Valeria hurried back to her car and got back inside. Ari was lying down, still on top of the newspapers on the back seat, one arm over his face and his eyes closed.
She turned to look at him, triumphant, beaming with pride. Her very first reaping and she did it so well, if she may say so herself.
No one was injured in the whole process.
Well, except for poor Mr Albert Chan who has to leave his human body, that is. But at least, she didn't hurt or stab him. She used a very humane, a very pretty item - it's a silk designer scarf, mind you - to reap his soul.
He cracked open an eye and looked at her.
"Yes, yes, good job noob," he mumbled grudgingly.
"See? I didn't even need to tackle him to the ground," she told him smugly. He opened both eyes and gave her an 'are you for real' look.
"What? You did try to stab me forcibly to reap my soul," she reminded him. He rolled his eyes.
"For the last time, I was desperately trying to meet a deadline and for your information, you did hit me with your car," he replied.
"No I didn't, I swerved and avoided you," she argued.
"Remember the loud thump you heard? That was me, your fender hitting me," he said.
"But you were standing right there, I saw you avoid me," she said.
"That was an illusion we use for mortals usually," he explained.
Refusing to take his words for it, she searched her memories and sure enough, there she was, her car barrelling down the road - wow, she didn't even realise she was speeding at that time - and suddenly bam! Her car did in fact connect with Ari and its two front wheels went over him too.
It's a good thing he's a reaper, he doesn't die or get injured from mortal instruments but it winded him. Only a reaper's reaping instrument can injure or kill a reaper, if the instrument was used as a weapon against them. Which was exactly what she did. She used his own reaping instrument to injure him.
Ari had appeared disoriented after her car hit him, so when he got up just as she came out of her car to confront him, he was still slightly disoriented.
"But wait, why didn't you just disappear?" she asked. In Ari's memories, he did not attempt to disappear at all right before being hit by her car.
"I don't have to explain everything to you, noob, now we have a soul to deliver, let's go," he said.
She knew where they had to go. The reapers sure have upgraded in accordance with the times.
Forget opening a portal to the afterlife to deliver the souls they reaped, that is just so yesterday, not to mention a waste of energy, powers and portals.
They have one headquarters for each city and the one in Zarin is in the centre of the city. It is one of those SOHO bohemian-style glass fronted buildings with plants creeping up every nook and crevice.
In fact, it looked like one of those vegan, alternative lifestyle places where you'd expect people to be doing yoga, sitting in groups to meditate, drink herbal teas and practise 'no violence no harm go green' pacifist approaches.
Valeria gaped at the brightly lit building that screamed Zen in every line and every decor, she is expecting to see a huge zen rock garden inside complete with smiling Buddha statues and waterfalls and fountains and frolicking elves.
Okay, maybe no elves, wrong genre. But still.
"So, can you walk or do I need to drag your heavy ass over to the headquarters?" she asked Ari. He struggled to sit up, groaning slightly while clutching his wound.
"For the last time, I am not heavy, you are the one with weak muscles, jeez," he said.
"What's wrong with being heavy anyway? What do you have against heavy people?" she asked in return.
He gave her a look.
"Are you trying to make me sound like some fatphobic asshole now?" he asked.
"If it fits…" she shrugged.
She killed the car engine. The best part about this whole Zen Soul Headquarters place is that it has ample free parking. Nothing like free parking in the middle of the city. It is like finding an elf in real life.
"What's your obsession with elves anyway? You even thought I was an elf after incorrectly assuming I was a zombie earlier," he asked.
She grinned.
"Have you never watched the Lord of the Rings? Those elves are dreamy, I wouldn't mind meeting one," she said.
"Bah…I am not one to indulge in human literature or entertainment," he replied flippantly.
"So, can you walk? Do you need a wheelchair? Do they provide wheelchairs?" she looked around the building, squinting to see if her super eyesight can now see through walls.
Nope. She can't see through walls. What a bummer.
"I can walk, you just need to help me get up," he said.
"Great, but make sure you don't stain my dress and coat, it's designer!" she reminded him. He rolled his eyes.
She got down and went to open the door for him. She stood at a distance from him and stretched out a hand to him.
"Here, take this," she said.
