Chapter 16! Thanks so much to all my reviewers, Sinnel, Cloudsneverbeentouch, ERidg17, BubbleBlonde, As-The-Fire-Blazes, and Square Root of Three! You guys rock! Anyway, Enjoy!
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Ouran High Host Club. I do, however, claim ownership of my OC(s) and my plot.
"You do it."
"I'm not doing it!"
"Stay strong men! Eyrie is counting on us to come to the performance of her friends and we must be on time! We can't let this little hiccup stop us!"
The Americans watched in fascination as the twins and Tamaki bickered about who would wake up Kyoya. Usually they would have gone together but an ominous note had been left on Kyoya's door saying that whoever disturbed him would die. Now they were huddled around the kitchen table while Eyrie made breakfast. She still couldn't quite speak yet and Jeremy was practically lying on the table. The rest of the Americans had to leave early to prepare their entertainment so they were all ready.
"Why don't we go for you? He can't be that scary." Clarice started to get up but the hosts were suddenly in her face.
"Imagine how Eyrie is when Briar wakes her up but add a string of hurtful insults." the twins said and everyone sweat dropped.
"I think...we'll pass." Blake shivered. They all turned to look at Eyrie, who glared at them. She pointed to the plates then started walking out. "Wait! You can't blame us for being scared at the possibility! Where are you going?"
"You are all being enormous idiots and cowering in a corner instead of dealing with it. I'm going to go wake up Kyoya." Eyrie swept out of the kitchen leaving all of them to look at each other sheepishly.
Idiots. Who cares if he's scary when he wakes up? You should just be glad he woke up.
Eyrie strode to Kyoya's room and threw open the door. He was sprawled on his stomach, the laptop by his side and multiple papers scattered around. She gathered all the papers and the laptop and set them aside before perching on the edge of the bed.
"Kyoya...Kyooooyaaaa." Eyrie gently shook his shoulder and whispered into his ear. He flinched away from the tickle of her breath but otherwise didn't move. Eyrie sat up and looked around the room.
I doubt it would end well if I actually used something to wake him up... Eyrie stared at Kyoya for a moment before leaning to his ear again.
"If you don't get up right now then I'll strip you down and dress you myself." She said in a firm voice then sat back. Kyoya lay still for a moment before his eyes shot open and he scrambled away from her, falling off the other side of the bed and landing on his back. "Good. You're up. Now get dressed and come down to breakfast. We're all waiting for you."
He sat and glared at her, still trying to wake up his brain. She walked over and leaned down so that they were face to face.
"Awake or not I will still strip you down and dress you if I have to. So you have five minutes. After that I'm dressing you and dragging you downstairs to be sociable." She turned and walked out of the room.
Six minutes later the hosts looked up from their breakfast to see Kyoya stumble in, Eyrie right behind him. He sat down at the table and stared at the plate in front of him.
"Wow Eyr-chan! How'd ya do that so fast?" Hunny asked.
"She threatened me." The other hosts turned to see Kyoya giving Eyrie a death stare. His dark aura swirled around him as Eyrie shrugged and smirked. "I could file sexual harassment charges."
"Oh don't get so uptight. It was a little threat." Before the hosts could ask, she started cleaning up the dishes and such. "We should leave soon. The first performance will start soon and theirs is the second."
"Miss Omorfie!"
Eyrie and the hosts walked into the auditorium and were greeted by Kyoya's older brothers. The eldest was talking to what Eyrie assumed to be a parent and Akito was striding over to her with a smile.
"I thought that was you! It has been awhile hasn't it?" He held out a hand and smiled, his attitude completely different from before. He greeted each of the hosts with more reserve then focused on Eyrie again.
"Yes it has, hasn't it? Kyoya did not mention that you would be here. I thought you would be to busy; what a pleasant surprise."
"Yes Father is here as well. He heard that one of the groups was American and decided to take the opportunity to see how your kind of schools perform."
"Ah Miss Omorfie. I wasn't made aware that you would be attending today as well." Kyoya's father approached them with another man that was about his age. Eyrie bowed slightly.
