Skip Beat! Fan Fiction ❯ How Fun Changes Halloween ❯ How Fun Changes Halloween ( Chapter 1 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

I do not own any rights to 'Skip Beat!' or its characters. This work is not for profit.

Halloween. It was a day like any other for Ren Tsuruga if he didn’t see all the decorations and people in garish costumes he probably wouldn’t have known it was a holiday. It was just a Friday like any other. He had work on four different dramas, a publicity event to go to, and a talk show appearance to make. Currently he was striding through the halls of LME on his way to a meeting with President Takarada. He wasn’t really sure what the meeting was going to be about, but he <i>was</i> sure he wasn’t going to like it, whatever it was.


Upon entering the President’s office Ren was brought to an abrupt halt. There were giant Pumpkins with ghoulish faces, happy faces and sad faces strewn about the room. There were black and orange streamers tossed haphazardly across the space, dangling from anything they caught on to on the ceiling and walls. There was what Ren assumed was once upon a time green streamer shredded across the tile floor and scarecrows set up in every corner. Lory Takarada sat on a couch before a table in the center of the room, his garishly colored costume proclaiming him to be...supposedly, a raven. Though Ren was sure he had never seen such a flamboyantly colored raven in his life. There were costumed dancers and merry-makers strewn about the room in pockets of conversation or simply moving to the slow eerie jazz music that came from the speakers in the corners of the room. He recognized no one, but that didn’t mean he didn’t at least know <i>of</i> some of them. He was sure there were several popular actors, singers and other talents in the room, Lory wouldn’t surround himself with anything else so Ren had a reputation to uphold and would not allow his surprise to show. Obviously this conversation wasn’t important enough to be a private affair so he relaxed slightly, though only slightly.


“You wanted to see me Mr. President?” Ren’s voice held none of his surprise or aversion to his overly colorful and gay surroundings. Halloween bored him and he never dressed up for it unless he had to for work. It was a holiday he didn’t really understand.


Lory looked up from his tea, “Ahh, yes. Mr. Tsuruga glad you could make the party. Come sit.” He gestured to the couch across the small table from him.


Ren moved over and sat on the couch, he refrained from rolling his eyes as a whoopee cushion sounded as he did so. Lory’s open smiled didn’t change, even when Ren received heckling about not saying “excuse me” from across the room.


Once Ren was settled Lory cut to the chase. “I have a mission for you Ren. Miss Mogami was invited to a Halloween party at another company, one that I myself am not allowed to show up at.” Here he frowned, quite displeased with the situation. “So I require that you go and make sure she has fun. I’d have made her go to the party I am hosting so that I could make sure she has fun, but she was so excited by the invitation that I couldn’t tell her no when she came by yesterday to let me know she wouldn’t make it to my party.” He sighed forlornly.


Ren was confused, “Wait, why are you not allowed to show up at the other company’s party?” Though Ren could think of several reasons his boss would be banned from such things.


“Well obviously because I need to stay here and run my own.” President Takarada looked at him like he had two heads.


Ren nodded, “And why do I have to go? Couldn’t Miss Kotonami go?”


Lory shook his head emphatically, “Miss Kotonami is also spending her Halloween somewhere else. The cast for her latest drama is hosting a party and she shall be attending that.”


“Okay. So how am I supposed to make sure she has fun? I was not invited to this party, how am I supposed to get in. Let alone if I am to ‘sneak’ in, how am I supposed to keep my identity a secret?”


Lory flashed him an evil smile and Ren’s heart sank. He no longer wished to have his questions answered. “You will not be going as Ren Tsuruga of course.” He looked pointedly over Ren’s physique.


Ren was already shaking his head before he remembered that there were several dozen other people in the room, so Lory was not talking about him going as himself. He stopped shaking his head and asked the question the President’s eyes were so obviously begging him too. “So who or what will I be going as?”


“You will be going as BJ from this new series that recently came out.” Lory’s grin promised evil pleasures as he said it, giving Ren the creeps.


Ren was a bit stunned, it was a character he himself played after all so he knew he could do it. Also, Cain Heel was not known to be Ren Tsuruga yet. Since, as President Takarada just pointed out, the series had just recently aired for the first time. “Okay.”


Lory clapped his hands and Miss Woods cantered to his side resplendent in an old fashion gold ball gown with a diamond encrusted crown on her head, “Ren will need to be turned into Cain Heel tonight at 6. Will that work for you?”


“Of course Darling. Just meet me here at the office Ren and we’ll get you ready.” Jelly answered with a perky smile. Ren just nodded, but before he was dismissed Lory went on to tell him about how he was to keep Kyoko entertained.


Once his last job was over for the day Ren made his way back to LME, he had only a few minutes to spare before his appointment with Jelly Woods as he entered the building. Coming into the hallway he met her as she was coming out of one of the dressing rooms. “We’re in here Ren.”


