** Hi Everyone! I wish to sincerely apologize to anyone patiently waiting for updates for my long hiatus. My new computer is now up and running (for a month or so) and I had to purchase a new Word account. I have decided not to try and retrieve my old notes from my old computer (my son who built my new one says it would be iffy). I lost a lot of my confidence while I stopped writing and was full of more self doubt the longer I procrastinated. Lol - so for better or worse - here is the next chapter from what I retrieved from my own brain's memory banks (which aren't as good as my computer's were). Thanks for your patience please read - and review if you have the inclination (I can't get better or be motivated if i don't get some sort of feed back).

Voodoo Curse Chapter 10

As Kasaheya watched Sumire leaning on the garden bridge absently swinging her dainty foot with her kimono hitched up, he smiled and chastised himself a little as he wondered if the concealed part of her limb was as delicate and as the shapely ankle, she unknowingly revealed to him. Not wishing to acknowledge himself as a voyeur, he put a fist to his mouth and gave a little cough to announce his presence as he came out of the shadows.

"Oh!" Sumire gave a start of surprise and quickly hopped down off the first rung of the railing. She blushed at being discovered and quickly made a polite bow to the gentleman in front of her in apology as she dropped her kimono and shuffled her foot back into the getta. "I beg your pardon sir!"

Even in the evening light she could detect a gleam of amusement and something else in his eyes. His smile contained a slight smirk. She wondered if he was laughing at her and she flushed in embarrassed resentment.

"Is the party that boring?"

"No!" Sumire nearly shouted. Then gasped at her outburst. "No!" she said forcefully with teeth gritted together. "I'm awkward. I don't fit in and I don't know how to talk to people, and I don't know what to say. I don't want to embarrass my family." She was blunt and forthright. Kazaheya was intrigued. How could such an innocent beauty be awkward.

Kazaheya had accepted the invitation to the party for a reason. His family had proposed an omiai and although he had been shown Sumire's portrait for consideration he had wanted to see her unguarded and in her natural surroundings and to see how she behaved with family. If he attended the party without a pre-emptive commitment, then there would be no loss of face for either family if he decided she wasn't an acceptable partner. They could abandon the official meeting and Sumire would be none the wiser.

It wasn't hard for Ren to immerse himself in the role of Kazaheya. Watching Kyoko transform into the innocent and lovely girl Sumire was breathtaking. He couldn't recognize her from the everyday Kyoko that she showed to everyone and saw her go deep into the well of her subconscious to draw parts of her private self she had absently shown him over the past two years. There was an invisible barrier that she put up that would not allow her 'self' to leak into Sumire; only her traits were filtered in. She seemed to channel other people too. Her appearance had somehow drastically changed and although their roles had a charged energy there was something off that he couldn't place. When they had a break from the grueling schedule she would not break out of character and would behave exactly as she had in the last scene. She was aloof and focused. He couldn't break her concentration for even a casual dialogue. In frustration he gave up and followed her lead by doing the same and it showed on the set. The crew and director were amazed at the chemistry of the two and how they fed off each other's acting skills. It was as if every line delivered to the other was a veiled challenge which was subtle enough to not show up in the editing room or on the movie screen, all that was revealed was the energy and magnetic tension between them.

Ren and Kyoko left the set together late in the evening of the first day of filming. It had been a long gruelling day. There had been many takes of the same scene from different angles and saying the same lines over and over. They were both exhausted. Kyoko followed Ren to the parking nearby and allowed Ren to open the passenger door to his Porsche for her. Yashiro had left the location site earlier that afternoon because there was nothing more scheduled for either of them and Ren had driven himself to work to arrive for his earlier scenes that didn't include Kyoko. He was amazed at how hard Yashiro juggled schedules to arrange for Kyoko

and him to have time alone together. He was both annoyed and grateful for Yashiro's excellent time "management".

"Thank you for your hard work today!" Ren's sincerity took Kyoko by surprise. In her weariness she let her guard down and her heart leapt.

