[paris je t'aime]

[deepreflection]

[The flight from Japan to Paris hadn't changed too much. Though it is nice to land on a more quiet night at the famous airport. Michiru delicately steps off from first class and deplanes. Her suitcases should arrive at the hotel right when she gets there. However, it's been a long flight and she savors simply being on the ground for a few moments more. A delicate hand reaches up to adjust the turquoise mask that covers her nose and mouth and pushes her aqua colored locks behind her ear.

Yes, a long soak in the tub would ease a lot of her tension from the long flight. She takes a taxi to the hotel she's staying at for the duration of her concert in the city and asks to stop at a cafe that seems to be open all night. She pays the cab driver and walks in to the warm smell of pastries. First, a snack. Then, she'll go on for the long soak in the tub.]

Comments

[sweptoff]

[ Usually, she'd never write in public. Writing is a sacred act that is best undertaken in the privacy of her apartment, shrouded in the smoke from her cigarettes and the scent of hot, black coffee, but needs must and since she's here, well. The coffee, at least, the café provides in buckets. Sumire has been sitting at her table for a couple of hours, dotting unconnected thoughts down in her notebook, but this is a busy time of night, apparently, so now she's mostly busy trying to hog her space, so no one gets the idea that there's room for one more.

That's when the woman with the beautiful hair steps in from the street. Her hair is the first thing that Sumire notices about her, incidentally - or maybe obviously, since it's bright turqouise, the most beautiful, bright hair Sumire has ever seen, reminding her of the waves lapping at the shore back in Chigasaki. Only then does she realize that she is Asian as well.

Looking around the full café, no other tables free, she with no amount of subtlety kicks out the chair opposite her own, making it scrape loudly across the floor, to indicate that the stranger may sit if she wants. ]

[deepreflection]

[The loud scrape through the cafe certainly startles many people around her but Michiru stays calm as she considers the menu with a delicate finger to her chin. Finally deciding, she orders in perfect French and gives a soft titter when the baristo behind the register also asked for her autograph. A hot tea and a pain au chocolat. He promises that she'll have it momentarily. Michiru turns and looks around for an empty seat and finds that the chair that had been kicked out is the only free seat.]

My, how friendly to offer me a chair!

[She gracefully seats herself and gives a smile at her new friend.]

[sweptoff]

Not like it seems you need friends.

[ Giving a nod towards the barista that she assumes wanted her number, at least some kind of writing was exchanged, Sumire scowls into her coffee cup, taking a long drag of the café au lait that has lasted her an hour. The barista hasn't asked for her number, but instead sent her slightly disapproving looks since forty minutes ago. Doesn't matter. Sumire wouldn't give her number out even if asked.

Now, she looks at the other girl and thinks she recognises her from somewhere, some album cover? But Sumire only listens to classical music, is she a musician? A pianist?

Not a pianist, Sumire would recognise that hair everywhere, if she was anyone whose Beethoven or Debussy she'd heard. Realising that she's staring and quickly looking back at her hands grabbing the cup, she purses her lips, thinking, thinking...

Kaiou Michiru, the violinist. Not a pianist, that's why she couldn't place the face, but Michiru has probably accompanied some of the pianists that Sumire listens to on the daily. She's kind of a big name.

Does Sumire know how you behave around big names? ]

You were on that boring recording of Mendelssohn's works that was released last year.

[ The short answer is: no, she doesn't. ]

[deepreflection]

[There are whispers around her. That was one of the better things about being a classicalist celebrity. Never being truly hounded by paparazzi. She laughs softly]

I know of someone who would disagree that one could always need more friends.

[A wistful sigh escapes her as a fond look passes over her.]

Ah, what was it that made that recording boring?

[She's faced many people that were dismissive of the classics but she often wanted to know the reason for it.]

[sweptoff]

[ People who actually liked other people always baffled her. Even people like Kei who just seemed to tolerate them, she didn't quite get. Why be dishonest about your feelings and give them the wrong impression...?

However, it isn't that she dislikes Kaiou Michiru, it's simply that she can't help being disappointed that such a talented violinist who played the Mendelssohn violin concerto so well, had to be the only highlight on a recording of mediocre quality. Why not make her own album, then, so she could make all of it great?

Sumire would buy that. ]

No, no, not you. Your contribution was great! But framed it by so many mediocre interpretations, it kind of disappeared. You deserve to shine more than that.

[ Is that a veiled compliment? Does Sumire even know what a compliment is? ]

[deepreflection]

[She laughs softly]

Well, thank you for your confidence in my interpretation of the music.

[Her pastry and drink arrive. Michiru reaches into her travel bag and pulls out two tickets, holding them out to her new friend]

I'm playing a few concerts here and happen to have some extra tickets. They're yours if you'd like them.