The Local Haunt [Closed]

For the longest time, Akimoto hadn't even realized he was dead. Over the course of the few days following that gunshot, he had realized that he never grew tired, nor hungry. He simply wandered. It wasn't until he went back to the bar that he overheard people talking about his death. That had been years and years ago though. His loneliness back then was overwhelming, looking back on it. He didn't have a single friend his entire life. Not only that, but his own parents either died or disowned him. That didn't matter anymore. Akimoto had been dead for about seventy years, give or take. You didn't really need to keep track of time as a wandering soul, as you usually never had anything to do. Especially if you couldn't see where you were going.

Today was a sunny day, or so it seemed. Though he was dead, the warm rays of the sun still felt good to him. There was a slight breeze that he could hear, as it rustled the leaves in the tree above him. As the soul sat under the tree, he could hear more than just the breeze. There were automobiles and bicycles rolling around, and the bustling sounds of laughter and chit-chat filled the air. It was too loud. All this noise bothered Aki, but there was really nothing he could do about it. It was loud everywhere he went in this city. Over the years, he had found a quiet spot or two, but they never lasted. This was his favorite spot, despite the noise. This tree grew where the old bar used to be that he was shot in. For some reason he kept coming back here, though he had no idea why. You would think that he would hate this spot, and he did. Something pulled him back here though, day after day.

Sitting here, Akimoto wondered how his life, and death, might have changed if he had maybe had some friends, or even just one. All he wanted was just one person that wouldn't look down on him, or turn him away. Instead he received scorn and hatred. All his life he had to fight. It pissed him off. People just couldn't leave well enough alone, so they pestered him to the point where he would fight back. Eventually, Aki actually liked to fight, and would go looking for it. What if he had had a friend back then, who would help him defend himself, and actually support him? That didn't matter anymore. He was a loner, and he probably always would be. Especially now that he was dead. Who makes nice with a soul, anyways?

Akimoto's mind was racing so fast, that he completely gave up keeping tabs on his surroundings. A tornado could have torn through right in front of him, and odds are, he wouldn't have noticed. The more he thought, the angrier he became. It probably showed too, not that anyone could see him, being a soul and all. He wasn't exactly used to people talking to him in the first place, let alone nowadays.

Kiyoko was dead, well, literally speaking that is. She could still walk and talk, feel the earth beneath her touch, the only thing that was different was the fact that she couldn't talk to anyone and she was invisible to all creatures, even the animals. She hadn't even known she was dead until her brother and friends wouldn't respond to her desperate cries, even then she thought she might've been having one of those 'out-of body' experiences you hear about all the time. It was only until she watched her own funeral that she came into terms with her situation.

She remembered the gunshot that killed her, she remembered the pain, but most of all, she remembered seeing Hayato's tortured face as she faded away. That was about five years ago though, not that Kiyoko was counting, her brother was. She just counted how many times he had come to visit her grave, exactly five times, once a year. He was forgetting her though, she could tell. Kiyoko didn't want her brother to forget her, it would be too painful to watch.

Kiyoko sat on an empty bench in the park, enjoying the summer sun. She wasn't able to sit back and relax everyday and it was nice to feel the warmth on her skin, or soul. The park wasn't too overly crowded, just a few bikes passing through and the odd stragglers taking a morning stroll. She wished she could join them, she wished she could take a walk with her family once more, in fact, she would've died, again, for the chance to have her family in one piece, but the fates had already claimed her and her parents.

She sighed, and moved to lie down on the bench, yet before she could get comfortable, and old man sat on her head, and she immediately jumped up from the bench and, half ran half floated, down the pathway. That had happened frequently since she died, someone running into her or walking through one her her limbs, it felt gross, kind of like going through a block of Jello.

Before she could stop herself, Kiyoko rammed her foot into something that felt suspiciously like a tree root and fell flat on her stomach. She cursed loudly, making a fuss since nobody could hear her anyways, it didn't actually hurt her, but it was pretty humiliating for a ghost to trip. With exagerated motion, Kiyoko looked up to see the culprit of this folly, However, when she saw the chain sprouting from his middle, a wave of shock slithered down her spine, making her freeze in place.

"You're... you're dead too?" is what sputtered out of her mouth after a good five minutes of slack-jawed staring. She had never seen another ghost before that she could interact with. Most of the dead she saw were stuck doing the same thing they did before they died, it was pretty disturbing at first, but Kiyoko had gotten used to it a long time ago. The soul in front of her scared her more than the first death reel she saw, yet she didn't know why, maybe she had gone crazy in her years of being a ghoul. Kiyoko poked the figure's arm, feeling how real his body felt, oh god, she thought.

