Session 30
"Alright, so what's the big surprise, Gwen?" J.J. asked as he pushed open the door of Gary's tavern, shoving his phone in his pocket as he did. He immediately noticed that most of their usual group was there – Tristan, Ryan, Abby, even Susumu had stepped away from the garage for a bit.
As soon as he saw them, his eyes widened in mock fear. "Wait… everyone's here… oh no," he exclaimed, backing towards the door. "What's all this? Is this an intervention? Or… are you expecting a proposal? Are you going to propose to me? Gwen, I needed more time to prepare! I don't even know my dress size! I'm not ready to be a bride!"
Gwen immediately crossed the room and smacked him upside the head while the others burst out laughing. "Stop being stupid," she growled.
J.J. grinned at her unrepentantly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Couldn't resist," he said easily. "Seriously, what's going on?"
"Well… as thanks for that charity function we did a little while ago, the mayor pulled some strings and got these for me." Gwen reached into the pocket of her hoodie and pulled out several tickets, beaming as she spread them out like a fan. "They're free tickets to the upcoming Callie P. Tso concert! She gave me more than enough to invite all of you!"
"Oh, thanks! That's really sweet of you!" J.J. said, smiling at her warmly, though his smile faltered slightly a moment later. "…Who's Callie Tso?"
Abby smacked her face into her palm while Gwen gave him a thoroughly unimpressed look. "Do you never listen to music?" Abby groaned. Gary shook his head in disbelief as well, and Susumu likewise was looking incredulous, though at least Ryan seemed as lost as he was.
"Not usually, no," J.J. admitted. "I tend to write better when it's quiet, so I don't usually have the radio on."
"Callie's an idol from this town who's recently shot up the charts," Abby explained, folding her arms as she sat back in her chair. "Her music's got this unique beat to it. Though they call it indie, it's hard to define properly. It could almost be called a new genre of music. There's this… undertone to it that makes it hard to get out of your head. When you first listen to it, it's kinda bland, but it grows on you. I've gotta admit, I'm looking forward to this."
"Huh. I'll take your word for it," J.J. shrugged, before smiling down at Gwen. "And it has been a while since I took you on a proper date. So, since you paid for the tickets, I'll take care of the snacks. Just for us, though," he added, glancing around at the others, before they could perk up hopefully at the suggestion that he would pay for all of them. He could almost hear them groan in disappointment, and he and Gwen traded grins.
"Nice save. You're learning," she praised him. "By the way, where's Agni? I invited him over too, but I haven't seen him yet."
"Actually, he texted me. I was going to come over here anyways, since he wanted to introduce me to a potential editor. He mentioned it a little while ago, but I only just managed to set up an appointment. Since that fight we had a few days ago with the Irise, I hadn't had much time to-"
J.J. was interrupted at the sound of someone violently spitting out a drink. He glanced over his shoulder to see that Susumu had spilled his drink on himself and that he was choking on his soda. J.J. hurried over to pound on his back, but Susumu waved him off. When Susumu looked up, J.J. was startled to see that his face was contorted in a frantic expression.
"Your fight with what a few days ago?" Susumu cried.
"An… Irise?" J.J. repeated, frowning at the mechanic. "Why…?"
Susumu went pale, and he reached up, grabbing J.J. by the collar and dragging him down. J.J. flailed slightly, catching himself on the table. Susumu leaned in, speaking in a low, strangled voice.
"Let me ask you one thing. You beat it, right? Did it explode?" Susumu asked tightly.
J.J. stopped struggling against Susumu's grasp, instead giving him an utterly perplexed look. "What?" he asked flatly.
Susumu tightened his grip on J.J.'s shirt, pulling him even closer. "Did. It. Explode?" he repeated, punctuating each word.
"No! Of course not!" J.J. replied, bewildered. "Why the hell would it explode? What, is it made of dynamite or something?"
Susumu suddenly released J.J.'s shirt and pushed himself up, wincing as he put his weight on his bad leg. He grabbed his cane and began hobbling out of the tavern as he said to Gary, "Money's on the table. Thanks. I've gotta… check something out."
J.J. straightened his jacket and glanced around, realizing that he wasn't the only one staring at Susumu in confusion. "What's wrong?" J.J. called after him.
"Hopefully nothing," Susumu replied, pushing open the door.
"Are you going to be at the concert?" Gwen asked, concerned.
Susumu paused in the doorway, considering her question, before letting out a sigh. "I'll try to make it, but chances are… probably not," he replied reluctantly. "I wish things were different, but… anyways, I'll be in touch."
Susumu quickly hobbled out the door, leaving the other patrons gazing at it. J.J. glanced around, frowning. "Anyone have any idea what that was about?"
He was met with the others shaking their heads and murmuring to each other. J.J. slipped into Susumu's empty seat, staring after him quietly. He'd never seen the mechanic so spooked before. Did Susumu know something they didn't? Did he have prior experience with Irises? J.J. leaned back slightly, looking down at the floor. When he thought about it, he didn't actually know much about Susumu, other than the fact that he was very good with machines. Was there something in Susumu's past that he'd kept secret?
The door opened again, the sound interrupting his thoughts, and he glanced up to see Agni step inside. A grin spread across his face as he walked towards his agent, who was looking unusually nervous.
"I was beginning to wonder if you were going to show up," J.J. commented, holding his hand out, which Agni took weakly. "Before you get this meeting started, Gwen had a surprise for you."
"Yeah… uh… I… kinda have a surprise for you too," Agni said, looking away while rubbing the back of his neck.
J.J.'s smile faded. Agni's expression was starting to worry him. "Agni? What is it?"
"Jay," a familiar voice announced, addressing him by a name he no longer went by. J.J. felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as his heart stopped, and he looked past Agni as another figure walked through the door. She stood a full head shorter than J.J. and sported the same shade of golden blond hair, though she kept hers in a short bob cut. Her steel-blue eyes narrowed behind a thin pair of glasses as they fixed on him. She was dressed in a tan pantsuit, one he was quite used to seeing, as it was her main outfit when he had worked under her. Her thin mouth pursed as she pinned J.J. under her gaze.
"We're going to have a talk, Jay," the woman said sternly.
"J.J.?" Gwen asked, looking past his shoulder. "Who's that?"
J.J. didn't respond to her question directly, but he answered it with the next words out of his mouth. "Hello, mother," he hissed.
Five minutes later, J.J.'s mother was seated in a corner of the tavern, a cup of tea in front of her and a look of disdain on her face as she glowered at her son from across the room. J.J. had grabbed Agni and dragged him to an opposite corner.
"What the hell, Agni?!" J.J. snapped, though he kept his voice down so that his mother wouldn't hear him chewing out his friend. "I thought I made it clear that I wanted nothing to do with her! What, were you confused because we have different surnames? I told you, I go by my father's name, not her's!"
