Sup everyone, Grimlock here! I had initially wanted to get this out on the day episode 1 of TYBW Cour 2 dropped, but unfortunately I was still exhausted from Anime Expo. I then had a six-day work week, which normally wouldn't stop me because I love my job, but when combined with directly coming off a convention, means I hadn't gotten the chance to rest. Now though, I've rested, watched two fantastic episodes of TYBW, broke ten sales on my book, and have been paid to write porn. So, enjoy the show.
A roar came from Chad's throat as he launched another blast of reiatsu into the cliff face before him. It was filled with enough destructive force that it blew a hole the size of a semi-truck in the cliff. The wall of stone was littered with such holes, simultaneously examples of how much effort he had put in, how much he had grown from mere fist or arm sized dents, and how far away he remained from being able to reliably defend Ichigo's back. Considering the orange haired man had awakened to the fact that he enjoyed fighting in between his time travel, the giant had seen impressively little of the hybrid in combat. What he had seen left him feeling…inadequate. The fifteen-year-old with nothing to his name but a really big sword had still undoubtedly been the strongest off their invading force, Chad had no reservations about admitting that, but the honey-eyed teen had still looked at him with the complete confidence that he could trust the taller boy with his back. And back then, the gap between them was comparatively small enough that he felt confident he could be trusted with such a role. However…Chad was just a human, while Ichigo was very much not. The sheer degree of power necessary to be embarrassed by the truth of being able to slaughter what amounted to an omnipotent god proved that he didn't need anyone to watch his back, let alone someone who couldn't even defeat a Captain. Which left the quiet man frustrated.
The deal they had made to protect each other was important to the Mexican. As important to him as his Abuelo's coin. Being able to do good with his arms left him with immense satisfaction and pride. With purpose and meaning. Finding out that he could no longer fulfill his end of that deal, or at least that trying to was a moot point, had brought him to Yoruichi. It had taken some getting used to that he was a she, as well that cat was actually a woman, and even further that woman was a Captain, but talking to a person rather than an animal helped dissuade some of the awkwardness he felt. This was further supported by Orihime also having gone to the cat-woman for help.
The giant truly felt for the auburn-haired girl. He could easily say that Ichigo's time traveling had likely resulted in the most damage to her psyche than any of the others in their group. They had all been under the impression that their pseudo-leader had been the only one unaware of her crush, only for the older version to casually -subtly- reveal that he was actually in a relationship with the Fourth Division Captian. Then Yoruichi explained in private that he actually was dating her as well, with all parties aware and consenting. Worse, the feelings of inadequacy that Chad knew the busty girl felt could have only been that much more painful when she was notably excluded from the list of those receiving training. The silent giant was at least able to take comfort in the knowledge that he would grow in strength to such an extent Ichigo felt it necessary to train him alongside Captains, but bubbly girl was the only name he had left out from his inner circle.
Their powers still largely unfamiliar to her, Yoruichi had accepted being their trainer again, but with the warning that it wouldn't be the most efficient thing. The two of them had accepted that easily, their foray into the Soul Society making it that much clearer that their powers are fundamentally different from anything anyone had ever encountered before. Which left them operating in a similar manner to how their training proceeded before invading the Gotei 13. Chad had been working to strengthen his as-of-yet-named reiatsu blast by working past his limits, while Orihime tried to reduce her casting time while making her abilities work more effectively.
A loud crash echoed throughout the basement they were training in, causing the three present to turn to the source. They hadn't had any reason to stray far from the ladder entrance, so they all had an uninterrupted view of the large dust cloud that formed at the base of it. A silhouette appeared, stepping in their direction with a casual stride as the dust began to settle. Due to the lack of any killing intent or even any sense of urgency, the trio remained completely relaxed as the figure came close to the edge of the cloud and walked out of it.
"Shiro?" Yoruichi asked, sounding surprised at his presence. With his hands in his pockets, the hollow sauntered forth, an unhurried expression on his face as he gradually came to join them.
"'Sup Yoruichi, Chad, Fairy." He greeted. Orihime shuffled on her feet, the giant noticing she inched herself ever so slightly behind the cat-woman.
"Isn't Ichigo with Rukia right now in the Soul Society?" The violet haired woman questioned. Was there something important about that? Ichigo had impressed upon them by now that his zanpakuto spirits largely were given freedom to do their own thing, Chad didn't really see why Yoruichi was asking about where the sword's wielder was.
