Chapter Two:
Yugi sighed as he and Joey pushed through the crowd gathered inside the courtyard of Domino Grand Hotel, where Erica Lynch would soon be arriving. This had turned into a weird festival of sorts, with hundreds of people walking around with DVDs, T-shirts, necklaces, bracelets, and even some masks based off of Erica Lynch's movies. There were vendors selling such memorabilia along with junk food. The people who had turned out ranged both genders, all ages, and all types, though the vast majority were the sort of punk-goth one typically expected with the macabre. In that case, Yugi noted ruefully, he fit in more than Joey, with his spiky tri-colored hair, black clothes, and chains.
They had arrived an hour ago, when the crowd was still at a manageable size, Joey dragging Yugi around at all the vendors to inspect what they had to offer. He had not bought anything but several hotdogs, a salt pretzel, and soda, but he was still excitedly examining all the T-shirts featuring the posters, DVD covers, and signatures of Erica Lynch. He appeared as excited as he ever had been with Duel Monsters.
"Check this out, Yug'!" he said, holding up a man's ring at yet another vendor's table.
"That's based off of the ring Hayden March wore in Sweet Dreams," the vendor said.
"Yeah, I know," Joey said with a grin. "Probably my third favorite movie by her."
"My fourth," the vendor said. "Chainsaw Lullaby was better."
Joey shook his head, but he turned his attention to Yugi, holding the ring so that he could see it. A thick, pewter ring, it featured a chain-link design around the band and on top was a heart with a dagger through it. Rather tame, compared to what Yugi had been expecting.
"You gonna buy it?" the vendor asked, a trifle impatiently as Joey tried it on. It fit rather well.
Joey, who had been too busy inspecting the ring to have looked at the price tag dangling from it, did so now. His brow wrinkled. "Fifteen dollars?"
"That's cheap," the vendor snapped. "My stuff's at least 10% cheaper than anywhere else. I've seen those rings go for twenty-five."
Joey frowned, but studied the ring.
"Just buy it if you want it, Joey," Yugi said. "I haven't seen any other rings around here."
"Yeah, you're right. Besides, how often is Erica Lynch going to be coming to Domino?"
"Just once," the vendor said, now a bit nicer now that there was a possibility of a sale. "She always does."
Joey grinned again, setting the ring down so he could reach into his back pocket for his wallet. "Yeah. How cool is it she chose us?"
"Have you seen her before?"
"Nah. She's usually in America. Last time she was in Japan, it was Kyoto, and that was too far, then."
The vendor took Joey's twenty and reached into his moneybox for a five. "Oh, yeah, that was eleven years ago. You'd've been like ten or something."
"Twelve," Joey corrected, taking the five. He picked up the ring, tore off the price tag, and slid it onto his middle right finger.
"Hey, guys, her limo's down the street!" another Lynch fan said. "Better hurry up and get over there."
Joey whooped and hurried towards the circular driveway in front of the hotel where the limo would be dropping Erica Lynch off. It was already lined with fans, while a podium had been erected in the middle of the grass space for her to make a speech. Joey grabbed Yugi's arm to keep him from being lost in the crowd and pulled him along with him as he forced his way to the front. A few people muttered some unkind things to which Yugi apologized, but Joey ignored. He didn't stop until he'd forced his way right to the front, hauling Yugi along with him. They stopped at the edge of the sidewalk, where they had a good view of the podium from the left front angle. On either side of the podium and behind it were two giant cardboard theater displays. One of Deathstrike I and the other of a movie called Murder Ranch. It featured an empty animal pasture in the foreground, and an ominous ranch house in the background, alongside which was an empty car with its passenger front door hanging open. The sky was dark and cloudy, and the overall tone was abandonment, except for the car, which spoke of someone dragged away.
Yugi shivered.
