The steady, high-pitched whine of an alarm clock awoke Ryuzaki from his slumber, groaning incoherently as he flopped onto his side, trying to shut the contraption up. A pissy sigh emitted itself from deep within Ryuzaki's throat as he staggered, hand coming up to slap at the alarm clock in an almost cliché manner until it finally stopped its ceaseless whining.
Serves the damn thing right, I was havin' a nice dream… He thought sleepily, turning back to cuddle closer to his pillow.
"… You're going to be late if you don't wake up soon, you know."
"A-ah! I told you not to do that!" Ryuzaki snapped as his eyes fluttered open, wake-up call rushing shocked blood through his veins as he sat up. "My heart can only take so much racin' from you at a time… you're gonna give me a heart attack one'a these days."
"Tch." Haga clicked his tongue, eyes alit with amusement at Ryuzaki's dramatic reactions. A small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. "Good, then I won't be the only ghost around, now will I? Get up, we have an important day ahead of us."
"You ask too much'a me…" The brunette whined, dragging himself out of bed with a satisfying pop of his back. He stretched as he stood, flexing his fingers and yawning. "What're you goin' on about, important day…?"
"Don't tell me you've already forgotten," Haga muttered, skimming through the air over to Ryuzaki's dresser. Hands fidgeted themselves into his pile of clothes, sorting through countless hole-ridden shirt after hole-ridden shirt. "Don't tell me all you have to wear is moth-food! You have to look presentable for the psychic!"
"Who…? Oh, yeah, we're gonna see Espa t'day, aren't we…" Still not entirely awake, the brunette shifted his neck. "Aww, he ain't gonna care none what I look like…"
"It's still best that you look presentable," Haga hissed, tossing an undershirt to Ryuzaki and grabbing the cobalt blue school uniform as well. "There; with that on you'll look slightly less ridiculous. It'll make you look less scrawny, after all."
"Thanks, Okan, I'd hate t'look scrawny." The brunette teased with a grin, easing on his undershirt and accepting the cobalt jacket from Haga as well.
"Brush your hair too, while you're at it."
"Go haunt some ol' people 'r somethin', I don't need a babysitter t'tell me what t'do." Ryuzaki purred, flipping his hair over his shoulder in a smug fashion. "B'sides, ya told me last night it didn't make a diff'rence whether I brushed my hair or not."
"Tch, I was joking." Haga mused, levitating a hairbrush towards his companion. "Just because your hair inevitably looks like a rat's nest 24/7 doesn't mean you should just ignore logical hygiene routines."
"So you were a clean-freak as well as a bookworm… got it." The brunette teased, easing his comb through his tangled hair. His words were met with a mean glare.
"There's nothing 'clean-freakish' about caring about your health." Haga corrected, hissing at the brunette wearily. "J-just – hurry up already, I'm tired of waiting for you, we have a busy day ahead of us."
"What'm I even gonna say t' Espa when I see him?" Ryuzaki sighed, speaking a thought that had plagued him since they decided on seeing him. "'Hey there buddy, I know we've never talked or nothin' but I got this ghost followin' me and I was hoping you could tell me how to get him off my back?'"
"Tch! Your words will be kinder than that, surely – I'm not that much of a burden on you. If I didn't know any better I'd say you were even beginning to warm up to me…"
"Well, havin' a ghost around's kinda cool I guess… guess I got used t'having you around."
"Point proven – anywhom, you'll know what to say when you see him; I'm sure you're a charming gentleman when given the chance." Haga mockingly assured, voice thick with sarcasm.
"M'hmm… yeah, charming. Have you even met me?"
Haga didn't dignify that with a response, opting to make a low 'tch' noise under his breath and cock his head pointedly in the direction of the living room. "I'll leave you to your… morning routine. You better be ready to go soon. Do you walk to school?"
"Yeah, it ain't too far from the house – Okan leaves way before I wake up."
"Yeah, I heard her get ready and leave." Haga nodded, slowly making his way to the door. "I stayed confined to this room, of course; I doubt anyone other than you can see me, but it's better to be safe than sorry… I'd hate to terrify your mother."
"I don't think she'd be happy seein' a ghost in the house… 'damn it Ryuzaki, first you let a bunch'a stray cats in, now a spirit? This is why I don't like you goin' outside boy'." Ryuzaki mused, chuckling in amusement as he finished brushing his hair, grabbing his red hat and slipping it on. "You can go wait in the livin' room, I just gotta brush my teeth an' then we can leave."