"I know!" Agni assured him, holding his hands up innocently. "I swear, I didn't know that she was the one who requested to meet with you until I was told to pick her up at the airport! This was the company's decision, not mine! They wouldn't tell me who she was until then! Apparently she insisted that they keep her identity secret!"
"Ugh. Smart on her part, then. She knows that I would have bolted if I knew she wanted to talk to me," J.J. sighed, running his fingers through his hair. "This sucks. Is there any way we can get a different editor?"
"It'll take some time," Agni replied. "And unfortunately, since you're so new to the business, you're not really in a position to outright refuse to speak with her. She's a high-profile author and editor. If you turned her down without even meeting with her, you would be labeled as arrogant and difficult to work with, which would make setting up future meetings difficult."
"So… you're saying I don't have much of a choice here?" J.J. asked coldly.
"I'm saying you should just talk with her," Agni insisted. "I can mark it down that the meeting didn't go well if you really don't want to work with her."
"Believe me, I don't," J.J. snarled.
"Jay!" his mother called out from the other side of the tavern, tapping her pen against her notebook impatiently. "I'm waiting. Sit down."
J.J. felt a shudder of disgust run through his body, and he forced himself to take a deep breath to try and suppress it. His legs felt like lead, and his skin was already flushed with anger. He could feel every eye in the tavern on him as he slowly made his way to the table. Reluctantly, he flopped down in the chair across from her, refusing to look her in the eye.
"Sit up straight," Kay ordered him. J.J. glared at her, refusing to comply with her order.
"What did you want to discuss, Miss Penn?" J.J. asked in a clipped tone.
"Drop the attitude, son," Kay snapped. "I'm taking a lot of time out of my schedule to meet with you. Even after you ran off like an ungrateful brat, I'm devoting some of my schedule to you. I expect you to show me some proper respect."
"Respect?" J.J. sneered, sitting up and resting his elbows on the edge of the table, folding his hands and glowering at her over them. "Why should I show you respect when you refuse to show me any? Or was rewriting my entire novel your idea of respect?"
"Don't start with me, Jay," Kay sighed. "I was doing my job as your editor. If I hadn't made those changes, your book would have been panned by every critic from here to California."
"So instead, you thought it'd be a good idea to put my name on something you wrote?!" J.J. barked at her. He could feel the eyes of the other patrons on him, but he was seething with fury that he'd kept bottled up for years. "I don't give a damn if it would have gotten panned, it was my story! You changed everything but the most superficial details, to the point that it was no longer even recognizable as something that I had written!"
"And because of the changes I made, it became a bestseller, and it would have put you on the map if you hadn't thrown a fit and run off like a spoiled child," Kay replied blithely, though she was glaring at him from behind her glasses. "You should be thanking me."
"Thanking you?!" J.J. cried incredulously. "You humiliated me! It's not enough that you couldn't tell me that the story was poor to my face! You went behind my back! You didn't tell me anything about the changes you were going to make, and I didn't even find out until I bought a copy of my – sorry, your – new book!"
"Lower your voice, Jay," Kay snapped at him. "You're making a scene."
"Good! Maybe you'll feel a hint of the embarrassment I felt!" J.J. snapped at her, leaning over the table and snarling as he gazed into her eyes.
Kay gazed at him quietly, adjusting her glasses. She then turned and reached into her bag, pulling out a stack of papers, which she tapped on the table, before looking at him blithely. "I'm not here to talk about the past," Kay said simply. "I'm here to discuss your most recent work. Kindly take your seat, and we can get started."
J.J. felt heat rising in his face, rage boiling inside of him at his mother's audacious indifference. As she continued to stare at him, however, he forced himself to calm down. He let his breath out in a long, slow hiss, then pulled his hair out of its tie and re-tied it as a way to take a few seconds and regain his composure. He then sat down across from her, folding his arms and glaring at her. "Fine. Let's go over it, then," he said through clenched teeth.
Kay nodded simply, acting as though his outburst had never happened. "Your most recent work shows that your mastery of basic grammar and sentence structure has gotten better. Your scenes are more descriptive without drifting into 'purple prose,' and the characters have more personality to them. Overall, it's a marked improvement when compared to your previous work."
J.J. blinked, taken aback by her sudden praise. "Oh… then it's good enough to-?"
Kay held up a hand, cutting him off as she peered at him over the edge of the paper. "However, even with all that, I cannot recommend this be sent in for publishing."
J.J. didn't even have the energy to look disappointed. He would have been surprised if the other shoe hadn't dropped. "What's the problem, then?" he asked dully.
"Frankly, it's a trite, flawed premise from the ground up," Kay explained as she set the papers down on the table. "A knight trying to save a doomed kingdom? That is the most cliché storyline in fantasy. I didn't even need to read past the first couple chapters to know what was going to happen. It was blandly predictable."
J.J. narrowed his eyes. "Did you even read to the end?" he asked, unable to keep the edge out of his voice.
"I didn't have to. I skimmed most of the way through, and while there were moments that caught my interest, most of it was paint-by-numbers fantasy. Nothing important grabbed my attention," Kay explained, sipping her tea.
"Maybe you should have actually read it all the way through, then," J.J. growled. "It might end in a way you didn't expect!"
"These days, even having a twist ending is a cliché in and of itself," Kay said, waving off his protests. "If one is expecting a twist, then the only twist would be not having a twist in the first place, wouldn't it?" She picked up her cup of tea and began sipping on it, gazing at him over the rim of the cup.
J.J. felt his blood starting to boil again. "So you're critiquing my work without actually having read it. Is that about right?" he snapped.
Kay gazed at him, before setting down her cup of tea. "Actually, I didn't just come here to give you constructive criticism. At least, that wasn't my main reason for finding you. I came here to tell you that it's time for you to come back home."
J.J. stared at her silently for several seconds. "You cannot be serious," he snorted derisively.
"Jay, I gave you your space," Kay sighed, her tone dripping with condescension. "I tolerated this childish outburst of yours where you ran away from home and didn't call years. I had hoped that you would have grown out of your rebellious phase. You're too old to keep acting like a child. So, I'm going to tell you what you're going to do. You're going to come back to the company. We have an excellent position waiting for you. You can be a junior editor, and you'll make… well, you'll actually make money, instead of living off scraps like you have been out here," she scoffed. "Your agent informed me of your meager living conditions. You don't have to live like a pauper anymore, though, if you'll just do what I say and return home."
J.J. narrowed his eyes. When he spoke, his voice was dangerously quiet. "I would rather be a penniless beggar than make millions off of books I didn't write," he growled. "I don't mind being poor."
"And you'll continue to be if you try to publish this trash," his mother replied, holding up his manuscript.
