Awakening
Yawning, Uni woke up, in unfamiliar black pajamas that had light blue stars that were sprinkled throughout her outfit. When she tried to move, she noticed that two arms were holding her down. One arm was wrapped around her torso, leading to her left while another arm was sprawled across her shoulder leading to her right.
"Who is…?" Looking to her left, Uni found a sleeping Rom cuddled up to her stomach while Ram appeared to have rolled around in her sleep, finally settling upon lying face up and her arms outstretched. "Oh geez…" Shaking her head, a smile formed on the girl's mouth as Rom snuggled closer to the Lastation Candidate. Looking around for a clock, Uni found one off to the side that displayed the time: 5:50 AM.
"It's a little early, but…" Uni gently removed Rom's arm off of her torso and moved Ram's arm off her shoulder. Getting out of bed, the girl heard one of the twins mumble in their sleep. Uni turned around to see Rom shuffle her way over to Ram, half asleep, and wrap her arms around her sister. "Aw. that's cute…" Uni shook her head and got dressed into a pair of dark blue shorts and a black shirt that transitioned into black stripes over white upon reaching her shoulders that she had kept in her bag just in case. Tying her hair up with pink ribbons and leaving her things inside the twins' room, Uni decided to go for a walk around Lowee's Basilicom.
Uni traveled throughout the Basilicom, finding mostly the Basilicom's workers cleaning the hallways or preparing the building for another hard day of work. Before returning to the living quarters, the girl decided to return the hangar where the Gear-Wing was stored.
Upon entering the hangar, the girl found Nepgear asleep, lying against his plane.
"What is he doing here?" Uni noticed the newly christened Gear-Buster in Nepgear's hands, finger away from the trigger. Turning around, Uni found empty bottles of Nep Bull strewn about a table, some of them lying on the floor with bullet holes in them. "Did he really spend all night practicing with this?" Picking up a bottle, Uni looked at the holes within the bottle. There were holes that came out in different angles, as if Nepgear was trying to shoot the bottle in the air. "He's working hard…" Uni bit her lip; she worked hard too, but not as hard as this. Nepgear was getting ahead of her again.
"...Uni." Letting out a cry of surprise, which she cut short with her mouth, Uni turned around to see Nepgear curl into a ball. "Let's make…" Immediately, the girl's face flushed red. Uni tried to step backwards, slipping on a Nep Bull bottle and falling on her rear.
"There's no way! No way that he-"
"...curry together." Nepgear's Gear-Buster gently plopped onto the ground. Uni blinked her eyes, then sighed.
"What kind of dream was that?" Standing up, Uni dusted herself off and picked up the Gear-Buster. As she was about to turn away and place it on the table, Uni noticed Nepgear shiver just a little bit. "He's cold."
Looking around, Uni noticed a folded up blanket, a pillow and a chair nearby. The Lastation Candidate placed her arms at her hips.
"He owes me for this one."
Eventually, Blanc and everyone else, minus Nepgear, had woken up. Mina, Lowee's Oracle, had cooked up a bountiful breakfast and everyone dug in. Uni had been given eggs, bacon, and sausages. When Uni was close to finishing, Mina would urge her to take some more. The girl could hardly complain, since the food was so delicious.
"Mmm… Morning." Nepgear walked in, rubbing the back of his neck. A chorus of 'Morning's, greeted the boy. Sitting down next to Neptune, the boy's older sister looked at her brother, a little concerned.
"Hey, Nep Jr. are you alright?" Nepgear nodded, nursing his neck.
"Yeah, I'm alright. It's just…" Neptune cocked her head to the side, shoving an egg into her mouth.
"Just?"
"I woke up covered in a blanket and lying a pillow." Nepgear craned his neck, stretching his neck for a second before sighing. "I'm so used to sleeping on the floor, that I don't get back pain. So, this time I woke up with a sore neck… I'm not really used to it." Uni stared at her food, poking at extra egg she had been given.
"What's wrong Uni?" The girl avoided Nepgear's gaze and cut up her egg.
"N-Nothing…" After a second, Nepgear shrugged and began eating. Sighing, Uni finished her food and left her plate in the sink for Mina to wash.
"Nepgear, why are you in such a messy state?" Vert picked a piece of her egg with her fork and held it in the air as she stared at the Candidate. The boy scratched the back of his head.
"I was in the hangar, testing out the Gear-Buster." Blanc raised an eyebrow.
"Gear-Buster?" Nepgear smiled.
"It's my brand new custom-made pistol that Uni built." Turning to his friend, Nepgear smiled brightly while the girl bashfully waved. Sighing, Vert placed her fork down.
"That's not good, Nepgear. A gentleman must be both polite and clean." Vert stared at Nepgear, shaking her head. "When you are finished eating, go take a bath. I will have your clothes ready for you while you clean yourself." Nepgear nodded and hastily ate his breakfast.
"..." Uni watched Nepgear eat a little longer before heading to the doorway. "I'm gonna sit in the living room." A chorus of "Okay"s answered her.
While Uni was in the living room, the girl decided to look through some of Blanc's collection of books. Scanning through the bookshelf, a certain title caught Uni's eyes. Finger pressed against the book's spine, Uni looked to her sides before reading the title of the book again.
"Bonds?" Uni flipped the cover. "A story about two bitter rivals finding true love!?" Blushing a dark red, Uni held the cover of the book close to her. Turning to the TV that was across the room, the girl could see her older sister and Neptune playing that new racing game Blanc had put out months before. It appears that Noire was ahead of Neptune by one place and the other CPU was using everything in her power to pass her.
"He-Hey, get off me!"
"Distraction gooooo!" Everything.
"Huh…." Sweatdropping, Uni walked over to the area Neptune and Blanc were playing and sat down, opening the book.
While she was reading, Uni could hear Rom and Ram run into the room, as their cheery mood and… cheers, caught her ear.
"Are… you playing Maria Kart?"
"Ooh! I wanna play too!" Uni glanced up to see Blanc sit down, a book, which was thick enough to be Histoire's tome, lay in her lap. Catching her gaze, Blanc quietly shifted her head towards Uni.
"D.K. Rolling?" Blinking, Uni looked at Blanc, who nodded and opened her own book. "Rolling is a good author, you'll learn a lot. Especially that book." As Blanc covered her face with her book, Uni barely had time to see Blanc make a smirk.
Sweatdropping, Uni pushed Blanc's advice to the back of her head and continued reading her novel.
