Charles Patricius

And so, farewells were bid. Hiruko offered only an additional over-the-shoulder wave to Shutara upon receiving her parting words. With that, there was only one more hiccup: a text received by Miko. She read it and reacted quickly, only to hear directions to the destination ahead. Immediately, Miko entered a rushed state the likes of which Hiruko hadn't seen since that first night at the casino. Even he was urged to hurry along. "Hai hai. After you, Boss~" he said jokingly. Given his significantly longer strides, his movements didn't have to be hurried at all. He took a pace that was just slightly above a casual stroll while easily remaining right behind Miko, all the way to the booth.

Fifteen seconds after that message was received, Takao was leaning back in his chair. Mitchel seemed about as ready to perform as he could in this situation, and lo... as if he knew the amount of time Miko would take, Takao began playing the instrumental. He let it go for a short period while Mitchel got a feel for the rhythm. That man stood in the booth, a mop of white hair swaying gently as his head nodded to the sound of synthesizers and saxophones: a staple of his music. Blue eyes closed, then opened to narrow slits while Takao raised his hand. Three, two, one, he counted down with his fingers. "You're late," he said away from the microphone, expecting those words to be heard by a certain brunette. Just then, his last remaining finger pointed toward Mitchel... and the music started from scratch.

Farewells were bid and instructions given. A rushing Miko was a different kind of cute. Her little legs were moving quite fast and though she was only moving at 'human' understandings of fast speeds, she'd still end up where she was supposed to be in exactly fifteen seconds. That didn't stop her from noticing the still more casual stride of Hiruko, she scoffed. "I miss being tall people," she uttered while feeling the slight grievance caused by being surrounded by those of longer legs for hundreds of years. No matter, there was music afoot and she'd be experiencing it as soon as possible. By the time she slipped into the booth she was dropping her bag and hearing the commentary of the man who was mixing. Her eyes and ears were open and those gentle jazz tunes were a good sound calming but for a different reason.

"Usuh! I was being helpful no sass..." she uttered quickly. Still, once her focus was gathered it went completely in. She found herself staring at Mitchel and taking in that visage she'd once been so familiar with. Like many others his features had faded in her mind quite a long time ago... but the sound of his voice was one of many she'd listen to. There was something. She sank into the sounds and waited... pupils dilated. Miko was the sort to completely engross herself in some things and those included, sex, music and food. In this case, music once lost to her, was about to flow in new form straight from an individual... she had to hear it, to feel it...

As they moved toward the recording booth, Hiruko had reason to question the brunette. That could come later, of course. She made an implication of previously being taller than her current self, and supporting evidence said it had nothing to do with just being around shorter people normally. The magical world was becoming more and more interesting. Moreover, Hiruko had a thousand questions. What were businesses like? Could he still turn a yen into a billion via the usual means? Maybe they used shillings or drachmae, something older to this world as such tropes commonly did. Those questions would all have to appear later though, as they were entering the booth to an apparently impatient Dreameater.

Miko was late. She was being helpful, but her timing had little to no involvement from Takao's perspective. "Helping clean someone's face? Priorities really in order~" he teased with a bit of snark. No matter. The music was beginning. Mitchel drew breath just before the instrumental's very first drumbeat. Already, there was something strange in the air. Longing, lack of direction ─ such things flooded the booth in a metaphysical way the very moment Mitchel leaned closer to the microphone.

"Yuh~
It's getting harder to move♪
I'm back on them 30s,
My cup isn't dirty, but you've been diggin' up the truth♫~
Haven't slept in like four nights now,
Blame it on substance abuse♪
Out in the deep end, I'm swimmin', I'm swimmin' again♫~
... Yeah, uh♫~"

All the questions Hiruko had, Miko could answer. But they weren't questions for now. No, as they stepped into that booth, Miko was accosted by 'Dreameater' about her tardiness, and the state of her priorities. As she stood in front of the glass watching Mitchel, she didn't miss a word uttered by Takao either. In fact, she could only scoff even as her eyes hadn't moved at all. "I help where I can... and my priorities are beyond in order," Miko stated just as tersely. The truth of the matter was, there were very few things that could ever draw her away from music. In fact, she'd been doing nothing but prioritizing other people for most of her time back on Gaia. Leaving Hiruko for Kazu... making sure her friends were settled before going on a bender. Abandoning her snack for Hiruko and now here she was standing in a booth a day ahead of schedule, just to make sure that she could be here for Mitchel. Oh well, she supposed whenever she got around to explaining things it would all make sense. Until then... she was hit by feelings so familiar her eyes widened.

Longing, lack of direction those things resonated with Miko... so deep in her soul that several other versions of her briefly flickered in her eyes. That sound was too much... it felt like it could drown her... "It's too familiar. I don't like how this feels already..." she murmured quietly mostly to herself about the feeling before Mitchel started singing quieting her mouth but making her mind race. That feeling had her with a hand steadying her own heartbeat. She could feel all the depression and sadness, Mitchel might have been swimming but Miko was drowning in his emotions. "That's stifling," Miko said completely understanding why this man wasn't allowed to be sober. These emotions were tangible and those with magical senses nd the musicians themselves could likely feel them. Miko had only recently started processing her 'longing' and now she was experiencing someone else's... still she needed to know where this song picked up. When the softness or happiness would appear.

