(no subject)
Total crack.
...well, not really.
EVERYONE+Mori. Just 'cause I can.
PG.
There's Something About Mori...
[ Haruhi ]
Haruhi can't imagine Mori in love.
Well... yes, maybe she can. It wouldn't be a whirlwind romance, nothing like out of any romance novel anywhere, no tender secret feelings or drama or heaving bosoms or running deep emotion anywhere in sight. Mori would just simply be there, something like with Honey but not, no outward passion given and none required in return. No words necessary; they'd both just know.
Haruhi thinks it's sweet. After watching so many girls in the host club want and expect everything Mori won't give them, she's starting to appreciate the fact that her own sensibilities don't run the same way. She can imagine spending her days with him and it doesn't make her twitch like it does when she thinks about all the drama the others would cause: there's enough drama in her life without it leaking into an actual relationship.
And, she thinks, Mori-senpai, as much as he doesn't seem it, needs taking care of. Not in the physical sense, but once he was attached, he'd be attached, willing to give everything and all in his power to protect the one he loves. There are just so many ways that his loyalty could be abused; Mori needs someone who knows that and wouldn't pointlessly get herself in trouble, especially not for attention... someone practical, secure, not expecting or needing miracles or even any obvious signs of affection.
Mori-senpai, Haruhi thinks suddenly, would probably be happy with someone like me. And then she blinks, stopping in her walk down the hallway and stumbling forward as the people behind her keep rushing forward. Is she really thinking about Mori-senpai that way? She can't be, can she?
But she can't even imagine Mori-senpai in love!
Well... yes, maybe she can...
[ Tamaki ]
It's hard, being a knight in shining armor.
All the time.
Running out to people's rescue, defending the honor of all his friends, caring about everyone way too much and agonizing over his own mistakes, real or seemingly real: that's Tamaki, loud, dramatic--flailing around, even--but warm. He tries, and tries really really hard, to be a good leader for the host club. He tries, and tries really really even harder, to be a good role model for everyone else.
But the thing is, behind all his natural charisma and his genius people-reading skills, deep down, Tamaki knows that he's not actually a leader. He cares too much about other people for that--cares too much in the wrong ways--and although he gets what he wants through his constant dramatics and pretends not to notice for everyone's sake, he knows his friends are what make him, and not the other way around. Leave him alone somewhere, and say what he wants, cry what he wants, flail what he wants, there would go all his "leadership."
And it's hard, being the knight in shining armor that everyone's come to expect, because leaders and pioneers are what knights in shining armor are supposed to be. He's just the loud mouthpiece that goes with the flow, Tamaki often tries not to think, not one that deviates and sets an example that others want to follow. He can slay dragons with the best of them, but if the dragon destroys the road, he's lost.
Lost.
The girl on his arm is nervous and worried and Tamaki's halfway to panic as well, both lost in the garden again as always, when Mori finds them. Tamaki immediately straightens, putting on a smile and trying desperately to keep his cool, swearing to himself that he won't flail around if Mori laughs. But Mori doesn't, of course, only throwing them a passing glance, and heading down one of the winding paths in the garden, calm and collected and expressionless as usual.
Follow me, his slight nod at Tamaki seems to say, or don't. It your choice. Doesn't matter to me. I'm going this way either way. Come along if you want.
Tamaki goes without hesitation.
It's kind of nice, playing princess for a change.
[ Kyouya ]
The Shadow King isn't supposed to worry.
No. He sits there, calculates, schemes, plans, gets things to work, quietly fixes problems, fires if necessary, all for his own or his group's own gain without making any waves. That's just what he does. What Kyouya does.
"Worry" doesn't fit anywhere on that list.
Maybe, he thinks, his watch is wrong. That must be it. It's 4 minutes past the hour and there's no sign of Mori, even though Honey's here. Dammit, Kyouya thinks, couldn't it have been any of the others? Tamaki, the twins, Haruhi, Honey: people he knows he can't rely on, so that he doesn't have to be reminded that on some people, he unconsciously, unwillingly does?
But it's hard not to count on Mori: he invites it, just by the way he acts. With a hundred Moris, Kyouya would probably have the perfect business. A robot, expressionless, emotionless, quietly and calmly doing everything he's told: a perfect employee, no problems, no complaints. Something that grows on people, something that grows expectations on people... that no one sees until it's gone and something less efficient takes its place.
You're late, Kyouya says blandly when Mori enters, looking up from fixing his watch. Mori shoots him a somewhat surprised glance, and that makes Kyouya blink too, glancing over at the others. He doesn't like what he sees.
No one else even noticed.
[ Twins ]
He-ey, Hikaru.
Nn?
Why d'you like Haruhi so much?
Wha--? Hey, I dunno. Don't ask me stuff like that!
Why not? C'mon~ Hi-ka-ru.
Just... because! I don't know.
Oh, c'mon, you can't even tell your own brother~?
Hikaru can't resist that face.
I--it's--she's... different. You know... real, na? Not like everybody else...