While in his deep contemplation, the long-haired soul had completely missed the sounds of something hitting the ground next to him. He kept on not noticing, up until the loud swearing and sounds of frustration rose up to his over-sensitive ears. Then, there was silence. Taking no heed to the ruckus next to him, Akimoto went back to thinking about his life, and the lack of companionship. Several minutes passed before any other noise was made, and that noise happened to be a sentence, seemingly directed at him. A female voice blurted out, “You're...you're dead too?” Before he could respond, something poked him in the arm. That was odd. Something could actually touch him? Not only that, but it sounded like someone could actually sense him somehow.

In all this time of his undeath, he had not once come across anyone who could see or speak to him. There were several occasions where he had outright run through the middle of a bustling crowd of people, screaming as loud as he could to try and attract attention. Not a single person said anything. For the longest time, he thought that people could hear him, but were just unwilling to communicate. After this many years, however, it became blatantly apparent that they could not hear him at all. For this strange voice to speak to him, specifically referencing that he was dead, was very odd to him. What was also odd, and strangely wonderful, was the feeling of being touched by something. Akimoto sighed softly. Not wanting to be overly rude, he decided to at least respond.

Nodding his head slightly, Aki quietly replied, “I am indeed deceased. How is it you can sense me? Who, or what, are you?” His tone was very mellow as he spoke, and he turned his head towards the direction of the sound. The cloth over his eyes was still in place, which prevented him from looking off in some random direction while he spoke. He tried to smile lightly as well, although it felt a bit foreign to him. Smiling was something he didn't do very often during his life, and was not something he had ever done in death. Hopefully he would make a somewhat decent impression on whatever this being was. Having spent so much time on the fact that he had no friends his entire life, he was set on trying to at least make one friend now. Although that didn't exactly seem like a very likely prospect. Seven or so decades and only one encounter where someone had spoken to him? Not very good odds for friendship.

The man didn't seem to react strongly to her ghostly charm, of course he did wear a bandage over his eyes, he probably couldn't have seen her float up to him. He seemed relaxed, and she was sorry she disturbed his peace, if a ghoul could have peace. She would know, she'd always be a part of that club.

He nodded his head, forcing a smile as he did so, “I am indeed deceased. How is it you can sense me? Who, or what, are you?” the man's voice was cool and emotionless, as if he gave up trying to communicate with the outside world many years ago. This query came as a surprise to Kiyoko, did she not clearly state she was dead? She was sure her sentence came out as clear and as straight forward as she could make it, but even she was rusty when it came to conversation, she wouldn't be surprised if the blind soul in front of her was in the same situation.

"I am, dead that is, and my name is... K-Kiyoko Kaneko." her voice cracked at the end of her sentence, making her name almost inaudible. She cleared her throat with a short cough and tried again, "I mean, Kiyoko Kaneko." Kiyoko stood up, absently brushing off dirt that would not, and would never, stick to her almost transparent body. She held out a small hand to the long haired man, brushing his shoulder with her slight fingers so he would know to grasp it. She hadn't encountered many blind people in her years, Kiyoko was being as polite as she could.

"What's your name?" she grinned, and wiggled her outstretched fingers. He seemed like a nice person, lonely, but nice. She wanted him as a friend, and hopefully, he was as desperate for a companion as she was. They were recluded deceased in a world full of living, why not band together?

"I am, dead that is, and my name is... K-Kiyoko Kaneko." Another wandering soul? Akimoto had never met one before. This was an odd day indeed. He heard the girl clear her throat then repeat her name, "I mean, Kiyoko Kaneko." After some brushing sounds, the man felt a delicate touch of fingers on his shoulder. Reaching up with his right hand, he grasped the hand in his before saying, “My name is Akimoto Nakamura. It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Kaneko.”

Standing up, the man turned fully to face the girl. He must have been an odd sight indeed. He was short and lean, with long brown hair pulled back into a messy ponytail. His clothes were still in fairly good condition, save a slight bloodstain on his shirt. The cloth he had wrapped over his eyes was still as fresh as the day he put it on, a stark white in comparison to the rest of his clothes. Bowing very slightly the man spoke once more, “I do apologize if I come across as rude or distant, but I have spoken to nobody in almost seventy years. I am not used to conversation, let alone of a civil nature.”

A slight breeze picked up, causing his clothes to billow a bit. The chain coming out of his chest, five and a half links long, swayed as well. A warmth in his hand brought his attention back to the girl. He had completely forgotten that her hand was in his. Even in death the touch brought warmth to him. Akimoto liked that. An actual smile hit his face at that moment. Those muscles hadn't been used in decades. He had nearly forgotten how it felt to smile. It was a good feeling. Turning his head back to the girl, he asked, “So what brings you to this area Miss?” He kept his tone polite wand kind, but the truth was, it honestly didn't matter to him, as long as she didn't intend to leave. Akimoto wanted someone to talk to, someone to accept him for once. If he was polite, maybe she could be that person.

