DOLLHOUSE ;

"Isn't that just kick-you-in-the-crotch-spit-on-your-neck fantastic?"

"I wanna quit the gym!"

"I wanna quit the bank!"

"You big tree..."

"How you doin'?"

"Wax the door shut. We're never leaving, ever."

"We were on a break!"

"I'm not great at the advice...can I interest you in a sarcastic comment?"

"I tell people secrets, it makes them like me."

"[name] doesn't share food!"

"Three failed marriages, two illegitimate children....the personal ad writes itself."

"Well I couldn't tell her I was naked. She's allowed to see me naked."

"Why does anybody have to be naked?"

"Because, sometimes after you sleep with someone, you have to kill a fish."

"Are you sure you peed on the stick right?"

"It's not that common. It doesn't happen to every guy. And it is a big deal!"

"No one ever listens to me. When the package is this pretty, no one cares what's inside!"

"Oh my God. You still have feelings for me, don't you?"

"In my defense, it was dark, and he was a very pretty guy!"

"Whoa, whoa, kindergarten flashback."

"Whoa, whoa, prom night flashback."

"Awww. Oh no, wait a minute. I have no one!"

"I have no idea what's going on but I'm excited."

"I'm so excited I may vomit."

"Hey, if we were in prison, you guys would be like my bitches."

"It was 18 pages. Front and back!"

"You're my lobster."

"Stick out your tongue."

"Take off your shirt!"

"Yeah, I know it must be important to you when you start chattering like a monkey."

"You know what they say, ask your slippers a question...you're going crazy."

"Did you see the kid on that nose?"

"We saw them doing it through the window. Actually, we saw them doing it up against the window."

"Crossed the line? You're so far past the line! The line is a dot to you!"

( ♚ ) How could he forget such a moment so easily?

After what the swordsman witnessed, it was not just belief, but also trust

Both Ichigo and Rukia would have been grasped by death’s embrace if Riruka had not stepped in just in time that day. Those unfamiliar yet unique powers and what could have been done by using them—if they had not been sapped completely for one’s personal gain. Head wavers lightly, trying hard not to relive a traumatizing series of events. Pause for a short breath before a response is given.

❝ Just feels right thanking you, especially considering how it is you stepped in to protect us so… yeah. ❞

“This kind of attitude might get you in trouble eventually.”

She knew that her response didn’t make much sense as it was a rather weak attempt to keep the distance between them out of self-defense rather than common sense. A part of her was still afraid of being pushed aside and left all alone face-to-face with thoughts that tormented her. The female Fullbringer found it somewhat hard to believe that after everything she had done that one impulsive heroic deed was enough to change his mind.

It was confusing, a bit scary and yet so surprisingly flattering. Things simply couldn’t be going to well, could they? Soon, she would wake up and this nice dream would end, right?

( ♚ ) Ah, so she was seeking redemption after the events that transpired. The somber yet irritated expression on the former Fullbringers eyes said this all too well. It is not as if Ichigo would turn away the redhead for simply explaining herself. After all, things could get interesting.

❝ You I can completely believe… everyone else who was a part of that stupid group though, not so much. ❞ Whether or not the young woman had a hand in the whole scheme did not actually matter simply due to one act of bravery she did to protect the shinigami. ❝ Reflecting on the past is never a good thing—for obvious reasons but… you Rukia and I from Tsukishima, guess I never got to properly thank you for that. ❞

So he remembered.

Not to mention that he chose to believe her.

Quite frankly, Riruka never thought she would ever be able to risk her own life for the sake of somebody else’s safety — a heroic act, indeed, but she was a human being with her own weaknesses and fears, she was no hero. But back then, she wasn’t thinking, she didn’t care if she could get hurt or even die, it didn’t matter. But to think that he remembered what she did and that he was thankful for that? Blood rushed to the Fullbringer’s cheeks against her will— hopefully, he didn’t notice or, at the very least, thought she was flattered.

( ♚ ) After everything that had gone down—Ichigo thought he would never see Riruka again. From receiving help in order to regain the power for protecting others only to later be backstabbed.. the experience caused trust issues within the young man when meeting new people. Although the former Fullbringer and he never got along well, she never used him as some tool in the end. She wanted to talk, might be a good chance for the two to start over. ❝ Whatever you’ve got to say in mind.. I'm all ears. ❞

Surely, she didn’t expect him to greet her with a welcoming smile and excitement after everything she had done as a member of Xcution, but his attitude and the tone of his voice still stung her a bit as they served as a reminder that she, too, betrayed him, whether she wanted to or not, her intentions didn’t count at this point.