Author: merrow - G - English - Drama/Humor - Reviews: 37
Things started to fly by rather quickly after that. Tooru chatted for a bit with the interviewer about her likes and dislikes, and a little about school. The girl found Ms. Higurashi to be rather intimidating. She was tall with long dark hair and a cool, perpetually bored expression. She spoke to directly to Tooru, but the girl got the disconcerting impression that the woman wasn't actually looking at her but through her. Her attention seemed focused elsewhere and Tooru had to constantly suppress the urge to look over her shoulder to see what she was looking at. She knew that the everyday questions the woman was asking were meant to relax her, but she felt like she was disappointing her. She'd known from the beginning that she wasn't right for this kind of work. The kind of person who was meant to be in a magazine would be able to think of interesting answers to give. She felt a bit better when Yuki came over to sit by her. And though she was worried about Kyou, she was grateful for something to do with her hands and unconsciously stroked and petted him almost constantly.
"Normally I'd ask favorite animal, but I think I can guess from your little guest." Higurashi managed to make the sentence sound like a question.
"Ah, yes, I like cat-san very much." Tooru said eagerly. She caught Yuki looking to the side, a dark look on his face, "Oh, but mice are good too!"
Ms. Higurashi blinked, "Mice?"
Tooru nodded then remembered that this was an interview that many people might see. "And I like rabbits and cows too-"
"Cows?" Higurashi interrupted. She was beginning to look distinctly nonplussed.
"Yes, and Snake-san," the girl said catching a glimpse of silver hair towards the back of the crowd. "And tigers, oh, and dogs, boar-san, monkey-san, sea-dragons, and sheep..." She put her head to the side, trying to think if she'd missed anyone.
"You forgot 'horse' and 'rooster'." Mika laughed pausing as she walked by with a light fixture. Higurashi shot her a look like she'd grown a second head. She shrugged and smiled, "She's joking! Can't you tell? Mice, cow, rabbit, boar...it's the Junninshi, the zodiac." She didn't notice Yuki blanch and turn white. Turning back to Tooru she said, "But you forgot 'horse' and 'rooster.'"
"Oh." Tooru smiled, "But I haven't met Horse-san or Rooster-san yet."
Ms. Higurashi looked fully awake for the first time. "Haven't met-," she started to ask.
"Ah, sorry to interrupt!" Sawatari strode up, not looking sorry at all. "But the first set is ready for Tooru-kun. You'll have time to finish the interview once we've taken a few shots."
"I've hardly started!" Ms. Higurashi complained. But she flipped close her steno pad and shut off the mini tape recorder she'd laid out on the table. She sighed and said to Tooru with another of her surface smiles, "We'll talk more later."
Tooru stood, bowed and allowed herself to be lead away by Sawatari. Yuki followed behind trying to think of a way to get Kyou discretely out of the studio. Mika brought up the rear with her light fixture. Setting it up she gestured to Tooru to come stand against the creamy white backdrop.
"Okay, stand here while we check the lights." Mika went back to confer with Kinomoto.
"Maybe I should take K...er...'Tom' back to the dressing room." Yuki stood on the edge of the stage uncertainly, not wanting to disturb anything. He knew Kyou wouldn't be happy being handled by him, but there wasn't much choice.
Following his line of thought Tooru brightened and started to walk over.
"No, no." Kinomoto smiled and waved her to stay put. "I like the contrast of the orange fur against the white dress and set. Let's keep him in...at least for a few shots."
"O-ok." Tooru said clutching Kyou to her.
Kinomoto fiddled with his camera some more and gestured for a couple of the assistants to move a couple of the lights around. Tooru stood stiffly in the middle of the set.
Mika shook her head as she came up behind Kinomoto. Yuki overheard her say, "Poor kid. She looks so nervous. How are we ever going to get any natural looking pictures?"
"Well, that's part of our job." The little man smiled up at Mika then turned to face the set. "Tooru-chan, are you ready?"
"Ah, yes!" Tooru tried to sound convincing.
