Hisana Kuchiki - Tumblr Posts

Bleach Fanfiction Master Post

Figured I would make a fun little catalog of my years of Bleach fanfiction. (Jeez, I am so old.) All of it is ByaHisa because that is my special kind of brain rot. My favorite romantic set-up involves a firm stoic falling hard, and we know like... five things ... maybe? ... about the other half of this canon pairing, which leaves a lot open to interpretation/artistic license. Also, contextualizing or reframing the woman character whose sole function in a narrative is to serve as characterization for a male character is a Fine Undertaking* in my opinion, and Bleach has so many interesting dead wives to choose from....

So, without further ado, here we go (in-progress or completed stories only):

A Thin Red Line: This is my longest work to date, as it's basically the length of four traditionally published fantasy novels (400k+ words). To be fair to me, this is a retelling of Bleach where Hisana does not die so it covers the Byakuya and Hisana origin story, the major arcs, plus that whole 40-year period where canon Rukia was basically living in a gothic novel. Mind the tags. Still in progress after like 10 years.... [ff.net │ a03]

Smoke and Mirrors: A dark ByaHisa origin story with Hisana as an oiran. It isn't particularly graphic in terms of sex or violence since that isn't really my style, but the text and subtext are definitely there that terrible things happen to Hisana, and her mental state is understandably not great. [ff.net │ a03]

Without Frontiers: Like the Peter Gabriel song! (Yes, that song was the inspo. I write to music just like probably 95% of anyone who writes.) This is a pretty fluffy one-shot where Byakuya and Hisana are childhood friends. There is like 0 romance. They are legit kids just making up stories and being goofy. There are some hints that Hisana may be exposed to Bad Things that she is trying to process through story-telling because, really, who doesn't want a little Adult Fear injected into an otherwise light-hearted story? [ff.net │ a03]

Charcoal Hearts: This is my very tame attempt at a reincarnation fic. The story is about Byakuya taking Rukia to a ballet during their off-time. He is there basically to ogle the reincarnation of his dead wife as a ballerina performing Serenade. It has a flirty ending, but, since I don't particularly love Hisana reincarnation fics, it ends ambiguously. [ff.net │ a03]

So Far Away: A pretty depressive one-shot where an injured Byakuya recovers in Hisana's hovel in the deep Rukon. Here, Hisana is a barmaid who scavenges and does side jobs to support herself, and Byakuya is... well... sort of an asshole? Like I think writing this one-shot was where I had an epiphany about Byakuya's character (or at least my attempt to write his character): That "epiphany" being that because he lives in a rich people bubble, he (1) is extremely entitled and (2) struggles to understand and connect with others. These two traits create a feedback loop that makes him come off as simultaneously arrogant and stiff/awkward. I don't think Byakuya is canonically on the spectrum, but I could entertain that theory, especially in light of the CFYOW books. Instead, I think there is a point when someone has so much privilege that they never learn how to read the damn room because all rooms, at that point, are basically designed to cater to them. Everyone is artificial with them so genuine concern or emotion seems inconvenient, at best, to alien, at worst. All that said, in this story he very much trips all over himself, but he improves. Slowly. Over the course of like years. [ff.net │ a03]

Stages: A short ByaHisa origin story that incorporates the five stages of love challenge that was popular on LiveJournal back when LJ was a thing. (Is it still a thing?) Hisana is a courtesan. It isn't the best, and I sort of hate it, but it is part of the plot bunny that prompted me to make a version of Hisana as a courtesan that would be interesting, or more interesting, and better researched in keeping with the Edo Period sensibilities of Soul Society, which led to Smoke and Mirrors and A Thin Red Line. [ff.net │ a03]

White Flowers and Red Hearts Trilogy: These stories are the earliest of my ByaHisa brain rot, and they probably read exactly like that. I have not done a re-write (or, hell, even a re-read) of any of these in like a decade or more so... yikes... But, from what I recall, the first story, Dissidence is the meet-cute, where Byakuya meets Hisana while on a mission. Hisana is a Rukon local working as a host performing tea ceremonies, and Byakuya sort of winds up in a "you broke the thing, now you must buy the thing" situation with Hisana, explaining his decision to marry her. Dimuendo is the middle child, and it chronicles their first year of marriage. Both Dissidence and Dimuendo are pretty fluffy with some light angst. Dolente is like super depressive because... well... death is pretty sad, and it is the final year of their marriage. Would not recommend any of these, and, like Stages, I would probably delete them if not for the sentimental value. [a03]

The Rites of the Dead: It's a weird story. Technically, it's a one-shot, but it has a few "movements" that break the story into parts. It has no romance. The subject matter is dark: Hisana is a member of the Fourth and is tasked with preparing the funerary arrangements upon Ginrei's death. And, I like it? Still. For some strange reason. Sure, there are things that I would go back and fix on a technical level if I were to re-edit it (which I have no plans to do), but the idea of Hisana and Byakuya's first meeting being on a tragic occasion seems poetic? Also, the idea of a bunch of "dead" people having to mourn and "bury" their dead is so on the nose, that it seems right. I found the wordplay in some parts of this story to be pretty clever. (No one else did.) [ff.net │ a03]

A Suggestion of Marriage: A light fluffy one-shot where Byakuya asks Hisana to marry him. She says, "yes." Shocker. I know. I do kind of like the backstory for Hisana in this one, which is that of an Academy flunkie who goes on to work at a tea house. I think this is the story where I got the idea to finally take the plunge and make her an oiran; although, she isn't technically one here. [ff.net │ a03]

Fan Dance: A one-shot where Byakuya and Hisana meet during a sparring match. She is the Lieutenant of the Fourth, Byakuya is the Lieutenant of the Sixth, and they get matched to spar during an event where all the fancy pants Shinigami are supposed to release their zanpakuto for public spectacle. Byakuya gets more than he bargains for when Hisana winds up not being a total powder puff. No hugging or kissing, which seems to be a theme among like half of the one-shots.... [ff.net │ a03]

*On a tangentially-related aside for anyone who comes across this random post and who wants recommendations from an internet rando on actual literature where real, serious authors reframe women who got the short end of the narrative stick, see Wide Sargasso Sea, The Penelopiad, or The Problem with Susan (Jane Eyre, The Odyssey, and the Narnia series, respectively).

Bleach Fanfiction Master Post

Figured I would make a fun little catalog of my years of Bleach fanfiction. (Jeez, I am so old.) All of it is ByaHisa because that is my special kind of brain rot. My favorite romantic set-up involves a firm stoic falling hard, and we know like... five things ... maybe? ... about the other half of this canon pairing, which leaves a lot open to interpretation/artistic license. Also, contextualizing or reframing the woman character whose sole function in a narrative is to serve as characterization for a male character is a Fine Undertaking* in my opinion, and Bleach has so many interesting dead wives to choose from....

So, without further ado, here we go (in-progress or completed stories only):

A Thin Red Line: This is my longest work to date, as it's basically the length of four traditionally published fantasy novels (400k+ words). To be fair to me, this is a retelling of Bleach where Hisana does not die so it covers the Byakuya and Hisana origin story, the major arcs, plus that whole 40-year period where canon Rukia was basically living in a gothic novel. Mind the tags. Still in progress after like 10 years.... [ff.net │ a03]

Smoke and Mirrors: A dark ByaHisa origin story with Hisana as an oiran. It isn't particularly graphic in terms of sex or violence since that isn't really my style, but the text and subtext are definitely there that terrible things happen to Hisana, and her mental state is understandably not great. [ff.net │ a03]

Without Frontiers: Like the Peter Gabriel song! (Yes, that song was the inspo. I write to music just like probably 95% of anyone who writes.) This is a pretty fluffy one-shot where Byakuya and Hisana are childhood friends. There is like 0 romance. They are legit kids just making up stories and being goofy. There are some hints that Hisana may be exposed to Bad Things that she is trying to process through story-telling because, really, who doesn't want a little Adult Fear injected into an otherwise light-hearted story? [ff.net │ a03]

Charcoal Hearts: This is my very tame attempt at a reincarnation fic. The story is about Byakuya taking Rukia to a ballet during their off-time. He is there basically to ogle the reincarnation of his dead wife as a ballerina performing Serenade. It has a flirty ending, but, since I don't particularly love Hisana reincarnation fics, it ends ambiguously. [ff.net │ a03]

So Far Away: A pretty depressive one-shot where an injured Byakuya recovers in Hisana's hovel in the deep Rukon. Here, Hisana is a barmaid who scavenges and does side jobs to support herself, and Byakuya is... well... sort of an asshole? Like I think writing this one-shot was where I had an epiphany about Byakuya's character (or at least my attempt to write his character): That "epiphany" being that because he lives in a rich people bubble, he (1) is extremely entitled and (2) struggles to understand and connect with others. These two traits create a feedback loop that makes him come off as simultaneously arrogant and stiff/awkward. I don't think Byakuya is canonically on the spectrum, but I could entertain that theory, especially in light of the CFYOW books. Instead, I think there is a point when someone has so much privilege that they never learn how to read the damn room because all rooms, at that point, are basically designed to cater to them. Everyone is artificial with them so genuine concern or emotion seems inconvenient, at best, to alien, at worst. All that said, in this story he very much trips all over himself, but he improves. Slowly. Over the course of like years. [ff.net │ a03]

Stages: A short ByaHisa origin story that incorporates the five stages of love challenge that was popular on LiveJournal back when LJ was a thing. (Is it still a thing?) Hisana is a courtesan. It isn't the best, and I sort of hate it, but it is part of the plot bunny that prompted me to make a version of Hisana as a courtesan that would be interesting, or more interesting, and better researched in keeping with the Edo Period sensibilities of Soul Society, which led to Smoke and Mirrors and A Thin Red Line. [ff.net │ a03]