"I'm back~." After reading a good portion of the novel, Uni looked up upon hearing Vert's voice as she picked up Blanc's hat and leaned on top of her beloved. Without glancing up, Blanc flipped a page as Vert put on her hat.
"Hey." Frowning at her reaction, Vert slinked her arms around Blanc's neck, nuzzling her face into Blanc's cheek. "What were you doing?" A twinkle appeared in the Leanbox goddess's eye.
"Just a little preparation." Returning to her book, Uni heard the door open.
"Everyone, tea's ready!" Nepgear's voice rang out and Uni pulled the book closer to her face.
"Ah, Nep J- Nepu!" The sounds of Neptune dropping her controller and the thumps of her feet hitting the soft rug echoed as she approached her brother. "What's up with the new kicks, Nepgear?" Uni could hear her rival chuckle awkwardly.
"Well, Vert said this was all she had for me." A grunt was emitted from Blanc's throat.
"Vert." The snap of a book closing.
"Yes?"
"I should have guessed it." Uni could hear Blanc place her book on the table. "Come on." Blanc stepped away from Uni's hearing range and from the evidence that there were more footsteps than just Blanc's, the girl could guess that Vert had not let go of her lover.
"Where are we going?"
"We're gonna buy Nepgear some clothes. If we have a distraction, we'll never finish preparations."
"Aw, don't be rash dear. It won't be that distracting."
"For you, it will." Vert giggled.
"Oh my, you may sound straight laced, but in reality you're just jealous." A grunt of surprise emitted from Blanc and Vert sounded like she got the jackpot. "OH Blanc! You are so adorable!"
"He-Hey!? Let me go!" Vert giggled again as the door opened.
"Nepgear, we will be out for a while so please wear for now. Blanc and I will find the perfect clothes for you."
"O-Okay…"
"And I might find the perfect butler outfit for Blanc too."
"O-Oi!" Before Blanc could protest, the door was closed and her voice was snuffed out by the thick walls that separated them.
"...So, here's your tea, Neptune." The Planeptune CPU cheered. "Oh, becareful. It's really hot."
"Oh I know, Nep Jr. Don't leave your knickers in a knot."
"...Okay. Noire, here's your share."
"Oh, thank you. Nep...gear."
"Rom. Ram. Mina put milk in this for you."
"Yay~!"
"Thank you, Mr. Nepgear." Uni heard Nepgear's footsteps as he approached her. The clank of the cup hitting the small round glass table resounded next to her.
"Here you go, Uni." Quickly closing her book and discretely hiding the title with her fingers, luckily for her it was a paperback edition, Uni sighed and turned toward her rival.
"Th-Thanks, NepgEAR!?" The boy blinked in confusion.
"What's wrong?" Uni looked at the Candidate in front of her. The person in front of her was still Nepgear… but what he wore stunned her.
Nepgear was wearing a classy white dress shirt and a light purple vest adorned with white silver buttons with matching slacks. The boy's hair was pulled slightly back and all of his hair at the back of his head was held back by a black hairband. Although he still wore his d-pad hairclip and pudding pin, which helped Uni identify this elegant looking butler as her rival.
"N-Nothing…" Uni placed her book facedown on the table and reached for the cup. As she was taking a sip, Nepgear stared at the back.
"What's this?" Suddenly, Uni's hand covered the summary that Nepgear was reading.
"He almost saw that!"
"G-Goodness, Uni! I was just curious about the book." Revealing a pained puppy-dog look, Nepgear looked downwards, which was imitated by his posture.
"Uwa… he looks like a dog that was kicked…"
"Uh… You wouldn't want to read this… It's a horror novel with blood and guts and all that." Almost immediately, Nepgear stepped back as his face paled.
"... Yeah, yo-you're right." Nepgear looked at the empty plate in his hands. "I-I'm going to put this away." Uni nodded as Nepgear rushed out of the room.
"Does Blanc have horror books, Ram?"
"Eh, I don't know. Probably not."
About an hour later, Nepgear joined everyone but Uni at the TV, watching from the couch. Rom was pushing buttons at a flustered rate, missing the right buttons at the worst moments. Ram was demolishing her controller, as if she was playing Hyper Mash Sisters: Wiilee. Noire and Neptune…
"I said get off me!"
"Distraction! GOOO!" They were still at it.
Uni had gotten to a decent spot to stop, repeating the page number three times in her head before closing the book and returning to its rightful spot in Blanc's shelf.
"I should find that book when we get home…" Shaking her head and rubbing her eyes a bit, Uni walked over to the TV and sat down next to the butler-clad Nepgear. "So, what's happening?"
"Oh, you're done reading? Well, they're still playing Maria Kart and Ram keeps winning."
"Heh…" Uni leaned against the couch and stretched her arms and legs, which were weary from sitting for so long. "Hey, can I play?" Rom turned around and nodded, standing up and walking over to Uni, careful not to trip over the controllers' wires. Upon reaching the Lastation Candidate, Rom climbed up Uni's legs and sat on her lap. "Wha-!?"
"Hehe…" Rom happily handed the controller to the flustered Uni and leaned against her chest.
"Wh-What are you doing?" Taking off her hat, Rom looked up, bright shiny blue eyes staring up at Uni.
"Miss Uni is comfortable." A small smile appeared on the Lastation Candidate's face, although it was a little crooked as she considered her situation.
"Th-thanks…" Uni glanced to the side, seeing Nepgear just smile.
"Aw, that's nice." Looking back, Ram walked over to the other Candidates, leaving Noire to fight off a distracting Neptune by herself, even though she's been doing that all by herself the whole time.
"Hey, Nepgear." The boy turned to look at the pink Lowee Candidate.
"Yes, Ram?" Ram pressed her arm against Nepgear's side.
"I wanna sit next to Rom, so move it." Chuckling, Nepgear scooted to the side and allowed Ram to climb up onto the couch. "There! That's better."
At that moment, the door opened a little bit and a blushing Blanc popped her head into the room.
"Nepgear." The boy turned around to see Blanc stick her arm out, a bag filled with clothes with the logo L&L on it. "Here." Suddenly, a hand gently wrapped itself around Blanc's cheek.
"Hurry now, Blanc! I want to see you in these outfits!" Blanc's face showed signs of struggling as she dropped the bag in order to use both hands to grip onto the door.
