CINDERELLA: A Fushigi Yugi Parody
Written by Nashie
-à-à-
Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yugi; it belongs solely to Yuu Watase-sama. But if you call 1-800-555-2345, you too can own a one of a kind…soap dispenser! It cleans, it disinfects, it makes ice cream out of mushrooms! All for 19.95! (in a very fast announcer's voice) This does not include shipping and handling, packaging, the color of the soap dispenser, the electrical socket for the soap dispenser, the insurance that comes with dispenser, looking for mushrooms, and you must buy your own soap. This offer is for a limited time only and you must be eighteen or older to call. (slows back down) Get yours today!
Lyrics are in bold italics, since this is no longer script-format (says nothing but eyes shoot to the administrators of a certain website). If two people are singing, you can tell the separation of the two parts by the apostrophe. For example:
'Tasuki sings'
'Tamahome sings'
Tasuki: I don't wanna sing with obake-chan!
Taka: Why you! (fight breaks out)
The apostrophe's, like quotation marks, begin and end the singing verse. If there are quotation marks instead of apostrophes, then that means the two people are singing together (note: the chorus counts as if one person is singing). For example:
'Tasuki sings'
'Tamahome sings'
"Tasuki and Tamahome sing together"
Tasuki, Tamahome: (too busy fighting to notice)
I hope it isn't too confusing. Enjoy!
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CHAPTER 2:A – ARS GRATIA ARTIS
The clock reads 7:55.
The small dark area between the red décor curtains and the black scene curtains is quiet and empty, save for the appearance of one lone figure. He is standing right in the center of the downstage area, and is listening intently to the growing crowd on the other side of the thick red curtain. Arms crossed and head lowered, the young man's lips move silently in the darkness, as if he's praying. The image is reinforced by his closed eyes and the intense look of concentration across his features.
"Why did I do this? I mean, geez…what the fuck was I thinking? I'm a bandit, not an actor. Let alone a singer…stupid promises…"
As if reading his thoughts, a shadow emerges from the wings of stage left, carefully making sure not to ruffle the curtains as she jogs up to one of the lead actors. It's Nashie, and a bright smile is on her face as she slows down in front of Tasuki, careful not to jostle the curtain.
"Yo, Gen-chan. How're you doing?"
Tasuki looks up, startled. "Nashie? What the hell are you doin' here? It's five minute 'til curtain. Shouldn't you be backstage...I dunno...doin' director things?" Nashie smiles softly and ruffles his hair.
"I'm checking up on you, silly, until the play starts," she says quietly, biting her lower lip mischievously. "You put your wings on? Thank you. Means a lot to me."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Nashie frowns as the fifth seishi continues to shift uncomfortably.
"Alright…what's wrong?" Tasuki stops for a second, giving Nashie a look before he scowls darkly.
"I'm wearin' wings. I have on make-up. I look like a fuckin' pansy. That's what's wrong. I'm gonna get laughed outta the damn theatre. Everyone else got to have manly outfits…well, save Nuriko, but he's another case…why couldn't I?" He glares at Nashie. "Why didja make me the fuckin' faerie godmother?" Nashie frowns, her brow furrowing.
"You've been complaining an awful lot lately. I thought you'd be perfect for the part. You, the great and powerful bandit, becoming a magical faerie? It's hilarious!"
"I'm not laughin', Nashie. It's not funny. I want some goddamn dignity when this thing is over…"
Nashie bites her bottom lip, and crosses her arms. Dealing with impetuous actors was not on her list of things-to-do. She knew that Tasuki hated his role with a passion, but now was not the time to be getting angry over it and threatening change. She looks up into amber eyes, and twists her mouth into a disappointed frown.
"Fine. Don't do it." She thrusts out her hand impatiently. "Give me your wings." An astonished look appears on Tasuki's face, and he looks altogether taken aback.
"What!"
"You said you don't want to do the part. Well, don't do the part. But give me the wings so I can do it." She moves closer to him and rewards him with a dangerous look in her half-lidded eyes. "But I want you to know that I'm very disappointed. Very disappointed, Tasuki."
What the fuck…? "Nashie, c'mon. I'll do it. Just don't look like that…" Nashie immediately looks away, refusing to meet his eyes.
