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shinneth · 4 years

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Spill the tea on Stevinel (just because I saw one for conniverse) And yes, I'm not on Anonymous. Because I'm a proud stevinel shipper and no one's going to stop me from loving it, also your blog is cool

And you know what? That’s the right attitude to have! People should be free to express what they ship without shielding themselves with anonymity. I don’t blame the people that do these days - antis are fucking dangerous people - but goddamn, people. It’s fiction.

So I commend you for shipping Stevinel openly and proudly! Hard to believe it’s actually considered a bold and brave move just to be open and honest about harmless preferences these days.

That said, I’m sorry it took so long to get to this. I felt you deserved an epic, given how unexpectedly successful my tirade on why Connverse is a shit ship with an undeserved golden reputation was...

But the truth is, even though I’m very much a Stevinel shipper, it’s definitely not my OTP.

And it’s very tricky for me to figure out how to spill the tea on Stevinel in a way that’s distinct from me doing the same with Stevidot.

Because, well, let’s face it: these two ships, beyond being very similar in nature, have also endured identical hardships from the fandom.

All the death threats Stevinel fans get from the raging antis for daring to ship something so “problematic/immoral/wrong/not Connverse”?

Stevidot fans have been treated that exact same way for years. And still are. For the exact same reasons.

Both Stevinel and Stevidot shippers are valid, but the fandom constantly turns a blind eye to Rebecca Sugar’s husband who also worked on the show outright saying gem x human ships are FAIR GAME.

And also turn a blind eye to the recent interview where Sugar herself stated that the gems are more like AI - a conclusion I and many others deduced ages ago just by how gems are portrayed in the show.

But by god, they’ll hang on Matt Burnett’s word that “grown gems” are a thing even though canon itself explicitly states that GEMS DON’T GROW.

Just like how despite Maya Petersen outright admitting that Aroace!Peridot is just her headcanon, people treat it like the fucking gospel now.

(no offense to anyone who’s committed to that particular headcanon - I just don’t really see it with Peridot in particular and it’s really fucking stupid to claim it’s 100% canon when the source herself explicitly said it wasn’t)

Well, it’s canon that Spinel kissed Steven and he didn’t turn into dust. And Steven was already well on his way down the path of self-destruction at this point in time; he would’ve gone monster whether this happened or not.

Also, how often does a character get the “heart eyes” expression for just a platonic love?

If there was ever a scene where Connie or Steven had heart eyes, no doubt most of the pricks would scream “YES!!!! UNDENIABLE PROOF THAT THEY’RE IN LOVE!!!”

But when it’s Spinel, suddenly it doesn’t count? Really?

How convenient.

There’s also the stupid idiots who saw the conceptual development of Spinel in that movie artbook and saw some vague color keys during a conceptual stage and claimed that Spinel was “family” to Steven - which of course must mean “related” and therefore must make Stevinel an incestuous relationship!

Which is bull. Also shit. It’s already common knowledge that gems don’t work that way. She was the designated playmate for Steven’s mother. Nothing more.

Of course, most gems who come in Steven’s orbit end up being sort of a family to him.

But everyone seems to have this impression that a gem being part of Steven’s family means they become additional surrogate mom figures.

And yeah no, that’s dumb and wrong. Garnet and Pearl are really the only ones I’d consider actual “mom figures”. Amethyst’s more of a big sister. Everyone else can vary depending on perspective, but I’ve never seen any of the other gems as anything close to a motherly figure for Steven. Any time I see shit about Lapis or Peridot being regarded as “gem moms” to Steven, I laugh my ass off. They are so not moms or any kind of authoritative figure for Steven. Bismuth at best is more of the fun-loving aunt.

There are more roles in a family than just a paternal/maternal substitute. In fact, I believe Steven has considered Connie to be part of his family well before they hooked up in canon.

(as a side-note, I love how people who are allegedly SO squicked out by age gap ships totally pardon Connverse - you guys realize Connie was 14 in Future, right? Possibly 15 depending on the time scale? There’s gonna be a point in the relative near future where Steven is 18 and Connie isn’t - why don’t I hear you assholes angst about that “atrocity”, huh?)

I honestly do consider the CG B-Team as part of Steven’s family, but more in a loose sense. But by that same token, I consider Connie as part of the family in a similar manner.

Especially since Spinel was shoved off to live with the Diamonds after the movie - and the Diamonds themselves have a very fucked-up relationship among themselves to the point where I honestly hesitate to put a familial label on it at all - it’s extra stupid to try and paint Stevinel as something with incestuous overtones when it clearly doesn’t.

Spinel does happen to be a perfect representative of how full of shit antis are about age gaps, though.

While Peridot’s age has always been left vague, we know she can’t be 5K or older due to being an Era 2 gem. Due to her utter lack of knowledge of Era 1 events (or being completely sold on the Diamonds’ propaganda) and her general inexperience with her own equipment - as well as her ability to quickly adapt to Earth - I always headcanoned Peridot as being especially young. Like, younger-than-Steven young.

Mostly because Peri’s attitude reeks of Gen Z - also because it’d be nice for a change to have a gem who isn’t thousands of years old like literally every other noteworthy gem in the show. We need a representative of gemkind who hasn’t been around for ages.

Of course, Spinel’s backstory proves that even if they went the boring route and made Peridot thousands of years old just like everybody else, it wouldn’t really mean much of anything. She’d be no less of a valid romantic option for Steven regardless of age.

Spinel is several thousands of years old, and the movie explicitly shows us what exactly that amounts to for a gem.

As I mentioned earlier, Sugar sees the gems more like AI. Spinel remaining in one spot for several millennnia, not moving an inch, not speaking to anyone, not seeing anything other than a gradually-deteriorating garden... yeah, and somehow, despite all that, Spinel’s still very childlike per her design. She had literally no room to mature or accrue life experience: Pink Diamond basically hit the pause button on her entire life.

Even though she’s several thousands of years old, through no fault of her own, Spinel’s mindset remained unchanged. It wasn’t until Steven inadvertently came into her life that she became twisted - understandably so after finally realizing she’d been abandoned by Pink.

But she still didn’t completely lose her true self. Spinel realized on her own that Steven didn’t deserve to suffer just because his mom was a negligent asshole. She also came to understand on her own that unlike Pink, Steven truly cared for her no matter what shit she threw his way.

Steven could give Spinel the care and attention she always deserved; something Pink totally denied her while deceiving her into wasting away with her abandoned playground. He could be the one to give Spinel the love she always deserved but was either denied or manipulated into believing she got.

Honestly, this is more than enough to warrant building something more between these two.

The age gap is irrelevant. The two have chemistry. They aren’t related.

