Ch 22: Unveiling

As I locked up the shop in the morning, it felt almost like practice. Practice for when this shop might possibly close down for good. I've had to close the shop for extended periods of time a lot more after meeting the goddesses, so it already feels like I'm getting ready to move to Lastation, anyways.

The trip itself wasn't eventful, as we flew out a day in advance, but the news was already floating about and as per the agreement, the TV show would get to advertise ahead of time they'd be having me on. The 'special announcement' that they'd be getting to exclusively interview "Elliot, the man who was with Lady Noire at the gala" made for quite the buzz, so much so that I was particularly glad to have been able to take a private jet, courtesy of Lady Neptune.

"It's pretty weird seeing your face everywhere, huh?" IF asks as we sit around in my hotel room, watching yet another trashy variety show that is speculating about the newscast tomorrow. She technically has her own, right across the hall, but we'd probably get bored without talking to each other.

Not that this hotel is short of things to do. Frankly this place is the epitome of luxury and I can't wait to soak in the jacuzzi in the bathroom tonight and try out some of the very fancy soaps they have lying around to help me relax after Lady Blanc helped drill me over the phone in the basics of a waltz again in case it came up. Though, as if to remind myself I'm no one special, by the trashcan are broken down cardboard boxes which once contained a meat lover's pizza, breadsticks, and buffalo wings found from one of the local shops around here, if only because IF and I felt like pigging out tonight and we could split the bill.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to it." I say as IF drops another stack of newspapers she was perusing through on the table, all of them containing pictures from back during the gala on the front cover.

"You better, because your face is going to be everywhere for quite some time." She comments as I scan through some of the headline titles. "The Veil Will Be Lifted!", "Secrets of Noire's Partner, Coming Soon", "The Elusive Elliot", and the like.

I groan, my posture slumping. "I know, but I guess that it's part of the price I'm paying for all of this."

"Hard to believe you've come so far, though. Tomorrow's the big day, too."

"I'm dying over here."

"Of what, nervousness?" IF asks with a teasing grin as she hands me a newspaper. "Here, tear it in half to calm yourself."

"If anything I feel that introduces more stress," I say, though I tear it up regardless, feeling just the tiniest bit of stress relief.

"It'll turn out fine, Elliot. I've got your back."

"Thanks," I offer a smile to IF, who gives one back, "you really have no idea how much it makes me feel better knowing you're there. You'll be backstage, right?"

"Yep, acting as your temporary bodyguard as assigned by one Lady Neptune herself to watch over a citizen of Planeptune. Officially, anyways. Not like anyone cares, haha. If anyone has a problem with it they can take it up with Nep, anyways."

"Well, you are crazy strong, so I don't think anyone'll have a problem."

"Maybe I should train you sometime. You might not be able to take on some massive monsters, but I think you can at least fight off a Dogoo."

"I think I'd be too scared to do anything."

"No, you're braver than you think, Elliot. It's why you're here, now, and not running away." IF says, patting me on the back before standing up. "Anyways, you should get some rest and take the time to relax, and I'll butt out for a bit so you can have some alone time. Not like you're going to get any in the next few weeks, being over at Leanbox. The offer's still up for the taser."

"IF!"

"Haha, just teasing. I'll come get you in the morning, so make sure you're ready by ten."

"Don't worry, I'm used to waking up early. Oh, right, before you go."

I get up and reach into my backpack, where I pull out a small box of chocolates that I worked very hard to obtain, having to give IF the slip for two minutes at the airport. I then hold it out to IF.

"Thanks. For everything."

She almost takes the chocolate box, but pushes it back, shaking her head. "Save it for after everything goes well tomorrow, then you can thank me."

"Alright. But they're caramell filleeeeed~" I say, shaking the box in front of her.

IF laughs, turning away to go for the door. "I'll practice delayed gratification, then. It'll make it all the more sweeter to eat them."

"Okay, but I can't promise I won't eat all of them."

"Guess you'll have to have to buy me another box."

We both manage to have a light chuckle at that, with IF opening the door and leaving. I can hear her open the door to her room, then close it behind her as I lock my door. I sigh as I lightly push my head against the door. No turning back, huh…

I pick my head up, hearing my phone buzzing. It's a text from IF, huh…

"Don't stay up too late texting Noire."

"She hasn't texted me at all, so no problem."

"She must really be nervous, too."

"If only she had someone like I have you."

There's a long pause before the reply comes back.

"Thanks. Anyways, I want to go lie down for a bit, that pizza might put me to sleep. See you tomorrow."

I lock my phone and plug it into its charger, laying it on the bedside table, before I walk into the bathroom to run a bath so I can try those soaps. It's really just utter terror, honestly, but there's no way to back out of it now. Besides, with how much everyone has sacrificed, there's absolutely no way I can leave. I have to do this.

Even if my heart's feeling a million different things, being torn between this growing pain in my chest when I think about leaving IF and what feelings I may or may not have for her, what I'm going to do regarding Lapin House, and my growing friendship with Lady Noire, I have to keep looking forward. It's rough, as if I'm being pulled in ten ways at once, thrown into a whirlwind of a world that I barely know.

But the one thing I do know is, that as long as I have IF there with me, there's nothing I can't do.

"Mister Elliot, you're about to be called on stage."

The stage aide calls out to me and I nod in response, adjusting my collar and taking a deep breath as I get up from the dressing room chair. From there, I follow the aide through the backstage area, where everything is abuzz. She constantly shoos away people working backstage who want a quick picture, apologizing for the lack of professionalism, but I say it's fine. As planned, my eyes are still green, with the contacts in.

I'm brought to just before the edge of the stage, the passageway beyond the red curtains leading out to where the lights, cameras, and millions of eyes will be watching. By the curtains, IF is waiting, and upon hearing our footsteps, she waves.

"Please wait until you're introduced."

"Thank you."

"Ready, Elliot?" IF asks as the aide leaves, holding up my folded dark red apron that will be part of the reveal. "I'm all set over here."

"Thanks." I say, taking a deep breath again. "Here we go."

"—backstage, right now, actually~"

I can hear the audience gasping, stealing even my own breath away. I can't even see them, but my knees already feel like they're buckling. I force myself to breathe, my heart pounding more and more. My chest hurts, like my insides are expanding to the point they'll break my bones from within.

