Chapter Text
Home: it is not a place in and of itself, but rather what you make of the place you’re in.
I wouldn’t call it my life’s motto, but it’s good advice nonetheless. Some days my mind wanders, dreaming of possible futures for myself where I have the kind of traditional life others would call a home. But for now my home is whatever desk I’m putting pen to paper at.
Crafting stories is my passion. There’s a certain excitement you can only get from creating characters and their lives out of thin air. Connecting all the dots of plot, deciding what actions they take, the emotions they feel.
And it can be rather therapeutic as well, it becomes a conduit for your own pain that keeps you up at night as you channel the characters you’ve created.
But as much as I love creating fiction, it doesn’t pay the bills. Instead, most of my books are memoirs or stories that famous patrons hire me to write for them. It’s not always the most interesting work, but occasionally I’ll come across a muse that inspires me more than any rom com love triangle drama ever could. And Shu Yamino so far is turning out to be the most interesting one yet…
I still remember the day we met like it was yesterday, mostly because I’ve played it back in my head 100 times over now and even on the 101th go around it still makes me cringe.
I leaned back in my chair and sighed, taking a quick sip of soda before I was mentally transported back to that day in the rain outside of Shu’s office.
Despite the forecast calling for sun, today the skies decided to downpour.
“Aww crap.” I moaned, realizing I was caught without an umbrella but I’m also dedicated to being punctual so I don’t have time to wait out the rain. Instead I took off running, trying to get to my destination as quickly as possible.
I turned a corner onto a brightly lit street and immediately saw the dark oak facade of the office I was looking for, without any thought I threw open the door and unceremoniously tumbled inside.
Straightening up to standing height again I suddenly froze remembering I’m here to meet a potential client but here I am busting down their door, a soaking wet mess. I quickly scanned the front room and breathed a sigh of relief when I didn’t see anyone.
No witnesses, thank god… I thought to myself as I stepped forward only to freeze again. My heeled boots echoed loudly on the wooden floor and I was suddenly very aware of every movement I made. My whole existence here was loud and intrusive, disrupting the peaceful and quiet office. I wanted to run back out the door before anyone had the opportunity to start questioning why I was here but I pushed away my internal reaction to cringe and took a deep breath.
Just breathe, you’re supposed to be here and you’re on time. Everything is okay… breathe… I mentally reminded myself, trying to calm the raging anxiety I felt.
As a distraction I started looking around the room and realized the front was actually set up as a small store. I never would’ve been able to tell from the lack of advertising outside. Although, I guess this is an… odd occupation.
Shu Yamino is a sorcerer I’d been told, something quite rare to see in this modern day and age. He’s also an accomplished scientific researcher.
As I eyed the bottles of peculiar potions and shelves of odd trinkets, I suddenly felt even more out of place than I already am. All of this stuff is foreign to me, how would I even know between a legitimate sorcerer and a snake oil salesman?
Have I gone too far? Am I out of my league here? Maybe I should leave before he sees me. How am I going to write a good book about this? I have no idea what I’m doing…!
“Ike Eveland.”
I jumped as a smooth voice startled me out of my thoughts and I quickly turned towards the source. A man was strolling out of the backroom, pushing open the curtain that separated it from the front storeroom. He paused in the doorway and flashed me a kind smile.
This must be Shu Yamino.
He looked to be about the same age as me, mid 20’s, but… a little eccentric. He wore a white, frilly blouse paired with a tight black corset on top and black leggings that hugged every curve of his legs. The look was then accented by a pink ascot around his neck and a skull on his hip. His hair looked luxurious and silky, it’s raven black and falls to his shoulders in a long layer with the bottom dyed purple. There were also little highlights of pink sprinkled throughout, framing his face, and the final cherry on top was a shock of yellow hair, combed upwards like a claw. He looked to be about the same height as me in my heels and had sharp cheek bones, fair skin, with a lean but muscular build, he’s… beautiful to be honest.
Is this what a sorcerer typically looks like? I wondered to myself. I’ve never seen another sorcerer to compare him to.
“Mr. Eveland?” The same smooth voice as before cut through my thoughts and I blinked quickly, realizing I was staring and I still haven’t said a word to him yet.
“Oh! I’m so sorry!” I blurted out then cringed. I took a deep breath, willing my brain to start working again and for the flush on my face to go away, it suddenly feels entirely too hot in here. “I mean, yes, I’m- I’m Ike Eveland, I apologize for my state, the rain caught me by surprise.” I said with a nervous chuckle at the end. Shu looked down in surprise as if he was just now noticing my soaked clothes and dripping hair.
