Scary New World

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

Hearing that a Shinigami may be mean and force her to return to Soul Society wasn’t a good thing, definitely not something Maddie wanted when Keira was going to help her get whatever was inside of her out. She’d have to be careful if a Shinigami found her. Although she had been the one to ask the question Maddie hadn’t been expecting Keira to laugh as much as she did. It was a nice response that although surprising made the young soul smile.

Maddie’s expression changed to that of an interested child as Keira told her about the various races that seemingly were the origins of the popular monsters in fiction. “Vampires are called Bounts, they feed on energy not on blood. Does sunlight do anything to them? Beast men? So big talking animals are in Soul Society? . . Wait . People have different powers? You mean like superheroes?” For the first time since waking backup Maddie wasn’t plagued down by the knowledge of death nor of what was in her wrist instead now just mesmerized by the actual things in existence.

[Kiera Bright]

Keira nodded along as Maddie recounted what Keira told her. It was sort of a nice feeling to have such a captive audience when she was explaining things. Keira drank her coffee refilling it as she elaborated on a few questions that Maddie had. "It is very hit or miss when it comes to bounts and sunlight. Normally they seem fine with it, until they start using their own brand of techniques which seems to make them vulnerable to it for some reason. Though I mostly only seen them active at night so who really knows." Then it came to the beast men. "Yes all different kinds of beast men roam the Soul Society so I am told. From reptiles, to mammals, and even insectoids roam the place. Then it came to when she said people with powers. That seemed to really get her exited. "Well yes, Fullbringers as I said, are people with supernatural powers, so they can easily be seen as super heroes and such."

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

Bounts seemed like a headache although that could describe pretty much everything that Maddie was learning right now when she barely managed to get everything down in regular school. Sometimes light from the sun hurts them and it might be because of the powers they have, but they only come out at night anyway just like one would expect from Vampires. Learning that there were animal people of all different species was something that visibly made Maddie excited while catching her interest until Keira mentioned insects and Maddie recoiled with a massive shiver.

Her mouth moved like she was going to ask a question only to then shut as she did her best to just think of something else. The image of a giant talking centipede was enough that she felt like her skin was going to crawl right off her bones. “Doesn’t sound very Heavenly now.” Bringing her cup back up Maddie drinks down another third of her beverage leaving only a bit left when she comes upon her next question, one that has her blue eyes meeting Keira’s pink with a look of excited curiosity. “Everyone has some unique power huh. What can you do Dr. Bright?”

[Kiera Bright]

Keira couldn't help but laugh watching Maddie physically recoil at the mention of insectoid beast men, and the fact that the Soul Society seemed less heavenly now, brought a humorous gleam to Keira's eyes. "I assure you that it isn't as bad as you think. From what I hear, the beast men don't interact well with the people of the Soul Society most of the time. So if you do go there, I doubt you will be bothered." Keira set her coffee cup down stretching and grabbing a bag of nearby chips. She started to munch on them.

Maddie then asked another personal question of the scientist. She wanted to know what Keira's unique  ability was. Keira smiled and stood up moving a bit away from everything to give herself some room from everything. "It is a rather simple ability, but it would be easier if I showed it to you." Keira summoned three of her reiatsu arms. Two of the large hands would appear on either side of her, while the third formed right under her. She gracefully sad down in the palm of the hand like a large chair smiling a rather smug smile. "Not only are they physically strong, but I am also able to channel my techniques through them if I wanted."

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

Although she was told that the Beast people in Soul Society didn’t like to interact with the normal people who must have passed over there, that news didn’t really sit well with Maddie. It sounded almost like there were monsters in Heaven that just played nice. She didn’t want to think of them as monsters, but that’s how she could picture them otherwise. Maddie liked to believe she would do her best to be nice to anyone and everyone, but a big person sized insect . . . That just didn’t sit well with her even as Keira laughed at her reaction.

“If I’m dead, why do I still feel hungry and thirsty? Is it the same thing as a normal body needing energy from food?”

Maddie watched as Keira showed her the ability that was unique to her and would likely enjoy the response as Maddie’s eyes lit up with excitement. What she was seeing was literally from a comic book or a hero movie. This wouldn’t have made any sense only a couple hours ago in her mind although if it was that amount of time was unclear still in reality. All the same though it was just more clarification that things were different and perhaps she could make a positive spin out of a scary situation. That thought made her realize she had been avoiding a big question.

“Dr. Bright the gigai things you said were like suits so Shinigami can be seen by normal people. If we make one, could I continue living my life as a human?”

Maddie wasn’t bubbling up now instead scared of the answer for the first time with her hands tucked in on her thighs with her legs pressed together. Although subconsciously she was making herself smaller all the same. Now images of her grandfather pass through her mind as she feels bad knowing she had been enjoying all these new discoveries instead of checking in on the man who raised and took care of her. She didn’t know what he was doing now or even how long she’d really been gone.

[Kiera Bright]

Keira thought about Maddie's question when it came to the body needing food. It was just a thing that Keira had accepted that she didn't really question it. "I would think that more powerful spirits, or spirits capable of manipulating reiatsu at least, need to maintain their energy as energy is neither created nor destroyed." Keira nodded at Maddie's follow up question assuming that to be the case. "That should be correct, though I haven't looked into the matter really myself." Keira set the now empty bag of chips in a nearby trashcan.


Keira looked at Maddie with a hard gaze at her next question. Though it was possible for her to make a gigai for her, but it was far more complicated than just resuming her normal life. "tell me, are you aware of how long you have been dead exactly?" Keira asked leaning forward. "I can make you this gigai, but without knowing how long you have been dead, you have no idea if your family have started to move on from your death or not. It would be quite the shock to them to see you alive after they just burried you after all." She said keeping eye contact with the young girl.  

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

Although the positive feedback to her questions was helping Maddie open up to Keira the topic of resuming her normal life didn’t transition positively. Keira brought up the simple fact that she’d died which meant that her grandfather had likely already buried her body in the cemetery alongside her mother. It’d be obvious that Maddie was contemplating the whole situation and what had been done now yet it’d take a little bit of time where she just sat there looking down at the floor. She didn’t want to be disrespectful, but right now her mind was struggling to process what path to start down and if she’d be hurting her grandfather by returning to him.

“What’s the date? I was hit on the sixteenth of August. In the morning.”

Maddie’s manner of speaking taking on a more frantic pace as she finds something to latch onto. This was something that might be able to help her! If she had died only a couple of hours ago maybe her body was still being looked at by the police. Maybe she hadn’t been identified yet. Her mind going through some of the crime shows and how that was often a point in every episode. Already she was planning to switch out her body with this new suit and just pretend she’d never been hit by that truck.

[Kiera Bright]

Keira fished her phone out of her coat pocket to check the date. Once she had it, she turned it back off and put it in her pocket. "It is the 28th of August. You have been dead for nearly two weeks." There was not really any emotion in Keira's tone. she was simply stating the facts and nothing more. "I would advise against trying to go back to your former life." She said in a bit more of a solemn tone. "It would hurt your loved ones too much, I should know. It will hurt, but it would be best to move on."

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

The answer that she got gave Maddie a sensation that she couldn’t really put into words. It wasn’t the worst answer she could have been given yet at the same time her hopes of finding out she’d only been gone a couple of hours. Well that was no longer possible. She had been hoping against all odds that maybe there was a chance she could return to her grandfather and live out her life with him like she had been doing while helping Dr. Bright. Even with this bit of news that’s what she still wanted now despite everything. She had family and even though she knew what Keira told her was true she couldn’t turn her back on him either.

Her grandfather was basically everything to her. She’d heard stories about her father and had known her mother a little bit while growing up here in Japan. Her grandfather, despite everything, had risen to the challenge and really raised her while her mother had struggled to continue on without her father in the world. Now with her mother gone Maddie was the only one left for her grandfather, she was back here in Japan even now so despite the time that passed, was it really ok for her to just pretend like she couldn’t go back to him. Would a good person, would a loving person leave him alone to believe that everyone he’d ever cared about had really moved on.

Maddie looked at Keira, her eyes watery, to the doctor it would appear obvious that this young girl was doing her very best to not break down in tears. “He’s definitely been told by the police or a hospital. Maybe if I switch out with my actual body. They’d just believe they messed up.” Maddie stopped for a moment and thought over what she just said and then sighed. “No two weeks, that's too long.” Standing up from the chair and finishing her cup of coffee Maddie wipes her eyes with the back of her right hand. “If you’ll have me, I’d like to stay here with you Dr. Bright. I’ll help however I can while we figure out what’s up with whatever is inside of me.” Bowing low her upper body bent forward showing a full sign of respect while her heart trembles in sorrow.

[Kiera Bright]

Keira got up and did something that she thought she would never do; show emotional compassion to another person. She rose form her seat and wrapped her arms around the shorter girl patting her back. "I know that it is going to be hard for a while, but I guarantee that things will get easier." Keira wasn't sure if what she was doing was effective or not. She never had to comfort someone like this before. She was rather stiff herself, but she hoped that didn't make things uncomfortable between the two of them. Keira would soon release the girl moving out of the room once again. "Come on, we will get your room set up for you to sleep." She had enough stuff to let someone stay in storage, it was just a matter of getting it. 

This whole experience was something new to Keira. She would have visitors from time to time, wanted or otherwise, but not someone out right staying with her. Keira would have to think of a way to think of this to make herself more comfortable with the situation. Yes Keira was the one to offer for Maddie to stay, but that was more out of formality, she really didn't think that she would accept to staying in an abandoned asylum. Well for now, it looks like Keira has a temporary assistant to help her. Keira would hope that she wouldn't mind helping with some of the experiments given her naiveite, but Keira wouldn't force her if it came down to it.  

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

Keira had been a fairly nice person and although the two of them had only met one another maybe half an hour ago, Maddie couldn’t push her away. She hadn’t expected Keira to comfort her, especially not with a hug when the two of them didn't really know one another. She was just someone off the street to her, but her emotions collapsing downwards Maddie’s chest begins to heave. Struggling to keep herself from sobbing Maddie would normally feel a flood of embarrassment as her torso gives way several times.

Dr. Bright was acting like a family member or a close friend, something she didn’t have to do. Maddie, despite everything she had been told, everything she now knew, was still just a high school girl thrust into an impossible situation and now forced to make the best of it. This wasn’t anything she’d ever contemplated in her life, something far beyond anything she ever believed she’d experience so leaning on Dr. Bright whether she wanted to or not was all she could do at the moment. Tears running down her cheeks Maddie pulls back wiping them down.

Her heaving stopped somewhat suddenly and Maddie was now trying to put on her toughest face although she honestly just looked sad. She didn’t know why, but she had just felt pain in her wrist, she’d felt as if her fingers had wanted to move around Dr. Bright’s hair. These weren’t things she wanted to do and now the feelings were gone. Pushing it aside for the moment Maddie shook her head and started to walk with Keira throughout the building while making a promise to herself.

“I’ll find a way, I’ll come back to you grandpa.”

[Kitai Yoru]

Madelyn Fūrinji: 50 paragraphs, 50% bonus awarded

Kiera Bright: 40 paragraphs, 40% bonus awarded