A Midnight Walk Through The Rain

As Daylight Savings was to once again be set forward once more within the hour, the midnight blue sky was eliminated only by the glowing silver sphere in the sky. It was another lovely night in the outskirts of Arlington, Texas, right off of Green Oaks was a CVS Pharmacy where one simple female sat on the dge of the roof humming to herself. The cars passing by couldn't see her. The workers that took the night shift at the Little Ceaser's a few hundred feet to her left were too busy taking orders from customers. Mia was just watching them all go by, as se couldn't speak to them. Or was it that they couldn't hear her? Either way, for Mia, to be in her hometown, not even a mile away from her home where her eighty year old elder sister now lived was completely depressing. She contemplated donning a gigai and going to see her, but the shock from it would probably kill her.

Instead, she pulled a stopwatch out of her bra of all places, green and frilly, before clicking it open for a melody to start playing inside. She pulls it out fully, hanging it around her neck and jumps down with the music still playing. This was a locket she died with in her hand, pushing her elder sister out of the way. But, not wanting to remember Mia shook her head. It was pointless to dwell on that now and again, but she always remembered one thing. How her sister held her in her arms as she died. Both of them crying as they said goodbye. She smiled, knowing just how much her sister loved her. Each step she took resonated within the rain that began to fall,eventually being overtaken by the rain she walked through.

A simple jump using her basic Shinigami powers to walk on air, and she was across the street on top of the ruins of a Walmart. It had burned down and it was left there. All the steel in place as she walked across the beams. Maybe today, the rain would bring someone to her. Mia put a hand to chin in thought, but sat down on this same beam. What did she even have to think on? She doubted anyone would ever be out here. After all, this town is mainly... ruins of what it once was.

"Can one survive a fall from such a height?" A shadowy creature spoke whimsically as it held a human by the throat, the man dangling over ground. Two bright white eyes gazed at the human insect before itself, the monster grinning beneath its contrasting mist that shrouded its entire body. The human only replied in a gurgle before the monster spoke again, its voice metallic, and pinpoint. It spoke without a care in the world, its vocabulary relaxed and fluid as each syllable of the English language was pronounced correctly. "Huh? I couldn't catch that? Well no matter, I'm sure the pavement would appreciate a hug." Albatross spoke with a sinister chuckle as its small hands let go of the man, the being of smoke and mist giggling to itself in the darkness that was night. Watching the human plummet from the sky, his arms flailing and feet kicking everything searching for something t hold onto, to stop his imminent demise.

All was in vain as all that could be heard in the ten seconds than it took for the man to fall was a thud, a splatter upon the abandoned road. With a sigh, Albatross Prototype stopped laughing as it reclaimed its composure, it had always found death funny, the mere idea of vanishing from one realm only to be shoved into another. The creature saw little point in the process that was so inefficient. Though as it recalled its own deaths, some even self inflicted, the three foot being couldn't help but chuckle darkly. It had been ages since it had died, and looking upon the silvery orb in the sky known as the Moon, Alba couldn't help but feel rejuvenated, joyous even. Perhaps, just perhaps, it would kill itself again to see where it would be rebirithed again. However that thought quickly exited the monster's mind as its bright white eyes swirled into a pitch black as it looked over the desolate town in Texas.

There was nobody around to witness the human's death, and even less to hold Albatross accountable for it. Pleased by this, Alba descended from the night sky, landing on the bloody pavement where the corpse laid still. The man's soul still in place by his body. Alba was happy, to say the least, as it licked its nonexistent lips. Its hand descending on the human's soul as it was taken into Alba's own body, as it gained all of the human's memories, experiences, and even his appearance. "Bleh..." was all that was whispered in the back alley street, surrounded by overgrown plants and trees. The taste of the man's soul leaving a salty aftertaste to Albatross' senses.

Looking around at what was left of the town, Alba cleaned up the corpse as the left over body parts, blood, and organs were absorbed into the small creature as it gingerly touched the pieces of flesh. The fresh warm feeling not unsettling in the slightest. It only took a few seconds before the entire mess was gone, disappeared from reality. And just as Alba laughed, knowing it was completely undetectable as usual, not even letting a scent, a sound, even the slightest bit of energy out of its body it was as if the smoky being did not even exist. As if Albatross was a mere phantom of reality, though that was untrue as unlike a phantom, Alba always found joy in toying with reality, to be apart of it.

Taking several steps North, out of the overgrown street, which was not even lit by the light poles, Alba's appearance changed as it took on the appearance of a human, its former characteristics of smoke disappeared as it grew skin, and its insides replaced with organs and bone. Alba's bright green eyes reflected in the moonlight now as it walked around aimlessly in the more populated parts of Arlington, its gelled back brown hair rustling from slight breezes that passed on by. Its height had increased to five feet and seven inches as its white skin was pale and riddled with slight scars, its wry thin lips complementing its pointed nose that almost pierced the air.

Letting its distorted energy ride with the wind, Albatross felt like an average human, though its attire made it stand out at such a time of day, its prim black suit and matching white dress shirt being off from the more casual clothing of those who still roamed around in the rain. Alba did not mind the rain, the water making the action of walking as a normal human more enjoyable. Though as Alba let its sensing skills pick up everything in its sphere of influence did it notice an interesting individual North of its own position.

