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9
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Yuki woke up early the following day and she moved Bones away from her face. She sat up and blearily rubbed her eyes. She grabbed her glasses and put them on before stretching. She let out a sound of pain as it flared up from her shoulder blades. She curled up in pain for a few seconds before slowly straightening up and getting out of the bed. She had work to do, she couldn't just sit in bed until she stopped hurting. She wouldn't, not for a few days. She grabbed some clean clothes, not really paying attention to what she was grabbing. She went into the bathroom and winced at the bright lights fixated above the mirror. She checked her back and noted that the bruising was worse. It has crept over her shoulder blades and down towards her lower back. It was one of the worst things about being someone who bruised easily. She ran a hand through her hair before pulling off her pyjamas and switching them to the clothes she had grabbed. She didn't even remember packing a black dress, but she remembered packing the cream-coloured turtleneck. She pulled the turtleneck on before pulling on the black dress. She went back to her suitcase and searched for a pair of leggings. She pulled on a pair when she found them and grabbed her flats before heading to the bed and gently shaking Bones awake. She was quite hungry, but she didn't want Bones to miss out on something to eat.
She headed down to the kitchen and a tired Noriko greeted her. Yuki greeted her back before heading to the table and taking a seat. Lin and Naru were already awake and drinking tea. Judging from the smell that was wafting her way, it was black tea. She poured herself some before giving a quiet yawn. Bones took a seat on her feet and placed her head on Yuki's lap. Noriko served breakfast, a traditional Japanese one that had surprised Yuki. She bit into some of the tamagoyaki in front of her and found it flavorful. Naru and Lin had something vegetarian, and she was quite proud of herself for bringing him something that wouldn't ruin Naru's diet. It had been a good call on her part. Takigawa shuffled into the kitchen and plopped next to Yuki, grabbing the coffee, and pouring himself a cup. He didn't seem to function upon waking up and didn't give Ayako a snarky remark as she walked in wearing her traditional garbs. Yuki stayed quiet and sipped at her tea as she slowly ate her breakfast. She had learned that eating slowly was a good way to enjoy food, and stop it from being dropped on her clothes. Her breakfast was gone soon and Naru turned to her.
"Yuki, go and check the temperatures of the different rooms," Naru ordered as she finished her tea.
"Of course," Yuki said as she put her cup down and got up, Bones following her example.
Yuki headed to the base and grabbed the thermometer that had been placed on a clipboard. She had decided to start with the second floor first, so she wouldn't have to go up the stairs after walking around for a long time. She picked up her pen and hurried up the stairs. She sleepily took the temperatures for the rooms and found that they were consistent. None of them went above seventy-five degrees. This was how a paranormal investigation usually was. The TV shows always acted in such ways with activity never really showing itself. It wasn't like the horror movies she liked to watch when she found time. She was bothered that it had been so strong the previous night but had died off that day. She eventually came up to Ayami's room and as she entered, she got the distinct feeling that she was intruding. She couldn't see anything else in the room, and Bones refused to enter as well and started to growl. She quickly took the temperature before heading down the stairs. Bones stayed closer to her owner and seemed to be bumping into her legs frequently, as though worried for her. The temperature of the first floor was the same, the sitting room being the coldest. She came to a stop at the base and saw that Naru and Lin were already there. Lin was typing at his computer and Naru was reading some documents. She walked up behind Naru, and he looked away from his documents as she handed him the clipboard.
"Ayami's room was the coldest, but the sitting room is a close second," She informed him, "sounds like there's a haunting here."
"For someone that's usually so sceptical, you seem so sure," Naru commented, and she tilted her head in thought.
"Do I come off that way?" She muttered before shrugging, "I can only say that I like to think rationally, ghosts aren't my first thought when something moves when it shouldn't."
Naru seemed to respect that if only a little bit. Yuki went to sit on the couch across from him and Bones joined her. She didn't seem too worried as the dog decided to lay on her owner. Naru sent them a slightly annoyed look before sighing quietly. As long as Bones behaved, he didn't have an issue with the dog being there, and Bones usually did. Yuki picked up her book and opened it, using Bones as a small cushion for her wrists. The title stared at him, and a smirk appeared on his face before quickly vanishing. Parapsychology and Ways to Determine PK Through Rational Experimentations, written by one Dr Oliver Davis. It was highly amusing to him.
An hour passed and they worked in relative silence. Yuki had finished her book and had placed it on the coffee table next to her cup of tea. She was looking at some of the documents she had found and had an impassive expression on her face. It was difficult to tell what she was thinking. A scream ripping through the house grabbed their attention and they got up. Yuki was a faster runner than both men and got there first, not that she was trying to. Smoke was billowing out of the kitchen, and she coughed motioning Bones back. She opened the door and the smoke got worse. A fire had broken out, raging on the stovetop.
"We need to turn off the gas!" Yuki shouted towards Takigawa, "Noriko-San, can you please bring some more fire extinguishers?"
"Of course," Noriko nodded before scurrying off to find an extra fire extinguisher, or two.
Takigawa had taken good of one already and was battling the flame. Yuki judged just how badly the fire was raging before moving closer to the stove. If they could turn off the gas it would be easier to kill the flames. A hand wrapped around her wrist and pulled her back. She sent an annoyed look over her shoulder and at Naru. His face was impassive, and she couldn't tell what he was thinking. He manoeuvred her to where she wasn't in the way and her annoyed look turned into a glare. Lin sent Naru a look over the top of her head, something the teen ignored from both parties.
