Chapter 2: Hazy Feeling


As I locked up the shop that morning, it felt almost like practice. Practice for when this shop might possibly close down for good, if I move to Lastation. I've had to close the shop for several extended periods of time a lot more after meeting the goddesses, so it already feels like I'm getting ready to move there, in a sense.

The trip itself was quite uneventful, but since we flew out a day in advance, the news was already well spread that I would be appearing on the Saturday morning show of Lastation Daily. The "special announcement" that they'd be getting to exclusively interview "Elliot, the man who was with Lady Noire at the gala" had taken the entire city by storm, so I was glad that we had multiple methods of private transportation.

"It's pretty weird seeing your face everywhere, huh?" IF asks as we sit around in the two bedroom hotel room, watching yet another trashy Friday evening variety show talking about the morning show tomorrow, speculating about who I could be.

"Yeah… I hope I don't get used to it."

"There's a running bet, actually, between some of the Makers, about what the most outrageous story is going to be. Personally, I like the one where they think you're a mysterious somehow male CPU who is seducing Lady Black Heart to make her his dark mistress when he rules over Gameindustri."

"They said what." I flatly say, getting my ice cream out of the fridge.

"Oh, you were in the shower when they said it." IF says offhandedly, though I think I heard something very, very outrageous in the last two seconds. She then twirls the spoon in her hands before scooping up another bit of ice cream from the pint-sized container. "But come on, you know that everyone's just having some fun. The world already kind of has a feeling, eh? You're just putting the confirmation on it."

"I guess so, huh."

"Yeah, so—nghggh! Hand! Cold!" IF grumbles, as I lightly grab the back of her neck while passing by. "Gah, geez!"

"Couldn't resist."

"Save it for Noire." IF snickers as I sit down next to her on the couch. "Careful, if you blush that hard, you'll melt the ice cream."

"S-shut up."

"Oh come on, you should expect this by now. As soon as it comes out who you are, the world's going to needle you about her."

"Haaaaa… I'm dying here."

"Of what, nervousness?" IF asks with a laugh. "Just eat your ice cream, it'll calm you down."

I twist the lid off, digging into my vanilla and caramel swirl ice cream with chocolate covered cone pieces. "Well, I think what calms me down more is that you'll be there backstage, you know."

"Yep, acting as your temporary bodyguard, assigned by one Lady Neptune herself to officially watch over a special VIP who's also on set tomorrow, and may or may not be a citizen of Planeptune." IF says, smiling. "Officially, anyways. Not like anyone cares. If anyone's got a problem with it, they can take it up with Nep, anyways."

"Well, you are crazy strong, so I don't think anyone's going to have a problem if you say it."

"Maybe I should train you sometime. You might not be able to take on massive monsters, but I think you can at least fight a Dogoo. Plus, you could use some more muscle on you."

"Fighting monsters is a little…"

"No, you're braver than you think, Elliot. It's why you're here, now, and not running away from all of this, even if you've told me it's scary." IF says, standing up from the couch. "Anyways, I'm going to go take a shower, then probably get to sleep. It's going to be a long day, tomorrow."

"Tell me about it."

"Well, you know the schedule. Make sure you're ready by ten o'clock tomorrow."

"Don't worry, I'm used to waking up early. Oh, but before you go."

I reach into my backpack next to the couch and pull out a small box of chocolates I was able to sneak away from IF to obtain, as it took quite a bit of effort to give her the slip long enough to buy it.

"Thanks. For everything."

IF smiles, pushing it away as I hold it out. "Save it for after everything goes well tomorrow. Then you can thank me. I'll feel bad if I mess something up after having taken those."

"Alright. But they are caramel filleeeeed~"

IF rolls her eyes, putting the lid back on her ice cream. "Oi, I've already got enough calories from the ice cream."

"But you run a lot, don't you?"

IF sighs, now stuffing her ice cream in the freezer. "Don't stay up too late texting Noire."

"She hasn't texted me, so no problem."

"Oho, she must be pretty nervous, then."

"If only she had someone like I have you."

IF lightly smacks me on the top of the head as she walks towards her room. "Oi, oi, if you keep spitting out lines like that, Noire's going to get the wrong idea. Besides, she's got Kei and Uni, and she's got you."

"I don't do that much, though."

"You'd be surprised how much you do for Noire. You're one of her few cherished friends, you know? If you suddenly left, you'd really be doing a lot of damage. So don't get eaten by a monster."

"Duly… noted?"

IF only laughs, opening her door. "But really, don't stay up too late. You want to be at your best."

With that, she closes it behind her. I can't help but smile, knowing that she's there. After all, even with all the doubts clouding my mind right now…

...as long as I have IF there to back me up, there's nothing I can't do.


"Mister Elliot, you're about to be called on stage."

The stage aid calls out to me from the other side of the door and I call back that I'll be right out in response, adjusting my collar and taking a deep breath as I get up from the dressing room chair. Reaching over, I grab the bottle of cologne and spray it on my wrists before rubbing them against my neck before heading out.

Everyone is abuzz with excitement as we walk along, though the aid shoos away everyone who is trying to get a picture with me or would otherwise cause a delay. She apologizes for the lack of professionalism, but I simply laugh it off, saying I understand why they're all excited. As planned, though, my eyes are still green, with the contacts in.

I'm brought to just before the edge of the stage, the passageway beyond the red curtains leading out to where the lights, cameras, and millions of eyes will be watching. By the curtains, IF is waiting, and upon hearing our footsteps, she waves.

"They'll call you when it's time to go."

"Thank you very much."

"Ready, Elliot?" IF asks as the aid leaves, holding up my folded dark red apron that will be part of the reveal. "I'm all set over here."

"Thanks." I say, taking a deep breath. "It's been pretty stressful."

IF sniffs the air, then laughs. "I see you opted for the cologne."

"S-shut up."

"Well, everyone's pretty excited. They're getting some record viewership, plus the social media trends are all about you. A lot of talk about how your shop is currently closed right now, too."

"Oh, geez…"

"Hahaha, it was all expected, though."

"-he's backstage right now, actually~"

I can hear the audience gasping, almost stealing even my own breath away. I can't even see them, but my knees already feel like they're jelly. I force myself to breathe, my heart pounding more and more. My chest hurts, as if my heart is expanding at a rapid pace, to the point my bones will break.

But it all goes away with a single touch. A light pat on the shoulder, followed by something being put into my hands. It's a fairly familiar shape, and cool to the touch.

"Pudding, really?"

"I couldn't find where you stashed that chocolate box, but consider it a gift from Nep." IF says as I look at the cup of pudding in my hands, producing a plastic spoon. "Better down it, quick."

