1430/A Competitive Karaoke Date

A Competitive Karaoke Date
Date of Scene:	20 April 2024
Location:	Karaoke Crown
Synopsis:	After asking Yuki to go on a karaoke date with him Ikuto calls in multiple friends to chaperone the pair. When Hinoiri gets invited as well, the singing gets competitive.
Cast of Characters:	Ikuto Tsukiyomi, Yuki Hoshino, Madoka Kaname, Adrien Agreste, Bow, Naru Osaka, Hinoiri Kirara

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Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Yoru smiled. Ikuto was really trying to do better. He'd actually gotten the nerve to not only ask out Yuki Hoshino, but also invite a few people he'd met so far as well. The catboy was rapidly texting his friends.

To Yuki: HEY. ARE YOU BUSY? I ENJOYED OUR DANCE AND REALLY WANT TO SEE YOU AGAIN. IF YOU'RE INTERESTED WE COULD MEET AT KARAOKE CROWN IN MITAKIHARA? I INVITED SOME FRIENDS TOO. HOPE TO SEE YOU. :3

To Madoka: HEY MADOKA-CHAN WANNA JOIN IN KARAOKE? I ASKED A GIRL OUT AND I'D LIKE IF YOU WERE THERE TOO IN CASE I SCREW UP, PLEASE? I'M AT KARAOKE CROWN IN MITAKIHARA.

To Bow: HEY BOW-SAN, DO YOU WANNA COME TO KARAOKE? I ASKED A GIRL OUT AND I DON'T WANT IT TO BE AWKWARD WITH JUST US THERE SO I INVITED MADOKA, YOU, AND OTHERS TOO. KARAOKE CROWN IN MITAKIHARA IF YOU WANNA COME.

To Adrien: ADRIEN-SAN RIGHT? I THINK THIS IS YOUR NUMBER ANYWAY. WE MET AT THAT KONBINI ONCE. I'M AT KARAOKE CROWN IN MITAKIHARA AND ASKED A GIRL OUT IF YOU WANNA COME SING WITH US TOO.

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki looks at her phone, hmms softly. She considers the cat-boy for a moment. "Well.. who knows. Might be fun. And if he's not aiming to get us alone in a booth..."

To Ikuto: Hey, Catboi. It sounds amusing. Save me a seat (and a Coke).

What, she was going to say no? ... Well, she might have. But she's bored and this is the perfect excuse to get away for a bit. So it's onward she goes.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Somewhere in an abandoned warehouse in Mitakihara, Hope Blossom balances her tiny feet atop her branch bow, using it like a pole. Her eyes are closed, her arms are stretched out to either side, and she's concentrating closely. If she can just master this technique, then she can have a tall thing to stand on wherever she goes!

    She slightly moves her foot to adjust her balance. The bow bends the wrong way. She flails her arms and shifts her weight around to try and reclaim her balance, but it's all in vain. A moment later Blossom is falling on her butt. It's a good thing she's in henshin.

    While she's picking herself up, she feels the vibration of her phone. She drops henshin as Lydian separates from her, and she looks down. "It's Ikuto...? Huh."

    Lydian grabs the phone and gasps. "Karaoke! I wanna go!" and types back before Madoka can even get a word in.

> Okay! I'll be there!

    A while later, at the appointed time, Madoka enters the Crown Karaoke and starts looking around for Ikuto. Lydian is going, "oooh" and "aaah" at the place, making the pinkette realize that it has been a while since she was last here.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste wasn't really expecting a text from Ikuto. It had been awhile since he'd run into the boy, but being the friendly sort he could sometimes be, he had exchanged numbers with him. When the message comes through he grins broadly and grabs his messenger bag from it's spot hung on the wall.

"Going to Karaoke with some people, Plagg. Come on."

The kwami bemoans, "Noooo people are going to be singing and I bet it'll be all off key! I have *sensitive ears*, Adrien!"

The blonde chuckles apologetically with a shrug. "I've never gone though, and would really like to. Would extra Camembert later help?"

Plagg floats up in front of Adrien to squint at him with accusing eyes. "You know me so well. Make it *three* peices, and it's a deal." With that the Kwami zips down to pop into Adrien's bag allowing him to leave without argument. A few quick texts are shot off immediately after.

TXT to Ikuto: Sounds fun! I'll be there! Let me ask my girlfriend if she's up for it too.

TXT to Naru: Want to hit up some karaoke? A new friend invited me because he's nervous about having asked out a girl he likes.

It's not long before Adrien is already there glancing around looking for the familiar dark haired boy. And any other familiar faces as well.

Bow has posed:
Bow had been sitting in his room, paint kit out as he worked on a small figurine. Blowing on it, he set it down as he hears the chime on his phone via Crystal Hope and glances at the message. "Sounds like fun." Someone may still be a little upset with their AI companion. Picking up his phone, he sent a couple of messages back.

<PHONE> Bow texts Madoka Kaname: Did you just get all-capped invite bombed by Ikuto-san? I did. Sayaka-chan had other plans tonight, so I'm willing to see what this is about, since he mentioned you.
<PHONE> Bow texts Ikuto Tsukiyomi: Make sure the roof access is blocked off this time.

With that, he moves to grab his backpack to head out, leaving the figurine of Sailor Mercury on the table, his latest addition to the military markers collection - she's important because of the Eclipse Zones!



A short trip later, he's arriving at the Karaoke place, eyes sparkling as the sights and sounds of it all. "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, I should have invited Sarah!" he says, sparkling eyes and all as he clutches his hands in front of him. Scorpia would have loved this!

Noticing Madoka and Adrien, he raises both hands in a jazz-hands waves. "Madoka! Adrien! Hey!"

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto hears people coming into the place as he's heading back down from the roof access stairwell, having hastily barricaded it. He'd be sure to unwedge the things he'd shoved against the door from there before leaving later. He's not sure why Bow requested that, but...sure. Seeing Madoka, Bow, and Adrien he'd give them a surprisingly genuine smile. Catboy didn't do that often. Or ever.

