My good buddy Zenotyne seems to have decided to try his hand at writing and for Neptunia no less. MY POWER IS GROWING! *Coughs into his hand* Ahem, right. I'll be the good friend that I am and plug his story shamelessly.
Go take a look at Hyperdimension Neptunia: Data Breaker and make him feel welcome folks.
I've also be made a few revisions and edits here and there to earlier chapters. Add a few things and all that while fixing screw ups, a list will be at the bottom.
Onto the reviews as always.
Cobaltroid: It was indeed a Blazblue reference, for those who don't get it simply look for "Help me! Professor Kokonoe!" or "Teach me! Miss Litchi!" and you'll get it. And yep, Axel is indeed a glass cannon front-line fighter, high risk for high reward (like Krieg from Borderlands 2) and has rank E luck. You can blame the Carnival Phantasm episodes for that.
Jeitron: Much appreciated, I wasn't happy with it myself but glad the laughs were good.
Lone Soul: From the top of my head I can't see two characters being a part of the harem, so no, not all of them will be involved. We'll see if it expands to more than just them.
Blackfire: Omakes are made for insanity, and not a bit of it is canon to the story so I can get away with such crack.
TB14k2: Honestly I feel my fic doesn't even compare to that one, especially with how short my chapters are but many thanks. I'll do my best to make it up to snuff.
]l[
"So have you always had this sort of luck...?" IF asks. We've been walking along for what's felt like an hour now so I can't complain about some small talk. Unable to help myself I snort, shaking my head. As if I've ever had any sort of luck when it comes to the fairer sex.
"Honestly...? No, I was a quiet kid when I was little. Barely talked to anyone, even my folks, much less any girls." I shrug, having grown used to carrying Compa by this point. "Not because I had a bad family life or anything, though, I was just the type to keep to myself. Especially when my parents would be recognized when we went anywhere." I close my eyes, smiling faintly to myself as I listen to the steady rhythm of Compa's heart. "A few times of that and I took to staying home when they'd want to go off on their own. Wasn't at least until I was five or six that I made my first friend… if that devil of a woman could be called that anyway." I grumble the last part quietly.
IF tilts her head in clear interest, crossing her arms as she keeps step with while Neptune skips around the group "Scarlet I'm guessing? That bad?"
"You don't know the half of it… at least back then she was well… sane… kind of." I sigh, the memory already coming back to me. "Well… "
]l[
"We're really sorry about this, I hate to just spring this on you out of the blue."
A young boy stood with his parents behind him, paying no mind to the pouring rain outside the home. He was dressed in a black t-shirt and some jeans, his tennis shoes already off and against the wall. While he didn't like the situation, he knew better than to argue. He kept his hands tucked into the pockets of the black hoodie he wore while he looked around the place he'd be staying at silently.
"It should only be for a couple of days, this really came out of nowhere for us."
Honestly, he didn't know what it was this time, just that they'd be going off to one of the other landmasses for a few days, and with the weather being nothing but rain and thunderstorms, they were suddenly against him being alone like they usually were. So there they were in the neighbor's house, where he'd be stuck until they returned. The other couple seemed nice enough at least, though he'd still rather be in his room.
"Oh, it's no trouble at all, really. I think it'd be nice for our little girl to have a playmate!"
Axel doubted that... what few times he had been around other kids had never gone well. No matter how often, the same always happened; they'd get bored with his quiet nature and leave him to do his own thing. It wasn't a fact that particularly bothered the boy, but his parents wouldn't leave him be about making friends. A gentle grip on his shoulder broke him from his thoughts and he glanced up to his mother's smiling face.
"I know you don't like this..." She knelt, pushing his hood down and running her hand gently through his hair. "But we just want to be sure you're safe if anything happens. Okay?" She leaned over, kissing his forehead before hugging her to him. The boy could only sigh faintly and close his eyes while returning the embrace; there wasn't any use arguing with his mother, after all. "You have plenty of things packed until we come back, and if we need to we can call here and talk to you." She pulled away, adjusting his glasses for him while he only blinked up at her.
