Massive amount of OOCness ahead. This was the part that appeared in my head and started this story. Really small tame instances of dom/sub relations and age-play. You have been forewarned. One chapter left after this.
Involved
Kyoko arrived at the set in time to watch the ending of the scene between Ren's character and a therapist. It was department policy that after a traumatizing event a therapist assessed the affected individual and decided if they were ready to return to work.
"This is our third session," The woman said.
Saito nodded.
"This can't work if you are not willing to speak to me." She sighed.
"There is nothing to speak about. A man died and I am alive."
The woman sighed. "I can't sign off on your return form."
"But I am fine," Saito growled.
"There is one other option. I know a specialist that the department allows me to bring in on difficult cases. As long as assess the individual after their sessions with her, and I agree with her findings, I am able to sign off on the return form."
Saito nodded. He knew that he would never confide in this department assigned therapist, but he could not lose his job. It was the only thing that kept him whole. So he would go to this specialist and hope that she was effective.
The therapist made the call.
"Alright that's a wrap for today," the director called out. There was a lot of startled looks that were aimed his way and the man sigh. "The actress that was to play the specialist has backed out so we have to recast the role." the director explain.
Kyoko couldn't help feeling upset. She was enjoying the story and now there was this kind of delay. She had looked forward to the specialist's scenes the most because it was going to be improvisational. The scene was to be overlapped with music so the actual words would be cut out in the final product. The shoot would be several takes of footage because there needed to be enough to be manipulated to look as though there had been several meetings between the characters.
Suddenly she felt eyes on her. She was sure that she hadn't done anything to attract attention. She looked around to see who was watching her and she was startled to find that it was the director. He was walking over to her in a way that made he feel like prey.
"Director-san," she said with a bow.
"I thought that I recognized you Kyouko-san. I understand that you were invited to watch as a guest, but I would like to ask if you might do me a favor. As you heard the actress that we had hired for the part of the specialist has left the role vacant. Could I trouble you to take on this role?"
For a moment she didn't know how to respond, but then she remember who she would be acting with and there was no other answer."I... I would be honored." Kyoko responded.
The director breathed a sigh of relief. He had seen this girl act and he knew that she could deliver a performance that would be acceptable. It would save him time and money as well. "There are no specific lines and you may wear anything that fits you in the wardrobe. All we need to see is you and Tsuruga-san interacting. More instructions will be given later if needed."
Kyoko was dressed in a pair of blue denim jeans and a black tank top. She had on black heels and her hair had been swept back reminiscent of Natsu's style. The set was a office like space with two couches and a desk. There was also a closet that held clothing. She was sure why that was, but she built it into the character. Her name was Kazumari Nanako, she enjoyed her work so much that her office space doubled as a second home. She helped people that others couldn't because she understood what people needed even when they themselves did not.
She stood from her desk chair and gracefully walked over to the bookcase. Picking a book she sat on the couch and opened it as she awaited her next appointment.
The director sat there somewhat stunned. Gone was the proper young lady and in her place was a sophisticated woman. He found himself eager to see where this performance would lead and was suddenly happy that the script had been so open about this character.
There was a knock at the door and Nanako stood. She placed the book on the desk and went over to open the door. Standing there was a man and she could see why he had been sent to her. He was so closed off that he probably had no idea how to open up to another person.
"Have a seat," Nanako said sitting herself. Predictably the male took the seat on the other couch furthest from her.
"What did Emiko-san tell you about how I work?" Nanako asked.
"She only said that the sessions were 45 minutes long and that nearly everyone she sent to you was cleared for duty after three sessions."
"Very good, first we start with a safe word. I don't want to push you further than you can go so we will designate a word you can say to indicate that the conversation is too much."
"My name will do well for that. 'Saito' is my safe word."
"Very well," Nanako said getting up to go to her closet. She turned on the light and closed the door. When she emerged she was wearing an all leather outfit. The clothing was skin tight and looked like it could be a one piece outfit.
"Do not speak unless it is to say your safe word. Get on your hands and knees and crawl to the other couch."
"W-"
"Unless you are using your safe word you are not to speak." Nanako said again sitting on the couch she had left to change clothing.
