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Writing this to get it out of my system
Some nights, Rukia dreams of an uncomplicated life
"No shinigami is to enter Karakura," are the orders from the Captain Commander.
Rukia hears the announcement only because she is in the 13th division helping out, instead of being on enforced rest in the Kuchiki estate. Perhaps she should have rested at home, Rukia thinks, as the Captain Commander first statement reverberates uncomfortably in her head, blocking out the rest of the announcement. She must be unwell, still, for the words to haunt her long after the announcement has ended.
Later she hears the details of the announcement from Kiyone. The order is part of measures being taken to ensure Karakura remains in the human world after its quick transfer to Soul Society. The order is not to take place immediately, the third seat assures her. There is still much to do to reduce the exposure of Karakura to higher levels of reiatsu. All spirits currently in Karakura will be given soul burials, and don't they need shinigami to do that?
Yes, Rukia thinks to herself. But for how long?
"I'd like to volunteer," says Rukia.
Kiyone slaps her on the back. "Alright Kuchiki! I'll do up the forms. You're a shoo-in anyway, given your knowledge of the human world."
But what use is it now? Rukia refrains from asking.
She can temporarily forget her orders in the one month where they wait for Ichigo to wake. Orihime and Sado are wonderful and engaging as always. Ishida is friendly in his own way, by making sure that he is around, even if he is only listening to conversations. Asano-san and Kojima-san drift in and out of ambit, now uncomfortable in their knowledge that Rukia is a shinigami.
(Talk more about friendships here, esp Orihime's)
It doesn't matter. Rukia knows they are all waiting for the one thing that brings them all here. Wake up Ichigo.
He does, and that's when he loses his ability to sense spirits.
The day that the last soul burial is performed, Rukia's heart sinks. It has only been a few months since Ichigo lost his spirit power. Now there will be nothing to let him know whether it has returned.
Renji looks at her. He's been pretty quiet since missing his chance to say goodbye to Ichigo, though he sometimes takes advantage of Ichigo's deafness by declaring the most insane things around him. Renji's quietness is borne of focus, Nii-sama states, and Rukia suspects that Nii-sama is actually pleased with his vice-captain's progress.
It is another thing to have this focus settled on her. Rukia tries to resist the urge to squirm. She's faced down the Kuchiki elders - surely she can withstand her childhood friend staring at her.
"I'm going to miss this place," Renji says.
It is not what Rukia expected him to say, therefore she does not know how to respond.
"Lots of memories here, though we've only been in Karakura a short time. But still, Soul Society's home isn't it?"
She remembers making her decision to stay in Soul Society, just last summer. It feels like years ago. She breathes in the Karakura air, now devoid of much of its spirit presence. It is unlike the thick air of Soul Society.
"Yes," she agrees with Renji. "Yes it is."
With the war against Aizen over, Nii-sama has little excuse to put aside the usual celebrations to commemorate little anniversaries that only the Kuchiki care about. The elders do enjoy their traditions, and it is always good to make nice to the other noble families. She should find some comfort in the idea that Nii-sama finds all these celebrations as tedious as she does - although he does not say as much, but she fancies she has learned to read it in his behaviour. Still, she can't help but feel a bit petulant at being dolled up for the occasion. After all, Nii-sama does not need to don this many layers of kimono.
The atmosphere at the party is just about as stifling as her kimonos. Rukia attempts retreating to the verandah for some quiet, only to find herself stunned by the sudden drop in sound. The thick air of Soul Society presses back against her, reminding her where she is. The thoughts that this observation triggers chase themselves around her head.
Her thoughts come to a halt when Nii-sama comes looking for her - she feels his reiatsu without having to turn around. He does not ask why she is out here. Instead he asks, "Would you like to return to the party?"
When she is confident that none of her thoughts betray themselves, she turns around. "Yes, that would be nice."
He leads her into the party, and does not comment on what took her so long.
Rukia resumes sparring with Renji.
It's an activity that they had started in academy, but fell to the wayside once their schedules had become too different. Now, Renji's a vice-captain who answers to Rukia's brother - he makes his own time.