“Oh no, forgive me, I should get you a towel.” He said, quickly retreating to the backroom and then returning with a white hand towel. I extended my hand to take it, expecting him to hand it to me but he stepped past my outstretched arm and deposited the towel on top of my head himself.
I froze and my scalp prickled with electricity as he gently massaged the towel over my hair. He was squeezing the rain from the ends of my hair when I took the opportunity to look up at him. I thought I’d be stealing a glance but I met his eyes instead. His amethyst purple eyes were staring back, watching me. They looked as if they were glowing supernaturally and I was mesmerized, staring into them.
How can eyes look like this? Is it magic? I wondered to myself.
“Shall I take your coat?”
“Huh?”
Shu chuckled,
“May I take your coat?”
“O-oh! Yes, please, thank you.” I stammered as my senses came back to me. He walked behind me, hooking his slender fingers into the collar of my long white coat as I shrugged out of it. His hand brushed the back of my neck momentarily and I felt the flush on my face spread further, the skin where he touched burned hotly. He whisked my jacket away to the coat rack by the door and suddenly I felt more vulnerable in just my back dress shirt and white slacks.
Please, for the love of god, my pants better not be see-through right now... I thought desperately, realizing at that exact moment what some white fabrics do when they get wet. I shook away the embarrassing thought and took a deep breath to steady myself while his back was turned. It’s not like me to get so easily flustered like this.
Maybe it’s the rain? Yeah, it’s just an accumulation of circumstances, I just need to calm down. I thought to myself, then turned to face him again.
“Thank you, sir.” I said, giving a slight bow with my head to show my gratitude.
“Oh please, call me Shu, that’s what my friends call me.” He said, looking back at me with a dazzling smile. Is this him saying he wants to be friends? I wondered. That’s when I noticed the arch in his lips that created a cute bow shape. I swallowed hard as I stared at it, my intrusive thoughts began to wander about what it would be like to be kissed by those lips...
Looking at Shu was like laying eyes on rare exotic art for the first time. It was confusing and I don’t fully understand it, but I also can’t look away. I want to understand and unravel the secrets that lay behind it.
“Nice to meet you Shu, please call me Ike.” I said with a smile and extended my hand for him to shake. Thus far my professionalism has been pretty abysmal, I need to get this interaction back on track if I’m going to get this job. He immediately took my hand and gave it a firm shake,
“It’s a pleasure to meet you Ike. My friend Vox was very complimentary of you. The book you published about his lost clan was so well written.” Shu said, smiling back. I flushed again under the unexpected praise, looking down at our intertwined hands. Shu’s nails were well manicured but his sharp, painted black nails were also slightly intimidating, resembling the dangerous talons of a bird gripping prey.
“Thank you, that’s very kind.” I said, looking up at him through my lashes. I mentally kicked myself because I couldn’t bring myself to fully look him in the eyes again. “Um.. can you tell me more about your assignment?” I asked, trying to change the subject to something more comfortable.
“Of course! Follow me.” He said, leading me behind the front counter and shifting the purple velvet curtain that obscured the backroom to the side.
He gestured for me to walk through first so I did and quickly took in the layout of the room. It was an open floor plan divided into two sections, the first resembling a science lab but with strange instruments and the 2nd area being an impromptu office with an old fashioned chalkboard hanging behind the desk. Shu stepped past me, leading me to his desk, and gestured to the seat in front of it. As I sat down my eyes focused on the board, trying to understand the complex formulas written across it. They’re completely lost on me but I’m starting to get a sense of just how intelligent the man in front of me is.
“So, why am I considering hiring a writer is your first question I’m assuming?” Shu asked, settling into the chair behind the desk. I nodded quickly, interested to hear more details.
“I’ve been getting into some new research regarding the paranormal.” He said simply. “Typically I’d write up and publish my own notes on the subject once my research is complete, but as I mentioned before, my friend Vox spoke very highly of your skill and suggested I try something new for publishing this research. I don’t know how much of my work you’ve heard of before but my goal has always been to take difficult and widely misunderstood subjects such as sorcery and bring my knowledge to everyday people so they can better understand it. This is why sorcery has become a less taboo and a more understood topic in society in the last few years. But most people don’t enjoy reading scientific notes so Vox suggested I try a more palatable method of publication. I’d like you to shadow me for a few months, observe the research, then write a book from an outside perspective.” Shu explained.
“Sounds interesting. But…” I bit my lip, second guessing if I’m the right writer for such an important project. “Do you need someone with prior experience in this field?” I asked. I can’t lie, I know nothing about this field or research. A large part of my time will be spent just figuring out what everything is and I don’t want Shu to waste his time on me. But Shu laughed in response,
“Of course not! The audience this book is targeting also has no idea what this field is so it’s your job to convey it to them and help them understand the research we’ll be doing.” He said. “Vox suggested it would be a good way to… demystify the subject, to help the everyday person understand it. And if this match up goes well, I may hire you to write one about sorcery as well.” He explained.
