Analyse this.

Latest Bleach Manga and Anime spoilery thoughts.

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:37:33 GMT

So that's ... episode 245 and manga chapter 382?

Spoilers beneath the cut.

Anime thoughts.

1. Ashisogi Jizō is the cutest thing ever, and I want one. His ‘bankai’ cry is the cutest thing, and his little bitch slap of Ichigo was so cute. Just like Byakuya and Kazeshini should have insane adventures together, so should Jizo and Yachiru.

2. I’m sad we didn’t get any scenes with Iba actually – you know – fighting, but alas, he has no boobs of worth.

3. Wow. A super magical potion that only properly cures the main characters? Weak. At least they acknowledged why Kira wasn’t there, unlike with poor Shuuhei and the tree he’s been abandoned under. Unleeeeess, Kira actually locked Shuuhei away somewhere so he wouldn’t stupidly try to kill his zanpakuto again, and isn’t planning on letting him out until he sees sense … Seriously, just a throwaway line. That’s all I need. We’ve seen everyone else in the 4th division hospital, why not Shuuhei? I’m surprised they didn’t have Ikkaku recover so all the Manly Men could go off together.

4. Wow. A super magical potion that doesn’t work on poor, helpless, must-be-protected-by-everyone Rukia. Why am I not surprised? She should be a driving character in this arc considering Byakuya’s role, and yet she’s been constantly taken out of the action so that the big strong boys can handle things. It was bad enough when Rukia ‘had to be’ protected by a seriously injured Renji when it should have been the other way around, and now – even though she was in the best physical health previously - she can’t recover from the poison at the same rate as the others. Boo.

5. Next episode. Awesome. Ukitake vs the twins, Shunsui vs sexy skull-bones woman. They can’t mess that up, can they?

6. Next episode. Crap. Ichigo vs. Kazeshini. I think we all know how this is going to end, which means we are most definitely not going to get any Shuuhei and Kazeshini resolution. Kazeshini has spent more time fighting everyone else than Shuuhei. Hopefully though this might mean that their relationship will be addressed in the manga in some way? I suppose he’s had it better than poor Komamura and Chōjirō, who didn’t get to fight their (incredibly awesome) Zanpakuto at all.

7. Next episode. Crap. Catfight. Again.

Manga thoughts.

1. Place your bets, people! Which character is going to sacrifice themselves to save Ichigo so that he can maintain his ability to beat Aizen? Maybe this is how Yamamoto dies …

There does seem to be some pretty heavy foreshadowing that someone is going to end up either dead/incredibly serious hurt when protecting Ichigo, doesn’t there? The discussion makes me think that is something the Captains have really discussed more so than the lieutenants and lower ranked characters, so I think it may be one of them. At the same time, emotional impact dictates it’s someone like Shinji, or Ichigo’s father turning up suddenly …

2. I’m in two minds about the Byakuya and Kenpachi stand off. On one hand, it was nicely and rather attractively drawn. On the other hand, I really don’t buy these two characters deciding to fight each other when they know they’re desperately needed somewhere else. There are such important things at stake; they can fight when it’s all over.

3. Predictions: Another three chapters dedicated to the Yammy/Byakuya/Kenpachi fight and the exposition tunnel of doom. Before we see Ichigo emerge in FKT, we’ll cut back to the action in FKT to finish off the fights there. Please let this happen.

Thoughts on Kira.

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 03:47:08 GMT

I think I’ve read too many bad Kira fics, because I think I’ve lost all concept of his character. So! Discussion time! Tell me your thoughts on Kira, what you feel is at the core of his character.

Kira doesn’t strike me as someone who had an abusive relationship with Gin. For starters, Gin is far too intelligent for that. Kira is surrounded by close friends who would easily pick up on things if they were wrong, plus Matsumoto would probably realize something was off as well. I think being Gin’s lieutenant was probably very trying, and Gin probably screwed around with his head a bit because Gin likes to have fun with people, but I don’t think anything deeper ever occurred. Additionally, Kira states that he only agreed to do what Gin asked if his friends were left out of it. In other words, Kira is confident enough in his relationship with Gin to make demands, as well as being confident enough that Gin will abide by them. He doesn’t simply follow Gin’s orders, he negotiates. This is one of the reasons, I think, why he snaps – Kira made the wrong decision and his friends got hurt. However, he only had the opportunity to make that decision because Gin gave it to him. If he hadn’t been given that choice in the first place, then Kira would have dealt with the consequences far better.

I also think that, canonically, Kira has actually been portrayed as having the weakest link to his captain out of the four people most betrayed by the defections (Kira, Matsumoto, Momo, Shuuhei). Momo’s infatuation with Aizen is well documented – be it romantic or not. Matsumoto’s history with Gin is a huge part of both their back stories. It’s canonically been stated that Shuuhei is heartbroken over Tousen. Kira’s angst, however, has really only been tied to his friends. He’s angry at Gin because his friends got hurt. He snapped because his friends got hurt. We’ve seen Kira’s anger towards Gin, but never any signs of heartbreak or hurt, and I think that’s deliberate. Kira isn’t Matsumoto, Momo, or Shuuhei. He hasn’t known Gin anywhere near as long as Shuuhei has known Tousen, nor was he directly placed in the same division as Gin immediately after the academy like Momo was with Aizen. Kira’s relationship with Gin, comparatively, wasn’t that important.

However, his relationship with his friends most definitely was.

I’m not trying to imply that Kira’s angst is any less than Matsumoto’s, Momo’s, or Shuuhei’s. What I’m attempting to portray is that it is different. While Matsumoto, Momo and Shuuhei’s angst has to do with being betrayed, Kira’s comes mostly from being the betrayer.

As for Kira the character? He’s one part polite, one part dour, and one part dry humor. I don’t necessarily think he’s a polite person by nature, but because he thinks that is how he should act. I get the feeling that he has little time for people he doesn’t care for, and it’s through his interactions with those he does that we see him at his most genuine. He’s basically the straight friend in the TV comedy duo ^_^. I think at times he’s hypersensitive to perceived criticism (as seen with his reaction to Shuuhei during the fight with Allon), but I think there are some shades of arrogance in his character. We see this in the way he believes he has the moral right to execute those he fights against, some of the comments he makes during fights, and how he thinks he has the right (aaand that it’s a good idea!) to take Yumichika out in the way he does. For Kira, the ends really do seem to justice the means.

Thoughts?

Yaoi Challenge 09

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:09:19 GMT

Very quick post. I signed up for the yaoi_challenge, and it's currently open for requests until sometime on the 7th. How it works is that people signed up and wrote mini advertisements for pairings/fandoms they were willing to write. Now, the community is open to anyone (regardless of whether they offered to write themselves, it isn't a fic exchange) to request fics from any of the people who offered their services. The 'catch' is that everyone's advertisements use a pseudonym, although it's ridiculously easy to guess who I am.

The advertisements are here: http://community.livejournal.com/yaoi_challenge/245014.html
And the request thread (it's screened until the reveal date) is here: http://community.livejournal.com/yaoi_challenge/245249.html

Request away!

OLD FICLET: Stone Angels (Byakuya, Renji)

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 06:13:20 GMT

Title: Stone Angels.
Rating: PG.
Summary: Renji isn’t entirely sure how to deal with a human Byakuya.
Notes: Takes place at the end of the Soul Society arc, while Renji is waiting for Byakuya to regain consciousness.
Notes II: This was actually my first Bleach ficlet. I wrote it after finishing the Soul Society arc, so it’s very much set in that stage of character development. Thanks to thierrys for the beta!

You don’t often have these kinds of moments with your superior. Byakuya is too talented – too fucking stubborn – to ever get the sort of injuries that can’t be licked in private.

Like this, pale and lifeless under sheets that hold more color than he does, Byakuya is finally reachable. You can reach out and touch the bastard and he’s actually there. Flawed and unraveled and a screw-up, you find flesh instead marble, a faint pulse instead of a systematic, indifferent beat. You can touch him, and he’s solid beneath your grasp, real under your grasp. You can’t think of the last time you touched Byakuya and didn’t find yourself touching some twisted, metaphorical ideal.

And, yeah. You know you’re partly to blame for that. You’ve done a lot of idealization over the years, mostly about your captain. It’s been so easy to only see the arrogance and the pride and the inflexibility, because it’s you who is going to rip that all down, trash it and mock it and fuck with it for just a bit. You need Byakuya to be everything you hate because it’s going to make your victory that much sweeter, and you need to have the right to enjoy every second of it. But Byakuya is in love with his own ideals as well, and it’s hardly your fault that he decided to embed them in his own in his blood instead of living by them like the rest of you do. If he did that, he might just be an arsehole instead of whatever he is.

It’s nice that you’re the sane one in this partnership for once. You’re not planning on letting him forget that when he wakes, either. You’re not so much of a bastard that you’ll mention her, nor will you casually drop Rukia’s name into some innocent conversation just to see whether or not it makes him flinch. Hell no. After all the crap Byakuya’s put you through (and you don’t give a damn that most of it was of your own making), you’re going to make him really pay. You’re going to remind him every day – each and every fucking day – that he’s just like the rest of you, after all. Not a god. Not some myth. You’re going to keep teasing out all the little things that make him flawed and real and human, until even Byakuya can’t deny their existence.

You’re going to make him hate himself, because maybe then he can move the hell on and start to realize that even jerks are allowed to feel.

One day, he might even thank you for it.

Ha.

Right now, you just might settle for him waking up. You’re a crappy babysitter, and your patience ran threadbare hours ago. Byakuya could at least thrash around a bit every now and then to make things a little interesting, but he just lays there like some godforsaken fallen angel –

Fuck that. You childishly stab his arm with your finger, reminding yourself that he’s still as real and pathetic as you are. You poke him again, for good measure. He’s still there, still alive. Not that you care. You’re only here because Rukia needs to rest, after all, and so that you can rub in Byakuya’s new found humanity when he does deign to wake up. If he ever bothers to wake up.

