#morganfaire

[morganwriteblr]

Daily exerpt challenge

Since I'm not doing Camp NaNo this year, I've set myself a goal to post an excerpt of my writing from any of my many, many, many[...]WIPs for at least the entire month of April. Maybe longer!

And you can join in too! Whether you're doing NaNo or not, get your friends and followers excited about your stories and worlds by sharing anything from as little as a sentence to as big as you want!

I'll be using the tag #excerptchallenge and I encourage you to do the same. And please tag me in your posts as well! I'd love to read everything you've done. (If you would like me to tag you in my own posts, please let me know)

#writeblr #writing community #writeblr community #writing challenge #writers on tumblr #tumblr writers #writers of tumblr #original writing #excerptchallenge #morganfaire #morganwriteblr #morgan writes #my writing #writers #for writers

[petschstuff]

— vanessa morgan twitter users <3

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﹫vmorgancat

﹫morganfair

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﹫vmorganart

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﹫mzirayfleur

#vanessa morgan users #vanessa morgan #vanessa morga user #users twitter #toni topaz #choni icons #vanessa morgan icons #icons vanessa morgan #riverdale users #riverdale #riverdale icons #madelaine petsch icons #madelaine petsch #users #vanessa morgan packs #vanessa morgan pack #packs vanessa morgan

[seetimsell]

Incredible residential property sitting on a Private Peninsula Lot is for sale in Katy, Texas. Visit seetimsell.com under Laura's listings or https://www.har.com/site/2607-morganfair-lane_SITE32415853.htm (at Katy, Texas) https://www.instagram.com/p/CRpRLtWpgWQ/?utm_medium=tumblr

[ao3feed-geralt-jaskier]

by MorganFaire

Modern AU in which Jaskier owns a house. Geralt was his roommate but then they got together, so now there's a spare room.

Words: 566, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: The Witcher (TV)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M, Multi

Characters: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia, Jaskier | Dandelion

Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion, Jaskier | Dandelion/Reader, Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Reader

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Roommates/Housemates, Established Relationship

#AO3 works tagged 'Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion' #ao3feed #fanfic #the witche

[elvirapulverw]

Unknown Facts About Ac Repair Katy Tx

Contents

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#reino-magico com #Unknown Facts About Ac Repair Katy Tx

[morganwriteblr]

I had my latest covid booster (my 4th!) AND a flu jab earlier this week so I decided to treat myself....

...aka vaccines took my impulse control...

But look how beautiful they are 🥺

On the left is a padded A5 size journal with a chunky button release, a pocket in the inside cover and a pen tab.

I chose the second notepad because I can use it as a 'refill' for the padded one! It's a flimsy justification but I'm sticking to it

I am obsessed 😭

#morgan rambles #morganfaire #stationery #notepad #journal

[morganwriteblr]

The Moon Mage's Swan Song

All the way back in April I submitted to my first ever Flash Fiction contest, and now that the contest in question has announced its winner and runners up, I wanted to share my submission with you.

There was a lot of great competition, so be sure to check out the winning stories here!

If you like what I do and want to support me, you can do so here.

A tall and slender figure garbed head to toe in black robes ran into the thick forests behind their home and they dared not look back to see if the mage hunters had followed them. Blood oozed between their fingers from a deep gash in their chest, and a darkness not unlike the one surrounding them now clouded their mind.

“Oh Moon Mother! On this night of your most powerful influence upon us, hearken to me!” The figure collapsed to their knees as they reached an area of the forest with a clear view of the moon above. “They came through my wards with spears and flames and I would make them share in my pains! I offer you my dying body and ask you—nay, I beg you—to use all of Your light that it contains to deliver justice and vengeance on these persecutors of Your children and show them the fury of Your forest!”

From the palm of their hand they removed the spear head that had until that moment sat inside the flesh of their stomach and used it to hastily carve a circle into the ground around them until it closed and formed a barrier around their steadily weakening body.

Their breathing sounded heavy in their ears and they willed their heart to stop beating so fast, to stop pumping the blood that was flowing out of the hole in their abdomen so that they could complete their final ritual. Their Swan Song. The forest was still and silent around them, and they knew that She was listening and ready to answer their prayer.

“I ask for this vengeance not for myself, but for all of those Children who were not given the chance to escape like I was. The ones who were slaughtered as they slept, thinking that they were safe behind their runes and wards. The ones who were dragged from their homes and set to the flames in the village squares. Use the grief You are surely feeling for Your lost Children and deliver them the justice they deserve! Let my blood on the roots of Your trees feed them and thicken them. Use my blood to make weapons of the leaves and of the branches! Cover your eyes, Mother, and let my dying breathes give life to the shadows cast by Your trees and the trespassers. Allow it to be more than just my blood spilt here this night as their shadows betray them! Oh Mother Moon, on this night of your most beautiful appearance and most powerful influence I do hereby ask of You: Make Your forest the enemy of all those who seek to do us harm, Mother! Allow Your forest to become a sanctuary for all those who wish to escape from the inherent Evil of these so called great nations.”

Their heavy eyelids finally fluttered shut, and they surrendered themselves to the darkness of the Forest and the eternal sleep.

#writers of tumblr #writeblr #my writing #writers on tumblr #am writing #tumblr writers #writers #writer #writing #creative writing #original content #morganfaire #morgan writes

[morganwriteblr]

Hey Writeblr!!

I'm planning on being a whole lot more active with posting all sorts of writings-- original fantasy fiction and fanfic-- after I move on the 30th May!!

I'll be updating my pinned post to include some of my more recent projects; including short stories and at least one that's shaping up to be a duology or perhaps even a trilogy!

If you're not already following me, consider pressing that button if you like any (or all) of the following:

Dragons

Other Mythical creatures

Smart and badass women (Cis & Trans!)

Whole casts of LGBTQIA+ characters!

Super powers

Magic

High fantasy

Urban fantasy

Another full list of awesome things!

And also FANFIC!

Find me over on Ao3 under MorganFaire for long fics, one shots, drabbles and smut for:

BLEACH (anime and manga series)

THE WITCHER (Netflix and game series)

In the meantime

As I mentioned up top, I'm moving! I just paid £250 today for my removal van, and while I was able to put it on my credit account, it will bump up my repayments for the considerable future...right when I'm also gonna be responsible for all my own utilities and food bills for the first time!

If you are in a position to help a non-binary queer creator moving away from an unsupportive family environment, I would greatly appreciate it!!

PayPal

#writeblr #writers on tumblr #writers #writer #tumblr writers #ao3 #fantasy #ao3 the witcher #ao3 bleach #bleach fanfiction #fanfic #fanfic writing

[morganwriteblr]

Earlier today I came across a post with a link to an AMAZING Picrew generator for couples...

And I kinda maybe went a little crazy with it.

Two *official canon* couples and a head canon(?) From BLEACH.

(I suck at terminology please correct me if I'm wrong with this, is it a head canon if one of the pair is an OC?)

