piratejournal | [ 012 ] written, action for the Antoinette

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kyouya otori

[ 012 ] written, action for the Antoinette

[written:]

To those who celebrate it: happy Christmas.

-Otori

[action for the Antoinette:

There's real food. That's the most important thing to find out on Christmas morning. For one, Kyouya isn't even actually annoyed that Tamaki woke him up just a bit after dawn.

The feast left in the galley is served out on plates, which are set at one of the small tables. They don't need more than that, actually.

There are five gifts on the table, all wrapped packages taken from the strange ship Dog told them about. Four have their names written on little tags, and Kyouya set them in front of plates. The fifth has the ship name on it. Some sort of collective gift, he supposes.

It's... actually not that bad today. There are four people missing, he finds himself thinking, but he's not with his family. So there are certainly perks.

He gave the others a specific time to present themselves, and, as he waits, he's especially got his eye out for Karen.

Training begins today.]

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((It's really, really weird to not be with Hikaru. But he can deal, he tells himself as he heads for the galley. No problem. Kaoru raises a hand in greeting as he enters the galley, a bag of items in his hand.)) Hey. Merry Christmas, senpai. ((His expression brightens as he sees the packages on the table, excitedly sitting down and grabbing for his present.)) Can I open it?

Merry Christmas. [It's not said brightly, no overt expression of happiness, but there is... a calmness to Kyouya. Not the forced, cool calm. But something actually at ease.] I didn't cook, so hopefully there's actual flavor in the food.

[His ego doesn't apply to all areas of his life. Learning to cook without much of anything to go on? He knows most of his cooking is only edible, not good.]

And I don't see why not. I found them on that "gift ship" Dog mentioned. We passed it a couple days ago, and it stopped, so. [A shrug.]

Not made by you? It really is Christmas. ((Sorry, Kyouya. He can't help it. And he'll keep in teasing as he continues to speak.)) Really? Damnit. I wouldn't have got you a present if I had known. ((He fishes out a set of elegant pens in different colors, handing them to Kyouya.)) I figured they'd make taking organized notes easier.

((And then he'll rips open the wrapping on his present, pausing a little when he sees what's inside. Pulling out the expensive fabric and design templates, he smiles to himself before folding them with unusual care and replacing them in the box.)) They're... the designs I had planned for Paris Fashion Week. ((He says, explaining to Kyouya.))

...We don't usually do gifts.

[It's said quietly, almost in explanation, as he takes the pens. He hadn't thought to get the others anything simply because... he'd been used to the Otori get-togethers.]

Thank you.

[But it's far more interesting to see what's in Kaoru's gift. He might even smile a bit.]

Impressive. [Both the gift and the glimpses of fabric he saw.]

I'll never forgive you. ((He says, tossing his hair with a little huff before grinning.)) It's fine! I just... I'm used to shopping for Hikaru and Mom and I thought I might as well, you know?

((He laughs a little self-consciously as he closes the box.)) It's not very good. But we might be able to cosplay a little more easily with the free fabric. Or at least make some nice napkins and handkerchiefs.

Don't feel like you have to use it for anything like that. You could make the collection you intended.

[It's a strange Christmas for all of them, he's sure. No matter what their ones at home usually were, this is extremely different.]

The collection I intended wouldn't be very useful here. Too much haute couture, not enough hot models with time on their hands. You understand.

And if we're really going through with this, I guess... I want to help as much as possible, you know? Since I'm not so sure about how much hosting I'll be able to do. ((It's said with a determinedly casual voice, though he doesn't make eye contact as he speaks.))

[Kyouya pauses, looking at Kaoru. It's a serious, calm look. Taking stock of him.]

Of course.

[The others aren't here yet, so... it's a time where a serious conversation can happen.]

If you'd prefer a purely auxiliary role until Hikaru arrives [because he will; Kyouya may not know about the others, but he knows the Hitachiins that well] that's entirely acceptable.

However, I think you'd be fine on your own. Not the Brotherly Love package of Ouran, of course, but... You're charming on your own, intelligent, and still fit the "mischievous type."

