Author's Notes: More singing, more randomness, and more re-written song lyrics… And if you get the mental image of Renkotsu in the outfit described, I take no responsibility for brain damage.
As always, please read & review ^^
Songs: 1- "Falling in Love with Love" (R & H)
2- "In My Own Little Corner- Reprise" (R & H)
3- "The Work Song" (Disney)
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Act III-Upon entering the room, Jakotsu paused and resisted the urge to run in terror.
Renkotsu had already gotten dressed and was wearing not only his favorite blonde wig, but also a slutty-red dress that made him look like a hooker (a very ugly hooker, mind you.)
"There you are, I need you to finish fixing up their hair." He said, gesturing to the two large boys who were already crammed into their dresses and had more than enough makeup on their faces.
Jakotsu begrudgingly walked over and began to tug at the curlers wrapped in the hair.
"Now, let's see- we need to plan this out- Kyoukotsu, what are you going to say to the Prince to win him over?"
"Hmmm, I'm going to…to…recite a poem."
"A poem?" Ginkotsu asked with a laugh.
"Yeah," He paused to crunch into a piece of food he had in his hand, "A poem."
Renkotsu sighed, "Okay, Kyoukotsu. What poem?"
"I like meat, it's good to eat, would you like some for a treat." He replied, once again biting into the food he had.
"And that will win him over how…?" The step-father questioned.
"The key to a man's heart is his stomach right?" He reasoned.
"Right. Just don't… eat on anything while you're reciting it…" Then, Renkotsu turned to his other son, "Ginkotsu, what about you?"
"I am going to laugh at all the Prince's jokes. Hahahahhaa gesh gesh gesh!"
"For heavens sake, Ginkotsu- don't 'gesh'!" Renkotsu yelled. "Remember boys, we have to hide our flaws… until…"
"After the wedding," They both replied.
"But shouldn't he love you for who you are in spite of everything?" Jakotsu spoke up, causing the three others to very slowly turn to look at him.
Renkotsu sneered, "How quaint. Tell me Jakotsu, what pray tell would you say to the Prince to make him 'love you as you are.' I mean, after all, you are just a freak of a boy."
"I don't know…."
"Just as I suspected," The step-father intoned, but Jakotsu continued.
Glaring with determination, he placed a hand over his heart and spoke up, "I don't know what I would say, but whatever it was, the Prince and I…we'd know in an instant that we were meant for each other. There would just be something special between us, and that's when we'd know, it was truly love…"
"Rubbish!" Renkotsu yelled, cutting him off. "This isn't about love! It's about power! Have I taught you boys nothing in life? Go to your room, Jakotsu and clear your mind of these idiotic romantic thoughts. I'll call for you when we need your assistance again."
"Yes…Step-father." Jakotsu said, slowly walking out and returning to his room.
----Scene Change!----
On the castle grounds, the young prince wandered out into the garden, as the ball was prepared inside.
Sitting himself on the edge of one of the elaborate fountains, he traced his finger over the water's surface.
"That man in the village… why can't I stop thinking about him… Is it because, he could relate? That he knew what it's like to feel trapped in one's own home?" He shook his head, and turned, burying his face in his hands, "I wish that I could find some stupid princess like that, but they're all snotty bitches. Jeez, if I have to get married, why can't it be to someone like that?"
"Someone like who, son?" The King inquired as he walked out.
Bankotsu blinked, as he looked up at his father, "Um… it's nothing, Father."
"Now now, if there's someone out there you already like, then we have our problem solved. Come now, who is she?"
"It's not like that. It's just some common boy I ran into by accident."
"A common boy? How were you around the commoners?" He glared.
The young Prince gulped, "Did I say, 'common boy'?"
"Yes… you did," Suikotsu replied, suspiciously. "Did you go out into the village again, son?"
Bankotsu hung his head, and nodded in the affirmative.
"So, you met some common boy? Why is it that he holds your attention so?" The King questioned.
"He understood me, that's all. I just wish the girl I had to marry was like that."
