Appearances Can Be Deceiving
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A/N: For the record, I do not own anything of Sensual Phrase or the song "Over You" by Daughtry. The only things that are mine are the original plot and the original characters
Oh a little random FYI--Anie's nickname "Si"--sounds like "sigh".
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Chapter 7: Face-to-Face
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"So what song should we do?" asked Zero as he tuned his base.
"Does it matter?" Anie asked curiously as she stretched her arms over her head.
Zero gave a mischievous smile, "Of course it does. Lucifer is on their way to meet us." Anie, still confused, looked to Sasuke who was testing out his microphone. "Don't you see Si?" he asked walking over to her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "We can take this opportunity to 'twist the knife'." Anie rolled her eyes at her cousin while turning slightly to wrap her arm around him.
"I don't know what I'd do without you," she turned her face slightly to smile at the rest of the band, "all of you." The group smiled back at her, knowing that the meeting coming up would be one of the hardest things she would have to face.
" So have you decided how you want to play this out?" asked Kouga. Anie shook her head. "I still can't decide if I want to face it head on, or play it safe and be a coward."
"Hey!" said Zero firmly but quietly as the others had done so that the microphones would not pick up their voices clearly. "None of us would call you a coward for not wanting to pick up where you left off with him."
"I have it!" said Kaname suddenly startling the slightly somber group. "The perfect song for our first session." The group nodded their heads in approval when he gave his suggestion. After warming up they got ready to play.
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Sakuya ran toward the recording room with the rest of the band close behind. Mr. Sasaki brought up the rear with Kaguya who was still very confused about what was exactly going on. Approaching the door marked 'Recording Room 4' Sakuya, could vaguely hear the sound of a song being played. Without pausing he threw the door open sending a startled intern staggering back into an older gentleman. This sent the gentleman into the soundboard man (who had been adjusting microphones), causing him to push all the sliding knobs at once. A piercing screech filled the room, causing everyone to cringe and cover their ears. Some choice words were shouted from inside the recording room as the band inside looking at each other in confusion. The gentleman straightened up and glared in annoyance at the group piling in through the door.
'Well that was smooth', thought Yuki wincing.
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Anie and Sasuke were in the middle of singing the chorus when, a piercing high-pitched shriek filled the recording room. Anie quickly dropped her headset and clamped her palms down over her ears. Kouga let a few obscenities fly from his mouth, which were echoed by Zero and the usually even-tempered Kaname.
"Uncle what is going on?" asked Zero irritably, "I think blood is actually dripping from my ears."
"Just an overly excited intern who wasn't watching where he was going," came Uncle's voice over the intercom. "Give us a few minutes to reset the microphones…Sasuke what are you doing?"
Anie looked towards her cousin as she straightened from picking up her headset. He was peering intently at the glass that stood between the band and the soundboard room.
"I'm trying to see who this intern is," he said matter of factly.
Anie rolled her eyes and walked over to Kaname for some idle chat while Uncle told Sasuke not to be so dense; the glass was one-way.
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"Sasuke don't you remember? The glass is a one-way glass. You especially asked that we have a both with it?" Said the gentleman a hint of irritation lacing his words. Giving his head a slight shake he turned toward Sakuya and the others, raising his eyebrow questioningly. "I am Hatori Aido, manager of Legend. Tell me is this how your band usually enters a room?"
Mr. Sasaki moved to the front of the group clearing his throat. "No, our apologies. They were anxious to meet your band. Could you bring them in to 'meet and greet'?"
"Not yet. I want them to finish the song they were singing." As the managers continued to talk, Sakuya looked at the band chatting with each other. Anie's back was to him and was chatting with the guitarist. The bass player slipped his bass to his back and walked up behind her. Anie giggled as he wrapped her in his arms. Sakuya frowned not liking how close the two looked. He moved up to the glass unconsciously and was mildly surprised at the thunderous expression that was slightly reflected back at him.
Mr. Aido's arm suddenly appeared in front of him and knocked on the glass. The group turned toward the source of the knock.
"All right guys, everything is reset," said the soundboard tech pushing an intercom button. Anie moved toward her microphone which was right in front of where Sakuya stood, and Sasuke moved to the other.
It was felt strange to Sakuya to have Anie standing right in front of him, literally looking straight at him when she lifted her face to the microphone. However, she could not see him and she didn't even know he was there. Mr. Aido leaned over and pushed the intercom button "All right let's get this recording of "Over You" done. Lucifer will be here any moment."
"Why don't we just wait and meet them," asked Sasuke while putting on his headset, "Oh, I get it," a mischievous smile crossing his lips, "Your showing us off aren't you."
Mr. Aido's head fell to his chest.
"Just do what your told," said Zero shaking his head.
