Second year high school orientation seemed almost dull compared to the excitement and mild confusion of the first year's.
For one, he was already familiar and bored with the school's layout. Two, there was no debating whether a club would be a good idea or not—the answer was a definite no. It wasn't as though Ichigo didn't want to buy into the idea of having 'another family' to spend time with at school, either: What Isshin said about it was the real setback.
Goat face didn't want him 'distracted' from his duty to his actual family and job. Whatever. It didn't matter.
"Hey, Ichigo," A low timbre called. Said teen felt the corners of his lips twitch, an unbidden warmth filling his body.
"Hey yourself," Ichigo answered, turning to see Chad lumbering his way through the crowd of high schoolers around them. It wasn't difficult; everyone parted like the Red Sea to make way for the big guy. "Have you gotten taller?"
"What makes you say that?" Chad retorted, knowing full well that his uniform pants from last year were already becoming capris. The orange-haired teen only snorted in reply and held up a fist. Chad made it over and obligingly held up his own. A flattering smirk brightened Ichigo's face as their knuckles bumped, and Chad's eyes softened.
As one they turned towards the school building, discussing what had been missed since they'd last seen each other. Chad began with the story of his band's first gig at a nearby restaurant.
Apparently, the people who'd played before them were boo-ed off the stage, and so La Corazón del Diablo—Chad's group—was forced to go early. They had been taken off guard and shuffled awkwardly onto the stage, lugging their equipment behind them. Even with the crowd starting out skeptical from the previous band's failure, once La Corazón del Diablo started playing they elicited continuous whoops and cheers from the patrons of the place.
"We were asked to play again," Chad stated, peering down at the teen by his side. There was a sparkly, content aura practically oozing off him. Ichigo lightly punched his friend's arm, chuckling.
"Dude, tell me you said yes."
"I did," The giant affirmed. "I also received $400 that night and was promised more for the next."
Ichigo's eyes widened, "You got that much for your first gig?" He said incredulously. "That's awesome, Chad!"
Chad ducked his head, pleased.
"Mm."
The two ambled aimlessly through the halls, checking out the different activities being offered to students and knowing they wouldn't do any of them. After passing the animal shelter volunteering table, Ichigo remembered the odd job he'd gotten earlier that week.
"Ah, Chad," Ichigo tilted his head towards the other. "A few days ago, I got a call for a dog-sitting job from this couple going on their honeymoon. They paid really well for me to watch their pet until next week. So, yesterday, I went in to get instructions and become familiar with the dog, but when I knocked on their door there was a whole damn chorus of barking. Before I could bolt a woman cracked open the door with this insane smile, and immediately, like, fifteen dogs ran out. It was crazy, look—" The orange-haired teen reached into his back pocket to whip out his phone, and opened a photo to show approximately fifteen two-month-old retriever puppies climbing and piling on what were, presumably, Ichigo's jeans.
Chad couldn't take his eyes away.
They're so… fluffy. The teen thought with great awe and reverence.
"Anyway, I remembered that you take care of a lot of strays sometimes, and are used to dogs, so…" Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck and slipped his phone back into his pocket, "I was wondering if you'd like to take care of them with me? Of course, I'll split the money with you—"
"Yes."
The teen startled, looking up at his friend with mild shock.
Chad was practically vibrating, "Yes, I will help with the… dogs."
Ichigo looked relieved but peered at the larger teen in concern, "Uh, ok man. I go over to the house at about 7:00 every morning, I'll text you the address later." Chad watched him exit through a side entrance of the school, "Oh, and don't wear anything you wouldn't mind setting on fire. See you tomorrow!" Was called back as the door slammed shut.
Soft, fluffy, small, cute puppies, Chad thought despondently, Ichigo with soft, fluffy, small, cute puppies.
"I just need to prepare myself, gimme a second," Ichigo declared, straightening up and taking a deep breath. Chad watched from a safe distance as his friend unlocked the door with the utmost care. There was silence when Ichigo turned the knob but pushing the door open yielded the horrendous screech of dry hinges. A sudden cacophony of barking roared back. Ichigo only had a moment to stiffen before he was being tackled by more than a dozen excited puppies. "FUCK—!" The teen went down with a thud, buried alive under golden fur, "Chad, helb mpf!" Came the muffled cry.
