Roadshow
Chapter 10:
Tush
"Yes, I would like to order a group ticket package of nine," said Sawako Yamanaka to one of the people inside the box office.
"Nine tickets for 'Love', is that correct?" she replied.
"Yes."
"We'll give you Section 209, Row N, Seats 13-21, is that good?"
"Sure thing."
"That will be $1,287.00, please."
Sawako forked over the cash. "Here you go."
"Thank you and here are your tickets," she said, handing over the tickets to the teacher. "Enjoy the show."
"Thank you." As she left the ticket office, Sawako's stomach was still growling. "Patience, my hungry heart." She looked around, and decided to head off to the Cravings buffet. "Maybe our dinner is going to be light today."
"I said Lord, take me downtown, I'm just looking for some tush," Ritsu sang as the two of them savored the view from the Eiffel Tower at Paris Las Vegas. Mio was busy taking more photos with her camera. "Eh Mio, are you taking shots?"
"More photos mean more memories immortalized, Ritsu." Snap. Another snap. Another snap.
"Don't run out of film this early in our trip, Mio."
"It's a digital camera. There are thousands of shots available."
"I was just being honest, that's all." Ritsu continued to fawn at the hotels below her, the people and cars below her. "Vegas gets better and better with each passing day."
"Yeah, it sure does." A few more snaps.
"Mio, you done taking those damn panoramic shots."
"I'll be finished right about...now."
"Great. Let's take a picture of the two of us atop this thing."
"Good idea." One more hotel for those two to visit before they rendezvoused at the Mirage and that was the Bellagio.
"I've never eaten a hot dog in my life," Tsumugi Kotobuki said, looking at the chili cheese dog she purchased with a sparkle in her eye. It was the largest size available, too. "This looks so yummy!"
"That's because it is," Jun Suzuki replied. "Go ahead, try it." Nodoka Manabe was still reading her book on tifosi.
She took a big bite, and her face sparkled. "Mmmmm! This is so delicious! The perfect balance of chili, cheese and hot dog on bread! It's like heaven!"
"You're giving it a bit too much praise, Mugi-sempai," she rebuffed, snacking on hers. "It's just lunch. Aside from that, hey, I wanted to buy that black cardigan at Louis Vuitton. That looked so totally awesome. You think we have time to go back?"
Mugi looked at her watch. "We have exactly three hours to do more shopping before we have to meet Miss Sawako at the volcano. So I believe we do."
"Hooray!" Jun exclaimed, punching the air. "That cardigan is mine!"
"Very fired up," Nodoka said, watching Jun dance around silly.
"Oh Mr. Hot Dog," Tsumugi cooed, "why do you have to taste so delicious? It's not fair..."
She closed her eyes, lost in thought. "I wonder how the others are doing?"
"I just realized that this place is hotter than Tokyo at its worst," Ritsu said to Mio as they entered the Bellagio for a stroll.
"Why do you say that?"
"It's hotter when the air is dry and dusty like it is here in Vegas. And all the cigarette smoke, too..."
"I don't like cigarette smoke. In fact, I believe that none of us should ever consider lighting anything up. Casual wine or spirits...maybe we'll allow something, but you will never see me smoke a cigar, pipe or cigarette."
"Me neither." The two of them took a seat inside the Conservatory and Botanical Gardens of the Bellagio to relax. "Hey Mio."
"What?"
"Who do you like more...Peach or Daisy?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"Just because," she said with a Gallic shrug.
"Well, I like Peach because she has grace, dignity and..." Her speech dwindled to a whisper. "...has a nice rack..."
"Huh? That's it? Are you serious, Mio?" she exclaimed with a laugh. "So let me get this straight: you like Peach because of her boobs. Do you envy them?"
"What? Are you out of your mind? I like Peach because...she looks cute...and I like pink..." Mio's face turned into a rose. "Anyway, quit asking stupid questions!" Up came a headbump.
"I like Daisy because both of us are on the same wavelength when it comes to taking risks. She likes messing around with people the same way I do."
"So, by that same token, you are a fan of Luigi?"
