The Premier!

Shinobu looked down at their hands as Cassie touched his. He smiled and turned his head. "I'm quite proud of my work, I just don't like to boast." He said. "And all the people you might meet... well..." Shinobu bit his lip and smiled. "Well, you'll get to see what it's like." He said. Hopefully she wouldn't be too overwhelmed.

"Ahhh..." Back to that. She was back on the training. "I'm really that unprepared?" He asked. "I thought being in good shape would be most of the work." Shinobu frowned. "Do I have any hope? Could you even help me?" Shinobu looked sheepishly at Cassie.

Suddenly the limo began to slow down. Shinobu looked up. They were close and Shinobu's fingers entwined with Cassie's as they stopped. "You might want to hold your breath." Shinobu said with a wink as he pushed open the door and pulled Cassie out with him into the flash of camera lights and the murmur of the people on the other side of the velvety ropes.

A charged breath caught in Cassie's chest and her heart fluttered as she took Shinobu's hand and climbed out of the limo. She gave him a smile, with big, gleaming eyes, and then she was engulfed in the chaos and glamor of Shinobu's world.

Cameras flashed. Several pairs of interviewer-and-cameraman picked through the crowd, shouting for the attention of a passing star. Everywhere she looked, she saw gorgeous women in elegant, designer dresses that she could never dream of wearing, and probably could never afford, with perfect hair and practiced smiles, striding confidently down the long runner carpet leading to the theater. Cassie's entire wardrobe probably cost less than one of their shoes.

Instantly, she froze. She blanched, and somehow managed to blush at the same time, as if all the blood in her body suddenly rushed to her cheeks to leave them rosy and everything else ghostly white. She clung tightly to Shinobu's hand and shyly tucked her chin down as she paced along behind him.

She had been in crowds for most of her life, but she had always had a job to do. They weren't watching her, they were watching the match. She had only been there to compete. Never had she felt so out of place, and so scrutinized in her whole life, as if everyone was staring directly at her and her cheap clothes and stupid hair. It was like high school in hell. She tried to remind herself that no one cared that she was there. No one was watching her. No one even knew who she was.

"U-um, uh... I-I..." She stammered, probably too quietly for Shinobu to hear. She did her best to smile like all the other women did, or at least a meek, quivering, mortally terrified version of it. She didn't want to embarrass Shinobu. Still clinging to his hand, she raised her other and gave a childishly shy little wave.

Where as Cassie had shrunk, Shinobu seemed to have grown. He strode confidently and his pearly smile widened to envelop his lower face. Confident strides and confident waves were amplified next to Cassie's shrinking demeanor but he could feel the tight grip of timidity in her.

He did not hear Cassie speak but he decided that he needed to show her that she wasn't just going to get lost in the shuffle. He stopped suddenly next to an eager reporter that blazed the two of them in a flash of camera light.

"Fujiwara-san! Fujiwara-san!" The man said, sticking out his recorder. <Who have you brought with you to the premier?> He asked, getting right to the most obvious question.

Shinobu batted it away like a master Tennis professional with a simple breezy wave of his hand. "Please, allow me to speak in English." He said and smiled at Cassie Elliot. "This is Cassie Elliot, she's a famous wrestler and champion grappler! I'm lucky to be in such company, really." He said and strolled past the reporter, winking down at Cassie. "Congratulations on making your first tabloid, Cassie-san. It'll be fun! just don't believe everything they print!" He added with a chuckle.

"it is true that you have joined the AFW!?" He heard another reporter call out in Shaky English from behind him. "Isn't that a disreputable and perverse organization!?"

Shinobu laughed as he continued to walk. "Oh, I wonder if I'll be getting a call from Melissa Sellers in the morning. Hopefully she believes that all publicity is good publicity." He said, still chuckling to Cassie as he strode into the large complex. It was a huge club that could also furnish movie viewing accommodations. They were hit with a shock of air conditioning that cut through the heat of the sultry and elegant clientele for the evening's affair.

