The grand hall of Bienfu's game show set was adorned with flashy lights, gaudy decorations, and an array of colorful props, all to set the stage for what he dubbed "Bienfu's Spectacular Challenge." The participants—Velvet Crowe, Laphicet (Phi), Eizen, Magilou, Eleanor, and Rokurou—stood in a line, each wearing expressions that ranged from skepticism to outright annoyance.
Bienfu, with a mischievous grin plastered across his face, hovered before them, reveling in the control he seemed to have. Magilou, however, was fuming. Her little companion had never dared to upstage her before.
"Bienfu, what do you think you're doing?" Magilou snapped, her eyes blazing with anger. "This is my territory!"
But before she could continue her tirade, Bienfu snapped his fingers, and a strip of magical tape zipped across her mouth, silencing her. Her eyes widened in outrage, and she struggled against the restraint, but it held firm.
The rest of the group exchanged uneasy glances. Bienfu had always seemed like a bumbling sidekick, but this display of power was unsettling.
"Now, now, everyone," Bienfu said with a sinister chuckle, "it's time for the first round of Bienfu's Spectacular Challenge! Let's see who among you can follow the rules... or face the consequences!"
A mysterious box floated in front of Velvet. It was ornate and slightly ominous, hovering just at eye level.
"Velvet," Bienfu said, his voice dripping with false sweetness, "why don't you be a dear and draw the first request?"
Velvet crossed her arms defiantly. "I'm not doing anything you say, Bienfu. This is ridiculous."
With a snap of his fingers, or uh, claps, Bienfu transformed Velvet's hair into twin tails, making her look uncharacteristically cute. The others couldn't help but stifle their snickers, though they all knew better than to outright laugh at Velvet.
"Do it, or you'll find yourself in something far less dignified," Bienfu threatened, conjuring an image of a revealing outfit that made Velvet's blood boil.
Gritting her teeth, Velvet reached into the box and pulled out a piece of paper. She unfolded it and read the request aloud, her cheeks turning a deep shade of red. "Kiss a member of the group."
The room went silent. Velvet's eyes darted to each of her companions, who were all equally taken aback.
"No way," she growled, crumpling the paper in her hand. "I'm not doing that."
Bienfu wagged his paw, tutting. "Ah-ah, Velvet. If you don't, you'll have to wear this!" The image of the revealing outfit reappeared, floating next to Bienfu's head.
Velvet growled, her anger barely contained. She glanced at Laphicet, who gave her an innocent, encouraging smile. Sighing deeply, she leaned down and gave Phi a quick peck on the forehead.
As soon as she did, a chorus of boos erupted from seemingly nowhere. Velvet looked around, confused and irritated.
"Well, that was a weak attempt," Bienfu said, clearly unimpressed. "You cheated around the rules."
Velvet smirked defiantly. "Maybe you should be more specific next time."
Before Bienfu could respond, Magilou finally managed to rip the tape off her mouth. "Bienfu, you little—"
Her words were cut off as the tape magically reappeared, slapping over her mouth with even more force. Her muffled protests only seemed to amuse Bienfu further.
"Now, now," Bienfu said, floating higher above them. "There's still much more fun to be had. Ready for round two, everyone?"