(FANMIX) Bleach - Rukia Kuchiki - Failure Is All You've Known
One more fanmix for waywardmixes, this one for round #20, Parallels. This one was more annoying to make than difficult, especially when it came to artwork, and I'm not sure how well I've complied to the theme... but, song-wise, I'm mostly satisified. I've long wanted to organize a Bleach fanmix -- especially one that included Like a Stone as a song for an IchiRuki relationship -- and I'm happy I finally got to do it! Warning for shippers: I intended this mix as one-sided Rukia --> Kaien and PlatonicLifePartners!IchiRuki. Feel free, however, to interpret it as you want!
Failure Is All You've Known - A Rukia Kuchiki Fanmix
THE MANGA:
Bleach is a long-running manga series written by Tite Kubo. It spawned an anime series, four non-serial movies and two OVAs. It tells the story of Ichigo Kurosaki, a fifteen-year-old boy who becomes a Replacement Shinigami. As Shinigami, his main duties are to help souls cross over to Soul Society (the spirit world), and purify Hollows, monstrous creatures who used to be human souls and who now feed on those human souls.
THE CHARACTERS:
Rukia Kuchiki is a Shinigami born into poverty. She joined the Shinigami Academy to try to become an officer in the Gotei 13 (protectors of Soul Society) and escape her condition; she found herself adopted into a noble family, graduated early and was sent to 13th Division.
Troubled by the pressure of her new position, by the coldness of her adopted brother, and missing her former friends, Rukia found solace in the honest, open demeanour of the 13th Division's, vice-captain Kaien Shiba. He treated her like he did anyone else, and she probably fell in love with him, though those feelings were most likely one-sided.
Things went to hell when Kaien's wife was killed and possessed by a Hollow. Kaien went to fight it alone, and wound up possessed himself. A disorientated Rukia found herself on the battlefield raising her sword -- only for Kaien to fall on it and impale himself. He thanked Rukia with his last words, but she was still horribly traumatized by the event and came down with a heavy case of survivor guilt.
Years later, Rukia received the mission of patrolling a city in the human world, performing Shinigami duties. Should be easy, but it wasn't: during her first mission, she was brutally attacked by a Hollow and forced to lend her powers to Ichigo Kurosaki, making him a Replacement Shinigami. She soon noticed his resemblance to Kaien, not only in looks but in his open demeanor; as she helped him fulfill his new duties, they developed a very close bond, and she found in him and his friends the family she had been lacking.
Of course, it couldn't go well; lending her powers to Ichigo was a crime in the eyes of Soul Society, and she soon saw herself being pursued by her brother and his vice-captain. Ichigo tried to protect her, and was left on the ground, beaten within an inch of his life. She was arrested and had to leave without even knowing whether Ichigo would survive.
Upon her arrival, Rukia found herself condemned to death. Depressed and grieving, she accepted it... until her best friend told her a certain Replacement Shinigami and his friends had invaded Soul Society. This filled her with hope, and a lot of fear, as well.
This is a mix about Rukia in this arc, the parallels she sees between Kaien and Ichigo, why she thinks she has failed them both, and why she feels her death is a just punishment.
YOUTUBE PLAYLIST:
http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLTOynTJqzkR9mBj8inB8eQAu9FaeIsRNj
SONGLIST:
I. Rukia and Kaien
Breathing | Lifehouse
I'm finding my way back to sanity again
Though I don't really know what I wanna do when I get there
Take a breath and hold on tight, spin around one more time
And gracefully fall back into the arms of grace
'Cause I am hanging on every word you say, and
Even if you don't wanna speak tonight, that's all right, all right with me
'Cause I want nothing more than to sit outside Heaven's door
And listen to you breathing
Yeah, it's where I wanna be
Lovesong | Adele
Whenever I'm alone with you
You make me feel like I am home again
House Carpenter | Hurt
If you've ever lost a loved one
I pray for you, I really do
If you've ever lost a loved one
I pray for you
'Cause there's a sad and lonely comfort
In the Hollow in your eyes
But don't you let it take you over
'Cause it'll eat you up inside
II. Grief and survivor guilt
21 Guns | Green Day
When you're at the end of the road
And you've lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
God Damn Me | Filter
There isn't enough hot water to be in
There isn't enough salt lake to lie in
There isn't enough sky to fly in
So softly
There isn't enough breath to breathe
Not for me
Oh, God damn me
He Used to Be a Lovely Boy | Keane
Turn away and turn ahead
Just a hopeless dreamer, she said
Eyes of cloud and feet of lead
Find a shore that needs you instead
He used to be a lovely boy, lovely boy, lovely boy
III. Rukia and Ichigo
Echo | Incubus
There's something about the look in your eyes
Something I noticed when the light was just right
It reminded me twice that I was alive
And it reminded me that you're so worth the fight
A Quiet Mind | Blue October
You give me a quiet mind, and I
I love you
Until the end
Same Mistake | James Blunt
I'm not calling for a second chance
I'm screaming at the top of my voice
Give me reason, but don't give me choice
'Cause I'll just make the same mistake
Again
IV. In the Senzaikyuu (waiting for death)
Iridescent | Linkin Park
Do you feel cold and lost in desperation?
You build up hope but failure is all you've known
Remember all the sadness and frustration
And let it go
And All that Could Have Been | Nine Inch Nails
Please, take this and run far away
Far as you can see
I am tainted, and happiness, and peace of mind
Were never meant for me
All these pieces, and promises, and left-behinds
If only I could see
In my nothing, you were everything
Everything to me
Like a Stone | Audioslave
And on I read, until the day was gone
And I sat in regret of all the things I've done
For all that I've blessed, and all that I've wronged
In dreams, until my death, I will wander on
In your house I long to be
Room by room, patiently
I'll wait for you there, like a stone
I'll wait for you there, alone
Bonus Song (Ichigo's POV in the Soul Society arc):
Open Your Eyes | Snow Patrol
Get up, get out, get away from these liars
'Cause they don't get your soul or your fire
Take my hand, knot your fingers through mine
And we'll walk from this dark room for the last time
Hope you'll like it! I'd appreciate some feedback!