Now that he'd made it through the swath of reporters, he was approached by stars and starlets alike, with varying customs of greeting. Polite bows from his fellow Japanese actors as well as European kisses from some of the celebrities and one large hug from a rather chesty American star. Shinobu took it in stride, making sure that with each new assault for his attention, Cassie was always at his side and in hand. He was quick with the introductions too, always making sure that those who approached him knew Cassie was not only there but with him and graciously so.

After they finally ran a sizable gauntlet the two of them had a moment before it looked like anyone else was going to feast upon their attention. Shinobu turned and looked at Cassie, still holding onto her hand. "Ahhh, not so bad, right?" He said with a cheerful smile. "I promise once they settle down, it will be more tolerable."

Cassie remained completely mute while Shinobu boldly navigated the sea of people and their cameras. She managed another shy and, unbeknownst to her, unconscionably adorable wave for the first interviewer. The moment she heard the question from the second, her eyes were glued to her shoes, and she was blushing again. Being in AFW could be so embarrassing.

She couldn't help but feel like a third wheel, despite Shinobu's efforts, when other stars of stage and screen came to greet the dreamy blonde-haired actor. She clung to Shinobu's hand, mousey and quietly observant of each person that came over. She noted that they were mostly women. Not that she could really blame them...

She found herself staring at Shinobu, and the way he came alive in front of the crowd, smiling and chatting and hugging and laughing. She watched the way people were drawn to him and how he wasn't dismissive of any of them. She noticed the way he looked in his tuxedo.

"Wh-What?" She shook her head and snapped out of it. He was talking now. "I'm okay! Don't worry about me. Um... did they really take my picture? Are... is I going to be in... on... things?" Her face bore a look of increasing horror at the things that came out of her mouth.

Shinobu turned to face face Cassie and rested a hand on her head. "Yes." He said. "And yes." He added, letting his hands set on her shoulders. "You're a celebrity! You deserve to have your picture on magazines! Besides, you've nothing to be ashamed of for wrestling in AFW. You're not like those other girls."

Shinobu looked into her green eyes. "They'll watch your matches. They'll see how great you are." He reassured. "And, you look great." He said with a faint blush on his cheeks.

"Let's get some food. That should settle things bit." He said, taking her hand and leading her to the buffet area. "You should see the spread at these places! If you haven't had our Kobe beef, you don't know what you're missing!"

"I dunno..." Cassie couldn't imagine anyone here looking at her and thinking she was great. It seemed ridiculous!

"I like food!" She exclaimed. No matter what, she could always eat. "Oooh. Did you know that the waygu cows get massages? When they make kobe beef? They live better than I do! Well... except for the getting killed part. Still, I wish I could get massages!"

She approached the buffet table and stared blankly at it. She didn't know where to start, or how... She had visions of grabbing a plate and going to town and somehow horribly offending every man, woman, and child in Japan. She hesitated, and looked back at Shinobu. "Are you going to eat something?"

"I've heard they get fed beer!" Shinobu said, smiling at Cassie's enthusiasm. "And here we're supposed to be at the height if decadence!" Shinobu chuckled as Cassie surveyed the feast. "I have a personal masseuse." He said, not trying to brag. "She has magical hands. I'll set you up with an appointment if you'd like. Unless you would prefer a trip to a spa. The springs in Hokkaido will make you feel like you have yet to live before that moment." He said. He hoped that Cassie didn't think he was showing off. He knew he lived a luxurious life. He just felt the right thing to do was share the bounty he'd earned.

Shinobu grabbed a plate and piled some food on. More than he'd normally eat and far more than anyone else had on their plates just so Cassie wouldn't feel bad about taking as much as she wanted.

Cassie stepped up to the table and grabbed a small hors d'oeuvres plate. She placed one slice of kobe beef on it, and then hesitated. She looked over at Shinobu's plate for moral support. She took a single cherry, and then retreated.

