Authors' Notes: Well, we're both big fans of both the movie "Moulin Rouge" and X, so we decided to write a crossover between them. We tried to cast it as accurately as possible with X characters, but forgive any OOC-ness that may have occurred. This was mostly written for the amusement of picturing the characters in the different roles... of course, the characters don't belong to us, and much of the dialogue and plot comes from the script of "Moulin Rouge", which we did not write. We would like to acknowledge the author of the script transcript located at (http://www.karenmarshall.com/moulinscript.htm), because it was quite helpful in getting some of the lines down.

Enjoy the fic! ^_^

Meet Me In The Red Room
an X/Moulin Rouge crossover by Hokuto-chan and Kerianne

Chapter 1:


/The greatest thing.../

In an apartment somewhere on the outskirts of Tokyo, one heartbroken man sat alone at his typewriter.

/... you'll ever learn.../

His hair was tousled, his normally clean-shaven face was rough with a week's worth of stubble, and he was dressed in nothing but an undershirt and a wrinkled pair of pants. He had been crying for a long time.

/... is just to love.../

He was writing. He had to write it all down; not to remember it, because he knew he would see it all in his mind every day for the rest of his life. No, not to remember; to immortalize it. So that maybe, one day, the world would know. Maybe someday she would live outside his mind, outside the swiftly fading memories of the others who had known her, eternally.

Someday they would know that he had loved her, and she had loved him, and that had been all the beauty and all the tragedy in the world.

/... and be loved in return./

The woman I loved is...

He stopped, swallowed hard, swiped a hand across his tearstained cheek.

... dead.

He closed his eyes, and all at once it rushed back to him, the colors and the sounds, the women flashing their panties, the loud laughter of rich men getting systematically drunk at the bars. The club... they had called it Flower, because it was colorful, and when night fell it unfolded its petals and revealed its beauty to the world. It was not a beauty that everyone could approve of, but he had loved it in his own way, and there was no doubt that it had captivated him until the end.

Just as she had.

Her name was Karen. In his opinion, and in the opinions of many of the men who visited the club, she was... had been, the most beautiful woman there. She had been the star, the center of attention, the "Sparkling Diamond". Tears began to form in his eyes as he remembered her bright gold eyes and curly red hair as she moved across the stage in his mind.

His mind wandered from his memory of her to the typewriter in front of him. Sighing to himself and wiping tears from his face, he kept typing.

He had come to Tokyo a year ago, moved into an apartment across the street from the club, to write about... love.

But that was a problem. He had never been in love...

".... Luckily, right at that moment an unconscious man dressed as a goatherd fell through my roof. He was quickly joined by a dwarf dressed as a nun." His fingers typed over the keys quickly as he remembered the beginning of it all...

* * * * *


Seated at his typewriter, Seiichirou Aoki looked up in shock as a rather large man crashed through his ceiling and hung there, dangling by one foot.

Confused, Seiichirou stood up and examined the man. His eyes were closed in a relatively peaceful sleep, considering his uncomfortable position, and his face was covered in a powdery makeup.

Before Seiichirou could get too bewildered, the door to his small flat burst open and a short blond man in a nun's outfit burst in. Hi! I'm Keiichi Segawa! I really have to apologize for all this-- we were just rehearsing a play, you know...

Seiichirou nodded knowingly, as if men crashing through ceilings was something completely natural when one was rehearsing for a play. He was new in the area, after all, and he didn't want to make himself seem too unsophisticated in front of this man.

A moment later, he blinked. A play? Being rehearsed right here in his apartment building? That could prove to be wonderful inspiration for the novel he had been attempting to write before this rather interesting distraction had occurred. What sort of play? he asked.

Oh, something very modern, Keiichi said cheerfully, stepping further into the room. Set in Switzerland. He walked over and poked experimentally at the man hanging in the middle of the room. This guy is our star... name's Kusanagi. Unfortunately, he suffers from narcolepsy... one minute he's fine, the next... Keiichi feigned snoring. Out cold.

Seiichirou nodded thoughtfully. This was all very strange, but he wasn't sure if it was providing much inspiration for his novel. So... you'll be performing this play somewhere? he asked.

