Hm, exactly like the pictures, Ryouma thought, as he stepped out of the taxi. He turned back to his seat to pull out a cat carrier, checking to see that his one true companion and only ever friend was alright. Karupin glared back at him with narrowed eyes, but he knew she was fine, just pouting.
The driver unloaded his luggage - a large black suitcase, so big it almost went up to his shoulder. He wasn't particularly small for his age, but he was twelve, and he still had many more years of growth ahead. His whole life was in there, along with Karupin's things, though Ryouma remembered packing more cat toys than clothes.
Before him, rising impressively at the end of the long, private road, was a massive building. It was an old, western-style complex, matching the photographs he'd seen as a child, carefully preserved images as old as a hundred years. He counted the windows going up, four stories like he remembered, and a span too long for him to guess the number of rooms. Two wings flanked him on either side, enfolding its occupants in a symmetrical U.
Behind him, he could hear the creak of the gates as they opened to release the taxi. The cab driver seemed familiar with the place, and did not want to be there a second longer than he had to. It was no wonder, with the cold, grey atmosphere that soaked throughout the campus. Many of the windows were dark, matching the gloom of the day's cloudy sky, and other than the long stretches of green grass welcoming those who approached, the building was devoid of color, just grey, dark walls.
Ryouma dragged forward, suitcase tilted in one hand, and cat carrier in the other, creating an awkward balance from the different weights. He was relieved when he saw Oishi, the black haired man who he'd met a few weeks before, run from the building towards him. The doctor was just as kind as he'd appeared, greeting the pre-teen with a friendly smile and taking his suitcase.
"Hope your trip was good," Oishi said, his calm, cheerful demeanor out of place with the rest of the yard. The few other employees Ryouma had seen wore cold, indifferent expressions or heavy frowns, that only seemed to deepen upon seeing him, presumably a kid, obviously about to move in. "I'll leave this at the entrance and one of the staff will take your luggage to the dorm."
Ryouma wanted to ask which entrance, but he kept quiet as he always did. That was how he operated: Keep quiet and observe. Figure out each person and situation.
Then plan your strategy of attack.
Oishi led him through the first doors they came to, up a short flight of stairs, and into a surprisingly narrow hallway. It ran along the left wing of the building, explaining the identical row of windows, and made him wonder what lay behind the many doors they passed. These doors were not identical in any sense; they were spaced differently, some were doubled while other were single, and even the decoration and plants around them varied.
They passed a few more people as they made their way down the hall, some looked like staff, others wore uniforms, similar to what his dad had worn. Most of them greeted Oishi, with a simple, "Doctor," or "Good Afternoon," before hurrying on their way. Towards Ryouma, they merely gave weary, uncertain glances.
It all matched with what he knew about this place. Everything was mysterious, everyone was secretive.
And it was those secrets that Ryouma had come to unlock.
Fuji Syuusuke set the paper down on his desk with a frown.
"Echizen Ryouma?" The name Echizen popped out with a strange brightness from the information sheet. Sighing, the hunter looked up at the other man in the room, his expression matching his question, "Why?"
Unwavering in his perfectly pressed uniform, Sanada Genichiro replied, "Because he is new." His decision was as unchangeable as his expression. He spun around, stepping towards the exit in finality. "And you were new too once. You will learn just how much trouble you've been putting me through."
Fuji was silent for a moment, before his usual smile stretched over his lips. "I love you, too."
Oishi stopped in front of a set of oak double doors, beautifully engraved with soft, decorative curves. As he pulled open the right door, he opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by the sudden, frantic yell:
"What the hell, who said I loved you?!"
Ryouma had to jump back as the left door flew open, and a flushed, furious looking man burst from the room. The pre-teen didn't like to be intimidated, but he stepped respectfully out of the man's way, noting from the uniform that this man was the level of a commander. His hat sat perfectly centered, his pins lined along his collar, and with his tall, broad body and chiselled face he looked every bit the part of a military leader.
By his angry, grimacing face, he was obviously the source of the yell. He took a sharp look at Ryouma, and the pre-teen felt his heart skip as the man reached down, and to his surprise, pushed him into the room with a strong pat on the back.
"Tarundarou! He's on your team now, so deal with him."
The commander stomped away, leaving Ryouma wide eyed, but he snapped out of it when he heard Oishi chuckle.
