#brot3: academy buddies

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

To Shine Brightly

Hitsuhina Week 2023 - Day 1: Academy Days / Fireworks

Rating: K

Setting: in the past, during Momo's last year at the Academy and Toshiro's only year.

Synopsis: Toshiro has an epiphany

AN: It's that time for the year again! Starting my submissions off with a short and sweet one. Hope you all enjoy it!

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“What are you still doing here?”

Toshiro had detected Momo before she came into the library. He’s proud to have developed the ability to sense reiatsu this early on in his studies, but he doesn’t show this as he glances from the book in front of him to her. “Studying.”

In his peripheral, Momo gestures to a nearby window. “It’s almost night time.”

“I’m not a child, bed-wetter,” he says dryly. “I go to bed at the same time as everyone else.”

He doesn’t have to look to know her face screws up at the mention of the dreaded nickname. “That’s not what I meant, Shiro-chan.”

He bites the inside of his cheek, trying to resist the urge to retort back. He flips a page of the book, only pretending to read it now. So much for using his name once he got into the Academy.

Momo lets out a sigh at his lack of a response. “What I meant was that the fireworks will be starting soon.”

He blinks. “Fireworks?”

 “You haven’t heard?” At his silence, Momo is quick to explain, “There’s a festival happening in the North First District. We’re going to watch the fireworks from the main courtyard. They’ll be starting soon, so we have to hurry.”

“Why not just go to the festival? And what do mean by ‘we’?”

“Shiro-chan! You know we can’t do that!”

He finally raises his head and levels a glare at her. He isn’t sure if he’s more annoyed by the nickname or the admonishing tone of her voice. “As if some students don’t.”

Momo sighs. “Of course some do, but we’re not.”

It’s not for a lack of money, Toshiro is ware, but more so the early hours she and the students in her class have to rise at. Momo has alays been a hard worker, studious in her studies and giving it her all in classes. She also liked schedules, and she wouldn’t dare go against it if their teachers are enforcing it. He’s surprised she’d even want to go something like this when she has classes tomorrow.

“Again, what do you mean by ‘we’?” he asks.

Momo looks a little taken aback. “Well…I just thought you’d want to come and watch them too.”

“It’s just explosions in the sky.”

“But you liked the fireworks back in the Junrinan.”

“When I was younger.”

“We both know that’s not true. How come you don’t want to come watch these ones?”

“I have to study.”

Momo finally comes to stand beside the desk he uses. “I can understand that, but also need a break. Kira-kun said he saw you studying late into the night here just last week.”

Toshiro glares down at the book. He remembered the encounter, as brief as it was. Izuru had been returning a book back to it’s shelf – the one just behind him right now in fact – and the two had exchanged pleasantries. What business was it his to tell her what he’s up to?

“They’ve moved me to the advanced classes. I need to catch up to be on the same level as everyone else.”

“You…You got transferred?” Her surprise fizzles to confusion. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“It only happened two weeks ago.”

“But we’ve seen each other during that time.”

“For less than a minute.”

“Still!” She glances out a nearby window, the sky now dark. “We don’t have time for this! Come on, Shiro-chan, you need a break. Besides, it’s been a while since you last saw any fireworks, right?”

That pleading look, the one that somehow makes her eyes bigger. Does she even realise she’s doing it? He tightens the frown in his brow and lips, trying to resist. He did like fireworks, and it had been a while since he saw a display. At her frantic look from the window again to the library’s exit, he sighs and closes the book. “If you promise to not call me that dumb nickname for the rest of the night, I’ll come.” He knows he can’t ask her to never call him the nickname ever again, because even if she agreed to it, something never change.

He stands. “Let me return this first.”

She grins. “Of course!”

He thinks to chatise her for being loud, but there’s no one else here. She follows him as he returns the book back to it’s shelf, as soon as he’s pushed back in, she grabs his arm and leads the way out in hurried steps.

Outside, several students are also rushing towards the main courtyard.

“I hope they don’t start until we get to the courtyard!” Momo says.

“What does it matter? We’ll be able to seem them from here.”

“You know it’s better to see them when they cover the whole sky!”

He hears the gathered crowd before he sees them in the courtyard. Momo slows her run to a speed walk and leads them in between groups of smiling and laughing students. There’s even a few teachers, gathered on the outer edges of the groups of students; they’re in good spirits too.

“Where are they?” Momo says, standing on her tippy toes to look over everyone’s heads. “Abarai-kun is tall enough that I can usually see him.”

It’s only seconds later when they hear, “Yo, Hinamori!”

Momo points in the direction of the call. “That’s Abarai-kun!” She tugs Toshiro along. So far, no has spared him a glance, but that seems to be per usual around the Academy. He stood out in the Junrinan, was the object of derision and fear, but here, he was just like most other students. Some even had white hair like him. Even so, being within such a large gathering makes him oddly anxious.

