Starlight Singers [Jack and Mae]

Hyde was waiting in front of “Starlight Karakoe”. It was the karaoke place that Hyde decided that it would be good for Mae and Jack to meet him at. He texted the about an hour ago before arriving. It was a well-priced place that even famous and up and coming singers would go there to have fun. However, Hyde didn’t pick this place in the hopes of running into a celebrity, he just thought that such a place with attention and publicity would have the most up to date songs that anyone could choose from. “ Alright, I really hope they have the song I like.”

Mae was waiting for the tram going to Penecia when she got Hyde's text message. She couldn't help smiling when she read the message. Hyde remembered! Not that she had any doubts he would, but still, getting this text message was a major mood booster for Mae. She sat down on a bench, listening to some music while waiting for the tram to arrive. Yesterday, she had been talking to her mother all about how her first week at the new school had been. It had been a long and engaging conversation, and thinking about it now, she really felt lucky to have been able to bond with people this early. There was Hyde, Jack, Charles, Sharaku, Nilo and Eddie. All of which she thought quite fondly of allready. Things were looking good.

After a good twenty minutes later, the tram arrived at San Malarus Station, and Mae hopped on. This was going to be her second time in Penecia, after her first little trip there, where she had met Sharaku for the second time. He had been kind enough to show her around Penecia, which Mae was grateful for. Otherwise, finding "Starlight Karaoke" would've been an absolute nightmare, which she did not want to be any part of.

Looking out the window, Mae could see Penecia in the distance, the Big, Red Circus tent was one of the more eye-catching features of the island's Skyline, alongside of course the big ferris wheel from the Galaxy Amusement Park. She couldn't help but to feel excited, as the place reminded her of the fact that she would get to sing today. Something she hadn't been able to do for a long while, due to that stressful last month before her transferral over to Zela Academy.

One of her old classmates from Japan had given her a call yesterday. Her name was Sayoko, and they were pretty tight, to say the least. The two had been inseparable friends ever since they met at that orphanage. Sadly, their paths just split, as Mae was going out on a journey to find herself, and hopefully her parents. Sure, she was still only a Junior, so she still had a whole year to think about what she wanted to do after School was done, but still, the thought of growing up and becoming an adult was a terrifying prospect for her. At least Hyde and Jack didn't have to worry about such things yet. Right now, all they should focus on were having fun with their friends and enjoying their time together as Schoolmates, and Mae intended to do the same. It was in fact for that very purpose she had proposed this activity, so that she could enjoy spending time with friends. Sure, singing was a big part of it, but hanging out with her newfound friends was the main reason why she wanted to do this in the first place.

The tram stopped at the Penecian Resort Station, just like last time, and Mae started pacing her way over to the Karaoke Bar. The large Blue and Purple Neon Sign of the Starlight Karaoke bar was lit by the time she arrived. Hyde was already there waiting for her and Jack. Today, she was dressed in a thick, wooly red jacked, a pair of tight white jeans, accompanied with white boots. She had put up her hair in a long ponytail with her usual white ribbon. She had a white, fluffy scarf around her neck as well. It was winter after all, so she needed to dress properly, unless she wanted to catch herself a cold.

"Hey, Hyde-kuuun~♪" Mae waved at him, smiling brightly. "How are you doing?" She stopped in front of him. "Glad you could make it! You have NO idea how much this means to me, Hyde~!" She was all giddy with excitement. Mae felt like she could just burst into a large cloud of confetti at any time.

Jack had just gotten off of work when he got Hyde's text.... funny, it felt like He spent less and less time at work with every passing week. After hanging up his mascot costume Jack checked his phone as read Hyde's message. He raised an eyebrow at it... honestly he had all but forgotten their plans to go to a Karioki bar.... Well...perhaps forgotten wasn't the right word... more like... Pushed to the back of his mind so he wouldn't have to face the grim reality that he was going to have to sing... Singing was NOT one of Jack's strong suits... Fighting crime, inventing new and exciting tech, having encyclopedic knowledge of several different fandoms, being devilishly handsome... These were Jack's strong suits... Singing?... not so much.

