#WHISTLE# wow, nearly 60K views, and it hasn't even been a year yet. Wow, that's pretty good for my first fanfic ?(at least I think so)
Whelp, here's another chapter guys, lemme know what you think. Also, do you guys feel the tension slowly building to the climax, cause I sure do. Hehehehehe, believe me, when writing this I sometimes got a mix of Berserk AND Warhammer vibes.
Chapter 120 - The Gala Part 5
Hunger…
Fresh blood…
Carnage…
SLAUGHTER…
They hungered. They wanted blood, they wanted to gorge themselves on the slaughter. They wanted rivers of blood to run across the mortal plane, to swim in it to the point where everything was painted in that gorgeous, luscious red. They wanted to drink the fear of man like it was a finely aged wine. They wanted to rip open man's ribcages, gorge themselves on Man's organs while they still draw breath, to hear man's screams and howls of anguish that surpass any form of sound they ever made in their brief, fruitless existence.
For them, it would be the pinnacle of ultimate bliss, to tear apart opposition and prove themselves to be the greatest shredders of blood in the Devildimension. They wish to please their master, they wished to earn his tremendous, gory favor while bathing in gallons upon gallons of blood that dwarfed the ocean itself. They were the apostles of the end of times, they were the last thing any mortal would see before their sinister blades tore the life from their bodies like an army of bloody hounds. Hounds that were within their ranks, they were a real manifestation of their lord's desire for an unending merciless slaughter. None shall be spared, all shall perish under the might of their lord's sword because so is his desire.
Hundreds of them lay, awaiting the moment that they would get the chance to tear into the mortal realm, the world known as 'Gamindustri' by the pathetic prey that was the human race. Even those so-called 'immortal' Goddesses did not know of their true power, of the true terror they represented, which was fine by them. All the more reason to eagerly await the moment where they could cross into the mortal realm, to lay down their swords onto the unaware flesh of their victims, to sink their fangs into those helpless prey and to utterly annihilate all form of life in the Devildimension. They would be like a crimson flood, a flood of nothing but bloody red that tore through anything in its path. They would be like one big mass of flesh, limbs, fangs, claws and weapons, all screaming bloody murder, or desire to do only the ending of any life that dared cross their path.
Now, the waiting game was near the end phase. They knew this to be so, they could feel it in their guts, every pore that made up their beings told them that their waiting would be over soon, that they would get to enjoy the most wonderful of harvests. Harvests to do with life, that is. The killing of those who were strong, to pillage, steal, rape and even all of them at once if they felt like it. They would desecrate anything that was considered sacred by the enemy, to make widows un-numbered, orphans beyond count in the name of their great master. They would be willing to commit the most unholy of acts, to taint even the rest of beings with their malice and desire for destruction if it so pleased their master, because this was their way of workship. Their master, a being whom only cared about the absolute continuation of the slaughter he loved wherever they may find it. If there are those who attempted to resist them, all the better, they would at least get a worthwhile fight out of them before feasting upon their souls. Even dying would be no problem, instead it was the greatest honor for them as it showed their absolute devotion to the way of their god
Such was the way of the great Khorne.
If she thought their meeting before was awkward, then Noire would like to smack her past self in the face cause THIS felt way worse.
Vert had guided Noire out of the Main Hallway and lead her down a large corridor. She could see how there were multiple Leanbox guards in knightly uniforms standing along both sides, each of them carrying a Spear with few carrying Shields on their backs. All of them stood at attention like stiff boards Noire had seen throughout her own Basilicom. The fact that she could sense divine energy in this place, as to be expected with a CPU living here, was the only thing that Noire could use to keep some semblance of her calm demeanor intact. In relation to the knights, she could even note how they got even stiffer (if that were even possible) when their CPU passed them. She didn't know what they thought of her, since their helmets covered their faces, but if her instincts were any accurate then Noire would guess that they regarded her with extreme wariness.
She couldn't blame them either.
This situation, it didn't feel like the one she faced in Lastation where a simple change of headwear (first her eyeglasses then a Mask) would fool the masses into thinking she was anything other than the CPU of the Land of Black Regality. These Knights, they held themselves in a way that she got the feeling that none of them would have been fooled by such a ploy in the slightest. Much like IF, her Spec Ops Agents, Team RAIL… Nico… they all had figured it out, pathetically easy too she might add. Fortunately, none of them dared try anything, especially when their CPU was within walking distance of them. The blackette couldn't help but bitterly think that Vert, right now, unknowingly served as the wall that separated her, the pitiful prey, from them, the bloodthirsty and hungry predators.
Well, not like she would accept the role of prey that easily. She was not so weak after all, especially with what she had on her right now.
