Random Encounter

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

One in, one out breath after breath as I feel my lungs inflate, the sensation something I’d never really bothered to experience. The aura of Karakura felt the same although now after learning what I had in the last week or so. It felt different at the same time, it may not be Karakura though. The world was different, reality something else than what so many of us actually believed. Wandering throughout Karakura to clear my mind could only help so much right? I've been doing this everyday now and although it settled my nerves a bit, was it really helping?

Coming across a Shinigami was something I wouldn’t have ever believed possible with the only exception being my death. Now though I’d learned that had already happened while the memory of it was almost smeared. Brief images that I can’t piece together are the only things. Walking along the street I had been on that I can last recall once again just hoping that something will click in my head. I have to figure out how I can get back to my Grandfather. My life as a person but even Dr. Bright didn’t have everything to help me reach that goal.

Almost as if waking up from a trance I find myself no longer walking along the sidewalk but standing on the edge watching as traffic crawls by, surrounded by the normal citizens who I had once been a part of, walking past me. Then almost as if on cue the pain in my left wrist begins. The sharp sting accompanied by a compulsive need to scratch. A few strokes left red marks down from the top before I can force my right hand down at my side. “Peace in death. . . Such bullshit.”

[kara]

”King of the world!” The tiny plush voice rang out over the rooftop, a pair of pink fabric tentacles pumping into the air above the oddly sewn together toy. Kara retracted and pumped her tentacle appendages again, watching as none of the birds reacted to her boisterous outburst. ”Kara said King! King of the world! Ragh!!!” With her other six tentacles planted firmly on the building’s ledge, Kara pushed off, jumping at one of the nearby birds whom hadn’t bothered to bat a wing to her presence. It responded by flying up a foot and away five more before once again landing. ”Stupid birds!” Kara glared at the birds taunting her. She jumped again, prompting a similar response from other birds, none of which chose to vacate the tall building’s rooftop. ”Dammit!” Turning suddenly like a spider, Kara moved towards one of the birds who happened to be antagonizing her and waved several of her tentacle feet at it. This one actually decided it’d had enough of the pink plush toy annoyance and flew off to find another roof to perch on, followed shortly by every other bird... ”Hah! That’s all you had to do! Leave the king to her castle! Victory!” What Kara hadn’t realized however was that her presence hadn’t been what scared off the flock of birds belittling her. The shadow of a tougher predator soon held Kara in its claws.

A flipping Eagle!? Watching the other birds fleeing Kara celebrated her single-minded victory, failing to notice the looming presence coming in for the attack. Before Kara knew it her tentacle feet lifted off the concrete and out into the sky above. ”Let Kara go!” The white-tailed monster had Kara by the head of her plush body, leaving all of her tentacle legs free. Even so, having fabric appendages to fight off the solid living structure of the predator bird’s feet would prove useless… She couldn’t even attempt to bite with her head held in a lock. Plush tentacles flailed about, trying to do something, anything to the annoying creature that held her.

For all of her flailing, Kara did manage to evoke a response from the hawk. Seeing that its prey was so lively and would cause problems if it continued flying under such duress, the Hawk whipped its occupied claw up midflight to deliver a decisive bite to the prey’s vitals. And that was when in all of its intelligence, the Hawk decided to drop Kara. Not due to clumsiness but simply due to the fact the bird was confused. This prey didn’t taste even remotely like food. In fact it couldn’t be considered edible at all. Going for the most brightly colored moving object on the roof of that building had been a mistake. The other prey had already vacated and it would need to find new targets, but for now it had no need to carry around such a useless prize… So it released its talons, allowing Kara to fall.

The wind blew, if only because Kara had now descended into a freefall. Either way she’d managed to avoid an uncertain fate, though her ego had taken a bruising when the hawk tried to take a bite out of her face, and subsequently decided to discard her. ”Stupid bird… Now Kara has to climb all the way back up to her throne…” Pouting, the Mod Soul shifted her body to stare at the approaching buildings, and the one she’d been trying to conquer. She wouldn’t land on it now with how far the hawk’s path had taken her from it. No, the streets below were where she’d end up…

A certain ghost might gain a fairly sudden surprise when a pink octopus-human-headed plush would land atop her head with a soft thud. Fabric depressed but Kara quickly recovered to all eight feet before striking a pose. ”Behold! Kara’s feline grace wins again!” Two tentacles raised into a dab and she turned her head down to complete the gesture.

“What is that? Some sort of prank?” A random passerby stopped with his girlfriend to stare at the pink plush. To him Kara appeared to be floating.

“Might be, do you see any cameramen around?” The man’s girlfriend asked while looking around to see if she could spot anyone with a camera.

