JET SET RADIO LIVE
1st Medley: Oldie, but a Goodie
-LOTANIA-
(16 YEARS AGO)
"It all starts with that story.
"Ladies and gentlemen, I would like to thank you personally for gathering here today."
It happened like a decade ago. I can see it all. My mom and I were shopping at Shibuya Terminal trying to forget everything that happened before, but then this eerie melody suddenly boomed throughout the place, scaring away everyone's wits and reason. Er-well, it seemed that way, because everybody started to literally drop their handbags and cry, just from hearing that song. And speaking of hearing things,
"However, this tower is NOT FINISHED! Th-that is why I need you. ALL of you!"
Yeah, there was a creepy old man's voice blaring out of enormously loud megaphones the entire time. And these things, these freaky looking roller blading androids, he called them Zero Beats, they blare out this horrific dissonance out of their palms, unforgivably out of tune.
"With your voices, we can complete this tower of ultimate beauty...together! Now, wipe that pitiful smile off your face. Show me the demons inside you all! Let the evil show, baby! Hahahahahaha!"
And then, this gigantic tower, out of nowhere, just appears with these freaky-loooking tentacle things, and the scary, spinning grin, like it was trying to peer into your soul. I don't know how he built that thing. But judging by the reactions of the people around me, I think I have a couple ideas.
"Yes, that's wonderful! You all look so terribly evil."
Got that right. Everybody just dropped their groceries and stared wailing like a graveyard come back to life without brains. People ran into each other, trying to fight each other, it was awful. I remember grabbing my mom's leg, but it felt cold. nobody did anything to her. It has to be that weird song.
"Now, THIS is art, baby. The art of despair."
And then, these droid zeros dropped from the sky and started chasing everybody around. We ran for our lives, trying to find something to hide behind. I had the...massive air quotes here...bright idea to hide behind a dumpster. In an alley. With no outlet. Yeah. An extremely popular place to get maimed.
"Ooh, we spend so much energy fearing our own demise. Channel that useless energy towards the tower. It shall live there for all eternity! Abandon all hopes and throw away those miserable smiles! Ahahahahaaa!"
Oh my god-SHUT UP!
"Now, here to guide you all are my beautiful children. Zero Beat! And DJ Big Gouji will provide the accompaniment!"
Uh-oh. Bad.
"Ohohoh, thank you. Thank you."
All of a sudden, that giant tower started to suck everything in. I mean everything, emotions included, and just turned everybody into wailing sobbing maniacs! Don't ask me how. It's too cheesy.
"Alright, everybody! Let's dance! All together now! Haaiiiiiaaaaa!"
And then, like, a ton of these androids just popped out. I'd say they're good skaters, but well...the sounds that are coming out of their ears is just...blech. Tone deaf. And they just skate around, freezing everything in place, doing these weird dances in front of everyone. I saw what they do. Not good, like...super aging serum not good.
"My sons are geniuses. You have been warned."
No we haven't. Because the instant he said that, they started wailing on everyone, spreading their nasty vibes and unwanted noises all over the terminal, making us run away in fear. And you know, they weren't fooling around. Those droids chased us around. Whoever they caught...well, lets just say they had the color drained out of them.
"You think I'm crazy? Heh! The way I see it, you're the ones who are crazy!"
Aren't you supposed to be DJ'ing or whatever?! Assimilation isn't your strong type, I'll just say that!
"We see things from a different perspective, you see. But in the end, he who speaks the loudest is right. Right? Riiiiiiiight..."
Ok, I was about to run up to that tower, but a droid nearly caught me. My mom dragged me into an alley and hid me behind the dumpster. Of course, the droids caught up to her and saw her, so my mom stepped out to try and take the fall. On instinct, I stepped in front of her, I honestly didn't know what I was thinking. Because there were enough droids to sock both of us at the same time!
But right when they were about to strike...I think somebody sprayed something on their backs? Well, that's what it looked like. And it brought down the droids! Two skaters, one in green and one in light blue, came and sprayed us to safety. They got us into a small bench area thing and gave us their word that they will take care of the situation. I think. Cuz someone else came and took out drones behind them!
