Okay, I really don't have an excuse for that long, excruciating period of absence. I would say I had school and exam preparations so I just hope you can be understanding enough for when I simply can't get a letter in some months.
With that out of the way, the chapter word count is: 12267. I hope it's a good read and as always, it's kind of hard to spell check chapters of such length so I also hope you can be understanding when it comes down to misspelling and funky word placements.
Oh, I also hope you like the new decorations!
°•. ✿ .•°
~=HyperDimension Neptunia: Pursuing Perfection=~
-Chapter 4: Nursing Sorrow's Roots-
°•. ✿ .•°
We find ourselves exposed to a scenery most unrealistic… A world so full of joy and glee. Limited only by a most enchanting azure that extended as far as the eye could reach, the heavens were not interrupted, as the clouds were taking a nice, relaxing break for now.
Under the supervising sky, a city stood on its legs, and gosh were those legs majestic.
At first glance, any pair could tell the atmosphere was dominated by a theme of three: Purple, White and Pink. That trio could be seen everywhere: The buildings, the light posts, even the ground! And what made this even better was the needle-like basilicom that effortlessly jabbed the horizon.
The crowded streets gave the nation a healthy dose of liveliness. Its people enjoy the peaceful times, from unburdened children running around aimlessly, to a contrast of cheerful and slumped-over students exiting their school after half a day of hard work, looks like today was an early dismissal. Some headed back home for a quick shower and a nap, maybe an evening-session of games. While the others preferred visiting the cafeteria with their acquaintances and concluding the chatter they were prohibited from during class. To businessmen and women hanging tightly to their suitcases and neckties as they threaded the threads of unknown fate.
And among the whirl of population, an easy-to-spot duo could be seen walking down the busy streets of Planeptune, though the way they were headed was significantly less populous than the main boulevard. In fact, we zoom more so towards the eastern half of the progressive land, where a Pinkette and a Peachette were side by side.
Naturally, the latter donned her usual warm and cutesy outfit. The blend of a motherly sweater basking in the same colours as her celestial hair alongside her checkered red skirt was familiar and easy on the eyes.
But unlike her companion, the former adopted a set of fresh feathers offered to her by the tome dweller. It was an uncomplicated yet charming school outfit featuring a simple white buttoned shirt. Around her neck was a loose, purple necktie. It was thin and extended all the way to her bellybutton region. Below all that was a knee-level A line purple skirt, matching the accessory mentioned earlier. The combo finished with a pair of white thigh highs and a pair of black cute boots.
"So Miss Mollie, how are you finding Planeptune?~" The latter chirped. She took a quick glance at her partner, who seemed both flustered and overwhelmed by the architecture canvas before her…
"I'm… H-Honestly not sure…" A quick reply sufficed. The young Puriolét ran her eyes quickly over the buildings, cars and even the road itself… 'Is this concret? How is it purple…?!' Her mind demanded answers.
"Not sure about what?" With a quick head tilt, Compa sought to know the meaning behind Mollie's reply… Did she mean the good "Not sure", or the bad one?
"Umm… How great this place is... A-At least from first glance…" The guest began. "Everything is so tidy and in-place… The buildings are so clean it's like they were made yesterday, and the roads are so ceaseless, fresh and elegant you'd think people have no shoes on… And what's even better is the atmosphere… It's just so… so…!" Words were not enough to describe the teenager's feelings, so she took it to actions instead. The foreign schoolgirl puffed her chest, and breathed as much bliss as her person mustered. "It's so… So light and clean…!"
The girl felt powerless against the chuckles that swirled within her, and as she let them out, a faint, but notable feeling of pleasure filled her whole. "It's just… So different, in the good way, Miss Compa…~"
Compa quickly found herself under the expectant eyes of her new acquaintance. Her job as a nurse supplied her with enough experience to notice any small changes in her patient's features, and right now, one thing certainly didn't go through the care-taker's sharp-witted censors…
…
…
Blood boiling embarrassment.
"AH!" Her mind abruptly brought up how awkward she must've looked… As an introvert, the stunt the girl took was almost as big as running around naked, and so, her leading attitude was to cover her face… "S-Sorry! I'm weird, I know…"
"Huh? No no!" The peach-eyed charmer flailed her hands in quick denial. "You're not!"
Mollie tested the waters, and remained behind her palms before checking between her fingers just barely… She was like a cat being tamed by someone trustworthy. "...Really…?"
As per usual, Compa wore her heart on her sleeves, and nodded confidently. "Yes, silly! I was just happy to know that you like it here. I really feared you'd hate it because someone super shy like you would prefer a place like Leanbox more."
"R-Reanbox…?" The Pinkette brought down her walls… Physical ones at least, and queried. "What's it like?"
"Well umm… If I had to summarise how it looks…" Immediately, Compa's eyes darted upwards. Her index smoothly traced the air, and landed on her creamy chin. "It's a lot less futuristic than Planeptune, but it's super nice and calm! It has a lot more grasslands and is mostly recommended for people who like to live calm and quiet lives… Actually, it's so peaceful that patients with stress and anxiety issues are told to take vacations there specifically!"
Instantaneously, a picture was painted on the summoned gal's noggin… 'Whoa… Could it be like I think it is… Green stretching as far as the eye can see, and really warm wind blowing… Mmm, I just want to lay down there and forget about everything…~ I could make grass-angels, and sleep aaall day on the easy grass… Oh, maybe even draw the scenery! I bet mom would love to see it-...'
And cut… Her mind quit thinking. It was similar to how a city would cease all life under a power outage… Mollie was left staring down blankly, from when she was daydreaming, to when her consciousness partially faded.
"Miss… Mollie?" Concern flared on the nurse's mug. After a couple of calls of her ally's name, she decided to get physical, and tapped her shoulder just barely…
"Ah!" In a jiffy, the addressed girl answered. "W-What…?- I mean… Sorry, sorry… I just got too deep in my thinking, eheheh…" Unfortunately for the remorseful female, her fake smile was not convincing.
"Um… Are you sure you're okay…?" A sweat drop climbed down the busty beauty's face, bolding out her doubts. "You've been side tracked a lot today…"
"I'm fiiine, I'm fine!" Mollie swatted Compa's concerns away reassuringly like she was swatting away a mere fly. "I'm just an overthinker, yeah!~"
…
…
Compa knew.
She knew very well that those claims were all false, inaccurate, a mere disguise for young Puriolét's true feelings.
A big, mean lie…
But she couldn't help it, she only knew the damsel for minutes less than an hour! She wanted to help, truly, but you can't help someone who just doesn't want it!
For now, it was best for her to back away, and delve deeper later. "Okay!~" Her frown flipped and her voice gained in fuel. "We walked enough, my nurse senses tell me that you must be tired! I know a really nice cafeteria around here, so let's go!"
"M-Mhm!" Briskly acknowledging, the Telekinesis user felt great relief that her claims were believed, and paced behind her guide most-obediently.
The duo would return to a state of respectful silence. Both of them knew that their knowledge of each other would only go as far as sharing names and likes. It would've been truly awkward for someone to spark a topic that does not interest the other in the slightest. But there was this distinct enjoyment from this small company.
After what felt like a solid two to three minutes walk, Compa and Mollie found themselves facing a most welcoming café. It's true that the former had already addressed this spot as "Really nice", but to have just the forefront be this captivating was a whole other thing!
Let's get a quick summary of what the two were seeing.
