Title: Stranger things have happened
Author: Sakura Takanouchi
Summary: "It's not acting- I really do hate you," she spat. "We have to follow the script," Seto reminded her. "Eventually, your character falls in love with me." He smirked at her shocked expression. "I wonder, will you be acting then?" Setoxwho?
A/N: I'm so excited for this chapter! Hope you like it! Notice the new summary! Also, people have been complimenting me on my chapter titles! You have to search a little to connect them to anything in their respective chapters, but they're fun! Like Spring Break!
Disclaimer: If I owned YGO, don't you think I would have told you by now?
Chapter Four: Beautiful Catastrophe
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Serenity was an absolute mess that morning. She had woken up at the crack of dawn on a weekend no less. Looking in the mirror that faced her bed she nearly died. She looked awful! Her auburn hair was all piled onto one side of her head, her eyes looked tired, and her cheeks were flushed. Well, at least she gave herself plenty of time for the audition. She could still remember yesterday's phone call.
"Miss Serenity Wheeler, we are calling to confirm that you have entered the MKE Search Talent Audition. Your audition will be at 11AM tomorrow morning. We will give you an excerpt of the script to read; you may be asked to do a scene with a partner. Good luck and thank you for supporting MKE!"
Serenity groaned. She needed a shower, breakfast, and a killer look to get her through the lobby and into one of those clear glass elevators. She knew what she had to do. Serenity instantly went into power-shop mode.
Scarcely an hour and a half later, she was shampooed, conditioned, scrubbed, shaven, and had frozen toaster pastries warming in the oven. She was laying out her outfit on the bed when she heard the telltale shrill of the wall phone. Pulling her sky blue robe more tightly around her figure (her living room had plate glass windows, after all), she traipsed into the room and picked it up on the third ring.
"Hello?" Even she was surprised at how awake she sounded.
"WHO'S READY FOR PRE-SHOPPING BREAKFAST?"
"Oh…Mai…" Serenity couldn't repress her frustration. This. Was. Not. The. Time. She just had to let Mai know that without making her suspicious. "I'm not even dressed yet. Not now, Mai…"
"Why not now?" Mai's tone sounded disappointed.
"Cause…I've got to go to work!" 'Brilliant! This is either ironclad…or she'll see right through it. Improvise!' "I've been picking up some extra shifts. Don't worry though; I'll still be back in time for the shopping."
"Okay…sure. She sounded skeptical, but didn't push it any farther. See you at 1, then." Serenity nearly shouted as she hung up the phone. Doing a happy dance into her bedroom, she looked at the outfit lying out on her bed. A fun yellow sundress lay on the bed, of a comfortable soft material emblazoned with sunflowers. The cut was flattering, but ever conscious of modesty, Serenity opted for a light fuzzy cardigan to wear over it. After a quick (okay, not so quick) search through her closet, she found brown-colored cute wedge sandals that complemented her outfit perfectly. Twirling before the mirror, she nearly fainted for the second time that morning. She had neglected her hair! Sure, she had washed it, but had let it dry naturally, and it was waving gently. It looked rather nice, she supposed- just strange. Most mornings Serenity slaved away over the hairdryer, taming her hair into submission. She was so preoccupied this morning that she just forgot.
'Now…' she thought, looking around the room, 'where was I?'
Makeup and accessories was this girl's best friend, and Serenity used just enough to enhance, but not overpower. Mascara, check. Perfume? She smelled like soap already from the shower. If she used any, it would just clash horribly. Earrings? Cute dangly pearl things which accented the shape of her face.
Realizing that she was having a conversation with herself made Serenity laugh out loud. What, did she think that she would have to do a romantic scene with some hot male actor? She couldn't remember a time where she had spent this much time getting ready. 'You're just preparing yourself for the wedding,' she reasoned, moving back to her bed to pack her purse.
Serenity, like a typical woman, could survive for at least a week simply from the contents of her purse, a brown leather bag which didn't look bad with her outfit. She threw her wallet inside along with a package of saltine crackers and a pair of sunglasses. A tube of lip gloss went in as well. She checked her watch. 9AM, meaning she had plenty of time. Classic. Munching on the toaster pastries (she had drawn MKE in icing on them), she decided that that wasn't nearly enough food to get her through this day. It was going to be interesting, hectic, a complete potential disaster, and reeeeally long.
Not much later she traipsed out of her building and started walking. Serenity found herself in the same outdoor café she had gone to scarcely the day before. She congratulated herself for (unconsciously) coming here, and promptly ordered tea and a muffin. There was hardly a cloud in the sky. She noticed a stray newspaper on the table she was using. 'The Domino Enquirer…' She took it in her hands and looked at the front page article.