First up is the couple I was shipping right from the get-go. Ichihime~ (Kurosaki Ichigo X Inoue Orihime). I screamed & cried & happy danced when Kubo-sama made them official 🥺

Next up is Rukiji/Renkia - Kuchiki Rukia X Abarai Renji. Renji's hair is a whole lot more red and he has tattoos on his forehead (and just about everywhere else) but this is the closest I could get!

And finally, the one I would love to be real...

My OC Fujimori Michiko and her beau Kuchiki Byakuya. I like to call them Mikuya.

I just...

UwU

#bleach #picrew #ichihime #canon couples #character ship #fanfic #morganfaire #morganwriteblr #morgan rambles #morgan writes #morgan talks

[morganwriteblr]

My poor brain...

SO I’m working on The Cursed Forest today. . . at least, I’m trying to work on it.

But I can’t decide if it’s gonna be better as First Person or Third Person narrative?!

. . . . .

So my conclusion is to write both.

At the same time.

Thoughts and Prayers appreciated...

#random #writing #writingsociety #morgan rambles #Morgan talks #morgan writes #morganfaire #morganwriteblr

[morganwriteblr]

Meet the Characters: The Cursed Forest.

Someone let me lose on picrew again and I did many things. It was me. I let myself go wild.

Anywaayy~!

You can read a little bit about this project (and my other projects) in this post.

Tags are open, so please let me know in one way or another if you’d like to hear/read more about it! (I also have a general tag-list, if you’d like)

Name: Beau Minnet Race: Human Age: 17 Occupation: Hunter/Gatherer Appearance: Beau is a human of average height and a slight athletic build, especially seen in their arms and torso. They have short, medium brown hair with a spattering of crinks and curls at the back. Slate grey eyes (which weren’t an option on the picrew!), framed by heavy lashes. Their skin is sun-tanned with a generous sprinkling of freckles.

Beau is our precious human bean who gets dragged into a world they had no idea existed.

Name: ‘Thistle’ Selestolphi Race: Tree Nymph Age: Unknown Occupation: Animal Caretaker Appearance: Thistle is a tree nymph, specifically of the Rowan tree, with the appearance of a tall and slender human female. Her hair, long and trailing down her spine, is likened to the colours of grasses and leaves. Similarly, her eyes, seemingly always widened in curiousity, confusion, or awe, are a deep emerald green. The horns above her elongated ears have a similar colouring to the bark of the Rowan tree, and can even grow moss.

#amwriting #writeblr #writersociety #writers on tumblr #writers of tumblr #tumblr writers #writing #writer #am writing #my writing #WIP: The Cursed Forest #morganfaire #morganwriteblr #original character #My characters

[morganwriteblr]

[BLEACH FANFIC] TWPATWK: CHAPTER TWO

-- Quick reminder here that this is *technically* a prequel/companion story/.5 type thing and should be read ideally after Chapter Nine of RTSMS -- [If you haven’t read it yet and would like to (totally your choice!) here’s a handy dandy link to the summary!]

This content was originally posted on my Ao3!

Previous Chapters:

Intro//Summary | Prologue | Chapter One |

CONTENT WARNING: This story contains the following themes that may be upsetting and/or  inappropriate for some audiences: scenes of violence, descriptions of  gore, and references to both sexual assault and physical & mental abuse.  

Michiko had watched as the night sky had slowly faded away to the sunrise. It had been a long and painful night with no sleep as she had discovered numerous bruises, and a large vertical slash that ran down from her navel. She did not have the physical or mental strength to do any of her morning routine, so she instead sat at her desk and wrote letters. First to Jyoushirou, to apologise for disappointing him. Secondly, she wrote to Shunsui and thanked him for his kindness since the moment he had entered her life on the worst day of her existence almost a year ago. Finally, she penned a letter to her White Knight. She wrote how grateful she was that he had come to the courtyard and helped her regain at least some of her decency, but she also apologised for involving him in her situation. As she completed the final stroke of her farewell, the sound of the emergency bell echoed across the campus.

                                                            * * *

      The ringing of the emergency bell is a foreign sound to the majority of students and indeed most of the staff, and there is initially a lot of confusion over protocol and procedures. In the intermissions between the bell rings, an announcement plays over the tannoy system.  “All students are to remain in their dormitories until members of the faculty arrive to escort you to the auditorium. Only leave your rooms once a staff member has told you to do so. Your full cooperation is expected.”

      It was the beginning of the end for Michiko. She had already packed her small amount of personal belongings back into the chest that had survived the fire a year ago, and her zanpakutou was also in that chest, wrapped in her ruined hakama and stuffed right to the bottom.

      After an hour of pacing and constantly checking that her stomach wound isn't bleeding through the hastily applied bandages, the staff members finally arrive. As she slides her door open, she hopes that the expression on her face matches that of the other students, a look of simple and innocent concern about what was happening. She keeps her head high as she joins the back of the line, but her eyes are downcast. The murmuring amongst the line of students increases as they walk past the courtyard; the doors had been barricaded, archways blocked, and windows covered, so that no one could see what was happening out there.  Progress towards the auditorium is painfully slow, and stops completely as the line of female students meets with the male students in one of the main corridors. Michiko has to stop herself from looking for her savior as the two lines walk alongside each other, and her skin prickles with heat whenever any of the boys so much as glances in her general direction.  The lines of students finally reach the auditorium, but as Michiko watches her line slowly decrease as they filter into the large room, she notices that the boys are being held back with whispers of a head count being conducted. She keeps her eyes on the ground, even when she feels his presence alongside her as she walks, and smells a mix of their scents on his kosode. She does not pause when he sees her and whispers her name.

      The Shin’ou Academy’s Headmaster stifles a yawn as he paces the small space behind the podium at the front of the auditorium. He waits for the students to finish filing in, and for the faculty to tell him the names of the two boys who would be unaccounted for. Finally, he has everything he needs to address the Academy’s students and staff.  "Earlier this morning, a member of our support staff stumbled upon a scene like never before seen here on the grounds of the Academy. Two young students, who have just now been identified as third year pupils Hamasaki Gorou, and Iwata Hayato, were brutally slain last night. All evidence points to the perpetrators being fellow students."

      As gasps of shock, disbelief and grief echo throughout the room, Michiko has to feign her own shock at the news. A few female students actually start crying, and it makes her nauseous to think of anyone choosing to love those boys.

      "Settle down, students. You will soon be escorted back to your rooms, where you will please remain until further notice. Classes are of course cancelled, and will remain cancelled until such time as the guilty parties have been identified. In order to quickly return to some level of normality, we have just welcomed the founder of our Academy and Captain Commander of the Gotei Thirteen, Yamamoto Genryuusai Shigekuni-sama, and Fourth Division Captain Unohana Retsu-sama to help us identify the persons responsible for this tragedy. Please wait patiently and silently for your escorts."