((He shakes his head almost immediately.)) I work best by bouncing off someone else. ((Whether that's true or not is unsure, but Kaoru firmly believes it.)) And pining in public isn't a good look on me. But I can help with figuring out the mechanics of how this will work. And securing, you know, materials to make this ship look nice. ((Interior decorating won't be too terribly difficult with his fashion sense, he thinks.))

You'll have your work cut out for you. Trying to make this place look at all acceptable.

The amount of training we'll need to put our new recruits through probably will take us all January. At best. I don't trust the etiquette they've likely been raised to think is acceptable.

I'm ready for it. ((He blinks up at Kyouya.)) It'll be a fun challenge.

We can try to target well-bred looking people. Commoners would probably take years to train if they weren't the natural type.

At least we were all taught by very demanding people. [His mother especially. Her tactics are going to be the ones he uses.]

There will have to be an application process. We aren't just going to take anyone.

Not so much for us. We just copied Mom on instinct.

An application? I feel like people wouldn't be as likely to want to join if it was that demanding. ((Kaoru tapped his chin thoughtfully.)) Unless it was a verbal application process. You know what I mean? We ask them questions and gauge their potential based on their answers

Verbal and visual. We need a look at them, watch and listen to how they present themselves.

Get their ideas for how they want to present themselves -- and reserve the right to veto it and supply our own.

And we need to think up new types. That could be a trial in and of itself. I can't believe I'm about to say this, but I almost wish that Renge was here. It would make our job much easier.

Renge would make the task easier. But we'll manage. We know archetypes well enough; we can manage.

We do have to recruit, though. So our standards will have to depend on what sort of people the new- newcomers are. ((He won't pay any attention to that slight pause - and he trusts Kyouya not to either.))

We do. We'll... collect the possible candidates and choose from among them. [He'll pretend he didn't hear that pause, definitely.]

What's it like -- Christmas with your family?

[He's actually expecting deflection. Which is fine. Everything as it should be.]

Well, it's one of the only times that the entire family sits down at a table together in the year. We talk about random stuff and eat dinner together after gifts. ((He shrugs. He sort of wants to talk about it. Thinking of Hikaru having fun and being happy at home is calming his slightly frayed nerves.))

Just the household family? Or extended?

[It's one of the things he doesn't know about his fellow hosts. All the intricacies of their home lives for the holidays.]

Mom, Dad, Grandma, us, and Ageha. No more. Six people is a good amount to sit at a table.

Sounds better than thirty.

...Then over a hundred.

[It's an off comment, casually made.]

((He glances up at Kyouya in surprise for a moment - then berates himself. Of course - what else could he expect from the Otori household. After a moment, he shakes his head.)) If you need any help dealing with the shock of this down-size, I'm here for you.

Brunch with the extended family. [Easy thanks to secreted mimosas from Fuyumi and her husband, thank goodness.]

Then dinner with the board of directors of the Otori Group and their families.

[Never a day without business, especially when it could be disguised as caring about people's families.]

I don't really mind it being quiet this year. I... really wasn't looking forward to this Christmas anyway.

[He wasn't sure how much of his family and the board knew the full story of who was in financial control of the Otori Group now anyway, and that was just going to be awkward.]

I am sorry you're stuck here with us, though.

You don't have to feel sorry for me. I have to get used to Christmases like this at some point or another, right? ((He rests his cheek on his hand, smiling down at his gift.)) And if I had to spend Christmas with a makeshift family instead of a real one, well... you three aren't that bad of a replacement.

A makeshift family.

[Kyouya can't help but smile just a faint, faint bit at that before he shakes his head. His tone's still relatively light, though.]

Don't let Tamaki hear you say that. All he'd hear would be "family," and we'd be stuck answering to those titles all day.

Don't worry, I'm not stupid. And I'm never going to call Tamaki "Dad". He's too much of a feudal lord for that.

And I'm never going to call you "Mommy", but that's more because I have a sense of self-preservation. Unlike Tamaki.

Very smart.

[Takes after his--

No. No, no, no. Even in his mind, that joke is unacceptable in any way shape or form. He is not going to even to pretend to humor Tamaki's delusions.

That is only acceptable when he's mocking Tamaki or making him do what he wants. And that was a dire circumstance.]