'MKE Entertainment Label to launch new movie…' Folding the page over in disgust, she turned to the next page to try to escape the hold that MKE now seemed to be having over her. On this page was an article about the revenue jump of the Kaibaland theme park nearby. 'Who writes this stuff?' she wondered, glossing over the text and pictures, one of the theme park and another of Seto Kaiba himself. Looking at his confident expression, Serenity recalled the conversation her friends had about him. And this article was boring… Realizing she was reading the business page, she groaned and flipped through the pages until she got to the style section. There. That should keep her occupied.
It did take time, but eventually Serenity became bored both with the newspaper and with her food. It was about time for her to be walking to the studio, anyway. Hopefully arriving early would make a good first impression. Throwing out her muffin wrapper and drink container, she ambled down the street to the studio, feeling a slight sensation of déjà vu, but shook it off as nerves and anxiety.
Walking into the studio, Serenity noticed a completely different atmosphere than what she had experienced only a day before. Yesterday, everyone was cool, calm, and focused. In the lobby today, half of the people were in tears, and the other half were nervously pacing around, waiting their turn. Serenity was startled at the overwhelmingly female population in the room. Had the role of the male lead already been chosen? Serenity blushed slightly; she couldn't help hoping it was someone famous. A cute young movie star…it wouldn't even be acting for her to crush on someone like that. She looked at the large wall clock hanging above the receptionist's table. 10:25… She settled into a comfy chair to gaze around and possibly daydream about movie stars.
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At about the same time that Serenity was getting ready in her apartment, a small cluster of people were preparing themselves for another ordeal.
"All right team, look around," Mokuba's voice resounded as he himself gazed at the people sitting in a circle, with him at the head. "These are the people that will be responsible for every aspect of the movie. Sound, lighting, production, you name it, we've got the best of the best right here. And I've taken over the job of directing this film, so we're all going to get along fine. " Looking around the table, a look of momentary confusion flashed across his normally calm features. Whispers wove their way around his words. "I hope that we can be like a family while we work on this movie. With that all out of the way…where in the hell is Kako?"
As if on cue, they heard a tremendous crash, and the door to the conference room was thrown open. Mokuba was almost afraid to turn around to see who was interrupting their 'secret' meeting. An angry feminine voice was heard over the sound of falling objects. "I heard that! Actually, they all could hear that! Go do your work; get out of my way, there's nothing to see here! Or hear here…" The voice giggled and Mokuba's face paled. 'Good grief…'
"I'm not in hell, Mokuba, I'm right here!" A figure appeared in the doorway with a triumphant pose. "It just took me this long to find where your cabal was meeting! Gosh, you could have some light in here, you know. Must keep up appearances, I guess." She closed the door securely behind her.
"Team, this is Kakomi Tsuki, or simply Kako, our screenwriter and the one who first pitched this idea to me," Mokuba said, waving his hand dully in her direction. Eyeing the group warily, he noticed that most of them were taking this in stride, smiling or at least looking interested. Mokuba quickly pulled up another chair for Kako to sit in, and she joined him at the head of the circle.
By the light of the pendant chandelier, Kako's shoulder-length blond curls shone. She was wearing a navy business suit with pants and a jacket, but a bright blue tie-dyed t-shirt was visible underneath.
"Now, let's get started! We'll meet up in soundstage A to continue the open auditions." Mokuba stifled a yawn. 'They've been going on for 3 hours and we still haven't found anyone with enough charisma to take the lead role!' People began to move their chairs, lingering to chat or running to the kitchen down the hall to gorge on coffee and donuts. "Kako, I want you to stay for a moment."
She paused in mid-leap, almost crashing into her chair again. "But Mokuba, all the good donuts will be taken…"
"I need to ask you a serious question," Mokuba looked over his shoulder to make sure that no one else was within earshot. Kako rolled her eyes. "The edited screenplay you sent me is very good…but why does it cut off right at the dinner? Is this a typo or…" Just one glance at Kako's guilty face confirmed his suspicions. "Kako, it's called an edited screenplay for a reason! That means it should be finished!" He glowered at her.
"I'm sorry! I just, just… argh, why is it so hard to figure out the ending!" Kako jumped out of her chair, looking distraught. "I just love all of my characters; I don't want to see anyone get hurt!"
"Kako, they're not real! The actors will be acting- feelings don't matter!" Mokuba was a fraction of an inch away from shaking her. "By the time we cast and start filming, I want a finished screenplay. Edited, finished, screenplay. WITH AN ENDING!"
"Yikes!" Kako's face burned, the color of strawberries. "Right away!" She bowed her head gently and dashed out. Mokuba could hear her voice over everything yelling, "No one touches my donuts!"
