I woke up, and it was morning. Well it was early morning, anyway. I sat there for a few minutes, remembering yesterday...that kiss made up for all the craziness that's happened to me since I got to this crazy world. The only downside to the bliss I was feeling was the knowledge that Miraak was doing some evil here. I sighed; Miraak, Alduin, Hermaeus Mora. I never thought they'd be real for one, or that they'd even want me dead. But I had friends...Neptune was one I think. Noire definitely likes me as a friend. Nepgear was the one who signed up for my friendship, and is my future sister to boot. The twins...want to see Aurora I suppose; maybe they think of me as a friend. Uni is Uni. And Blanc...
"Ahhhh!" I heard a scream from somewhere close by, sounded like Financier. That was when I felt a little heavier.
"Stop screamin..." I heard that real close like. I peered down my chest, and there was a woman in my bed. It looked like Blanc, yes Blanc is in my bed...Wait a minute!
I shot up so fast, that she cried in surprise, and the shifting weight was enough to drag me out of bed.
"Ummmph" I said as I landed on top of her, and that was when my door burst open.
"Lady Blanc's gone! She's gone-" Financier looked at me for a second, and saw Blanc right underneath me, both of us were on the floor. I just stared right at her, and she stared at me back...surprise first...then the anger creeps in and...wait for it...
"You pervert! You little lust addled, pig brained, pervert" Financier went closer to me, as she attempted to yank me up.
"As if kissing the Lady of Lowee wasn't enough, you want her virtue too! I should call the guards-" she tried picking me up, but Blanc grabbed my shirt ( I was too tired to get out of my clothes, that are apparently magical enough to not need washing, except that time when I was covered in slime. Honestly my CPU body didn't need a shower ever, some magic perk I suppose, and I only washed myself once since getting here).
"Get up now!" Financier exclaimed. And Financier and Blanc both started a tug of war match with me in the middle (Financier thinking that I was defying her still) until my clothes started tearing.
"That's enough Miss Chamberlain" Blanc said definitively.
"But my Lady-"
"No buts. You can leave now, I am quite awake" Blanc pushed me up gently and got up herself. I noticed that she had only a night gown on, and quickly averted my eyes.
"Yes ma'am" Financier hurried out, almost in tears. I felt sorry for her.
"I am sorry about that, but I wanted to tease her a bit before she left" Blanc looked at me, and I looked back.
"Yes well now she thinks worse of me, and for whatever reason I don't want her on my bad side" I looked uncomfortable, partly because I wanted to stare, and partly because I didn't want to get Blanc mad.
"She'll get over it, you don't worry about that. Now I will say good morning" and she smiled at me "Then I'll go and change for breakfast. Honestly, if you try not to stare at me any longer, you just might turn into a radish"
I felt really guilty, but she did come and sleep on top of me...I blinked and she had already left. I suppose she was embarrassed as well. I went to see about fixing my shirt and smelled her on me...and I don't know if that's perverted or not, but I liked it. I decided it didn't matter, as it was a small rip, and I wanted to get out of the room (mostly because I wanted to keep the...never mind).
She talked about breakfast, but for the life of me, I wouldn't know where the dining hall is. If memory serves me right, I would have already seen it when I saw the future. I honestly don't know if I ever want to see the hall anymore, that memory wasn't exactly the best one I remember (except for the part where I learn I get a family).
The castle was cool I tell you, and not just because it was cold, it was an awesome place to live. You'd think I would be somewhat used to it by now, but considering my last two visits were rushed and traumatic in some way (especially the way Nepgear was running) I really didn't get time to appreciate the architecture and the quiet. Plus I could actually say I was in a Versailles-like building. The only discrepancy was the lack of Lowee guards in the castle, when they were prominent before we went to Apocrypha. Granted Lowee was taken over a day ago, and we just got it back...how long have I even been here. I never got to ask how long Apocrypha took us. I guess I'll find out today.