Still, his delusion aside, there certainly are worse ways to spend Christmas.

[It was a beautiful scene. It was not extravagant, but it was certainly cozy. This was the first time in a long time that he got to spend the holiday with friends so nothing could make him happier.

Tamaki made his way beside his friends who were standing over the gifts and gave each one the warmest and tightest hug he could give as he handed each one a bracelet made of shiny pearls and shells he found.]

Merry Christmas every....[Before he could finish his greeting, he heard a familiar sound coming from one of the gifts. There was whimpering coming from the box with his name on it.]

((Kaoru takes the bracelet, exchanging it for a large captain's hat with a couple of ostentatious feathers tucked in the hatband.)) You should open your present, milord. We checked for holes to make sure whatever's in there wasn't dying, but you should probably do the honors.

Edited 2013-12-31 15:57 (UTC)

[And Kyouya had been -- but will cease because Tamaki's actually in the room -- throwing slight glares at the slightly noisy present. Because sound and holes means something alive. Something alive means something else to feed, and this is already complicated enough. Especially since it doesn't sound like a cat, which could actually be useful when the rats inevitably appear.

Everything he's read -- everyone he's talked to -- has warned him of that. Storing food for as long as they do, there will be rats. A cat to keep their population under control could be seen as an investment. This? Will be a complication.

...Not that he'll complain. Because if it is what he thinks it is, he knows exactly the look he's going to get from at least two sets of eyes. And, well. Haruhi is right. It's hard to deny anything to that expression. So he's given up already.]

I agree. Go ahead, Tamaki.

Thank you!!![Like a child finally allowed to have candy, Tamaki's smile was a sight to behold as he twirled around with the stylish captain's hat adorning his blonde hair. He tried to flash a charming smile at Kaoru just to show him how beautiful it was on the prince-type.

A few moments later he set his eyes once more on the present with his name on it. He tried to look through the holes but it was simply too dark.]

I wonder....[It was Christmas, and Tamaki's face has not changed ever since he was but a wee lad. His smile was wide and his eyes glittering like the sparkling seas. He gently yet quickly opened the box....

...a few moments later a small golden retriever pup jumped towards him and he instinctively caught him in his arms. His mouth was left wide open with not a single sound coming from it as his violet hues looked at his bouncing present and its wagging tail.]

Well, holy crap. It's practically a baby version of Antoinette. ((Kaoru grins, leaning over Tamaki's shoulder to look at the puppy.)) What a cute puppy. It doesn't take after Tono, that's for sure.

[Kyouya chuckled a little.]

Well, it is cute. What's it name?

[Tamaki nods excitedly at Kaoru. But then he notices a small protrusion on his christmas gift's belly.]

Yes...But Antoinette is not a HE.

[After hearing Kaoru's words, Tamaki started glaring at the devilish twin over his shoulders.]

What do you mean by that???

[Tamaki then turned over to Kyouya while cuddling his puppy.]

I'm not sure. I've never thought about a boy's name before.

I mean that you're not cute. It's not that hard, Tono, gosh. ((Kaoru rolls his eyes, then reaches out to pet the dog on the head.)) I think we should name him Hikaru.

WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'M NOT CUTE??? [Shooting darts and daggers through glaring eyes.]

.....you want me to name him after Hikaru??

You aren't. Simple at that. You can't be that dumb, can you?

And yeah, you should name him Hikaru. Hikaru's cute, he's cute, and... Hikaru isn't here. It fits.

[He dawns a hurt expression.] WHY NOT~!?

....How is it that Hikaru is cute and I am not?

What about Louis? To match Antoinette.

[Because stepping into the middle of the other argument going on is not something Kyouya's going to do.]

You mean like King Louis of France~!?

[He utters quickly as if Kyouya's voice was a stern warning to stop the argument...or at least forget it.]

Bo-ring. ((Kaoru shakes his head, giving the room a thumbs-down.)) Really boring. If you're going to go French, name him something like.... Guilliame-Phillipe or something.

But isn't that too long for a dog's name~!? [He's a lot calmer now than he was a few moments ago.]

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[ 012 ] written, action for the Antoinette

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