Chad, never one to miss an opportunity, quickly took a picture of the scene.
Did I just see… flowers? The large teen wondered, absently putting away his phone and continuing to observe the vision before him.
"Stop, that tickles!" Ichigo cried, cheeks turning red from holding in the unmanly peals of laughter that wanted to escape. He was trying to keep one of the puppies from licking under his jaw, "Chad, c'mon, I'm dying here!"
Chad snapped out of a daze he didn't even know he was in. Walking up to the doggy pile, the giant's face became stern.
"Hey," The teen rumbled, "settle down." A hush settled on the porch as the retrievers stopped trying to maul Ichigo and respectfully sat on their haunches. Chad then walked over, slipped his hands under Ichigo's armpits, and hauled the boy up.
The orange-haired teen blinked up at his friend, shell-shocked, "I guess it's a good thing I brought you here to help, huh?"
"Mm."
"…"
"…"
"…Okay, please put me down."
The couple came back a week later, looking less like they were going to fall apart and more like they were just married to the love of their lives.
Opening the front door of the house caused dread to flash in their eyes with anticipation, but the orange-haired teen only grinned. Instead of a soft stampede, the puppies nicely trotted out to welcome back their owners. Tears welled up when Ichigo called out 'sit!' and all 15 dogs obediently sat on the spot. The couple crouched down to give watery greetings to the pups, laughing when they were licked by a bunch of overeager tongues. And when everything was settled back in, Ichigo was paid rather handsomely for not only doing a great job of watching the dogs, but also teaching them manners.
Closing the door to the house one final time after another round of 'thank you's, Ichigo sighed fondly and started down the sidewalk towards Chad's house. Not only to split the job money as promised, but his friend also proposed they hang out and play Smash Bros. to end the last week of summer. A summer that had seemed to burn brighter than any prior.
Seriously, Japan had hit record highs that year with one of its hottest summers. That much was obvious as Ichigo baked just walking in the shade wearing a T-shirt and shorts. The teen even passed a ghost laying limply on the ground nearby, panting.
It only took a few moments for Chad to answer the door, and Ichigo stepped into the air-conditioned apartment with the expression of one finding God.
"Man, it's hotter than Satan's asshole out there," He complained, pinching the front of his shirt and flapping it back-and-forth to get air flow on his heated skin. Chad nodded sagely, shutting the door. "Hey, you mind if I take a quick shower? I feel gross."
Chad grunted in agreement, "I'll set up the Switch and grab snacks."
"Alright, be out soon!" The orange-haired teen called, heading down the hall. Once Chad was sure his friend was gone, he allowed his mind to take in the image of Ichigo, sweaty and flushed, showering in the bathroom just a few dozen feet away.
Only for a moment, though.
Yeah.
The large teen only just managed to stop thinking about it when he sat down in front of the TV ten minutes later. Unfortunately, Ichigo took that moment to walk into the living room and grab a bottle of water. He was not wearing a shirt. Just a towel around his neck and basketball shorts. Be still, my heart, Chad thought wearily, handing over a controller.
"Thanks, man. My shirt is a lost cause, so I left it in the bathroom. Is that ok?" Ichigo inquired, settling down next to his friend and grabbing the offered item.
"…Mm."
"Cool, I'm gonna kick your ass," The lithe teen challenged, grinning.
And so, the sounds of laughter and angry yelling could be heard well into the night. Only ending when the two teens feel into a heap on the floor, exhausted.
"Oh, Chad… thanks for training those lil' shits; the owners were so amazed they cried," Ichigo huffed, head pillowed on his friend's stomach. He could feel the satisfied rumble that followed. "G'night, man… talk to you… in the morning…" The two shared a yawn and fell into a deep sleep.
A sweltering city encased in fog, surrounded by mountains, and a cold forest of skyscrapers rising out of the sea,
Colliding into one another, the mountains flood with water, and the beach is shrouded by a thick mist.
Our worlds grow ever closer.
School started that Monday, and one step into class had Ichigo immediately regretting every life decision that's led him up to this point. The atmosphere was stale, and muted groaning could be heard from every corner of the room. Ichigo did an about-face and tried to leave, but Chad caught his shoulder and firmly turned him back around.
"Ah! Kurosaki-kun, Yasutora-kun, welcome back," Ochi-sensei called from the front of the room. Ichigo grumbled a hello, and Chad simply held up a hand in greeting before steering them both towards their seats.
