A/N: Here is the next chapter! I wanted to write it sooner, but I've had a very busy last few days.
There is much more to the story, I assure you. Getting settled in is not the most exciting thing, but it is necessary.
Also! I will now be indicating the primary language of each section at the beginning. The secondary language will be in italics.
I also fuckin love lingustics and I can totally see Luella loving them to so voila~~~ No but really I study linguistics, so I am using accurate language errors. I did my research.
I hope you enjoy. I can't wait to write the next chapter.
December 21st, 7:37 PM, London
(Primary language: English)
A deafening hush settled over the Davises' entryway. Nobody had moved nor spoken since Bou-san's awkward salutation for fear they would break whatever bond was holding together the fragile silence. Martin's face was red with anger and embarrassment at his son's disrespectful behavior, Lin looked completely unsurprised, and Luella looked like she could (and very likely would) burst into tears.
To everyone's relief, John, who stood behind Mai and Yasu, cleared his throat.
"So sorry," he whispered to the two as he courteously slipped himself between them with a warm smile on his face, causing their hands to separate. Mai had completely forgotten she had grabbed it in the first place. He stepped into the threshold, clearly awaiting a proper invitation inside but wanting to initiate pleasantries nonetheless. "You must be Dr. and Mrs. Davis!" he observed merrily. "Thank you so much for inviting us to your home; it is an honor."
Luella stared blankly at him for a minute, not seeming to register that she was spoken to. Then after a moment, she blinked away the moisture that had pooled in her eyes and smiled sincerely, visibly relaxing.
"Oh, yes, of course! Don't mention it. Please, come it," she gestured. "It's bitter outside." She sighed. The five guests stepped into the main hall, dropping their luggage to the floor in relief, rubbing their hands together to warm themselves. Mai observed how beautifully it was decorated for the holiday: green pine garland winding up the stair banisters accented with bright red bows, red and gold beads draped from a crystal chandelier directly above them, and novelty Christmas decorations (mostly snow globes) littering any open flat surface stylishly.
John extended a cold hand towards Luella.
"It is wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Davis," he said as she shook his hand. "I am Oliver's friend John Brown."
"Please, call me Luella," she requested as John moved to shake Martin's hand as well. "You must be the priest Noll has told us so much about. It's a pleasure to meet you, Father Brown." John laughed.
"Please, just call me John," he replied. He turned to gesture to the other four who had been listening silently. "These are the rest of our friends—" Ayako held up a manicured hand before he could introduce them, ignoring traditional Japanese social normality. She evidently wanted to make it known that she spoke and understood English exceptionally well.
"Yes, I am Ayako Matsuzaki," she said with barely a hint of an accent, stepping forward to shake Luella's hand. Luella's eyes widened in fascination, clearly both impressed and surprised.
"Ah! The earth spiritualist!" Martin noted. Ayako nodded.
"It is nice to meet you." She glanced at Bou-san with a smirk on her face, as if challenging him to do better. He stepped forward to take his turn.
"My name is Houshou Takigawa. It is good to meet you," he said bowing respectfully, though over enunciating his words. Nonetheless, he looked proud of himself. "Hey Lin!" he added, grinning. Lin rolled his eyes, but a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
"The Buddhist monk, right?" Martin guessed. Bou-san giggled.
"Monk..." he repeated, giggling again. Martin raised an eyebrow. "Monk."
"Takigawa, you're embarassing me..." Ayako whispered.
"What? Look me in the face and tell me "monk" is not a funny word."
Martin cleared his throat. "It's wonderful to meet you, Miss Matsuzaki, Mr. Takigawa. Thank you for joining us here for the holiday," Martin said, nodding his head toward them. Luella turned towards Mai and Yasu. "And who might you two be?"
"Ah…" Mai began, her nerves suddenly overwhelming her. She had never spoken English to a native speaker before. "Ah…"
"My name is Osamu Yasuhara," Yasu interjected, bowing courteously. Mai sighed in relief, taking the moment to gather herself.
