"Wow TK you're uploading before 8 in the evening for on—"
"YEAH I KNOW I NEED TO KEEP PLAYING GHOST OF TSUSHIMAAAAAAAAA—"

Also very short chapter today. Now if you'll excuse me I'm off to go play Ghost of Tsushima until I pass out at 4am.

Chapter 26: Chasm

"Okay, hold that pose for just a bit loooonger…"

"Losing my balance here…"

"Aaaaaand there!" Lady Vert says as the camera flash goes off.

I almost audibly groan as I finally let my leg down, having held my leg up and my hands behind my back in that about ready to pitch pose for almost a solid two minutes.

"Aww, that wasn't so bad." Lady Vert says, the camera in her hands. "You look very, very handsome. My, if I were a freshmen year girl seeing you on the first day of school practicing, I think I'd fall head over heels for you. Isn't that right, everyone?"

"Every—"

I hear some yelps and the scurrying of footsteps from the other entrances of the courtyard before Lady Vert starts laughing.

"My staff sometimes has their kids come into the Basilicom, since there's no harm in them wandering the public areas. Besides, it's fun to dote on them, and no one would complain about me playing with them~" Lady Vert says with a smile. "It seems you might have a growing younger fanbase, Elliot."

I can only sigh to that. "I miss the days of back when I was almost invisible in high school, all of a sudden. Also please stop planting strange ideas in their heads."

"Ufufu, well, I'll give it some thought. Now then, there's just one last outfit I'd like for you to try on."

I try not to groan, having already been put through the wringer. Butler outfits, various costumes of characters from games and shows, a baseball uniform, and now…

"Won't you try this one on for me?"

"W-WHAT IS THAT?!" I yell out in heart-stopping shock as Lady Vert holds up what appears to be either leather or latex belts. As in, an outfit entirely comprised of them.

"Oh, well, it was on sale, so—" Her usually calm expression gives way to joyful laughter. "Okay, perhaps that was a bit far, if the blood keeps draining from your face this rapidly, I may have to call an ambulance."

I take perhaps the biggest inhale and exhale of my life, calming my heart down that's threatening to break my ribcage from how much it's pounding.

"Haaaaaaa…! Why do you even have something like that?!"

"Because I wanted to see your reaction~ It's okay, I'll get you something nice for dinner as an apology." Lady Vert says, ruffling my hair. "I hear there's a really good cheesecake place that we can order from."

"That is… very much appreciated."

"Hehe. Go and get some rest, it's been a long day of photographs, after all."

As I soak in the waters of the bathtub, I can't help but feel that despite all my time here, I haven't been able to get a good grasp on Lady Vert. She's as slippery as they come, not letting her graceful demeanor fade for even a second.

It certainly is a different style than when I've dealt with Lady Blanc or Lady Noire, who have sort of let me get a glimpse of what it's like to be just themselves rather than 'the goddess, Lady Blanc', or so to speak. As for Lady Neptune, well, it seems like she's always herself, which is sort of the opposite issue I face with Lady Vert.

Well, I guess there's no point really thinking too hard on it. After all, I'm just a normal, every day guy. It's not like I can under the goddesses or fix their issues. Seeing as how I was just the one to get the ball rolling about the whole treating them as normal others, I shouldn't think of myself in such a presumptuous way.

I sigh, shaking my head. I guess I have been told to spend more time on things I can control rather than things I can't. And I guess the biggest thing I can control is whether or not I move out of the shop.

I still have no idea where I'm going to go regarding all of that, considering how I haven't even made up my mind regarding if I should even ask IF if we can get to know each other better. There's no harm in just… letting it go, if I think about it. It's not like we can't be friends and she travels a lot. Plus, if I make a lot more like I was projected to, then I can have laxer hours which should let me come back to Planeptune.

"Geez…"

If I'm coming up with a plan to return to Planeptune like that just to see her, I think it's kind of obvious where my heart is. But on the other hand, like Lady Blanc said, there's no rush. This is really if I want to capitalize on the current spotlight on me. There's no harm in making the move eventually, but even without that factor, the fact that Gregory asked weighs on me like a stone, adding pressure even when there shouldn't be any.

Maybe I should just wait until everything calms down. I can't make a good decision right now, after all, if I've got everyone in the news buzzing about Lady Noire and I, it's going to affect my thought process.