"Please be a good boy for us, okay? Promise me."
Tucking his hands back into the pockets of his hoodie he only nodded his head. "'Kay..." He spoke quietly, only to glare as his father ruffled his hair roughly with a grin.
"Better be on your best behavior now, kiddo." Axel could only grunt in response before hopelessly swiping at the air trying to drive his father's hands away. The man, not at all bothered by this, wrapped an arm around his waist and hoisted the little boy up. "Be a good boy, and I just may have a gift for you when we come back. Deal?" Axel glared for a moment before rolling his eyes and nodding. "Good, we've got a deal then!" With that, he set the boy back on the ground who only grunted.
The other woman in the room only giggled at the sight and nodded to him. "You can go ahead and go upstairs, you'll be sharing the room with our daughter." Nodding to her, the little boy made his way towards the stairs before sparing a glance back towards his parents. Both of them were smiling and waving goodbye, to which he blinked once before turning and making his way up.
"He seems very polite for his age."
"He's a quiet boy, there shouldn't be any problems, though."
"We really do appreciate this, and who knows, he just might make a friend. If there's anything you need to know, call us anytime."
Opening the door, he was met with what he had expected; pink, and lots of it. There were a few consoles and games scattered around in front of a TV, some of which he knew and some he didn't. And of course, sitting in the middle of the bed in the room was a young girl glaring at him with her arms crossed. By her expression, she was about as happy about this as he was, less so if he had to guess.
She looked about the same age as he did, give or take a few years, wearing pink pajamas with her dark red hair worn in pigtails and violet colored eyes. The girl meanwhile snorted in distaste while looking him over before pointing at him. "Listen here, you! This is MY room, in here you gotta follow all my rules! Got it?" Her parents hadn't asked her if some random boy could stay here after all… and in her room no less! This was her territory and she'd make sure he'd know it.
"First off, the bed is mine, you sleep on the floor!" She blinked as the boy merely shrugged before grabbing the nearby blanket that had been brought up for him and spreading it across the floor and setting a pillow on top of it. With that and the second blanket, he now had a makeshift bed for himself. Sitting down he waited for the loud girl to continue. "R-right. I'm Scarlet, who're you?"
Her eye twitched as the boy only continued to stare at her, shrugging again. Was he refusing to answer? Unacceptable! Growling, she grabbed a pillow off her bed and chucked it at his head, sending him flopping backward."I asked you what your name was!" Boys were annoying, to begin with, this one just seemed to be especially so. "It's rude not to answer a lady's question, so what's your name already."
"... Alex..." The boy mumbled as he sat up, adjusting his glasses. This was going to be a long night, maybe he could sleep downstairs instead… that seemed safer.
"Hmph, took you long enough. Right, second rule. You can only play the games I let you play, and we watch whatever I want on the TV." She held another pillow, ready to fire again if he dared to argue.
Alex meanwhile only shrugged again. "'Kay." That managed to surprise her and she blinked a few times.
"Huh?"
"It's your room, it'd be rude to go against your rules." The boy nodded, only to tilt his head as she stared at him bewildered.
"You're kinda weird… but at least you know to do what I say. I can't think of anything else, besides no touching me… I don't want your gross germs."
From there, the hours and days passed relatively quickly… some way or another he'd manage to agitate her every now and then, she'd yell, pillows would be thrown… or she'd try and strangle him. When her parents would enter, she'd put on the act of them getting along perfectly and how she was some sweet angel that could do no wrong. All in all, it was chaotic, but it wasn't as terrible as he expected. If not for the moments she'd turn violent and start hitting him, shaking him like a rag doll, or yelling at him when he'd say something he apparently shouldn't have while they were playing, they were getting along okay… kind of, anyway.