                                                         ***

[Notes]

- Though often referred to as simply the ‘shinigami academy’, the full name of the school is shin’oureijyutsuin - ‘Spiritual Arts Academy’. Hence, Shin’ou is an abbreviation of this ^,^

#bleach #ao3 bleach #my ao3 #ao3 #read on ao3 #fanfic #ao3 fanfic #fanfiction #writeblr #writing #writer #writers #am writing #my writing #morgan writes #morganwriteblr #morganfaire #twpatwk #rtsms

[morganwriteblr]

[BLEACH FANFIC] RTSMS: Prologue & Chapter One

Thinking I might need a new, smaller graphic thing... That sounds like a tomorrow problem. (Good luck future me...)

ANYHOO, click the funky ‘keep reading’ thing to...well...keep reading?

 Prologue

Among the extensive mountains that surround the far northern edge of Seireitei, is the entrance to a particularly secluded cave. A single soul lives a reclusive life in this cave, as they have now done for over a century. Today, she will finally emerge to an unfamiliar Seireitei; she does not know about the betrayal of Aizen Sousuke, Ichimaru Gin and Kaname Tousen. She knows nothing of Yhwach and the Quincy army that almost destroyed the worlds.      On the night that our story begins, it has been exactly one hundred and seven years to the day since this shinigami began her exile. For the past seven years, she has waited patiently for her release from the cave that had never quite felt like home. She is desperately lonely and horribly malnourished, but still she waits. She waits for someone to remember her, as she stares beyond the barely visible barriers to look at the moon and the stars that hang above the Court of Pure Souls. She continues waiting, even though she knows that she could destroy those barriers without a second thought.

***

                      Chapter One: The Cave, 2006-04-15.                                                       02:36 AM

The barriers finally crack as they expire. The shinigami that had been kept behind them for the last century sighs with relief as she moves to the small outer ledge of the cave. The moon was hanging high in the sky, meaning that it is already past midnight, but it is her first taste of freedom as the brisk nighttime air brushes against her face, and ruffles through her shaggy purple hair. The joy she feels in that moment, however, is fleeting.       “What has happened out here?!” she gasps as she approaches the precipice. Her fingers twitch and summon spirit threads. “Too many. Too many unfamiliar reiatsu,” she nervously tugs on the long sleeves of her shihakushou. “What do we do, Ryuuko?”      Our road forks, Mikko. The three paths are illuminated, but shadows gather across each. There is no single ‘right choice’—      What’re ya talkin’ about three paths?! Shaddup scaly. Mikko, listen ta me. There’re two paths open to us: return to Seireitei, or retreat to the human world. The third path, accordin’ ta Scales, woulda been ta remain ‘ere! While the dragon will happily laze in a cave for all eternity, the nature of the tiger is ta roam.       “Even if I could shunpo directly to Shuushuu, there’s a chance I would be arrested, whether he remembers me or not. But, could I not be arrested for using the senkaimon without permission? Branded as a criminal or a traitor? And where would we end up?”       Cloaking our reiatsu would be wise whatever your decision may be, Mikko. Whatever you choose, we are with you.       Her eyebrows furrow in confusion, “Shuushuu…he’s in the Commander’s quarters. Yama-jii? Oh, Shuu-kun is the Captain Commander,” she lifts her hood until it is low over her face. “Ryuuko, we now only have one path left. Let’s go.”

     She leaps from the side of the mountain, using shunpo to gain even more height before soaring high over Seireitei with wings of shadow. With the central senkaimon firmly in sight, she brings forth a memory of learning how to operate the gate when she first moved to the Kidou Corps, and before dismissing the wings, she completes the chant and hand movements that would open it. Her wings collapse and she goes into a free-fall with the shadows now wrapped around her entire body, rendering her invisible as she lands across the threshold of the senkaimon. The guards had remained completely unaware of her presence as they were dumbfounded by the sudden opening of the gate. Immediately she is running towards an unknown destination in the human world. When she had activated the gate, she had simply set it to open to the last location used.

[Glossary of terms] Seireitei - occassionally interchanged with ‘The court’ or ‘court of pure souls’. Shihakushou - the shinigami ‘uniform’, usually consists of a black kosode and hakama, paired with white shitagi, tabi, an obi and waraji. Reiatsu - ‘spiritual pressure’. Shunpo - ‘flash step’. Senkaimon - ‘world gate’ Kidou - ‘demon magic’

#bleach #ao3 bleach #fan fic writing #my ao3 #ao3 #rtsms #fanfic #fanfiction #writers #writing #writer #writeblr #my writing #am writing #writers on tumblr #tumblr writers #morgan writes #morganwriteblr #morganfaire

[morganwriteblr]

WIP Intro! -- PROJECT: MAGIC

Title: Project: Magic [WIP title, but I kinda like it?] Genre: Fantasy - part high, part urban? Most likely YA. Themes: Magic (duh), Nature, a bit of academia? Stage: Very early planning/draft. Making this up as I go! POV: TBC, but likely 3rd.

Summary: The last time The Mother spoke to a Human, it was with the Man who first built The City over 300 years ago. The world beyond the city is neglecting nature and Mother wants to save it. She calls upon the first born daughter of the forest to become her champion... ...But beyond the forest, there is a world that has forgotten and abandoned nature. They worship objects and each other, disregarding mysticism almost entirely. Magic is something only in fairytales, myths, and legends, but one scholar believes everything exists for a reason.

#am writing #writeblr #tumblr writers #spilled writing #writer #writing #writers #my writing #wip #new project #new wip #morgan writes #morganfaire #morganwriteblr #current project #PM

[morganwriteblr]

[BLEACH FANFIC] THE LITTLE OWL.

I've been repeatedly smashing into the concrete wall of writer’s block with my ongoing multi-chapter fic(s), so I wrote another short!

As always, this fic originally posted on Ao3 --> MorganFaire.

Summary: For the past twelve years, Kyouraku has heard tales of Ukitake’s curious little friend. Today, he finally gets to meet her. * Written in first person - Kyouraku Shunsui POV

Content Warnings: Nothing explicit, but there are references to death and severe injury.

The pillars of smoke can be seen from miles around, but the unmistakable odour of burning flesh can also be smelt for miles. Whew boy, that's a smell I'll never grow accustomed too! I know I'm getting closer to the ruined building when I hear the clamour of water pails and the splashing of water. The single level residence would've been rather modest-looking, and certainly not as extravagent as old man Ginrei's manor. The wealth of the Fujimori Clan had apparently been declining since the birth of the youngest, and now only surviving family member - Michiko. I've heard a lot about her over the years from Ukitake, but I've never actually seen her. As tragic as it is that she is now an orphan, it does mean she can finally join Seireitei!

"Kyouraku, what are you doing out here?"

"I came to help!" I say, offering my white-haired friend a smile and a clean rag. "Here, no good covering your face with a rag full of smoke and ash."

He coughs into the new rag, but thankfully it sounds different to the coughing fits he gets with his illness. "Thanks," he murmurs. "Does Yamamoto-sensei know you're here?"

When Kaien-kun told me why Ukitake wouldn't be in Seireitei for a few days, I went straight to Yama-jii. He'd apparently been expecting me. Quite unnerving, actually, how he just seems to know these things. "Sure does," I answer with a nod.

