Disclaimer: ;;in 'Addict's dreams;; INUYASHA IS MINE! MINE I TELL YOU! MI--;;ooff!;;
Rumiko Takahashi: Wake up, you idiot.
Author's Note: NO! Don't hurts us! We promises we has a good excuse for not updating so long!
;P
Seriously though, guys, I'm so sorry I left you hanging the way I did! I know I promised an update "soon", but it turned out to be two months before I could finish writing this chapter. School's in full swing, you see, and I had so much to deal with personally as well. I hope I haven't lost you guys yet, and I'm hoping you'll let me know you're still there! ;P This chapter is a sort of atonement—longest one I've written. It's queer, how my chapters keep getting longer...hopefully, the gaps between my updates don't follow that trend...read: motivate me, guys! ;P Kidding, hehehe... ;P
Also IMPORTANT NOTE: there's going to be a lot of mentioning of the Twelfth Night from now on, so I recommend skimming through the play or at least reading up on the characters so that you can envision the Inu gang donning the roles. ;P Haha, trust me, when you read up on who Inuyasha's playing...hahaha! ;P
Love lots, guys! ;P
Chapter 10
On Stage
Kagome's head—which had been deeply immersed in her script as she went over her lines again—snapped up as a loud voice screamed someone's name. Her eyes wide, she stared at the slim, incredibly pretty homosexual who had gotten up to stand on his chair, waving towards someone in the milling crowd. She had heard the name he had called out, and that, more than anything, was what sent the already delicate nerves in her stomach into convulsions.
Inuyasha is here.
Beside her Sango gave a little start as well. She had appeared preoccupied when Kagome had met her earlier that morning, though Kagome didn't mind. It was enough to have Sango's comforting presence nearby and with her friend deeply immersed in her thoughts it was easier to concentrate on her own. Though she did make a mental note to pry after the auditions. Sango did not walk around with a dazed look and a heated flush to her cheeks on a regular basis, and it merited a thorough investigation once the trivial things were out of the way.
Though this audition was far from trivial. Her very life—or an important part of it, at least—was staked on her making it into the play.
Perhaps that was why Inuyasha's presence bothered her so. She hadn't come across him since the incident the other day, and over that she was still feeling a bit raw. As soon as Sango had led her away from the scene and she had been given a moment to herself, she had firmly tucked away all her feelings regarding him and Koga, concentrating on something she could deal with—namely, her part. She was already half in love with her character, Valentine, and adding to the pressure of her grade was the actual want to be in the production. It had been a long time in coming, but Mrs. Ikari's requirement had brought to life a long-dormant fire, and the passion for theater was more than alive and kicking in her veins as it was.
She was certain, however, that it was not going to help her land the role if she allowed her emotions to swamp her at this point—which they were coming threateningly close to doing as the seconds dragged by and she heard the crowd behind her murmuring in a way that heralded Inuyasha's approach. She prayed to all the Kami her grandfather had drilled into her memory that he would ignore her, fail to notice her, or whatever reason for him to simply pass her by. She wasn't certain how she felt about seeing him now—not when the fight with Koga was still fresh in her mind, along with the lingering implications of it.
Why did they fight?
She felt honestly insane, torn between the antagonized feeling building in her chest as she resigned herself to his presence during the audition and the wild desire to flee from this place—from him—and forget about what Mrs. Ikari or anyone else would say. Sango was turning in her seat, and Kagome closed her eyes in despair as she felt Sango's arm wrap around her shoulders in a protective gesture, the muscles there tense and decidedly aggressive.
"Good morning, Kagome."
How could he be so cheerful?
Taking a deep breath, she tilted her face up to look at him as he stood on her right, a predictably arrogant smirk on his face. He looked well and rested, not a single inch of him giving away that he'd been ripped into by a pair of very nasty youkai claws barely forty-two hours before. He wore a fresh white statement tee and dark jeans with his Chucks—a look that was failing miserably at being generic. Inuyasha would stand out no matter what he wore (or didn't wear), and not just because of the white dog ears on his head that were twitching every now and then.
"Good morning, Inuyasha," she said carefully, keeping the reeling agony in her chest tightly leashed. It was painful, having him there, and she wondered with a flash of anger if he was doing it on purpose. Was he there to sneer? Drop a few snide comments? She decided she didn't care, and steeled herself for the inevitably abrasive remark that was bound to drop from his lips within the moment.
His expression faltered for an instant, and a slight frown built on his brow. His eyes narrowed searchingly on her face, which went completely slack from shock when he actually sat down next to her and took her hand.
"Are you all right?" he asked, his claws gently handling her right hand, which she realized was stiff and clammy. "It feels like you're being tortured."
"I'm fine!" she hissed on reflex, jerking her hand away from him and fixing him with a dark glare. "Would you stop doing that? Some people don't appreciate nosy pricks digging into their feelings!"
He bared his teeth, all good humor dying in his eyes as she shoved his concern into his face.
"Well, excuse me for picking up on the agony you have all over you like your nasty cologne! Some people aren't as insensitive to the feelings of others—they actually realize when someone's worried about them and make an effort to soothe their concerns!"
Kagome flushed deeply at that, embarrassed at what he was suggesting and ashamed of herself for biting his head off if he was indeed concerned.
"Don't you dare give me that crap about caring about me, Inuyasha!" she growled, clutching her burning hand as she firmly concluded he was playing with her. Inuyasha didn't care about anyone—himself excluded, of course—and any allusion to him worrying even a smidge about her was insulting when she felt herself so deeply affected. Why does it matter so much if he's teasing me or not?
"Fine!" Inuyasha snapped, swallowing the burning ire and fixing her with a cold look instead. If he'd picked up anything from being around Sesshomaru, it was a much more effective—and dignified—means of showing one's displeasure. He couldn't afford to make a scene here—not when it could give the guild the wrong impression. Once he was in the play with Kagome, then he'd think about curbing her annoying tendency to be mean to him at the wrong times. "Excuse me, then, Kagome. I have better things to do than chitchat with you."
He stood suddenly, looking for the life of him like someone who'd been deeply wronged, and she grit her teeth painfully when the people around her took one look at him before turning to give her a reproachful one.
Son of a bitch! He's going for the sympathy vote!
She watched him walk over to a seat several rows in front of her, where he sat down and waved casually to the ecstatic guild member on the panel, who was actually making his way through the crush to get to Inuyasha. Supremely annoyed and more than a little fearful—What if he's against me because I bitched at Inuyasha?—it took her a moment to register that Sango's grip was now painful. She turned to question her friend when she realized the girl was looking at someone to their right.
It didn't take a genius to guess who.
"Hello, Miroku," she said flatly, wondering if he was part of the reason that Sango was such a dreamer today. It was unlikely, given that Sango's expression was often black as a storm cloud—like it was now—whenever Miroku was concerned, but still...
"Hello, Kagome," Miroku returned easily, but his eyes didn't leave Sango's face. He looked utterly serious, which surprised Kagome, and she wondered if it would be wiser to relocate herself for the time being. Tension was crackling in the air between them and she did not need it now. Not when she already felt an incredibly compelling urge to walk up a few rows, tell the gay guild member to buzz off, and pick up her argument with Inuyasha. A sticky, persistent sense of guilt was clawing at her chest and her carefully composed nerves were going insane from its ministrations.
"Is there anything you need?' Sango asked, in a tone that had more edge to it that normal.
Miroku shook his head. "Just wanted to say hello...and good luck today. Are both of you auditioning?"
"No," Kagome answered for her, when it became apparent Sango wasn't about to reply. She gave Miroku a genuine—though apprehensive—smile. "Just me. Thanks, Miroku. I'll own I'm a bit nervous."
He turned to her at last, giving her a smile of his own, though the look in his eyes made her squirm as the guilt intensified. "Probably why you kicked Inuyasha in his balls so early into your conversation," he commented dryly. He looked at his friend—who was nodding absently at whatever Jakotsu was saying—and gave him a sympathetic glance. "I'd best calm him down and say you're sorry."
"I am not!" Kagome denied violently, grabbing his arm when he actually started walking. "Miroku, don't you dare!"
"Yeah, sure you aren't," Miroku teased, his fingers reaching to pry hers off. "Come on, Kagome, you've got the look of a smart kid caught cheating, so don't tell me you aren't. He's sincere about you, you know. He respects you too much to lie." Her fingers tightened but he caught the way her shoulders slumped slightly and a miserable look crossed her eyes as she seemed to acknowledge her guilt. Patting her hand soothingly, he decided he'd better play it smooth if he wanted to keep his arm. "Hey, relax, okay? Inuyasha's used to you, so I don't think he'll be mad long. Just try to be a little bit less distrustful of him and leave it to me, okay?"
"How can't I be distrustful of him?" Kagome asked wearily, loosening her grip and wondering gloomily at how she'd dug herself into this sad little hole. To think that one day she'd feel bad about being mean to Inuyasha. "He hasn't done anything to be credible in my book."
"Just trust me, okay? I respect you, too, Kagome, and I'm serious. Inuyasha's not nearly as awful as you think he is, and I don't get to see him react that way a lot. Besides, you two need to get along. If you both get in—and there's a fair chance you will—you're going to be around each a lot more often."
That floored her. Suddenly light-headed, she relied heavily on Sango for support as she tilted back and breathed in disbelief.
"Inuyasha's auditioning for the play?" she whispered, swiveling her head to eye him again, her eyes ghosting over the bored confidence he was exuding as his guild admirer prattled on happily.
Miroku's mouth tipped up into another smile and he winked at her. "I don't think you need to ask why. Just make sure not to let him know I told you. He's going to accuse me of ruining his 'super secret master plan.'" Rolling his eyes, he turned to Sango and nodded, his expression sobering somehow. "Sango."
