In no form or fashion do I own Soul Eater, this is purely a fanfictifon made for fans, super fans, and ultra-über-mega fans, if you are a Super-ultra-mega-über-mega fan, you can enjoy as well. (Episode 3)

Maka sighed as she looked through another line of clothes, why did it have to be so hard for her to pick a dress? She didn't bring Soul with her, becuase she didn't think he would take it seriously, but going by herself might have been a mistake…

She decided enough was enough, set the clothes down, and started to walk out of the store when she bumped into someone taller than her. She looked up to see a somewhat-familiar face, "Dotew? What are you doing in a clothes store?"

Dotew scratched the back of his head, "Well, I wanted to get a pretty dress for Master Tsubaki, becuase I know she won't get one herself, but I can't seem to do a good job because I can't find anyone to tell me what colors the clothes are"

"I thought you were blind, how can you buy clothes?"

"I know Master Tsubaki's measurements, just like I know yours and everybody else's. If I meet someone, their body size and shape gets filed away into my head, so I can buy clothes for anyone I've met, the only problem is…"

Makara nodded, "You can't tell what the colors are. Well, I was actually looking for someone to help me pick out a dress, could you help me pick one?"

"Hm… well, I don't know if the color is right, but…", Dotew walked over to a shelf and picked up a deep, scarlet dress with ruffles on the chest and near the bottom, "… this dress would complement the shape of your body, and it's your size"

Maka looked at the tag, he was correct, not to mention, she loved it, "Wow, thank you"

"Um… what color is it? I can make out everything else, but I can't make out the image if I don't know what color it is, so I can't tell you how it looks"

"It's a really deep red"

"Light or dark?"

"It leans towards dark, but it isn't too dark"

"Like, a good scarlet, or a heavy crimson?"

"Good scarlet"

"I see it, it looks good on you"

"I haven't put it on yet…"

"I know, but if you do, I'm sure you'll be stunning in it. The only thing missing would be a pair of white heels… I wonder if any of the pairs in the back are white?"

"You can sense them from here?"

"Yes, there's at least… twelve pairs in your size in the back, they aren't in the front, so we'll have to ask someone to get them for us. I'll go do that, in the meantime, could you start thinking of colors that would look good on Master Tsubaki?"

"Sure", Maka watched as he walked away, and to be honest, she felt a little jealous of Tsubaki. Dotew was so kind and innocent, his eyes captivated the gaze of any girl for a mile, and on top of that, he was undoubtably loyal. But even so, she knew she wouldn't fall for him, Maka wasn't sure why, but she just didn't have it in her to swoon over him.

Maka was looking at larger dresses when she felt someone put their hand on her shoulder, "Don't yell, or I'll hurt you"

Maka turned to see that it was Isabel that had grabbed her shoulder, "Isabel? What are you doing?", Maka didn't generally like Isabel, because she'd turned Soul down on his offer for a date without so much as blinking, leaving him depressed for a day, nearly getting Maka killed.

"Why are you picking out clothes with Dotew?"

"He's blind, so I'm helping him find the right color clothes"

"Then how come he just went to ask about white heels? I don't think he would wear those"

"Listen, Isabel, he's just a friend of a friend that showed up asking for help, so I'm helping him out"

Isabel stared at her for a long moment, "Swear?"

"I swear"

Isabel's confident glare melted into a sad mushy beg, "Can I help, too? Please?"

Maka didn't like the position she was in, she knew she shouldn't take advantage of someone while they were down, "Why do you want to help me?"

"No! Can I help Dotew?! I want to talk to him, and if it's clothes, I can be confident! So can I help, pleeeeeeeeeeeeease?"

Maka couldn't look at her beg anymore, "Fine, just be nice, okay?"

Isabel nodded, "Yes!"

Dotew came back with a stack of boxes, "These should all be heels, but I can't tell which are white. Try the third box from the bottom, that pair should be the most comfortable. Who's your friend, Maka? She smells… nervous, is something wrong?"

Isabel held her hands up, "No, no, nothing at all, I just wanted to help you look for clothes, since you're Maka's friend, and you might have trouble finding some that are the right color"

Dotew smiled and shrugged, "Why not, the more, the merrier. Wait… Maka, that dress you just touched, pick it up again"

Maka pulled out a dress that was made for someone with a perfect, hourglass figure, unfortunately, it was a really ugly shade of orange, "This one?"

"Yes! That one! The size, the shape, it's perfect! What color is it?!"

