Into the Fire 2 - (Bleach, OC-I)
Karakura High School. It's been two days since Kurosaki Ichigo became a 'Temporary Shinigami' as Rukia's attempt to give half of her power to him led Ichigo to somewhat claim all of it.
So, as a 'temporary solution', Ichigo is now doing Rukia's chores around since she can't do much but watch as a bystander and use the 'fake body' or whatever that thing is called to wander as 'proper being'. Since Rukia was born in Soul Society, she lacks a legit body and what she uses is a bit of a giga/geiga thing that acts as a puppet that feels similar to a human corpse.
She didn't need to breathe in it, but her spirit still 'required her to satisfy her own basic needs'. I wasn't truly sold on the explanation (even if she employed a rather dorky and adorable drawing set of sketches to explain the situation). Still, I decided to label it 'Anime Logic' and just ignore it rather than press on it until either I got smacked by Rukia or reality itself for questioning the rules of spiritual nature.
Still, the first two days were a bit atrocious for me when it comes to Rukia. Not only it was weird to know a random girl was now living in Ichigo's closet, but she had a tendency to use my hip as a landing mat. And while it was less intense than the first time, it still fucking hurt.
Which prompted a rather public feud between me and her. She really took a liking in giving me grief through school, trying to initially play it off that she didn't know me when she got suddenly enrolled at school in our class, and then trying to play coy about the fact that I let it out how she lived at the Kurosaki Household and that she would wake up by 'stomping' on me.
The rumors got unforgivable, but at least Tatsuki was being a bro and smacking the hoes spreading these lies when I told her how the 'living disposition' was in Ichigo's room. She didn't believe it at first, but Ichigo backed me up. So, that was cool.
Now, one would expect that someone as professional as Rukia would be able to handle her own basic 'human stuff'. Turns out that she is a bit 'rusty' on the way, and it kind of led to me sitting by the rooftop with Rukia as she had a list of questions for me to answer.
When I offered to give her the solutions to any confusion she may have about new stuff around, I didn't expect her to turn this into an interrogation.
"So, what does it mean when 'a guy is giving you a good look'?"
"It means they are ogling you," I answered flatly, lying on the floor by the back and glaring at the clouds. "Or maybe they just noticed you added something to your usual appearance if you and the 'guy' know each other beforehand."
Nodding, Rukia scribbled down something in her paper while sitting beside me. It was such a chill day after she pulled Ichiko in a 'first time' experience fighting a legit Hollow on his own. Turns out that Ichigo can use a sword (which is not really a surprise since he told me he was good at it a while back), and it had impressed Rukia.
But still, the girl had done nothing to either have Ichigo train with these powers or do something to fix the fact that the powers he was using were hers to begin with. Sure, maybe there was something intriguing in seeing how someone 'normal' as Ichigo was handling these powers too well, but at the same time I felt that this was just a build-up for trouble.
I didn't even need to know that there will be an arc of other Shinigami wanting to know what happened, and I got confirmation of this when I turned that interrogation in an exchange of questions and answers.
"So, that thing you did with the Ichigo with the Shinigami power. Is that... not going to have any issues with your boss, right?"
"...If they don't find out."
...
"Rukia, I am not trying to press you on a sore topic, but how high are the chances of them finding out?"
Her silence spoke many things and I sighed.
"I guess that's going to be a mess," I hummed, and I glanced at her. "And... how are you?"
"I wouldn't mind apple juice-"
"I mean at the fact you lost your powers so suddenly," I interjected, causing her to freeze up for a moment. "I mean, you definitely worked hard to get those, so I can tell it's not good."
"It... is not," She replied quietly, not scribbling anymore. "I don't blame Ichigo. He is a jerk, but he didn't mean it."
"But it still stings you are now at the same level as me."
...
"Yes."
"Heh, I bet you'll get those back in due time," I pointed out, trying to cheer her up about it. "And then it will be your turn to get back to work."
"This isn't just 'work'," Rukia argued, sounding quite serious about it. "Being a Shinigami is a lifebound duty. And it is easier to die on the job than leaving it."
