#anyways SET FORTH MY YURI WARRIORS

[milezperprower]

anyways

[salmonthestoryteller]

Partners

A Yuri On Ice AU Fanfic

Written for @seungchuchuweek

There were two men missing when they first called Celestino. Missing could be any number of things, but after details about a mysterious woman being sighted are added, Phichit is certain he knows what they’re dealing with.

“You sure you don’t want me to call Yuuri and ask him to meet you there?” Celestino asked him for what must be a record number of times in a three minute conversation.

“And interrupt his honeymoon?” Phichit asked pointedly.

“How many months can a honeymoon last?” Celestino lamented.

“I don’t know, how many ghosts are there to hunt in Russia?”

“Remind me how a ghost hunting tour in Victor’s home country is a honeymoon again?”

“They seemed pretty happy when I video conferenced with them last week.”

“Yakov probably isn’t thrilled to have them in his backyard.”

“Yakov has his hands full of his own trainees. I hear Yuri run off solo all the time.” Phichit continued to pack his bag, the phone balanced between his shoulder and ear.

“Reminds me of a couple of teenage boys I trained.”

“We were the epitome of well behaved trainees!”

“Keep telling yourself that.”

“I’m starting to feel a lack of faith in my abilities here. It’s only a Phi Song Nang. It’s not like it’s a Pret or anything.”

“It’s just better to have back up.”

“If more details come out and it seems more dangerous, I will call.”

“This I doubt.”

Phichit resisted the urge to razz at his old trainer over the phone. “I’m ready for this.”

“I want a daily report.”

“Detailed and with lots of photos. Promise.”

Phichit was pretty certain when asked what he wanted to be when he grew up his younger self did not say, ‘A Paranormal Detective.“ Then a Pret had invaded his village. That was when he had first met Celestino and Yuuri and things had evolved from there.

He had trained first with Satsuki Muramoto. She had been the one to arrange for him to go to America and he had spent years there under Celestino’s tutelage. Technically he reported to Satsuki now that he was back in his home country, but she had a month long seminar with younger students so her calls were being handled by Celestino.

That was how Phichit found himself alone on a case with neither nearby, nor any other paranormal detective as back up. He felt confident in his abilities. In hindsight, maybe a tad too confident.

Three days after arriving at the village a third victim had vanished and the first body was found. It wasn’t a pretty sight.

“It’s not a Phi Song Nang. It’s a Phi Pop.” He called Celestino after the police had let him view the victim.

“Are you sure?”

“I will email you the pictures, but I don’t recommend eating lunch first.”

“So, what are you planning?”

“An exorcism. I’ll go to the area the reports of the woman are tonight.”

“Does the village have a Mo Phi?” He could hear him typing on his laptop. Probably calling up a list of who they had worked with before in the area.

“I can handle it.” Phichit insisted again. “I have everything I need and a local told me the way to a gorge nearby. It won’t bother anyone once it’s down in that pit.”

“Don’t be reckless.” Celestino warned.

“Yuuri’s the reckless one.” He protested.

“Keep telling yourself that.” He didn’t resist the razz this time. Celestino was unaffected. “Call after it’s done.”

“Yes, yes.”

The ritual to bring forth the spirit didn’t work. Phichit’s legs had threatened to go numb if he sat much longer, so he had gotten to his feet after the first half hour. Another half hour passed before he began to pace inside the protective square, a frown marring his features as he analyzed his failure. Nothing about the ritual seemed wrong, yet the empty space around him suggested otherwise. Unless the spirit was a different kind then he originally thought.

Which frustratingly meant staying in the protected space he had made until sunrise to make sure he wasn’t attacked trying to leave. He groaned at the thought. Essentially he was back to square one of his investigation. Celestino wouldn’t let him hear the end of it. He had been so certain all the facts pointed to a Phi Pop, though.

He glanced up and froze. Outside the square a shadow was crouched, watching him with golden eyes.

“Well, well, well.” Her voice flowed silkily across the quiet area. “What have we here? A rookie.”

Phichit felt insulted, but didn’t argue. “Name yourself.”

The woman laughed at him. When she stood, Phichit saw the ninetails flowing behind her. “A protective square. Fairly good in strength, too. I bet most spirits couldn’t break through. But your jar there is useless, rookie. You can’t trap me with it. And I bet you don’t have a weapon.”

“Are you willing to bet your life on that?” Phichit challenged.