"Miroku," Sango returned, her expression somewhat calmer as she struggled to hide the approval that was shining in her eyes. Kagome knew that her friend wanted—was trying to want—to stay angry at Miroku for whatever new act of lechery (at least she assumed it was lechery) he'd committed—and was failing miserably now that Miroku was being characteristically his kind and benevolent self. Kagome sighed to herself, wondering what Miroku's problem was. It was obvious that the only thing standing between him and Sango was that part of his personality. If he wanted Sango as badly as she was sure he did, why couldn't he just tweak that part of himself so that he could finally get his girl?
Men are stupid.
Her eyes turned once more to Inuyasha and thought the same thing over again. With much more emotion.
If he cared so much, why wasn't he being serious and up front with her?
Maybe he only knows how to do up front. She pursed her lips. Stupid bastard...grrr...damn you, Miroku, why do you have to go planting thoughts like that in my head just before something important?
"I don't think you need to ask why."
Resolutely shoving that statement out of her mind, Kagome gave Inuyasha one last glare before burying herself once more in her script.
To hell with him. So what if he's auditioning?
---
"God above, why did I agree to do this?" Jakotsu muttered under his breath as the guild called for a break. Three hours of not exactly the best of the hopefuls marching onto stage punctuated by only two ten-minute breaks and he was finding it decidedly hard to remain objective.
"Because Inuyasha is auditioning," Rankotsu answered, overhearing. He scanned his copy of the list before giving his friend a comforting pat on the back. "There, there. You should be glad we screen randomly and not on an alphabetical basis, or he'd be auditioning days from now."
Ayame stretched languidly in his chair, inwardly sighing though outward he maintained his open expression and smile. Out of the first fifty people he had only marked two who could possibly be secondary characters after a little more training. Someone who could cut a main role he had yet to see, and he stared almost ruefully at the list of the people auditioning for that day. He didn't know how he'd feel if they got through that list without finding a single person meant for a role, and he turned to his cousin, who was considering his copy with seeming interest.
"Something I missed?" Ayame asked, leaning over to compare his notes with Shigure's. He wasn't surprised that Shigure had crossed out everyone who'd gone on stage so far—being the writer, he was much pickier about who got to fill in the roles—but with the way Shigure was looking, he was beginning to wonder if he was going to change his mind about someone after all.
"No—just this," Shigure replied, absolving all of Ayame's speculations about that, and he poked his pencil at the name of the person who was slated to audition next—number 223, Kagome Higurashi.
"What about her?"
Shigure shrugged, tapping his pencil idly. "Eri's strongly recommending her for Valentine's role. She was supposedly very good once upon a time. However..." He cast a careful look in Jakotsu's direction, making certain that the Instant Inuyasha Reactor was otherwise occupied before continuing seriously. "I'm getting apprehensive over the possibility of having her in the play with—" in case Jakotsu's radar was particularly strong that day—"You-Know."
"Who is You-Know auditioning for anyway?"
"Well, Kurama wasn't as specific. He just asked for a copy and said he'd leave it to Inuya—er—You-Know—to pick out who he wanted to be. Apart from that he just gave him a few basic tips. The guy catches on pretty fast, apparently."
"That's a good thing. I don't see what you're so worried about. If both of them are good enough to be in the play, then we practically won't have to advertise. Those two being together in there will bring up so much controversy that I'm ready to bet that no one will not see the play."
"If you say so," Shigure acceded with a smile. "There's someone else who's auditioning that might make this interesting." He tapped the list again, singling out another name that was not too far down from Miss Higurashi's.
Ayame's brows rose. "Well, well. I was certain that he was sent on a Europe-America scholarship to pick up soccer skills. Let's see if he picked up any thespian qualities with all that culture he was exposed to."
Shigure nodded thoughtfully, putting asterisk marks next to the three names that were of interest to him. Checking his watch he motioned to one of the members of their technical crew.
"Inform Miss Higurashi that she's up next, would you?" he requested absently, digging through his bag for a copy of his script. Eri had pointed out what scene Kagome would be performing, and despite his staunch stand on not having any preconceptions, he reviewed the dialogue and let his mind erect the framework of the performance that would bring the text to life.
I've got to hand it to her, he conceded, folding up his script and sitting back to brood as the minutes ticked by. She didn't choose an easy part to play.
---
"Miss Higurashi?"
The tech paused and took a second look at the girl he had approached, thinking himself to have been mistaken. The Kagome Higurashi he'd gotten to know through the grapevine and a few run-ins did not have a greenish tinge to her skin, perpetually pursed lips, and pupils so dilated her eyes were almost black.
When she didn't reply and simply continued to stare at him as though he were hiding an axe behind his back, he wondered vaguely if he was supposed to start yelling for a medic at this point.
