Ouran: The Next Generation IC

[Brimming]

Ouran Host Club; Mariya, Amario

Mariya looked towards him as she awaited his responds, the innocents of his suspicious glance was so empowering that she followed his looks over his shoulders, as if she too was looking out for eavesdroppers; however, her gaze quickly whipped back to him once she felt his warm fingers underneath her chin. Like a puppeteer, he was able to manipulate her into turning her head, and lending him her ear. My, Amario knew exactly how to play the part, even if he wasn't conscious of his actions, such soft whispers, so sparse on his words, it was all befitting the silent type, and Mariya was starting to wonder if she truly was over the scene from the ball. Of course she wasn't over it, she was never over any moments she had, had with the hosts of this club, it always lingered with her on every visit, that was why she continued to come, she continued for this very thing that was happening. She wanted more of this, more of this fan service, and she could tell when one tried to play the part, and when one was born for it, and, oh, was Amario born for such a roll, she hardly had the sense to comprehend his shameful 'secret'.

Mariya's eyes widen, 'dark chocolate truffles'? Such an adorable treat to enjoy, but what would it look like when Amario was enjoying them? Mariya had half a mind to pull out her family's chocolate bars, flop them into a bowl, and start on making the truffles at this very instant, but then there was the obvious fact that she was not at home, so such ingredients—let alone cooking supplies—were not at her fingertips. Ah, but thinking about it, what size should she make them? Tiny, so that they could easily pop into his mouth? Or a little larger, so that when he bit into the gooey chocolate, she could once again see it taint his flushed pale lips? Mariya blushed and licked her lips, only to remember that she had long since licked the chocolate away.

Unfolding her legs, Mariya went to stand up, though it was awkward, as she had not pushed her chair away, and Amario was still so close, she could feel the heat coming from his body, or was it the heat from her own hot blush? Mariya lidded her eyes and tried to stop her mouth from going into a goofy smile, though the only way she was good at preventing that was by scowling, but that would just look silly with her redden face and glossy eyes.

“I'm...” Mariya cleared her throat, she seemed to waddle some as as she tried to move herself to where she wasn't so close to him, she didn't want a repeat from the dreaded ball, and stumble backwards over the chair behind her. “I happen to be the best truffle maker of my entire family.” Mariya gloated some, allowing the feeling of her ego to drown out the admiration of the pretty boy before her.

It was sort of a big gloat, since she wasn't exactly the best, her father still held that position, but she was second to him, and though her mother, or even her late brother could never bake as good as they could, everyone on her father's side was a baker, and possessed some prestige, so to say she was second to her father really did mean a lot. Though truffles were a simple confection that didn't have much creative design, to the untrained eye that is. There was a lot of intricate flavor one could mold into a truffle, and someone with Amario's taste, it would be even harder to perfect, as he possibly wouldn't want any unnecessary flavors since he was opposed to sweets; though it was Mariya's duty to present him with a mind blowing truffle that would put his tongue to shame for ever denying the lick of sugar.

“As I said before,” Mariya started composing herself, “I'm rather busy this whole month, but if you're lucky, I may happen to make a few, in my spare time. I'll attempt to save you a few of the dark chocolate ones—just to rid your mind of this foolish denial of yours.” Mariya said, really hamming it up, just to ward off any signs that she actually wanted to make him something.

Half of her wanted to try her hand at creating a sweet Amario wouldn't be ashamed to say he enjoyed, it was her and her fathers dream to create something everyone liked, even if that something had to be more than one; to create a variety of pastries to where there wasn't a single person without a favorable choice, was the goal of a lifetime! The other half of her just wanted to stuff Amario's cute little face with chocolates—kya! If she didn't calm down, when she did present him with the candies, she may even feed him herself, like he had done moments prior. Now she was thinking about it! She could even see it now, him laying in a bed of feathers, a literal bed of white feathers with cream tips, the color of his skin, a satin strip would be placed over his eyes to blind them, and Mariya would be beside him, holding a truffle the size of a silver dollar, where she would present it to his lips, with the ultimatum to not not spill it onto the feathers—gah! She was daydreaming again.

Mariya stalked forward, just so that she could stand behind him, with her back towards him, “It's not a promise, so don't think about it to much, but I will promise that when you try them, you'll regret the past years you have lived without them.” Mariya said, and with a face the color of a raspberry—a little blue from her holding her breath so as not to release a squeal—Mariya stalked forwards with her book clutched to her hip, waving her free hand in a goodbye as she left.

Looking about the room as she made her exit, Mariya could see the three, Moametsu, Etsuko, and Naomi, enjoying themselves in the host room, and she sighed as all the weight of this upcoming 'party' came crashing down on her, after the party, she'd surely need the support of her hosts, especially since she'd spend such a long time away from them. Oh boy, was she jealous! When she gets back, she was surely going to force the attention from Amario, Masahiko, and Ari, even the cute teary eyed boy, and the sturdy foreigner; she was going to hog them all, and stuff them with chocolates! Or rather, that's was she was going to do in her dreams, at least.

Closing the door to the host room, Mariya allowed the 'U' smile to slither across her face, her eyes fluttered closed as she clutched the large book to her chest, the picture that would be etched to her mind all day would be that of Amario on one knee, the desert he would hold in his hands would vary throughout the day.

[Mozaic]

Aiden and Ari

Four days had passed since the Monday he had spent with Gwen. Aiden would have never let go of her, if it were not for his responsibilities. Of course that wasn’t the real reason he had let her go; he had let her go because he knew without a doubt this time he was not going to lose her. She loved him, and he loved her, and most importantly she knew he did.

School had ended for the day, but the Matthew twins had not been present. They in fact had not been present for the past three days as their family had been out of town. Their grandmother was in Tokyo, and she wanted her grandsons present for a business conference. It was her excuse for seeing them in general. She had always been kind, but wasn’t used to showing such fond emotions.
The visit hadn’t been pleasant for the twins and they were thankful to be finally home.

“Who woulda figured Gran the type for an arranged marriage?” Aiden spoke in English. He stood outside the dressing room waiting on Ari to finish.

“She’s just trying to help, and it’s not an arranged marriage. Quit calling it that!”

“It is what she’s getting at. Anyone with half a brain could tell you’re desperate for romance, and what better chance will there be for a grandmother to pick the woman she wants her grandson to marry?”
“Knock it off.” Ari sighed pulling on the lavender shirt. “This doesn’t look right.”

“Well what do you expect from a cloned clothing line?” Aiden wrinkled his face at one of the vests he had lifted. “Half this stuff looked like it was made for a Barbie and Ken doll. The rest looks like it was made for the garbage bin or made from it.”

“Stop being rude Aiden.” He pushed the door open, and hung the shirt on the rack. “Where’s Gwen at?”
“She should be here soon.” Aiden pulled the vest out holding it up to Ari. “Hmmm. This one should look good on ya with some modifications.”