Renji and Izuru come into view, both waving at Momo.

Izuru blinks when he sees Toshiro. “Oh, Hitsugaya-san, you came too.”

Renji looks bewildered to see him. “Getting your head out of those books for the night?”

Toshiro grumbles under his breath. Had Izuru told Renji too? “And you should get your head into them.”

“Shi-!” Momo stops herself, just barely. “I mean, Hitsugaya-kun!”

Oh, so that’s how it sounds. He’s thankful it’s dark, because if the heat rising up to his face has coloured it pink, Momo and Renji would never let it down. So caught up in hearing her same his name, he hadn’t even heard her lecture or Renji’s retort.

Before he can say anything, the students around them erupt into cheers, and then there’s an explosion. All four of them turn to look at the sky, now doused in glittering red. The confrontation is gone. The cheers quieten by the next firework flying into the sky, and everyone watches on in mostly silence, with someone making a comment every now and then.

Toshiro watches colors collide and complement each other, take the shapes of animals and stars and circles. The rise, with a shirk, then explode into a wide radius, glittering so brightly that their after image remains when he closes his eyes even after their colour starts to fade. It’s not long before another takes it’s place, and a new afterimage pastes itself over the previous one.

Again and again, and somehow, it’s still beautiful to watch something short lived fly into the sky, burst into something brilliant and bright, and fade away.

He manages to look away form the display to Momo. She grins from ear to ear and her eyes are wide in wonder. She says something to Izuru, and he nods in response, briefly glancing at her and his smile widening when she giggles at whatever he said. Toshiro almost rolls his eyes, but he's transfixed by the way the fireworks light her in the darkness. They colored her in pink, then green, then blue, then in red and yellow at the same time.

Maybe this is why she went against her usual schedule for today. She knew a moment like this doesn’t last forever; it can fade just as quickly as a firework. She works hard, but she also knows the life they’ve chosen could lead to a quick end compared to most Souls. One needs to shine as brightly as they can, for as short a time as they may have in this world.

But maybe it’s only him, and she only came because she likes seeing fireworks with her friends.

Regardless, if his life to be shortened due to his decision to come to the Academy, and he knows he’ll be with her to watch as many firework displays as he can.

#hitsuhina week 2023 #hitsuhina #toshiro hitsugaya #momo hinamori #renji abarai #izuru kira #izumomo if you squint? #fluff and sappiness #brot3: academy buddies #fanfiction

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

Congrats on your blog anniversary and huge follower milestone!! I really enjoy the works you make and feel so happy we're mutuals! For a request, I love love love anything about the BroTP of Renji, Hinamori, and Kira. Do you have any thoughts on a class reunion for them? Or maybe not a class reunion, but maybe there's an alumni event or something. This can be a fic, headcanon, anything!

Ah yes, the best BROT3 of all BROT3s! This is such an interesting idea! For this, I’ll be going with headcanons/an outline of how I think it would go down (including random gifs because walls of texts aren't all that fun :D):

I can see this being a Renji idea at first, but then it snowballs into an idea all three contribute to. The reason I think it’d start off as Renji’s idea is because so much has happened to him between when they graduated and the present: he’d become the lieutenant of the sixth division, survived Aizen’s betrayal, gone against his orders to help rescue Orihime, survived the war against the Quincy, had to rebuild the Soul Society, and started a family with Rukia, the woman he’s had feelings for for decades and can finally be with.

Of course, a lot has happened for Momo and Izuru too, but I don’t see them reflecting on what happened to them in the same way Renji would, if that makes sense? Their struggles with Aizen’s betrayal are deeply personal, and I believe that even up to the ten-year time skip they’re both still dealing with aspects of what happened. For Renji, starting a family with the woman he’s always loved I feel would get him to reflect on his life and wonder if other graduates in his year group also have families, if they’ve struggled like Momo and Izuru, or if they died at some point between graduating and the end of the war against the Quincy.

I also see him not having as many friends compared to Izuru and Momo. I can see Momo having several friends from their year group and staying in contact with most of them, and Izuru likely has a few friends too; Renji is a generally affable guy nowadays, but back then, having come from one of the lower districts, I always saw him as more abrasive and while he’s likely get along with many of the students in their year group, but I don’t see him becoming friends with a lot of them. Maybe Renji had a few friends beyond Izuru and Momo while at the Academy, but lost contact with them after putting all his focus on becoming a lieutenant.

As a result, I see him being a bit of a loner in that regard, which makes his friendships with Izuru and Momo all the most fascinating to me. Maybe they wanted someone who was blunt and rough around the edges in their lives, with Izuru having grown up in a wealthy, seemingly-posh family, and Momo in one of the highest districts where people seem to be more friendly (except when it came to Toshiro). Renji is different for both of them, someone they’ve never met before.