Somehow, I can't help but laugh, relaxation flooding me as I peel off the seal and take the spoon. It's a chocolate and vanilla swirl blend, which I quickly inhale before throwing away the cup and spoon.

"Alright, smile."

"Hm?" I ask, doing so.

"Just checking for chocolate stains. Alright, here." IF offers a second cup, which smells like mint. Probably mouthwash. I quickly put the cup to my mouth and swirl it around before spitting back into the cup, then throwing it away.

"Breathe."

"Haaaaaa…"

"Okay, no chocolate smell, you're good to go." IF says, flashing a thumbs up.

"Why don't we bring him out right now, then?" The host's voice calls out, with IF stepping to my side.

"That's your cue, isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Mister Elliot, you're clear to go!"

I feel a heavy hand pat my back twice.

"Go get her, tiger!"

With a laugh, IF gives me a hard shove forward, just like she did at the gala, sending me out. I turn around on my feet while walking backwards to yell at her, but can't bring myself to interrupt the sheer smile on her face as I spin back around, walking forward onto the stage.

As soon as I'm visible, my thoughts are interrupted by cheers and applause, my attention drawn towards the crowd, and suddenly I feel very self conscious about my appearance. Are my shoes on right? Did I mismatch socks? Is my color combination, my usual tan khakis and a black shirt, with a navy blue jacket, okay?

The spotlight's on me, and I can already feel a bit of moisture building up under my collar, on my palms. I can't even make out the audience with how much the lights are blinding me. The applause is drowned out by the jazzy intro jingle I've come to know by watching recordings of the show in order to be familiar with the format.

Out of the corner of my eye, as I squint for a moment, I see Lady Noire and Lady Neptune applauding, giving me a small nod. Somehow, I feel a lot calmer seeing her. That's right. It's not just IF who's got my back here. Lady Noire and Lady Neptune are both here. Plus, Lady Noire promised to not let me run away. So, I have to do my part.

"Well, come now! Don't just stand there, come on down!"

The host, a middle aged woman named Serena, is dressed in a business casual light grey dress, and she beckons me forward from behind her desk. I give a sheepish smile as I walk down onto the seating area, shaking her hand before going to the seats, which are comfortable velvet couches. I'm.. unfortunately, I think, seated in between Lady Neptune and Lady Noire.

"It's… it's a real pleasure to be here," I say, trying to muster a composed smile. "Thank you for having me."

"Oh, oh, the pleasure is all ours, Elliot! We're all just dying to know about you! How does it feel, being here?"

"T… terrifying?" I offer, getting a laugh from the audience. "I'm actually really bad when it comes to crowds."

"But you seemed to handle yourself at the gala just fine."

"Well, er, I was able to keep to myself, back then."

"Haha, true enough!" She says, giving a disarming smile. "So, Elliot, I think we all know the burning question in everyone's minds, especially if all the buzz in the air is true—just who are you? Even Noire and Neptune wouldn't answer the question directly and no one has been able to really nail you down!"

"You two were?"

"Aww, come on!" Lady Neptune says, patting me on the back. "It's not up to us, right?"

"Ah, I suppose that's true enough."

"Everyone does want to know who you really are, Elliot." Lady Noire says, glancing away from me. "So, it's all in your hands now."

Ha… I guess in the end, it really will be up to me.

"Well, Miss Serena…"

"Oh, what a gentleman! But just Serena will do."

"I see. Then…" I close my eyes, making my peace. "I'll need to remove my contacts really quick. You might not want to show this. I'm fairly good at it, but it might make people queasy."

"Ah, of course, of course!"

It's not particularly hard, but I remove the green color contacts, revealing my normal brown eyes. Lady Noire and Lady Neptune look at me, giving me a nod as I shed the navy blue jacket I have on, getting up from my seat to go near the entrance I walked through to get backstage.

IF mouths something before throwing the apron at me. The piece of cloth unfurls in the air before I catch it, and I realize just how beat up this apron has gotten over time. It's seen a lot, hasn't it…? The flour stains, the coffee stains, the glazed sugar that's gotten on it, the threads that are loosening… I've made a lot of memories with this one, haven't I?

Regardless of that, I feel more comfortable as I slip it on, as if this stage where millions of eyes are watching has suddenly become my cafe. It's not about a million judging eyes, but it's about servicing a million customers. Turning back towards the audience, I clasp my hands together and offer my best customer service smile as I say the words that seal my fate.

"Good morning, Lastation, and welcome to Lapin House."

"My, my! Ladies and gentlemen, it seems we have quite the surprise!" Our host says as I sit back down. "I have to say, I'd like to be more surprised, but I think everyone had a feeling."

"Well, that's true. I think it was just important that no one could definitively prove it, is all."

"I see, I see, Elliot—oh, come, come on closer. WE'll get into the part where you all talk, but I want to focus on you for a bit." She says, pointing at me and gesturing for me to take a seat in the chair pulled up just across from the dress she's sitting at. "Now, I think we all want to know: why?"

"Er... well, it's right here, actually. All of the lights, the eyes on me, everything like that. I wasn't prepared for it back then, so I didn't want to suddenly be thrust into the spotlight if I could help it."

"And now?"

"I don't know if I'm really ready, but I didn't want to be living in fear anymore. That, and I wanted people to stop having to cover me, and accept responsibility."

"So, why go to the gala in the first place, then?"

"Because Noire is a friend and needed someone to go with her. Friends help friends, right?" I say, glancing over at Lady Noire, who nods

"There weren't a lot of people I could call on in such a short notice, so it fell on his shoulders. While he works every day, he was willing to close down his shop for a while and step up to the task."

"Ah, well, it helped that I had also secured a fairly good catering deal that helped offset the expenses…"

"Stop doing that, you always try to downplay your hand in things, Elliot."

"Sorry…" I say, sheepishly smiling.

"...friend, hm?" Our host asks, wiggling her eyebrows.

"Elly's a good friend, yep!" Lady Neptune shouts from the side, kicking her legs up with a wide smile on her face. "He worries about everyone but himself to the point he can't sleep, knows what drink will cheer someone up, and always has a good supply of pudding especially crafted for me~"

"Speaking of which, I didn't pack any because I didn't have a way to keep it refrigerated on the flight, but please stop by the shop and I'll make you some, Lady Neptune."

"Neptune~!"

"Neptune. Sorry, I'm still getting a little used to that."

"Hmhm, they seem pretty insistent you act casually with them." Our host notes.

"Well, they're people too, right?"

I look over again, noticing Lady Neptune's smile growing bigger. I close my eyes, then, for just a second, and think about how IF has my back. Alright, let's keep going.