"Yuki-chan isn't here yet, but she said she'd be along. I...thanks for coming. I didn't want her to think I'm trying to get all close alone on a first date, you know? Oh. I heard you're pretty good at English, Madoka-chan. You should sing at least one English song tonight!"

He heard her...attempt, at speaking to the newcomer at prom, and was admittedly just teasing the girl. Despite the smile, he was still Ikuto.

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki isn't that far behind. She just had to make the trip from campus. Which was not as easy as it might have been for those who find flying easier.

She walks in, having reverted to casual dress - jeans and a nice ruffled blouse with a light jacket thrown over it - and looks about. The Black Cat, the Pink-White, and some others she hasn't met yet... well, she'll have to find an opportunity to get to know folks.

"Good to see you again, Tsukiyomi-kun," she says, waving casually. "And you, miss didn't-get-your-name-but-thanks-for-saving-my-bacon-back-there," she adds with a smile for Madoka. "Don't think I've met any of your other friends yet."

Naru Osaka has posed:
<PHONE> Naru texts Adrien: Karaoke sounds like a ton of fun. Let me just finish up the homework I'm doing, and then I'll try and stop by. I'm just in the middle of something.

Naru accepts that she is going to be late. She's still in the dorms, and in comfy clothes that are not 'going out with people' clothes.

<PHONE> Naru texts Adrien: New friend? Anyone I know? I'll be along soon, I can't stay long, but I could use a break.

She is hardly going to be less late if she keeps texting Adrien rather than getting ready. So much for concentrating on homework, and she soons surrenders and just goes to get herself dressed. Cute dress, leggings, a sweater against evening chill. She's on her way over to join the group!

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka sees Bow's text and starts typing back.

>Yeah. Lydian got really excited about it, so we decided to come over.

    As the pinkette's eyes track her very excited art fairy, Ikuto walks down from wherever he was before and catches her slightly by surprise. "Oh! Hi, Ikuto-kun... eheh..." The easily teased pink girl isn't sure what to say about that. She's still a bit mortified after her last attempt and the various reactions to it. Setsuna made her opinion on it pretty clear. "Eheh, I think I better not."

    Madoka has been practicing many things. English is not one of them. Lydian is now orbiting around Madoka's head chanting, "Karaoke! Karaoke! Karaoke!" The Chara Bearer starts looking around for others to show up, waving at them with a smile when they do.

    Madoka actually recognizes Yuki when she shows up. "O-oh! Well, I'm glad you made it out okay! I hope I didn't weird you out too much. My name's Madoka Kaname."

Bow has posed:
Wearing a sweater - Bow's abs are still on display. Maybe they're allergic to cloth? But the white cable-knit sweater ends just above his abs, blue jeans, leather belt and hiking boots. "So you sing here? Do you have to sing? I'm much better at the lute than I am singing..." comes his thoughtful look, a bite on his lower lip as he considers.

The lute being the weaker of his two instrument skills.

"This is a lot of chaperones for a date, is it not?" comes the next question, hands tucked into his pockets as he fishes around for his wallet to make sure he has it and the important stuff within. Like money. And he has been practicing English - or rather, trying to use it more after using the magic program because he's supposed to be from Etheria, Montana.

In America.

On Earth.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto can't help but smile a bit brighter when Yuki walks in. "Heya, Yuki-chan. It's good to see you again. Seems you already know Madoka-chan, but this is Adrien-san. We met at a convenience store a while back while I was avoiding some Easter thugs. And this is Bow. He's from, where was it you said Bow-san...Etheria, Montana? America has strange names for places. You don't have to sing if you don't want to, though. You can be vocals backup and cheer people on or clap while they sing if you think you wouldn't enjoy the singing part yourself."

Yoru was circling around now too. Ikuto didn't ever go out anywhere like this. He was always hiding away on rooftops and in alleys, being a recluse. Having friends was changing the catboy in a way that Yoru was quite happy to see. "When are we gonna start singing? Who's gonna start?!" the cat Chara called out excitedly.

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki nods to Ikuto. "Yes, we met a few days before the Museum. She helped me out with something big that I was having trouble with." She doesn't say what, but it's pretty obvious what she means to those who know her alternate identity. "I didn't know you knew each other."

She takes a look around at the others assembling and waves. "Hi, I'm Yuki. Pleased to meet you all."

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste pauses as he looks to his phone considering not just Naru's responding texts, but whether he ought to... Yeah. It had been awhile since he'd spoken to Hinoiri, and Naru knew her too. It would be okay to also invite her. So he does send off a text explaining quickly what was going on.

Looking up from his phone he flashes a smile at Madoka, Ikuto, Yuki and Bow with a hand raising to offer a wave of all things. A habit of his which might label him a 'foreigner' by itself if not for his blonde hair and green eyes making it completely obvious. "Bow, good to see you again! Hello," he greets the others. "I'm Adrien Agreste. It's nice to meet you all."

TXT to Naru: He's a guy I met at the konbini a few weeks ago. Ikuto. I'm not sure if you know him.

Alas, he had not been in the 'bad date info dump' loop to know that this name might bring up some recent recollections.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Lydian floats in front of Bow and intones in a commanding voice. "You have to sing. It's the law."

    Madoka steps up and cups Lydian in her hands, pulling her away. "She's kidding. You don't have to sing. I'm sure we'd be happy to hear your lute if you wanted to play along!"

    To Adrien she smiles and says, "Hii! Nice to meet you."

    Madoka rocks back and forth on her feet while holding her Chara in her hands. She remains blissfully unaware that Hinoiri has been invited.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara had been out and about when she'd gotten a text from Adrien. It hadn't taken her long to respond, either.

Text to Adrien: Yeah, sure. I can come wreck you in karaoke. :P

See, it was funny because... it wasn't funny because she was serious.

But hey, she could make a quick appearance. It'd probably be the highlight of Adrien's day. She was sweet like that.

