It could get pretty tough learning your way around a campus as massive and spacious as Miator, especially when you were still in your first week attending and exploring the school.  Hikaru Shinguji was not used to this size of real estate when trying to find a destination.  Given that she'd been raised by nuns and nurses at an orphanage which was smaller than the dorm buildings Miator boasted, this was all rather too much to handle.  After making another wrong turn at a corner by the library she was thoroughly convinced that she was irrevocably lost.  All Hikaru had set out to do this morning was to find the student store so that she could get some extra erasers and a new special limited edition notebook for taking French notes in.  From the ads she'd seen (because Hikaru is totally the kind of person who would get excited over stationary ads) they were beige with subtle ripples decorating the covers to emulate clouds.  They were understated but really pretty and she had set aside the coins to pay for them on the day they were supposed to be in stock at all stores.  Today was that day!

Except she had no idea where on Earth she was.  Sure it wasn't where she wanted to be but at least it was really pretty - there was even a big pond nearby which might have fish in it!  Forgetting her dilemma for a second Hikaru hesitantly strode over to the pond and found that there were indeed fish in it.  Big and small sizes of koi swam about playfully as she watched with saucer-wide eyes.   So pretty!  This whole hidden world beyond the imposing gate was probably the prettiest place that Hikaru had ever set eyes upon, which made her heart race.  She'd have to come back here when she had more time but for now she had to get that notebook!  How many copies of the 'heaven's stairway' cover would they still have when she got there?  Hikaru had to somehow navigate around Miator in order to get back to where she'd been told she could find the school store.

"Okay, Hikaru, think... what did they tell you?" she thought aloud before trying something else out.  A manga she'd read just before coming to Miator had featured a character who narrated their life for an entire day, and it seemed like fun.  Being all in favor of fun, Hikaru stated, "When she gets there she knows if the stores are all closed, with a word she can get what she came for... and she's .. um.. oh!  oh! oh!  She's buying a stairway to heaven!"

Mimi's walked the pathways of the school in her uniform without any goal in mind. Keeping fit was important but sports and other such things were not properly ladylike according to grandma. Now that she was in the school, she wasn't going to be able to do the morning exercises on the radio. That was too late in the day and she'd already be at class. So she had decided that she would do walking every day as a replacement. She would stay trim and tidy and there was no worry about unwholesome outfits. The day had gone very well and she was enjoying this beautiful new school. Her grandmother had been right to send her here, even if Mimi desired a bit more freedom. Even her mother and father would have approved. She wondered if her mother had come here but decided that it wasn't likely. Her mother had probably gone to some American school where they screamed into microphones and learned how to rock. A slight grin touched her lips. That would have been a fun experience she thought before catching herself and reminding herself that she was not that kind of girl and proper ladies didn't do that sort of thing, even if her mother did it every week.

As she walked, she caught sight of a girl looking into the koi pond. She knew this girl partially, they shared a class together, if not more than one. It was nice to see another friendly face though and Mimi considered calling out to her. Mimi extended her hand but hesitated. The girl was talking to somebody. Did she have her phone out? It didn't look like it, maybe she had a phone in her ear wirelessly. As Mimi lowered her hand, the girl's voice carried across the wind. She knew that song. She knew that song really well.

With speed quite unlike anything she'd shown before on campus, she darted up behind the girl. "There's a sign on the wall, yeah? You gotta be sure, yeah? My love for that song goes to eleven."

The presence of another person wasn't something that Hikaru had been able to even sense let alone fully detect.  Acquiring the new patterned notebook had so taken over her imagination that her attention was focused entirely on it and nothing else.  Of course it would've been ridiculous to assume that she was the only one out and about on such a nice day as this, let alone by the pond on such a day.  She was just so worried about having gotten turned around while looking for that notebook that she didn't know Mimi was even there.  Was it a left turn at the koi pond or a right turn?  Had the directions even mentioned a koi pond?  Hikaru tugged on her braid as she tried to remember just how she was supposed to get to the school store from this particular place in the world.  

So when suddenly from behind her a voice excitedly started spouting out words that didn't make a whole lot of sense in context.  Not that Hikaru was really paying that much attention to her choice of words in the moment.  Instead she jumped in surprise at the proclamation, turning around to see who had sneaked up behind her like some super ninja.  In that process she partially lost her balance and stumbled backward a few paces.  Only her quick thinking ensured that her back foot anchored Hikaru to the ground rather than tumbling the rest of the way into the pond.  Those fish were pretty but not pretty enough to make her want to swim with them!  After a moment her panicked expression softened, calm returning to her as she noticed that the girl wasn't a ninja at all but a classmate she recognized from a few classes.  How nice!  Maybe she had just recognized Hikaru from a class and this was her way of saying hello?  Mentioning a song didn't make much sense to the newcomer but she thought the statement at least deserved a response.

"Song?  I'm not sure I know what you mean.. I'm just a poor girl from a poor family," Hikaru responded, not sure why she'd chosen that particular phrasing.   Then she asked, "Don't you sit near me in home economics?  You look  really familiar!  I'm Hikaru, by the way."