Anyhow, I’m getting waaaay off topic here. This whole scenario is set between the ten-year time skip and New Breathes from Hell chapter. One night Renji is sitting out on the balcony of his home, having just tucked Ichika into bed, and something about that got him thinking about where he’s gotten to in his life.

The next day while hanging out with Izuru and Momo one of the very few lunch breaks they can have together, Renji, still reflective from yesterday, brings up old memories from the Academy and all three realise the full magnitude of what they’ve been through in the decade and a half. He wonders aloud where all of their classmates are at.

Momo brings up a few she has spoken to recently, who are doing well for the most part. However, she also found out after the war with the Quincy that a few had died during the conflict. Izuru also found about the classmates she mentions, but also a few more, one of which is not dead but can no longer be a Shinigami due to a severe injury.All three realise that there are others who they remember for one reason or another from their year group and have no clue about where they are right now. Are they’re still serving as Shinigami, left their division, or did they leave the Soul Society and been reincarnated in the World of the Living?

Momo wonders if they could meeting up with a group of them somehow, but Izuru points out everyone’s schedules would likely be different depending on their rank or if they’ve gone back to being residents in the Rukongai. That’s when Renji says it should be a bigger thing, with their whole class in attendance. Izuru is perturbed by the idea – how the heck would that work, especially with all the work we have to do? – and Momo laughs a little at the idea, thinking of the scale it would have to be at, but likes the idea of it.

But Renji is serious and pushes for it, arguing that they could make it work if they put their heads together. Besides, if not now, when will they ever get a chance to find out how everyone is going and reconnect with old friends? Yes, the Soul Society is at peace now, but who knows what challenges everyone will face tomorrow or sometime in the future.

That brings Momo on board with the idea, and although Izuru likes the sound of the idea, how are they going to execute it? What do we even call this event? Renji says it will be a class reunion, a concept that mostly foreign to Momo and Izuru. Renji explains how he learned about it (from Ichigo, who explained it to him and Rukia one time they came to the World of the Living as a class reunion was coming up for him, Orihime, Uryu, Chad, and their friends) and the concept of it and what’s typically done.

In the days afterwards, Izuru and Momo find themselves thinking about a class reunion, and later come back to Renji in their own time to affirm they would be interested in helping to organise one. Over the course of several months, they get together to plan when they can (typically after lieutenant meetings or on the rare chance they have a lunch break together).

It doesn’t take them long to figure out that they need a schedule and to decide what exactly is going to happen at this reunion. They all agree it should be held in December, the time things start to quiet down for each of their divisions. Once they figure that out, they can start to look for locations and what they’ll need to acquire.

However, all three of them have different ideas: Renji wants to go all out with activities he used to do with some of their classmates, have kido and endurance competitions, and get the sake overflowing; Izuru is the complete opposite, wanting a more quiet affair with a chance for everyone to talk and reminiscence about their time at the Academy and what has happened since then; Momo is more inclined towards Izuru’s idea, but wants it to be a bit more lively with music and having mementos around the space for them to look at (like drawings and photos, old uniforms, what a typical schedule looked like for each of them in each of the different class levels, etc).

After much arguing and debate, they exhaust themselves and concede that maybe a ‘bit of everything’ approach is best. They’ll need a space that has both an outdoor area big enough for a few activities and a large indoor space that can fit the whole class and have a bit of space for some music (either performers or a CD player with massive speakers, the latest invention from the Twelfth Division.But then it dawns on them…this event isn’t going to pay for or organise itself! They need funding, a venue, and a date. And considering how many classmates were in their year group, it becomes a bit daunting for them. How many people will they need to feed? How are they going to reach out to everyone in their year group?

Momo steps in, deciding they need to each have assigned tasks and to figure out what needs to be prioritized. This attitude doesn’t surprise either Renji or Kira, who know she’s always been organized and that being around Nanao (being the ultimate organizer and planner) has probably only strengthened these traits in her. Together, they figure out what needs to be done first: finances, venue, invites, catering, hiring out or borrowing equipment and furniture, and decorating.

Finances

Just pretend Hisagi is Renji here

They each know they’ll have to contribute a certain amount of personal money towards this event, as none of their division have a budget for events outside of their own divisions. At most if they put a large amount of their pay packets towards the event, it would cover half of the catering, a portion of the venue hire, and maybe be able to hire a few bits of furniture.

Izuru comes up with the idea of approaching the Men’s Association for money, as a few of their members (the two of them) were part of the class. Momo wonders if she could do the same for the Women’s Association somehow.

At the next Men’s Association meeting, Renji brings it up; Iba isn’t sure about it, saying it doesn’t really benefit most of the group except for those who were in their year group (namely the two of them). Renji, on impulse, says they could use the outdoor activities as a way to promote the association to their former classmates, and that he’ll recruit new members at the event.

Wanting to beat the Women’s Association in terms of member numbers, Iba agrees to help fund the class reunion; they provide enough money to hire a couple of tables and some equipment for the outdoor activities.

