Disclaimer: The characters from Fushigi Yuugi are the creations and property of Yuu Watase and related enterprises. The characters from Inu-Yasha are the creations and property of Rumiko Takahashi and related enterprises. I do not own them and do not make any profit from this fiction except for my own enjoyment in spending time with them.
On the other hand, the original characters Mom and Dad are my original creations (actually, I'm their original creation) and they belong to me, as do other assorted family members and the original plotline and plot devices. As to the reviewers and fanfic authors in this fic - they belong to themselves! But I get to "borrow" them for the duration of this fic.
###############################################################################################################Chapter 2. The curtain rises…
Part A. The crew assembles.
Roku and Tasuki approach the backstage area. There is a strong smell of organic solvents here, making their eyes water. They see the figure of a young woman in her late teens with long, curly brown hair, holding a spray can and wearing a fume mask and glasses. She is bent over several items laid out on a newspaper, a multitude of necklaces around her neck jingling softly against each other.
Roku calls a greeting. "Hey, Kaze-chan, how's it going?"
Kaze-chan pulls off the mask. "Gettin' there, Roku. Now how many of these black leaves do you need? I've painted about a hundred already."
"Maybe another hundred - we're gonna need them in Chapters 5, 6, 10, and 14, and we might lose some in each scene…"
Tasuki grumbles, bored. "I don't know why the hell you bother… Ain't nobody gonna notice 'em anyway."
Roku looks hurt. "Well, I still like them - so they're going in!"
Tasuki suddenly points at the little white kitty who is laying on his back, waving his paws gently while he stares off into space. "Hey, what's up with Tama-neko?"
Kaze-chan jumps guiltily. "Oops! Guess he inhaled too many of the fumes! Heh, heh… I'd better get him some fresh air."
Tasuki, still oddly distracted, now notices Kaze-chan's necklaces. "Hey, nice chains! I like your style!"
"Thanks! I figured that you would be the one to appreciate my neck gear."
Tasuki fingers one of Kaze-chan's pendants - a hematite stone engraved with a rune, hanging from a nylon cord. "Where'd ya get these?"
"That one's from London, this other one's from France, the dagger one is from this town, and the other two are gifts."
"Damn! Mine are only from Konan." He touches his elaborate necklace of polished cabochon rubies strung between dark green jade beads. "I got this one from a rich merchant's wife."
"Nice when people understand what you like as gifts, isn't it?"
Tasuki looks away shiftily. "Welllllll, it wasn't exactly a gift…"
Roku cuts in impatiently. "Okay, are we about finished with the Home Shopping Network here? Because, ya know, there's this little thing called a play that we have to put on!"
Tasuki rolls his eyes. "Geez, short people have short tempers, don't they?" Kaze-chan snickers quietly.
"Huh! Look who's talking about short tempers. Next to you, I'm the most even-tempered, patient, tolerant…" The Director cuts off as she catches sight of a medium height woman with a masculine swagger and wavy, dark hair cut in a pixie style. "HEY! Get over here, YOU WENCH!"
Chichiri's Girl calls over her shoulder as she attempts to run off. "Ummm, Roku, there's something I gotta do…"
It's too late. Roku catches her in a headlock. "There sure as HELL is something you gotta do - like EXPLAINING exactly how Mom and Dad got tickets to a play they're not supposed to know about! Hmmm, any ideas on that one, Beem?!"
Tasuki shudders. "Gaaahhh, sisters! Fuckin' violent all the time!"
Roku is busy giving Chichiri's Girl a good, hard noogie. "Violent? Moi? Towards my widdle baby sister?! No, no, no, noooooooo - I just wuv her to DEATH!"
Chichiri's Girl howls in pain. "Ow, ow, owwwwww!! All right, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! It just seemed like a good idea at the time… Hey, if you grind a hole in my head, I'm not gonna be able to help you with the play!"
Roku releases her. "Well, let me tell you about another good idea! Since you're the one who got Mom here, you're the one who has to come up with a way to keep her from seeing Chapters 1 and 2, got it? Get the Vampire Princess to help you. And if you fail, you DIIIIIIIIE!"
Kaze-chan sings to herself under her breath. "Sistersssss, sistersssss. There were never such devoted sisters…"
Roku looks around impatiently. "And where the hell is Tamahome? He should be here by now!" She peeks through the curtain at the audience, most of whom are munching on popcorn. "Well, the audience isn't too restless yet, but that's bound to change soon."
