Hello, reader!
Here is the second chapter! I hope it is as good as the first one. My goal is to come out with at least one chapter a day until the story is finished. Some chapters may be short and others really long – it all depends on how my day was before I started writing. If any reader has noticed, there was a minute change to the title. It read as "A Field of Wilflowers" before, but I have corrected my spelling error. That is all. On top of the fanfiction, I am knitting my very first scarf! This project and school work might hold me back from uploading and sharing my daily goal. Do not worry, because I have in no way abandoned this story!
Constructive critiques and cheerful compliments are appreciated!
On to introducing the second OC of mine, Nakahara Ayame!
Also, the Hollow in the flashback should be imagined like No Face from Spirited Away when he has gotten fat and chases Chihiro through the bathhouse. I try to create my own Hollow with inspiration from various things including animals and the elements.
This fanfiction is rated M because it may contain intense violence, blood and gore, sexual content and/or strong language.
Bleach and its characters, world © Tite Kubo
All of the inserted, non-canon characters are © Nonezumi, me
"Ayame! Aren't you coming?" an elderly man, dressed in a white simple white kimono with a navy hakama tied just above his waistline, called over to girl of high school age. His wrinkles weighed down his eyebrows, making it look like his eyes were permanently closed. The old man could see just fine despite being over seventy. Glasses were not needed to see the slender form of his granddaughter in a knee-length blue skirt and a white shirt. He watched her and waited patiently for her to reply; he knew it would be a while before she realized he had called to her from six feet away. Her attention was drawn to the right of their path. She seemed to gaze through the solid structures separating them from the streets on the other side. Even the loose strands of her hair did not disturb her concentration.
When the moment of silence passed, Ayame blinked and let out a small breath. The instant she became aware of her grandfather's staring eyes, she blushed and turned to face him. With bags of vegetables in her hands, she could not properly give him a wave to show she was okay. A small bow and smile would have to do. Her clean white sneakers made no sound when she rushed back to her grandfather's side. "I'm sorry, ojiisan!"
"Hurry up, Ayame. Your gran'ma doesn't like cooking a late dinner," he said with a grin, and started walking toward their home with Ayame at his side.
"Sumimasen, ojiisan!" She apologized again out of guilt, but knew it was not necessary. Ayame hummed as they continued walking. Her attention went to the sky, and the bags she held swayed in front of her. Whatever it was that caught her attention back there left an odd lingering feeling. It was not something new to her; she was prone to staring into space when an odd feeling came over her. Similar to a sixth sense, Ayame would sometimes notice how unaffected others were by the feeling. This sixth sense could not be explained by her grandparents, but they knew she was prone to the episodes of silence ever since her family died. Ayame felt a chill when she saw a white cloud against the orange-red sky take on a shape terrifyingly familiar.
When Ayame was younger, a year from graduating kindergarten, a monster had threatened her family. She remembered being awoken by her mother and carried outside in a rush. After being put inside the family car across the street, her mother ran back inside. A loud roar came from nowhere, and then she saw the smoke of debris explode from the back of the house. Another loud roar resonated from nowhere. Ayame began to cry because she was scared. She was left alone in the car, and did not think to open the door; she was too occupied with fear for the lives of her loved ones. With her hands pressed to the glass and eyes filling with tears, she screamed as loud as she could. Through her cries, she heard her father's voice. She had never heard him sound so scary. His shouting was briefly drowned out by a screech. The structure of the house was weakened by something. Ayame blinked to clear her vision. The black form of what she could only call a monster, rose from the smoke. She saw it wearing a white mask disproportionally tiny in comparison to its large body. The mask, oval with a single dropping whisker from either side of the jowl and a toothy scowl, scared her more than anything. A large hole was positioned to the left of its right shoulder, and she could see the smoke and night and trees on the other side.
What she remembered as a dark viscous fluid flowed from the top of its head. Ayame closed her eyes, banged on the glass of the car door window, and cried out for a full minute. She heard a shrill scream. After that, she opened her eyes. The monster was gone, but the smoke had not settled yet. She waited, sobbing with boogers starting to drip form her nose, for her parents. They did not return. For all of her crying and banging, she did not see them again. Ayame cried until she passed out. When she woke up, she saw her grandmother standing over her in a hospital room.
Ever since that night, she has lived with her mother's parents. As the only living relatives left - her father's parents were unknown to her - they raised her with as much love and care as possible for people their age. She was raised to be attentive and respectful. The outfits she wore were strictly feminine (no pants), and her grandmother taught her how to cook and perform a tea ceremony. About a year ago, they moved to Karakura Town; however, she did not attend public school until recently. She proved to be excelling at literature and English, but had a problem with mathematics.
Grandfather opened the front door and walked in before Ayame. She pretended to have a hard time holding up the bags into the kitchen. Once they rested on the counter, she sighed. Her grandmother, standing shorter than Ayame because of a slight hump, walked up to her and teased, "Don't be going of to relax just yet, Ayame-chan." The old woman chuckled. "Someone needs to help me with dinner, and your grandfather burns everything." Ayame looked over at her grandfather on the couch, and grinned with sad eyes when she saw him put his pinky in an ear and pull out earwax. He flicked it away before watching his shows on the small television.
Ayame took out a leek, walked it over to the cutting board, and then began slicing it into bite-sized pieces. As she did this, her grandmother prepared everything else for the night's cooking. Rice, vegetables, strips of beef, and varieties of sauces and spices. Grandmother made some warm sake for grandfather before starting to cook the beef. Ayame started humming again. She sliced the rest of the vegetables with a smile. Tonight had gone well, but she wished it would pass by quicker. Tomorrow would be her first day of school at Karakura High.
This ends the second chapter of the story!
Constructive critiques and cheerful compliments are wanted!
In the next chapter: Ayame's first day of school and a first encounter with a Shinigami!
I know in the English dub/sub they are called Soul Reapers, but I am going to call them
Shinigami because that's what they're called in the Japanese version of the anime.