Unsuk has a minion!

Vocalist the Musical Note

Whispering Solos


I didn't have to stray too far as I wandered down the busy streets of Centropolis to realize how many people were packed like sardines in the city. It wasn't even rush hour yet and I could feel the precious oxygen being stolen from me with every push of the crowd. My head was throbbing wildly as I banked right down another busy road with nothing but the faint strand of music tugging on my memory. This melody was my life line to my youngest contact in the world. She had been a factor in our huge scheme from the very beginning, ever since I had been entrusted with her well being.

Slowing down to glance at the street signs I realized I had almost missed my stop, I shot sharply through the crowd toward one of the more modern buildings in the city. Her entire front was made of glass and bordered by two tall columns. Smiling I pushed the door open into the silent foyer and when the door closed the entire outside world became muffled.

“May I help you?” a voice as smooth purred, the receptionist looked up from her desk, her golden eyes bright against her dark brown curls, “Are you here to see Unsuk?”

“Yes,” I smiled as I brushed some stray hairs from my face, this girl had a cheerful aura about her so I couldn't help but smile back, “Tell her that her mother sent her aunt to pick up for lunch.”

The receptionist nodded enthusiastically and disappeared before my eyes into the skinny hallway between this room and the huge concert area. This narrow hallway was the only way to get to the practice rooms I had had installed just for my adopted daughter. It felt like only yesterday I was turning this place over to her just for her concerts and symphonies. I remember all the little things that were special.

Unsuk was not my biological daughter, we weren't related at all in fact, her father was my go-to-guy for any mission and her mother was a dear friend. When her mother went missing and her father had to take a leave of absence that left on me. She had hated me at first, she had blamed me for many things although she never could voice them. It was physically impossible. Unsuk had damaged vocal cords.

While I waited for the bright receptionist to find my special package I took a seat on one of the comfy chairs next to a magazine table. I plucked one from a stack and smiled at the date, it was the latest issue. Unsuk never liked old things which definitely caused me some problems when I was shopping for her. To be honest she was a selfish brat.

“Miss Unsuk, here is your aunt!” the receptionist pointed at me and then went back to her desk.

I stood up after I put the magazine down and I played with one of my long necklaces around my neck. The silver glinted and light played around Unsuk as she approached me. I wore a gray halter top with a thin blue sweater draped over my broad shoulders the same color as my eyes. Unsuk came close and stopped to admire my jeans, there were still rips on the knees and they were rolled past my calves. She pointed at my new sandals admiringly.

“On sale at SBQ last week,” I mused thoughtfully turning my left foot around for her to see the signature along the side, “It was a lovely sale, I figured you would be there...”

She shot me the “I wouldn't get caught shopping there,” look and I frowned. Unsuk had always been very difficult to deal with. As a teenager during our movement she had been kept a secret from the world. She was a rare creature that if one of the other side found her-- it was too horrible to imagine. I took her hand in mine and pulled her out the door gently and to my pleasant surprise she did not resist.

“Still the baby of the family, huh?” I smirked over my shoulder as we crossed the street to her favorite cafe, we had gone everyday when we still lived here.

But it was different now with Unsuk, she wasn't a baby anymore to the world, she looked as old as a college student with healthy, porcelain skin. Her dark brown hair styled one length with a gorgeous poof and smooth surface. She wore sunglasses although it wasn't bright outside to hide the blue crystals around her eyes. Unsuk adjusted her long scarf self consciously so her pearls jangled around her neck. Her style was still young and girly which brought a some comfort to my head. It meant we could go back to that day in the concert hall.

When the cafe employees saw my girl they were so excited to see us both we were seated at our old table with no menus. We didn't need to order anything because the cafe already knew what she wanted and assumed I would want it too. I tapped my foot nervously as I watched the cafe bustle about like a living organism. Smiling at Unsuk I set my purse under the table and raised a questioning eye brow.

“Do you remember the last time we were here?” I asked quietly as the waiter, a cute boy, brought our sweet tea with a smile.

Unsuk paused thoughtfully over her drink and then shook her head, I could hear her hair whisking back and forth above the cafe business. It was sort of like the way wind chimes were rustled by the summer breeze and the sound alerted everyone of a small breath of relief. That was her irreplaceable talent: music.
“It was right after your debut concert, the first one in the concert hall since the last owner died. How long ago was that? At least a few centuries ago, right?” I smiled.

She nodded in reply, her translucent blue eyes wide and nervous. I made a face, trying to think about how to approach this sensitive topic so I reached out and took her hand sin mine. Slowly turning them over, I could see how slender they had become since they were pianist hands, her fingers were very important to her work.

While her talent was music and performing, mine was telepathy which meant projecting anything into someone's mind, even memories if we were connected physically. The world dropped away at my touch, leaving us only in a room of black darkness with us alone in the center sitting at our table. Unsuk frowned unhappily, she hated my magic with a passion, and the frown deepened when I brought a huge picture from my purse.

A photograph of her when she looked sixteen years old, standing on stage in a beautiful white coctail dress, gold. I handed it to her gently and she took it gingerly, it then expanded to surround us so we were sitting off center on the stage-- back in the moment. The crowd erupted into applause as a younger looking Unsuk waved and skipped over to the grand, black piano with swagger. I smiled and leaned my head on my hands, eager to hear my favorite song.

Unsuk couldn't sit still though, she wandered over to the piano as well, sitting down with her younger self and listened. The melody started out bright and beautiful, rising up and up, getting faster as it went. Suddenly the melody fractured like a broken bone-- shattering and pittering down the scale as the tune dropped an octave or two. I loved how the song described my relationship with my adopted daughter. The song had its high and glorious moments as well as it's tear jerking areas. It was life and quaintly enough it was called: “Parenthood.”

When the song ended it was an uncertain chord, it was on purpose though, mainly because the future of parenthood is always uncertain. The memory went black and we returned to being in the cafe, our food was sitting in front of us, slightly steaming. I was surpised that my food was actually different than her own-- in fact it was my favorite salad with some bread sticks. Unsuk had settled for some cute sandwiches like usual.

“Im so happy you have someone to eat with today Unsuk!” the waiter grinned as he reached out and stroked her hair and looked at me, “She orders that same salad everyday. Are you the one she has been waiting for? Wow Unsuk you are so cute!” he teased her and Unsuk turned as red as the meat on her sandwich, “I'll see you later!”

I smiled slightly, “So who was that?”

Unsuk shrugged and bit down on her sandwich, I could see the blush spreading and I looked over at the waiter. He was cute but I wouldn't tell my adopted daughter that. I didn't wanna feel like a cougar anymore than I had to at this rate of looking eternally young. I grinned and ate my salad in silence.

When we were done I reached back under the table to grab a pretty little box, it wasn't wrapped, just how she liked it. I scooted it across the table to Unsuk who opened it. A slow smile spread across her pale lips and from behind the glasses I could see her eyes filling with tears. Inside I had placed her mother's favorite pair of sapphire earrings-- they were the color of her eyes. Unsuk took out her long silver ones quickly and put these new ones in, a tear trickled past her glasses an fell on to the black table.

I got up and sat next to her and began to wipe away the tears, “They sure do suit you,” is all I could think of to say, since all I could give was what I had left of her mother.