Cut!
by Darkling
NB: this story has absolutely nothing to do with the first, 'best' ending of Kana: Little Sister. Please don't proceed unless you're prepared not to take things too seriously...
"Taka." Kana smiles at me warmly, sitting there across from me on the tatami. It's only been hours since we arrived here in Osaka, and things still feel a bit strange. We made it here all right, though. We have our suitcases, and we have each other.
There really isn't much more I could ask for.
"We're finally here," I say, quietly.
"Yes," Kana says. "This is going to be home for a while."
"It's strange, isn't it?"
"What is?"
"How it's so different here, so new and strange... but it still feels like home, as long as you're here."
"Yes," Kana agrees, uncurling her legs and crawling closer to me. "It's you and me, Taka. We're a part of each other, like lichen growing on the side of a rock."
"I love you, Kana."
"Taka..." She closes her eyes and raises her lips, pouting them a little. "Kiss me."
I lean forward and—
"Cut, cut, cut!"
Kana opens her eyes, scowling, and pulls back from me as Darkling comes storming onto the set. He looks pissed off. But then again, he always looks pissed off.
"Kana, darling," he says, struggling to contain his temper, "what have I told you about improvising your lines?"
"Um..." Kana blinks up at him, elaborately. "Do it every chance that I get?"
"No!" Darkling barks. "No! The exact opposite! 'Like lichen growing on the side of a rock'? What the fuck was that? The script clearly says—"
"The script sucks!" Kana yells, climbing to her feet and glaring at him. "I'm an actress, for God's sake!"
"Not much of one!" Darkling fires back.
"Well, if I just had better material to work with...!" she taunts.
"I dare you to say that again!" Darkling snaps. "Go on! Say it!"
"Guys, guys..." I pull myself up and step forward, raising my arms, but they turn on me in unison, glaring me into submission.
"Shut up, Taka!"
I sink back, meekly. I hate it when they yell at me.
"What is it, Kana?" Darkling asks. "Don't you like being the star? Don't you like having the game named after you?"
"I don't have any problem with being the star," Kana snorts. "It's just the character development that's shitting me."
"The character development?" Darkling laughs abrasively. "Kana, darling, these character arcs have been shaping up for a long time now. What, you weren't there at the story meetings? You fought pretty hard to get that clause put in your contract, you know!"
"I... I was at the story meetings," Kana mumbles, turning a little red. "But they were so early... and I was usually pretty stoned the night before, so..."
"Then what are you complaining about? Don't think I didn't see you nodding off in the back corner! Well, this is what you get, darling. You wanted input, and you passed it up! Stiff cheddar!"
"Well, then you can change things around now!" Kana pouts. "Honestly, I'm so sick of this whole 'Taka and Kana get back together' subplot! I hate working with him! I thought 'The First Farewell' was going to be the end of it! But nooo! Now it's back to the same old 'I love you, Kana', 'No, I love you more' bullshit! That got old years ago!"
"It's also the main appeal of the game," Darkling points out. "And you didn't have any problem with it before."
"What do you expect?" Kana demands. "I was eight when I got this job! What did I know about plot development? How was I supposed to know what things were going to turn into?"
"Oh, you're breaking my heart!" Darkling snaps. "Face facts – you're here, you're on contract, and you're signed up for at least one more fanfic. Deal with it!"
"You promised me you'd introduce another love interest for me," Kana says, sulkily, folding her arms. "I was looking forward to it. I was hoping it'd be Yuta. He's hot."
"Another love interest? For fuck's sake, Kana, the game isn't called Kana Little Sister for nothing!"
"Oh yes, yes, I understand." Kana sneers. "All the otaku out there need their 'helpless naked little sister' action. They're pathetic! They're losers! Mommy's boys!"
"It's in the contract, Kana," Darkling reminds her. "You'll participate in ero scenes 'when the needs of the plot dictate'."
