Disclaimer: I do not claim ownership of any of the material used in this work of fiction aside from the idea to actually crossover these two worlds.
Author's Note: I'm slightly disappointed, but it is to be expected. Some of you believe me foolish enough to take Keitaro's name and just slap it on an OC that looks vaguely like him. Aside from being slightly more hardened, and being dressed a little more formally, Keitaro is the same in appearance as the anime. I did not suddenly decide that he needed to shoot up to six feet in height or something retarded like that to make him cooler.
Also, some of you are worried that this may turn into a bashing fiction where the girls react harshly without reason to the slightest infraction from Keitaro. You are wrong. They have reason, though it is incorrect. I only tell you this. Nothing is as it seems.
Keitaro personally didn't see why the girls distrusted him so. Sure, he admitted he might have reacted slightly rashly, but what could he say? He liked to fight. Hidden behind his calm, polite exterior was a beast lusting for battle, and he knew at least one of the girls could give him a challenge, though not much of one at the present.
After Haruka's announcement, they had all relocated to the lobby/living room, Haruka staying to mediate the peace. Currently, Keitaro found he in the mildly unsettling position of having the untrusting glares of several people he was not allowed to fight focused upon him. He sat on a small love seat, Haruka sitting frigidly beside him. Across from them were the girls, (His tenants, he reminded himself), who all glared at him. Alright, so that was a slight exaggeration. Motoko, Naru, and Mitsune were glaring at him, all with varying degrees of intensity. Shinobu just sat between Naru and Motoko, fidgeting uncomfortably, while Koalla was perched on the edge of the rather large couch they sat on like some kind of monkey.
"Now, as I said before, this is Keitaro Urashima, my 'nephew'. He has been appointed your new Landlord by Mom." Haruka spoke with the same bored, uninterested tone she usually did. Keitaro appreciated the genuine support from her.
"Wait, so he really is your nephew?" Naru questioned, latching on to the emphasis Haruka had been placing on the word nephew. In response, Haruka shook her head, causing more than one girl to sigh in relief.
"No, he's actually my cousin. He became my nephew when Mom adopted me." And more than one girl retracted that sigh of relief, Keitaro noted with no small amount of amusement. Really, despite his mild discomfort, this wasn't so bad. If these girls were always this dramatic, he might gain some genuine amusement here. It's not like he minded Granny Hina leaving him in charge. In fact, he relished it, though not for the reasons many would suspect.
"Now, despite the rather…tumultuous beginning to your relationship, I want you all to respect Keitaro as you would Mom or I. He is your new Landlord after all." He really did love Haruka sometimes. She could slip the vaguest of threats into the most common sentences in the most casual way. Keitaro stood, facing the girls, meeting each of their eyes in turn.
"I promise to treat each of you with the respect and dignity a tenant deserves." He bowed slightly at the waist, one are crossed diagonally across his chest. His eyes never left them, unblinking, even as a pleasant smile stretched across his face. The girls all gave unique and individual reactions to this statement. Naru shivered, remembering how quickly that smile could change. Mitsune's eyes narrowed, even as beautiful lips formed a facetious grin. Motoko's face closed off, her emotions retreating. Shinobu just trembled, refusing to meet his eyes (She must find the floor rather interesting; with all the time she spends staring at it). Kaolla returned his smile with one of her own, face practically splitting in half with a massive smile.
"Well, now that that's out of the way," Haruka stood, as calm and composed as when she had interrupted the fight. "Keitaro, I need to show you to your quarters. Come." Keitaro nodded, following after his 'aunt'. They ascended to the second floor, heading down the first hallway they came across. Haruka paused as they came to a door on the right side; a sign hung on the door that read," Dorm Manager." She pulled a key from her pocket, unlocking the door, before turning to him, key held out.
"Here. This will be your room from now on, so try not to lock yourself out." Though her words were harsh, a faint, teasing smile hung on her face. Keitaro grunted in amusement, reaching out and taking the key. Haruka turned to leave.
"Wait." Keitaro requested. Haruka turned, puzzled. Keitaro spread his arms wide, and she sighed in exasperation. Taking a step forward, they embraced, Keitaro resting his chin on his slightly taller 'aunts' shoulder. He smiled in contentment. "It's good to see you again, Haruka."
"Likewise. I missed you, little cousin." Haruka pulled away, favoring him with a gentle smile. Keitaro returned a playful scowl.
"Keep calling me that and I'll start calling you aunt again." Thunk! Keitaro rubbed his head, the side of it stinging. Haruka tucked her fan away back into her grey jacket, scowling at him. Keitaro merely smiled dopily at her. Truly, it was good to be home.
Unfortunately, Keitaro found quite the mess waiting for him in his room. He had much paperwork to fill out. Keitaro found himself cursing Haruka for leaving him so much work. It was only several hours later that he finished. He had to fill out many forms, and he needed to file them in many different places. Damn the government for separating everything into different branches. He would have to traverse all over town to drop all the paperwork off in the correct places. He could just mail it, but the local shipping and delivery company was notoriously terrible.
Work for tomorrow, he supposed. Whoever thought a man taking over an all-girls dorm was an easy process was a damn fool. Still, he thought, glancing out the window, at least it wasn't too bad. It would all be worth it in the end. But now it was time for dinner, being that it was well into the night. In fact, he had probably missed dinner by now. Still, maybe they left him some in the fridge. If not, he was perfectly capable of making something for himself. Besides, he could use some more tea. All that paperwork had given him a killer headache, and he swore words were still dancing before his vision.
Keitaro prepared to leave, but stepping across the room, he noticed something. There was a whole in the roof, wide enough for a person to fit through, with a sliding panel covering it. Frowning in confusion, Keitaro quietly pulled his table underneath it, climbing on top of it. Cautiously, he pushed panel up, peering into the room above his. He immediately recognized it as a tenant's room, due to the fact that it was inhabited. In fact, he believed that was Naru sitting by the desk, her back to him. Cautiously, quietly, he slid back down, settling the panel back into place silently.
Turning once again to scrounge up some food, Keitaro made a note to block that hole up. He doesn't know what kind of bond Naru has with his grandmother, and he doesn't care. They don't share that bond, and this is his room now, not Granny Hina's. Strolling out of his room, Keitaro casually locks the door behind him. Kind of pointless with a giant, gaping door in his ceiling, but it's not like getting in would do anyone any good anyway. The paperwork and the money were both locked in Granny Hina's custom safe, and if that wasn't enough, he had placed a few protections of his own.
Keitaro made his way downstairs, quickly heading to the kitchen. He pays Mitsune, who is sitting on the couch, facing away from him and watching TV, no mind. He does notice she is rather anxiously watching a horse race of all things. Perhaps she bet some money? A bad habit to cultivate, he decides. Entering the kitchen, he notices the sink is empty of dishes and the kitchen itself is clean. Apparently the girls knew something of cleanliness. Good, there would be less fuss when he discussed chores with them tomorrow.
Opening the fridge, he sees a plate wrapped in plastic wrap, with his name scribbled on it. Smiling, he removes the plate, stripping the wrapping off. He places it in the microwave, moving to the cupboard he retrieves tea bags. While his food heats up, he sets about making tea. A minute later, the microwave beeps, alerting him to the fact his food is done. He pulls the plate out, settling down at the table. He is just about to dig in, when a strange scent catches his attention. Frowning in confusion, he leans down, sniffing his food carefully. His eyes widen in surprise and horror.
"Aconitum? But who could?" Keitaro backs away from his plate, reaching into his back pocket and pulling his gloves on. His wires glint menacingly, even as he peers frantically around the room, paranoia almost taking over. Who would want to poison him?
He doesn't know who cooks dinner, but he was willing to bet it was Shinobu. No cook would trust someone inexperienced to go grocery shopping for them. A part of him, the dumber, fearful part wanted to immediately blame her. As he calmed down, however, new options rose to the surface.
While it was possible that Shinobu could have been the one to lace his food with Aconitum, anyone else who handled the food for even a moment could have also done so. Naru was a college student hopeful who studied a wide range of subjects. She could have easily recognized wild growing Aconitum, and being that it's a native plant, she wouldn't have had to go far to get any; same for any of the others.
Motoko, being an Aoyama, could also possess such knowledge, if only to recognize it in her own food. While he didn't know anything about Mitsune, she had almost as much of a reason as any of the others to make an attempt on his life. He had, admittedly, attempted to injure and possibly maim her best friend.
And lastly, there was Kaolla. She was, according to Granny Hina, a certifiable genius. Poisoning him would be well within her means and capabilities. The question is who actually attempted it. They were smart enough to lace only his food with it, so it happened after dinner was cooked and the food were divided up into portions. At that point, anyone of them could have done it. The real question was, who here had the heart of a murderer. Which of his tenants was more monster than woman?
He didn't know, but he was going to find out. Nobody had ever made an attempt on his life and survived the attempt. He didn't mean to let that record drop now.