Ciao Poveglia

Rated: T

Shibuya Paranormal Research receives a special invitation to a 'psychic summit' being hosted at the infamously haunted Poveglia island. Though crossing half the globe with his team is not ideal, Naru simply cannot pass up the chance to get into the normally locked down location. [Rated T, possibly M for gore later.]

000

Day 53, Hour 17:25

"Why is it so hard to find a store that's opened," Mai said as she dragged her feet along the wet stone walkway. She couldn't keep the sound of whining from her voice. Though it was annoying, Ayako and Masako were thinking the same thing.

After they finished in Murano—Ayako insisting on buying Mai an expensive jewelry set to wear for the masquerade—the SPR team hoped back onto their boat and had lunch at a café near their hotel. Though they had hoped to continue to sightsee, Naru's foul mood kept them from enjoying a few hours of their day. Instead, he had them go back to the hotel, meet in the drawing room on their floor and have an in depth debriefing on their tasks at Poveglia.

Mai couldn't help but feel like it was punishment for something she did (or didn't) do. By the time they finished, they had missed a quick rainstorm leaving a chill in the air. Monk had the idea to split their team into two to go shopping for their masks for the masquerade the next day. He said they should do it in two groups so that they could surprise their teammates with their choices.

Really, he just wanted to keep Mai and Naru separate in case Naru decided to lash out at the rest of the team for some reason again.

The boys went into one group, and the girls into the other. Though Ayako was confident they would be fine on their own, John ultimately joined their group. It was better to have a native English speaker in both groups, just in case there was some sort of trouble and they needed to communicate as efficiently as they could.

The boys headed back towards the train station to scope out shops on that side of the canal while the girls headed off in the opposite direction. Ayako felt that they would find better, unique pieces if they moved off the main drag, away from the touristy shops. She was right—to an extent. There were a great deal of amazing shops with incredible displays. The only downside was that they were also closed for dinner, since they were smaller, family owned shops.

"Maybe we should go back and try to main path like the others did," Ayako sighed after they passed their seventh shop with a closed sign.

"Let's go just a little further," John said, stepping up to lead the way, "if we do turn around then, maybe some of the ones we passed will be open again."

There was a rumble overhead as the sky sent them a warning that it was going to open up again. John sped up and turned the next corner, following a bright florescent light spilling into the darkening ally way. It seemed that luck was with them at that time because the lights were coming from an open mask shop.

They hopped in just in time to avoid a sudden downpour. The door was side and had been open before they even entered. They realized after looking around that the shop was more than a shop, it was a workshop. A man poked his head from around a display and greeted them.

"Ah, ciao, you come to find masks? Yes?" His English was broken, but at least he didn't seem surprised by the sudden appearance of customers. He stepped out from where he stood and Mai got a good look at him. He was wearing an apron and was covered in white paint. It was on his pants, shoes, his rolled up shirt, and all on his hands and arms. He had obviously been working on something at that very moment.

"Hello," John said with a wave, "yes all of us are here to look for wearable masks. We are attending a party tomorrow."

Mai was glad that John stepped up to the plate because she was far too star struck to answer. Her eyes were roaming the walls which were absolutely packed with handmade masks. Every inch of wall was covered with unique pieces. There were many that were not wearable, she noticed, based upon their design. They were display purposes only. Those designs were very large and ornate—like one that looked half of a sun, stretching out wider than her shoulder span, or a set that looked like a matching set of jokers, a male and female in a burgundy, black, and gold design. Some had three faces in one and others had pieces that made them look like stags or rams.

"Ah, si, si, we have some like that," the man said and pointed to Mai's right. There was a display set up lined with smaller masks that had ribbons attached to be able to wear.

She barely had time to look before she heard Ayako say, "that one."

There was a pause as the shopkeeper shuffled around to see what she was pointing at. It wasn't one of the ones on the display Mai was looking at, but one that was mounted on the wall behind the checkout counter, along with three others, all of which were behind a plexiglass case.

The man's brows shot up. "That one? No, no, very expensive. Not good to wear to party." He shook his head and waved his hand vigorously to help show his point.

Ayako, not one to take no for an answer, put her hands on her hips. "Can it be worn?"

"Eh, si, but—"

"How much?"

"That is six-hundred, thirty five euro. I cannot sell that—I do not have key. My uncle has key." The man actually looked a little bit distressed at Ayako's insistence. Perhaps he had never had someone actually interested in buying the pricey mask. It was very nice, Mai had to admit. From where she stood, it looked like it was a satin mask with a few pearls and gems of some sort inlaid into it. Maybe they were crystals from Murano.

"I want that one. Can you get it open?" Ayako asked. Mai wasn't sure if the woman meant to come off as rude and demanding, or if it was her ill usage of English that caused it.

The man nodded and went back to his corner that he had been working in and picked up his mobile phone. He called someone and had a brief exchange in Italian before hanging up. "Okay. I get key. Other masks?"

John laughed. "Oh, none for me, I think. They're far too nice for me."

"You want plain mask?"

"Well, maybe. I'm a priest. I don't really dress up all that much," he said with a shrug. The shopkeeper nodded to himself and disappeared through a door behind his work station.

Mai took the moment to look around at the pieces he had sitting around his work bench and the molds he had sitting open. From what she could tell, the masks were created by pouring the base into a mold with the correct shape and then hand detailed after they were ready. Three of the eight molds sitting on the floor were filled and there was half a dozen half finished masks sitting around the bench and the desk. It was very interesting to see the process.

The shopkeeper returned a little while later with an off white mask for John. It was a men's mask that covered only the right side of a person's face. It had a slightly cracked texture to it, as if it were an old oil painting, and a matching white trim to it. It was plain, but it certainly suited John's taste.

