Chapter 180

I was just starting to relax when even more people I knew came inside the small bar. At least this time some of them were expected.

 

“Rita!” I called out to the woman who was already making her way over, although Nox alongside her was unexpected, along with a few of the other Mox members I didn’t know.

 

“Hey kid. I’m on time right?” She asked, and I nodded.

 

“Yeah about ten minutes until showtime.” I answered back weakly, and she sent me a gentle smile and a pat on the back.

 

Then Nox was there.

 

“Nova! Motoko! You didn’t tell me you were playing a gig! Sup ‘Romi.”

“Call me Boss!” She demanded and Nox just scoffed ignoring her. I was distracted from their little spat though because Rita had seen Jun.

 

“Hey Tyger Boy.” She greeted with a sultry sound that every Mox jerked at including Nox. All of them staring in shock.

 

“Hey Mox Girl.” Jun greeted back, maybe for the first time ever making me willing to admit that Jun might, for just a little bit, have some actual game.

 

Rita looked at me and I shooed her off, knowing what she wanted.

 

Besides, I was too anxious to deal with this right now.

 

I idly watched as Alice and Rita realized they were both at odds, and the awkward atmosphere that Jun completely missed as he happily chatted with both women.

 

Jun was so dense.

 

“Motoko?” Hiromi asked, and I looked at her. Nox was also looking at me eagerly.

“Sorry, I was distracted, what’s up?”

“Tell Nox that I’m his boss.” Hiromi demanded, and then Nox interrupted.

 

“You aren’t my boss! Motoko and I are partners! Tell her Motoko, we had a good thing right? I handled distribution!” The boy pleaded and I looked at both of them for a moment before just laughing at their silly argument.

 

It helped ground me a bit, reminded me I was just a teenager, and it was okay to have teenager problems.

 

“You’re both great.” I told them instead with a smile, and that at least stopped the argument, although why Jun was rolling his eyes at me was annoying when he was the one with two girls currently flirting with him!

 

I rolled my eyes at him back which had him chuckle.

 

The time ticked down and down, and finally.

 

I rose up, guitar in hand, music box in the other.

 

—–

 

The bar had gone quiet. The stereo behind me playing Samurai had turned off, and it was now under my control as I plugged my Music box into it.

 

The lights were off, and there were more people here than I would have liked. I peeked behind me as I fiddled with the music box and could make out the crowd in the shadowed bar.

 

A general murmur was going through it. I could hear a lot of people asking questions about my age, and why I was at this sort of bar.

 

Lot of people were wondering if I was going to play some shitty pop music or something. This was a rock bar after all.

 

I pulled out the personal link cord, and stuck it into the Music box, then I pulled another one and slipped it into my guitar I was hooked up.

 

Deep breath.

 

Exhale.

 

I stood up, and looked up at the lights, technically I had been given access to the lighting system, but I had no set up for it. So I just hacked into the equipment, and threw a few changes at the rather straightforward program it was inbuilt with.

 

The lights shifted, most of them angling sort of around the stage, as my holograms would work best in lower light.

 

It was time.

 

Turn on my BD Recorder. Take a few steps towards the mic, feeling my Personal link stretch a bit, but it was fine, I had plenty of cord left.

 

“Hi, I’m Motoko, and I’m going to play a set tonight. I uh… Don’t really have a band name picked out yet… And uh, I’m a solo act for now until I get some band mates. So for tonight uh… Just bear with me.” I offered, feeling like my throat was dry as I spoke in front of the whole crowd.

 

Come on! I’ve murdered more people than this in one go! Why was I so worked up?

 

Cool. Be Cool. I stretched a bit and then it was time, behind me the holograms activated.

 

Images of me, showing much more confidence, than I felt right now appeared. Drummer Motoko even spun the sticks like I had programmed her to, showing an easy confidence.

 

“This first song is called, Smells Like Teen Spirit.” I explained, then without waiting my strumming began. The opening chords that Kobain had wowed the world with so long ago.

 

A few moments later the drums started, and the energy of the room picked up. Then mellowed for a moment, as it was time to sing.

 

“Load up on guns, bring your friends! It’s fun to lose and to pretend!” I sang, and there was an electricity in the room.

 

I realized then, just how much Rockerboy taught beyond just music. My eyes roved through the crowd, settling on faces, as I sang directly to them, drawing them in, the music distracting them from everything else until it was just them, and me.

 

I shifted the way I moved, a motion almost like dancing, a consistent motion that mirrored the song, a motion that drew people into following along.

 

Yet without a full band, I was climbing uphill. I should have the rest of the band showing off their energy synergizing, but the music box holograms could only show what I had programmed, and I hadn’t considered everything that I would need.

 

So it was all on me, the energy, the motion, the song.

 

And I didn’t let myself hesitate, or slow.

 

I was the front runner, and I could do this.

 

“Our little group it’s always been, and always will until the end.”

 

These lyrics I emphasized heavily, singing them loud and clear.

 

Smells Like Teen Spirit had a lot of nonsensical lyrics, it was supposed to, but until someone understood that, it was a bit weird. But here? With those lyrics, they all understood.

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All of the people in this club had probably been Street Kids. Had lived with a crew, and had probably lost some of them.

 

I called to them, a siren song to their past, I played the song of teen Spirit, and the crowd reacted.

 

More and more people were head banging along. I glanced up and the second floor were actually coming from their tables and resting against the bannister, and I sang to them all.

 

My friends, my family, were an oasis for my eyes, because they were into it entirely. Hiromi was practically falling off her stool with how much she was into it. Jun had the biggest smile on his face.

 

Rita looked shocked and was head banging along with the rhythm.

 

It was right. This felt good. Even with everyone else around.

 

“A DENIAL!” I roared out the last lyric, as the music finally came to an end, the last chord slowly fading away in the bar.

 

It was quiet, for a moment, and then Hiromi practically jumped up on her stool and whistled, and the crowd reacted cheering and pounding feet, or slapping brosef bottles on the bannister.

 

“This next song.” I started, because I didn’t want the energy to fade, and instantly the crowd was quiet. “This next song, is called Rise. Little less Rock, but bear with me.” I added, again, and got a laugh from Ichi at my remark, so it was good.

 

I activated the Music box, selecting the song. Rise, was a weird song. League of Legends hadn’t been my game, but the song was pretty nova.

 

Then holograms changed, different instruments, mostly electronic sounds now although it still had normal instruments as well.

 

Then the sound started, without waiting and the crowd watched as I walked to the mic.

 

“Welcome to the world, no heroes and villains!”

 

I could see the more pop sounding song wasn’t as instantly engaging, as Nirvana was to a dive bar, but that was fine.

 

It was my voice that was going to drag them in this time.

 

When I sang, I saw the shock on everyone’s face.

 

Smells Like Teen Spirit, was a ballad about teenagers. So of course I had let my voice out as a teenager.

 

But this? This was the next step. When a teenager becomes something more.

 

My voice was huskier, deeper, no longer the same, and the obvious change had dragged all the attention on to me as I sang. As my own voice played back up for me from the speakers, I sang, drawing them into the story.

 

Drawing them into what they had all seen.

 

“Prove yourself and Rise! RISE! MAKE THEM REMEMBER YOU!” I roared, my voice changing again as the song hit its apex. Getting older, getting stronger!

 

Making them see the connection between the songs, letting them know, I wasn’t just playing random songs, but telling a story.

 

The moment the song was over, I walked away from the mic. Showing that I was doing something else. Quickly changing the lights to a different hue, the sudden shift startled everyone, but I had to capitalize, before they could even process, I started again. The tapping of cymbals was heard.