Mokuba stayed in his seat a moment longer, his head in his hands. "She's never going to finish that thing, is she…" He glanced at the wall clock; he still had time. He ambled down the hall; maybe he would chat with Reiko about the auditions, or see if she had any mail for him.
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"Hi, my name is Serenity Wheeler, and I'm here for an eleven o'clock audition?" Serenity smiled timidly at Reiko.
"Oh yes, I remember you from yesterday," Reiko smiled at the girl again. "Please, take this ticket with you as you go." Reiko handed her a piece of paper from a large expand-a-file on the desk. Serenity saw it was a copy of her application form. "Now go on with that man in the suit- he'll show you to the studio—good luck!" Reiko waved as Serenity departed, her mouth set in a worried frown. Another girl was right behind her, asking for her form, an 11:05 time slot.
Serenity smiled at the man who beckoned her forward; he looked serious and intimidating. "Follow me miss," he motioned as they entered that precious hallway and waited for an elevator. Serenity gawked as she saw her reflection in mirrored brass everywhere. Rounded surfaces, like trim, made her image distorted, but on others, it went on forever. Walls, ceiling…everything shone, as if it were well taken care of…either that or brand new, she couldn't tell which.
A light chime woke Serenity out of her reveries. The doors of the closest elevator opened, and Serenity stepped in, afraid to blink, in that it would all disappear.
The elevator ride was over almost too fast. Serenity kept her gaze out of the clear glass walls, looking over the atrium with awe and happiness mingling all over her face. She heard a chuckle coming from the mysterious guard. She turned, cocking an eyebrow, as if to ask, 'What's so funny?'
"Only a few girls have acted like that," he explained. "Most simply turn their back on it, trying to look sophisticated, I guess." He scratched his head thoughtfully. "It's my favorite part of the building."
Serenity nodded, agreeing with this man. She pulled away reluctantly from the glass walls of the elevator, wincing when she saw handprint marks as well as one from her forehead pressing up against the glass. The elevator chimed once more, and the doors opened. Serenity could have sworn she was on the Tower of Terror ride, with the way her stomach was dancing. The man got out before her; she heard voices. Leaving the elevator, she stepped into a gold-carpeted hallway. Her guard was talking to another man, dressed in exactly the same cut and color of suit. She giggled. He was distracted…maybe she could look around…
The carpeting went well with midnight blue paint that looked textured somehow. Running her fingers along it, she supposed someone had dry-brushed the pattern onto the wall after painting the color on, a technique that would take a lot of time and patience. She ambled until she was at the end of the short hallway. Left or right? She turned in both directions, but what she saw on her left made her heart race in her chest. She took off running (screw her sandals!), ignoring the cries of her guard. "Miss! Miss, uh…Wheeler! You can't go off into the building unaccompanied!" And almost as an aside, "I don't want to get fired…"
Serenity was out of breath when she arrived at the wall, staring through moist eyes at the beautiful painting before her. A bold, modern yellow sunflower on a blue backdrop. Her messy signature was there, scrawled in the bottom right corner, almost blending into the sky. It was here…how could they have bought her painting?
She had to admit, it looked beautiful against the blue color of the walls. It seemed almost as if she had painted it only to be hung in this hallway. She heard the guard's yells. What, did he think she was sneaking away? Her face flushed; it was embarrassing, but it did look like that.
"Serenity," the guard panted, "Wheeler," he looked down at the ticket, double-checking her name, "What did you do that for?" He looked a little confused as to her state, with eyes about to overflow, and flushed cheeks. Was she sick?
"Serenity Wheeler?" A new voice entered the mix. "Wheeler, as in Joey Wheeler?" They both turned to see a raven-headed young man staring at her with his violet eyes interestedly. He was wearing a navy blazer over a vintage t-shirt and jeans. He looked hot. And familiar. Serenity had a flashback to the other day, at Maggiano's.
"Mokuba…Kaiba?"Her eyes widened. What was he doing here? Unless…Mokuba Kaiba. Entertainment. MKE. Serenity let out a groan and, barely missing her painting, smacked her head quite forcefully against the painted wall.
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Seto Kaiba exited his limo and immediately wanted to dive back into it. What sort of statement was his brother making with this? It was an outlandish waste of money. Keeping his trademark scowl firmly in place, he strode quickly into his brother's studio, afraid that if he didn't he would change his mind.
It was worse inside. Did his brother pay people to just lounge around in this atrium? There was an overwhelmingly female presence in the room, and with the violent violet wall color, Seto felt like his brother's eyes were continuously on him. He passed the receptionist's desk without even nodding or any sign of recognition. Reiko made a small gasp, her mouth forming a silent O shape as he walked past, smirking. He walked into the glass elevators and pressed the button for the top floor. Reiko pressed a button on the desk phone and called her boss, letting him know that Seto had arrived.