"How much?" John asked, taking it from the man's hand and holding it to his face, making Mai giggle.

"For you? Eh… Thirty five euro."

John shrugged and looked over at Ayako and Masako. "What do you think, guys? Does it suit me?"

The two other ladies giggled and nodded. "I think it's perfect for you, John," Masako said, "I can't imagine you in anything other than a white mask if you're wearing your black outfit."

Unlike Naru, who looked dark and mysterious when he wore his constant black attire, John somehow managed to portray a sense of innocence. Mai couldn't decide it was because it was a priest's outfit, or if John's personality simply defined him that much.

"Sold. I will take it. What about you girls?"

Masako turned back to the display and ran her hand over a few of the different masks. Many of them seemed very similar to one another, and Masako already wasn't keen on wearing a mask. She doesn't want to cover her pretty face, Mai thought with a snort.

Before this trip, she wouldn't have thought that. Her and Masako had come to a peace but it seemed that most of that had gone out of the window once Naru returned.

"Eh, miss, one moment," the shopkeeper said and raised his hand, holding out a finger to indicate she should wait. For a moment, both Mai and Masako thought that he was telling her to stop touching the masks but he walked around his work station and grabbed a mask off the wall that had been hanging slightly out of view. "You like this one?"

It was a bit heavier than the others, but it was certainly more Masako's style. It was an off white mask that had details in black and gold. Most notable were the little accents that looked like folding fans on the right side of the mask. It didn't look nearly out of place with the kimono style the medium constantly wore.

She tried it on and the shopkeeper tied it in the back for her so that she could get a few for it. "It will be difficult to wear all night, but I am sure I can remove it if it becomes a hassle."

"Sei una bella ragazza," the man said with a smile, "very, very beautiful."

Masako raised her hand to her face, hiding behind her long sleeve, and giggled.

That left only Mai in need of a mask, assuming Ayako managed to get the one that was locked up behind the counter. She wondered what she should get….

As she thought about it, an older man walked in from the doorway, calling out to the shopkeeper. They exchanged words before the shopkeeper turned to Ayako. "My uncle wants to know if you want mask. Not a joke."

John jumped in at that moment too. "I think he means that his uncle wants to make sure you aren't joking about buying the mask, not that his uncle isn't joking about wanting to know if you want the mask… I think. Yeah.. yeah, that's probably right."

Ayako nodded and reached into her purse, pulling out her platinum credit card. "Yes, I want that mask."

The older man shrugged and reached into his pocket to pull out a key ring. He flipped through the numerous keys before going over and unlocking the case. He pulled out the one Ayako wanted carefully and locked the case once more. He held out his hand for the card. He said something in Italian, and they looked back at the shopkeeper.

"Eh, you must pay first, then get mask. Once it touches a face, value lost."

Ayako rolled her eyes and handed her card over. She waited for him to run it and then signed the receipt. Once it was all done, then he handed it over to her and she put it on, looking at herself in the mirror. "I think it's perfect."

John and Mai obediently ooed and ahhed until Ayako seemed satisfied with her purchase. As the shopkeeper's uncle started to pack up the mask in a special box, the group turned back to Mai to watch as she picked out her own mask.

The boys would probably all expect her to get something light an innocent. She sighed to herself at the thought. That was how they all thought of her, after all. The 'kid in the family.' She skipped over the light colored masks and picked up a purple and gold one with a few fillagree details. It wasn't elaborate but it was in her price range, matched her dress, and made her feel mysterious when she put it on.

"That's a really nice one, Mai, it will go well with your dress," Ayako said, placing her hands on Mai's shoulders and giving her a bit of a push towards one of the mirrors that was hanging on the wall.

She tilted her head to the side and looked back at her reflection. Yes, this was something that suited her. It wasn't something elaborate or ornate. It was simple and colorful, just like her. The small rhinestone details were also something that would match the jewelry that Ayako had just gotten her on Murano. Mostly, she hoped that it would give her a bit of air of mystery.

After all, there was an aristocratic paranormal researcher to whom she promised a dance.

000

Author's notes: so… I actually didn't think the whole "day to day" stuff would take this long. There is probably only one or two chapters before they arrive at Poveglia, and that will probably be at least six chapters? It depends on how well I space things out. I know, it seems weird that that only a third of the story will take place in the title location…. But eh, it happens I guess haha. I spent ages trying to find masks I liked for the girls. I feel like Ayako doesn't care so much about the traditional masks that are so much more interesting. She wants the one that's going to catch everyone's eyes because she craves attention, especially while she's single.

I thought about something more ornate for Mai, but then when I thought about it, I couldn't imagine her in something elaborate, especially after the fuss she put up when Ayako tried to get her to go dress shopping. I should have the images uploaded by now on the tumblr page if you want to check them out!

Rebecca: *winkwink* who knooowwwsss what happened in that room! I promise more will be revealed haha! Thanks for your review!

Oxybry: I did find pictures of what I imagined Markus to look like, and I posted them on the tumbl r page! He will certainly make more of an appearance! You may also be onto something with Madoka… =) thank you for reviewing, as always!

Ellie: no problem with the swearing! A pissing contest was exactly what is was! Naru has probably never had to deal with competition in his life, especially when it comes to wooing women! We'll see where it leads! Thank you for your great review!

Crazyanimefreak15: I'm glad so many people approve of Markus! I always worry with original characters, but I do try to give them some personality and write them in a way that makes them interesting and helpful, but not interfering with the appeal of the canon characters! Thanks for reviewing!

Everyone else… Thanks for reading!

Ever Your Servant,

A.F