Chapter Ten Girls on Film
As the early morning light crept into her room, Reiko's mobile started to oscillate on the glass side table, resounding in her aching head like a pneumatic drill. She'd forgotten to turn the vibrations off when she'd switched it to silent the previous night. She tried to muffle the noise by hiding her head underneath the snow-white sheets, rolling over to the other side of the double bed, left vacant as Dixie was sleeping in the other bedroom. The phone stopped buzzing, then started again.
Reiko waited for it to finish, then threw off the sheets to examine it. An unknown caller was registered, and no voicemail had been left. Reiko stared at the slightly blurred digits, then winced as a stab of pain shot through her head. She went in search of water, an aspirin and some breakfast.
Returning half an hour later, she contemplated the phone again. Her friends would know she was normally an early riser, but a stranger seemed unlikely to call at such a time. It was probably a wrong number.
Even as she watched, the phone began to thrum. Impulsively she picked it up, and pressed to accept the call.
For a moment there was silence. Reiko said, "Yes?"
After a pause, a woman's voice said in soft-accented Japanese, "Is that Reiko Hinomoto?"
"Who is this, please?" Reiko replied in the same language.
"We have met in the ring. It's Benikage."
"Benikage!" In spite of her hangover, Reiko felt a thrill of excitement. "Why are you calling me so early?"
"I am sorry." The ninja's voice was low, uncertain. "I thought you might be awake. I wanted to talk to you as soon as possible."
"Is it something important?"
Again there was hesitation. "I wish to ask a favour; and time is short."
Reiko said, "Go ahead and ask; I'll see what I can do."
"I imagine you know the organisers have requested – have required all competitors to take part in a photo shoot with their tag partners once their participation in the tournament ends. A photo shoot in swimwear."
"Yes – and so?"
"Aisha is refusing to cooperate. She gives no reason but … " The resentment in Benikage's voice was unmistakable. "The directors are saying I must still do the shoot, alone if necessary. They threaten legal action and adverse publicity otherwise. Against me - not against Aisha." In a bitter tone. "She is too big a star but I am not. It is unfair."
Reiko said, "I suppose so, but why not do the shoot anyway? It'll be fun."
"It is because you think so that I'm calling you. I have no experience of this kind of event. I do not know what to do … and I am nervous. I was hoping that you could help me."
Reiko said, "Why me? We've barely met."
"I have seen your publicity work in Japan. You are one of our most famous stars. I almost feel that I know you. And you always seem so … kind." Forlornly, the ninja added, "I suppose that sounds foolish."
Reiko said, "I guess plenty of my fans feel the same. If you really believe I can be of assistance – and no one else is available, then of course I will help. I will even do the shoot with you, if it fits into my schedule."
Benikage said, "I'm afraid it's ten o'clock, this morning. However the location is nearby on the island, and the crew assured me they'd provide any transport to and from it. You just need to get ready to leave and they'll do everything else."
Reiko felt a throb in her temple like an echo of her earlier headache. She was beginning to regret her impetuous promise. Why must I always be so obliging?
She said, "I was out very late last night, and …"
Benikage said, a little sulkily "Well, if you really are unable …"
"Hey, hold on! I didn't say I wouldn't! But I'm supposed to be going to see Makoto and Aigle's match this afternoon. What if there isn't time?"
Benikage said, "There will be. It's only a two and a half hour shoot. I also very much wish to see the match. We can go together."
Reiko sighed. "Ok, I'll do it. You'd better give me the art director's number."
The set was a white fronted beach house with broad terraces, dotted with sunshades and palm trees. There was a plaza to one side surrounding a swimming pool. A roped off section held a small, noisy set of onlookers, and a corps of journalists and media photographers. As Reiko arrived in an official open-top car, some enthusiastic snapping began, and she had to steel herself to avoid wincing at the shouting and explosion of flashbulbs, the latter perhaps unnecessary in the bright sunshine. She had decided, mostly for practical reasons, to dress informally in very short cut-offs and a tight white t-shirt. Her head still felt a little tender, but she kept smiling bravely in spite of the whistling and cheering making it throb painfully.
Once away from the paparazzi, she sought out the art director, a smartly-dressed, middle-aged woman, with an air of easy professionalism. After explaining some details about the shoot, the woman added, "Your partner's inside, in the central room with the skylight. I'd go and chat with her if I were you. She seems real nervous. We told her the make-up team wouldn't be long, but she keeps complaining about delays."
Reiko entered the white spaciousness of the modernist building, the cool of the air conditioning giving her some relief. The tiled, wide corridors and elegant, clean perspectives soothed her sensibilities. She easily found the room the director had described, sunlight slanting through a square opening in the ceiling. A row of mirrors occupied one wall and Benikage was leaning pensively against a counter in front of them. Even though she was still masked, Reiko could tell from her tense posture that the ninja was ill at ease, perhaps even more so than during her ring entrance. She wore a tan leather jumpsuit, which Reiko was a little surprised to see unzipped down to her navel, exposing her black brassiere, but she supposed she had been getting ready to change.
Reiko embraced her, pecking her cheek and exchanging customary greetings, introducing herself in as friendly a manner as she could manage. Observing that the kunoichi remained downcast, she said brightly "I'm sure the make-up artist will be here soon. Try to relax."
The slender woman absently twisted a strand of her long, dark hair, and looked downwards. "How can I? I'm afraid that everyone will laugh at my ineptitude. You see … I have not done anything like this before and …" A rosy tinge coloured her cheeks.
Reiko smiled encouragingly. She said, "Well there really isn't very much to it. You just follow the directions that the camera crew give you, and look pretty." She saw that Benikage wasn't greatly cheered, and went on. "The most important thing is to say to yourself 'I am beautiful'. Then you will act naturally and with confidence, and everything will be fine."