I was absentmindedly thinking and...I have no idea where I am. Without guards, how can I find my way again? This wasn't good. I started running through the halls, looking for anything familiar. No cigar on that. Damn it, I thought castles were supposed to be souped up mansions, meant for defense. This is going to be embarrassing if I don't find my way back. Given that I don't know where the dining hall is, and I am assuming that Blanc was going to eat in the dining hall, they would have realized I went missing, perhaps now actually. If the girls found out that I got myself lost, I don't think they would let me live this down. Oh boy, I have to get back.
As I was thinking such things, I happened to stumble upon a huge room. Of course, being the person that I am, I don't realize what it really is. Mind you, I never opened up any doors, so this was wide open. To top it off there wasn't anyone standing guard near by to tell me otherwise. To tell you the honest truth, the room was empty, but it acted as a vent for something that wasn't. And I realized too late what that was. Consider this, a person who is used to the simpler side of life doesn't realize that the rich or those well off have big bathrooms or wash areas. Nor do they consider that in a European looking castle, there would be a Japanese style bath (please don't ask me how I know these things).
The first clue to my stupidity and how to avoid it was Neptune's unusual laugh. She really is a funny idiot, whose HDD form is cute (not dissing Blanc here, mind you). Why in an empty room of crazy proportions, do I here her laugh of all things. Soon I start hearing Noire's, Uni's, Nepgear's, Blanc's and even the twins voices. Normally that would signal insanity, because there was no one and nothing in this room. But given Rei Ryghts lives within me, that's actually kind of sane. As I ponder the craziness of it all, my feet finally give way. Who knew that part of the floor was actually an invisible vent for the huge warm bath-splash.
"Aww what is this" I cried before anyone or anything could actually tell me I wasn't alone "Why in the crazy world of dragons and magic is the floor an insubstantial illusion! First I am greeted as a pervert by the house caretaker or whatever she is, then I get lost. No guards are around to tell me to go back to some part of the castle with people in it, oh no I can't get a break for one second. Then I fall through a damn invisible hole in the ground that obviously doesn't say 'Warning Joshua. Any attempt to go past this point will make you fall into a hole of very stupid proportions into who knows what this place is even for'. Next they'll tell me that I've fallen through a trap from which there's no going back from, and I will be pummeled to death by an angry mob!"
I stared up to the ceiling and spread my arms unaware that a bunch of people are currently looking at me.
"Ohh that's great! It's not invisible from down here! Who in the right mind would design a flaw that big!" I seriously continued this tirade despite the shocked people that I was still unaware of "Jacob is going to laugh himself to death if he ever figures out that this happened to me. Why? Why is this even here?" I finally looked around and wished that I didn't. I just fell into a bathtub with a bunch of shocked naked women about to be angry that I just looked at them naked. All the CPU's I've met so far, plus Mina and Financier to boot. I guess they were too shocked to scream at me.
I looked up to the ceiling again, as the shock started wearing off.
"Umm Nepgear?" I asked timidly
"Yes Joshua" she said upset.
"I'm dead aren't I?" I stared up the ceiling embarrassed.
"Yes Joshua" she said, angrily.
"And there's no way I can explain myself?" I hoped beyond hope, especially for Blanc.
"No Joshua" she was very angry, I'm sure they all were. I saw flashing light, as they all transformed in sync, and shouts were heard as I blacked out.
I woke up in the ball room, at least I think it was the ball room. I looked around. They were all dressed (thankfully) and talking.
"I think it's safe to say it was an accident" Nepgear pronounced to the group.
"Where are you getting this accident stuff from. My understanding of it has you going HDD first, ready to kill Nepgear" Noire said, clearly still pissed, but I can't tell if it was at me or something else.
"There's still the matter of him seeing all of us, Nepgear" Uni said.
"What's there to see Uni? You and Blanc are as flat as ironing boards!" Neptune said in her nonchalant funny voice.
"Who you callin' flat Neptune. I wouldn't be talkin if I were you, as you can see you don't have much yourself" Blanc put it pissed like.
"Yeah but I can always do this" and she transforms.
"As you can see Blanc, I am well situated" Purple Heart boasted.
