Gravitation Fan Fiction ❯ Splinters of a Song ❯ = track seven = ( Chapter 8 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: GoneLoki 
Nittle Grasper reunited again! And some horsing around by the members of the band including a quiet moment between Ryuu and Touma.
Anime/Manga: Gravitation Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.16.2003 | Updated On: 08.29.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 397 | Status: Work In Progress
Nittle Grasper reunited again! And some horsing around by the members of the band including a quiet moment between Ryuu and Touma.
Anime/Manga: Gravitation Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Angst / Romance / Hentai / Drama | Type: Continuation | Uploaded On: 08.16.2003 | Updated On: 08.29.2003 | Pages: 2 | Words: 2.2K | Visits: 397 | Status: Work In Progress
Warnings and disclaimers same as in the Prologue. Nothing has changed much from that one to this one. Ryuuichi POV. Some mentions of ep. eight of the anime and some more randomness from characters.
AN: The lyrics in this part come from the song 'Sleepless Beauty' by Nittle Grasper. They have just been translated from the Japanese to English for this purpose. I have also made it so that they just came up with the song instead of it being a mainstay of the group from years ago. It made a bit more sense to me that they would use a new song to annouce themselves back into things.
~*~*~*~*~*~
= Track Seven =
As recording goes, once I put down my lyrics the rest is easy. Of course, getting me to actually sing those lyrics took a bit of while. That genius that the press harps about is not really a genius but some sort of strange thinking process that could see words in life, could hear music in chaos, can take the two and weave them into a whole. I was either lucky or unlucky to have such a talent since a young age, when music was better than even early morning cartoons or chocolate pocky.
I've found in Touma and slightly in Noriko, people who also had that genius. Their talents ran a bit different than mine; Noriko can harmonize anything, Touma can build a song from an idea. Together, our talents made up Nittle Grasper.
I am not saying that we were the best and no one else could come close. No, that's what the press and the publicists like to say. There are other bands that have the same sort of talents all arranged in their perfect spots. There are other bands out there that are like us in determination and stubbornness and talent. But, it takes a rare band that can pick up from where they left off after being years apart.
Noriko looked just as beautiful as I last remembered her. She had got her hair trimmed shorter and there were a few laugh lines around her eyes, but she was still youthful and full of spirit. When I walked into the blues bar, she squealed with delight, tackled me in a strong hug, and lifted me off my feet.
"Ryuuichi! When did you get back, you evil little man you? You should have called me!"
I laughed and hugged her back. "I was busy. K wouldn't let me do -anything- until I got his stupid tracks done. How have you been?"
Noriko laughed and put me down, telling me all about her professor husband and their two children and all the problems of being a mother who is famous and trying to raise her children to be normal. As she talked, I looked around the bar, remembering how we used to sit in that corner booth, piles of note paper and empty bottles all around us and make our songs. Or how in that spot, we had started an impromptu jam session, Noriko pounding on drums, Touma at the piano and me singing old favorites by Leadbelly, Flatt and Scrubs, Zeppelin. This bar was so much a part of how we got where we did that one of the things we did when we had enough was to buy the place, becoming the owners of a place that will always be both a safe haven and a place where we can talk without being overheard by the wrong people.
We took a seat at the bar and ordered our usual drinks. The bar tender smiled in warm welcome to me and also poured Kumagorou a drink as well without me asking. I had to grin at that, since in America most people looked at me funny when I asked for a drink for Kumagorou. Noriko shook her head at me, smiling softly and taking a sip of her drink.
"So, how was America? Was it just as bad as Touma always acts like it is?"
"Nah, I enjoyed it. They have a lot of stuff there, and even their pizza is better than it is here though I really liked their ice cream more," I paused to lick my lips remembering all the yummy flavors and got poked in the arm by Noriko.
"What about the men? Are they really that hot?"
"Noriko!"
She laughed, draping an arm over my shoulder and leaning close. "I bet you had stars even," she whispered.
I turned a bright red and smacked her lightly on top of her head with Kumagorou. She laughed some more and settled back on her stool, taking another sip of her drink. Muttering to myself that everyone is evil to poor little innocent me, I gulped down my drink, set Kumagorou on the bar and gulped his drink down too. The tender poured me another drink then the bells over the door chimed mutely.
I looked over towards the door, frowning faintly as Touma came in and slid into the stool next to me. Besides us and the tender, no one else was in the bar, which was a good thing. This was not something that everyone in the world needed to find out about. At least not until we were ready to tell everyone about it.
"Sorry I'm late," Touma said, smiling as the tender put his drink in front of him.
"So you are late, Touma-kun," Noriko tease over my shoulder, smiling at Touma.
"You're very late! Kumagorou is even mad at you!" I said, waving the pink bunny over my head as if I meant to smack him with it.
"I am sorry. I had to work late."
"That's okay, Touma," Noriko said from the other side of me. "You're sure busy as the president of your own company."
"Are you okay with this, Noriko? I didn't want to disturb your retirement."
I glanced over at Noriko, and blinked as she took out one of her homemade biscuits. I blinked again and sniffled, pulling arms down and watching as she kissed the sugary treat.
"It's fine. It's not the first time Ryuu-chan has been selfish like this."
I gnawed on Kumagorou's head, eyes gone all chibi and watering at Noriko. "That's mean! Do you hate me, Noriko-chan?"
She smiled and gave me the biscuit. "There is no way that I could hate you. That's why I came."
"So it's okay?"
"Of course. It looks interesting."
Mouth full of delicious biscuit, I added, "Of course it is goning to be interesting! There's a fun guy there too!"
Touma chuckled softly to himself. "That person seems to have the power to affect all kinds of people."
Noriko frowned at us both, putting her drink down. "Wait a minute, who are you two talking about?"
"You'll meet him soon enough, Noriko." Touma looked at the bartop, a smile masking his expression as he repeated himself. "Soon."
I finished savoring my treat and took a big swallow of my drink, jumping up and down on my stool. Noriko leaned over and tugged on a lock of my hair, getting me to calm down and put Kumagorou on the polished bar before looking over my head at Touma.
"So, what are we going to do now?"
"Write songs!" I crowed and looked over at Touma. The blonde nodded, picking up his drink and heading for a back booth. I picked up Kumagorou and my drink bouncing after him and heard Noriko laughing again as she followed me. I couldn't help being excited. I missed Nittle Grasper and missed sitting in the back booth bent over paper with drinks at our elbows and songs in our heads.
Touma and I sat opposite each other while Noriko sat next to me. Kumagorou sat next to Touma and became the resting place for Touma's hat. Taking out my notebook and getting pens from the tender, we bent over the book jolting ideas and talking, trading paper, notebook and pens as the whim struck us. It felt so good being back there. Like a homecoming I never thought I would ever have. These two people were my family more than anything I ever had.
Nibbling on a piece of pocky from the crumpled box in my pocket, I doodled that song I sang five days ago on a napkin and showed it to Noriko. Both her eyebrows rose and she gave me a puzzled look as I hummed the tune then glanced at Touma. Touma frowned, took a sip of his whiskey sour and tapped out the beat then shook his head.
"Too slow," he said.
"Then speed it up," I replied with a shrug.
"Hm, it might work. . . " Noriko added, tapping a second beat over the one Touma was pounding out.
"Ryuuichi, do you have the lyrics worked out?"
"In English," I replied with a smirk, leaning back against the soft leather bench. Touma frowned as I sang it softly, my voice echoing with help of the high enclosing booth.
"Letting the eye shine from far away,
waiting for the awakening people
Night's rampart is called out
by the crowd that sheds its complacency
(There's no way out) If you mean to endure the shock
(Until you collapse) confusing a lie
You! Who can be born again,
don't smile by yourself and color your eye
Even if the world we wished for is suddenly
reduced to ashes, we can still find a miracle
(softly embrace me as I break down)
Losing the purity we had,
like petals scattering from a flower
Beginning to perceive cracks
in the polished jewel in your hand
(The chilly hand) gathers the shed thorns (The doused fire) continues to smolder
Even now, where the light is that we couldn't reach,
it dances vividly, sketching emotions
As if they'll never end, guiding words are overflowing;
don't be afraid of changing times
(cry for an exit) (as it caves in)
You! Who were born again,
don't smile by yourself and color your eye
Even if the world we wished for is suddenly
reduced to ashes, we can still find a miracle
Where the light is that we couldn't reach,
it dances vividly, sketching emotions
As if they'll never end, guiding words are overflowing;
don't be afraid of changing times
(softly embrace me, always hold me,
more, until my heart breaks down)"
Touma clicked his tongue. "You had spent too much time in America. . . Okay, it needs a lot of work but it could work. . . Noriko, what do you think?"
She frowned at me then smiled, fondly ruffling my hair and dodging my flailing hands. "I like it and Ryuu-chan is right. All we need to do is speed the beat up, fix the lyrics and we will have our first single."
I fixed my hair and pfted her, finishing off my drink and looking over at Touma. He looked a little tired. Well, we all looked a little tired. As I had thought before, it sucked getting old like we were. We just could not stay up all hours of the day and night and expect to spring back like rubber. Making a big show of stretching in my seat, I reached over to grab Kumagorou from his seat.
"It has been a really long day, na no da." I said, getting up. "So I'm going to go home to sleep the rest of the night away. Are we going to use your private studio for working out the music?"
Touma pursed his lips in thought then nodded. "Mika-san will not tell anyone if she is even there to see us. And I don't think it will be safe to practcie in N-G Studios right now, with everything that is happening. So I'll have the studio up and ready for. . . Tomorrow afternoon? That is the earliest I can make it."
"Sounds good Touma-chan," Noriko said getting up from her seat and ruffling her hair back into place. "That will give me enough time to make sure the kids have a babysitter and have enough time to finish my chores."
She made a face and laughed, waving a hand at us as she walked away, hips swaying in time to an inner beat. I smiled fondly at her back then glanced over at Touma who looked even more tired than I thought he could. I scrunched up my nose and leaned over to touch his cheek. A slender hand rose and caught my wrist before I even got close.
"Ryuuichi, I'm tired."
"Are you sure you are all right?" I frowned at him.
"I'm fine," he said, smiling his stranger's smile. I frowned and shook my head, and he sighed. "Just tired, Ryuuichi. Nothing more."
I freed my hand from his grip and moved over to his side of the booth, snuggling close to him and offering a friendly hug. For a moment, he relaxed against me then he pulled away, looking down at the table with it's litter of napkins and paper and glasses.
"Touma. . .?" I asked, softly.
"Just hold me?"
Nodding, I pulled him into a hug again, holding him close and feeling his heart throb against my chest, smelling his scent wash over me and wishing that that summer so long ago never ever happened.
AN: The lyrics in this part come from the song 'Sleepless Beauty' by Nittle Grasper. They have just been translated from the Japanese to English for this purpose. I have also made it so that they just came up with the song instead of it being a mainstay of the group from years ago. It made a bit more sense to me that they would use a new song to annouce themselves back into things.
~*~*~*~*~*~
= Track Seven =
As recording goes, once I put down my lyrics the rest is easy. Of course, getting me to actually sing those lyrics took a bit of while. That genius that the press harps about is not really a genius but some sort of strange thinking process that could see words in life, could hear music in chaos, can take the two and weave them into a whole. I was either lucky or unlucky to have such a talent since a young age, when music was better than even early morning cartoons or chocolate pocky.
I've found in Touma and slightly in Noriko, people who also had that genius. Their talents ran a bit different than mine; Noriko can harmonize anything, Touma can build a song from an idea. Together, our talents made up Nittle Grasper.
I am not saying that we were the best and no one else could come close. No, that's what the press and the publicists like to say. There are other bands that have the same sort of talents all arranged in their perfect spots. There are other bands out there that are like us in determination and stubbornness and talent. But, it takes a rare band that can pick up from where they left off after being years apart.
Noriko looked just as beautiful as I last remembered her. She had got her hair trimmed shorter and there were a few laugh lines around her eyes, but she was still youthful and full of spirit. When I walked into the blues bar, she squealed with delight, tackled me in a strong hug, and lifted me off my feet.
"Ryuuichi! When did you get back, you evil little man you? You should have called me!"
I laughed and hugged her back. "I was busy. K wouldn't let me do -anything- until I got his stupid tracks done. How have you been?"