Footsteps approach the backstage area. Roku looks up eagerly, only to see another petite female member of the crew, with hair as red as Tasuki's. The Director sighs. "Oh, it's you, Sorceress."
The redhead raises an eyebrow. "Hey, don't sound so happy to see me." She holds up a box filled with stage make-up. "I'm just here so that we can do Tasuki's facial bruises right after the Prologue."
"Nah, I don't mean to sound disappointed; it's just that we're missing Tamahome, and I thought you were him. Have you seen him around?"
"Not for the last hour. He was hanging around while I was doing Tasuki's body bruises, offering to help out." Sorceress laughs. "By inflicting real bruises, that is…"
Tasuki scowls at the memory. "Asshole!"
Roku scratches her head in aggravation. "Well, I'd better go look for him. Look, Sorcie, would you mind getting Hotohori to do the voice-over for the Prologue? I was gonna do it, but now I gotta chase down missing seishi. Besides, Hotohori's got a nicer speaking voice than I do. Give him these. "
She hands Sorceress pages of the script. Sorceress nods, then runs off. Roku then turns to Chichiri's Girl.
"You stay here near your psychic twin. I may need you at a moment's notice, so be ready." She runs off on her manhunt.
Chichiri's Girl scowls at Tasuki. "I don't know why the fuck she calls me your psychic twin."
"Beats the shit outta me."
Tasuki and Chichiri's Girl fold their arms across their chests and assume identical belligerent stances. Kaze-chan picks up the boneless kitty and takes it outside for fresh air. The clock ticks on…
###############################################################################################################Part B. Waiting for Tamahome... (no, we couldn't care less about Godot…)
Roku returns to the backstage area, out of breath. Tasuki and Chichiri's Girl immediately stop trading stories about Roku's episodes of irrationality. Hotohori sits on a stool, getting some last-minute touch-ups to his make-up by Sorceress, while Nuriko hovers nearby. Kaze-chan has returned with a recovered Tama-neko and is testing out the stage machinery.
The Director is pissed. "Damn it! I can't find Tama anywhere! I talked to Miaka and Chiriko and even looked in on Chichiri, but nobody's seen him! I even went so far as to search the men's room! Gaaaahhhh! Literally pissed off a bunch of guys, except for that lech Tokaki, who seemed to think I was expressing a personal interest in him! That jerk's been impossible ever since he's been able to keep his younger form. At least when he was an old guy, he was a little slower." She rubs her butt where it got pinched.
Kaze-chan perks up. "Tokaki's here? Hurray! Didja see Subaru?"
Nuriko smirks. "The car or the seishi?"
"Ha, ha, hardee-har-har. Like I haven't heard THAT one about a hundred times!"
Roku shakes her head. "No, I didn't see her, but remember, I was in the men's room! Unless she's become as big a pervert as Tokaki, I wouldn't expect to see her there"
Tasuki mutters under his breath. "Yeah, only one female pervert allowed in the men's room at a time…"
"Tasuki - number one, I heard that, and number two, shut up!"
Chichiri's Girl looks at her watch. "Look, Roku, it's already fifteen minutes past curtain time. What are you gonna do?"
Roku jitters nervously. "There's only one thing I can do--start the scene with Tasuki and hope that the music will cue Tamahome, wherever he is, to get back here in time for the last part of the scene! And when he shows up, one of you has got to stop me from throttling him! Okay, so are we ready to go? Hotohori?"
"Just a moment, I have to check my make-up." Sorceress hands him a mirror.
Roku rakes a hand through her hair, trying to keep her temper. "Hotohori, you're doing a voice-over for this scene. No one's going to see you!"
Hotohori is still primping in the mirror. "Perfection is not a state of being, it is a state of mind. One must always strive for excellence regardless of outside approbation."
Nuriko gets sparkly-eyed. "I love it when you talk that that, Hotohori-samaaaa!"
Everyone else sighs. The Director claps her hands together.
"All right, let's get this thing rolling. Kaze-chan, it's time for you to run up to the control booth and bring down the house lights. Oh, and as soon as you're ready, cue Kryssa to start the music. CG, get in position to run the rotating stage. Remember to wait until Tasuki's made at least one full circuit of the set before you hit the switch. And don't forget to start the background scenery moving, too! Sorcie, I need you to monitor everyone's radio mikes, but be ready for any other last minute tasks. Hotohori, here's a flashlight so that you can see the script. Nuriko, as long as you're here, would you mind holding the light for him? Okay, I think that's it. Everybody ready?"