That mood persisted throughout the entire day: Ichigo didn't even remember saying goodbye to Chad before he found himself sitting in bed at home. Somehow… It's so cold without him by my side, Ichigo pondered—refusing to think of Isshin, who's burning touch during any brief proximity was never enough—eyebrows scrunched and hand lifting to feel the skin over his heart. His hand didn't feel anything cold, and yet there was something freezing underneath his skin. It's gotten better over the past year, though. Maybe it'll be fine on its own?
Disturbed but not willing to admit it, Ichigo lay back onto his pillow. Truthfully, he'd been feeling this way ever since his mother died. That rainy day, a void had opened in his chest.
One that always threatened to consume him.
He thought that it had improved after Isshin told him to stop waiting by the river, but perhaps he only became used to the cold and now, after seeing what it was like to be warm again, going back to that just felt worse. How depressing, Ichigo shook himself, trying to relax.
However, that action was thwarted by the thump he heard outside his window. What was that? The teen's face became stern as he sat up to find the source. When did it get so dark outside?
Then a girl with a sword opened his goddamn window and jumped into his room. Ichigo was so stunned that he lost all higher brain function past right through my window and she doesn't even acknowledge I'm here? and what the hell is she wearing?
Therefore, the dark-haired girl had time to take a cursory glance around and mumble confusedly to herself, "My denreishinki said there was a hollow, but now some other weird signature is blocking my senses…"
So, Ichigo was left with the only choice that someone in his trying circumstances could possibly choose; he kicked her in the back of the knees and watched the bitch fold like a lawn chair.
"Who are you and what the actual fuck are you doing?" The orange-haired teen screeched. Robe girl looked up at him from her sprawled position on the floor, affronted. To her credit, she recovered from the fall quickly.
"I am Rukia Kuchiki, the new Shinigami in charge of Karakura Town!" Newly dubbed, the girl scrambled to her feet and pointed an accusing finger at him, "Bakudo #1: Sho!" Ichigo didn't even have time to unpack any of that before his arms were twisted behind his back and he was brought to his knees by some supernatural force. "Now, who are you and how can you see me?" Ichigo thought he could detect a weird tremble in her voice and an unnatural paleness to her skin as her eyes raked over his face, but the teen didn't comment on it.
"I'm Ichigo Kurosaki, and how am I supposed to answer that? You're right there, aren't you?" The orange-haired teen tried to break free from his restraints, to no avail. "What did you do to me?" Rukia decided to answer the last, first.
"I restrained you with kido, and you're not supposed to see me because I am a death god. Normal humans cannot perceive our spiritual forms." The dark-haired girl crossed her arms defiantly.
"Okay so I'm not normal or whatever, got it. What were you mumbling about earlier? Hallows? Halloween isn't for another 3 months!"
Rukia's stance lost some of its rigidity to confusion, "Halloween?" She shook herself, "No, I said hollows; the corrupted souls of dead humans, called pluses—"
"Wait, you don't know what Halloween is? That's cold."
"—Shut up! That doesn't matter." A light bulb seemed to go off above her head. Rukia reached into her sleeves to pull out a brush that was already suspiciously inked, and a scroll, "Here, why don't I teach you? I doubt you would get it otherwise." She opened the scroll and vigorously began to draw all over it as she talked. "When a human dies they become a plus: a very weak spirit with chains coming out of their chest, which are used to attach the spirit to their body while alive. However, because they are dead, and the chain not attached, the links begin to disappear. This process is called encroachment. For some it takes days, but usually it will take months or years to encroach naturally. At the end of this process, the base holding in a plus's heart falls off and becomes a bone-white mask on the body of the newly made hollow. These hollows will then proceed to consume everyone they know and love."
"Oh, cool—wait what?" Ichigo had no idea what to say to that.
"That's where the Shinigami step in," Rukia pointed to some disfigured shape drawn on the scroll. "We are sent out to purify all hollows in the world of the living, keeping them from hurting other innocent souls. However, we do not truly kill them. All the souls they've consumed, and even the hollow's original spirit, are sent to live peacefully in the Soul Society."
"Wonderful—fantastic, really. Now, what the hell am I supposed to be getting from that blob you're pointing at?" Ichigo deadpanned. The Shinigami looked as though she'd just had every ancestor in her known line insulted.
