A night out at the Karaoke and Saturday School.
7pm – Elysian, Level 6
Hanzo was engaged in a staring contest with an unwavering and impassive steward, the type that bowed down low enough as customer service required, but never an inch lower. The steward was middle aged, slender at the waist, well groomed but starting to bald. However, he carried himself about with dignified arrogance, and because of his height, he constantly looked down on the guests that came and went. Hanzo was tall, but the waiter was taller, and the ninja didn't appreciate being looked down on.
"We've got bookings." He said flatly.
"I realize that." The steward responded with equal coolness.
"And no – we are not going to be shifted."
Veize looked boredly at the rest of the women and tapped her feet impatiently on the golden marble floor of the Elysian reception. From the looks of things, there appeared to be a lot of people in Function Room B tonight. When Hanzo made the bookings on Monday, they had anticipated on a relatively vacant room, and if they were lucky, the room all to themselves, however, it seemed now that Function Room B would be, for lack of a better word, packed.
"You will not be shifted, sir," the steward spoke again in a tone that was just above cutting, but only just so "but your dinner tables will be designated tonight and singing order and arrangement will take place by ballot."
The ninja's vein burst. "By ballot? We've paid full price for this AND made the booking at least a week ago!"
A delicate eyebrow on the waiter's impassive face archly lifted. "There were clauses in the transaction contract that made provisions for such contingent conditions. There is nothing we can do except that if you are dissatisfied, we can of course give you another time slot on another day."
Hanzo scowled but declined to pursue the matter further with the rude iceblock. He sniffed with a great amount of disdain and stalked back to the large gathering of Hunter Actors. There, he succinctly briefed them down on the situation.
"So exactly how many people will be in the room tonight?" Phinx frowned irritably at the news.
"The rude prick said the room was going to be full tonight – so lets expect the worst and assume that there's going to be at least forty people."
Everyone simultaneously groaned out loud and made protests, filling the foyer with a buzz of noise. Some people quietly stopped to observe the uproar whilst the other attendants and bell hops glanced at each other with expressions of hopelessness, then ducked their heads down and pretended that they did not see anything.
"Enough with the clamour. It's not like everyone's going to be able to sing tonight anyway with the numbers so lets stop complaining about not wanting strangers to know that our vocal skills are comparable to that of a squirrel and get a move on."
People begrudgingly accepted Shalnark's ushering and made their way
up to the sixth floor.
Function Room B was a stylish karaoke room with its own elevated platform stage complete with stage lights, a manual spotlight, and enough tables and chairs to fit fifty people. Currently, all the lights were on and the room was bright with the ceiling marked in the center by a glittering crystal chandelier. After eight thirty, the chandelier would be shut off along with most of the spotlights and the ones tracing the edge of the ceiling would dim, leaving only the stage as the sparkling jewel and center of attraction. But for now, you could see that the carpet was of a dark blue hue, immaculate and spotless. The tables were draped with starched white cloths with the cutlery already placed in pedantically neat and meticulous order. Later, when the lights diminished, the tables and chairs would also be removed, only to be replaced with low round tables and fabulously comfortable couches. It was a good way to end a busy week.
The Hunter group totaled twenty and they separated into groups of five for dinner. The other empty tables were first occupied by a group of strangers – new people to town that they had not seen much or heard of. There were around ten of them, a peculiar sort of clique for they shared almost nothing in common with each other – that was, in terms of height and size.
The "leader" of them all was a boy around twenty or twenty one, with long spiky hair roughly tied by a dirty string tightly at the nape of his neck. He bore an expression of supreme confidence and good humor but his grin frequently turned a bit too wicked and nasty for his peers' liking. The other boy at his side, around the same age as him, seemed over eager and hyperactive much to the distaste of his peers. He was embarrassing them all with his gushing, gasps and exclamations concerning the lavish luxuries around him. Most impressive of the group was a woman, almost two meters tall with golden bronzed skin and well toned muscles. On her head was a short crop of blood red hair and she spoke and laughed the loudest of them all.
"They must be the actors of the new establishment." Neon leaned over and whispered in her sister's ear.
"You mean Galaxy Institute?" Shizuku joined in, although her eyes never left the newcomers.
Machi glanced at them from the corner of her eye. "So they're the ones who are doing the remake of Heroes of Galaxy Wars. I bet that kid there with the long black hair pinned back in a ponytail is going to take the lead role. Look at the way he sits, and look at the way the others treat him. He's like an emperor beholding his subjects."
"That white haired guy beside him is kinda cute." Neon blushed as she stole another glance and hurriedly looked away again. Her sister gave her a big smack on the back.
"My little sister is all grown up! She's starting to form assessment and analysis of boys!" she beamed happily, and loudly for the nearby tables to hear. Several chuckles floated around in response. Neon wanted to hide under the table from her embarrassing sister.
Machi looked around. On their table sat Menchi and her kid sister, Shizuku, Ponzu and herself. Paku was hanging around Dancho again, and Veize had quickly popped out to have a ciggy. They had reserved a space for her at Bashou and Senritsu' "Nostrad Bodyguards" table. Machi couldn't avert her gaze from the man seated languidly beside Kuroro – Hisoka, and in particular the faint markings of a bruise around Hisoka's neck. She bit down on her lip and nearly drew blood as the events from the afternoon replayed itself again and again in her mind, forcing her to relive the horror and panic she felt, or the frenzied urge that gripped her and almost compelled her launch herself against the psychotic new guy in order to save Hisoka. Illumi had been serious about killing Hisoka, and seeing the magician helplessly pinned to the ground whilst his lungs were screaming in pain almost made her loose control of herself. That sensation was totally unexpected.
Hisoka had once been good friends with her brother Legato, and he often frequented and stayed over at their house when they were much younger. Back then, when she was still a young teenager sporting a pair of pigtails and a sailor uniform, her lanky and skinny brother and Hisoka were already prowling through the city nightclubs, turning them over one by one and wobbling back home leaning on each other in the wee hours of the morning.
"You're going to be a pretty girl when you grow up Machi." He babbled mindlessly one night to her in his drunken stupor. She distinctly remembered that she was trying to study for a French test the next morning and Legato's usual bunch of his friends had come over to lounge around in their living room, draining cans of beer faster than water leaking out of a sieve.
"And if anyone says otherwise, I'll thump them for you." That said, he stumbled off to pester his other friends.
She knew he was drunk, but even for that one small moment, it felt warm and fuzzy that someone would compliment her. At home, it was always Legato this, Legato that – living in the shadow of a dashing and handsome brother was such an unwanted burden. She had to be rid of the name "Legato's little sister" and make something for herself.
"Machi?"
She was shaken out of her own reminiscence by Menchi.
"What is it?"
"Look! Your brother has arrived – along with the rest of the Ex Club."
She registered a groan whilst all the other people, even the group from Galaxy Institute, perked up with interest and curiosity.
Ex Club was the men's group – if you were somebody, you would want to become initiated into this semi secret and shady sect, Ex simply short for "Exclusive". Tonight, the leaders of the Club were gathered here and their appearance alone set whispers and gossips off immediately. Dressed in their trendy name brand clothes, sharp suits or sheer overwhelming individualism, the elite of the elite, the men of all men, casually threw a smile and even gave a wave at the other actors about them before they took their seats for dinner.
The group of nine leaders of Ex Club consisted of Legato, the well known party animal from Planet Gunsmoke; Abel the arrogantly cold man from Graude Foundation; Yomi the blind but successful entrepreneur from Reikai Motion Pictures along with the ever silent but equally alluring Karasu; Alucard, a dashing and cavalier type of man who gained instant popularity from the preview trailers of Hellsing alone; the cruel and calculating Xelloss from Slayers Corp, always full of pranks and practical jokes; and Bunnchu, a quiet and reserved type of man yet never found wanting from Houshin.