Venue

A division hall would be the ideal place to hold the event, but Renji just knows Byakuya would never agree to it, Izuru knows the outdoor space next to his division’s hall is too small, and Momo knows Shinji would agree to hold the event but would likely interfere with the music selection (she knows jazz isn’t everyone’s cup of tea) and isn't a fan of having to do a clean-up afterwards.

They look out for other spaces, like the Academy’s main hall and places in the higher districts of the Rukongai, but know the fees to hire them would likely be too much for all of them or that they'd just straight say 'no'.

While at the Academy after teaching a Haiku class, Izuru brings it up with the other instructors, including his former instructor, Onabara. He doesn't think much of the idea at first, but acknowledges their year group have many exceptional students, to the point the Academy had been looking for a way to formally acknowledge it. While it wouldn't be a formal acknowledgement, he thinks it would be a good chance for the Academy and says he would put it forward to the higher ups. However, Izuru knows what this means: it'll be a month before they get back to him (darn Seireitei bureaucracy!).

When they find out they got the main hall in the Academy, they have a mini celebration. However, then they see the hiring fee. To lower it, Izuru says he will hold extra classes, Momo agrees to come in a few times to instruct first year kido classes, and Renji would teach one advanced zanjutsu class. It knocks off a few hundred, and there goes most of their money.

Invites

Renji and Momo think to go with the ‘word of mouth’ approach to invite former classmates along, with it basically they each get in contact with the classmates they know, tell them about the event, and ask them to pass it along to other classmates.

However, Izuru reasons that they might end getting a some invitees who aren’t part of their years group, and thinks they should approach the Academy to see if they have a record of all the students in their year group (as is, he’s an instructor at the Academy and using that could likely persuade the boreoarctic system to let him view the old records).

Izuru and Momo go to Onabara seeking permission to view records with all their classmates listed. It takes about week for the enquiry to get through (but this is considered speedy compared to other request responses…darn Seireitei bureaucracy!).

They only need the names of their classmates, as they’ve planned to send each former classmate a Jigokucho with details for the event. All three give the butterflies messages to send on, each with their own flair.

Catering

Momo reckons she could bake up a storm the day before, but Renji and Izuru don’t want her to be stressed out and say they’ll find a way to get a caterer.

Enter in Omaeda, who heard about the event through the Men’s Association meeting. He only halfheartedly asks Renji and Izuru later on down the track how the event is coming along, and they reveal they’re having trouble with getting a caterer.

Momo approaches them while they’re talking, and this is when Omaeda finds out she’s one of the organizers too. It’s then he does something out of character: he offers to help. He once said to Momo he owed her and Shinji for saving and healing his younger sister during the Quincy War, but Momo always insisted he needn’t owe her.

He will repay her back by allowing them to use his family’s kitchen team to cater for the event at a low cost. Momo goes to once again reiterate that he owes her nothing, but Renji and Izuru are quick to jump in and take up the offer.

Momo argues with them afterwards, but they reason that this isn’t like Omadea, that what she did deserved to be paid back for, and that he’s rich and can afford to do this.

Decorating and music

Momo didn’t have much luck with the Women’s Association to get financing, but Nanao, wanting to help her friend, offers to help be a co-planner and offer advice.

As the day of the reunion approaches, it’s time the decide how the area is going to be decorated and what music they’ll have. Izuru wants a low-key theme and knows one of their former classmates became a well-known musician in noble house circles, but Renji wants something bigger and louder, even going as far as to suggest animal printed banners and some of the music he acquired form the World of the Living!

Seeing where all of this is going, that’s when Momo brings out the big guns: her ‘Uonhana-esque’ smile. “Why don’t you let me take care of the decorating? I’ll have the assistance of Ise-san, so it’ll look great, won’t it?” Renji and Izuru are wise to back off.

Momo goes for a similar theme to their welcoming ceremony, complete with ikebana pieces done by the ikebana group Unohana used to instruct, banners made by her and Nanao saying something to the effect of ‘Welcome Back Class 2066!’, and ribbons and streamers pinned along the walls.

For music they borrow Fifth Division’s music system of a CD player and loud speakers (because this is Shinji we're talking about), but also want to include performances from former classmates and liase with them to schedule when they’ll perform. The music include songs that are popular in the Seireitei (all imported from the World of the Living) and some quieter tunes for the later part of the evening.

The Class Reunion

The day itself is a success!

Most of the classmates they sent invites to show up with partners and/or children. The event starts out with dinner and progresses to everyone going about the room, catching up with each other, watching the music performances, or going outside to join Renji and several classmates reliving their 'glory days' with outdoor activities like futsal. Embarrassing stories and old jokes are retold, fond memories are recounted, the passing of former classmates give a moment of pause, and friendships and friendly rivalries are reignited.

