Hear my Song!

Concert XII

Lost and Storms

"As you can see, I'm locked out of my place." Miku didn't know what else to say, as she had never been asked for something by a homeless person. The girl had to be homeless, judging by the worn out clothes, her dirty hair and face. But she had a bright look on her face, something she couldn't quite connect to a person living on the street.

"That's too bad. Are you waiting for someone to open the door?" The girl's voice was incredibly sweet and calming, a stark contrast to the torrential rain that was gushing down.

Thinking about the rain, Miku noticed that the girl wasn't wet at all. "How did you stay dry?"

"I was here when it started raining. There is an empty apartment on the first floor that someone broke into a while ago and they have never fixed the door. I live there, from time to time." Producing a small plastic bag from the insides of her clothes, Yukari reached in and took out a half-eaten pretzel. "I would offer you a piece, but this is the last thing I have." Sitting down, a few meters away from Miku, and eating, the girl occasionally looked at the green haired teen.

"Why do you live on the street? You don't look-"

"Like other homeless people? It's my decision. I was sick of my life at home and all my parents care about is my sister, so I took off. It's not as bad as you think, you know. Most of the time I find somewhere warm and secure to sleep. Food is sometimes a problem."

"I didn't know there were actually people that lived on the street out of their own accord." Miku was sometimes surprised by the thing she had no clue about.

"There are many nice people I was only able to meet by living on the street. We all look after each other. When one of us is sick, the others take care of you. It's the opposite of what people are like in schools and at work, where you have to produce results, work long hours and still feel unhappy."

"Sounds like an entire world I know nothing about." Miku was amazed by how composed and well spoken the girl was. She was also extremely relaxed. "My partner should show up soon and get the door open. Or at least I hope so. If you wait, I'll see if there is anything in the fridge I can give you." Getting up and looking over the hand rail, Miku tried to find Luka in the dark mess, with no success. "It looks like she's still..." Looking behind herself, the girl was gone, the only traces of her ever being there some pretzel crumbs on the floor. "I guess homeless people are a bit... unique."

Checking the stairs, Miku couldn't spot Yukari. Not wanting to leave and possibly miss Luka, Miku returned to the front of her door, waiting patiently. A good five minutes later, Luka showed up again, Lily following her. "What exactly took so long?"

"I got a lil' lost!" Lily laughed it off easily. "It's so dark, I can't see a thing! So I took the wrong turn!" The blonde had already picked the lock to Miku's apartment, so it shouldn't be too difficult to pick Luka's either.

"It would really help if I could see anything." Lily knelt in front of the lock, taking a sturdy needle from somewhere behind her right air. "Breaking and entering kit for beginners, always carry it with you. You wouldn't believe how often keys get lost and stuff."

Taking her cellphone out, Miku used it to shine some light on the lock. "That better?"

"Lots." Getting to work while Luka sat back, Lily just wanted to get back to Gumi's place and crash for a while.

While Luka was waiting. she wondered what they would do for dinner. Cooking was impossible and eating out was equally impossible with all the rain and the blackout. "Miku, do we have any snacks left? Because if we don't, we'll have to see what we can put on bread and that'll be it."

"Knowing you, you would put snacks on bread, too. Or really anything, when you're hungry enough." Miku kept holding her cellphone while trying to look over her own shoulder. "Just before you showed up, a homeless girl talked to me. Did you see her come down the stairs?"

"I was busy chasing our resident blondie here. We didn't see anyone. And a homeless girl? Here? Miku, did you breathe in some weird fumes under that plastic bag?"

"Haha, very funny." Miku faked a laugh.

"Bonny and Clyde, we're in."

Jumping up and squeezing herself past Lily, Luka shouted "I'm Bonny!" before vanishing into her bedroom, jumping into bed and crawling under the blanket like an animal that had been unjustly woken from hibernation and wanted to go back to sleep.

"She's definitely Clyde. Thanks, Lily. Are you gonna find your way back alone?"

"Sure. I'll see you tomorrow. Gumi is probably already fast asleep because of the rain. She way sayin' it makes the best lullaby." Looking at the pitch black sky, Lily couldn't disagree more. "I'd rather sleep in a bar."

"You're quite the characters, though. I prefer this rain over the rowdy noises of a bar. Alright, see you tomorrow." Waving Lily goodbye, Miku went in and closed the door after her. The cold air from outside was still coming in from somewhere, which meant a window was open. Hopefully the room hadn't turned into a pool. Checking around, luckily, it was the kitchen window and it was only half open, not letting more than a few solitary drops in. "Luka?" No reply. With a sigh, Miku reworded. "Bonny?"

"What is it, Clyde?"

"Can you stop being childish and come to the kitchen? My cellphone isn't enough for me to see stuff."

"On my way, my darling!"

Looking through the cupboards, Miku had trouble remembering where things actually were. It was... a mess, as usual, due to Luka's inability to tidy up. "Drop the thirties thing already, you don't even know how they talked back then."

"You hold the light and I'll search." Getting on her knees, Luka quickly went through a few cupboards, producing nothing but two packs of potato chips, a bar of chocolate, a few lolipops and hotdog rolls. "That should make a great dinner."

"From now on, I'm buying groceries. On my own." Miku couldn't believe that those things were literally the only as-is edible things they had at home.

"Oh come on, it's not my fault we can't cook!"

"Hotdog rolls? I can't remember when we last had sausages in the fridge, Luka! Gimme that." Taking the bread rolls from her partner, Miku looked for the expiration date. "They're eight months past expiring! I'm amazed they haven't turned to dust yet!"

"You're not gonna eat them?"

"Of course not. And neither are you!" Taking a step to the side, Miku opened the trash bin and threw the long since expired bread in. "Let me look at the other stuff."

Thankfully, nothing else was expired, beside possibly the lolipops, which had no expiration date at all. "We're not going to eat just snacks for dinner, Lu- Hey!" Trying to snatch the, now, opened pack of potato chips from Luka, the songstress quickly evaded.

"We need to eat something, even if its potato chips." Calmly walking out of the room, Luka knew her apartment in and out, able to maneuver past all possible obstacles. "I'll meet you halfway and won't eat them in bed."