After walking through seemingly endless corridors with almost suffocating silence, Vert final turned on her heels and faced a rather tall door. One that seemed to be connected to a rather spacious room if what she saw as Vert calmly pushed the door open with one hand was to be believed. Turning her head to look at her, Vert gave her a polite smile, tilting her head to beckon her inside. "Please, come. We shall talk in here. We have much to discuss after all."
Not sensing anything hostile (both her own senses and THAT confirming this) Noire complied as she followed Vert into the room, closing the tall door behind her. Once she did, the adult woman frowned to herself as she took in her new surroundings.
Almost instantly she noted that this room had an extravagant setting, yet with a sense of homeliness that came with the intention of civil discussion, an interesting and welcome combination. The room had a rectangular cube-like structure to it and seemed fairly spacious as well.
It sported four maroon leather two-seat sofas in the room's center, beneath a dark green furry rug. The carpet lay atop a dark blue carpet, with the walls being also blue but with green carvings. There were various paintings of what Noire assumed to be famous people on the walls, as in kings and queens of old. She got the feeling that she were looking at leaders of truly powerful kingdoms whenever she looked at them, making her feel like a small snail compared to them for some reason. She didn't like it, so she focused on what else was in the room with rapt attention. The room had these white supports over the room's corners, with a wooden table in the middle of the sofas. On the table, there was already some tea prepared for them, a man in a butler suit standing at attention at the room's left side from where the two women had entered.
Noire had to admit, that this setting… it felt familiar to her, yet not at the same time.
'I suppose for a CPU, this is somewhat acceptable for their proper etiquette…' She thought to herself, though she didn't dare say it out loud. Hey, she was prideful, not arrogant, though sometimes she got the feeling she came off that way. No idea why, though, she was just being the best she could be at all times and liked when others knew it. It was what she had to do for her people, she owed them for her mistakes after all.
Meanwhile, the butler who looked to be in his mid-50's noticed them entered and immediately walked towards them while holding a cloth over his forearm. When he was within conversation distance, the man stopped before them and gave a formal bow. More to Vert than Noire, though. That was what the blackette could feel from him, and while it wasn't his fault since he likely wasn't aware of her true identity, inwardly a faint urge to bristle had been born. "Lady Vert. This room has been prepared for your use as you requested."
"Thank you, George. I require private time between me and my guest here, would you kindly vacate the room till I call on you once again?"
"Indeed, my Lady."
The Butler, George, bowed in a professional manner, showing how much experience he had with the job. He then passed them by and head out of the room, closing the door behind him. Noire once again admitted to herself that the professionalism she had seen from the staff here was top notch, though whether or not that was because of today being the day for the Gala remained to be seen. People do like to put on appearances to deceive others, after all. She knew that feeling all too well.
Once the two were alone, however, the awkwardness returned to the room at full force while Vert gestured for Noire to take a seat. She did so, and when she asked with her eyes if it was okay to have a cup of the steaming hot tea on the table, Vert allowed her to do so. Taking one of the cups, Noire took a small sip to calm her nerves. The blackette CPU originally didn't find herself a coffee person, but after that time when Nico convinced her to hear Neptune out, she had found herself liking such beverages and more as time went on. Maybe it was the memories themselves that were responsible for this pleasure, but hey, not that Noire would complain.
Sitting opposite to her, Vert took the other cup of tea available, still slightly steaming to show its heat, as she sat on the opposite sofa and took a sip. A pleasant moan escaped her lips at the hot liquid going down her throat, sending shivers of pleasure down her spine. "Ahh… this tea is truly spectacular…" She muttered under her breath with eyes closed to fully enjoy the experience. Soon afterward, she opened them again to look upon the other CPU in the room. "Do you find the tea to be to your liking, Noire?" she questioned.
Inside her mind, Vert felt her heart pounding like a jackhammer within the confines of her chest. Almost at the level where she would have suffered chest pains if it were possible. By no means was she any calmer than when this started, in fact, it would be safe to say that she felt like bringing out Gungnir or Beninuki at even the SLIGHTEST hint of hostility. This was a crucial moment for her, she finally had Noire alone with her while she could not sense anyone trying to snoop in on their conversation. This room, as that Butler she had mentioned before had said, had been specifically altered for her own personal use.
For one, it had special alarm systems set up, woven within the walls to go off if any undesirables try to listen in. There were also specialized materials woven into the room that blocked all sound from escaping this room, so if a murder or a battle were to happen, nobody would have been the wiser. This room also lacks any security cameras, and the windows were built so that they weren't able to be used to see the other side. All this simply meant that this place was the prime place for Vert to ask Noire the questions she wanted without any noisy annoyances putting their two cents where they didn't belong.
