A/N: Hello again, how are you all doing? I know, I'm being absolutely dreadful with these updates but working nights as a foreman kinda drains all the life out of ya, and effectively kills your social life. Not that I had one to speak of but… you catch my drift. Thanks to Super-Kerei for suggesting 'Don't trust me'. Well, before I bore you anymore, let's get on with the story.
Disclaimer: Ouran and L.L. ain't mine… yet.
The world beyond the forest thaws,
A green field springing forth at snowmelts edge,
And the Great Beast dons a new coat.
'A solution he says' thought Haruhi as she gaped upwards in apprehensive wonder at the massive white building that in her mind appeared to loom over her. Not even the pictures that she'd been shown beforehand could have really prepared her for how she was feeling now, standing before the real thing. The place was like a freaking palace!
Glancing around she took in the pristine condition of the well kept grounds, the cleanly gleam of the few marble sculptures scattered here and about, the tailored uniforms of the other people passing by who kept casting questioning glances her way. Plucking subconsciously at her own hand-me-down sweater she felt more than ever that her being here was a colossal mistake. The place reeked of the stench of high bred wealth and she wondered to herself for the fourth- or was it fifth?- time just how far gone out his mind Uncle had been to ever believe that this insane plan could possibly work.
'Truly' she thought, lifting her eyes back up to stare at the multitude of windows that seemed to stare back, 'his minds' so far gone its surely broken out of orbit.'
And where did that leave her, the one who'd finally agreed to go along with this hair brained scheme?
"-ka? Fujioka?!"
Haruhi snapped back to awareness when she realized someone was calling her name and turned her attention to the slightly impatient man waiting on the steps leading up into this impressive structure.
"Coming, Mr. Heeji!" she replied as she hurried towards him, recalling her first encounter a few days ago with the man who was going to make what should have remained her Uncle's impossible fantasy (and understandably what she could only presume as her own impending nightmare) into a reality.
They were both in the kitchen, stashing away the various items and groceries from their latest shopping trip, when somebody knocked on the front door.
"That must be him" her Uncle whispered quickly, moving towards the front door. Haruhi, mystified at who this specific 'him' was, sent him a questioning glance that he returned with a look that said 'you'll find out soon enough' as he opened the door.
"Welcome", he said, his face lighting up with a broad grin as he stepping back to admit a man of medium height and build, with dark hair and skin the color of toasted bread. The man was dressed in a blue-grey business suit and carried with him a small black suitcase. While the man shook hands with her Uncle and exchanged his own greetings Haruhi sniffed lightly at the air, letting the strangers scent fill her nostrils, and realized at least one thing.
The man was human.
The sound of her sniffing was probably what alerted him that there was someone else in the kitchen because the man's eyes immediately swept across the room until they finally locked on her. Was it just her imagination or did he just stiffen? His eyes, a dark shade of brown flecked with green, kind of like fresh leaves on wet earth, seemed to flash with surprise as he stared at her for a bare moment with something akin to disbelief. The look quickly vanished from his face though as he blinked and looked at her more closely. Before she had time to decipher his odd behavior he was stepping into the kitchen, moving towards her.
"You must be Miss Fujioka." The man said holding out his hand. "My name is Heeji, Heeji Takuma. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Fujioka-san."
"Please, call me Haruhi" She replied, cautiously extending her own hand into his. "I'm afraid to say that I wasn't aware until just now that we were expecting a visitor over so I haven't anything to offer right at the moment, but if you give me a few minutes I can have something made. Would you prefer tea or coffee, Mr. Heeji?"
"Please, call me Takuma. Calling me 'Mr.' makes me feel older than I should be. Tea would be fine and thank you for your hospitality" he said, smiling as he nodded his head before turning back to Uncle who led him into the living room. Several minutes later Haruhi stepped into the living room with a tray in hand and moved over to the table where the two men were exchanging a few pleasantries and questions about their mutual trips. Setting the tray down, she poured the tea into her newly purchased cups and served them out before settling down in her place.
"Well now", Takuma started, pausing only to take a sip of his tea. "Since we're all gathered now, let's see if we can delve straight into the heart of the matter. From what I've come to understand, Miss Haruhi here" he said, inclined his head towards her, "is seeking a sort of daytime asylum within the walls of Ouran, is that not correct?"
