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[personal profile] platedlizard
Title: Yarn.
Universe: Bleach
Genre: Crackfic
Pairing, Characters: mild Ichigo/Renji, Zangetsu, Rukia, and Hichigo (off screen)
Rating: G
Word Count: 1441
Summery: Hichigo gets a new hobby.
A/N: Loosely inspired by Akuni’s Covenant. It occurred to me that so many of Ichigo’s problems could have been solved if only Hichigo had a non-killing-people hobby.



The biggest problem Ichigo had with his own personal hollow wasn’t the fact that the bastard was just waiting for him to screw up so he could displace him. It wasn’t that the damn thing was a hollow, and therefore likely to attempt to harm his friends and relatives. It wasn’t even that on a deep level he knew that the cursed thing wasn’t actually an independent being, that it was nothing more than the dark half of his own soul and that its bloodlust and ambition were actually his own. No, the biggest problem was that sometimes he couldn’t tell the difference between his thoughts, and the hollow’s.

Now, over the years Ichigo had learned how to identify them. For example, if he found himself looking at a particularly powerful plus soul and feeling a tad…hungry he knew that was his hollow, and could shove that weird hunger back into the back of his mind were it fucking belonged. (or, better yet, grab the guys and go out for Korean barbeque later) If he found himself facing a powerful opponent and thinking the bastard would be fucking easy (eh King?) to take down, if only he let loose a little, let go of all that control and shit and…

Well, he knew that was only the hollow, itching for a fight.

So he was a bit surprised to find himself one day while watching movies at Ishida’s eying the Quincy’s latest project, and thinking shoulda used self-striping yarn.

Ichigo had no idea what the fuck self-striping yarn even was.

After that he started noticing more weirdness. Like the time Rukia dragged him to the bookstore to look for the latest volume of whatever drug-of-choice she had going this week and found himself wandering over to the magazines and actually flipping open a copy of some weird knitting mag, something with a title like Xtreme Knits or some such shit. He forced himself to put it down almost immediately--he was not interested. At all. That was Ishida’s thing, and Ichigo would rather let Orihime cook for him then take up one of the Quincy’s hobbies.

There was more stuff, like glancing at a woman’s sweater and thinking store bought. Which, yeah, it was. So what? Why would he care? Or the time on patrol with Renji when they passed a 24 hour fabric store (he was amazed to discover that Ishida was right, they did exist. Beyond weird) and glanced at a sign and thought yarn and needle sale. Or looking at Byakuya’s scarf and having the weird feeling that he, or rather, some very distant and rather hollow part of himself had some idea how that thing was made and how much it must have cost.

He had no idea a stupid scarf could be that expensive. The hell.

It all came to a head one day while he was in bed with Renji back in Soul Society, stroking the redhead’s hair, and found himself thinking that it was just too damn bad that they just couldn’t dye wool that color, silk yeah, but wool’s warmer. Which was, well, weird.

Very, very weird.

So weird in fact that he actually forced himself to stop petting Renji’s hair and get out of bed.

“Whatcha,” yawn, “doin?” his lover asked, more than half-asleep.

“Gotta talk to Zangetsu about something,” Ichigo said, picking up his zanpaku-to from his stand.

“Wha?” asked Renji, swallowing another yawn.

Ichigo hesitated, but only for a second. If he was right this wasn’t really a big issue, more annoying then anything else, but his lover had a right to know. Even if this was more embarrassing then anything else.

“It’s nothing. Just, the hollow’s acting weird.”

That made Renji sit up abruptly. “What? Ichigo…”

Ichigo scowled. “It’s nothing. Just that,” he could feel his face start to heat and was glad that it was dark, “he’s obsessing about knitting and shit.”

There was a moment of silence. Then, “Knitting.”

Ichigo was sure he was strawberry-red. “Yeah.”

“You mean with actual yarn and needles, and not people’s intestines.”

Ichigo winced and hoped the hollow hadn’t heard that. No reason to him ideas.

“Yeah, yarn. Wool and stuff.”

More silence. Then the sound of someone lying back down and something that sounded suspiciously like a muffled snicker. “Tell me about it tomorrow.”

Still blushing hotly Ichigo grabbed a floor-pillow and sat down, Zangetsu on the floor in front of him and closed his eyes. A subtle twisting of his mind and suddenly he was in his mindscape. He took a moment to orient himself, from all appearances the cityscape hadn’t changed much, if at all. It was still that strange sideways place of glass and steel and he wondered for the first time what would happen if he walked down to the ground.

“Ichigo.”