Others stopped and began to stare at the strangeness. Whispering curiosity spread through the growing crowd and even a few started to record with their Cellphones. ”Raaaah!!!” Kara shouted at the crowd, causing several people to feel awkward about the situation and brake off to continue on with their business. Proud to see her control of the crowd working, Kara plopped her plush body onto the head of her hapless receiver. ”Onward my newfound throne, to that building over there. Kara must retake her kingdom at once!” One plush leg broke away from the rest in order to point towards the building she’d been snatched from, though it was unlikely Madelyn Fūrinji would be able to see Kara’s gesture from her current position beneath Kara.

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

The negative emotions plaguing Maddie at the moment felt like they’d really dig deeper down into her chest this time, usually someone with a bright outlook no matter the situation, what she was dealing with now was just bigger than anything else. Dealing with the knowledge that she had literally died, that she couldn’t return to her grandfather now, that she was something else but didn’t have any clue how or why she was back in Karakura. This didn’t feel like her life anymore and when she thought about it was it really a life she wanted to even try and build up?

Just like that though something soft but light plopped on top of her head. Although Maddie didn’t wonder at the moment she would, down the line. Why every time she started to think heavily about her situation something strange pushed itself in her way. Her hands moving up to her head as she heard the sound of a child? The voice sounded like that at least but how could a little kid be on her head? Wouldn’t she have seen them? Wouldn’t they weigh more than what she felt right now? What she felt though with her fingers wasn’t the body of a little kid.

”Onward my newfound throne, to that building over there. Kara must retake her kingdom at once!”

The fabric rubs on her finger tips a sensation Madde recognized although it didn’t prepare her for what happened next. “It’s not very nice to claim on someone you don’t know.” Pulling the little child from the top of her head with both hands Maddie brings it down in front of her only to see the plushie. Immediately everything she had been ready to do as a response was gone, what was going on here. Was this some kind of joke? Maddie just couldn’t comprehend what was in her hands right now.

[kara]

Plush tentacles wriggled in the air, a shocked Kara struggled in vain to maintain the position on the ghost’s head but ultimately failed as her field of view became shifted. Kara could now see the person she’d landed on top of and that someone was female. Folding one pair of tentacle legs across one another, Kara visually accentuated her indignation towards Maddie at being removed from her proclaimed throne. ”Kara lays claim to whatever she lands on as her own. Kara landed on your head therefore Kara claims it to be her throne.” At the mention of Maddie’s head, a third tentacle leg was lifted to point at Maddie.

”You broke Kara’s fall and made it softer so Kara is very grateful to you for it, but Kara must continue her war against the flying forces atop that structure over there.” Again Kara pointed a tentacle towards the building she’d only recently been plucked off of, only this time Maddie would be able to see her gesturing towards the indicated structure. ”A powerful enemy temporarily brought Kara to this place down on the ground but it will not stop her from getting back to fight for supremacy!” At this Kara flexed the two tentacles she’d been crossing as if to accentuate the nonexistent muscles within them. ”With your help we can beat them together."

At this point the passerby were either standing and watching the strange scene of a floating plush talking to itself or would simply ignore the peculiar occurrence and shuffle by as quickly as humanly possible without looking like they were in any kind of hurry. Kara didn’t break her focus to take notice of the stares she kept getting. They were the helpless mortals and knew nothing about fighting vicious rooftop birds. Kara couldn’t rely on them. But this one who held Kara in her hands, she could be of real assistance to Kara. ”It will be easier to sneak up on the enemy because they won’t be able to see you coming.” Kara voiced her statement in a matter-of-fact tone. Kara was fairly certain these birds who’d made her their enemy, couldn’t see ghosts. In fact she would bank on it and take advantages wherever they were possible.

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

(Sorry for the wait)

The little plushie in her hands wasted no time to begin speaking once again in the same voice that Madelyn had just heard. The small child that she believed had jumped on her head was this plushie! How could this be though? Was this some kind of new toy? Was someone that knew her messing with her through a microphone inside the toy? “No wait that wouldn’t work I’m dead. Everyone at school wouldn’t be able to see me.” The arms of the plushie cross as she flares at Madelyn. Despite being the larger one in the situation, Madelyn's aura was already being suppressed down by the confidence and energy of the plushie.

“I’m sorry Ms but I’m confused. How are you talking to me? Are you mad at the birds up on top of the buildings? I can’t take you to the top of them even if I tried my hardest.”

Madelyn could tell the people walking around on the street were looking towards her. How was this possible though she’d died! Dr. Bright had told her that only those special could see spirits like her now. That’s when it clicked for her. Maddie suddenly stopped looking around her and turned her head back down to the plushie in her hands. “They can see you!” Turning and rushing down a close alleyway to keep out of sight Maddie stops after about a minute. Panting from the exercise she stares at the plushie trying her best to process all this. “You can speak to them right!”

