The 'Moody Eye' was a small basement bar that was rarely visited
by anyone not of the paranormal world. It was a private bar, its location
not known to many – except the delivery guys and they were paranormals
or allies – and the clientele liked its privacy well-kept. Ryo had been
here once or twice, meeting with Nacho, his vampire contact. Otherwise
he never had business here.
The whole place was made up like an 18th century tavern, right down to the food served, the plates, the wooden spoons and the décor. Barclay led him to a small corner table that allowed both men to keep the door in sight, a safety measure Ryo appreciated. He knew he was in little danger here, but it never paid to be careless. After receiving two beers, Barclay took off his glasses, massaging his eyes.
"How's Latener handling it?" he asked.
"Dee's fine. He's more upset about me hiding everything from him than the fact that he's a shaman. I think he appreciates the fact we're a pair, though." Ryo smiled a little.
Barclay chuckled. "He would. And you?"
The question startled him a bit and Ryo felt the blue eyes burn into him. Why was it that this man still held such a strange power? Barclay wasn't paranormal, he was an ally. Sure, he had lusted after him, but that was gone and forgotten. Ryo might be a bit naïve in that department – something Dee was busy rectifying – but he was 100 % certain that the commissioner wasn't trying anything with him.
"It… takes getting used to."
"That's what every new paranormal says."
"I'm not paranormal, sir."
Barclay quirked an eyebrow. "Drop the 'sir', Ryo. I'm not your superior right now."
Of course not. He was an ally. There were no ranks, just the matter of experience. Barclay seemed to have a lot.
"As for the paranormal part… well, you are bonded to a shaman. In every single way. You're the shield of a Shaman Pair. It makes you special, my friend."
"I'm still only human."
"Aren't they all?"
True, all paranormals were human, just with a genetic difference here or there. Ryo sipped at the beer, which was quite good.
"How did you fall into this business, sir?" he finally asked.
Barclay shot him a mildly exasperated look as he continued to 'sir' him, but Ryo wouldn't call him 'mister', nor by his first name.
"Family," was the reply. "My parents were paranormal. Their children didn't inherit any significant parts of those genes. Me, my sisters… nothing. Some of my nieces and nephew show talent, varying degrees of abilities, but not so the first generation."
"Must be frustrating," Ryo commented.
It wasn't uncommon that a paranormal gene passed generations completely. Sometimes genes lay dormant for decades, sometimes they never activated again. With Barclay, one generation had been born normal.
"Well, yes and no. Being an ally shows me all the trouble these abilities can get you into." Barclay smiled. "I like my life as it is: mainly uncomplicated. Rather straight-forward. What about you?"
Ryo blinked a little. "My parents were allies. I grew up knowing everything from the day I was old enough to understand. After they died…" He hesitated and looked at the blond opposite him, but Barclay only waited. "Well, after their death, I promised myself two things: I'd become a police officer and know all there is about the paranormal world."
Barclay nodded. "I was impressed by your knowledge about shamanism. Not many allies get to meet a shaman, let alone know such details."
Ryo played with the glass. "Yes, well…"
"Ryo, it's good to have people as dedicated as you," the soft voice interrupted whatever embarrassment was about to blossom.
He looked up and was caught in that intense gaze again. Why Barclay? What was it about the man? Why did he react to him, why didn't he run? Why did he want to know more about him?
Because he was so much like Dee? His mannerisms, his exterior hardness, the intense eyes, the behavior patterns? Or was it something else? Ryo knew he didn't desire the man. He felt nothing for him on that level.
"I've to confess that as an ally, I sometimes could have known more," Barclay interrupted his thoughts. "Personal things came into the way of duty too often. As gossip might have told you, I moved around a lot."
Ryo nodded, the spell broken.
"I worked in many departments, even overseas. Actually, before meeting you in that hotel, I had been in England for a year, as a liaison officer, so to speak. After meeting you, I went back to the States and transferred to the 27th."
"Why?" Ryo asked, honestly curious. "Why the 27th?"
"I can't explain it, Ryo," was the equally honest reply. "The first time I saw you on that balcony, something inside me came alive."
Ryo swallowed, feeling his shields rise.
Barclay held up a hand, smiling ruefully. "Please, no. Neither this invitation, nor what I'm telling you has anything to do with trying to… replace Dee."
There was such honesty in his words, Ryo was slightly shocked. The commissioner took the glasses and slid them back onto his nose.
"I wanted to get to know you better, Ryo. I always wanted to get to know you. Maybe it's part of what you turned out to be, half of a Shaman Pair, but something about you launched my interest right from the start."
"I…"
Barclay smiled again. "As I said, it's not what you think. I want to be honest with you. We're going to work together in a different way now. I'm an ally, you and Dee are paranormals. There's no way, except my transfer, that can change that."
"Would you transfer? After getting the 27th at your personal request?" was the quiet question.
Barclay chuckled and emptied his beer. "No. Not voluntarily. You asked why the 27th? The answer is the two of you. Whatever made me take this step, it has largely to do with the two of you. It's something I can't explain rationally. If you had asked me two years ago, I'd have said lust for you. Now… it's no longer that, Ryo. I respect you a lot. I respect Dee. He wouldn't believe it, but it's the truth."
Ryo contemplated the man opposite of him, going over the words. He wasn't embarrassed, he wasn't shocked, he was more… relieved that Barclay was so open with him.
