The Pen pal.
Haurhi sighed and rested her head on the back of her seat. She was on a plane, speeding towards The Republic of Ireland. She was stiff from the long, twelve hour ride, and they are only in France. They still had about three hours to go, to reach the airport in Cork.
She was with her Father who, at that moment, was asleep soundly, small stubbles peeking out across his chin from not shaving for a while. It seemed like Haurhi was the only person awake on the plane. Maybe because her back ached and her legs were stiff from all the sitting or that she had a fear of planes.
Yes, our poor Haurhi feared planes and flying. It just seemed so easy to her that the plane, at any moment stall and plummet down to their deaths. She was actually on the plane of death to visit her long time pen pal, Ciara. She had been writing to the girl for close to four years, and Ciara decided it was high time to meet Haurhi and sent the doe eyed girl two tickets for her and her father.
Haurhi enjoyed the thought of actually meeting the girl she'd only seen in pictures but had such deep conversations with, the kind that the almost simple minded Hosts couldn't dream of carrying ( Besides Kyoya of course, but there is always a matter of wanting to actual talk about said subject). And it also pleased her that it was in Ciara's own country, and not Japan were the host club could scare her away, with their lovey-dovey words and overly passive actions on her when they found out she was a commoner just like Haurhi.
Yes, this would be a good vacation from the host club, especially when Haurhi hadn't told them where she was going so they couldn't follow her. Yes, life was good for her right now…
~BACK HOME IN JAPAN~
Hikaru blissfully sunk deeper into his feather soft bed, enjoying the steady rhythm of his younger twins breathing that softly tickled his ear. The warm afternoon sun shone brightly onto the white bed spread, warming it up to a cozy feeling. It seemed like the whole world was asleep besides the soft tweets of birds in the garden that was planted right below the twins' bedroom window, filled with the calls of robins' bringing back fresh worms to their babies in the summer's sleepy afternoon sun.
All of that broke, when Hikaru's phone started to ring, groggily the younger twin pushed Hikaru in the back in an effort to wake him up " Pick up your phone, before I smash it." he mumbled.
Hikaru sighed and tried to snuggly deeper into the sheets " Go ahead and smash it. I don't care."
Kaoru scowled at his older twins laziness when he realized the ringtone. " It's the boss. You have to answer it."
Hikaru growled, mad that his peaceful slumber was disturbed and grabbed the blue phone, opening it up before shoving it to his ear" What is it. I'm trying to sleep!"
"HAURHI IS GONE, I CAN'T FIND HER! SHE WONT PICK UP HER CELL PHONE AND I EVEN CALLED MISUZU TO SEE IF SHE WENT THERE THIS SUMMER TO, BUT SHE HAD NO IDEA WHERE MY LITTLE GIRL IS!" a voice bellowed into the phone, causing Hikaru and Kaoru to cringe back from the phone.
" Maybe she is just hanging out with some friends and forgot to turn on her phone!" a happy voice called through the phone. So Hunny was in on this call to?
" Haurhi has other friends besides us?" The twins asked, adding to the conversation.
Tamaki scowled " That's impossible, she only ever hangs out with us."
" That's because you make her." Kaoru said into the phone, in a lazily tone. Sobs came through the phone line and Hikaru and Kaoru sighed.
" May I say that I know where she is?" Kyoya said into the phone. His voice unchanging as it floated into the phone.
You could almost hear Tamaki perk up when Kyoya said that " Really! You know where my little Haurhi is?"
" Yes, she is on her way to Ireland." Kyoya stated.
The entire host club gasped in surprise. " Why is she there?" Hunny asked, his voice diluted with a mouth full of cake.
" because she and her Father are visiting her pen pal. My sources tell me she has been writing to a girl there by the name of Barber, Ciara for close to four years." Kyoya said.
" Who Knows if this 'Ciara' won't hurt my Haurhi! We must go and make sure she is safe in Ireland, and Make sure this Ciara; girl is good enough to know our Haurhi!" Tamaki shouted and hung up; leaving everyone sighing for they knew what was to come. They would end up spending their summer break in Ireland, looking after a most likely pissed off Haurhi.