Of course, she arrived as everyone was getting ready and... "Hey, Adrien, I hope you're not ashamed to get too wrecked by--"

And then she froze. Her eyes swiveled around as she saw who Adrien had come here with.

Madoka. Teenage mother hen of a baker's dozen.

Ikuto, local cat noir lookalike with a mean finger bite.

Some girl she didn't know so probably not annoying.

Naru, lackey, but also possibly in on her secret as a member of the Usagi household.

Adrien. Push over. Unlikely to orchestrate an attempt to take her down, way too soft for his own good, but that was why he was her other lackey. Seemed to get a lot of cheesesticks in the cafeteria.

Bow. Dating her ex. Total sweetheart from what she heard. Definitely not the ambushing type.

"I see you've made a few new... friends... Adrien," she said, tensing up but not making a move to destroy them... yet.

Bow has posed:
Not the ambushing type? Lacuna would sooooo disagree, Hinoiri, but that's a future Bow problem. Mind you, Bow has actually yet to meet Sayaka's ex, so it's advantage-Hinoiri for the moment. Though his attention is on Lydian for a moment. "Oh, well, I guess I will then!" It's fine, he'll accept the challenge - but don't say he didn't warn people!

But Madoka's got his attention. "Oh, I didn't pack it." he admits, with a small shake of his head. "I left it back at home home, not dorm home, so... it may be a while before I get to play one again. But I can use the violin - if I had brought one, but Ikuto was far better at it than me on that." he admits.

"And the last time I sang, I was on a boat and it was a sea shanty and there was... circumstances." Finding his wallet, he fishes it out, before looking around. "Oh. For anyone that doesn't know me. I'm Luke, but I go by Bow..." And nope, he doesn't do his usual 'because I like presents, archery, and violins'. Everyone here knows, probably.

Probably more for organizing the prom.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste chuckles faintly at the text that he'd sent out and it's response only to look up at the others again with a grin. "I hope you don't mind, Ikuto, I invited another friend along. I haven't seen her in awhile and she was a bit down the last I did see her." Something he'd meant to follow up on but just hadn't found time to do for various reasons that kept popping up.

He really, really needed to get more 'in the loop' so far as information went. Unfortunately hiding his identity as Chat Noir was making that difficult at times. Something else he was working to rectify on occasion.

"It's good to meet you all! And I don't think you *need* to sing, but that's part of the fun, isn't it? It doesn't have to be good. Just fun to try," he assures Bow while reaching out to pat the boy on one of his broad shoulders in a friendly way. "I can play piano but I can't say I'm a great singer myself." ONE of the few things that, thankfully, his father had never insisted he learn.

Madoka gets a warm grin. "Nice to meet you too, Madoka-chan." He's about to say more when the familiar voice of the OTHER person he invited pipes up causing him to take a step to the side so he can see her as well. "Hey Hinoiri! I haven't seen you in ages. Sorry about that, it's the busy season with the new fashion lines coming out. How are you doing?"

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto is happy to see everyone introducing themselves, when someone arrives. Someone he's not particularly happy to see. He tenses up for just a moment, but forces himself to relax while hoping that nobody noticed.

"Ghh...oh, Hinoiri-chan! I'm certainly surprised to see you here. Surprised, but glad. I hope you're ready to sing."

He tries to keep relaxed. She's -only- one of his most dangerous enemies, but it wouldn't be good to start any trouble with her in front of Yuki, especially when there was a chance she could get hurt in a fight.

Besides...he didn't exactly -hate- Hinoiri. He respected her approach to things for the most part even if she was on the wrong side, and she had a lot more decency than some people he'd seen around Easter/Obsidian. A part of him genuinely wished they could have met as friends and not enemies, because she was kinda cool.

Yoru "stands" up in the air and makes a proclamation to ease the tension. "Alright, Ikuto! You've gotta start since this date was your idea nya!" Ikuto narrows his eyes at the Chara, then shrugs. "Sure. Let's see...how about this one?" Yoru's pupils dilate a bit when he sees the title.. "If I Could Love The One That I Love". He likes this song, and he's heard Ikuto casually singing a few lines before. It's a bit of a sad song, but it's a good start! The music starts off, and Ikuto begins. His voice is...surprising in its strength. For a catboy who spends most of his time avoiding notice, he sings like he's trying to get all eyes on him.

"Living in an empty room
Hanging curtains to block out the view
Dishes fill the
sink and clutter surrounds me and I
Spend all of my time thinking of you..."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DC89fRaSLDg

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Lydian notices Hinoiri and cautiously tugs at Madoka's sleeve. When the pinkette turns to look she gets a little bit pale. Her expression goes from genuine smile, to forced smile, to surprise, to mortified, to apprehensive

    Oh god. This isn't gonna turn into a game show, is it?

    Madoka clutches Lydian a little bit closer to her defensively, remembering Hinoiri's threat against her Chara. "Watch out for coffee mugs," she whispers.

    Madoka does not think that Hinoiri is 'kinda cool' by any stretch of the imagination, but she's also not the type to try and isolate someone or ruin their friendships just because they are MORTAL ENEMIES.

    Yoru makes his proclamation, and Ikuto starts singing, and Madoka tries her best to pretend that this is totally normal and not weird at all. Lydian finally writhes free from her overprotective Chara Bearer and floats overhead, air guitaring along with the sound track.

    Someone who really knows their strings might notice that Lydian's finger placement is oddly accurate to the notes being played, but to anyone else it just looks like a tiny fairy playing along to the music.

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki is certainly not annoying. Especially to someone she has never met.

But she's here to sing, and to meet new people, so she walks over to meet Bow, offering a cheerful "Hello!" to him. "Saw you at the prom, but didn't have time to do more than wave. I'm Yuki," she offers.

Adrian and Hinoiri also get pleasant greetings and brief introductions, the girl not seeming to pick up on Ikuto's wariness of the latter. "Always a pleasure to meet new friends," she adds.

Then it's time to sit down and listen to Ikuto sing!

