Well, this won't actually be my first fanfiction. I had anther one up, but I deleted it when I realized that I wasn't going to continue with it. This fic my be AU or it might not be. If it's AU, I don't see how I can make Naru jealous. If It's not, I'm not sure I could get Naru in it at all. So, we'll see, but I can tell you one thing. Paranormal activity is going to be as little as possible, either way.
And for the record, I have most of the movie of Moulin Rouge memorized because I have watched it repeatedly until the dialogue was burned mercilessly into my brain. Enjoy
The regular Disclaimer applies here.
Italics - Thoughts, emphasis, and script lines.
Moulin Rouge
Arm's out. Stride and leap. His hands around her waist. Swinging her back. Twisting her hips. Jutting out her chest. Arms around his neck. Leg on his hip. His hand on your thigh.
Freeze.
Slower.
Hands roaming down her leg. Standing still. Face towards the ceiling. Pivot on her heal. Strut.
Stop.
Speed up again.
Look back over her shoulder. Hand on her hip. Her arm to the side. His hands sliding down her hips. Spin around. Lace her hands with his. Slide down his body. Drag your hands down. Feel almost everything.
Sitting on the floor. Hand's on his thigh. His hand on her head.
"Cut!"
Mai slumped her shoulders and panted. She had been practicing for over two hours. What did this man want from her?
"It's a contemporary dance, people. Make it seductive!" The director shouted. "Yukiko, rotate your hips with everyone else! Timing, please! Keiko, when you stride across the stage, and leap, your arms are supposed to open wider, like you are flying. You, honey, are falling. Soichiro, when you catch her, make it sharp. Don't dip with her weight."
"But she's heavy–ow!"
"Miss Keiko, I will not stand for violence on my stage!"
Keiko crossed her arms and huffed while Soichiro rubbed his head.
"Kenji, when you dip Mai it's not meant to be so fast. Slow it down when she's in the middle then bring her back up to you again. Mai, don't hold your arms out far. It slows the whole dance down."
"Got it. Sorry."
The director sighed.
"You are supposed to be Satine, Mai. So be Satine."
"Sorry Sensei; I'll try harder." Mai said and bowed to him. He stared at her, calculating in his mind, and then he waved her off with his hand.
"Do not worry, Satine. Practice makes perfect. Break time, everyone." he clapped twice and the students scattered mercilessly to get their water bottles. Mai scuttled slowly over to her group of friends and plopped down on the floor, panting.
"Who knew making a play would be so difficult?" She asked. Yukiko nudged her.
"It's not a play, darling–" she joked
"–It's a musical masterpiece!" The others finished. Mai rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. I'm just saying that for a play–"
"Musical Masterpiece."
"Whatever. For a musical masterpiece it's a little bit too... seductive for a high school performance, don't you think?" Mai asked. Her friends chatted amongst themselves. Some of them shrugged.
"Personally, I think that's why we're doing the play. Sensei wants to show that world, or at least, whoever comes to see our show that even though we're in high school, he can still teach us something as mature as this." Keiko. Yukiko agreed with her.
"Yeah. Something like that." she said.
"Ah, whatever. I still don't see why I was chosen as the lead female role. When I asked him, he said it was because Satine was really like 'the girl next door' only a little more sexy." Mai said, rolling over onto her stomach and putting her chin in her hands.
"Well, you are definitely the 'girl next door.' I'll say that." Yukiko said. "But I don't know about sexy."
Mai rolled her eyes.
"What are you talking about? Mai is totally sexy! Hot!" Keiko joked, and winked at her exhausted friend. Mai knew all too well what she was getting at, and turned her head slightly to the side to study her dance partner.
Apparently, he liked Mai a lot, but wasn't particularly fond of dancing. When he heard she had tried out for the show, he did too. Mai got the lead, but Kenji was only a dancer. Who knew he would be good at something he disliked.
"Just because I hate it doesn't mean I suck at it. Dancing just isn't my thing, that's all." he'd said when Mai talked to him the day before.
And actually, Mai didn't even want to go out for the show. The thought never even crossed her mind. Her friends signed her name up without her knowing and then dragged her to the auditorium against her will. When she tried to escape, the Director found her, and instantly concluded that she was the lead female.
Mai didn't even have to try out. When they finally did get around to rehearsals, to her own surprise, Mai found that she was an excellent actress. She could conceal her emotions, and release them without a hitch, and best of all, eye drops weren't needed as she could make herself cry in heartbeat.
