A/N: This chapter hates me. HATES ME. It's refused to be written so many times. I had to start from scratch like five times and each time I hated it more. I think this version will work though. FINALLY.
As always thank you for your reviews, kind words, favorites and follows! Now that this jerk of a chapter is over, hopefully the foul beast known as writer's block has been vanquished for a while. Shout outs to Counting Sinful Stars, animagirl, Rosezelene Ersa, Drachegirl14, and Gallium Stoat for reviewing!
I would say more but I'm sure you all are more interested in the chapter. Update on real life blah-ness will be at the bottom if you're curious :)
Disclaimer: I do not Own Yu-Gi-Oh or any characters created by Kazuki Takahashi. I only own my OCs, this fic is purely for entertainment.
Chapter 16
"Is there a reason you're huddled on my couch?"
I looked up from where I had my face buried in my arms, glaring balefully at Seto. Currently I was sitting on the couch of his home office, back tight against the couch's arm and my knees drawn up and my arms resting on them. "Can you just please let me wallow in miserable silence for a few minutes? Thanks." Having said my piece I dropped my forehead back onto my knees, my hair falling to create a curtain around my face. Seto returned to reading whatever report was in his hands and let me sit in relative peace, until...
"You don't like silence."
Groaning I lifted my head again and pushed my hair out of my face, glaring again. "Seto, seriously just let me sort through my thoughts, please. I came here because I figured you would be less inclined to pry, but you're doing a pretty spot on impression of Hojo and his need to nag."
Seto raised an eyebrow, clearly unhappy with being compared to Hojo. We locked gazes for a moment, but the silent demand that I explain myself was there in his eyes. Sighing, I decided that giving in and explaining would be the easiest thing to do - at least then he might let me have a moment to collect my thoughts. Shuffling on the couch for a moment, I swung my legs down and faced him fully.
"Since you apparently won't let me sit here quietly and mind my own business," I purposefully ignored his pointed look around his office, "The truth is... I might have overstepped my bounds last night. Meaning that our board of directors is currently up in arms that I took the initiative to take out a major competitor without express permission from them or my uncle."
"I still don't understand how your uncle allows them to have so much say in how the company is run. You're his niece, you act in his name." Seto scowled, putting his papers down and giving me his full attention.
I made a wobbling motion with my hand to indicate 'kind-of-sort-of'. "I act in my own name with my uncle's blessing... Most of the time. This one time though I was only partially acting on his orders. Yes, he told me to weed out the mole quietly, which I did. But when I discovered that I could link the mole to Kaiji, and take down the Watanabe family for good..." I sighed again, running a hand through my hair. "I didn't tell him of my plans because if it had back-fired I wanted him to be able to come out of it without a mark on his reputation. You know it as well as I do; a failed takeover, or in this case a failed take down can seriously damage a CEO's reputation, and a damaged reputation leads to a drop in stock prices, loss of investors, and if bad enough can even lead to a complete bankruptcy. I wanted to protect my uncle and the company from any potential backlash, and if things had gone badly enough I could even take the blame off of Hojo and place it directly on myself."
"You're willing to sacrifice your own reputation to protect your uncle and cousin?" The look on Seto's face wasn't necessarily baffled, but there was definitely a need for clarification.
"Yes, because I'm the only one who can. I'm the only one who can operate subtly in the background without drawing attention to myself. Uncle Sota is watched too closely by both our board members and the public, while Hojo is too brash and reckless to successfully do anything quietly. I may be a public figure to a certain extent, but no one suspects me before it's too late and no one else believes that I'm capable of completely annihilating them."
Seto smirked. "A mistake on their part."
"Yes, but I prefer to think of it more as a victory against public perception." I said, standing and beginning to slowly pace. Actually, speaking with Seto was helping to calm my racing thoughts, grounding me and letting me think clearer. "I've made an image for myself as the demure little damsel, the reserved and unassuming Princess. Most of the general population wouldn't believe half the things I've been involved with even if they were given proof - not that there is any proof for them to find of course." Sighing I tilted my head as I looked out the windows, watching one of his gardeners working on the grounds. "Honestly Seto, sometimes I get so tired of wearing a mask in public. It's exhausting at times, and although using a fake persona has been useful, sometimes I want a real challenge and real recognition."
"Then stop wearing a mask. Let everyone know exactly who they're dealing with." Seto's gaze fixed on me, and I raised an eyebrow as he continued. "Reila you are one of the most powerful people in your company, but you're not taking credit for it. I've never understood why you don't stand up and take credit, why you don't let those small minded idiots know who it is that will be helping Hojo rule over Sarota. Don't let someone with half your intelligence think that they'll be able to order you around - let them know here and now that they will be answering to you one day and that you won't take anything less than complete obedience."
"You're suggesting that I give up the 'Princess' who follows rules set by others...?" My voice trailed off as I thought back to what my uncle had said about the meeting he'd had with the board members just this morning.
"Reila, I don't think you understand the gravity of this situation! I have board members screaming at me that you should have kept your mouth shut and let them handle it instead of dragging Hojo into a media maelstrom. I understand your anger at having our music stolen, you know that I don't tolerate thieves either. But lashing out at an entire company without even telling me - what were you thinking? Manabu is starting to spread a rumor that you're too vindictive and hostile, and his words aren't falling on deaf ears with this scandal."
"... Maybe it is time to stop pretending to be a princess..." I murmured, tugging on a curl as my thoughts picked up speed again. I was vaguely aware of the probing look that Seto was sending me, but I was too busy formulating a new plot. I was almost certain that Manabu was planning something big, something to try and take the A&R department out of my reach for good. This rumor that he was spreading would cement a few members of the board against me, and a head of any department needed a majority vote by the board members in order to officially take the position. If he could sway even just a few board members onto his side of the field, I wouldn't ever be able to take the position until the board members were six feet under. And since murder isn't my style, the only option would be to wait for them to croak of old age.