With a smirk spread across its face Albatross headed towards the stranger, letting its senses guide it to the remains of the Walmart. From across the parking lot Albatross saw the individual on the steel beam of the skeletal marketplace. Wiping away some water from its pointed eyebrows Albatross headed in the woman's direction, making attempts to make eye contact with the spiritual being. Moving closer and closer, Albatross finally reached the bottom of the structure before actually saying anything if the stranger had not moved away. "Quite a day to be sitting in the rain isn't it?"

Image:

A voice. A male voice. Mia's ead turned slowly to see this male landing near her n the seal beam, images of her past running through her mind. A scream tore from her lips as the male stood, awaiting her answer. Her body moved on its own, jumping up and using shunpo to get away from the male near her. Her fear of men kicked in once more, beating and rape causing this insane level of fear as she missed only a single step in her very poorly done shunpo. The wet steel beams were unforgiving as her foot slipped on the beam's wet surface, causing her to fall off the beam into a twenty foot drop.

Her sword was drawn instantly and impaled into the beam, Mia pulling herself up and back onto the beam. The man was one hundred feat away as she sheathed her zanpakuto, retreating further. Mia didn't want to be near a man and wouldn't be if she could help it. She hopped down into the ruins, the rain pelting her still as she ran through it all, slicing things out of her way before exiting. A Parking Lot greeted her. Worn and cracked with some area rising above the rest by several feet due to explosions in the past, Mia used shunpo again, just wanting to get away.

Her fear, in her own mind made complete sense, but no sense at all. The young violet haired, orange clothed myrmidon never understood her fear completely, but knew full well it could hurt her if she wasn't careful. She wasn't shy, sh was rather hyper. But, even then Mia wasn't always hyper. Back when she was in Squad Eleven, she actually liked Yachiru and played with her a lot. But, due to her disability with men, she had a room far from the others in a female's only dorm of sorts. Yachiru sometimes stayed with her, and she loved it when she did. But things change, this she realized as she ran across the street of Green Oaks.

It suddenly came to her... why was she so fearful of men now...? Plenty had proved they were kind and had helped her. Mia stopped when she landed on the sidewalk, turning back to see if the man was still their. She lowered her head in shame, probably having offended him.

"Aye!" she called out with a fist pump, remembering when Squad Eleven needed a morale boost and she shouted Aye. But... with the Gotei destroyed, she had no real home. Rogue...? No. Not really. She was still looking for everyone, hoping they had survived.

But for now... she had a possible friend, whither or not they were and arrancar or something. Not the she had any clue what he was.


(I'm sorry... I coulden't think of anything and looked at her application... I forgot about her fear of men.)

(OCC: Alba's race is called a Gamble, so that is what I'm referring t when I say that in my post).

Albatross couldn't help but blink as the woman took off screaming, the creature in human skin confused as to why the shinigami had fled. Several thoughts ran through Alba's mind at that exact moment as it heard that awful scream. Had it offended? Had it the scent of blood still on its body? Those questions and more ran rampant through Albatross' mind as it lifted its arm in protest something to the fleeing woman. The monster's wry thin opening slowly to call out to the girl even. Not an audible word escaped Alba's lips however as its mouth clamped shut in surprise as its fake heart skipped a beat seeing the shinigami slip upon the soaking wet metal.

The monster flinched as its feet began moving towards her position but it stopped mid step as it saw her catch herself by using her zanpakuto. At that Alba couldn't help but laugh to itself inside its mind, glad that the female had some wits about her despite the sudden screaming and fleeing. But the Gamble still felt the whole situation was odd, it had known many a human who had fears, some simply delusional, but this woman had an odd air about her one which the Gamble would take into account while proceeding.

Letting its advanced sensory abilities work, Alba stayed where it was under the steel beams, taking refuge under some metal plating so it would be out of the rain. As it waited under the metal sheet, Alba felt where the girl had gone as she had left the ruins of Walmart and she was several hundred feet away now. To say the least it would prove an interesting night, but Alba still had reservations as to what it should do next as it left the metal covering and walked about the store, seeing as the girl had cut apart some areas to move more quickly.

"Have I lost my touch at acting human?" Was the main question on Albatross' mind as it left the area and stood outside the skeleton of a store. Its complacent green eyes scanning the parking lot and beyond to see where she had gone. Finally, looking through the cloak of rain and night Alba found her, standing at the edge, on the sidewalk. With a sigh the creature cracked its neck to relieve some of its stress as it began massaging its left wrist. Waiting to see what would happen next. It wondering whether she would run away or hopefully not do anything violent.

For as much as the Collector of Souls could stand and commit violence it always did so while keeping in mind of moderation. There was little point in having too much violence, after all Alba's goal was to maintain a healthy mind and soul having found a purpose in life. Alba's dwelling was cut short as it looked back at the shinigami as she shouted "Aye!" with a fist pump.

Waving gingerly from across the damaged and demented parking lot, Alba stayed relative quiet this time as it simply replied back with a simple "Hello!" Its voice cracking slightly as it tried speaking over the splattering of the rain and wind. It took no steps forward, as it kept its distance. Its gelled back hair fully drooping down covering its pale ears and eyebrows now. It was soaking wet, but it did not let that fact bother it, for it was simply water.

Bringing down its arm from waving, the Gamble put both hands in its pockets as it shouted again over the rain. "I'm sorry I frightened you! Are you okay? I saw that you slipped! Nothings broken right?" Albatross spoke out as it shivered slightly, the creature walking a few steps over from its position to a small awning, so it was then out of the rain, even if for a bit. "You're a shinigami aren't you? Your type of spiritual energy feels familiar!" Hoping that she would reply Albatross waited under the ripped tarp.