You’re at his side when he does.

Bleach meme.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 05:50:00 GMT

Pick 12 characters from a fandom and number them one to twelve, then answer these cracktastic questions...

BLEACH List:

1. Shuuhei.
2. Kensei.
3. Renji.
4. Byakuya.
5. Tousen.
6. Yumichika.
7. Kazeshini.
8. Kira.
9. Omaeda.
10. Urahara
11. Shinji.
12. Tachikaze.

1. Have you ever read a Six/Eleven fic? Do you want to?
Yumichika/Shinji fic.

I … could actually see it working.

2. Do you think Four is hot? How hot?
Byakuya. Yes. Insanely so. His hotness was what got me into the series.

3. What would happen if Twelve got Eight pregnant?
If Tachikaze got Kira pregnant? I would cry.

4. Can you recall any fics about Nine?
No. Sadly, I appear to be the only one who loves his character.

5. Would Two and Six make a good couple?
Kensei/Yumichika. Yeah, actually. Yumichika’s quirks might piss Kensei off, but they both enjoy fighting and I can see them getting along in their own way.

6. Five/Nine or Five/Ten? Why?
Tousen/Omaeda or Tousen/Urahara?

You know, when I wrote this list I didn’t realize that it was going to be slash specific. Tousen/Urahara any day of the week. Do I need a reason? Alright. Urahara could be captured by Aizen and co and Tousen might take an interest in their new captive.

7. What would happen if Seven walked in on Two and Twelve having sex?
Kazeshini walked in on Kensei and Shinji having sex …

Aw. Way to break my Kazeshini’s heart. He would probably go absolutely nuts, and show his rare protectiveness for Shuuhei by trying to kick Kensei’s arse.

8. Make up a summary for a Three/Ten fic.
Renji/Urahara.
Summary: Urahara convinces Renji that the world is going to end in 24 hours. Renji decides he doesn’t want to die a virgin.

9. Is there any such thing as One/Eight fluff?
Shuuhei/Kira? Bloody hell. (rantrantrantrant)

10. Suggest a title for a Seven/Twelve hurt/comfort fic.
Kazeshini and Tachikaze? Oooh.

Title: Fickle Winds.
Summary: Kazeshini is never going to be able to live up to Tachikaze’s legacy.

11. What kind of plot would you use if you wanted Four to deflower One?
Byakuya/Shuuhei. Oooh, pretty. But, wasn’t I just rambling last week about how difficult this would be?

Ok. Aizen wins. Just as he about to obliterate the remaining shinigami, Yamamoto uses the last of his power to scatter the survivors randomly through the human world and soul society. Shuuhei and Byakuya end up together in one of the lower levels of Rukongai, and have to rely on each other to survive, avoid Aizen’s hunters, all while somehow trying to reunite with the others at the same time. Shuuhei has to help Byakuya blend in, while Byakuya has to try and keep Shuuhei together when he's faced with elements of his past that he’d rather stayed that way. Oh, and at some stage there is sex. And angst.

12. Does anyone on your friends list read Three het?
Renji het? I would assume so.

13. Does anyone on your friends list write or draw Eleven?
Shinji. Sure.

14. Would anyone on your friends list write Two/Four/Five?
Kensei/Byakuya/Tousen.

You know, this is only one character away from being plausible. Replace Byakuya with either Shuuhei/Shinji/Urahara/Tachikaze/Kazeshini and I’m sure I could talk someone on my friend’s list into writing it (hell, for some of those I might write it myself!). Those three together though? Probably not.

15. What might Ten scream at a moment of great passion?
Urahara. Oh, god. Something absolutely ridiculous. Maybe something about lollipops?

16. If you wrote a Song-fic about Eight, what song would you choose?
Kira. “I am not an Emo-kid.”

Lyrics by Cairnsy.

17. If you wrote a One/Six/Twelve fic, what would the warning be?
Shuuhei/Yumichika/Tachikaze.

Warning: Ridiculous Amounts of Hotness.

18. What might be a good pick up line for Ten to use on Two?
Urahara on Kensei.

Good as in likely to work? Don’t speak, Urahara, and just get Kensei very drunk.

19. When was the last time you read a fic about Five?
Tousen. Last week when I was editing my own fic.

20. What is Six's super secret kink?
Yumichika. Thigh high stiletto boots. Worn by his partner.

21. Would Eleven shag Nine? Drunk or sober?
Shinji shag Omaeda. Hahaha. HAHAHAHA.

No. He would die first.

22. If Three and Seven get together, who tops?
Renji and Kazeshini … Huh. I’d actually say Renji, as I can’t see Kazeshini being rational and in control when he tops, and I can’t see him actually being that aggressive with anyone other than Shuuhei (what with the whole internalization aspect of Kazeshini’s anger).

23. "(1) and (7) are in a happy relationship until (7) runs off with (4). (1), brokenhearted, has a hot one-night stand with (11) and a brief unhappy affair with (12), then follows the wise advice of (5) and finds true love with (3). "
(1) Shuuhei (7) Kazeshini, (4) Byakuya, (11) Shinji, (12) Tachikaze, (5) Tousen, (3)Renji.

So, Shuuhei and Kazeshini are in a relationship that goes south, so Kazeshini runs off with Byakuya (this is practically anime canon!). He has a sexy one night stand with Shinji (which should be part of everyone’s recovering process) and then an unhappy affair with Tachikaze (well, it’s obvious why. Close but no cigar) before following his (ex)captain’s advice and finding love with Renji. This should be written.

24. How would you feel if Seven/Eight was canon?
Kazeshini/Kira.

I would cry. And then make lots of stabby gestures.I am making them now. *stabby stabby*

Omnipresent view.

Sun, 01 Nov 2009 00:00:08 GMT

At some point in my fanfic writing 'career', I somehow picked up on the idea that writing from an omnipresent POV was a bad thing. I love to read it, but I sort of forbade myself from writing it. It's a style I've been slowly trying to reintroduce into my writing lexicon, however I've completely forgotten how to write it, as silly as that may sound. I was wondering if anyone had any story recs that were written from this perspective.

Interesting Cairnsy fact of the day: I actually love writing from a second-person POV as it's the closest I personally ever get to being inside a character's head. The reason I rarely ever write it is because I don't feel I have a strong enough hold on my characters voices to pull it off. For some reason, I find it far more intimate and personal than first person POV. The first Bleach fic I ever wrote was actually in second-person POV (it's a Byakuya and Renji ficlet). I should actually post it one of these days.

Bleach 380 chapter spoilers.

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 23:26:56 GMT

Notes: Sporadic posts AND comment replies over the next few days in particular. I will catch up, however ^_^

Kubo has been a bit clunky with his scene transitions. Mayuri suddenly shows up and says 'hey, I've got a magical gate that can take Ichigo back to FKT' when he previously didn't have one? Clunky. That said ...

OMG. If we are back in FKT next week I will forgive everything that happened in this week's episode (except the armband. Unforgivable). Actually, both options are quite appeasing. Either we go back to FKT and get Shuuhei/Tousen/Kensei/WW/Komamura far earlier than expected, or we stay in HC without the main character. After six months in FKT without him. Heh. I have a distorted sense of humor. Obviously, the best option is that we head back to FKT, however it doesn't make a huge amount of sense plot wise. It would be really weird to jump back to HC instead of just having them finish off Yammy over the next three or four chapters.

However, the best thing about Ichigo heading back to FKT? Unohana is going with him. The chances of Shuuhei dying has dropped substantially! The bad thing about Unohana and Ichigo returning? Aizen may decide to withdraw, which means we don't get our Shuuhei/Tousen/Komamura fight or our WW/Kensei one (or a combined version).

Still. Fingers crossed.

Bleach 243 spoilers.

Tue, 27 Oct 2009 10:56:45 GMT

I'm in the middle of exams now (had the first one today) so I'm just going to be popping and out of livejournal randomly. This also means my thoughts will be more disjointed than usual.

I'm sorry, but WTF?

Really ugly animation. Seriously, some of Kira's faces would have scared off even the most dedicated of fangirls.

Kira beating Kazeshini. Really? Did he have to?

Kira wearing one of Shuuhei's arm bands and using the explosions in it against Kazeshini? Really? How does that make sense? How did he even get one of Shuuhei's arm bands in the first place? Why would you do that? Why would you give a distinctly Shuuhei's moves/power to another character? What the HELL went on? All that dialogue, and it wasn't about Shuuhei. Oh god. I hope it wasn't emo!Kira.

So, we go from Kira against Kazeshini to Kira against Wabisuke. Why do that? Why not give the man one fight and move on? Plus, would it pay to get a status update on Shuuhei?

How is it even possible to make Yumichika and Kujaku ugly? HOW IS IT POSSIBLE?

New opening and closing: great for Renji, Byakuya, Ichigo, Rukia, Yumichika and Ikkaku fans. Baaaad for Shuuhei fans. Ending looks like we're going to be getting more of woeful, wimpy Rukia. ARG.

Not a great episode.

[FIC] Newton's Third Law (Tousen, Shuuhei)

Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:32:18 GMT

Title: Newton’s Third Law.
Rating: PG
Summary: For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Tousen and Shuuhei centric. For fictictactoe with delwynmarch (the board is now yours!)
Word count: 1983.

Notes: This is a little late (although there is technically no set time frame) because it originally had some Tousen/Shuuhei threads running through it, but I couldn’t quite get them work so they had to be stripped out/rewritten. Tousen/Shuuhei is one of those pairings that does interest me, because I can just see Shuuhei being absolutely clueless about the underlying dynamics that would be present. Sadly, it didn’t work out.

