Distant Chorus [Kyoko/Mashiro]

“

Without music, life would be a mistake.

Of all seasons, Mashiro was most comfortable in Winter. It was easier to wear longer sleeves and longer dresses and pants without overheating. Spring generally wasn't so bad and thankfully Fukui Academy was not much hotter than Tokyo, and in some cases was a bit cooler due to its location in the mountains. That meant that at least for today, Mashiro was able to comfortably wear a light white turtleneck and a long plated skirt as she ventured out into Hosagai Park.

Though Hanami had passed, a myriad of flowers in full bloom greeting the pianist as she entered the park in the early morning. There were few who were on the road to the park and even less in the park itself. Not that Mashiro minded any. She wasn't there to perform for money, but rather to have a change of scenery as she worked. The sound of her boots tapping against the cobblestone path mixed with the shuffling of the keyboard she carried on her back, a full 88-key grand piano that stood nearly the size of the musician who owned it.

There was a bench in the middle of the park where Mashiro always had set herself up, and with the changing seasons, the camellias around it were now in full bloom, surrounding the pianst in serene pink as she took out the keyboard and its stand from the hefty bag and set it up. The keyboard sang a vibrant glissando as Mashiro tested the keys for their responsiveness, then adjusted the volume to a more proper level. Once satisfied, Mashiro reached into the bag one last time to procure a messy ream of papers and a few pencils, placing the handwritten score onto the built-in stand.

Today's assignment was a composition in strophic form. Mashiro had mixed feelings about it, feeling it to be too limiting yet was a fan of the minimalist genre. Appropriate for folk songs, yes, but the pianist enjoyed more sweeping and flowing melodies rather than strict formula. Most of the composition had been completed the night before, using the headphone functionality of the keyboard so that she could listen to her compositions without waking up her roommate.

Short bursts of melody escaped the bench-side studio as Mashiro put the final touches on the composition, correcting a few notes here and there. And with the final score locked in place, the pianist took a deep breath and closed her eyes, putting her fingers to the keys as the full song floated into the air, inviting all passerby to come and listen.

[ Kyoko Kitamura | 434 | ♫MUSIC | NOTES: it begins! ]

MADE BY KAIZU OF WW AND TWF

Kyoko shook her limbs loose and then did some light stretching before going out for her morning jog. She stepped out of her dorm building wearing simple shorts, a t-shirt, and running shoes. She also wore a belt that held a bottle of water. Kyoko took a deep breath of the morning air and then headed off down the path off the school grounds. This was her daily morning routine, getting up early and then going out for a run. It kept her in excellent shape and helped clear her mind. The fresh air, the scenery, and now the warming weather put her in a good mood for the day. Though she also went out on more miserable days. Even when the world was gloomy, a little exercise could put you in the right mood to handle the day.

It also helped her focus, keep her mind in check. She needed to put her attention on her art. Kyoko was behind and struggling a bit with her paintings. While skilled, her art was lacking passion. Low on inspiration, it was difficult for her to paint something that didn't look average or depressing. It didn't help that it didn't particularly matter if she passed or failed. Most of the students would likely have their parents coming down on them for failing, but her father didn't care about the result of her schooling here. An odd sort of freedom, in a way, but perhaps the lack of pressure to succeed hindered her? That didn't seem like it would be the reason to Kyoko though, since she wanted to succeed here. It was the last bit of her life left that she had control over and she wanted to get in a win for herself before she was married. No, the problem was with her on some level and she needed to get her mind in the game and perform at her best. So while she ran, Kyoko let the scenery fill her senses and hoped an idea would come to her.

After running for a while, Kyoko entered the park to circle it. This was a beautiful place and the flowers were beginning to bloom giving off a feeling of youth and vitality that only enhanced the effects of her run. Kyoko paused a moment for a break to catch her breath and have a bit of water. She wiped the sweat from her brow and took a small sip to cool off. Not too much, she didn't want a cramp. That was when she heard music drifting through the gardens. Curiosity winning out, Kyoko decided to see where it was coming from. She walked along a different path that led to a small area with a bench surrounded by flowers. A girl sat there playing on a keyboard. Kyoko walked up a bit, but then paused to just listen. It was a simple tune, but she played it well. She had talent and Kyoko had to hazard a guess that she was part of the music department of Fukui Academy. Kyoko just listened as she caught her breath again and waited for the song to finish. When the song ended, Kyoko clapped her hands together lightly while wearing a small smile.