The limo made an appearance. Jet black, of course, it turned into the circular and cruised slowly along as people cheered and waved and jumped up and down. As it passed along the opposite side of the circular from where Joey and Yugi stood, Yugi tried to see inside, but the windows were tinted black. The limo stopped at the doors to the hotel, where a group of four security guards were keeping the crowd behind barriers. There was the slightest pause, during which the crowd repeatedly cheered and chanted Erica Lynch's name. Then the back door opened and three people climbed out- two men and a woman. The people near the hotel went nuts. They pressed against each other, leaning over the barriers, and screamed and cheered.
The woman, mostly blocked from view by the limo, the cardboard cutouts, and her two companions, turned to each side and waved. The limo pulled away and she turned toward the podium, crossing the circular with her companions, and mounted it. Now Yugi got a good look at Erica Lynch.
She was a thin woman of medium height, with thick, wavy hair that was raven black. Her large eyes were the grey of storm clouds and her skin was smooth and lightly tanned. Despite being over fifty, the only wrinkles were crow's feet at the corners of her eyes. Her body was in good shape and she dressed impeccably in a woman's black pantsuit and a shell-pink blouse. Her face was pretty, with the vestiges of what must have once been breathtaking loveliness.
"There she is," Joey breathed next to Yugi.
"She's not what I was expecting," Yugi said.
"What were you expecting?"
"Someone who looked more like Ozzie Osbourne. She looks more like Sharon Stone with black hair."
Joey laughed. "She used to act before directing. Her first film was Beauty That Kills. She was a knockout then."
"Hello, ladies and gentlemen!" Erica cried into the microphone. Her voice was robust and cheerful. "Are you ready for more blood?"
The crowd roared in agreement.
"Are you ready for more guts?"
More screams of agreement.
"More horror and terror?"
A third wave of cheering accompanied her question. Erica smiled broadly, pulling the microphone from its stand.
"That's what I like to hear! Domino City is going to be a great place for horror this year, I can feel it! Do you want to know what this movie's all about?"
She sounded like any camp counselor gearing kids up for a fun summer. As she waited through the fresh howling from the audience, the two men with her stood on either side of her, unsmiling and dour. They were clearly the twin sons her biography had mentioned. Blond, muscular, freckled, they were identical. They looked like they couldn't wait for the promotion to be over with.
"It's a new project," Erica said. "Sorry, all you Deathstrike fans."
There was some groaning, but mostly just expectant silence. Erica smiled again. As she spoke, she turned from side to side, speaking to the whole audience. She did not seem like the type to glorify death and dismemberment.
Her sons did.
"The working title is Massacre Valley, but that could easily change. We need eight stars and about two dozens extras. Will I find them here in Domino?"
The crowd screamed the loudest yet. Erica stepped off the podium, moving around to its front and facing the majority of the crowd.
"I'll be searching for the cast for the next two weeks. If you want to be an extra or have a bit part in the film, grab an application from Jake or Logan-" She indicated the two unsmiling twins, "and then show up with it filled out tomorrow at noon, Monday at five, or Tuesday at five here at the hotel. The desk clerk will tell you the right meeting room. As for those eight stars, if you've never heard of my process before, I will decide whom I want to audition. There will be no form auditions for those. I will be touring Domino and looking for my next stars myself. Hold your breath- it might be you!"
Erica turned and put the microphone back as the crowd roared its approval. The filmmaker turned back to the hotel, but did not go inside. Instead, she turned to her left and started to greet her fans while her twins disappeared rudely into the hotel. As a pair of the security guards walked with her, Erica shook hands with no one, but she accepted proffered pads of paper and pens for autographs. There were so many people out that it seemed it would take her forever to reach where Joey and Yugi were standing. At least she had started on their side.
It didn't take as long as Yugi had thought. Erica signed only a third of what was thrust at her. She smiled and thanked people again and again, but kept a fairly brisk pace. Yugi did not blame her. Joey's estimate of a thousand strong turnout had probably missed the mark by two or three hundred.
Joey was shifting excitedly beside Yugi as Erica drew nearer. He and Yugi were right up against the barriers thanks to Joey's insistent maneuvering and they were being pressed forward by the crowd. If the guy behind Yugi got any closer, he'd have to buy him dinner.