Ukitake looks around for anyone nearby who might be listening before leading me further away from the crowds. "They recovered a body earlier. It had no head, Kyouraku. This wasn't an accident," he explains. "And no-one outside of you, me, and Kaien-kun knows of Mikko's survival. If possible, I'd like to keep it that way. At least for a short while."

The look in his eyes makes me feel uneasy. "You think whoever did this--" I stop myself from saying anything further when a guard walks purposefully towards us.

The young man bows to both of us before addressing Ukitake. "Ukitake-sama, the flames've been quenched. There ain't much left, but there's more bodies."

"I expected as much. Thank-you, Saburou-san."

He bows again before moving away, and I turn back to see Ukitake looking even paler than normal. "Perhaps you should head back to the house. I can secure anything that might've survived, and maybe bring some of it up there?"

"I couldn't protect her, Kyouraku. This...none of this should have happened!"

I've lost count of all the times we've had conversations like this. "I know I've never met her, but from all you've told me, do you really think Fujimori-chan would want you working yourself into such a state?!"

His eyes had gone wide with shock at my sudden abrasiveness, and he only shakes his head bashfully in response.

"All she ever needed was someone to love her and care for her. At the end of the day, that's all anyone needs."

                                                            ***

It's past sunset by the time we trudge back up the hill to Ukitake's family home. It would've been quicker to just shunpo straight to the outer gates, but he was adamant that he wanted to walk. At first I figured he wanted the fresh air after all those hours spent standing beneath the thick blanket of smoke, but his frequent pauses to examine the ground and grass quickly make me reconsider. "You looking for something?" I ask, shifting the small chest in my arms once again. It's surprisingly heavy.

"When Saburou-san carried her inside, he told me Mikko must have walked this way from the back of her home. None of the outer patrols spotted her, you see, and this is the only 'blind-spot'," he explains, still crouching in the grass. I turn briefly to look back down the hill towards the burned shell of Fujimori-chan's old home. Perhaps it's the chest I'm carrying, or maybe my age is finally catching up with me, but this walk's been rough on my joints. The thought of doing it with any kind of injury...it seems like an impossible feat. I'm about to comment on the absurdity of the theory when Ukitake stands up with blood on his fingers. "It's Mikko's. She did come this way," he shakes his head in disbelief, and I can only mirror his reaction.

"How's she doing?"

He glances in my direction briefly before walking on towards his home. "She's in a bad way, Kyouraku. All I can do is hope and pray that she can pull through."

Were it not for the wooden chest in my arms I would reach out and do something, anything, to show him I'm here for him. Even just a pat on the shoulder. A simple gesture, sure, but it's one that can communicate all sorts of things. Sometimes...words just aren't reliable enough for things like that. When we reach the gates, I recognise one of the guards to be the one who'd spoken to Ukitake earlier.

"Saburou-san, did your shift not end?"

"Y-yessir, it just ended. But I wanted to wait, you see. To make sure the next guards know not to mention anything of young Fujimori-san being here."

"I will always appreciate your work ethic, Saburou-san. Now please, go on home to your lady wife and get some rest before your child is born!"

Ukitake's compassion for those around him has always humbled me. Even on a day like this, when he almost lost someone he cares deeply for, he still ensures the wellbeing of others before himself. He actively listens to everyone he meets, learns about the lives of those who work in and around his house. It's no surprise to me that young Fujimori-chan feels so safe here. Ukitake and the young guard exchange some more words before the latter walks away. I hear him chuckle briefly to himself as he walks through the gates and heads inside. It's close to fifty years now since I was last here but I still recall the general layout. At the very least, I know enough to not get lost!

We come to a stop outside a screen door and Ukitake turns to me with a look of pain in his eyes. "I should check on her first," he whispers. I nod in reply and he slips through the doorway.

Instead of trying to listen to the muffled conversation, I think of everything Ukitake's told me over the last twelve years of the curious girl. I hadn't ever asked to meet her, and he'd never invited me to see her until now. I'm not entirely sure how long I stay in my thoughts for before the door in front of me slides open once more. The smell of healing ointments and balms overpower my nose and make my eyes water as I take my first steps into the chamber.

Seeing her for the first time, I almost don't want my vision to clear. Though mostly wrapped in bandages, the skin that's still visible looks like a grotesque camoflage of purples, blacks, and greens. I try to smile.

"Mikko, there's someone I would like for you to meet. Is that okay?"

"Of course," she says in a small voice. "Jyuushi-nii, why does he cry?"

It's only then that I feel the water working its way from my eye and down my cheek. I set the chest I'd been carrying down on the floor to wipe it away. "Ah, sorry. I've never smelt so many herbs in one place before! It's nice to meet you at last, Fujimori-chan."

Her large eyes flicker briefly to the object on the floor before coming back to me. "Would you please tell me your name?"

I take a seat at her bedside and gesture towards some parchment and brushes on the side table. "Ukitake's told me you like to see names written down. Do you mind?"

Her eyes light up when she smiles, and she nods as enthusiastically as she can.

On the right-hand side of the parchment, I write out the first two characters of my name before turning it to her. "So, this first part's read as 'Kyouraku'. These characters mean 'capital' and 'music'. That's my family's name," after writing out the furigana, I move on to the second set of characters. "And this reads as 'Shunsui', with the meaning being 'spring water', or even 'water from melting snow'."

Her eyes dart over the four large characters I'd written on the paper, tracing the stroke orders and absorbing everything I'd told her about what they mean. There's such intelligence and wisdom contained in them. "Kyouraku Shuun-. No, Shunsui. Thank you for teaching me, Kyouraku-sama. If it would not be too troublesome for you, uhm, it is just that I do not much like my own family name right now. What I mean to say is," clearly getting flustered, she looks to Ukitake.

He steps forward and stands next to the bed. "What Mikko wants to ask, is if you would call her by her first name."

"I see, I see. So I guess I'll call you Michiko-chan, then?"

She grins so widely that her eyes scrunch closed. "Such a mouthful! But I will not object."

The way her eyes reflect the candlelight when she opens them again..."You look like a little owl."

And no matter how much it must hurt her to do so, she laughs.

                                                           ***

[Notes] 

Furigana - Kanji can be read in many different ways, so pronunciation is written over/alongside in hiragana.

#bleach fanfiction #bleach #ao3 bleach #my ao3 #tumblr writers #writeblr #writers #am writing #my writing #writing #writer #writing community #morganwriteblr #morganfaire #morgan writes #kyouraku shunsui #short story #rtsms #twpatwk #bleach ukitake

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[BLEACH FANFIC] TWPATWK: CHAPTER FIVE.

Intro//Summary | Prologue | Chapter One | Chapter Two | Chapter Three | Chapter Four

This content was originally posted on my Ao3!

--Quick reminder here that this is *technically* a prequel/companion story/.5 type thing and should be read ideally after Chapter Nine of RTSMS-- [If you haven’t read it yet and would like to (totally your choice!) here’s a handy dandy link to the summary!]

CONTENT WARNING:  This story contains the following themes that may be upsetting and/or  inappropriate for some audiences: scenes of violence, descriptions of  gore, and references to both sexual assault and physical & mental abuse.  

                                           Shin’ou Academy

Michiko cannot stop smiling. This morning she had thought that her life was over, but now she stands in her room with her twinned zanpakutou in her hands. She attempts to train, but every time she closes her eyes to summon up some kind of concentration and focus, she is inevitably drawn back to the moment on the other side of her door. She smiles and giggles with child-like glee everytime she recalls the moment he had pressed his lips against hers, because she had been secretly hoping for that exact experience from the moment he had walked so slowly at her side on the way back to her room the night before.

      Unfortunately, the state of happiness and ecstasy she finds herself in means that she cannot concentrate on her zanjyuutsu. After an hour of trying to maneuver with the two blades in a rather small and uncluttered space in her room, the hilts slip out of her hands and clatter on the floor. Looking down, she sees blood dripping from the hilts, and wonders where it had come from before she feels more blood seeping from deep gashes on her palms.  “Oh gods, Mikko boke!” as she turns to walk to the small washroom, she hears footsteps in the corridor quickly drawing nearer, before coming to a stop directly outside her door. Her stomach lurches, and she quickly rewraps her zanpakutou into the ruined hakama before shoving the bundle under her bed.

      “Mikko?”

      She forgets about the blood dripping from her hands as she rushes forward and slides the door open, before flinging her arms around a kneeling Jyoushirou’s neck. “Jyoushi!? Why are you here? Did you really come just to see me? What about your work? You’re a Captain! Will you not get in trouble?! I don’t want Jyoushi to—”

      “Slow down, Mikko!”

      “I’m so glad you came, Jyoushi!” Her words morph into sobs.

      “Me too. Come on, we picked up some konpeito for you!”

      “We?” she mutters as Kyouraku kneels into her line of sight. “Shuushuu came too!?”

      “Of course I came, little owl! Now how about getting out of this corridor, hm?”

      She finally unwraps her arms from around Jyoushirou’s neck, and uses the palms of her hands to wipe away some of her tears as she walks backwards into her room.

      After sliding the door closed behind him, Jyoushirou sees the smears of blood that now cover Michiko’s face and he kneels down in front of her, taking her hands into his. “Kyouraku, would you find some washcloths and bandages?” the concern in his eyes deepens as he examines her palms. “Mikko, where did these come from?”

      Michiko hesitates, her eyes darting around his face. “Uhm…I think I fell?”

      “You’re great at many things, but lying is not one of them, Mikko,” with her hands still firmly in his, he guides her to sit on the bed. “Now then, let’s get you cleaned up.”

      Michiko remains silent and motionless as the two men she considers to be her true family clean and wrap her hands in bandages, and then wipe the blood from her face. As Shunsui moves to dispose of the bloodied washcloths, Michiko wordlessly reaches under her bed and brings the cloth bundle onto her lap. Jyoushirou decides to wait until she is ready to speak, and she remains silent until Shunsui sits on the other side of her. “This…my zanpakutou,” the tears come to her eyes once more. “They saved me. I thought I would try and communicate with them, and I did not notice the blood.”

      The two Captains stare at the cloth bundle as she slowly reveals the twinned blades. The two uchigatana are identical in every way apart from one; one hilt is a deep crimson colour, and the other is an equally deep blue. The most unusual thing is that both blades seem to be the same length, as opposed to Shunsui’s daishou of a katana and wakizashi. In fact, were it not for the near identical reiatsu being emitted from them, one could be forgiven for believing that they belonged to two shinigami instead of one.  “Jyoushi, Shuushuu. You came because you already know, don’t you?” she asks meekly.

      “I think we know enough to be very grateful to this zanpakutou, right Ukitake?”

      “Yes. Mikko, I’m so sorry.”

      She shoots confused looks at both of the men, “Eh? Why is Jyoushi-nii apologising?”

      “Why else?! He had promised to keep you safe, and he thinks he failed.”

      She pulls Jyoushirou’s hand into hers. “No way! Jyoushi-nii~, how many times have you saved me over the years?! Not just from my own family, but also from myself? I came to the Academy because I want to protect you too, Jyoushi-nii! I want to protect everyone who cannot protect themselves, and I want to stand alongside my two favourite captains to protect our home! I want to prove to Captain Commander-sama that he made the right choice…” her voice trails off as she feels her zanpakutou responding to her words.

      We hear you…can you hear us?  

      She responds with her mind, “Yes! I hear you!”

      Speak our name. We are…  

      “Tenshi Ryuuko,” the pommels of the zanpakutou begin to glow. “Your name is Tenshi Ryuuko. Seiryuu and Byakko, thank-you. I look forward to working with you.”

      Jyoushirou and Shunsui can only look at her and each other in shock and amazement as the blades of Michiko’s zanpakutou begin to emit reiatsu the same colours as their hilts. After a few seconds, the two colours merge together to make a purple as dark as shadows before disappearing back into the hilts. Without conscious thought or awareness, Michiko moves her hands to grasp the hilts at this moment, and from the glowing pommels, the deep purple reiatsu emerges in the form of filigree chains that create intricate patterns on her forearms. As she collapses from exhaustion for the second time that morning, her zanpakutou attach themselves to the chains, with the pommels touching the insides of her elbows, and the tips of the blades resting against her wrists.

      After laying her on the bed and placing a large bag of konpeito on the table next to her, Jyoushirou and Shunsui remain silent until they leave the room. The nearby courtyard is still sealed off, and the students remain confined to their rooms.

      “Kyouraku, what in the names of the gods did we just witness?” he whispers.

      “Beats me!”

      “For Mikko to have learned the name of her zanpakutou less than twenty-four hours after it forged is entirely unprecedented.”

      He nods slowly. “I know I haven’t known her for nearly as long as you have, but I think that being able to claim a zanpakutou like that is a credit to her resilience. Just now, she formed her resolve as a shinigami, and her zanpakutou aligned itself with that.”

      “It would ordinarily be the other way around. The forming of a shinigami’s resolve allows their spirit to influence an asauchi until their zanpakutou is forged.”

      “Exactly. That girl in there…she’s anything but ordinary, Ukitake.”

      “Hmph, that’s putting it lightly. It’s as you said, she’s extraordinarily resilient. She’s not had an easy life so far, not by any stretch of the imagination. It’s truly remarkable that she has stayed so positive.”

      “That’s all down to you, my friend! Were it not for your love and compassion, she never would've survived those injuries a year ago.”

      “Thank you, Kyouraku. I’m glad that Mikko has you as a friend, and now as a teacher.”  

                                                            ***

      On the far side of the Academy, Kuchiki Byakuya kneels before his father and grandfather as he once again explains the events of the previous night. Ginrei remains as stoic and emotionless as ever, but Soujyun smiles to himself as his son speaks with such obvious affection for the young girl. Unfortunately, before he is able to commend the young boy for his heroic actions and kindness, he has to excuse himself from the room, feeling his body once more succumbing to his chronic illness.

