Welcome!

[Niwatourou Tsukiyo]

Niwatorou Tsukiyo pushed her way through the hallways of Ouran High; through the sea of students heading in the opposite direction as she - toward the doors that lead out of the school or toward their individual Club meetings. She murrmurred appologies as she swam like a fish against the stream toward her ultimate goal.

Soon, the crowds in the hallways thinned out as she headed deeper into the southern wing of the school. The whitenoise of the students faded until the only thing that made a sound was the heel of her own shoes as they met the tile floor beneath her. It was a relief to be free of the pressure of mingling with her Upper-crust peers. She treasured the liberation of being alone - at least, while she was at school.

She didn't have to look up to see that the Nurse's office was only a few more doors down. She'd made this verysame trek every day after school ever since the beginning of the year. The office itself never seemed to stop amazing her. She paused outside the pristine white door with her hand poised to pull on the handle. She took a deep breath, bracing herself for the awe that would undoubtedly wash over her.

It did, every time she came here. No matter how many times she opened that door, the sheer scope of what lay behind it dazzled her, each and every time. It made a warm, quiet smile spread across her face. She pulled the door open and stepped inside.

It was as hospital-like as it had always been. Pure white tiles beneath her feet, white paint on the walls and perfectly white linens lay on each of several beds that lined one wall. Curtains as pure as fresh fallen snow were pulled back and secured into place. Cabinets as neatly organized as she'd ever seen anything filled the opposite wall, and the nurse's actual office lay closed and locked for the day. The smell of bleach and anti-bacterial soap were at once familiar, and heartwarming.

Many might have thought it strange that a place like this would make her feel welcome and comfortable, but it reminded her of happy times. It stirred vague memories of a mother she barely remembered and of her Father, who was probably hip-deep in some medical board meeting somewhere.

Niwatourou set her bags down on a table beside the door and pulled out her laptop, setting it up in the customary place - atop a table as white as the rest of the room with a rolling desk chair at the far end of the cabinets. She could get her homework done in peace and watch the after-school field activites out of a window directly to her right. Baseball teams were warming up and the track-and-field division were working hard to improve. The occassional -PING!- of a metal bat hitting a baseball for a homerun filtered through the double-paned glass. Otherwise, it was utterly silent.

She was something of a fixture here. The school nurses trusted her enough to allow her access after school - letting her stay until the last of the After School clubs had left for the evening. It meant two things - there was someone in the Infirmary even after school who could handle just about any minor injury that might have occured during club activites... and it gave her someplace of her 'own' to be. She took a moment to slip out of her school uniform - the yellow poofy dress was certainly not her style - and into something a bit more comfortable. The one-of-a-kind outfit still felt a bit too oppulant for her...but she was slowly getting accustomed to the expectations and privilages of the wealthy.

The key-stone style contrast of colors on her slightly flared jeans accentuated the length of her legs, and the asian-fusion style mandarin collared Qi-pao/kimono/tunic shirt she wore complimented her practical but unique nature. She pulled her long, dark hair up into a bun ... bangs and a few loose strands falling around her face.

Her soft brown eyes closed as she breathed it all in, leaning back in her chair to enjoy the chill of the air-conditioning and the freedom of knowing she wasn't under any pressure to act like someone she wasn't. Nobody really knew her; and she wasn't sure if she liked it better that way or not. She was a shadow. An apparition at the edges of the classroom that disappeared at every opportunity. She was afraid to talk to anyone. To say the wrong thing. To accidentally insult the wrong person. Her Father's work was more important than her social life, and she couldn't risk ruining him with even the smallest mistake.

So here she was. Ignoring the homework she really ought to have been doing and watching the students below, out on the field, enjoying the afternoon and spending time with their friends. Her only friends were the Beta Fish swimming nonchalantly in his bowl, flashing his vibrant tuquoise and red fins at her occassionaly and the tiny Bonsai plant - a beautiful thousand-star-snowflower Sarissa who was happily blooming in the warmth of the Japanese summer.

