high_seas | A group effort

Entry tags:

A group effort

Who: The crew of Antoinette
Where: At sea
When: backdated to evening 12/16
What: Sleep over to ward away the cold
Warnings: Shouldn't be any
Style: Whatever you prefer
Status: Closed to crew

"It's watery." Those are the first words Kyouya actually says as he passes out the bowls with... something that's supposed to be soup... in them. "And it's bland. The meat's a little overcooked, too."

It isn't him being humble. It's him offering fair warning. It's... certainly an attempt, at least. And from a spoiled aristocrat used to a staff that cooks his meals or a restaurant to go to... it's more than he's used to doing. Which Tamaki and Kaoru both know, so he addresses the next sentiment to Karen specifically.

"I don't cook."

But we needed something.

And, whether or not he admits it, he sees himself as something of a caretaker for the group. Especially with Tamaki here.

The little cabin is a snug fit, though nothing too bad, with the pot of stew in the middle of all of them. Physical closeness -- and especially contact -- drive away the cold, so the blankets have been dragged here, lining the walls in either makeshift 'sleeping bags' or just piles to huddle under.

"The tea's good, though."

Even he can make a simple pot of black tea, which is near the soup and a cup of it distributed to each of the crew. He takes a seat -- perhaps a bit closer to Tamaki than to the person on the other side of him, but it doesn't seem to be a conscious thing.

He takes a taste of his own bowl of soup and frowns. A little salty, too, but it was one of the few seasonings he actually had. Not awful, though. Just... not good. It was food, at least.

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If Tamaki could, he'd cuddle the three of them just to keep them very warm and reassure them that everything will be alright. Just like a real father should. He felt responsible for their well-being, though he himself was not 100% sure on how to go through taking care of all of their needs. However, he will certainly do everything to make sure his crew/family will survive through anything this world would throw at them.

Tamaki did not mind the closeness of Kyouya, in fact he was happy to have his first mate and best friend sitting closely to him. He was very warm.

While he was running around the ship earlier, helping his crew get the supplies to ready their cabin for the night, Tamaki made sure he'd pass every so often in their kitchen to see if Mommy needed help. The idea of Kyouya, the Mommy of his family, cooking their meal made Tamaki very happy. It was like a scene in a lovey-dovey soap opera. He's very happy about this.

So when he was served the soup, he was very appreciative. "This is better than any commoner noodles!!!!!"

As to be expected, Kaoru wasn't incredibly thrilled with the circumstances. He sat as far apart from the other three as he could in the cramped cabin, nestling into one of the corners, eating soup with one hand and doodling in his journal with the other.

"Could be worse," he comments idly, lifting his soup spoon for a moment. "I'm not feeling any imminent death coming on, so I guess it's acceptable."

"Come here." It isn't like Kyouya to encourage physical closeness, but he motions for Kaoru nonetheless. He isn't affectionate like Tamaki, but he knows his fellow Host Club members.

Tamaki's at ease around everyone. Leaving him to get Karen to sit closer on that side is simple enough. So, he'll take the difficult one.

"This cold isn't natural. Only way to get rid of it is being close to someone else." And physical contact, but. Neither he or Kaoru were really that type. Not, at least, with each other. If Hikaru were here... he doubted either of the twins would have even noticed how cold it was. There's concern -- in Kyouya's way -- in his next statement. His almost bargain. "Before you hurt your hand trying to work in this cold."

Kaoru's eyes, as they flick up to Kyouya's, are just slightly distrustful. It takes a little shake of his head - and Kyouya's mention of his fingers - for his expression to return to petulant, as he finally huffs and approaches the older man, sitting down next to him with a huff.

In this position, Kyouya can probably see his latest journal entry. Kaoru bites his lip before turning to a blank page. "This is just getting stupid, senpai," he says bluntly, not making eye contact with the man.

The change is quick. With Tamaki to one side and Kaoru on the other, he can feel a bit warmer. Close to what it had been with just Tamaki in his cabin but with the physical contact. Wisely, Kyouya simply... pretends not to see the journal.

"It got stupid a long time ago." Stupid and dangerous. He's kept them hidden, but he's always aware of the scars on his arm. The self-inflicted wounds that had helped Tamaki during the last 'spell' or whatever this place threw at them.