      For the silver haired man it was a golden opportunity, and he doesn’t waste a single moment of it. “Byakuya. The acquittal that Yamamoto saw fit to grant the girl does not make her innocent of this heinous crime. You are still young, so I will speak plainly. The Kuchiki family does not associate with criminals. Despite our personal motivations, we must always follow the laws of the land and seek to uphold them whenever necessary. You will one day inherit the heirlooms of the Kuchiki house, and become the Head of our noble family. Do not besmirch our name by associating with this girl any further. Have I made myself clear?”

      “Yes, Grandfather.”

      “Very well. Inform your father that I expect him back at work shortly.”

      He remains as motionless as a statue on the outside, but on the inside he is at war. His head understands the wisdom behind his grandfather’s words. He had known that an acquittal was not the same as an exoneration as soon as the Captain Commander had declared it, but that had not stopped him. It did not stop his heart from somersaulting at the sight of her smile as she had walked away from the office with her zanpakutou. It had not stopped him from wanting to be close to her, and he had not let it stop him from kissing her. His heart urges him to disobey his grandfather, to ignore his words and continue ‘associating’ with the girl who had captured his heart without so much as a single glance in his direction.

      As his internal conflict rages on, Soujyun enters the room once more. “Hm, let me guess,” he says as he sits down. “The old man departed on some ancient pearl of wisdom concerning the upholding of the law, right?”

      “Yes, father. I will not dishonour the family by associating—”

      “Byakuya, my dear boy! Forget about honour for now,” he pauses to place a hand over his heart. “What does your heart say?”

      “My heart? I have loved her since I first saw her.”

      “Some years before she was born, our elders had arranged that the next Fujimori girl would one day become your wife. By some twist of fate, young Michiko was preceded by sisters who were too frail and sickly to survive past infancy. Because of that, our elders, who had been very keen on making this arrangement in the first place, became equally keen to nullify it. Even when she survived her first years, they vehemently refused to sign a new contract.

      “We never know what this life will deal to us, but right now I would say that you have been dealt a good set of cards. You have your health, and you have now fallen for the girl who would have become your wife by arrangement. I should return to Seireitei, but I will say one last thing. I want you to be happy, Byakuya. I can see that young Michiko has already made you happy, so I will do whatever I can to help you both.”

      Before he can ask his father how he was going to help, he vanishes in the same manner as his grandfather had previously. His internal conflict finally settles, and he rises with a new found determination to honour his father’s wish.

                                                          ***

      Ukitake Jyoushirou and Kyouraku Shunsui sit at either side of the doors to Michiko’s room. As lunchtime had been quickly approaching, there had been a few cautious students who had popped their heads out of their rooms wondering if they would be allowed to visit the food hall. On more than one occasion, the two captains found themselves reassuring those students that they had not been sent to keep them confined to their rooms, but they had the suspicion that no one had truly believed them.

      A short while later, members of the kitchen staff arrive pushing carts loaded with bentou, and distribute them with surprising efficiency given that nothing like this has ever happened at the Academy. To Jyoushirou and Shunsui, however, it seems that the staff were actively avoiding delivering food to the room they were sitting in front of. At first, they attempt to ignore the oversight, with the assumption that the staff members had been given specific routes to follow. However, as empty carts are pushed back towards the kitchen area it becomes more apparent that this was not the case. Shunsui looks ready to chase after the empty carts to ask what the problem was when he notices a young lady approaching them with three large bentou in her arms. She attempts to bow to the two men, causing the top box to slide towards the floor. Luckily, Jyoushirou is able to grasp the box before it crashes against the flagstones.

      “I am truly sorry for my clumsiness, Shinigami-sama!”

      “Don’t worry about it. My name is Ukitake, and this is Kyouraku. Young lady, could you please tell us why the other staff members were avoiding this room?”

      “Uhm, they thought that maybe…maybe she would not be allowed to eat. I had some boxes left over, so I thought I would offer them to the guards.”

      “That was very kind of you, but we are not here as guards. The girl in this room is our friend, and we came to visit her. Could you please inform the rest of the staff that they should deliver the next meal without hesitation if the students remain confined?”

      “Of course! Uhm…”

      “Go ahead,” the prompt came from Shunsui.

      “I-I was not sure if it would be appropriate, but the kitchen has heard rumours—I do not believe them! Especially when Ukitake-sama said that he and Kyouraku-sama are here as friends, they cannot possibly be true. They are saying awful things.”

      Jyoushirou smiles sadly. “I can only imagine. Regardless of our Commander’s verdict, there will be many students, and perhaps some staff, who would rather believe the rumours, and perhaps seek to hurt her. Thank you for not believing them.”

      “I wish I could do more, but I will personally deliver Fujimori-sama’s next meal!” she bows again before speeding off with her now empty cart.

      A smile touches Shunsui’s lips as he watches the young lady rushing towards the kitchens, before reaching for one of the bentou. He hesitates before opening it, looking once more to his companion. “Do you think we should wait until she’s awake?”

      “You can eat if you want. I suddenly feel rather unsettled.”

      “Hm? You’re worried about some kind of vigilante justice?”

      “I am. We don’t know how popular those boys were, after all. I don’t think Mikko has made a single friend, Kyouraku. She would have no one to help her.”

      “Saying that she’d be able to defend herself if anything like that were to happen, would be less than helpful right now, no matter how true it may be. Perhaps we could speak with the Headmaster about what the students will be told of the incident?”

      “Perhaps.”

                                                            ***

      Upon returning to his room and finding the bentou that had been left for him, Byakuya had immediately resolved to eat his lunch with Michiko. With his father’s words echoing in his mind, he walks as calmly and quietly as he can through the still deserted corridors, fully conscious and aware of the fact that he should not be wandering around whilst they were still under the ridiculous lockdown. As he approaches the corridor of dormitories reserved for the female noble students, he hesitates and slows to a stop when he hears unfamiliar male voices from around the corner, and directly outside Michiko’s room. He presses himself into the wall to listen to their hushed conversation.

      “You really should eat, y’know.”

      “Mhm, I know. Mikko hates eating around people who aren’t also eating, though.”

      “Is that so? Whenever we all eat together, she piles so much food onto her plate that I never imagined she would have the self-control for that!”

      “It took her a long time to even do that. I first noticed it many years ago, and I thought that perhaps it was her injuries preventing her from eating. She always had some type of injury. So one morning I asked her, ‘Mikko, why is it that you eat like a baby bird?’ hmph. She gave me the strangest look before she finally answered, ‘because mother will hit me’. Gods, that breaks my heart all over again just by remembering it!”

      From his hiding spot, Byakuya is immensely confused by the two men who seem to be referring to Michiko in such a strange way. His curiosity finally gets the better of him, and he shifts to look around the corner. The gasp that escapes his throat upon seeing the shinigami uniforms is almost certainly audible in the silence as he tries to hide once more.

      “Oh? C’mon, out you come.”

      His blood pounds against his eardrums as he moves fully into the corridor and finds the two shinigami looking at him. The silver haired man looks surprised, and perhaps a little concerned, but the darker haired one has a smile tugging at his mouth.

      “Greetings, little Kuchiki-dono.”

