Facing the consequences

Summary: I didn't have the slightest idea as to why she always waited for me late at night, healed my wounds and always gave me a scolding the instant I wake up. It was a regular routine, but why did she think it was okay to leave?

Thank you to those who reviewed! Thanks to those who read!

Please tell me if there's anything that needs to be fixed or if there's any questions then go on and ask away, but I can't guarantee that I'll be able to answer them accurately if it concerns the plot. ...I don't even know where this is going.

Please enjoy!

Chapter 3

Have you ever had the rebellious feeling of being told something you don't wanna do? That type of feeling where you'd rather die than doing the thing you're against; the one where you're just close to breaking down, going on your knees and begging and repeatedly pleading in the most pathetic voice you could muster in order to avoid doing such a thing.

Well imagine that, and then think of me being in that position. Of course I'm not begging or anything.

"I don't want to!"

"You're going to and you'll like it."

"I won't! I'll hate it. I'll hate it for the rest of my life."

"You're being too dramatic, Len!"

"I am not! I am being completely rational!"

"Len, you're on your knees, begging. I think you're beyond being rational."

Meiko rolled her eyes at me as I started pounding on the floor. Sweet Anne gave me a look of sympathy and Rin just stood there, wondering what the hell was going on. Instead of calming down and explaining what was happening, I stopped my pounding and looked up at Meiko with anger. How dare she insult me this way!

I've been enjoying my day, watching TV and ignoring the world around me like a good little boy and she had the nerve to ruin it by unplugging the box and told me one of the worst news that had reached my ears.

She was impossible to deal with!

Then with another death like stare at her, I began to repeat previous words:

"For the last time… I. Am. Not. Going. To. Do. IT."

A malicious look crawled through Meiko's piercing eyes and soon her inner demon was let loose.

"Yes. You. WILL."

Sweet Anne sighed in distress as she threw her hands in the air in defeat. "I'm going to go make the call." With that, she dragged herself out of the family room and into the kitchen where the telephone was.

It was safe to say that Rin's blank look was replaced by a terrified one when Meiko had her foot on my back, my arm twisted back and a look of excruciating pain plastered over my face. Yep. I was going to be sore and probably broken in a few minutes.

Why does life have to be so unfair to me?

"Hello, my darlings!"

…What…the…hell…?

A girl with magenta hair in the style of what looked like drills jumped in front of us. She looked as young as I did, but from the name tag bestowed on her chest, it didn't seem likely that we were on the same status level. Even if she did have a pretty flat chest, she must've been older than me, or so I think anyway.

"I'm so glad you're all here to take part in the shoot!" She giggled in delight, and then whipped out a pair of wire rimmed glasses with a devilish wing design. She studied all of us intently, and I had to back bend a bit, so that she wouldn't invade my personal space. Then the lady snapped her glasses and tossed them behind her.

When I glanced back, I saw a girl with long pink hair quickly sweep it up and ran off in an instant. Who were these people? I took a step back into Kaito, who was in the same statue like gaze. Sheesh, he was still obsessing over Miku's well being and it's been more than two months. Meiko was standing in front of us, grinning like the crazy woman she was. Rin stood by Kaito, her eyes entranced by the busybodies running around the studio and Sweet Anne was already away at her station talking to her manager.

"Annie-dear showed me pictures of all of you!" She quickly informed in a lightning fast tone. She waved a picture of all of us sitting around the coffee table doing our daily activities. It was a picture back at the old apartment and I was slightly flabbergasted to find that Sweet Anne had the nerve to keep one with the ratty place as a background. I winced at the sight of Miku sitting on the floor with her hands clutching a cup of coffee and her dull expression on her face.

I, so badly, wanted to swipe the picture away from her, but she retrieved it back into her pocket. This girl was going to get on my nerves. Big time.

"Um…so…Miss Kasane…" Meiko started, but the lady's hand was soon waved in front of the brunette woman's face. Whoa… that's some serious courage right there.

"Shush!" The Kasane character paused. "My territory, my rules, honey." Then she paced backwards, her index finger to her chin and she began swaying right and left.

This chick was seriously weird.

Then she shot into a straight pose and held up her left index finger.

"First of all, my darlings, you call me Teto. TETO. No Miss Kasane."

Then she struck out her right index finger.

"Second of all, I'm thirty-five so don't call me little!"

Thirty-five? I want some proof. Then she put up her right middle finger.

"Third of all, I want you to respond three words to my every one word! Or at least give me some legit response to everything I say!"

Then she struck the left middle finger up. When were these eccentric rules going to end?

