Conte de noël
I do not own skip beat! Yoshiki Nakamura does.
(light presence of OC in this chapter)
~Le'ts make a wish chapter 4~
When she arrived at the meeting, she took her bags wondering if she had brought too much with her as her travel bag weighted a lot more she remembered. She had fed the cats in anticipation of her absence but she still worried herself for not seeing Cornflake just before leaving. She wondered where he could have gone.
Kyoko had a few meetings and scenes to do but it was very packed and she already knew that they would end up slipping the load of work between today and tomorrow. It was impossible with every person working on this movie to do all of this in one day.
She made her way to the first meeting room and sit on one of the chairs waiting for the others to arrive.
They were half through the discussion for the new contracts on this shooting when her travel bag wiggled suspiciously. Kyoko looked at it warily but was later caught on in the discussion and forgot about.
The meeting ended and Kyoko went to the studio on the east side, a bit off-centred from the city.
Upon reaching the studio she met some of her colleagues gathered at the entrance and greeted them warmly before withdrawing inside the building.
Kyoko sat on a bench situated near a wall and began to search for her script as she wanted to check some lines on last time. Not finding it in backpack she went for her travel bag and a ball of fur jumped at her landing in her lap with a happy miaowl.
"What are you doing here?" Kyoko murmured shocked by the apparition but mindful of her surroundings. She smoothed out his tousled fur sticking in every direction possible after his trip into her bag and pondered on how she was going to explain this.
He miaowled with pride and Kyoko sighed.
Here went my plans on keeping it low…
There was no such a thing as anonymity when you had a cat as no deaf colleagues worked on this movie. As such, jumping at the providence given, several individuals that already noticed her flocked to the unaware lamb with incredible rapidity to gather themselves around their target.
The actress was rather appreciated on the shooting and it hadn't been a rare occurrence to see one man or another attempting to demonstrate their "interest" in quite obvious fashions sometimes to the loveliness gracing them with its presence and her golden eyes.
But, to no avail.
Try as they may, they would be dismissed in the most pitiful way each and every times as the object of their attention wouldn't even notice that what they were engaging in advances toward her person.
Discontentment had been growing with every fails, every smiles, every incomprehension accumulating and sullen actors begun a regular sight on the shooting through the last months. Some of them thought she was looking down on them while others were just frustrated by her obliviousness.
All the same, they still hoped to catch her attention and so whatever the reason, the opportunity was gold.
Henceforth, five very interested males were floating around Kyoko with shooting questions to which she answered with as much grace as she could genuinely happy that so much people loved Cornflake though a bit overwhelmed.
And the men, so happy to have found another subject to talk with her, through themselves into chatting about the giant fluffy very grumpy cat glued to Kyoko to claws lightly stuck into Kyoko's flesh coupled with occasional growls under the considerate gaze of Kyoko, persuaded he was just oppressed by all the attention. When, really, it was just pure possessiveness.
I won't move! Get the fuck away heated bastards!
Eventually, most individuals sinking into their mind it was another fruitless try backed away escaping air out of their lungs balloons.
One remained.
" Hi Kyoko. I'm coming after the hurricane passed, it seems. You okay? "
"Hi Julian " Kyoko replied warmly. He was one of his co-stars in this movie and they had grown quite friendly with each other along these last few months. He was a funny and kind guy though a bit of a loner at times. "I'm okay. I'm just afraid they stressed him out" Kyoko added petting Cornflake.
Ren eyed the new guy warily. Milk coffee skin, trimmed beard and blond waves pictured him pretty well. He had an easy smile and a teasing glint in the pupils. He was looking at Kyoko tenderly and Ren felt a chill ran up his fur, raising his guard instantly.
The dude took a step forward and picked up the pendant at his collar ignoring his hiss before looking at Kyoko with an amused smile.
"Cornflake? Seriously?" Julian asked, chuckling a bit.
"Yup" Kyoko deadpanned. "Sorry about that though. He slipped into my bag. I will have to talk to the director" A frown on her face as she said that.
"He's very big" Julian added after a while looking at Ren with cautious.
Ren smiled broadly showing him his teeth. And I bite.
"Don't bother. I saw it and talk to him about it. He said that as long as he's good, he doesn't mind" Julian explained with a reassuring smile trying to ignore the chill he got while looking at Kyoko's murderous eyes' cat.
Kyoko breathed in relief.
"Thank you, Julian" Kyoko said, grateful.
"No problem" Julian mumbled lifting a hand and brushing aside some hair behind her ear.
The cat growled loudly.
"-She's mine! Fuck off!" He hissed before snapping his jaws at him angrily.
