Ryou Bakura- Film Maker
This chapter just poured out, so hey, early update.
Chapter 2
Welcome to the Big Leagues
Bakura parked and jogged up the street to the Café Grande, a tiny little lunch restaurant. He walked in.
"Table for one please." He said to the hostess. "And could you please seat me near Maximillion Pegasus, he's expecting me." He said. The hostess nodded and grabbed a menu, leading Bakura to the seat. As they walked, Bakura pulled a cell phone from his pocket. It didn't have batteries, and even if it did, his service had been cut off. But the look was important. Another trick Bakura had picked up- even if you can't be the part, if you look and act the part, it may just be enough. Bakura sat down directly behind Pegasus, and mimed talking on the phone. In reality, he was listening in on Pegasus.
"Mr. Pegasus, I've gone over the available stars." Pegasus' assistant Croquet said. "And our choices are limited." Pegasus nodded.
"What about Taisho, I hear he and his wife are looking for a couple role." He said. Croquet shook his head.
"Sorry sir. I know you want to finance a big actor, but I don't know…"
"What about Yami Muto?" Pegasus asked suddenly. Croquet shook his head.
"Sorry, he's talking to another director for a film already." Croquet said. Bakura grinned to himself. Showtime. Bakura started to raise his voice. Step one: get their attention with a name.
"Hey, you don't tell me who stars in my films!" He snapped into the cell phone. "I don't care if you signed Yami for this deal, maybe I want someone else!" Pegasus turned around in his seat.
"Yami Muto?" He asked. Bakura nodded.
"Yeah, him. Can you believe these morons are telling me who I'm casting for my movie?" He asked, snorting. He turned back to the 'caller'. "Hey, look, get him. I'll talk to him. Tell him I'll cast him for the film, but if I do, my producer is pulling out….yeah, you heard me. I'll cast Yami, but where on earth am I going to find another producer willing to finance a film with Yami on such short notice?" Bakura asked. "Fine, get Yami, I'll talk to him." Pegasus turned to Croquet and jerked a thumb at Bakura.
"He has Yami." Pegasus muttered. Croquet raised an eyebrow.
"He has Yami?" He replied.
"I've got Yami!" Bakura said cheerfully. "Hey Yami, long time….well, the producer says he's heard bad things, and…no, I don't know his name. Well look, I really want you in this, but he'll pull out the cash if you're in it. If I can find another producer, you've got the part, but if I don't, well…" Pegasus turned around again.
"Let me talk to him." He said. Bakura looked up.
"Huh?" Pegasus pointed at the phone.
"Let me talk to Yami." He repeated. Bakura nodded.
"Ok, just a minute. Yami…guess who's here? Maximillion Pegasus…what? I said Maximillion Pegasus! Ah damn, I knew I forgot to recharge it. Yami, I'll call ya later, my batteries are….damn." Bakura cursed and clicked his cell phone shut. "Sorry Mr. Pegasus, my batteries died." Pegasus stared at him.
"You're filming a movie with Yami Muto?" He asked. Bakura shrugged.
"Well yeah, provided I can find a producer on such short notice." He muttered. "I'm not sure…hey…aren't you a producer?" He asked. Pegasus shrugged.
"That depends, I'll have to look at the script." Bakura reached into his suit.
"Here." He said, holding it out. Pegasus took it and looked it over.
"I like the start." He said. "Hm…good characters…Seth, now that's a villain…hm. It needs a line, where's the line?" He asked. Bakura smiled.
"Page 47, line 17." He said. Pegasus flipped through the script and found it.
"Hm…go to Hell, old friend." He muttered.
"What do you think?" Bakura asked.
"I think I just saw the red carpet at the premiere." Pegasus replied, handing the script back to Bakura. "I like it, it's good. You get the okay from Yami, if he's willing to sign the contract, you got yourself a producer pal." Bakura smiled.
"Thank you Mr. Pegasus. Don't worry, I know Yami. He'll take the script, he's mature."
- - - - - - - - - -
"I hate it!" Yami screamed, stomping through his mansion. The man behind him jogged to catch up, sweating.
"I admit, it's not the best script, but there's lots of action."
"Shut up!" Yami snapped. "What's the line, I didn't hear the line!"
