The Party Pirates - Part 13 - The Grand TheaterThe six pirates walk through the streets of Takarazuka with a small group of fans following them at a distance.
"There it is!" Karin points to the grand theater.
Rina and Akari look at each other an nod. "How nostalgic!"
Tomoko has a rare impressed look on her face. "It's huge! Did you two come here as kids?"
Rina nods. "All kids in Heart come to this theater at least a dozen times growing up. All of the schools have field trips twice a year to come here, once in the fall and once in the spring so the wagon ride won't be freezing."
Karin sighs. "I remember those trips well, although I was carried in a private litter. The first person I looked up to was Farmer Fighter Pink."
Akari rolls her eyes. "Is that why you made yourself Party Pirate Pink?"
"Well, I am good looking and outspoken, like a typical pink fighter."
"Well, it's about time we got here." Haruna pouts. "Five different groups of people approached us and all of them pointed out my chest."
Maimi points. "There's a long line in front."
Karin nods. "Yes, there is an afternoon show. Even in times of war the show must go on."
"Will we wait in that line?"
"No, I can get us in the back."
...
The bouncer, a large burly man looks at the six pirates suspiciously. "What do you people want?"
Karin pulls down her handkerchief. "We need to see Honey Quinn-san."
The large man cowers. "Princess Karin-sama. Please forgive my belligerent attitude."
"Sure, but don't tell anyone who I am, okay?"
"Absolutely!" The man lets them in the back door.
Karin leads them through a labyrinth of narrow hall ways to a long line of doors for the dressing rooms. Karin knocks on one, by there is no response. "I wonder where she could be?"
"YOOOOOOOOOOWWWWWWW!" Haruna jumps five feet.
A tall, impressively built woman stands where Haruna jumped from. "A very impressive ass miss. I see that you are all about hard work."
Haruna shoots the woman a dirty look. "Who are you?"
"The Party Pirate Honey Quinn. The backsides of all scurvy dogs back here are mine to take."
Haruna stares at the woman's chest, then nods in understanding. "Karin, did you write the play so that this nice actress carries on like this on stage?"
"No way! She's just like that naturally."
The woman laughs. "I have gotten every member of the cast, but I am rather discreet when I do it on stage."
A giant sweat mark appears by Karin's head. "Putting that aside, everyone, this is Sudo Maasa."
Haruna holds out her hand to Maasa. "Professor Iikubo Haruna, also known as the Party Pirate Captain Honey Quinn."
Maasa shakes her hand nervously. "For real?"
Karin nods.
"You're not going to kill me, right?"
Haruna laughs. "Kill you? You saw what you wanted and took it. You might be a better pirate than me. But, seriously, I don't kill people for taking minor liberties with me. I have Rose Quartz give them a special 'adjustment' that fortunately wears off after a week of horrible pain."
Maasa looks at Tomoko in fear.
"However, we have come to Heart to free Heart of the invaders. We have just come from Chiba which we have liberated. Princess Karin has given us magical rings that give us the power to defeat the enemy, but supposedly they have to be powered up after each use. The only way we can power them up is to sing a particular song in front of an audience and have the audience's energy power the rings. Karin's magic eight-ball says that
you can teach us the song. Sorry if this sounds ridiculous."
"Ridiculous? You should hear the plot of the musical."
"Will you help us?"
"Of course! Those invaders oppress and hurt our audience."
"So what song will you teach us?"
"What about 'La Pirate'?"
Karin shakes her head. "They've already done that."
"Then I definitely know which one it is."
Another girl walks down the hall. "Maasa? Who are these people?"
Maasa smiles. "The Party Pirates."
"Cosplayers? Gross. Hey boy! Are you actually playing me, Oden? Baka! Don't you think that with a body like yours you should give it up?"
Akari gets a deer in the headlights look and mumbles incoherently, not knowing how to respond.
Haruna laughs. "Well, at least you didn't tease me like everyone else in town did."
Maasa runs over to the girl and puts her hand over her mouth and whispers in her ear. "They aren't cosplayers."
"Oh go on, these wimps? They are ..." The girl's sentence ends suddenly when she realizes that Yaji has sneaked up on her and has the tip of a real sword half an inch from her body. "Oh."
Maasa tries her best to defuse the situation. "This is Okai Chisato. She plays Oden in the musical."
Takeuchi smiles. "Hey, there's no hard feelings. I am rather flattered, since that was something I would actually say."
"Thanks." Chisato nervously laughs.
Maasa notices a couple of the doors are ajar. "Hey you two, come out. I can see you watching."
Two girls leave there dressing rooms.
"This is Niigaki Risa and Ikuta Erina. They play Yaji and Rose Quartz."
Maimi walks over to Niigaki and bows. "Niigaki-sensei, it is a great honor to have a Kendo legend such as yourself play me. I got to see one of your matches when I was young."
"No way! How old are you Yaji?"
"Twenty five."
"Moe! We're the same age and you're calling me sensei? You're making me feel old."
"Sorry."
Tomoko looks over Erina. "I guess you are somewhat attractive."
"Oh no! I am being complemented. What am I to do?"
Tomoko glares at Karin. "I hope she doesn't talk like this on stage. Your audience's ears would bleed."
Karin giggles. "She's a strange girl. She has a deep voice on stage, but off stage she puts on a whiney high pitched voice."
Tomoko rolls her eyes.
Maasa claps her hands. "Now, these nice ladies have come to learn one of our songs so they can power up and liberate Takarazuka. You guys will help me, right?"
The other three actresses nod.
To be continuedA pic for this arc: