The Vapor of Haruhi Suzumiya
Chapter 2: Astonishment
There was no doubt that the room I awoke in was the same one that I fell asleep in, but to call it the same place would be erroneous. Instead of the traditional Japanese environment, the walls consisted of a material that at first glance appeared to be a form of stone, but upon closer inspection, was actually a polymer made out of a fibrous material and chunks of stone. This puzzled myself, as such a material would not stay together firmly under the circumstances it was present in. This was only the first of the many changes I observed within the room.
The dark wooden floors were tarnished, as though heavy metal objects had been moved across them a multitude of times The windows appeared to be several inches thick, and were slightly translucent, with the flow of air changing the shade of color present in the window. As a cold draft wisped throughout the room, the window took on a blue hue, while it was a slight salmon color before. I was able to see a pair of gloves of a fine leather laying on the nightstand aside my futon, which I promptly put on, admiring the craftsmanship, while simultaneously noting that modern sewing patterns were not used in the manufacturing of the gloves.
The most distinct difference was the lack of lights in this particular room. There were several candles unlit and stacked on a shelf that had not been present the previous day, yet when I stepped into the main living room, I saw light fixtures as normal, despite, instead of small light switches, there were bulky levers next to valves, which all sat at their minimal level of reading. I experimented with a light, moving the switch to a halfway position, whilst the valve emitted a low sound, as the room was slowly bathed in a dim yellow light. I stretched my consciousness towards the light to obtain data about the emplacement, when I became aware of a unique aspect about the timeline we found ourselves in. The current being emitted by this light was Alternate Current. In the timeline from which Haruhi Suzumiya is from, the usage of Alternate Current fell out of favor in the early 1900's when the American inventor Thomas Edison pushed the Direct Current system heavily, leading it to catch on throughout the entirety of the planet Earth. It appeared that Miss Suzumiya's antics has brought about a plausible change in history that had a long-lasting effect.
I was interrupted in the midst of my ponderous thoughts by the realization that I was wearing a uniform that was anything but uniform. I am used to dealing with superhuman situations at any time, so it was almost expected to not realize my odd attire when it did not directly affect my situation. I was clad in a partial suit of armor, mainly pauldrons which dwarfed my shoulders and leggings which, while proportionate to my slight frame, were still bulky and mismatched. They appeared to have been smelted out of multiple different materials, and welded together piece by piece. My shirt was similar to the North High uniform, albeit made of a much thicker material. The cardigan had become a small cloak which was draped around my shoulders, the familiar brown color a soothing thing among a myriad of unfamiliar concepts.
As I became used to my new uniform, I heard my phone ring. It was a rotary phone that was in the room when I moved into it at the beginning of my three years of stasis, before joining the SOS Brigade. I was unaware that it was a fully functioning phone. I answered it, allowing the other party to speak first.
"Yuki, it's Kyon. This is just perfect. I woke up in enough armor to face a dragon with, and my sister is playing with throwing knives like they're just a thing. How's your morning been?"
His snide tone led me to believe he was approaching the situation with much less of a curious undertone than I was.
"I appear to be wearing some form of protection as well, though not as cumbersome as yours appears to be. I can see the skyline from my window, and it appears that we were wrong in our deductions concerning miss Suzumiya's unconscious manipulations to the universe. I do not have a connection with the Data Integrated Thought Entity, and I very much doubt that Miss Asahina will be able to contact her employers."
He sighed deeply, then looked at the calender hanging above his bed.
"Well, we appear to have missed a couple of days, as it's Saturday. Do you want to meet up outside your apartment to get to know our "new" home?"
His malice was evident as I could hear the air quotes through the phone line, which, I must admit, was extremely high quality despite appearing to be a hodge-podge of scattered components.
"That is an amiable idea, however; I will attempt to contact Miss Asahina and Mister Koizumi so we may gather information about the changes in the environment as a group. In our unknowledgeable state, it is imperative that we do not become distracted and allow our minds to wander."
While speaking quickly, I cast an eye into the room that, prior to the change in this timeline, was a library of sorts. I turned my back to it to concentrate upon Kyon's response.
"Alright, I'll meet you at your apartment in a little bit, because I doubt we'll be able to recognize any of the local landmarks, if they even still exist."
He hung up with that statement, too busy contemplating his situation and pulling a knife out of the seam separating his pauldron from his chest-plate, scolding his sister about using knives in the house. She replied in confusion that just the day before he had told her to keep trying, for she'd make a perfect hunter. He only shrugged at this statement, before leaving the house to proceed to Yuki's apartment complex.
