Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ The Positive Thinking Test ❯ Log 3 ( Chapter 3 )

The Positive Thinking Test

Part 3

The feminine approach to the situation mentioned in the previous log differs slightly from the straightforwardness of its male counterpart. While brash masculinity demands that a problem simply be beaten into solution before it can be allowed to grow and overwhelm, the female brain seeks to analyze, gauging first the severity, then the possible reasons and outcomes of a situation before making the decision of how to tackle it best.

This could sometimes prove disastrous because a female is very likely to over analyze the predicament.

Scientific studies show that the ability to think in numerous different directions at once comes far more naturally to females than males. And although this trait would be considered beneficial in many cases, the law of nature dictates that there always be not-so-beneficial side effects. For a female person to think too deeply into a problematic situation and confuse themselves even more is not uncommon.

Despair and frustration usually results in such circumstances, because small problems are likely to be blown way out of proportion.

The only way to really overcome this deficiency is to make use of an external (that is, non-mental) means of sorting out one's dilemmas. Often times the primary cause of blown-out-of-proportioned problems is the female tendency to think far too hard, and then be unable to cope mentally with the overload of thoughts and feelings afterward.

Carefully dissecting and laying out the problem physically often shows it to be far less complicated than what was initially thought. That is why it is not uncommon for many females to voice their problems to a friend, or transcribe them onto paper. (Thus justifying the very common practice of diary-keeping for many females)

This method helps to lessen the strain on the mind, which in turn allows it to think up a solution to the dilemma better.

So how, one might ask, does this apply to the Positive Thinking Theory? Watch and learn.

Scenario 2 - Trust Factor (B)

First let it be known that methods of sorting or expressing one's thoughts are not strictly limited to those mentioned above. Beethoven composed sonatas, Shakespeare wrote sonnets, Van Gogh painted for a bit then cut off his ear…

Kuchiki Rukia is no different. Her artistic ability demands that she make use of crayon drawings to express her feelings, vibrant colours to convey her emotions, four-frame sketch pad cartoons to showcase her inner turmoil.

The dilemma on her hands currently is not one to be taken lightly.

For one, she has to deal with the emotional distress that always seems to arise on anniversary of Shiba Kaien's death, on top of knowing of Ichigo's insecurities about the dead vice-captain.

Then there's also the odd, overly nice behaviour she has been subject to from Abarai Renji as of late.

Add to that the fact that her brother has become cross at her for spending so much time in the human world. Earning Byakuya's disapproval is not fun. Just like nearly being executed by a large, orange phoenix is not fun. The two come hand in hand, which makes it doubly unpleasant. Pile onto that the fact the chaos that will surely ensue if Ichigo finds out. The last time he'd faced off with Byakuya had had rather grisly outcomes. Blood had fallen like rain, bankai upon bankai had popped up, swords had grown and shrunk, evil split personalities had emerged and not to mention the fact that Rukia had been chucked off a fifty foot execution platform like some sort of throw rag. Rukia shudders at the thought of a repeat of that.

She has one hell of a mountain of problems. Or so it seems.

Kuchiki Rukia is not so easily weighed down, though. She whips out her twelve-piece crayon box and an old sketch pad she stol-… borrowed from Ichigo's to use for her problem-solving procedure. She plucks a single black crayon from its home and holds it poised over the top of the page. First thing's first, every piece of art needs a title.

“Rukia's Dilemma,” scrawls itself across the page in her meticulous handwriting.

Usually, the female shinigami is partial to drawing baby animals but today is an exception because she must be extremely stressed. Today, she draws food. Over the strawberry she labels `Ichigo'. `Renji' over the pineapple. `Nii-sama' over the ice block, `Kaien-dono' over dried seaweed and `Me' over a blackberry.

Categorizing the problems and the subjects involved comes next.

Dried Seaweed, Strawberry and Blackberry get coloured onto a new page. Kaien, Ichigo, her.

Rukia no longer holds the same degree of guilt that used to plague her every time Shiba Kaien's death anniversary drew near. After all, in passing, to be reunited with the one he loved, Kaien might have died a happy man. But it is not so much her own feelings now that she is concerned about, but those of Ichigo's. She is well aware of the uneasiness he tends to feel whenever the subject of Shiba Kaien is brought up. It really is a terrible sensation, to be constantly compared to someone else.

But Rukia soon disregards her anxiety. Shiba Kaien is dead. And she knows Ichigo isn't a petty person. He isn't the type to hold a grudge against someone for very long, especially not a dead someone. And far be it from him to let himself get overwhelmed by his insecurities. But just in case, Rukia will show him the picture she just drew.

Aesthetically, Strawberry and Blackberry look a lot better together than Blackberry and Dried Seaweed do. They go better together taste-wise as well. She finishes colouring the berries off with a smirk.

It would just be her way of saying she stays with Ichigo for who he is, not who he might think she wants him to be. After all, dried seaweed and strawberries are nothing alike.

Moving on…

The next category of problem makes Rukia frown just thinking about it. Why exactly has Renji been so nice to her lately? She reaches for another crayon to colour a pineapple in when her hand slips and the pineapple turns out wonky. Insight hits her at this.

Wonky Pineapple…

That's it. Renji is probably up to something dodgy. The man has always been sneaky like that. Perhaps he wants a favour from her, she thinks suspiciously. A solution immediately conjures in her head. It's a rather simple one. She decides all she has to do to take care of Renji's situation is give him the cold shoulder. It's worked ever since they were children and she has little doubt that it will do so now. Ignore him and he'll lose interest in whatever he has planned. Simple.

The final problem seems far more dire.

The issue with her brother sees her flipping to completely blank page and sketching once more. The cold black Byakuya Ice Block assaults his little Blackberry sister with icy vibes. Blackberry is at risk of turning cold and hard like he is. Enter angry orange Strawberry to face him off…

Rukia rests assured that Ichigo would come to her aid if things ever got out of hand. But she questions if that is a good thing or not. She finishes off colouring in the strawberry and pauses to contemplate. The animosity between her brother and Ichigo has been and still is extremely heated.

She draws an angry orange flame between the two foods (Flame of Animosity, it is labeled).

But needless to say her brother has gained some degree of respect for the boy since their fight. Ichigo has been able to beat him once, and it is highly likely, if her brother is masochistic enough to go against him a second time, that he will be capable of doing so again.

Rukia glances down at her drawing at this and suddenly, something dawns on her. Nature's laws state that a block of ice would never survive the heat of a burning flame. And so, in a new cell, she draws a puddle of water where the Flame of Animosity has caused the Ice Block to melt. Strawberry remains heated but standing.

And there, just like that, is the problem solved on paper. She is amazed at how easily it has been done. Rukia feels as if a huge load has been lifted off her shoulders when she realizes this. And happily packs up her crayons and stol-…borrowed sketchpad.

Duty calls.

End Scenario

Moral: Over-analysis makes for complications. Let simplicity be the key.

Again the Positive Thinking Theory has fallen into play in this scenario. By sorting through the obstacles in her way and taking time to break them down, Kuchiki Rukia found that, they really were not as trying as she had initially believed. Her faith in Ichigo's ability to cope with the situations despite not being in contact with him saw to it that she was able to overcome her insecurities.

And thus, concludes log 3.