The Late Bird's Tale: A Tale of the Floating World

Part 1 || 5 | Ryder | A Rebel Reaper I, Their Next Case II

Written on 2/18/21. Winter Season, February 2021 edition (1st scene).
Written on 2/25/21. Winter Season, February 2021 edition (2nd scene).
Ryder Ellabellabelle (picture reference).

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Part 1 || 5 | Ryder

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A Tale of a Rebel Reaper I

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Muse 3rd Grade Ryder Ellabellabelle had a strange nighttime ritual that Muse 2nd Grade Momo Yume had helped her develop to control her reaper powers. After typing her last report on the George Garland case, Ryder filed her paperwork away in her book bag and picked out a book from her bookshelf and started reading.

Yet unlike Judy Windermere, who read in a normal manner with her mind's eye, Ryder read with her arcane magic throwing up holograms around her. In turn, these holograms occupied the contents of her mind in a hypnotized state, so that in between groggy spells of eating and drinking and taking care of business, she bore witness to the legendary accomplishments of other reapers as she read page after page into the wee hours of the morning. Which were many: peasant soldiers swinging war-scythes, armies of them besieging corrupted boyars, and one of her esteemed ancestors leading the charge. For Ryder, it was a form of lucid dreaming that allowed her to sleep in a way analogous to normal sleep, in which everything in the book manifested in her waking dreams without disturbing the dreams of her neighbors.

Then, just before sunrise, she got up and ate breakfast and dressed herself, then brought her book bag with her and took the subway to the Muse Bureau, doing all of that in her groggy hypnotized state.

Meanwhile, everyone in the subway carriage started and stared, mouths agape, at a petite girl that looked like she'd been drinking all night and was now recovering from a hangover and God knows what else. She stood amidst the passengers like a zombie, her hand limp on one of the hand holds hanging overhead, her long twin tails unkempt and limp, her jacket hanging off one shoulder, her shirt unbuttoned and revealing her bra and bare stomach, and her skirt clipped on too high past her hips and revealing her panties.

As such, her fellow passengers gave her a wide berth, mothers covering the eyes of their children, oglers darting lingering glances at her, and whispers of her activities hanging in the air. This continued for three stops, where passengers got out and others got in, till the subway stopped at a station near the Muse Bureau on the next block.

Ryder got out, passing the threshold onto the platform, walking on autopilot towards the exit.

But then two other women grabbed a hold of her arms and guided her steps towards one of the benches in the waiting area on the platform. They made her sit down, and the older woman placed a paper omamori charm over her forehead.

The woman said, "Wake up, you numbskull," and she snapped her fingers in front of Ryder's face.

The hiragana flashed on the charm, and Ryder's groggy daze evaporated from her mind. After a moment, Ryder found herself in the custody of Momo Yume and a younger girl she hadn't seen before. Or maybe she had, she wondered, and took a closer look at this cutesy fellow twin tail-wearer before her.

"Who are you?" Ryder said.

"I'm Sakura Yume," she said and stuck out her hand. "I'm Momo's younger sister."

Ryder shook it, searching through her scattered thoughts for a familiar face, and said, "Oh, you're the girl who was running like mad the other day." Then she glared at Momo, saying, "And you're the one who turned me into a peach blossom!"