On her end, Noire blinked to herself, momentarily surprised by Vert's question, before she swiftly nodded her head with a small smile on her lips. It would do no good to be impolite to her fellow CPU since she had been cordial so far, but any sign of aggravation then IT would come out to deal appropriate justice. She was no fool, she could tell that this room had various 'adjustments' made to it for the purpose of 'asking questions' when in reality it was more like a glorified cage. She was the prisoner here, and Vert was the interrogator. However, if she were respected, then Noire would repay that courtesy, hence her response to the Leanbox CPU's question. "Indeed, whoever made this did a satisfactory job." She stated.
'I wonder if I can have my coffee makers learn to make beverages like this for the future…'
"Ufufufu, I'm glad. It was actually made by George himself, you know. He has been in the business for a long time, or so I have read."
"Wait, really? Is that so…"
"Yes, apparently he makes some for whenever he needs to pull all-nighters for his work."
Both girls soon lost themselves in some idle chatter, or rather, they allowed this chatter to take place. While unaware of the other's thought true thoughts, both CPUs had the same opinion that this tension in the air needed to go. If it had to be done with pointless babble like this, then they would do so. It helped calm their nerves for when the real shit would hit the fan, anyway.
Once a few moments passed, Noire decided to herself that now was the time to get down to business. The pleasantries were nice as they helped settled her nerves (goddess knows how appreciative IT felt about that) but she hadn't come to this hot Nation for a social call.
Nope, not even close.
Setting her cup down on her lap, Noire took a deep breath while mentally preparing herself for the worst, should it come to pass. "Whilst these pleasantries are nice…" she began, getting Vert's attention. "That's not why you invited me to this Gala, is it?" The way she said that made it sound more like a statement than a question, with a hint of rhetorical in it to further prove her point. A point both CPUs knew to be right just by looking at each other. "So, why don't we get to the bottom of why you really asked me to come here, shall we? I doubt either of us will rest easy otherwise."
Part of her worried she had been too forward, that she had rushed the other CPU too much. She couldn't tell what Vert was thinking thanks to her calm demeanour, which worried her since she wouldn't know how to handle whatever was being thrown her way. Fortunately, she found herself calming down by allowing IT to fill her being with its presence, which exuded this calm, gracefulness that only IT could provide.
For a moment, Vert looked as calm as ever as she sipped some more of her tea. The perfect picture of elegance and grace, that was what she was projecting out right now to her fellow CPU. Unbeknownst to Noire however, the woman still had some shaking motions left in her, something she dealt with by her current action. She agreed with Lastation's CPU, in that they needed to get down to business. Still, she found herself massively under-levelled for this quest, this massive undertaking that she had no other option BUT to follow. At least, if she truly wanted the answers to her questions, and by the Goddess (yes, she was aware of the irony, thank you) she wanted those answers as much as she wanted to push her Nicky down on the bed, get on top of him…
Okay, let's just stop there.
'Geez, this sexual frustration thing is proving to be a nuisance…' Vert thought to herself. The stress must be getting her, she figured, but put those matters aside for another time. Right now, she had to focus on getting the answers she desired, and that was PRECISELY what she would be doing. "Yes, let us continue on to more important matters." Alright, now was the time. No amount of mental preparation could have helped make this any easier for the woman, especially with who was sitting opposite her. She remembered what she was like back in Celestia (mostly thanks to Neptune, but still), and hoped that Noire wouldn't implode or go tyrannical on her for asking this. "I will not mince it. Normally, I would not have called you here, even for a social call. We CPUs have been enemies for centuries, fighting atop Celestia in the Console War. It has been inconceivable that any of us would talk like this."
On that, Noire could agree. So many thought it impossible for them to get along, since they had been fighting longer than any human wars, and in wars bad blood made communication between sides nigh-impossible. Only the truly good people, most of the time those people being the leaders of the opposing sides, would find it in their hearts to open talks for peace after fighting so long. Noire herself could imagine how hard it had been for those people, since SHE had done it herself with her arch-rival, Planeptune. She had to push through all her pride, all her prejudice against the Nation, and even had to seek advice from the enemy leader plus one of the enemy soldiers for her course of action. She had also gotten advice from some of her own people as well, before considering the moves she made. "Yes, I do agree that it has been considered a hopeless fantasy for many centuries." She started with an understanding nod. "However, times are beginning to change, and it has come to my attention that I cannot rely solely on myself or the strength of my people to deal with this threat."
"Is that what you based these talks for a truce and possible alliance between Lastation and Planeptune off?"
Ah, there it was, Noire thought to herself. THAT was what Vert asked her here for. THAT was what she wanted to know about. She wanted to know what prompted her to form these talks between Lastation and Planeptune. A wave of relief filled her being, surprising Noire for a brief moment though she soon reined her emotions in. Noire honestly had felt this would be the case, but even then, she had been unsure. Since she had been focusing mostly on Lastation and its own politics that she, for the most part, neglected to look much into the politics of the other Nations. Aside from Planeptune that is, since her Nation WAS in the middle of truce talks with them.