"Really, Fuji... you shouldn't tease Sanada so much, you're giving him grey hairs." Oishi's eyes twinkled as he spoke, and Ryouma took a look around the room, stopping when his eyes came to rest on the one Oishi was speaking to.
"Oh, he needn't worry about grey hairs. It's the wrinkles on his forehead that keep deepening."
The person at the center of the room smiled, his voice soft and rather effeminate. His light brown hair trailed down around his face, far too long for a male, and it was hard to see his eyes with the way he squinted. If it weren't for his obvious lack of chest, and the style of his uniform, Ryouma would have questioned his gender.
"Hm..." Ryouma smirked, refusing to be caught in the anticipation of being the new guy. He looked the slim figure up and down, making it clear that he was making an evaluation. "So you're him, huh? Fuji Syuusuke."
"Ryouma, Fuji is a lieutenant commander," Oishi chided gently. "You should address him with respect. He's not only your superior; from today on, he'll be the one in charge of you."
Fuji chuckled lightly, stepping from his desk towards the window. "It's nice to meet you, Echizen Ryouma. However, I won't be your direct supervisor. Momo, Kaidoh -"
"Here," said a deep, raspy voice on Ryouma's right. He swallowed his shock, refusing to show weakness, but he had no idea when this guy came in. He wore his uniform cap quite formally, but he hunched both his back and neck in such a way that the brim cast a shadow over his face, making his features hard to make out. "Kaidoh Kaoru, reporting."
"Heh, so lamely formal," a cheerful, lively voice came from Ryouma's left, making his head jerk sharply. The spiky haired man who had slipped up next to him had ditched his uniform cap, showing off his smiling, excited looking face. "Momoshiro Takeshi, at your service, boss! You can just call me Momo," the tall guy winked, friendly, but all Ryouma could think was that he needed to have his lapels pressed. They weren't flipped out right, and wrinkles were visible on his dress shirt under his jacket.
Fuji just smiled, his lips pressed together thinly, and Ryouma quickly noticed that the smile didn't reach his eyes. "Momo, Kaidoh. The two of you will coordinate as Ryouma's supervisors-"
"Oi oi," Momo interrupted, "You're not saying I have to work with Mr. Gloom and Doom over here-"
"Sorry for being so gloomy," Kaido growled, and he looked a second away from grabbing Momo by the tie and jerking him forward, to glare into his face. "It's better than acting stupid all the time-"
A light, effeminate chuckle silenced them, and they all turned to look at Fuji. "I'm sure you'll both be fine. Echizen Ryouma, with your family's history, I'm sure you must have had some training, yes?"
"Hmph," Ryouma smirked. "Duel me, and I'll show you what I know."
Everyone in the room froze, astonished by Ryoma's cockiness, just as he wanted - everyone except for Fuji.
"Eventually, yes," the lieutenant commander airily replied. "So you know how to fight, and you know who I am, so you must know the history of the Four Families, and of course, the Organization."
"One version of it," Ryouma shrugged, but his eyes were challenging. "I'm sure I have plenty to learn... Fuji-sempai."
Quietly, Fuji turned away to stare out the window. "I suppose, then, I'll start with the standard beginning." He drew back the curtain, though with the overcast sky, little more light came in. "Our group specializes in a certain cases... those related to vampires that are stronger, or more unique, often those that are older and from powerful bloodlines. We call these vampires true bloods.
"In this beautiful world, true blood vampires are one of the most mysterious creatures. There is very little to tell them apart from humans, except that they have cold blood and are really beautiful."
"Then," Ryouma cut him off, a cocky little smirk dripped on his face. "Aren't you one of them, Fuji-sempai?"
"Echizen!" Momo cried in offense, while Kaido snorted in disapproval. It seemed, Ryouma noted, that the one thing these two had in common was respect for their boss. Fuji just made a curious O with his mouth, obviously unoffended as his lips then curled into a smirk.
Blue, crystal blue eyes were looking at Ryouma, beautiful and undoubtedly cold.
"I'm their hunter, aren't I?" Even Fuji's smile, the soft tone of his voice, all shone of ice. Ryouma had never met a man so calm, so smoothly evasive of his provocations.
"In order to catch someone of that quality,
"Don't you need to be one step ahead of them?"