"I really did use to call them all respectfully, but as we continuously kept talking and becoming friends, they insisted I call them casually because otherwise there was just a rift I kept putting between us. I think if I hadn't changed, it'd be really hard to be friendlier. I mean, I'd have a hard time becoming friends if someone insisted on calling me 'Mister Elliot' all the time, and I guess for Neptune and Noire, it's hard to become closer with someone if they insist on putting that distance of 'Lady Noire' or 'Lady Neptune' between them."

"Elly used to be soooooo boring with that! He used to struggle even just to say my name!"

"I'm still trying." I say bashfully, with Lady Neptune getting up from her seat and giving me a pat on the head, getting "Awwwww"s from the audience.

"Though."

"Hm?"

Serena smiles, and I can't help but feel as if I've made a critical mistake. "You've been calling Noire by her name without much thought, it seems."

Eh?

Oh.

Ohhhh.

"Um, well, I guess the first person to insist I called them just by name was Noire, because of us being at the gala together."

"Hmhmhm, I see~ But let's move onto the next subject! The next thing everyone's dying to hear about—and that's the fact that you and Noire are only friends!"

"Is… is that a problem?" I ask, somewhat bewildered that this is the framing of the situation.

"Come now, Elliot!" Our host says, lightly slapping both of her hands on the table in front of her which causes me to jump a little. "She takes you and you alone to a gala in front of everyone, a big event like that, a woman bringing a man is kind of a sign! And Noire, let him speak first~"

I hear a strangled sound coming from Noire as she accepts not speaking, realizing if she talks right now, that it only adds fuel to the fire.

"As… far as I'm aware, it was to fill in since her accompaniment couldn't make it. As a friend who was free as stated before, I went along. It's like, you know, being asked to be the plus one to a wedding when someone cancelled. No one wants to show up alone to a wedding, right?"

"Hmm, I suppose that's true enough… Noire, is it the same on your end?"

"Huh?" Noire suddenly picks her head up, as if not anticipating being asked. "Of course!"

Our host turns to the cameras and audience, grinning. "Hmhmmm, Noire's reaction is a lot more interesting, isn't it? It's okay, Noire, we're all cheering for you!"

"Wha—no! Don't get the wrong idea! Elliot's just a friend, a friend!"

I put on a smile, trying to diffuse the situation. "It's okay, Noire. I'll make a relaxing latte after this, so please don't get too stressed over it."

Ah, what is this weird unease, though…? While I know the truth is that we are just friends, hearing it so vehemently stated is causing a certain hazy feeling in my heart.

"Ha… that would be appreciated, Elliot."

"Should I make any particular design for the latte art?"

"Hmm, surprise me."

"Draw a heart, Elliot~"

I only put on a sigh at that, getting a laugh from our host.

"You two have a good flow, though~ So, so, Elliot, this segment's supposed to focus on you, so I want to ask how it all started."

"Well… the whole story starts with Neptune, I think." I say, looking at Lady Neptune.

"I dragged everyone to his shop since a friend told me he had a new pudding item on the menu! I just had to try it, and it all snowballed from there!"

"Hm, that wasn't that long ago, and the gala wasn't that much after, either…" Serena muses.

"Sometimes people just really hit it off, right? I know with most people, we're friends fast!"

"That's because you drag them along for the ride, Neptune." Lady Noire mumbles.

"Yeah, but we're best friends now, right?"

"Well… I guess you're right." Lady Noire admits with a light flush to her cheeks. This of course, gets an 'Awww' from the audience again and I find myself smiling.

"So, Elliot, anything to add?"

"That's a good summary of it, so I guess I don't have much else to add." I say with a nod.

"Hmm, alright. Well, we have time for one more question before we have to break for a bit, so Elliot—how do you become friends with the goddesses?"

"Hmm…"

I can't help but smile, thinking about it. The lights, the eyes on me, the anticipation, it all just… fades away as I think about the memories. And with Lady Neptune, Lady Noire, Lady Blanc, and IF backing me, I feel almost at a strange but still calm.

Glancing over, I meet Lady Noire's gaze, and she gives a small smile. And with that, I feel the last bit of courage welling up from my heart.

I speak, not thinking about how I'll be viewed, but from my heart.

"There's… nothing special about it. I think that as long as you can smile at them, treat them respectfully, and just be there, that's good enough. They've really made an effort to show me that they're people, too, and they'd like people who can treat them as equals. I'm… admittedly not there yet, I still think they're way above me, but I'm learning with their help.

"I'm not a hero, a famous person, a champion of a sport, or anyone that brave at all. All I do is make coffee well enough that people want to drink it. I used to really think I needed to be someone amazing to be friends with them—but like I said, they've imparted a lot of lessons to me, and all you really need is to be someone who can ask 'How was your day?' and listen. Maybe most days it'll be a 'Great, thanks', but on the day that they really need someone to open up to you and you're there and you'll listen as a friend, maybe that person who needs to talk to you will be Neptune or Noire. Then maybe you'll hit it off and really get to know them, and soon it'll be you in this seat. Or maybe, the day will come, and I'm sure they hope for it too, that when they find someone that they can be friends with, that it won't be anything special, and so there'll be a day where their friends won't have to sit in the hot seat."

I pause, feeling the smile on my face growing. A real, genuine smile, as I can't suppress the feelings of nostalgia. I can't explicitly remember the first day IF and I spoke—it was probably a normal exchange: "Welcome to Lapin House, what can I get you?", "Ah, just a medium black coffee.", "I'll have that right out, thank you".

But surely, she became a regular and began sitting down more often at the counter. A simple phrase—"And how was your day?"—opened up so many things.

Like that day I arrived at my shop after talking to Gregory, and seeing Lady Noire standing there. It opened up a whole new world for me. Not just the world of Four Goddesses Online, but a world where I had a place with the goddesses. Where I could just even be friends with them.

Ah… that hazy feeling is back again...

"Was that your experience? It felt just… so raw, Elliot."

I'm knocked out of my thoughts by the question.

"It was, actually. I don't think any of this would have happened without those words. I mean, sometimes we're too afraid to do things like reach out, but if someone were to give a small push, amazing things can happen. Ah, sorry for rambling, I'm just a bit nervous, so…"

"No, no, that was very moving, and I'm sure it will inspire a lot of people! We'll pause for a short break, but right afterwards we'll be back with more questions! Stay tuned!"

As soon as we get the all clear to move around, I almost immediately bolt backstage, eager to get away from the spotlight for even just a few minutes.

"Think fast."

"Eh?" I catch the bottle of lemonade that's thrown at me. Cold to the touch, and even looks like it was just pulled from a fridge with how there's moisture on it. "Oh, thanks."

"Make sure you don't sweat to death." IF says, chuckling as I twist open the bottle and start guzzling it down, while she prepares a cup of water.

"Thanks." I say, putting the bottle down.

"Just doing my job as your bodyguard. It wouldn't look good on me if I let my charge dehydrate to death. Chapstick?"