And then he's telling Kaoru about how he feels like Haruhi is the rock amid the host club's storm, maybe not the eye of it but always there if something goes wrong; Haruhi's the normal one, someone who doesn't think like them, so different that he can't tell what she's thinking at all, sometimes. How Haruhi isn't like any of them, not pretending a thing or lying about how she feels even when they want her to, with nothing to differentiate her public-relations face from her own.
And it's just that, you know? That she doesn't buy it, not like all the other girls who like the club. It's nice to believe in illusions and all, but she's strong enough not to have to, to not even want to have to--or want anyone else to believe in any illusions about her. But she's still caring, na, Kaoru? And that's what makes him want to win her over, to get past that everyday friendly caring into something special that no one else has.
Hikaru's surprised when Kaoru goes all silent and thoughtful.
Hey, Hikaru.
Nn?
You know.
What?
I know someone else like that...
...who?
[ Honey ]
Honey usually thinks Mori is funny. Not ha-ha funny like his favorite cartoons, but funny like trampolines, where he has to have fun by himself bouncing around. But he's good at having fun by himself, so it's okay. And sometimes Mori gets fussy, and Honey doesn't think that Mori is funny then, but he knows it's for his own good, kind of like having an older brother.
And Honey thinks they fit, kind of like how jigsaw puzzles work. Honey's been treated like a child all his life because of his looks, and so he acts like one--and besides, it's fun! Mori's been treated the opposite way, so he's all serious and mature--not so fun, but then, Honey doesn't have to do it, so he's not complaining. They're opposites! Like Kyouya and Tamaki. It's fun to think about.
But what confuses Honey is when people say that without him, Mori would be nothing. That's not true! They're obviously two different people: being one person wouldn't be fun, and besides, then they couldn't talk to each other! Honey is Honey and Mori is Mori and sometimes Honey thinks that he'd like to grow up and be like Mori someday, except they're the same age.
Honey's got time, though! He can watch and learn any time he wants, because he knows Mori's going to be around as long as he is. Maybe not with him all the time like he is in high school, but there, somewhere out there, and he's always going to be willing to sit there and listen to Honey talk about whatever he wants, because he's Mori, and he listens to everyone and takes them seriously if they want him to, except people don't seem to realize that.
But that's okay, because Honey does! And he's glad. He likes Mori.
Especially when he's holding cake.
[ Mori ]
...Nn?
Why was everybody looking at him?
Maybe his hair looked different today.
Oh well. It looked fine to him.
...well, not really.
EVERYONE+Mori. Just 'cause I can.
PG.
There's Something About Mori...
[ Haruhi ]
Haruhi can't imagine Mori in love.
Well... yes, maybe she can. It wouldn't be a whirlwind romance, nothing like out of any romance novel anywhere, no tender secret feelings or drama or heaving bosoms or running deep emotion anywhere in sight. Mori would just simply be there, something like with Honey but not, no outward passion given and none required in return. No words necessary; they'd both just know.
Haruhi thinks it's sweet. After watching so many girls in the host club want and expect everything Mori won't give them, she's starting to appreciate the fact that her own sensibilities don't run the same way. She can imagine spending her days with him and it doesn't make her twitch like it does when she thinks about all the drama the others would cause: there's enough drama in her life without it leaking into an actual relationship.
And, she thinks, Mori-senpai, as much as he doesn't seem it, needs taking care of. Not in the physical sense, but once he was attached, he'd be attached, willing to give everything and all in his power to protect the one he loves. There are just so many ways that his loyalty could be abused; Mori needs someone who knows that and wouldn't pointlessly get herself in trouble, especially not for attention... someone practical, secure, not expecting or needing miracles or even any obvious signs of affection.
Mori-senpai, Haruhi thinks suddenly, would probably be happy with someone like me. And then she blinks, stopping in her walk down the hallway and stumbling forward as the people behind her keep rushing forward. Is she really thinking about Mori-senpai that way? She can't be, can she?
But she can't even imagine Mori-senpai in love!
Well... yes, maybe she can...
[ Tamaki ]
It's hard, being a knight in shining armor.
All the time.
Running out to people's rescue, defending the honor of all his friends, caring about everyone way too much and agonizing over his own mistakes, real or seemingly real: that's Tamaki, loud, dramatic--flailing around, even--but warm. He tries, and tries really really hard, to be a good leader for the host club. He tries, and tries really really even harder, to be a good role model for everyone else.
But the thing is, behind all his natural charisma and his genius people-reading skills, deep down, Tamaki knows that he's not actually a leader. He cares too much about other people for that--cares too much in the wrong ways--and although he gets what he wants through his constant dramatics and pretends not to notice for everyone's sake, he knows his friends are what make him, and not the other way around. Leave him alone somewhere, and say what he wants, cry what he wants, flail what he wants, there would go all his "leadership."