Haruhi, thoroughly startled at the topic of Ouran being brought up, focused more intently on the man while Uncle nodded his head. She felt a tingle of suspicion stir somewhere in the back of her mind as she wondered just who this man was- and more importantly how much he knew.
"That's right" her Uncle replied. "As the current situation stands, I'm being required to take a leave of absence with an uncertain time frame. Regrettably I'm unable to take my niece with me. That being the case, I wanted to take care of as many things as necessary to settle her in before I left."
"I see. But of all places, why did you choose Ouran? Not that I'm complaining or anything but surly there were other places you could have considered?"
"Well, I wanted to be careful, and all those other places I could have chosen lack one important factor- you, Takuma."
"Ah, of course… Now I grasp your reasoning." Takuma replied, pausing to take another sip of his tea.
Burning with curiosity Haruhi couldn't stop herself from speaking out. "Um, excuse me, but, why is Mr. Hee- uh, Takuma, an important factor? Just who exactly are you, sir?"
Takuma shot a slightly peeved glance at her uncle before setting down his cup to answer her.
"So your uncle hasn't told you, has he?"
"No sir. Frankly, I only heard about Ouran itself for the first time only two days ago, and of it I know very little. Uncle hasn't bothered to elaborate on anything."
"So after all these years he hasn't changed at all then, eh?" Haruhi felt herself smiling in agreement and Takuma chuckled lightly while Uncle suddenly found the flowery detail on his cup distinctly fascinating.
"Well my dear, before I go on about myself, can you tell me what you do know about Ouran?"
"I know that it's a private institution. That means it's probably high class right?"
Takuma snorted with suppressed laughter. "That would be a definite understatement. But essentially, yes, that's exactly what it is. Ouran is a school reserved near-only for the ridiculously wealthy, a place where a persons' value is based first upon their lineage and second on how many thousands their family makes in a week. It's a place where the children of nobles, politicians and major corporation owners- basically all the people who have a hand in running the country- send their children to learn how to take over their respective businesses and such. It's not just a private Institution- it's the private institution. It's the nursery grounds of the elite. And I'm the one that going to get you in there."
Haruhi was stunned. As the implications to everything Takuma said swirled madly around her head she felt the blood drain out of her face. Her insides twisted up into a mangled knot and an increasingly heavy sensation alight itself on her body and continue to weigh down on her. She had to clutch at the table when the world started to spin.
"W-w-what-" she stuttered out hoarsely, surprised in herself that she even had the ability to speak. "What- do you mean- get me in? If that's the kind of place Ouran is- how can you even think that I could get by there? Are you completely crazy?! Whom am I going to fool into believing that I belong there?!"
Haruhi went off with a litany of reasons why such a mad scheme wouldn't work, sticking in an occasional implication of their apparent insanity every now and then. Takuma though didn't seem to take any offense to the doubt directed at his capabilities nor his sanity, choosing rather to quietly drink his tea during her rant, waiting until she finally ran herself down. When she finally reached the point where she was left heaving for air he poured himself another cup before he turned to her again with a kindly smile.
"Did you get all out?" he asked her. Haruhi nodded meekly, a blush blazing across her face; she felt absolutely mortified at having gone off like that to someone she'd only just met.
"Good then. So let's address your primary concerns. First off, I want you to know that in all likelihood I probably am completely crazy but for all intents and purposes I am also completely content with my current state of mind. Second, despite my apparent instability it is indeed possible to get you placed within Ouran."
"How? Am I going to be hired as a maid or something?" she asked, curious despite her embarrassment, and despite the desire not to have them go any further in this direction.
"No no! Nothing of the sort! We're trying to get you in as a student not set you up for a job, remember. The concept's actually fairly simple my dear. Remember what I just said about Ouran- about their value in lineages?
Haruhi nodded, not sure what he was getting at. All her life she'd been brought up in a middle-class family- hardly what you could consider the crème de la crème of society, and she was positive that was all a place like Ouran would accept.