"You… let stray cats in your home?" The semi-transparent was hard-pressed to keep a straight face, quieted chuckles emitting from his lips as he ghosted through the wall. "What a dork." He purred from the other side, presumably floating to the living room.
Ryuzaki waltzed to the bathroom, opting not to dignify that with a response as he started brushing his teeth. Never being one to take much effort into dental hygiene, the task was done within two minutes, and rinsing his mouth out the brunette made his way to join back up with his ghostly companion.
"It's not even light out yet," Haga noted in disinterest, looking out of Ryuzaki's small front window.
"It's, like April; it'll lighten up soon enough." Ryuzaki mused, grabbing for his backpack and slinging the beaten up, second-hand book-carrier over his shoulder. "Ready to go?"
"Oh no, let me just get on my shoes – of course I am." The semi-transparent teased, his tone not nearly as mocking as he had meant for it to be.
"Good, then let's hurry!" The brunette pushed the door open, opting to ignore Haga and his comments. "Maybe if we're super lucky we can meet 'im before school."
"Do you know much about this boy? How do you figure we'll find him?" Inquired the semi-transparent, following after Ryuzaki.
"Tch, if I knew anything about him I wouldn't be so nervous t'go talk to him…" Ryuzaki muttered, grip tightening on his backpack. "I'm lost on what to say to him when we do find him..."
"How on earth could you be lost?" The semi-transparent groaned. "How difficult is it to ask someone for help?
"You forget, I'm askin' him help over a ghost. Not exactly the, um… most common conversation starter out there…"
"I doubt he's even a real clairvoyant." Haga mused in irritation, crossing his arms over his chest. "Tch… someone having psychic powers… how stupid the thought."
"Oh, be nice. Besides, you're hardly in a position t'talk, seein' as how you're a ghost." Ryuzaki teased, keeping his words sincere as a small smile graced his lips. "I didn't think ghosts were real 'til I met you, now I'm wonderin' what else is out there that we don't know about… bein' a psychic's hardly anything interestin' in comparison to the possibilities…"
"Possibilities? You mean like werewolves and vampires? Oh, give me a break. Those only exist in books."
"You weren't very open-minded when you were alive, were you."
"T-tch." Haga clicked his tongue, cheeks brightening even in his transparency. "Probably not. But the idea of such things is ridiculous…"
"I bet some people would think the ideas of ghosts are ridiculous, too, but look where you are now."
"Don't change the subject to me." Haga hissed, shooting a glare in his companion's direction.
"I'm not. You count as 'such ridiculous things' now that you're a ghost."
"… I suppose I hadn't thought about it like that before…"
"But what I really wanna find out is why I can see you, but no one else can…"
"I would have thought that was obvious… I mean, you were the one who found me in the forest, correct? I followed you back home because I wanted your help in getting me to the afterlife, since I'm apparently incapable of doing so myself… but, I suppose, that doesn't exactly explain why or how you can see me… just another question to ask Espa when we find him?"
Ryuzaki nodded. "We'll have to make'a list'a things we wanna say."
"That already sounds lame."
"It'll be even lamer if I go up to him an' I can't get a word outta my mouth 'cause I forgot everything I wanted to ask." Ryuzaki retorted.
"You're such a nerd, that'd happen even if you had an entire script prepared." The semi-transparent teased, offering Ryuzaki a small smile.
The brunette's mouth opened to speak; upon seeing Haga's smile, however, he stopped to reevaluate his words. "It's not often you smile, yanno, you like much nicer when you do."
The smile was gone, replaced by the quirk of a questioning eyebrow and the soft pink tinge of his cheeks. "Thanks, I suppose… you're an even bigger nerd than I thought you were."
Ryuzaki's cheeks reddened, indigo eyes averting to the ground in front of them as they continued their path to school. "Given everything I've learned about you since we met, I doubt you were much better off."
"Being classified as a nerd doesn't mean you aren't well off." Haga scoffed.
Ryuzaki offered a small 'hmm' of acknowledgment, allowing a companionable silence to flow over the two as they walked.
The school was the biggest in the city by far, exceeding a population far above any other high school in Domino. The two knew they'd be hard-pressed to find Espa the moment they walked on campus; students were bustling about here and there, talking and going about their mornings. Ryuzaki gave Haga a small smile, telling him that he was sorry in advance for having to ignore his ghostly companion for the day.
"I'm gonna need to go about the day actin' as if there's not a ghost floatin' over my shoulder." He had said, chuckling softly to himself.