"Ah… My name is Mai Taniyama," she finally managed. She let out a breath she had been holding. She glanced at Luella, who looked strangely ecstatic. She clapped her hands together, grinning wide, and bowing respectfully back to all of them.
"Konbanwa," she said. "Hajimemashite." Mai giggled. It was evident Luella spoke very little Japanese, but Mai thought it was very flattering she would go out of her way to learn a bit just to greet them. She seemed like such a pleasant woman. "Again, thank you all for joining us. We are all…" she glanced at the top of the stairs for a moment, then back towards the group, "…very happy you could be here." She sighed deeply. "I'm so sorry for Oliver's behavior, he is usually not so insensitive." Mai snorted to herself, understanding her words completely. Luckily no one was paying attention.
"It's quite alright," John reassured her. Mai snorted again.
"Luella, do not apologize on his behalf," Lin sighed. "Because it is not alright." He shook his head. She remained silent for a moment, knowing he was right.
"Perhaps I should talk to him…" she mused.
"No," Lin replied shortly. "I will talk to him. You should take care of our guests," he suggested. She paused again.
"Well… Alright," she conceded, not looking entirely convinced. "Again, so sorry." She added, bowing once again. Lin rolled his eyes. "How about we get you all settled in, yeah? Dinner will be ready in about 30 minutes" she finished with a smile. It didn't quite reach her eyes, Mai thought.
"Thank you, that would be lovely," Ayako responded, picking up two of her travel bags. "Takigawa, carry that one for me," she ordered, gesturing to her last piece of luggage. He glared at her, but ultimately did not disobey as he only packed one small suitcase with his belongings and had a free hand.
"I will show you upstairs to your rooms," Luella said, walking over to the staircase on which Oliver had disappeared just minutes ago. She paused on the first step. "Martin, dear, would you please watch the roast in the oven? And make sure the bread is warm!" He nodded enthusiastically. "Do not think about eating any of it before we have fed our guests, dear," she hissed. He frowned, turning around and disappearing into the kitchen, muttering words Mai could not understand. Luella shook her head and began to ascend the stairs. "Please, follow me."
The five of them gathered their belongings and followed as she requested, Lin trailing close behind. The upstairs hall was regal, just like the rest of the house, decorated with fine wood and tasteful paintings. Seven doors lined the hall, three on the right and four on the left. Each door was bordered with the same green garland from the banisters, misted with white to look like fresh snow. Above them hung crystal snowflakes, which glittered from several strands of white Christmas lights.
Luella directed Yasu and Bou-san to the opened door at the far end of the hall on the left, apologizing that they would need to share. Bou-san insisted that "it would being okay." The room was large enough to share anyways. She directed John to the next open door on the same side, Ayako to the one next to that, and Mai to the one closest to the stairs.
"Dinner will be waiting for you downstairs in the dining room, whenever you are all settled in. I look forward to it!" she exclaimed. "Also, if you need it, the loo is through that door there," she added, pointing to the second door on the right side. Everyone nodded, so Mai followed suit with a smile. When Luella turned to leave, she secretly asked Ayako what exactly a 'loo' was.
The five of them then dispersed into their respective rooms to unpack and take a breather, while Lin lingered behind in the hall. Luella passed him to descend the stairs and return to the kitchen. However, she paused when she heard him knock loudly on the door almost directly across from Mai's: Oliver's room. She heard the door open, and then close again. She peaked carefully around the corner, but saw no one, so she crept to the door quietly. After a moment of ethical struggle, she decided to press her ear to the door to listen; she just could not wait to hear Oliver's excuse for storming off.
What she heard was definitely not what she expected.
December 21st, 7:35, London
(Primary language: English)
As soon as he slammed the door, Oliver immediately regretted his behavior. But there was no going back now. He leaned his back against the closed door, covering his face with his hands for a moment before running them through his hair exasperatedly. He was absolutely livid.
