- Click. Flash. Click. Flash.
Every time her vision blurred, she knew it was time to change position. Her body moved into the tell-tale signs of seduction. A leg at the right angle. Her skirt riding up just enough to get a glimpse of underwear. The black lace beneath the kimono was there for a reason after all. If she wore it, she was hired to show it off. Black hair washed over her bare shoulders and down onto her currently, restricted breasts. Today she was doing one of her more.. out there shoots. One that wouldn't be all over the magazines. It wasn't pornography, but just about as close as she could get at this age. With a rope wrapped around her wrists, she could hardly move and was forced into a more submissive stance than she would prefer. She muttered under her breath about the lack of intelligence in this industry, as the photographer told her to get into a position that would undoubtedly result in her injury, nevertheless, she did what was asked of her, giving the camera that signature smile. Lips lightly painted pink curved upwards and her tongue was caught between her teeth, in an almost mocking gesture. Something as simple as this had made her an over night sensation. She thought the entire thing was ridiculous. Entertaining, but ridiculous.
As the shoot ended, she waited for the stage hand to come and untie her, seeing as it would be nothing short if remarkable for her to do it herself. Tilting her head to the side, she smiled and giggled as his fumbling fingers undid the thick rope, which had left roaring red burn marks on her delicate wrists. "Would you mind making them a little looser next time, sweetie? It kind of hurt..." Her voice trailed off into a pitiful little sniffle as she watched the teenage boy's heart crumble. Most of them would pay any kind of money to be this close to her, but he had harmed the model of the century. Mumbling an apology, he slouched off in a mixture of rage and self disgust. He couldn't get any lower in his mind. A slight pang of guilt hit her and she snuck up behind him, placing a kiss on his neck. Her smile was reflected in his glasses as she swept off past the crowd of stage people, that were quickly packing up the set for the day. Her hips swayed just a bit as she slipped into her dressing room and sat down. Already, she could hear the conversation that would sprout because of her.
The boy would tell his friends how he had gotten to kiss the one and only Sadie. How he had gotten her to fall for him, but he had refused her. How he was a lady killer. They would laugh and toast over his fabricated gloating, the lies evident. But they would pretend to believe him, because it was an impressive conversation starter. One could only imagine how many people would hang off your every word when you said 'My friend once had a relationship with Sadie! Yeah that one..'. It was something that would get all of them their five minutes in the spot light, before people began to poke holes in their fairy tale. Still, it amused her at how people could get such bliss from such a short interaction.
Sighing as she took a seat on the chair in front of the ever clean mirror, she stared at her reflection. She stared at the girl that she knew she wasn't. She stared at Sadie, the model. Sadie, the actress. Sadie, the singer. Sadie, the person every girl wanted to be, and every guy wanted to be with. Black hair framed a delicate face and fiery brown eyes that threatened you to challenge her superiority. It was fun to be her every once in a while, but for now it was time for her to change back.
Taking off the Kimono, she revealed a frail body, no taller than maybe five feet. She was a small girl. In a interesting dance involving her fingertips and her eyes, she removed the contacts and put them in a little plastic case, filled with solvent to keep them clean and her eyes healthy. Already the disguise was starting to dissolve. Stepping into the large bathroom which had been decorated to her liking, as per her publicists' requests, she turned on the shower. In a moment, the room was filled with steam smelling of flowers and honey. It was one of those shampoos that had her name on them. They put them in all of her dressing rooms. As if she loved every product she endorsed. Rolling her eyes, she stepped into the shower to shed the rest of her disguise. Hot water washed away makeup and powder, taking all of the foreign scents from her skin. As she put a generous amount of the thick cream colored soap into her palms and washed it through her hair, the water around her feet became black and thick with dye. It was probably dangerous for her to keep dying her hair this way, but she was fine with it and her hair managed to take the abuse.
Ten minutes later, a whole new person stepped from the steam, wrapped in a pink towel. Hair of pure white was sticking to her back and neck, still wet from the shower. The breasts had decreased at least two cup sizes, and the reason was found on the floor. Inserts that increased.. certain areas of her anatomy. Opening the bathroom door, the dressing room was filled with the scent of her shower and the heat of the water. There was only one other difference in the room. The elderly woman sitting on the couch, her coat thrown over the back of a nearby chair. The young girl smiled and sat down in the chair, brushing her hair. Rose simply smiled and looked at her young ward, rolling her eyes.
"Everyone has left Shiori, why are we still here? Must you always take so long... your parents will start to worry. Out until all hours every night.. and doing what? Pretending to be someone else."
