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Chapter 3

As soon as the limo shuttle reached the famous Red Carpet hangar, the huge crowd standing behind velvet roped barriers sprang into action, flashing thier cameras, rolling thier holosceen recorders, chattering into their microphones excitedly. According to Luka, The Open Cradle dinner party was a major annual event, and every entertainment magazine and show, big news network and die hard fan would come flocking into the sidelines of the Stretch of Stardom, all waiting for their chance of seeing their favourite stars make the walk into the reception area. There was a long line of other limos in front of them, each celebrity making their entrance as grandly as they showed in so many other gala entrances. Since the fans and the paparazzi were so insistent in giving each one of them their dearest attentions and most special of treatments, it was quite slow moving, a literal backlog of stretched shuttles all along the hangar bays. The more time spent waiting, the faster his heart beat. Charlie Strafe had never been in this kind of situation before and had never wanted star treatment. He felt that he was a nobody, even if he was the best android doctor in the galaxy for many reasons. He felt that he did not need to be here. There were other people who had better grace and status to be in his place, but there was one lone factor that made him sacrifice his time so.

A request from Megurine Luka, his rich and famous patient, a woman he admired for her voice and her elegence. Her previous escort, Gakupoe, could not make it in time, so here he was, unfortunately acting the stand in. Tonight, he was Luka's date and every corner of the vast galaxy will know.

"We're almost there. Are you ready?"
"My mind says yes. My body says no."
"You'll be fine. Just smile. Be sure to squint while getting out."

A steady jump in the shuttle's drives, a slow movement forward before a gradual cut out. They had stopped, their final stop, the cue for the show to begin. The door opened, and as it slowly swung upwards, Charlie took his first step onto the carpet. The air was immediately filled with cheering and squealing, assaulting his ears with a sonic sound that was as powerful as the human voice could muster. The horizon was an intimidating sea of flashing lights, and he squinted as he was instructed, avoiding blindness only jusy that bit better. From the nearest roped barrier to his left, he could hear loud voices as he tried his best to brave the dreaded affair, smiling as dashingly as he could muster and looking the least nervous as he could.

"Hey, who is that guy?"
"I dunno! I never seen him before!"
"Quick! Take picture of him! It could be worth it!"
"Yanzai! Keep that camera rolling! Get a close up! Now!"

When he was finally outside with two feet standing, he turned to reach into the shuttle for Luka's hand and braced himself for a lot of noise as soon as he helped her out of their ride. Seeing his worry in his eyes, Luka made one final attempt to calm him by brightening up her face. For a moment, it worked and for that one moment, he felt reassured, until the people caught thier glimpse of thier favourite Vocaloid stepping out. The volume of the commotion turned up sharply as soon as both her feet and her shapely figure was out. Calmly, as if not even noticing the massed dementia around them, Luka took her place beside him and slipped her arm into his, still wearing that million dollar smile. Her fans screamed. Reporters shoved microphones into their faces. People pushed against the rope, a rabid human tidal wave only being held back by strong reinforced fixings and tough bodyguards. Even from here at the edge of the carpet, he could feel the psychological shockwave of the moment.

"Miss Luka! Who is this lovely gentleman with you tonight? We havent had the pleasure of seeing him before! Is he a Vocaloid? Are you lovers?"
"Luka! Miss Luka! What happened to Kamui Gakupo? Does his absense bother you? Is it true he is not able to attend tonight because of your failing romantic relations with him?"
"Miss Luka! Would you like to comment on Kamui Gakupo's inability to attend? Is this your way of saying you are no longer interested in him?"
"Luka! Luka! Dont leave Gakupo! You two are great together!"
"Can you sign my shirt, Miss Luka, and also this photograph!? Please?"
"Miss Luka!"
"Luka!"

It was becoming deafening. He did not know how Luka had the eardrums to endure all this year after year, and still remain so cool, walking with him all the way to the reception area. Did the questions actually bother her at all? She did not seem the least bothered to stop and answer, her hold on his arm light. Much of the attention certainly bothered him, as he had feared. There was now an unintentional footprint on the record. His face would now be widely known. If not tonight, then the day or week after. Knowing the press, they know how to match faces to names. From the moment he was put into this situation, it was all over. Goodbye, peaceful life. You will be greatly missed.

When the huge sliding doors of the reception area whipped shut and the hysteria of the crowd finally behind them, he breathed a sigh, letting his straining face drop into one of tiresome relief. The reception area was mostly empty, a fancy place welcome area that was probably full of celebrities at the beginning of the evening. They had been delayed by the line so only a few people were around them. If his directions served him right, the next place where they had to go to was towards the decorated table by the side, authenticate thier IDs and invitations with the woman there and head up the elevator.

"Say, Luka..." He turned to her, "You amaze me. How do you keep that kind of face in front of all that ruckus?"
She was strangely silent, looking around the room nonchalantly. Was she ignoring him?
"Luka...?"
"Hmm? Yes?" Her head whipped round, hair whipping to her side and her free hand reaching for her ear. She pulled out what looked a bit of rubber from it....

His jaw dropped and he stared at her squarely. Earplugs?

Seeing his expression, Luka suddenly exploded into a stiffled giggle fit, her hand cupped over her mouth to keep her voice down, all sense of flawless estute behaviour melting away from her. Charlie simply couldnt believe it. His escort was an evil woman. The trick of the trade eluded and answered by simple devices easily stuffed into her ears and she kept it from him. She must have slipped them on when he got out. Cunning, and an inexplicably evil tease.

"Im sorry. Please forgive me." She regained some of her composure after shaking off her amusement, or at least she seemed to try to, "I know I should have told you. I was playing with you."
"You have nasty sense of humor, Megurine Luka. Next time, remind me never to agree to do this again...."
"Oh, you dont mean that." She gave him a hurt look, trying to act cute. The image reinforced with her squeezing his arm and pressing against him, "Dont be angry."
Another sigh of defeat escaped his lips. Her charms were too strong, so he had to forgive her, but even then, he was reassured. At least Luka was having her fun, even if it was at his expense, "Lets just move on...."

For some reason, that rather cheeky. It surprised him, as she was always so mature around people, a clear stateswoman attitude when in public. Her sudden and somewhat spontaneous tease confused him. He had to wonder what brought it on, and he also wondered if this was normal for her to tease on the first date.... Very strange....

"You really know how to make fun of people, do you?"
"I'm sorry...." She fought back another, "Its just that.... Its been a long time since I had a good laugh." Looking at him, her eyes seemed apologetic, probably thinking that she had offended him now that the joke's up, ".... If it bothers you, I'll...."
In truth, Charlie was not really the kind to hold grudges. Cutting loose, his expression lightened up. He did not want her to feel like he was angry with her. That would defeat the purpose of the night, "Dont. Laughing is good medicine for the soul. All doctors say so, and so do I."

The elevator ride up was relatively short. It was a medium sized circular tube-like space and due to some strict security reasons, only a pair could enter and exit at a time. The whole way, she could hardly seem contain herself, for some short moments letting out the excess laughter with her mouth closed. Charlie let it pass, and instead looked forward to whats to come. When the doors opened, within an instant, her game faced returned, the same face he saw at the hangar. Not even an eyebeat could describe the speed of how fast she composed herself.

"Miss Luka. Mr Strafe. Welcome." A sharply dressed man at the lobby greeted them with a bow, "This way please."

