dear_mun | Muse is trying to reassure Mun that the right choice was made.

[It's strange. He is taller then her, and he feels strong. But...he sounds as if he's about to fall onto his knees and cry. She doesn't want him to cry.]

If it's not mine, it's not yours either. You don't have to take on more then you have-you've already done so much more then I ever thought possible.

I'm proud of you.

[Considering everything that's happened to him, all the mistakes he's made in the past and the hurdles he's overcome- sometimes by scrambling, sometimes leaping spectacularly, sometimes clawing himself over with bloodied fingertips- hearing something as simple as his mother tell him that she's proud shouldn't be enough to make him actually cry.

He makes a strange choked laughing sound, trying to stop himself from sobbing outright, and awkwardly draws back, wiping furiously at his eyes with the back of his hand.]

I... damn, I don't even know what to say. I can't believe you're here.

[And then he's going to try a little smile, even though he's still not at all sure he's not about to burst into tears.]

You coulda said something about how you're a badass, Mom.

[How could they be mistakes when he did what he thought was the right thing? He became a weapon in a war that wasn't his. How did he not break under the strain? How did he stand so tall?

Of course she's proud of him.]

I can't believe it either. You're so tall! Look at you. You didn't inherit my height, that's for sure.

[She's just going to dig into her pocket, and pull it out a handkerchief. Ichigo is going to have it shoved into his hand, no arguments.]

I don't see myself as a badass. I just do what I have to.

[Takes the handkerchief without complaint, wipes his eyes in the most manly way possible- which considering that he's lost a lot of manly points for blubbering on his teenaged mother's shoulder is going to take some doing- and tries to brush it off as if it never happened.]

Yeah, I think I kinda get that from the old man. He's got that going for him at least. But are you kidding? The way you dealt with that thing was pretty damn badass, if Karin ever saw that we'd be hearing about it on repeat for months- uh, you know. If you know who Karin is, she's a lot like actually. And Yuzu too.

[Big brother grin goes here, and the further away he can get the topic of conversation from himself, the better.]

I mean, I always thought they were a lot like you, even if Karin takes after Dad in looks, I never realised how much like you she is. Yuzu could be your kid sister the way you two look alike. Damn, I wish they could be here too, you'd be so proud of them.

[How is he supposed to keep manly points around his mom? Nevermind it's the teen version of his mother, before he was born.

She's smiling though, and listening. She knows those names and faces, but it's not the same as knowing them personally.. The stories, the description-it's almost enough to make her feel a little wistful.

She wished she could see him as her older self. It would be wonderful if she could have supported him as a young man, as Karin and Yuzu as young women.]

Now you know. And...

[She pauses. What else is there to say? Glad that they're living? No, that's not right. There's a more important question.]

So are you, Karin, Yuzu and Isshin...are you happy? I know you have a pretty exciting life but...

[Ichigo's smile falters for a split second.

Happy? Right now, he can't exactly say he is. Soul Society's in tatters, his friends are either injured or stuck in Hueco Mundo (or surpassing him, and while he doesn't begrudge Renji his progress it stings to know he's being left behind), and it seems that, once again, people have been selectively keeping things from him that it would have been really nice to know a few years ago.

If there's one thing Ichigo hates, it's being kept in the dark and shackled by inadequacy.

But even shoving those things aside, even being here and having the chance to see his mother again, the one thing he will never come out and say aloud that he's dreamed of since he was nine years old, can he say that he's happy, that he and the girls and old goat face are having a happy life?]

We look out for each other, me and the girls keep each other sane when the old man's driving us nuts. I guess you don't know how nuts that is yet, but trust me, none of us take after him. We're sane like you.

[He's skirting around answering her question, but he can't bring himself to tell her the real answer.]

Edited (derp derp, realised that I didn't have the perfect icon for this so quick bit of colouring later... ) 2013-04-18 02:24 (UTC)

[That falter tells her everything she needs to know. Everything isn't just happy. There isn't a happy ending, and there's pain, and some of it is caused by her. Everything that happens after is...it's beyond her control, and there is nothing she can do.

She can only watch. Listen. And that is...if she could have lived...

But Ichigo tells her what she wants to hear. Wants her to believe at least. He really does love her, doesn't he?

The sane comment makes her laugh a bit. She's not sure she's sane on the best of days, but in comparison to Isshin...]

I'm sure there's a bit of your old man in you somewhere. Maybe in your eyebrows? Your height, certainly. There might be more of him in all of you then you think.

[She smiles up at him. He's trying. He's trying so hard. The poor boy.]

But I'm glad you can look out for each other. After all, family is supposed to look out for each other!

[He's going to push back his bangs to show her that nope, eyebrows are pretty much his own ~~or like his cousin's at least~~, and he tries to keep up appearances as he rubs the back of his neck.]

The Shinigami part of me has been the more obvious one, so I guess maybe you're right. Up till now.

[Okay, the less said about that the better.]

But don't worry about them, about the girls and Dad I mean. I'll look after them, I swear I'll never let anything bad happen to them, I promise. Even if all I've got to protect 'em with are my own bare hands.