White Flowers and Red Hearts Trilogy: These stories are the earliest of my ByaHisa brain rot, and they probably read exactly like that. I have not done a re-write (or, hell, even a re-read) of any of these in like a decade or more so... yikes... But, from what I recall, the first story, Dissidence is the meet-cute, where Byakuya meets Hisana while on a mission. Hisana is a Rukon local working as a host performing tea ceremonies, and Byakuya sort of winds up in a "you broke the thing, now you must buy the thing" situation with Hisana, explaining his decision to marry her. Dimuendo is the middle child, and it chronicles their first year of marriage. Both Dissidence and Dimuendo are pretty fluffy with some light angst. Dolente is like super depressive because... well... death is pretty sad, and it is the final year of their marriage. Would not recommend any of these, and, like Stages, I would probably delete them if not for the sentimental value. [a03]

The Rites of the Dead: It's a weird story. Technically, it's a one-shot, but it has a few "movements" that break the story into parts. It has no romance. The subject matter is dark: Hisana is a member of the Fourth and is tasked with preparing the funerary arrangements upon Ginrei's death. And, I like it? Still. For some strange reason. Sure, there are things that I would go back and fix on a technical level if I were to re-edit it (which I have no plans to do), but the idea of Hisana and Byakuya's first meeting being on a tragic occasion seems poetic? Also, the idea of a bunch of "dead" people having to mourn and "bury" their dead is so on the nose, that it seems right. I found the wordplay in some parts of this story to be pretty clever. (No one else did.) [ff.net │ a03]

A Suggestion of Marriage: A light fluffy one-shot where Byakuya asks Hisana to marry him. She says, "yes." Shocker. I know. I do kind of like the backstory for Hisana in this one, which is that of an Academy flunkie who goes on to work at a tea house. I think this is the story where I got the idea to finally take the plunge and make her an oiran; although, she isn't technically one here. [ff.net │ a03]

Fan Dance: A one-shot where Byakuya and Hisana meet during a sparring match. She is the Lieutenant of the Fourth, Byakuya is the Lieutenant of the Sixth, and they get matched to spar during an event where all the fancy pants Shinigami are supposed to release their zanpakuto for public spectacle. Byakuya gets more than he bargains for when Hisana winds up not being a total powder puff. No hugging or kissing, which seems to be a theme among like half of the one-shots.... [ff.net │ a03]

*On a tangentially-related aside for anyone who comes across this random post and who wants recommendations from an internet rando on actual literature where real, serious authors reframe women who got the short end of the narrative stick, see Wide Sargasso Sea, The Penelopiad, or The Problem with Susan (Jane Eyre, The Odyssey, and the Narnia series, respectively).

On Bad Ideas and Writer's Block

A long while back--think years ago--someone once asked me to do a Byakuya/Hisana origin story where they met and she was a maid at the Kuchiki manor. Now, this has been done a time or dozen so it isn't particularly novel. Hell, in Bleach itself, one of the dead wives was just that, a maid to the stoic and cold side hero in the prequel/backstory/flashback/whatever chapters.

At the time, I didn't love the idea because that sort of trope is not really my cup of tea. I totally get why it may be someone else's cup of tea, but, for me, the power imbalance is... well... not great, which means I'd have to write around that because I do think, canonically, Byakuya was supposed to have had a functional, happy marriage.

This set-up also runs into the technical problem that random souls cast out into the deep Rukon couldn't have just waltzed into Seireitei to work for one of the most esteemed families in all of Soul Society.

"Why?" absolutely nobody asks.

Well, first, I believe the canon states that souls are very much not allowed in Seireitei unless they have an exception, which "I'd like to marry rich" or "I'm passionate about exterminating dust bunnies" is very much not on that list. Second, rich people who hire help hire professional help that come with CVs from fancy butler/maid schools and have tons of recommendations from other wealthy people and are properly vetted. In fact, I think some actual Kuchiki family members are attendants to the primary family in the canon. So, you got branch family members vying for this sort of job. Which is weird to my decidedly not rich person brain, but it seems fairly fitting within the narrative since super powerful rich people pay top rate for maids and attendants not because they clean the floors really well (which they most assuredly do), but because they know how to practice discretion. In other words, rich people are paying for employees with enough sense to keep their damn mouths shut and with enough experience and intelligence to not act super weird and uncultured around them and their other insanely rich friends.

So, naturally, my brain has turned this idea over in my head for years because I am a fairy at heart whose weakness is saying "no" to possible stories about my OTP. And, I really want to make this maid story into a silly sort of heist story, where Hisana is definitely not a maid, just posing as one as she is trying to steal a priceless piece of art from this stupidly rich family to give to her client, who is most assuredly Not Exactly Who They Say They Are. Chaos ensues. And, then Hisana gets caught (because duh! she totally would) and instead of the Maggots Nest or Fighting Pits, they force her to attend the Academy for Reasons Related to The Story Trust Me (actually, don't trust me), and then I get to kill two origin story tropes with one stone and can write a Dark Academia sequel.

I think this is the best idea ever.

I am totally not procrastinating finishing ATRL.

Really.

(Send help.)

Anyway, I may post drabbles of this terrible plot terrorist bunny since it will not leave me alone and I don't have enough linear narrative to actually post a proper chapter (just an excessively long outline with some scenes filled in), and I don't know if I ever will. But, I feel like what I have written should go somewhere, and here may be that place.

On Bad Ideas and Writer's Block: WIP Samples (Part I?)

Piggy-backing off the last post: Here is a short segment from the Dark Academia-esque WIP. (Yes, I do have an outline for that one as well. My poor unfocused brain.)

* * * *

“Is all well?”  Byakuya’s voice drags Hisana from her spiteful spiral.

“First week is an adjustment.” The poisonous haze of her thoughts scatter.

“It’s orientation,” he says, voice quiet, almost tentative as if even he isn’t quite sure of where he is going with this observation.

His uncertainty is sort of cute, she thinks.  It’s refreshing to see him worried about tripping over himself for once. “Yeah.  No formal classes," she says.

Yet.

“Aren’t there social engagements that you should be readying yourself for?”

She cuts him an annoyed glance.  Maybe.  But she’s not going to any of those events.  Been there.  Done that.  She learned all those lessons well enough to know not to purchase the tickets for the sequel. 

And, yet….

Why does he care?

“What are you asking, Byakuya?”

His eyes widen slightly before latching onto the road ahead of them. 

She grins, mind seizing on the opportunity to menace him.  “Are you asking if I need an escort?”  She draws the words out teasingly.  “Do you want to be my date?”

“No, I can’t—”

“Oh, right.  Don’t want to be seen with a peasant.  I get it,” she continues, mockingly. 

Now, it’s his turn to glare at her with a look that is equal measures annoyed and nonplussed.  “I didn’t say that.”

“But that’s what you—”

“If your vanity would let me complete a thought,” he begins, voice haughty and sharp, “I would’ve said that I can’t step foot on Academy ground.”

“What?”

“Yes,” he says, face shuttering.

Her brows pull together.  She doesn’t understand.  “Are you banned or something?”

His gaze trails back to her.  “Yes,” he says, sheepishly.

“What?”  She stops in her paces, breathless in her disbelief.  “You’re lying.”  He’s harassing her.  Has to be.

“I am not.”  He continues ahead on the path, not missing a beat.

“What?  How?” 

“I was young.”

“Me, too, and I’m not banned anywhere. At least, not formally,” she says, running to catch up with him. 

Hisana’s pretty sure she’s been informally banned from plenty of places, and there are whole ass cities that she has to avoid or otherwise infiltrate like a wraith due to all the warrants for her arrest.  Lucky for her, the wilds of the Rukon have a short memory given the quick turnover of its inhabitants.

“Well, I was young and undisciplined and I may have caused some light property damage.”

“You wrecked the place, didn’t you?”

His lips press together.

“Like, really wrecked the place,” she concludes.  “Is that why the one kido dojo is in shambles?”

“Some of the repairs may still be ongoing.”

“Why were you at the Academy?  I didn’t think you attended—”

“I didn’t attend.  I was tricked into coming there.”

Oh, well, now she must know this story.  This could be of great use to her. “So, how does one trick Lord Byakuya Kuchiki into leveling a city block?” 

“It wasn’t a whole city block, and, as I said, I was young.”

She chews on her lips to keep from smiling.  “How long are you banned for?”

“Five more years.”

“So, like ten years total?”

“Twenty.”

A wet chuckle bursts from her lips. 

He glares at her. 

“Only five more years,” she croaks, trying her best to swallow the last bit of laughter bubbling in her throat.  “Well, maybe you can make it to my graduation, then.”

The defensive tension setting the muscles in his jaw and around his eyes soften at this possibility.

Can’t let that look stand, she thinks to herself before asking, “Are you banned anywhere else that I should be aware of?”

Hisana half expects him to chastise her or tease back, but when deafening silence snakes between them instead, her jaw drops.  “Byakuya.”

That sheepish look returns to his face.

“Byakuya.”  She draws out his name, voice a scandalized hiss.

He swallows.  Thickly.

“How many places?”

“It matters not.”  His chin jerks up, his jaw sets, and the lines of his face smooth into the imperious mask that he wears so well.

She laughs, shooting him a knowing glance.  “So, I am keeping company with a bona fide scoundrel?”

For a flash, he returns her laugh with a boyish grin. 

This is a development with which she can find no fault. None at all.

On Bad Ideas and Writer's Block: WIP Samples (Part I?)

Piggy-backing off the last post: Here is a short segment from the Dark Academia-esque WIP. (Yes, I do have an outline for that one as well. My poor unfocused brain.)

* * * *

“Is all well?”  Byakuya’s voice drags Hisana from her spiteful spiral.

“First week is an adjustment.” The poisonous haze of her thoughts scatter.

“It’s orientation,” he says, voice quiet, almost tentative as if even he isn’t quite sure of where he is going with this observation.

His uncertainty is sort of cute, she thinks.  It’s refreshing to see him worried about tripping over himself for once. “Yeah.  No formal classes," she says.

Yet.

“Aren’t there social engagements that you should be readying yourself for?”

She cuts him an annoyed glance.  Maybe.  But she’s not going to any of those events.  Been there.  Done that.  She learned all those lessons well enough to know not to purchase the tickets for the sequel. 

And, yet….

Why does he care?

“What are you asking, Byakuya?”

His eyes widen slightly before latching onto the road ahead of them. 