Kinomoto walked over to her, walking around the white boxes and columns that the all white set was made up of. "You don' t mind that I call you 'Tooru-chan' do you? It's only that you remind me so much of my grand-daughter I feel silly being formal."
Tooru shook her head, and found herself smiling back at the chubby photographer. He was a particularly non-threatening person.
"Good, good." Kinomoto bobbed his head happily. "Ok, I want you to take a seat here on one of the boxes and hold your cat...what was his name...Tom?" Hardly waiting for confirmation he chattered on, "I want you to hold Tom like he was a baby. He won't struggle too much will he? He seems pretty calm."
Tooru glanced at Kyou and assured the photographer that he wouldn't.
Kinomoto beamed and waddled back to the edge of the stage. Tooru took her position on one of the boxes and adjusted Kyou guilty realizing that she was grateful to have his solid weight in her arms. She felt less nervous sitting in the middle of the white stage with him.
"Great, great!" Kinomoto snapped a picture, "Now look at him and talk to him or something..."
Tooru looked down at the cat in her arms and into his eyes. Kyou didn't look very happy at all. She felt her stomach flip-flop. She might feel more reassured because he was there, but he had to be very scared that he would transform back any moment. It must be nerve-wracking for him.
"I'm sorry Kyou-kun," She whispered. "I'm sorry!"
"Ssshhh!" He hissed back in a harsh whisper. "Don't call me by name! Someone might hear you!"
"A~ah! Sorry, Sorry!" Tooru apologized and Kyou's ears went back.
"Uh-oh, he doesn't look too happy!" Kinomoto called from off-set, "why don't you pet him or scratch his chin? My cat loves it when I scratch his chin."
Tooru obliged, feeling incredibly self-conscious at the intimate way she was handling Kyou. At the edge of the stage Yuki was clenching and unclenching his fist, angrily trying to convince himself that he didn't wish it was he that Tooru had run into in the hallway. Kyou felt warmth spread through him as Tooru first rubbed a gentle finger between his ears, then down across the side of his face.
Embarrassed but unable to help his automatic reaction he lifted his chin to give her access. Tooru smiled delightedly at his response and proceeded to scratch him under his chin. She didn't even notice the flurry of flashes that went off as Mika, Kinomoto, and some of his assistants took pictures from a couple of different angles.
"Okay, good, now lift him up and put your cheek to his...no, no, don't look at me...look over to the left..." Kinomoto kept a steady patter of directions going from off stage. "Keep smiling...that's good..."
Tooru lifted Kyou and rubbed her cheek against his. She would never had said or done so before, for fear of embarrassing him, but she was glad for this opportunity to cuddle with Kyou's cat form. She'd always thought it was very cute and had often had to restrain herself from reaching out to pet or stroke him on the few times he's been changed to his form around her. So for now...until she could figure out a way to get Kyou out of there...she'd justenjoy it. She closed her eyes and let a gentle smile light her features as she rubbed his soft furry cheek against hers.
"That's good! That's good!" Kinomoto praised, "Okay, now stand up and put him on the pedestal...better keep your hands on him so he doesn't run away..." Tooru didn't have to be reminded. "Okay...okay...pet him and put your face up close to his..."
Tooru looked eye-level with Kyou, and felt herself blush as she brought her face closer. Kyou didn't realize that he was unconsciously stretching his head towards her as she pet him, but was glad for once he was covered in fur. He felt sure that he was blushing so bright that they could see it past his coat. Kinomoto snapped a picture when Kyou's nose was just inches from Tooru's. It almost looked as if he was planting a kiss.
"Now let's see if we can get a playful picture. Here...give her this..." Kinomoto handed one of the assistants a length of ribbon. As the assistant ran out to hand it too her he kept talking. "See if you can get him to go after that...bat at it maybe." Kinomoto sat with his camera to his eye, ready and waiting.
Tooru looked at the length of ribbon and then back at Kyou. She couldn't imagine that he would go along with something so degrading. She was embarrassed to even try, but everyone was looking at her expectantly. She gave the ribbon a limp wiggle in his direction.
