songerein | [Open] you'll never shine if you don't glow

Entry tags:

[Open] you'll never shine if you don't glow

Who: Meilin Lee & You!
Which: Open Log
Where: Her Home / All Over Reverin
What: The first days of Dec with Mei locked away - the rest are Wassail and Gumdrop shenanigans!
Warnings: N/A

Some... BODY Once Told Me - Close CR Only - Takes Place Before Tifa/Eustace Wedding

[ During the majority of November, Mei had sequestered herself in her little home after her embarrassing dream was broadcast to everyone. With Tifa's wedding now a few days away... she still wasn't budging.

It's going to take the Power of Friendship to get her to leave this place... especially if those friends have no concept of privacy. It helps that Mei's door is unlocked, because surely, SURELY, no one is going to bust on in and drag her out into the open world?

Inside the tree house, Mei is tucked under numerous blankets as she distracts herself with endless math problems. The floor is nearly littered with sheets of paper with complicated equations. Her hair is mussy and she doesn't seem to have slept for a while. ]

If x minus x equals the square root of y, then you have to... Yeah, that makes sense... Replace the x with the dividend here...

Wassailing

[ Okay, so the sudden appearance of Mari Lwyd startled the crap out of her, and she almost went into battle mode. But a calm explanation later and... Mei is under the impression this is a rap battle. Which isn't really right but not entirely wrong either.

So while out in the open, Mei can be spotted trying to do some dance moves and pretending to DJ as she pulls off as many wiggedty-whack rhymes as she can, so... enjoy the show? Of course, if she spots you, you might be the next source of her sick beats. ]

Wh-wh-whaaaat?
When Mei's in the way it's okay cause you ain't got the time of day for this LA-DY!
Oh I heard you wanted a challenge so I am here to rise,
Just don't go blaming me if all you can do is cry,
'Cause Meilin Lee is all about the music and the beat,
And all of Reverein is in for one sweet Christmas treat!

Gumdrops

[ Mei finds these little babies the cutest things ever! While most people are doing their hardest to avoid these little miscreants, Mei is actually collecting them! She wasn't around last year so she doesn't know the "harm" they cause - to her, they're innocent widdle animals in need of protection! ]

You guys are so tiny! We need to get you somewhere safe so nobody can step on you!

[Open to Mistlefoe and Fluff - if you wanna do Shippy, age-appropriate characters only please! ]

Wildcard
[ Make your own prompt! Feel free to plot with me at plurk (melcat33) or discord (melcat33#1997) ]

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[ It's another day in Reverein and Alisaie was mostly minding her own business, carrying groceries for the day and possibly visiting her companions while the winter weather settled in.

What she didn't expect was being put in the middle of what appeared to-- be some kind of poetry reading? It rhymed, and well she wasn't too familiar with what 'rap' actually is so, there was a tilt of her head and intrigue, followed by confusion at Mei's beat drop.

Color her partially impressed? ]

Mayhap, you're performing some kind of act?

[Meanwhile, here Ken was as he stared at Mei. He knew what she was doing but the problem now was what to say back. He definitely listened to some Japanese rap music before but to perform it was another.

Let's see, what would his leader to in a situation like this?]

Because it's an amazing place to be,
So you better not flee,
As I hope you'll agree?

[He said before scratching the side of his head. He really didn't know what he was doing.]

[ In a day or two, Mei might be embarrassed at how this all played out, but right now she is on an adrenaline high! ]

Mayhap Mei-Mei is making all moves on this most 'mazing kind of morning!
Worrrrrd up!

[ She tries to do her own version of a moonwalk, before pointing dramatically at Alisae! ]

Mari came up to me, demanded a rhyme,
And what have we got? Nothing but time!
So are you gunna stand there and watch me drop,
Or are you gunna see if you can find some pop!

[ Yes good! :DDD

Mei actually jumps a bit in joy before dancing again, arms up, hips shaking! And she ups the speed for a particularly sudden bout of inspiration! ]

Oh, this boy's words are as good as his face, and in this place with grace I gotta brace for his pace in our space as I trace this race!

[ did that make a lick of sense? probably not. does she care? definitely not. ]

[Again, Ken found himself continuing to scratch the side of his face. Let's see, what could he say to match what she was saying?]

What a pity,
For this is quite sticky,
As I have to be a bit picky,
Since this is quite uh....the biggie?

[No, really, he has no idea what he was doing. If anything, he was starting to feel a little nervous. He is not good with rapping!!]

[ As far as she's concerned, he's totally nailed it! She gives him applause, followed by a 'woop-woop'!]

Dude's got this in the bag, dunno what he means,
Cause every word out of his mouth is fixing all the seams!
He's a master of rhymes, he's a master of time,
And hiding that talent is a gosh-darn crime!

[He really didn't know what to do! Instead, he just kept on staring at her before giving a slight cough.]

I don't really know about it being a talent? I don't even know what's going on.