What the hell was his mother thinking?
Why wouldn't she leave him alone, like he wanted?
Why did she insist on 'fixing' him?
Why did people think he needed fixed?
He was an attractive, mature man with two doctorates, so if anything, he should be fixing everyone else. So what if he was feeling angry, blindsided, guilty, confused and dejected? So what if he felt that way for the last few months? Had he asked for help? No. Did he want help? No. He clenched his fists tightly, until they were shaking.
This whole situation was stupid. Everything he was feeling could be exterminated by simply making the choice not to let himself fall victim to contemptible human nature.
Oliver grabbed the book he had been reading when he was so rudely interrupted and sat down at the end of his bed. Naturally, he needed something else to preoccupy his time until he could think rationally again. He flipped it open on his lap to begin reading. Instead, he stared blankly at the pages before him. He found himself fixated on his ragged breath. He closed his eyes, deliberately breathing deeply and slowly in an attempt to fall into a meditative state.
The dull ache in his chest was making that very difficult. Involuntarily, images of Mai, who was now in his home, flooded his mind. He hadn't known how much he wanted to see her until she was standing at his front door—nor how much he didn't want to see her.
Then the image of her hand in Yasu's flashed in his mind.
He threw the God-damned book against the wall. No sooner had the book hit the floor did he hear a knock at his door. Fantastic. He stood up and trudged over, placing his hand on the knob. He waited until he felt like he at least looked like he was fine.
He was not surprised to find Lin on the other side. They stared at each other for a moment, neither man displaying a trace of emotion.
"Can I help you?" Oliver muttered, not sounding the least bit sincere. Lin rolled his eyes and pushed passed him, shutting the door behind him. He stared out the window above Oliver's bed for a moment, then turned to face him, his arms crossed.
"I assume you know why I'm here," Lin started. Oliver replied by crossing his own arms and raising an eyebrow.
"Enlighten me," he seethed. Lin's eyes narrowed.
"Your behavior downstairs was appalling,"
"I am aware," he replied curtly.
"Are you, Noll?"
"That is what I said, isn't it," he retorted.
"Then why? Those are your—our friends—for Christ's sake!"
"And?"
"Are you really so childish that you can't even—"
"I'm not a child," he cut Lin short.
"Then act like it, Noll!" he barked. Oliver raised his chin, not accustomed to his assistant raising his voice at him. "Your mother brought all of them here for you."
"I did not ask her to do that, you know,"
"She was trying to help! She knows there is something wrong and wants—"
"—To fix me? Yeah, I know," Oliver replied, his voice also raising.
"Noll. You could at least thank her,"
"But I'm not thankful,"
"That is not the point,"
"But then I would be lying," he replied with sarcastic alarm in his tone. He felt a twinge of guilt in his stomach as he watched his assistant get progressively more frustrated, but he was not ready to give up yet.
"She wants to help," he repeated for emphasis.
"Well, she can't!" he thundered. "But I don't possibly believe there is a way to make her understand that!"
"Then you need to deal with this yourself!"
Oliver pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Now is not a good time for that," he replied flatly.
"And when will be a good time, then?" Lin replied, holding Oliver's gaze. "She's here. Mai is here, Noll—don't you give me that look, I know that's what a lot of this is about." Oliver paused for a moment.
"I haven't replied to her letters for a reason," he murmured. "So what makes you think her being here will make a difference? That doesn't change the fact that I'm not Gene."
"You can't just live the rest of your life ignoring how you feel,"
"It's worked up until this point," he corrected.
"And look where you are right now." He punctuated his statement with a gesture towards Oliver, whose arms were still crossed. Oliver looked away.
"I'm not an emotional person,"
"No, Noll, you are an emotional person; what you aren't is communicative."
"I never used to have this…problem, Lin," Oliver conceded, his voice dropping to a murmur. Lin sighed.
"You also never lost your brother, before."