"Mister Ootori. My time in the host club has been a bit dull since you stopped visiting me. I'm glad you decided to come today. And you must be the chairman. It is an honor to meet Tamaki's father." He swept up to her and cupped her hand.
"No the honor is mine! To think that one of my students is so very exceptional as to be a hero! It's touching! I'm sorry I could not meet you earlier! My schedule wouldn't permit it."
"My, my. You two are very similar." Eyrie said blandly and pulled her hand from his grasp. "Mister Ootori, Akito mentioned that you were interested in the Americans?"
"Yes. They are national champions and I couldn't help but be curious as to what kind of performance they would make. And you? If they were good enough to be nationalists then surely you have heard of them. Are you a fan?"
Eyrie smirked and looked at the stage. "Oh yes. I suppose you could say I'm their number one fan."
"Oh well in that case you must sit with us! It is a balcony seat and, from what I understand, their DJ will be operating from there! You would be able to see it all up close and personal!" Tamaki's father began to lead her away and she glanced back at the others. "Oh don't worry they will be joining us!"
They went up to a spacious balcony that overlooked the entire auditorium. There was a booth set up that had a laptop and had multiple knobs and other things. Eyrie had just walked over to take a look when someone else came in.
"Chairman may I again express my thanks? My students do not often get opportunities like this so this is a very big deal. Also I would like to thank you for letting me sit here for their performance. I love seeing them at the best vantage point. Thank you very- Ire!"
Eyrie turned in time to see a streak of mouse brown come towards her and the next thing that she knew she was being hugged. "Janey that was very rude. At least finish thanking the chairman before attacking me."
"Sorry! I got excited!" Janey giggled and turned back to the stunned adults. They were glancing between Miss Lark and Eyrie. "As I was saying thank you very much! Ire I went to find you in the crowd earlier but I couldn't! I didn't even think to look for you up here!"
"Little Bird you are very loud." Eyrie shook her head and ruffled Miss Lark's hair. Mister Suoh gave a small laugh.
"What a surprise. Miss Omorfie you know Miss Lark? Did you know that she's the teacher in charge of the American group performing today? And Miss Lark, Miss Omorfie says that she is your groups number one fan."
Miss Lark started laughing. "Well I should hope she is! She founded the group after all!"
Eyrie rubbed the back of her neck as everyone stared at her. The hosts were trying to ignore the situation, not wanting to be involved.
"How is it...that you founded the group?" Akito asked.
"I went to that school." She said briefly. Before they could ask anymore questions could be asked the first performance started. It was Lobelia. All the hosts cringed through the entire performance. At the end everyone was allowed a brief break to stretch before the next performance.
"You and Miss Lark seem close Miss Omorfie." Mister Ootori said.
"Our mothers were great friends and I babysat Ire when she was little." Miss Lark smiled.
"Why is it that you call her Ire?" Yuichi, the eldest of Kyoya's brothers, asked.
"I'm afraid that one was my fault. It was the suggestion of a child but it seems to have stuck."
Everyone turned to see Jeremy coming through the door with a bored expression. He walked right passed everyone else and gave Eyrie a small hug before going to the computer.
"Jeremy! Don't be rude! This is the chairman!" Miss Lark started to apologize to the other adults in the room.
"I apologize. I have to get this ready before our performance or it will be ruined." He continued to tap away at the keys and only stopped when Miss Lark strode over and grabbed him by the back of the neck.
"Greet them or I'm telling Mom."
"Fine! Gosh Janey!" Everyone on the balcony sweat dropped as they took in the similar features. Eyrie smirked at him and he stuck his tongue out at her. "Don't even start Ire!"
"I didn't say anything." Eyrie wandered over to the computer as Jeremy greeted everyone. When he walked back over Eyrie flicked him. "You're doing it wrong."
"Ok then you do it! It's not like I do this everyday." Jeremy started to type again but stopped when he kept catching Eyrie shaking her head. "Ok I'm done. Seriously. You do it. I can't take it anymore. I have to apologize to the chairman anyway."
Eyrie immediately took off her arm sling and started typing. Jeremy bowed to Tamaki's father.
"I would like to apologize about our methods but we were told that we were not allowed to enter the lighting booth."