"I don't know why your uncle has let you sit on the sidelines for so long. You're too talented to hide away." Seto said, turning in his chair to face me fully. "But your biggest talent is being underutilized."
"I'm good at manipulating people and situations to the advantage of our company, everyone who bothers to look knows that. It's hardly a talent that's being underutilized." I said, raising an eyebrow. The statement was a bit blunt, but Seto knew that I'd been doing this for years. He'd seen me wrangle extra sweets, piano time, and even an extra half hour before lights out at the orphanage. My ability to read people so well gave me an advantage over other people my age, and even some who were a little older.
"You are good at it, but it's not your greatest talent." Seto said, gesturing to the television on his wall. When I'd gotten here he'd had the news playing, but I'd asked him to turn it off; instead he'd muted it. Now there was a clip of me and Hojo at the club last night, and from the captions beneath I knew that they were talking about the impromptu concert and discussing the causes and the immediate effects that were coming from it. "I saw it happen at the white party you hosted at your home a few months ago - when you take the stage, people listen. They see someone they want to be, and you're not turning that to your advantage. Men and women sit up and take notice, not just because you have a nice voice but because of the passion you pour into your music. You have a wealth of untapped potential but you're holding back. If you stopped hiding from it, you could use that talent to amass enough power and sway within your company so that no one would oppose you."
Seto... Had a point. I knew that my voice was fairly good, and that people liked my music. Granted the most praise had come from the two or three songs that I had "borrowed" from my memories, but the ones that I had written myself had been well received also. I'd had people hounding me with questions about why I hadn't become a recorded artist, and I always had an excuse. 'It would take time away from my studies' or 'I'm more concerned with helping my family and company where I can' were the main ones, but they were really just smokescreens to hide the truth.
I do not like being the center of attention.
I have no problems with sharing the stage with someone, or with being brought to the front for a moment or two. But the more time in the spotlight, the greater the chance that someone will notice something unusual about me. I already had enough attention drawn my way just from my physical appearance, I didn't want to run the risk of anyone delving into my personal life and seeing something that might clue them in that I'm more than who I say I am. I may have been born Reila Castille, but from even before my birth I've been something more. I was someone else, and a part of who I once was still existed inside me in the form of my memories. I'd already seen the danger of letting someone's attention sit on me for too long at Pegasus's castle, and if not for Ydor that would have ended horribly.
The fact is that there are people here in this world who can and will use the knowledge I have hidden within me and twist things to their advantage, to change the fate of the world. If I'm not careful, if I don't guard that knowledge carefully it could be disastrous. By staying out of the spotlight as much as possible, it reduces the risks of me painting a target on my back and welcoming more trouble into my life.
A moot point young one. You have already drawn attention to yourself once, and so long as you continue to associate with those who are even partially involved with the main challenges that this world will face you will continue to be a target. The real question is, will you become a target of your own making, or will you become a target to be used against those you care about?
You're not helping me Ydor. I blew a stray curl out of my face as Seto turned back to his reports, giving me time to think things over. By welcoming more publicity than I already have, I run the risk of a threat I don't know about figuring out that I know what will happen in the future.
You are using that as an excuse and you know it. If I could raise an eyebrow at him, I would have done it right then. The odds of someone discovering that you hold knowledge of the future just by following you around are slim to none. You do not outwardly show any signs of having knowledge you should not. All of your knowledge is here within your mind, and no one may enter here without having to face me. I am more than a match for any petty conjurer that you might meet.
It still doesn't make any sense to invite trouble.
I could both hear and almost feel Ydor's growl. It's really uncomfortable when he growls inside me.
I grow tired of your excuses young one. Are you or are you not going to do what is necessary to achieve your ultimate goal? I have seen your thoughts, particularly those centered around this Manabu person. He will do whatever he can to stop you from taking control of the realm you desire, this 'A&R'. The boy has a point, if you start building power now then when it comes time for him to hand over leadership you can effectively take it from him - but you must begin now.
Sighing, I almost felt like I was being blindsided by both Seto and Ydor. But my dragon friend did have a point, the chances of someone truly finding out what secrets I had were minuscule. And they were both right that in order to take control of the true power of the company in the end, I would need to start gathering more loyalty and power than I currently held.
"Manabu wouldn't expect me to announce that I have any intention of becoming a recorded artist..." I murmured, seeing the pieces falling into place. He'd be blindsided, and the publicity from my announcing an album release date could potentially overshadow this whole incident with Royalty.
"You've mentioned that name before." Seto said, raising an eyebrow and motioning quickly with his hand for me to elaborate.
"He's the current head of the A&R department, and hates me with every fiber of his being. Once upon a time he had intentions of asking my mother to marry him, but then she ran away with my father before he had a chance. He sees my existence as a permanent reminder that my mother chose another over him and considers my being adopted back into the family as a personal insult." I shrugged my shoulders. "I've been dealing with his whining ever since, but he's smart enough to keep the real reasons for his bitterness towards me away from my uncle's eyes and ears. And my going to my uncle with a complaint about him would undermine any respect I've managed to build up with the current board members."
Seto nodded in understanding. "So he's your main obstacle."
"He is, and he thinks he knows me well enough to stop me. If I sign a contract with Sarota I will ultimately be at his mercy, but there are ways around that. The real challenge will be keeping myself out of his clutches entirely, seeing as he can cut funding for anything to do with my album at any time. I might ask my uncle about bolstering one of our lesser known labels with my album, and if I can get Gorou Kimoto to agree to be my producer I should be able to keep Manabu from throwing too many curveballs my way. Gorou has enough pull with the company to get things done that I alone wouldn't be able to." The more I thought about it, the more this plan was sounding like the best option. Using Gorou as a buffer would keep Manabu from completely undermining me, and my uncle would be closely watching my career as well. If Manabu overstepped his bounds and was found to be blatantly sabotaging me, my uncle would not be the only one questioning why.
