If you’re still doing them- Shunsui/Ichigo, Kisuke/Ichigo, Ichigo/Momo?
I need to give extra credit for the creativity here.
when I started shipping it if I did:
This has never occurred to me? Not opposed to it though.
It could maybe work but not easily. The main issue here is that they have really different temperaments and Shunsui also has a high level of loyalty towards Soul Society, while Ichigo has had A few conflicts with them regarding their regulations. I find it to be a visually appealing ship aside from this. I don’t know, I think if I were to write a fic for them, I’d need to be really creative, those are the terms in which I think.
What makes me happy about them:
If they ever got together, I can imagine Shunsui being really protective of Ichigo and stepping in if he gets into life-threatening battles. I find it an endearing image somehow. Also they could probably relate to each other in being fundamentally positive but also somewhat prone to depression, in a ‘you’re not alone’ sort of way.
What makes me sad about them:
I said this before but just... Shunsui generally makes me sad. Other than that, there are no big canon tragedies associated to the two of them specifically.
things done in fanfic that annoys me:
Haven’t read any but now I’m kinda wondering if they exist.
things I look for in fanfic:
Again, haven’t checked ao3 but I doubt there’s enough to be picky.
Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other:
If I’m keeping everything in mind; shunuki for Shunsui and grimmichi, ichiishi, maybe renichi or aichi for Ichigo.
My happily ever after for them:
Difficult question because Shunsui really looks like he wants to live a long and chill life and Ichigo — judging from the Fullbring arc — wouldn’t do as well as he might think in a peaceful environment. (I do know people hate that arc though. I don’t know if this is the reason.)
who is the big spoon/little spoon:
Shunsui is a big spoon because I imagine him as basically a human blanket.
what is their favorite non-sexual activity:
Shunsui looks like someone who would play shogi or chess somehow. And Ichigo is a quick learner and smarter than he comes across. So something like that.
when I started shipping it if I did:
I feel like one could consider it at any point. It’s the ‘thinking about it retrospectively’ thing again. They interacted *a lot* but never in quite a shippy way so I wouldn’t know what to pinpoint. Ichigo learning bankai maybe?
It’s one of those ships where you know you’re not meant to interpret it as a ship but they’re also pretty close to each other canonically. I can see it in a fandom ‘I wonder if I can ship this’ context but not actually happening, if that makes sense. I get the appeal though, it’s the whole mentor/apprentice thing. The trope is a classic.
What makes me happy about them:
I have no idea if this is the way other people see it but they’d definitely have a lot of fun since they both have this... lack of restraint in doing dangerous things, except for Urahara it’s related to experimentation while for Ichigo it’s pushing his own limits. Lots of dynamism.
What makes me sad about them:
When it comes down to it, from Urahara’s perspective, he basically facilitated Ichigo’s participation in Aizen’s plans and there’s no way that’s *not* going to come up as a problem. Even if he helped more than he harmed, he put Ichigo at severe risk a few times — the thing with Urahara is, even if he *strongly* tends towards amorality, he still cares about being a decent person and technically he hasn’t always been ethical with his treatment of Ichigo (throwing him in his garden pit to make him regain his powers comes to mind (I know it’s not a garden pit, alright)). Essentially, he did things wrong and I think he’s not fine with having done things wrong. I don’t think Ichigo resents him for all of that, but he might for all the information that was kept from him. Just, in general, Ichigo knows too little about Urahara and he should know more for it to go anywhere.
things done in fanfic that annoys me:
Again, I only read some several years ago, so the average fic quality could have improved since then. I prefer things more subversive than tropey. So yes, do the mentor/apprentice thing if you want, but put some twist on it. Ideally.
things I look for in fanfic:
Everything I said in ‘what makes me sad about them’ being addressed. Also, I *love* Urahara’s scientific side and I really want to see it in fic regardless of ships.
Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other:
What I said above for Ichigo, and I think Shinji for Urahara. But I have a hard time picking ships for the latter, as I already mentioned.
My happily ever after for them:
Hmm... Ichigo freeloading at Urahara Shoten? Just to increase the ever-growing amount of underpaid workers in there.
who is the big spoon/little spoon:
I don’t see either of them having a leaning.
what is their favorite non-sexual activity:
Some sort of experimental training where they come up with new techniques. Ichigo has a metric ton of reiatsu to pour into it and Urahara has developed stuff before, it’d work well.
when I started shipping it if I did:
Wouldn’t have thought about it in a fever dream if I’m honest.
This is one hell of an interesting choice. I figure the main criteria for Momo ships (with the intent of them being healthy) are: 1) not Aizen 2) somebody very dissimilar to Aizen who is not him by any stretch. On that scale, Ichigo is a good fit.
What makes me happy about them:
A realistic reaction to the kind of trauma Momo suffered and the subsequent trust issues, in my opinion, would be feeling extremely suspicious of anyone overly polite, kind and mild-mannered because — and this is monkey brain subconscious logic — it turned out to be fake and manipulative before, so why wouldn’t it again? Ichigo is pretty much the opposite, he has a bit of a punk-ish, harsh exterior but is really thoughtful and compassionate underneath. Momo would get all the kindness she needs but without that looming anxiety.
What makes me sad about them:
Momo’s recovery isn’t... nice and painless. Even in the canon, it isn’t — let alone if one wants to be more realistic about it. There’s also the fact that Ichigo has his own bad moments that he needs to be snapped out of. The whole ship is probably beneficial but also potentially disastrous.
things done in fanfic that annoys me:
I’ll just put it out here at once; it’s really difficult to write fic of m/f ships in a way that appeals to me. It needs to be really, really interesting, I probably wouldn’t have the motivation to read it if there wasn’t a complex plot.
things I look for in fanfic:
I like reading about people’s psychological issues. Something from Momo’s PoV where the last remnants of her Aizen-idolatry are sort of skewing the narration and making it unreliable? I just came up with this on the spot...
Who I’d be comfortable them ending up with, if not each other:
Ichigo, as I said above. Momo, I’ve seen a lot of different ships with and I don’t rank any of them higher than the others, I guess aihina just needs the additional conscious realization that This Ain’t It, Chief.
My happily ever after for them:
Momo becomes a captain and there are constant weird rumors that she’s dating That Orange-haired Guy Who Saved Everyone a Few Hundred Times. Very few people know anything about their accuracy, among whom a — now retired — Shinji, but he never confirms it to anyone.
who is the big spoon/little spoon:
I guess Ichigo is the big spoon. Momo needs a hug.
what is their favorite non-sexual activity:
They would do all the classic dates because Momo is enthusiastic about these... special events with an atmosphere to them? Mostly in the World of the Living so the Gotei don’t gossip. But then a hollow shows up in the middle of the date and they’re both like ‘ah well, I guess we’re gonna have to interrupt to brutally piece up this monster, we’ll pay for the ice cream later’.
Ship meme: tiny.cc/dxee7y
