Nanoha FanFiction Discussion

[Wild Goose]

Originally Posted by Evil Rick

Full Metal Alchimest, the Characters named Roy Mustang (altough this could be reference to the horse O.o)

Team Mustang were named after planes and military vehicles. Mustang for the P-51, Hawkeye for the E-2C Hawkeye AEW plane, Huey for the UH-1 Iroquis (which was nicknamed Huey).

Hawkeye's grandfather, Grumman, is named after the Grumman Aircraft Corp, which makes the E-2C.

[Evil Rick]

Vatican Knights 2 preview

Note: Remember, if you misslike gore or extreme blood, DON'T LOOK THE SPOILER

Spoiler for Caution:

Chapter 1 coming this weekend... I hope O.o

[Kaix]

Originally Posted by Evil Rick

Vatican Knights 2 preview

Note: Remember, if you misslike gore or extreme blood, DON'T LOOK THE SPOILER

Spoiler for Caution:

-cut-

Chapter 1 coming this weekend... I hope O.o

This looks great in setting atmosphere. The details leave quite an impact.

[Evangelion Xgouki]

Spoiler for Visitors, pt. 5:

As the group made their way to the training ground, Hayate addressed their questions the best she could without divulging too much sensitive information about the TSAB.

"...and that's a basic rundown of our departments."

"I see." Samantha nodded as she digested the information. "To have a section devoted to something that specialized is most interesting."

"Yes, but it is a necessity." She paused her strides, causing the rest of the group to stop. "Ah, we're here. Nanoha-chan, if you would?"

"Alright." The Ace of Aces broke away from the main group and headed towards the stairs down to the training area.

"And remember Nanoha-chan, a light demonstration. Light!" Her friend nodded her head without turning around before disappearing down the stairs. "Now if you'll follow me, please."

Hayate led the group to the edge of the training area. A railing lined the area to prevent them from falling into the actual training field several meters below them.

"This is one of the training fields we use for new recruits as well as for personal training. From it we can generate a multitude of simulated, interactive environments and objects."

"You mean solid holograms?" asked Samantha.

"Very similar, yes. There are safeguards in place to prevent serious injury as well as anyone who might be observing."

Jack looked around the field. "I don't see any glass or something." He stuck his hand out over the rail, not feeling anything.

"The field has a series of barriers when its in use," answered Shamal. "You really can't see the ones we use here, but they are in place."

A series of screens appeared on either side of the group, providing different angles of observation. Nanoha stood in the center of the field, Raising Heart in hand.

"Nanoaha-chan is one of our instructors and will be providing a demonstration of some of the basic mage abilities," explained Hayate. She opened a monitor to communicate with Nanoha below. "Ready when you are."

"Alright, Hayate-chan." The red orb dangled in fornt of her. "Let's go, Raising Heart."

Alright. Stand By. Ready.

"It talks?" absentmindedly stated Jack.

"Set up!"

A pink sphere of magic encapsulated the mage for a moment before shattering into a multitude of pink feathers. SG-1 recognized Nanoha's Aggressive Mode Barrier Jacket from when they first encountered her at the ruins as well as Raising Heart.

"That is so magical girl-ly," mumbled Jack. The others either did not hear him or choose to ignore his comment.

"What just happened there?" asked Daniel.

"That is a mages Barrier Jacket and Device in active mode. We are able to use our mana to create protective clothing for ourselves."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't look very protective."

Hayate giggled. "It doesn't, does it? nanoha-chan is an aerial mage so she needs something that would provide her freedom of movement while in combat. Our Barrier jackets also generate a light protective barrier around ourselves when active. They can't withstand powerful spells, but they can take a decent beating. You get thankful for it when you get thrown into concrete walls."

"Um, yea. I bet you would."

"Is her Device made of mana, too?" asked Samantha.

"No, our Devices are mostly technological creations. I'm not too sure on the details but Shari explained once to me that the components are stored in some pocket dimension until we activate them."

"That's amazing." She turned to Jack. "Do you know what something like this would mean, sir?"

"No, Carter. I do not." He did not appear to share the same excitement.

"To be able to create and control a personal pocket dimension would create an immense number of possibilities. Not only is it separate from this plane but it doesn't appear to have a location fixed in the in our plane of reality."

"Carter..."

"That means you can essentially accesses it from anywhere! From what I'm seeing they are able to use it to not only store multiple components but are able to draw out specific ones on a whim."

"Carter."