"I wonder why they are here," Menchi giggled, almost insanely as she eyed each and every man with her long eyelashes battering heavily at the same time. Machi had to suppress another look of disdain at her co-worker's lack of discipline in front of gorgeous, handsome, deliciously beautiful…..gah! her mind was threatening to run off with the eye candy and engage in uncharacteristic bouts of swooning!
Thankfully, the food was quickly served and the aromas from the food stole their senses away. The waiters and waitresses busily meandered around them in their black uniforms like studious ants. Knives and forks were raised and the general din of conversation soon pervaded the air. Xelloss flicked aside his glossy purple hair and smirked at a certain pink haired girl whom he recognized as Menchi's shy and timid kid sister quickly stealing glances at him. She caught his smirk and instantly turned red and hastily retreated to awkwardly bringing her spoon of soup to her mouth. He laughed lightly and adjusted the cuffs of his purple satin shirt, rolling them up so they wouldn't be dirtied. He swung his menacing violet eyes to the rest of his friends.
"Of all places we could meet, why at some mirthless karaoke club?" he sneered casually, pushing his food around the plate with his silver fork, studying it through pursed and contemptuous lips.
"I swear I've been to graveyards that were livelier than this place."
"Always the one to complain, Xelloss." Abel slowly chewed and swallowed, washing down the steak with a mouthful of red wine. "Where do you think we are right now? This is Elysian – there is no where else to go in Anime City."
"But of course for you Abel, any place is better than Graude Foundation.
We all have heard about your never ending tales involving Athena, the most
monstrous brat to ever grace the earth with its presence."
Killua sneezed. He rubbed his nose and wondered if the air conditioning was put on too high.
"You want to borrow my jacked Killua?" Gon asked, pointing to his garment draped on the back of his chair.
The white haired boy shook his head, declining the offer (for the jacket
clashed with his own clothes) and went back to eating.
"Put a sock in it Legato" Xelloss scowled "you know what I'm talking about. If you wanted to spend a night screaming your throat raw, we could do it in the more private and exclusive rooms on the upper levels. I'm asking why we have to share with such….commoners."
Yomi gave a small, but perceptible sigh. "The noise is hurting my ears, but I can second guess at why Legato and Bunnchu would suddenly find the urge to mix with the not so trendy."
"Oh really?" Legato's smile widened almost impossibly and he raised his crystal decanter to his lips but did not drink. His golden eyes glimmered brilliantly as he stared at Yomi from the rim of the glass, a predatorial gaze, quietly watching, waiting for signs of weakness.
"My wife read me The Insider this morning and described some of the pictures featured in it and I must say that I was most surprised. It seems that our other often missing-in-action member has finally found someone that he wants to settle down with. And I also happen to know that the actors from Hunter Works have also made bookings for this room tonight – and I'm thinking that these two events can't be mere coincidence, right Bunnchu?"
The blonde man gave a chuckle and smiled, displaying a perfect row of white, pearly teeth.
"Ah – can we ever hide anything from the all seeing Yomi-sama?" he jested. "You guessed correctly. Hisoka's just three tables away from us, and he's eyeing us with some degree of suspicion, along with our other gracious member Kuroro who frequents our meetings even less than Hisoka these days. Daichi was at Fantasia this afternoon, where most of the actresses from Hunter Works were also shopping – and she managed to pick up another bit of gossip."
"Stop snickering Legato, you're going to ruin our surprise. Hurry up and fill us in."
"Why Abel, you're impatient tonight. You fancy Hisoka's new lady too?"
"I fancy no one." Abel replied easily.
"Good – because this "Illumi" is not really all he appears to be."
"He?" the rest of them now perked up with curiosity, except Yomi's implacable calm and unruffled disposition could not be disturbed, even if you told him that the roof was caving in all about them, and Karasu's grin only broadened. Abel kept his scowl carefully hidden from the two and put on a neutral expression, but in his mind he made a mental note that Karasu and Yomi's information network must be more extensive than his. Time to work at spreading his contacts around the city again.
Legato took over the story telling, frequently catching Hisoka's eye and giving him the all-knowing look the betrayed the subject matter – namely him and his new infatuation.
"Yes – Illumi is the eldest son of the owner of Fantasia. People at the gym a few nights ago heard Hisoka complain about how he had to chaperone Illumi around the city under President-cum-Director Silva Zoldick's orders. Rumors are circulating that a man who has had almost no experience whatsoever in acting will have a small part to play in Hunter x Hunter."
"President Silva is noted to be a strict and severe man who demands nothing but the best." Alucard finally spoke up. "Although the cast for Hunter x Hunter may seem a bit…odd, mismatched and ill fitted, they are all actors of great potential. I can hardly see any legitimate reason why President Silva would allow a newbie to join the production, even if it's only for a small role."
Legato snapped his fingers. "That's exactly what's interesting. And also the story from The Insider today. I'm guessing that Hisoka must have copped a big and unhappy notice of demand this morning from his fellow co-actors as well."
Karasu shook his head, his fine, shoulder length black hair swaying with his movements, caressing the shoulders of his finely cut and no doubt expensive jacket. He put down his glass of wine and sighed deeply, disapprovingly.
"I swear Legato, you're turning into such a bitch," he smirked at the instant anger that surfaced on Legato's face and ploughed on. "I mean, look at you here, dragging us all the way into some low grade karaoke bar for what? To spy on another member of the club? To speculate on some wild and unverified rumors? Really, I would have thought that a sloth had the right idea about wasting time, but now it seems you have perfected this skill into an art."
"There's no need to be so harsh Karasu." Yomi murmured reproachfully, but there was a small, amused smile tugging at his lips.
"Both of you seem to have extra information that we are not aware of. Care to share?" Xelloss yawned.
Karasu shrugged. "I don't know about Yomi's source, but I sure do have my own, and that's the only reason why I came here tonight." He caught the nearby waiter's attention. "Two more chairs for this table, and bring those two over!"
The waiter shied away from Karasu's penetrating violet eyes and hastily signaled to the other waiters to bring the chairs whilst he went to fetch Kuroro and Hisoka.
"Hisoka-sama….Kuroro-sama….Karasu-sama would like a word with both of you." He stammered.
The two Hunter actors excused themselves and sauntered over to the extra large table especially reserved for the Ex Club members.
"We come here and you don't even say Hi to us?" Bunnchu began with mock disapproval. He poured drinks for the two and gestured for them to sit.
"Before anyone shoots their mouth off with stupid questions – I've got a message to deliver to Hisoka."
Hisoka looked at Karasu quizzically.
"Lola told me to pass this on to you – and her exact words were – "I've dealt with it." That's all."
Both Kuroro and Hisoka's minds recollected the events from the night before at Starlight Club where a spiked drink had Illumi rushed to the hospital. What Lola presumably meant was that she had hunted the culprits down and dealt retribution. They let out understanding 'ahs'.
"There – I've made my peace. You can all say what you will."
Kuroro leaned towards Karasu to speak almost in a conspiratorial manner to ask something that had been nagging on his mind for the past couple of weeks. "Where is your brother these days? I've hardly seen him around."
Karasu carefully hooked a few stray strands of hair behind his ears, his expression unusually rigid.
"My wonderful twin brother has recently found a new "Master" whom he just respects and adores. It's such a horrifying thought that I don't want to even think about it."
Abel's cutlery fell from his limp hands to clatter noisily against his plate. "Salar – your pompous, haughty, arrogant intellectual maniac of a twin brother has found someone to look up to? News flash – existence of God has been confirmed because I swear that apart from God, Salar would not deign to look upon anyone else, and sometimes, I even wondered if he would respect a higher power at all, given his absolute confidence in his intelligence."
"It's not like his Master is unknown to us," Karasu's voice now took on an unprecedented amount of steel. "Salar has pledged his lifelong services to one entity called "Vallanor". It's big I tell you, huge, massive. Its power base is situated in Europe and America and it's rolling this way, under the head of one mysterious Lord Vallissa."
The expression on Alucard's face was grim. "Damn – where have I heard of Vallanor before?"
"You mean the same corporation that was trying to buy us out and offered to be our patron?" Yomi snarled with disgust. He had the last messenger from Vallanor bodily removed from his office and thrown onto the streets during the last meeting they had.
"Try to buy us out with a lot of money indeed. Didn't they offer to name the largest nightclub down in Tartarus after you, Legato? It's amazing you refused that offer."
"Don't look at me like that Karasu. I'm still a man of dignity and principles. I wouldn't sell my soul for money, and you know that." Legato gave them all a pained and injured look. Kuroro's face was pale.
"And I used to think the same of Salar as well. Given his brainpower, I would have thought that he could make as much money as he wanted, if he really tried. Now, he's sold himself to some foreign power. Has anyone made any checks on this 'Lord Vallissa'?"
"I wouldn't suggest it." Karasu leaned back on his chair to gaze miserably at the ceiling, squinting his eyes from the bright lights. "You all know how Lola somehow manages to find the space in her heart to love Salar like a brother more than I can. I'm dreading the day that Salar draws my wife into his Vallan ranks to help him conquer the world on behalf of his Lord. If that happens, I don't know what will happen to my allegiances. Right now, Lola is on a temporary contract with Vallanor to maintain the firewalls around Vallanor's internal networks. I'm sure you are all impressed by her computer prowess. No one can get through something that she sets up, and it would be painful to try."
"You don't say." Xelloss mused. "But it's hardly a matter to bother ourselves with at this time of night. We'll deal with Salar at a later date. For now, lets stick to the original topic please. I want to hear about Hisoka-chan's new love."
All blood left the magician's face and whilst he sought to quell his shivers, he couldn't stop his hand flying up to massage the traces of bruise on his throat that would become more evident the following morning in the form of several ugly, bluish purple marks around his throat.
"I can hear Salar's cold and mocking laughter now if he ever found out how foolishly I had been tricked and manipulated by that man. If Salar were here, he would have instantly exposed the big charade that had me completely fooled for a good 28 hours or so."
Legato's smile widened into a maniacal glee. "We want to hear everything."
"Gees, I wonder what they're talking about." Leorio couldn't stop looking at the group of men he so enviously wanted to be a part of. One of the biggest reasons why Kuroro and Hisoka were able to flaunt their leadership and power in the social circles was because they belonged to the elite mens club that all other males would do anything to be admitted into. The large table of them now ate and drank with cynical smiles on their faces, jesting, leering, possibly abusing each other's self esteem and having the time of their lives, knowing that everyone couldn't help but be attracted to everything they represented.
"They probably want first hand material on all that has happened to Hisoka for the past day and a half, right from the moment Hisoka kissed Illumi to the little incident this afternoon at Fantasia." Wing kept his eyes strictly ahead or on his plate of food and was determined not to let the Ex Club have the satisfaction of knowing just how he envied or admired them – if he did at all – but fame was a precarious treasure in the acting industry and was something that you did not say "no" to lightly if offered to you on a silver platter.
On the same table, Franklin added "I like the looks of Buunchu's new coat. That must have cost a little fortune. If that's what the next season's fashion is heading towards, I'm afraid my pockets will hurt." He was referring to the midnight blue jacket that Bunnchu had arrived in – light, slightly fitted and trimmed with the most gorgeously soft and wonderful snow white fur on the collar and sleeves. Although it was Summer in Anime City, for someone with Buunchu's confidence, he could pull anything off and make almost anything look good.
"I don't appreciate killing baby seals to adorn my fashion thank you." Wing said stiffly and took another bite out of his bread roll. "And Franklin, you have been missing for most of the week, appearing for your shots only when you need and disappearing without a trace afterwards. We could have used your mighty strength in several situations."
The big man waved a massive hand in dismissal. "Baby's sick at home and my other young son is getting jealous of all the attention his little brother is receiving. My wife has just about reached breaking point – she can't handle the baby's wailing or my son's incessant screaming contemporaneously. So I gotta find whatever time I can to get that little tyke out of the house so his mother can look after the baby in some peace and quiet."
"God damnit Franklin! You're not supposed to ruin the blissful image of fatherhood with stories like that!" Leorio grimaced.
"What? You think that having a baby or child is like having a dog who will sit when you command, that you can lock outside the house whenever you are angry? Hell no – they are the boss and you are nothing but the expendable slave who can only get three hours sleep per night if you lucky."
"Lets all raise our glasses to salute the great and devoted family man Franklin." Wing muttered solemnly and raised his glass. The rest of the people on the table followed suit.
The world was divided into two types of people – ones like Legato or Hisoka, so far fetched from earthly troubles and responsibilities, like kites whose strings have snapped and are now soaring, without masters or attachments in the boundless and limitless sky. They were like demi gods who had it all – beauty, fame, fortune, power. And then there were people like Franklin who had already started a small family and had to deal with the most basic and menial chores such as sick children and their tantrums. Two very different worlds indeed.
There was the graceful broadcast of a three note arpeggio from a xylophone signifying the end of the dinner, noting that it was eight thirty. Phinx wiped the corners of his mouth daintily and graciously stood up to allow the caterers to first remove their plates, cutlery, the table cloth and finally the chairs and tables themselves. He was then, like everyone else, given a piece of plastic the size of a business card with a particular number engraved in bold black. This was quickly followed by another army of caterers with soft, plush couches and low wooden round tables in which desserts were served on silver platters and a single, fat candle placed on the center of everyone's table and lit. All the lights dimmed accordingly so that much of the room was covered in the shroud of darkness save for the weak light offered from the flickering cande flame. Only the stage was still brightly lit in an artificial white light, slightly smokey (the fog machine gave the odd cough now and then) and there was one single polished black high stool in front of a small screen for music selection and beside it a microphone resting invitingly on a purple velvet cushion trimmed with golden tassels.
"You attention please." One eye pleasing young man took up the microphone to address the gathering of actors.
"Good evening ladies and gentlemen. As you are well aware, tonight, due to the numbers, singing order will proceed by ballot. The computer will first generate fifteen numbers, and patrons will proceed to come on stage when their number is displayed."
"Yeah yeah – get off the stage!" someone shouted.
"Of course. Have an enjoyable evening ladies and gentleman." The ruffled
and distressed young man was pleased to be off stage to shrink and hide
in some desolate niche.
"Ooh! Chocolate sundae!" Gon exclaimed, throwing himself onto the couch and digging into the ice cream with his spoon. "Can I have seconds?"
"You haven't even finished your first yet and you're asking for seconds already?!" Shalnark exclaimed.
"Bah – I'll have three helpings if they will allow." Killua grinned happily. "By the way Gon – what time are you leaving tonight? I'm going at twelve thirty. I can give you a lift home."
"Gee thanks! I've got my mobile phone shut off, so either my Manager will storm in here to give me a lecture why my phone should be on at all times, or I'll get my ears chewed off tomorrow morning for getting home late. Either way, I'm not stepping out of this place until midnight."
"Good for you. It's not like we're Cinderella or anything."
"But don't you kids have school the next morning?"
"Oh for goodness sakes Shal! Quit it! After everyone rocked up to class two hours late, they've officially changed Saturday school times to ten in the morning. If we get back by one, we'll still get at least seven hours sleep, and that's plenty already."
Shal and Feitan both shook their heads disapprovingly and thought best
not to argue with the son of the President of Hunter Works. They enjoyed
their ice cream and unobtrusively tuned into the conversations of the Ex
Club on the row of couches beside them.
