Disclaimer: Seriously people, are these even needed? I don't own Inuyasha.
Slay The Music
Scene Thirty-Four: That Thing Called Reality
The next thing Inuyasha knew was that water was being dumped on his head. Very cold water at that.
"Oi!" He sprang to life immediately from his drunken slumber.
"God, took you forever to get you up," Kôga sighed in relief as he tossed his untied black hair behind his shoulders.
"Wait—what happened to Naraku?" Inuyasha looked around to find himself in the Korean apartment they had rented.
"Naraku? Did you see him?"
"Yeah, he was trying to take me..." Inuyasha blinked and looked at Kôga's hair, "...I think..."
"Uh—dude, I found you in a dark alley mumbling about spiders and Sesshômaru's... You sure it wasn't just a hallucination?"
Inuyasha eyed his hair again, "Forget it... I have a headache."
Kôga watched him slump back down into the bathtub. "We have the day off you know, lets do something."
"Like what? You wanna take a bath with me? Because I ain't moving anytime soon."
Kôga glared at Inuyasha's closed eyes... "Okay, yeah, sure," Kôga began to remove his ripped tuxedo jacket.
Inuyasha jumped out of the bathtub, "I was kidding!"
Kôga smirked, "So was I."
"Aw, man," the two turned to find the owner of the voice. Sango.
"When'd you get in?"
"When you said 'take a bath with me,'" Sango replied, removing her hat and purse.
"You actually look like a lady today, little sister," Kôga smirked.
"I went shopping with—Miroku," Sango smiled faintly.
"And by the looks of it, he said something to you," Inuyasha replied, holding his head from falling off his body.
"He—" she debated telling them, "He—wants us to be... a couple again..."
"I told that bastard to lay off—" Inuyasha was silenced by Kôga's hand.
"And what did you tell him?"
"I told him I had to think about it... You know how I am about this sort of thing..." her cheeks were becoming pink.
"Dump his sorry ass now!" Inuyasha yelled.
"Quiet you," Kôga shoved him back in the bathtub and walked out into the hallway, "What do you really think of him, Sango-chan?"
"I'd be with him in a heartbeat if it wasn't for what happened last time... and with Naraku on our trails and all, I don't think I could keep a relationship anyway."
"What happened last time was not at the fault of either of you, as much as I hate to say it but, not even Miroku's."
Sango nodded, "I'm just oversensitive, I guess."
"No, you just have no girlfriends that you can gossip with," Kôga smirked, "Why don't you go talk to Ayame, she's an expert."
"You're just saying that because you're attracted to her," Sango smirked back.
Kôga turned red, "N—No!"
"Ah! You're not? I'm telling Ayame!"
"No—no—I don't dislike her—I just... I just," Kôga stuttered.
"You just what?" Ayame opened the door and dropped her luggage on the floor.
"Nothing!" Kôga ran back into the bathroom.
Sango laughed, "I was just teasing him is all, how was China?"
"Good, just mad that we didn't get to travel everywhere else... Oh yeah, Kikyô's waiting for you downstairs in the lobby," she replied.
"Okay," Sango nodded as she switched her clothes and headed down, Inuyasha soon accompanied her.
"I bet this is about the press conference, ne?" Inuyasha asked, still massaging his head.
"Probably," Sango said buckling her belt.
"Sango, Inuyasha," Kikyô greeted them in her usual plain manner, "Come with me."
"Is this about the conference?" Inuyasha asked as he put on his sunglasses before heading out of the building.
"Yes," she nodded, "We're making the conference here in Korea rather than back in Japan for security measures you see... Only five major journalists have been allowed to interview you so you better listen carefully." They entered a small van, in which Myouga was waiting behind the wheel.
"So what do we tell them?" Sango asked, "Do we say Sesshômaru's a big fat loveable oaf that couldn't harm a fly?"
"Hardly," Inuyasha rolled his eyes.
Kikyô ignored their comments, "You must give him an alibi first."
"We don't even remember what day this was on—how are we supposed to come up with an alibi?" Inuyasha frowned.
"Just tell them you saw him in his office with me, Kagura, and Myouga-san making schedules for the tour," Kikyô said.
"Then what?"
"You need to tell them that you and your brother get along," Kikyô said.
Sango coughed.
"What?" Inuyasha gaped.
"It may be the lie of the century, but it needs to be said, Inuyasha-sama," Myouga said.
"Fine..."
"You too, Sango, you need to tell them that you have known Sesshômaru-san all you life and that you have never had any conflicts," Kikyô said.
"Well, that's a true story," Sango said looking over at a peeved Inuyasha.