Tukuma grinned leaning forward conspiratorially, and Haruhi found herself mirroring his actions. Then he spoke in a hushed tone, whispering as if someone besides the three of them could possibly hear what he was about to say. "Well my dear, let's just say that there are some who attend there that hold a special interest towards more… 'Particular' lineages- that is to say, Ouran is a place that isn't strictly limited to what society would term 'Normal' people. Say, perhaps, those whose very existences are considered beyond 'Normal'…"
Takuma trailed off while Haruhi tried to work out the meaning behind his words. A second later a light came on in her head. 'It couldn't be- surly he isn't suggesting that-'
Takuma saw the dawning look of comprehension that spread over Haruhi's face and leaned back, laying his palms out straight, a smile playing across his face.
"That's right Haruhi. Ouran isn't just a school exclusively for the human elite- it's also serves as a secret haven for the precious children born of a very specific group- a very specific people… Your people, Haruhi..."
"The Blood Tribe of the Beasts…" Haruhi breathed out into the sudden silence.
Although she'd already suspected it, having it confirmed that the man before her knew not only about the Blood Tribe but her connection to it as well was still a shock. More shocking however was what he was actually saying. That there was a haven for the Blood Tribe- A place for others like her- For those born both human and beast- right dab in the middle of Tokyo… It was too incredible to believe! Haruhi could only stare in wonder as she contemplated this remarkable revelation. Then a wave of excitement and bubbly glee started to rush throughout her entire body. The idea that she would get to meet with others of her own kind- her own people…
The wave of excitement broke and all the bubbles popped as that happy concept came under the scrutiny of her mind and an ugly, unwanted realization came to the forefront. Haruhi bowed her head, biting her lip as spirit fell.
'No, I can't meet with them… they might be of the Blood Tribe but we aren't the same… they aren't truly my people… and if any of them find out what I really am…who I belong to…' Huruhi felt her eyes begin to burn but she held back the hot tears, even though all she wanted, really, was to just let them come… to let them fall and then howl at the top of her voice at the sheer injustice of it all.
It just wasn't fair! For the first time in years the hope that she might meet with others like her had been dangled in front of her face like a tantalizing steak and she couldn't bite at it. She didn't dare. Not only because she feared springing the unseen trap that was surely there, but because she feared that the steak she longed to bite would turn out to be poisoned…
…Or perhaps even more cruelly, that it wasn't poisoned but would eventually sour within her mouth.
"I'm sorry, Mr. Takuma" she whispered in a slightly hoarse voice, overcome with emotion. "I can't possibly go there- not even if there are other's like me. No, rather, it's because there are others like me who'll be there that I can't go. I can't- the thing is I just can't let anyone know what I am- not even those who happen to tread within the same forest…"
She stopped, unable to go on. What more could she say? Through the hair hanging down in her face she thought she saw him stir and was surprised a moment later when he suddenly took hold of both her hands and cradled them within his. She looked up, seeing the downward curve of his mouth and the sadness that touched his eyes.
"I understand." He said, gently running his thumbs over the top of her hands. "Believe me I truly do understand your situation. But Haruhi, you must remember that as long as you remain in Tokyo not only will you need a convincing cover story to explain why you're living here alone, you will also need someplace secure that you can go to- a place where those who've made it their obsession to seek out your people can't penetrate- and despite the risk, Ouran remains the best option you have right now. And as far as not having others know about you…" his hands stilled and he glanced over briefly at her Uncle before he turned back to her.
"…If you don't want anyone to know who you or your relations are, then we simply won't tell anybody. Largely the reason why your Uncle chose Ouran was because I'm stationed there. You see Haruhi, I happen to possess a certain knack with handling information. Actually, it is a distinguished talent that I've spent years cultivating, a tool for an art form upon which I excel above others, an unparalleled ability so distinctly refined-"
"He's a hacker." Her uncle stated bluntly, cutting Takuma off. Takuma gave him a waspish glare before letting out a small 'hmph!' and turning back to Haruhi.
"As that unsophisticated boob over there put non to gently (At this her Uncle returned his own heated glare) I am a hacker. But!" he said hurriedly, seeing the doubt that must have showed on her face. "I am nothing like those amateurs you hear about on the news! As I was saying before, within this specific field I have virtually no equal! With the stash of equipment I've been granted to use by those I work for, I can slip into our governments' files and access the family registry system. From there I can rewrite, or in the case of those belonging to the Blood Tribe, completely fabricate another person's entire personal history. I could give a drifter with no past a record that would say that he's resided for all his life at a specific residence that had otherwise been abandoned for just as long. It is no joke when I say that I have a talent so incredible-"
"-That he could turn a pauper into a king." Her uncle finished, sighing with an air of impatience yet his eyes twinkled with a knowing humor. Moving his gaze onto Haruhi he went on.
