"Oh, my name is Uzume Tennouboshi!" Uzume introduced herself to Plutia. "Uu-zuu-meh," Plutia repeated to commit it to memory. "What are you doing here Plutsy?" Uzume asked. Plutia hummed, not talking for a minute.
"Plutsy?" Uzume asked again, waving her hand in Plutia's face. "Yoou wooould make a niiiice plushie," Plutia finally said with a tranquil smile. "Did you hear Uzume's question Plutsy?" Uzume tried to keep the conversation going.
"Nope, I waas thinking on how cuuute your plushie would look," Plutia replied without shame. "What are you doing here Plutsy?" Uzume repeated the question. "Plutsy?" Plutia asked in return, finally realizing what she's been called.
"Yeah! It's a super duper captial c cute nickname! Like Blinksy, Clydsy, Pinksy, Inksy, and Exs-" Uzume stopped herself from saying EXE's name. Remembering she's friends with a super criminal. "Oooh, teehee, it's sooo cuuute Uzume!" Plutia giggled and so did Uzume.
"Aaanyywaaay, Histy sent me, Iffy and Compa on quests, but I wanna nap!" Plutia whined. "Okie dokie, Uzume wants to help her friends in the Zero District! Everyone's homeless, and we get beaten by meanies. So Uzume wants to earn money and clean up her home!" Uzume explained her reasoning. Of course she wants to help Planeptune as a whole, but Uzume is starting small.
"Woowiiee, you're sooo niice Uzume, but what do you mean homeless?" Plutia asked. "You don't know Plutsy? We live in tents, abandoned buildings, and other hidy holes. Because no cares about us, and Uzume wants to change that!" Uzume further explained. Plutia blinked, suprise that people are suffering.
"Well, I gotta go Plutsy, hope to see you again soon!" Uzume waved goodbye as she jogged off. Plutia waved goodbye and frowned once Uzume left. 'People are homeless? Why didn't no one tell me?' Plutia wondered.
Uzume was in Green Green Hills, her quest is to kill something called a Marksman John. Uzume looked at the poster of the thing. It's got bright green armor and one of the smaller robots, human sized. It's got great range capabilities and some can even operate other machines.
Thankfully, this one has supposedly been heavily damaged after a fight with a local farmer. Who had his rifle stolen by the damn thing. So, Uzume's job is to finish off the Marksman John and reclaim the farmer's rifle.
Uzume sat down on the hills. Looking at the beautiful sun, the swaying grass, and cool wind blowing through her hair. She caught a glint of something, that wasn't grass. Her instincts told her to hit the deck. Uzume dived to her stomach as a crack came from the distance, and something whizzed over her.
She looked to see the Marksman John get up, and start running. Uzume scrambled to her feet, and rushed after it. It turned around, it's black visor glinting in the afternoon sun. It shot at Uzume, who side stepped, but it ended up catching her shoulder. Sending Uzume, spiraling towards the ground.
She screamed in pain, blue waves of sound came from her mouth. Rocks and blades of grass were torn from the ground. As the Marksman John was pelted with rocks and was sent to the ground. Uzume ran to him, clutching her shoulder. She flipped, and slammed her knee on the torso of the robot. An twisted, somewhat angry smile on her face.
The Marksman John turned into data, and left the rifle. Uzume fell on her ass, breathing heavily. Her hair matted with sweat. This wasn't some street fight, but an actual life or death situation.
Even though the bullet hit her, and felt like it pierced her, it didn't. Uzume didn't see any blood or holes on her shoulder. 'Is that how HP works?' She wondered. HP allows one to take normally fatal blows, but that damage drains ones own life. So if someone was shot in the leg. They'd still feel that pain, and the damage subtracts a number. However, there would be no bullet holes, bleeding, they would be able to keep fighting.
Uzume stood up and slung the rifle over her arm. She turned to hear soft clapping. Plutia was lethargically cheering for Uzume. "Oh, where did you come from Plutsy?" Uzume asked. "I heeard the gunshooots, sooo I fooloowed them and fouuund you!" Plutia explained. "Uzume completed her first quest, is she cool?" Uzume asked Plutia who nodded. Uzume cheered as she was called cool.
"Lady Plutia!" A voice called out, two girls ran to Uzume and Plutia. One of the girls has long brown hair and striking green eyes. A blue longcoat over a black tube top, despite her being flat. Black shorts and brown boots. The other girl has salmon coloured hair and peach eyes. Wearing a creamy woollen sweater, with detached sleeves. A red plaid skirt, and boots.