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Words - 541 | Tag - Mashiro Satou | Notes - First post! Woot!

“

Without music, life would be a mistake.

Though her crimson eyes would slowly open, Mashiro remained blind, her mind focusing only on the melody that was coming from her fingertips. From the last repetition of the chorus, she transitioned into the coda, taking a deep breath as the notes slowed down for one last chord. Her hands lifted themselves from the keys abruptly to cut short the sound, giving it a more emphatic tone. But instead of soft echoes, Mashiro could hear the sound of applause pulling the rest of her senses back to reality. The pianist flinched in surprise as her sight finally registered that she now had an audience. With a gentle smile, Mashiro stood up from the bench, grabbed the sides of her dress, and bowed as if she was on a stage.

"Ah, thank you very much..." Mashiro said trailing off as she realized she did not have a name. Despite that, something about this girl felt familiar, as she she had possiblyw seen her before. She was possibly another student at Fukui Academy, but there was something a little more familiar that Mashiro could not yet put her finger on, but she brushed it aside in favor of trying to continue the conversation. "Ah, my apologies for spacing out as well. It...tends to happen when I focus on music."

Mashiro did her best to laugh it off as she sat back down, though hints of embarrassment still slipped though. "Ah, it's a rather beautiful day, is it not?" Mashiro asked, trying to use the usual bits of conversation she relied on back when she managed the shop. "I sadly was rained on the last time I was here, but it looks like we have clear skies today. Ah, oh no!"

Hiding her mild panic, the pianist moved the keyboard aside a bit, enough to create a gap for someone to sit down. "Ah, my apologies, I did not mean to take up all the space. Here, if you need to sit down."

[ Kyoko Kitamura | 332 | ♫MUSIC | NOTES ]

MADE BY KAIZU OF WW AND TWF

Kyoko grinned as the girl got up and bowed to her applause. Well, she was certainly a performer, which was good for a pianist. Or any entertainer for that matter. Appealing to the crowd was important in show business. Not that Kyoko knew much about being a performer, but she imagined that information was common knowledge. The girl thanked her and then there was a pause as she stared for a moment. Kyoko stared back. She was certainly unique looking with her light grey hair and red eyes. Kyoko had never seen that look before. She wondered how difficult it was to get such a perfect looking dye job.

The girl then apologized for spacing out while playing, though Kyoko didn't see a problem with getting into ones music. It just showed how passionate she was about playing. Passion... just like Kyoko was missing from her own art. How did one find passion? Perhaps she could get some clues from this girl? She had certainly found her own passion. Kyoko wondered what fueled it.

"It certainly is nice out, yes." Kyoko agreed. The girl lamented about being rained on the last time she was out here, but the weather forecast indicated that they should be fine for today. Then Kyoko's eyes widened a bit as the girl seemed suddenly dismayed. Her grief was only at taking up the whole bench though, for which she apologized once more. Kyoko smiled and chuckled at the offer.

"I guess I could take a short break." she replied, then walked over and sat down beside the girl, "I enjoy this kind of weather myself. I go out for a run every morning and it's always more enjoyable on a beautiful day." she said.

"Your music was equally beautiful, by the way. A lovely addition to the scenery around here." she added with a smile.

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Words - 310 | Tag - Mashiro Satou | Notes - N/A

“

Without music, life would be a mistake.

Mashiro managed a smile as the other girl replied, silently praising her for her atheletic ability and commitment to keeping a schedule. The pianist's exercise came largely from her shop, and then from carrying her keyboard around, but to Mashiro she considered a runner's endurance to be different than a lot of walking around and heavy lifting.

As the other girl sat down next to her, Mashiro's crimson eyes widened with surprise for a breif moment. She had offered the seat out of courtesy, courtesy that was a habit born from working in the shop more than anything else, and in a sense, had no expectations. Perhaps other than a few who barged their way in, no one had ever simply sat down with the intent to chat with her, and it unnerved her slightly. Still, she was able to hide her anxiety behind a gentle smile.

"Ah, please, no need for such flattery..." Mashiro replied, again trailing off since she did not have the other girl's name. It was partly out of habit and partly out of nervousness that Mashiro kept to more formal and polite manners of speech. "There is still much for me to learn. I am largely self-taught, but, if I am to make a career of being a composer, I need to be able to do more than just my usual Sonata Form."