"That really hurt, Tasuki.'
"I'm sorry!" Apologizing to a woman! What am I thinking? "I mean…I'll do it, I guess…even if I'll never be able to show my face around town ever again…" Nashie's mood suddenly changes, and she grins at her seishi, hands on her hips.
"You're too much, Gen-chan! You think I put on this play to embarrass the heck out of you guys?" Tasuki glares.
"Why else didja do it?" Nashie rolls her eyes and slaps her forehead in exasperation. Sometimes, guys could be so incredibly dense!
"Gen-chan, it's a faerie tale!" she reminds him with a laugh. "It's supposed to be light-hearted and funny. You know, like laughing and singing? No serious stuff this time around." She manages to catch his glower and gives him a happy wink. "Listen to me, just imagine as if it's another one of our rehearsals. Miaka has just brought in a year's supply of Wendy's fast food, and is consuming it like the hounds of hell are behind her. You and Tama-chan have just broken out into another fight over your parts. Chichiri is sneaking French fries, thinking no one can see him. Nuri-chan is about to punch you into a nearby wall because you teased him about being Tama-chan's mother, Hotohori-sama is fending off Miaka and Chiriko from giving him hamburgers, and I'm ready to murder all of you because you're slacking off."
A full-blown grin appears on Tasuki's face as he recalls the aforementioned 'Hell Day', as Nashie affectionately calls it. After a moment, he suddenly realizes what Nashie has done and he crosses his arms, shaking his head in disapproval, though a fanged grin is still on his face. "You trickster. You did that on purpose."
"What did I do?" Nashie blinks large, innocent eyes, peering up at Tasuki through her lashes as she shyly kicks the floor with the toe of her shoe, looking very much like she's about to say "aw, shucks!" Tasuki growls playfully and pretends to be angry.
"You made me smile! Now I'm in a good mood!"
Nashie laughs. "Oh, woe is the world. Tasuki's in a good mood." She punches him on the arm before hugging him briefly. "Go get 'em, Mr. Phantom Wolf!" Tasuki snorts softly, yet affectionately.
"Girls, you're all the same. All sap and sweet, even if you try to be tough!"
"Boys, you're all the same. Hard on the outside, sweet on the inside." She leans up and gives Tasuki a peck on the cheek. "Now, I'm off. Remember, right after the glitter blows upwards, you go straight to stage right, okay, hon?" Tasuki blushes a bit, caught off guard by the kiss.
"Yeah, I know." He quickly changes the subject, trying to hide his blush by looking off towards stage right. "Everyone else?"
Nashie smirks and gestures towards the black curtain. "Already in their places for the village scene. Remember to project, project, project! And enunciate. That's what my dad always tells me."
"Expecting him here tonight?" He receives a long look from Nashie. "What?"
"Gen-chan, it's eight. My parents are both asleep by now."
"Oh...right..." Nashie chuckles, rubbing the bridge of her nose in the now familiar gesture.
"You're gonna do great, Gen-chan!" The director gives a thumbs up signal before moving past him towards stage right. Tasuki watches her go, still blushing a bit.
"Stupid candy analogies...women are tricky, I tell ya. Tricky, tricky, tricky…"
-à-à-
Nashie emerges on stage right, and bumps right into Chiriko, who looks adorable wearing his headset. The tiny teenager blinks at Nashie in surprise and then in accusation.
"Nashie!" he chastises, shaking his head. "What are you doing right here? Shouldn't you be on the other side with Mitsukake?" Nashie smirks, crossing her arms.
"I'm just doing some last minute looking around. You know me, Chiriko." Chiriko doesn't look at all comforted by these words because he indeed knows Nashie, and knows that she'll likely be waiting until the last minute to run over to the other side.
Of course, the dense director doesn't notice this. She ruffles the last seishi's hair and looks past him to see Nuriko, Hotohori, and MoonshadowJedi sitting back in the wings of the stage, with a clear view of the downstage area. Nashie scrunches her nose up and walks over to them, her arms crossed.
"Hey," she frowns, "no cast in the wings unless you're about to go on. Stage rules." Nuriko hides a grin, and instead puts on a puppy dog look, batting thick dark eyelashes in sadness.
