Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or its characters.
Sense
"Gin? Do you know him?"
Rangiku stood between the men and Gin with worry and confusion clouding her eyes. He chose not to answer and instead stood there stiffly, casting a nerve-wrecking death glare. The man was unfazed. For a moment, she thought he may not possess emotions. It would certainly explain his lack of reaction to anything from the outside world.
"Well then, I'll take that as we're not wanted here." The man said.
Rangiku shivered. The words were cold and calculating, yet he spoke with false warmth. His voice reminded her of death itself. Icy hands clawed their way up her spine and wrapped around her throat. For a second, the air solidified and she felt herself choking. No oxygen was permitted to enter her system. Even the tears clung to her eyes, refusing to take its natural course. Gravity was rendered useless. Then, as if it were purely her imagination, she saw Gin standing upright. No signs of symptoms she was suffering. The man glanced at her and through the light, his dark grimace, which she viewed as the closest thing to a smile he could pull off, was shown to her. And the next moment, the air was no longer tangible, and the matter holding her up released her. She crumpled.
Beads of sweat formed and she was breathing heavily, as if she'd just run halfway across Rukongai full-throttle. With great effort, she was able to pull herself up, still relying on a table for support.
"We'd best be going now. I'm sure we'll be seeing more of each other in the future." He said with a pointed glance at Gin.
Following his gaze, Rangiku developed an odd thought. It seemed almost as if they were having a silent conversation with only their eyes. Gin was different; he no longer held his smile or cheerful façade. It intrigued her almost as much as the man.
With a blinding light, the man disappeared just as mysteriously as his entrance. His henchmen followed mindlessly like marionettes and vanished as well. Gin knew he lacked the strength to best them. It would be in his best interests to avoid any confrontations…for the time being.
Spouts of new questions teemed in his mind, all cursed with the curiosity that would never receive an answer. It was odd. Clearly, the man possessed an impressive amount of reiatsu. There would be no other reason for the men under his control to bow to him. And yet, no energy leaked from him, whilst he could feel a pulse surrounding the others. Would that imply that the level of his strength surpassed others so much, that he could rein his aura in with no apparent effort?
The mere thought frightened him.
The man spoke in riddles. It was the very first time Gin experienced the opposing side of cunning and not knowing was loathsome.
Then he became aware of the girl standing beside him, although he did nothing to acknowledge it. The favors he gave so willingly to her, almost unconditionally was surprising. He never thought of himself as a Good Samaritan—quite the opposite really. And yet, time after time, he acted without a trace of regret or hesitation.
"Gin, what just happened?"
"Ran-chan? Let's go back. It's startin' ta smell awful in here."
Gin's voice was slightly hoarse
She frowned. It was clear to him that she was well aware of his failed attempt at a casual subject change. He had always been more than adept at reading people, not to mention the transparency she held herself in. Luckily, she did not request an immediate confession and allowed herself be led out without a single word of her usual protest.
Gin was in complete and utter confusion. The feeling of helplessness was not one that he enjoyed. He'd always liked being in full control of things, and if he wasn't, he would just pretend. It wasn't all that difficult with his constant, undifferentiated mask.
'Wha' did he wan' with me?' He wondered.
Gin had never seen the man in his life until suddenly, he had been showing up all around him in the places he would least expect. Oddly enough, they never seemed like simple coincidences. These encounters resembled part of a greater scheme—and he was just a pawn. In his experience, pawns didn't have the odds in their favor of coming out alive, whatever the game. If he were to be somehow involved, he would rather play his game to his favor.
"Um…Gin?"
"Huh?" He said absentmindedly.
"You're walking into a tree."
"…Oh, right."
Rangiku sighed.
Gin raised his eyebrows in the slightest, minuscule movement.
"Tha' soun' don' go well with such a pretty face."
"You're such a pervert Gin."
"Hm…never thought 'bout it like tha'" He said with a lopsided smile.
"Sure…"
"Ya don' believe me?"
"I'm not sure if I should. That's all I'm saying."
Humor tinted her voice.
"But wha' have I ever done ta make ya think tha'?" He said with feigned innocence.
She smiled while shaking her head. She tried walking ahead, but his longer stride easily overtook her.
After their small banter, the rest of the walk was in silence. Neither of them felt comfortable to shatter the stillness.
Trees passed as Rangiku's mind whirled with ideas on how to break the silence. Each one was processed before ultimately being tossed. Gin was once again trying to shield her by withholding valuable information from her. It was infuriating. As much as she appreciated his intent, she was doubtful she would ever see the day that he would view her with equal maturity.