By the fourth night, they seemed used to each other, but the storm hadn't ceased, if anything it seemed to be at its worst tonight… the thunder and lightning were constant, but it didn't bother him much. Scarlet meanwhile was tossing and turning every now and then, jerking up when the storm would be particularly loud. Looking over to the boy, she grumbled to herself before slipping from the bed before inching over; this wasn't because the noise was scaring her, she just didn't want to risk stepping on him if the lights went out.
Another crash of thunder caused a small 'Eep' out of her and out of reflex she latched onto his back, Alex meanwhile went rigid and began to squirm. If it was one thing she had found out, and was using to get some good reactions out of him, it was that he couldn't deal with being touched… when his face would flare with a blush, she couldn't help but grin and do what she could to make it worse until the boy was throwing pillows at her or scrambling and flailing just to get away. Tightening her grip a little, she whispered darkly while easing herself under the blanket he had.
"Q-quit moving! I'm trying to get comfy here." Once she was safely under the blanket and securely latched onto the boy she sighed, burying her face into his back. "I-I'm only doing this so you don't freak out in the middle of the night, okay?"
"You're afraid of thunder..." Was his deadpan reply, which quickly turned into a pained grunt as she pinched his side in retaliation.
"Shut up! Just be quiet and sleep!" She nearly shouted before another flash made her tighten her grip on him temporarily. Instead of yell and deny it any further, she only nuzzled into her new pillow and whispered darkly. "Tell anyone about this and I'll kick your butt, no matter where you try to hide in Gamindustri… got it? I swear by Lady Black Heart herself I'll find you and make you regret it."
As much as he wanted to argue with her, four days with this girl had taught him she'd carry out that promise. With a sigh of resignation at his fate, he settled for nodding slowly. "Troublesome girl..."
"Stupid dumb boy..."
At least in the darkness, neither one could see the blush the other was sporting… or there may have been some fighting and him being throttled that night.
A day later, he was standing at the doorway of the home with his parents behind him, Scarlet's parents smiling as they talked about how well behaved he had been, how there was no trouble, and how he got along very well with their daughter. He'd have brought up a few things, but with the vicious demon herself not even three steps away from him, he didn't risk it… even if his parents might have been able to save him.
"We'll have to make play-dates for these two more often! You didn't pick her for your first friend just because you think she's cute, did'ja Alex?" His father grinned, making him bristle before he focused as lethal a glare as he could up at him. Scarlet at least had the decency to blink before schooling her expression; she couldn't shake the urge to kick the older man in the shin, even if she may get grounded for it.
His mother only laughed softly while patting his head. "Say goodbye now, it's time we go back home." Alex could only sigh before turning, only to find Scarlet in his personal space and shooting a glare at him as she poked his chest a few times.
"You're MY friend now, so I'm gonna give you a nickname because that's what friends do. For now on, I'm calling you… Axel!" She grinned to herself as the boy just rolled his eyes. While not much of a talker, she had figured enough about him to know that was his way of saying 'Fine' or 'Whatever'.
"...I'll call you Tsun-Tsun then." He couldn't help but smirk, the first of anything close to a smile since he had arrived… and it was at her reaction.
And with that, a strange friendship was formed… and sealed with Axel getting a fist to the face. While it was obviously painful… it was so very worth it after what she had put him through during his stay.
]l[
Of the three, IF at least gives me a look of utter sympathy, shaking her head while letting out a small whistle. "So that's where the name came from… I almost pity you just a tiny bit. I won't even ask how she can be worse now" She gives me a light pat on the shoulder, Compa meanwhile grips me a bit tighter.
"Axel… Scarlet's just your friend… right? Not your… girlfriend or anything?"
Compa's question stops me in my tracks, a chill shooting down my spine at the very thought of such a nightmarish thing. In an instant, every memory I have of her laughing at my own misfortune or embarrassment flashes through my mind… with both being her doing more than half of the time. My eye twitches, I can almost hear that maddening giggle she'd have when she'd manage to annoy me… or how she'd cackle when she'd manage to fluster me. I turn my head in an almost mechanical manner to look at Compa, my eyes reflecting nothing short of absolute horror at even the slightest implication of such a thing.
