Notes: This is something I did for fun, because I was bored. It'll only be 2 or 3 parts long, just something to try and get me back into writing. It's a bit (~coughcough~ a LOT) weird, but I liked writing Aya's and Omi's parts, and I'm going to have fun with Aya-chan. ^^
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TAKE ONE
He raised a hand, pressing it to his forehead to shield the bright sun from his eyes as he gazed up at the large building. His heart was racing in his chest so quick that he could feel it throbbing painfully. With it was a shrill feeling of exhilaration. He still couldn't believe this was happening. He had landed the part in a new show! How cool was that?
He glanced back towards where his mother was waiting in the car and raised a hand to wave farewell. She waved back and blew a kiss. Ug. He was *fifteen*. Parents didn't blow kisses at fifteen-year-old children.
He glanced around quickly to make sure no one else had seen. No. No one was outside except an old man watering the grass a good distance away.
He faced the building and squared his shoulders, the raised hand lowering from his head to join the other one where it was clenched on his contract and script booklet. He started across the walkway to the front doors.
A security guard was standing by the glass doors and held one open, offering him a smile.
"Good morning!"
"Good morning," he answered back, a bit timidly. Security guards and policemen always made him nervous.
The man gestured with a beefy hand. "The lady at the front desk will tell you where you need to go."
"Thank you," he mumbled, hurrying towards the desk. A lady who looked to be in her 100's was sitting in front of a computer, nose practically touching the monitor's screen as she leaned forward in her chair.
Withered fingers slowly tapped away at the keyboard and her mouth moved as she silently read what was on the screen.
"Excuse me," he spoke up, trying to get her attention.
She leaned back slightly, turning her head to eye him. "Ehhh?"
He shifted uncomfortably. He didn't know people could get so wrinkled.
"Where is the cast meeting for Weiß Kreuz?"
She reached up to tap her lip. He watched with sick fascination as each press of her finger moved the wrinkles on her skin into different positions. Finally she pointed.
"Take the elevator to the third floor. That whole floor is for the show."
"Thank you." He turned and headed towards the elevators. It was a short ride up, and he was the only one in his elevator. The bell dinged, the doors opened, and he stepped out. A man in a business suit and holding a clipboard turned towards him immediately.
"Name?"
"Akito-" he started, but the man interrupted irritably.
"_Cast_ name. That's what we go by here."
He flushed in embarrassment. "Naoe Nagi."
"Good." The man checked something off. "You're the last to arrive.
Come along." He set off at a quick pace down the hall, and 'Nagi' hurried to keep up. "I am the cast director- I am the one that chose the actors and assigned roles. My name is Hiroshi Yuuteno. Today is the day for the cast to meet each other and get an idea of what's going to happen. Schwarz is not needed for a few weeks, but I would prefer you all here for the Weiß filming. It will help get you into the swing of things. Is that clear?"
"Yes, sir."
"Excellent. I can tell you're not going to be as much trouble as the others."
A door burst open ahead and a wheat-haired boy stormed out. He had cornflower blue eyes that were narrowed and his mouth was twisted into a sulky expression. Hiroshi stopped in his tracks as the boy approached them with angry stomps.
"What is the meaning of this?" the boy demanded, stomping once more for good measure. "You can't expect me to play _this_ role! I should have gotten Aya, or Schuldig." The boy crossed his arms over his chest huffily.
"Nagi, Omi. Omi, Nagi," Hiroshi said as introduction.
Omi sneered at him. "I bet _you've_ never been in a movie before."
"No, I haven't," Nagi answered truthfully. What was this boy's _problem_?
"Didn't think so." Omi gave a disdainful sniff. "You have the look of a lost little boy about you. A regular amateur." With that, Omi ignored Nagi and turned to Hiroshi once more.
"Why couldn't I have at least been Nagi?
At least _he_ gets powers and he's not...not so..." Omi waved his hands about in an attempt to find a word to describe what he was looking for. "Genki!" he finally exploded. "Innocent! Naive!"
"Take the role or leave it," Hiroshi said calmly. "There were others who could have gotten it. I would have thought you would be satisfied, since you get more screen time than most of your other cast members."
Omi paused, and it was obvious that that had not occurred to him. He considered it a bit more, scowl softening slightly, then tried once more:
"Then why not Aya?"
"He's twenty, Omi's fifteen. You are fifteen. You can play seventeen better than twenty."
"Hmph!" Omi snorted, turning away and stomping down the hall. "I'm going to get a drink!" he declared over his shoulder, slamming a door behind him as he disappeared into a room.
Nagi watched him go with wide eyes before looking back up at Hiroshi. The man gave a slight shrug.
"He's temperamental. Come on." He set off for the door that Omi had come from. Nagi hesitated before following. He hoped none of the others were like that!
***
The first thing that Nagi noticed when he entered the large meeting room was the several people with strange hair colors. One had red, one had orange, one white, one light blue, one dark blue. The redhead was the first to notice him and stood, offering a wide smile.
"Welcome!" he greeted, extending a hand to shake Nagi's. Nagi obliged the gesture. "Are you Nagi?"
"Yes, I am. You?"
The man grinned, splaying his fingers on his chest. "I get to play the infamous Shi-ne-ing Aya. Welcome on board!"
"Thank you." Nagi smiled.