Shaking my head, I push the thoughts out of my head as I get out of the bathtub. There's no point thinking about it right now, and I guess the point of this vacation of sorts was to get some time away from all that. Time alone is pretty dangerous, huh?

There's nothing too out of place after that, though the cheesecake is pretty good. Got a nice salted caramel cheesecake with a bit of pecans on top, now that was delectable.

After that, I decided to go and walk it off, heading out into the bustling nightlife of Leanbox. With the wide streets and sidewalks, it's not hard to get around, and with everyone preoccupied with who they're with, I can somewhat fade in. Not that I'm opposed to that, but it seems the craze around me is starting to die out a bit.

One thing that's pretty neat about Leanbox that Planeptune doesn't have is that with the wide streets, there's room for a tram in the middle which you can hop on. Deciding that I didn't have much else to do, I hopped on the first one, with its red and golden boxcar lit up with lights, and walked to the back area, which was open air.

For a while, I just watch the lights go by and smell the fresh air that's seasoned every now and then with scents from outdoor restaurant seating, various dishes being brought up, especially around the grill specialty restaurants. There's a lot of traffic, but the wider streets definitely help. The city's got a more open feel to it than Planeptune, that's for sure, especially with how they have a lot of trees by the sidewalks.

"Should you be wandering around like this?"

I look up, my attention broken, finding a spunky girl with her black hair snipped into a bob cut, a red ribbon weaved low into it on her left side. She's also got on a brown newsboy cap, matching her khakis and cardigan worn with a light blue short sleeve blouse, which she adjusts as she steps out into the open air area of the boxcar.

"Something wrong with that?" I ask as she leans against the railing. I notice she's breathing a bit heavily, with a tinge of sweat on her forehead which she rubs away with a towel she pulls out of her purse.

"Well, you never know if you'll get mobbed."

"You should have a pretty good beat on that, shouldn't you, Melanie?" I ask the girl who I once dated back in high school, who only smiles in return. "...been a while."

"Yeah, been working pretty hard."

"Long day at the office?"

"Like you wouldn't believe."

There's a pause there, as we run out of stock dialogue to exchange. While we've talked on the phone or texted, it's been a long time since we well, physically met one another. After all, the last time we did was…

...the day we broke up.

"Um, but hey! Ah, you got the letter, right?" She asks, looking away and towards the streets, which now glitter with streetlights due to the sun dropping in the horizon.

"Yeah, she handed it off to me. I haven't read the old one."

"Oh, that's fine, that's fine." She says, waving it off. "You can just burn it if you haven't yet, it'll… it'll be easier that way."

"You make it sound like opening it's going to put me in for a bad time." I say, laughing.

"Maybe it will, haha. Oh, um… hey, my stop's soon."

"I figured you could walk, then. Why take the tram?"

"I thought I saw you and knew you were in town, so you know… just went for it." She says, smiling at me. "I've seen you running around town a lot, too. You've been busy, haven't you?"

"Well, I've got time, for a bit. Plus, it's pretty good for my health, is all."

She flashes me a knowing smile. "You've always been a terrible liar. You haven't changed one bit in that regard. Besides, the way you're running, you've got a goal in mind. It's like the time you were asked to prepare… what was it? An affogato?"

"That's a coffee based dessert, not an actual drink. And it was a test of preparing a cup of cortado, cafe bombon, espresso con panna, and cafe de olla as quickly but richly as possible without referencing any of our recipe books." I say, remembering how many tries that took.

"Ah, right." Melanie says, nodding. "But it's like that, in a way. You were trying your hardest back then, and it's like that flame's been lit again."

"Thanks. But, enough about me, how are you doing?"

"Oh, you know. Getting by." She says back, running a hand through her hair. "You still owe me a steak dinner, by the way. I haven't forgotten about that."

I roll my eyes as she looks back into the car. "When we all go out for that high school reunion tour, maybe."

"I'll hold you to that. Anyways, looks like my stop's coming up."

"Oh. Uh, do you need me to walk you to your place, then?"

She shakes her head. "No, I basically live like right in front of the station, but thanks."

Instead of getting ready to get off the tram, Melanie just stands there for a while, looking out at the streets of Leanbox with something weighing heavily in her mind. I, too, try to find something to talk about, looking around at the sights of Leanbox. I rack my brains for old high school memories.

What did we used to talk about? How did I talk to you before, and how would you respond? What were the same old jokes we'd tell and never get tired of, and how did I laugh? What kind of smile did you have on when we'd walk through the rain?

