HAHA! CHAPTER 8 MWUAHAHAHAHA!
I'm sorry, I'm extremely tired it's 1:09 right now *dies*
Enjoy, Oh and BTW I don't own anything as far as I'm legally aware at least...
Chapter 8
"So, Hiou-kun I'm guessing you've been cast for a role in "A Vicious Ambition" as well?" Kanae said with a slight cough, attempting to divert the attention from her slight lapse in articulacy.
"Hai, although I'm starting to regret accepting if the production is going to be this unprofessional the entire time." He grumbled throwing a pointed look at the clock.
"I suppose you're righ-
"Ahhhhhh, Gomen, ladies gentlemen." Tomi barging through the studio doors interrupted Kanae's words of agreement as he assessed the damage almost immediately with an upfront apology,
"The traffic was horrendous, which I should've seen coming seeing as we are in Tokyo; regardless, we should be on our way now. Everyone is waiting. Come n-"
Tomi's apologetic greeting was cut short by an extremely painful script to the face as Dimitri stepped from beside him and greeted the actors herself.
"What Ichijo-san means to say is that we are extremely sorry for the inconvenience we've caused any of you because of our own delay." With that said Dimitri threw a meaningful glare at Tomi and turned back to the actors residing in the closed off studio with a genuine look of apology.
"But, regardless of that matter, we still have yet to fully introduce all whom will be participating in this film, and once more for that I apologize. If we had been here on time everyone would be in the same place right now." Dimitri added as she held open a double door with her doc marten clad foot.
She ushered them out hastily with a nod of her head in the direction of the meeting room and a short bow to compensate for her apologies. If none of them liked the director they were at least impartial to this woman.
"You didn't have to hit me, that really hurts." Ichijo murmured to her as he passed, a pout marring his rakish features. The childish response seemed to generate a bit of sympathetic humor from the thin girl as a small smile accompanied with an eyeroll slipped passed her usual apathy.
The small token of friendly acknowledgement was enough to temporarily stun the French director. Though his momentary stupor was interrupted and he felt all too much of the idiot when the closing door collided roughly with his shoulder slightly knocking him off balance.
Dimitri briskly left him in favor of the acting entourage heading to the specified meeting room. Tomi grumbled slightly as the sight of the tantalizing woman's swinging hips bid him goodbye.
`Shit, she really is something.'
They reached the conference room with an exceedingly short walk and one left turn into a farther stretch of hallway. The sixth door on the left side was buzzing with chatter on the inside, and from what the collective ears could gather from the outside, a thick stream of exuberant flattery.
None of the present actors could decipher the voice spouting praises, but as they came closer the curiosity was killed. Dimitri stopping a moment in front of the conference doors took it upon herself to silence the voices on the other side with a soft yet pronounced knock.
She turned quickly as footsteps approached the door and regarded the actors whom seemed to be eager to find the missing pieces of the production and spoke in an almost hushed tone.
"I know the choice of staff for this project is quite varying." With this she switched eyes from each actor to the next and threw a knowing glance back toward the still closed door. "But I ask you all to give everyone a chance, as well as yourselves; you were all picked for a reason, though some participating peoples can seem unsavory…" She side glanced quickly at Tomi with a bit of a smirk as he rounded the corner. It managed to generate a comical response as everyone turned to him in reference and let out collective chuckles as he stood on dumbfounded.
"But I sincerely ask you to see this not as simply a job but a chance." She spoke a bit gravely with the last sentence, her gaze dropping back to the floor as the cool temperature in the breezy hallway changed quickly to a deathly chill.
Kanae couldn't stop the chill that racked her spine as she was the only one curious enough to ask.
"A chance for… what?" Her voice was shakier than she had meant it to be and the raven haired actress had to hold back the cringe she felt at the sound of it. The rest along with her seemed to be just as entranced as the emerald gaze lifted from the marble tile.
Locked in on her, underneath the brilliant sweep of the woman's fringe, blazed a fire in those brilliant green eyes, and right now Kanae was at the pyre.
"A chance to understand my world a bit more." The whisper was barely audible, yet they all heard it as clearly as if it was spoken firmly in their eardrums. The heart stopping atmosphere was broken swiftly though as the door swung open, a woman in Versace pumps and a primp business suit to match appeared.
