Chapter 5
She awoke about an hour later, laying underneath the covers of a rather humongous bed. Her eyelids were heavy upon lifting, and just like before, her vision was blurred as her eyes tried their best to recover. "Woah...what happened?" She asked, sitting up as the blanket rolled off of her. When she felt it, she puffed out her cheek. "Didn't this already happen? That wasn't a dream before, right?"
The deja vu ended quickly though, for once her eyes cleared up, she noticed that everything about the room was completely different. It was still extremely spacious and filled with items she could never hope to afford, but the entire layout and style was done in more finesse. She noted the mirror to the side, the mighty window on the other, and of course the impressive medallion right near her head. It showed the insignia of Lastation, with a golden hue in order to make it pop out more against the black walls.
Wait a minute...black-blue walls, beautiful curtains on the windows...a mirror to the side, with a medallion above me...
Am I...am I in Noire's room?
She could barely remember what occurred prior to passing out, but she did recall finding herself within the CPU's room...did she pass out or something? That would be truly embarrassing, wouldn't it?
"Win, are you okay?"
She heard the voice of a saint coming into the room, and when her eyes befell the belonger of said voice, her heart skipped a beat. It seems that her suspicions were correct, as Noire once again entered her life, carrying that dress she had nearly discarded before. Unlike last time, she did have pants on, which at least made Win not have the risk of an additional coma.
This time, much to Noire's relief, the soccer girl actually answered her. "Y-Yeah...um, thank you, milady!"
She was still sitting, so her attempt at bowing was, er, strange at best, but she still had to show kindness to the woman who gave her a nation to live in. Noire smiled, a sigh escaping her lips as she placed a hand upon Win's head. "I'm glad. Seriously though, don't scare me like that!" she said, a chuckle coming from her.
The Soccer Girl looked to the blankets, a sad expression on her face. When asked what was wrong, she replied, "I'm sorry for worrying you. I really didn't mean it." As she stared at the bed, she grew surprisingly anxious, and jumped out of the covers faster than a Dogoo running from one of those Dragon sub-bosses. "I'm s-so sorry! I didn't mean to fall asleep on your bed! I feel so selfish!" Noire was left baffled as the soccer player got onto her knees and began bowing down. "I'm not worthy enough! I'm so sorry!"
She honestly meant that, and tears came out of her eyes. She was expecting for Noire to either behead her, chastise her on the spot, or maybe she would even throw her back outside into the freezing air; either way, in her mind, she deserved every little bit of it. However, much to her astonishment, the CPU of Lastation instead chose to laugh and pat her on the head.
"W-Wha?"
She looked up to see Noire giving a heartwarming smile. "Win, I was the one who put you on the bed! You don't have to apologize for anything." She soon place a finger upon Win's chin, a strange symbolic gesture that somehow made Win stand by instinct. Once she stood, the Goddess wiped the tears from her eyes. Let us just say that the Soccer girl was getting very flustered (hopefully not enough to pass out again).
"You're right...I'm sorry-"
"Win, you don't have to apologize!"
The Soccer Girl jumped, and rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. Noire was understandably vexed by the constant apologies, but once more, she couldn't help but laugh. Win, who was still completely overwhelmed by the fact that her freaking idol is still right before her, started to laugh as well. A maid outside the room couldn't help but smile. Why that was needed, well, it's the holiday season.
She soon composed herself, and bowed before Noire. "I know you don't want me to again, but I just have to. I just...you're so great and...I just always wanted to meet you, and..."
Noire placed a finger on Win's mouth, making those cheeks once more flare up in a crimson color. Another smile appeared on Noire's mouth, and the soccer girl felt surprisingly calm; she had to say, this first meeting was going quite well. "I have to say, I'm flattered. From what I gather, you're a famous Soccer Player, right? On Lastation's team?"
Hearing about her past role made Win feel unexpectedly giddy. "Y-Yes, yes I am! I haven't played professionally for long, but trust me, I'll do whatever I can for the team, and learn along the way, too! I won't let you down!" She sounded so happy to say all this, as if Noire was Isabel herself, with the dreamy eyes and mentality of a wishful life. However, as soon as the sentences ended, Win slowly remembered that her time on the team was done. There was no more "doing it for the team" vibe anymore; there was no learning to be had, nor was there any chance that she could let her CPU down, for technically, she already had.