"Um...Miss Higurashi?" he repeated worriedly. "Are you all right?"
Her lips parted and he actually saw the blood rush back into the capillaries beneath the fragile skin.
"U—" Whatever she was going to say came out as a croak and she clamped her mouth shut again, clearing her throat and visibly shaking herself, her hair falling into her face as she swung her head from side to side. He could only give her a sympathetic look as she pushed her hair back and gave him a weak smile. "Sorry," she murmured in a hoarse voice. "Butterflies, you know?"
"I'd say a colony of red ants, in your case," he quipped critically, though with a kind smile. "I guess you know why I'm here then."
She gulped audibly, casting a look around. "I-I'm next?"
He nodded in affirmation. "We start in five minutes. When they announce that everyone should settle, just go up to the stage via either staircase." He gave her another measuring look. "Will you be all right?"
She nodded distractedly. "I'll be fine. It's just that my best friend isn't here with the drinks yet and I feel like I've eaten sawdust."
"Ah. That's normal, I suppose. Um...my name's Suikotsu and I'm part of the technical crew. If your friend doesn't show and we begin to settle, just stop by the left stage entrance on the way up—I'll have a glass of water for you."
Her gaze focused on him at that and a warm smile lit her features, transforming her gaunt countenance into a healthy visage within the second.
"Thank you," she said feelingly, squeezing the hand he'd extended as he'd introduced himself with gratitude.
"No problem," he assured her with another smile. "Good luck."
Kagome watched him leave and glumly resigned herself to the emotions that were tearing her apart inside. Three more minutes, she told herself. Three minutes to indulge in the glorious chaos engulfing her entire body before she would seek the sanctuary of calm with determination. Then she would push aside all insecurities, all other trivialities that would brook failure. Failing meant not doing her best, and even if she didn't get into the play after giving it her all, she'd still have succeeded. She'd have to make do and find another way around Mrs. Ikari. It was simple.
For now, however, she allowed herself to cringe and panic at the alarming rate of hot-cold her body was going through. If she'd been a thermometer, the mercury would be bouncing from one end to another like a ping-pong ball and she wondered absently how long it had been since she'd ever felt this nervous. Trying to remember seemed like a futile exercise of desperation brought about by cold feet and instead she watched as the words on her script jumbled and rearranged themselves haphazardly before her eyes.
This is worse than I thought, she thought with even more distress as she failed to remember her lines halfway through the dialogue.
She looked up into the sea of competition and criticism before her, and whether or not it was a boon from God or not, her eyes locked onto a pair of shockingly intense, fiery amber orbs. Whatever was in his heart and mind at that moment was unclear to her, and the only thing that registered was that whatever it was it was causing a strange, smothering pressure to build over her chest. Her racing heart squeezed and began to drum a sluggish beat, the air seemed thicker the passage to her lungs seemed blocked.
Which was why she gasped when a powerful hand closed over the curve of her left shoulder and a familiar voice shot into the haze of her mind.
"Do your best up there, babe."
Koga.
Kagome tilted her head back to look at him, his clear, sharp eyes digging into her own with a different kind of intensity—an intensity she actually understood. She saw his concern, his confidence, and his want swimming in the deep ocean of his eyes and felt the pressure sharpen into actual pain and sadness. Her mind grasped wildly for reasons to explain Koga's presence here—the surprisingly difficult to believe chance that he'd come just to show support and the agony of a suspicion that seemed all the more plausible.
"If you don't, I'll have wasted time memorizing these lines," he chided with a gentle squeeze on her shoulder. "No way I'm joining a play if you aren't in it."
She closed her eyes, willed herself to breathe. Inuyasha had been looking at her. Was he still looking? Did he see her and Koga?
The unpleasant squeezing resumed in her chest and she stepped away from Koga, though the lack of his solid frame by her made her a tad woozy.
"You all right, Kagome?"
She felt him step towards her and she held her hand out, proving her action right when her hand came into contact with his chest. Shaking her head and pressing the bridge of her nose in a headache-relief effort, she turned towards the stage. Sango wasn't back yet and she saw one of the guild members moving towards the microphone, probably to signal for them to settle down.
"I need to go," she whispered, only barely certain Koga could hear her. "Wish me luck."
---
Glaring menacingly at the vending machine, Sango considered the wisdom of grabbing the nearby metal trash can and bashing it into the offensive device. True, there'd been an urban legend circulating years before that some hot-tempered man had been punished for a similar act when the vending machine mysteriously toppled over and killed him, but she was just about ready to take it on. It had eaten the last of her coinage and she wasn't about to slip any bills in after its failure to deliver.
"Bloody machine!" she snapped, kicking it viciously and grinding her teeth together when agony exploded from her sole to her knee.
A soft chuckle sounded to her left and she turned her burning eyes in the direction of the mean jerk who would dare laugh at a girl in such a predicament. Her hot cheeks positively shone red and she froze, knee suspended halfway up and both hands clamped over it.