Looking over the sizable crowd of people hovering just behind the threshold of the conference room, along with the identifying pair leading the production standing forefront, Rena quickly swiped her stylus over her sleek tablet marking out each of the actors names as she identified them.
"Ah, Rena. Is everyone present?" Tomi questioned, his flirty nature taking backseat to the professional matters that needed to be taken care of. Rena looked quickly to him and smirked.
"As of now, yes." She said cheekily as she gave one last swipe at the technological device she'd just used as sorts for a roll call.
"Then we should begin." Dimitri spooked both of them as she effortlessly slipped into the room, her back turned to them as she ventured in unaware of the heart stopping moment she had previously caused. Ignorant to the pulse of life she'd just breathed into an observing character.
"Kurosaki Isao."
"I'm Erin, my last names Vaughnhausen… it's kinda long. Uh just call me Erin"
"Kazehaya Michiru, but Michi's fine."
"Collete… Collete Aldridge, it's a pleasure to meet you all."
"Hizu-
"OTOU-SAN!" The man's introduction was cut short by the shocked, copper haired girl, her eyes already wilding with what these introductions implied. She'd be working with these people, and she could tell by the appearances alone that they were far from small fries on the fame scale.
The introductee who'd spoken least, was a thin blonde boy, of foreign origin she was sure, with an air of quiet elegance hanging around him. To describe him as lean would be an understatement, his body was nothing short of a woman's in all its graceful gentility. His high cheekbones, thin shaped eyebrows and full lips gave him the look of some sort of elfin prince. The thought alone sent Kyoko into a googly eyed haze for a split second before snapping her shocked self back into her analytical observations.
The second speaker with an almost unnoticeable accent was most definitely from a different country. The aquamarine topaz lying above her rosy cheeks were framed by thick lashes the same color as her glossy mane of tea colored curls. She sat shyly between the two rather tall men, trying to make herself smaller without being to conspicuous about it, but not out of disgust or disdain, she just seemed so...innocent. Kyoko found her absolutely adorable and truthfully thought her likeness that more of a princess than an actress. She timidly met Kyoko's gaze and gave a shy smile, to which she returned quickly; scratching her head sheepishly for making a racket around such a delicate looking girl. She was of course just that, a girl, she couldn't be more than twelve.
The third speaker seemed the most amiable and perhaps the oldest as well, second only to her Tou-san. He smiled sociably and waved to each of them when introducing himself, his posture relaxed even in the room filled with unfamiliar people. That aside his appearance wasn't as alarming as the previous two in the sense of foreign inheritance. His name was most definitely Japanese and he looked to be as well, if not for his positively radiant hazel orbs whose almond shape was a dead giveaway of his questionable heritage. Other than that his tall stature was not unfilled or dulled by time at all, the man's age wasn't quite decipherable, although he did appear older than herself and Ren… WHOM SHE WAS STILL IN DISBELIEF ABOUT BEING INVOLVED IN THE MOVIE AS WELL.
Kyoko attempted to shake that thought as she focused on the person before her. Michiru's hair was most likely the only factor giving any indication of his age as well as the only factor keeping his foreign appearance from being totally obvious. The jet black strands swept almost entirely over his eyes, keeping them shadowed so as to divert attention. The rest of the strands fell neatly into place on either side of his head, falling just above his muscular shoulders.
Though the color of his hair was most definitely black the inky strands were littered with random patches of a silvery white. The only aging factor was his graying hair.
The last speaker, whom Kyoko was positive, was also the youngest stood full height at mid thigh. The small child smiled brightly and greeted them so very politely that Kyoko couldn't help but find her instantly charming. The small fairy like child had a short crown of raven curls that tickled the sides of her face and looked feather soft. Although her name was quite foreign -and if she did Kyoko would guess it was most definitely French- her appearance was clearly that of a Japanese child although her eyes were wider than most, they were a warm vibrant chocolate color. Surely the warmth felt there was product of this sweet child's adorable nature.
Kyoko had taken in all that she could whilst the introductions were being made trying desperately to not to go into cardiac arrest at the revelation of her impending job alongside her esteemed senp-FRIEND. But as soon as her Otou-san had stepped through the door, starting in directly after Collete as if gasps just hadn't erupted around the room verbatim, her heart could take no more.