There was an awkward silence as Mashiro tried to think of what next to say. Curiosity ate at her, and she eventually caved in.

"Ah, my apologies, I should introduce myself. I am Satou Mashiro, pleased to meet you." Mashiro bowed and flourished, despite still sitting down. "If you could permit me, may I ask if you are a a student at Fukui Academy as well?"

[ Kyoko Kitamura | 302 | ♫MUSIC | NOTES ]

MADE BY KAIZU OF WW AND TWF

Kyoko smiled at the girl's modesty. She played well but didn't brag about it. Perhaps there wasn't a 'need' for it, but it was still deserved. The girl played well and a simple compliment was the least one could give in return. Making it even more deserved was the fact that she was self taught. To learn how to play like that all by yourself was something incredible. Kyoko had talent with painting, but she also had training to refine that gift and make it what it was. She didn't believe she'd be anywhere near where she was with her painting without the help of others. Kyoko had to truly respect this girl's ability and talent. Maybe she didn't really belong in this school after all. If it wasn't for the fact that her father was paying in full then she doubted she would be.

The silence that had formed while Kyoko had been lost in thought was broken by the girl introducing herself. She even managed a bow despite their sitting position which brought a smile back to Kyoko's face. The girl followed it up by asking Kyoko if she went to the academy. That was right, it would be less obvious of Kyoko given she was just out for a run. She certainly didn't carry canvas with her during her exercises and she didn't run in her uniform. Kyoko gave her a nod.

"I am a student at Fukui Academy, yes. I'm in the painting department. My name is Kitamura Kyoko, it's nice to meet you too, Satou-san." she said, mimicking Mashiro's sitting bow "I have to say I am really impressed that you are self-taught. I never would have guessed it just by hearing you, it sounded like a professional. I guess it just shows that you can't really assume anything about people at first glance." she added with another smile. At least it had sounded that way to Kyoko. Though she admittedly was hardly an expert on the subject.

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Words - 335 | Tag - Mashiro Satou | Notes - N/A

“

Without music, life would be a mistake.

There was an audiable sigh of relief from the pianist as the Kyoko confirmed that she was a fellow student, albiet of a different department. Mashiro tried her best to remember the few people who did talk to her, and as much as she could remember, none of them were painters. It was nice to get another perspective, and despite being aware of her own shyness, Mashiro was eager to listen to whatever stories Kyoko had, the same way she did back in her family's shop in Tokyo.

But as Kyoko praised Mashiro there was a subtle change in the pianist's expression as her mind sped up for a brief instant. Kitamura. Perhaps she had met Kyoko in a core class like Math or Science, assuming they were both first years, but for some reason, Kyoko reminded her of...Auntie Haru? Or even her own mother, Natsu. Natsu Kitamura. But the breif moment of introspection passed as the rest of Kyoko's words caught up to Mashiro's mind.

"Ah, really, Kitamura-san, I only got this far through sheer practice," Mashiro said, the awkward nervousness of being praised starting to crack through her smile. "Ah, much of my older work was really mimicry of composers that I liked, combined with concepts that I looked up online and barely understood. Even with the thousands of hours of songs that I composed, a lot of the music theory classes I have had was new material, though in hindsight, a lot of it was putting names to concepts that I picked up on my own. But, that's why we're here, right? To help refine our talent?"

As Mashiro's nervousness went away, her tone of speaking shifted to something more formal, an act which she tried to cover up by changing the subject.

"Ah! Anyway, Kitamura-san! Do you have a specific painting which inspires you greatly?"

[ Kyoko Kitamura | 319 | ♫MUSIC | NOTES ]

MADE BY KAIZU OF WW AND TWF

Kyoko chuckled at Mashiro's modest reply. That was her argument against doing something impressive? This girl clearly worked very hard at her craft, poured her heart and soul into it and turned her passion into a delight that tickled the ears as an exquisite dessert would a tongue. Kyoko had only heard a small taste of her capabilities but it left her wanting to hear more and she believed further performance would provide equal, if not superior, works of art. This was a true artist at work here; someone who deserved to be going to a fine school like Fukui.