(and honestly, this is fiction - these details are largely irrelevant in fiction anyway. I’m only bringing it up because it doesn’t take much research to find that every label the antis put on Stevinel is complete inaccurate Diamond propaganda bullshit)

Stevinel is FINE. Let people ship it if they want to!

Um... is that good enough?

Honestly, I’m not gonna lie: Stevinel’s pretty goddamned popular; so much that I’m a bit jealous of it. I enjoy the ship a lot, but I’ve been keeping it at arms-length all this time. I’m looking forward to when I can write my own brand of Stevinel interaction when I get to introduce her in my series, but that’s still a while to go.

Also, there’s almost zero Peridot/Spinel material, let alone my Peridot/Steven/Spinel OT3. And Stevidot material is still hard to come by; I’m noticing Stevinel’s still quite a bit easier to find by comparison.

So in a way, I feel many other unpopular ships deserve some tea-spilling sooner than Stevinel because Stevinel at least still has a sizable fanbase. Same can’t really be said for a lot of similar ships here...

A lot of this can apply to other Steven x gem ships, honestly.

But I guess I haven’t been showing Stevinel much proper love due to my devotion to my superior SU-AU. I can only hope I can soon reach a point where I can have GA Spinel react to Steven, since their dynamic will be significantly different.

(and then one day I’ll finally make the Peridot/Steven/Spinel OT3 fic!!)

Until then, I can only hope I did Stevinel some justice here!

#answered asks #ryan-spinel #stevinel #stevidot #steven universe #spinel #su spinel #shipping #spill the tea #peridot #su peridot

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afraschatz · 5 years

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Leverage - The Studio Job

It feels like ages since I’ve done one of these, and I MISS MY SHOW, so I popped in a random DVD and whohoo it is “The Studio Job”. So here is a random amount of things that I love about this episode. I love...

... the sheer swagger of Hasselhoff err Schneider err Kirkwood. Not many people can pull off that leather jacket, dude

... the fact that Eliot is present during the initial client meeting. I’ve been wondering about this actually, I mean obviously it’s clear why Eliot is here because he clearly is the only one with a decent taste in music and whatnot (what violin? Hardison who?). But, like, does Nate have a diary on his desk where he pencils in potential clients and he hasn’t yet figured out that the team reads that thing and just “happens to show up” to meetings they think interesting? Is the entire team actually present for the inital “hello” and then just randomly decides “nah, not today, today’s client is harshing my vibe, I’d rather hang out with my horde”? How do these meetings come about? I NEED TO KNOW THESE THINGS

... hahahaha, that music video is just the BEST THING. I kinda need a video like that with Eliot staring in it.

... Hardison dumping info like a boss. I know it’s common knowledge that Aldis Hodge was (in part) hired because of exactly that skill but seriously, he is SO good at it.

... “I don’t know how to play the fiddle” (Hardison probably does) and Hardison’s and Eliot’s reactions hahaha

... Kirkwood being a creepy douche. “But the computer...” - “Say it again.” Such a dick (and such a great little bit of characterisation)

... we are not talking about Hardison’s HORRIBLE outfit. Okay, maybe we are. We all know that Hardison has the best style of all of them (don’t fight me on this), so clearly the only explanation for this terribly mustard/brown combo is that he went to a thrift store and deliberately bought the most ridiculously 70s retro country shit he could find. Why? Well, to piss of Eliot, of course

... Nate wearing the white hat. Who are you trying to fool, mate? Oh, right. The mark.

... Parker’s dance theft. Hands down my favourite lift. Possibly ever. (Such a nice use of lazy sensual music there as well)

... Hardison’s clever strategy of responding to suspicion and anger by just mirroring that and instantly forming a bond of mutual pissed-off-ness

... Hardison’s condescension in reaction to the DJ’s super bad lie. Because lying is cool. But bad lying? That’s just offensive.

... Hot diggity dagum. Hahahaha, Hardison

... the notion that the entire time during that interlude Kirkwood is chewing Nate’s ear off

... Nate’s stutter - I love that he regularly uses these more obvious go-to-personas / tactics (like that stutter when he wants to come across as slightly gullible and not a threat) that aren’t that refined as those his team would chose. Why? Not because he can’t do any better. Just because he can’t be bothered. Ha, Nate, I love your casual arrogance

... sunglasses in that badly lit a club, Sophie? Really :)?

... Nate’s FACE the moment Kirkwood turns his back. You sexy, devious bastard. I love you.

... Parker and her refusal to buy into metaphors. Her sense of humour is just so - I mean OBVIOUSLY she gets it, like she gets every other metaphorical expression (“I didn’t even get to see the emerald!” anyone?). But yeah, I agree with you, it’s hilarious when the rest tries to be patient / loses their shit

... HELLO FIDDLE!

... that shot with Eliot and the blue and yellow lights

... Eliot being offended all over the place. Parker startled him! Parker was a kid!catburglar? (Dude, this is, what, the third season? How can that surprise you?) Eliot CAN sing!

... that little bit of maybe-stage-fright. And the fact that Parker is up there with him and her overacted astonishment. Which is a. seriously funny, and b. such a neat reaction because of course it pisses Eliot off, and a pissed off Eliot is not a nervous Eliot. I love these weird bits of their friendship

... Hardison following suit. - Darth Vader Eliot and Smurf Eliot. Parker’s genuine laughter. Oh God, could I love the friendship these three have any more? I think not. (And what’s the greatest thing? This isn’t even talked about, this isn’t even supposed to be the POINT of the scene. Other shows create entire episode’s, entire fucking seasons around moments like this one. Leverage? Just casually dishing it out. Because this show is perfection.)

... Hardison first comparing Eliot to Britney Spears, then calling him “baby”

...NATE poking fun at him for it

... Hardison being startled, not because of the “baby” bit obviously, but oops, there he was flirting with his best girl and his best guy and he might’ve forgotten that the coms were live

... HOW OLD ARE YOU, Nate :D

... “This must be the Southern charm I heard so much about”. Sophie, being brilliant with the “fuck you, you sleazebag” without the sleazebag actually noticing. I seriously love her throughout this episode. She has very little to do, but everything she does just reeks of that special brand of low-key arrogant professionalism and pride in her grifter skills. So much love for her.

... Nate’s sexy white hat profile!

... Eliot letting himself be seduced. Not gonna lie, there are plenty of his dates that I like better than the one in this ep, but this still is a great little scene. I really dig Eliot’s way with people (and it’s not just women; it’s people). Because he LISTENS.

... Sophie being a food snob. Again.

... Sophie’s outfit. The hair? The frigging jacket? So rad.

... Sophie’s way with Kirkwood compared to Nate’s earlier. See, this is the expert at playing people, the Shakespeare of grifters

... Eliot’s fucking voice

... Hardison’s little panic attack

... Nate’s FOCUS when he looks at Eliot. That’s not just because the con works. That is his super sharp shark focus of pride (which is totally an expression).