[kara]

Taken aback, Kara stared at the girl with a perplexed plushie gaze. ”How else would Kara talk to you? Kara does it like this.” Two tentacles pointed to the plush mouth stitched onto the Modsoul’s fabric body. Upon finishing her statement she continued to open and close the artificial mouth as if trying to prove the reason why she could speak. In all honesty Kara couldn’t explain it any better than this. From a physical standpoint her plush body shouldn’t have been able to project any sort of audible tone at all, and yet she still could.

Plush arms folded in indignation. ”Of course Kara is mad at the birds up there. They grabbed Kara and dropped her down here instead of fighting fairly.” The statement happened to be a half truth. The birds she’d been fighting with hadn’t been the ones who’d ultimately plucked her off the rooftop and delivered her down to street level. That’d been done by another which she failed to acknowledge at this time due to its willingness to immediately leave the rooftop behind.

Again Kara’s expression grew bewildered. ”Of course they can see Kara, why did you th- Oi!?” Beginning to reprimand the girl that held her, kara’s voice cut off at the sudden and urgent way in which the ghost moved, seeking a quieter alleyway to enter into before continuing to speak to Kara. She asked an obvious question, to which Kara simply stated. ”Of course Kara can speak to them… But that doesn’t help Kara out at all.” The pink plush crossed her arms in irritation at the ghost girl’s obvious statement. ”Just because Kara can speak to humans doesn’t mean they will help Kara. Kara should know. She tried it before.” A depressed sigh escaped the fabric body, beady plush eyes taking in the ground below before rising back again to meet with the ghost girl’s own. ”Kara can speak with you too and this works better because you aren’t human. You’re a ghost. With your help Kara can get back to the top of the building and reclaim her spot as king over the birds!” Confidence radiated from the toy being seemingly held aloft by invisible forces to any spiritually unaware who happened to curiously glance into the alleyway in order to investigate the voice coming from within.

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

So the plushie really was talking to her, not only that but it also had an attitude. Madelyn had been rolling with everything that she’d been learning from Dr. Bright such as Hollows, Shinigami and Bount, but now she’d found a plushie that could talk and move on its own. When she’d been a little girl like all others this would have been something she would have loved more than anything else. Now though it seemed unnatural and strange almost like she shouldn’t be holding it. Although what it was saying to her just kept growing in ridiculousness, how was she expected to take it seriously when everything that it said to her seemed almost like a comical sketch.

The plushie had really been up at the top of the building next to her. . . fighting the birds. Why though Maddie couldn’t even begin to question. “Why would you be fighting birds though? What did they do to you? Do you find it fun?” Moving into the alleyway Maddie begins to breathe in a more rapid panicked nature staring down at the plushie almost as if it were the answer to all her problems. In reality this plushie couldn’t help her out anymore than Dr. Bright had already, but Maddie wasn’t thinking now. She listened to what the plushie had to say and learned that it went by the name Kara. Why it referred to itself in the third person she didn’t know, but didn’t bother to question, due to everything else happening.

Madelyn’s face was beginning to shift from one of confusion and panic into one of joy. She had someone new that she could talk to even if they didn’t make any sense. The statement that came from Kara though immediately dosed the joy in Madelyn’s eyes. This was the first time she’d heard the phrase ghost refer right to her. Of course she already knew that she was dead, but the way it was said to her just gave her a different feeling. “You’re wrong . . I am human. I’m going to get back to my family.” A young girl on the brink of tears just trying her hardest not to let all the negative emotions swirling around inside her chest get the better of her. She couldn’t even bring herself to speak knowing that her voice was going to break down embarrassing her further in front of Kara.

[kara]

“Those are humans.” Kara bluntly argued, pointing a tentacle out towards the street they’d left behind. As if to emphasize her statement a bit, Kara sat still for a moment, tentacle continuing to point. She then pulled up another tentacle and pointed in the same direction. ”Those people…” A third tentacle pointed towards Madelyn. ”Will become like you if they die.” Purposefully, Kara glossed over the girl’s words about getting back to family. The word family didn’t mean much to Kara as she’d never had one. Being a manufactured artificial soul designed for a purpose, her former Shinigami handlers had never seen fit to fill the modsoul in on such a topic and what it was.