He ducked inside and she set to work decking him out as BJ. He knew that Kyoko would recognize him, but he also knew that was kind of the point. Only Kyoko would really know who he was. It was a rather good Halloween costume in general. With the scarring, dark ragged clothing and his own air of acting as the renowned killer. It would be perfect. Also, Cain Heel had been given an invitation to this party. Lory had explained to him that Kyoko had been invited as Setsuka Heel. One of the cast had sent the invitation to the last known hotel where the Heel’s were staying at. It was how Cain had gotten his as well. It would look a bit odd with them showing up separately, but the President had explained that he had worked out an excuse for why Cain wasn’t there and Setsu was with Kyoko already.


“All done.” Ren came out of his thoughts and looked up at the woman, then at the mirror.


He stood up from his chair and moved to the door, “Thank you.”


“Any time. Have fun!” Jelly waved him away and out the door.


As he walked to the curb and hailed a cab he fell into his role as Cain Heel and BJ. The cabbie was so frightened by his silent and brooding passenger that he wouldn’t accept payment, so Ren secreted it on the seat before he got out. He walked up to the entrance of the hotel the party was at and showed his invitation to the man at the door. He was glad he had decided to bring it instead of leaving it behind like Cain would have. The man at the door wasn’t going to let him inside without it.


Upon entering the ballroom of the hotel where the party was he was promptly pounced upon by Manaka. “Mr. Rio!” She flung her arms around him and he panicked a bit.


Overhearing the shout Murasame looked over and with a roll of his eyes marched to them and yanked Manaka away. “Stupid creep.” He muttered as he pulled her along, “How can you like that guy?”


“Brother?” Suddenly Kyoko was beside him with a questioning look on her face, though with her being Setsu it was also a slightly pouty face. Ren found it completely adorable.


“Sorry I’m late Setsu. Was it awful having to put up with all of these Japanese people?” He asked her.


Setsu just smiled and shook her head, “I’m glad you’re here Brother.” She latched onto his arm and they moved about the party, scattering merry-makers in every direction as they tried to escape the duo.


Ren’s goal of keeping Kyoko entertained was done easily enough. All he had to do was stay with her, she had fun being Setsu and commenting sarcastically on everyone else’s costumes. Something she would never even think to do otherwise. Her own costume was a ‘Witch’ – though Ren was sure any self-serving witch with any pride would never where something like that. She had a small purple pointed hat pinned to her wild hair at a cant and she had on a sheer, plainly see-through black long sleeved shirt on. Under the shirt a black and purple corset could be seen and her black and purple short poufy taffeta skirt over black fishnet leggings was making him rather uncomfortable. Her black ankle boots with silver buckles completed the outfit. He was sure Kyoko would never even attempt to wear something like this without being Setsu, her dignity he was sure wouldn’t be able to hold up.


As the evening wore on Cain and Setsu competed in several contests: Cain won the ‘bobbing for apples’ and ‘pumpkin pie eating’ contests while Setsu won the ‘costume’ contest and a ‘best baked goods’ contest. The prizes for these contests were rather remarkable. Ren won a voucher for his favorite restaurant and tickets to a Shou Fuwa concert. Setsu won a make-up set and a large crystal chalice. The prizes were of course the only reason they entered the contests at all.


They decided that Kyoko would take the concert ticket to school on Monday and see if Mimori wanted it; it was after all a front row seat. The night ended with Ren taking Kyoko home in a taxi.


“So, why did you end up coming to the party?” Kyoko asked him as they got buckled.


Ren winced a bit, “Well the Boss insisted I go, said I needed to get out more.”


Kyoko laughed, “Poor Brother. I’m sure you get out more than you would like.”


Ren smiled but dropped the subject. “Did you have fun tonight?”


Kyoko turned from looking out her window and smiled at him, “Yes Brother, I had lots of fun tonight.” Her smiled turned impish, “I rather enjoy getting to get away from myself and act how I never get to otherwise.” The taxi pulled up at her stop and they both got out of the car and Ren paid the driver before the poor man floored it to get away from the frightening pair. “Honestly... I can’t believe the way I am able to act as Setsu... my own behavior is abhorrent to me. And these cloths?” She looked down at herself and blushed before just shaking her head; she had no words for it. “I’m glad you came Mr. Tsuruga. I don’t relish the idea of walking home this late at night in this outfit, Setsuka or not.”


Ren nodded his head, “I should hope not. I’ll walk you to your door if you would like?”


Kyoko blanched at him but then blushed and nodded and they began walking toward the back door of the Darumaya. Once there Kyoko bowed to him, “Thank you for accompanying me.”


Ren bowed slightly back, “Thank you for allowing me too. Have a good night Setsu.” He winked at her.


Kyoko started a bit before smiling, “You as well Brother.” And she walked inside and closed the door behind her.


Ren went back to the street and called a cab for himself. Once back at LME, having to secretly pay a cabbie again, Ten helped him take off the make-up and took back his costume. Finally free of everything he went home. As he sat on his couch he surmised that he didn’t hate Halloween quite as much anymore, frankly he had rather enjoyed it. Watching Kyoko be his snarky little sister without the subtext of having a movie her comments might potentially ruin was the most fun he’d had outside of acting in a long time. He went to bed that night with a large smile on his face.