Julian took a step back. That cat is dangerous.
Ren growled once more for good mesure.
"I don't think it's a good idea, Julian."Kyoko said shaking her head. "He seems pretty nervous, I prefer to keep him near me until I need to move".
See! Back off.
"Where did you find this cat, Kyoko?" Demand Julian. "You never told about him, just Snow."
"You're right. I found him recently" Kyoko explained.
"You found him?! Kyoko, he looks dangerous!" Julian exclaimed with urgency. It wasn't a damn cat that would keep him away from her.
Ren rolled on his back paws spread from one side of Kyoko's knee to the other behind his head, the true image of trust and relaxation and purred like crazy so that even a few staffs turned with a fond smile on their faces.
Me? Dangerous?...Pfff…
See how cute I'am…relaxed…I'm just a big fluffy cat…
"See?" Kyoko countered. "You stepped back and he relaxed. He was just stressed, don't worry".
But when Julian tempted to close in again, Ren snapped his jaws at him again with a murderous glare. The only person I'm not dangerous for is her…I will rip a limb or two from you if you ever try to touch her again…
"Yeah, sure" Julian grumbled after a while. "I'm going to look for a drink. See you on set, Kyoko" He added, backing out quickly. Damn scary cat…
It's brilliant! How did I never think about it before…Being a cat is so efficient to through off unnecessarily attention from her…Ren thought, clinging his belly to her own and rubbing his nose on her arm, purring in contentment and satisfaction while Kyoko wondered if this cat was playing body guard with her or something. So possessive….though, she found it kind of cute.
Night was setting and Kyoko heaved in relief. The day progressed easier and much faster than Kyoko thought through her doing her scenes while Cornflake would wait for her folded on the bench and him curled around her and never wanting to leave her sides during breaks.
The director came to her while on one of them and Kyoko tried to apologize for the presence of her cat before he brushed it off like it was nothing saying he had been good so far but he advised her to go home at the end of the day rather than staying at a hotel stating that would another matter altogether to keep the cat there and that they didn't need her tomorrow. Which was technically true, they weren't even shooting scenes where she would be needed but she still felt that to rest when all the others accepted to come back during their break and the director had to insist strongly for her to agree on it.
He also asked for a little favour from her. And that's how on the first trailer advertising the future movie people all around the world would see an enormous cute fluffy main coon cat playing prince charming while lifted in the air by several ladies one after the other for him to peck them on their lips to Ren absolute horror. I'm on a toy!
He had ewed the all-time the scenes went on where the women cooed to him and around nearly more than when he was a man until he was returned and secured back to Kyoko's arms much to his alleviation while she apologized countlessly to him, seeming a bit disgusted at what they did too. Ren licked his fur in an effort to remove the different lipsticks remains glued to it, grimacing all the way into it and sticking his tongue out.
Yerks! It tastes awful…
They left then and Kyoko bought a little leash while she drove them elsewhere, having stated she needed to make a very quick stop before going home.
They reached her flat and got out of the car. Then Kyoko went to the trunk and Ren sighed. I really wish I was human again to help her with that.
She opened the trunk of her rent car and dragged the fir and future Christmas inside her flat with little puffs and huffs along the way. Ren followed cautiously, miaowling at interval times behind her worried it was too heavy and that she would stumble.
"Take a damn break already! You have stairs to climb "Ren miaowled with unease. Where does she find such a strength?
Of course between the fact she couldn't understand him and her mind set on finishing this, Kyoko didn't even listen once bit and went on.
"Stubborn incredible woman, would you please listen and go easy on you! " He went on and on in miaowls and worried yowls turning around her in helpless concern.
"Shhh, Cornflake. I'm almost done." Kyoko said ignoring most of him.
"God! This is so frustrating! " Ren growled at himself and his incapacity to provide a hand. I can't even help her He thought with sorrow and annoyance.
Nonetheless, the tree ended up upright inside Kyoko's flat. And with Kyoko will, it was quite quick at that.
Kyoko went straight to the kitchen and served him some cheese with the pill in it before starting to warm something up on the glass-ceramic plate. And like each time Ren sniffed around, pushed with his paw, grabbed the part with pill while Kyoko wasn't looking and climbed the stairs before opening the window and jumping outside to throw away the morsel. He came back as quickly and ate a bit, though still reluctantly.
Kyoko smiled at him while he was eating, oblivious to his sneaky handling and a little cup of milk appeared soon on the counter and Ren lapped at it happily.