"Yeah, but Daisy was at one time Mario's lover. Now it's your girl, Peach. I think I'll go ahead and ask the others who they prefer between the two. That's one vote for Peach, one vote for Daisy." Silence for a few minutes. "Hey, Mio."
"Ritsu?"
"Do you think we would make a good couple?"
"Why do you ask that?"
"Because we can have kids."
Mio's face was a tomato. "How can we? We're girls! Are you crazy?"
"I'll have Satoshi do the honors."
"But our child would not be yours, though. It would be mine's and Satoshi's."
"There really isn't any other option, Mio. What are we going to do, adopt a baby? I don't think so."
"But..."
"Mio. We can do this. And I'll convince Satoshi and let him know about the plan. We're not going to do it now, duh; it's just going to be something to consider down the road." She stopped and smelled the roses. "Shall we continue to take a stroll before meeting up with Sawa-chan, Princess?"
"Let's do it. Oh, and stop calling me that. I'm Mio, not Princess Mako."
"Heh, heh, heh."
"Hey Ui, what were you doing over there while we were busy?" Yui Hirasawa asked her sister Ui as she, her and Azusa Nakano left the ladies room at the McDonalds before walking to the bus stop.
"Oh, nothing fancy, onee-chan; I just had to give both of you your privacy, that's all."
"You sick fucks, my life is ruined forever because of you!" roared the now-disgraced photographer to the three of them before being driven off to a nearby police station.
"Enjoy your life in prison! Bye-bye, pedo!"
"Huh? What's going on here? Did I miss some action?" Azusa asked, blinking a few times.
Ui smirked. "Yeah, that's about it. But don't worry about it."
"You should be a bodyguard, Ui," Yui suggested.
"But aren't I already one?"
"No, like a paid bodyguard, like those folks from the nightclubs or something."
"Sempai, what kind of crazed thinking is that?" Azusa deadpanned.
"Eheheheheh..." The three of them took stock in all the different sights and sounds of the Strip as they continued to walk towards the Mirage. "Hey, you guys."
"What is it, onee-chan?" Ui asked.
"Do you believe in an omniscient being?"
"Of course we do."
Azusa was suspicious. "Sempai, why do you ask such an obvious question?"
"There was this one story I read last month about a girl who was reluctant to be a Puella Magi and fight off these Witches. One by one, she saw her friends go, and I think Mugi-chan's dream was a part of it."
She raised an eyebrow. "Didn't we talk about this earlier, Sempai?"
"But there's more to this whole thing. See, the protagonist was struggling to make a decision. But when the Walpurgisnacht was coming around the corner, and her best friend was about to end her life, she..."
High above the Wynn Tower, a young woman watched from afar with her long, pink locks flowing with the breeze. She donned a long pink and white outfit to go with white ribbons on her twintails, long white gloves and pink stockings, white high-heels with wings, and a white choker with a red jewel. Her golden eyes scanned the masses below for a person evoking her name.
She found a few girls in soccer kits walking towards the Mirage, and focused her eyes on the one with the Manchester United kit on. She shot an arrow of light across the sky, said a prayer, and then smiled before vanishing into thin air.
"...and that's how the story went. She became an omniscient being, a goddess, someone remembered by only one person, and that person fights for her every day, because she would have wanted it that way," Yui said.
"Amazing story," Azusa remarked. "And what's that thing on your head? Is that a red ribbon or something?"
Ui giggled. "Onee-chan, it looks cute on you. I have a mirror, if you want it. Here."
Yui was shell-shocked. "Whoa, this is the ribbon I talked about earlier! I'm not kidding. The omniscient being must have done this to me!"
"But where could she be, Yui-sempai?" Azusa asked.
"Onee-chan, I don't see her anywhere."
Yui pouted. "Guys, she is a goddess. She exists only when people believe in her."
"So, you do?" Azusa asked.
"Yeah, pretty much. I'm fine if you and Ui don't, Azunyan. Although...you won't get the ribbons if you don't believe in her. Oh, how I wish I can see her face once again!"
"You can. I'm right here," a voice said.
"Who could that be?" Azusa asked.
