Disclaimer: All respective rights/ownership go to their rightful owners. I claim no ownership besides any OC. I only wish to write a story :d.
"Let's meet up at the Central Mall then, there's plenty of places for us to hang out at! I'll meet you there at the fountain in the middle around 2:30 and don't you dare be late! See you soon! Lady Noire, 2:00PM.
You know, I'm super excited about this meet up. I've never really hung out with anyone besides Kasumi since I became friends with her. Well, I did have times when I and my friends had reconnected, we had a couple of chances to hang out. Although, these hangouts weren't really what they used to be. We would just go to places, talk, eat and do whatever we wanted. With the addition of Kasumi having to be present, as she refused to allow me to go by myself. It made things rather difficult at times. Like, we'd be hanging out and having a good time, but every time that I tried to include Kasumi into any conversation or activity, as she would just stay as close as possible to me without trying to get involved, it'd just get really awkward. She'd either outright refuse any sort of socialization, or nearly beg me to leave my friends behind at times. Sometimes I did just that. I can't say that I didn't expect this sort of behavior from her, but not to this extreme. It felt as if she never wanted anyone to have anything to do with me besides herself. Well, her declaration from before may have been a hint to that idea, but there's no way that's physically possible, and she's never been this proactive about it before. Not to mention there isn't any sort of logical reasoning besides me being her first real friend. Like, I had expected it to at least be the type of really awkward interactions between two parties that are newly acquainted, but instead it felt as if there was a steel cold wall between my friends and I when Kasumi was around. Well, I can't say it was JUST felt, since I saw it happen a few times in person. My friends would pointedly try to stay a bit further away from me than usual when Kasumi was close to me for example. They'd also direct conversations away from me and her, but I'd see them glance over to me at times. I did ask my friends about these interactions one time during one of the rare times Kasumi wasn't around me, and they didn't really answer me. At all. They just sorta clammed up before looking at each other. They eventually said there was nothing wrong and that it was a little difficult to suddenly talk to someone like Kasumi so quickly.
I somewhat understood where they were coming from. It wasn't easy to be friends with Kasumi, and especially having so suddenly be expected to befriend someone like her so quickly. I could see how she was difficult to be around, which explained their behavior to a degree, but it still felt as if there was something else at play. Not to mention that at that point, it had already been a month and a half, plenty of time to be fairly acquainted with someone.
Anyhow, I digress. My level of excitement was just as high as my level of nervousness. After all, how does one casually hang out with a Goddess? Is it even possible to do so without getting lynched? All the Goddesses have a "secret" cult that worships them to a rather extreme point. If anything on the internet is be believed with any grain of salt, then it's crazy how fanatical these cults can get. Although they aren't really secret since everyone knows about them. Ugh. This is so freaking stressful. It feels like the first time I reconnected with my friends. Except it's a Goddess. I swear, there must be some sort set of rules and regulations about this kind of stuff somewhere…
Ah well. At least as I was lost in thought I had made it to the mall…with 10 minutes to spare. Lastation really was mapped out well. Everything for entertainment purposes have been placed relatively close to each other for maximum efficiency. It does really help with productivity, so no one can really complain of the placement of the buildings. Speaking of buildings.
The Lastation Central Mall is the only mall in the nation. You'd think that'd be a bad idea for the nation, but it more than makes up due to it being the size of a fortress almost. It has just about everything and anything you could ever think of. All sorts of stores that sell a wide variety of product. Food, clothes, armor, weapons, shoes, medicine, aaaaand it'd honestly take forever for me to list what exactly is sold in this giant of a building. Just about everything is sold here really. I haven't been here that many times, due to Kasumi and me not having much of a social life. Kasumi didn't like crowds, so we typically went to quiet places or my house. She never really liked going to her house though for whatever reason. Although, one of the bigger reasons we didn't go out publicly really was because people would look at her oddly, which was a given thanks to her appearance. She'd get very annoyed and irritated quickly, so she liked to avoid the whole situation, but when we started to hang out with my old friends she had started to be more vocal of her dislike of going out. As such, going out to large crowded areas (like this mall) was a definite no go. I've went with my parents before but really, I don't really know much about this mall as I haven't gone to it much since I became a hunter. I haven't had time or money really to do so I'm a little afraid my lack of knowledge may hinder this hangout… Ah whatever. I'll just have to do whatever I can. I like to think I'm not completely sociably inept, but for now, I'll just find a bench near the fountain or something to wait for Lady Noire at.