Ren had taken some time to consider how to approach Kyoko considering their recent private rehearsing at his apartment and the conversation they had just before the first cast and director meeting. He decided to let the flow of the mood and cues from Kyoko's behaviour to guide him and work towards having her be the close friend he always wanted take priority. After all its best to have the one you love, be your best friend first. He was going to speak frankly and directly to her and stop hiding his feelings with veiled comments that flew over her head. It was going to be difficult to break that bad habit he had cultivated over five years, but he realized she could handle herself, she was strong, and she could deal with him. He just had to convince her that he was committed to closing the distance between them that they had both unconsciously created.

"Arigato, Tsuruga-san! I too thank you for your hard work!" She said with enthusiasm. Then she sighed. "You are amazing to watch! I was so caught up in your acting I almost los...erm...forgot to return my lines!"

Ren's lips turned up in amusement with a hint of a blush. He recovered with a rejoinder. "Mogami-san, you always accuse me of being a smooth talker, but I think, especially in this moment, that you are the pot calling the kettle black!" He joked warmly and looked sideways at the girl as he pulled out of the parking stall and caught her blushing furiously.

Kyoko, even in her embarrassment, felt more comfortable with Ren's casual teasing without his unpredictable baiting sarcasm that had sometimes accompanied it. She relaxed a little and felt willing to be more candid.

"No! I mean what I say most sincerely! I have, from the very beginning struggled, to keep up with you! It's so frustrating when you say your lines in a certain way to make me act the way you wish! You are so good at it, but I also am angry at your condescension! It's as if you don't trust that I can interpret things for myself now." She blurted the words out in a rush and then clapped her hands over her mouth. "Oh! Gomen! I'm so sorry for being disrespectful of my Senpai!"

"Mogami-San can you cut it out with the honorifics already? But only if you let me drop them too, can I call you Kyoko? We've worked together often enough now so you're free to call me Ren. We're going to be working closely, and I feel we know each other well enough. Today you proved we're equals. You can tell me exactly how you feel - I won't bite you! And I won't be offended! I felt like I was fencing with a pro today. Its really fun acting opposite you!"

Kyoko's heart sang! He really complimented her, and she could tell he meant it. "You don't know what that means for me to hear you say that Tsuruga-Senpai!" she beamed with enthusiasm.

Ren ignored Kyoko regressing back to honorifics and was encouraged enough by her response to enlarge upon his statement. "I first felt like that as the Heel siblings, you know. When things got out of hand - I mean when I got out of hand and you reigned me in like that - I was floored! It's like you flipped a switch on me. I realized then I had completely underestimated you as an actor. Not that I didn't think you were good! I just didn't think you were such a natural actress. That day your acting saved me! To be honest you saved the whole situation!" Ren was surprised at how the words tumbled from his lips. The admission came easily once he decided to be open and honest. He would talk about what happened more recently later. When the timing was more appropriate. For now, he was elated - it was the first time he felt Kyoko had really trusted him unconditionally while remaining relaxed. He could wait. He knew if he bungled things again it could be permanent. She was strong, he reminded himself, but he was still clumsy. Damn it was hard to be brave when he still feared her rejection so much.

Kyoko was becoming more and more relaxed in Ren's presence. She felt a palpable change in him. It was as if he had let down a huge force field and she was feeling that she was seeing the real person behind Ren's fake persona. She was also sensing that that there was something strangely familiar about the real person. It was so hard to pin point. It was his easiness and warmth and even a bit of youthfulness. That was it! He was acting more his age and less stiff and fake. For all his good looks, Ren had been much too serious and reserved in public and his practiced facial expressions were robotic and there was no soul behind his smile. Well that wasn't entirely true anymore since he had acted as Kazuki in Dark Moon, there was now a less woodenness to his love acting and with BJ in Tragic Marker as an example, he seemed to be relying less and less on his looks with his roles. Sitting next to Ren in the passenger seat was much less excruciating now than when she had first met him that was certain. She wasn't quite sure why that was the case, but she was happy. Every new day with him she felt more at ease with him especially since they had started this movie together.