we'll be on our own [nikita]

[MEREDIA AUDREY ROTH]

Being around music was one of her favorite ways to get ideas for other projects. Her entire life had been steeped in music, since her mother was a very well known Broadway singer and actress in the theater circuit. Most of the time, she'd have to listen to her mother's recordings over and over again, but not just because she liked the sound of her mother's singing voice. Sometimes, Meredia would even forget that her mother could sing, or her accomplishments, and it was something that she wanted to always keep with her. It had been her mother, after all, that had gotten Meredia an initial interview with music producers so her songwriting career could take off. She wasn't famous or anything yet, but in the years that she had been working, she had landed several deals writing music for major record labels and well-known bands and artists along with a few contract to write the music for new Broadway shows.

Tonight, she had gotten complimentary tickets to a rather well-known band that was playing at The Palladium because she had written four songs on their newest album. The band had gotten in a rut by writing their own music that tended to sound the same, and Meredia had been contracted to give a new spin on their old sound. She loved experimenting with sounds and how words could fit with those sounds and tell a story, so being a songwriter was a dream come true. Her prowess on a piano was rather impressive, and her singing voice was also hauntingly beautiful, but these were talents that she rarely shared with the people in her life, because she didn't want them to treat her any differently. She was already used to being somewhat of an outsider because she was “that girl with the brain tumor” or “miss memory loss.” People didn't really tease her about it much anymore, but her last few years of high school had been difficult.

Meredia had always held out for a group of friends that would love and accept her for who she was, all quirks and idiosyncrasies included. Because she had this hope, she tended to want to think the best of people, and that tendency could make her a bit naïve and left her vulnerable to those who were cruel and took joy in taking advantage of others. But still, even knowing that she was susceptible to being set up again and again, she remained optimistic.

The seats she could have had were much better than she ones she chose, but she liked to be above the stage, in an isolated area or area where less seats were sold so she could sing along and not worry about being heard. Even though her music sounded beautiful when the other artists performed it, there was something special about having 'her' version that had been created in the quiet of her studio apartment.

”And when the daylight comes, I'll have to go. But tonight I'm gonna hold you so close...” Meredia sang along, remembering the cool piano keys under her fingers when she had composed this particular piece. The memories were all so rare, that she held onto the ones she did keep with the tightest, fiercest grip. ”'Cause in the daylight, we'll be on our own. But tonight I need to hold you so close.” One day, Meredia hoped that she'd find someoen that she could write songs like this about, because the love songs had always been her favorite. There was always the chance that she'd met someone she could fall in love with, and just didn't remember, but that was the most heartbreaking thing to dwell on. So, she convinced herself that he or she was still out there for her, somewhere, and she just had to keep on making the most of everything, and hitting every curve ball right out of the park.

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OUTFIT:[/color] Here!
NOTES:[/color] First open thread with Meredia!
WORDS:[/color] 651

[NIKITA ETHAN REDFIELD]

in order to tame this relentless marauder

[/size][/color]

move away from the parade

It wasn't often that he decided to purchase a ticket for himself to a random band he hadn't even heard of, but times were changing, and Nikita often found himself doing things that he never thought he would do. Leaps of faith were taken as though he was always on his last day of life, or rather, existence. There seemed to be so many things to do in this lifetime, be you human or not human, and it only seemed natural to test the waters with this new band that the whole city seemed to be talking about. Nikita craved and adored music in every form imaginable. Being a composer himself, the demon was indeed open to other forms of music that could be implemented and influence his own work. Perhaps this band that was playing at The Palladium would surprise and impress him, you never knew until you tried after all. He had nothing to lose.

Compared to the screaming people in their seats in front of him, his own was quiet. It wasn't to say that he was completely surrounded by silence, as the people in front of him were shouting their heads off in excitement for the band, but it was enough for him. It did not matter as long as he heard the music, and as the band began setting up and guitars were strummed, he nodded to himself in approval at his choice of seating. They were good seats, not perfect, but good enough for listening. The demon did not care to see the faces of the band playing, but rather, the magic that they would soon produce. They could be gods for all he bloody cared, but if their music was crap, then there wasn't any point to looks. Silently, he sat in the back row overlooking the stage, blending in with the shadows, waiting patiently. Had it not been for the occasional flash of black from his eyes, he would have been invisible.

And then the band appeared and finally, began to play. A dark eyebrow rose in surprise at the music, and Nikita closed his eyes and nodded again, this time in sync with the music. The band were indeed good, and his expectations were clearly met. Deciding that he would not mind a closer look after all, he inched himself closer towards the empty seats in front of him, easily sliding a foot over and plonking down next to a singing young lady with a soft thump. Over the noise, he could hear her lovely voice in sync with the band, and he marveled at how pleasant it was to listen to. Nevertheless, he kept his silence, fixating his gaze on the playing band for a few moments before turning to the young woman, the hint of a small smile on his lips.

"They are good, are they not?" he commented, turning back to watch the group on the stage, who were beginning on a new song. "I have to give credit to their composer...I do not often listen to love songs, but I have to admit, that one was lovely." He wasn't about to comment on how they pulled his heartstrings or had made him all jelly and mushy inside, because he was incapable to feeling such for the time being, but he could appreciate good music when he heard them. Such as now.

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[MEREDIA AUDREY ROTH]

Although the company was definitely unexpected, it wasn't unwelcome. Truly, Meredia loved people, she just limited herself from being more social sometimes because of her job and her memory problems. She always felt so bad whenever she had to explain to someone, or was faced with the hurt look on somebody's face when they recognized her and she just couldn't return the favor. Granted, most of the time, following the explanation, people were more understanding and less offended, but she still felt bad. Meredia knew that she had a lot of feelings, and that was part of the reason why music and composing had always been so cathartic to her. Writing songs was a way to get her feelings and thoughts on paper and out to the universe, and she didn't have to be recognized directly to be proud of the accomplishments she made. As she looked at the handsome young man who had taken a seat next to her, she wondered if he was familiar with this band, or just interested in the music.

After her initial blush from being caught singing had worn off, she listened to what the man said. For a moment, she had the feeling that she always had whenever she participated in a new interaction – have I met you before? However, this particular one didn't even have a touch of familiarity, which she hoped was because he was a new acquaintance, not a memory that Stefano had erased. ”They're wonderful – I've never seen them live before, though.” It was really fate that a band that she'd just written songs for ended up in Manuka, but she wasn't about to disclose that information right away. She didn't like to brag, after all. Her work was just something she enjoyed; she didn't do it for the credit, and that was why she was happy to sell it to other people.

Meredia blushed again at his comment about the composer, and liking the love song. Every time someone did comment on something she wrote, she took it as a quiet personal victory. ”I'm not much for love songs, either, but there are lots of meanings behind songs that can get overlooked.” Since as far as she knew, she'd never been in love, this particular piece had a double meaning to her. The thought of her memory being wiped clean come morning, and savoring what she did know before she closed her eyes – that's what she had written about, but it made a good love song, all the same. ”What's your name?” There was something mysterious about the man sitting next to her, and her curiosity couldn't help but rear its head. ”I'm Meredia.” She didn't want to ask a personal detail without offering one in return, because that just seemed rude. So, she extended her hand for a handshake, hoping that the common gesture would serve her well here.

The band started up a new song, and Meredia immediately recognized the opening chords. This was another one she'd done, but it was quite different than the last. Even though she didn't know much about love, she knew about physical encounters, and this song was more about lust than love. It wasn't as lyrical or beautiful as the last, but it had a good beat, and the words were, in her opinion, quite clever. ”I like this one a lot, too. It's one of my... I mean, their best songs, in my opinion.” Quickly wanting to recover from her little slip, Meredia switched her words around, hoping that she hadn't been caught red-handed. Well, in the verbal sense, at least.