Miku followed suit, secretly carrying the bar of chocolate. She really was hungry and it bothered her that she couldn't get a decent meal. She wondered if Haku and Neru actually got to eat something decent, considering whatever they were out shopping was ever so slowly spoiling in the fridge right now. Finding Luka on the ground, sitting in front of their shared bed, Miku sat down next to her, resting her head against her partner's shoulders. "The power better come on before tomorrow... I'll be cranky all day if I don't get something normal for breakfast."

"Gumi and Lily probably aren't eating anything. Here." Holding a particularly large potato chip in front of Miku's mouth, Luka slowly fed her. "I'm as unhappy as you are but being grumpy isn't going to help."

"I know, I know. No shower, no decent food, this sucks."

"At least the most important thing is still here."

"Your bed?"

"Now you're just fishing for me to tell you that you're the most important thing to me."

"That obvious?"

"Yes."

"I don't mind, by the way."

"About what?"

"Sex. You've been groping my butt for five minutes, Luka, and even without that I can tell when you're horny."

"Been holding it in since we were at your place. I don't care for her romantically but Lily is pretty hot."

"I should totally give you flack for saying that." Miku reached for the potato chip bag and had it handed to her by Luka. "Thanks."

"Don't tell me you never think that someone else is hot. I know you better than that. What about Gumi? You never thought she was almost too cute or something like that?"

"That's why I only should give you flack and I'm not doing it. Because you'd have just grounds to return the favor right there." Munching on potato chips, Miku returned the bag and started unwrapping the chocolate bar. "Chocolate and potato chips, dinner to die for. From a seizure."

"Who knows, maybe the extra calories will go to your chest. Ow!" Luka rubbed her knee after Miku hit it. Grabbing behind, pulling her around and groping her, Luka exacted revenge. "But I love your breasts just like they are, too." Kissing Miku's neck, Luka's hands slowly slid under the top of the green haired girl. "Say Miku... why do you care so much about me getting along with Neru and Haku?"

Putting a large piece of chocolate between her lips, Miku turned her head slightly, pointing with her finger to her face. Both of them sat in near total darkness in front of the bed, and yet they were still clearly able to tell what their other half was doing. Taking part of the chocolate from Miku's lips, Luka found out the unpleasant way that it was dark chocolate. "Tastes a bit like you."

"Bitter but when you get used to it, it's the best?" Turning around slowly and by that act forcing Luka to let her go, Miku moved onto Luka's lap, putting down the chocolate and chips. After a day so hectic, she was looking forward to spending some quality time with her lover.

Sliding her hands under Luka's top, the songstress twitching slightly as Miku's hands were a little colder than she expected, the green haired girl slowly pulled up her top. A cascade of pink hair fell the moment she pulled it off over her partner's head. She liked it when Luka's hair was a little roughed up. Bending forward and kissing her partner's neck, she left hot and ever so slightly wet impressions on Luka's skin as she moved downwards, not without drawing an excited moan from her lover now and then.

With Miku on her lap, Luka deeply enjoyed not being the dominant one for once. She often led Miku and while she enjoyed that too, a chance of pace was most welcome. Each kiss, each touch of her lips was like an electrifying sensation that she could feel thorough her entire body. Just as the younger girl reached her bellybutton, Luka's breathing intensified and she needed more than that. Miku was bend over far, having slightly moved off Luka's lap, strands of her hair that hung from her forehead tickling her love's stomach. She knew Luka's desires and as soon as felt her breathing change, Miku stopped and sat back up. Without a word or gesture, Luka stripped Miku of her shirt, throwing it to the side. Miku shivered briefly due to the air temperature in the apartment and resumed where she had left off. Getting even closer to Luka than before, her moves were conspicuously leading to sharing body warmth. She hadn't forgotten about Luka's desire to share just a blanket with her. Even though her bra, the soft sensation of Luka's breasts pushing against her own excited Miku, accelerating her breathing.

Looking into each others eyes in the dark, the two girls continued to just look for several seconds while Miku was slowly moving her chest up and down, back and forth. Only when Miku started to feel Luka's nipples poke against the thin fabric of her bra did she stop her teasing, closing her eyes and opening her lips slightly, letting her partner initiate the kiss.

Using her right arm, now wrapped around Miku's slim waist, to pull her closer, to intensify the silky and hot sensation of skin touching even further, Luka put her lips against Miku's, a slightly bitter and also salty taste welcoming her. Quickly parting and uniting again, regular kisses were just the prelude to what was to come. Miku, now almost as excited as Luka, ran her right hand over her thigh, knowing exactly where her love was sensitive and vulnerable. Caressing her, Miku achieved exactly what she wanted. With a fiery change of pace, Luka's tongue as welcomed by Miku's, the kiss getting wilder with every passing second, hot air being exchanged between their mouths. The younger girl had to break off first, forced to catch her breath. Using the break to quickly unhook Luka's bra, she threw the piece of cloth to where their shirts were. Bending back a little, which would have given Luka a great view of her almost naked body if there had been light, Miku undid her own bra, throwing it in the general direction of the other things.

Her quick breathing was making her chest heave, generating a slight jiggle from her moderately sized breasts. As if she could see through the dark, Luka's hands reached for them, the first touch of Miku's soft breasts almost like ecstasy for her. Squeezing them gently at first, she started to fondle and grope them with a little bit more force, until Miku could no longer hold back, letting out a constant but quiet stream of moans.

Bending forward and forcing Luka back into a passive position, the green haired girl took back control. Her face was right in front of her partner's copious chest. Luka was not quite so out of breath as Miku and still her breasts rose and fell with every breath of air. Using her right hand first, Luka let out an excited moan when her love started to fondle her left breast. But that was nothing compared to when she suddenly felt Miku's lips, then her tongue, on her right, leaving hot and wet trails of saliva as she circled around her nipple.

Pausing with just her tongue, to tease the pink haired girl a bit, Miku didn't stop with her right hand that was now squeezing and groping, her fingertips burying themselves gently into the softness of Luka's breasts. "You're so perverted.. your nipples are rock hard already..."

