Rukia couldn't make sense of anything.
Her mind went back to that of the little girl who bravely ran forward to save her big death - the eerie warmth as her sister's overall body got cold.
As her own body became cold.
All their warmth seeped out their bodies as the darkness began to consume them.
Even the arms wrapped around her fad-
"Rukia!"
The red headed boy finally lost his patience, less out of anger and more worry, as he yelled while shaking his closest friend by her shoulders. Fortunately this seemed to work as the light returned to her eyes. Even if she seemingly was confused about where she was; looking lost as she turned her gaze around.
Her body still faintly trembled yet the horrifying… Whatever had faded from her memory - leaving her even more confused about what was happening. Nothing made sense to her as she lay there on the floor in an alleyway with a faint recollection that she had run into something truly terrifying.
"R-Renji what…"
"Heard some talking on the other side of the fence 'n' when I started bringing the little brats through we found you collapsed on the ground, shivering."
His words were not gentle nor did he choose them carefully; however it was quite clear that he was still very much worried for her. There was no pity within his gaze for a trembling little girl. Only a profound understanding that Rukia wasn't weak enough to be shaken over nothing.
Although, truthfully, Rukia could only look up at him with a strained expression as she herself was not quite sure why she had such a reaction. Still that didn't change the fact she was here for a very important reason that she was quickly reminded of. Looking past Renji and toward the series of heads trying to peak in to see what was wrong.
Letting a sigh leave her lips as she pushed Renji's hands aside to stand up on her own strength.
"Don't know, don't remember and don't wanna find out if I don't have to."
Shaking her head.
"We are still in gambler territory so best not to loiter; we need to get to crow territory before we find ourselves looking eye to eye with a bleedin' Kaiju."
It was at this point that the boy who had inadvertently got them here piped up. Clearly still as confused as when he was first brought into this strange land of the dead - cautiously looking around as if he'd be able to find the "Kaiju" she spoke of. Of course he had no such luck as he asked.
"W-What do you mean by Kaiju and what the hell could a bird do against whatever it is that all of us couldn't just do ourselves?"
Almost immediately the other kids burst out laughing as if they had heard the greatest joke in the world and Renji just looked at him as if he was looking at the dumbest man alive. It wasn't exactly something the new boy appreciated. Crimson painting his cheeks as he glared at them yet that only egged on the laughter to explode out in an even greater energy.
For a moment it helped to also calm down Rukia's sudden anxiety. Something about being surrounded by a bunch of friends as they shared a good laugh, even at another persons expense, was growing to become a pass time she refused to give up. Still this helped her realise something very important.
"You're a clean soul aren't you?"
"What, how could that be?!"
She just deadpanned at Renji in much the same manner he did to the boy.
"Renji… Everyone only comes here in one of two ways so it shouldn't be a shock."
That caused the red head to be a little surprised as they all began to follow Rukia who had started to guide them through the allies again. The new boy didn't know what else to do so quickly followed while clenching his bread. Fortunately for him; Rukia didn't intend to keep him in the dark.
"Lets start with the simplest part; you are dead."
You are dead.
Those words rang through his skull.
His movements would have stopped if not for Renji hooking his arm around the boys neck to drag him alongside himself forcibly.
"Don't worry so much about it - we all are but a better way and it doesn't change much."
"Yea, what he says, though things work very differently in this soul society than it does in that shitty world where most of us grew up. Still no adults who give a shit… For the most part. See the center of this place is hidden behind some big ass walls and is where the nobles are."
Waving her hand as if batting off the idea of caring about that place.
"Got these powerful guys called soul reapers and they fly around with katanas; cutting down corrupted souls called hollows. Not everyone has a chance of becoming one yet they have a test every year where they take in a few lucky souls. You can think about it when it's closer to the due date."
"What is more important is the factions that run these streets and we have helpfully split up into the crows under Munzumira , The Gambler 's streets and your random gangs. This place is under The Gambler who is this mysterious figure. Nobody knows much about them other than they're scary as all hell,"
"So two big gangs and then a bunch of rabble… Really doesn't sound much different."
At that Renji scoffed.
"Except for the mystical fuckery they can all do."
However that was quickly met with him squealing like a pig as he found himself dragged by the ear by a clearly annoyed Rukia.
"We are literally surrounded by children, you ass!"
Kicking Renji to the curb as she turned to the boy.
"Munzumira's gang runs the entertainment and drugs that go through these streets."
"So avoid that territory unless I want to get shanked by a druggie…"
"Heh actually there is probably nowhere safer. The drugs she provides seem cleaner than anything else and the escorts nobody dares to touch due to being terrified of her wrath… Some even say she can see the future and grant other people such visions. Even without all that her crows keep order and seem especially keen on defending kids like us."
Pointing her thumb inwards towards herself while Renji, who was rubbing his ear as well as his ass, stumbled over while grumbling.
"Don't seem like a delicate little girl to me…"
The boy thought in wonder as Rukia stomped on the red-heads foot causing him to hop around in pain.
"Alternatively gambler territory is way riskier as, although order is good, the people here clutch their possessions like their life depends on it. The streets revolve around the chips used to gamble in her various casinos that exist everywhere but crow territory. Same is true from the entertainment provided by Munzumira's gang; other gangs get a cut so they practically decide who rules what areas even if they themselves aren't in control."
The boy could only whistle at this - clearly the crows & gambler are the true powerhouses.
Every other faction out there is likely just a powerplay between the two of them.
"So what was that other thing you talked about?"
He asked as a now grumpy Renji practically rushed past the two of them with a massive pout on his face as he refused to say anything else. Now realising that he had just been putting his foot in his mouth the entire time. Evidently deciding the most rational approach was to just not say anything.
"Ah, yea, the kaiju are basically non-existent in Crow territory but they are especially common in Gambler so people think they are their servants. Big scary fuckers that rarely look the same as one another. They are what goes bump in the night and not even hollows are safe from them; they just show up to grab some victims, alive or dead, with no one ever seeing those they get their hands on again."
"Wait so they kidnap people."
"Sometimes alive, sometimes swallow them whole, rumours say all sorts and can't say I'm too interested in finding out the exact details about all that…"
This was all so shocking that the boy could only blankly stare at her as they headed around a corner.
"Well what do they look lik-"
Cut off as he found himself walking into Renji who was standing still, confused, the two of them looked at him to see him looking at something. Following his gaze they too find what he's looking at. A monstrous creature that seems like the mix between several different animals that had their pieces stitched together.
The head was that of a hound yet the eyes were hollowed out and replaced with the eye stems of some kind of insect or crustacean. Large muscular chest of a gorilla supported an arm full of tentacles from a squid while the other possessed a gigantic circular claw. Meanwhile the bottom half was that of some kind of big cat they didn't recognise.
"-they look something like that…"
She said in a strained voice as they all silently looked up at the monstrous creature that salivated from the hound head's maw; shadows acting as glue to keep their pieces together..