2022-10-19: Music Saves 'a' Soul Who Cannot Speak
- Log: Music Saves 'a' Soul Who Cannot Speak
- Cast: Ruri Hoshino, Sheryl Nome
- Where: The Nadesico - Observatory
- Date: 2022-10-19
- Summary: The Nadesico carries Sheryl to her destination, and Ruri stops in to visit her as she tries to write a special song.
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
The Nadesico has a lot of jobs -- and one of them is helping Sheryl Nome, Resident Celebrity Who Needs More Security Than A Transport Ship Can Provide. Once they're at cruising altitude, though, there's not much for the bridge to do; they're travelling through safe skies, so no one is anticipating an assault.
Even so, Ruri remains at her post, on the bridge. Hands to her console she breathes the humming systems, as the nuclear pulse engines cycle through their actions, as the power grid hums beneath their feet and through the hull walls, as the oxygen systems purify the incoming atmosphere and the cooling systems keep them all from cooking under the pressure of so much technology. All this is Omoikane; Omoikane's bones, Omoikane's blood. He inhabits the space and becomes the space and Ruri is beside him, as simultaneously she is aware of all six of his brains, the back-up systems and main computer core which house him.
She is doing diagnostics. It doesn't look like she's doing much at all, surrounded by a few windows, some data scrolling by too quickly. She is aware of the Nadesico in a way she cannot explain, all woven through and integrated.
No wonder, then, she senses -- yes, that is the word -- a single occupant in the observatory. She queries Omoikane's cameras, and finds Sheryl there. Her eyes, too, too gold, scan over some more of that scrolling text... and she hums, to herself.
"Is she lonely?" Ruri muses, to her console.
< I DON'T KNOW >
< DON'T WORRY >
< AUTOMATIC SCREENING: OK ! >
"It would be irresponsible to leave the bridge when we're taking her somewhere," Ruri frowns. "Bad things happen to Ms. Nome a lot, you know."
But that's when Minato leans over, from her own post, beside her. "Ruriruri!" She chirps, brightly, smiling to her. "Are you worried about Sheryl-chan? You should go see her!"
"Fool," Ruri frowns. "I'm working."
"Aaaah," Minato sighs, leaning back, hands laced behind her head. "But this is such a boring leg of the journey! Even I can relax and leave it to the autopilot!" She grins, all too carefree. "When there's nothing to worry about, you should really take a break. It's better for your skin! You know, I'm sure Sheryl-chan is working herself to death, too, so you'd really be helping out."
"That's called a work ethic, Minato-san," Ruri replies, deadpan.
< NOW SIGNING OUT ... >
Ruri leans forward, against her console. "Omoikane!" She exclaims, with a hint of whining to her voice. "It's going to take forever to log back in," it will take 45 seconds, tops, which is 'forever' to Ruri's multi-track consciousness.
< LEAVE IT TO ME >
"You're both..." Ruri sighs, looking between Minato and the windows of her console. Acknowledging she's been ganged up on, her shoulders sink. "... fine. Please try to avoid an incident, Minato-san."
"I always do!" Minato, who has caused several corporate incidents in her life, replies.
Ruri makes her way to the observation deck, unhurried, but at a decent pace; just don't measure it against the strides of people with longer legs. (One day she'll grow taller than 4'0", won't she?) When she comes to the observation room -- a room from which the Nadesico's crew can view space, or, right now, the rolling ocean below, though it can also display several holograms -- she steps, quietly, onto the fake grass meant to simulate a natural environment with the right backdrop. "Ms. Nome?" She asks, by way of announcing herself.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Sheryl has plenty of security! There's Alto, there's Brera, there's Grace... who is technically not security, but with all the eyes she has everywhere, she may as well be. Grace is an everywoman who can do anything and everything. Except let Sheryl fake-date a fan. 'It would be terrible for your image'--pssh. Sheryl already knew that when she proposed it!! ...But Grace did end up putting her foot down for once, and it was hard for Sheryl to maintain her stance when she knows Grace is fully in the right on this one.
So for now, she opts to take her transportation aboard the Nadesico while in the observatory. She does still have music to write, and this is a good place for her to focus on coming up with a melody and refining her rough draft lyrics.