"Would you consider having a drink with me again some time?" the older man asked.
Ryo smiled a little. "I'd like to, yes."
The whole place was made up like an 18th century tavern, right down to the food served, the plates, the wooden spoons and the décor. Barclay led him to a small corner table that allowed both men to keep the door in sight, a safety measure Ryo appreciated. He knew he was in little danger here, but it never paid to be careless. After receiving two beers, Barclay took off his glasses, massaging his eyes.
"How's Latener handling it?" he asked.
"Dee's fine. He's more upset about me hiding everything from him than the fact that he's a shaman. I think he appreciates the fact we're a pair, though." Ryo smiled a little.
Barclay chuckled. "He would. And you?"
The question startled him a bit and Ryo felt the blue eyes burn into him. Why was it that this man still held such a strange power? Barclay wasn't paranormal, he was an ally. Sure, he had lusted after him, but that was gone and forgotten. Ryo might be a bit naïve in that department – something Dee was busy rectifying – but he was 100 % certain that the commissioner wasn't trying anything with him.
"It… takes getting used to."
"That's what every new paranormal says."
"I'm not paranormal, sir."
Barclay quirked an eyebrow. "Drop the 'sir', Ryo. I'm not your superior right now."
Of course not. He was an ally. There were no ranks, just the matter of experience. Barclay seemed to have a lot.
"As for the paranormal part… well, you are bonded to a shaman. In every single way. You're the shield of a Shaman Pair. It makes you special, my friend."
"I'm still only human."
"Aren't they all?"
True, all paranormals were human, just with a genetic difference here or there. Ryo sipped at the beer, which was quite good.
"How did you fall into this business, sir?" he finally asked.
Barclay shot him a mildly exasperated look as he continued to 'sir' him, but Ryo wouldn't call him 'mister', nor by his first name.
"Family," was the reply. "My parents were paranormal. Their children didn't inherit any significant parts of those genes. Me, my sisters… nothing. Some of my nieces and nephew show talent, varying degrees of abilities, but not so the first generation."
"Must be frustrating," Ryo commented.
It wasn't uncommon that a paranormal gene passed generations completely. Sometimes genes lay dormant for decades, sometimes they never activated again. With Barclay, one generation had been born normal.
"Well, yes and no. Being an ally shows me all the trouble these abilities can get you into." Barclay smiled. "I like my life as it is: mainly uncomplicated. Rather straight-forward. What about you?"
Ryo blinked a little. "My parents were allies. I grew up knowing everything from the day I was old enough to understand. After they died…" He hesitated and looked at the blond opposite him, but Barclay only waited. "Well, after their death, I promised myself two things: I'd become a police officer and know all there is about the paranormal world."
Barclay nodded. "I was impressed by your knowledge about shamanism. Not many allies get to meet a shaman, let alone know such details."
Ryo played with the glass. "Yes, well…"
"Ryo, it's good to have people as dedicated as you," the soft voice interrupted whatever embarrassment was about to blossom.
He looked up and was caught in that intense gaze again. Why Barclay? What was it about the man? Why did he react to him, why didn't he run? Why did he want to know more about him?
Because he was so much like Dee? His mannerisms, his exterior hardness, the intense eyes, the behavior patterns? Or was it something else? Ryo knew he didn't desire the man. He felt nothing for him on that level.
"I've to confess that as an ally, I sometimes could have known more," Barclay interrupted his thoughts. "Personal things came into the way of duty too often. As gossip might have told you, I moved around a lot."
Ryo nodded, the spell broken.
"I worked in many departments, even overseas. Actually, before meeting you in that hotel, I had been in England for a year, as a liaison officer, so to speak. After meeting you, I went back to the States and transferred to the 27th."
"Why?" Ryo asked, honestly curious. "Why the 27th?"
"I can't explain it, Ryo," was the equally honest reply. "The first time I saw you on that balcony, something inside me came alive."
Ryo swallowed, feeling his shields rise.
Barclay held up a hand, smiling ruefully. "Please, no. Neither this invitation, nor what I'm telling you has anything to do with trying to… replace Dee."
There was such honesty in his words, Ryo was slightly shocked. The commissioner took the glasses and slid them back onto his nose.
"I wanted to get to know you better, Ryo. I always wanted to get to know you. Maybe it's part of what you turned out to be, half of a Shaman Pair, but something about you launched my interest right from the start."
"I…"
Barclay smiled again. "As I said, it's not what you think. I want to be honest with you. We're going to work together in a different way now. I'm an ally, you and Dee are paranormals. There's no way, except my transfer, that can change that."
"Would you transfer? After getting the 27th at your personal request?" was the quiet question.
Barclay chuckled and emptied his beer. "No. Not voluntarily. You asked why the 27th? The answer is the two of you. Whatever made me take this step, it has largely to do with the two of you. It's something I can't explain rationally. If you had asked me two years ago, I'd have said lust for you. Now… it's no longer that, Ryo. I respect you a lot. I respect Dee. He wouldn't believe it, but it's the truth."
Ryo contemplated the man opposite of him, going over the words. He wasn't embarrassed, he wasn't shocked, he was more… relieved that Barclay was so open with him.
"Would you consider having a drink with me again some time?" the older man asked.
Ryo smiled a little. "I'd like to, yes."