Soul Reapers Like Sweets, Right?

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J

Juneberry

Guest
Original poster
It was getting towards the end of the bakery's usualy midday rush, and it was the part of the day that Chloe loved. She didn't have school at that time, and was happy to have more work hours- especially hours that included being in the kitchen. Despite her young age, Chloe had enough informal training to work at that bakery. From a young age, she'd been taken in by the baker who had been friendly with her family.

He'd given her a home after her mother died by letting her use the space above the bakery as an apartment free of rent, and gave her something to do by letting her help at the bakery ever since she was small- though, now that she was old enough, he paid her. Her cooking was skillful, and many people seemed to enjoy it, so it was a win-win for her and the bakery itself. The patrons didn't seem to complain either.

Wiping sweat from her brow with one of her long sleeves, she could feel her blond hair sticking to her neck from the heat of the oven. She was careful to keep everything sanitary, and was working hard to stir some batter while keeping an eye on a few loaves of bread in one of the big ovens that made their home in the kitchen. Blue eyes consistently looked back and forth between the mixing bowl and the counter, until a shout came from the main bakery area. The door opened, and her boss came to tell her to take a break due to fearing she'd overwork. She was reluctant, but followed the orders and left the kitchen in his capable hands.

Exiting the kitchen, her hands moved to take down the hair that she'd kept tied behind her head to keep it out of food, no longer needing to feel it brush her neck at the ends as easily as she did at the moment. She pushed the ribbon used for it into her apron with closed eyes, finally opening them when she felt ready to be adjusted to the new light of the new room. With her eyes open, she saw the many people finally starting to leave the bakery and let out a small sigh with her genuine yet practiced smile. "The rush is always the hardest part, huh? It's nice that they all seem happy though..."
 
Meanwhile, A young man of carmel skin tone and hazel eyes was walking down the slightly thinning street "Hmm..." He put his hand to his chin. "I don't really feel like goin to a market." He was still in his thoughts as he walked by a bakery. With a slight shrug, he weighed his options before just giving up and walking into the bakery. Johnathan had a small sweet tooth, though he always burned the calories that came with eating sweets and junk food unnaturally fast. Well that part came with his night job. And what is his night job you ask?

Well, thats another story for another time. Besides, most wouldn't beileve what it would be anyways. He silently looked at the shevles to see what wound he want to by.
 
"Say, Sato, I'm gonna take a strawberry tart. Have Mr. Richard take it out of my pay, okay?" Chloe soon called from across the counter, making her way towards the door. She was surprised when another had suddenly entered, but at the same time was used to it. She didn't recognize him at all, but saw him trying to choose from the many different pastries stocking the shelves. She smiled a bit as she watched him, her eyes rather curious, almost studying him. The man across the counter stopped her to give her the snack she ordered, but she proceeded to watch afterwards, deciding a friendly greeting was due since she was staring.

Walking towards the young man, she held a mildly pale hand out to him, a smile gracing her gentle features. Her other arm hugged a bag with her snack tightly to her chest, but she didn't waver a moment. "I've never seen you here before. Is this your first time here? Maybe I can help you?" She seemed rather at ease as she spoke, a nonchalant manner in her wording. "I'm Chloe- I work here often, so I'm surprised I've never seen you here. I tend to remember our customers...What kind of food do you usually like?"
 
"Hey there." He greeted the new lady with a soft smile on his features. "Yeah," He said while lightly shaking her hand. "I'm not around this side of town often. And sure you can help." He turned his attention to her as she introduced himself. "I'm Johnathan. As to what food I like, well it kinda depends. I'm not very picky when it comes to food." He said with a thoughtful expression crossing his face. It couldn't be helped. Over his years, he had to eat alot of different foods during his travels, there was some he hated and liked. But as to which sweets, getting him to choose one would be like pulling teeth from a snake.
 
