Hello again, this chapter was enjoyable to write ^_^ please point out grammar mistakes and review, also critic's are welcome.
Chapter Two
It had been a long night. Mai spent the night at her friend Kikio's home. Discussing the contents of the case. Mai's friend Kikio and brother Ruki were speaking on behalf of Ruki's friend Koda. Mai told them that she would handle it and told them to give Koda a call and let him know to come to the office. Koda had never met her and she asked them to let him know not to mention her name or even that he knew who she was. After all, switching files on Naru was one thing. But interviews were a totally different thing...
Naru tapped his chin deep in thought. He had underestimated Mai a lot. His file had been switched and the file he had been working on was already debunked by his assistant. Since when had she had the time to switch files? She hadn't been alone in his office. He had a hunch that she wasn't telling him something. But even so, he could return the favor of her little pranks the day before. His lips curled up into a smirk at the sound of the door bells alerting him of Mai's entrance. Mai narrowed her eyes at the pile of files on her desk, she hadn't expected such a childish retort no wait she had.
Mai narrowed her eyes at the pile of files on her desk, she hadn't expected such a childish retort no wait she had. After all, she had astral projected and switch his files the night before. She had figured after giving Masako her key on the Urado case that she should be practicing more often. Her powers had grown at an alarming rate according to Gene who had been in acoma. She hadn't told him about her progress since. Not wanting him to worry or tell anyone else until she was content. But she was pretty content, but she still wanted to learn more.
Gene was skyping Yasu and making it look like he actually had something to do other than answer the phone. He greeted Mai cheerily when she gave him a smile.
"Hey, Gene," Mai greeted, "Hey, Mai," Gene returned bemusedly. He offhandedly wondered what she had planned for this day.
It took awhile in order to sort the files and to find exactly what she was looking for. There were three very large piles of files that needed boss approval to look at. See before she would do them anyway because Naru apparently trusted her enough. She smirked grabbing three files to start with. She wanted to give him false hope to start with.
Gene decided to enjoy that day show, as Mai knocked on Noll's door. She was greeted with the usual silence and Mai opened the door. She gave a bright smile as she plopped the files in front of her boss. Naru stared at the files blankly. Was she really going to play this card?
"Boss stamp of approval is needed for a small few of the files you gave me," Naru's eye twitched but he otherwise stayed silent as she exited his office and came back with a bigger stack in her arms.
With each stack that she carried in his glare intensified until she came back with one file that was stupidly gigantic. She dropped it right in front of her boss still smiling, and her smile even dared to grow. Naru fumed inwardly from making the mistake of overlooking the idea she would dare to go this far. While Gene could be heard laughing as he typed on the computer giving Yasu a play by play of the events unfolding. But by now he had sent the same play by play to Madoka knowing she would just eat this up.
Somewhere in a dining room in England, a red-haired woman by the name of Madoka burst out laughing and nearly choked on the wine she'd been drinking. The room was large, elegant, and it had a warm homey feel to it. She laughed even as her two companions by the last name Davis stared at her as if she was insane.
It took Madoka a long moment to collect herself and when she did she handed the pair her phone so they could she was so funny. It was a video of a young brown haired girl of Japanese descent going back and forth with files. But the text under it clarified why it was so funny. Their lips pulled back into grins. They'd heard of the girl Mai but had yet to meet her. She seemed like a strong little thing if her sass towards their son was anything to go by. Perhaps they would check in on their next case to meet the JSPR team and get to know the people their sons were so hell bent on staying with?
"Enjoy, I know you'll work hard to speed along this tiny stack so we can move on to the computer files," Mai said before turning and exited the room and making sure to leave it open a crack so he would see her stack of exactly ten files on her desk.
Mai took a seat and started to finally do her job when Lin opened his door and walked over to Mai with two more files. Mai hummed and inspected the cover and handed them back.
"Those files are to go through Oliver's eyes first, please hand them to him," Lin glanced from Naru's door then back to Mai before he did as asked. Lin surveyed Naru's office bemused at the piles of files that were staked upon his desk with Naru glaring at them as if he expected them to stamp themselves in fear of his all mighty glare as he stamped approval on one file at a time.
Lin surveyed Naru's office bemused at the piles of files that were staked upon his desk with Naru glaring at them as if he expected them to stamp themselves in fear of his all mighty glare as he stamped approval on one file at a time. Suffice to say Naru was never a happy camper, but now he was royally pissed. How dare Mai of all people make a fool of him? He was about to just stamp them all and get on with it when..
"Shibuya make sure you actually look through them," Mai called Naru froze before his glare turned towards the door. She assumed he would do such a thing? Despite the fact, he was going to, but that didn't matter.
He couldn't comprehend how that young woman could get under his skin so easily. And so when Lin placed the files down on a random stack and decided to leave his blood finally began to boil. Lin closed the door distinctly hearing the sound of cracking glass, before crossing the main room to the culprit of his charges anger's desk. The usually stoic chines man had to hand it to the girl for so easily getting Noll so bent out of shape. He, of course, knew Gene was delightedly telling someone about what was going on. After all, Naru expressing emotions was always a delight for their co-workers.
"Yes, Lin?" Mai asked looking up and giving him a smile a smile she usually had and not the impish smile of hers that she had donned recently. Gene hurried over interrupting Lin.
Lin often wondered how the girl could smile so much after everything that had happened in her life. She and Gene both had smiles that were just contagious. It was hard for Lin not to smile back sometimes, but he managed. He was about to answer her question when Gene hurried over and interrupting Lin.
"What did Noll do," Gene curiously resting his hands on the edge of her desk and leaning over so they could speak without Naru overhearing them from his office.
