Chapter 1
Death and the Four Eyes
A man who looks to be in his late thirties sits on the edge of a high rise looking down on the city below. His hair is natty and covered in a dingy cream-colored cloth hat. From the outside he looks like he's dead inside but underneath what his hat hides a fire burns in his eyes. His expression was exuberant and twisted as he joyously downs another beer.
"Finally" he said failing to stifle a mad laugh, "I waited far too long for this".
He cracked open another can but poured it down into the street below. "Now, we're one step closer to the end of all this".
He dropped the can from 40 stories high and was nowhere to be seen before it hit the ground.
….
An inescapable faith of someone else's design. The gifted sword is a curse rather than a blessing.….
I don't know how to say this but…
"Hey!"
I'm pretty sure I'm going insane…
"Hello!"
No, I have to be, because...
"Can anyone hear me?! Please!"
Right now….
I'm watching a dead man beg for help.
The time is midday. Across the street a man with brown skin and plains clothes walks through a crowd paying him no attention. A piece of smooth well bound robe hangs from his chest where it is sewed into his chest. His right arm is mangled and disfigured, and blood pours from some spot on his head, but he shows no discomfort from his injuries.
This is the guy was on the news. He was the one who killed in a hit and run a few days ago, and I'm looking right at him, talking, walking, and with injuries that should kill him.
Daniel Mason/15 years old
Skin = light
Hair = messy/blue
Eyes = amber and hidden behind nerdy glasses
Occupation = Highschool Student
The dead man looks at Danny with a face full of shock, realization, and pure joy.
"You! You can see me, right?! Please, I need h-"
Special Skill = seeing ghos-
Danny turns and runs in the opposite direction as fast as he could.
"Wait, please!" the dead man called out.
Danny somehow runs faster.
He rushes into his house and attempts to do the same with his bedroom upstairs, but before he could his father called out to him from his study near the front door. "How was your day squirt".
Danny doesn't slow down, "Fine" he returns.
"You could try to use words for once" his father teases loudly enough to be heard upstairs.
Alone in his room the young man stares up at his spinning ceiling fan as if it would reveal of secrets of whatever was going on. The only thing it offers is an annoying squeaking sound. Without the help of his trusty fan, his own contemplation finds no answers, only more questions.
It started just a few days ago.
Suddenly I was seeing people with strange ropes hanging from their chests. I had no idea why. Eventually my curiosity got the better of me and I went up and asked someone. A young boy standing under a street lamp, and he told me he was dead…
Maybe I just go get some meds. I don't know what kind of meds. But if I'm seeing ghosts, meds should be a good starting point.
How would I even start getting meds without ending up in the loony bin though.
Can't ask my parents. My dad is just a writer, so he's useless, and mom is never home, always busy with work.
My older brother might be able to help, but he's already moved out.
With the inside of his head swirling like a hurricane he barely slept that night.
….
The following day on his way to school a black butterfly with beautiful blue trimming on its wings catches his eye. It flies impossibly slow and gracefully by his head, almost as if it was gliding on a wind that wasn't blowing. Faint sparkles hang in the air behind it. As he watches it fly it passed over a man sitting on a bench by the school gate.
Oh, he's here again today.
The man sits lifelessly wearing thick clothes, a puffy moss green jacket and grey cargo pants, the top of his face hidden by a dingy cream-colored cloth hat. The tips of his natty blond hair peak out from it edges and a shortly trimmed beard traces his jaw. None of the students pay him any mind.
That's Mr. Hobo. It's what all the kids here call him. We'll see him around often enough. He never does anything and as far as I know no one knows why he comes around.
Danny absentmindedly gazes out the window towards the school gate, while his teacher rambled on about algebra.
That's when something impossible happens.
A massive creature on all fours strolls in front of the school gate. It has faint red skin, glowing yellow eyes, and a white mask that looks like it made from bone covering its wolf shaped head.
"Hun…gry. Strong soul. C..an smell it. Now where… where" it speaks in broken sentences, with a deep and gravelly voice.
Without thinking Danny jumps up from his chair still staring out the window. Everyone in the classroom turns to look at him.
"Everything alright Mr. Mason?" asks his teacher.
What in the world is that?