"What for?" I ask, lifting the cup to my mouth.

"For when they ask you to kiss Noi—"

IF doesn't get to finish her sentence, as she starts laughing when I end up feeling like I'm coughing up a lung.

"I've got breath mints as well."

"That's it, no more free chocolate chip muffins for you." I say, clearly joking as IF hands me a napkin to wipe myself down with. "I hope you like blueberry."

"I'll have to acquire that taste, then."

"Better acquire it fast."

"Though, also."

IF pulls something out from the shadows, with it being a small cart with a tray on the top. While it's not my usual array that I have back in the shop, it seems there's a few ingredients, even one labeled as 'steamed milk'.

"I went down to their internal catering and asked around. Figured it would help you calm down."

"Whoa… then, let me get to work."

IF only nods, stepping back and letting me get to work. Ah, I should be able to make some latte art… I can also make a mocha, ah, they included a few hot chocolate packets? I can make one for Lady Neptune, and give it a hint of caramel to it as I know she likes that… it's only missing some pastries, but it's a start.

"I'll bring them right out."

IF laughs again, patting me on the shoulder. "It's just a few questions, then you're home free. You got this, Elliot. Go get 'em."

With that, IF pushes me forward, though this time metaphorically as not to spill the coffee, like she always has, back onto the stage.

Before I sit back down, I hand everyone their drinks, with everyone surprised but pleased. As soon as I'm seated though, I'm back in the hot seat, the lights shining down on me again. The questions come for both me and Lady Noire, rapid fire, one after the next, with almost no room to stop.

It seems that as part of a lead up to this, they asked viewers to submit questions, and so we're going through the ones that were asked the most. A few are probably just to fill out my bio or something, since I get a few questions like what my favorite recipe is ("Can't go wrong with a cream bun.") or what my favorite game is ("Four Goddesses Online"), and strangely enough what my biggest weakness is ("Dancing games").

Really though, the pressure seems to have evaporated, as it no longer feels like I'm being grilled on national television; rather, it's like a conversation between me and our host, especially now with the coffee in her hands. IF was right, that definitely helped me calm down, considering the change in mindset. I'm able to forget, even just for a little while, that everyone will be talking wildly about today.

Though, in the background behind us, they do have a screen showing all of the live comments that go by, which I try to ignore.

Despite the fact we probably shouldn't repeat questions, it comes up enough, maybe in an attempt to trip us up, about what Lady Noire and I's relationship is. A few details emerge, such as how we regularly play together online and the like.

"Oh, this is an interesting one. People are asking what your relationship with IF is. Hmhmmm, you have competition, Noire~"

"We aren't like that!"

"Well, Elliot?"

I shake my head. "IF and I are just friends. We actually made sure of that, since we knew we'd get asked about it, as she's one of the more prominent regulars at my shop, and before people used to bug us about it. I can safely say that both of us mutually see each other as a friend."

"Hm, very smart of you two… why do you look so relieved, Noire~?"

"Relieved!? I'm not relieved, I mean, I think that they're a good fit for each other! I think if they did get together, there'd be no problem with it!" Noire declares, crossing her arms. Ah, there's that weird feeling again...

"I see, I see. Well," our host looks at the screen of reactions. "Oh my, Elliot, you seem to have a lot of people asking if they can go on a date with you sometime. You're quite popular!"

"Ah, well, I think that while I am very humbled at being asked, I would like to start off as friends."

"Ohhhh, spicy! Shooting down all of those eligible bachelorettes! Why?"

"Well, um, you know. I think it's good to get to know someone before you asked them out."

"Are you sure it's not because you have someone else on your mind?" She asks, clearly looking over at Lady Noire, so I force myself not to look in her general direction.

"Er, even if I did, I'd like to become friends with them before asking them out." I say, unsure what to think of the whole situation. I don't exactly view myself as very attractive, but perhaps it's because everyone wants to know if there was another reason Lady Noire brought me to the gala.

I get asked about Melanie as well, but I give my prepared answer of stating she's a smart girl, and probably thought there was no way it could be that simple, which most people seem to accept.

"Though, Noire, Elliot, this is a question for both of you, but the viewers were especially curious about what you two think of each other."

"Uh, didn't we answer this one?" I ask.

"No, no, not like that, but they were just curious about what your impressions of each other were. Hmhmhm~"

"Oh, I see." I say, nodding. "Then, shall I go first, Noire, or do you want to?"

"You can go first."

"I see. Then…" I close my eyes, trying to find the truth. "...I would have to say she is very earnest, even if sometimes she doesn't like to show it. Noire is the kind of person who would give up the last carton of her favorite flavor of ice cream if it meant that someone else could have it, and she'd do it with a smile on her face, and while she wouldn't let it show, I think for those of her that know her well, we'd want to tell her that maybe there's another store that sells it, so even if it's thirty minutes away, we can go. She is very diligent and hardworking, and I really admire that."

I pause, wondering what the big smile on our host's face is, and trace her gaze over to Lady Noire, who is sinking her face into her hands, but it's not enough to hide the fact her face is completely red.

"G-give me a moment, I'll have my impression." Noire stammers out, trying to recompose herself.

"...sorry."

"Geez!" Noire shouts, suddenly picking her head up and pointing at me. "You really can say some embarrassing stuff like it's nothing, can't you!?"

"I can't tell a lie, after all." I say, trying to smooth things over with a smile.

Lady Noire sighs, but she looks happy, still, even as her face is beet red. "...well, my impression of Elliot is that he's also very hardworking. He knows people very well and seems to always know how to cheer them up, and around him it seems like there's just an aura of happiness. I also think he's too honest for his own good."

"Please never entrust me with anything like a dangerous secret." I say in a jovial manner, with everyone chuckling, but it's mostly to avoid thinking about how red my cheeks must be right now.

"Awww, that was so cute! And for our last question…"

As if it were destined, it's...

"Can you prove that you're Elliot by dancing for us? Oh my, what a challenge!"

"Ah, well, I haven't exactly been in practice, so I don't remember that routine quite well." I say, scratching my cheek.

"That was a routine?! I thought you did it on the spot, back then!" Lady Noire shouts.

"Well, it was kind of a routine, but I didn't remember all of it and started to move on instinct."

"If you two have time to argue, you two have time to dance!"

"Eh…" Both of us trail off, glancing at each other.

"Dance, dance!"

The crowd joins in, chanting in unison "Dance, dance!". Behind us, the social media feed is filled with similar sentiments. Truly, the pressure is coming from all sides. I glance at Lady Noire again, who, when our gazes meet, glances away as she folds her hands in her lap, fidgeting.

"Oh, they just looked at each other! Just a little more, come on!"

