Chapter 1: House Visit
Chapter Text
With a satisfying click, Luka's heels hit the tile of the fancy department store. Light so bright it hurt shone as she paused to view the makeup, her blue eyes scanning every product in the lip gloss section. For a party, she would have to look her best. Not only that, but Luka was responsible for Haku's appearance as well.
To be frank, the girl didn't know how to take care of herself. Anymore it seemed as though Haku was constantly drunk, high, or both. Alternatively, she is often seen sleeping. Restlessly, one can only assume, due to the dark circles under her eyes that Luka would need to work to hide.
After looking at herself in the mirror for a while, she reached down and retrieved a pink, faintly glittery lip gloss. Purple matching lip gloss was chosen for Haku to match. Tossing the two sticks of lip gloss into her basket, she gazed at the mirror once more.
Pink hair fell neatly down her face, it was well groomed and straight. Her appearance was overall very neat and tidy. It was something that she had taken for granted, how naturally self-care came to her. She sighed, her eyes falling to a lavender eye shadow before reaching out and holding it up.
"I think this would look nice..." Luka spoke aloud in thought, "Compliments her well..." She mused, before setting it aside in her basket.
Surely a party would be all the drunkard needed to get out of her shell and get some self improvement going on, yeah? Perhaps not a party specifically, but some levity would surely help. Luka only hoped that she felt included, when she chose to stick her hand out and invite her. Haku had certainly looked lonely, that much was obvious.
Next, Luka picked out a pale foundation, checking it's shade to ensure it matched Haku's complexion, or at least was close enough, before putting it in her basket.
"She would absolutely never have the patience to do this for herself everyday, I'm afraid." Luka sighed, before moving on. "...And I certainly don't intend on dolling her up every single day of my life..." She huffed, coming to a halt at the self-checkout.
As she scanned each product, Luka's mind wandered, daydreaming about how the other girl would react. Would she be excited? Would she be nervous, or anxious? The anticipation of her reaction had her stomach swirling; She felt light on her feet as she filled the bag with her spoils.
Perhaps she was just interested to see how she'd look dressed up. It would be quite a lovely transformation after all, to see such an ordinarily dreary and sad girl all confident and happy. Her mind flashed images of a brighter, happier Haku, who was confident, presentable... Hopefully even sober.
Luka's heart fluttered as she thought about it more.
With some luck this may be a fun night.
Luka's free hand came to knock on the front door, her other tightly gripping a canvas tote full of makeover supplies, including what she had previously purchased from the sore. She stood waiting as the sun neared the horizon. Then, the door opened.
"Hello Haku, you didn't forget I was coming right?" Asked Luka with a smile on her eager lips. Haku stood there in the doorway, staring at her blankly, unresponsive to her. She stared for a few uninterrupted seconds.
"What are you talking about?" She finally responded.
"The party? The one I invited you out to?" Luka tilted her head, her smile wavering a little bit. "The one that I told you I'd help you get ready for...?" She added on, nudging the canvas tote's handle with her shoulder. She watched as a flash of recognition ghosted over the pale face of her friend. "You still want to go, don't you?"
Haku hesitated, and then sighed, her head hanging. "...Sure." She muttered under her breath, before stepping aside and letting Luka into her apartment. All things considered it was actually cleaner than Luka expected, but the empty alcohol bottles and the thick scent of weed betrayed the at least 20 percent presentable atmosphere of the home.
"Would you like some help cleaning up as well? I'm good at it if I do say so myself." Luka said with a smile as she sat the canvas bag down on Haku's small, cheap looking couch. There was a TV tray off to the side that had a large purple bong sitting on top of it. How classy.
"I don't know where to begin, honestly. And I don't want to make you do that." Haku said, rubbing her arm.
"Well, if you bring home a cute guy then you're going to have to clean before he comes over, aren't you?" Luka insisted, grinning playfully as she nudged Haku's side. Though the girl blushed a bit she didn't seem all that responsive to the teasing. "...Then again, perhaps they would enjoy the... Ambiance. Some people prefer the 'I don't care about my own hygiene' aesthetic. And this glasswork? Very beautiful."