      “M-my apologies, shinigami-sama! I will return to my room.”

      “No no, you came all this way for a reason, and with your lunch as well! This is Ukitake Jyoushirou, and I’m Kyouraku Shunsui. It seems our names are at least familiar to you, so would you please tell us why you’re here?”

      “I thought that I could perhaps visit with Fujimori-san…”

      “How is it that you know little Mikko?” Jyoushirou asks.

      “Last night,—” from the corner of his eye, he sees the screen door open.

      She settles her gaze on him, “He helped me. After…he was very kind, and offered his kosode for me to wear. I would very much like for him to stay, especially since he has come all this way with that bentou.”

      “Mikko, are you sure?”

      She rolls her eyes. “Jyoushi-nii~! You and Shuushuu will not always be around, and Kuchiki-kun is the closest that I have to a friend who isn’t a gazillion times older than me! Would you please allow him to stay? I am positively starving, and I can only assume that Kuchiki-kun is as well.”

      “Right,” he turns to the boy. “Kuchiki-dono, thank-you for being so kind to little Mikko.”

      With her sweetest smile she turns to the second man. “Shuushuu, would you please make sure Jyoushi-nii eats something?”

      “Ah, it seems we’re staying out here!”

      “You should go and find somewhere nice to sit! It must have been awfully uncomfortable out here, and numb legs would be rather disastrous for your shunpo.”

      “Little owl’s got a point, Ukitake. We’ll be back in say…thirty minutes?” with a grin spreading across his face, he seizes Jyoushirou by the shoulder before using shunpo to make a rather hasty retreat.

      She excitedly gestures for him to come into her room. After closing the door behind them, she begins rather frantically searching for something. “Ah, here it is! I never thought I would have to bring out a second floor seat!”

      “Do you not get many visitors?”

      “Not really. Jyoushi and Shuushuu are usually far too busy, and I have never had anyone here at the Academy who would want to visit. Until now, apparently.”

      “Right. Fujimori—”

      “If you would not mind. I mean, if you would feel comfortable, I wondered if you would please call me by my given name?”

      “Oh. In that case, you can do the same. Michiko-san.”

      “Much better! I realise I must have interrupted you just now, so uhm, please…”

      “I was wondering how it is you know those captains on such a personal level.”

      “Well, I’ve known Jyoushi basically my entire life. The Ukitake house was relatively close to where I lived, so I would often visit him. He’s always treated me like a kid sister. I met Shuushuu last year, on the day after I lost my home.”

      “I was not permitted to attend the ceremonies, but I would have been there.”

      “I did not go either. I was surprised, actually, that anyone cared enough to perform the rites. Jyoushi had offered to take me, saying that it could help ‘bring me closure’, but the fact that they were all dead was enough closure for me.”

      “Michiko-san, I’m sorry.”

      “Huh? You have no reason to apologise, Byakuya-san! Those people I lived with stopped treating me like family long before the flames took them that night. It took me almost six months to heal from my injuries.”

      “Injuries? Did you escape from the fire?”

      “No. The fire happened many hours after I had fled. That day, I was beaten to within an inch of my life by my mother, then my father, and I’m pretty sure my siblings also joined in.”

      “That’s terrible! How could your family treat you like that?”

      “It was usually because Mother blamed me for causing her infertility, and Father hated me after none of the noble houses would agree to arrange a match with their heirs. Over time, my brothers and sisters started blaming me for just about everything bad that happened.”

      “None of that was your fault!” he flushes deeply. “My father told me today that my elders had once arranged for me to marry a Fujimori girl. I had no idea.”

      “So, Byakuya-san could have been my brother-in-law? How strange!”

      “Actually, had the arrangement not been nullified, it would have been you.”

      “It would have been me, as your wife?”

      “Michiko-san, I truly had no idea until after…after I kissed you.”

      “I know. What I mean is, I knew it was genuine.”

      “Genuine. It felt that way for me, too.”

      “Well, that’s a relief!” she says as she moves closer to him. “If it would be acceptable to you, Byakuya-kun, I would very much like to experience those genuine feelings again.”

      His heart leaps into his throat, and he only manages to nod as she leans forward.

                                                             ***

      After leaving the young students to enjoy their lunch date, Shunsui had managed to drag a very reluctant Jyoushirou away from Michiko’s room, and he still can’t stop the smile that had first spread across his face when she had requested that they stay away.

      “I really don’t see why you dragged me this far, Kyouraku.”

      “Mikko-chan said we should find somewhere to sit that wasn’t made entirely of stone, and this is one of the places I remember from our own student days.”

      “Right. With the courtyard still sealed off, I guess this is the closest place. I still would have preferred to stay there, though.”

      “Well, perhaps that’s why she was so insistent.”

      “Must you speak so cryptically? Why would Mikko insist you bring me so far away?”

      “Oh, Ukitake! Surely you noticed it!?”

      “Noticed what?”

      “Ho boy. Let’s see, the most obvious hint was how she called him ‘Kuchiki-kun’, and the way that he blushed when she did! Then, there was the not exactly subtle way of telling us to get lost. The little owl isn’t so little any more, Ukitake.”

      “Surely you can’t be suggesting something like that!”

      “I most certainly am! Is it really so hard to believe?”

      “I find it very concerning. It was only last night that those despicable boys…”

      “I know, and I’m concerned too. Truly! In the year that I’ve known her, I feel like I’ve aged at least ten times faster. She’s made some rather interesting choices in that time.”

      “You’re referring to Mikko’s companions as though I was unaware of them.”

      “Well, I wasn’t sure. She would always swear me to secrecy if I happened upon one of her friends being snuck out of the house!”

      “Of course I knew. I guess Mikko must have thought that I would disapprove as her parents had, so I have never broached the subject.”

      “I wouldn’t even know how to start a conversation like that.”

      “Hmph. I would often find myself thinking how I would approach it. The only thing I know for certain is that I would never react as they did. On that night or any night before it.”

      “I think that goes without saying! Even if you weren’t a shinigami, I would struggle to picture any scenario where you would slaughter anyone as her father did.”

                                                              ***

      Her hazy recollections of the previous night threaten to put an end to her happiness, but as she presses her lips against his, she also presses those memories deep into the dark recesses of her mind. For the first time ever, she has found someone who seems to like her as much as she likes them, and Michiko finds that she is rather quickly falling head over heels for him everytime he would pause just to look at her. She tries and fails to bring their bodies even closer together, and it feels exciting and frustrating all at once. They pull away from each other rather reluctantly just a few moments before there is a light tapping on her door.

      “Mikko-chan~?”

      As Michiko rises from the floor, she plants a final peck on Byakuya’s lips before moving to open the door to find Shunsui, but no Jyoushirou. She can’t keep the concern from her words. “Shuushuu, where’s Jyoushi? Is he okay?”

      “He’s fine, so don’t worry yourself so much! He’s asked the Headmaster for a meeting, and I figured I should come back here since those thirty minutes had almost ended, okay?”

      “Right, okay. Thank-you for letting Kuchiki-kun visit for lunch, Shuushuu.”