At that moment, another man hurried through the door. He had black hair, violet eyes, and an extremely pained expression on his face. How wonderful, he snapped in a sarcastic tone. Now Kusanagi's unconscious and we won't have time to finish the play by tomorrow.

Another man came in. "Quick, Keiichi. I still need to finish the music."

Keiichi looked pained. "We'll have to find someone else to read the part."

Kamui rolled his eyes. "Where in the world will we find someone to read the role of the young sensitive Swiss poet Goatherd?"

Before Seiichirou knew it, he was upstairs dressed as a sensitive Swiss poet. A young man with long, pale blond hair began to sing. " The hills are animated with the euphonious symphony of descant..."

Kamui winced and pouted. "Stop, stop stop. The noise is drowning out my words."

"I don't see a nun saying that about hills." Kakyou said.

Subaru thought. "What about.. 'The hills are vital intoning the descant'?

Kakyou shook his head, his hair swirling in the movement. "No.. .. 'The hills'..."

The man who lay sleeping on the floor sat up suddenly and said loudly, "The hills are incarnate with symphonic melodies." With a snort, he fell back asleep.

Seiichirou thought for a moment. "The hills..."

"The hills are chanting...?"

"The hills..."

"The hills are alive with the sound of music!" Seiichirou sang suddenly, drowning out the rest of the people in the room.

Kusanagi woke up again. "'The hills are alive with the sound of music!' I love it!"

Subaru said, his mouth twitching in a faint attempt at a smile.

Seiichirou blushed a bit at the praise, and stammering only a little, went on. With... with songs they have sung... for a thousand years... He wasn't exactly sure where the words were coming from, but they seemed to fit, and the others seemed to like them.

Keiichi beamed. Kamui-kun, you and... I'm sorry, I didn't catch your name...

Yes, you and Seiichirou-san should write the show together!

Kamui looked mortally offended. Excuse me?

It'd be great! Keiichi gushed. Together, I'm sure you could come up with--

We won't be doing anything /together/, Kamui snapped, violet eyes blazing with anger. This is /my/ show, and I'll write it myself or not at all!

Seiichirou cleared his throat and tried to be inconspicuous. He hadn't intended to cause such trouble among the group, especially since he'd just barely met them.

The other three men glanced at each other and shrugged. It was nice working with you, Kamui, Kusanagi said apologetically.

With a loud huff, Kamui stomped toward the door. Well, fine! Good-bye! he yelled, walking out and slamming the door behind him.

Laughing a little, Keiichi turned to Seiichirou. Yes, well. This will be your first job in Tokyo, ne? How exciting!

I... I've never written anything like this before, Seiichirou admitted nervously. Mostly I've just tried to write novels... a few articles... but never a musical...

Oh, it'll be fine! You've got so much talent! Kusanagi boomed, striking a dramatic pose in front of Seiichirou with his hand out in front of him. Unfortunately, the positioning of the two men led to Kusanagi's hand falling in a rather interesting place on Seiichirou's body. The smaller man immediately flushed bright red, and Kusanagi coughed and pulled his hand away. Ah... no funny stuff! I just like talent.

"But how do we convince Arisugawa?" Subaru asked nervously.

Keiichi waved a hand. "Don't worry about it, I have a plan." He grinned. "All we have to do is dress him in Kusanagi's best suit and take him to see Karen. Once she hears him, she'll insist that Arisugawa let him write the play!"

Seiichirou hesitated for a moment. "I can't!" He cried, blushing a bit as he imagined the sort of place the Flower was. "I can't write the play for you." He tried to leave, beginning to crawl through the ladder that the men had placed through the hole in the floor.

"Why not?" Keiichi asked.

"I don't even know.. if I am a true revolutionary..."

Keiichi scoffed. "Do you believe in beauty?"

"Well, yes, I suppose..."

"Freedom?" Subaru asked, leaning closer.

"Yes.."

"Truth?" Kakyou joined in the conversation, grinning slightly.

"Yes."

"What about love?"

Seiichirou's eyes took on a starry expression behind his glasses. "Love? Love. Above all things I believe in love. Love is like oxygen. Love is a many splendored thing. Love lifts us up where we belong. All you need is love." At the end of his speech, the Bohemians clapped their hands delightedly, all grinning.

