A/N: This fic was received so much better than I thought it would be! It was absolutely amazing how well FLaL went over. I was so pleased that I ended up writing about one fourth of this chapter the next night, before I realized I still had to work on BIaE Ch.2.
Update: There is now a picture available for Kaname's Visual Kei outfit on my profile in the Extras section of my profile! I'm going to repost the update on the next chapter as well, since a lot of you will probably miss this one.
Thanks: To the familiar reviewers, and to the new ones, each and every one of you guys really inspire me! I love all of you. A specified thank you goes out to Lenko, for enthusiastically supporting me in most of my active works! Also, thank you to those who put this on their alert list. maybe I can write a good enough chapter worth your feedback one day if you haven't done so already. ^^ Spanish, Tagalog, French, I'll translate foreign feedback if some aren't that confident in their English.
Disclaimer: I do not own the song "Hades". It belongs to the badass band, Dir En Grey.
"ღ*~+~*ღ"
Zero had stopped short of his destination once he got to the back supplies room.
"Calm down! You can't go to the audition like this. Focus, focus..."
Oh he was focusing alright, on the lingering feeling of that guy's hand on his crotch.
"Damn it all!"
"Geez, I thought I was all alone in hiding out back here, but I guess I was wrong."
Zero looked up at his reflection, well, twin, who was sitting, legs crossed on a fifty pound bag of flour reading an old issue of Eucharista.
The beige colored background of the catalog cover featured a young woman with auburn hair in a three-quarter pose. Her fringe stopped above her brows, the rest of her hair divided into thirds to fall down her back and shoulders, curling about half way down into thick spirals. Her mysterious dark eyes were enchanting, fragile, expectant, as if she would fade away at any moment. Snow white ribbons were tied along her arms and hands, disappearing off the page like elegant puppet strings, a stark contrast to the frilly crimson dress she wore. It only had one sleeve on her right side, cut out into a sidelong point, scrunched and bunched into ruffles like the skirt. She wore a matching headpiece with lace, a ribbon in the top with a satin rose in the center that tilted to the right side of her hair, as frilly and Gothic Lolita as the dress.
Her arms were draped around a white cello as if that were the point anchoring her to this realm. The caption below it read:
K a n o n W a k e s h i m a
Exclusive interview with one of the most successful human models and her rise to fame as a styling songstress, p.66
"Huh, you know this is the first time I've ever seen her right arm, usually it's covered by a warmer." Ichiru muttered, chomping on a scone.
Could Zero get no privacy?
"Out, mom is looking for you and I need a moment."
"Tsk tsk tsk, oh dear, having problems with your ambiguous sexuality already? This early in the day?" his brows rose in mock surprise, eyes widening innocently.
"I just..." he grunted, trying to mash the heel of his hand down on his partial erection, trying to make it submit without the use of stimulation.
"You're just... what? Having cramps? You can ask mom for a tampon you know, maybe it'll keep you from bleeding in the customer's coffee."
"You don't know what happened." Zero snapped as the excess blood finally began to drain from more than his face.
"Stop underestimating me just because I'm younger. We come from the same lineage you know. I may not be as keen as you are, but I could definitely sense what they were." he rose, indifferently rolling up the magazine as it it were a coupon catalog.
"Hey, don't roll that up! It's my favorite issu- ow to the head!"
Ichiru had swat him soundly over the skull, making Zero's head smart, his silver hair flying into disarray.
"And I know that you provoked them! You're in for it now, mom could sense that something was up."
"Sorry! Sheesh, I wasn't thinking."
"Oh you were thinking alright, just not with the correct head. I saw how he put that tip in your apron, pretending to secure it inside when he was really copping a feel. If you go putting in 'extras'," he used air quotes at that word. "Then soon every vampire that walks through the door will expect us to bleed ourselves dry to sate their needs."
"I see you've grown a backbone lately." Zero eyed his brother reproachfully, rubbing at the faint lump that Kanon's cello had left on his scalp.
"I guess living on your own does that." he looked pointedly at his twin, sighing and gathering him up.
Ichiru didn't resist at his brother pulled him into a light embrace.