But it all cools away with a single touch. A light tap on my shoulder, followed by something put into my hands. It's slightly sticky, I think, but it feels like a hard shell. When I look down, it's a small chocolate, just like…

"I helped myself to the box when you were making sure your socks were matched for the sixth time." IF says, giving me a knowing grin. "Figured you'd need it. Come on, eat it."

I almost want to cry out of relief, downing the chocolate immediately. The sweet chocolate shell breaks apart as the sea salted caramel taste almost melts in my mouth. I chew a few times before swallowing.

"Smile." I do so, following IF's instructions. "Alright, no chocolate stains, but here."

IF then hands me a small disposable coffee cup that has what I believe is mouthwash based on the smell. I take the mug, swirl the contents in my mouth, then spit it back into the cup, with IF taking it and putting it on the table next to her.

"Ah, hold on, your tie's a bit crooked. Come on, I did this for you when we were on the train platform, too. You should've learned how to tie it by now."

"Sorry…"

IF gets to work, quickly undoing my tie and then redoing it much faster than I was able to, pulling it again for good measure.

"Why don't we bring him out right now, then?" The host's voice calls out as IF steps away.

"Mister Elliot, you're clear to go!" The staff aide calls out.

"Go get her, tiger."

IF pats my back twice before pushing me forward with a hard shove. I then turn around to jokingly yell at her, but can't find the words as I see a distinct sadness, yet a feeling of contentment on IF's face as she smiles at me before she's embraced by Compa, who runs in from the side.

IF, did you…

—my thoughts are interrupted by the cheers and applause, my attention drawn towards the crowd, feeling incredibly self conscious about everything. Are my shoes on right? Did I mismatch socks? Is my color combination, my usual tan khakis and black shirt, with a navy blue jacket, okay?

The spotlight's on me and I can already feel a bit of moisture building up under my collar, in my jacket, on my palms. I can't even make out the audience with how much it seems to blind me. The applause is drowned out by the jazzy introduction jingle I've come to know by watching recordings of the show in order to be familiar with the format.

Out of the corner of my eye, as I squint for a moment, I see Lady Noire applauding, giving a small nod. She mouths something before smiling and while I can't make out everything, I could at least make out a "come on". She promised not to let me run away now, didn't she? I've got to do my part.

"Well, come on, don't just stand there! Come on down!"

The host, a middle aged woman named Serena, dressed in a business casual light grey dress beckons me forward from behind her desk. I give a sheepish smile as I walk down onto the seating area, shaking her hand before going to the seats, which are comfortable velvet couches. I'm… unfortunately, I think, seated in between both Lady Neptune and Lady Noire.

"It's… it's a real pleasure to be here." I say, trying to muster a confident smile. "Thank you for having me."

"So, Elliot. How does it feel, being here?"

"T… terrifying?" I offer, getting a laugh from the audience. "I'm not exactly really good in front of crowds."

"You seemed to handle yourself at the gala just fine."

"Well, um, I didn't have to face everyone, I suppose."

"Haha, true, true!" She says, giving a disarming smile. "So, Elliot. I think we all know the question burning in everyone's minds—just who are you? Even Noire and Neptune were very evasive in giving an answer and no one has been able to really nail you down!."

"You were?"

"Aww, come on!" Lady Neptune says, patting me on the back. "It's not up to us, right?"

"Ah, I guess that's true." I say, getting the idea.

"Everyone really does want to know who you are, Elliot." Noire says, glancing away from me. "So, it's all in your hands now."

Ha… I guess in the end, it really is up to me.

"Well, Miss Serena…"

"Oh, what a gentleman! But just Serena will do."

"I see. Then…" I close my eyes, making my peace. "I suppose that there's an easy way to show you all who I am. I'll need to remove my contacts, though."

"Contacts?"

"Ah, you may not want to show this. I'm fairly good at it, but it might make some people queasy."

It's not particularly hard, but I remove the green color contacts, revealing my normal brown eyes. Lady Neptune and Lady Noire look at me, giving me a nod as I shed the navy blue jacket I have on, getting up from my seat to go near the entrance to the backstage.

IF mouths something before throwing the apron at me. The piece of cloth unfurls in the air before I catch it and it's there I realize that this apron is rather beat up. It's seen a lot, hasn't it…? The flour stains, the coffee stains, the threads starting to loosen. I've made a lot of memories with this one, huh...

Regardless of that, I feel more comfortable as I slip it on, as if the world just came into my cafe. Turning to the audience, I clasp my hands together and offer my best customer service smile as I say the words that seal my fate.

"Good morning, and welcome to Lapin House."

No going back.

"My, my! Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we have quite the surprise!" Our host says as I sit back down. "I have to say, I'm surprised, but I think most people had a feeling."

"Ah, well, that's true. For me, it was just important that no one could definitely prove it, is all."

"Well, Elliot—oh, come, come closer. We'll get into the part where all of you talk, but I want to focus on you a bit." She says, pointing at me and gesturing for me to take a seat in a chair pulled up just across from the desk she's sitting at. "Now, now, I think we all want to know: why?"

"Er… it's right here, actually. All of the lights, the eyes on me, all of that. I wasn't prepared for it, so I didn't want to be in the spotlight if I could help it."

"And now?"

"I'm not sure if I am ready, but I couldn't keep living a lie. I've had enough of having to be afraid and for other people having to cover for me.."

"So, why go to the gala in the first place, then?"

"Because Noire is a friend and needed someone to go with her." I say, glancing over at Lady Noire, who nods.

"There weren't a lot of people I could call on in such a short notice, so it fell on his shoulders. While he works every day, he was willing to close down his shop for a while and step up to the task."

"Friend, hm?" Our host asks, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Elly's a really good friend, yep!" Neptune shouts from the side, a wide smile on her face. "He worries about everyone to the point he can't sleep sometimes, knows what drink will cheer them up, and always has a good supply of pudding!"

"Speaking of which, I didn't pack any since I didn't have any way to keep it refrigerated on the flight, but please stop by the shop and I'll make you some, Lady Neptune."

"Neptune!"

"Neptune. Sorry, my tongue slipped."

"Hmhm, they seem pretty insistent you act casually with them. Could it be…?" The host asks, leaving imagination to fill in the rest.

"Well, they're people too, right?"

I look over again, noticing Lady Neptune's smile growing bigger. I close my eyes, then, for just a second, and think about how IF has my back. Alright, let's keep going.

"I really did use to call them all respectfully, but as we continuously kept talking and becoming friends, they insisted I call them casually because otherwise there was just a rift I kept putting between us. I think if I hadn't changed, it'd be really hard to be friendlier. I mean, I'd have a hard time becoming friends if someone insisted on calling me 'Mister Elliot' all the time."