Everyone shouts "Hai!" in mock obedience and moves off to their designated tasks. Roku accompanies Tasuki to stage left. She looks out at the stage, the center of which is dominated by a large circular section that is slightly tilted towards downstage. The upstage portion is therefore somewhat elevated, making it clearly visible to the audience.
"Okay, Tasuki, remember that the stage is tilted and will be moving at the same time, so make sure that you keep your footing."
Tasuki is breathing a bit rapidly. "Okay…"
Roku looks at him keenly. "You okay, Gen-chan?"
"Yeah…no. I'm scared shitless, Roku!"
Roku stares at his pale face. "I thought that you were used to this kinda thing."
"Not in front of a live audience, I'm not!" His eyes are creased with concern. "What if I fuck up?"
"You won't. And even if you do, you won't be the only one. So try not to worry--you're gonna be great in any case. Chin up, sweetie!"
The house lights go down. The loud conversations in the audience die down to expectant murmurs. The music begins, an ominous taiko drum piece in 12/8 time. The stage lighting comes on, creating the indigo glow of night. Invisible netting holds tiny twinkling lights in place against the indigo background, some bright, some dim, creating the illusion of depth in a convincing starry sky. The backdrop depicts corridors of the Imperial Palace in Konan, complete with lamps lit at regular intervals. The curtain rises, and the audience oohs and ahs at the set.
Roku extenda a hand. "Okay, Gen-chan - break a leg"
The seishi glares at her. "Gee, thanks, Roku. Fuckin' fall off a cliff yourself, why dontcha?"
The Director looks hurt. "'Break a leg' is theatre-speak for 'Good Luck,' Tasuki."
"Oh. Well, thanks, then. See ya in a few…"
"C'mon, gimme the secret Suzaku handshake."
It's an eight-count handshake. First, they slap palms, then the backs of their hands in a lateral movement. They then lock fingers twice, first right-side up, then upside-down. They knock fists, then lock pinkies, finally finishing with hooking their thumbs together and flapping their fingers like wings as they lift their hands while whistling.
Roku pushes Tasuki gently towards the stage. "Okay, go get 'em, sweetie."
Tasuki steps out onto the stage, upstage left. Screams suddenly erupt from the fangirls in the audience. Tasuki stops for a moment, stunned, then remembers his role and begins striding counterclockwise around the set. When he reaches the upstage area again, the circular stage begins rotating clockwise in time to his footsteps, so that he is actually staying in one place while walking. The background scenery moves at the same pace, showing changing corridors of the Imperial Palace. Hotohori's velvet voice begins the narration:
"Night had thrown its black mantle over the Konan Empire, cloaking the Imperial City and the palace of its emperor in velvet darkness. The stars blazed brilliantly in the heavens, their light undimmed by the crescent moon, as once again they asserted themselves as the sole jewels in the firmament now that the fireworks had ended. The celebrations of the Star-Gazing Festival were concluded…"
Roku checks her watch. "Okay, so far, so good… Now where the hell is Tamahome?!"
###############################################################################################################
Part C. A prolonged prologue.
Sorceress runs into the backstage area, cursing under her breath. Roku is scribbling frantically on sheets of paper, passing them to Hotohori. She stops to look up hopefully at Sorceress, then sags in disappointment. "No luck, huh."
Sorceress is thoroughly aggravated. "Fuck, no! I looked EVERYWHERE, including the café down the street. I have no idea of where the fucking hell he can be!"
Roku subconsciously notes that the deterioration of Sorcie's language is directly correlated to the seriousness of the situation. She grimaces in frustration. "Damnit! The crowd's getting restless, too!"
Hotohori is reading the new pages as they are flung at him by the Director. "Having thoroughly pondered his entire childhood back to the moment of his conception, Tasuki now began to ponder the meaning of Life in general…"
Nuriko rolls his eyes. "Geez, exposition much, Roku?"
"Damnit, I'm not in the mood for jokes now, Nuriko. The situation is growing desperate--and Suzaku only knows how much longer Tasuki's gonna keep walking around out there before he explodes!"