First and foremost, glowing with a dim, purple light was the declaration "Neptune Break", ensnared in an oval sign smothered with beauteous engravings and shapes, the word "Break" also had some cracks to its letters. Below that was the entrance, to its sides were two large glass-panes that allowed for just a sneak-peak inside the luxurious attraction, their warm purple theme embraced one in a homey, warm impression. Said mirrors were bordered by an altering pattern of purple and black blocks that updated all around it, and finished lastly by meeting at the shop's door, which was a simple purple frame encasing a white, high quality glass pane brandishing Planeptune's "N" logo, big enough to take the entire middle of the portal. The coffee shop did not lack in its outer decorations as four, large plants stood tall at its front; two to the very side and the other pair standing guard near the entrance. Were you to look down, you'd notice that a special flooring was used to mark the house's plot, and unlike what you'd expect at a humble store, this one stretched out with a logo of what seemed to be a Chibi Neptune happily indulging in her drink while winking at the customers… Was it the store's logo? Who knows.
There also were a number of seats laid out for customers who enjoyed an open climate. Each of the tables carried a menu of its own. The exterior setting was all housed inside a fancy, black railing that stretched from the attraction's outer walls to where the brand ended.
'Wow…' Impressed was a true understatement for the new girl's face right now. 'This place… Is this like the best coffee shop in this entire world…? The last time I saw something this good was in Nariel… And you had to pay a lot more than a normal store just to sit in!'
"So, you coming?~" Paying no attention to her ally's reaction, Compa invited Mollie in, and casually gave the door a light push.
The portal welcomed the duo melodically once they walked in. Inside, the alien's expectations were not disappointed. Sure, there were no robotic cute cats running around taking customers' orders, and the floor below her did not shine with light. But it also did not pale from its exterior design. The interior had a brighter theme of pink and white with the former being the most dominant one. A most noticeable feature was the place's size, it was large enough to fit at least a hundred and twenty five customers at once… At its base floor.
"W-Wait a moment.. Are those stairs?" The pinkette pointed out.
The care-taker cutely nodded. "Mhm! Didn't you notice the second stage outside?"
"I honestly didn't…" Muttering out an inaudible reply, the school girl stood there, engrossed in the cheerful and casual chatter brimming the place, the tantalizing aroma of fresh baked goods pouring from the back and the delightful songs streaming, it was to her taste 'This singer has a really divine voice…' She quickly remarked. She continued running her eyes across the white quartz flooring, and landed on the cute pink sofas besides each table to her right and left. Simple and nice.
The walls were clean and shiny. The flawless pink painting housed numerous cute white hearts within it, and as her eyes raced to the ceiling, they connected with the same logo she saw outside, only a lot bigger. From the roof also hung what seemed to be countless light rods, each parted an equal distance from the other, and met at the formerly mentioned logo to circulate around it. To each corner stood a proud plant pot, each of them bore a distinct kind of flowering: Roses, hydrangeas, and even some that the alien couldn't recognize. 'Wow… What are those…~' She excitedly told herself. The anthophile in her wished to carefully examine these elegant new models of blossoms.
Facing the two was a normal shop counter. Its bottom half flaunted white while the top was a creamy fuschia. Round and large display cases connected to the table from both sides, they stretched enough to reach the wall behind and advertised numerous kinds of sweets and salty treats, each in their respective container.
Above that was yet another large drawing, but different from the shop's logo. This time, the back wall showed off what seemed to be a pink minimalist art of…Purple Heart? Such refined curvatures and carefully groomed braids could only belong to one holiness, it was distinct even in a simple, broad brand of art. She seemed to be peeking over her shoulder while holding a small cup, possibly housing a refreshing dose of tea.
Compa was first to approach the counter and glance at the overhead menu. 'Oh, it looks to be the same as yesterday's!' Her monologue carried the excitement over to her widening, full of life irises. "Good morning!~"
Her friendly gesture was meant towards the lovely blonde in a white and black maid outfit, she also had a captivating pair of rose eyes and a frilly lace bound right over her average-sized bust. The girl smiled professionally, and bowed slightly. "Good morning Miss Compa. How can I help you today?~" With the same, if not more enthusiasm, she returned.
It took nothing but mere seconds for the peachette to properly consider her choices before a ringing bell played in her mind. "Well umm… I'll take a strawberry cake slice and a cup of green tea."
Hurriedly humming to herself, the owner nodded to herself and pointed over her customer's shoulder. "Is the mistress with you this time?" With a curious head tilt, she asked.
"Oh yes! That's Mollie!" The peach cake introduced cheerfully and eyed the mentioned klutz.
"H-Huh?! O-Oh, right, sorry!" Embarrassed, Mollie paced to her guide's side, and drew an awkward beam. "I really liked the decor... "
"It's all right Miss. It is in fact a delight to know both our regulars and newcomers enjoy the place's looks." Smiling reassuringly , the shop worker looked at young Puriolét. "Will you be ordering anything?"
The sudden query pounced at the girl. She quickly shifted her eyes left and right before looking down and fondling with her restless thumbs. "D-Do you serve… Strawberry juice…?" A strong flavour of hesitation was tasted on the immigrant's words, it wasn't a familiar tone for Planeptune folks.
"Hmm, you're not from here are you?" Asked the waitress. "Of course we serve strawberry juice!~. Please give me a moment to prepare your orders, take any table you see fit." And as quickly as her reply was heard, the elegant worker skipped to the back room, her actions were paralleled with the duo nodding in acknowledgement and finding a seat of their own. Thankfully, today was not as crowded as usually which made the process a lot less daunting.
"There isn't a reason for you to be shy Miss Mollie." Compa started soon after the two settled. "I know you've been through so much pain only until recently, and that you're in a whole other world… But people here are nice, I can promise you that!"
"T-Thanks…" The young flower expressed her gratitude with a mild yet honest smile. "I-It's not that I find this place overwhelming or anything, it's only that… I've never been much away from home…" With the truth behind her hesitant actions laid out, the introvert looked aside some. "I've only really been open with my mother… So being stranded away in a whole other dimension, without her is…" Her statement met an abrupt silence, Mollie's words stuck in her throat. She had hoped that the nurse would finish the sentence for her.
"I understand. You don't have to tell me if you don't feel comfortable about it." Granted, the party-healer had multiple patients with cases such as Mollie's. Only, she never intended to treat the girl before her as a subject, but as a potential friend of hers. "We can talk about something else if you want?~"
"Hmm… Well, there is something." Giving her chin a rub or two, a light bulb appeared above the questioned head. "I've been noticing something weird in this world like… There are a lot of people, a lot more than usual, that's a first. And second… The biggest majority are girls too! I've only seen a bunch of guys running around, not to mention that this very Café has only two guys sitting over there." Her claim was proven by her evident finger pointing at two fine men.
"Oh, hmm… Well, that's because-" Right as the syringe-user leapt to answer, her words betrayed her for an approaching entity.
"Here you go." With a tray in hand, the blonde waitress served the two their orders. "A cup of strawberry juice for Miss Mollie, and tea with a slice of strawberry cake for Miss Compa." Her answering came with smooth distribution. The woman then put the silver tray to her chest and smiled. "Please enjoy.~"
Surprisingly, the girl did not leave, but looked at Mollie first. "Oh, and the payment comes right before you leave, Miss."
'H-How did she know I…'
The surprise on her face was not enjoyed by the diligent worker, she had already left for her post. But it sufficed to give Compa a nice chuckle. "Hehe~ Miss Vivi is nice.~"
"Vi… vi? Is that her name?"
"Mhm." Nodding, the regular took a quick sip from her beverage, which instantly illuminated her eyes with energy. "And about your question, you saw more girly girls than manly men because that's the ratio here." A clicking sound was born from the cup and the table's wooden nature connecting. The informing person led her index to her chin, and hummed. "Umm, if I'm not forgetting, the latest ratio I heard was three females to… Ah! Yes, yes, three females to one male!"
COUGH!