Like him, Kaoru's probably been doing less physical activity lately. Mostly drawing, like he's been doing books. (And sketching a bit himself, but he won't admit to that.) And there's no telling if this... magical cold... can induce frostbite or the like. So, he sighs a bit and mutters, "Give me your hands."

"It was cool initially. But I'm pretty sure real pirates didn't cuddle." He says sarcastically, setting aside his journal and gingerly offering his hands to Kyouya, though he's obviously not very pleased about it. "We seriously need a bigger crew."

"We'll head back to the main island soon," he says, as if it's in his control. Which, really, it is. He's in no mood to play the shadow king right now. It's what they need to do. "New people come here around the first of the month, we'll want to be there when they come. Since this time it won't be crawling with enemies."

Kyouya puts one hand under Kaoru's hands and the other over, frowning slightly. The contact is instant warmth, though, which helps make up for it. "Last thing we need is frostbite."

A moment passes, then Kaoru asks a question. "What would happen if someone did get frostbite? Like, really severely. Like - if we die here, do we die back home too?" Or do they go back home?

"Let's hope we never find out." His voice is calm, his hands are steady, but there's a flash in his eyes that speaks to the lie that is the exterior.

This world is dangerous. There aren't rumors, isn't a Newspaper Club, aren't jealous peers. It's not a social and political landscape he can navigate, controlling the flow of information and protecting his fellow club members that way. It's a world of physical dangers. Of illness and injury, where it's survival, not reputation, at stake.

And he doesn't know how to protect them here. "Do your hands feel better?"

There isn't anyone who they can bribe or threaten to get what they want. It's an odd feeling, this idea of being helpless.

Kaoru nods a little, flexing his fingers in Kyouya's grasp. "Yeah, they feel better." And after a moment, he asks, "... do yours?"

Here, they mean nothing. Their family influence means nothing. The money they are entitled to back home means nothing. It's been nearer to six months than not, and Kyouya still internally reels sometimes when he realizes just how alone they are. All of them.

"It seems to go both ways. Proximity helps, but physical contact is faster at warming up both people." He gives a slight tilt of his head to the side and back to indicate Tamaki. "We figured it out this afternoon."

"Oh. Did you?" It's something distracting - and taking a moment to tease the Shadow King is an extra moment that he doesn't have to spend hating the predicament they're in. He wiggles his eyebrows, but says simply, "I see," though his tone suggests far more than his words do.

Kyouya would never admit to leaving himself open for that intentionally. That wasn't his style. But he also knew what the people around him needed. His eyes narrow a bit, as if warning Kaoru. But there might be something more there. Something akin to familial consideration.

"I was trying to finish our expense book and figure out what we need." Besides more money.

That one glance from the other boy is enough for Kaoru to back away from the topic. He does still have a healthy fear of the older boy. "You know, if we really need money that badly, we should just set up the Host Club here. After all, we have the ringleaders. And we could set Tamaki to recruiting some other attractive people. It could be the Ouran High School Host Club: Setting Sail."

What control he still had helped. It was a pathetically small matter, seeing Kaoru back off, but it was something. A little bone for someone used to far more power and influence, now with almost nothing.

"We'd need to focus on the natives, probably. I don't think many of our fellow outsiders would see the cause for the luxury." But it would be a good recruitment pitch.

He removed his top hand from Kaoru's, not willing to totally break contact and lose the point if warmth. He put his hand on Tamaki's shoulder for his attention. "How's that idea sound?"

Tamaki was enjoying his liquid bowl of heaven. It was nothing compared to the most luxurious plates of exotic stews and soups served to them during school lunch, but this was some how so much better for the host club king. He gently took scoops of it into his mouth and enjoyed every mouthful.

Beside him was Kyouya and Kaoru seemingly having their own world. It was nice to watch them interact with each other and hold each others hands. A pang of jealousy hit the blonde wishing he can just place his hand there between his friends. But he still enjoyed watching them whilst enjoying his bowl of soup, thinking that Mommy and their child is having a bonding moments.

Towards the end of the conversation, they were both talking about the host club. When Kyouya had responded to Kaoru's initial query the smile on the blonde's face was incredibly wide. "A host club at sea???????"

Karen had been sitting quietly and letting the others converse. She had things she was dwelling on, and she didn't want to bring everyone down with talk of this being her first Christmas away from her parents.

At this latest conversational development, though, she choked on her tea. "A what?!" she said/asked after coughing a few times.

"How do you feel about dressing up like a boy, Karen-chan?" Kaoru teases, raising an eyebrow at her. "Or we can open up a maid cafe on the side. The Host Club: Bigger and Better than Before!" He raises one hand to gesture broadly, the other still in Kyouya's grasp.

"Dressing up like--maid cafe--how--"

Karen's brain was not even remotely prepared for this. Both of those options sounded ridiculous! The entire situation sounded ridiculous! She couldn't possibly make a convincing boy! Who would visit a maid cafe with the quality of food they had? Could they actually make enough money to live on like that? She had so many problems with this plan, she didn't even know where to start!

"It wouldn't be too difficult to incorporate hostesses," Kyouya murmured, considering the idea. "It'd open up a wider market, too." Still hold to Tamaki's basic idea -- to archetypes. Simply expand those to consider the feminine ones as well.

Tamaki examines Karen's body carefully. "Well she does have a small frame too... but she has long hair", not like a certain 'natural-type', they all know and love.

He gave a short smile to Karen before responding to the query. "Kaoru can make a lovely maid outfit for you", he remarked without thinking twice about it. After all, the twins were the best when it came to these sorts of things.

Tamaki takes away his hand from his bowl, and places it on top of Kyouya's hand over his shoulders. "At least she won't have to pretend to be a boy then..."

"A maid outfit?" Karen tried to picture it. Something in blue and white, probably? It actually might look cute--

Wait, she was getting swept up in something. "A maid cafe on a ship would be a bit odd, wouldn't it? --Ah, it's not that I'm saying I'd rather dress as a boy or anything!"

"A maid cafe on a ship, a host club at a high school -- if the latter can work, the former can, too."

Kyouya's voice is calm, almost ignoring Tamaki's hand on his shoulder. But that, in its own way, is an acknowledgement of the gesture. Because he's not trying to remove it.

"We'd need to focus on the natives. Sail to different ports, provide our services, collect our funds. Maybe if we can make enough of a name for ourselves, we can draw in some customers from our fellow outsiders."

His eyes turn on Karen's then, considering her for a moment.

"We'll need to train you and decide on your type. It's effective; there's no need to fix what isn't broken."

"I can make any costumes we might need for cosplay ing. It's not that hard to make clothes for four people. Although we probably should think of something else that will attract potential customers besides the four of us, for the time being. There isn't a lot of variety, you know - at least, not like we have back home."

And then Kaoru's train of thought seems to sputter to a stop as he internalizes what Kyouya said to Karen. Decide on your type.... "I can... help train Karen. Since, you know." He swallows, then shrugs flippantly, opening up his journal again. "My act is sort of incomplete here."

There's no point in dwelling on that for too long. Kaoru barrels ahead determinedly, shaking his head. "And the first thing we need to do is find a way to make this ship look less pirate and more elegant abandoned music room. The conditions aren't ideal, but ambience is important."

"We may need to scale back on the cosplay for awhile," Kyouya replied, mind working fast. "I'm sure we can manage it later, but the cost of the supplies, especially if we intend to recruit others to fill in our numbers," as he was already designing ways to do in his mind, "may outweigh the benefit first."

Plus... They had to get to know their clientele before they could decide what costumes would work best.

"We'd be best served," to make it sound like a suggestion, rather than a decided course of action, "to go to Empieza as soon as we can work the ship without freezing, recruit, then spend January training our new members. Open in February without a hitch."

Tamaki listened to everything his crew had to say. This is indeed hard without the overabundance of funding they had back with their families. However, it was not impossible and he started the idea with Kyouya's help before.

He first glanced at Karen. "Odd, perhaps. But it also makes for a very unique experience", how many maid cafes can be found on ships like theirs?

Tamaki then glanced over Kyouya's shoulder to meet Kaoru's eyes. "Do you really think she can do it and match your act?....she doesn't even look like you... unless you try dressing like her?"

"The way I see it, we have a lot of work to do. Someone needs to recruit more crew members, someone needs to research on the natives, someone needs to make our ship aesthetically pleasing, and someone needs to find us some initial capital, yes?"

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A group effort

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