"Fourth and more importantly, I'm always watching. So don't go thinking that you can do anything you want in my territory!"

She tilted her head and produced a jubilant smile to us. It might've been called dazzling to some, maybe charming to others, but to me it was like a beast was baring its fangs at me. Teto then spun on her heel, and bounced a bit towards one of the studios for our…ugh…photo shoot.

"So, when Annie-dear showed me the picture of all of you, I just couldn't resist!" Teto started to yammer as we all followed slowly behind her.

I checked out the flashy place. It had busybody people scurrying around carrying clothes and papers. There were some lingering by the food table, but most were just drinking coffee, ignoring the food that made my stomach growl. The models were scarily thin, not to the point of being skeletons but more to the point where they needed some meat transfusion and quick. Flashes of cameras and the smell of heavy make-up wafted through the air and gave me a nauseating feeling in the pit of my stomach.

Did these people like throwing clown paint on their faces or something?

"You all looked so great in appearance and there was such chemistry in the pictures that you guys would be perfect for our next edition!" Then we stopped at another hall and preceded going through it, then through a curtain with flashes appearing and disappearing. "Now this is where you'll all get prettied up and ready for your shoot." She winked and I felt really nervous.

Was I going to be starved to death, too?

The moment we entered the room was the same moment everyone was getting separated. Of course, Rin and I were latched together and brought to the same make-up area. A woman with purple hair slapped some powder over my face and I began coughing like crazy. She gave me an intense look and began brushing my hair, pulling it out of its usual pony tail.

I glanced towards Rin, who was sitting on her chair and was frantically getting bombarded by different cosmetics. Some guy with golden blond hair looked at her with a professional pose and began snipping at her hair. I couldn't see the rest, because my vision was obscured by the different bodies that started crowding around me.

"You got a handsome face, kid!"

"There are some bruises here, but nothing like cover up magic to do its work!"

"Oh this hair needs to be trimmed!"

"You'll be lovely, hun!"

I don't want to be. I just wanna go back home and watch TV.

By the time they were done, the purple haired woman, who I found out was named Defoko, pushed a set of yellow and white clothes into me and dragged me to the guys' dressing room. Crazy people. They need to learn how to slow down so other people could understand them.

Kaito was finished getting measured and he was already dressed in some weird cosplay costume. It looked like a prince's outfit, all blue and white with royal gold colored trims on it. His usual blue muffler was tossed on the chairs and around his neck was a royal blue cape that flowed down his back. He was now slipping on black boots that fit perfectly and he paced around them to see if they were on properly.

I didn't really do anything else, but gawk because he didn't really look like Kaito. His face was cleared from that faint black eye he got recently from getting into a fight with Meiko last week. His hair had its original blue sheen and his eyes had more life in them than usual. All that was missing was that usual goofy grin he wore to perfect his attire.

"You should get dressed, Len." Kaito towered over me. I always hated how tall he was. "Teto isn't going to be pleased if you're late for the shoot."

Then he left.

There were other people there trying on their clothes or stripping them off. I quickly began changing so I wouldn't be caught gawking idly any longer. It was a strange set of clothes; a yellow jacket with black lines, white fitting pants and a pair of long black boots. It wasn't as flamboyant as Kaito's attire, but it's not like I care or anything. Before I could admire myself in the mirror any longer, Defoko burst through the doors.

I yelped in surprise as to how she casually entered the dressing room filled with either half naked guys or changing ones, but she did and soon reeled me back to the make-up department. She pulled back my hair after setting me down and tied a black ribbon around it. I checked myself in the mirror. I looked older and calmer than my usual self and it only took them about two hours or so. …I think.

"Time for the shoot," Defoko informed and shoved me towards where everyone else was.

As I stumbled through the crowds of photographers and watchers, I saw the others idling their time there. Rin was wearing a big, yellow dress with black frills and a black headband with a black rose on the side. She looked really elegant with her hands filled with yellow roses and the same flowers blossoming at her feet. They were probably going to add the backdrop in afterwards to make the scene look prettier. I couldn't help but think that my sister looked…pretty.

Her eyes were big and wide and a smile was perched on her lips. She then threw the flowers in the air after the first few shots and held her hands up with her eyes arched closed as she laughed playfully. More camera flashes brightened the dark room and I felt my eyes getting dizzy from them all.

"Marvelous darling! You're a natural!" Teto cooed as she pranced behind the camera, waving around a scroll of papers. "Now I want you to strike fear into the camera! Look at it as if you wanted to destroy someone you hated!" She screamed with passion, her finger nails crippling the papers. "Glare for me, darling!"