... seriously, Eliot’s voice. I need to dig out my old Kane CDs

... Eliot’s little smile at the end

... reward sex. You earned that, man.

... why do you take out your com? Everyone knows what you’re doing anyway. And now Nate has to beat up goons on his own. Jeez.

... “You two work out together” - hahaha, oh Nate

... “Forever 21, don’t hit me” - another seriously nice bit of interlacing the imminent danger of Nate potentially getting killed with teenage groupies. Not only is that little tidbit funny in its own right, it also tells us, before we even see it, that Nate’s all right. Eliot already knows, obviously, he has the ear bud back in and he is taking his sweet time to give that autograph and whatnot while definitely listening to Nate dealing with that problem. That is my version of how it went down and I’m sticking with it

... “Oh, ELIOT’s the fiddle” hahaha

... Parker’s outfit. Hardison’s COAT (btw, the way Parker and Hardison interact here? This is probably pretty close to how they must seem to the unsuspecting casual observer ALWAYS, just minus the outfit).

... “We was cool, we was vibin’”

... Eliot being chased, and all of this having such a retro Beatles vibe to it

... “Contrary to what you all believe, I do not control everything that happens on the internet”... five seconds later “Boom, fansite nuked”

... “I’m pretty certain a fatwa was issued!” - “You’re so vain, man.” (Because yes, Hardison. Eliot brags by telling people how many governments want him dead. That is absolutely how Eliot rolls.)

... “seriously, for breakfast?!” - I love you, Sophie

... Sophie’s superfast reactions and the joy of getting to slap Nate

... Parker’s traipsing and Hardison’s gangsta walk

... you know what is better than Hardison half naked in a recording studio? Hardison, half naking in a recording studio, yanking Eliot’s chain.

... Parker’s scale of what is weird being VERY different than anyone else’s

... “This is not from an iceberg”

... Hardison moving with Eliot’s music, then interrupting him, THEN cutting off communications :)

... niiice little bit of storytelling-by-superzoom, and Parker solving the case while Hardison and Eliot are just mucking around

... Ribs, Ribs, More Ribs

... “The guy who’s buying our fiddle? He thinks he IS the fiddle.”

... Locked off comedy frame - my favourite ever, actually. SO many great OT3 scenes in this episode

... beating goons up with a mic stand AND drumsticks

... black-hat-Nate (now, doesn’t that look more right?) impersonating Hannibal Smith

... nice shot of the four of them in the hotel

... a conveniently parked random motorbike

... Eliot err Kenneth Crane t-shirts

... Kirkwood lip-syncing

... a groupie flashmob

... Parker on stage. Because this is important. For the con. For Eliot.

... Eliot once again proving that he is a great actor (second best on the team) in that staged conversation with Kirkwood

... a conveniently placed cow-hide

... Eliot and Nate doing the gloat together.

... Nate’s black hat, toothpick combo (he is really loving this week’s outfit theme, isn’t he?)

... Eliot’s little laugh at the proposal of being one half of the next Johnny and June. I love that because it’s both sweet and kinda flattered as well as absolutely-not- are-you-kidding-me- as-that-could-tempt-me-away- from-the-sweet-gig-I-already-got

... that little beat, again with just Nate and Eliot. God, I love their friendship sosososo much. I should write a 5k essay about it. And by essay I mean ode.

... that way that Nate is not looking people in the eye when he wants to give them a bit of privacy. Or when he wants some himself

... “Notes on my performance” - “How were you?” - “No complaints” - And Eliot’s and Sophie’s relationship? SO different. Equally awesome.

... I also what to know what time it is, Eliot.

Perfect episode. Perfect show.

#leverage #eliot spencer #alec hardison #nate ford #sophie deveraux #parker #episode reaction #things I love about #the studio job

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gunnerpalace · 7 years

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(Art by @gabecebro, used with permission and originally posted here; if you like it, please go show your appreciation!)

GROUNDED! - A Bleach AU Idea Revised

You might’ve seen the original idea for Grounded! before. Long story short, it’s evolved significantly since that post was made. Namely, I (among others) fell for YoruIchiRuki as an AU OT3, so it’s now the start of a much longer series of adventures for the three. So, I’ve decided to publicly expand upon the idea as originally presented.

INTRODUCTION

Ichigo is fascinated with a jet-haired flight attendant he weirdly keeps running into. Okay, well, that was true the first half-a-dozen times. Then he pulled some favors and found out who she was and what her route was. What? They just wind up flying together a lot and staying in the same layover cities pretty often. There’s nothing wrong with that, it’s just a coincidence. He’s never even talked to her really, except to occasionally ask for a Coke. She probably doesn’t even know he exists.

Or perhaps Rukia does, but thinks much the same.

But for every awkward problem in the world, there’s an equally awkward solution! Enter Yoruichi—that’s Captain Shihōin to you, buddy—who’s never met someone she wanted to bed that didn’t wind up there the next morning.

When all three of them wind up stuck during a layover because of the worst blizzard in a century, Yoruichi happily plies her wiles on Rukia, only to soon discover she’s stepped into a thorny situation. Feeling more than a little guilty, because she really likes Rukia, she decides to adopt a new pet project: she’s going to get the two of them together, hell or high water.

There's just one problem: nothing ever works out that cleanly or easily.

SETTING

Grounded! takes place in an alternate universe (AU) from Bleach. While Bleach is essentially a "secret history” of our world, Grounded! occurs in a familiar but historically divergent reality.

The short version is that it takes place in a North America that resembles the setting of the film Big Hero 6, with a fusion of Japanese and American sensibilities and cultures.

The long version is a little more complicated. Our divergence begins in late 1580s Japan. Toyotomi Hideyoshi ultimately does not adopt Oda Nobunaga's vision of invading Ming China through Joseon Korea, determining it to be infeasible. Instead, after unifying Japan, he decides to deal with Japan's excess of military strength through seafaring raids and invasions (much like the Vikings and Normans in outcome), rather than an extended ground campaign.

Drawing from the experiences of the wokou pirates of the Sengoku period, samurai are dispatched to other nearby targets instead: against the Ainu in Hokkaido (which is occupied much earlier than historically), Taiwan (which becomes "Japanese Formosa," with both the Dutch and Spanish being held off some decades later), the Philippines, parts of Indonesia, the Bruneian Empire, the Jurchens in the Ussuri region, Sakhalin, the Kurils, and Kamchatka... It isn’t long until some of these spearheads arrive in Hawaii and Alaska, and soon the North American West Coast. Word eventually gets back about the bounty of these areas, along with raiding opportunities on Spanish galleons, and the center of focus shifts dramatically.