Saito didn't know what to make of this, but it was better than her trying to get him to open up and talk. Also, she was his last hope if he wanted to keep his job.
He got down on the floor and crawled. It was humiliating and he could feel his face heating as he moved. He kept his head down hopping the woman would not notice. When he reached the couch he felt a hand running through his hair and despite himself he looked up. She was smiling at him.
"That's my good boy." she cooed. "Let me take control. There is nothing for you to be worried about because I am in control here."
Only the fact that his job depended on this woman kept him from snapping at her.
"None of that now, pet." She reprimanded as though she had read his thoughts.
Nanako let him relax for a moment before speaking again. She looked directly into his eyes when she spoke."Now you were sent to me for a reason. I have no idea what happened to you. I just want you to think about it. Don't say anything. Let yourself feel the emotions that come with the memories, but look at me while you do. Let me share this pain you feel."
He didn't want to think of it. He didn't want to feel the pain, He didn't want to remember that he had allowed Seta's six-year-old daughter die. The pain went deeper than the character at the remembrance of the pool of blood. Suddenly he was Kuon again watching Rick die. He felt the tears start to leak from his eyes. He struggled to contain sobs and he tried to look away. But she wouldn't let him. Her hand was calmly stroking his hair and her eyes remained locked with his. There was no accusation there. There was nothing, but gentleness and acceptance. As he allowed the weight of emotion to crush him, she stayed there steady as a rock, something for him to hold on to. He let her take control, in this safe space he could be a person of emotion.
"Stay," she ordered softly, then she went and got a soft towel. She wiped his face, gently dabbing away the tears. "Now whenever you are ready, I want you to say your word. When you do you are free to leave or stay. You make the choice. Nod if you understand."
He nodded. After several breaths he said, "Saito."
Nanako removed her hands from his hair and left his field of vision. Saito stood and brushed down his suit. Then he sat back on the couch.
Nanako had put on a tan trench coat and sat next to him. "How do you feel?"
"A little weightless," he admitted.
Nanako smiled. "Whenever the emotions get to weigh to much, surrender some control. Turn the radio or television to a random station. Give up the possibility of choice for a few moments. Then breath and allow yourself to feel. Mummer a three part mantra of some kind; something to keep you calm. Perhaps your name, the date, and the current weather. Next week we'll meet again."
"Cut," the director called out.
Nanako's spirit was instantly removed and Kyoko was nervous. Had she done alright? The character had, had a mind of her own. Saito, and by extension Ren, had looked so broken and alone... she had totally forgotten that she was supposed to make several scenarios. Panicked, she looked to the director waiting for him to tell her that she had screwed up and they had wasted so much time and...
"That was amazing," the director breathed. He could hardly believe his eyes as he had watched the scene. At first, he had felt like the clothing and the command to crawl was too much, but the way that the scene played out seemed so real. Saito, was a broken man, overcome by trauma and by taking control from him, it allowed for a vulnerability that was otherwise absent from the character.
"Mogami-san, he said you did well," Ren said.
The director snapped out of his thoughts and took a look at the pair that still sat on set. Tsuruga was trying to calm the actress. She seemed to be giving the actor permission to chop her up and use her for ingredients.
"I think you did very good as well. I had no idea what you what was going to happen and I responded to your lead. It's been a long time since I've felt this way during a filming."
Kyoko calmed accepting the kind words.
The director wondered what would happen if he called for another scene. They had some time left before they were scheduled to end for the day. "Tsuruga-san if you and Koyouko-san would be willing I would like to film another scenario with these two characters."
The scene was set up and the cameras were rolling. Ren quickly shifted into his character allowing another set of emotions to engulf him. He wondered how Kyoko would respond to him this time. He had to hold back a smile; he was having a lot of fun today.
Saito walked into the office of Kazumari Nanako. It had been a few days since he had last seen her and the advice that she had given him had worked well. It was funny that today he was consumed by the sadness of how much control he lacked.
"Hello," he greeted the woman softly as he took his seat.
Saito felt her eyes studying him, but he refused to look up. He wondered what she was going to do with this session though. Would it be a repeat of the last or was something totally different going to happen?
