AN: Yeah I know it's late and Im not going to tell you the story of my homework but just know it's there, it's horrible, and there's nothing I can do about it. Also, fuck autocorrect -_-
Sorry for any misspellings and or grammatical errors in this chapter.
Edit: As of 8/13/11 I actually fixed a few things that were really bugging me. I might have missed a couple (a lot) so please forgive me.
Disclaimer: I do not own Vocaloid
Ren and Rei waited anxiously, standing beside their to-be-captains desk anxiously awaiting his arrival. They've heard rumors about him, oh yes, they've heard rumors about him. Not hearing the hushed tales was as incredible and seemingly impossible as the rumors themselves entailed. Although he is a man known to keep noble and honor to his word one must never fall under one of his contracts lightheartedly. His contracts were serious, absolute until said otherwise. Many of men fear his contract and those who were brave enough to sign where often seen as heroic or bloody foolish. Ren and Rei glanced at each other and were startled by the loud sound of something colliding with the mahogany wood table. Staring down they came face-to-face with his notorious contract. Mikuo watched them from his seat as they hesitantly picked up their own copy from the table. The two boys sat down in the chairs provided and carefully read through the contract word-for-word, trying hard not to overlook anything. They sat there for twenty minutes till they both looked up and nodded in unison. Mikuo had gotten up and began rummaging through a drawer. No one dared breathe a word till Mikuo came back carrying a small box to which they both eyed cautiously. Lifting the lid it revealed an elegant but unusual pen made to look as though it were made of marble. The different shades of copper, transitioning between dark to light with a middle color remaining dominant, made it looked as through the pen was scorching with heat. As though the little swirls of dark and light were moving with the flow of magma hidden within. Therefore they both flinched as he picked it up expecting it to be painfully hot when in reality it actually rather cold. It had a normal latch near the top used to secure it on ones clothing, the top could be pushed down and with a click a calligraphy fountain pen tip would come out, but on the opposite side of the latch was something that resembled a golden tac. Embed on the pens side, one needed only to apply pressure to the top end sending the thin neck into the pen to reveal its special feature. Mikuo handed the Ren the pen first. Ren laid the contract on the table and tried to scratch his signature into the empty space at the bottom of the page only to be left with colorless indents resembling his strokes.
"I think I should tell you something," he started. Ren and Rei looked at him, slightly afraid but ready. He opened up his his hand and presented it to Ren who laid the pen into his palm. Brining the pen back to him he applied pressure to the top making the fountain pen tip disappear and pressed the little tac on the side to have the needle reappear. Holding it at its' center between his forefinger and thumb he held it up casually in front of him. He looked at it with an expressionless face leaning heavily into his chair and resting his cheek in his available hand.
"See this? It's perfectly clean, I change the needle and cartridge every time and throw the old one out." Ren gulped before asking, unbeknownst to him, a commonly asked question.
"What's the needle for?" he asked. Mikuo smirked again and took another look at his pen, this time pride visible in his eyes.
"This is my own invention. You see this little golden thing here that resembles a flat-headed tac?" he rubbed it gently with his thumb to make sure they knew where to look "Once the fountain tip is inside you can press this and a needle will come out. But if the pen tip is out then it's looked so you can't press it,
"Once you press this little tac and the needle comes out you merely push the little clothes latch up," he pushed the clothes latch up till they heard a click "and to the side until you can see this little clear opening. What your seeing it the cartridge. See, it acts like a little window inside the pen!
"Once to the side push the clothes latch down a little until you here a click before moving it any lower and you're ready to go!" he explained with a smile. Ren and Rei paled a bit before Rei asked another commonly asked question.
"What's the purpose of this?"
"Ah, you see, after you hear the little click and shake off your nerves push the latch farther down, halfway is fine. Hold it there and puncture yourself with the needle. Oh and be sure it's a spot where there's a vein so you can be sure to get some blood."
"Blood," they both repeated after him becoming slightly terrified of the small writing utensil.
"Yup. Then slowly pull it back upwards gently. You should see the blood coming inside the cartridge from that little window thing I showed you earlier. Once you're done remove the needle, give the punctured spot a nice little kiss, and push the latch up again and to the side and down to its original spot until you hear a little click. Then press the tac, the needle will go away, press the top, the pen tip will come back, and you're ready to write."
Ren and Rei stared at him in shock. Mikuo just chuckled.