The pinkette was unable to suppress the swelling in her chest, the surprise was like a virus fighting to spread out. Her gratitude was immeasurable for not taking a sip of her drink already, else it'd have been all over her gentle companion now. But seriously, that ratio was two more than what our guest was used to. "T-Three?! It's not equal?!" The disbelief was quickly met by a disagreeing head wave. "B-But… How does it work then… Are things different here? Y-You know… Breeding?" Courage of a million men was used to let that question out. It'll take another million seconds for the alien to save up that strength again. But at least it was used for a good question.
"Hm? No no, it's the same!" As unusual as it was, Compa smiled awkwardly. "But you will commonly find two girly girls being married, or multiple girls to one guy." 'This is actually a little embarrassing to say out loud…' It seemed like the nurse overestimated her abilities to keep young Puriolét comfortable. She quickly took a spoonful of her cake, and tried to distract her mind with the mouthwatering sweetness. 'Mmm, I bet I'm super blushy right now… Uuuu…'
Peculiarly, the reaction our caretaker expected was mere fiction. In fact, Mollie's features seemed even a little kinder now. "That… Sounds good." Beaming with a nod, the pinkette sampled her order.
The thick, yet delicate texture coated her tongue whole and quickly invaded her entire mouth. The energising sugariness soon washed away the dizziness looming over the summoned one and replaced it by a consoling serenity. Each sip made the consumer hope to indulge more, longing for the cold treat to last forever…
Clack.
The glass was put down with the usual clatter sound. 'So good…' young Puriolét pondered quickly, before eyeing the one before her. "It's… Really good, hehe.~"
"Nice, I'm glad you liked it! This place serves one of the best drinks all around Gamindustri, so make sure to visit it plenty whenever you feel pooped!" Cheering the beginner on, the medic ran her eyes across the shop, and smiled sadly, bitterly.
A change of hearts easily noticed by the cautious female. "...Miss Compa, are you okay...?" Still hesitant, the concern was yet noticeable on her air waves. Mollie crooked an eyebrow, and leaned forward a bit.
"Mhm…" Her answer came brief and simple, almost like she expected that examination to be thrown her way. "I'm just remembering someone, is all…"
"Do you… Miss someone?"
"..." Letting a moment of silence to pass, the busty charmer mulled over: 'Should I tell her, or is it going to trouble her more…?' Said thoughts echoed against her walls again and again, not dimming but only gaining in strength, all while she stared at the ground intently.
"Miss Comp-"
"H-Huh?! Oh no no, it's not like they died or anything!" Swatting off the alien's worries, the Maker beamed clumsily, forcing out the laughter. "It's just a friend of mine who's injured, so they had to take a break is all! I come here with her very regularly, so I was just remembering the last time we were here together."
"Is… That so…" Doubt dripped off the stranger's reply. She wanted to believe Compa, truly! But with how much experience she had at reading people's emotions, it was without a doubt, a disguise for what she honestly thought.
And not only that, for a moment the young flower could swear an aura much different emitted from the gregarious lass. It was one of darker nature, one bearing burden and sadness, concern and fear…
'So you aren't as happy as you want me to think you are…' The psychic started one of her many habitual monologues. 'You just want everyone around you to be happy, because you trust you can shoulder all the problems in the world… But as soon as hardships begin leaking to those you care about, you become frantic… I know your type, Miss Compa. Something through your life, be it recent or as you grew up, must've happened to cause this, and when it did, it painted in your mind the idea that others are always irresponsible with themselves and risk their health haphazardly… This also shows in the fact that you are a nurse, and from what I can tell, a dedicated one.'
She followed her thoughts by quickly tapping the table, trading the party-healer the same kind of smiles that reassured her earlier. 'You got a lot more layers than one would tell just by looking at you.' "That's… Really sad, honestly… Hey, maybe when I get my gloves from Lady Noire, I could heal her!"
Shocked, the peachette's eyes widened, opening a window to her honest ambiguity. '"You can do that…?"
"Mhm!" For the first time yet, the proposing side confirmed with a simple, chipper gesture of the head. "And it has no side effects whatsoever!"
Yet again, the happy-go-lucky hurried back to her thinking shed, considering her options. 'Is that okay though…? Iffy just agreed to rest and not risk her life on daily quests. If I let Miss Mollie help her, she'd definitely want to join in retrieving the HDDs… And even more, she could become much more careless with someone that could provide better… Instant medical care… Than me-'
"No."
Flabbergasting even herself, Compa quickly grew weary of her lips. 'T… They moved on their own?' her thoughts sinked, and were replaced by an endless list of reasons for that act…
Responsibility?
Dread?
Confidence that IF was absolutely in no need of magical healing…?
Definitely! Iffy was too cool to rely on some glowing spells!
'...Am I… Jealous?'
"O-Oh…" Mollie muttered after her own round of thinking. "I understand…" The girl replied, gazing aside.
The abysmal outpouring of stiffness and inelegance boiled down to a breach of complete silence.
Was it them, or did the entire Café just stop talking all of a sudden…? Was the temperature rising too?
The endless list of doubts made their heartbeats contest; accelerating more and more with each negative thought, the abundant blood flow enriched their faces, and brought a blush not cute, nor romantic.
"So… Is there anything else I can bring you two?~"
A jolt and a slight gasp, the two eyed the source of unidentified encroachment in complete synchrony.
It was Vivi.
"Wow, did I startle you? S-Sorry…"
"N-No no! It's fine!" Compa gave herself a quick mental slap, and displayed her usual cheery gear. "We're the ones that should be apologizing for worrying you, ehehe.~"
Unable to meddle further, the waitress rubbed the back of her head slowly, then smiled. "That's good. Well then, I'll just leave this here." She followed her claim by handing the two what seemed to be a purple book with a paper sticking out of it.
It was the bill.
"Oh, I'll handle that." Before the pinkette could touch the item, the nurse swiftly snatched it and took a look at the contents. "It's on me since I invited you here." Brandishing her trademark beam, Compa finished what was left of her drink and approached the counter, putting down an easy amount of 150 credits.
'Hmmm… I shouldn't meddle too much… Idiot.' Self-loathing, the school girl took a peek at her cup, only to realize she emptied it long ago. 'Aww… Must've downed it to distract myself…'
"Okay, are you ready to head out?~" The maker announced to her friend kindly.
"Y-Yeah, thank you very much."
The mood felt a lot easier on the heart. Mollie and Compa exited the luxurious chain feeling at least a bit better than when they visited, and en route were they on finishing the tour around Gamindustri's Planeptune.
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Meanwhile… At the basilicom.
At a lonely desk remained a small, diligent divinity. Nepgear this early in the morning decided to take up on her new temporary tasks, and begin scratching them off the list one after another. She may've helped her older sister plenty before, but being the one and only to fill all the stacks of white had a kind of anxiety similar to taking a trip to the doctor, or holding an actual gun rather than seeing a picture of it.
But even then, she worked restlessly. The lights of three monitors illuminated her focused features from three angles, and her concentration was sharper than Noire's tongue when she grew impatient.
'Hm... ' Eyeing what seemed like a document of great significance, the candidate hummed to herself. "Request for funding a new orphanage, hmm…" Even if slightly, a faint curve was visible in her mouth. "That sounds nice, though… Another one? Aww… We're getting so many cases relating to orphans and children being abandoned… This is awful."
Skilfully, the girl ran her eyes across the building's coordinations and expected construction duration alongside many other important details such as capacity and countless information about the source of application.
"The budget's really limited this month and we are only half way, but I can't let the children remain unsheltered…" Troubled, the purplette sighed, and took hold of her seal of approval, and gave the paper a red emblem…
"Ah, Nepgear. Working diligently as always, I see." If the oracle of Planeptune's basilicom, Histoire herself did not startle her out of the blue. "I see you're having trouble?"
"O-Oh, hello Histoire." The sailor dress rocker beamed angelically, and let go of her tool. "It's not really a problem, just thinking to myself. Sorry if I was being too loud." Her positive features soon curved to a clumsy set.
"Ah, no need to apologize, it is indeed a good habit to voice your thoughts whenever you are troubled." The flying tome floated above Nepgear's head, where it gently laid. "A request for an orphanage… It seems such cases have multiplied through the days, but I hope you haven't been approving all demands of such nature. "
"Huh? W-Well, not really… M-Maybe just a few…" Unfortunate for the terrible liar, her bluff was an attempt at covering the sun with a sieve. The book fairy had hopped off her head and began scanning over some of the papers the replacing CPU approved and denied alike.
Similar to a daughter being judged by her mother, the tech-geek rubbed her feet together and analysed for any small changes in Histoire's features while she flipped between the subjects.
The first thing she noticed was a sigh.
"You work is accurate and your speed is commendable, but you can not let your feelings get the better of you, Nepgear." Gently returning the pages where they were, the blonde oracle took off on her tome, and flew right before her CPU candidate. Their eyes met, and the humourlessness was instantly felt. "From what I've seen you've already agreed on two demands involving orphanages, and another involving building a new school… But have you thought over the abysmal decrease in birth rates lately? Our statistics have shown a concerning increase in Uni-gender marriage, mostly from girls?"
Right as the fact came to life, Nepgear's fingers got to work. A couple of clicks introduced a welcoming screen to a stats-based program. The girl knew that this Ai was for the very-exclusive use of the four CPU, each with their respective passwords, one of which she entered swiftly after memorizing it by heart.
DING-DONG!
"Welcome CPU: Purple Heart."
The automation greeted mere seconds after its confirmation bell. Hearing her sister's name did feel off, but right now little sentiments were irrelevant. A click here and a drag there, the next for the throne had her eyes on a confidential news she was asked to fetch.
"You're… Right. How come I've never noticed this up till now?!" The sudden realization of her neglect brought down a mighty frown on the sanctity's lineaments. "This is so horrible… Almost third of the nation aren't married properly, at this rate…"
"I see you've noticed. At this rate, birth-rates will cutback drastically, which means the existence of orphanages would also follow in importance." After convincing the teenager of her point, the magical creature proceeded to hover over the keyboard, and adorably tap the keys with her feet. "What makes this dilemma much more pressuring are the increasing numbers of divorces we received as you can see here… Nepgear, I fear your duty would be far more challenging than what you excel at. You simply must bring people together."
Nepgear found herself having a staring contest with her thighs… Indeed, for the entirety of the Oracle's guidings, she did nothing but look down and ponder. 'Goodness, a CPU's work is so hard… Sis was dealing with it so easily…' She told herself. 'How am I going to make people love each other, when I can't even make proper decisions and revise my resources.'
"Nepgear? Are you listening?" As soon as Histoire noticed the lack of a self-doubting, meek voice, she began to show concern.
"A-Ah? Y-Yes, I am!" Contrite was smothered all over the mature youngster. Her mind was at war between so many arrangements, and that resorted to her rolling back to the same overly-sorry girl we knew before ASIC was done for.
"Good. You should be prepared for what the future holds…" Concluding her tiny visit, Planeptune's supervisor unwinded her humourless gears, and brought her features to a kind, caring set. "Why don't you take a break? You've been up far before anyone else, and have been working restless. I'm sure you're the only person capable of waking up Neptune as well."
"Oh, what time is it-" hastily, the smaller ruler peeked down at the corner of her screen.
11:27 AM.
"Golly! Has it already been six hours!?" Her surprise could not be expressed with anything better than her widened eyes and unsure appearance. "Goodness, I need to wake Neptune up, but first I need to contact Miss Mina, Chika and Uni…"
The girl was multitasking between her loud thoughts. She had no companion to voice her efforts to as the history recorder had already excused herself. Nepgear took the liberty to divert out of the top-confidential system and into the chatting application everyone adopted: Chatindustri.
The platform enjoyed a sleek theme of grey and blue. Right off the bat, the gathering spot's logo loads up to portray start-up. A loading screen brimming with life, the four dots that fade in and out one after another each endorsed one of the four nation's logos, starting with Planeptune from the left, then Lowee, followed by Lastation and ending with Leanbox, each spinning into life and out again in the same manner. With the aspirant's high-spec device, it took nothing but a mere second for the view to open up on a customized main page, the background was Neptune and Nepgear embracing each other carefreely, joy brimming out of their smiles and unperturbed irises.
As per usual, the tech-geek smiled. It always caught her by surprise how warm that picture made her heart. The contents swelling up inside of her always brewed to an unsuppressable bright.
Her muscle memory booted to life in an instant. The purplette swiped over her chat list, uncaring for the number of notifications her bell exhibited.
One thing was of note though: As soon as her eyes scanned over her friends list, three dear ones were lit up with unread messages, their names exclusive with an orange hue. 'Goodness, they must be so worried now…'
In preparations, Nepgear sighed quietly, then started a group chat between her, Uni, Rom and Ram- 'Mmm, I don't think telling Rom and Ram myself is a nice idea… They are probably going to get concerned, or do something rash.' That thought enriched her next movement. She canceled the twin's invitation, and corrected it to others towards Mina and Chika.
Click.
As soon as her request was confirmed, four messages beeped audibly, and popped up before the association organizer.
̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\ Uni Uni Ni /̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿, Today At 11:30 AM:
["There you are! Do you have any idea how long I've been trying to reach you!?]
["You better have a good reason for wasting my time like that!"]
Mina Nishizawa|Lowee's Oracle, Today At 11:30 AM:
["Miss Nepgear, at last… Do you know why Lady Blanc stormed out in a hurry this morning?"]
Chika Hakozaki|Leanbox's Oracle, Today At 11:30 AM:
["How dare you make me wait so long! I'm over here worrying for my darling's safety while you were taking long time wasting naps!"]
"Aaah! All three of them seem really upset…!" With utmost urgency, her fingers danced beautifully, consistently and skilfully on the plastic keys, each press producing a satisfying click that channeled through the hushed office.
Nepgear|Planeptune's CPU Candidate, Today at 11:31 AM:
["aAAH? sORRY§ i WAS CAUGHT UP WITH WORK§"]
̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\ Uni Uni Ni /̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿, Today At 11:31 AM:
["Eh!? Why are you yelling!]
Nepgear|Planeptune's CPU Candidate, Today at 11:32 AM:
["Sorry! I had my caps lock on by accident! I meant that I was working and forgot to update everyone…"]
Even in the digital world, regret dripped off the polite lass' speeches. It was truly remarkable how she managed to transfer her honesty through simple, cold words and letters.
̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿'̿'\̵͇̿̿\ Uni Uni Ni /̵͇̿̿/'̿'̿ ̿ ̿̿ ̿̿ ̿̿, Today At 11:32 AM:
["Geez, don't scare me like that! Idiot…"]
Mina Nishizawa|Lowee's Oracle, Today At 11:33 AM:
["Sorry to interrupt your conversation, but there are more important matters to discuss... "]
Chika Hakozaki|Leanbox's Oracle, Today At 11:33 AM:
["Unless you're so greedy as to monopolize information."]
Nepgear|Planeptune's CPU Candidate, Today at 11:33 AM:
["Right… Um well you see…"]
Nepgear felt the need to separate her thinking process from actual information. It was better for the trio to understand the criticality of their current status.
She sighed again, bracing for impact. A funny thought played in her head though, that as soon as she would deliver the news, her ears would instantly be deafened by all three of them yelling in disbelief.
Is this what every bad news bearer has to go through…? That's rough.
At Lastation, Lowee and Leanbox, the trio had their eyes fixated on the screen. Uni's concern was a lot more apparent than she wished to show. Mina had her right fist clenched and against her mouth, expecting the worst, fortifying herself mentally and physically. As for Chika, she was biting on nail after another, she seemed almost done with all ten fingers, and just like them, her patience was nearing its final drops. Words simply lacked to express her intense desire and hostility towards knowing what came to pass.
