Shipp Wreck
The sun was nearly setting, an orange glow spread across the mackerel sky. Inuyasha's alarm clock annoyingly went off at precisely at 5:00 p.m. He rolled over with sleep filled eyes, moaned, and fumbled for the snoozer button. "Just 10 more minutes!" mumbled Inuyasha.
Nine minutes later Inuyasha's alarm went off again reminding him it was time to get up. He did not want to be late for work so he forced himself to get up and out of bed and then headed for the shower. Shortly afterwards, while sitting in his favorite chair made of fine leather, Inuyasha engaged in a small snack and then headed off to work.
Inuyasha works as a bartender in a place called "Shipp Wreck," owned by the one and only Shippo. Inu has been working there for a few years now. It's not the perfect job but it sure pays the bills and the tips are sometimes very generous.
On his ride over to the club, while stopped at an intersection, Inuyasha happened to spot Kagome standing across the street. When he had the opportunity to proceed, he rode over to her and yelled, "Hey, Kagome! You standing there talking to yourself?" "Inuyasha, you are so immature sometimes," replied Kagome. "You coming to the club tonight?" asked Inu. "I don't know, I have a lot to do tonight," responded Kagome. Inuyasha explained that there was a live band performing tonight and it should prove to be a fun time. Kagome said she would think about it. "Fine, be that way," Inuyasha exclaimed with disgust and rode off suddenly on his moped. It was obvious; he wanted Kagome to come to the club.
"Uggh," growled Inuyasha. "I can't stand riding around on this stupid moped. It's an embarrassment!" he shouted to no one. "Sesshoumaru travels around on Ah-Un, Silver Surfer has his board, Batman drives the Batmobile, and what do I get? I get to travel around on this ridiculous moped! How depressing," mumbled Inuyasha. "Why can't I at least get a jetpack or something? All I have to say is, the tips just better be good tonight!"
As Inuyasha arrived at the club and drove around to the back to where he likes to park his moped he was greeted happily by Shippo, not only the owner and manager of Shipp Wreck but also Inuyasha's friend for years. Their friendship has grown rapidly ever since the hoopla with the Thunder Brothers.
While Inuyasha, in his aggravated state, abruptly chained his moped to the back of the dumpster behind the club, Shippo rushed over to him and exclaimed, "We're going to have a big crowd tonight, Inuyasha!" "Oh yea, and why is that?" asked Inu. Shippo responded with "Well, we have a live band playing tonight and they are really good. You better have the bar fully stocked tonight!" With that, Inuyasha responded with, "fine" and headed in to the club.
Inuyasha spent a good half hour making his bar sparkle. He prides himself on a clean and orderly bar. "Image is everything," he always says. He then checked to make sure the liquor bottles where at least half full or he would have to make sure he had a second bottle of each on hand. His final preparation for the evening was to cut the fruit needed for certain drinks. "Hey Shippo, I don't know how your customers can eat this crap!" Inuyasha shouted across the room and went back to cutting.
Shippo, in all his excitement in anticipation of the evening, double and triple checked the sound system for tonight's performance. He tried for months to get this band to play at his club, to no avail, but due to a sudden cancellation the band was able to play tonight at his club. Shippo was ecstatic. "We're going to have the best night ever, Inuyasha!" Shippo shouted and threw his hands in the air offering a high-five to no one. Inuyasha glanced at Shippo blankly with one eyebrow raised and went back to cutting fruit. Shippo realized that something was up with Inuyasha and walked over to the bar on his way to the office. "Inu, you seem kind of, I don't know, down or something tonight. What's up? Is Kagome stopping by later?" asked Shippo. "Whatever," responded Inuyasha.
"Don't worry Inuyasha, she'll come by, you'll see."
"Whatever!" Inu repeated louder.
With a sudden urgency, the front door flew open and in walked the waiters and waitress for the evening: Miroku, Takeda Nobunaga, and Sango. "It's about time you got here! The club will be opening any minute. Don't you need to get set up and ready for the customers?" screamed Inuyasha. "Inuyasha, there's no need to shout. We are here and we prepared yesterday you half-wit demon dog! Just because your girlfriend isn't here doesn't give you the right to take it out on us!" retorted Sango. With that, everyone split up and went in separate directions to complete last minute details before the doors opened to the public. "And she's not my girlfriend!" shouted Inuyasha.
Shippo proudly unlocked the front entrance doors at precisely 7:00 p.m. and walked toward the bar with a huge smile on his face. There were already a few people waiting for the doors to open and a short while later a few more people had arrived. Shippo commented to Miroku that he thought the night was getting off to a slow start but Miroku felt that Shippo was just being a little too anxious. After all, it was only 7:10 p.m.
