Holy hell, I didn't expect so many follows/favs so quickly. Thanks, folks, the positive vibes keep the mood to write going strong. More at the bottom.
]l[
He was dreaming, that was the only excuse that made sense for why everything was black around him. As far as his eyes could see, there was nothing, just the same black void that surrounded him. As far as dreams went this, one seemed pretty boring and a bit of a downer, but at least it didn't seem to be a nightmare, judging by how there wasn't a horde of zombies or otherwise chasing after him. He felt weightless, and with the lack of anything going on, he only sighed as he allowed himself to float about in this 'Plane of Suck' as he had now dubbed it, waiting for the dream to end or something to happen.
The sounds of gunshots and weapons clashing all around him startled him and made him look around in every direction. While he couldn't see anything going on around him, all the noise continued as if he was in the middle of whatever the hell was going on. Four lights suddenly flickered around him, green, purple, black, and white respectively, and with every gunshot or the clang of metal meeting metal, they collided into and chased after each other.
"Neptune, you're getting out of hand. You two should let this grudge go as well. It's getting rather warm in here." One voice echoed with the battle apparently raging around him before more began speaking up in turn.
"I'm tired of hearing that nonsense. We've been fighting for thousands of generations. Why quit now?" More clashes of weapons, his head felt like it was being split open from how loud this all was.
"...It's not just about Celestia. That's what I heard from the former goddess. I won't let any of you selfish, icy bitches take the title of True Goddess!"
"Hush, now. Where did you learn such raucous manners? You think your demeanor is acceptable as a goddess?"
"Shut yer hole! I can't stand the way you talk all high n' mighty. Get outta here, Thunder Tits!" At this, the green ball of light seemed to twitch before it and the white one began crashing into each other with more vigor.
"Wh-?! Breasts are symbolic for both maturity and fertility. The size of my bust equates my aptitude as a goddess. With such logic, it can be said you and Neptune are the least... fitting." If he wasn't so busy trying to keep his skull from exploding or from angering whatever these things were and getting mauled, he may have commented on that.
"The hell's that?! Listen to that crap, talkin' out yer ass. I'll kill you! DIE!" The white one somehow now had a very large ax floating around it which it used to chop wildly at the green one who either dodged or parried with a spear.
"This is nonsense. We can't afford to waste time berating each other. We're nowhere close to settling this." Now it was the black light's turn to speak up as it hovered about.
"We'll settle it just fine, even if you hadn't brought it up. But the result won't be what you hoped for." The purple one finally spoke up now, the black ball of light zooming after it in response.
"You really are completely different when you've activated HDD. I kinda like it. It makes me want to try even harder!"
"True. It has been eons, and we've only come to a stalemate. Surely you're not implying you've been slacking off?" Came the green one's reply, which made the black light freeze in its tracks.
"Th-that's not what I meant! I wasn't even talking to you. Nevertheless, we've come here for a fight, so let's keep fighting!" All of them sounded like women, and if he had to be honest, he was picturing a cat fight of epic proportions going on now… and some of them really had some berserk buttons that needn't ever be pushed from the sounds of it.
"Come now, isn't this getting a bit sterile? Let's think carefully for a moment. About one another. This is all for the people in the human world below. Settling this matter is also for their sake." The green one continued, for trying to sound like the voice of reason he couldn't shake the image of a smug smile behind that voice.
"Your point? You think we can settle it in one day, just like that?" Came the black one's reply before the green light floated above them all.
"What I mean is, why don't we work together for once?" The black light twitched before scoffing.
"Heh, like a happy family? Please, that idea won't solve anything. Competition drives Gamindustri forward!"
"But the way things are now are failing to work as well. Why not... erase just one of us?" The white one seemed to have gotten tired of slashing everything with its axe and floated listlessly.
"Hmm, sure. That could be the catalyst of change we have been searching for. To make it easier later on, we should rid ourselves of the one we find difficult to fight, not someone we personally despise."