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara gave a small nod to Bow. "Nice to meet you, Bow. I'm Hinoiri Kirara. I'm sure you've heard of me. Sayaka's one of my good friends." And ex. But even if he knew that, well, it was rude to talk to your replacement like that, right? "You did good on the prom. Sayaka seemed happy being with you, so it's good to see you're taking good care of her, she's special." Pause. "Hurt her and I'll make your life tartarus," she said it with a friendly smile, as if she was joking. She is not joking.

She then turned back to Adrien. "It's no problem. I know how work can keep someone busy. Besides, when you're the best at what you do, it means you're often in demand, right?" She gave a sideways glance to Madoka and Ikuto. Good. It seemed they weren't going to start anything. Good. And then Ikuto started singing and...

... Crap, he was *good*. Ugh. She crossed her arms, listening to him, tapping her feet as he went...

Of course, being her, the moment he was done? "I'll go next," she said, a cocky smirk on her lips before she walked forward. Was she as good as Utau?

HA! No. She was good. But she wasn't a professional. Then again, none of them were either. She started going through the songs before... grinning. And she looked right at Madoka before she started singing it.

"Define your meaning of war.
To me it's what we do when we're bored.
I feel the heat coming off of the blacktop and it makes me want it more.
Because I'm hyped up, out of control.
If It's a fight I'm ready to go..."

No game show, but the gauntlet was thrown. Ikuto started, but she intended to finish. And she sang like she meant every single word. Challenging each and every one of them to try to take. Her. Down.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=liW-kWFiXtQ

Bow has posed:
As Madoka brings in Lydian and looks concerned, Bow's eyes go over to Hinoiri and then back to the pinkette. "Tell me later." he says quietly to the other archer, hopeful to get information on what has her spooked. But for the moment, there's a focus on the singing and introductions as Yuki makes her way over and he grins. "I'm glad you got to enjoy it!" he offers to her cheerfully. "And it's nice to meet you, Yuki." A hand is offered to her in greetings, and just after that is done.

And that is when Hinoiri comes over to make her introduction... and all is well.. smile, smile, yes, prom was grand. Oh, she's one of Sayaka's friends! Ok, cool. Wait, she's special. "Well, yes, I feel that way too..." he says on that... and then...

There's a blink of confusion as she threatens him and he seems utterly confused, brown eyes wide, head tilted to one side like a dog hearing a new sound. "...you'll make my life tartar sauce?" he asks in genyine confusion.

But she's gone before he can get further on that, and looks at Madoka and shrugs. It's not like the pinkette hadn't mentioned the same about Sayaka being special, after all.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste reaches up to rub the back of his head a bit, ducking his head low as he does with a bit of a bashful chuckle. "I don't know that I'm the best. Trends change all the time after all. I certainly do try my best though and I think that's what really matters." Being the best at modeling was... Not the greatest thing though it did mean he was in demand. Though he really only could work for his father's company. Such thoughts turn over in his head leaving his smile fading away for a bit, at least until the singing starts.

Odd song choices, really, but he's smiling again while he claps to both of them having sung so that they both get cheered on.

The remarks to Bow earn a little wince though, and he leans over to helpfully supply, "Tartarus is another term for 'hell'," he explains. With a quick glance toward Hinoiri he makes sure she's *singing* before he adds, "She's Sayaka's ex. I hope that's not making everyone awkward," he adds looking to the others. It wasn't a totally off-base assumption THAT was why people were tense around Hinoiri.

When she's finished singing he offers, "I can go next unless anyone else wants to?" The offer is made, but unless it's taken up on it he grins broadly. Too broadly. There's a bit of mischeif in his gaze as he cues up a song that was a bit old, but that most everyone everywhere likely knew.

"I want to be the very best, like no one ever was~"
"To catch them is my real test, to train them is my cause!"
"I will travel across the land, searching far and wide!"
"Each Pokemon to understand the power that's inside!"

"It's you and me. I know it's my destiny! Oh, you're my best friend in a world we must defend!"

Okay he may be a LITTLE into this. He certainly hams it up as he sings the full version of the song.

"Every challenge along the way, with courage I will face!"
"I will battle every day to claim my rightful place!"
"Come with me, the time is right! There's no better team!"
"Arm in arm we'll win the fight. It's always been our dream!"

"Oh you're my best friend in a world we must defend! Our heart so true!~ Our courage will see us through!"

Way way too into it. But the song does eventually come to an end and he wasn't THAT bad at singing, he just hammed it up a lot as he belted it out with gusto.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
To his own and Yoru's surprise, Ikuto cheers for Hinoiri when she starts after him. "Yeah! Good stuff Hinoiri-chan! You're killing it!" He grins. If his friends can accept him despite having been part of Easter and all the deeds that went along with it before, he can at least enjoy hanging out and not getting into a fight with this girl for a bit.

Then, Adrien starts singing. Wait. He knows this tune. Oh no. He chuckles, and claps, cheers, even shouts a few times. This is fun. Why did he never do any of this before...?

Bow has posed:
As it comes up to Bow's turn, he moves to the stage, and he stands in front of everyone. It's one thing to sing a sea shanty while tied up and then realizing you were really kidnapped instead of fake kidnapped and now it's a whole thing. He scrolls through the songs and hits upon one. "So... ah. I would like to sing a song about something I really have come to love since I got here."

Oh dear, is he about to sing a song about Sayaka right in front of her ex?? Taking up the microphone, he cues the music and then....

"He said to her, 'I'd like a cheeseburger
And I might like a milkshake as well'
She said to him, 'I can't get you either'
And he said, 'Isn't this Burger Bell?'
She said, 'Yes, it is but we're closed now
But we open tomorrow at ten'
He said, 'I am extremely hungry
But I guess I can wait until then'

'Cause you're his cheeseburger
His yummy cheeseburger
He'll wait for you, yeah
He'll wait for you
Oh, you are his cheeseburger
His tasty cheeseburger
He'll wait for you
Oh, he will wait for you'

Going through the second verse, he hits his stride and then the bridge. He starts to sing whole-heartedly, voice breaking on the high notes, but he's enthusiastic - even if he'll nver win Eurovision for Etheria.