They were led to a pair of large double doors flanked by a pair of doormen. As they approached, the entryway slowly swung open and light flooded outwards towards them. It was like stepping into another dimention of golden rays and finery. The famous Dome Cradle was the main part of the station, also the largest. It was a massive circular hall, with so much space that it would be very easy to fill it with a small colony village. With the event's current theme of rustic grandeur, every side was decorated as such, a wonderland of intricately desiged furniture made from the finest of hardwoods from the most exotic of planetary origins. The center floor was a pristine polished golden marble, no doubt the dance floor, with a maroon outer carpeting surrounding it, containing circular tables large enough to fit small families. All the walls were dotted with decor and every entryway having at least two doorman to let the guests in or out. High above, at least ten storeys higher from the center of the hall, was the transparent dome that gave the hall its name, the largest ever built in the history of mankind. Holographic technology allowed for nobody to see the support structures that kept meters of tough glass from being seen, so the view above was as if one was standing out in the vacuum of space, surrounded by stars, with the beautiful paradise planet of Aramia closeby and the system's sun beating its rays of life into ones face.

It was a legendary view, the fruit of a true achievement of advanced engineering. A man would only dream of ever stepping into here, a man such as Charlie who had lived a peaceful uninterrupted a life. He was awestruck, unable to take his eyes off the magnificent vision of wonder before him. His attention only came back to Luka and the situation after he felt a light tug at his arm, the woman in his company bringing back to normality. He then took notice of the people around them, the actors, the producers, the entertainers. Everyone here was from the entertainment business, seated at their tables, dressed in impressive designed custom made clothing, with some wondering around the floor, chattering away with colleagues, friends and acquaintances. There was laughter, joy and rich living. The air was filled with the scent of fine wine, exotic perfume and the sound of a live ensemble on the theater side of the Dome, playing a jazzy lounge like tune.

Then from the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar face, or more like a pair of faces, walking towards them.

"Luka! Charlie! There you are!" The larger older man spread his arms open.
"Kenji! How are you?" Luka stepped forward, lightly dropping Charlie's arm to hug her producer briefly, "Apologies for being late. The shuttle line was long."
"Ah, dont worry about it, my little songbird. It happens every year!" Kenji turned to look at Charlie intensely stare down the other man with him, stopping short of saying something as he curiously took notice.

Charlie's eyes glazed, his welcoming smile had turned wry when he spotted the other man with the Yumira Corp producer. At first, he thought that it was not possible, considering how the person was, his mannerisms and preferences. Then when he came into realization, he could not help but let old habits take over. The more he looked at this sable haired, crimson eyed man, the less he could help it. It was a miracle he did not have a cigarette butt in his mouth tonight.

"Charlie Strafe..." The man called out slowly, his posture loose and his expression low.
"Dell Honne..." Charlie called back just as slowly, "Its been three years...."

Dell Honne. He looked completely different than the image Charlie had in his head for a long time, and out of place with that black tux on. Knowing his long time rival in programming, he could make some indirect connections between his work and the potential clients he worked with in this hall. They had a long history from the moment they met. Dell was good at what he did, being the kind of guy who couldnt care less. While Charlie specialized in android program maintenance, Dell took advanced computer interface security. Even though they had different majors, they still compete over who could write the better program faster than the other. So far since graduation, it had always been a tie. Sometimes, Dell would win. Sometimes, he would. Seeing him here and now resurfaced all those intense comptetitive emotions that it could almost burst out of him and he was sure the other man felt the same, considering that same look he was so familiar with long time ago, that smug, uninterested expression he always wore normally.

"Ah, I see you two know each other?" Luka assumed, turning between them.
"We were old friends." Charlie cocked his head, his eyes still glaring at Dell.
"Yeah. Old friends." Dell let out a smirk, keeping that really annoying straight face, "Great to see you again, Charlie."
"Likewise, Dell." He stretched out a hand to shake hands with him tightly.

Even if the two of them mentally used to be at each other's throats, they were still friends in a wierd way and had always kept themselves civil and fair. Charlie sensed that Dell had changed a bit, but even then, the asshole he always knew and never forget was still in there. It showed deep down.

Before long another person joined them, a young woman, dressed in a simple grey dress that was not as striking as the others around, a very mute color. She seemed peculiar, because she was fair skinned, had the same color irises as him and her sable colored hair was long to her waist, tied back with a large purple black ribbon into a long tail. She approached quietly, tapping Dell lightly on the shoulder, then whispering into his ear.

"Sorry, everyone. Duty calls." Dell looked at Charlie, lightly punching the side of his shoulder with his fist nonchalantly, "I'll see ya later."
"See ya, Dell."

As the man walked away with the woman, Charlie was left with Luka and Kenji, who were both looking at him strangely. He still had his 'face' on, the serious kind that he had not shown to anybody in years. Clearing his throat, he readjusted his zen, "Dell and I go far back. We know each other well."
"Dell Honne is working for Yumira Corp now." Kenji explained, "He only just arrived. Its good to see you get along well with him. Please. Come this way. Everyones waiting."

The producer led them to a table filled with a large group of people. It was almost colorful, as most of them did not seem to wear the same color. Luka stepped close to them and immediately, what seemed like the youngest pair dressed in yellow immediately stood up and cheerfully called out to her. The two of them, seemingly in their early teens, jumped and gave her a simultaneous hug.

"Luka! Luka! You're finally here!"
"Hello, Len, Rin. I hope you've been well." She gave them a loving returning hug, scooping them into her arms from the shoulders.

Everyone else joined in on the greeting and unbecoming towards a function such as this, it became very lively. Her friends all came to her, smiling and greeting her as if they had not seen her in a long time. She stood in the middle of all of them, actively answering each one of them in turn as if they were her own family. It was the first time Charlie had ever seen Luka so happy like this, rivalling the incident at the elevator. It almost made him feel envious to have this many close friends who she seemed to trust so deeply.

"Ah, Luka. Where's Gakupo?" The blue haired man in their number asked.
"Unfortunately, he couldnt come. He is still very far away from here." Luka answered calmly.
"Aw, no Gakupo? You must be quite lonely!" The green haired twin ponytailed teenager exclaimed, patting her head.
"Not tonight while I have my date with me." Luka giggled.

The whole table gawked, thier eyes opening in surprise when she motioned to Charlie standing by the side of the table. He and Kenji had retreated slightly for them to have their little reunion. He felt himself twitch when she mentioned him as a 'date' and once more when everyone's eyes looked toward him.

Clearing his throat, he spoke in as clear a voice as he could and taking on his professional look, feeling a little awkward with the sudden spotlight, "How do you do? My name is Charlie Strafe. Im Luka's current android doctor."
"Ah, he's so handsome! Well mannered too!" The green haired girl grinned widely, laughing, "Much better than Gakupo!"
"I agree with Miku. You have my open approval!" The short haired woman in red spoke.
"A doctor! Wow! You must be really smart!" The boy in yellow came closer to him.
"You! Get behind me! I wanna see him too!" The girl in similar color literally shoved him aside.
"Oh my... Be careful, Rin. Dont push your brother so hard." Luka simply pressed a hand under her chin, turning her head slightly, "None of you have changed at all." She turned to look at the bewildered Charlie, "Charlie, allow me introduce you to the Vocaloid family. Starting from the right hand is Kaito, Meiko, Miku, and the Kagamine twins, Rin and Len. Everyone, this is Charlie Strafe."

As they were called out, they all answered in greeting in their own way. So this was the Vocaloid 'family'. They were part of the new generation of singing android divas and entertainers put together by various enhancement developers, and since their inception, they had proven themselves to be without equal in the market. When one thinks of a Vocaloid, one would normally think of any of one those before him. Each of them had a unique voice and all have their own menagerie of dedicated fans on all fronts in the four corners of the vast expanse of civilization. However, he did not expect them to be this friendly and family like. He had always thought the 'family' expression was a way to describe them when they were together, a trade gimick.

"Its a pleasure to meet you. I have to say, you are all very lively."
"Please take good care of our little Tako Luka! We're counting on you!" Meiko almost tipped over in her chair.
"Meiko, I think its time to stop drinking...." Kaito worriedly held her upstraight.
"I think so too." Luka simply laughed.

A drunken Meiko notwithstanding, Charlie was invited to sit with them and while they chatted away, he listened. It seemed that their last meeing as a group was almost a year ago and this reunion was much anticipated by everyone at the table. Some of them even prepared gifts to exchange with each other. It was entertaining to hear them speak. They had such familiarity and closeness, despite the twins constantly bickering and arguing with each other. Kaito was a nice man, if not a slightly strange fellow. Meiko was hard to tell because she had a glass too much, but he could see she had a close relation to Kaito from the way she allowed him to keep her steady. Miku was a proud young woman, always seemingly boasting but at the same time caring for her friends. Len seemed much more mature than his sister and displayed a meeker personality. In stark contrast, Rin was a lot more fiery, daring and mischievious. It was a unique collection of personalities put before him, ones that seem to mesh together, complimenting each other.

Most of all, he noticed Luka seated next to him to be particularly chatty, her pretty face open and friendly. Every now and then, she breaks to tell off the twins for being too rough or causing too much trouble, being something like the big sister of the group. The twins obeyed her every word, although sometimes grudgingly. One way or another, whichever way she was looking and speaking, she had a smile that was brighter than the sun. She seemed truly happy to be with her family again.

"So, Charlie. How did you become a doctor? Is it hard?" Kaito turned to him.
Charlie was attentive, expecting to be spoken to sooner or later, "Becoming a doctor, especially an android doctor, takes a lot of practice, so I would say yes, it is." He nodded once, noticing everybody turning thier attention to him, the guest at their table, "I earned my SS license after a few years of internship at the hospital in the University of Android Technologies, in the Anza Pariah system. Its a long story."
"Whoa! An SS license!" Miku exclaimed in disbelief, "Isnt that the highest ranked license you can get?"
"It is." Charlie turned to her, "It wasnt easy, but I made it with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work."
"You're being modest, Charlie." Luka chuckled at him.
"Forget about it! Its good to be modest!" Rin tried to quicken the conversation, "I want to know how you became interested in Luka!"

That comment sent shivers up his spine.

"Ah, Rin," Luka turned to pat the fiery teenager with the white ribbon headband on her head, "I did say we had no other choice, did I? It only happened that Charlie was around and Gakupo wasnt."
"Thats true." Charlie fought back the urge to make a run for it before the questions got serious, "As a gentleman, I took Luka's offer willingly."
"But arent you supposed to have feelings for her if you go out on a date with her?" Rin persisted, her eyes becoming glassy, "I dont understand at all."

The questions just got serious. A tingle ran up his legs and they felt numb. How would he explain the concept of adult gentility to this young woman? He was no good with answering those kinds of questions, partly because it was embarassing and partly because he feared the repercussions.

"Rin, I know its hard to understand, but its just the way adults do things." Len added suddenly, looking sagely.
"Y-You keep your mouth shut! I wanna know!" She snapped back at him, stammering slightly from being put down by her own brother, "I'll squish your secret supply of bananas in the storeroom!"
"Oh no!" Len was taken aback from the threat, horrified, which Charlie was not sure if it was serious or not, "Not the bananas! Anything but the bananas!"
"Hush, you two." Luka spoke sternly, "Len is right. Listen to your brother, Rin."
"Y-yes, ma'am...."

It was a mortal miracle. She had such a powerful hold over them. With just a few words, she could stop them from doing practically anything. The sheer force of her stern but soft words was like the strong arm of the law, however short lived. The twins seemed to tend to forget when they start any heated arguement. Every time when they were out of line, Luka was always there to straighten them out, patiently and very sisterly. Her authority was quite impressive.

"Its alright, Luka," He found himself saying, "You see, Rin. There are certain times when it would be embarassing for a beautiful woman like Luka to appear in a function like this alone. For a date, adults do not necessarily have to have feelings for each other to go on such an outting. Its a matter of honor and it is a gentleman's duty to uphold it."
For a moment, the young woman blinked and stared, "Does that mean the feelings will develop after?"
"Well, in some cases, yes, its possible."
"Then will you develop feelings for Luka after-"
A strangely happy Miku appeared next to the girl to cover her mouth, prompting an angry muffled rebuke, "I think thats enough, Rin! Next question!"

He did not know why he started explaining to Rin and he was glad Miku put a stop to it before it became too embarassing to answer. Maybe he should have just let Luka tell Rin off and not say anything. Maybe he was just inspired by her attitude and sense of responsible maturity. He did not know but he was glad nonetheless. Rin's last unfinished question he really did not want to answer, if it was what he thought it was, because he did not have one.... It was a question he would have to push back for the time being as the next one came barrelling in.

The Vocaloid family took an interest in him, bombarding him with question after question, from what was his favourite food to questions about his home system. There was enthusiasm, some sense of social comfort and the occasional laugh from his more amusing experiances. It was so comfortable being with them that he completely forgot about his predicament from earlier. He practically told them everything about himself, the proper, fluffy parts at least, and all the while, they listened closely. Even Luka sitting next to him had her attention on him, which made him slightly on edge. She might be the only one to suspect that he left out a lot of parts in his story. Having seen so many things about her that seemed new, he could safely assume that she had a sharp attention to detail as well.

"And that was how the planetary governor of Aramia got me to stay here after I arrived. Ever since then, Jupiter 9 has been my home away from home."
"My, he's lucky to have had you as his android doctor." Kaito exclaimed, "And Luka is lucky to have you too."
"Its nothing, really." Charlie fought back the inclination to be bashful, "Its my job and my passion. Who knows? Perhaps I may be called to do any one of you a service one day."
"Well, since all of us have Crypton built voices, its likely that you may." Luka spoke.
Len sat up, grinning widely, "So tell us about your family, Charlie. What are they like?"

A single face he could barely remember popped into his head and within an instant, his heart grew heavy.

"I'm sorry. The issue of my family is very personal. I'm afraid I have to decline to answer." Tried as he might to sound as natural as he could, he couldnt help it. His voice lowered, almost into sadness.
Everyone around him looked concerned. Len spoke up again, "Oh, Im sorry I mentioned it."
"Ah, not to worry." Charlie cleared his throat. It was inappropriate of him to let that memory flash in his mind like that, "Some parts may just be too embarassing to recall, let alone mention."

That lifted the mood some. The smiles came back and the next wave of questioning came flooding in. In exchange, he found out a lot about them by chatting, before, during and after the delicious 7 star dinner courses. Each one had their own history, and truth be told, a good number of them were born and raised together. They were all from rich families who had famous musical backgrounds and throughout their lives, their passions had always been around music in its many forms. Within the range of 10 years of age onwards, they were already singing concerts, making them particularly experianced. Their android bodies and voices took them this far into stardom as they grew up. The most important for them, however, was each other. Without this 'family' they had called themselves, it was likely there would not be a Vocaloid crew to speak of. The only persons who did not seem to talk much about themselves was Luka and Meiko. Luka only gave the briefest of details. The woman was quite mysterious yet her siblings did not seem to mind. Meiko was too stoned out with drinks to be coherent on her facts.