The white one suddenly pointed its ax in green's direction. "Well, I hate you. I'm the one who'll finish you off, so you're staying for now." The black light in response drew a large sword and hovered around the white light.
"The way you lose your composure gets on my nerves. I'd love to teach you discipline with my own hands." The green one now pointed it's spear in black's direction as she replied.
"I don't have anyone in particular, but if I had to pick somebody, I suppose I'd aim to take you down."
"Sure, I guess. We don't really have anything in common. Then, who's left?" Black replied,the three were now hovering and floating in synch with one another… an odd sight, considering the over-sized weapons hovering around them.
The purple one left out of the conversation apparently, continued floating about on its own as it spoke up finally. "You can't just decide this without gathering my opinion as well, can you?"
The three other lights now grew still and began surrounding the purple one. "Neptune, be honored. You've chosen to signal the beginning of the end of the Console War." White chimed in.
"Don't be foolish. Well, it doesn't matter. Even with the three of you, Neptune does what you all don't!" Purple replied in an arrogant manner. "Do as you wish to me. I'll counter those attacks a hundred-fold!"
"There's little point to this if she wakes up and fights us again. Why don't we simply exile her to the world below?" Green chimed in, only for white to seemingly… sulk?
"...We ain't gonna kill her?" Purple, seemingly tired of all of this, sighed before speaking up.
"As blunt as ever...if you could, can you save this discussion for after you win against me?"
"I'm not sure if we can kill her or not. This is a first for us. The former goddess taught us nothing of this situation." Green spoke up once again, seeming to tune out Purple, who twitched.
"Did... you just ignore me again? Yeah, yeah you did. You'll regret this!"
"And so will you!" Black replied. "You said we three won't stand a chance against you? Well, we're going all out!"
And with that the three converged on the purple light, the moment weapons met everything exploded into white light and faded from there. The odd dream fading away as he began to stir, unaware of just what he'd be waking up to.
]l[
The first thing that came to her eyes was nothing but blackness, and she definitely didn't like it. "It's dark... like, pitch black. Where am I? Was there a power outage? Wh-where's the circuit breaker?! Why'm I glowing like I've been splashed with fluorescent paint and stuck under a black light?" At that, she began pawing at herself, waving her arms and kicking her legs about as she tried to make heads or tails of what was going on before huffing and putting her hands on her hips. "Wh-whatever. Hello? Is anyone here? Can I walk around? Don't blame me if I start to collect rings floating by the ground...but, ew, who knows what I could step in!"
Looking around the infinite... well… nothing, she didn't see anything to step in, but her mind was already going into overdrive on the subject. "It could be something like… ABC gum!" She flailed her arms before tilting her head. "Should I just wait for more text boxes to pop up?" The silence that greeted her lasted for a second, then five more seconds, then five more after that before she threw her hands in the air. "Geez, I am bored! Whose message am I waiting for, anyway!?"
"I apologize for the delay. Have you been here long?" The voice was polite, but she didn't process that as she began looking around.
"Whoa, a voice... I hear a voice! Delay for what? My soul to go to heaven? N-no! I don't wanna die yet!" She was already in panic mode by this point, looking around in every direction for whoever had spoken to her.
"Please, stop being so confused. I did not intend to scare you with my words. I am Histoire, a tome. You have fallen to the world below Celestia. I am reaching out to you to ask a favor."
Her eyes widened to saucers as she went still. "A t-t-t-tomb? I knew it! I'm so dead! What do I want on my tombstone, right? Uhhh, what world below? Below what? Below hell?!" She tried running, flying, anything to get away only to quickly learn there wasn't anywhere to go.
"Please, Neptune. Take a deep breath. You have not died. You have merely fallen unconscious."
Blinking at that important bit of info, she pointed out into the darkness. "...Then, Ms. Heavenly Voice, how do you know my name?" It was a valid question; on the bright side, she apparently wasn't going to die!