Ui had a feeling. "Could it be...?"
"Hello, ladies," the woman said, reappearing in front of them. "My name is Madoka Kaname. It's a pleasure to meet you."
Azusa was speechless. "Oh my God, she looks awesome!"
"Onee-chan, this must be the person you were talking about," Ui said her older sister.
Yui was in tears and sniffled a bit. "Madoka? Oh my Goddess..." She rushed to embrace her. "MADOKA!" Her cries became laughter.
"It seems that Homura-chan is not the only one who believes in me," Madoka hesitantly chuckled, petting her head. "And your name is?"
"I'm Yui Hirasawa, the guitarist for Hokago Tea Time! Madoka-chan, you're like a hero to me! You are totally awesome in every way! I'm one of your biggest devotees!"
"I notice that there are some friends with you, Yui-chan."
"Miss Madoka, my name is Azusa Nakano, a fellow guitarist for Hokago Tea Time, and this is Yui-sempai's sister Ui," Azusa said.
"A pleasure to meet you, Goddess Madoka," Ui said with a bow.
"Madoka will do," she replied. "I'm not too much into formalities."
"Anyway, why are you here in Las Vegas?" Azusa asked while Yui still weeping sheer tears of joy that stained on to Madoka's garments. "Have you decided to take a break from somewhere out there or something?"
"I felt that visiting every now and then the world I watch over would do me good," she replied as the four of them walked down the Strip.
"Even deities need to have their down time," Ui said to herself.
Azusa frowned. "But you didn't answer my question. Why Las Vegas?"
"Because...to be quite honest with you, I haven't seen this city before."
"Of course we haven't, either, but that's beside the point," Azusa said to Ui as an aside.
"Glorious, perfect weather for a stroll, perfect weather to fill your lungs with air," Yui sang, skipping along. "The alarm clock went off an hour early so there's a little time to go out..."
"Yui-chan, that's a wonderful song," Madoka said. "You've got a very nice voice."
"Eheheheheheh..."
"In our band, onee-chan is the lead vocalist along with Mio-sempai," Ui added.
"So you're part of it?" Madoka asked.
"No, I'm just one of their roadies."
"And from my understand, a roadie is one of those people that travels with the band as a loyal supporter, right?"
"Pretty much. Actually, in this case, we're also students at our school, so the whole school can be considered a bunch of roadies."
"I see." Madoka looked around, seeing the masses converse with one another as she walked with Yui, Ui and Azusa. "I love the energy that comes out of a place like this. There's always something to do, isn't there?"
"It's Las Vegas, Madoka," Azusa said. "Obviously you can never leave this place bored."
"We're planning to see a show later tonight at the Mirage," Yui said. "Love, featuring music from the Beatles!"
"Before I made the decision to be a Puella Magi, I was a fan of The Beatles," Madoka said. "I still am, though I can't listen to music that much due to my role watching over everyone I love."
"Hey Madoka," Yui asked.
"Hmmm?"
"Do you have any regrets about the choice you made? I mean, you could still be enjoying life as a human, you know, seeing the world and all that."
"I made the decision to forge that contract with Kyubey because I wanted to destroy the evils that had ended the lives of so many Puella Magi before me. I had succeeded in fulfilling this mission, and I had given my initial ribbon to Homura-chan as a symbol of gratitude for her support and friendship."
"Do you think she has a dirty mind whenever she thinks of you?" Azusa asked. "Because I know that someone that close would definitely have some interesting thoughts about you."
"Homura-chan admitted to that type of stuff, but she didn't do it to be malicious or anything. She loved me so much, and protected me so much...that I had to find some way to repay her. I had to save her, too. I had to save everyone."
"Ahhhh."
"Then after a while, I decided to take a look at some of the places around the world, and when I came here, my ears mentioned my story and how I got to where I am now. I never imagined that there would be more than one person who believed that I existed. In fact, I am glad that this is true."
Yui blushed, a little bit embarrassed. "Good to hear, I guess."
"Yui-chan."
"Eh?"