She grins, mind seizing on the opportunity to menace him.  “Are you asking if I need an escort?”  She draws the words out teasingly.  “Do you want to be my date?”

“No, I can’t—”

“Oh, right.  Don’t want to be seen with a peasant.  I get it,” she continues, mockingly. 

Now, it’s his turn to glare at her with a look that is equal measures annoyed and nonplussed.  “I didn’t say that.”

“But that’s what you—”

“If your vanity would let me complete a thought,” he begins, voice haughty and sharp, “I would’ve said that I can’t step foot on Academy ground.”

“What?”

“Yes,” he says, face shuttering.

Her brows pull together.  She doesn’t understand.  “Are you banned or something?”

His gaze trails back to her.  “Yes,” he says, sheepishly.

“What?”  She stops in her paces, breathless in her disbelief.  “You’re lying.”  He’s harassing her.  Has to be.

“I am not.”  He continues ahead on the path, not missing a beat.

“What?  How?” 

“I was young.”

“Me, too, and I’m not banned anywhere. At least, not formally,” she says, running to catch up with him. 

Hisana’s pretty sure she’s been informally banned from plenty of places, and there are whole ass cities that she has to avoid or otherwise infiltrate like a wraith due to all the warrants for her arrest.  Lucky for her, the wilds of the Rukon have a short memory given the quick turnover of its inhabitants.

“Well, I was young and undisciplined and I may have caused some light property damage.”

“You wrecked the place, didn’t you?”

His lips press together.

“Like, really wrecked the place,” she concludes.  “Is that why the one kido dojo is in shambles?”

“Some of the repairs may still be ongoing.”

“Why were you at the Academy?  I didn’t think you attended—”

“I didn’t attend.  I was tricked into coming there.”

Oh, well, now she must know this story.  This could be of great use to her. “So, how does one trick Lord Byakuya Kuchiki into leveling a city block?” 

“It wasn’t a whole city block, and, as I said, I was young.”

She chews on her lips to keep from smiling.  “How long are you banned for?”

“Five more years.”

“So, like ten years total?”

“Twenty.”

A wet chuckle bursts from her lips. 

He glares at her. 

“Only five more years,” she croaks, trying her best to swallow the last bit of laughter bubbling in her throat.  “Well, maybe you can make it to my graduation, then.”

The defensive tension setting the muscles in his jaw and around his eyes soften at this possibility.

Can’t let that look stand, she thinks to herself before asking, “Are you banned anywhere else that I should be aware of?”

Hisana half expects him to chastise her or tease back, but when deafening silence snakes between them instead, her jaw drops.  “Byakuya.”

That sheepish look returns to his face.

“Byakuya.”  She draws out his name, voice a scandalized hiss.

He swallows.  Thickly.

“How many places?”

“It matters not.”  His chin jerks up, his jaw sets, and the lines of his face smooth into the imperious mask that he wears so well.

She laughs, shooting him a knowing glance.  “So, I am keeping company with a bona fide scoundrel?”

For a flash, he returns her laugh with a boyish grin. 

This is a development with which she can find no fault. None at all.

On Bad Ideas and Writer's Block: WIP Samples (Part I?)

Piggy-backing off the last post: Here is a short segment from the Dark Academia-esque WIP. (Yes, I do have an outline for that one as well. My poor unfocused brain.)

* * * *

“Is all well?”  Byakuya’s voice drags Hisana from her spiteful spiral.

“First week is an adjustment.” The poisonous haze of her thoughts scatter.

“It’s orientation,” he says, voice quiet, almost tentative as if even he isn’t quite sure of where he is going with this observation.

His uncertainty is sort of cute, she thinks.  It’s refreshing to see him worried about tripping over himself for once. “Yeah.  No formal classes," she says.

Yet.

“Aren’t there social engagements that you should be readying yourself for?”

She cuts him an annoyed glance.  Maybe.  But she’s not going to any of those events.  Been there.  Done that.  She learned all those lessons well enough to know not to purchase the tickets for the sequel. 

And, yet….

Why does he care?

“What are you asking, Byakuya?”

His eyes widen slightly before latching onto the road ahead of them. 

She grins, mind seizing on the opportunity to menace him.  “Are you asking if I need an escort?”  She draws the words out teasingly.  “Do you want to be my date?”

“No, I can’t—”

“Oh, right.  Don’t want to be seen with a peasant.  I get it,” she continues, mockingly. 

Now, it’s his turn to glare at her with a look that is equal measures annoyed and nonplussed.  “I didn’t say that.”

“But that’s what you—”

“If your vanity would let me complete a thought,” he begins, voice haughty and sharp, “I would’ve said that I can’t step foot on Academy ground.”

“What?”

“Yes,” he says, face shuttering.

Her brows pull together.  She doesn’t understand.  “Are you banned or something?”

His gaze trails back to her.  “Yes,” he says, sheepishly.

“What?”  She stops in her paces, breathless in her disbelief.  “You’re lying.”  He’s harassing her.  Has to be.

“I am not.”  He continues ahead on the path, not missing a beat.

“What?  How?” 

“I was young.”

“Me, too, and I’m not banned anywhere. At least, not formally,” she says, running to catch up with him. 

Hisana’s pretty sure she’s been informally banned from plenty of places, and there are whole ass cities that she has to avoid or otherwise infiltrate like a wraith due to all the warrants for her arrest.  Lucky for her, the wilds of the Rukon have a short memory given the quick turnover of its inhabitants.

“Well, I was young and undisciplined and I may have caused some light property damage.”

“You wrecked the place, didn’t you?”

His lips press together.

“Like, really wrecked the place,” she concludes.  “Is that why the one kido dojo is in shambles?”

“Some of the repairs may still be ongoing.”

“Why were you at the Academy?  I didn’t think you attended—”

“I didn’t attend.  I was tricked into coming there.”

Oh, well, now she must know this story.  This could be of great use to her. “So, how does one trick Lord Byakuya Kuchiki into leveling a city block?” 

“It wasn’t a whole city block, and, as I said, I was young.”

She chews on her lips to keep from smiling.  “How long are you banned for?”

“Five more years.”

“So, like ten years total?”

“Twenty.”

A wet chuckle bursts from her lips. 

He glares at her. 

“Only five more years,” she croaks, trying her best to swallow the last bit of laughter bubbling in her throat.  “Well, maybe you can make it to my graduation, then.”

The defensive tension setting the muscles in his jaw and around his eyes soften at this possibility.

Can’t let that look stand, she thinks to herself before asking, “Are you banned anywhere else that I should be aware of?”

Hisana half expects him to chastise her or tease back, but when deafening silence snakes between them instead, her jaw drops.  “Byakuya.”

That sheepish look returns to his face.

“Byakuya.”  She draws out his name, voice a scandalized hiss.

He swallows.  Thickly.

“How many places?”

“It matters not.”  His chin jerks up, his jaw sets, and the lines of his face smooth into the imperious mask that he wears so well.

She laughs, shooting him a knowing glance.  “So, I am keeping company with a bona fide scoundrel?”

For a flash, he returns her laugh with a boyish grin. 

This is a development with which she can find no fault. None at all.

On Hisana (a thesis to my brainrot)

As I mentioned in a previous post, I don't particularly love the interpretation that Byakuya married and loved a woman who did not love him back. I recognize this is a perfectly valid interpretation, but it feels tonally wrong to me.

"Why, is that, AFP?" literally no one asked.

Usually, when someone puts forth the interpretation that Hisana did not actually love Byakuya, they point to this set of panels.

They say, "Look! She literally says, 'I'm sorry, I cannot repay the love you gave me.' It doesn't get much clearer than that." And, I would say, "No. I don't think you're interpreting the text and subtext in context here. I have a numbered list for you to consider."

Said dissertation list is below the jump:

First, the use of the word "repay" in connection with "love," signals to me that she's speaking abstractly. Also, the use of "the love" as something being "given" to her signals that she's not talking about love, The Big Swooping Emotion, but about love as a gift, a kindness, a debt. To that end, I think she is communicating that his love imposes a debt on her, one that she has a moral duty to repay but cannot. I think this is a lovely nod to the overall conflict that Byakuya struggles with throughout the entire SS arc, which is how to balance the competing interests of giri (duty to society) and ninjo (human feelings). I suspect when Kubo decided to make Soul Society "Fantasy Edo Japan," he couldn't resist a good ole giri-ninjo conflict, since a lot of Edo period plays and fiction utilizes this trope.

Related to these concepts is on, which I believe is what Hisana is getting at here. On refers to a benefit, a debt, kindness, a goodness, bestowed upon another person, and, in accordance with giri, an on should be repaid. It should be noted that on is not an actual debt for which the giver of on expects repayment. It's a moral debt. Something you should strive to do. It can also be a never-ending kind of debt since the giver of on is frequently in a position of power, like a parent, or master, or a lord. On is also likely the animating reason Byakuya made the oath to his parents that creates the moral dilemma for his character in the SS Arc. Interpreting the panels with these concepts in mind, Hisana is telling Byakuya that she cannot repay his kindness and charity, not that she doesn't feel love for him. Further, this is a moral debt that her feelings for him--even if she loved him more than the sun, the moon, and the stars--cannot satisfy.

The question (in my head) then becomes: Why does she feel like she cannot repay this debt? Shouldn't tendering her love in return do the trick? No. Moral debts don't work that way. Also, wouldn't that be weird if they did? Like, if I feel morally indebted to you because you gave me food when I was starving, it would be odd for me to say, "As repayment, here is my love." Yikes. Presumably, you gave me the food because you could spare it, and you didn't want me to starve, and you probably don't really care if I "repay" you. However, to satisfy the moral debt I owe, I would need to do something to repay you for your kindness. That repayment cannot be the good feeling that I have toward you since my feelings are my own burdens to bear. Shifting that burden to you would be rude. Therefore, my feelings cannot be used to satisfy my moral duty. Even if your own feelings could satisfy a moral duty, given Hisana's characterization in these few panels, as someone torn apart with self-loathing and guilt, good luck convincing her of that.