"Good. It's better that you're scheming instead of moping." Seto said, turning to his desk again. I rolled my eyes in his general direction but smiled, because I really was feeling better now that I had a game plan.
"Thanks for being a sound board Seto. I'll be sure to put a touching note of thanks in the dedication section of my album." I said, winking at the scowl on his face.
"Don't. No one bothers to read those things."
After saying goodbye to Mokuba on my way out the door - he'd just come back from the museum with his history tutor - I made my way home and began planning in earnest. Mai had left to a neighboring town to participate in a smaller Duel Monsters tournament, and since Hojo and my uncle were both still at the office that gave me plenty of time to come up with the best way to pitch my idea to my uncle. I needed to properly spin my idea in a way that made me sound apologetic enough to soothe my uncle's minor irritation at me, and a way that we could spin it to the public to take some of the heat off of us for my taking down Royalty Records. In hindsight, maybe taking out a major competitor in such a public way wasn't one of my brightest ideas, since controlling the story was now out of my hands. My first course of action was to decide on a song that I would release as a single ahead of the full length album.
Tell me, why is the first single from a musical album so important?
Ydor had been peppering me with questions ever since I got home, either to satisfy his own curiosity or to help prepare me for the questioning that my uncle was going to put me through regarding my decision. I wasn't one hundred percent sure of his motivation.
"An artist's first single will make or break them. My case is a tiny bit different, because I'm already a public figure. Since that's the case, I can play around a little and bypass the usual 'building a fanbase' step. Granted my current fanbase isn't as big as others have had before they've signed a record deal, but I'm almost certain that I won't have any problems garnering more fans." Since I was alone at the moment, I didn't see the harm in talking quietly aloud.
And your uncle will have no problems with your plans?
I thought for a moment before I shrugged. "He might be a little hesitant, since I'm in the middle of some pretty bad media backlash. But I know my uncle, and I can get him to agree to it so long as I present it in the right light. I'm sure he would probably think it best if I stay out of the public's eye for a while, but hiding will only make things worse. I couldn't control the initial story, but I'm fairly confident that I can present my side of the story in the right way to quiet at least a third of the nay-sayers, if not half of them."
I sometimes think that you overestimate your abilities, but then I see your plans somehow turn out alright in the end.
"On the contrary Ydor, I think that I estimate my abilities just right; I have at least two contingency plans on the off chance that this doesn't work. Gorou likes me enough to agree to this no problem, plus he owes me for smoothing things over between him and the A&R department a year or so back. As for my uncle..." I paused as I tried to formulate the right words. "I don't mean to say that I know how to manage my uncle, but I know him and his way of thinking well enough to know if what I say will be accepted by him or not. He and I are close enough in mental maturity that I can generally judge his reactions to my statements or plans."
Ydor made a non-committal sound as I focused my attention on choosing the right song. By this point I'd even pulled out songs that I wrote years ago, and had them all spread out on the floor in the living room. I had three piles; a 'maybe', a 'no', and a 'need to shred and burn the scraps'. So far, the 'no' pile was by far the largest.
The problem wasn't that I didn't have a good songs, it's that none of the songs seemed to really grab my attention well enough. If I was going to take the plunge and let myself take center stage, I was going to do it my way.
Boldly and unapologetically.
With that in mind, I was surprised to find that most of the songs I'd written were... Bland. They were good, but none of them were the right songs. Then again, I'd written most of these songs for other artists and had to tailor them to that specific style of that artist. Creating my own style would be a challenge, but it was something that every artist did during the lead-up to their debut.
If you wish to be bold and unapologetic, why not expose this Manabu man to the world?
"No, attacking Manabu directly isn't an option at this point. I'm already in some deep water from my taking out Royalty, and my uncle... I don't think I can handle disappointing him anymore than I apparently have."
Honestly, that whole thing about wanting to have a parent or parental figure be mad at you rather than disappointed? Completely true. When my uncle had called me into his office after a meeting with the board of directors. I've never seen my uncle look so... Worn. My uncle is not a young man, being in his later forties but this morning was the first time that it's really hit me just how much he deals with. I've taken for granted the fact that Uncle Sota acts as a buffer between the board members, me, and Hojo. Maybe it was that realization that I hadn't been giving my uncle enough credit, or maybe it was the fact that it was really the first time that my uncle has ever been disappointed in me... Either way it had broken a piece of my heart to see that look on his face.
"No, attacking Manabu will only make more problems in the long run. I need to salvage my reputation with the other board members, and the public, all while keeping my war with Manabu as silent as possible. The fact that he had a hand in the entire situation with the leaked songs makes me wonder if he had other plans beside lining his pockets with more money. But until I can get concrete evidence that he was directly involved it's just speculation." Chewing on the end of a pencil I looked over the small pile of 'maybe' songs.
Hearing someone clearing their throat, I looked up to see my uncle leaning against the doorway, briefcase by his feet. "Scheming aloud now?"
I gave him a wan smile. "Not scheming necessarily. Planning, yes but this situation is a little too volatile for a scheme." Sighing I stuck the pencil behind my ear, scooting on the floor I turned to fully face him. "I know that I... I overstepped my bounds. And I'm truly sorry for the trouble that I've caused you uncle; that wasn't my intention. I thought that by not telling you, I was protecting you in case it blew up in my face."
My uncle nodded and stepped into the room, sitting down in a chair near me and carefully avoiding the piles of papers scattered around. "I know that Reila. I know you wouldn't ever intentionally cause problems for me, Hojo, or the company. Looking over what happened, I can understand how you could get caught up in the moment and not plan four steps ahead as you normally do." He briefly rubbed his forehead, gathering his thoughts before continuing. "Sometimes I wonder if I've done you more harm than good by allowing you to handle the more negative aspects of our business. It was bound to blow up in your face eventually, and although this is only a small amount of negative publicity for you, what it could have been..."
