Dark Prayers (D2, MA) [Open]

[Susumu Yakumo]

"Mhm," she said at first, smiling. "I do find masks fascinating, and there's no lack of them here on World of Dreams. There is something intriguing about what is hidden - like it sets the fantasy going, as you begin to wonder what might be hidden behind the mask."

She paused in their walk, so she could stop to look more fully at Kazumi. "And besides, I am curious about your mask. Or rather, your voice - if the mask is distorting it somehow? Making it sound so... different?"

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi chuckled lightly and shook their head "No Susumu-sama, while it is an excellently crafted and custom mask with a number of features that I find useful. My voice is entirely my own." Kazumi's tone was slightly amused as if it were a question they had heard more than once.

[Susumu Yakumo]

Her eyebrows rose. It wasn't every day she met someone else who had a voice that was so unique... sometimes she thought she was the only one with some really strange vocal chords.

"Now I am intrigued, Soshi-san. You're proving quite the interesting mystery." Her smile became more like a smirk. "With a voice like that you could have a future as a singer... or do you perhaps use your unique vocals in your EDM?"

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi was, for the first time in the exchange, a little off balance. The confidence in their voice wavering subtly with what was likely embarrassment or self consciousness "Ahh you flatter me Susumu-sama. I...well it's never been verified officially but I do have one or two tracks I've released where I sing. I suppose another secret to add to your arsenal." They gave her a look that spoke to the slightly vulnerable smile hidden beneath the carbon fiber.

"Just from one artist to another. It's something I've been curious about expanding but while I know electronic music expertly. Singing is.....new."

[Susumu Yakumo]

"Really?" the word rolled off her tongue as if she had discovered a very interesting little secret.

"Any particular reason you haven't tried singing more, when you have such a unique voice? For many its stage fright, from what I remember back during my training."

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi shrugged a little getting their feet back under them so to speak and working to banish the uncomfortable feelings and return to a casual tone "It's just something I never looked into. My expertise has always been with computers in school I only got bare bones training on arts like acting and singing."

They took a quick breath fully centering themself "and Music emerged as I learned how to make it, for almost three years no one even knew who I was while I was releasing music under my stage name. So I guess electronic music just became my focus but I never was comfortable staying in one place. I'm always looking for ways to innovate and change my sound. Very recently this led me to trying making original vocals. There's something more.....Personal about it, putting that kind of work out there."

[Susumu Yakumo]

She took note of his unease, but did not linger on it, for the sake of the conversation. And if she wanted to work with him musically, she didn't want such awkward chemistry there between them.

"I can absolutely relate to wanting innovate and change. To be honest with you, I find a lot of the propaganda and commercialism to be stifling for the creative spirits in the galaxy - not only mine, but that of others as well. Managers want the profit, and the bosses want music that inspires people to be good samurai or whatever. I..." she sighed, shaking her head, "I'm glad at least I've managed to get through as much as I have around those issues, but I do miss the earlier days, when I experimented more. Tried new sounds."

"Pop just happened to be where I found commercial success." Her breath was drawn out, and she closed her eyes for a few moments before looking at Kazumi again. "Would you let me hear your music where you sing?"

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi nodded "Not saying that many managers or producers have been sniffing around me but I have thought about it, what artist doesn't think about making it to the main stream? The loss of control is one of the things that sort of scares me about success. Right now I can do or make whatever I want but yeah having to answer to others sounds like a pain." Kazumi agreed with her.

When she asked her second question a moment of that unease shot through the Soshi but it was almost immediately tamped down. But like who wouldn't be a little nervous showing their experimental music to freaking Susumu Yakumo!

Kazumi nodded again after only a brief pause looking and finding a place they could comfortably sit and swinging around a bag strapped around their torso and pulling out a personal computer and a pair of head phones. Quickly typing their slender fingers danced across the keys popping one bud in they clicked and scrolled for a minute before looking up to Yakumo and offering them the headphones.

[Susumu Yakumo]

"The goal is to make it big enough that you'll have the success and fame for doing what you want to do," she confessed with a smirk, perhaps even to assure him that success wasn't only a cage.

As Kazumi would know the shrine better, she followed his lead to find some place to sit and she watched him with curious anticipation as he fired up his computer. Accepting the headphones, she inhaled deeply and slid them over her head and ears, eagerly awaiting the sound of his music.

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi watched as she got situated and as she slid the headphones over her ears they pressed play on one of the two publicly released tracks that had, until now, never actually been confirmed to be their original singing.

The music played a mix of strings and electronic music filled the background, it was nothing mind blowing but served as a good back drop for the song.

Kazumi came in after not too long their voice was strong and did a good job of carrying the emotion of the song. To a Kakita trained ear there were certainly still rough edges to the sound it was clear the Scorpion had only had a little instruction but there was certainly a lot of raw talent and potiential there.

[Susumu Yakumo]

Holding her hands over the headphones, Yakumo closed her eyes as she listened to the music. As it progressed, Kazumi could see the subtle signs that people had when they listened to something they liked; the light tapping of her fingers against the headphones in beat to the music, relaxed breathing, gentle swaying of the head.

The voice was different than she had expected, as she had thought there would almost be something more electronic or distorted to it given his EDM interest. So it was a pleasant surprise.

"Hmmm... I like it." She said as it ended, sliding the headphones off carefully without messing up her hair. For her, there was something more heartfelt in this music than in Tamiyo's music, at least to her ear. "I'm surprised really. I thought it would be something more club-like. Electronic. It has those elements, but also different than I thought."

"Think you'd like to perform that some day to an audience?" Yakumo asked earnestly, looking at Kazumi to gauge his reaction.

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi tried to reinstall in their relief and excitement that Yakumo liked it and were mostly successful especially with the aid of their mask but she would see hints of it in their eyes certainly.

"Well i do love computers and i think making music with them is amazing because you can do so many things that you cant with vocals or instruments but this, this was something different." Kazumi explained

Then Kazumi cleared their throat "Yeah, yeah I would. I've been doing the same thing for a while. It seems about time to switch things up a bit."

[Susumu Yakumo]

This was one of the bits she liked the most with meeting fans. Getting to talk about music, and see their own passion for their own work. The I'm your biggest fan-line got boring so fast, and people like Tamiyo had swept in at amazing speed to just maximize words per minute it had seem before storming off again.

But some people were just like that, Yakumo guessed. Kazumi at least had the time to share music and talk, which she appriciated.

"Innovation is the nescessity of creating art. We can't continue to produce the same thing over and over again, after all." Her smile was warm and genuine as she looked at him. "I look forward to hearing more of your work. Using your skills with a computers is great, really. I am pretty lousy with them myself, and mostly stick to the music composing software I learned with the Kakita."

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi nodded in agreement to her words "Yes survival requires innovation. Staying the same will doom you to just being left behind."

"I admit I'll need to listen to your older works to hear how you have changed Susumu-sama. I'm really only familiar with your last album and a single or two here and there. I do love the things you can do with your voice, how much of your diverse singing voice is natural talent versus your training?" Kazumi asked curiously.

[Susumu Yakumo]

And getting left behind in the music industry meant it was really hard to catch up again. Although some musicians had had great success with comeback-moves.

"Ah, I can see that. Not like it was distributed outside of Spider and Crane space much," she nodded and shifted her own purse to her lap. Opening it up, she took out a small storage-drive*, offering it to Kazumi. "This has my albums up until my latest. Consider it a gift from one artist to another"

---

*= or whatever they use for music-albums because I can't find it. xD

[Soshi Kazumi]

"It is appreciated." Kazumi took it and deftly stored it in a pocket with a quick but still casual move of their hand "and how many storage devices do you keep on your person to share your music Susumu-sama?" They asked with a small amount of amuesment in their voice, maybe a touch of teasing as well.

If they even thought of a gift giving ceremony they seemed to not show it. In fact their whole body language seemed to have settled into a very comfortable place after Yakumo had listened to their music.

[Susumu Yakumo]

If she was offended by the lack of back-and-forth, she did not show it. Honestly, she didn't mind as it would get tiresome to do this everytime she wanted to help out a fan.

"I keep a few copies with me at all times, just in case I meet someone interesting," she smiled playfully, playing off of his own teasing tone. Closing her purse, Yakumo returned it to her side. "I look forward to seeing more of you in the future, Soshi-san. And especially hearing more of you."

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi nodded, the look in their eyes still faintly showing amuesment at the practice but life must be very different for people like Yakumo.

"Ah now I am interesting eh?" They said with a raised eyebrow "that's quite the compliment from someone like you who is surely to have met many people."

They paused briefly but continued "am I perhaps interesting enough for us to have another conversation in a less professional" They looked around "or religious setting?"

[Susumu Yakumo]

"You'd be surprised at how uninteresting many high-ranking officials and CEOs can be," she remarked with a light laugh. Business people on the whole were rather dull.

She rose from the bench and smoothed out her clothes. "Hmmm... yes, I do believe that would be possible. Did you have something in mind, Soshi-san?"

[Soshi Kazumi]

Kazumi stowed the laptop in smooth practiced motions the carrier bag spinning onto their back in a matter of moments. Kazumi would stand as well, hands going into pockets.

"Well I suppose I wonder if there was anywhere Susumu-sama was curious to see? Or perhaps I could surprise you?" They asked raising one eyebrow gauging her reaction.