Matryoshka

Chapter 1 – Allow Me to Introduce Myself—Or Not

I've been toying around with the idea for this story for a while now… Actually, I've been thinking about it since I wrote the chapter "Matryoshka" for Slice of Life. xD; And the idea had really been floating around my head a lot more frequently, especially since the explosion of reviews from SoL!

Anyway, let's go!

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Vocaloids. Only this ridiculous story.

"Kaito-nii-san! Did you hear! We're getting a new house mate!"

"Yeah, I heard. She's supposed to be pretty talented."

"DUH! She's gonna be a Vocaloid! Of course she's talented!"

"Nee-chan, don't be rude—"

"Shut up, Len! Anyway, like I was sayin'… I heard she's pretty, too! Miku-nee! Aren't you excited?"

Silence.

"Miku-nee?"

"Ah, gomen ne! I was just thinking," the tealette apologized, as her lips curved up into a smile. The pop idol was lazily sprawled out along the couch, an arm draped over her eyes. Her long teal hair, which was normally tied up into twin tails, was currently tied up into a loose ponytail. It hung loosely, close to the nape of her neck, and tied by a white ribbon. "But yes, I heard about her. She seems… Interesting."

The blonde twins popped up behind the couch, their blue eyes bright with curiosity. Len blew his messy bangs away from his eyes before he looked back down at the teal haired idol. "'Interesting'?" he repeated, clearly puzzled by Miku's choice of words. "How?"

"Yeah, Miku-nee! We haven't met her yet!" the older twin jumped in, as she threw her arms up in the air. "You don't know if she's interesting or not! She could be a boring person!"

"I know, but that's why I think she's intereting, Rin-chan," Miku explained, her smile only widening. "There's so much to find out about her."

Kaito shook his mop of blue hair, turning his deep eyes away from the trio. He shoved his hands into the pockets of his khaki pants and shrugged his shoulders at the group. "Miku-chan is an odd person," he explained to the twins. "She was always like this. Especially since we were little," he laughed, and shook his head once more. "That's something that'll never change."

Miku giggled, and peeked one teal eye out from beneath the shade that her arm provided. "Ne, ne, Nii-san. I can't help it if the unknown is an interesting topic," she continued to give the others that unreadable smile. "This Gumi girl.. I'm sure she'll be interesting. Very interesting."

"But people, Miku-nee?" The blonde girl asked, as she swept her bangs out from her face and tucked away a lock of the golden hair behind one eye. Hearing Miku speak like this was a new concept to her. Normally Miku would be quick to explain her thoughts. But... It was as if Miku were keeping a secret to herself. "Interesting? I just want her to be fun..."

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be a fun person to be around," Miku amended. "But really, this will be interesting."

"You think people are interesting?" Rin repeated in disbelief.

"{eople are especially interesting."

"What did I get myself into?" was the running thought that went through her mind, and had been stuck on repeat for the past week. It had become something of a mantra for her, as she packed her things to move into the mansion. While packing, she rejoiced that she was finally escaping her parents. Moving into a house with other singers, music idols at that, was a huge milestone in her life.

But now that she was here…

She almost wished she had never auditioned to join the group.
The famous Vocaloids.

The fact that the group were an internationally known lot was not what bothered the girl the most. What really bothered her were the thoughts of how they may be in person. According to the magazines, the group were amiable enough. Or, rather, they were adored by the fans, seemingly fitting the wants and needs of their fan base.

The Kagamine twins, known for their duets and their own solo songs. Rin was the energetic, spunky, reckless girl, who single-handedly captured the hearts of many with her wild antics and surprising songs. Len, the younger twin, was the adorable, baby-faced boy. Like his older sister, he easily settled into the hearts of his fans due to his boyishly good looks and his more timid nature (at least, when compared to Rin. The boy himself did have a mischievous streak, if the popular magazines were to believed).
Yellow and orange.

Furukawa Miki, polite and ever pleasant, an ideal role model for teenaged girls. Her songs were normally intense in meaning, and her child like face was quite adorable. And the girl was known to be a tad on the timid side, which made her popularity sky rocket. Something that her fans called a "moe" factor? Whatever that was…
At least Miki seemed normal compared to some of the others..
A pleasant mix of red and pink.

Shion Kaito, the resident blue-haired male of the mansion. He was known, like Len, for having a boyishly handsome face, and stunning deep blue eyes. It was easy to see why many girls had gone crazy over him. He was incredibly good looking, but to the girl, he looked like an idiot. After all, what kind of self-respecting man would produce a song about the joys of ice-cream? There must have been something wrong with him if that was a song he would willingly sing.
Blue.

