It was Halloween, and the long-awaited amateur night at Liberation.
Toga had helped Nejire with her costume, a matching crop top and booty shorts covered in teal feathers, plus teal platform shoes. The costume didn't hide all Nejire's scars, but Toga had the idea to cover them with fake gemstones. Looking in the mirror, Nejire didn't feel much like herself, but she felt good.
Mags didn't have Nejire scheduled until later in the evening, so she got to hang out and watch the other acts. She found herself really enjoying the show. It seemed apparent that some of the early performers were just in it for laughs, and hadn't put much effort into their routine. Mags must have known, and put them on stage early before there was much of a crowd.
The first act that really stood out was a short young lady with long red hair, dancing to My Chick Bad by Ludacris. While she wasn't the best technique-wise, she put enough passion in to make up for it. Nejire guessed that this act could easily place in the top three. Unfortunately, the dancer's partner was so enamored with her performance that they both left immediately afterwards.
Soon, the speakers blasted Lady Gaga's Love Game, and out came a willowy young blond woman. She wore a skin-tight black bodysuit with a low neckline. She had some impressive moves, including handstands and splits, that left Nejire wondering if this performer had gymnastics training like Toga.
Next was a muscular, brown-skinned beauty in a white rabbit costume. Her song, Kiss me More by Doja Cat, was a nice change of pace from the typical music. The audience went wild over their pole work. Nejire found herself a little jealous of some of the poses she managed, which even to the untrained eye, required an advanced level of core strength and muscle control. Even Toga was impressed.
After that was a young lady dressed as what Nejire assumed was a sexy mechanic, dancing to Machine by Neoni. The routine was more artistic than sexy, but Nejire was impressed at her talent, convinced she was a professional, or ought to be. When she left the stage, Nejire hurried after her to see if she was looking for work, and ended up giving her Giran's card.
There were some cancellations and no-shows, but some of Mag's regular performers were on standby to fill those spots and keep the audience pumped up. Toga did a routine to My Humps by the Black-Eyed Peas, after which Mags had to get on stage and remind the crowd that they couldn't vote for employees. That didn't stop everyone from showering Toga with cash instead.
The club's DJ also took a turn on stage. He was a lean guy with long blond hair, dressed head to toe in black leather. He danced to Def Leppard's Pour Some Sugar on Me. His talent on the pole made a lot of jaws drop, but his performance soon became more karaoke than dance, until most of the crowd was singing along. Before the song was over, his boyfriend was dragging him off stage to make out, and for a few minutes there was no one to run the music. Mags called for a short intermission to do some damage control.
Once things were running smoothly again, the next amateur act was a tall lady in a skin-tight superhero costume and thigh-high purple boots. She danced to Gimme More by Britney Spears. Nejire immediately felt nervous, since she would also be dancing to a Britney song. The woman on stage had a great body, she was an excellent dancer, and she wasn't afraid to play up to the audience. By the end of her song, she had the crowd screaming. It bothered Nejire more than she would like to admit.
Nejire retreated to the bar to try and settle her mind. She was nursing a drink when she heard her name. "Nejire?" She turned to see someone standing there covered in disembodied hands. Startled, Nejire stumbled back. Slowly, the person pulled away the hand that was covering their face.
"Tomura?" Nejire laughed. "You look so creepy! Did you enter the costume contest?"
He shrugged. "This isn't really my scene."
"Then why did you come? Wait, did Dabi send you? Is he here?" Nejire glanced around, nervous.
"No, and I didn't tell him I was coming."
"Good." Nejire breathed a sigh of relief.
The next act on stage caught their attention, and they both stopped talking to watch. It was a trio made up of two women and a large, muscular man, dressed in coordinating cat costumes with miniskirts. Everyone in the audience had perked up when the speakers began to play Buttons by the Pussycat Dolls, but when the three began to dance, the crowd went so wild that it made Nejire's ears ring. The big guy was surprisingly agile, and even better, he took his part seriously, not playing it for laughs. One woman in the audience actually fainted.
Nejire felt sorry for whoever had to follow after them.
Tomura had taken the seat beside her, and when the song ended, he finally spoke up. "Listen, I have no idea what happened between you and Dabi, and I really don't care; but I hate leaving clients with unfinished work. You're welcome to come back whenever you're ready. If you want a different artist to finish your piece, I'll make it happen, on the house."
"Thank you, I appreciate that." Nejire fiddled with her straw. "So, are you gonna stick around and watch?"
