Whiteness surrounded Tamaki. To his left and right, up and down, in front and in back… just unsettling blank white that drove him to run faster. After what seemed like an eternity of nothingness, Tamaki saw a hole open up in front of Gianna, and he broke into a run to reach it before it closed up.
The next thing Tamaki saw when his vision came back into focus was a moderately sized, sparsely decorated western style room. The walls were off white and bare, a small window on one side and an even bigger one on another. A bed was pushed up against the corner, a small nightstand right beside it. A couch rested a few feet away, complete with a small coffee table. Next to him, Tamaki found a wooden dresser, books and various knick knacks piled on top in an unorganized mess.
And Gianna stood right next to it.
"Hey!" Tamaki reached out, intending to spin her around and demand answers.
She stepped out of reach and quickly removed a flesh-colored bracelet from her wrist. It had been completely unnoticeable when Gianna was wearing it, but now Tamaki could clearly see it's rubber like quality along with the words stamped all the way around it's circumference.
M.S. CORP
Tamaki blinked, turning the letters over and over in his mind trying to understand their meaning. Strange movement out the corner of his eye ended that train of thought. Tamaki watched, utterly stunned, as Gianna's odd waist length blue hair literally receded into her head and changed to an average mouse brown. She lost several inches in height and gained a significant amount around her waist line. In the space of three seconds, the unnaturally beautiful Gianna had transformed into an, honestly, rather plain young woman.
She gave a long sigh, scratching at her cropped hair and turned around. Her eyes widened a bit when she saw Tamaki, but otherwise, she seemed entirely unbothered by his presence.
"I knew it," she muttered, rubbing the bridge of her nose between two fingers. "I guess you want an explanation, huh, Tamaki?"
Wordlessly, he nodded, the truckload of questions in his mind full to bursting. The girl nodded and motioned for her couch and Tamaki's quivering legs somehow managed to cross then room and plop him down beside 'Gianna.'
The girl laced her fingers together in her lap and exhaled deeply out her nose. Tamaki watched her every move, half expecting a futuristic gun to pop out of her arm at any moment. Or perhaps she'd pull back the skin on her head to reveal a bulbus alien head underneath. These increasingly out there thoughts did little to relax or even agitate Tamaki, they merely helped him figure out what question he should ask first.
"Who are you?"
She clicked her tongue. "I had a feeling you'd ask that."
Tamaki scowled at her.
"Well, first of all, my name isn't really Gianna Tsuki. It's Kate, Kate Forrest."
Kate held out a hand and Tamaki very cautiously took it. He pulled away fast after two wooden shakes, still not trusting this strange girl.
"Where is Haruhi?" This question was more a demand and may have sounded a bit more rude than Tamaki would have liked, but he could hardly find it in him to care at the moment. "What have you done with her?"
"Nothing," Kate answered calmly. "She's fine, she's just in incubation right now."
"Incubation?" Tamaki cried, shooting to his feet. "What does that mean?"
"Would you calm down?" Kate exclaimed, standing up as well. "Just let me explain everything. Sit."
She pointed to the couch, and gave a fervent gesture when he didn't obey fast enough. Once both were seated again, Kate regained her bearings and went on.
"This isn't the easiest thing to explain," she shook her head slightly. "Even I don't understand all of it. It's a lot of physics stuff and math was never my thing…"
Kate trailed off when she noticed Tamaki's glare and coughed nervously.
"Right. Well, before anything else, you should know that you're currently in a different universe than your own."
Tamaki had no answer to that. He wasn't even sure he'd heard her right. Kate waited a moment to see if he'd respond, and continued when he didn't.
"This universe is the same as yours in a lot of ways," she said reassuringly. "But different in several others. For one thing… oh boy, this isn't easy."
"Just tell me," Tamaki pressed.
Kate jumped, as if not expecting him to say anything.
"Well…" she paused again. "The thing is around here… you're kinda sorta a fictional character."
Tamaki blinked, then he opened and closed his mouth, then he blinked again. "…what?"
"See, you're part of a popular shojo series called Ouran High School Host Club. Whenever a show gets really big, fans with creative talents… and some without… will draw fanart and dress up as their favorite characters and, if they have the patience, write fan fiction. That's where I come in.
