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Voice - UN:MyMats

[There's an audible pause, between the recording starting, and the speaker speaking. Including a calming breath. Just- things she could have done before turning on the audio, but only mattered after she did.]

So… does anyone know a way I could get some musical instruments. But, cheap? I don't have a lot of cash since I just got here. It will make my classes easier if I had a cello and a guitar at least. But having access to a keyboard of a full piano would also help.

And, well, recording space. I can use the ones on campus but I'd rather have someplace a little less… crowded. And maybe allow me to be a night owl, I don't want to be a bother during the day.

[Her voice is light, and fairly devoid of emotion, what's there is so stifled, so dilute, that it might be missed if you aren't very keen on the state of others.]

Sorry, um, I'm Maya. Maya Matlin. I should have started with that.

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[ Now that's a voice Minako recognizes, though it takes her a moment to place it. Right, one of the girls from the festival..!

Except it's not just a familiar voice. No, it's a familiar voices speaking up about a topic Minako is very much invested in. So of course she ends up replying. ]

You're a musician?

[How many girls did you strongarm you need help keeping track?]

I sing, songwrite, edit, and play cello, piano, guitar, and bass.

[All said with a mild disinterest, like this was normal. Or at least normal to list what she can do.]

[ Oh, Maya.

You don't want to know.

But that answer? That answer has Minako's eyes lighting up like the Milky Way, even if it may not be visible. Somehow that look transfers to her tone though when she speaks up, much louder than necessary while communicating this way. ]

You can do all that?! I can sing too! I mean-- I can't play any instruments, but I can sing! [ Which is.. a bit less talent than Maya has going on overall there, but Minako still sounds pumped. Because it's followed up by the inevitable: ] We should start a band!

[ Is this the time or place to start one? Not really.

But maybe this is a coping strategy for some of us, okay. ]

We'd need more people for a band.

[That wasn't a yes. It also wasn't a no. Maya may be a bit of a mess, but music has always been her way to handle it. Take those feelings she can't say, and weave them into notes. Then once she has them as a net of sound, add words over them.]

And I'd need instruments. And a place to practice.

[ Minako just happens to be a specialist of immediately jumping onto something when she's pretty sure she just got a not-really-yes-nor-really-no kind of answer. So she smiles, immediately speaking on. ]

Well, none of those things can be super hard to get, right? There's got to be more people here who can play instruments! Not to mention finding a place to practice is just a matter of looking for one, and instruments are just a matter of buying them! It'd be so easy!

I have no money and can barely afford food.

I'm looking for an instrument just to get a shot at buying one in like three months, or on credit. Maybe making a deal with an evil fairy.

[Maya doesn't mean to be so negative... But she is very negative. But none of this is a no, just a 'how the hell do I do this.']

And this is me looking for a place to practice. I haven't found one yet.

.. what do you mean, you can barely afford food?

[ It's not a problem Minako really thought about yet. After all, when she landed here, she immediately had a whole bunch of friends to take her into their house, and an extended friends network that landed her a job pretty quickly too.

She never thought other people might be in Maya's position, and it makes her frown. ]

Are you telling me that this place thinks it's right to just drag people in here and then almost make them starve? It ought to at least take care of us all! [ GEEZ. Look at her, she's getting all worked up over here. ] I'm working at a karaoke bar-- maybe you can ask if they need more help there?

The hotel provides breakfast, if you're awake in time. And I'm getting some money to go to school. Although a karaoke bar has to have slow hours, that'd be space to practice... And it'd pay...

[Hold on a second...]

Wait, you're not low on money? Did you rob a bank after the carnival?

[ It's a good guess, Maya. Who would put that sort of thing beyond Minako. No one. ]

Some of my friends from back home are there. They've already been here for a long while, so they've got a house together and all. [ It's a bit of a brief explanation, but it's mostly since Minako doesn't want to linger on it for too long when she knows that a lot of people don't have that to fall back on. It's not like she actively wants to gloat about it or anything. ]

Besides, the pay at that karaoke place isn't so bad! I'm making my own money!

[ S-She's not just a freeloader, okay!! She swears! ]

I'm... glad, you're not alone.

[Maya's fine she's alone. Really. It's better that way. Limits the damage she can do. If nobody gets to close, nobody can be pulled into her wake.]

Getting proper instruments will still be a lot, even if I have a job and school paying me. I won't just- have all that I need right away. I need food, and clothes, at first.