Is she lonely, though?
Well... that's harder to say.
The view of the ocean is spectacular, though. Sheryl's blue eyes are wide with wonder as she gazes up (down?) at the shimmering, endless expanse of water. It's plenty inspiring, but it's inspiring her in a different direction from what she's supposed to be working on. The absolute pitfalls of being such a creative juggernaut. You just can't be satisfied with one project at a time.
A familiar voice falls her name. Sheryl half-turns, looking over her shoulder from where she stands on the faux grass to see--
"Oh, Ruri," she says with a smile. "It's been a while! Not since your birthday, I think." There's no doubt been trips aboard the Nadesico since then, but they're both busy working girls.
She half-turns; she's currently wearing a silk red tube dress that hangs off her chest down to her upper thighs. Dark stockings cover her legs, and heels adorn her feet. A clutch purse rests on the grass next to her; in her hand is a pen and notebook. It would probably be easier to use a notes app on her taiyaki phone, but she likes the feel of actually writing something down. It makes it more visceral to her.
"Something the matter? The trip feels like it's been smooth sailing over here so far," she continues. "Or are you here to deliver something?"
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri usually stays on the bridge, particularly when the Nadesico is active, so it's remarkably easy to be on the Nadesico and not see her if one isn't part of the bridge crew. Oh, she goes to the cafeteria for meals, and to the recreation room when she's off-duty, but she is overall a strikingly diligent worker.
"That's right," Ruri confirms, and she doesn't smile, but her expression is relaxed enough, anyway. "I've had a lot to do." She, of course, is in her bridge uniform, the one she has to get specially-tailored because Nergal doesn't usually design them this small. Say what you will about the company, but they haven't budgeted in child soldiers... en masse, anyway.
She steps onto the fake grass, hands folding loosely in front of her. "No," she replies, in a mathematician's way, to all those questions. "I... noticed you were here on your own, Ms. Nome. I thought..." Ruri pauses, and shakes her head, a little embarrassed now she's here in front of her.
"Am I bothering you?" She asks, instead.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
"That Star Festival was so much fun! You're so lucky you get to have your birthday on a holiday like that," Sheryl continues. Even if she isn't making the kind of progress she'd like on her song, she's still so full of inspiration that she can hardly bring herself to mind. That inspiration bubbles through in her obvious good mood. Besides, even if Ruri is a bit stodgy, she's just such a cute little girl. (Oops, a cute little teenager.) Despite her sexy image, Sheryl has a weakness for cute things.
Besides, Ruri's sweet in her own way. Her smile broadens as Ruri continues. "Aww, and you thought you'd give me some company? Maybe you were the lonely one," she teases. "No, don't worry, you're not bothering me at all. Even I like my alone time now and then, but I don't mind having you around right now."
She pauses as she considers Ruri thoughtfully. "Actually, do you have a good ear? I'm considering a few melodies for a new song, and I wouldn't mind some feedback."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"I wonder if they named me Hoshino because of when I was born, or if I was born that day because I'm a Hoshino," Ruri muses, in a joke which really only works bilingually. "Well, something like that... but it was fun to go to a festival. A lot of those things, I haven't really done before..."
Ruri blinks, surprised, when Sheryl wonders if she was lonely. (She is, frequently. It's still strange to her someone would notice.) A little rise of her eyebrows, a little widening of her eyes, before they blink-blink a little too rapidly to be an automatic movement. Ruri doesn't think of herself as especially cute, but, well -- facts are facts.
When Sheryl has a question for her, though, Ruri is happy to move on to answering that instead of talking about her feelings. "Music and mathematics are very similar," she nods, stoic. "So I understand a lot of the theory and practice... but I don't know how you sing in front of people." That, apparently, isn't something which can be conceived of in a programmer's mind. "... but if it's just you, I can help."
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Sheryl giggles at that one. Alto's family's Japanese background inspired her a while back to start learning Japanese, and so she's privileged enough to understand the joke. "Me too, actually," she says, looking out at the ocean view again for a moment. "Things like going to another girl's birthday party, or going to a festival with friends, or even just attending a normal school... I didn't get to do things like that until this year."