"How rude! It's Chappy wearing a shihakusho; the uniform of every proper Shinigami!" Rukia harrumphed, but quickly gained a wicked gleam in her eye. "Why, I should show you just how good my art really is." The brush was brandished threateningly.
Ichigo paled, "God please no. Mercy, fair maiden!" The teen furiously threw himself to the side when the girl moved closer but got stuck on his back like a depressed turtle. Even tossing his head as much as he could a deceptively dainty hand still caught his forehead, the other going to town on his cheek with the brush. "Are you drawing a dick on my face?!"
"No," Rukia sniffed, bringing a hand up to her mouth to hide a vicious grin, "it's a one-eared rabbit." Ichigo felt something snap in his neck as he turned to look at the floor-length mirror across the room. That's… definitely a dick.
All humor faded from the atmosphere as the house shook on its foundations.
A horrified scream sounded from downstairs. There was the breaking of glass and the sound of cracking plaster.
"I-…Ichi-nii!" Someone was calling his name.
Karin.
Rukia looked devastated, "I couldn't even sense it, and it was right beneath us! What's going on?" She ran from the room without a backward glance, drawing her sword.
Ichigo was left in the dust. Images of what terrible scene awaited him plagued the teen's mind, and his heart sped up uncontrollably.
Karin... Yuzu… They're down there waiting for me! I need to get out of these ropes. The teen struggled, hearing the weird magic creak under the strain. I can't fail my family again, I can't!
More shouting arose from below, and once again the house shuddered. My name and existence mean nothing if I can't protect them now! Gathering up all his energy, Ichigo took a deep breath and strained against the bonds with his entire being. Hazy symbols flared to life around him and shattered one by one, until finally the ropes disappeared altogether. No time was spared before the teen was sprinting down the stairs into the living room.
There was a hole in the wall the size of a truck, an eldritch horror holding his precious little sister Karin in its large hand, and Yuzu passed out on the floor along with Isshin. They were all covered in various scrapes and bruises. Where's Rukia?
"Ichi-nii, help!" Karin's voice brought Ichigo back to reality. She was being squeezed to death.
"Karin!" The orange-haired teen glanced around the room frantically, spotting the barstools kept by the counter. "I'm coming! Just hold on a second longer!" He ran over and snatched one up before charging headlong at the hollow and smashing the seat against its leg.
The hollow looked down interestedly.
Fuck.
Ichigo couldn't back away fast enough to escape being snatched up in one fist. The creature brought him up to its face and exhaled toxic gas. The teen gagged, feeling light-headed. Was he going to die like this?
A broken yell pierced the air as Rukia appeared, stabbing her sword into the hollow's mask. It screeched and stumbled, retreating into the black void that appeared behind it. Ichigo broke out of its lose grip and pried open the other hand's on Karin. The teen caught her before she could hit the pavement, but she had fallen unconscious while being squished. He cradled her in his arms, checking for any obvious wounds while the abyss closed after the monster.
"It's not over," Ichigo turned to see Rukia clutching her stomach, leaned against the outside wall of the house, "it will come back in mere moments and I will not be able to stop it."
The teen's face turned stony. He placed Karin inside with the rest of the family, and then returned to the Shinigami. "What do I need to do?"
Rukia looked relieved that he understood. "I am too wounded to continue the fight; it is taking all I have to stand right now. However, I can transfer my power to you. Thrusting my sword through the very center of your being will imbue you with a small portion of my reiryoku, giving you enough strength to defeat the hollow. However, I can't guarantee it will work. You may die." She levelled her sword at him, pleased by the unwavering resolve in his eyes.
"There are no lengths I will not go to save my family. Stab me," Ichigo returned, grabbing the end that Rukia brandished fearlessly.
With a precise thrust and aiding pull, the katana was lodged into his sternum. Power… I must be stronger than any enemy that threatens my family.
Rukia slipped a bit of her reiryoku through her zanpakuto and into the teen's soul chain but found she couldn't cut off the flow. Shocked, she looked up to see the other's face scrunched in concentration, a death grip on the edge piercing him. Her reiatsu was being sucked into something that felt like a spiritual black hole to her senses.
