Heya, heya, heya. Tainted here, throwing this onto the site hopefully shortly after I've finished it. Gonna be scanning and re-reading it, since I took a lot of intermittent breaks this time due to some real life complications and fun priorities that kept me away. I'll probably speak most of my usual ramble at the bottom to keep this top part short and sweet. So for now...
An agreement to lead to the birth of a true friendship... kind of, and a speech, a whole hell of a lot of misunderstandings, teasing, and frustration, and then some real plot advancement finally. Super rare, considering how much effort this actually took to create a flowing series of events from, really. Hope it turned out.
Without much more to be said, catch you at the bottom. Onward!
Honestly, I'm somewhat glad her room is actually pretty normal. Compared to her, this sort of thing isn't really as bad as my personal life, but hey, I suppose that we all have things we don't really want other people to see. I watch as she quietly slips off to sit on one of the giant fluffy couches, leaning back on it while covering her face and crossing her legs, and I smirk. I'll be sure to not let this slide later, but for now, I'll let her live it down. After all, paying her back for using me as her landing pad earlier… I shudder. You'll pay, Purple Heart. That much, I'm sure of.
Setting aside another stack of papers, I gather up a few handfuls of random stuffed animals and some collectible figurines, setting them carefully onto one of her many barren shelves, narrowing my eyes at the amount of dust accumulated. "How… often do you clean these or dust them off?" I ask, peeking over at her as she jumps, sheepishly raising her hand, lifting all five fingers. "...Five months?" She nods, and I blink. "Well, to each their own… I guess. I'll make sure you clean this place up next time I drop by, though, since that's a little gross, Purple."
"I… I am aware. I'm sorry, Black," she mumbles out sadly, and I sigh, shrugging. I'll set my inner desire to wipe everything in this room down with numerous cleaning supplies aside for a different day, doing my best to shove it to the back of my mind. I won't pick on her too much more for now.
Having set enough aside to satisfy the bare minimums of my need for organization and cleanliness, I settle into the couch opposite her, folding my hands in my lap primly, coughing. She withdraws her hand from her face, looking down at me before leaning forward, drumming her fingers on the cushion beside her. We both stay silent for a few moments while I consider how to best start the conversation, and then I just decide to say, to hell with it. "So, after we wing this speech, what should we get done, you think?"
She purses her lips, her eyes retrieving that serious sparkle that makes her, well, her. Gazing out of the window to her left; the giant one in the center of this sitting area; the one that overlooks all of her city, she hums softly. "Perhaps… we ought to handle the situation of our shares dropping, firstly, while bridging the gap between our nations."
"Sounds fair, though how exactly do you propose we earn the affection of the populace more than we already have? Guild quests? Random acts of charity? I don't know too many methods outside of… actually, if we word this correctly, even the alliance ought to win us numerous shares straight from Lowee and Leanbox. A strong international announcement to spread like wildfire might just remedy the problem entirely. Well. If we're lucky, at least."
"Our populaces both will be delighted, and any under either banner will likely feel a deeper adoration for both you and I… Yes, of course! That might actually benefit us more than any public relations work that we could work at instead of searching for that strange invader. You're rather clever, Black Heart."
"Hah, I have to be to best all of you in more than just combat," I point out, grinning as she pouts. "Hey, not my fault that I strive for perfection. We might get along a lot better now though if we focus on working together, since two heads are better than one," I reason, though I can't honestly say I'm sure whether or not this is a good idea - even if we manage to defeat that hag, what would we do? Would we be able to call a ceasefire to focus on working together? And what about Lowee and Leanbox? Should we just conquer those two and wipe out any chances of them getting in our way in the future…? Even I'm starting to wonder if that's a bit extreme.
"That is true," she responds, nodding. She pauses, staring at me, biting her lip again which I quickly look away from, groaning quietly in discomfort. Goddess, that's going to get annoying if she keeps stuff like that up. Ah, wait, more importantly, what is she thinking about…? "Black Heart… what do you intend to do after we find that woman and defeat her, moving forward?"