Notes II: Tousen’s blindness. Everyone has a different philosophy on this, mine is that whatever 6th sense abilities he has allow him to ‘see’ the same things that a normal person can see. It might be through an interaction effect of all the different senses, so it’s put together differently from a normal person, but if you waved a card in front of his face he was be able to say it was the ace of spades. This is a man, after all, who is left in charge of surveillance even when that requires him watching intruders being recorded by a surveillance camera. If he can tell what is happening on a TV screen, he can ‘see’ peoples’ expressions (at least for the purpose of this story!).

Newton's Third Law.

There is blood on his hands, and Tousen finds he rather likes its texture. A slick, smooth sort of steel that stays even when the colour has retreated down the drain and taken all physical evidence of his deeds with it, the phantom blood is a testament to his purpose. There have been grand temples built to honor justice, sweeping statues that speak of a justice that domineers and judges.

Tousen’s justice stabs, and slices, and silences.

He thinks his is more effective.

It is certainly more rewarding. Tousen has stripped his office of anything that even remotely feels like his previous captain. Kensei’s desk has been replaced, his bookshelves ripped out. There is a new coat of paint on the wall, a new welcome mat at the door.

It is interesting, Tousen reflects as he straightens his pile of paperwork, just how much justice tastes likes success.

“Come in,” Tousen says stately when his thoughts are interrupted by a shallow knock on his door. A perfectly worded order is already halfway to his lips before he realizes that his visitor is not one of his men, but a small rat of a child who looks like he has slunk up from the earth instead of being born into it. He bites back his disappointment, a glib smile slipping across his lips. “Yes?“

“Excuse me, can you tell me where the captain of the 9th division is?” The small boy fumbles slightly over the words, and Tousen is left with the distinct impression that politeness is not something that comes naturally to him. Dirt, maybe, but not politeness.

“I am the 9th division captain.” The words taste so potent on his tongue that he cannot help but repeat them. “I am the captain.” His smile slides into something more genuine. Oh, yes.

“No, you’re not.” The child’s eyes narrow impatiently, and his words shock Tousen’s smile away. “Where’s Muguruma-taicho?”

There is a part of Tousen, a violent and base part that he hides from the rest of the world, that demands immediate justice for the unforgivable slight. To have his precious authority blackened with THAT man’s name - and by a child! Tousen isn’t used to children who challenge him instead of cowering appropriately.

Recollection slips methodically into place. Especially this child.

“Muguruma-san was killed on a mission almost a week ago,” Tousen says calmly, idly noting how the boy’s reishi spikes at his comment. Interesting. “Your name is Shuuhei, isn’t it?”

“Eh?!”

“I believe we met briefly the night Kensei-san was killed.” Tousen doesn’t deal in cruelty but justice, and therefore the dark horror that sweeps across Shuuhei’s features is no more than the boy deserves for trying to entrench Kensei so viciously back in the present. Tousen does not correct the slew of incorrect assumptions that shadow Shuuhei’s eyes, although he finds the boy far more palatable stripped of his unwarranted confidence.

“Oh.” Something that vaguely resembles recognition flashes in Shuuhei’s spirit energy. “Then … these are for you,” he adds flatly, thrusting a small bag out towards Tousen.

Curious, Tousen slips from behind his desk and takes the bag. Apples. Probably stolen from one of the nearby orchards, Tousen thinks derisively. Shuuhei had probably intended to share them with his heroic, wonderful Muguruma-taicho. For a moment, he considers turning Shuuhei over to one of the orchard owners, their swift and volatile retribution surely an apt punishment for the boy’s audacious.

Tousen’s gaze narrows thoughtfully.

That said … sometimes it is the stolen apples that taste the sweetest.

He likes his victories to be complete.

“Would you like to stay and share them with me?”

Tousen accepts the boy.

Shuuhei loses himself.

~

Shuuhei completes his first mission with Tousen three days before he sits his entrance exam for the academy, and it is an unmitigated disaster. Innocent humans get entangled in a conflict that is not there own, and there is a bruise on Tousen’s left temple that makes Shuuhei flinch in shame. The words on the innocuous white pages of his exam paper dance beneath his heady gaze, twisting into elaborate doodles and phrases that don’t query him about the different divisions but screech blame. He manages to add his name to the tangled mess of accusations, but very little else.

Shuuhei completes his sixth mission with Tousen the day before he sits his second attempt at the entrance exam, and the mission is an unqualified success. This time he approaches the exam with confidence, sure and certain and only bleeding a little through his bandages. It … doesn’t end well.

He spends the morning of his third entrance exam in the human world, tracing hollows, investigating wayward shinigami, and reciting the incarnations of various kido spells under his breath as he speeds after a possible lead. This time, Shuuhei passes the exam with flying colors, even though he falls asleep at his desk the moment he finishes.

Tousen is bitter in his defeat, although it will be several years before Shuuhei is punished for his success.

~

Shuuhei comes to him eventually, he always does. Tousen doesn’t ask Shuuhei how he has spent the last 24 hours – probably split between the infirmary and the first year student barracks if Tousen knows Shuuhei as well as he thinks he does – and Shuuhei offers nothing but a quiet apology for visiting so late as he slips into Tousen’s personal quarters.

The young man that Tousen leads into his study is a cluster of contradictions. Shuuhei’s hair is streaked with rain and the bandages covering his damaged eye are a rumpled mess, yet Shuuhei still somehow possesses an eerie calmness that borders on the disturbing.

There is also a handful of paperwork clutched in Shuuhei’s hand, which fascinates Tousen exponentially. Not once has he ever assigned the young man any.

Shuuhei spreads the papers across Tousen’s desk, carefully explaining each piece even as he keeps his back turned to Tousen. There are detailed summaries of their last three missions, a ridiculously long report listing possible ways communication could be enhanced within in the division (“I hope you don’t think I’m being presumptuous, Tousen-taicho”), and other, equally well thought out but bewildering areas of concern that Shuuhei would politely like to discuss with Tousen if he possibly has the time.

It’s an interesting proposition, not the least because Shuuhei doesn’t seem able to look him in the eye. The gallows humor brings a hint of a smile to Tousen’s lips. With a quiet smoothness he moves away from the doorway and slides in behind Shuuhei. The other man is briefly startled when Tousen places one hand on Shuuhei’s shoulder and leans forward, his gaze falling on Shuuhei’s precious, safe paperwork. All it takes is a kind nod for Shuuhei to continue with his ridiculously sophisticated rambles, his hands flittering through the paperwork as he describes, deconstructs, and deliberates with far more ease than anyone should at 2am in the morning.

“You do not need to worry,” Tousen interjects smoothly when Shuuhei dares pause for breath. “I will not abandon you as well.” The young man stills at his softly spoken words, or at least valiant attempts to do so. The fluttered, constant movement is gone, but Tousen can still feel the tiny tremors that ripple up Shuuhei’s shoulders and through Tousen’s fingertips. Shuuhei doesn’t react, hardly even blinks, but Tousen is a patient man. He has been slowly crafting his personal plans for justice for almost half a century, after all.

When Shuuhei does finally turn around - lethargic and slow, his face empty of all expression -Tousen pulls him into an approximation of a hug. Shuuhei is more a boy in this moment than when Tousen first met him, but there are no tears or sudden outburst of emotion. Tousen would have been disappointed if there had been. Instead, Shuuhei silently drops his head against Tousen’s chest. It is only the way Shuuhei’s fingers clench tightly in the folds of Tousen’s robe that betray his quiet, soul deep desperation.

Tousen allows Shuuhei his silence. What the young student is offering up in its place is far more useful to Tousen.

And so, Tousen takes.
~

Aizen moves, slashing Seireitei to pieces and stripping away all that, while maybe not good or true, is at least known.

Tousen leaves. It is far easier than he expected.

Shuuhei stays. The world ends.

Justice briefly looks up in interest, before her gaze falls back to her newly manicured nails.

~

In Hueco Mundo, Tousen always walks one step behind. He does not trust Aizen with his back, not when Tousen knows how easy it is to slice someone down from behind. No, brilliance is best followed instead of shared. Tousen would rather be caught in the halo of Aizen’s audacity and power than by the blade of his sword. He allows Aizen to take charge because the other man is good at it, and Tousen cares not for how the path is walked but the destination that awaits them. Why challenge Aizen when Aizen is right? Why insert himself unnecessarily when the shadows serve his purposes just as well?

Tousen follows, and the sleep he sleeps is that of the just.

In Seireitei, Shuuhei always has to stay one step ahead. There are reports that are due, shinigami to train, traitors to tease out of the woodwork. As Tousen’s lieutenant, everything Shuuhei did had been reactionary. Now he initiates and anticipates, engaging in a subtle dance that keeps him in hold from the earliest spark of dawn until late at night. It’s a strange dance, one that exhilarates and challenges on the same breath. Sometimes, the steps don’t quite fit or feel as though they are more suited to someone else. Instead of adjusting the choreography, he changes the music and finds his own, unique beat.

Shuuhei leads, and sleeps the sleep of the exhausted.

~

There is blood on his hands, and Tousen rather likes the texture. His old friend lies at his feet, a broken monument to justice that should appease even the greediest of gods.

Only Shuuhei now stands before him, a slick, smooth sort of steel embedded in his frame and lending him a foreign strength that Tousen does not recognize. There are no more questions staining the younger man’s eyes, just a clarity that is sharp and unforgiving.

Tousen is surprised, but not impressed. Shuuhei is still a child chasing after mythical heroes as though they are butterfli-

Kazeshini spits and spins, stealing away three of Tousen’s braids and leaving a gash across his shoulder. Tousen knows his lieutenant’s weapon far more extensively than Shuuhei himself does, yet as Kazeshini whistles through the air, Tousen finds he cannot predict its flight at all.