"Trash or not, it's still my trash," J.J. retorted, pushing himself up. "We're done here. If there's nothing else, you may as well go home, Miss Penn."
"I'm not going anywhere," she replied simply, taking a moment to drain her teacup. "Not until you agree to come with me."
"You can't force me to do so," J.J. pointed out. "I'm over eighteen, and no cop in the world would arrest me for refusing to listen to my mother when I'm a legal adult."
"True. But you're coming home regardless. I can wait," Kay shrugged.
"I hope you've got enough money to stay in a hotel forever, then," J.J. replied defiantly. "Because I'm not leaving. Marville has become more of a home to me than anywhere I ever stayed with you. And I have something important to take care of here in the meantime, so I really don't have any incentive to leave."
"Important," Kay scoffed. "You're still playing those silly games, aren't you?"
"Damn right I am," J.J. replied. He briefly considered warning her about the monster attacks in the city, but then realized that she wouldn't believe him anyways. She could find out on her own, he decided bitterly. He turned to face Gwen, speaking up a bit. "You mind it if we head to the concert a little early? I could use something to distract me."
"Uh… sure, I can probably get us in to look around," Gwen replied uncomfortably. She pushed herself up from her seat. J.J.'s mother watched them as they headed for the door.
"You're coming with me one way or another, Jay!" Kay called after him.
"My name is J.J.," he replied coldly, before turning around and walking out the door with his arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. What no one else could see, but what she could feel, was the way he was gripping the shoulder of her shirt so tightly that his hand was trembling and his knuckles were white.
"Calmed down a little bit?" Gwen asked soothingly as she walked over, handing J.J. a cup filled with cool mint tea.
"A little," J.J. replied, smiling at her gratefully as he took the cup. They were already sitting in their chairs as the outdoor stadium started to fill up. However, they'd arrived rather early, and only a few members of the audience had trickled in, so they were more or less alone in their section. "Sorry for going off like that. It's just… no one gets to me the way she does."
"I get why, after what you've told me," Gwen assured him. "And the sheer arrogance of that woman, assuming she could snap her fingers and you'd follow her home like a puppy."
"To be fair, I used to," J.J. admitted, swirling the tea around as he gazed down at the paper cup. "When I was younger, I did what she said without question, because she was always right. She taught me several tricks for writing good papers, and even at the highest levels of my private school, I always aced English classes in large part thanks to her. I remember some of my classmates complaining that I had an unfair advantage. And admittedly, I did," he added with a sheepish grin. "But it wasn't all her. She wasn't the one taking the tests or writing my papers. I was the one, at the end of the day, who earned my grades. I suppose she never acknowledged that, though." He took a sip of the tea, then grinned apologetically at his girlfriend. "Sorry. First world problems, I know."
"No, I get it," Gwen replied. "Honestly, my brother's kind of the same way. He's the one in charge of the family, and he expects me to go along with every plan for the city that he comes up with. He also hates it when I show any sign of going against him."
"Really? You never mentioned that," J.J. commented. "Is he that hard on you?"
"Usually he doesn't care about what I do, since he's usually so absorbed in his next big project, so he tends to leave me to my own devices," Gwen explained. "But there are times when he basically demands that I go along with what he wants, like that charity function we had a few weeks ago. When he gets like that, it's almost impossible to say no to him, especially since I know that most of the time, his heart is in the right place. He's rather selfless, but he expects his family to help him pursue his goals and ideals. He always says it's for the good of the people, and it's difficult to argue with that."
"Well, at least he's got good intentions, then. Still… am I going to have to kick down the door to your mansion one of these days and beat him down for being too hard on you?" J.J. asked, cracking a wry grin at her to assure her that he wasn't being serious.
"Y'know… if he gets too bad, you might have to," Gwen chuckled.
The two passed the next half hour or so chatting and munching on snacks while the stadium slowly filled up. Their friends eventually arrived, though shortly before the concert was about to start, he noticed a couple of missing faces.
"Agni decided not to come?" J.J. asked, glancing over at Gary.
"He said he had work to do. Especially since your mother insisted on staying in town until you agree to return with her. He had to make arrangements to accommodate her," Gary explained.
J.J. frowned faintly, looking down. "I don't want him to have to go the extra mile on account of my mother," he said softly. "Look, if he needs help-"
"He doesn't, and he told me to pass along that this is his mess to sort out, not yours," Gary replied firmly. "Besides, he's getting paid to do this. The longer he works, the more overtime he gets for his trouble," he added with a grin.
"Fair enough," J.J. shrugged, putting it out of his mind. He then glanced over at Tristan, who had taken a seat next to him, adding in a softer voice, "And Susumu?"
"I have seen nothing of our erstwhile mechanic since he departed earlier this afternoon," Tristan replied, shaking his head. "Nor have any of my attempts to contact him proven successful."
"What did you try?" J.J. asked curiously.
"I attempted to reach him on the telephone, as he has shown me how to use it," Tristan explained. "However, the only response I received on the other end was from a rather confused young lady who accused me of trying to relieve her of her money, and then informed me that she was uninterested in a subscription, before she went silent." He shrugged, shaking his head. "I am unsure of what she was referring to."
"Wrong number, Tristan," J.J. said, unable to suppress a wry grin. "But at least you tried. Just make sure you get it right next time."
"I see. In any case, no, I have no knowledge of his whereabouts," Tristan reiterated.
J.J. bit the inside of his cheek, but he put his concerns aside shortly afterwards as the lights in the stadium dimmed, and a raucous cheer filled the stands. People began standing, and J.J. followed suit, if only to blend in with the crowd. Beside him, he saw Gwen standing on her toes to try and see over the heads of the taller members of the audience. J.J. grinned lightly and pulled her to him, lifting her up so that she could stand on his feet, to gain a bit more height. She smiled up at him warmly, taking his arms and wrapping them around her for balance and comfort, as a fog machine began bellowing smoke and lasers highlighted the appearance of the singer, who bounced out on stage, grinning broadly.
Callie was a girl in her late teens, and the seats they had were close enough that J.J. could clearly make out her features. She was Oriental – likely Japanese given her last name – with a long sea-green streak running through her loose black hair and small silver stars painted next to her brown eyes. She flounced out in a punkish schoolgirl outfit, with a black tanktop over a black plaid miniskirt, fishnet stockings, and thigh-high black boots. The crowd went wild as she appeared, and she beamed as she waved to them.
"You all ready?!" she screamed into the microphone, and the crowd roared its approval. Below him, Gwen joined the cheer, bouncing on his toes. "Let's kick this party off right!" she yelled, motioning to her band to begin playing.
