existence
Summary:
It's a quiet day in the Sekai without a name. Miku wonders where everyone is...
Fandom: Project Sekai Colourful Stage!
Characters: Hatsune Miku (Nightcord), Kagamine Rin (Nightcord), Megurine Luka (Nightcord), Meiko (Nightcord), Akiyama Mizuki, Shinonome Ena, Yoisaki Kanade, Asahina Mafuyu
Relationships: Everyone & Hatsune Miku
Rating: G
Word Count: 1930
Mirror Link: AO3
Original Post Date: 01/09/2021
Notes:
Written for Hatsune Miku's 14th birthday! This was not inspired by the official birthday art that Project Sekai released, since I wrote this back in July. What a happy coincidence that the art ended up featuring Nightcord Miku though!
I refer to 25 ji Nightcord de as Nightcord.
~~~
Miku hummed a tune with no name, the very same one that had left her throat when she’d come to realise her existence in this colourless world, and that had continued to fill this wide space in the months that had passed since then. A song with no lyrics, only a melody that had slowly evolved, from a hopeless, flat loop to one with crests and peaks, able to bring a smile to the girls of Nightcord and elicit a warmth within her heart, which did not beat.
Miku appeared to be completely alone, standing in the middle of the nameless Sekai. Rin was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she was hidden in one of the many corners or behind one of the countless walls, as she usually was. No matter the case, there was no sign of her.
But the silence that pressed on Miku’s shoulders was made all the more conspicuous by the lack of Meiko or Luka. The boisterous pair loved to argue, having done so nonstop ever since Luka’s arrival. This place hadn’t been quiet since then, their raised voices carrying all through the Sekai, giving her and Rin no respite from the noise. They’d had to resort to sitting behind a wall, which helped to muffle the sounds somewhat.
Rin had complained many times while in that position, but Miku thought that the other girl likely felt the same as herself - happy, that it was more lively here, the air no longer cold and dead. She just didn’t know how to say it out loud.
Without Meiko or Luka around, the silence that had once been the norm was now rather... overbearing. How had the two put a stop to their arguing for once? Had they simply grown tired of it? What were they doing, then? In fact, what was everyone doing? Rin, Meiko, Luka… Where could they be hiding?
And… why?
Were they hiding from her?
The familiar sound of someone entering the Sekai broke Miku out of her reverie. She stopped her humming, turning to face the visitors, wondering which of the four girls from the real world had come to visit today, and for what purpose. Sometimes they didn’t seem to have a purpose, stating that they were here “just for fun”, as Mizuki liked to say. She didn’t understand why anyone would want to do such a thing, to come here “just for fun”, when she and her companions weren’t what was considered good company.
But she never spoke up. She liked being in the presence of the girls. Surely, her fellow Vocaloids felt the same.
If the girls had come to seek help or assistance, then Miku would render it, to the best of her power. She would do anything that she could, even if she struggled to comprehend the complicated issues and emotions that these girls toiled with. Kanade’s guilt, Mizuki’s uncertainty, Ena’s lack of confidence…
For that was her purpose for existing. In her first second of consciousness, she had held the knowledge that she was meant to give Mafuyu as much comfort as she could. A wish that had come to extend to Mafuyu’s three companions.
She could not save Mafuyu on her own. She did not possess the necessary power, or even a physical body to protect the vulnerable girl. Her own emotions confounded her - it was that rare that she could put a name to the currents of her heart, let alone tell Mafuyu the best course of actions to soothe her pain. She could only give what she deemed was the best advice possible. To truly help Mafuyu, she needed the help of kind Kanade, determined Ena, and sensible Mizuki.
Miku didn’t know why, or how, any of this had come to be. Other than by the strength, or perhaps more accurately, the absence of Mafuyu’s feelings. It did not matter. She would gladly perform her purpose.
Miku expected to see one girl. Perhaps even two. Instead, the sight before her shattered all expectations.
All four members of Nightcord stood before her: Ena, Mizuki, Kanade, and even Mafuyu. Ena and Mizuki were sporting matching mischievous grins on their faces and holding back laughter; Mizuki holding a ribbon-adorned box by the corners while Ena gripped… unfamiliar cone-shaped hats with polka-dots on their surface. Kanade had a small smile on her face, and even with the blank expression on Mafuyu’s face that she always wore, she came off as strangely jovial. Kanade had a giant stack of paper decorations balanced precariously in her arms, while Mafuyu held what seemed to be a folded banner.