"I dunno." Tomura scratched at his neck. "I'm just here to support an old friend."
"Really? Who's that?"
"The owner."
Nejire wondered if he really knew Mags, or if he was trying to sound well-connected. "You know Magne? Small world!"
Tomura looked startled. "How do you know her?"
Apparently he did. Nejire laughed. "She's my boss."
Now he looked even more confused. "You work here?"
"Well, I usually just wait tables. Tonight is kind of a trial run."
"Oh." Tomura put the fake hand back over his face. "Good luck then."
"Thanks, but you're supposed to say 'break a leg.'"
"I'd rather not, with those shoes you're wearing."
Nejire looked down at her five-inch heels. "You've got a point." Her attention was drawn away when Toga spotted her and waved. While Nejire was distracted, Tomura disappeared. Baffled, Nejire looked around for him.
Toga ran over and squeezed Nejire's hands. "Only two more acts before yours!"
"I know," Nejire sighed.
"Remember what we talked about. Pace yourself, and don't forget to interact with the audience. You've got this, Nej."
As the next act came out, Nejire went backstage. There was another woman there too, waiting to go on. She wore a teal wig and a clown costume. Nejire gave her a nervous smile.
"Hi, I'm Nejire," she said.
The woman gave a small wave. "I'm Emi."
"You look cute," Nejire offered. Emi immediately burst into tears. Baffled, Nejire patted Emi's arm, trying to console her. "Hey, what's wrong? Are you nervous?"
"The guy I like is out there." Emi buried her face in her hands.
"Oh, wow." Nejire knew how she would feel if Dabi was here, but she tried to think positive, for Emi's sake. "He'll have to notice you, right? Maybe he'll get some ideas."
Emi sniffled. "No, he came with someone else."
Nejire's smile fell. Then she stood up straighter, feeling determined. "You know what? Go out there and make him sorry he chose her instead of you."
"Him," Emi sniffled. "He's here with his boyfriend."
"Ah." Nejire squeezed Emi's hands. "Well then, show him what he's missing."
Emi nodded, drying her tears. "Okay, I will." She forced a smile. A minute later she strutted onstage to Janet Jackson's If I Was Your Girl. Nejire wished she could watch, but she needed to focus.
Warming up her limbs, Nejire tried to get her head in the right space. She was far more anxious than she had expected, considering that she used to perform for much larger crowds on a regular basis. When she had been planning out her routine, Toga had urged her to leave some room to improvise. Now, having that layer of unpredictability had Nejire feeling unsure of herself. She tried not to think who all would be watching, like the stunning lady who had already danced to a Britney song. Nejire also hoped that Tomura had left for good; it felt weird to have him see her like this.
At last, she heard the opening of Toxic, and she slipped through the curtains onto the stage. The audience goaded her on, with Toga screaming louder than everyone else combined. Nejire let herself relax a little as she got into the moves she had practiced. The loud whoops and whistles made her laugh. She finally realized that no one was critiquing her; they were all just having a good time.
Halfway through, Nejire stepped down off the stage and took a moment to tease and flirt with a few people along the front. They played right along, encouraging her. Then she went back up to finish the rest of the song. To her surprise, she was enjoying herself more than she ever would have guessed.
Nejire finished with a couple of spins on the pole. She had modified some ballet turns, relying on the pole for balance, but no one was any the wiser. When Nejire heard the audience reaction, she knew it must have looked pretty good.
As she came down off the stage, she felt a rush of the same pride and satisfaction she used to feel after a performance. Except now, it seemed simpler. There was no fear of getting a bad review in the paper. No one was rooting for her to fail. She wasn't going to have to watch a video of herself and be picked apart in front of everyone.
She sat down to relax and enjoy the next performance, and ended up next to one of the Pussycats. The woman smiled and waved.
Nejire leaned closer, raising her voice over the music. "Your group was amazing, you're gonna win this."
"No way, you were fantastic. I'm Shino, by the way."
"Nejire," she answered.
"Pleased to meet you. Are you a dancer, like… for real?"
"Kind of," Nejire shrugged. "What about you?"
Shino pointed at her companions. "Ryuko and I are EMTs, and Yawara is a firefighter."
"That's so cool! Wait, did he practice those moves on the fire pole?"
"He sure did!" They both giggled over that.
Nejire grew curious. "The work you do; what's it like?"
"It's rewarding, but it can be hard, and sometimes dangerous."
Nejire nodded. "I can imagine." She suddenly wondered about the EMTs who had pulled me from the wreck; she had never even met them.
"That's actually why we're here," Shino continued. "One of our coworkers, a dear friend, actually… she was badly injured responding to a call. She's been in a coma for a while, and her family is struggling with the bills."
"I'm so sorry. Now I'm rooting for you more than ever."
Shino smiled sadly. "Thank you."
Moments like this reminded Nejire that it could always be worse. The settlement she had gotten from the accident, thanks to Dabi's father, ensured that she never had to worry about things like medical payments. It allowed her to take time to heal without being a burden on her family. Despite her struggles, Nejire still had almost a half a million dollars in the bank.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Mags, and got an idea. "Excuse me," she told Shino, and got up, making a beeline for her boss. Nejire motioned her over to the quiet corner by the restrooms. "Mags, I need a favor."
"If you're ready to quit serving drinks, consider it done."
"No," Nejire laughed and shook her head. "I want to give all my votes to the Pussycats."
Mags frowned. "Nejire, you know I can't rig the contest. That wouldn't be fair."
"But Mags, they're not keeping the money for themselves; they want to win for their friend who's in the hospital. You know I don't need the money, and they deserve to win this. Please?"
"I'm not putting my reputation on the line for your soft heart." Then Mags sighed. "Let me think about it." Nejire hugged her, then returned to her seat by Shino.
The last act of the night was a busty woman with jet black hair. She was hardly wearing any clothing, and as she performed to Katy Perry's I Kissed a Girl, Nejire found herself blushing and trying not to stare. The woman was not a bit shy, and she could hardly be considered an amateur. The audience lost any remaining control during her performance, some even howling or throwing money. Even Toga looked jealous.
When her song ended, there was a short break as Mags tallied the votes. Everyone mingled about, wishing each other the best as they nervously waited. Finally, Mags got up on stage to announce the results, and the crowd all gathered close.
"I gotta tell you, friends, this was a close one. I don't think I've ever seen such a neck-and-neck competition. The results may surprise you, but fair is fair." She looked directly at Nejire.
The audience murmured and whispered as Mags drew out the suspense.
"Coming in at third place was Emi Fukukado!"
Everyone cheered as the teal-haired woman got up on stage with Mags. Nejire hadn't seen any of Emi's routine, and now she was sorry to have missed out. Toga must have guessed as much, and she leaned close to Nejire. "Emi kicked ass. Flipped off her ex at the very end, it was beautiful." Nejire laughed.
"In second place, we have Ryuko, Shino, and Yawara … the Pussycats!"
The audience yelled and clapped. Nejire felt a pit in her stomach. Maybe she hadn't gotten as many votes as she assumed, so it hadn't been enough to help them win.
Mags hushed everyone. "Now, with the most votes of the night… Can I get a drumroll?" A few people tapped on tables or their legs, as the anticipation swelled. "...Nejire Hado!"
Nejire forced a smile as she got up, but inside she was disappointed. She wondered what Mags could be thinking. It didn't feel right. Toga whistled as Nejire took her place on stage next to the others.
"Now, hold on," Mags shouted above the noise, waving her arms. "Listen up! Even though Nejire did get the most votes, unfortunately she cannot take first prize!"
Shocked murmurs ran through the audience.
Mags gestured for quiet. "In the fine print, if anyone bothered to read it, you'd see that our contest is not open to family or household members of our employees, so our dear Nejire is not eligible. That means that the trophy and the cash… go to the Pussycats!"
The audience shrieked with joy, and even Nejire was jumping in excitement. Mags handed the trophy to Yawara, while Shino and Ryuko jumped on him, all of them crying happily. Nejire hugged Emi, as they cheered for the winners. The music cranked up loud as everyone rushed the stage to celebrate.
Nejire had so much fun, she could forget about everything else for a while.
Author Note: I had so much inspiration for this fic. Thank you to the following people for their excellent song suggestions for each cameo!
bandimh - Present Mic: Pour Some Sugar on Me
reniculous_art - Midnight: I Kissed a Girl by Katy Perry
powerfulweak - Mirko: Kiss me More by Doja Cat AND Mount Lady: Gimme More by Britney Spears
juliefiction for Mei Hatsume: Machine by Neoni
hyperstripe93 for Camie: Love Game by Lady Gaga
Since FFnet doesn't let me post links, if you go find where I have this fic crossposted on A03 you can see videos of how I imagine each of the performances.