“Don’t be afraid,” the white-haired specter had said with Ichigo’s voice, months ago. “Okay?”
“I wasn’t afraid!” Rukia had blustered, still trying to reach for a sword that wasn’t there. “You startled me. That’s all.”
She’d meant to chase her wayward substitute down off the clinic roof, badgering him into staying close. He had nowhere near enough experience as a shinigami to sense Hollows before they entered the living world….
Then she’d made it onto the roof, and part of her brain had demanded to know what her captain was doing here–
Only it wasn’t her captain, long white hair or not. It wasn’t Kaien, either; though her torn heart had whimpered this was all her nightmares come to life, Kaien bleached to a Hollow’s bone-white, claws and fangs ready to tear, staring at her….
Brown eyes.
Human eyes. Ichigo’s eyes, not the venomous gold of a Hollow’s. Even if he was dressed as formally as a Kuchiki clan occasion, and surrounded by odd… little things….
Bakemono, Rukia realized, watching sandals with eyes yip at her, and flap-slap away into the night. To her right was a ghost-faced lantern, blue flames dancing in night wind; far to her left an umbrella fluttered bat-like away….
“Don’t be afraid.”
Rukia knew better than to show fear; either on the streets, or in the Kuchiki clan house. So she’d blustered. Lying through her teeth.
“What are you?”
That, at least, wasn’t a lie.
The bakemono were just squeaks on the night wind. The pale figure sighed, shifted–
Ichigo. In all his short orange-haired teenage stubbornness, jeans and a t-shirt declaring Chaos, panic, disorder – my work here is done.
Crossover Queen's Creative Chaos 
Well that’s one way to confuse the heck out of Rukia . . .
And that it’s nifty way of giving a nod to Ichigo’s Hollow form without giving him a Hollow form. Good thing because I think youkai, Shinigami, and human is enough a tangle for anyone. And probably the last thing Ichigo wants or needs is another voice in his head.
Also sparked an interesting thought, how this whole mess of Rukia “giving” Ichigo his power (which was actually awakening the sleeping Shinigami power he had all on his own) in canon would have gone if Ukitake had suddenly shown up not too long after the First Incident?
Well, canon probably would have gone into a tailspin . . .
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*G* Would have been a fun spin, though!
And yes; these ficbits were partly inspired by a fanart I found of Ichigo’s Hollow years back (since vanished off DeviantArt) that made his eyes look very wolflike. 🙂
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Yeah.
Because the bunnies say that that one of the things Ukitake would have done was some creative reporting.
Like saying that the incident with Rukia triggering the awakening of a Shinketsu. Which is true.
He just might fudge on that new soul’s origins – maybe reborn? – because he would certainly recognize Isshin.
And the image of calm (looking), polite, soft-spoken Ukitake Juushirou mentoring brash, loud, impulsive Kurosaki Ichigo is both amusing and awww . . . .
*glares at bunnies* Don’t think I don’t know what you just did there!
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*Wry G* Careful; you might get my bunnies tossing the Bleach-in-D&D-AU at you….
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*Wry G* Careful; you might get my bunnies tossing the Bleach-in-D&D-AU at you….
And yet nobody (except other writers) ever believes us when we tell them that plot-bunnies are mad, bad, and dangerous to know.
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As someone said, think the Greek Muses. Then read what the ancient Greeks really thought about those dangerous inspirations!
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So plot-bunnies are related to Bugs* (from Ah! My goddess). Ok, new (scary) headcanon accepted.
*in AMG, reality is maintained/run on the “heavenly mainframe”, and heavenly magic (usually produced through song) involves some degree of hacking mixed with running precompiled programs on the heavenly mainframe. Bugs are what happens when an error in the heavenly mainframe manifests as an actual thing in reality (usually in the form of what looks like a white-furred cross between a spider and a bunny), and proceeds to wreck havoc and chaos.
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Ooo, I knew a little about the Bugs, but not the description. Eep.
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A mutated Killer Rabbit. Not even the Holy Hand Grenade can stop them!
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“Count not unto 2, nor unto 4. Five is right out.“
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while we are talking about plot bunnies to start a bleach fic
Rukia gives her powers to a member of the Kurosaki family to save the others, but who. Ichigo’s sisters could be fun. Ichigo would just slowly develop Fullbringer powers like the other side characters so you don’t have to wary about him. Since they are not as set on the idea of ‘I have to do it alone’ as Ichigo the family would know about them being a Substitute Shinigami much earlier.
Karin would actually have fun as a Substitute Shinigami
Yuzu could be hilarious the contrast between her personality and life as a Substitute Shinigami alone would do it. She would recruit her allies by hitting them in their bigger-sibling-instincts until they fold.
The Shinigami would also be super uncomfortable fighting a 11-year-old-girl.
The Shinigami are like: oh god it’s like if Unohana had a Yachiru!
As for some that would really derail canon:
Ichigo’s mom, Masaki. The hollow Rukia needs help defeating was Grand-fisher.
If you go with she’s a Quincy who have lost her Quincy-powers, then her difficulties would come from learning to fight as a Shinigami.
Isshin would be a great chose too
Rukia after giving Isshin her power: you have to cut off its head from behind!
Isshin: Bankai!
Rukia: wait what?! O_O
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Isshin. *Snrk* That would be awesome.
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So Rukia gave him her powers and sword. Ichigo returned the sword- the real question is, did something hitch a ride on the transfer?
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*G*
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Humm… I wonder if Ichigo’s shirt would count for “I’ve been telling you what I do this entire time; it not my fault if you didn’t choose to believe it” situations… ‘Cause I can only imagine all the ways Loki has shown him how to tell everyone what he can do without giving anything away…
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*Snrk*
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Either that’s an ironic t-shirt choice, or someone was plotting beforehand. Loki is the usual suspect, but I wouldn’t put it past Ichigo, either.
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Ichigo likes wry t-shirts, canon. I thought he’d like that one!
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Had to go back and reread after this comment. At first I thought that the italicized text was Rukia’s internal narration describing Ichigo’s entire look – like he just gives that off as an implicit result of his attitude.
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*Snrk* Well, he might….
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>Ichigo likes wry t-shirts, canon>
Can be even better here. With the sorcerers, Youkai etc they can work some minor illusion or transmutation magic on the shirt so that the wearer can swap between various smart-ass statements printed on the thing when nobody is looking.
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*Snrk* That would indeed be worthy of magic!
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So Ichigo found a shirt describing his big brother’s/his place in the universe. Awesome! (*whines* also, SOMEBODY DRAW THE THING PLEASE!!)
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http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjNkbyWgeDNAhVMJCYKHS_vCSUQjhwIBQ&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.allposters.com%2F-sp%2FChaos-Panic-Disorder-Posters_i1847860_.htm&psig=AFQjCNHrsoktsKi95XXGWAFRvjQwjcC1QA&ust=1467934727856796
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