Oishi slipped from Fuji's office as Momo and Kaido introduced himself. He wasn't part of their group, and he knew it wasn't his place to intrude. He trusted Fuji to take care of Ryouma, or rather, that Ryouma would take care of himself. The boy's cocky, independent attitude was the main reason that, after his medical evaluation, Oishi decided to recommend him to Sanada. The commander had been looking for someone to add to Fuji's group, and the timing couldn't have been better.
Still, the doctor couldn't help but worry. Would Ryouma really fit in there? Fuji, Momo, and Kaido shared a bond that went far beyond their partnership in the organization, that Ryouma would never be a part of. And the ebony eyed prodigy was now the youngest hunter in the organization; he wouldn't have any true peers, though perhaps he could mix in with the trainees. But he was far more advanced in his skills, and as the heir of one of the four ancient families, he would stick out like a sore thumb.
"... And what if he didn't pack everything?" The doctor mumbled to himself. "His mother and Nanako-san weren't able to travel with him, he must have been on his own - ouch!"
A soft growl drew his attention, and he squatted down to look at the cat kennel he'd tripped over. Ryouma must have left it outside the office, rather than leaving it for the staff to move. "Sorry, cute fellow," Oishi smiled amiably at the fluffy cat, receiving an irritated glare in reply. He chuckled to himself, thinking the cat's expressions matched his masters. "Don't worry, I'm sure your owner will be done in a little while."
He stood and continued on his way, not noticing the kennel door open with the push of a paw, the latch having come undone when he tripped on it.
"For hundreds of years, humans and vampires lived in peace." Fuji's voice was melodic, rhythmic as he repeated the history he had heard so many times. "There were rules, rules that governed how vampires lived and fed, that formed the basis of an alliance.
"This alliance was managed by four great houses... the Fujis and the Yukimuras, two families with the blood of ancient powers, represented the humans. Because of their abilities, they were respected by the vampires, or perhaps just feared... but it created a balance with the other two families, the Echizens and the Ryuuzakis, who were the most powerful of the vampiric groups.
"The great houses managed the smaller vampiric houses, enforcing the rules and ensuring longevity for both sides. After all, vampires live off humans; if too many humans were turned or killed, in other words, the feeders out numbered the feed, they would also not survive.
"Vampires can feed without killing their prey, and the humans being fed off of are not necessarily uncomfortable... some even claim to enjoy it. It's an arrangement which has served the alliance of the four houses well."
Snorting, Ryouma interrupted, "But now the houses are gone... except for the Fujis." He glared hard at Fuji, but the hunter's cerulean orbs remained hidden.
"Yes..." The lithe hunter continued softly, his smile shrinking. "Many wars have been fought, and even in times of supposed peace, the power of the four families shifted. The Yukimuras... are all but destroyed, except for the traitors, the cursed twins. The Ryuuzakis are also long gone. And as for the Echizens..."
Ryouma shrugged nonchalantly. "We're around."
Sighing, Fuji straightened to face the newest member of his team. "I can tell I'm not teaching you anything new." He raised his hand in dismissal, and Momo and Kaido straightened to salute, while Ryouma just shifted on his feet. "Go to your room, and unpack your things. You have a new life to settle in to."
Kaido was gone the second Fuji gave his dismissal, but Momo stopped and turned to Ryouma with a friendly grin. "Guess it's up to me to show the new guy around, huh?"
"Che," Ryouma muttered. He wanted Fuji to have to show him around, but it looked like the group leader was tired and ready to be left alone.
"Awe common, I've always wanted an underclassman." Momo draped his arm around Ryouma's shoulders, making the boy squirm in place. "I know! You can call me Momo-sempai."
Momo was annoying, but he wasn't so bad, Ryouma decided. At least he wasn't trying to act like his boss, just because he was the new guy and Fuji had pretty much said he was at the bottom of the group's pyramid. Ryouma figured he'd go along with the guy for a little while, at least while he figured his new life out.
He took one glance back at his new boss before they left. Fuji was still looking away, towards the window, and all Ryouma could think was that those blue eyes looked cold, even though the brunette was smiling.
Kaido couldn't wait to get out of the office, closing the double doors swiftly behind him. He hated playing the happy family game, pretending they were just like any other team of hunters getting a new member. Sanada was wrong to assign them a team member beyond the three of them. Ryouma didn't know about their connection; he didn't belong there.
The scowl on Kaido's face disappeared, though, when he saw the cat kennel by the door. He'd noticed the Himalayan earlier, before Fuji'd called them into the room, and bent down to say hello. Their new member had a very pretty cat, with big eyes and white, fluffy fur, and he couldn't help but want to take it out and hold it.
But he had a reputation to uphold, as the tough, cold one, compared to Momo who was the brash, loud idiot, and being tough and cold did not go well with liking and playing with kitties. Oh, but he did like kitties, he just hoped no one would notice as he bent down again...
...and realized the kennel was open. And, to make matters dire, empty.
The door was pushed out just barely, so it wasn't noticeable until he'd bent down, and he could tell it must have swung back on its own.
Oh no, he thought. The poor cat must be terrified, alone and lost in a new place, after a long ride in a cage -
"Merow?"
He twisted around, and let out a huge hiss of relief when he saw the fluffy, wide eyed Himalayan looking back at him. She was crouched under one of the many small tables that lined the hallway, only a few feet away.
"Hello," he said in as nice a voice as he could, which was still sort of gruff and grinding. "It's good you didn't run away. This is a bad place to get lost in."
She tilted her head to the side, her tail swishing back and forth as she evaluated him.
"Here, here kitty," he said, smiling slightly, waving his fingers at her and wishing he had a toy. "I need to get you back in your kennel. Here kitty..."
Her tail swished a few more times, before she pounced out to attack his fingers. Her eagerness made Kaido smile, and he carefully slipped his hand under her stomach, and lifted her up into his arms. He glanced around, checking that the hallway was still empty, before giving her a few strokes.
She had the most lovely purr, relaxing in his arms, but then he heard the click of the door. He quickly dropped down and rushed to put her back in the kennel, but she screeched and dug her claws into his sleeve, refusing to go back.
"What are you doing to Karupin?!"
Kaidoh swung his head, to see a fuming Echizen Ryouma glaring down at him. He looked back down at Karupin, who looked up at him with an unhelpful frown, digging her claws a little deeper into his sleeve.
"Let go of my cat!" Ryouma yelled, and Kaidoh didn't have to do anything because Karupin jumped from his arms, running right to Ryouma who scooped her up into a precious ball.
Kaido felt his heart sink, feeling abandoned. The Himalayan looked over at him as she purred, just as she had a second ago, this time for Ryouma, and her eyes seemed to say, 'Sorry, owner comes first. Oh but don't worry, you're still my second choice when it comes to attention and treats.'
"Did he hurt you Karupin?" Ryouma spoke in a funny, high pitched voice. "Did you scratch him? Next time, you really have to scratch him."
Behind Ryouma, Momo snorted into his sleeve, and Kaido could see his long time comrade was trying very hard not to laugh. That asshole, he knew of Kaido's secret love for animals, and he was completely amused by this misunderstanding.
"You! Playdo or whatever," Ryouma glared at him, his eyes furious. "Don't you ever, ever touch my cat!"
Kaido opened his mouth to explain, correct his name, or something, but he had always been an awkward speaker, and he just couldn't think of what to say. He'd be furious too, if he thought someone was abusing such a beautiful feline.
"Yo-you know," Momo chortled, "This - err, bully," his lips were practically peeling, and he was completely failing at keeping in his laughter, which was coming out in breathless spurts, "Won't learn unless you teach him a lesson."
What the hell do you think you're doing?! Kaido wanted to yell, but all that came out was a seething hiss. Which made Momo laugh even harder.
"Good point, Momo-sempai," Ryouma growled. "Kaido Kaoru, I challenge you to a duel!"
Momo explained the rules as they walked back from the dorms.
"It's kind of like flag football," he grinned, as he attached the ribbon that was the 'flag' onto the hook on Ryouma's belt. "Just remember: no weapons or tools. All powers are okay... your file says you're an all-rounder?"
Ryouma shrugged, hopping a bit on his shoes. He barely glanced at his opponent, who was crouched down at the other end of the gym. Kaido's lips were pursed, his face in what Ryouma was starting to think was a permanent scowl.
"Okay, the limits are the edges of the basketball court." Both players took their positions at either end. "Oh, and just so you know, the flag is spelled so you can't pull at it with anything, ya know, mental." Momo winked, making the young boy scowl. As if Ryouma would cheat with anything so simple!
"And seriously, Oishi will cry if either of you end up in his office, so make it clean. ... Three... two... one... go!"