"Despite what you say, I think that all sounds very impressive, Satou-san." Kyoko told her with a smile. Then Mashiro rhetorically asked if that's why they were at the academy followed by inquiring about Kyoko's painting inspirations. Kyoko looked down at the ground for a moment. Both questions struck a chord with her. Going to Fukui to refine your artistic talents would be why most girls would be students there. Many also wouldn't have rich father's footing the bill and would have had to put in every effort to get an invite. Kyoko was beginning to feel like her presence there on her father's yen was an insult to everything girls like Mashiro put all that work in for. She didn't feel like having money put her on equal terms with these artists and while she knew she had some talent, Kyoko couldn't help but wonder if she really belonged there when it was a chore for her to even find some passion to put in her work.

Then there was the second question. Kyoko decided not to answer the first since she knew Mashiro hadn't intended it to be as serious as Kyoko herself took it, but the second was one looking for an answer. But how to do so? There was certainly nothing to be gained by lying, but when she thought about it the truth was somewhat embarrassing. Kyoko sighed and answered.

"Honestly... there isn't. I don't have some story of great inspiration that drives me on. I just got some good praise from teachers and artists in the past over my 'potential' and... well, I guess here I am." she said, giving Mashiro another smile, though this one was to hide her own doubts. Maybe the lack of a role model was the reason for her lack of passion? She certainly had little inspiration to draw from, painting had been little more than a hobby before now. She loved to do it, but also knew she could never be an artist. Her little story that she had told Mashiro had skipped over the part that her father had made the choice to send her here. That would just sound bad and wasn't something she wanted to share with people.

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Words - 474 | Tag - Mashiro Satou | Notes - N/A

“

Without music, life would be a mistake.

The smile that Kyoko wore was a familiar one, even if Mashiro did not conciously recognize it, and it kicked off the pianist's sense of worry. "Ah, that's f-" Mashiro started, cutting herself off when she realized that she had dropped her formal tone, or rather, had slowly been dropping it. There was no point in trying to keep it up now, and so Mashiro opted to just keep speaking more naturally. "Ah, that's fine, Kitamura-san. Honestly, I think my story is rather rare, if not cliched." There was a nervous laugh as Mashiro struggled to keep the conversation going. "Ah, still, you wouldn't have gotten here without talent, talent that was recognized by the people around you, and by people who want to see that talent be refined, right?"

Mashiro put her hands to the keys as she thought of another topic. "Ah, my parents got me this keyboard for my tenth birthday. Before that, I thought I was going to end up running the bakery with my older brother, but my parents encouraged me to follow music." There was a tone of immense gratitude in the pianist's voice as she turned on the keyboard again and started to play a simple but lighthearted song, one that she had played so many times that it came to her automatically. "Ah, but as my mother told me, it was only fair, considering how she and my father ended up eloping and running from their families, the Satou and Kitamura families, in order to pursue their dream of opening the shop."

There was a bit of relieved laughter coming from Mashiro that mixed into the piano melody as the pianist humourously added, "Ah, if my older brother was a girl, I'm sure he'd be at school with me, but in the culinary arts department."

[ Kyoko Kitamura | 311 | ♫MUSIC | NOTES: Click on "MUSIC" to the left to hear what song she is playing ]

MADE BY KAIZU OF WW AND TWF

Mashiro attempted to comfort Kyoko on her lack of an inspirational idol, however the painter's issues lay far deeper then a simple role model to follow. Mashiro didn't know that, obviously, and Kyoko had no intention of sharing her deeper troubles with people, so the simple intent behind the assurance was appreciated. She also said that Kyoko was at this school because the people around her had faith in her abilities. Something else that just wasn't true. The school had enough prestige that it looked good she was attending and it was an all girls school which her father wanted her to attend. It hadn't been her choice and it wasn't because her father believed in her skills that he had sent her here.

But maybe she should just stop worrying about all of that so much. It wasn't like she hated it here or even that she was trying to. She actually liked it here. Given a choice, she might have selected it herself. Her father's plans didn't change this fact. It really wasn't so bad that she was here now. She just needed to stop dwelling so much on a future years down the road and let herself enjoy this time she was having now. That would be for the best. Kyoko found that difficult to do though. No matter how hard she tried to push those thoughts away, they always came floating back.