The ninja put a hand up to her face, encountering the mask. She said in a low voice, "But … I do not think that I am beautiful."
Reiko said gently, "Come and sit down." She seated Benikage facing the mirrored walls, sat down by her. "Most women can be beautiful, if they try, at least to someone. Its just this ability that we have, if we let ourselves." She put an arm on her companion's shoulder. "I think you know this in your heart, but you hold back. You don't have to be afraid."
Again Benikage touched the hard, canine features. Then shaking her head, she said pleadingly, "I cannot!"
Reiko said, "You need to let yourself go. I know your mask is important to you. But it prevents you from being the person you could be." Sensing the need to give further reassurance, she said. "If you're still nervous, you could wear sunglasses."
"That's what Aisha said before the match." Reiko could hear the resentment in the ninja's voice.
"And I'll bet she didn't ask too politely, did she?" Reiko drew back a little. "I'm not going to force you to do anything. I just think it would be good for you. Its your decision."
Benikage said, "I don't know if I…" Her dark eyes raised to meet Reiko's.
Reiko said, softly but firmly, "Will you at least allow me to try?" When the inquiry met no protest, she reached forward slowly with both hands to touch the kunoichi's cheeks. On contact, Benikage flinched. Reiko whispered, "Its alright." The ninja shut her eyes, submissively, and Reiko carefully prised the mask away from her face, put it aside.
Gently, she turned the slender woman's head back towards the mirror. She said, "You see. You are very beautiful."
The reflected face was oval, with smooth, exquisite features. The large, sensitive eyes now perfectly offset the fine, delicate nose, and small rosy lips, the chin forming an elegant point. The fine-drawn brows and dark hair falling like water contrasted with clear skin the colour of the purest pale coral.
On an impulse, Reiko stroked the soft cheek. Benikage turned towards her, eyes full of tears. Reiko said, "You don't have to hide yourself from everyone anymore."
Faintly, Benikage said, "Thank you." She looked at her reflection again. "But I think I will wear sunglasses for the shoot."
"No problem. I'll get them to bring you some to choose." Reiko turned as an assistant entered the room. The woman looked a little embarrassed.
She said, "I'm afraid there's been a hold up with the photographers. The shoot could be delayed for up to an hour."
"Oh no!" Reiko's mouth turned down in disappointment. "We were hoping to attend Makoto and Aigle's match. We'll barely have time to get there as it is."
The woman said, "I'm really sorry, but we couldn't possibly reschedule any longer. We'd have to cancel. The press and public are here waiting. I regret to remind you of this, but its in your contract that…"
"Yes, yes, you don't have to tell us." Reiko turned back to Benikage. "What can we do?"
The kunoichi's voice was low but agitated. She said urgently. "It is imperative that I watch the match. All other considerations are secondary."
Surprised at her intensity, Reiko said, "But you're out of the competition! You don't need to check out the opposition. And I was going mostly to support Makoto."
The ninja hesitated. She said, "Observation of other competitors is always of primary importance."
"I guess. You remind me of Anesthesia! Well, kinda."
The assistant interjected, "We have a satellite link and a HDTV plasma screen in the building. As soon as the shoot's over, you can watch the match on it."
Reiko asked Benikage, "Will that do? We should probably avoid making too much fuss over this."
The ninja demanded of the assistant. "Would it be possible to change between different camera angles on the television?"
The woman said, "I should think so, but I'll check for you."
"Then that will have to be sufficient."
The assistant nodded and left. Reiko said, "For a moment I thought you were going to leave me there with my butt out to dry. Thanks for sticking with it."
Benikage made a single esoteric gesture. "It is I who should be thankful."
The shoot went so well, and it was all due to you.
She would remember afterwards the smell of sun-warmed limbs, the automated clicking of shutters, the bright colours of swimsuits, parasols and lie lows, the glitter of the pool, the blue of the distant sea, the feel of the sand between her toes
When she wasn't concentrating on following the camera crew's instructions as best she could, she mostly watched Reiko. The younger woman had a glow about everything she did: she posed naturally, she joked with the photographers and press, she chatted knowledgeably about camera angles and effects of the light, giving advice to her companion without either patronising or criticizing her.
Benikage was sure too that Reiko had secretly persuaded the organisers to let her wear something a bit less revealing. The combination of her rose pink costume and the sunglasses Reiko helped her choose had some of the team talking about "that Fifties look". Benikage didn't understand what they meant; she only knew that she felt womanlier than she had ever felt before, and that by the end of the shoot, she'd begun to enjoy herself, even consenting to chase Reiko around with a water gun.
Reiko had simply persuaded her to take off her mask, and everything else had followed. It had given her the confidence to see herself as a desirable woman.
She doesn't do these things to inflate her ego, or to manipulate people; she does it because she cares: about being professional, about being kind to others.
I think she cares about me. She told me I was beautiful.
She is the friend I have dreamt of having. The friend I cannot now bear to lose. Yet it may come to that.
As predicted by the assistant, the shoot had overrun, and the only practical way to see Makoto's match was on TV, but Benikage had almost stopped worrying about this.
It has been a good time. A time of pleasure. But the time has come for me to do my work again.
Reiko cannot be the person I seek. I would sense the stench of evil. The perpetrator is one of the other contestants, and may intend to do her harm.
I cannot – I will not - allow that to happen.
*Hands up those that noticed Benikage was wearing something very like Eva's costume from Metal Gear Solid, minus the glasses. Of course its also an unlockable costume for Rumble Roses XX.*