"Yomi – shut your eyes! You know you can barely see, what are you looking for anyway?" Hisoka grunted with irritation. He winced as the familiar burning sensation seared his throat – the whisky was strong tonight.
"My wife is supposed to be here now. How's she going to find me in the dark?"
Xelloss sighed. "We'll help you look for her then. Would you like me to make a banner saying "Yomi, your dearest and most cuddly husband, is right here"?"
The others burst out laughing. It was well known that Yomi was damn possessive and attentive of his wife and had been voted by Vanity Fair as the 'best husband' for four years running. It was not all without merit of course, for he was indeed a good husband – he never forgot Mistress' birthday, never forgot his son's birthday, never failed to lavish her with a truckload of crimson red roses on Valentines day and for Mother's day, he took the whole family for a seven day cruise on their own private yacht around the Caribbean islands. In short – he loved his wife to bits.
Yomi blushed furiously and tried to hard it by scowling menacingly and downing his shot of vodka in a hasty gulp.
Abel's drawling voice cut through. "But I always thought that women wanted more freedom and didn't want their partners checking up on them every half an hour."
"I do NOT check on my wife every half an hour!" Yomi indignantly replied.
Xelloss' grin widened. "Oh yeah? Then who were you on the phone to just half an hour ago?"
"That…" Yomi began to stutter. "She doesn't mind it – in fact, she happens to think it's cute….GAH! Why am I sharing this with you irresponsible slobs?" the volume of his voice dramatically rose.
"Hey, I'm married and I have a son too." Karasu muttered darkly. "Are you saying that I'm irresponsible?"
"Same for me." Xelloss added.
"You have no right to speak on this matter Xelloss. Your relationship with your wife is always on the rocks! Aren't you two not speaking to each other again?"
The purple trickster's face turned incredibly sour. "I'd divorce her if it weren't for our manipulative son who threatens to run far, far away from home if we were to ever split or separate. Xelan, the little monster, knows that we both love him to bits and he's using that against us and forcing us to stay together."
Alucard poured Xelloss another drink. "Is your son still going to that Saturday school for child actors? I hear he's a genius."
"Yeah – he still goes because he should mingle with the actors of his generation. We don't want them turning out to be like Kuroro von Drosgen right? And thank god Legato redeemed you might I just add."
The pale skinned, ebony haired actor grimaced a bit. "You have made a good choice. I was lonely as a kid, and my siblings weren't the greatest company either. Being able to go to school would have made a better human out of me instead of those prune-faced tutors who look like they've got a broom handle shoved up their ass."
"What about your little devil Karasu?"
He grunted at Buunchu's question. "Kaéry is good. I think his recent bout of rebellion has been quelled ever since his grandpa has come to visit. He's found someone else to pick on with his almighty genius intellect. He used to be a lot quieter when Salar was around because he knew he could never outsmart him, but ever since Salar took off for another country on his Master's errands, Kaéry's gone literally mad."
"Gee, isn't it such a burden to have a prodigy as a son. Pardon me, but isn't the common reaction to such a wonderful child be an outburst of pride and fatherly love?"
Both Xelloss and Karasu shivered visibly and desperately reached for their drinks.
"And how's Shura-kun these days? His brief appearance in YYH has earned him enough young girls raving about just how absolutely and adorably cute he is. Fame isn't getting to his head is it?" Kuroro refilled Yomi's glass. The blind man silently thanked him with a nod and like Karasu, grimaced.
"No, he's a good kid – but Mistress has a better time taming him than I do. His arrogance and ego is skyrocketing, and there isn't much I can do to prevent it from happening. I mean, I am successful, Mistress is successful, and he's the son of two very successful parents. What's there NOT to brag about? Problem is, he's proving to be a bit too rash, not to mention stupid, and he's becoming quick to anger. Have I also mentioned how he's turned his karate lessons almost into an obsession?"
"Obsession?" they all echoed.
"Yeah, obsession. Ever since he found out that he could hurt people with karate, and that when people are hurt, they tend to agree with whatever he says, he's been practicing day and night – first it was those five kilometer runs in the morning, next he convinced his mother that having a proper coach and dietician was good for a growing boy – so he's eating ultra healthy foods now, then he's off to gym every afternoon to boost his strength and stamina with some sort of program that his coach set up for him. In short, his punches and kicks are hard and I'd so wish he'd spend more time with his studies."
"You mean he's turning into a bully?" Legato rephrased bluntly.
"Exactly." Yomi spat out his ice back into the glass in disgust at the numbing coldness in his mouth.
Karasu looked at Xelloss. "We really should introduce Shura to Kaéry and Xelan – the three of them would make a great team. Because wherever my son goes, there's a trail of angry kids who he has insulted or offended with that mouth of his right behind him. He could use some backup."
"True, true." Xelloss murmured.
"My son is not a musclehead for hire!" Yomi clamped down on his anger and spoke in a more calm and controlled manner. "But mixing him with your sons would be good – it'll show him that you can get by in this world without having to knock people's teeth out. Xelan and Kaéry will impress him – they're all about the same age. He needs a bit of competition and something to go up against."
"Hey, look who's here." Alucard gave a cheerful wave. The other men all turned around to look towards the doorway and spotted one tall, slender woman with a gorgeous hour shaped figure and cascading tresses of raven black hair at the doorway. She suddenly jolted as if she recognized someone, and came walking towards the Ex Club men.
"Uh oh – look who's behind her too." Legato sang with cruel mocking. "Your mortal enemy is headed straight towards us Hisoka. Would you like to hide behind the couch?"
"What?" Hisoka could barely make out the stranger in the dim and weak specks of candlelight, but a snarl of unbearable rage immediately sprang to his lips when he recognized the figure trailing behind Mistress. In the wane and ineffectual candlelight, Illumi's alluring and enticing alabaster skin became deathly pale, a most unhealthy colour, and the shadows danced menacingly across his face, sinking his eyes and hollowing his cheeks. He looked like the animated undead, just risen from his coffin, still in the clothes that he was buried in, and he gazed at them with lifeless eyes, flickering from one person to the next.
"Doesn't really look like a woman to me." Abel mused and shifted to make some room for Mistress.
Illumi did look strikingly different tonight, perhaps it was for reasons of business. He was dressed in a sharp, finely cut and immaculate black suit with a matching blue silk tie. Whatever soft curves or images of femininity and delicacy he exhibited earlier on was meticulously concealed by his current performance and the sharp, straight cutting of his suit, and the sheer force of determination that he barely managed to reign in check sent familiar vibes to both Kuroro and Hisoka. At that moment in time, Illumi reminded them to some degree of Director Silva Zoldick.
"Don't just stand there Illumi-kun. Make room gentlemen and give him a seat." Mistress said sweetly from her snuggled position next to Yomi. The blind man was frantically trying to get her attention.
"Misshy, you want a drink? Shall I order dessert? Have you had dinner?"
They all looked away and pretended not to hear anything when the couple engaged in what could conveniently be described as a 'smooching session' and instead, diverted their attention to the rather amusing way that Hisoka was reacting to the newcomer.
The red head had narrated the entire story to them all earlier on in the evening during the sumptuous dinner, but they were all at pains to express that they couldn't possibly believe that the young man Hisoka was spoon feeding at the Gladis' Cafe would end up strangling him at Fantasia and took the efforts of five strong men to remove him. Now, the very 'culprit' sat amongst them, rather subdued, shy and uncertain. You could tell that he was uncomfortable about his proximity to Hisoka and the latter wasn't helping with the daggers that his eyes were shooting. Hisoka looked tense, like a tightly coiled spring of malevolence, barely suppressed by the presence of Kuroro beside him, and was waiting for just the slightest excuse to release himself.
