22/12/12 - EDIT!: I have gone through the entire story and revised the chapters. Nothing major has changes besides perhaps a few words here or there. If you want to re-read it feel free to. If you want to review but already have, just PM me, I won't bite :)
16/04/2012 Re:Edit! – Someone was kind enough to inform me that I was spelling Seijuurou's name wrong so I've gone through all the chapters and changed that! Thank you very much 'Kouki' for correcting me
Warning!: There's a little bit of unnecessary swearing in this chapter, and I don't want to take it out... for reasons you'll see in my bottom Author's note.
Please enjoy despite the spelling, grammar, and tense problems I prone to.
To the Untrained Eye.
Clash with the Past
Getting used to living in Japan again wasn't easy for Sena or any of the boys. They had been living in France, America, and Italy over the past five years, pond jumping at any given chance it often seemed. It was a drastic change when they were younger, and now that they were young adults the change was even more drastic, and in some ways, exceedingly uncomfortable.
In Italy they were well known, they often walked into their town to warm smiles and were showered with gifts. They were a mafia- yes that fact is true- but first and foremost Sena was changing Di Fortuna into something intrinsically more protective, first with their immediate families, then with the immediate town, and eventually to the foreign towns in which their other headquarters resided. Sena often thought of themselves as a vigilante group, but of course he knew they were not so righteous.
Feeling somewhat overwhelmed by it all, Sena decided to go for a walk around his old town. He needs to see the school, and he wants to scout his brothers' schools while he's at it.
Knowing full well his brothers won't let him out of his sight he asked Jumonji, Kuroki, and Shozo to follow him. His other brothers were sent on a trip to the various supply stores to stock up on both household and 'work-related' supplies they'd need for the next little while.
"So, Sena, where are we off to today?" Kuroki drummed in his heavily accented voice.
Sena, knowing all three of his companions were somewhat bored turned to them and smiled happily. "We're doing some scouting."
Now, it always amused Sena when he and his more foreign brothers went out anywhere. For one, none of them looked even remotely similar, and secondly, they seemed all too naturally to fall into their mafia atmosphere with Sena naturally taking up residence in the middle of the boys whom people could honestly say were his brothers.
Sena had a distinctly Italian-Asian angle to his face, and his hair- for the most part- fit the norm for both countries. However he was lean, short and often times was mistaken for being a female due to the unfortunate combinations of the two countries.
Jumonji was wide, built like a brick wall with rebar bones. He was distinctly French, just the angles and planes of his body- regardless of the tenacious training he put in- simply wouldn't allow for anyone to mistake his nationality. Then there were his hair and eyes. Both light and bright they stood out in most countries to the east- especially the Asian country they currently resided- and one couldn't even comment on the accent which he so elegantly spoke with.
Then there was Kuroki, dark skinned- more so than the more common resident in most countries- dark eyed and wild haired. He often didn't care for his appearance, he wore thin clothing no matter the climate and often flaunted the naturally forming muscles to the world- that and the underage tattoos he was ever so proud of- no matter the protest from Sena or his other non-biological brothers. Then there too was his own accent, so foreign and strange to most countries, what with the Mexican-French-Japanese-Italian mix that was never truly elegant or pretty.
And of course there was Shozo. The German had the typical build and the somehow always aggressive posture, but his French upbringing made his speech somewhat elegant, if not constantly patronising, at the same time as allowing him to have that aloofness and pride that the German and French people seemed to uphold naturally- if not annoyingly. Though one might think the mixture was strange, Shozo pulled it off- and when he put his mind to it- used it quite advantageously for Sena and his famiglia. Luckily enough for Shozo, his accent wasn't blaringly obvious- especially when speaking Italian- though his Japanese was tough and brutal- something Sena put down to the German he used fluently- his appearance made it so the casual observer would simply place him as a rebellious youth prone to experimenting with hair care products.
Of course, the four of them together was a strange sight to behold- in any country, even those in the far west- so to walk down the quiet streets of the Japanese town was somewhat intimidating to the common populace and it didn't fail to bring a smile and laughter to Sena's lips as he overheard some of the incredibly wild –and somewhat accurate- gossip flying from housewives, labouring husbands, and children alike.
