You mean we sat through an hour of your Red-Potion B.S. and the staff isn’t even here??” Vamori: “No, it’s with Soris. He lives int the Talos Plaza District of the Imperial City.” Trial: I slammed me head against the nearby wall. “We just came from there! By the Nine!”

We reported back in to Kud-Ei, as I thought to get her two-cents on the matter. Kud-Ei: “He sold it, eh? This just keeps getting worse!” Trials: “You weren’t there to hear a Dibella-dry sob for hours about his wrists, or about how ‘FeMages’ are ‘all wenches.’ Trust me, this is already about as bad as it can get.” Kud-Ei: “And now you see why I asked you to do this favor for me. He creeps me out something fierce! “Anyway, here’re some more scrolls. Track down the staff and get it back. And, of course, keep this just between us.” So, it looks like we’re headed back to the Imperial City. Well, since we’re going that way anyway, I picked up another package to deliver back there. Nothing says I can’t get paid while I try to get the staff back!

The trip back to the Imperial City was uneventful enough. You could say Ruin and I cleared the way when we headed down to Bravil the first time ‘round. Once back in the city, we started off by delivering the package in question, to a ‘Damian Magius’ at the Imperial Trading Company warehouse, in the Waterfront District. Now it was time to track down Soris Arenim.

We found his house quickly enough, it being in the northwest corner of the Talos Plaza District. The door was open, so Ruin and I let ourselves in, whereupon we spoke to the man of the house. Soris: Deadpan. “...oh, sure, just let yourself in. It’s not like I mind uninvited guests or anything.” Trials: “You might wanna try locking your door if you have a problem, pal.” Soris: Sardonically. “But then how would I ever meet such interesting characters like yourselves?” Ruin: “...by going outside?” Soris: He recoiled and hissed at the notion. Trials: I sighed and rubbed my temple. “We’ll be outta your hair in a moment. We’d just like to ask about a staff you recently purchased?” Soris: “Yes, I have the staff Varon sold me.” Trials: “Any chance you’d be willing to part with it?” Soris: “Absolutely not! I paid good money for it, after all. A deal’s a deal!” Trials: “But it’s stolen, and we’re only trying to return it to its rightful owner--and WOW it feels weird to be saying that.” Ruin: He furrowed his brow curiously at me. “...why would it feel weird?” Trials: I sweated audibly. “No reason!” Soris: “Besides, I paid for the staff, so the ‘rightful owner’ is me, right now. Sorry, friend, but I’m just not willing to part with it. It’s nothing personal, kid.” Ruin: “Hmmm...” He cupped his chin curiously. “‘Nothing personal, kid’. I’m going to remember that for the next time we get into a fight!” Trials: “If that really sounds cool and new to you, your old society was a dull place.” Well, that was a dead-end... for now, at least. Ruin and I retreated for the time being, whereupon I picked up another package, this time back to Bravil. Then we retired to the Merchant’s Inn to spent the night...

...then, while Ruin was still asleep, I woke up in the dead of night, and slipped off back to the Talos Plaza District. Just as I’d planned, Soris and his wife were asleep when I broke in. Though that meant their bedroom was off limits. I don’t want to risk sneaking around in there while they’re sleeping. Since there was no immediate sign of the staff in their foyer, and that left one last alternative... the basement. That lock was just as easy to breach as the front door, so I was in, and slinking about in their basement in short order. Again, there was no immediate sign of the staff, but there was a chest of drawers down there that looked about the right size...

...jackpot! I now had the staff! Soris was not going to be happy when he woke up to find his new purchase missing, and since he knew I was interested in the staff, chances were that Ruin and I would probably have to leave the city and lie low for a while. But that can wait until tomorrow. I’m beat. Tomorrow, we return to Bravil!

#the elder scrolls #oblivion #modded #let's play #roleplay #ask blog

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tappity-tap · 7 years

Text

FOREVER BElonging WITH YOU

PART VI - THE RELAY

<< PART V || PART VII >> Story Rating: M Chapter Warnings: Pregnancy mentions. [This chapter is very sfw]

(FYI: From this chapter on I will also be tagging for IchiHime)

The Kurosaki’s house was last on Renji’s list.

Ideally, Ichigo would’ve been the first person he’d want to break the news to but unfortunately, as a university student, he had class all day and wouldn’t be home until around 5pm. So as soon as Renji stepped out of the portal and into the cold winter air of the Living World, he shivered and set off for Urahara’s establishment with his coat pulled tightly around him.