Neither duelist dashed out. Kaidoh was clearly too experienced for such an amateur tactic, and Ryouma wanted his win to be clear, nothing rushed or that looked lucky. They both paced towards each other cautiously. Kaidoh hunched even further, swaying a bit, his long arms swinging from side to side.
"Hm... those arms of yours must be handy in a game like this," Ryouma smirked, but he wasn't intimidated at all.
Instead, he dashed forward, straight towards his opponent's stomach. Kaidoh predictably shot out his arms, instinctively trying to grab him, which would make snatching his flag off his back all too easy. But Ryouma had no trouble diving underneath them, and with Kaidoh's large limbs, he couldn't move them quickly enough to hold the small pre-teen in place.
Kaidoh would have still grabbed the youth's flag, but Ryouma didn't even have to focus, letting the elements in his mind shift as his abilities opened. It felt like he had an extra hand, except this hand had a thousand tiny fingers and could extend and twists as much as he needed it to, and was entirely invisible. With this mental prowess, he grabbed the hand about to take his flag, tugging it back.
For some reason, Kaidoh's wrist was insanely strong, but everything happened in less than a second, and Ryouma had plenty of power to hold the taller man's arm in place while he did a half-twirl, and reached for that green fabric that meant his victory.
But the second hadn't even ended, and Ryouma suddenly had to jump back, as a long, scathing snake appeared between him and his target, its fangs bared as it sprung towards him.
"Heh... so you're a summoner..." Ryouma was still smirking, but his eyes were serious as he crouched a good few feet from his opponent, and the viper that had suddenly appeared on the court. "Snakes suite you, Kaidoh-sempai."
Kaidoh crouched in response, a strange hissing sound coming from between his pursed lips. Ryouma ignored his glare, instead keeping eye contact with the snake as he circled around.
He waited a few seconds.
Then he leapt, high, higher than would have been humanly possible, unfolding his abilities once again as he pushed his shoes upwards with an invisible mental force. He leapt right at the snake, which coiled and seethed in front of Kaidoh. The reptile struck up, practically leaping out, and it seemed to almost have its fangs upon the young fighter - and then it swung, the snake spiraled back towards its owner. Kaidoh was completely caught off guard, twisting around to avoid being bit, and the snake fell right upon the veteran hunter's flag, knocking it loose.
Sorry friend! The snake hissed, but Kaidoh understood its language. He's controlling my body with his telekinesis.
Hissing furiously, Kaidoh managed to close the summon gate and send the snake back to its home, then grab his flag before it finished fluttering to the floor. Ryouma was already in front of him, about ready to kick up and claim the flag for victory -
"-out! TIME OUT ALREADY!"
Ryouma jumped back, snorting in annoyance at Momo-sempai, who had run towards the center of the gym, flailing his arm and shouting, "How many times do I have to keep saying time out! Finally you two notice!"
A dark aura emitted from the snake like hunter as he glared angrily at the interruption.
"I said no weapons!" Momo shouted, stomping angrily over to his counterpart.
"Wha-..." hissed the hunter, his eyes widening in realization. "My snakes are not weapons! They're my friends-"
"Stupid mamushi, they're still your weapons!" Grabbing Kaidoh's collar, Momo dragged his face so close he was practically spitting on it. "They aren't YOU so you can't use them."
Grinding their teeth, the rivals seethed silently at each other, until the tension was interrupted by a snicker. Ryouma held Kaidoh's ribbon in his fingers, having slipped it easily away from his opponent during the argument. "It's okay, Momo-sempai. I used my telekinesis, so it's only fair Kaidoh-sempai could use his summoning ability." The young hunter looked way too pleased with himself.
Kaidoh hissed but calmed down, knowing it was his loss. He would have lost sooner if it weren't for his snakes, anyway.
"Mamushi... means viper, right?" Ryouma smirked at him, all the anger from the Karupin incident gone and replaced with a smug grin. "That nickname suits you."
Kaidoh's only response was to hiss, then turn and stomp away.
"Don't mind him," said Momo, his anger from before completely gone and replaced with an amused grin. "He's just thinking of others ways to torment your cat."
"I'm not- ARGH! I WOULD NEVER HURT KARUPIN, OKAY?!" Kaidoh turned in the doorway, his face bright red, both with fury and embarrassment at his confession. Then he turned back and practically scurried away.
"Damn right you won't," Ryouma muttered, but he didn't feel too worried about it. Kaidoh used Karupin's name properly, and seemed to know the value of pets, having animal friends of his own. Ryouma decided to let it go, but he'd still keep an eye out for Karupin's sake.
"God, he's always so pissy." Scratching his head, Momo turned back to Ryouma. "I'm starved, how 'bout I show you the cafeteria?"
Despite the long oak tables, clearly antique from the carvings in the legs and tapestries woven into the matching chairs, Ryouma found the cafeteria a much less intimidating than the rest of the headquarters.
There was something comforting about seeing large groups of random people chowing down on food - everyone liked to eat, after all - and it was especially hard to feel intimidated when the person next to him was chowing down on his second burger, having the whole double patty monstrosity shoved half way into his mouth.
Ryouma himself was happily snacking on his second basket of fries, when the carefree banter of the place suddenly quieted down.
The click of heels seemed deafening in place of the shouts and laughter that had just filled the large dining hall.
The tall, broad man that Ryouma'd seen earlier in the day strode towards the food counter. What was his name? Sanada something-? Just the fact that he was a Sanada proved his high position, as if his decorated uniform wasn't enough. Trailing behind him was none of than Ryouma's new boss, Fuji Syuusuke. Fuji looked especially small next to his oversized companion, but he moved with a cool grace that called for a distant respect.
Sanada exchanged words with one of the cooks, then took a package which he tucked under his arm. Fuji seemed aloof, his eyes slowly sweeping around, and the cafeteria's occupants all quickly turned to stare at their food. They resumed their chatter but in subdued tones, careful not to draw attention.
Except for Momoshiro, who threw up his hand and called out, his mouth still full of burger, "Hey Boss, over here!"
That seemed to break the ice. The chatter elevated in reasonable force as Fuji slide over towards their table, his lips pulled thin into an almost leering smile. Sanada looked over with a deep, disapproving frown but stayed where he was.
"I see you're already showing our new member the essentials, Momoshiro-kun," Fuji said lightly, his voice pleasant but his eyes were still that cold, chilling blue.
Chomping more of his burger, Momo managed to huff, "Course, gotta start wi - ..- the cafete-ria." He could hardly talk right with his mouth full, and Ryouma scooted away to avoid bits of flying lettuce. Swallowing, Momo went right on to sip his cola with a loud burp. Ryouma couldn't help but smirk, amused by how his sempai's lack of manners seemed to offend Fuji and Sanada, who were both staring at him with measurable disgust. "Ya know Boss, you really ought to eat in front of other people sometime. Then the newbies here might stop thinkin' you're a vampire."
Fuji chuckled lightly, turning away. "Not all of us feeling like eating all the time."
"Hmm... " Ryouma leaned back with a provocative smirk. "I guess that's the kind of attitude you get from someone so cold, he killed his own brother."
The whole cafeteria went silent.
Even Sanada froze stiff, and Momo stopped chewing, his burger frozen mid-air in his hand.
Ryouma was disappointed, though, when Fuji didn't react. If anything, his eyes grew colder, and his smile turned malicious.
"Welcome to the group, Echizen," Fuji said lightly, as he turned and stepped away. "Training you is going to be very, very fun."
Once again, it was Momoshiro who broke the silence after the hall doors closed after Sanada and Fuji's departure.
"Don't mind him. He's just happy 'cause he's no longer the smallest hunter in the organization." Momo immediately went back to devouring what was left of his burger.
Ryouma frowned, annoyed at being called small (but he was still growing, unlike the rest of them, so it wasn't that bad). "... He isn't that small."
Momo licked at his mayonnaise dotted fingers. "Well, no, you know. When he was your age, he was way smaller than you are now. They didn't even let him enter the organization until he was fifteen, two years older than when Sanada Genichirou was allowed to start, because he was too small."
"Is that true?!" Ryouma couldn't help but feel alarmed, thinking of his own small stature.
"No, but it'd be pretty funny if it was," Momo grinned as he finished up his soda. "Seriously, the guy weighs like, nothing. Um, I mean it's true they didn't let him join until a little later. They probably just didn't want to put him in danger, him being the main heir to the Fuji and all."
"Hey, you're an Echizen?"
Ryouma looked up, not having noticed the newcomer who'd approached him. The guy had bright red, almost orange hair, and was obviously chewing gum.
"Um..." Ryouma glanced around, realizing it wasn't just the redhead. All the people in the cafeteria were looking at him, with growing interest in their eyes. And, to the new recruit's horror, several were coming over to crowd around the table.
"You look human." An enthusiastic teen with a short buzz cut poked at his arm. "See, still warm. They gonna turn you later right?"
"Hey, you related to Nanjiroh?" said a guy who was clearly young but had white hair.
"Hope you're not as much of a goofball-" said a dark skinned man.
"I hope you are just as much if not more!" exclaimed a cheeky looking guy with platinum blond hair pulled back into a rat tail. "God, it's about time we got a new prankster to replace Nanoji-"
"Don't talk to this man," a bespectacled man interrupted, his voice a serious monotone. "He'll turn you into a criminal."
"Aah, you're the ochibi Oishi told me about!" Another redhead, with a bandage on his cheek, practically jumped around the table, and to Ryouma's dismay, hugged him.
"I'm not - get off me, don't call me that!" Ryouma growled.
"Are you ticklish?"
"How old are you? You look like you're ten!"
"Introduce me to Nanako!"
"Argh!" Ryouma shouted, peeved at Fuji for putting him in this situation. There were more questions, and more pokes, and more hugs, and oh my god somebody was tickling him...
He was so getting back at Fuji for this.
Ryouma couldn't sleep.
He thought he'd be exhausted after barely managing to escape the zoo of madmen who'd crowded all over him at the cafeteria, but after a shower and some sloppy unpacking, he was wide awake.
He refused, damn it, to admit he was nervous. The bed was just so hard, he wasn't used to the room yet, and this place was full of so many weirdos that his guard was on full blast. Well, if he just squeezed his eyes shut and lay still in his bed, and started counting backwards from a hundred...
"... - ait, wait, jeez, why are you being such a jerk?!"
Goddamnit, Ryouma thought, tumbling off the mattress and onto the floor. These guys weren't just annoying during the day, they had to be noisy in the middle of the night too. He could hear footsteps in the dormitory hallway, some jackass was stomping, but there was a second person too, padding so softly that Ryouma knew only well trained ears like his would hear.
"Seriously, you're so immature! It was just a stupid prank, and you know it was Niou's idea."
Whoever was stomping was also the one with the annoying rant. Deciding he would give this guy a piece of his mind, Ryouma slipped on his pants and shoes. He was still in half his uniform, anyway, since he'd been too lazy to unpack his clothes.
Jerking the door open, he barged into the hallway, and would have smacked straight into one of the offenders if he hadn't stopped at the last second.
It was the one padding, and Ryouma recognized the dark skinned, bald headed man from the cafeteria. The man didn't even stop to look at him, even though they had almost collided, and just kept walking, slowly and quietly down the hallway.
"Hmph, now you've done it, waking everyone up."
Ryouma turned to see the noisy culprit, grimacing when he saw it was the redheaded gum chewer from earlier. He'd have to get used to that loud, high pitched whine. The redhead looked pretty angry, standing in the hall in his pajamas and glaring at the bald man, who continued to tacitly ignore him. Ryouma didn't blame the guy.
"Fine, whatever," the redhead puffed. "Don't talk to me, I'm not going to talk to you either." He gave one glance to Ryouma, then stomped back to his room, which unfortunately Ryouma realized was only two doors away.
The bald man was walking out of sight, but Ryouma realized he was wide awake now. Moreover, there was something that had caught his eye... it was interesting, being in a U-shaped complex. From here, he realized he could barely see Fuji's office, through the hallway glass, all the way across the long front lawn, and past the glass of the opposing hallway.
He went back to quickly to his room, and finished putting on his uniform. He'd been told there was a curfew, but since that made no sense for an organization of vampire hunters, he figured if he ran into anyone he'd just have to tell them he was out on official business.
It was a long walk around to the other wing of the campus, but now Ryouma was curious.
He wondered why the office's light was on.
It was strange, how a room so full of light could feel so soiled with darkness.
They hadn't even given Fuji the chance to flick down the light switch, before pressing against him. Kaidoh was hungry, his body sought to restore the energy he'd lost during the afternoon duel, but still he drank lightly, careful to take no more than he needed.
Momoshiro, though, seemed fierce with need today. Fuji would have not been able to stand, if Kaidoh weren't there to support him. They both gripped him so tightly, holding him between them, as if afraid he would escape, though it was silly to imagine he'd even try.