Her scolding, no matter how fierce it might have sounded, was nothing but her way of showing her care for the girl. She knew her words were hollow and lacking threat, since the Layne's did not even know their child had a job, let alone being a model. Or.. sort of. Standing, she rifled through the rack of clothes and pulled out one most.. revealing leather outfit that Shiori, or rather Sadie had modeled earlier today. The material had creaked everytime she changed position, and her legs were nearly all the way exposed. It was one of the more tasteless outfits she had ever tried on, and of course, that is the one that Rose decided to lecture her on this evening.
"Now, Nana, before you even start.. you should know that-" Words trailed off as eyes bordered by crows feet were set on her amber orbs. She whimpered softly and busied herself with getting dressed, pulling the simple white dress over her head. The sleeves were long enough to hide her hands from the wind, and give her an elegant flair. Her thoughts trailed as well, as she ignored the speech that was being given. Something about respect for women of beauty and other feminist things, but she was focused on the choker around her neck. It was black lace with a deep crimson cross dangling from it. The lace was wound with a red ribbon that tied off into two red bows, which bordered a larger black blow. It was a simple piece of jewelry with an elegant look. And the story of how she had received this certain...gift as she called it. Was nothing but simple.
The hours melted away...
The minutes dissolved into sighs...
The stars all disappeared...
And she was left under yesterday's skies...
She had been at one of those mall openings. To say Patashu was so crowded, they were constantly opening these new super shopping centers and she was forced to pretend she cared. Hair a gleaming black, breasts two sizes larger, she walked through the halls with fans flocking her sides in a tight pink mini skirt and a white baby tee. All of her clothing was free, given to her by one designer or another. She was actually paid to wear their clothing.. awkward. Looking to her right, she saw her best friend. Or Sadie's best friend at least. A girl Shiori went to school with. Her name was Tasha and she was the most popular girl in their high school, and the main person hanging off of her coat tails. She found it ironic that a girl who didn't even know her name could hang off her every word like this. She giggled and flirted with the camera as it came her way.. it was a normal day for Sadie.
That is until she heard the heartbeat. It was loud.. deafening almost. It stopped her in her tracks. She looked to the side and saw faces of concern, lips moving in words. Asking her what was wrong, what bothered her. Why had she just stopped. Then she felt her body fall as her knees gave way. Something caught her, but she wasn't sure what. Faces blurred and faded from sight as she fell into the dark. Into the heat that seemed to be pulling her whether she went willingly or not. Into her...
Saitomi was so excited to be out of that damn book, even if she was a monkey. The green light was pulsing with energy as she soared above the city. The landscape had changed so much since she had last been here, it was overwhelming. Buildings were larger, roads were paved. It was almost insane. Looking at the signs and billboards, she saw one common element. Everyone was talking about some girl named Sadie. Everyone was crazy about her evidently, and Saitomi could see why. She was beautiful and she was vibrant. As she hopped across the ceilings, she snatched a muffin from a woman, who shrieked something about animal control. Chomping down on the fruit flavored pastry, she stared at the billboard. This is who pride would pick. Someone who would grab the attention of everyone around her. This is who she had to have first. So she would find this girl, and take her body and make it her own, before Pride could even get her bearings. That would show her who was better at.. everything. Air headed, pompous b***h.
Her eyelids fluttered as she felt her strength wavering, and for a moment, she landed on a sloped glass ceiling. Fur sprouted from her and she shrunk down to no taller than two feet. A long tail sprouted from her hind and curled around in the air, testing out it's agility. A black and white lemur sat on the glass, with green around her. Bright emerald eyes stared through the surface of what appeared to be a mall. She watched a large crowd, all focused on one girl. The girl had raven hair and a wonderful body... she would be perfect.
Wiggling her way through a open air conditioning vent, she followed their path through the shopping mall, her focus on the girl. Her breathing quickened as she found herself excited, both mentally and sexually. The thrill of the chase. It all gave her a rush. The fact that she was going to have a human host again.. it sent her heart pounding. She had to wait for the right moment to strike. The right moment to dive into the mind that was this female. She knew most of the others would simply wait until they had become close to their hosts before attempting to join with them permanently, but she wanted it now. She had to have it now. She was roaring the words in her mind, her breathing now nothing but short gasps. She had to have it now!
Then there was silence. The girl had stopped walking and Saitomi watched. She had done it. Their heartbeats were in sync and neither one could breathe. As the girl fell to the side, Saitomi could feel her own pulse weakening. She could feel herself falling into her mind. And then there was blackness. Laying on her side in the air vent, all alone. With no one around her. She began to take over the girl's mind.