Kyoko left the rhetorical question unanswered again and just let Mashiro assume her family supported her painting talents. The girl began on a story about her keyboard and Kyoko was happy for the subject change. Mashiro had quite the opposite story of Kyoko. She had expected to follow what her family had started only to be told to follow her own path. That was... something different to Kyoko. From where she came from such freedoms were unheard of. People had a responsibility to their families that they needed to uphold lest they shame them. It was a matter of honor and respect. She wouldn't be alive without her parents and they were older and wiser then she was. It wasn't her place to question them.

Mashiro began playing again, a nice happy feeling song. She continued with her story, even going into some back story about her parents. Kyoko eyes widened when her own name cropped up in the story. Mashiro mentioned it casually and then moved one without pointing it out. Given Mashiro's name was 'Satou', Kyoko guessed that Kitamura was her mother's maiden name. Her mother ran away from her family? Kyoko had never heard of anything like that happening in her family before. Though, if she were being honest, her family would never mention such a thing. To them, someone that did that would never have existed. They certainly wouldn't tell stories about it. Though maybe this person wasn't related to her at all and it was just an extreme coincidence. Mashiro didn't seem particularly interested in the connection, so perhaps it was truly nothing. In fact, the girl continued talking about her brother and Kyoko jumped on the subject, perfectly happy with any excuse not to talk about her family.

"He must be quite the chef then. You probably get to eat some pretty tasty food when you're at home." Kyoko said. It felt kind of awkward ignoring that 'elephant in the room' Mashiro had released. They both now knew that Kyoko shared a surname with Mashiro's mother. There existed the possibility that these two girls who met by pure happenstance in a park were distantly related. If Mashiro's hair wasn't dyed then would it be the same color as hers? If it turned out to be true, her father wouldn't like her talking to Mashiro. It was probably better the question remained unanswered.

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Words - 633 | Tag - Mashiro Satou | Notes - I think things just got a little more awkward xD

“

Without music, life would be a mistake.

Ignorance is bliss, perhaps for both the painter and the pianist. Mashiro knew only a bit about the Satou family, and that was because despite her uncle's displeasure with his younger brother not joining the family law firm, her father still remained in good graces with his brothers, largely due to the revelation that the confectionery's initial investor was Mashiro's grandfather. But for her mother's side of the family, beyond the other aunts who slipped away, the main Kitamura family might as well have never existed. Not that Mashiro was ignorant of how her mother and aunts were effectively disowed nor to the fact that the girl next to her had the same family name of her mother, but for the time being, Mashiro was rather disinclined to speak about that rather messy family situation she was in.

Oblivious to the turmoil of the girl next to her, Mashiro played her next song, another soothing piece she spoke. "Ah, I wouldn't go as far as saying that, Kitamura-san. I mean, yes, my brother, as well and myself and my parents, all know how to cook a wide array of things, but it's not like it's fancy, gourmet meals every time." Mashiro said, adding with a soft giggle. "We sell candy, anyways!"

A gentle breeze passed by, causing the pianist's white hair to cover her eyes briefly before she was able to push the locks of hair away. "Ah...it's longer now...maybe I should grow it out like Chiri-nee...? Anyways..." Mashiro muttered softly in introspection before shaking her head and looking back to Kyoko.

"Ah, still, if Kitamura-san is ever in Tokyo, feel free to stop by and visit. We're just a block south of the main Haichiouji station, Chuo Line," Mashiro said, giving off her best shop smile before breaking it with a nervous laugh. "Ah, not that I am really trying to advertise, but, anyways!"

[ Kyoko Kitamura | 330 | ♫MUSIC | NOTES: Click on MUSIC for next song.I couldn't make it more awkward, sorry. ]

MADE BY KAIZU OF WW AND TWF

Mashiro was being modest again, in Kyoko's opinion. That seemed to be her response when she was complimented. It was better than arrogance, but Kyoko felt she'd have to keep it in mind when talking to her. Her passive opinion of her family's cooking skills likely meant that their food was quite good, even if it wasn't gourmet. However, she did seem to be quite proud of the candy they made, and that kind of confidence made Kyoko keen to try some if she got the chance. She wasn't sure when she might be able to, but she would like to. The discussion of the candy also helped push things away from the awkward moment with the surnames. Kyoko pushed it from her mind.