That isn't the only thing that has changed. Rukia is used to Renji's brute strength, but now he is more in tune with his spirit power, which translates to finesse with a sword. She should know; Kaien had the same finesse.
When Rukia lands on her back for the dozenth time, she reflects that she had yet to learn that.
"Getting my bankai helped," Renji points out, as if Rukia is just taking a break and not lying there winded. "After fighting my sword for three days straight, I could see exactly how Zabimaru was used. If those moves were so good at laying me flat, I could use the same in my own fights, couldn't I?"
Rukia straightens and hears her back creak. "Not just good for laying you flat."
"Sorry," says Renji, and offers her a hand.
She takes it, but once on her feet she falls into a fighting stance. "Again," she tells him.
He looks at her as if she's gone mad. "What?"
"Again." If Kaien taught her one thing, it's to fight on end even if her body is killing her.
"You'll regret this," he warns.
She lets her lips curve into a smile. "I'll be saying that right back to you when I'm done!"
She doesn't quite manage that, but by the end of the fight Renji has his fair share of cuts and bruises. Before he can start fussing (Renji's always been a big baby over the little wounds) Rukia goes to her pack and digs out some bandages and antisceptic.
"You're prepared," he says to her, although all his attention is on what's in her hands.
Rukia shrugs. "The 13th division has many field missions," she says. He does not need to know that Kaien taught her this too. She busies herself with his wounds. Renji has changed too - he doesn't wince at the smallest dab, as he used to when they were kids.
"You've gotten gentler," he clarifies, when she teases him about it later.
Is that so? Rukia wonders.
(Dreams of Ichigo that night - PR0N!)
(Renji relationship? yes? no? He tries to raise it but she won't hear of it until Ichigo is there to be fair?)
(She goes out with Byakuya on one of his visits to his chain of businesses.)
(Renji and she spend one day just hanging out)
(Badge is activated. Other side given to Rukia. May have a silent conversation with Hime through it, and perhaps a bit of Ichigo.)
(Going off to HM! not to run away, but because she wants to. Maybe Renji asks her if she wants to go along.)
Some nights, Rukia dreams of an uncomplicated life
"No shinigami is to enter Karakura," are the orders from the Captain Commander.
Rukia hears the announcement only because she is in the 13th division helping out, instead of being on enforced rest in the Kuchiki estate. Perhaps she should have rested at home, Rukia thinks, as the Captain Commander first statement reverberates uncomfortably in her head, blocking out the rest of the announcement. She must be unwell, still, for the words to haunt her long after the announcement has ended.
Later she hears the details of the announcement from Kiyone. The order is part of measures being taken to ensure Karakura remains in the human world after its quick transfer to Soul Society. The order is not to take place immediately, the third seat assures her. There is still much to do to reduce the exposure of Karakura to higher levels of reiatsu. All spirits currently in Karakura will be given soul burials, and don't they need shinigami to do that?
Yes, Rukia thinks to herself. But for how long?
"I'd like to volunteer," says Rukia.
Kiyone slaps her on the back. "Alright Kuchiki! I'll do up the forms. You're a shoo-in anyway, given your knowledge of the human world."
But what use is it now? Rukia refrains from asking.
She can temporarily forget her orders in the one month where they wait for Ichigo to wake. Orihime and Sado are wonderful and engaging as always. Ishida is friendly in his own way, by making sure that he is around, even if he is only listening to conversations. Asano-san and Kojima-san drift in and out of ambit, now uncomfortable in their knowledge that Rukia is a shinigami.
(Talk more about friendships here, esp Orihime's)
It doesn't matter. Rukia knows they are all waiting for the one thing that brings them all here. Wake up Ichigo.
He does, and that's when he loses his ability to sense spirits.
The day that the last soul burial is performed, Rukia's heart sinks. It has only been a few months since Ichigo lost his spirit power. Now there will be nothing to let him know whether it has returned.
Renji looks at her. He's been pretty quiet since missing his chance to say goodbye to Ichigo, though he sometimes takes advantage of Ichigo's deafness by declaring the most insane things around him. Renji's quietness is borne of focus, Nii-sama states, and Rukia suspects that Nii-sama is actually pleased with his vice-captain's progress.