Moving onto the second notable reason that could explain why Hisana felt she could not repay his love: She literally couldn't. She came from one of the poorest districts and had nothing. He is extremely wealthy and has power and influence. If you're sitting there trying to account for the very big things he presumably provides for her--shelter, food, safety--she is never going to balance the scales in her favor. And, further, she is asking him to do yet another thing for her, a thing that she will never be able to repay him for since she's dying. Her best shot at moving the needle here was to perform the duties as his wife well, which.... well.... she probably didn't do that either, given her consuming search for her sister and her failing health.

To that point, I think some fans have interpreted the "repayment" language as implying that Hisana feels guilty for not giving Byakuya an heir. This interpretation is a fair one. Perhaps she could have tipped the scales a little more favorably (in her mind) had she performed what I assume in Fantasy Edo Period Japan is considered the paramount duty of a wife to a nobleman. Now, we don't know for sure that Byakuya doesn't have an heir. I don't think it's ever been flat-out stated in canon. However, I think it is a safe assumption that he doesn't, at least not an heir by Hisana. Accordingly, it's also probably a safe assumption that baked into her sentiments on not "repaying" his love, she feels guilty about again failing to perform a duty to someone important to her.

Second, which is a more practical reason, her telling him that his love is unrequited at this moment in time, on her literal deathbed, is weird. Like. Real. Weird. Think about it for a second: You're dying. Full of guilt. Your adoring husband is taking time out of his very busy life to be with you as you die. You feel incredibly bad about abandoning your sister. You want to make one final ask of your kind husband. You, again, are about to die. Cannot emphasize that enough. And, instead of keeping the whole "I didn't love you, actually" inside your damn mouth so this man can live in peace after you expire in literal seconds, you ask him to do you a favor and then immediately add to that "I never actually loved you, lolol"?

Um, what?

No.

That's horrible.

That's like some Wuthering-Heights-Cathy-and-Heathcliff crazy shit you say to ensure that you will continue to haunt your lover until the end of their days. Yes, let me insult you--the kind man who has made my life a dream--right as I ask you to do me a huge favor that will cause you immense strife with your family and fellow peers. Like.... What? No. Stop.

Third, Hisana telling Byakuya that she doesn't love him is weird given the scene's framing. It's dreamy and sad. It's romantic. They're holding hands. She's got tears in her eyes. In the last panel, Byakuya looks like he, too, is sobbing at the loss of her. You got fucking nature shots of winter in there to really hit you over the head with the beauty and sadness.

Also, Byakuya is telling Rukia about these events. Since Bleach is a manga, we get to see the scene from Byakuya's perspective instead of just reading really long comment bubbles about it. Accordingly, Byakuya is the curator of this story. As he's telling Rukia that his overwhelming love for his dead wife led him to break a bunch of laws and rules, he just casually drops "also she didn't love me," in there? Are you kidding me? How uncomfortably weird! Why would he say that especially since Unohana is presumably sitting right there next to them--in earshot--as she's putting his guts back into his stomach? He wouldn't. That would be a hard truth he'd probably keep down real deep if not for his sake, the sake of his dead wife, who he clearly still loves. If that line hit him, which I'm sure it did since he brings it up, it's more likely to convey that the depth of Hisana's self-loathing and guilt over what she had done was so deep that not even love could cure it.

Finally, piggy-backing off the point above, I think that's really what this entire scene is trying to convey to us as the audience: Hisana is consumed by grief and guilt. She is being crushed by her own self-loathing. Byakuya is telling Rukia this painful story to let Rukia know that her sister loved her dearly and felt tremendously bad about abandoning her. Hisana felt so bad about it that even when she could right this wrong by proxy (Byakuya), she did not want to burden Rukia with the knowledge that she was her sister because she didn't earn that title; she deemed herself unworthy. Hisana asks this final thing of Byakuya, knowing it will cause him great strife, and also asks for him to allow Rukia to call him her "brother." Hisana literally gives Rukia a sibling, and, judging by the context, my guess is that she considers Byakuya far more worthy than she to take on this mantle.

After this big huge ask, she follows up by acknowledging the burden that this request places on him, and then she says she cannot repay the love he gives to her. In this context, "repayment" here reads more like an acknowledgment that there is nothing she could ever do or has ever done that will stack up to what he has done and will do for her because of love. It isn't saying that she doesn't feel love for him. It's saying that love is, in essence, a doing word--a verb. You must perform love, not just feel it. To this end, she is also conveying that she has not performed her part well, indicating that what she has done for him is bring him trouble and grief. This, too, is another symptom of her own self-loathing and guilt. Whatever Hisana gave Byakuya in return--which must have been something since he trampled over a lot of rules and protocols for her--she discounts as "not enough" because she deems herself to be unworthy. The moral wrong that she committed against Rukia has stripped away her ability to find value in herself, and, therefore, it is inconceivable to her that she could ever repay all his kindness and love.

TL; DR: My interpretation of this scene is that Hisana is trying to convey that her love pales in comparison to his, not that she doesn't love him. This is tragic stuff. Their romance is tragic stuff.

On Hisana (a thesis to my brainrot)

As I mentioned in a previous post, I don't particularly love the interpretation that Byakuya married and loved a woman who did not love him back. I recognize this is a perfectly valid interpretation, but it feels tonally wrong to me.

"Why, is that, AFP?" literally no one asked.

Usually, when someone puts forth the interpretation that Hisana did not actually love Byakuya, they point to this set of panels.

They say, "Look! She literally says, 'I'm sorry, I cannot repay the love you gave me.' It doesn't get much clearer than that." And, I would say, "No. I don't think you're interpreting the text and subtext in context here. I have a numbered list for you to consider."

Said dissertation list is below the jump:

First, the use of the word "repay" in connection with "love," signals to me that she's speaking abstractly. Also, the use of "the love" as something being "given" to her signals that she's not talking about love, The Big Swooping Emotion, but about love as a gift, a kindness, a debt. To that end, I think she is communicating that his love imposes a debt on her, one that she has a moral duty to repay but cannot. I think this is a lovely nod to the overall conflict that Byakuya struggles with throughout the entire SS arc, which is how to balance the competing interests of giri (duty to society) and ninjo (human feelings). I suspect when Kubo decided to make Soul Society "Fantasy Edo Japan," he couldn't resist a good ole giri-ninjo conflict, since a lot of Edo period plays and fiction utilizes this trope.

Related to these concepts is on, which I believe is what Hisana is getting at here. On refers to a benefit, a debt, kindness, a goodness, bestowed upon another person, and, in accordance with giri, an on should be repaid. It should be noted that on is not an actual debt for which the giver of on expects repayment. It's a moral debt. Something you should strive to do. It can also be a never-ending kind of debt since the giver of on is frequently in a position of power, like a parent, or master, or a lord. On is also likely the animating reason Byakuya made the oath to his parents that creates the moral dilemma for his character in the SS Arc. Interpreting the panels with these concepts in mind, Hisana is telling Byakuya that she cannot repay his kindness and charity, not that she doesn't feel love for him. Further, this is a moral debt that her feelings for him--even if she loved him more than the sun, the moon, and the stars--cannot satisfy.

The question (in my head) then becomes: Why does she feel like she cannot repay this debt? Shouldn't tendering her love in return do the trick? No. Moral debts don't work that way. Also, wouldn't that be weird if they did? Like, if I feel morally indebted to you because you gave me food when I was starving, it would be odd for me to say, "As repayment, here is my love." Yikes. Presumably, you gave me the food because you could spare it, and you didn't want me to starve, and you probably don't really care if I "repay" you. However, to satisfy the moral debt I owe, I would need to do something to repay you for your kindness. That repayment cannot be the good feeling that I have toward you since my feelings are my own burdens to bear. Shifting that burden to you would be rude. Therefore, my feelings cannot be used to satisfy my moral duty. Even if your own feelings could satisfy a moral duty, given Hisana's characterization in these few panels, as someone torn apart with self-loathing and guilt, good luck convincing her of that.

Moving onto the second notable reason that could explain why Hisana felt she could not repay his love: She literally couldn't. She came from one of the poorest districts and had nothing. He is extremely wealthy and has power and influence. If you're sitting there trying to account for the very big things he presumably provides for her--shelter, food, safety--she is never going to balance the scales in her favor. And, further, she is asking him to do yet another thing for her, a thing that she will never be able to repay him for since she's dying. Her best shot at moving the needle here was to perform the duties as his wife well, which.... well.... she probably didn't do that either, given her consuming search for her sister and her failing health.

To that point, I think some fans have interpreted the "repayment" language as implying that Hisana feels guilty for not giving Byakuya an heir. This interpretation is a fair one. Perhaps she could have tipped the scales a little more favorably (in her mind) had she performed what I assume in Fantasy Edo Period Japan is considered the paramount duty of a wife to a nobleman. Now, we don't know for sure that Byakuya doesn't have an heir. I don't think it's ever been flat-out stated in canon. However, I think it is a safe assumption that he doesn't, at least not an heir by Hisana. Accordingly, it's also probably a safe assumption that baked into her sentiments on not "repaying" his love, she feels guilty about again failing to perform a duty to someone important to her.

Second, which is a more practical reason, her telling him that his love is unrequited at this moment in time, on her literal deathbed, is weird. Like. Real. Weird. Think about it for a second: You're dying. Full of guilt. Your adoring husband is taking time out of his very busy life to be with you as you die. You feel incredibly bad about abandoning your sister. You want to make one final ask of your kind husband. You, again, are about to die. Cannot emphasize that enough. And, instead of keeping the whole "I didn't love you, actually" inside your damn mouth so this man can live in peace after you expire in literal seconds, you ask him to do you a favor and then immediately add to that "I never actually loved you, lolol"?

Um, what?

No.

That's horrible.

That's like some Wuthering-Heights-Cathy-and-Heathcliff crazy shit you say to ensure that you will continue to haunt your lover until the end of their days. Yes, let me insult you--the kind man who has made my life a dream--right as I ask you to do me a huge favor that will cause you immense strife with your family and fellow peers. Like.... What? No. Stop.