"What if I need you?" Haga asked while they were still out of earshot. "I'm not going to take kindly to you ignoring me, Raptor…"
"Then I'll find an excuse to leave. You're a ghost, how much trouble could you get into?"
Ryuzaki spent the morning before class looking to Espa; hopes in vain, as the mint-haired boy was nowhere to be seen. Haga had gotten irritated halfway through their search, muttering something under his breath about going to the library to read.
Classes passed quickly, Ryuzaki's eyes constantly watching the clock to the point of getting scolded for lack of focus in class. His mind was elsewhere, sizing up possible approaches to getting the elder male's attention, any way to make their talk swifter and easier.
As lunch approached, Ryuzaki had found Haga floating about in the hallway [given Haga's attachment to Ryuzaki, he always had a general idea of where the still-living was], getting his attention discreetly and walking to the cafeteria.
"You have a cafeteria?" Haga had asked with a frown. "… I don't remember one at my old school…"
"Yeah, the school's trying to Americanize." Ryuzaki shrugged. "Not too many schools here do."
"Think he has your lunch period?"
Ryuzaki laughed. "For all the trouble it's taken me to find him and figure out what I'm gonna say, he damn-well better!"
Usually blessed with an insatiable hunger, Ryuzaki opted not to waste time trying to get food; the quicker they found Espa, the better.
They passed Jounouchi Katsuya with a small hiss of distaste from Ryuzaki, Haga opting not to say anything as they scanned the lunch room for their potential clairvoyant.
Eyes fell on a mostly empty desk, one mint-haired teenager sitting there alone, food untouched, nose dug into a thick novel.
"That's him, alright."
"Good, now get going!" Haga purred in delight.
Ryuzaki approached the hunched-over figure, natural nervousness slowing his movements as he tried to figure out how best to get Espa's attention. That novel must have been terribly exciting; grey eyes shifting quickly in a left-to-right fashion, blocking out all other aspects of the world.
How many ways this could possibly end badly, and they were all swarming through Ryuzaki's mind. I have no idea what to say to him.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Haga hissed into the brunette's ear, keeping a low float next to him. His arms were crossed impatiently. "Are you going to stand there all lunch sizing him up, or are you going to go over and talk to him already?"
"Give me time," Ryuzaki hissed, under his breath. If Haga had anything else to say, he kept it to himself – Ryuzaki figured he could sense his nervousness.
It couldn't be that difficult, right?
Ryuzaki had talked to plenty of people before.
What was different about this guy?
Nodding his head with a newfound sense of courage, Ryuzaki bound swiftly closer to the cobalt-clad teenager, courage disappearing into nervousness the moment that the other boy realized he had an audience.
Ryuzaki stood in front of the table Espa currently sat at, waiting for the boy to acknowledge his existence. A few seconds passed, the older male visibly tensed as he waited for the brunette to make a move.
"Umm… hello…"
Concrete-shaded hues stared up at Ryuzaki through mint bangs as Espa slowly leveled his face up to peer at his newfound guest, face deadpanned with the most concentrated look of seriousness Ryuzaki had ever seen.
"Well," Espa spoke after a few moments observation. "It's certainly been awhile since I've last had a visitor…"
"Yeah, well um, listen my name's Ryuzaki and I need your he—"
"I wasn't referring to you." Espa cut in firmly, gaze never faltering from its deadpanned expression. His eyes shifted to Ryuzaki's left, where Haga floated. "I was talking about your friend, there." He continued, with a nod of his head, acknowledging the semi-transparent.
Both boys froze.
"Can I help you two?"
This was certainly new – no one besides Ryuzaki had ever been able to see Haga before. If there were any skepticism about Espa's clairvoyance before, this clearly eradicated all second thoughts and doubts that had accompanied the mint-haired's image.
"My name is Haga," the ghost spoke up when Ryuzaki failed to, adjusting his spectacles. He didn't seem nearly as nervous towards the older male as Ryuzaki had. "And this dimwit I'm stuck with is Ryuzaki; he found me in the woods a few days ago."
"Ahh…" Espa's eyebrows furrowed in deep thought as he scratched at his chin. "Oh yes, I remember hearing about the discovery of your body on the news a night or so ago! Insector Haga, right? What a pleasure."
"Tch, you're too much." The teal-haired boy gave a light roll of his eyes.
"Espa Roba's the name." The clairvoyant gave a curt nod and a smile, deadpanned expression finally breaking into an expression much easier on the eyes. "It's not too often I get visited by spirits; especially ones so recently presumed dead... what can I help you with?"
