A Performer’s Laugh

Joyful chattering echoes in the backstage, vibrating with the unseen energy fuelling the troop members’ footsteps as they rush around, making sure everything is ready for the show.

    I’m the only one unaffected by the collective enthusiasm, quietly sitting on a wooden box. A bunch of them are aligned close enough to the curtain, letting the projectors’ light partly brush my face.

“That’s truly possible? Mr. Izawa would be a magic holder as well?… But I never noticed anything that would suggest it.” I remain lost in thought. “He is… just an ordinary man. I mean, kind people are a long way from ordinary, as far as I’m aware of, but still. A magic holder?”

    Faint sounds follow one another. The projectors are being turned off. Light vanishing from the stage, the spectators grow silent.

“There’s so little I know about him. I wish I could get to know him better.”

    Turning my grey eyes towards the stage, I hook a finger over the velvet curtains. I lean in a bit closer to peer through them. From the darkness, glowing balls appear, held by the twins. They light the stage just enough to let the spectators appreciate their fancy make-up and costumes.

    Murmurs spread through the crowd.

    But a discreet weight growing on my lap shifts my attention to the girl now lying down on the wooden boxes, the gap between them allowing Fujiko to lay on her back.

    I frown.

“These are my knees.”

“And they are very comfy.” She notes with a sleepy voice.

    A sigh.

    Unfrowning a bit, I simply stare at her. She has long, straight, night-blue hair. Under her left eye is painted a silver dormouse.

“Fujiko is probably a bit older than I am.”

    Dressed for the evening, she wears a short-sleeved tail coat, slightly lighter than her hair, and a thick golden ribbon tied around her collar.

“You’ll make me blush, staring at me like this.” Fujiko says, amused, as she partly opens her lilac eyes. “Did you find him? The person you’re looking for.”

    I briefly widen my eyes, before averting my gaze.

“No. Not yet.”

“Not yet, mmm… Why that gloomy look if you still have hope of finding him?” She asks with a smile, in a lazy voice. “Is there something else weighing on your mind?”

“Nothing special.”

“Afraid of being back at home after curfew?”

    Her words make me stiffen, but I quickly chase that feeling away.

“We stopped there on our way back, long enough for them to see me. That will suffice for tonight.”

“If you say so.” She closes an eye, as if too much of a slacker to keep both open. Keeping observing me for a while. “You make me think of the twins.”

“The twins? I’m not sure we have anything in common.”

“They were the same, though, when they joined the troop. There was no joy in their eyes. Just pain.”

    Said like this, it sounds odd. With all I know about Tatsuya and Tatsuma so far, I can hardly imagine them doing anything other than laughing and running around. Having fun.

“What happened to them?” I end up asking, peeking through the curtains to observe them again.

    Tatsuma and Tatsuya are back to back, stepping away from each other while keeping juggling with their fluorescent balls. Their moves are perfectly mirrored. To the tiniest detail. Not only the pace of their steps, but the moment a ball brushes their hands, the way it ascends…

“It was when they were ten. It’s at this age Longwei and I found them during a patrol, not long after we settled in Yokohama.”

“So it actually happens that you help others instead of sleeping?” I raise an eyebrow.

“They stayed outside playing for too long, and it was already evening. They were too busy messing with the neighbourhood’s dog to notice a roaming Jikininki. The dog was faster to smell it. It ran away whining so much that, after the dog bypassed us, Longwei and I decided to retrace its steps.” She pauses. “Somehow, we arrived in time to save the twins. Alas, it wasn’t the case for their parents.”

    On the stage, Tatsuya and Tatsuma catch all the balls before chaining multiple stunts, somersaults… The more the spectators seem thrilled by their performance, the more the twins seem to put an effort into this. It’s like a game for them.

“They arrived before us, and shielded Tatsuma and Tatsuya with their own bodies. Their father’s head was already half-munched the moment we arrived, blood everywhere. Not a pretty sight, I must say.”

    The festive music fills the silence I let after her words. I can hardly believe Fujiko. Such a nightmarish thing happened?

    I glance back at them as they salute the applauding public. They’re so lively…

“But don’t ask them about it.” Fujiko adds. “It’s been two years. They probably forgot all of this by now.”

“After only two years?”

    No more words cross her lips as she observes me with her eyes mid-closed, her smile spreading ever so slightly. As if I asked for an explanation I already had the answer for.

“Is this… Is this what happens when you use magic? Don’t they remember anything beyond these last two years?”

    A realisation crosses my mind.

“But you still remember.”

“I do. This cute lady is older than them, though. I have more memories to lose than kids. Besides…” she pauses, the twins’ footsteps growing closer as they hurry over here, “…you have to use magic to lose your memories.”

    Ah… Of course, since that girl barely does anything else than sleeping, she sure doesn’t use magic a lot. To be honest, I’m kinda surprised the others let her behave like this.

“Fujiko, Fujiko!” Tatsuya exclaims, both he and his brother reaching our side. “You still aren’t on stage?”

“You should hurry and go!” Tatsuma adds.

    Fujiko merely glances at them, closing one eye. Barely concerned, it seems.

    At the same moment, the director bypasses us, heading to the stage.

“Ahh, Mr. Director!” Tatsuma calls. “It’s Fujiko’s turn, and she still hasn’t joined Edward.”

    The director turns on his heels.

“How truly terrible.” He gets close enough to lean in and, cautiously, he takes the queen slacker in his arms. “Fujiko, you know I appreciate you a lot, but making an effort at least tonight wouldn’t have been a bad thing. Think of the example you set for Megumi’s debut.”

“My what now?” I chime in.

“Ohh, but setting an un-example is important as well.” Fujiko argues. “I would say it is even more so.”

    The director seems to ponder her words for a while, long enough to drive me crazy. The hell is that whole debut thing about?

“You’re right, it’s a clever remark.”

    Only then does he finally turn his eyes to me, still hidden by his mask.

“Rubeus hasn’t told you? You’re going to assist him tonight.”

“Wait, what?”

    A laugh escapes him. I’d think it’s to mock me, but his chuckle holds a gentle note instead, as unnerving as it is.

“Did you think you were just going to stay behind the curtains? You’re part of our troop. It isn’t only a matter of fighting Jikininkis; that would be rude of us only sharing that with you.”

    Before I can mutter another protest, he turns his back to me, heading to the stage.

“Tatsuya, Tatsuma, please help her find suitable clothes.”

    Peering over the director’s shoulder, Fujiko waves at me.

“Sure, Mr. Director!” The twins reply in unison.

    Each of them takes hold of one of my hands, forcing me to stand up and follow them in a hurry.

“No, no, no! I never agreed to this!”

    Of course, the only reaction I get is the twins’ laughs. Mate…

    They lead me to a corner of the tent filled with tens of costumes hanging, pieces of fabric protruding from nearby storage boxes.

    But…

    Somehow, I can’t force them to release me. After what Fujiko told me… I’m feeling bad about them. I didn’t know. I didn’t know even sincere laughs could be that sad…