I raise an eyebrow. So, she's weighing out the same things I am. Huh, she's more clever than she's seemed until now. Better to be truthful though, right? "I'm not sure yet. Ultimately, a permanent ceasefire might be a little impossible right now, but, I believe until we find a better solution or otherwise crush Leanbox and Lowee, Lastation will stand by Planeptune until further notice. That fair enough, since asking me to be your ally forever kind of voids this last forever, basically?"
She nods slowly, grimacing. "I suppose that is an acceptable answer, however… what if I wish for an everlasting peace?"
"Haah?" I skeptically retort, baffled. "You're not going to throw out that you've wanted to peacefully be friends with me and the other two for forever, are you? What brought this on, anyway? Deathmatch earlier ring a bell? Did that machine knock you for a permanent loop? Amnesia?" I ask, watching as she shrugs, smiling.
"I may not have desired a friendship with all of you forever, per-say, but I do admit that in the last… decade or maybe a bit longer, I have had a personal musing to, perhaps… improve diplomatic relations?"
"...Oh, my Goddess. The person I considered the only real threat to me overtaking Gamindustri is a giant hippie? This has to be some sick joke, Purple. Please tell me it is," I say in disbelief, watching her shift uncomfortably at my response. "...Oh, wow. You're actually seriously serious, then. That's almost scarier than realizing you might genuinely be a klutz and not just a closet pervert."
"Can you stop with that?! Let me live it down, please!" she shouts, standing up as her face reddens slightly. Instinctively, I lean back and narrow my eyes, blinking in confusion when I realize she has no intentions to attack me. Jeez, that's going to be hard to get used to… Wait, why am I even getting caught up in her pace? Why did I even agree to this? "I'm not some sort of strange pervert, nor am I a klutz, nor am I a warmonger, nor am I a coward. I simply… Well, I suppose spending these last few hours with you has begun to instill the belief in me that perhaps there may be more to our futures than just fighting constantly. We're all immortal, aren't we? Why must we endlessly fight to kill one another? Why would I want to kill you?"
I feel my heart beat a little faster for a second, and I cough. "W-what the hell are you talking about? Stop saying things so strangely. We fight because we all want something different for Gamindustri and for our nations to not die out… I think. Damn it, the more time I spend with you, the more muddled my feelings get," I blurt out, glaring at her now. "Just earlier, I was sure I wanted to cut you down for the sake of Lastation and for the sake of my survival. Now, we have some random hag after us, we don't know if the other two are teaming up to get rid of us, I know you aren't a terrible person, and that you want to be friends. This is all a little sudden, Purple Heart."
"And if I do not attempt to push this belief now, when will we get another chance to speak as anything but enemies and rivals, Black Heart?! Do tell me. When."
I open my mouth to respond, but stop. When? "That's… that'd be…" I lower my head, staring at my hands as I turn them toward me, trying to think. "Well… It'd be…"
"Never. We would never even know anything about one another had we not been forced to work together. And now, you try to insist, that we throw away the chance to bury the hatchet and actually begin to understand one another? I refuse." She takes a step toward me, and I blink, pulling back on the couch as she continues to approach. Feeling a strange slew of emotions as she approaches, my body tells me it's time to go. I grab the back of the couch, trying to lift myself off it, but her hands move faster as she takes hold of my shoulders, pushing me back down whilst sitting on my legs, pinning me. Crap, crap, crap, this position and this mood…! Get off me! "I don't care… what you may think or believe. I wish to get to know you better as a person, and allow you to get to know me better as well. I want to be more than enemies. I want to be able to know that I am not destroying another nation and another kind-hearted soul simply to fuel my own ambitions." Goddess, she's so damn heavy and stubborn. Why is she so warm? Why can't I move? "Please, Black Heart. Don't run away from me. Can't we be… friends?"
We sit like this for who knows however long, and thank Goddess no one visits her room, because this would be impossible to explain as anything but suggestive. No matter how much I move, she doesn't let go and I can't slip out from under her. I'm literally stuck, hypersensitive to every bit of the annoyingly stubborn woman sitting on me, with her soft, warm skin and her gentle yet firm eyes as she watches me intently, pleadingly, waiting for me to cave. I want to get out of here, I want to escape, I want to be able to shove the emotions she keeps eliciting within me into the darkest, furthest reaches of my mind, and yet she won't leave me alone. Gritting my teeth, I try to struggle again as she leans in closer, pushing my hands down harder while supporting herself on my legs, and I sigh. I'm literally in an unwinnable position now. She won, this time. Utterly, fully, truly.
