Hey, everyone, I'm back in the game, and this time I'm writing Vocaloid fic. This'll be a pretty long one, I think, and hopefully it'll be enjoyable for you all -- the second chapter cracked me up, heh.
First chapter might be a little odd, but bear with me here. The plot doesn't really kick off until later.
Cryptonight! An oasis of the night life, a neon island of music – and the place for up-and-coming musicians. With gourmet food, a generous dance floor and an even more generous open bar, Kuniaku's hottest new club opened its doors every night at ten o'clock sharp and was packed by ten-thirty. The atmosphere tended toward the quiet side until midnight, when the tables were cleared away and the music really began. When the music started, the crowd took on a life of its own; a confusing mishmash of sound, smoke and sweat, an ever-shifting liquid push of bodies and light.
Megurine Luka loved it. Moving confidently through the press, dancing as much as walking, people flowed around her like the silk of her shin-length xiongsan flowed around the bare skin of her legs. With her rose-colored hair bound up, held in place by a complex brass clip, she felt the pulsing lights on her neck and shoulders, a physical beat keeping time with the band on stage. They were all right; but the dancers knew instinctively that the best was yet to come, and danced slowly, saving their energy.
"I was wondering when you would arrive," a voice said, close to her ear to be heard over the music. The breath that tickled her cheek was hinted with vanilla, and Luka smiled as she turned to face the young man who had come up beside her. His deep blue hair was neatly combed under a sleek black headset, though a single lock of it fell across his forehead; he brushed it aside with a white-gloved hand, frowning only momentarily when it immediately fell back.
"I'm barely late at all, Kaito," Luka replied, laughing. "Aren't you singing tonight?"
Kaito shrugged helplessly and gestured to his lightweight black-and-white outfit, reminiscent of a maitré-d's at a high-end restaurant. Though simple in design, the uniform must have cost a fortune; it was cut to fit, and the fabric seemed to shimmer in the club's half-light. "Mei-san's got me running drinks all night," he explained. "You should go check in with her; she's been worrying about when you would arrive." Luka sighed, knowing exactly how the club's general manager would be 'worrying'. But it was early yet, so she might still be sober. …Might.
Kaito twitched and stood straighter as a woman's voice cut through the din. "I've got to go," he said hurriedly, laying a hand on Luka's shoulder for a moment. "I'll let her know you're here, all right? You should get ready. We'll be getting this lot off the stage in no time," he added, casting an unimpressed look at the struggling band. The lead singer, a young white-haired woman with a long ponytail down her back, appeared to be trying to hold back tears, and the crowd was beginning to mutter. "Later, okay?" Kaito called, disappearing into the shadowy maze of people.
Luka waved at his retreating back, then settled in as people filled in the bubble of calm that their conversation had generated. She let herself be moved by the crowd, circulating with aimless grace until, belatedly, she noticed the music had ended.
A short, slim woman with feathered brown hair was mounting the stage; the heels of her leather boots rang sharp against the metal stairs, and her eyes shone with mischief and saké. "How you all doing tonight?" she roared, her unamplified voice carrying through the club, and the crowd roared back to Shion Meiko, Cryptonight's unofficial patron goddess and master bartender. She smiled devilishly and snatched the mic from its stand, starting to pace back and forth across the stage.
"My friends, I gotta say, we've had some ups and downs in this place," Meiko continued, letting her gaze sweep over the crowd. The white-haired singer sniffed, and Luka saw her disappear in the direction of the bar. "But there's one thing you can always count on," Meiko continued. "One singer always knows how to hit it – one singer who's been kicking ass with the best goddamn techno ever seen by man since we started this place up – say her name with me, it's our very own Luka Luka," she shouted, pointing out to where Luka stood. The applause surged as people gave Luka some space; Meiko's laugh bubbled through the mic, and Kaito gave her a thumbs-up as a spotlight broke through the gloom.
"You know the music, folks," Luka said, smiling confidently. She reached up to her hair clip, pulling it free; with a quick button press, the woven brass folded out into an ear-mounted headset mic. With a double tap of her foot, Luka took a breath, and shouted with the weight of three hundred voices behind her own: "Dame dame yo!"
As the band launched into the familiar music, Luka closed her eyes, letting the rhythm carry her. This was her time, and this was her song, and she knew the words by heart. "From the right side to the left…" She swung her hair out; freed from the clip, it reached her shoulder blades, and strands danced at the corners of her vision as she moved.
"I know you better than anyone, so leave it all to me…" She moved like water, around and through clumps of people, constantly in motion. She danced with everyone and no one at once; in some way, this music was for her alone, and the only way to show them was this, imperfect as it was. The music was hers alone, but perhaps – just perhaps – with her voice and body, the lights and the beat, they could see, just a little.
"Luka, Luka, night fever!" This was the time she lived for; not just her body, but her voice and soul were a conduit for the music. The words weren't even important, not really. What was important was the time, so close to midnight and the death of the old day. What was important was the light, dancing glittering circles across the floor, sparking like stars as the rhythm pounded through her feet. What was important was this: the beat, and the synthesizer, and the power and the feeling – droplets of sweat suspended forever beadlike in midair – three hundred people moving as one, with the glowing thread of the music running over and around and through them, eternally linked and eternally one, bathed in the endless neon of the forever night.
"Hey, hey, take it easy, Luka. Are you all right?"
"She's jus' tired. Silly girl... Why don't you bring…"
Luka's eyes felt impossibly heavy, and she didn't bother trying to open them, even as a blast of cold air hit her in the face. She shivered a little, automatically clinging to the person supporting her, and Kaito's voice vibrated through her cheek.
"You must be tired, Luka-san." Wearily, Luka nodded, and she heard Kaito's warm chuckle. "I understand. It's very early, after all."
Luka made a small sound of agreement. So tired… it would be easiest just to fall asleep right here. That seemed like a lovely idea.
"Taxi…"
Notes time!
Why yes, I did make up a nightclub by combining 'Crypton' and 'nightclub' into a pun on Kryptonite. I am not ashamed.
Kuniaku City is the city this is set in, in the nation of Kuniaku. The name means 'evil country' or 'country of evil'... and I think that's the only reference to a Vocaloid song in this chapter. Don't expect there to only be one in later chapters, though...
Remember, comments are love, and I love people who love me.