DISCLAIMER: I am suffering from multiple personality disorder and my other 'me', who wishes to stay anonymous, believes she owns Escaflowne. But do not fear; I keep her under sedatives.
"Could you please repeat that?" the librarian of the Arzas High was confused and believed he needed to have his hearing checked "What book were you asking for?"
Hitomi rolled her eyes. She was quite clear, she didn't stammer or anything, so why did the damn guy acted like she wanted some book that was banned by law? She sighed and repeated her original question "I want to know if you have a copy of Forensic pathology?"
It took the librarian a whole minute before he answered "Let me check."
By that time Hitomi was really annoyed. She didn't doubt that there was a copy of that book somewhere on the shelf but she was forced to ask the librarian first. Rules and stuff forbid her to just walk around the grand hall and search for it on her own. She never heard about such a dumb rule before, not even in the gigantic library of the International University of Asturia. If you had the membership card you could get it and look around for some which ever title you wanted.
"Ah yes, yes, there is a copy. Two copies actually." The librarian said after he finally typed the name in the computer. Hitomi wondered how a man that only type with one finger managed to get a job as a librarian in such a prestige school.
"And?" Hitomi asked after several moments when she realized the guy wasn't planning to actually tell where to find the book.
"Oh, you want to borrow it?" he looked generally surprised.
"Yes, where can I find it?"
The librarian once more checked the screen of the computer before answering "Section E, shelf 2, bottom row."
"Thank you." Hitomi said politely and started walking towards the section that held medicine related books and then she mumbled "For forcing me squeeze the information out if you."
The librarian leaned over the counter to watch after her. He was always surprised when one of the students requested a book that wasn't necessary for school lesions. Usually those were students that wanted to prepare themselves for the university or learn more about the theme that interested them as a hobby. But a book the girl wanted to borrow was, in a lack of better words, brutal and violent.
Shrugging the librarian returned to what he was previously doing, namely playing solitaire. If the girl wanted to know about death he won't stop her. After all, she still had a very important test to pass.
Allen didn't feel very comfortable as he walked down the hallway towards the dorm he was in. He didn't feel comfortable with the whole test period. It's not like it would matter at all if she passed it or not. He knew it and everyone else knew it. But what mattered the most Van knew it and yet he insisted that Hitomi goes through it. After all if the guys could do it why couldn't she?
The blond frowned; he knew that even if the girl did pass she still wouldn't be treated as a part of them.
He opened the doors of the dorm and stepped in the community room. It was illuminated only by the small lamp on the side table but empty. Allen figured Hitomi must have left it on for them to see where they were going when they return in the dorm.
Another thing that none of the guys would remember doing. Only a girl would remember such a small detail.
He walked down the right hallway towards the second door and paused before knocking. He needed a moment to calm down his nerves before speaking with Hitomi. It's not her that made him feel nervous though, it was their entire class that waited in the cafeteria.
"Tomi, you in here?" he asked after opening the door of her room slightly and peeking in.
A serious "No." that was heard after made him chuckle and walk inside.
It was the first time that he walked in the room, not counting the first day when he only stood on the doorway and gawked at her together with Dryden. And what he saw surprised him.
His room represented him, it showed his personality and revealed what he liked, namely barely dressed women. But Hitomi's showed nothing about her.
The walls were still the same cream color with no posters, images or any decorations on them. The bed was neatly made and had no girly decoration pillows he had expected to see. There wasn't even anything on the nightstand but an alarm clock. On the desk were an open laptop and some papers and a history book.
It was in that moment that Allen remembered the work they were supposed to make for the history class. For tomorrow.
"You just don't listen." Hitomi said seriously "I said I'm not here. You and the rest of the guys were doing an extremely good job pretending I don't exist so far, so why can't you just keep pretending and leave my room?"
The words left Allen speechless.
He didn't know what to do or say so he just kept standing in the middle of the room like some broken puppet and watched the delicate form of the green-eyed girl sitting on the floor next to the balcony doors with a book in her hands.
After several minutes of silence, during which Hitomi managed to read few more pages, Allen finally found his voice again. But instead of telling her why he came in her room in the first place he decided to show some interest, show Hitomi that not all guys thought of her as an unwelcome obstruction.
