"How do rumors get started?" he sang. "they're started by the jealous people and they get mad seeing something they had and somebody else's holding. They tell me that temptation is very hard to resist. These stupid morons, oohh they just persist!"
A few patrons looked a little alarmed. Others, including Mary, Kyo, Leona, Athena, Shermie, Mai, Terry, Yuki, Ralf, Kensou, Yashiro, and Andy stared with great interest.
"Maybe you think it's cute, but I am not impressed," sang Iori, his anger beginning to show in his voice. "I'm telling you one time only with my business please don't mess!"
"Look at all these rumors, surrounding me every day! I just need some time, some time to get away," he continued. "From all these rumors! I can't take it no more! From what they've said, there's one out now about me and the girl next door."
"Hear that one about Mary? Some say that she's my toy," Iori sang. "That came straight from a guy who hates her actual boy! Did you here that one about Kyo? Some say that we are gay. I've tried to aruge but that lie still has become a real cliche! Did you hear that one about Shermie? Some say that she's my girl. That one's a real big stretch, the most farfetched, I think I'm gonna hurl!"
"Look at all these rumors, surrounding me every day! I just need some time, some time to get away," he continued. "From all these rumors! I can't take it no more! From what they've said, there's one out now about me and the girl next door."
"I can't go no place without somebody pointing a finger!" he sang, sounding even more frustated than earlier. "I can't show my face 'cause when it comes to rumors I'm a dead ringer! It seems from rumors, I just can't get away. I'll bet there'll even be rumors floating around on Judgement Day!"
"I'll think I'll write my congressman and tell him to pass a bill, for the next time they catch somebody starting rumors- shoot to kill!" He glared into the audience as he sang that line, and watched as those who had become nervous at the beginning of his performance either broke into a cold sweat or tried to run and hide.
"Look at all these rumors, surrounding me every day! I just need some time, some time to get away," he continued. "From all these rumors! I can't take it no more! From what they've said, there's one out now about me and the girl next door." At that point there was a long instrumental break. Iori took that opportunity to chase and attack the apparent perpetrators of the rumors. They were all severely injured, if not killed.
"What's mine is mine, I ain't got time for rumors in my life," Iori sang as soon as he returned to the stage.
"Look at all these rumors," Terry, Yuki, Ralf, Kensou, Yashiro, Andy, Shermie, Mai, and Kyo, couldn't resist adding, stretching the word "rumors".
"I'm a man who thinks, not a man who drinks, so please let me live my life." Iori sang. Everbody sang these lines three times in a row.
"Look at all these rumors, surrounding me every day! I just need some time, some time to get away," Iori continued, alone again. "From all these rumors! I can't take it no more! From what they've said, there's one out now about me and the girl next door." After repeating those lines twice more Iori turned to Terry, Yuki, Ralf, Kensou, Yashiro, and Andy, shot them a menacing look, and warned, "I let you off this time, but next time I won't be so civil."
With that, Iori left. By this time, the place was empty as all but Mary, Kyo, Leona, Athena, Shermie, Mai, Terry, Yuki, Ralf, Kensou, Yashiro, and Andy had fled with fear during Iori's rampage.
"Now do you understand why we did this?" Terry asked Mary.
"Well, you shouldn't always believe everything you hear," replied Mary. "Though I have no clue what prompted the rumors about me!"
"The ones about me, were probably started by some 'jealous people' who like his band better," said Shermie.
"There have been rumors floating around about me and nearly everyone except Andy, since, well, forever," said Mai. "None of those were true, either."
"The ones about me may have stemmed from that time I was the warm-up act for his band before I hit it big," said Athena. "But we never really interacted even then, and I've got a witness." She gestured towards Kensou.
"Oh, yeah," he responded. "I nearly forgot about that!"
"Speaking of rumors about Athena," said Kyo, "the ones about me and her are no more true than the ones about her and Iori. Or for that matter the ones about Iori and myself. Granted, I'm not as intent on killing him as he is on killing me, but I don't love him! I just wish he'd leave me alone is all."
"And though Iori and I have the same 'disease' so to speak, that doesn't mean we're an item," said Leona. "That's like saying two people who happen to be the same religion should be a couple based on that alone."
Everyone just stood silent for a minute or two.
At last, Kyo said, "The night's still young, why don't we all go someplace else and forget this whole thing ever happened."
The others agreed, and they left for another bar. In time, even Iori forgot all about the rumors and what had resulted from them.
The song Iori sang was "Rumors" by Timex Social Club, with slightly changed lyrics. And keep in mind that this story isn't in the same universe as ours, much like the game itself, so those who started the rumors in that universe aren't the same as those who started them in real life. If you would like to repost this elsewhere, knock yourselves out. Just give credit where credit is due.