"Johnathan, hm? A nice name." She smiled simply, listening to the rest of his words while studying his face and the way it moved when he thought. His difficulty in choosing wasn't unknown to her, but without knowing his particular tastes, it would be hard to help him choose something. Thus, she came up with a plan to help him, and opened up the bag in which her own pastry resided. Taking it out with care, she broke the tart in half, causing a bit of custard to drip along her finger underneath it and one or two strawberry slices to fall into the bag beneath. Tarts were simple but hard to break for her at times, however she'd gotten used to it. Thus, she held out one half for him, smiling. "My hands are clean, no need to worry. Why don't you try this then? If you like it, then you can get one or something similar. If not, at least you'll know something not to order, right? But most people like the strawberry tarts we serve so far...But that depends on your taste."
 
At first, he was rather curious at what she was doing but it passed as he saw her break that tart in half. He had thought about turning the offer down but hey, gotta try something. He nodded to her and accepted the tart. "Thanks." And now, he took a bite of the pastry. "I can see why most people would like this. It's pretty good." He said with a smile after he ate the treat. If anything, this could easily become a favorite for him. That is, if he wanted to go to this place more often. And hey, why not? Most of the people in the shops were friendly, and quite a few female employees were rather easy on the eyes; Chloe was too but he couldn't make too many assumptions, they just met.... And another thing-'Beep Beep' Came the sound of his phone in his pocket.
 
She smiled easily. "I'm glad you like it. I made the ones we're selling today. I like baking in general, but tarts are my specialty." She'd purposely kept that she'd made it to herself beforehand. It was rare, but sometimes she liked to test her cooking and have people taste it and give their opinions- it was basically a blind taste test, but she sometimes enjoyed holding one without people knowing. When the phone began to sound from his pocket, she smiled easily. "You should probably take that- don't worry, I wasn't planning on holding you up longer." She took a bite of her half of tart and headed towards the door, waving to the cashier as well as towards Johnathan. "Nice meeting you. Don't push too hard today, kay?"

She turned to look at the sky outside, seeing a slight cloud cover starting to move towards them. "Maybe I should take an umbrella." She was speaking to herself, but she was audible as she watched the looming clouds with curiosity. Shaking it off, however, she decided against it, finishing her tart at the door and throwing out the garbage and recycling as needed. She licked her fingers that were covered in some cream while moving to open the door with her spare hand. "I'll be back later!" She called to her coworkers, before dashing out, stopping just a block away to stretch.
 
He had wanted to tell her that it was alright but she had already left. With a shrug, he bought a few of the same tarts then left the store. Johnathan had wanted to keep shopping for the day but he sighed when he saw the cloud cover. He made sure that he didn't let a small amount of his spiritual pressure slip. Now that he realized it, it was natural. With a sigh, he looked around and decided to head back to his apartment for the day. As the thunder rumbled, he wasn't in the least bit phazed by it like others.

-Beep beep- And there it was again. With another sigh, he took it out and looked at the screen and his eyes widened slowly. "Well this sucks." He said bitterly as he entered his aparment. After setting the bag of sweets in the kitchen, he opened up the nearest window. Johnathan closed his eyes and let his other form take over his body; that is of a black kimono with a white obi, straw sandals and a sheathed katana at his side. He simply jumped out of the window and ran atop the rooftops to his destination.
 
Her eyes had to be deceiving her. She saw a fairly recognizable man in a fairly awkward attire compared to what she was used to, and what's more, she was sure she'd seen him on the rooftops while she was rushing home to escape the storm. She felt foolish, having avoided taking an umbrella when she'd made it clear to herself a storm was brewing. Was the lightning that was coming playing tricks on her? Or had she gone too far with so much energy, only to exhaust herself and begin hallucinating? Those were the thoughts she was sure made the most sense, especially since no one else seemed to notice around her.