"Elly was sooooo boring with that! He used to struggle even just to say only my name!"

"I'm still trying." I say bashfully, with Lady Neptune getting up from her seat and giving me a pat on my head.

"Then keep trying your best~" Lady Neptune says, getting some 'Awww's from the audience.

"Yes, of course, Neptune!"

"Oi, Neptune, don't give him that hard of a time. I'm sure Elliot's stressed enough as it is."

"Well, he is smiling." Our host notes, pointing right at me.

"Actually, despite that, I'm terrified of dropping dead of a heart attack at any moment."

"Oh come now, it isn't any more stressful than the gala, was it?"

"Well, at the gala I didn't, er, have to look at the audience or really talk. That and it wasn't you know, er, not all of my words were going out live to millions of people I've never met. I mean, I meet with strangers at my shop all the time, but generally it's only what, a few hundred people? This is… a whole new level. I really respect you for doing this every day, I can't imagine doing it daily."

"Oh, why thank you~ But, enough about me, let's talk about another thing everyone's dying to hear about—and that is the fact that you and Noire are only friends!"

"Is… is that a problem?" I ask, somewhat bewildered that this is the framing of the situation.

"Come now, Elliot!" Our host says, lightly slapping both of her hands on the table in front of her which causes me to jump a bit. "She takes you to a gala in front of everyone, a big event like that, a woman bringing a man is kind of a sign! And Noire, let him speak first~"

I hear a strangled sound coming from Noire as she accepts not speaking, realizing if she talks people will take that the wrong way.

"As far as I'm aware, it was to fill in since her accompaniment couldn't make it. As a friend who was free as stated before, I went along. It's like, you know, being asked to be the plus one to a wedding when someone cancelled. No one wants to show up alone to a wedding, right?"

"Hmm… Noire, is it the same on your end?"

"Huh? Of course!"

Our host turns to the camera, grinning. "Hmhm, she's got a lot more interesting of a reaction. It's okay, Noire, we're all cheering for you!"

"Wha—no! Don't get the wrong idea! Elliot's just a friend, a friend!"

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

"Serena!"

"It's okay, Noire. I'll make you a latte after this, so please don't get too stressed over it."

For a second, I recall IF at the park, after I told her about Lastation. She wanted to see the improvement of my latte art…

"Ah, actually, never mind on that. I think a macchiato is more appropriate."

"Hmm, can I ask you for one?"

"I guess you can, but I can't promise it'll turn out well. I'll do my best."

"That's all I ask for."

"You two have a very good flow~ So, so, Elliot, this segment's supposed to focus on you, so I want to ask how it all started!"

"Well… the whole story starts with Neptune, I think." I say, looking at Lady Neptune.

"I dragged everyone to his shop since a friend told me he had a new pudding item on the menu! I just had to try it, and it all snowballed from there!"

"Hm, that wasn't that long ago, and the gala wasn't that much after, either…" Serena muses.

"Sometimes people just really hit it off, right? I know with most people, we're friends fast!"

"That's because you drag them along for the ride, Neptune." Lady Noire mumbles.

"Yeah, but we're best friends now, right?"

"Well… I guess you're right." Lady Noire admits with a light flush to her cheeks. This of course, gets an 'Awww' from the audience again and I find myself smiling.

"So, Elliot, anything to add?"

"That's a good summary of it, so I guess I don't have much else to add." I say with a nod.

"Hmm, alright. Well, we have time for one more question before we have to break for a bit, so Elliot—how do you become friends with the goddesses?"

"Hmm…"

I can't help but smile, thinking about it. The lights, the eyes on me, the anticipation, it all just… fades away as I think about the memories. And with Lady Neptune, Lady Noire, Lady Blanc, and IF backing me, I feel almost at a strange but still calm.

I speak, not thinking about how I'll be viewed, but from my heart.

"There's… nothing special about it. I think that as long as you can smile at them, treat them respectfully, and just be there, that's good enough. They've really made an effort to show me that they're people, too, and they'd like people who can treat them as equals. I'm… admittedly not there yet, I still think they're way above me.

"I'm not a hero, a famous person, a champion of a sport, or anyone that brave at all. All I do is make coffee well enough that people want to drink it. I used to really think I needed to be someone amazing to be friends with them—but like I said, they've imparted a lot of lessons to me, and all you really need is to be someone who can ask 'How was your day?' and listen. Maybe most days it'll be a 'Great, thanks', but on the day that they really need someone to open up to you and you're there and you'll listen as a friend, maybe that person who needs to talk to you will be Neptune or Noire. Then maybe you'll hit it off and really get to know them, and soon it'll be you in this seat."

I pause, feeling the smile on my face growing. A real, genuine smile, as I can't suppress the feelings of nostalgia. I can't explicitly remember the first day IF and I spoke—it was probably a normal exchange: "Welcome to Lapin House, what can I get you?", "Ah, just a medium black coffee.", "I'll have that right out, thank you".

But surely, she became a regular and began sitting down more often at the counter. A simple phrase—"And how was your day?"—opened up so many things.

"Was that your experience? It felt just… so raw, Elliot."

"It was, actually. I don't think any of this would have happened without those words. I mean, sometimes we're too afraid to do things like reach out, but if someone were to give a small push—"

IF's voice—"—You should go to Lastation—"—rings through my head for the tiniest fraction of a moment.

"—amazing things can happen. Ah, sorry for rambling, I'm just still a bit nervous, so..."

"No, no, that was very moving, Elliot! We'll pause for a short break, but right afterwards we'll be back with more questions! Stay tuned!"

As soon as we get the all clear to move, I almost immediately bolt backstage, eager to get away from the spotlights for just a bit.

"IF?" I call out, looking around for her signature blue coat.

"O-oh, hey. Good job, I choked up a bit at your speech, Elliot." IF says, stepping out of the shadows, two bottles in her hands. "Oh, I figured it was hot out there underneath all the lights, so I got you some juice from the vending machine. Orange juice or lemonade?"

"Lemonade."

IF holds out the yellow bottle and I immediately break the seal, downing the sour and cool beverage which refreshes my senses and calms my nerves down, surprisingly. As I do so, I notice IF prepare a cup of water.

"Make sure you don't sweat to death." She says in a clearly jovial manner as I finish chugging the entire bottle.

"Thanks."