The masked thing turns its attention towards the school and brings it gaze to Danny, "Thereee" it hungrily hisses.
It takes a step forward and on reflex Danny takes a step back. Then it in instant, it just poofs, into a black cloud of mist that quickly dissolves as if it was never there in the in the first place. Danny dumbfounded continues to watch as Mr. Hobo calmly strolls around the corner and gazes up at the school.
"Mr. Mason...?" repeats his teacher.
Danny looks at his teacher, "I- I thought I saw something. A-ah- spider. A big spider" he says slinking back down into his seat.
The classroom giggles.
His teacher winces, "Well make sure you kill it. Lord knows I don't need one of those crawling around in my classroom".
Danny isn't listening. He is already looking out the window, searching, but there was nothing there to see.
….
After school Danny walks home alone. Bright light shines off the windows of various buildings and the sounds of the city ring out around him. Others rush by, caught up in the hustle and bustle. As usual Danny pays none of it any mind, instead going over his own thoughts.
What in the world was that earlier today?
Am I seeing things?
Well, I'm always seeing things lately….
A low hiss of a roar rings out of nowhere and everywhere all at once shocking Danny out of his thoughts. He quickly scans his surroundings for whatever made that noise but the streets are empty and unnaturally quiet.
He hears the hiss again as well as the sound of something crawling and slithering against the concrete. Behind him on the opposite side of the alley out of shadows of a dim alley a huge monstrous green arm stretches out slamming into the street. It's dangerously large claws dig into the asphalt, ripping it apart. With a firm grip it pulls the rest of itself out of the alley revealing a grotesque figure. A green snake with two disfigured large arms topped with blade like claws, and just like the thing from earlier it face was covered in a skull like mask.
"No! Not again!" screams Danny as he starts running.
The monster screeches in response and chases after him in an peculiar mix of slithering and using its claws to throw itself forward. On instinct Danny ducks into a narrow alleyway on his right, one too small for the thing to follow him into.
Daniel Mason/15 years old
Skin = light
Hair = messy/blue
Eyes = amber and hidden behind nerdy glasses
Occupation = Highschool Student
Special Skill = Running awa-
Blood gushes out from his chest as the thing's claws rips it open from behind.
While the alley was too small for it to fit into, Danny didn't run fast enough to be out of its reach. The masked monster stretched its arm to the limit to reach him. Danny's body hangs limp and lifeless on the end of its claws. As the masked monster retracts its arm he falls to the ground like a wet sack of meat.
….
Danny stirs on grungy ground. His clothes have changed, he now wears a tight white sleeveless turtleneck shirt made of thick cloth, with a matching set of baggier pants, leather boots with dark blue decals, and a large sash around the waist with tassels hanging from the sides.
Why do I feel like I was hit by a bus?
He picks himself of the ground and sits up, taking notice of his change of clothes.
He pulls at his new shirt, "What happened to my clothes?" he wonders out loud.
"Well good morning sleeping beauty"
Danny turns to see, the man from in front of his school standing behind him. He looks down on Danny with a somewhat playful expression, in one of his hands he holds a sheathed sword at his side.
"Or maybe I should be saying afternoon" he adds in, looking up a sky, referencing the time of day.
Danny is still in a bit of a daze, "Mr. Hobo?...".
"Ha!" a laugh rings out from somewhere above.
Mr. Hobo's eyes narrow, "I don't know what I was expecting but I'm just going to pretend I didn't hear that" he says exasperation clearly slipping into his voice.
An all too familiar sound of breaking concreting and demonic hissing resonate from the entrance to the alley. The giant masked snake from earlier desperately and steadily drags its way into the alley.
Danny falls back with his face twisted in horror, "What in the world is that thing".
The man in the cloth hat gives a coy smile, "It's a hollow, better kill it" he says in a dissent cheerful tone.
Danny looks up at him in absolute confusion, "How the hell am I supposed to do that"?
Clearly enjoying himself now the man returns with sarcasm, "I don't know, maybe try using that sword on your waist".