Right now, those talks were still on the first stage, as in convincing the majority of the governing parties on both sides that this was a good idea. Compared to Lastation, Planeptune fared a bit better regarding their fighting of the Abnormal Monsters. There had been few Hellgates in Planeptune, though thanks to one report from Spec Ops Agent Nico, the Planeptune Spec Ops do not hesitate to destroy them when they were found, giving demonic forces a hard time to get a foothold within the land of Purple Progress. Most of this had been thanks to their willingness to spend hundreds of thousands of credits on their Military, giving them the proper funding to research new ways of combating these threats.
They were in a MUCH better position than most of the other Nations, which was ironic since they lacked a CPU to lead them.
Made Noire feel more than a little inadequate, not something she liked.
"You could say that…" Noire began. Since she had been right in suspecting that Vert wanted to know what had happened to make her choose such a manoeuvre, Noire held more cards than she realized. She had all the information here, not Vert. She had more control over the situation than Vert, even if she had some strange… something, in her possession. Noire didn't know what that something was, but IT kept telling her that it wanted to fight it. It exuded a strong feeling of desire, bloodlust, and excitement, which honestly helped her nerves settle down. "My reasoning is that the threat of the Abnormals has grown too severe to be ignored. What quarrels there are between our Nations need to be put aside for the time being, as of right now there is a bigger enemy out there that needs taking care of. Have you heard of the saying: 'the enemy of my enemy is my friend'?"
She certainly DID know that saying. The enemy of my enemy is my friend is an ancient proverb which suggests that two opposing parties can or should work together against a common enemy. The king who is situated anywhere immediately on the circumference of the conqueror's territory is termed the enemy. The king who is likewise situated close to the enemy, but separated from the conqueror only by the enemy, is termed the friend (of the conqueror). However, that couldn't be all there was to it, there just had to be more. "And is that all? I cannot imagine THAT Neptune would EVER agree to a cease-fire, with you no less." Vert questioned cautiously, her eyes shifting uneasily while she shuffled about on her seat.
Yea, Noire didn't expect anything else from the other CPU. After all, unlike Noire, Vert hadn't been there at Lastation, she hadn't seen the things about Neptune that she had. Which was why Noire could say that she wasn't the same as she once was. "Well, I suppose that that old saying is correct: 'Desperate times ask for desperate measures'." Noire countered. She took another sip from her tea, placing the cup back on her lap before continuing. "I talked to her, and she changed. I can only explain it this way, she changed."
"How so?" Vert asked, clearly conflicted in believing a warmonger like the Neptune she knew for centuries could ever change in the slightest, new evidence be damned. She remembered what Neptune had been like, she remembered the conflicts between her and Noire. Someone like that… she could hardly believe that someone like Neptune could have the potential to change. However, if Noire of all people actually believed in Neptune than there should be some merit in the information she received. After all, she WAS Neptune's direct rival back in Celestia.
Her thoughts got broken when Noire answered her question. "She said she lost her memories, apparently when we dropped her from up there she fell on her head." Noire could barely hide her mirth smile as she said that. While true that post-amnestic Neptune was supportable somewhat, the original one deserved to fall like that (and more, that arrogant bitch) as far as Noire was concerned. "She now is bubbly, sometimes lazy, and overall much more approachable, which isn't that difficult considering how she was before everything went down, and yes the pun was intended."
That… didn't sound like the Neptune she was aware of, Vert thought in her mind. In fact, it seemed like the complete opposite. She… didn't know how to feel about that. As she pondered what Noire told her, Vert tried to come up with some plan of action. So far though, she couldn't come up with anything that could be of use to her save for bits and pieces. "Well, Amnesia CAN change people, I will admit…" she began, remembering some games she played where the protagonist was super unlikable at the beginning, but when they lose their memories they change into much more likable people throughout their journeys. "But, I can't help but think that isn't all there is to it."
"You'd be correct." Noire admitted, sighing loudly after a moment as she leaned back on the sofa. Her eyes darkened with melancholy as memories returned to her mind. "I didn't believe it much either until I saw her myself. She completely didn't recognize me, as if I were a stranger to her. Ironic, considering how we used to be." She couldn't help but chuckle to herself at that titbit. "I fought her and lost, and when I was about to get away, Neptune found me again. I would have fought her to my last, but instead, she had me join her party." Thinking back on it, it definitely sounded surreal, and she left out important details like how Nico thrashed her as well as her first encounter with an Abnormal many in the Spec Ops fear greatly: Ghouls. Vert didn't need to know those details, yet.