"No! I'm not wearing those!" Blanc's head was pulled in leaving only her fingers visible. Vert's mischievous giggle could be heard as Blanc's grip loosened.
"Come now, you promised~."
"Hey!" The door slammed shut as the bag containing Nepgear's clothes fell over.
"I guess I'll get changed then." Nepgear stood up and walked over to the bag. Picking it up, the boy opened the door and waved to the others at the TV. "I'll be back."
"Take your time." Uni waved to her rival before partaking in the race. As soon as the door closed, Rom and Ram looked at each other, nodding.
"Hey, Uni." Ram pressed herself against Uni's side, dropping her controller as Rom nuzzled against the Lastation Candidate.
"Yeah?" Uni held down on the right bumper, slightly amused by the Lowee twins' affection.
"...Do you, like Mister Nepgear?" Raising an eyebrow, Uni kept her thumb pressed against the A button.
"Like? Well, Nepgear's a nice guy." Ram shook her head.
"No! No! No! Dummy, we mean like like!" Uni's fingers pushed the controller out of her hands.
"Wh-What are you talking about!?" Noire paused the game and turned around.
"What do you mean that Uni-" Neptune took the chance and bodied the Lastation CPU.
"DISTRACTION!" The Planeptune CPU wrapped her arms around Noire, tackling her to the floor.
"Gyaaa!" Glancing at the struggling Noire, Uni felt Rom and Ram press closer to her.
"Well, do ya?"
"Yeah… do you?" Uni absentmindedly wrapped her arms around Rom and pressed her chin against the crown of her head.
"I see Nepgear as a rival… but…" Uni thought back to the to the day that they first met. Their first Quest… On that day, Uni never would have thought that she would have gotten closer to the boy. "Yet…" Now, memories of when Uni challenged Nepgear to duels on the premise of being rivals. "Now that I think about it… whenever I asked him to duel me, I was always so happy…" Faintly smiling, Uni snuggled against Rom, who smiled happily, as she remembered when Nepgear invited her over. "Then I learned about Nepgear's… I guess his past is tragic." Uni remembered how protective she was about the boy. "And then he gave me the N-Buster MKII…" Ram forced her way into the hug and Uni blankly nuzzled the other twin, who was a little disturbed about it. "Come to think of it… I spent most of our day trying to reassure myself into thinking that Nepgear was my rival…" Raising her head, Uni stared at the two pairs of eyes that sat in her lap and cuddled in her arms. "If it wasn't for these two… I wouldn't feel as comfortable in Lowee." Uni hugged Rom and Ram, who both hugged her back out of happiness. "And that was because Nepgear introduced me to them…"
"Ne, Uni?" Uni looked at Ram.
"Mmm?" Rom leaned on her sister, pressing her cheek against Ram's.
"Do you hate Nepgear?" It was at that moment Uni was able to give a straight answer.
"No! How could I hate him!" The twins looked at her and shared looks of accomplishment.
"So then you like him!" Uni bit her lip.
"Well, I guess not like…" Before the girls could press Uni further, the door opened and Nepgear walked in. He wore a dress shirt that looked similar to Neptune's hoodie, but had Lowee's light blue colors rather than Planeptune's purple. Also, he wore white cargo pants and Nepgear had fixed his hair to look more Nepgear-like than butler-like.
"Sorry I took a while." Seeing Uni, Rom and Ram holding each other close, Nepgear's eyes shined. "OH! Are you guys having a group hug!? I wanna join too!" Startled, Uni gaped as Nepgear clasped his hands together. Rom and Ram looked at each other once more, this time having mischievous smiles.
"...Yeah."
"Wh-What! Rom!" Ram, along with Rom, pulled Uni's arms apart, leaving space in between the two of them.
"Come on, Nepgear! Hurry up before I change my mind!"
"R-Ram!?" Grinning from ear to ear, Nepgear inhaled deeply and ran towards the group.
"W-Wait, Nepgear- KYAAA!?"
"Uni, are yo- Neptune, GET OFF ME!"
"No! I must distract you so that I'll win!"
"I paused the game!" "Distractioooooooooooooooon!"
Eventually, Neptune won the race and Nepgear got his wishes in being in a group hug. At the same time, Blanc and Vert returned, the former blushing with an exhausted look on her face while the latter seemed extremely satisfied.
"Sorry for the wait." Neptune got up from her spot at the TV and skipped over to the bethrothed CPUs.
"So, we gonna start planning or what?" The Candidates looked at Blanc, confused.
"Hold on…"
"You don't mean…"
"You're not having the wedding yet?" Vert just smiled while Blanc glanced to the side.
"No… but the wedding will be soon. We just have to finalize the plans… and announce our wedding." Before either Nepgear or Uni could pressure Blanc, her fiancee answer their unspoken question.
"Blanc and I have kept this affiar a secret. So hidden that the only people who know this are: the people in this room and our Oracles." Vert clapped her hands together. "Now, let us get some preparing done!" The CPUs and Candidates cheered as Vert turned her head to the side. "So Blanc and I can celebrate with a session of 4 Goddesses Online."
As Vert began to fantasize her date with Blanc in a virtual fantasy realm that was held within a fantasy world based on virtual reality, Blanc felt a chill run down her spine.
Days into preparations, Blanc and Vert announced their marriage, which was met with little resistance, surprisingly. One day during a break, Blanc and Vert looked at their Chirpers.
"Whoooot! BlancxVert 4 life!"
"No you idiot! It's VertxBlanc!"
"Isn't it the same thing!"
Blanc leaned onto Vert, who happily wrapped her arm around her smaller lover. From outside, Rom and Ram watched their sister cuddle.
"Wow~, Blanc looks super happy!"
"Mhm! Miss Vert is really nice to have as a big sister too." As the twins smiled, Nepgear turned the corner, carrying a pile of boxes. The boy had received his clothes and extra sets from Histoire when he told her the situation. Although, in reality, the Oracle had sent them in advance but Vert put them aside so that she could get Nepgear in a butler outfit AND spend some alone time with her Blanny-Blanny-Bi.
"Ah, Rom! Ram! Come and help Uni load these into the Gear-Wing." The twins turned away from Blanc and Vert's scene and began pushing Nepgear down the hallway.
"Okay~!"
"Hehe…~"
"Wait, don't push me! I might dro- Hold on, the Gear-Wing is that way!"
"We're gonna take a shortcut!"
"Eh? But isn't this the shortcut?"