Kyou looked at it, and then back up at her. He couldn't. He heard a snicker and looked off-stage. Yuki had gotten himself back under control and was beginning to enjoy the indignities his rival was being subjected to. Kyou glared at him and decided to ignore the flapping ribbon. He looked pointedly away from it. Perhaps if he weren't so cooperative they'd put him back in the dressing room and he could finally transform back. Of course, there was still the matter of him having no clothes...Yuki had taken Tooru's bag, with his clothes inside, to the car with him and left it there. Kuso Nezumi. He'd probably done it on purpose.
Tooru half-heartedly followed Kinomoto's instructions to try to get Kyou's attention with the ribbon. Sighing, the little photographer finally gave up.
"Okay, okay. Let's take five. We'll do a few pictures in that outfit without Tom then we'll have you change into something else."
Mika walked up to Tooru. "Here, I'll take Tom for you." She held out her arms expectantly.
Tooru had picked up Kyou as soon as Kinomoto had begun speaking worried that she hadn't had physical contact with him in a while. She looked uncertainly at Kyou and then at Mika. "Umm...ah...'Tom' doesn't like other people very much..."
"I'll be very careful with him." Mika smiled and held out her arms. "How does he like to be held best?"
Tooru looked down at Kyou. He gave her a practically imperceptible nod. She could feel him shaking though as she handed him over. "Hold him like this," She placed Kyou in Mika's arms so that one arm supported the length of his body while the other held him tight. "He doesn't like his legs to dangle." Tooru stood a moment still feeling uncertain. As long as Mika held him like he was he wouldn't transform back, but she was still worried.
"Time to get back on the set. Don't worry, I'll take good care of Tom." Mika assured her. She demonstrated by patting Kyou energetically. Kyou couldn't help his automatic reaction. His fur stood on end, his claws extended and his ears went back. It was one thing if Tooru did it. But this was a complete stranger. She wasn't being particularly gentle about it either. Mika stopped immediately and gave a nervous laugh. "We'll be fine!" She started to pull Kyou up in a hug, but a pricking of claws make her rethink the action. "Kinomoto is waiting!"
"O-Ok." Tooru said turning uncertainly back to the set. She glanced back at Mika and Kyou a couple of times as Kinomoto started his patter back up again. He seemed fine, and she was quickly at ease and following Kinomoto's directions. Soon she was completely focused on her work.
"Great. Great." Sawatari rubbed his hands together delightedly. "I was starting to get worried there for a minute."
Yuki looked up in surprise. He hadn't noticed Sawatari's approach. "Worried?" He asked coolly. He still didn't trust or like this man.
Quite aware of how the young man felt about him the scout shrugged. "It's one thing to look natural and good in a candid photo taken by a good photographer. It's another thing to be able to pull of good-looking shots in a studio. A lot of girls get all tense and can't look natural." Sawatari shrugged. "It's a good thing that Tooru-kun isn't too bright. It's the smart ones that really have a hard time. They think too much." He smiled down at the visibly ruffled Yuki. "That's not something we have to worry about with Tooru-kun, is it?" Yuki just gave him an icy glare. "But that's why I brought Kinomoto in. He's good with the new girls. No one can be frightened of him."
Yuki looked back at the set. Tooru had been handed a bunch of lilies at some point. She was posed up against a Greek-styled column and was holding the lilies so that they framed her face. As he watched Kinomoto came over and perfunctorily adjusted her head and arms as if she was a large doll. He moved a couple of strands of hair this way and then that way. Tooru didn't even blush. She just watched him carefully as he bustled around careful not to undo any of his changes. Kinomoto chattered on the whole time explaining what he was doing and talking of inconsequential things. Tooru saw Yuki watching and smiled at him. He found himself holding his breath she looked so pretty.
Kinomoto quickly backed off and lifted his camera snapping off a rapid fire succession of photos. "Perfect!" He straightened and gave a big thumbs up. "Next costume!"