Third, Hisana telling Byakuya that she doesn't love him is weird given the scene's framing. It's dreamy and sad. It's romantic. They're holding hands. She's got tears in her eyes. In the last panel, Byakuya looks like he, too, is sobbing at the loss of her. You got fucking nature shots of winter in there to really hit you over the head with the beauty and sadness.

Also, Byakuya is telling Rukia about these events. Since Bleach is a manga, we get to see the scene from Byakuya's perspective instead of just reading really long comment bubbles about it. Accordingly, Byakuya is the curator of this story. As he's telling Rukia that his overwhelming love for his dead wife led him to break a bunch of laws and rules, he just casually drops "also she didn't love me," in there? Are you kidding me? How uncomfortably weird! Why would he say that especially since Unohana is presumably sitting right there next to them--in earshot--as she's putting his guts back into his stomach? He wouldn't. That would be a hard truth he'd probably keep down real deep if not for his sake, the sake of his dead wife, who he clearly still loves. If that line hit him, which I'm sure it did since he brings it up, it's more likely to convey that the depth of Hisana's self-loathing and guilt over what she had done was so deep that not even love could cure it.

Finally, piggy-backing off the point above, I think that's really what this entire scene is trying to convey to us as the audience: Hisana is consumed by grief and guilt. She is being crushed by her own self-loathing. Byakuya is telling Rukia this painful story to let Rukia know that her sister loved her dearly and felt tremendously bad about abandoning her. Hisana felt so bad about it that even when she could right this wrong by proxy (Byakuya), she did not want to burden Rukia with the knowledge that she was her sister because she didn't earn that title; she deemed herself unworthy. Hisana asks this final thing of Byakuya, knowing it will cause him great strife, and also asks for him to allow Rukia to call him her "brother." Hisana literally gives Rukia a sibling, and, judging by the context, my guess is that she considers Byakuya far more worthy than she to take on this mantle.

After this big huge ask, she follows up by acknowledging the burden that this request places on him, and then she says she cannot repay the love he gives to her. In this context, "repayment" here reads more like an acknowledgment that there is nothing she could ever do or has ever done that will stack up to what he has done and will do for her because of love. It isn't saying that she doesn't feel love for him. It's saying that love is, in essence, a doing word--a verb. You must perform love, not just feel it. To this end, she is also conveying that she has not performed her part well, indicating that what she has done for him is bring him trouble and grief. This, too, is another symptom of her own self-loathing and guilt. Whatever Hisana gave Byakuya in return--which must have been something since he trampled over a lot of rules and protocols for her--she discounts as "not enough" because she deems herself to be unworthy. The moral wrong that she committed against Rukia has stripped away her ability to find value in herself, and, therefore, it is inconceivable to her that she could ever repay all his kindness and love.

TL; DR: My interpretation of this scene is that Hisana is trying to convey that her love pales in comparison to his, not that she doesn't love him. This is tragic stuff. Their romance is tragic stuff.

On Hisana (a thesis to my brainrot)

As I mentioned in a previous post, I don't particularly love the interpretation that Byakuya married and loved a woman who did not love him back. I recognize this is a perfectly valid interpretation, but it feels tonally wrong to me.

"Why, is that, AFP?" literally no one asked.

Usually, when someone puts forth the interpretation that Hisana did not actually love Byakuya, they point to this set of panels.

They say, "Look! She literally says, 'I'm sorry, I cannot repay the love you gave me.' It doesn't get much clearer than that." And, I would say, "No. I don't think you're interpreting the text and subtext in context here. I have a numbered list for you to consider."

Said dissertation list is below the jump:

First, the use of the word "repay" in connection with "love," signals to me that she's speaking abstractly. Also, the use of "the love" as something being "given" to her signals that she's not talking about love, The Big Swooping Emotion, but about love as a gift, a kindness, a debt. To that end, I think she is communicating that his love imposes a debt on her, one that she has a moral duty to repay but cannot. I think this is a lovely nod to the overall conflict that Byakuya struggles with throughout the entire SS arc, which is how to balance the competing interests of giri (duty to society) and ninjo (human feelings). I suspect when Kubo decided to make Soul Society "Fantasy Edo Japan," he couldn't resist a good ole giri-ninjo conflict, since a lot of Edo period plays and fiction utilizes this trope.

Related to these concepts is on, which I believe is what Hisana is getting at here. On refers to a benefit, a debt, kindness, a goodness, bestowed upon another person, and, in accordance with giri, an on should be repaid. It should be noted that on is not an actual debt for which the giver of on expects repayment. It's a moral debt. Something you should strive to do. It can also be a never-ending kind of debt since the giver of on is frequently in a position of power, like a parent, or master, or a lord. On is also likely the animating reason Byakuya made the oath to his parents that creates the moral dilemma for his character in the SS Arc. Interpreting the panels with these concepts in mind, Hisana is telling Byakuya that she cannot repay his kindness and charity, not that she doesn't feel love for him. Further, this is a moral debt that her feelings for him--even if she loved him more than the sun, the moon, and the stars--cannot satisfy.

The question (in my head) then becomes: Why does she feel like she cannot repay this debt? Shouldn't tendering her love in return do the trick? No. Moral debts don't work that way. Also, wouldn't that be weird if they did? Like, if I feel morally indebted to you because you gave me food when I was starving, it would be odd for me to say, "As repayment, here is my love." Yikes. Presumably, you gave me the food because you could spare it, and you didn't want me to starve, and you probably don't really care if I "repay" you. However, to satisfy the moral debt I owe, I would need to do something to repay you for your kindness. That repayment cannot be the good feeling that I have toward you since my feelings are my own burdens to bear. Shifting that burden to you would be rude. Therefore, my feelings cannot be used to satisfy my moral duty. Even if your own feelings could satisfy a moral duty, given Hisana's characterization in these few panels, as someone torn apart with self-loathing and guilt, good luck convincing her of that.

Moving onto the second notable reason that could explain why Hisana felt she could not repay his love: She literally couldn't. She came from one of the poorest districts and had nothing. He is extremely wealthy and has power and influence. If you're sitting there trying to account for the very big things he presumably provides for her--shelter, food, safety--she is never going to balance the scales in her favor. And, further, she is asking him to do yet another thing for her, a thing that she will never be able to repay him for since she's dying. Her best shot at moving the needle here was to perform the duties as his wife well, which.... well.... she probably didn't do that either, given her consuming search for her sister and her failing health.

To that point, I think some fans have interpreted the "repayment" language as implying that Hisana feels guilty for not giving Byakuya an heir. This interpretation is a fair one. Perhaps she could have tipped the scales a little more favorably (in her mind) had she performed what I assume in Fantasy Edo Period Japan is considered the paramount duty of a wife to a nobleman. Now, we don't know for sure that Byakuya doesn't have an heir. I don't think it's ever been flat-out stated in canon. However, I think it is a safe assumption that he doesn't, at least not an heir by Hisana. Accordingly, it's also probably a safe assumption that baked into her sentiments on not "repaying" his love, she feels guilty about again failing to perform a duty to someone important to her.

Second, which is a more practical reason, her telling him that his love is unrequited at this moment in time, on her literal deathbed, is weird. Like. Real. Weird. Think about it for a second: You're dying. Full of guilt. Your adoring husband is taking time out of his very busy life to be with you as you die. You feel incredibly bad about abandoning your sister. You want to make one final ask of your kind husband. You, again, are about to die. Cannot emphasize that enough. And, instead of keeping the whole "I didn't love you, actually" inside your damn mouth so this man can live in peace after you expire in literal seconds, you ask him to do you a favor and then immediately add to that "I never actually loved you, lolol"?

Um, what?

No.

That's horrible.

That's like some Wuthering-Heights-Cathy-and-Heathcliff crazy shit you say to ensure that you will continue to haunt your lover until the end of their days. Yes, let me insult you--the kind man who has made my life a dream--right as I ask you to do me a huge favor that will cause you immense strife with your family and fellow peers. Like.... What? No. Stop.

Third, Hisana telling Byakuya that she doesn't love him is weird given the scene's framing. It's dreamy and sad. It's romantic. They're holding hands. She's got tears in her eyes. In the last panel, Byakuya looks like he, too, is sobbing at the loss of her. You got fucking nature shots of winter in there to really hit you over the head with the beauty and sadness.

Also, Byakuya is telling Rukia about these events. Since Bleach is a manga, we get to see the scene from Byakuya's perspective instead of just reading really long comment bubbles about it. Accordingly, Byakuya is the curator of this story. As he's telling Rukia that his overwhelming love for his dead wife led him to break a bunch of laws and rules, he just casually drops "also she didn't love me," in there? Are you kidding me? How uncomfortably weird! Why would he say that especially since Unohana is presumably sitting right there next to them--in earshot--as she's putting his guts back into his stomach? He wouldn't. That would be a hard truth he'd probably keep down real deep if not for his sake, the sake of his dead wife, who he clearly still loves. If that line hit him, which I'm sure it did since he brings it up, it's more likely to convey that the depth of Hisana's self-loathing and guilt over what she had done was so deep that not even love could cure it.

Finally, piggy-backing off the point above, I think that's really what this entire scene is trying to convey to us as the audience: Hisana is consumed by grief and guilt. She is being crushed by her own self-loathing. Byakuya is telling Rukia this painful story to let Rukia know that her sister loved her dearly and felt tremendously bad about abandoning her. Hisana felt so bad about it that even when she could right this wrong by proxy (Byakuya), she did not want to burden Rukia with the knowledge that she was her sister because she didn't earn that title; she deemed herself unworthy. Hisana asks this final thing of Byakuya, knowing it will cause him great strife, and also asks for him to allow Rukia to call him her "brother." Hisana literally gives Rukia a sibling, and, judging by the context, my guess is that she considers Byakuya far more worthy than she to take on this mantle.

