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a little gnome with a loud voice
Bleach fic that ate my life - Covenant 
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Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 12:01am
renichi-covenant

It’s that time again! At long last.
I finished the actual writing Nov 5/07, then spent a lot of time editing. The first chapter was posted Dec 3/07, and the final chapter was posted Feb 15/08.

The soundtrack is posted at the bottom of each chapter. And ooh, you’re all so lucky, there’s a lot of gorgeous art with this story. *_*

Title: Covenant
Series: Amaranthine (third in series; sequel to Nexus and Apotheosis)
Author: Akuni
Universe: Bleach
Genre: Drama/Romance
Rating: M for ‘Much Smut’ (NC-17)
Pairing: Renji/Ichigo (note: I always write them reversible)
Spoilers: read through Soul Society, Arrancar, & Hueco Mundo Arcs
Warnings: By this point, everyone reading this story should know that this is futurefic, with all that that implies – character development, interpretations of events not yet seen in canon, etc. There’s more talk of the war with Aizen, and mentions of character deaths during the war.

Word Count: 112,000
Summary: Three years after Ichigo began a rewarding life as a full-time shinigami captain, an unexpected challenge changes things for everyone, and Ichigo and Renji face their biggest trials yet.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, I’m just borrowing it for a while.
Distribution: Crossposted to [info]kurosaki_clinic, [info]bleach_yaoi, [info]asterisk_plus, and [info]ren_x_ichi. Please ask if you want to share it. :)

Dedication: To everyone who’s stood by me this past crazy year and cheered me on. And for me, ’cause I did it!

And as always, to all my fellow Renji/Ichigo fangirls/guys out there. We know it's impossible, we know it's silly, and we know it's damned hot!

Special thanks go to…

Sekra, [info]sekra, for her MSN stickman porn-art keeping me giggling at work.
Cheza, [info]taintedkibou, for sending me cookies and wallscrolls and funny icons.
Mosh, [info]moshesque, for putting up with so many grammar questions without context.

And of course, massive love for Shelagh, for being my ultimate #1 partner in crime… for being the sounding board for all my plot ideas and all my wibbles over characterization and scenes… for spending entire days snickering together as we posed the body doubles and searched for sexy references on the net… and for taking this whole journey with me.

A/N: Well, once again I have underestimated what it really means for something to take over your life. This fic ate my life for nearly a year. Phew!

Other pairings in this story include Hitsugaya/Hinamori (pre-established marriage, off-camera), and several others that are written in a ‘reader’s choice’ sort of way. Platonic friendship or mild romantic subtext, I’ve left it open for readers to interpret however they wish, without anything too overt to squick anyone.

The relationship between Renji and Ichigo as portrayed in this story is a mature one, established in the previous stories in this series. The sexual content is pretty vanilla overall (no surprise, considering I don’t generally write anything kinkier than lovebites), but the guys are quite happy to explore their physical attraction to each other in different and interesting ways. I’m not going to put warnings of what they get up to on every chapter; if they start doing things that aren’t to your taste, just skim ahead until they’re done and carry on with the bulk of the story.

Please leave reviews on the appropriate chapters, and not on this post - I like to keep the main post as spoiler-free as possible, for those who come in later. Thanks. :)

*

Chapter 1 – Camaraderie (posted Dec 3/07)
Chapter 2 - Disturbance (posted Dec 5/07)
Chapter 3 - Investigation (posted Dec 7/07)
Chapter 4 - Frustration (posted Dec 10/07)
Chapter 5 - Provocation (posted Dec 12/07)
Chapter 6 - Disruption (posted Dec 14/07)
Chapter 7 - Tenacity (posted Dec 17/07)
Chapter 8 - Respite (posted Dec 19/07)
Chapter 9 - Rejuvenation (posted Dec 21/07)
Chapter 10 - Equilibrium (posted Dec 24/07)
Chapter 11 - Recrudescence (posted Dec 26/07)
Chapter 12 - Development (posted Dec 28/07)
Chapter 13 - Intimation (posted Dec 31/07)
Chapter 14 - Miscalculation (posted Jan 2/08)
Chapter 15 - Enlightenment (posted Jan 4/08)
Chapter 16 - Assessment (posted Jan 7/08)
Chapter 17 - Sequitur (posted Jan 9/08)
Chapter 18 - Apperception (posted Jan 11/08)
Chapter 19 - Confirmation (posted Jan 14/08)
Chapter 20 - Synergy (posted Jan 16/08)
Chapter 21 - Cataclysm (posted Jan18/08)
Chapter 22 - Disclosure (posted Jan 21/08)
Chapter 23 - Responsibility (posted Jan 23/08)
Chapter 24 - Sanction (posted Jan 25/08)
Chapter 25 - Loyalty (posted Jan 28/08)
Chapter 26 - Dedication (posted Jan 30/08)
Chapter 27 - Accommodation (posted Feb 1/08)
Chapter 28 - Catalyst (posted Feb 4/08)
Chapter 29 - Desolation (posted Feb 6/08)
Chapter 30 - Communion (posted Feb 8/08)
Chapter 31 - Desperation (posted Feb 11/08)
Chapter 32 - Transcendence (posted Feb 13/08)
Chapter 33 - Restoration (posted Feb 15/08)

