A New Name [Erica, Ranma]

Trouble did occur at times, even within the walls of the Rukongai. Soul Society, despite his expectations of it, had its own issues here and there, and Ranma just wasn’t mentally built to deal with all of the shit going on down on Earth at the moment. They could call for him when they needed him to purify souls as was his job, but investigation wasn’t his strong suit. Not one bit.

But patrolling sounded alright. After all, Rukongai served as the resting place for many souls in the present and in the future, so the place had to be accommodating and not full of trouble for new souls. That was why Ranma was out here now – in one of the number thirty or around that districts, equipped with his sake bottle and his Zanpakutō and intending to use neither today-

Why? Why on earth would Ranma ever skip the opportunity to use this easy patrolling mission to take a nap, drink himself into a coma and visit Vice-Captain Mizu’s Squad again? Well… he had someone to impress. Someone precious to him now. A girlfriend!

I know, right? Who would’ve thought… but uh, he also knew that he had to learn to grow a little less reliant on his grumpy Zanpakutō if trouble arose. His Kidō was on the works – Mizu had introduced to him a fancy armor technique, but one that he hadn’t mastered yet – and he thought after his confrontation with Armina that his Hakuda was also on a good streak. Overtime, if he just kept on… and drank his stuff to avoid getting a headache, only to get a headache the next morning but one he chose, because pain of his own free will was lesser than unwanted pain… then he could perhaps be eligible to seek help regarding his Zanpakutō’s next evolution and make big sis Noharu proud. A 4/4 Shinigami in the works, baby!

“I hope you’re happy, Hōkamaru – I intend to give you the peace you want,” he spoke to his sheathed Asauchi, “You just gotta watch me have lots of fun and vibes with Erica today, you grumpy sword spirit.” It was strange how different they were… Zanpakutōs usually reflected something from their wielders. A part of their soul, or a mirror of their soul. But Hōkamaru was rather unwelcome, lonesome but not lonely, desiring the peace of a void between his ears, a still world and no cute angel by his side to give him a warm embrace.

But Ranma was passionate now. He had lots of desires, all of which required communicating with people. There had to be something between them that they shared… something that would make it more suitable for Hōkamaru to be Ranma’s Zanpakutō Spirit. Otherwise, people who’d ever get to meet Hōkamaru would think that the Spirit was accidently swapped with another’s.