(A/N: HEYA! Here it is! The next chappie! Enjoy!)
"Man…hurry up." Akane thought impatiently, twitching her nose desperately as she listened to the sound of the airbrush, "I hafta ta pee, I have 'n itch and my ass is crampin' up."
She was currently staring out of a pair of glittering gold, cat-eyed contacts.
A set of long whiskers quivered on Akane's cheeks every time she twitched her nose.
A pair of faux fur, striped tiger ears were pinned to the top of her head.
A complete set of acrylic talons, adhered with nail glue, were on her nails (both fingers and toes)
Her skin was a pale white with thick black stripes currently being painted on her sides, arms and legs.
She was not allowed to move as the make up and paint was applied. Meaning she had been sitting perfectly still now for over two hours.
Meaning she was one VERY unhappy camper.
But having to sit on a full bladder for over an hour and a half would make just about ANYBODY a little cranky.
"Kakyoin-san? All finished here." The make upand airbrush artists smiled sheepishly.
"FINALLY!" Akane whooped, running straight for the bathroom, her striped tail swishing behind her.
Oh yes. I forgot about the tail didn't I?
It's attached seamlessly to her tailbone with spirit gum and has been pushed through a deliberate hole in the faux tiger striped fur micromini she was wearing.
Her C cups breasts were bound tightly in a tiger striped faux fur cropped tube top that looked like something out of Lum Urusei Yatsura(more like strapless bra!)
Utako glowered in Akane's direction as the air brush artist carefully applied another spot.
She hadn't expected her to look that good.
Actually, she had expected Akane's scars to hinder her greatly.
They didn't dojack once the paint was on.
"Shit." Utako mumbled, "I brought a serious contender into the ring. What was I thinking? NO! Don't think that way! I'm STILL number one! There's no WAY that brat could beat me."
"No matter how much you wish it, Whore, the voices in your head aren't real." Akane drawled, back from the bathroom.
"RRRR!" Utako growled, clenching her hands tightly and feeling sharp pains in her hands as her fake, razor sharp claws tore into her palms, "AAIIIIEEEE!"
"Real smart move there, bubble brain." Akane snickered as she strolled over to join the other models who were deep in conversation with the Host Club, "Whaddya gonna do next? See how long you can hold yer head in a furnace before it gets hot?"
"So you all don't like Yoshizumi-san?" Haruhi asked Yuiko as she watched, giggling all the while, as Hunny played with her tail (gawd that sounds dirty)
"Not at all." Riku scowled, fingering the hemline of her faux fur tube dress, "Just because she got a cover shot on Vogue Japan she think she's hot stuff."
"She made the cover?" Tamaki asked, a little surprised, "Isn't that a rather big deal?"
"Everyone here, with the exception of Kakyoin-chan, has made that cover at least twice." Ai sighed, "And she makes it once and cops an attitude."
"I see." Kyoya nodded, "That explains a lot."
"It gets really annoying." Yuiko said grumpily, tugging her fake tail away from Hunny gently with a sigh, "She gives us all a bad rep."
"No shit." Hikaru and Kaoru snorted.
"MISS WAJIMAYA! WERE READY FOR YOU NOW!"
"That's me." Yuiko sighed, strolling over to where the uncaged panther waited.
"Break a leg, Yui-chan." Ai called.
"Well aren't you positive." Akane snorted, coming up beside the green eyed woman and making her jump.
"HOMIGOD!" she shrieked, "JesusChristonacross! Don't…scare me like that! Yeesh!"
"It's yer own fault for lettin' yer guard down." Akane snorted, crossing her arms and resting on one hip.
"I didn't know we were supposed to have it raised." Riku remarked jokingly.
"I never drop my guard." Akane stated coolly, "Ever. It's far too dangerous a prospect."
"Eh?" Hunny blinked.
"Waiiiit a minute…what does she mean 'she never drops her guard'?" Hikaru thought confusedly, "I mean, she has to sleep sometime right? I mean, I've seen her do it! but then again, she did wake up awful fast once me n' Kaoru grabbed that fishbowl…"
Kaoru stared at his twin who looked as though he was on the verge of a migraine.
"Whut the hell?" he thought.
"MISS SUGIMIYA! YOUR UP!"
"Hee! I'm soooo excited!" Ai squealed, prancing over, passing Yuiko as she rejoined the group, to where the awaiting leopard yawned loudly.
"…glad someone here is." Akane said blandly.
"Mm?" Yuiko blinked, "You mean you're not?"
"I have about a million places I'd rather be right now." Akane said dully, "Asleep in bed, gettin' inta another fight with my bro's, beatin' that Whore t' death with a bat, goin' to the firin' range, makin' good on my skydivin' lessons…"
"I see." Riku smiled sheepishl, "Then…why're you here?"