"Forgive me for laughing, Sango," Akito murmured softly from where he was leaning, arms folded over his chest and dark eyes gleaming with both amusement and sympathy. "But what exactly is it that you're doing?"
---
"Koga," Inuyasha growled, tearing his arm from Miroku's automatically pacifying grip. It didn't matter that the wolf wasn't ready—probably wasn't even aware of Inuyasha's eyes on him. His claws were aching to be used; it felt like his nails were being pulled out every second that they weren't shredding into Koga's skin.
"Remember why this is important, Inuyasha," Miroku said sternly, rubbing his hand, which was stinging from Inuyasha's physically painful withdrawal. "You're here to get rid of Koga via another means."
"Another...means..." Inuyasha ground out like a forced mantra, mentally wishing he had Sesshoumaru's poisonous, acidic power. Melting the wolf into a sickly, gooey pile would probably be extremely gratifying, given that he would have the pleasure of seeing bit by bit of the bastard consumed, hear his agonized screams until the very last of him was taken in...
"Concentrate, Inuyasha," Miroku whispered. "Shouldn't there be someone else you're supposed to be paying attention to?"
His boiling blood froze, the daggers in his eyes withdrew as they snapped towards his raven-haired dream—the girl now ascending to the stage.
"She's up," he whispered, the importance of the moment crashing down onto him the very next second. Miroku bottled in a scream as his friend suddenly jumped him in a frenzy to take the script that was lying in his lap.
Blood was pounding in his ears.
She's up.
I'm going to find out which character she is.
And so is the wolf.
He needed to get up there, needed to perform before his rival. He didn't have a smidge of faith in Koga's acting skills, but shit happened and he wasn't about to allow a fluke to stand between him and Kagome. He had to perform first—had to do so well that at the end of his performance they wouldn't think twice about who would be right for Kagome.
"Inuyasha—"
"Shut up, Miroku," he snapped, resolutely turning his eyes away from Koga. "I won't go after Koga."
Koga may be blocking the way up to the stage, but who said anything about barreling through him to audition next?
He found the red-lipped homosexual who'd been chatting him up earlier, swallowing his stringent dislike of the act as he swung his arm companionably over the gay's shoulder.
"Jakotsu," he murmured, lowering his voice an octave even as he gagged inside, "how would you like to see me...perform...?"
---
Thud.
The sound of her own foot landing onto the panels of the stage felt harsh and ominous to her ears. The crowd was eerily silent, a mass of swarming indistinct shapes that her mind could not seem to draw into recognizable forms and faces. Her right fist clenched along with her heart, her mouth clamped together if no longer dry, thanks to the water provided by Suikotsu.
Thud.
The panel was settling down—she saw movement along the long tables before the stage, saw the fluttering of pages as scripts were opened. A tall, silvery-haired man dressed in red was seating himself, accepting a paper cup from a red-haired woman. The silver hair triggered something in her mind, and her eyes fled desperately to the throng assembled before her.
Thud.
Where was he? Was he even now making his way towards Koga? Would they pick up where they'd left off the other day?
Thud.
A mixture of emotions jumbled together in her chest. A part of her—the part that felt her clammy hands and strained nerves—was almost glad that they could very well end her torture and disrupt the stupid audition. Rationally, of course, she was also angry that they might actually take her academic honors from her with their antics.
Thud.
She was furious at both of them for showing up at her auditions, their very presence two tons of weight on her already laden chest. She was horrified by the fact that they were auditioning for the play as well, frustrated with Koga and confused by Inuyasha. At least Koga was plain and simple about it—what did Inuyasha want? What had Miroku meant? Surely not that Inuyasha was in it for her! In a sick form of punishment, perhaps, but...
Thud.
She'd reached the center of the stage and she craned her neck to the side for Suikotsu's signal to begin. Instead she found herself looking into his eyes.
Thud.
Could Inuyasha be that cruel?
Do you truly hate me that much?
She stared into the hazy heat of his eyes.
Why do I care?
Her gut clenched and her jaws snapped together at this. At the pain something close to a white light exploded before her eyes and her vision was suddenly clear. She heard the sound of the audience milling before her, saw vividly the details of the people moving behind Inuyasha—among them Suikotsu, who was giving her the signal.
"Why do I care?" she asked, her voice a mere wisp louder than her breath.
Inuyasha's brows snapped together into a frown.
"Why do I care?" she repeated, her head wheeling towards the audience, her voice now ringing towards the rafters as a suspenseful hush drifted down over the crowd. "A truer question you could not ask, my brother, my lord. And when you asked it before I gave you my only answer—I concern myself in your affairs with Olivia out of love for you. And while I still believe that what she has to offer you is but a candle in the sun of your love, if she is what you desire...the flower to be smiled upon by the sun..."
"But how is it that you bless my love for her when such bitterness for her is still in your heart?" came Eri's voice from the right side of the stage. "How can you encourage a union between someone you hate and someone you love?"