"Yup." There was a look in the hollow's face that indicated he knew why the Ex-Captain had asked that question, and that he was enjoying answering it. "'S why I walked here 'stead a Sonido'ed. Better ta conserve energy where we can, ya know?" Both humans looked over to the dark-skinned woman. Chad, at least, was able to gleam an answer from her utterly dumbfounded expression. It told him that this was another example of Ichigo casually doing something that likely was seen as extremely difficult if not outright impossible by anyone else's standards.
"Is there something wrong about Shiro-kun walking around Karakura Town?" Orihime asked innocently.
"Most Shinigami find it difficult to manifest their zanpakuto spirit at all, let alone for long periods of time." The woman thrust a hand out to gesture at the hollow that was looking distinctly smug about whatever Yoruichi was about to reveal. "Yet here Ichigo is, manifesting his zanpakuto spirit in a different goddamn dimension."
"Don't forget that Ossan is with Needle right now in his basement."
"Two zanpakuto spirits!" Her voice raised to a shriek.
"Thought ya were used ta our bullshit?" The inverted double wondered.
"Just because it makes sense that you're brokenly overpowered enough to do this doesn't mean that casually going against everything Shinigami believe is possible is any less insane!"
"Ya didn't lose yer shit like this last time." He held a hand to his chin in thought.
"I imagine it was because I was realizing you could do these things the same time Ichigo realized he could do these things!" A wide, fanged grin ripped across the hollow's face.
"Oh, we're gonna have so much fun fuckin' wit' people wit' this." The cat-woman's eyes widened as she undoubtedly realized all of the abilities Ichigo cultivated in his time were likely to be used in pranks that no one could possibly be prepared for. "But in the meantime, 's Chad's turn for trainin', so ya ready ta go ta Hueco Mundo?"
"You're gonna-!" Yoruichi mentally crashed. With the context given to him, Chad could sympathize.
"Yes." The silent giant nodded. He had a good feeling he knew why they were going to train in Hueco Mundo. After all, his arms tingled like there was a perpetual shudder going through them at Shiro's presence alone. With his grin remaining upon his face, the hollow dug his fingers into the air to his right and pulled down, ripping open a void between worlds that the teenager remembered hollows used.
"Nice 'n decisive, jus' like always. Come on, hop-"
"Can I come with you two?" The auburn haired girl rushed out. The zanpakuto paused, clearly not having expected the minor outburst. However, after recovering from a moment spent just blinking in surprise, the hollow did not shoot her down. He didn't comment at all, actually, instead choosing to focus his yellow eyes on her face, his grin being hidden for now. A critical glare adopted him, watching the healer suppress her nervous tremors and already misty eyes. Considering what had already come from the mouth of the zanpakuto's wielder, Chad honestly thought that the spirit was going to somberly announce that nothing would come of it. From the look on the busty girl's face, she was expecting the same. Instead, the hollow sighed.
"We're a fucking idiot." He spat. "Yeah, you too." He waved for them both to join him as he stepped inside the rip between dimensions.
"I'll be at home, I guess." Yoruichi rolled her eyes at finding her plan for the day was suddenly taken from her. Chad and Orihime entered the Garganta, marveling at the glowing reishi path beneath their feet.
"King's probably gonna need a lotta cuddles when he gets back, if the storm 'nside his head is any indicator." The spirit announced.
"Thanks for the heads-up." The woman nodded appreciatively before the closing of the portal cut off their vision of her.
"Okay, lesgo." Weaving his fingers together behind his head, the zanpakuto sauntered forth along the path. The two humans joined him swiftly.
"Um, we're on a time constraint, right?" The Mexican teen raised his hand as he voiced his concern. "Wouldn't it be faster to have you grab us and use a speed technique to get us to the other side?"
"Well, yeah, but I wasn't fukkin' wit' Yoruichi when I said I walked there ta save energy, 'n she wasn't playin' up how hard it is ta keep spirits goin'." Was the explanation. "We might make it look easy, but it really is insane that we can even pull this off. Basic upkeep is something King can manage, but usin' powers all willy-nilly 's gonna drain his reserves somethin' nasty. Ossan's a bit easier 'cuz Quincy techniques primarily use reishi, but Hollow techniques usu'lly end up needin' a bit more fuel." That was fair. Chad hummed in understanding of the answer.
"If the only problem is actually using powers, can't you just pick us up and run?" The airheaded girl tilted her head cutely. Acidic yellow eyes glanced down at her.
"I can, jus' didn't think ya'd want me ta."