"A brownish-orange"

Dotew hung his head, "No… but I can't sense another one like it… what am I going to do, this dress was my first choice… it was the best in the store…"

Maka smiled and patted him on the back, "Don't worry, I'm sure we'll find another one"

"But this was the last store in town…"

"Um, Dotew, how long have you been looking for a dress?"

"Since yesterday… I was really hoping that this would be the one…"

Isabel looked at the dress, "Well, if you used the right dye and a small spell, you could change the color without shrinking the dress"

Dotew shook his head, "No, I swore I wouldn't use magic to make this dress, so I won't. It means a lot more than some spell, so I'm just gonna have to work hard and get the dress before tomorrow!"

Isabel marveled at him, "That's so sweet…"

"I'm gonna get Master Tsubaki the best dress ever by tomorrow, even if I have to buy it off a traveling gypsy!", with that, Dotew charged out of the store, determination and hope in his eyes.

Isabel looked crushed, "Tsubaki…?"

Maka patted Isabel on her shoulder, "Don't worry, it's not what you think, he just looks up to her"

Isabel noticed the dress Maka was holding, "That's a really pretty red, are you gonna buy that dress?"

"Maybe, I haven't tried it on yet. Dotew told me I should try it on with some white heels"

Isabel looked in one of the boxes and found a pair of white stilettos, "Oh, these are nice, here, go try them on"

Maka sighed as she changed into the dress and heels, to be honest, the shoes were the ones Dotew had suggested, and he was right, they fit perfectly, without hurting her feet. She stepped out of the changing room feeling like a princess, so she twirled around in her dress, just to be playful with it, "How's it look?"

Isabel was stunned, "The way the ruffles are patterned near the bottom of the dress really makes your tiny feet stand out. That and the ruffles on your chest make you look so elegant, it's amazing!"

"I guess Dotew was right", Maka smiled at herself in the mirror, she looked beautiful in her dress, Dotew had officially impressed her.

Isabel closed her mouth, "He's even good with fashion! No, he's amazing with it! I never would've thought of these clothes for you Maka, he's even more perfect than I thought!"

"Um, Isabel? He's gone"

"I'm not worried, I'll find the perfect dress and see him at the dance!", with that, Isabel walked calmly out of the store, a confident smile set on her face.

Maka was just glad she found a dress that she actually liked.

Kid found himself staring in disgust at his bathroom mirror, "Damn it, why now, of all times?"

Liz walked in, "What's wrong, Kid? You've been in here for two hours now"

"It's this single hair on my left eyebrow, it's driving me mad, I cannot seem to catch it"

Liz looked at his eyebrows, "I don't see anything"

He pointed at his left eyebrow, "There! Damn that two millimeter pest, why this week, of all weeks, did you have to rear your ugly head?!"

"Kid, I'm sure that nobody will notice"

Kid slammed his fist against the counter, "No, I cannot allow myself to be defeated by such a small detail! I will achieve victory over this unsightly garbage!"

Liz finally saw the single hair, "Kid, there's another one just like this on your other eyebrow, you're fine"

Kid took a closer look at his other eyebrow, "Ahem… it seems that you are correct"

"What's got you so worked up, Kid? You're usually less crazy the week of the dance, but this year, you've gone absolutely insane"

"I must be perfect if I am to attend this dance! There can't be a single follicle of my being out of place!"

Patty laughed, "Kid and dib, sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!"

Kid didn't say anything, it was the truth, he was utterly horrified that he might show up to the dance and embarrass himself by looking horrible. Liz waved her hand, "Whatever, Kid, just don't spend all day in here, okay?"

Kid nodded, "I'll try to keep it short… perhaps this would go faster if I aquired an assistant…"

Tsubaki looked over her homework one last time, checking to see if it was right. It was almost four o'clock, so she had done enough studying for today. What to do? She didn't really want to go shopping for a dress, since she didn't care about the dance. Maybe she just needed something different. What was the café that Dotew told her about?

Uncle Bob's, that was it, maybe she would give that place a try. After a quick walk she found herself walking into it, it was a little like a retro-diner, with a bar for eating and some furniture for people that just wanted to relax. The first person she noticed was the big, burly-looking man smiling as he drank from a small mug, "Ah, it's been too long since I had a sip of this fresh-brewed goodness"

Tsubaki heard a voice come from the kitchen, "Oh, Joe, what am I going to do with you? How am I supposed to serve everyone else if you keep finishing your coffee so quickly?", then, from the two doors emerged a girl with long, red hair, dog-like ears, wearing a maid's outfit, holding a tray full of plates of food and smiling, "I'll have to brew another cup for you in a second"

The man known as Joe scratched the back of his head, "Sorry, Melia, it's just that you make the best coffee"

The girl in the outfit smiled as she finished passing out plates, "I try my best for our faithful customers, Joe, that's all I can do"

Joe shook as he finished off the cup, "That last sip is what really makes the cup, it makes you want to dance!"

