Who turned off reality and could you kindly turn it back on? [Closed]

[hewhoprotects.livejournal.com]

Character(s): Kurosaki Ichigo, and anyone who would like to stop and say hello! or mindfuck him. whatever
Content: Ichigo arrives. And is rather confused.
Setting: Niflheim Gate
Time: Morning
Warnings: Nothing. Some swearing, maybe.


It was pretty obvious to anyone passing by that Ichigo was a little lost.

One moment he was falling asleep in his bed, the next he was awake, fully dressed, and standing in front of the oddest sight he had ever seen. The large rounded structures in front of him were a little mind boggling, something decidedly out of this world. He had seen some pretty weird things in his life, and this wasn’t high on his list of strange, but he was still confused. This wasn’t Soul Society (Zaraki hadn’t shown up), it really wasn’t Karakura…

Where was he?

Taking another glance around, he could see nothing familiar. No landmarks looked familiar, and this place didn’t look anything like Japan. It looked mostly western, but he really had no idea where the architecture was from. He was a high school student, like he cared about modern architecture anyway. He just knew that this place wasn’t home.

Walking towards the round dome-looking things, he spotted the lined forming to get inside. Ichigo didn’t know if he really wanted to get inside of the domes, but maybe people would have answers. This plan in mind, he got in line with everyone else. Shoving his hands in his jacket pockets, he took a look at other people in line and was rather surprised. The people here were of every variety, color, nationality, and species. It reminded him a bit of Soul Society, but something was still off.

He was pretty sure everyone here was alive for one thing. Ichigo was still inside his own body, so it had to be the case. Checking his person quickly, he was relieved to see he still had the pendant that Soul Society had given him to change into a Shinigami. He would have been in a bad situation if he had lost that.

Finally arriving at the front of the line, he frowned at the man with the clip board. He opened his mouth to ask a question but was quickly cut off by the man. “Name please.” Ichigo rolled his eyes. “Kurosaki Ichigo. Now what is going on-“ “Next line, please.” “Wait a minute, you need to tell-“ “Next line please.” The man repeated, looking like he was hardly in the mood for Ichigo’s questions, a finger pointed over to another line.

Ichigo continued to frown at the man before heading over to the other line, grumbling something about authority figures. After waiting through the second line, he was asked in he wanted a journal, his reply a shrug. The device was handed out to him, and he took it, giving it a weird look before glancing back up at the person. “So where am I?” He asked, hoping the question was quick enough to warrant a reply. “You’re in Paixao. Here’s a brochure, there’s a map in your journal, have a good day.” The person replied, handing him the brochure before waving him away.

Walking dazedly down the city street, he looked around, then back down to his brochure, to the device, back around.

He scowled and asked aloud to no one in particular. “Just what the hell is going on?”

Comments

[doubledeadman.livejournal.com]

He was as right as could be. This was the most bizarre place that Kaien had ever been to. In fact, it was stranger than rumors of Hueco Mundo which was a supposed desert. Not only was it filled with glorious buildings and strange architecture but there didn't seem to be an inkling of reitsu anywhere!

At least until the blast from the south quaked through.

Kaien had been traveling along the edge of the city wall, taking brief stops to eat and rest. But then, not five minutes ago, the air filled with the surprising reitsu of another. But if there was such a strong power nearby, it had to be either a shinigami or a hollow, though Kaien sorely wished for the prior. Should it be a shinigami, the vice-captain would be able to get more information on just where he was and how to return to the Soul Society. But if it were a hollow, he would have to again fulfill the responsibility of a shinigami.

Of course you must imagine his surprise when he actually reached the reitsu's source. Walking through the entrance of the gate seemed to be a mirror of... himself?

A boy, not just a boy, a human entered through the gate carrying the same journal that Kaien had received not too long ago. But this human not only had the wildest reitsu the shinigami had seen but his appearance matches his exactly except for bright, orange hair that was cut but a little shorter.

"You think you want to explain that to me?" Kaien asked, approaching his look-alike with a look of confusion. It was certainly an answer that he'd like to know himself.

[hewhoprotects.livejournal.com]

Hearing an unfamiliar voice call to him, he looked at the figure approaching, himself approaching, and his current level of confusion only climbed higher. Looking him over quickly, he really could find little that set them apart from each other. The hair was different, but otherwise he may as well have found his long-lost twin.

It was eerie.

During his examination of the stranger it also became glaringly obvious that the man was a Shinigami. The badge on his arm said he was a fukutaichou, and that confused Ichigo. He knew what all the fukutaichou's looked like, had fought quite a few of them, so who was this guy?

Oh. And why the hell did he look exactly like him?

"I think you're asking the wrong guy that one, pal, I'm just as confused as you are." His own look of confusion nearly mirrored the others, his arms crossing over his chest while he tried to piece this together in his mind. Nothing was making any sense. "Who are you? You're a fukutaichou? But I've never met you."

[doubledeadman.livejournal.com]

Well. If this wasn't interesting, Kaien didn't know what was. As far as he knew, most humans were oblivious to the fact that shinigami truly existed. But then here this kid was! Not only did he look just like the Shiba man, but his reitsu spilled out everywhere!

How, he wondered, did he come to know of the Soul Society's system and Gotei 13? Curious indeed, considering that no humans had ever entered the Soul Society before. He was more than familiar with regulations and uniform, that was a given fact. But how did he not know of the Thirteenth Vice-Captain? He was practically a full captain with Ukitake out of commission so often!

"Of course I am!" Kaien replied bitterly, crossing his arms. "I am Kaien Shiba, Vice-Captain of the Thirteenth Division under Ukitake-taichou."