Erica made it over to them at last. She accepted Joey's DVD and pen and briskly signed in a large, spiky script. She started to hand it back when she looked him full in the face for the first time. She stopped, her storm-grey eyes moving back and forth over Joey's face. Joey, who had been reaching for the DVD and pen, stopped too, and looked worried.
"Uh, Ms. Lynch?"
"What's your name?"
"Joey Wheeler."
She didn't seem to recognize him as the Duel Monsters player, but she smiled nonetheless. She was looking at Joey like he was the only person she wanted to see. Then her eyes flicked to Yugi and her smile widened. She looked excited. Still holding the DVD and pen, the items forgotten, she said brightly, "I've found my first two stars!"
Joey's jaw dropped. Yugi knew his own had done the same. As people stood around them in equally shocked silence, Erica stood beaming, as if the pair of them had made her proud.
"Wh-What?" Joey finally stammered.
"Oh, yes! My first two stars, I'm sure of it."
"But… But we don't know how to act, we've never been in anything before!"
"Are you a fan of mine, or not? That's how I do it!"
A few people laughed. Joey continued to stare in shock, and Yugi couldn't get his mouth to work either. Erica transferred the pen in one hand to the other one still holding the DVD, then reached up, briefly holding Joey's chin.
"Absolutely, I want you in my movie. You've got the blonde good looks perfect for the Adam character. It's like it was written for you!"
Joey blushed as Erica released his chin and took a step back, looking him over and nodding to herself. Then she looked at Yugi.
"And you! You're the most unique person I've ever seen! What a cute face you have, and such lovely eyes! I have to have you, too."
People were starting to whisper the news to each other. In a couple of minutes, nearly everyone was murmuring to each other while they stared at Yugi, Joey, and Erica. Yugi opened his mouth to speak, and nothing came out. Joey was looking around from side to side, and he was starting to grin. He liked attention and he had a healthy sense of self-worth, and it was clear this was beginning to appeal to him. Yugi, who had always hated being the center of attention, wanted to tell Erica that there was no way, but everyone was staring at him.
"So, will you do it?" Erica asked. "Be warned, I don't like no."
Joey was grinning fully now. He clapped his arm around Yugi's shoulders and announced, "Yeah!"
Yugi looked up at him in horror. He started to protest, but Erica overrode him.
"Great! Excellent! Come here, come here."
She grabbed the sawhorse barrier in front of Joey and Yugi herself and yanked it away, making an opening for them to walk through. She hooked her arm through Joey's other, pulling him through the opening of the barrier, and since Joey still had his other arm around Yugi, he was pulled along, too. The security guards were quick in putting the barrier back into place, keeping the rest of the fans back, though no one tried to break through. The whole crowd was still whispering and craning to see. As Erica guided Joey towards the podium from which she'd had her speech, Yugi looked around in self-conscious horror, his mind stuttering as he tried to protest feebly. He was ignored by both Erica and Joey.
"I have terrific news!" Erica said as she grabbed the remote again, let go of Joey, and faced the majority of the crowd before the podium. Joey turned Yugi around to face the same way and Yugi's voice died in his throat again as he was confronted with hundreds of people staring. "I've found my first two stars!"
The crowd began to cheer. Erica put her hand over the microphone and leaned over to Joey and Yugi.
"What's your name?" she asked Yugi.
"Yugi Moto," Yugi squeaked.
"That sounds familiar. So does Joey Wheeler in fact."
"We're-"
"Yugi Moto and Joey Wheeler, my two newest stars, ladies and gentlemen!" Erica cried into the microphone. "They've agreed to be in the movie!"
Yugi's protest was again drowned out, this time by a roar from the crowd so loud that it sounded as if a building were falling. He stared out at the crowd and he felt pinned beneath a spotlight, unable to move. Joey was grinning and laughing beside him, arm still around his shoulders, waving with his other hand. Yugi could just stand beside him, shocked and paralyzed.
They were going to be in the movie.
tbc...