Then we can save up together!

[ Problem solved. Apparently. Or at least, that's the tone Minako is presenting this solution with. Sure, it may not be fast, since they'll need to spend their money on other stuff too, but.. ]

That's better than saving up all by yourself, right? And if it's going to be our band, it's only fair that we share the costs!

[Well, that would make things easi- wait a second.]

I never agreed to a band! And right now it's just the two of us.

[Maya's voice is a bit more animated than usual. That numbed quiet breaking just a moment when she realizes that Minako has jumped like five steps ahead in this conversation.]

[ Minako just laughs. Like it's no big deal. ]

But you like the idea, right? [ .. Who knows if Maya does. Perhaps Minako is just - as kids today say - manifesting it by planting a seed like this in Maya's brains. ] I'll have you know I'd be a great lead singer! We could easily get super popular here! Wouldn't that be so cool?

I love being in a band. Music's been my life since I was about six.

[She's usually lead singer because she's cute and blonde. But, well, Minako is also cute and blonde. And one of them can play a dozen different instruments.]

And it would be cool... I guess.

You guess?

[ Granted, it's only said with a sliiight hint of a whiny tone. Minako is slowly getting the idea that Maya just is like this - that she has a hard time displaying too much passion for anything, for some reason or another.

So Minako quickly smiles again. ]

I mean, the least we can do is try, right? Even if it's not going to happen for a while more. If we're going to be forced to be stuck in this place, we might as well have some fun while we're at it!

Fun...

[She hasn't had any better offers. Having some live guinea pigs for her writing would make it easier to work out what needs changing...]

Sure, plus, I am mostly taking music classes anyway. It'll be good to put some of my studies to practical use.

[ There's a small pause on Minako's end, and then - almost cautiously - she asks: ]

There are music.. classes? [ Look, Minako's never been a fan of anything school-related. Of course she wouldn't know. ] Do you find those..

[ .. 'fun' is probably not the word to use with Maya, huh. ]

.. interesting?

You... know that there's more than just singing to music right?

[Maya was sensing a pattern here. Minako had a lot of desire, but very little planning. Even the old Maya had something like a plan. Usually. Until she got all emotional and threw the plan out in favor of reckless bravado.]

Some of it's interesting, most of it's just useful. Managing sound equipment, variations on editing practices. Chord progressions and musical signatures. Different tools for different song styles.

Uh.. well, I know about different song styles..

[ But of course she doesn't know much about the technical side of music at all. Words like 'chord progressions' are completely lost on Minako. ]

I just always thought the most important thing was being passionate about it.

[Minako you are lucky you're cute...]

Passion is important, but knowing what you're doing really helps.

[ P-Please, some of us were busy saving the world and dying, okay! ]

Ah.. Well, I guess..! [ It's not that her tone sounds dismissive though. If that sort of thing is important to Maya, Minako respects that!

It's just that she can't see herself getting into that all that much - but maybe that's exactly why she doesn't play an instrument herself, considering that requires a lot more technical knowledge. ]

Either way, I'll make sure to practice my singing!

[Maya sighs. She's got this funny feeling that 'no' isn't a word Minako really accepts.]

You can help me get a job, and I can try to figure out if we can work together on music. But you're not buying me instruments and I'm not making any promises on there being a band.

[Maya's still trying to figure out exactly how they got here. But- well, here they are.]

Edited 2021-07-28 22:28 (UTC)

.. Maya, you're really a hard one to budge, aren't you?

[ It almost reminds Minako of one of her friends from back home. Sheesh, why are some people having so much trouble just going along with a bit of fun? It's not like someone will die of playing in a band!

Minako is pretty sure you can't die of that, anyway. ]

You want me to help you out, and the only thing you're giving in return is saying you can try? [ Look at these puppy eyes. ]

A band is a lot of moving parts, I can't garentee we can work together on something like this. And it's important if we want to do this.

[Maya isn't intentionally being stubborn. Not this time in any case, but she can't just agree to this. Last time... It went badly. Like all of Maya's stories.]

I- also, have some stuff going on. I'm not sure if I could handle performing right now. My last band kinda fell apart and it was my fault?

And- [Wait a second!] You started offering way more than I was even asking for!

That's because I care about you! [ Which is - quite possibly - the most dramatic answer one could give to that last statement.