"I know you are in doubt, but I am Histoire, the tome that has assisted the goddesses of Celestia for generations. I stand for the world's everything, and the world is my everything. There is nothing I do not know. Plus, I created you. Of course, I know your name." The voice finished in a contented tone.
Closing her eyes Neptune nodded as she processed that bit of information. "So, you like, gave birth to me or whatever. Are you my mom? You've got kids? I see."
"Do... do not make it sound like that. I created, not birthed. Why do you have such a disappointed tone?" Was that..embarrassment in her tone before she calmed? "I understand this is a new sensation for you. I have been apart from you all for ages, locked away from this world."
Frowning, Neptune crossed her arms before she put two and two together in her head; it all made sense now! "Oh, okay, gotcha. So my dad locked you up and ran away with me soon after I was born?" If Neptune bothered to try and pay attention, she'd feel even more embarrassment from the dream voice.
"Y-you are taking this in an entirely inappropriate direction. I clearly said it is not like that. I created you and the other CPUs with the former goddess. That was, however, a dire error. I only wish to end the tragedy caused by my own mistake. Please, help me!"
Just as the last word was spoken, a beeping noise erupted and everything went white as she returned to the waking world.
]l[
"Ugh… anybody... get the name of that truck...?" He mumbled out groggily, wincing as the beeping in the room only made the migraine he had spike and throb in his skull. Aside from that and a few aches and pains, he felt somewhat alright; maybe he wasn't dead. Opening his eyes and letting them wander, he immediately froze as he noticed something in particular. "That… is a lot of pink… and the walls… covered in hearts?" This room was very, very girly, he couldn't rule out that he was in hell now simply because of the disturbing shiver that ran down his spine the last time he remembered being in a room like this.
"Don't tell me it's her room and she redecorated..." A sudden cold sensation on his chest made him twitch before he became aware of the fact someone had their arms wrapped around him, and judging from the weight on his chest he was being used as a pillow. While most men would probably be happy about such a thing, he only somehow became a shade paler than what he was as he glanced to the lump under the blankets next to him. Without hesitation, he yanked the blanket back, ready to yell at the top of his lungs at who he assumed was next to him.
Whatever he was about to yell died instantly as he was met with the sight of a fair-skinned little girl with a light shade of purple hair, shoulder length with somewhat messy bangs and many strands sticking up with a few framing her face, and two gamepad-shaped hairclips worn in it. She was sleeping quite peacefully judging by her expression… and the drool that had formed a puddle on his chest.
"Shuuuuuut...up!" She mumbled before knocking the beeping device to the floor, effectively silencing it. "Crackers, did I break it...? Nngh… don't care… warm and cozy wherever I am..." With that, she nuzzled herself into his chest more, making him twitch and wonder just what the hell was going on. Neptune meanwhile began pawing around her in an attempt to find the blanket that had once covered her. "Hey… put it back already… it felt good and toasty in here." After a few moments, her eyes blinked themselves open and she glanced around before meeting the gaze of what she had thought was a heated pillow. "Oh, hey… this your room? There's a lot of pink and stuffed animals."
It was at this point the male occupant in the room couldn't take it anymore and scrambled away from her, inadvertently rolling off the bed and landing in a heap on the floor, and if the loud thump was any indication, he hadn't done so with much grace. Neptune could only stare confused as the young man bolted upright and pointed at her accusingly. "Wh-where in the hell am I?! Why are you using me as a pillow and drooling all over me!" Remembering he was only in his jeans he couldn't help but shout the next part as his face flushed red "AND WHY AM I HALF-NAKED!? WHERE IS MY SHIRT!?"
Neptune of course only tilted her head as she shrugged, not at all getting what he was getting so worked up about. "Um, I don't know? Everything is all fuzzy… I just figured you knew what was up. You were warm and comfy.. little bit bony, though. We aren't a couple, then?" On seeing the look on his face, she quickly put two and two together and nodded. "Ohhh, okay, you aren't my boyfriend or anything. That's good, I don't even know... who… you are?" Blinking, it was her turn to point and yell once her own words dawned on her. "Just who are you, buster, and what sort of perverted trick did you use to get me in this bed when I don't even remember last night!?" To be technical, she didn't remember anything at all, but that wasn't important right now! "You had your way with me after doing something weird and pervy to my head!"
