"Look at this, Noire! Look how long it's been since I've been in a scene! We're being taken over... no, we're being overrun by side characters! It's not enough that they're invading the main story like super powered locust people, this might be the only anniversary chapter we ever get, and we're not even in it anymore!"

Like a little bouncing monkey being denied her banana, Neptune was fastforwarding through the different scenes that had taken place in the special anniversary special thus far. To her outrage (well, perhaps that was a bit extreme), she was barely in any of them! It had been one thing to give her besties some screentime, but now there were people who had barely had lines — if they'd even had any at all! — jumping in to have scenes all their own! What the heck was going on here?! Just who did they think they were?!

"Neptune, this is only the eighth or ninth scene so far and we've already been in three before this. What happened to you wanting everyone else to get their turn?" Noire sighed as she leaned back on the couch she was reclining on, shooting a glance up at the screen. Right now, Nisa and Gust were doing something it looked like — nothing that particularly interested Noire at the moment, so instead she lowered her gaze to the handheld device in her hands. Uni had let her borrow this so she could play the new remake of the first game that had come out recently, and she wanted to get as much out of it as she could.

"That... That was completely different!" Neptune sounded indignant, but she knew that she'd been caught. She did feel that way, but darn it, couldn't they at least focus on Iffy and Compa more if they were going to do something like that? Neptune would be all for her bestest pals in the whole wide world (except that time they were her and Plutia's children, then they were her bestest pals-slash-kids, she guessed?) getting more screen time through something like this! "Besides, that scene wasn't connected to this one, so... Well, anyway, they're totally different!"

Neptune was glad she had caught herself in time to stop, shooting a glance to the other side of the room. She couldn't really try the "the scenes are all unconnected" defense when she had started the scene off complaining about other ones.

"Doesn't seem too different to me." Thankfully, Noire didn't seem invested enough in the conversation to take issue with Neptune's stumble. She was probably trying to raise her and Neptune's Lily Rank or something... What happened to not playing the game when it was just stuff they could do together in real life, huh?

Neptune couldn't help but pout at the thought — it was one thing for them to play games, games were kind of their lives after all, it was why they had huge, relationship-threatening fights over them, but if Noire was going to put time into grinding Lily Ranks, then she should grind her 'Lily Rank' instead!

Pausing the video, Neptune sauntered over to the couch to assume a seat next to Noire and peek over at how she was doing. Maybe it was just a really good remake...

Wait a minute... She... She wasn't even playing as either one of them! What was up with that?

"What? I'm trying to play here." Noire had finally noticed Neptune was watching her and was looking back at her with a rather frustrated look. There was something strange about it though... Maybe she was trying to get something in the game that she didn't want Neptune to see?

Well whatever it was, Neptune didn't care!

"Aw, come on, don't act like you don't want more time for us to hang out without any restrictions. We could make a slice of life spinoff of the story or something just for goofing off! We can call it 'The Proposal? Nepoffu'!" Neptune grinned at the outdated reference she had just made, looking to Noire for approval of her idea. "Whaddya say? It'd give everybody who looked at it cavities."

Noire simply responded with a shrug.

Now Neptune was sure something was going on here.

"Hmmm... I know it can't just be that game that's got you so disinterested here..." Neptune frowned as she watched her wife play away at the game in her hands, before a thought struck her and she snapped her fingers. "I've got it! You're worried you look like a huge pervert after how most of our last scenes here ended up with you jumping me, so you're trying to act 'cool' and 'indifferent' and restore your honor! Not too shabby, Noire. It would have worked if you had been in a scene with someone who didn't know you so well."

Noire nearly dropped the device in surprise, but she caught herself in time before she let it tumble to the floor. The damage, however, had been done.

"I-I did not jump you!" Red eyes were looking straight at Neptune, and her cheeks were well on their way to starting to match. Neptune couldn't help but grin at the sight — she had Noire's attention again! She was worried she would have had to start being annoying to do it. "Honestly... Is it so wrong that we just act normally here?"

"You were acting more normal in those scenes. Besides, you can still be yourself without closing up on me like an angry clam." Deciding that she had teased Noire enough about it (and that she would much rather have her wife back to normal before the scene ended, thank you very much), Neptune scooted over on the couch and pointedly made no attempt to do anything more than lean against Noire. "We're probably going to be really busy in Part 3, is it that wrong for us to get some time like this now where we can hang out and play like we did in Part 1? We weren't making kissy faces and googly eyes all the time back then, but... I kinda miss that sort of thing. It still happens, but it's happening off screen most of the time now."

The black haired CPU wanted to point out that the reason they didn't spend time together like that as much anymore was that no one would probably appreciate stopping the story to show them on days off or cut off from times when things were happening to show things like that now, but... She couldn't.

Neptune's accusation had been right on the money.

She wanted that too.

She wouldn't mind at all if their watching TV or playing games together or even the simple cuddling could get some more time... Even if it would probably make for a less action packed (if it could be called action) story than one filled with all the developments and things that Part 2 had been... Would it be so bad? Pursing her lips, Noire set the game down and returned it to her inventory.

Neptune had won this round, and the agreement she felt showed on her face as plain as day.

"And that's why I think we need more scenes together!" Neptune grinned triumphantly as she watched Noire, just for a moment, almost want to try to find a way to deny Neptune's point, but it looked as though the CPU simply didn't have it in her right then.

"I don't know... You two have the entire story to have scenes together."

"Yeah, we should be the ones complaining here! Yours have been really long anyway!"

Neptune and Noire both looked up in surprise, clearly not expecting to be interrupted. Much to their... words that are not appropriate for this story, the two speakers who had interrupted them were none other than Vert and Blanc. Blanc pointedly had chosen to sit down next to Neptune, but not before shooting a glare in Vert's direction (or was it Noire's?), while Vert had seated herself next to Noire.

In almost an instant, the pleasant mood that had been building up shattered, in its place leaving something... else.

The married couple exchanged a look, beads of sweat running down the back of their necks.

This was awkward.

"What are you two complaining about?" Noire was the first to speak up, and as awkward as the situation was, what was more evident about her was her typical indignation as Team CPU's resident tsundere. Neptune would have given her a thumbs up in that moment, but it probably wouldn't have helped their cases any — especially since she didn't even know what their case was yet. "Your names aren't even in the story summary, but look at all the screentime you've been getting in it! Neptune may have been whining about minor characters being in this, but you two have been jumping into chapter after chapter without any shame at all."

Vert seemed genuinely taken aback by this, while Blanc sported a low-grade scowl in response.

"So? If you were a writer, or had an ounce of imagination, you'd know that most stories evolve over time and change and grow as they progress, like, oh I don't know, this one has. I guess when all you can think about is working or humping your wife like a bitch in heat, creativity isn't really..." Blanc had started off feeling particularly proud of herself for finally being able to chew Noire out for something, but the looks the other CPUs, even freaking Vert, were giving her got her to stop herself.

Looking down at her lap, Lowee's CPU tugged her hat down and glared at the floor, muttering a quick apology under her breath.

Noire looked ready to explode. After all, she had already been concerned about how she had been appearing when it came to the affection she had been showing in the chapter thus far, and showing how she felt had always been something of a sore subject for her as it was, and here Blanc had just gone and thrown it in her face in the most derogatory way possible! Luckily, Neptune, who would have rather liked to not have to worry an action scene breaking out, was still there next to her to try to diffuse the situation.

Vert, meanwhile, felt rather conflicted about the whole thing. Part of her was still surprised by Noire's earlier comment, but then Blanc had gone and said what she had, and Vert... wasn't sure how to react to it. After all, she was rather unattached from that whole situation, Leanbox's situation aside, wasn't she? Still... She did like to believe that, on some level, all three of these girls were her friends... on some level, but here they were, emotions all tangled together and getting in the way of how they used to be able to get together here, even with their nations competing as they were, and play games and do other silly things.

In a way, she felt like an observer. Despite her obvious connections to Lowee right now, there simply wasn't reason for her to get worked up about this the way the three of them were. Neptune had the honor of her wife to defend, Noire had been verbally jabbed at by Blanc for being with her wife, and Blanc was sitting right next to someone who she had been dealing with her unrequited feelings for for the majority of the story.

Vert... didn't really have anything like that here. Obligations to a relationship with Lowee that was looking shaky at best right now, but was that all?

She wondered when this scene was supposed to be taking place. Set outside of the story, it probably wasn't taking the big ending of Part 2 into account, which meant Nepgear likely wouldn't be making any appearances. Her relationships with others hadn't been established enough to fit her in, more than likely... So did that mean she was sleeping right now? Didthat mean... Could Vert still go visit her...? With everything going on, much as she had wanted to, she really hadn't had the chance...

"Look! Stop everything! Vert's taking up the narration! Stop her before it's too late and she gets the scene!" Neptune's voice brought Vert out of her thoughts. The blonde blinked a few times as she looked to the other three CPUs, all of whom were looking at her in a rather accusatory way, but Blanc in particular had daggers in her eyes meant just for Vert.

"N-Now now, everyone, let's not get too concerned about the minor details like that..." Vert gently raised her hands and offered the other CPUs a smile, hoping she could diffuse the situation quickly before the scene turned into a mishmash of inner monologue. She hadn't meant it like that, really! "I was just thinking to myself, that's all. Why don't we just let Blanc's comment go? She's been dealing with quite a bit — we all have — and I think the two of you know better than either of us that things can get said in the heat of the moment that you don't mean. What do you say?"

Neptune and Noire exchanged a look. Leave it to Vert to calmly present a good point like that. Considering the biggest conflicts of Part 2 had been centered around their fights and insecurities, tinged with a hint of misunderstanding... They really couldn't fairly hold Blanc's comment against her, could they?

