The year is 2009.
Hatsune Miku, freshly tossed out of the frying pan of saving the world, is a high school student that's just looking to relax. However, her world gets turned upside down as she's forced to move by her parents! Find out what happens...
"So, uh... Terinzi, what's up with all this grey body paint?" Watashi ask. There's about five containers of it laying on her desk, beside her computer.
"COSPL4Y," she answers matter-of-factly.
Alrighty then. "How much does this stuff cost? Is this like the cheap stuff or is it high quality or what?"
"NOT SUP3R CH34P. 1TS D3C3NT QU4L1TY 1D S4Y. TH3R3S SOM3 N1C3R STUFF OUT TH3R3, L1K3 B3N NY3, BUT TH4T SH1TS R34LLY 3XP3NS1V3. TH1S STUFF 1S ONLY 4BOUT 8 DOLL4RS P3R CONT41N3R, 4ND 1T L4STS 4 WH1LE." Rinzi pauses, then frowns. "1TS K1ND4 H4RD TO SPR34D SOM3T1M3S, BUT YOU G3T US3D TO 1T TH3 MOR3 YOUV3 DON3 1T. 1TS GOOD 3NOUGH FOR TH3 MON3Y, 4ND TH3 COLOR IS P3RF3CT. BUUUUUUUUUUUUT!! 1T 1S 4BSOLUT3LY NOT M34NT FOR L1MBS OR 4NY 3XTR3M1T1ES. F4C3 ONLY, M4YB3 N3CK 1F YOUR3 F33L1NG BOLD. 4LW4YS US3 4RM SOCKS OR L3GG1NGS TO COV3R YOUR 4RMS 4ND L3GS 1F YOUR3 W4NT1NG FULL COV3R4G3. TH3R3S B33N JUST TOO M4NY INST4NC3S OF COSPL4Y3RS NOT S34L1NG TH31R BODY P41NT OR PUTT1NG 1T ON PL4C3S OTH3R TH4N TH31R F4C3 FOR M3 TO COUNT. 4NYW4YS..."
"Cool." Watashi's not interested in buying any, of course, but judging by her excessive blithering, she's pretty enthusiastic about her body paint.
Although watashi still kind of don't understand why she needs it. Obviously watashi know what cosplay is, but who the hell is she cosplaying that she'd need grey body paint for?
Weirdo.
****
"OH H3Y, 1 H34RD TH1S RUMOR TH4T 1F YOU ST4R3 1NTO 4 TV AT M1DN1GHT WH1LE 1TS R41N1NG OUTS1D3, YOULL S33 SOM3 CR33PY TV CH4NN3L." Rinzi mentions. "W3 SHOULD CH3CK 1T OUT."
"Daijobu! Watashi bet that'll be super kowai!" Watashi exclaim. "Watashi never really heard rumors like that over in Nihon."
"HUH, R34LLY? W3 G3T 4 LOT OF W31RD RUMORS OV3R H3R3, BUT MOST OF TH3 T1M3 TH3YR3 JUST TOT4L BULLSH1T. YOU G3T US3D TO QU3ST1ON1NG TH3 4UTH3NT1C1TY OF STUFF."
Terinzi-chan and watashi keep prattling about various topics. The walk from her house to watashi's is fairly long, but not long enough to be completely exhaustive.
Dusk is beginning to fall over the city like a blanket, the color a melange of midnight blue and heliotrope. The warm summery-ish air is filled with the stickiness of humidity. There's a cool breeze that blows every now and then, ruffling 'Rinzi-chan's hair in a kawaii way.
...It just makes mine get all tangled. It's stupidly long, and at this point it would probably just be best to cut it, but Luka-san insists that it stays long.
"Hey, Rinzi-chan. How long have you been here? In.... whatever this place is called."
"1 MOV3D H3R3 L4ST Y34R. 1T W4S K1ND OF 4 L4ST M1NUT3 TH1NG, R1GHT B3FOR3 TH3 SCHOOL Y34R ST4RT3D. P4R3NTS SHOV3D L3NJ4M1N AND 1 1NTO TH1S H3LLHOL3, TOLD US TH3Y H4D BUS1N3SS SH1T... Y34H R1GHT." Terinzi-chan scoffs. "TH3Y JUST D1DNT W4NT TO T4K3 C4R3 OF US. 4NYW4YS, HOW 4BOUT YOU? 1 N3V3R GOT TO 4SK."
"Oh, um, watashi dunno... it's kind of a similar situation, watashi guess? Like, my parents just kind of... flung watashi here on a whim."
"...Wait, nani? That's what this town is called?" Watashi ask. "The internet said there's a town, like, an hour away from here called Springfield."
"TH4TS 4M3R1K4 FOR YOU."
****
So it is exactly 11:37 pm. Since we already dyed her hair, Rinzi and watashi have just been chattering and eating junk food like the teenage fucks we are, nothing very iportant. But what IS important is that it is getting close to midnight.
"So. 'Rinzi-chan, TV thing. Anything specific we gotta do?"
"UH, 1 DONT TH1NK SO. NOT R34LLY." Terinzi shrugs. "1TS JUST L1K3, H4V3 4 TV. 4ND 1F 1TS M1DN1GHT, TH3 CR33P CH4NN3L W1LL 4PP34R OR SOM3TH1NG. L1K3 1 S41D... T4K3 3V3RYTH1NG YOU H34R FROM P3OPL3 H3R3 W1TH 4 GR41N OF S4LT."
"Daijobu, makes sense. Well, watashitachi've still got time, sooo...."
"H3Y, M1KU? C4N 1 4SK YOU SOM3TH1NG?"
"Shoot."
"WHY TH3 FUCK 1S TH3R3 4 P1CTUR3 OF 4 HORS3 ON YOUR W4LL."
"Watashi dunno, it's just... actually, no. Watashi was gonna say that it's been there since watashi moved here, but it.... hasn't. It just showed up the other day. Like, came home, and there it was on my wall."
"TH4TS... D1SCONC3RT1NG."
"Yeah."
Terinzi continues to stare down the horse painting. Y'know, watashi'm generally pretty good at reading facial expressions, but hers is just illegible. Can't tell if she's staring at the horse in awe or disgust.
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But Rinzi's gaze is now directed toward the television. Oh, look! It's time.
...
...
...
......
........
..........
..........It doesn't do anything.
That's disappointing.
"Well, it was worth trying, watashi guess," watashi say, shruggging.