"Look, I'm sorry that I left you here and went off on my own, but it's something I feel like I have to do." Zero's voice was low and soothing as his arms rested around his reflection.
"But I get so lonely," his defenses broke down for the first time in a while as he accepted the warm gesture, coiling his arms around Zero in return. "It felt like you didn't want to be a team any more." sure he was embarrassed to admit it, but he could tell Zero anything, and vice-versa.
"Ichiru, we're growing up. We have to be able to be independent from each other. We will always be a team, but we're also individuals. It's hard for me too, but this is my dream."
"Since you put it that way," he sighed. "Then I support you."
A smile played across Zero's lips.
"Thanks."
"It's nice that you two are reconciling, but with the both of you back here, just who the heck is going to help me with the brunch rush?"
"Hello? Hikari-san?" a voice called from the shop.
"It'll be just a second sir!"
Their mother stood in the doorway, tapping her foot with a stern expression. The twins pulled apart, laughing sheepishly. She brushed a few silver strands of hair behind her ear to better glare at them, a habit she had whenever ticked off.
"We'll be there mom."
"See that it's sooner than later." she shot an 'I-told-you-so' look at Zero before her frown melted into a crooked smile as she left.
"Come on, let's do our best, HEY!"
Zero felt a hand slip into the pocket of his apron, fishing around for the tip that was resting in its depths.
"I'll consider this payment for not telling mom about you bleeding in the coffee." Ichiru smiled, counting the bills. "The hell? Zero, you hit the jackpot!"
Zero counted the bills with him, loosing track after they hit a thousand dollars from half the roll. A business card fell out from the center, breaking the older twin out of his money trance.
As he bent down to pick it up, a pair of silver scissors in the bottom left-hand corner of the white card caught his eye. A red ribbon overlapped one of the blades, as if it were about to be cut. There, printed in gold, foil lettering was the name 'Takuma Ichijou'. Above it, the words 'Knight Modeling' were printed in an italic, book antiqua font, a silhouette logo of a man posing on horseback was right next to the name. The address and other bits of information about the styling department was provided, but Zero couldn't take his eyes off of the company name.
"BOYS!" a muffled command came from the front.
"Coming!" they answered in unison, scrambling to run out and appease their mother.
"Take this out to table four, this to eight, these to one, and when you get back, start on table six's order."
The twins picked up the trays of food and drinks, running out to the dining area. They greeted customers, shared a few laughs, and ran right back to start cooking the four rice omelets for table six.
"Whoever that guy was, he sure was loaded!" Ichiru exclaimed, unable to contain his excitement. "The first thing I'm getting is a new iPhone, and, I guess I'll get you one, big bro, since you went through the trouble of being molested for the cash and all. Heck, maybe I'll try bleeding in that guy's coffee the next time he comes back."
"No thanks." Zero frowned as he cracked a few eggs into a bowl, whisking them until they became somewhat frothy. "You can buy yourself an iPhone, I'm fine with my prepaid one."
"Ugh, seriously Zerorin? What is with you and your aversion to luxury?" Ichiru wrinkled his nose, staring out of the corner of his eye as he diced peppers, onions and mushrooms, sprinkling them into a large pan with sauteing chicken. "Would it kill you to indulge every once in a while? I have no idea why you're going out for modeling if you have a problem with lavish settings."
"I told you not to call me that! We aren't four anymore!" he scathed, adding rice to the stir fry."Besides, that's a secret."
"I don't see what the big secret is, that type of work just doesn't suit you. Become a chef or something, you're good at cooking."
"You're burning the filling." Zero pointed out.
"See what I mean?" Ichiru tried to reason as he took the pan off of the heat.
"I'm not going to fall in line with the family just like that, Fate can keep her grubby little mitts off of my string, I won't fit into the loom she's wanting me in."
"I thought you didn't believe in Fate." the younger twin eyed him speculatively.
"Precisely."
"You'll need a lot more guts and," he snapped his fingers three times. "attitude than that if you want to survive in the industry. You'll have to stomach and take a lot more crap than what I give you to be able to get noticed. If I can get away with bullying you out of your tips, then they can squander you out of a check, or contract."