Despite her carefree attitude, she was constantly concerned with difficult topics. No matter how much she tried to push them away, they persisted. The most prominent would be the reason behind his disappearances. Forcing it out of her mind, she assured herself it was just a habit of lifestyle. Still, a lingering trace of suspect remained.
By the time they reached the shack, she nearly collapsed due to the rather eventful day. Her heart still pounded and she had difficulty moving her limbs. It was a continuing effect from the man with glasses. She had experienced an oppressing feeling from the presence of the others, however, it was nothing compared to his power.
Before her eyelids could draw shut, she gathered the courage to put out one question.
"Gin, who were they? The ones in black."
She wanted to ask about the man, but she had a sense that he wouldn't have told her even if he knew anyway.
"They were Shinigami."
Lips parted, but none was uttered. The syllables logged in her throat.
She'd heard of tales of brave warriors that protected souls of the innocent. Stories about fallen heros that sacrificed their lives to save the civilians. They were called shinigami. The Death Gods. They were her heros.
When morning came, Gin was no longer by her side. This event was not uncommon to her, but she was still unable to suppress the panic. When she rose, there, again, was no message left for her. She rolled her eyes and with a sigh, continued her former routine.
Gin sat on the roof of a business in the market, above the view of prying eyes. He knew he should be doing something worth time, but time to think was needed. Resting his head on his knees, he watched the bustle below him. His favorite pastimes consisted of wandering in the woods and watching people going about their lives, while pointing out what type of person they were.
He spotted a man of his thirties with clothes hanging loosely, his belt in his hand. The man looked around intensely and walked with a spring. Focusing his eyes, Gin noticed a patch of red on his collar. He smiled to himself. That one was definitely a player. Eager to catch a reunion, his eyes followed the man to his home, which was thankfully, visible from his perch. He laughed when he saw an angry wife bursting from a shack on the side, brandishing a twig.
He averted his sight when he saw with disappointment that the wife had acknowledged humility and took the argument behind closed doors.
Then something caught his attention. It was a carriage. Shock filled his mind. He had never in his entire life seen something of that grandeur. He quickly scrambled down from the poorly constructed pub, using the shingles as footholds. Spotting a building closer to the ravishing sight, he rapped hard on four beams to judge the sturdiness and then repositioned himself on the roof to get a better view. A man took a step cautiously out.
He was a shinigami. He wore the trademark black Shihakushō. His eyes darted nervously and his hand was placed conspicuously on the hilt of his zanpakto. The man took a deep breath and with his other hand, reached inside his robe and pulled out a scroll.
The man took a shaky breath and began.
"I am the fifth seat Tanaka Shozo of the Fifth Division under Captain Hirako Shinji. I am here to issue an announcement to the 64th District of Rukongai, North Alley of Wandering Spirits, Sabitsura, that a call for young spirits that possess any amount of spirit energy to immediately report to the District 50 in East Rukongai. There, your credibility will be examined and shinigami will determine if you have the aptitude to attend Shinō Spirit Academy and live a life with far greater meaning."
Gin bit his lip while the man took a deep breath. In his mind were three thoughts. One, how in the world did the shinigami manage to push that long monologue out in a single breath. Two, why is this call being issued and why now? Three, should he even consider joining?
Gin's smile eased slightly when he realized he had another thought and bent his third finger. Two and a half, there would certainly be many desperate to enter the academy in order to live a better life. Surely they would masquerade and try all means, and if there were that many people, the spots designated would fill up quickly. They must have also issued this announcement to the other poor districts, he thought.
He glanced up again, and sure enough, people had momentarily forgotten old grudges and began whispering excitedly. Barkeeper to orphan, shop owner to beggar, old to young, rich to poor. However, he had no intention of joining the mix. He silently dropped from his place on the roof and began his walk home with now only one thing on his mind.
One person. Rangiku.
Oh wow! It's been such a long time since I last updated. Well, I was going back over the good parts of all the old episodes of Bleach. Re-watching it if you will. I've regained new interest in the series after I heard the news of the final season of Bleach on anime (Or at least going on hiatus). But when I reached the part when Gin first shows up, I suddenly got the urge to revisit this story. After reading some reviews and stuff, inspiration sparked and I have decided to return to this. I may not be able to update as quickly as I used to, but I'll try my best.
I really have to thank all the people who added this story to their favorites and watches, and most of all, to the people to reviewed.
Thanks in particular to Bleached-Whale and also the last few people that reviewed long after my hiatus announcement. That really encouraged me!
Well, heartfelt speech over. ^^
Tell me what you think!
-xSnowFire