She was so good at what she was doing, and she had no idea how.
"Ok everyone, the dancing has from this moment ceased. We are moving on to Act three scene five." the Sensei hollered. Keiko's eyes fell on Mai.
"What?" she asked. Keiko pinched her cheeks.
"What do you mean what? This is your scene! Didn't you red the script? It's with Higuchi-sempai!" she hissed. Mai pulled away from her friend and rubbed her cheek. She changed positions to where she was sitting Indian style.
"So?" Mai said simply. Her friend looked at her in disbelief and then tapped Yukiko on the shoulder.
"She didn't read the script."
"What?"
"What's going on?" Mai inquired. Judging by how alarmed they were, Mai figured that it was a very important scene.
Oh I knew I should've read more...
"I can't believe you didn't read it! This is the scene with Higuchi-sempai! The lead male!" Yukiko hissed.
"Uh...so?"
"What do you mean so!" her friends screeched in unison. Mai flinched. They were acting like it was the end of the world.
"I didn't have time to read the whole thing." she said looking at her hands. "I had to get to work and–"
"This is one of the romance scenes. With kissing! You will be kissing Higuchi-sempai."
"Oh."
Yeah. Oh.
Crap that is.
"Really?"
"Yeah!"
"So, um, do I have to kiss him in this scene?"
"Don't be stupid. Of course you do!"
"Oh." crap.
"Ladies."
All three girls jumped at the sound of their teacher. They looked up and saw that he was looming over them with a smile forced on his lips.
"H-hai?" they asked.
"If you don't mind stopping your little girl-fest, I would like to get on with rehearsals." he said. Mai looked around and saw that everyone had sat down in the seats in the auditorium, or they were off to the sides. Some were practicing their lines while others watched Mai intently.
"Um, um, sorry sensei!" Mai said and stood up. She bowed her apology to him and then went to look for her script. Yukiko and Keiko stood up as well and walked off stage.
When Mai returned, she had her script in hand. She walked to the center of the stage, flipping through the pages.
"Hey Mai."
Mai looked up and saw Higuchi Tetsuya standing in front of her. She blinked. "Hi."
"Ready?" he asked, smiling a million dollar smile. Mai blushed slightly.
"Um, yeah. Pretty much. I just found the page." she smiled back. He nodded.
"Great."
"Are you two ready?" Sensei asked. The two nodded.
"And... go."
Mai turned away from Tetsuya and started walking away slowly. She turned her head and looked back at him, blinking a few times.
"Please, you can't!" Tetsuya read. Mai turned her head away from him, sadly, and slumped her shoulders.
" I... I don't have a choice... It's for the play."
"Please! Satine! Don't go to that man! He can never love you like I do! In fact, I'm sure he doesn't love you!"
"Christian," Mai said, turning her head away from the audience. She brought her hand up to her mouth. "You don't understand. I don't want to, but I will if I have too."
Tetsuya strode over to where she was, placed his hands on her shoulders, and spun her around to face him. Mai had tears in her eyes, as planned.
"You don't have to! Don't do it. We can leave! Run away with me Satine! I will take you to a place where you will have no more problems, or fears! Where no ne can bother us!"
Mai pulled away from him, only to be jerked back to him.
"Please!" he begged.
"Can we? Really? You would take a damned whore like me and run away?" Mai asked. Tetsuya shook his head.
"No. I would take the woman I love with me, Satine, and leave the damned whore behind."
Mai's face was ecstatic. "Christian!"
She placed her hand upon his cheek and started to draw him nearer. Her heart beat was racing, pounding in ger chest. The blood in her veins were so hot, they scalded her. Her breathe quickened slightly. Her mouth parted as he was only a few centimeters away and then
"Cut!"
Mai shot backwards, away from tetsuya, stumbled and fell on her derriere.
"Ow." she said. She had been completely caught off guard. Maybe she was getting a little too into character...
"That was perfect, you two! Absolutely brilliant! Marvelous! You two go together like Hollywood and magic!"
Mai and Tetsuya stared at him. His smile fell.
"Nevermind that. Oh! I am so glad I chose right! You two really are Satine and Christian!" he clapped his hands together and sighed dreamily.
"Well, um, thank you Sensei. But why did you–?" Mai was cut off.
"Stop the kiss? Because it is to be special! If you practice it here, it will seem completely rehearsed on opening night. I want the kisses to be real. I want everyone to feel the passion!"
"Aha...hahahahahaha...ha...haha..." Mai laughed nervously, but it came out sounding crazy.