"Not trying to advertise, maybe, but doing a good job anyway. Now I want to try some." Kyoko said with a laugh. Mashiro also made an off comment about her hair getting longer. Not something Kyoko even thought of in regards to Mashiro, having just met her. She wondered how short it had been originally before getting to this point. Kyoko's was far longer. Even tied in a ponytail as it was, it came down over most of her back. When she let it down it was past her waist.

"As to your hair, I don't know who Chiri-san is, but I do like longer hair myself, if that wasn't obvious." Kyoko said with a smile, shaking her head a bit to make her ponytail sway back and forth for emphasis, "Will you keep it dyed if you grow it out?" she asked innocently, unaware of the true nature of Mashiro's hair colour.

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Words - 278 | Tag - Mashiro Satou | Notes - Sorry about the wait! Small one this time!

“

Without music, life would be a mistake.

Kyoko's laugh put Mashiro at ease again, at least for a short while. It had been quite a while since she was able to have a conversation with a normal person. Not that Mashiro's classmates were abnormal per se, but they tended to be a mix of hyper, pushy, dramatic, abrasive, eccentric, or that one very special case...broken. So having a rather calm and collected person to talk to was a rare gift.

Mashiro never intended for her off-the-cuff remark about her hair or Chiri to spur further conversation, and she had kept it short largely due to her work in the shop, finding little patience with how her longer-haired cousin Misha tied up her hair to work. Silently, the pianist twirled a lock of her hair in contemplation. Kyoko's question seemed innocent enough, even though she was one of the first people in Fukui to directly ask about it. Above all, Mashiro feared the reaction to the revelation regarding her hair, but she still took a deep breath and took the risk.

"Ah, I don't dye my hair, Kitamura-san," Mashiro replied, barely containing her embarrassment. "This is...my natural hair color. The same with my eyes, and my skin. I've tried dying my hair and using contact lenses that changed my eye colour so it looked more...normal, but...it never seemed to turn out well. And it was too much a hassle to keep it up too..." Mashiro trailed off as her hands nervously tracked over her keyboard, causing it to emit a soft glissando.

"Ah, and Chiri-nee? She's my twin sister?" the pianist continued, misinterpreting the Kyoko's previous statement as a question asking about who Chiri was. "Ah, well, I don't live with her. It's a bit of an odd story, really. My family really is an odd story..." Mashiro trailed off again, trying to smile the best she could.

[ Kyoko Kitamura | 327 | ♫MUSIC | NOTES: Work, family, sickness, hasty post, sorry... ]

MADE BY KAIZU OF WW AND TWF

"Oh!" Kyoko exclaimed, lifting fingers to her lips, upon hearing the reason for Mashiro's unique appearance. She hadn't even considered the idea that it might be real, sheltered Kyoko had never even heard of such a thing. Now she felt stupid and bad for bringing up something that clearly embarrassed Mashiro. Kyoko shifted to face her more and bowed her head to Mashiro.

"My apologies, Satou-san. I didn't realize." she said. It was true, you couldn't really assume anything in this world. Mashiro explained how she had once tried to hide her odd hair and eyes to look more normal but had given up when it hadn't worked. Clearly this was something she was sensitive over and Kyoko had gone and trampled all over the subject. Still, at the same time, Kyoko had never thought there was anything wrong with Mashiro's appearance, just that it was different. In reality there was nothing wrong with her at all, she was just a bit unusual. Kyoko saw no reason for her to hide how she looked and hoped people hadn't given her too much trouble over her looks. Her thoughts drifted to her family. If Mashiro had Kyoko's family then her father likely would have forced her to cover it up to look more normal.

"Well, if it's any consolation, I think it looks nice as is. Very pretty." Kyoko told her, giving her a smile. Either to cover her embarrassment or because she was completely fine with things, Mashiro moved the conversation back to the Chiri person she had mentioned, who turned out to be her twin sister. Fascinating, really. Kyoko had never met a twin before that she knew of. Mashiro also mentioned that her family was something of an odd story. That was families for you though. Kyoko wasn't sure if she could say her family story was odd, so much as bad.

"They seem fun from what you've said so far, at least. And odd can be interesting too." Kyoko offered.

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Words - 334 | Tag - Mashiro Satou | Notes - Woo! Back!

“

Without music, life would be a mistake.

"Ah...t-thank you, Kitamura-san..." Mashiro replied. Pale skin made it impossible for the pianist to hide her blush and smile, but was one of the rare times Mashiro had been positively complemented on her appearance by someone who wasn't family. For a moment, Mashiro fidgeted, then tried to divert it through random improv on her keyboard.