"You must sign your name in blood to make a control with me. I created this pen to make the process easier," he looked at them and raised a brow "unless you want to do it the old fashion way. A bit more messy and painful but it works too." They both shook their heads and Ren respectfully took the pen and did as was previously instructed. He was a little hesitantly before his punctured himself and drew blood. He wiped the little drop of blood threatening to drip down with his thumb before proceeding to write his name. Amazingly enough his invention worked brilliantly and wrote smoother than any pen he wrote with before. What's even more amazing is that there were no rumors about it, and he remembered there being nothing saying that a ship hand couldn't mention the pen in the contract. When he was done he was about to pass it to Rei before Mikuo stood up and snatched it from his hand.
"Nuh-uh-uh. Hold it right there mister. I know you two might be excited but I can't allow to continuos uses of the pen, even if you are half-twins. I hope you understand, it's just a safety precaution." Mikuo walked off and brought a small latch sealed box. He flipped the latch open to reveal it was very similar to a fishermen's box. Once opened the top broke into to sections off to the sides, the left containing needles, the right containing empty cartridges. In the center there were a few small tools and Mikuo grabbed a few small white clothes, each different in size, and began disassembling the pen. The two smaller pieces of cloth were used to remove and handle tools, since of course they might have blood on them, while parts where laid precariously onto the large white cloth. Picking up the bloodied needle and cartridge he wrapped them in the two smaller cloths and walked over to the waist bin and dropped them in. Sitting back down into his desk he fitted a new cartridge inside and replaced in a new needle before putting everything else back and handing it to Rei. After Rei was done the same process was repeated and with the twice changed pen placed back into it box and stowed away Mikuo looked up at the two and smiled.
"Congratulations you two, you both are now apart of my crew. Len right now is in the Library of Inquiry below deck. Go down the hall, take two lefts and then a right and the doors should be right there. Oh and before I forget," be opened his desk drawer and produce to folded pieces of parchment "these are maps to the ship. I always forget to give these to my crew and they end up getting lost so I have to send the birds out to find them." Handing each boy their map the closed the door behind them, planning on pushing their first work day from today to tomorrow to give them rest.
Outside they sat at a long wooden table on the deck and opened the map before heading below deck. Folded, length wise it was eleven and a half inches tall and four inches wide. They found out it was actually twenty three inched (a foot and an inch) tall in length and twenty-one and a half inches wide (a foot and nine and a half inches). But that didn't compare to what was drawn inside. Inside was a very detailed drawing of the inside of the ship looking up. When they unfolded it for the first time they saw the deck with the captains run, beside it was an enlargement of his room with details like where desks were, book shelves, mirrors, his bed, even the smallest things. On the top the word 'Deck' was written out. They held up the map over their heads, looked at the bottom, and even turned it to its side a few times and then to each other.
"Aye where do you think the rest of the map is?" asked Rei. Ren shrugged than noticed there was an arrow pointing down at the top of the page and a 'X' at the bottom. Rei noticed to and simultaneously they folded it down horizontally so they match up. Ren was about to fold it accordion style again like they received it when he saw the look from his brother telling him 'no'. He looked at the now folded piece of parchment and saw another arrow at the left most part of the page point right and another X at the right most part of the page. They folded it again vertically so the arrow and the X matched up and an incredibly confused expression. They followed the arrows and x's until what was left was small four-by-four square. Looking at each other in confusion which they seem to be doing a lot today they followed their instinct and unfolded when their breathes hitched when they laid there eyes on what was written.
An illustrated birds-eye-view of the deck was no longer there and replaced with an illustration of the lower floor with 'Deck' being replaced with 'Basement - 1' instead.
"Aye Rei look," called his brother and he looked at his brothers copy of the map as he pointed to the little square that read 'Library of Inquiry'. Ren idly traced an X over it with his fingers and was surprised when something began growing in another small three-by-three square. Rei, looking at the small square from the side noticed there were a few folds between the top and the bottom then traced his own X over what read the Library of Inquiry. When his small square popped out he spent some time unfolding it. They parchment they grew on top was still connected to the base. What they saw as a twelve-by-twelve fully detailed diagram of the Library of Inquiry similar to the one that was shown about the captains room. Folding it back Ren watched in amazement as Ren traced another X on top of the folded parchment and watched it disappear into the map again.
Staring at each other wide-eyed they bother folded their maps back into their original accordion style and ran to the lower deck hoping to find Len who will hopefully give them answers. When they found the large double doors they burst in to find a startled Len leaning over his book taking notes.
"Len!" they both yelled. Len looked at the two, one brow furrowed to the center while the other rose dramatically over his face in confusion.
"Can I help you two?" he asked. They both stalked over to the he was sitting at and slammed their hands down onto the table.
"Whats up with this map!" they both yelled. Lens eyes widened for a small moment before settling into an understanding look.