"Kenji has been there for me since I was child. He's like a father to me." Luka spoke to him, "He helped me move through life and build my career. Im separated from him for a while sometimes when on tour, but hes always there to welcome me back."
"And always will, songbird."

The man in question appeared next to Luka, touching her shoulder. The image was close to that of a father and daughter together. A photographic and heartwarming sight. At the same time, it wrenched at him, that memory he wanted to put back flashing before him again.

"Im sorry to interupt your pleasant evening. You look like you are all enjoying youselves." He turned to look at everyone in turn, leaning forward.
"Its been far too long since we've all been together." Luka nodded.
"A great reunion!" Kaito cheerily said.
"Well, I dont suppose I could borrow Luka for a while. Her performance is up."
"Ah, yes, thats right. Im sorry, everyone. Please excuse me, Charlie." She got up from her chair, smiling as sweet as she angelically could be.
"Have fun, Luka!" Miku called out.
"Knock em out, babe! Do it like you always do!" Meiko laughed loudly, wobbling about again into Kaito's shoulder.

She walked away to take the stage, the theatre like band area at one side of the hall, each band member greeting her with great respect, nodding at her with enthusiastic looks on their faces, eager to play a song for her to sing to. Charlie also excused himself from the table to stretch his legs, feeling that he needed to calm himself down before he could socialize further. He was about to head for the restroom to wash his face when he stopped in his tracks to turn around, to the sound of a saxaphone and organ being played, accompanied by the plucking of a guitar after. Along with his attention to the flow of the music that reached throughout the hall, not a single person turned away from the sight of the lady in white. When her voice came forward to project throughout the hall, he felt like his breath was taken away once more.

That tune he recognized instantly. Ding-Dong was cool and easy. He had heard it being played on the airways while looking out into a cityscape once, while he was on an overnight work trip some time ago. He remembered that day, in a momentary flashback. how tired he was over that particularly stressful day, how he collapsed into his chair, his tie off and his shirt unbuttoned, tasting a fine wine he had picked up at the store. While looking out his window, attempting to relax with a jazz filled evening with the stereo up and the lights low, her mature, sexy voice suddenly reached his ears. It was the first time he had ever heard her sing back then, the first time he ever had a favourite artist to listen to, and now he was listening to her live on stage, this song he fell in love with at first hear. It was nostalgic and inwardly, a massive burden seemed to melt away. All that was left was serenity, an inner peace. He stood there, watching her performance, doing his best not to stare open mouthed, his ears, his soul tuning into her sweet, luscious sound, verse by verse.

"So, Luka da vida loca, hmm?"
Charlie did not even turn from his gaze to look at Dell take a stand next to him, "No comments from you, Honne."
"Whatever. Whatever." The man kept his low seemingly uninterested tone, "Its obvious from the way you look at her, Strafe."
"She's a patient.... and yes, I might be a fan too, I admit."
"In my experiance, theres a fine line between 'fan' and 'stalker'."

Charlie ignored the provocation and remained silent. Typical Dell. He had not changed at all after all these years. Still an asshole and always will be. He did not let him bother his enjoying of her song.

"Well, I guess I could give you the lowdown, if you can stop gawking at her lovely lady lumps." Dell continued.
"Just talk, Dell... Im listening."
"Fine." Dell took a breath, "She didnt get that good without help, ya know? From what I know, Miriam's involved."
"You mean that Miriam..."
"Yep. The very same one. While Kenji worked as the manager, Miriam was the mentor. All until recently, Luka's been flying solo without training wings. Think shes going far and might one day top the charts."
"Shes almost at the top of her game, huh?"
"Thats right... Still interested in her?"
"You can shut up now, Dell...."
"Heh, nice talking to you, Charlie."

Right now, Charlie did not want to think. His almost robotic and confrontational conversation with Dell was instinctive. There was a certain part of him that reacted to his rival's presence automatically, but even then, he did not let that get in the way of listening to Luka sing from beginning to end, not missing a single note for the life of him. When her song ended, he joined in with the applause for as long as he was able, his hands stinging from clapping. She took a bow, as did the rest of the ensemble, shaking hands with each other and looking satisfied. Luka continued to stand by the microphone for a long moment, seemingly pondering over something. It was not noticable from her looking around the hall, as if searching. Then she suddenly approached the band leader, turning and stepping towards the back of the stage, talking to him in hushed voices. A minute of conferring before the band happily nodded once more, rigorously this time and particularly more eager. When she turned around, she had a wide smile on her face as she approached the microphone. Her lips parted as the occupants of the hall realized what was going on and settled down to let her speak, her hands wrapping gently around the thin metal object.

"This next song is dedicated to a good friend of mine."

Charlie was confused. A friend? Who? Which one? Did she mean one of her friends in the Vocaloid family? Kenji? Miriam perhaps?

All his questions went flying out the window with the drum intro of a new song he did not recognize. It was upbeat, active, classy with a jive. It felt as if she had turned up the tempo of the stage that she now owned, her image growing intensely more.... sensual. It struck him like a lightning bolt when her song kicked into full gear, in a style he had not heard nor seen her perform before. Where her last song sent him to heaven, this next one blew him into the stars.

"Oh? That gotta be Marionette. Looks like she finished it." Dell raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Its a song shes been working on for a year now, without any help from Miriam or songwriters. Hasnt even reached the recording studios yet." The man smirked, "And I think its probably for you, Strafe."
"Me?"

Why? Why would she be singing her song for him? This incredible song that she took so long to finish? Was it just him or was she looking straight at him while she sang, those pretty, piercing and mesmerizing eyes gazing upon him? Why did he suddenly feel so defenceless again when she looked at him like that, as if his very being was melting?

For now, the answers did not seem to matter. The magical upbeat groove and the pleasure of hearing her last song built up to him feeling so much better, and not just in any normal way. Just as his previous burden had dropped like bricks, the weights in his conscious burst loose, emotions simple and complicated sending colors into his vision. From what he sees now of the stage, in a metaphorical kind of way, it looked like a psychadelic light show, with every color of the visible spectrum flashing at different perspectives and angles, in sync with the beat, mood and swaying of her feminine form. His heart raced. His head felt light. He had to lean slightly to one side to keep his center of gravity from collapsing. From the outside, he looked calm, but inside, there was a hurricane of emotion caused from what he believed was undescribably earthshaking. Something inside him snapped.

"Well, I'll be leaving you to it then." Dell spoke again halfway through the song and turned to make his exit, probably from realizing that his rival was too out of it to be any more entertaining.
Charlie finally turned, something new in his eyes, "Where do you think you're going, Honne?"
"Outta here, of course. Im not needed."
"I dont think so." Charlie prompted Dell to turn, "I want you to do something for me."
His lips curled after a long stare, ".... Heh. Not a problem. Whats up?"

Luka finished her song with flair, and the entire hall stood from their tables in a rousing standing ovation. Along with the thunder of loud clapping were the cheers, whistles and shouting, the impression of the pink haired angel's voice sinking deep into the hearts of each celebrity present. There was a lot due for the song, her efforts, her emotions, her own creative creations, poured straight into its essence, and for it to move those much older and more experianced than her was a feat in itself. Kenji came up the stage as she took her bows, giving her a warm, pleasant and fatherly hug, even as she seemed to look out once more into the hall, her eyes discretely searching.