"Good point, good point,"
Zero felt a pull at the corner of his lips, a single side tilting up into a pronounced smirk. He moved the filling into a few separate pans of eggs, folding them into fluffy omelets before plating them with garnish.
"What, oniisan?" Ichiru knew he was dying to make a point.
"Check your pockets, otouto." he grinned, walking away with the completed order.
"Pockets?" he asked, checking like he was told.
The money was gone.
"You damn jerk!"
Zero laughed on his way out of the kitchen, delivering the plates to table six. Underneath the apologetic waiter act he had perfected at the Café over the years, was a cheeky little bastard dying to come out.
"ღ*~+~*ღ"
Kaname. Was. Pissed.
And when he industry's top model had his panties in a bunch, by God, he was going to dig into everyone's asses until theirs did too.
He strutted off of the elevator and onto the fifth floor studio, wearing Ruka on his arm like an accessory, a pair of white, tinted frame-less Daemonya sunglasses sitting low on his nose. The moment his raspberry colored flip flops touched the white linoleum he was swarmed by a flurry of people, agents, make up artists, stylists, all of them begging for him to do something or another. Kaname breezed by them like they weren't even there, demonstrating his position to Ruka, who was beginning to feel threatened by how easily he could brush off anyone he pleased.
"Settle down, all of you! I have a scouting appointment set for one fifteen, and as I have decided to grace all of you with my presence early, instead of being fashionably late," he paused for dramatic effect. "I will be giving a runway demonstration to the aspiring little fledglings." he finished, waving to the luminous white catwalk.
Kanamé was in the building, be afraid, be very afraid.
It was when he was working his alter ego did Kaname truly shine as a model. Yes, he was that vainglorious as to use his own name for a stage name, but he'd long since paid his dues to earn that right. He strutted over to the vanity mirror and had a seat in a barber's chair, five people falling in line at his side, awaiting instructions.
"Miss, I'm sorry, but the floor is closed to all other models but Kanamé-sama at the moment, please come back when we open up for the scouting." a mousy brunette girl took Ruka gently by the arm, intending to lead her away.
"I'm allowed to be here, you know." she frowned. "I am an agent-"
"You!" Kaname yelled at the girl, who flinched on the spot.
"Yes Kanamé-sama?"
"Don't 'Kanamé-sama' me." he snapped. "Are you blind or what? Did you not just see her walk in here on my arm? Who are you?"
"N-nezumi Nezu, my a-apologies!" she said with a bow.
Another stutterer, perfect.
"Hm, yes, I remember you." he said with a grin.
Nezumi flushed, looking positively pleased to be addressed by him. Ruka eyed the pureblood, not trusting his intentions with the girl, very aware of what was about to take place.
"Y-you do?" she asked breathlessly.
"Yes," Kaname replied sweetly. "You were the one who almost fucked up the last photo-shoot because you couldn't tell the difference between raspberry, and raspberry-fucking-rose." he grinned.
Nezumi looked shocked, tears welling up in the corners of her eyes. Kaname stared her down with an icy glare, feeling no pity for the disgusting, whimpering girl.
"You're fired." he muttered nonchalantly, running a finger straight across his neck before turning the barber's chair back around to face the vanity station. "Have security escort her out."
Ruka couldn't decide whether or not to laugh, though she held her tongue, to look professional of course. She hadn't yet earned enough credentials to act like a queen bee, and she wouldn't ruin her good graces with Kaname by trying to get the girl's job back.
"Come here." Kaname waved at Ruka without turning around. "I want you to coordinate with me..."
This surprised her, she hadn't expected to assist him on the first day of their meeting. Ruka approached a nearby vanity, surprised at how people, so willing to please Kaname, flocked to her as well. The scent of pressed powder and different fabrics tickled her senses while the soft vanity lights warmed her skin.
The outfitters, makeup artists, and other staffs hovered, awaiting orders, brushes and hairspray at the ready.