"And on that note," the Sensei turned around and faced everyone in the audience, "practice is over!"
Mai sighed with relief and exited stage left to go gather her things. She reached her bag and put her things inside f it. When she was sure she had everything, she turned around to go find her friends, but found Higuchi Tetsuya standing in front of her.
"You did good today, Mai." he said, smiling that million dollar smile. Mai blushed and averted her eyes.
"Uh, thanks. So did you."
"So, you asked why we didn't kiss." He said frankly. Mai's blush deepened.
"Uh, yeah. Why?"
"Well, if you want to practice it so bad, we could. Like say, tonight? My parents aren't home and I'll be there all night." He said.
Mai didn't know whether or not to freak out or be flattered. How could he say it with such an innocent smile?
Mai was half tempted to take his offer, just to see what would happen, but decided to decline. She had to get to work. She couldn't be late more than she already was.
Three hours is kind of pushing it.
"Um, that'd be nice Higuchi-sempai–"
"Please, drop the formality. Call me Tetsuya."
"Uh, Tetsuya-sempai, but I'm late for work." by three hours, she might add.
"Oh, well that's ok. I'll ask you again though, and I'll only stop when you say yes." He said, and walked away.
Mai froze.
"I think... I think I just had an out of body experience..." she said. She shook it off soon afterwards, then went to go find her friends.
"Thanks Yuki," Mai said when she entered her friends room. Yuki looked up from her magazine and smiled.
"Any time." She said. Mai returned the smile and then reached for her bag on Yuki's bed. She had arranged it with Yuki to go to her house after every practice so that she could shower before going to work, since Yuki's house was closer. She couldn't very well walk into the Office of SPR sticky and smelly, but seeing as how Naru was going to kill her, she couldn't really see how it mattered much.
After her last rehearsal, she came in late and Naru practically bit off her head about it. He told her not to be late again. So Mai obliged and left rehearsal earlier the next day. She got scolded by the Sensei after that, so Mai had to choose.
They hadn't had any real cases in almost a month. And the cases they did have were always around town so she didn't have to miss school. When she asked naru about utm he confirmed to her that they were having a "Dry Spell". Mai freaked out, actually thinking someone had put a spell on them. As per usual, he called her stupid and made Lin explain it to her.
"I have to go." Mai said, and then she bid her friend goodbye, promising to call later that night.
On her way to the office, Mai notice how much colder the weather had gotten. It was colder than usual, do to her damp hair, but she realized that it was almost halfway through the month of October.
It was going to snow soon.
"I need to get my winter clothes out." Mai said to herself.
Climbing the steps and walking down the hall to the office door, Mai had a feeling of impending doom.
Oh boy, she had no idea.
As soon as she opened the door a cold chill flew at her as Naru said cooly, "Where have you been?"
Mai gulped as she took off her jacket and placed it on the coat hook. "Um, I was at school."
"For three hours?" He inquired skeptically. "Sooner or later your excuses will run out."
"It's not an excuse, it's the truth! I was at school for so long because of...rehearsal..." she said.
Naru's ears twitched at this. It made sense to him now, but still, he was not pleased.
"You are in a play?" He asked. Mai felt half inclined to say Musical Masterpiece, but refrained for fear of dying on the spot from his glare.
"Yes. Moulin Rouge." she said.
"Really? Moulin Rouge? Isn't that a bit mature for high school kids?" Said a different bt familiar voice. Mai's gaze fell on the blonde haired guitar playing monk sitting in the chair. How she failed to miss him, she'll never know.
"Uh, yeah, I thought so too. Sensei wants to prove that he can "teach mere children the finest Musical masterpiece that has ever blessed this country!" He wants to prove that we are capable of more than "Aunt Mame" or "Romeo and Juliet". Some dream he's had for the longest." Mai explained.
"Oh, I see. Are you on staff?" Bou-san asked. Mai shook her head and made her way deeper into the office. She sat down on the couch next to the chair he was in.
"So, did anything happen while I wasn't here?" Mai asked, changing the subject. Both men in the room noticed how she changed the subject so subtly.
"You would know had you been here." Naru instantly said. His back was turned so Mai stuck her tongue out at him, which earned a chuckle from the monk.
"Hmph. Well, obviously something happened if Bou-san is here." She said.
"Well, yeah actually. Something did happen. There was a small haunting at a nearby convenience store, but I took care of it pretty swiftly." Takigawa bragged. Mai giggled.
"I see. Nothing that would have missed me, I'm sure." she said.
