when you wish upon a star [Open]

[seventhgen]

Who: Aigis and Minato, Open!
When: July 1 - onward
Where: Blanc
What: Aigis gets something she's always wanted... probably.
Rating: PG-13? Potentially comedic nudity, but nothing more than that.


1) (Closed)

[The markets of Blanc were crowded and bustling on this evening, barely giving a second's glance to the blonde girl and blue-haired boy who made their way through the throngs of people. Aigis had noted the potions shop's location the last time she'd come down here, so it was simple to lead Minato there, but they largely walked in silence.

She was nervous. At least she thought she was nervous. This was a sensation she couldn't recall feeling before, a way that she felt antsy, like she had to move, like she couldn't stay still. Her computational cycles seemed to be working overtime, calculating potential outcomes no matter how likely.

Was this anxiety...?] Ah, it's just down this next street after the jewelry shop. Please stay close, Minato-san.

2) (Open)

[Aigis seems to be walking with a spring in her step. Or something in her step, at any rate. She's animated and lively, but ever so often she'll take a step and then suddenly wobble or even crumple to the floor with a little gasp. It's as if she's forgotten how her legs work, but how could that be possible?

Of course, the next time she stumbles, she stumbles into you.] Oh, I'm sorry! I-- I lost my balance, I'm terribly sorry about that! [Except when she fell against you, she didn't knock you over like she might have, were she still made out of heavy metal and ceramic armor. In fact, she feels kind of soft.

Kind of like a human?]

3) (Open)

[They say that Monday's meals in the cafeteria aren't great. In fact, they say they're downright awful. Today's meal is some sort of curry rice... you think. It's almost gelatinous. This definitely doesn't seem like curry, or rice.

That doesn't seem to be stopping Aigis, who is actually wolfing it down, somehow?] T-this... it tastes terrible! I really hate it! [She says surprisingly cheerfully, before resuming eating it.]

4) (Open)

[Oh, good old public baths. They're really underrated. The last time Aigis was in a place like this, she literally lay on the bottom of the hot spring, completely submerged. This time, though, she's actually wrapped in a towel from underarms to thighs, and is standing on the side of the bath, looking at the water almost anxiously.

She carefully balances herself on one leg, reaching out with her other foot (those who have seen her mechanical legs will note that the presence of feet itself is unusual) to dip her toe into the steaming water. Whatever she's expecting, though, this doesn't seem to be it.] --ah!

[It's enough to cause her to lose her balance. Splash.]

5) (Wild Card!)

[Interact with human!Aigis however you like!]

Comments

[cutiepanther]

[ Maki's still forever confounded by the power of magic! Someday it might make sense to her but for now... ]

I still can't believe it. You're really... human?

[ For the moment, Maki starts to walk, moving around the other girl as if she were studying every inch of her. ]

I guess everything must seem really new to you?

[seventhgen]

At least for the duration of the potion's effect, yes. I will revert to my normal form in several hours, and stay that way until I take another dose of the potion. [She suddenly feels a little... odd at Maki's detailed scrutiny, but it's only to be expected, isn't it?] I've known about most of these beforehand, but it's so interesting getting to experience them for myself. Though... [A slight frown crosses her face.] It is also frustrating that I cannot easily pull data from my archives like this. Human memory is far less reliable.

[cutiepanther]

Oh.. it's only temporary. [ Even though Maki is standing behind Aigis at the moment, she might hear the disappointment that is only partially hidden in Maki's tone.

She's not doing anything weird though, she just felt like she had to get the whole thing in, checking her from top to bottom! (In an innocent way!) ]

I-I guess we just get used to it. [ Maki finally comes back around to the front, resting her hands on her hips. ]

So what have you tried that's totally new for you?

[seventhgen]

Yes, it is temporary. I thought that would be better than making a permanent change like this... isn't it? [She doesn't notice the disappointment in Maki's voice, it seems.] But I have done many new human things! I've eaten, and I've slept... biological functions are very enjoyable!

[cutiepanther]

Y-yeah! That makes sense!

[ Maki pipes up to agree, even if she has to wonder what would really make Aigis happy. It's hard not to think of Pinocchio at a time like this. ]

I guess... things like that would be pretty strange to you, huh? [ Maki shifts her weight thinking for a moment. Her face suddenly turns up, as she gets an idea. ]

Have you tried singing?

[seventhgen]

Singing? [From the expression on Aigis' face, it's clear she hasn't. She shakes her head.] No, I haven't tried that. Before, my voice was mostly synthetic. Singing would have been easy. I'm not sure how to do it with... human parts.

[cutiepanther]

[ That makes Maki all the happier, excited she can be the one to hopefully share the love of music with someone who probably has never enjoyed it the right way. ]

Well, let's do it! I can teach you some basics. There's just something... really beautiful about being able to make a song appear from nothing. I know you'll love it.

[seventhgen]

Oh, yes! [Aigis immediately brightens, her face blossoming into a smile.] I would enjoy that very much! I've never really tried before!