"See?" Keiichi said. "You are the voice of Children of the Revolution!"

If you insist... Seiichirou swallowed hard, feeling a bit nervous. Then again, this was his big chance. How would he ever write anything meaningful if he didn't take chances, if he didn't go out and experience the world? And Flower was as good a place as any to start venturing outside the walls of his old, sheltered existence.

He looked up and saw that Keiichi was grinning at him. Well, we've got a new writer, and our show is bound to be a hit... let's celebrate! He crossed the room and dug around in a cabinet for a moment, and when he turned around again he was holding a large bottle of green liquid.

Seiichirou blinked.

Of course, Subaru said with a smirk. Let me guess-- you've never had any.

Ah... no... Seiichirou smiled sheepishly.

Well, we'll just have to fix that! Keiichi grinned again and poured out five glasses of the strange liquid. Nervously Seiichirou picked his glass up and took a small sip.

He blinked. The stuff was definitely strong. All around him, the others were downing their glasses quickly, so he shrugged and took a much larger sip. After only a few minutes, he was completely intoxicated. His head spinning, he stared blearily around the room. A flash of green light caught his eye, and he turned his head to see a tiny woman, not more than two inches tall, floating around near the ceiling. She had long, straight black hair, and she was clad in a pixie outfit, with a halo of green light surrounding her.

His eyes widened. He knew it had to be a hallucination, considering the woman looked exactly like the drawing on the side of the bottle of absinthe, but the sight was very beautiful and he was very drunk, so he didn't question it.

I'm the Green Fairy, she intoned in a slightly bored voice, then flitted out the window. The five men followed.

Seiichirou remembered nothing after that except for a lot of pretty colors and a sensation of vertigo, but the next thing he knew, he and his new friends were standing in the main corridor of the nightclub Flower.

A man dressed in gaudy, cheap-looking clothes burst in from behind a curtain. From curtains around the room, women appeared, swirling their multicoloured coats around their waists and flashing their underwear.

"Voulez vous coucher avec moi? Ce soir? Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, flow sister. Hey sister, go sister, soul sister, flow sister." The women danced around the room, shaking their skirts to the men who were standing at the edges of the room, holding glasses of liquor. Seiichirou blushed as a girl lifted her skirt and showed him panties, winking.

Sorata Arisugawa strolled between the rows of dancing girls, waving his fingers at a few of the dancers. Seiichirou became lost in the swirling lights and bright clothes of the women as they danced. The people in the crowd were singing and moving along with the girls, who shrieked and laughed as men passed them money and jewels. The chanting drowned out his own screams and exhilarated yells.

Keiichi and his friends dragged Seiichirou over to a small table in a corner. "We managed to avoid Arisugawa," Keiichi said softly, leaning closely to Seiichirou. The other three man formed a circle around the table and Seiichirou managed to focus from the bright lights and loud noises.

Suddenly, the lights went black except for one silver light in the middle of the hall. The men and women on the floor looked up as silver glitter drifted down. "It's her," Keiichi said in a hushed voice. "The sparkling diamond."

A woman's silhouette appeared in the light, her head bowed. Seiichirou stared with rapt attention, along with all of the men in the club... including a blonde man who sat just yards from the Bohemians.

Slowly the woman lifted her head, and a spotlight illuminated her lovely face. With a seductive glance to the audience, she began to sing softly. The French are glad to die for love... They delight in fighting duels...

The swing on which she was sitting began to lower. The entire audience was transfixed, but Seiichirou, having never seen her before, was absolutely spellbound. She was dressed in a sparkly silver bodice with a very short skirt, her long legs clad in black stockings. Her skin was pale, her lips were very red, and her eyes were wide-set and sparkled in the light. She was, quite simply, the loveliest thing he had ever seen.

But I prefer a man who lives... The corners of her lips began to turn up in a small smile. ... and gives expensive jewels. She leaned back on the swing as it began to move, lowering her and swinging her in a circle above the crowd, just above the reaching hands of her admirers. The music quickened and grew to a jazzy, pounding beat, just as the yells and hollers of the crowd swelled in volume.