"I can't help it. I get incredibly turned on when a super beautiful girl touches me. It's-" Her response was interrupted when she threw her head back, a massive rush of excitement pulsing through her when Miku quickly kissed, then teased her right nipple with her tongue. She didn't bother to continue talking afterward. Her mouth open, her breathing racing, Luka didn't know how much more teasing she could take. Moving her right leg slightly up, she could feel that Miku was turned on quite a bit, too. Even though her panties, Miku was hot and wet enough for Luka to feel it.

Just as Luka found out, Miku moved away, slowly standing up. Taking off her skirt, she left her panties on. They were for Luka to take off. Getting down on her knees in front of Luka, Miku undid the buttons on Luka's pants, slowly pulling them off. A faint sweet scent was enriching the air around Luka's waist. Just as she took the pants off, Miku didn't return to the top of Luka's lap but instead moved up next to her, her left index finger tracing over her thighs until she reached her hips. Nibbling on Luka's left air, Miku teased her partner some more, letting her finger circle up above her love spot, going back to tracing lines over her thighs. Stopping, Miku whispered into her partner's ear. "Take me to bed."

She didn't need to ask twice. With a wild movement that Miku couldn't quite see in the dark, she was suddenly in a princess carry by Luka, both of them naked bare their panties. Neither of them could feel the chilly air in the room, with their bodies feeling hot through and through.

Trying to put Miku on the bed, Luka was forced down by her partner's sudden struggling. Landing on top of her love, the songstress had trouble keeping her bearings when Miku moved not just herself but also her partner. Before she knew what had happened, Luka found herself flat on her back on the bed, Miku sitting on her stomach.

Using her right arm to reach behind her, Miku slowly rubbed her hand over Luka's panties that were now starting to leak out her love juices. Her own liquids were slowly trickling on Luka's stomach. Her face was bright red and her head full of desire to sleep with Luka.

Gasping in surprise when she felt both her breasts being fondled, squeezed and then pulled gently, Miku started to moan loudly, the stimulation of Luka's hands being too much. Rubbing her hand over Luka's intimate place more rapidly, Miku slipped below the panty, her fingers immediately sticking with Luka's juices. Touching and poking Luka's clit, her partner responded with a love filled moan and intense squeezing of Miku's breasts. Unable to sit up straight after that, Miku bend forward slightly, her chest still in Luka's grasp.

After regaining a little breath, Miku backed away, tugging on Luka's panties, slowly pulling them off. Their smell was almost intoxicating for Miku. Luka raised her legs to make it easier for Miku to take them off. For just a moment, as a lightning bolt illuminated the town, they could see each others faces, ridden with lust and excitement. Leaving Luka's soaked panties at the bed end, Miku moved back on top of her partner, further up then before.

Putting her hands under Miku's panties, Luka could smell how excited she was even from her position. Pulling them down, Miku changed positions, bending back and putting her legs over Luka's arms, letting her take off the remainder of her underwear. Only seconds passed between the pink haired girl taking them off and Miku changing position yet again, turning around completely, her head just above Luka's hips.

Thunder masked Miku's loud moan when Luka's tongue started to play with her clit without warning. Returning the favor, she let her own tongue just graze over her partner's love spot, Luka's entire body trembling under the sensation.

Luka was less playful, plunging her tongue between Miku's lower lips as soon as she regained control of her body. The green haired girl instinctively lowered her hips a little bit, the wet and cool feeling of Luka's tongue driving her nearly crazy.

Continuing to please each other with just their tongues, Miku was the first to give in, knowing that if she would continue like this, she'd come first and alone. Raising her hips, feeling a sting of regret and a wave of longing for more, she returned to her first position, sitting on top of Luka. Backing away from her partner's face slowly, Luka pulled her right leg out below Miku's when she felt that she was in the right position.

Taking her partner's right hand, using her own right to support herself on the bed, Miku moved the last bit, pushing her love spot against Luka's. Irregular, rapid moaning filled the room even before either of them started moving. Miku was still taking the lead and finally started shaking her hips slightly. The first time their clits touched, Miku bend backwards, wanting to cover her own mouth to dampen her loud moaning, but she didn't have a hand free. Their fingers intervened, Luka gently pulled Miku towards her, making her bend forward instead of back. "I love you, Miku."

"I love you too, Luka." Even without those words, they knew perfectly well how much they meant to each other. Forgetting about stabilizing herself and trusting Luka to handle it for her, Miku used her now free right hand to play with Luka's breasts again. "I'm jealous."

"You're stupid." Past her limit, Luka couldn't stand just laying back anymore. Using Miku as an anchor to pull herself up, Luka quickly wrapped both of her arms around the love of her life. Miku did the same, laying both of her arms around Luka's shoulders, their upper bodies kissing the same way as their lower parts did. "You're perfect the way you are..."

"Smooth talker." Kissing Luka again, it was much more wild but no less passionate than before. Their tongues mangling together, Miku couldn't control herself anymore, relentlessly moving, shaking. The sweet smell from before had already become a sweet taste on her lips. A taste that was now mixing with her own, driving her to even greater heights of excitement. Breaking off, Miku was burning up. Sweat drops had spawned all over her body and she was leaking love juices, that mixed in with Luka's own, wildly. "I'm sorry, Luka... I about to come..." Her breathing was haphazard and wild, her mind barely able to function.

"Good..." Luka's state wasn't any different. Kissing Miku again, she moved against her partner, prompting Miku to moan erratically into the kiss. Suddenly breaking the kiss off, drops of saliva flying through the air, Miku got completely quiet, pressing herself against Luka, her entire body trembling violently, her breathing deep and powerful.

Luka followed a second later and her reaction was completely different. Throwing her head back and forth twice, a single, orgasmic, moan escaped her throat, her own body refusing any movement, simply holding Miku tight.

Two minutes that felt like no more than a few seconds passed before Miku raised her head again. "Screamer..." Kissing her partner quickly and briefly, Miku let her head rest against Luka's shoulder, trying to move as little as possible because her sensitivity was through the roof.

"Shut in." Luka responded, petting Miku's head, smelling her hair a little.

Spending a few minutes like that, Miku finally let go of her lover, separating from her. Her breathing was still accelerated. Laying down and pulling on Luka's hand, a signal that she should take the spot next to her, Miku wanted to go to sleep just like they were then.