I wait a few minutes, closing my eyes as I let my heart start to calm down, doing my best to get her out of my mind as I dull my senses. Calming down, I let out a breath and speak, continuing to keep my eyes closed. "...If you get off of me, and get me out of this inappropriate position, and maybe back the hell off, I will speak to you on a level you will be pleased with. Does that suit your tastes, Pushy Heart?"
"...I may move once you give me your answer," she responds, her grip tightening to where it nearly hurts now. I wince, and she slackens just slightly, but still nowhere near enough to mount an escape attempt. Damn it, she's a lot more intelligent and crafty than I first thought. Is her clumsy attitude just a ruse? Did I let my guard drop too soon? I must've. She's disarmed me for… the last time.
"...Fine. You want to try being friends, that's fine by me. You want me to try and play along with this stupid pipe dream and make nice-nice with everyone? I'll give it a go. But," I open my eyes, staring at her with the iciest, coldest, most piercing gaze I can muster, "if this is a ploy to harm me or eradicate Lastation, or if you betray my trust in you even once, I will not be your ally. I will hunt you down, and I will kill you. Do you understand me, Purple Heart?"
She freezes, her grip going limp as her eyes widen in what I believe to be fear as she leans back slightly, looking down at me. Sighing, I close my eyes, wondering if I already called her exact intentions… before feeling her fall on me, wrapping her arms around me as she hugs me. My eyes shooting open, I peer at her in bewilderment as she nuzzles into me, smiling. "Excellent! Excellent, excellent, excellent! Thank you, Black Heart!"
"T-the hell is this?! Why are you hugging me?! What even are you thanking me for?! This is molestation!" I shout, trying to pry her off me as her warmth and curves press against mine, and I wince in what I insist is discomfort. "Get off me, damn it! Do you even know what personal space is?!"
She chuckles, leaning back as she rolls off me, sitting down instead beside me as she stretches, raising her arms above her head while holding up a 'V' with her fingers. "I do in fact know the definition of the word, I simply admit that I felt overjoyed that you actually agreed. I hadn't expected you to concede in working with me for even one chance, if I may be honest."
"...And what the hell were you going to do if I said no, like you expected, then?" I say, raising an eyebrow as I fix my hair, outfit and emotions, still glaring at her. "And I ought to hit you for doing that. That was beyond molestation."
"I… don't really know, if I may be frank. I'd of continued trying to convince you until you eventually gave in, most likely," she answers, nodding to herself before glancing over at me. So she was going to continue getting closer like that?! "Am I really that uncomfortable to sit with?"
"A...ah… No, no, n-no, not at all. It's just… embarrassing. That's not… actually… Why the hell do I have to explain why that wasn't alright in the first place?! You don't just sit in a girl's lap and pin her down, getting closer and closer as you straddle her! Do you even know what that must look like to most people?!" I shout, smacking my palm against my forehead. "Why do you insist on messing with me, anyway?!"
"I don't really intend to mess with you, I just did what I felt would work best," she responds simply, shrugging. "If people misconstrue my intentions for sexual urges, then I do not particularly expect them to be of equal worth as those I intend to convince."
"You're shameless, is what you are. Ugh, why did I have to get stuck with you like this…?" I mutter, spreading my fingers to cover most of my face with my hand as I think of all the things I have done in my life, wondering if somehow Purple Heart is acting as karmic retribution. I don't even remember doing anything that bad, to begin with! This is absurd! Shifting my attention to her, I notice she's smirking at me, looking smug, and my eyelid twitches in annoyance. Does she think my emotions are some sort of game? I flick her forehead, watching as she winces uncomfortably, holding a hand to where I hit her. "I hate you, I swear. You continue doing stuff like that to me again, I'll… I'll really hit you."
