Disclaimer: I do NOT own Skip Beat! Some characters are originals though...
This is my first time posting so reviews would be useful, to see if I should carry it on or not... Oh and the poem 'Salome' is by Carol-Ann Duffy, so I don't own that either... Learnt it in English last year and I just thought it would be a wicked poem to base a screen-play on :)
Kyouko, no matter how annoyed she was, could always make Tsuruga Ren's heart skip a beat or two, not that he would ever admit to it.
Ren looked up at the teenage girl in shock as she miraculously transformed into yet another person, this time a beautiful grand budding woman that would need a truck to knock her pride down. As always he was speechless watching her walk calmly, yet reassured across the floor in a knee-length, skin-tight opulent purple dress, her night-black hair shimmering as it swung loosely just above her shoulder-blades, which graced her back wonderfully. She wasn't an angel though, not there for decoration, there was undeniable steel in her eyes, which would cause any man trying to make her into a decoration on their arm shrink back immediately, not to mention fall to their knees begging for forgiveness, there was a power about Kyouko that no one could or would deny.
And Ren loved it.
Ren was one of the many lucky guys to see Kyouko's newest character. It would be Ren's second time working with the budding actress and he was looking forward to it and nervous respectively, though he was unsure about her character. The fact that she was playing a woman that lacked innocence to the point that it was the complete opposite of Kyouko and a woman that had respect and emotions for no one except for herself deeply frustrated him, that was not his Kyouko, it was a monster that looked slightly like her and spoke with the same voice as her, that's all. Ren also disliked the way other men where staring at Kyouko, she's a high school student for God's sake!
It didn't help that he knew he was also staring at her in the same lusting way, or that maybe he was even worse being her senpai and in love with her since… well he didn't even know when seems as he was so clueless about things to do with love. Standing in the corner of the room Ren was the picture of displeasure, well to his manager Yashiro's eyes anyway; to the rest of the room he looked completely emotionless and professional. Yashiro knew exactly why Ren was so displeased, not that he would dare even mention it to him, Ren would be acting opposite Kyouko as her love interest, the man to finally break down her protective barriers, it was the first time that Kyouko and Ren had acted together like this and it made Ren feel insecure, especially with Kyouko's appearance now. Yashiro also knew that Ren felt that this story was too close to home, Kyouko had also closed off her heart to love, romantic love anyway, and wouldn't let anyone break down her carefully formed wall. Though Yashiro was beginning to think that Ren might have already broken it down and that both Ren and Kyouko were just too stupid to realize it yet. Ren wished with all his might that he could break down Kyouko's wall in her heart and this plot was just too tempting for him. Accidents could happen.
Typically Kyouko was oblivious to the effect she was having on Ren's, and every other man in the room's for that matter, heart-strings and carried on sashaying around the room getting used to the very thin and high heels and her character. She knew that this woman was grand, wealthy, strong and fierce and she didn't know if she was up to the job at all, especially when she was going to be acting along-side Tsuruga Ren, her senpai, she didn't want to disappoint him or worse shame him by her awful acting by slipping out of character. She wouldn't let that happen, she would be in control of everything, her feelings, and her acting and, hopefully if everything went right, the whole set. She also knew that she detested this character, she was a shameless, sadistic bitch that would need a wooden stake through her none-existent heart to kill her, but Kyouko also understood the deeper, sadder reasons behind this woman's façade of hatred and strength. She knew the underlying vulnerability of her heart, the deepness at which her emotions had been buried and what effort would be needed to dig them up again.
Kyouko set her face into a determined mask and remembered the information of Sumire Seiichi, the character she was meant to be playing, she was a rather young lady of wealth, her parents having been killed when she was at the age of twelve, an age in which she could still remember the fullness of her life before their death and the emptiness afterwards, they had died together in a plane crash along with 150 other people, and she had inherited the whole of their fortune. For years men had chased after Sumire, hounds begging for her vast fortune, some in their thirties aiming for a girl who had been, at that time anyway, an innocent and naïve twelve year old.
That had changed pretty soon though, Sumire soon realized their dirty tricks and played them ahead of them, luring them into their own traps and then dropping them as soon as they had got their hopes up, her purity and naivety had long disappeared and it was replaced with a hardened attitude that wouldn't be knocked down, coupled with the elegance and charm of a rich young lady that knew exactly what the game she was playing meant. Though Sumire looked about nineteen or twenty in attitude, she was in fact only seventeen, still a child in many peoples eyes and many of these people had tried to use this to their advantage, claiming that they were her rightful guardian until the day she had turned sixteen, the day that she had claimed her inheritance, snuck out the pompous, money-grabbing house in which she had been staying and had found her own small, but very nice flat. Sumire had been living alone for a year, her attitude now less graceful when she needed or wanted it to be and she was now fighting against a young man who had found her and was chasing after her, she knew little about this young man, who was only a year or two older than her, and so she hated him with a vengeance, determined to make him fall into her traps like the stack of men before him. Kyouko thought of this and remained in her dignified stance but put more focus on Sumire's direct and flirtatious character.
Sumire strolled up to the director and smiled charmingly. "When will we start filming Ondo-san?" she inquired politely with a wheedling tone in her voice, she wanted to be over with this role quickly. She much preferred the characters that didn't flirt ridiculously like Sumire did. Director Ondo looked up shocked from where he was sitting talking to some colleges; he blushed a deep red at Kyouko's appearance, eyes appreciating her stunningly white and beautiful face.