At this information, Vert hummed in disbelief, looking down as she contemplated it. 'I heard a few times that Lastation had been in dire straits, then there was how these straits affected the CPUs' shares, so that would mean that Noire fought a weakened Neptune while weakened herself. They should have been equal if I were to guess, but if this is true then somehow Neptune prevailed. Thinking about it, it's ironic but Planeptune is doing better than the other Nations even though they have no CPU, so the power difference would obviously favor Neptune...'
Noire then continued, grasping Vert's attention once more. "Suffice to say, I saw a completely different Neptune compared to what I once knew, all innocent, teasing with a bit of battle-lust… Though she seemed more intent on having fun than anything. At first, as you might suspect, I thought it an act to get me to let my guard down but let's just say things happened that changed my view of her. By the time she left Lastation, I became completely convinced she had changed, definitely for the better. She may still be insufferable, annoying and a complete idiot, but that is a FAR better Neptune than the one from the past." In the end, her eyes shone with a determined light to them, almost like a lighthouse in the middle of a hurricane. The weight of her words combined with the way she looked at Leanbox's CPU, conveyed just how much she believed in what she had said.
However, that didn't mean Vert thought the same.
The blonde CPU couldn't wrap her head around it, no matter how many words were used to state it, she couldn't see someone like Neptune changing so rapidly. In games, the protagonists with amnesia usually don't change that much contrary to what she thought earlier. There was always a high level of the prior personality in the amnesiac, it was just done in a way that made them more… well, shall we say 'likable assholes' for lack of a better word? Anyway, that was what she believed, no matter how big a change, a person doesn't really deviate from their original personality. This had to be the case for Neptune, no matter what kind of stuff happened to her brain, she still had to have the core elements of her personality. That was the conclusion Vert had come to… yet she couldn't help this tinge of doubt inside of her.
Seeing how conflicted Vert looked even with what she had said, Noire sighed in resignation. She doubted that Vert would have believed her on words alone, it would be foolish to do that. Someone in a position like hers couldn't take things at the value of just words, it would eventually lead to the ruin and the lives of countless. There would only be one way to truly convince her, that way… "Well then, if you want more solid evidence, why don't you speak with Neptune yourself?"… to see the change with her own eyes. It was a risky gamble, Goddess knows she knew that fact to be true.
After all, Vert still thought of Neptune as someone to be wary towards. Someone who remained in her past ways of being an arrogant warmongering Goddess instead of what Noire claimed she had become. Thus, the only way for her to realize the truth would be for her to meet Neptune herself. Something that, now that she thought about it, would seem quite daunting for this CPU.
"Oh? Why would you think that?" Vert questioned, only for her to realize why a moment later. "Ah, I see… you believe that, in order to convince me Neptune has changed, it would be wise for me to meet her myself. To see whether or not your claims possess any merit." She spoke in realization, her eyes widening by a mere fraction of an amount. For a moment, Vert felt like she was looking at something huge, like a huge wall or a beast, with how empty her gut felt deep inside. The feeling of an impending doom loomed over her, filling her with dread like a bath being filled with water.
With the fact that the other CPU had gotten it, Noire nodded to herself with a satisfied smile on her lips, sipping the last of her Tea while doing so as she crossed one leg over the other. "Of course, I do not mean to brag, but believe me when you meet Neptune yourself, you will understand what I'm talking about."
'There she goes, her pride may very well be her downfall someday…' Vert thought to herself, hiding the growing disdain in her chest. While Neptune was not the best of people she knew, back in Celestia each of the four CPUs was almost just as bad. For Neptune, she was the definition of a warmonger, with an arrogant, egotistical nature to boot. She constantly demeaned the other CPUs, mostly Noire, about how weak and inferior they were to her often proving it in her combat prowess.
As for Noire, she dare not say it to her face (especially right now) but back then, she had been less of a Goddess… and more of a tyrant than anything. A cruel one who didn't care about anything other than obtaining the title of True Goddess of Gamindustri. If Neptune was a Warmonger, this was what she would have been described as, hardly fit for being called the True Goddess while seeing the rest of them as inferior to her. Perhaps that trait wouldn't be as surprising since they all had that trait in different volumes within themselves, but still.
She didn't even need to speak about Lowee's CPU about her temper, bloodlust and violent, savage nature. It filled her with disgust that someone like her was even a Goddess to begin with, someone as un-mannered, non-civil, and like the personification of a powder keg waiting to explode. Then, when her temper DOES explode (which is almost all the time anyone speaks with her about anything really), it's like a dozen or an army of volcanic eruptions occurring at the same time. Celestia used to be one big landmass like the rest of the world of Gamindustri until White Heart came along.
Her ax WAS said to split the heavens… that legend is truer than what most people thought.
