つきはわたしたちにうたっています。
いっしょうに、あのうたをきってください。
わたしたちがうれしいですから、ね？
"The moon is singing to us.
Let's listen to that song together, please.
So that we can find happiness, alright?"
‡
A.N.: This story is a band-fic set in a slightly AU Yu Yu Hakusho World. None of the characters mentioned herein belong to me. All of the artistic works will be properly disclaimed at the time of use and can be found at the end of the chapter in question to reduce the likelihood of spoiling the story. Yu Yu Hakusho is the property of Yoshihiro Togashi-san. Please enjoy this story. Thank you.
I would like to dedicate this first chapter to my family who help me move on in life after hardships. I owe you all very much, far more than I can ever express, and my love for all of you will always be strong.
†
Shizuru checked her wristwatch again before casting a wistful expression to the skyscrapers around her. She had made a trip to downtown Tokyo just for the tryouts. Groaning, she retrieved a cigarette and lit the rolled paper perfection with a parting gift from her latest of love interests. Except, this person had died, while she was watching. With Sakyo's death still weighing on her mind, a whole year later, Shizuru began to wonder if everything was alright with her. Taking a long drag, she shrugged, coming to the conclusion that things in her head were probably not where they usually belonged. She'd square with that later. For now, she had to help the original members weed through the hundreds of hopefuls who had shown that morning.
Stabbing the ashtray with the last embers of what had been her cigarette break. Pulling on the strict manager's face, Shizuru made her way inside, eventually finding the third floor lobby. It was just as busy now as it had been before she left, bustling with people from all ages and genders, and with all sorts of different expressions. Not willing to sift through all the people she knew would not make it past the first stage, Shizuru ignored everyone around her while she waited for the current contestant to finish. Just because it was likely for that person to not make it much farther didn't mean she would be the reason they failed for sure. Or maybe she just didn't want to be the excuse for getting to the next stage of potentials because she had "thrown somebody off".
She leaned against the wall next to the door and tried not to listen to anything as her mind resettled itself into full-on Managerial Mode. Since she hadn't been looking at a clock, the budding psychic couldn't say for sure how long it was until the door opened and a quite bubbly head of blue-ish hair flew past her in a hurry. Not particularly caring, Shizuru walked through the door in the same moment as someone caught her arm.
"Wait, it was my turn next. You should wait like all the rest of us," a masculine voice demanded.
Shizuru arched an eyebrow as she looked back at the boy in question over her shoulder, her inner-self smirking as he shrank a little. "I'm not a contestant." She continued walking toward the chairs at the back of the room.
For some reason, the boy was given confidence because of her statement, so he plowed on, "Then why are you even in here? I thought this area was for band tryouts only."
Trying very hard not to make a rude sound by habit, she turned her entire body back towards him and the closing door behind him, "You know, for someone who seems so ready to become a part of the band, you sure are lacking in background knowledge."
"Well, I probably know more about this band than you do, missy!"
Shizuru couldn't take it anymore, and she began to laugh at his expense, "Ha! That's funny. You, an outsider, know more than me, the manager? That's quite a steep assumption, boy."
The boy's wide blue eyes told everyone exactly how scared he was, and hopefully how much he knew he had screwed himself over in that moment. He didn't say anything else, bowed to the seated individuals behind her, and left the room very quickly.
"Send in the next one after you!" Shizuru called, capitalizing on her timing so the whole room heard her say it. They'd all know he didn't make it, and that was almost enough to give her back the calm she had earned from her break. The next voice she heard was a far more welcome brand of smart-assery.
"Guys like that really piss me off," with slicked back hair to match his personality, Yusuke sported a large smirk.
"Never mind you, how've the rest of them been doing?" Shizuru was honestly interested, and not only because she didn't want to have to suffer through this again.
"Ranging from really promising to what you just watched leave, but it's been a really tedious process. You'd really like to think that if someone were tone-deaf, their families and loved ones would keep them from looking like a dumbass…" Yusuke commented snidely before the door opened heralding a new contestant.
†
Several hours later, Shizuru sat in a conference room together with Yusuke, Yukina, Koenma, Hiei, and her brother Kazuma. Coffee and donuts populated the central desk like wildflowers. On the whiteboard had been posted lists of names from the two groups that had been conducting a general personality and talent test separately to make the process run faster, but they all knew one thing that loomed over them: the next step would last longer and be more attention intensive. From here on, the whole band would all be judging together in an effort to make a more unified decision. Now they all just waited through an interlude that served several purposes: letting the security clear out the stragglers, giving the hopefuls a rest, and also giving the band members a much needed break.
They all sat in relative silence, enjoying the time of peace before they would begin to judge more harshly. Flicking a glance to her wristwatch, Shizuru stood hesitantly.
"Well, let's get this over with, guys," Shizuru suggested to the table at large.