“Ohhhh, my my my!” The shopkeeper snapped open his fan with a sly wink “You two certainly didn’t waste any time, did you?” Behind him, the kids (and even Tessai) covered their mouths and snickered.

As luck would have it, Shihoin Yoruichi was in the Living World that day as well, on break from teaching at the Academy. She smirked right along with them. “Feels good knowing you actually got it right, huh?”

Renji dodged the poke she aimed at his arm and mentally kicked himself for even going there in the first place.

He found Sado training hard at his gym, soaked with sweat and sorely in need of a break. When Renji told him the news, he was so stunned he actually paused in the middle of towel-drying his damp hair and sank down onto a nearby bench.

“Wow,” he kept repeating, shaking his head in amazement and reaching for his water bottle, “Wow. That’s great, Abarai.” He took a long swing, only putting it down to flash a happy grin and a thumbs-up as Renji left.

After ringing the doorbell, Renji stood freezing outside Inoue’s apartment for what seemed like forever before finally accepting she wasn’t home (maybe Rukia wrote down her work schedule wrong?) and he’d have to come back later. Or one of the guys would tell her first. Probably the latter.

Up next was…

“…Oh.”

Renji crossed his arms in annoyance. “Really? That’s all ya have to say? ‘Oh’?”

Ishida pushed his glasses up his nose with one finger. “I apologize if I seem unenthused, Abarai-san. I was simply unaware that Shinigami had any sort of natural reproductive capabilities. As a Quincy, and even from a medical standpoint, I’m actually very intrigued.”

“Ya know Ichigo’s old man was a Shinigami, right?”

“One who’d been bound to a human body and was living here as a human, yes.” Ishida reminded him. “However, you and Kuchiki are deceased souls unattached to physical bodies. It makes no logical sense for you to be able to conceive.”

He…actually had a fair point. But Renji wouldn’t admit that. Not to his face. He settled for rolling his eyes instead. “Look…I’ve no idea how it works but…stuff happened ‘an now we’re havin’ a kid. ‘Sides, there’re other people in Soul Society who’ve had babies before.”

This was true. Most of the nobles Renji knew of…Byakuya, Kira, the Omaedas, the Shihoins…had come into Soul Society as children born to a mother and a father instead of the usual crossing over after dying in the Living World. But admittedly, these births took place years apart, sometimes decades would go by before another family in the Seireitei was blessed with a brand-new addition, and the only noble Ishida was close to had been adopted into hers. He couldn’t exactly fault a merely 20 year-old human for his ignorance on the subject.

“Right. Well.” Said human gave him a nod and went back to thumbing through his obnoxiously thick textbook. “My sincere congratulations. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have an exam to study for.”

(Renji would hold a slight grudge about this encounter until a few months later when a large box full of handmade baby clothing and supplies arrived on the doorstep.)

At last, at a quarter past 5pm, Renji made his way up the walk to the Kurosaki’s residence.

The sister with dark hair answered the door. “Oh, hey,” she greeted in recognition and motioned for him to come inside, “Ichi-Nii’s upstairs, wait just a sec.” Renji entered and took off his coat and shoes as she moved to the back of the house.

“ICHI-NII IT’S FOR YOU!” she bellowed up the stairs right after he’d settled into a plush armchair.

Ichigo’s muffled voice answered from above. “Geez, you don’t have to scream at me, Karin, I can hear you just fine. Who is it?”

“That really tall guy with the tattoos and red hair.”

“Oh, Renji-kun is here?” A feminine voice this time.

“Yeah, so you two should get down here already.” Once she relayed that, Karin shuffled away and disappeared into another room.

Renji suddenly sat up straight. It wasn’t just any feminine voice that had answered Karin, it was Inoue’s voice. Which meant she was with Ichigo. In his room. Alone.

So that must mean…

He couldn’t help the triumphant grin that spread over his face as they came down the stairs together. “Yo, Ichigo! Oh, ‘an if it isn’t Inoue! Didn’t expect to see you here.” Renji raised his eyebrows smugly at Ichigo.

“Hey, that’s my line.” Ichigo retorted, flopping onto the couch and shooting him a look that read as annoyance with a slight hint of what the hell are you doing in my house right now?

“Ah…well…I walked Kurosaki-kun home from the train station today.” Inoue blushed and perched herself primly beside Ichigo. She glanced around. “It’s good to see you, Renji-kun! Is Rukia-san not with you?” Since she was one of the few people who knew Rukia had taken Renji’s family name she had started addressing them by their given names to avoid confusion.