"If you say so…" Vert began, trailing off at the end. While still unsure, she couldn't help but feel like she would have to give it a try if Noire was telling her all this. Noire may have been a bit of a tyrant (understatement, part of her yelled), but it wasn't like her to lie about something like this. She was too full of pride to lie, something that was at least semi-redeemable about her character. Still, Vert felt hesitant yet, conflicting thoughts circling through her mind.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuummmm… helllloooooooooooo! Is anyone there?! I kinda need help here!"
Just then, the silence between the two women got broken, broken like glass shattering, by a loud, feminine due to the high pitch, and annoyingly childish voice. Vert blinked in confusion, wondering who it could be while Noire quickly tensed, then facepalmed herself when she figured out EXACTLY who that was. "Wow speak of the devil and she appears…" she muttered, going unheard by Vert.
Said CPU stood up and walked to the large door, the clicking of her heels resonating through the room even though the carpet should have been able to negate it. It wasn't as hard as tiles were, after all, so Noire assumed there was wooden planks or something of similar founding beneath it. By the time Vert reached the door and pulled it open, she was greeted by the sight of a young petite girl on the other side, scratching her head and looking hopelessly confused. She looked to have been a party guest considering her apparel is a red dress, but she didn't remember inviting someone like her in. "Oh? Are you lost young one?" Vert questioned, tilting her head curiously.
The girl did the same, laughing awkwardly while scratching her cheeks. "Hehehe, yeah I kinda am. Do you know where the main hall is from here? I kinda gotta get back to my friends, I kinda ditched them for something…" she explained awkwardly, a light flush of embarrassment over her cheeks. Still, she tried to laugh it off, though that just showed how embarrassed she felt inside. "Not too good with directions, you see."
"That you must be, considering how far you are from the Main Hall…" Vert responded, confusedly. However, internally she found herself scanning this girl's energy. An energy that quickly called out to her for some reason. 'This girl… her aura feels off. It doesn't feel like a human at all. In fact, she feels similar to me and Noire, but there's something else… something lurking within her that does NOT feel anything like me or Noire's… it's almost as if…'
Confusion filled her being on this mystery girl's identity. The more that she looked at her, the more she began getting the strangest feeling that she should know this girl from somewhere. The way her light lilac colored hair looked, how her darker lilac eyes blinked at her in obvious confusion as to whys he was being stared at, and those hair clips reminding her of directional pads. Yet, Vert didn't put the pieces together. Or rather, she COULDN'T…
At least, until Noire spoke up in a loud voice with an annoyed undertone (probably facepalming too). "Just get in here, Neptune! There's someone here whom you'd wanna see, anyways, you friends can wait!" Already, the moment she yelled that out Noire got a clear picture of where this would end up, mentally bracing herself for what would be inevitable. Then again, this would at least show Vert the difference between the Neptune of the past and the one of the present.
Still, the moment before it happened, Noire had one thought. 'I regret every decision in life I've ever made.'
"Huuuuuuuuuh?! Wait, I know that cute tsundere voice!" Neptune, the girls name whom Vert nearly gasped at in surprise as she barrelled into the room, nearly knocking her over had Neptune not avoided her in time. "Whoops, sorry lady!" she quickly apologized, before making a beeline for Lastation's CPU. Her form became a blur, and Noire quickly figured out what was inevitably coming next. "Noirrrrrrreeeee!" Neptune bellowed, leaping forth through the air like a professional diver., her arms spread wide with a massive grin on her face. "Its been SO long! I've missed seeing ya so much since the last time we parted ways!"
A "Gack!" left Noire's lips as the preteen slammed into her, wrapping her arms around her neck and propelling her over the back of the sofa and onto the ground behind them. The preteen gave no fucks about that, however, as she found herself too busy constantly rubbing her cheeks against the blackette's. Of course, without said girl's consent or approval, which she would have NONE of. "H-Hey! N-N-Neptune?!" she cried out, quickly putting her hands on the preteen's torso to push her off. However, the glue that was Neptune stuck to her like a second skin, refusing to let her go. "G-Get the heck off me already!"
"Nuh-Uh! This is a fanservice scene right now, I'mma filling the fantasies of our shipper fans, you know!"
"What 'shipper fans'?! There's no such thing as something like that, you dolt! Get off me already, you're way heavier than you look!"
On the sidelines, Vert felt like a third wheel, having closed the door behind her to stop anyone else from witnessing the scene taking place before her. Even though she had been there to witness the beginning of this scene, Vert still couldn't help but feel a little bit lost… well, at least lost amidst the shock and dreaded realization of whom this girl really was. Her eyes were wide, her jaw opening and her face sported the impression of a gaping fish. This… this was…!
Yet, she couldn't even react appropriately, as the sight of the 'wrestling' between Neptune and Noire (whom had managed to pry one arm away from her neck which now flailed about in vain, whilst placing a hand on Neptune's face to push her back further) only served to mind boggle her. The previous awkward tension in the atmosphere had all but vanished entirely, disintegrated beyond repair thanks to this new untimely arrival. She couldn't for the life of her find any of the awkward tension there was before thanks to, well… this.
