SPR: Is This Normal - CH 22

14AmyChan: OMIGOSH GUYS I AM SO SO SO SO SO SO SO SOORRRYYYYY!

Naru: What took you so long?!

14AmyChan: I was working on a specific project of mine from my deviantart and—

Mai: hey, it's okay. You're updating now, right?

14AmyChan: yes, I'm am updating right away! PLEASE FORGIVE THIS TERRIBLE AUTHOR!

Mai: stop that right now!

14AmyChan: I am so grateful right now that I cannot possibly own Ghost Hunt…

"It's a she," Mai stated as soon as she entered the base, unintentionally intruding on the doom and gloom that had gathered there moments beforehand. Naru silently entered behind, his face unreadable as he made his way towards the monitors, passing the completed temperature sheet over to the Chinese man before sitting down in his 'boss chair'. Lin immediately began to transcribe the temperatures onto his laptop, having already sent the file of his conversation with their resident medium to Naru's email.

"I'm sorry; I did not realize that you do not know how to identify a subject in a sentence, Mai. Is it necessary to send you back to primary school?" Masako asked snidely. Mai stuck her tongue out at the experienced medium before clarifying her statement. A few years of working with Masako had taught her when the girl was teasing you or just plain being rude. Evidently, now was the time for friendly teasing. Mai played along.

"The spirit in the house is female. Is that specific enough for you, Masako-sama?" Mai grinned, earning herself one angry medium. Masako huffed and turned her nose up for two reasons. First off, Mai had been able to sense in an hour or so what she had not for the past couple of weeks, and secondly, Mai was Mai. She always deserved this treatment, impending doom or not.

"How can you tell, Mai-tan?" Masako smirked haughtily behind her kimono sleeve. Mai seethed quietly for a moment before coming back to reality. She quickly told Masako of her experience with the multiple presences—the blue, the green, and the unidentified—excluding the fact that Naru had asked her to sense around herself and the fact that she had come back to herself practically in his arms. For some reason, she did not feel as though it were a good idea to tell her why she had done such a thing, only that it had happened.

"You attempted to sense around yourself without another medium there to ground you?" Masako asked, horrified, after Mai had finished her explanation. No, really, she was horrified that Mai would have attempted such a thing on her own. "Mai, do you realize what you've done?"

"Did I do something stupid like almost loose my body forever?" Mai attempted to joke, though her half-hearted chuckles soon quieted at the look of intense disappointment on Masako's face. Mai's chuckles died in her throat and the girl could only gulp in an attempt to begin breathing again.

"No, your body is not in any immediate danger. Yet because you did that in such a way, without another medium to ground you and exposing your very soul, every low-level spirit within a fifteen meter radius will know you are here, and that you can help them," Masako stated solemnly. As Mai attempted to figure out what that would mean for her, the more experienced medium looked out to the sea, sitting a mere three meters away from the house.

The ocean held many low level spirits in its icy grip.

"She looks like she knows what's going on around her, though," Mai stated randomly after a few moments of awkward and tense silence. Masako exhaled—seemingly irately. Secretly, she was grateful for the abrupt change in topic.

"I'm afraid you will have to be more specific than that, Mai-tan," the black-haired medium stated in a petite manner. Mai felt her irritation flare again.

"The spirit in this house, Masa-chan, is aware of what is going on around her!" Mai huffed out, feeling a sense of petty smugness arise when her friend glared practical daggers her way. Mai felt immune to such a stare, but felt chills go up her spine when the medium's attitude seemed to pull a complete one-eighty as she smiled and scooted in closer.

"Is that so, Davis-san? Or would you prefer Shibuya-san when you wed Oliver?" Masako murmured quietly, only loud enough for Mai to hear. The brunette gaped like a red-headed fish as her elegant frenemy returned to her original seat calmly, as if nothing had happened. The only indicator that could possibly be found was a satisfied smirk on her face.

"I—I—I—" Mai seemed to be stuck on repeat as she attempted to think of a comeback. Thankfully, she seemed to be saved from such a task as her boss unwittingly saved her.

"Can you describe the spirit, Mai?" Naru asked from his place at the monitors. Mai whipped her head around so quickly she almost gained whiplash from that solitary act. She did not mind it, though, and proceeded to answer her boss thoughtfully.

"She was green, and really calm. She doesn't seem dangerous, and only came into the room when you stopped whatever pulsing thing you've got going on. Hey, Naru—" Mai's sudden epiphany was cut short by the fact she noticed her boss had already returned to the file.

"He looked away when you told him she was green," Masako pointed out oh-so-helpfully. Mai wanted to kick something. Instead of submit to that childish urge, she pouted at the lack of attention her words received.

"Not my fault all I saw were a bunch of colors…" Mai muttered. She looked around the room, looking for something to do, something to entertain herself with. Masako seemed as though she were done talking for now; Lin was on his computer, typing away; and Naru was staring intently at the monitors for whatever reason. All was silent.

And still.