She'd been half-joking when she'd asked Ruri if she was lonely, but... that also means she was half-serious. It is cute the way Ruri looks so surprised (for her) at the idea, though. Sheryl giggles at the sight.
"Not everyone can do it," she replies, shrugging. "It's something you have to work at." Sheryl winks. "It helps if you already like being the center of attention. Like me. o`" She's already shoving her notebook and pen in Ruri's hands for her to hold for her when she agrees to help. "Don't drop those," she commands after she's already done so. Without waiting for a response, she strides a few steps away, then twirls to face Ruri. She raises her chin, squares her shoulders, and begins to sing a wordless tune.
Then another, then another. They vary in tempo and pitch; the first is slow and low, the second is intense and mid-pitched, and the third is urgent and mid- to high-pitched. "It's supposed to be for a song to save the world," she concludes at the end, quite seriously. "Which sounded good to you?"
They all sound good, really. That's probably part of the problem.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Sheryl tilts her head at Ruri when she says she's never needed school. Is she one of those Coordinators she's heard about? It doesn't bother her in the slightest--she grew up on Galaxy, after all, where cybernetic implants are the norm--but she can't imagine that Ruri would be this good at hacking and have never needed schooling without being something like that.
Since it doesn't bother her, she doesn't comment on it, though. They're talking about music right now, and she knows Grace is sensitive about that sort of thing. Instead, she mock-huffs at Ruri calling her a fool. "You've got some nerve, calling the Galactic Fairy a fool!" she declares... then grins and winks again. "Just kidding~. That's, like, your catchphrase, isn't it?"
Singing ensues. Sheryl asks for Ruri's input, then listens when she gives it. "You're right," she agrees. "That melody popped into mind while I was watching the ocean--well, actually, I came up with it during my Earth Sphere tour, while I was traveling along the Orbit Ring. But looking at the ocean reminded me of it, and I was expanding it in my mind when you came in. So I couldn't help but add it."
Calm in a crisis can be unnerving... Sheryl does get that. She definitely raises her voice during desperate situations. Alto and Ranka can attest that too. She curls a lock of hair around one finger. "Hmmm... Then it sounds like number two. Let me put a little bit of lyrics to it, then."
Clearing her throat, Sheryl lifts her voice:
"Seek out the beat of my heart
"Until I return to life
"Will you make it in time?
"I pray you'll make it in time..."
She quiets then, and gives Ruri another expectant look. The melody and the words will form part of the chorus of this particular song once it's complete--but it's still in the draft stage for right now. "Well?"
...She doesn't explain to Ruri what kind of feedback she's looking for. Good luck, Ruri-Ruri!
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Is she a Coordinator? Ruri doesn't know, but she's aware of the question; there's no way she couldn't be, in a world like this.
"If it's my catchphrase," Ruri responds, impassive, "it's only because everyone around me is a bunch of fools." So that's a 'yes,' then.
And Sheryl signs -- first without words, and then, when Ruri rules out one option, with them. She stares, as Sheryl sings, but it's really just because she's intent on what she's hearing. If she's unnerving, it's not on purpose. (Here, or in any other situation.)
"The call and response is very effective," she analyses, after a moment of silence. "If you're trying to reach someone, placing the question in their minds is psychologically effective, compared to just saying what you want. Because the human mind likes to ask questions."
She pauses, and adds: "And I guess talking about hearts is a good start for most people. A lot of people talk about their decisions as coming from the heart. They'd know it's important right away." Ruri, apparently, is unaffected by the usual heartthrob madness of teenagers. Or maybe she just hasn't gotten there yet. Who knows!
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Sheryl smirks as she shifts her weight to one leg and rests a hand on her hip, tilting her head to let her long locks spill over her shoulder. Yup, that's a yes, all right.
Ruri's staring is a little weird, but honestly, no weirder than some of Sheryl's more intense fans. She thinks little of it, only waiting for Ruri's assessment with a brisk, piercing stare of her own. When she gives it, Sheryl nods with a satisfied smile.