Instead of dwelling on the strangeness that was his famiglia, Sena simply laughed and walked more briskly in the direction of the destination. His brothers smiled- some more openly than others- as they followed closely in their younger brother's footsteps, simply happy he could smile and laugh so openly and happily.
They arrived at the school promptly. The front gates were closed tight, locked during the break from education- but that didn't deter the boys. Walking over to the intercom on the wall- one they knew was rarely used during school time- Jumonji waited for the cracking reply from the man they knew would be waiting promptly for them.
"Hello?" the voice asked with distant interest.
"We are here with Meteora." Jumonji replies smoothly as Sena pulled up his hood.
He was wearing the same pull-over he arrived in Japan with; it was one he wore when dealing with the more civil side of the mafia- the side where more civilians were involved, the ones with whose ties were loose with the mafia. It bore his symbol on the hood and had thin body armour slipped between the two layers of fabric all over- it paid to be careful, even when dealing with civilians. When the hood was pushed back no-one was the wiser what it represented- all in all it was a perfectly –deceivingly- innocent garment, and was one of Sena's favourites for obvious reasons beside it being his favourite shades of red and blue.
Slowly, with a painfully deep creek, the gates opened to show a rather pathetic looking man in a plain grey suit. He dabbed his forehead as he saw the four boys and stepped aside to let them enter the protected walls of the school ground.
"I assume you are Meteora?" the man asked timidly, but Sena knew he was not as timid as he seemed- no one in the mafia could survive with such an attitude.
"You assume correctly." Sena replied, he switches to Italian just to ensure their conversation is not overheard by any of the local Japanese yakuza, they would be a pain to deal with and Tsuna felt not like chasing ignorant lambs.
"Good, then let us go to my office." The man in the old grey suit lead them into the school building before walking steadily to the ornate doors on the bottom floor.
Opening them and ushering his guests inside an audible click resounded in the room. Sena sat gracefully on the couch before the large red-stained desk, Jumonji stayed standing behind him, and Shozo and Kuroki took seats beside him just as gracefully. They looked to the man before them like big cats, dangerous and graceful even in such a mundane and lazy movement.
"No one will be able to disturb us now Meteora sir, but if you wish we will remain in your native tongue." The man replied smoothly.
"No, it is fine, I will believe you Sir." Changing back to Japanese, but not pulling his hood down he watches his brothers shift so as to protect Sena more comfortably. No one said vigilance had to be uncomfortable.
"So, what can I do for you Meteora?" he asked, the man was unassuming, and that was what Sena liked.
It always amazed Sena how many different walks the mafia contained, there were those whom flaunted their power and their status, tattooing their insignia in any possible place, both visible and not. There were those whom people would joke about being part of the mafia, the delinquents- the people who were different. Then there were those like the man before the Sena and his three brother-guardians, he was unassuming, weak and feeble, and looked as though he couldn't intimidate a child. Of course, that was his strength at the end of the day.
"We simply wish to scout sir," Sena began, his boss voice washed over the males in the room and shivers of pride found their ways along the spines of Sena's guardians. "I assume you've received our transfer notices, and I also assume you have dealt with them dutifully?" he questions, under his hood his eyebrow raises, and somehow the principle of the public school reads the expression despite the shadow cast by the hood.
"Of course, you are all accepted, no entrance exam, you will be classed as scholarship students, all in the same class with the same schedule." The principle shifts through his desk drawers and produces four piles of booklets, mostly outlining the school rules, the then produces four small student booklets with a glint in his eye. "These exempt you from all of the more tedious curriculum and expectancies of the other students; use them at your discretion." He smiles as Kuroki leans forward and takes both the paperwork and student passes.
"Thank you, sir." Sena smiles somewhat mischievously. "You are too kind to allow us such privileges."
"Now, I gather there was some more pressing matters you wish to discuss?" the principal continues after a knowing smirk is returned to Sena.
"Aye there is, but this time it is more important that my guardians take the lead in this."
"Oui, Météora." Jumonji explains as he leans forward, his accent suddenly thick. "We wish to scout the school, look over the blue-prints and plan for any... unforeseen circumstances..." he elaborates as he uncrosses his arms.
"I see, yes that is necessary... though there are students you must be somewhat... aware of." Here the man pauses somewhat thoughtfully before standing and gesturing off to the side of the room. "For now let us move to a more... secure area."
The principal leads the young men into a back room, there, sprawled across the rather overcompensating conference table are the blueprints for the entire school, the grounds, and the various off-campus club houses. Moving towards them the guardians do their duties to learn them, use them, and work them to their advantage.
"You have good guardians Meteora sir, you should be very proud."
"Yes, they are the best." Sena smiles from under his hood, and he knows the principal senses rather than feels the love and trust emanating from the expression.
Suddenly, as if prompted by the compliment he could not have heard, Shozo looks to the principal questioningly. "What are all these gun silos? Surely even a mafia connected school does not need so many... there are even some machineguns stored inside... what are you up to?" he questions, his voice thickens with his German accent as he threatens the use of the hidden weapons on his body.
"Ahh, no those are not mine, in fact they are owned by one of our more... troublesome students... his name is Hiruma Youichi... in fact you probably know of his father... let's just say that in order to keep him placated he is given a few privileges. If it weren't for that troublesome father of his I would have had him... dealt with... far sooner than this. Those silos are some of the 'privileges' I give him, though he thinks he controls me." The man in the grey suit snorts with amusement.
The boys in the room laugh aloud at the pure idiocy of the boy. There were many similar stories of mafia men placating the civilians out of some sort of sadistic humour, though, even Sena was guilty of indulging in such acts.
"A Hiruma eh?" Kuroki hummed thoughtfully. "Well, he won't be too difficult to deal with, are we allowed to 'indulge' him also Meteora, sir?"
"If the principal allows it then I see no reason to do otherwise." Sena smiles innocently, the laughter from beside him informs the others that they are in fact being permitted to 'play' with a select few of the students- the Hiruma boy being one of them. Sena may be a more passive aggressor, but he is not about to deny his guardians the practice in manipulation they are so desperately in need of, especially if it is against such a worthy opponent as a Hiruma.
"Right, well Meteora sir we are finished now, Mr. Principal, are we able to take these spares?" Jumonji asks as he straightens. The grey suited man nods and leads the boys out of the school.
"Will I see you in the morning of the first day? Or would you prefer to be introduced at a later date?"
Sena thinks for a moment before turning to the shrugging figures of his guardians. "We'll arrive just after the beginning of school sir, I assume we report to you promptly?" the nod is all the confirmation Sena needs before moving the hood off his head as the gates close behind him. He almost laughs at the ignorance of those outside the school gates, of the principal even.
"So, is everything okay with the school boys?" he asks his guardians as they move towards town and eventually towards Oujo.
"Yes Sena, there are a few annoyances with the placement of the silos, but it figures the idiot has not idea about true tactics." Shozo sighs as he thinks over the awkwardness of the arrangement.
"Ahh, so would it be easier just to find our own way of concealing our equipment?" he asks with some concern. It isn't so much that he has a problem with self-sufficiency from his brothers. It is simply the hassle that they would have to deal with to keep hidden from the silo owner, while still formulating enough contingency plans for every feasible situation that may or may not occur.
"No, it should be fine, I am worried about our holsters though, the school uniforms aren't as forgiving as our work clothes are." Jumonji mentions as he rests his hand against his hip absentmindedly.
Sena's eyes flit to the spot, then to the others he knows conceal both weaponry and the panic tags. Jumonji is the only other guardian with internally concealed equipment of the panic devises nature. Though, it's not out of many of the guardians' choice that this is the case.
Jumonji conceals his panic button in the crook of his left arm. It is easy for him to activate it when he crosses his arms, and in many situations it's that arrogant type of posture that he assumes naturally. As for his receiver, it's concealed in the same place Sena's is, though not because of a scar, simply because he wished to be informed promptly of any danger to the family.
"What do you mean by that?" Sena questions as his eyes travel over the other two members of his company.
Shozo and Kuroki both wanted concealed devises, but their unique physique didn't allow it. Kuroki for one scarred far too easily, and it would be obvious to anyone that something was amiss if he had concealed devises, and Shozo was all muscle and left no room for man mad devises to be hidden.
Instead the brothers-that-weren't-brothers had their panic buttons on signet rings next to the family ring on their right hand. Their receivers were concealed within soldered helix earrings on their right ears, the only way to remove the earrings was surgically, and it meant that they were alerted by the semi-undetectable sound emitted by the earrings immediately that their family was in danger.
"Well the fact is that the trousers the school offers are far too tight to allow us to wear any of our thigh holsters, and the shirts would stick to the chest holders for our guns... it makes concealment awkward." Kuroki hums as his hands drift past the double holstered hand guns on either side of his chest.
"Not to mention the fact that carrying out bags everywhere would be way too tedious." Shozo complained.
"Hmm, well, we could always carry hand-to-hand combat equipment in the thigh holsters, they're always easy to conceal... Kuroki, you still fight with your darts right? You can hide those up your sleeves... I don't like the thought of leaving behind our partners..." Sena had long since stopped calling the steel weapons guns; they were a part of life and were aptly referred to as partners. "I think we'll just have to take chances with the chest holsters, the clips are easy enough to conceal, maybe we could have white holsters sent over?" he hummed, he contemplated contacting Elettrica to see if the boy had any other ideas.
"It seems like so much effort Sena, you're sure we must attend school?"
"Yes, I am." Sena laughs at the brothers' comment.
He laughs aloud again, a ringing, innocent sound leaving his pale lips and picks up the pace, making the brothers jog to keep up. Today is meant to be fun, talk of guns and unwanted effort isn't fun. So quickly trying to take his brothers' minds off the near future he makes them race him to their other destinations, determined to make the moments of peace he gets at least a little enjoyable.
They were finally on their way home; they had all their groceries, and had gathered all the information from Deimon at least. Sena was somewhat disappointed in the lack of information they were able to scout from Oujo, and was a little upset they didn't have enough time to scout out the ever willing Kyoshin high- though, in hindsight he supposed there would be much time to do that later in the week.
Suddenly, as he was laughing with his three brothers, all of them happier knowing they knew the inside and outside of Deimon well, something caught Sena's eye and sent dread trickling into his gut. In all the years he's been mafia don, Sena had never felt so much regret for moving his family back to their home.
Standing at the corner, just saying goodbye to what Sena could only assume was a friend of hers was a girl with light brown- bordering on chestnut- hair that reached just below the tops of her shoulders.
She spun around, heading for home considering the time of evening it was, and her blue eyes connected with Sena's for a mere instant. He hoped with the whole of his heart that recognition would not flood the light-blue depths. His form started to stiffen at the prospect.
Sena's brothers had read the atmosphere and immediately put up thick walls that most did their best to avoid. Usually if someone saw the three intimidating Mafioso they avoided them. Of course, this girl was different than anyone that they- or Sena for that matter- had ever met.
"Sena? Is that you?" recognition started to spark as she slowed, stopping just before the shortest of the four boys. Absently she would wonder why on earth the small boy looked so comfortable in the middle of the delinquent boys, but her foremost thought was on the smaller boy's face.
"Mamori-neechan..." Sena mumbles somewhat awkwardly- it was not right in the least to call someone outside of the famiglia a brother or sister.
"When did you get back in town?" a smile made its way into her face as her old- extremely old- nickname tripped out of the boy's mouth- she somehow didn't notice the grimace that passed over the four young men's faces at the sound- and awkwardness held in the one simple word.
Sena didn't know what to do. He didn't want to answer, but from the look of the bag in his arranged sister's hands it was obvious they would be seeing each other a lot once school began.
Well fuck me sideways... this is going to be a long year.
Well... that last part was probably OoC and unnecessary...
Okay... so I took come liberates with quite a lot of things, and some of the stuff I realise could have been slightly stereotypical and offences. Please Pm me if it offends you greatly, I was simply trying to keep everything in character, and more often than not don't actually believe in the stuff I write- to be a good writer one must suspend belief and keep in character the plot they have set themselves...
I'm sorry if anyone is offended, or repulsed by the swearing there at the end, but I was extremely stressed out when I was writing this, and it seems (to me) like it's a stressful time in this point of the story, so I vented... -_-' sorry.
So tell me what you think.
Merci. Thank you. Arigatou.
~~Bleach-ed-Na-tsu :3