"Taking it from what it is now we could adapt it to store supplies like weapons, ammo, food, and emergency equipment. That would drastically reduce our mission loads and we could access them from anywhere."

"Carter..."

"And being a dimension-traveling organization they must be able to access these pocket dimensions in other dimensions as well. The possibilities of this are almost endless if we could figure out how to expand upon its current capacities-"

"CARTER!"

"Uh, sir?"

Jack sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Carter, have you forgotten who you are talking to?"

"Oh, right. Sorry sir. I guess I got a little too excited."

"Ya think?"

Daniel leaned in and whispered to Hayate. "Jack's not exactly the brightest bulb of the bunch."

"I heard that Daniel!"

Part 01
Part 02
Part 03
Part 04

[Arkeus]

yosh, excited Carter is always fun.

"That means you can essentially accesses it from anywhere! From what I'm seeing they are able to use it to not store multiple components but are able to draw out specific ones on a whim." <= did you forget an only and also, or....?

Good work Eva.

[9taileddemon]

When I first started reading visitors I was a little skeptical.

Stargate and Nanoha?

But now I see that it can be amazing if written by a great author. Keep up the awesome work Eva.

[Satashi]

I got a really spiffy review this morning, one that made me really happy. Anyone else ever get one of those reviews that just makes you feel really good about yourself?

Spoiler for review:

Satashi,

The following review has been submitted to: Saved by the Bell Chapter: 20
-------------------

I am both ecstatic at having finshed your Fic in it's entirety in the last
two days, and truly sadened by the fact that there are no more long fics that
feature the pairing that this one featured on that I havent already read.

I thank you for writing, this I really really do. As someone who enjoys long
slow romances of thier favorite pairings- your fic satisfied my desire for a
good fic with a Nanoha/Fate pairing. I cannot truly begin to express how happy
mushy this fic made me feel over the last two days. The way you wrote the
characters was obviously a maxed out good scenario-No overly complex bad
relationships existed between the MC's of your fic-which for this fandom I
find nice.Also I found myself believing the way the characters started out and
grew which is always a good thing in my mind.

So it is with anticipation and regret that I move on to another of your MGLN
N/F fics. I know the fandom is young and the number of large fics will grow
eventually but till then I whimper a bit as I just only recently became aware
MGLN existed, and my last/ still ongoing major FF addiction is Naruto-which
has more 100k+ words fics then I'd ever be able to read though considering the
speed and fervor with which I read I might surprise myself there. Meh sorry
about that last bit I started rambling there.

Anyway I probably wont review the next fic of yours I read as I consider too
many reviews superflous when you can state what you want to say in one and
save some time and effort.Overview so far in my opinion-Your a good author,
and you do credit to this site for well written fics.Your ability to tell a
belivable story is very high and your characters are from what I've seen so
far well written into the scenario you put them in. I've seen better writers
but not by that much- you have talent and I really want to stress that. Anyway
you deserve more reviews then you got for this story and the only reason you
didnt break 500 is the size of the MGLN following on this site. Good luck
writting FF's and I hope to continue to enjoy your work for some time to
come.

-Lotono
-------------------

[XenahortCharybdis]

Originally Posted by Evil Rick

Vatican Knights 2 preview

Note: Remember, if you misslike gore or extreme blood, DON'T LOOK THE SPOILER

Spoiler for Caution:

Chapter 1 coming this weekend... I hope O.o

Spoiler for Comments:

Hmmm.

Alright, this thing has left me perplexed on two counts:

I'm bewuthered as to how this thing is a trailer: Firstly, the setting could've been a lot more significant. Some place in Arizona, 1879? Kinda like...um, "Yeah, and how does that matter? I can't tell". My gripe, therefore, is, that this isn't much of a preview or a trailer - both should give some idea of the main meat of the text. It doesn't even need to tell you when it happens, but it sure as hell will tell you a bit of what's going to happen, which I'm afraid this doesn't really do.

You know, like when Bungie gave us Halo 3? We didn't know when it happened, or who exactly would be involved, but it did say that Master Chief was going to kick ass on home soil this time (well, when he crashes anywhere, that's his next ass-kicking ground), and that Earth was now integral to Covenant plans (as seen by that huge extraction structure those mooks were building in the wastelands). It wasn't a very long trailer, but it left people hanging, and left people wondering as to the storyline.

In short, I don't really think this one frame does, in itself, any of the above, except what is enhanced because...well, we know you, and even then, sometimes that's simply not enough either.