Above all the noise, Seiichirou heard someone clear his throat, and reluctantly tore his eyes away from the spectacle to look at the blond man sitting a few feet away from him. Like every other man in the club, he was gazing with all his attention at the lovely woman, but there was something a little different about him. In his eyes was a strange sort of... possessiveness, a sparkle of desire that somehow went beyond simple admiration of a beautiful woman. Seiichirou found himself disliking the man, even though he didn't know the first thing about him.

A kiss on the hand may be quite continental... The woman began to sing again, bringing Seiichirou's attention back to the middle of the club. The swing had now stopped right in the middle of the audience, and she laughingly shook off the grasping hands of the men who surrounded her as she swung back and forth. But diamonds are a girl's best friend.

Beside him, Keiichi made whistling noises and nodded with appreciation. Seiichirou ignored him, continuing to gaze at the star of the show. She was continuing to sing, snatching diamonds from men who held them out to her, returning the jewels with kisses.

"Come and get me!" she yelled to the crowd of men who were surrounding her. One of them lifted her up and she giggled and lay back as she was passed along the crowd by the men.

The blonde man looked at Sorata who had come to sit across the table from him. "When am I going to meet the girl?"

"Yuuto-sama, I have arranged a special meeting with you and Karen-san after her number," Sorata said to the blonde man. "Totally alone."

Keiichi leaned over and whispered into Seiichirou's ear. "I've arranged a special meeting with you and Karen-san, totally alone."

Seiichirou stared in horror at the short man. "Alone?"

"Totally alone," Sorata and Keiichi said, though to different audiences.

Karen raised a hand as she was passed to the center of room, to a small, tall stage. "Talk to me Sora Arisugawa! Tell me all about it!"

"Excuse me," Sorata said quickly to Yuuto and strolled to the stage that Karen had jumped onto.

"There may be a time when a lass needs a lawyer," Karen drawled, placing her hands around Sorata's shoulders and neck.

"But diamonds are a girl's best friend," Sorata supplied for her. He joined her in her movements of tantalizing the crowd.

"Is the Duke here, Sora?" Karen hissed at the man over her shoulder.

"Yes," Sorata hissed back, circling around Karen to look for the blonde man. Keiichi stood up and nodded to Seiichirou, who was still staring at the red-haired woman.

"I'll go and get things all ready." Keiichi turned around suddenly and smacked his hand right into a tray of food a waiter was carrying. The food spilled right onto Yuuto's lap. "Oh! I'm so terribly sorry!" Immediately, Keiichi pulled his hanky out and waved it desperately at the other man, trying to mop up what he had spilled.

Sorata winced. "The Duke is the one that Keiichi is waving a hanky at." He rolled his eyes.

Karen danced around, searching for the short blonde bohemian, who was at the moment looking around the curtain at Seiichirou. "Do you have a handkerchief?" Keiichi asked with wide eyes. Not waiting for an answer, he reached into Seiichirou's suit pocket and pulled the handkerchief out. "Thank you." He waved it in front of the man's face. Karen squinted at Keiichi then past at the man staring at the handkerchief in front of his face. As if he could feel her gaze, Seiichirou looked at her and blushed, turning away.

"Are you sure?" Karen leaned back and asked Sorata.

Let me check... Sorata grasped Karen's waist and peeked around her. By that time, Keiichi had returned to Yuuto and was valiantly attempting to clean up the mess he had made. Yes, that's the one. Under his breath, he muttered, I hope that demonic loon hasn't scared him off...

Keiichi finally got tired of trying to help a very uncooperative Yuuto, and flung the handkerchief into his face. Clean yourself off, you pig! he snapped, making snorting noises to exaggerate his point. He would have continued, but a strong hand came down on his shoulder, and he turned around to find himself looking into the glowering face of Yuuto's bodyguard. Narrowing his single honey-colored eye, the bodyguard subtly turned the right flap of his coat out to reveal a gun.

Oh... Sorry, Keiichi squeaked out, and hurried past the man to return to his table.

On stage, Sorata and Karen ducked behind a wall formed by the other women as they danced and lifted their skirts. Will he invest? Karen hissed, quickly attempting to change into her second outfit of the evening.