"It's not my job to serve him tea while there is more important work to be done," Mai stated. "It's not my job to go across town just to pick up his stupid tea, and he's not taking up any cases and giving me all the files," Mai stated annoyedly. "Yet he still considers me an idiot, and a lazy assistant," She fumed letting her pen fall as she crossed her arms her eyes looking anger and upset. "I know he's a jerk, but does he always have to act like I can't do anything? I'm at the top of my school, I know how to cleanse and even exercise de- ghosts. But no he wouldn't know that because why would I ever tell him my progress when all he does is insult-" she trailed off in thought.
Gene's grip on her desk tightened while Lin's eyes bored into her. What in the world did she mean? Was she going to say demons? Their minds raced trying to figure out when she had the time to do that? Gene paused looking towards his brother's door his usually joyful and kind eyes internally raging and decided against going in and telling Naru off. For two reasons, one being the fact his brother needed to figure out his glaring ways didn't always work, the other because Mai needed to tell him on her own. But, it hurt that she didn't trust him enough to tell him. Hadn't he made it clear she could talk to him? He wanted to yell and be upset that she'd put herself in as dangerous a position as to go against a demon?
Lin, on the other hand, was pissed. He was pissed enough to yell at her and he didn't care if Naru heard him or not. He was about to lecture her when Naru opened the door with a stack of files balanced in one arm. Lin gritted his teeth and watched his charge. Naru plopped the down on her desk a glare plastered on his face. Lin clenched his fist trying to calm himself instead of lecturing them both on their childish nonsense. Instead of taking the time to carefully choose his words for the upcoming lecture he would be giving Mai and the other lecture for Naru.
"Tea," Naru ordered having finally given in to his need for tea and Mai opened her mouth to respond but the door opened with a jingling of bells. That bell made Lin trail off in thought since he hadn't been expecting anyone.
Mai jumped up and hurried to greet the pair of newcomers, "Hello, how may we help you," Mai asked as she approached to greet the elderly woman and the young man beside her. She discreetly winked at the boy causing him to smile slightly.
The young man was about 18 give or take, with curly red hair, and blue eyes that looked haunted but had cheered up a bit when Mai greeted his grandmother and himself.
"If you're busy we can come back." The elderly woman said turning away obviously sensing the earlier tension that had arisen.
"Oh no please sit, it's hot outside, rest and tell us about why you're here," Mai smiled taking the woman's hand and gently escorting her to the couch.
Gene hurried to comfort them while Mai got busy making them tea and sat down tea for all besides Naru. Gene chuckled at his brother's misfortune and lack of restraint for the brunette's tea. Naru shot her a glare and she gave him a wide smile. While the ever stoic Lin grabbed his laptop in order to take notes. He also put in a reminder to question Mai later when they had time.
It unnerved him that she had been keeping important things like that from them. He guessed she had been pulling away and taking it upon herself to take the cases Naru passed up. She could have asked them for help or at least told him about her progress. The thought of her always dealing with things alone made him sad. But then he realized that she had been alone for a long time before they had met her. It kind of made sense that she didn't ask them for help. He had to get her to realize that she was the team's glue and make Naru aware of the situation in a way that wouldn't cause him to start yelling and try to lock Mai in some metaphorical tower.
"Now Naru you know the doctor's said no more tea, drinking that much has caused high blood pressure problems." His eyes lifted to glimpse Naru's glare and noted her smile brightened as she dared Noll to say otherwise.
Knowing full well that his pride would only crumble if he said contrary. Gene chuckled shaking his head taking notes to tell Yasu everything.
"Is it alright to be..." The elderly woman was a kind person that much was evident in her empathy for the man she hadn't known for more than a few moments.
"He's fine it's not like he lives off it," Mai said quickly to comfort the woman's nerves giving her a smile. "Please tell us your troubles," Mai added taking a seat on the arm of the couch beside Gene who was already seated.
"Oh, well my name is Kenpachi Koda, this is my grandmother Wantina, a ghost has been terrorizing us years ever since we moved into the house," Koda spoke up and went on to explain in more detail of what was going on. Gene sensed traces of malice energy surrounding them as the boy spoke.
Mai stiffened a bit when Koda and his grandmother had finished answering their questions. She glanced at Naru knowing he was going to try and turn the down as soon as Naru began to open his mouth.
"No." Mai twitched before moving behind him on the other side of the couch and bending down so he could hear her whispering words.
"I might make tea again, on the sight. But if you don't accept this case and at least try to solve it I won't. What are you a chicken now," Naru turned to glare at her as Gene stifled his laughter beside them. Noll glared at her, for a long moment before he turned back to Wantina and Koda. With that fake smile of his that tricked everyone who didn't know him into thinking he wasn't an ass.
"We will take your case, please have three rooms prepared for our arrival one with a lot of outlets to use as our base and two guest rooms for our staff in two days." Naru then went into his office and shut the door.
"On no circumstances are you to serve him tea," Mai in a hushed voice smiling amusedly when the two clients stared at her strangely before thanking them.
"Now your just being mean," Gene muttered as their guests exited the office even though he was amused at how thorough Mai was in her revenge. That thought made him glad he was on her good side.
"I know, now call the others." Mai chuckled turning to get back to her desk, a grin on her face.
But Lin was not about to let her get away with not informing him or anyone on her progress. He put a hand on her shoulder making her turn to look up at him curiously. He was about to say what was on his mind when she looked at him. But Gene fake coughed and Lin sighed.
"Mai, if you ever need help on a case you can ask me," Lin informed unable to come up with the words he'd wanted to say originally. He wasn't good at expressing himself and he guessed that had transferred to Noll in the long run.
She blinked surprised for a moment before smiling a contagious smile. "Thank you."
So how'd I do?