Noire nodded at her answer, and before she could see the sad expression placed upon Win's face, she turned to face the door again, flipping one of her twin-tails as she got into her thinking mode. "I see...well, that's good to hear," she started to head towards the door, opening it slightly before she turned to face the soccer girl again, who at that time managed to hide her sorrows away. "Hey, Do you want anything? I can easily set up some breakfast for the two of us. Sound good?"
Hearing this, she honestly couldn't believe her ears, and who would honestly? The Goddess actually went out and offered Win a chance that would probably never happen again. Her heart quickly started to soar high into the heavens at the thought of dining with Lady Noire herself, and she felt her body nearly collapse again.
Though it appeared that along with the intense happiness, she was actually extremely hungry. Last time she ate was, what, over 24 hours ago? She learned how not to splurge on eating to much out on the road, but her body still needed some subsidence in the end. "Um, I guess if it's fine with you. I'm starving!"
Noire chuckled once more, and with the happiest face this side of Neptune's standard look, she took hold of Win's hand as they raced on down the hall towards the dining room.
…
"Okay, Win, can you explain something to me?"
Win was busy filling her gullet, so the only sound she could make was that of a "mmph". She had to say, even when she lived in a home with a career that could make her a billionaire, she never had such a meal like this. It was bad to go from being extremely hungry to extremely full in such a short time, but she just couldn't help it. The maids were disturbed how a small girl like her was able to scarf everything down like that, but Noire found it charming. She, too, is quite a character, no?
The Goddess took a sip of her water and requested a maid for some more. "You're a soccer girl, and yet I find you covered in snow sleeping on the ground. What happened there?"
Win gulped down another generic breakfast product, knowing what was asked but feeling confused nonetheless. "Um, well...I just wanted to watch the lights and stuff. They're really beautiful, milady. I'm impressed every year! Yep!"
Noire thanked a maid as she poured another drink. "Well, yeah, they are impressive; I mean, look what nation you're in," a random plug that honestly wasn't needed, but hey, whatever made the CPU ecstatic or something. "Still, when I found you, you looked...well, no offense, but it wasn't pretty. Why did you walk out there with only a jacket. It's not like I do the same thing sometimes, but it's still really stupid. Besides, if you wanted to enjoy the lights, why not go, you know, not at midnight? Jeez, you're just like Neptune sometimes!"
Win continued to eat, her stomach becoming a black hole as it absorbed every thing it possibly could. The questions started to bombard her, and truth be told, she began to feel overwhelmed, but seeing as how the Goddess herself was the one bringing up all these points, she couldn't just remain under an oath of silence. "Well, uh, you see, I...had a rigorous training schedule to adhere too. Gosh, the only free time I ever get is, well, when I sleep! Yeah! So, instead of sleeping, I decided to visit the park and accidentally passed out. As for the clothing, well, who honestly thinks clearly when they're tired, right?"
Every word she said was shaky at best, and being that she wasn't the one to lie often, she had a really bad poker face to boot. Noire saw her shaking, sweating profusely as her hands grew clammy. Her eyes shifted back and forth, and even when she was busy drinking her warm milk, you can still distinctively hear the chattering of her teeth. The CPU found this behavior to be cute and adorable at first, but now it was just getting annoying. Still, she determined, might as well get some answers not at the breakfast table. Win still had to recover from the cold, after all.
"Eh, guess it makes sense."
Win was led under a false assumption that somehow she pulled that off. I fell so guilty for lying, especially to her, but what else do I say? That I'm poor because I was stupid? That would be horrible! She already has too much on her plate, I don't want to bother her.
…
The rest of breakfast was pretty uneventful. Noire asked what Win was planning on doing over the Christmas holiday, how her family was, and other such topics like that. They chatted like a group of acquaintances trying their best to past time, though they still showed happiness and joy. Eventually, the Soccer Player finally got as full as humanely possible, and the two were able to continue on their day. They overlooked the Main Hall's gigantic Christmas Tree for a little bit before the CPU got somewhat serious.
"Um, Win, can I speak to you in private? It's kind of important."
The young girl looked at her and smiled, waving at a few of the maids (even getting a chance to wave at the Candidate. Let us just say that Uni was somewhat thrilled, if confused, at the site of the Soccer star) as she followed her idol down the hall towards the room once again.