"Misshy," Yomi began plaintively, "why did you come with him?"
Mistress blinked. "For a number of reasons. First of all, as you well know, he and I are discussing business. Second, I'd guess you guys are all up to something, scheming, delving in gossip and rumors about Illumi, so I thought I'd bring him here and introduce him to you all so any scandal can be dispelled and to help him make a few more friends."
"What kind of business are you thinking of running, Illumi-kun." Xelloss asked pleasantly and it would have been a friendly gesture had it not been the evil gleam of sarcasm in his narrow eyes.
"Hey! No questioning until you've all been introduced."
Begrudgingly, all the men complied with Mistress' wishes and there was a series of extended hands and exchanging of names.
"I'm currently helping my mum design clothing – but Mistress-san and I are negotiating a joint venture on dolls."
"Dolls?"
"Yes Buunchu-san, I'm thinking of opening a Dolls House here in Anime City. It's a dream I've always had."
"You wouldn't believe how cute those dolls are. Show him the seal." Mistress giggled, urging him to open his duffel bag.
Mistress had been referring to a palm sized doll – of an adorable white baby seal with a pair of round, black eyes, and a stubby nose that just made you want to kiss him. The fur was smooth as silk and invited you to sink your fingers through and stroke it. Alucard literally snatched the small animal with something akin to fevered delight and couldn't stop laughing.
"This critter is SO cute!" he exclaimed, rubbing his own nose against the seal's nose and giggled at his own uncharacteristic behaviour.
"Maybe Integral would stop being such a stiff if I just showered her with a bundle of these. Oh goodness – what other animals do you have?"
"Just this prototype Pug – Mistress-san especially ordered this one. I thought it was complete, but there's still some faults and a possibility of malfunctioning that I'm displeased with. It's working, but I've got to bring it back to my brother to fix the programming. Here."
He bought out a life sized Pug, about forty centimeters long and heart stoppingly life like. Alucard howled with laughter at the Pug's lack of nose and big liquid eyes and this got Legato and Karasu rather amused as well.
"Watch this Yomi," Mistress stirred by his side to his objections and leaned closer to the animal. "Sit!" the dog padded around to face Mistress on its dainty feet and sat, barking once in recognition of the command.
"Shura's always wanted a dog, but you know that both of us are too busy to look after it for him. So I asked Illumi to make me this – and it can do a lot of other tricks as well."
"This is a step up from the mechanical dog." Illumi explained, stroking the soft and furry body of the animal. "The mechanical dog was so dull, so cold and unattached because it was made of metal and metal can never be affectionate. Recently, they've begun to coat these sorts of mechanical cats and dogs with a flimsy fur coat, but it was never lifelike or authentic and they still were rock hard. It was still a lump of metal with some hasty cover draped on top. So I asked my brother to make a small mechanical skeleton with high tech programming which doesn't require much space. That way, it frees up more area for the soft stuffing, and I can concentrate on the detail of the dog. There's also a small heat generating device inside the dog – totally safe of course – so Pug's warm, just as a real dog would be."
Alucard and Karasu both listened with rapt attention, on the edge of their seats and intently eyed the animal. Alucard had a look which could be described as awe and he stretched his hand to stroke the dog's chest. The Pug rolled over onto his back as an invitation to Alucard to rub his belly instead.
"Make it do something else!" he demanded.
Illumi bit is lip and delicately creased his brow with thought. Then, struck by inspiration, he snapped his fingers and said sharply. "Pug!"
The dog rolled back onto its feet and turned to face the owner of the voice and watched Illumi point to a certain red head who then snapped the second command. "Kill!"
Pug gave three short barks, whirled around to face a stunned Hisoka and without further ado, took a run up to the edge of the round table and launched its furry body at the magician, sailing through the air in an arc like a cream coloured cannonball. Pug landed on Hisoka's chest and sank his teeth into a mouthful of Hisoka's front shirt then shook his head from side to side very viciously, growling menacingly at the same time.
"Aaiee! Dumbass dog! You're ruining my shirt!" Hisoka exclaimed, his fingers already frantically working towards prying the small jaws open and to save the remnants of his mangled top.
The whole group erupted into violent laughter, Alucard and Legato so hard that they got cramps in their stomachs and droplets of tears were squeezed from the corner of their eyes. Only Abel and Buunchu remained more composed, granting Pug's little antics and the vigorous wagging of the small, curly tail a wry smile. After all, not everyone was fond of animals, let alone dogs with the propensity to launch themselves at people's tops and attempt to shred them to pieces. Furthermore, they were more aware of the almost teary look of humiliation on the girl who had just finished singing on stage and was replacing the microphone with trembling small hands. It wasn't due to remorse that Abel took notice of the other table of new actors whose faces were new and familiar to him, but the fact that in consequence of their noisy, explosive laughter, they had attracted on very fearsome, very muscular and very big woman to their table.
She wore a sleek, vermilion red singlet top, revealing broad, powerful shoulders and an impressive bronze tan. And although she wore a short black skirt and a pair of thongs studded with glittering stones, it only displayed how well toned her long legs were, or just what sort of kick she would be capable of delivering if she really felt like it. Her face could be described as pleasant – but not your angelic oval shaped face that most woman desired and men attracted to, but more of a square jaw and a slight harshness in raw her features from her high cheekbones. It was still an attractive face, perfectly adorned by her short, natural red hair that she had partially pinned back with a headband. Had they all met under different circumstances, her own uniqueness and individual character alone would have granted her admission into the Ex Club and become one of the few female members. However, she stalked towards them all with no obvious intent or desire to become a part of them.
The men all quieted down as she came to a stand still, glowering down at them all from her towering and impressive height, and those closest to her, namely the unfortunate Legato and Abel, fought the urge to shrink away from such a bloodthirsty and murderous gaze.
"So you're the Ex Club." She began heavily, still scrutinizing them with her piercing eyes. "You were practically one of the first things we were told about when we came to Anime City, but I'm obviously not impressed by a bunch of rude and immature brats who don't even have the decency to observe a performance in mild silence!"
"Get out of here woman," Abel scoffed, evidently insulted "we don't care about your words or what you think of us. You're nothing to us."
The tanned Amazon nodded curtly. "Right, and you're nothing to me too."
To demonstrate exactly what she meant by those words, she leaned over, gripped the front of Abel's Calvin Klein shirt and rippling her magnificent muscles, she effortlessly lifted Abel off the couch and dangled him a good feet off the ground. She shook him as one would with a naughty and bratty child, laughing derisively at his ineffectual struggles and kept him off balance enough to prevent him from launching a kick.
A dark shadow crossed her face as a blood thirsty and intimidating grin settled in. "Worthless trash – you've been pampered for far too long that you've gone soft. My name is Rogina, and it would do you good to remember my name and never cross my path again."
In that one moment, the whole group of men could have launched themselves at her to help their friend in need and teach the newcomer a lesson, then proceed to intimidate the rest of the other actors from her table who were now snickering openly and without fear or remorse. That would have brought an abrupt end to the evening and cause everyone to depart in a sour, deflated mood.
Or, what really happened was that Illumi jumped to his feet and hesitantly approached her carrying a stunned and incredulous expression.
"Rogina – as in Ginny from Mirriston High?"
The giantess casually dumped Abel back into his seat and turned to Illumi after a soft and lilting voice struck a chord of recognition in her memory and sparked back the many, many flashbacks from her primary and high school years. She looked at the young man before her, dressed in a black, sleek suit to accentuate his height and whiteness of skin, the familiar brocade of silken black hair and large black eyes beneath a pair of perfectly plucked eyebrows, set against painfully pale skin.
"Illumi! It's Illumi!!" she expelled in an explosive breath of excitement and rushed him, gathering the fragile figure into a crushing embrace. It was only when Illumi began to splutter and wheeze that she released him and set him back onto the ground again, helping to smooth out the wrinkles on his jacket.