He grasped her tiny hand in his, she tried to shake her hands a little, but her strength was nothing compared to his, and they wouldn't budge. “My name is Akimoto Nakamura. It is a pleasure to meet you Miss Kaneko.” He was very polite, or otherwise, straining to be. He probably wanted to talk to her as much as she wanted to talk to him, his loneliness was radiating off of him as bright as the sun.

Akimoto stood up, giving Kiyoko a full view of what he looked like. He was a strange sight indeed. Akimoto was short, shorter than her, with a slim, but healthy looking body. He wore his long brown hair in a low ponytail, a stark contrast to the seemingly new, white bandage wrapped around his head, covering his eyes. He wore only white, though his clothing looked worn, what surprised Kiyoko the most was the large bloodstain on the front of his shirt, revealing a bullet hole. She wondered how this man had died, being shot would probably be the right guess.

“I do apologize if I come across as rude or distant, but I have spoken to nobody in almost seventy years. I am not used to conversation, let alone of a civil nature.” Akimoto bowed a very short bow, his chains making a chinking noise as he moved. He did come off as a bit of a distant guy, but not rude. His talking to Kiyoko was a very kind gesture in itself, She didn't blame him for his distant nature. "Don't worry, although it's only been five years for me, I know how you feel!" She spoke with a cheery tone, making it obvious her mouth was formed into a smile. It was the truth, she did know how he felt, but she couldn't imagine being dead for seventy years, that must have been hell on earth, literally.

They were still holding each others hand, he must have noticed too as his hand suddenly felt warmer in hers. He smiled a genuine smile and, as smiles were contagious, Kiyoko grinned back, and let out a tiny giggle. She immediately brought her hand up to her mouth and suppressed it, hoping he wasn't offended or anything, "Sorry about that, I wasn't laughing at you, I'm just happy." She laughed again, as if proving her statement.

Reverting back to a polite tone, he asked her what she was doing in the area. She didn't particularly understand this question, did he mean in the park or in Karakura town? Well, she was in Karakura town because she died here, and didn't want to leave her brother, but he didn't want to know that. "Oh, well, I like coming here because I get to relax here." she chimed, "How about you, why are you here?"

The voice of this girl was happy and full of cheer, which was something that Akimoto was most definitely not used to. Her bright tone sounded so good to his ears, that he wanted to talk to her forever. She didn't yell at him for being rude either, in fact, she understood how he felt, even though she had only been deceased for five or so years. A slight giggle escaped the girl, and immediately she became apologetic, "Sorry about that, I wasn't laughing at you, I'm just happy." Another laugh came from her, prompting a slight chuckle from Aki as well. Her lighthearted demeanor was refreshing. His entire life was spent fighting and receiving hatred from everyone, so somebody being polite to him was almost unheard of.

Miss Kaneko answered his question with a somewhat surprising answer. She said that she came here to relax. Akimoto couldn't actually force himself to relax until about a decade after he had passed away. Then again, his life was a lot more stressful than most. The girl quickly followed up her answer with a return question, "How about you, why are you here?" He hadn't really thought about it until now, but the answer was a very sad one. “My reasoning for being here is that this tree stands on the exact spot where a bar I used to frequent used to stand. In fact, it was the place where I was shot.” Tenderly, Akimoto reached down and traced the bullet-hole in his shirt. Its ragged edges reminded him of the drunken slurring attached to the man who pulled the trigger. Shaking the scowl off of his face, Aki continued, “I wasn't very well liked in life. I was different, and resented for that difference. All my life I was attacked, both verbally and physically. This tree shows how something good can still grow from a place of hatred and torment. I admire that.” Another smile crept across his face. He realized that he wasn't very good at light communication, but then again, he had never had anyone to practice with.

The breeze picked up again, billowing his clothes and playing with his pony tail. He did enjoy a good wind now and then, and today's was a perfect one indeed. It made him feel all the better when in accompaniment with his cheery company. “I apologize for my melancholy story. Would you like to take a walk with me? It has been ages since I have had a good conversation, and I would like to enjoy a nice walk with one, if I may.” His polite tone was now sincere as opposed to a forced kindness, as he felt he could trust this girl.