“Hey Old Man.” He turned, and found Zangetsu standing behind him. The guy looked pretty much the way he always did, except for a couple of new additions. He snorted at the white wool scarf the man was wearing, then found himself looking down at a pair of multi-colored woolen socks. The socks had been knitted with individual toes, and each toe had a little animal face knitted at the end. Rather vicious-looking animals, actually. He didn’t think Rukia would have liked them.

“Nice socks,” he said.

The Old Man just nodded.

“What’s going on?” Ichigo asked finally, scratching the back of his neck.

The zanpaku-to just gave him a look, but Ichigo could have sworn that the Old Man was smiling just a tad. “He has a new hobby.”

“I can see that,” he said, dryly. Did the man just wiggle his toes? “But why knitting?”

Zangetsu just shrugged. “You’ll have to ask him, but I do not know if he will answer. He seemed rather…sensitive when I questioned him.”

“Uh.” Ichigo thought about it for a moment. All things considered, knitting was fairly harmless, especially given everything else his hollow could be doing with himself. He could probably live with knitting. Probably.

If it didn’t drive him nuts first..

“No, it’s okay. I just wanted to make sure everything was okay around here.”

The Old Man nodded, and this time Ichigo was positive he saw the socks wiggle. He opened his mouth to ask another question, then closed it. The fact was he really didn’t want to know where the hollow got the knitting supplies.

“Okay, well, if everything’s fine, I guess I’ll go,” he said, turning to leave.

“Wait.” Ichigo paused, feeling a trace of alarm trickle through him. “He made this for me, too,” said Zangetsu, and held out a long triangular…thing made out of the same multi-colored yarn his socks were. Ichigo took it and looked it over, puzzled.

“What is it?”

Zangetsu gave him his usual cool look. “A sword-cozy, for when I’m on my stand.”

“Uh, okay…” The colors had formed jagged lines. It looked as if the yarn had been dyed in a pattern and just great now even he was thinking about yarn and knitting and if he hadn’t decided he was going to try to live with the hollow Ichigo would have hunted him down and killed him. Just for that.

He found himself wondering if Ishida would give him lessons, and scowled.

Anyways, now he knew what ‘self-striping yarn’ was.


Some time later…


Rukia was digging through the boys’ room (and they would always be ‘the boys’ to her), partly because she had left her sketchbook over there somewhere, and partly because if there was one thing having a couple of ‘brothers’ was good for, it was snooping in their stuff. One never knew when one needed to blackmail them, after all. Whether it was a photo-shoot for the Shinigami Woman’s Association or to get Ichigo to buy the latest volume of Yotsuba she always needed ammunition.

Her eyes lit up as a questing hand found a magazine behind a bookcase, only to squint puzzled at it. Instead of the porn she was expecting (not that those guys would have needed it, in her considered opinion, but guys were guys) it was something dedicated to knitting.

Suddenly inspired Rukia shoved her hand back behind the bookcase and came up with a few more mysterious items. A ball of yarn. Needles. And a half-finished sock. A rather large triangular object that appeared to be the right size and shape to fit Zangetsu. She stared at the things for a moment, then an evil grin spread itself across her face. Ammunition indeed.

This was worth a week’s paid vacation to her favorite hot spring resort. At least.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 03:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] akuni.livejournal.com
You... I... *splutter*

DUDE YOU KILLED ME!! *dying laughing* OMFG can't stop... gotta breathe...

“You mean with actual yarn and needles, and not people’s intestines.”

BEST LINE HANDS DOWN!!! ♥

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 03:52 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Thanks! I was rather pleased how well it came out, given how little effort I actually put into it. The beer helped some, I think, LOL.

(no subject)

From: [identity profile] akuni.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-08 03:54 am (UTC) - Expand

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From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-08 04:12 am (UTC) - Expand

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From: [identity profile] akuni.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-08 04:21 am (UTC) - Expand

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(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 04:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] madrona-8.livejournal.com
And now I know what self striping yarn is...and I suppose I actually own some too....Oh is THAT what it's called!!!

A sword cozy...nice.
I'm thinking Zan would look pretty hot in that scarf...blowing in the wind...
Apparently Shiro is quite talented. I want socks like that!!!
Excellent crackfic.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 04:07 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
He's got lots and lots (and lots and LOTS) of time. And a willing victim.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 04:01 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] senbonzakura77.livejournal.com
There was a moment of silence. Then, “Knitting.”

Ichigo was sure he was strawberry-red. “Yeah.”

“You mean with actual yarn and needles, and not people’s intestines.”

Ichigo winced and hoped the hollow hadn’t heard that. No reason to him ideas.