“Did you tell her?”

“Not yet, but it doesn’t matter. I still got another several months to decide, and it’s not like she can’t come with me. It’s going to be weird though. You and me, we’ve always been together.”

[Ru]

((I’ll address other characters later. I want to put them back in once the boat introduction happens, jsyk))

Amario and Gwen Kailin

Meanwhile Amario had been thoroughly discussing with their father on and off, insisting he change his ways and allow Gwen to take over the family business. Finally she had the boy she sought after since childhood, all she needed was the job she would die for as well. Expressing his disinterest of the position to his father was hard enough in itself, let alone speaking to the flamboyant man, but trying to get anywhere with him was impossible, at least for Amario.

The two of them had always butted heads, anyone could vouch for that, but he tried to speak more of Gwen than himself throughout the discussion. Even so, the calls were cut short due to school, homework, or his father having an assignment to fulfill. After many hours wasted trying to get through his father’s thick, rambunctious skull they came to an agreement. Today he was telling Gwen the fantastic news.

He had called in to the school and explained he was going to take a brief day off, but asked if he could have the homework assignments emailed to him. Luckily they agreed, allowing Amario to have the entire day with Gwen before she was to return to the Matthews’s household. Despite his distaste of sweets, he decided to take her to a bakery he knew she was fond of and let her get whatever it was she desired. Once she was settled with her massive amount of sweets, which he started regretting telling her “Get ANYTHING you want,” he decided to ease into the conversation.

“So…” he started awkwardly, not quite sure how to bring it up. “I have been talking to our father.”

“Sure have, an awful lot. What gifffss?” she spoke the last tidbit with a jellied pastry in between her teeth.

“I was talking to him about taking over his… job when he passes.”

Gwen’s face froze mid-bite and stared at her brother as if death had been lingering over her with the scythe ready at hand. Not a word was uttered.

Amario chuckled and shook his head. “Don’t freak, Gwen… I was convincing him to let me get out of it. We all know I’d be a horrible matchmaker. Who is he kidding trying to rely on me for that? I’d pair up a PETA member with a carnivore on accident. So…” a smile coursed over his face, which made Gwen realize she hadn’t seen him smile in awhile.

Come to think of it, she didn’t remember seeing him smile at all for years. A knot formed in her stomach at the thought, but was it her fault? Was her constant bantering and verbal attacks what caused it? Did her ignoring him at school really hurt him? She was too busy thinking of her own needs…

“I got him to come to his senses… and guess who’s taking over?” Amario placed his fingers laced beneath his chin.

“…ya mean…?” a piece of pastry dropped from her mouth. Then a gigantic grin replaced her shocked expression as her brother nodded. “YES! YES!” Gwen jumped from her seat and thrust her arms up into the air. Her eyes were watering and she was sure tears were streaming down her cheeks, but it was because of her ecstatic happiness. “OH MUH GAWD! WE GOTTA GO SEE AIDEN NOW! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE?”

Her brother laughed. “What about the pastries?”

“NO TIME!” she screamed, gathering the pastries up into her arms and then storming out the shop. Gwen jumped into the car and waited for her brother, who came over to her with a box to put the sweets in. She dumped them inside, forced him into the car, and directed the driver to head to Aiden’s. The entire time she was on the edge of her seat.

Once they finally reached his house she darted inside, stormed into the house and darted around until she finally found her Aiden.

Before he even had a chance to say hello she glomped him to the ground and snuggled against his torso tightly. “IT’SMINEIT’SMINEIT’SMINE! I’MTHENEXTCUPID! OHMUHGAWD! Aiden! Aiden! I got it! Amario made daddy let me take over! IT’S MINE!” she squeed and jumped up and down while sitting on top of him, tears still streaming down her cheeks. “And and and you’re back and I missed you and Amario got me pastries and and and and he got daddy to let me be Cupid. I’m Cupid! I GET TO BE CUPID! It’s mine!” She had no idea how else to express her happiness other than squealing and repeating herself.

Amario strolled in shortly behind her carrying the pastry box. “My apologies… I probably should have given her the sweets after I told her…” his eyes darted to the ground; he wasn’t even sure if the twins knew what she was talking about at all.

[Brimming]

L'Éclair Cruise Line

Down at the docks, it was rather packed, even though there wasn't a holiday nearing, but it was always packed at the docking port for cruise ships, as having a business meeting on a cruise was becoming steadily popular, or just vacationing with the Mr. and Mrs., enjoying fine wine, and the gleam of the yellow sun against the blue waves in the day time, and the white moon and stars twinkling the crystal waters at night. The docks were very crowded, as not only people boarding were still standing about, but also their relatives and friends, who wouldn't be joining them, mingled on the platform. Each ship had a line steadily boarding it, a person hired to wait at the bottom of their ramps, and check for tickets.

One particularly ship had a person who wasn't hired to check for tickets, but for head count, as it was a free cruise who would be accepting whoever was in line first; once the capacity was filled, people would be turned away, and the line would be closed. That was why the biggest line there was for that very ship; L'Éclair. For many in line, it may not be their first time on a ship, or even out at sea, but it was (or so they hoped) would be their first time on a ship that was owned by the world renown chef, Chihaya.

The Chihayas was famous, but only to those who enjoyed their pastries, to ride on a ship with them was considered personal, generally anything host by them was only opened to business partners (which was rare in the line of gourmet pastries), and close friends and family who either shared the Chihaya blood, or was married in. Today, this party was a free for all, a special advent that would surely be the talk of social statuses all around Japan; why? Because no one, beyond the help and the immediate family of Chef Chihaya, has ever set foot on his precious private ship.

