Let's Have Ourselves A Merry Little Christmas

Caroling, Caroling Through The Snow

Miu sneered in annoyance, slamming shut the door to yet another empty classroom. Where is that flat-chested girl? And I even went to all that trouble to make these damned things! The inventor marched down the hallway, slamming open the door to another room.

Empty.

Clicking her tongue, Miu stalked upstairs to the second floor. The other students were out playing in the snow again today. But Miu was too tired to give too much enthusiasm after pulling an all-nighter to create speakers out of the honestly tragic selection in the warehouse.

~♫♪~

Miu froze at the stop of the stairs, the music breaking through her angry thoughts. It was gentle and soft, the notes curling around the corner and down the stairs. Miu followed the source of the music, coming to a halt at the black and white door of the Ultimate Pianist's research lab.

♪... All I want for Christmas is you

Miu could almost hear the lyrics tucked inside the piano keys as masterful fingers played beyond the door.

Quietly, for a reason she herself wasn't quite sure of, Miu twisted down the handle and pushed open the door. It opened inward with not a sound.

Inside was a sleek black piano on a raised scarlet plinth. With the interior lights dimmed, the open windows let pink light stream into the room. The falling snow outside catches on the artificial backdrop like sparkling diamonds, decorating the wooden floor with tirades of light. Kaede was rocking forward and back on the stool, hands moving easily across the ivory keys. Miu found herself caught briefly

There was a pause, Kaede shifting just slightly, before the tempo started up again and the song grew into the more peppy theme it's known for. Miu leaned against the door frame with a relaxed smile, watching as Kaede bounced her foot against the pedal and mouthed along the words as she played.

This continued for a while, Kaede's smile growing as she continued to play until the final chord rang out like bells.

"All I want for Christmas is-" Kaede sang out, pausing abruptly when she chanced up a glance and caught Miu staring. Although years of recitals kept her from outright stopping, there was only a slight pause as she continued, "-you."

The moment hung there, awkwardly, as the piano's final call echoed into silence. Only once the room was quiet, did Kaede remove her hands from the keyboard.

"Miu, hi!" She called out with a friendly smile, "I was recording some Christmas songs for the speakers."

Miu shook herself out of her slightly dazed state, "Well, of course. I don't want to hear shitty music coming out of these babies!"

The inventor moved further into the room and spilled several compact speakers, the size of one's palm, onto the music rack atop the piano. Some of them had suction cups on the back, others had white strings dangling from one end.

"You can hang them anywhere," Miu laughed, "Or stick them to surfaces if you're feeling adventurous!"

Kaede sweatdropped, her smile becoming more strained, "Thanks for the speakers, Miu. I really appreciate it!"

Miu looked away, crossing her arms defensively, "O-of course. I'm the great Miu Iruma!"

Kaede nodded encouragingly.

"What are you playing love songs for, though?" Miu asked.

Kaede flushed, "A-ah well... Monophanie kinda insisted on a couple."

"Damned bears. Prolly hoping we'll get it on."

A moment of awkward silence.

"Well, I have better places to be! You owe me one for these speakers, Kaediot."

Kaede reached out as if to grab the other blonde but paused halfway, returning her hand to grip the edge of the piano stool.

"Wait!" Kaede said instead, "Would you... like to listen to me play a few more?"

Miu narrowed her eyes. Well, she was pretty tired. And Kaede's music was nice to listen to. Miu wouldn't learn anything or get any work done if she slept to Kaede's piano music, but it might still be... pleasant.

"You think I want to listen to you bang on keyboards?"

Kaede smiled patiently, "If you want to. You could, ah, tell me which ones are too lovey dovey to add?"

Miu huffed before placing herself dramatically into one of the chairs surrounding the piano platform. "Monophanie will probably cause trouble if you don't. Let's hear it then."

Kaede grinned before turning back to the keys, laying her hands just over them.

A decidedly jazz-like tune began to fill the room before the tell-tale lyrics of Santa Baby began to call out from the instrument. Kaede slowly got back into her rhythm as the song continued. Miu's eyes grew heavy as she nodded off along with the music.

Only to be rudely awoken when the next song began. The far more loud and busy tempo of God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen made Miu's head jump up. Kaede was still playing happily on her piano. If she had noticed Miu had been falling asleep and changed to the tune, she didn't show it. But maybe Miu had been so tired she didn't notice the conclusion of the song?

This pattern continued for an indistinguishable amount of time. Miu would fall asleep, only to be awoken by another song as Kaede continued her recordings. Eventually, Miu stopped waking up at all when the songs changed tempos.

Kaede sighed as the final chords of Jingle Bells tittered out, turning her attention to her friend in the chair below her. Blinking, she couldn't muffle the delighted laugh that came out of her as she realized Miu had fallen asleep! Honestly, how rude to fall asleep during a master pianst's performance.

Then again, Kaede acknowledged, Miu probably spent all night making the speakers for her. Just because she was asked too. Miu really is... a good person. Kaede stood quietly from her piano and fished a blanket out of the closet, draping it over the sleeping inventor.

Kaede then gathered the speakers in her backpack, along with adding all the recorded songs to the already stuffed playlist of Christmas songs she found in the wall of CDs. These speakers connected wirelessly to the playlist, all seamlessly wired to play the same song at the same times, at the same volume, from anywhere in the school. Kaede would have to set them all up. Perhaps Kirumi would help her if she wasn't too busy?

Pausing at the door, Kaede glanced back at Miu, now bathed in the same pinkish light and snowy mosaics of light as Kaede had been hours prior. Thanks for listening, Miu. Kaede thought, breaking into a grin. Even if you fell asleep.