She was effectively being sucked dry, how is this happening? Knees wobbling, Rukia collapsed—no longer able to stand. The outer layer of her shihakusho dispersed, leaving only the pure white kimono beneath to soak in red. Her vision began to tunnel. That hollow was way too strong, it sliced me open with almost no trouble at all. How is Ichigo going to defeat it?
As the Shinigami's violet eyes began to close, she looked up and dimly noticed two shining, golden ones staring back down at her. What…? Rukia fell over, unconscious.
Moonlight reflected off pale skin and danced behind molten irises.
Ichigo felt content, comfortable in his own body. Instead of the overbearing cold, now he was pleasantly cool—like the breeze carried on the waves of a hot, summer day. For a moment, he forgot he was in the middle of a fight.
Glancing down brought him back to that harsh reality.
Rukia was sprawled on the grass against his house, and he immediately stooped down to check on her. There was a discomforting amount of blood soaking through the white robes over her abdomen, and Ichigo knew he would have to treat those soon or risk her bleeding out. Before that, however… "Why the hell am I wearing those shini-whatsit robes? And what's on my back…?" The teen reached behind him and felt the hilt of a large weapon.
"Oh, guess the power transfer thing worked. And nobody's dead," Ichigo took a cursory glance at Rukia's prone form, "well… in a way that counts right now." A warbled roar sounded as if from behind a barrier, and the orange-haired teen whipped around to see the air tremble and split open into a gaping maw. Out tumbled the hollow, frenzied and looking for something to take on.
Ichigo figured this was his time to step up to the plate and unsheathed the sword on his back. It was six feet in length and made the cool contentment he was feeling vanish. A freezing hunger took its place: he was ravenous. It made his chest throb in time with the slow steps he was now taking towards the gargantuan creature. The hollow lumbered clumsily and wasn't very smart, but it would do for now. Do… what? His body moved without conscious impulse, severing the monster in half with no difficulty thanks to the six-foot meat cleaver in his hand. Another throb had him throwing the hunk of metal away and clutching his chest. The hand almost sunk in entirely.
Every thought in his head screeched to a halt. Pulling apart the top of his shihakusho revealed what he now realized was abnormally pale skin, and a black hole the size of his clenched fist going straight through his body. Shit shit shit, Ichigo thought he was going to pass out or be sick or die—
The downed hollow began to disperse, and the pull he felt to go and… sink his teeth into it before it disappeared was more than he could handle. In seconds he was by its hand, head poised above a fleshy forearm. Ichigo could've sworn he heard pleased gurgling in a distant part of his mind. Horrifyingly, it took him until after he'd already bitten and absorbed the energy he could feel under its skin to understand what he was doing.
Oh, fuck.
Ichigo dry heaved onto the pavement. Why did he have to try and eat the damn thing? So gross. Blearily looking around, he crawled over to his sword and used it as a crutch to make his way back over to Rukia and… is that my body? Weird. Sitting down by his limp flesh bag, the teen took a moment to regain sanity.
Thankfully, the hole was now the size of a ping pong ball and filled in so you couldn't see right through him. His skin was back to a healthier color, as well. Unfortunately, Ichigo knew it was most certainly because he'd just consumed a hollow. He was still feeling high off the small energy boost.
I just know I'm going to have nightmares about this, Ichigo griped, sliding back into his own body. He wisely did nothing when he sensed a heavy gaze settle over the area. Instead, the teen carefully picked up his new, petite acquaintance and bandaged her up in the clinic well enough. Practice makes perfect, after all, and he'd been treating wounds for as long as he could remember.
He did the same stellar job with the rest of his family and placed them in their rooms. Even Isshin, who was more than two times heavier than Ichigo—the process involved more dragging than not—was settled.
Finally done, he dropped Rukia onto his bed and grabbed an extra blanket from the closet so he could flop onto the floor like a sad sack of shit. The teen hoped that the girl would make it through the night. She had looked bad; pale and sweaty, huffing out labored breaths.
Trying to fall asleep but kept awake by this new sensitivity he had to the world around him, Ichigo noticed the heavy gaze from outside was still there. I'm gonna stay up all night at this rate, was his last thought before succumbing to exhaustion.