Finding herself standing in the darkness, in the only spotlight, she looked around. This was the only level of consciousness she had been allowed to breach. She used the world 'allowed' loosely, since the girl had just fainted and made it easier for her. The power she had been bombarded with was far too much for her to handle. She smirked. Wait.. lips. She had her lips back. Not only her lips but her body. Wearing a skirt and three white belts, she felt her hair, pitch black fall around her shoulders. She was in her favorite of all the forms, looking to be maybe seventeen or eighteen. No older than that. Looking to her right, she saw another light dawn, and there was a girl standing there. But not the girl she had chosen.. this one had hair of pure white and eyes burning with a quiet defiance. This wasn't the one she wanted.
"Who are you? The girl I wanted had black hair... and a better body." How amusing. Centuries of no words and her first sentence was spiteful. She smirked to herself and walked towards the girl, the light following her. The small female stood in silence as Saitomi examined her up and down, walking around her in circles. This girl seemed.. plain. Nothing special about her. She wanted to be the center of attention, not blend into the crowd. Growling in frustration, she walked away from the disgrace of a host, knowing she would be stuck inside of this body until she could gather the energy to reject it. It frustrated her to the point of hitting the girl. And that's what she did. Turning around, Saitomi raised her right fist and aimed a most crushing blow for the girl's jaw. To her surprise, she felt pain and blood pool in her mouth.
What...?
She was thrown back and slid until she hit what she assumed was a wall. Pushing herself into a sitting position with much effort, she looked and saw the white haired girl kneeling and rubbing a bruise on her face. Aside from that, the knuckles of her right hand were red and swollen. A tell-tale sign that she had been in a fight.. or more exactly, been punching someone. Saitomi could only stare in awe as the girl's appearance wavered for a moment and became the girl she had seen before. So this is the true Sadie.. the girl who's signs were all over the place. How entertaining. She walked over to the girl, who had yet to stand and held out a hand. Although she was weak, she had potential to be what Saitomi desired in a host. Strong. Stubborn. Sexy. Someone to show up that b***h pride and to control greed.
"So we're in agreement?" The girl, who's name she now knew, Shiori, looked up at her with those amber eyes that held the innocence of a girl, but the drive of an adult. She raised her small hand and put it in hers, and in that instant, they were joined for an eternity.
Shiori had awakened to be in the back of her limo with her agents yelling into their phones about how to play off her collapsing. They were desperately trying to avoid bulimia and anorexia stories and trying to steer it in the direction of a stress induced panic attack. Rolling her eyes, she sat up and felt something hit her collar bone. The blood red stone in the shape of the cross sat against her pale skin and that's when it all came flooding back. The voice in her mind.. and why there was a monkey curled up in her lap. She fingered the cross and looked down at her new partner in crime, her lips curling into her signature smile, her tongue pushing through the slight gap in her teeth. As the limo pulled through the flock of fans that stared into the tinted windows with concern, shouting for her to get better, she simply stared at the faces without names, and heard the Sin's voice in her mind.
I am Saitomi. You are Shiori. And we are sin.
"...ori! Are you listening to me? Girl, you better get your head out of the clouds before I yank it out!"
The yellings of Rose brought her from her mind and she blinked, frightened at how the lighting had changed. She was dressed and walking down the sidewalk in the dark towards the car that would take her home. Her mental mind thanked herself for knowing the path so well, that she didn't trip over anything while she remembered the events of yesterday. Giving Rose an apologetic smile, she slid into the car and leaned against the door. As predicted, a green and black lemur hopped into her lap and curled up, giving her a little wink. Rose hadn't asked where the animal came from, and for that she was grateful, for she had no idea how she would explain it. Cradling the animal in her arms, she let the car carry her home. It was only a short ride, but any time off her feet was a blessing. She kicked off the heels and wiggled her toes in the plush carpet of the car. Her parents had been well off enough to let her have her own driver, with whom she had a pleasant and polite relationship.
We have to find the others soon, Shiori. I have things to do. We have things to do. We have to find that book and that old hag... Saitomi's mental voice mellowed off into a growl as Shiori simply stroked the fur, cooing the restless animal to sleep. She carried her up the sidewalk and into her bedroom, where she changed once more and crawled beneath her sheets. She could hear the footsteps of her mother and father on the floor above her, and their conversations as well. Their relationship had been on the rocks lately... but divorce was out of the question. Both of them were having affairs that everyone in the house knew about, but no one spoke a word. Living a beautiful lie was better than facing the ugly truth in high society. Curling up beneath the satin sheets, she buried her face in the soapy smelling pillows and closed her eyes. Tomorrow she had no work. Tomorrow she would take Saitomi and find her new comrades. Tomorrow, they would unleash hell unto the world. Shiori didn't see her new actions as evil. She would simply let man see the folly of their ways, as Saitomi had told her. Man was sin and man would be destroyed by itself. It was something to do at least.