Shuuhei has forgotten their roles. Unfortunately for the younger man, Tousen has not. He steps, spins, slices-

Shuuhei sags to his knees, pain etched deeply into a face that already carries far too many scars. Blood rips across his chest and down his side, leaving a blazing trail of red heat.

Tousen’s mouth twists into a small, mirthless smile. This is not the end he envisioned for his young lieutenant, but it is one that he is has no qualms completing. For blood to be saved, it must first be spilt. What a testament to his own dedication that he is willing to even do this, he thinks idly as he flash steps the short distance that separates him from his justice, and as Suzumushi slices through the air and down-

Tousen falls, the tail end of his smirk dipped in disbelief. Kazeshini shimmies back into Shuuhei’s trembling hands, the glint of red on silver sparking past Tousen’s fading senses. And Tousen falls. Not as a martyr, not as a shining light, but as a monster.

Still on his knees and fighting for each aching breath, Shuuhei rises.

Writing question.

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 22:07:41 GMT

I'm editing my ficlet for Fictactoe, and there is one line in particular that is frustrating me because I don't know if I'm getting the cliche right, and google isn't really helping. What I'm after is something like "Cairnsy sleeps the sleep of the good", but I'm not sure if a) that's actually the right turn of phrase, and 2) if the double 'sleep/sleeps' is just too clunky. For the line to work, it has to approximate the original cliche, but I'm just not sure if I've got the wording of the original cliche right in the first place.

Any thoughts?

BLEACH 242 spoilers - subbed!

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 01:52:23 GMT

Ok. I officially love this episode. The dialogue more than met my expectations, and answered some burning questions.

1. AAAAND we have an explanation for Kazeshini! He’s the result of Shuuhei suppressing all his negative emotions and his current high levels of stress. Awesome. I don’t care that it’s only ‘filler canon’, I’m just insanely happy that we’ve received some confirmation that Shuuhei represses his emotions and hasn’t been dealing to the whole Tousen situation at all. What isn’t addressed is whether Kira means that Shuuhei is self-destructing as a result or if he generally feels a need to lash out about things being the way they are but won’t allow himself to. I have a feeling it’s a bit of both.

The question becomes, then, what is Kazeshini like when Shuuhei isn’t driving him insane with his issues instead of addressing them himself?

Additionally, now that people realise that Shuuhei isn't dealing with things (Kazeshini hasn't exactly been a shrinking violet throughout the arc *coughs*), I wonder if we might get a little bit of intervention?

One last thought. Maybe now that Kazeshini realises what the issue is, maybe HE will be the one to help Shuuhei, thus healing their bond?

2. Seriously, could the Yumichika and Kujaku dialogue have been any better? It was so beautiful and bitter sweet, and they’re just so perfect for each other. I had to rewatch that scene immediately afterwards. Just … guh. I thought it was lovely. I did completely misinterpret the Picture Book at the end though, although I think Yumi and Kujaku thinking up ways to update Ikkaku’s wardrobe was just brilliant. Seriously, I just love these two.

3. Ok, so Isane didn’t mention Shuuhei, huh. I swore I heard his name. That means he might be stuck under a tree somewhere still.

4. Soifon/Gonryoumaru. Still cute.

BLEACH episode 242 spoilers.

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 22:23:08 GMT

Can we please have translations now? The dialogue is what was really interesting in this episode.

Rambles, as always, behind the cut.

1. Kira vs Kazeshini. There were several “Hisagi-san” and “teme’s”, so I’m a happy camper ^_^. I hope it’s more than simply Kira saying that Shuuhei is nothing like Kazeshini, but I’d take even that. I’m not sure how I feel about Kira continually being able to brush aside Kazeshini’s attacks, especially given Shuuhei’s own difficulties. On one hand, it’s a nice reflection on how Shuuhei and Kazeshini’s relationship means they’re not reaching their full potential/need each other to do this. On the other hand, dude.

Also, I’m really hoping we have some pay off for all this Kira vs Kazeshini plot. Shuuhei and Kazeshini are being driven further and further apart, and any reconciliation is going to have to be handled pretty damn awesomely for it to make sense.

2. Ichigo vs Byakuya. I’m sorry, Ichigo. You’re a nice guy and your heart is in the right place, but did you not SEE last week’s episode? There is no way you can compete with the awesomeness of that fight. Please ask Renji for tips before trying again.

3. Ikkaku vs Ryūmon Hōzukimaru. Eh. It went as predicted. The problem with some of the fights is that, because their relationship with their zanpakuto is strong and well developed, their storylines for this arc aren’t generally as interesting. Compare this fight with …

4. Yumichika vs Ruri'iro Kujaku. Who, even when just talking you can feel the relationship issues. I LOVE Yumichika in this scene, calm, controlled Yumichika vs flighty Kujaku was an awesome visual. How awesome is it that Yumichika originally seemed vain and insensitive for refusing to call his zanpakuto by his real name, but now that we’ve met Kujaku you can completely see why he might be so exasperated with him. Hee.

5. Soifon! Have I mentioned how much I love her? I love seeing her skills played up because that’s her area of strength, and it can be difficult to keep that distinguished and unique in a fighting anime. She was utterly kickarse in this episode, and wasn’t Gonryōmaru just the sweetest thing? Aw. Even Tenken felt for him. I … might be shipping Soifon/Gonryōmaru a little now, especially given her little giggle in the previews for next week.

6. IBA! I’ve missed you. Please be awesome in the next episode. Looks like Shuuhei is in the infirmary after all, damn it. The 4th division is where plots go to die …

Picture Book! Wait, does this mean one-sided Kujaku x Ikkaku is canon (well, as canon as the picture books ever can be)? Poor, poor Yumichika. Although, I sort of ship it now simply because of all the trouble and exasperation it would cause Yumichika …

My guess for whose zanpakuto Muramasa is (if it’s a canon character): Kaien’s. We got an unnecessary flashback of him, reminding us that he exists and is important. Kaien had to fight without his sword because it dissolved early on in the fight, resulting in Kaien’s death. Plus, Kaien was big on protecting one’s ‘honor’ – which has been Byakuya’s big catch phrase of late.

My guess for whose zanpakuto Muramasa is (if it’s not): The Wikipedia article pretty much sums up what likely went down.

Quick fandom meme.

Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:26:37 GMT

(Why, yes. I AM trying to avoid study AND trying to beat my fictactoe story into something readable. Why do you ask?)

Stolen from ravens_rising because it looks like fun.

Comment with a fandom and I'll tell you-

1. The first character I fell in love with:
2. The character I never expected to love as much as I do now:
3. The character everyone else loves that I don’t:
4. The character I love that everyone else hates:
5. The character I would shag anytime:
6. The character I'd want to be like:
7. The character I'd slap:
8. A pairing that I love:
9. A pairing that I despise:
10. Favorite character:
11. What are my five favorite things about the fandom?
12. What are my five least favorite things about the fandom?
13. Who are my five favorite characters?
14. Who are my five least favorite characters?
15. What are my five favorite pairings?
16. What are my five least favorite pairings?
17. Which character you are most like?
18. What is my deep, dark fandom secret?

Edit: Fandoms I've been in over the years (give or take the ones I've forgotten) - Bleach, Dragon Knights, Faeries Landing, Saiunkoku, Hitman Reborn, Angel Sanctuary, Digimon, Gundam Wing, hanakimi, Harry Potter, Kyou Kara Maou, Les Miserables, Love Mode, Magic Knights Rayearth, One Piece, Orphen, Petshop of Horrors, Sailor Moon, Slam Dunk, Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles, Vampire Game, x/1999, Yami no Matsuei, yu-gi-oh

Bleach 2010 anime calendar.

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 03:50:27 GMT

One of the really sad things I've discovered about the Bleach calendars is that, because they do 2 months per picture, it's generally fairly predictable who will get showcased. By the time you've hit up Ichigo, Rukia, Hitsugaya, Byakuya and Renji there is only one place left for someone else.

I was not, therefore, expecting anything different from the anime calendar for next year. That was, until the character list was revealed.

表紙…一護＆斬月＆村正 (Cover Ichigo, Zangetsu, Muramasa)
1･2月…日番谷＆氷輪丸 (Hitsugaya and Hyourinmaru)
3･4月…白哉＆千本桜 (Byakuya and Senbonzakura)
5･6月…檜佐木＆風死＆吉良＆侘助 (Hisagi, Kazeshini, Kira and Wabisuke)
7･8月…乱菊＆灰猫 (Matsumoto and Haineko)
9･10月…恋次＆蛇尾丸 (Renji and Zabimaru)
11･12月…ルキア＆袖白雪 (Rukia and Sode No Shirayuki)

BOOYA-AH! Ok, so Shuuhei has to share May and June with Kira, but in the past Kira would have gotten the page to himself and Shuuhei would have been MIA. The art so far looks gorgeous (although no picture yet of Shuuhei and Kira's month). This makes me happy.

EDIT: SCANS ARE UP! SEE BEHIND THE CUT!!!!

Taken from Bleach Asylum. WANT.

Fanfic tic-tac-toe challenge.

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 08:34:54 GMT

The challenge: to demolish delwynmarch in a game of fictictactoe.
The conditions: Shuuhei must be a central character in each fic. However, once another character appears in a mainish role, they cannot appear again in subsequent stories (Otherwise known as the Shunsui effect).
The battlefield:

01. LAWS OF NATURE

01. Harmonic Movement.	02. Action/Reaction.	03. Catalysis.
04. Relativity.	05. Nothing is created, nothing is lost, everything is transformed.	06. Natural Selection.
07. Gravity.	08. Inertia.	09. Electromagnetism.