“My life?” She seemed amused as she paced around the square in a large circle. “As if you stood a chance against me. Tell you what, if you start running now, I’ll give you a head start.”

“You know what I’ve noticed? You haven’t entered the square.” Phichit pointed out. “So maybe I’ll just stay right here.”

“Not bad, rookie. Not bad…” Her grin showed off her sharp canines and Phichit remembered the body that he’d viewed. He told himself now was not the time to throw up. “Now, see, you are right. You used some strong spells, so I can’t cross. But you made it a bit small.” She kicked up a spear from the ground into her hands. “Let’s see how well you dance, rookie.”

Phichit dodged the first set of spear thrusts easily, but the second set was harder. Her goal was to make him leave the safety of the protective square, so he concentrated on leaps up and low ducks that kept him from going left or right too much.

“Look at the little fish leap!” The fox crowed. “I can’t wait to taste you…”

Trying to ignore her taunts, Phichit mentally recited everything he knew about her species. He didn’t specialize in creatures, though, so his information was lacking. He wasn’t even sure he could bring himself to kill her even if he had a weapon capable of it in his bag of supplies. The knife he kept for rituals did not seem like it would be a match against her spear skills.

The spear sliced into his side mid leap and he gave a cry of pain. He crashed to the dirt, unable to hold the landing of his jump.

“Game over, I win.” She pulled back the spear to stab him, but then glanced behind her. In a blur of motion she leaped away as a dark haired youth his own age sliced through the space she had been with a sword.

Phichit pressed a hand to the wound on his side as the newcomer looked over at where the fox now stood - spear set in a defensive stance. “You shouldn’t play with your food.” His tone was cold.

“Seung Gil Lee.” She sneered. “You really don’t give up, do you?”

“I will avenge my family’s death.”

“Blah, blah, blah.”

Seung Gil’s eyes narrowed, and then he attacked. Phichit watched as the two dueled. Dodging each other’s attacks and trading blows in a series of spars that left him stunned. He gasped as a move by the fox left Seung Gil disarmed. Seung Gil whistled, though, and she was forced to leap away as a siberian husky charged into the clearing, leaping at where she had been. The husky spun to face the fox, growls emitting from both as they faced off. Seung Gil stood, watching her.

“Fine, keep him.” The fox gestured at Phichit. “Plenty of fish in the sea. Fifteen more, Seung Gil. Just fifteen more.”

With that she leaped away, disappearing into the night. Seung Gil took a step after her, then cursed and came back to where Phichit stood. “Don’t worry about me. The fox is getting away.”

“It’s a Kumiho.” Seung Gil corrected. “And you’re bleeding everywhere, if you hadn’t noticed.”

“But-”

“Take off your shirt and let me see the wound.” Seung Gil fetched his bag from somewhere and pulled out a medicine kit.

Phichit did as he was told, hissing slightly when Seung Gil started cleaning the slice on his side. “…thank-you. I would be probably be dead if-”

“You’re an Exorcist.” Seung Gil cut him off.

“Paranormal Detective.”

“How very modern.”

“What do you call yourself? Monster Hunter? Warrior? Paladin?” Phichit asked.

“I call myself Seung Gil Lee. I don’t give myself any title.”

“Oh…”

“You heard our conversation. I am not fighting her for some noble cause. She killed my family, and I plan to kill her. Sometimes leads I follow turn out not to be her. I don’t let people die if I can help it. That’s all.”

“That’s kind of noble in it’s own right.” Phichit offered. Seung Gil’s hands froze for a moment, then resumed wrapping his wound. He glanced at him, though, and something in that gaze made his face flush.

“Are you going to tell me your name or should I just call you Paranormal Detective?”

“I’m Phichit. Phichit Chulanont.”

“Well, Phichit Chulanont, Paranormal Detective, you’ll live, in case you were doubting.”

“I said I was fine, you were the one who pointed out I was bleeding.” Phichit protested.

“And if you weren’t fine, would you have said so?” Seung Gil asked him as he repacked the med kit into his bag.

“Probably not if it meant the… What did you call her?”

“A Kumiho.”

“If the Kumiho would have gotten away. Which she did anyway. Celestino is going to be furious with me.”

“You work for Celestino Cialdini?”

“You know him?”

“I know of him.” Seung Gil frowned. “You specialize in spirit exorcism, then.”

“Yes.”

