A/N: Monday again? Wow. A week is fast. So here I am giving you a new chapter while watching anime. Hope you like it! :D
Mr. Grell Michaelis: I did really love your idea from so long ago so I had to do something with it. You'll know what I'm talking about in a millisecond.
"Not today! Not today! Honestly?"
Ophelia ran out of her bathroom and shouted down to her mum, "Do we have any extra contacts for me?" "No," Ella shouted back, "You need a new prescription. Just use your old glasses. They're in the box under your sink."
"But Mum! I'm going out with Ronald and Grell tonight! There has to be a way to get contacts in before then!" Phe whined. Not my glasses... "There's nothing I can do, Phe. It'll take at least a week for them to come in. You'll either have to go blind or wear glasses and you can't see anything without help," said Ella.
As much as she didn't want to, Phe had to face the truth. She grumbled and went back into her bathroom to retrieve her spectacles.
"Of all days for this to happen, it's the day I'm reaping souls with shinigami. Now I sure look the part. Except for the eye." Phe stared herself in the mirror. "Oh gosh. I look like a younger version of Grell."
And the sad truth was, she really did. Fair face. Long red hair. Bright red glasses. Even you would have thought they were siblings if you saw them side by side.
Phe trudged downstairs and into the kitchen. Her mother noticed immediately.
"You know, with the glasses, you kind of look like Grell." "I know!" snapped Phe. I hate glasses from the beginning and now I look like Grell's younger sister. Curse these horrid things!
"Okay okay, sorry," apologized Ella.
Soon Phe was dropped at school once more. As always, she met up with Sam and Devon.
"Bwahahaha! Gosh Phe! I don't remember your glasses being bright red!" laughed Sam. Phe hit her on the head with a book.
"No. Bad Sam," she scolded. "Ow, that hurt, man." Sam rubbed that spot on the top of her head. "If you keep hitting me like that I'm going to get a concussion," she told Phe.
"No you won't," Phe replied, "You need to be nicer." "I'm extraordinarily nice! Those just look ridicu... Wait a minute... You look like Grell!" she announced. Devon recognized the similarities and said, "She has a point." "Please, don't remind me," whined Phe.
She liked Grell. He was fun to be around. Ophelia just didn't appreciate bring recognized as a lookalike.
The three split and went through school.
"Ophelia! Are you ready for tonight? We're going to have a lot of fun! I'll never forget my first." Grell drifted off into a memory and, by the smile on his face, it was a very a happy one.
"Stop it," said Phe, "If anyone heard what you just said without context, they'll be assuming bad things." Phe was lucky because as usual no one care enough to listen.
"Well, Ron found the perfect person on his list. Old age, no family, nothing to make you feel bad," said Grell. "Thanks for the consideration. I'm actually a bit nervous and scared to be honest," said Phe, "This is really out there and I'm not even a shinigami!"
Grell comforted her, "I can only imagine how you feel, but if it helps, you sure look the part." He pointed to the glasses on her nose. "I dropped my last contacts down the sink, okay!" growled Ophelia.
"Relax, I quite like the glasses. They look just like mine," Grell commented, "Well, not now in this drab disguise, but later." The bell rang before they could talk more.
Grell's lesson was rather interesting. In honour of his last day, he played a review game. It was amazingly easy considering they were only four days into the entire subject. At the end of the class Phe gave her gift to Grell.
"Well, 'Mr. Redd', I wish you could stay longer, but since you can't..." She pulled out a small cardboard box from her bag and set it on the desk. Ophelia slid it forward with a huge smile.
Grell eyed it, surprised at the unexpected kindness. He neatly unwrapped and opened the box. Phe spoke up as Grell looked at the contents, "I got you a bunch of small bows for your hair. I think you'd look pretty with them. I made sure to put extra red and black ones in there."
Grell smiled happily. "Oh, Phe! You didn't have to do this." He stood to reach across the desk and hug the girl.
"You're the nicest human I've ever met!" he said. Phe wasn't sure if that was a compliment, but she said thank you anyway. She went through her usual classes.
At the end of the day Phe was accompanied by Sam and Devon as always.
"So Ronald and Grell hung around your place last night?" asked Sam. "Yeah, it was fun. I told them about the buffet incident and before that I got some good pictures of Grell by the old field we used to go to," she replied. "You'll have to let me see!"
The mere second Sam said that sentence, she was gone.
"Hey, Mr. Redd!" Phe turned around to see Sam running after Grell. Not wanting to be a part of any chaos that may ensue, she stayed behind and watched with Devon.