Tooru blinked and looked around uncertainly. Perhaps she could take Kyou to the dressing room when she went to change. Before she had time to form another thought a swarm of makeup and wardrobe people bustled her behind a screen. Stepping out in freshly made-up and in a new outfit she was hustled right back out onto the set. She looked around her in amazement. In the few minutes she'd been behind the screen everything had changed. She was now standing before a fake graffiti covered wall. Looking down at her feet she saw a hop-scotch court tacked down with tape and a collection of toys that people would find at a playground.
"Tooru-kun looks so cute!" Mine enthused, coming up to clip a butterfly hairclip into her hair. "Even with the little we have to work with the Boss is able to come up with such a cute outfit!"
"Little? Hey, these are quality clothes! These are top of the line brands only. Spotted! is a premiere fashion magazine." Sawatari bristled. He took a look at Tooru though and felt himself run out of steam.
The outfit was certainly not one that his normal wardrobe staff would have put together. But it was so uniquely suited to Tooru it was if the clothes where made for her. It wasn't however an outfit he could picture the girl picking out on her own. She wore light, almost see through t-shirt dress with a lightly embroidered fan pattern on it. The sleeves were completely transparent and ended in a thick cuffs fastened with enamel fans. Easily seen through the light fabric, she wore a halter-top and shorts combo with just a bare smidge of midriff visible. The outfit was topped off with high sock boots that laced up the legs and had bells that jangled as she moved. It was elegant and urban and it looked great on Tooru. The overdress was just enough to make the outfit seem modest, and her hair was done up with whimsical barrettes, ribbons and clips that made the outfit seem very young and unassuming.
"On set please!" Kinomoto waved Tooru onto the fake playground and once again started babbling and carrying on. Quickly falling into his rhythm the cameras started to flash again and things continued to move along.
"Hey!" Yuki tore his eyes away from Tooru to see an angry looking Higurashi stalking up to Sawatari. "Are you going to keep me here all day? I've had barely five minutes with that girl. I have other assignments I'm supposed to be working on. The magazine can't afford to have me just sit around the set for hours while I wait for you to make time for me."
"Oh really." Sawatari deadpanned, running his hand through his hair looking completely bored. "I wasn't aware we were keeping you so busy. Your name only appeared on two bylines last issue. If that's too much I'll talk to the boss to reduce your load."
The woman's cool veneer cracked, but she quickly switched the subject. "I don't know what you were thinking with this girl anyway." She crossed her arms, "She may be a bit pretty. But she has practically no personality, no spark. I think we're wasting time and ink writing an article about her."
Yuki bristled and was about to speak when he was interrupted by an unexpected source.
"What are you talking about?" Sawatari sneered. "You're the one wasting time. Kinomoto is doing your job for you." He gestured to the set. "You said it yourself, you had barely five minutes with the girl. Is that girl the same one that's up there?" Both she and Yuki followed his gesture and looked at Tooru smiling and laughing on the set.
Higurashi's mouth opened to give an immediate dismissal when the conversation between Kinomoto and Tooru registered on her.
"You look pretty comfortable with that." Kinomoto smiled around his camera as he snapped pictures of Tooru holding a jump rope. "Did you used to play with that a lot when you where a kid?"
"Yes!" Tooru smiled happily, then looked closer at the rope. "But not this kind, you need three people to play with this one. It was just my mother and I so we used to have contests with the ones you use by yourself. Mother always won."
"Sounds like an energetic mother!" Kinomoto smiled. "But what about your father?"
"Oh...ah...Father died when I was very little." Tooru looked a little sadly at the ends of the ropes, in her hands. She didn't seem to register the snapping of photos around her.
"Ah...I'm sorry, I said something bad." Kinomoto apologized. He kept his camera to his eye the whole time. "Let's talk about something else. Did you and your mother play a lot? Oh, and try out some of the other toys."