Kiyoko couldn't help but stare at the hole in Akimoto's shirt, it was similar to hers, which was perfectly placed in the middle of her back but, for some reason, seeing the mark on someone else was more shocking. She reached behind her, finding the ragged edges on her sweater and traced it tenderly, making sure she couldn't feel her back. Although the wound disappeared when she died, she still imagined the bullet to be stuck in her body, paining her spine each time she moved. It was the only thing she wished she could forget from her human life, other than the horrored expression Hayato made when she died.

Kiyoko turned her attention back to Akimoto, who was tracing his bullet hole as she was a minute before. He was remembering his death, shot in a bar he used to frequent. He held a distant scowl on his face, as if remembering the culprit, but let it fade on his face. She wondered who had killed him and why, did he do something wrong? "I wasn't very well liked in life. I was different, and resented for that difference. All my life I was attacked, both verbally and physically. This tree shows how something good can still grow from a place of hatred and torment. I admire that.” He smiled, which confused Kiyoko greatly. That wasn't a cheery memory, and she almost pitied the man. He was alone all his life, how could he find such happiness in a small thing such as a tree?
"Well, Akimoto... it seems like you need a friend!" She chuckled, taking his other hand in hers. She wouldn't bother him with her story, he seemed like he needed more joy in his world.

“I apologize for my melancholy story. Would you like to take a walk with me? It has been ages since I have had a good conversation, and I would like to enjoy a nice walk with one, if I may.” she had noticed his polite and kind tone wasn't forced anymore, he was getting more comfortable with talking to her. Kiyoko squeezed his hands, and let one drop, but kept one hand in hers, "Don't mind if I do!"

((OOC: Sorry it took so long. My dad made a surprise visit and stayed for a week, i hadn't seen him for 2 years prior to that.))


In between his story and his apology, Aki felt his other hand be taken by a hand that felt just like the one he was holding. The girl must have both his hands now. She then spoke of how he needed a friend. How true. He had always wanted a friend, but nobody in life had given him the time of day, let alone friendship. Her laughter made him smile a bit wider, which somewhat made his face hurt. After so many years of little happiness, this girl was given him a workout. After his brief apology, the girl let on of his hands fall to his side. Keeping the other one in her hand, she gleefully accepted his offer.

Turning slightly to his right, Aki let his free hand touch the tree behind him. Feeling the large knot on the side facing him, he began walking directly away from it. “This knot faces west, which means we should be walking towards the coffee shop. I like the smells of that place. It is always full of people, which usually deters me, but even so, I like it enough to go there. Not today though, we shall be going past the coffee shop, towards the edge of the city. The trees on the outskirts of town are very peaceful this time of year.”

His feet continued to move, although he was half-floating, as souls do. As they crossed into the city itself, leaving the park behind, he felt a sharp pain in his chest, though he ignored it. This was not the time to worry about such things. He had someone who actually wanted to spend time with him, so there was no reason to think about anything but that. He just hoped that the event that happened the last time this pain was felt wouldn't happen again. The pain and suffering he had felt was so immense that he cried out in pain for hours. It would be very embarrassing for him if it happened again, but more than that, it would probably scare the poor girl. That was the last thing he wanted.

((OOC: I have pretty much no excuse for not posting, I've been putting it off I guess. Sorry if this post is super craptastic))

Kiyoko trailed behind the man, listening to his detailed explanation of their destination. The forest seemed nice, she'd never been there so she couldn't judge. He told the story of a busy coffee shop, Kiyoko loved the aroma of coffee, in fact, she used to make a pot of coffee each morning when she lived with her brother just for the bitter scent that filled the air. Smelling was her favourite sensation when she was alive, and she missed it the most. She could still touch and feel most of the objects around her, she could see everything and hear everything, and taste wasn't a big problem when she didn't need to eat. Kiyoko was known for her wonderful and sensitive nose, but, starting with her parents deaths, she always lost the things she loved the most.

How she cherished the smallest things, and held onto them for the longest time. Kiyoko wondered if Akimoto missed something, maybe these trivial memories were the things holding us back from moving on. Kiyoko always watched those kinds of shows, Medium was one of her favourites, although the Japanese dubbing was always off. Maybe she needed to find someone like Alison Dubois who could help her get to a better place.

Her mind was set, she was on a mission to find a human who could help her, but maybe her new friend wanted this kind of help too. He didn't have much choice either way, she was set on helping the lost soul. "I've got... a bit of plan." she explained, making quite an effort to meet his eye. Her mouth twitched in excitement, making it difficult for her to keep a straight face. She didn't want to wander the earth for all of eternity with a chain protruding from her chest that was slowly getting shorter, giving her immense pain as it did so. Although, she didn't want to leave Hayato alone to fend for himself. He needed him as much as she needed her.

Her whole situation was a complete mess.