Father and daughter

Rangiku pov

The full moon shone brightly in the night sky in District 22. The stars illuminated the empty sky, but under the beautiful night sky, the 22 district of the Roukongai was a place filled with miscreants, orphans, and the downtrodden, the rejects of the soul society.

This was a district of criminals and the weak and hopeless. I had nearly died of starvation more than once in this district and was saved by him. Thinking of him, I felt uncertain, with a sense of longing and intrigue to understand the friend I could never seem to reach no matter how hard I tried.

This district was one of the relatively better ones in Soul Society, well better than the lower-ranked districts where Soul reapers rarely patrolled, so no real sense of order was present. Only the strength of one back mattered in this district, but it was better than the ones below us. I mean, at least here, most of us had shoes and relatively good clothes that offered some protection from the cold nights, unlike districts past District 26.

I was out training late today, something I should not have been doing, especially with my diet, but I needed to make it into the Soul Society. I needed to catch up to him, and the entrance exam was only in a few days, so I needed to prepare and make my journey. But I was attacked by bandits, and I tried to fight them off, but my exhaustion from training and their numbers made any resistance I put up meaningless, and I resigned myself to my fate. Most women in these districts have been assaulted. I believed it was merely my turn, and I hoped they would let me live after.

Dissparing, I had let myself give up and resigned myself to my fate. The only regret I had was that I might not get to see him again, but then it happened. One of my screams must have lured him here, an angel or a devil judging from one's perspective. The man effortlessly dispatched all the bandits like they were nothing. I had assumed it was a soul reaper, but he was not wearing the uniform.

He was a very tall man with long silky raven-coloured hair and two black earrings. He was muscular; I could see that through his nice black kimono, but what was most facilitating about him were his emerald green eyes that were shimmering and shining, looking at me with curiosity.

He then asked me about my parents, which showed he must have been new to the soul society. Most people didn't have blood family as most didn't make it to the soul society with their family, so the bonds here were not of blood but of companionship, and we're deeper than that of blood more often than not. He asked me if he could stay at my home, which I was hesitant to let him do, but he gave me a sword as a sign of trust, giving me something so valuable as most weapons outside the seireitei belonged to dead soul reapers and only bandits had them as more often than not they were the ones to kill them.

I walked to my house with my sack that I had taken over from an old man who had died not too long ago.

Sora pov

This place was dilapidated and, well, just horrible. There was no place for any child to live in hell; this was practically torture, but out of politeness, I didn't say much and just sat in this place. I doubted I would sleep here tonight with all the dust and dirt; this was just a wooden shack.

I examined the girl across from me more clearly now; she seemed to be gaunt, and her clothes were in horrible condition, not like the ones I had stolen from the bandits.

Grrrrrrr

I looked across from me, the rumbling sound drawing my attention to the girl sitting across from me. I saw a blush on her face as she tried to hide her hunger from embarrassment or to hide weakness, I didn't know.

Damn, my bloody soft spot for children. I curse myself before I reach into my kimono, pulling out some onigiri I had acquired from people from my travels in the Soul Society.

I move over and hand the four rice balls to her. Her eyes spark with excitement, and I can see a lingering sense of distrust in her eyes.

"It's not poisoned. If I wanted to kill you, I could have done it very easily or just not saved you", I say in a monotone voice.

"You have not been in the soul society long, mister,"she said quizzically while reaching out and starting to eat the rice balls as fast as she could.

"What would give you that impression?" I said in a neutral tone.

"Well, you just gave me food and a Zanpaktou for no reason, and you seemed to think blood relations were prevalent here",said the blonde girl.

"Well, how do you know I'm not just a generous stranger?" I say, trying to see what information I could get out of her.

"Puff," she let out a light laugh. "People here aren't generous, mister, not to strangers, only family. It's everyone for themselves here", she said in a voice that was mixed with a bit of sorrow and indignation.

"Didn't you say blood relations were not common here?" I say I'm trying to see her logic.

"They aren't here. Family is made from bonds, not blood in the soul. In society, people are family when you say they are, as not everyone comes here with their living world family", she says whilst finishing off the last rice ball she had not stopped eating since the conversation began.

"I see, so do you have any family? I asked with some anticipation in my voice.

"No, I do not", she said with some annoyance in her voice.

"I see, then, as an adult, I can't let a child run around alone. How would you like to be Rangiku Akuma"? I say in a playful voice.

"I'm sorry, sir, but I can't marry you," she said in a fearful voice.

"No, that's not what I meant, child. I mean, would you want to become my daughter? "I elaborate in a flustered voice.

"Me, your daughter." She stopped for a bit as if collecting herself, but with new resolve evident in her eyes, she spoke. Yes, I would like to have someone to rely on, and so I will become Rangiku Akuma, she said in a jovial voice.

I smiled The reason I had adopted a child I didn't even know was because I do whatever I want. I always wanted a child but never had one in my previous life, and here I had the opportunity to gain one. Why would I take the chance to fulfil my desires, as that is what I live for, to fulfil any and all desires I have, no matter how ridiculous they may be? It's not like I was going to go around adopting random children left and right because, I mean, that's too much responsibility, but this child had potential and could also fulfil my desire to become a father, so when in Rome,

The night had passed, and Rangiku and I were now standing outside her house. I lifted her up and placed her on my shoulder, and I decided to start to travel with my technique. Having a firm grip on her, I disappeared from sight in a flash.

The end

The next chapter will cover the academy entrance and the whole academy arc