"I would like that. All of it," Cassie said. She didn't want to sound like she just wanted to take all the expensive things Shinobu had... Though, his personal masseuse really wasn't what she had in mind. Maybe she was getting ahead of herself, though.

"So, what do we do now?" She asked, and took a nibble of her cherry. "I... I guess now's as good a time as any to tell you I'm not really any good at parties. I promise I won't get into a fight in this one, though... heh." That was awkward. Why did she say the things she said?

Panning far above the congregation of various celebrities and V.I.P.â€s assembling in the main lobby of the nightclub hosting this prestigious event, a lone dignitary looked down upon them all as she rested her gloved hands against the railings with a disinterested look upon her face. The rooms on the second floor of the club accommodated those of a certain type of wealth, the media moguls, studio executives, titans of their own industries. All discussing business dealings and mutually beneficial endeavors over billiards and champagne….dull affairs that Gwendolyn was more than thrilled to be finished with on her end.

As the heiress to a multinational energy and commodity trading corporation, one which owned the studio that produced this film as a subsidiary, Gwen found this quaint movie premiere as an acceptable first foray into the Japanese night life. After her glamorous entrance on the red carpet she was promptly escorted upstairs to glad hand shareholders and uphold her responsibilities, but now that business was settled she relished in the opportunity to mingle and cavort with the handsome celebrities tied into one of the premier movie franchises of this generation.

Scanning the crowd as she slowly waltzed around the upper terrace, her half-open eyes perked up when she observed the blond haired heartthrob and lead actor himself, Shinobu Fujiwara, lingering around the buffet table that had been placed along the stairway. Definitely one of the more prestigious names in attendance, her mouth would curl into a salacious grin as she approached the staircase. Even from this distance Gwen could tell that Shinobu was still quite the looker. The heiress may have even had a thing for the so-called Phantom Detective and his boyish charms back when his career first flourished, her heart beating a little faster as she seemed intent on gracing her stylish prey with the gift of her company.

“Mr. Fujiwara....your presence at this gala event has been sorely missed~....,” The dulcet tones of Gwenâ€s voice could be heard from above the pair as she descended the stairs in a supremely elegant fashion with her white satin gloved fingers faintly gliding along the handrail. The aristocratâ€s empire royal blue evening dress wafted with each refined step, stretching down to her ankles to showcase her white Manolo Blahnik high fashion stilettos. Her flower shaped diamond encrusted earrings reflected the light from the ceiling and added a hint of sparkling radiance to her pristine face as she now stood confidently poised before the handsome leading man.

“Gwendolyn Dupont Bettencourt~,” With her introduction the heiress would present her hand to Shinobu in manner meant to for him to grasp solemnly and then bow, to which Gwen would bow in response with a slight curtsy, raising her dress from the side with her other hand. The sapphire gem hanging from her glittering necklace would nestle just above her chest as straightened back to her dignified posture. “Un plaisir de vous rencontrer,” As Gwen continued with her primp and proper introduction, her enticing hazel brown gaze never eased up from her intended recipient, up to this point not even having noticed any company that might be at his side.

Cassie started to laugh when she heard the voice from above. She thought they were being funny, and she should laugh when people are being funny. Turned out that not only was Gwendolyn not being funny, she was the last person in the whole universe that Cassie would have any business laughing at.

"Whoa..." She stared slack-jawed at the glamorous blonde girl as she made her entrance. She was a walking, talking, human pillar of Cassie's own personal inadequacy, coming to talk to Shinobu, of all people.

She started to hold out her hand, but realized that Gwen didn't even know she was there, let alone did she want to shake her hand, leaving Cassie to awkwardly cover for her little faux pas. She seemed to shrink under the crushing weight of the cheapness of her clothes, and began to look around like suddenly the window treatments were the most interesting things she'd ever seen.