Nep A Live
Bonus Chapter: Collectible Calling
Neptune: Hey there folks! Neptune here to let you all know this is a nice bonus chapter to keep everyone entertained while the author works on other things. This chapter took less time to write than it takes a youtube video to buffer so judge accordingly. As always leave a sweet, sweet review; those things are like crack to amateur authors like Blanc. Today's bonus chapter is brought to you by the letter R for References!
After things had died down in Nepgear's Lab everyone had gone their own ways for the afternoon including Blanc who had volunteered to take Yoshino back home to the Lowee Basilicom so she could stay in Rom and Ram's room.
While everyone was off doing their own thing the ever busy Historie had taken up a rather interesting task in an effort to help locate the twins.
"I see...Thank you anyway for your time, I know you must be very busy with your student"
"It's no problem Histy, Goku can handle his own battles now"
"Are you sure? I thought he was dead...again"
"Well you know how that song and dance goes around here!"
"So it would always seem, regardless I bid you farewell and your student luck with his battles"
"Always a pleasure to hear from you Histoire and I hope you find the twins you're looking for!"
With a polite bow Histoire hung up the magical phone she had been on and crossed off another name from the list she was keeping on the desk.
"KK didn't see them either…"
Currently both she and her past self were coordinating to use their cross-dimensional communication powers to reach out to a number of contacts they had among beings of great power from other worlds. The working theory was that the twins ended up in Yoshino's world but until the device could be repaired the two oracles decided to double check elsewhere in light of any concrete proof of where they were.
It was slow work mostly meant to keep them feeling like they were actually helping but at the very least it gave Histoire a chance to socialize with those who knew her blight on certain levels.
'Speaking of which...' thought Histoire as she opened up her book of numbers and dialed the number marked "Big E"
Within a second the room was filled with a booming male voice full of power and authority.
"Who has contacted me?!"
"Oh! Sorry! Did I get you at a bad time?"
"That voice...Histoire?"
"Um, yes! Sorry it's been awhile since I last called. Things been rough around here"
"Think nothing of it"
"I'm glad. So how are things with you?"
"The usual"
"So same old same old?"
"If by that you mean sitting on this golden throne watching everything I've built be twisted by an ideology that represents everything I once despised while continually imagining the day I can rise up and kick the collective inquisition so had in the balls their souls are cast into the deeper reaches of the warp, then yes"
"You really don't like the inquisition do you?"
"I've been spending the last four months trying to send the leader of the inquisitions' personal transport flying off course into a sun"
"That's a bit extreme I suppose but I can understand that you would want to pursue those who mean ill will towards your empire"
"It's not even ill will! I'd love it if the degradation of the Imperium was the result of some grand conspiracy but truthfully it's all sheer incompetence!"
"Ah yes...I forgot about the quality of your "followers""
"Do you have any idea what it's like to watch someone who has no idea what they're doing try to rule?!"
"Ugh...More than you can know…"
"Want to share stories of how much we hate our faithful fools?"
"Another time, I'm calling on a different matter. Could you check to see if two small twin Goddesses with brown hair and ice magic have appeared in that world? They fell out of ours a few hours ago and we seek to find them before any harm befalls them"
"I will personally check across the entire infinite cosmos and the deepest realms of the unknowable warp for you...ok done"
"Anything?"
"Well there's a Slaaneshi pleasure cult worshiping two twin demonettes on Kaurva IV but both those were blondes, besides that nothing"
"I appreciate the effort"
"It was no matter. Please call upon me anytime."
"That sounds good. I'll call about more casual things another time"
"Ok...Back to what I was doing, attempt #462514 to teach the Inquisition the true meaning of holy flames…"
The line cut off as Histoire marked off another name on the list "Another world and still no luck. I'm debating if this is worth the effort"
"Anything on your end or are we just wasting time?" she asked to a video monitor showing her younger self from Plutia's world who still had a phone to her ear"
"Nothing I'm afraid...oh! Give me a sec! Just need to finish up this call! I found a bit of a chatter box over here! (._.)
