Title: Can't Help Myself
Author: El Scribe
Rating: K
Summary: Ren is determined to save Kyoko's career... really, that's his motivation. Fourshot.
Disclaimer: I don't own Skip Beat! or anything associated with Moulin Rouge, or Can't Help Myself by the Four Tops.
Can't Help Myself (3/4)
Verona, a nightclub that was very popular with movie industry VIPS at the moment, was even more crowded than usual. Word of the famous Australian director's visit had spread and name droppers from across the business were present in full force to try to network with the foreign celebrity.
Of course, that didn't prevent Ren from walking right past the velvet rope, as if there hadn't been a line of would-be patrons stretching around the block waiting to see if they'd get past the bouncers. As inconvenient as it could be sometimes, his status as Japan's number one most kissable male did come in handy once in a while.
It wasn't hard to locate the booth where Luhrmann and Director Annaka were holed up. All he had to do was follow the train of desperate climbers and scantily clad women that had flocked to them and he found it almost immediately.
Ren was embarrassed to realize that his purpose there wasn't exactly different from anyone else's. His status was, however, as was proven when the crowd parted like the Red Sea at his subtle cough. A few of the women stepped forward instead of back, and even more stayed where they were, changing their posture so that they seemed to pop forward without moving an inch. Ren smiled politely, causing a ripple of sighs to move through the crowd as he approached the booth where the two directors were sharing a bottle of sake.
"You see, that's what I love about Japan. A lot of westerners think that you're a cold culture, but no cold people could produce such a soothing, warm drink," Luhrmann was saying. He looked different than Ren had imagined. Despite his gray hair and stubble, he seemed no older than thirty, not a wrinkle to be seen around his merry dark eyes.
"Good evening," Ren greeted, in fluent English. The directors looked up at him, surprised. Annaka recognized him immediately, exclaimed in delight and gestured enthusiastically for the actor to take a seat next to him. Ren got the distinct feeling that the current bottle of sake was neither the first, nor likely the second or third they had opened tonight.
"Tsuruga-san, I can't believe we've never met before!" Annaka was saying, shaking Ren's hand vigorously. "I'm a huge fan of your Katsuki!" He turned to Luhrmann eagerly. "This is the most talented actor in Japan! The One-Take King!" he explained.
Ren bowed to both men, smiling modestly. "It's an honor to meet two such talented directors. I've been enjoying Box R immensely," he nodded to Annaka. He was about to continue when the director burst into laughter.
"Yes, just about every man in Japan has, thanks to my Natsu!"
Ren's smile turned blinding but didn't fail. He didn't appreciate other people laying claim to Kyoko's characters – he knew how hard she had worked on the role because he himself had had more to do with developing Natsu than the director who had almost prevented her from ever being filmed.
But he realized that Annaka was drunk and it would be a bad idea to start an argument with him, as he needed to approach his guest. He turned to Luhrmann, prepared to begin the lines he'd rehearsed for himself.
"Oh!" Luhrmann clapped his hands together then pointed both index fingers at the actor in recognition. "You're the one from all of the Armandy ads! I knew you looked familiar! So you're an actor as well?"
Ren nodded and Annaka went into a long speech about how Ren was more than an actor, he was the actor who represented all of Japan, or would if there was an acting Olympics.
"Yes," Ren said, carefully steering the conversation back along the lines he'd planned. "And I really owe it all to you, Mr. Luhrmann."
Luhrmann and Annaka both expressed astonishment and Ren was happy to elaborate. He carefully spun the story he had prepared about how as a young boy he'd seen Moulin Rouge and decided that he wanted to be an actor. "The movie is like a love letter to love," he ad-libbed, remembering Takarada's earlier speech.
"Exactly!" Luhrmann tapped his sake glass on the table for emphasis. "That's exactly what I intended!"
Ren leaned forward eagerly. "It seemed like Christian was a kindred soul, I've always dreamed of playing the part," he continued.
Annaka burst out laughing again, this time snorting sake through his nose. He'd had enough to drink that he didn't even seem phased by the sting of alcohol on his nasal membranes. He doubled over, slapping his hand on the table. After a few moments, he regained some measure of control over himself and leaned back, slapping his hand against his chest and still chuckling occasionally as he elaborated.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry. You're just such a serious actor, Tsuruga. I can't picture you singing the Elephant Love Medley or the Sound of Music." he burst into renewed hysterics. "The hills are aliiiiive," he crooned, causing Luhrmann to laugh as well.
Luhrmann took pity on the young actor however and smiled at him. "I'm happy to see that I have devoted fans even in Japan. I'm sure you're a fine actor and would do the part justice, but I've already found the leads for this production," he explained.
Ren forced another smile and asked how he could be so certain without having held auditions.
Luhrmann's eyes shined good-naturedly as he gestured at Annaka with his thumb. "I was visiting this fool over here on the set of his drama, because he'd been bragging so much about this actress he'd discovered. Well, I've known him since university, so imagine my astonishment when I found he was actually right for once! That girl had so much fire in her she practically set off the smoke detectors. And the boy who was pushing her buttons was so obviously smitten, so undaunted by her rebuffs. It was like watching the Elephant scene in real life!"
He lifted the sake to his lips and mused silently for a moment. "You know, don't tell Ewan or Nicole, but I was never entirely satisfied with that scene in the original. They're superb actors, don't get me wrong, but they were both older than the characters they were playing. The chemistry between Fuwa and Kyouko is exactly what I always imagined and once I learned that Fuwa was a singer I just knew that the time had come to finally allow Takarada to remake the film."
Ren seethed inwardly at the idea of Fuwa and Kyoko having any sort of chemistry, but he buried the jealousy and tried to find an argument that would make Luhrmann reconsider. If he could just...
Annaka yawned ferociously, all of the sake having finally caught up with him. "I am an idiot, drinking like a twenty year old every time this shady character comes to town. We're not kids anymore, Baz, and you've got a flight tomorrow morning, so we should leave the night to the young ones like Tsuruga here." He clapped a hand on Ren's shoulder affectionately, then used it as leverage to hoist himself unsteadily to his feet. He fumbled through his pocket for a moment, eventually locating a business card, which he clasped into Ren's hands.
"We've got to work together on something, Tsuruga, definitely call me." He insisted, throwing several bills onto the table.
Ren took the card, bowing mechanically before turning to Luhrmann. "You're leaving tomorrow?" he asked, bleakly.
"Ten am flight!" Luhrmann confirmed, grabbing his jacket from the waiter who had materialized as soon as the two men had begun their preparations to leave. "It was a pleasure meeting you, young man."
Ren bowed again, waiting until they were out of sight to sink back into the booth. He ignored the trio of women who were fighting over who would slide in next to him and finished the last of the sake, collecting his thoughts. Kyoko's earlier question echoed through his head.
What was he going to do now?
Author's note: Is there such a thing as a four-shot?