Nepgear|Planeptune's CPU Candidate is typing…
Indeed she was. Because no matter how fast her fingers jumped from key to another, there was no concise version of the story.
It was complicated, mind boggling and quite frankly, if you told it to anyone, chances are they'll call an ambulance for you.
Nepgear|Planeptune's CPU Candidate, Today at 11:37 AM:
["It seems like Neptune and the other CPUs somehow ended up separating from their HDD forms… They all suffered the same changes like headaches, restlessness and inability to access HDD. They stormed out of your nations to have an urgent meeting where they ended up deciding to summon someone to help them. She says her name was Mollie Puriolét.]
Somehow, the lilacette's expectations didn't come to fruition. As soon as she hit enter, her arms raced before her face like she was defending an upcoming blow. She had this nagging feeling that even when she was telling the truth, her very best friend still wouldn't believe her, and accuse her of most unwell things.
All that was the anxious side talking though, because nothing happened. Nothing but a prolonged lull of silence in both the real and the digital world.
'Hmm…? Are they just taking long to read my message?' Still doubtful, the second in command wondered as her arms slowly dropped down in anticipation.
Chika Hakozaki|Leanbox's Oracle, Today At 11:40 AM:
["What kind of nonsense is that! I demand the truth!]
Mina Nishizawa|Lowee's Oracle, Today At 11:40 AM:
["As unbelievable as that sounds… I feel like I read something similar once."]
Chika Hakozaki|Leanbox's Oracle, Today At 11:41 AM:
["Are you going to believe her because of some book!? This is obviously scandalous, she is hoarding information!"]
Mina Nishizawa|Lowee's Oracle, Today At 11:41 AM:
["I fail to think of a reason for Miss Nepgear to hide info. I think we shouldn't doubt her for now and wait until our respective CPUs return for clarification."]
Chika Hakozaki|Leanbox's Oracle is typing...
'Goodness, now they are arguing again…' The lilacette was alone with her thinking whilst mindlessly skimming through the cycling chat before her. Suddenly, another speculation flared. 'Where's Uni?'
Time passed, continuously eating away at Nepgear's thoughts. One by one they were shot down, and as her ammunition ran out, she extended a hand to hold her mouse…
Incoming call. Incoming call…
A sudden ringing brought each limb to jitter in surprise. 'C-Call? But Chatindustri doesn't have that function…'
Indeed it does not. That's because the call was beckoning from another application operating behind the scenes. Nepgear looked down at the corner of her screen, and quickly spotted the source.
It was Vertigo, another chatting app dedicated purely for gaming, unlike Chatindustri that focused on social media and convenient chatting rooms. Its theme was black and green, similar to the logo which was a simple green V contained in a shiny see through black box.
But another thing created a pit in the CPU's stomach…
The request was for a video call and from Uni.
Whelp, no choice but to take it, it's not like she was going to get scolded for something she didn't do, right?
Click-
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE CPUs LOST THEIR HDDs!?" The ravenette Candidate almost strained her voice by how shocked she sounded. "Listen, you don't have to make fools of us. If you're going to act like a jerk, I can just fly there and get the answers myself- E-Eh?! Nepgear? Helloooo?"
Right as her anger subsided by a fragment, the lonely realization struck the damsel like a freight train. She made the effort to peek around the room, one that was fruitless when staring at a 2D interface.
"Down… Here…" Struggling to get those words out, the sailor dress rocker climbed up to her chair desperately after falling out due to shock. It was similar to someone climbing up to their bed after a long, exhausting day of work. "T-That was so mean, Uni… You could have warned me before yelling like that…"
Unfortunately, Lastation's second in command was not in the mood to kid. She crossed her arms in annoyance, and gazed aside "Stop playing around, unless you're ready to say the truth."
"I-I'm not lying! I'm honestly telling the truth!"
"So what? You expect me to believe that Noire suddenly lost her HDD and now she can't transform!?"
Now that she was on the receiving end, Nepgear realized how dumb her story sounded… Her line of sight met the floor below her, and she fell into a pool of silence.
But at the same time, Uni eyeing her best friend's emotions turn so desperate made some question marks float around her head. 'Why isn't she just admitting it was a lie… N-No way…'
"Nepgear… You can't be serious."
"Mhm…" With a slight, slow nod, the purplette confirmed. "It really happened, Neptune and the others can't transform and now they all haven't woke up yet."
"W-What!?" Comedically, Uni's eyes dressed in blank white bordered by a black, thick line. "Noire never sleeps past seven in the morning, and that's only on weekends!"
"I know… But that's why I'm concerned. What if the strain they kept putting on themselves will come back to haunt them without HDD now?" Instantly catching herself mid-rambling, the sword-user excused herself. "S-Sorry, but now I'm late… I should go wake up Neptune and the others, or else Histoire will scold me."
"Huh?! Hey wait! I still have a lot I want to ask!"
"I'll call you again later…" Uncharacteristically, Planeptune's candidate was first to cut the call and exit her office, heading towards her room.
"What the- Hey! Did you just cut me off!?" With astonishment spilt all over her mug, the young gun-lover stared skeptically at her chat logs with her friend. 'Was I… Too harsh on her…?'
Back at Planeptune…
"Neptune? Neptune, wake up already it's late!" With a hint of firmness, the younger sister shook the tyke.
"Mmmm… Five minuuuutes…" With instinct, Neptune began to swat her sibling away like she swatted a fly.
"Neptune, it's eleven in the morning!"
"Nepuuu~ Nepuuuu~" Whitenoising her sister's calls, Neptune dove straight back into dreamland and snored peacefully in her own quirky way.
Unfortunately though, such an act only made her appear lazier in the eyes of the expecting sibling. Nepgear knew that if she doesn't act firm once or twice with her relative, then she would only worsen and worsen, until she wouldn't even care if the Candidate herself was getting molested!
Not good.
It was time to let talks aside and roll one's sleeves up. With a quick, angry huff the tech-geek gripped the bed sheets and prepared to fling them right across the room.
…
"Nepuuu…~"
'Aww… She looks so tired, I just can't wake her up this rudely. She would probably get so angry at me and then not talk to me again…' Quick on her doubts, the hesitant lass matched her thoughts with her letting go of the neat blanket. She portrayed a sorry set of expressions, similar to a cat after being caught trying to hook itself a golden fish from a family's aquarium.
It took a while, maybe even longer than usual but the co-leader composed herself. She made sure to inhale as much air as possible and clear her thoughts.
See? Not bad. 'I guess I shouldn't lash out on sis, especially now that she lost her HDD... '
Caringly, the angelic imouto put a palm on Neptune's shoulder, and shook her. "Sis, please wake uuuup… If you do, I'll make you some snacks!~"
"Fiine, fiiine… I'm up…" Astonishingly, the happy-go-lucky didn't seem all that moved by her sister's offer. In fact, it felt like she was already awake, contemplating the events that unfolded before, thinking under a thick, warm blanket.
"O-Oh, Neptune." Taking note of the changes in the protag of all protag's behaviours, Nepgear began testing the waters. "Did you sleep well?~"
"Well, I guess you can say so!" Striking a doubtful smile, the addressed figure hopped off her bunker and reassured the youthful sanctity with a pat on the shoulder. "Aw come on! If the first thing I see is a gloomy Jr., then my day is already ruined! It's not like I told you to stab me for the greater good so give me my daily dose of happy little sister!"
Even with how bizarre her comment blared, it was just like Neptune… That's how Nepgear shrugged off her doubts. Soon after, the corners of her mouth curled up nicely to form a reviving spell!
"Goodness Neptune, that sounds horrible!" Oh wait… It was just her angelic smile.
With a cute giggle, the short deity hurried to the bathroom, taking along nothing but two towels: one for her small body and the other for her spiky hair. All-though she hummed a happy tune, the self-conscious gem still had her own doubts. '...I really hope she's being honest…'
On the bright side, that was one less sleepy-head. Three only others left!
Who would she head over to next? She contemplated whilst exiting her room and marching down the hallways. Her eyes fixated on the deluxe floor and her arms formed a thinking pose.
Step by step, she dove clumsily into her thinking, crossing further from reality and closer to fantasy. Her legs functioned on mere, blind knowledge of the basilicom's whereabouts long enough before a skull crushing pain reigned down on her. "Ow!" The sudden hurt was coupled by the intense yelp of distress.
But its source differed from the thinker.
Both girls stumbled back, rubbing their foreheads quickly in hopes of easing the aching. "Ouchies! S-Sorry! It's my fault for not looking in front of me!" As per usual, Planeptune's candidate prioritized apology before tending to herself.
"G-Geez Nepgear!" The purplette looked up and before her stumbled the elegant but agitated Noire. She was holding to her hurting head in the same manner as the former, but didn't quite match her kind, regretful features. Instead she displayed a set of honest pain and annoyance. "Watch where you're going! One careless idiot is enough…!"
"I-I'm really sorry! It was an accident, I was wondering who to wake up and- H-Huh? Who do you mean?" Shifting instantly from regret to bafflement, the clumsy one asked.
"Ugh… Neptune, and who else?" Lastation's Goddess retorted rudely. Her answer dripped with impatience as her arms crossed firmly.
"Well um… Are you fine?" Beaming clumsily, the diligent girl questioned with a dash of fear. The ravenette was notorious for her harsh, sharp scolding and the happy-go-lucky really didn't want to be chastised because of false concerns right now.
But the question didn't bloom from nothing. It was the maturation of the violet's keen eye, she analysed the cosplayer's features, and how much pain they were trying to hide from showing. It was a lot more than what a CPU would feel.
Surely just hitting their heads wouldn't make a Goddess flinch… Would it? Falling from skull crushing heights was Neptune's trademark, and she always shrugged the incidents with a silly giggle and a joke, so it shouldn't differ for the other rulers, right…?
"I thought you were still asleep and wanted to come wake you up."
"Yes I'm fine, don't worry." But surprisingly, that was not the case. The workaholic seemed not in the mood to lecture the young sister, but… She also didn't seem in the mood to hold a heart to heart conversation. "Just because I'm not in Lastation doesn't mean I get to take it easy and slack off. Besides, it's not like losing my HDD is going to make me give up or get depressed, I barely used it in these peaceful times anyway."
No deception could be sensed from the factotum. Noire had a blinding pride and an intense desire to deal with whatever fate throws at her without having to depend on anyone.
Before any retorts could be added, she already began pacing steadily towards the east wing of Planeptune's tower.
Yeah, she was definitely in a rush.
Nothing lingered after but the slender melody of silence and a stressful air soon to be crushed by a burdened sigh. 'Awww, I definitely made her mad… Though, why did she seem really upset with sis? Aaah, maybe I'm just overthinking things!'
Whelp! On the bright side, that's one less CPU to wake up! Only two left, and Vert's room just so happened to be ahead! Nepgear carefully approached the door and gave its knob a firm hold, but as she did, a sudden yet familiar sound of mouse clicks filtered through the walls. 'Huh? Is Lady Vert up as well?' The teenager abruptly wondered, her thoughts paired up with her raised fist gently giving the door a couple of polite knocks.
Knock, Knock.
The hard, wooden reply resonated, and was followed by countless moments of unresponsiveness. 'M-Maybe I didn't knock hard enough…' That inkling feeling was enough to make the girl try again, this time a little harder.
Knock knock!
"Lady Vert? Are you awake?"
"...Huh? Ah, Nepgear, please come in." Her answer could be heard after sudden rustling, but the goddess sounded as elegant and welcoming as ever.
Permitted the entrance, the visitor gave the portal a gentle push and walked in. The creaky door produced a loud screech before stopping in motion. First thing she noticed was Vert sitting on her neatly made bed, and a laptop happily occupying her heavenly lap. The blonde goddess had the window open, inviting in a life replenishing breeze coupled by strings of gold running unbridled. The hand of sun itself reached gracefully through the aperture and caressed the enchanting lineaments with a fluorescent blessing.
"How may I be of help, dear?~" A motherly smile sweetened reply. Leanbox's CPU had a pair of black headsets wrapping around her delicate neck, with a headband donning a green line and two circles of the same, leanboxian hue to each speaker's exterior. Within the olive encirclement of each ear was a glowing "V" letter. These babies were definitely custom made for Gamindustri's leading gamer.
"O-Oh, I just wanted to come wake you up, but I guess you already got that covered…" Nepgear folded her hands together and mustered a curl in her lips. Suddenly, her ears picked something muted sourcing from the room.
Something like… 'A chatter?' In quick successions, her eyes darted around, but only to land on Vert's personal device. "Lady Vert? Is this sound coming from your laptop?"
The inquiry caught the woman by surprise. Her blue sightseers flashed instantly at the screen, then landed uneasily on the Purplette. "Ah, so it seems… Chika always scolded me for raising the volume too high." The questioned one said, then proceeded to lower the intensity.
But it was too late. The tech-genius already had her curiosity piqued, and before the sisterless CPU could react she dragged her weightless body besides the mother-role and peeked innocently at the display.
"..." Blink blink. "A map? But how is chatter coming out of a map, you don't have any other tabs open." She pointed cluelessly at the lone tab on the bottom of the browser.
"N-Nepgear dear… It's rude to peek at what others are doing w-without permission…" The shaken sanctity spoke through a thick wall of discomfort. She hadn't felt this kind of pressure ever since Chika discovered her playing completely naked.
["It's best for free movement and optimised gaming"] really wasn't a good enough reason to stop the Oracle's nose bleeding that day...
"Also why does this map look like Planeptune's? Hmmm…" The gamer's admonition fell on deaf ears, Planeptune's candidate maintained her adverse inquisition, which was getting increasingly uncomfortable for the deity.
'She even ignored my scolding…' Vert sighed and considered her options. 'There is no deterring her in this state… To think I'd get pressured by little Nepgear, she's truly different from the Nepgear we knew before. This could turn troublesome if such actions were implemented while I was working on a secret project...'
Admitting defeat, the busty angel let out a troubled breath and raised her white flag. "If you must know" As soon as she began her answer, she held the curious cat closely. "But no one must know of this, it's crucial."
Fainting idiocy or not, at that small frame of time the tech-genius could feel no humour in the pervert's stare or words…
Nepgear felt an aura never sensed before from the graceful pamperer. A corner piece from Vert's puzzle seen by no one but the four CPUs, a rendition she never thought she'd feel so helpless against.
She nodded, her body acting on its own. "Y-Yes ma'am…!" she obediently added, and that addition was like music to the multi-layered CPU. She broke the tension and melted it with a silky beam.
"Ma'am? Heavens, Nepgear, what's with the sudden formalities?" Vert decided to play dumb and ease the rigity she caused. "We're no strangers, are we? Or do you mean to imply that you never considered me anything closer than a mere acquaintance…?" She frowned mid-way, affirming her discontent.
"No, no no! T-That's not it!" She said while firmly shaking her head in disagreement, and proceeded to raise her arms in a defensive position. "T-That's not it at all! I really think you're nice and, and!"
Amidst her countless flustered attempts to explain her actions, the gamer giggled and patted her endearingly. "Hmhm~ don't worry, I was merely jesting." With that aside, she unplugged her earphone jack and the voice heard earlier was crystal clear, already occupying the entire room with its presence.
"I-It's so nice in here…" A meek voice started.