The girl's performance was unusual, J.J. reflected later. At first, the music sounded… fine, if a bit generic. But as it rose towards its first crescendo, he felt it washing over him, and suddenly he found himself nodding along to it and smiling to himself. Halfway through the song, he was humming the melody, and near the end he was actively trying to learn the lyrics. Then, as the second song began, he realized that he liked it even more than the first. His admiration for Callie's music continued to grow with every new song. Yet… in the back of his mind, he continued to wonder if the music was actually as good as he thought it was. There was a rippling undercurrent behind the music that gave it an addictive quality, but he couldn't place it. Indie rock wasn't his preferred genre to begin with, so he didn't have some instinctive attachment to her music, but he nevertheless felt as though he could listen to her songs forever.
The longer the concert went on, the more he felt as though he was slipping into a blissful haze. Two-thirds of the way through the concert, he was grinning down at Gwen, who was matching his expression, as they swayed together in time to the music. As the concert was winding down, though, the bassist got a bit too excited and tripped over a cable, which briefly detached Callie's microphone. The band paused, and when the music stopped, J.J. felt the haze over his thoughts lifting.
Groaning, he blinked furiously a few times, feeling anger rising in his chest. He felt as though he'd been having a rather warm, pleasant dream, before a bucket of cold water had been thrown over him. He clearly wasn't the only one either, as the crowd began murmuring, and then shouting at the band to fix the equipment. Beside him, his companions were likewise shaking their heads and rubbing their eyes.
J.J. turned his attention back to the stage, and with the haze momentarily lifted, he noticed that Callie was looking rather uncomfortable. Was she feeling badly because of the technical difficulties interrupting her song? No… it was more than that, he thought to himself. She seemed… melancholy, as if she didn't really want to be there. Why was that? Weren't singers supposed to love what they were doing? Why did she look like she just wanted to get the concert over with and slink away?
A feedback squeal resounded from the speakers, and everyone in the audience winced and covered their ears. "Sorry, folks!" a middle-aged Oriental man called into the microphone. "Just give us a few minutes and we'll have everything back up and running!"
J.J. frowned to himself as he shook his head. For some reason, he felt as if he shouldn't see the rest of the show. However, moments later, the music started up again, and he found himself slipping back into an enjoyable haze, his thoughts getting swept away once again in the current of music. Callie played four more songs, including a bonus song that she claimed she hadn't released yet, as an apology for the interruption. The crowd screamed with delight as she finished the set, and when she took her final bow, she was beaming again and waving. The audience – J.J. included – was begging for an encore, but the man from before was insisting that the show was over and that they needed to head home.
J.J. found that with the music slowly dissipating, his second climb back into the silence of reality was much less abrupt, and he glanced down to see Gwen grinning up at him. "So, I take it that you had fun?" she asked.
"I can see why people like her," J.J. admitted, looking up towards the empty stage with a slight smile. "Her music has a depth to it that I've never heard before. I wonder why she isn't more widely known."
"She's stayed local," Abby explained from behind him. "Though with her talent, I figure it's only a matter of time before she hits it big."
"Well, good for her. I had fun," J.J. said. "Thanks for inviting me!"
"I… have one more treat for you, actually," Gwen said, grinning up at him. "How would you guys like to meet her?"
The group stared at her in surprise, as she held up another set of tickets with a grin. "Backstage passes," she explained. "One of the perks of being a Marks."
"Could we really see her?" Abby piped up. J.J. glanced over his shoulder, and an amused smile crossed his lips as he saw how eager most of their friends were to go meet her.
"These'll get you past security. My treat," Gwen grinned.
As his friends snatched the passes from her with words of thanks, Gary nudged his shoulder. "J.J.? Marry her," he said.
J.J. felt the heat rise to his face momentarily as Gwen smirked up at him, a playfully expectant look on her face. "Don't encourage her," he replied, grinning at Gary.
"Oh, no, I think it should be encouraged," Gwen insisted teasingly. "Come on, I know the perfect store where we can pick out a dress for you-"
"You behave," J.J. said, putting his hand on her head and spinning her around. She pouted up at him, but then smiled as she led them down the stairs to a security guard. The woman glared until they flashed their passes, at which point she opened the ropes for them and ushered the group towards the backstage area. The stage crew was breaking down the equipment, while the same Oriental man from earlier was shouting orders. Off to one side was Callie, sitting on a chair and reading a book while sipping from a bottle of water. The security guard cleared her throat lightly, and Callie glanced up with a weary smile.
"Sorry to bother you, Miss Tso. This group had backstage passes and said that they wanted to meet you," the guard explained.
"Right, no problem. Nice to meet you all," Callie said easily, standing up languidly before waving at them. She seemed friendly enough in person, though J.J. noted that her shoulders were slightly slumped, in contrast to her perky stage persona. Perhaps she was just tired, he mused, waving the thought off.
"Likewise," Gwen said, holding her hand out. "I'm Gwen Marks. Sorry to intrude on you like this during your downtime…."
"Oh, it's fine. Happens all the time, and I like getting the chance to meet some of my fans," Callie replied.
As Gwen went down the line introducing people, J.J. idly glanced towards the seat Callie had vacated. A faint frown crossed his face as he noticed the cover of the book she had been reading. It was eerily familiar…
J.J. skirted a bit closer to the chair, blinking at the cover in surprise, just as Gwen pointed to him and added, "…and my boyfriend, who… is not paying attention," she scowled.
J.J. shook his head, smiling lightly as he looked up. "Sorry," he apologized quickly. "I was just curious what you were reading."
"Oh! The Tale of Celim Connery. It's a bit of an obscure book that I only found in one little bookstore when I was looking for something to read while we were traveling. It apparently didn't sell very well, but I found it charming. I doubt you've heard of it, though," Callie said.
"No, I have. And I would hope that I'd heard of it," J.J. said, unable to keep a small smile off his face. "After all, I'm the one that wrote it."
Callie's eyes widened. "You're teasing me," she said suspiciously.
"J.J. Wells," J.J. said, holding his hand out, his smile spreading across his face. "That was my first book."
"No way!" Callie shrieked, almost pouncing on his hand and beaming up at him. "I absolutely love that book! I never thought I'd get to meet the author!"
"Really?" J.J. asked, dazed. He'd never met a single fan of his book. "I mean… the few critics who read it said they hated it, and I never thought anyone really bought it. It's been out of print for months."
"Critics? Psh, you can't listen to critics," Callie said, waving him off. "There's always going to be someone who finds fault with your work in some way. I'll admit, it's not Shakespeare or anything, but it was a fun story. I've reread it three times already!" She paused, then grabbed the book and pushed it into his hands. "Could I maybe get you to sign it?"
