C/W : Rin and Reader are paranormal investigators, cult themes, Sae haunts the narrative until he doesn't, death, it turns kind of crack near the end- lwk forgot the plot at one point (4.7k words)
CHARACTERS : Rin Itoshi, Sae Itoshi, Bunny Iglesias, Julian Loki, Vivian Hugo, Don Lorenzo, Michael Kaiser, Teddy Knight
Rin's pen snaps in half, breaking the serenity of nothing but the sounds of downpour outside..
You click your tongue in annoyance, glaring at the boy who had the shame to look atleast a bit guilty as he weathers his hands of the spilled ink and drops the useless pen in the trash.
"I wouldn't have recruited you if you were just going to take up my budget with the amount of pens I've had to replace.." you sigh, amusement lacing your tone despite the exasperation you felt..
"Sorry.. just got too focused." He murmured, turning away from you to wipe the corner of his mouth where you knew saliva pooled up
"Still not over that habit?" You tease, handing him your handkerchief.. and he stares at it for a few seconds before shyly accepting it to wipe his mouth.
"It's fine as long as you don't drool over my paperwork" you wave off, trying to peek at his desk
"What could possibly have you that interested anyway? I know my cases well enough and none of them should warrent that reaction!" You grin, trying to mimick the wide eyes he'd been staring at it with
He huffs quietly, and you laugh at the red that coats the tips of his ears..
"Grimwood manor.. that's the casefile.. why didn't they let you investigate further?" He asks with furrowed brows as he presents the file to you
You hum quietly in recognition, wiping the involuntary tears that pricked at the corner of your eyes from laughter, before reopening the file and flipping through it
"It's pretty much sacred property to blackthorn village- the only reason I was informed, is cause.." you trail off, a little awkward when you realise just who you were talking to.
"Sae." He finishes for you, and the office. isolated by the rain feels colder than usual..
"Yeah.." you affirm, unable to meet his gaze as you stare at your desk instead
"I wasn't allowed in the manor cause I refused to wear their.. cult. symbol.." you trail off, uncomfortably loosening your collar
He idly traces the movement with his eyes, and just nods.. mind racing with possibilities and more questions than you probably had answers for.
"Why was Sae even allowed in then..? Did he actually wear it.. Why was he there in the first place..?!" He sighs out exasperated, voice more on the vulnerable side as he settles into the chair next to you
"I wish I could tell you.." you mumble, unlocking your little secret drawer and pulling out the last letter you'd received from said man.
He clutches it carefully when you give it to him.. and you pretend you don't see the glossiness in his eyes as he takes in Sae's handwriting on the envelope.
"You hid this from me.." he accuses, there's no bite.. just hurt, and maybe some resentment.
"I did.." you mumble, something wrong creeping up your spine as he carefully unfolds the envelope and takes the paper out
Dear (name),
Blackthorn needs to be looked into.
Grimwood isn't just a supposedly 'haunted manor' there's restless energy that can be made out even from the gates.
Sae
"What happened when you went..?" He asked, folding the letter up and placing it in your drawer..
"They stopped me at the entrance.. like they knew I was coming.." you wince, not liking the phantom of crawling feeling you felt at those gates..
"And cult symbol? There must be some history behind it right?" He asked, standing up with a fire you loved.. but also feared.
You'd seen it in another pair of eyes that matched his own.
"Not outside those walls.." you sigh, staring at the report you'd filed for the regions police regarding his disappearance..
"We have to reopen it.." he says stubbornly, picking up a pen and paper to jot down traces
"Rin.." you start, not knowing quite what to say to the boy that determinedly paced through the office
"So there's a cult involved- we need to research about worship culture then, it might just be some fucked up sacrificial ritual.. and if.." his breath hitched, and you knew exactly what had planted in his thoughts
"Mm.. and Sae mentioned.. restless energy.. we can work with that- We just.. need for them to let us in.." he murmured.. making a mind map you didn't know to decipher with his horrid handwriting
"Rin." Your start again, a little more firmly this time.. "We're not going to get involved in any cult shenanigans." You state firmly, and he stands there so lost and you can't help but feel bad
"He could be there.." he murmurs so quietly that you almost miss it.. but you don't.. cause a small voice inside resonated with that same wish..