"Ignore him," the honey haired man said flatly, and at first Nagi thought the man was speaking to him. He realized a moment later that it was a command to the friendly redhead.
"You're so jealous, love," Aya laughed, seating himself in the other man's lap. Nagi's eyes widened in shock at the obvious display of relationship. The redhead grinned at Nagi, reaching up to play with his lover's hair.
"He's very territorial," he said in a stage-whisper. He was prodded by the honey haired man. "He's too young," Aya assured his partner. The man eyed Nagi, and, deciding that what Aya said was true, relaxed. "He plays Yohji."
Yohji smirked. "I get the best part."
"If you say so. I think Schuldig does," Aya teased. Nagi thought back to the cast descriptions he'd seen at the auditions. Schuldig was...the one with orange hair? He glanced in that direction. The man was currently flirting with the six women around him. "He's a bit of a playboy, that one," Aya said, nodding in the direction of the German actor. "He hasn't stopped flirting with any of them since he got here. No dates yet, though."
Aya laughed.
Someone was watching him. Nagi turned his head in that direction to meet a calm brown gaze. The boy gazing at him was slim, with brown eyes and hair to match. The young man gave a slight nod. "I'm Ken," he introduced himself. Something about him looked familiar.
"I...recognize you," Nagi said tentatively.
The man smiled faintly, but it was Aya who answered. "He's Suiko," he said eagerly. "The famous singer. We already got our autographs. You should get yours too." He held up a piece of paper with a scribbled signature on it.
Suiko? _The_ Suiko?! "I'm honored to meet you," Nagi said, a bit breathlessly.
"Honor's all mine," the man replied, smiling.
Aya hurried on with the introductions excitedly. "Over there you have Crawford and his beau Farfarello..."
Nagi glanced in the direction Aya was gesturing. One was dressed in a cut off tee and loose jeans, with golden brown eyes and dark hair. The man sitting shoulder to shoulder with him was wearing small glasses and writing on something. He had shaggy white hair, and when he looked up to meet Nagi's eyes, his eyes were amber colored.
He offered a warm smile to the younger boy, and Nagi smiled back. They too looked familiar.
"Aren't they just gorgeous?" Aya asked, brushing his scarlet bangs from his face. "They're models," he added, smacking his lips in appreciation.
The two seemed amused. Yohji just sniggered and wound his arms around Aya's waist. Aya relaxed back against the older man, and Yohji smirked arrogantly. Hiroshi finished the introductions. "By Schuldig are Tot, Hel, Schoen, Neu, Manx, and Birman. The director is playing Persia. Aya-chan went to the restroom, and you already saw Omi. The minor roles, including Ouka, will not be coming until they are needed."
Hiroshi sat down and motioned for Nagi to do the same. "Now," the man stated, "does anyone have any questions or comments about their roles?"
Yohji lifted a hand. "Why do I have to flirt with so many women?" he asked, disgust plain in his voice. "Do I look straight? Do I even look _bi_?"
"Next question." Hiroshi looked around the room.
"Do we have to listen to Chitsuko whine the entire time we're here?" a female redhead asked from where she was sitting by Schuldig. "I mean, I know he doesn't like his part, but isn't there a nice way to tell him to shove it? If you won't, I will, because that spoiled-"
"Next," Hiroshi interrupted her.
Schuldig flicked his hair, then propped his elbow on the table and perched his chin on his palm. "Why does my character wear such god-awful clothes? They don't even match."
"Next?" The man's voice was starting to strain.
Farfarello lifted a delicate finger. "I was checking the itinerary for the following months, and I noticed that the album release dates aren't worked into here."
"Albums?" Nagi spoke up hesitantly, looking around. What albums?
Omi had just entered the room, and the young boy made a derisive noise.
"You had to sing a bit at the auditions, remember that?" He curled his lip in a sneer. "I bet you couldn't sing worth a cream puff. None of Schwarz could, I bet, and that's why they only have one song apiece."
Schuldig opened his mouth to retort, stung, but Hiroshi broke in smoothly.
"They only have one song each because they are not the main characters." The man turned to Nagi. "Reichi is in charge of the music. She'll be here later today, and you can get your lyrics and CD of the music to practice to." Now he turned back to Farfarello. "The recording will begin in a week, and the first album will be released when the fourth episode is aired."
Farfarello made a note on his paper and ran a pale hand through his short hair as he thought. Finally he nodded. "All right. No further questions from me."
"How is everyone doing with their roles? You've all looked over your scenes, right?" Nods around the room. "Good. This morning we'll fit you for your outfits. Lets go."
They stood and headed towards the door. Hiroshi reached out to open it, but it was flung open from the other side. The cast director stumbled back, dazed, raising a hand to his forehead where the door had connected with his skull.
A girl stood in the doorway, her navy blue hair hanging in two twists at her shoulders, popping gum loudly and wearing enough make-up for five girls. She flung her hands into the air.
"I'm ba~aack!" she announced, then noticed Hiroshi's growing welt. "Oh my gosh, did I do that?" She raised painted fingers to her shiny lips, eyes widening.
"Watch what you're doing," the irate man told her.
Her lips trembled and her eyes watered. "I didn't mean it!" she wailed. "You don't have to be so harsh!"
"There, there, Aya-chan," Aya soothed her.
Nagi sighed quietly. He had a feeling this was going to be a very long summer.
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TO BE CONTINUED...maybe.
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