It is another thing to have this focus settled on her. Rukia tries to resist the urge to squirm. She's faced down the Kuchiki elders - surely she can withstand her childhood friend staring at her.
"I'm going to miss this place," Renji says.
It is not what Rukia expected him to say, therefore she does not know how to respond.
"Lots of memories here, though we've only been in Karakura a short time. But still, Soul Society's home isn't it?"
She remembers making her decision to stay in Soul Society, just last summer. It feels like years ago. She breathes in the Karakura air, now devoid of much of its spirit presence. It is unlike the thick air of Soul Society.
"Yes," she agrees with Renji. "Yes it is."
With the war against Aizen over, Nii-sama has little excuse to put aside the usual celebrations to commemorate little anniversaries that only the Kuchiki care about. The elders do enjoy their traditions, and it is always good to make nice to the other noble families. She should find some comfort in the idea that Nii-sama finds all these celebrations as tedious as she does - although he does not say as much, but she fancies she has learned to read it in his behaviour. Still, she can't help but feel a bit petulant at being dolled up for the occasion. After all, Nii-sama does not need to don this many layers of kimono.
The atmosphere at the party is just about as stifling as her kimonos. Rukia attempts retreating to the verandah for some quiet, only to find herself stunned by the sudden drop in sound. The thick air of Soul Society presses back against her, reminding her where she is. The thoughts that this observation triggers chase themselves around her head.
Her thoughts come to a halt when Nii-sama comes looking for her - she feels his reiatsu without having to turn around. He does not ask why she is out here. Instead he asks, "Would you like to return to the party?"
When she is confident that none of her thoughts betray themselves, she turns around. "Yes, that would be nice."
He leads her into the party, and does not comment on what took her so long.
Rukia resumes sparring with Renji.
It's an activity that they had started in academy, but fell to the wayside once their schedules had become too different. Now, Renji's a vice-captain who answers to Rukia's brother - he makes his own time.
That isn't the only thing that has changed. Rukia is used to Renji's brute strength, but now he is more in tune with his spirit power, which translates to finesse with a sword. She should know; Kaien had the same finesse.
When Rukia lands on her back for the dozenth time, she reflects that she had yet to learn that.
"Getting my bankai helped," Renji points out, as if Rukia is just taking a break and not lying there winded. "After fighting my sword for three days straight, I could see exactly how Zabimaru was used. If those moves were so good at laying me flat, I could use the same in my own fights, couldn't I?"
Rukia straightens and hears her back creak. "Not just good for laying you flat."
"Sorry," says Renji, and offers her a hand.
She takes it, but once on her feet she falls into a fighting stance. "Again," she tells him.
He looks at her as if she's gone mad. "What?"
"Again." If Kaien taught her one thing, it's to fight on end even if her body is killing her.
"You'll regret this," he warns.
She lets her lips curve into a smile. "I'll be saying that right back to you when I'm done!"
She doesn't quite manage that, but by the end of the fight Renji has his fair share of cuts and bruises. Before he can start fussing (Renji's always been a big baby over the little wounds) Rukia goes to her pack and digs out some bandages and antisceptic.
"You're prepared," he says to her, although all his attention is on what's in her hands.
Rukia shrugs. "The 13th division has many field missions," she says. He does not need to know that Kaien taught her this too. She busies herself with his wounds. Renji has changed too - he doesn't wince at the smallest dab, as he used to when they were kids.
"You've gotten gentler," he clarifies, when she teases him about it later.
Is that so? Rukia wonders.
(Dreams of Ichigo that night - PR0N!)
(Renji relationship? yes? no? He tries to raise it but she won't hear of it until Ichigo is there to be fair?)
(She goes out with Byakuya on one of his visits to his chain of businesses.)
(Renji and she spend one day just hanging out)
(Badge is activated. Other side given to Rukia. May have a silent conversation with Hime through it, and perhaps a bit of Ichigo.)
(Going off to HM! not to run away, but because she wants to. Maybe Renji asks her if she wants to go along.)
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