Rin glanced at me and I felt the blood stop its tracks inside my body. Was it me that she wanted to destroy?

…No it was Miku.

I bit my tongue. No, I'm not supposed to think of her.

The roses all fluttered to the ground, then behind the fallen petals was a wicked look. The camera man practically shuddered back and Teto wringed the scrolls in shock. Rin's eyes were narrowed, her lips were pursed and her hand was lifted up, baring her sharpened finger nails. The thirst of blood entered her eyes and it seemed like the whole room froze with anxiety.

Several angles of her pose were shot and Teto nodded to the cameraman. "Okay, Rin-Rin, it's time for the Prince of Blue to enter the scene!"

I looked up to find Kaito causally waltzing passed me and onto the paper like floor. Rin watched him with a blank gaze on her face and it soon transformed into something else… was it… surprise? He walked with grace and held his hand out to her. I leaned in a bit to see his grin slowly returning to his lips and then switched to my sister's face to find that she was hypnotized. Camera flashes came up from all different sides and I winced at how Rin was slowly lifting her hand up to Kaito's.

"Now turn to the cameras!"

Kaito did so, pulling Rin ever so closely to him and held out his arm to the cameras, as if he was presenting her to the world. Rin faced the cameras as well, her hand to her chest and her head closely hovering against Kaito's chest.

Did these two practice that pose?

They seem awfully close…

"Okay Rin-Rin, it's time for a solo shot with Kai-Kaito!" Teto called while everyone lowered their equipment to take a break. My dear, dear sister trudged through the fallen flowers, avoiding people who were cleaning up the floor. She brushed passed me, not uttering a word and disappeared in the busy throng of people. "Okay Kai-Kaito, now you have to…"

I tuned out her overly hyper voice and began craning back and forth to try and find Rin in the crowd. She was still avoiding me and it's bothering me. I don't want my only living family member to hate me, but it felt so awkward actually trying to interact with her. She rejects me at every turn, ignores my every word spoken, and doesn't bother to acknowledge my own existence.

What was I supposed to do?

"Just pose like that! Perfect!" I could hear Teto's purr breaking through my thoughts. Irritating woman.

"Hey, chin up; we're still in line of shooting." Meiko's oh-so-loving voice chirped and I growled. I faced her, seeing she adorned in red armor with a bloody red cape. Was she a lady knight straight out from a fairy tale book?

"How can I cheer up? I'm forced to play doll dress up and was attacked by the twin drill typhoon over there." I directed at Teto who was spouting out random nonsense. "And there's still the problem I have with Rin." Rin was standing by the room's food table, munching on a small, triangular sandwich. "So how am, please just tell me, I supposed to cheer up?"

"Get over it and stop complaining like some pathetic child who can't lift a finger to do anything for themselves."

Way to bring on the harsh truth of reality.

"Anyway, Sweet Anne did a lot to get us these jobs to get some extra money on our hands, so be grateful it's not getting into anymore street fights."

She did have a point but still.

"I feel like a total girl with all this make-up on."

Meiko grinned.

"Don't worry, it fits, I thought you were a girl at first anyway."

"You…bastard!"

"Okay Len-Len, it's time for you to smile!" Flash. "Len-Len, I said smile!" Flash. Flash. "LEN-LEN!"

"Smile you idiot!" Rin hissed and I rolled my eyes. I somehow produced what felt like a smile on my lips and Teto grinned in victory. I held Rin's hands in mine, her head lying on the nape of my neck and our arms were spread out as if we were beginning to do some ballroom dance.

"Okay good, Len-Len!"

What was I, some kind of dog?

…And what was up with these weird nicknames?

"Meimiko!" Teto sang and I could see a vein of annoyance pop on Meiko's usually confident face.

I stifled a burst of laughter at her nickname, it was worse than mine!

"Meimiko, it's time for yours and Len-Len's shot!"

When were these going to be over?

"Okay now, I want you two to face each other. Len-Len, you need to be really calm and poised because Meimiko is going point her sword at your neck," Teto informed with a grin. I felt like Meiko was more than pleased by these chains of events and my stomach was busy doing back flips. I wonder if there's ever been a murder on set; if not that, then this will surely be the first and the most memorable.

After Rin waltzed back to the sidelines, Meiko stood in front of me with her shoulders squared, her eyes focused and her sword handling arm extended at my neck. An intense look was expressed on her face and I tried giving the best 'bored' expression I could muster. My arms were casually dangled at my side, my chin was slightly turned upward and my eyes stared boringly into hers.