At some point, Blanc and Vert sent the Candidates out to find dresses to wear. Neptune and Noire accompanied them in order to make sure that their decisions were elegant, cute and appropriate, for Blanc's standards, for the wedding.
"Look Ram! Isn't this cute~?"
"Oooooh~, I wonder if there's a pink one to match it."
"Uni, remember that your dress will represent Lastation's standards in formal attire."
"Y-Yeah…"
"Oh, come on Strict Heart, let Mini-Noire choose what to wear. Just cause you want her to look sexy doesn't mean you have to make her as lonely as you~."
"I am not lonely! Grr! You keep saying that!"
"Se-Sexy!? ...Wait, what do you mean Mini-Noire!?"
Meanwhile…
"Um, Vert?" Nepgear sat in Blanc's room, reading one of her various novels. Vert was doing her dailies in 4 Goddesses Online while Blanc was in her zone, typing in a trance while making a creepy yet satisfied smile.
"My, what is it Nepgear?"
"Why can't I go with everyone to get my suit? It would have been faster to get it along with them." Vert logged out of her game and sighed.
"Nepgear, a young man mustn't intrude on fair ladies, especially when they're shopping for wedding dresses. A husband must never see the bride's dress until their marriage or else tragedy will befall them!" Blanc paused in her finger movements, but continued on typing.
"...But, I'm not the one getting married. You and Blanc are."
"Oh, it applies to bridesmaids as well. Besides, I already have the suit picked out for you~. I just need your measurements."
"It wouldn't be another butler outfit would it?" Blanc stopped typing and spun her chair around.
"..." Vert began to sweat as she felt Blanc's piercing gaze.
"N-Nonsense! There is nothing butler-like about it." A grunt and Blanc spun around, the typing restarting. Vert sighed in relief.
"Oh, okay then. Thank you, Vert. This is very nice of you." Vert smiled.
"You welcome." Nepgear resumed reading while Vert now sighed in disappointment. "I suppose I should cancel the order and pick an appropriate one," Upon hearing her fiancee's sigh, Blanc smirked.
Soon, some of the plans have been made. Blanc and Vert decided on a fusion of traditional Loweean and Leanboxian weddings, Neptune would be Blanc's Maid of Honor/ Best CPU while Noire would be Vert's. Rom, Ram and Uni would be flower girls and Nepgear would be the ring-bearer. Mina would act as the priest for the actual wedding and Chika, Vert's Oracle, would act as the MC for the party.
IF would appear as the Guild's representative and because Vert wouldn't want anyone else. Compa would go in place of her grandfather as he was currently at a doctor's convention.
Histoire and Kei, Noire's Oracle, would appear as Planeptune and Lastation's representatives respectively since their CPUs are to be part of the wedding itself.
Eventually, the rest of the plans would fall into place. But…
"Neptune, wake up geez!"
"One kangaroo jumped over the fence… Two kangaroos… Three Kan...ga… Zzz…"
"Neptune!"
*Smack!*
"Youwch!?" The practices could have gone better.
"Gah!"
"Nepgear, are you okay!?"
"I'm fine, I just fell… Wait, where did the rings go!?" Blanc facepalmed and Vert sighed.
"Look Ram! These are pff- fham- phamflits."
"Hamchicks? Ha ha! What a dumb name!" The practices were far away from being okay.
Time passed and the actual day of the wedding had arrived. Guests arrived at a decent pace. IF, Noire and Compa directed people to their spots while Rom, Ram and Neptune entertained whomever they could get. Nepgear was nowhere to be found, possibly helping people settle down. Mina was preparing the ritual for the wedding, Chika was biting into a handkerchief, Histoire was chatting with Kei. Finally, Vert and Blanc were in separating rooms, getting ready for their big day.
While everyone was doing their own thing, wandering around the church. Blanc had asked Uni to check up on the deliveries for flowers and other necessities. Naturally, Uni organized them neatly and now she was done. Heading to the bathroom, the Lastation Candidate washed her hands.
"Hey, do you see that girl?" Uni paused before continuing to lathering her hands with soap.
"She looks pretty in that dress." Uni's dress was a midnight black, cutting off above her ankles. The dress was adorned with frills on the ends of the dress and had no sleeves or shoulder straps, which was held together by a zipper at the back. Uni replaced her usual ribbons with light pink ones that were tied into the shape of a bowtie. On her wrist were a couple of bracelets, two of them: one of them was white and carried Lowee's crest on it while the other one was green with Leanbox's crest.
"Should we ask her if she would be okay with seeing my son?" Now uncomfortable, Uni finished washing her hands and dried them, leaving the restroom as fast as she could.
"What was that?" Uni shook the blush out of her head, smacking her cheeks for good measure.
"Ah, Uni~!" Looking to the side, Nepgear could be seen down the hallway, waving his hand. Nepgear was wearing a white suit. The sleeves of his suit looked similar to his flight jacket, but the boy pulled his sleeves so that the new watch that he got from Blanc could be seen easier. His matching slacks were loose and comfortable at the same time. Under his suit, Nepgear wore a light green tie over his light purple dress shirt. One of his cufflinks was green while the other was white. "I found you!" Happily running over to Uni, Nepgear's green and white dress shoes tapped silently against the carpeted floor until he skidded against the floor, grinning at his friend.
"Nepgear, where were you?" The boy scratched the back of his head.
"Actually, I just got here." Uni sweatdropped.
"Really?" Nodding, Nepgear reached into his pocket and pulled a small black box.
"Blanc and Vert had me pick this up before I headed here since I had my own vehicle." Returning the box back into his pocket, Nepgear sighed. "...But the person they asked to make the rings was very… specific." Uni raised an eyebrow.
'How so?"
"He wanted to inlay the gems in a specific way, after fusing two different gems together." Nepgear shrugged his shoulders. 'He was still working on them when I got there, so that's why I got here so late." Turning away, Nepgear headed towards nave of the church. "I'm going to hand this to Mina so that preparations are complete." Before Nepgear left, he turned around and smiled at Uni. "By the way, you look beautiful, Uni." Speechless, Uni watched Nepgear walk away.
Uni felt her cheeks. Once again, her face was red, but this time her cheeks were really warm.
"Oh, she's still here."
"Hey, why don't we ask her if she's single." Ignoring the women behind her, Uni walked into the church and sat down at a pew, leaning her elbows against her knees.
"...What was I supposed to say to that?"