"You and Azusa-chan are musicians with enormous potential to do great things. You can only get better from here. Don't let anyone put you down or convince you otherwise."
"Thank you, Madoka-chan. We will dedicate the music we play to you."
"And don't forget that always somewhere, someone is fighting for you. As long as you remember her, you're not alone."
"Amen," the others said.
"We'll keep you in mind," Ui said.
"Always," Azusa added.
"Well then, I'll be on my way," Madoka said. "Good luck with the concert and take care of yourselves, Hokago Tea Time."
The three of them watched Madoka ascend to her rightful place in the heavens once more. Yui smiled, the tears still flowing a little.
"Shall we go?" Yui asked.
"Let's do it, onee-chan."
"Sempai, let's not waste any more time," said Azusa. "We got a show to watch."
Yui chuckled. "By the way, take a look at yourselves in the mirror."
"Oh my," Ui whispered.
"I guess this looks good on me," Azusa remarked. They both were donning the same ribbon Yui was wearing. "Que sera, sera." With a flip of her hair, Azusa nodded her head as they continued the walk south.
"Hey Mugi," Jun grunted, "question. Why are you making me carry all the bags?"
"Because you're an underclassman and me and Nodoka-chan are upperclassmen."
"Ehhh? That's not fair! I don't want to go through this! You carry some of these bags!"
"I'll take some," Nodoka said, grabbing some bags. "We sure bought a lot of clothes."
"Nodoka...you are love," Jun sniffled.
"The annoying thing about all this is that we have to bring this with us when we watch that show."
"We won't have a long ways to walk," Tsumugi said. "The bus should be outside after the show is over."
"Ahhh." Jun's stomach started to growl again. Nodoka started to grown. "Again, Jun?"
"I can deal with it until we head back to the Mirage to meet with the others."
"You sure? We can always go back to Ben and Jerry's," Mugi suggested.
"Positive. I'll be all right."
"If you say so, Jun," Nodoka said with a frown. "But don't come crying for a doctor when we get to the Mirage!"
"No worries. In terms of medicine," Jun explained as the three of them walked past hordes of people with the bags in their hands, "all you need is love!"
"Back from your Strip tour?" asked Miss Sawako with a triumphant grin to Mio and Ritsu, the first of the girls to report back to the teacher.
"We are back. This place has some awesome food to go with awesome views, Miss Sawako," Mio said, captive.
Ritsu elbowed her a little. "Mio and I got to the top of the Eiffel Tower—the replica of it, that is."
"And after we had lunch and got a good view, we stopped by the Bellagio to take a look at some flowers."
"Fascinating," Sawako mused.
"Question, Sawa-chan," Ritsu asked. "Do you prefer Peach or Daisy?"
"Neither. Rosalina for me. She's more my type."
A pout from the drummer. "Spoilsport, thy name is Sawa-chan! You are no fun!"
"I prefer women who sound like they would make nice mothers because I want to have my own family one day," Sawako rebutted, her arms crossed.
"Isn't Peach an example of that, too?" Mio said softly.
"Nah, she's just a damsel in distress wearing pink."
"I want to hide under a rock."
Ritsu noticed a few girls carry loads of bags. "Hey Mio, there's Mugi, Jun and Nodoka. Hey you guys!"
"Well, well, well," Sawako smirked, "if it isn't the shop-till-you-drop crew."
Mio couldn't believe it. "Jesus H. Christ, how much did you friggin' buy?"
"A lot," Jun deadpanned.
"So many awesome-looking clothes, I couldn't resist," Tsumugi giggled.
"Mugi was very insistent and chose to buy all of us some new clothes," Nodoka added. "I'm starting to sweat a little."
"You're going to have to carry them when you head inside the arena, guys," Sawako frowned. "Don't lose them."
"We won't," the three of them said.
"Can I see some of the clothes?" Ritsu asked.
"No, Ritsu," Mio responded sternly. "We'll wait till we return to the Hefner SkyVilla."
"Booooo. That's just wrong."
"Good things come to those who wait, Ricchan," Mugi added with a wink.
"Says the baka gaijin who chose to shop till she dropped!" The others got a laugh from it.