For the first time Danny notices the sword resting in his new sash. The handle is unceremonious, rugged and faded leather bound with primitive stitching. The hilt is the color of desert sand and crafted with a small design of a spiral spinning counter clockwise. The sheath it rests in is a nearly ethereal black cloth spun tightly into a neat hamper. In a desperate hurry Danny draws it in fumbling mess, it's amazing he didn't tear the cloth sheath. The newly revealed blade is narrow but longer than average with both sides sharped for cutting.
The hollow shambles its way closer, using the walls of the alley to pull its way through. With unsteady hands and a terrible stance Danny readies to strike. He stands unsure and closes in tentatively, only getting as close as he thinks he needs to, in a pathetic attempt to stab it in the face. As he brings in sword in the hollow bats it away with its claws, knocking the sword out of his hand.
The cloth hat man rolls his eyes, "pfft. Well there goes that".
In the same motion the hollow tries to swipe at Danny with what little range of motion it has. Danny narrowly falls out of range, on reflex he throws his hands up to protect himself.
"No!", he exclaims, "Get back. GET BACK"!
For an instant energy cracks in Danny's hand before a blast of small light fires shattering half its skull mask. The hollow cries out in pain and violently thrashes, loosing whatever bit of grip and stability it had.
"Well isn't that a lovely surprise. Make sure to do it again" proclaims Mr. Hobo with a new light in his icy blue eyes.
Danny flashes him a look, "How do I do that"?!
With no sarcasm or playfulness in his voice, Mr. Hobo addresses him honestly, "Just remember what it felt like to shoot the first time. Capture that feeling in your memory and repeat it".
As the hollow writhes in agony on the ground, Danny raises his hand to it. Without knowing, without understanding, but with a deep feeling down in his bones Daniel made energy crackle in his hand a second time and fired another blast. This one pieced the hollow's head cleanly and its rapidly evaporated in a black mist.
"Congratulations!" exclaims Mr. Hobo resting his sword on shoulder, "Not bad for your first time. It may not be gold star worthy but ill give it a… let's say 6/10".
Danny turns to the man, "Mr.-"
"Call me that again, and ill cut your arm off" he cut in with a cheerful smile, "My name is Kyle. Kyle Ronin. I'm a soul reaper, same as you".
Danny had no idea know to do with this information, "What is a soul reaper, or a hollow for that matter, or the stuff I shot out of my hand, or-"
Again, Kyle cut him off, "I'm sure you have excellent and important questions but lets no talk here. It smells. Now if you would be so kind as to follow me".
Kyle turns to walk but stops when Daniel silently takes a step back in the opposite direction.
He chimes in again, "I know this all has to be pretty strange to you and I could give you several long-winded reasons why that" he gestures to Daniel's step, "is a bad idea. But no one has time for that, so instead here's something short and sweet to get the point across instead".
He points to a body lying in a pool of blood, "You're already dead".
Danny turns to look and a dawning realization of horror creeps on him as he stares in stunned silence at his own corpse.
Daniel Mason/15 years old
Skin = light
Hair = messy/blue
Eyes = amber and hidden behind nerdy glasses
Special Skill = N/A
Occupation = Soul Reaper(?)
End of chapter 1
After Words:First off thanks for reading, you guys make the magic happen. Probably.
Frist off, I'm not big on fan fiction and am I only writing this to help get over a slump I'm in. My actual novel(s) is/are my main concern. That said I will be updating unless I say otherwise so don't worry. Already started chapter two actually. So, if you like this, don't worry I got you covered.
As for the nature of the future content I want to capture what I consider the "soul of bleach" (aka how fucking cool It was) while also improving... reimagining….. ok….retconning, anything I didn't like and with a mix of parody and parallels to sweeten up the pot.
Now for actual details, the change in setting will see a lot of stuff "renamed" see, I'm replacing all Japanese influence and language with Native American or as much as I can. See "Native American" is really a catch all phrase for like 100s of loosely affiliated tribes. And each has VERY limited online language resources, plus some words are completely useless, due to the raw number of syllables. They just aren't viable for stuff. What little linguistics I've done so far has been, let's say, spiritually taxing. So, I'm kind of forced to supplement by mixing languages, romancing, bastardizing, and probably throwing in some Latin as last resort. I'll make sure to explain any terminology I use at the end of each of chapter to help smooth this out. As well as explain things I don't think I will do in the story proper. Too much exposition bores everyone.