"Bye, bye my sweet, loveable, precious daughter! Oh, how I love you so, don't you forget it." Haruhi Fujioka, a slender built young woman with chestnut hair cropped short, cautiously made her way towards a towering castle built of some fancy stone glowing white against a darkened sky. "Bye dad." She returned the long haired man's wave, watching him be taken at the front gates that closed. With little but a packsack and her worn sweater she took careful steps over the stone drive given it was dark and the lights, while beautiful were not bright enough for her to see if she might fall. It was much too long of a walk from the gate to the stairs that the stairs even annoyed her when she climbed them.
Before her hand even reached the knocker the massive wooden door creaked open just enough for a person to fit through. "Welcome Miss Fujioka, Milord is this way please." The butler who stood there was dressed like the ones from movies like Alfred who served for Batman. When she stepped inside, she nearly jumped at the click of her shoes along the tiles polished to perfection. Everything felt fragile and dangerous all at once, as if her mere breath might knock over the vases displayed on plinths.
Curious eyes wandered the darkened innards of the castle entrance, everything white and glowing inside the dark. Dainty chandeliers and portraits of people who radiated beauty decorated the walls. Everything was rather heavenly, despite the fact the castle itself was dimly lit. "Please dress in the uniform given to you in here before you meet milord." He opened a door after leading her away from the main staircase that went along either side of a double doorway from the entrance.
"Pitiful girl getting tangled up here." An older woman in a plain Yukata yanked her inside the room, small but spacious. Fumbling to keep standing she was ripped from her clothes immediately before she could even panic. "…w-wait a sec…" struggling to keep herself covered the woman paid her no mind dressing her accordingly. Her fingers moved with skilled speed to dress her.
After very little consideration to her own pride Haruhi emerged from the small side room in a French maid's uniform. The skirt fluffed out a bit and fell just below the knee, a silver and gold emblem marking the apron. What an embarrassing outfit! She steadied her heartbeat glad the butler paid no mind to the elaborate costume. "Proceed this way, with me." The butler stated evenly leading her forward again toward the dual main stair. Her curiosity over the room in between the two staircases was quelled following him inside the large double doors.
"Hello, miss Fujioka." After her initial awe over the grandeur of the room decorated with rich looking furniture in white and sleek tiles over its entire floor her eyes fell upon a man who just fit this entire castle completely. He was blonde first and foremost and secondly tall. What…a stupidly beautiful man… She blinked staring at him, forgetting momentarily it's rude to gape. "H-hello." She forced herself to smile and awkwardly bow, despite how much it hurt her pride. "My, my, you are very adorable." He stood closing the distance between them with such grace and beauty she had to avert her eyes to keep herself calm. "Look at me." Despite her best efforts the man pulled her chin causing blood to rush to her cheeks staining them red. "Very good."
His features were other worldly, as if he were sculpted with the hands of angels, before her heart could leap out of her throat, the door she'd come from opened and he distanced himself. Even his scent was dizzying and it took a short while before she could see the group of beautiful men entering. Wh-what was that!?
"This here is Kyoya Ohtori he is the third son of his family, he is my right hand." The blonde, in her moment of disarray, had joined the group partway on their walk from the entrance landing himself dead center next to a dark looking man with glasses and a clipboard. What an archaic thing to use. Despite his straight face and somewhat less kind eyes he too shone beauty with a dizzying glow, she couldn't focus for long. "These two are the Hitachin twins Hikaru and Kaoru." He gestured to his left where a pair of tall fiery haired boys stood, smirking at her with interest. It was a little unnerving after the dark glint of contempt from Kyouya.
"Later you can play our game," They stated at the same time, both wearing the same expression, both staring at her like she was something to eat. The blonde waved a hand as if to shoo them and they complied seating themselves on an elaborate sofa.
"This here is Mitsukuni Haninozuka or as we call him Hunny." Haruhi blinked at the childish figure latched to an emotionless but huge man, a pink rabbit in his arms. "And this is Bun-bun!" He dashed forward, holding it up for her to see, once again a dizzying scent causing her to lose some focus.
"And this here is Takashi Morinozuka or Mori." The little blonde clambered up the large man's body perching himself on the man's back, the large man staring as if none of this was happening to him at all. Something about the way these men moved, looked, even spoke was like a spell she couldn't understand. Frightened as she was, she couldn't resist wanting to know more, wanting to understand it. "And finally I am Tamaki Suoh." He drew in close again, practically paralyzing her body on the spot.