"My brother and I haven't gotten along since I was old enough to speak."
"That's not something the press needs to know. All they need to be told is that you have a nice stable relationship with your brother and that he would never try to kill you."
"Okay," Inuyasha nodded solemnly.
"We're here," Myouga announced gravely. "Are you guys ready?"
"As we'll ever be," Sango nodded noting all the paparazzi positioned outside the doors.
"Let's go."
Cameras flashed everywhere; security did their best to keep them away until they were safely inside. Sango glanced at Inuyasha and then back at the door in which they knew the reporters would be waiting. Sango took a deep breath; no doubt Inuyasha did the same.
"You ready?" Kikyô asked.
The two nodded, and the doors opened. It was quiet. The few reporters flashed their cameras and took a couple of pictures. They sat down at the table before them and waited. The silence could have killed someone.
"Questions," Kikyô stated, "are to be limited to the subject of Sesshômaru's current status. The subject of the cancelled tour, new releases, and private life not concerning the current situation are strictly forbidden. Thank you for your time."
"Inuyasha-san, is it true that you and your brother have had a long history of violence?"
"No," Inuyasha said calmly, "My brother and I had a rough childhood growing up without our mothers, however, because of that, our relationship is stronger. We've depended on no one but each other since we were orphaned."
"Has Sesshômaru-san ever shown any signs that he may have killed anyone or been in a fight recently."
"No," Inuyasha answered again, "my brother and I usually confide in each other this sort of information. He has not spoken of anything of the sort."
"Can you verify this, Sango-san?"
"Yes... Sesshômaru is a very calm person. He does not resort to physical violence," Sango glanced over to Inuyasha, who was staring blankly at the reporters.
"Why was Sesshômaru's blood found at the crime scene?"
"Recently—" Inuyasha started forming the words in his mind, remembering not to mention Naraku, "Sesshômaru has been in trouble. We've tried to help him, but he can be a fairly independent person when it comes to personal situations. It is our belief that he may have been involved in a fight in which he was wounded. We have not seen him since China."
"Where has he been?"
Sango took over, "A private hospital disclosed to us that he was staying there—in Japan. His message to us was not to come see him and that'd he'd be back in a week or so."
"How long has it been?"
"About a week and a half, we were not worried until we heard he had been arrested," Sango said.
"Is it possible he could have murdered the members of the Shichinintai?"
"No, he was a producer of their band, what reason would he have to murder them? They were very successful," Sango said.
"Besides, Bankotsu-san and Jakotsu-san wouldn't have signed on with Du:Plicate if Sesshômaru were a threat to them," Inuyasha added.
"Ms. Sango, how long have you known Sesshômaru-san?"
"It has been a long time. Both of our families have connections within the music business, so I was first introduced to him when I was still in elementary school."
"During this time that you have known each other, has Sesshômaru ever been hostile to you or threatened you?"
Sango felt as if she were in court, "No, sir, we've remained close. I look up to him as a professional and an individual as if he were my older brother."
"Have you ever been in disagreement with him?"
"Over minor things here and there—such as the title of an album or the way the stage is to be set up during tours."
"Within these disagreements, has he ever yelled at you?"
"I've never known Sesshômaru to raise his voice," Sango answered, "he is always calm. He uses the power of persuasion more than anything."
"One last question," Kikyô said.
"Do you believe, without a doubt, that Sesshômaru-san is innocent?"
"Yes," Inuyasha nodded, scowling at the thought of Naraku in the back of his mind.
"Without a doubt," Sango nodded as well.
"Thank you for your time."
"That was painful," Inuyasha remarked as they headed out through the doors again.
"No kidding," Sango smiled.
"Want to go somewhere, Kagome?" Ayame asked.
"Not really..."
"Watch a movie?"
"No."
"Eat?"
"No."
"Anything?"
"Not especially..."
"Okay, you've been sitting on this couch vegetating for the last three hours, something's up, Kagome," Ayame said.
"I'm just—thinking—is all..."
"About what?"
"Hmm... stuff... I guess," Kagome twirled her hair and stared at the ceiling.
"Specifically...?"
Kagome sighed, "I'm not sure... I'm still sorting it all out in my head."
"Don't leave me in the dark, okay?"
"I won't."
Ayame turned to leave.
"Aya-chan," Kagome called after her.
"What is it?"
"Do I—make a good rock star?"
Cheesy, I know. Someone shoot me. The end is near. I've been ill—I'm rambling on about nothing now. Please save drowning authoress. Fu—u... Read –n- Review... pwease?
ever free's status: -i.l.l-