Rukia Kuchiki | Defective Soul Candy

Rukia Kuchiki sat on the edge of her bed, her hands resting loosely in her lap. Her room was quiet, but her thoughts certainly weren't.

Kaien's death. The execution she had nearly faced. Aizen's betrayal and the battles that followed. The Fullbringer incident, and everything that had happened seventeen months ago. So much had happened, and so much of it still seemed to cling to her, even when she desperately wanted to put it behind her. She had always been good at enduring things. Good at standing back up, straightening her uniform, and pretending everything was fine. But tonight, the weight of it all felt particularly unpleasant. She sighed and glanced toward the little collection of Chappy merchandise on her shelf. A familiar rabbit's cheerful face stared back at her. Rukia's expression softened. "Perhaps I simply need some company..." she murmured. Then she remembered someone. "Oh! Riruka!" Rukia straightened, a little spark of enthusiasm appearing in her eyes. Riruka Dokugamine had quite the fondness for cute things, much like herself. They had fought on opposite sides once, but that didn't mean they couldn't get along now. Perhaps spending time with someone who shared her interests would help take her mind off everything. Perhaps she could even make a new friend. "Yes. That sounds like a perfectly reasonable idea."

She stood, gathering her Chappy Soul Candy, a couple of small rabbit-themed trinkets, and a few other items she thought Riruka might appreciate. With her little collection tucked safely away, Rukia headed out, determined to have a pleasant evening.

It wasn't long before Rukia found herself in Riruka's peculiar little world of plushies, dolls, and all things adorable. Dollhouse was certainly an unusual ability, but Rukia couldn't deny that the place had its charm. Surrounded by cute decorations and soft furnishings, she found herself relaxing more than she had expected. Riruka, for her part, seemed perfectly happy to have someone around who actually appreciated her taste. Before long, the two were chatting and comparing their favorite cute things, with Rukia proudly presenting her little collection. "And this one is Chappy's Soul Candy!" Rukia explained, holding up the small item with an unmistakable note of pride. "It's quite useful, actually. It allows a Soul Reaper to separate their soul from their artificial body. The candy contains a temporary soul that takes its place." She paused, looking down at it. "Though I admit, I mostly like the Chappy packaging." A faint blush crept across her cheeks. She quickly popped the candy into her mouth before Riruka could tease her about it. But instead of the familiar sensation of her soul being pushed out of her gigai, something entirely different happened.

Her surroundings seemed to dissolve into a soft, dreamlike haze. Suddenly, she was standing in a bright, colorful meadow, and right in front of her was Chappy. Not a plushie, not a drawing, not a little picture on a piece of merchandise. The actual rabbit. Alive, breathing, and standing on his hind legs with his little paws raised in greeting. His ears bounced as he hopped toward her, his expression positively delighted to see her. Rukia stared, her violet eyes widening. "C-Chappy...?"

The rabbit gave her an enthusiastic little wave, then hopped around her feet as though they'd been friends forever. He looked up at her with an expression so cheerful and welcoming that Rukia's heart practically melted. She crouched down, reaching out to him with an enormous smile. "Oh! You're real! You're actually real!"

Chappy bounced happily in response, and something inside Rukia simply gave way. A little giggle escaped her. Then another. Then a whole stream of them. "Pfft... ahahaha! Oh, you're so adorable!" The meadow dissolved, and Rukia found herself back in Riruka's Dollhouse, but the feeling remained. A strange warmth spread through her chest, and a cheerful little voice seemed to pop up inside her head. "Chappy! Chappy! Hoppity-hop!"

Rukia blinked, then pressed a hand against her forehead. The voice chirped again, accompanied by a mental image of Chappy bouncing through a field of flowers. She tried to suppress her laughter, but it only made the giggles worse. "Pfft—! Ahahaha! Oh, this is ridiculous!" She covered her mouth, shoulders shaking. She knew something was wrong. She could feel it. But the world suddenly seemed so wonderfully amusing that worrying about it felt like an awful lot of work.

Some time later, the entrance to Riruka's strange little sanctuary opened, and Ichigo Kurosaki stepped inside with Orihime and you close behind. You all had come looking for Rukia, hoping to check on her after noticing that she had seemed unusually withdrawn lately. Ichigo and Orihime probably expected to find her talking with Riruka, perhaps showing off another one of her rabbit drawings. They probably did not expect to find her sitting among the plushies, giggling uncontrollably.

"There she is," Ichigo said, looking around before his eyes settled on Rukia. "Hey, Rukia. We've been looking for—" He stopped. Rukia turned toward the newcomers, her violet eyes widening with delight.

"ICHIGOOOO! AHAHAHA!" She waved enthusiastically, practically vibrating with excitement. "You're here! You're all here! Look at all the fluffy things! Isn't it wonderful?!"

Orihime blinked, then tilted her head with a concerned smile. "Rukia-chan...? Are you feeling okay?"

Rukia tried to answer, but another fit of laughter interrupted her. "I'm—hehehe! I'm perfectly fine! I think! Ahahaha!"

Ichigo stared, then glanced toward Riruka. "What the hell happened to her?"

Rukia barely seemed to hear him. The little Chappy voice in her head was singing, hopping, and enthusiastically encouraging her to enjoy everything around her. She knew this wasn't normal. Some part of her was desperately trying to figure out what had happened to her Soul Candy. But another part couldn't stop finding the entire situation absolutely hilarious. "Hehehe... Chappy says hello!" she announced, grinning broadly. "You should all come sit down! There's plenty of room! Everything's so soft!" Her attention eventually landed on you, and her smile grew even wider. "Oh! You came too! Hehehe! You have to see Chappy! He's adorable! He's right here!" She pointed excitedly at an empty patch of floor, apparently seeing something the rest of you couldn't. "Look! Look at his little ears! AHAHAHA!" Ichigo looked increasingly concerned, Orihime seemed torn between worry and finding Rukia's enthusiasm endearing, and Riruka was beginning to suspect that the Soul Candy had gone very, very wrong. Whatever had happened, Rukia was clearly not behaving like herself. And judging by the way she kept breaking into giggles, she wasn't particularly bothered by that fact right now.

(Create Your Own Scenario!)