Laying down and taking Miku into her arms, Luka gently nibbled on her earlobe a little. "No cuddling?"

"I didn't say that." Snuggling against her lover, Miku kissed a sensitive spot just above Luka's collarbones just once. Tracing lines over Luka's arm, she loved just cuddling with Luka as much as having sex with her.

"You're like a cat. They're also cuddle addicts." Enjoying the little teasing by her partner, Luka felt thoroughly satisfied. She did like cuddling, just like Miku, but she wasn't as obsessed with it.

"She says while playing with my hair." Closing her eyes, Miku smiled and let Luka have her way.

"Want to go to sleep? Hopefully the power will be back on tomorrow." Wrapping a long strand around her index finger, Luka liked playing with Miku's hair like that. It had a calming and even somewhat hypnotic effect to it.

Making an agreeing hum, Miku changed her position slightly to make it more comfortable for Luka. She didn't mind sleeping naked that much, and not at all right after sex. Maybe she would change her mind on that in winter.

It took only a few minutes before Miku had passed over to the dream lands, leaving only a barely awake Luka behind. Yawning once, she smelled Miku's hair one last time before following her.

~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~

A loud thud woke Gumi in the middle of the night. For the third time. She wasn't exactly a very light sleeper, and with the rain acting as a sleeping agent, she was fast asleep pretty quickly. Lily however seemed to have a knack for hurting herself and also hurling herself out of bed.

The first time, she had gone to look if everything was alright. The second time, she had just gone back to sleep. And now, she was looking at a very exhausted blonde whose tank top was sliding off at one side. "Can I sleep here?"

"I don't think that's a good idea." She wasn't ready to actually share a bed with someone other than Sonika, much less regularly.

"Please?" Lily was a bit desperate. "I fall off the couch every time I turn and I can't keep still that long." She didn't think it would be that much of a problem.

"Won't you kick me out of bed or roll out of bed too, then?" Gumi tried to reason with her roommate. The first night and there were already problems.

"Hold on to me? I'm generally a lot calmer when someone does." Lily didn't see anything negative about it but she realized the implications a few seconds later. "I really just mean hold, nothing else."

"Sorry, but... I'm not really ready to let someone else sleep in my bed."

Sighing, Lily turned around and walked back out, knowing that it would be selfish and stupid to pressure Gumi. "I'll work something out. Go back to sleep."

"Sorry, Lily."

"'s fine!" Shouting from the room next door, Lily fell over a packet they had left in the middle of the room. Hitting the ground with another loud thud, she quickly reported back before Gumi could worry. "Still fine!"

Getting back on the couch, Lily had to find a way to stop throwing around so much. It was a terrible habit from back in the day when she used to take afternoon naps and the sun would heat up her room. She always ended up throwing the blanket off eventually. And now it was herself who got thrown off the couch.

Taking her pillow off the arm rest and hugging it, she laid back down. It was at least worth a try. Closing her eyes, the exhaustion quickly made her fall asleep again. In less than an hour, Lily was sitting on the couch, sleep deprived and annoyed with herself, still hugging the pillow after falling off the couch again.

Starting to drift off while sitting, she knew she had to figure out something before tomorrow night. Spending another night like this wasn't acceptable. Dozing off, Lily found herself on the floor again within minutes. "Screw it."

She grabbed the blanket, put the pillow on the ground in front of the couch and laid down there. At least there wasn't anything big she could roll against down there, but it sure was very uncomfortable to sleep on the hard ground. "Gonna get a sleeping bag. Or superglue."

~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~

Finishing work late, his cellphone was saying 23:28, Kaito finally returned to his room above his shop. Meiko had crashed on the couch, likely fallen asleep while waiting for him. Finding his way through the room by instinct, he carefully lifted up the grown woman he liked and carried her to his bedroom. He would take the couch. Stripping her would only lead to immense misunderstandings and trouble, so he didn't touch her clothes. Thankfully, she was only wearing minimal amounts of clothing to begin with.

Taking an extra pillow and blanket from the closet, he got ready to crash on the couch, but not before visiting the fridge and refreshing himself with a bottle of water. Going to the bathroom to brush his teeth, he barely managed to suppress a yawn.

The rain was still hammering against the windows and he wondered just how long that would keep up. It wasn't that unusual to have heavy rain for a while around this time of the year, but it always came with big losses. Then who in their right mind wanted to go out and eat ice cream when it was raining cats and dogs outside?

Getting to the couch, he crashed almost immediately. Having Meiko sleep in his bed wasn't a bad thing. Around the same time tomorrow, he would get to enjoy her scent on his pillow. That thought bringing a smile to his face, the blue haired man slipped away.

~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~

"Your cellphone must be broken... did it get wet yesterday?" Luka was unwilling to even get up, still laying in bed, barely covered by the blanket. Miku was only now getting back to her side, having found her cellphone on the ground in front of the bed.

"It says 8:13, but it's really dark outside and still raining... I'll text a friend from school to see if she is up." Getting a quick message together, Luka turned sideways and repeatedly poked Miku's cheek. "Want to continue where we left off yesterday?"

"You need to avoid sounding so exhausted when trying to tease me, Luka. And sent." Putting her cellphone to the side, Miku turned to her partner, gave her a quick kiss to the forehead before she got out of bed again and tried to turn the lights on. "Power is still out."

"Come back to bed.. I hadn't finished charging with Mikuium." Reaching her arm out towards where Miku was, it wasn't quite as dark as the night before, Luka wanted to stay in bed until the power came back on.

"Stop destroying our periodic table, Luka." Picking the clothes from last night off the ground, Miku wanted to get dressed. Looking through a drawer, and really straining her eyes by doing so, Miku was trying to find a clean pair of panties. "Didn't we wash recently? Where is all of my stuff?"

"Other drawer. I separated our stuff because its easier to put laundry away like that." Lazily rolling around in bed, Luka didn't want to get up. "Its still raining and the power is still out... lets just hibernate."

"Hibernation also means no sex or making out."

"Screw that, then."

Miku was halfway dressed when her cellphone started to make buzzing sounds, vibrating on the table next to the bed. "It's morning alright... at there is no power at her place either. Makes me wonder what that lightning bolt hit."

