New Experiences

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

Although she had some understanding of what was going on to her now that she had met Dr.Bright. Madelyn really couldn’t say she knew how to handle the information she had been given. Nor did she have any idea what she was going to do with that information and the fact everything about her bad just changed in the blind of an eye. Dr. Bright was the only good thing to happen since she had opened her eyes and no one else could see her now. She was busy though and Maddie needed to clear her head although she wasn’t even sure if fresh air was something that meant anything to a spirit. So she’d made her way out from what seemed even more like an abandoned building in the daylight and went deeper into Karakura.

The building that Dr. Bright had brought her to and was allowing her to stay in from the outside looked horrendous yet not the inside it wasn’t all that bad. It was perhaps the least mind boggling thing bouncing throughout her cranium at the moment. “So I’m dead, but I still need to sleep, eat and drink.” Some of her thoughts she just had to voice out loud to herself almost like if she spoke them they’d be easier to remember or maybe cement them as a fact. She felt like a small baby, no understanding of how the world worked while completely helpless. Only surviving on the kindness of others. Something that she would do for others without a second thought only a day earlier yet she knew she was the exception when it came to people, not the average.

All these things that she thought about just compounded in her mind as she continued to step forward. Karakura didn’t feel any different, she’d figured out with Dr. Bright hat she hadn’t died too long ago, but she’d also decided she couldn’t go back home yet either. There wasn’t anything she wanted more right now than to go home and see her grandfather. The decision to wait had brought about a cascade of tears from her eyes and a pit in her heart. Right now those feelings just came flooding back to her. What was she to do if no one could see her? If she was a spirit didn’t that mean she could possess someone? The thought hopping into her Madelyn reaches out touching the shoulder of a lady in work attire on the street. Nothing.

Standing there with a sigh, Maddie comes to the conclusion that she can’t do something like that, even if she could, that was taking someone else’s body who needed it. Feeling as if she had just done something deplorable, Maddie gets hit with more negative emotions mixing with those that had already been in her. Everything begins to get overwhelming for the young soul once again as her face reddens and tears begin to form. “Why’d I even bother leaving. I can’t do anything anymore.” Fighting back tears Maddie begins to turn when she comes face to face with one of the larger buildings with glass walls on the outside. It doesn’t help though as she finds no reflection just cementing everything harder. Then that same twinge of pain in her left wrist pulls her from her dread. Yelping like a small animal at the pain she looks at her wrist bringing it up in front of her face.

A small scar that she didn’t recognize, one that definitely hadn’t been there before was almost starting right back at her it felt. Then a panel of black no different than what she saw when she catches herself blinking only the image afterwards is different. Her left hand gone, a stomp covered in blood. Then just how it had appeared in a moment it was gone in the same leaving Maddie standing there terrified and questioning if she’d really just seen that when her hand was here. The right wrapping around the left now squeezing it as tight as possible almost as if she were confirming it was still there. It’d take a moment for Maddie to realize she was panting now breathing heavily and her face felt hot. Terrified and confused the spirit stands on the sidewalk questioning everything now.

[Amon]

"KYUN?"

The sharks happy little singing was cascading around the tunnel between Seireitei and the human world. The reason? A preliminary starting test for the new Squad 3 shinigami, Amon. Of course, as his partner, Karish would also be attending the human world. As the world came up to their vision, the only thing the pair (or rather, Karish) could think about is the fact that this is their first test as a graduated shinigami. They needed to learn to fight against the hollows that appeared in the human world. The excitement for this event ran through the pair, as their banal desires to get stronger seemed to flare up the closer they got to to the human world. As soon as they came to the gate, they jumped out in excitement! This was it!

And they then landed on top of a massive glass building. Amon looked at his soul phone, hoping to see some sort of activity for hollows in the area. Alas, there was nothing. Seireitei did say that hollow activity was sparse right now, which is why they are sending out low-ranking shinigami out to the human world. There shouldn't be anything too crazy going on, so low level people like Amon and Karish can be here without fear of... well, anything. He admired this new world, however. Amon didn't have too much of the feeling of admiration and curiosity left, but the fact that this new, glass world looked so much different from what he recalled in his nightmares was extraordinary. The human world feels... more mechanic. As Amon stood there in wander of the new world, Karish was joyfully floating around, taking in all the sights as only a shark could do. The little sounds it was producing as it joyously looked around were more like a cat purring then a shark being joyful. Still, very cute.