[cutiepanther]

[ Maki looks all kinds of excited, moving to stand next to Aigis, shoulder to shoulder as she would with any of her friends back home. First, she puts her hand on her stomach, and tries to instruct Aigis to do the same. ]

So you feel your diaphragm, right? It's this muscle right here. [ Maki touches it on herself, waiting for Aigis to find her own. ]

When you sing, you want to sing from here, that's where all your sound comes from. Now stand up straight.

[seventhgen]

[She follows Maki as best as she can, putting her hand on her stomach and inhaling.] I want to sing from here... I understand. [Wait. Even as she stands up straight, she frowns and looks at Maki.] ...no, I don't understand. Isn't my voice produced in my throat, at my vocal cords? How can I sing from anywhere else?

[cutiepanther]

[ It's not the first time she's had to teach from the very beginning. Well, maybe the first time she had to teach someone who's never been a human before... ]

Well, you're air comes out of your lungs. What you're doing with your diaphragm is trying to control your breathing, to keep the notes steady and powerful. So when someone says your sounds comes from your diaphragm, we just mean the depth of the note that you sing is controlled by your breathing. Like this:

[ Maki shifts her stance a little, and takes a deep breath for example, touching her hand to her stomach. And then she sings. ]

Do Re Mi~

[seventhgen]

[! Aigis gasps at the three clear notes.] Maki-san--! That was beautiful! The notes were so precise and on pitch!

[cutiepanther]

[ Maki can't hide the proud smile that forms on her face when she's being praised. Somehow this is not one of the things she gets embarrassed about. ]

I've been practicing since I was young with different vocal coaches, so it's only natural. But let's see you do it!

[seventhgen]

Me? You want me to...? [That smile of surprise suddenly fades into what is very much an uncertain expression of unsureness.] Ah... I will try! [She takes a deep breath and... oh dear. That is not a very good sound.]

[cutiepanther]

Go ahead!

[ Maki looks so proud and happy for Aigis, hoping that she'll learn to love music too. ...And not, ruin music forever. ]

--Stop, stop, stop!

[ She waves her hands in front of her, trying to stop Aigis so she can correct her before it gets worse. ]

We might need a different solution...

[seventhgen]

Huh? [Aigis blinks, stopping short at Maki's hands waving in front of her face.] Was I doing something wrong, Maki-san?

[cutiepanther]

[ Maki lets out a sigh of relief, hoping she can fix that. ]

You were... well, it wasn't good. [ She twirls her hair thinking... ]

Trying thinking about the sound you want to make. Just imagine it before you try to make it. Feel it in your heart what it should sound like.

[seventhgen]

Oh. I'm sorry. [Her expression falls.] I don't really know how to make those sounds... I'm not sure how to control my voice like that.

Maybe music isn't for me.

[cutiepanther]

No, no, you can do it! You can't just give up when you fall for the first time learning something new.

[ Maki seems stern, like she's given this speech before. ]

Let's try to go simpler. Just try to make this sound... "Faaaa~"

[ To demonstrate the note she's at she holds her hand up. ] Try to raise or lower your pitch, that is closing or opening your throat as you let sound out. Like "aaah" or "ooooh".

[seventhgen]

[Now she's anxious about it, Maki. Aigis feels the need, suddenly, to wet her lips. Strange, that. It's not an instinctive reaction she's ever had before.] I-I'll try not to give up, then. F-- faaa... [She can't really hold the tone quite steady, but it's not the horrible noise she'd managed to produce earlier.]

[cutiepanther]

[ Maki is just glad to see Aigis take another shot at it. She might be a little overbearing but... Maki always has been when it comes to music.

She's demonstrating though, holding her hand to the pitch she expects from Aigis, singing along with her. Her technique is refined and experience, her control easily that of a professional. But it doesn't mean that Aigis can't do her best! ]
FaaaAAA! [ Maki raises her hand to show Aigis to try to go up another step. ]

[seventhgen]

Fa... aaaa! [Aigis tries to go up herself, but it's not nearly the neat and clean step up of Maki. No, she's actually a little sharp now.]

[cutiepanther]

[ That's better than before. Maki's ear can tell the difference between the two of them with ease, which is why she steps back down, lowering her hand with her, to signal Aigis to do the same. It might just be out of her range to go higher, but Maki wants her to feel how amazing it can when you can hold a note and actually make music.

She pauses for a moment to give instructions: ]

Control your breathing, stand up straight, hold the note steady.

[seventhgen]

[You are telling her to do too many things at once, Maki! Aigis doesn't really know how to control her breathing. She does, however, stand up straight, and... oops, she's out of breath. Her note dies in a squeak. She takes a long, deep breath, almost a gasp.] --I'm sorry, I ran out of air! [She frowns.] I don't really know if this is possible... it's very complicated, singing.

[cutiepanther]

[ Maki... takes things very seriously. She hadn't realized she was going to overwhelm the poor girl with all those instructions at once.

But instead of being mad Maki....

starts to laugh. And then laugh a little more. Until she can't help herself. ]