The Ace of Riders Vehicle Store[open]

Hearing the remark made Liseran feel both panicked and astonished. After the young girl finished her shouts and Byron gave his own little remark, Liseran stomped her foot.

"T-that can't be right!" Liseran objected. "Of course I have to pay for Rae-rae! I saw it in my vision, too!"

Rapidly, she took out a small pouch holding a stack of Lien chips and pushed it ever so gently but enough to make her gesture firm on Cheshire's chest.

"50,000 Lien downpayment!" she half-shouted. "No arguments, no exchanges, no refunds! Argue all you want but my vision told me you took the money, so you know I'm not lying!"

Cheshire looked a bit startled for a moment and pauses in thought. He nods is head and takes the money. "Then we'll compromise. This will do for the full payment of the bike. I just so happen to be having a super sale today," Cheshire said obviously lying through his teeth. "Rae Rae is all yours now... Happy?"

Cheshire held the money firmly in his hands and paused briefly. "In exchange, Let me treat you to dinner and a movie," Cheshire stated. "Anyplace you want to go. Consider it thanks for your help today. Do you accept this offer?"

As stiff and formal as Cheshire was as he spoke, some sweat ran down the side of his face betraying his inner feelings of nervousness.

While it was obvious Cheshire was nervous himself, Liseran was so surprised her entire body was shaking, making her clothes ripple and shiver and her ponytail straight on its ends. The pressure was too much. She squeaked, "Hold on a minute." and took out her touch phone diary and began tapping rapidly.

"Misfortunes of misfortunes! I think in the events of a battle this guy hit his head really really really hard and now he's saying the craziest things! Take me out to dinner indeed! I've never been that attractive and I'm a nervous wreck and I can't even wear my hair properly. Where all my cousins have nice tans and straight hair, I'm pale with wavy hair that can't keep in place! It's just impossible for a person so nice, so handsome and so refined to want to go out with me! What am I gonna do!? I wanna say yes but I'm afraid for his mental condition and I don't know if I'm happy or scared!"

It was only then that she realized she had been talking aloud. The three shop keepers were now just staring at her blankly. She stood straight, still shaking like a baby bird in the middle of winter and looked at Cheshire. She bobbed her head.

"I-I mean..." she stuttered. "I-I'd love to!"

She then looked down and began rubbing the lenses of her glasses.

"O-oh...that's right!" she said in panic. "I-I totally forgot my cardigan and book on the streets. I-I'll be right back!"

And faster than the speed she had ridden on the Raven she zoomed out leaving a trail of dust and forms in the wind.

As Liseran ran out of the shop, Cheshire stands there frozen like a statue, stiff as stone. After a few seconds passed after Liseran was gone, Cheshire's ears drooped, always a negative show of his inner thoughts.

"Is it.... really such a misfortune... to have dinner with me..." Cheshire murmured out loud, his face contorted in a mixture of confusion and depression.

"Looks like he didn't hear the rest of that," Byron chuckled. "You do realize she accepted right?"

"She did?" Cheshire exclaimed, his ears standing erect in surprise but soon drooped back to a lifeless saddened form. Cheshire looked down at the ground, a negative look in his eyes. "Oh... she must have just felt sorry for me and accepted out of pity..."

"Cheshire is acting depressing again," Alice hummed, "The world is correct again..."

Liseran didn't realize how far she had run out but she was in a few minutes where her cardigan was. It was extremely torn (probably due to the blow from the bandit earlier) and her book had lost its cover. She quietly mourned it but then she remembered earlier.

"He...asked me out?" she said, trying to absorb the concept.

She realized that, yes, he had and she didn't know if he was doing it out of pity or chivalry or what. Her doubts began to fill her but she remembered the brief words he said when he had grabbed her by the arms. Her eyes were teary again (seriously, they were like destroyed water faucets) and they ran down her cheeks hotly.

She put on her cardigan even if it was damaged and she hugged her book. She giggled. Then giggled even more until she was extremely giddy and couldn't resist laughing out loud in happiness. She knelt down there in the sunlight and began crying and laughing like there was no end to it.

"Oh my gosh!" she said hysterically. "Someone asked me out! That's so weird! So embarrassing!"

She laughed some more and then finally calmed down. She smiled.

"So...pleasant."

She stood up and wiped her tears. She knew what she needed to do now and hoped to find the nearest gift shop around.

"Oooookay," Cheshire said to his reflection in the mirror as he straightened his tie, "It's not like it's a date or anything. I'm simply making up to her for all the trouble that has happened today. Did I put too much cologne?"

Cheshire's engineer's outfit laid in a neatly folded pile on the table. Cheshire left the shop to Byron and Alice and closed the door to the back room with him in it as he changed into his regular outfit, wearing his black long coat and pants with leather shoes and a crisply ironed dress shirt. Cheshire suddenly realized he had also put on the chest armor and tried to remove it then thought for a moment.

"Wait, the armor may make me look more buff," Cheshire mumbled. "... Gah! What am I saying, this is not a date! What do I care??"

Despite his statement he left the armor on and fixed his glasses until he was sure they were on straight before exiting the back room and walked out into the shop.

"Care to take your lady on your chariot?" Byron asked with a cheeky smile as he patted the seat of the now restored Bandersnatch. As much as Cheshire disliked the guy, he was a good mechanic.

"She's not my lady," Cheshire grumbled. "I'm just treating her to dinner. Simple as that."

"She seems to like you," Byron hummed teasingly.

"A girl like her would never have interest in someone like my," Cheshire stated, a slight saddened look over his face.

"But what if she does?" Alice asked tilting her head curiously.

"...." Cheshire remained silent, looking off at the side. ".... It... would be nice..."

Liseran had hoped as much as possible that she looked alright even if she had been hasty in getting herself ready. Her hands, as usual, were shaking but it was with a newfound suspense. She looked at herself in the mirror of her dainty bedroom. Most of what she owned were her cardigans, blouses and librarian skirts. She didn't have a single dress save for the one that belonged to her mother.

"I never liked dresses," she sighed, but she couldn't help but notice that it fit her just right.

She hoped it was simple enough but the lace that rimmed the tips of the skirt and the bell sleeves might make it looked old fashioned. She didn't have much options with her hair. Her cousins had told her before that during a date (that's not what it was anyways, but still...) it was better to wear her hair down. But it made Liseran feel miserable so she settled for a braided bun.

She sighed and then shook nervously.

"What am I so nervous about?" she wondered out loud. With that, she picked up the small paper bag that held her small token of appreciation and left out the door.

It didn't take her long to reach the store, but it seemed like moments before she could gather the courage to knock. She looked up to the sky.

Please, please don't let me mess up...

Cheshire answers the door and was somewhat surprised to see Liseran as she was dressed. His mouth was opened slightly but no words came out.

"So cute..." Cheshire managed to murmur. A look of realization came over him and he clapped his hand over his mouth, his face reddening. "S-Sorry..."

"Handsome..." Liseran had said just about the same time Cheshire had muttered. She hadn't heard him and was confused as to what he was apologizing for. Realizing she had said something awkward, she cleared her throat and tried to smile.

"So, um...where to now?"

"Huh? Oh right," Cheshire stammered breaking from his temporary trance. "Please wait a moment..."

Cheshire goes back into the shop closing the door behind him. A few seconds later he suddenly drives out of the alley riding Bandersnatch looking as good as new. Cheshire sits at the edge of the leather seat giving Liseran plenty of room to sit behind him.

"I have a few places in mind. How about we grab a bite to eat first?"