Log - Gakuto and Shishido
Date: November 18th after these comments
Rating: PGish
Summary: Shishido wants to know what's up with Gakuto and his friend decides to come clean about being a vampire hunter.
Gakuto had been pacing the room for the past ten minutes. As soon as he had placed those comments online he had partially wished he hadn’t. There was no way to take them back now, and Gakuto was quite aware of the consequences of revealing the Vampire society - and in association, the Hunter’s as well. For the eightieth time the redhead turned to look at the computer screen where his writing glared back at him. Still there... still there.
When Shishido knocked, Gakuto nearly jumped. Rushing the door, he opened it quickly, yanking the other inside. He doubted Ryou had spoken to anyway yet... but he couldn’t risk keeping him outside. “You should sit down...” he started. It wasn’t the best way to start, and those words certainly weren’t what he had planned...
“So, what’s the big deal that I’m too lame to believe unless you tell me in person?” Shishido asked as he was let into Gakuto’s room. He flopped himself onto Gakuto’s bed happily stealing Gakuto’s pillow as he made himself comfortable. He thought his friend just needed to calm down and that all this stressing out over first kisses and Yuushi were making him overly dramatic. But as a friend, it was practically his sworn duty to humour Gakuto in his time of need and support him through this Yuushi induced drama.
Watching his friend closely, Gakuto crossed to the empty computer chair, turning it around to face Shishidou. Sitting down he frowned at a spot just over Ryou’s head. The consequences of revealing such secrets were... severe. He knew that. But he also didn’t think he could continue playing dumb either. At least not with Shishidou - especially considering his friend was spending his time making out with Vampires. Yuushi may have told him that he had no interest in any blood aside from his cousins - but that was a bit... difficult to swallow. At any rate, Gakuto couldn’t risk it and wanted Ryou to know what he was getting into.
“To be honest, I’m not expecting you to believe me in person either...” Taking a deep breath, Gakuto tried to think of the best way to approach the subject. “....Ryou, do you believe in the super-natural? Big Foot, Aliens, Werewolves.... Vampires?”
Well, at least Gakuto wasn’t trying to convince him he was a girl again, Shishido thought as he tried not to laugh at his friend. “Errr.... they make good movies,” Shishido offered trying not to offend his friend if he was one of those weird true believers. He hoped Gakuto wasn’t going to try to convince him that Yuushi was like a Vulcan or something.
This.. wasn’t off to a good start. Nibbling for a moment on his lip, Gakuto closed his eyes, thinking things over. There was no way that Shishidou would blindly believe him if he just spat out that vampires existed and they were currently surrounded by them. No way. He would have to present proof. “They... eh... do. Listen. What I’m about to say, is going to sound stupid and impossible. I already know that. So just hear me out until I’m done, got it?” Gakuto’s voice was harsher than he had intended, something he quickly corrected.
“Vampires... “ he paused, shaking his head and starting over. “In this world... there are three different communities.” There... that was a good start. Turning to his computer he pulled up a graphing program, inserting numbers until the graph came out correctly. Pointing at the highest column Gakuto cleared his throat. “This represents the Human Community, easily the most inhabited.” He moved his hand to the second largest column, taking a deep breath. “.... this.... represents the Vampire Community. They have their own government and status ranks. Most people have probably met Vampires without actually knowing it.” Finally he moved his hand to the last column. “This represents the Hunter Community. Hunter’s are unique humans born with heightened abilities. We’re trained to track down, and kill Vampires. I’m a Hunter.” He paused again, before taking the plunge. “Oshitari Yuushi... along with the rest of the Night Class, however.... fall into this category.” He moved his hand to the highest column again, waiting for Shishido to insist he be institutionalized.
Shishido was practically biting down on his tongue to not interrupt Gakuto’s speech. He did shift on the bed to sit up so he could see the screen on Gakuto’s computer. He had to admit that even if his friend was insane, he certainly had enviable graph making skills. “Are you sure you aren’t getting like some dungeons and dragons role playing game mixed up in reality?” He was sure he’d read a news article once about that happening to people. It sounded totally lame and unlikely, but Gakuto was here talking about hunters and vampires. And he’d like to think he’d notice if he’d been making out with a couple vampires for the last few months.
It was exactly as the redhead had feared. Shishido didn’t believe him. Of course, he hadn’t expected his friend to believe him from the off. He needed proof. Getting up from his perch, Gakuto moved to the closet, shifting things aside until he felt the familiar box in the corner. “Ryou... don’t freak out when I show you this stuff, okay?” He didn’t need Ryou to go screaming bloody murder that he had brought guns to school. “I have permission to carry these on the school grounds.” Without further ado, the redhead withdrew his pistols, still lodged within their holster.
“You could shoot me with these and it would have no effect. However, if you turned them on the Night Class they... wouldn’t exactly be unharmed.” Killed, actually, but he didn’t want to alarm his friends.
Shishido looked at the guns, his eyes widening before a grin spread across his face. “Oh those are cool,” He said and shifted to the edge of the bed, a hand reaching out to take them. “And what do you mean they won’t hurt you but would hurt the night class?” He still wasn’t buying the whole vampire thing, but the guns were cool and he wanted to get his hands on them to see what they shot and how they worked. Maybe Gakuto would let him shoot them. Not in the dorm, obviously, and not at his friend, no matter what Gakuto said about them being safe. But still, it would be cool. Definitely cooler than fencing.
Gakuto could have slapped his forehead. He couldn’t believe Shishidou was taking this as a game. At least he couldn’t actually be lethal with the pair of Bloody Rose. “I mean they’re anti-Vampire weapons. Designed by Sadaha.....ru....” Well fuck. He hadn’t meant to out Inui as well. Still, he was sure that his friend would back him if the time came anyway. “They’ll only hurt Vampires - it actually hurts Vampire’s just to touch them.
Shishido turned a gun over in his hand, fiddling with things on it, but careful not mess around with the trigger. Just because Gakuto was convinced he couldn’t harm himself with it, he didn’t want to take that chance and take someone’s foot off. His fingers traced over the design on them, only looking up from it when Gakuto mentioned Inui’s name. “Sadaharu made these?” He guessed it made sense. If there were vampires and Gakuto was some sort of hunter, which was actually harder to believe than there being vampires given the size of his friend, he could totally see Inui gleefully making weapons and stuff. He just couldn’t believe that Inui had made it so cool looking. He’d totally have to bug him about making him his own cool looking weapons.
“And wait, so you think that if I gave this to Yuushi to hold he’d like what? Burst into flames?” Okay, maybe he wasn’t believing the whole vampire thing anymore than he was the Gakuto as a hunter part.
That sentence produced a small chuckle out of the redhead. Burst into flames? The movies really did go all out, didn’t they? Gakuto himself tended to steer away from Vampire movies, seeing quite enough of the actual thing for his tastes. “No... nothing like that. If he merely touched it he would probably feel a burning sensation or electric charge. It differs from Vampire to Vampire. It’s a safety mechanism for the Hunter.” Giving a small frown, Gakuto moved away from the closet heading back to the computer chair.
“At least you seem to get the general idea. I just thought you should know... as you and the Oshitaris have gotten... intimate. The Night Class is under direct orders not to eat from the Day Class students... but these rules don’t really apply to the habits of a Vampire. You should be careful in case they get carried away...”
“Intimate?!” Shishido choked out. He had admitted kissing Yuushi to Gakuto but intimate was going a bit too far. “It was just a little kissing! And they definitely haven’t tried to eat me or anything.” He set the gun down onto the bed and lounged back again. “I think you might have gotten your vampire people mixed up or something.”
“I know they haven’t. Remember, I have heightened senses. I know every time that a Vampire bares their fangs. The school Vampires seem content feeding off each other...” Something Gakuto still didn’t understand. Naturally the Vampires would be drawn to human blood. Thousands of years of tradition did, after all, stand for something.
“... but I’m not wrong about the Oshitari.” He tried to think of hard core proof. “There’s a Vampire registry at the Association headquarters. I familiarized myself with all the Vampires I was going to meet before I came to this school.” Passing a hand over his eyes, the redhead searched his brain for an easier way... “Okay. How about this.” He held up a fisted hand, extending one finger. “The Night Class are never seen during times when Daylight can touch them.” A second finger. “They are rarely seen eating normal food unless it’s something like candy. This is because food isn’t a substance that they require. Their food is something different.” A third. “You may have not noticed, but the Vampire’s have a cooler body temperature. Like they have been outside in winter for too long.” Fourth. “I felt Yuushi’s fangs when he kissed me, so you had to have.” Fifth. “Can you honestly say it’s not strange for a high school to have a class that keeps their students up til six in the morning? Wouldn’t their parents want to take them home? That is... unless their parents, and the students, already were awake at that hour.”
Frowning, the Hunter lowered his hand. “If you think about it without being biased to the thought of ‘Vampires don’t exist’... it makes perfect sense.”
Shishido listened to Gakuto go on and on about the night class and vampires not really believing him. But he couldn’t help thinking back to his own experiences with Kenya and Yuushi. Disturbingly, everything Gakuto was saying did fit in one way or another. He’d just dismissed them all as weird genetic quirks or odd night class behaviour. Hell, he’d teased Yuushi for nearly two weeks about bad dentistry the first time he’d felt elongated teeth. But were they really fangs? Did Yuushi not care about the heat or cold air because he didn’t have a normal body temperature? It would explain night class hours though, he did always think that was the strangest thing about them.
He bolted straight up. “Shit. I’ve been making out with a vampire!” He practically yelled in shock. It fit, it so oddly fit that it had to be true. “Vampries are real! Holy Hell!” Okay, he wasn’t going to freak, he wasn’t going to freak. Chanting wasn’t really working. When he thought about all those times he had Yuushi nibbling on his neck and he had encouraged him. “They could’ve eaten me!” It didn’t matter that they’d never bit him. now that he was accepting of vampires, he was seeing everything in a whole new and overly dramatic light.
Slowly the redhead watched the truth dawn on his friend, knowledge and fear forming in his eyes. Gakuto had known they would arrive at this point eventually. The evidence was simply too much to be ignored. It appeared Shishidou wasn’t taking the revelation well, however. Gakuto supposed he would be freaking out as well if he realized he had exposed vulnerability to a vampire... Hell, he was freaking out after one little kiss.
“Calm down,” the Hunter frowned, putting a hand on Shishido’s shoulder. “They’re not going to eat you. If they do, I shoot them. Simple as that.” It was a harsh truth, but there it was. “They’re under orders to not feed off the Day Class, so you should be fine as long as they don’t get carried away. I would be more concerned about the ones in town.” He certainly was, after the attack a few months ago. The number of vampires hadn’t decreased by much, even though he and Sadaharu, plus a hand full of nobles had been patrolling semi nightly. “....Ryou.... you can’t tell anyone about this. Ever.”
“So you’re going to shoot someone after they eat me? Fat lot of good that will do for me!” Shishido complained and then wondered if he’d be more pissed about Gakuto letting him get eaten or Gakuto potentially shooting Yuushi. Damn this was confusing. “And what do you mean the vampires in town? Why are there vampires in town? And who the hell am I going to tell? Nobody would believe me. I don’t need to add men with white coats to the list of things I need to start fighting.” That’s right, this was all insanity. Maybe he wasn’t the one the white men needed to come fore.
Having an idea, Shishido dug out his phone from his pocket and pulled up Yuushi’s email. He wasn’t allowed to tell anyone, but if a person was a vampire, it wasn’t really telling, right? And maybe Yuushi would say he wasn’t a vampire and Gakuto was pulling his leg and it was all a giant hoax and he could go back to his happy little world. Seeing Yuushi as his last hope of sanity he started typing in an email asking him if he was a vampire.
Sensing danger, Gakuto moved to take the phone away, moving faster than was humanly possible. It was times like these when being a Hunter definitely came in handy. Looking down at the device the redhead erased the email, not recognizing it. At this point, it wasn’t even smart to tell another Hunter. Pocketing the phone he turned a hard glare to the other boy.
“Weren’t you listening?” he asked, a frustrated sound to his voice. “I said you can’t tell anyone. Do you have any idea how much trouble I would be in if anyone knew that I told you? Not to mention the panic that it would cause.” Sitting back down, Gakuto crossed his arms. “As for the ‘eating you’... I already told you the school Vampires have no interest. They have blood tablets to stave off hunger. You don’t need to think of them as a threat.” Without thinking his hand went up to his neck. “The ones in town...... are a different story. But as long as you stick to curfew they aren’t an issue either.”
“Hey!” Shishido protested as his phone was taken away. He then crossed his arms in a huff. “I wasn’t telling anyone. I was asking Yuushi. He’s my last chance that you really are insane, no offence, and that vampires aren’t real.” He trusted Yuushi to tell him the truth and he also trusted Yuushi to keep things quiet. If the guy hadn’t shouted from the rooftops that they were making out on a regular basis, than he was sure a little vampire thing could be kept quiet. Not that vampires existing was a little thing.
“So what, we have those lame curfew hours to keep us from getting mauled in town? Geeze talk about harsh punishments. And I can’t believe we aren’t told about this. Do you know how many people want to sneak into town after curfew?!” He’d even debated it once or twice. Something he definitely wouldn’t have done if he knew how stupidly dangerous it was! That was if vampires were real. He really needed a second opinion on that.
The phone remained firmly in the Hunter’s pocket. “It doesn’t matter who it was. Yuushi will be just as pissed at me and I’ll still get in trouble for telling you anything.” Sighing Gakuto was beginning to think that this telling Ryou everything was a bad idea. He had wanted to end the lies... but in doing so he was forcing Shishido into the same secrecy hell that he was in. Not exactly ‘friend’ material.
“That’s only part of the reason why curfew is in place. There’s no one to keep an eye on the Day Class when Night Class is in session. We’re too busy keeping an eye on them.” Leaning back in his chair he frowned at the ceiling. “And they have to keep it a secret. Vampire’s are only alive today because their existence isn’t known. Also the panic it would cause world wide would be insane.” Looking back to Shishido, Gakuto frowned. “Sit down and calm down. It’s rare to find Vampire’s who aren’t living normally in society. Level E’s exist, but normally their population is so small it’s not anything to worry about.”
Shishido frowned but followed Gakuto’s instructions and sat back down on the bed. He thought not being able to tell anybody was a stupid rule. How was he supposed to confirm that it was really true if he couldn’t speak to anyone about it? And why was everyone going to be pissed about it if they found out he knew? Were they going to hurt them over it? He was seriously starting to feel that agreeing to come to Gakuto’s room was a very bad idea, especially with all the information Gakuto kept throwing at him. Like what the hell was a level E?!
“You’re right. It’s just a lot to take in,” Shishido said. His best plan of action was to just nod along with Gakuto and then make his escape and find Yuushi in person to confirm whether vampires were really real or Gakuto was really crazy. He wasn’t sure what one was worse. “Sorry I tried to email Yuushi. I promise not to try that again.” Totally true. He wasn’t going to try emailing in front of Gakuto again. That had obviously been a stupid plan. But seriously, vampires? He couldn’t be blamed for his brain not fully functioning.
Finally, Shishido was getting it. In truth, Gakuto had started to seriously worry. If Shishido couldn’t handle the information and went crying to the rooftops it would be on his own head and no one elses. Even now he was starting to believe telling Ryou about the Vampires, and in turn about himself was a bad idea. Too many things could go wrong... which is why he supposed the rule was in place in the first place.
“Thanks. He’d want my head on a platter... and if it ever got back to the Association that I blabbed I’d probably have my rank stripped.” That wasn’t even the half of it. Yuushi wouldn’t be the only Vampire wanting his head. The High Council would have a thing to say to him if he exposed the Vampire community. Gakuto really had outdone himself in stupidity this time.
Shishido continued to nod along but he was seriously rethinking his plan to tell Yuushi. Would he really go after Gakuto? “Why would Yuushi want your head on a platter?” He asked. He was pretty sure that wasn’t Yuushi’s style. But that was human Yuushi... if Yuushi was a vampire maybe he was all into violence and blood drinking. Still, if he wanted to really know the truth, he’d have to man up and ask anyway. Maybe he could sneak off with one of Gakuto’s guns just to be safe. His gaze shifted to them on the bed and then back to Gakuto. Nah, even distracted, the guy would probably notice one of those beauties walking out of his room.
“Huh?” the redhead asked, turning his face up to look at the other. Gakuto had lost himself yet again in the labyrinth of his mind. “O-oh, that was more of an expression...” The last thing he needed was for Shishido to start thinking all of the Night Class was out to devour him. Not only would that cause a panic... but Ryou would also end up acting like he had when he arrived at Eclipse. Not the best of fates.
Clearing his throat, Gakuto continued. “He would be mad though... all of the Night Class would. There’s a reason why normal humans don’t know about the Vampire society... can you imagine the panic it would cause?” Shishido’s reaction was a perfect example.
“So mad but not out to kill us all, good to know,” Shishido said, feeling a bit better again about his wanting to confirm this with Yuushi. Had he really been making out with a vampire for so many months and not noticed something was off? That just seemed a little lame to him. “And I get what you mean about people and panic and stuff. I won’t blab it to the school.” Not a lie. Talking to Yuushi wasn’t blabbing.
“Still... it’s a lot to get my head around. I get why you’ve been so stressed though. I do. It’s just... crazy.” Shishido flopped back onto Gakuto’s bed with a dramatic sigh. “Might need to take some time to get a grip on it.”
Shishiou’s comments made a small grin appear on the Hunter’s face. “Nah. Death’s caused by Vampire’s other than Level E’s are exceedingly rare. Oshitari is a noble, and that’s even more rare.” Sitting back in his chair, the redhead allowed himself to relax a little. Maybe... maybe he wouldn’t have to get Atobe to erase Shishido’s memories? Maybe they could still be friends? After all, what did it matter that Ryou knew? It wasn’t like the knowledge was hurting anyone.
“I can imagine... I grew up with knowing, so I can’t relate.” Shishido’s words brought the Hunter back to his previous worries. “... the fact that I’m around Vampires isn’t the only reason why I’m stressed.” Sitting up, he looked at Ryou once more. “Actually, you making out with the Oshitari wasn’t the only reason I wanted to tell you about this, either. I..... well. There’s a big possibility that I won’t be coming back to school after holidays. I wanted you to know that I didn’t just ditch you.”
Shishido still didn’t get what a level E was and knowing Yuushi was apparently a noble wasn’t helping his head either. It was best just to ignore it for now. “Good to know,” He said and then twitched at the mention of him making out with the Oshitaris. Did Gakuto have to phrase it like that? “And you just told me about vampires and now you might not be coming back? Why not? It’s more than just the overprotective parents, right?” He didn’t think his friend had really lied to him, but he could understand the need to stretch the truth about his family and reasons for him not returning.
The statement was probably more accusing than Shishidou had intended. Or at least, Gakuto hoped it was. The Hunter could understand Ryou’s frustration to a point - he had sprung this on the other at what was probably the worst time possible. “Part of it... is about mom and dad.” Before Gakuto knew what he was doing, words tumbled out of his mouth that he had never intended to say. That he was sent to the school to monitor the Vampire population, spy on the staff, and report back to the Association. Also, that he had been attacked, and nearly killed in town - only to be saved by none other than the Pureblood vampire, Atobe Keigo. And how now he would have to go before the council themselves.
“In all likelihood I’ll have my rank stripped and be sent back to academy. I wouldn’t put it past the Council to think that the Vampire’s brainwashed me into thinking they weren’t secretly feasting on the humans every night. Worst case scenario, my parents will force me to come back home completely. They didn’t think I could do this in the first place. And Atobe... oh yeah, that’s going to be a great thing to go home to. Got saved by a Pureblood.”
Shishido just stared slightly gobsmacked as he actually found out just how much there was to his friend that he didn’t know about. And to think, he thought he had problems with family and school life. “What’s going to happen to the school though? I mean if you aren’t here, isn’t this association going to get antsy? And I don’t get the big deal. You’re young, you made a mistake, you learned from it and carried on. They should be happy that you’re sticking to it.” Shishido didn’t think he’d ever completely understand Gakuto’s world and as much as he wanted to be a good friend, he didn’t think he really wanted to. His mind was still reeling on the fact that Yuushi was a vampire and that vampires existed. He was pretty sure he was in some sort of denial shock thing. But at least he wasn’t freaking out.
“It wasn’t just any mistake, Ryou. I knowingly put myself and others in danger. Even I admit I was being an overly cocky stupid prick.” He had been incredibly stupid. Having had no sleep Gakuto had had no business going on the hunt that night. What had happened he had rightfully deserved. Even with that, he didn’t like the idea of standing before a panel of the most influential Hunter’s of the day and having them bellow it down at him. “Don’t worry about the school. It’s not like I’m the only Hunter my age. You guys already have Sadaharu and Jin, though I doubt they’ll trust Jin with it, the asses.” No, they wouldn’t give the mission to a Hunter turned Vampire, even if Jin was capable. “They’ll probably just send someone else to transfer in, and in the mean time send out Sadaharu.” Gakuto shifted uncomfortably, the idea of his friend on the Hunt was worrying him. Inui was more of a researcher than a Hunter.
“Well fine, you screwed up badly. But you obviously learned from it. And if it doesn’t kill you it makes you stronger, right? They’d be even bigger asses not to see that.” And Shishido didn’t really want to rely on Jin of all people to protect him from dangerous vampires. He also didn’t want Inui fighting them unless he was secretly a Jedi warrior. Because as much as he loved the guy, he did not give off fighter vibes and even said so himself that he wasn’t sporty! “And if they send in some new guy our age how do they know they won’t make the same cocky mistake? See, better to stick with you.” He liked his logic.
Gakuto’s laugh lacked any mirth, the redhead falling back on his elbows. “Of course it would be better to stick with me, but the day that the Association sees that will be a cold day in hell. We have a creed, a set of rules that we have to follow no matter what. I’ve broken a dozen at least, and I’ve done something that in their eyes will make me unfit to be a hunter.” Really, it was all politics - but no matter how much Gakuto explained it to his friend, he doubted Ryou would fully understand.
“Don’t think I’m going to take it lying down though. I’m going to relay the information I gathered and ask them to return me to this point. I’ll be of better use here than stuck back at the Association with my family.”
“Yeah, give them hell if they try being dicks to you,” Shishido encouraged. His friend may have just tilted his world on its axis or be completely insane but he most certainly did not want him gone. He was sure that Gakuto wouldn’t let him get eaten by a weird vampire. And that reminded him that he really wanted to talk to Yuushi still. “Look, I’m totally in information overload and I think you need some rest as much as me. So why don’t we break for the night?”
Gakuto was torn between wanting Shishido to stay and longing for him to leave. The situation had become even more awkward than when he had arrived, and the idea of him sticking around twisted knots in the redhead’s stomach. However, now that Shishido knew the truth about the school... about him... and the Night Class - Gakuto didn’t feel entirely comfortable leaving him alone. Especially seeing as how close he was with the Oshitaris.
Still, there was no point dwelling on that fact. There was no extra bed so Ryou couldn’t stay the night and it was better for him to leave sooner than later. “All right. Sorry about breaking your brain.... and thanks for listening to me, even though I was rambling.” Getting to his feet Gakuto crossed to the door. “Keep what I said in mind though, and try and stay safe. It would be a pain in the ass if I had to drop everything and save you.”
“I’m not some lame helpless damsel in distress,” Shishido said as he followed Gakuto to the door and opened it. Just because he didn’t have some fancy weapon that supposedly worked on vampires didn’t mean he couldn’t take care of himself. Though thinking that, he knew, that before he could sleep tonight he would have to confirm this vampire thing one way or another with Yuushi. He hoped Gakuto didn’t totally freak out if he found out. “And I’ll catch you tomorrow. See you at breakfast, okay?”
“Say that when you have a fanged freak on your ass, and I’ll believe you.” He knew Ryou could hold his own in a normal fight, but against a Vampire? No, he would most likely be slaughtered. It took Hunters years of training to be able to hold their own. A hand on the door frame, Gakuto nodded. “Yeah, breakfast. Meal of champions and junk. I’ll be there,” he ended with a yawn. It was getting late, he would have to start his rounds soon...
“Yeah yeah. But if you’re doing your job properly, I got nothing to worry about right?” Shishido teased before giving his friend a nod, “And hey, try to get some sleep before all this worrying and crap makes you pass out in the middle of the lawn.” Knowing all of the stuff that Gakuto was dealing with just made him worry even more about his friend. He’d have to remember to try and look out for him that extra bit more. “See ya tomorrow.” He gave a final wave before heading towards his room. Just as soon as he was sure that Gakuto wasn’t following him in some weird fit of paranoia, he’d go find Yuushi and sort this all out.
“God forbid. I know too many people who would take advantage of me being comatose.” The absolute last thing he wanted was to pass out dead on his rounds. He ignored the initial slight, knowing that Ryou was merely messing with him. “See ya,” were his last words to Ryou’s retreating back before he shut the door on his friend. With a tired sigh the Hunter turned to his closet, getting out his gear for another night as a School Guardian.
Rating: PGish
Summary: Shishido wants to know what's up with Gakuto and his friend decides to come clean about being a vampire hunter.
Gakuto had been pacing the room for the past ten minutes. As soon as he had placed those comments online he had partially wished he hadn’t. There was no way to take them back now, and Gakuto was quite aware of the consequences of revealing the Vampire society - and in association, the Hunter’s as well. For the eightieth time the redhead turned to look at the computer screen where his writing glared back at him. Still there... still there.
When Shishido knocked, Gakuto nearly jumped. Rushing the door, he opened it quickly, yanking the other inside. He doubted Ryou had spoken to anyway yet... but he couldn’t risk keeping him outside. “You should sit down...” he started. It wasn’t the best way to start, and those words certainly weren’t what he had planned...
“So, what’s the big deal that I’m too lame to believe unless you tell me in person?” Shishido asked as he was let into Gakuto’s room. He flopped himself onto Gakuto’s bed happily stealing Gakuto’s pillow as he made himself comfortable. He thought his friend just needed to calm down and that all this stressing out over first kisses and Yuushi were making him overly dramatic. But as a friend, it was practically his sworn duty to humour Gakuto in his time of need and support him through this Yuushi induced drama.
Watching his friend closely, Gakuto crossed to the empty computer chair, turning it around to face Shishidou. Sitting down he frowned at a spot just over Ryou’s head. The consequences of revealing such secrets were... severe. He knew that. But he also didn’t think he could continue playing dumb either. At least not with Shishidou - especially considering his friend was spending his time making out with Vampires. Yuushi may have told him that he had no interest in any blood aside from his cousins - but that was a bit... difficult to swallow. At any rate, Gakuto couldn’t risk it and wanted Ryou to know what he was getting into.
“To be honest, I’m not expecting you to believe me in person either...” Taking a deep breath, Gakuto tried to think of the best way to approach the subject. “....Ryou, do you believe in the super-natural? Big Foot, Aliens, Werewolves.... Vampires?”
Well, at least Gakuto wasn’t trying to convince him he was a girl again, Shishido thought as he tried not to laugh at his friend. “Errr.... they make good movies,” Shishido offered trying not to offend his friend if he was one of those weird true believers. He hoped Gakuto wasn’t going to try to convince him that Yuushi was like a Vulcan or something.
This.. wasn’t off to a good start. Nibbling for a moment on his lip, Gakuto closed his eyes, thinking things over. There was no way that Shishidou would blindly believe him if he just spat out that vampires existed and they were currently surrounded by them. No way. He would have to present proof. “They... eh... do. Listen. What I’m about to say, is going to sound stupid and impossible. I already know that. So just hear me out until I’m done, got it?” Gakuto’s voice was harsher than he had intended, something he quickly corrected.
“Vampires... “ he paused, shaking his head and starting over. “In this world... there are three different communities.” There... that was a good start. Turning to his computer he pulled up a graphing program, inserting numbers until the graph came out correctly. Pointing at the highest column Gakuto cleared his throat. “This represents the Human Community, easily the most inhabited.” He moved his hand to the second largest column, taking a deep breath. “.... this.... represents the Vampire Community. They have their own government and status ranks. Most people have probably met Vampires without actually knowing it.” Finally he moved his hand to the last column. “This represents the Hunter Community. Hunter’s are unique humans born with heightened abilities. We’re trained to track down, and kill Vampires. I’m a Hunter.” He paused again, before taking the plunge. “Oshitari Yuushi... along with the rest of the Night Class, however.... fall into this category.” He moved his hand to the highest column again, waiting for Shishido to insist he be institutionalized.
Shishido was practically biting down on his tongue to not interrupt Gakuto’s speech. He did shift on the bed to sit up so he could see the screen on Gakuto’s computer. He had to admit that even if his friend was insane, he certainly had enviable graph making skills. “Are you sure you aren’t getting like some dungeons and dragons role playing game mixed up in reality?” He was sure he’d read a news article once about that happening to people. It sounded totally lame and unlikely, but Gakuto was here talking about hunters and vampires. And he’d like to think he’d notice if he’d been making out with a couple vampires for the last few months.
It was exactly as the redhead had feared. Shishido didn’t believe him. Of course, he hadn’t expected his friend to believe him from the off. He needed proof. Getting up from his perch, Gakuto moved to the closet, shifting things aside until he felt the familiar box in the corner. “Ryou... don’t freak out when I show you this stuff, okay?” He didn’t need Ryou to go screaming bloody murder that he had brought guns to school. “I have permission to carry these on the school grounds.” Without further ado, the redhead withdrew his pistols, still lodged within their holster.
“You could shoot me with these and it would have no effect. However, if you turned them on the Night Class they... wouldn’t exactly be unharmed.” Killed, actually, but he didn’t want to alarm his friends.
Shishido looked at the guns, his eyes widening before a grin spread across his face. “Oh those are cool,” He said and shifted to the edge of the bed, a hand reaching out to take them. “And what do you mean they won’t hurt you but would hurt the night class?” He still wasn’t buying the whole vampire thing, but the guns were cool and he wanted to get his hands on them to see what they shot and how they worked. Maybe Gakuto would let him shoot them. Not in the dorm, obviously, and not at his friend, no matter what Gakuto said about them being safe. But still, it would be cool. Definitely cooler than fencing.
Gakuto could have slapped his forehead. He couldn’t believe Shishidou was taking this as a game. At least he couldn’t actually be lethal with the pair of Bloody Rose. “I mean they’re anti-Vampire weapons. Designed by Sadaha.....ru....” Well fuck. He hadn’t meant to out Inui as well. Still, he was sure that his friend would back him if the time came anyway. “They’ll only hurt Vampires - it actually hurts Vampire’s just to touch them.
Shishido turned a gun over in his hand, fiddling with things on it, but careful not mess around with the trigger. Just because Gakuto was convinced he couldn’t harm himself with it, he didn’t want to take that chance and take someone’s foot off. His fingers traced over the design on them, only looking up from it when Gakuto mentioned Inui’s name. “Sadaharu made these?” He guessed it made sense. If there were vampires and Gakuto was some sort of hunter, which was actually harder to believe than there being vampires given the size of his friend, he could totally see Inui gleefully making weapons and stuff. He just couldn’t believe that Inui had made it so cool looking. He’d totally have to bug him about making him his own cool looking weapons.
“And wait, so you think that if I gave this to Yuushi to hold he’d like what? Burst into flames?” Okay, maybe he wasn’t believing the whole vampire thing anymore than he was the Gakuto as a hunter part.
That sentence produced a small chuckle out of the redhead. Burst into flames? The movies really did go all out, didn’t they? Gakuto himself tended to steer away from Vampire movies, seeing quite enough of the actual thing for his tastes. “No... nothing like that. If he merely touched it he would probably feel a burning sensation or electric charge. It differs from Vampire to Vampire. It’s a safety mechanism for the Hunter.” Giving a small frown, Gakuto moved away from the closet heading back to the computer chair.
“At least you seem to get the general idea. I just thought you should know... as you and the Oshitaris have gotten... intimate. The Night Class is under direct orders not to eat from the Day Class students... but these rules don’t really apply to the habits of a Vampire. You should be careful in case they get carried away...”
“Intimate?!” Shishido choked out. He had admitted kissing Yuushi to Gakuto but intimate was going a bit too far. “It was just a little kissing! And they definitely haven’t tried to eat me or anything.” He set the gun down onto the bed and lounged back again. “I think you might have gotten your vampire people mixed up or something.”
“I know they haven’t. Remember, I have heightened senses. I know every time that a Vampire bares their fangs. The school Vampires seem content feeding off each other...” Something Gakuto still didn’t understand. Naturally the Vampires would be drawn to human blood. Thousands of years of tradition did, after all, stand for something.
“... but I’m not wrong about the Oshitari.” He tried to think of hard core proof. “There’s a Vampire registry at the Association headquarters. I familiarized myself with all the Vampires I was going to meet before I came to this school.” Passing a hand over his eyes, the redhead searched his brain for an easier way... “Okay. How about this.” He held up a fisted hand, extending one finger. “The Night Class are never seen during times when Daylight can touch them.” A second finger. “They are rarely seen eating normal food unless it’s something like candy. This is because food isn’t a substance that they require. Their food is something different.” A third. “You may have not noticed, but the Vampire’s have a cooler body temperature. Like they have been outside in winter for too long.” Fourth. “I felt Yuushi’s fangs when he kissed me, so you had to have.” Fifth. “Can you honestly say it’s not strange for a high school to have a class that keeps their students up til six in the morning? Wouldn’t their parents want to take them home? That is... unless their parents, and the students, already were awake at that hour.”
Frowning, the Hunter lowered his hand. “If you think about it without being biased to the thought of ‘Vampires don’t exist’... it makes perfect sense.”
Shishido listened to Gakuto go on and on about the night class and vampires not really believing him. But he couldn’t help thinking back to his own experiences with Kenya and Yuushi. Disturbingly, everything Gakuto was saying did fit in one way or another. He’d just dismissed them all as weird genetic quirks or odd night class behaviour. Hell, he’d teased Yuushi for nearly two weeks about bad dentistry the first time he’d felt elongated teeth. But were they really fangs? Did Yuushi not care about the heat or cold air because he didn’t have a normal body temperature? It would explain night class hours though, he did always think that was the strangest thing about them.
He bolted straight up. “Shit. I’ve been making out with a vampire!” He practically yelled in shock. It fit, it so oddly fit that it had to be true. “Vampries are real! Holy Hell!” Okay, he wasn’t going to freak, he wasn’t going to freak. Chanting wasn’t really working. When he thought about all those times he had Yuushi nibbling on his neck and he had encouraged him. “They could’ve eaten me!” It didn’t matter that they’d never bit him. now that he was accepting of vampires, he was seeing everything in a whole new and overly dramatic light.
Slowly the redhead watched the truth dawn on his friend, knowledge and fear forming in his eyes. Gakuto had known they would arrive at this point eventually. The evidence was simply too much to be ignored. It appeared Shishidou wasn’t taking the revelation well, however. Gakuto supposed he would be freaking out as well if he realized he had exposed vulnerability to a vampire... Hell, he was freaking out after one little kiss.
“Calm down,” the Hunter frowned, putting a hand on Shishido’s shoulder. “They’re not going to eat you. If they do, I shoot them. Simple as that.” It was a harsh truth, but there it was. “They’re under orders to not feed off the Day Class, so you should be fine as long as they don’t get carried away. I would be more concerned about the ones in town.” He certainly was, after the attack a few months ago. The number of vampires hadn’t decreased by much, even though he and Sadaharu, plus a hand full of nobles had been patrolling semi nightly. “....Ryou.... you can’t tell anyone about this. Ever.”
“So you’re going to shoot someone after they eat me? Fat lot of good that will do for me!” Shishido complained and then wondered if he’d be more pissed about Gakuto letting him get eaten or Gakuto potentially shooting Yuushi. Damn this was confusing. “And what do you mean the vampires in town? Why are there vampires in town? And who the hell am I going to tell? Nobody would believe me. I don’t need to add men with white coats to the list of things I need to start fighting.” That’s right, this was all insanity. Maybe he wasn’t the one the white men needed to come fore.
Having an idea, Shishido dug out his phone from his pocket and pulled up Yuushi’s email. He wasn’t allowed to tell anyone, but if a person was a vampire, it wasn’t really telling, right? And maybe Yuushi would say he wasn’t a vampire and Gakuto was pulling his leg and it was all a giant hoax and he could go back to his happy little world. Seeing Yuushi as his last hope of sanity he started typing in an email asking him if he was a vampire.
Sensing danger, Gakuto moved to take the phone away, moving faster than was humanly possible. It was times like these when being a Hunter definitely came in handy. Looking down at the device the redhead erased the email, not recognizing it. At this point, it wasn’t even smart to tell another Hunter. Pocketing the phone he turned a hard glare to the other boy.
“Weren’t you listening?” he asked, a frustrated sound to his voice. “I said you can’t tell anyone. Do you have any idea how much trouble I would be in if anyone knew that I told you? Not to mention the panic that it would cause.” Sitting back down, Gakuto crossed his arms. “As for the ‘eating you’... I already told you the school Vampires have no interest. They have blood tablets to stave off hunger. You don’t need to think of them as a threat.” Without thinking his hand went up to his neck. “The ones in town...... are a different story. But as long as you stick to curfew they aren’t an issue either.”
“Hey!” Shishido protested as his phone was taken away. He then crossed his arms in a huff. “I wasn’t telling anyone. I was asking Yuushi. He’s my last chance that you really are insane, no offence, and that vampires aren’t real.” He trusted Yuushi to tell him the truth and he also trusted Yuushi to keep things quiet. If the guy hadn’t shouted from the rooftops that they were making out on a regular basis, than he was sure a little vampire thing could be kept quiet. Not that vampires existing was a little thing.
“So what, we have those lame curfew hours to keep us from getting mauled in town? Geeze talk about harsh punishments. And I can’t believe we aren’t told about this. Do you know how many people want to sneak into town after curfew?!” He’d even debated it once or twice. Something he definitely wouldn’t have done if he knew how stupidly dangerous it was! That was if vampires were real. He really needed a second opinion on that.
The phone remained firmly in the Hunter’s pocket. “It doesn’t matter who it was. Yuushi will be just as pissed at me and I’ll still get in trouble for telling you anything.” Sighing Gakuto was beginning to think that this telling Ryou everything was a bad idea. He had wanted to end the lies... but in doing so he was forcing Shishido into the same secrecy hell that he was in. Not exactly ‘friend’ material.
“That’s only part of the reason why curfew is in place. There’s no one to keep an eye on the Day Class when Night Class is in session. We’re too busy keeping an eye on them.” Leaning back in his chair he frowned at the ceiling. “And they have to keep it a secret. Vampire’s are only alive today because their existence isn’t known. Also the panic it would cause world wide would be insane.” Looking back to Shishido, Gakuto frowned. “Sit down and calm down. It’s rare to find Vampire’s who aren’t living normally in society. Level E’s exist, but normally their population is so small it’s not anything to worry about.”
Shishido frowned but followed Gakuto’s instructions and sat back down on the bed. He thought not being able to tell anybody was a stupid rule. How was he supposed to confirm that it was really true if he couldn’t speak to anyone about it? And why was everyone going to be pissed about it if they found out he knew? Were they going to hurt them over it? He was seriously starting to feel that agreeing to come to Gakuto’s room was a very bad idea, especially with all the information Gakuto kept throwing at him. Like what the hell was a level E?!
“You’re right. It’s just a lot to take in,” Shishido said. His best plan of action was to just nod along with Gakuto and then make his escape and find Yuushi in person to confirm whether vampires were really real or Gakuto was really crazy. He wasn’t sure what one was worse. “Sorry I tried to email Yuushi. I promise not to try that again.” Totally true. He wasn’t going to try emailing in front of Gakuto again. That had obviously been a stupid plan. But seriously, vampires? He couldn’t be blamed for his brain not fully functioning.
Finally, Shishido was getting it. In truth, Gakuto had started to seriously worry. If Shishido couldn’t handle the information and went crying to the rooftops it would be on his own head and no one elses. Even now he was starting to believe telling Ryou about the Vampires, and in turn about himself was a bad idea. Too many things could go wrong... which is why he supposed the rule was in place in the first place.
“Thanks. He’d want my head on a platter... and if it ever got back to the Association that I blabbed I’d probably have my rank stripped.” That wasn’t even the half of it. Yuushi wouldn’t be the only Vampire wanting his head. The High Council would have a thing to say to him if he exposed the Vampire community. Gakuto really had outdone himself in stupidity this time.
Shishido continued to nod along but he was seriously rethinking his plan to tell Yuushi. Would he really go after Gakuto? “Why would Yuushi want your head on a platter?” He asked. He was pretty sure that wasn’t Yuushi’s style. But that was human Yuushi... if Yuushi was a vampire maybe he was all into violence and blood drinking. Still, if he wanted to really know the truth, he’d have to man up and ask anyway. Maybe he could sneak off with one of Gakuto’s guns just to be safe. His gaze shifted to them on the bed and then back to Gakuto. Nah, even distracted, the guy would probably notice one of those beauties walking out of his room.
“Huh?” the redhead asked, turning his face up to look at the other. Gakuto had lost himself yet again in the labyrinth of his mind. “O-oh, that was more of an expression...” The last thing he needed was for Shishido to start thinking all of the Night Class was out to devour him. Not only would that cause a panic... but Ryou would also end up acting like he had when he arrived at Eclipse. Not the best of fates.
Clearing his throat, Gakuto continued. “He would be mad though... all of the Night Class would. There’s a reason why normal humans don’t know about the Vampire society... can you imagine the panic it would cause?” Shishido’s reaction was a perfect example.
“So mad but not out to kill us all, good to know,” Shishido said, feeling a bit better again about his wanting to confirm this with Yuushi. Had he really been making out with a vampire for so many months and not noticed something was off? That just seemed a little lame to him. “And I get what you mean about people and panic and stuff. I won’t blab it to the school.” Not a lie. Talking to Yuushi wasn’t blabbing.
“Still... it’s a lot to get my head around. I get why you’ve been so stressed though. I do. It’s just... crazy.” Shishido flopped back onto Gakuto’s bed with a dramatic sigh. “Might need to take some time to get a grip on it.”
Shishiou’s comments made a small grin appear on the Hunter’s face. “Nah. Death’s caused by Vampire’s other than Level E’s are exceedingly rare. Oshitari is a noble, and that’s even more rare.” Sitting back in his chair, the redhead allowed himself to relax a little. Maybe... maybe he wouldn’t have to get Atobe to erase Shishido’s memories? Maybe they could still be friends? After all, what did it matter that Ryou knew? It wasn’t like the knowledge was hurting anyone.
“I can imagine... I grew up with knowing, so I can’t relate.” Shishido’s words brought the Hunter back to his previous worries. “... the fact that I’m around Vampires isn’t the only reason why I’m stressed.” Sitting up, he looked at Ryou once more. “Actually, you making out with the Oshitari wasn’t the only reason I wanted to tell you about this, either. I..... well. There’s a big possibility that I won’t be coming back to school after holidays. I wanted you to know that I didn’t just ditch you.”
Shishido still didn’t get what a level E was and knowing Yuushi was apparently a noble wasn’t helping his head either. It was best just to ignore it for now. “Good to know,” He said and then twitched at the mention of him making out with the Oshitaris. Did Gakuto have to phrase it like that? “And you just told me about vampires and now you might not be coming back? Why not? It’s more than just the overprotective parents, right?” He didn’t think his friend had really lied to him, but he could understand the need to stretch the truth about his family and reasons for him not returning.
The statement was probably more accusing than Shishidou had intended. Or at least, Gakuto hoped it was. The Hunter could understand Ryou’s frustration to a point - he had sprung this on the other at what was probably the worst time possible. “Part of it... is about mom and dad.” Before Gakuto knew what he was doing, words tumbled out of his mouth that he had never intended to say. That he was sent to the school to monitor the Vampire population, spy on the staff, and report back to the Association. Also, that he had been attacked, and nearly killed in town - only to be saved by none other than the Pureblood vampire, Atobe Keigo. And how now he would have to go before the council themselves.
“In all likelihood I’ll have my rank stripped and be sent back to academy. I wouldn’t put it past the Council to think that the Vampire’s brainwashed me into thinking they weren’t secretly feasting on the humans every night. Worst case scenario, my parents will force me to come back home completely. They didn’t think I could do this in the first place. And Atobe... oh yeah, that’s going to be a great thing to go home to. Got saved by a Pureblood.”
Shishido just stared slightly gobsmacked as he actually found out just how much there was to his friend that he didn’t know about. And to think, he thought he had problems with family and school life. “What’s going to happen to the school though? I mean if you aren’t here, isn’t this association going to get antsy? And I don’t get the big deal. You’re young, you made a mistake, you learned from it and carried on. They should be happy that you’re sticking to it.” Shishido didn’t think he’d ever completely understand Gakuto’s world and as much as he wanted to be a good friend, he didn’t think he really wanted to. His mind was still reeling on the fact that Yuushi was a vampire and that vampires existed. He was pretty sure he was in some sort of denial shock thing. But at least he wasn’t freaking out.
“It wasn’t just any mistake, Ryou. I knowingly put myself and others in danger. Even I admit I was being an overly cocky stupid prick.” He had been incredibly stupid. Having had no sleep Gakuto had had no business going on the hunt that night. What had happened he had rightfully deserved. Even with that, he didn’t like the idea of standing before a panel of the most influential Hunter’s of the day and having them bellow it down at him. “Don’t worry about the school. It’s not like I’m the only Hunter my age. You guys already have Sadaharu and Jin, though I doubt they’ll trust Jin with it, the asses.” No, they wouldn’t give the mission to a Hunter turned Vampire, even if Jin was capable. “They’ll probably just send someone else to transfer in, and in the mean time send out Sadaharu.” Gakuto shifted uncomfortably, the idea of his friend on the Hunt was worrying him. Inui was more of a researcher than a Hunter.
“Well fine, you screwed up badly. But you obviously learned from it. And if it doesn’t kill you it makes you stronger, right? They’d be even bigger asses not to see that.” And Shishido didn’t really want to rely on Jin of all people to protect him from dangerous vampires. He also didn’t want Inui fighting them unless he was secretly a Jedi warrior. Because as much as he loved the guy, he did not give off fighter vibes and even said so himself that he wasn’t sporty! “And if they send in some new guy our age how do they know they won’t make the same cocky mistake? See, better to stick with you.” He liked his logic.
Gakuto’s laugh lacked any mirth, the redhead falling back on his elbows. “Of course it would be better to stick with me, but the day that the Association sees that will be a cold day in hell. We have a creed, a set of rules that we have to follow no matter what. I’ve broken a dozen at least, and I’ve done something that in their eyes will make me unfit to be a hunter.” Really, it was all politics - but no matter how much Gakuto explained it to his friend, he doubted Ryou would fully understand.
“Don’t think I’m going to take it lying down though. I’m going to relay the information I gathered and ask them to return me to this point. I’ll be of better use here than stuck back at the Association with my family.”
“Yeah, give them hell if they try being dicks to you,” Shishido encouraged. His friend may have just tilted his world on its axis or be completely insane but he most certainly did not want him gone. He was sure that Gakuto wouldn’t let him get eaten by a weird vampire. And that reminded him that he really wanted to talk to Yuushi still. “Look, I’m totally in information overload and I think you need some rest as much as me. So why don’t we break for the night?”
Gakuto was torn between wanting Shishido to stay and longing for him to leave. The situation had become even more awkward than when he had arrived, and the idea of him sticking around twisted knots in the redhead’s stomach. However, now that Shishido knew the truth about the school... about him... and the Night Class - Gakuto didn’t feel entirely comfortable leaving him alone. Especially seeing as how close he was with the Oshitaris.
Still, there was no point dwelling on that fact. There was no extra bed so Ryou couldn’t stay the night and it was better for him to leave sooner than later. “All right. Sorry about breaking your brain.... and thanks for listening to me, even though I was rambling.” Getting to his feet Gakuto crossed to the door. “Keep what I said in mind though, and try and stay safe. It would be a pain in the ass if I had to drop everything and save you.”
“I’m not some lame helpless damsel in distress,” Shishido said as he followed Gakuto to the door and opened it. Just because he didn’t have some fancy weapon that supposedly worked on vampires didn’t mean he couldn’t take care of himself. Though thinking that, he knew, that before he could sleep tonight he would have to confirm this vampire thing one way or another with Yuushi. He hoped Gakuto didn’t totally freak out if he found out. “And I’ll catch you tomorrow. See you at breakfast, okay?”
“Say that when you have a fanged freak on your ass, and I’ll believe you.” He knew Ryou could hold his own in a normal fight, but against a Vampire? No, he would most likely be slaughtered. It took Hunters years of training to be able to hold their own. A hand on the door frame, Gakuto nodded. “Yeah, breakfast. Meal of champions and junk. I’ll be there,” he ended with a yawn. It was getting late, he would have to start his rounds soon...
“Yeah yeah. But if you’re doing your job properly, I got nothing to worry about right?” Shishido teased before giving his friend a nod, “And hey, try to get some sleep before all this worrying and crap makes you pass out in the middle of the lawn.” Knowing all of the stuff that Gakuto was dealing with just made him worry even more about his friend. He’d have to remember to try and look out for him that extra bit more. “See ya tomorrow.” He gave a final wave before heading towards his room. Just as soon as he was sure that Gakuto wasn’t following him in some weird fit of paranoia, he’d go find Yuushi and sort this all out.
“God forbid. I know too many people who would take advantage of me being comatose.” The absolute last thing he wanted was to pass out dead on his rounds. He ignored the initial slight, knowing that Ryou was merely messing with him. “See ya,” were his last words to Ryou’s retreating back before he shut the door on his friend. With a tired sigh the Hunter turned to his closet, getting out his gear for another night as a School Guardian.