Sitting on the bed and putting on some black stockings, Miku yawned briefly before turning to her lover. "We're not eating chips and chocolate for breakfast. Some places have a backup generator, so we're going out and find something to eat."

"Going out? In that weather? Miku..." Almost begging, Luka's tone made very clear she didn't want to leave her apartment.

"That mindset is exactly why we're going. Most people won't leave and just eat whatever they have at home. We don't have that luxury, so whatever the shops with backup generators have, we'll get." Throwing a set of fresh underwear at Luka, Miku took the dirty clothes from the day before and headed for the laundry bin in the bathroom. "Come and wash your face when you're up."

"How can you be so chipper when the weather is like this?"

"I don't know, maybe because I had incredible sex last night ago?"

Luka grumbled. If she put it like that, there was no way she could just deny it and stay in bed. Miku was learning how to push her buttons, alright. Getting into the bath, she found Miku already present, brushing her teeth. "How is the water?"

"Ice cold. Don't waste any, it's very possible it will run out during a blackout." Handing Luka a cup that had a toothbrush inside, Miku continued to look at the mirror, not seeing a thing. A flashlight she had found under Luka's underwear was providing some emergency light for hygiene only.

"You're using my toothbrush again." Saying so, Luka put some water in the cup, toothpaste on the brush, cleaned her mouth and started the same morning ritual as always.

"I think it doesn't really matter which brush belonged to whom at this point. It's not like underwear."

"Don't say that. I would totally wear your panties if they fit me."

"Excuse me for having smaller hips."

"I like your hips."

"So do I."

Brushing in silence for the next minute, Luka was the first to pick the conversation back up. "Did your breasts get bigger lately?"

"I haven't gained any weight, so I doubt it."

"Any of your bras feeling tight?"

"A bit. But I doubt that's enough to say they got bigger. Maybe a millimeter or so."

"That's another lovable millimeter for me to adore."

"You mean fondle."

"I was getting to that."

Finishing first, Miku gargled quickly, spit and cleaned the sink with the remainder of her cup. Putting it back on the small glass platform that was mounted to the wall just below the mirror, Miku yawned. It was still early and she didn't feel like doing anything. But she was used to overcoming the for sloth.

"Who do you think has the nicer butt? Gumi or Lily?" Luka and Miku had a single special rule for when the two of them were going through their morning or evening hygiene. Any questions are okay, even if they're of suspicious nature, like the one Luka just asked. And secondly, the questions and their answers were never talked about outside the bathroom.

"Gumi. She does similar routines as we do, and she's done it for a while."

"Breasts?"

"Really now, Luka?" Miku thought that her partner was abusing the rule a little too much.

"Definitely Lily."

"Agreed on both fronts. But I like your butt and breasts more than either of theirs." Finishing and gargling, Luka couldn't see Miku grinning behind her, sitting on a small stool next to the shower. "Haku was hugging Lily when the power went out. To be honest, I really wonder what that must have felt like."

"Don't you dare ask her." Miku got up and flicked Luka's left shoulder. "I admit Haku is pretty... well endowed-" Miku punched Luka's shoulder this time. The songstress made a chuckling noise when Miku had said well endowed. -"but she is still my cousin. Hands off, mouth off."

"I wanna see her run." A glare from Miku. "Or jump." A raised fist. "Maybe a hug." Luka skillfully dodged the punch and walked out of the bathroom. "I'm just teasing you."

"I know. Doesn't mean I don't get to punch you."

"Domestic violence! DV! My Miku is an abusive spouse! Help, help!" Saying the last two words in English, Luka had incredible fun teasing her partner. Returning to a serious topic before her girlfriend burst a fuse, she sighed. "Are we really going out?"

"Don't be such a child." Walking past Luka and looking for something specific, Miku found it after about a minute of seemingly randomly going through piles of things that were placed at various corners in the apartment. "You're such a slob. But at least I found us the big umbrella I left here a while ago."

"Unless it comes with a 360 degree wind shield, it's not going to help us much." Luka looked outside. The clouds were still pitch black and letting out more rain than any kind of cloud should have to spare. "It's dropping the entire ocean on us."

"Atlantic, Pacific or Indian?" Miku liked to abuse the few gaps in Luka's education.

"By the looks of this, all three. Look down at the street. It's like a shallow river." She definitely wasn't wearing any pricy shoes if she set foot outside.

"That's a lot worse than I expected. Did it rain like this the entire night? There are going to be flood warning everywhere."

"I'm suddenly extremely happy I don't live on the first floor." Luka's words made Miku remember something.

"The homeless girl I told you about, she said the first floor apartment in this building has nobody living in it so she crashes there sometimes."

"Please tell me you're not considering inviting her up. I love you, Miku, but I don't want homeless people in here."

"I never said anything like that. I just don't want her drowning. So when we go out, let's check if she's fine. That's all."

"That is, if she actually exists. Maybe there really were fumes."

"Geez, aren't you funny today."

"I should audition to be a comedy duo with you."

"Yes, yes, whatever you say. I'm giving Gumi a call and see how she is doing."

Dialing the number, someone knocked on the apartment door a few seconds later. Pointing at it, Luka went to answer the door while Miku stayed behind. "She isn't picking up..."

"Because they're here." Raising her voice to the point of almost shouting because of the rain noise from outside, Gumi and an extremely tired looking Lily were standing in the doorway. "You look like you didn't catch a wink of sleep last night, Lily."

"Just 'bout true." Getting in, Luka closed the door behind Gumi, who followed Lily and quickly walked over to Miku, a somewhat guilty expression on her face. "Sleepin' on the floor 's hard on anyone."

"What happened to the couch?" Luka was slightly confused.

"Seems I'm movin' too much when sleepin' alone so I fall off all the time. 'n Gumi ain't comfortable sharing her bed, not that I can blame her or anythin'." Lily stretched and yawned, feeling like someone had driven a car over her back and head.

"I feel guilty letting her sleep on the floor..." Gumi was keeping her voice low so the other two wouldn't hear her talking to Miku. "It's just... Lily is interested in girls, right? So letting her sleep in my bed with me is a bit..."