"The faster we get there, the more time we'll have for training." The (thankfully still) tallest of the three reasoned. The hollow shrugged.
"Alright, how we doin' this?"
"Oh, I know!" Orihime smiled. "I'll get on Sado-kun's back, then Sado-kun will get on Shiro-kun's back! We'll be like the Leaning Tower of Pisa! Wait, but none of us are Italian. Hold on, Shiro-kun, are you Italian?"
"Fairy, I'm King's hollow. Is King Italian?"
"Well, you weren't born the same time Kurosaki-kun was, were you?"
"I was, but what difference does it make? King's never been to Italy!"
"Kurosaki-kun likes pizza, though, what if you had formed when he was enjoying a really good pizza and that made you Italian?"
"That don't even make sense! You think that if your fairies had formed when you were eatin' a baguette, that woulda made 'em French?!"
"Maybe, I wouldn't judge." Both the hollow and the giant stared at the princess for a moment.
"I know our brains look like spaghetti 'n all, but I think ya might be the only one wit' actual noodles fer a brain."
"…I'm hungry now." Orihime rubbed her stomach.
"…So am I, y'all wanna join King 'n I fer MrGroban's after this?"
"You were going to eat McGroban's after this?" Chad wondered.
"We ain't had it this month, so might as well."
"I'd be happy to! Do you know if they got the newest batch of toys yet?" The girl beamed.
"Nah, that's next month, I think. 'S the start of every season that they rotate, yeah?"
"…Can we discuss this while we run?" The giant couldn't help but ask.
"Oh shit, yeah. Climb on." They quickly organized themselves, Orihime first being pulled up onto Chad's back, then Chad leaning down to rest his weight on the zanpakuto, who seemed none the worse for wear. Without so much as a warning, likely just an understanding that they were secure, the manifestation shot forward in an inhuman sprint, hollow physique allowing him to surpass even Shinigami speeds without needing to enhance his body.
"So, I never paid attention to the dates when they swapped out the toys, all I really know is that the batches are usually reflective of whatever are the biggest things at the moment."
"Well, yeah, but it's not like they change 'em out every time there's somethin' big, else they would change a lot more often. If somethin' is big enough, they might swap on a dime to max their sales, but they've gotta have an order to 'em usu'lly, right?"…Chad really should've expected that these two would actually resume their conversation upon Shiro settling into a stride.
Leaving the Garganta with far more knowledge about children's toys and fast food companies than he entered it with, Chad's attention was instantly drawn to his arms. Standing up from the hollow's back, he allowed Orihime to slide off his as he stared at his palms. The ever-present tingle that had ran through them before had risen to a static-like buzz that coursed across his skin.
"Oh, yer really feelin' it now, eh?" Aware that Shiro was the only one who was sure to know what he was talking about, the Mexican nodded his head. "Bein' here's gonna do a lot fer ya, but we're gonna need ta nudge ya a bit ta really get ya where we want ya." Another nod. He was expecting that even before they entered the Garganta, but now there was some primal part of him that helped him understand fighting was going to be necessary for unlocking his true power. "Be happy ta help ya out wit' that, but we need ta get somethin' outta the way, first. Fairy!"
"Yes! Sensei!" The girl added as she stood to attention.
"I don't need ta tell ya that yer gonna hafta stand ta the side while Chad 'n I go at it." He stated, face set in grave seriousness. "But I do gotta tell ya in advance that yer gonna hafta shut yer trap." Both humans blinked in surprise, the command one neither of them had been expecting. "What's gonna be comin' outta my mouth is shit Chad needs ta hear, shit he needs ta accept if he wants ta be able to watch King's back again." At that declaration, the teen turned as serious as the spirit across from him. It made sense that he knew why Chad was so eager to grow stronger, but the newfound awareness that this was why turned him nearly ravenous for the training to start. The direct confirmation that he would reach a point where Ichigo could trust his back even with the enemies the hybrid undoubtedly fought drew out an uncharacteristic impatience that he had to push down.
"I…think I understand." Orihime stated with furrowed eyebrows. Maintaining a look of concern and worry, the girl jogged away until she was a fair distance, then summoned forth her shield in front of her. Not needing to be told, the giant also summoned his arm, feeling his skin shift, distort, and grow more powerful as it darkened to black and red.