Thus, the Japanese are the ones to colonize the West Coast of the continent, pushing inward as far as the Rocky Mountains. The fertile terrain and easy access from the Pacific draws settlers much faster than historical settlement from the east. Discoveries of gold occur much earlier, and the region as a whole develops much more rapidly. It’s at this time that the great families such as the Shihōin, Kuchiki, and Shiba gain their wealth and stature. Eventually, they develop ideas of their own, and much like their equivalents in the British colonies on the East Coast later will, they guide the colony to independence.

This West Coast nation later comes into contact with those same British colonies, and there is much trade and cross-pollination between them, with heavy infusions of Mexican, Anglo, and later continental European settlers into the region, creating a cosmopolitan atmosphere.

Eventually, the great families conspire to assist the British colonies in achieving their own independence. Faced with hostile colonizing powers across each ocean (namely, Japan and Britain), the two ally, and eventually federate together into a single country occupying what in our world is Canada and the United States. (For the sake of convenience, this will still be addressed as “the United States,” but it is rather different internally.) Much of the rest of history goes roughly the same, with the West and North crushing the South in the Civil War, participation in WW1 and WW2, and engagement in a Cold War with the Soviet Union that ends in the early 2000s. (I can’t be bothered making too elaborate of a timeline; things are different, but similar enough.)

It’s February of 2017. By this point in time, the Shihōin, Kuchiki, and their peers have a reputation akin to the Rockefellers and Rothschilds of the East Coast, although their wealth is older and significantly more substantial: they regard their East Coast Anglo counterparts as petty nouveau riche in comparison. The Shiba seem to have retreated from the public eye.

Grounded! proper takes place in Calgary, in what we’d call Canada, although it’s somewhat different. All of the main characters reside in what we’d know as the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area, although in this setting it’s known as Murakumo (叢雲, "cloudbank") and is a much, much larger city.

(For the record, San Diego is Heisui [平水, "calm water"], Los Angeles is Aozora [青空, "blue sky"], San Francisco-Oakland is Miyako [都, "capital"], Portland is Fūsawa [豊川, "rich river"], and Vancouver is Shiroyama [白山, "white mountain"]; the relationship between Murakumo and Shiroyama, and their degree of urbanization, is like Tokyo and Yokohama, or Osaka and Kobe.)

The great families maintain their primary compounds in Miyako, although they have presences pretty much everywhere, and can often be found in places such as the equivalents of Malibu, Palm Springs, and Las Vegas, as well as in New York and Martha’s Vineyard. (They love sticking it to their East Coast counterparts and the new suits who think they run things.)

DRAMATIS PERSONÆ

Yoruichi Shihōin - 32 years old (January 1, 1985). Wealthy scion. Ex-fighter jock. Consummate hedonist. Born to privilege, she was never one for the boardroom and bucked tradition, joining the Navy straight out of college and gaining acclaim both as their first female fighter pilot and first female ace. But the military life was never for her either, and a lucrative offer from an airline stole her away from them—not that she ever needed the money. It’s more that it was a fun and free way to see the world... and more besides. Yoruichi fought in something like the equivalent of the Gulf War for the Navy, flying an F-14D, although it took place much later (circa 2008; she joined at 22 and left at 28). She met Kisuke shortly after leaving. She lives alone in a condo, although she visits him often before the events of the story. She still has all her resources as a Shihōin, but avoids going home at all costs.

Ichigo Kurosaki - 24 years old (July 15, 1992). Young buck. Newbie lawyer. Angsty type. Coming from a middle-class background and having fought his way to the top through grit and determination, he’s hungry to prove... something. He just doesn’t know what yet. The latest hire to a vast and prestigious law firm (”Prism”), and specializing in corporate law, he’s really the newest gofer on the jet-set lifestyle, delivering documents and briefs all over the world. It doesn’t often leave him a lot of time for other pursuits. Ichigo lost his mother Masaki at the age of 9 to a freak accident that would later influence his decision to pursue a career in law. He has his own small apartment, but visits his family’s home often. His sisters still live there while attending the local (yet prestigious) Murakumo University, same as he did.

Rukia Kuchiki - 26 years old (January 14, 1991). Youthful sprite. Veteran Stewardess. Feisty upstart. Rukia’s past is known to very few, and she was adopted into the Kuchiki family under still mysterious circumstances in her early teens, after which she mostly grew up in elite educational institutions. She only entered the family business a few years ago. Her connection to the top of the food-chain doesn’t mean a cushy job though—she’s expected to work her way up. She’s been around the world more times than she’s been around the sun, but there are certain things she’s still yet to find. Kaien Shiba died saving her after she fell into a pond through thin spring ice when she was 16. She lives with her brother in the family’s compound in Murakumo.

Byakuya Kuchiki - 34 years old (January 31, 1983). Lonely widower. Tireless industrialist. Overprotective brother. The latest heir to the Kuchiki family and CEO of the massive Kuchiki International, he tirelessly seeks to expand his company's rule over the friendly skies, and further the fortunes of his extended family. Unfortunately however, sometimes even a CEO with a controlling interest has to bow to the stockholders. Byakuya set out to chart his own course, away from the prying eyes of the Kuchiki elders, wanting to make a name and a fortune for himself as independently as he could. His selection of Murakumo was no accident. He was briefly married to Hisana, who died of a rare genetic condition; he fulfilled her last wish of adopting Rukia and developed an enduring interest in biotech research as a result. He has his own vast estate, on what in our world is Mercer Island.

Kūkaku Shiba - 31 years old (October 1, 1985) Reclusive heiress. Aspiring artist. Restless soul. The daughter of old-money that fell off the grid, she’s interested in applying her family’s wealth toward some noble end. Ironically, the social circles she runs in are small and she’s wound up in the orbit of her departed brother’s nemesis, while her eccentric uncle keeps refusing to return her calls. That is, whenever she can make one, when Yoruichi’s not on the line about this or that conquest or stop... Kūkaku allowed the prominence of the Shiba to decline markedly after Kaien’s death and the departure of her uncle, Isshin; the Shiba were never as prominent as the other families, and most of their assets are now shuttered. Still, she holds a vast amount of wealth at her fingertips. She lives in a stately penthouse condo with her brother Ganju and their two butlers, and spends most of her time there.

There will be some additional minor characters popping up who will be familiar to everyone.

Kisuke Urahara - (37 years old, December 31, 1980) owns a bar (”Free Radical”) in Murakumo. In his early 20s he ditched working on his doctoral thesis at MIT to join both CIAs (the Culinary Institute of America and the Central Intelligence Agency) for a number of years, before moving across the continent and dabbling in mixology, molecular gastronomy, and brewing. He’s Yoruichi’s closest friend after Kūkaku, as well as her on-again, off-again lover, although their relationship is rather loose and fluid.