"I know.. he could." You sigh, leaning back in your chair and closing your eyes to let the rain wash away whatever doubts that were left.
"Send a letter to the priest."
"I didn't think you'd be back soon soon dear.." an grainy voice greets you with something akin to a smile, one you don't return as you hand in the permission slip instead
The man's eyes scan over the paper and he snorts quietly before handing it back, gaze flickering over Rin in.. what was that..?
dismissal? concern? recognition..?
You immediately feel the need to shield the boy from this old coot's eerie gaze, but he doesn't say anything beyond that.. merely opening the gates to Blackthorn and ringing a bell.
"What's that for..?" Rin asks with a low huff, digging into his ear with his pinky.. a habit you have half mind to scold him for
"Oh nothing boy, we just ring it to announce visitors.." he smiled, and looking at the sheer size of the bell idly made you realise he was probably strong beneath that dusty cloak..
Rin looks a little put off but not alarmed, you however have something building in your gut.. it screamed to go. far away. and never come back.
There's something not adding up.. and you don't realise it until the gates slid shut with a loud screech.
"You didn't ring the bell when I first arrived"
Rin pauses in his idle analysis of the streets, and the old coot laughs.. standing between where the gates met
"Oh my.. did we not? I assure you it isn't anything personal" he sighed, folding his hands into his long robes
"You didn't lock the gates either." You murmur, feeling a low tremble in your muscles
He clicked his tongue, and you hear the sound of him scratching against his skin
"You're oddly perceptive.. but wrong. We close the gates at 7:00pm sharp" he says while pulling out a hanging clock.. mildly hypnotizing you as it swings lightly against the momentum.
"7..? It was 6 when we arrived.." Rin murmurs lowly, fishing his phone out for his device
You frown, glancing at your watch and finding it.. rotating in circles..?
"Ah.. that must be our magnetic field- we reside in the spirits border here! Time doesn't apply to us folk the same way it does yours.." he informs, slowly walking ahead
You glance at Rin and he shows his switched off phone, lightly hitting it against his forearm to try turn it on
"Don't wear or do anything he tells you" you murmur firmly to Rin, who huffs quietly- as if annoyed at being told something he was already going to do.. but doesn't voice the annoyance, simply pocketing his phone and falling into step with you.
"The kids must be curious by now.." the old man chuckles, gaze scanning around the street for any young folks that may be lurking
You feel your unease grow with every step, and you can almost mentally make out where Grimwood must be with the sheer strength of malice that emitted.. like a beacon of dread.
"Are you still searching for that boy? Sae was it? He was quite the fellow-" he chuckled, and you felt Rin tense beside you at the name drop.. and how.. wrong. it felt coming out of his mouth.
"Yes.. and I'm assuming you're not letting us in Grimwood." You spit out, and the old man laughs as he turns to meet your gaze with gleaming eyes
"We've reconsidered.." he says with a spark of.. mischief.
"Without the symbol." You state firmly and he laughs, waving the concern off
"Sure darling.. but I must say- the symbol is for your own good! The spirits mustn't recognise us living souls!" He grins, tapping the pendent that hung from his monocle
"Sure..?" you trail off a little skeptically.. reconsidered huh.
"As you may already be aware- Grimwood is a sanctuary for the dead.. a plight of passing, an abode of travel." He sighs, footsteps echoing ahead as he disappears among the fog that had slowly started descending
You stare at Rin before you follow.. mentally having a conversation to decide if it was worth the chance..
The fog obscures Rin's eyes and you instinctively reach out for a body part to hold
"M'here.. the fog isn't natural.." he murmurs.. feeling something clog up his lungs momentarily before releasing him.
You clutch at his forearms, finding relief in the spark in his eyes that that dulled a few seconds admist the fog
"The manor awaits!" A loud voice booms like you were in an isolated space, beckoning you in the direction of the manor..
"Stop.. we're turning back." Rin says firmly, and you the relief that floods your system nearly knocks you off balance
"Yeah.." you whisper, clutching his wrist and pulling.
"Let's go. run if you can." You hiss, adrenaline made your vision sharpen and you pull hard- pushing against the sudden wind that refused to let you exit the fog's domain
"I had hopes you wouldn't turn back.." a voice sighs with footsteps echoing back at an alarming speed
"Rin? Can you see the gates?!" You pant, pushing the fog away and squinting your eyes at the tall gates that restricted your freedom
At some point you'd let go of his wrist, and panic fills your bones when he doesn't answer right away
"Rin..?! You- run!!" You hiss when footsteps transition to running, and the fog circles around like a live organisation- restricting you from leaving.
"Hey..?" A familar voice asks.. and the wind briefly stills to hear him out
"Oh- Rin! Thank God you're fine- let's.. let's go!!" You yell, trying to take advantage of the wind's obedience to break away
A hand grips your wrist firmly and you almost scream if not for the voice that follows
"What if we go back..?" Rin asks, and there's so much childish heartbreak that you almost say yes on the spot..
"No. No- Rin. The wind is literally coming from nowhere! The fog literally almost choked you! And.. and- Rin do you not feel everything that's wrong with this place?!" You hiss, trying to yank your wrist away
His grip tightens to the point of hurting and you almost cry from disbelief.. Rin wouldn't.. you- never thought..
"What if Sae's in there..? I just want Sae back (name).. please, we have to go back.." he pleads.. instead bringing his other hand up to clutch your wrists in a death grip
You stare at the boy infront of you.. chest heaving with emotion, and love in his eyes.
You've never met this man in your life.
"Took you long enough father.. this one intrigues the spirits." He spoke, and you nearly get whiplash with how quickly you break away
Rin.. Rin's gone. You failed.
"The manor accepts the boy. We must perform the ritual quickly. His soul is restless for release- and may disturb the other spirits if not dealt with.." this so called 'father' informs, and your screams are muffled by something.. crawling.. down your throat.
"Hush girl. You were destined to become one of us.. yet you fight it. you shall face the wraith of fate as the consequence." Father hissed in your ear, and you claw at your clothes when it tried to.. eat..? your insides.. slowly.. sucking on-
"Wait.. father. I have a proposition.." the old coot piped up, and the.. creature..? In your intestine paused, curiously crawling out of your throat again.
"What is it Jaffer? You couldn't possibly want this one alive" he says almost exasperated as he watches you cough whatever you could out.. patting your stomach and around to make sure nothing was out of place.
"Like I said.. she intrigues the spirits. Her first visit wasn't prophesied, neither was this one.. the spirits have been curious." He hummed, lightly petting your disheveled hair- unperturbed by the saliva that dripped out your mouth..
He wears Rin's face still.. you want to throw up.
"This one's been here before..?" He asks doubtfully, tilting his head at you "And you didn't think to inform me about this?" Father huffs out boomingly
"I knew she'd be back father. Why must I have troubled you with meaningless conviction if I could present the evidence to you" he chuckled, yanking you by your collar to present like a sacrificial lamb
"Your words are pretty Jaffer. Suggest what you may.." father says indulgingly, and you find yourself surrounded by an echoing laugh
One that makes your eyes fly shut from the headache it induces
"Let her in the manor, the dead have gotten bored of the afterlife."
"Very well.. and the boy?"
"Hide a symbol on him.. he mustn't interact with his own blood in any way or form."
"Then are we post-poning the ritual?"
"No father.. he mustn't perish within those walls.." Jaffer says with a somewhat hoarse voice.. his grip on the crown of your head loosening.
"Jaffer..? Leave the body. The manor has accepted him already, what are you-"
"FATHER HIS SOUL'S FREE." Jaffer exclaimed while clawing at his throat, face morphing into his own
"Shit. Shit- you never informed me he was a vengeantful spirit?!" Father hissed, holding out his symbol
"He's here for her isn't he.." father murmurs with a sigh, glancing at the two bodies lying at his feet.. one in excruciating pain. and the other in the land of waiting.
Jaffer's soul leaves his body and is promptly devoured by the creature that had once crawled down your throat
"Round up the spirits little one.. we're locking up the manor." Father informs to the soul eater, who happily curls around your frame
"Blackthorn is in insolation until the vengeantful soul either finds peace.."