"Thank you Zero, now if there is nothing else," at the shake of their heads Aido nodded to the tech and moved back a step. "It is like working with a five year old. It's a good thing he has talent." The tech laughed as he pushed play.
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Anie stood at her microphone hiding her nervousness. As the group had agreed to before hand, Uncle had tapped the glass twice in front of where Sakuya stood. She had suspected that the "accident" was due to Lucifer entering the room and the two taps on the one-way glass confirmed it. 'Ok Anie, deep breath you can do this.' A light began flashing indicating that the music they had all ready recorded was about to play. Looking straight ahead where she knew Sakuya stood, Anie took a deep breath and sang the words she had written not long after leaving Japan---
"Now that it's all said and done
I can't believe you were the one
To build me up and tear me down,
Like an old abandoned house.
What you said when you left
Just left me cold an out of breath
I fell too far, was in way too deep
Guess I let you get the best of me"
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"This is one of the first songs Siren wrote for us," said Mr. Aido as Anie started to sing. To Sakuya, Anie's word hit him like a physical strike. It was not hard to miss the songs meaning. As Sasuke joined her in the chorus, Sakuya cold not help the feeling that Anie knew he was standing there in front of her---
"Well I never saw it coming
I should've started running
A long, long time ago
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know
I'm slowly getting closure
I guess it's really over
I'm finally getting betterAnd now I'm picking up the pieces
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together
Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you"Sasuke sang his verse and the two singers joined again for the chorus. The feeling Anie put behind the words she sang were strong and at one point she shut her eyes, her brow creasing slightly as if she was in pain. Without a word Sasuke reached over and took one of her hands in his. She glanced over at him for a moment, giving him a gentle smile before turning back to her microphone---
"Well I never saw it coming
I should've started running
A long, long time ago
And I never thought I'd doubt you
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know"XXXXXXXXXXXX
Anie was surprised at how therapeutic singing her song was. She had written it not long after Sakuya's betrayal and singing it now to him and the others lifted something from her. It did make her re-live that horrible moment in the meeting room, and sensing her distress Sasuke had reached over and taken her hand. She gave him a smile in thanks and continued singing. Shutting her eyes she let the music that the band was playing wrap around her as Sasuke started to sing the first part of the last verse---
"Well, I never saw it coming
I should've started running
A long, long time ago
And I never thought I'd doubt you,
I'm better off without you
More than you, more than you know
I'm slowly getting closure
I guess it's really over
I'm finally getting better
And now I'm picking up the pieces
I'm spending all of these years
Putting my heart back together"
Anie opened her eyes and looked straight (as best as she could guess anyway) into Sakuya's eyes and with as much feeling as she could muster, she belted out the last part of the song---
"Well I'm putting my heat back together
'Cause I got over you
Well I got over you
I got over you
'Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you!"XXXXXXXXXXXX
"Cause the day I thought I'd never get through,
I got over you!"
The phrase made Sakuya's heart twist painfully in his chest. He knew Anie had been deeply hurt by what had happened, and her words caused him to face what he had feared the most. She, thinking he had truly rejected her, had faced his rejection, accepted it and moved on.
"Excellent work," came Mr. Aido's voice, "it sounded great. That will be all for today. Come on out Lucifer just walked in."
Sakuya studied Anie's face as he spoke, searching for some kind of reaction. But she had turned away at the moment Lucifer's presence was announced to speak to Sasuke.
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"Here we go," Anie whispered to her cousin as the group set their instruments down and headed to the door.
"Get on my back," said Sasuke kneeling in front of her.
"What?"
"Come on it will be fun."
Anie laughed but did as he asked, allowing him to piggyback her out. Once through the door she was thankful for the close contact, and drew her strength from him as she faced the band that had wounded her.
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"Mr. Sasaki has told me that, Miss Kagura just told you about the members of my group," said Mr. Aido as Legend entered the room, "So I will just make a quick introduction so that you can match faces to names more definitely". As each member of the group was introduced they extended a hand to each of the members of Lucifer. Sakuya could feel the other's eyes on him as Mr. Aido presented the last two members.
"And this is Sasuke and on his back is Siren."
Sakuya shook Sasuke's hand briefly before reaching for Anie's. He waited in anticipation for her reaction however, there was none to be had. There was not a single sign of recognition from her. Her eyes held no knowing glance, her smile though warm was only polite and after shaking his hand she turned her attention to the others of the group with the same friendly 'first' time greeting. Legends manager than made a quick introduction of Legend to the individual members of Lucifer, after which Anie asked a question that sent Sakuya's heart to the floor.
"Mr. Sakuya, I would very much like to meet your lyricist. His work is fantastic and I, as well as Zero, would like the opportunity to sit down with him for a bit. You know to compare notes. Would that be possible?"
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A/N: Hope you enjoy the new chapter. Thanks to everyone for reviewing your words were very encouraging.
