I rolled my neck, the solid cracking sounds sent some relief to me, as I sat in the kitchen at about 1 in the morning.
I sighed, as I opened the refrigerator, as I slid the countless pudding cups labeled 'Nep' to the side, most of them being stored their with some false hope they'd be gone in the morning.
I reached further into the fridge, pulling out a jug of milk, as I poured a glass of milk into a glass nearby, as I took a sniff of the milk.
"Still smells fresh." I muttered, as I placed the jug back into the refrigerator, as I closed the door, sliding down to my knees as I placed my head against the cold metal of the refrigerator door.
"Oh! Bryce." Said a voice, as I turned my head to see Nepgear in her pajamas. "What are you doing up so early?"
"I could ask you the same thing." I said, standing up as I brought the glass of milk to my lips, as I took a sip. "Can't sleep… I would take some melatonin.. But we don't have any."
"Ah… I guess that makes sense." Said Nepgear, as she nodded, as I placed my glass down on the nearby counter. "I take it you've had trouble for a few nights now?"
I nodded, rubbing my eyes with my right index finger and thumb, as I looked at her with half lidded eyes, some rather dark bags over my eyes.
I sighed, as I picked up the glass of cold milk as I knocked back my head and let the cool liquid run down the back of my throat.
"...I've only ever had insomnia on days that would make sense, like the day before my birthday or days I would be going on vacation or something. But to experience the way I have for the past few days…" I muttered, running my hands through my hair, as a few flakes of dandruff fell onto the counter, as Nepgear walked next to me, opening up one of the numerous pudding cups.
"I can't imagine that's healthy…" She said, with a small laugh of sympathy.
I nodded, as she looked down at the cup in her hands, the pudding inside jiggling around slowly.
Nepgear sighed. "Sis hasn't really been the same since Peashy disappeared."
"I don't think any of us are." I said, looking back at the refrigerator. "You left that open by the way."
"Ah!" Nepgear jumped over to the door, closing it shut, as she sighed. "...She's working herself to the bone."
"You're not wrong…" I said, leaning against the counter.
There was a sudden silence between us, as I let out a breath.
"...Are you sure?" She asked me suddenly, breaking our shared silence.
"Hm?" I turned my head slightly in her direction.
"Are you sure you're fine?" Asked Nepgear. "I know you keep telling us that you're fine, but you've been acting… really paranoid recently."
"I… don't know what you're talking about…" I said, the dandruff on the counter suddenly looked more interesting.
"You don't leave your room until late in the morning, sometimes only waking after we've had lunch-"
"Have you met me?" I asked bluntly.
"You've made a conscious attempt to keep any and all weapons away from your being, going so far as to toss your gun holster, with your gun in it over the balcony mind you." Said a new voice, as IF walked into the room. "And if I heard the most recent conversation, you've been suffering from insomnia for the past few days, and I don't think it's from you not being tired."
"...Okay fine! I'm not better! I feel worse! Is this what you wanted me to admit?" I asked, as I turned to IF. "Side note, when did you get here?"
"Compa and I were staying over with Neptune last night in an attempt to make her feel better." Said IF. "Also, you aren't really making any attempt to be quiet."
"I take it that went about as well as expected." I said, looking at her with mild interest. "How'd that go?"
"Don't change the subject." Said IF, as I turned my eyes to the floor with a small scowl. "You're also exaggerating. If you really felt worse, I'm sure you'd have attempted suicide again."
I moved away from the countertop, as I sat down at one of the nearby chairs. "What the hell do I do?" I asked, as I put my hands on my forehead. I sighed. "I always imagined going to another universe would be something out of a movie, where everything always works out for the outsider, but look at me… I'm a attempted suicide victim, who's stuck in a world who's own murphy's law seems to have been cranked to 11."
"Bryce…" Nepgear said, as she sat down on the chair next to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "...Have I ever told you about the time I went with my big sister on a mission once?"
I turned to Nepgear, as she looked down at the countertop.
"We were with the other CPUs, and we were fighting someone by the name of Magic, and we were being easily outmatched…" Nepgear said, as she sighed. "...I couldn't activate my HDD yet, so I was helpless as I saw her take out each and every one of the CPUs… I thought I was going to die there…"
"Compa and I had been following them as backup, and we were able to get out with Nepgear, but Nep and the others were taken hostage." Said IF.