Honestly she thought she might have a heart attack as the man casually toweling off the droplets of water from his hands began to introduce himself. Did he really need to? She was sure he knew the answer to that question, and yet he still went ahead and introduced himself. Or in his case tried to, her interruption had immediately caught his attention, and he seemed equally as shocked to be staring at her.
Then suddenly all her shock at being thrown into a production consisting of so many clearly famous people held no weight. Because Kyoko's dream was coming true; she'd get the opportunity to work alongside not only her two best friends, but she'd get to share the stage with her Otou-san. She'd get to test herself against the man she idolized, and the very idea was getting her heady.
Kyoko smiled widely at him, all the excitement and enthused adoration present in her tinkling voice.
"It looks like we'll be seeing a lot of each other after all Tou-san." Her smile only widened with the memory of the small trinket Kuu had left for her boxed in the most whimsical fashion; gossamer type ribbon holding the small wooden box together. The gift was surely expensive, but for once Kyoko held no desire to attempt and return it.
The antique finish on the white gold charm bracelet was probably the most endearing of facets the piece of jewelry held. It seemed so perfect for that part of her that'd always adore anything of the fairytale type and she was sure he knew that.
The charms themselves were wonderfully crafted figures of everything pertaining to the classic princess archetype. A glass slipper, that was even clear, a tiara encrusted with what Kyoko dearly hoped were not diamonds, a skeleton key in the shape of a heart, and even a blooming rose, that for some odd reason reminded her of Queen Rosa.
She'd been enthralled by what her Tou-san referred to as a small trinket which had been given to her for seemingly no reason. Or to quote from his small note:
`Kyoko-chan. Don't assume you're father has just simply forgotten about your birthday, and I was very disappointed that you didn't even inform me of such an important matter. Regardless, happy birthday my daughter. Since I had no opportunity to spoil you on your birthday this year, next year will most definitely be festive so be prepared, I won't be letting you cheat me out of celebrating my own child's birthday. For now, since I'm unaware of my filming schedule or the amount of time I will be working in Japan you'll have to accept this gift. I picked it up in a town in Switzerland a month ago after thinking about what Boss calls your fairytale complex. I sincerely hope you like it. With love.
Your Father.'
How could she not have liked it? The bracelet was a beautiful, too much for her to even wear it, but she carried it with her, and had it stashed away right beside her most prized possession. She trusted corn's good luck to keep the treasured gift safe before she could wear it with pride.
Kuu was as equally excited as his child. He had wished he'd get the chance to act again with the pixie like girl and he was now in fact taking part in her debut. Along side none other than his biological son himself. The decision to work on this project was proving to be an exceedingly wise choice. The smile that stretched his lips blinded most occupants in the room, the immune being his children whom just smiled back.
Ren's stance on the entire matter was completely satisfied, his initial shock at seeing his father again had shaken him for only half a second before Kyoko's mystical smile quelled his fears of inadequacy. She was excited to be working alongside the man she admired dearly, not intimidated. She wanted to make him proud. As did Ren, though unlike Kyoko he'd acted with his father before and the result had been seen to his past self as a failure; he was a different man. More mature, more confident.
In the wake of his own dark thoughts settled only his feelings of excitement and somewhat childlike joy at being able to work with his father, and all thanks to the copper haired woman next to him.
It was an odd sentiment to think he'd ever questioned the reasons behind his love for her.
Through all of this familial interaction stood a thoroughly perplexed group of co-stars all questioning the unexplained connection between all three grinning stars. Despite that, no one had the chance to question said interaction as Kanae interrupted the cozy feeling to snatch back her best friend.
Kyoko snapped from her dazed giddiness as Kanae wrapped an arm around her own pulling Kyoko to her side as she gave Kuu Hizuri a warning glare. Seeing that as the cue to precede Kuu cleared his throat once more and started over on his introduction.
"Hizuri Kuu… nice to meet you all." He ended the comment with a blinding smile that made a certain copper haired actress twitch from the intensity.
Before anyone could reply or praise the internationally famous actor Ren's voice rang out making his introduction with a short smile that put several of the costars into a daze, soon followed by Kanae's short two word intro- her name. Matsuda took the honor of introducing herself as well as Hio before scurrying off to the designated room to meet the other managing parties. Kyoko's introduction was last.
