ஐ 3rd Serenade ஐ Voice and Action [Antoinette] Backdated to the 28th

[princelycharm]

[Voice]

Hello everyone~!!!! It has been a while.

I hope that everyone's settled once more. I also hope there weren't that many casualties on our part and wishing for Dog's speedy recovery. Stay safe~!!!

[Written]

[To the crew of Antoinette]:
Everyone, we have a meeting later. Please meet me in front of the Wardroom!

We have much to discuss. [Plus, he needs to show everyone the new Kotatsu.]

[Private: Kaoru, Hikaru, Karen and Kyouya. Dated: January 30]
February is so close! We have a meeting in the Wardroom tonight. After Haruhi has slept! Make sure no one tells Haruhi about it!

Comments

action: the first meeting

[hostclubshadowking]

[As soon as the books are done -- supplies tallied and funds totaled -- Kyouya is outside the wardroom, leaning against the wall while writing in his non-magic journal.

Notes about recruitment, ways to raise immediate capital, everything they'll need to get a Host and Hostess ship up and running.]

[haruhi_fujioka]

[Haruhi arrives early for the meeting, looking distracted. There's so much she needs to think about - including what she is going to do about her hair. Before long, it will grow longer and she will look…like a girl.

Maybe she can find scissors somewhere? Or a knife?

Dangerous. Hm.]

[totheright]

((Kaoru shows up next, running a hand through his hair before parting it carefully. Seeing Haruhi so deep in thought, he bends over to put his face in front of hers, raising his eyebrows.)) What's up, Haruhi?

[haruhi_fujioka]

[She jumps, startled out of her reverie.] Kaoru? [Wow, she must have been spaced out. Whoops.]

I was wondering… If we start the Host Club here, I will need a way to keep my hair short.

[totheright]

Not to worry! I have a pair of scissors - and look at this fabulous hairdo. ((He flips his hair, giving her a jaunty smile. While his bangs are slightly off, it isn't blatantly obvious, and his hair looks pretty normal.)) Kyouya's hair is my work too. Yours will be no problem.

Forward-dated: when they are complete. MEETING START

[princelycharm]

[Everyone was finally there. Tamaki had spent minutes trying to contain his excitement, which for him is a very very long time.]

Welcome everyone...

[He pulls open the door, revealing the new Ward Room. The old table for ten has been moved down to the Lower Deck, near the kitchen.

In the center of the room was a mahogany kotatsu which was self-generating. The shade of the table cloth was a mixture of white and red. And the pillows surrounding it had different shades of roses which would be familiar to the host club. The white-rosed one, he placed kuma-chan on top of. There was also one pillow which did not have a familiar rose color, which had shades of teal and pink.]

...to our new Wardroom! Now we can start the meeting!

[hostclubshadowking]

A kotatsu.

[The words come quietly, almost under his breath. But his chuckle is decidedly audible. Somehow, it's fitting. Tamaki associates a kotatsu with family life, with bonding and strong familial ties. And here, more than ever, they're a family.

He takes a few steps into the cabin, not yet taking a seat, but sweeping his eyes over the entire set-up.]

[princelycharm]

Mhmm!

[He nodded at Kyouya happily. Thinking that the chuckle meant that Kyouya loved it too.

He points at the cabinet in one corner of the room.]

See, I bought a dozen cans of instant coffee!!! And also...

[He then points at the purple pillow right beside the white pillow. After all, the Kotatsu can fit 8 people. The ones on the west side was an orange and a blue pillow. On the east side was a pink and dark blue pillow. The one facing north was the unfamiliar-colored pillow beside the red pillow.]

[hostclubshadowking]

[Kyouya smiles faintly. Then, calmly, says:]

I'll get you some hot water for the instant coffee and make myself some tea.

[Because no way in hell is he drinking that, Tamaki. Not even here. He still has tea, and, by God, he is not tasting that stuff unless he has absolutely no other choice.]

Would anyone else like some?

[to_theleft]

You're joking. [He almost wants to smack his head when he sees the kotatsu, though he's a bit awed.] How did you even find one of these here? [And how the hell did he get it onto the ship without anyone noticing?

Despite his snark, Hikaru is quick to take a seat on the blue rose cushion. He's almost tempted to sit on the orange instead, but blah blah individuals blah blah expanding blah. He eyes off the unfamiliar teal and pink cushion with distaste - there's only one person that could be for. Good thing Kaoru will be sitting next to him, or he'd have words to say about that cushion.

The pink and dark blue cushions are disconcerting to him. Tamaki does know that Hani and Mori aren't here, right? What's the point in having places for people who can't show up?]

[princelycharm]

I bought it from Miss Margie!!

She's very strong. [Almost didn't need Tamaki's help to bring the Kotatsu in. And it was a surprise after all.]

I bought some instant coffee too! [He points to the one dozen large cans of coffee.]

