Bleach: Children of Traitors

Chapter 2: Creation of a New Soul

Roughly three and a half months passed before what Gin had reported to Aizen became common knowledge. Rangiku only had a couple of months left and it was showing. Her pregnancy was the talk of the Seireitei. The last time a shinigami had a baby was fifty years ago and that child went missing before he was even weaned. If new life was seen as a miracle in the world of the living, pregnancy in Soul Society was just as great an ordeal as a new soul was being created.

The poisoning rumor disappeared with time and now he was met with some form of congratulatory salutations from those passing by who didn't respond fearful of his presence. It felt weird. He wasn't some kind of hero, he didn't do anything special other than have a special night with a woman he cherished. Still, beyond feeling awkward about each greeting of goodwill, he was anxious.

He made his way to the tenth division to drop off an envelope for Rangiku, he didn't want to stay and get pulled into a drawn-out conversation. He was just dropping off the name. The third captain wasn't sure how she managed to make him agree to take part in the naming. Well, it was more or less a gamble, if it was a boy, she'd name the child, and if a girl, he'd be responsible for coming up with a name.

Rangiku favored the name Rin, it was simple, and honestly, all she did was combine their names.

Gin had a much harder time coming up with a suitable name for a daughter. He considered doing like Rangiku taking from either of their existing names. Ran, perhaps. No... that wouldn't work, he already abbreviates Rangiku's name when speaking to her informally, it would just be confusing to have a child with the same name.

What kind of responsibility was this? He was a snake, a lowly creature that swallows up the very things that it likes. It would be nice to possess something that can't be swallowed up. Something like... gazing up, his usual squinted expression didn't prevent him from being blinded by the sun, that warm and brilliant thing resting in the sky.
It's funny to think about it that a snake like any other reptile has to bathe in the sun's brilliance in order to function at all.
Perhaps that was a suitable name... beautiful sun... Reiya.

He dropped off the envelope and went about his way. It didn't matter, the envelope was never going to be read. Rangiku's baby bump was sitting high, people often say if it sits high then it's a boy.

Perhaps the likelihood of fathering a son increased his anxiety. Not just the path of parenting, but a son would come with the expectation of developing into a warrior. He'd rather not raise a child to become one of Aizen's pawns, he'd also hate for his offspring to become attached to someone who he intends to kill.

Standing outside of the tenth division he considered paying a visit to the Eleventh, it wasn’t far out of the way. The thought of sparing with the maniac that leads that division was less stressful than thinking about the future and how to navigate becoming a father. He clicked his tongue. Tsking his own thoughts.

‘I must be losing my mind…’

In a sudden motion he was gone. Call it a morning run or burning off stress, the silver haired male found himself in the far districts. It felt like ironoy that he wandered up north, he wasn’t too far from Kagarashi, the 62nd district… the place he once knew as home. It felt strange to be he. He left this place without once looking back, yet without thinking about it he’d returned ‘home’. The area was just as run down as he remembered.

‘Nothin’ out here changes ‘cept for decay…’

Being back in the area but this time with a uniform and a captain’s haori at that meant he didn’t have to concern himself with being approached. There wasn’t much affection for shinigami in these parts. Still the outer districts didn’t receive as much care and protection as the noble districts, or the wealthier districts closer to the Seireitei, which meant the forested areas outside of the villages should be rife with hollows for him to hunt, a place where he could distract himself with a little bit of activity. Initially it was a spontaneous decision… but it would become a growing habit it the weeks to come.