The organ player at the back of the church, who looked similar to the man who worked at the Chizza stand at Super NintenLand, started the music as all the guests stood up.
White Heart was already waiting at the altar, wearing a traditional Loweean kimono. Kneeling on top of a cushion, the CPU of Lowee sat still as a statue as the music played on. The soon-to-be-bride wore a hat that was similar to Blanc's regular one, but was covered in jewelry and other shiny gems, making it look more like a crown than a hat.
The giant doors at the other end of the room flung open, revealing Rom, Ram and Green Heart. Rom and Ram walked forward, tossing light blue and pink petals into the air. The twins wore matching puffy dresses that made them look like adorable muffins. Green Heart calmly walked down the aisle, holding a bouquet. The other bride-to-be wore a wedding dress that many Leanboxeans wore, her hair was styled the same way as she regularly wore it but the back of her hair was tied into a ponytail. Vert's face was covered by a white veil that matched her white dress accented with green. As she strolled down the aisle, Chika held her arm, trying to let her tears flow and ruin her green dress. Behind them was Neptune, who wore a light pink dress that looked similar to a tutu while next to her was Noire, who wore a blue dress that had black accents with a tiny tiara on her head. The two CPUs gripped onto the ends of Vert's dress, preventing it from dragging across the ground. Next came Uni, who also scattered the ground with black rose petals. Finally came Nepgear, who carried two rings, identical to each other except for the color of the body, one light white and the other light green, on top of a dark red pillow.
Once Green Heart had reached the altar, White Heart opened her eyes, her cheeks dusted a bright red and a welcoming shine in her eyes. Green Heart lowered her head, a faint smile covered by the veil.
White Heart stood up, balancing herself and the heavy-looking hat gracefully. Nodding to each other, White Heart and Green Heart turned to the priest, who was Mina. Clearing her throat, Mina took a deep breath.
"We have gathered here today to celebrate the union between not only two lovers, but the lands of Lowee and Leanbox..." As Mina continued with speech, Uni glanced around. Tiny cameras glided around the inside of the church, taking multiple angles of the wedding while broadcasting and streaming the event throughout Gamindustri. Eventually, Uni's gaze landed on Nepgear, who sat across from her. Yawning, Nepgear looked to the side to cover his mouth, noticing Uni's stare. Quietly, Uni waved in order to make the exchange coincidental and not awkward. Nepgear smiled and waved back at his friend.
Green Heart and White Heart stared at each other, now holding hands.
"Lady Vert, CPU of Leanbox, do you take White Heart as your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do…" A small giggle could be heard from Green Heart as Mina turned to White Heart.
"Lady Blanc, CPU of Lowee, do you take Green Heart as your lawfully wedded wife?" A grin appeared on White Heart's face as she stared happily at Green Heart.
"I do."
"If you wish to object to this marriage, speak now or forever hold your peace." No one looked around to see if anyone objected. Sighing in relief, Mina nodded.
"Now, Lady Blanc. Lady Vert. You may-"
*SLAM*
"Hold it!" All eyes looked down the aisle to see a group of men at the now busted door. Half of the group held banners that said, "Hail Lady White Heart, the goddess of small breasts!" and the other half carried banners that said, "Hail Lady Green Heart, the goddess of bountiful mounds!"
Before security could impede them, the group ran towards the aisle stopping short of Uni and Nepgear's pew.
"We object to this marriage!" Gasps of surprise, especially from White Heart and Green Heart erupted from the guests as one man walked forward. Uni recognized the man immediately. It was the perverted thin nerd from Super NintenLand.
"Wh-Why would you object to such a beautiful event!?" Green Heart grabbed onto White Heart's hands, her lips trembling. The nerd pushed his glasses up his nose.
"You see… we are the Blanc Fanclub and Vert Fanclub respectively…" The nerd's glasses was obscured by a glare. "And we do not condone of this!" Nepgear attempted to step forward, but then a large number of the fanclub members pulled blasters out of nowhere, pointing it at him. "Ah, you see. I knew that you would act up, young man. So, we planned ahead." Mina widened her eyes in fear.
"H-How did you get those in here!? This is neutral territory." The nerd chuckled.
"Oh we don't approve of violence," The nerd smirked. "...But, we can still ruin this marriage by dirtying the couple!" Suddenly, all the fanclub members held out their blasters further, revealing a liquid substance under the barrels of the blasters.
"That's…" White Heart pulled Green Heart closer to her.
"Exactly, my beloved goddess. It's ink." The nerd pulled out his own blaster and pointed at the lovebirds. "Now if you excuse, I cannot allow this marriage to continue." White Heart covered Green Heart with her body, the CPU's back against the blaster.
"Blanc!? No, what are you doing!?"
"I won't let this bastard ruin your dress, not with how beautiful you look right now!" Green Heart's face softened.
"Blanc…" The nerd laughed, not maniacally, but pervertedly.
"Now, let's see how Lady White Heart looks covered in my special white ink!" White Heart closed her eyes as the trigger was pulled. The gunshot could be heard, but the CPU felt no impact.
"Kyaa!" The sound of a thud could be heard as footsteps followed from behind. White Heart pulled herself away from Green Heart to see Uni lying on the ground, a splotch of white ink all over dress.
"Uni!? Are you okay?" Nepgear was already trying to lift Uni to a sitting position while Noire glared at the fans.
"Nepgear… my dress…" Uni struggled to sit up and fell limp in his arms. "It was only a rental… and it smells...like squid." Noire clenched her hand into a fist.
"You…" Noire raised her hand, ready to summon her weapon when she felt an aura beside her. "What… is-!" Holding onto Uni, Nepgear's body began to emit a divine light. "Nepgear!?"
"Ruining my friends' marriage is one thing…" Nepgear raised his head, revealing the one thing that no one, not even Neptune had ever seen on his face. Anger. "But hurting Uni is another!" Caressing Uni's hair, Nepgear pressed his lips a surprised Uni.
"Wh-!" Noire stared, mouth open wide, other guests let out sounds of surprise and awe. Neptune had a blank look on her face. White Heart heard the sound of a camera. Looking behind her, Green Heart was holding a digital camera.
"Oi." Green Heart looked at her fiancee in nervousness.
"Y-Yes?" White Heart reached into her kimono and pulled out a camcorder. Before asking how White Heart was able to produce such a device from under her clothes, Green Heart remembered that Blanc has had many kimonos that have hidden pockets.