"Whatever you say, Mimori~" was Takao's only response to Miko's utterance. He didn't agree with her statement, but he didn't have to. Very often did they disagree on such simple matters; it never made a difference in a relationship such as theirs. With the song beginning and Mitchel's first verse in progress, they found absolute agreement. Indeed, Miko's opinion was no different to what Takao's had been during the writing process earlier. There was a dark emptiness seeping through Mitchel... and it was definitely stifling. The difference between them was in the hope Miko had ─ her waiting for softness or happiness. Takao knew... it wasn't coming.

"You said, 'Take it easy, otherwise, I'm leaving.
Yeah, I don't wanna stay and watch you die,' ay♫~
Longest that I've stayed clean, my whole body's shaking♪
I'm using music to distract my fucking mind!♫
... Uh, so─

I wrote this song for you!♪
I bought these drugs for you, yeah!♫
I don't know what to do!♪
I'm stuck in a loop, stuck in a loop!♫
I wrote this song for you!♪
Put down the drugs for you, yeah!♫
I don't know what to do♪~
'Cause I fell in love with you!♫~"

At Takao's words, Miko pouted, not because they were disagreeing but because she understood that nickname now and it grated her, even though she was quite fond of it by now. There were small arguments peppering their interactions but nothing ever changed for Miko and apparently nothing ever changed for Takao. They could always agree about the music though they saw it from completely different perspectives. And as Miko held out hope for a change in the pace and tone of this song... she was introduced to deeper and deeper depths instead. The words offered by Mitchel as he sang didn't perk up, he sank further into a listlessness which Miko fully understood but knew to be negative. Between the lack of drugs in his body and the message f the song, MIko's soul was feeling obliterated by the sadness and depression. Her nature wanted to help but more so than that she was feeling the words too much.

The music itself was carrying her even as she rubbed the space on her chest trying to relieve that pressure which she'd sunk so deeply into. Whoever this song was for, it wasn't her, but she could still feel it. Too much sadness. So as that brief pause took place the music made her move. Though words weren't normally her thing... she still found herself leaning over Takao to push the button for the mic in front of him which would implant itself into the recording. Her voice, clearly full of the emotions she felt from the song, she had but one question to add, one thing she felt this song needed in a perspective change. That melodic voice carried his melancholy and her own as she questioned him directly. Her hopes were shattered as she felt that the sadness would never let up. The darkness in these depths no light was coming for them...

"Why do you hate me?"

With those words leaving her mouth she let go of the button and continued to watch she didn't know why she felt that question needed asking, but she knew it was the right thing to do.

Now that the new song's hook was wrapping up, Takao expected a smooth transition. What he got instead, was the realization of Miko's approach as she took the controls long enough to insert her voice. That... was incredibly strange. Takao knew the lyrics beforehand. He knew the feeling from earlier, and knew the projected assumptions in Mitchel's mind. The question Miko spoke into the microphone was perfectly suited to the moment... but when did she develop that sort of ability to read emotions? Takao had always felt like the only one with the ability to do so. Well, now wasn't a time to question it. If she could feel that, she could understand the depths of a sober Mitchel and how much of a problem it was. Sadly, things would only get worse from there. Verse two was what finally motivated Takao to make that phone call and refrain from leaving this man alone.

"I could never hate you♪
Despite the words that you've been saying♫
I've been having breakthroughs♪
And hoping you were proud, just maybe♫
Anxiety drives me insane♪
And my newest addiction is pain♪
I know I said it was a phase♪
Five years later, still stuck in my brain♫~

... The letter pays due... yeah♪
Check the time, give me a cue, my daaarling♫
Yeah, I'll tie up the noose...
Then I'll be swinging from the ceiling fan,
I'll let my soul loose! Yuh♫~

I wrote this song for you!♪
I bought these drugs for you, yeah!♫
I don't know what to do!♪
I'm stuck in a loop, stuck in a loop!♫
I wrote this song for you!♪
Put down the drugs for you, yeah!♫
I don't know what to do♪~
'Cause I fell in love with you!♫~"

Miko's understanding, of music, sound and emotion had been developing steadily over her life in Alaya. She'd always had some innate ability but her social ineptitude didn't allow her to understand certain things as clearly. In this particular case, her own life experience made her hold a deeper value to the sensation of longing, one could say it'd been a staple of her life for longer than most other emotions. As the song progressed smoothly past that bit of uttered speech which seemed to invite the answer. A new low was approaching and she could feel it. Like a storm over the horizon the pressure in the air seemed to change and once again she was rubbing her chest as if to assuage her own heart, as if she could make that feeling stop.