I'm not sure, also, if I could call this 'gory'. I'm quite the guro-shock character (my longstanding relationship with BlCyc and Nitro is proof of it), and I find this somewhat...mild, should I say? In this sense alone I think this is a preview - if you want to call this thing gory, better send the real meat AND blood AND death in fast, man

And anyway, what is that animal? A Lion?

[Sheba]

I was thinking that it is a scene from Beavis and Butthead.

[RadiantBeam]

...

SO!

As of this morning my father got in contact with Microsoft and they're sending us a new disc to do repairs, because apparently what we originally got with the system only covers a portion of it and can't repair the damage Service Pack 3 caused. That should take about 5-7 days, and during that time we still need to remove my hardware and try to back my files up in case we have to resort to System Restore. So, we hopefully will get that done this weekend.

I am posting a Lutecia/Vivio short, if only to let everyone know I'm not dead yet. I wrote the whole thing out on a library computer, so I apologize for any spelling errors or if anything seems off or weird. This isn't my computer, and I'm not as familiar with the library system.

This short is written under the idea that Teana was off-planet with Fate and thus returned during "Mothers and Daughters" and Subaru recently came back from her own mission, so neither of them know that Cia and Vi have become an item. Timeline wise this occurs after "Daddy's Little Girl" and before "The Christmas Locket".

Spoiler for I Spy:

One of the biggest problems with a long-time off-planet mission was that one was woefully behind on current affairs when she returned from said mission and was wandering the corridors of the base the next morning. Which were just what Teana and her longtime partner, Subaru, were doing; if only for lack of anything better. The time in between missions was often calm and peaceful, and it was hard to find much to do this early in the morning.

Teana had just returned from a three-month mission at Fate’s side, and Subaru had only been home from her own field duties for about a day or two. They were just walking that morning, delaying the time until they had to go into office and do the much-hated paperwork (hated in Subaru’s mind, for Teana it was just a mild annoyance). The hallway was relatively deserted, with only a few people still straggling in, when the pair first heard the soft voices drifting from an empty corridor.

Subaru perked up immediately. “Hold up a minute, Tea.”
“Subaru—“
“Hush!”

And with that, Subaru hauled Teana behind the corner before they could be seen. The blue-haired woman peeked cautiously around the edge, ignoring her partner’s hissed protest. After a few minutes, scowling, Teana gave in to her curiosity and peered around as well.

From her place on a bench, Vivio grimaced and rubbed the bandage on her forehead sheepishly, wincing a little as the cut underneath throbbed in protest. Wincing in time with the younger girl, Lutecia bent over her, gently brushing her fingers through long golden strands. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Nanoha-san told me not to go easy on you during the training spar today.”

“It’s all right.” Vivio smirked. “I wouldn’t have let you go easy on me, anyway. It’s just a scratch. It’s not even that deep. It just hurts. Besides, I gave as good as I got, don’t you think?”

Lutecia laughed softly, mindful of her sore ribs. “I’d say so.” Unable to resist, she laid a hand on the bandage. “Still, I hate knowing I did this to you.”

From their hiding place, Teana frowned. “Subaru, what’s the big deal? It’s just Lutecia and Vivio. It’s not like we’ve never seen them together before.”

“Just hold on! I’m getting some vibes…”

“Vibes? Jeez, Subaru, look at them! I mean, I’m not feeling anything—“

Teana’s words trailed off into stunned silence as Lutecia leaned down and lightly brushed her lips against the bandage. Pulling away, she seemed more at ease with her role in Vivio’s minor injury than she had before. “How’s that?”

Vivio kept a perfectly straight face. “I think I would have liked a kiss on the lips more, Cia.”

Lutecia laughed and ruffled Vivio’s hair affectionately. “No can do, Vi. You’ve got to get ready for school and I have to get to work… we’ve got a new case file that I need to look at, and that’ll probably take up my lunch hour too…”

Lutecia’s words were warped into a muffled squeal as Vivio reached up, gripped the collar of her shirt, and yanked the older woman down into a deep kiss. Teana’s jaw dropped and Subaru’s eyebrows joined her hairline. After a few seconds of half-hearted struggle, Lutecia gave in and participated willingly in the kiss, much to Vivio’s delight.

The two parted after a few minutes, and there was no mistaking the smug look on Vivio’s face. “Somehow, Cia, I think you liked that,” the younger girl teased.