"What happened?" Yuki quietly asked Kana.
"I don't know, it suddenly burst into flames while I was getting some water," Kana explained.
Naru took hold of the fire extinguisher that Noriko brought and soon the fire was put out, and the gas was turned off. Yuki understood not letting her near the gas stove while there was a fire going, she had once started a fire in her chemistry class. She would never admit it out loud, it was such a strange thing to be secretive about, but she could always find stranger. Ayako placed a hand against her mouth and frowned in thought as their resident albino let out a few coughs to clear her lungs of smoke. She grimaced; all she could smell was smoke. It wasn't even a nice smelling smoke, like a campfire. Yuki was under the impression that campfire smoke was completely different from any other kind. Bones let out a growl and she quickly looked towards the window it was directed at. The figure of a child was there, short, cropped hair let her know immediately that it wasn't Ayami. The child phased of sight and Yuki blinked.
"Noriko-San, Ayami-Chan is in bed, correct?" Yuki quietly asked.
"She should be," Noriko nodded, and she gained a worried frown, "why?"
"I thought I saw a child standing by the window," Yuki answered, "but we know where Ayami-Chan's last known location is, and we didn't hear any rushing footsteps so it might've just been some smoke moving through the air."
"We should go check just in case," Ayako stated, slapping a hand against the teens back.
Yuki held in a sound of pain and sent the older woman a glare. Her actions hadn't gone unnoticed by Naru and Lin. She was hiding something. She crossed her arms across her chest as she followed Ayako to Noriko's room. Ayami was indeed inside, but she was awake and tucking Minnie into a small doll bed. Yuki scratched the back of her head in thought, So, she had been right. That child she saw want Ayami. Her eyes narrowed for a few seconds before she sighed. The doll was putting her more on edge than the possibility of spirits. She truly disliked them. Noriko flipped the light switch, and they entered the room.
"Ayami? Were you peeking in the kitchen window?" Noriko softly questioned, kneeling in front of the girl.
"No," Ayami answered, shaking her head rapidly.
"But Yuki-Cham said she saw a child," Noriko quietly explained, "are you sure it wasn't you?"
"It wasn't me!" Ayami exclaimed, stepping back from her aunt.
Tears began to well up in the girl's eyes and Yuki felt guilty. She didn't think that her words would've caused such trouble. She felt the urge to say something, but Ayako shook her head in warning. Yuki frowned. What was so wrong with her showing a little humanity and making sure a child was all right from all the stress that people were putting on her? No wonder she had so many trust issues with people. It was hard to trust someone when they acted in such a manner.
Ayami," Noriko softly said, a frown on her face since she didn't like causing her niece distress.
"It wasn't me," Ayami reiterated.
A bang sounded above them as Ayami continued to repeat her denial of being involved. Yuki followed the path the sound seemed to be travelling, it caused the overhead chandelier to rattle, and she nervously watched as it swayed. No, this spirit could cause fires she doubted it had the energy to cause the chandelier to fall. At least, not yet. It did, however, have the power to cause the bookshelf behind Noriko to fall. Yuki was already moving by the time the older woman turned to see the large piece of wooden furniture falling. The albino grimaced as she easily caught it with her hands and shoulders. She was strong, but there was a limit to how long she could lift something. Takigawa moved forward and got Noriko and Ayami out of the way.
"Think you could hold it a bit longer?" Takigawa asked Yuki.
"Where else am I going to go?" Yuki questioned as she fixed her hold on the wood, her hands were starting to sweat.
Takigawa came back into the room and moved the shelf back from her shoulders and she rolled them in relief. Bones rushed into the room and immediately put her front paws onto her shoulders, licking her face. Yuki sputtered slightly and turned her face to the side so her mouth and nose would be out of the splash zone. She didn't even know that she could worry Bones that much, but she had. She felt horrible for doing so and brought her dog into a gentle hug. She didn't want her dog to worry anymore. Her expression darkened slightly, and Bones tilted her head at the sight. Her thoughts had turned darker than she had wanted. A part of her would always worry about losing her dog, and the sudden influx of love from the golden retriever had brought it to the forefront of her thoughts. She headed back to base with Takigawa, yawning slightly. This case was causing her to have a strange sleep schedule. Nothing happens most of the day, but the moment the sun goes down everything got crazy. She wondered if the moon had anything to do with giving spirits power. She'd have to look into some books about it.
"Where's John when you need him?" Yuki muttered as they all took seats in the base.
"Effectively exorcising spirits," Takigawa answered, hearing her gripe while shooting Ayako a look.
"Excuse me, at least I know I'm useless," Ayako snapped with a frown.
Yuki gained an amused expression at that but quickly fought down her smile. She patted her lap and Bones jumped into it. She was easily able to hold her dog in her lap, not fully bothered by the weight. Naru narrowed his eyes at the group, and she met his gaze head-on. She wasn't even bothered by his annoyance at them.
"You may leave now if you're scared," He informed them, he continued to look right at Yuki.
"I'm good, things are getting pretty interesting," Yuki said in a thoughtful tone, "Whatever is here is responding to Ayami, and seems to be focused on her…could it possibly be after her?"
"It's a very likely possibility, but what causes you to think so?" Naru asked, wanting to pick her brain a bit to see how her thought process worked.