"Then it's coming along exactly how I want it to," she says in open satisfaction. "I already had a good vibe about it, but it's always nice to hear someone else's thoughts."
She folds her arms and shifts her weight to the other leg, looking at her thoughtfully again. "You have a pretty good sense for this sort of thing, Ruri. And come to think, you're pretty good friends with Ranka, aren't you? Are you actually into music?"
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
"It's very good," Ruri says -- remembers to say, perhaps, as if her standards for criticism don't typically have room for praise.
She steps forward to return Sheryl's notebook and pen, careful to make sure they don't drop in the transfer. Ruri is used to handling components which are much more fragile than these without jostling them, so it's a trivial motion.
(She didn't peek at the notebook.)
"Um..." Ruri starts, a little self-conscious about Sheryl Nome asking Ruri about her own stake in music, cheeks colouring in embarrassment. "I like music a lot," she musters up her bravery to say, finally. "But I'm not as brave as Ranka-san," and she delivers the line with sincerity, "so I'd never sing in front of people... I do try to keep her website online, though."
Ruri sighs, glancing aside, to the viewscreens of the ocean below. "But it's very difficult. It's always being attacked, so it's hard to share her music, even though Omoikane and I are always checking in on things." Omoikane cares very much about sharing Ranka's music, in fact. He's quite upset that someone keeps fighting them, on this.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
"Of course it is," Sheryl boasts, smiling broadly as she flips her hair--though is it boasting if it's just the truth? (It might still be a bit of boasting.)
She accepts the notebook and pen back, kneeling down to pack them back into her clutch purse before rising with it in hand. As she does, Ruri (adorably) starts to blush as she admits she does indeed enjoy music. Something distracts her first, though.
"Her website? --Oh, that's right, she told me some troll has been hacking her site for ages now." Sheryl frowns at the memory--and at the implications. Ruri's on Grace's level, and if even she can't decisively put an end to whoever's been messing with Ranka... "I honestly don't understand why anyone would be so persistent about this. She hasn't even debuted yet!" she adds hotly. She doesn't mention that Yuliana lady, not knowing if Ruri knows about that, but she does say, "It's weird that someone's so dead-set against her sharing her music. I hope you put whoever it is firmly in their place, Ruri."
Somewhere else on the Nadesico, Grace may or may not sneeze.
"But... so you like to sing too, hm, Ruri? Not everyone is made for the stage, but you should at least give it a try before you assume you can't do it," Sheryl adds, smile returning to her painted lips. "It's a lot of fun, and you might just surprise yourself."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Yes, that's a bit of boasting, all right.
"I don't understand who would target Ranka like this," Ruri says, frowning. "Since I asked after the technical support of a random selection of other newcomer idols, and none of them were experiencing these kinds of attacks." All systems operators know each other, didn't you know? They have a conference and everything. It's a bit off again, on again, though.
"But we're treating it very sternly," she informs Sheryl, a little too matter-of-fact to be reassuring. Someone like Ruri probably doesn't know HOW to yell at her problems, so giving the perpetrator a stern talking-to might really be the worst she can imagine.
Again: she isn't trying to be cute. It just happens.
Which also explains the way even Ruri manages to look a shade embarrassed, as Sheryl Nome encourages her to get up and sing. A hand lifts and curls, by her opposite shoulder, as she glances away, cheeks all red. "Um... I mean, it is nice to sing, but... it's not necessary for someone like me to make a fool of myself in front of everyone," and maybe she was trying to play it cool, but she ends up playing her entire stagefright hand anyway. "I don't have... what you have, in front of people, Ms. Nome. And it's not like I'm the sort of person who can reach people, anyway... there's no equation I can use for human connection."
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Sheryl frowns as she folds her arms under her chest, purse dangling from one hand. She does have an idea of who might be doing this, but... once again, if Ranka hasn't told Ruri about Yuliana, she's not going to be the one to break the news.
So: "Good," she says instead, firm and decisive. Ruri might be a little too matter-of-fact, but Sheryl assumes that Ruri isn't the only one who's dealing with this matter. She does consider volunteering Grace's help, but Ranka's been trying so hard to pull through under her own power, with her own resources and friends. Besides, Ruri and Grace is probably overkill.