Nuriko peeks out from the curtain. "I don't think you have much more time; he's getting pretty red in the face. 'Course he might be a little winded from this unexpected walk-a-thon, too…"
Roku thrusts a few more sheets at Hotohori. Hotohori is the calmest person present, pleased with his increased lines. "Tasuki now began to meditate on the first creatures to crawl out of the primordial ooze, marveling at their daring in leaving the safety of their aquatic environment. And that thought made him contemplate the miracle of Life in the first place, the first macromolecules joining up to form simple amino acids, the building blocks of life…."
Onstage, Tasuki's hands curl into fists. The crowd is muttering angrily. Finally, someone shouts "Get on with it, already!!" The crowd suddenly erupts, throwing their popcorn at Tasuki. This is too much for the hot-tempered bandit.
He stops walking and is now being swept around by the clockwise motion of the stage. "What the FUCK?! You think I'm enjoying this? I didn't fuckin' write this shit--I ain't even fuckin' sayin' this shit! What the fuck do you expect me to doooooooo?!"
Roku clasps her head in despair. "Holy shit, here it comes! The big Rekka Shin'en that's gonna end with the Fire Marshal shutting us down! Crap! Why are they throwing their popcorn at him?" Suddenly, a light clicks on in the dark recesses of her brain. "Wait a minute. This isn't a movie theatre--where did they get the popcorn?" A dark suspicion arises in her thoughts. "Oh, he wouldn't…he couldn't possibly!"
The Director reaches out and grabs Chichiri's Girl. "Listen, I'm gonna go check something out. But first, I'm gonna try to get Tasuki back on track. He's obviously tired, so you need to slow down the stage. Remember to move the lever to the RIGHT."
Her sister nods seriously. "Yeah, I got it. Move it to the right, right?"
"Right." Roku gets distracted when she sees Mom standing up in the front row.
Mom starts shouting at Tasuki. "You itsa watch you mouth! I not put up with this low-class language! You itsa clean up your act!"
Tasuki is at the end of his rope. "Oh, yeah? Just try and make me!"
Roku: freezes up in terror. "Oh no, oh no, oh no--he didn't just sass her back, did he?!"
Everyone nods. "Yes, he did."
Roku clasps her hands and starts praying. "Oh, Suzaku, please spare his life, he knows not what he does…"
But it's too late. The Slipper comes winging out of the darkness, to whap Tasuki upside his head. He falls to his knees, as Roku leaps onstage to save her principal actor.
"Mom, Mom! You can't knock out my lead actor!"
Mom shakes a finger at her daughter. "You got to teach him some manners, Roku-chan. Where I grow up, in my town, we din't even know the meaning of such words…"
Roku is nearly weeping. "Okay, I'll teach him, I promise! But please, no more Slipper, okay, Mom?"
"Fine, then let him 'pologize." Mom folds her arms.
Roku lifts up the dazed Tasuki, using her hand to move his jaw and trying to pitch her voice lower. "Gomen nasai, Kyu-san."
"Hmph. You sound like a girl. " Mom sits down satisfied.
Nakago smirks in the next row. "This play is shaping up even better than I had hoped. I am most amused."
Soi cuddles up to him. "Hai, Nakago-sama. Most entertaining. Perhaps we should try to recruit that mother of the Director of White Stones to join the Seiryuu team. She is certainly more formidable than Amiboshi."
"Hmmm, an interesting thought, Soi. Now please remove your hand from my pocket."
"Hai, Lord Nakago."
Meanwhile, Roku drags Tasuki offstage, then starts slapping him gently. "Tasuki, Tasuki, wake up, please…"
Tasuki opens his eyes, confused. "What the fuck was that?!"
"Never mind, Tasuki. You have to go back out there. We'll just start again from the top, and Tamahome will be here for his scene, I promise you!"
"Why the fuck should I go back out there? Fuckin' crazy people in the audience, fuckin nutso maniacs… and I'm so goddamn tired of walking already!"
Roku draws herself up to her full height of 5'2", tears shining in her eyes. "Tasuki… the show must go on…"
"C'mon, that's not fair. No cryin', for fuck's sake--you know that I can't stand it when girls cry!"
"I'm counting on that," the Director mutters to herself. She raises her voice in a whining appeal. "Pleeeease, Tasuki?!"
"Oh, all right. Shit!"
Roku pats him on the behind as he heads back towards the stage. He flips her the bird in reply.
She then turns back to her sister. "Okay, that's settled. Now remember, turn the lever…"
"To the right," Chichiri's Girl interrupts.