Rukia comes along with Ichika, who learsn from others what her father was like at the Academy (ie the stories Renji, Rukia, Izuru and Momo haven't told her). After coming in from futsal, Renji and Rukia speak with a few classmates who are now parents and shares parenting highs woes with them. Meanwhile, Ichika befriends their children and discovers a few them will be going to the Academy, looking to take entrance exams next year. She promises to show them around the Academy if they make it.

It also doesn't escape Renji how differently he is treated now that he's a high ranking officer in the Gotei 13. The nobles that once mocked him or looked down on him now treat him with more respect. He isn't sure how to feel about it.

Most classmates are aware of what Izuru and Momo went through during Aizen's betrayal and generally avoid talking about either him or Gin. However, Momo herself brings up her experiences, showing them she has moved on and came out stronger. Izuru also shows this when he brings up how the battle at Fake Karakura Town encouraged him to brush up on his healing kido but still hasn't gotten around to it; one of their classmates recently transferred to Fourth Division and offers to help him with that some time.

As the night quiet down and most of the classmates leave leave, Renji, Izuru and Momo all come together at one point on the veranda, reflecting on how the event went. They talk about everyone's successes, but also their losses.

There's a moment of silence amongst the three, and Izuru eventually breaks it by saying it's really hit him how long ago it was when they all met and how much has happened between then and now.

Momo agrees and she's glad that despite everything that happened between them and around them that they are still friends. Inside, she remembers her days recovering in the Fourth Division and feeling as she'd been abandoned by her friends; she discovered later that Renji and Izuru had been moving on in their own ways and were not only waiting for her to recover but were among the several Shinigami outside of Fifth Divsion to recommend she stay on as lieutenant to Shinji.

Renji silently hopes Ichika will have classmates like theirs, and friends like his. He and Rukai grew up rough, and despite the two having higher societal standing, he became lifelong friends with them.

They toast to a successful event...and try not to think about the clean up they'll have to do afterwards.

And I'll leave it there. I hope you enjoyed this one! :D

#renji abarai #izuru kira #momo hinamori #brot3: academy buddies #bleach #asks #blog anniversary requests #ippoddity

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

Okay but am I the only one who hopes if we get a new manga arc that we get more Izuru, Renji, and Momo interactions?!

This is one of my brot3s, and it's such a shame to not see them interacting as much beyond the Soul Society arc. If I remember the correctly the most we got was Izuru saving Momo from Ayon with Shuhei and worrying about her wounds, and Momo being glad to see Renji after the remaining Shinigami gather up to go to the Soul Palace (there might be other moments and I'm sorry if I can't remember them!).

Remember their past where Momo charged in to save Shuhei, a man she barely knew, and was then backed up by Renji and Izuru? Remember when Momo and Izuru were worried about Renji when he was going rogue? Remember when they were by his side after he was defeated by Ichigo, and then how Momo stood up for him against Byakuya (BYAKUYA!) and Izuru had to reign her in? Remember when Momo visited Renji while he was still recovering in his jail cell or how guilty Izuru felt for raising his zanpakuto against Momo? Remember how it was Momo and Izuru who presented Renji with the lieutenant's rank in the above gif? I sure as heck do!

But you know what else would have been awesome to see?

When Renji and Izuru came to visit Momo while she recovered in the Fourth Division, because you can't tell me they didn't come visit her at least a few times, or at least congratulate her when she made a full recovery and returned to her duties.

I'm sure sometime before the Full Bringer arc Izuru and Momo reconciled with one another about what actions they took against each other during the Soul Society arc, and I'm also sure Renji would find out what Momo did on his behalf when Byakuya turned his back on him.

How did Renji and Momo react to Izuru's new arm and the fact he has METAL RODS PROPPING UP A LARGE HOLE where the right side of his chest used to be? Am I the only one who wants to know this?! They've known this guy for decades, know he went through a hard time when Gin was revealed to be one of the traitors, and now he has this to deal with, they've gotta be feeling for him! Heck, how did they react when they found out he was critically injured during the first Quincy attack and needed to treatment in Twelfth Division?

On a side note: It's implied through his character design in the Hell one-shot (which remember is set 10+ years later) that Izuru is still using this prosthetic arm, he never got an organic arm even though the technology is there for him to use. Please tell he at least got the hole in his chest closed up! As awesome as the panel of him reappearing to take on the chicken Lilles is, it's sad to think he's still have that hole there.

How did Momo and Izuru react to Rukia's pregnancy and then the birth of Ichika? Surely they were one of the first people to come visit Renji and Rukia after Ichika's birth!

On another side note: you can't tell me that Renji hasn't told Ichika about his Academy days with Izuru and Momo, or that Momo sometimes baby-sat Ichika, or that Izuru (along with Momo) didn't divulge embarrassing stories about her dad. You also can't tell me neither of Momo or Izuru would be surprised if Ichika took up an appreciation of eye-wear and bandanas like her father has.