With a frown, he examined the boy once more before continuing. "And I haven't exactly met you either. I think you failed to introduce yourself."

[hewhoprotects.livejournal.com]

If only Ichigo knew how to put a cap on his reiatsu, he would be able to avoid situations like this. Oh, if only.

The man said he was a Shiba. Shiba. Why did that name sound familiar? He was certain he had heard it before. How was he the fukutaichou of the thirteenth division? Ukitake didn't have a fukutaichou that Ichigo could recall. He had those two people... but Ichigo didn't remember them well. He was sure he would have noticed a fukutaichou running around looking like him though!

"I'm Kurosaki Ichigo! Substitute Shinigami." He stated, giving the other man a frown. Not that he had an ego problem, but didn't most people in Soul Society know who he was by now? Invading Soul Society wasn't exactly something humans went and did every day, right? Maybe he had hidden under a rock for the two month long commotion.

"Thought I'd met all of the taichou's and fukutaichou's but I guess not. I didn't even think Ukitake had a fukutaichou." He reached up to scratch his head absently, trying to think on it again. "Weird."

[doubledeadman.livejournal.com]

Substitute... shinigami? Since when did the Gotei 13 need reserves, and from humans at that! Of course this kid, Ichigo was it?, did seem to have more than enough power. So much, in fact, that it rivaled many of the highest seated officers. What was this guy?

What was more was the frustration on Ichigo's face when he introduced himself. Did he actually expect Kaien to know who he was? Because of Ukitake-taichou's condition, Kaien rarely left the Soul Society for Earth and had not been in contact with any humans for decades. But this one said he had met all the higher ups. How did Kaien miss him? He was sure someone would have informed him, especially considering how similar their appearances were.

The shinigami frowned with a touch of annoyance. "Of course Ukitake has a vice-captain. If you know him, you would know about his sickness. He cannot carry out most duties and requires the assistance of others so I'm the one who basically runs the show."

Then a grin spread across his face. "But if you want, you can call me 'captain' by mistake once and awhile! That's what I told Kuchiki not too long ago!"

[hewhoprotects.livejournal.com]

It didn't make a lick of sense to him, but he supposed he could have missed a fukutaichou while he was there. He had been in a hurry the whole time, and he left as soon as he was healed, so... But the name Shiba was still nagging at the back of his mind. Where had he heard it? It was right on the tip of his tongue..

Ichigo completely ignored the offer to call him captain, considering he never spoke to any of the taichou's respectfully. They hadn't done anything to earn his respect, why give it to them?

"... Kuchiki. You mean Rukia?!" He had to have meant Rukia, he probably would have said Kuchiki-taichou if he meant Byakuya. "You know Rukia? Is she here?" Suddenly he was a lot more interested in what this guy had to say.

[doubledeadman.livejournal.com]

If something was off, it was this kid. Kaien could help the feeling that he was being scrutinized. But this guy, Ichigo, he seemed to be even more confused than he was! But of course if he said he met all the officers in the Gotei 13 except for Kaien then something was off... somehow...

"Of course I know Rukia!" Kaien exclaimed. "She works under me in the Thirteenth Division. I see her quite often, actually..."

He had just spoken to Rukia yesterday about her weekly report but it was true that he hadn't seen her the day he found himself in this new world. Was there a problem?

"But if you really want to know if she's here..." The shinigami paused, rummaging through a pocket before pulling out his journal, one that was very similar to Ichigo's. He had spent the previous day figuring out the mechanics which seemed to have been made for even the dullest of people. In but a few clicks, he searched through the network.

"Ah ha!" He proclaimed. "Kuchiki's here!"

[hewhoprotects.livejournal.com]

It was kind of funny. He knew Rukia and all, but he really had no idea what division she had been in. It didn't seem very important at the time, but now he was surprised. For some silly reason, he had always thought she would have been in her brother's division. It seemed really stupid now that he thought about it, considering their relationship, but it had made sense originally.

Of course, Ukitake had a goofy enough personality that he could easily see Rukia fitting right in. And this guy seemed much the same, even from the few minutes of dialog they'd had.

He watched as Kaien poked at the little device, and started poking at his own. He had made a message board post, but the only person who had replied was Aizen, quite possibly the person he wanted to hear from least.

"Ah? She is?!" He scrolled to his own message board post and checked replies and he was surprised to see one from Rukia. "You're right! She replied to my message!"

[doubledeadman.livejournal.com]

That was fantastic! Things couldn't have worked out any better! Here, Kaien had wound up in a strange world with no one he knew or recognized. All he had to do was follow his senses and learn about the journals a little bit and here we go! Rukia Kuchiki had made it into the city, though how he'd have to ask, and Kaien just happened to stumble upon a friend of hers.

He did not exactly spend the time to question how she came in contact and befriended a human but he knew one thing: if Rukia was friends with this guy, he was more than trustworthy.

The shinigami continued to scroll through the messages until a decision was finally made. Finished with the journal, he turned it off and put the device away.

"Well, good thing she's here then! Why don't we head into the center of the city? We can meet Kuchiki and then figure out what to do next. Ukitake-taichou may have show up as well!"

[hewhoprotects.livejournal.com]

Ichigo finished scrolling through his own messages and turned it off, shoving it into the same pocket in his coat as his reading glasses- thank god he still had those- and looked over at Kaien again. So this guy really was the fukutaichou for the 13th division. Rukia's words were a little confusing, and something was off about the whole situation, but he figured Rukia might explain it when they met up with her.

Even if she didn't, so what? This guy seemed all right by him. "Sounds like a good idea." He glanced around before rubbing the back of his neck a little. Seeing as there was only one road, he started on down it for where he assumed the middle of the city was, trusting the other man to follow.