"Just doing my job, after all." IF says with a smile as she holds out two cups of water, one of which I immediately take.

"Hey, you're doing well."

"Thanks…"

"Just thirty more minutes and you're home free. Hold out for a bit longer, you've got this. Cheers."

We then clink our cups of water together before finishing the rest of them.

"It's a short break, so you should get ready to go out again." IF says, taking my cup. "You got this, Elliot. Go get 'em."

"And hey, IF?" I say, turning my head as I walk away from her.

"Yeah?"

"How was your day?"

She gives me a playful shove, a laugh escaping her lips as there's a small glimmer of happiness in her eyes.

"Fantastic. Make yours good, too."

With that, I rush out onto the stage and find my seat, with the lights shining down on us again. The questions come, rapid fire, one after the next, with almost no room to stop. Favorite recipe, favorite movie, favorite music, the usual.

Despite the rather personal questions, all of the pressure evaporates. It no longer feels like I'm being grilled on national television; rather, it's like it's just a conversation in the coffee shop between me and our host. I'm able to forget all of the cameras, the eyes, the whispers, and thoughts of all the posts going online about this event.

Six times Lady Noire and I are asked about our relationship. A few details emerge, such as how we regularly play together online and the like. Fortunately, all of the attention seems to be on her rather than IF, because that'd make things a lot more complicated if I had to answer any questions regarding IF.

"Oh my Elliot, you seem to be rather popular!" is Serena's comment after the fourth request for a date comes out. "Noire, you might have to make a move soon!"

"We aren't like that!"

"Hehehe, but well Elliot, what's your response?"

"A-ah, well, I think it's best if we start off as friends, so if you'd like to come down to Lapin House and chat, as long as it's not busy, I don't mind chatting."

It seems a bit… strange to be using this time to be asking something like "Would you like to go on a date". I can already imagine IF's face turning red as she laughs herself into exhaustion, saying something about how "I told you so". I don't exactly view myself as very attractive, but I suppose that if I was good enough to be shown in front of the cameras at the gala, there are sure to be people who want to find out just what I have.

"Oh, someone is asking if you'd like to comment on that Melanie woman who claimed to know you."

"She's a very smart woman. We did know each other, so I think that while she probably figured it out, she thought it couldn't be that easy. I haven't asked her what she thought about it since I didn't want to pry, but I don't want anyone to think any less of her."

"Ohhh, I see, I see."

I force myself not to breathe a sigh of relief, with that answer having gone relatively unquestioned. Occasionally she comes up every now and then, but for the most part I give the usual answer: I don't know what exactly she was thinking, we are still friends, and that she was just too clever by a half.

But then, as if it was destined…

"Next question… can you prove that you're Elliot by dancing for us? Oh my, what a challenge!"

"Ah, I haven't practiced that routine in forever, though." I say, scratching my cheek.

"That was a routine? I thought you just did it on the spot, back then!" Noire shouts.

"Well, it was kind of a routine, but I didn't remember all of it and I was moving on instinct."

"If you two have time to argue, you two have time to dance!"

"Eh…" Both of us say, looking at each other.

"Dance, dance!"

The crowd joins in, chanting in unison "Dance, dance!" I glance at Lady Noire again, who shrugs when she looks at me. Ha… why did you have to go ahead and put it on my shoulders…

"Oh, they looked at each other! Just a little more, come on!"

I suppress a groan as I lean back in my seat. Last time I was utterly terrified to do this. I still am, but I've come this far, I suppose. I think I can give that much effort.

"Noire," I say, standing up to the sound of many cheers as I extend my hand, "may I have a dance?"

"You honestly…" She grumbles, getting up and taking my right hand in hers, but there's a small smile on her face as if she's happy this is how it turned out. However, she still jabs her left pointer finger into my chest."You know, it's exactly things like this that explain why you always get into trouble."

"I guess I'm still weak to pressure, haha." I say, bringing us into a more open area of the stage. There's no music, but I can mentally count the beats in my head. "Ready?"

"Mhm."

I gently put a hand on Lady Noire's back, pulling her in just a bit closer. I can feel her back tense up, but then loosen up as she gets used to my grip. One of Lady Noire's hands rests on my shoulder, the other becoming interweaved with my own. Its softness is divine, evident of how much she cares for herself, which makes me rather conscious of how rough my hands are due to a lack of care. At the very least, she's not in her Black Heart form, which has an ethereal sort of beauty that makes it hard to look her straight in the eyes.

"One, two, three. One, two three."

I count before silencing myself, taking the initiative. It's not a very hard routine, nor am I going at full speed like I did at the gala.

For a moment, it's just a world for two. Just like that night, for a moment I can forget about everyone watching us, focusing just on the woman in front of me. Strangely, it feels more nerve wracking by doing this when Lady Noire is in her normal form. Maybe it's because it's her 'true self', in a way? There's nothing that shields me from the fact it really is her.

But yet, I just can't put my heart into it. There's a heaviness in my chest that increases with every step. It isn't guilt as much as it is… hesitation?

Despite everything that happened a few days ago, my heart is still wavering a bit. I know I'd like to get to know IF just a bit better, but there's a very comfortable distance between not just me and her, but everyone around us. It's incredibly cowardly of me, but part of me doesn't want to push the issue at all, and perhaps leave my feelings simply feelings, in order not to threaten what I have.

As I twirl Lady Noire before catching her, my thoughts continue along this train. Being able to be silly with Lady Noire like this, but also still have IF's guidance and closeness, to be able to walk around at night and encounter Lady Neptune again, it's all a wonderful thing to have been blessed with. Maybe, no, I definitely am scared that acting on it, even just a cursory "Maybe we can try to get to know each other a little better" would throw everything into disarray.

I can't help but wonder as well, if that fear is causing me some kind of selective blindness with Lady Noire. IF keeps telling me it's obvious that there's some attraction, and maybe there is, but I just don't want to see it. If Lady Noire, if somehow she were, for some reason, to ask me what I intend to ask IF, I wonder if I could say 'no'. Either way, it would radically change everything. I suppose it really is just hesitation, in the end… hesitation to let everything around me change.

I can confirm that feeling of hesitation when I notice, as we spin around again, someone standing off to the side in the studio audience, likely having slipped away from backstage to take a look from the front. There's only one person in that usual blue jacket, after all. I try not to look for too long, knowing that I can't afford a misstep here.