Anyway, that's my rant. All of this is to say I hope we get to see more of these three interacting in the future if we're getting a new arc/getting filler in the upcoming anime! I don't expect them to be as close as they once were, but gosh it would be great to see them TALKING WITH EACH OTHER.

#momo hinamori #izuru kira #renji abarai #brot3: academy buddies #bleach #queue #here I was setting up my queue before I logged off #and then THIS just came to me #and I had to write it out #seriously hope there's a new arc with more interactions between them!!

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

7, 12, 18 and Hinamori+Renji+Kira for the brotp meme? :D

BROTP Ask Meme

I really don't talk about this brot3 enough, so thanks for providing me the opportunity to do so! Prepare for a bunch of headcanons! This also ended up being a long post, so more below the 'keep reading'.

7. Are they comfortable with touch (casual, comforting, etc)?

Izuru isn't likely to show physical affection towards friends, and he's uncomfortable being touched by people in general, but his friends can be notable exceptions. Even after he's befriended someone though I do see him having his limits, as he doesn't like being touched in general, but he welcomes comforting touches from friends. He's more casual around Momo and Renji, but the extent of his touch is putting a hand on their shoulder to offer support or in celebration, and he'll return hugs.

Renji is definitely the kind of guy who gives his friends a well-meaning smack on the back or to clamp his hand down on their shoulder and give it a little shake for emphasis, but sometimes forgets his own strength. We've also seen him elbow Izuru when he got annoyed with him during their Academy days. Because of this, I think he'd be a bit more heavy handed with Izuru, and probably not so much with Momo, but has on occasion accidentally applied a bit too much strength in his grip on her shoulder. For instance, he'll nudge Izuru in the side if he's getting impatient, but with Momo he's more likely to just voice his displeasure or nudge her in the shoulder at most. If either of them didn't appreciate the gestures though, he'd back off and apologise. On rare occasions he's given both of them bear hugs when he's in a celebratory mood or drunk - the kind that lift you off the ground and almost crush your bones.

Momo is comfortable with touch most of the time (save for the period between Aizen's betrayal and being discharged from the fourth division though). However, she won't touch anyone that isn't a friend, wanting to respect their boundaries as she gets to know them. She's always open to giving and receiving hugs if the occasion is appropriate, and only touches people in comfort when she can see they're really not doing well - whether it's a hand on their shoulder or forearm, or putting a hand on their back to lead them away to somewhere quieter. She appreciates comforting gestures coming from Renji or Izuru or any friend, but doesn't like being touched when she's angry or highly stressed. She's also more 'pushy' then the other two, by which I mean she isn't afraid to push or pull either of them away from a situation that's distracting them from the task at hand if she gets impatient enough, but this happens less so in the decades after their Academy graduation. Similarly, if she's see something in the distance and gets excited about it, chances are wouldn't be out of the ordinary to drag both Renji and Izuru along with her - they're always surprised by her strength when she's excited. She wouldn't do this to anyone she doesn't consider a friend though (in which case she'd instead just point to what's caught her attention and ask them to follow).

In sum, they're okay receiving and giving touch to each other to varying degrees.

12. Imagine they're shopping for clothes together. How does it go?

It'd probably be a wacky adventure at least. I say this because the fashion sense of all three seems to vary almost wildly between them, whether it's the clothes they wear in Soul Society or in the World of the Living. First up we have the craziness that is Renji's choice of outfits, ranging from 60's flare bottoms (this shot out of context is hilarious imo), to his New Year's outfit, to his penchant for wallet chains, to whatever is going on with this scarf, to whatever the heck he's wearing in the 23rd ED (for a more comprehensive look at Renji's outfits, I recommend checking out @recurring-polynya's posts parts 1, 2, and 3, they really show just how chaotic his fashion sense is...or maybe it's just the animators). Izuru and Momo just don't know what to make of his fashion sense, but they would easily predict which shops he'd be drawn to: basically anything with animal prints, torn jeans, 'out-there' outfits, skater fashion, and unique accessories. I can also see Renji get excited when he finds somethign he thinks is particularly cool, like:

Renji *comes rushing to Momo and Izuru with basically a shirt and belt like this* Guys, check this out! What do you think?

Momo: *nervous laughter* They're, um... very you.

Izuru: Yeah...I agree.

Renji: What does that mean? Why are you looking at me like that?

Shuhei: *shows up out of nowhere* Whoa, those are awesome!

Renji: I know, right?!

By comparison, Izuru is a far tamer, tending to go for more subdued clothing as seen here , here and here . He has the rare instances of adding a bit of flare such as here with this scarf and belt and I think a turtle-neck under his shirt , but even then it's pretty normal and doesn't really stand out. Neither Renji nor Momo have a distinctive impression about his fashion sense, but they do notice he tends to go towards high end shops while shopping together (both chalk it up to him coming a lesser noble house, which if I'm not mistaken is wealthy but nowhere near as wealthy as, say, the Kuchiki clan).

