Author: Ren Kayashima
Genre: Family/Thriller/ Mystery
Rating: T
Summary: The BAU team gets a look into the voice acting world.
Disclaimer: I really hate that I have to do this. I do not own Criminal Minds. The title and its characters belong to CBS and its original creator.
0o0o0o0
Chapter Eight
Rori was getting ready for a panel at an anime convention in D.C when her dad came to the door. She was in a black pleated skirt that ended just above the knee and an orange tank top under a black zip up t-shirt vest. She was pulling on knee high boots.
"So how often do you participate in convention panels?" he asked.
"I do one a month during the school year, then several over the summer. Penelope, Kevin, and Dr. Reid are coming. They're inviting Agent Prentiss and Agent Morgan. You should come. You can see crazy fan girls fawn over Kenta and Kaoru."
"What do you do at these panels?"
"Answer questions, sign posters, socialize. People really like to see the face behind the voice."
Rossi smiled. "Okay, I'll go."
0o0o0o0
The BAU team sat in the front row of a large exhibition hall. They watched as young teenagers in costume filed in. Scattered among them were adults. Once everyone was seated a volunteer grabbed a microphone and looked at the crowd.
"Welcome everyone you're all here to meet the voices of three very different characters for the anime Dark Truths. You'll be meeting Hiroshi Mizushima, the strong, determined, male protagonist. The lovely and intelligent Natsuko Kuragawe, who is our main female protagonist. And finally you'll meet the dark but devilishly handsome antagonist Sorrow. So pleased welcome their voice actors Kenta and Kaoru Kayashima and Rori Morre."
Screams erupted in the hall as Kenta and Kaoru came in from doors on opposite entrances. Rori came from behind a curtain where the table was set up. The three sat down and waited for the screams to die down.
"Thank you everyone." Kenta smiled.
"Wow, I feel like we should be putting on some sort of show." Kaoru laughed.
Rori sat in between the twins. "That comes later Kaoru," she said. "Okay, so the way this works is that the panel will last two hours long. During that time, we're here to answer your questions."
"Afterwards, we'll be in the actor's hall signing autographs," Kenta explained.
"And we're there until no one else wants an autograph."
The crowd cheered and a screen lowered. A projector put up a picture of the three anime characters. The serial killer Sorrow wore a black feathered mask to cover his pale face. He was in all black and had a tattered duster. Hiroshi had shaggy black hair and wore a baggy tan t-shirt and baggy jeans. Natsuko wore a long sweater dress and mid calf boots. Her brown hair was pulled into high pigtails.
Rori looked at the picture and smiled. "You know I have to say Kaoru, Sorrow looks quite sexy in that mask."
"And he'll continue to be. Even in Japan you and Kenta have yet to catch me."
The crowd laughed and Rossi shook his head.
Kenta smiled and looked at the crowd. "All right questions please."
Rori picked up a set of index cards and looked at a card. "All right Ana P asks 'When will Hiroshi and Natsuko get together as a couple?'" she read. "All right I have to meet you. Where are you Ana?"
The team looked around and found a young girl jumping up and down.
"Okay, we've been asked this question many times before, but I think what made Rori excited was that it was written in Japanese. Mad props." Kenta smiled
Rori got up and walked over to the girl and whispered in her ear. After a minute she spoke into the microphone. "All right now you can't tell anyone. I'm kidding, why don't you tell the room."
She handed over the microphone. "Natsuko and Hiroshi will get together when the series ends," the fan girl stated.
Rori took the mic back and took her seat at the table once more. "Kaoru, your turn for a question."
"All right. Daniel O. says 'the three of you seem so close. How long have you known each other?'" Kaoru read. "We've known each other for a long time."
"I believe Kaoru and I met when our mother's egg split in two. I looked at him and was like 'hey how ya doing, that's some serious egg splitting." Kenta smiled.
"I met the Kayashima twins when I was two. Their mom is the sole the three of us are fluent in Japanese." Ren smiled. "Great question."
Kenta grabbed a card and looked it over. "Hey Rori, isn't Dr. Reid's first name Spencer?"
Rori looked at the card, "It says Spencer R, but that's Penelope's handwriting."
"Busted," Kaoru sang in a deep baritone voice causing the room to cheer.
Rori laughed, "All right, so my dad and his work buddies are here and two of them are Spencer and Penelope. Nice prank, but an even greater request. So Kaoru, read."
"Act out an improve confession between Hiroshi and Natsuko." Kenta read.
"Oh this will be fun." Kaoru smiled.
"Do we have too?" Kenta asked.
"Yes." The crowd yelled.
"okay." Kenta reached over and took a sip of water. "Hey Natsuko." His voice had taken on a gruff tone.
"Yes?" Rori answered lightly.
"I was wondering, do you like someone?"
"I like a lot of people Hiroshi."
"I-I mean do you like someone romantically."
"Oh, well yeah I do," Rori answered. "He's brave, cute, but he's kind of clumsy."
"Well, who is it?"
Rori looked around and shook her head. "If you have to ask." She sighed. "I like you. You're sweet and kind and I like spending time with you."
Kenta smiled and looked at Rori. "Really me too."
"Well I would certainly hope so. I would hate to have our friendship ruined because I told you how I feel."
Kaoru reached forward and trapped Rori in a friendly choke hold. "Oh how sickly sweet." Kaoru chuckled in the deep voice from before. "I hate to break this little romance up, but if you don't catch me soon, one of your little friends is going to be dead."
Rori laughed and looked at the crowd. "And now the mood has been killed."
The crowd began to clap. Kaoru released Rori and she sat up.
"That was fun. Thank you Miss. Penelope Garcia." Kaoru smiled. Rori and Kenta refused to look at each other for a while.
0o0o0o0
Later the team watched as the three teens were signing small posters. Rori signed her posters with a gold sharpie while the boys had neon blue and green ones.
"Rori's got quite the fan club." Morgan stated.
"Yeah she does. She enjoys voice acting." Rossi smiled. He watched as Rori spoke to a camera being held by a teenage guy.
"Some of the things their asked to say though." Prentiss shook her head.
"What like Kaoru's evil laugh and Rori's Japanese statement?" Kevin asked. "Voice actors get asked to do that kind of stuff all the time."
Rori walked over to the group. "If you guys want to go get some food, the lines dying down so we'll be out in about ten minutes."
"Call me when you're done okay." Rossi smiled.
Rori nodded and headed back to the table.
0o0o0o0
Author's Note: Yay! Chapter eight. Well this was a fun one to write. Now you can review and tell me if I messed up on anything. Really I like to hear from you. I hope you continue to read, the next chapter things really start to happen and the next couple chapters are vital for the future of the story.