"My company, M.S. Corp, deals primarily with a certain type of fan fiction, the type that new writers tend to go towards more than any other. See, in regards to your show, you are what's known as a 'canon character:' a character created by the original writer. Fanfic writers will often be so enamored with the story, that they'll desire to have a place in it, or at least a character that can represent themselves and interact with the canon characters in their place. These are 'Original Characters' and my job is to play the part of an original character in any given fanfic. Gianna is just one in a long line of OC's I've had to play."
Kate stopped, maintaining eye contact with Tamaki.
"I- I don't understand," he said in a slight daze.
Kate sighed. "Okay… basically, an Original Character placed in an established universe such as your own is considered a foreign element. If written well, they can find a place within the story being told, but they're still non-canon and therefore not truly belonging to the canon universe. Gianna is one of those characters. Because she is a foreign element, she would be unable to exist on your world without someone to essentially play her role. My company employs thousands of actors to go into various universes and play Original Characters. That bracelet you saw me take off is company issued and has several purposes.
"See, I'm not from your universe, I don't belong there just like you don't belong in this one. That bracelet acts as a sort of shield, keeping my presence in any given universe from being rejected… or something. I don't know, all the physics and crap makes my head hurt.
"Anyway, it's other purpose is to change my appearance into that of the OC I'm playing at the time. The company really deals in every type of fanfic, but OC-fics are first priority, followed closely by the other most widespread type."
"Which is?" Tamaki felt a weight in his throat as the words slipped past his lips. He had a sinking feeling in his stomach, as if he knew instinctively that he wouldn't like the answer.
But before Kate could give one, the door swung open, granting a very small and very unhappy figure entrance.
"Dammit, Kate, why was the goddamn front door locked? AGAIN?"
Tamaki was taken aback by the young man's language, but Kate was unaffected.
"It wouldn't hurt your precious masculinity to admit you forgot your key, Jared."
The one called Jared growled and slammed the door hard enough to leave a large crack. This astonished Tamaki, as the young man didn't look like he had the strength to even crack open a peanut. Jared had a baby face, accented by tousled blonde hair and large blue eyes perpetually wide in a feminine way. In fact, everything about Jared's appearance screamed 'effeminacy,' from his face to his muscle free body. The young man spared Tamaki a disinterested gaze.
"Who's this loser?" he questioned an unamused Kate.
"This
loser," she answered flatly. "Is Tamaki Suoh, from Ouran High School Host Club."
Jared pursed his lips and eyeballed Tamaki again. The Host King stood up at full height, disregarding his earlier judgments of the young man, and put on a smile.
"Hello, it's nice to meet you," the cheerful Tamaki held out a hand. "Jared, was it?"
Jared reared back a fist and sank it hard into Tamaki's stomach. He gasped and staggered back, falling heavily onto the couch beside the now infuriated Kate.
"JARED!" She screamed. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
"He was mocking me!" The short man snapped. "You saw him, standing there all tall and looking down on me. It's not like I can help this shit contract I'm under that keeps me like this! No need to show off your 6.3455343 feet around here like you're some kind of… of… Tallness God!"
Meanwhile, Tamaki was struggling to breathe, having had the wind knocked out of him. Kate gave Jared a shove and turned to him, assisting him in sitting up.
"I'm so sorry, Jared is a little… self conscious about his height and he takes it out on everyone taller than him because he's an ass."
"I can HEAR you!" Jared screamed childishly.
"Good," Kate muttered. "You're an ass… anyway, Jared here works for that other branch I was about to tell you about. See, some fan girls aren't into OCs-"
"Don't you mean Mary Sues?" Jared but in.
"OCs!" Kate forcefully repeated. "Some fans don't like them. Some prefer to pair up two of the male characters that they think would make a good couple, or just plain look good together. That's Jared's job. He specifically plays the role of non-gay canon characters who are put into the submissive role in these yaoi fics. Essentially, he's an uke double."
"Kate, could you NOT talk about my suck filled existence when I'm present?"
"…he's not really fond of the job."