Jack sighed as he approached the bar. Not surprisingly he was the last one to arrive. He waved at Hyde and Mae with a some what fake smile plastered on his face"Hey guys! Am I late?"

Hyde actually did blush when Mae called hi Hyde-Kun. It really wasn’t done before, so it was something that he wasn’t used to and caught him off guard. “Ahh!! Hey! I figured that Starlight would be a good place to practice your singing skills and have fun at the same time. You’ll never know who you might meet, maybe a fan or friend of your mom that’s famous. However, I figured that it’s always good to network. Though, we came here mostly for fun, not business.

Hyde would then turn to Jack and smile.” Of course not Jack, we are about to walk in right now.” Hyde would then lead the way and walk inside the building. There are plenty of record case holders and pictures of famous celebrities on the wall. After heading to the front desk, Hyde would then ask for a room big enough to it four people. “ If we all put in our share of the price on today’s special, we could get a lot of singing time.

"What's with you all of a sudden?" Mae noticed Hyde was blushing. She tilted her head slightly to the left, giggling. "You're blushing, Hyde! Is there something you want to tell me?" She said, in a joking tone, as he lightly pushed Hyde's shoulder, grinning. "So, how's your day be-Oh! Jack-kun! Hi!" Jack's arrival had interrupted her mid-sentence. "Alright, now that we're all here, what are we waiting for? Let's go!" She could barely contain herself.

When the three passed through the doors, Mae asked Hyde: "Is this place really that famous? If we're lucky, we might see some of my mother's fans, but considering this is Azores and not Japan, the chances of that are slim. She's not that known outside of Japan. At least not yet!". Indeed, the chances were slim, but it wasn't completely out of the question. Mae was hardly the only Japanese teenager in Azores, so there was a small chance. Not that they would recoginze Mae. She had only been mentioned a couple of times in the tabloids. Her face had never been shown, courtesy of her guardian.

"Sure, I'll gladly pitch in!" Mae said cheerfully, as she opened up her purse and took out some cash. "This is gonna be soo much fun~! I've been looking forward to this all week!" She said to the others, her face brimming with infectious joy.

The clerk showed the three to an empty, dimly lit room. It was very comfy, and Mae noticed immediatley that the room had been sound-treated, to give the perfect sound. One of her mother's sound-technicians had taught her how to properly sound-treat a room, to get the clearest sound through a microphone without getting any echo. "No wonder this place is popular... They have sound-treated the room!" She sat down on the sofa facing the tv and the small stage for people to sing.

"Anything else? You three want something to drink?" The Clerk asked the three. He brought out a notepad and a pen, to scribble down any orders the three gave.

"I'll have some Lemon Ice Tea. You?" She looked at the two boys.

"Jack... Kun?" Well... alright then!

"Sure, no problem," Jack said paying his part of the tab... great... now not only was he about to utterly humiliate himself, but he was paying for it to?... How dose that work?... Regardless this was the first time Jack had been to a Karioki bar and to be frank... It was actually pretty nice. They gave you you're own room and everything! Good!... At least Jack was only going to destroy his reputation with two people.... Joy Joy Joy.... At least Mae seemed to be excited. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad...

When they reached their room Jack couldn't help but be slightly impressed by the set up... The walls seemed to be sound treated and there was even a smalls stage."I'll have a lemon aid if ya have it." Jack  said in response to the clerk's question,"Welp!... Might as well not put off the inevitable... I'll go first..." Jack said getting up onto stage. He grumbled to himself as he started to cycle through the different songs they had... looked like a lot of popular Pop, rock, rap... nothing that even remotely interested... wait.. was... was that?... No way...NO WAY!... Ok... so maybe this wasn't going to be so bad after all...



"Super Sentai!

Fly! Cross the eternal time
The ultimate warriors on Parade!