Flashes began shining everywhere and my eyes started to get heavy. I don't think I can get used to the sudden brightness and darkness from every second.

"You guys are so great at this!" The wannabe thirty-five year old screeched with glee. We both relaxed from our pose and I breathed heavily in relief. That tip of the sword was way too close for my liking.

"Why of course," Meiko said, flicking some of her trimmed brunette strands from her face. "We are professionals in most areas." I grimaced at the type of tone her voice held.

Teto nodded in amazement. "Okay, so for the final pictures, I'm going to be really counting on you guys, so get ready to pose, pose, pose!"

I rolled my eyes at her seemingly endless enthusiasm.

When she left, I decided to survey the rest of the studio we were in. More busybodies were running the place amok, hoping not to disturb the actual models. People who were doing make-up spun around the skeleton models, powdering them or brushing them. If they wanted better lighting then they should turn on actual lights.

These people waste a lot of money on cosmetics.

"Wonder how Anne's doing," Meiko started and I shrugged my shoulders.

"Should we go check on her? Teto doesn't seem like she'll be coming back any time soon."

"I would, but I don't feel like having my energy or sanity drained by that woman."

"The great Meiko is afraid of a girl with no chest and of short stature?" I grinned with delight at the newly found information. Definitely a torture device.

Meiko shot me a demonic glare. It was obvious that my grin began to deflate.

Then she pointed an accusation index finger at me, which made me bend backwards a bit. "You don't know the torture I had to go through with that woman hovering around me!" She screamed, causing the strangers to look at us as if we were going to get into a fight. In all honesty, I think we were.

I flung my hands up in surrender. I didn't feel like getting hurt in front of people who were flaunting about their expensive equipment and clothing. Meiko was being scarily sensitive.

"That creature there is just a bomb waiting to explode and take all of us with her!"

Much too sensitive.

"Uh…so you're not going to come with me to check on Sweet Anne?"

"Just go!"

I ran.

I ran through the doors of the studio, dodging past irritated employees that shot glared at me and some others that creepily gave me flirtatious looks. …I really hoped that they wouldn't do anything to me while I checked on Sweet Anne. I shivered.

I'd rather have Meiko twist my arm back and crack it in half.

Yeah, I'm not a very optimistic person.

I pushed back some doors, slithered around some people and finally got to where the models go for their make-up and other stuff. I couldn't find Sweet Anne, not very hard since she's pretty leggy and tall and whatnot.

Now where could she be?

"Hey, come back here!"

Crap, was that person talking to me?

"Just try to catch me!"

"Why you little brat! Just because Teto approves of you doesn't mean the same thing for me! NOW RETURN SO WE COULD TAKE THE SHOT!"

Seems like this person was more trouble than they were worth!

A laugh rang in the air. It sounded pretty breathless, but also full of mischief.

"You can't capture me so easily!"

Where was this happening?

"Mi-ki-ki!"

I turned and whoever this crazy girl was slammed into me. She began scrambling all over the place – scratching me in the process – and finally got up breathing like crazy.

"Oh shit! Sorry kiddo!"

…kiddo?

She barely looked older than I me!

"Oh right, I'm in a bit of a hurry so…" She trailed, her eyes frantically looking around.

She was a weird chick. Red hair, white dress with blue lines and some lines around her body parts that made her look like a robot.

"Yeah go ask an employee here if you're lost, servant boy."

"Servant boy?" I repeated.

She gave me a look, screaming that I must be an idiot.

"Those clothes are from the story board of the Evil series. You're modeling as the servant, right?"

I was the servant? What the hell?

"…crap I have to go before—"

"Mi-ki-ki," A stern voice called out and it sound ghostly familiar. This Mi-ki-ki person froze in fear and slowly turned around in fear.

"O-O-Oh…K-K-Ku-oneesama…!"

…Ku-oneesama?

"I-I was…a-and…"

"Mi-ki-ki, you're supposed to be with La-Lily to do the shot."

Okay who was this person?

"Hey, whoever the hell you are, she's jus—"

…shit.

The Joker of the Night stood before me.

She stood there with such a calm look on her face; it was as if we were perfect strangers. She was dressed in a beautiful – did I just say beautiful? – green dress with ribbons all over the side and showed her bare shoulders and some cleavage. The sleeves were long and loose, and her hair was tied into one large pony tail with a matching green ribbon wrapped around it.

"I-I was just…"

She grabbed my arm and flashed a phony smile with all her teeth showing.