Meme with me?

Sat, 17 Oct 2009 07:08:03 GMT

This community looks like a lot of fun. What you do is pair up with a friend and engage in a battle of tic-tac-toe, except instead of an empty grid, each square holds a fanfic prompt. Each person takes a turn answering a prompt, with the winner being the person to get three in a row.

What I need is a partner in crime. Any takers?

Dear me.

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 21:18:54 GMT

This one good day, one bad day rotation your body has been on of late has got to stop. Wednesday? Drugged up to the eyeballs because of my stupid gallbladder. Thursday? Productive, normal day. Friday? Drugged up to my eyeballs with a splitting headache and stomach ache. Saturday? Back to feeling productive again. Arg. I feel like I've spent half this week in bed.

Random Bleach note. Fairly hardcore Ichigo x Rukia fans seem to go on endlessly about how Ichigo x Orihime fans don't get Ichigo/are delusional/are always knocking the IchiRukia pairing etc, but I've never seen it in the forums or livejournals I follow. If anything, it seems at times to be the other way around. Am I simply not following a large chunk of the fandom? I'm not invested in either pairing, but this seemingly one-sided shipping war is a little weird.

Random bleach thoughts for the week, plus latest chapter thoughts.

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 01:15:53 GMT

1. Rukia is not going to be Shuuhei’s new captain. Not in this world, not in the next. It’s just not going to happen. Ever. Unless, the story was set in a dark AU where the noble class really held all the power, and rose unfairly through the ranks at the expense of more deserving shinigami, whom they could treat however they so pleased …

2. Tousen. Let’s talk about Tousen. Namely: he is not a terrible, useless fighter. Saying he’s not as powerful as Gin because all he’s done is lose to Kenpachi and slice off Grimmjow’s arm is selective reading – incredibly selective reading. Also on Tousen’s hit list: Kensei, Mashiro, seats 3 and 4 of the 9th division, Love, Lisa, Hachi. And he did that back when he was a 5th seat.

3. I was going to write up a post about my favorite Bleach pairings (there was – uh - a lot of Shuuhei) to counter my rambles about Shuuhei/Kira, but then I got distracted by this picture while trying to explain why I find AU Byakuya/Shuuhei so insanely hot. (Shuuhei looks like he should be pressed back up against a wall in that picture, something I fully approve of). No, it would never work in the current Bleach universe, but in some AU? Yum. <-- I am shallow. It can’t be helped. There’s another picture where I think one of them is playing with the other’s collar that I also love but cannot find. There is something about Byakuya and Shuuhei in human clothes that does strange things to me.

4. On a similar note, I haven’t been to y!gallery in years – I’d actually completely forgotten about the site until I went looking for the above picture. Interestingly, the most popular Shuuhei pairing seems to be Yumichika x Shuuhei. For which there is animated porn AND tentacle porn. You know, for some strange reason my mind never went there in regards to Yumichika’s shikai.

Everyone gets into Bleach for different reasons. For me, it was the Shinigami. I was about to give up on the series (for the second time) when Byakuya showed up, and t was from there that I was hooked. The characters that had been introduced prior to Renji and Byakuya’s entrance really don’t too much for me. I think Ichigo is one of the best shonen leads I’ve seen in a long time, and I do enjoy him in smaller doses. But Ishida, Chad, Rukia, Orihime – they’re all inoffensive characters that I just can’t bring myself to care about. I easily got into all the fights in FKT, but unless Byakuya suddenly gets involved in the Yammy fight, I can’t see myself being all that interested in the HM arc.

Predictions: hollow!Ichigo is going to take down Yammy very quickly, and the real battle is going to between Ichigo and Unohana for Icigo’s soul. There will be far too many flashbacks, mainly because Unohana will pawn Ichigo pretty damn quickly

Bleach: episode 241 spoilers.

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 10:58:11 GMT

Very quick thoughts because it's almost midnight and I'm off to bed.

1. How cool were those fights? I had no idea what was going to happen next. Hell, I had no idea who was even going to win.

2. So ... does Byakuya's zanpakuto become more humane the more demon-like Byakuya comes? Is that what Byakuya is trying to achieve, maybe?

3. Seriously? I would LOVE for Shuuhei to have a go at Byakuya like Kazeshini did throughout the episode. I think Shuuhei would probably die of embarrassment first. Kazeshini and Shuuhei are really nothing alike, are they? I can't wait for the subs, because I really want to know what was happening in the multiple exchanges between Byakuya and Kazeshini. Hell, I just want to know why Kazeshini had more lines with Byakuya than his own zanpakuto. I don't think Shuuhei is ever going to live this down. Kira is already angry with him over Kazeshini, and now Kazeshini has spent an episode 'bonding' with Byakuya. Maybe the reason why he doesn't like Kazeshini is because Kazeshini is always getting him into embarrassing situations he has to somehow talk himself out of.

4. Don't think I didn't notice that the zanpakuto who wanted to take down Byakuya after Byakuya destroyed Rukia's zanpakuto was our beloved Kazeshini. Darling Kaze, your issues are showing!

5. Wee! Big fight next week between multiple shinigami/zanpakuto. Ikkakku, Yumichika, Ichigo, Renji, Soifon, and Kira vs a whole host of zanpakuto and Byakuya. Just one question: Kira, where in the world have you stashed poor Shuuhei? We didn't see him in the infirmary earlier. Please tell me you haven't left him under a tree somewhere.

6. One thing I am NOT looking forward to next week? It looks like we get Kira vs Kazeshini. Again. Bah.

Fic: On Honest Winds (Kensei, Shuuhei)

Tue, 13 Oct 2009 03:02:20 GMT

Title: On Honest Winds.
Rating: Eh. PG?
Words: 3123
Characters: Shuuhei, Kensei.
Summary: Shuuhei is angry, hurt, and hanging on to his sanity by a thread. Naturally, Kensei is to blame. Takes place after the battle in Fake Karakura Town finishes.
Notes I: Huge thanks to xglimpsex, who managed to beat this into something readable. I was really unsure about this piece, and I needed to borrow her confidence to post it ^^. Her editing was educational as well as awesome, and any mistakes are most definitely mine.
Notes II: This is technically for mtranc3, who requested a Shuuhei and Kensei reunion. However, it doesn’t really meet any of her specifications beyond that. I suck. On a more positive note, I finally managed to write Shuuhei and Kensei in the same fic. This is progress.

On Honest Winds
Shuuhei is angry, hurt, and hanging on to his sanity by a thread. Naturally, Kensei is to blame. Takes place after the battle in Fake Karakura Town finishes.

Shuuhei waited until Unohana-taicho’s long shift had come to an end before quietly slipping out of his bed and back into his clothes. After four days in the soft, crisp hospital gown, his hakama felt stiff and uncomfortable against his skin. Yet, even though the material tugged painfully on the bandages wrapped protectively around his chest and caught on the new scars that stretched down across his shoulders, it held a familiarity and normality that Shuuhei hadn’t been able to find elsewhere in the clinically stark hospital room.

He had been a model patient for four days; surely that was more than enough. He had work to do.

Shuuhei nodded politely in greeting as he passed several of the 4th division’s lower seats in the corridor, dryly noting how easily their concern melted into relief. He didn’t doubt for one moment that they cared passionately for each patient under their care, but their resources had been stretched too far this time. One less patient to care for meant that the ones who remained could receive the full attention they required.

He made it all the way out the front door and onto the front porch of the main infirmary building before the first wave of dizziness grabbed him. Slowly, he worked his way around to the less exposed side of the building, ignoring the way the veranda seemed to sway suggestively as he walked. Only a few more steps …

Out of sight of any potentially prying eyes, he dropped down onto the steps that lead down off the porch with an agitated thump. This was not going exactly to plan. His division was not all that far away from the 4th even when traveling by foot (Shunpo was most definitely not an option), but right now it felt as though there was a mountain range separating him from his next step.

He just needed a couple of minutes to catch his breath, that was all. Against his better judgment, he rested his head against the banister and allowed his tired eyes to drift closed -

The red-hot pain slashed across his chest, humming so deeply that it drove Shuuhei to his knees. Somehow, he was aware of Komamura-taicho charging desperately towards him, and a flash of silver that momentarily shocked the pain away before it returned in an even richer vein. But it was the cold triumph in his former captain’s eyes that hypnotized Shuuhei, staying with him even as he folded slowly in half and slid to the ground …

- only for them to flicker almost immediately back open. He needed to get back to work. Now. Right now.

Shuuhei staggered inelegantly back to his feet, his fingers tensing rebelliously against the banister as he stepped away. The ground seemed firmer beneath his feet than before, rolling only slightly instead of jagging off in unpredictable directions with each step.

“You’re going the wrong way.”

Shuuhei turned sharply on his heels, paused for a moment for the vertigo to settle back around his ears instead of storming across his eyes, and kept going. His gaze remained directed in front of him when heavy footsteps fell into step beside him. The strong, undiluted reiryoku was instantly recognizable, and so deeply familiar that it was almost embarrassing.

Walking beside Kensei felt ridiculously like some kind of homecoming. A twisted, volatile home coming laced with betrayal and the bitter tang of shame, but a homecoming nevertheless.

A long time had passed. Neither of them were the people they had once been. Shuuhei wasn’t even sure that he was the person he had been four days ago.

“I’m sorry, was there something you wanted?” Shuuhei finally asked once the silence took on an edge of anticipation that he did not have the patience or the energy to effectively navigate.

Courteous. Calm. Politely inquisitive without conveying any particular interest. Shuuhei doubted any of his friends would have realised that this was the first time he’d spoken to the man at his side in 100 years. Those closest to him may have noticed that he was being particularly courteous, calm, and politely inquisitive, but then, maybe not. It was amazing the leeway people gave you when you’d just been –

He would have to find those files Kuchiki-taichou wanted before he started on his paperwork- his thoughts amended The 5th division captain had requested them over a week ago.