All five together Gorenger
JAKQ the trump cyborgs
Battle Fever, the dance of the world
Denziman come from the Denzi star
One plus two plus Sun Vulcan
Gymnastics with Goggle Five
Explosion Dynaman
Bio particles, Bioman
Changeman from all legendary beasts
Flash! A supernova in space
Maskman with shining aura
Friends, why have you, Liveman?

Turborangers are high school students
Fiveman are teachers and siblings
Jetman are trendy
Zyuranger's dinosaur fantasy
Dairanger were victorious with Ki Power
The Pop ninjas Kakuranger
Ohrangers and the ancient super powers
Carrangers are driving safely
Young academic life of Megarangers
The Earth's warriors, Gingaman
GoGoFive to the rescue
Timerangers come from the future!

Gaoranger's howl like a hundred beasts
Blow the shinobi wind Hurricanegers
Go berserk with dinosaur Abaranger
Dekarangers work at the space police department
Magirangers are a magical family
Looking for the precious, Boukengers
Gekirangers practice the Beast-fist
Engine's partner Go-Onger
Skinkenger, the serious samurais play with swords
Angels in cards, Goseiger
The flashy pirates Gokaiger
Special Mission Go-Busters!

I want to sing so I can better remember them!
Super Sentai Let's go!

In your heart
Get the whole treasure and shine
Once again with you
Oooh Explosion
SUPER SENTAI! Go Let's Go!
Forever!"

Jack bellowed every lyric with the burning soul of a man possessed by the very spirit of justice. Even if every word of horribly sour and off key (which they were) he still continued on! For nothing would deter his manly soul!

Hyde would take a seat and make an order. “Sprite please!” Even though Hyde wasn’t the kind of guy that usually drank a lot of soda, he was just in the mood for it. “ Alright it looks like Jack is up first. “ Hyde would say as he moved in forward and paid attention to Jack, he was about to finally listen to his friend sing. “Yay! Go Jack!” Hyde wasn’t too sure why Jack sang that song, but he sang it really well. IT was mostly through the heat and soul, Hyde could definitely agree that this might have a special meaning to Jack somehow. Even though the singing wasn’t perfect, he was still pretty happy that Jack was enjoying himself.

"The singing could use a little work, if you want my honest opinion... BUT you were very passionate! I like that. If you want to get some practice, don't hesitate to talk to me, alright? I'll gladly teach you!" Mae smiled warmly at Jack. Singing was definatley not his strong suit, but she had heard people being more off key than Jack had been, so it wasn't all bad. She was actually very impressed that he managed to go up on stage and sing with such passion, despite being tone-deaf, and if Mae had to guess, Jack was very aware of that fact.

"So... I guess it's my turn next?" She could not stop smiling. Mae walked up to the stage with confidence, and looked through the songs available. Much to her suprise, she found one of her Mother's songs here. One of her favorites actually. She took a deep breath, and hit "Play song".

Her soft voice was amplified by the speakers. She forgot about everything else around her, and just focused on singing. She closed her eyes, and thought back to her time at the Orphanage. She dedicated this song to them. This was a song that meant alot to her. After all, it was the first song she heard her adoptive mother sing. Mae could hear Kinaku's voice singing the very same lyrics as herself. Of course, it was all just in her head, but the thought of Kinaku being there with her, singing along strengthend Mae's resolve. It's moments like these that makes Mae feel truly alive...

As the music faded out, Mae slowly opened her eyes. She had not noticed it while singing, but now, she noticed that her cheeks were wet with tears... Had she missed singing that much, or was it just the thought of her adoptive mother being so far away which caused it. Mae didn't know which, but she wiped her tears with her sleeve, and bowed deeply, before stepping down from the stage, and sat down on the couch again. Oh how she had been missing this...

As Jack finished his song he felt slightly refreshed by the fact that his turn was over without much incident... The fact that they had "Super Sentai Hero Getter" was... Well... shocking! There were a few other songs that Jack wouldn't MIND singing if they forced him to... But then again... It would probably take a lot to make him sing again....