She made intelligent guesses with data that she collected about a case. He wondered how she compiled it to get an answer. It was different to how he formulated one. She was quiet for a few seconds as she thought about it. Ayako stared at her before letting out a quiet scoff. Takigawa sent the redhead a look and shook his head, he was curious as well. He didn't know much about Yuki's parents, but he was starting to think about finding out something.
"When I was first introduced to Ayami she tensed up and withdrew the moment she was asked if she wanted one of the snacks that Noriko-San had brought her, I thought it had been really strange for a child to react in such a way," Yuki answered, "from the way that Noriko-San and Kana-San act it is unlikely that they are abusing her so I was able to remove that from the list of possibilities. It made me wonder what was threatening her in such a manner…but it's all speculation I don't have nearly enough information to make a concrete theory. That doll of her's is also very creepy."
"It is," Ayako agreed.
Takigawa nodded as he thought about what he had heard. It made sense, strangely. It also made a lot of sense for a kid like Yuki to be able to pick up on the possibility of an abusive situation. He wondered just what her guardian had done. She was tight-lipped about it and refused to even speak about it just saying that the woman had been a kind old family friend.
"That does make sense, but why would it be after Ayami?" Takigawa asked, wondering if she knew the reasons behind it.
"There have been multiple speculations as to why certain types of spirits go after children, in this case, many of them could be true," Yuki said as she gave a stiff shrug, "I don't know what it could be. It could be a child's spirit that wants Ayami as a continuous playmate, or it could be something much darker that likes to prey on children."
"Naru, the temperature is starting to decrease," Lin announced, pulling all attention towards the monitors.
"Lin, turn on the speaker," Naru ordered, and Lin pressed a key on his keyboard and the room filled with the sounds they were picking up.
It was heavy banging. Yuki's lips parted in thought, and she quickly closed them as her bruises began to burn. It felt like something was pressing against them, as though trying to cause her pain. She didn't even want to know what she had made mad for it to target her of all people. Was it because she was trying to get close to Ayami? She didn't know, and that was bothering her.
"No one is in that room," Yuki muttered as she looked at the monitors, ignoring her pain, "it would have to be one hell of an elaborate hoax if one of the family was doing this…it's impossible at this point."
Naru nodded his agreement before turning towards her. She met his eyes and wondered what was going on in his mind. She pushed her hair back from her face before looking back at the monitors. The temperature had gone back to normal.
"I want you to keep an eye on Ayami," Naru told Yuki.
"No problem," Yuki said, giving him a slight nod of understanding.
They were sent away for the night and Yuki gave him an annoyed look before moving to head to her room. Naru held up a hand and she stayed behind as Ayako waved. Takigawa waggled his brows at her before moving to head to his room. Yuki crossed her arms across her chest and waited to be told the reason behind why she had been stopped from going to bed.
"Were you going to tell anyone that you were injured?" Naru questioned and she gave him a dry look.
"It's just a bruise," She stated, her tone blunt, "I'll be fine, may I go now?"
Naru narrowed his eyes in response, and she stood up straighter. She refused to be cowed into speaking about things she didn't deem as important. It was just a bruise, nothing more nothing less. That's what she wanted to believe, if she let herself believe anything else then she'd find herself being dragged into the world of having PK. She couldn't. She knew how lonely that would be. She was impressed that Naru was such a persistent starer.
"How did you get bruised?" Naru pressed and she raised a brow.
"I'm extremely fair-skinned, I could bump into the doorway on my way out and get nastily bruised," She answered.
"Yoshida, you say that Ayami is afraid but what has you afraid?" Lin's input got her to bite the inside of her cheek.
"Nothing," She answered, her short tone catching both of their attention, "I would really like to get some sleep."
"Fine," Naru stated, and she gave a curt nod before leaving them.
Naru turned to Lin with a slight frown on his face. He didn't like being snubbed in such a manner, and Yuki wasn't the type to want to move away from such topics. Well, not in such a short manner as she had. She was typically polite in talking to them. He really didn't like it.
"Lin, I want you to find more information about the Yoshida family and their friends," He said to the taller man, "something isn't right."
"I'm on it," Lin nodded, there wouldn't be much activity that night, so he was safe to find those files and hand them to his boss.
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She was walking through the garden, the flowers brushing up against her bare ankles. Walking around outside in nothing but a pair of sleep shorts and a tank top wasn't her best idea, but she didn't mind the cool air against her skin. She knelt in front of a patch of snapdragons and gently touched one of the petals. A second figure joined her, and she looked to the side to see Gene. He was thoughtfully staring at the flowers before turning to her with a soft smile.
"Hello again," She greeted, "what tidings of doom do you have for me?"
"Keep listening to Ayami-Chan," Gene said, and her expression turned to one of surprise, "and whatever she tells you, tell my brother."
She was quiet and he looked to see that she was staring at the flowers again. He wondered what had happened between them. He had an inkling that Naru had pushed too hard and too fast for her to talk about things. She was too used to keeping it to herself, to keeping people out. He ran a hand through his hair before gently patting her head. She sent him an annoyed look before it smoothed into something melancholic and lonely. He had thought that Naru was lonely, she had him beat by a mile.
"Just try to open up more," He said with a smile, "I'm sure Naru will understand."
"I don't want to," She stated, he noticed that she had slightly curled into herself, "why should I get close to someone if I'm just going to lose them in the end?"
Ah, so that was what was bothering her. He felt sympathy towards her and refused to show any pity. She'd get mad at him if he did. The death of her parents hit her harder than she let on. She pretended to have moved past it, but she was still holding onto the fear of losing someone. He wished that he could get a message to his brother to tell him to be more sensitive, but he couldn't. He was being blocked from his brother's end. He didn't even know how he ended up being her spirit guide, but he was going to hold onto that connection with a firm grip.