Tamaki stared at Kate, then he stared at Jared, then Kate again, then Jared, and so on and so forth. It got to the point where he wasn't even fully aware of what he was looking at as the information that he was a fictional character started to sink in.
"Okay," he spoke softly. "What you're saying is that I'm not real and people are writing stories about me and my friends that distort our minds and actions? And make my Haruhi disappear?"
"Well, that doesn't always happen," Kate answered with a thoughtful expression. "Sometimes, they just- what are you doing?"
Tamaki sunk lower and lower into the cushions, his entire body going white in a way that probably shouldn't be possible in the real world. A low, steady moan emitting from his slightly hung open mouth.
"He's taking this pretty well," Jared observed with a shrug. Kate glared at him.
"So," Tamaki muttered, regaining himself somewhat. "Now that I know, can I… you know, stop them? The people writing these things?"
Kate looked into Tamaki's pleading eyes and sadly shook her head. "I'm sorry, you can't. As long as they don't try to make any money off it, they can write as much as they want."
The blonde's face fell. He looked down at the couch, unable to bare Kate's sympathetic gaze any longer.
"But you know," he heard her say. "There is one thing you could do."
Tamaki lifted his head, hopefulness piqued spite of everything.
"What?" he eagerly asked.
Kate exhaled deeply and grabbed some bottled water off the coffee table. She took a long drink and set it back down, as if implying that she had a lot to say.
"Well the thing is, you're not the first to learn all of this. Other characters from other fictional universes like Harry Potter, Bleach and Fullmetal Alchemist have all made contact with us and discovered the things being written about them. Most of them were… not happy, let's say."
"Not happy?" Jared snorted. Tamaki almost jumped at the sound of his voice, having forgotten the angry young man was there. "Are you kidding? We've had to rebuild the lobby fifteen times from the temper tantrums these Prima Donnas throw! Remember what Elric did to the garden after he found out about the yaoi? I think the gardener is still in therapy!"
"Ignore him," Kate hissed through grit teeth at Tamaki. "The point is, they didn't like it, same as you. So the company started negotiating contracts with them to determine what type of fics would be allowed to go down in their universes. See, when you're not under contract, you have to play yourself in absolutely anything, no exceptions. With the contract, you can state what kind of fics you don't want your world to have personal involvement in, such as heavily OC centered fics like the one we just came from, or yaoi fics or just fics that pair you with a non-canon love interest. It's all up to you.
"After that, those fics will be staged in what's known as 'Empty Space.' It's that white void we were in before, remember? That space is where all new fictional universes are born, and since it's infinite, we also use it to stage the fics that we are contractually obligated to. All the canon characters are played by actors and stunt doubles, and you never have to see or hear of them unless you do an internet search. You following me, Tamaki?"
The Host King had gone back to melting off the couch and letting out an oddly echoing moan while blood leaked out his ears. Kate face palmed.
"Alright, just come with me," she grabbed Tamaki and pulled him up, leading him towards the door with Jared on their tails.
Tamaki walked in a still fading daze, his eyes going in fifty directions at once as he, Kate and Jared passed numerous cubicle offices and board meeting rooms.
M.S. Corp looked no different than any office building he'd ever been to. Aside from the different décor, it was nothing he hadn't seen ten times before while attending business trips with his father. That didn't stop the uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, like he was on a planet with no oxygen. Kate was still prattling on about the company and how the contracts worked and Jared was sulking and glaring at everyone who walked by, particularly those in any way taller than him. Tamaki had to wonder if this 'uke double' job of Jared's was really that bad.
"So when we see the Vice-president, he'll explain all this better than I can, and then you two can discuss the terms of the contract, and if you want, we could get Haruhi out of incubation and send some employees to get the rest of your friends."
"Other actors?" Tamaki asked.
"Yeah, those bracelets are specially made and cost a lot of money, so they can't make them for just any old employee. The OC actors are the only ones who can go anywhere in a fictional universe. Regular employees can only tay in places that are shielded off. There are bases like that in every universe in cases there's an emergency and an actor can't get back on their own. it's also the place we bring characters who've figured things out, like you. I believe it's a police station in your world."
