Kimberly Vale had thought she had seen it all in her time reporting - she’d dealt with some aliens, a couple wizards, covered some bandit insurrections, even - but the monster she dealt with now was unearthly beyond belief, as she stumbled to run in high heels. She was already panting as she tried to get away from this thing, and given screaming didn’t seem to be doing a damn thing to get anyone’s attention this late at night in Arcadia’s outskirts, running was her main means of survival.
Her memories were still scattered as she ran, the clanking sounds of a phantom set of armor behind her. No eyes or anything but piercing darkness were within that huge set of darkness, and she’d already gotten close enough to be sure that it really was just that - right before turning 360 degrees and turning tail, anyways.
Back on track, as she ran through Erde Nona’s streets, seemingly everyone ignoring her as she ran - What was it that happened again? She remembered investigating the newest bank heist by the infamous Lilith and her new accomplice, Ghost Orchid, and then something…
It got scattered at this point. Something about considerable damage to the sewer system and how it wasn’t safe according to the police, which she obviously ignored - a little danger was necessary for a good scoop. And it wasn’t like a little underground explosion would kill an above-ground reporter.
Though…
A recollection of fire and steel entered in a haze in Kimberly’s thoughts, and a frightening thought entered her head - frightening *and* distracting, as she missed her footing when the sidewalk came up and accomplished the impressive feat of stubbing her toe and breaking her heel!
“Shit, shit, shit! I can’t be dead! I’m too pretty to be dead! And if I am…”
Thoughts crossed her mind, ancient stories about soul eaters and unearthly creatures that haunted the dead she’d heard from one wizard or another. For all she knew, this might even be… the death god.
“No, please, I’m not ready, it’s okay if I can’t go back, but just let me go!” she shrieked behind her, turning even as she limped away. All the while, the stoic set of eldritch armour stepped forward, step after step exactly the same.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
It seemed to be matching her breathing now - or was her breathing matching the steps?
“P-please… forgive me, mr. death god! I beg you!”
The creature offered silence, as it stepped forward with that same steady pace, but another voice spoke out.
“That is no death god.”
Kimberly shivered, hearing the voice. It was so soft, reserved, yet something about them felt… commanding.
Surprising, then, when she looked up and saw a woman who couldn’t be any older than she was, and certainly shorter.
“That is a spirit twisted from it’s natural form, and taken from it’s natural place. It’s one of many examples of what happens to a ghost that resists being taken to it’s proper resting place.”
the sound of metal unsheathed filled her ears as the woman stepped forward, her black kimono fluttering in the night air as the woman pulled a goddamn katana out in the middle of the street.
“Would you like to become like that? Or would you rather pass on?”
The question broke through the woman’s stoicism with just a bit of impish amusement, as she looked between the girl and the phantom, and her alarm grew as the creature had gotten very close, and took a swing at the girl with it’s oversized broadsword.
“Look out!” She screamed, realising even as she said it that it was likely already too late. Her little blade didn’t have the power to contend with that monster, and it moved too fast.
And yet, the metal clanged out anyways, as the other blade was sent to the ground, and Kimberly Vale quietly reflected that, after all, she didn’t know shit about how swords worked as the girl parried the beast of a weapon out of the spirit’s hands.
The creature’s head moved slowly in the direction of the sword, as robotic as ever, but the girl didn’t waste a single second of that movement, as she held out one hand in front of her and uttered a chant.
“Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!”
Blue filled her vision, as the phantom was driven back. A wave of force smashed the tin creature and left cracks and fissures across its armor.
Kimberly, for her part, took the moment to throw up from all the stress, and after she was finished vomiting into the conveniently placed storm drain, she looked up at the Unpleasantly high-pitched squeal of metal perforating metal.
The strange girl had put her katana straight through the armored thing’s chest, a serious expression across her face as she watched the metal bend and contort, rusting and breaking down.
Darkness flowed from the armor like steam from a geyser, and with one last hideous shriek of air, it deflated, the pieces falling apart across the street before evaporating into the air.
Kimberly would have been speechless at the fantastical element of it, but she’d had a long day, and she’d already barfed, so she asked the question hanging on her mind.
“...Can you send me home?”
The girl turned, looking at her with sympathetic eyes.
“I can send you to the soul society. I am afraid you are no longer of the living, so I-”
“Okay, but are there monsters there?”
“I, err… no?”
“Okay, send me there quick please miss…”
“Miss Soul Reaper will do fine.”
Kimberly thought about that for a moment, before giving a nod.
“Is… there jobs for reporters? In heaven, I mean?”
Miss soul reaper arched an eyebrow, thinking for a moment before answering.
“...Honestly, you might find the work too easy with the people we have in charge.” The reaper answered with a smile, before taking the handle of her blade and turning it towards the reporter. Then, gently, she gave Kimberly Vale a soul-empowered, energy infused bonk, right to the head.
And in an instant, the reporter vanished in a flash of light, without a trace.
The reaper sheathed her katana, as the soul reaper exhaled, holding up a blistered hand as her shoulders finally relaxed.
A butterfly the color of night soared through the starry sky, before coming to rest on her palm.
“Could you tell the Arcadian soul reaper that I handled this on the way to my post? And, relay my apologies that I cannot speak to him about it in person. I have a city of my own to get to.”