"Hello, Sam," said the teacher. God, she's short. "Well, i just wanted to say thanks for... Is that a bow in your hair?" Grell blushed and picked the thing out of his hair. He smiled guiltily at Sam.
"Why?" she asked. Grell, offended at the question, replied, "Sam, it's quite adorable! And they were a gift!" "Uh... You really need to date Grell," she told him. Grell chuckled and walked out of sight as Sam returned like a boomerang to her friends.
"Whelp, Dev, and I are cleaning Bartholomew's tub today." "Don't call me Dev, Sam. It's just odd. One of us shouldn't have a nickname," he replied.
The two left and soon enough Phe did too. She immediately went to print the photos.
As she was picking out only the best, a certain one caught her eye and made her smile. "Grell, you sneaky tranny..."
Instead of skipping or deleting it, she added it to the ones she'd print. Two copies of each listed picture came out of the machine. "There. Some for me, some for them." Phe collected the pictures and went home to get ready.
Ophelia spent quite some time choosing an outfit. There were so many things to take into consideration. She'd need something comfortable, fashionable, and something she could be ready for anything in. With no idea what to expect, Ophelia just wore usual jeans, a t-shirt, and a jacket.
She walked downstairs to see her mother sitting on the couch expecting her. "Phe, can you sit down a moment?" Ella asked. "Sure." Ophelia plopped down next to her mum.
"Now you're going out with two men, tonight. I know Grell's too gay to try anything, but if Ronald..." Mum!" Phe stood up from the couch.
"I just want you to be aware that..." "MUM!" "If it happens just..." "I'm going upstairs!" shouted Phe. She stomped up to her room.
To avoid that entire conversation, she stayed up there until the doorbell rang. At that moment, she rushed downstairs to get the door before her mother could.
Ron tried to greet her, but she pushed him out and yelled, "I'm going now! Bye!" She slammed the door shut behind her.
Inside Ella smirked. "I just love teasing that girl," she mumbled, flipping another page in her book.
"What was that about?" asked Ronald. "Mum seems to believe a couple things... You know what? It's not important. Let's go," Phe replied.
She began to walk out when Ronald stopped her. He spun her around and looked down at her. "Look," he said worriedly, "This isn't stuff a human should know about and you're going to witness it firsthand. Are you sure you're going to be alright? It's going to look like we're killing the guy, but I swear we aren't."
Ophelia took the worry in his eyes into consideration before answering, "I'm ready, Ron." Still unsure, Ronald brought out his scythe and the two were off.
Phe held onto Ronald tightly. She wasn't squeezing the air out of him like she did Grell, but Ron's discomfort was there. Ophelia was just happy to not be nearly flying off the back.
In a manner of mercy more than romance, Ronald had Phe stand in front of him. She felt more secure and he was able to make sure she was safe.
For once, Phe was glad about being on Ronald's scythe. Lights lit up the floor as people bussed about, finishing things before the sun finished setting. She smiled as they passed over a fountain that had just lit up with multicoloured lights.
Turning her head to the sky, Phe noticed all the clouds. Stars weren't evident in the stretches of sky visible, but the clouds were a sight. The scythe was too low in the sky (for Phe's oxygen needs of course) to reach out to them though.
Ophelia felt herself relax and rested her head on the front bar of the scythe. Ronald was more than happy she was finally enjoying the ride. The wind running through his hair had always been his favourite part.
No words were exchanged, but each could tell the other was content. It was a chilly and lovely night, especially for a magic lawnmower ride.
Ronald tried his best and was able to land gently. Phe sighed happily, "Much better. Why can't you do that otherwise?" "Because I didn't know I could," he replied.
Ophelia began to take note of her surroundings. The two had landed in the parking lot of an apartment complex. Grell was standing at the bottom of a staircase at one building. His arms were crossed and he tapped his foot impatiently.
"You two get over here! Someone's going to see you!" he hissed. Ophelia rushed over as did Ronald who had somehow ditched his lawnmower. Phe was beginning to suspect it shrinks, but that seems a bit much even for a shinigami.
Grell informed the two of things even Ronald hadn't taken into account, "Okay. We can't just waltz in there because we have the girl. Ronald, you go in and undo the lock. The papers said this guy is a pretty light sleeper, so be quiet. We're using my scythe because I'm behind. We all have to stay quiet. Oh, Ronnie, one more thing, you and I are staying visible. We aren't going to leave Phe alone. Everyone understand?" Ophelia nodded, but Ronald felt it necessary to snap into attention and salute his senpai.