She wasn't the type to sit still, however. Having seen the strange fellow, she decided to see where the hallucination she was sure she was having would take her, rather than fall to her fatigue. Rushing back the way she came, she began to follow the man who ran from roof to roof, but stopped when he was able to get out of her sight. She panted lightly, frustrated with herself. "It was my imagination, but it felt so real somehow..." She sighed, standing and looking around. She'd run a good few blocks back, and was a bit blurry now from the weather. She leaned against a nearby wall to catch her breath. "Why...Was it that man from earlier, though?"
 
He had absolutely no idea that anyone was trying to follow. Though as he was currently going, he jumped off of one roof and started running.....on air. Yeahh, if anyone could see this, they'd probably have the 'WTF' look on their face. At the very least, he didn't have to send someone to the afterlife. What he was after was a slight investigation then he could go home. As he was running, he jumped up and just flew for a brief moment...then disappeared.

A moment later, he got to the target area (which was a park) and looked around. "Seems like there's nothing here." He said in a low whisper. While remaining cautious, he walked slowly forward. It was situations like this that keeps anyone on their guard. Hopefully, no one could see him for else this would be kinda awkward.
 
Since she hadn't managed to see him past a certain point, her assumption that it was a hallucination was rather definitive in her mind. It took her time to catch her breath, but she was able to do so. Since the weather was dull she wanted to return to the bakery, but at the same time, the cool air was rather refreshing. Against better judgement, she decided to go to the nearby park, but only to look around. As she did so, however, she was almost certain she saw her 'hallucination' again. Squinting, she rubbed her eyes. "Today really is an off day..."

It was becoming apparent that this hallucination was either guiding her or caused by her being off, if it was really a hallucination. "Maybe Richard's right... I might really be working too hard." A sigh escaped her as she moved past her mind's deceit, taking a shortcut around part of the park to get nearer to the bakery again. She took a moment to glance at him once more, but it was clear she was quizzical, and instead of focusing, she decided to let go of it and left once more. If it was real, he may notice or not, but if it was a hallucination, it didn't matter anyway.
 
Right as he sensed something, he felt like he was being looked at. Closing his eyes, he tried to narrow out whoever it was but was unsuccessful. With a shrug, he went back to work. About a few minutes in, he found what he was looking for...which was a small but obviously aged device. "Eh." With a sudden burst of electricity form his hand, the device exploded. "And I'm outa here." Said Johnathan as he disappeared once again and went home. When he got home, he relaxed his energies and let the other body overtake the soul form. Now with a slight day or so of relaxation, he leaned back on a couch and ate a strawberry tart. "Hmm...."
 
She'd been out of the area around the time of the explosion, but seemed to hear the remnants of it echoing from afar. It reached her ears, but not her consciousness as she fled. When she returned to the bakery, wet and with clothes and hair clinging to her, she went upstairs to bathe and change. When she exited the bathroom of the apartment, she sighed softly, dressed in loose and home-bound clothing, turning to a window in the small hallway's end. "Such a strange day...I don't feel tired anymore, but...Why did I keep seeing that person? I wonder what's going wrong with my mind?" She leaned her forehead on a wall, frustrated with herself. "Something about him...There must be something about him, because I can't fathom it otherwise." Moving her still slightly-wet hair from her face, she stared out the window once more. "I'll confront him if I see him...If I don't, it'll just cause more trouble." She soon went to bed to rest, waiting for morning to come. When it did, she worked diligently at the counter, but seemed rather focused on the door the entire time.
 
He had spent the rest of the day just relaxing, glad for the fact that he didn't get anything out of the ordinary on his radars. It seemed like he could easily remain in this town...hopefully. Most of the time, he would only remain for a month before he was either found out by an unknown local (though he'd wipe their memory so that they never even heard of him) or located by his former....coworkers. In any rate, it seemed like the former happened alot often these days. Then again, most people only believe what they can see.

With a sigh, he decided to go for a walk. It seemed like a nice enough day after all. As he walked, he unknowingly walked by the bakery that Chloe worked at but kept going at a leisurely pace.
 