He grunted in shock at seeing that, rather than the white-outlined crimson stripe, there was a weave of crimson markings going up his arm. Even further, instead of the dual prongs that rose from his shoulder, a single hexagonal extension protruded. He found, to his gratefulness, that it was significantly easier to move his arm around, almost none of the stiffness that the previous form had. It was still conscious thought rather than automatic movement, but it was akin to post-workout soreness instead of bending a dense piece of rubber that was going against his desire.
"This the first time ya seen that one?" Shiro sounded confused. He naturally assumed it was fair, figuring the spirit was comparing everything to the time he came from. A pit formed in his stomach. A small one, since he was receiving training from someone who knew how to make him grow, but a pit nonetheless.
"I got this earlier where you came from?" The doppelganger stared openmouthed, clearly mentally somewhere else. He collected himself after a moment, nodding in realization.
"To be fair, last time, you trained against Pineapple, and it was because Fairy had gotten kidnapped by Emo Twink." Chad naturally expressed his confusion at the name, but the spirit steamrolled right past it. "Oi, my nicknames didn't get spectacular until later, I just refuse to rename people after the fact. Either way, we don't have to work to get you to this arm, so simple pleasures. Now, I don't think I need to tell ya why this is all goin' on." That, at least, his confusion had finally been cleared about.
"My powers have never been like those of a Shinigami, nor Quincy. I realized the former when we invaded the Soul Society. The latter I could tell the first time I saw Uryu use his bow. Something about it grated on me, almost recoil from it. I could tell immediately that my power was the furthest thing from it. I guess it just never clicked for me that the furthest thing from a Quincy is a hollow. That also explains why you're the one training me, and not Ichigo or Ossan."
"That's definitely a big part of it. Ain't no one better ta train hollows than another hollow. But it ain't the only reason, and the other one 's jus' as important." He felt it, the moment it happened. That half-second flare of instinct that caused him to bring his right arm up to block against the heavy swipe the zanpakuto spirit whipped around. It crashed into him and dragged him across the sand, his heels remaining firm, but the force too much for his body to absorb on its own. "I'm fukken shit at riddles, but this needs ta be done a certain way. You'll understand in a sec."
Grunting in acceptance, the giant settled himself into a boxing stance. The pale manifestation lunged at him again, and though Chad didn't like being able to see his opponent holding back against him, he was pleased that it was only just barely kept within his ability. Each fist and kick practically rattled his bones, sliding him back along the sands against his will. As much as he wanted to fight back, he knew any hit not from his right arm would do nothing, and it was too busy defending against the assault.
"Before I get into it, I gotta warn that all this shit is secondhand!" The hollow yelled, clearly so that Orihime could hear as well. "You got questions, too bad, 'cuz I don't got the answers!" He spun, delivering a roundhouse kick that nearly made Chad topple. "The two 'o you 're called Fullbringers! King 'n I were never told the specifics, but the gist is that ya were exposed ta hollow reiatsu while ya were in yer momma's bellies! In terms of how the fuck yer powers work the way they do, we ain't got a clue!" The giant successfully dodged out of the way of a downwards fist, but was too blinded by the resulting cloud of sand to avoid the gut punch. "The two 'o ya just fucked off fer a bit 'fore comin' back lookin' like ya fin'lly knew yer place in the world! Everythin' I'm sayin' now is what you told King! Ya want advice on that side 'o things, knowin' what ya are might help!" A throaty growl came from the teen's throat as he threw his first, wild punch. The spirit caught it in his left palm, but there was a degree of pride inside his feral grin before his right fist broke the giant's nose. "However! What I can tell ya is that Chad over here grew a lot more from being around hollows than he did from findin' that out! This ain't universal! Chad's powers are a helluva lot more hollow than yours, Fairy! So don't try this shit at home!" Spitting out some blood that had gathered in his throat, the tattooed teen felt a familiar desire burn within him, but he smushed it down as deeply as he could. Standing back up, he built up reiatsu in his arm. The hexagonal extension split into three, with his blue energy erupting out of it like a rumbling engine.
"That bein' said," there was a look of recognition in the hollow's yellow eyes, "I can taste it in yer blood, Chad. You got more than a little bit 'o hollow in ya. You got more in common wit' the Vizard than King does, at this point. Shinigami got the innate ability ta give a voice ta the deepest parts 'o themselves, that's what breeds an Inner Hollow. Fer humans? Works a little diff'rent." With a deep bellow, he fired what had built within his arm, a blast of reiatsu an entire magnitude more powerful than anything he had fired in Urahara's basement screaming out. Seeing Shiro swing an arm to bat it into a nearby sand dune angered him. Feeling that, he drew in a breath to calm himself. There was a deep buzz and a white sandal crashed into his still-broken nose. A guttural yell of pain came from him as he was launched back.
"It's a hollows innate instinct ta grow in power 'n dominate those weaker." The zanpakuto stated. "Fer them, they know the only way ta get stronger 's ta devour other souls. But fer humans? Who can grow all 'n their own? Compared ta spirits that grow over the course 'a hundreds 'o years, a human's growth rate is ridiculous. Bein' able ta actually get yer ass handed to ya and get strong enough from it ta beat what beat ya down? Like a hollow's wet dream." Chad climbed to his feet, heaving while spitting out blood that poured into his mouth every other breath. "Ya think ev'ry kid that's big 'n strong goes outta their way ta beat the shit outta everyone they can? Nah, that's all the hollow in ya, big guy. 'S much as I respect what the guy means to ya, yer Grandpa did ya real dirty makin' ya give up fightin' fer yer own sake." Twice the reiatsu that had been in his initial blast was already in his arm, as he couldn't stop himself from glaring hatefully at the hollow. He didn't understand why that made the spirit grin wider.
"I don't blame 'im for fuckin' it up. He couldn'ta known ya had hollow in yer veins. And it ain't like he was entirely wrong, fuckin' someone up just ta fuck 'em up does nothin' fer ya. Choosin' when ta throw yer weight around is a major thing hollows gotta learn. But deciding ta never show that yer top dog is why Ichigo ain't able ta trust his back to ya right now."
"El Directo!" Growling straight from his gut was a word that felt like he had always known the answer, but never formed it. His eyes perfectly tracked Shiro lunging to the side of the beam of destruction rather than attempting to fight against it. The spirit seemed even more gleeful than before.
"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" His smile was wide enough that it looked close to tearing his skin. "Yer bloodthirsty! There ain't no reason ta deny it, it's like tellin' yerself ya ain't yer Grandpa's grandson! It's a fundamental part 'o ya! But it ain't a problem ta want ta be strong, ta fight yer way to the top! What's a problem is doin' nothin' about it! It's just as much an issue ta leave it unchecked as it is ta pretend it ain't there!" His body trembled for a moment, seething desires writhing against his practiced instinct to suppress them. For the first time in a very long time, he loosened the lid a little.
"What do I do about these urges, then?!" He shouted. "What do I do about this desire to crush everyone in front of me?! To beat down everyone that even thinks about fighting back?! About this need to rip every strong person I see apart until I'm the last one standing?!" The uncharacteristic raising of his voice left him panting, only heightened by the leaking rage that he always kept tightly locked away. The bleached manifestation spread his arms wide, though not as wide as his utterly maniacal smile.
"FOCUS IT!" He screamed back gleefully, his own psychotic madness pouring out encouragingly. "Mix your human desires with your hollow instincts! You want to use your strength in service of others?! You want to have Ichigo's back, have him trust you to keep him safe as much as you trust him to do the same?! You want to murder everyone that challenges you, prove your strength to anyone sentient enough to understand?! DO BOTH! SLAUGHTER EVERYONE THAT DARES ATTACK ICHIGO FROM BEHIND! PROVE YOURSELF THE STRONGEST BY CRUSHING ANYONE THAT THINKS THEYRE STRONG ENOUGH TO ATTACK YOUR LOVED ONES! BE THE GIANT THAT PROTECTS YOUR ALLIES AND THE DEVIL THAT PUTS YOUR ENEMIES INTO THE GROUND!"
His eyes were wide as the words were absorbed into his brain. A unique combination of words given as advice that intrinsically made him want to argue against it, only to leave himself stumped every time without fail. How could letting his violent cravings out be beneficial for anyone? How could taking advantage of his strength not go against his Abuelo's words? How was this not be expressly using his strength for someone else's benefit? How was this not be the perfect outlet so that he would never worry about his inner rage coming out at the wrong time, against the wrong person?
How had he not thought of this earlier?
He felt his right arm mutate, growing larger and heavier, but also so much more right. Like a heft that was meant to be swung around, almost like a wall had been built into his skin to slam down as an impenetrable shield. He also felt his left arm change, turning denser, more powerful. Gaining an inner thunder like it was all of his blood-borne rage and hungry desire ready to release itself against the next opponent. His mind was not towards looking upon the changes, of admiring them or even taking note of what they were so that he might use them better. His instincts already told him how to use his arms, to maximize their abilities, his right arm's broadness and his left arm's destructiveness.