Ronald then walked straight through the wall behind Grell. "How the..." "The rules here don't apply to us, dear. How else would we be able to get in and out of places and collect without having some sort of identification or something?" Grell told Phe.
She was utterly shocked as the front door to the apartment opened and Ronald invited them in. Grell and Ophelia tiptoed inside.
The walls were white, nearly matching the skin on the aged man sitting in front of them. His head was tilted back at an awkward angle and his mouth gaped open. He was sprawled across the leather chair he was lying in. Phe heard a loud buzzing whirring sound next to her.
"Oh gosh, that sounds like..." Her last words were cut off as she turned to see Grell wielding the exact instrument she had thought it was, a chainsaw.
The corners of Grell's mouth turned upward in a sadistic smile. Phe was instantly terrified as a flash of blood lust when through his eyes. This wasn't the Grell she knew.
In a single leap, Grell had managed to cover three metres and now stood in front of the old man. With one swift movement, the blade of the motorized scythe had been plunged into the elderly man. Grell drew out the chainsaw with satisfaction.
There was no blood or gore. There was no tugging at the scythe to get its teeth to let go of the man. It was as if the scythe was a hologram, but Phe knew the man was dead. His light breaths had stopped and he seemed much more dead and old.
Phe blinked, hoping for the sight to go away, but it didn't. She then turned to Grell who seemed to be watching something in blank space. Phe spun to Ronald who looked as if he was seeing it too.
"What are you looking at?" Phe asked Ron. As Grell was the one who needed to pay attention to the cinematic record, Ronald explained to Ophelia what was happening, "A person's memories, thoughts, and nearly their entire life are stored on their soul. When a shinigami reaps someone, an account of the most important part of their life begins to play. It's nearly all Grell can see at the moment. I can see it also, but it's not the only thing I can see. The account is called a cinematic record. There's a bit of paperwork that comes after it, but that's all boring and useless."
"Oh," replied Phe, "What happened to Grell when he took the man's soul? He looked like an animal. I know you saw him." Ronald nodded slowly. "There are some things you will never know about Grell. I'm sorry, but that's one thing I'd prefer not to answer," he told her, "But if it makes you feel any better, I know for a fact Grell would never hurt you."
Phe was silent on the way back. Ronald let her stand in front again, but she was anything but relaxed. The whole reality of reapers and what they really do had dawned on her. They may not kill people, but her new friends now terrified her, especially Grell.
Ronald's word of comfort had done nothing to ease her fear. Grell had another side of him. One that wasn't flamboyant and carefree. Grell was a killer and he enjoyed it. That was something she couldn't ignore. That smile, that horrifying smile... Phe now knew why he had those teeth.
Ronald's landing was not as soft as at the apartments, but Phe didn't care. She thanked the two, shook their hands, said goodbyes, and walked to the front door.
The shinigami followed her. "Wait out here," she said emotionless, "I'll get the book and ring." After retrieving the two items, Phe walked back out and handed them to Ronald.
Grell comforted the clearly distressed Phe, "Dear, I know what you saw tonight. I know how you must feel. Just don't forget that I'm still that fun-loving, scarlet beauty you always knew." He smiled and Phe instantly felt better. The teeth were there, but it wasn't the diabolical smile she'd seen earlier. She smiled back and hoped to never see that look again.
Phe laughed at herself and said, "You're right. You're right." She hugged the two shinigami.
Ronald looked down at the book and ring. "You know what? You keep them," he told Phe. She took the book from him, but he kept the ring. Ron popped open the box and moved the ring around in his palm.
"And with this. You need to wear it." He grabbed Phe's hand and slipped the ring on her finger.
"But why?" asked Phe. Ronald smiled and shrugged. "Well, it belongs to my little secret, right? That's you now. You'll stay between the two of us, okay?" Phe nodded. "Does this mean you'll visit?" she asked, "I'm not great at making friends so this is something I don't want to just throw away." Ron laughed, "Ophelia Westbrooke, why in the world would we spend so much time on you if we were just going to leave?"
That night Ophelia was perfectly content. She'd had a wonderful day and Rona and Grell would visit soon, but even soon was much too far away...
A/N: Hope you liked it! Okay, now I know the walk through walls thing hasn't been proven or anything, but if people die in locked houses like they do, how else would a shinigami collect a soul? You would not believe how many times I had to double check what I typed to make sure I wrote "reap" instead of "rape"... A simple mistake that could switch the meaning of something drastically.