"I can't believe it..."

The the grueling battle between the Neptune and Kei characters in the mighty digital coliseum before them had concluded. Neptune had once watched without so much as breaking a sweat during this epic conflict, knowing without a doubt how it was to end. She had been the masterful player behind the Neptune avatar, after all!

... but when all was said and done...

The avatar representing Kei Jinguji stood triumphantly over the avatar representing Neptune.

It had not been as one sided as the previous battle had been, thankfully, but somehow, Neptune had managed to lose. Fantastically so at that.

"... Um... Hahaha..."

Things had not gone as expected.

"You lost, Neptune." Noire spoke flatly, at last speaking up now that the dust had settled. Neptune couldn't tell what the other goddess was thinking. It had been her idea, and she had been rooting for Kei, so she should be happy about this result, shouldn't she? "After all of that... Woo-ooow. I'm impressed..."

In truth, Noire felt a number of things. Most of all... She felt like laughing. It wouldn't be a good kind of laugh, at least as far as she knew it wouldn't be, but that was probably better than what Neptune might be expecting out of her right now.

Noire shook her head. She was annoyed. That's what she was. The target of her annoyance? Herself more than anything else.

She knew how Neptune was. She was the one who had gotten weird because of her own idea about the fighting game. She had been enjoying herself, hadn't she? Why go and spoil that getting so excited over a game? Goodness, Noire. Get a grip.

"You are?" Neptune pretended to perk up hearing this. She could do a comedy routine with Noire to lighten the mood, if nothing else. Offering a wide grin at the other CPU, Neptune made an exaggerated gesture towards the television screen. "Yeeeaaaah, I know, right? The part where I had her, but then she grabbed me and threw me into the desks for half my health was pretty awesome, right? Even in a game, work isn't healthy for me!"

Noire found a smirk starting to tug at her lips. She was starting to relax into their usual back and forth just hearing Neptune's voice, just having that tone leaving Neptune's lips, and she hadn't even said anything back yet.

"Oh, I see." Noire closed her eyes and nodded thoughtfully, as if to process Neptune's comment. She gave a considerate look to her companion and placed a gentle finger on her lips, tilting her head to the side — she was the picture of innocence. "So we need to beat you with desks until it doesn't hurt anymore for you to get work done. That's some good advice, Neptune. I'll let Histoire and Nepgear know about this right away."

Innocence?! This was the second coming of Sadie!

"No thank you! You will be doing nothing like that under my watch, Noire!" With dramatic point in tow, Neptune was sure she had successful avoided any potential concussions coming her way in the future.

Or so she thought.

"How about over your watch?" was what Noire nonchalantly offered to her in response.

Neptune blinked.

"Whoa..." Planeptune's CPU wasn't sure what to make of that. "That reference is either way too vague or way too obvious for your skill level, Noire... You should leave that kind of thing to the professionals."

Meaning herself, naturally.

"A-Ah..." Surprisingly, Noire didn't respond with a comeback. Was she embarrassed she had revealed an interest of hers? Oh ho ho, Neptune could use that! "Sorry, I was up late thinking about who would be a good fit for me to..." She trailed off. It was clear to both of them where Noire had been going with the statement, and what she had been wondering would be a good fit for her. It didn't need to be said at that point. "Never mind."

Neptune considered pursuing the matter — Noire had all but handed her the perfect opportunity for it, after all.

Hmmmm... She'd let it go for now. It'd make for good ammo later on. Grinning toothily to herself, Neptune watched curiously as Noire picked up the controller off the table it had been set down on after Neptune's stunning defeat.

"Eeeehhhh, what'cha doin'?" Neptune tilted her head back and forth. Noire hadn't challenged her to another epic battle, so what was the other CPU's game this time? Gasping lightly, Neptune made a dramatic face. Could it be...?! "Gonna beat up Plutie again to rub it in?"

Noire wrinkled her nose.

"No, Kei." Noire's response was right to the point. Despite the look Neptune was giving her, she went about her business like it was perfectly natural to do so. "Hey... What's with that look? Someone has to beat her tonight. Whether it's you or me behind the wheel, I'm making this happen. Only one of us shouldn't be the one to have it done, you know."

Why did it have to be tonight? There wasn't anything particularly different about it, as far as Neptune was aware. They'd talked about Kei, sure, but that was it.

Unable to decipher whatever was going on in Noire's mind, Neptune shrugged, leaning back into her seat to watch. If the black haired CPU wanted to be this way about it, then Neptune had no reason to stop her. If anything, she wanted to know why Noire hadn't done this to begin with.

Or at least she did for the first minute, up until she saw Noire entering the character creation again.

"Wait, we already have everyone made, don't we?" Neptune furrowed her brow, giving Noire the most scrutinizing look she could muster as the CPU began to start making a new avatar on the screen. "You and Kei are both already done and saved, so why are you back here? You're not making her easier to beat, are you? I don't care if it counts to you, it won't count for the world if-"

"I'm making you again."

Gesundheit?

"Why me?" The purple haired goddess asked. Sure enough, the body on screen certainly was resembling herself more than Noire, but... There was a Neptune already too, wasn't there? Not only that- "You already made the first me in the first place, didn't you? You gonna say I lost because of that now?"

That got a cocky laugh out of Noire.

"Ha, no, you lost because you're you." Ohhh, that hurts, Noire... You don't have to look so happy about rubbing that salt into the wound, you know!? "I'm going to make one from scratch because I want a clean record." The Neptune that beat Kei had never lost to her, after all. "Do you have a problem with this game having more yous in it? That's actually kind of modest of you... I'm impressed."

Neptune didn't get it, but she supposed everyone had their pride somewhere. In any case, she was about to take hold of the chance Noire had given her to compliment herself, when she stopped.

Noire was watching her very carefully, eyes almost twinkling.

Neptune's eyes widened in realization.

If Neptune did that... Then she wouldn't be modest at all, would she?!

Daaaaarn yoooouuuu, Noooiiiiiire!

"O-Oh, you know me, ahahahaha..." Cursing Noire in her heart, Neptune flopped down onto the arm of the couch. At least Noire would be avenging her... Ever since earlier, she had really wanted to see Kei lose, and to her specifically. At least Noire would be granting her that much. In a way... Seeing Noire do it rather than herself would have made her mad, but for some reason, Noire using her to do it... It was actually satisfying in a different way.

Shaking away those thoughts and making her pose on the couch just a little more exotic, Neptune gave Noire a teasing look.

"Go on then, make an avatar out of me like one of your Leanbox girls."

Noire choked. She would've comically spat a drink out had she had one.

Thankfully, that was all Neptune had to say about the subject at that point — and she could at last get to making the second Neptune avatar with renewed vigor.

She just had perform as well as she did against Plutia once she was done actually making it, and everything would be fine.