I really don't know how I failed to notice how delicious milk is…
Humming to herself, Kyoko grinned happily knowing what time had come. A steaming mug of cocoa in the hands she went to change herself into some sweater dress and leggings and came back, almost ready to begin.
Ren was lapping some water when Kyoko returned and he violently coughed upon seeing her. She was wearing what appear to be a white soft knitting sweater dress with a loose collar that hugged her curves at all the right place while still seeming large to her and darks blue thin fitting pants clinging to her shapely legs and making them seem to extend to no end. There was an air of sensual simplicity around her that rendered him speechless and Ren was still trying to determine how a person could so comfy in cloths and still appears to be so damn arousing. To this point, sexy lingerie would have had less of an effect on him that this.
Another temptation was a novelty he had noticed since he was here and wasn't there the last time he saw her in person two years ago.
The damn woman was attempting some twisted seduction, there was no other explanation. Because, there was a quasi-permanent absence or lack of upper underwear. Most of the times, there could be undershirt, shirt, or pullover or anything but nothing whatsoever under it. He didn't to look to be there to know it, it was a thing a man knew when looking at a woman.
And damn, if it was arousing him.
He has wondered, wondered and wondered. But the conclusion was still the same. Kyoko, his Kyoko would never did this to seduce someone. It's just wasn't something she would do. Only one thing remains therefore; she was doing it because she didn't to want them.
Which was by far, far far worse.
He had to admit he had been surprise by the change. It was still her, humble, simple but it carried an exacerbated elegance and sensuality that was unbalancing him.
Like this knit sweater dress, it covered everything but the low collar giving off just a glimpse of her collarbones and that was all. And the obvious lack of anything under it the sweater dress. It was like pulling at the notions of seen and unseen.
And no matter how much more unseen there was, in all modesty; it still make want to climb up the walls. It was like, the less she showed off, the more he wanted to see.
And he had seen!
It was driving in nuts with unnecessarily things. Worse of all, she had changes styles, matured but he knew it was done in mostly unconsciously; deep down, though more grown-up she was still the same.
That! Of all things was what's the more alluring to him, she had stayed herself and just evolved. It was the same girl, the same woman, the same tastes just more adult-like.
Ren groaned and dropped his nose into his bowl of water, trying to escape the tantalizing view.
You are torturing me in all innocence.
I want to rip off your clothes and…
Once he thought he had cleared his mind of his naughty thoughts, he then took note of Kyoko in the living-room putting a disc in the player.
"Time to decorate" she declared merrily and Ren stared at the numerous boxes near the tree understanding her intentions when soft happy Christmas music begun to be heard in the apartment. Adorable sexy woman…
Ren smile behind his whiskers and dropped from the counter.
But I'll play around and participate…
He padded to her and sit at a few inches from her gazing at her as she unpacked baubles and Christmas statuettes. She took a red glasses one with snowy scenery and hanged it at one of the branches of the tree. Then a white one. And so on.
Ren followed the lead and taking a velvet red ribbon by the tie in his teeth he walked to the tree and brought it to Kyoko before miaowling weakly.
Kyoko whirled around to find with sheer spinning amazement Cornflake, looking at her expectantly while he carried a ribbon in his mouth and waited for her to take it.
Is it really…
"You've got to be kidding…" Kyoko breathed out, still downright not believing her own eyes. "You want me to hang it for you?" Kyoko asked, not really acknowledging what demanding this could implied but just swimming in her own messed up thoughts and going with the flow.
Cornflake nodded and miaowled.
Numbly she took the ribbon from him.
"I must be seeing things…"Kyoko sighed out, thinking she was just tired.
Cornflake growled at her.
"What?"
He stared at the ribbon in her hand then at her face pointedly.
"You really want for me to hang this?" Kyoko demanded again.
He nodded again and Kyoko suddenly felt a bit dizzy.
"Where?" Kyoko mumbled in reflex after a while, still numbed and feeling like her reality shifted on its axes.
Cornflake lift himself on his back legs fumbling his front paws in the air as to show something though Kyoko couldn't identify what.
Gulping with renew wonder, Kyoko laid the velvet ribbon tentatively on one of the low branches of the tree but nearly instantly Cornflake did the same move with his paws.
"Higher?"
He nodded and when she reached the right high, he miaowled happily and Kyoko hanged the ribbon before turning to him foot after foot to stare at him.
"Do you really understand what I' am saying?" she demanded slowly, carefully while she fixed him with a serious look.
And, once more,
He nodded, vigorously this time.
Progress! Ren thought. It's the first step to make her understand I'm me…
"I think I need to sit" Kyoko said before dropping in front of him in a sitting position.