"Oops." She grinned, patting Illumi so hard that he almost fell forward.
Illumi stood up straight and looked up into Rogina's eyes which were suddenly alight with life and fire. She was a full head taller than him and she wasn't in heels yet.
"I can't believe it. I haven't seen you since the principal died and your entire family moved away."
"And I can't believe how much you've changed." His hand reached out tentatively to feel the tips of her hair between his fingers with a look of reminiscence. "You've cut your plaits."
Rogina gave a deep laugh. "I cut them almost immediately after you graduated and moved away. It's difficult to care for long hair when you're captain of school sports."
The back of his cold fingers brushed briefly against her cheek like the caress of the cold winter morning's icy wind. His smile was almost sad as he became momentarily lost in his own thoughts.
"Please give my apologies to the young lady we interrupted. If it means anything – we weren't laughing at her, but it was something silly that I did."
"It doesn't matter" she waved in dismissal, her previous wrath completely forgotten. "We always tease her about her singing anyway and she gets over these things pretty quickly. Here, I should give you my contact number. Find me some time so we can catch up. I've got to return to my table." She reverted back into her nasty and ferocious grin once more in particular at Abel. "Have a nice evening, girls."
Illumi accepted the piece of paper from her with a mobile phone number hastily scribbled on it. He watched her return to the actors from the new Galaxy Institute, all boisterous with laughter.
"Damn – I really think we should join her in. I love that sexy alto voice she has. It's something different from the constant sickeningly cutsey voice all other actresses seem to have." Xelloss said in a tone that could be described as admiration. Alucard and Karasu both nodded appreciatively in agreement, completely taken by and impressed by Rogina's courage and frank open nature despite her last insult in the end. She was someone to look out for in the near future.
"And thank you so much for your concern over my near fatal predicament." Abel drawled sardonically, examining the crushed buttons on his shirt and its general mangled state.
"Stuff the shirt Abel, I think it looks better that way." Kuroro smirked and offered him another drink, all in good humor.
Illumi quietly excused himself to go to the bathroom and another number was called out.
"Ooo! That's your number Yomi."
The blind man smiled at his wife. "You take my turn. Everyone knows I can't carry a tune even if my life depended on it."
Partway during her performance, Kuroro noticed that Buunchu and Abel had suddenly disappeared under the cover of darkness, but arrived shortly after Mistress finished. Karasu had to leave soon after when his son rang his mobile and threatened to set fire to the house and likewise, Franklin received another emergency call from his wife as well.
The night continued without much more trouble or uprisings and everyone continued to talk quietly amongst themselves whilst others sang. It soon approached 1am and Gon prepared to leave with Killua.
"Urgh…need to go to the bathroom." Gon groaned.
"Need to wash my hands too." Killua waved goodbye to the co-actors and headed towards the washroom with Gon.
"I think I've had too much ice cream. How many servings did you end up having Killua?"
"Only 2. How many did you have?"
"6."
Killua laughed out loud. "Ouch! That's gotta be painful."
"Not as painful as Abel being disgraced by a woman in front of so many people though."
They both shared the same grin. "Serves him right. I always considered him to be a petty, small man. How on earth he got into the Ex Club is beyond me."
Gon pushed the bathroom door open. "I think it's because he was one of the founders. Graude Foundation has been around for longer than half the other studios – "
"My god!" they both whispered fearfully, surveying the carnage and damage
to the luxurious washrooms before them. The two great slabs of polished
mirror on either side of them had been smashed and broken. Damp, scrunched
up paper hand towels were messily strewn around the marble floor and the
metallic cylindrical trash can lay abandoned and desolate under one of
the wash basins, dented and cracked. There were drops and splatters of
blood here and there. Both boys clung to each other and after the initial
paralyzing wave of fear passed, then made a mad dash for Hotel Security.
Saturday, 9:45am
Naruto aimed a paper airplane that he'd neatly folded and took aim at Hiei's head. The airplane took off from his skillful fingers, sailed through the air but given the mysterious forces of gravity and air currents, or perhaps the tail wasn't adjusted correctly, it landed in one of Chibi Usa's pink buns on either side of her head. She gasped in fury and snatched the offending object from her hair and read the crude message inside.
I think you stink >>
She savagely tore up the paper into a million bits and turned around to glare at the rows of innocent faces behind her. Yahikio from Mejin Dynasty was trying to outdo Killua and Alluka again with outrageous stories of bravery. Gon's arms hung limply by his side and he leant forward at an uncomfortable position to rest his chin on the table whilst his fingers nearly brushed the ground. His eye bags were so dark today that he looked almost like a raccoon, and his clothes were so wrinkled that it looked like he had slept in them. Scowling with disdain at such sloppiness, she shifted her glare to another corner of the room where Sasuke sat alone, so engrossed in the music that was blasting into his ears from his MD player that he couldn't have been the one to have thrown the airplane. And besides, Sasuke was way too mature for that. Chibi Usa took note of the way that Anna and Sakura were giggling conceitedly. She knew that they were stealing glances at her when they thought she wasn't looking in their direction. Chibi Usa turned her nose towards the air and sniffed. Fame turned a lot of people into green eyed monsters of jealousy. To her left and up the front of the room, Yoh and Hao were adding the last touches to their homework, namely the last three of the five pages of their weekly maths assignment with Shinta rapidly dictating the answers to them. Hiei and Tao Ren were leading the discussion with Rinku, Zuuchi and Amanuma, the five biggest hardcore gamers to possess every type of console known to man and frequently conducted massive three day marathons on multiplayer networking systems. That left only Naruto sitting and looking off vaguely towards the blank whitewashed walls, whistling a silly tune.
Having identified the culprit, Chibi Usa was about to vent out her rage when a chilling presence dominated the room. It was an oppressive overwhelming that forced everyone to still and gaze attentively at the door. The Prince had arrived.
Xelan was eleven and had an angelically innocent face, having inherited his mother's his large cerulean eyes and soft pinkish lips that seemed incapable of evil smiles or harsh words. And even if he did wear rainbow stripped suspenders with his brown pants and white shirt, he still looked damn fine. He most prized the long waist length purple hair that he had, the exact same hue as his dad. His hair was tied loosely with a black ribbon halfway down his back.
Beside him with a cocky and arrogant grin on his face was "Prince Kaéry" – a monstrous brat who had always been kept in check by his uncle, but of late, he was on the rampage, finding no worthy adversary for his skill and wit. His glossy jet black hair was short and fashionable, his once sparkling blue eyes hidden by the violet contact lens he had adopted to look more like the splitting image of his father. Although only twelve years old, he was already the private operator of the extensive and multi-million dollar train service industry in St Petersberg. Kaéry had mastered a number of languages, all of which he spoke naturally and fluently, and one couldn't help thinking that the cruel mocking in his eyes was a testament to his genius and how he flaunted his abilities and powers and laughed at anything that could not conquer him. He could talk and speak like an adult, possessed a shrewd and calculating look that was evidently beyond his years, but at the same time, could resort to the same childish antics of the other young actors gathered here on a Saturday morning.
Today, there was another boy behind them, over a head taller, and a face that Chibi Usa instantly recognized.
"Shura? What are you doing here? I thought you had your own private tutors!" Rinku called out from the back of the room, waving to catch the boy's attention.
The other boy shrugged. "I've gone through six tutors this fortnight already. None of them were up to scratch, so dad thought that if Saturday school is good enough for Kay and Xelan, then I should give it a shot too."
Kaéry gave a small laugh. "Hate to burst your bubble Shura. We are only here to socialize and remind ourselves that we are still children and subject to certain social restraints."
"Apparently subject to certain restraints." Xelan, the quieter of the two said.