Too early, was what Miku thought but not said. "Lily doesn't seem like the type to hold that against you."

"Have you two seen the streets? It's like we're in Waterworld. Or almost." Lily looked at three very confused people. "Waterworld? You know, the 1995 movie? With Kevin Costner?" Receiving nothing but further confusion, Lily threw her hands up in the air. "It's about the entire world being submerged by water after the polar caps melt. You really never heard of it?"

"If Japan ends up underwater, I'm using you as boat, Lily." Luka gave the blonde a fake threatening look. "But seriously, what do we do? Come to think of it, how did you two get over here without getting totally wet?"

"There's no wind and the rain is coming straight down. We squeezed together under an umbrella." Lily opened the door briefly and picked up the soaking wet umbrella. "See?"

"I'll go fetch ours. Or however many we have." Scurrying around the apartment, Miku returned several minutes later, a single umbrella in hand. "One of these days I'm calling a cleaning service. And they'll charge me a million Yen for this, you slob." While they had waited, Luka had found herself some cheap shoes. Miku was already wearing sandals.

"When that happens I'll be able to pay them." Getting all three of them to laugh, Miku cautiously stepped outside, looking at the rain. It really was coming straight down, without any variations. She hoped that it was a sign that it was to be over soon.

Gumi and Lily, side by side, took the lead, descending the stairs. Just as they passed the first floor, Miku stopped them. "I want to check something." Looking at each door on the floor, four out of the five rooms had name plates while the fifth, furthest in the back, did not. Despite that, Miku could tell that someone was living inside. Because there were wet footsteps that vanished halfway under the door. Cautiously trying the door, it was unlocked. Opening it a bit, warm air greeted Miku.

"Miku, I know I like to do crazy stuff sometimes, but that's breaking and entering." Luka had followed her, a bit wary of what she was doing. "Is this about the homeless girl?"

"Yes. Hello?!" Shouting to the best of her ability, Miku wasn't given an answer in the next thirty seconds. Taking one step inside, Luka held her back.

"That's dangerous."

"Protect me, then." Pulling Luka inside, Miku could see that all the furniture inside was worn out but cared for. There was no obvious homeless smell either. If anything, it was even a bit tidier than Luka's apartment. The songstress took lead, holding her umbrella like a sword. "I know I said protect me, but there is obviously nobody here."

Reaching the living room, the layout of the apartment slightly different than Luka's, Miku noticed four sleeping bags, arranged in a square pattern around a heating table. There were backpacks in each corner and various other things were spread around the room. "People are clearly living here." Miku knew she hadn't imagined the homeless girl. "Fumes, huh?"

"We should report this to the building manager." Luka wasn't too happy, having a bunch of homeless people living in the same building as she and Miku.

"I'm not talking to you for a month if you do." Miku's tone and look made very clear that she wasn't joking. "Look at all this stuff. They must have been using this apartment for months, maybe even years. If after all that time they haven't been noticed by anyone but us, they can't be doing anything bad."

Luka saw her point. Lowering her umbrella and rebuttals, she tried to walk back out. "Miku."

"I kinda want to leave something to eat on the table... I feel bad for these people."

"You said it yourself, they're probably been using this for months. They know where to get food. Not to mention, leaving something might tell them you know and that could spook them."

Walking out without any retorts, Miku took a last look back before leaving and closing the door. No matter what Luka said, she would leave something for the girl. Putting one and one together, she likely ran away when Miku mentioned a partner. Revealing herself to one person was risky but two...

Meeting Gumi and Lily near the front of the building, the two were almost cuddled together under their umbrella. Miku immediately wanted to take a picture with her cellphone but Gumi would probably be embarrassed so she didn't.

It was tricky to get through the rain without getting wet, beside the feet anyway, but they managed, if only moving ever so slowly as a result. A nearby bakery that Luka knew their first target, what looked like two couples quietly marched through the rain. Miku was in constant fear the umbrella would give in but, thankfully, it was sturdier than it looked.

All four of them had soaking wet and icy cold feet by the time they reached the bakery. Gumi and Miku really wished they had rubber boots. "It's completely dark and the door is locked." Having been outside, under the dark clouds, for a while, their eyes had adjusted. It was very much like an extremely cloudy winter morning now, when the sun hadn't quite risen yet. "Is there any other place that's close?" Lily didn't want to pick any more locks after yesterday. Especially not if it would be a crime.

"There is a convenience store two streets down the road. Other than that, I don't know. Most of the shops are at the town center and that's way too far going like this." Luka didn't go out on foot that much, so she didn't know if there were actually more shops.

"Let's check. I'm starving. I would kill for some packed lunches now." Miku was in a bad mood. No real dinner and no breakfast at all wasn't sitting well with her. Looking around while they were walking. Miku spotted someone she knew. On the other side of the street walked someone, carrying a very large and seemingly heavy bag in one hand and holding an umbrella in another. The homeless girl, Yukari!

"That's her!" Forcing Luka to stop and look on the other side of the street, the songstress was amazed her partner was able to make out someone on the other side of the street in the rain and dark.

"Fine, fine, I believe you already. I believed you since we found that room. Move, Gumi and Lily are leaving us behind." She didn't have the patience to get across the street and stop the homeless girl to let Miku talk to her.

"I see a light at the end of the rain!" Lily was shouting at the top of her lungs from the next corner. "Get going you two!"

Not waiting for Luka and Miku, Lily huddled up with Gumi so she wouldn't get wet and continued walking. "You've been awfully fidgety the whole time. Did I do something wrong?" Waiting a second, Lily raised her right arm and sniffed her armpit. "Do I stink? Is that it? I did brush my teeth, so it's not that, right?"

Gumi almost broke out in laughter despite the situation. "No, no, its nothing like that. Its..." She blushed a little, trying to put it into coherent words. "You like girls, right?"

When it came to romantic matters, Lily was quick to connect dots. "Oh." Her expression changed. "Oh!" Wanting to take a step back but the rain stopped her short. "I don't like giving people the wrong idea, so let me put this straight. I like girl, and, guys. And I make very clear when I make a move on someone. If they don't want me to, I can still be their friend."