"Then don't try to run away when we are having an intensely serious conversation," she remarks, and I narrow my eyes skeptically. "Hm? What's that look about, Black Heart?"
"Does this mean you intend to do that to the other two CPUs should we pursue a diplomatic peace with them as well?" I inquire, curious. If this is part of her personality in general, I swear I will be ditching her, because I'm not getting roped into this crap constantly. No, I'll find…
"Hmm… no, not particularly. It felt right to do to you, though I can't say I wish to put myself in such a position with Green Heart or White Heart. Plus, I don't believe they would allow me to touch them to such an extent to begin with," she says, shuddering at some thought or another as I feel my cheeks flush. Does she even know what sort of crap she spews out before she says it?! "...Or is that wrong?"
"...I… Ugh, the hell if I know. Before today, I didn't even know you were anything but an arrogant pain in the ass, and I know even less about the other two. Do whatever you feel is right, I guess," I grumble, crossing my arms. "I don't even care anymore." Sighing, I stare up at the ceiling, wondering why the hell it had to be her anyway…? Life is so unfair.
A few minutes pass as she sits, beaming smugly at me with her eyes closed while I stew in my embarrassment, trying to ignore her. Waiting for my mind to clear to some extent, I cough and turn to face her, setting a serious expression on my face to in turn have her do the same. "All things aside, I think our current best bet will be to prepare for a speech announcing the newly-designated peace between Planeptune and Lastation. Likely, we ought to open an open-door policy and encourage travel and intermingling for a positive relationship. Whether our populaces can adjust to this concept, we will yet see. Do you have any aerocraft here for use, or has Planeptune yet to advance to the age of flight?" I ask, watching as her expression contorts as if I insulted her. "You were the one to say your technological advancements have been crap, so don't give me that expression."
"...Urgh, I suppose I did," she mumbles bitterly, crossing her arms in a huff. "Though, yes, Planeptune has machines capable of flight. We mainly utilize them to access the small outlying islands outside of our nation, if I recall, but they are capable of making longer distances up to the edges of Planeptune to Lastation if need be."
"...Only the edges? I suppose we'll designate you old flight engines as well. Hell, maybe I ought to loan you a few of my scientists or researchers for a year."
"...A year? You would go so far as to lend us your staff for more than…," she trails off, her eyes widening before centering awkwardly on her feet.
"I'm not sure what you're trying to insinuate, but yes, I wouldn't mind. You told me we'd try giving the whole 'a permanent peace' thing a try, and as your friend, I think your nation needs to come out of the stone ages before Lowee does, so, yeah, I deem it worth the effort. Can't have too big of a gap between our nations if we want to avoid jealousy and feelings of excessive superiority, really, anyway."
"...I see, that is a fair point in of itself. I'm still surprised you accepted this so quickly, honestly," she notes, and I shrug. "Are you… being honest about your agreement and participation in my selfish request?"
"Yeah, why not. It's not like you'd let me go if I disagreed anyway, and I guess you're tolerable enough to spend time with doing things besides trying to kill each other. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt once, but currently, that's it. You understand?" I remind her, rolling my eyes. She gets hung up on such weird crap, seriously. "Now, are we ready to move ahead with this crazy idea and make Lowee and Leanbox sweat it out a little?"
She nods, smiling softly at me as she stands up, offering her hand to me. "Let us break the endless cycle, together, Black Heart."
Staring up at her, I admire the way the light from the window hits her, causing her to glow as if blessed. The way her eyes sparkle, the way she carries herself, and just the way she is - she may never fit the image I held of her, but I can't say I mind her being like this. Reckless, brash, and completely terrible at diplomacy and political maneuvering, a woman led by her blind faith and ideals rather than by a lust for power or a hatred for others… maybe she can be the catalyst to changing all of Gamindustri, if she wanted. Hell, I'll throw my and Lastation's support behind her, and see what she does with this alliance. Can't hurt too much, can it?
"Hey, Purple," I start, watching her blink in surprise, tilting her head curiously. "If we're really doing this, between just you and me… Noire."