I didn't realise until I did some looking but almost all of Momo's outfits have either ruffles or something floral on them. Just take a look at the outfits she wears in the gree cards: we have floral ski hat, floral kimono, ruffles galore for Valentine's day, flowers AND ruffles for this swimsuit, a tiny bit of ruffles on her pink shirt topped with a classy beret, and my personal favourite the floral dress and hair piece. This tends to be a theme in the gree cards, anime, and other official art, but Kubo tends to draw Momo is much simpler clothing (see here and here) with the exception of the swimsuit and hair cloth she wears in the first beach colour spread.

We know Renji loves to shop for goggles and eyewear. I could see him dragged Momo and Izuru to help him choose which pair to buy, but both of them are more concerned about his funds being drained after buying a pair. To encourage him to save his money and just knowing he likes them, Momo helps Renji to pick out bandanas. Both she and Izuru will buy bandanas a birthday gift when neither of them can think of anything else to get him.

18. How do they react to each other's taste in music?

Momo's taste in music expands thanks to Shinji, who basically mandates that music be allowed to play in the background while he works. Through this she is exposed to jazz and rock music; she's not a fan of the latter and but gradually becomes a fan of the former. She in particular like upbeat jazz songs, and without realising will sometime 'bop' her head or hand to the tune while working. Izuru, who mostly a traditional Japanese music fan, first hears jazz when he comes to collect paperwork off Momo, and he too eventually gets into it. He's more into the blues jazz, but he and Momo always enjoy exchanging song recommendations with each other. Renji, however, just doesn't get what they see in it, though I could see him begrudgingly liking an upbeat jazz song Momo gets him to listen to.

I don't doubt that Renji is into rock music - glam rock, alternative rock, all rock basically - and I think he would have been introduced to it by Shuhei. Along with his guitar and motorbike, Shuhei also bought a CD player and a random assortment of rock albums, and that's how Renji got into the genre. Izuru just doesn't get it, more or less withers when he hears Renji rocking out to some tunes; however, when drunk, I can see him kinda going along with it. Momo would be polite but also not really be into it, maybe one song or two would catch her interest and she'd check with Shinji if they have them on his records.

Thanks for sending this in! :D

#brot3: academy buddies #momo hinamori #renji abarai #izuru kira #bleach #hinamori momo #abarai renji #kira izuru #asks #was the fashion rant necessary? #probably not but hey! #ask meme #whipplefilter #queue

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

💛 and 📖 for toshiro, momo, and rukia please

Gimme a character and an emoji

💛- Brotp

Toshiro: Rangiku and Byakuya are the main ones. Rangiku and he have each others backs, helped each other through trauma and grief, and make in my opinion the best captain-lieutenant dynamic. Meanwhile, I can definitely see him looking up to Byakuya as a captain we wishes to become more like. Ever since the Reigei filler arc made me realise these two should interact, I've seen them as a brotp that makes a lot of sense. I imagine the two would talk more and become friends after their fight against Gerard (more of my thoughts on them here). I've also really come to appreciate his friendship with Orihime, I feel it underrated and has a lot of potential. I feel like he'd have a soft spot for her, knowing she's a kind person who looks out for others (much like himself).

Momo: Shinji (more thoughts on this fantastic dynamic here), Renji and Izuru, Nanao, and Rangiku. The last two I can see being sister figures for her, with Nanao being the person she has a mini book club with every month (can even see the two trying to start a book club in the Women's Association...with not much success, then trying to appeal to the broader Seireitei), and Rangiku being the person she goes to for advice to have a listening ear.

Rukia: Orihime (I also ship them romantically, but platonically they are just as sweet and beautiful), Ichigo, Byakuya, and Chad.

📖- AU I’d like to see them in

Not a big fan of AUs, so totally biased here with AUs I've written for only. It'd have to be either @tinaillustrations fae AU (see here and here) or the artists AU I came up with where Toshiro is an ice sculptor, Momo does drawing and painting, and Rukia is a sculptor in the making.

Thanks for sending these in!

#toshiro hitsugaya #momo hinamori #rukia kuchiki #bleach #asks #ask meme #orihime inoue #the ultimate brotp #brotp: I've got your back #rukihime #brotp: the fifth division #brot3: academy buddies #matsumomo #my brotp

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

Bleach Qs - 22, 26, 32, 40, 41

BLEACH asks 

22: Something I love about Bleach 

Without a doubt it’s Kubo’s artstyle; he just makes battles look so cool or badass! He also does fantastic with emotional moments too, whether they’re overt (eg. Hitsugaya’s near breakdown and rage in chapter 392, or Ichigo’s breakdown in chapter 459) or subtle (eg. Momo and Toshiro’s interaction at the start of chapter 224, or Rukia when Renji congratulated her on being adopted into the Kuchiki clan).