Ah, well, when I say odd I don't mean things like quirky personalities or habit or things like that, though there's no shortage of those," Mashiro explained. Crimson eyes full of worry looked down into her hands before gazing into Kyoko's. She was in very understanding company, but was it really a good idea to explain further? A strange force compelled the composer, who found that there was something that was becoming increasingly familiar in the dark-haired girl sitting next to her.

"Ah, what I mean is that...we're a rather scattered and cobbled-together family. It really isn't a secret, it's just something that...I guess never really mattered to us." Mashiro said, looking back down into her keyboard. "A lot of us aren't actually related by blood, but...we treat each other as if we were related by blood. No...that's not right..."

The musician shook her head and went silent as she tried to rephrase her feelings. The concept was rather simple, so why was it so difficult? With a sad sigh, Mashiro was able to push on.

"Ah...I suppose...if my mother and aunts aren't ashamed, I shouldn't be either. But...I don't think my mother's family talks to her or my aunts anymore. At least not after Auntie Aki died. So...our blood-related family in comparison really distant." Mashiro looked to Kyoko again. "I...I know there's a lot of Kitamuras, so I guess it's a really long shot, but you haven't heard of an Haru, Natsu, Aki, and Fuyu in your family?"

[ Kyoko Kitamura | 335 | ♫MUSIC | NOTES ]

MADE BY KAIZU OF WW AND TWF

At least this time Mashiro accepted the compliment without trying to play it down. In fact, she seemed genuinely happy to hear it, which made Kyoko smile too. She hoped the reason wasn't because it was rare to hear but that was always a possibility. It was a different appearance to be sure, but there was nothing bad about it. And these days there were many people who went out of their way to look as unique and out there as possible. Mashiro's looks were not all that extreme and Kyoko found it odd people might treat her poorly over it. That is, until she thought of her father again. People like him didn't like different, free-thinking people. They liked people to fall in line and do what they're suppose to and act like society deemed appropriate. Those were the controllable people. Even when it was a natural affliction, it didn't matter. Kyoko figured she, herself, would fall under the controllable people. Exactly what her father wanted.

Speaking of family, Mashiro began attempting to explain what she had meant when she had called her family odd. It sounded like she had a rather complicated family history. So some people were adopted into her family. Was Mashiro adopted too? Maybe that's why she was feeling kind of embarrassed about the topic. Kyoko didn't want to make her say anything she didn't feel comfortable with so she didn't ask her outright. Mashiro went back to the previously untouched topic of the possibility of them being related by asking if Kyoko had heard of certain people in her family.

"Um, no. I haven't heard of those people before. Sorry." Kyoko said apologetically. She left out the possible reasons why that might be though, which were reasons that left the possibility of relation still on the table. Anyone who was not considered respectable by her family's standards was effectively not part of the family in their opinion. It actually pointed to a stronger chance of the two girls being related given the Kitamura's that Mashiro was describing fit the way Kyoko's family would act in that situation and Kyoko herself would not be made privy to such details. Kyoko was rather sheltered and didn't meet anyone her father felt would be a bad influence. It made Kyoko feel a little nervous and awkward, but she kept from showing it as she had been taught. She didn't want to say anything that might sound bad about her family, so she left it ambiguous. That was not her place.

"At least your family seems to be close despite things. As long as you're happy with them, I don't think it matters if you're blood related." Kyoko said, hoping to help ease some of Mashiro's concern about her family tree. They sounded like good people to Kyoko, people that let Mashiro be Mashiro and didn't control her life. That didn't sound like a bad group to live with. Perhaps blood-relation didn't matter at all in the end, at least not as much as how people treated each other. If someone in Mashiro's family was part of Kyoko's family, then maybe she was happier where she was now.

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Words - 532 | Tag - Mashiro Satou | Notes - N/A

“

Without music, life would be a mistake.

"Ah, it's okay, Kitamura-san! Don't worry about it." Mashiro replied. It was a long shot in the composer's mind anyways, and Mashiro wasn't by any means disappointed or upset. Instead, she nodded and smiled brightly at Kyoko, oblivious to whatever inner turmoil was brewing within. The pianist rested her hands on the keys again and started to play again, this time just an improvised song. It was easy to discren that Mashiro was in a good mood by the rather bright and cheery melody that rose into the air, if the experssion on her face wasn't obvious enough.