"...Noire?" she blinks, and I nod, smiling slightly, my cheeks reddening. Never have I given my name out to others, but this time, I'll actually put some faith in her and see where everything goes. "...That would be…," I nod, raising an eyebrow at her. Her lips upturn as she chuckles quietly. "What a brilliant name. I understand - it's nice to truly meet you… Noire. I am… Neptune."
"Neptune, huh? Has an adequate ring to it. I'll accept it. Let's shake things up, then, Neptune."
"Yes, let's."
[A short time passes]
Standing out on the main balcony of Planeptune's Basilicom, we overlook what can be estimated as thousands upon thousands of people gathered in earnest interest, their eyes keenly resting on both… Neptune… and I. That name will take some time to adjust to, I think. Having given her time to change into one of her many apparent spare combat suits, she gazes over the faces of her populace, smiling genuinely at each and every one. Slowly, the crowd's chatter dies down from their gathering as they wait eagerly, their eyes shifting from their leader to me and then back. It's a little weird, seeing the whole of Planeptune gathered like this. I'd never of even considered me standing here, watching them all alongside the rival that I've always admired, the one that has been my sole equal, the one that…
"Greetings, fellow denizens of Planeptune, land of the Purple Progress. I hope you all fare well today, that you are in good spirits with large hearts and open minds, and that you will continue to devote yourself to the entirety of this great nation, and to our world of Gamindustri. I, as your patron protector and ruler, Lady Purple Heart, have come to bring forth change. Change… yes, my fellow men and women, change!" she shouts, watching as each and every person's face contorts with anxious wonder and hesitant curiosity. Turning to smile at me, I nod to her as she focuses on her crowds again, continuing.
"Too long has this war… the Console war… gone on in an endlessly vicious cycle - a constant battleground for four nations to suffer over the final edict of a Goddess no longer alive to govern over all of us, leaving us in opposing conflicts of opinion, to feel as though we must endlessly struggle to survive and fight, or else we lose our names, our cultures, our very lives! Yes, my fellow citizens, I speak of a fruitless war that we have endlessly forced to wage from all sides… a war that will change today. I ask you, what would you believe the nations outside of ours to feel? Would they not feel the same as we, who simply wish to survive, to live, to prosper? What if they love, they laugh, and they cry just as we do? What if… they are simply the same as we are?"
Murmurs. Whispers. A couple shouts drowned in the moment. Purple… Neptune looks to me, smiling once more, and I nod again, acting as her support somehow. She clears her throat, taking a step closer to the microphone before her, her body trembling slightly.
"Today, on this very day, only hours ago… I have discovered, in the thick of battle against the enemy that I had long expected to be our longest-lasting… the woman whom has always been my rival, my fiercest foe, my equal… to be truly as human as the rest of us - to be just as kind-hearted and devoted to her populace as I have been to all of you. And, during this exchange… I began to finally understand it, to finally grasp what we may have all always missed - the simple possibility… that we simply lack understanding of one another. That our situations are not far varied, not far skewed, nor too different to speak together as equals and friends, rather than only with blades and hatred. Here, beside me, I have my greatest rival, the one who has always spurred me to fight harder and push further than all others, and now… likely to be my greatest and dearest friend and ally - the changing factor for this decision herself… Lady Black Heart of Lastation, the city of Black Regality. Lady Black Heart, could you stand beside me?" she asks, shifting to face me, offering me her hand. "Would you take my hand and stand beside me, to address my questions and inquiries before my people?"
...Holy crap, Neptune. Now this is a little different than I expected. Ah, crap, I'm actually even a little embarrassed… Ugh. Shaking away the fluster she stirred within me, I nod, taking her hand as she leads me to the microphone, standing beside me as she faces me, nodding to me. "Yes, Lady Purple Heart of Planeptune, I shall. Speak your mind and I shall speak mine, to lay all bare without any further misconceptions."
She smiles, eliciting the urge to do the same, myself, as she nods once more. "Then, I will be frank - did you, or did you not put yourself in harm's way to rescue me thrice today?"
"...I did, as a matter of fact." Ah, crap, how many people just gasped aloud? This isn't Lastation, these eyes aren't familiar… Ugh, this is… "As did you, saving my life at the last minute."