You wake up in a cold sweat.. the room is oddly warm, didn't it rain yesterday? or.. was it the day before..?
Slowly you bring your hand up to your forehead, finding yourself to be burning up a little.. though you didn't feel sick in any way- perhaps you were just a little out of tune with your body temperature.
You look around for Rin.. relief filling you when you find him staring outside the window.. it was raining again.
"Rin..? Where are we..? Did we run away..?" You ask, mind a little fussy with the latest memories
He turns immediately at your voice and sighs, meeting you in a hug that you noticed felt a little wrong.. Rin always ran warm..
"Are you sick..? Why's your body so cold?" You ask, roaming your hands over his shoulders
He doesn't even tense at your touch, only leaning into your warmth
"It's the weather.." he informed, pulling away from the embrace and loosely tugging your hands away from his frame
"Okay.." you accept, your gaze moving over him to truly confirm if it was the Rin you knew
"What happened to.. the gatekeeper.. and the priest..?" You ask while he goes to check the door once through the peephole, pacing around
"The priest locked us in here.." Rin murmurs with furrowed brows, trying to recollect what happened with the gatekeeper
Your memories slowly start flooding back to you.. and you stare at his back quietly..
"Something.. ate him.. or- his.. soul I think..?" Yo trail off unsurely, and he tensed as he turned to look at you- slowly approaching to place his hands on your shoulder
"Multiple limps, pitch black, crawly?" He lists out and you nod each time, he clicks his tongue and nods as well as he backs away while running a hand through his hair
"That's a soul eater.. they're involved in the sacrificial rituals these.. people.. undertake here.." he mumbles crossing his arms and going back to peek out the door again
"Here..? Where's here exactly..?" You ask, not liking the answer that filled in the blank spaces of the story
"Grimwood.." Rin murmurs.. well- grimly. and you could almost feel your soul trying to escape.. figuratively this time.
You hoped it wouldn't occur in the literal sense but with the elements at play.. it didn't seem so far-fetched.
You had more questions than answers and you sit up from the admittedly cozy bed-
"What happened there..? In the fog..? You disappeared.." you trail off, fingers itching to reach for him to make sure of his presence..
"They took my soul out." He murmured quietly, turning to you with.. lifeless eyes.
Your heart dropped to your stomach again..
Oh god.. you were right. you failed.
"Then.. but I- I touched you! And you.. you're still.." you trail off, not sure of the point you wanted to make..
"This is my body, and my soul is here as well.. but only inside these walls." He concluded, and you close the gap in search of a heartbeat
"I'm dead (name). I can't exist outside these walls." He states the conclusion for you as your shaky hands meet hollow chest.. and for a brief second his hands mirror your motions to confirm your own thudding heartbeat..
"God that's addictive.." Rin admits with a frown, unmindlful of the fact he was caressing an erogenous zone..
"I heard them say your soul 'escaped'.." you murmur, catching his wrist to stop his ministrations.. and.. oh god. his cold cold wrist.. no pulse. each confirmation was starting to wear at your heart further..
"Hm..? Yeah. The gatekeeper. He stole my physical body I think- while the priest.. showcased.. my soul." He murmurs dryly
"It felt like a temporary separation tho.. like a coma or something- I heard you scream.. and my soul left ritual grounds before it was complete." He concludes, stepping back before he clung to your warmth more
You feel a little restless at him pulling away but don't try to initiate contact again.. God knows your poor heart with burst if you had confirmation his chest didn't move with every breath..
A thought plants itself in you and you reluctantly bring it up..
"Does.. is.. ugh- do you think Sae's here?" You ask, glancing at the locked door Rin kept periodically checking
"Yes.. but he isn't the only one." Rin murmured quietly, and you tilt your head.. wondering if Rin had a run-in with them.. but more fixated on the joy that Sae.. was here- they could be reunited!
Sae could beat you up all he wanted for you not keeping his little brother safe..
"Ah~ so here's where you've been hiding her!" An eerie voice asks from somewhere inside the room, and you immediately clutch at Rin protectively..
Despite.. knowing he's dead.
Yeah.. you didn't really think he needed protection right now-
"What do you want exactly? She's not some plaything." Rin spat out, letting you cling
"Are all you Itoshis this possessive? Sae almost clawed my face out for even saying your name" the same voice said with a low chuckle, and you realise the voice was.. coming from the bed..?
A huge man promptly sits up from the same spot you were laying on and you become a little self-conscious..
How did souls work exactly..? Were you sleeping on him the entire time..
Humiliation burns in your cheeks at the thought.. could Rin turn invisible too then? and.. how did this guy know Sae?
"Nothing but warmth from your beloved" he says smoothly dusting himself, and your mind briefly supplies that he couldn't have been there the whole time since he exclaimed over your presence and Rin hiding you..
Rin looks at the top of your head.. then the guy that sat in a loose manspread
"Fuck off. Not a chance." Rin huffs, and you're mildly surprised when the windows rattle
"Ah.. calm down minitoshi.. sharing is caring" he chides as he stands up, and instinctively you hide behind Rin this time instead of moving to protect him like usual..
"Call me Bunny Iglesias.. I've been trapped here for 7 years" he introduces, grabbing your hand before Rin could shift- and pressing a chaste kiss to the top of it
"What kind of name is that?" Rin asks with a scrunched nose, positioning you behind him and smacking his hand away
"That's a question I don't possess the answer for" he chirps, staying patient despite knowing he could overpower Rin easily
"Stop bothering the newcomer and his friend Iglesias.. let them adjust atleast." A new voice states, and you're a little glad it came from the door instead of the ceiling fan or something-
"You're such a killjoy Julian.. aren't you curious of what warmth feels like? after years of nothingness?" Iglesias asks.. trying to circle around you- unfortunately for him, Rin wasn't ever going to yield if you're the collateral.
"I wouldn't result to your underhand tactics if I even were.." Julian states with a scrunched nose, taking you and Rin in with calculating eyes
"Welcome to Grimwood. I assure you the hospitality is as bad as it gets." He sighs, offering a slightly sympathetic smile
"How rude. I ensured a very cold welcome just for you" Bunny comments, whisking you away by the waist with uncanny swiftness
Rin stiffens, before he snarls- lunging at your kidnapper with nothing but sheer uncontrollable anger.
"Oh? You're feisty." Bunny comments off-handedly, more hypnotized by the warmth under his fingertips than the vengeantful spirit currently seeking out his erasure.
"Give her back." Rin hissed- chasing you with the same unnatural speed Bunny possessed, you notice the walls shake.. causing Julian to let out a low sigh
"Put her down Iglesias. He's going to destroy the manner and our souls with it." Julian huffed, finally moving- uh.. teleporting?! to Rin, restraining him with concerning ease..
Rin trashed harder and Bunny just sighed, reluctantly letting go of your hips.. unable to keep the quiet joy from his face as he stares at his fingertips
"We're keeping her right Julian?" He asks instead of acknowledging the squirming soul on the floor
And you snap out of your dizziness from the supersonic movement to stumble your way to Rin
"She can't leave either way.. unless this one reigns his instincts" Julian grumbled, before tensing when you smacked his hands away from retraining Rin.. mildly taken aback by your mortal warmth.
Rin sits up and lifts you to stand, backing you against a wall and turning his back to you- glaring at the other two spirits in the room that were in other words.. dumbfounded by the addictiveness of warmth.
"Get out." Rin huffed, and you recover enough from your dizziness to witness their reluctant cooperation
You hear a loud crash once the door opens and.. a closet is rammed into Bunny's face.
He doesn't even flinch, simply bats away the object that had pinned him to the floor while Julian rubbed his forehead to stop the headache that was waiting to resurface
"For fucks sake- stop rearranging the furniture" Julian groaned, but in all honestly- he was always quite amused by their animosity.
"Keep your paws far away from both of them." Sae demanded while staring down at him through his lashes, glancing at the two of you with a slight grimace
"Nii-chan.." Rin trails off with a relief in his tone that had you relaxing more than you're supposed to in this situation..