I close my eyes and think back on the gala, imagining IF at the top balcony again giving me encouragement. I can see Lady Noire starting to twitch a little more, almost as if she were anxious. Ha… it can be hard for her to be honest about what she wants, right? I remember everyone telling me about that.

I suppress my feeling of embarrassment as I lean back in my seat, contemplating my next steps as I try to remember all of the movements. Last time, I was utterly terrified to do this. Not that it's any different this time around, but… I suppose I can give that much effort.

"Noire," I say, standing up to the sound of many cheers, extending my right hand to her while holding my left hand over my chest, "may I have a dance?"

"You, honestly…" Lady Noire grumbles, getting up and taking my right hand in her own, being pulled up from her seat, but there's a small smile on her face as if she's happy this is how it turned out. However, she still jabs her left pointer finger into my chest. "You know, it's exactly things like this that explain why you always get into trouble!"

"I guess I'm still a little weak to pressure." I say, bringing us to a more open area of the studio set. "Um, you wouldn't happen to have any music, would you?"

"Ohoho, I knew this might happen, so of course we have music~"

Lady Noire sighs, so I can only offer an apologetic smile in return.

"Ready?"

"Mhm."

I gently put a hand on Lady Noire's back, pulling her in close, but not too close. I can feel her back tense up, but then loosen up as she gets used to me. One of Lady Noire's hands rests on my shoulder, the other becoming interwoven with my own. Its softness is truly divine, evident of how much she cares for her herself, which makes me rather conscious of how rough my hands are due to a lack of care.

I'd like to say that at the very least, she's not in her Black Heart form, which has an ethereal sort of beauty that makes it hard to look her straight in the eyes, but… there's a certain nervousness for when it's Noire in front of me. It's… it's more raw, in a sense.

As the soft orchestral track begins to play, I start mentally counting the beats. One, two, three. One, two, three…

"Um…"

"Hm?" I ask, pausing just before we move.

"...it should be… more like the gala."

I raise an eyebrow, but Lady Noire does a half step in closer. Ah…

...I nod, pulling her in to a similar distance, just like that night. You could hardly fit a few sheets of paper between us, with how close we are now. One, two, three. One, two, three.

"One, two, three."

I count before silencing myself, taking the initiative. It's not a very hard routine, nor am I going at full speed like I did at the gala.

It's a world for us two. Not a single person, not even Lady Neptune or IF, exists to us right now. Just like that night, for a moment I forget about everyone watching us, focusing purely on the lovely woman in front of me.

There's… a certain happiness in my heart. Despite the thunderous hammering in my chest, I can't help but feel… excitement?

Even if I'm not quite sure what my feelings for Lady Noire quite are, the idea that… there's the room for something more, though I know I'm no one special, gets my heart racing. Part of me is afraid to push the issue, because just like with IF, if the feelings in our hearts differ, that's the kind of things that end friendships, and now that I have so much, I've become afraid to lose it all.

As I twirl Lady Noire before catching her as the strings crescendo, my thoughts continue on this train. Being able to be silly with Lady Noire like this, but also have IF and Lady Blanc's guidance and counsel, being able to walk around and encounter Lady Neptune again, it's all such a wonderful experience to have been blessed with. I am definitely scared of acting on what my feelings might be, because even a small "Let's get to know each other a little better" could throw it all into disarray.

Though I wonder… if that fear is causing me to be blind to what's right in front of me.

...ah.

I think I see why I felt so hazy earlier. At why there was a small discomfort in being called just a friend. About why I'm so happy, here and now, almost as if I'm monopolizing Lady Noire in front of the world.

...there's only one reason, isn't there?

After all, that fear… almost seems to melt away, as I look into the sparkling eyes of Lady Noire as I sweep us around, preparing for the finisher. In them, shine nostalgia and joy, as I'm sure she's aware of what we're about to do.

Well, I suppose it's what they'd want. Let's give them the shot they're looking for.

Moving into the grand finish, I end it in the same way as we did at the gala. That stereotypical ballroom pose, with Lady Noire's back arched, one of her feet barely on the ground, as she's held purely by the strength of my left hand around her waist while I lean over her, our faces inches away from each other.

Slowly bringing Lady Noire back up so she can stand up straight, I force myself to break eye contact, turning towards the audience while keeping one of Lady Noire's hands in mine as we bow together.

"Bravo, bravo! But with that, we are out of time for this segment! Once again, Elliot, owner of Lapin House, everyone! We'll look forward to having you again!"

As I pull up from my bow, I catch a glimpse of IF clapping from off to the side. She winks at me, looking at my hands, when I realize that I'm still holding onto Lady Noire's hand.

"Ah…"

I think I hear something come out from Lady Noire's mouth as I let go of it.

"Hm?"

"Ah, it's… nothing. Shall we go backstage?" Lady Noire asks as we see the lights indicating we're live go off.

"Mhm. It's phase two, right?"

"Hehehe. Let's figure out how to get you back in one piece."


"Wow, man, you two definitely kicked the hive today." IF says, peeking through the blinds.

We're holed up on one of the upper floors of the studio, as down below the crowd in the studio plaza, which travelers usually come to to get a chance to show up on camera, is much larger today.

"This is… a lot bigger than we planned for." She continues, texting someone on her phone. "We're trying to figure out how to get you out of here quietly, so hold tight. Anyone want to take a bet if it's worse than the gala?"

"Sucker's bet." I mumble, IF laughing.

"Elliot's really hot stuff, huh~? Gah!" Lady Neptune is quickly silenced by a whap to the back of the head, courtesy of Lady Noire. "Come on, Noire, I can't compliment a guy?"

"You're not complimenting him, you're just teasing him."

"Oho, oho, I get it. You want to be the only one giving him compliments, but I will neeeeever yield a fair citizen of myyyyy nation to yoooowowowowow!"

Lady Neptune's teasing is interrupted again by Lady Noire tugging on her hair, her cheeks flushed red as she does so for a few seconds before Lady Neptune escapes her grasp.

"Well, I suppose there are people interested in you." Lady Noire huffs, crossing her arms. "Our insistence that, um, you know, we were just friends seems to have made you more attractive in your eyes."

IF chuckles as she leans against the wall. "Let me guess, half of Lastation's bachelorettes want to know what he's got, if he was good enough for you?"

"Something like that."

"Guess it's a good thing we're sending him to Vert, then." IF says with an unusually enthusiastic smile on her face. "You're in luck, Elliot. I doubt anyone would try to make a move on you if you're with Vert. Not like there's a lot of people who can compete with her when it comes to raw presence."

"Somehow, I'm not comforted." I say, getting a laugh back from IF.

"Oh, you'll be fine. Hey, Nep, let's go find Compa."

"Eh, but we ju—"

"Yep, let's go find her!"