He looked at her hand and the way she was standing, as if to avoid him like he has some kind of disease, then he slapped her hand away.
"Forget it, you mortals and your designer wear…." He mumbled, struggling a moment before getting up and standing up on his own. He clutched his side for a moment and then righted himself.
She merely stood by and waited for him patiently, clutching her designer tote bag where she had tucked the soul in. This is definitely a first in the history of reapers. A reaper collecting a soul on a designer scarf and tucking it into a designer tote bag.
"Come on noob, let's go inside and get you introduced to your new colleagues," he said. He limped slowly towards the entrance of the Zen Soul Headquarters while she followed along. The glass door slid open automatically for them and they walked in.
Valeria gazed around in awe. It was just as she imagined. It was filled with Zen-like decor complete with rock gardens, meditation platforms, plentiful of plants, gorgeous warm calming lighting, fountains, bean bags and mats everywhere.
The only things missing were the smiling Buddha statues and perhaps, sexy half-naked elves.
Ari made an exasperated sound.
"For death's sake, stop with the elves, ugh and no, we don't have Buddha statues here because we are reapers, no mortal religious icons will be placed in here," he told her.
"Hey, a girl can dream isn't it? I mean about the elves, not the statues," she replied.
As they walked in, very slowly since Ari was limping due to his wound that he is clutching and is now dripping black goo on the pristine wood flooring, a few human-looking reapers turned to look at them.
All of them are good looking humans of various sizes. Some blonde, some with thick black hair, some brunette, some tall, some short, some large, some small but all with unusual glittery eyes. Like sparkling jewels of different colours. Oh well, good looking reapers with gorgeous eyes will do just nice in replacement of elves, she thought.
Ari gave her a look.
"What? I am just appreciative of good looking things, even if they are reapers, don't be such a hater," she told him.
"We have to meet my supervisor," he told her.
"Supervisor? Wow. You have ranks and stuffs too? Are there managers too? CEOs?" she asked.
"Oh for…just shuddup and come along," he mumbled, annoyed. She stuck her tongue out behind him and followed along. Very slowly, while avoiding his dripping black goo.
"You ah…are goo-ing up the nice wooden floor…I know for a fact that all this black goo will be a nightmare to clean up," she told him as they made their slow progress inside.
"And whose fault is that," Ari mumbled under his breath. He continued ambling slowly deeper into the huge space and she followed along. They passed a few other reapers who gave them curious looks but did not greet or speak to them. None of them appeared concerned with Ari who is apparently bleeding.
"Don't you have any reaper friends here? No one seem bothered that you are leaking black goo all over the floor as you walk," she asked.
"That's cause I won't die from it, we don't die so easily," he told her.
"Well, you could have fooled me, you look half dead before I saved you with a drop of my blood," she responded smartly.
Ari looked like he wanted to say something but thought better of it. They came to a door and he knocked on it before entering. She went in with him.
She had thought it was an office but it turned out to be another large open space of plants and meditation platforms and a small waterfall except on one side, the whole wall is full of tiny cubbyholes.
A tall imposing woman, who has to be at least six foot three, came over to them. She has golden eyes and bright red hair.
"Ari, I saw your report," she addressed him. She turned to study at Valeria, her face expressionless.
"I suppose we have no choice then, we are short-handed and we need someone in your section," she said, still addressing Ari. She turned around and walked to one of the meditation platforms and sat down easily on it, folding her tall frame flexibly.
"Valeria Maeve Aurelaire Brinstrone, please come forward for your briefing," she told Valeria. Valeria looked at Ari, he nodded encouragingly. She shrugged and went to the woman, presumably Ari's supervisor, who will also be her supervisor now.
"Hi, so you know my name, what's yours?" she went over to the supervisor and offered her hand to shake. The supervisor merely looked at her hand and gestured for her to sit down.
Valeria snatched back her hand and sat down awkwardly. She really needed to do more stretching to be as limber as these reapers.
"You have injured one of ours, a rarity I must say, you will now have to be a substitute reaper to take his place while he recovers," she said.
Valeria nodded. She already knew that.
"Your assignment as a substitute is to reap 100 souls within 3 months and if you fail to do so, your soul will be sent right down to hell to serve the King of Hell, any questions?"
"Wait WHAT?" she exclaimed.