The Lies That Bind Us – Part Two:  The Dancing Buddha

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Disclaimer: I own this. [holds up box of instant Jell-O Pudding] Pudding is not Inuyasha. Therefore, I don't own Inuyasha. Questions? Comments? Concerns?

Kagome bolted upright in bed, reaching over for her alarm clock and whapping it. When the annoying buzzing sound didn't stop, she realized that the alarm hadn't been what had awakened her. She glared at her cell phone, the TV, and the electrical socket next to her bed and decided that neither of them was the culprit either.

When the buzzing gave way to a loud, urgent knock, she sighed. Oh. The door.

She swung her feet out of the bed and stepped onto the cold floor, irritated that her white slippers were nowhere in sight. She wrapped her robe around her shoulders and marched down the hall, fully intending to give whoever it was a thorough tongue-lashing-

-then thinking twice as she saw her brother already getting an earful.

"Well, go wake her up, brat! This is important, and no way am I going to do this by myself!" Sango's right fist was clenched, while her left hand held a blue envelope.

Souta took a step back. "Geez, calm down!" His gaze fell on Kagome, and he grinned in relief. "Oh, look, there's sis, gotta fly!" he blurted, making a hasty exit, stage right.

Sango's cool eyes fell on Kagome. "Nice night, huh?"

Kagome blinked. "Eheheh. Sango, if this is about earlier-"

"Earlier? No, my friend, this is about now." She shoved the thick envelope into Kagome's hands. "Since you left the office before your shift was over, leaving me temporarily tech-less, that means that you'll just have to do your work here. It is now..." She glanced at her watch. "...11:53, meaning that if you start filling out these forms now, I'm officially 'on the case'."

"Sango what..." Kagome weighed the envelope in one hand, her eyes wide. "What is this?"

"Papers to fill out. Just do all you can; most of my stuff is in your files. After you're done, fax the papers that need my signature to my house. I'll sign them, bring them over, and you can give them to The Bastard. Clear?"

"Naraku's not that much of a bastard, Sango. He's just... emphatic about his work."

Sango leaned closer to Kagome, causing the younger girl to shrink away. "Kagome. I have run around this town for hours tonight, looking for a fake target, I'm told that I have to start on a new case right away, I return to the office and you're not even there for moral support, I'm stuck driving halfway across town to deliver this in person, Naraku saddles me with this mission that involves icing my target, and you still tell me that Naraku's not a bastard? I don't know what planet you live on, or what dictionary you read, but if it were possible, I'd ask you to buy me a one-way ticket and reserve my copy."

"You have to kill someone?" Kagome gasped. "That's what this is about... It's your application."

"Keep this quiet, Kagome," Sango sighed wearily. "I'm going to go home and try to get some rest."

The tech stood still for a moment, then nodded gravely. "I'm on it. Sleep well."

"Doubt it." Sango stepped out of the door and closed it gently behind her, exposing herself to the cool night breeze. She had just reached for the door handle when her cell phone rang, buzzing in a rather irritating manner against her hip.

She slid into the car and pulled the phone from her coat pocket, flipping it open and slipping the earpiece into her ear as she started her car. "Yeah?"

"Hello, 'Jiya."

Sango inwardly groaned. "Naraku," she acknowledged.

"I assume that you've given your application to your tech to complete?"

"Yeah."

"I also assume that you're aware that the processing procedure for your license may take up to three weeks, constituting a background check and other examinations of the like."

"Yeah."

"Monosyllabic tonight, 'Jiya?"

"Your name is three syllables."

Naraku chuckled. He immensely enjoyed annoying Sango, simply because it was so easy for him. "I called to tell you that you need not wait three weeks to get started on this case. I want you to get close to this target, get him to accept you as a friend. Therefore, it will be all the much easier to get him in a secluded spot, alone, once you receive your license. It shouldn't be so difficult for you to maintain your businesslike interior while feigning friendship."

"Hold it right there, Naraku. I need to ask you something."

"By all means, do so."

Sango made a hard right, scaring a cat and a rebellious teenager who dropped out of a window a little faster than he'd intended. "Why me? You have so many operatives who have all gone on killing missions more than once. So why pick someone who's inexperienced?"

"Everyone must elevate themselves sooner or later. You have the skill, 'Jiya. You've just never had the freedom to exercise it. It will be good for you."

"...I still hate you." Sango muttered.

"Good. I would hate for you to grow inconsistent. Track down your target and initiate contact. I want a report tomorrow."

Sango flipped her phone closed. She had been working for Naraku long enough to know when the conversation was over without him having to say it. Tugging the earpiece from her ear, she looked around at the nearly empty street, then spotted a large building to her right.

It was decorated with golden beads that caught every bit of light from passing cars or streetlights. A large, golden statue stood atop it, depicting a twisting dragon with long, sharp-looking fangs. A flashing neon sign below the dragon proudly proclaimed: 'The Dancing Buddha'.

A bar. A gaudy, yet oddly attractive bar. Fine.

On a whim, Sango pulled into the parking lot. She usually didn't drink, but days such as the one she had just lived through gave her a bit of leeway. Unclipping her phone and leaving it in the dash with her gun, she climbed out, locked the door, and went inside.

The interior was, if possible, more garish than the exterior. Despite this, Sango found herself appreciating the decor, a huge step up from the other bars that she'd seen, which housed only vagrants and gamblers.

The floor was wooden, but it was decorated with interlocking spirals of purple and gold that twisted around the tables and chairs before ascending the walls like enthusiastic vines. The furniture was in very good condition; a large bar in the shape of a ring was in the middle of the floor, and tables dotted the perimeter of the bar.

"Oi, missy!"