"Your father couldn't keep you huh? Well this is now your home Haruhi...but specifically you answer to us alone." Kyouya drew her from the trance Tamaki set upon her by just getting close, with sharp but musical words. She nodded, that feeling of fear creeping back up her spine at his advancement forward.
"Now, now mother, do not frighten the girl." Tamaki stated, further confusing her about them. "Mother?" Kyouya's eyes moved to look at the blond in question. "My apologies…Father." Forgiving the fact the blonde addressed him so oddly he returned to the clipboard, a relic she wouldn't have guessed rich men used in this day and age.
Her blank look obviously drew the attention of the smallest one. "Tama-chan is the lord of the house." Haruhi still couldn't shake the slight instinct to run despite how completely harmless they seemed, save the twins and Kyouya to a minor extent. "I see" she nodded.
"As you are of common birth it must confuse you to no extent as to why I at such a young a beautiful age have somehow become the sole owner of a castle in the woods?" She blinked as Tamaki tore away her fear with irritation. Do all wealthy people talk like this?
"We live here because we'd get in the way of the family profits." The twins spoke in unison which for some reason gave her chills. "That doesn't seem logical." It slipped out, and the soft and kind look suddenly went sour on Tamaki's face. "Be mindful of your words, I cannot have you speak out of turn Haruhi." She shivered. As fast as the look appeared it was gone, back to the goofy grin from prior.
"We are running out of time for idle chit chat, our guests will be arriving shortly."Kyouya pushed up his lenses, Haruhi was almost sure he wasn't using them with how often he looked over the top of them. "Haruhi Fujioka you are hereby announced as the personal head maid of the establishment." Tamaki drew out his arms as if to ask for a hug grinning from ear to ear.
"Alright...Milord." She didn't question it fearing the reappearance of that dark look. "Hikaru, Kaoru explain as we go to the host room." Tamaki exaggerated his every move, subtly but it was like he was trying to perform human from tv shows or something. "SIR!" They saluted him with just as much exaggeration, in mocking as they snickered to each other.
"We are holding a banquette for many of the nobles around our age, they come from all over to dine with us. We often hold huge balls for whole families to attend, the Suoh family are near royalty in these parts." They encircled her while on the move making her nervous, finishing each other's sentences as if rehearsed. "Kyoya was appointed as Tamaki's advisor since forever ago, like a bond of childhood they've known each other for years." She was getting dizzy looking from one twin to the other as they spoke in turn. "Since your father begged for you to serve us instead of being left to-"
"That, will be all." Kyouya silenced them without even looking up from his clipboard. What were they going to say…? That would haunt her for as long as she served here. "Don't worry Haru-chan, it's a very fun job!" She hadn't noticed the twins had moved away from her leaving Mitsukuni by her side and the lumbering tower of man a pace or so behind.
"Tonight, you will be observing the staff, of course you will be coming to serve but just know we won't be handing off the position in full just yet. Listen to Suzushima." Tamaki explained leading her toward the swinging doors where the scent of food wafted out. "Alright." Haruhi entered finding the maid from earlier setting cakes and such onto elaborately delicate dishes several others flitted about along with several staff, more than she'd expected.
Haruhi moved a little closer to the chaos noticing a man in a white chef's outfit finishing some sort of dish. "Hello you must be Miss Fujioka...well no sense in wasting time, Toru Suzushima." The man gave off a meek vibe, smiling before returning to his work "Pleased to meet you." Haruhi bowed. "Those carts of cakes take that one to Haninozuka-sama's table." He pointed to beautiful silver cart each of its three tiers covered in sweets "Wow." She marveled the amount.
"He may be small but he can eat a lot of those, oh before you go let me explain something crucial, Haninozuka-Sama is the eldest of everyone. The twins will be the same age as you, roughly." Roughly? He said with a quick smile. "B-but Haninozuka-..uh…sama..looks like a grade schooler!" Haruhi blurted out frightened for a moment glancing at the closed doors. "Shh Ohtori-sama would punish you if you were heard speaking out of order," Toru waved at her nervously "Right, so this entire cart goes to them…got it" Haruhi sighed, if this weren't her new job, she wouldn't be so adamant about being proper. "Yes." Toru busied himself once again.
