(no subject)

[roadroller]

[action; 947 Beulah St.]

[It seems today there are a few packages out on the front porch addressed to Rin! She was about to go out and find a way to kill some time, but this is immediately more interesting. After taking the mail inside and opening it, she finds her stuff from the Opening of Project Diva 2nd: Her school uniform, her orange guitar, and its accessories.

Well, there go her plans for today! She can be found jamming a punk song out on her guitar in the yard to test it out. She'll debut the school uniform when school is actually in session.]

Comments

[photonicfighter]

[Dakki is sure to applaud when the song is done. It's genuine applause, and she's smiling, but it's a bit restrained.]

Thank you for performing it. I hadn't expected to hear music like that here. Or hear a voice quite like yours.

[The woman's look softens, and she looks momentarily unsure. Should she say it? Take the risk of offending the woman? ...it's a risk worth taking. She wants to know.]

I'm curious... you sound like people I've known. You sound like I've sounded in the past. You're an artificial humanoid, aren't you?

[It's asked with hopeful expectation.]

[roadroller]

Ah, you've only heard drone radio then.

[She takes no offense; it's the truth after all, and Rin makes no secret of it. She nods understandingly when Dakki seems to explain that she's an android of sorts.]

You're right, I am. I'm Rin Kagamine, a Vocaloid! ♪

[photonicfighter]

Yeah. I can't claim that drone radio is horrible, it's not much like anything back home, but it's hardly like what you've been doing.

[Oh, such relief when the girl takes it well! Dakki lets a real smile show through.]

I guessed right! That's great! I've never heard of "Vocaloids" before, but... but you know, it's nice to know that we can sing. If we want.

[She looks moved. And then suddenly, embarassed.]

Ah...! Er, I'm... My name's Dakki Sigal. I'm not actually human. This place changed me. I'm a CAST, not a Vocaloid... but I think its all different words for the same category of being.

[roadroller]

[Rin soaks up this admiration. Hehe, she seems nice.]

Nice to meet you, Dakki! ♪

I know a lot of AI that sing, even one that's not a Vocaloid like me. So sure, you probably can if you want. Don't worry too much about being human either. You're sure to change back eventually... by the way, does CAST stand for something? ♪

[photonicfighter]

It's very nice to meet you, too, Rin.

[And such admiration, there is!]

Singing isn't a common hobby among CASTs, back where I come from. The culture can be pretty stiff. It's... I guess it's complicated. Knowing that we COULD do it if we WANTED to... it makes me happy. It makes me really happy.

[Dakki looks around, then steps off of the sidewalk and into the yard. Might as well be a little more familiar.]

I hope I get it back soon. It's... interesting, being like this. It's an experience. But I miss my real body. Fighting in this one hasn't worked out well...

[She gingerly touches beside her nose. There's still bruising there, if one cares to look, but it's in the fading yellowish breakdown stage.]

CAST stands for... well, I think it's just a word, not an acronym. There's no etymology... it's just a proper noun in the language we speak back home. It refers to androids and gynoids, or artificial humanoids.

[roadroller]

I see. Fighting, huh?

[she makes note of that bruise, but doesn't respond other than to smile awkwardly. After all, what was done was done.]

Is that your primary function? ♪

[photonicfighter]

[She gives a small nod.]

Yes. That's what I was designed for.

[it seemed to be making Rin uncomfortable! She had to reassure her!]

It's not all that I am, not anymore! I... well... I used to work in a shop? For a while?

[roadroller]

Ahaha, it's just a little different to me! None of the androids where I'm from do anything like that. ♪

[She thinks it's kind of cool, though. For not being a fighter, Rin is still a bit violence prone. Still, the last robot she met that was actually made for fighting made it seem like a pretty rough life.]

[photonicfighter]

[What a relief. Maybe it was all the same to Rin, then.]

I think I might like where you come from. How long have you been here in Mayfield, Rin?

[roadroller]

Um... jeez. Since December! ♪

Come to think of it, I've been here over half a year.

[photonicfighter]

That's quite a while. I've been here a bit over a week.

[Dakki looks up and down the street.]

I shouldn't keep you from your performance, Rin. It's too nice to interupt. Maybe we can talk again some other time?

[roadroller]

Oh, I see... [Rin trails off a moment. Newcomers were piling in again, and she hadn't even noticed. What happened to the days when she'd wait by the phone to see if Len was going to be among them? Maybe she'd give them a listen later.]

I'm just practicing. You got somewhere to be? ♪

[photonicfighter]

[Did she really have somewhere to be? The household seemed to expect her to go home, make dinner, and otherwise do boring housewifey junk... Gat could get by without her. And he wouldn't need to worry.]

...no. No, I don't have anywhere to be!

Can I, ah... watch you practice?

[More music. More music would be so nice. Rin may just have a new number one fan.]

[roadroller]

Sure! It'll be fun, right?

[Besides, more fans is ALWAYS good when she's trying to stay on top of her rival.]

Here, I'll play "Music of the heavens." ♪

[She takes her guitar back up and begins to sing and play another rock song for Dakki.]

[photonicfighter]

It'll be fun.

[Dakki nods when Rin gives the title, and then moves herself to sit comfortably on the lawn. She's absolutely entranced by it all. The melody, the lyrics, Rin's performance... It was so novel. So raw and so emotional. There had been CAST composers, music was socially acceptable to appreciate, but a performance like Rin's was just a great big glorious middle finger to the toxic CAST culture she had left behind.

The meaning of it all wasn't clear. The song painted a picture, more than it told a story, but the picture was one that Dakki was sure she had seen before.

At the end of it, Dakki is beaming, and applauding with considerable enthusiasm.

And a little damp around the eyes.]

[roadroller]

[Rin is only vaguely aware at best of the political connotations her music is having for her new friend, but one thing is clear - she's been able to touch someone's heart today. She manages to stay in character while singing, but when she's done, she lowers the guitar a bit and smiles genuinely]

Geez ... you're a great audience! ♪

[photonicfighter]

[Dakki's applause slows to a stop, and she starts to rise to her feet.]

A great performer deserves a great audience. You're wonderful, Rin. I...

[She turns herself away under the pretense of brushing grass and dirt off of herself, but her voice is starting to sound choked up.]

I-I really shouldn't leave Gat waiting. I should get home.

[roadroller]

[she really IS going to cry... Well, Rin will just have to ask later. She raises a hand to wave her off]

Okay, take care! ♪

[photonicfighter]

[Oh Rin you are such a delightful person giving an out, Dakki's weird about crying in front of people.

For all that she seems to be prone to it, lately.]

T-take care!

[She gives Rin a bright smile and a wave, then is off like a shot, running home in a rather unladylike fashion.]

[roadroller]

[It's all good; she understands! Rin doesn't like crying in front of people either.

She tilts her head a bit at the mad dash that Dakki seems to be making, but once she's disappeared over the horizon, Rin looks around and then goes back to strumming absently.]