"Hmm, we don't need to take in any pansies, so we should cut straight to the heart of 'shocking'. Everyone, we will be doing a Visual Kei theme for this session, to demonstrate the extremities that modeling can demand of us."
Everyone seemed to move at once, powder foundation flew into the air, yards of fabric and accessories were pulled from racks. Measurements were being taken from Ruka as the two were stripped of their clothing, they seemed to have Kaname's memorized. Curling and flat irons were heating up when the scent of chemicals diffused into the air, neon colored hair dyes were pulled out while accommodations were made.
Kaname went straight over to the sink once he was thoroughly stripped. A blond, Takuma, started to place strips over his skin near the hairline as he quickly worked over his hair, sectioning it off into a few strands for highlights before brushing a solution of bleach and peroxide into them. He watched Ruka skip straight to the dying process once all her measurements were turned in, as her hair was light enough to not need any special bleaching, the lucky bitch.
Fourteen minutes of searing pain later, Takuma leaned him back into the sink, rinsing the chemicals out completely before blow drying his hair into a tuff of fluff. He brushed, and once again sectioned off strands before hot pink was glossed into the platinum locks and wrapped with foil.
The pureblood sighed as he waited, thinking about the cute silver haired waiter back at PePuri Café. He instantly became jealous, realizing that he probably wouldn't have had to sit through a painful bleaching.
But then again, Kaname was a masochist...
After nearly half an hour had gone by before the dye was rinsed out. A conditioner was raked through his hair three times before the stylist was satisfied, blow drying his hair once more so he could start styling. He and Kaname carried on a short conversation about his goals during the process as he flat ironed, hair-sprayed, and shaped the pureblood's hair into volumized, swept back spikes with wax.
Takuma was young, but probably one of the best stylists that he had ever come across. He had a steady boyfriend, and went to college. Kaname really respected that, and was determined to help him get to where he needed to go in life, which surprisingly, wasn't really any different from where he was at the moment.
"So you still want to be a stylist, for whom?" Kaname asked, feeling his feather light touch tweak the spiked into place.
"One day, I want to work for Dir En Grey, them and other Visual Kei bands. I want to be the best in that field." Takuma sighed wistfully.
"I'll see what I can do about getting you credit." Kaname nodded stiffly, trying not to mess with the styling, smiling when he heard the blond laugh.
"Thanks, you know, you're not as scary as everyone tries to make you out to be around here, but I don't blame you. I know for a fact that you'd probably be taken advantage of if you were to show a sweet side twenty-four seven."
"Like you wouldn't believe." he sighed.
"You're still pretty good about taking care of some of us though, so I guess, there's that." the blond mused.
"Hey now, if I get a nice-guy reputation, my career's going to shit. Don't go spreading those rumors." he eyed Takuma playfully in suspicion.
"Like it or not, I'm a faithful man." he sung, finishing up.
"Can't blame a guy for trying." Kaname smirked, getting up and rubbing his ass from sitting for so long.
"You know that if I wasn't with your cousin I would be all over you."
"Please, I still say that Shiki shouldn't be double dipping between you and Rima." he snorted.
"Oh, but he isn't." Takuma gave him an 'if you know what I mean' grin.
Kaname raised his hands in surrender.
"I see."
"ღ*~+~*ღ"
Well it was a good thing that Zero had finally turned to relying on his phone for alarms, otherwise he would have missed the audition altogether. He was already running a few minutes late because he had opted to change into an ivory and silver pinstripe button up and denim blue jeans before hightailing it to the Knight Modeling building.
Avoiding the slow elevator altogether, he chose to run up the stairs four steps at a time. Thank goodness for long legs. If he wasn't sweating, or flushed, or smelled like a combination of breakfast and chocolate, he might have been more confident when he walked onto the fifth floor, but his luck so far had only been with that vampire from this morning.
Perhaps the card that was given to him was a good thing. Maybe he could find this 'Takuma Ichijou' and ask him about breaking into the industry. Or that haughty, vain bastard, but he tried not to think about that.
Zero entered the white showroom as he stepped through the door from the landing, disappointed to find that the room was crowded with newcomers, their body heat warming the room even with the air conditioning on full blast.