After this big huge ask, she follows up by acknowledging the burden that this request places on him, and then she says she cannot repay the love he gives to her. In this context, "repayment" here reads more like an acknowledgment that there is nothing she could ever do or has ever done that will stack up to what he has done and will do for her because of love. It isn't saying that she doesn't feel love for him. It's saying that love is, in essence, a doing word--a verb. You must perform love, not just feel it. To this end, she is also conveying that she has not performed her part well, indicating that what she has done for him is bring him trouble and grief. This, too, is another symptom of her own self-loathing and guilt. Whatever Hisana gave Byakuya in return--which must have been something since he trampled over a lot of rules and protocols for her--she discounts as "not enough" because she deems herself to be unworthy. The moral wrong that she committed against Rukia has stripped away her ability to find value in herself, and, therefore, it is inconceivable to her that she could ever repay all his kindness and love.

TL; DR: My interpretation of this scene is that Hisana is trying to convey that her love pales in comparison to his, not that she doesn't love him. This is tragic stuff. Their romance is tragic stuff.

I saw someone on Twitter discussing this bit from WDKALY:

Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji were currently sitting side by side on that very bench. The time was around 10 p.m. and the small night view of Karakura Town was spread out below them. Because Renji was not as familiar with the Human World as much as Rukia was, every time a train would pass by he would curiously follow it with his eyes.

and hear me out, but I want Soul Society to have a train so, so bad. Like, an old timey train, all the best anime have trains. Consider:

Anytime anyone went anywhere in Full Metal Alchemist

The train ride to Swamp Bottom in Spirited Away

That time Kenshin rode a horse onto a train, and also Sanosuke deeply distrusted the train

Demon Slayer had a whole movie about a train and Inosuke wanted to fight it and then it turned into demon and Inosuke did fight it

And this is just period trains.

Anyway, I have decided to headcanon up a train for Soul Society. I have posited before that there is a sea out in East Rukongai that is a source for a lot of (especially canned) sea food, and is also something of a tourist spot for those with the ability to travel.

At some point, someone had the idea to build a train route that would connect the Seireitei to the sea, which would encourage commerce and tourism. Unfortunately, because it’s the Seireitei, it got NIMBYed when it was already partially under construction, so it actually only runs between Districts 6 and 24 of East Rukongai and is fairly expensive, which defeats the purpose almost entirely. It is sort of a twee thing to do for nobles to sally forth out to District 6 and take the train on a Seaside Excursion. There are various onsen and other scenic stops along the way. 

Byakuya vocally disapproves of the train– he says it is “newfangled” and undignified. The fact is, he has actually ridden it– he and Hisana took a trip out at some point “for her health.” Byakuya found the train to be both loud and smelly (my man got the sensory sensitivity), but Hisana loved the whole experience, so B may act mad, but it’s actually because thinking about the train makes him very sad.

Train construction/funding/legislation drama took up major real estate in the Seireitei Communication for years. Tousen was hot mad about every single aspect of the project, from the fact that it could have been a major economic benefit to the citizens of East Rukongai (and wasn’t), to the awful way the project was managed, to all the graft and corruption and kickbacks. The lieutenants all know better than to mention The Train to Hisagi, unless they want to spend the rest of the evening listening to his conspiracy theories about all the bodies hidden in the District 18 overpass.

Hitsugaya fucking loves trains and knows a bunch of details about the capacity of the boilers and the design of the flyball governors and crap like that. He knows how nerdy this is, and tries really hard to keep it to himself, but sometimes, on a Friday afternoon before a bank holiday, he’ll let Matsumoto drink in the office while he waxes poetic on rail gauges.

Ukitake and Kyouraku loved a romantic train trip, and made a vacation of it every few years.

It is Soi Fon’s dream to someday fight Yoruichi on top of the train as it speeds through the Rukon countryside.

Rukia and Renji got married in the wintertime, and they didn’t go on a honeymoon at the time, but Byakuya lowkey bought them a train trip the following summer (because Rukia had asked to hear the story about The Time He and Hisana Went to the Seaside about a million times). They were both a little nervous about it, even though Rukia kept bragging about how many vehicles she’d ridden in the World of the Living (by which she meant Isshin’s FunCargo). To make a long story short, they spent the whole trip with their noses pressed up against the window like a pair of Golden Retrievers and had the time of the afterlives.

I saw someone on Twitter discussing this bit from WDKALY:

Kuchiki Rukia and Abarai Renji were currently sitting side by side on that very bench. The time was around 10 p.m. and the small night view of Karakura Town was spread out below them. Because Renji was not as familiar with the Human World as much as Rukia was, every time a train would pass by he would curiously follow it with his eyes.

and hear me out, but I want Soul Society to have a train so, so bad. Like, an old timey train, all the best anime have trains. Consider:

Anytime anyone went anywhere in Full Metal Alchemist

The train ride to Swamp Bottom in Spirited Away

That time Kenshin rode a horse onto a train, and also Sanosuke deeply distrusted the train

Demon Slayer had a whole movie about a train and Inosuke wanted to fight it and then it turned into demon and Inosuke did fight it

And this is just period trains.

Anyway, I have decided to headcanon up a train for Soul Society. I have posited before that there is a sea out in East Rukongai that is a source for a lot of (especially canned) sea food, and is also something of a tourist spot for those with the ability to travel.

At some point, someone had the idea to build a train route that would connect the Seireitei to the sea, which would encourage commerce and tourism. Unfortunately, because it’s the Seireitei, it got NIMBYed when it was already partially under construction, so it actually only runs between Districts 6 and 24 of East Rukongai and is fairly expensive, which defeats the purpose almost entirely. It is sort of a twee thing to do for nobles to sally forth out to District 6 and take the train on a Seaside Excursion. There are various onsen and other scenic stops along the way. 

Byakuya vocally disapproves of the train– he says it is “newfangled” and undignified. The fact is, he has actually ridden it– he and Hisana took a trip out at some point “for her health.” Byakuya found the train to be both loud and smelly (my man got the sensory sensitivity), but Hisana loved the whole experience, so B may act mad, but it’s actually because thinking about the train makes him very sad.

Train construction/funding/legislation drama took up major real estate in the Seireitei Communication for years. Tousen was hot mad about every single aspect of the project, from the fact that it could have been a major economic benefit to the citizens of East Rukongai (and wasn’t), to the awful way the project was managed, to all the graft and corruption and kickbacks. The lieutenants all know better than to mention The Train to Hisagi, unless they want to spend the rest of the evening listening to his conspiracy theories about all the bodies hidden in the District 18 overpass.

Hitsugaya fucking loves trains and knows a bunch of details about the capacity of the boilers and the design of the flyball governors and crap like that. He knows how nerdy this is, and tries really hard to keep it to himself, but sometimes, on a Friday afternoon before a bank holiday, he’ll let Matsumoto drink in the office while he waxes poetic on rail gauges.

Ukitake and Kyouraku loved a romantic train trip, and made a vacation of it every few years.

It is Soi Fon’s dream to someday fight Yoruichi on top of the train as it speeds through the Rukon countryside.

Rukia and Renji got married in the wintertime, and they didn’t go on a honeymoon at the time, but Byakuya lowkey bought them a train trip the following summer (because Rukia had asked to hear the story about The Time He and Hisana Went to the Seaside about a million times). They were both a little nervous about it, even though Rukia kept bragging about how many vehicles she’d ridden in the World of the Living (by which she meant Isshin’s FunCargo). To make a long story short, they spent the whole trip with their noses pressed up against the window like a pair of Golden Retrievers and had the time of the afterlives.

Part Twelve: Byakuya's Private Thoughts!

(This entry is far less exciting than that title might suggest just in case anyone was hoping for something spicy.)

You know... I had forgotten the altar was at the Sixth. I had thought that Byakuya was at his private residence during this scene. (I assume Kuchiki Manor is near the Sixth, but maybe it's not.) As it turns out, I was wrong. Judging by the establishing shot and the usage of "Captain Kuchiki," it seems pretty clear that Byakuya keeps a family shrine at the squad, which is certainly a choice.

Another thing that I had forgotten is just how large and spartan this room is. I assume the minimalism was an artistic decision on Kubo's part to reflect Byakuya's internal feelings similar to how big and empty the room that Renji barges into during the Rukia adoption scene appears to be--basically a white space with floorboards and little else, which seems to be done to emphasize Renji's internal confusion--and then, once the Kuchiki squad leaves, some of the details of the room comes into focus until Renji puts on his performance for Rukia and it ebbs again into action lines and white space. Or, maybe this room isn't particularly well-furnished for obvious reasons, i.e., Byakuya might not want random Squad Six officers lounging or horsing around near his family's altar, assuming this room is accessible to the general squad members.

Either way, art is abstraction, and I think we are supposed to get a sense of feeling absorbed into this desolate space with a singular focal point because our POV character is feeling similarly desolate and absorbed by "private thoughts," at the moment.

How far away is the Soukyoku from Squad Six if Byakuya needs to get a move on five hours prior to the execution? Perhaps Yamamoto wants the senior leadership accounted for well in advance given the humans running amok. Or, maybe Byakuya is planning on running some errands on the way a la, "My sister's execution may be on the to-do list today but it ain't my whole day." Who can say?

Beyond the odd "snap to it" given the stated timing, we finally see what is holding Byakuya's attention, and it's a picture of a woman who could be Rukia's doppelganger. We know it's not a picture of Rukia since Byakuya helpfully provides the woman's name, Hisana. (Although, I wouldn't have put it past Byakuya to already have placed Rukia's picture on the family altar prior to her execution as it would have been very efficient even if incredibly morbid.)

In a previous entry, I wondered when Kubo might have baked the dead wife trope into the narrative as a way of humanizing Byakuya. Officially, it does not appear to have been an actual 11th-hour decision since we have a ways to go before the confession scene between Byakuya and Rukia. At this point, I don't think we, the audience, know for certain that Hisana is Byakuya's late wife nor do we know her connection to Rukia even if it seems sort of obvious that they're related. Although, Kaien and Ichigo are supposed to look a lot alike as well (at least to Byakuya), and we're left thinking they aren't (due to Byakuya's explicit denial of relatedness) until we receive confirmation much later on that they're indeed related.

