AN:

Thanks to everyone who reviewed.

Disclaimer: I do not own the PoT characters.

WARNINGS AU, slash, many, many Ocs (original characters)

Chapter 8

Mrs. Himiko glanced up from the application form, running a hand through her raven black hair. "So your name is Fuji Syusuke?"

The boy seated on the opposite side of her office desk nodded.

It was odd, the teacher thought, how he never opened his eyes. And the way he was always smiling….It could have been nothing, but somehow, his whole appearance managed to generate an air of mystery.

Riffling through the papers, she nodded to herself. "Why do you want to join journalism?"

"Saa, I have always wanted to try writing and taking pictures for the newspaper. It's always good to experience possible future job options, ne?"

And of course, working for the school nrespaper presented so many possibilities.

"Do you have any previous experience in either field?"

"Writing has mostly been for class, but photography has always been a hobby of mine."

"What can you contribute to the newspaper?"

"I can make it interesting. I'm—skilled—at finding unusual stories."

Was it her imagination or had that statement sounded almost sinister? But Himiko blinked and the momentary smirk had gone to be replaced by that charming smile, leaving her to wonder if it had ever been there to begin with.

"All right, that will be all for the interview," she said. "I will look over your portfolio and let you know if you have been accepted as soon as possible."

Fuji stood, bowing politely as he pushed in his chair. "Arigatou."

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"Do we have a play picked out?" Sango asked as the eight regulars took seats about the locker room.

"Aa," Ryoma confirmed. "I handed in our drama plan this morning."

Everyone fell quiet.

"So," Sanga began, breaking the silence. "What exactly is this play about?"

"Here." Haru rummaged through his locker and passed out a package of paper to each person. "I made copies of the script."

The locker room filled with the sound of turning pages as people scanned the story. With every cursory glance, Ryoma's heart sank.

"Sooo," Daisuke drawled, shutting his package with a dubious expression. "Let me get this straight. The story is actually being told by this court jester who witnessed it a few years back—so he's like a sort of prologue?"

Sanga snickered. "I bet we all know who that's going to be."

Daisuke ignored him. "When the heir of the kingdom was born, the king is summoned by the royal seer and is given a prophecy on the new princess. Blah, blah, blah—an apprentice magician meets the princess on accident when she sneaks out of the castle when she was sixteen. When the king sent for the land's best magicians to protect his daughter from the enemy in the prophecy, he volunteers to be her protector, only people laugh cause he's barely older than the girl herself—"

"Ah, you don't need to retell the whole story to us," Sango objected. "In short, there's a demon clothed in a human body who's looking for a power source to regain his true form and this," he waved his packet, "tells of the struggle for the survival of the kingdom."

"That sounds right," Shikara agreed in his silky voice. "I shall volunteer to be the demon if there are no objections. Bas guys are always such interesting characters."

Minou pulled out his notebook and started a list. "That's one character covered. There are still seven—the king, his advisor, the seer, the ghost, the hester, the princess, and the magician."

Daisuke mulled this over then, slowly, an evil smile spread across his face. "Sooo, who's going to be the princess?"

Several reasonable debates, unreasonable arguments, shouting matches, and thrown objects later, Minou penned the last name into the last vacant spot. Tearing out the page, he handed it to Haru, who taped the list on the locker room wall. The actors had been arranged in alphabetical order, but that was about the only observation he could make before a furious shout sent the lot of them outdoors onto the tennis courts.

"Everyone, twenty laps!"

As the locker room was shut, light from the clear afternoon fell through the small window set in the door upon the words written in blue ink upon the page:

Daisuke: court jester

Fuji: magician

Haru: king

Minou: trusted advisor

Ryoma: princess

Sanga: seer

Sango: ghost

Shikara: demon wizard

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A disgruntled Ryoma left the courts without waiting for Fuji. With every step, he mentally berated the prodigy for bringing up that ridiculous story for the play. He didn't care! He wouldn't be caught dead in a dress!

Fuji didn't catch up with him till he was a block away from home. Unperturbed by the glare he received from the younger boy, he settled into an easy stride beside him.

"Ne, Ryo-kun, are you going to attend the Halloween dance?"

Ryoma paused at the gate to the front garden, hand on the latch. "No."

"Saa, but it'll be fun."

Pushing the gate open with more force than was necessary, Ryoma stalked past him. "Then you go."

"You owe me," Fuji reminded him pleasently.

The shorter boy stopped, staring up at him in confusion. Then as the realization dawned on him, his face darkened into a glower, but there was nothing he could do about it.

"I hate you."

Fuji merely chuckled. "I love you too. Now, let's finish up homework and get ready."

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As six o'clock arrived, Ryoma was not at all pleased to find himself sitting on his bed while Fuji inspected his wardrobe. The dance was at seven.

"For the last time, Fuji-sempai. I refuse to wear a costume."

"But, Ryo-kun," the tensai all but purred over his shoulder. "You would look so cute—"

"Don't finish that sentence," Ryoma warned, scowling. "I won't and that's that. Yada."

A disappointed look crossed Fuji's face but it was gone as soon as it appeared, replaced by the usual smile as he conceded. "All right, but at least wear something more appropriate."

Pulling a few items from the wardrobe, he tossed them lightly towards the bed. Snatching the garments from midair, Ryoma examined them closely. Deciding that they were okay, he glanced suspiciously at Fuji.

"What about you? I don't see you changing."

Fuji flashed him a fanged smile. "I will in just a moment."

Ryoma blinked. Great. He was going out with a vampire.

TBC

AN: Thanks for reading and please review.