“Yeah, yarn. Wool and stuff.”


Hahaha, awesome!!! :D This was absolutely brilliant! And then the end with Rukia.. *snickers* Priceless. :D

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 04:09 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Thanks! A lot of people seem to like that exchange. And you know Rukia is planning evil, lol.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 04:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] avanica.livejournal.com
That... is just creepy. My dad has just gotten obsessed with knitting and is knitting everything that it's possible to knit. That is just ironic.


Anyways, it was awesome. I can just imagine Hichigo knitting!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 04:56 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
That's cool it's your dad. Mine is a rockhound, finds 'em, digs 'em up, collects 'em (there's literally about 10 or 20 TONS of rocks at my parents house from his expeditions), and always says he's going to sell them on ebay or make jewelery, but rarely gets around to doing that. Parents should always have weird hobbies, I think.

And yeah, what the heck else is Hichigo going to do with his time?

(no subject)

From: [identity profile] avanica.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-08 01:55 pm (UTC) - Expand

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From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-09 02:30 am (UTC) - Expand

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From: [identity profile] avanica.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-09 02:46 am (UTC) - Expand

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From: [identity profile] akuni.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-09 02:50 pm (UTC) - Expand

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From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-10 04:03 am (UTC) - Expand

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From: [identity profile] akuni.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-10 04:05 am (UTC) - Expand

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Date: 2008-01-08 06:13 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] gabby0214.livejournal.com
Loved it! Hichgo knitting is just to funny. Great crack fic, Gabby

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 02:31 am (UTC)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 10:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/__pants__/
=)

=D

=DDDDD

XDDDDDDDD

This is fantastic ♥

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 02:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Glad you liked it!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 11:37 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sophiap.livejournal.com
Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 02:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Thank you, thank you very much. *takes a bow*

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 01:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cmc42.livejournal.com
Agree with Akuni that “You mean with actual yarn and needles, and not people’s intestines.” is definitely the best line! This was great XD Going in my memories ^_^

(sorry you'll get two notifications - formatting went a bit weird on the first)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 02:36 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Aw, I feel all warm and fuzzy now. Thanks!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 05:47 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] annieroo2.livejournal.com
*Memories*
*gasp* *wheeze* *cough, cough* *deep breath* ROTFLMAO!!!

I am still trying to catch my breath. I haven't laughed that uproariously in awhile. That felt so good! ;)

I'm probably just repeating what everyone else said, but this is the best crack line I have read in ages:
“You mean with actual yarn and needles, and not people’s intestines.”

I had been laughing pretty good up to that point, but when I read that I completely lost it. I actually gave myself a side cramp from laughing.

Seriously your whit and humor is something to be cherished. If you ever think of doing a whole series about the crazy hobbies Ichigo's hollow takes up to alleviate his boredom, I am so there to read them.

The toe socks with the freaky mean animals on them were an inspired touch. I can still remember the bumblebee toe socks my mom made for me when I was little. She made some pretty crazy stuff too. Although I think the sword-cozy probably wins first prize! LOL

Thanks for sharing this. It totally perked up my grey day!!!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 02:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Someone already suggested he write romance novels. I may or may not write more, right now I'm trying to focus on a massive historical Bleach fic (set during WWII) which isn't very funny, but has its moments. Maybe if I get stuck again, since thing apparently got me unstuck!

It's funny, I don't know that much about knitting, but I have been in more then a few conversations in which everyone else was, so I picked up a few things. And Shiro would totally be the type to do crazy freaky shit with needles and yarn.

(no subject)

From: [identity profile] annieroo2.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-09 03:08 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-08 06:22 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] snowzapped.livejournal.com
Just the thought of Ichigo's hollow with knitting needles and colorful balls of yarn made me laugh so hard. ^__^

Zangetsu gave him his usual cool look. “A sword-cozy, for when I’m on my stand.”


Holy hell! LMAO

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 02:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Your icon. I can't tell if Renji is hating it or loving it. That whole scene was the best part of the Bount Arc, lol.

Zangetsu would totally be all cool and stuff, even if he was wearing a fuzzy wool hat with a bobble at the peak. Or rabbit ears. He is completely unfazible.

(no subject)

From: [identity profile] snowzapped.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-09 07:22 am (UTC) - Expand

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Date: 2008-01-08 09:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] calmingeffects.livejournal.com
OMG the toe socks and the sword cozy and *laughs insanely* I love this!!!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 02:51 am (UTC)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 03:27 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] cheree-22.livejournal.com
OMG. That's so awesomely hilarious.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 04:26 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Hee! I try.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 04:19 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aurorarose1414.livejournal.com
Intestines for the WIN! Great crackfic, very funny. I love how Ichigo hides the knitting mags as if they were porn. Hehehe. He's such a dork. Hehehe.