'Huh?' Nepgear's mind instantly caught up. 'That sounds like-'
"Isn't it?~ Planeptune has a really nice garden. You can aaaalways come in here whenever you're feeling under the weather! If you're a fan of drawing, this place is perfect!" Another voice chirped in contrast with the first talker. Its bearer seemed to be quite upbeat.
"H-Huh? These voices…" A thick line began to form between her brows, she hesitantly eyed the holy figure, the heavy words were really making it hard for her to deliver. "Are those-"
"Compa and Mollie, you mean?" The skilful spear-wielder interrupted. "Yes, it seems you possess fine hearing."
"B-But… I don't understand, how…" It was troubling, how lost the small girl found herself. She cursed her curiosity for leading her here, and hated her mind for bringing up such a wretched possibility but… "L-Lady Vert… Are you spying on them?!"
"How harsh…" Unlike those hurt words, the accused spy didn't seem to display very regretful features, her face was dry of any humour too. "I would rather call it: Taking proper measures."
Though the laptop was still shamelessly broadcasting the private chatter between the pinkette and the nurse, it was all unheard, white-noised and forgotten.
Nepgear refused to eavesdrop on such sensitive content!
"Proper measures…?"
"Yes, indeed." The no more Green Heart calmly shut her laptop and cast it aside. As soon as the LCD Display kissed the keyboard, the minicomputer quietly dozed off. "As much as I spite such actions, we can not let our eyes off Mollie, especially not now. I'm sure you've taken note of really concerning complications regarding her."
"...!" Nep Jr.'s rash nature made her wish to leap at the first given chance to retort, and say how young Puriolét suffered from nothing, and didn't deserve to be spied on!
But…
As soon as she raised her gaze to talk, it bounced to the side. The alluring goddess found a dryout of words, she couldn't disapprove of that theory, not after she saw and heard the pinkette moan in pain and say self-spitting things while sleep talking. 'I really don't want to admit it, but she's right…'
"I see you've come to your senses?" The blonde continued. "I can understand how this can make you uncomfortable, but please grasp that I'm not planning anything unpleasant. As soon as we make sure she would be safe from her very self, I'll cease my monitoring and hand you the means used to listening in personally, does that reassure you?"
Hearing those words truly put the Candidate's heart to rest, after all she and the Goddess of Green have fought together side by side, she knew she could trust her and thus decided to abide by her promise to keep this under the rug with a nod. "O-Okay." Suddenly, a thought dawned on her. "Oh, Lady Vert, how did you put the device on her? I-I mean, she isn't wearing the same clothes from when you went to check on her s-so… When?"
"Ah, that would be quite simple. I put it on Compa."
"H-Huh!? C-Compa!?" The answer flabbergasted Nepgear.
"Indeed. It was not possible to attach it to Mollie due to her not having clothes of her own, as well as that she revealed possessing telekinetic powers. That type of person tends to be exceedingly careful and self-aware." With that explanation out of the way, Vert loosened up, and smiled to the inquirer. "So I kindly asked Compa to equip it on herself as she will always be next to Mollie. From there she could easily report to me if she notices anything suspicious."
"That makes sense…"
Within the alluring damsel a calming sense of relief brewed. The potion surged through her whole and nullified the anxiety with a sense of reliability emitted by the blonde. It felt like everything was going to be okay, that this impasse was nothing but a passing phase that would only bequeath them stronger. 'Wow… Lady Vert is really cool!' The childish part of her mind came to life, painting the competent woman in front of her in colours of a superhero… Which she wasn't too far from, to be fair.
"Now with that out of the way, would you allow me to do the questioning now?~ I think that would be only fair." Vert unknowingly interfered with her companion's ponders.
"Hmm? Oh sure."
"What are your thoughts on Mollie?" The query dripped with concentrated curiosity. The CPU even inched closer upon letting the statement escape her pencil-thin lips. "I got a general idea on what the others think, but I never got to hear your own piece."
"Oh, well…" Nepgear started. "I think she's nice, she's just been through so much and that's making it really hard for her to trust anyone other than those she knew before…" Amidst her speech, she locked eyes with Vert. "But she reminds me so much of myself before we defeated ASIC, only that I had Miss Compa and Miss IF to support me. And also Uni, and Rom and Ram… But she has no one…" Just the memory of how clueless the Candidate was, how hard she trembled in her cute boots at the thought of saving the world, of having the entirety of Gamindustri putting all their hopes at once all on her shoulder, of disappointing everyone again... Of not having Neptune to hide behind. It scared her, it frightened her, and deprived the diligent worrywart from plenty of shuteye.
But how harder must it be for young Puriolét? When you throw a clueless girl that trembles in her boots at the thought of saving the world and having an entire population putting their hopes at once on her shoulder in a world far different from hers, a world far, far away from her destroyed haven, a new blank slate that she could very well blemish with an ink of disappointment...
All that swirled into the uneasy mind of Nepgear, and she didn't want to imagine what'd occur if Mollie caught even the slightest idea that someone from her new companions was ignoring her pain and suffering… She could outright give up.
"So I think I want to support her just like everyone supported me, even if she doesn't trust me!" A spark of determination flared on her features, the blonde had all the reasons to ease her doubts.
"My… You've truly grown, Nepgear." Vert faked her surprise, and assigned a motherly beam to her reply. "I understand your take on the matter, it seems like we aren't that different after all. Maybe you're willing to think over my invitation of being my baby sister?~" The sudden question flanked the young Nep like a soldier unaware of their six.
"U-Um… I-I don't think that Neptune would be happy with that…" The purplette was quick to her feet. She began to trace away reluctantly. "I need to go wake up Lady Blanc n-now so…"
"Ah, that won't be necessary dear." The tea connoisseur remarked calmly. She ran her arm below her voluptuous chest and started to approach the stunned violet. "She came to me early morning asking me not to bother her in the library unless something comes up, and closed herself there since then."
"The library?" 'That's the west wing of the basilicom… Contrary to where lady Noire went earlier.' The youngster quickly noted. "So… Everyone was awake apart from Neptune?" She asked while eyeing the Goddess. At first glance it seemed like she was approaching Nepgear, but instead she went past her, inviting the Lilac out as well.
"Well, that's just like Neptune, I'm glad to know she's handling the situation composedly… Maybe too composed as that."
"Y-Yeah…" Smiling clumsily, the techie brought her attention to something else right after her agreement. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Ah, worry not, it's a simple task. I'll be back, unless you have business of your own?" Leanbox's Goddess raised an eyebrow at that thought, and peeked over her shoulder.
"O-Oh r-right! Uni! I forgot!" As if hit by a wave of electricity, young Gear tensed up, her peepers shrinking to dots under the reminding words of her ally. She briskly ran past Vert and paced towards her- N-Neptune's office!
But right as she took a corner turn, she stopped in her tracks and peeked from around the build's curvature. 'Where was Vert headed?' was a question she wanted answered! And right as she peeped around the angle…
She saw Vert heading towards the eastern wing.
°•. ✿ .•°
°•. ✿ .•°
"Heheh, it's kind of embarrassing since I didn't even know how to use bandages back then…" The uncomfortably toned reply came from Compa, who seemed to be immersed in a certain topic with Mollie.
"N-No way… Lady Neptune fell from the sky, on her head!?" The pinkette was the perfect example of a child in awe, her eyes may have reduced to dots due to surprise and concern, but the way her entire body faced the nurse spelt interest.
"Mhm~ But she does tend to do that a lot." It's not like the peach cake was proud of her ally for having such a habit. In fact she did always hope that the tyke would just switch into HDD whenever she was free falling, but 'that's just wishful thinking, Nep-Nep will always be Nep-Nep'.
"But really, Nep-Nep is a really kind person, not only her but all of the CPUs are. They aren't like those mean and haughty Goddesses you'd see in stories and TV." As soon as she began mentioning the inaccurate version of divinities, Compa pursed her lips out and expressed her genuine displeasure regarding the blasphemous adaptations.