"Because that's just how life is," He quietly said, "it seems like it would be too lonely to go about life without getting close to someone."
"You sound like a hopeless romantic," She muttered, her voice muffled by her knees.
"Maybe I am, but remember I'm dead," He commented, and she looked at him with an apologetic glint to her eyes, "try getting close to someone, even if they leave you you'll have good memories of them to fall back upon."
"That's…" She trailed off, not knowing what to say.
"What happened to you?" He quietly asked, "During those years before you met my brother?"
"Misa-San is a nice woman, but not a good guardian," She quietly answered, "sometimes she would forget that I was around and then try to make up for those moments by practically smothering me…other times the disappointment got to the point where I didn't even want to attempt anything. I stopped doing something I enjoyed because she made me feel like a giant disappointment."
"What was it?" He questioned, genuinely curious.
"I play the violin," She said, a genuine smile appeared on her face, "I used to play with an orchestra for the local theatre, we did small productions and though the building bothered me I loved it."
He smiled at that, learning something new about her made him oddly happy. She seemed happy to talk about it, and he was giving her the chance to do so. He doubted that Naru would, he'd have Lin search up her history and delve into it when she wasn't around. Hell, he knew his brother would do so while she was around. He gave her head a final pat before she woke up.
ooooooO0Oooooooo
Noriko and Yuki watched as Ayami played with her doll. Bones was leaning up against the window, soaking up the heat from the sun. Yuki let out a sound of slight amusement at the sight as Noriko smiled. They turned their attention towards the small girl and worried expressions appeared on their faces. Ayami was so quiet, something that worried Yuki. Most children made noise when they played, but she didn't make any. She didn't even talk to her doll. Even she had made noise as a child. It was deeply concerning.
"Ayami-Chan is rather quiet," She commented, and Noriko gave a small nod.
"Until recently she was more playful and talkative, but she's been this way since my brother remarried and we moved to this house," Noriko explained, and Yuki filed that information away for a later time.
There was a knock at the door and soon it was opened by Kana. She had a serving tray in her hand, some tea and cookies were on it. She gave Yuki and Noriko a strained smile before turning to Ayami. Her smile turned genuine, and Yuki was glad for the little girl. It was obvious that her stepmother cared for her.
"Ayami-Chan, I brought you some tea," Kana said as she walked over to the eight-year-old, kneeling with the tray, "it's nice that you have company today…I'd love it if you'd talk to me, would you like a cookie?"
Ayami was quiet as she looked to the side with a small frown. She didn't talk to the older woman, and it was starting to wear her down. Yuki fiddled with the ends of her hair.
"I see, do as you wish," Kana stated after a few minutes, placing the tray down on the small table and leaving.
Yuki flinched slightly as she nearly slammed the door as she closed it. She sighed in thought and wondered what she could do to elevate some of the tension that was now in the room. She moved from her spot next to Noriko and knelt next to Ayami.
"Ayami-Chan, do you mind if I had a cookie?" Yuki asked, making eye contact with her.
"No!" Ayami shouted and Yuki looked taken aback by the sudden shout, "There's poison in them!"
"Poison? What would make you think that?" Yuki questioned; her brows raised not understanding who could tell her such a thing.
"Minnie told me that my stepmother is a bad witch and that she put poison in the cookies, she turned my daddy into her slave by using black magic," Ayami explained in a terrified voice, "she's also trying to hurt Aunt Nori and me because we're in her way."
"It sounds to me like Minnie is jealous of the fact that Noriko-San and Kana-San love you so much, if it makes you feel better, I will be a taste tester to make sure the cookies aren't poisoned, okay?"
Ayami hesitated for a few seconds before nodding. Yuki reached forward and picked up one of the small cookies before biting it. Kana made some tasty food, and she hoped that the woman made more. She gave Ayami a thumbs up and the little girl seemed to relax a bit.
"See everything is fine," Yuki said before gaining a conspiratorial expression, "besides, what Minnie doesn't know won't hurt her right? It'll be a secret between the four of us."
Ayami nodded and soon Minnie was placed in a corner, turned away from the sight as she grabbed a cookie and one of the teacups. The way Yuki handled the situation had slightly surprised Noriko. She was motioned towards the table, and she quickly joined the impromptu tea party. Ayami grinned at the two women and got soft ones in reply. Ayami was able to get a smile out of anyone by being happy.
"You should tell Kana thank you later," Noriko said to Ayami.
Ayami flushed pink, embarrassment obvious on her features. She gave a nod. She'd do that, and try to get a smile out of her stepmother. She looked towards the albino that was watching her dog in thought and tilted her head.
"Ah, Yuki-San?" Ayami said getting her attention a small smile being sent her way, "What…What is your mother like?"
Yuki tensed up a bit before putting her teacup down. She supposed that speaking to Ayami might be a good start to what Gene wanted her to do. She could start opening up, even though it bothered her a bit. She clenched the fabric of her black shorts and relaxed a bit.
"My mother was a very kind woman, she was the type of person to make someone else smile even if the situation was bad," Yuki started to say, a faraway expression on her face, "she had a fiery temper and my dad used to tell me that's what drew him to her in the first place…apparently, I look a lot like her."
"I-I'm sorry for your loss," Noriko said as she realized that she had said was not is.