"When we got back, I was probably around the point you are right now…" Said Nepgear. "I was… scared, all four nations' shares were plummeting, and there really wasn't much we could do…"
Nepgear grew a smile on her face, as she reminisced. "But, I had IF and Compa with me, and then I met the other candidates, Rom and Ram… Uni, and they helped me out of the hole I was in, I gained confidence, and we went after Magic to get back our sisters…"
Nepgear looked over at me, as I stared intently at her as she told her story. "What I'm trying to say, is that you won't get better on your own. Sometimes you need your friends and family to help you out of the hole."
I closed my eyes and let out a slight laugh. "Thanks… I needed that… Sis…"
I felt the cold touch of the counter as I rested my face against it, drifting off to sleep finally.
I awoke to find myself back in my room, as I pulled the bedsheets off me.
"...I won't get better on my own…" I muttered, as I opened the door to the main room, seeing a tired Neptune searching the fridge. "...And neither will you…"
"Morning Neptune!" I said, walking over to her.
"Morning…" She mumbled out, as she took out a cup of pudding, as she sat down on one of the chairs near the counter.
"So, what's the plan for today?" I asked.
"Searching." Said Neptune, struggling to open the cup of pudding.
"...That was your plan yesterday." I said, holding my hand out as she placed the cup in it, as I opened her pudding cup for her. "Look… You need a break. And I'm not taking no for an answer."
"I can't stop…" Neptune said, as she looked down.
I sighed, as I walked over to the balcony. "I'm going out to clear my head, when I'm back I expect to find you playing video games or something."
I didn't hear a response by the time I opened the balcony doors.
I sighed, as I checked the web shooters on my wrists, still there. I looked to the side in wonder, before nodding,as I threw my coat on.
"...Okay, here goes nothing." I said, as I hoped onto the railing, before yelling as loud as I could. "Oh sh*t, wait, I forgot my webshooters!"
I then jumped off the balcony, as I started to free fall, as I twisted my body to see a bright light from the top of the tower, as a very worried Purple Heart chased after me, grabbed my arm before I had even gotten halfway down the tower.
"Are you okay!?" She asked in worry, only to see the web shooter on my wrist. Hook, line and sinker.
"Oh, I'm just perfect." I said, smirking. "But are you better? Or do I need to do something more stupid so I can get you to stop worrying so much."
"I… you…" She said in anger, before I pulled myself up her eye level, using the small amount of muscle I had gained from all the webswinging, as I looked at her.
"You, me, tomorrow, the mall, we're going to do something nice. Capiche?" I asked, as I nodded to myself, as I broke my grip with her, as I continued my freefall, before shooting out a webline at the tower, swinging towards some of the other tall buildings nearby, letting go as I shot two strands out to pull myself forwards like a slingshot.
"...I just asked the goddess of a nation out on a date…" I said to myself, as I fired another webline, launching myself upwards, as I maneuvered myself so I landed on a nearby roof. "...I think I'm going to pass out… holy crap…"
After taking as second to get my breathing in check, I pulled out my phone.
"What the hell is there to do at the freakin' mall?" I asked myself, as I searched the internep.
"Hey guys!" I shouted from above as I swung low and went into a jog as I slowed down next to IF and Compa.
"Morning Bry-Bry!" Said Compa.
"You seem to be in a better mood this morning. What happened?" Asked IF.
"So… I MAY have just asking Neptune on a date." I said, as they both stopped and turned to me.
"Wait, you did what?" asked IF as I rubbed the back of my head.
"Yeah… See I wanted to get Neptune's mind off of Peashy… And that was kind of the first thing that came to mind." I said, clasping my hands together. "SO… I need your help."
"This ought to be good." Said IF.
"What exactly is there to do at a mall?" I asked.
"...I'm sorry?" IF asked.
"Look, I've never been on a date before, and now I've said to be at the mall, and I don't even know what the hell to do there." I said.
"Bryce." IF said, as I stopped pacing back and forth. "It's a MALL, I'm sure you'll find something to do rather quickly."
"I'm hoping as much…" I said to myself.
"Well, why not join us for a quest to keep your mind off it for now." Said Compa, as we looked ahead to see we were at the guild building. "Iffy and I were on our way to go take one anyway."
"Well, I don't think it'll hurt, just so long as it's something I can go hand to hand at, since… well, I don't have my gun on me right now." I said, nodding as we walked into the building.
"Go on a quest they said, it would be fun they said!" I exclaimed, as I back flipped away from a very sharp set of claws.