"What are you reading? Something good?" he asked politely.
Hitomi wondered for a moment what the blonde guy considered as a good book but came to conclusion she simply didn't want to know. It was already obvious the guy was a school player so not many books came to consideration and Hitomi was certain she had never and would never read any of them.
But instead of answering his question directly she lifted a book for Allen to read the title himself. And once he did it confused him "Is that some doctory book?"
Hitomi lifted an eyebrow at the word 'doctory' but refrain herself from informing him there is no such word. She figured he wouldn't give a damn about it anyway. So after taking a breath she explained "Not quite. Forensic pathology is practiced when it is too late for doctors. Or to be more specific it is a branch of pathology specified in finding out a cause of death of a cadaver."
"Cadaver?" Allen asked. He was unfamiliar with the word.
"Yes, cadaver." Hitomi repeated believing Allen might thought he misheard her, but then she realized he didn't know what it meant "Um… corpse. A dead body."
"Oh, right." The blonde guy said linking everything "Yuck, why do you read a book about that stuff?"
"It is quite interesting." Hitomi answered honestly. She didn't take in consideration that the two of them had different opinions when it comes to interesting "There are descriptions of different kinds of-"
"Ok, I get it!" Allen yelled interrupting and also startling Hitomi "I really don't want to know about that stuff."
"Well I want to know why you came to my room." Hitomi said seriously. She could see the guy in front of her gulping, for some reason he felt awkward and that didn't sat well with Hitomi. She had a bad feeling in her stomach.
"Um… I came to ask you to go with me in the cafeteria. The others are waiting there."
"Cafeteria is closed. It's half pass ten in the night." Hitomi pointed out the obvious.
"Well we won't go there to eat. At least not all of us." Allen corrected himself.
Not Hitomi got intrigued. She stood up and lowered the book on the table before asking "Am I dressed good enough or should I put on some tight dress and high heeled shoes?"
It took Allen a moment to realize she was being ironic. And then he answered "Put on some sneakers and you're ready to go."
He knew that a warm jacket would be a good thing to put on or at least bring along but Van specifically said she was to wear only what she already had on. So Allen skipped that little detail.
Doing as suggested Hitomi put on her sneakers and said "Alright. Let's go."
Allen's blue eyes quickly went over her outfit. The pale blue jeans looked awesome on her together with a light white shirt with small black flowers that reached to her mid-thigh. All in all it wasn't an outfit a sane person would wear on the rain. But if that sane person had no other choice…
The first thing Hitomi noticed as she walked in the cafeteria, not counting the gathered guys, was a medium-sized fish tank on a table in front of the Fanelian prince. And in it swum a single octopus. It wasn't a full-grown one but a baby, yet that didn't mattered much to the green-eyed girl. She had a special relationship with the sea creatures.
Van was smiling widely as he noticed Hitomi eying the tank with obvious discomfort. He had a feeling he finally found her weakness.
"Ok, I'm here. Now would someone be so nice for change and explain to me why I was asked to come?" she asked before any of the guys managed to utter a word. It was her way of showing them she is not intimidated no matter how outnumbered she may be at the moment.
"It is time to take the Brotherhood test." Van said calmly "Do you accept the challenge?"
"If I pass this test… will anything change or will I still remain an outsider?" Hitomi asked coldly staring at the black-haired boy, challenging him.
Van huffed "That's not important. Do you accept the challenge or not?"
Hitomi rolled her eyes "What? Are you afraid to answer in front of your friends? Will anything change?"
"No." Van answered seeing it cannot be avoided "Why should it?"
"Why should I take that test then?" the question was good and Hitomi knew Van would be pissed cause of it or use reversed psychology.
"Are you afraid to go through it?" he asked after several minutes of silence and Hitomi smiled "What's so funny?"
"You. I bet you don't even realize how predictable you are. But I decided to play along and make you believe your little speech was what made me change my mind. I'll go through with that test of yours."
"Fine." Van wasn't an idiot; he realized Hitomi's words made him look like one though "The test is made out of three assignments, so when you are ready we may begin."
"I'm ready."
"First assignment… It is a delicacy in Chezario." Van used a small net to take the eight-legged animal out of the fish tank "Eat the alive octopus."
"Ah, that is not possible." Hitomi said seriously.