"Don't worry, it happened ten years ago," Yuki said as she shook her head at the worry sent her way, "I may miss her, but I have a feeling that she would've been proud of me and that's all I could ask for."
Ayami gave a quiet yawn and leaned against the teen, quickly falling asleep. Yuki sent Noriko a lost expression, the woman giving a soft laugh at the sight of it. She grabbed a blanket and placed it over the two.
"You should also get some rest, you look tired," Noriko said, Yuki nodded at that, and her eyes slowly drooped.
Bones got up and shook her body before padding over and resting between the two. Ayami shifted in her sleep and latched onto the golden fur. Yuki smiled softly at the sight, it reminded her of when she was a child. She fell asleep but didn't have any dreams. When she woke up, she felt disoriented and was sweating. She somehow felt more tired than when she first laid down. Ayami had woken up and was shuffling about. She noticed that Yuki was awake and smiled at the teen.
"I'm going to find Kana, Yuki-Nee-Chan," Ayami informed the teen before running off.
Yuki frowned at the change of honorifics but shook her head as she folded up the blanket before placing it on the bed. Ayami had left the doll behind, and Yuki left it there. She didn't want to touch it, it sent her a very bad vibe. She headed to the base and waved at Naru as he looked up from a folder. He raised a brow at her obviously exhausted state and she shrugged.
"I just learned some interesting things from Ayami-Chan," She said to him and he listened as she informed him of what had been said about Kana.
"Ayami-Chan said that?" Naru questioned as Yuki made some tea.
"Yes, Noriko-San will confirm it," She said as she placed the borrowed electric kettle down on a potholder.
The base door opened, and Noriko walked in, carrying Minnie. Right, Yuki hadn't gotten to that point yet. She took a sip of her tea and made a face as the hot water scalded her tongue. That wasn't the smartest move she had made, but she could always do something far dumber. She paused in her actions of taking another sip and narrowed her eyes. Did…did she just jinx herself? It kept happening to her, so she didn't doubt that she did.
"Is that Minnie?" Naru asked, and Yuki narrowed her eyes at how soft his voice was she'd never really noticed before.
"My brother gave it to Ayami as a gift before we moved into this house," Noriko explained as she handed it over to Naru.
No one said anything when Yuki seemed to move away from it. It creeped her out, it wasn't the type of doll that was made to blink so she knew that meant it was older than originally thought. She wondered if it was from the time when people had them made in the likeness of their children. She'd have to find where she had heard that information. She couldn't remember. It was strange.
"Did Ayami-Chan change before or after that?" Naru questioned.
"I believe it was after," Noriko answered, her tone thoughtful.
"Give it back!" The small shout startled the two women and they turned to see Ayami standing in the doorway with a worried frown.
Ayami ran up to Naru, her worry turning to panic as she reached for the doll. He held it up a bit higher and her frown increased. Yuki noted that the panic and worry was too strong compared to the tears and anger that most children would show when their favourite toy was taken. She peered at the doll and a shiver went down her spine.
"Give Minnie back to me!" Ayami said as she finally got the doll free from Naru's grasp, "Don't touch her!"
Yuki was impressed that Ayami had gotten it out of his grip. He wasn't short, more or less average height in places such as England and America and tall compared to the average in Japan, so Ayami had to jump to grab it. He didn't even react to it. He looked at the little girl and Ayami held the doll close to her.
"Ayami-Chan, I heard you can talk to Minnie," Naru said to Ayami, Yuki was slightly reminiscing over the fact that she used to be the same height as Naru and missed being that tall.
"No one touch her!" Ayami shouted before running off, not even saying anything to Naru's claim.
"Smooth," Yuki bluntly stated before turning towards a worried Noriko, "I can't blame her for being protective over that doll, I really can't."
Noriko thought for a few seconds and nodded before heading out to do some damage control. Naru brought a hand up to his mouth in thought. His eyes slid towards his tea-drinking secretary, and she blankly stared back at him before getting her attention grabbed by Bones. The dog pushed against her legs and made her sit down on a couch, climbing into her lap. Yuki gained an unamused expression before placing her tea down. He sat down and picked up his notebook, writing down the new information that they had been given.
"What are your thoughts on Minnie?" He asked.
"Have you ever seen the movie, Annabelle? Well, you probably know the case," She stated before looking to the side, "that's what it feels like to me. It's not just an irrational dislike of dolls, there's just something off about it."
He hadn't been aware that the haunted doll Annabelle had spawned a movie. He raised a brow at her, and she shrugged. She was a horror movie junkie and she'd be the first to admit it. She liked a good scare, and those were hard to come by. She hadn't been scared by Annabelle, but she had found it enjoyable. She liked good cinematography and decent effects. She made a face a few hours later as they set up cameras in Ayami's room, watching the doll. They just had to make it stare into the camera. If she didn't know any better, she'd think that Naru was messing with her. She looked at the man in question and he stared straight ahead at the monitors. Lin caught her expression and shook his head at what seemed to be their antics. One would mess with the other, whether that be through the actions of their words.
"I'm really starting to dislike that doll," Yuki groused.
"You really don't like dolls," Takigawa commented with an amused grin.
"No, because they can be used as a vessel I think I have a very valid reason," Yuki said, and his grin increased.
She sounded so childish there. She crossed her arms across her chest, and he looked towards Naru who was sitting similarly next to her. It was uncanny how similar they could be. The best thing to him was that it was completely unintentional. Yuki brought a finger to her chin and tapped it in thought. Well, there was something that caused them to look completely different.