Rangiku Matsumoto - (30 years old, September 29, 1986) another flight attendant (albeit a senior one; a Chief Purser) for Kuchiki International, she’s more than a little familiar with Yoruichi, having flown with her before and having had an extended adventure with her on at least one occasion. They’re quite friendly and tend to hang out some during their journeys when teamed up, but aren’t really close friends off the job. She views it as not just her job to watch over the younger flight crew, but her duty.

Izuru Kira - (26 years old, March 27, 1991) Yoruichi’s long-time co-pilot, they’ve been working together for two years, with her serving as his mentor. Very staid and by-the-book, he’s the professional counterpart to her wily and by-the-seat-of-her-pants style, and often the focal point of her and Rangiku’s shenanigans. He’s the proud owner of an out-of-style painter’s brush mustache and has managed to keep it despite several attempts by them to shave it off.

Yoruichi, Kūkaku, Byakuya, Kisuke, and Rangiku grew up in an environment more like that of our 1980s, while Ichigo, Rukia, and Kira grew up in a climate that was more like the 1990s.

In addition, there are others who’ll pop up as background characters, such as: Isshin, Karin, and Yuzu Kurosaki (as, of course, Ichigo’s family); Shunsui Kyōraku, Jūshirō Ukitake, Retsu Unohana, Nanao Ise, Isane Kotetsu, Kiyone Kotetsu, Sentarō Kotsubaki, and Hanatarō Yamada (as staff at Prism, Ichigo’s law firm; Shunsui, Jūshirō, and Retsu are the senior partners); Renji Abarai (alluded to only; Rukia’s college boyfriend and one-time first lover); Suì Fēng and Marechiyo Ōmaeda (possibly alluded to only for now; Yoruichi’s former junior wingman, and her Radar Intercept Officer, respectively); and probably more (including Tatsuki Arisawa, Uryū Ishida, and Yasutora “Chad” Sado). Even more characters will appear in cameos, such as Gin Ichimaru (a national network weatherman) and Sōsuke Aizen (an anchor for the same).

SYNOPSIS

Day 1: On their first night stuck in Calgary, Yoruichi decides she’s going to take the opportunity to unwind, and goes to find and approach Rukia. At this same time, Ichigo finds himself unable to do the same, and drowns his sorrows for the evening, having already informed his firm of his situation. Rukia is initially wary and uncertain for various reasons, but Yoruichi makes it clear she’s not trying to abuse her position or pressure her, and that Rukia can stop or leave at any time if she feels uncomfortable.

Rukia eventually decides to go with Yoruichi to her suite out of curiosity more than anything else. They shower and spend time relaxing in the tub together, with Yoruichi endeavoring to put Rukia at ease. When she finally tries kissing Rukia, the latter is surprised to find she enjoys it. They spend some more time talking, and eventually dry off by a fireplace, slowly beginning to become more intimate. Ultimately, they make love, with Yoruichi leading at first, and fall asleep together.

Day 2: They wake up pleasantly the next morning, and have a room service breakfast, getting ready together. Rukia isn’t quite sure what to do, but knows she doesn’t want to just leave. Yoruichi finds she doesn’t want that either, and offers to spend the day together. Rukia enthusiastically agrees, and they explore what the airport has to offer, going to a spa and salon together, having lunch, doing some shopping, seeing a movie, and having something of a date night.

They’re settling in for a second evening together when Rukia gets a call from Rangiku saying that the stewardesses have been looking for her, and want her to come hang out the next day. Rukia reluctantly agrees, before turning her attention back to Yoruichi. Ichigo spends the day dealing with his work and helping Prism compensate for the fact he can’t get to where he needs to be, but still finds time to mope in the evening.

Day 3: The morning goes much the same, with Rukia reluctant to leave. Yoruichi gently shoos her, telling her they can always meet up again if she wants. She cheekily lends Rukia a toy and sends her off with a kiss. Afterwards, Yoruichi calls Kūkaku—whom she knows has been associating with Byakuya lately—to gossip a bit. Kūkaku is nonplussed at hearing the news, but knows it’s hopeless to try and stop Yoruichi. Soon after the call, she meets with Byakuya to discuss a corporate art installation he wants to commission.

It isn’t long after lunch when Rangiku shows up to interrogate Yoruichi, having deduced what’s happened from Yoruichi and Rukia’s absences and the change in Rukia’s mood. She informs Yoruichi about the situation between Rukia and Ichigo, which she and the other flight attendants have been aware of, and leaves Yoruichi to stew in what she’s inadvertently stepped into, thinking it to be karmic comeuppance for once.

After a brief period of self-loathing and reflection, Yoruichi decides to try and fix it by approaching Ichigo, and calls Kūkaku for moral support. Kūkaku is a bit snippy because she’s in the middle of a casual lunch with Byakuya, but something about the guy Yoruichi is talking about also sounds vaguely familiar. Yoruichi quickly finds her nerve despite Kūkaku’s warnings, and goes to find Ichigo. Byakuya invites Kūkaku to dinner the next evening.

Yoruichi discovers she has a lot of work to do if she’s going to get Ichigo and Rukia to meet smoothly, and tells Rangiku to keep Rukia distracted, telling Rukia herself that she thinks she’s coming down with a cold. She spends the evening putting the moves on Ichigo, gradually convincing him to go along with her for dinner and a movie, before doing much the same as she did with Rukia. She eventually gets him to relax and open up, and beds him too.

Day 4: Ichigo’s morning with Yoruichi is rather less serene than Rukia’s two were. Still, Yoruichi manages to once more put him at ease. She elects to spend the day in with him, as she has quite a lot to teach him if she’s going to trust someone special like Rukia to him. While he naps in the afternoon, she once more calls Rukia to put on a show of being sick, and calls Kūkaku again. Kūkaku soon figures out Ichigo is, in fact, her cousin Ichigo, and rapidly puts together what a problem this is becoming, as Yoruichi has somehow involved herself with both a Kuchiki and a Shiba at the same time as she, a Shiba, is also dealing with a Kuchiki—that very evening, in fact.

She warns Yoruichi in no uncertain terms, but Yoruichi assures her it’ll all work out before hanging up as Ichigo wakes. Kūkaku can’t reach her again. Rukia becomes a bit morose that evening as she begins to wonder if Yoruichi is intentionally avoiding her, and finds she really misses Yoruichi’s company in every way. Yoruichi puts Ichigo through his paces into the night. Kūkaku and Byakuya have a surprisingly fun dinner, that then becomes having drinks and drawing closer together, until going home is the furthest thing from Kūkaku‘s mind.