J.J.'s mouth fell open, and he could practically hear his companions' jaws hitting the floor as well. She pushed a marker into his hand, and he stared at it dumbly for a moment before slowly opening the book to the front cover. Clearing his throat, he said softly, "To my first fan. I'm glad you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed your music. J.J. Wells." He then smiled hesitantly and handed the book back to her. "That… you have no idea what that means to me."
"Why? Was that the first time you've given an autograph? Don't worry. It won't be the last," Callie smiled at him, taking the book and putting it back down on her chair.
"I've gotta say, I'm a fan of yours as well. That was a really good set you performed," J.J. added, grinning at her. "I don't think I've ever felt that way during a song."
"Oh. Yeah, thanks," Callie said, looking away. J.J.'s smile faltered slightly. Had he struck a nerve somehow? Her reaction wasn't cold, exactly, but it was… distant. It was eerily familiar as well. He couldn't quite place it, but he was getting a strong sense of déjà vu.
"Could you sign something for me as well, Callie?" Abby asked, suddenly stepping up. J.J. slipped behind her, realizing that he had been unintentionally monopolizing Callie's time. The singer smiled slightly and took the CD case that Abby offered her.
"Of course!" Callie replied, popping the top on the marker again. Once again, her tone wasn't icy, but it almost seemed as though her heart wasn't in it. She signed the CD with a flourish, but to him, it seemed like it was one more part of the act she had been part of on stage. Why, though?
"Callie! We're wrapping up in five minutes," came a voice from behind her. A figure swept in out of the shadows, and J.J. once again recognized the middle-aged man who had seized the microphone when the equipment had shorted out. He paused for a moment, his gaze raking over the small group around her. "Backstage visitors?" he asked quickly.
"Yes. I was just signing a few things for them," Callie replied.
"Mm. Alright, but hurry up. We need to get back to the hotel so we can meet with the producer about the next record deal," the man said briefly, before pulling out his phone. "Five minutes."
"No problem," Callie replied, sighing. As the man walked away, she gave the group a dispirited look. "I'm sorry, but if that's the situation…."
"No, we completely understand!" Gary said quickly. "Show biz doesn't stop for anyone, right?"
"It doesn't," Callie said softly. She looked up, frowning faintly at J.J. "Listen… do you think you could give me a hand with my bag? I'd like to talk with you a little more."
He could almost hear Gwen bristling behind him, but J.J. smiled slightly, glancing over his shoulder. "Down girl," he said playfully as he caught sight of her glowering. "I'll be right back, and then I'll buy you dinner, alright?"
"It's going to be expensive," Gwen warned him, though she softened slightly as she stepped up and kissed him on the cheek. "Just hurry back, alright? If you take too long, we'll just leave and text you the restaurant we decide on."
"I promise," J.J. winked at her, before stooping down to grab Callie's bag and sling it over his shoulder for her. The girl gave him a grateful smile, and they walked off the stage together. She began leading him across the parking lot towards a large SUV.
"Huh. I thought a big-time star would travel in something more ostentatious," J.J. commented, keeping his tone light.
"I'm not that big yet," Callie replied modestly, smiling up at him. "I'm locally famous, but I don't make any more than the average office worker at this level."
"Yeah, but at least you're doing what you love, right?" J.J. pointed out.
"Mm," Callie replied. J.J. glanced at her, realizing that her answer wasn't really a yes or a no, but he decided not to push it. "I'm jealous of you, you know," she added, giving him a sidelong glance.
"What do you mean?" J.J. asked, frowning.
"You're still starting out, meaning you're still free to write whatever you like. You don't have to meet expectations. The deeper you get into this business, the more you have to cater to other people's tastes," Callie explained, before letting out a sigh. "Many executives and agents want things that sell, not things that you want to create. I imagine that's true for both music and writing."
"Is that what it takes to be successful?" J.J. asked warily.
"Sometimes, yes," Callie admitted. "Some artists can get away with creating anything they like, but sometimes people work on projects they don't like just to put food on the table. I've had to do that more than once."
J.J. chewed the inside of his cheek as he opened the door to the SUV and placed her bag inside. Callie did make sense, and he understood that both the music and writing industries were businesses at the end of the day. But the way she said it, he realized, was with such regret and sadness. She strongly reminded him of himself in a lot of ways.
"Callie!" a voice called out to her, and both she and J.J. turned towards the source of the voice. Approaching them was the man who had grabbed the microphone from her when it had malfunctioned. He was looking haggard and tired, and as he approached Callie, he frowned at her. "Why are you dawdling? I told you, we have a meeting with the producer in half an hour, and we need to be at the hotel by then."
"Sorry dad. I have the guitar. The stage crew said they'd get the heavy stuff," Callie replied softly, looking down at the ground. "I was just-"
"And you, you're one of those kids that was backstage, right?" he added, rounding on J.J. suddenly. "I told you that we needed you to clear out already," the man snapped at him. J.J scowled, drawing himself up to his full height, at which point he stood almost a head taller than the man. Seeing this, the man flinched back slightly, adding in a slightly softer voice, "We're very busy and Callie can't afford any distractions right now."
"It's fine, dad! I asked him to help me carry my things!" Callie interjected. "Besides, he's the one that wrote the book that I've been reading."
"Did you? Impressive," the man replied, though his tone didn't match his words. Nevertheless, he held his hand out, which J.J. took. "Gen Tso. I'm Callie's manager."
"And my father," Callie added quietly.
"Sounds like you have it rough," J.J. replied softly, managing a tight smile at her. "I can relate, trust me."
"I'll bet. Dad, I think I left my notes on the stage. I'm going to go pick them up," Callie said. J.J. immediately recognized it as a ploy just to get away from her father for a bit. Her father let out an exasperated sigh.
"Go get them," Gen told her, and Callie nodded quickly before hurrying off. This left the two men standing awkwardly with each other.
"So… you're her manager?" J.J. asked, trying to strike up a conversation. "What made you decide to do that?"
"I consider it a privilege to be able to watch over my daughter as she pursues her dream," Gen explained. "I've been the one setting up her concerts and recording deals for the past several months. It's something that she only recently started pursuing seriously after I kept insisting for years that she had the talent for it. And I'll admit, I'm glad to see it's finally going well for her."
"I see," J.J. said, not sure what else he could reply with. Gen tilted his head.
"You look oddly familiar for some reason," Gen said suddenly. "Have you ever-?"
"Hello, Gen," another familiar voice suddenly piped up. J.J. felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up, and he stifled a groan as he turned around to see his mother standing there, peering past J.J. at Callie's father, whose eyes widened in recognition.
"Kay! I haven't seen you since the Long Island event. What're you doing out here?" Gen asked, taking her hand with a warm smile.
"Picking up my son," Kay replied, shooting J.J. a pointed look. "He and I have some things to discuss."