However, as the tram starts slowing down which knocks me out of my thoughts, she shakes her head.

"Hey, just… promise me one thing, you know?"

"Shoot for it."

"Just… be honest with her, okay? No matter what, I'll be rooting for you, like I always have been."

Before I can ask what she meant by that, she pulls her cap over her eyes as she turns away, retreating into the tram. I can only watch as she gets off, my legs feeling like they have weights around them, as the breeze kicks her cardigan around. Melanie glances back once, but upon realizing I'm looking at her, turns her head back and doesn't turn her head again, running from the tram at full speed.

While there's that distinct warmth of friendship there, from the years we spent together, it felt like there was… an insurmountable chasm between us, just then and there.

And I can't help but wonder, if I move away to Lastation, chasing after the dream, when IF visits one day… is that how we'll be?

"I was starting to get worried when you suddenly up and disappeared, but fortunately one of my staff saw you get on the tram." Lady Vert says as I enter the Bascilicom. "Are you alright, Elliot? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Been better, I think."

"Hmmm…" She says, narrowing her eyes at me. "Right, Hug Attack~"

"Hug Att—bwah!?"

I'm hit by what can only be called a half-tackle, half-hug as Lady Vert wraps her arms around me, my balance forcing me to take a few steps back to avoid falling over.

"L-lady Vert, wh, what are you doing?!"

"Well, you just had this downer look on your face that was so unbecoming of you, I had to beat it out of you before!" She says, clinging onto me as I try to move into the Bascilicom's hallways as not to be seen in the open like this. "So I'm going to keep this up until you smile again or tell me what happened~"

As I shuffle around, Lady Vert makes very good on her promise, her arms wrapped tightly around me to prevent me from even thinking of slipping out. It's a hefty hike to the kitchen, far from prying ears and eyes, but it's enough.

"...hm?"

I notice that Lady Vert lets go of me, smiling again as she leans against the counter.

"Well, you seemed like you were getting ready to talk. There's no reason to keep clinging now."

"That's a bit terrifying how you can tell."

"Call it a woman's intuition." She says, wagging a finger. "Now then, what made you have such a glum look on your face?"

"Well… I met an old friend. The one you got the letters from."

Lady Vert's eyes light up as she puts her right hand on her cheek. "Oh, I see. Mhm, that certainly would explain a lot."

"Do you know each other well?"

"Not in particular, but there's a lot you can tell just by talking with someone for a bit. She cares deeply about you, Elliot, I can say that much. But, I think the time you two have spent apart certainly has put a damper on things. And with your recent time in the spotlight, I'm sure she's wondering if she's just getting in the way. She was probably trying to act friendly, but not too friendly."

"You sound… kind of familiar with this topic."

"Ufufu. Well, there are many who consult me for love advice in my staff, is all."

I suppose with the older sister vibe, it's not hard to imagine.

"But, with the world thinking that you and Noire might just be hiding a relationship, I think she's just being cautious. Do you have any feelings such as 'I'd like to try again with this person?'"

I shake my head, remembering that day in the rain.

It wasn't even raining particularly that hard, either, just a passing shower, after my shift had ended. Who even needed an umbrella, then? That's just what love did to you.

Which is why it hurt so much to force the issue.

"You're going somewhere I can't go, Melanie."

I think, back then, those words had solidified the end. There wasn't really any crying or screaming from either of us, at least, to each other's faces. It's not like this was an unknown issue to us. Both of our parents had told us that while they were fine with us dating, as Melanie going to college was soon approaching, we should decide whether or not we wanted to try long distance or if we wanted to part amicably.

"Yeah, I guess that's true."

"So… don't let me hold you down. You should go soar the stars, Melanie."

There weren't any words like "Let's break up" exchanged, but the feeling was definitely in the air. She didn't protest when I let go of her hand and I forced myself not to take it back.

I'm stolen away from my thoughts as I feel warmth against my cheeks. When I look around, I notice that Lady Vert has brought me close, my head against her chest.

"You had such a dreary look on your face, I couldn't bear to watch." She says as I lightly struggle. "So please just let me comfort you a bit. I must have dredged up some bad memories."

"They're not bad, so much as they are… unfulfilling and regretful."

"That's pretty bad."

"...that's true." I say, stopping my struggling as Lady Vert holds me a little bit softer.