Oliver pondered that statement for a while. When Gene was alive, it was noticeably easier to deal with his feelings. He did not recall ever having this much of an issue, especially after he got his PK under control. Gene understood him more than anyone, which also meant he knew how to handle his feelings and knew what he needed and when. Perhaps he had taken that for granted.
"And you've also never been in love." He felt his body react very disagreeably to the last word; his chest tightened, his stomach wretched, and his head ached.
But he did not deny it.
He couldn't.
Lin smiled wanly, knowing he had finally pinpointed a major source of the problem.
"Your mother did this because she loves you. She already lost one son, Noll," he said quietly. "Don't let her lose another one."
Oliver moved like he was going to say something, but had no words. He looked down at his hands. Lin moved to take his leave, Oliver moving out of his way but not looking up.
"Dinner will be ready soon, and I expect you to be there," Lin said before opening and closing the door softly.
And with that, he was alone. For some reason, he thought this would have made him feel better.
It didn't.
The only thing that had changed was that he now knew the source for a large part of his despondency, and the verity of it made him nauseous: love.
December 21st, 8:05 PM
(Primary Language: English)
Mai wandered her way down to the main floor of the house after freshening up a bit and unpacking her few personal belongings into her room. Her room—almost a perfect square— was nicer than any hotel in which she had ever stayed. It had a large, multi-paned window in the middle of the wall opposite the door, a beautiful antique desk, a sizable twin bed with silky sheets and a dark-green patterned quilt to compliment the timber walls, and a small chest at the end of her bed in which she could store her clothes. The floor was also made of wood, but was covered by a spacious, soft, white rug she liked to squish between her toes. Her favorite part was the little Christmas tree nestled in the corner of her room, decorated in white lights, red and gold bulbs, and a bright star on top. She had used its soft, soothing lighting to unpack.
Despite the turbulence of their arrival, her room felt very much like home.
She followed the pleasant smell of the dinner Luella had cooked for their arrival through a swinging wooden door located just off to the side of the staircase that led into a stately dining room that matched the rest of the house's decor. Her mouth fell open.
In the middle of the room, surrounded by nine mahogany cushioned chairs, stood a massive, mahogany dining table with a red and green table runner down the middle. But it wasn't the table that awed Mai, but it was the meal on top: a massive roast marinating in its own delicious juices, roasted potatoes, glazed carrots, and warm, homemade sourdough bread slices with soft, spreadable white cheddar cheese. Her mouth began to water.
She looked around for an empty seat. There were three left, as her friends and Martin had already found their way down and were chatting excitedly in a mixture of languages. She assumed the seat on the left of Martin was reserved for Luella, so she took one of two empty seats between Bou-san and Yasu. Luella traipsed about the room, carefully placing her individually crafted salads on each plate, humming to herself. When Luella made it to Mai's plate, she gave Mai a few affectionate pats on the head, leaving Mai extremely confused.
"Ehh..." she looked up at Luella, who immediately blushed.
"I'm sorry dear, I didn't mean anything by it! I'm just…happy you are here," she gave Mai a warm smile. She was still confused, but didn't press further—she didn't think she had the words to. Instead, she offered:
"Th-thank you very much for the dinner, Miz Loo-ella," she said, causing the smile on Luella's face to grow. "It, ehm… It has a good smell!" She sighed, embarrassed. She knew she sounded like a complete amateur. But Luella just patted her shoulder, clearly very grateful.
"You are welcome, Mai," she finished, continuing around the table. Bou-san nudged her with his elbow, grinning.
"Your English isn't nearly as bad as you made it out to be!" he remarked. Mai blushed.
"Oh, yes it is!" she laughed, rubbing her neck. "I'm just glad she can understand me." She looked up, noticing that Luella was listening to them talk with the same, intense interest as she did when they arrived. She looked down bashfully at her plate immediately, now realizing for the first time that her place setting was way too fancy for her. The plates were pure porcelain and the wine glasses were fine crystal filled with ice water. Though, it wasn't the pristineness that made her nervous; it was the superfluous amount of forks. She had never learned fancy business etiquette…
Finally, Luella sat down, wiping her brow, panting a bit.