The end of the routine can't come fast enough. I know it's what the cameras want, so of course, I look at Lady Noire right in the eyes, nodding just a bit. She nods back, a nostalgic and joyful shine in her eyes.

Sweeping up into a grand finish, I end it the same way we did at the gala. That stereotypical ballroom bose, with Lady Noire's back arched, one of her feet barely on the ground, as she is held purely by the strength of my left hand around her waist while I lean over her. Cheers and applause erupt as I hold it for a few seconds, no, almost a minute, looking straight into Lady Noire's eyes which sparkle with some kind of elation.

Slowly bringing Lady Noire Noire back up so she can stand up straight, I then break eye contact, turning towards the audience and bowing, Lady Noire following my lead.

"And with that, we are out of time for this segment, but once again, Elliot, owner of Lapin House, everyone!"

As I pull up from my bow, I catch a glimpse of IF clapping. Before I can lock eyes with her, I'm quickly pulled off to the side by Lady Noire and Lady Neptune, who are eager to go backstage and chat a little more with Serena during the break.

Though, after this comes phase two. Namely, getting back to the hotel in one piece.

A feat that's much easier said than done, I think, considering how the crowd around the studio plaza where they can talk to people who travel from all over the four nations to possibly get a chance to show up on camera is much larger today.

"Yeesh." IF says, peeking through the blinds, as we've temporarily been given shelter on the second floor while they try to sort everything out. "Anyone want to take a bet it's worse than the gala?"

"That's a sucker's bet." I mumble, IF laughing. "Is it really so crazy?"

"Elliot, I want you to think about everything we just went through."

"Okay, stupid question, I get it."

"It's because Elly's totally hot stuff, that's why!" Lady Neptune chimes in, barely able to hold a laugh back, though she immediately gets a whap to the back of the head from Lady Noire. "Come on, Noire, I can't compliment a guy?"

"You're not complimenting him, you're just teasing him."

"Oho, oho, I get it. You want to be the only one giving him compliments, but I will never yield a fair citizen of myyyyyyy nation to yooooou!"

Lady Neptune's hamming it up is again cut short by another attempted whap to the back of her head, but she dodges it with a wild cackle, causing Lady Noire to grumble with frustration.

"Well, I guess there are people who are interested in you." Lady Noire admits, crossing her arms. "Our insistence that we were only friends seems to have made you more attractive in their eyes."

IF chuckles as she leans against the wall. "Let me guess, half of Lastation's bachelorettes want to know just what kind of guy Elliot is, considering how you were fine showcasing him at the gala?"

"Something like that."

"Guess it's a good thing we're sending him to Vert, then." IF says, an unusually enthusiastic smile on her face. "You're in luck, Elliot. I doubt anyone's going to try to make a move on you if you're with Vert. Not like there's a lot of people who can compete with her in the raw charm department."

"Somehow, I'm not comforted." I say, getting a laugh back from IF.

"Oh, this is where you all went." Another voice says, with it belonging to Compa.

IF glances around before grabbing Lady Neptune by the sleeve and starting to drag her out of the room. "Oh, hey Compa. Hey, let's go look around for a way out of here. It'll be nice to get the old trio again."

"O-oh, um… okay?" Compa asks, looking at IF, then me, then Lady Noire, then me, then IF again, a flash of concern appearing on her face.

"You're fine with that, right Nep?" IF asks, tugging along on Lady Neptune's sleeve.

"Huh? Well, I guess it has been a while, but—"

"Alright then! Try not to get in trouble, will you, Elliot?"

Before I can get a word out, IF leaves with a wink, with her two friends in tow. I know exactly what she's doing, but she really is a lot better at this thing than I am.

"W-well, um… thanks." I hear Lady Noire says as she sits down next to me. "It really means a lot to me that you stuck it out."

"It wouldn't be fair if I ran away after everyone did so much." I say, looking down at my lap. "It really does feel like the gala all over again."

"At the very least, you won't get people asking you about us anymore, right?" Lady Noire says, to which I can't help but chuckle. "Still, it won't stop them from thinking that we're hiding it."

"Everyone in Planeptune probably will believe me, though." I say, putting on a smile. "After all, over there I'm just a humble and honest cafe owner who enjoys coffee too much. A lot of them were there back when Gregory owned the place, too, so they already know me."

"That's good to hear. A sort of hometown hero, huh?"

I laugh, shaking my head. "No, nothing of the sort. Just another kid from down the block, who attended the same public school as everyone else."

"I really like that humble side of you, you know?"

"O-oh, thanks…" I mumble, not sure what to say in return. Part of me feels apprehensive, knowing that I might be harboring some feelings for IF, but can't find the resolve to put distance between Lady Noire and I. "I just hope it doesn't change too much about my shop, though. I don't want people to change how they act around me or anything like that. It'd be great if I could still be a friendly face around the neighborhood."

"That'll change if you move though, right?"

"Ah, that's true. I hope I can keep that kind of image, though. I don't want to have to put on some kind of act to keep the shop running."

"I wouldn't want that either. If you do move, we'll work on it together."

"Are you sure that won't be taken the wrong way, helping me move in and start up?" I ask, looking up at her.

"Well, if I ask Kei for some help, I'm sure she'll make sure it goes smoothly." Noire says, giving me a thumbs up. "I wouldn't want you to change just because you moved here. I-if you moved here, I mean."

"Mhm. Though, I'm a bit curious, what… is being said about me, anyways?"

"Why don't you take a look on your phone?"

"Oh, I guess I could do that."

"You really are kind of old fashioned, huh?" Lady Noire asks as I reach into my pockets and take my phone out.

"I blame it on the shop. It had a really old fashioned air to it, plus my parents made sure not to spoil me even if they could afford to." I say, starting to look myself up. "Oh, okay, wow, it's only been a few hours and they've already managed to figure out where I went to school. At least most people are saying positive things, though."

"It's kind of hard to criticize you on anything. If I remember right, your record was pretty much squeaky clean."

I scroll through a few more articles, which have a mix of titles that, aside from all the gossip columns speculating about my relationship with Lady Noire, include things like "Looking into Planeptune's Latest Bachelor", "Just Who Is Elliot, Owner of Lapin House", and "What Elliot's Friendship with the Goddesses Means For You". The last of those makes me a bit happy as I read through it, as the message the goddesses wanted to send seems to be starting to take hold. I could do without them trying to prop me up as someone fantastic though.

