A/N: This has also been posted on my tumblr and ao3!
This is a Ghost Hunt and Supernatural mash-up sort of thing. Mash-up because while the concept of "hunters" and basic technique is the same, NOTHING else (characters, places, events, etc.) from Supernatural are mentioned. You can read this without knowing a thing about Supernatural, I think. If that's totally wrong and you need clarification, just tell me.
Summary: John left Australia for one very important reason: he was tired of the life his brother and his parents seemed to be so fond of. He wanted to go to college, graduate, make something of himself… and so he did, becoming a priest and moving to Japan in the process. And yet in Japan, he finds himself doing the exact same thing he used to. Now, on a case that he finds himself in over his head on, he calls up SPR.
New chapters will be posted to my tumblr first, and then here and ao3! I'll be posting the first four chapters (which is where I am now) here today, but new updates will come as I post them on tumblr.
John didn't have to analyze how this new "case" was shaping out for too terribly long to come to a definite conclusion… he needed help. There had been a recent string of murders, or at least John saw it as a string, though to the police, who weren't looking for anything strange, they didn't appear to be connected, but to those who knew what to look for, it was definitely something to look into, which was what had drawn John to the small town, a few hours outside of Tokyo (he tried to stay relatively in the area, in case Father Toujo or Kasuya needed him.) The townspeople were a little confused as to why a priest would be here about murders, but they were happy to see someone at the very least. Based on his research so far, what he'd found in the papers, what he'd heard from the townspeople he'd talked to, and the bodies that he'd seen (he hadn't seen all of them, the older ones had been buried already, but the newer ones were still in the morgue) he had decided that it was either a group of jiang shi, or a group of corrupted gaki that were now thirsting for blood and becoming dangerous, instead of staying relatively harmless and pitiable. A group of them, he was certain, which meant trouble. He hated these things, but he could handle one or two of them just fine, as long as he knew what he was doing. It might be nerve-wracking and a little terrifying, but he could handle them just fine. A group of them, however… well, he knew already and even without knowing how many of them there were exactly, that he was beyond outnumbered. He wasn't in over his head yet… but he would be if he attracted their attention.
He didn't know very many people who could help him. Priests didn't usually deal with this sort of thing, and if he was completely honest with himself, he'd actively avoided the sort of people who would actually believe him… and want to help. Save for a few. And so he decided he'd call Kasuya. He'd wanted to keep them from figuring out what he was up to in the majority of his spare time, but they were the only people who would be able to help him out.
The conversation had been short. John hadn't explained too much, just said that he had a case that he was still trying to figure out the facts on, but that it would be dangerous to move further, and told Kasuya where he was. Kasuya hadn't pressed for more information, just told him that he'd get everyone together, and they'd be out the next day. John had warned him that this wasn't the average spirit and that even in a group it might be dangerous, though considerably safer than if he tried to do it by himself. He knew he needed to, at the risk of having Kasuya turn him down; he'd been ready to pull out of the case at the Minami mansion because Urado had turned out to be far more powerful than they'd expected. Greatly to his credit, Kasuya didn't turn him down, and said they'd still be out there the next day, and that he'd pass the warning along to the rest of SPR.
He stayed in the town library until it closed, doing what research he could and trying not to be too idle while he waited for the others to show up. It was frustrating work, though the library had a much better catalogue than most small towns he'd been to. He was tempted to call his brother, or his parents, or any of the dozens of people in Australia who could help him out; he felt like he could almost literally hear his phone calling out to him, telling him something he couldn't quite understand, actually something was really talking to him, and he looked down at his phone with wide eyes… but then he realized that it was actually the library's automated intercom saying that they were closing, and he probably needed to go back to the inn he was staying at and get some sleep because his lack of it was starting to do funny things to his brain. He put his phone back in his pocket and decided, once again, against calling. That wouldn't get him anywhere.
He put away the books and papers he'd been looking at, and headed across the street, to the inn he'd booked a room at.
"Did you find anything, Father?" the girl at the front desk, the daughter of the couple who owned the inn, asked him when he walked in.
"Not much more, I'm afraid," he shook his head. "I've got some friends coming tomorrow to help out, though."
"Well, we have plenty of room… as always," she sighed, and then motioned him closer, so she could speak softly. "Do you think anything will happen tonight? With… you know… those things?" She was probably the only person in town who actually knew why he was here, and had fortunately been very receptive to the idea that the culprit, or culprits, behind the murders were not human or animal. He didn't always find those people when he worked cases, but when he did it was immensely helpful; so far she'd pointed out several people for him to talk to, introduced him to them, and given him several other names, all of which had turned up quite a bit of information or, in the case of her introducing him to the town coroner, allowed him to see the bodies they still had, which was what had helped him narrow down the culprit to the point that he had now.
"I don't think so, no," John shook his head, "but be careful."
"I will," she smiled.
"If you'd feel better if I stayed with you until the end of your shift, I can," he offered.
"Father, for the millionth time, no!" she laughed. He'd offered at least once every night since they'd started talking. "You look like you're dead on your feet! I'll be fine."
He let her shoo him away and walked down the hall to his room. He unlocked the door and opened it carefully, not wanting to disturb the careful line of salt he'd made inside, though he'd made sure that the door could open without hitting it. Inside the room, not outside it, and he never allowed maids in. It was the easiest way to make sure he could sleep without having to constantly be on guard. He didn't think the gaki, or jiang shi, knew he was hunting them yet, but he wanted to avoid becoming another random victim.
He undressed to his undershirt, though he still wore his jeans, and sat on the bed, sighing in relief at finally having some time to sleep. He'd gotten maybe an hour or two last night, three hours the night previous, and hadn't slept well the night before that. He was very, very, tired. After a prayer, he pulled the sheet and blanket over himself, turned out the light, and closed his eyes. Within a minute or two, he was asleep.