Sakine Meiko. The oldest female resident of the mansion, was known to be a drunken idiot. At least, that's how the girl saw the brunette singer. While, admittedly, Meiko was quite an attractive woman, the tendencies of this Vocaloid to get caught drinking was something that the girl did not admire. True, Meiko was quite a looker…. But drinking… The girl couldn't get over the fact that Meiko drank so damn much.
Dark red.

Megurine Luka, the pink haired beauty. Needless to say, she was just as talented as the other Vocaloids. In her eyes, Luka was easily one of the most impressive of the group. Not only could she sing amazingly well in Japanese, but her English itself was impressive. The pinkette was able to sing near flawlessly in English, something that the girl had always admired about the pinkette. And not to mention how incredibly good-looking Luka was… She may be younger than Meiko, but geez, the pink haired girl could give the brunette a good run for her money.
Pink.

Kamui Gakupo. Someone she was intimately familiar with. After all, the girl was the younger cousin of Gakupo. They may not have spoken to each other since he had first joined the Vocaloid group, but the girl was sure that her older cousin would still be the same mature, gentleman like person that he had always been. His hair had become much longer, and the rumors surrounding him and a certain pinkette were something of a mild interest to the girl. Her cousin? Dating the Megurine Luka?
Impossible.
He was simply too much of an idiot to be Megurine Luka's type, the girl had reasoned. Sure, her elder cousin may be intelligent, but her mind could not wrap around the idea of the two of them being an item.
Purple.

And finally… The most famous, and by far, the most popular Vocaloid.
Hatsune Miku.
A scowl made its way onto the girls face as she thought about the tealette. She had known Miku for a little while in high school, that is, until Miku left to become a singer. Not that she would hold it against the teal idol. Fame and fortune over three more boring years of high school in a city in Japan?
She would pick the fame and fortune over school anyday.
But the teal girl. Something about Miku's pop idol image irritated her to no end. She knew there was more to the teal girl than those pop tunes, and adorable faces that she would make for the magazine covers. Or maybe Miku had changed. Maybe she was no longer the quiet girl that she had once been in school. Maybe Miku no longer needed her to help her with everything like she had in school. Maybe Miku really was outgoing and cheerful; a perfect example of the perfect teenaged girl.
The girl only hoped that she would have to put up with Miku sparingly, if this were the case. She was not a fan of overly happy, excited people.
Teal.

So where did that leave her?
Megpoid Gumi?
Would she be able to deal with these sorts of people; neurotic twins, an idiot, a drunken idiot, a gentleman, a princess-like girl, and an adorable pop queen?

She could only hope that she could even last a month would these people before wanting to snap someone's neck.

With a shake of her short, green hair, she began to walk up the stairs leading to the obscenely large ornate doors of the mansion. Her emerald eyes narrowed at the sight. Why did the doors have to be so big? Were they all just trying to boast about how much money they had?
How ridiculous.

A knock came from the large, oak doors, which was quickly followed by the ringing of the doorbell. The sound echoed throughout the house, until the mansion went into a complete uproar.

"SHE'S HERE!" the twins chorused, as they rode down the banisters of the staircase. Simultaneously, they leapt off and landed on their feet, and took off running towards the front door. It was easy for the two to sync their movements, and it was something that the residents of the mansion had gotten used to. At first it was strange to see the twins so completely in sync, but it soon became the norm. "SHE'S HERE! GUMI-NEE IS HEEEERRREE!"

"Careful!" Furukawa Miki shouted, as she ran after the twins. "Please don't scare her! I don't want our new house mate to feel isolated—RIN-CHAN! DON'T TACKLE LEN-KUN BECAUSE HE WAS BEATING YOU TO THE DOOR!"

Trailing behind them at a leisurely pace was Megurine Luka. She swept her pink hair over her shoulder with a flick of her wrist and watched the yellow bullets speed off with an amused twinkle in her light blue eyes. "Ah, Megpoid Gumi, was it?" she asked her companion, the tall purple haired man. "Isn't she a relative of yours, Gakupo-san?"

The taller boy nodded, and smiled down at his friend. "Yes, she is," he answered. "My younger cousin, actually. I hadn't seen her in years. I was surprised to find out that she even auditioned to join us… I didn't think she would actually pursue a career in music."

"Really!" Kaito interrupted, as he threw his arms around Luka and Gakupo's shoulders. "I bet she's a looker, seeing how you're kinda girly looking, anyway, Gakupo-kuuuun!"