When they got there, Noire slammed the door behind her, making Win jump in fright. "M-Milady?" she turned to view the Goddess looking quite angry, a look that was certain to send all kinds of chills down anyone's spine. "Is something wrong? It's about breakfast, isn't it? I'm sorry if I took so long to eat. I was just really hungry, that's all!"
Noire shook her head, the Soccer Player growing increasingly paranoid about what this could all mean. "Win-chan," the Goddess began, lacing a hand delicately over her own face, "I know you're lying about last night."
Win felt as if her whole body simply crashed and burned. "W-What? What do you mean? I...I wasn't lying! I would never lie to you!"
A sigh escaped from Noire's lips, shutting Win up. "Win, no offense, but if you're good at lying, I'm good at goofing off...which I sometimes do! I'm not that boring...uh, what I mean is what are you hiding?"
The Soccer Player began to sweat and shake once again; her idol discovered her rather-terrible chance at lying, and now she looked pissed. Oh man, just kill me now, she practically begged in her mind; her second mind was trying to calm her down like last time, but even she knew it would've been futile this time.
Noire shook her head at the unresponsive girl before her. "Win, just tell me the truth, okay? I want to know what you were doing out there last night. You had me worried sick, you know?" Noire then took a seat on the edge of the bed, patting a seat next to her, making the Soccer girl look on fear. "You better do this, Win, otherwise I will get very angry."
Win felt extremely conflicted, but eventually she ruled that she had no choice in the matter; the last thing she wanted right now was her idol forever hating her. "Okay," she said in a rather monotone voice, her head slumped down as she took the perch next to the Goddess. This would normally bring Win to a mumbling mess, but she could not find any happiness in this particular scenario.
"Okay Win, start anywhere you want. I'm all ears."
The Soccer girl nodded, placing her hands together as she twiddled her thumbs. "First, I'm sorry that I lied. I didn't want to, you know? I just...I'm sorry," a tear began to run down her cheek, though Noire didn't try to cheer her up; she wanted the answers now, dammit. The Soccer girl regained her composure, took a deep breath, wiped the tear away herself, and continued, trying her best to stifle her sniffles.
"Milady, I'm...I'm homeless."
Noire looked at her in shock. "H-Homeless? Win, how the hell are you homeless? Aren't you, you know, a Pro Soccer Player? Is that even possible?" She realized how big the paychecks were for athletes of all sports, making this whole scenario quite confusing. Truth be told, she already knew Win played Soccer, being that she watched a freaking match with her in it and all, and from what she gathered, the soccer girl was a merchandiser's wet dream (sorry for the expression). If anything, one match would equal, what, 10 million Credits on average? "Win, how much money did you make?"
The Soccer Girl began scratching her cheek in embarrassment. "I know, I did make a lot of money. I think the most I ever made was 85 Million Credits, and that might have been my last match or something. I didn't think I deserved it, but they wouldn't let me argue."
Noire was now even more baffled. "So, like, what happened? Did you freaking buy my nation, what? How the hell could you make all that money, and then wind up homeless? Forget to pay the taxes or something?"
Win shook her head, still looking a mixture of sad and embarrassed. "Goodness, no! I always paid my taxes on time, no matter what!" She looked down to the floor, her thumbs still twitching about. A lone tear finally escaped her face, crashing down upon Noire's otherwise pristine carpet. "It was still my fault, though. I honestly could have been a billionaire and everything, but...I guess I made a few mistakes here and there. All in good faith, but, you know."
"Yeah, I would hope!"
Win shook her head. "I've been living like this for a month now. I know it sucks, but I have to say, it helped me realize the value of everything around you. You have no idea how much I missed having a roof over my head regularly!" Even though she was starting to smile, she still looked extremely depressed. Noire's anger slowly subsided, replaced now with some sadness of her own. She placed a hand on the girl's back, rubbing it slowly and with great care.
"A whole month. Win, how is that possible? If you're in the professional league, shouldn't, I don't know, someone report on it? It seems to be a big deal, after all."
Win nodded her head. "Oh, people know about it. I guess my coach was good at stopping the media frenzy in the end. I don't know how she did it, but I have to say I'm impressed," after she said this line, she placed both of her hands over her eyes as the crying quickly began. "I just...I know a lot people know, though. Isabel knows I went missing, that shopkeep was so angry me...how many people am I disappointing, Noire? How many?"
