hikaruorkaoru | Eighth Pattern ; Audio

Eighth Pattern ; Audio

[Today, the camera isn't turned on. Hikaru isn't about to really let himself be seen with bruises and a split lip. Nothing irreparable, but he doesn't feel like letting anyone see, and he's not putting on make-up just for talking to the journal.]

So. Gotta ask --

Does this place have any video games? Like... something on a handheld system? I don't even care if it should be in a museum, I need something. Been way too long since I played anything.

[It was, strangely, something he found himself missing a lot as the days went by. He'd grown up in a world of fashion... and video games.

His father had even hinted at leaving his company primarily to Hikaru while their mother left hers primarily to Kaoru. Of course, they'd both work both jobs... Hikaru wasn't quite willing to really accept the idea of being apart from Kaoru, even professionally.]

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And no Mori-senpai or Honey-senpai.

It totally sucks.

Your friends and protectors?

It's annoying. It requires different routes being used to build and exercise power, some of which can be quite tiresome.

Yeah. I mean, only Kyouya-senpai's family still worries about bodyguards now that we're all hanging out with them. No one's stupid enough to try and grab one of us if Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai are around.

Oh? Why is that? I haven't heard of any of these mortals. [So they can't be that impressive, that's for certain.]

Hah, and instead you've been grabbed into one of the most annoying places at all.

In our world, we're all the heirs to major companies. Except Kyouya-senpai. His older brothers are going to inherit.

But his family's still rich, so. We're all totally aristocracy.

Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai are from elite marital arts families and are the best their families have to offer. So when we're hanging out with them? Only someone really stupid would try and kidnap us.

...'Cept the Malnosso, obviously. And they don't even want ransom.

Is aristocracy in the mortal world now a matter purely of wealth? [Interesting. Though wealth is useful, the humans of old were more obsessed with bloodlines.]

Hm. So they might defend themselves. How traditional.

When we finally do ascertain what it is they truly want, that is the day we shall actually make progress.

Sort of. I mean, well. Like my school.

Ouran Academy. If you can pay the tuition -- or have the grades to get a scholarship but those students are rare -- you can attend. But our classes are sorted by academic achievement and social status.

So the new money and Yakuza kids are kept at a pretty good distance from those of us with actual pedigrees.

Ah. So money only gets one so far. That's more the world I'm accustomed to seeing, really. It's always nice to know certain things are constant.

You do like to keep the lower classes in their place.

Some commoners are alright. We've got one in Ouran right now and [he? she? talking about Haruhi with a stranger means pronouns are a problem... but he'll play it safe, easier to explain this way than the other way around] he's pretty cool.

Got in on scholarship and made the right friends, so. Nobody bothers him now.

In any place, people are power. [Who you know and who you use, really.]

And in this place moreso, as there is no money and threats of violence are of limited utility.

What made you decide to take this boy in your school under your wing?

Milord decided he should join our club. [Hikaru shrugs a bit.] So we just got used to him.

Your lord? [...that sounds rather feudal...]

...Huh? Oh.

Tamaki. Club president. He's pretty ridiculous. He likes to shout a lot and spout orders no one listens to, so... That's what we call him.

Ah, a title of mockery.

What club?

Yeah, basically. [But if anyone outside the club tried to insult Tamaki, the Hitachiins would be one of the first ones to strike back. He's theirs to insult, not anyone else's.]

It's a host club. Which sounds kind of weird, but. Hey. We make it work.

...host club?

[So how does that translate into the All-tongue?]

...prostitutes?

...No.

[No, no. Not even close. Not in his opinion. And it shows. A wrinkling of the nose, a sharp frown.]

[Shrug.] Then how do you translate that?

It's a Host Club.

[Duh. But... obviously he has to explain. People have no culture.]

There's no sex. Girls come to spend time with us. They choose a host and sit with them. We talk, have snacks and tea, things like that.

We have a lot of parties and costume days, too. Just to keep things interesting.

Hah. So more like expensive courtesans.

...without the sex.

Sort of, I guess.

Why do that? You can't possibly want for money.

We don't actually get paid. It goes to the club's budget.

I dunno why Milord decided on a host club, but he did. Then he got the kind of "who's who" collection of male students [he won't mention the accusation Kaoru leveled at Tamaki, won't mention the club president's lack of friends before the club] to join it.

It's an interesting way to waste time, at least.

How curious.

[He smirks.]

Though I suppose it could be fun, should one enjoy making a game of others, hm?

And nobody gets hurt.

[Different from their middle school games and, in its own way, a lot more satisfying. They weren't hurting, so they didn't want to make other people suffer, too.

Maybe Tamaki knew what he was doing after all. Like Hell he'd ever say it, though.]

Eighth Pattern ; Audio

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