"You know so many weird things," Takigawa stated, he got an insulted look out of her.
"I guess I'm just your average encyclopedia of weirdness," She muttered, and her expression turned dark as the doll trembled for a few seconds before falling forward, "of course it had to move."
She pinched the bridge of her nose and felt the urge to kick it again. She truly didn't care to put up with its shenanigans. She brought her hand away from her nose and sent the monk a raised brow. A part of her felt like being petty.
"Still think it's a poltergeist?" She questioned.
"Not at all," He answered before turning to Naru, "what's our next plan, Naru?"
"This is an unusual circumstance, machines and spirits don't typically mix," Naru explained in thought, "we should try to get the doll cleansed and kept away from Ayami, it seems to have finished its energy for the night."
Yuki nodded at that, but she couldn't help but feel as though something was going to happen. There was that niggling in the back of her mind that was warning her. She wiped her palms against her shorts and wondered why they were sweating. She caught Lin's eye and he simply raised his brow in response, not even breaking in his typing.
ooooooO0Oooooooo
Yuki yawned as she headed up the stairs to Ayami's room. She was heading up there to talk to the young girl, and keep an eye on her as was requested. She rolled her shoulders and was relieved when it didn't hurt as much as it had the previous day. The bruises looked horrible, her back was coloured in shades of purple, blue, reds, and yellows. The skin was swollen but required pressure to be put on it for the pain to show up. Bones let out a quiet sneeze and Yuki looked down at the old dog. She had just been woken up from a nap. They came to a stop outside of the white door to Ayami's room. She brought a hand up to knock when she hesitated upon hearing voices.
"The whole house is filled with witches," an unfamiliar female voice said, the pitch childish just like Ayami's.
It giggled coldly and Yuki felt sick to her stomach. She brought a hand up to cover her mouth and took a deep breath to try and settle her nerves. She even her back begin to burn. She bit the inside of her cheek, ignoring the strange occurrences with her body. She'd have to have a checkup at the clinic after the case was over. She needed to be sure that she was okay.
"Aunt Nori and Yuki-Nee-Chan too?" Ayami asked, her voice confused and slightly suspicious as though she didn't really believe what she was hearing.
"Of course, especially Yuki," The voice stated, and Yuki gained an insulted expression wondering if she was about to start a fistfight with a spirit, "how many good people have white hair and blood-red eyes?"
Yuki tugged on the ends of her hair, now that the spirit pointed it out the platinum blonde had lightened over the years to look white. Her eyes weren't blood red, but almost pinkish. She wasn't like most albinos that had normal eye colours such as blue or brown. Her mother had been the same. She thought back to the last time her condition had caused her issues, some lady at a church had informed her that she was possessed by a demon, and she had responded by screeching. She had been five, and it was her previous life. Now that she thought about it she had been a very strange child.
"I want to keep Aunt Nori and Yuki-Nee-Chan," Ayami stated, and Yuki smiled softly at how sweet the child could be.
"No, NO!" The voice shouted and Yuki's smile dropped as she narrowed her eyes dangerously, "Your Aunt works for the witch, it's okay though I'll take care of them in return you have to do what I tell you."
It went quiet after that, and Yuki knew she wasn't going to get anything else. She brought a hand up and gently knocked on the door before opening it. Ayami looked up at her and her expression brightened at the sight of her. Yuki waved as she felt a cold breeze go across her skin, it felt as though someone had poured a bucket of ice-cold water over her head.
"Ayami-Chan, I thought I heard you talking to someone," Yuki softly said, and she tilted her head in thought, "who was it?"
"Minnie," Ayami truthfully said, "there was someone else, but I think he left."
Ayami looked around the room with a childish pout on her face. Yuki didn't blame the girl for being annoyed by a perceived rude house guest. She herself had put up with several people like that. However, the fact that he had left explained the earlier sensation of ice water. She tapped a finger against her chin in mock thought.
"I guess he doesn't like me, huh?" Yuki asked in amusement, "Is he one of your classmates, or friends?"
Ayami nodded and Yuki wondered what else he was. She didn't know how far she could push before Ayami started to close herself off. She needed to test the waters, find out what could and couldn't be said. She stared towards the door in thought before looking towards Minnie.
"How long has he been visiting?" Yuki pressed.
"I don't know," Ayami answered, looking down at her hands a small frown playing on her face.
"Is he friends with Minnie as well?" Yuki questioned.
Ayami tensed at that question and Yuki knew then that Minnie was one of the mostly off-limits subjects. She was keeping an eye on her, making sure that the little girl didn't have a panic attack. She'd had one a long time ago, back when she had been in middle school. She couldn't breathe and her thoughts had been a jumbled mess that had made it difficult to pull out of her panic. She wouldn't wish it on anyone.
"Minnie brought him here," Ayami quietly said.
Ayami quickly stood up and rushed out of the room with Minnie in her arms. Yuki stayed in her position for a few seconds before a flash of annoyance went through her, she clenched her hands into fists. She hated the fact that something was threatening a small child, it was unforgivable in her eyes. She disliked the fact that she was powerless in the situation. She heard something gently thump and she turned to see a book on the ground. It had fallen from the bookshelf. She shook her head and walked over to it and picked it up. It was warm to the touch. She faltered for a few seconds before quickly putting it back, rushing out of the room to forget that had happened. She headed back to the base and Naru looked up when she entered.