      He ruffles her hair with a smile, “Well, I’m just glad you’ve found someone who will treat you right, and look out for you when Ukitake and I can’t be here,” he turns his smile towards the young man. “Kuchiki-dono, you have earned my gratitude, and my respect, for how you’ve treated our little Mikko-chan so far. And I’m sure I don’t need to warn you that you will have two Captains—”

      “Shuu-kun! Don’t scare him away~.”

      “Sorry, sorry. Now, do you need a moment for your goodbyes?”

      He blushes as he bows. “Thank you, Kyouraku-sama, for allowing me to visit!” he moves out of the room before turning to Michiko. “I will see you tomorrow, Michiko-san. Hopefully we will have classes again.”

      “You know where to find me if we are still on lockdown,” she watches his retreating form until he turns a corner. “Let’s see, will it be the protective big brother speech, the disappointed uncle, or maybe a bit of both?”

      “Hopefully neither, actually! I was kinda hoping to push that particular subject to one side, and talk about this zanpakutou of yours.”

      “Ryuuko? I’m not sure how much I could tell you when we’ve only just met.”

      “Well, you’re already way ahead of the curve just by forging your zanpakutou, and then to learn its name in less than twenty four hours…well, that’s besides the point. Mikko-chan, the majority of shinigami will forge a single zanpakutou. Some, like Ukitake’s, will split into two blades with their shikai     and bankai released forms, but it is extraordinarily rare for a ‘sealed state’ zanpakutou to be forged as a daishou - a twinned blade.”

      “But, Shuu-kun’s zanpakutou is also a daishou, right?”

      “Right,” with a smile, Shunsui unsheathes his katana and wakizashi. “My Katen Kyoukotsu is currently the only sealed state daishou in the whole of Seireitei! Because of that, Yama-jii has arranged for me to provide you with additional zanjyuutsu tutelage. Battling with two blades is rather different, and it took me a long time to train myself.”

      Concern and confusion crosses her face. “Captain Commander Yamamoto-sama knows that Ryuuko is a twinned blade?”

      “Ah, I take it that you didn’t tell him?”

      “No. I was rather terrified of telling him anything at all. After Kuchiki-kun gave his statement, my zanpakutou was in front of him on the desk,” she stops mid-sentence, her vision going blurry and her head swimming. Shaking her head, she manages to stay afloat.

      “Mikko-chan, what is it? Is something wrong?”

      “After I passed out earlier, I had a dream that I was experiencing the moment that Ryuuko was presented to him,” her eyes roll back in her head, and return with streaks of red mixed with her usual silver. “He reached out with his hand to examine us, but we got angry and inflicted genshishou on that hand. His bones cracked and exploded until there was nothing left but a mangled stump! The look on his face was glorious, Shuushuu~!”

      “A phantom wound…is that your special ability?”

      “Mhm, no. I don’t think I would like to do things like that, Shuu-kun.”

      “Right. Is there a way I could speak with Mikko-chan again, Tenshi Ryuuko-sama?”

      The grin on her face turns feral. “Oh! You’re good. Mikko’s still ‘ere, and she’s pushin’ against me now fer control. Ugh, heavens above she’s strong! Train her well, Kyouraku Shunsui…” the red flecks slowly fade from her irides.

      He sighs with relief, “Oh boy. I think we’ll have to start this training rather urgently, Mikko. Are you feeling okay? Do you know what just happened, little owl?”

      “Mhm,” she presses her fingers into her temples. “That was Byakko. He wanted to speak to you, to see if you will truly help us, or if the Commander has additional motives for having his former student become our teacher. I think he trusts you now though.”

      “Well that’s good,” he says, standing from the bed. “Do you reckon you’re well enough for our first lesson?”

      “Should we not wait for Jyoushi?”

      “We’ll need to speak to someone in administration anyway to book a training space, so I reckon we might run into him.”

      Michiko pauses after closing the door behind them, “Right, but why did Jyoushi-nii want to speak with the Headmaster anyway?”

      “He’s doing his duty as your ‘big brother’! He wants to make sure that none of the students here are able to mete out any kind of vigilante justice.”

      “Is that a real concern? I mean, I have enemies anyway, and the staff do nothing.”

      “You have enemies?! Mikko-chan, why wouldn’t you tell us that?”

      “Because I can handle them, Shuu-kun! They are jealous, petty and hateful. I take all of the negative energy they aim towards me, and then use it in my classes to destroy training dummies and send all of those bullies to the infirmary.”

      “Ho! Seems I’m gonna have to watch out for more than just those blades. Yeesh. Makes me wonder if Yama-jii wants to punish me for something!”

      “Perhaps he is hoping that I will beat some of that laziness from you.”

      Shunsui laughs, draping his large arm over her shoulders. “He’s been trying to achieve that since I was here as a student, and not just the laziness either! The ladies just couldn’t resist me around here.”

      “Kimoi~!”

                                                       ***

      They do indeed encounter Jyoushirou as they walk towards the administration offices once more, but to Michiko’s surprise, Shunsui does not mention the brief exchange he had with Byakko. With classes still cancelled, it was very easy to procure a secluded training space that would usually be reserved for graduating students.

      As they walked through the still deserted corridors, Jyoushirou spoke of how he had not been able to convince the headmaster to avoid disclosing the full details of what had happened, and he had looked rather sad when he mentioned the headmaster’s reluctance to keep Michiko’s name redacted, or to allow her time away from classes and the student body with independent learning. In an attempt to cheer him up and lighten the mood, Michiko uses a nearby ledge to launch herself onto Jyoushirou’s back before planting a kiss on his cheek.  Shunsui had been the first to laugh as he made the observation of how much faster she would be with shunpo, and Jyoushirou finally laughed when Michiko had promised to fly around Seireitei like the ‘little owl’ that Shunsui had affectionately named her almost a year ago.

                                                          ***

  [Notes]       

Zanjyuutsu - swordsmanship. [Interesting factoid: the kanji 'zan' here means execution!]

Boke - meaning 'fool' or 'idiot'.

Konpeito - loanword taken from the English 'confetti', this is a type of confectionary found in Soul Society and has the appearance of little multi-coloured stars. [There’s also a real-world equivalent in Japan!]

Uchigatana - a specific type of katana which is more suited for one-handed wielding due to differences in its design.

Daishou - a pair of matched swords.

Wakizashi - a shorter type of katana usually worn alongside a 'standard' katana.

Tenshi Ryuuko - the full name of Michiko's zanpakutou is revealed! 'Tenshi' translates as heavenly/celestial body, and 'Ryuuko' is a compound kanji containing the characters for Dragon and Tiger.

Asauchi - the blunt 'practice swords' all Academy students & graduates are given until they form a zanpakutou.

Shunpo - flash step. Speedy movement skill employed by shinigami.

Genshishou - handily translated by Kyouraku in the dialogue(!) This term combines the kanji for 'phantom limb' and 'wound'.

Kimoi - a slang term/abbreviation of the longer phrase 'kimochiwarui' meaning 'gross' or 'disgusting'.

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