Description
Chapter 3

As soon as the limo shuttle reached the famous Red Carpet hangar, the huge crowd standing behind velvet roped barriers sprang into action, flashing thier cameras, rolling thier holosceen recorders, chattering into their microphones excitedly. According to Luka, The Open Cradle dinner party was a major annual event, and every entertainment magazine and show, big news network and die hard fan would come flocking into the sidelines of the Stretch of Stardom, all waiting for their chance of seeing their favourite stars make the walk into the reception area. There was a long line of other limos in front of them, each celebrity making their entrance as grandly as they showed in so many other gala entrances. Since the fans and the paparazzi were so insistent in giving each one of them their dearest attentions and most special of treatments, it was quite slow moving, a literal backlog of stretched shuttles all along the hangar bays. The more time spent waiting, the faster his heart beat. Charlie Strafe had never been in this kind of situation before and had never wanted star treatment. He felt that he was a nobody, even if he was the best android doctor in the galaxy for many reasons. He felt that he did not need to be here. There were other people who had better grace and status to be in his place, but there was one lone factor that made him sacrifice his time so.

A request from Megurine Luka, his rich and famous patient, a woman he admired for her voice and her elegence. Her previous escort, Gakupoe, could not make it in time, so here he was, unfortunately acting the stand in. Tonight, he was Luka's date and every corner of the vast galaxy will know.

"We're almost there. Are you ready?"
"My mind says yes. My body says no."
"You'll be fine. Just smile. Be sure to squint while getting out."

A steady jump in the shuttle's drives, a slow movement forward before a gradual cut out. They had stopped, their final stop, the cue for the show to begin. The door opened, and as it slowly swung upwards, Charlie took his first step onto the carpet. The air was immediately filled with cheering and squealing, assaulting his ears with a sonic sound that was as powerful as the human voice could muster. The horizon was an intimidating sea of flashing lights, and he squinted as he was instructed, avoiding blindness only jusy that bit better. From the nearest roped barrier to his left, he could hear loud voices as he tried his best to brave the dreaded affair, smiling as dashingly as he could muster and looking the least nervous as he could.

"Hey, who is that guy?"
"I dunno! I never seen him before!"
"Quick! Take picture of him! It could be worth it!"
"Yanzai! Keep that camera rolling! Get a close up! Now!"

When he was finally outside with two feet standing, he turned to reach into the shuttle for Luka's hand and braced himself for a lot of noise as soon as he helped her out of their ride. Seeing his worry in his eyes, Luka made one final attempt to calm him by brightening up her face. For a moment, it worked and for that one moment, he felt reassured, until the people caught thier glimpse of thier favourite Vocaloid stepping out. The volume of the commotion turned up sharply as soon as both her feet and her shapely figure was out. Calmly, as if not even noticing the massed dementia around them, Luka took her place beside him and slipped her arm into his, still wearing that million dollar smile. Her fans screamed. Reporters shoved microphones into their faces. People pushed against the rope, a rabid human tidal wave only being held back by strong reinforced fixings and tough bodyguards. Even from here at the edge of the carpet, he could feel the psychological shockwave of the moment.

"Miss Luka! Who is this lovely gentleman with you tonight? We havent had the pleasure of seeing him before! Is he a Vocaloid? Are you lovers?"
"Luka! Miss Luka! What happened to Kamui Gakupo? Does his absense bother you? Is it true he is not able to attend tonight because of your failing romantic relations with him?"
"Miss Luka! Would you like to comment on Kamui Gakupo's inability to attend? Is this your way of saying you are no longer interested in him?"
"Luka! Luka! Dont leave Gakupo! You two are great together!"
"Can you sign my shirt, Miss Luka, and also this photograph!? Please?"
"Miss Luka!"
"Luka!"

It was becoming deafening. He did not know how Luka had the eardrums to endure all this year after year, and still remain so cool, walking with him all the way to the reception area. Did the questions actually bother her at all? She did not seem the least bothered to stop and answer, her hold on his arm light. Much of the attention certainly bothered him, as he had feared. There was now an unintentional footprint on the record. His face would now be widely known. If not tonight, then the day or week after. Knowing the press, they know how to match faces to names. From the moment he was put into this situation, it was all over. Goodbye, peaceful life. You will be greatly missed.

When the huge sliding doors of the reception area whipped shut and the hysteria of the crowd finally behind them, he breathed a sigh, letting his straining face drop into one of tiresome relief. The reception area was mostly empty, a fancy place welcome area that was probably full of celebrities at the beginning of the evening. They had been delayed by the line so only a few people were around them. If his directions served him right, the next place where they had to go to was towards the decorated table by the side, authenticate thier IDs and invitations with the woman there and head up the elevator.

"Say, Luka..." He turned to her, "You amaze me. How do you keep that kind of face in front of all that ruckus?"
She was strangely silent, looking around the room nonchalantly. Was she ignoring him?
"Luka...?"
"Hmm? Yes?" Her head whipped round, hair whipping to her side and her free hand reaching for her ear. She pulled out what looked a bit of rubber from it....

His jaw dropped and he stared at her squarely. Earplugs?

Seeing his expression, Luka suddenly exploded into a stiffled giggle fit, her hand cupped over her mouth to keep her voice down, all sense of flawless estute behaviour melting away from her. Charlie simply couldnt believe it. His escort was an evil woman. The trick of the trade eluded and answered by simple devices easily stuffed into her ears and she kept it from him. She must have slipped them on when he got out. Cunning, and an inexplicably evil tease.

"Im sorry. Please forgive me." She regained some of her composure after shaking off her amusement, or at least she seemed to try to, "I know I should have told you. I was playing with you."
"You have nasty sense of humor, Megurine Luka. Next time, remind me never to agree to do this again...."
"Oh, you dont mean that." She gave him a hurt look, trying to act cute. The image reinforced with her squeezing his arm and pressing against him, "Dont be angry."
Another sigh of defeat escaped his lips. Her charms were too strong, so he had to forgive her, but even then, he was reassured. At least Luka was having her fun, even if it was at his expense, "Lets just move on...."

For some reason, that rather cheeky. It surprised him, as she was always so mature around people, a clear stateswoman attitude when in public. Her sudden and somewhat spontaneous tease confused him. He had to wonder what brought it on, and he also wondered if this was normal for her to tease on the first date.... Very strange....

"You really know how to make fun of people, do you?"
"I'm sorry...." She fought back another, "Its just that.... Its been a long time since I had a good laugh." Looking at him, her eyes seemed apologetic, probably thinking that she had offended him now that the joke's up, ".... If it bothers you, I'll...."
In truth, Charlie was not really the kind to hold grudges. Cutting loose, his expression lightened up. He did not want her to feel like he was angry with her. That would defeat the purpose of the night, "Dont. Laughing is good medicine for the soul. All doctors say so, and so do I."

The elevator ride up was relatively short. It was a medium sized circular tube-like space and due to some strict security reasons, only a pair could enter and exit at a time. The whole way, she could hardly seem contain herself, for some short moments letting out the excess laughter with her mouth closed. Charlie let it pass, and instead looked forward to whats to come. When the doors opened, within an instant, her game faced returned, the same face he saw at the hangar. Not even an eyebeat could describe the speed of how fast she composed herself.

"Miss Luka. Mr Strafe. Welcome." A sharply dressed man at the lobby greeted them with a bow, "This way please."