Lady Neptune doesn't get so much of a protest in before IF already drags her out of the room, shooting me a wink. Haaa… I know exactly what she's doing, but she could be a lot more subtle about it.

"W… well, um, thanks." I hear Lady Noire says, and when I look at her she's glancing away and down at the ground. "It really means a lot to me that you stuck through all of this."

"It wouldn't be fair if I ran away after everyone did so much." I say, sitting down on one of the sofas here, staring into my lap. "It really does feel like the gala all over again, huh?"

"At the very least, you um… won't get people asking about us anymore, right?" Lady Noire asks, with me giving a chuckle in reply. "It won't stop them from thinking that we're hiding it, though."

"Somehow, I get the feeling that despite my reputation as the guy who can't lie, even in Planeptune, they might not fully believe me. Even though, you know, they knew me back from when Gregory owned the place, too."

"Really, now? Hehe, it's almost like you're the successor of a hometown hero."

I laugh, shaking my head. "No, nothing of the sort. Just another kid from down the block, who went to the same school as everyone else."

"Ah…. well, I'm sorry you'll have to put up with it. I've put your honest reputation at risk."

"No, no, don't worry about it. I'm sure everyone will believe me eventually, but… it's not like I particularly mind. It's, well, if it had to be anyone, I'm glad that it's you, Noire. I'm sure it's more troublesome on your end, with everyone thinking you could do a lot be—"

"I couldn't!"

Both of us glance at each other after her sudden outburst, immediately breaking away right afterwards.

"I, er, I couldn't think it was that troublesome, I mean." Lady Noire quickly clarifies. "An-anyways, I hope it doesn't change your shop too much."

"Right! Um, I hope people don't start changing how they act around me or anything like that. It'd be great if I could still be a friendly face around the neighborhood."

"That'll change if you move, right?"

"That's true, but I hope I can still keep something like that image. I don't want to have to put on some kind of act to keep the shop running."

"Mhm. I wouldn't want that, either. If you do move, we can work on it together."

"Are you sure it won't be taken the wrong way? You know, like, favoring a business or something like that."

"I don't think there's anything wrong with it, if I don't actually put any funding towards it. There's nothing wrong with me taking a vacation day to help you lift boxes."

"I'd hate to make you use your vacation days for that, though."

Lady Noire gives me a teasing smile as she sits down next to me, and our arms brush up against each other "Well, you already take up my weekends, anyways. We spent a lot of time together in Four Goddesses Online."

"Well, that's true." I say, returning the smile.

"So… if there's nothing wrong with that, there's nothing wrong with me helping you."

"Alright, you win."

"Though, I wonder if there's any articles written yet. You did give a nice speech about befriending us. It'll be easier to help you move, if it really does seem just like friends helping friends."

"Mhm." I say, taking out my phone. There's already a few articles, aside from the waves of gossip columns, as it seems the message the goddesses wanted to send seems to be starting to take hold. I could without them trying to prop me up as someone fantastic though.

I notice then, that I also have a bunch of texts from some people who were in some of my classes in high school who had my number saved from a long time ago, regulars from the coffee shop who I became somewhat friends with before they moved away, and more importantly lots of old friends from high school sent out as a group text.

The last of those aren't filled with any messages such as "Can you introduce me to the goddesses?" or things like that. All of them are messages like "Congrats, Elliot!" and general well wishes. One of them, who I know is married and has kids now, did add in his last text a humble request to let his kids play with Lady Rom and Lady Ram, with a winking face at the end.

"Thanks for the support, everyone. Keep it a secret, but I'll be out of town for a bit longer. I'd love to have a fun get-together to relive the old days, at the shop. For now, though, I have to go."

Of course, after that text comes a lot of texting, and I nearly scream when I see Lady Noire glance over, as a text reading "Kiss her, Elliot!" comes up on the screen, forcing me to quickly mash the home screen button.

When I look over at Lady Noire, I think she saw it, as there's a light dusting of red across her cheeks.

"S… sorry. T, they're just teasing"

"N, no, I mean… I'm sorry, I shouldn't have looked."

"A-anyways, by the time I get back from Leanbox, everything should have calmed down." I say, looking back over at Lady Noire, with her nodding back.

"Well, um, I think you'll be dealing with this for a little longer than that, but the attention should fade a bit."

The noise from outside suddenly fades away, with the two of us probably realizing just how close we are to each other. Even though we're not as close as we were, pressed together, when we were dancing, somehow it's… even more nerve wracking. Our arms are lightly grazing each other, and our shoulders are close together, and…

And…

"Hey, we found a—"

Immediately, Lady Noire and I distance ourselves from each other, looking away from one another, as the door swings open.

"—way out and… I'll just… go?" IF says, trailing off. "I'm…. sorry to interrupt…?"

"N-no, everything is fine!" Lady Noire stammers out, dusting herself off. "What's the plan?"

"Oh, we got access to one of the patio areas on the higher floors, so we're currently asking Kei to meet up Nep there."

"Why Kei?" I ask, getting up from my seat.

"She's going to put on a wig and some pants. Basically, we're creating two Elliots. Nep's going to fly Kei dressed as you over to the Basilicom. Should buy us enough time to navigate through the streets, and we're borrowing one of their news vans as well, so we can slip out undetected. Noire, you're free to come along if you want."

"Seems like a spy movie." I comment, IF chuckling.

"You really stirred the hive, huh?"

"A bit, maybe." I say, locking my phone. "But I'm just happy that things are changing the way you all want. Still a little leery about facing the music in every day life, though. Hopefully by the time I'm back from Leanbox, everything will have calmed down."

"I think you'll be dealing with this for a little longer than that, but the attention should go down a little. Though..."

"Though?"

I see Lady Noire give me an encouraging smile as she pats my shoulder. "I'll be making sure to help you keep your promise."

"Thank you."

"Hey, I have some stake in it too, you know?"

"Alright, ladies and gentleman, I don't mean to interrupt your flirting time, but the sooner we get out of here, the less likely it is that the fact you're still here leaks." IF says, waving from the door. "So let's head down to the vehicle bay and get prepped. Unless, you know, you two want to be seen together."

Lady Noire stammers something before huffing, following IF out. Compa giggles as I sigh, going after them.

It almost feels like a heist movie, as Compa, IF, Lady Noire, and I pack into an elevator and head down. It might have just been me blinking, but I swear the lights flickered dramatically as we entered the basement area, opening up to a parking lot.

"Alright, looking for van six…" IF says, swinging the keychain round her index finger. "Ah, gotcha."

"Are you even licensed to drive this thing?" I ask as IF pushes on the unlock button on the key fob before yanking open the back door. Inside the van are various electronics and some folding chairs that are folded up and strapped to the walls. There's two seats that are held up by some velcro, which IF pulls off, giving us space to sit in the back, before opening a panel up which houses the seatbelts.