Sorata chuckled. After spending the night with you, how could he say no? he responded grandly.

Karen grinned. So what's his type? Pulling her hat off, she dropped her head and let her hair cover most of her face, her eyes becoming large and vulnerable. Wilting flower? Abruptly her expression changed to a bright, empty-headed smile, and she lifted her head high and giggled a little. Bright and bubbly? Her eyes narrowed into a seductive expression. Or... smoldering temptress? She gave a little growl.

Sorata pondered. Smoldering temptress, I think. He reached out and put a hand on Karen's shoulder. We're all relying on you tonight. If this goes well, Flower could become a real theater, not just a trashy nightclub. And you could be...

A real actress, Karen murmured. And for a brief moment, the mask she always wore fell away, and a bit of the longing and desire for a better life in her eyes became visible. Quickly she shook her head, pasted a bright smile on her face, and emerged back out to face the crowd and finish her song.

Diamonds... are a... She allowed the crowd to carry her toward the man she thought was the Duke. Meanwhile, Keiichi was attempting to get her attention, but the crowd was making so much noise that she didn't hear him. ...girl's... best... When she reached the platform where Seiichirou was seated, she pointed at him and began walking toward him. ... friend.

Seiichirou, who had been discussing something with the other bohemians, turned his head slightly and found himself staring down Karen's diamond-adorned cleavage. Very slowly he looked up into her face, unable to keep from blushing, his mouth hanging open slightly.

I believe you were expecting me, Karen breathed seductively.

Yes... yes... Seiichirou managed to stammer out in a whisper, still gazing at her in shock. She was even more beautiful this close up-- she had the most striking golden eyes...

Karen turned around and addressed the crowd. I'm afraid it's ladies' choice, she called out, with an apologetic shrug. Then she turned around and pointed at Seiichirou again.

Confused and more than a little nervous, Seiichirou didn't move. Kusanagi patted his shoulder encouragingly, but he still remained seated, gaping uncomprehendingly at the waiting Karen.

Feigning disappointment, Karen turned around and whimpered to the crowd with an exaggerated pout.

the men chorused, predictably.

She turned around and shot Seiichirou another sad look, although beneath it was a slight smirk. She walked toward him decisively and grabbed his hand. Let's dance.

Still confused, Seiichirou allowed Karen to pull him out into the crowd, where he quickly became disoriented by all of the whirling skirts and moving colors. He frowned and squinted at the stage, trying to figure out if that was really a midget in a belly-dancer's outfit that he saw belting out the song they were currently dancing to. A moment later, a man grabbed his shoulder and pushed him toward the middle of the dance floor, where Karen was dancing alone.

Smiling sheepishly, he began to move from side to side a little bit as Karen spun and twirled around him. He hadn't had much experience with dancing, and he was sure that he looked rather silly, but for the sake of his new friends and his new job, he had to press forth.

Suddenly Karen gripped his shoulders, and he gaped at her in shock. Grinning at him, she spun him around, then grabbed his shoulders again and slid herself down his body.

Flustered and mortified, Seiichirou tried to say something, but all that would come out of his mouth were faint little gasps. Just as quickly, she slid herself back up. Back at their seats, the bohemians cheered and whistled.

It's wonderful that you've taken an interest in our little show, Karen said, raising her voice a bit to be heard over the music and the crowd.

Yes, it's so exciting! I'd be delighted to get involved, Seiichirou said, glad to have a topic of conversation he could focus on to take his mind off the utter embarrassment he was feeling.

Karen purred.

Assuming you like what I do, of course, he added with a sheepish little smile.

Karen was a bit taken aback, but managed to keep from giggling as she responded. I'm... sure I will.

After a few minutes, Seiichirou found himself becoming a bit more confident. Smiling, he tipped his hat to the bohemians, who were still intently watching the couple. Keiichi told me that we'd be able to... do it in private, he said.

/Did/ he, Karen managed, dipping herself backward so that Seiichirou wouldn't see the amusement on her face.

Seiichirou stammered, getting a little flustered as Karen pressed herself even closer against him. He rested his hands on her back and gazed at her imploringly. A... a private... poetry reading?