"I hafta put that lyin', cheatin, Paris-Hilton-wannabe in'er place." Akne said shrewdly, "That's why."
"Ahh…I get it." Tamaki smirked, "Fighting for a loved one! Such a noble cause!"
"Did you hear something?" Akane asked loudly, "Coulda sworn I heard a voice, but I guess it was just th' wind."
Tamaki slunk into a corner and sulked.
Mori and Hunny went over to comfort him.
Ai dashed back, a wild grin on her face.
"That was awesome!" she squealed.
"MISS KAKYOIN! ITS YOUR-!"
"Yeah, yeah." Akane snapped, "I'm comin'! Yeesh!"
She strolled over to where her white Bengal tiger awaited and stared down the creature.
It was massive.
It could kill her with one swipe of it's dinner plate sized paws.
And Akane didn't care.
She just wanted to get this over with, so she could go home and take a nap.
Utako watched in disbelief as Soubi praised Akane's natural, languid poses.
Tiger standing over her in a way that was pseudo threatening, pseudo curious.
Akane reclining on her stomach on an over hanging branch, looking fiercely down at the tiger.
Akane laying on her side, the tiger's head resting on her flank.
It was too much.
She was receiving no instructing.
ZERO!
At every shoot she had ever BEEN on, Utako had always been coached at least a little.
But Soubi had no complaints!
Nothing!
"What IS IT?" she growled, biting the tip of her artificial talon, "What's she got that I don't?"
Akane, finished with her roll, had heard Utako's mumblings and shot her hand forward and grabbed the woman's mosquito bites.
"YAAAAI!" Utako shrieked in horror and pain at her left breast being squeezed so viciously.
"Boobs." Akane said bluntly, letting go quickly and pointing to her own rack, "Plain an' simple. I have hooters…you don't, Twiggy."
Akane smirked broadly at Utako's rage filled face.
"I'm surprised..." she murmured, her sneer broadening, "With your silicone lips, fake ass, brow lift and tummy tuck...yer itty titties are th' one thing left on ya that aint fake."
Utako looked about ready to strangle the 5' 2" teen when the director shouted her name loudly.
"YOSHIZUMI! ON DECK!"
Utako looked torn.
Akane crossed her arms and tapped her foot, grinning vindictively.
"YOSHIZUMI! WE DON'T HAVE ALL DAY!"
"COMING!" Utako yelled, dashing off with quick glare at Akane who laughed at the practically anorexic woman's attempt at being threatening.
Utako's shoot was a disaster.
While Akane and the tiger were on the same wavelength (they both wanted to get out of there as quickly as possible) Utako and her cheetah could not have had more different thought patterns if they tried.
Utako, while trying to outdo Akane in her shots by taking as long as possible was dealing with an extremely high strung cheetah that wanted nothing more than to escape.
Not to mention it really seemed repulsed be her and wouldn't come within ten feet of her.
"Okay. That's enough." Soubi groaned, having seen enough, "Obviously someone doesn't have a way with animals."
Feeling very put out, Utako watched in annoyance as the relieved cheetah shot back into it's carrier and huddled in a back corner.
"FUJIWARA! YOUR UP!" Soubi yelled as the lioness, looking very sluggish, ambled out of the cage.
-Later…-
"Alright girls." Soubi said serenely, "You all took some beautiful photos today (wow…this is a lot like America's Next Top Model, huh?) but only one can make the cover."
Utako, Riku, Ai and Yuiko looked incredibly tense.
Tamaki bit his perfectly manicured nails.
Kyoya jotted down notes in his planner.
Hunny and Mori caught the model's stress and stared on anxiously.
Hikaru and Kaoru played video games on a PSP player given to them by Suo.
Hauhi also caught wind of a little of the pressure and also watched intensely, though not nearly as intensely as Hunny, Mori or Tamaki.
Akane let out a yawn.
"The covergirl for the next issue of FRUiTS is…" Soubi said, drawing out the tension, "…Kakyoin Akane. Congratulations."
Akane shot Utako a victorious grin.
"Ha-ha-ha-haa-ha." She snickered tauntingly.
Utako fumed, looking ready to maul the shorter teen.
"W-WAIT JUST A SECOND!" she shouted, "She's not even a legitimate model!"
"Your company vouched for her." Yuiko said smilingly.
Utako looked on in disbelief.
"IT'S NOT FAIR!" She shrieked, "WHAT DOES SHE HAVE THAT I DON'T?"
Akane looked at Ai.
Ai glanced at Yuiko.
Yuiko shot a look at Riku.
They all gave slight nods.
"BOOBS." Yuiko, Ai, Riku, and Akane said bluntly, pointing to their racks.
(A/N: One victory one, but it's only one day. And why does Utako look so happy? R&R!)