Isabel? A shopkeep? Jeez, Noire questioned within her mind, though she didn't bother asking, feeling it was unimportant in the end. "Win, don't worry about that right now. I would hope people are more worried than anything else. Still, no media frenzy...that's honestly more shocking than you going homeless."
Win nodded, still crying. Noire pulled her towards her, giving her a side hug as she tried to cheer her up. "Can you tell me exactly what happened? I'm sorry if I open up anything you don't want open, but I'm just really curious, is all."
She expected Win to take her time to recover, but surprisingly the soccer player was ready to tell her all about it right from the get-go. "I'm okay with that. I never told anyone else about this, so I'm sorry if I sound off."
With that, she sucked up some of the tears and began to tell her tale for the first time.
You see, kind friends, Win is probably one of the most selfless people you can ever meet. Even with super stardom and popularity, she would never forget who she was, and if you ever saw her during her stint with the team, you wouldn't be able to tell that she was a star to begin with.
Indeed, she made money like you couldn't imagine. At first, she earned only a few million credits, but once the people watching started to connect with her, the merchandise started to focus on her, and soon she saw her payment increase every single day. Overnight, she practically became one of the hottest athletes in all of Lastation, even becoming known to other nations (though that was more with scorn. She was on the rival team, after all).
Other players on the team were of course given millions upon millions as well, and with their money, they spent it all on either huge houses, shiny cars, or other such material objects that apparently represent wealth. They took all the money they received and lived for the moment, a tactic that many a person would probably do when suddenly in fluxed with a lot of credits just by kicking a ball strategically. Some chose to invest it, and for many, this will pay off in the end, unless that money is used for some, er, "recreational activities" that would probably be frowned upon in a few years time.
Win, honestly, didn't really do any of that. She was taught the very art of saving money, but she didn't feel like bothering the banks to make a savings account, so that was never made. As for all the nice things, she felt that other people would want the object more, so she declined to buy anything. This explained why, while other less-payed players lived like Kings and Queens, she lived in a small apartment, with only the basic essentials lying within. Really, a lot of the excess money remained unused...at least until the charities began to pop up.
It started up in the summer. Now, Win has a tendency to get mad at herself if even one person was disappointed in her, being a perfectionist that just couldn't handle it. When she saw the first company trying to (as she recalled) "Save the Puppies," she just couldn't ignore it. Being that she had a lot of money to spend, Win decided to donate a million to them (She later discovered that "Puppies" was a slang term for breasts. Eh, it was still noble). After getting some good press for this, other charities from all over the world came up to her. She more than happy to donate everything she had.
And when I said everything she had, I really mean it.
Not only did she donate money, she donated plenty of blood, some of her personal belongings, clothing, food, and so many other things. She was often tired for doing all of this, but the thought of seeing all the happy faces of people made it all worth it. It was a nice trait to have, don't get me wrong, but sometimes selflessness could be a bad thing, too. Especially when it is excessive like it was for her.
As she kept playing, more and more came to her for help, even some of her teammates, who sometimes found themselves with no money thanks to excess spending. No matter what the case was, though, she would give anyone that asked her for money the thing they wanted. On one occasion, she received 30 million credits for winning the match, and by the end of the week, all of it was gone to donations.
By the time the holiday season showed up on her door, that was when things got really bad.
She just couldn't stop donating everything she made, and even when she realized it was bad to keep going, she couldn't help it. Homeless children who have no family to celebrate the season with? Credits were given. Families displaced thanks to a freak storm that nearly destroyed the whole coast of Lastation? Credits and clothing were donated. Sick children with little time left in the world and wanted her to visit them as their last wish? She visited every single one for as long as possible, and once again, donated every single credit she could come up with to support the organization.
Before she became homeless, she was often not buying food for herself. Every single hour of her life was either dedicated to the sport she loved, or for the less fortunate. Her good deeds would most certainly be viewed as commendable, but when you lose yourself in the process, was anything truly accomplished in your life? She unfortunately never learned that being just a tad bit selfish would be fully acceptable.
About a month ago, she heard of a huge company that wanted to help...well, Win kind of forgot by this point. All that she could remember was that, to her, it was so ambitious and necessary, that she quite literally donated every single credit that she had to her name. It was stupid in retrospect, but at the time, she figured that it would all pay off in the end. Hell, she even sold her own apartment room and everything in it; whatever she thought would be awarded to her was worth more than her freaking house.