There was a whole other bunch of skaters that suddenly appeared and got rid of the droids. There was so much going on in such a short amount of time that I didn't see everything that happened. I was hiding behind my mom's skirt, after all. When my mom told me it was safe to come out, the entire terminal turned into a block party! What happened?! They flew all over the place, giving people back their emotions, their colors, basically their humanity.
"Yeheheeaaaaaa, booiii! We're kicking it live!"
And then, another voice through a radio! I think I'm the only one who can hear it.
"Welcome to the NEW...Jet Set Radio-hold up hold up hold on, wait a minute! I think I'm gonna call it...yeah, Jet Set Radio FUTURE!!!"
Like an idiot, I ran of to find wherever that voice was coming from. It sounded a lot better than that other guy's creepiness. And when I found out who it was coming from, I tugged at the guy's pants
"And when I say future, I don't mean all that stuff Nostradamus wrote, baby! The future is one big blank slate, yo! It's up to YOU to decide what goes on in it!"
Now, that struck a chord with me. I've been hearing YOU CAN'T DO IT or YOU COULD NEVER BE THAT, or more recently, YOU CANNOT GRAB THERE, and I just wanna feel something that's not 'cannot', you know?
"Do not interfere with my masterpiece!"
Uh-oh...
"Perhaps you would like to help me complete my work, eh?"
Well apparently, the tower thing knows because it wasn't finished yet. It whipped up a vortex that sucked me and one of the skaters into the void. I tried to run away, but the winds were too strong. I eventually blacked out.
When I came too, I don't know where I was. Everything was all green and swirly and slimy...and gloomy. I looked up and saw a ton of grayed out zombie-like people. Everyone was looking up, even the skater who got sucked in with me. I couldn't find a way out.
"WAAHAHAHAHA-WAAAHAHAHAHAAAAAHEHEHEHEEE!"
All of a sudden, there was this distorted laughter coming from up top. I looked up, and I saw the man that was trying to ruin the world.
"ALL O-OF YOU, HEED MY WORDS-ORDS!"
He sounded like he was a product of the world he was trying to create, all distorted and disjointed, much like the rest of his body.
"M-M-MY NAME IS-IS...ROKKAKU GOUJIIII-JI-JI-J-J-J-JIIIIIII!"
And what's that helmet on his head, flashing all those lights?
"I HOLD THE KEY TO THE FUTURE OF MANKIND, HA!"
Yeah, because once those lights started flashing rapidly, he started transforming. And all the zombie people just raised their hands like they were giving him some juice.
"MEN, WOMEN, AND CHILDREN...ARE MINE."
The people just turned their heads down and stared at me. And then I knew I was really in danger. And when I looked up...
"THE WORLD BELONGS TO MEEEEEEEEEE!"
Well, poop-engürtön! The man's a monster, and the skater was running up to fight him.
What about me? I couldn't do anything except run for my life. Those zombie people were relentless, chasing me to no end. I don't remember how many times I got caught, only for something to save me at the very last second. The only thing I remember is running into what looked like a small shabby shelter. I hid behind the metal hoping to get out of the zombies' gaze, when I saw a white glowing...ghostlike presence? I walked up to absorb it, but I couldn't do much besides touching the thing. I turned around and saw the zombies come inside. I hugged the shiny thing to hide behind it, and it's glow intensified immensely, repelling the zombies from the cave. I stayed with the ghost thing for comfort's sake, until I heard a bone-shaking cry. I shoved the thing out just for safety, and looked up. The skater had taken that monster down, and I couldn't be any more relieved. But then the entire place started shaking and falling apart. We were both trying to find a way out. That's when I hugged the ghost again, and that time it disappeared inside me and left behind a portal back to the terminal. Instinctively, I ran out and didn't look back. And yet the skater, who had to make it down from the top floor, passed me halfway across the terminal! At that point, we heard a giant explosion from the intersection and saw the tower explode.
"GRAHAGAHA! S-SEE YA LATER, GAGAGA AAAAAAAARGH! SAYONARAAAAAAAAaaaaaaaaaaa..."