"Did you intend to solely rescue me for your own intentions?"
"...No, I may have considered it my duty as your rival for the first time, but as I have journeyed with you today, to have met you and understand you perhaps even the slightest amount better, I felt it just simply right to do so."
"As had I felt, even at that moment - I simply wished for you to live beside me, so that we would speak yet another day. And after this…!" she starts, turning to her crowds, beaming. "Even though I had been injured, even though I was wounded, Lady Black Heart stood by me, to forage for medicine and supplies, to watch over me as I rested, despite being wounded herself! If not for this woman, today, I would not be here amongst you all. I would likely have fallen to an unknown force that wished for both her head and mine, to have failed in my duty to protect and govern you all until my dying breath. By her kind gesture, we both stand here, alive, well, and stronger than before. By her actions, we stand here today… as allies!"
Another string of audible gasps, exclamations and various other sounds.
"Yes, I have said that which will soon become a reality - Planeptune and Lastation will soon no longer be enemies, but the strongest, sturdiest of allies; an alliance to usher forth a new era… not of war, of death, of bitter hatred and misunderstandings, but of camaraderie, peace, and unity! I come here today, to speak to each and every one of you, to tell you with the firmest of resolve that I have ever held, that Lady Black Heart and I… will become one for the future of Gamindustri!"
...Eh? Doesn't that sound… "...Lady Purple Heart, perhaps you ought to…"
"We will be joined, our minds and bodies in one another's hands, for the intentions of being a singular front in which to drive both our nations of Planeptune and Lastation, and all of Gamindustri forward, into a new age of love and acceptance!"
"YEAHHHH!"
I close my eyes, chuckling quietly as the crowds cheer, and I do in fact know I hear the cheering sounds of approval of many in ways outside that which means alliance, and instead means something more intimate. I open my eyes, far too exhausted to even become excitable over her unintentional declaration of what definitively sounds far more romantic than diplomatic, staring at her hands clutching mine tightly as she cheers alongside her crowds, drilling home her final statements. Peering out at the masses hailing our names and the future we bring, I purse my lips in amusement now, thinking of what we'll even do from now on.
"Hey," I mumble quietly, rubbing her leg with my foot to grab her attention. She glances over at me, offering me a questioning expression as I motion to the room behind us. "I need to go and sit down, perhaps find some time to rest. You've worn me out now." More cheering. Of course. She had to keep the microphone sensitive enough to pick up even that.
"Of course, Lady Black Heart. Feel free to rest to your heart's content. I will be along shortly to likely do the same."
"...Yes, of course. Try not to give them a bigger misunderstanding than you already have."
"...What might that mean?"
[An indefinite amount of time passes]
Feeling the movements of someone shifting close to me, my eyes open instantaneously as I roll over, watching as Purple Heart shrieks, jumping backward. Ah right, it's Neptune now. Maybe I should even just call her, 'Wifey' or some crap, at this rate. Yawning, I slowly open my eyes, watching her blink as she holds a hand over her heart, exhaling. "You… alright there… Purple…?" I mumble out, still somewhat tired since it's just her. She was probably intending to cuddle with me or something to embarrass me further when I woke up, I bet.
"Ah… ah? Y-yes, I am fine. You just… caught me off-guard, still being awake and all," she says, closing her eyes while exhaling again. Man, I must've really scared her - not that that's really much of a revenge after the amount of misunderstandings and awkward positions she's putting me into.
"Eh… I've always been a bit of a light sleeper, if we're being honest," I grumble, shifting to lay on my back. It's not exactly as comfortable as laying face-first in a pillow, but it at least lets me keep an eye on her. "I just woke up to ensure I wasn't being assassinated in my sleep, really. So, what were you trying to do, 'Innocent' Heart?"
"That's a strange nickname," she points out, and I shrug, smirking. "I simply intended to lay down and rest, since this is my bed."