"Not. A. Chance." I say slowly before exhaling and forcing my legs to keep moving forward. "That woman is a demon, a soul-stealing, sanity breaking creature of HELL itself who deeply enjoys my own suffering… probably feeds off it, bottles it up and drinks it to stay eternally youthful or something..." Oh yes, I could see it now… her ordering me around in some goddess-forsaken butler outfit and laughing in glee all the while, saying I had no choice in the matter as my pride and sanity slip away from me. Shaking my head, I rid myself of that train of thought before it can get any worse.
"Besides… she's only into other women..."
"And yet she seems to delight in making you miserable..."
"My luck is terrible Iffy, pure and simple."
"Uh huh… and don't call me Iffy."
Compa only sighs to herself in what oddly seems like relief before nuzzling into my back further. "Good… she sounds scary..."
Neptune, who had been content to be quiet and listen until now sighs in a similar manner. "Good! Competition with the childhood friend wouldn't be fair at all for us, Axxy!" The mini-goddess nods to herself, crossing her arms. "Still, we'll have to be vigilant so this evil lady can't try to sink her claws into you!" As if to make her declaration official Neptune draws her blade, pointing it at the roof of the cave while making a heroic pose. "I swear on Gamindustri I will not allow the dastardly Scarlet to tarnish our beloved Axxy's innocence!"
I can only stare at her as she said such an outrageous thing, blinking repeatedly. And did I catch Compa nodding from the corner of my eye? No, no, I'm just seeing things from being in this place too long, that's all. I open my mouth only to clamp it shut and shake my head. "Y'know… I'm not touching that one, Neppy." Despite just how much is wrong with that sentence, I know to pick my battles… not to mention I'm pretty sure Neptune's mind exists on a plane of thought we mere mortals could never hope to comprehend.
"Looks like we've finally reached the end of the cave… and not a moment too soon." IF replies, just as lost on how to react to Neptune being Neptune as I am from the sounds of it. "We could use your help Compa, if you're done enjoying your horsey ride, anyway."
Compa blinks while fighting back a small blush. "A-ah, sorry! My legs are all better now, so I should be fine now!" With that, I kneel, letting go of her legs as she gets herself to her feet. IF only gives her a knowing smirk while Neptune mumbles to herself about getting the next turn.
"So that's a sand worm, huh...? Certainly ugly enough..." I mumble, rotating my arm to get rid of any stiffness. It's a grotesque-looking thing, spikes protruding from the outside of its mouth and countless teeth just as sharp on the inside, a sickly brown body with fins on the sides, and judging from how it's twisting its maw around, it's aware it has guests but hasn't been able to pinpoint where we are just yet. "The hell does it have fins for anyway? Any tips IF?"
IF, glancing to the three of us, crosses her arms while leaning against the wall behind her. "Sand Worms have very durable skin, but with the weapons you, Nep, and I have, that shouldn't be much of a problem, so that's good. Defense aside, its spit is acidic, so you really don't want it touching you, not to mention its mouth has a pretty mean bite to it. If you're not one for speed, you're better off not risking close range combat."
"Hm… tricky, but the three of us handled a Guard Vermin… this shouldn't be as bad now that we have some more experience under our belts."
"Wait, you three took down a Guard Vermin? That seems like a bit of a tall order for these two." IF eyes Compa and Neptune skeptically before looking to me for an explanation.
"Entered a lowbie dungeon, something important was hidden there… and the thing was left to guard it. I can explain later, but to sum that up? Neptune and Compa handled themselves pretty well I'd say for that being their first boss fight." While the two had winced at less than pleasant memories, I smile as their moods brighten a little at my compliment. "I didn't even get the killing blow, was Neppy over there." I can't help but smirk at IF's look of utter disbelief as she stares at Neptune as if she's grown a second head… which admittedly would probably be disturbing, especially if they had the same personality...