"This place doesn't teach you how to manipulate your parents either." Tao Ren muttered scathingly, angry enough to say it, but without the guts to tell that straight to Prince Kaéry and Xelan's face.
But Kaéry's sharp ears distinctly caught up this bitterness. "Of course not. It comes so naturally to us, does it not Xelan? Otherwise we'd be like Shura here, sitting up till three o'clock in the morning, waiting for his mum and dad to return. I wanted to play Twister last night, and Grandpa's too old for those games and it's boring with just me and mum. So I managed to get dad home by eleven thirty last night."
"And what excuse did you use this time?" Xelan set his books down onto his usual table and pulled his seat out.
"I said I was going to burn down the house and the duplicate certificates of title to all of Dad's properties if he didn't come home immediately."
Xelan pursed his lips in thought. "That's a good one. Got to remember that."
"And Shura – why is that dog following us?" Kaéry peered inquisitively behind Shura from his seat, genuinely puzzled. The taller boy looked delighted.
"You thought he was real too? He's Pug – my mum bought him home last night. So you see, it was worth staying up to wait for them."
Xelan and Kaéry almost jumped out of their seats, including the rest of the room who had cautiously gathered around look at the pug sitting on its haunches some two feet away from Shura.
"You mean he's not real?"
"Yup – he's a stuffed doll that can move and do a few other tricks. I told mum that I always wanted a dog, so she got me one which doesn't crap over the carpets or anything."
Xelan knelt down beside the pug and ran a hand over its smooth body. He looked astonished.
"It's warm!"
"Damn," whispered Kaéry, a look of excitement and desire in his eyes. Then in a plaintive voice, said "Shura, make it do something else."
Before the new boy could act, Math's teacher Saitou Hajime strode into the room, an unyielding and harsh expression (as always) on his face, his beady eyes glaring at all the children.
"What are you all doing? Get back to your seats and open your textbooks immediately!" he snapped.
Whilst most of the children obeyed, even Killua (although he had to drag his brother back to his seat), a look of hateful resentment instantly surfaced on Kaéry's face and Xelan's once pleasant disposition began to waver and he didn't look so pleased anymore. Shura patted Xelan's shoulder comfortingly. Then, he snapped his fingers.
"Pug!"
The mechanical animal turned to face the owner of the voice and watched Shura point to Saitou to snap another command.
"Kill!"
Giving three ferocious barks in recognition of the command, Pug whirled around to face Saitou, then without further ado, ran straight for Saitou's leg and immediately bit onto the foot of his trousers, shaking his head left and right viciously, growling at the same time.
Saitou's reflexes told him to shake his feet and curse.
"Stupid mutt! Shoo! Shoo!"
The class dissolved into a solution of peals and hoots of laughter as the dog's tenacity didn't give in and the harder Saitou shook, the more resolve the dog hung on.
"HA HA HA! HA HA HA!" Kaéry tried to speak, but he choked as all his words were stolen away by the intense laughter and he continued laughing after he fell off his chair and lay curled up on the floor. Xelan's characteristically morbid and desolate expression gave way to the infectious chuckles and giggling all around him. Pug was very humorous.
"Who owns this dog? I asked WHO OWNS THIS BLOODY DOG!"
"No more, no more!" Alluka gasped, his face muscles strained and cramped – it was the delicious kind of torture, it hurt and was painful, yet you just couldn't get enough of it for some reason. His whole body was wracking with pain from the violent shakings and there were no signs that they would subdue and no intention of wanting the hilarity to stop. Alluka closed his chunky maths textbook and sank his teeth into his textbook. It was getting out of control.
"AK-SOKU-ZAN!" Saitou screamed with unholy fury and did a David Beckham style kick which finally got rid of the small animal and sent Pug flying through the air in a perfect parabolic arc out the door.
"Y=-x2 !" Rinku hollered, watching Pug soar and sanity was
promptly destroyed for the next half hour. Kaéry had to be sent
to sick bay after suffering difficulty breathing, later diagnosed as mild
hyperventilation and he carried a portable tank of oxygen and mask for
the rest of the day.
"Look at the almighty Prince, wearing his oxygen mask like a badge." Tao Ren whispered later during class after Saitou gave up teaching for that morning and the other teacher took over. "Getting so worked up about one toy dog. How immature."
"Shut up Ren!" Hiei hissed, careful to see that Phinx, the English teacher, was not looking in his direction. "You can bitch about him later. This guy's worse than Saitou!"
There was a small chuckle from Zuuchi. "But you have to admit that Pug was hilarious." He whispered.
"Look at Alluka's textbook. It's in ruins and covered with drool!" Amanuma gestured to the soggy maths book that lay discarded on the floor.
"Like your shirt is in a better state!"
"ALRIGHT! Who's not concentrating on their composition? Mr. Hiei – I take it that your essay on the humors of someone's misfortune and misery is complete?" Phinx's voice cut through the dull silence like a blade if dry ice.
"No sir." Hiei replied quietly, refrained himself from rolling his eyes and concentrated back onto the task at hand.
Pug stuck its head out of Shura's bag and gave a soft whine. He hissed
a "No" and the dog stuck its head back into the confines of the black backpack
again.
During the half hour class break at eleven thirty, after a grueling and deadpan hour of English with the unusually harsh and unfriendly Phinx, the classroom of child actors dispersed into small groups again. Alluka took this opportunity to approach Shura and extended a warm and friendly hand.
"Nice to meet you Shura. I've decided to make you my idol for this running week for that stunt you just pulled off on Saitou. And it's your first day here as well. Gees – you better not let him know that Pug is yours otherwise you'll never hear the end of it from him and he'll pick on you for the rest of the year."
Shura shook the enthusiastic boy's hand and looked down at Pug with pride and affection.
"Pug is going to stay inside my backpack for the rest of the day after ruckus he just caused. I have enough sense than to annoy the teachers, but of course, I fully welcome and appreciate your advice and concern."
"Don't sweat on it. You're my idol for the week remember?"
They shared the same laugh, and it did not go past Killua unnoticed.
"I just knew it." He groaned aloud. "Mixing in with the troublemakers like bees are attracted to honey. What is it with my brother and his fondness for trouble?"
"What's the matter Killua, can't even handle your own brother?"
Killua scowled at Yahiko's condescending tone. "Buzz off. Like you have any idea what it's like to have to look after a hyperactive danger-attuned sibling."
The brown haired kid shrugged, his voice tinged with triumph. "Well, it just goes to show that you apparently don't have what it takes to be a big brother."
The white haired boy became fed up. He raised his voice for the whole class to hear "Look Yahiko, I'll tell once and for all, in plain and clear words: I.am.not.interested.in.you I know you want to give people yaoi ideas about us by the way you want me to argue and bicker with you all the time, but I just won't go along with it ok? I want no part in your sick fantasies."
This devastating sally was followed by a moment of stunned silence from the whole class. Then, a single, steady series of claps rang clearly and loudly from a maliciously grinning Kaéry. Xelan had also turned around, and he was looking at Killua with something akin to respect.
"That was a very good come back." He complimented in his quiet voice. Shura whistled appreciatively.
Yahiko tried hard to maintain an impervious smile, but the muscles were twitching at the sides and his façade started to crack.
"Actually Killua, I would think that you would make the perfect female counterpart to me, given the vast amount of experience you have in mothering– oh, but that's right, it's because your mother left you that you've had to look after your brother like a mother should."
"Ouch, getting onto one's mothers is despicable and dirty." Xelan solemnly narrowed his eyes, suddenly looking very much like his father but his voice remained quiet and polite. "If you had said those words to me, I would have knocked your teeth out, bankrupted your family and have you live on the streets for the rest of your miserable life as a beggar." The threat was only made the more spine chilling by the very lack of compassion and indifference in Xelan's voice. That muttered quietly to the still and silent room, Xelan turned around back to the front of the room again to face the blackboard.