The chairman and Mister Ootori looked at him in confusion but before they could ask him what he meant the lights on stage started turning on and off.
"Got it. Do you want the rest of the lights as well?" Eyrie asked without looking away from the computer.
"Please." Jeremy said. The door to the balcony swung opened to reveal one of the tech guys.
"Mister Chairman! We have no control of the lights or speakers! Someone completely hijacked the system. We can't get it back at all. Someone was able to take over the system and shut us out at the same time."
Everyone turned to look at Eyrie. She gave them a one shouldered shrug. "You have really bad security Mister Suoh."
"It's...fine. Just enjoy the show." The chairman told the man.
"That reminds me. I'm on drums today. You got the DJ stuff right Ire?" Jeremy started to ease his way out the door. Eyrie's arm sling caught him in the head.
"No. Get back here. Did you plan it like this?" Jeremy slowly turned to her with a devilish smile.
"Absolutely. What was it you said when you asked me to lead to hosts to the waterfall? Oh yes. 'I'll owe you one.' I think that was it." Eyrie's expression softened to a smirk and she brought a knuckle to her lips. "It really is your own fault for getting caught. You always taught me to pay attention to detail."
He swept out of the room with a smile. Eyrie turned to Miss Lark. "What song are they doing first? And I do apologize Chairman. This must be very offensive to you."
"Not...not at all. So all those people are the ones you went to school with before this?"
"Yes." Eyrie turned back to the board of nobs.
"I have a feeling you'll like this particular performance Ire." Eyrie turned to Miss Lark with a raised brow. "After all...it's all of your blueprints that were used to do it."
"Then this will be interesting." Eyrie whispered as she dimmed the lights. "All of my blueprints involve a mixture of electronic sound and instrumental. I wonder how long they had to practice to get it right."
She brought a pair of headphones over her ears and stuck her right fist into the air. An arm shot out from between the curtains. Someone was holding up their fist. She messed with a few knobs and the curtains started parting. Suddenly the a large note came through the speakers and Eyrie's fingers started dancing over the knobs and laptop, the lights pulsating with the music. They could see musicians playing on the stage as dancers started twirling between the pillars, girls in bright white sun dresses that had jewels on it that made it look like they left a trail of glitter behind them and guys in black T-shirts, pants and Mascarade masks. They twirled, never crossing each others paths, moving fluidly. A spotlight centered toward the back of the room and Clarice was standing, the microphone in her hand evidence that the singing they were hearing was hers.
Leave the past behind
Just walk away
When it's over, and the heart breaks
And the cracks begin to show
She was in a white sundress that was puffed out with petticoats and the top was made to look like a corset. She was suspended but by what they couldn't tell. She started walking as if on air and singing, her hair billowing behind her, her makeup dramatic and sparkly. As the beat dropped then picked up again dramatically the dancers on the floor met and waltzed with each other for the duration of the chorus. As the beat intensified at the climax of the song a man in black lowered from the ceiling and drew her sharply to him. His mask was more dramatic than that of the men on the ground. They began to dance intricately in the air above the audience. There were oohs and ahhs as he dipped and spun her. Suddenly the female dancers were dancing on the top back of the seats, restricting their movements as the girls leaped like ballerinas to the other side of the auditorium. The boys stayed on the ground and caught the leaping girls, holding them high. The song, Cracks by Flux Pavilion, faded out and Clarice and the man were lowered to the stage. The audience got up and clapped wildly. All the dancers rushed onto the stage and bowed, the boys throwing their masks into the crowd. The female students of Ouran scrambled to get them.
Eyrie hadn't noticed earlier that most of the lower audience was students from the various schools that were participating.
"And how they do making your blueprints reality?" Miss Lark asked with a smile. Tamaki, the twins, and Hunny were suddenly in her face.
"They were flying!...They-what...?" Eyrie smirked as the tripped over their words.
"Have you ever actually looked at the ceiling of your auditorium? Because if you had you would have noticed that it is made up of rafters. They were attached to those. Someone was up there moving whatever was holding them up around so that their wires wouldn't tangle."