"It's a pleasure to be able to work with you all. My name is Mogami Kyoko and I'll be in your care." She smiled sweetly at them as she spoke, finishing with one of her trademark charmingly elegant bows and the shift of attention from three males in the room alerted the two knights on either side of her to take a step closer. Kanae squeezed her shoulder to bring her farther into her protective stance practically glaring at the ogling foreigners, Tsuruga she didn't have as much of a problem with but the other ones were questionable. Kuu felt exactly the same as he placed a gentle yet cautioned hand on the short girls shoulder.
The watch dogs seemed to be holding guard over their precious fairy loving girl, whom obliviously smiled sweetly back at them.
Seeing this Ren felt somewhat jilted, although he was glad; he'd wanted to be one of those guard dogs. Alas a girl only had so many shoulders. With a sigh he gazed back at the twin entranced gazes from the male co-stars he'd have to ward off.
Unleashing an unholy light from the retina achingly fake smile, Ren addressed each of the aforementioned staring males.
"Kurosaki-san, Kazehaya-san, staring is considered rude in most countries including Japan as I'm sure you're aware." The disturbingly bright smile stayed in place perfectly and he could clearly see the sweat pooling on Isao's brow under the intensity of it; Michiru however brushed off the comment without so much as a frown, simply closing his mouth and turning his attention from the now trembling girl.
"Ehem. Well then, now that we are all familiarized how about we get down to business here?" Tomi's voice broke the impending tension like an Indian accent in a court room, swiftly bringing the attention back to the task at hand.
"That for once Tomi, is a good idea." Rena scoffed as she took a seat and brought her tablet out tapping furiously as she brought up the necessary files and dimmed the lights as the actors all took their seats and she dimmed the lights.
Once all were seated Tomi once more took a stand once more and moved to the front of the circular conference table the projector lights cascading over his features as a title came into view.
"As I'm sure you're already aware, this Movie is entitled A Vicious Ambition based after the American novel of the same name, popularized in early 2005 after its anonymous publishing; however, there is more behind the simplicity of the thrilling anonymity of the novel." Tomi's voice still maintained the business like tone, his presence completely unlike his normal self.
"And if you've read the novel itself, which I do recommend doing sometime soon, you can easily imagine the controversy the novel's topic sparked across literature critics and the general public alike, not only in the US but around the globe." As he spoke the pictures of protesting groups in America, Italy, Germany, Russia, and the UK flashed across the screen. The picket signs held up displaying either one or argument or the other.
'BAN A VICIOUS AMBITION. ACCOUNTS OF SEXUAL EXPLOITATION TOO GRAPHICALLY VULGAR.'
`RAPE IS A CRIME. I'M A VICTIM. DO NOT SILENCE ME!'
`GOD CANNOT SAVE WHAT HE HOLDS NO CONTROL OVER. GOD DOESN'T RAPE, PEOPLE DO.'
`IGNORANCE IS SIN. BUT SIN IS IN.'
`AVA IS GARBAGE, STOP FEEDING OUR CHILDREN LITERATE PORN. IT'S SICK'
`REMOVE AVA FROM SUGGESTED READING LISTS, ALL CLAIMS OF ABUSE ARE FALSE. IT. IS. FICTION.'
The arguments painted on wooden or cardboard signs went on and on. The last image was of an outraged group of protesters going in for a brawl after what appeared to be a bible was thrown at a girl whose shirt read. `I AM A SURVIVOR, PAIN WILL NOT QUIET ME.' The enraged girl on the ground was snap shot as she screeched furiously, red faced and tear stricken. A fellow protester was holding the culprit by his collar and was dangling him above the ground as the perpetrators friends ran in to fight the protesters. A man In the background stopped in his tracks by a picket sign being slammed harshly into his face, and another protester choke slamming a hissing female closer to the front. The image itself was violent as hell, but the emotional outrage from parties was clearly felt in the depiction of a war on literature.