I took a quick look at every object in the room, not wanting to believe what I was observing. Instead of books in the room, there were a great many weapons. The majority of the weapons were swords, of varying size, shape, length, width, hilt length, and color. Several guns laid interspersed among the collection of swords. Blunderbuss', duck's foot pistols, muskets, Winchester shotguns, and also some examples she could not name despite the vast store of knowledge she had on such a subject. They appeared to be used as a sword, with a graceful, curved blade, yet affixed to the hilt were barrels, and there was a pump-action on the upper portion of the hilt.
It was a gunblade. She took the object from its perch and admired it from every angle, taking note of the unfimiliar angles at which the rifling of the barrel was chambered at. Despite having a diameter akin to a large buckshot round, the small tag attached to it simply read: 1953 NATO issued .30-30 gunblade "John-S" class.
I quickly returned it to its berth, high on the wall, and set off to contact the remaining members of the SOS Brigade. Haruhi Suzumiya would not be approached until school on the following Monday. She would not be able to remember any of the changes which had occurred, so it was best to see how she would attempt to interact with them, rather than forcing a situation that would arouse suspicion within miss Suzumiya, which could end in the abrupt discontinuation of existence for the human race.
Surprisingly, I was able to contact Miss Asahina with the number that was previously assigned to her cell phone. I told her of the current situation and that myself and Kyon were meeting at my apartment to explore the city, and asked if she would like to join us. I also asked her what kind of apparel she woke up in, as I was curious how this new version of reality affected each of us.
"O...Okay. This place is kind of scary; I don't wanna have to wander around here any longer than I have to without you guys. The clothing? At first I thought I fell asleep in one of those costumes Miss Suzumiya makes me wear, but then I saw I had a huge metal sword in a sheathe on my back when I looked in the mirror. I didn't even notice it at first!" Her nervous tone was apparent, and apparently she too was wearing some unique clothing, and was also the proud owner of some very mysterious weaponry. I bid her goodbye as she had made no haste in gathering herself to proceed to my home.
Koizumi was next. He was raised on the fourth ring, answering with his generic, polite, almost groveling, greeting.
"Well hello there Miss Nagato. Don't you find this environment fascinating?"
I must diverge from my retelling of recent events to tell you this: One of the few things I am capable of being annoyed by in any way is that eye-smile that Itsuki Koizumi uses on most occasions. Only through the use of data acquisition was I able to ascertain the true nature of his personality, after which I grew much more lax while being in his presence. Despite his constant musings and philosophical questions, he is almost always in agreement with Miss Asahina. Therefore I need not worry about what his employers will desire him to perform. While he may not always agree with the Data Integrated Thought Entity, he will not purposely reveal our presence of who we truly are around Miss Suzumiya.
"It is interesting from a technological standpoint, and possibly a historical and political standpoint, but the most urgent question I have for you is what type of North High uniform did you find yourself in when you were roused this morning?"
He chuckled before replying in a generally engaging fashion.
"Why, I am dressed as Robin Hood of course. In all seriousness, I have a large wooden bow hanging on my door and a quiver of arrows affixed to the rear of the shirt I'm wearing. The shirt is a light cotton material on the inside, and has a chain mail layer on the outside. My pants are apparently a polyester bonded with a material similar to felt with nylon coating the interior of the leggings. My shoes are knee high leather boots, and a small shield similar in style to European bucklers was resting next to my shoes, and affixes nicely to a slot built into the wrist of my shirt, which is reinforced with some metal sewn into the shirt."
His detailed description led me to believe that he had already analyzed the majority of the changes in his own dwelling. I invited Koizumi to join us in exploring our new surroundings, which he promptly agreed and left immediately.
We were in a unique place, to be sure, though the one object in my sleeping quarters that caught my eye was a thin volume that had the word SOS Brigade. Picking it up, the book appeared to be written in romanji, but was written in Western style, from left to right.
It appeared to be a set of guidelines about who you may and may not attack, maim, kill, and otherwise harm in the areas around North High. This rule is superseded with the authority of multiple Untouchables in agreement. On the "Untouchable" list were the members of the SOS brigade, along with Miss Asahina's ancestor, Tsuruya, and a few other people from the school. A single line was written under the "Absolutely Touchable" category: Everyone else. And underneath that, with a disturbing realization, was the name Asakura Ryoko, written in English text.
I slipped the small book into my knapsack, which was akin to an oversized purse slung over one shoulder, and grabbed a large broadsword for protection, surprised I was able to heft it easily, before sitting in my sitting room with the front door open, waiting for the other members of the SOS Brigade to arrive, so our investigations could begin.
I was worried on several levels about many things by this point, and beginning to suspect that this was an entirely different timeline, or possibly a recreation of the universe entirely. This may have been similar to the event which caused the world to come to fruition in the form which it did three years ago. Perhaps in this timeline, wherever THIS TIMELINE is, that event never occurred, and we all met naturally. This is an almost impossible situation in relative chances of occurrence, but nothing is impossible when in the presence of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Whatever the case may be, there is no doubt that she is still the hypothetical "God" of this realm of existence.