He, in turn, could only sputter at the accusation before he scoffed as his face turned a darker shade of crimson; whether it was out of anger, indignation, embarrassment, or otherwise was tough to tell. His retort and the argument itself ground to a halt as the door to the room opened and another young girl stepped inside, blinking at all of the noise before she smiled brightly.
"Oh, you're up. Good morning, sleepyheads! Well, good afternoon, technically." This girl was taller than the other one and more... developed if he had to be honest, though he quickly smashed that observation to pieces and banished it to the abyss of his mind.
'I'm not a pervert, goddess dammit!' He all but yelled inwardly before taking in the rest of her. If he had to describe her, she seemed like a typical maiden type... while the purple haired one was an imp as far he was concerned.
The midget wore a big white hoodie-like dress with purple-striped cuffs, lining, and a purple hood with pale, ice blue and light lilac accents that had a zipper section, two big round pockets, a big zipper with an N on it, and strings resembling a plug. Add in the lilac shoes that had blue and white accents and blue-and-white-striped stockings, and you had a little girl that stuck out like a giant sore thumb just about anywhere, he figured. As for the other one...
She wore a tan-white wool tank top with a big neck and unattached sleeves with small ribbons/fuzzy balls at the tops. She also had matching styled boots, a red plaid skirt, a black choker with a small heart on it, black-brown kneesocks with light pink heart cut frills, and had a black hip purse that had heart-shaped buttons. Like her headband, both her purse and the heart on the choker had a C logo.
She seemed normal, and would hopefully be the voice of reason for whatever screwed up mess he had woken up to. Getting his breathing under control he schooled his face into a small frown as he tried to get back into his usual mindset when he had to deal with people. If he wasn't nonchalant, laid-back, and acting like he didn't give a damn, he wasn't acting 'cool' as far as he was concerned.
The midget had at least stopped accusing him as she stared at the new arrival. "Um, this isn't mine or his room, huh? Is it yours? Why were we tucked in so snugly?"
"Well, let's see. It all happened last night. I was looking up into the sky and saw a shooting star. That was you." She smiled, pointing to the other girl which only made him blink a few times, while the shooting star apparently grew excited and eyed Compa with rapt attention.
"I was a shooting star? Are you yanking my hoodie strings? I fell from the sky!?
"I'm pretty sure. I followed you to the ground with my eyes and you definitely slammed into the earth like a spear. I pulled you from the ground you pierced so elegantly and carried you to my bed since you were passed out!"
Her eyes were gleaming now for whatever reason, flailing her arms excitedly. "All by yourself? That's cool! Thanks! You're a lot stronger than you look… wait… what about Mr. Shirtless Bishie Fanservice over there? Was he a shooting star too?"
"Tch, I'm not doing this on purpose, y'know… and it's tough to believe you were the falling star I saw." He crossed his arms, closing his eyes as he rested his back against the wall.
Compa meanwhile blushed faintly. "Oh, I'm sorry, I removed your shirt to check for cuts or bruises but I forgot about it downstairs… it should be good and clean after I washed it the other night, though!" Smiling, she then turned her eyes to Neptune. "I found him pretty close to the crater you left, actually. I think when you finally crash landed, you sent him flying into the tree I found him under, he was out cold with a pretty nasty knot on his head; I had to ice it down for a while!"
Digging his fingers into his hair and scratching at his scalp, he sighed tiredly; it wasn't as horrible a situation as he expected it to be, at least. "Yeah… I was trying to take a nap out there when I saw her shooting down from the sky. I thought she was just some rock that was about to flatten me so I tried getting away. Ended up tripp- I wasn't quick enough, and the second you hit the ground I got knocked into a tree and went out like a light. Head hurts a bit, but I'm not dead at least."