With a groan, Lutecia dropped her forehead to Vivio’s. “You’re going to be the death of me,” the older woman muttered, but there was genuine love in her voice as she spoke. “I swear you will be. I can just see it now. Here lies Lutecia Alphine, who died because she loved Vivio Takamachi.”

“As long as they bury me next to you, I have no problem with that description.” Lifting a hand, Vivio lightly stroked Lutecia’s cheek as the older woman closed her eyes, chuckling quietly.

For a moment, Teana and Subaru watched the scene in silence; Teana’s eyes softened slightly.

Hey, Tea. Subaru’s mental voice demanded her attention.

What?

… You owe me twenty bucks. Teana could practically hear the grin in Subaru’s voice.

… Dammit! And I was so SURE Lutecia would end up in a threesome with Erio and Caro!!

...

In defense to the ungodly amount of Cia/Vi fluff in this piece, I would like to say that while I wrote this I was listening to "Guide You Home (I Would Die For You)", the closing theme for Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon.

[Evangelion Xgouki]

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

...

SO!

As of this morning my father got in contact with Microsoft and they're sending us a new disc to do repairs, because apparently what we originally got with the system only covers a portion of it and can't repair the damage Service Pack 3 caused. That should take about 5-7 days, and during that time we still need to remove my hardware and try to back my files up in case we have to resort to System Restore. So, we hopefully will get that done this weekend.

Oh man. That sucks . I keep hearing things about SP3 for XP...and now I'm even more reluctant to install that update on my computer :/ . Best of luck to you to get the computer up and running

[NorthernFallout]

On request and various threats (I am looking at you, cheesy plant), here is part 2 of Dimensional Reminiscing. If you missed the first part: Part 1

Dimensional Reminiscing: Messenger
Swallowed by the mass of space, forever lost, forever remembered.

Spoiler for Part 2:

The two of them sat in a room full of books and papers in every corner. Piles of literature littered the floor, using thick folders as hats.
Anami and Suoka had a large wooden desk in front of them, it, too, littered with papers.
Desks made of wood and not metal was a rare sight to behold in their age, but there were those who had the money, or luck, to get a hold of one.

Vivio was of the latter. She came back from a short errand, carrying a few folders under her arms.

"So," she said while putting the folders on the desk and sat down in her seat behind it," what was it you two wanted to talk to me about?"

Suoka glanced at the girl beside her. Anami had been very confident prior to entering the room, but had begun to doubt if it was the right decision as they had waited.

"We have some questions regarding the lecture you gave before," she began slowly, keeping her voice steady. "About the Rift."

"What about it?"

"Are you related to Nanoha Takamachi?"

A few seconds passed before Vivio spoke. "Yes, I am. But not by blood."

"Oh?" The two girls looked mildly confused.

"She adopted me after the Scaglietti incident about 50 years ago. Have your teacher told you about that?"

They shook their heads.

"Figures," Vivio said and leant back in her chair. The window behind her showed the sun setting outside of it, letting the ever so red sky glitter in its wake. The school day was over.

"I think there is something more you want to ask," she said and eyed the two.

"There is," Anami said and relaxed. The biggest obstacle was over. "During class you were talking about the Rift accident. However, I couldn't shake off a feeling it wasn't an accident and I sensed that from how you talked about it. We want the unofficial story."

"The unofficial story?"

"The one not written in the history books."

Vivio smiled. "Finally. Someone who sees beyond the books."

"Eh?" the two of them said in unison.

"Here." Vivio opened her left drawer and threw a folder onto the desk. "It has most of the 'unofficial' information that exist. You can do what you want with it."

Anami stared back and forth between the folder and Vivio.

"But-"

Vivio abruptly stood up, turned around and studied the scene outside of the window. It looked like a scene out of an old movie, her contour appearing before them, against the clear red sky.

"After the Rift closed itself, rumors began spreading," she said with her back to them. "Some said it was war again. That someone had attacked them. Others thought it was something supernatural, something beyond our understanding.

I knew better. My mother sent messages, a couple of them per week, where she talked about what went on in the ship. Everything seemed normal until the day they left for home. They travelled the route they always had, a rather safe route if I remember correctly, when they stumbled upon an artifact of some kind."

"An artifact?" Suoka asked.

"At least, that was my mother said in her last message. I didn't hear anything until a week later, when they reported that the Alpakura was lost."

"But if the ship was lost, how do they even know about the Rift?" Anami asked.

"Ship logs and recordings. Just before they disappeared, the Alpakura made an emergency broadcast, sending out all of the information it had gathered. The transmission was later picked up by dimensional probes, scanning for it."