“Huh. So you thought the Kumiho was a spirit? Yet your wards were strong enough to keep her out. That’s impressive, actually.”

“It didn’t stop me from getting injured.” Phichit began to collect his own things.

“You built it too small.”

“I wasn’t trapping a large ghost.”

“Could you show me what you did?”

“I could, but it’s not as simple as imitation. Do you have any experience in exorcism?”

“No. Nevermind, it was pointless.” Seung Gil headed over to where the husky was waiting for him, watching the forest around them for any sign of danger. Phichit watched as he pet it, his face - hard until that moment - softening in affection.

“If you want to learn, take me with you.” The words were out of his mouth before he realized he was going to say them.

Seung Gil stared him for a long moment. “What?” He finally got out.

“Take me with you.” Phichit repeated, this time with more confidence. “I came here to solve what was happening. As long as the Kumiho is out there I haven’t finished the job. And in the meantime, I can teach you what I know, and you can teach me what you know. It’s a fair trade.”

“You don’t know anything about me.”

“I disagree. After everything that just happened, I know a lot.”

“I could be a terrible person and you’re just assuming the best.”

“I trust my judgement. Besides, you did just save my life.”

“You clearly have no idea how to fight.”

“And you clearly have no idea how to do an exorcism.”

“I’m terrible at socializing. I’ll make lousy company.”

“Terrific. I excell at socializing. We’ll make a great team.” When it was clear Seung Gil had run out of objections, Phichit hefted his bag onto his shoulder. “Let’s go back to my apartment. We can discuss it more there.”

“…you have an apartment here?” Seung Gil asked, interested despite himself.

“Don’t you?”

“Chasing after that Kumiho keeps us on the move. We rarely have a place to stay.”

“Leave that to me, then.”

Phichit’s phone began to ring off the hook the next morning. At first Seung Gil ignored it and went back to sleep. Several calls later he gave up on that idea.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to worry you. I know I didn’t report in but Celestino didn’t have to call you…” Phichit threw him a suffering look. Not sure what to do in response Seung Gil stepped outside to allow him some privacy.

A spear touched his throat and he froze. “Got to hand it to the little fish. He wards his abode well.” The Kumiho watched him carefully. “The blood he left on my spear was tasty. I came back for a bigger bite. You being here I didn’t expect. Did you make a friend, big brother?”

“I won’t let you kill him.”

“You’re attached already. How cute. Don’t worry, now that I know you care about him… I’ll save him for number fourteen. You can watch me eat him before I eat you.”

“You will never be human.”

“Oh, but I will. You will die knowing you failed, and I’ll be free.”

“Even death won’t stop my vengeance.”

“Promises. Promises.” She backed away slowly when a sound came from inside. “See you soon, big brother.”

She was gone before the door opened, revealing Phichit with his phone still in his hand. “I miss one check in and fail to post one night and everyone freaks out. I’m sorry, Seung Gil. I didn’t mean to run you out.”

Seung Gil was still reeling from the morning encounter, but he nodded stiffly. “You didn’t. I thought you might want some privacy.”

“Mmm… Celestino gave me a lecture. About more than one thing. I know I pushed for us to team up last night, but if you don’t want to-”

“Be my partner.” Seung Gil interrupted him.

Phichit froze. “I - come again?” His eyes were wide.

“You said yourself we’ll make a great team. Do you doubt that now?”

“No way! I definitely still think that!”

The husky came out through the open door and Seung Gil reached down to scratch her head. “Then be our partner.” He offered his hand. “Please?”

Phichit grasped it with both of his and a smile bright enough to rival the sun. “Accepted!”

Fini

My goal was to do 7 straight mini fics without missing a day. Fail.

Despite my love of folklore, ghosts, and mythological creatures I was woefully ill-prepared for this fic. The only ghost I was familiar with from Thailand were Prets, and I had no knowledge of Korea’s folklore and spirits at all. My research was far more hastily done than I would really have liked. Apologies for any mistakes or misunderstandings on my part of the info I read.

Korean lore proved harder to research than Thailand. I came across the story of the fox sister, and the story blew up from there. Nine-tailed foxes are a weakness of mine in stories, good or bad. (Kumiho being of the bad variety.) My love of Wuxia may also have slipped in there a bit…

I just created an AU fic I have no intention of continuing past this initial meeting. And it turned out far less romantic on paper than it was in my head, too. Fail, again. Apologies.