A knowing look dawned on Gen's face as he glanced back and forth between the pair. J.J., however, rounded on his mother, unable to keep the frustration out of his voice.
"Did you stalk me all the way out here?" J.J. asked incredulously, narrowing his eyes at her in irritation.
"You made a point of mentioning where you were going tonight," Kay pointed out blithely. "I figured you and I could go get something to eat and talk a bit more about what's going to happen when you return home."
"I already told you that I'm not interested," J.J. snarled.
"You should listen to her, son," Gen interjected, smiling lightly at Kay. "She's a smart woman. Really knows her stuff. Just follow her advice and you'll do well in the writing business."
"So I've been told," J.J. replied, briefly shooting the man a warning glare to stay out of their conversation, turning his attention back to his mother. "Look, mom, it's not just that I don't have any desire to come back with you. I've also got other important things going on in this city that I need to take care of."
"Like what? Those silly tabletop games you used to play?" his mother sneered. "You can keep in contact with your friends, of course. I'm not a dictator."
J.J. snorted derisively at that. "You're literally dictating what's going to happen to me!" he shot back.
Kay opened her mouth, then closed it, seeming a bit stung, which surprised him. An awkward pause hung in the air, when Gen suddenly asked, "Where's Callie? She's supposed to have been back by now."
J.J. took advantage of the interruption to turn towards the stage, peering through the darkness to see if he could spot her. He frowned to himself as he saw neon blue lights flickering on the stage in the distance, and concern instantly began welling up inside him as he realized what those lights might be. "Oh no," he muttered under his breath.
He began sprinting towards the stage, leaving both his mother and Gen behind. He heard his mother shout his name after him, but he ignored her. As he skidded to a halt at the base of the stage, he saw a trio of Shards advancing on Callie, their hands outstretched. He realized that two of them had a slightly more martial appearance than usual – one had a crude axe for a hand, and another had a blade for an arm. Was there a reason the Shards were becoming more deadly lately?
"Worry about that later," he muttered under his breath, before jumping up on stage and snapping his fingers. His quill flew into his hand, and he clicked it out into its sword form. Immediately, he placed himself between Callie and the Shards, keeping the sword out in front of him in a loose stance while barking to her shortly, "Stay behind me!"
"J.J.?" Callie asked, looking past him towards the glowing monsters. "What are those things?! You're not… you can't fight them!"
"I've been doing more than a little bit of that lately, trust me," J.J. assured her shooting her a wry grin over his shoulder. "I'll be fine. Like I said, stay back."
The first Shard fixed its hollow eyes on J.J. and lunged at him with its sword-arm outstretched. Deftly, J.J. shifted his blade, parrying the blow to the side, before shifting to point his blade at the throat of the Shard without a weapon as it tried to move past him. The Shard regarded him silently before swiping at him with its claws, the attack raking across his chest and opening gashes across his skin before he could step back. J.J. winced, but fortunately the attack was shallow, and he pushed Callie back another couple of steps.
"J.J., don't…!" she protested, but then shrieked as the axe-Shard brought its arm up to slash at her. J.J. watched the attack closely, stepping in at the last second and bringing his blade up to parry the attack. His counterattack cleaved cleanly through the Shard's arm, and it stared dumbly at its stump as J.J. stepped in and buried his sword in its chest, whereupon it crumbled to ash.
The other two Shards scrambled towards Callie, and J.J. quickly grabbed her arm and swung her around behind him, all the while brandishing his sword at the Shards, thrusting at them tentatively to keep them at bay. He paused for a moment, glancing behind him at the drum set, and he was struck with an idea. He beckoned the unarmed Shard closer, before vaulting backwards over the drum set just as it lunged at him. The Shard stumbled forward, laying across the drums to try and slash at him, and J.J. quickly bashed the cymbals over its head, stunning it with the vibration. With it lying dazed, he buried his sword in its throat, before hurrying over to face off against the sword-wielding Shard once again.
As he and the final Shard began circling around each other, he heard footsteps approaching, and he had to keep himself from sighing as he heard his mother call out, "Jay! Stop screwing around and get down from there! What is this, some sort of play fight you're doing with one of your friends? That's a terrible costume."
"That's expensive equipment, boy!" he heard Gen add. "If you damage it in any way…!"
J.J. ignored both of them, motioning to Callie to step back further just as the Shard slashed at him wildly with its sword arm. He quickly parried the blow, but to his annoyance, the crystalline blade was strong enough to stand up to his sword, unlike the rocky parts of the Shard's body, so he couldn't simply cut through it. He immediately shifted into a fencer's stance, instead of the loose stance he had been using for mobility, and he blocked a second overhead slash from the Shard before running his sword up its blade as he charged towards it. The Shard saw the maneuver and stepped back, disengaging before stabbing at him quickly. J.J. shifted his shoulder in time, letting his reflexes do the work, and with the Shard over-extended, he stepped inside its range and slashed it across the neck, decapitating the monster in one stroke. Its rocky head rolled across the stage as its body collapsed, and both halves crumbled into ash moments later.
J.J. exhaled slowly, quickly catching his breath as Callie ran over to him, putting her hands on his chest with a terrified look. "Are you okay?! You're bleeding!"
"Yep," J.J. replied absently, touching the scratch marks and examining the blood on his fingers. "It didn't get me very deep, though. I'll just put some antibiotics on it and let it heal."
"How… why are you so calm?!" Callie asked, dumbfounded. Behind him, footsteps approached and his mother's voice immediately set his teeth on edge.
"What was that about? Are you trying to show off for Callie or something?" she asked, and as J.J. swung around, he saw that she had her arms folded and a frown on her face. "And… you're bleeding? Or is that stage blood? What's going on?" J.J. rolled his eyes and turned to face her.
"Remember when I told you I had other things to worry about right now?" J.J. asked her. "This is what I meant. This is what the town has been dealing with for the past several months."
"What, you expect me to believe monsters are attacking this city? Your stories are getting worse," his mother scoffed. J.J. sighed and rubbed his eyes. If word about what was going on hadn't really gotten out, he supposed the local media must have been doing a good job covering it up. "Even if they were, that's all the more reason for you to leave. You're not staying somewhere where you're going to get hurt."
J.J. opened his mouth to retort, but held up a hand, shushing everyone as he listened closely. The sound of footsteps drew closer from backstage, and as he turned to face them, a quartet of Shards burst through the back of the stage, charging through the drum set and over a couple of scattered speakers. Sparks flew as their hands stretched towards the stunned group. Thankfully, J.J. had slipped his hand into his jeans as soon as he'd heard footsteps, and before the Shards could close the distance, his book was open next to his left cheek.
"Henshin!" he called out, and his Driver appeared around his waist. Just as the Shards were about to rake him with their claws, he snapped the book shut and slotted it into the central belt buckle before giving the amber D-former on the front cover a spin.