Day 5: Yoruichi wakes up as usual and has breakfast by herself, letting Ichigo sleep in. She texts Rukia to try and arrange meeting up for lunch, and soon gets an affirmative reply back. She ruminates on her plan as she gets ready, deciding it’s best to be blunt and direct. Kūkaku and Byakuya have a pleasant and lazy morning together that she teases him relentlessly about. Ichigo wakes up late in the morning, having been exhausted the previous day, and Yoruichi encourages him to get dressed to join her for lunch. Starving, he agrees.

Rukia and Ichigo are shocked to see each other at lunch. Yoruichi sincerely apologizes to Rukia, but chastises Ichigo somewhat, before introducing them, telling them how she learned about them and making the case that they belong together—after all, she’d know better than anyone! The meeting goes less well than Yoruichi had hoped, and both Ichigo and Rukia excuse themselves, heading off alone. Yoruichi is left at the table wondering if she really has messed everything up.

Another call to Kūkaku has Yoruichi learning about her situation with Byakuya, to her infinite amusement and Kūkaku’s chagrin. Byakuya deduces something is going on despite affording Kūkaku privacy for her call, given how she’s yelling, but he doesn’t pry—yet. Their example gives Yoruichi hope in persevering, but Rukia and Ichigo don’t return her texts or calls. The two spend the afternoon and evening thinking about her and each other.

That night, there’s a knock on Yoruichi’s door, and she finds Rukia outside. Rukia asks if she can come in, and after Yoruichi apologizes much more profusely, they wind up cuddling and comforting one another, before they fall asleep together. Ichigo also has a visitor: Rangiku. She invites herself into his room and makes herself comfortable in a chair, having figured out what’s going on, and begins to tell him what she knows about Rukia. Kūkaku spends another evening with Byakuya, although this time she’s a bit distracted by what’s going on, which he notices. They spend the night together again.

Day 6: Yoruichi and Rukia go to breakfast, only to be surprised when Ichigo joins them and takes a seat. They sit in silence for awhile before Yoruichi speaks up and reiterates her case. She offers to help them out if they need her to, to the horror of both. Sensing a change in their attitudes, she holds up her hands in wry surrender, leaving the two alone.

Ichigo and Rukia watch her leave before turning their attention to one another, and have a moment of awkward silence, then look away. Rukia tries to break the ice when Ichigo suddenly dismisses what Yoruichi said, yet asks her out to lunch. Surprised, she agrees. They wind up idling together and chatting until then, and after lunch, she asks him out to dinner and a movie. He also agrees.

Yoruichi, meanwhile, is communicating with Rangiku to sorta kinda spy on them as best they’re able, and in the afternoon she decides that her plan is a success. She phones Kūkaku in triumph, only for Kūkaku snap and hang up on her. Byakuya finally approaches Kūkaku, carefully noting her agitation and offering to listen. Not wanting to lie to him, and also discerning the importance of acting if it turns out Yoruichi has succeeded, Kūkaku begins to explain what happened to the Shiba, who her nearest relatives are, and what exactly has been occurring during the blizzard. Byakuya isn’t happy, but also knows he can’t do anything about it, and appreciates her honesty. He decides to wait and see what happens, and make whatever moves he has to later.

Yoruichi goes out to party with her flight crew. Despite her alcohol intolerance, she winds up having more than a few drinks.

Ichigo and Rukia have a lovely—if animated—evening, and they’re at Rukia’s hotel room, ready to part, when she invites him inside. He goes along with her, and they mutually decide to repeat how Yoruichi started out things with them. They soon discover they’re great and mind-blowing, and stay up until the early hours of the morning before collapsing in a heap together.

Day 7: Ichigo and Rukia wake up late and laze with one another, continuing to explore and get to know one another in various ways: talking, cuddling, and making love. Rukia eventually circles around to the fact that Yoruichi was right, which Ichigo grudingly admits.

Yoruichi, meanwhile, spends her seventh day resting, having thoroughly worn herself out physically and emotionally over the past week. She’s also nursing a hangover from the night before. For the 84th time, she swears off ever drinking again, and deliberately distracts herself from thinking of the two lovebirds, for reasons she doesn’t want to think about either.

Kūkaku spends the day away from Byakuya, working on her art and mulling over whether she really wants to get involved with him. He’s charming, and respectful, and the sex is amazing, but... it’s complicated. And Yoruichi hasn’t done much to help. She needs a little time to process it. She tries reaching Isshin yet again (as she periodically does) and when she can’t, she finally decides to do something about it, heading to the Kurosaki residence personally.

After dinner in Rukia’s room, ichigo and Rukia fall back into one another before another spell of conversation. The subject turns to Yoruichi and how utterly ridiculous everything has been. They swap stories about her, realizing how much fun they had with her. They gradually decide they “owe” her, and they plot about their "revenge,” with Rukia calling Rangiku to try and enlist her help.

Day 8: The blizzard is finally on track to lift enough for flight operations to resume in the afternoon. However, Yoruichi’s flight crew has no intention of leaving just yet. Rangiku has already reported up the chain of command that Yoruichi and Izuru are too ill to fly, and their passengers have already been reassigned to other flights—not that either knows. She goes to personally “distract” Izuru—she’s never found him unattractive, and it’s a perfect opportunity to once more try and get rid of that damn mustache of his.

Ichigo and Rukia, meanwhile, turn up at Yoruichi’s suite, surprising her just as she’s about to leave in her flight uniform. They guide her back inside, with just a bit of gentle manhandling, while Ichigo explains they’re not going anywhere. Yoruichi quickly figures out what’s going on and doesn’t put up too much of a struggle. Ichigo and Rukia really intend to show off and treat her, rather than teach her a lesson, but they also want to lead and have it to be something she’ll never forget. Having remembered her initial offer, they make her watch them before freeing her to play with them too. They spend the whole day together, celebrating each other.

Kūkaku, meanwhile, has dragooned Isshin into admitting to Karin and Yuzu that the Kurosaki are really a branch of the Shiba. Having stayed overnight with them at their request, she begins formally reengaging the Shiba’s assets as the leader of the family. One of her first decisions is to shift management of some of the family’s assets to a different law firm: Prism. In so doing, she requests they be handled by her cousin: Ichigo. She then sets about wiping out Karin and Yuzu’s student loan debt, assigning aside resources to do the same for Ichigo, and beginning to create reasonable endowments for them, before scheduling another date with Byakuya.

News quickly reaches the senior partners of the sudden addition of several billions of dollars of assets to Prism’s portfolio, and the attendant discovery that one of their newer employees is in fact a Shiba. Although Ichigo has essentially been excused from work due to the blizzard, they’re all surprised that no one can reach him. Regardless, they immediately set about arranging a promotion for him to fulfill Kūkaku’s request. The opportunity simply can’t be passed up.