"Lover's quarrel?" Luka and Miku showed up at the first timing and Luka made the worst possible comment.

All three of them were slightly shocked when Lily glared at Luka. "Shut up, now." Lily had a few iron rules she never broke, and being honest about her romantic interests was one of them. Looking at Luka and Miku, Lily didn't say anything else until Gumi stepped up.

"Can you give us a minute?" She didn't expect Lily to snap at Luka out of the blue. The couple left and Lily looked apologetic now.

"Comments like that have caused me a lot of grief in the past so I don't do well with them when I'm being serious." Despite her expression, Lily looked directly at Gumi. "If you ever feel like it, I'd love to go out with you. But until that, I'm completely fine just being friends."

Gumi didn't know if she had just been confessed to or being dumped preemptively. But she felt relieved somehow. "I never met someone who was that honest about this."

"After a dozen messed up relationships in less than two years, you start to set some rules for yourself." Looking towards the store, that was surprisingly having electricity through some magic means, Luka and Miku had to be in the store already since there was no trace of them outside.

"You should apologize to Luka later."

"I think it's at least half her fault but I'll do it anyway." Lily didn't want to let the situation become awkward between them.

"Miku probably chewed her out already."

"Considering Luka is the older one, why do I find that so convincing?" Laughing, the two found a shallow spot to get across the street. They hadn't seen a single car, taxi or bus during their entire walk, which was no surprise. To call it aqua planing was an understatement.

They were not even in the shop when Lily almost violently grabbed Gumi and pulled her to the side, out of line of sight from the door. Holding her right index finger to Gumi's lips, Lily carefully peeked past the large glass walls that were typical for convenience stores.

Miku and Luka were on the ground, hands over their head. A single person, Lily couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, was pointing a large knife at the cashier, who was just now opening the register, shaking in his boots.

It wasn't the first time Lily had witnessed an armed robbery. Thankfully, the robber didn't have a gun, which made it much less dangerous to do something about it. "Wait here." Ignoring the rain entirely, Lily left Gumi behind, running past the building, heading around the corner, running past several large dumpsters and finding the side entrance to the building. As she expected, it was locked, but she had learned a trick or two in the last few years. Looking for something usable, she found a large wooden board sticking out from a dumpster. Taking it and using it as make-shift crowbar, she forced the door open. The mechanism behind that was simply as there was no real lock during the times the shop was open, just a slight block that prevented easy access from the outside.

Going in, Lily found herself in the back of the store, immediately spotting a broom that would do well enough. A knife wasn't as dangerous as many people made it out to be if one could keep the attacker on distance. She still had to be careful.

Slowly opening the door to the store area, the robber was still there. The cashier was so nervous he had dropped the bag, apparently. Luck was on her side, the robber showing his back to her, not expecting anyone else to show up. Taking off her shoes and tip toeing, Miku and Luka could see her approaching the robber from behind, Luka keeping a perfect poker face while Miku seemed to be slightly panicking. Hiding behind a large shelf, so the cashier couldn't see her, Lily took a deep breath. She was still scared shitless of being stabbed, but she had dealt with people like this before. Most of them didn't know how to fight at all.

With a single swing, Lily left her cover, hitting the temple of the robber with the broom in full force. The pain of the impact not only made him drop the knife but also staggered him. Raising the broom for a second swing, Lily was surprised when the robber whirled around and jumped at her, forcing her on the ground. Judging by the weight and force, it was clearly a man and Lily found herself in trouble.

Both arms covering her face, she blocked two initial punches. Trying to force him off would be impossible by force alone but he was consistently moving around. She only needed to hold out long enough for him to get into the right position to hit his crotch with her knee.

The robber didn't account for Luka being there as well. Only when the songstress' foot hit his face after being swung through the air with a lot of force did he realize that he was outnumbered. Falling off, Lily took the chance and brutally slammed her right foot into his crotch, producing a pained howl from the guy just before he passed out from the intense pain.

The pink haired girl and the blonde towered over him. "He's not gonna get up for a while. Hey!" Shouting at the cashier, who had by now pressed the silent alarm, Lily got his attention. "Get me something to tie this garbage up." She only noticed it now but she was soaking wet from being exposed to the rain. A cute but loud sneeze followed that realization.

"Are you two crazy?!" Miku had gotten up as well and was glaring at both her partner and friend. "One or both of you could have gotten hurt!"

"Calm down, Miku, we know." Luka didn't find it in her to look sorry for doing the right thing. Petting Miku's head, she smiled instead. "Doesn't it feel good to do the right thing?"

"Still!"

"Luka is right." Getting a lot of those plastic bands that were used to secure packets from the cashier, Lily started making one big packet out of the robber, tying not only his hands but also arms, legs and feet together. "Considering how many times I've gotten into fights with a broom as my weapon of choice, I should start a martial arts school based on it." Exaggerating quite a bit, Lily, hoped the police would actually find a way to get to the store.

"Lily, where did you leave Gumi?" Miku was noticing that there was no trace of the other green haired girl.

"Ooops." Heading towards the front door, Lily started to shout. "Gumi, come in, we took care of the robber."

A few seconds later, a very worried looking Gumi stepped into the store. The cashier was still oddly nervous but she couldn't blame him. He had just gotten out of a robbery. "Are you all okay?"

"My arms are going to look like rainbows in a little bit but other than that we're fine, thanks to Luka." Lily looked to the songstress. "Thanks for saving my hide."

"Don't be silly. What kind of friend would I be if I let you get pummeled?" Luka was trying her hardest to ignore Miku's glare. She would hear about how reckless it was to attack the robber for weeks. That thought alone made her sigh.

"Uhm... thank you very much for helping me." The clerk was clearly intimidated by two women that took down an armed robber with little more than a broom and their shoes.

"I'm sure we can work out an agreeable discount for their help." Turning to the cashier and smiling as wide as she could, Luka's partner knew when to make a profit. Miku's smile was that of a very stingy and frugal person and the cashier recognized it. Not that he had much choice.

While Lily and Luka, one grabbing the feet, the other grabbing the shoulders, got the tied up robber out of the way, Miku and Gumi started to shop. "How do you have power anyway?" Lily was curious.