"Yes!! Now I gotta go get Tama!"
###############################################################################################################Part D. 'Home at last.
Roku dashes upstairs to the lobby, then pauses to catch her breath, noting that the area is filled with the smell of popcorn. She picks up a discarded popcorn box, noticing the "Triple T" logo on the side. Glaring, she tosses it aside and begins to stride purposefully into the center of the lobby. She suddenly spies the tall, elegant figure of Sesshoumaru, looking even more bored than usual as he drifts through the lobby, his long white hair swaying gently behind him, reaching nearly to his knees. Roku shrinks back, knowing his propensity to casually kill humans who get in his way. But someone is not so cautious. A familiar voice rings out.
"Lady! Hey, pretty lady! It's your lucky day, gorgeous! I just happen to have one last box of popcorn here with your name on it. Half price for such a cute girl!"
Sesshoumaru turns and fixes his demonic golden glare on the vendor, who suddenly realizes his mistake. "Um, er, I meant honored sir! Yes, that's it--most honored, most unmistakably masculine sir! Still only half-price for a gentleman of your obviously discriminating taste!"
Sesshoumaru's voice is very cold. "I do not eat human food."
"Right. No human food. So what do you eat the-- dog food?! Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha! "
Sesshoumaru suddenly leaps up into the air, his poison claws outstretched in attack mode. Roku makes a running leap and tackles the vendor, leaving an empty space just milliseconds before Sesshoumaru's claws rake through that area.
Roku gets up and begins to taunt the enraged demon lord. "Okay, Fluffy, if you're so tough, let's see that doggie face now!"
Sesshoumaru's eyes turn red as his hair flows back, and he begins to transform into his canine form. Roku backs away as his transforming body reaches to the lobby ceiling. Just as he reaches his formidable demon size...he pitches forward and falls on his nose, forgetting once again that Inu-Yasha has cut off his left foreleg, so that he literally does not have a leg to stand on on that side. Roku grabs the vendor and hightails it out of the lobby before Sesshoumaru recovers.
They run all the way down to the lower level, to the green room. Roku gasps for air, then angrily shoves the vendor back against the wall.
"You idiot, you'd better think twice before mocking a demon lord again. You almost got killed back there! Good thing I saved your life...because now I'm gonna kill you!" She places her hands around Tamahome's throat and squeezes.
Tamahome easily removes her hands and holds them immobile above her head. "Re-laaaaaxx, Roku. I could've taken him, no problem! You know, you need to learn to not sweat the small stuff."
Roku snatches her hands down. "The small stuff. Yeah, the small stuff. Like a play into which I've sunk my LIFE SAVINGS to stage, and that you decide to bail out of in favor of selling popcorn. Yeah, I guess I'm just an UPTIGHT PARANOID WENCH!"
Tamahome is hurt by her accusation. "I didn't bail out on you. I'm not that kind of guy. I was just finishing up there, then I was gonna be onstage before you guys even missed me."
"Oh, before we missed you. Well, I got news for you, Tama. We first missed you about TWENTY MINUTES AGO! This whole time, Tasuki's been pacing around onstage waiting for you, wearing a damn TRENCH into the wood floor! And the crowd is angry and impatient and about ready to walk out! So whaddaya think?! Am I still sweating the small stuff?!"
Tamahome is truly contrite. "I guess the time got away from me. But I didn't mean to screw you over. In fact, I've known all along that you were spending your own money on this play, so I wanted to help you out." He starts getting excited. "And I think I did pretty good! Man, you can't believe all the okane I made! Tons of okane! And it's all for you!!"
Roku stares at him for a long, quiet moment. "As usual, Tama-baby, your heart's in the right place even though your head's somewhere around the constellation of Orion." She sighs. "You know I can't stay mad at you, Boy Blue. But you sure take me to the limits of my patience. So come on, put in your freaky reflective contact lenses and let's get this show rolling."
"Okay, okay - but first, let me show you some of the okane!" Tamahome starts emptying his pockets. Quarters, nickels and dimes begin spilling out in piles. "See, look at all the silver pieces!" A couple of Sacajawea dollars roll out. "And even some gold pieces! Yeah, some people tried to rip me off with stupid paper money, but I said No, sir! Only silver or gold!" He beams proudly at Roku.