Noriko laughed and put me down, telling me all about her professor husband and their two children and all the problems of being a mother who is famous and trying to raise her children to be normal. As she talked, I looked around the bar, remembering how we used to sit in that corner booth, piles of note paper and empty bottles all around us and make our songs. Or how in that spot, we had started an impromptu jam session, Noriko pounding on drums, Touma at the piano and me singing old favorites by Leadbelly, Flatt and Scrubs, Zeppelin. This bar was so much a part of how we got where we did that one of the things we did when we had enough was to buy the place, becoming the owners of a place that will always be both a safe haven and a place where we can talk without being overheard by the wrong people.
We took a seat at the bar and ordered our usual drinks. The bar tender smiled in warm welcome to me and also poured Kumagorou a drink as well without me asking. I had to grin at that, since in America most people looked at me funny when I asked for a drink for Kumagorou. Noriko shook her head at me, smiling softly and taking a sip of her drink.
"So, how was America? Was it just as bad as Touma always acts like it is?"
"Nah, I enjoyed it. They have a lot of stuff there, and even their pizza is better than it is here though I really liked their ice cream more," I paused to lick my lips remembering all the yummy flavors and got poked in the arm by Noriko.
"What about the men? Are they really that hot?"
"Noriko!"
She laughed, draping an arm over my shoulder and leaning close. "I bet you had stars even," she whispered.
I turned a bright red and smacked her lightly on top of her head with Kumagorou. She laughed some more and settled back on her stool, taking another sip of her drink. Muttering to myself that everyone is evil to poor little innocent me, I gulped down my drink, set Kumagorou on the bar and gulped his drink down too. The tender poured me another drink then the bells over the door chimed mutely.
I looked over towards the door, frowning faintly as Touma came in and slid into the stool next to me. Besides us and the tender, no one else was in the bar, which was a good thing. This was not something that everyone in the world needed to find out about. At least not until we were ready to tell everyone about it.
"Sorry I'm late," Touma said, smiling as the tender put his drink in front of him.
"So you are late, Touma-kun," Noriko tease over my shoulder, smiling at Touma.
"You're very late! Kumagorou is even mad at you!" I said, waving the pink bunny over my head as if I meant to smack him with it.
"I am sorry. I had to work late."
"That's okay, Touma," Noriko said from the other side of me. "You're sure busy as the president of your own company."
"Are you okay with this, Noriko? I didn't want to disturb your retirement."
I glanced over at Noriko, and blinked as she took out one of her homemade biscuits. I blinked again and sniffled, pulling arms down and watching as she kissed the sugary treat.
"It's fine. It's not the first time Ryuu-chan has been selfish like this."
I gnawed on Kumagorou's head, eyes gone all chibi and watering at Noriko. "That's mean! Do you hate me, Noriko-chan?"
She smiled and gave me the biscuit. "There is no way that I could hate you. That's why I came."
"So it's okay?"
"Of course. It looks interesting."
Mouth full of delicious biscuit, I added, "Of course it is goning to be interesting! There's a fun guy there too!"
Touma chuckled softly to himself. "That person seems to have the power to affect all kinds of people."
Noriko frowned at us both, putting her drink down. "Wait a minute, who are you two talking about?"
"You'll meet him soon enough, Noriko." Touma looked at the bartop, a smile masking his expression as he repeated himself. "Soon."
I finished savoring my treat and took a big swallow of my drink, jumping up and down on my stool. Noriko leaned over and tugged on a lock of my hair, getting me to calm down and put Kumagorou on the polished bar before looking over my head at Touma.
"So, what are we going to do now?"
"Write songs!" I crowed and looked over at Touma. The blonde nodded, picking up his drink and heading for a back booth. I picked up Kumagorou and my drink bouncing after him and heard Noriko laughing again as she followed me. I couldn't help being excited. I missed Nittle Grasper and missed sitting in the back booth bent over paper with drinks at our elbows and songs in our heads.
Touma and I sat opposite each other while Noriko sat next to me. Kumagorou sat next to Touma and became the resting place for Touma's hat. Taking out my notebook and getting pens from the tender, we bent over the book jolting ideas and talking, trading paper, notebook and pens as the whim struck us. It felt so good being back there. Like a homecoming I never thought I would ever have. These two people were my family more than anything I ever had.