"We have a generator in the back. They are standard issue for our chain since last month but most stores haven't gotten theirs yet. We were lucky."

"You should order one of those things for your apartment, Luka." Lily knew how unreasonable that was.

"If you carry it."

"Too bad then."

Both of them laughed together.

~~~ Hear my Song! ~~~

After thirty minutes of waiting, four policemen showed up on foot, as driving a car anywhere was completely impossible by now. The four girls had gotten comfortable in the store, eating some of the freebies Miku had negotiated for them. The cashier was near tears, having lost almost half of the money the robber would have taken because of discounts.

After a lecture about attacking armed people by the police, the four girls left. Lily was pretty cold and had really wanted to go home, but given what had happened, none of the other three would let her go. Finally on their way back, every single one of the four carrying a large and heavy bag of food they didn't need to cook to eat, their mood was on the rise again.

Miku was still angry over how reckless Lily and Luka had been but given their loot, she was willing to give it a rest. It took them over twenty minutes to get back, a distance they could have traveled in less than five minutes in a car. Arriving at the building, Miku spotted Yukari again, who was leaned over the guard rail and staring out into the rain. Before she could say anything, the girl noticed the four and vanished, almost like a ghost.

"Finally. Home." Luka was slightly out of breath and very much out of patience for seeing rain and umbrellas.

"You don't mind us staying at your place until tonight or whenever power comes back on?" Gumi didn't want to impose but she really didn't want to be alone in the dark apartment with Lily, especially when they didn't have anything to do. Not after walking huddled up through the rain for a good hour.

"Just the opposite, Miku and I would probably be bored out of our mind if you two went back to your own apartment." Taking out her keys and unlocking her apartment, Luka's mood took a slight dive when she realized that there would be no cooled drinks. "Just put the bags somewhere in the kitchen."

"Luka, I'll be back in a few minutes." Carrying two boxed lunches from her own bag, Miku didn't want for a response and left. It was no mystery where she was going, carrying food and no umbrella.

Descending the stairs, Miku found Yukari back on her spot, partially bend over the guard rail, looking into the rain. Judging by the look of her clothes, she had walked through the rain without an umbrella. "Yukari." She wasn't quite comfortable using the name the girl introduced herself with but simply calling her 'you' was wrong too.

"Miku?" Turning around and facing the young pop star, Yukari was surprised to see her come down all by herself.

"You know my name?"

"Miku Hatsune, a new and rising star in the music industry, most well known for her duet with Luka Megurine, Magnet. Of course I know."

Miku couldn't tell for sure but she got the impression the girl knew more than she let on. Everything about her was odd, to say the least. "Who are you exactly?"

"I'm just Yukari." Yukari's smile carried a mysterious vibe. She didn't expect Miku to be that sharp.

Getting a bit closer, Miku thought that she had seen her before. But where? Did she just imagine it? "Can I ask what your last name is?"

"Did you know that there are some things in the world you're better off without knowing?"

Miku was sure now she had seen her before. The more she talked, the more she realized she didn't so much knew her but her voice. There was only one reason that could be. She still couldn't pinpoint who the girl was.

"I can tell by your looks you're not going to let me off the hook with that." Compared to the day before, she seemed completely different. Not as nice and polite but much more confident. "Are those for me?"

"You asked me for something to eat yesterday and I couldn't give you anything." Raising the boxed lunches a little, Miku smiled briefly. "We found a store that was open so here you go."

"I didn't expect Miku Hatsune to have a strong sense of sympathy for the poor and homeless. You live with a star and you're well on your way to become one yourself. Why bother what people like me think of you?" There it was again. A complete turnaround in attitude. Mysterious and secretive had made space for spiteful and prejudice.

That change triggered Miku to remember. It was all over the news for several weeks. A controversial singer known for her many on-stage personalities had vanished without a trace on her way home. The police looked for weeks, suspecting a kidnapping, but no ransom note ever came. After three months, the world had moved on. "Yuzuki Yukari, that's you, isn't it?"

"Oh, you figured it out. I thought I could have a little more fun. I'm sorry for playing around but it's not often I get to talk to someone my age." Another attitude change, back to being friendly although not quite polite.

"You ran away, didn't you?" Miku connected the dots. If she was living on the street by her own choice, as she claimed, then it was pretty clear that vanishing had been her own doing.

"I was so incredibly sick of the show business. Constant interviews, rehearses, guest appearances in variety shows, the zealots and a lot of other things. I don't regret running. They would have never let me quit."

"Some of your hits like 0:00 and Swallowtail on the Spider'z Net still occasionally run in the radio. Did you never want to go back to singing?"

"Maybe if all of the people that bossed me around back then would drop dead." Rolling eyes, Yukari turned to Miku. "I'm exaggerating. I don't want them to drop dead, just be out of my life." Waiting a few seconds, Yukari turned back towards the rain. "Don't tell anyone I'm here. I'll just vanish again and I actually like it around here."

"Isn't your family worried about you?" Miku knew that Neru and Haku would be worried sick if she just suddenly vanished.

"My parents are horrible. All they saw was the success and the money it got them. It's the same with my sister. After seeing how much money I brought in, they sent her to a music school and everything. I hear she had success in Korea. She's their money maker now. And you know how I know they never cared about me beside the money? After I ran, the name Yuzuki had a negative ring in the industry, so they went to all the trouble of changing their name. As far as I'm concerned, there is no Yuzuki family anymore." A hateful look on her face, Yukari spat over the guard rail, nothing but contempt for the people that were her parents in the eyes of the purple haired girl. The hate quickly dissipated and made way for a more relaxed look. "I have to get back inside and you should go back up or your friends will show. Please don't come into the room anymore, by the way. And thanks for not reporting us."

Miku knew that someone had to have been in the room that time. They had heard Luka and her talk. "Take these. Share them if you want. If you need something, you can talk to me."

"Thanks, but I can take care of myself as you can see." Smiling, Yukari took the lunches, opened the door and went into the apartment, two other female voices greeting her. Miku was left behind outside, only the rustling sound of the rain disrupting the silence.

Getting back up, Miku felt like she had stuck her nose into something she should have kept away from.

~~~ End of Concert XII ~~~