*I own absolutely no rights to the original works that this story is based on*

Legend: Japanese English

The Heart of the Wanton

Her heart was beating fast, too fast. What was this? Wait, she knew. Kyoko looked around the abyss of darkness and quiet. She spun on her heel searching for the source of the arrhythmia. Was that? No?!

"You? Why is it you? Why is it always you?!" She runs at him, hands clenched into fists. She wants to beat the brainless, lazy smirk right off his no good face. But as she makes contact with his chest, a hand, larger than Shotaro's, wraps around her wrist. She looks up and the face has changed, the hair is darker. The mouth and eyes are familiar and unfamiliar. Kyoko begins to shiver; she is growing so cold, as it starts at her wrist, and suffuses her whole being. Her teeth chatter, causing the words to come out almost like a stutter.

"W-who are you?"

His eyes narrow. "You don't belong here," his eyes widen and seem to spark and glow as his hair starts to lighten. "I think you should leave. I'd hate to see you get hurt!"

He releases her wrist and she begins to fall.

Kyoko wakes up with the tail end of her scream still lingering in the air. She looks to her right where her brother Cain would be sleeping, but his bedclothes are perfectly made. "Where is he?"

His shoes are gone, and the water in the bathroom isn't running.

He took a bath last night, he couldn't be…

She knocks on the door, she listens closely, and all she hears is a gurgling noise. She slams through the door… and stops short.

"Cain, you scared me." Her big brother was sitting in the bath, playing innocently with the bubbles and…a toy submarine?!

"Cain, where did you get that?" Setsu steps closer, "You never buy anything for yourself." She narrows her eyes. "Where did you buy it?"

Cain shrugs and contemplates his bath toy. "The hotel lobby's gift shop."

Setsu heaves a heavy sigh, "Why?"

Cain looks at her as though she has taken leave of her sanity. "To buy a submarine."

Setsu rolls her eyes, "No, why didn't you have me go out and buy you that? You know I would do anything for my precious big brother. Even going out and buying a kiddie toy at 2:00 am."

Cain begins to mold himself a beard of bubbles and when he speaks, the suds get into his mouth causing him to blow the bubbles away from his lips and making the gurgling sound. "I didn't want to wake you up, you were sleeping soundly, and I would've hated disturbing your sweet dreams," Even if they were about Sho Fuwa.

It has been three days since the incident and neither of the Heel siblings nor their actors brought it up, but there was a definite tension when Kyoko and Ren were alone without their roles as Setsuka and Cain to fall back on. Kyoko has been filming Box R three days a week, which gives her some solace, but Ms. Amamiya was picking up on the murky aura Kyoko had dragged around off set.

Ms. Mogami seems really down, I wonder if something happened with the other LoveMe member, Ms. Kotonami, should I ask her?

Kyoko feels a tap on her shoulder and whirls on her coworker. "Ms. Amamiya! What…You scared me, did you need something?"

"Oh I was just wondering if a certain dark-haired acquaintance of yours was causing you distress?"

Kyoko's eyes widen with surprise and her lips part with barely contained shock. "How…How did you know? Are you a psychic, should I watch what my brainwaves do around you?"

Ms. Amamiya laughs, "No, I just assumed that you were looking so down because you and Ms. Kotonami had a fight, or something like that."

"A fight with Moko, I didn't, I mean it wasn't a big one and we have already made up, thank you for your concern though." Kyoko gets on her bike and looks back. "Better run, see you next week." And off she goes at a demonic speed.

Ms. Mogami sure is strange, but if everything is okay… Ms. Amamiya shakes her head and ducks into her manager's car.

As Kyoko begins to slow down she remembers where she had to head after shooting. She brings the bike to a dead
stop. He broke character. Why would Mr. Tsuruga ever break character? Unless, are things really getting that bad? Who did I snap back into Cain? If I hadn't shocked whatever, no, whoever was moving Mr. Tsuruga's body, what would have happened? Kyoko shivers a little, as she makes her way to the Muse's portable studio in the hotel's underground parking garage. Its okay, as long as I am with Cain, everything will be okay. As long as I don't have to face Ren or whoever else he might be, I'm going to be okay. But then she hears the super deep voice of LME President, Lory Takarada.

"Ren, you need her."

Mr. Tsuruga is still in there? Wasn't he supposed to get off work on his last shoot three hours ago? He should already be upstairs! She starts to walk away and find a place to wait until he finished, but Ren's words freeze her feet to the spot.

"He almost devoured her!"

"Who, which one of you?" The President knows?

Ren lowers his voice until it is nearly imperceptible, "You know which one. If I don't get her away from me, I won't able to protect her from him." He sighs heavily. "I just don't think this is going to work. I'm sorry."

Kyoko can hear Ren start toward the door, but he stops just before reaching it and Kyoko can hear through the door, "Let go of me. I said. Let. Go!"

Lory speaks in tones barely above a whisper, "You remember the deal? You want her gone; you have to fire her yourself." Lory slams open the door and walks off with a flourish of his opera cape. The Muse walks up to Kyoko. "Are you okay, Kyoko?"

Kyoko looks at her, "I think I am going to be fired."