The line was filled, in order, with Chihayas, and Chihayas in marriage, it was filled with distant partners, old friends, and their friends, customers, strangers. If anyone was at the docks today, they could get in line, and hope that they were early enough to make it into the people capacity. The line was filled with old to young, and today, there was an influx of teens who were connected to each other in three ways, the most important one—they all hailed from Ouran High school. The second connection all the teens had in common was that none of the students from Ouran held an invitation to the cruise; yes, there were invitations given, but only a select few in the line had the privilege to say they had one. The third connection, which could even go for the majority of the whole ship, none of them knew what this party was even about.

~~~

Cruise Ship; Etsuko, Moametsu, Naomi

“Oh, wow!” Etsuko chimed, squealing loudly as they slowly made their way up the crowded plank, “Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh, Oh my gosh!” Moametsu and Naomi shared a look as they normally didn't see their little mousey friend behave in such a way.

The seven friend group all vowed to come to this cruise when Naomi told the others about Mariya's party, though up here, so far front in line, it was just Moametsu, Etsuko and Naomi, as they (meaning Etsuko) was the most dedicated in coming, and had even left hours early to make it quick in line. They may have very well been the first if it wasn't for the three getting lost on which ship was L'Éclair; it was like some sort of concert—if they were any earlier, the might have even seen some people camping out!

When they got in line, they were shocked to see that it was already so packed; Naomi had asked Mariya, during the week, on the time they would set sail, and so Etsuko decided that it would be best for them to get there three hours early, yet there was still such a long line! It didn't matter, because a few hours until the actual time to start boarding, the line increased ten times as before. The three girls were a little nervous once they reached the ticket guy, he had on a black tux, and a wide smile that looked botoxed onto his face. The three girls smiled nervously when he grinned up at them, and gave them each a number that was already in quadruple digits, and increasing each person.

Once they reached the top, they were in awe at the huge deck, and though the ship was grand, it was the sight of Japan's sky from way up here that made it so breath taking. “...—Invitation?” The woman asked, and the three girls pulled their vision from a seagull flying to look at the woman. She was in a black sheath dress that looked very formal, and had a sort of resemblance to the man down the plank who passed out numbers. Once the woman saw them look at each other confused, her matching grin, to that of the man who gave them their numbers, didn't fade as she held her hand out, “Numbers?” She asked, and Naomi looked down at her number she held, and gave it to the woman, the other two followed suit.

The woman took the papers, “Are you three together?” She asked, waiting for a reply.

“Yes.” Moametsu said quickly, as if they were caught sneaking around.

“I'll need you three to sign here—print, please.” She said, and turned a mechanical writing pad to them, for them to sign their name, and pointed at the spot as all three girls did so.

Etsuko was first, then Moametsu, “We go to Ouran.” Naomi said, chuckling nervously as she signed, the woman just smiled, virtually ignoring her.

“Room 627De.” She said, reaching under the desk and pulling out a booklet and key, and handing it over to whoever reached for it; Etsuko took it, and shyly tucked it to her chest.

They then turned to scurry off, only to catch up with a few people who were still squishing together to get off the deck and inside. “Oh, god! That was so scary!” Moametsu said, shaking off her adrenaline.

“This is so weird, they just let us on?” Naomi asked, looking around nervously as they entered a grand hallroom.

It was like a large foyer to a castle! It had the thick large stairway leading upwards, and a grand space to go down halls with many doors on the walls. Some people were just standing around talking, while others went down halls, or up stairs. The girls wondered how these people were able to feel so comfortable, when a man in the signature black tux walked up to them with a smile and a trolly.

“May I escort you ladies to your room?” The man asked, an the girls jumped at not seeing him come up to them.

He bowed, and they bowed back, “Yes, please, um... it's room 627De...” Etsuko said, holding out the booklet and key card, but the man only took the key card and went to their side to pick up their luggage.

“Right this way.” He said merrily as he pushed the trolly in a direction down a hall.

It took a few walking, and a passing of a lot of doors (some single, some double) for them to reach a 'T' in the halls and stand before three hotel like elevator, a few other people were standing around, and the three girls notice that all the guest had ether a man in black tuxedos, or a woman in a black sheath dress escorting them around with trollies. Before the elevator opened, the three girls didn't think it would be big enough to hold them and the other two families who stood with bellboys/girls and their luggage, but not only were there three elevators next to each other, the elevator was as large as a small bedroom (the commoner kind).

The three girls stood quietly as they listened to the families talk to each other, as if they had planned this trip themselves; the three couldn't tell if these people were invited, or just free loaders like they were, but everyone acted so comfortably, like this was a normal cruise ship. So, Moametsu, Naomi, and Etsuko decided to pretend so, too. Etsuko looked at the elevator buttons, there were two panels (one on each side), and they each held buttons reading from 1-10, one panel at the top read A-E, the other read F-J, there was also random buttons people would normally see on an elevator, like 'open door', etc.

It took a while time for them to reach their floor, as their was on A-E panel, and was level 7, However, they just had to bare stopping for the two families that were on with them, and one family was on the pannel F-J, and the girls witnessed doors behind them opening. When it finally beeped for them, the three girls were already comfortable talking to each other. Stepping out, they could hear the elevator immediately going back up for the poor souls who were waiting upstairs to go to their room.

The bellboy took the girls to their room, and it opened to show a nice hotel like bedroom (the expensive kind), with three large beds laying against the same wall; the room was a soft blue in color, and really was void of any decoration, it was simple and plain, looking to appeal to everyone by not appealing at all. The bellboy stayed and helped remove their luggage from the trolly, and then handed the key back to Etsuko.

“There is a phone in that corner, where you can call other members on the ship, or for service—free of charge—if you need room service, or refilled supplies, please call between 6:00 a.m. and midnight.” The man said enthusiastically, though he could fool a lot of people with his smile and happy attitude, it was obvious what he said was scripted. “We will need you ladies back up on deck at 1:00 p.m. to do safety drills—it is now,” He looked at his wrist watch, “11:19 a.m.—we will set sail at 3:00 p.m.” The man said, “Please enjoy your stay.” He bowed, and left the room.

Etsuko, Moametsu, and Naomi looked at each other as they added up the time; they would need to go all the way back up stairs for safety drills when one o'clock came around, meaning they would guess that everyone who fit would be on board now, and then they would set sail at three, probably right after the drills was done. Hopefully when all that was over, the party would start, and they could do whatever they wanted! But, it was only 11:19 a.m.! The three of them collapse onto their, silently claimed, bed with a tired sigh, oh so thankful that they came early!

~~~

Spoiler: Mariya's Party Dress 

Mariya looked at herself in her vanity, it mirrored the same one she had back at her home; it was a white wood vanity mirror set, and held no legs, as the draws sat on the floor, mirror on top, and other cosmetics that would never be touched by Mariya again—except maybe the brush and comb... Mariya sat on pink pillows that cushioned her knees, looking about the pink room, she spotted a lot of things that was alike the things in her room back home, in fact, this room was an exact replica of her room back home, down to the fluffy pink bed, with toys of all kinds sprayed about it. This was all her fathers doing, when he said this ship would be their home away from home, he literally meant it, going so far as to even decorate rooms that looked like their house! They even had duplicates of pictures that they hung at home! And they had this ship for a while, meaning that the changes they made to their house through the years also occurred on this ship.

No matter, many people probably won't even see this part of the ship, this part was like the Captain's quarters, this whole floor was virtually off limits, pass the workers and family members. Mariya looked at the clock, and sighed, it was nearly one, and Mariya would have to get up on deck with everyone else, and listen to roll calls, then sit through the instructions of putting a life jacket on, hear the safety measures of where the life boats were, and blabity blable! This wasn't Mariya's first time on a cruise, she been on cruises a lot of times, even on other ships. They had to do the safety measures with the staff, but since the ship was normally vacant passed Mariya's family and the crew (fewer than what they had now), Mariya just knew this was going to take forever!

Mariya stood from her kneeling position, and picked up her top hat, it was black with a red ribbon wrapped around it, black—false—roses on the brim, and a fluffy white feather; on the tip of the right side was black netted lace, covering her right eye. It wasn't as showy as it sounded, maybe because of her dark clothing; she had on another black suit, probably the last one she owned as she wore them all this whole month, though this one was much darker than the others; if she was to hold this up to her other outfits, it would make them look gray in comparison.

This suit also had red stitched to it, red ribbon on her back like always, puffing her rear up as if she was wearing a petticoat. Underneath she had a red silk shirt, with soft ruffled sleeves, a black cravat at her neck, pined there with a skull clip. A black rose was on her left breast, just above her heart, and from it hung gold and red ribbons in a bow, and silver pearl chains looped over her chest to pin on her right shoulder. She had boyish shorts, that laced at the knees, and calf high boots with silver buttons; her socks peeking above them matched her shirt in doily like lace, and was also a wine red.

Mariya had been dressed for a while, and only sat at the mirror to admire her face, but it was time to go, she had to get back upstairs, which was a long way away, though it didn't matter, as Mariya had a private elevator that would only function for her and her family (and the odd staff, of course), so she wouldn't have to wait long. Once Mariya got up to the deck, she saw that a few people were already there mingling, and there were no longer boarding the ship. She sighed, that was good, because that mean they were closer to getting all these procedures over with.

An alarm went off, and like a school speakerphone, the captain came on, alerting people to stay calm, and that this was a drill to prep everyone for safety procedures. Mariya sighed grumpily as she crossed her arms, this was going to take forever, and they were going to shut the alarms off until everyone was upstairs, every name was called, and every name was answered. Why did her family have to invite the whole world?!

~~~

VIP Ballroom; Mariya, Hime

The drill was done and over with, the names that were called was that of the thousands of guest who wrote their name downs on boarding; their names were in the history, along with their room number. For such a careless arrangement, it was actually pretty organized, when a person received their numbers at the dock, they would give it to the girl at the head of the boat (and a few others who helped her), they'd get their room key, and a room accommodating to them (the largest room was four queen beds), along with a booklet that held a map, and explained the many benefits they could enjoy on this cruise, it also told the times for special schedules, like breakfast to dinner, and when certain games and activities started (neither of any of these things were mandatory). In the very back, it also had a gallery of the staff, the important ones, like the captain, chef, many others, and the Chihaya (Mariya's mother and father, including herself), her father thought it would be cute to put their birthdays and favorites on there, along with hobbies.

The drill was now over, and everyone was now finishing up lunch, the buffet was heaven, as the meals was as large as the chefs could keep up. Some people took their food back to their rooms, some went up on deck to eat outside, some didn't eat at all as they met up with friends, or went to sleep off the exhausting day. Mariya was down in the middle of the ship, at a ball like room that held way too many Chihayas (and the nées/nés of the pack) for Mariya's liking. Mariya thinks she even spotted a few kids from Ouran, nearly scoffing when she saw a commoner reaching for a wine glass from one of the passing waiters tray; she scoffed when she saw the girl's eyes light up at the taste—Mariya hoped the poor fool was enjoying this once in a lifetime opportunity.

Through the drill, Mariya had heard a lot of familiar names, not only from her father and mother's contacts, but also from Ouran High School. Great, nearly everyone came, and Mariya can't remember telling anyone passed her loose lipped friends! How... insulting... Mariya scoffed, who was she to say something like this was insulting? If she cared so much, then she should be throwing a bigger fit than standing in a corner with her arms crossed, glaring at her mother's back as she talked to a distant aunt.

“Mariya!” Hime called, waving her daughter over; the woman was a striking resemblance to her, though she had small, round green eyes dark brown black hair, and a busty figure even her black and white jūnihitoe could not cover. The Indian woman was actually the reason for Mariya's shortness, seeing as her Japanese father was a rather tall man. “Come catch up, they hadn't seen you in ages!” Hime said, her odd name pronounce Him-ie, from her native roots.

Mariya was reluctant, but complied, as defying her mother was something she didn't do... not in public; plus it cured more headaches that way. “It's a pleasure to see you again, Aunty.” Mariya said politely; walking up to see a very pale Japanese woman with a black kimono on (all of the Chihaya family were wearing black suits if male, and black kimonos if female), and the black haired woman gasped dramatically when seeing her.

“You didn't tell me he cut his hair!” Mariya's aunty cried in distress, looking over to Hime. “How could you?” Mariya's aunty then turned back to her, and gripped her shoulders to squeeze them tightly while she shook Mariya.

“I know, I know, I cried for hours!” Hime said, wiping an actual tear from her eye as they started to water from the memory.

“You cried...?” Mariya's eyebrow twitched as she glared at her mother—she did indeed cry, but it wasn't her hair being cut!

“Is that Mariya?” A man asked, coming over, he wore an old traditional black kimono for men; he was probably one of the few men wearing it; the man was her uncle, the husband of the woman Mariya was with now, and a younger brother to her father. “Ah... Ha, ha, ha!” The man started, first staring her up and down, then busted into laughter. “Look at you boy—aren't you cute!” He said, and begun to roughly pat Mariya on the back.

Mariya coughed as the pain caused her to choke on her spit, “Honey, cut it out!” Mariya's aunty scolded.

Her husband listened, but not after ruffling his fingers through Mariya's hair, fluffing it up, and knocking her hat off, “How'd you get so scrawny~.” He teased, patting Mariya on the head. Mariya glared at her hat, and picked it up.

“Hello, Uncle.” Mariya greeted with a sigh in her voice, he was nearly as bad as her father.

“Look at you~,” Her uncle started, putting a hand to his chin as he studied her, “Looking like your old man, it's cute.” He said, then begun to laugh again.

“He has a face like his mother, though.” Hime said, rubbing her hand, gently, up and down Mariya's back, trying to eased the twisted expression she held from her uncles words.

“I don't know, he kind of have his father's face more than anything—ah, ha, ha!” He started to laugh again, god, Mariya hated that laugh, her father did it all the time!

Mariya wanted to scream at him, but this was too public to do so, so she only puffed up her face, and gritted out a 'thank you'. Mariya didn't know weather to be elated at being compared to her father, or to be depressed; it's not like she wanted to be a boy, but she did want to be perfect at whatever she do, and right now and forever, she was, and always will be, playing the part as a boy. So was it a good thing that she wasn't developing into her pretty, busty mother? Yes... yes it was.

“Kya~.” Mariya paused and looked off to the side once she heard squealing from multiple girls. What she saw froze her heart; there were a group of maiko girls, probably the only color in the room (besides the strange guests) with their maroon and yellow kimonos, their hair prettily done up in Shimada style, even though their faces were painted white, their hair black as night their eyes just the same, and their clothes all identical, Mariya could tell each girl apart—Syumi, Reiko, Kimada, eck! Even Momiji! Why, why were they here!

“Mama?” Mariya hissed, turning to her mother to see that she was also looking in the direction of the girls, who was cooing at the table of cute animal pastries.

“Ah, Mariya, don't you like it; I thought it would be fun for our guests if you preformed!” She said, then she turned to her sister-in-law, “Do you know it's some people out there who never even seen a geisha before?” She said, laughing at the absurdity of it, as if she said someone never seen a cat before.

Mariya paled, but before she could say anything, her uncle cut in. “You probably could have count us as one of them, if it weren't for meeting you, big sister.” Mariya's uncle said, grinning.

“Oh, stop, I retired before we even met.” Hime said, though she looked up and covered her mouth to hide her smirking red lips, batting her red tipped lashes.

“You can't retire beauty, big sis'.” Mariya's aunty said, and her husband nodded fiercely. “Quit being a pervert, you!” She shouted, and slapped him—she saw that face he made!

“Why did you say 'you'?” Mariya said, still looking pale as a ghost as she balked at her mother.

Hime didn't seem to notice as she grabbed Mariya's hand, and led her from the, now bickering, couple. “Because you will be preforming along with them, I even managed to convince them to do that first dance—remember the one you first preformed?” Hime asked, taking Mariya out of the ballroom.

She was literally taking Mariya, as when she said 'you' again, the girl dug her heels into the carpet, and tried to snatch her hand out of her mother's iron grip. “Are you crazy, I can't do that, I'd be the laughing stock of the century!” Mariya cried, pawing at her mother's hand as the tiny woman became she hulk in a split second, and was able to drag her down the hall.

“Oh, hush, men dressed up as women all the time, back in the day, why, they were the prettiest women on stage!” Hime said, imagining it as she dragged them to the private elevator. “It's normal, don't be ashamed of you geisha heritage!” Hime barked, whipping Mariya into the elevator once the doors opened.

Mariya heaved out a breath once her back smacked into the wall, her family was so violent! “No, I can't, there's people I know here! From Ouran!” Mariya said, rubbing her back with a scowl. “It's already bad enough I look like a girl...” She mumbled... yes, looking like her father sounded like a good thing right about now!

“Honey cakes, your father looks like a girl.” Hime said, pushing the button to their floor, and patting Mariya's head, knocking her hat off.

Mariya gasped, “... I'm going to tell him you said that.”