Gakupo twitched, and shook his head at the blue boy. "I didn't know Miku-chan was your cousin when I first met the two of you," he rebutted. "So why should it be surprising to see that I have a talented cousin as well?"

"That's not what I was saying," Kaito pouted up at the taller boy. "I was saying she's good looking, not talented."

"I don't want you to molest my cousin."

"I won't, I have Mei-chan for that!" Kaito cheekily gave Gakupo a thumbs up. "She's my girlfriend, after all!"

At this, the brunette that had been walking beside Luka snorted. "You only call me your girlfriend when you want something," she grumbled, as she folded her arms across her chest. "Otherwise you act as if I never existed. Pig."

"Eh! But I love you!" Kaito released Luka and Gakupo from his grasp and went to embrace his girlfriend. Meiko was quick to dodge the hug, and even went as far as to thrust an elbow into his back. When the blue haired boy landed on the tiled floor with a thud, the brunette walked away, a smirk on her face.

Both Luka and Gakupo shook their heads at the exchange. Only the pinkette stopped to extend a hand out to the blue haired boy. "Are you alright-?"

Kaito waved her hand away, and jumped up to his feet. "It's okay, Luka-san! I can handle Mei-chan myself!" He declared, as he rushed after his girlfriend.

The group came to a halt and looked at the girl who was already leaning against the large doors.
The teal idol had been patiently waiting for the others to gather round before she opened the door. "Ah, we mustn't keep her waiting, ne?" Miku smiled, as she reached for the doorknob.

Grinning from ear to ear, the twins stared at the door in anticipation.
Meiko had her arms folded across her chest, determined to ignore the blue haired boy that was clinging to her desperately.
The pink haired hime-sama had a warm smile on her face, ready to make their new house mate feel as welcomed as possible.
Gakupo put his thumbs into the front pockets of his white skinnies. He was merely excited to see his cousin once again.

And Miku? Her smile may have been brilliant but it was impossible for the others to even fathom what may have been running through her mind.
She pulled both of the doors opened. "Welcome—Gumi-chan!" Her normally unreadable expression was wiped off of her face in an instant.

Before her stood the girl with short green hair, a ghost from her past. The scene was so familiar. When she had still lived in the city with her parents, it was not uncommon for this girl to show up at the door of their home with a duffel bag in hand, intent on spending the night.
And it was as if her high school friend hadn't changed. The most dramatic difference was that the long hair that Gumi had had when they first met was gone. Instead of it going down to her waist, the green locks were short, with longer strands framing her face.
It was clear, though, that Gumi still appreciated being as comfortable as possible. Her attire was simple. Dark denim skinny jeans, an over-sized orange hoodie, orange high-top Converses and a pair of red-orange goggles on her head… The corners of Miku's mouth twitched into a smile at the sight of the familiar outfit. It was as if things had never changed.

Gumi looked at Miku apprehensively. She swung the duffel bag over one shoulder, and adjusted the backpack that was strapped to her back. "What?" she snapped, suddenly on the defensive. "Why're you looking at me like that, Miku?"
Why was she getting defensive? Of course it was only natural for her old friend to look her over. But those teal eyes… It seemed as if they were dissecting her.

The other Vocaloids exchanged surprised looks.
Miku knew Gumi?
Why hadn't Miku said something before?

"Nothing, nothing, Gumi-chan!" Miku laughed, as she waved a hand to dismiss the green girl's questions. "I was just surprised, that's all. I didn't realize that when they said a Gumi was moving in, you would be that Gumi."

"It's not a common name."

"I know that."

"Then who else could the name 'Gumi' have been referring to? You must've seen a picture of me or something."

"You're right, I did see a picture. But I was thinking… Maybe there's another Megpoid Gumi with green hair here in Japan."

"I doubt that."

"You never know!"

"Ugh, shut up. I knew you'd end up being an annoying brat now…"

"I'm glad I was able to meet your expectations!"

"… I have the feeling that you will never leave me alone."

"You're right! Wow, Gumi-chan! You're as smart as ever!"

"Just shut up."

"Ne, ne, that's not a very nice way of asking someone to stop talking!"

The other Vocaloids looked at one another, wondering if things really would be okay with this new addition. They glanced back at Gumi and Miku.

Gumi was glaring at Miku, her emerald eyes slits.
Miku was simply grinning, rocking to and fro from her heels to the balls of her feet. Suddenly, she launched herself at the green haired girl, locking her in a tight embrace.

"Get. Off."

"I missed you, Gumi-chan!"

"Let go."

"It's been ages!"

