GODLY AUDIENCES - TAKAOMI SHISHIMARU

[divus]

Comments

[divus]

[Obviously he's putting it on? He's slipping the headphones on and eyeballing the iPod because okay, sure, and he listens for a moment.

...definitely not his style, but it makes a whole lot of sense for Takaomi.]

And that, I suppose, is the best thing about music. You don't have to understand it to realize why it would make someone happy. Though I have to ask...why this?

[bakaomi]

I discovered them at a time where I really needed them.

[ it sure is funny how energetic and excited he gets when he talks about this. ]

They're not together anymore, and there isn't a lot of info on them, so all we have left is the music they put out. But they're super amazing, aren't they? They're soooo cool.

[divus]

[Oh...no. This is kind of fascinating, and Beauty sits and watches this unfold.]

The sound is different, but you can pick out each individual instrument easily. Nobody's drowned on from someone else. Do you play anything, or are you just a fan of music? [He. Kind of? Gets that the d!ing boys are idols but not the full extent.]

[bakaomi]

I play guitar. [ so does senri, actually, but taka does not say that. ] I kind of wish I had mine...

[ but then he just continues on. ]

I'm nowhere near as good as the Uribos guitarist, but I'm not bad.

[divus]

[Senri who?? It's bonding time.] I wonder if you could earn one via a favor...that's where you got this, isn't it? [A tap to the iPod.] I'd like to hear you play sometime if you did.

I'm sure you've guessed, but the piano in the parlor's mine. I've been playing for years, but I've never learned other instruments.

[bakaomi]

Mmhm.

[ he glances at the ipod then back to him. ]

If you play piano you'll probably have an easier time learning something else.

[divus]

I have heard it's easier to learn when you already know how to play one thing. I learned from my mother as a child, so the idea of teaching myself is a bit unusual, I'll admit.

Still...perhaps that's something I'll do in the new world. I'll have plenty of time then. [Immortality is...a scary concept if he thinks about it for too long.] Regardless of which of us wins, music is a universal language. We'll need it.

[bakaomi]

Music has the power to save people.

[ he looks back at the ipod. ]

So just make sure you fill your world with a lot of it.

[divus]

Believe me, I plan to. It may be just about the only thing almost all of us can even agree on.

...did it save you then?

[bakaomi]

[ he nods his head, still clearly enthralled by the conversation topic ]

... it's something I'm glad for.

[divus]

Good. [He seems to mean that, too.] I think anything that brings you a bit of happiness is something to be cherished for that very reason.

[Something to save a life...he thinks he understands, in a way, but he's also not digging for details because this is maybe the most Takaomi's ever said to him without being weird about their whole situation.]

[bakaomi]

[ it definitely is, because if there is one way to distract taka from relationship drama is to have him talk about his absolute favorite thing in the world. ]

... yeah.

[divus]

[They are doing their best.]

Did you only start playing because of this band?

[bakaomi]

Well, I've been into music before them, they just...

[ ... ]

If you really enjoy something then you want to be part of it.

[divus]

...I agree. It's part of why we made our club at school in the first place. To give people something to do and enjoy their time together, and be a part of something fun and memorable.

Isn't that sort of the same?

[bakaomi]

... I guess.

[ tamaki aren't you a host

taka is math ladying ]

[divus]

[Why does this keep happening to him?]

...do you suppose otherwise?

[bakaomi]

[ he doesn't answer right away, but then. ]

What makes you happy?

[divus]

[Give him a moment to chew a bite of his lunch.]

I'm happiest when other people are enjoying themselves. Smiling. Having fun. I think there's something wonderful about that.

And being with the people who mean the most to me. Experiencing new things with them. Learning more about them. Those are the things I like best. If I can provide people with an experience that's memorable and will make them smile, then I believe that's the best thing to happen.

[bakaomi]

[ hm. ]

Is there anything that doesn't involve other people?

[divus]

[Not likely given Beauty is a very lonely person at the end of the day, but he considers that question anyway.]

Antoinette, I suppose, sort of counts as a person. [Hm.] Music, of course. And I like other things, but in the end it all ties back to people. I like trying commoner food and sharing it with people. I like traveling and taking photos of places and bringing back souvenirs for people. I like playing music because it makes people happy.

[...] "Everyday I do my best to live. Everyday I live with a smile on my face. And I also want the people surrounding me to be happy."

[This isn't the first time he's said those words to someone in this competition, but it's also clear they're someone else's that he's clung to for years.] There are things that make me happy just like everyone else. But like I've said, my happiest moments are with people instead.

[So. Yeah. No. He just wants to be around people literally all the time, and that's going to make the end of this game much harder.]

[bakaomi]

[ every time taka talks to beauty he understands a little bit better why he and senri gravitated to each other. and a part of him almost feels bad for taking him away, but the feeling grows smaller the more he grows attached.

still. he gets it. ]

... if we met in school, you definitely would have gotten on my nerves.

[divus]

I don't doubt that at all. [He's fully aware of what kind of person he is in comparison to what kind of person Taka is.] Do I not in these circumstances?

[bakaomi]

You definitely do.

[ he'd be lying if he said otherwise. so. ]

But I would have gone out of my way to make sure I didn't interact with you.

[divus]

Perhaps it's selfish, but I do appreciate that this isn't the case now. I feel that we have a lot we can learn from each other.