"Wanna share info later?" White Heart gave her wife-to-be a thumbs up. Smiling, Green Heart nodded.
"Let's." The couple began their fun little couple activity as Nepgear pulled away from Uni.
"Don't worry, Uni. I won't let this end in disaster." Standing up, Nepgear stopped emitting the light, but rather, it transferred over to his eyes.
"Nepgear?" Uni placed a hand over her lips, her fingers grazing against the tingling sensation. In fact, Uni was absolutely positive that her cheeks were red.
"I won't forgive for this… Not now…"
Nepgear raised his hand. Uni got to her feet. Neptune crossed her arms and closed her eyes.
"What are you…?"
"Not ever…" Neptune looked up before everyone was distracted by the sudden light above that appeared above Nepgear.
"That's…"
A Sharicite descended into his palm. Holding his arm shoulder level, both Nepgear's eyes and the gem stored with a CPU's power resonated with each other. A proud smile found it's way onto Neptune's face, her eyes shining bright as her smile.
...Go get em' Nep Jr.!"
"Not in this lifetime!" Nepgear thrusted the Sharicite towards his heart, the contact engulfing him in a pillar of rainbow colored light that shot up to the ceiling. Despite the blinding light, no one could look away. Noire held onto Uni as the pillar was exuding a strong force, creating a draft, pushing dresses and loose clothing aside. Green Heart's camera was flashing so much that it blending into the pillar of light. The ground shook lightly, causing some of the people inside to drop to their knees.
The pillar of light froze and reversed its direction, creating a small dome at the ground. Once all the light flowed into the dome, the Nepgear-sized ball of light stayed stagnant for a couple of seconds. People stepped forward, staring at the ball of light in curiousity. Neptune shook her head, pushing Histoire behind her.
"Might wanna be careful." Four small triangular butterfly wings sprouted out of the ball of light and the dome began to shrink. Expanding exponentially, the dome burst and created sparkles of light that looked similar to snowflakes to cascade down throughout the room.
Crouched over on the floor where Nepgear was once standing was a figure. Long lilac hair and a white bodysuit were the first prominent features. The butterfly wings at the figure's back extended and the figure floated into the air. More details were made clear, such as the the purple accents on the bodysuit and the rounded hairclip that replaced Nepgear's d-pad shaped one. Finally, the figure's frame was more slender and a tiny bit smaller than Nepgear's human build, and the most prominent and alluring trait, especially to the fanclub members…
"Why does Nepgear's HDD form have breasts!?" Uni asked the question that everyone, except the fanclub members, was asking. "Actually, why is Nepgear a girl!?" Neptune patted Uni on the shoulder as Histoire floated next to the Candidate's head.
"HDD can cause create vast differences between a CPU's Human and HDD form. For example, Neptune is a bubbly idiot," The Planeptune CPU pouted, but Histoire continued. "However, in HDD, Neptune is calm and mature." Neptune hugged Histoire in happiness. Histoire sighed. "Case in point." Uni turned back to the divine girl that was once Nepgear. The girl straightened her back and opened her eyes, revealing her irises to be a light blue with a white power symbol.
"...Purple Sister, transformation complete." The fanclub members "Oooh"'d and drooled over the now christened Purple Sister. Purple Sister raised her hand, a white gunblade materializing in her hand. "You horrible people… interrupting a beautiful congregation such as this." Purple Sister swung her gunblade and pointed at them. "I will not allow to stop it!" The nerd stepped backwards and hesitatingly pointed the ink pistol at the CPU Candidate.
"If…" Purple Sister pulled her gunblade backwards and swung across the ground.
"Slash Wave!" A wave of wind kicked up the nerds and threw them out of the church. Immediately, IF and Kei shut the doors while Chika yelled at them for attempting to ruin "her beloved Vert's happiness". Purple Sister turned around and nodded to Mina, who, after sweatdropping, cleared her throat, causing White Heart and Green Heart to put away their recording equipment.
"Where was I... Oh yes. Lady Blanc, Lady Vert. You may kiss the bride." The two CPUs immediately wrapped each other in a warm embrace and kissed each other. Smiling, Purple Sister touched down on the ground, dematerializing her weapon and walked over to Neptune and Uni. However, as soon as she took a step forward, Purple Sister flinched and shined a bright light, reverting back to Nepgear. Stretching out his arm, a small, pained smile formed itself on Nepgear's face as he stumbled and collapsed on the floor.
"Nepgear!?"
"Nep Jr.!?"
After Nepgear's collapse and the fanclub riot, the rest of the wedding ended without any harm. While Nepgear was recovering from what Histoire and Compa said as "using all of his energy," the rest of the guests were moved to a ballroom in Lowee's Basilicom, where the celebration party for the union of Lowee and Leanbox was held.
Balloons, streamers and plenty of other decorations were hung around the walls and ceiling of the ballroom. Chibi ice sculptures of Blanc and Vert, designed and inspired by Rom and Ram's drawings, were placed on each table and surrounding the the ice sculptures was a variety of flowers that connected together to make a ring.
Dinner had already been served and people enjoyed listening Mina's heartfelt speech for Blanc's happiness and laughed at Chika's bawling and threats to Blanc's health should she betray Vert, such as swallowing a thousand needles or getting kicked by a horse and dying.
Currently, Blanc and Vert were pulled aside, receiving blessings and congratulations for their marriage. IF and Compa were sitting at a table nearby the dance floor, watching the guests enjoy themselves. Chika was blowing her nose as Mina patted her in the back, asking Kei for another box of tissues. Histoire was floating around, making sure that no one was in danger of hurting themselves. Rom and Ram were at the chocolate fountain, dipping their favorite snacks into the fountain and chomping down. Neptune was doing something similar, but she was across the desert table, chowing down on cookies, cakes, and other sweets, especially the Blanc Manju pudding that was specifically made for this event.
Meanwhile, Uni and Noire were sitting at the table reserved for CPUs. IF and Compa were seated there as well, but they had moved since they wanted to dance for a bit. Uni was staring at the mont blanc in front of her, playing with it with her fork. Worried, Noire moved her chair closer to Uni.
"Uni, are you alright?" Uni had changed her dress to modest grey one since her original one was being cleaned. The girl cut the desert in half before putting her fork down.
"Mm…" Sighing, Uni pushed her plate aside, folded her arms across her desk and placed her head on them. Not wanting to leave her sister, Noire placed rubbed Uni's back.
"Don't worry, Nepgear will be fine. He's just tired." Memoires of what happened before Nepgear went HDD resurfaced in Uni's mind, causing the girl to blush red and bury her head in her arms.
"Hey, Nowa~!" Eye twitching, Noire whipped her head around to glare at Neptune.
"Don't call me that!... Anyways, what do you want?" Noire continued to pat Uni on the back as Neptune watched.
"The dessert table is gonna be restocked! Come on, we gotta get some more delish sweeties!" Pausing to glance at Uni, Neptune grinned as she looked at the door that just opened from across the room. "Uni, guess what?" Uni lifted her head with an exhausted expression on her face.
"...What?" Following Neptune's gestures, Uni turned around to see Nepgear, not in HDD, walk unsteadily into the room. Looking around, the boy spotted the punch bowl from across the room and walked towards the refreshments as in a trance. "Nepgear…" Looking back, Uni whipped her head back and forth to see that Neptune and Noire were gone.
"Hey, let me go!" Uni could barely see her sister being dragged through the crowd and past Nepgear, who stopped to look at them before continuing his walk towards the punch bowl. Standing up, Uni picked up her empty cup and followed Nepgear to the punch bowl.
When Uni arrived, Nepgear had already filled his cup and was in the process of draining it. The girl was able to take note of Nepgear's outfit changes.
Since his suit was covered in ink, Nepgear exchanged the upper half of his outfit for a white dress shirt and a light purple vest, which strangely similar to a butler's vest. Fortunately, Nepgear now wore his pudding pin over his heart and his hair was loosely tied.
Once she waa done examining Nepgear's outfit, the boy had finished his cup and was dipping the ladle for another.
"Wanna fill mine up too?" Glancing to the side, Nepgear wearily smiled as Uni scratched her cheek and extended her arm.
"Uni…"
Nepgear revealed that he had awoken at the beginning of the party and he was too weak to move. So, Compa and Histoire brought Nepgear dinner, with Neptune barging in once in a while to check up on him and bring him dessert she didn't want.
Since they could barely hear each other over the roar of the party,Uni guided Nepgear to a quiet balcony. The balcony revealed the starry night sky and the full moon. Nepgear leaned against the railing, staring up at the moon.
"Uni?" The girl walked up to the railing and leaned her back against the railing, glancing at Nepgear's features. Illuminated by the moonlight, Nepgear reached for the glowing orb in the sky before looking at its reflection in his punch. Glancing at his friend, Nepgear flashed a weary smile. "Is you dress okay?" Uni raised an eyebrow.
"You're worried about that?" Shaking her head, Uni took a sip of out of her cup and stared at the rest of the scenery below them.
Underneath the beautiful night sky, whose stars sparkled brighter in the chilly land of Lowee, was a frozen lake. The lake glistened under the moonlight and the land around the lake was covered in beautiful ice blue flowers.
"Whoa… what are those…" Nepgear glanced at the scenery and nodded.
"Forsalis Flora, native to Lowee. They thrive off of the frozen climate and use the cold as energy to make light blue hue. They are also cool to the touch, but not frozen cold but they feel… like the air that you feel when opening a freezer." Uni blinked as she watched the icy blue flora bloom.
"They're beautiful… Hey, how did you know that?" Nepgear chuckled.
"I read about them once when I was in Lowee way back, but apparently they're super rare." Gesturing to the lakeside garden, Nepgear smiled. "It goes to show how much Lowee cares about its country, going as far as to hold onto so many of them." Uni bit her lip; she had to ask him now, or else she might never get to ask again.
"Speaking of caring…" Uni fiddled with the cup in her hand. "How did it feel to go HDD?" The girl tried her best not to remember the scene before Nepgear's transformation. However, her efforts were shown as her ears and cheeks blushed a deep red. Nepgear showed concern over Uni's face, then looked at the railing. There was snow.
"Well…" Uni turned away to help herself stop blushing, trembling in embarrassment. Nepgear, the ever living embodiment of caring, removed his vest and tip toed over to his companion.
"Huh?" Uni moved her hands off her face to find Nepgear's vest over her shoulders and his arms wrapped around her waist. "Wha…" Now her face blushed harder. "What are you…" Nepgear pressed his cheek against hers, the contrast of Nepgear's somewhat cold face and Uni's extremely warm face causing a strange sensation in Uni's heart. "What are you…"
"You looked cold." Smiling, Nepgear closed his eyes.
"He's so close!"
"I'm having trouble remembering it." Uni blinked her eyes, confused.
"Really?" Nepgear nodded as Uni's heart faltered.
"All I remember is seeing you lying on the ground, covered in that icky… ink. And feeling really angry." Nepgear pulled Uni closer, but the girl looked away, upset that the person who took her first kiss doesn't even remember it.
"...Angry?" Uni felt Nepgear's arms securing her in place.
"And I think I know why…" Nepgear turned Uni around, smiling.
"Wh-What is it?" The boy's smile grew bigger.
"It's because I love you, Uni." At that moment, everything around Uni stopped. Mind, heart, not literally, and body. Nepgear's words echoed in the girl's mind, her mouth slightly opened.
Nepgear tilted his head, slightly confused and worried at Uni's lack of response. Unfortunately, Nepgear has a weird perception of love, getting most of his experience on the subject from Neptune and Compa, usually from hugs and other fluffy kinds of affection. Unbeknownst to the Lastation Candidate, Nepgear had professed the love of their friendship.
"Uni?" The girl in question had lowered head and Nepgear leaned in, trying to get a closer look. Uni's head suddenly snapped up, colliding with Nepgear's and sending him stumbling onto the railing. "What the goo-" Nepgear turned around to see Uni's eyes shine a familiar rainbow light. "Aaaaaaaah!"
A pillar of light shot into the sky, piercing the clouds that happened to be nearby while Nepgear's scream followed suit.
Opening his eyes, Nepgear found himself in freefall… over the frozen lake. The sudden pillar of light had knocked him up high
"Uh… Oh! The Gear-Wing!." Nepgear reached for his d-pad hairclip only to find it was not on him. Surprised, Nepgear immediately contorted his body so that he was facing the Basilicom. Curling up, Nepgear stretched his arm forwards, only to find himself not moving at all.
"My boots!" Nepgear looked down to see his favorite pair of boots replaced by a pair of dress shoes. Beginning to panic, Nepgear remembered one critical trait.