And oh…

So…

Perfectly…

BORING! Mai could rip her hair out, she was so bored! Bored to tears! Bored to hang upside down by her toes while singing the yodeling veterinarian of the Alps! So, so, SOO BORED!

"Mai, tea," Naru's voice pierced the thick silence of the base, and Mai found herself thanking whatever higher being was watching over her for something to do. She swiftly rushed out of the room, making a beeline for the kitchen just down the hall.

"Thank you, Hina-san!" Mai practically hummed as she made her way into the fully prepped kitchen without incident. Though a bit on the worn side, the kitchen seemed to be fully functional, courtesy of their thoughtful client. Mai filled a nearby kettle with some water after checking its cleanliness. One can never be too sure in an old house, after all.

As she waited for the water to boil, Mai allowed herself to hum. She usually did not do any of the sort in base because everyone needed to concentrate, but by herself she deemed it okay. She soon found herself humming an unfamiliar tune.

The kettle whistled, bringing the girl back to earth. Mai smiled as she set to work, fixing her dear boss a lovely cup of tea. Note the sarcasm. Do not be mistaken, she was still grateful for something to do, but with the amount of tea that Naru consumed every day should have been enough to land him in a hospital somewhere. It made her worry for him. Again.

Worry. It worried her. Why isn't she home…? Perhaps if she sang, then she would come home, safe and sound? Sing her favorite lullaby?

Mai began to hum again, finding it this time to calm her suddenly frayed nerves. The tea was finished and she would have to return to the base quickly. She could not tell why she was worried, only that she simply was. Mai took a deep breath and sighed.

Only to see her chilled breath as it exited her mouth.

Mai's eyes widened in realization and mentally berated herself for not noticing the dropping temperature sooner. Physically, she made a beeline to the door, reaching the doorknob as swiftly as she could. In her hand, she gripped the cup of tea tightly, silently savoring the source of warmth.

"Please…" a voice halted Mai in her tracks. Her fingers were a hairs breadth away from the knob, yet she could not find it in herself to move. Instead, she simply stood there, listening, waiting.

"W-What do you want?" Mai asked after somehow finding she was able to use her vocal cords. For reasons she could not define, emotions swelled up inside her, two being more distinct that others.

Fear.

And hope.

"My bonnie lies over the ocean," the voice whispered quietly. Mai's eyes widened. It was the same tune she had been humming to herself not more than a few moments ago. She still faced the door, fearful to move.

"My bonnie lies over the sea," the voice continued. Mai attempted to analyze the voice now. It was definitely feminine, though Mai would have not pegged it for a ghost or spirit immediately. She would have first related the voice to an elderly woman.

"My bonnie lies over the ocean," the singing continued, though it seemed to choke on itself a little bit. Like one in immense emotional pain. Mai felt hot moisture pile behind her eyes, threatening to overflow. For what reasons, though, she could not guess.

"My bonnie has drowned in the sea." Mai was sure she stopped breathing at that point. Was this a poor soul that had been claimed by the sea? If so, how did it become attached to this house? What did it need to move on? Mai began to turn towards the voice, empathy tugging at her heart. She dropped the teacup, reaching out to the voice.

"My dau—"

"MAI!"

The newest voice broke the song, breaking the seeming spell that had been cast over Mai. From the corner of her eye, Mai could see something dissipate into the air. She, however, had no time to reflect on it as the door beside her swung open, promptly slamming into her face and knocking her to the ground. Mai brought her hands to her nose, which she was sure was to be at least bruised due to the impact.

"Ow!" she cried out, surprised but mainly annoyed by the fact that she had been hurt by something other than a ghost. Could she possibly—I don't know—NOT be a magnet for any and all kinds of trouble?!

"What happened?" the same voice from before asked, his pale hands removing Mai's from her face. Brown eyes met cobalt blue and Mai found herself seeing spots.

No, literally, the hit to her head caused her to see slight dark spots.

"I feel dizzy…" she stated numbly as the black dots continued to dance about her head. She watched them for a moment, wondering when they would go away. Sure enough, only moments of time had elapsed once the dots began to recede, and Mai found her vision to be fully operational.

"What happened?" Mai asked of the one who sat in front of her, his intelligent eyes watching her carefully. At her question, said orbs of vision narrowed in her direction.

"It is not polite to ignore someone's question, Mai," Naru stated, his voice carrying with it an icy chill. He was angry, and Mai could tell. She winced at his tone, then proceeded to tell him of what had transpired in the kitchen.

"I was making the tea when the temperature dropped. I didn't notice it at first, but then I could see my breath! So I made my way to the door and I heard someone say something," Mai stated. Naru gave her a pointed look, wordlessly demanding that she continue.

"They actually said 'please', unlike a certain someone I know."

Cue pointed glare in Naru's direction.

"When I asked the voice what she wanted, she started singing a song I've never heard before. It didn't sound right in Japanese, though…" Mai mused. She briefly wondered if it had been the translation of a song in a different language.