I placed a hand on his knee to stop him from continuing. "Uncle Sota, don't think like that. If I thought it was too much for me to handle I would tell you. Yes I'm facing some negative publicity, but I think I have a way around that."
"It's not just from the public; board members are starting to talk and they're not sure they want you to have so much power without really earning it." I studied his face closely as he spoke. His eyes looked tired, and I noted fine wrinkles around his eyes and mouth that I hadn't seen before. Had he always had so much grey hair at his temples? How could he seem to age so much in just a day?
"I know, and the plan I've come up with will help both sides of this problem." Picking up the pile of "maybe" songs I handed them to my uncle. "I've decided two things: firstly, I think it would be a good idea to extend an invitation to the artists and employees of Royalty Records who were innocent of any intentional involvement in the theft of our music for them to come work for us. That will show the public that we're still merciful and just, that we're not punishing the entire company but just those who were doing wrong."
My uncle sat up a little straighter as he slowly thought it over, and smiled in the end. "That will help bolster our image even more than it's been damaged. But where do you propose we put so many workers? Royalty wasn't as large as us but they do have quite a few workers."
"Revive a dying label by placing them in an off-branch company under some of our experienced managers." I said, shrugging. "Then we won't have to worry about retaliation from them, and I know for a fact that we pay our workers more than they would have made at Royalty. Higher wages mean loyalty and gratefulness."
"Alright, that is a good plan. It allows us to not only absorb some of their higher grossing artists, but also to save face with the public. What of the artists that won't join Sarota? What if they hold a personal grudge against us?"
I thought for a moment. "Well, the mere fact that we're not including them in the copyright lawsuit should be enough to keep them quiet. If they insist on attacking us, or more to the point me, I'm sure that a word or two slipped to the right people will be enough to paint them in the wrong light. Despite what some people would try to get you to believe, I do have a good working relationship with enough people to still operate from the shadows."
Uncle Sota frowned. "That comment is rather odd. What do you mean by 'what some people would try to get me to believe'?"
"I'll get to that in a minute. The second part of my plan is this; I announce quite vocally and publicly that I'm signing a contract with our company to become a recorded artist. I will sign the same contract as any of our other artists would and will even agree to have my work overseen by a producer instead of producing it myself." I waited a moment to allow the idea to sink in. "I already know who I am going to ask to be my producer, and I'm almost certain that he will say yes. Not only that, but by doing this I can sort of stretch the truth a little and say that one of the songs Royalty stole was one that I had planned to put on my debut album. That will make my 'overreaction' seem a little more believable."
Uncle Sota stood and walked over to the fireplace, studying the picture on the mantle. We had a small collection of family pictures littered across the top of it, but the one he was focusing his attention on was a picture of my mother when she was about my age.
Despite how similar I was to my mother in temperament, physically there was almost no trace of her in my features. Aside from the very slight almond shape that my eyes had, a testament to my Asian heritage, I had a majority of my father's features. It was his curly, deep auburn hair that I'd inherited, along with his remarkably pale skin. I assumed that his family had curvaceous women somewhere in the past because my figure was almost hourglass shaped in comparison to my mother's thinner, willowy build. Yet despite sharing almost no features with her, somehow I'd adopted or inherited much the same outlook on life as she had possessed. She'd given her all to her family, just as I do. If she cared for someone, it was deeply and without any barriers or restrictions, just as I do. Maybe if my father had lived longer I would have adopted more of his attitude, but that couldn't be changed now.
"Your mother would have a fit if she knew you were even considering becoming a recorded artist. Even when we were younger and just watching artists become the celebrities they are today, Satsumi was adamant that no child of hers would go through so much stress and grueling work." He lightly brushed the frame that held my mother's smiling face before turning to me. "Are you sure about this Reila? You know how demanding an artist's schedule can be, how little time you will have for anything else. Especially not an artist who is just starting out."
"I've thought this through very carefully, uncle. I already have a small fan base from the handful of performances that I've done at our events, and expanding on that might take time but it is something that I'm confident I can do. I'm not expecting overnight fame, but I'm patient. Plus, this can give me time to really learn from the front lines what our artists go through so that I can effectively help them more." I watched my uncle's face closely as I spoke, and didn't see any telltale signs of immediate disapproval.
"There is something more that you're not telling me, isn't there?" Uncle Sota turned to me and waited patiently as I tried to word my real motivation in as mild a manner as I could.
"Yes uncle. Manabu... Manabu has become more and more vocal about his hatred for me in recent years. He has made it quite clear to many people that he has no intention of ever letting me take over as head of the A&R department."
The look on my uncle's face turned dark. "It's not solely up to him, and he knows it. Any appointment of a new head of department is voted on by the entire board, and only a majority vote can approve or disapprove an appointment. Already a majority of the board is on your side, but I will admit with this negative publicity it's only by a small margin that you would get the department, if we took a vote today. He was one of the more vocal board members today when we were discussing your actions, as I have already told you, but I didn't think that he would outright be this angry over it."
"It has less to do with my actions, and more to do with my stunt last night giving him cause to step forward with his complaints." At my uncle's probing look I sighed and stood, beginning to pace as I explained. "I've... Kept quiet about it for quite some time now. But Manabu hates me, uncle. And I don't mean that in a 'he and I don't see eye to eye' sort of way, I mean he loathes me. I'm sure you're aware that Manabu had planned on asking grandfather for permission to marry my mother?"
"I knew that he had mentioned a time or two that he was interested in her, but they were never a couple so I assumed..." my uncle trailed off and I could practically see the pieces of the puzzle clicking together in his mind. His eyes narrowed as his anger began simmering to the surface. "How long?"