"So, you're in the play?" Takigawa said, changing the subject back to it's original content. Mai mentally cursed the blonde man for being so deft.
"Uh...yeah. I'm in the play." She said.
"Really? Do you have a big part? Or are you one of many underling characters?"
"Um, my part is quite big actually... does anyone want tea?" Mai asked. Takigawa pointed to the cup in his hand. Mai mentally kicked herself.
Crap... how did I miss that?
"Oh, then, uh, nevermind. Any filing that needs to be done?" Mai asked Naru, who was still in the room flipping through yellow file folders. Mai was sure he would've gone back to his office.
"No. It's all taken care of. Takigawa is a good organizer, I have just recently discovered." He said. Mai blinked and looked at Takigawa.
"How long have you been here?" she asked.
"Since three." he said simply.
"Oh."
"So it's almost like you didn't have to come in." he smiled broadly.
"Do not take that to heart, Mai. Punctuality is a virtue."
"Say's the robot. I'm sorry Naru. I had to stay for rehearsals." as soon as the words left her mouth, she instantly regretted them.
"Well, since you seem so keen on talking about it, what part do you have? Are you the doctor? The neighbor?" Takigawa inquired. Mai cursed herself. No escape now...
"Um, no. I'm Satine." she said.
Silence. If a pin dropped on the other side of town, Mai was sure she would have heard it.
"Satine?"
"The lead female role, yes." Mai said.
"So you are a hooker?"
"A modern-age courtesan. And no, I am not. I'm playing a part."
"Of a hooker."
"Courtesan."
"Same thing. I can't believe you are playing a high-priced whore! What made you try out for that role?" Takigawa wasn't sure if he should be proud, or outraged. Mai was the star role in a high school production, but she was playing a hooker. Mixed feelings suck.
"Um, actually, my friends signed my name up, and they dragged me to try outs. I tried to leave but was caught by the director who decided I was the Satine right then and there. I didn't have t try out."
"I would like to have a word with this director guy." the Monk said. The battle was over and outrage overpowered being proud. "You cannot play this part."
"But I'm really good at it! Everyone says I'm a great actress, and I can't just pull out now. Opening night is this Friday!"
"They can get the understudy to do it. You can't, Mai. It's degrading." he said. He just didn't understand how mai couldn't understand. Glancing at Naru, his anger rose when he noticed that the black clad teen wasn't saying anything about this even though his feelings were obvious to everyone... except Mai (and possibly Masako since she was hanging around the Office earlier that day.).
"Don't you have anything to say about this, Naru?" The older man asked.
"Not really." he said, no trace of anything in his voice.
"Gah! This is unbelievable. Mai."
Mai placed her hand on his arm when he said her name. Takigawa looked up and she smiled at him.
"Don't worry, Monk-san. It's just a part. Play pretend. Satine doesn't define me. I define her."
And with those words, she changed his mind.
"It's getting rather late. You two should get home." Naru said. He moved from his position of leaning against the couch, and went into his office.
"What about you?" Mai called out.
"I still have some work to do."
"Oh, well then I'll stay and–"
"Go home Mai." Naru's voice filled the air. The Monk smiled when he saw the expression on Mai's face.
So Naru was irritation after all.
"Why you jerk! Al I was doing was trying to–"
"Come on, Mai. I'll take you home. Have you eaten? No? We'll get something on the way."
When the other two were gone, Lin came out of his office with a few papers in hand, and knocked on Naru's door.
"Enter." he heard. Lin opened the door and went in.
"Here. These cover the case today." he said. Naru nodded, but didn't look him from what he was writing down.
"You know..." Lin started. "You shouldn't snap at her like that. One of the days, she'll bite you. Hard."
"What are you going on about?" Naru looked up at his assistant who only looked at him blankly.
"Naru. You are an idiot." he said, and then he made his exit through the open door.
-SPINOFF-
Mai pulled away from him, only to be jerked back to him.
"Please!" he begged.
"Can we? Really? You would take a damned whore like me and run away?" Mai asked. Tetsuya shook his head.
"No. I would take the woman I love with me, Satine, and leave the damned whore behind."
Mai's face was ecstatic. "Christian!"
She placed her hand upon his cheek and started to draw him nearer. Her heart beat was racing, pounding in ger chest. The blood in her veins were so hot, they scalded her. Her breathe quickened slightly. Her mouth parted as he was only a few centimeters away and then
He sneezed. Right in her face.
"EW!!" Mai Shrieked.