As the couple seemed to be debating their next course of action through some odd form of wife-speak that took place by communicating through silent expressions, Blanc instead looked in Vert's direction. She was angry at Vert, and in fact she didn't think she could ever not be angry at her, but...

Giving Vert a clumsy, awkward sort of nod, as if that would be enough to show Vert that she had understood Vert had "saved" her, Blanc glanced away, her cheeks tinged with just a little red with an embarrassed blush. Admitting something like that to the person that she was angriest with was goddamn embarrassing, and Blanc hated putting herself out on a limb like that. That was all it was, though. Really.

Despite herself, Vert smiled at Blanc's response.

"It looks like Noire isn't the only one among us who can be a little 'tsundere'..." Vert spoke quietly, watching Lowee's CPU with an amused twinkle in her eyes.

"Hey!" As one, Blanc and Noire turned to Vert and cried out indignantly — Blanc probably to deny such an accusation and comparison, Noire simply out of offense more than likely. After realizing they had taken offense to Vert's comment in unison, the two CPUs almost immediately settled down and shared a look with each other, before turning immediately in the opposite directions. "Hmph." "Tch."

At this, Neptune and Vert exchanged a look of their own, but theirs was a more positive one — Neptune grinned while Vert offered the smaller CPU a pleasant smile. It looked like the situation had been resolved after all. Turning back to the other two CPUs, who had appeared to have settled down a bit more themselves, Neptune decided it was time to try her hand at conversation.

"Rewinding for just a second here, that has been bugging me, now that... Uh..." Neptune frowned, bringing her hand up to stroke her chin. The scene had been moving so fast that she'd forgotten who had actually mentioned the thing that she had wanted to bring up, and now everyone was looking at her! Time to improvise! "Now that someone mentions it, you guys being on the summary too by now would make sense, wouldn't it? Unless... There's a reason for it...?"

This comment, coming from Neptune no less, surprised all three CPUs. It surprised them so much, in fact, that Noire wasn't even bothered that Neptune had apparently forgotten that it was her, Neptune's wife, who had been the one to bring up that point earlier.

"Are you okay, Neptune?"

"She must be ill... Maybe we should call Histoire."

"Shit, you probably gave her your 'I'mOkayWithSharingTheSpotlight-itis'! Dammit Noire! Look what you did!"

"Wh- I am not! And what kind of name is that anyway, Miss 'Writer'?"

"A perfectly good one for a disease that you would have-"

"Guys!" Watching the pleasant scene that had been finally starting to develop quickly start to crumble before her eyes, Neptune stood up in her seat to take a few steps in front of the couch and turn around so she could look at her three compatriots, arms crossed and eyes stern. She tapped her foot and clicked her tongue as she looked at them, who were looking from her (concerned) to each other (mostly Blanc and Noire — annoyed). "I'll always be the main character, no matter who we put on the summary. That doesn't mean I can't put some more eye candy on the cover to make whatever I'm being a main character in more appealing. Don't you guys know anything about marketing?"

The three CPUs simply breathed a collective sigh of relief. That was Neptune logic alright.

"You know what? Let's forget all that serious mumbo jumbo and even breaking the fourth wall!" Breaking out into a grin, Neptune motioned to the television set behind her, which, as always, was hooked up to a variety of game consoles, stacks of different games neatly piled to the side. "Haven't you guys realized it yet? This is the first scene in the entire story that's had just all four of us in it together. Can you believe it? We've gone over a whole year of this and been through over fifty whoppers of chapters, but we haven't gotten together through the whole thing once! So whaddya say, huh?"

Noire, Blanc, and Vert stared at Neptune.

That was actually pretty darn true. With how things had been developing and playing out, they had barely even managed to get any three of them together to be able to interact at any length after the first chapters when Histoire had gathered the three of them up to make her request. It had either been the married couple or the angry pair for the most part.

"I say I hope you're ready to let me pick what you and I are having for dinner for the rest of the week, because I'm not going to lose." Noire was the first one to reply, a competitive grin spreading across her lips. After all, before they'd been interrupted, she had wanted to do something like this with Neptune from the start. So from the middle, technically.

"In that case, I'm playing winner." Blanc's own competitive streak was sparked almost immediately after seeing Noire's, and though she wasn't as blatant in showing it as the black haired CPU, it was just as evident with her to the three CPU here who knew her. "Kick her ass, Neptune."

"You two are so impatient, honestly... I suppose that leaves me with the winner of the round after that." Vert shook her head, but despite her words, she too was starting to smile a smile that had just a bit of an edge hidden in it.

Smiling broadly at her three friends, each looking raring to go in their own way, Neptune turned to get the console set up and a game running. As she did, something occurred to her. It was nice to be able to spend time with Noire, for sure, but... It was pretty nice to be able to spend time with all of her friends too once in a while, wasn't it?

Maybe things couldn't always be like this in the story all the time, but things were looking up now, weren't they? There were still a few bumps in the road they had left to hit, but...

This story was going to have a happy ending for everyone.

No matter what it took, no matter who ended up with who, she'd make sure of it.