Oh, goddess, stopping that thought right there before it gets stuck... burning the thought, stomping on it, putting it through a shredder and blowing up the shredder. I shake my head a few times and breathe a sigh of relief.
"She defeated a Guard Vermin..." IF mutters dryly, pointing at Neptune. "This little girl who slammed into me like a cable car then called me a bum actually managed to take down a Guard Vermin..."
Neptune, not phased by her sarcasm only grins as she strikes a pose. "I'm the badass heroine of this story Iffy, I can do anything!" She twirls, making me duck as her curved blade comes just a bit too close to comfort to chopping into me. This of course only makes IF roll her eyes while looking at me.
"Sure you aren't just being modest?"
"Not a bit, she beheaded the thing… the only way she could have pulled it off better is if she did a power slide and yelled 'DECAPITATION!' after she did it." I laugh a bit to myself, imagining the sight. Neptune meanwhile seemed to like the idea, judging by how her eyes are sparkling.
"I'm gonna try that next time I lop something's head off! Sounds totes fun, Axxy!"
The fact this girl is cheerfully talking about such a thing isn't lost on me, I can't help but grin as I reach out and ruffle her hair. "Well, I'll be sure to give you some pointers on how to do it right when you get the opportunity. After all, the power slide is the single most powerful stage move in any rocker's arsenal." I can appreciate how much she likes fighting, may as well stoke the flames a bit and pump her up for what's coming.
Compa's giggling as she's caught onto what I'm doing, smiling to herself while IF is rolling her eyes, though I do spot a tiny smile on her face as well. Neptune, meanwhile, is eating it up like candy. She looks up at me, her eyes sparkling with hope as she all but bounces on her feet, not minding my hand trying to keep her from shooting into orbit. "AWESOME! I'll be an awesome guitarist just like you in no time! When's the next round of our hot, super secret training Axxy!"
The three of us laugh a bit at her statement, only to freeze as the last of her words sinks into our brains, or rather Compa is staring at me in a way that makes my blood run cold and IF is looking at me in clear disappointment. Neptune has not only destroyed the lighthearted camaraderie in the air, she's smashed it with a hammer and has the other two thinking who knows what about me now.
I should have guessed fate would have turned on me once again after it was done making IF look like the culprit. Ignoring Neptune and focusing on the more dangerous threat in the room, which happens to not be the acid spitting worm nearby, I do my best to keep my face straight under the frightful intensity of their gazes. "Neptune and I sparred, she's just saying it in a Neptune way."
I almost want to rejoice to Celestia when their expressions soften and they seem to accept my explanation maybe my luck is finally turning around after all!
"Yeppers! Axxy and I trained, we made a deal that the winner could have whatever they wanted so when I had him on the ground and in the palm of my hand I took my prize!" Neptune chimes in cheerfully, blushing faintly as she recalls the memory. I meanwhile can't help but feel the temperature lower, drastically.
Goddess. Dammit.
I want to die, I really do. If swords from the sky suddenly skewered me, I would die a happy man with no regrets. Hell, if a hole suddenly formed under me and I plummeted to a very messy end, even THAT would be better than enduring what I am now. Maybe the sand worm will take pity on me and devour me while they are distracted...
Compa's blushing so brightly she's making the crystals in here seem almost like night lights in comparison, and the only thing she seems capable of managing is to cover her mouth in shock as she stares at Neptune and I wide eyed.
"H-how could you do that to Nep-Nep, Axel!"
Once again her mind has drifted to places I dare not imagine, Neptune's damned me enough as it is.
IF only has the faintest of blushes, but she's leveling me with quite the scowl. "I misjudged you, to think you talked a little girl into doing that sort of thing..." With a flick of her wrist, her katara are out.
Yep, I'm gonna die now. It was a nice life while it lasted… I just hope they don't write sleazy pervert on my tombstone.
