Findings of a Fangirl

and I don't mean blushing, hand-holding, let's go on a date omg aw cute couple romance, I mean the romance of medieval times and fairy tales like that whole arc DRIPS with chivalry

Ichigo lying on the floor in a pool of his own blood, nearly defeated but STILL trying to keep Byakuya and Renji from taking Rukia away from him until she, with tears streaming down her face, swears she'll never forgive him if he tries to follow

Him swearing on his soul to save her, vowing to pass through a "thousand blades" for her, that the power he gains is for her sake

The way he finally reunites with her in SS, flying down from the heavens in a freaking CLOAK billowing in the wind and landing gracefully into a kneel, like a knight kneeling before his princess

unable to look into her eyes as he quietly tells her he's here to save her, while she weeps over the injuries that burden his body

when it's all over, they stand and face each other in an open field, the sun sets and she smiles, he sees her smile and remembers why he wanted to save her so badly, thanks her because the rain has finally stopped

Ok but CONSIDER

“That was fifty miles from here. Why would the ghost come all this way? To a roadside bar?” Ishida asked. 

“He still believes spirits can ride in trains and buses,” Rukia said in a flat tone over the radio. 

“Still?!” Ishida asked. “That doesn’t even make sense!”

Ichigo stopped in the middle of the cramped hallway to glare at Ishida. “Ghosts do things people do, right? Why wouldn’t they take trains? It makes perfect sense!”

Ishida let out a frustrated sigh. Before he could further explain his point, a nearby beer sign flickered on and off to cast a harsh red and blue glare in the darkness.

“See? She’s reaching out to us!” Ichigo said. 

It went black again, and the power on Ichigo’s camera flickered several times. 

Suddenly a chilly breeze swept upon them which filled the hallway. They froze in place out of reflex, and Ichigo tilted the camera about in all directions to get a shot. Then it happened- the translucent, faint shape of an old man standing in the hall a mere five feet away. 

They jumped. They screamed.

It was over just as quickly as it began, and they were alone in the silent hallway once more. 

“Rukia! Rukia, did you see that? That was recorded, right?” Ichigo asked into the radio. 

Rukia looked up from her book in time to notice them flailing about in the empty hallway on the monitor.  “What?”

“That ghost- We were recording, right?” Ishida asked. 

There was a pause. A long, very extended pause that would’ve been enough time to read through an entire cafe menu. And make a single cup of coffee. It became a concerning pause, and then a frustrating one.

“…Yes,” she said curtly in an unconvincing tone.

Today's the day! The official start of Forget Me Not: An IchiRuki Fic Rec Exchange!

We're kicking off with a sweet prompt in honor of Ichigo's birthday: fics that feel like a warm hug. You know the ones. Comforting, soft, warming.

To participate, reblog this post with the title, author, and rating (G, T, M, E) of your favorite comfort fics. If any of the major trigger warnings apply (underage, graphic violence, non-con, major character death) and are not tagged by the author, be sure to indicate that.

Forget Me Not: an IchiRuki Fic Rec Exchange will launch on July 15 and run through July 31!

We'll be celebrating the many fics written by the lovely writers of our fandom over the years.