Evergloam
New Member
A Complete Family
Evergloam as Ren Tegishahara
Reshin as Reshin Izukawa & Aiden Tegishahara- 1,932 -
Evergloam as Ren Tegishahara
Reshin as Reshin Izukawa & Aiden Tegishahara
The day was still rather young. In the Soul Society’s walls, two shinigami walked side by side, the female carrying a small, sleeping child in her shoulders. Little Aiden, a recently orphaned Rukongai child, was rescued from a fierce hollow by the two shinigami, Reshin Izukawa and Ren Tegishahara. Now, Ren was carrying the young one, a smile on her face. Perhaps it was the maternal part of her mind, maybe it was just the idea of knowing she saved someone outside of healing wounds. Who knew?
Ren looked up at the Eighth Division’s gate, taking the rest of the small distance with stride and rushing past Reshin and towards the gates. With a decent kick, she opened the gates and continued into Reshin’s division. Then, she turned to her left shoulder, where Aiden’s head rested. His eyes were closed, a light breathing coming from him as he slept.
“Aiden~ Wake up, little one.”
Stirring from his deep slumber Aiden’s deep purple eyes opened slowly as he awoke from the depths of a light hearted dream. Exhaustedly he stretched before letting out a soft yawn, then taking a look around gasped in amazement at the majesty of the surrounding area. He had never even seen a place like this before. Everything here was far larger than back in the slums, and an infinite amount of times better looking.
Excited by all the new sights and sounds he leapt out of Ren’s arms to explore the barracks. Reshin couldn’t help but chuckle at the boy’s boisterous nature as he followed Aiden to make sure he wouldn’t get lost.
“Awesome!” he exclaimed with great joy as he found himself in the old dojo. Then an interesting sight caught his attention when he spotted all of the wooden kendo assorted neatly in the open supply closet. Aiden then proceeded to make his way toward the closet as he grabbed the smallest kendo sword he could find before recklessly swinging it around as he pretended to be locked in combat with an imaginary opponent.
The whole thing was needless to say incredibly adorable, but of course you had to be worried about safety since he was still so young after all.
Ren followed Reshin, fitting her hands into her pockets as she watched Aiden rush into the dojo. A familiar sight, at least to Ren’s previous destructive uses of Soshi. If one watched the fight, they would’ve noticed Aiden was running into an area that was dumbbell and dummy warfare for Ren and Hikaru.
“He’s energetic. But can you blame him?” Ren absentmindedly commented, watching the young one swing at an invisible opponent. He would make his home in Seireitei’s walls, which was an incredible change to the previous shacks and constant terror from hollows attacking. Even in the academy, Aiden would enjoy himself. He would be around children his own age, possibly, or at least kind souls.
“I’m sure he is, but do you think its a good idea for us to just let him play around with the training equipment like that?” he asked in a concerned manner. Reshin started to worry a little bit as he watched Aiden start to get a little too close to the weights in the corner. Unable to contain himself any further Reshin lightly plucked the kendo sword from Aiden’s tiny hands prompting a look of confusion from the lad.
Then in an almost father like fashion he directed him to the center of the room before demonstrating the proper method of using the kendo, and afterwards handed the kendo sword back to Aiden as he enthusiastically mimicked Reshin’s technique. Taking a seat next to Ren he then quietly brought up the issue of where the boy would stay.
“So where do you think would be the best possible place to take him?” he inquired to the vampiric Mystic turned Medic.
The Mystic blinked, chuckling as Reshin performed his little teaching session about Kendo. Then, when the purple-eyed soul repeated the act, Ren couldn’t help but laugh again. The vampire then blinked.
They were going to take him to the Shin’ou Reijutsuin, obviously due to his dormant reiatsu, though small compared to the two shinigami who found him. A standard for those who were usually admitted to the Shin’ou Reijutsuin, and it would be developed to a standard for new Gotei Thirteen members over the years. But where would he go when the classes ended? Who would care for him until he was fully admitted and who would care for him until he was put into his new division?
There was nothing but the sounds of Aiden’s grunting and his exerting of his newfound energy before Ren finally spoke. “I guess... I could take him in. Lucia-sama wouldn’t mind me adopting a little shinigami-to-be like Aiden.”
Then it hit her. She just suggested adopting him. Not being some nanny to take care of him or watch over him. Not a teacher. But his adoptive mother.
She went quiet, a surprised look on her face. “Adopting... might be a strong word.”
“Nah, actually I think that would be a pretty good idea. Besides if he is gonna be a shinigami then why not,” he said as he agreed with the idea of Ren taking in Aiden. It was probably because he himself didn’t want too for obvious reasons, but regardless if he had somewhere to stay then it was a good thing.