I knew what he was asking without him having to elaborate - how long had Manabu been causing problems for me. Deciding that it was better to be frank, rather than keeping anything from him anymore I sat down and waited until he had sat as well to answer. "Practically since I was adopted back into the family. He sees me as a constant reminder that mother found him inferior to someone else, and his hatred for my father has bled over into hatred for me. I assume that because I favor my father so much physically it's a double whammy to his pride, but I think it's also because we all know the truth; mother was supposed to take over the A&R department, and if she hadn't left Manabu wouldn't have any of the power that he does now."
My uncle swore softly under his breath, rubbing his eyes as he struggled to maintain his calm. "I almost wish you had told me about this earlier, but I can understand why you wouldn't have. The board would not believe you, or even me without sufficient proof. And despite how much I don't like Manabu, I will admit that he is too smart to leave proof for anyone to find."
"Exactly. That's why I didn't even bring him up during this whole Royalty debacle; I couldn't link him directly. Any evidence was pure speculation, but I know that he had a hand in the entire operation. I don't know what game he was playing at, selling off our music like that but I don't believe for one second that it was just money. If I had to guess, I think that it was probably some sort of deal with Kaiji to bankrupt Sarota - Manabu would jump ship at the last possible moment to avoid complete financial ruin and see me taken down in the process."
"But that doesn't explain why he would be willing to sacrifice the company who has kept him in his cushy lifestyle for so long." Uncle Sota stood and walked to the window, looking out as the sun began setting.
"He's a man who feels that he's been wronged. Men like that don't care who they take down to get the revenge that they've deluded themselves into thinking that they deserve. But again, there's no actual proof. Although it would be a simple task to fabricate evidence, you and I would never sink to that level. If he doesn't slip up or make any mistakes, then my victory over him will be that much sweeter." I shared a look with Uncle Sota, because we both understood one another.
I have learned a lot under my uncle's tutelage, about the business world and about life in general. Although I already possessed the ability to read people as well as he does, I am also more than on par with his ability to predict people and what they would do in the future. I will admit that my uncle is still much better at it than I am, and so for the time being I still rely on him to help me predict what my - our - enemies will do. The fact that my uncle understands me and agrees with me means that he trusts my judgement, which means that I am on the right path.
Uncle Sota was quiet for a moment before he nodded once. "If you're absolutely sure that you want to go down this path, you have my support. And I know that Hojo will be behind you completely as well. But how do you plan to convince Manabu to allow you to sign a contract? I could order him to sign it but that would only give him more ammunition against you."
I stood and walked to his side, looking out the window with him. "I've thought about it, and I came up with only one solution, but I will need your help - during the share holders meeting, I make my intentions quite clear to all those who hold stock in our company. Manabu never attends those meetings, although you and the rest of the board have asked him to many times. Now, you and I both know that the share holders have the power with their combined voices to get anyone in this company to do anything that they want. And for the better part of three years they have been practically begging me to sign a contract and release at least one album. If I announce to all of our share holders that I'm doing exactly that, they'll be hounding Manabu for an official contract signing as soon as possible. They won't want to give me the chance to change my mind, and if they were to discover that it was Manabu's fault that a contract wasn't signed, that he dragged his feet for whatever reason..."
My uncle's smile wasn't quite as sharp as mine, but I could see the shared Sarota traits between us as he turned to face me. "They'll demand his resignation for letting such a talented artist slip through the cracks. You've already proven to them that you're more than talented enough, with both your voice and your talent for writing music. If Manabu doesn't sign you on after you make it known to the share holders that you want to finally give them something they've been asking for, they'll want an exact reason why."
"And that's something that Manabu would never allow to happen. He will try to get some of the board members to vote my contract out, placing the blame on them instead of taking the heat himself, but all we need is a majority to ensure that he can't do that. I'm sure that you and Hojo can ensure that enough board members will back me and won't let Manabu manipulate them into agreeing with him." The idea was giving me more energy, definitely getting rid of the fog of self pity that I'd been slumped in.
"That's a simple enough task. Hojo will welcome the challenge, and I for one will take great pleasure in manipulating the end of someone like Manabu. It's one thing to hold onto a grudge for so long, it's another things entirely to punish someone's child just for existing. And when that child is my own sister's daughter, my niece..." I watched as my uncle's mouth tightened into a grim line, his expression darkening even further. "Manabu will pay, not only for his involvement in that mess with Royalty, but also for his treatment of you."
"His 'treatment of me' concerns me very little, uncle. My priority always has been and always will be the company." And it was true - Manabu could do say what he wanted about me, so long as he didn't come after the company that my family had so painstakingly built from the ground up. But he had gone a step further than that; he had tried to cheat the company, and in doing so had tried to cheat my uncle.
And that more than anything is what I can't, and won't, forgive.
"So, what song have you chosen for your first single? If I know you, this is one decision that you will not leave up to your producer." My uncle took hold of my arm gently, steering me back to the piles of songs littered on the floor.
"I've been... Having trouble with that. The songs that I've written for our song bank just don't fit, and the ones that I wrote for specific artists don't fit either. I want something... Bold, unapologetic, and in your face. You know as well as I do that I'm going to have to completely rework my image; demure and unassuming works well enough in a business meeting, but now I'm not going to be able to have that same style. And I don't mean just clothing, I mean everything - the "Princess" is coming for the crown and..." I trailed off, pieces clicking even further into place. "Oh my God, it's perfect."
"What...?" My uncle trailed off as I thrust a piece of paper from my "maybe" pile under his nose. Taking it from my hand, I began scooping up the other piles as I waited for him to read over the lyrics. This particular song was written during my teenage years, when I was feeling homesick for my first life. I'd written down the lyrics for some of my favorite songs, and had hidden them away so that no one else could use them... Unless it was the original artist, of course.
"Reila... This is brilliant." My uncle's smile was wide, and a little sharp at the edges like I knew mine got when I was thinking along the lines of ruining someone's day, if not their entire life. "It's just subtle enough that Manabu can't claim it's about him, and just bold enough to let him know that you're taking aim at him."