This brings me to the issue of doppelgangers in this arc. We have two of them, one for Ichigo and one for Rukia. And, each of the doppelgangers carries great significance to one of the Kuchiki siblings. I would argue both of the Kuchiki siblings had romantic feelings toward their respective doppelgangers with Byakuya's romantic attachment being far more apparent since he married Hisana. Rukia's attraction to Kaien, however, is left ambiguous. I suppose one could read Rukia's reflections on Kaien as purely platonic. Personally, I flop back and forth depending on my mood.

Assuming that Rukia had a crush on her squad's lieutenant, her interest was unrequited. Unrequited love could be another similarity between the siblings depending on how you choose to read the confession scene. Personally, I don't think the text strongly supports that for Byakuya as outlined in mind-numbing detail here. I think this may be an instance where the similarities draw attention to the differences being explored between the siblings' relationships to their respective doppelgangers.

First, I don't think Rukia makes much out of the physical similarities between Ichigo and Kaien. Byakuya, however, does. This leads me to think that the issue of lookalikes is more of a Byakuya issue. Which makes sense. He has been dealing with his late wife's doppelganger for decades at this point. My guess is that, on top of the lie and the cognitive burden of having to maintain that lie, Byakuya avoids looking at Rukia because it's painful for a host of reasons, some of which were already touched on in Part Ten. However, the perceived similarity--that Rukia may be allowing her emotions for Kaien to cloud her feelings for Ichigo because Ichigo reminds her of Kaien--allowed Byakuya to try to project connect with Rukia and her pain regarding Ichigo during the arrest scene. (Meaning that Byakuya likely feels this pull with respect to Rukia because she looks like his dead loved one.)

Second, Rukia's relationship with Kaien appears to have been very different from Byakuya's relationship with Hisana. The most notable difference is that Kaien and Rukia were not romantically involved and Kaien's direct relationship to Rukia was that of her boss, meaning that he held significant power over her in that relationship. Now, Kaien appears to have been a mostly good boss, and he used his position to make Rukia feel welcome and give her a sense of normalcy. In Byakuya's relationship with Hisana, the power dynamic clearly favors Byakuya given his institutional power as a Kuchiki along with any power conferred to him as a member of the Gotei 13, assuming he was an officer during their courtship and marriage. However, Byakuya being Hisana's spouse puts them on better footing as equals--albeit not perfect footing--than Rukia's relationship with Kaien granted her.

Third, Rukia had a direct hand in Kaien's death so, while she loves him (romantically, platonically, or both... take your pick), her primary emotions when reflecting on him are that of guilt, shame, and a sense of being pathetic. This deep shame leaves her feeling deserving of her fate as penance for the wrong that she believes she has done. Byakuya, however, doesn't appear to have this same guilt over the loss of Hisana. His wife died of "consumption dead-wife-fluenza" for which he was not responsible. To the extent that Byakuya feels guilt, it's because he is unable to fully honor the promise that he made to his wife on her deathbed due to the dumbass oath he took at his parents' graves that no one asked for, by the way. In this case, Byakuya's guilt is more of the conflicted variety--i.e., his heart urges him to follow the promise he made to his wife while his oath to his parents prevents him due to how he is supposed to resolve these competing obligations in favor of his parents--while Rukia's guilt is more of the shame variety.

To add to that point, as we see in this scene, Byakuya appears to be consulting his wife (or perhaps apologizing/pleading his case/staring meaningfully into her picture for answers or internal fortitude), and I think the audience is supposed to get the impression that he is conflicted at this moment. In contrast, I don't think Rukia would feel entitled to look to Kaien for guidance at a Kaien altar (or as Ukitake does with the Kaien that lives inside his heart) as I think her shame would prevent her from taking even that small amount of comfort at this point in her character arc.

All of this wild gesturing to say: I think the similarities between the Kuchiki siblings and their respective doppelgangers are there; they're just more superficially there (e.g., Byakuya and Rukia both loved and lost in their own ways and, also in their own ways, those losses continue to haunt them in this arc). Perhaps less superficially, or at least more obviously, rendered are the cautionary parallels that we can draw between the doppelgangers (Kaien and Hisana) and Generation Xerox (Ichigo and Rukia), which are: (i) the perils of recklessly "following your heart" for Ichigo/Kaien; and (ii) the perils of forever "being consumed by guilt and shame" for Rukia/Hisana.

TL;DR: I'm glad Kubo leaned into the gothic doppelgangers angle, giving both main characters in this arc their own lookalikes and leveling both Kuchiki siblings with the doppelgangers' deaths in their own fun and unique ways!

(Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the read-along).

Part Twelve: Byakuya's Private Thoughts!

(This entry is far less exciting than that title might suggest just in case anyone was hoping for something spicy.)

You know... I had forgotten the altar was at the Sixth. I had thought that Byakuya was at his private residence during this scene. (I assume Kuchiki Manor is near the Sixth, but maybe it's not.) As it turns out, I was wrong. Judging by the establishing shot and the usage of "Captain Kuchiki," it seems pretty clear that Byakuya keeps a family shrine at the squad, which is certainly a choice.

Another thing that I had forgotten is just how large and spartan this room is. I assume the minimalism was an artistic decision on Kubo's part to reflect Byakuya's internal feelings similar to how big and empty the room that Renji barges into during the Rukia adoption scene appears to be--basically a white space with floorboards and little else, which seems to be done to emphasize Renji's internal confusion--and then, once the Kuchiki squad leaves, some of the details of the room comes into focus until Renji puts on his performance for Rukia and it ebbs again into action lines and white space. Or, maybe this room isn't particularly well-furnished for obvious reasons, i.e., Byakuya might not want random Squad Six officers lounging or horsing around near his family's altar, assuming this room is accessible to the general squad members.

Either way, art is abstraction, and I think we are supposed to get a sense of feeling absorbed into this desolate space with a singular focal point because our POV character is feeling similarly desolate and absorbed by "private thoughts," at the moment.

How far away is the Soukyoku from Squad Six if Byakuya needs to get a move on five hours prior to the execution? Perhaps Yamamoto wants the senior leadership accounted for well in advance given the humans running amok. Or, maybe Byakuya is planning on running some errands on the way a la, "My sister's execution may be on the to-do list today but it ain't my whole day." Who can say?

Beyond the odd "snap to it" given the stated timing, we finally see what is holding Byakuya's attention, and it's a picture of a woman who could be Rukia's doppelganger. We know it's not a picture of Rukia since Byakuya helpfully provides the woman's name, Hisana. (Although, I wouldn't have put it past Byakuya to already have placed Rukia's picture on the family altar prior to her execution as it would have been very efficient even if incredibly morbid.)

In a previous entry, I wondered when Kubo might have baked the dead wife trope into the narrative as a way of humanizing Byakuya. Officially, it does not appear to have been an actual 11th-hour decision since we have a ways to go before the confession scene between Byakuya and Rukia. At this point, I don't think we, the audience, know for certain that Hisana is Byakuya's late wife nor do we know her connection to Rukia even if it seems sort of obvious that they're related. Although, Kaien and Ichigo are supposed to look a lot alike as well (at least to Byakuya), and we're left thinking they aren't (due to Byakuya's explicit denial of relatedness) until we receive confirmation much later on that they're indeed related.

This brings me to the issue of doppelgangers in this arc. We have two of them, one for Ichigo and one for Rukia. And, each of the doppelgangers carries great significance to one of the Kuchiki siblings. I would argue both of the Kuchiki siblings had romantic feelings toward their respective doppelgangers with Byakuya's romantic attachment being far more apparent since he married Hisana. Rukia's attraction to Kaien, however, is left ambiguous. I suppose one could read Rukia's reflections on Kaien as purely platonic. Personally, I flop back and forth depending on my mood.

Assuming that Rukia had a crush on her squad's lieutenant, her interest was unrequited. Unrequited love could be another similarity between the siblings depending on how you choose to read the confession scene. Personally, I don't think the text strongly supports that for Byakuya as outlined in mind-numbing detail here. I think this may be an instance where the similarities draw attention to the differences being explored between the siblings' relationships to their respective doppelgangers.

First, I don't think Rukia makes much out of the physical similarities between Ichigo and Kaien. Byakuya, however, does. This leads me to think that the issue of lookalikes is more of a Byakuya issue. Which makes sense. He has been dealing with his late wife's doppelganger for decades at this point. My guess is that, on top of the lie and the cognitive burden of having to maintain that lie, Byakuya avoids looking at Rukia because it's painful for a host of reasons, some of which were already touched on in Part Ten. However, the perceived similarity--that Rukia may be allowing her emotions for Kaien to cloud her feelings for Ichigo because Ichigo reminds her of Kaien--allowed Byakuya to try to project connect with Rukia and her pain regarding Ichigo during the arrest scene. (Meaning that Byakuya likely feels this pull with respect to Rukia because she looks like his dead loved one.)

Second, Rukia's relationship with Kaien appears to have been very different from Byakuya's relationship with Hisana. The most notable difference is that Kaien and Rukia were not romantically involved and Kaien's direct relationship to Rukia was that of her boss, meaning that he held significant power over her in that relationship. Now, Kaien appears to have been a mostly good boss, and he used his position to make Rukia feel welcome and give her a sense of normalcy. In Byakuya's relationship with Hisana, the power dynamic clearly favors Byakuya given his institutional power as a Kuchiki along with any power conferred to him as a member of the Gotei 13, assuming he was an officer during their courtship and marriage. However, Byakuya being Hisana's spouse puts them on better footing as equals--albeit not perfect footing--than Rukia's relationship with Kaien granted her.

Third, Rukia had a direct hand in Kaien's death so, while she loves him (romantically, platonically, or both... take your pick), her primary emotions when reflecting on him are that of guilt, shame, and a sense of being pathetic. This deep shame leaves her feeling deserving of her fate as penance for the wrong that she believes she has done. Byakuya, however, doesn't appear to have this same guilt over the loss of Hisana. His wife died of "consumption dead-wife-fluenza" for which he was not responsible. To the extent that Byakuya feels guilt, it's because he is unable to fully honor the promise that he made to his wife on her deathbed due to the dumbass oath he took at his parents' graves that no one asked for, by the way. In this case, Byakuya's guilt is more of the conflicted variety--i.e., his heart urges him to follow the promise he made to his wife while his oath to his parents prevents him due to how he is supposed to resolve these competing obligations in favor of his parents--while Rukia's guilt is more of the shame variety.

