An Act of Death [William T. Spears x Reader]

01 Test

“Good. You’re early.” He said without looking up. “Are you ready to begin?”

“Yeah.” She replied simply, trying to hide the fact that she was out of breath. In truth, being early was the last thing ______ intended that morning. She’d woken up in a panic believing that she was an hour late, only to look at the clock in utter disbelief when she walked into the Shinigami Dispatch Society lobby. So either her clock was defected, or she was just an idiot.

William T. Spears set his pen down, rising from his seat and walking over to her, scrutinizing her appearance. She held her breath, straightening her posture in the prolonged silence. Then, he reached out his hand towards her décolletage.

"You didn’t knot your tie properly." He said, loosening it in a single tug. She frowned, feeling like a child with the way he was fixing her appearance. She tried to look dignified despite the blush that was creeping onto her face. “Like this.”

‘How long have I been doing this wrong?’ She inwardly sighed. He walked her through the Windsor knot once, but to her dismay, tugged it loose again and gestured for her to prove that she had been listening. It took a two attempts for her to achieve a tie that earned the ‘good enough’ glance from him. He then wordlessly took the trainee glasses that were balanced on top of her head and fixed it to the bridge of her nose. From the past couple of months of her periodic internship, William was long tired of scolding her for not wearing her glasses. He said it made her stand out, but given the circumstances, ______ knew it would be quite the feat to stand out more than she already did. Being the only female recruit was difficult, but compared to the other whispers that could be spreading, she was thankful it was the only thing others knew about her.

William took a clipboard from his desk, deciding to begin. “As you have already been informed, your final exam is to screen and collect a soul in the field alongside a partner. However, it seems that your partner filed a complaint that being paired with you would hamper his chances of success. Consequently, I will oversee your exam.”

______ frowned, remembering the seemingly laid-back guy. He had been nothing but cooperative when they were partnered. How cowardly. “I hope he fails.”

“Statistically speaking, you are likely going to as well.” William said, "After all, over ninety-percent of recruits either drop out or fail."

"Thanks for the moral support."

"I genuinely want you to pass, ______. The London Division is severely understaffed." He pushed back his glasses, a signal that it was time to get to work. "Follow me.”

'Severely understaffed...' she considered as she followed him out. The she’d gotten a tour of the building, it seemed unlikely that the Shinigami Dispatch Society could possibly be short on people given the mass of individuals zipping in and out of offices. However, she quickly learned that there was not only a shortage of people for the SDS, but an even worse shortage of volunteers for positions in the field. Even though there was a certain callousness and aversion when it came to the subject of humans, few Shinigami had the stomach to reap the souls of the dying.

But as a Shinigami herself, why was ______ bothered by this? Because she, too, was affected by this negativity. It was secret known only a select few including William, the rest believing her to be from the American branch: She wasn’t born a Shinigami. She became one.

 

“Joseph Mutton, born on the 25th of January, 1880. Scheduled to burn to death at 10:00 PM, the 18th of February, 1889.” William read out loud when they reached their destination. He closed the book. “How distasteful.”