Chloe was soon put on the task of making a delivery a few roads down, much to her surprise, and suddenly fled the bakery to run past Johnathan. However, her senses seemed to recognize him quickly, causing her to stop rather suddenly in her tracks just feet away from him. Turning to see him, a flashback of the previous day's thoughts haunted her mind. She managed to force a leisurely smile, however, waving to him with one hand. "Good morning. Did you rest well yesterday? I hope you enjoyed the tart plenty."

She kept her eyes on him, though somewhat unsteady about it. She turned to face him properly. She wanted to hide her discomfort about her previous day's thoughts, but felt it wrong to do so. "If you have time, mind walking with me? I'm on an errand, but I've been wanting to talk to you about something important."
 
Johnathan nodded to her inqury about the tart. Even he knew it was rather tastey and probally wanted to go back for more. Then again, mabye he would've went backt to talk to her. He had sensed that something was on her mind and decided to indulge her on her request. "Allright, I'll walk with you. I have a decent feeling that it shouldn't be said around others, whatever it is that you wanted to talk about." Now normally, Johnathan would wait for her to be done with the errand and find her later. Why he didn't do that this time will still elude him in the near future. But what could this be about?

Curiosity seemed to rake his mind as the two walked to where Chole needed to head to.
 
"I think there's something clearly wrong with me. Have we met before maybe?" She looked at him warily as she spoke, then at the sidewalk they were walking on, hugging the package close, though not tight enough to cause harm to the baked contents. "I know I wasn't feeling well yesterday- I haven't slept as much as I should most likely or something, because though I felt fine earlier in the day, I started seeing things in the afternoon. During my walk, when it had started raining? I was sure I saw you...But you were running on the rooftops- like a movie stunt, you know? But then you suddenly disappeared almost. Then I was sure I saw you again at the park, but no one else seemed to notice you, so I figured it was my imagination again. But really...Why was it you each time? They say hallucinations include our memories. But why would I have them of you that often if we'd only met once and briefly?"

She stopped herself near the end of a block, noting the sign saying to wait before crossing due to traffic. While stopped, she turned to face him properly. "Have we met prior to yesterday? Or maybe you have a twin or something? It doesn't make sense at all...And I need to know. I normally don't think too much about things. Thinking is dangerous for me. But...I couldn't stop it somehow. Even when I was baking, I was distracted."
 
Crap! He thought to himself. Sighing noticeably, he hung his head down. "Of all the time when people found me out, I never though I'd be found out by a baker. To answer your question, what you saw the other day was me. But before I answer that question, Let me ask something: Do you remember 3 years back, a horrible accident was on this very block. Do you remember seeing something like what you saw the other day?" After said question, he closed his eyes for a moment and (finally) noticed that she had some rather strong spiritual energy.
 
She looked at him curiously. "Three years ago...? I don't remember seeing someone running on rooftops, no." She noted softly. "Oh yeah, but didn't a building get destroyed without a wrecking ball that year? A lot of people were killed, I heard. No one knew the building was supposed to be destroyed. I heard rumors it was supposed to be a ghost or something. Sort of weird, right?" She giggled nervously. She was still contemplating his running on rooftops. "But...What does that have to do with you running on rooftops? You should really be careful doing such dangerous things." She frowned lightly as she thought of it. The idea of others getting injured tended to bother her, even if she tended to a lot herself.
 
"Ah good, you still remember. I remember that day - I had a field day trying to clean up that mess." He said more to himself than to her. But back to the manner at hand. "Yes, your correct. That 'ghost' as you put it was a being from the same realm of reality, meaning that only people like you - those that have spiritual presence - can see me. Besides, it'll take alot to for me to get hurt but thats not the point." Johnathan relaxed himself slightly as he was trying to figure out how to explain all of it.

Deciding to go from the basics, he was about to lean down and whisper it to her but had an idea. After running through a quick set of hand signs (think the ones from Naruto), he tapped her on the forehead with a glowing finger. "There we go, silencing field. I'll explain this later but here's the kicker: Although I may look like everyone else, I'm not human." And there was the reveal.
 
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