The topic of singing is a more pleasant one by far, at least to Sheryl's ears. Ruri might have some stage fright, but Sheryl leans over and pats her on the shoulder anyway. "You don't need to try to reach my level," she reassures her (and Sheryl does genuinely believe this is reassuring). "Just sing because you want to, and don't worry about the rest."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri is not, in fact, the only one dealing with this matter; 'we', as it happens, is a pronoun covering more than herself and Omoikane. But she thinks she's been perfectly clear, and she doesn't want to tell on Kaworu unnecessarily, so she doesn't spell it out any further.
Ruri tenses, when Sheryl pats her on the shoulder, but she manages not to scamper away. She is someone who is unused to physical contact. But strangely enough, what Sheryl tells her is reassuring -- because Ruri has always been a genius, always assumed to be at the top level of what she does. She blinks, and nods, expression relaxing a little.
"Because I want to... I see. I guess it doesn't really make sense to compare myself to you when we've come to music from such different ways... you're really very good, Ms. Nome. I really --" Ruri lifts her hand to her mouth, surprise crossing her eyes, and she shakes her head. "Um, your dedication is admirable, I mean."
It's not that Ruri looks up to her, it's just a general fact, obviously.
(And Ruri definitely doesn't still have Sheryl merch displayed in her room. Just don't fact-check that please.)
She pauses, for a moment, fingers curling into her palm. "Um..." Ruri starts, and even through her stoic exterior, it's quite clear she's nervous. Her nervous isn't nearly as loud or obvious as most people's, but there's a little press of her lips, a little tension in her brow. Finally, she manages to get out: "Can I show you? Um, not that I wrote anything myself... Omoikane likes to write music for me."
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
It's fine if Ruri doesn't tell on Kaworu. Sheryl's heard of him in passing, but that's all, and besides, it doesn't matter to her who's on Ranka's team so much as the fact that she has a team to support her.
She does feel Ruri's tension when she pats her, but she pretends not to notice. She just pulls her hand away like it wasn't a big deal in the first place. As Ruri is in fact reassured, Sheryl smiles back at her--and that smile widens when Ruri backpedals from personal admiration to a general statement of admiration.
"Mhm. People engage with music in all kinds of different ways! As long as you're sincere about it, there's no wrong way, either," Sheryl replies. She does enjoy the feeling of trying her best against a skilled rival, but she also enjoys being at the top. There's no point in encouraging every girl she meets to climb the ladder of fame. If Ruri would rather just sing for her own enjoyment, that's just fine.
But then Ruri asks, radiating nerves, if she can share her music with her. A song written by an AI...? As a Sharon Apple fan, that gets Sheryl's attention, and she leans in a little, expression bright and open. "Oho? Let me hear."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri does admire sincerity, so it's easy to agree with Sheryl's encouragement. She's not the sort to smile, but her expression is gentle, hearing it, anyway.
(Being fair, Ruri probably needs a few years before she can be anyone's skilled rival, anyway. Not that she isn't skilled, but she's still quite small, even if she stubbornly insists she's a teenager now.)
"Okay," Ruri says, and to her credit, she's far too stoic to stammer or gulp. She looks up, and asks, "Omoikane, can you help me?"
< OK ! >
The message window which pops up isn't at all bothered by the distraction, because Omoikane is distributed over many cores, and he can focus on an awful lot of things at once. One of those things becomes feeding an instrumental backing track through the observatory, and Ruri nods, hearing it.
She folds her hands in front of her, and starts to sing.
OST: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igdvvQGe4dQ Martian Successor Nadesico - In The Stillness
In reflection of Ruri's earlier feelings about music, it's a song about the connections between people; a song about belief and faith and protection, even in the face of tragedy. How much of it describes Omoikane's feelings, and how much describes Ruri's, is something of an open question -- Omoikane wrote these lyrics, but he clearly wrote them for Ruri's voice. There's not as much emotion in it as there is, in Sheryl's performances, or even Ranka's -- at times it almost sounds more like a lyrical recital than a song -- but her voice is surprisingly strong, at times almost passionate, and it's clear there are feelings beneath those steady words.
