Blanc stood outside the gaunt metal doors of the Basilicom. Here in Lastation, the sky was an unnatural shade of dark blue, a space gray unlike anything in Lowee. To Blanc, who rarely ever visited Noire's domain, it was urban and unsettling. This nation was one of her least favorites, if only because of its heavy industrial aesthetic and convoluted nature.
The CPU of Lowee gathered her wits about her and entered the building, pushing open the door with her entire body weight. It opened with a little elbow grease, and she slipped inside when there was a big enough opening. Behind her, the door groaned ominously and started to undo her efforts.
"How can I help you?" A bored voice greeted her as the door shut. "Oh. Lady White Heart of Lowee, it is my pleasure. What manner of business brings you here today?"
"Nothing too important. Is your Lady here?"
Blanc noticed the man's shift in tone when he realized he was talking to a higher power. She herself automatically slipped into formal speech when she responded to him. Being overly casual when talking to a subordinate sometimes came off as presumptuous, but at other times it was the sign of a respectable leader. Blanc took no chances, since she was sorely unfamiliar with the Basilicom staff of Lastation. Social interactions were so backward sometimes.
"She is currently upstairs in her quarters," the receptionist told her. "Take the stairs to the right of my desk. I do not believe she is working currently, but please be mindful. This time of year is when she is at her busiest."
Giving her thanks, Blanc followed the directions and climbed the indicated flight of stairs.
"Now I wonder," she said to herself, "what Noire could be up to at this time of year... so close to Christmas."
The stairs and corridor led to a single door, but it was sealed shut. Curious, Blanc put an ear to the door and listened for sounds: nothing. Daringly, she tried the doorknob and jiggled the latch to find that it was unlocked.
Curiosity and mischief kicked in, and she cleared her throat soundlessly. She knocked twice on the door then twisted the handle, and it swung open without a hitch.
"Noire? Are you in here?" she asked. She panned the room hoping to find something unusual, but there was only a lump on the bed. The resident CPU was just sleeping. "Noire?"
"Mm... What." Noire came to life and slowly sat up, muttering complaints. The blankets fell off her figure, but thankfully she was clothed in a sky-blue nightgown with excessive white fringes. However, the gown was made with such diaphanous fabric, sheer to the point of transparency, that it hid absolutely nothing. Even at a distance it revealed a miniscule, non-important fact: Noire slept without underwear.
Blanc stood in the doorway, her face frozen in shock. Whatever she had been expecting to see when she burst into the goddess' sleeping quarters—cosplay, fantasizing, Christmasing—this was not it. The same thing could also be said for Noire, whose face illumined like a firework. Hastily, she scrabbled at the blankets and clutched them to her shoulders.
"Blanc? B-Blanc?!" she shrieked, her voice cracking. The goddess thrust a hand out in front of her, and the room was inundated with transforming light. Noire reappeared in her goddess form, platinum-white hair grown out behind her like a river of starlight. Her processor unit showed no less skin than it always did, but it at least covered all of its wearer's indecencies.
"What do you want, Blanc?" Black Heart rose from the bed with a murderous gleam in her eye. Her face was still pink, but her voice had stabilized into something low and menacing.
Regretting her impulse to surprise the CPU, Blanc took a few steps toward the exit while Black Heart hovered toward her. An instinctual fear made her words come out rushed. "I just came to visit! I didn't mean to see it, I just didn't know if you were around or not!"
She stopped herself from transforming. Her intent was not to pick a fight, but her own HDD persona would be more than willing to do so. That would have the small consequences of inciting a war and ultimately Noire refusing to help her out.
"Visit? How rare of you..." Floating closer, Black Heart pinned her visitor with a chilling glare. "What disposes you to decide you may disregard the common courtesies of being a guest in another's home? Or have you simply forgotten out of disuse? Do you need me to help you remember: announce your visit ahead of time, make your presence known, and do not trespass in the owner's private quarters? Begone for a moment!"
Black Heart lashed out and slammed the door, shutting herself in her room. Blanc heard, through the door, an HDD powering down and some cursing. After that, there was only silence. Releasing a bottled-up breath, Blanc closed her eyes and rubbed her forehead. There was nothing like a friendly chat with Noire to improve their relationship. No wonder she avoided Lastation; there were too many things that could go wrong.