Confused, Miku cocked her head to the side. What was all this for? The last time all four girls had come was when Kanade had played her new song for everyone to hear, and Mafuyu had broken into a small, true smile for the first time in a long while.
At that very moment, the memory of Mizuki telling her about birthdays surfaced. She was fairly certain they had mentioned all the “equipment” here were involved in celebrations.
So all of this was presumably to celebrate a birthday… But whose? Nightcord had already celebrated Ena’s, and Mizuki’s, just a few days before… Hm, she supposed she could wait for them to explain, for she didn’t know the dates that everyone’s birthdays fell on.
But none of the four said a word, only continuing to stand there as if waiting for something.
All of a sudden, a ribbon revealed itself over a nearby wall, swaying slightly. It was quickly followed by a familiar head of golden hair, blue eyes blinking as Rin stepped out, black-and-white dress fluttering around her knees. Meiko and Luka were not far behind, the two already glaring at each other, raring to go.
So the three of them had been close-by all this while? Why the need for concealment, then?
What was going on? She couldn’t help but ask that question to herself again.
No answer presented itself, and she could only watch as her three fellow Vocaloids walked up to Nightcord. Materials passed between eager hands, fingers pointing in every direction as everyone split up to the four corners of the Sekai. The atmosphere was festive, conversations held in airy tones to coordinate where to position decorations.
In no time at all, the Sekai was bursting with colour. Banners hung from the remnants of overturned lighting trusses, now fulfilling their original purpose of holding objects, though rippling fabric was a far cry from spotlights. The cone-shaped hats sat securely on everyone’s head except her own, the mysterious box safely stashed by a wall.
She was still frozen in the centre of the hubbub, hands clasped over her heart. A faint thought whispered in her head, tickling the corner of her mind like a feather.
She was the only one not being involved in the preparations. And just days ago, Mizuki had been spared from expending any effort on the day of their birthday, left to lounge in a corner and watch with a smile.
“Here!” The exclamation attracted her attention to a waving Mizuki, who ran up and came to a stop in front of her - the first person to approach her. With the additional height they had on her, Mizuki was easily able to plop what Miku now realised was a pink party hat on her head, gently adjusting the strap so that it ran under her chin. Miku could do nothing but blink and stare at Mizuki, wondering if she was dreaming, if any of this was actually happening, or if the Sekai had somehow collapsed and sent her into an illusion.
“Perfect!” Mizuki commented, grinning and stepping back, their hands clapping together with a resounding sound that knocked Miku out of her speechless daze. “You look so cute, Miku!”
Upon spotting everyone else calmly walking over, she finally opened her mouth, fingers tightening over her chest.
“Is it…?”
Those were the only words she managed to get out before she clammed up. She couldn’t articulate the thoughts racing through her mind, nor the conclusion she had arrived at.
It couldn’t be fake. That was the only thing she was sure of. The colours, the sounds, the people and the expressions on their faces, their true emotions… It was all too vibrant, too real, too much.
Kanade nodded, seemingly understanding everything she wanted to say from her shaking words alone. Ena did the honours of cautiously opening the cover of the box with a steady hand, revealing a beautifully crafted cake, swirls of whipped cream artfully forming the border, strawberries topping the vanilla.
Written elegantly on its surface in red cream were the very words that left Kanade’s lips now.
“Happy birthday, Miku.”
“Yeah! Happy birthday!” Both Mizuki and Ena chirped, reaching into their pockets and throwing out handfuls of confetti that caught in her hair.
“Thank you for everything you’ve done for us,” Kanade continued.
“Yes.” Mafuyu nodded. “Happy birthday,” she said in her usual flat tone, face displaying no sign of emotion. Perhaps Mafuyu was only saying it to go along with what she’d been told to do, to avoid angering Ena. Perhaps she meant nothing by those words, was truly incapable of packing any scrap of emotion into them.
Yet Miku could sense… that same smile from the time before, hidden behind the pale, unmoving expanse.
“I…” Miku murmured. Something was choking up her throat. Her heart both felt like it was soaring, and like an invisible hand was squeezing it, something intangible filling it up to the brim. It was so full that it hurt. Not a sharp pain, but an ache, one that consumed her whole chest.