"You're dealing with more than one spirit," Yuki informed him, "Ayami-Chan was talking to someone in her room, apparently Minnie let him in."
"Him?" Naru questioned.
"Yes, Ayami-Chan confirmed that it was a male spirit," She said, "it matches with what I saw after the fire, I thought that the spirit had been a boy due to the shorter hair."
"It seems as though this is getting troublesome," He stated, giving a soft sigh.
"Hey, at least the spirit didn't say that it would "take care of them"," She informed him with a slight frown, "it doesn't like Noriko-San, Kana-San, and me."
"The doll could be the ringleader of the spirits," He said, thinking about what he had just learned, and Yuki frowned slightly.
"I don't know about that," She said, and he sent her a look for her to explain, "would you accept women's intuition as an explanation?"
"You do seem more connected to this case," He said in thought, "is this new spirit the ringleader?"
"No, I don't think any of the children's spirits are the ringleader," She answered with a frown, and he gave one as well, "I…I can't really explain it, I'm sorry."
He had been giving her an annoyed look before her apology. He thought more on her insight and found it similar to how Gene would sometimes think. He gained the smallest of smiles and Yuki wondered if she had broken him before realizing that she liked seeing him smile. Her heart skipped a beat and the back of her neck warmed up, slowly spreading across her cheeks and the tips of her ears. Oh, she was starting to like him. Naru stopped smiling and turned to nod at Lin. Lin nodded, having heard what she was saying and went back to typing. She wondered if he was psychic or something similar, they both seemed to be in harmony.
"Takigawa-San said that he would try to exorcise Minnie, write down the temperature of the room and Minnie as he does so," Naru told Yuki and she nodded.
She got the feeling that he'd explain to her what his little nod with Lin meant. She took a seat in front of the monitors as Bones padded into the room and jumped onto a couch before Naru could sit on it. Yuki smiled softly at the sight, and it was noticed by both males before it vanished. Naru moved to sit on a cushion that was furthest away from Bones, not wanting to lose to a dog. He went to pick up his files but hesitated before grabbing his notebook instead writing down the information he had received.
Yuki didn't have long to wait, she watched as Takigawa appeared on the monitor, he was wearing the proper garb for a monk. He fixed his prayer beads in his hands and gave the doll a sharp look. The temperature was normal, for the room and the doll. She intertwined her fingers and rested her chin on the top of them. Her eyes were fixated on the monitors. A sharp yelp sounded outside of the base and Yuki went to investigate. Noriko was outside and laying on the ground.
"What happened, Noriko-San?" Yuki questioned as she helped pick the woman up.
"Someone suddenly pulled my ankle," Noriko answered, and Yuki saw a bruise in the shape of a small child's hand.
"I think you might've dislocated your ankle," Yuki commented as she allowed the woman to lean against her as she walked her into the base and sat her down on the couch before heading to her bag and pulling out her mobile and calling an ambulance.
How she ended up as the person to continuously call an ambulance. Takigawa and Ayako sat next to the woman and gave her a silent sense of comfort as Yuki hung up. The ambulance would take five minutes to get there, she informed everyone of that, and Noriko sent her a thankful look. Naru tapped her shoulder and she looked at him. She knew exactly what he wanted to do. He wanted to question Ayami and get answers. They entered the room and Ayami looked at them in confusion. Yuki sat down on the bed and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Ayami-Chan, what's going on?" Naru quietly asked, "Did Minnie cause this?"
"Where is Minnie?" Ayami asked, tensing up as she couldn't find the doll.
Ayami was scared, as though she had an idea of what was going on. Yuki sat there for a few seconds, using her thumb to rub circles on the girl's shoulder. She was trying to keep her calm. She didn't need the girl panicking on them. Her hand on her shoulder also kept her from getting up.
"I'm going to keep her for a while," Naru explained, his tone remaining gentle.
"Give her back!" Ayami demanded.
"How long has Minnie been talking?" Naru questioned.
"Give her back! She's my friend!" Ayami yelled at him.
Yuki looked at him and noticed the cold glint in his eyes as he looked at Ayami. The little girl hid behind the teen, grasping onto the sleeve of her black sweater. Yuki couldn't blame her; she wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of that. She brought a hand down and gently placed it on Ayami's. She was sending silent comfort.
"Ayami-Chan, Noriko-San is hurt," Naru informed the child with a frown, "Minnie did this to her, didn't she?"
Ayami looked down and began to tear up. Yuki sent Naru a look as the little girl began to cry, tears rolling down her face. He sent Yuki an annoyed look. She sighed quietly and held a finger up to him. She moved so that she could be at eye level with Ayami and the girl sniffed and rubbed at her eyes.
"Ayami-Chan," Yuki gently said, getting the girls attention, "please tell us, Minnie is trying to harm others and might end up hurting you as well no matter what they promised you. We are just trying to help, please tell us."
Ayami gave another sniff and moved to wrap her arms around Yuki's neck for comfort. Yuki stopped herself from tensing and brought a hand up to gently rub circles on her back. Naru watched the scene unfold and frowned slightly. Yuki shouldn't have any experience with children, she shouldn't even be good at it yet there she was comforting a little eight-year-old that he had made cry without meaning to.
"I-I'm sorry, Minnie said…Minnie said not to speak with anyone, that if I was friends with anyone else she'd hurt me," Ayami explained, hiccupping every so often.
