(chapter 11)

Oborozuka High School

"Kobayashi-san! O'Reilly-san!"

++WebWeaver101: Not her again.

"What is it this time, Hirada-san?" asked Hikari.

"Why haven't either of you signed up for any club activities?" asked Hirada.

"I thought we'd give that 'go home club' some of the other students were talking about a try," said Kuroko.

"Shut it, you six-eyed freak," said Hirada. "Just because you can sponge of the government, doesn't mean you can drag your sister down."

"Why can my sister sponge off the government, but not myself?" responded Hikari. "And why would either of us want to?"

"Because she's one of those 'liminal' freaks they were talking about on the news, and you're not," replied Hirada. "That's why you have different names, right? Your mother got knocked up by a freak, giving you a freak sister."

Hikari and Kuroko dropped to their knees, laughing. The holographic disguise around Hikari's exo-armour briefly flickering, as she impacted the ground.

++MechaFaerie1337: Dammit! I can't make coherent words. I'm laughing too hard.

++WebWeaver101: I can hear your laughter through your armour.

"You thought Tinkerbell over there was human?" said a random schoolgirl.

"Hey! Only I get to call my sister Tinkerbell," Kuroko said between giggles.

"Sorry," she replied. "Most of us in auto-shop have been calling her that. Hondo is the only guy that hasn't understood the reference."

"It's fine, it's fine," said Hikari, as she calmed down. "The auto-shop guys don't call me that out of malice. Hirada, obviously, still hasn't read any of the information on the eight liminals in the school. This was one of three schools, chosen before the official announcement, to 'beta test' for any problems before properly going on a national scale. Hirada's aunt didn't read her information-pack either. All she saw was extra money lining her pockets. It wasn't until she saw liminals at the middle-school that she bothered to read what she signed for her school district's participation."

Hirada glared at the small audience that was starting to form.

"Out of the three of us that can't hide our non-human nature," continued Hikari, "I think she only picks on you, because we challenged her authority, she hasn't seen Miko-chan yet, and Ilulu being with Aida-san keeps that girl Hirada-san has a crush on from pursuing him."

Hirada briefly went red, before she got angry. "W-what are you talking about? I'm not gay."

"Sure, and there is no such thing as a fairy that can rebuild the engine of a '54 Chevrolet," said Hikari, sarcastically.

===/===

"Taketo-kun, Ilulu-chan, have you met Miko-chan?" asked Sannae, introducing them to a young Kobold girl. "Isn't she just adorable? We sit next to each other in class."

"Hi!" said Miko, excitedly. Her bubbly personality was immediately obvious. Her wagging tail brushed the older Saikawa sister's hand as she jumped around.

"BWEEEE!" came from Sannae as she passed out, pure bliss on her face.

"Oh no! Sannae-chan!" cried Miko, as she tried to catch her. The physical contact causing a line of drool to come from Sannae's mouth. If this was an anime or manga, hearts would be in her eyes.

….and a pixellated thought bubble would be above her head...

===/===

Red lake City, outside the city gates

Duke Freidric looked out of his coach's window, a look of disgust on his face. There were two centaur children, two dragonewts, and about half a dozen children playing some sort of ball-game in the field by the river. There were a group of commoners and non-humans watching from the shade of some nearby trees.

"Commoners and monsters interacting in broad daylight, and so close to the city. It's just not right. Why hasn't my brother put a stop to this? Haargen, go find my brother! Gerhalt, go inform Paladin-lord Clemene!"

"Yes, your grace," replied two voices from outside.

"As for you two," he addressed the two slaves currently servicing himself and the Duchess. "I feel like fondling nekomata breasts for a while. Switch places."

===/===

Freya was brushing Razorfang's hair, while watching the children playing in the field, the nekomata was purring happily in her lap.

"It looks like another of the Order-aligned nobles has arrived in town," one of the centaurs said, indicating a nearby coach, a rider and a runner breaking off from its entourage. "It looks like Duke Freidric." The purring stopped

"So, that moron's got a brother," said Kahl'ryleh-hophiit. "Razorfang looks uncomfortable, for some reason."