The girl staggered back and away, but that was fine. Mimi just took a step in closer. "It's the song yeah, classic song. Like you know how great it all is yeah?" Then the girl spoke even more lyrics. Mimi went right in with a single stride, nose nearly touching the other girl's nose. Mimi's eyes seemed to glitter with excitement. Her smile was huge and open-mouthed, it was more expression than she had since arriving at the school. "It's a monstrosity yeah? You're top of the pops, girl."

Mimi had to join in, she couldn't let such fun go to waste. "Some kind of solitude is measured in your years, yeah? You think you know me but you haven't got a clue, like yeah." Mimi tilted her head back and laughed. "Course we are, course we are. I love all the songs. You're the music yeah? You write the songs that make the whole world sing." That is definitely where she recognized this girl from, Home Economics. How could she have failed to notice such an ardent music lover sitting so nearby. "Wakana Mimi, we're practically neighbors yeah? Miator first years and same home ec class. Like, cellophane should have been your name, yeah?"

Mimi's manic energy just flowed outwards and she just couldn't help but lean in closer. She'd locked eyes with the girl like a predator with prey, except this prey was just going to be quoted at all day, a fate possibly worse than death. This was not the normal Mimi of silence and mild emotion, this was Mimi as all the repression lifted away. This was not Grandmother's Mimi. Rock goddess Mimi was here. "You sing, yeah? Guitar? Maybe you just rock the keyboard? You gotta be a band taking it to eleven like you do."

If Hikaru hadn't had any clue what the surprise interruption had been about, she had even less idea what the girl was going on about.  It was as if someone had taken whatever the other first year girl had meant to say and put it into a weird translator or dialect.  There were all sorts of things that sounded a bit like poetry and a bit familiar that she wondered where her Home Ec classmate had gotten the words from.  All of the 'yeahs' punctuating the girl's speech were even more odd since it seemed to be a pretty normal way of speaking for the girl.  Hikaru had to take another partial step back just to keep her personal space somewhat intact.  For as confusing as Mimi's words were the girl's enthusiasm was infectious!  It made Hikaru want to get herself pumped up to match the level of excitement Mimi was displaying for her.  But alas, she had no idea what the girl was talking about other than she seemed to be asking if she was involved in music and was introducing herself.

"Um... well, you're certainly very energetic and that's wonderful!  I think we do sit pretty close to each other in Home Economics," Hikaru nodded, not realizing how close to the edge of the pond she had gotten.  One more enthusiastic outburst of confusing language might push her over the edge.  For the moment she continued speaking, "I'm not involved in music yet, but it sounds like it could be fun.. is what you're saying based on music?  I mean.. it spins me right round, Mimi.. right round like a record, Mimi.."

She blushed a little as she asked, "What about you?  Do you perform or write any music, Mimi?  You seem like you'd be really good at it."

Mimi laughed hard, she nearly doubled over with it as the other girl spoke. This girl was a comedy genius. It was like watching her dad's old movies or the manzai performers. "Course I'm excited, I'm at eleven. You gotta be up to eleven when the groove is in the heart, yeah?" Well if this girl was going to be the Costello, is was down to Mimi to be her Abbott. "Course it's music, music makes the world go round. Music gets me high and keeps me on the ground, yeah?" This girl was too much, of course the key part when the silly person went off into their own insane world was physical. That's where the comedy came from.

"Course I'd be good, we're both good. Come on, Eileen, these people round here with their beat down eyes sunk down face so resigned to what their fate is." Comedy time, she lightly but suddenly hit the girl across the chest with the back of her hand. "But not us, yeah? No, not us. We are far too young and clever." Mimi put a hand on her hip and grinned. She'd found a musical savant so early in the year, and she was funny, and talented. It was like the lottery. Frankly, Mimi was incredibly proud of herself for doing so well so early. They even shared a class and a school.

"I'm Mimi." No formalities, no proper introduction, she said it flat out. "I like you, we're going to be the perfect pairing. Nobody is going to see one without the other. It'll be like the greats, Matsumoto and Hamada, Abbott and Costello, Simon and Garfunkel. Bokke," Mimi pointed at the girl with her finger, "and Tsukkomi." She pointed at herself with a thumb.

If she'd been confused by the strange girl's way of speaking before Hikaru was totally flabbergasted by the turn the conversation took next.  First it had seemed as if the girl were kind of talking to her about music or poetry or something similarly lyrical.  Instead the girl decided that they were better suited talking about them being young and clever.  That way of speaking was still present if a bit oddly directed at some target Hikaru couldn't initially discern.  What she thought she gathered was that they went well together?  Did that mean that the girl wanted to be friends or something?  She supposed that would be a fine idea - maybe the girl even knew how to get to the school store!  Her Stairway to Heaven awaited.. until Mimi hit her in the chest for some reason.  Hikaru precariously stumbled back, barely maintaining her balance as the girl went on.