"When you can love more than you can hate," Kagome answered, her consciousness disappearing into the character of Valentine as Eri's feminine features blurred and Sota's face came into view. Sota and the first girl who'd dumped him, the girlfriend who'd underappreciated him...and the question of whether or not she'd urge Sota to carry on the painful relationship if his girlfriend gained an interest in...say...
Her heart squeezed underneath the barriers she'd set up around it and she pushed his face furiously away.
She turned her face towards the crowd, moved forward to deliver a stage whisper. "And when you have your own heart in mind, as well."
"What was that?"
---
What is this?
Inuyasha blinked, the reality of the situation descending upon him with surprising force. He wasn't certain what he'd been expecting, but he was certain that he hadn't been prepared for this. He'd been relatively sure that despite the gap between her years on stage she still had it, but he hadn't been ready to be blown away.
Who is this?
Surely not his Kagome. Not the bitter, anguished creature conversing with Eri in Orsino's role, her heart ripping at her readiness to sacrifice Orsino to a woman she despised in exchange for Cesario. That girl had dissolved into Valentine, and until the time was up she was lost to him.
Bending his head he considered his script.
He had a hell of a performance to match, moreover upstage.
All right, let's see...Valentine ends up with...who!
---
"Perfect," Shigure whispered, his eyes gleaming with surprise—something that in turn surprised his cousin next to him. Ayame had rarely seen his cousin look floored, much less hear him use such a word in praise of an audition. He could understand, of course, given that admiration was probably shining in his eyes as well.
She was wrapping up, bowing to a sound of extremely appreciative applause from both the members of the guild and the still-to-audition audience. That was something, considering she'd just rendered a performance that they would have difficulty topping, technically meaning she'd just robbed quite a few people of a chance to be in the play.
"She's definitely it," Ayame agreed, already encircling Miss Higurashi's name with a flourish, relief spreading through his chest.
"We're going to have a problem, though," Shigure murmured softly, although he was also encircling Kagome's name. His expression was serious, the look in his eyes uncharacteristically tumultuous. In Ayame's experience, Shigure only looked like that when dealing with an extremely delicate Sohma affair or when he was considering with a serious issue of his art. Sincerely hoping that it was the latter, despite the fact that an artistic problem would weigh more heavily on the head of the theater guild, he leaned closer.
"Elaborate," he urged, giving Miss Higurashi a winning smile as she straightened up and began to move off stage.
"I'll tell you later, after all the auditions are up," Shigure said vaguely, waving him away. Distractedly, he turned to Rankotsu, pleased to see that he had also encircled Kagome's name despite the conflict in his mind over her part in the play. "Who's up next?"
"Well it's supposedly a certain Mr. Hakudoushi, but our unbiased friend over here—" He chuckled when Jakotsu gave him an indignant swat on the head.
"You don't mind do you, Gure-san, if I let Inuyasha audition ahead of everyone else?" Jakotsu inquired, hopeful stars shooting from his eyes. "It's just that he approached me and told me how he had something very important to do in a matter of moments but he didn't want to give up his slot at the auditions. He was so earnest, Gure-san, and even if he played it all cool I'm certain that—"
"Jakotsu, it's fine," Shigure said wearily, though he smiled. "Unfair, completely biased, but fine." He turned back to his cousin. "It'll be a good chance to see if he can top—or at least match—Miss Higurashi. In this case, Jakotsu's favor won't help him." He spread his arms out to the rest of the panel. "Who votes to disqualify Jakotsu's say in Inuyasha's audition?"
"Gure-san, that's not fair!"
---
"Son of a bitch," Miroku cursed rarely, laughing as his face contorted into amused incredulity. "Son of a bitch, you're really going to do this, aren't you?"
Inuyasha was walking out to the center of the stage. The crowd around him was slithering into a frenzy, the level of whispering building into a near-shattering cacophony. Despite it all his best friend wasn't even breaking a sweat—merely lounging comfortably on his heels as he waited for the guild members acting as impromptu ushers to shut the tittering, squealing, cat-calling mass of femininity (though Miroku was near to reversing that last part of his opinion as he saw more than a few males amongst the tickled throng) up. It surprised Miroku that Inuyasha hadn't swaggered in arrogantly as he'd thought he would. The hanyou maintained his magnetism, his confidence, but he'd miraculously left off his theater-size ego from the minute his silvery head had popped up on stage.
"Who are you talking to, Miroku-chan?" came a silky voice to his right.
"Asato," he greeted with a grin, his hands positioning themselves the instant she deposited herself onto his lap. She tangled her hands into his hair and nestled his face against her breasts, making him send a fervent prayer up to the sky that he'd be able to retain his sanity long enough to watch his best friend's audition.
"You've been here a while, Miroku-chan," she breathed huskily into his ear, dipping her head and tilting his face up into her neck. "And with only Inuyasha for company until a little while ago. Don't you want to go somewhere...else?"
