The Most Peculiar Things [Abalia, Gamukira]

In hindsight, Gamu really didn't know what to make of it. Was the process of child bearing meant to be a strain on the human body? She did not imagine such a thing would impact her if she ever considered it, frankly she'd just opt to make it like an engineer over leaving it to chance but that was probably already the closest thing in the sense of the little maccaron she had wandering about the division and doing little things.

Abalia didn't seem fazed through the whole thing though, it was as if she might as well have been staring into space disinterestedly instead of being in crippling pain but alas, back to the similarties they shared as mothers - if one could be so bold as to even refer to the captain as one herself.

She was like the Virgin Mary, Meninas was kind of like what Abalia's kids were. Right? Aww but they were so adorable, like small little tumours that she popped out instead of the big busty mimesis of herself that she called her seated officer.

"Oh Abby, can I hold him now? I wanna plus he still needs tests ran to make sure he's okay, any defects I can also just get outta him if you want and they are there, who knows what your dead husband could've put in the mix. All that icky Death stuff and that."

For all of her tremendous force of will, that did not change that Abalia was, at the end of the day, still very much a woman of little physical might. Even if she was not mentally exhausted after such an ordeal, she could not say the same regarding her physical state, and she simply laid with her eyes closed as she spoke to Gamu, her child still in her arms.

"Of course. I would not wish to overlook his health."

The question of those defects was one that Abalia certainly had considered herself. It had not been something that was especially valid when Nastya had been born, but she was now the sole parent in this situation. Her own judgement was all that needed be taken into consideration.

"If you are able to remove those things without any risk to his health, then I would ask that you do so."

"Yay, thanks Abby!"

She was jubilant at the fact that Abalia was willing to let her hold what was essentially a little piece of herself that would grow up and acquire independence some day. How strange that was to imagine in her head, why would you let things that were your's be their own? She couldn't fathom it but she had a lot to learn, maybe this was a key thing to be an apex predator. She'd have to tell Meninas to do her own thing from now on, well maybe a little bit. Couldn't give her creation too much freedom or autonomy!

Gamu was quick to be at Abalia's side and eagerly await to be allowed to hold the little baby. How were you supposed to hold these things again? Probably carefully, especially if it was her Abby's. Anyone else's she might've been willing to be careless and dangle it by the ankle but not this one.

"I can most certainly do that for I'm the best in the field of spiritual modification in the Soul Society, right~? Speaking of, want anything? Are you comfortable?"

"I am plenty comfortable. Thank you, Gamukira."

Naturally, Abalia understood that even referring to the woman by name, rather than simply calling her "captain" as was normal, would already be no small reward for her. Despite her general unwillingness to give this particular subordinate too much in the way of praise, she could hardly deny that this was not something she could have asked of just anyone. If anything, it would likely be appropriate to further reward her in some small way or another.

"I would only ask if you are capable of providing a similar treatment to my daughter, as well. She is older, of course, but I do not imagine that should influence your ability to remove those impurities from her."

Part of her wondered if to ask such a thing was to dishonor her late husband. But this was hardly the first time that such a thought had crossed her mind, and each time she only recalled Elyss and Makoto's words when she had invited them to her home. She would not abide by his hopes and expectations when her whole life had been upturned by his own actions.

"You can call me, Gaaamuu you know, Abby? Gamukira's so formal."

Too formal for them if you asked her.

"No problem. Do you want any other characteristics too? I can make sure that they have the best possible.. hand in the evolutionary chain, if you want?"

That was probably crossing a line, there was a difference between removing impurities and removing risk but to enhance and manipulate it to be a substantial advantage in certain situations? Well, maybe that wouldn't sit the same way for Abalia but who is she to not at least offer it to her dear captain commander. She was holding a baby though and Gamu made sure to give it her attention as well.

"Hello little monster, you're going to grow up big and strong like your mummy and auntie Gamu will make sure that you are at the top of the food chain and no one will ever mess with you or be able to go against you. Yes you will, yes you will."

She made no attempt to alter the disconnect between the content of her words and the endearing way she said it like she was actually just doing the normal kind of cutsie talk to a baby.

Most mothers likely would have given Gamu a resounding negative response to a question such as that. Abalia, however, was certainly not the average mother. It was an offer which, from a logical standpoint, she certainly had no reason to deny.

"Very well. If you believe you can accomplish such a thing without risk to them, then please do. I would of course only ask that you bear in mind that they are my children. They are not resources for the Gotei's disposal, nor research projects of yours. I wish for them to live normal lives."

Abalia had to concede that she felt almost strange saying that. Normal? Her own life had certainly never been such. But that was not to say she had any illusions about her own life being one to look up to. No, she understood very well that any child deserved better than the life she had lived.

Despite Gamu's choice of words, Abalia knew that she likely could not have expected much else from the woman in this situation. Her tone, at least, was acceptable for a child, and she doubted that a newborn could begin to be influenced by such a choice of words. She would allow it for now.

"It pleases me to know that you will be present to protect them in their youth, Gamu."

If she was not holding a child she might've contemplated playing some distorted version of peek-a-boo where she played with her elastic physiology, a baby would find that amusing right? The hypothesis held for Gamu but she wasn't exactly in a position to test it so she remained amusing the thing with a silly sounding voice.

"Hehe. I will take care of them as if my own."

Gamu said to Abalia without needing much thought or stopping to question just what that entailed, that's alright though because in the case of it being someone else and not this particular woman then if she found the agreement she made unsavourable then she'd just decide to not do as she said.

When she got bored of the game, Gamu opted to just rest the child against her front while focusing her attention back onto Abalia, purposely ignoring how it might seem to a random person barging in on them.

"So, are you alright Abby? You didn't break anything while pushing it out, did you?"

Weaker bodies didn't get the special properties her's had and sometimes women died from childbirth, Gamu wasn't going to let that happen to this woman.

The idea of how Gamu might have treated her own children did very much cross Abalia's mind, but she doubted the captain would do anything unacceptable with her children. After all, she knew that for everything that might be said about Gamu, she was also unilaterally loyal.

"No, I don't believe so. Besides, I should think that you already would have known if that were the case. You are quite attentive, after all."

In truth, Abalia would have rather liked to simply stand up and return to her duties, to take Leopold home and allow him to meet his elder sister. But that was hardly practical, and she knew that well. Regardless of how much she might be capable of pushing through this exhaustion, there were some things simply too strenuous to power through.

"I suppose I will simply need to rest for now, unless you believe anything else will be necessary."

"Hehe. Just a kiss is all that's necessary."

She said with an impish grin to the woman, more fascinated at seeing how she handled such an ordeal rather than directly interested in landing a basic pleasure like that - not that the idea of such a thing wouldn't leave her jubilant for the rest of the day and probably have her subordinates concerned as to why she was in such a good mood. However, no. When it came to Abalia even the simplest things she did were of curiousity because the behaviour of the one that made her feel scared and little for the first time in her centuries of life deserved all the attention she could be given.

For pleasure and for study's sake.

"Well, ninight. Rest well."

Gamu said while turning on her heel to leave. Turning right back around to return the child to Abalia with as much care as she could muster. She didn't want to have her head bitten off now for taking away the young, did she? Well, the action was debateable but the cause of the desired result was less than ideal.