"I'll freaken' kill you, you dumb broad!" Blanc was serious.
"Now is not the time Blanc, can we please get back to the matter at hand" Noire said.
"When Purple bitch comes back to normal" answered Blanc, ready for a fight.
" (sigh) Come on Neptune, as if your maturity level can't get any lower, please untransform" Noire was annoyed.
"Fine, I concede, but I still say I won" and Purple Heart untransforms.
"Now about Joshua-" Noire tried again.
"I know we were all like bam, to him, but honestly that hole was a one way see-thing. Anyone could've made that mistake" Neptune said.
"Indeed, I went up there myself and saw that he was telling the truth. And he did babel like no one was there, so it's possible he was telling the truth about not knowing we were down there" I do not 'babel' Nepgear.
"As I was saying-" Noire was interrupted again.
"He saw us Nepgear, what part of that do you not understand. And what about Mina, and Financier. Last I saw she was still crying. He could go public and boast that he did see us, after all, it is known that he associates with us, and he did that whole crazy thing with Blanc in front of everyone. Pervert" Uni added, like she couldn't help it.
"Could you not interrupt Uni, please!" Noire said.
"Sorry sis" no your not.
"Now I have an-"
"I'll fight him" Blanc said.
"What!" the others exclaimed
"I'll fight him. All of you here has fought him already. We talked about that in the baths" Blanc said.
"We didn't fight him" Ram said, finally interested in the talking
"Yeah, we just knocked him out" Rom inputed.
"You two are not going to fight him ever. Is that understood" Blanc said, sternly.
"But-"
"No." Blanc said, and regarded the others "I'll fight him, and if he wins, I'll forgive him, and forget this ever happened"
"You just want to forgive him" Noire said "Fell in love have you?"
"What-I-that has nothing to do with this" Blanc spouted incredulously (she never denied it, there's hope for me yet)
"Yeah Blanc, I hate to say this, but after our fight, and what he did to Noire, you're just giving it away" Neptune said.
"He 'shouted' her to the ground" Rom said with admiration.
"He told her to surrender, and commanded her!" Ram jumped with glee.
"He didn't command me-" Noire tried again.
"He faced a dragon by himself and killed it" Nepgear said "And vaporized...two more was it?"
"Yes" Uni said, resigned.
"So you're all weak" Blanc said "That doesn't mean I'll be a pushover"
"You know, I was going to speak against it as well, but go, have at it. And when he wins, don't come crying to us" Noire turned her head.
"Just because you forgive him, doesn't mean I will" Uni said "And it's your funeral, Blanc"
"Joshua? Can you wake up" Blanc called over, and I'm not even going to try to fake sleeping, let alone try to talk some sense into her...or them period.
"I'm awake" I said. Blanc smiled, before remembering to be pissed.
"You will fight me here in this room. If you win, I'll forgive you for sneaking up on us and seeing all of us naked. If you lose" she looked sad for the briefest of seconds "Lowee will have-I can't" she shook her head "It'll be bad, and I'm going all out on you. Prepare yourself" She transformed and brandished her axe. I took this moment to study her form, and judge what I was going to do. After a second, it looked like they were going to call me pervert, until they realized that despite my...feelings for Blanc, I was thinking from a fighters' perspective.
And I went HDD. I flexed my hand, the feel of it was still a bit tiring (not all of my magicka returned yet) but I ignored it. I willed myself appropriately. Rei wasn't going to appear in this battle.
"You think you're ready White Heart?" my voice was commanding, but it was my own "Despite myself, I think I will enjoy this. All will be forgiven then"
I looked at the others.
"Anyone who has a problem with me about the 'naked' thing can face me in battle. If you decline, I'll consider all debts paid on the matter" They looked fidgety, like that was a crappy option.
"You can't do that" Uni said "It's up to a Lady to forgive a transgression like that"
"Then by all means, fight me. How else will I get you to forgive me?" Noire clamped her mouth shut, and Uni just glared at her. I turned to my opponent.
"Your move" I said.
And White Heart attacked, the battle had just begun.