"...T-That's a-" Haku started as she pointed at the hefty device Luka motioned to.
"I know what a bong is Haku, it was a joke." Luka waved her hand in dismissal. "And you needn't worry, I won't judge. I've been to a few raves here and there." She added on, giving Haku a wink.
"W-What? You have? You really don't seem like the raving type." Haku added on with an awkward chuckle, happy at the girl's attempts to ease her anxieties.
"Oh I've been to few, nothing crazy. And, I've had a little bit of everything. I think you'll look wonderful in red."
Haku laughed a little. "No way. So what, you're telling me you've had LSD?" She asked.
"Just look at this pretty red and purple dress I found, I think it fits you just perfectly, don't you?" Luka retrieved the garment from her bag and unfolded it out for display, holding outward to Haku. It was black, with a deep purple and red trim that lined and framed the outfit. There was a chest window as well, which Haku immediately bristled at the notice of. It was not particularly revealing, but compared to the plain and comfortable hoodie she wore most of the time, it was certainly a step up. "I think you'll look stunning in it, even if it's a tad different from your ordinary wardrobe."
The shorter of the two tall women slumped over and stuffed her hands in her pockets. "I don't know... It's really nice and all, it's just a bit... Well... Nice." Haku stammered, her thoughts and words swirling together and stumbling out as she stared at the dress. Red eyes flicked up to Luka's soft and gentle blue. "You don't think it's a bit... You know. Too much for me?"
Luka tilted her head curiously. "Why ever would you think that?"
"Well for starters, how much did this even cost you?" Haku questioned, almost unsure if she even wanted to know her guest's response.
"Enough about superficial things like prices and value, it doesn't matter what it cost, because I wanted to buy it for you." Luka's smile returned, her lips pink with the gloss she had treated herself with. "Just try it on for me, will you? I know you'll look wonderful, and then I can tell you that I told you so." She threw on with a wink.
Bangs fell over the white-haired girl's face as she looked down at the dress, taking it from Luka's hands. It felt heavier than fabric should in her hands, the immaculate texture and material causing her to tense up. "If you really say so." She finally choked out. "It can't hurt to give it a try. What's the worst that could happen?" Luka's smile only grew, which served to fuel the flames of her own uneasiness. "Right... I'll be right back, I guess."
Haku took one step backward before turning on her heel to retreat down the hallway. With a soft thud, she was gone from sight, leaving Luka alone with the overwhelming aroma of weed and alcohol.
Papers crumpled up in Luka's hand as she began to clean up trash around the space. Her gaze wandered around from time to time, taking in the sights of her apartment. What was hidden beneath the trash seemed to give a peak into her character. Hidden in the corner of the room looked to be a keyboard, a blanket draped over it with various other objects and trash resting on top. Broken closet doors revealed a bass guitar with broken strings. An amp was visible in the back.
A sigh of empathy left her lips as she moved on from that. Then, the sound of the door closing in the hallway swiftly stole her attention.
At the front of the hall, standing there in the dress, Haku waited.
"So... How do I look?" Haku asked with certainty of rejection. "I'm sure I look stupid."
"Oh no not at all! Haku, what in the world are you talking about? You look incredible!" Luka insisted as she processed her appearance. Her hair needed to be done sure, but... Never before had Haku looked so put together. She looked... Different. A very good kind of different, the kind that had Luka grinning like an idiot. "Incredible, magnificent! Other adjectives. It's just perfect for you!"
"It doesn't really suit me." Replied Haku with a defiant huff. Warmth erupted across her face, her nerves spiked but not in the same way as before. Now a completely unfamiliar fear crept into her mind. "You're lying."
"I am doing no such thing. Why wouldn't a nice dress like this suit you, Haku?" Asked the pink-haired woman kindly as she reached into the tote. Haku stood still in silence, unable to respond but trying to think of something to say. "Here, come on, sit down on the couch. I'm going to brush your hair. And then, we're going to do your make up."
The cushion sunk down as Haku joined Luka on the couch. "How long is this gonna take exactly?"