"I used to be his, before he got bored with me," said Razorfang's quiet voice. "He probably doesn't even know his new plaything is his own daughter."

"It's more likely he doesn't care," said Kahl'ryleh-hophiit. "My family are Dark Elf Lords. Some of my uncle's concubines were his own daughters for at least four generations. At least my father liked to 'diversify' his harem." She flapped her wings, to add emphasis to her comment. "My mother and seven stepmothers are all different species."

"I don't understand," said the dryad. "Why would someone give into their base instincts so badly?"

"There's no one around willing to correct their behaviour," replied Freya. "I have family capable of cracking this world open like an egg, but we all know right from wrong. From what I've been told, many of the citizens of the Order-aligned nations have been indoctrinated to accept all authority as absolute."

"What are you doing with Freidric-family property?" said an arrogant voice from behind them. "Hand it over, immediately, commoner."

"Like I said," commented Freya, pointedly ignoring the voice. "Indoctrinated. The idiot on my eight believes anything his Duke tells him. He doesn't even check to see if the Duke's claims are accurate."

"Insolent commoner!" The agitation level in the voice increased.

"If he'd bothered to check," she continued, while still pretending to ignore the voice. "He would have found out that I am currently brushing the hair of property of the younger sister of a Crown Princess. If the Duke wishes to challenge this, I'm sure it can be rectified peacefully. The Crown Princess might only take both of the slaves in his carriage as compensation for the insult, or she might leave the Duke and Duchess with only their underwear, as they have their entire Duchy 'Eminent Domained' by her."

"Those are your Duke's choices," said Kahl'ryleh-hophiit, addressing the man behind her. "Both slaves, alive and undamaged, or become a penniless commoner."

The Duke's messenger didn't move. Confusion showed on his face.

"Case in point," said Freya. "He cannot comprehend the idea of making a choice for himself. His making the 'right choice' by obeying his lord is actually a 'wrong choice' because his lord made an incorrect decision. Thinking of even the possibility of his lord being wrong is inconceivable to him, because only 'traitors' think that way. Kahl'ryleh-hophiit, would you like to inform the Duke he owes the Crown Princess compensation, or shall I?

===/===

Tokyo, ICEP branch office

"As you can see, these new uniforms for our security liaisons are not only practical, but they provide a visual impact. The public can clearly see we're out there, keeping them safe. Also, the girls look good in them, which is perfect for any media opportunities that may arise."

"Agent Smith, do you honestly intend to make these 'liminals' part of our law-enforcement?"

"Of course I do. I hope that humans and liminals become fully-integrated into society within the next three to five years.

"Any Japanese citizen, human or liminal, deserves the chance to do their part for society. What scientific advancements did we miss out on, due to a brilliant mind hiding away in a remote forest? What great artists were stuck painting on the inside of a cave wall? Right now, there is a fairy showing her fellow auto-shop students how to get an extra 100HP out of a '54 Chevrolet without additional after-market upgrades. She's showing them how to add a supercharger next week."

"What?"

"You heard me. The town of Oborozuka was chosen as the first of many to include non-human children as students at their schools. Before Miss O'Reilly showed up, even some of the liminals in my office thought that all fairies could do is grow flowers. What other assumptions have we made, based on ignorance and isolation? That is the main purpose of the Interspecies Cultural Exchange Program."

===/===

Red Lake City, outside the city gates

"What now, Freya?" asked Kahl'ryleh-hophiit, as Freya worked on disabling the slave-collars of a young nekomata and a young harpy. One was wearing Kahl'ryleh-hophiit's cloak, and the other was covered by the picnic blanket. The ground around Freya was rapidly growing flowers, and tree seedlings were already beginning to sprout.

"Why are so many rulers of low-tech worlds lolicons?" muttered Freya. "These girls would be barely in middle-school, in our world. At least he wasn't stupid enough to harm them, even if he did push them out of the coach."

CLACK! The first collar sprung open, tears of joy forming on the harpy's face. "Now for the next one," said Freya. "The talks haven't even started, and I've made enemies of at least three people. Razorfang, could you stop hugging your little sister for a moment, so I can get to her collar"