About a half hour after opening, Kanna had walked in and headed over to an available table. Sango promptly approached her and suggested that she leave. "There's not going to be any trouble here tonight, Kanna. This is a big night for Shippo so I think you should just leave through the same door you entered" said Sango. "I'm not here to make any trouble Sango! I just want to see the band is all." "Fine, Kanna. But I'm watching you. Any monkey business and you're out of here!" replied Sango. Kanna sneered and rolled her eyes.
By 8:30 the place was filling up and the bar was hopping. As more people entered the club Inuyasha thought he overheard a familiar voice coming from the doorway. He quickly glanced over to see if in fact he had heard Kagome. But no, it wasn't her. Not even someone who looked like her. Inuyasha never hesitated to get back to mixing drinks. He was at his best when busy.
The members of the band finally arrived from the back of the club, walked on stage, and started to set up their equipment. "Soon, very soon, this place is going to rock!" thought Shippo, who was grinning from ear to ear.
Inuyasha was busily mixing drinks when, from out of nowhere, Kagura had appeared right in front of him. "Hey, Inuyasha, how about one of your specialty drinks I heard so much about, like maybe your famous Wind Scar," Kagura said in a sultry kind of way. Inuyasha nodded and responded with, "coming right up." Inuyasha really enjoyed his job and he was very good at it too. If it weren't for his distraction of Kagome this evening he'd be having even more fun.
Inuyasha served Kagura her Wind Scar with a cherry juice-soaked orange slice on the rim of the glass. "I bet you hear a lot of strange stories working here, don't you Inuyasha," asked Kagura. "You'd be surprised," responded Inuyasha. "Yea, well, how about advise? You give that too?" Kagura asked. Inuyasha just smiled and raised an eyebrow. Kagura couldn't help herself and poured her heart out to Inu. "You know Inuyasha, I'm just plain sick of it. Naraku and I have been together for a very long time but lately I feel like I have no freedom. He is so controlling. Sometimes, I can't even breathe with out him asking me what I'm doing or where I'm going. He watches me like a hawk. It's so draining. What do you think I should do Inuyasha?" "Dump him! He's a bad seed" Inuyasha replied. "You're probably right, blunt but right. I bet you hear everything and anything working here, don't you Inuyasha? I think I just might enjoy myself this evening. You better make me one of those Backlash Wave's that Shippo speaks so highly of!" Kagura said very playfully.
Promptly at 9:00 p.m. Shippo strolled over to the stage, hopped up, and excitedly introduced the band. "Ladies and gentlemen, I'm proud, and honored, to finally be able to introduce one of my favorite bands to you. Please give a warm welcome to Myoga and the Fleas!!!!"
With that, Shippo jumps off stage, the spotlights come on blaring, and the band breaks out with their Top Ten hit Jewel of Four Souls. The crowd goes wild and everyone rushes over to the dance floor. Within seconds the dance floor was packed. Shippo hurried to the back of the club to inspect the sound system and lights. He wanted everything to go right this evening. And it was. Shippo was having such a good time he felt like joining in on the dance floor.
It was amazing to watch Inuyasha at work. He had no trouble keeping track of people shouting their orders for drinks, keeping his bar stocked and clean, mixing drinks and cocktails, and delivering them promptly to the right person all the while sneaking peaks at the front door for Kagome. It was almost like he had eight arms with all he could do at once.
Not before long, Kagura had come off the dance floor and headed straight for the spot in the corner of Inuyasha's bar. "Hey Inu, how about a water over here?" shouted Kagura as she wriggled her sweaty self onto a bar stool in tight quarters. With that, it was barely seconds before Inuyasha had delivered a bottle of cold spring water to Kagura. "Now that's what I call service!" said Kagura. Inuyasha winked at her and went back to mixing an Iron Reaver Soul Stealer in which Miroku was waiting for. "I also need two Wind Tunnels when you have a second" ordered Miroku. "No problem" replied Inuyasha.
Shippo was sitting in the back of the club at a table engaging in a conversation with his old pal Hachi when suddenly Hachi elbows him and nods towards the front door. Who was strolling in the front door but none other than the Band of Seven. With a concerned look on his face, Shippo made his way over to Bankotsu and politely asked him and his group to leave. Bankotsu says to Renkotsu, "Looks like we're not wanted here. I wonder why that is?" Shippo reminded them of the ruckus they caused with Inuyasha the last time they came to the club, which resulted in him throwing them out. In order to avoid such commotion on his best day ever, Shippo once again asked them to leave.