"Adventure: Begin!" his Driver shouted, and as trumpets played, an amber crystal surrounded him. The Shards ran into the rotating barrier and were sent flying backwards into more equipment as J.J. was covered in leather armor. As the spinning stopped, he glanced over his shoulder at the other three.
"Are you all alright?" he asked the trio behind him, holding his sword out in front of him as he turned his attention back to the Shards that were slowly rising to their feet.
Callie's mouth was hanging open, and she asked softly, "You're the Kamen Rider that the news has been talking about?!"
"Kamen Rider?" his mother asked, looking him up and down with a frown. "That sounds made up. Jay, what does that even mean?"
"I really don't have time to explain," J.J. replied coldly, motioning for the others to step off the stage so that he could deal with the Shards. "Maybe next time you come to a town, you should read up on local events, though, mom," he added, unable to resist shooting her a glare from behind his helmet.
"You… look what you did to the equipment!" Gen shouted suddenly, rushing forward to inspect the damaged instruments.
"Hey… don't go near those things!" J.J. shouted. Before he could react, though, Callie ran forward as well, looking over her father's shoulder. Suddenly, she shook her head, speaking in a frantic voice.
"No… no, this is bad!" she murmured. "We can't have damaged equipment! We can't have anything that interferes with the show! No, no…!"
"Callie, step back!" J.J. cried, but before he could move in, a blinding aquamarine light exploded into his field of vision. He threw his hand over his eyes, shielding them, and as the light faded, Callie was nowhere to be seen. Instead, his attention was immediately drawn to a new figure.
The first thing J.J. noticed about the creature was its unusual combination of silver and sea green coloration. It had a lithe, feminine figure, and as it turned towards them, it did so with a sublime grace. Its limbs were covered in glittering silver scales that covered it like mail, ending at its webbed hands and feet. The midriff was bare, revealing green skin, though the prominent chest of the creature was protected by two silver scallop shells. Its pointed, slender face was humanoid, but with glassy black eyes, fin-like ears, and a small mouth that opened to reveal razor-sharp teeth. Its long, green hair fell to its mid-back, which was likewise unprotected by the silvery mail covering much of its body. The monster grinned at him, before turning towards the Shards that had burst on stage.
"You little beasts stumbled onto the wrong stage," the creature said, its voice hauntingly melodic. "I won't tolerate anything that interferes with my dream."
It opened its mouth, and J.J. winced as a piercing wail erupted from its throat. He could see the sound waves physically bending the air around them as the Shards were engulfed in a sonic cone. Their bodies began fracturing under the pressure of the sound waves, and in moments they had crumbled to dust. The creature closed its mouth, chuckling to itself, before rounding on J.J. and his mother.
"And as for you…." it began, grinning cruelly. J.J. immediately grabbed his mother's waist, and before she could protest, he leaped away from the monster, landing several feet away at the back of the stadium. He set his mother down gently on her feet as she stared at him, mouth agape.
"Jay! How-?!" she demanded.
"Look, I'll explain later," he said quickly. "Just get out of here. I'll be fine."
"You're going back?! You are not-!" Kay began, but J.J. had already dashed away from her, heading to the opposite side of the stadium. He then took a couple moments to appraise his opponent, hesitating about which die to switch to.
"Alright… let's see how much range that scream has," J.J. muttered to himself. He put his hand on his black D-former and gave it a quick spin.
"Reroll! Class: Mage!" his Driver shouted, and as chimes began playing, he was encased in an onyx die, which spun rapidly around him as his leather armor was replaced with a black tunic. Once the spinning stopped, he pointed his staff at the stage and cooled his thoughts, before firing off a jet of freezing air and snow towards the monster.
The Diemon responded by opening its mouth and screaming once again, blowing the attack back towards J.J., as he had expected. What he hadn't expected was how effective its voice was even at this range. Even at this distance, it felt as though he was standing next to a megaphone that had gone off in his ear. He grit his teeth as he pressed the attack, pouring more energy into the spell, until the pressure from the Diemon's attack began to turn it back on him. When that began to happen, he stopped casting and jumped up onto the awning above the stadium, surveying the effect of the two attacks colliding with each other.
J.J. couldn't help but grin to himself as he saw that his spell had exactly the effect he had wanted, as it outlined the scream's maximum effective range. It was dangerously powerful almost two-thirds of the way up the forum, where the ice had been completely shattered and blown back, but the sound wave lost strength near the back, judging by the size of the ice crystals that littered the edges of where the wave had grown weaker. Furthermore, he also got a good sense of how wide the attack was spread out. To his surprise, it was narrower than he had expected, which meant he might be able to keep moving and pelt it with long-range attacks.
J.J. slid his hand down to his belt, but before he could, his legs suddenly gave out under him, and he lost his balance and went tumbling off the edge of the awning into the row of seats below him. His ears were ringing, and as he looked up, his vision began swimming. He felt a wave of nausea wash over him, which he quickly suppressed by swallowing hard, before forcing his hand down to his Driver. His shaking fingers found his red and blue die, and he gave them both a quick spin.
"Reroll! Multiclass: Ranger!" his Driver shouted, and a red and blue die coalesced around him, merging into an emerald green die, which spun around him as a hunting horn resounded across the stadium. J.J. slowly rose to his feet as his tunic was replaced with green leather armor, his cloak fluttering behind him as he gripped the chair in front of him to maintain his balance.
A cackling laugh erupted above him, and J.J. groaned as he looked up to see the Fool sitting on the aluminum awning covering the last few seats. "Oooh, it's looking a little green around the gills!" the clown exclaimed, giggling at its own multi-layered pun. "Is it struck dumb by that dazzling performance?! Now that one knows what it means to own the stage!"
J.J. suppressed another wave of nausea, and he growled, "Hate you… hate you… so much…."
"Aw, not so eloquent today? We miss its barbs and jabs. Come now, use your words! Show us that its tongue is more potent than that one's voice!" the Fool nodded towards the Diemon on the stage.
"Stop… talking… annoying… clown…." J.J. grunted, shaking his head quickly. To his surprise, that steadied his swimming vision for a moment, and he immediately took advantage of his temporary clarity. He didn't know how long it would last, after all.
He pulled a seed out, and it quickly grew into a thorny arrow, which he nocked and aimed at the creature on stage. The Diemon noticed that his stance had shifted, and it immediately launched another wave of sound towards him. J.J. leaped to the side, aiming down the shaft and firing the arrow with a short yell. To his surprise, however, the arrow flew well wide of its target, clattering harmlessly across the stage twelve feet away. The Diemon stared at it with a nonplussed expression, and above him he could hear the Fool howling with laughter.