Melia smiled, "You always wanna dance, Joe! Alright, I've only got a few minutes left before my shift ends, so I can only get you one more cup"

Joe sighed, "Melia, why do you have to stop brewing this heavenly goodness? Why can't you work here twenty-four seven?"

Melia put the cup of coffee down, "Because I have other things I have to do Joe"

"Oh, that's right, I forgot, you said something about a charity event? You just spread happiness everywhere you go, don't you?"

"No, I just enjoy the charity work, and I know how hard a lot of those people have it"

"One day, you're gonna find someone that'll be lucky enough for you to fall in love with, just promise me you'll still work here afterwards"

"I like this job, but it doesn't pay as much as I'd like…"

"Now that's the first time I've ever seen you frown, here", Joe placed a large amount of cash on the counter, a 200% tip, "The coffee isn't as good without you here anyway"

Melia smiled, "I appreciate it, Joe, but I need to earn the money myself"

"You did, by officially making the best coffee ever"

"Joe… thank you, Joe"

Tsubaki watched as Melia put half of her tip back into the register, then returned to the kitchen. Tsubaki sat down next to Joe, "Hey, I've never been here before, is there anything good, besides the coffee?"

Joe nearly spilt his coffee, "Listen, you may be new here, but let me tell you something, Melia, the waitress here, could make food good enough to bring a tear to even Lord Death's eyes, and that's a fact"

Tsubaki looked back at the menu to find that the prices were a little low for as good as they'd been described, "So… what should I pick?"

"Pick whatever sound's best, you'll never find a better version of it anywhere. It's too bad that the chef here only works whenever she needs to. Bless that girl, she practically runs this place when she's here, and when she isn't, she's busy at charity events. But enough rambling, if you don't order soon, she might leave before she can make your meal"

Melia came back out of the kitchen, "Hello, what can I…", for a second, Melia just stared at Tsubaki, then she spoke very monotonously, "… help you?"

"Is there any chance you could squeeze in a plate of curry for me?"

Melia flinched, "I-Isn't there something else you'd like more…?"

"No, no, out of everything on the menu, it's the quickest thing you can make, I don't want you to be late for your charity event"

Melia sighed, "Of course, that's just like you"

"What?"

"Nothing! Nothing! Just talking to myself, so, one curry special?"

"Yes, please"

Melia came back with a curry special, dressed in normal clothes, "Here, I made it earlier, but it's still warm"

"Oh, by the way, what kind of charity event are you going to? I don't have anything to do later, so I might be able to go-"

Melia held her hands up, "No! No! No! No! No! You can't go!"

"Are you okay?", Tsubaki wasn't sure what to say to her sudden outburst.

"Oh, you're so kind to worry about me, Ma-", Melia covered her mouth and dashed out of the café, without saying a word.

Joe looked at the still-swinging door, "That was weird, Melia's usually much friendlier than that. Do you know her?"

Tsubaki took a bite of the curry, "This is…"

Maka sighed into the phone, "Kid, no, this sounds rediculous"

Kid begged and pleaded from the other side, "Please! Maka! Liz and Patty aren't allowed inside, and neither am I! I need you to help me, please! Just this once!"

"No, Kid, I'm not going to a dating café. I don't care how special it is"

"Please, this café is infamous for only having female customers and never letting any of them leave without garunteed satisfaction!"

"So why do you need me to go inside?! I don't care about a stupid café!"

"Maka, there's a guy who works there, according to customers, he is capable of winning the heart of any girl, any girl at all, but he only takes girls that are emotionally distant or ones with broken hearts!"

"And exactly which of those catagories do I fit under?"

Kid, sensing the danger through the phone, decided to leave it alone, "All that matters is that you get in, and get him to come back out with you, please? I'll do anything!"

"Anything?"

"Anything! Just help me out!"

"Let me borrow your library card for a month, and I'll do it"

"Done! Thank you Maka, I'll send you the adress and meet you there!"

Maka sighed, what had she gotten herself into?

Kid tapped his foot impatiently, "Where is she? We agreed upon eight o'clock"

Maka rubbed her eyes as she walked up to Kid, "Are you sure this is the place? This looks like an abandoned house"

Kid looked at the piece of paper in his hand, "Acording to a reliable source, this is the place, but I am starting to have doubts myself… why are you dressed like you just got back from running a marathon?"