And after that...poof. The tower came crumbling down into nothingness. Strangely enough, no one saw me or anything that happened to me. Just that the ragtag skater gang, who was supposed to be a terrorist group, turned out to be the real heroes of the story, and the police were the real corrupt ones.
As for me, I got myself a little dormant ghost thing inside of me, which to my surprise, no one knows what it is. They thought I was crazy. So, I spent my whole life bonding with it, trying to sync with it, and, well, experience life with it."
(PRESENT DAY)
"And that's how I wound up with this never ending tingly feeling," I ended my story.
Or speech, I should say. The two guys in front of me just zoned out! They weren't paying any attentoin at all! And they're seniors...
"Wow...that's some story..." one of them said.
"So, uh...that's how you made those skates?" the other asked a stoopid...
"Yep," finally, something to move us forward! "Everything here is just on that one experience. Posters, templates, safety gear, the skates especially."
"No boards?" someone asked.
"Oh, those are over there in that stall," I pointed to a stand conveniently located right in front of the school entrance.
"Sure you wanna go over there?" Oh boy, there's my friend, Leone the Sass master, "They're all stiff, no flexibility, too hard for my tastes."
"You got weird tastes," I quipped.
"I'm weird? Look at you and your posters over there!"
"Hey, I like this design!" Sweet! Another customer! "Mind if I nab one?"
"Sure," how could I resist, "That'll be $10!"
"I have weird tastes, huh?" Leone said.
"Oh, it was all in good fun!"
"Heh, well how's this for fun?" Leone pointed to the IT'S ALMOST NOON! "Your story bored us for too long."
"Oh my gosh!" Gotta get my gear! Ok, skates, check. Helmet, check. Gloves...hey! WHERE ARE MY GLOVES?!
"Ahem," Leone swiped them from...my back pocket...huh.
"Oops! Heheheh..." Fine. I'm a klutz. What do you want from me?
At least I can enjoy school life. Dogenzaga Academy. Surprisingly pretty well off despite its laidback attitude, but maybe that's just from the recent big bad boss battle. Last I heard, Rokkaku Gouji turned this school into an internment camp. Ha! And look at it now! It's the main joint for skating and skate dancing! The latter of which I am the regional champ. Yeah, a lot's happened since the GG's struck. It's the best thing ever. I've been at this school for a couple years, but nothing gets me like the yearly Spring Festival, where we get to show our stuff. This year, the school's dance team has teamed up with the school's skating team to really throwdown a performance for the ages, one that'll really knock their socks off! But that's not the reason why I'm super-duper excited.
I am the regional champ for the solo Skating Dance event. My friend Leone, she's the regional champ for the team Dance event. After our big mega dance show, we'll challenge the audience slash bystanders slash spectators slash whatever to a dance-off. The first person to beat us get to date whoever they defeated. Since it's first-come-first-serve there's going to be a lot of people, and lot more heartbreak. I can't wait to see who I'm dating, and who I'm breaking; I've been itching for a guy for way too long. But I also can't wait to-
Ohhhhhhhh...I didn't tell Leone.
HA! And it's her birthday tomorrow!
-LEONE-
Ok...where do I begin about today?
Well, first off, I'm pissed. Second off...no, that's it. I'm just pissed. I mean, what else are you supposed to feel when yor best friend for how many years pulls off an irreversible prank that has life implications? Ok, my guy's not bad looking, and he can be a good talker...nope. Still pissed.
Let's start off at the Spring Festival, right after the big dance. After me and Lotania did a Tempest Flip and stuck the landing and the thank yous. After we waved to everyone, Lotania gathered everybody up to her, "Alright everyone! Gather round! It's time for the main main event!"
"Alright! This is gonna get good!" I cracked my fists and joined the inner crowd, "I'm sure you all heard about our very special Dance-Off, right? The one about the special prize?" And everyone went wild! I mean, I know $500 is a lot of money, but come on.
"Hey!" Lot put her elbow on my shoulder, "Should I tell them what the prize is?"