"As is common with our people, most of us who choose to wander into human society have no provable record of our existence. It literally appears as if we've popped out of nowhere- which is dangerous since it's those kind of people that our enemies tend to check into first, searching for our kind among the small mass of people who reintegrate themselves into society in the hopes of ferreting us out. Takuma is among a handful of humans with his skill who have pledged their allegiance to the Blood Tribes, but unknown to his colleges or the other tribes, Takuma also acts as a secret agent for our own tribe. Without him, our little colony might have been found out years ago."
Haruhi, in utter disbelief, turned wide eyes onto Takuma who smiled warmly at her.
"Years ago" he said, taking on a storytellers air, "there was a certain bothersome brat who liked to use his talents as a hacker to do nothing but break into places where he didn't belong. He go in, rearrange some company's personal data and rewrite a few people's schedules and then sit back while he watched the mayhem unfold as companies went haywire and the important people who could have solved the problems were trapped on flights taking them out of the country. He was a meddler who couldn't keep to his own business. And he enjoyed it."
"One day, while he was surfing the net for a new target, he stumbled across a secret database holding a list of names, various animal species and the addresses of people that belonged to an organization held by the Blood Tribes. Before he had time to realize just what exactly he had found though, someone had tracked his signal and in a matter of minutes a squad of men were breaking through his apartment door and hauling him off into the back of a black van. They took him to a cabin somewhere off into some woods near Tokyo where he met the very people he'd learned about mere hours before."
"At first they talked amongst themselves, debating on whether to kill him, since they were initially surprised at how young he actually was, and then on just how to dispose of the body in such a way so that no one could ever find his remains. Surely, the young man thought, this was the end. Just as they were about to act on their decision though a woman showed up- a woman with large beautiful brown eyes, long brown hair tied back in a ponytail and who wore the kindest smile the boy had ever seen."
A shiver ran up Haruhi's spine at the familiarity of the description and she felt a lump form in her throat.
"Whereas all the others had reached the mindset to send this young man off on an early trip to the grave this woman, an angel delivered unto him in his darkest moment, pleaded with the others to spare him, pointing out his skill and convincing them that letting him live under their watch would be to their benefit. In the end they agreed. A short time later, after they'd fitted him with a collar and placed him within their network of information manipulators, this young man discovered that his savior, who'd become his most valued friend, belonged to a family that wasn't quite 'socially' accepted among the others. She'd risked herself by walking amongst those that would literally tear her apart to try and cover up their identities. Remembering how she had come to him in his time of need, he repaid her a little by giving her what she'd strived for most at that time."
Takuma sighed, removing his hands from hers as he leaned back with his eyes closed.
"If the young man were completely honest he might have admitted to himself that he was smitten over her, even though she already had a dedicated husband and a child, a darling little girl. Nevertheless, the woman had the young man's eternal gratitude and he'd wanted nothing more than to continue helping her in any way he could… her and any of her loved ones. He swore on his very life to uphold this duty."
Takuma opened his eyes again and Haruhi could see a glimmer in his eyes.
"So Haruhi, will you allow that foolish lad to uphold his pledge? Will you give him a chance?"
There was a moment of still silence before Haruhi nodded her head mutely. Reaching across the table she took his hands in hers and it was only then that she realized that both her cheeks were wet.
Haruhi came back to the present as Takuma stopped in front of a tall door with a metal plate engraved with his name on it. Slipping out a key Takuma unlocked the door and then led her into classroom- A very ordinary looking classroom. After all the other things she seen of this place that had positively screamed out their overly expensive price-tags she was a little surprised to find herself in a room that appeared so- well, middle-class. Takuma chuckled and she turned to see him standing behind a desk, his eyes alight with amusement as he watched.
"If you're wondering where the lounge chairs and hand carved desks are at try A-class. You won't find them in here since this is only a D-classroom, after all."