[to_theleft]

[Coffee?] I'll have mine half-strength, thanks. [Not a good idea to have too much or he won't be able to sleep. Of course Tamaki's the one serving the coffee, right? Since he's the one that pointed it out and all.]

[haruhi_fujioka]

A kotatsu. [It's hard not to notice it. She's surprised that Tamaki would even know about such a thing.] It looks comfortable.

Is there a seating arrangement? [Her eyes move from one pillow to the next, standing awkwardly near the doorway.] I don't want to take a place that isn't mine.

[Though it shouldn't matter, right? There are times she feels so out of place in Tamaki's world.

This is one of those times.]

[princelycharm]

Oh it is~!!!

[He then waltzed towards the red-coloured rose pillow. This was the pillow which thought Haruhi would love the best. Because it was the same color as her phone, just like all the other pillows had the same shades as the phones of the other host club members.]

This is yours. You'll be sitting beside Karen. And on your other side will be the twins.

[totheright]

... wow, Senpai. ((For a minute, Kaoru almost forgets to be obnoxious. The imagery of the kotatsu, after all, twists something in his heart, wrenches it almost painfully. But there's somehow still a soft smile on his face as he looks around the room.

Though it quickly transitions into the trademark Hitachiin smirk.)) 7 out of 10. Good effort, though.

1/2

[princelycharm]

[Success.

That was a sign of approval from Kaoru.]

Thank you....

[princelycharm]

[It seems like premature celebration on his part. When he heard the score, he stopped and glared at Kaoru.]

ONLY 7????

[oceanicbutterfly]

[Karen looks around, taking in the new decor. As the odd woman out, it's sometimes hard for her to tell whether there's a backstory she's missing out on or if people are just being strange at random, and this is one of those times. Regardless, it's a cute little arrangement.]

Oh! This is a kotatsu, isn't it?

[A mundane object she recognizes, but as it happens, it's been a long time since she actually saw one in person.]

[princelycharm]

Yes. It is.

[Tamaki had a gentle smile focused at Karen, before he shows Karen the double-colored pillow. The last thing he wanted was for Karen to feel out of place, most especially now that they were getting to know each other more and that he sees her as his daughter.]

This is where you sit. It is beside Haruhi's place.

[Because they were both his daughters.

It was very concise, but he had to explain why there was a Kotatsu.]

You see, everyone in this ship is like a member of my family. I, the captain, am the Father, and the first mate Kyouya is the Mother. Everyone else, including you, are my children.

In Japan, a kotatsu is the greatest symbol of family unity. They bring families together, and this is where you share your fondest memories. Ever since I first met Kyouya, the first member of my family, I requested for a kotatsu. Because I wanted to make sure I had a good relationship with him, and my friends to come.

[He pointed once more at the pillow.]

Have a seat.

[totheright]

Yeah. Milord sorta has this crazy idea that we're family or something. ((Kaoru deadpans, coming up next to her.)) I mean, Hikaru and I are, but the rest of us? Let's be real, there's no way I'd want to be related to him. ((He points at Tamaki from her side, rolling his eyes.))

Though you're not too bad.

[haruhi_fujioka]

[Haruhi gives Karen a comforting smile, sitting on her rose-colored pillow.]

You don't need to be nervous. I'm sure this meeting is about the new room.

[While it is a nice room, she has a feeling most Captains wouldn't interrupt their entire crew to show it to them. Tamaki is special.]

Action: January 30 Meeting. HARUHI-BLOCKED. Haruhi's birthday!

[princelycharm]

[There was a dramatic slamming of hands on the kotatsu before Tamaki takes a sip of his commoner's coffee. Not bad.

But he looks at everyone seriously.]

What are we going to do about her birthday? I don't think there are any amusement parks here!

Re: Action: January 30 Meeting. HARUHI-BLOCKED. Haruhi's birthday!

[to_theleft]

[He's been thinking about this too, and drawing blanks. He's more concerned about presents than activities, though. There's no point in giving her any clothes for her birthday, because that won't be a one-time-only thing. He's got very little money to actually buy her anything, and even if he did...]

What do you get for a person living on a ship in the middle of the ocean, anyway?

Action: January 30 Meeting. HARUHI-BLOCKED. Haruhi's birthday!

[hostclubshadowking]

Well, we should be near Empieza by the day of her birthday.

[Kyouya is nursing a cup of tea as he speaks, sipping it after that statement before offering a small smile.]

If you'd like to plan something on the ship, I can keep her busy shopping for supplies that day.

[And, therefore, giving her the present of a quiet day on the island before the chaos of whatever these three will come up with.]

[totheright]

We should decorate the entire ship. Let's do it. ((Obviously. If Haruhi is going to be off the ship all day, then they have to go all out. At least - as all out as they can go without unlimited funding and supplies.)) Cakes, presents, party games - the whole deal.