Behind her, the man who operated the lobby approached with uncertain footsteps.
"Um... Is something amiss?" he queried, fussing with his droopy black sleeves. "I heard yelling amidst other noises. I was almost sure a quarrel had broken out."
Blanc assured him everything was fine and that there was no need to propitiate the goddess Black Heart. In the same moment, the door opened and revealed Noire, wearing proper clothes and a grumpy expression.
"Come in Blanc," she said curtly. To her secretary, she nodded and dismissed him. "We have some things to talk about. Thanks for your concern, but that will be all."
Blanc let herself be ushered into the room, and she stood awkwardly off to the side while Noire settled down at a cluttered workspace opposite her bed.
"So," the goddess of Lastation said. She picked up a stack of papers and took her time leafing through it. Her words were clipped like she could barely contain her anger. "What do you want, Blanc?"
"I need help. With my gift for the exchange."
"Oh..." The CPU stopped straightening her papers. Her shoulders sank, and she let out a resigned spiel of laughter. "Hahaha-HA-ha... Heh heh heh..."
Noire put her work away. She spun around in her chair, stood up, walked around Blanc, and plopped onto a couch on the other side of the room.
"Sure, I'll help with your dilemma. Funny that you'd ask me of all people though; wouldn't you be better off asking someone else? Neptune or Vert are pretty good with this kind of thing. Or even better, someone who isn't participating. We all have sisters, with the exception of Vert. But you could always go to Chika, and she may even buy the gift for you. Wait, who are you even getting a gift for? It isn't me, right?"
Blanc didn't respond immediately. Still on her guard, she shifted her weight from foot to foot and shook her head.
"Well, then who is it?" Noire asked again. Her voice turned persistent. But then, like it was obvious, her mouth formed an O-shape. "Wait, it's Neptune, isn't it?"
Blanc was taken aback at the accuracy and speed of Noire's guess. "How'd you know?"
"You mean, 'How wouldn't I know'? There are only four people. It was a fifty-fifty chance."
Now that the target had been acquired, Noire proceeded to grill her protégé for information: What did Neptune like, what did she dislike, what games did she play, what was her favorite color? The last one was obvious, and Blanc answered with complete confidence.
Noire crossed her arms and leaned back in her recliner. Humming thoughtfully, she wondered aloud, "Shouldn't you be talking to Nepgear about this?"
"I tried, but I didn't get any ideas." Blanc shook her head. "All I learned from her was a bunch of information that would come in handy if I needed to be Neptune for a day. I'm trying to get a present for her, not stalk her."
The two goddesses continued to bounce ideas off each other. Blanc considered each one in full. Any idea or combination of ideas could possibly be the ideal present.
"What about a necklace or something?" Noire suggested, casually kicking her legs over the armrest of the sofa.
Blanc thought about it for a moment. "I don't think she would like it."
"Well, you want something special, so it has to be memorable too. It's gotta be something she'll carry around or put in her room, like an accessory or decoration or keepsake. Maybe a good luck charm?"
"I guess it's not a bad idea. Something like that could work, but I don't know her tastes in fashion. She could hate jewelry with a passion for all I knew."
Blanc pictured a silver chain resting perfectly in the V-neck of Neptune's hoodie. It was the perfect spot for a pendant. As far as Blanc knew, the goddess had nothing else to put there...
Pulling her back to reality, Noire coughed and glanced at a clock on the wall. "Blanc, it's getting late. You should probably be heading home."
Blanc realized that more than an hour had passed since she arrived at the Basilicom; it was approaching midnight. If she were to stay much longer, she may as well bunk in Lastation for the night.
"You're right. I'll be leaving now," she said as she pushed off the wall and shook her legs out. "I don't want to overstay my welcome. Thanks for the help."
Noire smiled. "Don't mention it. Oh, and by the way, "she added in a sinister undertone. "There's one thing you can do for me; you can think of it as your payment. Just make sure nobody goes around spreading rumors about me. If you find anyone saying things they shouldn't, come to me so I can... clear up any misunderstandings."
Blanc felt a chill run up her spine. She agreed without question and closed the door on her way out.
It sure was cold tonight...