Work Text:
Dan Heng was not a superstitious person. He didn't believe that the number 13 was unlucky or that black cats were a bad omen.
If there was a superstition he believed in, it was ghosts.
To be fair though, ghosts weren't really superstitions anymore.
" It's a scientifically proven fact. We have evidence of their existence." would be Dan Heng's general answer if anyone questioned him regarding the matter. Not that anyone would anyways. Ghost encounters were getting more and more frequent, so much so that everyone had some or the other experience with one.
However, the IPC would always turn a blind eye to the matter, and blame it on mass hysteria. It was clear that as long as the matter didn't affect their monetary gain, they wouldn't do anything about it.
Since the IPC couldn't bother to, it was up to people like him to satisfy and bring peace to both people and ghosts alike.
***************
Normally, a ghost wouldn't dream of haunting a ghost hunter's home, but the chances are never zero.
Dan Heng plonked himself on his bed after a long day at school and began sorting through the surprisingly large amount of cases they had received in a while. Usually, he would ask his March to help him with this and as always, March was busy doing something else (AKA binge watching her favourite romance series).
" 6 Tanglewood Drive and 42 Edgefield Road are currently the closest sites, so we can solve their problems first....."
He muttered the locations to himself as he sorted them into a list.
For a while, nothing happened.
Only the faint sound of typing was audible. Every now and then, he could hear March crying whenever the show came to a climax or his mother Himeko arguing with their father, Welt, but those were quite normal.
Just as he was about save his work, a canister of salt fell down.
He reached for the EMF reader. Nothing.
He picked up the salt canister and put it back into its rightful place.
And then resumed his work. Okay. That might have just been the wind. His window was open, so that was a plausible explanation. He then shut the window.
A few minutes passed.
Then one of his textbooks had fallen down. The room became a little chilly.
Once again, he picked it up and put it back in its place. Now that was not the wind. Maybe something else might be in the room with him?
What was he exactly dealing with? Right now, it was too early to judge. The best he could do, he decided, was to keep his distance and play it safe.
Any paranormal investigator knows better than to initiate a ghost hunt. Especially in a tight closed area.
So he went back to sorting his lists.
Clearly, the spirit who was also in the room with him, was getting fed up with how he remained calm and collected even after all of these signs.
Because, then came the wailing, the floating music box, the lights going out, a dense fog and the large amount of objects being thrown every where.
Dan Heng groaned. If there was one thing that annoyed him, it was being interrupted.
"Just when I finally have some time to sort my files, something or the other has to get in the way. Well then, congratulations. You've pissed me off."
He picked up his spear, Cloudpiercer and started hurling it at the flying objects, trying to locate the source of all of this.
"Show yourself, spirit!"
Sensing the amount of hostility in his words and the spear in his hands, it would not be wise to linger, so the spirit decided to make its exit.
And it did so by by dropping all the floating items on the floor with a dramatic thud and clearing the fog.
There was nothing left in the room to answer his question.
For once, he encountered a ghost whose behavior was actually
confusing.
"What the actual hell was that."
Now was the perfect time to check on his sisters.
March was busy bawling her eyes out, and was completely unaware of what happened in his room.
"How could you not hear the racket created in my room?!?"
"I did...I just assumed that you were watching one of those documentaries again."
"Soo...You couldn't bother to check?"
"In my defence, I was already pretty comfortable inside my bed so I didn't wanna get out."
"You are incorrigible."
"Incorri-what now?"
"Nothing."
Atleast she was safe. Now time to check on Bailu.
She was playing UNO by herself. Pretty normal. Nothing out of the ordinary. Wait. Bailu playing UNO by herself?!?
He took a closer look. No, wait...she had an opponent. And it was the spirit whom he suspected tried to mess up his room.
At first, one wouldn't assume she was a ghost, were it not for her translucent limbs and body. She looked around March's age and had golden eyes and grey hair.
For a ghost, she actually looked quite beautiful. Wait. That's currently not the point. What was she doing in Bailu's room?
"UNO CAUGHT!"
"Aww dangit. For once can you give me a chance at winning, Bailu?!?"
"Nope! UNO is supposed to be ruthless, Stelle!"
So that was her name. Stelle. He had to admit that it fitted her perfectly.
"This is the fourth round you have lost.....sooooooo time to do another dare!!!"
"Well, atleast give me a good one this time..."
"Eat one of my mom's cookies!"
"No. No. Nooooooo! Anything but her cookies!!!"
"You have toooo!!!"
"Can't you give me a dare like scaring your brother again?"
"Nah...He would get suspicious."
"HE ALREADY IS! HE EVEN TRIED STABBING ME WITH THAT GIANT SPEAR OF HIS!"
"ITS EITHER THE SPEAR OR MY MOM'S COOKIES!!!"
It was at that moment that he decided to barge in.
"GET AWAY FROM MY SISTER THIS MOMENT!"
"AHHH!! Couldn't you atleast knock before entering!?! You gave me a heart attack!!"
Bailu giggled. "Speak of the dragon and he appears."
"You certainly didn't knock before entering my room."
"Well, throwing an object is kinda the same thing as knocking on a door for us ghosts."
"That's besides the point. Why are you here and that too with my little sister?"
He pointed Cloudpiercer at her.
"First of all, put the spear down. It eeps me out. Second of all, I mean no harm."
"Then explain the amount of objects thrown at me."
"Listen, it was a dare."
"How do I know I can trust you?"
"The fact that you all are still alive, I think is proof enough."
"Why are you with Bailu then?"
"I was bored, and she needed another player."
"Brother, pleaseeeeeeeee let her stayyyyyyyy!!!!"
"You should listen to your sister."
"Don't tell me what to do."
It was true that she had not actually harmed anyone, and, she seemed friendly enough to play a few games of UNO with Bailu. But for now, it was best to keep an eye on her and her actions. Who knows? Maybe she will turn hostile, and it would be better to be around when she does.
"Fine. You can stay with Bailu for now, but lay a single finger on her or anybody else...
"I know, I know, that spear will be the last thing I see. Geez...
Well, that was quick."
"Don't get ahead of yourself. I'm only doing it for my sister's sake. I still don't completely trust you."
"Fair point."
Little did Dan Heng know that she would very soon become one of his trusted companions, and a rather large part of his life.