You feel even more relief when Sae crosses the distance and carefully pats Rin's shoulders to check if his presence wasn't a manifestation of his thoughts..
"You stupid fuck." Sae says while glaring at Rin, smacking the side of his shoulder with unnecessarily brutal force and turning to you with the same glare
"How'd he convince you huh? Bat some lashes? give you puppy eyes? I thought you were better than that" he scoffed, closing his fingers around your throat to check for a pulse- andd also to choke you in frustration.. mostly the second part.
You're sure both you and Rin look like mutts with their tail tucked between their legs as Sae continues to plaster your stupidity across the walls, and you can see Bunny and Julian from your peripheral- sitting on the bed and watching like it were a soap opera..
"Shut up. I would say you're grounded but we all are-"
"Sae.. it's not like we intentionally wanted to-"
"You shut up too. What do you do when you don't have enough information hm? Not engage. Should I tattoo it on you? To NOT ENGAGE!!" he hissed while shaking your shoulders enough to have you dizzy again
"Ay.. I never thought I'd be witnessing family drama in the afterlife" Bunny commented to Loki who snorted
"Yeah. Entertainment has been rather scarce during my 3 years in Grimwood.." he muses
"The mansion has been rather lively for the past few hours.. I expected more isolation.." a new voice commented from the doorway, and you're really put off by how huge almost everyone is-
"Join us Vivian, we're witnessing a family reunion" Julian called out without taking his eyes away from the livid Sae who wasn't done with scolding either of you yet
"Take it easy on the newcomers! I can hear ya screaming from all the way in the attic, year 1!" A voice resounded from the ceiling.. hanging off the chandelier.
"Shut up zombie." Sae snapped without even glancing at the new face, and you find the insult a little ironic but don't point it out..
"Can everyone just shut the fuck up. My closet is missing." Another voice announced while slamming the door open, eye twitching when he witnesses.. a lot of things.
Vivian, Julian and Bunny on the bed..
Itoshi fucking Sae scolding two new fucks.
And his closet on the floor with his favorite robe spilling out.
"Which one of you fuckers took it?!" He asks instead, bending to pick it up.. deciding his needs were the most important thing in the room to whatever else was going on before his arrival.
You want to sink into the floor in shame..
You were content with life back in your little office.. with Rin breaking pens every few minutes and the rain flooding the complex every few moons..
You didn't want to deal with this for the rest of eternity.
"Huh.. you smell alive. weird."
A presence materialised beside you, and you felt a rough hand tangle in your hair to turn you to face him..
Rin reacts and tries to smack his hand away, but he just grabs your wrist and spins away with you in tow- not even supersonic like Bunny, just.. annoyingly evasive.
"I don't enjoy being manhandled!" You pipe up, pushing the new guy's cheek away, he wasn't supersonic or anything but he was.. sticky. for lack of better word..
He shifts into the touch mindlessly and you squeak at just how close his face at gotten
"Back off teddy. I kinda saw her first" Bunny huffed, rolling his sleeves up
"Genuinely cease to exist." Sae hissed while snatching you back, producing a middle finger to this teddy guy who deflated a little once your warmth on his face faded
Rin yanks you back from Sae and rests his chin on your head, murmuring bout keeping a careful eye on you..
"Sae threw the closet by the way" Bunny informs Kaiser, who was already boiling from being ignored and his favorite robe getting dirty
"Bunny contaminated it with his touch" Sae says simply while dusting his palms, fine with Rin keeping you while he dealt with whoever else tried to seek your warmth
Or his own battles, given Kaiser's ire..
"Fate truly has a sense of humour doesn't it..?"
"Share some popcorn with us here Zombie!"
"Get some of yer own, year 3!"
A/N : I have no idea what I've written.
Year 0 - Rin, Year 1 - Sae, Year 2 - Teddy, Year 3 - Loki, Year 4 - Vivian, Year 5 - Kaiser, Year 6 - Lorenzo, Year 7 - Bunny ~ it's basically how many years their souls have been trapped in Grimwood.. Bunny gives off explicit raised in a cult vibes.
I wanna expand on it later soo there may be a part 2 depending on my motivation.
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