And like an idiot, I winked and went along with it, "Go ahead, girl!"
And then she winked and pointed at the empty space in front of her, "A date!"
"That's ri-wait, wuh?"
"First person to beat me dates me! Same goes for Leone!"
"HAH?!"
Good thing nobody saw me flip my flops. Keep fancying your various fantasies, why don'tcha.
"Wait, hold up a minute! I did not agree to this!"
"Oh, what's the harm?" Lot. You backstabbing plushy little- "Besides, how else are we goona field in recruits for tomorrow night's Graffiti Run?"
"That was supposed to be between us, though!"
"Come on! Just think of your new man as a boy toy!"
Boy toy? Really? Is that what you think this amounts to? Even the flyers say that...thing...very very hidden in the lower right hand corner. "Girl, you got strange tastes..."
As evidenced by her showing her strutt while welcoming the crow with open arms, "Ok, boys! Who wants a taste of me!" Oh my...ok, look. She grew up as an only child without a father. There's your explanation.
"I want a taste."
Oh, I know that voice anywhere. Me and Lotania fool around with his guts constantly. Dustin, football superstar, muscle jock. Would be my type, except he's a jerk. He loves to pick on the little guy, and when Lotania stopped him from picking on this one nerd kid, he got so mad, he confused that anger for love! One time he tried to get his was with us, we gave him the hand, and he just grabbed her arm and ended up taking a knee to his chin! Get a load of that, a 7-foot giant being brought down by a 4-1/2-foot midget.
"Well, old Dusty's come back from the rust." Oooo, shots fired!
"Shut it. I'm gonna make you regret ever standing up to me." You sure? She'll drive you nuts before the end of the night.
"Don't sweat your dandruff, boy," Lotania turned and walked back to her corner.
"Hey, you!" Damn, he's touchy, "Put up Rock It On!"
"Sure," I took out my boombox and planted it beside my feet, "Skates or no skates?"
"What do you think?!"
"I think you wanna roll around-"
"No! No skates!"
Hahah! Once a bullying attempt has been thwarted, it's all too easy to get a laugh out of him. I stomped my foot on my box, "Ok! Y'all ready to rumble?!" Lotania winked at me. Dustin just had this growl mean face on him, meaning to get an amazing spectacle out of us, I'm sure. Well, didn't matter. I hit play, "Ok! Time to rock it on!"
Amazing spectacle? Not really. Satisfying? Ohhhhhhhhh, yeah...As soon as the song started, Lotania did not let up. At first, she just copied whatever Dustin did. Once the song started to pick up, she literally danced circles around him. Right in the middle of a song is where he started to lose it. He tried to grab her blouse, her hair even. But, of course, we knew he would try that, so she ended up using him as a vault for some of her stunts. By the end of the song, he toppled over on his back. Hahhhh, poor sucker just don't know when to give up. Even his posse came round to encourage him to GET UP! GET UP!
And everyone else ended up laughing!
"Ha! It's like I always said!" Someone said, "Flex hard, fall harder!"
"Pfft! That's what I hear!" I high-fived him, "Ok, ok! Gather round, it's decision time! Let me hear for Dustin over here!" Mega boos, everywhere. Even his own friends had to admit that that was prety whack. They saw him fall over on nothing! "Alright, I get it, I get it. So, if that was bad, then what was Lot's?" Everyone cheered, as if I expected any less. Though I'll admit I was disappointed that she didn't lose at least a piece of fabric. At least I got the sight of Dustin being caried away to lean back on. "Yeah, why don't you stay on the football field and off the streets, would you?" I turned my attention back to the crowd, "Ok, now that that's done, who all wants a shot at the...date thing?" I wanted someone to beat her so bad...
"I'll go!"
...that my prayers would be answered in the form of deception. Now, I recognized this kid as the nerd who got bullied every single day, the one we had to rescue. At first, I didn't think he was worth the glasses he was wearing. But that's because I didn't see his footwear, "Uh...ok. So, what song you want?"
"Everybody Jump Around, skates on."