"And then my student and her friends found the three of friendship..."
"Oh! I'm sorry princess but I really need to go now! There's others I need to call before I get off of work. (~_~;)"
"Pardon my rudeness! I forgot you had a duty to complete! It was just so much fun speaking to a new friend and entity of great power who wasn't my sister"
"WHO DOTH MENTION THE PRINCESS OF THE NIGHT WHILE ON THY MAGICAL TELEPHONE!?"
"Sister! Inside voice!"
"THIS IS MY INSIDE VOICE!"
"Ugh, pardon me I have to go explain to my sister about the royal Canterlot voice again. Goodbye!"
Histoire watched her younger self put down the phone and sigh in relief "Thank goodness! I talked to so many freaks I think I need to take a bath! (o_o)"
"I know the feeling but it was worth the effort"
"I thought we didn't do anything? (o_0)"
"Yes, but we can explain to Plutia and Neptune we were too busy doing this to deal with any paperwork they had for us today"
"I like it! (n_n)"
"You mentioned little ole me Histy?" sang Neptune from behind Histoire
"Neptune! When did you get here? How much did you hear?!"
"Just my name, what are you two up to anyway?"
"Whew! It's nothing...We were just attempting to find the twins by contacting other worlds"
"You can call worlds other than Plutia's?" asked Neptune with her head titled to the side in thought "Can I try?!" she asked with a joyful bounce
Histoire was worried that talking to Neptune would mean getting back to what she had been explaining to her other self so she decided to go along with the request and offered her the phone.
"Ok you put in the numbers here and when someone picks up you talk to them"
"I've worked a phone before Histy…"
"Anyway over there is a viewing screen if you wish to see the one on the other line"
"Here we go!" Neptune cheerily dialed in random numbers and symbols until the line started ringing
Ring! Ring! Ring!
"Gosh I hope they're not at dinner or something. I'd hate to feel like a telemarketer" worried Neptune
On the screen appeared the image of a girl in a red hooded outfit sitting in a dorm room; in her hands was a small dog she was playing with on the bottom of what looked like a jury rigged bunk bed held up with tape. Noticing the sound of her phone she picked glanced at the screen with confusion before picking up "Um hello?"
"Oh hi there! Who am I speaking to?"
"Name's Ruby, who is this? I don't recognize the number"
"Hi Ruby my name is Neptune I'm here to ask you a few short questions today!"
"Agh! Not again with you people! I told you before I don't care about how my bank tellers talk to me! Well I suppose that's not entirely true...I would get mad if there were super rude and spat on my shirt or something but that's not the point! I'm not taking anymore of your stupid surveys!"
"That's not what I'm calling about…"
"Oh…" this Ruby girl sounded embarrassed about going off like that "So then...is this a religious or political thing? Like a cult recruitment or something? Are you going to try and get me to donate to the White Fang?"
"I have no idea who that is and no, I'm calling to ask if you've seen any crossovery cross-dimensional rift things or a pair of cute twin girls with brown hair and a butt load of ice magic?"
"No recently sorry"
"Oh too bad; thanks anyway and by the way cute dog!"
Neptune could see Ruby's face turn white "You can see me...?"
"Oh yeah! You have a cool red hood on, a sweet combat skirt, and is that a shotgun scythe in the corner there?"
"Sniper, I mean…! How can you see me?! Are you a stalker?!"
On the screen the girl began to tear apart her room looking for hidden people or cameras only to find nothing but air.
"Well you see I'm calling from another world…"
"Another world?! You mean like…a GHOST!"
"Zoinks! I'm a ghost?!"
"YANG THERE'S A GHOST CALLING ME! WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" The line and image went dead as the girl blindly leapt from her window in a frenzied panic.
Both Oracle and CPU stared at the black screen for a good minute afterward before Histoire spoke up
"That really could have gone better…"