[Disclaimer: None of this is mine.]

SARABA, TOMO YO

Lori McDonald
December 1997

"Play that funky music white boy..
Play that funky music now...
Play that funky music white boy..
Lay down boogie and play that funky music till you die.."

The audience sitting at the booths and tables howled with laughter at the singer standing in front of the karaoke machine, microphone in one hand and mug of beer in the other, singing so badly off key that he was almost unintelligible. It just seemed to excite the patrons into louder gales of laughter, especially the regulars who knew him. Over behind the bar, Jun tried not to wince even as she sniggered.

Ken Washio was not a man who should ever be allowed to sing in public.

It was amazing, she thought to herself, how a man as graceful as Ken in combat could become such a nit when it came to dancing. Even without the five beers, he was falling over his feet. She sighed. Drunk and pathetic as he was though, she still loved him.

Jinpei came up to the bar as the song ended and Ken bowed and fell off the stage. "Hey, Onechan, guess what?"

She raised an eyebrow, regarding her little brother. "Hai?"

"I signed you up for the next song," he told her and ran.

"WHAT?" Jun screeched as the spotlight suddenly swung around to blind her. Oh, no!

"And now our lovely hostess will entertain us with a song!" Everyone cheered.

Jun thought fast. "Oh, no! Not yet! I promised Ryu I’d go right after him!"

Across the room, Ryu spat his beer across the floor.

Well, a few minutes grace is better than nothing, she thought wearily as the helmsman was dragged bodily up to the stage in spite of his protests by his fans. Jinpei was nowhere in sight. Little brat. I’m gonna get him for this.

Up on the stage, Ryu hesitantly began to sing, peering intently at the words on the screen with one hand up to shield his eyes.

I was one tough nut until the day you made me crack...
I was one tough customer until you paid me back..
I was one tough cookie till I crumbled in your hand..
Since that day, I'm half a man.

The audience howled.

Half a man..
I'm only half a man..
some times I try to do the best I can...
I know that on my own foot, someday I'll have to stand..
but right now I don't know how, because I'm only half a man

He wasn’t half bad, Jun mused. If only he didn’t stutter so badly.

I play solitaire til dawn with a deck of 26..
you might think I'm crazy, but that's how I get my kicks..
I listen to Rush Limbaugh cause he helps to ease my pain..
he makes lots of sense if you're a man with half a brain.

Still no sign of Jinpei. Feeling her grace period running out, Jun began edging to the stairs up to her apartment, past where Joe was sitting.

He put one foot up on the wall to block her off. "What?" he teased. "We don’t get to hear your lovely dulcet tones?"

"I don’t have any lovely dulcet tones," she growled.

"No shit!"

Ryu was finishing his final lines, already getting ready to bolt back to the safety of his booth. "Let me by, Joe," she said urgently.

His eyes twinkled. "Nope. You stuck Ryu up there. You’re going up too if I have to carry you."

Her eyes widened. "You wouldn’t."

"Yes, as a matter of fact, I would." He sipped his beer. "Consider it karma catching up to you."

Jun rolled her eyes. "Joe Asakura," she hissed. "There is no way in hell that anything is getting me up on that stage!"

The spotlight came down on her. "And now for Jun!" Everyone cheered.

Joe just grinned, knowing he’d already won.

Oh, lord, why did there have to be so many people staring at me??

Her knees shaking, Jun stood on the stage, everyone staring at her.

"Go for it, Onechan!" Jinpei cheered her on from somewhere well out of grabbing range.

Jun seethed. "Jinpei’s next," she yelled to new cheers.

"What?? No, I’m not!"

"Then Joe!" she added savagely. If she was going down, they all were.

In the front row, Ken smiled up at her blearily, his drunken eyes more loving than Jun had ever seen them. Maybe this is my chance, she thought to herself. Maybe he’ll like what I sing. Nothing can express emotion like music!

Strengthened by the thought, she cleared her throat and nodded to Jinpei to start the tape. He grinned at her and pushed the button to start whatever song he’d picked.

Like a virgin... touched for the very first time...

Jun went beat red as the cheering started. This wasn’t quite what she had in mind.

MACHO, MACHO MAN
I WANNA BE A MACHO MAN...

Singing at the top of his lungs while he strutted, Jinpei almost drowned out the laughter as Jun made her way over to Joe’s table.

"You’re going to die," she told him. "You and Jinpei both. Horribly. I just wanted you to know that."

He grinned, his eyes even more beer soaked than before. "Hey, you had a golden opportunity there. You should have taken it."

She blinked. "Golden opportunity? For what?"

"To make Owashi no Buttplug notice you as a woman."

"Singing Like a Virgin?!"

"Hell, yes!" He thumped his mug down on the table for emphasis. "Nothing shows emotion like a song does!"

"But it was Like a Virgin!"