And it's hard, being the knight in shining armor that everyone's come to expect, because leaders and pioneers are what knights in shining armor are supposed to be. He's just the loud mouthpiece that goes with the flow, Tamaki often tries not to think, not one that deviates and sets an example that others want to follow. He can slay dragons with the best of them, but if the dragon destroys the road, he's lost.
Lost.
The girl on his arm is nervous and worried and Tamaki's halfway to panic as well, both lost in the garden again as always, when Mori finds them. Tamaki immediately straightens, putting on a smile and trying desperately to keep his cool, swearing to himself that he won't flail around if Mori laughs. But Mori doesn't, of course, only throwing them a passing glance, and heading down one of the winding paths in the garden, calm and collected and expressionless as usual.
Follow me, his slight nod at Tamaki seems to say, or don't. It your choice. Doesn't matter to me. I'm going this way either way. Come along if you want.
Tamaki goes without hesitation.
It's kind of nice, playing princess for a change.
[ Kyouya ]
The Shadow King isn't supposed to worry.
No. He sits there, calculates, schemes, plans, gets things to work, quietly fixes problems, fires if necessary, all for his own or his group's own gain without making any waves. That's just what he does. What Kyouya does.
"Worry" doesn't fit anywhere on that list.
Maybe, he thinks, his watch is wrong. That must be it. It's 4 minutes past the hour and there's no sign of Mori, even though Honey's here. Dammit, Kyouya thinks, couldn't it have been any of the others? Tamaki, the twins, Haruhi, Honey: people he knows he can't rely on, so that he doesn't have to be reminded that on some people, he unconsciously, unwillingly does?
But it's hard not to count on Mori: he invites it, just by the way he acts. With a hundred Moris, Kyouya would probably have the perfect business. A robot, expressionless, emotionless, quietly and calmly doing everything he's told: a perfect employee, no problems, no complaints. Something that grows on people, something that grows expectations on people... that no one sees until it's gone and something less efficient takes its place.
You're late, Kyouya says blandly when Mori enters, looking up from fixing his watch. Mori shoots him a somewhat surprised glance, and that makes Kyouya blink too, glancing over at the others. He doesn't like what he sees.
No one else even noticed.
[ Twins ]
He-ey, Hikaru.
Nn?
Why d'you like Haruhi so much?
Wha--? Hey, I dunno. Don't ask me stuff like that!
Why not? C'mon~ Hi-ka-ru.
Just... because! I don't know.
Oh, c'mon, you can't even tell your own brother~?
Hikaru can't resist that face.
I--it's--she's... different. You know... real, na? Not like everybody else...
And then he's telling Kaoru about how he feels like Haruhi is the rock amid the host club's storm, maybe not the eye of it but always there if something goes wrong; Haruhi's the normal one, someone who doesn't think like them, so different that he can't tell what she's thinking at all, sometimes. How Haruhi isn't like any of them, not pretending a thing or lying about how she feels even when they want her to, with nothing to differentiate her public-relations face from her own.
And it's just that, you know? That she doesn't buy it, not like all the other girls who like the club. It's nice to believe in illusions and all, but she's strong enough not to have to, to not even want to have to--or want anyone else to believe in any illusions about her. But she's still caring, na, Kaoru? And that's what makes him want to win her over, to get past that everyday friendly caring into something special that no one else has.
Hikaru's surprised when Kaoru goes all silent and thoughtful.
Hey, Hikaru.
Nn?
You know.
What?
I know someone else like that...
...who?
[ Honey ]
Honey usually thinks Mori is funny. Not ha-ha funny like his favorite cartoons, but funny like trampolines, where he has to have fun by himself bouncing around. But he's good at having fun by himself, so it's okay. And sometimes Mori gets fussy, and Honey doesn't think that Mori is funny then, but he knows it's for his own good, kind of like having an older brother.
And Honey thinks they fit, kind of like how jigsaw puzzles work. Honey's been treated like a child all his life because of his looks, and so he acts like one--and besides, it's fun! Mori's been treated the opposite way, so he's all serious and mature--not so fun, but then, Honey doesn't have to do it, so he's not complaining. They're opposites! Like Kyouya and Tamaki. It's fun to think about.
But what confuses Honey is when people say that without him, Mori would be nothing. That's not true! They're obviously two different people: being one person wouldn't be fun, and besides, then they couldn't talk to each other! Honey is Honey and Mori is Mori and sometimes Honey thinks that he'd like to grow up and be like Mori someday, except they're the same age.
Honey's got time, though! He can watch and learn any time he wants, because he knows Mori's going to be around as long as he is. Maybe not with him all the time like he is in high school, but there, somewhere out there, and he's always going to be willing to sit there and listen to Honey talk about whatever he wants, because he's Mori, and he listens to everyone and takes them seriously if they want him to, except people don't seem to realize that.
But that's okay, because Honey does! And he's glad. He likes Mori.
Especially when he's holding cake.
[ Mori ]
...Nn?
Why was everybody looking at him?
Maybe his hair looked different today.
Oh well. It looked fine to him.