Catheris and Mr. Beo were at a classic diner decorated with pop art of a classic blonde babe. They sat at a corner booth. Fortunately, they could discuss the confidential job freely here. The Bureau had an artifact called the "illusion box," which would replace their conversation with something normal.
Catheris stared at all the plate towers scattered across the table.
"...You sure do eat a lot."
...But when could they talk while Mr. Beo was eating?
'You'd think that place would be long abandoned after the Bureau got their hands on it.'
Catheris cringed at the memory.
Mr. Beo shrugged as he noticed Catheris' discomfort.
"We got what we needed in the end. Not our problem now. Let the guys who need it handle everything. And what happened to eating breakfast?" He retorted to Catheris' earlier remark.
It was quite ironic to call him out on all the bacon he was eating when he wasn't much better himself.
"...I did have something."
Catheris quirked his eyebrow, then huffed. "I almost died, so yes, I do need the energy."
A waitress came around. She brought another order of hashbrowns and a bunch of other stuff Catheris didn't have the energy to note down.
"Orange juice refill?" She asked.
The detective nodded to the young woman. Turning back to Catheris, he sighed, leaning his cheek on his hand.
"Ink just does that to your body. So, how did you find your first investigation?"
Mr. Beo bit into his candied bacon.
"Well, I'm not a masochist."
"..Right."
"Is it like that for everyone's first time?"
Catheris narrowed his eyes.
"No, but it happens. I'd say it's uncommon but not rare."
...Sigh. Catheris Orial, what exactly did you sign yourself up for? Forget it, it's not like he had another option — he was going to let some bastard possess him.
"How would you say I did?"
Catheris made another stack of plates.
"Did enough to pass. I'm also warning you now that the domains will come sooner than you realize. It happens to everyone, so steel yourself now–don't stress too much."
"So... that girl in the corner of the processing room."
"Do you know her?"
Mr. Beo raised an eyebrow.
"She was on the news along with some other kids."
"I'll ask the Bureau to investigate that place more. I think this is the first time anyone's ever seen a scene transmutate?"
"Unless you have something else, I think we're done now."
Catheris tilted his head to the empty plates.
"Yeah, yeah, I think that's all for today. Rest well."
He waved him off.
Catheris sighed, closing his eyes. He got up from the booth and left. At the door, he accidentally bumped shoulders with someone.
"Sorry." Catheris spared a glance, then walked off.
The guy —who didn't even care — quickly put the stupid look on his face away.
"It's fine. Maybe you should buy me a drink tonight to apologize?"
...
Well, this was a record.
Catheris had his fair share of people who were bold in letting him know that they were into him. But it was odd. He just... bumped into this guy. That was all.
Catheris could only speculate on the reason why the guy was so straightforward. He was aware of his looks; however, the peculiar combination of traits made this type of person a weirdo. If he was being intentionally weird — then well, it was just the guy's character.
He looked like some heir — that subtle aura Catheris was familiar with. Catheris recognized the fine work on his clothes. He had a long black braid and a face that belonged to the son of some A-list actress and some random CEO. Too tall to not get your attention. And that smile didn't quite reach his purple, sly eyes. This man obviously had the means to get away during Virosian winter—however, he did not.
It was automatically suspicious in Catheris's books (rich + doesn't plan a winter getaway). None of his business, though.
"I don't drink," Catheris said firmly.
He quickly walked off before he could hear the man stumbling over himself. Fuck that, it was way too early to be getting his face slammed and getting hit on randomly. Nobody had randomly flirted with him ever since he ended that life at 24—streak: broken.
Catheris rolled his eyes hard when he heard the guy trip on the snow while chasing after him. He looked young, too. Catheris scoffed internally. He didn't have the spark to keep up with that type of young lovers' pace anymore.
Thankfully, he did have the day off knowing that he had mentee duties. So, he had a museum date with Reena today. Though, he was still waiting for her to finish her part time-job. It was still much too early.
***
Reena skipped up the steps of the mausoleum-looking museum. She looked cozy in a cute pink fur outfit.
"Hey, hey! I didn't know what you wanted, so I got you a cold brew!~"
Her breath was a white cloud.
"I already had coffee today."
He looked at her blankly. Catheris already went home and changed into something nicer for the museum, but still kept his bow.
"Already?"
"You got it for me already, so..."
He began to reach for the cup.
"Catheris."
"..."
"..."
Reena's eyes were those of a seriously judgmental cat.
Catheris relented. "But why would you get me cold brew in winter?"
"Erm."
No idea her face told, but her iced coffee in her hand told otherwise.
