[Fanfict] Ghost Hunt - The Message (part 1)
Mai sat at her desk. The outside area of the office was a bit messy; most of the team had assembled to discuss the current case but as always it had turned into a social gathering. As much as it annoyed Noll having everyone meet in his office it had become standard practice.
Mai knew she should be cleaning but still she sat staring at Noll’s closed office door. He’d been a bit more irritable lately, especially today. He had snapped at nearly everyone during the meeting, even John was not safe from Noll’s bad mood today. Mai was used to his ways by now but this was different even for him.
She knew why too.
Slowly her eyes began to close.
“I can’t fall asleep,” she thought, straightening in her chair.
Her eyes closed.
Mai looked to see herself in Noll’s office; he was at his desk. Embarrassed, she started to apologize for disturbing him but then she turned to see glimmering white orbs floating by her.
“I’m dreaming.” She said, “Well if I’m dreaming then…”
Mai looked over to see Gene staring at Noll with a gentle yet sad smile. Mai slowly walked over to Gene.
“He’s not been himself has he?” Gene voice was quiet.
“No,” Mai responded, she stopped herself from grabbing his hand. Gene's visits to her had been sparse since Noll had gotten back from England but she was never surprised to see him every once in a while. Still, it did not make it any easier for her.
Gene eyes still locked on his little brother, “Today is our birthday, he’s still not used to having it alone.”
Mai sighed and looked to Noll who still sat behind his desk going over his books. Neither spoke for a few minutes.
“Mai?” Gene finally looked at her with the same sad smile. “Will you give Noll a message for me?”
“Ah of course Gene!”
“Good, tell him I’ll try to be at the mirror later.” His voice almost sounded pained.
“I will.” Mai smiled as best she could hoping it would help. She then saw Noll get up from the desk and walk towards his door.
“Oh no! He’s going to see me asleep again!” Mai ran to the door. “He’s going to be mad.”
“It’ll be okay, Mai” she heard Gene say as the dream ended, “It’ll be okay.”
Mai sat up quickly. She looked both ways to see if Noll was next to her. To her relief he was nowhere to be seen. Sighing, she leaned back.
“Asleep again?” Noll said from behind her.
Mai whipped around to see him glaring down at her.
“Eh, Naru…ummm, you see I was just…” Mai stumbled.
“This office is a mess and your job is to clean it, what am I paying you for.” His tone was colder then normal.
Mai felt a bit flustered from her boss’s sudden attack. “I know I was about to clean it when, well…”
Noll sighed sharply, “You fell asleep. I already saw that”
“Yes but I had a dream about….” Mai replied remembering the message.
“I don’t care.” Noll snapped back.
Mai looked down.
Noll sighed and headed to the front office door. “I’m leaving for today but I expect this office area to be clean when I come in tomorrow, understand?”
Mai nodded. She watched as Noll opened the door to leave.
“The mirror.” Her voice was nearly a whisper.
Noll stopped.
Mai got up from her chair and begin picking up the mess from earlier.
“What?” Noll asked turning to her.
“The mirror.” She repeated but refused to make eye contact with Noll while cleaning. “Gene gave me a message for you while I was asleep. He’s going to try to be at the mirror tonight. Since it’s your birthday he wants to see you.” Mai tried to keep her shaky voice as steady as possible. Noll’s little assault had hurt her feelings but she knew Gene would be more disappointed if she didn’t deliver the message.
“So go home and see him, okay." Mai managed a smile at Noll but the pain in her face was unmistakable. "And Happy Birthday to you both."
Only a few times in his life had Noll ever been totally speechless. He only managed a nod at Mai and then left.
Mai knew she should be cleaning but still she sat staring at Noll’s closed office door. He’d been a bit more irritable lately, especially today. He had snapped at nearly everyone during the meeting, even John was not safe from Noll’s bad mood today. Mai was used to his ways by now but this was different even for him.
She knew why too.
Slowly her eyes began to close.
“I can’t fall asleep,” she thought, straightening in her chair.
Her eyes closed.
Mai looked to see herself in Noll’s office; he was at his desk. Embarrassed, she started to apologize for disturbing him but then she turned to see glimmering white orbs floating by her.
“I’m dreaming.” She said, “Well if I’m dreaming then…”
Mai looked over to see Gene staring at Noll with a gentle yet sad smile. Mai slowly walked over to Gene.
“He’s not been himself has he?” Gene voice was quiet.
“No,” Mai responded, she stopped herself from grabbing his hand. Gene's visits to her had been sparse since Noll had gotten back from England but she was never surprised to see him every once in a while. Still, it did not make it any easier for her.
Gene eyes still locked on his little brother, “Today is our birthday, he’s still not used to having it alone.”
Mai sighed and looked to Noll who still sat behind his desk going over his books. Neither spoke for a few minutes.
“Mai?” Gene finally looked at her with the same sad smile. “Will you give Noll a message for me?”
“Ah of course Gene!”
“Good, tell him I’ll try to be at the mirror later.” His voice almost sounded pained.
“I will.” Mai smiled as best she could hoping it would help. She then saw Noll get up from the desk and walk towards his door.
“Oh no! He’s going to see me asleep again!” Mai ran to the door. “He’s going to be mad.”
“It’ll be okay, Mai” she heard Gene say as the dream ended, “It’ll be okay.”
Mai sat up quickly. She looked both ways to see if Noll was next to her. To her relief he was nowhere to be seen. Sighing, she leaned back.
“Asleep again?” Noll said from behind her.
Mai whipped around to see him glaring down at her.
“Eh, Naru…ummm, you see I was just…” Mai stumbled.
“This office is a mess and your job is to clean it, what am I paying you for.” His tone was colder then normal.
Mai felt a bit flustered from her boss’s sudden attack. “I know I was about to clean it when, well…”
Noll sighed sharply, “You fell asleep. I already saw that”
“Yes but I had a dream about….” Mai replied remembering the message.
“I don’t care.” Noll snapped back.
Mai looked down.
Noll sighed and headed to the front office door. “I’m leaving for today but I expect this office area to be clean when I come in tomorrow, understand?”
Mai nodded. She watched as Noll opened the door to leave.
“The mirror.” Her voice was nearly a whisper.
Noll stopped.
Mai got up from her chair and begin picking up the mess from earlier.
“What?” Noll asked turning to her.
“The mirror.” She repeated but refused to make eye contact with Noll while cleaning. “Gene gave me a message for you while I was asleep. He’s going to try to be at the mirror tonight. Since it’s your birthday he wants to see you.” Mai tried to keep her shaky voice as steady as possible. Noll’s little assault had hurt her feelings but she knew Gene would be more disappointed if she didn’t deliver the message.
“So go home and see him, okay." Mai managed a smile at Noll but the pain in her face was unmistakable. "And Happy Birthday to you both."
Only a few times in his life had Noll ever been totally speechless. He only managed a nod at Mai and then left.