They were led to a pair of large double doors flanked by a pair of doormen. As they approached, the entryway slowly swung open and light flooded outwards towards them. It was like stepping into another dimention of golden rays and finery. The famous Dome Cradle was the main part of the station, also the largest. It was a massive circular hall, with so much space that it would be very easy to fill it with a small colony village. With the event's current theme of rustic grandeur, every side was decorated as such, a wonderland of intricately desiged furniture made from the finest of hardwoods from the most exotic of planetary origins. The center floor was a pristine polished golden marble, no doubt the dance floor, with a maroon outer carpeting surrounding it, containing circular tables large enough to fit small families. All the walls were dotted with decor and every entryway having at least two doorman to let the guests in or out. High above, at least ten storeys higher from the center of the hall, was the transparent dome that gave the hall its name, the largest ever built in the history of mankind. Holographic technology allowed for nobody to see the support structures that kept meters of tough glass from being seen, so the view above was as if one was standing out in the vacuum of space, surrounded by stars, with the beautiful paradise planet of Aramia closeby and the system's sun beating its rays of life into ones face.

It was a legendary view, the fruit of a true achievement of advanced engineering. A man would only dream of ever stepping into here, a man such as Charlie who had lived a peaceful uninterrupted a life. He was awestruck, unable to take his eyes off the magnificent vision of wonder before him. His attention only came back to Luka and the situation after he felt a light tug at his arm, the woman in his company bringing back to normality. He then took notice of the people around them, the actors, the producers, the entertainers. Everyone here was from the entertainment business, seated at their tables, dressed in impressive designed custom made clothing, with some wondering around the floor, chattering away with colleagues, friends and acquaintances. There was laughter, joy and rich living. The air was filled with the scent of fine wine, exotic perfume and the sound of a live ensemble on the theater side of the Dome, playing a jazzy lounge like tune.

Then from the corner of his eye, he spotted a familiar face, or more like a pair of faces, walking towards them.

"Luka! Charlie! There you are!" The larger older man spread his arms open.
"Kenji! How are you?" Luka stepped forward, lightly dropping Charlie's arm to hug her producer briefly, "Apologies for being late. The shuttle line was long."
"Ah, dont worry about it, my little songbird. It happens every year!" Kenji turned to look at Charlie intensely stare down the other man with him, stopping short of saying something as he curiously took notice.

Charlie's eyes glazed, his welcoming smile had turned wry when he spotted the other man with the Yumira Corp producer. At first, he thought that it was not possible, considering how the person was, his mannerisms and preferences. Then when he came into realization, he could not help but let old habits take over. The more he looked at this sable haired, crimson eyed man, the less he could help it. It was a miracle he did not have a cigarette butt in his mouth tonight.

"Charlie Strafe..." The man called out slowly, his posture loose and his expression low.
"Dell Honne..." Charlie called back just as slowly, "Its been three years...."

Dell Honne. He looked completely different than the image Charlie had in his head for a long time, and out of place with that black tux on. Knowing his long time rival in programming, he could make some indirect connections between his work and the potential clients he worked with in this hall. They had a long history from the moment they met. Dell was good at what he did, being the kind of guy who couldnt care less. While Charlie specialized in android program maintenance, Dell took advanced computer interface security. Even though they had different majors, they still compete over who could write the better program faster than the other. So far since graduation, it had always been a tie. Sometimes, Dell would win. Sometimes, he would. Seeing him here and now resurfaced all those intense comptetitive emotions that it could almost burst out of him and he was sure the other man felt the same, considering that same look he was so familiar with long time ago, that smug, uninterested expression he always wore normally.

"Ah, I see you two know each other?" Luka assumed, turning between them.
"We were old friends." Charlie cocked his head, his eyes still glaring at Dell.
"Yeah. Old friends." Dell let out a smirk, keeping that really annoying straight face, "Great to see you again, Charlie."
"Likewise, Dell." He stretched out a hand to shake hands with him tightly.

Even if the two of them mentally used to be at each other's throats, they were still friends in a wierd way and had always kept themselves civil and fair. Charlie sensed that Dell had changed a bit, but even then, the asshole he always knew and never forget was still in there. It showed deep down.

Before long another person joined them, a young woman, dressed in a simple grey dress that was not as striking as the others around, a very mute color. She seemed peculiar, because she was fair skinned, had the same color irises as him and her sable colored hair was long to her waist, tied back with a large purple black ribbon into a long tail. She approached quietly, tapping Dell lightly on the shoulder, then whispering into his ear.

"Sorry, everyone. Duty calls." Dell looked at Charlie, lightly punching the side of his shoulder with his fist nonchalantly, "I'll see ya later."
"See ya, Dell."

As the man walked away with the woman, Charlie was left with Luka and Kenji, who were both looking at him strangely. He still had his 'face' on, the serious kind that he had not shown to anybody in years. Clearing his throat, he readjusted his zen, "Dell and I go far back. We know each other well."
"Dell Honne is working for Yumira Corp now." Kenji explained, "He only just arrived. Its good to see you get along well with him. Please. Come this way. Everyones waiting."

The producer led them to a table filled with a large group of people. It was almost colorful, as most of them did not seem to wear the same color. Luka stepped close to them and immediately, what seemed like the youngest pair dressed in yellow immediately stood up and cheerfully called out to her. The two of them, seemingly in their early teens, jumped and gave her a simultaneous hug.

"Luka! Luka! You're finally here!"
"Hello, Len, Rin. I hope you've been well." She gave them a loving returning hug, scooping them into her arms from the shoulders.

Everyone else joined in on the greeting and unbecoming towards a function such as this, it became very lively. Her friends all came to her, smiling and greeting her as if they had not seen her in a long time. She stood in the middle of all of them, actively answering each one of them in turn as if they were her own family. It was the first time Charlie had ever seen Luka so happy like this, rivalling the incident at the elevator. It almost made him feel envious to have this many close friends who she seemed to trust so deeply.

"Ah, Luka. Where's Gakupo?" The blue haired man in their number asked.
"Unfortunately, he couldnt come. He is still very far away from here." Luka answered calmly.
"Aw, no Gakupo? You must be quite lonely!" The green haired twin ponytailed teenager exclaimed, patting her head.
"Not tonight while I have my date with me." Luka giggled.

The whole table gawked, thier eyes opening in surprise when she motioned to Charlie standing by the side of the table. He and Kenji had retreated slightly for them to have their little reunion. He felt himself twitch when she mentioned him as a 'date' and once more when everyone's eyes looked toward him.

Clearing his throat, he spoke in as clear a voice as he could and taking on his professional look, feeling a little awkward with the sudden spotlight, "How do you do? My name is Charlie Strafe. Im Luka's current android doctor."
"Ah, he's so handsome! Well mannered too!" The green haired girl grinned widely, laughing, "Much better than Gakupo!"
"I agree with Miku. You have my open approval!" The short haired woman in red spoke.
"A doctor! Wow! You must be really smart!" The boy in yellow came closer to him.
"You! Get behind me! I wanna see him too!" The girl in similar color literally shoved him aside.
"Oh my... Be careful, Rin. Dont push your brother so hard." Luka simply pressed a hand under her chin, turning her head slightly, "None of you have changed at all." She turned to look at the bewildered Charlie, "Charlie, allow me introduce you to the Vocaloid family. Starting from the right hand is Kaito, Meiko, Miku, and the Kagamine twins, Rin and Len. Everyone, this is Charlie Strafe."