"It's never a phase..." Miko murmured the truth of such things even from her own experience. She knew that as truth. She'd even tried other methods to rid herself of her own feelings before. All it ever created was that bitter cold void until something else was found to fill it. Granted it'd taken quite a few somethings, but it was managable, she knew it was. Ah, but Mitchel had other... darker things to say. A sober Mitchel saw things differently. He entertained no plans to wait around... he didn't intend to continue in his suffering. Those words he sang almost mournfully hit Miko's ears with alarm bells. Too real was the feeling and the picture painted in her mind. To earnest were the words that he'd actually go through with the plot to end his life. No... that couldn't be allowed. The call that had her here an entire day ahead of schedule made so much more sense. This man couldn't be left alone with the demons of his emotions. He needed emotional coddling, stabilizing and to be pumped full of enough drugs to mellow out that hollow feeling some girl left in his soul. "There are better ways to deal with the void..." Miko muttered, her eyes shifting to make sure there were no ropes or loose cords anywhere. Actuallly it was good they were on the first floor too. Mitchel couldn't be allowed any stranger ideas. It was good she knew someone who could gather what was needed. She didn't know if she'd recover from another near death experience this week. Her heart couldn't handle another one so soon after the first.

It's never a phase, Miko said in response to some choice lyrics heard. Her ability to feel the music had grown so significantly, Takao felt a kindred spirit within the control room. She clearly understood the gravity of the situation here. Only after she spoke those most recent words, did Takao rotate his chair to look in the brunette's direction. He finally noticed there was another person here as well ─ a familiar one at that. Hiruko had been leaning against the doorframe, and could be seen acknowledging Takao with a nod and a two-finger salute, not wanting to interrupt an obviously emotional moment. Nodding acknowledgement in return, Takao spoke for the first time in a couple of minutes. "It's safe. Nothing to worry about," he said to the girl, knowing what she was scanning the area for as he'd already done the same thing. "Are you just on a really weird Air Gear trip?" he asked, noting Miko's current outfit and the sudden appearance of an old... coworker, in all technicality. All the while, Mitchel continued with a slower tempo for the final verse.

"Yeah... calm down♪~
I've been on the comedown, yeah♫~
Going through withdrawals...♪
Help me when I fall, 'cause you know that I've been honest♫~

I wrote this song for you!♪
I bought these drugs for you, yeah!♫
I don't know what to do!♪
I'm stuck in a loop, stuck in a loop!♫
I wrote this song for you!♪
Put down the drugs for you, yeah!♫
I don't know what to do♪~
'Cause I fell in love with you, baby!♫~

It's driving me crazy!♫
A thousand apologies couldn't make up for the time that I've wasted!
YE-EAH!♫~

I wrote this song for you, yeah!♪
I bought these drugs for you, yeah!♫
I'm so in love with you, girl
I'm so in love with you!♫~

... I'm so in love with you!♫~"

Miko was wound up in feelings she shared, not just magically that resonated with the lyrics of Mitchel's music. She'd continue listening even as Takao finally turned to face her. She noted him but didn't remove her eyes from the booth, if only as an extra measure to make sure that Mitchel couldn't hurt himself. Still, the friendship between the two had obviously been around for a while, enough for him to assure her that there was nothing to worry about. "Good good... there's too much intention in those words right now..." she uttered, relaxing slightly but still finishing her visual sweep, which she would have done as part of her OCD regardless of what she'd been told. "Twice in five minutes. I really didn't even finish Air Gear... I'm just testing the waters a bit," she mentioned huffily. A gentle blush came to the girl's face as she chewed the inside of her cheek as contemplated a bit of tsundere activity and stating that Takao could have just called her cute. "Still, I understand the early call now..." she mentioned finally pulling her eyes away from Mitchel to look at Takao. "Please tell me that's the worst of the stuff he wrote today..." she needed assurances about the content of his music. Her own hollowness was still a little too fresh for her to want to do anything but fill herself if she was going to have to hear something worse than this man's bleeding heart and suicide note. Miko understood that bit far too well... perhaps they could simply sit on it and let it drift for a while and maybe they could get a narcotic into Mitchel in the meantime so that he could move on.

While that group got into the proper swing of music, a different group was gathering. A few texts had been sent out and a few offers were taken up. One such person taking up an offer, was a purple haired woman who was still rather casually dressed and now walking towards the apartment of the convenience store to pick up a friend. "Ri-chan, we're going to be late... and you set this up," That purple haired woman mentioned. "No way... I'm ready~" she claimed as she trotted downstairs in a black mimi-dress and a pair of heels to head out. "See, I even finished everything else. How do I look?~" she asked of Saori who shrugged. "Like you're on a bender," she said which only made Rita smile more, and laugh from the center of her body. "Hai hai, that's about right. Hiroshi-san, I'm going to be out late tonight. Just close up as regular and tell Naoki-chan anything he needs to know before you send him home for the night!~" she claimed ready to take Saori's arm and head for the bar a few blocks over. A table there had already been set up and a group of three other women were gathering in the same place. A blonde way to thick for her own good, in a button up and a mini -skirt. A dark haired woman thin but grumpy stuffed into the corner and another blonde in a short dress with tanned skin and a happy grin on her face. Whispering among themselves.