"We never said this would be easy!" Said IF, as she unloaded a couple of rounds into the hide of the Ancient Dragon we were fighting. "It's hide is too thick, we'll need to switch to melee weapons to do any real damage."
"Of course we will." I muttered, flicking my wrist forward as a glob of webbing slammed into the dragon's eyes, blinding it. "He's distracted, now!"
IF dashed forwards, her katars in hand as she slashed at the back of the dragons ankles, causing the dragon to roar and fall onto it's knees.
I quickly ran up to IF, who crouched down as I jumped onto her arms, as she pushed me into the air. I quickly took aim and sent out a barrage of webbing, trapping the dragon to the ground. I landed into a roll as I turned back to IF. "NOW!"
IF nodded, as she charged forward, jumping into the air, before plunging both of her weapons into the dragon's head.
The beast didn't even get a chance to roar in defiance before it was silenced forever, the creature seemingly dissipating into a bunch of particles, as said particles turned into different items.
"I think… that's enough adventuring for today." I said, sighing, as I walked over to Compa, who was on standby. "I still don't think this 'leveling up' thing is working for me."
"I don't like to admit it, but I think you're right." Said IF. "I think I ended up with all of the EXP from that battle…"
"Just means if I want to get stronger, I'll have to do it the good old fashioned way." I said, crossing my arms. "By training in ways that DOESN'T involve giant monstrous dragons from hell."
"Suit yourself." Said IF, as she grabbed a nearby water bottle.
"I'm gonna head back to the basilicom." I said, as I put my hands in my pocket. "I think it would be a good idea to check up on Neptune about now."
"Fair enough. Compa and I still have a few more quests to finish up, so you might as well hurry on ahead." Said IF, as I nodded, running off to the basilicom.
As I walked into the basilicom, I headed straight for the elevator, as I placed my thumb to the fingerprint scanner, before pressing the top button, as the elevator started to ascend.
"...Ba da da da, da da da da da… ba da da da, da da da da da…" I started to silently sing some elevator music to myself as I rode the elevator upwards. "Ba da da, dada da, da, da da, da da da, da, da da, DA! Da da, da da da dat!"
As I finished, the elevator opened up as I walked in to find Histoire standing there with an unreadable expression on her face.
"...Uh… Hi?" I said uncertainty. "Did I do something wrong again?"
"That depends, is Neptune's current state of distress your fault?"
I sighed. "I prefer a word other than fault, makes it sound like I'm in trouble. Yes, it might."
Histoire nodded, as she let out a sigh. "She's thankfully stopped worrying so much about you know who, and seems to be… a bit more worried about something else happening tomorrow."
"...I may have asked her out in an attempt to get her to stop worrying so much about Peashy?" I said.
"...Oh… I see." Said Histoire. "...I thought it was something worse than that."
"What the hell is she doing that could make you think it was worse?" I asked.
"Well…" Histoire said looking to the side in a thousand yard stare, only to return back to normal a second later. "It's best you don't know."
"...Well, that's not ominous at all." I said, raising an eyebrow. "Thanks for letting me know though."
I started walking further inside, only to stop and turn around. "Side note: You wouldn't happen to know where Plutia is, would you?"
"I'm right behind you!"
"Gah!" I jumped forwards as I stumped to stand up straight. "DON'T DO THAT!"
"Eh he he…" Plutia let out a giggle.
"Anyways," I began, pulling her into the living room. "How's Neptune."
"Nepy? I think she's busy shopping online?" Said Plutia.
"...Shopping online?" I asked.
"Well, I think her reasoning was I: 'need something nice for tomorrow'. Something like that…" Said Plutia.
"That… kind of makes sense now that I think about it…" I said, looking to the side. "When WAS the last time Neptune wore anything besides the same outfit."
I shrugged, before pulling my coat off, as I gave it a once over.
"Might as well try and find a new one while I'm at the mall tomorrow." I muttered, looking over the various holes, tears and whatnot.
"I could fix it…" Plutia said, as I turned to her.
"Seriously?" I asked, wide eyes. "Because if you can, I'll take you up in a heartbeat."
"It's no problem!" Said Plutia, as she took the coat from my hands. "Though it's not a plushie, I should be able to fix it up alright."
"...Right, well, I'm gonna go pass out then." I said, looking at my watch to find it was around 6:30 PM. Nodding to myself, I walked over to my room, opening the door as I climbed onto my bed.
"...Tomorrow…" I muttered. "...Let's hope things go well."