It's then that I notice a bunch of texts from people who were in some of my classes in high school who had my number saved from a long time ago, regulars from the coffee shop who I became somewhat friends with before they moved away, and more importantly plenty of my old friends from high school sent out as a group text.

The last of those, of course, aren't filled with any messages such as "Can you introduce me to the goddesses?" or things like that. All of them are messages like "Congratulations, Elliot!" and "You seemed nervous up there, but I'm glad you kept it together". One of them, who I know is married and has kids now, did add in their last text "Also, my kids would like to play with Lady Rom and Lady Ram sometime, if you wouldn't mind" before adding a winking face.

"Should we all get together and congratulate him?" is the last text sent by Melanie.

I can't help but smile as I text back. "Keep it a secret, but I'm out of town for just a bit longer. After that, let's try to plan something. A bit of a high school reunion. Anyways, I've got to go for now."

Of course, after that text comes all the teasing, with one of them sending back "Kiss her, Elliot!". I quickly delete that text so Lady Noire won't stumble across it before checking my business email, which has been flooded with interview requests.

"You're a pretty popular guy, huh?"

"A bit, maybe." I say, locking my phone. "But I'm just happy that things are changing the way you all want. Still a little leery about facing the music in every day life, though. Hopefully by the time I'm back from Leanbox, everything will have calmed down."

"I think you'll be dealing with this for a little longer than that, but the attention should go down a little. Though..."

"Though?"

I see Lady Noire give me an encouraging smile as she pats my shoulder. "I'll be making sure to help you keep your promise."

Both of us nearly jump out of our seats as the door loudly opens, with Lady Noire pulling her arm away and holding it close to her chest. IF walks through the door, raising an eyebrow.

"Should I… leave you two alone?"

"N-no, everything's fine!" Lady Noire stammers out. "What's going on?"

"We managed to get access to one of the patio areas on the higher floors, so we're currently asking Kei to meet Nep there."

"Why Kei?" I ask, getting up from my seat.

"She's going to put on a wig and some pants. Basically, we're going to create two Elliots. Nep's going to fly Kei dressed as you over to the Basilicom. That should buy us enough time to navigate through the streets. We're borrowing one of their news vans as well, so we should be able to slip out undetected. Noire, you're free to come along if you want."

"Sure, I'll go."

"Whoa. It's just like a spy movie."

"I always come through, don't I?" IF asks, crossing her arms. "So let's head down to the vehicle bay and get prepped."

It almost feels like a heist movie, as Compa, IF, Lady Noire, and I pack into an elevator and head down. It might have just been me blinking, but I swear the lights flickered dramatically as we entered the basement area, opening up to a parking lot.

"Alright, looking for van six…" IF says, swinging the keychain round her index finger. "Ah, gotcha."

"Are you even licensed to drive this thing?" I ask as IF pushes on the unlock button on the key fob before yanking open the back door. Inside the van are various electronics and some folding chairs that are folded up and strapped to the walls. There's two seats that are held up by some velcro, which IF pulls off, giving us space to sit in the back, before opening a panel up which houses the seatbelts.

"As a special agent of the Guild, I have to have many skills in many areas."

"I'm going to take that as a no."

"Elliot, Noire, get in the back. I don't want anyone seeing you guys and blowing our cover. Try not to rock the van, though." IF says, pointing with her thumb inside, deciding not to follow up to my comment. "Compa, you're with me in the passenger seat."

I clamber inside after Lady Noire, with both of us strapping ourselves in as IF closes the doors behind us. I reach for the panel that's over by the driver's side section, pulling it open just a bit, seeing inside the driver's area.

"Don't look through that until we're home clear, Elliot." IF says, closing the panel just a bit. I can hear a phone start dialing as two seatbelts click. "And sorry about the tight squeeze, Noire."

"I-it's fine. I'm just surprised that you got all of this going so quickly."

"Iffy can be pretty pushy~" Compa says, giggling.

"S-shut up." IF grumbles, starting the engine. "Nep, can you hear me?"

"Mhm, yes I can, Iffy." Lady Purple Heart's voice says over the phone. "Kei's all changed out to. She's a bit short but she makes a convincing Elliot from a distance."

"That's the plan." IF says as she starts driving the van. I peak out and see that two other news vans pull up, with us taking the lead. "Alright Elliot, we're almost out there, so keep your head down. There'll be three vans in total, so we have a bit of cover."

"Okay, got it."

"Noire, make sure he doesn't peek."

"I'll hold him down."

"Good. Here we go. Nep, ready to fly on my mark."

Despite us being in the van which muffles the noise a bit, the hustle and bustle of the outside is incredibly apparent. The whole city was here, all wanting a glimpse of me. Moreso because of my attachment to Lady Noire rather than for myself, which is fine. I think if I attracted crowds of people simply for being me, I'd find that quite… strange.

"Nep, you're good to go. Make it flashy for us, will you?"

"Your wish is my command, Iffy~"

Before the line cuts completely off, I hear Kei's voice in a strangely grumbling tone say something along the lines of "Is a bridal carry really neces—"

Outside, I can hear the excitement reach critical mass as people likely turn their attention to the sky. Shouts that Lady Purple Heart is flying what appears to be 'Elliot' overtake everything, but are drowned out by the engine revving.

"Flying through the skies of Lastation seems nice, though."

"Should we do a helicopter tour, Elliot?" Lady Noire asks as I lean back in my seat. "After everything dies down, anyways."

"Maybe. Some of my friends wanted to do a big reunion, so I'd like to meet with them after all of this."

"Well, maybe I can find a tour company that can bring them all along."

"O-oh, no, I couldn't ask that of you."

"No, it's fine. Besides, I'd like to meet them all, too."

My reply is cut off by a loud car horn, causing me to jump in my seat. It's followed by several other horns, with what sounds like an annoyed IF grumbling about "idiot drivers", followed by Compa giggling and saying to have some patience.

When I look back over at Lady Noire, she seems to have a troubled expression on her face, her eyebrows furrowed.

"Noire?"

"O-oh, sorry, it's nothing."

"Right…"

The rest of the trip fades into an awkward silence after that, though I notice Lady Noire glancing over in my general direction every now and then, our gazes meeting for a second before she looks away. I hope… I hope I didn't say something wrong? She doesn't seem angry, but there's a definite tenseness in the air.

After a while though, I hear the van come to a complete stop and the engine turn off.

"Still alive, Elliot?"

"Y-yeah, I'm here." I say, unbuckling myself.

