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Hatsune Miku was first developed and published by Crypton Future Media using the VOCALOID2 software, being released on August 31st, 2007; she was later updated to the newer versions, and became bilingual and trilingual with the additions of English and Chinese respectively. She was the first character of the "character vocal series" to be released, followed by the 'twin vocals' Kagamine Rin and Len, and then Megurine Luka.
These were all facts Mafuyu could recite off the top of her head. Facts about a fictional character-- a virtual human.
That’s what Miku was; a product. A mascot for a work of technology. She wasn't supposed to be real. She was supposed to be something to project on to, a face for someone who was everything and nothing, all at once. Why was it, then, that she felt so warm?
Her hands combed through Mafuyu's hair with practiced ease, fingers practically gliding over her scalp as she separated strands from each other. Mizuki had taught the singer how to braid after learning that she didn't know how-- this Sekai, while a product of their emotions, really wasn't an exciting place to live; it was plenty clear to the girls that Miku didn't have much to do, especially after she'd replied to what was supposed to be a rhetorical question...
"How many pillars do you think this place has?" was the question.
Ena had asked that. She had been in an irate mood that day, teetering on the edge of snapping; in a poor attempt to calm herself, she'd begun counting the trusses littered all about the Sekai. They'd come here in the first place so Mizuki could lay out their designs for dresses easier-- they wanted feedback on their designs, so as to make sure they were to the other members' liking. Apparently, they wanted to dress up everyone, and the members of Nightcord were no exception; but honestly, Mafuyu wasn't sure why she was here-- wasn't it clear she had no preference towards anything?
"Y'know, that's a pretty nuanced question," Mizuki gave an absentminded hum as they stepped back to admire their sketches strewn out along the ground. "Dunno if anyone could answer tha--"
"About 53."
Everyone turned to Miku, who was fiddling with a red string; Mizuki had taught her how to do tricks with it after they'd visited for the first time, and that was practically all the singer did now.
"Did you.... count them?" Ena gawked, too shocked to give one of her usual, snippy responses. The normal silence of the Sekai seemed slightly more humorous than usual, especially with Miku's response. "All of them?"
"Yes." Miku seemed to have realized she was being stared at, since her dull gaze rose from the ground to meet the brunette's. "I was practicing my counting. But it's been a while since I recounted, so the number might be off."
"R-recounted," Mizuki let out a sheepish chuckle. "Right. Miku, what even do you and the others do while we're gone?"
"Count," Miku replied, "And talk. Now that we know games like ribbon-san and rock-paper-scissors, sometimes we play those."
It was after that that the girls (Mizuki and Ena) decided that the singers needed some other, preferably more healthy ways to pass the time in the Sekai. They all contributed something; Mafuyu brought an old, kiddy keyboard, Kanade brought old manga she read in middle school, Ena brought paper and crayons, and Mizuki brought more knick-knacks. They also taught Miku how to braid hair, so the singer often requested access to the girls' hair to practice whenever they visited.
"Finished."
Mafuyu blinked. The way Miku's fingers glided through her hair had almost been enough to lull her to sleep; now that the sensation was absent, she found herself in a drowsy, tired state. It was a long moment before she sat up and ran a hand over her hair; Miku was certainly getting better with tying it off, since it didn't fall out immediately like it usually did.
"What do you think?" Miku asked, holding up a mirror for Mafuyu to view herself. (odd. When did that end up in the Sekai?).
"It looks nice," Mafuyu answered automatically; her friends from class often played with her hair, so it was a rehearsed answer.
"What do you really think?" Miku asked, persistence clear in her tone.
Mafuyu had forgotten for a moment that Miku could see through her false smile; it was something she discovered early on, when she first found the Sekai and met this iteration of the virtual diva. But the little quirk make sense; Miku was here only to guide Mafuyu to her 'true feelings', so it was fitting that she knew when lies were spouted and when emotions were hidden. With that in mind, she rethought her answer as she observed the singer's handiwork.
It was a braid in its most basic form, with three sections wound together and laying down her back. Due to the natural fluffiness of Mafuyu's hair, stray strands poked out here and there, but the scrunchie at the end of it kept it tied together. With a sigh, she redirected the braid so it laid in front of her shoulder, like her usual fluffy ponytails did. She almost looked like a child, she realized, who was admiring their mother's handiwork.
...when was the last time her mother ever played with her hair like this?
"Does it look good?" Miku broke the silence. If she were a little more alive, her eyes would most certainly be glittering with childlike excitement.
"It looks good," Mafuyu answered with an echo of Miku's words. She wasn't lying-- it was much better than something she or Kanade could manage, but Mizuki or Ena could almost certainly pull off something far better than this. So it wasn't bad, nor was it great-- it was just good.
Miku nodded in satisfaction, though any fondness the gesture may have had was nullified by her natural dullness.
Mafuyu paid no mind to whatever Miku did after her answer. Her gaze was focused on her reflection, and the question that had wandered into her mind; when was the last time her mother ever played with her hair like this? All she did now was ask how school was, or push Mafuyu to focus on her future, or pressure her to focus on people who were more 'on par' with her abilities.
This had never bothered her before. Why was it nagging at her now? Was she longing for something? Maternal warmth? Affection?
...love?
"Mafuyu."
The girl in question looked up from the mirror. Miku looked back at her, some unknown emotion glittering in her gaze-- Mafuyu likened it to pity.
"You can sleep, now."
Mafuyu let out a sigh as Miku enveloped her in a hug. This was far from the first hug she had been given by the virtual singer, and it most certainly wouldn't be the last. It was akin to a hug a parent would give a child; it wasn't meant to bid farewell to a friend after a fun afternoon, nor was it meant to show the affection coursing between two lovers. It was meant to convey, from a parent to a child, that they are loved and safe. Her parents' hugs never felt like this now.
If anything, their embrace felt more like a choke-hold. It was never warm or loving-- her parents may have intended their embrace to be that way, but Mafuyu couldn't help but interpret it as a form of their malicious grasp. It was suffocating.
But Miku was warm. With Miku, she felt the safety and love she never felt with her parents. So as the singer began to hum a gentle tune, Mafuyu let her thoughts fade as sleep swept her away into its gentle grasp.