"Oooh, so you weren't a shooting star or a pervert, you were just unlucky! That makes a lot more sense!" Neptune nodded rapidly before blinking a few times. "Ah, sorry for calling you a pervert and all that before..."
Opening one eye he glanced at her before shrugging and looking off to the side. "Don't worry about it. Anyways, you carried me too. right? Thanks for that… and taking care of me and all that, I guess."
Compa only smiled warmly, her cheeks slightly pink as she shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing! I attend a nursing school; transporting limp bodies is part of our training, so I'm used to it! Oh, by the way, my name is Compa. Um.." She glanced between the two, Neptune catching the hint first.
"Oh, I'm Neptune. Compa, huh? Then, should I call you... Com... uh... whatever. Compa's fine."
Feeling both of them staring at him now he opened his mouth before promptly closing it and mulling over what he was about to say before he met their gazes. "Axel." He waved his hand in a hello lazily. "A-X-E-L. Got it memorized?"
"It's nice to meet you both then, Nept-... Neppee-... Neptaa-.. Ne-pelvis... Nep... tumor... W-wahh..!" She was flailing her arms a bit now, trying to pronounce the name properly. Axel couldn't help but smirk slightly as he watched the show while Neptune piped to help the young nurse out.
"Oh, is it confusing you? Okay, then you can call me Neptuna, Nep-Nep, Neppermint, or something else!"
"Okay, then I pick Nep-Nep. It's nice to meet you Nep-Nep!" Her smile returning she glanced over. "And you too A... Axel!" She breathed a sigh of relief as that one at least was easy. Neptune meanwhile looked over to the redhead and brought her hand to her chin in thought.
"Axel...Axer...Axe...I'll call you Axxy! Kind of a weird name to give somebody, though." Axel's eye couldn't help but twitch, but he merely grumbled and shook his head. No need to give himself more of a headache by pointing out how odd she happened to be.
"It's a stage name. What I use when I'm out and about, but I'll let Axxy slide." He shrugged, resting his arms on his knees. "Like to stick with it than my real name and all."
"Why were you sleeping outside Axel? Aren't you worried about the monsters eating you? They'd have gobbled you up!"
"Ohhh, a stage name? Are you like some actor then? Are you a famous movie star?! Been in anything I've seen? Don't want your fans mugging you for autographs or yanking off locks of your hair or something?" Neptune had rather quickly rolled over on her stomach and was looking at him quite intensely, Axel could only twitch and glance once more to the side. While the girl's apparently boundless energy didn't bother him too much, being the center of their attention was odd… and the mental images Neptune put in his head with what she said didn't help.
"I just like it over my real name, and no, not an actor, or even famous. Don't want to be either, too much of a hassle." He shrugged while once again avoiding their gazes. "I was sleeping outside because I'm.." He groaned, his face taking on a sour expression. "I'm broke, can't play for credits when people are shut up in their homes and places are closed down till things are calm again."
"So you're a struggling guitarist then, just not too good or something? It's okay, you'll get better in no time! Wait, if you're a guitarist, where's your guitar? Did you sell it to be able to buy food?!" Neptune's eyes widened as she sat up.
Twitching, Axel couldn't help but glare as his 'cool' persona cracked. "H-hey! Don't talk about it like that, I've been playing since I was three, y'know." He snorted before her question registered in his head. "Wait… where is my guitar?" He looked over to Compa, starting to get a bit worried. "Y-you brought it with you, right? Didn't just leave it out there where somebody could take it or something… right?"
Compa, however, only nodded before she approached the bed and bent down, rummaging underneath it. "I brought it in along with a duffel bag that was near you when I found you. The straps let me carry both of them along with you and Nep-Nep easily!" Finding what she was searching for, she tossed said black duffel bag over to him before carefully removing a black guitar from under the bed and holding it up while slipping the strap over her shoulder just for show.