"What you're holding there are two copies of the Mazes Map," he stated.
"The Mazes Map?" they asked. He nodded his head.
"Yes. It is not a map for mazes but a maze of a map itself. Depending on how you fold it, it will show you a map of part of the building it is made for. In this case depending on how you fold it it will show you the deck of one of the many basements, or as we like to call them," Ren and Rei looked at him confused.
"Simply finger as X over a specific area of room and another, smaller map with appear folded on top of where you traced the X. The smaller map is a much more detailed version of the place you drew the X on. It changes with the ship, if someone where to move out or, I don't know, die in some tragic way the spot where it said his name where his room was will disappear. Or if someone is simply moving furniture around it will be displayed as such on the map." he explained. They both made small 'oh's and sat down on the couch to the left side of the large room.
Spending a good two hours figuring out the map Ren looked up to see Len still taking notes and asked him.
"Hey, how many basements are there here?"
"Hmm? Seven, why?" he said without looking up. They both jerked upright in their seats.
"Seven!" they asked not believing it. Len only nodded looking at his paper.
"Yes, this ship is much larger than it is on the outside trust me. After a while you'll get used to it but as for now be thankful no one else is in here right now." Rei scoffed and Len immediately picked up he was the arrogant type.
"What? WIll the library get mad or something if we're loud when other people around?" he asked, his voice saturated with sarcasm. Ren sighed and was about to scold his brother when Len spoke.
"No, the library itself doesn't mind but other people do. All of the captains ship mates love knowledge, the captain hates stupid gits so he doesn't hire any,"
"So what is this place exactly? Care to explain," he asked. Len sighed and turned around to meet the boys eyes knowing he'll be explaining for while. He rubbed his writers calloused hands which where died in ink on the side where his hand made contact with the page.
"This is the Library of Inquiry, it holds books about all facts, some truths, and a fair few lies,"
"What do you mean by that?" asked Rei. Ren turned to glare at his brother, figuring out the map must have made him cranky. Luckily Len was a patient man.
"It means what I said. In other terms it olds some fictional stories, and books about facts, as well as books that support truths. Fictional stories take us to places we're interested in, places we want to be. Thats why people like them so much, because it takes them into places they want to be, to see things they want to see and to meet people they would want to meet, fictional novels are the most beautiful form of lies. You must also know there is a difference between fact and truth."
"But aren't they the same thing?" asked Ren, becoming secretly enthralled by the conversation. Len shook his head.
"No they aren't. Facts are things that are forever constant while truths have the ability to change. For example, a fact would be I have naturally blonde hair. No matter how long, no matter what I do, even if I grow old or die my hair my hair will always be naturally blonde therefore it is constant. A fact. A truth, however, is different. Say a girls favorite candy is Carmel Crowns. While that may be true now as time goes by that might change making it only a truth. The statement 'her favorite candy when she was younger was Carmel Crowns' may be a fact but the situation itself is only a truth. It is inconstant," he said. Slowly Ren and Rei began to understand.
"What about this room? Why is it called the Library of Inquiry?" asked Rei. Ren smirked on the inside knowing that his bother was slowly being drawn into the conversation, the old grouchiness fading away.
"One, cause it's library. And two because if a person has a specific question of questions all one has to do walk inside and all other books besides the one that will help solve that question will appear blank. Of course if you're just here in the pursuit of knowledge or some light reading then all books are here for your use," he said leaning back into the chair now.
"What happens when you are here with a specific question? I mean will you not be able to read other books until you find an answer or something?" asked Ren.
"No, it is'nt strict. Once the book it taken off the shelf everything will return to normal in your eyes,"
"So if you have no questions at all but the person you walk in with does, does that mean you both see separate thing?" asked Rei.
"That is correct." Len said with a smile. Len got up and stretched his back a little before walking towards them.
"Im guessing Mikuo sent you here so I can show you to your rooms. Come, I can answer more questions on the way," Len began to putting his book back and carried his paper, pen and other utensils into a room in the back of the library before walking out with Ren and Rei following behind.
"Is there anything else about that room?" they both asked.
"Hmm, well lets see, the room has a small, or large storage room in the back. You know the door I went into, it's that place. The library assigns you small drawer, or vault where you can store, pens, quills, ink, paper and stuff like that. Only you can open it, no one else can go in there, it's pretty nice. Oh and treat it nicely. If you be rude to it it will not help you in seeking your answers, every book you open will appear blank and you wont be able to open your vault until it's forgiven you," Ren and Rei nodded making note not to anger the library.