"I mean, you'd still drink it."
...
"...Yes."
He didn't drink coffee just for the caffeine, he also appreciated the flavor profile...
Reena also relented, shimmying it over to him.
"I heard this cafe is pretty good..?"
Catheris took a sip. "It's just okay. Why are we here again?"
"Internet forum stuff." She perked up. "The comments are scary... Do you wanna see?"
"Mn."
She hurriedly unlocked her phone and showed it to Catheris. He skimmed it, catching the words "mermaid" and "dizzying" recurring before he finally looked at the post's name.
"How do you even find this stuff???"
Geez, it was a different forum site this time.
"I have my waysssss."
Damned Virosians, why do you all always get freaky during winter?
[umumu]
[Does anyone find this painting weird?]
The photo was slightly blurred and had crunchy quality. The angle at which it was taken was crooked. He barely made out the form of the shore and a lady—presumably a mermaid.
[XOXOkittyhugs]
Where is this? It looks familiar. Seems kind of weird but, I can't tell since it's a photo. want to go see in person -__-
[umumu]
Laurent National Museum of Virosiad History, my gf and I felt sick when we were in the
exhibition umu...
[whackahoe]
Ur fault ong nothing is ever right about old virosiad shit
Catheris nodded, "[whackahoe] is right."
"Oh, you and your – oh wait, you're not Virosian."
"Deliamois stuff is – worse –" he corrected.
Deliamois this, Virosiad that. They were sister islands whose identities blended in this day and age. It wasn't like anyone lived on Deliamois anymore.
"Yeah, yeah. Let's go!"
***
The pair always liked going to museums. They especially liked going in winter because of the lack of people. It was always so so nice. They'd get dinner after, and basically nobody would be there either. The infamous winters were a break from the hustle and bustle of Virosiad. Catheris quite liked the quiet peace, well, if they chose the right places. Otherwise, they'd get awkward silence, shunning them as an 'outsider' to their affairs. There was a joke about how people who stayed for the winter were either natives or cultists.
Reena clutched onto his arm all cutesy.
"Psst, Catheris," Reena whispered.
She gestured with her eyes over to a group of old ladies standing menacingly by the opposite doorway. They stared right at them with a peculiar glaze in their wide eyes. It was as if they were clutching their pearls.
Reena muttered, "...are you almost done with this room?"
"Let's go, now."
Catheris nuzzled into her neck, reciprocation equally faked.
A shame. This room was pleasing to the eye. The wavy silk overhead was gorgeous and fit the art related to the ocean — the most important thing to Virosiad as a trade nation.
Reena giggled, pushing him with a little too much force.
"Who exactly are we fooling? You're 5'6-"
"–Yeah, exactly, maybe they think we're lesbians–"
They quickly shuffled away, joking with their stupid airy voices. PDA saves the day? They found themselves surrounded by the art of Virosiad's early trade days—the art about the fashion of various cultural exchanges.
"Do you wanna go to the bathroom with me?" Reena asked, finally letting go.
"I'll wait here."
Catheris looked at a suit.
He glared at her, "Don't get caught."
"Okay byeee, don't get caught up in a pyramid scheme without me!"
Reena bounced off.
Shifting his head, Catheris froze.
...
Hm?
A peculiar energy came from another room. Trippy... a light sting on the consciousness.
He turned his head to the feeling, making out a familiar blocky silhouette of that detective get-up in the distance. Catheris wasn't quite sure, though, so he poked his head into the hall. Unable to get a clear view, he found himself walking down towards that form — even though he tried to stay close to his original room.
A familiar voice spoke in awe right beside him.
"Mr. Orial?"
"Detective? Funny meeting you here."
Mr. Beo was still in his detective get up from this morning, handsome as ever. He came off as slightly mysterious in the museum setting. His yellow eyes were like melted honey in the warm lighting, framing the equally mysterious... mermaid painting? Both made Catheris want to know more about them.
Catheris looked at the plaque underneath it, the piece simply titled:
Nadine, 1789
Cassian Graves
On the right, a solemn, miserably washed-up siren clutched at the shore's fine sand for a grip against the stormy clouds above. The whites of her aqua colored eyes reddened, the corners of her eyes were stained dark, and her cheeks had reminiscent tear marks.
Psychedelic waves crept onto Catheris's peripheral vision as he walked towards it — as if instinctively drawn in.
"Could say the same to you. What brings you here?" Mr. Beo asked.
"A friend wanted to come, and you?"
Catheris turned around, tucking some hair behind his ear. His long black bow swayed, meeting Mr. Beo with a jingle.
"Bureau stuff."