"It was the worst publicity generated from a single piece of literature since the disputed case of Catcher in the Rye concerning John Lennon's death. The public faux pas of mentioning the politically touchy subject lasted for just over a year until the press release, demanding to -quiet the issue concerning literature on the basis of free speech and forms of art refusing to be censored to adhere to conformity to a generated standard of simple ignorance -was released." Once again as Tomi spoke the pictures Rena was flashing across the screen showed just that. A picture of former protesters shaking hands with a group of presumed church fanatics and a pastor holding a copy of the book and a bible, weighing them even in each had slipped across the screen.
The message was clear. The controversial topic depicted in the book was one the church was not afraid to acknowledge and rather than belittle it for the vulgarity or perhaps the blunt reality, they supported groups recovering from such horrors and supported the movement to still such criminal acts against humanity.
"The press release took care of most commotion in the countries raging on the topic of the book, but it did not completely solve the issue still rampant in the United States and other countries alike. Months later, ignorance reigned true. People seemingly forgot. The entire movement it had supposedly sparked, the fire that blazed between the emotion driven victims and censorship pleaders all but disappeared. And the message the book was driving to hit at completely eluded them. It didn't stick." Tomi stopped the pacing he'd begun as if possessed and stared hard into the eyes of each actor, his eyes saddened. Disheartened.
"The author… had to have been crushed. The message so raw and painstakingly difficult to write had amounted to a mere year of digestion by the public and then what? Forgotten?" His vice turned acidic something none in the room had seen from the fairly calm man.
"The message… a blatant plea for a protection of the innocent: the children. And the world goes back to being bluntly ignorant? No. That's not how it should end. Happy endings don't exist, no. But have the dignity to give victims solace, right? Wrong. There should be prevention!" His voice raised and deep seemed to shake slightly and a dark haze blurred the usual hue of his bright blue irises. Tomi breathed heavily for a moment and he focused on Dimitri feeling her wide eyed gaze from underneath the scarlet fringe shadowing them.
Silence eclipsed the space in the darkened room, and not a word was spoken or transversed by body language as everyone focused intensely on the soft sounds of their own breathing.
"December 29, 2007 the author received a letter enclosed in a small white envelope, sent to her publisher's office. The date recorded was a year earlier in late July. It was from a girl whom was merely eleven." Tomi's face began contracting painfully as he closed his eyes taking in a deep breath and repeating the information he'd memorized about the research he'd done. The letter from that little girl that still haunted him sometimes and surely had the same effect on the scarlet haired woman frozen not a meter from him.
"It was her birthday. The first fact she stated in her letter. Second?" Tomi's question went unanswered as his eyes swept across the room, passing from face to face. "She hadn't seen the outside world since the day she'd borrowed this book from a friend at school. The girl, Michelle Oldham hadn't seen sunlight for exactly 83 days and nineteen hours. She'd been keeping track as the days went on in her detainment." Before anyone could even think of what he meant by detainment, he answered their question with an answer that left the room stilled of even breathing with a dark, sickening implication.
"Michelle had been imprisoned in her rural home in McKenney, Virginia by her adoptive uncle three years after her parents death, and only a year after his release from prison!" The table shook as Tomi slammed his hand palm open against the mahogany, glossed finish.
"The reason for her writing the letter was an S.O.S. She begged profusely in the letter for the author, if they were human, if they knew how it felt… to be in a situation as horrible, to help her. Because of the third fact." The only sound penetrating the stifling silence was the shuffle of Tomi's feet across the course carpet as he paced. But complete silence was reached as he stopped; turning back around and gazing solemnly at the now blank white projection.
"She was pregnant. That bastard had been abusing her for months, he'd snapped when he found a copy of this book in the girl's room. Because of that her life was sheathed in darkness. But on her birthday she was allowed a moment of freedom from her prison to see the sunlight through some dirtied window pane, and unknowing to her uncle, time to snatch her diary and an envelope. It was her only chance. Any help was miles away… she was only a child. A child now housing a child. A child ripped from childhood." Tomi's eyes bore into Kyoko's as a tear escaped the copper haired girl's eyes her breath shuttering past her lips as she digested the horror of the girl's life. His gaze softened into an agonized look as he watched the blackette console the shaking girl.
"Alarmed was only the beginning of what the Author must've felt upon receiving such a letter and worse so late. She immediately contacted the authorities taking no time in hesitation she faxed the letter leaving before it was finished and driving three hours on her own to the address on the envelope."