"Good. I'm going to open the door, as soon as I do, we're going to turn right and go straight into the hotel. Noire, I need you to close the door as soon as he's out so no one spots you."

"R-right, got it!" Lady Noire says, unbuckling herself as well, both of us taking a stand by the door. We're standing fairly close, but upon realizing how close we are, Lady Noire takes a half-step back, scratching her cheek.

"Is… is something wrong, Noire?" I ask as I hear IF unbuckle her seatbelt before opening the drive side door.

"N-no, of course not! It's just… a-ah, sorry, something that I thought I could put off until after this big reveal is coming up soon, so…"

"O-oh, I see. Erm, well… I wish you good luck with it, then."

"T… thanks."

Noire's voice fades away as I hear the back door being slightly creaked open.

"Ready?" IF's voice asks as I get ready to move.

"Yeah."

"I'll open it just enough so you can step out. On three. One, two, three!"

With that, IF opens the door just a tiny bit, allowing me to slip on through. My shoes touch down on the asphalt and I take a step away from the door, with Lady Noire closing it right behind us. IF then ushers me through the hotel, right past the lobby and into the elevator area.

Fortunately, the elevator comes fairly quickly, with IF sending us two floors above our room's floor. I raise an eyebrow but she just nods in reply, so I trust in her. I think it might have to do with the fact there's some other people in the elevator, so she stands slightly behind me, which pushes me into the corner with my face facing the front of the elevator, preventing an easy camera shot of my face.

After we hit the floor IF pushed, we step off and head down the hall. IF then holds out her keycard and enters a room, gesturing for me to come inside. I do so, with IF staying outside. The room here looks mostly untouched; there's a few suitcases around but nothing's been unpacked.

Roughly five minutes pass before IF opens the door again. "Come on, we're moving. And move quickly."

I follow IF out into the hallway, where we then take the stairs down two floors and pop out into another hallway, where we're able to head to my room without anyone spotting us, supposedly.

"Sorry for all the misdirection, but I had a spare room reserved as insurance." She says, sighing while scratching her head. "Sheesh, talk about exhausting."

"Thanks for doing this all, though. It's seriously amazing."

IF smiles, flashing a thumbs up. "Anyways, just stay put in the room, okay? If you get hungry, let me know and I'll have Compa bring it up later since they might be watching for me rather than her."

"What are you doing now?"

"Dropping Noire off, then causing some more misdirection. It should obfuscate your actual location a little more." IF says, a playful grin on her face as she heads for the door.

"You're enjoying this a little too much."

"Well, I can't deny it's a bit fun acting like a movie spy, going all out like this." She says, her hand on the door. "Alright, stay safe, and don't open the door for anyone. I'll put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign too, so housekeeping doesn't bother you."

"Thanks. Have fun."

"Ohoho, you haven't seen anything yet."

"Whoa, whoa, watch the suit, it's expensive!" I say, immediately moving to put myself between the suit hanging from its hangar on a doorknob and the bottle in IF's hand.

IF only laughs as she puts the champagne bottle down on the table, having returned in the evening with a bottle of bubbly.

"Oh relax, it wasn't ready to blast, anyways. But, we didn't get to really talk while I was busy all afternoon, so I figured we could chat over dinner, which I guess is going to have to be delivery. Or room service, if you're down for that. But great job today. You plan that speech?"

"No, it kind of just spilled out."

"I'm surprised you could still dance, too."

"Blanc mentioned it might come up, so she drilled me again a day before over the phone."

"Ah, of course. Still though, you didn't have to do it." IF says, judging me in the ribs as she passes by me on the way to the fridge. "But hey, it's all over now, right?"

"Yeah, I just wish you didn't have to spend the rest of the afternoon trying to lose the press."

"They're really persistent, yeah. But still, it was fun driving a van in a movie-like chase. Seriously, I forgot how crazy fans can be sometimes. Anyways, enough of that!" IF says, clapping once. "Back on topic, I'm surprised you went through with the dance. You didn't have to."

"Ah, I'm still a bit weak to pressure, I guess."

"Haha, yeah you are. At least they didn't ask you about me. Now all you have to do is worry about surviving Vert. I've still got some pepper spray if you need it. And a taser."

"IF!"

"Kidding, kidding!" She says, laughing. "You sound actually worried."

"You are not helping!"

"Hehehe." IF snickers. "Well, teasing you is pretty fun."

"I can imagine. But, you seemed to be a bit bothered by something today."

"Oh, well…" IF says, putting her hands in her pockets and shrugging. "I was just trying to act a little distant, you know? In case they were taking any videos backstage they'd surprise you with of us being a little too friendly."

"Makes sense, I guess." I say, but I don't really see how she was 'putting distance' between us with how she acted. But it's hard to argue with her here, since no one really asked about IF.

"Worked, right?"

"Can't complain about that, you passed like a ship in the night."

"Yep! But that went really smoothly today, actually, since everyone was so laser focused on you and Noire. Even your friend made it out relatively unscathed." IF says as I start looking through the fridge. "Hey, pass me one of the orange sodas in there."

I reach in, grab a can, and underhand toss it to IF, who snaps the top open. "I guess it did go very smoothly, no real hiccups."

"Yeah, like Noire confessing on-stage. If she really wanted to nail you down, she would've done it, as I doubt you would've been able to say no."

I close the fridge after grabbing the can of carbonated half-lemonade-half-iced-tea, opening it. "Noire's not like that, you know?"

"Oh wow, getting pretty used to using her name."

"Everyone keeps bugging me about it, so figured I'd learn…" I say with a sheepish smile, scratching the back of my head.

"Haha, they've finally gotten to you. I guess Noire'd want to do it properly, anyways. So, if she shows up here, don't worry about it, I'll make myself scarce."

"IF!"

"Oh come on," IF says, shooting me an exhausted look as she holds her soda can by the upper rim, sitting down on the armrest of the sofa. "Everyone can see it, Elliot. The way she stammers about you two being just friends, how she hasn't flat out said you two couldn't go out, that shine in her eyes when you two were dancing, all of it. She's totally into you."

IF then flashes me a mysterious smile, looking like it's one of teasing but it seems to conceal something behind it.

"Look at you, though! Really moving up in the world, Elliot. You've gone in a few months what people think will take years!"

"Hey, IF." I say, swallowing my fears.

"Hm?"

"Why are you… so insistent about Noire and I?" I ask, feeling my conviction wavering.