"Come on, partner," he muttered to his bow. "I'm a lousy shot at the best of times. Help me out here."
J.J. brought the bow up again, drawing another arrow, but his vision was swimming wildly. There seemed to be three copies of the Diemon swirling around on stage. He closed his eyes, relaxing his arms and letting his bow guide his hands, rather than the other way around. Once it was steady, he released the arrow, opening his eyes in time to see the bolt impact harmlessly at the bottom of the stage.
"Guess that won't work, huh?" he muttered to his bow, ignoring the shrieking laughter of the Fool above him. While his bow could make small adjustments, it couldn't shoot for him, he realized. As dangerous as it was, his only chance was to get in close.
Since he had to close the distance quickly, he put his hand on his blue D-former and gave it a quick spin. "Reroll! Class: Thief!" his Driver yelled, and as a saxophone blared a few notes into the air, his leather armor opened up and turned blue, while his cloak shortened to a scarf that wrapped around his neck. Once transformed, he put his hand on his D-former again, about to use a Critical.
"Come now, we don't need to fight," the Diemon said suddenly, its voice echoing pleasantly in his addled mind. He was once again struck by how hauntingly beautiful it was. It was so easy to listen to, so magnetic…. "But you did break the equipment. And you should be punished," the voice added.
J.J. felt his muscles go slack, and he nodded dimly as he replied, "Yes… I should… pay for what I did…." He felt as if he was floating, all the tension and weariness gone from his body. All he had to do was continue listening to the voice.
"Come up here. Come on stage with me," the Diemon beckoned in a hypnotizing voice. "This will be quick. It'll be easier if you don't fight back."
"This…will be easy," J.J. muttered to himself. He was vaguely aware that his legs were propelling him forward. The Diemon on stage suddenly seemed dazzlingly beautiful. The way the silver scales on its body glittered in the stage lights, the soft flow of its hair down its back… he felt compelled to listen. It was a joy to do as the voice said.
"Jay!" a voice shouted at him, from somewhere in the back of his mind. He growled and shook his head, gritting his teeth. That voice was grating and shrill. It was a voice that he knew he hated, even when he wasn't bedazzled by the gorgeous creature on the stage. Better to ignore it, he decided with a satisfied smile.
He became aware that his legs had stopped moving just a few feet from the Diemon, who was grinning at him with those beautifully gleaming sharp teeth. "Just hold still," the voice said soothingly. "This will only hurt for a moment."
"Okay…." J.J. replied softly, not bothering to resist. However, that was when he felt something knock into him, before pushing past him. He blinked and slowly looked down, recognizing the golden hair of his mother. She was standing in front of him protectively, staring down the Diemon without a hint of fear.
"Don't touch my son," Kay growled, holding her hands up in a defensive pose.
"Fine. Both of you, then," the Diemon shrugged, opening its mouth. J.J. felt adrenaline starting to pump through his veins, clearing the haze his mind was in, and he immediately became aware of what was about to happen.
"Idiot!" he snapped at his mother, grabbing her and pushing her behind him just as the Diemon began screeching. His hand dropped to his blue D-former and he gave it another quick spin.
"Critical!" his Driver shouted, and he was surrounded by a sapphire crystal that protected him from the sound waves. He saw that the barrier even deflected the waves back into the Diemon, momentarily stunning it and stopping its attack mid-scream. As the spinning stopped, the blue die coalesced on one of his daggers, which began glowing a deep cobalt color. A grim smile spread across his lips as he realized he had instinctively used the other Critical available to his Thief Class, and in this case, it was the better one. As close as he was, he couldn't miss this throw. The Diemon shook its head, trying to clear it, but before it could recover, J.J. threw his dagger. The point of the knife slashed across the Diemon's throat, and its eyes widened as it clutched its neck, gasping in pain.
J.J. smirked to himself and readied his other dagger, but before he could close in, the Fool jumped down from the awning and landed on the stage, grabbing the Diemon by its upper arm.
"Ah, such a pity that such a wonderful performance had to end so abruptly, so anticlimactically," the Fool sighed. "But alas, we are but a servant to the whims of the play."
"What're you talking about?!" the Diemon rasped, holding its throat. "I can still fight!"
"Perhaps, but what good is a singer without its voice?" the Fool asked airily. "And is this truly where you wish your dream to end? There is much more to accomplish with that gift you've been given, you know. As it stands, we do not doubt that one would emerge victorious were this dance to continue, as all it needs to do now is wait for its poison to seep through your system." the harlequin added, nodding at J.J.
"Really now?" J.J. asked, swaying slightly where he stood. "Then all the more reason I should wrap this up, isn't it?"
"Indeed, though we recommend it see to other matters instead," the Fool replied, pointing behind him.
J.J. felt dread creeping through him as he turned around, and he saw his mother lying facedown on the stage. His eyes widened and his heart began pounding as he knelt beside her, putting two fingers to her throat. Thankfully, even through his suit, he could feel her pulse, and he saw her chest rising and falling. She was just unconscious. Even with him protecting her with his shield, she must have been affected by the blast of sound that surrounded them, he realized.
"Thus, let us close the curtains on this act!" the Fool cried dramatically, jumping into the air and dragging the Diemon with it. "Perhaps we shall all set foot on stage once more after an intermission, mm? Until then… what developments await us?!"
The Fool took off, cackling, half-dragging the Diemon away as it did. J.J. sighed and pulled his D-former out of his belt, canceling his transformation. He slipped his diary into his pocket and pulled out his phone, quickly dialing the number for an ambulance. As he put it to his ear, however, he felt something wet and sticky, and he pulled the phone away to see a few drops of blood on the screen. Frowning, he put his fingers to his ear, and when they came away, they were stained red.
J.J. let out a noise of disgust as he quickly called for an ambulance before taking a seat beside his mother's unconscious form. He didn't feel a sense of panic or fear the way he had when Kelsie had been in a similar state. Instead, he felt… numb. It was a strange sensation, but he was trying to reconcile his deep-seated resentment of his mother and his familial attachment to her, as well as his general desire not to see anyone get hurt if they got caught up in his fights. What made him even more conflicted was the way he kept replaying the fight in his mind, particularly the moment when his mother had stepped in front of him just before the Diemon would have opened up on him with a sonic attack. She could have been killed if he hadn't stepped in the way, he thought with a shudder.
"Mom, you idiot," he whispered to himself, sighing as he looked up at the still-spinning night sky as he waited for the ambulances to arrive. "But damn, if I wouldn't have done the same thing… we're more alike that I want to admit, aren't we?" Despite himself, a grim smile began to spread across his lips as the familiar sounds of sirens approached, though he soon realized that the sounds were distorted and tinny, and he closed his eyes to try and alleviate the spinning sensation that was still making his stomach turn.