[That and he was running out of rhymes as he was trying to think of what to say next.]

[ She seems to be enjoying herself. Even Alisaie can't help but be a little intrigued. Rather than thinking it's embarrassing, she's a little surprised at how well she's mixing her words together and rhyming them all the same. ]

Are you-- now?

[ If someone was putting on a show with Mei, they certainly are not packing their punches. ]

You'll have to enlighten me on what "pop" is, though.

[ But there is mercy at last! After Mei lets out some good-natured laughs, she exhales... ]

Dude, it's all about Mari! She's this cute weird skeleton horse things that you rap with! It's so much fun!

[ Aw, Alisaie has no sick beats to drop? Come on, new friend! ]

When it comes to rapping, it's all in your heart,
Just find the beat, and you'll know where to start!
Gimmie rhyme gimmie reason all within the season,
Cause if you don't join me, girl it's like treason!

Yeah but...

[He said with a mumble or two.]

I don't even know how to rap. I don't even think I was doing it right!

[ Well-- that was assertive.

How does one even join? Alisaie isn't exactly the type to play with words either. Though, p

The phrases threw her off even more. ]

Treason...?

Isn't that a bit too much?
I'm quite sure I have the touch.
To rhyme
Every time...

[ Someone please get Mei some help. Alisaie can't believe she's starting to play along with this, albeit horribly at that. Well, she's trying. There's no challenge that Alisaie won't attempt right? This girl seemed rather eager, so humoring her isn't so bad. ]

Sure you were! You were doing a great job!

[ She's your cheerleader now, accept it. ]

All we needed was a DJ adding rhythm to our sick beats, and we could've dropped a whole album!

[...Does he even dare ask? There was a part him that knew it probably wouldn't be a good idea and yet...??]

...Do you know how to do that thing Americans do? What is it called? Beatboxing?

[ Mei still seems pleased, at least! She nods enthusiastically, fists pumped! Time to go super-speedy-freestyle! ]

I knew you had in to win you took it on and chin and let it swim on a whim and it ain't a sin so show me some skin!

[ She holds up a hand, ready for a high-five of victory! ]

Of course! My friend Miriam is way better at it, but...

[ She suddenly puts one fist to her mouth, and lays her other hand flat as if mixing a vinyl record. She then begins making noises into the fist, though it mostly sounds like "boots'n'cats'n'boots'n'cats..." ]

[As the rhythm starts, he started to tap his meet in hopes of starting some kind of flow to what he was going to say next. With a small hum, he didn't want to cheat but...!]

Uh...

Right here, shadow 10 o'clock direction
Seize the moment, destroy the nation
Your rhyme is slow-motion, give me motivation....?

[He didn't know what else to say! Hopefully Mei won't know that he totally didn't copy something that his leader listens to!]

[ Alisaie has a knack for taking care of others that are younger than her to some extent. It's not too hard to play along, though she can't quite put her finger on how to exactly keep this act going. Her talents lie in her athletic abilities, to say the least. Did she dare say it's kind of fun to see someone so enthusiastic over something like this? ]

I'm not quite sure that makes sense
Given there wasn't any prior...pretense.

[ Alisaie looks at her for a before connecting her hand. Is it really a high-five worthy victory? ]

[ She doesn't suspect a thing - no, surely his sick rhymes are all his own! She's so impressed she drops the beat-boxing to give him a friendly push on the shoulders. ]

Dude, that was insane! You're so way past cool!

[ Thankfully once the high-five is reciprocated, she drops the rap for now, giggling. ]

That was great! You were an awesome partner for this duo!

[He raised an eyebrow before crossing his arms. Somewhere, in the back of his mind, he was panicking as he didn't come up with the lyrics on his own! He just wanted her to come up with her own lyrics and he'll just follow along!]

A-Are you sure? Those were just lyrics that my leader would listen to! I think he's the cooler one!

... Oh. Well. Still! You carried your own beat and melody! Not everyone can carry a tune!

[ She'll still cheer for you anyway! ]

You really think so? Well, I think you did pretty good yourself. You know how to rap better than me, I just copied what others are doing!

[And totally not avoiding the topic that he can't rap at all and hoping she'll continue...!]

Well, now's your chance to live and learn!

[ She does a bit more beatboxing before going again! ]

Everyone calls me Mei, and what can I say,
That everyone's got some lyrics, you just gotta find the way!
Look deep in your heart, look deep in your soul,
Take a big deep breath, and now let's go!

My name is Ken, you have to believe
Even if I don't know what to do, I don't want grieve

[Then there was a pause]

So let's not be deceived...?

[ Mei cheers with fists pumps! ]

You ain't naïve, you don't make me wanna leave, instead I perceive all we're gunna do is achieve!

[ She holds up a fist! Bump??? ]

[And here, Ken just stared at the fist before looking at her. Tilting his head to the side, he made a fist before bumping it.]