"In a few more minutes, yet, Asato," he said hotly against her neck, his hands squeezing places that made her squeal. "If I leave now Inuyasha will probably be barreling in on us once he's done to berate me for not watching him."
"Who would blame him? You're his best friend."
His racing heart stopped and his blood abruptly dispersed from where it had been flooding down to. Pulling his face away from the heat of Asato's neck he turned to look behind him, where lo and behold Sango was seated, her left hand entwined with...
"Akito," he smiled, recovering himself. "I wasn't expecting to see you here."
"I'd stopped by to see Ayame, as I missed him last time," Akito answered, smiling in turn, "and I ran into Sango again. I thought I'd watch her friend, Miss Higurashi audition, so I insisted to move up to the front. We'd have called your attention earlier, but Kagome's performance was so riveting..."
"It's all right," Miroku said easily. "I was pretty caught up, myself."
"We could see that," Sango snorted, earning herself a dark look from Asato, who was squirming beneath Akito's steady, cool gaze. "And speaking of seeing, could you guys please move...er...lower down? It's kind of difficult to look at Inuyasha from this point."
"Maybe you could move?" Asato retorted snippily.
"And inconvenience Akito-san?" Miroku said lightly, though he winced inwardly when Akito's eyes flashed and a less than benevolent smile tipped his fine lips. Had he sensed the mocking tint in his voice? Deciding that he really didn't care, Miroku slid his hands beneath Asato's delicious derriere and promptly stood, making said woman giggle and wrap her arms around his head.
"What are you doing?" Sango hissed, flushing at their display.
"Moving, Sango, my dear," Miroku answered, carrying Asato further down several rows. Several people began whispering and giggling, and they'd earned themselves several censorious looks from both guild members and non-members alike before he settled them comfily on aisle seats. Above the curve of Asato's arm he saw Inuyasha staring at him and he wiggled his chin up to make his face visible, freeing his hands to give a thumbs-up and wink.
Inuyasha turned to the right of the stage, smirked in the first display of onstage arrogance, turned back to the crowd.
And blew.
---
Clutching a heavy stage curtain for support, Kagome tried to gain enough control of her shaking knees. Most people were back in their seats after finishing their auditions or on their way out depending on their performance. It was strange, considering Eri said she'd given a smashing act, but she still found it difficult to breathe and the strange sensation flowing through her body was making her parts act up by themselves. Her hands were still trembling and she felt impossibly light-headed, her stomach still fluttering from the impressed smile that Ayame Sohma had given her when they'd looked at each other.
It was still sinking in.
"You're in," Eri had whispered triumphantly into her ear before she'd disappeared into the voluminous backstage area, called away by one of the other members monitoring the readers to assist those auditioning.
I'm in.
Her knees gave way and she sank to her knees, tears dripping down her cheeks in gratitude. She couldn't understand how she was so affected by that—perhaps she'd never truly grasped how important this was to her. Not just her grades and getting into the play...but theater itself. Getting in meant she was good enough...that no matter how many years had passed she still had it...
She wrapped her arms around herself, looking up as she remembered what had triggered her transition into her character. What had washed away all of her panic and stage fright and filled her with burning, albeit angry, determination.
Inuyasha.
He was on stage, claws casually in pockets as he smiled at the noisy crowd. He looked completely in control, although shockingly...embarrassed? It seemed almost impossible. Inuyasha took fanatical adoration into stride—expected it, even. It was hard to process him looking like he wanted the screaming mass to stop.
Inuyasha.
Her brain jogged as she whispered his name to herself. Inuyasha was there...on stage. He was really going to do it. Her lips pursed as she contained herself. She wanted to yell at him, to demand what the hell he thought he was doing. Why couldn't he just leave her alone? Why did he always have to keep messing with her head?
He turned towards her then, as though to rub things in more. The corner of his mouth tipped up into a smirk, a fang peeking out when he saw that she was glaring stonily at him. After that his face looked towards the audience and the smirk disappeared, those firm lips parting to speak.
Or bellow, rather.
"OLIVIA!"
The harsh sound made her jump, and she pulled back on impulse, arms raised protectively over her chest. Inuyasha was snarling furiously, stalking the stage like a wild thing that his composure of a second ago seemed imaginary. Whoever Olivia was—Kagome was so taken in by the raw anger on his face that it barely registered that Olivia was a character in the play—she was a strong woman indeed if she was actually going to face Inuyasha when he was like this.
"Where is that godforsaken niece!" Inuyasha slurred dangerously, and she wondered dumbly if he was drunk. It would explain his frighteningly out-of-control behavior, but why would he come to an audition alcoholically-influenced? Not that she'd put it past Inuyasha to do something like that, but...
"Sir Toby, calm down!"