He rolled his eyes. "So?"

Angry, Jun glared at him with her fists on her hips. "I’d like to see you do better, Mr. Music."

"Wait a second, I’m not drunk enough." He downed his beer. "Now I am," he belched and made his way up to the stage, where Jinpei was in his third rendition of Macho Man. Joe yanked him off the stage. "My turn, brat."

Jun sauntered over to the karaoke machine. "Ready?" she cooed, evil thoughts running through her mind.

"Babe, I was born ready."

Jun grinned and flipped the switch, and watched him shudder as the first notes of a country song echoed in the J. Joe hated country, unless the song was about a car.

I like the feel of your name on my lips
And I like the sound of your sweet gentle kiss
The way that your fingers run through my hair
And how your scent lingers even when you're not there

Wait a minute, Jun realized in shock, along with everyone else in the J. Joe could sing! He wasn’t supposed to be able to do that! He was supposed to make an idiot out of himself! Instead he’d discarded the mike, his powerful, deep voice echoing through the J, and his gaze locked on hers.

And I like the way your eyes dance when you laugh

He started towards her, slowly, one step at a time.

And how you enjoy your two hour bath

Stepped off the stage, the boots Ken’d given him shit for wearing earlier glinting in the dim light.

And how you convinced me to dance in the rain

Made his way around a table, edging sideways to move between two drinkers, eyes never leaving her.

With everyone watching like we were insane

Jun found her heart beating faster than it had been.

Joe’s voice crooned over the words, stressing the syllables in slow easy rhythm, his movements matching the tempo.

But I love the way you love me
Strong and wild, slow and easy
Heart and soul, so completely
I love the way you love me

Jun swallowed, reaching for a glass, any glass, as Joe stepped up onto the pedestal that held the karaoke machine, muscles rippling in his arm as he held himself up.

I like to imitate old Jerry Lee

A slight smile.

But you roll your eyes when I'm slightly off-key

Oh God, he could never be off key...

And I like the innocent way that you cry

Circling her.

At sappy old movies you've seen hundreds of times

Breathing in her ear as he passed.

Jun forgot the audience as Joe eased his way back into the chorous, circling her slowly, so close she could feel the heat coming from his body.

But I love the way you love me

Sighed.

Strong and wild, slow and easy

Groaned the words.

Heart and soul, so completely

Whispered.

I love the way you love me

Jun found herself sucking down someone’s wine cooler, but they didn’t seem to notice.

And I could list a million things I love to like about you

Jun’s breath caught as he stepped back in front of her, leaning close, still without touching.

But they all come down to one reason

He bent over, his mouth only an inch from her upturned lips.

I could never live without you

Jun crumpled. He caught her, his eyes smokey with desire. It was like they were the only ones in the room.

I love the way you love me

His strong arms were under hers, one holding her up as the other stroked lightly down her ribcage.

Strong and wild, slow and easy

She sagged, her breasts pressing lightly against his chest as he rocked her, waltzing in place with the gentlest of motions.

Heart and soul, so completely

His hips stroked against hers delicately, one time only.

I love the way you love me

She was completely in his arms, his mouth just above hers. Jun’s eyes closed.

Oh baby I love the way you love me

She kissed him.

Half a second later, she realized what she was doing when the audience, which had been dead silent through the song, erupted into thunderous cheers and applause. Joe pulled back and grinned at her.

"See?"

He went back to his beer while Jun turned a brilliant shade of red.

"But, Joe, you have real talent! You should use it more often!"

"No."

"But you’re letting a great gift go to waste!"

"K’so..."

Jun didn’t budge an inch as the Gunner whirled on her, his gray eyes angry. "Men - don’t - sing," he told her slowly through gritted teeth.

"Sure they do," she assured him, taking his arm so she could flutter her lashes at him and he couldn’t run away. "Lots of them, and they make millions doing it."

"I don’t need millions."

She saw an opening. "You could pay for your races..." she cooed.

Joe hesitated, then shook his head.

"Why not??" she demanded.

"Because it’s embarrassing, that’s why! I don’t sing!"

"You did last night," she pointed out.

"Yeah, and I’m really regretting it now."

Jun turned on the doe eyes. "Joe, please sing another song for me."

"No."

"Please?"

"No!"

"Pretty please? I’ll nag you to death until you do."

"K’SO!"

"Hey, Jun."

Jun looked up from washing dishes to smile at Ken. "You’re not getting a thing until you pay your tab."

He smiled back. He’s so beautiful, she thought.

"Why do you keep bugging Joe about singing for you? It’s been six months. I doubt he’s ever going to do it."

Jun chuckled. "You never know. It’s become a bit of a game, actually. I nag, he avoids. I’ve seen him grinning sometimes about it. But I've promised him that if it's the last thing he does, he's going to sing for me again. I want it on tape."