"Yes! Mother had to work hard to take care of me, but she always found time to play with me." Tooru put down the rope and picked up a ball. She went down into a crouch and bounced the ball idly. "Mother was always lively." Tooru had a sad smile on her face as she bounced the ball up and down.
"She sounds it!" Kinomoto said as he snapped off a round of photos. "Do you still live with her now?"
Tooru stopped the ball and stood with it in her hands, she faced Kinomoto with a smile. "No, Mother passed away last year." A volley of flashes went off.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I did it again." Kinomoto apologized. "That must have been very hard on you..."
"I was very sad." Tooru agreed looking at the ball. She looked up and smiled again, "But I promised Mother that I would never give up. I promised her I would finish high school."
"That's a very important promise." Kinomoto said, "Why don't you try out the hop-scotch court?" Then, completely ignoring his non sequitur, continued on, "It must be tough doing that all on your own. Was school very important to your mother?"
Tooru tossed a marker on the court, "Yes, because of the gang Mother never got to go high school..."
"Gang?" Kinomoto interrupted, actually pulling his camera down from his eye to look at her.
"Yes, Mother was known as the Red Butterfly and is still a legend." Tooru hopped down the hopscotch court and Kinomoto quickly brought his camera back up.
Yuki glanced at Higurashi who was quickly scribbling down bits of the conversation between Kinomoto and Tooru. Her pocket recorder dangled from a cord on her belt with the red "recording" light lit. He frowned. Tooru was never very careful about what she said. Taken the wrong way she could be made to look very bad.
He felt a tap on his arm and looked up. Sawatari gestured for him to follow and walked away. Glancing back at the stage, Yuki reluctantly followed.
"Don't worry about it." Sawatari said once they were out of earshot of the stage.
"What?" Yuki asked.
"Don't worry about the article. Higurashi may be a stuck-up pain in the neck, but she knows her job." Sawatari crossed his arms. "I know I don't have to spell it out for you. We need Tooru-kun to look good. We want the girls who read this magazine to want to be like her, not be shocked by her. And the contract will keep you Souma's out of it completely."
Yuki glanced back at the set, then back to Sawatari. As usual, what Sawatari said made sense. "Why are you telling me?" he asked suspiciously.
"I'm not stupid. If this article turns out like I think it is, I'm going to need your help getting Tooru to extend her contract with us." Sawatari gave an arrogant shrug. "She listens to you Soumas."
"And why should I tell-" Yuki paused almost imperceptibly, "Why should I encourage Honda-san to extend her contract?"
Sawatari laughed, "Because you know me. And 'better the devil you know, then the devil you don't', right?" He looked at Yuki seriously. "Believe me, once this article hits the streets, Tooru's going to start to get offers. You may not like me...but you know what you're getting with me. I'll always give Tooru a fair deal." He gave a toss of his head. "And who better to deal with the scumbags and jerks you'll find in this line of work then a scumbag jerk like me?"
* * *
Kyou forced himself to remember to keep his claws sheathed. He couldn't stop himself from reflexively kneading at Mika's arm.
"Calm down, calm down." He repeated to himself in a silent mantra. He glanced around the set. Where was that damn mouse? Why hadn't he offered to take him when Mika did? It was all his fault that he was stuck here with some strange woman. He saw Yuki talking with Sawatari, or rather he saw Sawatari talking at Yuki again. Stupid scout always talked to Yuki as if he was making all the decisions. Mika shifted her arms in discomfort and glancing down he saw that his claws were once again unsheathed and pricking into her. A bit panicked, he quickly retracted him. What would he do if she dropped him?
Then again...if she dropped him he could run away. It'd be a bit of a distraction to Tooru's photo shoot, but at least he'd be able to transform back again. Going over the thought again he decided against it. He'd be able to transform back, but he'd still have no clothes. He'd be forced to find away out of the studio completely nude. And then he'd have to get out of the building and back home in the same state. It was hopeless.