Jack bowed as his friends cheered. Hyde seemed impressed, Mae on the other hand was very ... supporting would be the best word for it heh. She offered to help him with his singing"Heh, Thank's Mae, I'll have to take you up on that some time, but for now, come on up here and show me how its' done!" Jack winked and handed Mae the mic and sat back down.

As Jack listened to her sing... He could honestly say he was very impressed. She seemed to have a great love for singing as well as a great talent for it. Jack made sure not to make a sound as she sang.Her voice rang out with a sad, yet hopeful voice. It touched his heroic soul... He could see a small flame start to burn inside her... A tear came to Jack's eye as she finished her song... he stood feeling his blazing soul burnt away his inhibitions"Yes! I can feel it! You're soul has begun to burn with a dim but irrefutable flame! YES! I can see it! You're very core has taken the first steps towards becoming a blazing inferno! Your song has stoked the flames of my heart and ignited my spirit in a way that only true heroic passion can! I-eh" without realizing it Jack had jumped up on his seat and struck a heroic pose.... Quietly he sat back down and coughed into his hand,"Ehem... Wooo... g-good... job..."

Hyde couldn’t really believe it, mae was really doing it. The allure was a bit different that one would expect from having fun at Karakoe, Mae was looking like a real idol just now . Hyde kept his eyes on her from start to finish, amazed that such a girl had an amazing talent in singing. After the whole thing was done, Hyde found himself standing up and clapping. “That was…that was amazing! Where did you even learn how to sing like that? Or even have the time; it might take a lot of time to even practice and get that good. However, You guys did pretty great ….Both of you. “
Hyde would then turn his attention over to Jack.” The most important thing about signing is having your heart in it. Usually, you tend to sing the song better if it has a deep connection with you. “ Hyde would look at both of the back and forth and make an embarrassing whimper. “I guess it’s my turn right?” Hyde moved up to the board and looked for a song that he didn’t really recognize. However, it was a Portuguese song and it reminded Hyde about Sharaku. “ Alright! This song is in a different language so bear with me here. Here I go!”

Hyde got onto the stage and the lights dimmed down a bit, he sang and danced along with the song. Hyde was pretty luck that the lyrics repeated up to the point. At the very most, Hyde added in a few dance moves to fill in the gap.

Mae giggled at Jack. He sure had a way to describe things in the most over the top way imaginable. It brought a smile on Mae's face. Jack maybe hadn't realized it, but he really was good when it came to cheering people up. "Well, glad you liked it." She smiled at Jack.

Her attention was grabbed by Hyde next. The redhead was standing up, clapping his hands. He looked quite amazed. "You really think so?" Mae wiped the tears from her eyes, and smiled at him shyly. Praise of this variety was something Mae didn't expect. "My mom taught me... In fact, this song you just heard, was the first song I ever heard her sing live. It was a couple of days after my adoption actually. I'm nothing compared to her. My big dream is that I will, one day, stand next to her on stage, singing. I owe her so much. How could I not dream of anything but that!?" Mae gazed out into space. "Just imagine it, the both of us, singing on stage together." Mae squealed. "I could ask her one day to come here and do a performance live in Penecia. If tha happens, I'll get you guys the best seats!" Mae smiled at the two.

Mae sat there, clapping her hands after Hyde's performance. The redhead actually sang in portugese. And quite well too. "Woohooo~! Hyde! That was actually pretty cool! I especially liked the addition of dancing. That's stuff is regularly pretty difficult to do, but you pulled it off pretty well. What do you think, Jack?" She looked at Jack.

Wow... Hyde didn't seem like a singer... But then again looks can and have been deceiving in the past, who knows, Hyde could be a closet pop start. Would explain the bright red hair and vest... Hmmm now that Jack thought about it the more he could see Hyde as a singer... It all made sense now! The cheerful nature, the charismatic attitude, the strange cloths, that dwarf in Jack's book club that steals his opinions. It's all explained by Hyde being a pop star!... wow... Did jack come with the wrong group to Karioki or what?...