"The 'needs of the plot'? Don't make me laugh! The needs of the writer, more likely! You take every fucking chance you can to make me get my gear off! 'Oh, Taka, let's go to the festival.' Kana gets naked. 'Oh, Taka, let's go shopping!' Kana gets naked! What the fuck is that about?"
"It's called 'appealing to your primary demographic'," Darkling says, as if explaining it to a very small child. "It's called 'giving them what they want'! Sales! Website hits! Ratings!"
"We could change the premise of the next fanfic," Kana says, abruptly. Her eyes are bright and hopeful as she looks at Darkling winsomely. She reaches out and takes his hand, stroking it gently. "You're the writer; you could put in a plot twist... couldn't you?" She bats her violet eyes, training the full force of her sweet smile on him.
"What... what sort of plot twist were you thinking?" Darkling asks, a little unsteadily.
"Well..." Kana purrs, drifting closer to his side. "For one thing, why don't we have Taka get hit by a truck?"
"He's already fallen down a flight of stairs," Darkling points out. "I think the fans would be a bit suspicious if..."
"But you'd do it for me, right? Come on..." Kana smiles seductively. "I could be your imouto-chan again. You liked that, didn't you? Remember?"
Darkling just blushes. "Um, yeah, but... the plot..." he protests.
"Just kill him off," Kana suggests. "Honestly, if I have to do another scene across from that brainless idiot Taka, I swear I'm gonna strangle him."
"Well..."
"We could talk about it over dinner tonight," Kana says. "Or maybe afterwards..."
"A truck, hmm?" Darkling asks. "There could be some dramatic weight in that."
"And it could be loaded with bricks," Kana says, starting to lead him away. "The bricks could fall all over him, crushing every bone in his body, and I'll stand there crying and say, 'Oh, Taka, your body is as crushed as my heart is.' That's good, isn't it?"
"Hey, it works for me..." Darkling agrees, as they wander off in the direction of Kana's dressing room.
"Um, Taka?"
I turn around, surprised to find Yumi standing there. What's she doing on the Osaka apartment set? We're not supposed to meet up again until the beach vacation scene in Okinawa.
"Hey, Yumi," I say. "What's up?"
"Um..." She hangs her head, shyly. "I heard there was a hold-up on the set, and I wanted to make sure you were all right. I hope you don't mind..."
"Oh, it's just Kana being a snooty bitch again." I laugh. "Nothing new."
Yumi just nods, looking down at the tatami. She's a nice girl – very talented, but a bit low on self-esteem. She's wearing her usual Yumi outfit, but she doesn't have her contacts in. Her blue eyes are magnified by the thick lenses of her glasses. Magnified, and enhanced.
I still remember the first time I laid eyes on her, back on the grade school set. She was cute back then. She's even cuter now.
"Yumi?" I ask.
"Yes?" she asks, looking up at me.
"Wanna go get a cup of coffee?"
She smiles bashfully. "I'd love to."
"Here." I hold my hand out to her. She blushes bright pink, and takes it in hers. Her smile is so cute.
"Do you think we'll ever get to do more ero scenes together, Taka?" she asks, hopefully.
"We can only hope."
As we walk past Kana's dressing room, I can hear Darkling and Kana arguing. Yet again. They're like an old married couple.
"Do you know how hard it is to stay this thin?" Kana shrieks. "I never get to eat!"
"Oh, so that's why you order the most expensive thing on the menu and then only eat a third of it? Honestly, food like that is wasted on you!"
"I know!" Kana's voice rises high, mockingly. "It's fluffy and insubstantial, like your dialogue!"
"Say that again! Go on! I dare you!"
"Hah! You already used that line in this fanfic, you idiot!"
"Do they always fight like this?" Yumi asks, looking anxious as we head towards the exit.
"Well, you know what they say." I shrug. "You only hurt the ones you love."
Yumi giggles. "He must love her a lot, then."
I smile, squeezing her hand. "Yeah, I guess so."
"Fantasy," Yumi says, and laughs. "It's so much better than real life."
And there's no way I can argue with that.