“Me? Nah.” Kensei replied. A tiny, dry smile threatened at the corner of Shuuhei’s mouth. There was still something about Kensei’s voice that made the small boy inside him leap. “I thought you might have a couple of questions for me, though.”

A sudden, foreign anger rippled through Shuuhei. With anyone else, at any other time, Shuuhei would have somehow managed to maintain a cordial conversation and mean it. But this … this was too soon, too much like the world was collapsing in on him and mockingly crushing away the last of his precious self control as though it was nothing. What sort of conversation was Shuuhei meant to have with Kensei after all that the vizard had revealed? What more could Kensei possibly want that he hadn’t already ripped so belligerently away?

Not even Unohana-taicho’s frighteningly gentle order could keep Shuuhei away. There were too many wounded to hold the impromptu meeting anywhere else but in the 4th division, and so – with Kira’s assistance – it was fairly easy to steal a seat towards the back of the office-come-meeting room. The room was thick with bruised reiryoku that fluctuated from one moment to the next, battering Shuuhei’s own, already ragged energy. He listened quietly as first Yamamoto and then a tall, blond man whose name Shuuhei didn’t catch began to slowly drag the past back to its rightful place in the present. As their words weaved their way through Shuuhei’s admittedly loose grip on consciousness, he found himself gaining only a vague idea of what had happened all those years ago.

It did not help that his attention was focused elsewhere.

Shuuhei bit down on his bottom lip when Kensei stood, spun in silver and so damn tall and commanding that the next wave of dizziness that hit Shuuhei had nothing to do with his injuries. Then Kensei began to talk, and Shuuhei’s light headedness was replaced by a dull horror that seemed to slowly consume his chest and rob him of each breath. That night. The slaughter of Kensei’s division. Hollowification.

Tousen. Kind, peaceful, murderous Tousen.

Kensei had been there. He’d seen Shuuhei make a fool out of himself in front of Tousen-taicho, and then, when it had all been over, and Tousen and Aizen and Gin had been gone -

The leaves that littered the pathway crunched beneath their feet as they walked, and Shuuhei found himself blankly reflecting on how easily they crumbled into inconsequential dust at the slightest touch. Any questions, huh?

“Just one,” Shuuhei replied politely, even as something snapped inside him. “Tell me this, Muguruma-san. I knew you for an instant. In that instant you changed my life ever,” He didn’t shield or downplay the honesty of words, and for a moment even his gaze lost some of its hardness, “I’d never been exposed to anyone good before. Life in Rukongai was all about somehow getting from one day to the next without ending up dead along the way.”

The Rukongai districts proliferated souls as though they were going out of fashion, and devoured them with equal ferocity. The apathetic streets had swallowed Shuuhei’s childhood whole, leaving behind a shell that had been trained in the mechanisms of living but none of the purpose that should have accompanied it. Then Kensei had entered his life, flooding his senses and drowning him in courage and intent and a rather violent sort of caring. Kensei’s raw fury had blazed through Shuuhei, tearing to shreds everything that he’d ever known and replaced it with confusion and awe.

In that moment – that tiny, incredibly brief moment – Shuuhei had somehow found himself in the other man’s strength. He had breathed in everything Kensei had to offer, and exhaled something unique and terrifying. Himself.

It was a debt Shuuhei would never be able to repay.

“You made me realize that there was much more to life, Muguruma-san. I will never forget that.”

His gaze slid briefly over to Kensei, noting that the older man was vaguely uncomfortable with Shuuhei’s admission. Good. It was only fair that Kensei felt at least some of the disequilibrium that was coursing through Shuuhei’s own veins.

“But Tousen-taicho-” to his horror, Shuuhei choked on his former captain’s name. “Tousen-taicho was everything to me.”

The words sounded remote and calm, almost as though they belonged to someone else.

Tousen-taicho …

At every turn, Tousen-taicho had been there, guiding, shaping, conditioning. Shuuhei’s breath faltered in his chest for a moment, and he thrust a hand out against the closest tree. With a quiet growl, he pushed away and walked on.

“He helped get me out of the slums when I was kid, and made sure I was placed in a good home. He was there when Aog-” he cut off abruptly, the familiar spark of pain lashing through his soul.

Shuuhei desperately tried to snatch back some of his usual distance and calm, but found nothing on offer except a dark, desperate sense of freefall.

This wasn’t like him. This wasn’t him. And yet, there wasn’t a part of his body that wasn’t shaking. His fingers trembled at his side, and his voice shook slightly as he spoke. The bandages that were holding his chest together slid with each uneven breath.

“Tell me then, why is that I’m willing to throw away everything Tousen-taicho did for me, to see him suddenly as this monster, just because that’s how you described him? How is that fair? How is that right?”

Desperation was steeped so deeply into his words that Shuuhei didn’t know how he’d ever be able to drag himself back out.

“Tell me,” Shuuhei demanded, as he stopped and turned to Kensei, his eyes cold and hard and distraught, “why is it that YOU mean that much to me?”

How could this man he had known for only one moment possibly still reduce him to this mess of childish emotions? How could everything Tousen-sama had taught him so easily now mean nothing?

“Sit down kid, and let me tell you a story.”

The wry command threw Shuuhei even further off balance, and disbelieving, angry eyes sought out frustratingly cocky ones.

“You look like you’re going to pass out any second,” Kensei added darkly, “And I don’t like having to tell the same story twice.”

“I’m fine,” Shuuhei replied icily, purposefully setting off once more.

The last few remaining shreds of Shuuhei’s pride refused to acknowledge the sharp ache that flared across his chest and sunk rhythmically into his bones with each painful step.

Kensei doubtfully gave Shuuhei a quick once over.

“Your call.”

It was only after a few tense minutes of silent walking that Kensei reluctantly began.

“Look. After what Tousen and Aizen did to us, it wasn’t easy, ok? We had no fucking idea who we were, what side up the world was, or if we were ever going to be anything other than the monsters we felt we were. In times like that you find strength from whatever place you can. It’s the only way any of us could get through those first months without offing ourselves.”

Against his better judgment, Shuuhei found himself becoming caught up in the rhythmic prosody of Kensei’s voice.

“Shinji found his strength in revenge. Right from the first day he was plotting out ways to slice Aizen into a thousand pieces.” Kensei’s dry gaze slid over to Shuuhei, “Me? I found it in some cry-baby kid who thought he could take on a hollow with a stick.”

Shuuhei stumbled briefly before righting himself.

“Don’t patronize me,” he said blankly, fists clenched helplessly at his sides. Shuuhei could deal with indifference; he could even deal with contempt. But this, this false sense of importance carved hollowly through his sanity.

“Shut up and listen,” Kensei cut in gruffly, “I lost half my division that night along with everything else. But you know what would have been worse? If we hadn’t had a reason to be there in the first place.” Kensei smirked, “You had a lot of nerve back then, Shuuhei, but not much of a backswing-” It was the first time that Kensei had spoken his name, and for some reason it sounded twisted and foreign. Shuuhei couldn’t connect with it, finding it just as distant and wrong as the man walking beside him, “-it didn’t take me long to realize that as shitty as the whole situation was, the one good thing that had come out of it far exceeded all the bad crap.”

“Seems like a pretty poor trade off to me,” Shuuhei replied hoarsely, his gaze distant.

“Really?” Kensei asked, eyebrow cocked. “Tell me, kid. If you had to choose between sacrificing yourself and your team to save someone you were responsible for, what would you have done?”

Even after all these years, the wounds were simply too deep. Everything shut down, and it was all Shuuhei could to do keep on walking. Memories of blood and death and Aoga and Kanisawa briefly threatened his consciousness, but he smothered them violently away. He ignored the curious look Kensei shot him, and focused instead on recapturing his erratic, fleeting breath from the past it was so infuriatingly entwined with.

“I can’t tell you why I’m important to you, Shuuhei. Just like I can’t tell you why you got that tattoo.” Kensei’s no-nonsense tone slowly dragged Shuuhei back, gradually grounding him back in each of senses.

The distinct timber of Kensei’s voice was followed quickly by the deep stretch of pain across his chest and the mild scent of the man at his side.

“What I can say is thank you,” the comment drew a coarse, quiet laugh from Shuuhei. “That and we’re here.”

A deep sense of relief swept through Shuuhei as the pathway opened up into the courtyard of the 9th division. This was home. Feet that had been so unsure before suddenly regained all their confidence, easily carrying Shuuhei across familiar lawns, up one-two-three steps and into his office. The smell of ink and parchment still stained the air, and the pile of paperwork that threatened to spill off his desk welcomed him back with the dreary reminder of hours of mindless work. Bliss. He paused after entering, turning to face Kensei.

“Thank you for everything you have done, Muguruma-san-” It was so easy to regain his polite professionalism and distance here. He could tune out all thoughts of Tousen and Kensei, see them only as distant concepts that he might eventually decide to deal with once his workload was more manageable. “-but was there anything else you wanted?”

Kensei smirked, and then waited. Shuuhei wearyingly tried to gage exactly what for. If Kensei was expecting something more--

Suddenly his legs folded beneath him, a ragged gasp escaping through his lips as the deep wound across his chest sparked painfully. There was a searing pain, a flash of horror, a strong arm and a quiet chuckle – and then nothing but black.

***

“Oh, for crying out loud,” Shinji said with a roll of his eyes when he found Kensei half an hour later, his feet propped up on Shuuhei’s desk and a magazine in his hands. “Tell me that isn’t what I think it is.”