Haurhi grabbed her stuff off the top shelve of the plane storage overhead. She was almost bouncing off the walls with excitement at the thought of getting off that god forsaken plane. Her father had woken up about an hour before the plane landed and was horrified to find that his face was covered in stubbly whiskers. With that he slipped into the plane bathroom and freshened up coming out all clean and ready to meet a new country.
Haurhi walked up the steps from the plane, her father in tow. She was ready to see this new place and all it had to offer, and if all went well, she would be having Ciara coming with her on a later date to visit Japan.
Outside of the narrow hallway that lead from the plane that was docked, it opened up into a grand room, people of all colors and races whizzing past to try and catch their flights. A few people were waiting at the foot of the hall way, and a bit farther away from that was a tiny group of people holding up signs to pick up people.
Haurhi was delighted to see that one of them had FUJIOKA written plainly on it. It was held up by a girl with bright orange hair that was wild and seemed almost untamed going down to her mid torso and piercing green eyes that were almost as big and round as Haurhi's. she was wearing black skinny jeans, combat boots and a torn up shirt that was striped red and black. She wore a bit of make-up but not a lot, she didn't seem like a person that needed much to help her.
None the less, Haurhi knew that was Ciara from the few pictures they had traded over letters. With a big smile, Haurhi waved to the girl. " Hello! We are the Fujiokas, are you Ciara?" She asked, just wanting to make sure of her hunch.
The girl with the wild locks smile big and shook Haurhi's hand. " Pleasure to finally met ya Haurhi. Yes am Ciara, but may I correct, its pronounced 'kee-ra'. But as most folks do when they only read my name, they call me Sara, like ye did."
Haurhi Blinked in surprise but smiled back to the girl and laughed " and to think all these years I have been calling you Sara. Silly me."
" Its nothin' really, my kin even sometimes call me Sara. I'm just glad you could find the time to take me up on meh offer." She said her voice thick with an Irish accent. Her voice was mild, and had almost a lolling feeling to it, as if she was singing a lullaby to the brown haired girl. " This must be yer Pops, and a beauty may I say." She added, with a slight bow of respect.
Ranka let of a gleeful squeak " She is so kind! I could just eat her up!" his English rough as he spoke. He hadn't been as well prepared for this trip as Haurhi had been, as she has been learning to speak English for close to two years so she could talk to Ciara in her native language.
Ciara smiled and toke Ranka's luggage " May we get going, we can talk more at meh house." Haurhi nodded and Ranka continued to spout of complements to the young girl as they left the airport and walked towards a beat up old truck.
It was faded to a light blue and in most places the paint was starting to peel off. But Haurhi didn't mind it, it looked like it was a part of the family to Ciara, the way she gentle put their bags in the bed of the truck then pull open the door gingerly as if it was a baby.
" Dis here, is old Bess. She's been in meh family for close to seventy years. Was meh great grandpa's first car. Been passed down a lot she has, but she is still meh baby." Ciara said, rubbing her hand on the dash board. And after three tries, the engine roared to life and Ciara rolled out of the parking spot and onto a small paved road.
They drove for hours, the road sometimes turning to dirt then turning to cobblestone, then back to asphalt again. Bouncing along the car shuttered and popped, like every other really old truck. Finally after what seemed like forever, Ciara pulled the car to a stop in front of a large manor made of stone. It looked like a castle and it set upon a cliff out looking the Atlantic Ocean. The waves gently lapped down, far below as it was low tide.
" Welcome, to meh home." She said, pushing open and Iron Gate before, hopping back in driving it forward. Stopping to close it again and getting right back into the car.
Haurhi stared in disbelief as the rode up a long dirt drive way, lined with field of grass and bushes lined with a strong iron fence. The house itself looked to be beyond old, as it was carved from stone and crafted with the finest wood door and glass panels. It seemed like a castle. At the front door, their waited a man dressed in a dark suit that almost screamed butler helping open the doors for them and ordering two maids to carry the luggage to their rooms.
" Good evening, Howard." Ciara addressed to him with a curt bow.
