Nyx eyed the screen intently, opting for less of a determined gamer-like look and more of a cold icy glare. Oh man… even if you stare at it, the glass isn't going to crack if that's what she's going for…

If she is, which I whole heartedly hoped she wasn't, then I'll have another thing to explain to her. Just great…

Looking over the other side of the cabinets, Junpei had an obscenely focused expression on his face. He did not look like he wanted to lose at all. Well, he did just lose once to me and if he somehow loses this fight I'm never going to let him live it down and he would still have to deal with the terror of losing to a complete noob.

The bell and announcer sounded the beginning of the fight, and I had noticed that Nyx had picked Juri while Junpei had picked Ken Masters. Huh. Why did Nyx pick Juri? She's pretty difficult to use without getting some practice in. But… I guess she wouldn't really know that.

Surprisingly, Nyx was able to make some decent combos and seemed to be getting the hang of it quickly. Was she really watching how I made my moves that carefully before? However, Junpei was still going strong. He was after all, the more experienced player out of the two.

Nyx seemed to be watching Junpei's moves intently. She seems to have a sharp eye…

Junpei, I couldn't really see but he still was putting up a fight.

Suddenly, the bell sounded again. I looked over both health meters and…

Holy. Damn.

"Argh! I was about to put that fool in his place!" Nyx cursed before angrily going through the rest of the animations.

"What…?" Junpei seemed to be at a loss for words as he stood up. "How was she able to use Juri and almost win, when she's a complete noo-"

"Junpei, I think it would be best for you not to finish that sentence," I sighed, indicating Nyx's soul piercing gaze.

Junpei flinched and immediately shut up. Wow. Nyx shut Junpei up faster than Mitsuru does when she's having a bad day. That is fast. Speaking of, Nyx also seems to be good at putting people in their places…

"What were you going to say, fool?" she snapped. Nyx's even more condescending when it's not me, and I thought she was pretty condescending already.

"N-Nothing!" Junpei yelped, trying to cover up what he was going to say. "I swear!"

"That's what I thought," Nyx finally relented. Though, that didn't stop her from glaring at Junpei all the while we were exiting the arcade. Okay, not so. "Next time this won't end in just a lowly draw…" she said with a low voice. It was the kind that sent shivers down the spines of the target. Thankfully I wasn't.

Junpei backed away in fear, bumping into…

"Hey, watch where you're going Junpei…" the irritated voice said.

"Oh! Kanashi!" Junpei rubbed the back of his head as he backed off from him.

"Yeah, yeah, it's me," Kanashi sighed. "What're you guys doing here though?"

I could ask him the same, but I doubt anyone would be able to answer that. Kanashi had a look on him that was saying, 'what is with my luck?' Hm, I can't blame him. Though, I can't help but feel that there is some greater force at work here…

Maybe that's just me being weird though.

"I was just showing Nyx around Paulownia mall," I replied simply.

"Huh. What about you Junpei?" Kanashi asked with a less than amused expression on his face.

"I was just hanging out at the arcade, and I met these guys there," Junpei scowled. Still sore about that draw huh? With a complete noob. That's gotta be some salt rubbed into an already grisly wound.

Kanashi gave me another look. Particularly a more curious one. "He got into a draw with Nyx in Street Fighter IV… when she had no experience with any of those games and was using Juri for the first time," I whispered to him.

He looked to Nyx, then back at me. Lastly was an almost pathetic look for Junpei. "I see…" Kanashi said slowly.

"Minato…" Nyx said slowly, trying to keep the venom from her earlier draw from her voice. At least, that's what I hoped was happening. Might've been condescending again and I wouldn't have known it.

"What's up?" I asked, eyeing her blank expression, although there was a slight frown.

"We have a group," Nyx said simply with a deadpan.

…oh. I didn't think she would remember that. I was almost hoping that she wouldn't anyways.

"Well… I guess I could ask," I sighed.

"Hm?" Kanashi asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I kinda promised Nyx that I'd take her to Mandragora if I got a big enough group of people with me," I explained. "Seeing as you're now here she brought it up."

"You mean the karaoke place?" he asked, pointing to the building up the stairs. "But…"

Kanashi wasn't able to finish his sentence as he flinched and quickly changed what I thought he was about to say. "Ah, sure I'll come…?" he smiled nervously. "I can't sing for shit though…"

I looked over at Nyx who now had a strangely satisfied expression on her face. That glare of hers worked even on Kanashi, didn't it? Damn…

"It's okay. If Junpei comes then you won't be alone," I smiled a little.