Kagome's head snapped back as a melodious voice from behind her reached towards the stage. A beautiful redheaded male was walking past her onto the very edge of the stage, a script in hand much like Eri had when she'd assisted for Kagome's audition.
Meaning...
Sir Toby.
"Of course!" she said with laughing frustration with herself, slapping herself on the forehead for her ignorance.
Inuyasha was playing the part of the drunk knight, Sir Toby. It was the last character she thought he'd aim for, and personally she believed it an off choice, but he was playing it extremely well. She covered her mouth to smother her laughter as he launched into drunken mockery of Malvolio (the character being read by the redhead), though a part of her was still reeling from the fact that Inuyasha could act.
Inuyasha.
Can.
Act.
I've stepped into a different world.
Seeing him on stage...the gales of laughter flooding from her lips...strength was flooding back into her limbs. The heaviness of her emotions prior to his performance was now being dispelled by it, by the very person who'd launched her into deeper chaos than the typical stage fright. He'd aggravated her half to death with his presence, his nearness, and yet minutes later he was making her laugh until her chest hurt and her hands began to get sore from clapping.
He still confused her, though.
Her mirth dispersed and she sobered abruptly as she considered the significance of his role.
He's playing Toby.
But...Valentine ends up with Toby at the end of the play...
She turned away just as Inuyasha made an extremely off swing at Malvolio.
The roar of hilarious approval from the crowd made her want to yet again sink to her knees.
---
"I can't believe this is happening," Shigure whispered to himself as Inuyasha made his bows amidst thunderous applause. The guild members seated amongst the audience had formed a barrier as girls attempted to rush to the stage, screaming for more, and the writer wondered past his shock if this was the beginning of a very successful acting career for their hanyou discovery.
"Two finds one after the other," Ayame laughed, already working on his list. "Hard to process, eh, Gure-san?"
"I told you he'd be great! I told you he'd be great!" Jakotsu was gloating at the top of his voice, smacking his list over Rankotsu's head in his tickled glee.
Shigure stood up abruptly, motioning to one of the techs least beleaguered by the rampaging crowd.
"What are you doing?" Ayame asked curiously, doubtful that his cousin was in need of coffee.
"Seeing if lightning hits the same place thrice," he answered, tapping his foot impatiently as the tech made his way to him. Pulling him none-too-gently over once he was in arm's reach, he whispered instructions that made Ayame's eyes crinkle with laughter. "While we contain this, would you please inform Mr. Ookami that he's up next...?"
---
Fucking piece of cake.
Inuyasha heeded the frantic waving of the tech on the right side of the stage and walked briskly off it. Kurama was waiting for him, beaming in open approval, and even some of the guild members milling about began to clap when he appeared.
"You frighten me, Inuyasha," the tech (Suikotsu, was it?) was saying, laughing as he peeked past the curtain towards the ongoing chaos. "Any longer and they'd probably have been inspired to break through our guard."
"That was very well done," Kurama complimented, clapping him on the shoulder amiably, his green eyes warm. "You make all the drunks in the world seem like better people in comparison to you."
"Fuck you," Inuyasha laughed, enveloping the fox in a bear hug. Whistles broke out from the watching crew and Kurama pushed him away jokingly, looking mockingly disgusted.
"Please, no drunken kissing, too, Inuyasha," he teased, laughing harder when Inuyasha blew a raspberry.
"Seriously, though, thank you," Inuyasha grinned, shaking the fox's hand vigorously.
"You're welcome," Kurama said sincerely. "It was a worthwhile effort, now that I've seen you perform. Honestly, I was scared for you when you on the spot decided to play Toby. All the roles we've rehearsed so far have been leaning towards Sebastian and Orsino."
"Had to adjust my goals when my quarry changed position," Inuyasha replied with a shrug. Remembering suddenly, his eyes scanned the people about him. "Speaking of my quarry..."
"She was here a little while ago," Kurama said, turning to look around him. "She was even sitting down..."
"Yeah..." Inuyasha frowned, wondering where she'd gone off to. He was sure she'd been there when he'd begun, and not a little bit insulted at the idea that she hadn't sat his performance through. But something pricked at him—and it had much to do with the vague scent of salt lingering in the air, and the shimmering on Kagome's cheeks earlier that told him it wasn't sweat. When she'd been on her knees at the edge of the stage, looking at him, she'd looked angry and disturbed.
And now that he thought about it, she'd been crying.
"Fuck," he said, his jubilation over delivering what had to get him into the play dissipating as something in him howled at the thought of Kagome crying.
"Wait," Kurama said suddenly, arm shooting out to block his path. Before Inuyasha could call him out for it, he was turning the hanyou in the direction of the stage. "Look who's going to audition next."
Further Author's Notes: Well! What did you think! ;P
To my non-member reviewer, since I can't pm you, here's my thanks. ;P
fire: Hope this chapter didn't drag for you and thank you for letting me know what you thought about the last one. ;P Let me know what you think about this one! ;P