And when she finishes, her fingers tighten around each other, and first she looks up to the space beside Sheryl. "Thank you, Omoikane."
< GREAT JOB >
Ruri blushes, which is a thing she is apparently perfectly capable of doing around Sheryl, even stonefaced as she is.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
Sheryl looks up at Omoikane's pop-up window (a literal pop-up window, how charming) as Ruri calls him forth. Music fills up the observatory--a surprisingly intense melody, she realizes as it progresses--and Ruri sings along. Even as she expresses herself this way, she remains deadpan, but her voice isn't bad at all. She has solid technically proficiency, she's simply... inexpressive.
Even so, there's a heart in there, even if it's clumsy at conveying itself. Sheryl bobs her head to the beat as she listens with eyes shut, a smile playing at the corners of her lips as she rests a hand on her chin. And when it's done...
"You've still got a ways to go," she decrees matter-of-factly. "But you're not at the starting line, either. You've made some strong steps already. You might be inexperienced, but I can tell you really do love music, too." Sheryl winks at her. "If you decided you wanted to share this song with the world, you'd definitely make a lot of fans~."
She looks over at the Nadesico AI's communication window. "Omoikane, right? You really brought out Ruri's passion with that melody and those lyrics. It was different from the image I've had of her up 'til now, but in a good way. Have you written any other songs?"
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Ruri nods, when Sheryl gives her appraisal; she's honest, and Ruri appreciates that. Being happy about that, tragically, just leaves her guard down to be embarrassed at Sheryl winking at her again. "I don't need a lot of fans," she insists, shy again. A moment later, she adds: "... but, thank you, Ms. Nome."
Omoikane pipes up, just the same: < THANK YOU ! > (His communication windows are text, and it's a deliberate choice in how he likes to communicate, because surely he has the computing power to simulate a voice if he wanted to. There's a little stamp of a heavy bell in the corner!)
< CORRECT >
< RURIRURI IS TALENTED >
< SONGS REVEAL HEARTS >
< MINE TOO ! >
"Since Omoikane and I are so close, we have similar thoughts on a lot of things... though, Omoikane's more honest than I am," Ruri explains, hands all curled up together. "Well, I'm not the sort of person who would say that sort of thing so plainly... but unlike me, Omoikane is a very poetic person." A person, not a computer, Ruri says so easily.
<Pose Tracker> Sheryl Nome has posed.
"Maybe you don't need them, but isn't it nice to know you could have them if wanted?" Sheryl counter-insists. She smiles all the same. "No need to thank me! I only said what I thought. But I'll take your gratitude anyway, Ruri. <3"
(Of course she enunciates the heart mark. Did you expect any different?)
Ruri-Ruri, huh? That's a cute nickname, simple as it is. Sheryl nods at Omoikane, both in acknowledgement and in agreement. "He sure is!" she tells Ruri when she calls him poetic. "That's a good quality to have if you're going to be a songwriter--either professionally or just as a hobby."
She stretches her arms over her head, then behind her back. "Mmm! That was inspiring! I should get back to it myself. I've got a lot more songs of my own waiting for me to bring them to life." She smirks. "If you two want to hang around and enjoy the creative process, I don't mind."
<Pose Tracker> Ruri Hoshino has posed.
Apropos of nothing, Ruri wonders whether Minato can enunciate a heart. She's not entirely sure how to ask, or how Sheryl did it. She'll ask Omoikane, later.
(One of Ruri's hobbies, after all, is reading their encyclopedia.)
She looks happy -- well, as happy as Ruri tends to look, given she's a terminally unsmiling girl -- when Sheryl compliments Omoikane. She nods, with a little bow, after she streeetches. "I'm happy it helped."
< OK ! >
"Omoikane wants to listen, but I had better get back to the bridge," Ruri says, explaining the difference between their responses. "We both have a lot of work to do, after all."
Handily, even after Ruri leaves, having an AI actively participating in the vibe of a room means that Sheryl can ask him for all kinds of references to help support her songwriting. Omoikane is a big fan! He loves being helpful!