'Cause he loves you cheeseburger with all his heart!
And there ain't nothin' gonna tear you two apart!
And if the world suddenly ran out of cheese!
He would get down on his hands and knees!
To see if someone accidentally!
Dropped some cheese in the dirt!
And he would wash it off for you!
Wipe it off for you
Clean that dirty cheese off just for youuuuuuuuuuu'

He sinks to his knees, head bowed low on that last line. Before he finishes quietly.

'You are his cheese-BURG-er.'

And with that, he's on his feet and hustling off stage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI9yvAx3uCQ

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka watches as Hinoiri demonstrates one of the reasons why the pinkette doesn't just openly attack her. She actually cares about Sayaka, and presumably that's returned. A friend of a friend is, still an enemy. Madoka refrains from calling Bow an upgrade out loud, but she's thinking it.

    Bow asks for an explanation later, and Madoka gives him a sad, resigned look. Then when he doesn't understand the threat, Madoka asides to him, "It's a saying. She means she'll take vengeance on you if you hurt Saya-chan." Someone will have to explain what Tartarus is later.

    Lydian, meanwhile, doesn't seem to be bothered by this situation and keeps thrashing air guitar along with the song. Or maybe she's more aware than she seems, because the tiny fairy doesn't take her eyes off of Hinoiri for a single second.

    Adrien's passionate rendition of the Pokemon theme song gets a similar treatment, though she's a bit less wary around him. Models are only dangerous in ways that Lydian isn't currently worried about.

    Bow gets chuckles and giggles from both Madoka and her fairy. No one can say he doesn't have a sense of humor.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara smirked as she finished her song and dropped the mic... into her other hand.

She wasn't a bitch. Other people have to use it, and it wasn't nice to the staff if she did that. Still, she was smirking when she went off the stage.

To her surprise, Adrien went up after her. "Way to go!" she called out to him, giving him a little thumbs up. "Just do your best and you'll be fine." At least she was encouraging...

Until the song started.

Oh. OH! Was he CHALLENGING HER?! Be the best, huh?! Gonna go out and travel and BEAT EVERYONE ELSE?! Well, bring it, bitch! She'd take him down, too! It wouldn't even be hard! What in the world was a pokemon! She pulled out her phone and a quick search later and...

... and she face palmed. All of her rage deflating... Adrien... wasn't challenging her. Adrien was a dork. Well, at least she didn't shove him up against the wall to beat his flank.

Thank you smartphones.

She snorted when he came down, sliding her phone back into her pocket and... "You're gonna be the best, huh? Got one of them... pocket monsters?" she asked in a teasing, amused tone.

... And then Bow went. And she face palmed. And started to just laugh. Just laughed. And laughed. And by the end she was laughing so hard she had tears in her eyes, having to lean on the wall to not fall over.

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
"No... no... not that one... c'mon, I know you have it in here... oh. There we go."

Yuki sits back and smiles as she listens to the various performances. She's quite impressed by the vocal quality on display here, even if some of the song choices might be a bit confusing for her. Still, she applauds for everyone, showing her appreciation for their efforts. She liked Hinoiri's, great energy. Adrian's she recognizes almost immediately when the opening chords play and she grins a silly little grin throughout. And then Bow. Who she can only answer by throwing her head back to laugh wildly.

"Oh, man, that was great, you're all wonderful," she says, still grinning. "Soooo tempted to break out the Jimmy Buffet now," she jokes, "So tempted."

She shakes her head, though, having already picked out and queued up her song.

There are dreams that scatter in an instant
There are emotions that remain forever undying
Never disappearing
Here now and forever
Those scattering flower petals continue to speak to me, even now
Once again, the sakura blossom all alone

The music is an electronic rhythm familiar to anyone who's played a certain series of games, and while her voice wavers a bit, she seems to have the tune down fairly well.

Before their colors fade I want to protect what I hold in my heart
These feelings ever blossoming are here even now
If you won't forget, they'll blossom again
In your dreams

Like so many, it's a love song, and she's quite carefully not looking at anyone in particular, for most of it at least. But she can't just stare at the wall forever. Ikuto invited her here, of course.

But then, a bit more than halfway through the song, she looks over at Bow, then at Hinoiri... and reaches down to tap a b utton on the console. Immediately, the music changes....

Tried to amend my carnivorous habits, made it nearly seventy days
Losing weight without speed, eating sunflower seeds,
Drinkin' lots of carrot juice and soaking up rays

But at night I'd have these wonderful dreams
Some kind of sensuous treat
Not zuchhini fettucini or bulgur wheat
But a big warm bun and a huge hunk of meat!

Cheeseburger in paradise! Heaven on Earth with an onion slice!
not too particular, not too precise, just a cheeseburger in paradise!

Where she had stood still and almost somber for the first bit, she lets herself go completely for the rest. dancing and grinning and pointing at people. If she's going to do it, she's going to do it -fun-.

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste ducks down from his spot singing to offer the microphone to whoever was up next. Still grinning and flush with adrenaline from the moment, he's looking quite satisfied with himself.

Hinoiri's taunting earns a laugh that he can only shrug to spreading his hands wide open. "Maybe one or two. Their merch is usually really top notch and cute. There's an entire Pokemon store I want to visit sometime so I can snag some presents for my friends back home." It was silly but he knew they would appreciate it.

The song about burgers earns his own laughter in response and he claps as soon as Bow is done. There was really no topping that afterwards. A sidelong glance is cast toward Hinoiri who found it equally hilarious. "I'm glad you're having a good time. You deserve to enjoy yourself, you know." She'd been rather upset the last he saw her so this was a nice change of pace.

When Yuki gets up to stage to sing the more energetic, electric song he claps along with the beat only to falter as she suddenly changes it mid-song earning another whooping laugh. "Great segueway!"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka watches as Yuki sings a song that seems vaguely familiar to her, but once she hears the lyrics she's sure this is the first time hearing the song. Then it suddenly changes and it's a song about cheeseburgers in paradise. The Chara Bearer and her little fairy giggle along with the sudden change. These two, at least, are having fun.