Vert only watched as Noire finally managed to push Neptune off her, the preteen landing on the floor with an "ouchies!" before getting to her feet and dusting herself off. Just when Noire made to speak again, she cursed as Neptune once again flung herself at the blackette, restarting their little wrestling match as she hadn't 'had enough hugs' from Lastation's CPU. "Ugh, you're such a child, you know that?!"
"Awwww, you know you love me Noire-poo!"
"Poo?!"
"So!" Quickly pulling back before Noire could summon her HF Blade from her Inventory, as well as ignoring Noire's previous response, Neptune twirled around to show off her dress to her Lastation comrade. "Looks like you played dress up just like me, former amnesiac best buddy o'mine! I didn't expect to find you here, girl! I thought you had leader stuff to do back at Lastation!" Neptune proclaimed before her eyes narrowed as she continued with a thoughtful frown on her lips. "Has Avenir been trying to rile you up again, Noire? I swear I'll give those meanies the old Nep stick if that's the case!" she proclaimed, mimicking twirling a golf club in a sausage-like circle before swinging it widely.
A groan escaped Noire's lips as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Already she had begun developing a migraine from Neptune's antics, the childishness in them annoying her. In any other time, she would have found them amusing, but like most things, Neptune didn't get the mood right now. Though, thanks to her the previous mood between her and Vert had all but shattered. "No, nothing like that Neptune." She replied tiredly. "Just came here on official business. Though, now that you're here, I think someone would like to meet you. Someone you know."
"Huh?" Neptune blinked at that, stopping her motions as she placed an index finger over her chin. Question marks popped in and out of existence above her head while she looked at her friend in pure befuddlement. "Whaddya mean, Noire? I'm not sure what you mean by 'someone who knows me' since, well you know…" she began, before trailing off when she heard a womanly voice break into the conversation after a slight clearing of the throat.
"I do believe she means me, Neptune…"
"Eh?"
Slowly, Neptune turned to regard the blonde CPU. Now that she had figured out who Neptune was, Vert looked a LOT more cautious than what she did before. Though, that had been mostly thanks to the shock of her entry into the room and the… weirdness of what had followed. Now, she had her eyes scanning Neptune, taking in each and every detail they could to see if there was any chance of hostility from the preteen. Despite what Noire had said to her before, Vert couldn't help but fall back on old mannerisms. She hadn't mentally prepared herself for this, which was the reason for her behaviour.
While she regarded the woman, Neptune tried to figure out who she was. "Uhhh… are you the person that knows me? Cause uh, sorry, but I kinda don't recognize you…" Neptune questioned, scratching her chin awkwardly. It felt weird, but it felt almost like this woman was someone who possessed similar powers to her own… or rather, similar divine powers since a certain something in her made her both divine AND demonic. "Uh, are you some kinda fan? I mean, I'm flattered, but…"
Looking at her right now, Vert slowly began to see what Noire had been talking about. From the moment she opened her mouth, Vert had been expecting the usual song and dance that Neptune had spilled out through their many centuries battling it out in Celestia. She had been prepared to even summon Beninuki or Gungnir to attack first and snap that mouth of hers shut, however NONE of that was what she heard. Instead, this girl looked like she genuinely didn't know her. Kind of gave her room to think, actually. Noire DID say that Neptune didn't have her memories of her past, though.
Still, she didn't want to take this at face value, so she had to confirm it herself. "Are you sure? You really do not remember me, Neptune?" Vert questioned, pointing to herself with her right gloved hand. Her lips pursed, a frown etched onto them. So far it seemed that Noire's words had merit to them, but Vert just HAD to be sure. If Neptune truly had changed from what she once was, then…
For a moment, Neptune stared intently towards the blonde CPU, cupping her chin in one hand and humming thoughtfully. She then moved, going towards Vert (who mentally stopped herself from summoning her weapons due to lack of hostility) before circling around her. "Hmmm… Hmmmmmmm…" she mumbled thoughtfully, looking around Vert from every conceivable angle. "Hmmmm…. Nope! Sorry, don't remember you! You don't ring any bells for me! So, who are you anyway? Are you like a fan?" she asked, before sheepishly stepping back and chuckling awkwardly. "I mean… sorry if that's the case, my memory's kinda gone poof since well, months ago. Don't remember much about myself, really. Anyway, nice to metchya."
… There. That confirmed it.
No point denying it in her head anymore, not after that.
Looking towards the preteen after that… awkward searching where she felt like she had been nothing more than a doll, Vert checked Neptune's eyes out, gazing deep in them for any sign of deceit. However, she saw nothing even similar to deceit or a lie (a fresh experience after being close to nobility for so long), thus finally confirming what Noire had been telling her all this time. Reading this girl felt like reading an open book, a far cry from what she was like before. No matter how much she tried, at this point, all the evidence pointed towards one sole point.