"What was the song, Mai?" Masako—whom Mai had not noticed before now—asked. Mai vaguely wondered how long the medium had been standing there before replying.

"Something about a 'bonnie' going out to sea and drowning," Mai recalled. Upon seeing their blank looks, she hummed the tune for her friends, hoping it would spark some recognition. Naru's eyes were the first to flash in association. Mai turned to him fully.

"Is it a song you recognize?" questioned Mai. It was a rather pretty tune, she found, if not morbid. Naru gave a curt nod.

"It's a traditional Scottish folk song that is called "My Bonnie lies Over the Ocean", though something in the song seems to have been changed," Naru stated, his British accent showing through when he switched over to the English title. Were she not trying so hard to pay attention, Mai would have thought about how good he sounded and blushed.

"Did anything else happen, Mai?" Naru asked, his tone completely business-like. Mai wondered if he had completely dismissed the tune altogether. The brunette assistant filed away the song in her mind for later.

"I don't think so," the brunette said after a moment of thought. "I think she was going to keep singing, but that's when you guys came in."

"I see…" murmured Naru as he stood. Mai watched him carefully for a moment. He seemed calm and collected, though Mai could see the gears in his head hard at work. It seemed most likely that he was mulling over the latest evidence of the case—the song—though Mai had a gut feeling that stated otherwise.

This gut feeling also said he was kicking himself in the rear over something, so Mai was not sure how much credit she should give that feeling. Naru mentally kicking himself would imply that he felt he did something wrong, though Mai for the life of her could not figure out what.

So she discarded the feeling.

"Mai, how much longer do you expect to remain on the floor?" Masako inquired, her smug tone ignored by Naru yet picked up on instantly by Mai. Said brunette could not get up quickly enough and practically seethed at the dark-haired medium.

"Masako, you—!"

Mai's rage was over before it began. As she was about to march her way right over to the medium and tell her exactly what she thought in that moment, a strong hand pulled her back.

Stupid—!

Mai felt the wind knocked out of her as she collided into Naru. Her shoulders tensed and she noted—somewhat happily—her sudden close proximity. Yet why would Naru, the one who hated all forms of human contact, pull her—

Can she not even see the glass—?!

Glass…? Mai looked at her feet, finally noticing the shards that had surrounded where she had sat and stood only moments before. She was—thankfully—left unhurt by the shards of glass that had surrounded her, though wondered for a moment where the broken china had come from…

"The teacup…" the realization hit Mai suddenly, and she wondered how on earth she could have missed the fact that she had dropped a teacup before Naru and Masako had entered the room.

"It looks like a small amount of Shibuya-san's observational skills have rubbed off on you, Mai. Well done," Masako's patronizing tone was hard to ignore for the time being, but Mai somehow managed to do so in order to respond to what the medium had actually said.

"Actually, Naru—"

"Hara-san, please go back to the base and tell Lin what happened here. I want it recorded. Mai, tea," Naru ordered as he pushed the brunette girl away. Mai instantly missed his warmth, and quickly after that felt embarrassed by her own thoughts. She sped to the stove, muttering about Narcissists and their tea. Now she was grateful that she had made a bit of extra tea in the first batch. She had planned on coming back for it later.

She quickly poured the remaining of the still warm tea into another china cup with a smug smile on her face. She had done something right this time that had saved her from having to make a whole other kettle of tea. Yes for mistakes that save your butt later!

Mai turned around to give her boss his tea and follow him out of the kitchen only to be stopped short. Masako had already left for base—most likely when the order had left Naru's lips—and Naru was not looking at his brunette assistant. His back was facing her, and he was hunched over the floor.

He was picking up the shards of the broken tea glass.

Mai quickly set the newest cup of tea down carefully and looked for a rag or towel. Finding a few, she gathered them up and sat next to Naru, carefully picking up the pieces of the broken teacup alongside him. They both placed the shards in an empty rag and when the glass had been safely cleared away, Mai began to mop up the spilled tea with the remaining rag. Naru quietly threw away the dangerous pieces of glass just as Mai finished with her self-appointed task. She turned to face Naru only to find him waiting at the door, the most recently poured tea in hand.

Without a word, he walked to base, and Mai quickly fell in step slightly behind him. Neither seemed bothered when she began to hum again, the same tune as before.

Mai: "My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean"?

14AmyChan: yeah, it's a song I like to sing a lot~! I changed the last line of the first verse and changed the second one entirely.

Naru: I take it that the rest of the changed lyrics will make an appearance later in the case?

14AmyChan: you can't solve the case without it, so yeah. *^_^*

Masako: How presumptuous…

14AmyChan: Masa-chan, would you please…?

Masako: *glares pitifully at 14AmyChan, then sighs* Chan-san does not own Ghost Hunt—

Mai: No, Masako, we did that at the start!

Masako: *glares at Mai* then what am I supposed to say here?!

Mai: *rolls her eyes then smiles at audience* PLEASE R&R EVERYBODY~!

Masako: *rolls eyes at Mai*