Kurokanojo Part 8 - The Story of Jessi Rizzo

Jessi opened her eyes. Where was she? It looked like some kind of office. The last thing she remembered, there was a party. The whole "instructions to become a Grim Reaper" thing was just a few magic words, but they didn't do anything. It was most likely a scam, so she went to have fun with her friend.

She strained to remember more.

That one friend – Nicole, if she could remember right – was, well, she was being a whore. Again. Jessi decided to drown her sorrows in punch. In retrospect, it might have been spiked. It didn't taste right. Then, things got a little blurry. She felt like puking. Then again, she might have puked in the bathroom already. She went out to the pool. The others coaxed her into swimming in that state.

She couldn't navigate.

Her body felt heavy.

Water filled her lungs.

She couldn't breathe…

Someone came around the corridor. It was a man dressed completely in black, a business suit. He used something long and sharp to readjust his glasses, but Jessi honestly couldn't tell what it was. Her vision, at the moment, was too blurry to make out anything. She heard the man say, "It is about time you showed up. We have been expecting you since your death a few days ago."

For a moment, that line sunk like a rock. But then it all came back. She died because of a drunken party incident, nothing more to it. The man continued while fixing bulky, unappealing glasses onto her face, "I am William T. Spears, supervisor of the Dispatch Management among Shinigami. I realize you must be in shock at this moment, but please delay any traumatic stress symptoms until after I have assigned you to your guidance instructors. They will be teaching you the basics of becoming a Grim Reaper and techniques when soul harvesting."

A Grim Reaper. That phony online spell really worked. Jessi Rizzo was going to become a reaper. She couldn't contain herself any longer and glomped the supervisor.  "Thank you!!!~<3"

William was scared stoic after such physical contact. When the girl regained her modesty, he composed himself and realigned his glasses again. "I see young girls attend to stress in different ways…"

Spears led Jessi to someone that seemed to be a man in all red with matched red hair, red glasses, and a rather bloody-looking red chainsaw. His hair was grown out, so he seemed rather feminine. It took her a moment to realize he (she?) did that on purpose. "Mr. Grell Sutcliffe, this is your newest student, Jessi Rizzo. The trainee classes cannot begin for her until the start of the next semester, so you are to acquaint her with yourself and Mr. Ronald Knox as well as her living quarters."

"WHAT?!?" Sutcliff protested. "William, you know I don't do kids!"

He adjusted his glasses again. "Yes, and with that it's safe to say that this is one assignment where I needn't prepare sexual harassment papers."  

If it were an anime, Grell would have one of those red anger markings. Maybe three. She stomped her foot on the ground. "Fine! I'll see if I can find Ronald!" She grabbed Jessi tightly by the wrist and she was defenseless against it, so she just went along with the flow. After walking through a couple hallways, Grell finally looked back, seemingly feeling guilty. "Oh. My, how unladylike … I haven't given you so much as a word on the subject, haven't I?" It wasn't until a moment later he remembered to let go.

       Jessi tried not to make the situation too serious; it was obvious he and this Will guy were not on the best terms. "Oh, it's really no big deal. Apparently I died and became a Shinigami. No big deal … my name is Jessi Rizzo, by the way."

       Grell calmed himself to a smile. "I'm sorry, I'm always so insensitive to the rookies. I know you just experienced something truly unique. I am your instructor, Grell Sutcliff. I'll introduce you to your other teacher as soon as we find him." She turned before asking. "Might I inquire how you died, or is it too soon? I can never tell."

       She followed behind her, knowing that they were on the elusive-teacher hunt again. "I'm over it, really. Just a bit depressing my death was so lame. I got drunk and drowned in a pool."

       She cocked her head over her shoulder, "Um, dear, no offense, but if I were you I'd either make something up or keep it my little secret."

       Rizzo blushed. "Well, I didn't want to drink in the first place. Someone spiked my punch, so you could say it was indirect murder. You see, I was at this party and –"

       "Did someone say 'party'?" Ronald almost ran in from around the corner. He was a Shinigami in yet another business suit and glasses, but his hair was layered with blond hair that was brown underneath. His scythe, a lawn mower, was placed beside him. Looking to Jessi, Ronald was being his old self. "So, rookie, huh? Y'know, I can teach you all there is to reaping; I'm like the master, myself. Piece of cake. So if you ever want to get together sometime - -"

       Jessi cringed at the offer from the older man while Grell took his chainsaw to Knox's head only to be blocked by the lawn mower. Grell screamed to him, "Have you no shame?! This young girl was seventeen, and hasn't aged a day since her Death Date!"

       "You know just as well as I do that between Shinigami ages don't matter because we never get old anyways." He shrugged. "I don't see what the big deal is."

       Grell facepalmed and shook her head in defeat. She turned back to Jessi. "I have more important work to do, so just remember not to give that man an inch!"

       A joke about inches crossed Ronald's mind, but then again that would be inappropriate so he just chuckled to himself. Rizzo nodded in agreement to Grell before she ran off. Which left her alone with Ronald. "So," she began awkwardly, "what can you tell me about reaping, again?"

       He leaned against a wall, his arms behind his head. "The technique itself is a basic concept. We go to where people are dying and use our death scythes to open their Cinematic Record - you may know them as memories – and judge what kind of life they led. We decide whether they go to heaven, hell, or if they survive."

       Jessi's right hand brushed by her smaller scythe strapped around her waist and grabbed it. "So, we just use this?"

       Ronald shook his head in a chuckle. "Not usually, no. See, you rookies just need to sit back in the classroom for a while, learn all the fighting skills, ethics, and all that written junk they make you go through. If you pass that, which few do, then you go on to a field test. Judge and collect a soul and you become a full grim reaper. Get to customize both your glasses and your scythe. You'll notice both me and Sutcliff's little numbers." He held up the lawnmower as if he were proud to wield such a thing. His arms stretched out when he shot out one arm to hold it higher and Jessi could've sworn that his hand passed her butt, but let it go. Ronald added, "Oh! One more thing! Since Mr. Sutcliff and I are supposed to be your teachers starting next semester, you should know that he is sensitive about the whole 'being a man' thing. He's prefer it if you'd address him as a woman whenever possible. I know he gets angry at me whenever I slip up. Though, it's fun when he gets angry. If he slips, you can hear his man voice."

       As much as the information was useful, Jessi was beginning to become less and less comfortable around her. She could swear she could feel his eyes. Rather rudely, she exclaimed, "Aren't there any other female Shinigami?"

       He scratched the back of his neck, rather disappointed. "Yeah, but a lot of those girls just stick with desk jobs. A lot of them aren't fighters. Not really surprising since women's rights only happened in the last hundred years or so. Takes even longer to reach supernatural standards, which only means you'll have to work that much harder to get on the field with me!"

       Jessi could feel shivers along her spine when Ronald put his hand around her. Did he have no rules at all about teacher/student relationships? Rizzo honestly didn't know how to react to it. After all, she was a high school student and not a very popular one at that. She never had someone like her. Especially not someone who was most likely a couple hundred years older than her. Or was it like he said and was really no big deal? Confusing. She shook herself from her daze to ask another question. "What about these clunky glasses? I had perfect 20/20 vision when I was alive! They just don't compliment me at all." She started to pout.

       "Ooh," Ronald groaned. "You wouldn't want Spears to hear you say that. All Shinigami needs glasses – that's just how it works – and he goes off whenever someone disrespects them. You can get better ones made by Father if you ever become a full-reaper. Besides, I think you look cute like this."

       Glasses were so important? And who was Father? Jessi was starting to feel like a complete newbie for having all of these questions in her head, so she just smiled and thanked him, slowly stepping away. Even with a semi-realistic smile plastered across her face, Ronald could tell that the day was going on a bit long for her. He reached out his hand genuinely. "I'm really not supposed to do this, especially not with first-years, but there's this place called the Shinigami Library. Those books are where all of the collected souls are brought." Her eyes lit up. "I could take you there if you want."

~*~*~

Knox may have taken Jessi there, but he didn't hesitate to leave her either. Rizzo wandered through the "B" section aimlessly. It began to dawn on her that her true life was over. In truth, her dad probably didn't miss her, the lousy drunk. Jessi was disappointed about not being able to see her mother in heaven. People in her high school she could live without, but what about her career? What about vet school? Can't help animals live when she has to collect the souls of the dying. Being surrounded by so many souls was starting to creep her out. She looked over her shoulder worriedly. Everywhere around her seemed to be filled with shadows though when she looked directly in any direction it was as bright as the rest of the room.

Jessi ran between the aisles of the Shinigami Library. Whispers were just barely audible, so she ducked behind one of the bookcases. Across the hall was a certain undead transvestite pleading with his superior. Jessi grinned, pleased that it was only her nerves after all. Grell was on her knees, begging the man. "Oh, please please please please let me stay in London, William! I have so much history here and one place in the human world is as boring as another! I don't want to be apart from you, my dear William!"

Rizzo held back her chuckles.

Spears shook the woman in red off of his black pants. "Mr. Sutcliff, let go of me! Now, I've already mentioned this isn't permanent. There have been reports of illegal soul-utilizing technology in the United States and we need someone to confirm it. That is all, barely even a trip. Really, how you've come to suffer from such extreme separation anxiety is beyond me. Now, I suggest you pack and leave before you are given overtime."

Grell, disheartened, left. Though, after a few steps she went back to her boss and plant a kiss on his lips before running away for her work screaming, "I'll be back soon!" Spears, though, had the reactions of a statue. Jessi, immediately, regretted eavesdropping. She blushed, covered her hands over her eyes, and stepped backwards. Apparently, there were quite a few more office relationships than anticipated. Then, it hit her. One of her teachers was heading out to America, because apparently right now she was in London. A plan immediately formed. Who wants to sit in a classroom to learn how to be a grim reaper? Who learns like that? Certainly if she could prove herself on the field she could become a full reaper immediately! Knox may be a creep, but Grell seemed nice for the most part and definitely seemed like a rule-bender. As soon as William walked away, Rizzo ran to her red-clad teacher. Before she let the Mister slip, she remembered what Ronald told her. "Ms. Sutcliff! Wait up!"

Grell paused in her tracks and turned around smiling. "Yes, what is it?"

Jessi caught up with him, taking out her rookie-scythe. She smirked. "I'm coming with you."

She laughed. "Ha! You haven't learned your first lesson yet! You haven't attended any classes and you only arrived here today!" She smiled crookedly and revealed her shark-like teeth. "Are you really so arrogant?"

She shrugged. "Well, I was still human not too long ago. Arrogance is a human thing."

She looked to her questioningly. "You do realize … there is a way for death to await even us."

"And I am sure I'll never have to face it."

"It's against the rules. Deathly consequences will rise up should Dispatch find out should we do this."

"I've always sensed you were a fellow rule-bender."

Grell grabbed Jessi by the arm and pulled her eagerly toward the door.