The Shark started squeaking in a certain direction at the ground. Amon looked, and saw a spirit looking at itself... or rather, trying to look at itself. From the roof, he didn't really see what kind of spirit they were, but he knew, as a shinigami, he had a mission to let these spirits rest in the soul society. Amon grabbed Karish, and jumped off the building, landing next to the young lady spirit.

"KYUUN!" The shark squealed, jumping out of the arms of Amon and right towards the lady, trying to nudge her so she can pet him. Karish had no concept that he might be a frightening being, seeing as the idea of a shark being frightening is unique to the human world, and Karish was born in the spirit world, which was more accepting. Karish wanted the pats, and his smile was as wide as the ocean itself, hoping that the person would pet him. Amon was too slow to react, so he started walking towards the young lady, hoping to alleviate the situation somehow.

"Sorry. He wanted to say hi." Amon said, his face as blank as it comes.

SPOILER: Click to show

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

As if it couldn’t come at a worse time while Maddie had to ponder over everything that she believed she knew about the world only a couple days ago and everything that she’d been told since yesterday, someone falls to the ground right next to her. Shock didn’t really even begin to cover her reaction as Maddie fell backwards from the sudden arrival that in her eyes looked almost like someone was charging at her. Falling to the cement sidewalk that had been beneath her feet, Maddie's frantic motions allowed her to see what looked like a man dressed in black in front of her now. The uniform was somehow familiar though like she’d seen it in a dream.

Realization wouldn’t come to Maddie at the moment though as suddenly what seemed like Jaws was literally right in front of her face. What happened to be a large smile from the aquatic pet flying through the air was perceived by the high schooler spirit as the end to her second life. Screaming as if her life was literally going to end in the next moment, Maddie moves without thought, her body curling up into a ball as she tucks her legs in and her arms around eyes closed and trembling across her figure. This wasn’t normal, at least not to her and right now it was overwhelming her so much she couldn’t even feel the intense burning in her left wrist.

[Amon]

kyuun?

The shark saw the young spirit curl up into a ball, and it backed off. While the creature spirit may seem like a predator, it still was empathetic. Karish look worried at the tiny ball of a person curled up. It did not know how to react, as when it charged at others in the Soul Society, everyone seemed receptive of its appearance. It was much more popular there. It seemed that here, there was something different. A different sort of societal expectation of the tiny shark, maybe to be a bit more apprehensive? Regardless, it felt like a learning experience for the tiny shark. Karish looked at Amon, it's eyes conveying its thoughts.

"Karish wants me to ask you... are you ok?" Amon said, his slight middle eastern accent apparent in his speech. His face was still as cold as possible, almost unmoving, but a tiny movement of his eyebrows did seem like he was somewhat empathetic- or rather, trying to look like he was. The shark's feelings permeated through Amon's body, telling him to try and take care of the scared spirit. He bent down on his knees, and put his hand as empathetically as possible on her arm, trying to make her feel comfortable in this situation. Amon read about instances like this - of spirits who were overwhelmed with death and the whole idea of another world. He was trained as a shinigami to try and talk them through this situation. No matter how bad he was at this type of thing, he did somehow pass the class, and now, he has the ability to try and put his training into practice.

"It's ok now. You'll be going to a better place soon. Karish is more like... eh... how do you say kelev... a dog? More so then a shark that he looks like." Amon said, gesturing towards the tiny shark behind him. While he has been speaking english for a while, there are times where his accent and locution still comes out. It's what has been left over from the human world, and since the Soul Society doesn't really stress learning the language, the speech pathologies that he has had for most of this life still comes out. While this may seem weird, especially for a shinigami, it seems that this was the only thing that his teachers at the academy said saved his performance in their classes. Amon was relatable because of that accent that he has carried over from death.

Meanwhile, the shark looked concerned, more so then Amon could show. It was almost as if Amon and Karish were connected in some way, and they spoke through one another.