"Ta da! I even cleaned it using some of the stuff you kept in your bag there… I hope you don't mind, Axel." She then slipped the strap from over her shoulder and handed it over to him. Neptune, meanwhile, had gone bug-eyed as she stared it.
"Wowzers! It's all shiny and awesome!" Unable to help herself ,she made grabby hands at it before Axel carefully took it from Compa's grasp. Puffing her cheeks out, she resolved to touch it herself later, shaking her head. She watched as Axel seemed to be taking in every detail of it. "Sooo… do you have a band that travels around or something, Axxy?" As he began tuning it she also spotted something she hadn't noticed before. "Ohhh, I get it now! Axxy, you have a guitar that can chop stuff like an axe!"
Axel, meanwhile, was in another world as he couldn't help but notice how well the instrument had been cleaned, polished, and waxed. He had been meaning to give the poor girl some attention, but somehow it had always slipped his mind. While normally anyone who touched his precious bass would earn his wrath, he couldn't help but stare at Compa owlishly, a small smile coming to his face. "She looks good as new… thank you, Compa." He spoke up quietly, she was almost as good at caring for his girl as he was… that just made her even more of a better person in his book.
The bass itself that Axel was admiring had a simple black finish to it; four rather thick strings and, as Neptune had put it, was shaped like an axe of all things, complete with a head that even seemed to have been sharpened, if she had to guess. Strumming it and sighing contently, he blinked as he realized how quiet it had gotten. "Hm? Oh, sorry about that.."
Compa was blushing a good deal, but was still beaming with a smile from the praise. Meanwhile, Neptune was bugged, and huffed while waving her arms. "Did you even hear me, buster?! I asked you a question… and why do you have a musical instrument that can function like a weapon anyway? And why is it a she; answer before I explode from waiting too long!" By the end of her rant, she was rolling around on the bed, not liking being ignored at all.
Axel had the decency to flush red himself just a tiny bit for losing focus due to looking over Compa's work, but with a cough into his hand, he regained his previous frown. "I don't have a band or anything, just some friends that hunt monsters and do odd jobs around Gamindustri here and there. I meet up with them every now and then when a job comes along that we need to team up for… I call it a 'she' because her name is Clementine. And when I'm not playing to make some money on the side, I take care of monsters and other problems. I'd tire myself out carrying around my bag there, a weapon, and a guitar, so I decided to mix the two. Plus, Clementine's good and reliable, she's cleaved through a ton of monsters while still being none the worse to play." Axel couldn't help but smile with pride as he began tuning her.
Compa tilted her head somewhat as she listened intently. "I like the name, but why did you pick it? It's nice to meet you, though, Clementine!"
"Because Bianca was taken. She says hello to you too, she appreciates you taking care of her." Axel replied with a grin, letting the bass rest against his chest.
"Woah! So you use the power of rock to fight monsters and help people?" Neptune had skipped from annoyed right back to interested as she sat up, still tempted to grab the guitar and take it for a test drive herself. "Does it shoot fire or lightning when you play? Are your friends part of some huge awesome group that go around saving Gamindustri all the time? How many members are there? What's the name of the group? Can I join? Can I!? Can I?!" She was bouncing up and down at this point, a large dopey smile on her face as her mind conjured all kinds of images.
Axel went quiet, only feeling a bead of sweat down his face as he mulled over the fact the answers she was wanting would probably deflate her. Managing an awkward laugh, he ran his hand through the back of his hair. "I don't do anything that fancy… I just clobber or hack away at whatever and whoever is disturbing the peace. We aren't really that famous or anything, there are only four of us, after all.." He couldn't help but groan inwardly as he was sounding lamer and lamer as he went through her questions "There's me, Scarlet, Kuri, and Zenotyne… as for what we're called.." His face soured, very much not wanting to utter the name just because he felt his pride couldn't take it.