Tomi was now staring directly at Dimitri his gaze never faltering and the intensity it permeated filtering into the air. She held his gaze, matching his own disgust evenly before breaking their silent involvement and standing to speak.
"It was snowing, and the mid evening traffic kept me from getting to the house any earlier than I had. But even then, nothing could've been done." Dimitri's voice rang frigidly in the air, the sense of dread settling in their stomachs preventing them from asking what was now obvious. Her presence in the room, once questionable was now understood as she gazed blankly past them bringing forth a memory no one would want to regress.
"The police flooded the area and because I happened to be familiar with a few of them I was let through. The scene unfolding was already swarmed with media because they had somehow caught word of my involvement in the matter." Dimitri shook her head angrily and clenched her teeth furiously.
"It wasn't a matter one shook take an opportunistic outlook on. My unknown identity was the biggest factor in the coverage on the story." Her clenched fists shook at her sides as she cast her gaze to the floor.
"…On Michelle's story. A girl was dead, molested a good portion of her life and left to rot with her still unborn child housed in her body, yet the only thing those damned people could ask was information on my appearance." She bit the last part out her voice taking a on a razor edge, cutting through the air easily.
"It was clear to me then that the message I had been trying to deliver to the public was completely lost- unfathomable to them." Her emerald gaze scorched the poor victims in the suddenly cramped room. Dimitri's enraged gaze began to suffocate the inhabitants of the conference room. But just as quickly as the flame had ignited it was extinguished with an almost dead bitterness. A sigh, long lasting, listless escaped the shortly statured woman.
"But the hardest aspect to accept in the failure to grasp my initial message wasn't the fact that it hadn't been understood, but in reality my message was ignored." The shake in her frame stilled and her shoulders slumped; the defeated posture was unmistakable.
"Ignorance. The entire book is centered on the very concept of fatal ignorance. On the corruption still rampant and actively taking part in society today. Corruption that breeds a deeper corruption in the future of our society…children." She cringed visibly as she ground out the last word her face contorting into a mix of pain and fury and all in the room were positive she was recalling something agonizing.
"I had never suspected how far it reached, how common it had become to feign ignorance in response to something that wasn't swallowable." Dimitri gritted her teeth as she paced, her strides resembling more of a beast's prowl the minute before it pounced.
"When it had become clear to me how utterly fucked up the world around me actually was, I began searching. I had to force feed this to the public if they were refusing this adamantly." The English phrase startled the entourage of actors listening intently to her with the arbitrary placement in her otherwise perfectly spoken Japanese tirade.
"I didn't have to look very far though. Ichijo Tomi, the director handling this project had read my book, and he'd made it his mission to get in contact with me, though he did through somewhat questionable means."
"He slept with her editor and PR agent. Weaseled her number out of one of them and continually harassed Rosario-san" Rena rang in, a perfectly emotionless voice coating the demeaning comment.
"Hey! I only took Rachel out for dinner nothing more." Tomi defended himself in reference to Dimitri's PR agent, but said nothing regarding her editor. In response Dimitri let out a sigh and rubbed her temples once more a wry smile coiling the edges of her lips.
"Getting to the point." She mildly scolded both director and assistant. Rena smiled apologetically and Tomi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.
"After meeting, it was clear to me there, was no other director I could leave the success of this project to." Dimitri spoke staring directly at Tomi whose cheeks tinted slightly at the amount of trust the comment exuded.
"As soon as the initial plan was finalized we spent months searching, and not limited to one country." Dimitri's eyes once more trailed over each face in the room before speaking once more.
"You all truly are the best in respects to your field. It isn't a job for you all more prominently than it's an art. The life you breathe into your roles is unparalleled by any in your generation." She spoke commandingly, leaving no room for arguments. It was as if she was not merely stating her opinion, but reading from a commandment. It seemed more a factual than opinionated, to this a wave of uncertainty seemed to coat the individuals seated in front of her.
Feeling the tell tale signs of doubt flaring in the eyes of almost all who're listening to her she spoke once more scoffing slightly before admonishing their fears.
"I do not intend to place any pressure on you. I have faith in your abilities as you yourselves should. You were all chosen for your roles through screening of hundreds. Believe me. There is no doubt in our choices." The praise she delivered them seemed to ease the tension completely and a smiles broke on content faces.