“Are you an actual sorcerer?” I blurted out the question that had been sitting on my mind and then immediately froze as soon as the rude, thoughtless question left my mouth. “I-I’m so sorry, I don’t mean to sound- I didn’t- I didn’t mean to say it like that.” I sputtered, my brain reeling, trying to figure out how to make up for my dumb mouth. But Shu didn’t seem to take any offense, he just laughed again and waved me off.
“No it’s fine, don’t worry about it.” He chuckled.
We fell into silence for a moment while he looked me up and down. I gulped, feeling like I was being sized up.
“Would you like to find out?” He finally asked, his voice sounding slightly darker than before.
My stomach twisted nervously. My primal instincts immediately felt like I was in danger but at the same time I wanted to know. I wanted to see. My curiosity had been slowly growing since I first got here but now with this invitation it had become an overwhelming fire of interest. I couldn’t help it. So I quietly nodded, wondering what he might show me.
His lips quirked up into a smirk and then with a snap of his fingers a bright collar of purple and pink fire appeared around his shoulders. I gasped loudly and leaned back, my natural instincts wanting to run from the flames but Shu wasn’t worried about being on fire at all. I stared back at him in disbelief, taking in the gentle flames that started at his shoulders and curled up around his head, framing his soft face. The beautiful display reminded me much of peacock feathers but… stranger.
The flames licked at his skin and yet no mark was left behind, he felt no pain from them. It was as if they were a natural part of him. Like they’d always been there but unseen.
Then the fire on one side started to move, trailing down his arm and he reached out towards me, holding his palm out like he wanted me to touch. My head screamed that I was in danger, my natural senses told me to run but I was also entranced by the display. The strange dancing flames seemed so gentle and inviting.
Slowly, hesitantly, I pressed my palm to his and he intertwined our fingers. The flames then surged down his arm and crossed over where our hands were connected like a bridge. He kept my hand firmly locked in his so I couldn’t pull away. I sucked in a sharp breath and closed my eyes, steeling myself against the pain to come but… there was none. Just a gentle warmth.
I was expecting them to scorch my skin but instead they gently laid on my skin, like a warm sweater that brings comfort. They rolled lazily around my hand and then up my arm, eventually creating a collar around me like they’d done to Shu when he first showed them to me. But as they curved around my head I noticed the brilliant purple and pink fade and turn to blue and gold. It was like the color changed to respond to whoever the flames touched.
A giggle escaped my lips as I looked up at them. I was just amazed, astounded, they were beautiful, unlike anything I’d ever seen or felt before. The flames dipped and swirled around me, ruffling my short grey and blue hair and gently kissing my neck, making me giggle again with how much they tickled.
But soon they slowly climbed back down my arm, returning to Shu and their original color. I turned back to him with a huge smile on my face still. He was watching me with a curious look in his eyes. When the flames finished creating their collar around Shu again, he snapped once more and made them disappear.
“Do you believe me now?” He asked gently. I nodded enthusiastically.
“Yeah, that was amazing!” I said, a huge grin still on my face.
“I’m glad you liked them.” He said with the same gentle sentiment in his voice. But then his expression changed, remembering to get back to business. “Follow me, I’ll show you the notes I’ve taken so far.” He stood up and escorted me into the lab, taking me to a table covered in scribbled on pages.
“If you don’t know what something is please ask, I’m happy to answer any questions and share the knowledge I’ve accumulated.” He said while thumbing through the papers, attempting to organize them.
“Actually… I do have a question.” I said, one that’s been on my mind since he first started explaining the assignment. “If you’re a sorcerer, why are you researching the paranormal? Do ghosts have close ties to sorcery?” I asked curiously.
“Actually I can help with that!” A sharp female voice rang out and suddenly the top of someone’s head phased through the papers in front of me.
“AHHHHHH!” I let out a shrill scream, jumping back so fast that I tripped over my feet. I felt myself begin to fall but Shu quickly stepped behind me and held me up so I wouldn’t hit the ground. My back was laying against his chest as I regained my composure and looked forward at the semi transparent girl floating up through the table. I could feel the vibration as Shu let out a laugh.
“Reimu, that was mean!” Shu playfully scolded. Then lifted me back onto my own feet.
“Well he’s gotta know what he’s getting himself into. Not every ghost is as nice as me.” She said cheekily. “I’m Reimu!” She introduced herself and held out her hand for me to shake. My polite brain worked without thinking as I attempted to grab her hand and shake it but my hand felt straight through her’s.