"That’s bizarre."

She shrugged. "It works for us. Same as you never paying your bartab, no matter what I say."

He perked up. "Does that mean I don’t have to pay? Otherwise we could lose this wonderful feeling between us."

"Don’t hold your breath, Eagle. We’ll find something else."

Ken sulked.

"Get together with Ken, get a relationship. Quit this dangerous business as soon as you can, and get yourself... the happiness a girl should have..."

Jun walked slowly into the J, leaving the door open behind her for Jinpei. He came through and made his way over to the stairs. "I’m going upstairs," he told her dully. Jun nodded, but didn’t say anything.

Outside, she could hear partying going on in the streets, people laughing and singing like they had been for three days. She sat at the bar, not caring, or really feeling anything at all.

The door banged open. "Hey, you open??"

"No," she replied quietly.

"Huh? Why not?"

"Because my brother just died."

"Oh." The man and his friends backed away. "I’m really sorry." They left.

Jun didn’t notice, staring at her reflection in the white countertop. It’d been three days since their decisive, overwhelming victory against the Galactors. Sosai was fled, Katse dead, the syndicate destroyed and the Earth safe. And all it cost them was Joe’s life.

She closed her eyes. They’d tried so hard to save him... and in the end they couldn’t even find his body. They’d searched... her fingernails were all broken from lifting rocks he could have been buried under, but nothing. Joe was gone, leaving nothing but a dying goodbye, a rusted trailer and far too many memories. Sitting there, Jun found herself regretting every harsh word, every flash of anger, everything she ever did to piss him off. She hadn’t been the perfect foster sister, and now she never would get the chance. She felt empty inside, numb. Everything was trapped deep inside her, unable to get out.

Sighing, she looked around the Snack, the only restaurant in the city that was closed. She hadn’t been here since before the final attack on Galactor and she didn’t want to be here now. It held too many memories of Joe, in the corner table, and over by the Karaoke machine he’d used only once.

Her eyes narrowed at the sight of an envelope on the karaoke machine, and she went over to it to find a letter addressed to her. Her breath caught in her throat as she recognized Joe’s handwriting. It was dated the day before he died.

Jun’s hand trembled as she lifted it down. It was heavy, and she opened it to find an audio tape and a letter. She opened the letter.

Jun,

Not to be melodramatic, but if you’re reading this, then I’m dead. Hopefully, so is Katse, and all of you are still alive.

Jun’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes tearing for the first time since they left Joe to die. He knew?

I’m not planning suicide, if that’s what you’re thinking. The truth of the matter is, I’m sick. Too sick to get better, so I’m taking down Katse while I still can. I don’t have much time left. But if I don’t get the chance, I wanted to say goodbye to all of you, and say I was sorry. The tape is for you. Maybe now you’ll leave me alone.

Love,

Joe

Jun stared at the tape in her hand, then slowly turned and inserted it into the Karaoke machine, hitting play. She didn’t know where Joe recorded it, since the tune was unfamiliar, but the words were his, and they said goodbye.

Today my life is fading away
My friends' faces are turning to haze
I feel my heart will fly
Away from this body, away from this life
Away into the sky

Farewell, my mates!
Farewell, my friends!
My journey's at its end
Please don't speak so softly, please don't start to cry
I can't bear to see your sorrowful eyes
But when the burning sun goes down into the night
Just remember me a bit
In the fading light

Today my life is flickering out
My friends' voices are fading away
I feel my soul will fly
Away from this body, away from this life
Away into the star filled sky

Farewell, my mates!
Farewell, my friends!
My journey's at its end
Please don't speak so sadly, please don't start to cry
I can't bear to see your tear filled eyes
But when a shooting star burns out into the night
Just remember me a bit
In the fading light

Farewell, my mates!
Farewell, my friends!
My journey's at its end
Please don't speak so sadly, please don't start to cry
I can't bear to see your tear filled eyes
But when you too go down into the endless night
Just remember me a bit
In the fading light

Jun let the tape run itself down and click off, tears streaming down her face, all the grief finally breaking loose. "This isn’t the song I wanted, Joe," she whispered. "Not this." Putting her face in her hands, she started to sob.

THE END

Credits

This story was inspired by the reading of Alara Rogers' 'singable' translation of the song Saraba, Tomo Yo by Isao Sasaki on the Gatchaman Memorial CD. I've heard the song before, but never knew the words, since it's in Japanese. It's a sad song, though upbeat in tempo, but its impact increased dramatically when I found out what the words are, as well as the fact that the man who sings it is the same man who did Joe's voice. It literally is Joe's goodbye to his friends. The other songs are ones I used for the other characters and were recommended by Harlock, Shana and Jokonduru, respectively. The first song Joe sang was I love the way you love me, which Shana was kind enough to recommend for me, then to pass me on the lyrics.

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