As they were called out, they all answered in greeting in their own way. So this was the Vocaloid 'family'. They were part of the new generation of singing android divas and entertainers put together by various enhancement developers, and since their inception, they had proven themselves to be without equal in the market. When one thinks of a Vocaloid, one would normally think of any of one those before him. Each of them had a unique voice and all have their own menagerie of dedicated fans on all fronts in the four corners of the vast expanse of civilization. However, he did not expect them to be this friendly and family like. He had always thought the 'family' expression was a way to describe them when they were together, a trade gimick.

"Its a pleasure to meet you. I have to say, you are all very lively."
"Please take good care of our little Tako Luka! We're counting on you!" Meiko almost tipped over in her chair.
"Meiko, I think its time to stop drinking...." Kaito worriedly held her upstraight.
"I think so too." Luka simply laughed.

A drunken Meiko notwithstanding, Charlie was invited to sit with them and while they chatted away, he listened. It seemed that their last meeing as a group was almost a year ago and this reunion was much anticipated by everyone at the table. Some of them even prepared gifts to exchange with each other. It was entertaining to hear them speak. They had such familiarity and closeness, despite the twins constantly bickering and arguing with each other. Kaito was a nice man, if not a slightly strange fellow. Meiko was hard to tell because she had a glass too much, but he could see she had a close relation to Kaito from the way she allowed him to keep her steady. Miku was a proud young woman, always seemingly boasting but at the same time caring for her friends. Len seemed much more mature than his sister and displayed a meeker personality. In stark contrast, Rin was a lot more fiery, daring and mischievious. It was a unique collection of personalities put before him, ones that seem to mesh together, complimenting each other.

Most of all, he noticed Luka seated next to him to be particularly chatty, her pretty face open and friendly. Every now and then, she breaks to tell off the twins for being too rough or causing too much trouble, being something like the big sister of the group. The twins obeyed her every word, although sometimes grudgingly. One way or another, whichever way she was looking and speaking, she had a smile that was brighter than the sun. She seemed truly happy to be with her family again.

"So, Charlie. How did you become a doctor? Is it hard?" Kaito turned to him.
Charlie was attentive, expecting to be spoken to sooner or later, "Becoming a doctor, especially an android doctor, takes a lot of practice, so I would say yes, it is." He nodded once, noticing everybody turning thier attention to him, the guest at their table, "I earned my SS license after a few years of internship at the hospital in the University of Android Technologies, in the Anza Pariah system. Its a long story."
"Whoa! An SS license!" Miku exclaimed in disbelief, "Isnt that the highest ranked license you can get?"
"It is." Charlie turned to her, "It wasnt easy, but I made it with a bit of luck and a lot of hard work."
"You're being modest, Charlie." Luka chuckled at him.
"Forget about it! Its good to be modest!" Rin tried to quicken the conversation, "I want to know how you became interested in Luka!"

That comment sent shivers up his spine.

"Ah, Rin," Luka turned to pat the fiery teenager with the white ribbon headband on her head, "I did say we had no other choice, did I? It only happened that Charlie was around and Gakupo wasnt."
"Thats true." Charlie fought back the urge to make a run for it before the questions got serious, "As a gentleman, I took Luka's offer willingly."
"But arent you supposed to have feelings for her if you go out on a date with her?" Rin persisted, her eyes becoming glassy, "I dont understand at all."

The questions just got serious. A tingle ran up his legs and they felt numb. How would he explain the concept of adult gentility to this young woman? He was no good with answering those kinds of questions, partly because it was embarassing and partly because he feared the repercussions.

"Rin, I know its hard to understand, but its just the way adults do things." Len added suddenly, looking sagely.
"Y-You keep your mouth shut! I wanna know!" She snapped back at him, stammering slightly from being put down by her own brother, "I'll squish your secret supply of bananas in the storeroom!"
"Oh no!" Len was taken aback from the threat, horrified, which Charlie was not sure if it was serious or not, "Not the bananas! Anything but the bananas!"
"Hush, you two." Luka spoke sternly, "Len is right. Listen to your brother, Rin."
"Y-yes, ma'am...."

It was a mortal miracle. She had such a powerful hold over them. With just a few words, she could stop them from doing practically anything. The sheer force of her stern but soft words was like the strong arm of the law, however short lived. The twins seemed to tend to forget when they start any heated arguement. Every time when they were out of line, Luka was always there to straighten them out, patiently and very sisterly. Her authority was quite impressive.

"Its alright, Luka," He found himself saying, "You see, Rin. There are certain times when it would be embarassing for a beautiful woman like Luka to appear in a function like this alone. For a date, adults do not necessarily have to have feelings for each other to go on such an outting. Its a matter of honor and it is a gentleman's duty to uphold it."
For a moment, the young woman blinked and stared, "Does that mean the feelings will develop after?"
"Well, in some cases, yes, its possible."
"Then will you develop feelings for Luka after-"
A strangely happy Miku appeared next to the girl to cover her mouth, prompting an angry muffled rebuke, "I think thats enough, Rin! Next question!"

He did not know why he started explaining to Rin and he was glad Miku put a stop to it before it became too embarassing to answer. Maybe he should have just let Luka tell Rin off and not say anything. Maybe he was just inspired by her attitude and sense of responsible maturity. He did not know but he was glad nonetheless. Rin's last unfinished question he really did not want to answer, if it was what he thought it was, because he did not have one.... It was a question he would have to push back for the time being as the next one came barrelling in.

The Vocaloid family took an interest in him, bombarding him with question after question, from what was his favourite food to questions about his home system. There was enthusiasm, some sense of social comfort and the occasional laugh from his more amusing experiances. It was so comfortable being with them that he completely forgot about his predicament from earlier. He practically told them everything about himself, the proper, fluffy parts at least, and all the while, they listened closely. Even Luka sitting next to him had her attention on him, which made him slightly on edge. She might be the only one to suspect that he left out a lot of parts in his story. Having seen so many things about her that seemed new, he could safely assume that she had a sharp attention to detail as well.

"And that was how the planetary governor of Aramia got me to stay here after I arrived. Ever since then, Jupiter 9 has been my home away from home."
"My, he's lucky to have had you as his android doctor." Kaito exclaimed, "And Luka is lucky to have you too."
"Its nothing, really." Charlie fought back the inclination to be bashful, "Its my job and my passion. Who knows? Perhaps I may be called to do any one of you a service one day."
"Well, since all of us have Crypton built voices, its likely that you may." Luka spoke.
Len sat up, grinning widely, "So tell us about your family, Charlie. What are they like?"

A single face he could barely remember popped into his head and within an instant, his heart grew heavy.

"I'm sorry. The issue of my family is very personal. I'm afraid I have to decline to answer." Tried as he might to sound as natural as he could, he couldnt help it. His voice lowered, almost into sadness.
Everyone around him looked concerned. Len spoke up again, "Oh, Im sorry I mentioned it."
"Ah, not to worry." Charlie cleared his throat. It was inappropriate of him to let that memory flash in his mind like that, "Some parts may just be too embarassing to recall, let alone mention."

That lifted the mood some. The smiles came back and the next wave of questioning came flooding in. In exchange, he found out a lot about them by chatting, before, during and after the delicious 7 star dinner courses. Each one had their own history, and truth be told, a good number of them were born and raised together. They were all from rich families who had famous musical backgrounds and throughout their lives, their passions had always been around music in its many forms. Within the range of 10 years of age onwards, they were already singing concerts, making them particularly experianced. Their android bodies and voices took them this far into stardom as they grew up. The most important for them, however, was each other. Without this 'family' they had called themselves, it was likely there would not be a Vocaloid crew to speak of. The only persons who did not seem to talk much about themselves was Luka and Meiko. Luka only gave the briefest of details. The woman was quite mysterious yet her siblings did not seem to mind. Meiko was too stoned out with drinks to be coherent on her facts.