"Excuse me, sorry, excuse me, I'm meeting someone." Zero muttered as he squeezed through the throng, meeting and matching some glares and frowns.
"Hey, watch it , human!"
Well, when eloquence didn't work...
"Fuck off to you too." Zero shoved past the guy, banging into his shoulder as he went.
Nobody said the industry was a nice place. While Zero was naturally a nice person, he knew how to separate himself from his work, and this was definitely going to be work. He brushed off the little whisper in his mind telling him to go back and apologize, but he countered it with the logic that he would probably never see the dude again.
Somehow, he had made it to the stage with less confrontation than he expected. Quite a few people were pleasantly surprised when he sincerely used his manners on them, turning up the charm, guys and girls alike let him pass. He gazed down the long catwalk that wasn't as crowded the further down it went. It seemed like most people had wanted to stay near the front of the stage.
The silver haired youth ran a hand through his drenched hair, half from sweat, half from the water he had doused on himself after sticking his head under the faucet. Fortunately, his hair smelled of the shampoo he used, a spicy scented one that he just bought.
Huh, maybe it was less the shock of being treated politely and more the stun of his good looks that got him by so many people. Perhaps his presence had carried him through the possibly five hundred plus people there. Though it was haughty of him to think, he did look rather sexy with his hair wet, and collar unbuttoned. Otherwise, he thought he looked average. It probably helped that he gave off a rude vibe when he was being so polite, like a grudging tsundere, people seemed to eat that crap up.
At least he didn't have to act.
Suddenly the lights went dim as the loud screech of a guitar sounded over the surrounding speakers, the opening rift falling into a stable rhythm as the crowd cheered, whether because they recognized the song, or the figure that appeared beneath a spotlight at the beginning of the runway, he wasn't sure. The man marched forward at his own pace that somehow still managed to sync up with the song, and Kyo's chilling trills and guttural screams.
-NIGHT MARE saa otabe CANDY-
-NIGHT MARE HETERO kaika sa muchi naru CANDY-
-NIGHT MARE boutokusei CANDY-
-NIGHT MARE ...-
The crowd was entranced by him as he drew closer, working the open black, sleeveless PVC trench coat that was lined with hot pink leopard print in the inside. He had a collar with the same pink material that stemmed more of the black PVC over the base of his neck, down his chest, stopping at a little inverted 'V' before his diaphragm. His swinging arms donned warmers that started at his middle finger and stopped at his elbow, laced up with pink ribbon. His flat, slightly toned abdomen was bared, pale beneath the spotlight as the muscles rippled back and forth with his strong gait.
-NIGHT MARE saa namete CANDY-
-NIGHT MARE HETERO kaiga sa "teiousekkai souzouninshin" no CANDY-
-NIGHT MARE doutokusei CANDY-
-NIGHT MARE ... I WISH-
A silver music note buckle glinted against a black belt that held up his short shorts, a ribbon of hot pink leopard fringe falling to his shins, swaying with his walk, enhancing his fluidity on stage. The black, knee-high motorcycle boots he moved so effortlessly in caught the light with all of its polished metal, blinding some of the audience when he came nearer.
-Certain rouse of mine which lies in a single mistake-
-and a meaning of freedom to commit suicide-
-I'll be killed by HANGMAN-
-I'll make you feel good-
His heavily made up face looked expressionless, nearly bored even as he stomped to the end of the runway, face white, eyes heavily lined, a black star outline extending over his eye and temple. It was then that he posed and turned, a smug smirk playing on his pale pink lips that looked oh so familiar.
-CANDY DRAG ...MY SWEET DRAG-
He rolled his hips and gave a final pose as Kyo's digitized voice uttered the lyrics, a hand on his hip, feet apart with more weight on his back leg, pointing into the audience. The crowd erupted into earsplitting cheers of approval as a neon sign in the background lit up with what Zero was assuming to be his name.
K a n a m é
"ღ*~+~*ღ"
A/N: This chapter was tiring, fun, and demanding. Like someone we all know. *coughkanamecough*
Reviews: Please, Thank you, And I would love you forever. ;)