Additional Information - Map of Hueco Mundo
Additional Information - Covenant Theme Song
Additional Information - Covenant Soundtrack

Illustrations by Shelagh
Covenant art on dA | Covenant art on y!Gal
(two links, because not all pics were allowable on a single site for content reasons)

Covenant fanart by others

Amaranthine Q&A

Download Covenant PDF (coming later)

 
 
triumphant
Comments 
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 4:11am (UTC) - YOU DID IT!
[info]xshelaghx
Yes you did! You know how I love this story. I know how hard you worked and angsted over it. Thanks for all the fabulous art concepts. Just wish I could have drawn even half of them for you.

Love ya!
Shelagh
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 4:18am (UTC) - Re: YOU DID IT!
[info]akuni
In so many ways, that should say we did it - this project only came so far and turned out so well because we both put so much effort and love into it. You know the art you've done is hung all over my walls, and the non-smexy ones were proudly displayed at my desk at work, to keep me from getting lost when the work kept piling up.

You're the best ever, and I love ya too. ^_^ ♥
(Darn it, you've made me go all wibbly again!)
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 4:35am (UTC) - yay!
[info]cboneka
ima go read the first chap now! lol!
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 2:22pm (UTC) - Re: yay!
[info]akuni
Enjoy! :)
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 5:41am (UTC)
[info]madrona_8
Yay!!! I'm so excited to be reading your work again. I've been pretty much lurking around the computer waiting for this to come up. I wasn't expecting it until tomorrow though....I'm still thrilled.
I like the playful relationship between Ichigo, Renji and Rukia...like siblings, without the bickering. And I find nothing wrong with getting Ichigo naked right away....
We Renji/Ichigo fangirls love you.
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 2:22pm (UTC)
[info]akuni
I think I'm just as excited as everyone else. :D I really love this whole process - it's a lot of fun sharing everyone's excitement three times a week.

(Side note: In the interest of keeping the main page spoiler-free for new readers, can we keep comments on the chapters they go with? Thanks much. ^_^)
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 8:52am (UTC)
[info]ifap
Yaaayz!

One week, just like you said. =D
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 2:22pm (UTC)
[info]akuni
Yup yup. :)
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 10:16am (UTC)
[info]gameazel
Ohh!! It's here! XD I'm so torn between reading each chapter as it comes out and then waiting impatiently for the next, or devouring them at one go when you've posted them all.
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 2:23pm (UTC)
[info]akuni
Ohh, choices choices! I'll give you a hint, though - you'll be waiting a very long time if you don't read them as they come out...
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 1:10pm (UTC)
[info]cmc42
Yay. Ah right I know what I've just got time to read before lunch then ;) XD
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 2:23pm (UTC)
[info]akuni
Enjoy. :)
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 2:03pm (UTC) - Thank you
[info]searisme
Oki, I'm not going to read this right now cause I've no time, I just wanted to do my little "OMG, I'm so happy she posted this"-dance. *dances*
I've been looking forward to this ever since I realised there would be more in this series. I might never have commented on them, but I thought they were both to-die-for awesome, especially the details about shinigami life and the "This is still worth fighting for"-part.
(...also, good titles!)
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 2:27pm (UTC) - Re: Thank you
[info]akuni
Oh no, no time! I hate when that happens - I get all fidgety waiting and rushing through whatever it is keeping me away from the fun. :D

I put a lot of effort into those details, and I think they add a lot to the stories. I'm glad you enjoyed the other two, and I hope you find this one stacks up. :)