"Pffft. Sure thing, alright. Whatever, just let me sleep in peace, alright?" After she makes a sound in affirmation, I roll over to try and get back to sleep… but sense her inching closer even after laying down. "...If you won't even let me sleep, at least tell me what time it is…"
"I have full intentions to let you sleep, though," she remarks, her tone disapproving. I wonder if this is some sort of weird game to her? Ah, not like she'd ever admit to it anyway. "And… it's 5:17 in the evening. You have been sleeping now for… thirty-seven minutes."
"What do you intend to do to me by inching closer as I try to fall asleep, then. What could it possibly be explained as? And, ugh. I should probably get up to prepare to travel to Lastation," I grumble. "Thanks, I guess, for waking me up, no matter what you hoped to achieve."
"Awww, I just was hoping you would make for an excellent source of heat while I rested," she complains, sighing. "Would you be leaving now, for Lastation, then?"
"Of course. I still need to ensure they are all alright, before I lose any more shares to the current predicament," I respond, sliding out of the bed and onto my feet, stretching, doing my best to ignore her. "Are you going to tag along and put me in more weird situations, or are you staying behind to do whatever you want?"
She smiles, sitting up in a pose that reminds me of a tired wife greeting her husband, and I sigh, shaking my head. "I will accompany you, as a good ally should."
"...Alright, that works, I suppose. Come on, then. We'll need to borrow one of your nation's flight devices if we want to conserve our energy, since I didn't get any shares for letting you declare your weird alliance speech to your populace."
"I received some, to actually override the amount I had at the start of the day. It seems I have earned the hearts of more people residing in this nation than I had first anticipated… and it is thanks to you. Thank you… Noire."
I feel my cheeks redden slightly at her use of my name, and I nod. "...Sure thing, I guess. Glad to be of help and whatever. Come on, it'll be getting dark soon."
"Understood. Let me request a vehicle to be designated to us, then," she says, and down the elevator we go. She continually stands close to me, and I eye her skeptically, starting to doubt that innocent facade of hers that she seems to consistently utilize. Maybe some parts of it are unintentional, but I think she's doing this just to mess with me now. I need to find an opening to pay her back… hm… ah! As the elevator begins to reach the bottom floor, full of all her citizens, I smirk, swooning as I fall against her, watching her yelp in surprise as I pull her closer to me, leaning back against the wall. "W… waah! Black… Heart…?"
As the doors open, I make a sound of disapproval, my scarlet cheeks playing to my advantage now. "No, nooo, Purple Heart, you can't~… My first… Not here…!~"
"...Is Lady Purple Heart a bit of a sexual deviant?" "That poor, lucky girl." "Lady Purple Heart, how shameless!~" "Yuri is the purest form of love."
Our walk to the Planeptune hangar is held in silence, with me grinning with satisfaction as I nudge Purple Heart's side, winking at her from time to time - to continually solidify that absolute crimson controlling the entirety of her body. She grumbles whenever I get closer, cursing at me as I laugh, knowing my face can't be much better, but hey - at least I'm not the CPU known for being a sexual deviant, now, right?
"You're… so horrid," she mumbles, folding her arms while pouting. Still red, too, hahahaha! "I can't… believe you'd do something like that in front of my populace."
"I did nothing," I remark, thoroughly amused. "I didn't know you were such a deviant,~" I say, putting specific emphasis on my last word as I hurriedly evade her attempt to grab me. "Nooo, not like beforeee…~"
"S-stop making things sound so… lewd!" she exclaims, thrusting her hands downward as she huffs. I raise an eyebrow, crossing my arms, cocking my head, giving her the most skeptical, disbelieving expression I can muster at the current time. "...What are you looking at me like that for?"
"The pot called, Kettle. He says you're black," my tone is unimpressed as I narrow my eyes on her, brushing some hair back behind my shoulders as I yawn, stretching comfortably. "How far to this strange hangar of yours? I feel this is taking a while."
"It should be that building up ahead, if I recall," she answers, our conversation finally normalizing after however long it's been derailed. "Do you see it? It's the one shaped like a large-scale armory bunker."
"That's an odd shape for a hangar, don't you think? What, can't you just use the normal design or something like a normal person? Actually, nevermind, I shouldn't be surprised that you'd pick a different style."