"Showing this kid here to the right studio! Right? Right?"

This chick was desperate, but I nodded.

I could barely form any coherent words.

The Joker – Miku – gave the girl a suspicious look and sighed. Then she swept her eyes to me, barely having any emotions or any evidence of recognition.

She sighed and shined an uncharacteristically warm smile. I cringed. My elbow jerked into Mi-ki-ki's rib cage and she flinched back.

"What the hell's your problem, you bastard?" She screamed.

I jolted awake from my confused trance. What?

"…what?"

"Don't you what me; you sorry excuse for a model, you hurt me!"

What was this girl's problem?

"What, no apology? Pfft. The kids these days are ju-"

"That's enough Mi-ki-ki." The tone of her voice deepened, shutting the vulgar mouthed female. Miku had a shadow in her eyes and I felt fear crawling up my smile.

She looked ready to kill.

"S-Sorry Ku-oneesama!"

"Now, Mi-ki-ki, go return to your shoot with La-Lily," She paused, lingering her eyes on me. "I have other business to attend to."

"Y-Yes, Ku-oneesama!"

She left.

And all there was left were two: Myself, shaking in his leather black boots, and her, still as air in her green dress.

"Let's talk."

I gulped in anxiety.

She led me out of the studio we were in, her hands in front of her legs, folded together.

I was in a blender of confusion, fear and hesitation.

She produced an atmosphere that made my feet to the point of immobility and I dropped to the floor when we entered what seemed like a deserted hall way. Finally she turned to face me and I had to gaze up just to see her eyes.

She was pretty.

…I mean, it was probably just the make-up that fixed her. Yeah, just the make-up; the people were skilled enough to make Meiko look feminine so yeah… just the make-up. It's not like I really think she was pretty, no way. Just no way.

"Sweet Anne is in Studio B, you walked in Studio D."

Oh yeah, I was looking for Sweet Anne, wasn't I?

"Just take a left from here and you'll find her."

Was that it?

Wait, how'd she know we were here?

"How'd you know I was looking for her?" I paused and hissed another breath inside my lungs. "Does she know you're here?"

"She doesn't."

Way to answer my first question, Joker.

I decided to forget about the first question; it didn't really matter.

"Why are you back here?"

"Leon told me to come here."

I gritted my teeth. "He's dead!"

"He told me to come here."

"He's dead!"

She was getting on my nerves as usual. Why couldn't she accept the fact that he's dead? He's never going to come back and nothing's going to become right again. Why, just why can't she face reality? She was too much of an idealist to face it!

"Stop bringing him up!"

Her eyes bored into mine and I felt a chilling sensation. I hugged myself in a vain attempt at keeping myself warm.

"He told me."

"He's dead."

I was getting sick of saying that.

"So am I."

What?

"Go to the left, you'll find her."

She turned and began walking away. I scrambled to my feet, the cold still brewing on my back and chased after her. I grabbed her shoulder and forced her to turn around.

Tears were in her eyes.

Shit.

"She's there. You'll find her."

Why is she repeating that?

The tears began to fall and she blinked them away, not touching her face.

"…who are you?"

She gave me a psychotic looking smile. It made my heart skip several beats in dreadful fear. She looked like she was ready to grab a knife and drive it through my chest until it was well into my heart to take it out. My teeth started to clatter.

The wintery sensation was turning into a blizzard on my back.

"My name is Hatsune Miku; I am the Joker of the Night."

Sorry this took a while longer to update because I couldn't find any good ideas since people liked the previous chapters, I wondered on how to portray this one. As an extra kind of thing, originally, I was going to have Miku pose with them, but then the idea died on me because it didn't really go with the flow of the story. Then I was thinking, "Maybe I should just have Len become paranoid when he sees some Miku look-alike?" but then that idea died on me too. So I decided for the two to talk, creating some development and they needed some interaction as a rickety jump start for the pairing.

I really liked using Teto here. I didn't know which character would be eccentric enough, then I remembered Teto! Happy belated birthday to her, by the way. The Utauloids made their appearances here, like Defoko, Teto, Momoko and Sora; I was going to add more, but decided against it.

I couldn't be creative so I just used the Evil series as their model stuff. Why modeling? Well, since I made Sweet Anne a model, and I had a random Hana Kimi flash back where the characters had temporary modeling jobs, I just used the idea by merging them together. It worked with getting a chapter up at least!

Also, I'm trying to make the chapters as lengthy as possible, so quick updates aren't going to occur very often I'm afraid!

~Ventus