[Amai Emi]

Emi looked out the window, basically thanking god that today was a clear day. The trees bowed softly in the wind, the sun's rays giving them a soft, artistic glow. Two blue birds, singing a soft song, passed the window she was looking out of. Their wings flapped softly, as if they were waving their 'hello's' and 'goodbye's' to her. A better day it was, indeed.

After looking at such a sight, she decided it was much time to exit the library. She took her new romance book and went up to the counter where the librarian sat. The librarian sat with a proud air to her, but it couldn't help remind her of what a normal librarian looked like. There was basically no difference between them. She was almost antique-looking, being as old as she looked, but she also looked as if she had gotten some kind of plastic surgery done to her face. Her greying black hair was pulled into a tight bun, looking quite professional on her. She had small, circular glasses, which seemed to slip down her slender nose.

"Excuse me," she said, pushing the glasses up her slender nose. Emi hadn't realized that she had been standing in front of her for about three minutes without saying a word. "Do you have a book you need checked out?"

"Oh, sorry," she said, an odd sense of guilt washing over her body. "Heh. Yes, I have a book I would like to check out. Here it is."

She took the book out off Emi's hands while saying, "Name and class."

"Oh, right. Heh," she said, laughing awkwardly. "Amai Emi, class 2-A."

"Okay," she said, her slender fingers quietly typing on the keyboard of her computer. She typed in her name and her class, following with pressing the enter button three times. "You may leave now," she said handing back the book.

"Gurache," she said, bowing her head and taking the book. She didn't really liked the librarian in the third Library Ouran High School had. The first Library had the nice librarian.

She sighed, opening the book she checked out. Ironically, Emi was already half way finished the book before she had checked out. It was funny that she id not realize reading while walking was probably not the best idea she's had. She should know how clumsy she is.

The part of the book she began reading, read:

' "Estelle, don't leave me," Terrence's voice echoed through the hallway of the hospital. "I know your mother died, but I'm still here."
"Don't you get it!?" Estelle said, turning to Terrence. "We aren't meant to be together. Cana't you see it? You mean nothing to me. You never meant anything."
"You are a really bad liar, you know," Terrence said, realizing how fake her words really were. He grabbed her, pulling her into his own embrace.
"T-Terren-" she began before getting cut off by-'

The words she was reading stopped by something hard. Something hard hitting her head, forcing her onto her back. The book flew out of her hands and into the wall across from her landing place. She looked up, her vision returning from a blurred state. In front of her was a door wide open. 'How could I not see that damn door,' she thought to her self.

She could feel her head pulsing, as if a second heart grew inside her head. Her hand automatically went to her head, getting to her feet. Her fingers felt a bump as she feel into the wall next to her. This had to be at least the fourth time running into something has caused a feeling like this. Her eyes darted to her book and then ran against the wall. One door, twoo doors, three doors... Exactly three doors from where her book landed was the Nurse's Office, ironically enough.

Attempting to stable herself in a wobbly walk, she somehow got over to her book and grabbed it. She pressed herself against the wall, to help guide her to the third door to her right.

"Excuse me," she said quite loudly, her hand knocking against the door because she could hardly hold onto her book. "Can someone please help me?"

[Niwatourou Tsukiyo]

The silence was broken, quite suddenly. Niwa was pulled from her daydreaming by the echoing sound of someone struggling outside in the hallways. What on earth could be going on out there, she wondered?

Rising from her chair, she strode toward the door. Curious, but not terribly concerned. She reached the doorway at exactly the same time as the 'catastrophe' reached the threshold - hand held to her head, eyes glazed with dizziness and calling out right into Niwa's face with a voice that was unneccessarily loud.

Niwa didn't bother asking if the young patient was alright. It was human nature, those words - but nobody ever came here that wasn't ailing in some form or another. Niwa reached a delicate, but strong hand out and took the girl by the shoulder, leading her toward the first of the hospital beds.

"Sit down..." Her voice was soft, but clearly in command. "Let me take a look."