"A and… D-class?" Haruhi asked, completely baffled.
"Ah, that's right, you wouldn't know", said Takuma as he sat down in his black swivel chair. "At least one of the things you're sure to hate about this place is how they segregate people here. Here at Ouran a person is placed in one of four classes, ranking in alphabetical order from A to D, based upon two things- their lineage and their grades. D-class, in that aspect, is thus mostly comprised of yakuza children. "
"That seems kind of… wrong." Haruhi said, completely agreeing with Takuma's earlier assessment on her opinion to such a setup.
He shrugged "That's just how it is. And since you'll need to keep as a low a profile as possible this is where you'll be placed."
"So then- does that mean that others- like me- are going to be in this class?" Haruhi asked, glancing at all the unoccupied desks.
Takuma sent her a level look. "Perhaps… remember, however, that there is more than one D-class, so the others' may all be in other classrooms. Another thing you should consider is that not all of your people are restricted to D-class- some, even, have managed to infiltrate as far as A-class. You mustn't forget that there are those of the Blood Tribe that have been integrated within human society and playing its games for generations upon generations, and that some have managed to acquire quite a bit of wealth and status along the way. How else do you think a place such as Ouran became a haven for them in the first place?"
Haruhi turned her full attention back to him as he began to rummage around in the lower drawer of his desk until he pulled out an orange plastic medicine bottle filled with little white pills. Shutting the drawer he placed the bottle square in the middle of the desk, leaving only one finger placed on top of the cap.
"As we discussed before, you agreed to coming here under the condition that no-one, not even the members of your own kind, would know about you. Understandably, this would have been complicated by the simple fact that you can smell each other. And that, my dear, is where these come in handy to prevent such a complication."
"What exactly is it" she asked, reaching for the bottle.
"Curare."
Haruhi snatched back her hand and drew back an involuntary step, her nostrils flared in disgust. Curare was a vile substance to her people. Takuma noted at her reaction and sighed before taking the bottle up into his hand.
"I can understand your distaste." He said, twirling the bottle in his hand. "Curare is after all a powerful paralysis drug which, unfortunately, has been used by your enemies against your kind far too often in the past. To you, its name is synonymous with death. But please, trust me when I tell you that this is the answer to disguising your nature."
"You see, in the past I've had more than one student of your kind come through who in the beginning would have a considerable difficulty controlling themselves around other people. It was feared that the slightest comment would set them off and they'd start to metamorphose. To avert that from happening, your people started searching for a quick fix and realized that small amounts of curare were sufficient in preventing sudden metamorphosis from occurring while not having those who took it appear doped up. It deadened all the senses but, if they needed to, they could force past the numbing effects with ease and launch into their second forms."
"There is, however, an additional side effect not commonly known that they discovered with its use. This is where its usefulness will apply to you. While on the drug, your identifying scent will be suppressed to the point that to anyone else you'll smell completely human. If you take just two pills a day, one in the morning and another at lunch, you'll be able to attend here virtually unnoticed."
Haruhi stared distrustfully at the bottle for a second longer before reaching out again and taking it from him. Popping the lid she took out one of the little white pills and glared at it as if it had personally offended her.
"You're sure that it won't make a mess out of me?" she asked.
"If you were human you'd get pretty jacked up. But, since that's not the case, you'll be completely fine. Although, you did remember to bring those glasses, didn't you?"
"Yea?" she said, withdrawing a case from her back pocket. The glasses had apparently belonged to her grandfather and had been in storage for years ever since she'd left Tokyo.
"Very good. As I told you before, the curare deadens all your senses so that they remain level with that of an ordinary human. This also includes your eyesight. I'm not saying you'll need them, precisely, but they're there just in case your eyesight turns out to be worse for a human."
"Alright then," she said, tossing the pill into her mouth and swallowing it before she could reconsider, "when does class start?"
"In about another thirty minutes", he said, grinning as got up from his seat to collect all the school books she'd need for her first day.
A/N: And there you have it. Not as much action as I'd initially hoped for but informative enough that any of the confused can at least grasp at some notion of understanding. And hey, at least I got that silly girl to go to school. ^.^ don't be afraid to comment and remember, I need songs! Flames warm the body, but music soothes the soul. Chow.