Hiei pushed away from the wall he had been leaning on and hn'ed as he ran a hand through his spiky black hair. Shizuru let her eyes rest longer than usual on his particularly care-free outlook on the world which made itself apparent in his body language. To most he appeared to be constantly saying "Fuck off", but to those who knew him -and Shizuru liked to count herself among them- his statement was different. More like a silent statement of friendship that he was even standing there with them, but a facet of his personality that would never change was his wordlessness. She liked to think it was because he valued his words and opinions more than to just go around letting just anyone hear them. The thought made her smile as she passed through the door to the judging room.
The first person to be heard after the break was already sitting there, watching their entrance. His eyes saw Shizuru's smile and his demeanor seemed to relax a little, but not too much. Shizuru was too busy gathering her clipboard to note his relaxation as anything more than a relief of not having to wait anymore. She made a note in the side margin: Punctual.
From her left came a question, rightfully interested, "What will you be performing, this time?" Yusuke had voiced her curiosity for her.
The redhead stood fluidly and spoke with confidence, "I will be singing Nightmare and Koori No Naifu wo Daite for my personally picked pieces. I will also sing the piece required of all vocal performers in the try-outs." The teen walked over to the sound board technician and gave a few quiet explanations before stepping back to the middle of the room. With a nod from him, the music began and on cue, he sang.
Shizuru was impressed by the level of control he maintained over his voice and the emotions that flowed forth. So impressed was she, that she forgot to take any further notes on the remainder of his performance. It was with a sad smile that she watched his back as he left the room. She looked down at the paper and found it was mostly blank. With hurried motions, she scribbled in half thoughts as best she could after the fact, hoping she hadn't been the only one to forget her purpose in his voice.
†
If Shizuru wasn't mistaken, the collective sigh from her left came from everyone. Sharing the sentiment, she joined in.
"Just one more segment to go, right?" Yukina's soft voice reminded them. "And the quality is getting better now, too," she added hopefully.
Yusuke snorted, "That just means we have to work harder to make the right choice. Sure it gets easier on the ears, but much harder on the brain."
'Count on Yusuke to see the difficulty in any situation…' Shizuru mused to herself, carefully keeping her opinions at bay. More quietly than before, the band left the break room and trekked to a new judging room where the performances would be recorded. Perhaps they all felt as tired as she did, and maybe they could feel the gathering energy around them, much like it does when fate plays a hand around them. Sending her little brother a glance, she knew he felt it too, but in less intensity. It seemed she had more of a feel for things that would occur or that were occurring, while he had more of a sense for people or beings around him. Brushing off the shiver like a sneeze, she kept walking towards the door, behind which fate would show her hand.
Shizuru glanced at the clock, willing it to go faster. They had listened to four of the twenty potentials and all of them were relatively decent. The next was supposed to be for the keyboard position, so the stage hands were moving the grand piano and the microphones into place.
A knock sounded on the door before it was opened slowly, "Please excuse my interruption," a voice called before the person entered.
Shizuru turned her attention away from the microphone setup and towards the shockingly blue haired young lady. "Are you here for the try-outs?" Shizuru was more straight-forward than usual, but that was only due to an entire day spent at the studio devoted to finding replacement members.
With a nod and a beaming smile, the blue haired lady stepped inside and looked at the setup. Impressed, she made her opinions known, "Wow, this is all very techy—Ooops! Should I wait outside until the setup is finished?" She worried once she recognized what was going on.
Yukina spoke up, the 5th time that day, "No, that's alright. Just waiting in here is fine." The ice apparition seemed pleased to have another woman who wasn't a complete blockhead trying out to become part of the band.
Shizuru couldn't blame her; the guys totally outnumbered the girls. She added a nod, "Yeah, just have a seat or something, it'll be ready soon."
Probably out of curiosity, Kazuma piped up, "So uh, what will you be playing?"
The woman got a bright smile on her face and Shizuru felt like she was about to be treated to something from this woman's heart, "I will be playing a piano version of Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Bach. It is kind of long, but I did save my favorite for last!" The woman finished her announcement with a smile. "After that I'll play a short piece to show what the rest of my personality looks like, but I'll keep it a secret for now," The blue haired woman winked.
Shizuru had a feeling they would be in for a real treat. Normally that Toccata and Fugue piece made her feel like she was being preyed upon by a vampire, but something told her to expect something different. Sure enough, as the woman sat down at the piano, she had the biggest smile on her face. As she began to play, something occurred to Shizuru in a moment: 'This interpretation is the most energetic and compelling I've heard. It's nothing like the normal dreary doom and gloom feel that I normally get from this song. I feel like there is a battle occurring just beyond my sight within the strings of the piano. And unlike the common interpretation, this time the battle is being won.'
Once again, Shizuru forgot to take notes, so engrossed was she into the performance, and when the final chords echoed in her ears, Shizuru felt a scramble to write down the feelings she could remember. She was very glad to have a recorded copy for later review.
Through the glass, pink eyes connected with Shizuru momentarily before moving to each consecutive person listening. Knowing they could hear her, she spoke, although very softly, "My second song is a lullaby sung to me by my mother. I hope you enjoy this as much as I do." It seemed as though the woman before them had shifted into a world of her past. The joy was laced with nostalgia and before Shizuru could determine anymore, the woman turned back to the piano and began to play.