D...did I hear that correctly? Did we all hear that correctly? And he just said that nonchalantly! Lotania just looked at me all puzzled, so I went and asked him, "You know that's how Homegirl won the regionals, right?"
"I know but-Oh! Excuse me..."
As soon as he stumbled to regain his balance, I knew right away. There ain't no way you can call yourself a nerd with a pair of skates like that. That metallic blue that matched his coat and pants told me to push this kid to his limit.
And that's exactly what I did. I hollered like I had a megaphone taped to my mouth, "WE GOT US A TITLE FIGHT!"
"Huh?! Wha-no, I didn't-" Too bad, kid. You brought this upon yourself.
"GEEK WISCONSIN OVER HERE WILL CHALLENGE LOTANIA FOR THE TITLE OF REGIONAL CHAMP!" There were so many people crowding over here for the fight of the century, that I'm surprised that I caught Lotania looking longingly at the geek.
"Really, now..." Dang, she was thirsty! I almost feel sorry for the geek boy...almost.
She donned her skates and literally met face to neck with him, "So...you think you have a shot with me?"
"Well, sort of..." Oh, shut up. I knew you're planning something.
"That's all I need to hear." Yep. I have awakened the relentless demon that is, the queen.
Which would make it all the more satisfying if she went down. "Alright, the fight is on! You ready to throw down?!" Lotania winked at me, and geek boy nodded. "Ok, start jumpin'."
As soon as the music started, my hunch was proven right. The intro, those two skated around the ring like they were dancing a waltz or something. Then, they traded moves. Like they were feeding off of each others' rhythm. Towards the drop, Lotania started doing her signature moves in an effort to show off, it looks like. And guess what? When she flipped over, he slid under! And connected pupils! And when she landed, he rose up and swept her on his rhythm! Ha! I knew this geek wasn't a nerd, but I had no idea he was that suave. After that, it was pretty much over. He had her in his grasp, and she was just gliding along the ring. When it was over, there were lost in each others' eyes, panting heavily like they got done working each other out. Don't ask me what they were thinking, I don't wanna know. And it looks like the crowd don't know, either. They're just cheering and applauding the two trance makers. Ok, I had to break this up before it got weird.
"Ok, ok, break it up you two!" Ruined the moment! "Ok, let's tally up the stack! Let me hear you for Lotania!" Everyone clapped. No surprise there. "Alright, alright! And what about Geek Wisconsin over here!" Good lord, my ears! It was like an entire stadium packed into a tiny little block! Geek boy got game. Who knew. "Well, looks like we've got a winner!" I patted the nerd's back, "Not bad, little man. What's your name?"
"Uh...Joseph..."
Uh-huh. He definitely learned from us saving his butt. "Glad to see we've taught you something." I raised his hand, "Ladies and gentlemen, your new regional champ! Justin!" Lot didn't hear a darn thing I just said. Which means, cringe. "Ok, geekwad, you know what that means? Homegirl is yours for the night."
"Well, I-huh?!"
"Well, go on!" I pushed him off to Lot's LaLa Land, "Have some fun!" And then I hogged all the fun to myself, "Ok, people! That's one down, and one to go! So, who wants to try and take me on?"
Good news, I got twice the popularity that Lotania has. Bad news, it took me FOREEEEEEEVEEEEEEEEEER to get someone to beat me! Don't get me wrong, they're decent, just not great. And that's what took so long! What the heck, Lot! By the end, I was so tuckered out that I collapsed into my guy's arms, which ain't how I wanna be treated! Just walk me over to my bed, don't carry me like I'm some open-eyed sleeping doll rag!
Oh my god, I am so pissed...thankfully, I'm at home with just peace and quiet. And with a couple hours before my...date...I'm desperately thinking of a way to get back at her for that little stunt. But, it can't happen today. Tomorrow night's Graffiti Run is the only chance I have to smack one in her face. Heh, I can just imagine. Gray. Her least favorite color. Plastered all over her wall and clothes. Oh, it will be a glorious run indeed.
Oh, wait a minute, I have a date. *SIGH*
I might as well let him in on the plan. Man, I'm so pissed.