Ren closed in and put his front legs on her knee with concern. He knew it was a lot to take in and she had just realised he wasn't the lambda cat. He couldn't even imagine what would be her reaction when or if he managed to make her understand he was Ren.
"I can't believe you understand me" she gazed at him, wondering how it was even possible.
Ren patted in comfort her knee with his right paw.
She smiled at him.
"You are a very unique cat" Kyoko declared.
"You have no idea how much this is true Ren miaowled and nodded again.
Ren saw the moment she got an idea and wondered what got into her mind this time.
"Okay. If you okay, I'm going to ask you a few questions. Just to be sure "Kyoko explained to him after a moment of reflexion.
He nodded again.
Kyoko pinched her lips. "Are you actually able to do something else or did I just made all of this up?"
Ren rolled her eyes at her and she giggled a bit.
"Well, you never did anything else but nodding so I wonder" Kyoko said with a shrug.
That's my move…!
Ren patted her knee again and look at her waiting and Kyoko thought about it some more.
"You appeared in my bedroom out of nowhere…"Kyoko stated and Ren purred in pride already liking her quick train of thoughts.
"Were you lost?" Kyoko asked.
He shook his head.
"Can you tell me where you from?" She then asked.
Ren shook his head again and stared at the floor in frustration. He could only answer "Yes "and "no" questions after all, it makes the communication rather limited.
Kyoko thought some more and for a while the flat was quiet beside the music in the background.
"Ah" Kyoko said suddenly. "You don't eat beside cheese, milk and some meat. Do you not like the kibbles?"
Ren made a face before shaking his head.
"And humid food?" prodded Kyoko.
Ren growled a bit.
"Even worse. You are also a difficult cat apparently. Besides being fluent in human communication "Kyoko half noted half lectured him.
Ren just turned his head, ignoring her.
"Are you a moody cat ?" Kyoko asked at last, persuaded it was the case.
Ren shrugged nonchalantly in a cat way and Kyoko froze, blinked at him to erase the image that just overlapped on his cat's face for second before shaking it off once more.
"So you can understand me…Kyoko stated and Ren miaowled merrily before jumping at her and licking her cheek.
Finally! Maybe I have a chance in fact…Ren thought, praising her ability to believe in all supernatural magic things so easily for once.
"Okay okay, I understand. You can be affectionate when you want after all" Kyoko said with amusement.
Oh, you have no idea how affectionate I can be if you give me the chance…Ren thought while he purred in her neck.
"So, do you want to continue decorate?" Kyoko asked after a while, not really able to process everything for now but accepting it nonetheless.
He nodded and they resumed the activity in a festive mood. Ren bringing her baubles and ribbons and her hanging it on the tree and around the flat before Kyoko went to put on some lights around the house and all the while she was singing to Christmas songs with Ren miaowling time to time tagging along in a sort.
Though once the tree was done, Ren had to suppress some irresistible urges to climb it and play with all the Knicks-knacks hanging in the air.
On the other side of the planet a man was throwing his phone through the door, very concerned for the first time in a long while. They had searched everywhere. Every single place they could think of. It had been days the discovery of the empty flat and he had to make the call. Lory was actually hoping that calling those will result in them rubbing it to him he was there from the beginning and how happy they were for the visit. But it would have been too good. No, instead, he had to announce a very mourning new to the most adorable parents of the earth.
The call nearly ended his life several until he managed to back off.
The scene from seven days ago was still vivid behind his pupils as he walked through the apartment after a rushed fly to Korea when Yashiro had been out of ideas on where to look for two days after his disappearance. The dark and cold when he entered the place. The deep perception of hollowness inhabiting the area as Lory had advanced. Scripts neatly put on a table. A cold cup of coffee. An empty fridge as always.
Inside his bedroom, a barely touched glass of whisky seeing the colour, a glazed door overlooking a balcony covered in snow had been ajar and had let numerous flakes making the way inside the room drenching his carpet, his watch on nightstand along with his phone, his wallet and passport had completed the scenery of an occupied room. A suitcase and more scripts had soon been added to the numerous things found and proving the lack of escape possible.
The requirement of his occupant being there more blatant by the second Lory had found things he would never leave behind.
But they never found his occupant and they were still looking for it, nearly ten days later.
To Lory disbelief grief, things were not looking good. Not at all. Only one thing could be done at this point.
End of chapter 4
PS: Here is chapter four, hope you will like. Reviews are my food. There, she figured a thing out. Finally.
And yeah, cats can really be possessive. We have some like that. Territorial cats. Snort. Though it's most likely not for the same reasons as Ren ^^ XD.
Kisses.
Author out.