He looked back at the stage. Tooru had been put in another outfit. This one was much more casual and made her look very young. She wore an oversized pair of overalls so long they had to be rolled up around her ankles. Underneath she wore a girlish blouse with a ruffled collar, and a pink sweater over the blouse and overalls. They'd put her in a sunhat with a short curled up brim. It was decorated with flowers and her hair had long pink ribbons tied through it. She looked sugary sweet and cute. He gave a full-bodied sigh. Maybe it wasn't so bad after all.
"Aww...." Mika ran her hand down his back. "Is the poor kitty bored?"
Kyou didn't know what was annoying him more, being stuck like this or Mika's stupid baby talk. Once again he reminded himself to retract his claws.
"Don't worry, Auntie Mika sent out for something special and here it comes!"
Kyou's ears pricked. He looked up at the woman. 'Something special'? What did she mean about that? But Mika wasn't looking at him she was looking at one of the assistants that had just come in carrying a little white bag. Shifting him awkwardly to one arm (with his legs dangling uncomfortably), she accepted the bag and told the young man to give the receipt to Sawatari. She looked down and saw him looking up.
"Ohh! What does Auntie Mika have for little Tommy-kun?" She deftly opened the bag with one hand, "Want to see? Want to see?" She reached inside, palmed something and dropped the bag on one of the interview chairs.
Kyou stretched his head towards her hand curiously. He didn't know what she was thinking of, but when she opened that bag a really weird smell came out. It wasn't a bad smell, but he couldn't place it either. Whatever she had in her hand smelled the same way. It was a really interesting smell.
Mika smiled delightedly. "Looks like I got Tommy-kun's interest!" She held up her fingers above his nose and waved a little brown square. "Auntie Mika bought you treats!"
Kyou's ears went back. "Disgusting! Cat treats!" he thought, he didn't care how interesting they smelled he wasn't eating any of that. Who knew what they put in those things?
"Oh, don't be like that!" Mika got a wicked look on her face, "I insist you have some!" In one quick motion she forced open his jaws and pushed the treat inside. She used her hand to cover his nose and mouth and keep them shut. "Better give up. My 'get animals to take medicine technique' has never been beaten, kitty."
Kyou struggled to free his head from her grip. He rolled his eyes in desperation. Didn't anyone see what this mad woman was doing to him?! Tooru was facing away from him in a pose dictated by Kinomoto and Yuki was still talking to Sawatari. Running out of air he was forced to swallow the thing in his mouth.
Seeing his throat move Mika quickly let go of his mouth. Hacking and gagging Kyou took a deep breath. He saw Sawatari look over to them and give a covert "thumbs up" to Mika. That bastard! He'd known what she was planning! What the hell had she just fed him? He tried to identify the taste that was still lingering inside his mouth. It was almost minty or medicinal. What had she called it? 'Get Animals To Take Medicine Technique'? Had he been drugged?
"Mika-san!" Tooru ran up with a smile, "Kinomoto-san said he would like to get some more photos with 'Tom'."
Mika looked up at Kinomoto, he raised an eyebrow in a silent question. She nodded with a grin then turned her attention back to Tooru. "Aww...and we were just getting to be friends too!" She released her arms and Kyou practically leapt out of them and into a very surprised Tooru's arms.
Feeling uncoordinated and strangely full of energy he flung himself over her shoulder. Tooru could feel his racing heartbeat against her chest. "K-Kyou-kun?" She whispered, feeling his fear infect her.
"She's-she's insane!" He rasped into her ear. "She-"
He was about to say more when Kinomoto called from the edge of the set, "Turn around Tooru-chan! Turn to the left...that pose with the cat is cute!"
Tooru turned towards the little photographer her eyes wide in surprise. Flashes went off like mad. Kyou was slung partially over her shoulder, his face near hers. He looked around the set in dismay. He could feel Tooru's hands clench around him and he looked at her face. She was looking scared again. He couldn't tell her what happened now. There was too much of a chance that someone would hear him talking or see him. But he couldn't stop his heart from racing.
His ears twitched to and fro, and he kept seeing flashes of movement out of the corner of his eyes. He tried to follow it, but his vision was feeling strangely restricted and he was having a hard time focusing.
Tooru reflexively stroked a hand down his back, trying to smooth down his ruffled fur. Kyou was in such a panic. She didn't understand what was going on. He seemed so frightened and out of control. He couldn't seem to stay still and constantly shifted in her arms. He kept looking around, almost as if he was being besieged with mosquitoes.
A sudden gust of wind almost took off her hat. She quickly put a hand to it amid the flurry of flashes going off. Wind? Indoors? She looked to the side and saw a large fan blowing her way. She looked to the side and saw Kinomoto. He gave her a thumbs up sign and mouthed something, but she couldn't hear him over the wind.
There was a ribbon flapping right past Kyou's nose. It was pink and just a little ragged at the end. The wind machine was making it dance like mad and it was really starting to get on his nerves. It just kept fluttering and weaving around. It was like...like...like a bit tease. Stupid thing.
He decided to do something about it.
Tooru felt Kyou tense, and then felt a weird movement over her shoulder. Craning her head she looked over her shoulder to see what he was doing.
The ribbon danced just out of the reach of his paw. He stretched and batted at it, several times coming so close he could almost taste it. He'd get that thing if it were the last thing he ever did. It grazed his paw and he almost stopped breathing. So close! He resumed his attack with renewed vigor.
Tooru felt like her eyes were turning into swirls. Was this really Kyou-kun? Had Mika switched him for another cat? Surely Kyou wouldn't play like a kitten with a ribbon. But no, she'd heard him speak. It had to be Kyou.
Yuki heard laughter around the set with Tooru and broke off his discussion with Sawatari to see what was happening. Talking with Sawatari was like talking with a crude version of Shigure. You knew that half of what came out of his mouth were lies and the rest subterfuge to cover up for them. It was so tiring.
He came up to giggling Mika, who despite her mirth managed to hold a camera steady, aim it and fire picture after picture. He followed the sight of her camera and felt like he'd been punched in the stomach.
Tooru was looking shocked, trying to keep her hat on and a hold of Kyou at the same time. The latter was proving more difficult by the minute as the cat tried harder and harder to catch the ribbon fluttering in the artificial breeze. Currently he was stretched halfway down the girl's back as he stretched further and further out to catch the ribbon. Tooru's hand clutched him desperately around his rump just above the tail, trying her best not to let him topple over.
Yuki closed his hanging mouth with a snap. What was that idiot thinking?
"Not usually this lively I'm guessing." Sawatari snickered. "Good idea Mika." He said, looking over the younger man's head at her.
Yuki looked up at him in befuddlement. Lively? What?
"I was a little worried...you can never be sure what it's effect is going to be." Mika crouched and took a few more shots from another angle.
She fired off a volley of photos as one of the assistants rolled the wind machine to the side and Tooru's back. Her hair was suddenly blown over her shoulder and in the way of her face. She didn't have a chance to brush it out of her way as Kyou practically toppled over backwards into her arms trying to keep track of the ribbon.
Kyou managed to snag the end of it with a claw and shoved it into his mouth to make sure he kept hold of it. He slumped backwards into Tooru's arms in satisfaction. He got it. The ribbon was his. He chewed on it contentedly. Life was good.
Tooru looked at the self-satisfied cat in her arms in amazement. Slumping down to the floor, she pulled her hat back on her head. She blinked at him. She couldn't help it. He looked so happy. The giggle burbled up, and she gave Kyou a delighted smile. He looked so cute.
Mika stood with a laugh, not noticing the white-faced Yuki next to her. "That's got to be the cutest thing I've ever seen."
Sawatari looked at Mika, "I hope you got some good shots. I'm thinking 'cover'."
"Cover? With Tooru? Are you sure?" Mika looked at him round-eyed.
Kinomoto waddled over beaming happily, letting his assistants continue to shoot pictures. "I think it's a good move. We got some really good stuff today." He put his hands on his hips and looked at the stage. "Look at that cat. He-he! He looks so pleased with himself. I can practically hear him purring from here."