"Uh, well. We'll be starting pretty soon Mogami-san." The director stumbled over the words and continued to stare at Kyouko whilst she smiled at him seductively. "Of, of course starting sooner would be better… I'll call everyone into their positions right now."
"Why, thank you Keichi-san, I can call you that can't I?" Kyouko asked purring slightly, secretly ecstatic that she had a young director and would be able to get out of this role soon, somehow the character of Sumire seemed to make Kyouko feel dirty by just putting on her character for a small while. The director blushed even deeper and mumbled a shy yes, smiling Kyouko sauntered off. One down.
Act 1, Scene 1
A young girl of about 12 is kneeling on the ground with two policemen standing next to her. In front of them lie two blue body-bags, open at the front to reveal the face. The girl is crying heavily with the two policemen looking awkward and solemn. A maid is standing at the open door of the morgue looking helplessly at the girl.
Sumire: NO! They can't be! Otoo-san, okaa-san! Answer me! Please, please…
The girl breaks down in tears and sobs over the bodies. The policeman on her right gently picks her up, prizing her away from her dead parents.
Policeman 1: We need to leave them now. Are they really you're parents.
The policeman's face is grim as he cradles the small girl in his arms, her sobbing accentuates and he nods the affirmative to his college who covers up the bodies again.
The maid claims the child off the policeman and they leave the room solemnly.
Act 1, Scene 2
A teenager wakes up suddenly, tears pouring down her face and she sobs openly into her pillow. She notices the bare arm next to her smiles wickedly; she tugs the sheets up against her bare chest and grins down at the naked man next to her.
Sumire: Hmmm, time to turf out the blighter. Reminds me of that poem… 'Salome'
She pauses for thought and then reaches for a book on the side-table next to her and reads the poem out loud.
"I'd done it before
(And doubtless I'll do it again,
Sooner or later)
Woke up with a head on the pillow beside me-whose?-
What did matter?
Sumire scoffed at this line and carried on reading
Good-looking, of course, dark hair, rather matted;
The reddish beard several shades lighter;
With very deep lines around the eyes,
From pain, I'd guess, maybe laughter;
And a beautiful crimson mouth that obviously knew
How to flatter…
Which I kissed…
Colder than pewter.
Strange. What was his name? Peter?
Simon? Andrew? John? I knew I'd feel better
For tea, dry toast, no butter,
So rang for the maid.
Grinning widely Sumire rang for her maid whilst looking at her victim carefully and scratching her head absent-mindedly.
And, indeed, her innocent clatter
Of cups and plates,
Her clearing of clutter,
Her regional patter,
Were just what needed-
Hungover and wrecked as I was from a night on the batter.
Never again!
Sumire laughed at this also, a devilish grin spread across her face as the maid stumbled into the room, face bright face with shock and embarrassment at the sight of the clearly naked man lying on the bed next to her mistress.
I needed to clean up my act,
The maid started her tiresome chores the same way as usual but still she managed to make more noise, accidently dropping objects in her hurry to make her absent.
Get fitter,
Cut out the booze and the fags and the sex.
Yes. And as for the latter,
It was time to turn out the blighter,
The beater or bitter,
Who'd come like a lamb to the slaughter
To Salome's bed.
With a simple fluid movement, Sumire kicked her leg out into the small of the man's back, he rolled off the bed and hit the hard-cold granite floor with a large bump and a painful groan. The maid looked around shocked and then seeing something she didn't want to see she looked away hurriedly, her face impersonating a traffic light. Sumire yawned and carried on reading the rest of the poem.
In the mirror, I saw my eyes glitter.
I flung back the sticky red sheets,
And there, like I said- and ain't life a bitch-
Was his head on a platter.
Sumire enjoyed herself pulling back the white sheets and stepping carefully out of the bed, standing next to the man who was now forcing himself to sit up. She reached across and grabbed a robe off the maid who, having noticed her mistress getting up, had gone to receive it from the door for her.
Well? Did you have fun?
Sumire asked the man sitting on her cold floor, her smile sultry but steel in her eyes.
Tamaki: Of course, my lady.
A proud look spreads across his face.
Sumire: I am glad. But I am not your Lady. Now get out you fat lump. I have no need for useless men like you, Ta-ma-ki.
Sumire's voice echoes teasing. Sumire pushes Tamaki out the door with his clothes. Tamaki falls to the floor again, mouth hanging open and his face red.
"And, CUT! Well done, good work Kyouko-san and Akira-kun." The director's face was a wide grin as Kyouko and Akira stepped off the set and the actress playing the maid followed, watching Kyouko with awe. Ren stood in the background watching Kyouko also, she had quickly dropped the character of Sumire and was now looking down at her clothes, or lack of as she was only wearing a robe, with a red and flustered face she couldn't believe that she had been naked on screen only moments ago, or that she had felt so calm and composed about it. Ren had noted that several of the younger male crew-members were having nose-bleeds and trying, badly, to hide them. Ren stalked up to Kyouko and put his arm across her shoulders, steering her towards the costume rooms.
"We need to get you into some clothes. Right Mogami-san?" Ren asked without leaving anytime for an answer he pushed Kyouko into the changing room. It was needed to calm down the crew-members… and him.