Suikotsu smiled knowingly, "Well son, if that boy is at the ball tonight, I want you to introduce me to him."
"But Father!"
"If he's good enough, we might be able to hire him into the palace staff as your personal servant or something. Then you'll have him to talk to. How's that?"
Bankotsu fidgeted, "I suppose that would be nice."
"Good then, that's settled." Suikotsu replied, wondering if there was more to this infatuation with the commoner than Bankotsu let on. "Son, has anyone ever told you about love?"
The Prince blinked and blushed, "Well, um… I was taught about…um… you know…"
Laughing, the King placed a gentle hand on Bankotsu's shoulder, "Not that my boy, love- you know, the feeling you have when you find the person you want to spend the rest of your life with."
"I um… suppose not then." He muttered in reply.
"Well then, it's only fitting that I tell you so you'll know when it happens."
"Tell me? How?" Bankotsu questioned.
"By a random musical number of course." With that, the King cleared his throat and began.
"How do you know it's love, one kiss and your heart stands still,
One look in their eyes and then you truly will see.
Someday you'll find the one, the one that you long for,
At least I sure hope so- it at least worked for me.
I fell in love with love one day when the sun was bright,
I met her holding a vase, a vase of clay.
You'll find someone to love, a love everlasting
And who knows you might, be gay."
"What?!" Bankotsu spluttered at the sudden accusation.
"Well, you don't like girls…" Suikotsu reasoned. "And with this sudden interest in a common boy, one has to wonder" He thought to himself
"But…"
"Your verse." The King said, pulling the Prince into a standing position and pushing him a bit forward into the light more.
"Keh," He sighed, and began to sing,
"How do I know it's love, one kiss and my heart will still,
One look in their eyes and then I truly can see
Someday I'll find the one, the one that I long for
And I hope it's soon so you won't, kill me…
Tonight, I'm to fall in love, a night when the moon shines bright,
You expect me to find a love, a love today.
Even if girls are not precisely my liking,
I still say I'm not gay!"
"Now Bankotsu, this is an open-minded fairytale, we are all open to your differences in gender preference."
Blushing and glaring at his Father, the young Prince crossed his arms, "I never said I was gay."
"And you never said you weren't."
"I've never been in love, how the hell should I know if I am or not!" He retorted, flinging his hands in the air.
"Ah, we're getting somewhere." The King said thoughtfully, his eyes closed. "Bankotsu, I think that…" He paused, looking about. "Bankotsu? Bankotsu? Oh that boy, he's wandered off again…"
------Scene Change!-----
Back in the stately home, Jakotsu made his way into his room. Looking over the tattered old dress he had left in a trunk from his mother, he sighed. "I'll never get this right in time for the ball."
"Buzz buzz?" The bees questioned from their perch on the windowsill.
"Yeah, I guess I'd love to meet the Prince too… but I would settle for the guy I met in town today." Jakotsu sighed.
"Buzz buzz buzz?"
"What about him? Well… I did see him get into that Royal Carriage."
"Buzz buzz."
"You mean, you think he's the Prince?" Jakotsu spluttered, while once again trying to mend the tears in the old dress.
"Buzz buzz buzz."
"Describe what happened? Well, okay I'll just sing about it…""Well, today in the village, I was walking along,
Just going wherever I seemed to go.
When the carriage it stopped me, and I fell to the ground,
And the man he rushed over to my side.
I looked up, and our eyes met for just one moment,
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest,
So when he asked what it took to be with me,
'Love respect and good sex', I just confessed.
With that bold acclamation, his face produced a blush"
"And damn was he cute like that." Jakotsu paused to say
"Then away, he rode off in the royal carriage,
Leaving me… all alone… once again…"
The man stopped the heartfelt account of the events via song, as he felt a tear run down his cheek. "He was, the only person I've ever met that could relate. He knew what it's like to feel trapped in one's own home. As silly as it sounds, I think I love him…"
"Buzz buzz buzz."
"What did he look like?" He questioned, "A bit shorter than me, long black hair tied back in a braid that hung down near his fine little behind, slightly tannish skin, and deep blue eyes that I could stare into forever."
"Buzz buzz."
"What?! Are you serious?" He said, stabbing himself with the needle in the excitement.
"Buzz."
"He's the Prince?!" Jakotsu exclaimed, his excitement soon dying off as he looked down to what little progress had been made on the dress, "Then…there's no way he'll love me in return."
"Buzz buzz."
"But there's no way I can make this look that fancy."
"Buzz buzz buzz."
"You think so?"
"Buzz."
"Yeah, you're right. If he truly was feeling trapped in his own home, then obviously having lots of fancy frills and money wouldn't matter to him. He might like me for who I am." Jakotsu said, perking back up. He was just about to start back in on the dress, when the loud voice of Renkotsu yelled from downstairs.
"Jakotsu, you freak! Get down here now!"
"But my…" He began to say to himself.
"NOW!"
"Damn him, this is a matter of happily ever after he's ruining!" Jakotsu muttered as he flung down the dress and stormed after the commanding voice.
One of the bees flew down and lifted the dress off the floor, laying it on the bed.
"Buzz buzz." ("Poor Jakotsu. His Step-father is such an annoying bastard." )
Another bee replied, "Buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz." ("Yeah.")
"Buzz buzz buzz!" ("Why don't we fix the dress even though we are but mere insects, the power of this being a fairytale will enable us to do it!") A third bee added in.
"Buzz!" The rest of the bees chorused as they began to fly about lifting thread, needles, ribbons, and pins into place.
It was then that they began to "sing" their version of Jakotsu's favorite little work tune:
"Buzz buzz buzz buzz
buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz buzz
Buzz buzz! Buzz buzz!
Buzz buzz!"
("That Renkotsu's at it every minute
No matter what, he'll just begin it
Stupid Baldy, Stupid Baldy
Stupid Baldy!")
This continued for a few hours, complete with twenty musical interludes and line-dancing chorus lines of bees. (trust me, it was quite the sight).
As night fell on the world, Jakotsu trudged his way back up to his room sadly, knowing that due to his constant chores his dress was still not completed.
"Buzz buzz!" The swarm of bees chorused as Jakotsu entered the room, revealing to him, the completed dress.
"Oh you finished it! But how? You're just bees."
"Buzz buzz buzz."
"Oh that's right, fairytale animals do have unnatural abilities." The young man said, patting one of the bees on its head.
"Jakotsu, we're leaving- you freak!" Renkotsu's voice called from below.
"Shit!" Jakotsu cursed, pulling at the dress quickly and twisting up his hair. "They're leaving!"
As he pulled the sleeve up, he ran down the stairs, calling after them, "Wait! Wait I'm coming!"
The three members of the step-family looked up as Jakotsu stumbled down the stairs.
"And what is this, Jakotsu?" Renkotsu asked with a glare.
"You said I could come if I did everything, didn't you?"
"I suppose I did, but I best inspect the workmanship on this dress. I wouldn't want you making our family name look bad." The step-father intoned, reaching over and picking up a candle from a nearby table and holding the flame near the fabric. As expected, part of it caught fire, "Oops, I'm so sorry." He said with a sneer.
"My dress!" Jakotsu exclaimed, trying to stop the flame from spreading.
"Boys, help your dear step-brother put that fire out. Wouldn't want him hurt now would we?"
Following Renkotsu's command, the two brothers began to rip and tear at the dress before the flames spread.
Glaring knowingly at his step-father, Jakotsu cursed, "You bastard, you did that on purpose!"
"Now now, accidents happen, Jakotsu. I guess you'll just have to stay home. Don't worry," He said as they headed for the door, "We'll make sure to tell you all about it when we get home."
The front door slammed closed, leaving Jakotsu behind in the tattered remains of his dress.
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Preview for Act 4-
Okay, we know how the story goes right? Yeah, well, the problem this time is, Jakotsu almost gives up on the ball just to stay with his "cutie" of a fairy 'godmother'
This and more musical chaos, InuYasha in drag, and well, we might get Jakotsu to the ball in time ^^