“Got him!” She announced snickering. I rolled my eyes and mentally slapped myself for actually trying to shake hands with a ghost. Why am I like this?
I looked at her more closely and she was certainly an odd sight. Her white-grey hair was long, flowing down her back except for the two pieces framing her face that crooked upwards in U shapes. The rest of her hair went down to her feet then floated upwards at the ends. She wore a tattered black dress with the arms so long they covered her hands paired with black leggings underneath and a red necktie. But what was on her head was the strangest of all. At first I thought it was just a hood, no, a beanie, but then I realized it had fingers and eyes. The black hat-like thing had creepy, crooked grey fingers with red and blue nails that dug into the hair around the crown of her head, its eyes were pure white, vacant, and expressionless.
“What…what is that?” I asked.
“A friend.” She said vaguely with a strange smile. Shu cleared his throat from behind me and caught my attention again,
“Reimu here is the inspiration for my new research. I had never met a ghost before her but she’s so interesting, I wanted to start looking into the paranormal more. Plus it’s another taboo topic people don’t like to talk about that has little scientific research. If I could get the public to understand and see ghosts like I see Reimu here, then people would be a lot less afraid of them.” Shu explained.
“Yeah, Shu here is such a good boy, always trying to help others.” She cooed. “I’d never met a real sorcerer, in life or in death, so I was intrigued and I started following him. He’s been stuck with me ever since.” She said with a grin directed at Shu. “I like him Shu, I think he’s going to be a good addition to the team.”
“Good to know you all will get along well.” Shu replied.
“Is there anyone else hiding around here?” I said, clutching my chest where my heart was still pounding. Reimu laughed,
“Yeah, there’s also Mysta.” She said, sounding disinterested. “But you haven't known true fear until you see Mysta’s cooking!”
“Oi, shut the fuck up!” I heard a voice with a British accent yell from another room.
“You shut the fuck up!” Reimu snapped back. “I’m telling nothing but the truth!”
Suddenly a man in an orange shirt and white pants walked in. He had a messy bob cut of grey-brown hair that stuck out at the ends and a black hair band sitting in the middle of it but not pushing any of the hair back. He glared daggers at Reimu before turning his attention on me. Then he put his hands on his hips and puffed up his chest.
“I’m Mysta Rias! Detective extraordinaire!” He proclaimed proudly.
“More like failed detective.” Reimu snickered.
“HEY!” He screamed at her. “I’m an excellent detective!”
“Then why haven’t you caught that Mafia boss yet??” She teased.
“He’s well connected and hard to catch, these things take time!” He tried to reason with her.
“Guys, please, we have a guest and he hasn’t even agreed to this job yet.” Shu said, his face was in one of his hands in embarrassment.
“Why do you need a detective?” I asked Shu curiously. The ghost made sense, she’s the purpose of the research but what’s a detective tracking down a mafia boss have to do with this?
“He’s my brother.” Shu clarified. “He drops by to help out when he has free time.”
“Yeah, I might not be a sorcery prodigy like Shu here but I like to help out where I can.” He said grinning.
I looked up at Shu and chuckled a little. He seemed so confident and unshakable up until now, it was interesting seeing him finally being the one blushing and embarrassed.
Mysta strode across the room to where we were standing and stuck out his hand. I hesitated for a moment but then returned his hand shake, my hand landing in a firm, very much alive hand this time.
“I’m Ike.” I replied, “it’s nice to meet you, all of you.” I said, turning to look at everyone.
“This is the whole team we have here but as we travel you’ll get to meet more.” Shu said.
“Travel?” I asked.
“Yes, I plan to make stops at multiple haunted places as part of our research.” Shu explained. “So this will be a traveling position, I hope that’s okay?” I nodded,
“That’s fine with me, I’m used to it.” I said reassuringly.
“So you’ll stay and write a book about me!?” Reimu asked excitedly.
“It’s not about you.” Mysta retorted, putting emphasis on ‘you’ as he crossed his arms and rolled his eyes at her.
“Well… I must say, this is definitely the most interesting job request I’ve ever gotten.” I said, chuckling.
“But, if you’ll have me, I’d love to work with you all.”
I used to sleep peacefully.
Back before accepting this job, I was a champion of falling asleep minutes after hitting the pillow, but that night, I laid awake restlessly, thinking about Shu and the days to come.
I had no idea at the time that it would be the first restless night of many to come, and the start of a year long saga that almost cost the lives of those dear to me.
I didn’t realize it back then, but something uneasy had reawoken within me that day.