The fountain is placed right at the entrance of the mall, so it makes for an excellent meetup spot for groups. The fountain itself is rather beautiful. It has a statue of Lady Black Heart in her HDD form in the middle with multiple spouts for water to jet out into a large basin. The fountain itself is surrounded with dark tiles that lead into various entrances to the large mall. Scanning around the area as I make my way towards a bench, I see a large crowd gathered in front of the fountain. I wonder what's goi- oh. Never mind. They're all dispersing now. Guess whatever it was isn't really all that spe- That's Lady Noire. Looking quite flustered might I add.
"Man, I thought that was Lady Black Heart. She looks SO much like her, doesn't she?"
"Totally dude. If it wasn't for the glasses, I'd be 100% convinced she was. Though, it's a little weird to be cosplaying as her in broad daylight no?"
"You're right, but it's a treat none the less! Anything Lady Black Heart is perfect!"
"Totally dude! Still though, that cosplay is WAY to accurate…"
Conversations similar to this one was going on around me as the people dispersed and returned to what they were doing. There is no actual way that some person can cosplay as Lady Black Heart so well that they would cause such a commotion. Everyone knows exactly what the Goddess looks like, human or HDD form, so they'd have to look almost exa- that's Lady Noire.
Amidst the sea of departing people from the center of the fountain, Lady Noire can be seen standing in the center looking quite flustered. She's wearing red rimmed glasses and her typical dress that everyone has seen her wear a thousand times. It actually makes you wonder if she has multiple copies of the same dress, or if her one dress is blessed with some sort of magic causing it to never get dirty or tear. None the less, that's 100%, without a doubt Lady Noire. And if the conversations around me are anything to go off on, she somehow convinced them all she was a cosplayer. I don't know if I should commend the Lady's speaking skills for being able to convince the people like that or shake my head in shame of my people.
Speaking of the Lady, she's looking straight at me. Better make my way to her.
Now, as my legs are slowly carrying myself closer to her, a sudden thought enters my mind: How do I greet her!?
By normal standards, a simple 'hello' would do. But this is obviously by no means anything normal. I'm meeting the Goddess of Lastation for a casual hangout. Casual. A word that normally isn't associated with our resident Goddess. She's known to be extremely strict, efficient, stubborn, and hard headed. My meeting with Lady Black Heart before really shook me. I had expected an insanely formal dinner with her in HDD form with this aura that would shake me. Instead I had gotten a friend. I really don't know what to do. God it feels like the first time that I ever hung out with anyone outside of socially obligatory situations. That was an incredibly awkward time for me and it feels like it all over again as I near Lady Noire.
I'm…honestly scared. Very scared. I'm so lost on what to do. I kind of want to just run away and pretend that I didn't see her with an excuse that I saw a cosplayer instead of her. That's pretty believable, if any of the dozens of people who just got tricked are anything to go by.
As I'm getting closer to Lady Noire, I'm seriously considering this option, looking in hindsight, I probably would have run away if I hadn't looked at her eyes at that exact moment.
It was only a quick glance, nothing much, but the glance that I had gave her was the only one that was needed in order for my eyes to be driven towards her.
Her eyes. They contained such joy. Pure happiness is what it'd really call it really, not joy. It's almost as if she's amazed that I actually came, then again, I could sympathize with that. I felt a similar emotion when my friends came for our first ever get together I believe, but it looks like she's feeling something more intense.
I hadn't noticed, but in the time that it toke me to get lost in Lady Noire's eyes (cringing as I mentally say that), I had gotten very close to her. In fact, we're only a couple of feet away from each other. It seems that she may very well be in the same sort of trance that I was in…. and now we're just awkwardly standing here. Well, to be more accurate, I'm the one that's standing here awkwardly staring at her straight in the eyes. I mean, Lady Noire is also staring me in the eyes, except that she's not entirely there. I have my senses with me and can totally stop this little thing we have going on.
Except that I'm not stopping this. Her eyes…such a nice shade of r- WAIT! NO!
In an effort to stop myself from going down a route I could never come back from, I started to rapidly shake my head left and right while slapping my cheeks. That's one way to stop this weird moment for sure. Not a preferred method, but it's better than where my thoughts were going.
The effect of my actions isn't instantly rewarded as I had expected, as it takes Lady Noire a couple seconds to react to my rather sudden actions.
"W-w-w-what are you doing Adam!? Stop it!" Lady Noire says as she worms her way around my actions and grabs hold of my shoulders to forcibly stop me.