"As a special agent, I have to have many skills in many areas."

"I'm going to take that as a no."

"Elliot, Noire, get in the back. I don't want anyone seeing you guys and blowing our cover. Try not to rock the van, though." IF says, pointing with her thumb inside, deciding not to follow up to my comment. "Compa, you're with me in the passenger seat."

I clamber inside after Lady Noire, with both of us strapping ourselves in as IF closes the doors behind us. I reach for the panel that's over by the driver's side section, pulling it open just a bit, seeing inside the driver's area.

"Don't look through that until we're home clear, Elliot." IF says, closing the panel just a bit. I can hear a phone start dialing as two seatbelts click. "And sorry about the tight squeeze, Noire."

"I-it's fine. I'm just surprised that you got all of this going so quickly."

"Iffy can be pretty pushy~" Compa says, giggling.

"S-shut up." IF grumbles, starting the engine. "Nep, can you hear me?"

"Mhm, yes I can, Iffy." Lady Purple Heart's voice says over the phone. "Kei's all changed out to. She's a bit short but she makes a convincing Elliot."

"That's the plan." IF says as she starts driving the van. I peak out and see that two other news vans pull up, with us taking the lead. "Alright Elliot, we're almost out there, so keep your head down. There'll be three vans in total, so we have a bit of cover."

"Okay, got it."

"Noire, make sure he doesn't peek."

"I'll hold him down."

"Good. Here we go. Nep, ready to fly on my mark."

Despite us being in the van which muffles the noise a bit, the hustle and bustle of the outside is incredibly apparent. The whole city was here, all wanting a glimpse of me. Moreso because of my attachment to Lady Noire rather than for myself, which is fine. I think if I attracted crowds of people simply for being me, I'd find that quite… strange.

"Nep, you're good to go. Make it flashy for us, will you?"

"Your wish is my command, Iffy~"

Before the line cuts completely off, I hear Kei's voice in a strangely grumbling tone say something along the lines of "Is a bridal carry really neces—"

Outside, I can hear the excitement reach critical mass as people likely turn their attention to the sky. Shouts that Lady Purple Heart is flying what appears to be 'Elliot' overtake everything, but are drowned out by the engine revving.

"Flying through the skies of Lastation seems nice, though."

"Should we do a helicopter tour, Elliot?" Lady Noire asks as I lean back in my seat. "After everything dies down, anyways."

"Maybe. Some of my friends wanted to do a big reunion, so I'd like to meet with them after all of this."

"Well, maybe I can find a tour company that can bring them all along."

"O-oh, no, I couldn't ask that of you."

"No, it's fine. Besides, I'd like to meet them all, too."

"Oi, you two know we can hear you from up here, right?" IF's voice calls, coming from the front of the van.

Both of us immediately quiet down after that, avoiding looking at each other, content to just let the ride pass by in silence. Up ahead, I can hear Compa admonishing IF, because now we aren't talking.

The rest of the trip passes by in an awkward silence, though a few attempts at conversation are made, usually with the two of us both talking at the same time and, due to the collision of words, quickly falling silent and deciding to try later.

I.. ha… geez, for all the courage everyone says I have, I'm pretty lousy at summoning it for the small stuff, huh?

After a while though, I hear the van come to a complete stop and the engine turn off.

"Still alive, Elliot?"

"Y-yeah, I'm here." I say, unbuckling myself.

"Good. I'm going to open the door, as soon as I do, we're going to turn right and go straight into the hotel. Noire, I need you to close the door as soon as he's out so no one spots you."

"R-right, got it!" Lady Noire says, unbuckling herself as well, both of us taking a stand by the door. We're standing fairly close, but upon realizing how close we are, Lady Noire takes a half-step back, scratching her cheek.

"Is… is something wrong, Noire?" I ask as I hear IF unbuckle her seatbelt before opening the drive side door.

"N-no, of course not! It's just… a-ah, sorry, something that I thought I could put off until after this big reveal is coming up soon, so…"

"O-oh, I see. Erm, well… I wish you good luck with it, then."

"T… thanks."

Noire's voice fades away as I hear the back door being slightly creaked open.

"Ready?" IF's voice asks as I get ready to move.

"Yeah."

"I'll open it just enough so you can step out. On three. One, two, three!"

With that, IF opens the door just a tiny bit, allowing me to slip on through. My shoes touch down on the asphalt and I take a step away from the door, with Lady Noire closing it right behind us. IF then ushers me through the hotel, right past the lobby and into the elevator area.

Fortunately, the elevator comes fairly quickly, with IF sending us two floors above our room's floor. I raise an eyebrow but she just nods in reply, so I trust in her. I think it might have to do with the fact there's some other people in the elevator, so she stands slightly behind me, which pushes me into the corner with my face facing the front of the elevator, preventing an easy camera shot of my face.

After we hit the floor IF pushed, we step off and head down the hall. IF then holds out her keycard and enters a room, gesturing for me to come inside. I do so, with IF staying outside. The room here looks mostly untouched; there's a few suitcases around but nothing's been unpacked.

Roughly five minutes pass before IF opens the door again. "Come on, we're moving. And move quickly."

I follow IF out into the hallway, where we then take the stairs down two floors and pop out into another hallway, where we're able to head to my room without anyone spotting us, supposedly.

"Sorry for all the misdirection, but I had a spare room reserved as insurance." She says, sighing while scratching her head. "Sheesh, talk about exhausting."

"Thanks for doing this all, though. It's seriously amazing."

IF smiles, flashing a thumbs up. "Anyways, just stay put in the room, okay? If you get hungry, let me know and I'll have Compa bring it up later since they might be watching for me rather than her."

"What are you doing now?"

"Dropping Noire off, then causing some more misdirection. It should obfuscate your actual location a little more." IF says, a playful grin on her face as she heads for the door.

"You're enjoying this a little too much."

"Well, I can't deny it's a bit fun acting like a movie spy, going all out like this." She says, her hand on the door. "Alright, stay safe, and don't open the door for anyone. I'll put the 'Do Not Disturb' sign too, so housekeeping doesn't bother you."

"Thanks. Have fun."

"Ohoho, you haven't seen anything yet." She pauses, turning her head around. "And hey."

"Yeah, IF?"

"I think you really hit it out of the park today. It might be a while before the noise calms down and you can publicly hang out with Noire, but I know you two'll really appreciate it."

"Were you… doing stuff today on purpose?" I ask.

IF chuckles. "Actually, no, but I'm sorry if it looked that way. But hey, with all that pent up energy, I'm sure that when it does get released, it'll be like a big tidal wave. Make sure to text her good night, lover boy."