"Figured."
"The friend is Ms. Reena, isn't it?"
Catheris nodded.
"Mn, figured."
"So, about this painting..." Catheris began. "Do you still have the 'box' on you?"
"Yeperoo."
Mr Beo activated it in his pocket.
Catheris' senses tweaked for a second, sensing a seal placed over them.
"What's so special about her that the Bureau had to personally send out their dog?"
Catheris tilted his head back and stepped away. He took in the painting underneath the spotlight in its entirety.
"Its energy has been fluctuating recently. It's actually not uncommon for paintings to have energy since artmaking is an intimate process. Art in general garners a lot of impressions. It's starting to feel weird, so I'm here, of course."
"It's held up pretty well over the years. 'Nadine' isn't an easy subject after all."
"You feel it too, don't you?"
'She's a miserable story, no?"
"Oh?"
"Mr. Detective doesn't know, even though he was sent here to investigate this painting?"
"Nah, I do. However, I take it that you're more familiar with her story, yes?"
"She's definitely the most famous in Virosian mermaid lore. Sure, many other mermaids succumbed to the love curse, but Naeda's the most dramatic case. She fell in love with a fisherman. But the sea witch cursed the human lovers of the mermaids to turn into seafoam if they ever touched the sea. This painting is of her dying moments. After she lured the fisherman with her singing—he threw himself into the sea so they could be one."
Mr. Beo let out a 'hm?'
"You seem quite apathetic about it, Mr. Orial."
"History's gossip has mythologized it as a tragic tale of two lovers. Though I really couldn't care less."
"It's quite romantic though. To think he couldn't live without her-"
"No."
"Hm... interesting. Mr. 'Theris, I think I've cracked it. Thank you~"
"For what?"
Catheris really couldn't read what Mr. Beo was thinking—an odd odd man.
"The painting seems to have absorbed the perception towards it, so it's wonky. It needs a cleanse and an inscription seal over it. It's fishy, though — it was stable just last month. These types of cases tend to accumulate over time."
"How about a sudden Naeda cult?"
"I don't know...?"
Mr. Beo clutched the side of his head.
Suddenly, Reena crept up in between them.
"Mr. Beo? Catheris?"
She looked at both of them with a pause of relief. "Oyiii, you really scared me, I thought you ran off to sign up for a cult."
Mr. Beo and Catheris exchanged knowing looks before the illusion's effect was cast away in an instant.
Reena continued, "Are you also here for this painting, Mr. Beo?"
"I figured I had time to kill. 'Overheard some couple talking about it at a restaurant. There's really nothing to do in Virosian winter, sigh."
The cat-eyed girl nodded.
"Yeah! I get that feeling too. But it's really busy for our kind. I have a lot of jobs lined up for New Years' house cleansings — I couldn't leave even if I wanted to, since it's so much money."
She snuck closer to the painting, squinting.
"It feels a little bit off?"
Catheris stared them both down.
"You're just reading into it too much from the forums."
"I swear!!"
Reena was caught off guard by his comment, jaw slack. Sigh.
Mr. Beo cleared his throat. "Anywho, I have somewhere to be. Thank you for the chat Mr. Orial. It was nice seeing you again."
***
By the time they got out, it was already early afternoon. The two went down the steps of the museum.
Reena folded her arms and glared at Catheris, as if she were 'bad cop' during an interrogation.
"So... what's up with you and Mr. Beo?"
"Huh?"
"Yeah."
"We just talked about the painting's history."
"But it's you we're talking about, Catheris!"
"I'm not that easy."
"Mr. Beo is really handsome, though."
"And I'm just a client."
"So it's just him, not you... just remembered I told you to stay away from him... what do you want for lunch?"
"Sushi."
"...Oh for saintesses' sake, Catheris, it's cold!"
"Let's just go to a place with ramen and sushi, then...?"
***
All Larissa had going on for her were old patrons; she'd occasionally play around with her hairstyles for their generous tips. Today, her brown hair was in a ponytail.
Ah, who were those guys in that booth?
Ah.
Mr. Beo? Who'd you bring along...?
He was one of her favorite regulars; he ate a lot, tipped a lot, and was overall an interesting guy to make small talk with when the mornings went slow. But this... was a first!
She lounged at the counter, waiting for food to come out as she stalked the two from afar.
First date, maybe? Damn, Mr. Beo.
'He's really pretty...'
Pulled by the entrancing lull of his blank obsidian eyes, she leaned forward.
"Larissa, get up, girl!" One of those old patrons teased.
"On it!"
He was like a siren... scary pretty—like you could get drunk off of it.