Now. I know I said that us staring at each other vacantly was rather awkward, but this might be even more awkward as we're now just standing really close to each other with Lady Noire's hands on my shoulders. She's slowly starting to gain a fierce blush as she too, has realized our rather precarious situation. I totally can't take this as I can feel my own blush growing on my cheeks thanks to the…ample view I'm being given. Pretty sure this is grounds for execution and if it isn't lawful grounds for such, many cults would do the job happily.
"O-oh!" Guess I don't have to think up of a way to get out of this. Lady Noire noticed our situation as well and quickly put some distance between us as she slightly twists her body away from me. Good thing too, I feel like I was about to have a heat stroke…but now we're at an awkward situation again. Guess, I'll just lead.
"So…" Man, she instantly snapped her entire body back onto me. Way to put the pressure on a guy. "Those are…nice glasses!" So weak. I even slightly yelled that. I feel like such a lame anime protag right now. If I had my sword I would totally- that's it! That's what I was missing, my freak-
"Pfft, what kind of compliment is that Adam! Way to sound lame!" Lady Noire (I'm getting the hang of it!) says as she lightly giggles into her hand. Well, that's one way of ending an awkward situation.
"Yea… I just had to say something. To clear the air" I say feeling incredibly embarrassed.
"Well you certainly cleared the air with a cheap line like that." Lady Noire says as her last bit of mirth ends with a hand to her mouth.
"Yea well, umm anyway. Did I make you wait long? It kinda looks like you've been here for a bit with all the people that surrounded you." I say as I put my hand behind my neck.
"O-oh, no, you didn't make me wait long at all. I just got here a little early is all and the people started to swarm me. I'm really surprised that they saw through my disguise…" That statement just made me question so many things. So much that I just flopped my arm back down to my side. How did the Goddess of Lastation think that adding glasses to her attire would fool people? Furthermore, how did the people believe such a crappy disguise in the end? Maybe it's best I never understand.
"Ah well, maybe that means some people really know our Goddess."
"Haha, yea. Maybe…" Lady Noire says awkwardly, but dejectedly as she looks downwards slightly. I think I messed up right there…and now it's awkward again. Great.
"So uhh…do you want to head on inside the mall and look around for now Lady Bla- Noire. Lady Noire." Guess I'm not as good as saying her name as I think I am.
"Ignoring you're screwup there, I think that's a good idea. There's a couple of stores I want to go to first, then we can go wherever. Just don't mess up my name again, okay Adam?" She said that like a question, but I feel like it's more of a threat than anything else.
"Right, sorry about that. It just sorta slipped out."
"Hmph, it better just has slipped out. It'd be a pain if my f-f-friend addressed me so formally all the time. Now, let's get on, shall we?" Lady Noire says as she turns towards the entrance of the mall and begins to leave me behind with her arms crossed against herself.
"Right, Lady N-noire!" I find myself saying as I move to catch up to her.
It feels so weird, but pleasant. Before, I was panicking at the idea of being around her as a "friend". I'm not entirely sure about how I thought about this at first when we became "friends" but hearing her say it really makes it sound true.
I won't lie, even with her having texted me and asked to meet up. I still felt as if it was all a joke or a dream. For someone like me who's only ever seen the Goddess on T.V, prayed for the Goddess and given her the blind faith that most Lastation citizens do, to suddenly be saved and asked to become her friend? I know it's more complex than that, but it's really jarring. How could someone like Lady Black Heart think I'm good enough to be her friend. Just saving her little sister couldn't really be enough. It really makes me think…just what did she s-
"Hey Adam! Are you going to catch up any time soon!? We don't have all day you know!" Wait what?
Unknowingly, I had slowed down to a crawl as I had gotten lost in my thoughts and lost some distance on Lady Noire. I shouldn't think about this for now, it's not healthy.
"Sorry Lady Noire, I'm coming!" I say as I pick up my pace to catch up to her.
I glance into her eyes for a second before glancing back away and saw mirth and joy dancing in her red eyes.
For now. I won't think too much more on this. I can't think like this really. I don't know what she thinks about this, and everything I can think of are really just wild assumptions that I have no excuse for making up.
Besides. I feel my lips begin to widen at the thought which is rare nowadays, but…
It'd be nice to have a friend.
A/N: Can't say much about the rather late update. But thanks to the people who have been following/faving this story in my longish absence. Good to see that people have an interest.
Hopefully I won't be lazy or distracted for the next update, but with BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle and my birthday coming, idk. I'm probably gonna write the second I get home anyway. Who knows! I might end up finishing another chapter before I fall asleep tonight.
Anywho, as always, thank you for reading and having a pleasant morning, evening, or night! Also, happy Memorial Day weekend for the U.S!