"So you approved?" They turned to see Grey and Jeremy grinning at her. Grey had his mask hanging from his fingers. The hosts stared at him with wide eyes.
"That...that was you Grey? Dancing like that?" Haruhi asked as the hosts sweat dropped.
"Yea." He blushed and turned his attention to the adults in the room. "On behalf of my entire class I would like to thank you for giving us this chance it is an honor...Mister Chairman."
Grey held out a hand to him. They shook firmly.
"If you have any questions about the performance please do not hesitate to ask. On that subject, how did you like it? I realize that the music might not have been much to your tastes."
"Not at all! It was magnificent! Superb!" Tamaki's father fawned.
"I must admit that the choreography as well as the illusions were rather impressive. Did Miss Omorfie participate in this sort of thing when she was part of it?" Kyoya's father asked.
"Yes sir. In fact everything you saw was thought of by Ire. Down to the last detail. Though normally she would have participated." Grey glared at Eyrie who ignored him. "Which reminds me. You are obviously the father of Kyoya. I am Ire's cousin on her mother's side. It is important for me to know what kind of person might be marrying into the family so I would like to make something clear to you. None of them have my approval."
Suddenly Eyrie snatched his ear and dragged his face down to hers. "That is quite enough I think. Apologize for being rude. It isn't your place to give approval or not so don't say such things."
"It absolutely is my place. Mama isn't here to say it so I'm saying it for her. And don't even try to tell me she wouldn't be saying that exact same thing to him." Grey and Eyrie glared at each other but turned to Miss Lark when they heard her start speaking.
"Marrying...who's marrying? What?" She gave a shaky laugh and started swaying. "Who?"
"Eyrie and...well, pick one." Jeremy splayed three fingers to indicate Mori, Kyoya, and Hunny.
"Really? We're doing this now? When we have an enormous audience?" Eyrie asked in a dry voice.
"Father what do they mean Eyrie might marry Kyoya?" Akito and his older brother turned to their father. Eyrie glanced at them and raised a brow at Kyoya. He shrugged.
"I didn't get around to it." he said simply.
"I am sorry that everyone is finding out this way but I don't think this is the time." Eyrie let go of Grey's ear and addressed the three indignant parties. They turned to her, Miss Lark with anger in her eyes and suspicion in the brothers. Eyrie lowered her eyes and brought a knuckle to her lip, looking dejected. "Besides I was so enjoying watching the performances with everyone, it would be a shame to let something like this ruin it."
"Oh I'm sorry Miss Omorfie!" Akito said and went up to her. "We won't let it spoil the performances; we'll stop talking about it!"
Miss Lark and Yuichi nodded and took their seats as is trying to prove their point. Mister Ootori watched with a calculating gaze as the Americans left and not a word about the possible engagement was brought up again. About partway through Satoshi and Yasuchika came and watched with them, saying that they had previously been watching from below but then learned where Eyrie was sitting. It was the last performance when Clarice and Beth came up.
"Excuse us. May we borrow Ire? She made a promise and we intend to made her keep it." Everyone turned to Eyrie who started following them.
"I apologize. I will see you after the very last performance."
The three girls disappeared and Miss Lark and Kyoya's brothers all started glaring at the other adults in the room.
"Father. Is it true that Eyrie will marry one of the boys?"
"Yes. Which one is not yet determined. I am sorry you found out so suddenly. I was under the impression Kyoya would be telling you."
They all turned to Kyoya who apologized and continued to act as if nothing was happening. The lights started dimming and they leaned forward in their seats. Their eyes nearly popped out of their heads when they saw Eyrie standing with an acoustic guitar strapped to her chest. Jeremy was at the mic, Grey sat behind a drum set, and Blake sat with an electric guitar. Clarice and Beth were standing off to the side, Beth with a tambourine, both in front of a mic.
Hey there Delilah, what's it like in New York City
I'm a thousand miles away but girl, tonight you look so pretty
Yes you do
Times Square can't shine as bright as you
I swear it's true
Jeremy's voice was soft and soothing causing the girls in the front row to swoon as he placed a hand over his heart and winked. Eyrie smirked at their reaction and continued playing. Blake's voice took over after a few verses.