Day 9: Ichigo and Rukia wake with Yoruichi and have breakfast. Ichigo is already scheduled to return to Murakumo since there’s no point in continuing on to his original destination (someone else was dispatched in his place), as are Yoruichi’s air crew for the same reason. They’re all taking the same flight back.

Ichigo finally turns his cell phone back on to discover a deluge of text messages and voice-mails regarding his heritage and promotion from his family and work. Yoruichi and Rukia look on with different degrees of surprise, before calling Kūkaku and Byakuya, respectively. Yoruichi gossips some, though she doesn’t reveal what happened the prior day; Byakuya asks Rukia about her involvement with Ichigo, which Rukia affirms. Neither set of parties knows the other are in the same room.

After the call ends, Byakuya and Kūkaku have a brief conversation regarding the events, during which Byakuya produces and approves a promotion request that Rukia had submitted to human resources, leaving it with one of his secretaries. They go out to lunch together.

Rukia and Ichigo eventually go their separate ways to get their things, meeting back up with Yoruichi at their gate. The flight home is routine and uneventful. They all part amicably at Murakumo’s terminal, with Ichigo and Rukia knowing they’ll see each other again soon. Yoruichi goes home to sleep for another age, only to find she can’t. She’s missing... something... and doesn’t want to admit to herself that it’s them. Lonely, she goes to Free Radical to seek Kisuke’s company, ultimately asking if she can sleep in his bed. His answer is always “Mi casa es su casa.”

Epilogue: A little over two weeks later, Ichigo and Rukia show up outside Yoruichi’s apartment together. She’s surprised to see them at first, as she’s been trying her best to move on (to no avail), only for her mood to darken once they reveal they feel differently and want her to join them on a proper vacation. They move as one on the issue, having had plenty of opportunity to discuss it.

For the first time in quite a long time, Yoruichi finds herself emotionally compromised, only to in turn be stunned by the sincerity of their offer. Ichigo and Rukia calm her through touch and offer to stay the night, and Yoruichi happily agrees.

PROMOTIONAL SNIPPET (The Beginning)

Airports exist as liminal spaces—the constant transience of their occupants leaves echoes in the fabric of their reality. That held especially true in the quiet gloom of a mid-February twilight at Calgary International Airport, with a blizzard howling down from the north and cancelling all flights in and out. The floor to ceiling windows that normally offered a view of the mountains and the international gates only showed featureless gray.

Yoruichi had already clocked out. They’d received their final forecast for the evening—the low pressure system was nearly stationary, projections estimated several feet of snow by morning, and wind chill was going to go well below zero—and the front was expected to pound the area for several days. It was only going to disperse when a Chinook wind swept in from the west to knock it out. She, her crew, their passengers, and many others besides, were all grounded, and would be for the foreseeable future.

They were fortunate that the airport had recently finished a massive upgrade program. The terminal had been radically expanded to accommodate international traffic and more besides, which was the entire reason her flight was there. But the airport had also gained several in-terminal hotels and other amenities, which was good, because based on the reports, even travel as far as the city proper would be impossible. Everyone stuck had been billeted rooms—she'd gotten a suite.

Yoruichi sighed and turned away from the gray-out. It wouldn't be long until sundown.

Being stuck on the ground for so long was going to make her tetchy—she’d never liked being tethered. She mused over joining the rest of her crew for a drink in one of the lounges, but decided to instead act on a thought she'd been harboring. She was going to seek out one crewmember in particular—one she knew wouldn’t have joined the others in their giddy celebration.

Rukia would have found somewhere to be alone.

Yoruichi had captained flights for Kuchiki International—so big it didn't have to advertise it was an airline, because everyone already knew—for three years, ever since leaving the Navy. Despite that, her current crew was relatively new to her other than her co-pilot, Kira, and one of the stewardesses, Rangiku—they'd only been together for six flights.

She'd become acquainted with them as usual, but Rukia had always stuck out to her—not least because Yoruichi knew who she was. Rukia tried to keep quiet about the fact she was a Kuchiki, often claiming she simply happened to share the last name, but Yoruichi knew better.

She hadn't hung out with Byakuya during her last trip home, a decade ago—he'd already set off on his agenda of world conquest—and hadn't really talked to anyone but Kūkaku while she was there, but she'd kept in touch with the same. She'd also gotten letters from Yūshirō annoyingly often. Between the two, she knew Byakuya had adopted a sister under mysterious circumstances, one whom looked like him, and whom Kaien had given his life to save from a frozen lake. It didn't take a genius to piece together that was Rukia.

That fact alone made her intriguing—she was Byakuya's sister, and Yoruichi and Byakuya had always had an interesting relationship. Although he was two years her senior, she'd loved teasing him since their first meeting so long ago. What sort of interactions might she have with his sister?

But it was also nothing so hypothetical.

Put simply, Rukia was stunning in a refined way, and her beauty and elegance were nothing like skin-deep. Yoruichi hadn't had much opportunity to talk with Rukia one-on-one, but she'd seen her in groups and knew how the rest of the crew treated her. Rukia was by turns tough and compassionate, level-headed and whimsical, and always smart, even if she tended to be quiet about it. She had an attitude, but not an attitude problem.

To Yoruichi, Rukia seemed both pretty and lively. She imagined Rukia was fun in other ways too, and she'd had never been one to walk away from fun if she could help it. Since they had at least a few days to kill, she saw no harm in making a pitch, and that was exactly what she intended to do.

She made her way out of the concourse toward the terminal proper.

Rukia would probably be somewhere high up, away from the bustle of the nearest bars and lounges—she seemed to like heights. Yoruichi began considering places to check as she made her way toward the hotel they'd been booked into. Stopping there would give her a chance to change into something more comfortable, and Rukia was likely at its observation lounge too.

-―-

Ichigo was in a different hotel, sitting windowside at its observation lounge. His chin was cupped in one hand, and he idly swirled a cocktail glass around with the other. He considered another building, dim and gray through the snowfall. He knew Rukia was there because he'd started his evening there, only to have spotted her sitting alone at the bar when he'd walked in. He'd seen her far too many times to ever mistake her for anyone else, from any angle, and he'd immediately left.

With a sigh, he shut his eyes and downed the rest of his Blood and Sand. You're pathetic, he thought.

Ichigo had encountered her the very first time he'd boarded a flight for his law firm. He'd instantly been captured by her eyes, but the extent of their interaction had been asking her for a Coke. He'd noted her nametag: Rukia.

They'd kept bumping into one another after that. He didn't run into her on every flight, but it happened often enough that he noticed. She never seemed to remember him, but he wasn't so sure that was the case, given his hair. At any rate, they'd never had a chance to really talk—and he wanted to talk to her for some reason.