"Kenji has been there for me since I was child. He's like a father to me." Luka spoke to him, "He helped me move through life and build my career. Im separated from him for a while sometimes when on tour, but hes always there to welcome me back."
"And always will, songbird."

The man in question appeared next to Luka, touching her shoulder. The image was close to that of a father and daughter together. A photographic and heartwarming sight. At the same time, it wrenched at him, that memory he wanted to put back flashing before him again.

"Im sorry to interupt your pleasant evening. You look like you are all enjoying youselves." He turned to look at everyone in turn, leaning forward.
"Its been far too long since we've all been together." Luka nodded.
"A great reunion!" Kaito cheerily said.
"Well, I dont suppose I could borrow Luka for a while. Her performance is up."
"Ah, yes, thats right. Im sorry, everyone. Please excuse me, Charlie." She got up from her chair, smiling as sweet as she angelically could be.
"Have fun, Luka!" Miku called out.
"Knock em out, babe! Do it like you always do!" Meiko laughed loudly, wobbling about again into Kaito's shoulder.

She walked away to take the stage, the theatre like band area at one side of the hall, each band member greeting her with great respect, nodding at her with enthusiastic looks on their faces, eager to play a song for her to sing to. Charlie also excused himself from the table to stretch his legs, feeling that he needed to calm himself down before he could socialize further. He was about to head for the restroom to wash his face when he stopped in his tracks to turn around, to the sound of a saxaphone and organ being played, accompanied by the plucking of a guitar after. Along with his attention to the flow of the music that reached throughout the hall, not a single person turned away from the sight of the lady in white. When her voice came forward to project throughout the hall, he felt like his breath was taken away once more.

That tune he recognized instantly. Ding-Dong was cool and easy. He had heard it being played on the airways while looking out into a cityscape once, while he was on an overnight work trip some time ago. He remembered that day, in a momentary flashback. how tired he was over that particularly stressful day, how he collapsed into his chair, his tie off and his shirt unbuttoned, tasting a fine wine he had picked up at the store. While looking out his window, attempting to relax with a jazz filled evening with the stereo up and the lights low, her mature, sexy voice suddenly reached his ears. It was the first time he had ever heard her sing back then, the first time he ever had a favourite artist to listen to, and now he was listening to her live on stage, this song he fell in love with at first hear. It was nostalgic and inwardly, a massive burden seemed to melt away. All that was left was serenity, an inner peace. He stood there, watching her performance, doing his best not to stare open mouthed, his ears, his soul tuning into her sweet, luscious sound, verse by verse.

"So, Luka da vida loca, hmm?"
Charlie did not even turn from his gaze to look at Dell take a stand next to him, "No comments from you, Honne."
"Whatever. Whatever." The man kept his low seemingly uninterested tone, "Its obvious from the way you look at her, Strafe."
"She's a patient.... and yes, I might be a fan too, I admit."
"In my experiance, theres a fine line between 'fan' and 'stalker'."

Charlie ignored the provocation and remained silent. Typical Dell. He had not changed at all after all these years. Still an asshole and always will be. He did not let him bother his enjoying of her song.

"Well, I guess I could give you the lowdown, if you can stop gawking at her lovely lady lumps." Dell continued.
"Just talk, Dell... Im listening."
"Fine." Dell took a breath, "She didnt get that good without help, ya know? From what I know, Miriam's involved."
"You mean that Miriam..."
"Yep. The very same one. While Kenji worked as the manager, Miriam was the mentor. All until recently, Luka's been flying solo without training wings. Think shes going far and might one day top the charts."
"Shes almost at the top of her game, huh?"
"Thats right... Still interested in her?"
"You can shut up now, Dell...."
"Heh, nice talking to you, Charlie."

Right now, Charlie did not want to think. His almost robotic and confrontational conversation with Dell was instinctive. There was a certain part of him that reacted to his rival's presence automatically, but even then, he did not let that get in the way of listening to Luka sing from beginning to end, not missing a single note for the life of him. When her song ended, he joined in with the applause for as long as he was able, his hands stinging from clapping. She took a bow, as did the rest of the ensemble, shaking hands with each other and looking satisfied. Luka continued to stand by the microphone for a long moment, seemingly pondering over something. It was not noticable from her looking around the hall, as if searching. Then she suddenly approached the band leader, turning and stepping towards the back of the stage, talking to him in hushed voices. A minute of conferring before the band happily nodded once more, rigorously this time and particularly more eager. When she turned around, she had a wide smile on her face as she approached the microphone. Her lips parted as the occupants of the hall realized what was going on and settled down to let her speak, her hands wrapping gently around the thin metal object.

"This next song is dedicated to a good friend of mine."

Charlie was confused. A friend? Who? Which one? Did she mean one of her friends in the Vocaloid family? Kenji? Miriam perhaps?

All his questions went flying out the window with the drum intro of a new song he did not recognize. It was upbeat, active, classy with a jive. It felt as if she had turned up the tempo of the stage that she now owned, her image growing intensely more.... sensual. It struck him like a lightning bolt when her song kicked into full gear, in a style he had not heard nor seen her perform before. Where her last song sent him to heaven, this next one blew him into the stars.

"Oh? That gotta be Marionette. Looks like she finished it." Dell raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
"Its a song shes been working on for a year now, without any help from Miriam or songwriters. Hasnt even reached the recording studios yet." The man smirked, "And I think its probably for you, Strafe."
"Me?"

Why? Why would she be singing her song for him? This incredible song that she took so long to finish? Was it just him or was she looking straight at him while she sang, those pretty, piercing and mesmerizing eyes gazing upon him? Why did he suddenly feel so defenceless again when she looked at him like that, as if his very being was melting?

For now, the answers did not seem to matter. The magical upbeat groove and the pleasure of hearing her last song built up to him feeling so much better, and not just in any normal way. Just as his previous burden had dropped like bricks, the weights in his conscious burst loose, emotions simple and complicated sending colors into his vision. From what he sees now of the stage, in a metaphorical kind of way, it looked like a psychadelic light show, with every color of the visible spectrum flashing at different perspectives and angles, in sync with the beat, mood and swaying of her feminine form. His heart raced. His head felt light. He had to lean slightly to one side to keep his center of gravity from collapsing. From the outside, he looked calm, but inside, there was a hurricane of emotion caused from what he believed was undescribably earthshaking. Something inside him snapped.

"Well, I'll be leaving you to it then." Dell spoke again halfway through the song and turned to make his exit, probably from realizing that his rival was too out of it to be any more entertaining.
Charlie finally turned, something new in his eyes, "Where do you think you're going, Honne?"
"Outta here, of course. Im not needed."
"I dont think so." Charlie prompted Dell to turn, "I want you to do something for me."
His lips curled after a long stare, ".... Heh. Not a problem. Whats up?"

Luka finished her song with flair, and the entire hall stood from their tables in a rousing standing ovation. Along with the thunder of loud clapping were the cheers, whistles and shouting, the impression of the pink haired angel's voice sinking deep into the hearts of each celebrity present. There was a lot due for the song, her efforts, her emotions, her own creative creations, poured straight into its essence, and for it to move those much older and more experianced than her was a feat in itself. Kenji came up the stage as she took her bows, giving her a warm, pleasant and fatherly hug, even as she seemed to look out once more into the hall, her eyes discretely searching.