"We call ourselves the..." He chewed on the inside of his cheek, wondering how the other three could shout it into the air like they often did. "The… Hero… Brigade..." He finished, muttering each word progressively quieter. Looking anywhere but at their faces, he continued with a sigh. "Zeno thought of the name… and we went to school together… the other two are… friends, kind of, so they joined up too." He didn't dare clarify Scarlet happened to be more of a tormentor than a friend.
The silence that followed made him so very tempted to bash his head against a wall repeatedly, all the while he could only think of Zenotyne and his whole 'hero of justice' bit. Hell, there were even vows they all took and repeated. 'Justice and love will always prevail..who thinks up things like that, seriously?! Am I the only one who has shame in the bunch?!' If he wasn't lamenting such things in his mind, he would have been prepared for what was about to happen.
Two shadows coming over him were all the warning he had before he turned his head and noticed both girls standing in front of him, each sporting a look of determination that sent chills down his spine. Without a care in the world for his personal space, they each took one of his arms and were practically bouncing with anticipation as they looked at him. He had a feeling what was about to happen and it only made him regret opening his mouth at all.
"Can I join Axxy? Can I? Please, please, please! I want to be a part of this awesome group and fight monsters and bad guys!" Neptune was practically shining with hope at this point, and if Axel had, to be honest, it scared the hell out of him. The fact she was now swinging a toy sword around and making poses just made it worse.
"I'd like to join too if it's okay, Axel. I think it's nice you and your friends help people, and I'd like to do the same." Compa spoke with oddly surprising conviction before she faltered just a little bit. "Um… if that's okay with you… I don't want you in trouble with this Mr. Zenotyne, after all." She fidgeted, her lower lip twitching just slightly.
Axel was, for lack of a better word, screwed. Much as he may like to act like an uncaring 'cool' guy, he did have his weaknesses… three of which he was being hit with all at once. 'Kids, cute girls, and the puppy eye treatment… fuck my life.' Knowing full well he couldn't bring himself to say no, he sighed deeply while shutting his eyes. "Fine, fine… you're both now official members of the Hero Brigade..." The smile he forced onto his face was slow, almost mechanical, as he spoke up in a false cheery tone. "Vow number one… let's all work together for a peaceful world." Both girls, however, didn't catch the pained and defeated tone he spoke in, their eyes brightening before they both cheered and latched onto his arms in a hug before repeatedly thanking him.
Normally this would have caused him to turn several shades of red and shout for them to let go, but his mind wasn't focusing on the two of them. Oh no, there was but a single thought running through his mind at the moment.
'Goddesses damn you Zenotyne.'
And that's a wrap of the first chapter! Tempted as I was to keep it going, I felt this was a nice place to end it since it had reached close to 6k words. I have to say again, I didn't expect this to get as much positive feedback as it did, I only hope you all like this more than the prologue. Catch the references? It's not Neptunia without tropes and references flying everywhere after all.
Blazblue, Dragon Age, Brutal Legend, .hack/Roots (and/or GU), Tales of Symphonia, and Kingdom Hearts just to point out what I slipped in. Then, of course, there's what the game itself slipped into its script that I used.
As for the OCs? You needn't worry about them taking giant slots of the story, I'm merely giving three good friends of mine little cameo appearances here and there just to add to the hilarity.
For those of you curious about Axel's bass? I at first wrote him in with a guitar like Haruko from FLCL (complete with pull-string and clobbering madness) or have him with my own Laguna bass, but considering some of the monsters they'll be bumping into... something sharp would be more useful than wielding his guitar solely like a club. As for its appearance, hop on over to my profile as I can't exactly link it here. I also have a base appearance a fan made and sent me for Axel. I just hope the links work/show up properly.
With that I'll see you all next chapter, you're all bloody awesome. As always, be it ideas, reviews, or criticism, I do not mind. When it comes to updates, you can expect at least one or two chapters a week (three if it's a good week and working 40 hours graveyard shift at Walmart does not drain me mentally or make me sleep most days away as it often does.) and most often on Sundays and Mondays because those are my off days.
See you next time, folks!