"You'd really make us go back into that dark, quiet make-up room with no one to talk to?" Chiriko and MoonshadowJedi hide snickers as Nashie looks suddenly taken aback. Nashie, they knew, has a soft spot for upset bishonen, triple the brownie points if you're Nuriko or Tasuki. "Nashie, I thought you were nicer than that."
Nashie seems to be fighting her inner angel and devil, and finally sighs, smacking her forehead and then rubbing the bridge of her nose. "You know I can't say 'no' when you do that!" She glares at Nuriko, but the look immediately softens as she looks into the cheerfully grinning face. "Okay, fine. Stay here. But just don't get in the way. And don't you dare mess up your costumes." Nuriko cheers and settles himself into his chair. MoonshadowJedi blinks. Does she always get her way or what? And she's better at the puppy dog eyes than Nashie! I never thought I'd live to see the day…
The brunette edges up to Nashie, her camera rolling. "Hey, Nashie. What props am I supposed to take care of again? I mean, I don't think I can move everything off the stage by myself during scene changes." The tall young woman pats her friend's shoulder.
"You, my friend, are in charge of all the major props of the musical. The pumpkins, the mice, the glass slipper, and any character props. They all go to you, and no one else." She suddenly lowers her voice and pulls the college student back towards the make-up room. "And when the wedding scene happens, I'm going to need you to get the bouquet. I'll tell you were it is during intermission, okay? We don't have money to buy another bouquet of white and red roses, so…take care of it, okay?" MoonshadowJedi nods, wiping a strand of brown hair out of her eyes.
"Right."
The director beams and then turns to the rest of the gathered crew and cast, her eyes sparkling in delight and anticipation. "Alright, you guys. This is it." She flips on the switch of her headset for good now, and says into the mike, "Sake, when I say so, you send the light signal to the orchestra leader, okay?"
"Right-eo, Miss Director Ma'am!" comes Sake's voice over the radio.
"Teki..."
"I know, I dim the lights at exactly eight o' clock unless you say so otherwise, and put a gold spotlight on downstage center when the red curtains open." A grin from Nashie, even though her close friend cannot see it.
"You're so on the ball, Teki." Before she can say anything else, another deeper male voice comes over the frequency.
"Nashie, you better get back on this side. We have less than a minute." Nashie nods, forgetting that once again that Mitsukake can't see her from the opposite side of the stage.
"Okay." She glances over at Bob at the rigging station, and he looks up from the various buttons and ropes in front of him. "Bob, you heard that?" Bob waves from the rigging station.
"Yeah." Nashie takes a deep breath and wipes her hands on her pants. "Alright. This is it, guys. Break a leg." The nervous director takes a deep breath and puts on a shaky smile. She receives smiles and thumbs-up from the various cast and crew, and she retreats behind the black curtain to race over to stage left. By some willing force of the universe, she manages to avoid any actors and actresses in the chorus, and the carts filled with produce, flowers, and clothing. She emerges on stage left unscathed, and, seeing Mitsukake and Chichiri near the edge of the wings, jogs over to them.
"Are we ready?" Nashie asks nervously, wringing her hand and doing her anticipation dance which looks oddly similar to the pee-pee dance. Mitsukake frowns a the dance, but nods his head anyway.
"Never more so."
"This is going to be good, Nashie, don't worry, no da." Over the headset, a voice crackles to life.
"It's eight. I'm dimming the house lights now."
-à-à-
Out in the audience, the glowing warmth of the house lights suddenly dim, leaving the theatre in relative darkness. The only lights now are produced from the quickly fading afterglow of the overhead chandeliers. The crowd quiets down to a hush, and all heads turn expectantly towards the stage as audience members snuggle into their seats and prepare for the highly awaited musical.
In the center front row, DJFiregirl is nearly bouncing in her seat in anticipation, her eyes fixed rampantly on the stage, chanting in a mantra-like voice.
"Bishie, bishie, bishie, bishie...!"
Ashley and Silverscape, who've been unfortunate enough to sit next to DJFiregirl, discreetly pretend not to know her.