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[NIKITA ETHAN REDFIELD]

in order to tame this relentless marauder

[/size][/color]

move away from the parade

Nikita had never been the type to initiate a conversation first as he preferred to allow the people he conversed with to do the talking, but times were changing. From the people he met, he had been asked and been coaxed to come out of his shell a little bit more, rather than constantly seclude himself in his own personal bubble most of the time. Having found the thought of doing so rather intriguing, and to humour himself as well, he had been striking up conversations with random strangers on topics they could click on. It was an effort to overcome his usual silence and apathy, and perhaps hold a decent conversation without sounding awkward all the time. Listening to this young woman sing and her good taste in music, the demon felt as though he had scored the jackpot. Musical and artistic people were those he usually clicked with well, and wanting to test the waters on whether this was true, he decided to try his luck with this lady.

"I do not often listen to bands live like this, so this is actually a first for me." said Nikita honestly, smiling lightly. "And I have not heard of this band until I listened to the snippets around me." As though to prove his point, he grinned and pulled out the piece of paper. It was true, as he had not bothered to inquire for the band when he was buying the ticket, all he had asked for was the band they was playing tonight. He had paid for his ticket without hesitation, and had deliberately avoided looking at it or any sort of poster that would promote. Instead, he had chosen to listen in to the conversations of others, picking up tidbits about the band and validating their opinion about them.

He could not help but look at her concernedly when she blushed again, wondering what he had done wrong. Her cheeks had turned pink when he had caught her singing, and she was doing it again when he credited the composer. He knew that people blushed when they were shy or embarrassed, but it had never failed to make him retrace his steps and see if he had done anything that could have provoked such emotion, and most of all, if he had done anything that could have offended them. But the woman's brown eyes were warm and held no sign of anger whatsoever when he looked at them, and seeing it, he relaxed visibly, not wanting any sort of trouble. "That is true," said the dark-haired male in reply to her comment about her love songs. "But I think this one is obvious. It is simple enough."

"Nikita," replied Nikita pleasantly, taking her hand and shaking it, recognizing as a gesture that the present generation of people often used when they introduced themselves. As strange as he thought it occasionally was, it was a common gesture, and he had followed along with it without question. Some things were just not meant to be asked it seemed. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Meredia." What a lovely name, it sounded like what one would hear as a song title. It was almost mythical in nature.

His usual blank face lit up when the band began on a new song, and he cocked his ear to listen. A wry chuckle escaped his lips when he listened to the lyrics, the song had plenty of hidden meanings in it, and they were not all completely pleasant and romantic. The beat was addictive to listen to, and Nikita would not be surprised if it ended up being played on the radio. He hardly listened to the songs that were being played on there though, so it did not matter to him. His eyes previously locked on to the band when they began a new song, the dark orbs shot towards Meredia when she commented again. Eyebrows rising, he spoke then, his voice almost hushed in awe. "You wrote it." he whispered almost in admiration, his eyes sparkling, not wasting a second in beating around the bush. The demon had picked up on the slip immediately, and was now eyeing her in awe. "I am impressed."

Ah, the perks of being a composer himself.

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[MEREDIA AUDREY ROTH]

When the young man said that he wasn't familiar with the band before hearing about them, Meredia couldn't help but feel a small twinge of pride. Apparently, it was a rare experience for him to listen to live bands, and he wasn't familiar with this band's music, but enjoyed it anyway. Meredia always felt like she'd accomplished something great when somebody heard her music without any prior exposure and enjoyed it. Many people, she knew, liked the music because they were fans of a band, but didn't pay much attention to the lyrics and musicality that went into all of her compositions. She supposed that this was something she'd always have to deal with, as some fans liked more than just the music, and it was really just a side note to a larger love of the people in the band or the excitement that came from seeing a live show. It was very fortunate that she'd ended up talking to a stranger that seemed to share the same love of music that had always been in her veins.

”They're pretty talented musicians,” Meredia said after his initial comments concerning the band. ”Are you glad you decided to show up, see what all the fuss was about?” She wasn't trying to make new fans for the band, but every dollar that went to them ended up pad her bank account, and if the songs she wrote for them got popular and people liked them, usually a band's managers would sign another contract with her to work on more singles, or tracks for an upcoming album, and she'd be worth more money that way. A few of the bands and artists she already worked for were pretty high profile, and she'd been lucky to get her foot in the door as soon as she had. Writing music was one of the greatest joys in her life, and she'd found that it was really a way to find some balance in her world, no matter what was going on around her.

When she started debating lyrics with the stranger, she couldn't help but smile because he seemed to know his stuff. For a moment, Meredia wondered if he wasn't a fellow musician or composer of some kind. ”I think good lyrics allow a wide variety of people to make their own interpretations, don't you?” Her lyrics usually meant something very different to Meredia than the band interpreted them in performances and in their music videos, and that meaning could differ even from fan to fan. After their analysis, Meredia paved the way for a proper introduction, and learned the man's name along with the handshake that he returned. Nikita seemed a little hesitant to go along with the gesture at first, and Meredia felt a little self-conscious because from what she knew, handshakes were a common greeting gesture. Perhaps he was foreign, and his culture didn't greet with handshakes. The mermaid just hoped that she hadn't offended him.

”It's a pleasure to meet you as well, Nikita,” Meredia said with a bright, charming smile. A new song started, and they both stopped to just listen and absorb for a moment. Nikita seemed to be enjoying the music, and while it wasn't new to Meredia, she'd never heard the band perform her songs live, and was fascinated by their interpretation and the way it sounded on the stage and with the singer's voice instead of her own. Really, the difference between her composing in the quiet of her apartment with just her keyboard and her voice was so different to a studio sound, and even vastly different to a live performance.

She hadn't meant to, but it had slipped out that the song Nikita ended up complimenting was her original work, and he caught onto it, the sly thing. Since she had been caught red-handed, so to speak, Meredia figured that she might as well confess. ”Yeah, I'm a songwriter. Well, singer/songwriter, but I don't perform on my own. I just write the stuff and sell it to people,” Meredia said, blushing a little when he said that he was impressed by her work. Really, those compliments would never get old, because even though she was always proud of what she managed to create, other people liking what she did was totally different. ”Thank you, though. It's really nice to hear that other people appreciate my work. You know, other than fangirls who still think the artists write everything themselves.”

There was a pause, and Meredia decided to comment on his ability to understand music on a level that most people wouldn't be able to. There was an aptitude for it, and Nikita certainly possessed that aptitude. ”You're a musician, right? Something with music, a composer... what do you do? Because I can tell you're not just a spectator.” She hoped that it wouldn't be too forward, since the young man did seem to be rather secretive, but it was harmless conversation, and there was something intriguing about Nikita that she wanted to get to know.

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[NIKITA ETHAN REDFIELD]

in order to tame this relentless marauder

[/size][/color]

move away from the parade

At her question on whether or not he was glad or not that he had decided to show up tonight, all Nikita could do was smile at the ground shyly. He wasn't about to agree that yes, he was glad that he had decided to come out tonight or no, he wasn't. It was all part of his introverted nature, and he did prefer to keep things discreet about himself. He had absolutely no problem with this young lady, it was just him being him as usual. Whenever he felt shy or when he had been found out, he usually got pretty tongue-tied. Turning his gaze away from Meredia, he focused back onto the band. Despite his apathy, he was capable of feeling the occasional bout of shyness. The feeling of his cheeks becoming slightly warm and having his mind a blank slate was something that he wasn't used to yet. It still startled at him at times, especially when you were a demon who usually didn't give a fuck,

"All good lyrics are a form of poetry. They are always open to the interpretation of the listener." Nikita usually composed contemporary music, but he was no stranger to being a lyricist. As much as he liked putting words into songs, it wasn't his strongest major. He preferred coming up with pieces of poetry of his own, lyrical and transcending to those that would listen to it, and usually left it to those who stumbled upon them to create a song out of it if they so wished. Though he was a musician, he did not fancy the idea of drawing attention to himself by performing on stage, regardless of the fame and fortune that would follow. He did not like being the center of attention, and had always preferred to be on his own, composing to his heart's content without an idiot breathing down his neck.

Nikita smiled. "With a voice like yours, I do believe that it would be easy for you to make a name for yourself." he said honestly. It was a genuine compliment, and it was true. Meredia's voice had been lovely, and he had liked it immediately. She did have the talent that would allow her to become famous and rich, and if she was a mermaid (not that he was going to start suspecting anything) the effect would be wondrous. She would be able to enthrall her audience with just one verse, though hypnotic charm or not, she would still be able to do that. Meredia's singing voice was such that he did not mind listening to all day if he felt like it. It was hard to find such talent these days. "It would be taxing for the artist," he commented wryly. "I would not want to be in their shoes, but there are notable exceptions."

"Was it that obvious?" laughed the demon. "I compose, yes, but it is kind of like a...hobby." He shrugged, recalling the pile of musical sheets left on top of his piano. "I do not sell them, or...do anything else with them. I mean, I never saw the need to." Trailing off, he allowed his gaze to wander back to the band again, and allowed himself a small, content smile.

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[MEREDIA AUDREY ROTH]

She did admire people with intelligence, and the semi old-fashioned way that this guy spoke wasn't unpleasant. It was refreshing, actually, to meet a man that didn't talk in a series of 'dudes' and 'um's.' Not that she remembered all of her interactions – that was what her notebook was for. And later, before she went to sleep, she'd definitely be taking notes on this guy. Nikita. Because he was nice, and made her smile, and it was always good for her to have someone to talk about music with that wasn't her parents. Even if it was only for a little while, temporary, random interactions were something that Meredia had really come to enjoy. Possibly because random interactions were more normal for her, even if they weren't technically 'random' or first meeting encounters. If she ran into him again, she hoped that her notes would be good enough to fake their prior meeting and not have to approach the awkwardness of: 'Hey, I know you probably know me, but I just don't remember you because I have a tumor. I'm sure you're awesome and we had fun but, nope – mind's a blank.' After a while, that song and dance really got annoying.

”That's part of why I like to sneak hidden meanings into mine,” Meredia said with a devious smile. ”You know, see who gets it, who doesn't? Sometimes, I even browse websites where people interpret lyrics of songs I've written – some of the things people come up with. You wouldn't even believe.” It was funny to her sometimes, because even though she appreciated everyone's right to interpret a song however they wished – that was what made music beautiful – some of the theories people came up with really were amusing. One time, someone had suggested that a song she wrote about the mortal being's life cycle was about the perversion of nature into man-made materials and went all PETA in an online forum. That had been a lovely three hours of reading. She loved nature – c'mon, she was a mermaid – but that was quite a stretch. Then there were the people who were far too literal to the point where she wondered if they even knew was a metaphor was, but that was another story.

Meredia blushed at his compliment, because she felt that it came from an honest, kind place. Although she knew she had a good voice – it was in her genetics, given that her mother was a Broadway veteran – she had a constant concern that it was related to the fact that she was a mermaid more than it was actual talent. Even so, she didn't have any desire to be in the limelight, mostly because she didn't know how her 'condition' would handle fame. She was behind the scenes for a reason. ”Oh, you're too sweet,” Meredia said with a little, bubbly laugh. ”I sing for me, and write songs because I love it. But really, I'm happy making music for others. No desire to be out there.” She pointed to the stage, where the band was starting a new song. A slower piece that she was immensely fond of. It spoke of longing, and she couldn't pinpoint a time that she had ever felt longing, but something in the depths of memory that she could reach told her that she'd felt it before. Just, she didn't know when, why, or with whom.

Her heart jumped when she learned that he was another composer, and her assumption had been correct. She wasn't that great at reading people, honestly, but something about him told her that they had things in common. ”Hobbies are good, but hey – if you ever wanted to get together something, work on something? A collaborative piece? I'd love a second opinion, different set of ears.” Music was always warping, changing, just like time itself. She'd be silly to stay rooted to a solo endeavor if someone talented, a friend, wanted to work alongside her. Also, this guy was interesting, so why not? Taking chances was sometimes a good thing.

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[JURATE]

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