"And, well, that's how all of that happened," Win finished, feeling a mighty big weight being lifted off of her shoulders. Looking back on it, she acted so stupid for doing all of that. Yet, she still felt that it was all necessary; either it came from her actual feelings or she just wanted to cope, she felt that everyone she helped deserved her stuff more than her.
Noire had her jaw on the floor. "W-W-Win-chan. I...I don't know what to say." She honestly didn't. Was she to comment her for doing everyone a favor they seriously needed, or should she yell at her for acting so senselessly, not caring for a second about herself. She heard of people losing their homes because they refused to get a job or by doing something really illegal, but never did she hear about someone donating so much that they lost everything. Was she addicted to that? It was a strange thought.
In the end, all she did was pull in Win close, hugging her as tightly as possible. "Win, what you did was a good thing, don't get me wrong. I'm glad you helped out so many people. I'm the freaking CPU, and I still can't help everyone like you did. I have to say, no matter what you think, you're too good of a person." Noire found herself looking towards her discarded dress, sighing in disbelief. "I know of a lot of those charities, and a lot of them are really good. I wish I could do what you could do. I just don't do enough though"
Somehow, the Goddess found herself walking into a guilt trip, and it made every sense of her mind grow sad with depression. Win shook her head. "Don't say that! What I did was too stupid! You do so much for everyone! You at least keep your house in the end!"
Noire couldn't help but chuckle at that, but she returned to being seriously all too quickly. "Well, thank you Win, and I do have to agree with you on that stupid part," she turned Win so she could look directly into her eyes, "you can't just give people everything you own without once thinking about yourself. It's extremely honorable what you did, but you have to remember that you're a person like everyone else. If you're not happy, then that just isn't right!"
Win looked down at the bed. "I know that, milady. I just don't want people sad or disappointed. I just thought that if I could just do everything that I could, I could make everyone in the world at least content. Though all I accomplished was losing everything I love and disappointing my fans. Heck, there are still people poor and out on the streets with no hope for a better life. I couldn't even help them," she knew people were thankful for her contributions, but the fact that there were still people out there, even if it was only one lady who owned a store or a young girl who worshiped everything about her, that were not happy, to the point of even being somewhat angry with her, made it all worthless to her. "I met a few people out on the road that weren't happy with me. I really screwed up."
Noire got angry, and held Win as close as possible. "Win, don't you worry about people being angry with you. As far as you know, only a few people throughout the entire world are actually angry with you. That's it," her voice was filled with pride and reassurance, and though she came out strong-like, she still sounded kind and generous, captivating the entire focus of one Win-chan. "You need to learn something, girl," she started again, "You can't please every single person in the world, homeless or not. I bet that when you played, some didn't like you there. It happens.
"What you have to do, Win, is accept that no matter what you do, some just won't be pleased. It's nothing against you, and it's nothing against them. You can be the biggest saint in the world, and from what I gathered, you kind of are, and people will still find something to complain about. That's just life, Win. You can't let yourself get carried away with making everyone happy, because let's face it, it's freaking impossible! Trust me. You don't know how hard I want to impress and help my nation, and how often I still get more enemies than I ever thought possible. It happens."
She looked at her new dress still neglected after all this time. For some reason, saying all of this made some earlier problems look foolish in the long run.
"Few people not happy, well, that sucks, but look at all those that are happy, Win. Think of those that get to live a lot longer thanks to you. Think of the kids that are happy every time they see you play. Sure, there might be people still living homeless, but every credit you donated gave so many people a chance, I bet you. Some people just weren't given the chance to get help, and I know that one day they will be helped, but you can't just help every single person singlehandedly. Take a breather, you know? We're doing the best we can to get them anything for them to get by. It takes time. Be thankful that you brought hope and happiness to a lot of people, rather than focus completely on the sad."
She had no idea if any of that made sense, or if any of it actually meant something in the end; hell, sounding it through her head, it sounded kind of...well, like nothing, honestly. Then again, she wasn't the type to usually give out morals and lessons to those around her (she left that to Kei, which was a really bad decision), so give her credit at the very least (or take the blame to the author instead. Wait, what?)