Renji shook his head. “No, Rukia’s not with me.”

“Oh.” Inoue looked disappointed. This worked as the perfect lead-in for Renji, however.

Sticking to his plan to make the reveal as dramatic and exciting as possible, Renji cleared his throat and leaned forward with his arms braced on his knees. “Actually,” he said in a low, solemn voice with his eyes closed, ”that’s exactly the reason why I’m here today.” He lifted his head and gave them a stern look. “There’s…somethin’ I need to tell both ‘o ya.”

Unfortunately, this plan of his backfired spectacularly. Both Ichigo and Inoue stiffened and their eyes widened simultaneously with fear. “Renji, did something happen to Rukia?” Ichigo demanded in a panicked tone while Inoue grabbed onto his sleeve and began drawing in short gasping breaths.

“Whoa, whoa, hey, you two! Calm down! She’s fine!” Renji snapped out of the serious persona and frantically waved his hands in an attempt to diffuse the situation before they got worked up any further.

It did the trick. They let out a sigh of relief in unison and Ichigo ran his hand through his spiky orange hair. “Damn it, Renji, don’t lead in like that!” he swore.

With her breathing returning to normal, Inoue cocked her head to the side and pursed her lips. “But she’s alright? Why isn’t she here?” she asked. She was still holding on to Ichigo’s sleeve.

Renji sat forward and tried again, this time forgoing the act. “Okay…the reason Rukia couldn’t come with me today, ‘an can’t come to the Living World for a while, is ‘cause we dunno how the journey here or bein’ in a Gigai will affect her now that…” he paused for effect, looking back and forth between their anxious faces before breaking out his proudest smile.

“She’s pregnant. We’re havin’ a baby.”

Much to Renji’s chagrin, the initial reaction was a little less enthusiastic than he would have liked coming from the people he and Rukia considered their closest human friends. Obviously under the assumption he was just messing with them, at first they both simply stared like they were expecting him to burst out laughing and say “Gotcha!” the second they made any indication they believed him.

When that didn’t happen, however, Ichigo’s eyebrows shot up almost to his hairline. “Wait, seriously?”

Renji puffed out his chest. “Seriously.”

Inoue let out an excited squeal and enthusiastically clasped her hands together. “Oh, Renji-kun! That’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you both!” she exclaimed. True to form, she burst into tears shortly after.

Renji usually didn’t like making girls cry (not that he did that often) but seeing the news had made Inoue so elated gave him a warm happy feeling. As promised, he took careful mental notes of all the details to tell Rukia later.

Ichigo regarded her fondly before turning back to Renji. “Yeah…yeah. I’m really happy for you guys, too.” He sported the same expression that appeared three years ago as Renji openly expressed his gratitude to his friend for reuniting him with Rukia. Out of all people, Ichigo probably understood most just what this child meant to them.

Through her wet sniffling, Inoue managed to compose herself enough to ask Renji, “When is the baby coming?”

“End of summer, right before fall. Captain Kotetsu put the due date at September 17th.”

It didn’t take Ichigo long to do the math.* He immediately dropped the sentimental air and snorted, “Nice wedding present you got her, Renji.”

Renji let the jab slide off with a casual shrug. “Heh. I know, right? But ya know what, enough about me ‘an Rukia.” He leaned back in the recliner and looked pointedly at the two of them. “What’s goin’ on here?” he asked with a sly grin and a gesture for emphasis, already knowing full well what the answer was.

Inoue hiccupped and turned beet red. Ichigo’s utterly mortified face glared back at him.

Author’s Notes: Ishida banter is best banter and now I’m sad this is the only time he has dialogue in the story. :( As for the other characters appearing here, Urahara plays a big role at the end of the next chapter and Chad is featured in most of the final chapter.

So yes, at this point Ichigo and Orihime have been together as a couple for a few weeks and you’ll hear more about that in Part VIII.

*The 40 month due date for pregnancies is actually calculated from about two weeks before conception. If conception occurred at the end of December when I had the wedding take place this means the due date would fall in mid-September. As the son of a doctor who has most likely seen a good number of pregnant people come into the clinic I would expect Ichigo to have some knowledge of this.

Continued in [PART VII - THE WAIT]

#RenRuki #IchiHime #tapfic #tapart #FOREVER BElonging WITH YOU #oh wait I forgot I already edited this so HERE IT IS NOW lol #Relay like the race AND relaying information oooooo ilovewords >3<

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