All but one that is.
"ANO! UHM I'M sincerely apologetic to question you after all of that, BUT I REALLY THINK YOU'VE MADE A MISTAKE." Kyoko's words sliced through the contented feelings basking the room, like Jason Voorhees' machete through yet another blonde bimbo.
"I've only been in the industry for little over a year ma'am. I'm still only a rookie and I-
"It doesn't matter." Dimitri's tone unlike throughout her previous speech was a suprising gentle, as if she'd expected a reaction as such from Kyoko.
"Mogami-san I understand completely your doubt, you might even say I've been in a situation much like your own." Her soft emerald gaze quieted Kyoko's doubtful tawny orbs. Dimitri's eyes slid closed very briefly a small nostalgic smile slipped over her features.
"Someone once told me, when my doubts had begun to consume me, that just because time wasn't a factor leading me on, that even if I didn't have years of experience. If I had the dedication and faith in myself, then nothing else mattered. Trust in yourself, is something that no amount of time can surmount." Before Kyoko knew it her eyes were once more locked with the intense green of the woman speaking before her. The cool gaze directed at her acted as a placating balm to her worries and once more Kyoko found herself seated and nodding obediently back at the woman.
A smile stretched the authors lips once more as she regarded her main cast and the eyes filled with a fiery passion that rivaled Tomi on a good day. The flame of determination that had been planted initially with her invitation was now blazing, and she was sure with this, the stage had been set.
"SHO-CHAN!" Mimori's excited screech of his name did nothing for his current state of depression, only serving to worsen his mood with it's grating pitch.
He watched dispassionately from his seat, on the surprisingly comfortable iron wrought couch, as she bounded up to him all smiles and hearts. He thought then that the nickname he'd bestowed on her months ago really had lived up to its relevance. This thought, however; did not bring him amusement, rather it sickened him that a person resemble a dog in any prospective manner.
What sickened him more though, was his own disgusting reference between the two in the first place. Loyalty wasn't something to be made fun of… was it?
No. It wasn't. He'd learned at least that much from his suffering.
If he'd ever taken his head out of his ass during his tyrannical bout of bigheadedness he would've realized by now that the very reason he was so well liked, the very reason he WAS famous- was loyalty. His fans cheering him on creating the most sensational charisma that attracted more and more bringing in his subsequent increase in fanbase.
Without these loyalties he'd be nothing.
Without any of his fans, he'd be nothing- nonexistent.
And who had been his biggest fan, his main support, his pillar of stability through his rocky start? The food for his ego, the encouragement and stark dedication that gave him the initial drive to be better. Who had given up her own dreams in sacrifice to his own?
Kyoko.
Sho clenched his fist tighter as a surge of unbearable pain shook his heart. He knew that it was too late in any case. To say or do anything, even still he yearned to… to…
It hurt so intensely he couldn't even begin to understand what he wanted, himself.
Somehow Sho felt that he'd finally been awaken from some hypnosis where his body had been hijacked by some psycho entity plotting against him. As corny as it sounded, and maybe it was just the part of Kyoko that had rubbed off on him throughout the years, but it felt to him as if a spell had been broken.
No, more like a curse. And Kyoko's resignation from his life had been the excersising words; leaving him to broken pieces of something he'd no idea how to put back together.
Shaking his head with a haggard sigh the blonde man ran a hand through his already mussed locks and finally tuned into the tirade the girl in front of him was off on.
"Sho-chan, isn't this just wonderful! Mimori heard that you were working in the same studio Mimori was. So Mimori ran over here first thing." She chatted to him excitedly an unmistakeable sparkle in her eyes, one he'd seen in Kyoko before. Though maybe not nearly as pronounced.
Her love always was a subtle, yet constant presence.
Shaking his head once more to hopefully disperse the thoughts, Sho pressed his thumb and index fingers against his brow squeezing slightly and sighed again.
"Sho-chan? What's wro-" Mimori's worried inquiry went unfinished as Sho finally spoke.
"Mimori, I think you should stop." His voice was probably the softest he'd ever used with her and that alone shocked her. He raised his eyes to her own to see a slow trembling begin deep within her.