"Ah..." Yuki swallowed, trying to get his dried out mouth working again, "I don't think that is 'Tom' you're hearing."
"Hmn?" Kinomoto looked at him for the first time.
Yuki just pointed to the floor.
There was a small kitten curled up next to his foot. Next to Mika a fat orange and white striped tabby sat licking a paw. From behind Sawatari's legs a sleek black cat peered out curiously. Feeling a bump at his legs, Kinomoto looked behind him. A thick-coated gray cat looked up at him in inquiry. He looked around the studio.
From every nook and cranny cats where appearing. Long hair, short hair, pampered pets, tough looking strays...all types of cats where there. Perched on equipment, poking their heads in and out of every corner. On the set, curious kittens and persistent cats were mobbing Tooru. Kyou, happy with his ribbon, was oblivious to it all.
"Where did all these cats come from?!" Sawatari gaped.
Mika looked around her in panic. "There are hundreds of them!"
"C-camera...." Kinomoto sputtered. "Use your cameras!" He ran about the set waving frantic hands at his assistants who had stopped shooting as the cats appeared. "Don't stop! Shoot! Shoot!"
Long trained to do whatever he said, a volley of flashes answered is call.
* * *
"How was I supposed to know that was going to happen?" Mika was red-faced in anger. "I've never seen a little catnip attract that many cats before!"
"Well, whose fault is it that all those cats appeared then?" Sawatari sneered.
All about the studio the staff where frantically trying to herd the last of the cats out of the room and into waiting carriers. Ayame and Mine had gone outside, ostensibly to wait for Hatori's car. In reality, Ayame couldn't stop laughing and Yuki had been forced to eject him before he said something revealing. Yuki was currently standing guard by the phone at the door waiting for the call that said Hatori had arrived.
Tooru smiled nervously and stroked the real culprit in her lap. Kyou was dozing finally having come down from his catnip high. She tried to focus on Higurashi's questions. She was dressed back in the outfit she'd come in, and this was just the last little bit before the day was finally over. Kyou would be so embarrassed when he woke up.
At the moment though Kyou wasn't feeling anything much in particular. His whole body had been taken over by an all-encompassing lassitude. He felt like his bones had been turned to jelly. The studio was comfortably warm, and Tooru's hands felt nice as they moved through his fur. He felt a rumble of contentment wash through him.
Tooru's hand stopped and she looked at the cat in shock. Was she really hearing what she thought she was hearing?
"Tooru-kun? Tooru-kun?" Higurashi waved a hand at her. "Is something wrong?"
"He-he's purring!" Tooru said jubilantly. She bent over to rest her cheek against the cat's back and closed her eyes. She smiled brightly. "He's purring!"
Higurashi scratched the side of her head with the tip of her pen. "Is it really so amazing for a cat to purr?" She asked with a bemused smile. Such a simple thing to get excited about! She couldn't help but smile at the pure happiness the girl was exuding. Perhaps Sawatari was on to something with this girl after all.
Tooru looked up at her and smiled. The force of it left the interviewer a little amazed. "He's never done it before."
"Ah...I see..." Higurashi stammered. Jeeze. If they got just one picture with the girl looking like that her career was set. You just couldn't dislike the girl. She made a mental note to really do her best on this article. If this girl was going to go as far as she thought, it could be a real coup to be doing her debut interview.
"Honda-san..." Yuki came up behind her. "The car is here."
"OK!" She jumped up eagerly, ready to be home and to put this behind her. She turned to Higurashi, "Oh! Are we finished?"
The woman smiled and made a mental note of the attractive boy hovering around the girl protectively. Sawatari had told her she wasn't to mention any of the Souma's in the Spotted! article...but that didn't mean that other people might not be interested in them...further down the road. "Yes, we're finished."
"Thank you very much Higurashi-san!" Tooru bowed with her arms full of cat and let Yuki guide her out of the studio.