"Oh right! I can go HDD now!" With his arm still outstretched, Nepgear closed his eyes. After a second, he opened them to find himself still falling in his normal form. "Oh… no…" Nepgear closed his eyes as he fell towards the frozen surface.
"Nepgear!" As the boy opened his eyes, Nepgear opened his eyes to see a figure approaching him from Lowee's Basilicom. The figure grabbed onto Nepgear and the two hurtled towards the garden of icy flowers. The impact knocked the wind out of Nepgear and sent in and out of subconsciousness. "He… o'r… ay?
"Ngh…" Negear could feel something similar to the air the comes out of an open freezer on his back. Dizzy, Nepgear could barely make out the night sky as the stars would swirl around a large yellow orb, as if hypnotizing him.
"...gear?" The boy felt a gentle hand on his cheeks, keeping his head from spinning in circles. "Hey…" Closing his eyes, Nepgear could feel another pressure around his stomach, as if someone was sitting on him.
"What…" Eventually, Nepgear's head stopped spinning. Once he was able to get his bearings, Nepgear open his eyes and saw a figure, covering his view of the moon.
"Ah, Nepgear." The figure had Uni's voice, but he couldn't see anything since the moon shaded her body. "You alright?" Nepgear nodded and attempted to sit, the figure shifting in order to let him do so.
"Yeah, thanks…" Nepgear widened his eyes. "...Uni?" The girl in front of him blinked her emerald eyes. Nepgear could clearly see her now. The girl who he knew was Uni was drastically different from what he always saw. Snow white hair that was tied into drill-like twintails, black body suit that looked similar to a CPU's and, once again, her mesmerising eyes.
"Wh-What?" Following Nepgear's gaze, Uni suddenly self-conscious and covered herself with her arms. "What are you looking at!?" Nepgear shook his head.
"Nothing…" Sighing in relief, Uni grabbed onto Nepgear's shoulders, pulling his face closer to hers.
"Nepgear…" Uni's eyes shifted from concerned to serious. "Did you mean it?" Blinking his eyes, Nepgear leaned backwards, intimidated, only for Uni to pull him back into place.
"Me-mean what?" Uni narrowed her eyes.
"Did you mean that you loved me!?" Nepgear sweatdropped as Uni's face flushed a bright red.
"I-I did!" Uni's mouth slowly curved into a smile, wrapping her arms around Nepgear's neck. Flustered and confused, Nepgear's eyes became swirls. "After all, you're my best friends!" Uni froze.
"Huh." Uni pulled away from Nepgear, her eyes becoming dull and shocked. "What." Nepgear held his arms in a fashion similar to "I give up."
"You are! You mean so much to me, of course I'd love you." Uni took a deep breath, as she did so, she flashed a bright light and returned to her normal form, and sighed. Leaning her head on Nepgear's shoulder, Uni hugged Nepgear again.
"Geez… don't say it like that then…" The two sat there, the icey flowers swaying from a small breeze. Uni pressed her lips together and tightened her grip on Nepgear's shoulders. "Hey Nepgear."
"Yea- Whoa!" Uni pushed Nepgear onto the ground so that she was over the boy. Uni pushed herself up a bit so that her face hovered over Nepgear. "Uni, what are you…" Uni's face revealed her seriousness, alongside a faded blush.
"Nepgear… I'm going to say this once." Uni looked up to the flowers in front of her, two of them leaning on top of each other, their light blue hues synchronized. Nodding, Uni's unwavering ruby red eyes stared directly into Nepgear's shaking purple amethyst eyes. "I love you." Unable to bear his gaze, Uni dropped her head onto Nepgear's chest, listening to his heartbeat. "From your smile… your constant concern… even your bashfulness… I love it all."
"U-"
"I'm not done yet." Nepgear piped down as Uni blanketed Nepgear's vest over them. "I don't mean the love that you meant, not as friends. I love you as a person, as a man, as… you."
"But… I thought that I was your rival?" Uni chuckled to herself.
"I did too, but… every time I tried to thinks so, I would regret it." Uni raised her head, cupping Nepgear's face with her hand. "This is my resolve and nothing will change it."
"Uni…" Before he could say anything, Uni rolled off of Nepgear, her arms forcing Nepgear to stare at her face.
"I don't need an answer, not yet." Uni glanced away. "Because my heart isn't ready yet…" Smiling, Uni played with Nepgear's ponytail. "Let's just stay like this for now…"
Eyes wide, Nepgear couldn't muster the courage to say anything, opting to nodding his head and lying there.
"So that's where they went…" Nepgear's d-pad in her hands, Purple Heart stood on the balcony that Nepgear and Uni were before, watching the two lie in Blanc's Frozen Flower Garden. Black Heart stood next to her, pride in her eyes.
"Uni finally gained HDD…" Purple Heart pointed at the two Candidates lying across from them.
"Is that all you're noticing?" Black Heart shrugged her shoulders.
"Who Uni loves is not my business." Smirking at the hard-eyed Purple Heart, Black Heart turned away and headed towards the balcony entrance. "You should too, after all Nepgear isn't gonna be by himself forever."
"Hm…" Black Heart stopped walking as White Heart and Green Heart appeared at the balcony.
"Blanc, Vert." Hand in hand, the two brides walked over to Purple Heart. Letting go of her lover, White Heart walked up to her closest friend.
"Hey." Purple Heart glanced at White Heart for a second. "Don't be upset, Nepgear's a growing boy." Patting her on the back, White Heart smiled. "Vert and I are going on our honeymoon, and Mina's going to a forced vacation. Can I ask you to watch over Rom and Ram for me?" Purple Heart nodded, a small smile on her face.
"You don't mind that I teach them new pranks?" White Heart sighed.
"Just don't make them outrageous ones." White Heart held out a fist and Purple Heart bumped hers against the other CPU's.
"No promises." Meanwhile, Green Heart was swaying back and forth, humming a tune that came from a song that Blanc from sometime ago.
"Vert, you seem excited." Green Heart bounced on her feet, her assets following as well.
"Of course~. On this honeymoon, Blanc and I have come to a conclusion." Black Heart raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? And what would that be?" A small blush formed on Green Heart's face.
"We're going to prepare ourselves to have a child~!" Stuttering, Black Heart backed away as literal hearts formed around the CPU. Meanwhile, White Heart sighed, embarrassed at her wife's antics.
"...Vert wants me to have the child." Purple Heart chuckled and patted White Heart on the back.
"Good luck with that."
"Yeah…"