The man bowed to her as well " As to you, young Mistress." Howard, glanced over at Haurhi and Ranka then his eyes flickered back to Ciara. " Dinner will be in an hour, M'lady."
Ciara nodded in understanding and pushed her guest forward into the font room. It looked like a medieval castle, revamped to fit modern needs. " Come along, we haven't all day to gawk."
With that she showed the pair to their respected room, across from each other. The rooms too, were dressed up with satin and velvets, on the walls were dear heads and taxidermy and such. It was T.V.s mounted on the walls, in front of large king sized four post beds with curtains around it to pull down to keep out bugs and sunshine at will. " As Howard said, Dinner'll in an hour." Ciara said, leaving the two to gawk at their rooms.
Their suit cases magically found their way to the door steps of the rooms, marking which one was which. " Did you know she was rich?" Ranka asked, still staring at the décor.
" Not a clue." Haurhi responded.
" Ciara, may I ask you what this is?" Haurhi said, poking at burrito type thing on her plate, smothered in herbs.
Ciara stopped chewing and looked over at the girl's plate before swallowing " Why, that's Boxty. A potato pancake filled with beef and such. Quite good, I assure you."
Haurhi glanced at it uneasily before taking a small bite of it. it was okay, nothing that she would demand again, but something she wouldn't mind having either. Slowly the meal dragged on, nothing really said between the girls and Father until an older woman walked in. She had Fiery red hair like Ciara in a tight high pony tail but bright blue eyes instead of her minty green ones. She was skinny and wore a tight plain black dress and shiny black heels.
" Good evening Ciara." The woman said, before slipping into a chair at the end of the grand table. She nodded a greeting to Haurhi and Ranka once she was comfortable.
" Good Evening mum, these are my guest Haurhi and Ranka Fujioka." Ciara stated, taking a bite out of her food.
Her mother looked the new comers over then snapped her fingers " Mary. Come here at once." A blonde haired girl in a maids outfit rushed in with an empty silver server's tray. "Mary, can you get our new comers something suitable to drink." The girl bowed and backed away running to grab something from the wine cellar.
In Haurhi and her father's cups was nothing more than grape soda, which wasn't to the woman's liking.
" I am Alice Barber, Her mother. A pleasure to meet you." She said politely.
Ranka and Haurhi nodded a thanks to her " and as it is to meet you."
" Nice manners. I have heard from my dearest daughter that you are from Japan?" Alice said, her hands folded neatly in her hands.
Mary came running back in, a vintage wine held carefully in her tiny dainty hands. " Is this an appropriate wine, m'lady?"
Alice pulled out a small pair of glasses and read the label. " Yes, Mary." The young girl nodded and toke out two wine glasses and pored a bit in each. Handing each of the glasses to Haurhi and Ranka, Ranka toke a drink without a second thought, but Haurhi spent a bit more time inspecting it.
" why yes, we are from Japan. We have been just delighted that your daughter has been generous enough to invite us he-" Haurhi was cut off md talk with the sound of a door slamming open and heavy footsteps running.
" What in the devil.." Ciara muttered, as the steps got closer towards the dining hall.
" Come on men! She must be in here!" a voice called.
Ciara and alice gave each other questioning glances as Haurhi just sunk lower into her chair. She knew that voice, sadly they were here for her.
The door that lead to the dining hall slammed open, revealing two blondes, a black-haired, a tall tan brown-haired boys, and two twins with matching ginger hair." Haurhi! We have come to save you!" they shouted.
Ranka and Haurhi sweat dropped and Ciara and Alice still had no idea what was happening.
" What are you guys doing here!?" Haurhi shouted at them.
" You know these people?" Ciara asked. Only to have the group of boys in her face.
" Who are you?! Why have you taken away our Haurhi?!" they shouted into her face, tipping over her chair, and her in it.
Rubbing the back of her head, Ciara sat up. "I haven't tak-" she stopped dead when her eyes caught sight of Kyoya by the door. " You." She spat in disgust.
Pairing is undecided. The host with the most votes gets the girl!
Thanks for reading the Pen pal! I hope to post at least a chapter a week.