They both knew what he was saying, but Mimori of course would have a hard time swallowing this.
"Mimori doesn't understan-" Once more he cut her off.
"Yes. Yes, you do. You know that I… I don't…" Sho's voice thought still soft filtered through his frustration in his harsh breathy tone for a moment before softening again as he trailed off. Although he left his statement unfinished he never once broke eye contact with the now physically quaking girl. He need her to understand. He wanted to do this right the second time around so he had no regrets.
Two broken people were enough, he'd rather not add to his fuck-up list.
"Why? W-why S-sho-chan… I don- Why n-now?" Her voice hitched and wavered soft gasps punctuated statements at the incorrect placements and he knew she'd cry. He pulled her gently into his arms stroking her hair in a comforting manner he'd never used but once had considered to on a certain girl weeping over the loss of her only family.
"I don't want to keep giving you any false hopes or leading you on." He held on tighter as she began to struggle against his chest refuting his words with her body. She raised her hands as if to cover her ears but he simply caught them and pushed her backward a bit as he craned his neck to look her in the eyes once more.
And he saw it.
Her crying face, not just Mimori's but Kyoko's as well. As if they'd overlapped. His face scrunched in pain he was sure as he peered into the watery orbs filled with a deep confusion and misery. She stared into his eyes and he could clearly discern her own attempting to find something in them to tell her it was all just some elaborate ploy.
He squeezed his eyes shut a moment, turning his head away from her as if to finalize his decision, before speaking again.
"You need to listen to what I'm saying. Do you understand- that this, will hurt far less than if I left things as they are." To emphasize their current arrangement Shou gestured with a hand the air between them and his brow furrowed in pain as she shook her head in negative once more.
"Mimori, I can-
"I CAN, Mimori can. Even if you don't feel the same Mimori loves yo-
"Forcing love on someone doesn't make for happiness on either side." His whisper somehow overpowered her near shouting with it's solemnity.
"b-but Mimor-
"I don't love you." Evenly spoken and straightforward his words broke whatever remaining hold she was keeping. Her shoulders slumped, defeated and her head immediately dropped.
"I don't love you. But that doesn't mean that someone out there doesn't." He swept her bangs from her eyes softly his tone matching his gentle comforting.
"If It isn't you, then I don't care." Her words though whispered, were harsh, defiant. She was still holding on, but Shou knew the words he were about to speak would change that.
"And if it isn't her, I can't bring myself to care either." He threw her statement back at her in a calm, almost reflecting voice As he stood from his seat beside her.
Mimori's eyes widened and then slowly they regressed to their normal state as everything was silenced between them, a quiet understanding filling in the blanks. Mimori wiped her face clean and stood on her own, all previous traces of happy go lucky smiles gone as she faced him.
"Tell me, Shou." Mimori asked in a subdued tone.
He raised his eyes to hers for the umpteenth time from his own aversions and in the mid morning sun streaming in through the large triangular windows, basking her form in a warm gold Shou felt as if he was truly seeing Mimori for the first time. Her steady chocolate orbs trained on his did not falter as she spoke in an equally stable, though quiet voice.
"Did I only bring you trouble?" The words were severely spoken, and it was almost unthinkable that she'd seriously be asking him this, but the situation in itself was quite surreal so Shou overlooked it with a ghost of a smile.
He turned on his heel briskly and slowly moved away from her, his pronounced footsteps alerting her downcast eyes to his retreat. With the question unanswered she called to him again from her place in the frigid sunlight.
"Sh-
"Thank you Mimori." His words reached her just in time to cut his name from her tongue, and as they did he stopped briefly never turning though as he finished.
"Truly, thank you for loving me."
The only sound echoing in the elongated stretch of hallway was of slowly fading footsteps and the soft plop of tear drops on marble.
The pain accompanying the symphonic melody was a far cheaper price to pay to prevent a broken soul. Shou took a bit of comfort in that.
Kay here's the thing.
Not only women are affected by heartbreak.
Men change as well, and sometimes severly.
Love can change the coldest person into some sappy lovesick fool.
And the sweetest into something far beyond twisted,
it's quite the precarious thing.
So show some love to a heart breaker. they've surely had rough times or even worse rough times are ahead.
XD
Love SID