    Once there's an opening, Lydian points to Madoka and says, "Your turn!"

    "Wh-- b-but I haven't even..."

    "Chara Change! Become someone who sings without a care in the world!"

    Suddenly Madoka's hairstyle changes to match Lydian's hidden braid ponytail, and she's barging onto the stage. She quickly rolls through the song list and confidently taps a seemingly random song. Clearing her throat, Madoka begins singing with an uncharacteristic amount of confidence.

o/`I'm fa~alling, down into my sha~adow, failing to control my breath as I embrace the deadly night.o/`

o/` If you are scared, never show it in your eyes, before those pumpkin carriages. 'Cause all the witches see right through your lies! o/`

o/` See you in your dreams, yeah, baby. I'll still be there, if it's a nightmare. o/`

o/` Fairy blue for you I'd steal the stars, and lay them at our feet, so we could own the night, Black Paper Moon. o/`

o/` I will be the light, believe in me. When you're lost here I am, forever with your soul! o/`

o/` Look above 'cause you belong up there, beside the shining moon o/`

    Madoka is even dancing a little bit to the song, swishing back and forth and swaying along to the tune. Probably to the surprise of anyone who is used to seeing her a bit more meek. When she sings the English parts, she actually doesn't mess them up too much either. Blame Chara magic for this nonsense. She'll be sure to pout at Lydian about this later.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p2MRCdUDGWQ

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara couldn't believe it... this girl was pretty good too! Sheesh. And here she thought Kirakirafantastica was the only place with all the singing. Maybe they had some secret musical numbers here too. And it--

and then the girl broke it and went off in... oh... ohhhh... And then she looked a little nauseous. This song went into detail on the meat and... yeah. Not... not the best for her. Girl was good, but oh that song started rough for her. Still, the ending was hilarious and earned a light chuckle from her.

"Huh... so this pokemon stuff is pretty popular here?" she asked, a hand moving up to her chin. already plotting and scheming... could Obsidian use pokemon for its own dark ends? However, what he said made her pause and glance over. "I enjoy myself plenty. I'm not the one with the overprotective dad, you know. I can have all the fun I want. And I often do."

Then Madoka did a... partial henshin? And Hinoiri clenched her fist. "So, can't sing without using a bit of magic, huh? I understand I'm a tough act to follow, but you should at least put in some effort on your own... Unless you're hoping to see what I can do if I do the same?" she asked, her eyes narrowing. Taking what Madoka just did ENTIRELY WRONG.

Then glanced to Adrien. Right. He was a mundane. He couldn't even tell, could he? "Uhhh... don't worry about it. Nothing," she just said, waving it off. "Just a bit of... back and forth with Mad-oka-chan." Yes, she did draw out the 'mad' part.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Bow's song...wow. Ikuto was initially in disbelief at what he was hearing. Yoru meanwhile was listening intently, enjoying the song while Ikuto tried so very hard to not laugh. But when he saw even Hinoiri laughing, it was over for him. First a chuckle, then the dam broke and he was full-on giggling, and clapping for Bow. "That was excellent, Bow-san."

When Yuki gets up to sing, he gets himself together to pay attention. It's a beautiful song, and he's enjoying Yuki's singing quite a bit. He's cheering her on. "Yuki-chan! Yeah! Wooo!" But then...

What in the hell? It takes him a moment to recover from the shock but then he's smiling and pointing right back at her, grinning. How could he not? "You're great Yuki-chan," he says afterwards. "That was awesome."

Then Madoka is up, with a bit of Chara magic to boost her confidence. He grins, cheering her on . "Woo! M-A-D-O-K-A, Ma-do-ka! Mahou time!"

He's smiling, laughing and enjoying himself with friends, and an enemy. A first, by Yoru's memory. Then the Chara is poking Ikuto. "You're not done yet I hope, nya!" The catboy flashes a confident grin. "Hell no. Yoru, it's time to kick it up a notch!" He's psyching himself up, and then the song starts.

He's not quite as good with this one as he was with the first. Slower seems to suit him better, but he's giving it his all and more importantly he's looking at Yuki and his other friends, hell he even looks to Hinoiri a few times as he's singing. But mostly at Yuki. The song is more than a little corny. Maybe even a bit cringe. But he's sincere and his voice is clear with that. Yoru floats around Ikuto during the song, dancing around to the fast-paced song.

Oh... Oh... DA DA DA DA DA DA
Oh... Oh... DA DA DA DA DA DA...together with you!

There's no time to stand still. There's no leisure to think it over.
With all of my emotions in my heart, I plunge into the scorching battle.

The enormous barrier wall of my power casts a shadow over the world.
There's no way I'll be defeated! I'll overpass the bound of my limit!

Although right now there are countless things I don't understand,
I'll simply keep moving forward on the path I believe.
It matters not what kind of friend or foe I may come across,
there's no way I'll let go of my hold on this blood-red oath!

(No matter when, no matter when,) I will keep pursuing
(No matter where, no matter where,) the courage that leads to tomorrow
(No matter where, no matter where,) and that burning heart, together with you.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTjuAPFySdw

Adrien Agreste has posed:
Adrien Agreste smiles a bit at Hinoiri only to nod in agreement. "You're right, Father is very over-protective. But when he's not around?" Here he just shrugs pointedly. "I'm going to do everything I can to live my own life. Until I actually can live my own life," he adds with a sigh.

As the song continues he looks back to his phone with a little thoughtful frown. ALMOST he misses the bit about magical girls. ALMOST. He looks at Hinoiri watching her with a puzzled expression.

She saw. That meant she was magic somehow. He already suspected of course, but now it was confirmed. He'd have to talk to Naru about it.

"No biggie," he assures her with a grin only to hold up his phone giving it a wiggle. "Naru was supposed to join us but I haven't heard anything in a bit. I think I'm going to head out to check on her just to make sure nothing happened. She seems to have bad luck sometimes," he remarks chuckling wryly.