And yet Minako is 100% honest about it. This is just how Minako's friendship works. There's instant caring. ]

I mean, if you don't like the idea whatsoever, then it's not like we have to do it. I just thought it sounded like fun, like something that might make you happy here!

I-

[There are no words scarier to Maya, then 'care about you.' Nobody should care about her! If they get too close, get involved, they'll die. And it'll be her fault, she didn't convince them to stay away. She should have! She can't- it takes a few seconds for her to calm her thoughts out of that spiral, leaving the mic on and recording her steadying breath as she tries to regain some level of composure.]

...I don't hate the idea. I just- I don't know if I can. Just- maybe a little slower? Please.

Much slower.

[ It's not rare for people to tell Minako to go slower. Not even just when it comes to this, but more.. in general.

But there's something weirder about this time. It's not just the other girl scolding her, or anything like that. Instead it sounds like Maya is.. almost panicking, or something like that..? It's weird. And concerning. ]

How.. slow? [ She slowly asks, while she's still thinking about everything else. About why Maya would react this strangely. What happened to this girl? What is she thinking? ]

[How do you explain 'run away from me before you get hurt' without, like, rejecting them outright? Maya takes a few moments to compose herself before she replies. Try to get the last nagging fear out of her voice.]

Just- let's see if we can work together on music before starting a band? Let me get used to being in a world with magic? Let me get used to having magic?

I don't really just jump into things without thinking anymore.

Sorry.

...

No, it's fine.

[ There was a noticable pause before those words though. It's hard to place, but it does stand out - especially since Minako usually speaks so quickly. So cheerfully. She never hesitates, always speaking right from the heart.

Yet this time there's something that stops her for a moment. Even though she smiles, and even though her voice still sounds happy - in a gentle way.

(Not like she's shoving some serious rejection trauma down right now. It's cool. It's fine. She's an expert where it comes to smiling even when she feels crappy, at least.) ]

I understand! Just.. you know, contact me whenever you're ready! I'll be waiting, even if you take your time.

I'll take help finding a job, and- afterwards I'll take you out to dinner to repay you.

Cause I'll have money to repay you with?

[ She laughs, not dropping the outward attitude even for a moment now. ]

Aw, come on. Why would there be any need to repay me? As long as you feel glad about having a steady stream of income, then I'm already happy too!

Okay, in that case you can take me out to dinner.

[There's the slightest hint of playfulness in her voice.]

[ Oh, apparently Minako did not see that one coming.

Because she goes quiet for a moment, but then she just starts sputtering in surprise. ]

W-Wait, what?! How did this get flipped around on me?!

You said I didn't have to pay, I figured you were offering.

No, I just meant that you didn't have to take me out to dinner in the first place!

[ Ugh, why does her mouth always work faster than her brain? She'll have to work on that. ]

Please, I don't have that much money!

So... You don't want to go to dinner with me?

[Maya is enjoying having the upper hand on Minako.]

You're really an easy mark, we don't have to go to dinner. And if we did, we could just split the check.

[ She sputters the moment two specific words come out of the other's mouth. ]

D-Don't call me an easy mark! [ Just because she's trying to be nice to her friends, sheesh! Though Minako seems a tad more on the sad side of upset than on the angry side of it, for.. better or worse. ]

That's so mean! I'm just trying to be nice to you!

I offered to buy you dinner, but you turned me down. So I had a little fun.

.. okay. I get it.

[ She guesses that's fair, but that doesn't mean she has to like it. Especially since she was already feeling kind of sensitive a moment before the teasing, though she tried to push it down.

Maybe she'll just need to go sulk somewhere for a bit.

Minako sucks in a breath, before forcing a bright smile on her face again. ]

Alright, I'll go now then! See you later.

[ And she shuts down the feed. ]

I know of a store where you can get some good string instruments for a good price. It's where I got my lute.

That's a good place to start, can you send me the details?

Of course.

[He texts her the address.]

You'll know you're in the right place if you see a candle shop. If you reach the antiques store, you'll know you've gone too far.

Right, no to antiques, yes to candles.

So... a lute?

I played a little back in my world. It's a pretty common instrument in Tamriel.

They aren't as common in my world anymore.

But I've played one before.

It's... interesting, there are places I could see using it but the sounds it makes aren't really tuned for the sort of music every other instrument makes.

Maybe not, but it was tuned quite well to play alongside simple flutes and drums of my world.

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Voice - UN:MyMats

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