Gon tiredly tapped Killua on the shoulder. He not only sounded tired, but bored as well.
"I think at this point, most fics require you to perform the obligatory rolling of sleeves, pouncing on each other, tipping over of some chairs, rolling on the floor trying to strangle each other, then wait for the teacher to come in to separate the both of you."
"Um Gon, I don't think that this fic is like "most fics" though." Killua patiently pointed out.
Gon thought about it in his semi comatose state. He very much resembled a zombie right now. "You're right – what do you have to do?" he said monotonously.
"Come back with another wittier reply I guess." Killua shrugged, then frowned, thinking hard thumb and index finger slowly tracing his jaw line.
"Well, what Yahiko basically said is true however. If you want me to defend my mother, then I'll ask the audience to wait a million years. There you go Yahiko, scandalize her as much as you want – in fact, I could give you the name of several gossip columns for you to defame her. God knows I hate her guts enough after she betrayed my family and left me to fend for myself and look after my brother. How Yahiko can see anything feminine about fulfilling my brotherly duty is clearly beyond us all. Perhaps I should invite him to explain his twisted logic?"
"His logic would share something common with the people in straight jackets who live in white padded rooms." Shura uttered aloud, fulfilling his duty as 'Idol of the week'.
Several snickers followed and laughter rumbled in all their throats, but they had enough civility to keep it compressed. That was until approaching footsteps rendered them wary and cautious again and all eyes were fixed onto the open doorway, an alluring open of space tentatively about to reveal a delicious secret. The room became unnaturally still as the ringing footsteps appraoched…plod…plod…plod…plod.
Principal Gaav stormed into the room with a small and delicate girl by his side. Her eyes were slightly puffy and red, forehead creased into a perpetual frown and lips in a grumpy pout. Gaav seemed not happier either. His forehead was beaded with sweat and he was doing all he could to prevent himself from settling into his usual ugly scowl.
"All right you bunch of well off, impatient, nasty and arrogant brats!" he began with the usual fiery address. "This is a new classmate – you all call her Karuto – she's new to town with her family and will soon be joining Hunter Works. Now, either someone be her friend, or if I see her leave the school grounds all by her lonesome, it will be detention for you all."
"What bit you on the bum today sir?" Naruto cheekily called from the back of the room. Principal Gaav's face darkened but said nothing and gave Karuto a slight shove forward.
"Well," he hissed "introduce yourself."
Karuto recklessly glared at him and made to grumble. "There really isn't much that I can say that you haven't said already, sir."
"Er….um….then why don't you mingle with the group then. Well, don't just stand there glaring daggers at me! Move it! Chop chop!"
He literally shoved her forward, spun on his heels and stalked out of the room, but on his way out, he ran into someone whose bulk had nearly taken up all the space in the hall way.
"Gods! Out of my way!"
Karuto still didn't move a step from the front of the class room and looked anything but willing to be in the classroom full of other child actors. Her bloodshot eyes glared at the desperately gesturing looming figure from the doorway and mouthed certain curse words.
"Don't just stand there!" Milluki hissed, urging her like one would at a fly that wouldn't go away. "Go find Killua!"
"I'm not going anywhere! Aniki was supposed to see me off to school today! He's not here!" she screamed at him with the full force of her fury and gripped a duser, then flung it with all her strength at the fat boy.
"Damnit! Karuto! Stop that this instant!"
"Where's Aniki! I want Aniki to see me off! I want Aniki!"
Milluki had no choice but to enter the classroom, draped in embarrassment and beckoned to Killua and Alluka to come forward. He spoke to them in a hushed, rapid voice.
"I'm sorry to bring this on you guys, but could you help me look after Karuto today?"
"What's up with her?" Alluka stole a side glance at the enraged girl, still in front of the blackboard, now venting out her anger and frustrations on the teacher's chair.
The fat boy slapped his forehead in frustration, sighing with defeat but didn't have enough strength to talk. "Look, to cut a long story short, big bro promised to take Karuto here this morning, but he didn' come home last night and I slept in, that's why we are late. And that's why no one else was at home to help Karuto do her hair or pick her clothes. And that's why she's ultra angry right now. Just tell her that she looks fine and accompany her for the rest of the day, pretty please?"
"We saw Illumi-san last night at the Elysian karaoke venue. He left halfway…didn't he go home after that?"
Milluki shook his head to clear his thoughts. "That doesn't matter. Big bro is an adult – he can go wherever he likes, I'm not questioning that. But he should have been here for Karuto damnit – I can't help her pick her clothes you see! Gah! Look at her! Please, please help me out – I'll do anything."
"No problemo. Alluka and I will see to the situation right away."
"Good. I'll just explain the situation to Karuto then. KARUTO! Come here! Now!"
The little girl fumed but acquiesced, stalking over with death in her eyes.
"Get rid of that look. You know Killua and Alluka from dinner the other night. Now stay with them for the rest of the day, and I'll be back to pick you up at two."
"I want Aniki!"
"Well aniki is not going to be here!" Milluki growled testily, finally having lost his cool and the temper beginning to rise. "You'll have Killua and Alluka-kun instead. You will behave and act like a good little girl. You will pick up the chair you kicked over and put this duster back on the blackboard sill. You will then sit at your table and open your textbooks and wait for the next teacher to arrive."
"I Hate Your Guts!" Karuto screamed at the top of her lungs.
"Enough of that young lady! You can take it out on Aniki when he gets home." Milluki pushed the three of them back in without warning with his great fat hands and took the startled opportunity to hastily disappear. Killua was about to holler out to the retreating body. He didn't want to pursue the matter further and gave up with a sigh.
Killua steered the girl back into the room filled with curious actors. "Come on Karuto – you just keep quiet for the next two hours and then we'll help you look for your brother." He then raised his voice to address his peers. "Can everyone please stop gawking at her? She's just another actor who'll shortly become one of us."
"Just another big baby, kind of a bit like you Kay." Xelan smirked at his friend. Kaéry easily shrugged off the insult and laughed.
"I wish I had elder siblings to pamper me, but unfortunately, I don't so I have to make do. Karuto-chan on the other hand must have attention from not only her parents, but also two elder ni-chans as well. And by the looks of things, it looks like she gets their attention pretty well." The Prince's smile turned from light hearted to malevolent. "Just like us. Welcome to the class Karuto." He declared.
When the Prince makes a declaration, no one in their right minds would challenge.
As Karuto passed, Chibi Usa made a comment.
"Screaming and yelling and throwing a tantrum in public is just so unprofessional and unladylike." And this was said with as condescendingly and scathingly as was possible for a ten year old girl.
And Karuto did not hesitate in taking offence and promptly punched her out.
The class went into an uproar of loud cheers and shouts of joy. The teachers decided it was best not to enter the battlefield of screaming and cursing from a particular pink haired girl who was loosing a nasty little cat fight. Large clumps of hair hung limply from her ruined buns and her left cheek was stinking with pain from the last slap.
"You little bitch!" she grated and threw her maths textbook at the new girl. Karuto ran behind the front desk and crouched, avoiding the missile. Her hand reached for the duster again, and with deadly accurate precision, aimed the object right between Chibi Usa's eyes.
There was a flat, low sound as it connected with target and Chibi Usa clamped her hands over her bleeding nose and fled from the room, sobbing in pain.
Karuto coldly watched the girl flee and took up her seat beside Kaéry, who cockily grinned at her. His eyes, alight with unfettered interest and joy, never left hers as he took her hand and brushed his cold lips across the back of her hand. He spoke with a voice that did not know a day's worth of insecurity or uncertainty.
"My name is Kaéry, and I think I'm going to like you very much. Care to join us afterwards for lunch?"