By Any Other Name
This is a series of IchiRuki vignettes, although other characters do pop up and give their own perspective on my favorite couple, including Renji, Urahara, Inoue, and my beloved Captain Ukitake. Topics include May-December relationships, reincarnation, how we name our lovers, unspoken desires, gender politics, and the erotics of looking.
A majority of the taking-off points are from dialogue and scenes in the manga, with spoilers for current chapters (286). Quoted dialogue (highlighted) either comes from the official Viz Shonen Jump translation or from fan translations at Bleach Exile and Bleach Portal.
The Anti-Inoue Brigade (if it exists) should enjoy this. Reader, you have been warned.
I think I will be uploading three to four vignettes at a time. I already have 20+ written.
All vignettes are rated M (for safety) for mature themes, some sexual innuendos and swearing.
Disclaimer: Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and all the companies that make money from fans like me.
1. Third Floor Window
Even if he was a guy who read Shakespeare, Ichigo could not tolerate clichés.
So early on he decided that he would never say all those words that are deemed necessary in human language: those empty phrases that are used like grease to ease the creaking mechanisms of society.
He decided he would never say sorry. He would never say I love you. He would never accept thanks, even if he deserved it.
On the flip side of the coin, he would never blame someone for an innate weakness. He would never lie to get his way. He would never mask his true thoughts with sugarcoated politeness.
He was just so bored with what was obvious.
He made up his mind, that if he would fall for someone, those words and phrases would be superfluous to her too. She would not demand meaningless words from him. Actions alone would count.
One hungry look across an empty classroom would be enough.
2.By Any Other Name
Kurosaki-kun.
It’s his surname, with some formality. There is so much distance encompassed within those polysyllables. It’s more than a mouthful.
Perhaps on a subconscious level Orihime knew that she doesn’t deserve to call him by any other name. Not like Rukia, who screams his name at the top of her lungs - in good times and bad - with the same sharp, ringing intimacy: Ichigo.
Rukia’s always called him that.
Kurosaki-kun does the same: Rukia.
The intonation may change but the inflections of concern for the other - it is heard by all within earshot. There is no doubt that they are special to each other in ways that other people cannot comprehend.
“I will defeat you, and Ulquiorra, and Aizen! Then I will take Rukia, Chad, Ishida, Renji, and Inoue back with me!” he swore to Grimmjow as they battled and drew blood in the bowels of Hueco Mundo.
Even here, Orihime thought sadly, so far from the living world -- he still calls me Inoue.
She never felt more alone.
3.December Thoughts
Rukia knew that she doesn’t really love him.
The “she” was not herself: it was Orihime. The “him”, well… there could only be one, after all.
Rukia wanted to tell the younger woman many things. Things like the fallibility of women’s intuition, the dangers of idol worship, the problem with mistaking infatuation for first love. Concepts like male objectification: how one may find a guy’s looks cute or funny and how one can waste a lot of time daydreaming and swooning. Over time one may learn to identify many trivial things about one’s infatuation, like his natural citrus and spice scent. Unfortunately, these things never lead to fathoming the secrets of his mind or operating the machinery of his heart.
Rukia didn’t want to give Aizen any credit, but the monster was right when he said adoration is the emotion furthest from true understanding.
Rukia wanted to tell Orihime so many things, about all common mistakes in judgment that young women commit all over the world, in any dimension - living or otherwise.
Rukia knew all this. She’s been there before.
Yet Rukia kept her mouth shut, as they sat upon that rooftop, as her friend cried her heart out. She knew Orihime wasn’t ready to face the truth yet.
Besides, Rukia also knew that there is nothing worse than a more experienced rival explaining her win to the first runner-up. Rukia didn’t want to be that person. She didn’t want to gloat. She wanted to help ease her friend’s pain.
And so she told Orihime pretty half-truths.
A majority of the taking-off points are from dialogue and scenes in the manga, with spoilers for current chapters (286). Quoted dialogue (highlighted) either comes from the official Viz Shonen Jump translation or from fan translations at Bleach Exile and Bleach Portal.
The Anti-Inoue Brigade (if it exists) should enjoy this. Reader, you have been warned.
I think I will be uploading three to four vignettes at a time. I already have 20+ written.
All vignettes are rated M (for safety) for mature themes, some sexual innuendos and swearing.
Disclaimer: Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo and all the companies that make money from fans like me.
1. Third Floor Window
Even if he was a guy who read Shakespeare, Ichigo could not tolerate clichés.
So early on he decided that he would never say all those words that are deemed necessary in human language: those empty phrases that are used like grease to ease the creaking mechanisms of society.
He decided he would never say sorry. He would never say I love you. He would never accept thanks, even if he deserved it.
On the flip side of the coin, he would never blame someone for an innate weakness. He would never lie to get his way. He would never mask his true thoughts with sugarcoated politeness.
He was just so bored with what was obvious.
He made up his mind, that if he would fall for someone, those words and phrases would be superfluous to her too. She would not demand meaningless words from him. Actions alone would count.
One hungry look across an empty classroom would be enough.
2.By Any Other Name
Kurosaki-kun.
It’s his surname, with some formality. There is so much distance encompassed within those polysyllables. It’s more than a mouthful.
Perhaps on a subconscious level Orihime knew that she doesn’t deserve to call him by any other name. Not like Rukia, who screams his name at the top of her lungs - in good times and bad - with the same sharp, ringing intimacy: Ichigo.
Rukia’s always called him that.
Kurosaki-kun does the same: Rukia.
The intonation may change but the inflections of concern for the other - it is heard by all within earshot. There is no doubt that they are special to each other in ways that other people cannot comprehend.
“I will defeat you, and Ulquiorra, and Aizen! Then I will take Rukia, Chad, Ishida, Renji, and Inoue back with me!” he swore to Grimmjow as they battled and drew blood in the bowels of Hueco Mundo.
Even here, Orihime thought sadly, so far from the living world -- he still calls me Inoue.
She never felt more alone.
3.December Thoughts
Rukia knew that she doesn’t really love him.
The “she” was not herself: it was Orihime. The “him”, well… there could only be one, after all.
Rukia wanted to tell the younger woman many things. Things like the fallibility of women’s intuition, the dangers of idol worship, the problem with mistaking infatuation for first love. Concepts like male objectification: how one may find a guy’s looks cute or funny and how one can waste a lot of time daydreaming and swooning. Over time one may learn to identify many trivial things about one’s infatuation, like his natural citrus and spice scent. Unfortunately, these things never lead to fathoming the secrets of his mind or operating the machinery of his heart.
Rukia didn’t want to give Aizen any credit, but the monster was right when he said adoration is the emotion furthest from true understanding.
Rukia wanted to tell Orihime so many things, about all common mistakes in judgment that young women commit all over the world, in any dimension - living or otherwise.
Rukia knew all this. She’s been there before.
Yet Rukia kept her mouth shut, as they sat upon that rooftop, as her friend cried her heart out. She knew Orihime wasn’t ready to face the truth yet.
Besides, Rukia also knew that there is nothing worse than a more experienced rival explaining her win to the first runner-up. Rukia didn’t want to be that person. She didn’t want to gloat. She wanted to help ease her friend’s pain.
And so she told Orihime pretty half-truths.