"Here you go, master." Haruhi felt odd saying the words but the two thought nothing of it, Mitsukuni least of all when the cart parked near him. "Manners." She flinched when Takashi spoke for the first time since her arrival. "Oh right thank you!" The small man grinned at her, entrancing her easily. "You're welcome Hanin…ozuka…sama..?" She fumbled ears hot trying to figure out the right way to address him. "sama? Call me Hunny!" He giggled though she couldn't bring herself to utter the words out. As if knowing Takashi bowed his head freeing her from her nervousness. "It will come with time Haruhi." Tamaki stopped her on her way back to the kitchen passing by when the butler announced the arrival of other guests.
"It gets to be much less pressure once you're familiar with everyone and everything?" Toru grinned when she came barreling into the kitchen nearly nocking the tray from his hands. "W-well...ah I'm sorry!" He handed it over pointing at another trolly of food filled with suspiciously expensive looking wares. "Ohtori-sama's table" Kyouya, the one she feared most.
"Oh, Kyouya what an adorable creature you have to serve you." One of the ladies at his table giggled watching her set down the tray of hot beverages. Haruhi hadn't noticed it before but most of the guests were young ladies. When the teapot clanked slightly Haruhi thought she'd just die right there from the look that Kyouya threw at her. "I'm sorry" She bowed the woman snickering on her behalf. "So cute!" Returning from the table she caught him explaining, in great detail, the origin of the tea and how the antique dishes were made and painted.
"T-Tamaki..." A girl whined, he taking her face gently into his hands. Is that normal?! "Oh, Tamaki she's adorable!" One of his guests giggled when she set down the dishes carefully. "Ah yes my, new maid, she completes the collection. You all are the moon and sun, the two most precious things to the world, us the earth and sky, and she the inhabitants who serve a simple purpose." Tamaki spoke almost in riddles; he sounded as if he belonged sometime in a distant past, or another planet. The women ate it up sighing in adoration of his eccentric words.
Haruhi was finishing up with the trolly's the twins being the last stop. "That reminds me so much of Kaoru, he got lost while we were out one day." Hikaru was in the middle of his story "Hey!" Kaoru pouted, he actually pouted like a young child might, to his brother. "I searched for hours for my little brother." "Hikaru I was so scared..." As if reliving the scary incident Kaoru teared up. "Don't, you look too adorable when you cry." She caught Hikaru's attention
"Oh it looks as though we have the maid." Kaoru glanced over wiping the tears from his eyes. The women welcomed her well while she settled the dishes onto the table. "Wahh..so cute!" Why do they keep calling me cute? I'm not cute.
"Done…" Haruhi sighed sitting at the bench in the kitchen where the staff took their meals. She indulged in a plate of fish, rice and some steamed vegetables next to the old maid from before. "Cake!" Mitsukuni burst into the kitchen dragging the tall man behind him. As if he'd known Toru produced a large slice of pink funfetti cake and the two once again returned to their guests at the table.
Mistukuni was something else, with the looks of a kid yet the age of his silent tall companion, it only served to confuse her. She ate in quiet with the others before returning to retrieve trays of food for the kitchen staff to wash, dry and put away. Despite the workload, and the hour she managed to make minimal mistakes. The women took her well getting rather touchy with her throughout the night. It puzzled her how such forms of beauty could show any interest in her, she was a maid nothing more.
"Very good Haruhi, it was slightly rough around the edges but what can be expected of human mistakes." Tamaki said as he floated by escorting a lady. Human? Mistakes? She finished loading the trollies with the others as Tamaki and Kyouya saw the guests out. The twins were nowhere to be found. "My room is this way!?" Mitsukuni pulled at her skirts; of course, how could she decline. She belonged to them now.
It has been a minute since uploading or writing here, I think I remember the night of rage where I ripped apart all of the content I had uploaded to things like Deviant Art and here and removed them from accounts. Of course I still have the hard copies of the two versions of this particular story.
Thankfully when looking at some parts of this story I discovered that I had partially rewritten the first chapter. So with a little touching up I've come to like this new entrance into the Suoh Castle for Haruhi. Something I've noted when reading through this is that I like to focus on different characters in third person and I will continue this style as I also enjoy reading it myself. I am currently looking to read through all of chapters 2 and 3 and have them touched up by next week..thinking weekly releases till I run out of my initial storyline, thank goodness I have notes on how I wanted it to end! Go teenage me!