"Look Shippo, we're not here to make trouble. We heard that Myoga and the Fleas were playing here and we were just wondering if maybe you would give us a shot at playing here sometime," said Jakotsu, one of the lead singers for the Band of Seven. "Think about it Shippo. I'm going to get myself a Wind Scar from Inuyasha who, by the way, is looking mighty fine this evening.
Shippo blurted out the most outrageous laugh. "I can't believe my ears," cackled Shippo. "You want me to let you have a chance at performing at my club? That's hysterical."
"I don't see what's so funny," responded Bankotsu, the leader of the band. "Ginkotsu plays a mean steel guitar; Renkotsu and Jakotsu share as lead singers; Suikotsu is awesome on drums; Kyokotsu can handle, well, the tambourine; and the rest of us mix it up. We have a good thing going if you just give us a chance." "Yea, well, we'll have to see about that," said Shippo as he walked away.
Meanwhile, Inuyasha took a quick look-see at the front door to see if Kagome might have changed her mind, while he continued to mix a few drinks. "Hey Inuyasha, you looking for Kagome?" teased Nobunaga as he was walking towards the bar. "Shut up Nobunaga!" "Fine. I was just kidding anyway. I need 2 Backlash Waves, a Boomerang Bone, and a Wind Scar pleease," ordered Nobunaga. With that, Inuyasha opened a new bottle of Grenadine.
The night moved on without a hitch and was nearing the end of the bands performance. They were actually playing their last set. As the evening was winding down, people started to head out and leave for home. After all, it was almost 1:00 a.m. As Inuyasha wiped down the bar on the far end where a couple had just left, he gave the front door one last glance.
Nobunaga made his way across the dance floor with a full tray to deliver a bottle of water to Kanna when he suddenly tripped on her mirror and spilled a drink from his tray onto Kanna's white dress. Kanna gasped and reached for her mirror. "It isn't broken is it?" Kanna said worriedly. Nobunaga was shocked at, and couldn't take his eyes off, the bright red stain on her dress. Sango had rushed over when she saw what had happened. Sango approached Kanna and said, "How many times do I have to tell you, you can't bring that mirror in here." Ignoring Sango, Kanna said, "Oh thank goodness it's not broken."
It was a little after one o'clock and the band just finished playing their last set and started to break down their equipment. Most of the customers had already gone. With the bar a little empty, Inuyasha took advantage of the moment. He restocked the shelves, cleaned some glasses, and removed the tip jar from the register. As Inu wet his terry cloth rag and turned to wipe his bar, there was Kagome sitting right in front of him. How had he missed her coming in when he spent most of the evening monitoring the front door looking for her? As much as he wanted to say something to her, his heart had skipped a beat when he suddenly saw her and he choked on his words, which resulted in him rudely ignoring her. He promptly walked to the other end of the bar perspiring, and started wiping over there.
Kagome yelled over to Inuyasha, "You asked me to come here, and I did, and now you ignore me?" "You missed the band," griped Inuyasha. "Better late than never!" With that, Inuyasha tipped his head slightly sideways and responded with, "feh."
The bar had just closed for the evening and all the customers had left for home. Feeling hurt and ignored, Kagome made her way over to a table where Miroku and Nobunaga were resting their feet. Kagome sat down and joined in conversation. All of a sudden, from behind the bar, Inuyasha yelled, "Hey Nobunaga, come and help with cleaning these glasses! And Miroku, don't you have cleaning up to do?" Kagome yelled, "Inuyasha, who died and made you boss?" Inuyasha ignored her.
Shippo proudly strolled across the floor and came over to thank everyone for all their help and beamed at what a successful evening it had turned out to be. It was now going on 2:00 in the morning and everyone was finishing up for the night and getting ready to leave. Kagome was now standing by the front door with Miroku and Sango waiting for Nabunago to finish. They had all agreed on going out for coffee and breakfast. Kagome had asked Inuyasha to join them but Inuyasha responded with, "I'm tired!" "Come on, Inuyasha. We're all going, come with us. I didn't come here for nothing you know," said Kagome. "Fine, whatever!" barked Inuyasha and decided to go with them.
Finally, all five headed out the door and started walking to the diner with Inuyasha trailing behind. "Inuyasha, where's your moped?" asked Kagome with a smile. Inu responded with, "I feel like walking, OK?" As Inuyasha stormed off to pass everyone, his hand brushed ever so slightly against Kagome's and for a brief moment their eyes met and their hearts seemed to stop. "Let's get moving, it's getting late!" bellowed Inuyasha.