Hey the Delilah, I know that times are getting hard
But just believe me girl, someday I'll pay the bills with this guitar
We'll have it good
We'll have the life we knew we would
My word is good
Grey started singing next, not moving from his spot behind the drum set.
Hey there Delilah I've got so much left to say
If every simple song I wrote to you
Would take your breath away, I'd write it all
Even more in love in love with me you'd fall, we'd have it all
The boys sang the repetitive verse together, their voices blending well. Jeremy sang the rest of the song, making girls swoon and blush as he acted like he was singing to them. All of the boys would chime in for the repetitive parts and they vocalized together to end the song. The girls in the crowds stood and applauded, the boys reluctantly clapping as they stayed seated.
After their performance the hosts only saw the Americans long enough to say goodbye. Eyrie drove with them to the airport and as she watched their plane take off she felt loneliness start to suffocate her heart. Her phone rang as she got into her car. It was a blocked number.
"Hello?"
"Miss Omorfie? It is Mister Ootori."
"Mister Ootori. I'm sorry about the small scene my friends caused today. I hope it didn't cause you any trouble."
"Not at all. I have something to discuss with you and I wondered if I might drop by your home tomorrow afternoon?"
"Of course sir. I'll look forward to it."
They quickly hung up after setting up a specific time.
I wonder if Kyoya will be with him...
"Sir. Please come in. May I take your jacket?"
Kyoya's father handed Marie his overcoat as he took in the foyer.
"Ah Mister Ootori. I trust you found your way easily?" Eyrie strode in from one of the halls to greet him. She was dress a bit more formally than her usual weekend wear. Her hair was in its usual ponytail and she was wearing a fitted, long-sleeved shirt. "If you'll follow me. I thought that we might talk in my study."
They exchanged pleasantries as she led him to their destination. Once inside he saw an orderly desk, bookshelves built into the walls, and two large seats placed in front of a fire place. Once they were comfortable Eyrie poured tea that had been placed on a small coffee table.
"May I be frank Miss Omorfie?" Mister Ootori asked, setting his cup down.
"Of course."
"It is my belief that the binding of our two families would be more beneficial than any other. That aside, I also believe that your wit and ability to deal with unforeseen circumstances would have a good impact on my Kyoya. I realize that you have not had much time to choose yet and that I am pressuring you right now. Please understand that I tink it is for the good of my family. That being said I would like to invite you to ball."
Eyrie raised an eyebrow. "Sir, forgive me, but I do believe I might have whiplash from the sudden change in topic. What does my possible engagement have to do with this ball?"
"You are still new to this area. You do not know any other business families, outside of the host club. This ball is usually used by adults to break in their charges to the business world though many simply go to have a good time. I would like to see how you deal with that sort of setting and I would also like you to see your choices in that setting. It is essential to study all aspects of an equation, no?" Mister Ootori picked up his tea and tried to hide a self-satisfied smirk when he saw her nodding thoughtfully.
"Yes I do suppose you're right. And it is an opportunity to make more acquaintances in the business world. Alright I will go; but I will not choose an escort. I do not want to show favoritism."
"That is good because I don't want the boys to know you will be there." Eyrie gave him an amused look.
"Really? Sir my interest has peaked."
"It is a Masquerade Ball. I'm sure it will become obvious to them eventually but for a while stay away from them and let them figure it out on their own. I want them to observe you as much as you observe them." Mister Ootori sat back and tried to read Eyrie's nothing expression.
"Alright. They will not know. Though I must warn you; I'm terrible at playing games."
Kyoya's father smirked at her. "I highly doubt that Miss Omorfie."
Eyrie cuddled down into her covers and got comfortable. Mister Ootori hadn't stayed long but his request made her wonder.
It could be that this is simply about winning. He strikes me as rather competitive. I know his motive but why does it seem like he wants me to get to know Kyoya?
Eyrie slowly drifted off, the excitement of the past few days getting the best of her before she could think through the situation.
What did you guys think of the chapter? Her friends are gone! Waahh! So please review! Also, I got a couple new reviewers in my last chapter! Thank you so much guys! Anyways, Thank you for reading!