Naru got a look from Yuki, and he sighed quietly. He knelt so that he was at eye level with the little girl and noticed that she gave him her attention from where she had burrowed her face into Yuki's shoulder. She was still crying but had calmed down a bit. He could do what Yuki did, to get the girl to talk.
"How long has she been speaking to you?" He asked, his tone normal and calm.
It was embarrassing to be watched by Yuki as he used her methods of talking to Ayami. His cheeks turned warmed just the slightest bit and became dusted with pale pink. Yuki had noticed and found it to be slightly adorable. She paused as that thought his her and it suddenly made sense. Oh…oh no. She didn't need to have a crush on her boss. Seeing him being sweet to a child made everything fall into place. She liked the narcissist that listened to her and picked her thoughts. He knew what buttons to push and what not to say. Oh, Lilith had jinxed the shit out of her. She was annoyed as hell by it too.
"Since we moved into the house," Ayami answered, wiping her eyes with the back of her hands.
"In the beginning what did she say?" Naru questioned continuing to be nice to Ayami.
"That my mommy is a witch, and my daddy is her servant ant that they want to kill me," Ayami answered, her eyes glazing over slightly, "she said that Aunt Nori was on their side and that she'd protect me if I didn't become friends with anyone else if I forget and play with Auntie, Minnie gets mad, hides things, and makes my room messy. She says that's my punishment."
"Does Minnie ever bring friends with her?" He asked.
"Yeah, lots of them, they're all around my age," Ayami confirmed, "they all work for Minnie."
"Thank you, is there anything else that Minnie said?" He pressed.
"Minnie doesn't like Yuki-Nee-Chan, she says something about her is evil, but I think Nee-Chan is nice," Ayami said, her cheeks a light pink as Yuki gave her a thankful smile.
"Thank you, Ayami-Chan," Yuki thanked the little girl before turning to Naru, "would you like me to stay with Ayami-Chan tonight to keep an eye out?"
"After we all discuss everything," He said and she nodded.
Bones padded into the room as Ayami released her hold on Yuki's neck. She tucked the little girl back into the bed and Bones hopped up to cuddle with her. Yuki held her hand up in a silent gesture to stay and she got a look from the dog. The two teens left the room and she noticed that she was getting an odd look from Naru. She tried to ignore it, but couldn't.
"What?" She finally asked.
"I didn't think you'd be good with children; you didn't seem the type," He commented, and she shook her head in amusement.
"I have a soft spot in my heart for kids and animals," She said, "I'm not the biggest fan of most people, but I usually give respect until they lose it."
"Yet, you seem to have started messing with Matsuzaki-San," He dryly stated, and her lips quirked up in a smile.
He smirked at her reaction before letting it fall. They headed into the base, and they all sat on the couches to discuss what their next move was, or what was going on. Ayako ran a hand through her hair as she frowned. She got worse at the threats from Minnie.
"This is why I don't like dolls," Ayako stated, and Yuki nodded in agreement.
"I wonder if the previous owner of the doll died and possessed it," Takigawa muttered in thought.
"It's not the doll itself, the doll is just being manipulated by the spirits trapped in the house," Naru said as he sent them all an annoyed look, "we need to figure out who they are until we do, Ayami-Chan's life is in danger."
"Yuki-Chan," Kana's voice caught the teens attention and she looked towards the door, "please follow me."
Yuki got up from the couch and followed the redheaded woman. They went down the hallway and Yuki was pleased to see that Noriko was back already, though she was on crutches. The woman was staring at the wall with a hand pressed to her mouth in horror. Yuki followed her line of sight and saw writing on the wall.
"Bad people will be punished," Yuki muttered as she read the writing, "people?"
That implied more than one person. She brought a hand up and pressed it against her lips in thought. Naru walked up to the group and read the wall. His expression darkened and she got a distinct feeling that he was incredibly mad. He turned towards the women, and they gave him their full attention.
"Ayami-Chan gave us information that she wasn't supposed to," He said, "Minnie thinks she betrayed her, Yuki I want you to stay with Ayami-Chan at all times."
"Understood," Yuki said, nodding her agreement.
She headed to her room to grab her pyjamas and a pair of clothes for the following day. She changed and headed to the room where Ayami was asleep. Bones stirred and sent her owner a look before snugging into the little girl's side. Her tail gave a single wag to show how she felt. Yuki placed a blanket over the two before turning when the door opened.
"I'm just glad she's finally getting some decent sleep," Noriko said, a tired smile on her face, "Bones is a very well-behaved dog, who trained her?"
"I did," Yuki answered as they began to place two futons down, "she was the last gift I ever received from my mother, and she's been with me since, she's an old dog but sometimes she still has the same energy she did when she was a puppy."
"I see," Noriko said in thought before yawning.
"Noriko-San, please get some rest, today has been pretty tiring, especially for you," Yuki softly said, and the older woman nodded heading to the bathroom to change into pyjamas.
Noriko was wearing a long nightgown and slipped into the futon. Yuki sat there in her own pyjamas and tugged on the hem of her shirt. She pulled back the blankets of her futon and slipped into it. The blankets were soft and cold. She laid there for a few minutes before closing her eyes, attempting to get some decent sleep.
ooooooO0Oooooooo
She was in the garden with Ayami, she was picking flowers with a bright smile on her face. A young boy and girl appeared and grabbed onto Ayami's hands, and she fought to free herself. She joined and tugged on the small arms and wrist to free the child. She fell back, and water enveloped her hands grabbing at her form and dragging her down as she tried to get free. Her outstretched hand reaching for the surface.