"Ah, hello! How may I..." A purple-haired barista had asked once she heard the jingle from the entrance go off.

She had meant to give this customer her usual service that she gave to everyone. But she recognized this customer by the big, puffy hat that she always wore, and the school uniform of the school they both went to.

She wasn't a very expressive person, but even the purplette could tell that this brunette was the least bit happy.

"A double double espresso please..."

"Aw, come on Blanc. You're so lame. You come into Nepbucks, a place that's known for its variety in coffee and you-"

When she next looked at the now named brunette, Blanc, she was glaring at her in a very displeased manner. The purplette sighed and nodded, moving to get her coffee in the machine the store always used.

She turned around and walked back to Blanc with a bored expression on her face as she crouched down to rest her arms on the table and asked, "So what's up Blanny? Not spending your time with your sisters?"

Blanc rolled her eyes, but sighed and gave a small nod at the question. "Couldn't afford a trip over to Lowee this year. I'm short on Credits, so the least I could do was-"

"Go see me?" The purplette smirked, "Aw! How cute of you, Blanny! I appreciate you too. There's usually not that many customers on Christmas Day. So I appreciate you helping me make some extra cash!"

"Can it, Neptune." Blanc replied immediately, "I don't want to hear it from you."

Neptune blinked, "Do you reaaaaally have no one else to celebrate with?"

"What? You want me to celebrate with Thunder Tits? Or that stupid stuck up loner, Noire?"

Neptune waved her hands in front of her and then reached over to try and cover Blanc's mouth, only to be swatted away by Blanc with a confused look on her face.

"Relax, Blanc. We're trying to keep it PG alright? I know you're cutting it close. But that's too close for comfort!"

Blanc rolled her eyes in response, "You're stupid."

Neptune giggled and returned with Blanc's coffee, placing it in between them both as she spoke, "I never said I was smart. I am struggling to get by in class after all. At this rate I'll barely pass."

Blanc sighed, "That's why I chose you to have Christmas with, out of anyone else. You may be kind of an idiot, but at least you're genuinely nice. Unlike that stupid blonde..."

"Heh... I guess that's true." Neptune said in agreement, "But what about you? How's your Mom and your sisters? You haven't told me much about them. Well... you haven't talked to me much, but let's ignore that. Hehe~."

"Why would I tell you?" Blanc replied, "I have no reason to tell you the details on my life."

"Becaaaaaaause, you're kind of stuck with me for an hour or two more. While Junior might not have school and can handle herself at home, like I said, I have a few more hours before I can clock out and head home." Neptune explained, "So why not tell me more about yourself? I've always found you to be really interesting you know~?"

Blanc groaned in frustration, "You're lying."

Neptune immediately pulled out her phone and showed a screenshot of her time schedule. "Nope."

"That's forged."

"You think I have the know how to forge a screenshot?"

"..."

Neptune laughed and put her phone away. "I win! So you'll have to tell me about your family and how they're doing. And how you're doing, apart from being lonely. Because I already get that enough from Lonely Heart."

Blanc snickered, "That's one thing that we can agree on I guess."

Neptune nodded, "Yep. So now then...?"

Blanc grunted, but nodded in understanding as she took a sip from her coffee. "Fine. Let me elaborate then."

The brunette would then explain that normally, Rom and Ram lived with their grandma who lived in Planeptune, but due to her passing, they had been relocated to Lowee with their mother. So she couldn't see them that often anymore unless it was a holiday or any other special event.

She didn't have much to say on her grandma, but when she got to her mother, she did have quite a bit to say. Even if it wasn't the nicest of things...

"My mom, Yuki, is really * strict. She's not to Rom and Ram, but to me, she really expected the world and more from me." Blanc explained, "It's always "Study more! No games or friends! This family doesn't get sub par grades!", which granted, I really *-... fricking love books, but still. That woman didn't let me have a childhood at all man. It sucks..."

Neptune at this point now, was sitting beside Blanc and put a hand on her shoulder, giving an apologetic smile to the woman, "Your life may have been rough, but now that you're your own woman, you've got friends in us right?"

Blanc stared at her now cold coffee and snickered, "Heh. I wish. Thunder tits keeps boasting about how much she's better than me and flaunting her boobs, while Lonely Heart likes to be two faced about everything. Even small things that wouldn't bother anyone else she's overreacting to. Either in an overly upset manner, or overly embarrassed manner. It's fricking annoying."

She glanced to Neptune, "You're the only 'normal' one of the group. Even me. I have a short temper and don't talk much unless provoked by Thunder Tits."

Neptune chuckled and waved her hand dismissively, "Nah. I'm not perfect either. I barely got into this university honestly. I'm kind of just goofing off and having a good time while barely passing my classes. Everyone else has better grades than me, especially you."

Blanc let out a sigh, "How modest of you."

Neptune smiled, "Nothing like self deprecating humour huh?" she glanced to the coffee that rest on the counter, "You going to finish it? If not then I'll dump it and wash the cup before we leave."

Blanc quickly gulped down the rest of her coffee and gave a thumbs up to Neptune.

"Okay..." Neptune said awkwardly, taking the cup and putting it in the sink before returning and motioning for Blanc to stand up.

"Come on. Junior's probably worried by n-..." Neptune's phone buzzed, and the woman chuckled as she replied to what seemed to be a text, "Yeah. She's already starting to worry."

Blanc was still sitting on the stool, letting the coffee digest in her stomach. But Neptune wasn't having any of it and took Blanc by the arm, making the brunette blush for some reason.

"Neptune! I need to digest the coffee!"

"It's fine! If you need to go later, we have a bathroom obviously!"

"That's not- Argh! What the hell's wrong with you?!"

Neptune giggled as the jingle signaled their exit and she locked the store, "Everything. Now come on, my sister is getting worried."

"How does Nepgear deal with you? Seriously..."

An early Christmas story while I work on Chapter 4 of Negadimension

-TMCraze