That being, some time around the Hueco Mundo arc. By that time, Bleach had (mostly!) established its own rules. By that time, my own story had also heavily established its own rules. They had their plots, separated, and they worked differently. So, all the ideas I developed there--which have existed for years--I have had already.
...Recently, given the epilogue for Bleach, the reaction I have, and pardon the language but it's highly apt for the situation:
"Goddammit!"
I mean.
If I linked to my personal site, where I have kept an online storage of some of these things.
And if I managed to track down all my dated written notes (and some notes which weren't dated, meaning they predate the dated ones!), I'd be able to prove: Hey, those ideas of mine were really mine!
...Yet as-is.
Nobody's gonna believe me when I say I had those ideas FIRST.
I mean, the one I'm talking about in this particular instance isn't per se for the main story. It's for the canonically-optional sequel to the canonically-optional sequel, effectively fanfiction of fanfiction of the original work, just written by the original author.
BUTSTILL.
I suppose it's a common enough trope that I can't be all too terribly surprised Bleach would end with it. It's just that because I used it (except my characters were about six or so years older, with the youngest as teenagers), and my pet project isn't even close to finished, now it'll look like I copied from Bleach, when...
DANG IT, I KNOW I STARTED THE STORY AS A COPY BUT I INTENTIONALLY DIVERTED IT AWAY AND MADE IT MY OWN THING AGES AGO SO IT REALLY IS JUST A COINCIDENCE.
I'd go into more detail, but I won't spoil it for those who aren't as up-to-date on Bleach as I am.