Something wet slipped down her cheek, salt hitting her tongue.
“You’re… crying,” Mafuyu said, eyes a little wide, just a little hint of awe in her voice, where there should have been none. It was, after all, nothing but an observation.
Miku reached up a trembling hand to press against her cheek, bringing it away stained with tears.
Ah. Mafuyu was right. The impossible had happened, emotions making their sudden, mystical appearance when they should have been kept away, blocked by an unbreakable lock.
“Miku…” Mizuki muttered, gaze sympathetic, a small smile on their face.
“Thank you,” she finally managed to force out, breaking into a smile larger than any that had come before, stretching from one corner of her face to the other, even as tears continued to leak from her eyes.
She knew now, why her heart hurt.
As she enjoyed a wonderful day in the Sekai with those that had become her friends, a day that she would never forget - eating the delectable, sweet slices of her birthday cake; being subject to Mizuki’s hairdressing as they tried their best to tame the unruly tangles of Miku’s massive locks with an assortment of ribbons; receiving birthday wishes and the strangest of presents from everyone... she finally came to understand.
The answer had arisen, making itself crystal clear.
Her heart hurt from happiness. True happiness, which could shatter just as easily as it could uplift, could stab just as much as soothe, when one was not used to it.
True happiness, from her friends remembering her birthday.
True happiness… from someone finding her existence worth celebrating.
And there were still some questions that couldn’t be solved, the answers to which were not in sight, and may never be.
But that was alright.
She would simply eke out her existence, moment by moment, taking what may come and enjoying the company of her friends.
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RANDOM FACTS ABOUT THE MUN.
Repost, not reblog! Tag 6 muns you would like to get to know better when done!
Name: Natasha
Nickname: Tashi / Princess
Age: 20
Faceclaim: Currently MEIKO
Pronouns: She/Her
Height: 168cm
Birthday: March 14th
Aesthetic: Bambi Lesbian probably
Last song you listened to: Just Be Friends - Megurine Luka
Favourite muse(s) you’ve written: Nakamori Aoko, Kirigiri Kyouko, Akibara Kimiko (OC).
What inspired you to take on your current muse (that you are posting this on):
I honestly wish I had an inspirational story, but I created Aoko for my girlfriend at the time. I had just finished watching Magic Kaito 1412 and she was super into DCMK, so I decided to roleplay Aoko because I thought she was cute and my girlfriend was roleplaying a Kaito. That, of course, changed drastically as my Aoko muse came to life and I found myself more attached to her than anything else.
What are your favourite aspects of your current muse:
She is completely different to any and every muse I’ve written before her. I was a heavy writer for the stoic, cold types with a spark of maturity for them. While Aoko does hold some similar traits to muses I’ve portrayed, she’s a lot more hyperactive and cunning. She reminds me of my personality when I was younger, wanting to be cutesy but also being kinda violent. It’s also super fun playing a character with such a... Personality, not just one-liners and snark.
What’s your biggest inspiration when it comes to writing:
I like creating stories. I reply rather quickly, because the story excites me, and I constantly find myself re-reading old threads because they mean so much to me. Also, I have this childish thought of “I can’t make them wait long!!” and “If I reply quickly, I won’t have to wait so long to continue the story!”. Apart from that, I’m not... Really sure.
Favourite types of threads:
Paragraph threads where something not-too-normal happens. Something interesting, like going on an adventure. I also really like threads where Aoko gets to be a hero for ocne, but that’s personal bias because Thanks, Gosho. Kinda like Middi, threads that go somewhere and mean something to our muses make me the happiest.
Biggest struggle in regards to your current muse:
I’ve noticed that, while I try not to interact with these people, a lot still see her as an obstacle. She suffers from people hating her because she “gets in the way” of the most favorable m/m ship, and tend to pull every stretched receipt they can on her. Now, Aoko’s not innocent, and I’m not saying some of her actions are justifiable at all. But people criminalise her for one thing, and refuse to acknowledge how their character has done something similar or worse.
Its to be criminalised or babied, and either one isn’t that desirable.
Tagged by: @virtuoxo
Tagging: @blackorgkaito, @devilslcg, @clockvvorker, @satanstories
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