To add to that point, as we see in this scene, Byakuya appears to be consulting his wife (or perhaps apologizing/pleading his case/staring meaningfully into her picture for answers or internal fortitude), and I think the audience is supposed to get the impression that he is conflicted at this moment. In contrast, I don't think Rukia would feel entitled to look to Kaien for guidance at a Kaien altar (or as Ukitake does with the Kaien that lives inside his heart) as I think her shame would prevent her from taking even that small amount of comfort at this point in her character arc.

All of this wild gesturing to say: I think the similarities between the Kuchiki siblings and their respective doppelgangers are there; they're just more superficially there (e.g., Byakuya and Rukia both loved and lost in their own ways and, also in their own ways, those losses continue to haunt them in this arc). Perhaps less superficially, or at least more obviously, rendered are the cautionary parallels that we can draw between the doppelgangers (Kaien and Hisana) and Generation Xerox (Ichigo and Rukia), which are: (i) the perils of recklessly "following your heart" for Ichigo/Kaien; and (ii) the perils of forever "being consumed by guilt and shame" for Rukia/Hisana.

TL;DR: I'm glad Kubo leaned into the gothic doppelgangers angle, giving both main characters in this arc their own lookalikes and leveling both Kuchiki siblings with the doppelgangers' deaths in their own fun and unique ways!

(Parts 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 of the read-along).

Oooh, I really like the idea that Byakuya keeps her shrine in a place that his other (perhaps less kind or actively hostile) family members cannot touch!

Looking back at it, to me (situated as the audience), it makes no difference whether Byakuya is contemplating his next steps while at Squad Six or his home. I wonder if Kubo was trying to consolidate ideas/time/space/etc., or hadn't really thought much about it beyond, "Cool, let's use the Squad Six exterior I drew once," or if there is some additional layer of meaning that I, a pea-brain, am missing.

Alternatively, I suppose Byakuya could have two shrines with Hisana, one at home and one at the Squad since I'm guessing he spends more time at the Squad than at home. Maybe he'd want the option to pop in and chat or take comfort while working.

Or alternatively, alternatively! Maybe she was a former member of Squad Six? I don't think we get anything, storywise, specifying what she was doing with her life after the abandonment but before marrying Byakuya. She could've been... well... like anything, I guess.

Byakuya’s Private Thoughts!

You know… I had forgotten the altar was at the Sixth. I had thought that Byakuya was at his private residence during this scene. (I assume Kuchiki Manor is near the Sixth, but maybe it’s not.) As it turns out, I was wrong. Judging by the establishing shot and the usage of “Captain Kuchiki,” it seems pretty clear that Byakuya keeps a family shrine at the squad, which is certainly a choice.

Another thing that I had forgotten is just how large and spartan this room is. I assume the minimalism was an artistic decision on Kubo’s part to reflect Byakuya’s internal feelings similar to how big and empty the room that Renji barges into during the Rukia adoption scene appears to be–basically a white space with floorboards and little else, which seems to be done to emphasize Renji’s internal confusion–and then, once the Kuchiki squad leaves, some of the details of the room comes into focus until Renji puts on his performance for Rukia and it ebbs again into action lines and white space. Or, maybe this room isn’t particularly well-furnished for obvious reasons, i.e., Byakuya might not want random Squad Six officers lounging or horsing around near his family’s altar, assuming this room is accessible to the general squad members.

Either way, art is abstraction, and I think we are supposed to get a sense of feeling absorbed into this desolate space with a singular focal point because our POV character is feeling similarly desolate and absorbed by “private thoughts,” at the moment.

How far away is the Soukyoku from Squad Six if Byakuya needs to get a move on five hours prior to the execution? Perhaps Yamamoto wants the senior leadership accounted for well in advance given the humans running amok. Or, maybe Byakuya is planning on running some errands on the way a la, “My sister’s execution may be on the to-do list today but it ain’t my whole day.” Who can say?

Beyond the odd “snap to it” given the stated timing, we finally see what is holding Byakuya’s attention, and it’s a picture of a woman who could be Rukia’s doppelganger. We know it’s not a picture of Rukia since Byakuya helpfully provides the woman’s name, Hisana. (Although, I wouldn’t have put it past Byakuya to already have placed Rukia’s picture on the family altar prior to her execution as it would have been very efficient, even if incredibly morbid.)

In a previous entry, I wondered when Kubo might have baked the dead wife trope into the narrative as a way of humanizing Byakuya. Officially, it does not appear to have been an actual 11th-hour decision since we have a ways to go before the confession scene between Byakuya and Rukia. At this point, I don’t think we, the audience, know for certain that Hisana is Byakuya’s late wife nor do we know her connection to Rukia even if it seems sort of obvious that they’re related. Although, Kaien and Ichigo are supposed to look a lot alike as well (at least to Byakuya), and we’re left thinking they aren’t (due to Byakuya’s explicit denial of relatedness) until we receive confirmation much later on that they’re indeed related.

This brings me to the issue of doppelgangers in this arc. We have two of them, one for Ichigo and one for Rukia. And, each of the doppelgangers carries great significance to one of the Kuchiki siblings. I would argue both of the Kuchiki siblings had romantic feelings toward their respective doppelgangers with Byakuya’s romantic attachment being far more apparent since he married Hisana. Rukia’s attraction to Kaien, however, is left ambiguous. I suppose one could read Rukia’s reflections on Kaien as purely platonic. Personally, I flop back and forth depending on my mood.

Assuming that Rukia had a crush on her squad’s lieutenant, her interest was unrequited. Unrequited love could be another similarity between the siblings, depending on how you choose to read the confession scene. Personally, I don’t think the text strongly supports that for Byakuya, as outlined in mind-numbing detail elsewhere. I think this may be an instance where the similarities draw attention to the differences being explored between the siblings’ relationships to their respective doppelgangers.

First, I don’t think Rukia makes much out of the physical similarities between Ichigo and Kaien. Byakuya, however, does. This leads me to think that the issue of lookalikes is more of a Byakuya issue. Which makes sense. He has been dealing with his late wife’s doppelganger for decades at this point. My guess is that, on top of the lie and the cognitive burden of having to maintain that lie, Byakuya avoids looking at Rukia because it’s painful for a host of reasons, some of which were already touched. However, the perceived similarity–that Rukia may be allowing her emotions for Kaien to cloud her feelings for Ichigo because Ichigo reminds her of Kaien–allowed Byakuya to try to project connect with Rukia and her pain regarding Ichigo during the arrest scene. (Meaning that Byakuya likely feels this pull with respect to Rukia because she looks like his dead loved one.)

Second, Rukia’s relationship with Kaien appears to have been very different from Byakuya’s relationship with Hisana. The most notable difference is that Kaien and Rukia were not romantically involved, and Kaien’s direct relationship to Rukia was that of her boss, meaning that he held significant power over her in that relationship. Now, Kaien appears to have been a mostly good boss, and he used his position to make Rukia feel welcome and give her a sense of normalcy. In Byakuya’s relationship with Hisana, the power dynamic clearly favors Byakuya, given his institutional power as a Kuchiki along with any power conferred to him as a member of the Gotei 13, assuming he was an officer during their courtship and marriage. However, Byakuya being Hisana’s spouse puts them on better footing as equals–albeit not perfect footing–than Rukia’s relationship with Kaien granted her.

Third, Rukia had a direct hand in Kaien’s death so, while she loves him (romantically, platonically, or both… take your pick), her primary emotions when reflecting on him are that of guilt, shame, and a sense of being pathetic. This deep shame leaves her feeling deserving of her fate as penance for the wrong that she believes she has done. Byakuya, however, doesn’t appear to have this same guilt over the loss of Hisana. His wife died of ... something?... for which he was not responsible. To the extent that Byakuya feels guilt, it’s because he is unable to fully honor the promise that he made to his wife on her deathbed due to the dumbass oath he took at his parents’ graves that no one asked for, by the way. In this case, Byakuya’s guilt is more of the conflicted variety–i.e., his heart urges him to follow the promise he made to his wife while his oath to his parents prevents him due to how he is supposed to resolve these competing obligations in favor of his parents–while Rukia’s guilt is more of the shame variety.

To add to that point, as we see in this scene, Byakuya appears to be consulting his wife (or perhaps apologizing/pleading his case/staring meaningfully into her picture for answers or internal fortitude), and I think the audience is supposed to get the impression that he is conflicted at this moment (these are private thoughts, after all!). In contrast, I don’t think Rukia would feel entitled to look to Kaien for guidance at a Kaien altar (or as Ukitake does with the Kaien that lives inside his heart) as I think her shame would prevent her from taking even that small amount of comfort at this point in her character arc.

All of this wild gesturing to say: I think the similarities between the Kuchiki siblings and their respective doppelgangers are there; they’re just more superficially there (e.g., Byakuya and Rukia both loved and lost in their own ways and, also in their own ways, those losses continue to haunt them in this arc). Perhaps less superficially, or at least more obviously, rendered are the cautionary parallels that we can draw between the doppelgangers (Kaien and Hisana) and Generation Xerox (Ichigo and Rukia), which are: (i) the perils of recklessly “following your heart” for Ichigo/Kaien; and (ii) the perils of forever “being consumed by guilt and shame” for Rukia/Hisana.

TL;DR: I’m glad Kubo leaned into the gothic doppelgangers angle, giving both main characters in this arc their own lookalikes and leveling both Kuchiki siblings with the doppelgangers’ deaths in their own fun and unique ways!

Kuchiki Manor

just a little happy house in byakuya's head

Coming home from college and remembered I created a playlist for Hisana a while back. So however wants to give it a listen here the link!

(The playlist’s inspired by @afinepiece characterisation of Hisana throughout her works)

"Сакура, словно нежная лепесток, танцует под ветром времени, оставляя следы красоты в сердцах тех, кто её видит." - Byakuya Kuchiki