Bored with his lesson now Aiden abandoned the concept of armed combat and instead started kicking at the air. His technique definitely would need a lot of work before he was ready, but with the right guidance there was no doubt that he could make it.
“I believe that you adopting him would be the best thing to do,” he stated. He figured that if Ren was raising him that he would mature faster, and on top of that excel faster having someone aside from the professor’s at the academy that can teach him.
Ren watched the young soul practice kicking his invisible opponent, her lips curling into a smile once more. Then, she turned her attention back to Reshin. “I guess it would be. He could even learn how to use Chiyudou and manipulate reiatsu easier when he graduates from the academy.”
She stood up, calling out to Aiden. “Aiden-kun. Come over here with Reshin-san and I! We have news for you.”
“Well that’s assuming if he has an affinity for kidou, but definitely a high level control of reiatsu for sure,” he answered. Aiden momentarily put his ‘training’ on hold as he ran over to the pair of shinigami. Naturally he looked to Ren first as he was curious to what news he was about to receive. Hopefully it involved candy, oh how he loved candy.
“Yes maam,” Aiden spoke politely when he sat down. It was clear that his parents had done a good job of teaching him manners before they perished. Little Aiden cocked his head as he often did most likely out of habit as he waited for Ren to tell him what the news was.
Ren cleared her throat quietly, hiding her hands in her hakama pockets for a brief moment. Then, the anxious mannerisms returned in the form of the vampire scratching at her arms or tapping her index finger on her kneecap.
“You have reiatsu in you. We, as shinigami, will often introduce people like you to a school. The school will teach you how to become like us,” she gestured to Reshin and then herself. “But it’ll be a long time before you join the Gotei. So we were thinking of taking you in under our care, as...” there was a pause, her words carefully thought out. “... as your family isn’t around anymore to take care of you.”
Ren rubbed Aiden’s head gently, smiling softly, though there was a hint of sorrow behind the smile. She and Reshin could’ve arrived faster to take care of the hollow before his parents died. “I was talking with Reshin-kun and we came to a decision. I’m going to take you to the Fourth Division with me until you’re taken to the academy. I’m...” she looked over at Reshin, making sure this was what she wanted to do.
“I’m adopting you, Aiden-kun. I’ll be taking care of you from now on.”
There were really no words to describe how Aiden felt at that point. At first he just sat there silently, and then drooped his head as if to cry, and then without warning just erupted in a leap of joy as he hugged the vampire queen tightly. The moment was so tender to the point where even Reshin, the child of the River Styx, was somewhat moved by what was unfolding in front of him.
“So you’re gonna be my mommy now!” Aiden cheered with glee. It was a good thing that he couldn’t understand death just yet. It only made things easier for him in the early going, but how this would affect him later on in life would be a growing concern for the maternal reaper. But for now those were things that could be worried about another time.
Ren’s smile warmed up slowly as she embraced Aiden’s happiness without hesitation. She held his head to her chest, her pale fingers threading gingerly through his hair as she chuckled. There was a bit of a pain in her chest, though it wasn’t agonizing. It was as if something finally filled a small hole that she felt was devoid of anything before. Perhaps it was what she needed - someone to fill that little hole that not even Adele or her closest friends could help fill.
A son. A child to tend to. Someone to love like she previously loved her family in her past life. “Yes... Yes, Aiden-kun. I’m going to be your new mommy,” she laughed quietly, a few tears managing to work their ways from her scarlet eyes as they closed shut.
For a while the two sat there in each other’s embraces for what seemed like hours, even though it was only a few minutes. Reshin himself began to feel a jerk on his emotions as he found so much in common with himself and that boy. They were both alone at one point until they found that special someone to save them from their own sorrows. For him it was Adele, and now for little Aiden it was Ren.
A beautiful scene it was, but of course nothing could be arranged without the legal paperwork and what not. Standing up the swordmage took a few steps outside before calling back to the newly acquainted mother and son.
“If you’re ready to go and make this thing official we should probably get going soon,” he said with a genuine smile. It had been the first time in a while he gave a sincere smile, and probably the first time that either of the two had even seen him smile. Then without another the trio headed off to get the matter settled.
Ren picked up Aiden, carrying the young one on her shoulders with a great smile. “Let’s go see the shinigami, Aiden-kun. You’ll be around them for a long time, then you’ll be one of us, okay? Just like... like mommy.â
It felt weird saying that, after such a long time. But it felt right. She had a son, she had a sister. She had Adele, Hikaru, Lucia and Adelaide. An entire family, no matter how dysfunctional. The vampire was happy, and nothing would stop that.