"You want the best for your friends, right?" IF says, emphasizing the word friends. I nod at this, with IF continuing. "It's just that. Noire rarely ever finds someone she can get along so well with, so of course I'm going to root for you two. You two have really good chemistry, plus moving to Lastation and having a famous coffee shop… what more can you ask for?"

The word "you being there" threatens to creak out of my throat, but I somehow manage to hold it in.

"Have you made your choice, by the way?" IF asks, glancing away from me.

"Not yet. Kei said she'd give me the code to unlock the case with the data in it after this blew over, so I could probably ask her right now."

"Sounds like Kei, letting you focus on things one at a time," IF says, pausing to take a sip of soda. "Well, I know you'll make the right choice."

"Right… but you know, it's… it's a bit weird, thinking on how you've changed."

IF raises an eyebrow, turning her head towards me a bit. "How I've changed?"

"During the gala, you said to 'be honest' with Noire." I start off, with a conflicted expression dancing across IF's face.

"So you remember that, huh?"

"What's with that disappointed sounding sentence?"

"It wasn't, I'm just surprised." IF says, not looking towards me anymore.

"But yeah, back then, you said be honest with her, but now you've kind of shifted to this stance of pushing me to be with her. It's just kind of weird."

"Well you know, things change, Elliot. I mean, you had this weird distance between you two because you were super stiff, but now you're learning. Might be why I thought you didn't like her. But now that you're the you that you are now, it could… it could work out, so take that chance. Besides, I can tell that she really likes you. And I mean, as a friend, you know..."

Before I can say anything further, there's a knock on the door. IF puts her soda on the table and goes to check who it is before opening it, letting Lady Blanc in through the door, closing it behind her.

"Oi, I thought we were trying to hide him here."

"It's fine; if you look on the social media news, I had Ram and Rom be seen with 'Elliot' elsewhere, letting me slip away." Lady Blanc says.

"I don't know how you convinced Kei to do that."

"As if you're one to talk." Lady Blanc says with a knowing smile. IF just scowls at this, prompting a chuckle out of Lady Blanc. "But Elliot, it seems you weren't alone. Pardon my bluntness, IF, but I'd like to speak to him alone."

"How long is it going to take?" IF asks, picking up her soda.

"A considerable amount of time."

"Got'cha..." IF says with a nod. "Well, Elliot, if it takes long enough that I go to sleep, good night, Elliot. Guess I'll grab dinner on my own, so make sure to eat, got it?"

"O-oh, yeah, of course. Good night, IF."

"Though, I thought you might be here as well since you're just across the hall, so I have already gotten you some dinner, IF. I'm sure you're quite familiar with the sub and soup shop, Toppelly?" Lady Blanc asks, holding up one of two bags in her hands. "I was planning to hand it off to you if you weren't here."

"Oh, wow, going all out for me tonight, huh?" IF asks, taking the offered bag.

"I got your usual."

"Thanks, Blanc." IF says, heading out the door. While Blanc doesn't close it after she leaves, IF stands just past the doorway and pauses. With her back to us, I can't tell what her expression is, but I see her free hand tense up.

"IF, is something wrong?" Lady Blanc asks.

"I-it's nothing. Just, um, hey, you know…" IF turns her head just enough so our eyes lock. "...if you need anything, I'm right across the hall."

"Y-yeah, I will."

"Then… good night."

IF turns her head away, holding her right hand up as if to give a quick salute before reaching back with her hand and closing the door behind her.

After that, Lady Blanc locks the door. "Well, you did it. Congratulations are in order, Elliot, for sticking with it and not running away."

"I don't think I had much of a choice once I committed."

"Regardless, it was a difficult situation and you persevered. I must thank you as well, for taking the first step when we were afraid to. In order to pay you back, I thought I would come in and chat with you. I can tell you have a lot on your mind and now that this is over, there's plenty of time to think on everything else you've been holding back on. You entrusted your secrets to me, looking for guidance, so now that we have the room to breathe, I'll help you."

"Oh… thank you, Blanc."

"Hm, so you've started using our names."

"Well, you all kept asking me to, plus after using just your names on the show today, it feels… less stressful to do so."

Lady Blanc chuckles as she sits down, putting a bag on the table. "I did bring some dinner, so, Elliot, let's have a chat."

Oof, just shy by about two pages to match the length of the gala chapter, haha. Of course, I think it went about as long as it needed to, but these climax chapters are always fun to go hella long on. Don't expect this one for the Vert one though, don't think that one can really be stretched out unless I just combined two chapters into one. Hm. Maybe. Who knows?

Either way, when writing this chapter, I deliberately wrote it as a parallel to the gala chapter. One of the more obvious parallels was IF pushing Elliot forward with the phrase "Go get her, tiger", as those exact same words were said when IF pushed him forward towards Noire at the gala. If you want to have a bit of fun, you can go back to the gala chapter and try to find some of the parallels.

I thought it was fun to do that and it kind of fit, as the gala was all about concealing who Elliot and this event was all about revealing who he was. I think overall I had a lot more fun writing the gala chapter, since the issue is that now we're so far along and I've had an actual plotline running instead of this being a series of loosely connected friendship shenanigan arcs with each of the goddesses that I don't have as much narrative freedom as I have to remain consistent with what's been said earlier. Had we still been in the original plan, well, this chapter wouldn't have been written in the first place and I'd have to come up with something else, haha.

Anyways, next chapter is actually really short, so it might come out in a week assuming my schedule doesn't slip due to me fooling around in Blade and Sorcerery. Mods make that game way too fun.

Also, as a response to all the reviews from last chapter, I'm glad you guys are enjoying it so far. I think pacing wise I could have led up to it a little better, and if it had been in third person we'd definitely see more scenes of Noire and IF's tension. However, I think that going for a more subdued relationship means I don't have to pull off stock romcom shenanigans and instead can kind of focus more on how the situation forces Elliot to change his way of thinking. Rather than a 'love confession', I decided to aim more for a starting point of "Just asking out to get to know each other", since jumping straight to a love confession would probably screw with the pacing. Feels a little more down to earth, I guess, haha, and seems more like a natural evolution of feelings between people, plus I think a goal such as "I'd like to ask this person out" allows itself more wiggle room in terms of doubt in one's actions. If I had gone with "Elliot wants to confess his love", that locks me in quite a bit, but by going for something more subdued, there's still plenty of room for doubt in what's going to actually happen. Of course, I'm straining over here trying to explain myself without tipping my hand too much of what I have planned, haha.

Anyways, let me know what you all think!