"Oh not too terribly long." Luka reassured her gently. The aroma of strawberry wafted into Haku's proximity, a faint blush dusting over her cheeks in response. "At most an hour!"
"An hour!?" Haku shrieked in alarm. "For a party!? Are we going to a party or a gala!?" She protested sitting up rigidly in her seat.
"I said at most. Now turn around, and if this hurts... Perhaps it will remind you to brush your pretty white hair every day." The comb in Luka's hand found a particularly tangled and unruly section of her locks, and promptly started working away at it.
"Ow ow! Oh my God! Ow! Fuck- Stop it you bitch!" Haku shouted in pained protest as Luka pulled and tugged, intently fighting her way through the knot. "My hair is sensitive! Be careful!"
In response however, Luka just giggled cutely. "Silly, your hair can't be sensitive... It doesn't have nerves."
"My head then, smartass! Ow!" She cried. Slowly but surely, her hair began to smooth itself out. Her cries and shouts gradually shifted to little squeaks and painful groans. Luka was relentless but effective, and though her scalp burned...
...Eventually the deed was done, and her hair was smooth.
"Now was that so terrible?" Teased the blue-eyed girl behind her, a smirk playing at her glossy pink lips.
Without hesitation Haku nodded. "Yes! It sucked, it hurt so bad and you did it that way on purpose you sociopath!" She whined. "I have a tender head and I'm delicate!" Luka's soft laughter was the last thing she wanted to hear right now. "You're enjoying this way too much!"
"Enjoying what? Seeing you look so presentable? Yes, I am. I'm very proud of you, Haku." The praise, sincere and heartfelt, caught the other off guard. "Alright! Now, it's time for make-up. Get up. Up we go, we need better lighting than your sad, dark living room." Without a chance for protest, Luka's fingers wrapped tightly around her wrist and hoisted her from her seat. Maybe the party would have alcohol and this would all be worth it.
Chapter 2: 2. Time to Party
Summary:
The party comes and Haku makes a new friend despite her discomfort.
Chapter Text
Were car door handles usually this hard to twist? Haku gripped the lever tightly, staring at the bustling house she sat before. Tall and wide, the place was clearly owned by somebody well off. That alone was intimidating as it was, but the sheer amount of people in the premise looked downright disgusting to the woman. She grimaced, and Luka noticed promptly.
"...Haku, I assure you, it will be fun! Besides, there's only like, thirty people here." Luka said in an effort to calm her worried friend. She could tell, however, by the crestfallen scowl on Haku’s face, that it didn’t work very well.
"T-That's a lot of people.” Came from Haku’s lips as she peered at the house. A soft, rhythmic thumping outdoors taunted her.
"It's a party, dear. You'll enjoy yourself, you won't even notice the crowd, and you’ll forget all about your troubles. I promise.." Luka paused with a smile. “Thirty people is not that much when you're in a big place like Miku's mansion... Whatever size you're seeing here? It's bigger on the inside! I bet she even has a game room. You like those, don't you? The video games?"
Haku stared at her for a moment. "...The video games?" She asked, a little offended. "You talk about it like I'm a child. And for the record, no, not really... But it sure beats standing around awkwardly at a party for however long you wanna be here..."
"Oh well if that's how it's going to be then, you're not leaving my sight. We're getting you out of that shell Haku Yowane," Luka insisted as she unbuckled her seatbelt. "If we just go in there with a smile, then I guarantee you we will have a good, proper, fun party. Now come on, let's get in there. I am going to get you a drink, and you are going to drink VERY slowly and NOT get shitfaced." She stepped out of the car, the door shutting with a compressed thud.
"No promises..." Haku muttered under her breath as she too exited the vehicle. Music booming from the building penetrated the walls and windows, she could hear it well from all the way over here. Just how loud were those speakers? The night around them felt electric, alive with possibilities she usually shied away from. It sucked.
Not wanting to be left behind, she came to her friend's side as they walked the path to the porch, Haku grumbled and fidgeted with the waist of her dress, she never knew what to do with her hands and there were no pockets to save her now. "I haven't seen Miku in ages. Or anyone really for that matter. Does anybody even remember me? I was blown away that you did..."