"Exactly. Let me get with Gorou tomorrow and make it official that he will be my producer, and I should have the song ready by this time next week." My grin matched my uncles, and I could feel the remaining negative emotions draining out of me, replaced with excitement and determination. I may have been running from this for the better part of eight years, but now that I knew going down this road would give me more power and be able to use that power to help Hojo and my uncle, I was going to give it my all.
"Let me hear the final cut of the song before you go public." He said, and I could see pride glowing in his eyes as he looked at me. "I'm very proud of you, Reila. And I know your parents would be as well."
I felt tears well in my eyes at his words - that was the highest honor that I could ever hope to achieve, to be someone that my parents would have been proud of. "Thank you, uncle."
The process of actually recording a song, let alone an album is actually a very long, drawn out process - and rather boring to boot. The first thing that gets recorded are the "scratch tracks", which is basically a quickly thrown together track. Individual tracks are recorded for the guitars, drums, bass, vocals, etc. and are then arranged to get a general idea of what the song will sound like on completion. Then, each instrument, vocals, and backup vocals are re-recorded, this time to get the actual track that will be put onto the album. Then the producer will mix them all together to get the right sound, and the entire thing is sent to a CD press once everything has been finalized.
Since I was aiming to release a single song first, versus a full length album, we were working double time to make sure that the song got finished in time for a big reveal. Gorou had been quick to sign on as my producer, because getting under Manabu's skin was something he enjoyed as much as I did. He was also immensely talented and more than willing to share his experience with me - I may be good, but he had years of experience that I was more than willing to learn from. His personal staff were called in to help, and given that my music had more synthesized sounds versus an actual band backing me it made it a little easier to get the song premier ready. Although his own personal taste was different than mine, he appreciated the sound I was going for enough to not fight me about it.
It also made it easier to not have an actual band backing me for impromptu performances, such as "crashing" the share holders meeting.
What we call a meeting in this case is less of a formal boardroom meeting and more of a mini party. Even people who only held one percent of the stock invested in Sarota Entertainment were invited, and if they expressed any concerns Hojo needed to be ready to assure them and soothe their worries. It's a pretty big affair, but the end goal was more money invested in the company.
Not only was I making it public knowledge that I would be releasing an album, this was also the first year that Hojo would be slotted as the main speaker, the "master of ceremonies" so to speak. I've never seen my cousin more focused than this past week, his attention fully on preparing for any and all probabilities. At this point the only thing he hadn't planned for was a nuclear war, and even then I was almost certain that he would be able to handle it. The past few months Hojo had matured by leaps and bounds, leaving behind his party-boy mentality. I couldn't be prouder of him, and had all the confidence in the world that he would succeed beyond mine and my uncle's expectations.
The general plan for the meeting was much like any other year - our representative, traditionally the CEO or a member of the immediate family, would give a general overview of the new artists and upcoming joint projects with film producers, video game designers, and other entertainment companies. During the course of the speech, Hojo would announce that I would be joining Sarota's "family of artists" and then I would perform my song. We had toyed with the idea of allowing it to be broadcast on the radio, but decided to wait until after an official deal had been signed and a full length album could be made. But our shareholders should get excited by the song, and would appreciate the 'sneak peek', hopefully enough to get Manabu to bend to their will if I impressed them enough.
It might seem like an underhanded move, but this was one of the surest ways to guarantee that I would have a fair deal signed by next week at the very latest. Producers within our company did have a little leeway when it came to releasing singles without the explicit consent of the head of the A&R department, something that most other companies would never allow. But we trusted our producers enough to know when they had a good artist that was worth the investment, and when they should back out of a deal before it cost the company too much money.
Gorou was already a vetted producer in our company, so there wasn't any danger in us having overstepped our bounds. Uncle Sota was quietly overseeing the entire project, although he was giving Gorou and I creative freedom with the musical part of it. My uncle's part was more of a sound board to make sure that we weren't giving Manabu any chance of saying we broke a corporate by-law or rule. So far, we were in the clear.
"Tomorrow is the big day. How are you feeling?" Hojo sidled up beside me where I was overseeing the final touches to the stage that had been built on top of the Sarota building. Looking closely, I could see the dark circles under his eyes that showed the stress beginning to get to him. A closer look showed the slight droop in his shoulders, showing just how tired he was. But those who didn't know him as well as I did wouldn't be able to see these signs, so to anyone else he would appear to be business as usual.
"I'm feeling alright. It's not the first time I've thrown together a performance last minute, and it most likely will not be the last." Eyeing the chairs that had been set out for the share holders, I went through the steps I would be taking during my performance in my head. Our meeting would be held tomorrow after sundown, and a canopy would be set up just before the official start. I would be making my entrance at the start of the first chorus in my song, for dramatic effect of course. Tonight, after we were sure Manabu had left for the night I would be doing a quick run through of the song, just to make sure that everything was worked out properly. Seto and Mokuba would be joining us, but as it was a closed event they wouldn't be able to be here for the actual performance.
"True, but this is the first time that you're performing with the knowledge that you're actually going to have scheduled performances in the future. Have you decided when your first tour will be?" Hojo sat down and rubbed his neck, sighing quietly as he watched the workers setting up the stage lights.
Walking behind him I gently took hold of his shoulders, having him lean back in the chair and beginning to work out some of the knots I could feel in his muscles. "Not yet. Gorou wants to see how well received my first single is, and the accompanying album sales before we decide on tour dates. It probably won't be for a while, although I might schedule a few street performances in the near future." I thought for a moment as I continued to massage his shoulders. "Why do you ask? Trying to kick me out of the house already?"
"It's not that." Hojo said, giving my hand a half-hearted swat. "It's just... I'm not used to being away from you for long periods of time. The house will feel lonely without you in it, that's all."