"You're going to need to stop holding back." He warned. The hollow across from him, just like he had the whole conversation, spoke the perfect words.
"You're going to need to make me." Howling in finally unleashed malice, Chad leaped forth with the intent to destroy.
Orihime kneeled next to Chad's body, as he laid spread-eagle on the sands. Her healing dome was atop him, slowly sealing all of the many gashes that had found themselves upon his form from his practical-deathmatch with Shiro. The hollow had inevitably won, a combination of his uniquely extreme handicap and the fact that it was still so incredibly early in the human's training, but it had lasted far longer than the girl had honestly thought it would. Though, that was notably impacted by exactly how much it had taken until the Mexican finally accepted defeat. That being, until he hadn't been able to lift his limbs anymore. She wasn't entirely certain he was conscious at the moment, but he was breathing. Shiro currently was sitting next to her, legs crossed and arms in his lap like a child impatient to leave.
"…So," she paused for just a second at feeling the spirit's yellow pools snap onto her, "it's my turn now, right?"
"Right." He groaned, running a hand over his face. "Fuck. So, this ain't gonna be an easy pill ta swallow, but it's important fer ya." Her body naturally curled in on itself slightly, her shoulders and back hunching as she already realized her greatest worry was about to be absolutely confirmed with no more ability to deny it. "Ya ain't a killer."
…What? Brown eyes blinked in surprise and slowly forming confusion as she turned to the hollow.
"The trainin' we're givin' out is for makin' people hit harder, ta learn new powers, ta turn 'em inta as monstrous as fighters as we can. If they've got a form that makes 'em stronger, we're forcin' 'em ta practice wit' it whether they wanna use it 'r not. If they got abilities they don' like usin', we're tellin' 'em to start likin' 'em, or else. What we're not doin', what we ain't got no knowledge about, is anythin' not directly related ta murderin' the Wandenreich. We need Clown 'n Hat 'n Clogs ta make shit ta counter Quincies, but we ain't got no clue how ta help 'em make 'em. We need ta deal with all 'o the side bullshit, but we only know enough ta deal wit' 'em as they come, not stop 'em 'fore they happen. Last week, King migh'ta tore apart any trust most 'o the Gotei had in 'im, and we're fallin' over ourselves tryin' ta rebuild it. Yer the best healer we got, 'n I honestly ain't seen anything that's managed ta get past yer shield when ya really don't want it ta, but your ability ta take out enemies is basically nil."
"…You're saying, the reason Kurosaki-kun doesn't have any training planned for me is because he's only training the warriors?"
"Yup. Ya get stronger, we've seen Yhwach fail ta break yer shields, and ya've basically resurrected the dead, but…" He shrugged helplessly. "We never paid attention ta how ya got from A ta B."
"Then…my hope is with whoever helped Sado-kun and I realize we're Fullbringers, right?"
"That's what I figure, at least."
"And Kurosaki-kun has no idea how we met whoever that is, so you have no idea either."
"Yeah," the zanpakuto winced, "we're kinda useless on that front. But, since we got the time ta look, and a kinda-sorta idea 'bout what we're lookin' for, we could prolly get Hat 'n Clogs or Yoruichi's help."
"That's true." She agreed. "They'll definitely be able to help the search. And, I will admit, it does help a bit to know that I don't end up having to hurt people. I realized when we went to save Rukia that I don't like hurting others. Being the best at defending and healing others is something I'd be happy to be known for."
You know, as of writing this, I've made more money off 2K words of smut than I have 65K words of actual, published work. I don't know what to think about that.
First, I am obligated to state that I had gone to a friend for help coming up with Shiro's nickname for Ulquiorra. My instinctive reaction was to have it be 'Fall Out Boy', but I didn't want to do that. His was 'Yammy's Femboy'. Think of that what you will.
Second, I normally really don't like rewriting canonical information, much preferring to stick to the source material as much as possible. However, I will state here: Chad, the Espada, and Shinji are going to get new forms. Chad fucking deserves it, I've more or less already confirmed the Espada, and I've subtly implied Shinji. I'm going to show Ichigo's Vollstandig (or Voll Stern Dich, the apparent official translation is) at some point, but everything else will be exclusively canon abilities and forms.
Obligatory reminder that there is a financial way to support me: pat_reon_dot_com/user_?u=_83835975 without underscores
Book: No Good Man by Grimlock Bragi on Amazon
Next Chapter: Relearning the Basics