After some more chatting with Lore about setting things up for the debuts, Hope was hungry, so she dragged Juliet and Erie off to get some lunch.
It was 2 PM, still Wednesday. And still April 30th.
But since they might be too busy to celebrate Juliet's 18th birthday on May 4th, Hope decided to treat Juliet out for something special in advance.
And as for what that was...
===
"You CANNOT be serious." Juliet gave Hope a blank stare standing in front of Mintendo Land. "You are taking me, an Italian, to the land of fake Italian plumbers for my birthday."
Hope rolled her eyes and said, "Don't be a spoilsport, Julie! It'll be fun!"
Erie chuckled and said, "Yeah. Besides, you aren't Italian. You're Italian American. There's a difference. Just like how I might be dead on the inside, but not dead on the outside."
Hope gasped. "Erie!" She laughed and said, "We're in public! With kids!"
Erie swept her gaze around and said, "The only kids I see here are teenagers skipping class, so it don't matter to me. Also, we're talking in English. If they understand us, props to them, right?"
Juliet rolled her eyes.
Because they were out in public, all the girls had changed to something more presentable.
But the definition of 'presentable' varied greatly... or gravely, if Erie had to describe it.
Ever since discovering Jirai Kei fashion and the numerous shops selling that style of clothing all over, Hope's go-to outfit was all pink, frills, and fluff.
At the moment, Hope was wearing a pastel pink top with black lacy frills around the shoulders and sleeve hems. Black heart buttons kept it together, while more lacy ribbons ran alongside the buttons on both sides vertically.
Below that, she wore a frilling black skirt that went to the middle of her thighs over black tights and pink boots with white fur.
Considering her hair was still dyed a bright sky blue, Hope stood out from the crowd no matter where she went. Especially since she already looked cute in normal clothes.
Wearing her current outfit, she looked like an actual magical girl stepped right out from a manga panel from how colorful she was.
As for Erie, it was almost the exact opposite of Hope.
Instead of pure color and cutesy, Erie was wearing a strictly professional outfit.
Black slacks, a white dress shirt with a black tie, brown loafers...
And with her hair braided in a ponytail behind her, she could pass for someone cosplaying a certain devil from a certain anime involving a chainsaw person.
And as for Juliet...
Erie glanced at Juliet and said, "...You seriously plan on wearing that for a casual outing?"
Juliet blushed and said, "I-I thought we were going to Bisney Land!"
...White gloves that went to the middle of her arms, a shimmering white ball gown with a trailing skirt hem, fluffy white furs adorning her shoulders and waist...
Yes.
Juliet had walked out in public dressed as Cinderella.
Hope giggled and said, "Well, I think you look beautiful, Julie! ...It IS a bit excessive though."
Juliet huffed and said, "It's my birthday. I get to be excessive if I want." She paused, noticing people taking pictures. And more people whispering 'Princess Peaches' and 'Princess Daisies.'
Erie laughed and said, "I mean, if you want excessive, you clearly have it. Seems like the peeps around here think you're a part of the theme park, Julie."
Juliet sighed. "...Let's just go." She looked at Hope and said, "You said you reserved the cafe for us, right Hope?"
Hope nodded. "Mmhm! We even have the princess suite at the Mushrooms Palace!"
Erie paused. "...Oooh. So THAT'S why Julie here dolled herself up." She looked at Juliet and said, "You heard princess suite and thought Bisney, huh?"
Juliet didn't respond, but the blush on her face was response enough.
Hope giggled and said, "Sorry, Julie. I don't have that much money yet... but we can go for my birthday!"
Erie tilted her head and said, "When is your birthday anyway, Hope?"
"It's Christmas!"
Juliet blinked. "Really?"
"Nope! I lied~"
Juliet gave Hope a blank stare.
Hope giggled and said, "That'd be funny though, wouldn't it? But no, my birthday's on August 29th! It's the same as Mikael Jackson's!"
Erie laughed. "Oh my god, you have the same birthday as mister Heehee himself?"
"Yep!" Hope giggled and started walking along the brick road towards the Mushrooms Palace in the distance. "And since we'll be idol- I mean, since we'll be 'working' by then, I get to do covers!"
Juliet walked behind Hope and said, "Covers? Of the classics? Count me in!"
Erie smiled and said, "Well, I guess I have to practice my dance moves then."
Hope gasped. "You can dance, Erie?"
"Of course. Well, a little." Erie blushed, looking embarrassed. "I'm not very good at it, but I used to breakdance a bit. I can at least do the moonwalk. The lean's a bit hard though without the shoes..."
Hope blinked. "But Mister John can do the lean?"
Erie rolled her eyes. "Mister John is a monster who has enough core strength to hold a human flag position for six hours straight just to advertise Hana's new merch line. He has enough core strength to do the freakin' Matrices lean if he wants."
Juliet paused. "I wonder how muscular Johnny is under that suit."
Erie looked towards Juliet and smirked. "Oh~? Curious about our boss's body, hm?"