"I felt as though you just lightly veiled an insult in that observation and realization. I'm unsure whether I ought to feel offended at your treatment of me."
"No, of course you probably should, but it's not like I mean too much harm by it… probably. It's just part of our… friendship, it seems."
"I'd prefer to found our friendship on closeness and affection for one another," she says, taking a step closer toward me.
I shoot her another wary look, squinting. "Are you trying to do this… again? I don't appreciate your games, Purple… Neptune."
"What ever do you mean?"
"Ugh, let's just get into the damn depot. I am so done today," I grumble, shaking my head. "How about we call a truce and end the whole teasing thing for maybe… a few hours, at least? Come on, give a girl at least that," I bargain, ensuring a safe distance between the two of us until she agrees. I am not getting caught against her to play at her pace again… not until tomorrow, at least. I think my entire psyche needs time to cool off and relax.
"...Awww. Does it have to be such a lengthy period of time?" So she is doing this on purpose! "I enjoy your reactions to my closeness, though…"
"It can wait, you pain in the ass. We have bigger priorities, remember?" I reason, hoping to find a way to cut her off from this obvious cue. "We have to ensure Lastation's prepared to bridge the gap with Planeptune, see to it that the old hag gets her comeuppance, and then go knock down Lowee's and Leanbox's doors to respectively demand answers. Being annoying and bugging me can wait."
"I hope they will consider a peaceful resolution to this issue, just as we have. Though, it may be more difficult to extend diplomatic relations to them as we are not put into the same situations as you and I have been… Noire… Black Heart, do you think you should 'accidentally entice' them as you have me?"
"W-who the hell did what now to who? You're the culprit behind most of the misunderstandings today! Does the word 'crater' ring a bell to you?"
Her face flushes again, and I notice that I let her cool off. Damn, she starts back up when she's composed. I'll have to keep that in mind for my sanity… I think. Hell, she's muddling my entire head up with this crap. "V-v-vile! You wouldn't dare mention something that… didn't happen!"
"Chaste. Maiden… Not," I whisper to her, laughing as I take off in the direction of the aeroplane depot finally. I hear her make a sound, flabbergasted, before she exclaims grumpily, chasing after me.
"Noiiire! Get… back… here!"
Calling it there for now. After scanning and reading it as I applied a couple corrections, I admittedly see no problems posting this. It's a nice interlude and development segment for Black Heart's reason in assisting Purple in her whimsical decisions. Do I admittedly think I've lost the control on their personalities just a little bit? Yes. Is that a bad thing? No. Purple's still determined, mature, and serious yet also being whimsical, innocent, and a massive tease. Or is it teasing? And Black Heart's still straight-laced for the most part, just while also suffering Purple's continued assault on her sanity as she breaks down the walls of Tsundom. All according to keikaku? Little else to be said about this, aside from possibly Black Heart being too sensitive or conscious of certain matters whereas carelessly innocent to others... which might change later scenes quite a bit.
I'm tired now - it's 1am, I have a busy day that likely might sponge up most of my freetime and ability to write, but I'll probably manage something by tomorrow night or Friday morning. Yeah, I'll call 1am on Thursday still Wednesday night. I feel no shame in this. That aside, I hope people enjoy this brief build-up and whatnot, since I'm pretty sure that the coming installments afterward are going to flip things on their side, or at least toss in more combat-oriented dialogue and story flow, rather than a whole lot of suggestive themes. Well, once the trip to Lastation truly begins, at least. ;)
Tainted out, for now.~
also; i want to suddenly say that this relationship thus far actually gives me visions of a better way to write how a mushy Blanc and Vert might develop, too, though that'd consist of more swearing, physical commentary, and arguing rather than how Black/Purple do it. ;D
also, also; Black Heart's definitely the husband in the current scenario. very sure of this, for some reason.
also, also, also; i have admittedly had way too much fun derailing their conversations and typical public personalities when they're alone together. i have the feeling that this will continue being a thing, so i'm sorry if people dislike that, though they won't be alone together too much longer, i believe.
also X4; this above fact makes me somewhat sad, but it's necessary for story progression, isn't it?
sobs