(( sorry for short post!))

[Amai Emi]

A girl with black hair opened the door to the Nurse's Office and put her hand firmly on Emi's shoulder. Still quite dizzy from before, her eyes took a few moments to get used to the completely white room. It was.... almost heavenly, if she could speak clearly. It was quite cold though. The brisk air almost stinged at Emi's open skin. He head throbbed again, giving her a major headache.

"Sit down..." Her voice was soft, but clearly in command. "Let me take a look."

She hadn't realized that the girl had lead her t one of the first beds in the large room while she was gazing upon the room. Emi sat down as she was told and look up at the girl. Her eyes were still glazed with dizziness, which did not seem like it was going to go away.

"I h-hit m-my head-d on a-a do-door," she said, attempting to form words. She didn't realize that she was sounding really stupid herself. But, it wasn't her fault she was clumsy.

[Niwatourou Tsukiyo]

Tsukiyo gently moved the girl's hand from the place on her forehead where she'd hit herself. Her touch was warm, but didn't give any room for questions or protests. It didn't look too bad, but the dazed look in the girl's eyes gave Niwa a bit of pause.

The skull didn't seem to be cracked, and the skin was barely scuffed. No bleeding; just a bit of swelling. It wasn't anything too serious. With a soft smile, she bent so that the two of them were eye to eye.

"You'll be alright. Stay right there, and I'll get you some ice for that goose-egg you're going to have. "

Niwa noticed the book, cradled tightly in her patient's hand, and the puzzle peices quickly fit into place. She moved to the cabinets, opening one of the cabinets and pulled out a plain white plastic square package. With a surprisingly strong twist and crunch of her hands, she crushed the contents inside, kneading them together until they formed a nice, squishy gel. The packet almost instantly grew cold in her hands. Convenient things, these little instant Ice pouches. She wrapped it in a plain white hand-towel and brought it back over, placing it on the bump on the young girl's head.

"You know..." She pulled the rolling chair over and took a seat next to the brunette. "You really shouldn't read while you're walking. Things like this are bound to happen."

The book itself, Niwa noted, was one of those trashy teenage romance things. Hardly worth the paper they were written on, but... they appealed to some, she supposed.

[Uhoudoji Kaiu]

Everything in Ouran seemed designed to test his limits. That was what he'd decided. The length of the halls, the number of stairs -- and the eccentricities of the students.

He was still reeling from his accidental discovery of the Host Club - even a day later; and he'd found it difficult to open up to the students here in Ouran for fear something like what had happened in the Host Club would happen 'out here'. Surely, there had to be a few 'normal' people among them. Maybe just one more day... maybe if he somehow skipped his 'appointment' at the Host Club this afternoon...

Somehow, though, he doubted he was going to be afforded the luxury. He was, after all, in the same class as several of the Host Club members, and he'd noticed that the sly, dark-haired one had been keeping careful tabs on him. Well. It could just be coincidence that Kyouya kept showing up in places for the briefest of moments. It could have been Kaiu's imagination that the Megane was glancing at him through those glasses, while students were gathered around his imposing figure, talking to him. But something in his gut told him that the Demon had placed himself in certain places on purpose.

It sent a chill down his spine.

Kai paused, gasping with the effort of moving about the school on those crutches. They were proving to be all but impractical for anything but the shortest trips. And nothing here in Ouran was close to anything else. Much to his chagrin. As much as he hated to admit it, he was going to be relying on his wheelchair to get from place to place -- and on service elevators he'd been quietly tipped off about by one of the school's many and numerous employees. It was going to make things a little easier... except that the service elevators were in places nobody usually saw. Which meant they were further away and tucked around corners. It would take him longer to get from class to class.. but at least he could do it on his own, now. There were only a few places in the school that were inaccessable -- and they were places he was unlikely to need to go. So much the better.