However, Win appeared to not only accept the information, but she appeared to have found some truth within it all. "You're right. I just want everyone to be happy. Maybe one day that will happen, but I understand what you mean," she looked into Noire's eyes, giving a smile for once that looked as real as when she looked at Isabel. "I hope I did make a lot of people happy, though. If I did, then I'm happy."
Noire smiled back at her. "I'm sure you made a lot of people happy, Win-chan. Be proud of that fact. That trait of yours is something a lot people need," she then went and hugged her again. "Thank you, Win. I really mean it."
Win wasn't really sure why she was being thanked (with the whole selling her apartment and all, she thought she should be yelled at), but she returned the hug. They remained motionless like this for quite some time. Noire, being the CPU that she is and having to run a party soon, didn't mind using the time like this, and Win...well, Win was happy. That was all that was needed to be said.
Eventually, Noire broke the hug, and looked directly into Win's eyes. "I'm assuming you're not on the team anymore?"
The happiness the Soccer girl felt slowly eroded away. "No...I couldn't afford the equipment and travel expenses. My Coach wanted to help me out, but let's just say that she wasn't exactly the one to spend money. Oh well."
She looked so hopeless, but it took looking up at Noire to see a smile on her face in order to cheer her up. "Don't worry, Win-chan. You look like a good Soccer player, and I think it would be an injustice to the whole nation if you were never to play on the team again," she remarked, a sly look playing upon her face.
Win's eyes lit up brighter than the park last night. "M-M-Milady?"
A laugh escaped from the CPU, and even the Soccer player found herself randomly laughing. "Win, you helped a lot of people. I think it's fair that you get help too," She stood up as the soccer girl nearly had drool coming from her mouth. "Tell you what. I'm going to help you get back on your feet, get your home back, and of course, your position on the team again. It's not like I'm doing this for no reason or anything; I really want to help you."
Win stood up as well, the CPU before her looking even more like a Goddess than ever before. "Do you...do you really mean that? I don't want to be a burden."
Another laugh came from Noire. "Oh Win, just accept it! You deserve this after all you did. It won't be a burden, trust me. It would be an honor, actually, to help a really great Soccer player!" She even shot a wink towards Win. Ain't that cute?
The Soccer Girl quickly embraced the Goddess, constantly saying "Thank you" as tears of joy leaked from her weary eyes. The Goddess couldn't help but feel warm at this, and was glad to reciprocate the hug once more.
Once again, they remained like this for a while, though the feeling was much more hopeful than before. A maid once again looked in, and even her heart was filled with even more Christmas joy than ever thought possible. Still, she had a reason for looking in; well, not necessary for looking in, but she had to tell the Goddess something. Thus, she slowly opened the door.
"Excuse me, milady?"
Noire and Win looked at one another, blushed, and quickly broke the hug. "Um, don't get the wrong idea! We were just hugging as friends!" Noire randomly shouted, regardless of whether it mattered. The Soccer Girl nodded as well, though a part of her felt cold after hearing the "friends" comment. Not really sure how else to interpret that one.
The maid, not wanting to get fired, tensed up, trying her best to ignore whatever the CPU was trying to talk about. "Sorry for the interruption, milady, but all the party preparations are fully completed. Do you need any assistance before the folks begin to arrive?"
The CPU nearly forgot about the party. "No, that won't be necessary, thank you. Just please knock next time, okay?"
The maid bowed and left the two of them alone. With that, Noire took one final look at the discarded dress. "So Win, how would you like to be a part of the party this evening?"
Once again (how many times have I written "again?"), her eyes lit up brighter than...shit, I'm running out of ideas, er, um...the full moon? Yeah, the happiness radiated off of her. "N-Noire, I would love to? It would be such an honor! Thank you!"
But as she bowed, she remembered those that were in the alleyway with her last night. She remembered their dreams, their aspirations, their thoughts. Some of them absolutely deplored Noire, but she still respected them all the same. She remembered the young boy who didn't say much, the young mother who really didn't deserve to be out there, and young Isabel, a girl with too many dreams to list. Though she acknowledged now that trying to make everyone happy would be a waste of time, she still felt it was necessary to give those that she loved a chance to be happy, if it was only for just one night. Who knows, maybe they could get help.
If Win was invited to this party, then so were they.
"Milady, before I accept, can I make a request?"
Noire looked confused by this, but nodded. "Shoot."
And Win made her request.