A fourth tentacle pointed, this one also at Madelyn. ”You can’t become human again, but-“ Kara paused her words, raising two tentacles directly above her plushie head. ”You can become one of two other things.” Kara wiggled one of the raised tentacles while pulling her face into a smile, a weird, plushie smile. ”You can become a Hollow. But if you do that then Kara would have to defeat you so Kara doesn’t recommend becoming one of those... At this statement the plush’s face drew into a monotone and strangely serious looking stare. She then stopped wiggling the one raised tentacle and started wiggling the other one. ”Or you can become a Shinigami. Kara doesn’t recommend this one either but it’s probably a better choice because those are the only two options you have...” The second tentacle stopped wiggling. Kara’s face crinkled for a bit before she finally raised a third tentacle and wiggled it. ”You could stay as you are but it’s hard to do that because Hollows like to eat ghosts. Ghosts also become Hollows on their own after a while if Shinigami don’t Konso them” Folding all her outstretched tentacles inward, Kara crossed them over each other and nodded confidently. She’d proudly remembered the basics of Spirits, Hollows, and Shinigami perfectly and it’d been knowledge that came in handy just now.

Recovering from her inward self-praise, Kara returned to her vendetta, looking to the girl again. “Kara wanted to control the rooftop of the building but the birds wouldn’t give up. They kept mocking Kara and flying to different parts of the roof when Kara tried to fight them. It took a long time for Kara to get to the top because Kara had to wait for people to open doors. But you can hold Kara! That means you can interact with doors too if you try! This way it’s much easier for Kara to get back to the rooftop! Kara thanks you a lot for helping!” The excited pink plush danced in Madelyn’s hands, clapping her tentacles together in an attempt to show the girl praise.

[Madelyn Fūrinji]

The plushie known as Kara didn’t really hold back or say anything in a gentle way speaking to Madelyn in the same way one would expect from a heavy biker or a ruthless prisoner. Madelyn watched as Kara kept pointing out at the people walking along the street and reinforcing how she wasn’t able to see her family anymore. Although she fought to keep herself from crying tears began to stream down her face. Her cheeks are getting more pink as her eyes overflow with the liquid of sorrow. Madelyn wouldn’t even speak until after Kara began to talk about the options that were laid out in front of her now. “A. a Hollow. Aren’t they monsters that eat others though? I . .I don't want to hurt anyone.”

Being told that all she could do was become either a Hollow or a Shinigami just couldn’t handle it anymore and sank down to the bottom of the alley and began to cry. Struggling to stay quiet as she lets go of Kara now while the weight of the situation, she’d been thrown into crushes her. Although Kara was right about everything that she’d just told Madelyn, perhaps the plushie would realize something now that she was right in front of Madelyn and wouldn’t be able to focus on her face. Despite being a soul that was currently wandering Karakura Town, Madelyn didn’t have her soul chain on her chest. Her body was essentially the same as a Shinigami’s already with the only exception being her clothing and the lack of a zanpakuto. All this meant was Madelyn wouldn’t become a Hollow in time, but nothing else would be clear.

“Why did this happen? I just want everything to go back to the way it was.”

[kara]

”Yup. Hollows eat others. Sometimes hollows eat other hollows too!” Kara nodded. Wiggling several tentacles up in the air, she mimicked one side of the tentacles acting like hollows while the other side attacked the first side. ”Ah! Shinigami eat normal food, not hollows or other Shinigami. Kara wants to eat a hamburger but this body can’t consume food…” Entering into an entirely different state of depressed from Madelyn’s, Kara slumped all her tentacles around the girl’s hands shortly before Madelyn broke down and let go of Kara.

Lowered and unable to properly see Madelyn’s face unless she now looked upward, Kara’s beady black eyes twinkled. The girl didn’t have a soul chain, which itself wasn’t really an issue. ”You are in luck. Your Soul chain is missing and there’s no hole in your chest where it would be!” Kara struck a pose that shouted “ta-da!” Three plush tentacles promptly pointed out the girl’s hole-free chest. The animated plush again glossed over the girl’s emotional state in favor of pursuing an entirely different topic. ”You won’t become a hollow like that. No monster eating people and other monsters for you.” Two tentacles clapped together in applause.

”STOP!” Abruptly after Madelyn’s statement about wanting to go back to the way things were before, Kara’s features grew cross and she sharply raised two tentacles. ”You should never go back. If you go back then you can’t go forward. The past is the past and the future is yet to come. There’s no telling what good things might wait for you in the future, but staying behind and wanting for what was won’t get you anywhere. A vague part in Kara’s subconscious did actually want to go back to a time when she could’ve freely functioned under the guidance of Shinigami, but a greater part of her knew that the current standing between modsouls and Shinigami made such a thing impossible to do now. Going back after so long was a suicidal endeavor that Kara actively refused to engage in. She wanted to live and be free of her own accord after all.