Urahara was afraid the Kurosaki boy would stay awake all night, but thankfully his suspicions were wrong and Ichigo had passed out in no time. That left the scientist to ponder the strange scene he'd come upon when he detected the power transfer and headed over. Unfortunately, it seems the shopkeeper had come too late to observe anything besides the boy fixing the damage done to everyone as best he could. It was admirable, really. Urahara appreciated the care shown to the family even when the boy himself was exhausted, so the shopkeeper could do the same.
Fixing the hole in the wall before morning would be hard, but not impossible. And all he had to do was give Tessai a call to make everyone good as new! Then, he could take Kuchiki back to the shop and ask her what happened. Yes, yes, it's all coming together!
Stormy grey eyes sharpened, But I wonder… how is it that Kurosaki defeated the hollow fast enough that I couldn't even make it in time to see the end? His spiritual pressure is… unnatural… even with a soul like his.
Maa, I'm sure I'll find out soon enough. There are plans, after all.
Ichigo woke up feeling like he'd been hit by two separate trains, staring despondently at the sight of his pillow stained black. He was thoroughly confused until he remembered the ink drawn on his face, Oh yeah, the dick. The teen slumped over again, peaceful.
"The dick!" He yelled, scrambling off the bed and hitting the floor.
"Nii-san, are you awake? You're going to be late and it's only the second day of school!" Yuzu sweetly called up the stairs, "I made crepes this morning!"
Ichigo shot off the floor and over to the mirror, "Yeah, I'm coming!" He turned his head to see an indecipherable smudge on his right cheek. Ok so that wasn't a dream, the teen turned to grab his uniform from the desk and slip it on. Then, where did Rukia go?
Fortunately, the ink came off his face with minimal washing and Ichigo was soon on his way to school with a stomach full of crepes. While walking, Ichigo pondered how strange everyone had acted that morning: Yuzu and Isshin didn't remember being attacked, nobody showed any signs of it, and there wasn't even a hole in the wall! Karin apparently thought it some trick of the mind.
("Ichi-nii, I had this terrible nightmare last night. Some ugly thing blasted a hole in the wall and knocked everyone out. I was doing fine until you popped up out of nowhere in spandex and a dick logo on your chest like Superman. I think I woke up screaming." "Karin, we're not allowed to say stuff like that!" "HEY! I'd never wear spandex. Take that back!")
Mostly, he was worried about Rukia. There was no way she could've gotten up on her own with such deep wounds. Perhaps a talk with Chad would help him figure it out. Dude would believe him in a heartbeat and give useful advice in the process.
Walking into the classroom, Ichigo greeting Mrs. Ochi dully. Sliding sideways into his seat, he turned to face the giant behind him. "Chad, it feels like I snorted ten pounds of coke last night," the teen slumped onto his friend's desk and pillowed his head in his arms. Chad rested a large, warm hand on his head in condolence, knowing it wouldn't help to say that Ichigo definitely had no idea what that felt like.
"Alright, class! Please welcome your new classmate!" The teacher announced, ushering the student in under the class's undivided attention. Ichigo didn't bother lifting his head.
"Why, hello! I am Rukia Kuchiki, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance!" Ichigo groaned, of course it was her. He would know that voice anywhere, startlingly high pitched and way too formal though it was.
"Oh, I did," The orange-haired teen mumbled despairingly into his arm. He basked gratefully in the confused pat that Chad gave his head.
Why did he have the feeling his life was about to get a lot worse?
Okay, so I know you guys totally wanted to hear about the backstory for all those dogs, right? Here it is: One day a woman is walking her two dogs, a male and a female (that is going to have a litter but it's too early to tell), when suddenly the male slips out of the leash and runs off. He is gone for a week and the woman puts up missing signs all over town. By the time she gets a call, the female dog is already showing that she has a litter. The call has big news—the woman on the other end of the line has seen the dog, but it was with her own female dog, who was supposed to be safely going through heat in her fenced yard. Now her dog is pregnant. The two women decide to meet and talk over what they're going to do but hit it off spectacularly. They start dating, move in together when the puppies are born, and plan to get married. Their dogs seem very pleased with one another and take care of shared litters together. After the women get married they decide to go on a honeymoon, taking the two female dogs with them. That's where Ichi steps in to take care of the rambunctious pups.
Basically, lesbian couple with lesbian dog couple? Sign me the fuck up. Cutest shit ever if you ask me.
Thanks for sticking with this story after such a long wait! Have a nice day :)