His firm wasn't unfamiliar with Kuchiki International—which was why all their flights were chartered through them—so he knew some people who knew some people. He'd pulled a few strings and used a few details to find out some things about her. Her full name was Rukia Kuchiki. It didn't take a genius to figure out she was related to the CEO. Her routes usually brought her back to Murakumo, which was both Kuchiki International's hub city and where he lived too. It wasn't surprising they ran into each other so frequently.

It wasn't that Ichigo hadn't tried putting her out of mind, but he couldn't. He hadn't really wanted to cyberstalk her or something, but his curiosity had gotten the better of him. He'd poked around a little more and found her Facebook and Instagram rather easily. She was a year older than him. She had a strange love of rabbits, but otherwise seemed pretty normal and down-to-earth. She looked great in winter wear, and... everything really. She was single.

And now he was stuck in an international airport with her for god knows how long, and yet he couldn't even approach her at a bar. This was the perfect opportunity. What was it all for if he didn't have the nerve?

He considered the building across the way again for a long time, then sighed and called a waiter over for another cocktail.

PROMOTIONAL SNIPPET (The Ending)

Yoruichi turned and crossed her arms under her chest. "What's that got to do with me?" Her voice was strained.

Ichigo blinked as he saw the set of her shoulders and how tightly she was squeezing her biceps. Tension radiated off her.

Rukia noticed the same and looked to Ichigo before her expression became sympathetic. She was the one to start forward first.

He followed in her wake.

Rukia walked around in front of Yoruichi and brought her hands up to clasp the back of hers. "Hey..."

Yoruichi only met her gaze for a moment, then looked decisively to one side.

Ichigo lightly grasped her sides at the waist, standing behind her. "We miss you." It was a plain and unornamented truth.

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed and she hunched up her shoulders as if wracked by a chill. "Don't be ridiculous."

Rukia reached up to cup Yoruichi’s cheeks, finding the woman’s skin warmed her hands like the sun. She gently tried to turn her head so they’d face each other again. "Who's being ridiculous?"

Yoruichi frowned and set her expression hard, focusing intently on some point off to the side. When she spoke her voice carried the gravitas of authority: “What the fuck are you doing?”

Rukia blinked and automatically drew her hands back in confusion.

Ichigo likewise released her as he felt her go rigid.

Yoruichi closed her eyes. “I can understand wanting to pay me back, but you did that already! Do you think I was bullshitting you?! You’re perfect for each other! Hell, it’s like you were designed to be together! You’re like yin and yang, black and white! Why are you trying to ruin it, you idiots?!”

Ichigo and Rukia found each other before glancing at Yoruichi and looking to either side.

“Do you think I’m stupid?” Yoruichi’s tone was low, but in the quiet that had descended over the room it was more than loud enough.

The attention of the couple was instantly upon her again.

Yoruichi clamped her hands around her upper arms tighter yet, letting out a brief, harsh laugh. Her voice grew quieter still. “Do you think I’m stupid enough to believe that there’s any place for me in that kind of thing...?”

A moment passed. Then another.

Rukia bit her lip and looked to Ichigo.

He met her gaze. A decision flickered between them and he turned his attention to Yoruichi, delicately taking hold of her waist again.

She blinked her eyes open in surprise only to freeze as Rukia’s hands returned to her cheeks.

Rukia once more tried to turn Yoruichi’s head—succeeding given her preoccupation—and studied her intently. Yoruichi’s voice had been steady but there was no mistaking the gleam at the outer corners of her eyes. She carefully brought her thumbs up to wipe the tears away.

Yoruichi’s eyes widened in response and she was suddenly aware of her heartbeat hammering in her ears. She looked up, needing to focus on anything but the concern Rukia was radiating for her. "I just wanted you to be happy," she whispered. There was no space for her in that picture. No room.

Ichigo moved closer so he was lightly pressed to her back, and brought his forehead down to rest against the top of her head, burying his nose against the start of her ponytail. The citrus scent of her hair put him at ease and his arms naturally slid around her waist. "Then come with us."

She shivered at the contact but didn't try to pull away.

Rukia released Yoruichi's hands and slid her arms around her neck, hugging her and pushing her back against Ichigo. The sudden rush of the aromas that so defined Yoruichi filled her thoughts and she found herself relaxing at it. "Please?"

Yoruichi shut her eyes. "But..."

"We'd like you to be there," Ichigo insisted.

"And we know you'd like it too," Rukia whispered.

Yoruichi clenched her jaw before dropping her chin so she leaned against Rukia, unfolding her arms. She got one hand around to the back of Rukia's head and brought the other up onto the back of Ichigo's.

They both pressed closer to her and started to brush at her reassuringly.

A faint shudder once again rippled through Yoruichi; she only slowly relaxed.

The three of them stood together for quite a long time before Rukia turned her head to consider the inside of the apartment. There was a couch not too far away. She looked back toward Yoruichi and Ichigo. How distraught their mentor was had come as a surprise—if she'd known, she’d never have let them wait even as little as they had. She took Yoruichi’s wrist and started to gently tug her toward the couch.

Yoruichi blinked her eyes open, looking to Rukia uncertainly.

Ichigo noticed and let her go, taking her other wrist and moving around to stand beside Rukia. They shared a look and he likewise beckoned Yoruichi forward.

After looking between them, Yoruichi followed, letting them guide her to her couch.

Ichigo sat first, Rukia getting next to him, and the two of them drew Yoruichi down onto their shared lap space, taking her into an embrace.

Yoruichi sank into the comfort of them. She… she’d missed them—so much.

Rukia turned and lowered her head, softly kissing at Yoruichi’s neck to comfort her.

Ichigo did the same, getting his face below her ponytail to plant little smooches along the back of her neck.

Yoruichi clenched her jaw again, this time to keep from vocalizing. She knew the difference between reassurance and sensuality well enough—especially with them—but being with them in such a close and intimate fashion again stirred her soul. Sharing space and touch with them felt like… like finally coming home.

Ichigo gave her the lightest nip and his eyes flickered open to find Rukia’s.

She glanced at him and one of her hands brushed across his in the course of slowly roving over Yoruichi’s sides. She soon shut her eyes and busied herself at where the woman’s neck met her jawline.

He brought his lips to Yoruichi’s ear. “We can stay the night.”

Yoruichi pushed her chin down against Rukia’s hair and didn’t hesitate to say “Yes.”

FUTURE DEVELOPMENTS

The sky’s the limit. I envisioned they’d go on a tropical vacation next, and eventually get a place and all move in together. There are some things already set afterwards, but there’s another post about that.

#Bleach #YoruIchiRuki #YoruIchiRuki Fanfic #OT3: Neapolitan Ice Cream

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