"What do you know about age-play?"
The question startled him. He knew the basics because of an odd case several years ago, but he hadn't thought of it in a long time and he answered as such.
"That's good," Nanako said. "It saves me from having to explain everything. This session might run over our time allotment. I tend to be a brat when I enter my little headspace." At Saito's look of disbelief, Nanako laughed. "I use age-play for specific cases, if you agree to my terms then today will be one of those days, if not we can do the good old fashioned 'how did you feel about that' type of session.
"The first option," Saito said. It sounded much better than sitting around and talking in any case.
"Very well," Nanako said as though she had anticipated what he would chose. "My safe word is 'Joseph'. If I say that you have to stop whatever we are doing and sit at my desk chair facing away from me so that I can age back up. Do you understand?'
Saito nodded.
"No you have to say you understand out loud."
"I understand."
"What's my safe word?"
"Joseph."
"Good. The only other mandate is that you have to interact with me," Nanako said as she went over to her closet and shut the door.
Saito didn't have much time to think before the door was opening. Nanako was dressed in a white shirt with the Sun on it boasting that it was a star. Her shorts were purple, she had two purple ribbons in her hair, and she was barefoot.
She didn't even look over at him before pulling a crate from the corner of the room and pulling out some legos. After a few minutes Saito realized that he wasn't going to be acknowledged if he didn't go over to her.
When he stood in front of her she finally looked up. She turned her head to the side quizzically. "Are you my babysitter?" She asked in a small voice.
Well apparently he knew his role in this session now. "Yes I am. My name is Narukami Saito, but you can call me Sai-kun if you want."
She seemed to consider the offer, whilst fiddling with a blue lego. Then she looked at him and smiled. My name is Kazumari Nanako, but everyone calls me Nana-chan."
"May I play with the legos with you, Nana-chan?"
The girl, for that's what she was right now, nodded timidly. Saito took off his suit jacket and laid it over the arm of the nearest couch. Then he sat down and started putting together a few legos. Eventually, they started to work together building a castle. After it was done Nana took out a few of the other toys. One was a knight, another was a princess, and the last was a brown stuffed dog.
Saito was all set up to play the knight when Nana handed him the princess doll. His expression must have advertised how surprised he was because she began to giggle. He allowed himself to laugh as well and set about proving how good a princess he could be.
After that game they played 'Fairy Safari'. They were following fairies and apparently it was a documentary because Nana was speaking into a hair brush like it was a microphone. They had just managed to find the valley of the 'snikerdoodle gumdrop fairies' when Nana yawned.
"Time for a nap."
"I don't wanna."
"Why not?"
"'Cause then we can't play more. I'm always alone when I play. It's funner with you."
Saito didn't want to make a promise that he could not keep to Nana. He had the feeling that age play wasn't something that Nanako did often, but he also felt that despite the infrequency it was still important to her. He realized that he could hurt her a lot with a lie while she was in this headspace. She had made herself vulnerable to him. "I'm only a phone call away." It was simple and it was not a lie.
"Really?"
"Yes."
For a moment she looked happy, but then her expression darkened and he knew what she was going to say before she did. "Joseph."
As promised he went to the desk chair and looked away. He would not betray the trust that he had been given.
He heard the closet shut and he stayed in the same position. It was tempting to speak, but he didn't.
"You can turn now." Nanako said.
Saito was alarmed to see that Nanako had been crying. "What did I do wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing. You were perfect, it was just a thought that came to mind at a bad time. More importantly we made good progress today."
Saito was confused.
"You came in today feeling as though you lacked control over something. So I thought it would be good for you to lead this session."
Suddenly, Saito understood why this was the women that the department therapist assigned people that were like him.
Saito stood and grabbed his jacket. "Are you sure that you're alright?" He asked.
Nanako grinned and ushered him out the door somewhat playfully promising that she was fine. Once he was gone her smile faded and she sighed. "I will be fine." She said to the empty room and then she began to pick up the toys.
Once again the director was astounded. One performance like that was expected, but another in so short a period was something else entirely. He had the sneaking suspicion that this character wouldn't be the throwaway that she was meant to be.
