Tessai
If someone had told Tessai a century ago that his destiny was to work at a sweetshop run by his old friend Kisuke, and to spend his free time babysitting super powered human children, he would have directed the speaker to the Fourth's mental health division with great concern.
Until that night (that horrible night, when all illusions were stripped away from Aizen and the shinigami alike), both of them were model shinigami, the sort that instructors held up as examples. Relatively young, smart, loyal, skilled, friendly, quickly promoted, canine dæmons (an 'approved' form)…everything the Gotei 13 looked for. Tessai spent his days in the kido corp filling out paperwork and networking with intellectual equals, friends who often assisted him in his projects.
Now…
"Tencho…" He rumbled worriedly as the test tube in Urahara's hand began to bubble ominously and Fiducia whined, big head resting on the waist-high lab table next to the smaller form of Kagami.
"No, no…! That's supposed to happen!"
In the background Ururu and Jinta bickered; his brash insults matched by her quiet whispers. Alexandra circled as a mockingbird, cawing and diving at Varick who was huddled on the ground as a mouse.
When the bubbling got more intense, Fiducia's grumbled suspiciously and Tessai casually placed a hand on Kisuke's shoulder, ready to snatch and shunpo.
"It's quite the reaction, isn't it?" Obviously excited, the shopkeeper started taking notes and his dæmon sniffed at the tube and nodded.
Varick eventually lost his temper and leapt straight up, transforming into an eagle and lashing out with talons almost as big as Alexandra's body. Jinta's dæmon squawked in protest and fell to the ground as a cat, hissing angrily.
"Oh dear…" He had less than a second to process Urahara's sheepish tone. Thankfully, the reaction was reflex by now.
Tessai lunged, grabbed Kisuke by the scruff, and shunpo-ed out of the room to throw himself over the kids as a shield while Fiducia matched his actions with the dæmons.
The explosion was big enough to blow out three walls and half the ceiling, but it wasn't the biggest they'd endured.
After a long moment of noise and heat, then silence, Tessai stood up with a child in each arm and Kisuke climbed back to his feet, pouting childishly at the rough treatment. Kagami and Fiducia shook the dust and grit from their fur while the youngsters staggered around, trying to regain their equilibrium. The shop would need extensive work, but everyone was okay.
As Tessai went to get a dustpan, Urahara was already excitedly planning his next experiment, ideas and theories shooting rapid fire between him and his dæmon, and the kids were back to their squabbling as they picked half-burned candy out of the rubble (Ururu throwing it away, Jinta tossing it in his mouth).
It was nothing he had ever expected from his life, but he wouldn't change it for the world.
Tessai's Dæmon
Species: Bullmastiff (Canis lupus familiaris)
Name: Fiducia (Confidence/Trust)
Kisuke's Dæmon
Species: Tanuki (Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus)
Name: Kagami (Mirror)
Jinta's Dæmon
Species: Unsettled
Name: Alexandra (Defender of the People)
Ururu's Dæmon
Species: Unsettled
Name: Varick (Honorable Defender)