'So, she really DOESN'T remember us…' she thought, slightly taken aback by these events. Sure, she had been told them before, but telling and seeing this for herself were two different things entirely. 'Perhaps Noire had a point, that the moment we kicked her off Celestia kick-started all this, maybe I should kick her more often if the improvement is this expressive.'
That had been the only plausible explanation Vert could come up with for this strange phenomenon. Even with this information being laid out before her, part of Vert's mind frantically argued that a change of this magnitude in terms of personality couldn't have been possible. One cannot form a 180 in terms of personality changes like this, that was what that part argued, however another part of her stated that she hadn't taken into account how long ago it had been since Neptune fell from Celestia. She was sure that it had been months and months ago at this point, so when Vert thought of it like that, the protesting part of her fell silent while she realized that, thanks to the time frame between now and back then, that Neptune changing her ways DID have some plausibility. "I see…"
"Don't worry Vert, I was like that too when I first met her." Noire stated, crossing her arms as she sat back down on the sofa. She furrowed her brows in Neptune's direction, to which the perky amnesiac laughed in embarrassment with all this attention on her now. "She's been like this for a while, doesn't recall a thing."
To be fair, Noire hadn't believed it herself when she had first heard of it back when she returned from her Questing to the Basilicom, when one of her attendants (whom she figured worked for Avenir) had told her of the news. Though, she didn't say what she had done afterwards, since it now became one of Noire's greatest failings as a CPU.
All the while, Neptune just went along with the flow, rubbing the back of her head awkwardly. "Aw shucks, you guys talking about me all sneaky like is making me blush…" she remarked, getting a dull stare from Noire and a raised eyebrow from Vert. "Heh-hehhhh… Say, could I ask who you are then, lady? Cause it kinda sucks that I don't know your name when you know mine." Neptune questioned thoughtfully, looking towards the Leanbox CPU in confusion. She wanted to know her name and why she felt sorta familiar to her, the great goddess Neppit. It was true that she didn't remember her past still, but there were indeed snippets of it coming back to her. Though, there wasn't much to allow her to confidently say that they were coming back. Even months after realizing she was a CPU back in Lastation (and getting a Hubby) had not progressed her memories very much.
For a moment, Vert blinked owlishly as her mind took a moment to register Neptune's question. At first, she didn't get what she was saying, temporarily forgetting what had happened. Her brain quite literally shut down then restarted seconds later. You know that feeling when you just do nothing, your brain just doesn't even think so that there's an empty feeling in one's head? Well, that was what Vert just went through right now. However, she soon got out of it as she promptly answered without giving away what she just went through. "My, why certainly…"
Before she did though, Vert turned and walked back to her seat opposite Noire, plopping her backside back onto it while crossing one leg over the other, the opposing leg to Noire. She grasped her cup (which still had some tea left) by the handle before raising it to her lips. Meanwhile, Neptune just inserted herself onto the space beside Noire (much to her chagrin) and began hugging her… or at least, trying to since the ravenette had no such desires to indulge this invader of her personal space and was trying (and failing) to make sure that Neptune did not hug her to death.
Seeing this made Vert giggle behind the cover of her cup, though she made sure not to let her tea go down the wrong windpipe. Now that she no longer found herself under the pretense that Neptune was still as she once was back during the Console War, she had to admit that this sight felt rather… well, endearing. A far cry compared to what she was once, but Vert decided not to think on that for the time being. After all, she had to give an answer to Neptune's question.
It was with that, that Vert plopped her now empty cup of tea down onto the table in front of her, and slowly drew on Gungnir's power. This notion quickly grabbed the other girls' attention, both Noire AND Neptune thanks to their senses informing them of a change in her energy. While Neptune looked at the blonde woman with childish innocence, Noire regarded her cautiously, like she worried if Vert would somehow suddenly unleash an attack on them at any moment. That was just what she thought when sensing this power build-up, as Vert's eyes gained white power button symbols in them. "Why, I'm Leanbox's CPU, Green Heart. A pleasure to meet you once again, Neptune."
"Eh? Ehhh… EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH?!"
Chapter end!
Whelp, there we go!
Now, I hope people understand how i'm portraying these characters, since Neptune isn't the one actively getting them to meet up. No, that honor belongs to good old politics plus Vert inviting Noire over. Not something that's been done before like this, but meh.
But still, I found myself chuckling when Neptune came into the scene. Part of me wondered if she could have made this big entry, but I decided against it since she doesn't even realize that these two girls were talking about her in the first place, or that they were there for that matter.
Now then, i'll see you on the next chapter, everyone!
Peace out!