Sango glared in the direction that the catcall had come from. 'You can take the sliminess out of a bar, but you sure can't keep it out.' Pointedly ignoring the man, she approached the bar and slid into a seat, making sure that she was a good distance away from the others.

She traced a swirl on the bartop with her finger, resting her cheek in one hand. In just one day, her life had become so terribly insane.

"Excuse me, miss?"

"Hmmn." Sango made a noncommittal noise, refraining from raising her head.

"Would you like something?"

"Double gin and tonic, two slices of lime and one slice of lemon." She changed swirls. "Bendy straw."

There was a silence from the bartender. Sango supposed that he hadn't gotten all of that and was about to repeat herself when he asked, "Are you a model?"

Sango's swirl tapered off the edge of the counter. Damn. She changed again. "No."

"You should be."

"Look, would you stop flirting with me! I'm pissed off, tired, and I need to get dr-"

A hand set a small glass down on one of her previously-traced designs. "Here you go. And by the way, I wasn't flirting. I meant it." He put a small card on the counter and slid it over to her. "We're tracing the human body. Thought you might like to be a model."

"Bendy straw." Sango snapped in irritation.

"As you wish." He placed the straw beside her drink, then turned to tend to a very drunk man's request for more beer. As soon as he had moved away, Sango unwrapped her straw, plunged it into her drink, and sipped. She never did like the taste of the strong drink, but it was doing wonders for her rotten mood.

She ventured a glance at the bartender's retreating back - then did a doubletake. 'Short black ponytail... looks young... oh crap.' Despite her mind's vehement denial, as the man turned, Sango recognized him for who he was.

Nakano Miroku.

Her target.

"Miss? I asked if that would be all for you."

Sango jumped. "Uh, no, that's all, thanks."

Nakano told her the price of the drink and collected the money. He was heading off in another direction when Sango made up her mind. "Nakano!"

He turned. "How'd you...?"

Sango blushed as she realized that he hadn't even told her his name. His last name wasn't even on his nametag! 'Stupid, stupid,' she berated herself, biting down on her straw and taking a long sip to delay her answer. Her eyes fell on the card and she sighed as she saw his name listed as a teacher's aide. Sipping again, she pointed.

"Oh. But how did you know that was me?"

'Think fast, think fast!' Sango's mind was in shambles. Her professional side was telling her to come up with an excuse, while her other side was saying something along the lines of, 'His eyes are violet... the picture didn't show that his eyes were violet...'.

'Wait. Nametag!'

"I got your first name from your tag, then I noticed that it matched the name on this card." Sango mentally sighed.

"Ah. That means you're considering joining us as a model, then?" His eyes shone ever so slightly in the dim light, and Sango shrugged.

"Maybe...?"

"Great!" He extended his hand. "The name's Nakano Miroku. Just call me Miroku."

"Tenaka Sango." She shook his hand, deciding not to think about what she was getting herself into.

"Well, Sango, I hope to hear from you about the job. We pay very well, you know." With a roguish wink, Miroku moved elsewhere.

Sango stared down at her nearly-empty glass, then had a horrible realization.

He was an art student.

Art students used models.

Nude models.

"Miroku... could you top off my drink?"

Review Responses

the littlest dinosaur: Hee! Thank you, I'm glad you liked! [is flattered]

Irasuto: Nice to have an explosion analogy! I hope this lives up to expectation!

blueblue: I stopped it there just for suspense's sake. I understand your frustration, but it's just the way I write. I appreciate the way you said it was 'getting to the good part'... but wasn't the whole thing 'the good part'? .

Matsemunei: Hiya, Mat-san! Eh... this topic isn't THAT hard, it's just filling in the little details that's challenging. Glad you like!

Sango'n'Miroku4ever: [squeals] Love your name! I knuu... the 'whore' line just popped up out of nowhere. Hope this was fast enough for you!

Kyoko Kasshu Minamino: ;;; You are odd. And seeing as how I've never watched 'Spy Kids' I wouldn't know... XD Yay for Miroku/Sangoness! [hands you an ice pack] You have to watch for those random flying objects no da.

Aamalie: [basks in your interested-ness] You know, I've just started writing random scenes to be inserted into a chapter once I get that far... Meh. XD Whooo! Miroku-whore! Miroku: -.-;;; Why did she start this?

E. Marie: Yay, feedback! Oh, thanks so much! You flatter me, really! I hope this update was quick enough for you... if not, feel free to pelt me with marshmellows... [puts up umbrella] I'm ready for ya!

Soli-chan: [bursts out laughing] XD You're funneh... "Well-known in the female community" indeed... Glad you like my work! Err... you'll find out more about Naraku in chapters to come; I don't want to spoil anything for you. shifty eyes And yah, Shippou's a computer geek.... Hope this counted as 'soon'!

HMPrune: I agree... that's just the first thing that popped into Sango's mind to cover for herself... They met in this chapter! A little more interaction in the next one... I think you'll like it. I don't think there will be any Inu/Kag, but I'm seriously not sure yet. As for Naraku... [twiddles thumbs] All will be revealed...

jade eyed neko: Thank you! The title came from my beta, Aamalie, so I can't take credit for that... [snaps fingers] ... but thanks for the compliment! Does this qualify as 'soon'?

Rikou Suiyou: XD [pokes you] Oh, behave! shifty eyes About Naraku... I can't really tell anything yet without giving a crapload of plot away... on the same token, I can't say anything about Miroku-san either, except - are you psychic? [puts on her foil hat from 'Signs'] I'm going to go hide in a corner now... but thanks very much for your kind review, Wakadori-chan! [bounces happily]

Wow. Overwhelmed by the response! Please, tell me what you think!