Dreamlessdays looks up from where he was reading his book, surprised that the lights have abruptly been cut off. Sighing, he places his beloved Sabriel into his backpack, takes out a honey bun, and turns to the stage expectantly. MidnightSun278 expectantly reaches her hand out, and Dreamlessdays sighs, fishing around in his backpack for an extra honey bun and handing it to her.
Near the middle of the auditorium, the dark-clad Matrix couple looks around at the dimming lights, and the young man's hand flickers towards the weapon at his waist.
"So it begins..."
In the orchestral pit, the orchestra director raises his arms after catching the small red light blinking next to his music stand and begins sweeping them around in smooth, fluid motions. A trumpet blares out the first seven notes of "The Prince is Giving A Ball", and is soon followed by an instrumental medley of "Impossible". The red curtain swings open to reveal a handsomely dressed figure standing in the center of the stage in front of another black curtain.
Slowly and deliberately, a dusky gold spotlight appears on him, lighting the shadows on his face. The spotlight enhances the gold in Tasuki's fire-colored hair, and makes the glitter of his make-up and wings sparkle like magic. He looks debonair in his masculine faerie costume of a golden raw satin shirt unbuttoned to mid-chest, black leather pants, and boots. The faerie wings aren't at all the feminine, cutesy kind that is typical, but are stronger, less cheesy-looking, and accent a very nicely chiseled physique.
In other words, Tasuki looks breathtaking.
DJFiregirl squeals in her seat and nearly dies. Even Ashley is surprised, and settles into her seat more comfortably, breaking out of her sullen pout. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.
Up in the balcony, Orlando peers over the edge, and suddenly bursts out into hysterical laughter.
"Bwahahahaha! He's wearing wings!" Al and Big Brother share looks.
"Dude, man," K-Rid scowls, looking ready to toss Orlando over the side of the balcony. "Shut up. It's not funny."
Back on the stage, Tasuki blinks out at the audience, surprised by the sudden cheers and catcalls from the rabid fangirls in the audience. So…she was right…no embarrassment here…oh, boy…
The instrumental medley pauses, a signal for Tasuki to start. Tasuki looks down at the director, who waits patiently for him to sing the a cappella prologue. The red-haired seishi suddenly breaks into a smirk, and gazes out at the audience, who are still staring at him in rapt attention. Tasuki crosses his arms and sighs.
'Impossible
For a plain yellow pumpkin to become a golden carriage
Impossible
For a plain country bumpkin and a prince to join in marriage'
"He can sing too...eek!" DJFiregirl squeals, nearly swooning in a dead faint in her seat. Ashley and Silverscape are in danger of falling directly out of their seats as they squirm even further away from the fangirl.
Backstage, Nashie is grinning widely, thankful that all of Tasuki's previous resentment over his part has vanished out the window. She has grabbed Chichiri's arm in excitement, and he smiles at her as they both peer out into the downstage area. Even Mitsukake has a minute smile on his face as he watches his brother seishi captivate the entire audience.
"Bob, get ready to open the black curtain," he whispers quietly into the mike.
Out on stage, Tasuki takes a step backwards, ready to head towards stage right.
"A slipper made of glass is just a shoe, y'know. And dreamers never make the dream come true." He winks. "'Impossible!'"
He throws his hands up in the air, and suddenly, the fans in the lip portion of the stage gust up glitter and smoke, and the orchestra explodes into another instrumental medley of "The Prince is Giving a Ball" and "Stepsisters' Lament". The audience gasps in surprise as Tasuki disappears behind the easily rendered special effect and slips behind the curtain, running quickly to make it to stage right before the black curtain opens. While he hurries over to his spot, the lights behind the black curtain come up full onto the village scene, slightly dimmer in the back to create the illusion of depth.
The black curtain slides open as the last of the glitter falls onto the downstage area around the lip of the stage. At seeing the beautifully decorated set, the audience bursts out into a round of applause. The backdrop is of rolling emerald- and teal-colored hills beneath a startling blue sky. A hanging flat designed as an inn and a restaurant is located on stage left, its 3D appearance made even more real by the working door. Littered across the stage are wagons filled with produce, clothing, and flowers.
The chorus, all dressed in simple village clothes not uncommon in the Middle Ages, begin to quietly chat and shop as the curtains open.