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"So you're his sister?"
Serenity nodded, smiling at Mokuba's incredulous expression. "Why don't I remember you? I certainly remember your brother; he was always yelling at Seto in—"
"High school," Serenity chimed in. "Well, it's been awhile since then, and I've gotten a few degrees myself. Masters in Art and a bachelor's degree in Studio art and Economics." Her voice rang out proudly. 'And the student loans to prove it,' the voice in the back of her head added.
"Wow," Mokuba said, obviously impressed. "So you can draw?"
"I painted that," Serenity responded, shaking her head towards the sunflower on the wall. "It was my favorite piece, but I had to sell it to pay for my apartment. It made a ridiculous amount of money…" She let her voice trail off, staring at him wide-eyed. "You bought it!"
By now, Serenity's guard was staring at the both of them, an obviously-I'm-not-needed-here look on his face. He inched away towards the elevators. This was too much drama, even for him. Especially for him.
"I bought it from a coffeehouse not far from here," Mokuba replied. "It was pretty and went perfectly with this floor." Serenity agreed with him there. Mokuba paused to admire the painting. "You do really nice work," he admitted.
"Thank you," she replied, somewhat mollified. Her head still hurt from when she had pounded it into the wall in frustration. Suddenly, she noticed how Mokuba was staring at her. It was as if a light bulb had just gone off over his head. He reached for her arm and proceeded to drag her down the hall, past the painting, and ignoring her cries of protest. This was almost too perfect.
After feeling like a rat properly trapped in a maze, Serenity found herself in a large and open room. The walls were harsh gray cement, but colorful wooden backdrops stood poised everywhere. Speakers, stands, and audio equipment was placed everywhere. Serenity turned to her new friend, biting down a smile. 'Mokuba must really love Apple. This place is an electronics Mecca!'
Mokuba led her over to where a young woman was chatting with several people. She looked friendly, with blonde curls and an infectious smile, but Serenity was beginning to sense a very Joey-like vibe from her.
"Serenity, meet Kako, the screenwriter. Kako, meet my friend Serenity," Mokuba made the introductions, stepping back to gauge reactions.
"Nice to meet you," Serenity replied cheerfully, holding out her hand. 'Wow! The screenwriter! And she's so young…what's the screenwriter do, anyways?'
"Any friend of Mokuba's is a friend of mine," Kako replied, just as enthusiastically. 'I need donuts, I need donuts…'
"Now, Kako, if you will," Mokuba announced regally, slowly enunciating every syllable so as not to be misunderstood, "Please read to us the description in the screenplay where you describe the female character of Shizuka."
"Sure, hold on." Kako rummaged on a nearby table for a moment until she found a large purple binder. Flipping it open to the desired page, she read aloud, or more precisely…skimmed aloud.
"College senior Kawai Shizuka… No family in movie except next-door neighbor…She has to look sweet on the outside but passionate…must be cute so guys come to movie…" At this, Kako wrote in a few notes with a ballpoint pen, "come…to…movie. Where was I? Oh, she is a good dancer and in one scene she must paint a landscape of the ocean- for senior thesis on art and emotion." She looked at Mokuba, who was eyeing Serenity wickedly. Serenity took a tiny step back; Mokuba's gaze scared her a little.
"I know you can paint, Serenity," Mokuba's words rang in her head, "But can you act?"
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A/N: I was listening to 'Falling Slowly' from Once (don't own) while writing the screenplay for the movie (in this fic). That song is so pretty! It really put me in the mood to write out a plot within the plot. Yay! I haven't figured out the end yet, though. So anything is possible right now.
I changed the summary, I really like this new one. I'm also thinking about the title, I guess I'll keep it for now. Also, I would like to inform that Kako is in this story because my sister wanted me to give the crazy screenwriter her name! So go search Kako and read her stuff… subliminal message: Batman Begins SxS style… this sentence was added under torture. Just kidding! XD (THAT was for you, Kako! shakes fist)
I would like to take this moment to say THANK YOU to all my great and fabulous readers and reviewers! I can tell that this story has what it takes to become as big as Fire and Ice got- well, before I got lazy and alienated all of my other readers…but yes, if you liked what you read please tell me! Thanks especially to Patriot16, Kako, Sakurelle, Blueshadows2010, and Loved It for your comments! And thank you to Sakurelle, Shinki, and Strangie for adding this story to story alert! (S-name trend hmmm…) A waffle cone filled with ice cream and sprinkles for every one of you!
Sakura Takanouchi