I nodded. "If you're sold to it, more power to you. But I definitely wouldn't want it."
"...Why?"
I shrugged. "If I have to get a chore of that kind- so monumental in its size... it feels a bit dumb to want to spend an entire lifetime doing it. Like, there's other people and- like, didn't you mention you have an extensive lifespan compared to normal humans?"
"Yes, and?" Rukia sounded interested in what I was saying and I continued out of how invested I felt in the topic.
"Does that mean you would have to spend centuries of fighting an endless duty and then... dunno, somehow make space to have a family, kids and not try to leave the place a broken home?"
...
"I think I see your point. But I still think this is something that once started, it has to be seen to completion."
I offered a slow nod, and I ended at that. The rest of the questions shifted back to regular shit. Nothing of importance came up until-
"And are you and Arisawa in a relationship?"
"No," I replied quietly, turning to glance at Rukia. "But I see why you would think that. We are just good friends, but we keep it at that boundary. Heck, it would make a bit more sense if that was Ichigo. Tsuki and Ichigo are childhood friends, but I see them being like 'bro and sis' most of the times."
"What about Ichigo?"
I looked up at Rukia once more. "Really?"
She opened her mouth, then closed it. "Ori-"
"Orihime, yes," I confirmed, the girl rolling her eyes. "Still, it fits with Ichigo. Orihime is that kind of sweet-minded person that is so rare to find nowadays."
"I can see that. Ichigo seems to be that sort of boy that likes any potential partners to be..."
"Truly kind," I finished for her. "He likes that kind of innocent kindness only a rare bunch has nowadays."
...
"What about you?"
"Meh, I don't have a type."
"...That's a lie," Rukia argued, and I frowned at her. "What?"
"Turn the question back at you, would you answer it?"
She opened her mouth, but then she shut up. What followed was a rather interesting bout of silence, and I saw her glancing away at the sky.
"Do you miss them?"
I saw Rukia freeze up at my words.
"W-What?"
"I ain't asking who they are, but... your friends and family, do you miss them?"
"...It's been just two days."
"That's not the kind of reaction 'it is been just two days' say."
...
"Fine, I do miss them a bit. I bet Rena is going to lose her mind when she realizes I am taking longer than usual to get back."
Not a familiar name in my brain, but I still nodded.
"Hm."
...
"What about your family?" Rukia asked back. "Do you... miss them?"
"I don't. I mean, maybe I should but-" I paused, thinking on how to tackle this very complex subject. Because, one thing is to think about my real old family, another is trying to imagine who my new life's first family was all about. "I don't remember them. At this point I am... Well, I am around the Kurosaki family. So, there's that."
"You don't feel you are part of them?"
"...Dunno."
...
"Can I be honest with you, Rukia? And you promise to not tell this to anyone?"
"Sure."
"I really hope you get things solved nicely. I may yell at you, and be a bit of a prick- Hell, I want to extend this to Ichigo. I don't think he hates you, and I definitely don't. If you ever have a serious issue you wanna talk about, feel free to ask."
I saw Rukia give me a rather surprised look at this. Some anime would waste time trying to build up that sort of 'trust'. But I think, in my case, that it is basic decency to make that point clear. After all, beyond me being a prick to her and her to me, we weren't enemies. And it would be bad if that entire point got missed along the plot.
I thought that would have left her stunned silent until the end of the lunch break but-
"Thank you, Takiji."
I guess I may have found the code to crack the Tsundere a bit.
"You're welcome, Rukia."
These days were 'simple' for me.
I want to say I made a breakthrough on what happened when I faced that Hollow, but I was unsure on how to ask this one out since Rukia had labeled me a civilian and I doubt she had any clue on how to train a normal human's spiritual power with how basic her shinigami education seemed to be in regard to anything beyond Shinigami stuff.
Despite this, I could tell that the simplicity was soon going to get ruptured somehow. And I had to find a way to be ready for that - I needed to find myself a teacher!
AN
Next time, a SI walks into a Shop. And the keeper is a troll.