"Please, everyone, I made this especially for you so don't be shy!"
"Good evening," a familiar deep voice rang. Just the sound of it made Mai flush and want to burst into flames. "And good evening to all of you, it is nice to see you." The dining room fell silent for a few moments as Naru made his way over to the only empty chair. Next to Mai. She wanted to die.
Luella blinked a few times, then smiled faintly to herself.
"Naru! Nice of you to join us!" Bou-san declared, a mouth full of lettuce in his mouth. "Good to see you, too!"
"Yes, it is quite good to see you Naru. You look handsome as ever," Ayako added with a wink. Naru raised an eyebrow.
"Miss Matsuzaki, your English is excellent," he remarked as he sat down, trying to conceal his surprise. "How long have you been studying?" He did not look at Mai once.
"Thirteen years!" she proclaimed proudly.
"That's why you don't have much of an accent! That's so impressive! It really is indicative of a very skilled speaker!" Luella shouted, stabbing her lettuce with a fork excitedly. She received several puzzle looks as Ayako tossed her hair over her shoulder with a smirk. "I'm sorry, I'm just… I get really excited by language, you see. I know, I know, it's odd. But, I am a professor of linguistics. I've been studying for nearly two decades now." After noting the uncertainty on Mai and Yasu's faces, she clarified, "Twenty years."
'Oh! That makes sense now!' Mai thought to herself. Luella had been fascinated by the influx of new language and culture when they arrived. No wonder she kept giving them all strange looks and listened to them talk.
John flushed.
"I'm so sorry for not referring to you as doctor earlier, Luella!" he looked extremely sheepish. "I didn't know you were a doctor, as well." She waved a hand at him.
"No offense taken, Father."
Those who could speak enough English began bombarding her with questions about her work, which seemed to delight Luella. Mai understood the gist, but did not have much to offer. Instead, she turned her attention to eating. She reached for a fork, but paused. She had no idea which fork she was supposed to use.
"The salad fork is the little one on the left side of the plate," Naru murmured next to her. It was the first time he had spoken to her in months. Excitement bubbled in Mai's stomach, and she was about to thank him until he very bitterly added, "In case you can't tell them apart." He took a bite of his salad. Mai's mouth fell open.
"Excuse me?!"
"Nothing, Mai, don't make a scene. It's not polite," he finished, taking a sip of his water. He still would not look at her. Polite?! Who was he to lecture her on being polite?! She felt her pent up anger at him returning. Wordlessly, she began eating her salad rather violently. On the other side of Naru, Yasu looked extremely uncomfortable.
"Naru, would you tell us about your thesis? I've been dying to know all about it!" Yasu attempted to change the subject.
"Gladly," he replied. "I will even give you a copy later to read, if you'd like." Yasu's eyes glowed.
"I could kiss you right now," Yasu remarked, causing everyone who understood to laugh. Ayako translated for Martin and Luella, who laughed awkwardly.
The rest of the meal passed quickly as Naru discussed his work, switching back and forth between English and Japanese when necessary. He discussed a number of his findings from his research in Japan, citing the numerous theories he concocted and his plans about future testing. The spiritualists, professors, and Yasu were completely engrossed in the conversation, clearly enjoying themselves, while Mai sat silently. Naru's work was fascinating, but she was neither a scholar nor a qualified spiritualist, so she was left feeling extremely out of place. At least the food was delicious, she thought.
She was about to excuse herself to go to bed when Bou-san mentioned excitedly that Mai had clairvoyant dreams, snaring her into the conversation. Luella and Martin looked fascinated.
"Really?" Martin asked, sitting forward in his seat. "How interesting. How long have you been having them, Mai?" Mai's face turned red.
"Ah… Um… I begin dreaming on last year," she answered. She furrowed her brow. "I-I mean, in last year. I am sorry, my English is bad," she covered her face.