Uh...is that what you're supposed to do?

[Then he shook his head.] You have a lot more energy than me to keep this going.

[ She raises her eyebrows, surprised. ]

Your world doesn't have fist bumps? That's a real shame...

[ But she shrugs it off, hands behind her back. ]

I guess I have a lot of pent-up energy from not doing this for a while... this is something me and my besties do all the time back home.

Wait, what? Of course we do, I just never really did it before! It's really not something we did often.

[Because what is this informal way of greeting people? Japanese culture does not allow it! That was why he sunk his head onto his shoulders feeling a slight hint of embarrassment.

Did he really lack an understanding of how this fist bumping thing works...?]

It's just rude if we did that since it not a polite way to address each other.

Polite? Psssht, it's cool! And fun! Besides, we're kids! We don't need to be like super high-strung and polite all the time to each other!

[ We are youths! Act like it! ]

Yeah but...you wouldn't people to underestimate you, right? People might think just because we are kids that don't take us seriously!

[Ah yes, being told from a kid to act like one. The internal struggle...!]

That's totally on them if they judge me wrong. They're not supposed to judge books by their covers. Plus, there are plenty of adults here who act like kids...

[ She can think of MANY adults like that. So many. ]

Well, I can't argue that there are some adults who do know better...

[He said with a mumble or two.]

But you're pretty confident to think that way. A lot more than me anyway.

I got plenty of reason to be confident - I know I'm amazing. I'm a straight-A student, after all! Master of languages! And I've even got a working job back home!

[ Ba-bam! Look at her go! Swagger swagger! ]

[ Thank the Twelve that Alisaie didn't have to embarrass herself any longer. Such artistry was better left for Aliphinaud. She almost breathed a sigh of relief. ]

Compared to your way-around words, I can't quite say I did 'awesome.'

Aw, c'mon! I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it! Gimme some five!

[ She offers a hand up for a high-five. ]

[ Her enthusiasm does earn a small laugh from Alisaie as she high-fives her once more, maybe with a little bit of strength this time. ]

Well, thank you. You've said quite flattering words.

[ There's a pause before she asks Mei one more question. ]

Do you do this quite often?

[ Her expression droops, just a bit. ]

Well... not as much, anymore. I used to do this all the time back home, with my besties.

[ But if there's no besties, who can she rap with? ]

[ Alisaie realizes, she might have touched a sensitive topic, and her expression looks apologetic, but she tries to reassure Mei in her own way. ]

You 'besties,' must be quite talented, given how you've effortlessly strung your words together.

[ Too bad her brother's not here to be put on the spot. He'd certainly find more interest in something like this. ]

I'm sure there must be someone here that shares the same interest as you.

Oh, I've definitely made friends here! Lots of them! It's just, you know...

[ She has her hands behind her back, swinging back and forth a little. ]

They can't be replaced. You know? Even if I made a million friends here, I'd still miss the ones back home.

[ Alisaie can understand that. She does look a little.more thoughtful as Mei said those words. ]

Aye. Of course. Friend, family and those close to you are not replaceable. Mayhap, I was insensitive. I apologize.

[ She looks apologetic. More than. If Anything, she missed her family, friends and those close to her back at home as well. Even her brother is dearly missed. She hadn't been on her own without Alphinaud for a while. After all, always do everything together. The only time they were separated was when she left the Scions for a period of time and the events of the First. Even then, nothing was as long as this. ]

I miss my brother. Even though he often has a foot in his mouth. We have always done everything together. The absence his presence is more obvious these days. I can understand what you mean.

Nah, it's okay! I didn't mean to bring you down either...

[ Oof, now Mei feels guilty for spreading the sad. We can't have that! She hesitates, then smiles, leaping forward to grab both of Alisaie's hands with her own. ]

... But we can be friends too! We won't replace anyone, but we'll be brand new friends to expand our... friend-circle!

Ah-- well I'm not down. Your words got me thinking is all. I miss my brother, but it isn't as if I won't ever see him again. Who knows, he might pop up here at some point.

[ Alisaie smiles softly at Mei. Not that she wishes for Alphinaud to be here. It's not a bad place but like her, he has unfinished business to tend to. It might be nice though. Alisaie is taken by by Mei's straightforwardness for a moment, but she is thinking the same. ]

Aye, it's not bad to have friends. I'd like that very much.

[ She pauses a moment before speaking again]

I'm Alisaie. What shall I call you?

[ Yay, friends! Mei swings their joined hands together for a bit, always a huge fan of physical affection. ]

My name's Meilin Lee, but everyone calls me Mei! It's so totally awesome to meet you, Alisaie!

[ Alisaie lets her do as she pleases as her hands swing together with Mei's. How can she say no to someone cheerful about being friends with her? Mei seems genuinely kind. ]

Mei it is. It's a pleasure to meet you as well. If you ever need anything, let me know.

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[Open] you'll never shine if you don't glow

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