Juliet immediately turned a deep red and said, "NO! I just mean... he doesn't look that muscular in his suit!"
Hope giggled. "It's okay, Julie! Mister John's very handsome. As long as you don't flirt with him, Miss Yue won't make you disappear."
Juliet immediately regained her composure at the reminder. "Right. Curiosity erased. Not risking that scary woman at all..."
Erie tilted her head. "Scary woman? Have you met Miss Yue already then, Julie?"
"Yes." Juliet nodded. "She was the one who greeted me and Johnny after our mysterious shortcut to Japan. She was a petite beauty and looked young enough to make people question John if they didn't know any better... but she was also scary. Like, 'if you look at my man wrong I will gut you, grind you into sausages, and feed you to the rats' scary."
Hope nervously fidgeted with her sleeves. "Um. That's... awfully specific, Julie..."
Juliet shrugged. "I've met women like her before. Reminds me of a few of my aunts, actually."
Erie slowly blinked and said, "Remind me to never come to any of your family gatherings."
"No problem. I've been banned from all of them after I threw a cousin out the window."
Hope's sky blue eyes widened in joy and she said, "You actually defenestrated someone!?"
"Out the tenth floor window, yeah." Juliet nodded.
Erie side-eyed Juliet and said, "...Do I want to know why?"
"He stole a kiss."
"Okay, yeah. Fair." Erie paused. "...Did he live?"
"Sadly. But he had to spend his life in a wheelchair."
Hope blinked. "How do you live falling from ten floors? Especially in New York? A-Ah! I mean, it's good that he didn't die, but-"
Erie chuckled. "It's fine, Hope. I'm curious too. How DID he live?"
Juliet sighed. "...He was drunk."
"...Being drunk lets you live from a ten floor fall? Onto pavement?"
"Onto pavement. And yes." Juliet nodded. "Apparently so."
Hope paused. "...Wait. Julie. You said he 'had' to spend his life in a wheelchair. Um..."
Juliet smiled.
Erie raised an eyebrow and whistled. "Wow. Scary. Remind me to not annoy you too much."
"It's okay. It wasn't me." Juliet chuckled. "I'm not that type of person."
Erie gave Juliet a blank stare and said, "Your oshi is literally Hana, Julie."
Juliet nodded. "And?"
"...Okay," Erie said. "So if it wasn't you, who was it?"
"Gramps was still alive at the time. He decided that losing an heir or five wasn't a big deal."
"...Well, damn." Erie nodded. "Fair. But also... crime families are different, huh?"
Hope let out a sage nod and said, "They really are... I heard from Meggie that Mister John once fought his way through ten martial arts clan compounds to save Alphy from kidnappers."
Erie slowly blinked. "...What?"
Juliet hummed. "That doesn't surprise me. Johnny does seem to be an overprotective dad."
"Mmhm!" Hope giggled. "But apparently, Alphy had already beaten them all up and stolen their ancestral treasures! ...Whatever those are!"
Erie shook her head and said, "I'm beginning to think that Lore is missing a giant compendium of John's entire life..."
Juliet laughed and said, "I'm beginning to think that if Lore tried to make a compendium of John's entire life he might be stuck working at it until the heat death of the universe..."
Erie laughed too. "Probably. Mister John seems like a guy with mountains of secrets... I mean, have you seen his brother? And that guy's wives? Either they're the best elf and vampire cosplayers I've ever seen in my life, or they're definitely not human."
Hope let out a scandalized gasp. "Erie! You can't say that about people! Even if it might be true!"
The girls bantered a bit more as they made their way to the palace.
And when they arrived...
"It'sa me, Morio!"
...A familiar man with an eyepatch, but dressed in a red uniform with blue overalls and a cap appeared.
Hope blinked. Then she gasped. "MISTER MAJI?!"
Maji wagged his index finger and said, "No, no, no. It'sa me! Morio! Now, Princessas! Let'sa head to your tables!"
Juliet facepalmed. "...I regret everything."
Erie laughed. "I don't! I'm loving this."
Hope gave Juliet an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Julie. Better luck next time?"
Juliet gave Hope a blank stare. "...Please tell me that's not a reference-"
Hope's mouth twitched but she kept a sincere smile on and said, "The thought that I hurt you has me falling apart..."
"Hope. Hope no."
Erie's eyes lit up and she said, "Ooh, I know that song! It's Alohaii, right? I never won big, played it too safe with my cards~"
Hope giggled and dropped all pretenses, singing the next verse. "Took a shot at my ego but you hit me in the heart~ You said better luck next time, oh better luck next time~"
Juliet let out a long suffering sigh. "...You're lucky I love you guys."
Erie wrapped her arm over Juliet's right shoulder. "Aw~ I love you too, Bestie."
Hope giggled and then wrapped herself around Juliet's left arm. "I can change darling, I'll prove you wrong~"
Juliet waved her left arm, trying to squirm free. "CEASE."
Erie laughed.