It was a beautiful song, even before the words, it seemed to be played with love from deep within her heart. The words, flowing from her mouth, gave the melody a new meaning, and even though she wasn't trying to be their singer, she had a decent voice. But something struck Shizuru about the song. Something within the meaning, inside the tone, that something pulled at her heart at the same time as the music flowing through the speakers healed those unpleasant feelings. Shizuru wondered what had happened to this woman for those feelings to be so tangible in her music, from so deep in her heart.
All too soon, the song ended, and again, Shizuru had to write a few quick notes in the margins.
Looking through the glass again, those pink eyes shone a little more, and through that emotion, her smile beamed brightly. "I hope you enjoyed my playing!" The woman behind the glass bowed deeply, her blue ponytail swishing down as her back bent.
Shizuru watched closely for a hint of emotion other than happiness, but only nervousness was there. She smiled at the woman, and gave her an encouraging 'Thumbs-up'.
†
"It's decided then?" Koenma asked of them all.
Yukina nodded with a big smile, "I'm alright with the decision, and so is Shizuru, I think." Her red irises looked over at Shizuru with an expectant smile.
Shizuru nodded her consent, she was more than pleased with the final decision they had nearly initially unanimously achieved. She became even more pleased when all of them had decided to agree with very little argument or hard feelings. Last time they had gone through a try-out phase, it was a nightmare.
Koenma stood with purpose, placing his hands on the desk as he leaned against it. His light gold eyes were unreadable to Shizuru, "What are their names?"
Shizuru lifted the receiver, punched in a few numbers and spoke into the P.A. system, "Attention: we have reached a conclusion. Will numbers 251 and 392 please make their way to the recording room? Numbers 251 and 392. Thank you."
Placing the receiver down, she just had to wait for the knock that would signify the late end of this very long day. With a look at the rest of the members, she could tell they felt the same way as well: not exactly in the mood to go partying. She hoped the newest members would understand if they didn't feel the same.
Kazuma was standing closest to the door when the knock came, so he answered it with a large smile. Nodding his consent, he let them in, "Yup, you guys do look familiar. Come in and have a seat!"
Shizuru watched as the blue haired lady walked in behind the red headed teen. They both had unique and perfect expressions on their faces: just the right mix of confidence, surprise, and happiness. Sitting on a chair near the sofa, Shizuru remembered one tiny detail, "Introductions are in order. You probably know who all of us are, but in order to keep things impersonal, we've had to go without knowing any names so far."
With a tiny amount of shock, the blue haired girl spoke first, "I didn't even realize that was the case. Out in the lobby, everyone was already acquaintances and such by the time the first selection was over. I am Botan, Shinigami Botan. I guess… I was classically trained in the piano since I was five, and I have a little experience in playing violin. I suppose you could say that even despite my classical background, I am a little rebellious when it comes to music! Oh! I have had my eyes on this band and joining since its first debut. I thought, 'wow! They look so cool; I wish I could play with them all the time!' But really, I'm not creepy or anything!" Botan finished with laughter and tried to assure everyone by shaking her head and hands in unison. But it was mostly her laughter that made Shizuru feel more at ease.
The red head sitting next to her kind of chuckled his agreement, "Maybe only a little creepy." Smiling widely, he imitated her expression of shaking his hands and head simultaneously, "Besides that, it is my pleasure to meet all of you finally. My name is Shuuichi, Minamino Shuuichi. I have always enjoyed singing, and finally was able to convince my parents to give me voice lessons at the age of 10. Aside from singing, I also enjoy many other things, not the least of which would be spending time with friends. I have occasionally plunked around on a piano, and plucked a few notes on a guitar, but my skill, talent, and musical enjoyment is in the voice." Shuuichi leaned forward to retrieve a glass of water before leaning back in his chair again. He softly continued, "I really wanted to join this group because of the personalities I saw both on and off the stage. This may seem a little odd or forward, even, but I wanted to become friends with all of you and share my music with you and then the world with you guys." With a smile of contemplation, Shuuichi took a sip of water, and settled in.
Shizuru looked at the rest of the band and nodded, they had made the right choice, now it was time to make the announcement official. Standing, she held out her hand to both new members of their band, and smiled, "Welcome to Hoshi na Uta."
‡
With the conclusion of this chapter, we are left with this knowledge-
The roles within the Band::
Vocalist – Kurama
Back-up Vocalist – Hiei
Guitarist – Yusuke
Bassist – Hiei
Synth – Botan
Drums – Kuwabara
Manager – Shizuru
Publicist – Yukina
Producer – Koenma
Kurama first sang "Nightmare" and then "Koori No Naifu wo Daite". Both songs are from the original series of Yu Yu Hakusho, sung by Megumi Ogata-san. Botan first played, "Toccata and Fugue in D Minor" by Bach and then "Lullaby" by Vienna Teng.
These songs can be heard sung by Ogata-san, played by Stephen Malinowski, and by Vienna Teng through the links posted in my profile page.
All Questions and comments are welcomed with a smile.