Chapter Eight
I do not own the music used in this chapter. Beast Within by In This Moment
{They entered the club, dressed in leather, satins and lace in the midst of murmurs and a crowded dance floor and hopped onto the stage. Each member of Company Of Wolves grabbed an instrument and slowly began to play. Kyoko's angelic, innocent voice began to croon the lyrics of her new song and her brothers happily joined in with the music as her body swayed hypnotically. Her golden eyes shadowed in greys and her body covered in tattered lace and satins with lace-up faded leather pants that hugged every curve.
I don't know how I got here
But we cannot get out
I'm surrounded by strangers
As the music starts to pound
I see the bodies slowly swayin'
Movin' side to side
I feel the animal is rising
As I slowly come alive
The denizens of the club started moving to the music, joining her and soon the club was hopping to the beat.
So everybody starts to move now
I wanna see you all give way
I wanna tear this place apart tonight
And have you thank me for my rage
Tell me what you came for
Can I give you just a taste?
I wanna see you lose your fucking minds
And rip apart this place
As her song became more intense and she belted out the chorus, her demeanor and appearance started to change to that of a werewolf and her smile became sinister and feral. She jumped off the stage with her band and they began to tear into the unsuspecting crowd and feed.
I'll tear you apart
I'll feed off your heart
I wanna see your bodies grinding just for me
I'm just what you need, your perfect disease
Don't you wanna turn the beauty into the beast?
Let me see you move your bodies
Endorphins start to swell now
As I step up to my throne
I feel the monster caged inside of me
Screaming through my bones
I wanna see you start to sweat now
I wanna see you lose your minds
I wanna feel you all from deep within
Swayin' back and forth all night
Let me see you move your bodies
I'll tear you apart
I'll feed off your heart
I wanna see your bodies grinding just for me
I'm just what you need, your perfect disease
Don't you wanna turn the beauty into the beast?
Let me see you bleed
Let me hear you scream
(Hey-oh, he-ey, oh)
Let me see you move
Let me hear you say (hear you say)
I see the bodies slowly swayin'
Movin' side to side
I feel the animal is rising
I'll tear you apart
I'll feed off your heart
I wanna see your bodies grinding just for me
I'm just what you need, your perfect disease
Don't you wanna turn the beauty into the beast?
As the song wound down they turned back to their humanity.
The beauty in me, The beauty in me, The Beauty's the beast...
She returned to her innocent smile and they slowly left the club of the dead smiling as if nothing happened and as the doors to the club shut behind them you could hear a howl. The scene went black.}
"Cut! That was wonderful for the final scene. Wonderful! Congratulations on your first PV!" Director Ushio Kurosaki called out to the group. "All we have left is to add the CG. Great idea Chouko-chan. I'll send a copy to Takarada-san when it's ready."
"You're all done with us?" She asked excitedly.
"All done." He gave her a wide smile. "It was fun working with you guys. If you ever want to do another one let me know." He handed her his card and shook each band member's hand.
Two weeks had passed since that filming and there were two weeks of Director Ushio Kurosaki gushing about the determination, professionalism and overall versatile talent of the little alpha female named Chouko, that starred in his very first PV creation, to anyone and everyone. That day, the day of the release, one Shotaro Fuwa would be knocked down a peg on the charts by a beginner. A beginner, as told by all of the critics, that had the voice of an angel, but could act like a demon.
To say that Sho Fuwa was livid would be the understatement of the century. He had truly been introduced to the fickle finger of fandom. Not that a large segment of his fans would deign to listen to Company Of Wolves, but there had been a huge piece of the population that he had forgotten about when his creative juices started flowing and that segment happened to be the male population between the ages of 12 and 30 that found the talented little alpha female very alluring and she hadn't even been trying. (What would it be like if she did?)
Now one would think, that in Japan, the male to female ratio is fairly even and one would be correct in that assumption, so Kyoko had the males and Sho had the females, but she also had females that liked her, thus taking away from his numbers. Because... unless Sho decided that he was going to 'swing that way' out of the blue, there was no way any of her fans would switch to his lovey-dovey panty-dropping music unless their girls demanded it. Thus... The war began. The undeclared war of Sho Fuwa vs. Company Of Wolves.
The first of his attacks began with personal smears and offhanded comments of 'How else do you think a girl like that can get into showbiz?' and 'She lives with five men... What more can I say?' (Which she didn't...) When he was asked his opinion of the group on Japonet Scoop. Needless to say... it backfired. He started digging the grave of his career the moment he opened his arrogant mouth and Aki Shoko stood and watched during the live taping in horror. His die-hard fans agreed, but anyone that had eyes or, ears knew she called those men Nii-san and what Sho had said pissed off quite a few big brothers. After that little incident he was banned from live interviews until further notice. The next onslaught of attack wouldn't come until later when Kyoko/Chouko began her unofficial acting debut.
Meanwhile, during this little drama that is known as Sho's life, the copy of a very well thought out PV fell into the hands of one Hiroaki Ogata and he was blown away. His first question was if she could actually act and Lory Takarada answered that question with a copy of her LME acting tests. He had found his Mio and she had singing talent to boot! He had spent an entire evening listening to her music and by morning he had also found who he wanted to create the soundtrack to Dark Moon, his little Mio. The delicate man could barely breath, because of his excitement. He had his actors picked, he had his music picked and now all he had to do is get them to accept.
Kyoko sat at the table at the Darumaya sifting through her new offers that the PV had churned up for her as her brothers conversed and slurped their noodles and soups. Commercials, modeling, horror dramas and requests for soundtrack work. She was up to her elbows. She released the sigh of a lifetime.
"Akazukin-chan, something wrong?" Reino rested his hand on her shoulder for comfort.
She let out another sigh. "I don't know what to do."
"Well, what would you like to do?" He smiled as he picked up a mushroom.
She sat four of the offers on the table and pointed. "I think this modeling contract could be interesting but, I'm not sure I'm modeling material. I like the script for Dark Moon, they want me to play an Ojousama. That sounds like fun and this commercial for a new perfume called Black Swan, I like that one too. I get to be a princess. Oh and the director for Dark Moon wants me to make the soundtrack for his new drama."
Reino gave her a long look and a big smile. "Why not do all four?"
She looked at him as he were an oasis in a desert. "I can do that?"
Reino laughed. "Of course you can. Just tell Sawara-san and he'll iron out the details for you. That's why he's the manager of the talent section. It's his job."
She let out a huge sigh of relief. Now all she had to do is read a book and do a little bit of research. She wanted Mio perfect.
A couple of weeks had passed and Kyoko had nearly completed her vision of Mio, but there was just something that didn't feel right. She couldn't put her finger on it. She was walking back from one of her photo-shoots for the Armandy Black Rose collection. They had actually given her a few new articles of clothing to wear out and about to when she was with her band and personally. Relatively modest pieces if one actually thought about it. Wispy blouses in bold dark jewel tones, leather pants of 3 different design and decoration with leather corsets to match and 4 pairs of boots. Kyoko's mind was on Mio and that is where she was when she heard the faint sobbing of a specter.
She stopped and listened; although, she knew she really shouldn't have... It wasn't proper and it was quite nosy, but she just couldn't help herself when she heard the voice of Yashiro-san. The kind manager of her favorite and only senpai and alpha male. No... no, hunting partner. She corrected herself. She was absolutely NOT going to place him as her alpha. Bad enough that Sho, as a human, had treated her badly. She was definitely NOT going to allow that part of her to open again. Friends were okay, Onii-san's were fine too, but never... NEVER l..l..lovers. Ahh, but he did smell really nice. Not overly perfumed like that cockroach. His stench assaulted her nose every time she passed a room where he had been. Queen Records, Fuji TV, TBM... Ugh it made her want to hurl and gave her headaches. Why couldn't he just stop being so heavy handed with the cologne? She caught herself going off on a tangent again as Reino had warned. She shook the cobwebs from her mind and approached the pair sitting on the bench and sat seiza before them.
"Chouko-chan? What are you doing here?" Yashiro asked with a little bit of surprise in his tone.
"I'm sorry. I just overheard the conversation between you and Ogata-san and I feel that it directly affects me." She explained staring down at the tile as she let her old personality out a little bit.
Ogata took a good look at her and then saw the book Tsukigomori laying next to her black duffel bag with blindingly hot pink straps and handles. He then looked back at Yashiro and exclaimed, "Is this Chouko-chan?!" and grabbed her hand and shook it vigorously. "It's so wonderful to meet my Mio!" He told her exuberantly.
"Umm. Thank you." She said a little nervously. "What were you saying about Tsuruga-san?"
Ogata's face and demeanor fell once again. "He may not be able to participate in the drama and without Katsuki I don't know what I'll do. I don't know who else could possibly play him." He then began sobbing again.
Kyoko had no idea what to do. Wait... What? "Tsuruga-san is going to be Katsuki?" She wasn't ready for that. Acting with him. Not yet. She was not about to allow him to lead her in a scene. Not after the Ring Doh fiasco. He had pulled her through the entire tea ceremony scene and it really pissed her off. She felt like a puppet and honestly never wanted to feel that way again. She groaned at the thought and promptly informed Ogata that she wasn't sure if she was up to the task of Mio and that's when Ren heard Ogata begin to wail again as Kyoko tried to calm him.
"Kantoku... I will be your Katsuki." He announced to the relief of Ogata as the meeting of three now became four. "And Chouko-chan will be your Mio... Right Chouko-chan?"
She sighed, took a deep breath and nodded, then all four shook hands in a team spirit effort and that's when the cockroach walked past them and made a snide comment. "I see you aren't talented enough as a singer, you have to switch over to something a little easier like acting." He sneered.
That's when the three innocent bystanders watched the real Kyoko leave and Chouko take over. "At least I don't have to fuck my fans and manager to get where I am." She commented in a completely relaxed tone. She flipped her hair in his face and started to walk off.
Sho completely lost it. "You're bodyguards aren't here to stand in front of you today. So watch who you're talking to you little bitch." He started to raise his hand to her before he realized they had witnesses. Two of which were in shock by his behavior and her complete personality change.
Ren's eyes narrowed as Sho raised his hand and roughly pulled her behind him. "You... don't hit women." He growled at him as he caught Sho's wrist.
"Che... Whatever. That trash isn't worth it anyway. What are you? Her new toy?" Sho spit out.
Kyoko had had enough. She stomped up to him and slapped him squarely across the face, shocking him. "How dare you Shotaro! Yayoi Obachan would be ashamed of you!" She hissed then left all four men in stunned silence; not realizing what she had just done.
A pained look crossed Sho's face. He hadn't seen or, heard from her in almost 6 months. Even though he had been an ass to her, he still worried about her. "K...Kyoko?" He croaked out in disbelief as his hand covered his cheek that still had the sting of her hand on it.