"If it's mad at you than it might make it so you find all the wrong books or jumble up the letters. You probably wont even be able to get in." Ren and Rei looked around. Len had gone quiet after that last sentence and was simply leading the way. Quietly clutching their maps the gazed in awe at the rooms and halls. They were magnificent, a glorious red mahogany color, that glowed in that light provided that they guessed was only reachable to the first three or four floors. Len told them that the rest of the floors were very well lit making it the impression of daylight. A few minutes after walking into the second basement Rei asked a question that was on both his and his half-twins mind.
"Len, what was up with that pen that the captain made us sign our contracts with?" Len looked back at the two over his shoulder.
"Oh that. It's his invention, its called Binding Pen. Because he's so sought out he cant risk betrayal from any of his shipmates so he requires that all contracts be signed in blood. before you used to half the person will a small ink bottle with blood and half them sign with a quill. It's not pleasant filling a filling the bottle with blood and sometimes messy so he invented the pen to make things easier,"
"Did you have to do it as well?" Len nodded
"Yup, he said I didn't have to but I did it since I want him to know he can completely trust me. He keeps all the contracts hidden in his vault in the library," slowly but surely Ren and Rei where beginning to realize how brilliant their captain really was.
Their room was in the third basement. Len showed them each their rooms and waved good bye before leaving back to his own room on the first. Their rooms were right next to each other, they were delighted to finally have their own room but still keep close to each other. Both their rooms looked the same. A pleasant cream colored wall and the floor and ceilings where lined with white crowned moldings. to the left the wall sunk in enough to put a remarkably comfortable bed so the rest of the floor space was available to do as they pleased. Like with the walls of the halls the desk was a slightly darker shade of mahogany and faced a square and secure window. Opening the drawers they found they were relatively empty except they were already equipped with parchment, ink bottles, pens, and quills. There was a wardrobe near the door and opening it revealed several sets of clothes. Two pairs of clothes for warmer days, two pairs for colder days, two sets of pajamas, four pairs of shoes, and a sweater when it got cold in the room. On the desk lay an unopened box. Both, in separate rooms, picked up the box and removed the bow to reveal the labeling 'Carmel Crowns' in extravagant lettering. Opening the box they each took out of the hard carmel candies on a stick and unwrapped the clear wrapping that protected the intricately molded crown. Both savored the candy, the carmel was delicious. It was expensive so they only got some once when they bought it for their sisters on Christmas and they offered them some. Ren fell onto the bed, the incredible bed, while in the other room Rei leaned in the chair reading the letter that came with it.
Dear Rei/Ren,
I hope your enjoying things so far, I have already accommodated your rooms with the standard needs that I require my workers have. That's right, all my workers experience this so don't get cheeky you prats.
Ren and Rei smirked when they read that part, Ren from amusement and Rei from defiance.
I usually get my workers their favorite sweets and have one of the birds place it into their rooms while their out. How do I know? I asked the library, hopefully you've been informed about the library by Len. I have decided on moving the date of your first job, not to tomorrow like I originally thought but to this Friday, so you have a total of two days to relax. Bathrooms on the fifth basement, if you don't know how to get there follow everyone else, you are required to start working by 8:00. Since you have a two day leave you can sleep in if you like. That's not special treatment either, I usually give my crew two days off when they first come but was planning to have you two work straight off until I got guilty. Work hard and don't fuck anything up.
Your captain,
Captain Mikuo Alexander Hatsune
Ren and Rei smiled and set the letter down. They knew they were going to like it here and only hoped they could bring their sisters with them but new they would be safe with Teto. They were, and were going to be, well taken care off and from then on deemed Captain Mikuo Alexander Hatsune a good man before crawling into their bed and falling asleep.
AN: Oh yay it's a long chapter! Kinda. Yeah I gave Mikuo a middle name, sue me :p
Oh and I just want to point out for the sake of point out that the bedrooms were inspired by this pic.
h t t p : / / j e d i s t a t e o f m i n d . t u m b l r . c o m / p o s t / 7 8 6 7 1 7 4 1 6 1
Those beds look so comfortable. Now, Im not saying this is completely like it, it only inspired it, plus each room is smaller and one bedroom and different colored walls. Can you believe I came up with the Binding Pen, the Library of Inquiry, and the Mazes Map on the spur of the moment like you always write. If they sound like anything else that is completely coincidental, but now that I think about it, it sounds like Harry Potter. Lucky Leos, Daniel Radcliffe and J.K Rowling are Leos -_-
Anyway yeah sorry no Rin in this chapter but I wanted to spend more time with the half-twins. Please read and review and all that =)
Oh! And by the way thank Cliff123 for inspiring me to have this out earlier.