Roku puts her hand up to her forehead for a moment... then lowers her hand to reveal eyes filled with tears. She smiles warmly at him. "Yeah, you done real good, Tama-chan." Her voice is very soft and affectionate. "Real good, my little Boy Blue."
She pulls the young man, who towers over her by at least ten inches, into a warm hug, then pushes him towards his dressing room.
###############################################################################################################Part E. No, the other right!!
A very short time thereafter, Roku and Tamahome are quickly approaching the backstage area. To Roku's horror, she hears the stage machinery groaning under some tremendous strain. Nuriko and Hotohori are anxiously observing the stage from the wings, while Sorceress and Chichiri's Girl struggle with something in the background.
Roku looks out from behind Nuriko and Hotohori... to see Tasuki running flat out at top speed on the rapidly spinning circular stage. His coat is open, and he has also pulled open his shirt in a desperate attempt to get more air. His eyes are beginning to glaze over, and the director can tell that it is only a matter of moments before he loses it. If he falls, the speed of the spinning stage will catapult him out into space with the force of several g's. The background scenery is also flying by, giving many audience members vertigo. There are some cries for airsickness bags. Roku can make out the form of Kaze-chan flying down from the lighting booth, running desperately towards the backstage area.
Roku runs up to where Chichiri's Girl and Sorceress are struggling with the stage controls. "What the FUCK is going on here?! Why is this lever all the way over to the LEFT?! "
Chichiri's Girl laughs nervously. "Hehhehhehheheh. Ummmmmm, Tasuki was looking a little tired, so I turned the lever to the right to slow the stage, like you told me to. Only it started speeding up instead. So I turned it more to the right, and it kept getting faster, so I turned it MORE to the right, and it just kept getting worse...and now it's stuck!"
Roku stares at her sister. "I am a complete moron. I am the most stupid person to ever draw breath on the face of this planet! I am a COMPLETE AND TOTAL BRAINLESS TWIT TO FORGET THAT YOU CAN'T TELL YOUR RIGHT FROM YOUR LEFT! You IDIOT! You kept turning the lever to the LEFT! You were supposed to turn it to YOUR OTHER RIGHT!"
"Oops! My other right... now I remember!! Hehhehhehhehehheh…"
"Well, what are we gonna do to rescue Tasuki?!" Roku turns to Nuriko. "Nuri-chan, can you do anything?!"
"I tried pulling on the lever when it first got stuck - and damn near broke it off! I'm afraid that brute strength isn't the answer here, Roku…"
Roku is desperate. "We've got to do something! Or Tasuki's gonna die! And probably take out a few audience members with him!"
Meanwhile, out in the audience, Nakago views the situation with intense enjoyment. "Hmmmmmmm, death by hamster wheel. I must admit, that method never occurred to me before. Most entertaining! I must keep it in mind for future interactions with the Suzaku seishi."
Backstage, Tamahome begins tugging fiercely at the handle, when Kaze-chan finally arrives, breathless.
"Outta my way!"
She jumps at the lever, pulling it outward while simultaneously kicking the wall which houses the piston assembly with several short, hard kicks. She then pulls the lever slowly to the right in small increments. The machinery begins to slow down, emitting one last mechanical groan as it moves back to normal speed.
The young tech looks up at Rok and grins weakly. "Captain, me engines can't take much more o' this!"
Roku falls to her knees before the teenager. "You're a genius! Will you marry me?"
Kaze-chan grins again. "Sure! That makes me what - number ten on your list of marriage proposals this week?"
"I think number eleven. Which reminds me--how's my boy?"
Tamahome re-enters the backstage area carrying Tasuki, who had collapsed on the decelerating stage. His face is still very flushed, but his breathing is slowing down to normal.
Roku places a trembling hand on his forehead. "Gods, I'm so sorry, Gen-chan. I never meant to put you through this much."
Chichiri's Girl is crying. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. How could I be so stupid?!"
"No, it's my fault. I blew out of here in such a hurry, I never bothered to make sure that you understood my instructions clearly..."
Tamahome speaks up guiltily. "Well, then it's my fault, since I'm the reason that you were forced to leave, and the reason that Tasuki was stuck out there for so long..."
Kaze-chan chimes in. "No, it's my fault, because I knew that the stage control was sticky, but I forgot to tell anyone..."
A soft, irritated voice speaks up. "Yer all a buncha assholes!"
Everyone cries out, "Tasukiiiiii!" They all fall on him in a big group hug.