"We're back," Yui said to the others, walking with Azusa and Ui.
"Hello, Yui. What's shaking?"
"Everything. And we're not in Japan."
"Obviously."
"We're back, you guys," Ui said with a wave.
Mio returned a nod. "Nice to see you with us."
"You won't believe this everyone," Azusa bubbled, "but Ui kicked the ass of a perverted photographer a few hours ago. He ended up getting arrested and is now in jail."
"No way!" Ritsu exclaimed.
"Are you serious?" Sawako wondered, an eyebrow raised in bemusement.
Ui flipped her ponytail. "Onee-chan and Azusa-chan deserve to have their privacy, even if it's in the open. So I had to make sure of it."
A collective "Ohhhhh" could be heard from those who weren't there as it happened.
"You didn't break any of his bones, did you?" Ritsu whispered as an aside.
"Don't know if I did, but I sure shattered his perversion." Around Ui, the girls broke into laughter.
"Ui, that brought a tear to my eye," Yui said.
"Glad to see everyone is here and ready to watch some Cirque du Soleil," Sawako said. "But first, let's eat. Let's go to B.B. King's Blues Club for some grub, shall we?"
"Yeah!" they all said.
"Bring everything with you, let's go."
It seemed as if the B.B. King All-Star Band, the house band at the restaurant, knew of their arrival. Whether it was a coincidence, or sheer knowledge through word of mouth, all the people at the Blues Club knew that Hokago Tea Time was coming.
"And ladies and gentlemen, here inside our wonderful club tonight are some wonderful women from Japan," said the lead singer and guitarist of the house band. "As they get their grub on tonight before perhaps watching a show here at the Mirage, give it up for Hokago Tea Time!"
"How the hell did they know we were coming here?" Mio asked the others, stupefied as the people at the other tables were engrossed in rapturous applause.
"Doesn't matter, we were going to be found out, one way or another," Ritsu said.
Yui munched her oversized burger as the others got their portions. "This burger is delicious. Not as good as Ui's, but close."
"Onee-chan, quit teasing me," Ui complained.
"Mou..."
"Can we have one of the members come up here to maybe sing a song with us?" asked another musician from the house band playing a cowbell.
"Azunyan, go up there!" Yui said, pointing to the stage as Sawako dined on her pasta.
"But Sempai, I haven't even touched my salad."
"Just GO!"
Mugi took a sip of Diet Coke while savoring the scents of the scene. "You can do it, Azusa-chan."
"Go get 'em, Azusa," Mio said.
"We're with you all the way!" they chorused.
Azusa gave up. "Fine, I'll do it!" she shot back, annoyed as she walked over to the stage.
"Here's one of the members of the band," said the lead singer. "What's your name?"
"Good evening," Azusa said in a shy tone. "My name is Azusa Nakano, I'm a guitarist for the band Hokago Tea Time. It's a pleasure to meet you all."
"You look cute!" said a guy in his 30's, raising a beer. "I want my daughter to grow up like you!"
Azusa blushed madly. "I would love to see her try!" The man clinked glasses with his friends as they took a collective swill.
"Anyway, did you want to go ahead and sing a little song with us?"
"Um...well..."
"You should also play while you're at it. Here you go."
"Wow...thanks a lot. Well, I'll give it my best shot. You heard of 'Layla' by Derek and the Dominoes, a.k.a. Eric Clapton?" The crowd roared. "All right, here it goes." A few signature notes, and everyone was clapping to the beat and Azusa guitaring as she sang.
"What'll you do when you get lonely
And nobody's waiting by your side?
You've been running and hiding much too long.
You know it's just your foolish pride.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
I tried to give you consolation
When your old man had let you down.
Like a fool, I fell in love with you,
Turned my whole world upside down.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
Let's make the best of the situation
Before I finally go insane.
Please don't say we'll never find a way
And tell me all my love's in vain.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind.
Layla, you've got me on my knees.
Layla, I'm begging, darling please.
Layla, darling won't you ease my worried mind?"