Hichigo's next hobby: Wedding planner! Ichigo's inner world will be covered with tafeta and flowers.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 04:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Hichigo got Ichigo interested, too! And he's so embarrassed, so he hides it. I think he probably bribes Renji to keep quiet about it, too. They're such dorks.

LOL @ wedding planner.

(no subject)

From: [identity profile] aurorarose1414.livejournal.com - Date: 2008-01-09 04:32 am (UTC) - Expand

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-09 11:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] vampsagirl.livejournal.com
OMG! I love it! I wish there had been some on-screen time for Hichigo, it would've been cute! :p

I thought it was hilarious that Zangetsu not only WORE those socks (without his shoes on) but seemed to enjoy them by wiggling his toes. :p It so very un-Zangetsu-like. :p

And the thought of Hichigo knitting is absolutely, positively cute and adorable. I can so see it! I really can!

Who says strong guys can't knit? Think of Gwendel (Gwendal?) from Kyou Kara Maou! :p:p:p And at least you can tell what Hichigo's stuff is or is for. :p (After all Rukia seemed to realize what the sword-cozy was!) Just because Ichigo is a clueless person doesn't mean Hichigo's no good at his hobby.

And I think it's hilarious that at the end Rukia's gonna use it for blackmail to get herself a week's paid vacation at a hot spring resort. :p :p I can see her getting the good treatment there and calling the boys to tell them thank you. Hahahaa

I also like that she calls them "the boys" all the time and that she thinks of them both as her brothers. It's all very cute the way you portrayed their relationship with Rukia in such a short amount of time in the end of the fic. :) And I love how you portrayed Ichigo's relationship with Shirosaki without even having the hollow ACTUALLY make an appearance. :)

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-10 04:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Thanks! I actually wanted to have Hichigo onscreen, but he wasn't having any. Oh well, sometimes the characters do what they want to do, not what you want them too. Since this was loosely inspired by Akuni's fic I decided to go with a more Ichigo/Renji pairing, so that meant that Rukia got to be the sister. The occasionally bratty sister who digs through your shit.

Back in the old days sailors used to do a lot of knitting when the weather wasn't good, or they had nothing else to do on board. Woolly sweaters and socks were very important to them. So knitting can totally be a masculine thing to do!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-19 10:34 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] blood-crow.livejournal.com
BAHAHAHAHA OH MY GOD! DUDE I AM FUCKING DEAD! Seriously, I almost slipped into a seizure I was laughing so hard. I mean seriously. Knitting. Knitting? KNITTING!! Ichigo's voice in this was outstanding. I was thinking WTF with him the entire time. But anyway my favorite parts were when Zangetsu wiggled his toes... omg ROFLMAO!! And then when he said a sword-cozy... Yea, I'm dead.

(no subject)

Date: 2008-01-20 01:59 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Seizures?! Perhaps next time I should put a medical disclaimer on my stories, lol. "Not responsible for laughter-induced seizures, heart-attacks, or strokes."

And finding out that your hollow was into knitting would be a very WTF experience. Glad you liked it!

(no subject)

Date: 2008-04-29 10:57 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] captainrosie.livejournal.com
“Nice socks,” he said.

The Old Man just nodded.


*cries* You killed me!

Wonderful!

- rosie

(no subject)

Date: 2009-04-29 09:18 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
Thank you!

Wow, delayed response is delayed.

From: (Anonymous)
splendid

(no subject)

Date: 2009-04-29 09:01 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] sayu-chan.livejournal.com
Oh god. Oh. God. I can't stop laughing. Sooooo god. *snickers*
That Hollow is soooo damn freaky he just asked to get some kind of...weird hobby. Soooo cool.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-04-29 09:17 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
I figure, there's probably not much to do inside Ichigo. He probably gets bored. And, well, all the knitters I know are batshit insane, so he would fit right in.

(no subject)

Date: 2009-10-13 04:30 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] azardarkstar.livejournal.com
Nice. I enjoyed this for two reasons. First, of course, is the thought of Ichigo (or his Hollow more specifically) knitting. Second, my personal fanon (and I blame [livejournal.com profile] dracoqueen22 for this) is that Shuuhei is a secret knitter.

Zari

(no subject)

Date: 2009-10-13 04:40 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] platedlizard.livejournal.com
In my personal canon Shuuhei does My Little Pony mods.

Glad you liked the story!

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