As the instrumental continues, Subaru walks from behind one of the wagons, obscured from view before. She is wearing a horrendous purple and orange hat-and-dress monstrosity that may have been considered fashionable if it had at least one thousand less feathers and even fewer ruffles. Some people in the audience squeal in true terror and hide behind their seats.
In the balcony, Orlando bursts out into laughter as his friends recoil in repulsion.
"That's an ugly dress! Bwahahaha!"
"You're ugly."
"Man, why does it look like somebody blew up the Crayola factory?"
In the front row, Ashley hides her face behind her hands and peeks between her fingers.
"I'm so going to have nightmares..." she moans, wincing as Subaru moves across the stage. Silverscape winces and closes her mind, immediately starting to think of happier things, like Aladdin. Dreamlessdays blinks at the sudden cacophony of colors, looks down at his honey bun, checks his forehead for a temperature, and then looks down at the ingredients of the honey bun.
DJFiregirl's reaction is less quiet.
"BRING BACK THE BISHONEN!"
MidnightSun278 and Silverscape clamp their hands over DJFiregirl's mouth as the audience sends reprimanding looks their way.
Back on the stage, Subaru is soon followed by a pretty blonde wearing a bubblegum pink dress that's even more ridiculous than her "mother's". She is arguing with another familiar-looking girl wearing a sickening yellow and blue lace dress that may have once been considered tasteful if it didn't look so clownish.
Nashie looks out over Mitsukake's shoulder. "Chichiri, how does a Nyan-Nyan get older like that? I thought they're always little brats." Chichiri shrugs slightly.
"A bit of my magic, no da. It's just an illusion spell – though I don't understand why you didn't design the clothes to look somewhat more attractive, no da. Many people in the audience are going to have nightmares, no da." He winces at the onslaught of colors. "Either that, or serious damage to their retinas, na no da."
Back on the stage, Subaru walks around to each of the wagons, beckoning for her two "daughters" to follow.
"Come along now, girls." Yui glares at the suddenly grown Nyan-Nyan, before lifting her head high and following her mother across the stage.
"Hurry it up, Portia."
"You hurry it up, Joy!"
Both girls suddenly whirl around and yell at someone behind them, "Cinderella! Stop dawdling!"
At this cue, Miaka rushes from behind a wagon, her arms loaded down with hatboxes and bags. She's dressed in a simple brown frock with a dirty cream-colored apron. Her hair is pulled back into a low ponytail, though some strands have fallen onto her face, creating a pretty, yet haggard appearance. At the arrival of the main heroine, the audience erupts in cheers and applause as the music swells.
Nashie hops from foot to foot backstage, a nervous smile on her face. "So far, so good." An irritated sigh can be heard over the headset.
"Don't jinx us, Nashie," murmurs Teki.
Subaru, Yui, and Nyan-Nyan pause in front of a wagon selling hats, and Yui grabs one up. It's a horrible apparatus of flowers, fake eggs, and ribbons, all flounced up in the most clashing colors of the universe. Yui is the first to try it on. "What do you think, Mother?" She smiles and strikes a ridiculous pose.
Subaru hesitates. "Well, it's certainly not the sort of thing you see everyday…" Nyan-Nyan grabs the hat off Yui's head, a look of fury on her cherub-like features.
"I saw it first." She also models the hat in a pose even more silly than Yui's, causing the audience to burst into laughter. "How do you think it looks on me, Mother?" Yui rolls her eyes and pretends to choke herself.
"Awful."
Backstage, Chichiri makes a face. "Where in the world did you find such an ugly hat?"
Nashie, without turning her attention from the stage, responds, "Oh, that old thing? I just visited a church and found it in the lost and found area." Mitsukake grimaces as the girls begin snatching that hat from each other's heads.
"You mean someone wore that out in public? Willingly?"
The three stage crew members shudder at the thought of the humiliation someone would go through to supposedly look fashionable.
On stage, Subaru looks from one daughter to the next, obviously disgusted with the appearance of the hat. "How can a mother choose between two such extraordinary daughters?" Yui and Nyan-Nyan share a look, and both make a grab for the hat. Glaring fiercely at each other, they storm up to Miaka, who is watching a young man in the chorus give a woman a brightly blooming rose, a look of longing on her face.
"Cinderella! Cinderella!" Miaka turns around as Yui rushes up to her, placing the hat on her head and twirling. "Do you think the hat looks better on me?" Nyan-Nyan snatches the hat and pulls it low over her brow.
"Or me?" Miaka frowns, looking confused. She looks at the hat and then at the two sisters.
"Well, I don't know much about hats…but I don't think it flatters either one of you." Both Yui and Nyan-Nyan look appalled, and glower at Miaka who only blinks innocently.
"What did you ask HER for?"
"She doesn't know much about hats. She said so herself!"
The audience laughs as Yui and Nyan-Nyan tug at the hat, and then go storming off to Subaru, leaving behind a baffled Miaka, who watches them go, still holding onto the armload of boxes and bags.
Nashie also chuckles, but stops once she hears someone call her over the headset. "Huh? Say that again, Chiriko, I didn't hear you."
"Um, Nashie?"
"Yeah...?"
"We have three very large problems that you probably will not be too happy to hear."
Mitsukake and Nashie share wary looks at the message, and Nashie suddenly feels a growing pit of despair in her stomach. Not even five minutes into the play, and something was already wrong? She chews her bottom lip nervously, and rubs her palms on her jeans.
"What is it, Chiriko?" she asks hesitantly, not really wanting to know the answer. A sigh can be heard from the other side of the headset, and the pit in Nashie's stomach grows.
"Well, the first problem – Tasuki is suffering from glitter inhalation. He's been having coughing fits over here for awhile now, and nothing we can do can stop him." The young woman's eyes widen.
"Oh, Gen-chan...I'll be right over. Keep talking, Chiriko. What else is wrong?"
"Nuriko's mike is broken. We're going to need a new one." Nashie mutters darkly as she crosses behind the curtain behind the backdrop.
"How did that happen?"
"He was trying to help Tasuki. Tasuki got upset. Sometime afterwards, the mike got broken."
A groan from Sake. "Those two…"
"Sake-chan, you hear that?"
"Yeah, I hear it. Oh, man. I'm glad we have some extra mikes in here. I'll be right over." Nashie breathes a sigh of relief. At least one problem was solved…but as for the last one…
"And the third problem...?"
"Tamahome's locked himself in the make-up room." A hesitant pause from Chiriko. "It's locked from the outside and no one knows where the stage keys are." Nashie stops dead in her tracks, her jaw almost literally dropping to the ground.
"Say WHAT?"
"Honestly, I don't know how it happened either. But I'm fairly certain that it was an accident. We can't get it open yet because Nuriko is busy with Tasuki. MoonshadowJedi took of her headset and she and Hotohori are trying to pick the lock, but to no avail."
"But Tamahome has less than two minutes to get onto stage! Grr..."
The pissed off director emerges onto stage right, and runs towards the clustered group near the edge of the wings. Nuriko is gently patting Tasuki on the back as he continues coughing up various bits of glitter, his face slightly red from the exertion. Chiriko has wisely moved them away from the curtain so no one can hear the crisis at hand.
Nashie kneels next to Tasuki, placing a hand on his shoulder. "How much did you inhale...?"
"(wheez)...too much...(cough)...gah...(choke)..." A soft, sad look comes across Nashie's face.
"Oh, Gen-chan, I'm so sorry. I didn't know it would do that..." She turns to Chiriko. "Can you get me a glass of water? Most likely, all of this is lodged in his throat." Tasuki blinks and glances suspiciously at Nashie as he coughs a little more.
"Water?"
"It'll make it easier to swallow. And don't give me that hurt look. Shiny paper is harmless, and won't do anything to your digestive tract. Take this from someone who used to regularly eat sticky tape as a five-year-old." She gives him a reassuring smile, though Nuriko is glancing at Nashie wide-eyed at the prospect of eating paper…
At that moment, Sake walks up to the group, an extra body mike in her hands. She gives Tasuki a sympathetic look, before grabbing Nuriko's arm and dragging him towards the make-up room. "I need you to break Tamahome out of the make-up room and to put this new mike on, so don't argue with me, and just do it!" She and the unfortunate seishi disappear into the shadows of the corridor.