When I looked over at Junpei he seemed to be strangely compliant to what I said, having a goofy grin on his face that wasn't there before. Next I gazed at Nyx, who had a slight smirk. Double dayum Nyx, your glares are vicious!

"I guess we're all going huh?" Kanashi rubbed the back of his head.

"I suppose so," I nodded. "Come on Junpei, Nyx."

Junpei smiled that silly grin of his while Nyx nodded quietly.

With that, we made our ways to a vacated booth.

"So… who wants to go first?" I asked with a nonchalant tone. Well, I was happy enough to be going with Junpei and Kanashi but I still would've rather had more people like Yukari and Fuuka with me.

"I'll go!" Junpei called with a determined tone.

Kanashi didn't seem to have any objections, and I didn't really care who went first as long as it wasn't me. Nyx… she seemed to have an even bigger smirk than before. Oh man… what did Nyx do to him to get him that excited?

Once Junpei started singing…

I covered my ears. Geez, he's crap at singing…

I could see Nyx stifling some chuckles.

Kanashi… "My ears are bleeding…" he muttered before trying to fathom how someone could possibly sound so bad, and be even worse at singing.

Put it simply, Junpei sounded like he was dying and the scores reflected that. Haha, a twenty out of a hundred.

Nyx smiled triumphantly for a split second, however when I turned to her it was already gone. Sneaky.

"Yeah, yeah rub it in guys!" Junpei said with an indignant tone as he heard Kanashi's comment and saw Nyx's sneer. Me, I'm blank as I ever am.

"Well… that makes me feel a bit better about myself," Kanashi sighed, getting up. "Do they have English songs? I can't exactly sing in Japanese that well."

"Think they do," I answered. That is right, Kanashi only came here recently. Next question would be asking why he has a Japanese name instead of an English one if he's from America.

"Well, that works out," he smiled a little before picking the next song.

Once he started singing… well it wasn't that bad compared to Junpei. Thank Thanatos. I don't know whether I'd be able to stand a Junpei version two.

But in the end he still got something like fifty out of a hundred. Not bad, but not good either.

"Hm, not bad Kanashi," I commented.

"Yeah, but… I'm surprised it even went that well. Music is not my forte," he sighed. Says he who just used a musical pun in his own sentence.

Junpei wailed in distress. "Aw man, noooooo!" he cried. Overdramatic much?

"Hmph. Let me show you fools how to really sing," Nyx smirked at Junpei.

"Okay, this one I haven't heard before…" I muttered.

Kanashi looked on with an interested expression before he sat down.

Nyx took the microphone and then…

Haha! Romeo and Juliet! I had to resist bursting out in laughter, but somehow I managed to stop myself before she started singing. It was mostly her singing that shut me up.

"Whoa…" Kanashi gazed in awe as Nyx was able to sing every note in key and on each beat of the song.

"Aaaaaand more salt," Junpei whimpered as the song finished.

By the end she had a score over ninety. Not bad at all. Hell, it was good.

"You're pretty good," Kanashi nodded at Nyx.

Nyx's smirk disappeared and formed that ever present deadpan expression of hers. "Hm. If you think so," she shrugged.

"Alright, Minato. You're up," Kanashi announced.

Oh yeah. Me.

"Sure, sure…" I sighed, picking up the microphone.

Getting psyched up, I chose the song and off the melody went. "The mystery of death before us…"

…

"So… how'd I do?" I asked absentmindedly as the numbers rolled.

"Whoa dude… You're really, really good…" Kanashi seemed at a loss for words as the numbers called for a hundred.

"Yeah, but Minato's always been good at this kinda thing…" Junpei said. "He can even play the guitar, piano and… what was the last one?"

"The lyre Junpei… The lyre…" I sighed.

Nyx seemed to have an awestruck expression on her face but it slowly faded. Hm…

"You really remind me of someone…" Nyx mumbled.

"Like who?" I asked.

"Like Orpheus," she answered simply.

AN: Okay, these should be coming out a lot more often since well… my first fic has actually been completed. Expect more updates of DoD! =D

Haha, I doubt anyone would be able to guess what song Minato was singing. It's called The Last Amazing Grays by Sonata Arctica.

Anyways, hope you liked Nyx's powning of Junpei. =P

Please review, I'd appreciate it!