When the song had ended, the crowd stood as one and applauded. They were treated to some of Azusa's polished tapping, speed picking and soulful playing. And at the end, she finished it off with a little bluesy outro. It was as if every member in the audience had spent their lifetime playing with the most beautiful house cat imaginable, a cat that wanted, more than anything, to play with them as well. And play it did. That cat was Azusa Nakano.
"It is official: this girl just might be better than Clapton himself, and that is saying. Everybody, let's give it up one more time for Azusa Nakano of Hokago Tea Time!" said the lead musician of the house band. "They will be performing this Friday at Sam Boyd Stadium! Wish them well! We'll take a short break, then we'll be back for some more music. Thank you!"
"Azunyan!" exclaimed Yui, glomping and petting her on the way back with a kiss. "That was wonderful! You're more than ready to rock the place on Friday!"
"Good job," Mio said.
"I knew you'd pull through," Ritsu grinned.
"Beautiful," Tsumugi remarked.
"Way to go, Azusa-chan," Ui said.
"Typical Azusa," Jun smirked.
"We never expected anything less from you," Nodoka said, adjusting her frames as Sawako simply nodded in victory.
"You guys..." Azusa's eyes jiggled a little, drinking in the accolades. "I think I need some improvement in some areas, but I'm getting there."
The others nearly fell over, as if she really needed to polish what was an otherwise extra-polished performance.
"Killed the mood," Mio deadpanned.
"Azunyan, you're expecting too much from yourself; slow down," Yui warned as she worked on her banana bread pudding.
"Finish your salad, too," Ritsu added, pointing to the barely touched chicken salad waiting to be devoured.
"Was it something I said?" Azusa wondered as she quickly scarfed off her plate.
"Just under 200," Sawako said, looking at the bill. "Yo, keep the change," she said to the waiter.
"But this is a lot," he complained.
"Do you want to survive in this city? Keep it!"
"Yes, ma'am!" And he was off.
"Just a little more than an hour till the show begins," Sawako said, looking at her watch. "Azusa-chan, you sure are fast finishing that down."
"My stomach was growling while playing. And we have a show to watch. I'm not going to miss this," Azusa said, burping a little. "Excuse me."
"Beatles time draws near, ladies," Ritsu said. "Let's go!"
"Right!" they all said.
"Wow, this stage is beautiful," Yui said as the girls took their seats. "Good view of everything, too."
"I know this is going to be a fantastic show," Jun added.
"Why is it that I can visualize all that's going to happen when I don't know what's going to happen?" Mio asked Ritsu.
"Why do you say that?"
"I mean, I know that this is Cirque du Soleil's interpretation of the Beatles' music, but it seems a bit predictable to me. As if I already know what's going to happen."
Ritsu didn't look impressed. "You don't."
"Maybe this could be an inspiration for the class play later this year," Sawako thought, stroking her chin. "Guess I'll have to study and pay close attention to everything."
"With all the people knowing we're here," Yui wondered, "do you think this is Cirque du Soleil's way of welcoming us to Las Vegas?"
"They perform these shows for everyone that pays up, Sempai," Azusa said. "It's not just for us."
"Ehhhhh?"
"Yui, do yourself a favor, sit back, relax and enjoy the show," Nodoka said.
"Nodoka...chan..." Yui slunk back into her seat, a defeated woman.
"Onee-chan, it's all right; I'm here," Ui said, comforting her.
"Ui...it's not fair..." she sniffled.
"Oh, for crying out loud," Ritsu muttered, a palm to her face.
The lights went down. "I think the show is about to begin," Tsumugi said, hushing the others.
The strains of the first act, "Because," resonated throughout the arena.
Because the world is round it turns me on
Because the world is round...aaaaaahhhhhh
Because the wind is high it blows my mind
Because the wind is high...aaaaaaaahhhh
Love is old, love is new
Love is all, love is you
Because the sky is blue, it makes me cry
Because the sky is blue...
Yui slowly closed her eyes, and let out a deep sigh and a smile as she released. The girls of Hokago Tea Time were then thrust into a rich musical dream that they would not awaken from for quite some time...
END CHAPTER 10