"No, no, Mai, darling!" Luella cooed. "You are doing great, really. Please, keep talking. Take your time," she smiled. Mai smiled back, feeling a bit more empowered.
"Last year I would fell asleep in cases we, eh… Received. I had dreams about the cases that became true." Out of the corner of her eye she glanced at Naru to gauge his reaction, but his face was stoic as ever.
"Noll, you never mentioned to us that your secretary had abilities," Luella folded her arms, raising an eyebrow. Mai frowned. Of course he didn't.
"It must have slipped my mind. I apologize," he said contritely. Mai didn't believe it for a second. Having enough of his attitude for the evening, Mai asked to be excused.
"I am very tired, I would like to sleep," Mai said, hoping she did not sound rude; it was not her intention. Luella seemed to understand.
"Of course, dear! You must be exhausted. You all must be exhausted," Luella lamented, looking at all her guests. "You should all get some rest."
"You would like help?" Bou-san offered, standing up. Luella smiled and shook her head.
"No, but thank you very much, Mr. Takigawa. We will take care of it. Please, go get some sleep." He looked relieved and let out a yawn.
"Well you heard her, I'm heading off to bed," he addressed his friends. "Sleep well," he added, ruffling Mai's hair as he walked away from the table. Before exiting, he said, "Good sleep!" Ayako stifled a giggle. Mai stood up from the table, giving Naru a dirty look even though he wasn't looking. Without another word, she followed Bou-san out and back upstairs.
December 21st, 9:29 PM, London
(Primary Language: Japanese)
One by one everyone trickled upstairs to go to sleep.
Mai again never bothered to turn her light on; she worked by the light of the Christmas tree. She took her time, changing into gray sweat pants and a long white night shirt, hearing her friends' doors closing one by one. She walked to look out her window for the first time.
"Wow…" she mused. She looked out on the Davises' backyard, which was enormous. It was covered in a pristine blanket of snow and was nothing short of stunning. Across the entire back side of the main wing of the house was a half-circle stone patio. Along the stone railings stood several lampposts causing the falling snow to glitter, and in between each lamppost hung a strand of multi-colored Christmas lights.
"Luella sure loves Christmas…" she pondered out loud. In the middle of the patio stood a large stone fountain with a snow covered figure in the center: an angel. It looked like a relatively new addition, as it appeared to be made from white marble instead of stone. "I wonder…" she shook her head, too tired to emotionally involve herself with whatever—or whomever—the angel might have represented. Instead, she grabbed her toothbrush and journeyed to the bathroom for her nightly routine.
On her way back to her room, she noticed a figure walking toward her in the faint glow of the Christmas lights above her. It was Naru, dressed in his black sleeping clothes. Both of them stopped when they noticed one another, a few feet apart. Their eyes met for a brief moment before she looked away, face flaming. For a moment, she forgot she was mad at him.
She would confront him about the letters and his stupid behavior some time, but she was too tired to yell. And man did she want to give it to him good.
"Uh… Hi," she stuttered awkwardly. "How uh… How are you?" she asked meekly. "It's been a while."
"It has," he agreed, avoiding her question.
"So…"
Silence. She looked him over from bottom to top, stopping at his cold, blue eyes. Striking as ever. She did not look away this time, but he did. Was he embarrassed?
"Shouldn't you be going to bed?"
"Uh… Oh, yeah, I guess…" she yawned, beginning the journey back to her bedroom. "Um… Good to see you…" she lied as she passed by him. She really did wish it was good to see him.
But everything felt off.
And in that moment she hated herself for it. She missed him.
As she reached her threshold, he called out to her.
"Mai," she stopped, gripping the door knob. She looked at him, but his back was still turned away. He paused for a moment, as if he didn't actually know what to say. "I…" he paused again and sighed. "Sleep well, okay?" he finished before walking towards the bathroom again. She blinked, confused.
'Well, that's better than nothing…' she thought.