With a laugh, IF exits the room, closing the door behind her. Haaaaa…


"Whoa, whoa, watch the suit, it's expensive!" I say, immediately moving to put myself between the suit hanging from its hangar on a doorknob and the bottle in IF's hand.

IF only laughs as she puts the champagne bottle down on the table, having returned in the evening with a bottle of bubbly.

"Oh relax, it wasn't ready to blast, anyways. But, we didn't get to really talk while I was busy all afternoon, so I figured we could chat over dinner, which I guess is going to have to be delivery. Or room service, if you're down for that. But great job today. You plan that speech?"

"No, it kind of just spilled out."

"I'm surprised you could still dance, too."

"Blanc mentioned it might come up, so she drilled me again a few days ago before over the phone."

"Ah, of course. Still though, you didn't have to do it." IF says, nudging me in the ribs as she passes by me on the way to the fridge. "But hey, it's all over now, right?"

"Yeah, I just wish you didn't have to spend the rest of the afternoon trying to lose the press."

"They're really persistent, yeah. But still, it was fun driving a van in a movie-like chase. Seriously, I forgot how crazy fans can be sometimes. Anyways, enough of that!" IF says, clapping once. "Back on topic, I'm surprised you went through with the dance. You didn't have to."

"Ah, I'm still a bit weak to pressure, I guess."

"Haha, yeah you are. At least everyone seemed to believe you about us. Now all you have to do is worry about surviving Vert. I've still got some pepper spray if you need it. And a taser."

"IF!"

"Kidding, kidding!" She says, laughing. "You sound actually worried."

"You are not helping!"

"Hehehe." IF snickers. "Well, teasing you is pretty fun. I'll try to tone it down, but I got swept up in the mood."

"Do you… you know, really think that way?"

IF pauses as she opens the fridge. "Huh?"

"You know…"

IF pulls a can of orange soda out and then smiles in a way that I thought only Lady Neptune can smile. "You like her, don't you?"

"I, I never said…"

"Well, it's the way she stammers about you two being just friends, how she hasn't flat out said you two couldn't go out, that shine in her eyes when you two were dancing, all of it. If you ask me, I think she's totally into you."

"I still don't get why you're really insistent on it, though."

"Well, you want the best for your friends, right? It's just that. Noire rarely ever finds someone she can get along so well with, so of course I'm going to root for you two. You two have really good chemistry, plus moving to Lastation and having a famous coffee shop… what more can you ask for?"

The words "our friendship" threaten to break out of my throat, but somehow I manage to hold it in. If there's one thing that… that really makes me hesitate, it's the fact that everything's going to change. Or could change. I mean, even back then, when I went out with Melanie, I know that things certainly were different between me and my other female friends, if only because they didn't want to cause any misunderstandings.

"Have you made your choice, by the way?"

"Not yet. Kei said she'd give me the code to unlock the case with the data in it after this blew over, so I could probably ask her right now."

"Sounds like Kei, letting you focus on things one at a time," IF says, pausing to take a sip of soda. "Well, I know you'll make the right choice. It's a pretty easy one, isn't it?"

Before I can say anything further, there's a knock on the door. IF puts her soda on the table and goes to check who it is before opening it, letting Lady Blanc in through the door, closing it behind her.

"Oi, I thought we were trying to hide him here."

"It's fine; if you look on the social media news, I had Ram and Rom be seen with 'Elliot' elsewhere, letting me slip away." Lady Blanc says.

"I don't know how you convinced Kei to do that."

"As if you're one to talk." Lady Blanc says with a knowing smile. IF just scowls at this, prompting a chuckle out of Lady Blanc. "But Elliot, it seems you weren't alone. Pardon my bluntness, IF, but I'd like to speak to him alone."

"How long is it going to take?" IF asks, picking up her soda.

"A considerable amount of time."

"Got'cha..." IF says with a nod. "Well, Elliot, if it takes long enough that I go to sleep, good night, Elliot. Guess I'll grab dinner on my own, so make sure to eat, got it?"

"O-oh, yeah, of course. Good night, IF."

"Though, I thought you might be here as well since you're just across the hall, so I have already gotten you some dinner, IF. I'm sure you're quite familiar with the sub and soup shop, Toppelly?" Lady Blanc asks, holding up one of two bags in her hands. "I was planning to hand it off to you if you weren't here."

"Oh, wow, going all out for me tonight, huh?" IF asks, taking the offered bag.

"I got your usual."

"Thanks, Blanc." IF says, heading out the door. "Well, you know how to reach me, if you need me. I'll be in our previous room if you need me, too."

"Got it."

"Then, good night. Good show today."

IF turns her head away, holding her right hand up as if to give a quick salute before reaching back with her hand and closing the door behind her.

After that, Lady Blanc locks the door. "Well, you did it. Congratulations are in order, Elliot, for sticking with it and not running away."

"I don't think I had much of a choice once I committed."

"Regardless, it was a difficult situation and you persevered. I must thank you as well, for taking the first step when we were afraid to. In order to pay you back, I thought I would come in and chat with you. I can tell you have a lot on your mind and now that this is over, there's plenty of time to think on everything else you've been holding back on. You entrusted your secrets to me, looking for guidance, so now that we have the room to breathe, I'll help you."

"Oh… thank you, Blanc."

"Hm, so you've started using our names."

"Well, you all kept asking me to, plus after using just your names on the show today, it feels… less stressful to do so."

Lady Blanc chuckles as she sits down, putting a bag on the table. "I did bring some dinner, so, Elliot, let's have a chat."


Sorry for being a week late with this, I ended up having to be at the office 3 days a week now all of a sudden, so it massively cut into my writing time. That, and I wrote about half this chapter, then decided I didn't like it, and had to rewrite a decent chunk of the segment where they're leaving the studio. Originally I had it where Noire and Elliot walked the streets together after IF prodded him to, but decided it was too big of a leap and I wanted to take things a little slower.

Either way, there were several changes to this chapter, mostly with me introducing Elliot's awakening to his feelings, but conflict about whether or not he should actually act on them, as it will change a lot of things for him. Plus, some more ship-tastic moments, haha, especially with the lack of tension from IF. Overall, was a mostly fun chapter. I think the next one will be the last sort of "copy paste" chapter as we get the ball rolling, and we really start to see a divergence.

I did have some fun with IF now actually pushing Elliot to pursue Noire without any ambiguity to her feelings, but had the conflict be more focused around Elliot being afraid to change his surroundings, having found comfort in them. It makes for a nice parallel conflict to the romance story building in the background.

Anyways, hopefully I'll be able to catch back up to my usual pace. Between going to the office again, some extra editing work I picked up for a friend, and trying to find some time to relax, sometimes it's a bit hard to find time to sit down and write effectively. As always, let me know what you thought, and see you all next time!