26: My dream fight

Toshiro and Momo vs anyone. I’d just love to see them fighting together, compensating for each others weaknesses and developing techniques using their zanpakuto powers. Fire and ice working together and each wielded by two people who have a deep connection to each other, it’d be glorious to see. Because I love angst, I once imagined Toshiro vs As Nodt where Toshiro sees his greatest fear (being too weak to protect those he cares about), then Momo (and Rangiku maybe) come in to save him and fight alongside him against As Nodt. Another great opponent would be Bazz-B (Fire and Ice vs Fire).

32: Who I’d like to see join Ichigo’s nakama

I’m thinking this refers to the Karakura gang - Ichigo, Rukia, Renji, Orihime, Ishida, and Chad. I remember at one point hoping Nel would join the group, even though it’d be impossible. Nowadays, I can see Kazui as a teenager joining the gang on missions as a form of training, and Ichika joins in whenever she’s in the World of Living.

40: Pairings I ship

Hitsuhina (only OTP), Renruki, Ichihime, Ishihime, Byahisa, Rukihime (also as a brotp too), Ginran, and Shuuran.

41: Friendships I’d like to see

More of Byakuya and Toshiro’s friendship please! Whether it’s gifs, fanart, fanfics I love seeing this friendship. It has a lot of potential to bring out commonalities they share and for Toshiro to learn from Byakuya. After seeing episode 325 for the first time, I had a headcanon that Toshiro looked up to Byakuya as someone to aspire to be. I’ve talked before about their similarities and how Toshiro, with more maturity, could end up being similar to Byakuya as he grows up, So you can imagine when they started joking and interacting towards the end of the manga I lost my mind. I am so looking forward to seeing all their moments animated, especially the ones involving Kenpachi!

Aside from them, I’d love to see more of the Renji, Izuru, and Momo friendship (throw Shuhei in there for good measure too!), Renji and Ichigo bromance (so looking forward to seeing their bro moment in the anime), Rangiku and Momo friendship, the Kuchiki family (mainly Byakuya and Rukia), Shinji and Momo, and Toshiro and Rangiku.

Thanks for sending this in!

#hitsuhina #renruki #ichihime #ishihime #byahisa #rukihime #ginran #shuuran #bleach #the kuchiki clan #brotp: I've got your back #brotp: the fifth division #the ultimate brotp #brotp: i'll carry you #brot3: academy buddies #toshiro hitsugaya #momo hinamori #byakuya kuchiki #asks #ask meme #missrambler

[rays-of-fire-and-ice]

Can you please do Momo for 'Give Me A Character' thing? It will be amazing!

How I feel about this character: my girl! She’s so underrated and deserves more love. She has an incredible story about healing and hope after trauma. She doesn’t just instantly recover after Aizen’s betrayal, she still clings to the idea he’s innocent, and then eventually when she does accept he’s a traitor and he’s defeated, she still struggles with feeling left behind. By the end she has developed a healthy relationship  It’s more realistic and heartfelt then other fictional recovery stories I’ve read. She remains dedicated to her work, is kind and sweet, and shows she’s a lot stronger than people give her credit for.

All the people I ship romantically with this character: Toshiro (obviously). However, as sad as I would be if she didn’t end up with Toshiro, I think I could slowly come around to her being with Izuru.

My non-romantic OTP for this character: I seriously wish we got to see more of her friendship with Renji and Kira, it was one of the great things about the first arc and had a lot of potential. I’d love to just see them hanging out and reminiscing about their Academy days, and helping each other recover after the wars they’ve been through. Her friendship with Rangiku also has a lot of potential; it’s never fully shown, only in few scenes, but I can just see Rangiku being an older sister figure to her and supporting her through her struggles. Finally there’s Shinji, who she has a fantastic captain-lieutenant relationship with. He considers her a daughter and she isn’t afraid to express disapproval around him (more on that here).

My unpopular opinion about this character: not sure if this is an unpopular opinion, but I don’t thunk Momo has completely recovered by the end of the manga. She’s definitely able to see the brighter side now and doesn’t see Aizen as her admirable a captain anymore, but manipulation he put her through and the things that happened during the Winter War still haunt her from time to time. There will be days where it rears it’s ugly head and she needs more support from her friends on those days, especially if she had nightmares about it the night before.

One thing I wish would happen / had happened with this character in canon:considering her panel time/screen time became less and less after Aizen’s defeat, there’s so much I wish had happened. If I could only pick one though it would be seeing her recovery; from her friends coming to visit her to her reconciliation with Toshiro to coming back to her division, I wish we had got to see it all.

Thanks for sending this in!

#momo hinamori #hitsuhina #brot3: academy buddies #matsumomo #brotp: the fifth division #asks #asks meme #bleach