So I know it's nearly been a year since I updated and I'm very, VERY sorry. I am a horrible person. T-T But I want to thank all of my loyal readers who haven't given up on me and continue to remind me of the reasons I write. I love you all!!! Chu~3
Just a note, this chaper is a rather short one compared to my other chapters. It's more a of a transitional chapter, a transition to the end. *gasp* Don't worry. There are still a few more chapters to go before we reach the end. Now if only I can remeber the plot line......
"This is getting completely out of hand," Ayako said, turning to glare at Naru as soon as Mai was properly tucked into her bed. "How can a spirit keep re-possessing Mai even after John has exorcised her?" To this, Naru had no answers.
"I agree," Masako said softly. As much as she disliked the brunette and wouldn't mind seeing her get hurt once in a while, this was going too far. "Charnette has already threatened Mai's body multiple times. We've been lucky in avoiding any physical injuries, but sooner or later our luck is going to run out."
"Something needs to be done and it needs to be done soon." The crimson haired woman plopped down on the cushioned chair near the bed where she had fallen asleep in earlier, rubbing her forehead. "Next time we might be holding onto Mai's dead body rather than her unconscious one."
Naru remained emotionless upon hearing this, his eyes never leaving the sleeping brunette. The blue tone was dark and distant as they traced over too pale features. Though he was unwilling to show it, the narcissist was worried and knew that the two women were right. Nothing good was going to come of this and Naru knew better than anyone the dangers that could come from prolonging something like this. Unfortunately, there was a problem and the problem was that Naru did not know what to do. He had never dealt with such a spirit and nothing he had ever read or heard about alluded as to how to deal with the current predicament; a stubborn and vengeful spirit named Charnette who seemed to be immune to all the traditional charms and spells.
"Where are Brown-san and Takigawa-san?" Naru suddenly asked, unable to fully keep the hardened edge out of his voice.
Ayako shot him a knowing look which he promptly ignored before answering with a small shrug. "I can't quite say, but they've been gone a while now. They should be back-"
As if on a cue, the door was flung open, revealing a flustered monk, heaving to catch his breath. In his hand was a piece of yellowed crumpled paper which he waved at the narcissist. "You will never believe what I found," he gasped. The miko instantly stood up and rushed to his side, guiding him into the chair she had previously occupied.
"What did you find, Takigawa-san?" Naru questioned, impatience creeping onto his brow.
The sandy haired man looked up at him after a glance at the sleeping Mai and handed the paper he had been holding to the narcissist. "It's a newspaper clipping," he informed the younger man quietly, his expression unusually grim. "I managed to find out who Charnette's fiancée was. His name's Michael, no last name divulged."
Lips pressed together in a thin line, Naru scanned over the newspaper article, not liking what he was reading. The tiny print covered the entire page and described everything from Charnette's suicide to Michael's affair. In other words, it was an eighteenth century expose on the blonde woman.
"And wait till you get a load of this," Takigawa said quietly as he reached into his pants pocket and pulled out another sheaf of folded yellowed paper. The two women looked curiously at the two pages, one in the monk's hand, the other in the narcissist's, but didn't say anything, knowing they would get their chance in a moment and now was not really the time to argue over something as petty as who got to read the article first. "These were the portraits on the page after. Apparently the rich newspapers could afford to hire artists to sketch the people they were writing about."
The realistic drawings of four people looked back at Naru as he studied them quietly, a hard gleam quickly appearing in his eye. One was Charnette, sketched in shades of gray and another, the man that they had seen dancing with her in the ballroom. He had been wearing a mask then, but it was impossible not to recognize the certain slyness that the artist captured entirely. Then finally, there were two others, the names underneath simply stating Talbot and Luna. The narcissist knew he should not recognize the two, but something instantly clicked as he took in the sharp curve of Talbot's jawline and slight frown on Luna's brows.
Having seen the strange change in Naru's usually stoic blue eyes, Ayako circled around until she could peer down at the pictures over the man's shoulder. "But that's-" the miko's shocked remarks were abruptly cut as the door opened once more, revealing Yoko and John with solemn expressions and Chikaku a bit behind them, lips pressed in a thin line, "-you"
Yoko's eyes flitted to the newspaper in Naru's hands, then around the room until they finally settling on the sleeping Mai. "Me," she said softly, nodding her head once. She entered the room and John shuffled in after her. "I suppose I haven't been completely forthcoming certain about things," she said, settle on the edge of the brunette's bed. Glancing as Chikaku who had chosen to remain by the doorframe, leaning on the wooden structure, Yoko frowned slightly absently ran a hand through her black locks. "There are some things that I haven't told you."
"Really?" Naru asked as his brow lifted slightly. His tone of voice made it hard to tell if he was being sincere or sarcastic. "Then why don't you enlighten us." Once again Yoko looked at the blond green-eyed man only to be met with a blank stare.
"Alright then," she murmured, tilting her head thoughtfully. "Where should I begin?" Surprisingly, it was not she who spoke first, but Chikaku.
"Charnette's story is a long one," he started, his voice a bit hoarser than usual. "But I'm sure you'll want to hear all of it…" With that, he started the re-telling of the ghost's past from the beginning of the passionate affair till the brutal end and ever detail in between. He spoke of Luna and her desperation and of Talbot and his helplessness. Everything that Mai had seen and experienced in her dreams were now being woven into words and displayed for her team.
"And this?" Naru asked, holding up the sketches when the blond was finally done.
A humorless smile quirked on Chikaku's lips. "Talbot's blood runs through me and Luna and Michael's, Yoko."
"Which is why Charnette was not able to hurt you," Ayako murmured to herself, recalling the incident in the dining room.
Chikaku nodded. "Exactly."
Silently, Naru ran his fingertip along the edge of the aged paper, his eyes unfocused as he stared at the patterned carpet, brows furrowed, a nearly imperceptible frown on his lips. Off to the side, Takigawa and Ayako now had their heads bent together, furiously discussing the new information. John occasionally chimed in but mostly remained silent as did Masako. Both Yoko and Chikaku stood awkwardly by the doorway, carefully not to look at each other.
Finally, after a few more minutes, Naru stood up and everyone immediately fell into silence. "Stay here and look after Mai," he said to his team, tone soft, but deadly serious. Without waiting for a reply, he turned to his client and her companion. "Both of you two come with me. I need to find Lin." There was a renewed sense of purpose in his sapphire eyes and he quickly breezed out of the room, not waiting to see if Yoko and Chikaku followed, which they did, of course.
"You think he's got a plan?" Ayako asked, staring at the recently emptied spot that Naru had been in seconds before.
"This is Naru we're talking about," Takigawa replied, stretching his arms upwards and cracking his back. He had spent quite a few hours hunched over newspaper clippings after all at it had been killer on his spine. "Of course he has a plan."
Ayako snorted and turned her attention to the sleeping Mai. "Of course," she repeated. She just hoped it was going to work. So did everyone else in the room.
Thank you again for staying with me and reading! I've just been so busy lately with college stuff. I have decided I hate applications. That and I discovered the world of Korean entertainment, namely Super Junior. I have turned into an utter fangirl and it's kind of sad.....oh well, 13+2 really pretty boys. Why should I complain? (I quite like 2PM*cough*1:59*cough* as well. (Can you feel my heartbeat?))
And that is all for today. Hopefully I will update faster this time. Hopefully.....cross your fingers! XP R&R!