Oooh, I see, Karen purred, sliding her arms around his neck and running a finger across his jawline. Yes, yes... I love a little /poetry/ after supper. She giggled, backing up a little and pulling away from him. He couldn't decide if he was relieved or disappointed.

She made her way back the swing and sat down, glancing over her shoulder at the circle surrounding her as the swing made its way up to the ceiling. "Diamonds.... are a girl's best..." Underneath her the crowd lifted their hands in rhythm and waited for her to finish the song. She took a deep breath and gasped, closing her eyes and struggling to keep consciousness. From his platform overlooking the club, Sorata's smile faded and he looked at his star with concern. She fainted, releasing her grip on the swing and falling to the crowd below.

"Noooo!" He yelled as a pale man with silver hair in the crowd below stepped up and caught the unconscious diamond. For a moment, the entire bar was completely silent, the people on the floor staring in horror at the woman.

Nataku looked up at Sorata, unsure of what to do. Sweating, Sorata jerked his head to the left, indicating to take Karen to the dressing rooms. Nataku went quickly, trying his best to hide Karen from the gazes and stares pf the club's dancers and costumers.

"Yeaaaah!" Sorata said, clapping his hands and trying to draw the people's attentions. "Karen, Karen, Karen!" He started the men chanting, inwardly hoping that Karen would be alright in time for Yuuto-sama.

The dancers who were backstage looked down between the boards at the hurrying Nataku and Karen. One of them, who had her hair pulled sharply back with a streak of blond in her bangs, smirked and nudged the dancer next to her. "Don't know if Yuuto-sama is going to get his money's worth tonight."

The other dancer frowned at her. "Don't be unkind, Satsuki."

Sorata swallowed and looked at the manager who had appeared in the crowd. The man was shaking his head no and gesturing. Clearing his throat, Sorata said to the chanting men. "You scared her away." The men groaned in disappointment. "But I see some lonely Flower dancers looking for a partner or two." The men cheered as the girls began to come out again, twirling their skirts.

Nataku lay Karen down on a pile of clothes and blankets and turned her head so that she would be more comfortable. Hinoto, the warm motherly figure in the club, came hurrying up, gesturing for the dancers who had gathered to move out of her way. She held smelling salts under Karen's nose and the girl's bloodshot eyes opened.

"Oh, Hinoto...." She smiled weakly. "These clothes..."

Daisuke, the manager, hurried from behind a door. "All you girls get back out there and make those men thirsty!" Nataku hesitated for a moment before slipping behind a curtain and back to the front. Daisuke kneeled next to Hinoto. "Problems?"

Hinoto shook her head at him. "Nothing for you to be concerned about." Daisuke sighed in relief and patted the older woman's shoulder. Looking at the people still gathered around the fallen dancer, he said loudly, "Let's go then."

The girls filed out and Daisuke left. Karen began to cough, holding a napkin to her mouth. Hinoto watched her as she coughed. Sighing softly, Karen closed her eyes and leaned her head back. On the tissue, there was blood. Hinoto noticed and her eyes widened, then she turned looked at the red-haired woman with sorrow in her eyes.

* * * * *

At his table, Yuuto beckoned a waiter. "Find Arisugawa... the girl is waiting for me."

* * * * *

Hinoto helped Karen off the bed, and the two women crossed the room to the vanity in the corner. The Duke seems to really like you, Hinoto commented as Karen redid her makeup. With a man like him supporting you, you'll be a famous actress in no time.

Karen smiled, and her eyes widened with wonder as she gazed at the pictures of famous actresses that lined her mirror. Do you really think I could? she breathed.

Well, of course! You've certainly got the talent for it, Hinoto insisted, lacing up Karen's corset. Just keep the Duke interested, and your name will be selling out theaters someday.

"I'm going to fly away from here." Karen said dreamily. Finishing putting her makeup on, she leaned close the birdcage that held her bird. "Yes, we're going to fly away from here."

Karen, is everything alright?" Sorata came in to the room and gasped in delight as Karen spun around, showing him her form-fitting bright red dress.

"How do I look? Smoldering temptress?" She purred.

"How can he resist eating you up? Everything is going so well!"

End chapter 1