With that he moves to wave to Ikuto, and pass by Bow, Yuki and Madoka. "I'm going to head out to go check on Naru. I'll catch you all later!"

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Lydian overhears what Hinoiri said and gets SO MAD. "Wha--! How dare you. I was just giving her a bit of confidence!" Not entirely true, as Chara magic can also increase confidence, but acting like Madoka couldn't do it on her own--! Oooh, now Lydidan is mad.

    Madoka's hair suddenly changes back to normal. She gently takes Lydian into her hands and starts stroking her hair to calm her down. She doesn't want to see a sudden Sunbreaker battle just because a certain paint-sploched minidoka decided to fire tiny arrows at Hinoiri in retribution.

    Madoka gives Hinoiri a confused raise of her eyebrow. "If you wanted a battle of the bands, I'm the wrong person to ask."

    Lydian points up at her Bearer and says, "You gotta do the next one on your own, Doka-chi! That'll show her!"

    "Right, right, just calm down," responds Madoka with a soothing voice.

    Ikuto follows up with a fast-paced song and Madoka smiles for a moment, ignoring Hinoiri's comments. When Adrien gets up to leave Madoka says, "Oh! I'll see you around. Have fun! Stay safe!"

    Lydian looks up at Adrien, not quite sure if she's been spotted or not. Well, Madoka's own magical nature is a dead giveaway thanks to the fae that always keep her company, but that doesn't mean she can always tell when someone's watching. Once Adrien leaves, Lydian focuses back on Hinoiri with narrowed 'I'm watching you' eyes.

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara blinked a few times and then gave him a small wave. "Take care of yourself, Adrien," she said, watching him go...

Then it was just the five of them. She gave a little smirk before she walked onto stage, swiping the microphone before anyone else could try and take it.

"Not bad," she said to Ikuto. "Not even half as good as your sister, but we all gotta start somewhere."

She then turned towards them, flipping through the songs.... before picking one with a smirk. "I figure I should probably head out soon too, but... some of you don't really understood who, and what, I am. So I figure I'll let you know."

"Uh-oh, running out of breath, but I, Oh, I, I got stamina.
Uh-oh, running now, I close my eyes.
Well, oh, I got stamina
And uh-oh, I see another mountain to climb
But I, I got stamina
And uh-oh, I need another love to be mine
Cause I, I got stamina.
Don't give up; I won't give up
Don't give up, no no no
Don't give up, I won't give up.
Don't give up, no no no.

I'm free to be the greatest thing alive."

Little did Hinoiri know, as she sang this song, with such passion and fire aimed at a certain chara (Yes, she's singing at you, Lydian)... This is why people shouldn't invite her to things.

Bow has posed:
As Bow watches Madoka perform, he saw that bit of magic and grins. "Hey, she's allowed to enhnance the performance!" he counters Hinoiri, but then they're on to round two, and as he listens to the others, he's clapping along, but suddenly... he feels something.

A glance down for a moment, and a melancholy smile. Because there's something missing. Even as Hinoiri is ramping the competition to eleven and Yuki one-upped his cheeseburger song, when it's his turn, he comes up to the microphone. "This... this is for someone that can't be here. And I wish she was. I miss her. A lot. And hopefully, someday, I'll see her again, and will tell her all about my adventures here."

And with that... a familiar refrain begins.

"You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
When the road looks rough ahead
And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed
You just remember what your old pal said
Boy, you've got a friend in me
Yeah, you've got a friend in me

You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got troubles, and I've got 'em, too
There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you
We stick together and we see it through
'Cause you've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me

Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am
Bigger and stronger too, maybe
But none of them will ever love you the way I do
It's me and you, Glimmer.

And as the years go by
Our friendship will never die
You're gonna see, it's our destiny
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me
You've got a friend in me."

He ducks his head a little as he puts up the microphone and he excuses himself. "I'm going to catch some air." he murmurs to Madoka, rubbing at an eye. "I think the dust in here is getting to me."

And with that, he excuses himself.

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki grins and sways in her seat as she listens to the songs, taking each one in and enjoying herself thoroughly now that the party's gotten started. even if Adrien has to leave. oh well. it happens. She applauds Bow's song, adding, "Good friends are always worth knowing." She pauses, then adds, "And it's not dust, it's the Onion Ninjas."

And then it's her turn. She's picked a classic american showtune to take next, starting slow but picking up speed.

o/~ times have changed,
o/~ And we've often rewound the clock
o/~ Since the Puritans got a shock
o/~ When they landed on Plymouth rock

o/~If today, any shock they should try to stem
o/~ Stead of landing on Plymouth Rock
o/~ Plymouth rock would land on them!

In olden days a glimpse of stocking
o/~ Was looked on as somewhat shocking, but now god knows...
o/~ Anything goes!

o/~ Good authors too who once knew better words
o/~ Now only use four-letter words writing prose
o/~ Anything goes!

When she finishes the song, she takes a bow snd heads back to her seat.

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Thus far, Madoka had been more or less ignoring Hinoiri's various challenges, but apparently Lydian wasn't having it. Especially when she starts singing to Lydian specifically. Tiny fists shake at her side. She's so mad! Soooo MAD!

    Madoka, on the other hand, is the image of reserved calm. She grabs a song catalog and starts flipping through until she finds something suitable.

    When Bow goes up, she stops flipping in order to listen. She smiles and sways back and forth to the happy, heartfelt song. She doesn't really know who Glimmer is, but Madoka's sure that Bow has some people he dearly misses. Poor guy. It must take a certain strength to remain strong and cheerful in the face of that.

    Then Bow excuses himself afterwards, and Madoka looks on with concern. Oh geeze. Just goes to show you never really know what someone is dealing with, or how well they're coping.

    Yuki's song gets a giggle. She's fun, Madoka decides, or at least likes to sing fun songs. After her, the stage is again empty, and the pinkette clears her throat as she stands up. Lydian tries to follow her to the stage, but Madoka puts her palm up. Didn't the fairy say she had to do it on her own? The Bearer is holding her to that.