In an entirely different state of mind, I failed to notice that the others had arrived, or that I was artfully passing the broadsword between hands without so much as a glance to ascertain their position relative to each other. However, as soon as I noticed this, I could not keep the motion going, and the sword impaled itself in the ground with a large thump.
Koizumi begin clapping while chuckling slowly, while Kyon and Miss Asahina sweatdropped, unsure how safe I was to be while holding an enormous sword that was in no way, shape, or form proportionate to myself.
I retrieved the sword before leaning against it, admiring Miss Asahina's outfit. It could only be described as gothic lolita mixed with Card Captor Sakura. She was holding a large scepter of sorts that was glowing a dim shade of magenta, while her dress was a striped gothic lolita outfit, with plenty of frills and lace. She had a thick brown sash around her middle, with multiple pockets sewn into the sash. The attire was very finely made, so it could not be called hodge-podge or even improper.
Loizumi stayed true to his word, seeming to be a teal and white clad Robin Hood, complete with the small shield he described earlier. The bow he wore across his back along with a quiver of steel-tipped arrows was composed of a thin yellowing wood, smoothed from apparent wear and constant use, with several pockmarks around the area one would hold while in a firing position.
Kyon, however, was the most out-of-place person among us all. I was at a loss for words at first, thinking a golem or some sort of large monster was entering my abode, before a large helmet that was akin to a screaming skull was removed, revealing Kyon's sweaty face. He sidled into my apartment, shutting the door behind him, before collapsing into a chair next to Koizumi, almost hitting him with his enormous sword.
I had almost forgot about Kyon while admiring Miss Asahina's uniform, but before I could ask why he had not entered the room with the others, he answered my unanswered question.
"I couldn't fit in the elevator, so I had to take the stairs. All 11 flights of them."
I had assumed that the description of his armor had been a hyperbole, but it was surprisingly accurate. The sword he carried was taller than he was, and had to be angled to fit through the doorway. It was almost a meter wide, the hilt being easily half a meter long. He set down the sword against the wall beside the chair. He removed several pieces of armor from his upper half, revealing it to be composed of 4 layers of a hardened alloy that, according to Kyon, was surprisingly light. I tested the large pauldron he was holding for comparison, and discovered that it weighed no more than half a pound. It was more than 2 inches thick and was almost a foot long, yet the metal was almost elastic in nature, feeling slightly malleable to the touch. I handed it back to Kyon, who reassembled his armor, and pulled a book from his pack on his back.
It was a similar book to what I had discovered in my bedroom, except for the small fact that my little pamphlet of disturbing information was not the size of a history textbook. He flipped to a page that he had folded over, and read a short passage aloud.
"The North High uniform is not standardized, to allow for a small show of creative expression among those attending. Students must cover themselves so nothing unwanted may be seen. The belly button may be exposed, but in the case of females, there must be a covering for the chest area. The use of any metals are allowed, and encouraged. Cloth is allowed, but will not be supplied by the school's workshop. Uniforms are suggested to be in Mercenary North High colors (Sky Blue and White), but is not required. Sheathes, quivers, and/or storage compartments for staffs and scrolls are recommended. Weaponry is allowed to be worn with the uniform, as an attack from an enemy may come at any time."
He cleared his throat once he finished, looked around at us, and offered his opinion.
"This is going to suck."
The others nodded in agreement, fearing for their own lives, but I remained thoughtful. I retrieved the small book from my bag and handed it around to the others, starting with Kyon.
After reading it, everyone seemed to be in slightly better spirits, if for the wrong reasons.
Koizumi eye-smiled again and said with a small laugh
"Well, looks like we're higher in the pecking order than we first suspected. I believe this is a direct change relating to Miss Suzumiya, yes?"
The question was met with the general consensus that "God" was indeed helping them along, if only to ensure they don't die. Well, not right away, anyways.
As we set out into the world, I walked with Kyon as he navigated himself down the narrow staircase that lacked handholds. I spoke to him quietly as we went.
"Asakura Ryoko is alive and well. She is still attending North High. She may or may not make an attempt on your life. Nevertheless, be careful when not around the other members of the SOS Brigade."
Kyon nodded and replied
"I think the whole sword-and-guns thing will work against her this time."
He patted the great sword hanging from his back, smirking all the while.
I could only hope he was right.
A/N: This chapter is more than double the length of the first, weighing in at 3,090 words without this note! I've fleshed out the story and the characters a bit more, as planned. The timeline is getting really messy, but that's where the fun is. Weapons are there to be USED! :D And of course, when Haruhi wanted steampunk, she got a lot more than she wished for. I let the word slip once in the chapter itself: Mercenaries. Like, Xenoblade: Chronicles mercs.
Yup. I went there.
Reviews would be greatly appreciated!