Snyderverse Neptunia Snippets

by Derald Snyder

Snippet 06- Rei's Fateful Meeting

Timeline- Just after the flashback in 'Turnabout of the Mobile Tank', prior to the RR:AA series as a whole.

*Lowee City Streets*

Rei Ryghts walked down the sidewalk through the blizzard, going nowhere in particular... she'd just been kicked out of the hospital after having been treated for hypothermia and frostbite, and the only reason the doctors had even treated her was due to the duo who'd rescued her... (Sophia and... who else?) She shook her head, it didn't matter anyway. (At least they gave me an old winter coat before throwing me out...) Said coat was wrapped tightly around her body, for all the good it would do in this subzero climate... She barely even noticed the cars slowly driving by on the road...

However, she did notice when one car suddenly slowed to a stop beside her, Rei looking in said car's direction as the window rolled down, revealing a large man with short, spiked blond hair. "C-can I h-help you, sir...?"

"...What is a lady like you doing trudging through this harsh climate?" the man inquired. "Can't afford the bus?"

"I-I..." Rei hesitated, uncertain of this man's motives. (Doesn't he know who I am...?) "I have no p-place t-to g-go, sir..."

"You're homeless? Well, that just won't do. Hop in, I'll take you to my office," the man offered, an audible click sounding as the doors unlocked.

"Well... okay," Rei sighed, opening the rear door and climbing in. (Please don't let this guy turn out to be some sort of serial rapist...)

"So what's your name, young lady?" the man asked.

"I... I p-prefer not t-to say at th-this t-time," Rei stammered.

The man just chuckled in response. "Trust issues, I'm guessing? Not the first person I've met like that..." He promptly shifted the car into gear, driving off...

*A few minutes later...*

"Here we are," the blond man stated as they parked. "I heard your stomach growling on the way here... would you care for some instant ramen?"

"Th-that would b-be nice..." Rei nodded as she and the man exited the vehicle, following a short distance behind him... entering the building, they went up a flight of stairs and down a hallway, the man stopping at a door that read:

SAMSON & CO. LAW OFFICES

BARTHOLOMEW J. SAMSON, ATTORNEY AT LAW

(He's a lawyer?) Rei mused as the man, presumably Bartholomew, opened the door and ushered her inside. Looking at the empty front desk, she thought, (Okay, this looks legitimate... Guess he's not a rapist, at least.)

"Have a seat, I'll get that ramen ready for you," the lawyer said to her, heading through a door to the rear office.

"Okay, thank you," Rei nodded, sliding off her coat and carefully hanging it on the nearby rack, then sitting in one of the waiting chairs. She heard the distant whirring of an old microwave behind the door... a minute or so later, a (ding!) sounded, the microwave door being opened...

Soon after, Bartholomew emerged holding a cup of instant ramen with a fork stuck inside, setting it on the front desk. "Here you are."

"Th-thank you..." Rei said, standing and walking behind the desk to sit and eat. It was then she realized just how large this man really was... but it seemed to be mostly muscle instead of fat. A feeling of dread welled up in her upon the realization that he could easily overpower her at anytime if he so wished... it almost made her want to be able to become a CPU again. Almost.

"Don't eat too fast now," Bartholomew advised. "Give your tummy time to digest..."

"S-sorry," Rei apologized, wincing, trying to chew a little slower.

"Now, now, nothing to be sorry for," the large man shook his head with a smile. "Compared to some of my previous clients, you're quite tame in comparison."

(Clients? Oh, right, he's a lawyer...) Chewing and swallowing another bite, she finally got up the courage to ask, "S-so why d-did you help me...?"

"I just did what any other decent man would do, seeing a lady in distress," Bartholomew answered matter-of-factly. "I know I can come across as a little intimidating, but I assure you you're safe here. I'm not the, shall we say, sleazy type of attorney."

"...Th-that's good to hear," Rei said after a moment, taking another bite. After swallowing, she asked, "D-do you really not know wh-who I am, s-sir...?"

"Well... given your heather blue hair and segmented horn, I would surmise that you're Rei Ryghts, the evil CPU who nearly leveled Planeptune and tried to kill the reigning goddesses," Bartholomew replied.

"EHH?!" the ex-final boss screeched, jumping to her feet in shock. "Y-you knew?! B-but... but why?! Why did you help me?!"

"I already told you why," Bartholomew retorted, crossing his arms. "But I figured if you were going to transform and kill me, you would have done it a long time ago. Am I wrong?"

"...Oh." Rei relaxed a little. "I-I guess th-that's a fair p-point..."

"Of course, you being here begs the question of why you're walking the streets of Lowee City," Bartholomew stated. "Don't take this the wrong way, but I thought you would have been incarcerated for what you did..."

"Oh, well..." Rei took a moment to gather her thoughts. "Actually, I was f-found not g-guilty b-by reason of insanity, so the j-judge sentenced me t-to exile instead... I was f-flown here specifically s-so B-Blanc would b-be able t-to k-keep me under c-close watch..."

"And she was willing to just let you freeze in the streets? No disrespect to Lady Blanc, but that doesn't sit right with me," Bartholomew shook his head. "Tell you what... I'll get a blanket so you can sleep on the couch here tonight. As long as you promise not to transform..."

"I-I c-can't d-do that anymore," Rei shook her head vigorously. "I d-don't even remember d-doing any of th-that, t-to be honest..."

"...Ah, that would explain the insanity verdict," Bartholomew nodded in comprehension. "Well, that's a small relief. Anyway, as I said, you can sleep here, and tomorrow I'll see if there's anything else I can do to help. A good lawyer never gives up on a client, after all. That's what my father taught me."

"Um, okay... thank you very much, Mr. Samson, sir," Rei said in relief. Maybe fate was finally deigning to give her a break for once...

*The Beginning*