~~~

VIP Ballroom

A man walked onto the stage of the ballroom filled with people who had something in common; they all had invitations to come on this cruise. The people in this room were of his family and friends, though the man spotted some unfamiliar faces, faces of stray strangers who wandered into the ballroom out of curiosity. That was okay, everyone was welcome, this week was going to be special, tomorrow more so than anything else, and it filled his heart with happiness to see so many people enjoying their stay here, wanting to come and commemorate this special day with him, it was for the love of his child that he was doing this.

“Excuse me, everyone.” Shou announced on the microphone, so that his voice could travel over the noise. It silenced instantly once people looked on stage to see that their host of this very cruise line, with his grayish black hair, deep black eyes, and black suit that was oddly plain and void of any high quality (only in appearance); Pastry Chef Chihaya. Many here knew him as 'boss' or 'big brother', since he was the oldest Chihaya (in adult generation), and rightful owner of the company. “I want to thank all of you for coming,” He knew some people had to take off of work for this, some of the kids would be missing school, others probably skipping out on something already scheduled, just to please him, “and in advance, I want to wish you all a great stay for the future of this trip; please help yourself to any and everything.” Shou said, pushing up his glasses that begun to slide.

“As it would be an honor to enjoy time with all of you, there will only be a select few places you'll find my wife, my son, and me, though we three are your humble host, and greedily beseech that you request our attention when you spot us.” Shou bowed, then raised up to look over the crowed, “Now, announcing the major advents this cruise will be hosting—events you'll find my wife, my son, and me partaking in—will be my lovely wife, Hime—.” Shou started raising his hand up to gestured to his side, but a man grabbed it to pull it back down, and leaned in to whisper in his ear.

“Your wife left the hall, sir.” The man whispered, pulling back to look at his boss nervously.

Shou creased his brow, then closed his eyes and laughed as he turned back to the crowed, “Announcing the events will be my son, M—...” He paused when he looked behind him to see the same man frown and wave his hands while shaking his head, mouthing the word 'gone'. “Ha... hee, hee, announcing the events,” His voice cracked as he turned back to the crowed, eyebrow twitching, “will be me. Tomorrow, we will have a performance with the young maiko, who came to entertain us all the way from the mother land; Kyoto, all ages are welcome,” Shou grinned and winked, happy his wife wasn't there to hit him, “that will start at 8:00 p.m., right after dinner; you'll find me and my family in the back. The next day we'll have a tea party, where guest will be randomly selected to sit down at my family's special table. After that...” Shou went on, even though it was written down in the booklet everyone had, only that people didn't know those events would be about the only time Mariya and her family would make an appearance.

Besides, people were bound to forget anyways, that's why the staff would be alerting everyone of these 'special' advents.

[Mozaic]

Aiden and Ari
The Matthew Household

“One last string,” Aiden said pulling the piece of golden thread through. It was the finish of an embroidered rose. At the ends of it trailed layers of pleated black silk that lengthened as it came to the back. A white bow was pinned about mid-torso. Black string laced between six golden buttons like a backwards corset. Three dark gray buttons joined that front of it together. Beneath was a white shirt with dangling white cuffs trimmed in white lace with a matching collar. Black shorts, thick white knee high socks, and black boots tied up in white ribbon with bows at the top covered his lower half.

On Aiden’s sewing table next to a pair of red handled scissors, a tape ruler, and a pin cushion rested an elegant top hat. The hat of course was black, banded in white ribbon that hung off to the side. In the center of it was a deep red opened rose.

Aiden trailed his hand down his face sighing before placing the hat on Ari’s head. The bow or the ribbon? He walked over to the bust of a mannequin. Beside it on a table was a spool of thin black ribbon with matching loops of thread at the side. He picked it up and moved it from side to side imagining the different looks in detail. One was a loose knot, the other looped, and then he envisioned the bow tie. He shook his head. It would be far to overbearing.

Ari knew better than to talk or move while his brother was working. Right now it mattered more than anything that he stayed in his zone. So any suggestions were out of the question. The loose loop would be fine, he thought. He would have sighed, if he could.

“I think you’re right, the loop would look nice,” Aiden said.

Ari smiled. They had always been connected at this level, but it was like it was being realized for the first time. This entire school year they had been almost entirely severed. He wondered how much this separation would affect them. Personally he feared the future that had been laid out ahead of them. He knew Aiden was afraid too. The one difference between them was Ari wasn’t going to have anyone with him where he was headed.

Aiden pulled the strands tight backing away. “Simply adorable. Now we should really begin on your presentation outfit.”

“I really don’t need one. You’ve designed enough things for me already. I’ll just pick out something from the closet.” Ari stepped towards the oval mirror in an effort to find something to change the subject. “It looks great. Aiden?”

“I don’t mind doing things for you I hope you know.” Ari turned to him as he moved over in his direction. Aiden lifted the hat off of Ari’s head brushing his bangs down so that they hung at a vertical line instead of its usual right curve. “You’re my little brother. Apart of what makes me whole. I’ll always be there for you.”

Ari gently lowered Aiden’s hand away. “It’s not like that Aiden. I just… I don’t see the point of you getting all worked up about this. I’m fine.” He slumped down into a nearby chair. He could feel his brother staring. It would take a moment before he would let it go. His eyes gazed over to the side, and he lowered his head so his cheek was resting on his fist. He didn’t look back over until he heard the sound of retreating footsteps.

Aiden went out into the hallway, and before he knew it Gwen was on top of him while he lay sprawled on the floor. A smile quickly formed on his lips widening as he began to understand her excitement. He didn’t bother moving. He just lay there laughing, and beaming because he was so delighted to see her so happy.

Ari had gone over to the door at the sounds of squealing. Even in his own mood he could not help the smile forming on his lips nor the chuckle that escaped them. Such a sight had not been present at their house for a while. Not since Gwen left. She was a vital part to not only Aiden’s happiness, but to his as well. Strangely enough she had become like a sister to him. Perhaps the reason why he could see even what Aiden hadn’t seen for the longest time. That their future was together. That their love was something only existing between them, and as complicated as it was it was truer than any he had ever witnessed.

“Don’t worry about it. She’s…. Cupid?” He felt suddenly light headed as it all sort of began to seep through. Ari looked between the three of them. If it had not been mentioned already, then let it be known now that Ari was the more logical twin. Such things did not settle well with him. “Like love arrows Cupid?” No, don’t be silly Ari. That is ridiculous, she must mean… what?

“I’ll explain it to you later Ari,” Aiden said chuckling. He folded Gwen into his arms, and rolled over so they were both on their sides. This was his Gwen, his happy, beautiful in every way, Gwen.

Kimiko Fujimoto
VIP Ballroom

The immediate answer had been no. “No Kimiko. You’re in no shape to be traveling for such a long period of time, and with all those people? Absolutely not. I won’t allow it. Any one of those people could be some psychotic murderer, or diseased.” Of course both of them knew her real reasons because both of them knew Kimiko’s reasons for wanting to go. She wanted to escape, and having that desire pushed her to do something she would have otherwise only thought of. Besides there was something special that she needed to do, and she imagined it could only happen on this occasion.
Dressed in a simple red sweater, and a pair of skinny jeans, and a pair of sunglasses with her hair braided into a ponytail, Kimiko Fujimoto had made her way onto the infamous L'Éclair Cruise Line without the knowledge of her mother. In her hands as she stood off to the side was a tiny yellow box with white polka dots, and blue ribbon. A small leaf of paper hung at the side reading: To Eiji From Kimiko written in Kanji. She trailed her finger over the print, and let out a sigh.



“You should have been there Kimiko. I don’t… I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone cry like that before.” Rika laughed. “Maybe it was a good thing you weren’t. I have a feeling you would have given Masa hell right there. You’re quite fond of Eiji aren’t you?”

Kimiko gazed up at her wide eyed. She was not angry, but surprised. She had considered this girl her enemy for as long as she could remember. How could she see something like that when she had done so well in covering it up even from herself? She lowered her head looking away. “You’re wrong. I wouldn’t have done anything. I would have been too afraid.”

Rika stared in disbelief, and then gradually looked away as her expression became filled with sorrow. “You may have everyone else fooled, but I remember the real you, and I know she’s still there. Why are you so afraid of being loved?”



“Tomorrow, we will have a performance with the young maiko, who came to entertain us all the way from the mother land: Kyoto, all ages are welcome.” Kimiko looked up towards the stage blinking. A light smile then curved onto her lips. Nothing is going to stop me from enjoying this week.

Hotaru Akiyama… Kaori, Ren, and Chiyo.
VIP Ballroom

“This is so exciting,” Chiyo squealed. “I can’t believe we’re here!” She giggled twirling about. The four of them were in matching furisode style kimonos. They were dark blue decorated in glowing white butterflies with black tree silhouettes growing from the bottom. Around their waste was tied a red sash tied in a Hara-awase knot. She put a hand at her forehead as she surveyed the area. “Aw. I don’t see him.”

“I don’t see Aiden either,” Ren said.

“Well Sora told Hotaru he was coming, and I know Aiden wouldn’t miss this for the world. Well maybe for one person,” Kaori said giggling. “Oh don’t you think it’s romantic? Aiden’s mystery lover boy.” She clasped Ren’s hands grinning.

“I’m pretty sure that it Gwen Kaori,” Hotaru said.

“I think she’s right.” Ren smiled as Kaori looked away heartbroken.

“Chiyo is everything ok.” Hotaru leaned over to look her in the eyes. She looked devastated, and it was easy to guess why. “Don’t worry he’ll be here. He promised.”

“That’s not what I’m worried about.” She sighed looking all puppy eyed at Hotaru. “I have something I wanted to give him for helping me with my studying, and because…..” She trailed off as she began blushing. “Well I don’t think he’s going to like it very much.”

“Is it wrapped?”

Chiyo shook her head. “No. I kind of bought it on whim, and didn’t have time to wrap it.” She held up her hand. Inside of it was a small yellow koala bear with a pink bow. “I know it’s kind of girly, but I thought it was cute.”

Hotaru took the bear tracing her finger across the stitches making his nose. After a moment she laughed. Chiyo’s eyes widened. “He’ll love it,” she said. Chiyo then grinned, and grabbed Hotaru by the wrist pulling her into an overly excited spin. The other two girls merely laughed at the sight.

Aiden and Ari
The Matthew’s Room

Aiden walked out of their room wearing the outfit he had modeled on Ari. He put his hands on his torso thrusting it forward. He stretched his arms up, and then cocked his head back. What is he doing? “Ari get out here already would you!” he said. Nothing is heard. Aiden looks wearily through the door before tromping in.

“Quit it Aiden!” Ari clings to the frame of the door as Aiden tries pulling him out. “I don’t want to go out like this.” Aiden gains enough grip to put Ari off balance, and they both fumble to the floor.

“I don’t see why you’re fussing. You look adorable,” Aiden said.

Ari pushed himself off of Aiden. “I’m just not comfortable in this.” Ari trailed his hands down them over, then folded them over lowering his head. He wore an oriental shirt of a forest green shade. Two dragons met at the top made of a blend of white, brown and lighter green print. In the back it split like a tuxedo. The shirt was sleeveless leaving his arms bare. He also wore matching shorts with white knee high socks, and olive green, and brown slippers.

“I don’t remember you being this shy before.” Aiden put a hand on Ari’s shoulder smiling at him reassuringly.

“I….” He sighed. Ari did like the outfits his brothers made, but he had always hated being forced into them. This time he felt worse. He felt bare, and vulnerable, and he wasn’t sure if it was the outfit or something else. Maybe he was only being stubborn to avoid leaving his room. He hadn’t wanted to come to begin with. “Aiden can you tell me the truth?”

Aiden stared at him baffled, then suddenly saddened as he realized what he was referring to. “I thought I was helping, but I-“

“Thank you,” Ari said standing up.

“Has she written you back yet?”

“It was a returned letter.”

“Oh.”

“It’s funny. It hurts, but it’s alright.” Ari gripped his arm. “I don’t know if I can differentiate any of my emotions to feel what’s what, and it’s painful, but it’s kind of a numb pain.” He smiled weakly. “It’s the best sort of feeling I’ve had in a while.”

Aiden stared at the ground unsure of what to say. It didn’t sound right, and most of all it didn’t sound like his brother. There was something going on inside him neither of them could understand. He wasn’t sure how he would convince Ari to try to resolve it. He was too afraid this much he could tell.
“Let’s go,” Ari said shutting the door.

“Wait a minute.”

Aiden and Ari Matthew… Yuriko and Roshi
VIP Ballroom

The two of them came out as Shou finished speaking. Ari was holding a tan paper umbrella. Ari closed it coming into the crowd. “I don’t see them.” Aiden moved passed ushering him forward. In no time they found their nanny, and butler dressed in kimonos they had both owned for a while. Aiden made a face as he came over.

“Not too bad,” Aiden said.

“You two look nice,” Ari said.

“Thank you,” Yuriko said. She was a mature looking woman, but still youthful looking. She wiped Ari’s cheek with her thumb causing him to blush. “Ari.” She pulled down Aiden’s hat. “Aiden.” She had always been one for showing off the fact that she could tell them apart even when it wasn’t necessary.
They both chuckled. “I think I’m going to go find Gwen,” Aiden said scurrying off.

“Ari?” Roshi looked in his direction raising a brow.

“I’m just going to wait around here until things settle down.”

Roshi nodded.

[Ru]

The Kailin Siblings the night before the cruise

Residency for Gwen Kailin returned to being with the Matthews family and Amario was left to only his servant for company, but on this night he had asked his sister to accompany him to dinner. It was quite odd, really, prior to the whole blowout with Gwen and Aiden the Kailin siblings were at a hectic war created on a misconstrued understanding when they were children, yet here they were… having dinner like adults. Well, Amario was being mature, anyway. Excitement continued to overflow for Gwen, whom was bouncing around in her seat.

Stabbing her happiness was the last option on his list, but the subject had to be brought up before he dared to face the twins again, namely Ari. Why it had never crossed his mind prior to her pouncing Aiden was beyond him; perhaps he was too preoccupied with himself. “Gwen…”

She continued to fidget in her seat, barely even glancing at the menu. Aiden had taken her to this place plenty of times and, by now, she was aware what she wanted without taking a gander. Attention span was needed to focus though, which had flown out the window the moment he told her she was Cupid. Ah, Cupid… the exact reason why they were here. The exact reason he needed to have a serious discussion with her. The exact reason…

Amario chuckled a bit at her enthusiasm then shook his head. “Gwen, I need to talk to you.” He reached his hands across the table, cupping them over hers. “I have something to ask of you.”

Pure perplexity was expressed over her features as she turned her attention to her brother with doe like eyes. Every fiber of her being had to focus on constraining her ecstatic feelings longing to burst out and overflow onto the nicely cleaned tiles more.

“What all have you told Aiden and Ari about us? I mean… our family. Cupid.”

Her eyes fell to the table, soon her head followed suit and slumped down until her hair was covering her eyes from Amario’s view. “Well… I do… tell Aiden everything… Ari doesn’t know shit though…” she sighed. “I waited years to tell him, though! I did, Mar, I really did. I was just so upset when ya got daddy’s position and I didn’t… I hadta tell him. I just had to, but I made him promise not to say anything. Hell, I’m surprised he believed me at all.”

“Did you… explain what we can do?” his grip on his sister’s hands loosened, irises darted towards the tabletop.

“…” then an exaggerated sigh. “No… He just knows about Cupid and what the Cupid ‘job’ means I can do, but not what I can do without it…”

“… are you really willing to watch him die, Gwen? That is what taking over father’s position means. You cannot repeat his past mistakes. You will have to watch him grow and wither away—”

“I know!” The cry was sharp then fell down an octave as she shot up her gaze to meet with his blues. “I know, Mar… I know… but I’ve always wanted’ta be Cupid… I’ve… always wanted to… I just… want to enjoy every second I can with him…”

“And what are you going to do when he does… you know. You cannot react as drastically as you have been. A time for growing will have to come—”

“Please, Mar…” Gwen lifted his hands into hers, lacing her fingers together with his and held them as if praying. “Don’t let him know… I waited so long to hear him tell me he loved me… really loved me and I’m so happy.”

Amario smiled, tightening his grip reassuringly. “I’ll let you tell him when you are ready to. I am content seeing your happy face and knowing my secret is safe.”

“Thank you.”

Eiji

Eiji lingered in his bedroom on the cruise ship with his back propped against the wall and his lower torso resting on the mattress. Coming onboard was all to see Kimiko in case she did come, though he was not sure she was going to. Ever since his phone was destroyed in the host club he had been reluctant to come near her, let alone anyone. Crying was the worst mistake he could have made and everyone at school was talking about it, whether they were sympathizing or criticizing Eiji; whether they were on his side or on Masa’s… none of it mattered. His heart ached and he wasn’t sure what to do, but he knew she needed him here. Maybe not at school, but Kimiko needed him here so this was where he was.

The ballroom was a more likely place to find her… Eiji could not muster up the courage to leave the sanctuary of his bed. All items he brought aboard were still packed, though he was one of the first to arrive and he normally preferred everything out. Losing his phone… brought to light all he could lose. A relative was not the only person who could be lost to a freak accident, but so was Kimiko… and, even with that aside, what did she think of him? He knew she had heard what occurred by now. Did she still want him around? Was he still Kimiko’s little lap dog?

Maybe he’d move later… but for now he wanted to stay here and recompose himself as his body slumped further and his head met with his knees.