"Hiii Iffy, hi Cooompa!" Plutia said, like she hasn't seem them in years. "Lady Plutia! We heard gunshots and you weren't there! Are you okay?!" The brown haired girl, 'Iffy' asked. "I'm ookaay Iffy, thiiis is Uuuzuume, say hi youuu twooo," Plutia gestured to Uzume.
"I'm IF, i'm like a Gust of Wind Blowing Through Gamindustri," IF introduced herself, Uzume's dark purple eyes sparkled in admiration. "So cool!" She squeaked. "I'm Compa, I'm a nurse. I like your outfit, it makes you look dark and mysterious," Compa chirped.
"Uzume Tennouboshi! The super duper coolio-est person of all time, ever!" Uzume introduced herself, pointing to the sky, and one hand on her hips. "Uhhh, pretty cool name Uzume," IF scratched the back of her head. "You also think Uzume is cool?! Oh! We're gonna be the cool buddy duo of awesomeness!" Uzume fantasized, interlocking her fingers under her chin.
"Can I put a raincheck on that?" IF asked with apprehension. "Okie dokie!" Uzume chirped, and she stopped fantasizing. Uzume looked at IF, and she reminded her of someone. The cool confidence, and strong presence. It reminded her of EXE.
"C'mon Lady Plutia, we gotta head back," IF said as, her, Compa, and Plutia began to head back to Planeptune. "I hope to visit youuu Uuuzume!" Plutia sang as she waved goodbye. "Bye bye!" Uzume exclaimed, as she began to skip back to Planeptune.
"Lady Plutia, where did you meet her?" IF asked and Plutia said at the guild. "She said she's homeless, that's sooo saaad. That others aaare suuuuffering. Are you and Histy keeping something from me?" Plutia asked, her soft, light magenta eyes glowing a sharp and dangerous crimson.
"No Lady Plutia! We aren't keeping anything from you!" IF quickly assured Plutia. Who narrowed her eyes as they glowed harsher. "If I find out you're lying Iffy.." Plutia kept her threat vague. Her eyes returning to their original color. Plutia marched ahead, and IF wiped sweat from her brow.
Meanwhile, Uzume finally got back to the abandoned apartment complex in the Zero District after a day of quests. "Hey! Uzume!" Blinker said as he ran up to Uzume. "We heard you're actually trying to change Planeptune, and that you've been on a quest," Blinker said.
"How did you know that Blinksy?" Uzume asked. "Well, EXE told us, and we're spreading it around. That someone is actually doing something about Planeptune," Blinker explained and Uzume looked around. She saw EXE, talking with Ms. Fami, she was trying to convince him to hold baby B-Sha.
Uzume felt herself be picked up by Pinko and Ink. "Hooray for Uzume! Uzume! Uzume! Uzume!" Everyone cheered for Uzume. Someone used a totally legally obtained jukebox. Then began to play music.
As everyone began to settle down. EXE and Uzume were in their room. "Exsy?" Uzume said, wanting to know why of all times he chose to come out of his room. "Uzume, I didn't think you were serious. I don't know if what you want will work. This dream of yours, I want it to come true. I want nothing more than to see your dreams come true."
"I'm no saint, but i'll do whatever I can to help. I have nothing left to lose, and everything to gain. Uzume, what do you want me to do?" EXE asked. "Why?" Uzume asked, and there was the question. Why is EXE doing this? Despite being a doubter and recluse for so long.
"Because Uzume, I love Planeptune. Despite Iris Heart, someone I considered my best friend. Branding me a criminal, and my general disillusionment with CPUs. I still give a damn. We've been friends for too long for me to just erase it. I want to be her friend again, I want a friend again," EXE explained his reasons. Swallowing every ounce of pride and hesitation.
"Believe in Uzume Exsy! She'll change Planeptune!" Uzume declared. "I'll be by your side, no matter what," EXE also declared. "Oh Exsy!" Uzume cried in joy, jumping onto EXE. Wrapping her arms around his neck. Hugging him tightly, which EXE returned.
There was one lingering doubt, the criminal underbelly of Zero District. EXE vowed to make sure her dream comes to fruition. He'll be her shadow, her shoulder to lean on, her friend. EXE plans to take on the criminal underworld.
EXE has fully embraced his role as Kurome's 'Umio'. Initially I wanted EXE to be unjustly branded as a criminal. However, I figured out what EXE did. Which will be explored later.