“It’s pretty good,” Kensei stated, reluctantly putting the periodical to the side. “The quality of some of the articles is a little off, but the type setting and page design is professional and clean.”

Shinji squinted as he studied Kensei. “You aren’t the least bit embarrassed that you started that piece of shit, are you?”

Kensei scowled, before relaxing back into his seat. “Still bitter that your section was universally reviled?”

“Hmph.”

The ease in which they could slip back into their old roles disturbed Kensei. How long had it been since either of them had even thought about the Seireitei Communication?

“I was expecting him to be smaller.” Shinji added, nodding over to the small sofa that Shuuhei was currently passed out on.

“It’s been a hundred years, you idiot.” Kensei spared the kid a brief glance before idly turning his attention to the paperwork on the desk. “Looks like he keeps himself busy.”

So easy. So easy to flick through the screeds of paperwork and see if Shuuhei had missed anything important, or to hunt down new leads. But it was no longer his responsibility and Shuuhei seemed to be handling things fine, or so Ukitake said. With an irritable grunt he dropped his feet down to the floor, ignoring Shinji’s piercing gaze with well practiced ease.

“You know, I’m surprised he even made it this far.” Shinji drawled lazily.

“Don’t push me, Shinji.” Kensei snapped. “Not on this.”

Shinji had his way of dealing with the shitty hand they’d been dealt, and Kensei had his own. The small boy from his memories had grounded him in a way that no-one else had been able to, reminding him that beneath the mask remained a man who possessed reasons for fighting instead of merely the will. The adult that kid had grown into …

“Just don’t get too attached. This is just a short term truce, remember that.” Shinji stated, his eyes narrowed and reminding Kensei that while the blond may act like a fool, he certainly wasn’t without sense.

“You think I’ve forgotten?”

The bitterness never faded. Tousen’s betrayal had been bad enough, but it had been the way the Soul Society had so willingly swept them aside as though they were nothing but dirt that still stung deeply after all these years. After they had dealt to Aizen, Tousen and Gin, Kensei was done with the Soul Society for good.

But there were some old debts that needed to be repaid first.

Inevitably, he found his gaze drawn back to the kid. Shuuhei’s mouth was twisted into a tight grimace, and even sleep hadn’t loosened the tension laced through his frame. A dark, humorless smirk curled Kensei’s lips into something that was almost a scowl. The tension was something Kensei recognized only too well.

We no longer had any idea who we were, what side up the world was, and who the monsters truly were.

Tousen would pay.

Mon, 12 Oct 2009 05:20:13 GMT

There is psychology related wank on Fandom Wank. Bless. I'm currently knee deep in personality disorders and the DSM-IV right now, so I'm especially taken by the wank.

Random thought one: It's a lot of fun to apply psychology to fictional characters. However, they're fictional characters. They have no internal locus of control. Everything they do is to move the story along. That doesn't mean that you can't play with diagnoses, but it's important to realize that you're only playing.

Random thought two: for a personality disorder to exist, it must be causing significant impairment in the person's social, occupational, and inter-personal life. So, while you could arguably suggest that Kouyuu from Saiunkoku has a dependent personality disorder, it would be much more difficult to tie a personality disorder to any of the fully functioning vice captains in Bleach *cough*.

Random thought three: Narcissistic Personality Disorder. You're doing it wrong. Really, really wrong. But please continue, because it's a lot of fun to follow.

Green slime for everyone!

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 22:29:38 GMT

When I'm feeling down or in need of a pick me up, my book of choice is Howl's Moving Castle. I bought my first copy several years ago at Tokyo airport while waiting for my flight home - 12 hours in a plane without a new book to read is a nightmarish experience, let me tell you. This was a couple of years after the movie had come out, and though I hadn't seen the movie I had heard enough good things about it to pick up the book on a whim. It helped that english books cost about 40% less in Japan than they do in New Zealand (but my rant about how expensive books are in New Zealand will have to wait for another day).

I fell in love with HMC almost immediately, and I've spent the past couple of years slowly consuming everything else Diane Wynne Jones has to offer. I'm glad I read the book before I saw the movie which, while an ok film in its own right, is an absolutely terrible adaption of the book.

Anyway, I'm in rather green slime mood today. Unfortunately, I can't find either of my copies of HMC. I got two of my assignments back yesterday, and ... yeah. The B+ for Neuropsychology was ok, but the B for Adult Psychopathology has pretty much torpedoed any chance I had of getting into the Clinical program. It's a little ridiculous, really. Every year I go through the same angst, and every year I just fail to meet the criteria that would get me in. On the plus side, this really IS it. It's a hell of a lot easier going into the exams knowing that I only need to maintain a B average to get into my thesis next year and not worry about trying to drag everything up to an A- to qualify for Clinical Psychology.

I think I'm going to have to go and find new fan fiction to read as a substitute for Howl. This never ends well because it usually means I have to read stories I passed over previously because of the likely quality/pairing/disinterest.

Bleach spoilers 377 (Now having read the chapter!)

Fri, 09 Oct 2009 00:54:13 GMT

The scans are out, the translations have been read. Let the random babbling begin in earnest!

HA! And so that is why Kensei doesn’t wear sleeves. I love how every single aspect of Kubo’s characterisations have some explanation behind them. I thought it was just a fashion statement that the rest of his division had picked up on! I actually really love what we’ve seen of Kensei’s bankai so far – it’s all about power. I especially can’t wait to see someone come at Kensei with a sword, because he would practically be fighting off the strikes with his fists.

How awesome was it that Kensei ‘Ohohohohoh’d’ back at Wonderweiss? I love this man.

On a Shuuhei-Kensei note, I continue to wonder just how important Kensei is to Shuuhei. If Kazeshini is a part of Shuuhei’s soul, then it’s very interesting that Shuuhei ended up with a zanpakuto that was not only the same element and also had a very similar name as Kensei’s, but that there are some similarities between Shuuhei’s shikai and Kensei’s bankai – which Shuuhei never saw.. Kensei’s bankai and Shuuhei’s shikai are far from identical, and they’re definitely reflective of their wielder’s individual strengths: Shuuhei’s tactical and acrobatic, Kensei’s power and direct style of fighting. Still, Kensei’s two blades connected by whatever it is that wraps around his arms and across his back reminds me of a power house version of Kazeshini. Sort of in the same way that, when Kensei would twirl Tachikaze around his finger it was reminiscent of Shuuhei swinging one of Kazeshini’s blades. I could – of course – be reading far too much into the designs. Still, it’s really interesting that we keep getting all these little signs though Shuuhei’s zanpakuto that the impact Kensei left on Shuuhei went beyond making a lasting impression/changing his life. Instead, if Kazeshini is anything to go by, Kensei seems to have impacted directly on Shuuhei’s very soul.

Hiyori… I’ve seen more graphic scenes in manga and anime without flinching, but for some reason her cutting in half scene made me feel physically ill. I could have done without Shinji calling for Ichigo (why not call directly for Orihime?), but I did love his desperateness. I could feel his panic and horror.

It looks like there is a tiny chance we may get some FKT next week? I really hope so.

Bleach 377 spoilers.

Tue, 06 Oct 2009 01:51:11 GMT

Early spoilers are early! I always like it when that happens. Nothing nicer than waking up for spoilers instead of hoping something might turn up before I go to bed.

*deep breaths* Ok, Kubo. We can do this. Just stick to the list and don’t stray from it, and I think we’ll somehow get through this together.

Right. One down, two to go. Technically Hiyori isn’t dead yet, but since she is literally missing half her body, it’s been established only Orihime could save her, and she’s currently dying in Shinji’s arms …

I still hope she doesn’t die. I don’t want any of them to die. The only thing that makes me a little happy about the scene is that I called Gin taking out Hiyori so that Shinji’s wrath would be redirected away from Aizen and towards Gin. It had to happen at some stage, because Shinji’s role is to important for him not get to kill one of the big three, but so far all his attention has been focused on Aizen (who Ichigo is going to kill).

What still needs to happen is for one person to be built up as the person to eventually take out Tousen. There are still three people with equal rights to him, and arguably none of them have enough standing in the series to score a major kill. Although, if Komamura is taken out, a joint effort between Shuuhei and Kensei would make sense. Especially if WW sticks around. The alternative is to build one of the core characters up to eventually take on Tousen, but right now I can’t see how they’d link Ishida/Chad/Rukia/Byakuya/Renji to Tousen. The only one who has any sort of link is Chad, who we know is friends with Shuuhei (and I want more of their friendship, damn it! It seems so cute).

ANYWAY! Back to the chapter! BANKAI KENSEI! Oh yeah! I love that Kensei, unlike the other Vizards we’ve seen fight in FKT, doesn’t mess around and goes straight to bankai. Good boy. Can we please have a reaction shot from Shuuhei, pretty please? Even if it’s just a teeny tiny shot? Even if we just see him watching in the background somewhere? I love that Kubo keeps reminding us of the Shuuhei/Kensei connection with all the kid comments about WW. We haven’t forgotten, Kubo.

So, of course we’re going back to HM next week. All the “where is Ichigo?” wailing from Shinji would have confirmed it even if the preview at the end for the next chapter didn’t ask the same thing. At the same time though, maybe it will only be for four or five chapters? I know it’s a big fight, but since they are really needed at FKT now, it might go faster than expected. The next volume has Yammy on the cover, but while he’ll get a chunk of the chapters, Kubo can’t go on for too long without making everyone lose hope about Hiyori.

Random character comment for the day: If you think that KIRA is currently being shown as easily the best vice captain in the current arc because he’s the least beaten up, then you’re reading the manga wrong. There is a reason he’s not as beaten up as Shuuhei – he’s not fighting anyone. Please stop trying to make this Kira’s big moment. It’s strange. (This is why I don’t understand some Kira fans. Why interpret a fight/situation that is obviously insanely important for Shuuhei as being more important for Kira? Why does this keep happening? Are these particular Kira fans really Shuuhei fans but don’t think he is pretty enough? Demanding minds want to know!)