"A-Ah! N-No no! I never thought of them like that! I-I don't respect them out of fear I…" Young Puriolét found a hard time choosing words. She knew that not everyone would see the world in her vision, she knew that for others, it'd seem like she was being too logical. "I just respect who they are. I… I think they are Goddesses for a reason and… Well, even if we don't know that reason, it must be very good and I'm willing to abide by it and treat them like you should treat a holy being."
That answer baffled Compa. She knew better than anyone that the CPUs were sacred beings unlike any normal person -even if they don't really show said sacredness when she's around them- but she never thought about them in a religious manner. Before she met with Neptune and Nepgear, her faith had already belonged to them regardless. So getting to know them on a personal level eased any shred of concern her core housed, and replaced it with relief and remedy that her conviction was in good hands.
But she couldn't remember herself praying to her ladyship that much… Maybe in traditional, anniversary festivals where the citizens were welcome to visit the basilicom in order to pay their respects and wish for happy and healthy years. But other than that, did she view Neptune mostly as a friend, or as a CPU...?
"So you mean in a strict religious way?" She blinked twice before questioning.
"...Yeah." It took the stranger a couple of seconds before admitting. Back in her world, not many people were enamoured by the idea that the moon would turn pink every hundred years or so to bless the citizens with peace and a certain human of choice with powers that'd make them beyond that, and she feared that'd be the case here. "Do you… Think I'm weird and naive…?"
"Huh? No no! I'm just wondering how you ended up being so loyal to divine beings!"
"Oh, well because my powers were given to me by the pink moon in the first place!" The sudden shift in tones caught the caretaker off guard. She found herself drowning in abrupt curiosity as to how the girl's world is like…
Okay, that's a big fat mean lie.
Throughout the entire day, Compa's been mulling over asking Mollie about her world. She fancied knowing about how outer realms were like and how different "Normal" was for them. But was that okay? Especially now that the Pinkette has finally stopped having dots in her lines?
"Really? That's super cool!" Her bird-like chirp affirmed honesty.
"And well, mom also raised me to respect fate and whatever it holds, no matter what."
"Aah, I see-" Before she even contemplated, the Maker stopped midway, the abrupt silence attracting even deaf ears. 'W-Wait, she's okay talking about her mommy?'
"Miss Compa…?" The young flower's brows narrowed in caring concern. 'This is the second time she stops talking… Is it something I said?' Her doubts talked.
"Hey, Miss Mollie…" Compa suddenly called out. "Can you tell me more about your mommy?" She asked gently and calmly.
"Oh, sure!" Said Puriolét, deepening her ally's thoughts.
Why was she suddenly so open about mentioning her past relatives when it made her turn blue both literally and figuratively whenever she even thought about them earlier? 'That doesn't feel right…' the curious damsel noted before pouring her attention on the story teller.
"Well, mom… Mom… Hmmm, where do I start…" Cupping her chin, the orphan stared at the sky in pure loss.
The sky…
The sky. It was so beautiful today. Its comely oceanic hue coupled by the daisy white clouds soaring happily like a bunch of flying sheep...
'Aaah! I'm getting distracted- Wait! THE SKY!' Something clicked inside the azalea. Its sound was brought to reality by a sudden flick of her finger. "I know! Her hair was so gorgeous and captivating! It was just like the sky right now.~ Her eyes also had matching colours, but she had the same glow I do so it made her look even more ravishing! I know it's really rude to call your parents by name but her name was Alexandra."
"Oooh, that's such a cute name!"
"I spent most of my time with her. I know it's a running trend in shows and whatnot that people call their family member a friend, but I think she really was my only friend and family…"
"Only…?" Though Mollie didn't seem heart broken about that last statement, it did add to Compa's worries… It added a lot, actually.
"Well yeah, my father died long before." The contrast between those hard hitting words and her aloof mood were like water and oil…
Hard to digest.
"But despite that, mom really taught me everything I know, and gave me a life I don't think even royal blood could offer. She was kind, supportive," Right before continuing, the psychic knocked on her head twice and cutely stuck her tongue out. "And really bops like a martial artist."
The nurse was torn. Between fabricating a smile and a cheery statement, or delving deeper into all the unsettling implications the daydreamer voiced. 'Maybe… Maybe she got used to her father's loss? Maybe Miss Alexandra managed to fill both roles in her life? Uuuu, this is harder than I thought.'
The agitation surely affirmed itself into the nurse, but it was quickly washed to the back of her mind under a sudden flood of thoughts… She paid a lot more attention to the negatives than positives! What a dull mistake for someone with her experience! 'How did I forget! A nurse should never show weakness to her patient! Who else would they depend on if I got frightened all willy-nilly!?' She gave herself a couple of energizing symbolic slaps and strapped on her medic boots! Mollie seemed genuinely happy for once and her mother seemed like such a wonderful woman! And even if she was hiding something, Compa was certain that she'd get to the roots of the problem and give them the good ol' what for!
"Miss Alexandra really is nice. I can tell that she really loved you.~" The hospital worker remarked and folded her hands together, but as soon as her eyes landed on the Pinkette…
"..." She went dead silent. "Loved me…? You think so…?"
"Of course! Would she do all she did for you if she didn't care for you? Besides, what you told me now about her only tells me that you two were closer than a baddie and the tip of my big trusty syringe!"
"Well… That's probably because I was just a burden on her, I mean… She couldn't just abandon me, or… Aaaah, I'm sure she deserved, and wanted a better child!"
"That is not true!"
"And how can you be so sure!?"
"...Because I saw and even helped many mothers give birth. The pain and fear they go through I can't put into words." It was meaningless to argue, Compa thought. If she kept going back and forth, Mollie would only succumb deeper to her inner demons. So she leaned back on the bench, and narrowed her eyes. She eyed not the horizon. Not the birds chasing each other, not the beauteous woods stretching before them…
She eyed the past.
It's best to let blind experience speak, sometimes.
"In one moment, everyone is stressed. All the hospital workers rushing, the husband biting on his nails, and the mother is in so much agony it'd make you tear up…" The story teller stole the show. People's banter and the sound of cars and civilization were all muted and filtered off. To both entities, only an ethereal tone filled the air.
"The process of giving birth is the worst part, even with all that exhaustion, the mother has to push so hard and be so patient throughout the entire process. It actually scared me, it still does. The firm, strict orders from the doctors, the heavy, tight air in the room…
"But one thing was certain, one thing was identical in every case I helped at… As soon as the baby is born, in another moment all the suffering is instantly forgotten, and the cries of the child are almost like an announcement of successful childbirth. Every mother wants nothing, not some water, not rest, they just want to embrace their baby and welcome them to this world." The conclusion was followed by a sigh. Compa turned from reminiscing to her companion, who she found teary eyed. "Thing is Mollie, none of the mommies did that out of a sense of duty, or by force. They all gave birth out of sheer will, they all wanted to have kids to raise and spend the rest of their lives with… I don't think it's possible to hate your child after going through all that just to get them, It just doesn't make sense! Only a heartless woman could hate her baby, and I'm sure Miss Alexandra was not heartless!"
Slowly but surely, sniffling could be heard. Young Puriolét turned away to hide her crying and muttered under her sobs. "...M-Miss… Compa…?"
"Yes?"
"What... Ugh…" It was impossible to speak properly with that overflow of emotions. The schoolgirl steeled her heart and puffed her chest, letting in as much air as it took to calm down.
And as she slowly exhaled…
She turned and locked eyes with Compa.
"What do you think mom would want me to do next?"
A strong flurry of emotions cooked within the questioned nurse. But she suppressed them, and drew nothing but a pencil-line smile on her enchanting features.
°•. ✿ .•°
TO BE CONTINUED.
Chapter 4: END.