"The line?" the man asked. Yami turned around.
"God damn, you know…the line! That line, the line that makes the film, what's the line?" The man fumbled with a script in his hands.
"Uh, it's uh, uh…Well that was nasty." Yami stared.
"That was nasty? That's it, that's the line, that's the best you Hollyweird screw-ups can come up with?" He snarled, turning and marching.
"It's a reoccurring line, he says it five times!" The man protested.
"That's stupid. The audience has to listen, hear it before hand. A line has to stand on its own, or else it becomes too complicated!" Yami yelled, entering his study. "We don't need complicated shit, we're making a movie, not a film, god damn it!" The man sputtered.
"Well look, I'll talk to the writer, and…"
"You know what else?" Yami said, sitting at his computer. "I ran the script last night, scanned it. Discovered something interesting with it." Yami typed, and pointed at the screen. "There, there it is! Page 8, you circle every 6th letter, it spells out START WORLD WAR THREE. And page 11, circle every 9th letter. VOTE FOR A COMMUNIST PRESIDENT." Yami put his hands on his hips and glared at the man. The man's jaw dropped.
"What?" He gasped.
"I'm on to you, big boy. Your stupid little brainwashing game isn't gonna fly with me!" Yami said. "Go brainwash your dumbass politics through someone else, because I'm on to you!" The man stood up and ran from the room. "Yeah, run fat boy, run!" Yami shouted. The man passed Yami's agent, who entered. "Hey Tristan, what's up?" Yami asked, leaning back in his computer chair. Tristan cleared his throat.
"Well, sir, you have a Paradias meeting soon. You have to leave." Tristan explained. Yami nodded.
"Fine, I'm going." He said, getting up.
- - - - - - - - - -
Tristan held open the door to the limo outside, and Yami went to climb in.
"Excuse me Mr. Muto!" Yami looked up as Bakura jogged up to him. "Script delivery, from Paramount." Yami shook his head.
"Buzz off, I ain't working for no Paramount." He snapped. Bakura looked down at the script in his hands.
"Sorry, I meant Universal." He lied. Yami pursed his lip.
"We'll see, let me have it." He said, snatching the script. "This thing looks long, it ain't no Lord of the Rings trilogy crap, is it? I've told you bigwigs, I don't do the medieval shit."
"No no no, it's not like that, this script is great, it's just your thing." Bakura assured him. Yami's head snapped up.
"Wait a minute, you're the delivery boy, right? How do you know it's just my thing?" Bakura shrugged.
"I read it on the way over, hope you don't mind."
"God damn, you were reading my script?" Yami snapped. Bakura held up his hands.
"Look, it's a great script. It's fantasy, which has been popular recently, and…"
"Shut up!" Yami muttered, tossing the script over his shoulder. "Get outta here, take your dumbass script with ya." Bakura raced past him and picked up the script.
"Okay, thank you anyway. I have to go as it is, I'm late for my Paradias meeting." Yami froze and looked over his shoulder.
"Paradias?" He asked. Bakura nodded.
"Yeah, I'm a level 2 member." He said. God bless Google search engines. Yami smiled.
"You want a lift?" Yami asked. Bakura smiled back.
"You're a member too?"
"Hell yeah, come on. I'll give ya ride." Yami said, climbing in. Bakura climbed in next to him, and Tristan slammed the door shut. "Who's your councilor?" Yami asked.
"Valon." Bakura replied. The limo started up and drove down the driveway of Yami's mansion. The limo turned and drove about 20 feet before screeching to a halt. The back door opened, and Bakura hit the street. Yami leaned out.
"I'm not an idiot home boy. Go home, ya lying sack of shit!" He snarled, closing the door. Bakura stood in the street as the limo drove away.
"Please, I'm a small time director with a great script, just read it!" He pleaded. The limo stopped again, and the script was flung out the window. Bakura sighed and pulled a quarter from his pocket. He walked down to pick up the battered script before finding a payphone.
"Yeah?" Malik said, answering. Bakura sighed.
"Just finished my little run around town. Pegasus will only finance me if I can get Yami Muto to star. So I went to see Yami."Bakura said.
"Yeah? And how did that go?"
"Not like I'd hoped."