Tamaki, who was merely letting Kate's words go in one ear and out the other, was brought to rapt attention by the final part of her speech.
"POLICE STATION?" He screamed, drawing quite a bit of attention. "I was attacked in one!"
Kate and Jared sent bewildered glances at each other.
"What are you talking about?" Jared asked.
"I went there to get help finding Haruhi, and they tried to stick me with a needle or something!" Tamaki ranted, waving his arms and running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.
Neither of the 'real world' people were fazed beyond annoyed sighs and forehead rubbing.
"That will have been Bill and Frank," Kate explained.
"They're both retarded," Jared cut in. "You're supposed to just calmly explain the situation to the characters before bringing them here, but those two hate talking so they just knock you out and drag you through the vortex."
"That syringe was probably just a sedative or something," Kate went on.
They spent the next half hour trying to coax (or in Jared's case, beat) Tamaki out of a nearby corner.
"This isn't going to work."
"Knock it off, Jared."
"No, I'm telling you, the Vice-President's an asshole who'd rather sell his daughter to circus clowns for five bucks than spend any money on building sets. This will not work."
"Jared!" Kate whirled around, scowling angrily at her longtime friend. "Are you trying to get him back in the corner?"
The two continued to bicker, but Tamaki was too busy taking in the large, imposing wooden door before them. According to Kate, the Vice-President was behind this door, and would be the one to oversee this contract thing he would be signing. Tamaki wondered if he should take up that offer to bring the others here, but who knows how they'd take all this. He did, however, want Haruhi back immediately. He still didn't know what this 'incubation' entailed, but it didn't sound good to him at all no matter what Kate said.
Not a minute later, the door slowly opened, a creaking noise whining in Tamaki's ears. A middle aged woman in a gray business suit and her red hair in a tight bun looked out at them, completely bored.
"Forrest, Conrad," she drawled. "The Vice-President will see you now."
Kate and Jared instantly quieted and stood, the former motioning for Tamaki to follow.
'I hope Jared is wrong about the Vice-President,'thought Tamaki.
The office was very large, larger than his father's even. Bookcases lined every shelf and whatever wall space wasn't covered by various degrees and honors was plastered with Beatles posters. Near the large window in the back was a plain, wooden desk, and the man sitting behind it was a large, beefy man with graying black hair and a massive handle bar mustache.
The Vice-President studied them, taking extra care with Tamaki, and put down the book he'd been reading while pulling his computer monitor close. He typed something on the keyboard, and the computer whirred for a few seconds before the Vice-President finally spoke.
"Tamaki Suoh," he said in a booming, yet distracted voice. "Male lead of Ouran High School Host Club… 17 years old… born April 8th… Un-contracted…"
The man spoke the last part much slower than the others. His eyes went from whatever was on the monitor to Tamaki, who had to force himself to maintain eye contact. He really didn't like the way this man was looking at him.
"I see that you should be in a fan fiction right now," the Vice-President continued. "A story known as… 'Tamaki and Gianna n luv 4eva!' by 'TamakinGagalurver47,' or Wendee."
Jared retched somewhere in the background.
The Vice-President shifted positions and rested his laced fingers at the front of his desk.
"You know, you being here is detrimental to completing that young girls story. Isn't it part of your character to see that all young ladies are happy?"
Tamaki bit his lip. He tried to tell himself that this man was playing dirty and he shouldn't let himself be cowed, but he couldn't help the guilty feelings this comment aroused in him.
"Sir," Kate stepped forward. "Tamaki here is well aware of that, but he also has to think of his own happiness and that of his friends and loved ones."
"Hmmm…" the man rubbed his chin. "So then, I assume he's here to make a contract?"
Kate nodded while Jared sent a death glare to the large, older man.
Tamaki waited with baited breath, praying to every god possibly in existence that this would work and the Vice-President would turn out to be a nice guy despite the sinister look on his face and give him the contract peacefully.
"I'm afraid that can't be done."
…well, so much for that.
"Why not?" Tamaki demanded, approaching the desk. "Isn't it my right to ask for one?"
"Of course," the Vice-President agreed. "It's your right to ask and it's my right to refuse."
"Wha- wha-" Tamaki was completely lost for words.
"Unfortunately for you," the large man went on. "You came right in the middle of a story, and it would be too much trouble to switch locations from your world to Empty Space now. Not to mention you're only one of the major characters in your series, I'd need to have all seven of them here to make a contract with you."
"Since WHEN?" Jared raged, slamming his fists on the desk. "You're making shit up you greedy bastard!"
The Vice-President was not amused. "Mr. Conrad, I don't appreciate swearing. Must we extend your own contract another few years?"
At this, Jared immediately backed off and ran for the door.
"Sorry, buddy," he called to Tamaki. "Can't help you."
The door slammed shut, leaving Kate to grind her teeth in frustration and Tamaki to desperately plead with the Vice-President.
"Sir, please have a heart," Tamaki begged. "If you won't give me a contract, will you at least let Haruhi out of incubation? Please, she must be cold and scared and wanting her daddy!"
The Vice-President raised an eyebrow. "Oh my, you really are that stupid."
Tamaki had no time to answer that as the large man stood out, revealing that he completely towered over the already tall Tamaki.
"Don't worry about your Haruhi," he sniffed. "I've received word that Ms. Wendee has decided to include her in the story after all."
Tamaki's eyes widened. "She… she has?"
The man smiled, but there was no warmth. "That's right, she managed to find a place for Ms. Fujioka after all. You'll see her when you go back, right about… now."
A vortex opened right in front of Tamaki and Kate. The latter cursed and fumbled for her pocket, pulling out the flesh colored bracelet as an unseen force pulled her towards the swirling hole. She gave Tamaki a deeply apologetic look as she pulled the bracelet on.
"I'm so sorry," she told him, her eyes beginning to change back to Gianna's blue. "Just remember, none of it is real."
Tamaki couldn't answer, he couldn't talk at all. The force of the vortex was impossible to fight and he found himself being sucked into it along with Kate/Gianna. The last thing Tamaki saw was the smug, smirking face of the Vice-President before the white void of Empty Space surrounded him. Tamaki closed his eyes, not wanting to see it and willing an image of Haruhi's smiling face into his mind.
As long as he could see her again, Tamaki could bear whatever happened next.
So Tamaki and Gianna are in an empty classroom practicing for the prom tomorrow. They dance to Just Dance because they cant dance to Dance in the Dark all the time.
"Your a great dancer Gianna," gushed Tamaki.
"You're a great dancer too," said Gianna.
They danced asome more and people watched out the window and took pictures for there face book pages but not twitter because I don't like twitter and neither does Gianna.
Tamaki and gianna were really happy being alone together but then the door slammed open and they saw Haruhi!
"Hold it right there,' the midget girl shouted obnoxiously. "U can't bee wit Tamaki, he's mine."
"Beat it, Haruhi," Tamaki shriekd. "I never liked you that way, you're annoying an ugly and not awesome like Gianna."
"Yeah, go away, Haruhi," shouted everyone else.
"No wai!" Shcreamed the stupid midget. "He luvs me and Gianna's a whore.
Tamaki slaped Harhi.
"NEVER SAY THAT AGAIN!" HE shouted. "YOUR JUST JEALOUS BECAUSE GIANNA IS A TRILLION TIMES BETER THAN YOU!"
And then Haruhi cried like the little bitch she is and runned away, screaming that one day she'd kill Gianna and Take tamaki for herself,
But she won't because she sucks and Gianna is way better an coolr and prettier and would kick her ass all over the place. Tamaki would too because Whoreuhi is a stupid elf midget and he hates her.
Then they danced some more and where happy because stupid Haruhi wuz gone.
A/N: Wow, this chapter kind of sucks. Or maybe that's just me...
I hope I explained everything well enough, but if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
I'd also just like to note that writing that last part of this chapter hurt. A lot. Because I love Haruhi and TamaHaru is my OTP of all OTPs. It really pained me to have to write that... I think I'm going to cry. :,(
And for the record, Jared most frequently doubles for Edward Elric in FMA yaoi fics. Fitting, huh?