Maka looked down at her sweatpants and hoodie, "You said to make it hard to get close to guys, so I did"

Kid held his nose, "You might have overdone it, I can tell you ran here without asking"

Maka looked at the door, "So, I just go inside?"

"Yes, they should be waiting for customers inside"

She sighed, "Fine", and pushed the door open, revealing a bright, lovely light. Though the outside may have been dusty and faded, the inside was anything but, from the spotless floors to the polished wood furniture, it was beautiful. The sight was enhanced by the presence of several people, each of them entirely different from the next, some were normal, some looked strange, but no matter where you looked the girls were smiling and laughing. It was as if each boy had been placed where he made the girls he was with happiest, wether they were talking sweetly or playing around, there wasn't a frown to be found.

She was marveling as she saw a towel held out by a hand, "Here, it looks like you had a long trip here"

Maka looked to see the owner of the hand was a tall, kind-faced man with black hair and brown eyes, "What is this?"

"This is the Venus café, made to bring women happiness and encourage the wonder that is love, please, make yourself at home. Sit wherever you like, and if you need anything, just ask, I'll be there in no time"

Maka looked around, she couldn't fathom how or why a place like this had been made, so she just wandered around for a while, listening to the conversations and trying to decide where she should start. After a long and exasperating look, she decided to sit at an empty table and started reading. She didn't get far before a shadow started covering her words.

Maka turned to see a handsome boy with beautiful, blonde hair and deep blue eyes staring at her book, "Oh, sorry, I just haven't gotten the chance to read that book yet, and I couldn't help myself"

Maka sighed, "Listen, I'm here to see the leader of this… café or whatever, so unless your him, could you please leave me alone?"

"You really like that book, huh?"

"Yes, it's a good book, now please, go away"

"Why? You're not reading it seriously, of you were, you'd have finished it by now. There are a couple marks from where the book had been held, so it isn't new, yet you seem to like it and haven't finished it. You must be too busy thinking about someone"

"What? No"

The boy smiled, "Come on, I can tell you've got someone on your mind"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I like to make people happy, that's why I'm here. You look like you could be happy, yet there's something about the way you look at the book, the way your eyes hesitate at random, and not for the words on the paper. If ever I've seen a distracted girl, who hid herself away in a book, albeit at good one, then that would be you. So tell me, why are they on your mind?"

Maka fidgeted, what was it about this guy that made he want to spill her guts? Whatever it was, it worked, "It's my partner, I'm worried that he's gonna freak himself out and hurt himself trying to make sure I don't get hurt"

The blonde boy smiled, "Ha ha ha ha! Wow, he must really care about you, to worry himself into trouble. Listen, if he's so tense that he can't move, then you need to coax him out of his shell. Don't ask him how he feels, tell him how you feel, in all honesty, then wait for him to tell you. So, how do you feel about him?"

"… If you're looking for a date, I'm not interested"

"Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! I'm sorry, I don't mean any disrespect, but I don't think I could date you"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I love whole-heartedly and don't give up on it, it's the reason I started this café. 'To let all your heart pour out over a warm cup of tea', that's what I said when I started it all. What about you? You seem more the type to hold your heart near, and only share it with people that are special to you"

"I can't tell if you're insulting me or praising me anymore"

"Insults are the tools of idiots determined to bring the more intelligent people down to their level. Additionally, I could never insult a woman, it would be a strike against my heart, because all women are beautiful, in some way or another, and to hurt them would be a sin"

"Do you try to sweet-talk every girl you meet with a line like that?"

"You really think I'm nothing more than a dog, hellbent on chasing skirts, don't you?"

"Why else would you build a café like this?"

"Because this organization is purely a charity-oriented one, and all of the proceeds go to people I can relate with"

"Who?"

"Orphans, the blind, and the workers here"

"This place is a charity for the blind?"

"Partially, yes"

"Still, aren't there better ways to hold a charity?"

"No, of everything I've tried, this has been the most successful and if I can do my best, I will. Besides, I wouldn't be here to chase tail if I was paid to"

"Why not?"

"I have someone special"

"Do they know about this place?"

He was about to answer that question when Kid burst through the doors, "Did you find him, Maka?", Kid found her table and looked at the blonde boy, "Well done, Maka"

The blonde boy held his hands up, "Hold up, wait, I'm not doing anything wrong"

Kid smiled, "I'm aware, I came her to ask you for your expertise in a certain area"

The blonde boy turned to walk away, "Sorry, but I'm not-", he stopped halfway, realizing that something had fallen out of his pocket. He dove to grab it, but he was too slow, Maka had taken in her hands and discover that it was a blue dog collar, with a yellow pendant on it, which read 'Dotew'.