Gwen and Amario

Today Amario dressed down, preferring to feel looser on a ship rather than forcing himself to be so uptight. Occasionally judging glances were tossed his way, but he could care less. The presence of the Kailin siblings were only brought onboard because Gwen insisted, not because he had an innate desire to be here. Truth be told, he was thinking of returning to America immediately after the semester was over; Gwen was happy and his services were no longer needed. Besides, it gave him a good reason to run away from his feelings he was drastically attempting to avoid with all of his might ever since he confirmed with Ari what they were. Of all the Kailin family Amario felt it was necessary he keep his mind clear, calm, and collected lest he steer away from any obligations and these emotions were threatening to deter him. So, he came onto the cruise ship wearing a simple white, button up shirt with the top three buttons undone to keep cool, though it revealed his slightly toned physique beneath; his pants were a pair of new denim from a decently expensive line he had decided to purchase for comfort and style; and a shoes he threw on more for comfort than looks, though he ensured they did not distract from his face. Still, the foreigner’s beauty shown brightly, but under what may be considered more of a commoner’s attire.

On the contrary, Gwen was dressed in some clothes Aiden had made for her years ago and her lack of growth permitted her to continue wearing. The tight shirt—tightest Gwen would ever wear—bore characters from a cartoon show she adored, which Aiden had copied onto the shirt from a painting she had made out of pure obsession for it. This, and it being made by her lover, was exactly why she loved wearing it despite it revealing the small bosom she did possess, but seldom showed. The shirt itself was red and black stripes with the characters having a bold, black line surrounding them; sleek, black pants were form fitting and sprang out into bell bottoms near the bottom for her massive, punk combat boots. Beneath her shirt was a long sleeved, lace fishnet top handcrafted by Aiden himself specifically to fit her bizarre style; the ends had holes for her thumbs to go in because he knew she loved it.

They darted—more like Gwen darted and Amario reluctantly followed from behind—around the VIP Ballroom until she finally laid her eyes on the love of her life. Long strides were taken to keep up with his rambunctious sister until he was found and he stood there as she pounced into Aiden’s arms, nuzzling his neck lovingly. “I found you!” she cooed.

Amario disappeared into the crowd.

[Mozaic]

Aiden and Gwen
VIP Ballroom

The glee was ever evident in his expression as he spun her into his arm. What had been only hours had felt like a millennia to him. Yet the time spent away was acceptable because he knew she was his, and he knew she wasn’t going to ever leave him. They both loved each other unconditionally. No matter what the world had to say she was his one and only even if it didn’t make much sense.

“Gwen I need your help,” he said. He set her down keeping his hand on both of her arms. “Ari’s sad, and I don’t know what to do anymore.” He drew his lip into a pout. He was being without a doubt serious, but he could not help the look of mischievous adorableness. In all honesty he felt like he had failed his duties as an older brother. Not to mention as a twin. They used to know each other so well. Making Ari smile was something he did best. Now it seemed like more often than not he was cause of his sad expression. “He’s done so much for me. I need to figure out what would make him happy.”

Aiden dropped his arms to his side lowering his head. He shrugged his shoulders looking up very wide eyed. “I want to make this trip special for him.”

Ari
VIP Ballroom

Yuriko and Roshi had gone off to tour the rest of the ship while Ari decided to linger behind. He let out a soft sigh leaning back onto the railing. Here he wasn’t recognized as the Ouran prince (thank god) – not by many at least- here he was just another face. The few people that did recognize him echoed in whispers and faint giggling in the background. They contemplated on whether this was Ari or Aiden and whether he was heavily in thought or was deep in sorrow. Ari crossed his eyes to the center floor ahead of him. They were easy to tune out within his own thoughts. Very little of him doing it was on purpose. He was to use to the same sort of thing at school.

Ari closed his eyes dozing off. He blinked as he came back to.

“This opportunity will mean a lot for the both of you, but it will also require a great deal of sacrifice, and dedication. Ordinarily I would encourage finishing your education, however, seeing as both you are both excelling at a rather rapid speed I find it hardly necessary for you to endure it much longer,” their grandmother said, “with that said I have something to ask of you Ari….”

[Ru]

Gwen Kailin
VIP Ballroom

She cocked her head to the side and listened intently to the love of her life as he bore his heart’s distresses to her. Gwen could not relate to the emotions and ailment he was conveying to her, as it was only Amario who tried so desperately to keep his siblings from harm. However, every word fell harshly on her ear, plucking roughly at strings she was not aware were there.

Had she truly been so selfish all these years? The more she thought on it the more she knew it to be true as random tidbits of memories from the past decade reentered her psyche. Without a second thought she ignored her sister slumping into the shadows and slowly disappearing from their family, preferring the company of the Stones as opposed to her siblings and parents. It did not even remotely dawn on her until Aiden’s concern slipped through his lips that she had, truly, done Amario wrong and yet he had not sought out an apology nor did he attempt to do her harm. This entire time… he was giving up so much to keep her happy.

Her heart sank into the pit of her acidic stomach.

“…What can I do to help?”

Gabriel
VIP Ballroom

Attending this party was extremely iffy, but he chose to anyway as opposed to remaining in his own mess of sorrows. Today… was a day he preferred to not think of and even without this festivity occurring he was likely to disappear from the usual areas he could be found in. Routine was a given with him. Every day he could be found in the morning at a coffee shop, drinking a black cup of Joe and reading the paper; in the afternoon he was perusing the city casually and eventually ate lunch of a noodle shop; then at night he could be found standing on his balcony gazing at the stars. This routine only changed for school and the host club, but even then he still went to the coffee shop, then school, snuck out to the noodle shop for lunch, back to school, and after it was all over was lounging and stargazing at home.

Many friendly faces had offered to Gabriel numerous times to go out for fun, but that broke routine; they were unaware of it, but it was true. He never blamed them though. How could they possibly fathom he needed to repeat this process to remain the happy lad he portrayed himself as? How would anyone know if he broke this repetitive game that he was likely to snap back into what he once was? Removing himself from the States and residing here was the first step to avoiding becoming that aggravated, depressed, and lonesome individual, but her face constantly haunted his mind no matter where he went. Even so, in this country he can begin to let her go.

Today the clerk at the coffee shop would wonder where his usual was; today the noodle shop owner would wonder where the optimistic foreigner scurried off to; and today the stars would be avoided. Routine could not save him from the anguish pecking at his broken heart, threatening to shatter it once again. In hopes of salvaging the face he had so desperately attempted to create, Gabriel scurried onto the first ship accepting passengers that early morn and decided he would go wherever it may take him.

At the time he was unaware this ship was owned by an Ouran Host Club regular and that the rest of the academy was likely to be on board, but he didn’t care. So long as he didn’t see her face… it didn’t matter.

Jin Mei
VIP Ballroom

Loitering in a corner and laughing it up with anyone he came across was what Jin Mei had decided to do with his time on the ship. The boy was easy to spot already due to his green and black punkish attire, but even stripped naked he stood out exponentially to the rest thanks to his constant laughter, cheery attitude, and brimming smile.