Nibbling on a piece of pocky from the crumpled box in my pocket, I doodled that song I sang five days ago on a napkin and showed it to Noriko. Both her eyebrows rose and she gave me a puzzled look as I hummed the tune then glanced at Touma. Touma frowned, took a sip of his whiskey sour and tapped out the beat then shook his head.
"Too slow," he said.
"Then speed it up," I replied with a shrug.
"Hm, it might work. . . " Noriko added, tapping a second beat over the one Touma was pounding out.
"Ryuuichi, do you have the lyrics worked out?"
"In English," I replied with a smirk, leaning back against the soft leather bench. Touma frowned as I sang it softly, my voice echoing with help of the high enclosing booth.
"Letting the eye shine from far away,
waiting for the awakening people
Night's rampart is called out
by the crowd that sheds its complacency
(There's no way out) If you mean to endure the shock
(Until you collapse) confusing a lie
You! Who can be born again,
don't smile by yourself and color your eye
Even if the world we wished for is suddenly
reduced to ashes, we can still find a miracle
(softly embrace me as I break down)
Losing the purity we had,
like petals scattering from a flower
Beginning to perceive cracks
in the polished jewel in your hand
(The chilly hand) gathers the shed thorns (The doused fire) continues to smolder
Even now, where the light is that we couldn't reach,
it dances vividly, sketching emotions
As if they'll never end, guiding words are overflowing;
don't be afraid of changing times
(cry for an exit) (as it caves in)
You! Who were born again,
don't smile by yourself and color your eye
Even if the world we wished for is suddenly
reduced to ashes, we can still find a miracle
Where the light is that we couldn't reach,
it dances vividly, sketching emotions
As if they'll never end, guiding words are overflowing;
don't be afraid of changing times
(softly embrace me, always hold me,
more, until my heart breaks down)"
Touma clicked his tongue. "You had spent too much time in America. . . Okay, it needs a lot of work but it could work. . . Noriko, what do you think?"
She frowned at me then smiled, fondly ruffling my hair and dodging my flailing hands. "I like it and Ryuu-chan is right. All we need to do is speed the beat up, fix the lyrics and we will have our first single."
I fixed my hair and pfted her, finishing off my drink and looking over at Touma. He looked a little tired. Well, we all looked a little tired. As I had thought before, it sucked getting old like we were. We just could not stay up all hours of the day and night and expect to spring back like rubber. Making a big show of stretching in my seat, I reached over to grab Kumagorou from his seat.
"It has been a really long day, na no da." I said, getting up. "So I'm going to go home to sleep the rest of the night away. Are we going to use your private studio for working out the music?"
Touma pursed his lips in thought then nodded. "Mika-san will not tell anyone if she is even there to see us. And I don't think it will be safe to practcie in N-G Studios right now, with everything that is happening. So I'll have the studio up and ready for. . . Tomorrow afternoon? That is the earliest I can make it."
"Sounds good Touma-chan," Noriko said getting up from her seat and ruffling her hair back into place. "That will give me enough time to make sure the kids have a babysitter and have enough time to finish my chores."
She made a face and laughed, waving a hand at us as she walked away, hips swaying in time to an inner beat. I smiled fondly at her back then glanced over at Touma who looked even more tired than I thought he could. I scrunched up my nose and leaned over to touch his cheek. A slender hand rose and caught my wrist before I even got close.
"Ryuuichi, I'm tired."
"Are you sure you are all right?" I frowned at him.
"I'm fine," he said, smiling his stranger's smile. I frowned and shook my head, and he sighed. "Just tired, Ryuuichi. Nothing more."
I freed my hand from his grip and moved over to his side of the booth, snuggling close to him and offering a friendly hug. For a moment, he relaxed against me then he pulled away, looking down at the table with it's litter of napkins and paper and glasses.
"Touma. . .?" I asked, softly.
"Just hold me?"
Nodding, I pulled him into a hug again, holding him close and feeling his heart throb against my chest, smelling his scent wash over me and wishing that that summer so long ago never ever happened.