Her name and something about them being a pairing were the last things Hikaru heard before she finally lost her balance.  Arms swinging at her sides in a comically desperate attempt to steady her balance, Hikaru fell backward into the pond.  Her bag hit the ground harmlessly next to where she'd just been standing, a candy bar falling out of it in plan sight.  Hikaru's world became dark for a moment as the impact of the water and darkness within it prevented her from seeing anything much beyond murky shapes.  Her flailing continued as she tried to remember her swimming lessons, desperately trying to reach the surface.  All of those pretty fish from earlier had fled in abject terror when the girl had fallen in, which didn't make Hikaru feel any better about what had happened.  Finally she managed to struggle her way to the surface, paddling slowly toward the shore of the pond.  Somewhat panicked she looked to Mimi, locked eyes with her and spouted the first thing that came to mind.


"Mimi!  Help, I need somebody!  Help, not just anybody!  You know I.. need.. someone.. Help!" she cried out, hoping that'd get the girl's attention.

Mimi doubled over, her laugh echoing over the pond. This girl was a riot. Mimi could feel the beginning of the most beautiful friendship right here by the pond. Of course the girl had fallen over now and was in the pond. Still that wasn't too bad, she panicked very well and she even kept up the joke. The dedication to her craft was masterful and Mimi laughed even harder. She stepped out into the water, grabbed the girls hand and pulled her up to her feet. "You make me perfect yeah? Help me become somebody else, yeah?" She gasped for breath.

Forcing the cackle to a case of the giggles was hard but she managed it and lightly brushed some of the more clingy bits of the pond off of the girl's shoulders. "You gotta stop for a bit or you're gonna make me pee." She gripped the girls shoulders. "You're the funniest person I've ever met. I'm going to call you Hika. We're in this together, no matter what we'll be friends forever yeah?"

The idea that the girl might refuse or not be playing a game did not cross Mimi's mind at any point during this whole crazy experience. As far as she could tell, this was her soul sister, her bosom buddy, her second half. They were in perfect tandem, like peanut butter and molasses or Bonnie and Herbert. There was no mistaking that fate had brought this musical lyric genius to her and had united them in a pact of pure awesome. The rock gods and goddesses smiled down upon them from way above, or up at them from down below where the really cool rock gods went.

In retrospect the pond wasn't nearly as deep as Hikaru had initially feared it was.  Out of the sheer surprise of falling in she hadn't taken stock of the actual environment the pool presented; she hadn't really been able to process anything beyond the falling itself.  Once she got over that surprise Hikaru heard the weird girl laughing at something - was it her?  Had her accident been amusing for this fellow student who spoke more oddly than anyone she had ever met in her life?  That seemed to be the case and Hikaru started to tremble a bit at the fact that the girl seemed to be teasing her.  Or not.  It was so hard to tell that Hikaru could only blush out of embarrassment and start crying just enough for tears to roll down her cheeks.  

At least the strange girl did help her up out of the pond, putting her own uniform at risk of being damaged by the water as well.  Was it just to make fun of her some more?  Hikaru trembled further as she exited the pond and Mimi went on giggling at her.  At her or with her?  The poor girl really couldn't tell what the heck was going on, other than it was confusing.  Her tears didn't stop falling entirely but they slowed enough that she didn't look overly distraught.  Could it be possible that this girl had simply thought of a joke that Hikaru didn't know about?  She seemed to be pretty nice despite how weird she acted.  The girl even cleaned some of the extra pond debris off of Hikaru's uniform, which a bully probably would not do.

"F-friends?  You... um.. you want to be friends?" Hikaru asked, honestly dumbfounded, "And how am I funny?  Is there a joke I missed?"

Mimi put her arm around Hikaru ignoring how wet she was and how wet and dirty her own uniform was getting. Such things had no immediate consequences when the rock gods were so obviously out in force and molding the world to their will. "You don't know, Hihi-chan?" The idea that this girl could be so naturally perfect at comedy and music history wasalmost unthinkable. Maybe this was like the old stories. God would send a prophet to the true disciples. Hihi-chan was proof that Mimi had been loyal to Rock. It was validation. She gave the other girl a tight squeeze. "You're super funny. Like, you are totally up to eleven, gathering no moss."

Mimi looked up at the sky. "You know all the good music, Hihi-chan. You make good jokes. You are telling me now that you did that without trying? You are a chosen one. I'll be your cloud up in the sky, I'll be your shoulder when you cry, I'll hear your voices when you call me, I am your angel." Mimi turned and put a hand on each of Hikaru's shoulders. "I will be your guide to the testament of rock and you will spread it to the world." The manic excitement in her eyes gleamed and then suddenly faded. Her eyes seemed to almost lose all their luster, becoming flat and she sagged against Mimi. All the strength and energy that had filled her flitted away like leaves in a stream.

She had the fits occasionally, triggered by certain things, though quite often by sudden and unexpected musical interludes. Flash mobs could be very dangerous. They generally didn't last that long and now the after effects were kicking in.