    Madoka had been trying to avoid addressing Hinoiri's hostility, but at this point she's starting to suspect that she only became a villain so that she'd have someone to compete with. So, dropping all but the barest minimum of pretense, Madoka's soft yet determined pink eyes settle on Hinoiri as she cues up the next song.

    Her singing is a little less refined than it was a moment ago, and her pitch isn't quite perfect, but she is at the very least singing with sincerity.

o/` Like a chest of hidden gold. Shimmers in the depths below. We are, we are, the treasures that they hide. o/`

o/` Like the sun that saves the night, bursting through a darkened sky. We are, we are, soldiers of the light. o/`

o/` And we will glow, o~ohh, o~ohh, o~ohh... o/`


o/` So let them build their righteous tower. Our blazing hearts will burn it down. We are, we are, soldiers of the light. o/`

o/` And we will glow, o~ohh, o~ohh, o~ohh... o/`

    Yeah, she's going there, and looking directly at Hinoiri while she does so. When she gets to the chorus, she smiles and looks at the other attendees who are still here, most of whom she knows are magical in one form or another.

o/` We are fire, we are fire, and our love will burn, the flame will never die.o/`

o/` We are brighter, we are brighter, let's show 'em how we light up tonight. o/`

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAGSwf0eVIw

Hinoiri Kirara has posed:
Hinoiri Kirara narrowed her eyes on Madoka. Well... damn. She had to admit. Girl had talent. There was a good choice on that song. Sure, she wasn't a professional, but... who here was?

Still... the night was young and there was plenty to do.

... Besides, Bow seemed sad about... something. An old friend? What, was she upset about his ex? It-- Oh. Actually... Hinoiri actually understood that. For a moment, there was concern and she looked back towards where he'd left. "You know, if he's not back in ten minutes or so, one of us should check on him. It--"

And then her phone rang. She blinked and held it up to her ear. "Yeah, I'm a little busy," she whispered into it.

Then her eyes went wide and a grin formed on her lips. "Phantom said yes? Oh, this is going to be marvelous. I'm coming in right now. Be there in twenty." She turned it off before smirking to Madoka. "Keep glowing, I gotta get to work. It was fun, but you all know how it is. The best can't stay on the top if they don't keep on work. I'm sure I'll see... some of you..." she glanced to Madoka and Ikuto. "Real soon." Before she turned to head out the door.

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto waves to Adrien, and gives Bow a pat on the back as he leaves after his song. He keeps cheering and clapping for the others. "You know, this is a lot more fun than I thought it could be."

When Hinoiri leaves, he meets her gaze with a grin. "Figured as much. See ya soon...and we'll be ready. It was fun hanging out with you, though." Then he looks to the other two girls still around. "It's getting a bit late, huh? We should probably head back home. Or uh. You two should." He's about to comment on how that isn't really a thing for him, but decides against it. "I could walk the two of you home since it's dark out."

Madoka Kaname has posed:
    Madoka squints her eyes as Hinoiri gets a call. Not a glare persay, but a very suspicious look. What horrible thing has she planned this time?

    "I hope it's not another game show," she says, just before Hinoiri leaves.

    Now it's the three of them, and Madoka considers Ikuto's offer before glancing towards Yuki. Her internal shipper is telling her to let these two have at least some alone time, and she'd probably get home faster if she henshined and went on her own.

    Then again, while she's already been outed to both of these people, but she's not sure they're aware of each other. Transforming in front of them might cause an opsec problem.

    "That's alright," says Madoka, standing up before brushing herself off. "I can make it on my own. I should probably track down my mother. She tends to stay out with work friends on Friday."

    With a smile and a polite bow to both Ikuto and Yuki, she says, "See you two around! Have fun."

    Then she excuses herself, and Lydian follows after. "Hey, Doka-chi, how come you never told me about this place?" she complains as they leave.

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
And just as Yuki finds her next song, it looks like things are breaking up. "Wait, it's gotten that late already?" She paues and looks down at her phone. Starts to say something. Then gathers herself and gets her emotions under some semblance of control.

Gotta keep up her image.

"I see. Most unfortunate. " She casts a glance off to where the red-black has just left, pondering several questions, and then the pink-white has to go.

And then she's alone with the Black Cat. "Well, I guess we're walking back to campus...."

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
Ikuto offers his hand after taking care of the bill. "Shall we, Yuki-chan? Can't have your family worrying, after all. It was really nice getting to hang out with you and everyone else, and ah...I hope we can do something like this again soon."

Yoru stretches. "Yeah, that was a lot of fun nya! I can't believe you sang that goofy song for Yuki-chan though!"

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki's laugh is soft and restrained, nowhere near the full ojou-sama sort of thing. Just a quiet chuckle. "We all have our goofy moments, little cat," she murmurs as she takes Ikuto's hand.

"Back to campus, then?" Curfew is approaching rapidly....

Ikuto Tsukiyomi has posed:
The catboy nods. and sets off together with Yuki's hand in his, and Yoru on his shoulder. Along the way he'd ask, "Did you enjoy yourself tonight, Yuki-chan? I know it was a bit sudden, but I really did want to see you again."

Upon arriving at the academy grounds, he'd smile down at the slightly younger girl. "It was nice hearing you sing tonight. A Knight in battle, and a p-...p-..."

He can't say it. He's -embarrassed- and blushing now. Yoru rolls his eyes and shouts in his tiny voice, "AND A PRINCESS ON THE MICROPHONE!"

Yuki Hoshino has posed:
Yuki smiles softly, and leans a little closer. Not too much, though.

"It was definitely interesting. I liked meeting all of those peoploe. And it was good to be able to relax and be -people-, not... whatever else we are, when we're out there." She waves a hand at the city.

Then she lifts her head to look up at the stars, just gazing out into the universe, letting Ikuto guide her along the streets.

"A princess, though? Well. I suppose anything really does go, then...."