"Do you want to pass the test?" Van asked.
Hitomi grinned "Do you want to face a murder charges?"
The question surprised not only the Fanelian prince but all other guys as well "Murder? Because the octopus got eaten?" Dryden asked.
"No, because I am allergic to sea food. A small shell would only cause nausea but an animal this size would throw me in anaphylactic shock and I would die less then two minutes later. And I honestly doubt your title would be enough to save you from a conviction and a long punishment since evidently you personally planed this octopus eating thing." Hitomi's green eyes locked with Van's garnet.
"How old are you?" Allen asked suddenly.
Hitomi turned to him "Eighteen, the same as everyone else in this generation. Why?"
"You talk different. More…"
"Smart." Dryden offered assistence.
Hitomi just shrugged like it was nothing. And then she turned back to the prince and saw him talking with Dilandau about something after which the albino walked away.
"Fine. You're first assignment just changed." Van said coldly and Dilandau stepped next to him with a cardboard box that contained eggs and a glass "You have to drink five raw eggs."
"Fine." Hitomi said back intentionally using the same word as he. She moved to the table and sat down.
One of the guys cracked an egg and poured it in the glass. Four more were waiting.
Hitomi took the glass from him and grinning said "Bottoms up." Before she gulped the egg down "Next one."
The guy turned to Van "Do it Kio. She still has four eggs." The prince said coldly.
But Van was only calm on the surface. Inside he was fuming. His plan wasn't going as planed. He thought the girl would be disgusted and she acted like it was nothing. He watched as Hitomi once more returned the glass to Kio. That was already her third egg and she still didn't look like she was getting sick.
Last two eggs were also no problem for Hitomi to swallow. When she returned the glass to the stunned guy she smiled widely and said casually "I used to drink one egg each morning before I came here. Apparently it's healthy."
A snicker was heard somewhere in the crowd and Van's look darkened. She was seriously making a fool out of him. But he still had two assignment for the girl "Alright, you passed this but the next one won't be as simple. Today I placed four items around the school to make sure you don't cheat. And your second assignment is this-to run the whole route around the school building and pick up those items. First one is on the windowsill of the stairway that leads to the dorms, second behind the school on the playgrounds, the third one under the window of our classroom and the forth on the parking lot in front of the school. Any questions?"
"How much time do I have?" Hitomi asked, she had a feeling it won't be much.
"Fifteen minutes." The answer made some of the guys gasp. There was no way she would manage to run that distance in so small time. Under heavy rain as well.
"I'll see you in fifteen minutes then." Hitomi said calmly before adding "If not sooner."
And then she was off.
The guys watched her as she ran across the entrance hall and out on the cold weather and pouring rain. Some weren't so thrilled about this part of the test and wanted to know what the third assignment would be.
"You are risking looking like a bad guy here Van." Allen warned his friend.
The Fanelian prince thought about the words for a moment before deciding to change the test. But as nothing came to his mind that wouldn't be too vicious Dilandau offered his help.
Hitomi still had an over one minute time when she opened the large doors and stepped inside. She was wet till the bones and shivering slightly. Her lips were now a lovely bluish color and long pair plastered to face and back.
"Your junk." She said offering Van four items she collected; a plastic bottle, small ball, ruler and a toy car.
"Still another one." He said coldly before pointing to Dilandau "Your third assignment."
The albino approached Hitomi holding a long branch in his hand. She was confused a bit why he was holding it by the tip and with only two fingers till she noticed the thorns.
"I assume you want me to hold it." Hitomi said and Van nodded.
Dilandau was grinning widely as Hitomi reached. He thought she would cry out in pain or at least whimper but no sound came out. She was holding the branch firmly in her left hand, the thorns driven in her palm.
The guys were silent. It was obvious by now the girl had more guts that some of them, or rather most of them. And then she looked directly in Van's eyes almost make him flinch under the intensity of her gaze.
"I don't know who hurt you and made you so bitter and I honestly don't care. I am a student of this school and not some psychologist nor someone you can just empty your frustrations on." Hitomi practically barked before she dropped the branch on the floor and walked away in the direction of the stairway. The blood was dripping from her fingers but Hitomi ignored it.
And for the first time in eighteen years Van felt like he might have gone a bit too far.