Luka's expression softened. "How could I forget? We weren't on close terms of course, but I could never forget a friendly face." She mused with a smile, earning a reluctant one in return from the girl she sought to bring up. "Besides. I’d bet you anything that Miku remembers you immediately." She said, before knocking on the door confidently.
Some moments passed.
Woosh, the door swung open and the party spilled out with its noise."Oh!" Miku gasped with a wide grin as she saw her good friend. "Luka! So great to see you, I was worried you wouldn’t make it! Oh, and..." Words fell from her tongue as she trailed off, her eyes falling upon the nervous white-haired woman at her side with blank uncertainty. "...Luka's friend! Nice to meet you, miss!" Miku chirped cheerfully, her hand swinging up to guide them inside. "Come in, come in! We're having a blast in here!"
Haku's shoulders slumped. Shuffling into the mansion, the assault on her senses began immediately with the bright lights the idol had flashing and moving around in the main room. The same room that had a battalion of dancers and drinkers.
The decoration was bland and boring for someone like Hatsune Miku. There was plenty of furniture, but the place lacked any sort of visual identity that could indicate that somebody lived here. Miku noticed Haku's curiosity. "My party mansion. I actually live in Hokkaido."
"Right. Of course." Haku deadpanned.
Miku giggled, her twin tails bouncing with the movement. "So, who's your friend Luka? You've gotta introduce me!"
"...My name is Haku Yowane." She spoke quietly, a nervous tremble in her voice. Surely she would remember with a push, right? Haku wasn’t that forgettable… Right?
"Yowane... Yowane..." Miku thought aloud as her hand came to her chin, before her eyes lit up with sudden recognition. Yes! Hope at last. She remembered! "Oh! You're the one who got really drunk that one time and got sick off all the pop tarts!"
Shame and humility coursed through Haku's every being, but so did an ounce of anger. All of these feelings came out as she whined to the idol before her. "That's all you remember me for!? Are you serious!?" She huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. “Unbelievable…”
"Wait wait wait, you remember the pop tart incident too!?" Luka laughed. "Oh my God, I thought I was the only one! I just never mentioned it because I didn't want to embarrass poor Haku..."
Haku's face went bright red. "I don't remember that." She lied. "That never happened, both of you had some kind of shared hallucination or something, and are stupid.” The humility was drowning her. Already this party was nothing but a giant regret. “For not wanting to embarrass me, you’re doing the exact opposite you thoughtless jerk…”
The girls' shared laughter slowed as Luka giggled a little. "Well I mean, it's kind of cute when you're all flustered like that. It's nice seeing you do anything other than moping! Can you really blame me?"
“When it comes to throwing me under the bus, yes I can!”
“Oh come on, I didn’t throw you under the bus… I just didn’t help!” Luka giggled again, though weaker as she gave her friend a smile. “Now come, let’s go show off the outfit I worked so hard to put you in.”
“Work so hard my ass, you went to the store and bought it…” Haku muttered under her breath as she followed the woman into the building.
Miku's head tilted as she looked the woman over, much to her utter dismay. "You do look really nice!" She cheerfully chimed in as she shut the door behind the two guests. "Welp. Enjoy the party you two, I'm going to go make sure Teto didn’t pass out in the hall again." And just like that, she was gone, swallowed by the sea of bodies.
Heavy thudding bass vibrated in Haku's chest. It felt intense and overwhelming, a lot worse than in the car. Ouch, never before had she felt sound this physically. What little she could hear that wasn't booming music was typical crowd white noise. A large amount of people Haku did not know, and some Vocaloids she used to know Aromas of nacho cheese and electrical fire wafted through the room. "This was a terrible idea. I hate it here."
"You haven't even gotten a drink yet." Luka said loudly in the general vicinity of Haku's head, examining the party with her eyes as they darted across the scene. "Come on, let's go to the kitchen. You and I both know that stuff is liquid courage, don't even try to get out of this, not yet anyway!"
Haku sighed as she was pulled along by her friend through the party. "I'm not trying to get out of anything. I'm just not really a party person. This is all really… Loud and uncomfortable.”