I stopped massaging his shoulders and sat down beside him, reaching to turn his face towards mine. Studying his features, I could almost hear the unspoken words that he was keeping inside - he was afraid of being alone, of not having me right there to support him. Ever since I'd been adopted back into the family it had been Hojo and I against the world. We used one another as sound boards, we watched one another's backs, and we always made time for one another. He was truly my best friend in the world, and I am so very grateful to have him in my life.
"Hojo, it's not like I'll be leaving forever. I'll only be touring in Japan, so it probably won't last more than a month, maybe two tops. I'll only ever be a phone call away, and Gorou said that I can probably be back at home most nights, if Uncle Sota is alright with me using the family jet." Studying his face again, I could tell something else was bothering him. "Hojo, spit it out. What's the real reason that you're so worried about me going on a tour?"
Looking at me from the corner of his eye, he sighed. "Alright. I just... You know how the media likes to target celebrities. You've managed to stay under the radar up until now, but you won't be able to avoid it now. You're going to have to carefully choose your friends and associates, and I don't think you're fully prepared for that level of scrutiny. You've had dealings with the press in the past I know, but this is a completely different level; every tiny move, every statement, every interaction with anyone in view of the public and press will be looked at over again and again. Those vultures will be waiting for a juicy story, a scandal, anything to make a dollar off your name." Hojo looked away, sighing. "And some of your friends won't be looked at kindly."
"My friends? What's wrong with my friends?" I frowned as I tried to understand where he was coming from. The only friends I had, aside from him were Seto, Mokuba, and Mai.
"Look I like Mai, she's a pretty awesome lady. She's smart, she's a good duelist from what I understand, and you seem happier being able to hang around a female for once. But the media will tear her up one way and down the other. A wandering duelist who happens to have been staying at our house for almost three months? And don't even get me started on Kaiba. Mokuba will be fairly shielded because he's a minor, but Kaiba is bad publicity."
Those words caused my eyes to narrow. "Bad publicity? What are you talking about Hojo?" I could feel my blood pressure rising as my irritation grew.
"It's nothing personal, Reila. I know you and Kaiba have known each other for years, but there's already been rumors that you two are in a secret relationship. It's only going to get worse from here, and the media already love attacking him from every side. He's made too many enemies, and those enemies have already targeted you because of your association with him in case you've forgotten." Hojo held his hands up in a placating manor, but I could see the hardness in his eyes that told me he was completely serious. "I'm just saying maybe you shouldn't be quite so public with how close the two of you are, for your own sake."
Logically, I could see the reasoning behind his words. That still didn't stop me from being irritated with his point of view. "So I should just ignore the fact that Mokuba and Seto are such a large part of my life? Don't forget, before I came to live with you and Uncle Sota, Seto and Mokuba were the first real friends I had made in my life. I never had friends before them, and if the media wants to speculate and gossip, I don't care. I will never deny my affection for them, regardless of how the public might take that." I stood and took a deep breath to calm myself. "I know you mean well Hojo, but you don't have to shield me from the world. I'm a big girl, and I can handle myself. I've seen what celebrities go through from the media, and at this point if I were to suddenly change how I act around Seto and Mokuba it would only add fuel to the proverbial fire."
Hojo sighed and stood as well, holding his hands up in a gesture of surrender. "If you really think you an handle it..."
"I do. If being kidnapped by Pegasus didn't scare me off from being friends with them, then nothing the media can say will scare me away either." The tone of my voice made it obvious that this discussion was closed, and Hojo only wearily nodded in acknowledgment. "Hojo, I know you're saying what you think is best, and although I can respect your opinion I don't agree with it."
Hojo grinned tiredly. "I know. I just... I felt that I had to say something, at least as a forewarning."
I gently nudged his shoulder with mine, letting him know that I wasn't mad at him as I heard my name being called behind me. Turning I spotted Mokuba running towards me, and smiled widely as I stooped down to hug him. Hojo's intentions were good, but it was time that he learned I could handle my own business just fine. If I needed him, I would let him know.
Seto eyed Hojo warily, unsure what the Sarota heir was trying to get at. He had caught the tail end of the conversation between Reila and her cousin, and hearing Reila defend their friendship so vehemently was... He couldn't find the words to describe it. He felt honored, not that he would ever admit to it. In retrospect he probably should be more appreciative of Reila's continued friendship, but she seemed to be a constant in his life, and he didn't feel obligated to put effort into keeping her there. She would always be there, and he couldn't imagine anything that would ever change that.
As Seto approached the small group that had gathered, he studied Reila closely. Her being so mopey yesterday had worried him a little, because it seemed that lately she was getting hit by one thing after another. She was handling it well though, minus their... Recent disagreement.
"Reila, why can't Seto and I come tomorrow to see your actual performance? You've always let us see your performances live." Mokuba turned his large puppy eyes to Reila, and Seto had to smother a smirk at the look on Reila's face. She looked like someone facing down a rabid grizzly bear, and knowing that she was going to lose. Still, she gave him a placating smile and smoothed his hair out of his face.
"Mokuba, this is a share holders meeting. Only those who have purchased stock in the company can attend. This is the one event where there are no exceptions, otherwise I would love for you and Seto to be here. But this one time I can't bend the rules for you two. I'm sorry Mokuba, I really am. And no, pouting will not change my mind." Reila stood and smiled playfully as Mokuba groaned.
"But... Oh alright." Mokuba finally conceded, but Seto could see that his younger brother wanted to press the issue more.
Standing back while Reila began speaking with her choreographer, Seto stood quietly and thought hard. He knew that this was a big step for Reila, and showing support for her was something that was an unspoken expectation in a friendship. She had been there to support him when he first dueled Yugi, although that had ended miserably. Still, she had stood by his side the entire time and helped him afterwards when he was at his lowest. Returning the favor would make them even in that aspect, and giving Mokuba a chance to see Reila's big reveal would make him happy beyond words.
Reila wasn't expecting it, and surprising Reila was always a pleasure. She rarely missed anything, and being able to 'pull the wool over her eyes' was always entertaining. And buying stock in Reila's company would be a good show of faith to her, letting her know that he trusted her with his investment. The media could spin it anyway they pleased, but he and Reila would know the truth - if he did become a share holder in the company, it was to show support for his friend.
Having settled on that thought, his mind turned again to the odd encounter he'd had at the museum before his plans for the Duelist Kingdom tournament had really began to take shape. Although he was confident he would be triumphant, there was a tiny voice in the back of his head questioning whether or not he should bring Mokuba and Reila with him. He mostly ignored the small voice, because he wanted them to be there when he was finally able to take back his previously held world champion title. But Ishizu's words still nagged at the back of his mind, enough to make him wonder if bringing the two people he cared most about along was a good idea. If there were forces beyond his understanding at work, putting Mokuba and Reila in danger again was not something that he could do. Yet the sensible part of his mind told him that Ishizu was just a paltry illusionist, that her 'visions' were elaborate parlor tricks and nothing more.
He hadn't mentioned the meeting to Reila, and although Mokuba knew he didn't know the full extent of what had occurred. It was in the past now, and with Obelisk the Tormentor in his deck, there was almost no chance of anyone beating him.
Then again, he'd thought that same thing in the past. Seto was trying to keep his ego in check, as Reila had pointed out on more than one occasion that he was prone to letting his ego get the better of him. But old habits die hard and all that nonsense. Still, he reasoned with himself that keeping Mokuba and Reila close would be the smartest thing he could do.
Returning his attention to the present, he pulled out his cellphone and made a short call to his broker. After confirming what he wanted, his broker made a series of phone calls that ended in Seto being the owner of five percent of Sarota Entertainment's stocks. Feeling accomplished, and knowing that Mokuba would be happy and Reila shocked, he spotted Sota Sarota making his way from the elevator doors. Moving quietly and leaving Mokuba watching Reila and the dancers that would be backing her up during the performance.
"Ah, Seto. Good to see you again." Sota greeted the younger man as he came to a stop beside him, never taking his eyes off Reila as she and the choreographer worked out her movements. Although she wouldn't be dancing, she would be walking in a theatrical sort of way, accentuated by fog machines and the movements of the dancers around her. "What do you think the reaction from the public will be?"
"She'll do fine. Reila wouldn't jeopardize her standing within your company on a 'maybe'." Seto crossed his arms over his chest as his eyes scanned the rooftop.
"You're right, of course." Sota shifted his weight, and turned slightly towards Seto while still keeping an eye on Reila's work. "I assume that phone call means I'm going to have to add two more names to the guest list for tomorrow night?"
Seto studied the man from the corner of his eye. "And what makes you think that I would be interested in this circus?" Seto could see the knowing look in Sota's eyes, but he wasn't sure exactly what the old man thought he knew.
"Because Reila is someone dear to you. And you know as well as I that you and your brother are dear to her." The head of the Sarota family waved his assistant over and gave her some new instructions before he continued speaking with Seto. "I will admit, I had my doubts at first when Reila reconnected with you and your brother - although you are a fearsome business man, I worried that you were too hostile to be a good friend for Reila. And then when she returned from that ordeal with Pegasus..." Seto eyed the man's hands warily as they clenched into fists and his jaw clenched. "I thought you had been the cause at first, as you'll recall. I was fully ready to dismantle Kaiba Corp. in retaliation for Reila being taken. But I misjudged you, and I do apologize for that."
Seto said nothing, just continued to watch Reila in the shadowy blue light that had been chosen for her performance. He had known all of this, he didn't see the need for Sota to bring it up all over again.
"My point to all of this is that I am happy that you and Reila have become as close as you have. It's good for her to have someone who can match her on an intellectual level, and she absolutely adores Mokuba." Sota turned to Seto fully, his face set in a serious expression. "Don't ever hurt her, or it will be war between us."
Seto's brow furrowed and he began to say something when Reila and Mokuba began heading their way. Deciding to leave Sota's bizarre warning alone for now, Seto waited patiently as Mokuba rattled on about how awesome Reila's song was.
"Really Mokuba, thank you. But don't forget, I only wrote the lyrics. There's much more to a good song than just the lyrics." Reila said, but still she seemed to be glowing with contentment.
It struck Seto then that this was one of the times that he'd seen Reila at her happiest. Music had always been a passion, a way of life for her. What had held her back for so many years? She could have already been a platinum artist at this point if she had let herself. What reasoning did she have for holding back her talent for so long?
It was a question he planned on answering one day.
A/N: FINALLY. It's finally over and now we can move on from this chapter.
I am so, so, SO very sorry for the long delay. I've been getting hit left and right with one thing after another and writer's block reared it's ugly head on top of it all. Dealing with my best friend's wedding (which was beautiful and I'm so happy for her!), the death of the family dog, packing, selling furniture, flooding the internet with applications, working overtime to cover shifts at work... I've had a lot on my plate and although I tried to make time to write, it didn't always work out.
Anywho, quick update on things: Escrow closed on the house! My family and I will be officially back in our home state December 23rd. I honestly hate moving, especially around the holidays but this was really the only time we could do it. It's a little crazy, but we're all feeling a lot more chipper now that there's a light at the end of the tunnel.
Work sucks, we've had a lot of craptastic new policies and directives handed down that are making us all pretty much fed up. I would honestly be surprised if the company I currently work for manages to keep this contract after I'm gone. But for as long as I'm here I'm going to give it my best and try to not let little things get to me.
Thanks again for all your support, it means so much! I'm hoping that things are finally moving forward that I'll have an easier time writing. Worse comes to worse, if I can't find a job right away I should have more time to write! XD
~With love, Panda