{|:Warm-up:|} (Akane, OPEN)

[summerrain]

The halls of the school were empty, devoid of ringing class bells, the chattering of students, the shuffling of feet, the loud sounds of books being dropped, opened, closed, or used as a weapon; the point, it was quiet. Very quiet. And except for one lone student making her way to the deserted music room, the school was empty of life.

As she walked the halls, her footsteps echoing through the deserted corridors and bouncing off the walls back to her, Summer Rain began to hum. She needed to practice; her voice had not been used in a long time, for several weeks, and it was time to start singing again. After all, her singing helped her powers. It was time to let the magic take over again, so to speak.

Summer reached the music room and gently rested her hand on the doorknob; she tried to turn it, but it was locked. She flittered her wings impatiently, then giggled. Did she not have a slight amount of magic? Bending to place her mouth next to the latch, she whispered something... and the door swung open. The girl stepped into the room and crossed over to the piano, where she sat and lovingly ran her fingers over the ebony and ivory keys. Sighing contentedly, she began playing softly, and hummed quietly along with the melody.

[psychopath]

Akane had her cello case strapped to her back. She had not been able to practice yet since coming to the academy. Her fingers felt dulled and under used without her usual practice time. It was time to catch up on missed hours of practice.

She made her way to the choir room after class hours hoping no one else was there. But as she neared the room, the faint sound of a voice and piano reached her ears. The door was already opened and Akane peeked inside. There was another girl already occupying the room.

"Oh, I'm very sorry for interrupting." Akane bowed apologetically. She closed her eyes and listened to the melody. "It's very pretty."

[summerrain]

Summer paused her humming, but kept playing as another girl entered the room. "Oh, hello! Oh no, you're not interrupting anything. I was just messing around a little." She blushed as the newcomer commented on her music; "Thanks!" she replied. "I guess you could say music is... and innate talent." She giggled, as if at some private joke; music was an innate talent- it went along with her magic. "I was just making it up as I went along." She resumed playing for a few minutes. "Feel free to join me," she said. "My piano, and my voice, can always use another instrument! And if you can sing, I'd love for you to add that too!" Summer was excited; it had been so long that she had played and sang, that she was really getting into it. "I'm sorry," she giggled. "My name is Summer Rain, what's yours?"

[psychopath]

Akane straightened up as Summer Rain introduced herself. "Ah, my name is Akane Okada." She bowed politely after her introduction. Unstrapping her case and lifting her instrument out, she asked, "You don't mind? That's very kind of you." Akane found a chair and sat down. She pulled out her bow and tightened it. "I haven't had time to practice much." Considering Summer Rain's offer to join with another voice as well, Akane responded. "I do sing a bit myself, but when I play my instrument I get so caught up with that and I forget to sing." She scratched her cheek and laughed a little.

[summerrain]

"Akane..." Summer said musingly. She smiled warmly. "It's a pleasure to meet you! And your cello... it's beautiful. I would be honored to have you play along with me."

She laughed. "I do know what you mean about forgetting to sing," she said. "Often I get so lost in the actual music, that I completely forget that there are words that can go along with it!"

With a smile, Summer began to play again, a slow-paced piece that wrapped one in the sweet music and made them forget everything else. Her hands danced over the keys lovingly as she began to sing softly.

[psychopath]

"Oh, it's a pleasure to meet you as well." Akane bowed her head quickly. "And thank you," she replied to the compliment.

As Summer Rain began to play, she closed her eyes. Listening to the slow music, Akane found the patterns, made a harmony in her head, and tried to predict what she would play next.

Akane began to join in with her cello. She played quietly so as to not overpower the soft melody. Her part mixed with the piano and a beautiful song that did not necessarily need Akane was played.

[summerrain]

"Turn your face and kiss the rain,
Drink it in and leave the pain,
Let the sweet sound cleanse your mind,
Clarity is yours to find."

Summer sang softly, blending her voice with the harmony of the cello and piano. A single tear ran down her cheek. She had missed this so much- and to be able to share it with a fellow musician, it was amazing. With a sigh, she played on and sang on.

"We lift our eyes,
We drop our fears,
We sing of love,
And dry our tears.

We live, we laugh,
We love, we pray,
We lift our hearts,
To be joined today."

As the sweet sound of the music filled the room, swelling to twirl around Summer and lift her spirit, she felt... replenished. Whole again. The notes bounced off of the acoustic-friendly walls and reverberated back into her soul; instead of tearing her to pieces as music does to some, it knitted her back together. She was perfect. Not a trouble in the world. Without realizing it, Summer's magic spiraled into the air, making the music tangible. It moved around her like a gentle breeze, lifting her hair to let it play around her, making her wings flutter softly...

[psychopath]

Trying to somewhat mirror Summer's choice of words, Akane added a bit of her own.

"We dance, we sing
And our sorrows will fly
There's love, there's joy
To hate, we say good-bye

I live to laugh
I live to cry
I live to share
I live to tie."

((heee... I tried. ^^" My compliments to your superior writing.))

Akane began to sense magic within the room and finally opened her eyes. She stared in awe. The music was... there. It was alive and right in front of her. Akane's "other" side reacted to Summer's magic and her own magical abilities involuntarily activated. Harmless flames came out and mimicked the music with its rises and falls. It changed color and danced throughout the room. Akane did not even care that her fox ears and tail came out as she normally would. She did not try to hide them here in this music-filled room. Akane flicked her ears in her enjoyment.

[summerrain]

((^^ Thanks ^^ I like yours too. The rhyming wasn't the same as mine, but it was pretty nonetheless ^^))

Summer's eyes opened wide in surprise as a heatless fire danced with her music. She looked to Akane and stared. The girl... was a fox anthro? Well then. Everyone had their surprises. Summer smiled as the other girl added her magic and watched the beautiful tangle with awe. Music and fire danced around the room, throwing shadows over the wall, changing colors and patterns.

Finally the song came to an end, and the last notes faded both from ear and from eye. Summer sighed deeply, the disappearing magic causing her heart to ache with longing. Eyes shimmering, she looked to Akane.

"Thank you. That was... that was beautiful!" What she didn't tell Akane was how much she had missed her magic, her music, her impromptu song writing... but it was there, implied in her words. She sniffled a little, sad that the moment was over. The room was wrought with emotion; she could practically see it plastered on the walls, nearly as tangible as the music had been.

[psychopath]

((Thankee muchly>< for a use of words that are not real><))

Akane nodded in reply, too relaxed for words. Her eyes reflected the lingering flames and soon they, too, disappeared. Twitching, her ears sought for any remaining echoes of the music, wishing desperately for the music to return. She traced her finger in the air and small flames followed the path. Akane sighed and knelt to put her instrument back in its case.

She stood and turned to Summer. Bowing, Akane said, "Thank you very much for letting me see this. It was wonderful." She straightened up and shook herself. Akane ran both hands through her hair and her fox ears disappeared along with her tail. "It was nice to find another musician here," she said as she strapped the case to her back. "I'd like you to have this in return." Akane folded her hands together. After a few seconds, she broke them apart and a small, red flame danced in her palm. The flame disappeared and a small ruby in the shape of a fox head dropped into her hands. She held it out to Summer. "From my observations of people, I have found that it is good to give a gift to those who show you something amazing such as that."

[summerrain]

Summer watched as Akane's finger traced a trail of fire into the air. It did not surprise her, considering the magical encounter they had just had; also, did she not have some of her own magic? As the other girl put her cello away, Summer felt slightly disappointed. "Oh, you're leaving?" she asked, slightly dejected. She glanced at a clock and was surprised to see that they had been playing for nearly half an hour. She hesitated as the girl retracted her ears and tail, trying to word the request she wanted to make. "It was my pleasure, Akane," Summer said graciously. "And it was very nice to meet and play with you. It's not often that I can find another person with an affinity for music." She smiled.

A sudden flame flared in Akane's hands, and Summer was surprised as the other girl held a beautiful foxhead-shaped ruby out to her. Summer took the gem, cradling it carefully in her palm. "Wait, I have something for you also," she said. "Hold on just a moment." She quickly took a few strands of her silver hair and swiftly braided them into a thin but strong cord. She picked up a misshapen paperclip from the piano top and focused her attention on it for a moment...

Summer threaded the magically-created, perfectly formed silver butterfly onto the cord of her own hair and held it out to Akane. "It's not worth much, but it's a memory," she said softly. "I would be honored if you kept this."

Before they departed, the beautiful nature girl had one more thing to say to the anthro. "Akane... I really, really enjoyed playing with you. What... what would you think about doing a small concert for the school? If every time we play together something like THAT" referring to the tangible magic "happens, I think that we could gather an audience..." she trailed off, blushing. "Oh, never mind. It was a silly idea."

[psychopath]

Akane took the beautiful silver butterfly in her hands and bowed her head. "I thank you for this gift. I will treasure it as a memory of this event." She lifted her head back up. "It was a pleasure for me as well to be able to meet another musician such as yourself, Summer."

She widened her eyes in the proposal of a concert. Akane tilted her head to the side in thought. "No... no, it's not silly..." Akane repositioned the case on her back. "I think it's a wonderful idea." She smiled a genuine smile. "But we would have to get permission, right? And what if that really did happen again... Wouldn't some find it a bit intimidating?"

Akane looked down at her feet in embarrassment. "And if it did happen again..." Her voice trailed off and she pointed to her head where her ears had been.

[summerrain]

"I think a concert is a wonderful idea,too," Summer said slowly. (I got permission from staff to do one ^^)

"I also think... that people wouldn't be intimidated, but rather awed and fascinated, much as you and I were- and we're the ones who were playing! I mean, I'm pretty sure that when we met each other, you didn't know I was of arcane tendencies, just as I didn't know you had a fire affinity."

Summer paused a moment, leaning her elbows on the back of the piano. She rested her chin in her hands and looked at Akane thoughtfully. "Well, why do you not want people to know about your ears and tail? Is it because you would be embarrassed, or do you have some sort of identity to keep secret? Because, if I were you" she fluttered her wings to remind Akane that she wasn't quite normal either, "I wouldn't try to hide my true self from others, but rather let them see who I am naturally because I'm most comfortable then. It's up to them to decide what they think of me." She smiled. "People think I'm weird, a freak of nature; some people have run screaming from me. But I'm okay with that- I've made my peace. Plus, I don't think the people here are like that. I mean, I've met someone..." she trailed off, blushing. "His name is Skyler. He's amazing, and he thinks my wings are part of what makes me beautiful." She looked down, flushed, twisting the fox-shaped ruby in her hands.

"Anyway, now that I've talked your ears off, what do you think about the concert idea? Or do you not want to?"

[psychopath]

Akane looked down again. "Well, yes, that's true... But where I used to live..." She stepped out from the shadows. Akane was sure Summer was used to strange sights, but to add to another of what probably would not be surprising. Her shadow fell to the ground in the form of the fox. "It was all human. I knew no other of my kind. And the school I went to..." She played with her hair as she continued to explain. "Yes, it would have been easier to just take it as it came along as I usually do with most things, but with all the comments, remarks, teasing, jeering, and talking behind my back though I could hear almost every single day..." Akane took a deep intake of breath. "I really want to live like a human. I don't know why, but I'm fascinated and I guess it's because I was abandoned and was taken in by a human and never lived with others like me."

Akane thought about how Summer Rain was called beautiful with her wings. "Hmmm... no one's ever called me pretty before... except maybe the one who took me in. But the real reason why I never show this 'other' side is because there was no one to stand up for me I guess and when you're young and you hear all these negative things about you constantly, you just break inside somehow." She brushed her hair behind her shoulders and played with the silver butterfly. "When you are called ugly so young you really believe it. And when you are older, even when you know you aren't what they say, it stays with you.

"Even though I am proud to be what I am, which is why I could stay in school, it still hurt, you know?" Akane smiled sadly. "Heee... How's that for talking your ears off? And for the concert, it's fine. I'll deal. It would be nice to hold one here and maybe we could find others to join."

[summerrain]

Summer nodded at Akane's words. "I understand perfectly what you mean," she said, glancing pointedly at her own odd shadow. Her wings open and closed slowly, proving her point. "However... I find it easier if people know the real me." She shrugged, a warm smile on her lips. "And now, I shall make sure that people get to know the real you. You are beautiful, Akane- don't let anyone tell you otherwise, because they are lying. You are beautiful in personality, in appearance, in your uniqueness. People will say anything to bring someone down, even if it is just to make their own sorry selves a little better..." she smiled wistfully.

"Anyway! Enough depressing talk! We are both beautiful, and we are both talented musicians. We should definitely do a concert. What do you say about... one week's time? Or is that not long enough to practice? No, we should probably wait for two or three weeks, to see if anyone else wants to add their melodies and harmonies. Well, we'll start advertising, anyway."