Random fic comment for the day: Let’s say Shuuhei somehow DOES manage to get pregnant with Tousen’s baby. Wait. I don’t think I can quite get past that.

Right. Let’s try that again. Shuuhei pregnant with Tousen’s baby. Let’s say it happens. Actually, I can’t get over how ridiculously it was set up to get to the character characterizations that were just even weirder. I will say this: if you’re going to do something so insane, at least make Shuuhei react to it in character. He is not going to squeak. Or constantly burst into tears. OVER NOTHING.

Bleach 376: a really long ramble.

Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:55:09 GMT

I just finished reading the chapter and I had to write up an insanely long post about the possible implications immediately. I don't want to give anything away above the cut, but beneath the cut is an endless discussion and character breakdown about what might happen in the lead up to the end of the FKT arc. All thoughts/disagreements/additions are seriously welcomed, especially as I'm the first person to admit that I don't have a great grip on many of these characters.

Wow. I think the latest chapter just gave us the shortlist from which the character/s who are going to die are going to be drawn from. For those who haven’t read the latest chapter yet, we get two panels that show the reactions shots of several Shinigami and Vizards on the title page, with the ominous “EXecution, EXtinction, 2” title below. The panels go like this:

Shinigami (left to right): Shuuhei, Komamura, Soifon, Hitsugaya, Shunsui, Yamamoto.
Vizards (left to right): Lisa, Hachi, Rose, Love, Shinji, Hiyori.

Noticeable exceptions and therefore very unlikely to be killed: Kensei, Mashiro, Omaeda, Ukitake, and all the injured characters currently receiving treatment plus Kira.
Also of interest: I know I’m a fangirl, but I still think it’s seriously impressive that Shuuhei is pretty much being allowed to co-exist on the save level as the remaining captains and Yamamoto. However, that also makes him the easiest target to take out.

Starting with the order in which they appear in the panels, I’ve thrown together a quick list for and against each character being killed off. Please feel free to add/disagree with anything!

Shuuhei.
For: He’s been painted in a very sympathetic light in this arc, and so the emotional impact of his death will be high.
Against: His character development may just be that, and not simply to set him as a sympathetic sacrificial lamb.

For: Tousen. If Tousen kills Shuuhei, it will really establish Tousen as a villain. Up until now, Tousen has been seen to occupy a sort of grey area for some fans. Additionally, he has gotten some slack for not being able to take down Kenpachi, and is therefore not considered strong or evil enough when compared to Aizen and Gin. Killing Shuuhei will paint him as an absolute bastard with no redeeming qualities, especially as Shuuhei has been shown to be so dedicated to him in return.
Against: Kensei. Kubo has been building up to their reunion for some time, it seems unlikely he won’t follow through with it.

For: Killing Shuuhei will conveniently leave enough room in the 9th division for both Kensei and Mashiro to return to their old positions.
Against: Do either of them actually want to return? Plus, there has been foreshadowing throughout the series that supports Shuuhei becoming captain.

For: Tousen. He has a reputation for killing his own men.
Against: Aizen. The plot seems to be setting Aizen up as the major destroyer. Shuuhei would probably be the last person he would be interested in killing out of the 12 possible victims. Additionally, Shuuhei is heavily tied to Tousen, so his death at Aizen’s hand would seem a little bizarre.

For: He’s the only vice-captain. Killing another captain would leave four divisions without captains and that seems unlikely to happen.

For: Everyone he cares about is there, making his death the most emotional for the remaining characters. His closest friends (Kira, Matsumoto, Iba – although currently unconscious), Kensei, Komamura. Additionally, if he is killed by Tousen, the remaining captains will see it as the ultimate form of betrayal (a lieutenant being killed by his captain).

Komamura
For: “I knew someday we would cross swords and one of us would die,” is pretty heavy foreshadowing.
Against: Unlike with Shuuhei, Tousen seems to still care for Komamura on some level. Although, arguably, that could make it an even more tragic death.

For: His character development has been pretty flat for some time. Aside for Tousen, he doesn’t have any other storylines or subplots that he is involved with. Death at Tousen’s hands would therefore conclude his character arc while also furthering Tousen’s own character development.
Against: Four divisions without captains?

Against: Komamura has already been taken down by Aizen, how likely is it we’re going to get a repeat?

Against: Iba is currently unconscious. This brings down some of the emotional impact of his death.

Soifon
For: She’s already seriously injured, and this could be a way of finishing her off.
Against: Her injuries are fixable.

Against: She has at least two storylines that need to addressed/examined before she has a really legitimate chance of dying (Hachi, Yoruichi , and Urahara)

Against: Seriously, does anyone think Kubo would leave Omaeda in charge of a division?

Against: For her death to have the maximum impact on other characters, Yoruichi really needs to be there.

Hitsugaya.
Yeah. It’s not going to happen. What, I should still keep up the pretence that it might? Why not.

For: The two people his death would impact the most on (Matsumoto, Momo) are there and somewhat conscious.
Against: Aizen has already taken Hitsugaya down once. It’s unlikely to happen again.

For: It would be a HUGE shock if it happened.
Against: There is a reason why.

Shunsui.
For: He’s an incredibly powerful character, and killing him will actually make Aizen look powerful instead of simply evil.
Against: He’s already had an ‘OMG, is he dead?” moment in this arc. Two would probably be overkill, even if the second one did end in eventual death.

For: Getting rid of Shunsui is the best way to hurt/anger Yamamoto without taking out Yamamoto directly.
Against: Nanao and Lisa. One isn’t there, the other he hasn’t had a proper reunion with. Oh, and Ukitake doesn’t currently seem to be conscious either, dropping the emotional impact of his death even further.

Against: As with the other captains, does it make sense to have four divisions without captains?

Yamamoto.
For: He’s the biggest scalp. If Aizen kills him, then Aizen is – for the first time – really winning the war AND is easily the strongest character remaining.

For: It clears the way for Ichigo to take out Aizen. Hierarchy wise, Yamamoto really had to be defeated first.

For: Removing Yamamoto also removes the major obstacle preventing the Vizards from forming a decent bond with the Soul Society.

For: It really sends the Soul Society into disarray. Through taking out Yamamoto, Aizen isn’t just killing someone that other characters (and the readers) care about, but someone whose death will have a huge impact on the very fabric of Soul Society.

For: His death will allow for some great character development for Shunsui, Ukitake, and Unohana, not to mention a much needed restructuring of the Soul Society.

For: Yamamoto has been painted as a bit of a bastard throughout the series, and this has been reinforced in the FKT arc.

Against: I can’t think of any reason why he wouldn’t be killed, to be honest.

Lisa.
Against: I think she’s the safest Vizard. Nanao isn’t there, and she hasn’t had a proper reunion with Shunsui. She also hasn’t had a proper fight. Nothing can be gained through her death.

Haichi.
For: Already injured, could be the final nail in the coffin.
Against: His current injuries are survivable.

For: He occupies a very similar niche to Orihime. This could be seen as devaluing some of Orihime’s importance and he may be taken out as a result.
Against: He still has a couple of storylines he needs to tie up (his relationship with Soifon, sealing Urahara)

Rose and Love.
I’m putting these two together because the for/against are almost identical.

For: Neither have any loose storylines that need to be wrapped up. They are not tied to any characters, plot wise, other than to the Vizards in general - and the Vizards are all here to witness their deaths. Along with Haichi, they’re the only Vizards to (at this stage) have had a proper fight.
Against: Maaaybe they’ll want to explore the Shunsui/Love relationship a little further? That’s the only thing I can think of for either Love or Rose.

Shinji.
For: He’s probably the second biggest scalp Aizen could take at this point.
Against: Ichigo isn’t there to witness it, dropping the emotional impact somewhat.

Against: It’s probably a bit early for the Vizards to be without their leader.

Against: If we’re going to get Aizen/Shinji, it’s probably going to be after a lot of build-up and will be a one-on-one battle.

Hiyori
For: If Aizen wants to hurt Shinji without taking him out directly, killing Hiyori is the way to go.

For: Her death also directly impacts on Urahara, dragging him into the conflict instead of being in a bystander role. Serious and vengeful Urahara has been a long time coming.
Against: Urahara isn’t actually there, which could reduce the emotional impact of her death.

For: She doesn’t seem to have any incomplete storylines to wrap up.

To sum up: For the shinigami, I think Yamamoto and one of either Shuuhei or Komamura are gone. Aside from Yamamoto, Shuuhei probably has the most ‘for’ points in favor of his death, but his ‘against’ ones are stronger than Komamura’s. The strongest thing in Komamura’s favor is that I can’t see them killing off another captain at this point, but the ‘one of us will die’ line from Tousen is pretty damning. For Shuuhei, the fact he’s been set up so sympathetically is a key reason why he might die, along with the fact that pretty much everyone who is important to him is there to see him die, sending the emotional reactions from the other characters through the roof. However, he’s got two unresolved storylines (Kensei, the captaincy of the 9th division).

For the Vizards, I’d say Lisa and Shinji are pretty safe, Hachi is somewhat safe, and Love, Rose, and Hiyori are in serious danger. Of the three, Hiyori’s death would impact heavily on two key characters (Shinji and Urahara).

My predictions: Yamamoto, Komamura, Hiyori. Yamamoto killed by Aizen, Komamura killed by Tousen (because of the ‘one of us will die’ line), Hiyori killed by Gin (thus redirecting Shinji’s anger away from Aizen and towards Gin) or Aizen.

We all know that the only thing really going through my mind is 'anyone but Shuuhei'.