"I was hopin' you could help us in tryin' to get Haga to the afterlife." Ryuzaki broke in, finding his voice. Espa was much less intimidating when he actually seemed happy. "We don't know nothin' about ghosts, you see…"
A small chuckle emitted from Espa. "You think I have the information you boys are looking for?"
"That's what we're hopin' for, yeah."
"I may be able to help. But if I am, it's best we go to a place where there are less people – talking to a spirit others can't see gets kind of suspicious after awhile."
"Tell me about it." Ryuzaki chuckled nervously, tugging at a strand of his brunette hair. Espa stood, bookmarking his place in his book and motioning for the two to follow him. "Follow me, if you'd please."
"Where are we goin'?" Ryuzaki asked, both following the elder male as he walked towards the cafeteria's exit.
"The library." Came the mint-haired's simple response, not bothering to say anything else.
"I looked there earlier in the day for possible books about ghosts." Haga frowned.
"They're not going to have books about things people don't think are real." Espa explained curtly, brushing into a hall sunlit by large windows. "And if they do, it's all going to be false; 'journeys into the world of the paranormal.'" His voice held a distasteful sneer to it. "I've read enough books about spirits and what-not to realize that no one knows what they're talking about. Fake psychics, is what they are."
"And how are you different, exactly?" Haga questioned, floating ahead of Ryuzaki to keep a low float next to the clairvoyant. "I mean, I have no doubt that you're different; before you, only Ryuzaki could see me… but what exactly makes a psychic?"
"A studious question." Espa purred, taking delight in someone actually caring about his field of profession. "I can sense paranormal entities, be it something harmless like you, or something much more sinister. You're a sight for sore eyes; most beings I see aren't distinguished like you are… blobs of black and gray, like shadows; that's the majority of the things I come in contact with. Those movements you see out of the corner of your eye that you can't quite place; the feel of eyes on your skin as you pass a vacant corridor… that sort of thing. You're just a transparent boy who lost his life recently; much less dangerous to work with."
"… Sounds dangerous…"
"It can be." The cobalt-clad teen shrugged nonchalantly. "Once you start to notice them, they notice you back. If you aren't gifted with an extraordinary sense of the paranormal, they leave you alone for the most part… you're nothing but a still-beating heart to them… but if you can actually see them or sense them; can name what kind of spirit they are at a glance, they see you as something more than that."
"Have you ever been hurt by something paranormal you saw?" Ryuzaki cut in, pacing himself to walk alongside the taller boy.
Espa shook his head, wisps of mint clashing against his cheek. "No, thankfully. I may know that there is more to this world than meets the eye, but I am in no way an expert on paranormal entities… I couldn't name a shadowy figure at a first glance if I saw it, nor do I particularly want to. People like that see haunting things that their pursuers have seen in past lives. It's the kind of profession that keeps you awake at night; not one for a guy like me."
"You seem cut out for it." Haga mused.
Espa gave a hearty laugh. "My reaction to you was probably calmer than you'd expected, huh? Well, I suppose to harmless beings like yourself, I can be rather stoic… you're nothing I haven't already seen before a few times."
"To be quite honest," Haga chuckled softly, "I kind of doubted your authenticity at first."
"Yes yes, most people do. I've kind of gotten a bad reputation; plenty of name calling. It doesn't get to me as much anymore." Espa shrugged again. "They're all fools, anyways."
They got to the library at that point, Espa holding the door open for Ryuzaki. With a quick thank you and a nod, the brunette and his ghostly companion entered, pleased to find it mostly absent.
Espa directed them to a table in the far corner of the room, pulling up a chair for himself. "So what did you want to know about spirits?"
"Ahh…" Ryuzaki paused. "Kinda general stuff, I s'pose… he wants to go to the afterlife."
"I know that already." Espa clicked his tongue flatly, concrete-shaded hues staring up at Haga. "The afterlife's what most ghosts strive for."
"What I really want to know is how to get there… what's holding me back?" Haga spoke up, adjusting his glasses as he kept a low float above the table.
"Are you asking what holds ghosts back in general?" The mint-haired boy offered a small tilt of his head. "I mean, at a first glance I couldn't really say what's preventing you from reaching your goal…"
"In general would be nice…"
"Well, there are a number of things that could be preventing you." Espa began. "A great number of factors and what-not… most ghosts such as yourself, seeing as how your death was accidental, doesn't need to worry about revenge or vengeance… your death was accidental, yes?"
Haga nodded. "I had apparently fallen from a tree and broke my neck; crashed my temple into a rock, too."
"Tch, tch." Espa shook his head sympathetically. "What a sad way to go. You're lucky your friend – Ryuzaki, was it? – found you. Spirits can't leave their bodies until another being finds them; usually they either follow that being or head off with their body."
"That explains why I couldn't leave." Haga sighed wistfully.
"Yes. Well, we can rule out revenge… do you think there's something you were meant to do? Something big? For family, friends... unfinished business in general?"
"I… couldn't say. I don't remember anything about my past life; I've concluded I didn't have many friends, though." Haga shrugged. "The way they talked about me in the newspaper, it didn't mention any siblings… only a mother and a father."
Espa hummed in contemplation. "An item you left behind or lost, perhaps?"
Haga visibly tensed, nose scrunching up as his eyes narrowed considerably. Both boys took notice of this, watchful eyes on the semi-transparent as he sorted out his thoughts.
"I… can't remember…"
"Seeing as how you had to pause to think about that one, it's possible that's what's keeping you back… out of the few ghosts I've gotten in the past, the majority of them have a special, sentimental possession they need… be it a teddy bear, a dress, whatever – they need it to pass on."
"Why is that?" Ryuzaki asked.
"Being sentimental, it holds a symbol of attachment in this world." Espa explained. "Keep in mind the ghost, when living, loved this object to bits and pieces – it's a reminder to them of something they once loved."
"That makes sense, I suppose. But if Haga's missin' an object that he loved, don't you think he would at least remember what that object was?"
"Not necessarily. I will admit, it's rare that a ghost up-and forgets everything, but it's not unheard of." Espa mused, chewing subconsciously on his fingernail. "Reading into him, though, he appears to learn stuff as he's exposed to it."
"We determined that earlier," Haga nodded.
"Good! Then a little snooping and prodding, and you'll likely remember what it was you loved… given that that is what's keeping you, of course."
"The more I think about it, the more it makes sense… much more than vengeance or a best friend I just had to say goodbye to before I get the hell out of here." The ghost continued.
"We were hopin' to plan a trip down to where Haga used to live." Ryuzaki mused.
"That could be dangerous." The clairvoyant advised. "You two didn't know each other when Haga was still alive, correct?"
"Yes, I happened to find him in the forest."
"Then you'd better plan this out carefully, if you're hellbent on going." Espa frowned. "A stranger barging in without a carefully thought-out plan is going to be suspicious… you're going to have to come up with a good alibi as to why you're there…"
"You mean like, make up a story about bein' Haga's friend?"
"If that's the route you want to take." Slender shoulders shrugged nonchalantly. "With ghosty over here telling me he didn't have many friends, also paired with the fact he can't remember anything about his parents or life, it might not be the safest route to go."
"It's the only thing we've got so far." Ryuzaki sighed, running his hands through his bangs. "I don't know any other way to get him out of my hair and he refuses to leave on his own."
"Then I'd advise the both of you to save up money to a trip down to wherever town it is Haga lived in. Also – and I know this is an option – I'd advise maybe looking into other ways of getting his sentimental item back. I can't see anybody's parents realistically letting a stranger in to snoop through their son's stuff…"
"I suppose he has a valid point, Ryuzaki." Haga sighed.
"Also, I'd try to refresh memories about Haga's past if I were you." Espa continued. "Try and unearth some things about him – favorite place to eat, favorite pastimes, hobbies… the more you know about him, the better prepared you are in getting him to the afterlife."
The bell ending lunch rang then, cutting into the boys' conversation. Espa stood up, thick novel wrapped in his arms.
"Well, I suppose that makes a hearty conversation for a twenty-minute time frame." He chuckled softly, offering a small smile to the others. "I haven't talked to people this much for a long time. Oh, Ryuzaki – before you go, I'd like to get your number. You and Haga interest me to the point where I'd like to help him get to the afterlife; with the basic questions you boys asked me, it's obvious you have no idea what you're doing."
"Tch." Ryuzaki hissed under his breath, ripping a small sheet of paper out from a journal lying on the librarian's desk. He scribbled his number down and handed it to Espa. "Thanks, Espa."
"Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. I hate to get too connected into personal affairs." The mint-haired boy took the paper from Ryuzaki, examining his chicken scratch. "For the love of Jinzo, I've seen prettier handwriting scrawled on bathroom mirrors in blood."
"Charming."
"Thank you kindly." Haga nodded. "You've been a lovely help."
"It's always a pleasure to help out an entity such as yourself."