"You really are too kind for your own good sometimes."

"But, do you have any advice on what to do regarding that?"

"Hmm… well, if you don't want to try again with her, I think there's not much for me to say. Besides, to me, I think your concern isn't about her." Lady Vert then ruffles my hair. "You're worried about your shop, aren't you? And don't worry, Blanc swore me to secrecy."

I quietly nod as Lady Vert lets go of me.

"I think you're just a bit scared that things will end up the same if you go to Lastation." Lady Vert says, looking through the cabinets and finding some packets of what look like hot chocolate. "But, you shouldn't be so afraid."

"And… why is that?"

"Well, you have more options now, as I see it." Lady Vert answers as she starts preparing some milk in mugs, putting them in the microwave. "Back when you're in high school, you had to work and you didn't live on your own, and it's not like you had a lot of working experience to suddenly move to Leanbox and work, paying rent, and so forth."

"You know… I don't think I ever thought about that." I admit with a sheepish smile on my face.

"Ufufu. Well, we all get tunnel vision at times, but I think your heart was really set on working at the shop then, that you didn't consider there were alternatives. But you're older, a bit wiser, and you have options. While it may sound a bit too optimistic, I still believe that people can make dreams come true if they try hard enough."

"Then… say I do move. What should I do?"

"Well, you'd need to make sure not to become distant. And you need to communicate directly. You can't be wishywashy about things, because then no one knows what to do at all. It's a bit scary to be truthful, I know, but when you think about it, everyone's scared. But sometimes, you can overcome that fear, like you just did during the reveal.

"I'm sure you were scared that you'd be rejected. 'That kind of guy can't be friends with the goddesses, he's not good enough, he's not qualified enough, he's too plain' Or maybe, 'There's no way he could ever date Noire', hmhm?"

"Um, that second one's a little…"

"Well, you get the picture, right?" Lady Vert says with another smile. "Everyone's scared of putting the truth out there sometimes, when they're afraid of what it'll do, because the truth can hurt and it's hard to go back to living the lie. But that's why you have to take the lead and not be so ambiguous about what you want. People can't confront or deal with something they don't know exists, and more importantly, they won't be able to move on if they never deal with it in the first place. So, take the lead as you always do—"

With that, she suddenly steps in close to me, putting her hands in a dancing position. Instinctively, my hands immediately go to the ready position, with her left hand's fingers weaving between my right hand's fingers, causing an even bigger smile to break out on her face.

"—and say what you really want, Elliot. Isn't that something we've been helping you work towards, too?"

"Mhm. But… you know, I figured that goddesses would take lead compared to me."

"Ufufu. We might be goddesses, but even then, we all feel the same things, Elliot. Anxiety, nervousness, joy, heartache." She says, tugging my hand along. I indulge her a bit and slowly move us around the kitchen in a slow, silent waltz. "On that battlefield, being a goddess doesn't matter. After all, if it's truly sincere, does 'I love you' change how much it means, whether it's said from a man to a goddess, or a goddess to a man?"

"I suppose not…"

"And that's precisely why you have to take the lead sometimes, even if we're goddesses. In matters of the heart, we're all equal."

"Thank you for teaching me."

"If you're thankful, then can we do a twirl and finish?"

I can't help but chuckle as I give her a light tug forward, pulling her as I raise my right arm, allowing Lady Vert to twirl around beneath my raise arm before catching her and transitioning right to the end, where she is held up entirely by the strength of my left arm alone as she arcs her back.

"Perhaps we should cancel your baseball activities and instead, sign you up for dance classes." Lady Vert says with a giggle as the microwave goes off, signalling the milk she heated was done warming. I pull her back up to her feet, where after I let go of her, she takes a step back and curtsies. "Thank you for the dance, Sir Elliot~"

"A-anytime, Lady Vert."

Lady Vert only chuckles as she goes to get two packets of hot chocolate. "Well, it is a shame that we don't have any big events like that for a while, though. But perhaps you should take some classes, so next year we can go all out."

"I don't like the sound of that."

"Oh, come now, it'll be fun~ I wonder what the papers would say, if we were all to dance with you at the gala, giving a grand display as you swiftly move partner to partner without breaking stride. The envy of all of Gameindustri, I'm sure."

"I think I'd rather avoid that kind of position."

"Well, I suppose they would call you a manwhore, hehe." Lady Vert then laughs at the scowl running across my face. "But there's nothing wrong with a bit of extravagance."