"Gahhhhhhhh, get offa me, already! Can't stand all this fuckin' sap! Yer makin' me sick!"
Roku pulls him to his feet. "Thank Suzaku you're all right! Just give me a couple of minutes to let the audience know that we're closing the play tonight, then I'll be right back here, and we can..."
Tasuki is outraged. "What the fuck are you talkin' about, closing the play?! Tama's here now, so we're just gettin' ready to start! What the fuck's wrong with ya?"
"I thought maybe you needed a break, Tasuki. I mean, everything's going wrong anyway, and you nearly died out there!"
"Shit, I didn't nearly die! I ain't that easy ta kill, ya know!"
Roku laughs. "No, you're not, are you? I guess I forgot that."
Tasuki grins back at her. "Damn right you did. Now let's get this ball rolling..."
###############################################################################################################Part F. The oni appears...
Tasuki and Tamahome stand in a set comprised of a bed, a wardrobe and a table and chairs. The stage is no longer rotating, but is still slightly tilted upward towards the back, keeping the upstage area clearly visible to the audience. Further downstage are two abbreviated walls, representing the outside walls of Tamahome's bedrooom. The tension grows between the two characters as they act out their angry confrontation. The music of the taiko drums contributes to the building tension.
Tamahome's hands clench into fists as he accuses Tasuki. "I saw you tonight. I saw the two of you together...and now I know why she rejected my proposal!"
Tasuki's eyes widen in shock. "No, you've got it wrong! We weren't...we didn't!" He stops and takes a deep breath. "We gotta talk, Tama."
Suddenly, Kaze-chan shines a green spotlight directly on Tamahome's face. A reflective "oni" symbol pasted on his forehead and his reflective contacts make the greenish light seem to shine out from his face. The audience gasps.
Tasuki steps back, fear suddenly crossing his features. "What the Hell? I've never been afraid of Tama before, not even when he was under the kodoku spell!"
Tamahome walks downstage until he stands even with the short walls. He stops, standing in the green spotlight, his eyes and oni symbol glowing eerily. The lamps on either side of the short walls flicker and go out, leaving downstage in sudden darkness. Spotlights of greenish-yellow shine down in front of Tamahome, nearly obscuring him and Tasuki .
Tamahome smiles out into the darkness, his voice amused, seductive. "So let's talk."
He slowly pulls the walls together as if they were sliding doors, gradually cutting off the upstage view of him and Tasuki. As soon as he draws the doors together, the music stops and the lights go out, leaving the stage in darkness. In the silence, there is one final sound - that of a bolt being shot. The audience lets out a long, trembling breath as the curtain comes down between scenes.
Roku peeks out at the audience from the wings. "Yesss!!"
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Author's notes: (6-13-02) Ooh, yeah, boo, scary! Pretty schizophrenic chapter, ne? Some slapstick, some sap, some danger, some tension - yeah, you can tell that I'm pretty schizo myself about this fic.And we haven't even gotten to Chapter 1, yet!! Aaarrgghhhhh! I really do not intend this fic to be as long as White Stones itself - but like White Stones, this is taking on a peculiar life of its own and once again, I feel like I'm only along for the ride. Gackkkkk! Not again, you cry!! Not to mention the return of encyclopedia-length chapters!
Next time: Yes, we finally arrive at Chapters 1 and 2 - the most traumatic chapters in the entire story. Will Chichiri's Girl succeed in her assignment to divert Mom from the dreadful events happening on stage? What will Dad think? Will anybody be able to get the Vampire Princess out of the bathroom? And… how will Tamahome get Tasuki to scream convincingly? Brrrrrrrrrrrrr. Do you think that this chapter will be appropriately serious, considering the serious subject matter? Come on - you know meeeeeeeee.
Ja ne!
Roku
Updated notes: (8-9-04) Well, here it is, the second of the reformatted CS chapters. As I mentioned in the first chapter's notes, it is a very long and tedious process to reformat almost every line of this fic…so updates in this format will not be as rapid as in the old script form.In all of this bad news, there is some good. Look to my Personal Profile page to find a link to an amazing website where you may see the True, Original Format of Casting Stones in all of its "script fic" glory. On that website, also keep an eye out for another banned fic, a little piece of entertainment called "Ignorance and Deceit."
Thanks for being so supportive, minna! And now...I'm getting back to "Bridge!" Work, work, work, work...
Ja ne!