"Just let go—"

"I LOVE YOU!"

"SHUT UP!"

More glances were exchanged amongst the others.
Things were going to get interesting around the mansion.

The twins and red haired girl sat on the floor, gathered around in a semi-circle. The room was empty, save for the large bed placed in the corner of the room, a dresser with a mirror, and a bedside table. Other than this, and a few of the bags that Gumi had brought along, it was a bare room.

"Do you need any help unpacking, Megpoid-san?" Miki asked, as she put her hands down on the floor. She was about to stand up when Gumi shook her head no.

"It's fine, I got it," Gumi said quickly, as she unzipped the duffel bag. "Thanks, though."

"Oh, you're very welcome—"

"HEY! GUMI-NEE!" Rin shouted, as she laid out on her back. "Do you have a boyfriend!"

Len didn't know whether or not to be embarrassed, or laugh at his twin's antics.

Miki's mouth hung open and she quickly shook her head. "Rin-chan!" she reprimanded the younger girl. "You shouldn't call her by her first name, we just met—"

"It's fine, Miki-chan," Gumi sighed, as continued to pull her clothes out from the bag. "I don't care if she calls me by my name."

"O-oh… Then, may I call you Gumi-nee—"

"Yeah."

"GUMI-NEE! ANSWER MY QUESTION!"

Gumi felt her eye twitch. If the blonde girl was going to be like this all of the time, Gumi might just end up strangling her. "No, Rin-chan, I don't have a boyfriend," she answered curtly. She picked up a stack of clothes and crossed the room. With one hand, she opened the door to the closet and went inside. To her dismay, the older twin had decided to follow her.

"Really!" Rin exclaimed, as she plopped down onto the floor of the closet. "But you're so pretty! I bet you'd be really popular with guys and stuff!"

Gumi shrugged and looked at the available closet space, wondering how she should organize her belongings.

"Or maybe even girls!"

Gumi nearly dropped the stack of clothes in her arms. "What?"

A gasp.
"Maybe you have a girlfriend instead of a boyfriend?"

Snickering came from outside of the closet. Len couldn't help himself. He had been waiting for his sister to spit the statement out. Beside him, Miki groaned, and hid her face with her hands.
"I told Rin-chan not to say that, too," she whined to Len.

Len shrugged. "You know how she can get."

SLAP.

Len and Miki exchanged mixed looks before they bolted into the closet to check on Gumi and Rin.

"IS THIS REALLY THE KID THAT SAID SOMETHING LIKE THAT!" Gumi roared, as she sat on the blonde's stomach and pulled at Rin's cheeks. Her face was red, and her eyes seemed ablaze with fury.

Rin whined and tried to pry Gumi's hands off of her face. "I WAS KIDDING! KIDDING!" she laughed cheekily, unable to contain herself.

"WHAT KIND OF KID ASKS THINGS LIKE THAT RIGHT AFTER MEETING SOMEONE?"

"GUMI-NEE! THIS HURTS!"

"SHUT UP! YOU CHEEKY LITTLE KID! APOLOGIZE! AT ONCE!"

Len only laughed and walked out of the closet. His sister had it coming, after asking something like that.
Miki under the door way, her head in one hand. She shook her head, and shut her eyes. "Oh, Rin-chan…"

The teal girl went back to her usual resting place, the couch in the library. The tranquil room allowed her to think, since the other residents normally ignored this room, save for Megurine Luka.

At least now she could collect her thoughts. It had been quite a shock for her to see a ghost from her past. Afterall, it had been ages since she had visited her home town. Of course, her parents were understanding. Her musical career had skyrocketed to new heights, and her manager managed to keep her busy...
But still. Gumi? Here?

"Interesting indeed," she giggled to herself, as she shut her teal eyes. From what she had gathered, Gumi was still the same short-tempered girl she had met back then. And if Gumi really hadn't changed, then Miku was sure she would have a lot of fun with their ridiculous banters.
After all, her and Gumi had argued over something as simple as a hug in front of the other Vocaloids.

The corners of her lips twitched back into that non-smile. Things were certainly going to be interesting around the house now that she had a new plaything.

Note: Ahh, short short short short short chapter! But really, this chapter is more of an introduction for the rest of the story. :P I apologize that it is a rather quick read, though. I wanted to add more to it, but I think this was a good place to end the chapter.

Really, it's purpose is to give you a general feel to the characters if you haven't been exposed to them through "Slice of Life".

Ah, well. I hope you enjoyed chapter 1! I'll try to be quick about updating this story, along with "SoL".

See you in the next chapter! (: