I did say another oneshot was coming. This one deals with some of the OC's belonging to the Within These Walls Timeline, but it also mentions some familiar names, so I thought I'd post it. Why don't you tell me what you think… *dramatic pause* - via reviews?

These characters - and others - will be sprinkled through my stories every now and then. Even though I can't claim ownership of them, they're my babies and I'm rather proud of them. So I hope they'll get good feedback.

Until next time…

~ FairMaiden333

Disclaimer - Tell Scarlett that I do not own Death Note! Silly woman keeps insisting that I do. Fangirls these days…

Initiation

A ceremony is a book in which a great deal is written. Anyone who understands can read it. One rite often contains more than a hundred books.

~G. I. Gurdjieff

Roulette - R for Roulette, she repeated firmly to herself, not the other name - was sitting nervously on the edge of her bed, gazing around her new room, when there was a knock on her door. Hastily, she changed her position to make it seem that she was relaxing against the footboard, and called, "Come in!" She congratulated herself on the fact that her voice didn't quaver. No need to let these etrangers know that she was scared, that she was desperately homesick for the old life and her own home… which she had been told she must never speak of.

The door swung open silently on well-oiled hinges, and three other children filed into the room. Roulette looked them over carefully, gathering as much information as she could. The first was an Italian girl with bright, knowing eyes and an expressive mouth - Roulette mentally marked her down as someone to be wary of. Fille looked like she could bluff you out at poker every time, and still end up holding the best hand. Next was a thin boy with short, messy white-blond hair. His dark, slanting eyes glanced around Roulette's room, not missing anything, yet they always came back to rest on the Italian girl. Roulette frowned as she watched him calmly pull her desk chair out and fold himself into it without asking permission. The last was a pale, slight boy dressed in a suit, his black hair neatly combed, who stayed further back than the other two, returning Roulette's stare with a deadpan which was nearly frightening in its perfection.

"Saluti, bambina," the girl said with a smile as she came to stand in front of Roulette. "'Spect the grups already gave you a couple pointers, but this your official House welcome." She held out her hand. "My letter's K for Katter."

"My letter's R for Roulette," Roulette answered, forcing a confidence she didn't feel as she shook Katter's hand.

"F for Finn," the boy in the chair said, making no motion to rise.

The dark-haired boy over by the door gave her a polite little bow, his face remaining expressionless as he said, "My letter's J for Jasper."

"Pleasantries 'side," Katter said, all business once Roulette had nodded to each of them, "there's a few things every innie - every new kid," she added at Roulette's inquiring look, "gotta know 'fore we can just turn them loose. Just tell me, how much were you told 'bout the House?"

Roulette took a breath. "Told that it's an orphanage for special kids," she answered carefully. "Extra-smart ones. That we've all gotta do our best, and the ones who come out on top'll have a chance at bein' this super detective, L." She frowned. "But les adultes ennuyeux didn't explain how they work adoption - what if you don't want to go along with this detective scam?"

Katter sighed and seated herself on the bed, her voice taking on the slow, carefully clear tone of a grownup talking to a difficult child. "This ain't an orphanage for adoptin', bambina. There're only three ways you gonna leave here - you run away, you die, or they let you go."

"Has anyone ever done it before?" Roulette couldn't resist asking. "Run away?"

Katter gave her a calculating look up and down. "Not that I know of, bambina. You plannin' to be first?"

"Nobody leave the House 'cause nobody stupid," Finn said abruptly from his perch on the desk chair. "Got nothing Outside that we ain't got better here. Here, they let you study what you want, when you want - you got the tools and info to do jus' about anything you can think of - if you smart enough to use 'em," he added softly, cocking his head at Roulette. He grinned suddenly, and his eyes traveled over to linger on Katter again. "And you got opponents who actually challenge you."

"Put it on brochure, F," Jasper said listlessly from the door. "Can we move this along?"

"Right," Katter said easily. "Here it is, bambina. First, the grups might've told you already, but I'm gonna pound it into your head again." She leaned a little closer, her eyes narrowing slightly, though her smile was as friendly as ever. "You live here, you gotta learn to live an' let live. Everybody got their abitudini poco - little habits. So you see B start mutterin' 'bout numbers, or Ish standin' in middle of staircase for two hours or so - you say nothin', comprendere? Cause if you crazy genius enough to get invitation to this place, bambina, I bet my vodka that you got your little habits too."

Roulette nodded, her mind flashing back over her 'lucky days' and then, with a twinge of guilt, the days which had left her promising Maman Julie that she'd never go near a card game again - and she was still going to stop! No relapses this time.

"Second," Katter continued. "You gonna find soon enough that there's a lot goes on that the grups don't know 'bout."

"Grups -"

"Si, grups. Nurses, teachers, tutors, staff - even headmaster." Katter shrugged. "They ain't outies, but they ain't letters either, comprendere? You see certain - things, changin' hands, somethin' happenin' which ain't strictly according to the grups' rules - you keep quiet, and other lettere do the same for you. We ain't Puritans here." She considered a moment and then added "'Cept maybe for G."

"Goliath never involved in such things," Jasper said calmly. "Nothing personal, but G couldn't tell a lie if his life depend on it. Safest for everyone that he stays out."

"He got his good points, though," Katter returned. "Example is - give here, F." She held out her hand and caught the glittering little thing which Finn tossed to her, unwinding a slender metal chain from around it to reveal that it was a sort of metal pendant in the shape of an R. "We ain't outies, but I guess we still got our fashion sense. G makes these - he clever with his hands that way. Story goes that L hisself liked wearin' one of these 'fore he left, and other letters jus' picked it up. We pass 'em out to the innies now."

Roulette accepted the little pendant, running her fingers over it. Glancing over at the others, she could see the glint of light off metal around their necks as well - F and J seemed to keep theirs tucked under their shirts, but she now saw that Katter wore hers dangling over her green pullover. "L real, then?" she asked dubiously.

"Oh, he real," Finn said softly. "Kept to hisself before he left - only A and B really knew him. Even I talk to him couple of times, though."

"That'll be all, then, bambina," Katter said with finality, sliding off the bed. Behind her, Finn unfolded himself from the chair, heading for the door, where Jasper had already disappeared into the hall. "You'll be startin' basic classes with rest of the lettere tomorrow." She paused with her hand on the doorknob, added, "Hope you don't wash out, Roulette - I think I'm gonna like you."

Then R was alone in her room again, holding a small piece of worked metal in her hand, staring absentmindedly at the light reflecting off the polished metal and the chain it was attached to. After a long minute, she slipped it over her head and got off her bed, heading over to the desk, where she'd left the papers which the staff - the grups, she corrected herself mentally - had left her, detailing classes, rules, the basic layout of the House, and the 'names' of the other letters. Might as well look it over again - she needed to know just what she was up against here. She'd known from the start that Wammy's House wasn't an ordinary orphanage, but she was just beginning to realize how different it was.