Blood Rose

[OOC]

Okay kiddiewinkles, rubinoyubi and I would like to play a game.

Two identical muses from entirely different social statuses suddenly run into each other by accident, unaware that somebody else in the world looks nearly exactly like them. Muse A is of a high social standing, like a prince or a noble, and Muse B is just an average person that meets Muse A one day. They switch places for a few days, Muse B getting to live like royalty and Muse A gets to learn what the real world is like.

Indeed, the inquiry caught him off guard once he sat on the driver’s seat. For a moment of silence, the auburn gaze focused on girl, his mind attempting to interpret whether he’d miss a tone of jest. 

“You may ask,” Finally, the actor spoke turning his gaze forward after having clicking his seat-belt on, “but perhaps I should leave it as a surprise.” 

He’d picked the place based on her tastes, on the fact they were to enjoy an evening out away from insinuating questions and disturbing flashes. With this in mind, perhaps it wouldn’t have been such a bad idea to restrain from even uttering their destination. 

Smoothly leaving the premises, it wasn’t until they came to the highway that the sports-car truly picked up speed. It was clear from the route alone that traffic only continued to flow towards the busy city of Ikebukuro as opposed to away. It made it more obvious to see just how unique an opportunity it became to turn away from appearing in that summer’s event.

“I heard you were proposed a deal for a tour with a other idols, are you thinking of going?” It wasn’t small talk, but genuine interest which brought up the inquiry as the drive continued. 

“It’s been some time now since your last musical appearance, hasn’t it?” She’d been dragged towards the acting and modeling industry as of late, though he couldn’t say he was against it. It had created an opportunity to keep their ruse intact in the beginning, before he had grown so attached to the idol. “I’m not sure if I ever asked you, but did you enjoy it? Singing, I mean.”

            Ruri fastened her seatbelt as the actor’s motions to do up his own had reminded her: they were not above the law or its consequences. Despite being rich enough to afford any fine, they couldn’t risk the negative publicity that would surely result from being stopped, no matter how trivial the reason. It was careful planning alone that had saved her from being exposed as the serial killer, Hollywood, and she was determined to stay under the radar of the authorities of Tokyo. They must never find out, she thought fiercely. 

            She looked out the window as the car sped down the highway, the lights lining the street seeming to flash before her eyes. How many mysteries does this city hold? she wondered. Ruri’s face momentarily contorted into a wry expression as she realized that two of the city’s biggest variables are sitting right here, in this car. 

                                 The beautiful idol with bloodstained hands, and the                                  human monster who had saved her life many ways,                                             and more times than she could count.              “A surprise?” she echoed, her gaze flickering over to the man sitting beside her. Her features relaxed into a more neutral expression, and the corners of her lips turned up in a vague semblance of a smile. “I don’t know if I like the sound of that, but seeing as it’s you. . . “ Ruri was only teasing him, but the prospect of being surprised was actually quite novel to the starlet, who was used to having each and every day mapped out and presented to her. 

            Her attention turned back into the scenery surrounding the car as she considered his question. She, in truth, had not yet decided whether she would be going. It would be good for publicity and possibly win her more fans,  which would lead to increased ticket sales, and then more people would be buying albums and merchandise which would lead to the talent agency prospering which would lead to... She wasn’t sure what that would lead to. Would anything really change whether or not she did it? 

             “I don’t know,” Ruri replied honestly. Would it be shameful to admit that she didn’t want to leave Tokyo, that she didn’t want to leave Hanejima Yuuhei? It would be months on the road with other young men and women, all of whom she detested and only pretended to tolerate out of politeness. They were all the same, after all: plastic, or perhaps carbon copies of one another. At least her companion wasn’t like the others, even if his peculiarities could be considered flaws. 

             “I do love to sing, but not as an idol. I don’t know how to explain it, besides saying that I do not want to be restricted by songwriters and music producers. They want perfection, but music--- I’m still not sure what it is about, but I know it’s not that. And I wish that things could be different.”