(Thank you, I like my titles, too! That's where I allow my artsy nature free reign, and choose the word that fits best no matter how pretentious it may seem in ordinary conversation.)
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 6:46pm (UTC)
[info]laifan
yay the third story! I don't have time to read it now but just wanted to express my joy ^^ Yay!
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 6:48pm (UTC)
[info]akuni
Yay! Hope you get time to enjoy it soon. :)
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 8:26pm (UTC)
[info]aviss
Wow, I can say I'll be eagerly waiting for you to post the full fic so I can read it, though the temptation to start right now is big...
Dec. 3rd, 2007 - 8:59pm (UTC) - Henpecked
[info]wakisashi_girl
So how many chapters of this story have you written exactly?
Nice beginning, hilarious glimpses of Rukia always having the upper hand in her relationship and arguments with Renji (even though he's her captain now) ;-) Sometimes I think he should wear a T-shirt with an inscription saying "Yes, Rukia" (but Ichigo would like it ^_^)...
Dec. 4th, 2007 - 7:21am (UTC) - THANK YOU! (no spoilers here!)
[info]ayame69rin
Aww, please tell us the word count! I know you said it was much longer than Apotheosis, but I still want to know! I read the first chapter (and nearly died - the sooner they're naked, the better!!!) and I think Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays will be the highlights of my week. The only thing is, I'm bad at waiting. With Nexus and Apotheosis, I read them all the way through as soon as I found them. When I start reading new WIP fics, I get bored waiting (even though I know you've already written the whole wonderful thing!) and I start reading other fics in between, which gets me confused, which makes the story less wonderful. So I might end up saving Covenant for when you're finished posting (even though I'll be dying to read it.)
I don't know. I can't decide. I say one thing, I do another.
BUT: Chapter 1. BRILLIANT! Bloody brilliant, I can tell this'll be the best so far in the Amaranthine series!!!! In the future, when you're done posting, time has passed, etc.etc., will you make it into a .pdf? ...I like pdf's...when my Internet dies, they're what get me through the day...which is how yesterday was. Nexus and Apotheosis saved my life.

Sorry it's so long; I tend to go off on tangents too easily...
THANK YOU for being a GENIUS AUTHOR!!!!!
Dec. 18th, 2007 - 4:48pm (UTC)
[info]snowzapped
Oi Akuni! ^__^

I finally got around to reading Nexus. I know I'm two years late but I just wanted to tell you I enjoyed the entire hour (or was it two?) I spent reading it. xD

I got nosebleed (in a really good way) reading the smut. LOL

I will read Apotheosis soon so I can catch up on Covenant. I totally agree about Renji and Ichigo being impossible to get together. They're just so alike and they're so incredibly male! Some of my friends will probably kill me but it's fun to read anyway. (Argh! Renji HOT! *dies*) Oh, just so you know, I never read RenIchi if it's not yours. *evil grin*

And I wouldn't mind dying of nosebleed for reading smut. It's a great way to go. *evil grin*
Jan. 28th, 2008 - 10:01am (UTC)
[info]ayame69rin
I am the kind of person that can't stand to wait even only two days for a new chappie, and therefore...I haven't been reading... *whimpers* I had decided to wait until you finished, even though you said months and not just weeks, but it's getting harder and harder. I can't believe there's 25 chapters so far; it's incredible!!! Awwww I really really really really wanna read it, but I know if I just wait until all of the chapters are up (no matter how long it takes) I will be able to spend a whole one or two days just reading...reading and eating chocolate...ahhh, that sounds So Awesome right now.
So in conclusion: I really hope it's almost finished, but at the same time, I hope you have a ton of chapters left to post. I'm So Torn!!!
Feb. 8th, 2008 - 12:00am (UTC)
[info]elfmagecin
*hugs Tackles* Sorry for the delay *blush* but OMG you're so amazing! I love all the fics and ooo poor Rukia. Please bring Ichi home soon! We all miss Ichi. And damn your writing is intoxicating. Is it the 8th yet? THank you for more great fics!
Feb. 27th, 2008 - 2:41am (UTC)
[info]blind_anubis
Thank you so much for the Gift. <3
Sorry this post is late as all hell. I haven't been on LJ in a long time.
Thank you. <3
May. 29th, 2008 - 9:41pm (UTC)
[info]parvati4th
Holy crap!!!!!!!!!! 33 chapters!!!! Wooo!!!! You rock!!!!!
I suck though, I can't remember at what chapter I left off -___- *beats self* Let's find it, yay!!!
Oct. 14th, 2008 - 5:06am (UTC)
[info]kamashimi
okay so, yeah, I'm leaving another comment. I always think of things and have to come back. excuse my scatter-brain. but you like mash. and the muppets. and ds9. and I think I'm seriously in love with you. ;) and since everyone on livejournal is so touchy about it I thought I would ask you if I can be your friend before I friended you. so can I? feel free to say no.
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