He lifted his gaze and was relieved to see the 'Nurse's Office' sign hanging just a little further down the hall. Tears of relief formed droplets at the corners of his eyes. He was EXHAUSTED! And his wheelchair lay stored just beyond that set of doors. Gathering what was left of his strength, he swung himself forward until he stood just outside the cracked open door.

Did he hear voices inside? He'd thought the Nurse was gone for the afternoon, but she must have still been in. He could hear words of admonition -- kind as they were-- and the sound of her voice was reassuring. Well. He hadn't planned on meeting her today, but he knew they'd be seeing quite a lot of eachother.

This wasn't his first time visiting the Nurse's office, but the sheer size of it was still astonishing. Not that Kaiu hadn't been attending private schools his whole life -- but this was something else entirely. Beds and equipment... an office the size of a small emergency room with all the necessary equipment stored neatly along the walls. The bleach-like smell was one all too familiar to him. He'd spent a lifetime in and out of hospitals. He'd seen more doctors than he ever cared to, and the whole reason he was IN Ouran was because the infamous Ootori family doctors were nearby. In fact, the Demon -was- one of the Ootori, now that he thought about it.

His eyes settled on two girls. Both were dainty and small - but the one who must be the Nurse was just finishing up with the other girl, who looked like she was going to have a bit of a bump on her forehead. Both were pretty, but he was a little stunned by the Nurse. She looked so young!

Well. This school was full of oddities, so he took in a deep breath and just accepted things as they were. Gently clearing his throat, he slowly crossed the threshold and offered one of his most charming, and slightly shy smiles.

"I'm sorry for interrupting..." He ducked his head in appology. "I'm just here to get my wheelchair..." He spied the half-backed little sports chair folded and tucked against the wall, with his name clearly tagged and marking it, hanging from the handlebars. He'd had to bring a plain one to school -- his other chair was more than his father would allow. He'd had it customized - painted with blue flames, had rims mounted on it with cut-outs of swirling flame as well. Oh well.

It was only 4 years of his life, right? He could manage that long.... His sister would be joining him at Ouran, soon. Maybe her company would lighten the 'sentence' and it wouldn't seem so bad.

Kaiu tried to quietly make his way through the room, but his arms were shaking with exhaustion. His face, he could feel, was flushed from the work he'd had to do to get there. Maybe, he hoped, she wouldn't notice. Not that he didn't want to get to know her better, but he certainly didn't want his first meeting with the Nurse to be one like this young girl's - through some need of medical assistance.

[Amai Emi]

"You'll be alright. Stay right there, and I'll get you some ice for that goose-egg you're going to have. " Her firm, yet soft, voice let out after examining her forehead. The girl walked away from Emi, moving over to a cabinet at the other side of the room. Emi's fingers curled around her romance book, not because she realized it was there, but because she just wanted to tighten her hand. She still was a bit lightheaded, but the dizziness seemed to have worn away.

Her mind wandered a bit, taking in the white room a bit better now that she could see better. She was brought back to the girl with black hair when a loud crunch came from the area she was standing. It slightly startled Emi, making her jump back a bit.

"You know..." began the black haired girl, who now pulled a rolling chair close to Emi after giving her the ice pack. "You really shouldn't read while you're walking. Things like this are bound to happen."

"I know," Emi began, looking down. She pressed the freezing ice pack against her forehead, surely already stopping the swelling from getting worse. "It sorta happens all the time..." She looked up at the girl with black hair, before hearing the door open. Her head turned quickly to look at the boy who entered.

The boy was relatively tall, looking quite exhausted. Her eyes looked down the young boy, her eyes noticing the crutches he was using. Her mind grew slightly sorry for the boy, the more she thought about it. His face was flushed, she noticed as her eyes looked up and down at him for a second time. Was he okay?

"I'm sorry for interrupting... I'm just here to get my wheelchair..." His voice was firm, seeming to work well with his overall look. It kind've made her wonder what his personality was like. He casted his eyes to the back, and after mimicking the movement, she realized that there were several wheelchairs in the back of the room. She turned her head to the black haired girl, awaiting some kind of reaction while Emi kept quiet.