"I think I'd like to just perform the role I was supposed to fill, which was helping with pastries in the back for the staff next year." I say, Lady Vert chuckling in return as I hear spoons clinking against glass. "Sometimes when I think about it, it still feels unreal."

"Mhm. But…" Lady Vert says, handing me a mug of freshly made hot chocolate. "...I get the feeling that even if you got the chance to do it over again, you'd make the same choices."

"Well, I'd be a bit more careful about things, but… most things I'd do the same."

Lady Vert lifts her mug, and so do I, and we clink them together. "I believe that goes for most people who would get a second chance. Now then, let's drink, and then be off to bed."

I must have had an incredulous look on my face as Lady Vert puts a hand on her hip.

"S-sorry." I say, glancing away.

"I can go to sleep any time I want." Lady Vert says in a very authoritative manner, but it comes off as a bit forced.

"I didn't say anything." I meekly mumble.

See, it happened a few days ago, when I was… awoken at night to some mumblings. Now, it hadn't been the wee hours of the morning, like two in the morning, but rather around five forty five in the morning. Nothing unreasonable, of course. I decided to try to get back to sleep, but couldn't because of the noise, so I got up and made a very early breakfast which would be digested by the time we'd exercise.

But I ah… had knocked on Lady Vert's door around seven thirty, having not found her in the lobby. at seven. Lady Vert then opened the door, said something along the lines of "Oh, Elliot, I'm sorry, did I wake you in the middle of the night?" before I pointed out it was almost eight in the morning.

This prompted her to close the door, and we simply decided not to speak of it ever again without a word of communication.

Of course, the tables are quickly turned. "Oh, but Elliot. Perhaps, if you want to make sure I sleep on time tonight, perhaps you should join m—"

I know I gave the reaction she was looking for as there's amused chuckles to my sputtering and choking on my hot chocolate. I can feel some dripping out of my nose as I look for a napkin to wipe myself with just before Lady Vert hands me one, a victorious smile on her face.

"Too easy~"

"If it is in fact, too easy, perhaps you should find a more difficult target." I say, knowing that it's futile to ask.

"Hmm, nope. I don't think I will."

I try not to visibly sigh as I wipe my nose, throwing the napkin away.

After we finish our mugs of hot chocolate, both of us retreat to our rooms, with Lady Vert likely going off to go play into the long hours of the night. As for me, I simply lie around on my bed, looking up at the ceiling, thinking. I know it's greedy, but the part of me that thinks about leaving to Lastation wonders if there's a way to move, but still have all of my relationships.

I'd definitely have to voice that intent, though, which is the crux of it all. But, the thing that Lady Vert didn't tell me about was that we don't all live in isolation. Even if I were to say something like that, even if IF were to consider transferring over like she's joked about, it'd still affect her friendship with Compa and Lady Neptune.

But… still, the advice was appreciated. One of these days, depending on whether or not I choose to stay in Planeptune to take a shot at asking IF if we could get to know each other better or if I push those feelings aside and pursue my dream and mentor's request, I'll have to face the music and be truthful about it. It just wouldn't be right to disappear from Planeptune's Lapin House without some proper closure.

Though, considering how this vacation of mine is coming to a close soon, that time might be sooner rather than later.

So, a bit on the shorter side. I was looking for a way to extend it a bit, but nah, felt good enough. That and uh… Ghost of Tsushima dropped. Someone help me, I have played it actually every day since I got it. It's just so damn goooooood.

Okay actual serious chapter time. I mentioned before that I wanted to keep Melanie (Elliot's ex) as more of a ghost character, but I felt that since it was mentioned she lived in Leanbox, there's a chance they could run into each other. Plus, it was kind of a nice way to illustrate in-character what could happen between Elliot and IF should Elliot move away to Lastation, sort of building up the tension in regards to that conflict.

After that, well, it's Vert being a big sister again. I thought to break it up roughly at the end with a bit of humor, especially regarding Vert's gaming habits, just for a bit of levity.

Next chapter might take a while, considering that it's going to be another long one. Technically it should've been the chapter that got posted, but for pacing reasons I thought to at least put a few more scenes before the next chapter. Imagine that, me actually trying to control the pacing. What a surprise.

Anyways, as always, I hope you're all staying safe and healthy, for what that means from a random man on the internet. See you all next chapter!