Scene Two

The pop/rock artist, Todo Yukifumi, was relaxing in a cafe before practice, reviewing his music, sheets all over the table. He rose to go to the bathroom and, upon his return, he suddenly noticed what time it was. He quickly gathered up all his things and dashed out the door.

At the studio, Yuki began unpacking his guitar and music then noticed that some pages were missing. He quickly began backtracking mentally, trying to find where he might have misplaced them.

His panic did not go unnoticed, and his band mates watched him oddly.

"Hey Yuki, ya okay? You seem kinda scatter brained lately." Santa remarked.

"I've lost some music..." He responded absently, leafing through his papers once more. "And this past week I've have had the oddest feeling of being followed."

"Followed?" Sakuya was instantly suspicious.

Yuki shook his head, trying to keep his band mates from worrying. "Hang on, I might have left them at the cafe." And he jogged out of the studio to head to where he had just had coffee. About halfway there, the tall guitarist once again bumped into a silver-haired stranger. Though harder this time, as he had been moving faster.

Dazed, he blinked at him, not making the connection to the bombardment earlier in the week.

"Naa, gomen, gomen." The man said, rubbing the back of his head in apology and smiling.

Yuki stared blankly for a while. The man's eyes were squinting, fox-like, and the only thought he managed was A Kyoto dialect?

"I was actually comin' lookin' for ya." He admitted with a drawl, then revealed a stack of sheet music. "This wouldn't be yours by any chance, would it?"

Yuki's startled gaze finally took in the papers and he nodded. "Yes, these are mine. Thank you for finding them." And he held out a hand to accept them back.

"This is rather good." The silver-haired man added, not seeming to notice Yuki's outstretched arm. "Is this a hobby of yours?"

Lucifer's lead guitar cast his eyes over stranger's face, wondering if he was joking. But the smile, whatever else it might be, it was not mocking. "No, actually. I'm in a band, Lucifer. You might have heard us on the radio."

"Ah, no actually. I don't listen t' the radio. I prefer my CD's and old vinyl records."

Yuki blinked at him again, wondering if he was for real. "I'm Todo Yukifumi, the lead guitar."

"My... well, lucky me to have run into such a big star." He kept smiling, that expression never changing. It was starting to unnerve the guitarist. "But isn't Todo the name of a prestigious Noh school?"

Yuki nodded stiffly, his entire view on this conversation switching from confused acceptance to defencive.

"Then what is the heir t' the Todo house doin' playin' in a band?"

"That is something I'd rather not discuss with a stranger." His outstretched hand twitched a little, really wishing the man would just give him the music.

"Is that so?" The smile seemed to get bigger. "In that case, I am Ichimaru Gin. Now I am far less strange, na Yukifumi-han."

"I wouldn't put it that way..." But he didn't argue Gin's strangeness further. Ichimaru is too common a name. I'm at a disadvantage now.

"I play a little myself. Perhaps we could jam some time?"

He doesn't just LOOK like a fox, he IS a fox... if I refuse, I'll be blackmailed with my own music. Yuki thought to himself, letting his displeasure at being wrangled into a friendly meeting show. "I'm kind of busy most of the time."

"When would be best for ya?" The smile remained, as solid and as unchanging as a mask.

"I'm free Wednesday."

"Lunch then? How about the diner?"

Yuki nodded and Gin handed over the music sheets. "Ja na." He waved and walked off.

When Yukifumi returned to the studio he refused to talk about the encounter and what took him so long, and the practice went on as usual.

A/N: If you were confused, then yes, this scene happens about one week from Scene One. The next scene will be next wednesday of course. But it might take a while because I'm not finished writing it yet. Patience.