Rukia gave a small smile in response. “Oh, from who? I would be the soul reaper assigned to Kagamino district, E-1. Kuchiki Rukia”
Her memories were still scattered as she ran, the clanking sounds of a phantom set of armor behind her. No eyes or anything but piercing darkness were within that huge set of darkness, and she’d already gotten close enough to be sure that it really was just that - right before turning 360 degrees and turning tail, anyways.
Back on track, as she ran through Erde Nona’s streets, seemingly everyone ignoring her as she ran - What was it that happened again? She remembered investigating the newest bank heist by the infamous Lilith and her new accomplice, Ghost Orchid, and then something…
It got scattered at this point. Something about considerable damage to the sewer system and how it wasn’t safe according to the police, which she obviously ignored - a little danger was necessary for a good scoop. And it wasn’t like a little underground explosion would kill an above-ground reporter.
Though…
A recollection of fire and steel entered in a haze in Kimberly’s thoughts, and a frightening thought entered her head - frightening *and* distracting, as she missed her footing when the sidewalk came up and accomplished the impressive feat of stubbing her toe and breaking her heel!
“Shit, shit, shit! I can’t be dead! I’m too pretty to be dead! And if I am…”
Thoughts crossed her mind, ancient stories about soul eaters and unearthly creatures that haunted the dead she’d heard from one wizard or another. For all she knew, this might even be… the death god.
“No, please, I’m not ready, it’s okay if I can’t go back, but just let me go!” she shrieked behind her, turning even as she limped away. All the while, the stoic set of eldritch armour stepped forward, step after step exactly the same.
Clank. Clank. Clank.
It seemed to be matching her breathing now - or was her breathing matching the steps?
“P-please… forgive me, mr. death god! I beg you!”
The creature offered silence, as it stepped forward with that same steady pace, but another voice spoke out.
“That is no death god.”
Kimberly shivered, hearing the voice. It was so soft, reserved, yet something about them felt… commanding.
Surprising, then, when she looked up and saw a woman who couldn’t be any older than she was, and certainly shorter.
“That is a spirit twisted from it’s natural form, and taken from it’s natural place. It’s one of many examples of what happens to a ghost that resists being taken to it’s proper resting place.”
the sound of metal unsheathed filled her ears as the woman stepped forward, her black kimono fluttering in the night air as the woman pulled a goddamn katana out in the middle of the street.
“Would you like to become like that? Or would you rather pass on?”
The question broke through the woman’s stoicism with just a bit of impish amusement, as she looked between the girl and the phantom, and her alarm grew as the creature had gotten very close, and took a swing at the girl with it’s oversized broadsword.
“Look out!” She screamed, realising even as she said it that it was likely already too late. Her little blade didn’t have the power to contend with that monster, and it moved too fast.
And yet, the metal clanged out anyways, as the other blade was sent to the ground, and Kimberly Vale quietly reflected that, after all, she didn’t know shit about how swords worked as the girl parried the beast of a weapon out of the spirit’s hands.
The creature’s head moved slowly in the direction of the sword, as robotic as ever, but the girl didn’t waste a single second of that movement, as she held out one hand in front of her and uttered a chant.
“Ye lord! Mask of flesh and bone, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Truth and temperance, upon this sinless wall of dreams unleash but slightly the wrath of your claws!”
Blue filled her vision, as the phantom was driven back. A wave of force smashed the tin creature and left cracks and fissures across its armor.
Kimberly, for her part, took the moment to throw up from all the stress, and after she was finished vomiting into the conveniently placed storm drain, she looked up at the Unpleasantly high-pitched squeal of metal perforating metal.
The strange girl had put her katana straight through the armored thing’s chest, a serious expression across her face as she watched the metal bend and contort, rusting and breaking down.
Darkness flowed from the armor like steam from a geyser, and with one last hideous shriek of air, it deflated, the pieces falling apart across the street before evaporating into the air.
Kimberly would have been speechless at the fantastical element of it, but she’d had a long day, and she’d already barfed, so she asked the question hanging on her mind.
“...Can you send me home?”
The girl turned, looking at her with sympathetic eyes.
“I can send you to the soul society. I am afraid you are no longer of the living, so I-”
“Okay, but are there monsters there?”
“I, err… no?”
“Okay, send me there quick please miss…”
“Miss Soul Reaper will do fine.”
Kimberly thought about that for a moment, before giving a nod.
“Is… there jobs for reporters? In heaven, I mean?”
Miss soul reaper arched an eyebrow, thinking for a moment before answering.
“...Honestly, you might find the work too easy with the people we have in charge.” The reaper answered with a smile, before taking the handle of her blade and turning it towards the reporter. Then, gently, she gave Kimberly Vale a soul-empowered, energy infused bonk, right to the head.
And in an instant, the reporter vanished in a flash of light, without a trace.
The reaper sheathed her katana, as the soul reaper exhaled, holding up a blistered hand as her shoulders finally relaxed.
A butterfly the color of night soared through the starry sky, before coming to rest on her palm.
“Could you tell the Arcadian soul reaper that I handled this on the way to my post? And, relay my apologies that I cannot speak to him about it in person. I have a city of my own to get to.”
Rukia gave a small smile in response. “Oh, from who? I would be the soul reaper assigned to Kagamino district, E-1. Kuchiki Rukia”