"You're not a 'people' person, Haku. And that's not a bad thing. But what is bad is complete social isolation!" Luka insisted as she pulled her along, her heels clicking and clacking as she went.
"And you thought the best way to help that was to force me into a big party!?"
"Oh, 'big party', please... There are fifty people here at MOST. This is just a little social gathering. A networking event, you know? Not really, but similar in scale, and could be used as one." Luka explained as she motioned toward the crowd. It was there, and intimidating to Haku regardless of what was told to her. "Alright. Tonight, we're going to get you out of you to come out of your shell. You're going to talk to at least one new person tonight."
"And if I don't?" Haku challenged.
Luka paused. "...Then you and I are going to have a talk about commitment." She said, before leaning in and whispering into her ear. "Remember how much I spent on that dress before you decide to run off to hide in the bathroom."
"You never even told me how much you spent on it, you manipulative fox!" Haku whispered back sharply, her red eyes darting up to glare at the mischievous leader her wrist was attached to. "You're holding it over my head like some kinda threat, and I don't even know what the debt is!"
"All I ask is that you try and give it an honest go. Just... Try to talk to somebody and see what happens! The best thing that could happen is that you make a new friend!"
Haku groaned as they reached the kitchen. "That is way easier said than done. There’s no way I’m going to be able to do that, I can’t even talk to cashiers…”
"So you're a pessimist then." Luka said, as she let go of Haku's wrist and reached into the refrigerator.
"I'm not a pessimist, I'm a realist..."
"And you're self-conscious. Seriously, every self-conscious pessimist says that." Luka added onto her own point, rolling her eyes as the word 'realist' came out, much to Haku’s annoyance. She pulled out two wine coolers. "Here. We're going to start with this. You can have the raspberry one, I think they taste like crap."
The bottle felt cold on Haku's fingers as she took it by its neck. Its cap was cheap, the kind you could pry off with your fingers with enough force. "Yeah sure, give me the gross one..." She grumbled under her breath as she cracked open the bottlecap. "Whole entire mansion and she buys wine coolers. Cheapskate.”
"She keeps the expensive stuff upstairs." Luka said with a dismissive wave. A pop came from her bottle as the cap came off.
"Why the hell are we down here then?" Haku asked before taking a sip. Her face scrunched up at the taste. "Blegh. This isn't raspberry, it's piss." Immediately she took another, much deeper swig. "Holy shit, I hate it so much..." Another drink. “At least it works. Good enough for me…” Another sip.
Luka's lips pursed as she watched her. "I said to drink it slowly, Haku."
"Y-Yeah yeah, I know." The other girl lowered the bottle, wiping her lips with her wrist in a manner unfitting her appearance. "It's just... Really working." The burn of cheap alcohol slid down her throat. “Even if it tastes terrible.”
"So you've said and yet you don’t let it deter you." Luka replied as her lids narrowed a tad. A sigh left her lips, and she took a small sip of the red liquid in her bottle. She scanned her surroundings, her eyes falling on a new face. A perfect opportunity for Haku. "Ah! Teto, a person. What lovely timing, don’t you think Haku?" She suddenly spoke up, Haku's attention shifting from her drink to the new company.
Teto, who had wandered into the kitchen, now stood in the doorway beside Luka. "I am a person...." She responded sluggishly, before looking at Haku with a curious expression. "Huh. I didn't know you were gay, Luka." Teto pointed at Haku with a tiny smirk.
Huh?
"O-Oh, I'm not." Luka spoke up hastily, heat creeping up her face inch by inch. She reacted faster than Haku could, to her surprise. Luka was always quite composed.
"I'm not." She repeated, taking an awkward swig of her drink before motioning stiffly to Haku. "This is Haku Yowane. R-Remember?" She cleared her throat. "We're just friends."
"...Doesn't ring a bell." Teto shrugged. "Nice to meet you though." She gave a little wave.
"Likewise." Haku mumbled back, her eyes scanning the girl. "...Actually, uh... I don't really remember you either."
"UTAU, it's a long story."
"What?" Haku tilted her head.
"Hey! 'It's a long story' means I don't want to talk about it! Take a hint!" Teto pouted. Haku recoiled, her free hand instinctively coming up in surrender. "Well I'm like, starved. I'm going to raid Miku's fridge so... Move over please." She mentioned, scooting between the two girls somewhat unabashedly. As she squeezed by, her gaze caught on Haku's bottle. "Ooo, the raspberry one! Can I have it?" Teto asked, pointing at the pink bottle. "You got the last one!"
"Yes, please, fuck." The bottle was thrust onto the new girl with reckless abandon. Not only that but she took it happily.
"Sweet! You're the best! I'll remember this forever!" Teto squealed with delight as she sipped on the rest of what Haku had. "Yum..."
Peering into the fridge while Teto had it open, Haku grabbed another wine cooler. Apple. Surely it would at least be better than the last one.
“Oh ew, don’t get that one. It sucks. It’s horrible, it just tastes like apples and gasoline.” Teto told her as she cracked it open. “Alright, never mind. Enjoy your gross gas drink.”
Across the house, from the other side of the living room, a loud unknown voice suddenly called out. Haku could just barely make it out, but somehow her friend had no issue hearing it. "Ah!" Luka gasped. "Meiko! I haven't seen her in ages!" She chirped. "Haku, would you be alright if I ran to go speak with an old friend?" She asked.
Tensely, her grip on the bottle tightened, her fingers paling. A nod. A nod was all it took to send Luka away. While she walked off, Haku couldn't help but regret her choice, silently cursing herself. Why was asking for help so hard? Now she was here, all alone, in an environment she wasn't comfortable with.
"So... Haku, was it?" Teto's words snapped her out of her self-pity. Well… Not all alone. Teto wasn’t the most difficult person in the world to talk to. A bit intimidating and blunt, but she wasn’t panicking. With the thought that it may be the alcohol helping her, she looked down at the bottle the other spoke poorly of. The metal of the bottlecap dug into her finger as she popped it open.
"Yeah." She answered quietly. She took a sip from her drink. The buzz of the weak, cheap liquor was starting to creep up on her now. Teto was crazy, this one was much better.
"...You don't talk much, do you?" Teto asked.
"I'm not a talker. I'm sorry..." Another sip. “I’m really bad at these things honestly. I don’t even know why I’m here.”
The noise was giving her a headache at this point. “I don’t know why I’m here either. Miku invited me, and I was bored, but now I’m here and I’m still kind of bored. There’s not a lot to do here really, people are just kind of listening to music and dancing and drinking. That’s fun for maybe 20 minutes.”
“That doesn’t sound fun to me at all…” Haku replied as she took a drink.
Silence loomed over the two for a few moments.
"...Aren't you too young to be drinking?" Haku asked, her gaze drifting to the half-empty bottle in Teto's hands.
Teto stared at her. "I'm 31."
"...Eugh, God I’m so fucking awkward." Haku mumbled to herself, taking another swig from her bottle. “This party is a disaster.”
"You're telling me. Well, sorry to leave you alone and all, but I'm still hungry and that fridge has zero food in it. So, I'm gonna... You know. Go find food." Red twin drills bounced and bobbed as Teto withdrew, taking a few steps backward. "You seem nice and all it's just... This is my one cheat day per month. You get it."
Teto walked away promptly, leaving the mess of a woman alone at a part she was quite uncomfortable with. Haku found herself missing Teto's presence. The girl wasn't as much of a gentle light as Luka but she was at least able to converse with her.
Huh. She was able to talk to her a little. Haku smiled. Maybe Luka was right, and this wouldn't be all that bad after all. Liquor certainly helped ease her mind too.
Slam!
Callously ripping Haku from her thoughts was Kaito, a man she vaguely recognized from the past. A flicker of mutual recognition passed between them, as her eyes drifted down to the bottle of water he had smacked onto the counter beside her.
"Stay hydrated, Pop Tart."
Never mind.
mezznine on Chapter 2 Mon 15 Dec 2025 06:21PM UTC
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