"Glad I have Sake-chan to count on," Nashie mutters as her headset crackles to life.
"Miaka's beginning "The Sweetest Sounds"," informs Teki, a slightly worried tone to her voice. "You all have around a minute to get Tamahome in his place." Nashie bites her lip as her hand begins to shake in frustration.
"Great."
Chiriko returns with a full glass of water, and hands it to Nashie. Nashie mouths a 'thank you' to the small boy, and prods Tasuki gently with her hand. He gives her a wary look as he takes the glass from her and begins to down the water. Nashie soothingly rubs his back as he drinks the entire glass, smiling softly as he makes a face when a piece of glitter slightly scratches against his throat.
Tasuki draws his brows together and coughs slightly. "Hmm...I feel…oddly better." Nashie cheers and pats him on the back.
"I was right then – most of the glitter was in your throat." She grins widely, crossing her arms and looking awfully smug about herself. "So I just saved your life." Tasuki scowls.
"Great, I owe my life to...wait, you tricked me! Twice!"
"Sure, Gen-chan."
"You did!"
"I believe you, Gen-chan."
Tasuki is about to reply when a blur rushes past them, only recognizable by turquoise-colored hair. Tasuki lets out a loud curse, stumbling backwards, while Nashie falls back on her heels and onto her behind rather disgracefully.
Out on stage, Miaka is finishing up the last line of the verse, her sweet soprano drifting clearly across the audience.
'And the dearest love in all the world
Is waiting somewhere for me
Is waiting somewhere, somewhere for me'
"Cinderella!" Subaru exclaims, storming over to her and placing another hatbox onto of the two Miaka's already juggling to hold. Yui glares distastefully at Miaka, flouncing past her.
"Have you ever seen such a lazy girl in your life?" Nyan-Nyan blinks as she brings up the rear of the trio.
"Who are you calling lazy?"
"Not you, stupid. Cinderella."
"Oh...wait. Who are you calling stupid?"
The quartet moves around the village, peering at other wagons while Tamahome, dressed in a dark burgundy shirt and black slacks, wanders off into stage, still slightly flushed from his rush to get to his cue on time. A squeal of delight can be heard from the fangirls in the audience, especially from a certain fiery-haired one from the front row. Soon, his pleasing baritone soars out across the stage. Nashie grins and breathes a sigh of relief as the three disasters are easily diverted. Hotohori joins them, and kneels down next to them.
"Are you alright, Tasuki?"
"For someone who now has a thousand fuckin' pieces of shit linin' his esophagus, I'm doin' just fine." Nashie hugs him.
"See? My Gen-chan is doing just peachy!"
"Yeah, yeah..." comes the muttered reply. Nashie gives him a playful noogie
"Don't look so depressed, Gen-chan. It gives you wrinkles! Then, you'll like Taiitsukun!"
She laughs as Hotohori flinches and Tasuki makes a face. She turns her attention back to the stage to watch as the drama and singing unfolds.
-à-à-
Out in the lobby, the door opens from the outside, and a darkly-clothed figure walks in, completely oblivious to the cold air and rushing wind. The person is wearing a heavy black cloak, with a hood pulled over their head, obscuring their facial features in shadows. The figure strolls past the ticket counter and the young man waiting there, ignoring him.
"Excuse me!" the ticket boy exclaims, his eyes widening. "You can't go in there without a ticket! You need a ticket!" The figure smiles and turns to the young man, blue eyes glittering from beneath the coat.
"I am sure it will be fine if I entered without permission. What harm could come of it?" A brief frown. "Besides, I am already here. Why take the ticket from me now?" The young man rolls his eyes heavenward and manages to count to ten. I certainly didn't sign up for this kind of job! Stupid employment agencies…!
"Listen, I'm really sorry. But you need a ticket or I'm going to have to call security." The smile from the mysterious woman returns and she brushes past the counter.
"Do not be foolish. You cannot dare call security on me."
Without saying another word, the mysterious stranger sweeps into the right hallways and disappears from sight. The young man shares a look with the older woman at the coat check, who looks as surprised and annoyed as he does. The young man fidgets as he tries not to think what Nashie will do to him when she finds out he let in someone without a ticket that was NOT on her special invitee list.
-à-à-