"Ah, but you're right. We are happy, despite all things. Though, we are sort of scattered at the moment. Miki-nii and Haruna-chan are in Hachiouji, Yuki-nee is in Ueno...And Kiri-nii is in America, but...we still have our phones, right? " Mashiro said, laughing lightly before her voice started to trail off. "I'm blessed to have been found by them..."

For a few moments, only the sound from the composer was music, until she shook her head and looked over to Kyoko, blushing slightly again.

"Ah...K-...Kitamura-san?" she asked, her voice a little nervous again and the song that came from the keyboard started to slow and become more melancholy. "Are...are you living in the dorms? I m-mean...you're...well, I don't know your schedule and we don't have classes together since we're in different departments, but...I...I..." Mashiro's hands stopped playing and gripped the left lock of hair that fell past her front ear and down to her chest. "...I'd like to talk to you again in the future."

[ Kyoko Kitamura | 290 | ♫MUSIC | NOTES ]

MADE BY KAIZU OF WW AND TWF

"Yes, you do have your phones." Kyoko replied with a smile. From the sound of things, it seemed Mashiro might be one of the adopted ones. Maybe that was better, in a way. To be chosen and wanted because you are a child to raise instead of created to be a pawn in a game of business. Just love. But maybe Kyoko was just being too hard on father. He had to care about her, right? He was just trying to do what he thought was best for her. Kyoko felt herself being unfair about everything, if not a little cruel in her thoughts. She pushed them aside once again. She really needed to learn to keep her mind in the present and on the moment at hand, not drifting off to years in the future. Instead, she took a moment to let Mashiro's music wash over her. She really was very talented and the sound of the piano helped center her mind. Kyoko looked around at Mashiro when the girl broke their silence to ask a question. Kyoko gave her a smile.

"Yes, I live in the dorms. Room one-oh-five. You can come talk to me whenever you like." Kyoko told her. The blue haired painter got back to her feet and stretched. She needed to limber up again after sitting for a bit, "I'm going to head off to finish my run now. Thanks for the music and the chat, Satou-san." Kyoko said, starting her run on the spot while she spoke. Then with a wave and another smile, Kyoko headed back off along her run route. Mashiro seemed like a good person. Her piano skills looked to be top notch and Kyoko was keen on hearing more. She'd have to look into if the music department held concerts and such to let their students show off their skills for an audience. If they were all around Mashiro's skill then it would be quite the show. Kyoko needed to improve too. She didn't want to be a complete failure in a school full of talent. It would be fun to shine, if even for only a little while. Maybe that could be her own dream while here at Fukui. Her time after the academy might be condemned, but she could still make something of herself in the time she had left out here all on her own. It would be wise for her to make the best use of what she had.

~Kyoko Exit

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Words - 417 | Tag - Mashiro Satou | Notes - You can close it off!

“

Without music, life would be a mistake.

Kyoko's intuition was right, perhaps far more than she could have initially imagined. Mashiro was indeed taken in as a daughter to be raised, but was also thrown out by her father, whose dreams of a perfect daughter that would add to his vain image were shattered by the wiles of genetics turning his would-be daughters pale as snow. But that didn't matter to Mashiro anymore. Instead, there was only one thing on her mind.

Mashiro had finally done it. She had made a friend, one that that was not too far away and one with an open invitation to chat. And it wasn't someone introduced to her by family, it was someone she met on her own. Happy was not a word that came close to describing how she felt. And even though Kyoko and herself had to go back to what they were originally doing, the simple promise that they would meet again was enough for the musician.

The pianist's hands unfurled and waved back cheerfully. "Goodbye, Kitamura-san~!" Mashiro said, raising her voice in a singsong manner as if to bid farewell to a beloved patron of her family's shop, adding. "Oh! I'm in room one-zero-one myself! Please, visit~!"

Until Kyoko had disappeared out of sight, Mashiro kept waving, but the smile never left her face. As she sat back down, the composer took out a pencil and a few sheets of paper. Inspiration had stuck her, and there was no time to lose.

-END-

[ -END- | 257 | ♫MUSIC | NOTES ]

MADE BY KAIZU OF WW AND TWF