Unaware of the tension in the air, Neptune beams, wrapping her arms around my waist and pressing her cheek against my side. "Nope! Axxy didn't have to talk me into anything, couldn't help myself when he was looking so helpless after I kicked his butt without trying, I just had to give him a smooch on the cheek when he looked so embarrassed and defeated! He was just too cute not to!"
And just like that, the killing intent that had been directed towards me fades in an instant. I'm so grateful, I don't even mind how under normal circumstances Neptune would have stabbed majorly at my pride. Both IF and Compa tilt their heads in confusion before IF facepalms and Compa sighs as she calms herself.
I have, within the span of a few minutes, almost been put through a very graphic and painfully bad end, only to be saved by the one who nearly got me killed.
"Right..." I cough into my hand, ignoring Neptune, Compa, and IF as I stare at the worm which somehow didn't notice the insanity going on near it. "Does it have a weakness? I very much want to kill this thing, be done with this place, and go back to Compa's and bang my head against a wall, repeatedly."
IF thankfully recovers from her exposure to a Neptune moment quickly enough, glancing anywhere but at me. "It's pretty weak to fire… we shoot it enough times with fire bullets, it should go down without too much hassle."
"Right, Neptune and I will fight up close while you and Compa kill it with fire." I manage to say quite cheerfully, already having decided I'm going to vent my exasperation onto this thing… which at this point, could probably blow up half of Gamindustri.
"Sounds like a good enough plan, I hope you and Nep know what you're doing."
"Be careful Axel… I don't want to see you hurt like last time..." Compa speaks quietly. Despite the insanity I just had to endure, I flash her a small smile.
"I promise not to do anything stupidly heroic… and just to make things easier...Neppy? Go HDD. I want this giant piece of fishing bait THRASHED." I grip my guitar tighter, while the other three prepare themselves accordingly.
]l[
BONUS SCENE ACTIVATED
"An Ill Omen?"
Elsewhere, a certain woman in Leanbox couldn't help but glare off into the distance. Her day had been going quite well, then again it always did when you lived in a luxurious manor with maids to attend to your every whim. Despite the serenity of the atmosphere, Scarlet felt… bugged. Yes, that was the proper word for it, something just seemed to annoy her out of the blue. It was an odd feeling, she couldn't help but feel someone was speaking about her a good deal… and most certainly not in a positive way.
So caught off guard by this sudden feeling of agitation she had even dropped her cup of tea and nearly made a mess of herself as well as the floor. Now if anyone knew the grace with which Scarlet kept herself, they'd find it remarkably out of character for her to drift off in such a way… the maids themselves were watching her oddly, but she paid them no mind. It wasn't just one person speaking ill of her, no it was more than one, of that she distinctly was sure of.
By chance, her mind drifted to a certain bassist and her eyes narrowed. Was Axel running off his mouth and ranting about her to Zenotyne again? It wasn't the first time he had played the victim and made her seem like some demon just because she liked teasing him. The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't help but feel somehow know Axel was indeed the culprit.
"Lady Scarlet? Are you alright?"
"...I'll be in the training room, run simulation twenty-five please." She replied in a sickeningly sweet manner, already gripping her weapon as she made her way out of the room. While it was only a digital doppelganger of who she wished she'd be setting on fire right now, it'd let her work the agitation out of her system.
'At least until the real one decides to pop by...'
She couldn't help but smile at the thought, laughter echoed throughout the building, chilling all who heard it to their cores as she ran through dozens of different ways to remind Axel it's not nice to talk behind your friend's back. "Perhaps a whip...? Or maybe my snake sword...I could just throw magic at him and watch him scurry like a frightened animal..." So many choices, she could simply use them all instead of just picking one...
And done! I may make the omakes/bonus scenes a thing every chapter depending on how you guys feel about them. I certainly enjoy doing them as you can see.
I was also not coerced into giving Scarlet a bit of attention...not at all. The woman who inspired her most certainly did not bombard my phone and FB telling me to have this happen. Nope. Not. At All. *Holds up a sign that says "HELP ME" before running off to safety.*
See you all next chapter!