"I gatta admit Hyde, you got a talent for this to! Heh, I'm surprised to be honest. You don't seem to be the "Singer"Type... or...do you..." Jack eyed Hyde suspiciously.... Jack got the wiff of a mystery and he would not lose it for a while... Hyde was a pop star. Or an intergalactic bounty hunter trying to lul Jack into a false sense of security so he could capture the worlds first true Red Ranger and sell him on the black market at a high price to fund his ill fated conquest of earth, only to be stopped by the rest of Jack's rangers during a daring rescue attempt.... one of those two equally likely things.

"So who's up now?" Jack asked smiling and hoping it wouldn't be him.

You were adopted? That kind of makes me like you in a way, the only difference that you  managed to find a family that would take you in. I was an orphan too, but I kind of stayed in the orphanage my whole life until I was old enough to go out on my own “ Hyde  would say this as he sat down and took a sip of his soda. “That’s  pretty lucky I thought it was a blood trait or something that made you sing so well, that and practice of course. E and jack are going to be waiting on it to be your grand performance in penencia someday, I’ll make sure to bring all of my friends when it happens!”

Hyde was pretty motivated to be a supporter, but he would embarrassingly shake his head at Jack. “I’m not a secret pop star or anything; I just practice a lot and pick up new hobbies here and there.  When you find songs that you really like, you would want to dance and sing to them to the best of your ability.  I saw how fired up you was when you sand, so I couldn’t help but to get fired up as well!”

Hyde would then put his arm in a thinking position. “ Hmm…… well…we went by order last time and I just went, i think its fair that i take a breather. Naturally it would be your turn again Jack. But i don't mind going again its not like i tire easily....

"Oh, yeah. I was adopted when I was thirteen. So, you live on your own?" Mae took a sip out of her ice tea. "It must've been rough. Sure, the staff at an orphanage are nice and all, but they can never really replace a real family... I'm so sorry, Hyde." She looked at him with a sad expression.

"Well, who knows? He certainly has talent." Mae chuckled. Jack had the right idea about Hyde. He was really good at picking up interesting skills, that's for sure. "You certainly have potential." She looked at Hyde with a smile. "With a little practice, I'll consider singing alongside you at the Talent show. I applied today actually." Her smile grew wider.

Mae smiled at Jack. "Having fun is the most important part of singing, you know! As long as you're having a blast, why should you care of what others think? I still enjoy watching you up there. You're very passionate about everything you do, which is a really admirable trait, Jack." Mae was completely honest here. Jack was her friend after all, so why should she need to lie? "But if you really don't want to sing again, I guess I can go. Any requests?" Looked at the other two, with a bright smile on her face. She really had made some great friends here, huh?

Huh... Jack was the only one in the room who wasn't an orphan... This made him feel slightly uncomfortable in a way he couldn't quite explain... Like he had something that they didn't and felt guilty about. Jack felt he had nothing to add to this portion of the conversation and chose to remain quite for once in his life... He was happy to see the two of them happily talking about it. It made him feel... slightly warm on the inside...

"Ok I believe you Hyde heh" Especially sense he just admited to being an intergalactic bounty hunter.... Score!"And if I must...." To be honest... Jack saw one other song on the list he wanted to sing... Jack took to the stage and smiled slightly to himself. Lets see if he could stay on key this time...


"Engine Number 1! Tear through and win, Speedor!

Red, red, red, red, red, red
In a deep red body
Drr, drr, drr, drr, drr, drr
Condor soul, go!

A living engine, with tingling courage
With a thunderous roar, fly to your victory, go on!
A just soul in a sparkling body
When you slot it in, his eyes open!
Being friends with a machine life
Allows us to burst through devils
We don't see a thing but what's ahead, Engine Sentai Go-On-ger!

Surpassing the speed of sound is still not enough
Let's go, partner, wherever it is
Go on!"

A little bit better this time.... Buuuut it's still quite off key heh....