Alice's Adventure in Karaoke Night [Invite only]

Dusk smiled in a confused way. "I have no idea who that is. Also, I haven't seen any of my friends since I joined Beacon," he responded.

"Hm," Rory frowned at Dusk. "She's a popular singer and Lise mentioned Cheshire liked her so I thought it'd be crowd favorite. There will be other singers at that concert too."

Alice took the tickets gingerly and stared at them before looking back up at Rory. "Th-Thank you," Alice murmured, "I... I've always wanted to go to a concert. Thank you."

Despite her usual tough and cruel act, Alice looks awfully cute and childish at this moment.

Adorable!!! Rory thought as she took the tickets.

"Glad you like them," Rory smiled. "Concerts are something every teen needs to experience. Even ones at Beacon. You can invite three people with that. Best seats and VIP backstage passes."

Rory turned to Dusk and gave him a couple too. "You should go see her. She's great, I hear. And if your friends can't go, you can always bring a date instead."

Rory gave Dusk a flirty wink.

"Thank you," Dusk replies when Rory gives him the tickets. Not noticing the wink he replies, "Yeah, like that will ever happen."

"....Did we just get left behind?" Robin asked Byron, having moved over to the food during that entire debacle, "I think we just got left behind."

"Well I guess that's what happens when you don't mingle enough," Byron shrugged, wrapping an arm around Robin's shoulders. "Everyone else is certainly taking their sweet time getting here so why not make some new friends? In parties like these, it's much better to just go wild. For example... HEY ALICE! GET ON THE STAGE!!"

Byron called out to the little girl so loud it made her jump. Alice stared at Byron with wide tearing eyes, shaking her head. Byron was smiling sadistically as he pointed a finger at the mini stage. Looking like she was about to cry, Alice shakily stepped onto the stage quivering like a scared bunny. The mic was so high she had to get on her tip toes just to reach up and pulling it down, adjusting the stand to match her height.

As the music started playing, Alice was taking heavy, shallow breaths until finally she began to sing.

Rory's ears perked up to the sound of the singing.

She's so cuuuute....she'd make a perfect moe idol! Rory thought as she looked at Alice. She turned to Lao Tzu and smiled.

"Have you ever been to a concert?"

"There would be many held during festivals in my land," Shen replied.

Mirai watched and as Caster would return, she'd give him a small pat on the shoulder.

"Good performance," Mirai said as she smiled. "You surely make the team proud."

Mirai turned to Rider and let out a small yawn. Looking at the food, she saw cakes and sodas, but didn't seem pleased.

"Are there no other sweets?" she asked.

***

"Really?" Rory said a little surprised. "With super idols and stuff? What are they like?"

I thought you might say that," Rider smiled, "So I had something prepared just for you."

From under the table, Rider pulled out a bag in which he pulled out three boxes. As he presented them, he opened them one at a time. "I have for you a pair of swan cream puffs, raspberry sandwiches, and of course my homemade bunny fudge bars.

Rider smiled mischievously and murmured, "Oh, but these are such common foods though. Surely you wouldn't be interested in these. Maybe I should just throw these out..."

Mirai seemed to freeze as Rider showed her the sweets, her mouth a little open as she gasped in amazement, her eyes shining like those of a child's on Christmas morning. Her hands sort of lifted towards the food as she looked at Rider with childish plea.

"Please give me some~" she pleaded.

Rider chuckled playfully and she presented Mirai with a swan cream puff. "Help yourself."

~~~

"I do not know this term 'super idol'," Shen explained, "But the singers of my land were well versed in singing many songs. They would dress in kimonos and sing upbeat, majestic songs."

Dusk sighs, Looks like everyone is busy with their own conversations. He takes out his pocket watch even though he has two on his arms. Well, I have waited long enough, I guess the others aren't coming.

He walks toward the door, waving behind his head, saying, "I've over-stayed my welcome. Good-bye all."

Mirai looked at the cream puff with bright eyes. She quickly took it and nibbled it down before letting out a happy sigh.

"So good~" she murmured.

Rory smiled.

"Well, I guess it'd be weird if you had super idols. But your concerts sound fun too. Wish i could see.one."

Most men would have replied to say "Well I should bring you to one some time," or something like that. But instead Shen remained strangely silent and simply nodded.

Rory smiled and held Shen by the wrist. "Well, I guess we should be going ourselves. Maid cafes don't wait for the maids in lolita outfits all the time, you know!"

Rory turned to everyone and waved. "Err, bye guys! Sorry I can't stay and get to know all of you more. Oh, and Alice, hope you have fun with those tickets! They're priceless! See you at Beacon!"

With that Rory opened the door and waited for Lao Tzu to see if he would do the same.

***

Mirai had been enjoying the sweets with a relish in her new childlike manner.

"Oishi~" she murmured as she finished the cream puff. "I could eat like this all the time. I love sweets so much~"

Mirai turned to Rider with a strange gravity in her eyes. "Tell me, Rabbit, what sort of magic is conjured that you can always present me with such sweets?"

Lao Tzu bowed in the general direction of everyone and announced, "I thank you all for this pleasant experience. I hope you enjoy the rest of your evening." With that, the tall oriental turned around and walked towards Rory at the door.

~~~

"That magic of love, of course," Rider said simply and offered up to Mirai a bunny fudge bar. "I am simply one hell of a chef."

Once Caster had finished his song he felt a bit out of it, moving over to the food and eating a bit before going back over to Rider and Mirai, his hands in his jacket and his usual grin plastered on his face.

Something did see off about him, however, and he idly rocked on his heels. "I heard something about magic." he laughed softly, seeing Rider had more sweets and shaking his head. "Where do you even keep all that stuff?" he teased.

"It shouldn't matter," Mirai said transfixed as she took the sweet from Rider and ate it, a small dreamy sound coming from her as she did. "Oh, just heaven~"

She looked at Caster with bright eyes and grabbed him by the shirt, pointing at the sweets. "You must try them!" she said desperately. "Have your wife feed them to you!"

Mirai went back to nibbling more sweets and sighed. "If a man presented me these sweets daily, I would marry him~"

"I'm going to hold you to that," Rider teased Mirai with a smile on his face.

Caster smiled, forcing out a small laugh at the two and taking one of the sweets. "I am perfectly capable of feeding myself, my queen. I assume you." he teased, taking a bit and nodding. "Ish very goo." he spoke with a full mouth before swallowing.

"If this is the way to a girl's heart then I must sadly say I will live a lonely life." Caster said with a small smile as he began to sway on his heels once again.