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

Despite the reaction and confusion of the flying little shark Madelyn couldn’t respond, her body curled up in a ball with all her muscles tensed while fear held onto her heart like a vice. Right now, there was nothing she could do, nothing she could think of beyond the teeth. The shark wasn’t even as big as the image that plagued her through the right now. What was really a small shark floating in the air near her, was a massive torpedo of muscle and teeth coming right for her inside the depths of her mind. The only thankful thing was the fact no one could hear her scream in terror beyond the man with the shark.

Madelyn was just on the sidewalk in the position of terror when she heard the voice of some man although the accent of his voice was the sort that she wouldn’t have ever expected to hear again after dying. Slowly unraveling her position Maddie looks out gaining vision on the Shinigami looking down at her now. What he said didn’t completely click with Maddie instead she was able to turn her head and see the small shark floating in the air which just swapped out the majority of her fear with confusion.

What she was feeling though didn’t matter when she heard this Shinigami imply that she was going to be headed to the soul society. Madelyn couldn’t even remember being in Soul Society beyond a couple of flashes although she was almost certain she’d already been sent there and then found herself back here in Karakura afterwards. How she happened to be back here in the world of the living though was a mystery she wanted to figure out. A mystery that seemed to be expanding every time she looked with the newest clue being the scar on her wrist.

“You’ve got a pet shark?” The only thing Maddie could ask of the Shinigami while her eyes kept farting over to look at the floating missile of teeth, unsure and confused still the two most obvious things passing through her head. Getting up off the sidewalk Madelyn does her best to stay a couple feet back unsure what she could do to get this Shinigami to leave her alone now and make him realize she wasn’t going to leave Karakura. “If only Dr. Bright were here she’s confident enough.”

[Amon]

When the young soul asked its question, Amon looked at Karish before answering. It was a strange feeling, being able to understand the small shark without ever being able to speak to it. It was an innate feeling, something that seemed like they were one. However, Amon could not quite understand why this was. He just remembered being in a lot of pain before Karish came to the world. The connection between the two beings was unique, at least to Amon. The thought of answering the question as to whether Karish is a pet was bewildering, as to Amon, he felt more like a family member. Someone he absolutely could not live without. Amon would not say he adores Karish, because he feels empty when he tries to understand the feeling of love. So, with Karish looking at Amon to speak, Amon spoke up.

"Not pet... eh. More like brother?" Amon said, looking at the young soul. 

"Kyuun.", the shark also answered, nodding its head in agreement with what Amon said. It seemed happy to be acknowledged in such a way out loud by Amon. It was a new feeling for the tiny shark, as Amon never really spoke up about what Karish was to Amon. It did a little happy jiggle, as if it was dancing in the air. This lasted for a second, before it looked at the main objective in front of them: this young soul that seemed to be... lost? Nothing was really known at this point, as this young soul did not answer a single question.

Amon looked back at the girl before speaking again. He was curious about this Dr. Bright person as well.

"So... Dr. Bright? Who is this? Is this person also a soul that needs to go to Soul Society?" Amon asked, his accent as strong as ever.

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

Definitely not something that Madelyn had learned about yet nor anything she would have ever expected to encounter. A Shinigami man with a floating small shark that’s like his brother. Despite being an incredibly nice person usually Maddie couldn’t hide her confusion nor disbelief with what was being explained in front of her. Although the shark didn’t want to hurt her, it seemed at this point she couldn’t help the feeling of uneasiness that continued to run down her spine. Despite everything she’d been told so far this was a situation that she knew she would have had to call out as bs yet here she was witnessing it with her own eyes.

So perplexed by what she was seeing that Maddie only thought now to ponder how the shark was floating. There didn’t look to be anything under the shark carrying it, obviously there wasn’t water present, so it wasn’t swimming like a normal shark. She didn’t see any wings on it either, so it wasn’t flying like a bird. Was this some other sort of spell that Shinigami could use? Maddie had no clue and despite the puzzlement of it all would keep the question to herself, at least for now.

The accent of the Shinigami being very thick, Maddie had to actively listen to each word then piece it all together in order to make sure she got what he was saying. She could hear the words but thought it best not to mishear anything right now so it would seem like she was just taking a bit longer to answer than expected for some unclear reason. “Oh umm they’re the one teaching me about all this spirit stuff. I’ve already been to Soul Society. . . I think but then I found myself back here in Karakura.”

[Amon]

The girl seemed to be mystified at what was going on in front of her. While it was a confusing situation for sure, Amon seemed to glaze over this fact. Karish was a bit more receptive to the spirit, and started trying to make her feel more comfortable by... wagging his fins? Karish seemed to be almost.. dancing for the young spirit. For Amon, it didn't really matter what the shark would do, as he felt that the shark was always doing something for his benefit. The young girl did explain her situation, however, which did make sense to Amon. He knew that he wanted to help her... but at this moment... it didn't seem like she wanted any help? If so, what was she doing here from soul society? Why did she leave?

Once Karish was done doing whatever he was doing to help alleviate the situation, which was silly in the first place, Amon stepped closer to the spirit. It seemed like he was going to convey some thoughts and feelings, as the shark seemed to be conveying his own through Amon as well.

"Why leave Soul Society? It's your benefit to stay there." Amon said, curious as to the present circumstances. Everything about this situation was weird, and getting weirder by the moment. It didn't help that Amon was pretty much "carried" by Karish in terms of his emotional connection to others. The shark just wants to be pat and loved by all, and the odd dancing and acting out was just a way for everyone to feel comfortable in a strange situation.

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

Although the Shinigami believed this situation to be weird, what he was feeling in that regard couldn’t possibly be anything in comparison to Maddie who up until what felt like a few days ago was totally normal. She had no idea about the spiritual worlds beyond average myths and legends, now she was living as a part of it without knowing the majority of it. So far nothing she had learned prepared her for a literal flying shark that seemed like a cartoon mascot. A fact she was more than certain about when she saw it start to dance like something from a show for toddlers.

Back up on her feet now Maddie was careful to keep a couple feet away from the Shinigami and not move when the shark got near her. Despite everything that she’d seen and been told by the Shinigami this was still a shark. Something that as a human she’d been conditioned to fear. Although she wasn’t going to start talking to Karish the little shark might notice a small upturn in her mouth. Maddie at least wasn’t so terrified at the moment that she couldn’t process what was going on around her. Now she was acting more like Karish was a large dog, but it wouldn’t get much better than that.

“I didn’t really have a choice; it didn’t look all that good though from what I can remember. I’m here though now and want to figure things out. My name is Maddie. It’s nice to meet you.”

[Amon]

Karish was happy to see a slight smirk. The tiny shark was presently happy with itself, and it soon moved towards Amon. While it was a sentient being, it still could somewhat understand the slight fear the young girl before them was having. While Karish did not know why the girl was so afraid, it still understood that Amon was the safe spot for the time being, especially in this somewhat strange situation. Regardless, they were here on a mission, and that mission has now gone awry. Neither of the two beings really understood where to go from here, but after the slight introduction from the girl before them, they knew they had to also introduce themselves. After the spirit made its introductions, Amon nodded and soon began his.

"My name is Amon Har-Zahavi. This is Karish.", Amon said. 

"If you... eh... do not want to go back, how can we help?"

Amon and Karish both were ready to help out in any way. This was their duty as Soul Reapers, or rather, as they interpreted it. There was no training, no fear at this point. This was just the mission, and the mission today was to help this spirit out.

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

Maddie was really starting to feel better now, no longer did it feel like her heart was trying to jump out of her chest, the chance of her having a panic attack was now down significantly and she was able to speak coherently. All of these were very good signs so although she didn't; feel completely back to normal at the moment she was competent to hear what the Shinigami had to say. That didn't really help her at all though when she heard him introduce himself with a name that she had no chance of pronouncing correctly. The second name or maybe the third one seemed like the name of the shark, a name that she may be able to pronounce right after a few tries but the Shinigami himself. It sounded like the sort of foreign name that she would have to take a class to really get down.

That's when it hit her though, she was talking to a Shinigami, had she given him the wrong name to call her? She should be speaking to him in a more respectful manner, giving her family name first instead of talking to him as if he were a friend or someone she could trust. Once again, the emotions that swelled within her chest just seemed to come right back as Maddie struggles to deal with even the most basic of things right now. She wasn't sure if she was happy, it happened but snapped her out of her thoughts was the pain from her left wrist once again. An intense pain something that she had been experiencing since waking back up in Karakura. A pain that felt like a molten rod was shoved through her wrist.

"My apologizes may I call you Amon or Har for short? I don't know if I need much help right now although I have questions. How does one become a Shinigami? Are you both one?"