After all, Fuji wasn't the captive here, no matter how things seemed.
A trickle of blood slipped down his neck, as Momo sloppily took his fill. All Fuji could do was close his eyes, and try to relax, to try and ignore the sensations rushing through him in waves. He didn't want to feel anything, not from these two, not as their fangs pierced his neck and they took from his life. They were his subordinates, his underlings - they weren't even human.
The three of them were too caught up in the feeding to notice the young hunter standing stiffly in the hallway.
Ryouma watched through the crack in the door, unmoving, unspeaking. He wasn't even worried about them noticing him, he couldn't possibly feel nervous, not when he'd gone so numb.
Do you know the more beautiful a rose is... the deadlier thorns it has...
The subordinates, feeding on their leader... he couldn't move, he needed to move, but...
Forbidden sin... cold... blood... betrayal...
He saw, just barely, one of Fuji's eyelids shift slightly, and piercing blue, looking right at him.
He took off, down the dark hallway, as swiftly as tacit steps would take him.
Human's place is the more dangerous place to be...
Son...
Ryouma stared at the window, wondering when the sun would rise. From here, he could see the city, glistening with its skyscrapers full of ignorant humans, those millions of people who knew little about the ones who protected them... the sacrifices those protectors made, and the cruel world they worked in.
It doesn't matter if they're vampires or humans, Ryouma thought. Everyone's a liar.
"You should have told me they were vampires," Ryouma said aloud. But he continued to face the large panes of glass, without turning to acknowledge the one he felt step up behind him.
"So you did see them," came Oishi's gentle voice. His calm tone seemed dim in the empty hallway. It would be several hours before this part of the building saw life. "I'm sorry you had to see something like that after your father...passed away."
His words stirred something in Ryouma, and the young hunter turned slightly to face him. Oishi's face was serious, and Ryouma thought back to the grief that had swelled in the doctor's eyes when he brought him the news of Nanjiroh's death. But no matter how solemn and calm those dark orbs seemed, Ryouma still didn't want to trust him.
"Echizen," the doctor continued, "Kaidoh and Momoshiro are the only fledglings of Tezuka as far as we know."
Tezuka... one of the cursed twins, the powerful leaders of the rebel clans, thought Ryouma. So that's what this is about...
"Fuji and Sanada captured them one year ago. They are keys if we want to catch Tezuka and his brother."
Around the same time my father died... Ryouma spoke out loud, "Why don't they try to escape?"
Oishi was silent for a moment, clearly evaluating both Ryouma and his options.
"This... is a very closed secret, even in the organization," Oishi said in a low voice. "But you are their teammate, so you will find out eventually...
"Fuji Syuusuke... of course, he was born with a special ability, like you and most of the other hunters... but, he doesn't have to do anything to use it, and it only works on vampires. It's... it's a curse, and and it was cast upon Kaidoh and Momoshiro, the moment they took the smallest taste...
"As far as I know, there is only one vampire who has drunk Fuji's blood and can live without it...
"...The one who calls himself Tezuka Kunimitsu..."
Ryouma's eyes narrowed, as he tried to understand what he was being told. "The heir to one of the four clans can cast a curse, that only the heir to another of the four can resist."
"Perhaps," sighed Oishi. "But that power didn't pass to those he turned. Kaidoh and Momoshiro won't go anywhere...
"They can't... even if they really want to."
"You are an idiot," Kaidoh snarled. He carried Fuji gently, laying the unconscious hunter on the couch, which had been placed in the office for this very purpose. "You drank too much."
Momoshiro wiped blood from his mouth, for once offering no response. His eyes were narrow and dark, with what Kaidoh could only hope was regret.
"You are too greedy," the snake charmer continued, his eyes gleaming with anger, even from the shadows cast upon his face. "What if you killed him?"
He turned away from the sleeping brunette, who had been their only source of food for the past year. Momoshiro sank down against the desk, crouching on the floor, but his eyes were anything but repentant. Kaidoh couldn't let it go.
"What if you can't hear the master anymore?" He hissed.
The two exchanged hard glares, but they did not erupt into an argument as they would have at any other time. This only made Kaidoh more angry, wondering what his teammate was thinking.
Kaidoh, at least, would not forget where his loyalty lay.
And he would not let Momoshiro forget, either.