Anami nodded for herself. "That's how they came up with all the info of how the Rift works and why the sky looks like it does now, right?"

"Yes," Vivio said, turning around to face them again. "Well, partially. The result is the same, but how it works is different. The artifact my mother was talking about caused the Rift, so far it's the same. But what happened after that is more complicated.

According to the ship's logs, a hole opened itself and began to drag them in. That's where it got its name from, only space didn't open itself, the artifact did. What followed is something I can't explain in detail, but I'll try to give you a rough draft."

She sat down again and pulled forth a piece of paper. She scribbled something down and held it up.

"What we have here is similar to a whirlpool, going around in circles, deeper and deeper. Now, if I were to put a stick or similar into it, the object would spin around until it reached the middle. However, now imagine that I'm holding the stick over it instead, without dropping it in. Slowly it begins to twist around its own axis and extend itself, making it longer until at one point it touches the middle. It goes against the laws of physics up until that point."

She put the paper down and folded her arms. "When the ship reached the middle, everything cut off. Nothing more has been picked up."

"But wouldn't the twisting and the rest of what you said destroy the ship itself before it even reached the hole?" Anami asked.

"We don't know. The Alpakura did record breaches and other mechanical failures, but it never went as far as to tell them to evacuate. We can only presume they either got through or got destroyed inside of it."

"No one went to that area again?"

"No, it was deemed too dangerous. Therefore they came up with the 'official' story about a natural phenomena, something no one would care to really set their eyes on during this period in time."

Anami looked at Vivio with wondering eyes. She hadn't anticipated something this big, so deep.

"How did you get a hold of all this info? You must have had connections at the time that made this possible?" Suoka asked.

"I did, in a number of places. My history is a bit complicated to say the least, but all you need to know is that I knew the right people."

Vivio checked her watch. Anami noticed it was a very old model, not even digital. As with the wooden table, it was a rare sight to behold. She wondered if it was Nanoha's.

"I think it's time you two took your leave, don't you think? Don't want to miss the train."

"Yes, miss," the two of them said and left their seats, not thinking about asking anymore questions. They had enough for the time being.

"Don't forget the folder," Vivio said and tossed it to Anami. "One more thing before you leave. My mother gave the artifact a name. It was the last line in her last message."

Anami and Suoka stopped at the door and turned to face her.

"The Void of Maelstrom. I'll see you in the morning."

[SulliMike23]

Originally Posted by Satashi

I got a really spiffy review this morning, one that made me really happy. Anyone else ever get one of those reviews that just makes you feel really good about yourself?

Spoiler for review:

Satashi,

The following review has been submitted to: Saved by the Bell Chapter: 20
-------------------

I am both ecstatic at having finshed your Fic in it's entirety in the last
two days, and truly sadened by the fact that there are no more long fics that
feature the pairing that this one featured on that I havent already read.

I thank you for writing, this I really really do. As someone who enjoys long
slow romances of thier favorite pairings- your fic satisfied my desire for a
good fic with a Nanoha/Fate pairing. I cannot truly begin to express how happy
mushy this fic made me feel over the last two days. The way you wrote the
characters was obviously a maxed out good scenario-No overly complex bad
relationships existed between the MC's of your fic-which for this fandom I
find nice.Also I found myself believing the way the characters started out and
grew which is always a good thing in my mind.

So it is with anticipation and regret that I move on to another of your MGLN
N/F fics. I know the fandom is young and the number of large fics will grow
eventually but till then I whimper a bit as I just only recently became aware
MGLN existed, and my last/ still ongoing major FF addiction is Naruto-which
has more 100k+ words fics then I'd ever be able to read though considering the
speed and fervor with which I read I might surprise myself there. Meh sorry
about that last bit I started rambling there.

Anyway I probably wont review the next fic of yours I read as I consider too
many reviews superflous when you can state what you want to say in one and
save some time and effort.Overview so far in my opinion-Your a good author,
and you do credit to this site for well written fics.Your ability to tell a
belivable story is very high and your characters are from what I've seen so
far well written into the scenario you put them in. I've seen better writers
but not by that much- you have talent and I really want to stress that. Anyway
you deserve more reviews then you got for this story and the only reason you
didnt break 500 is the size of the MGLN following on this site. Good luck
writting FF's and I hope to continue to enjoy your work for some time to
come.

-Lotono
-------------------

I completely agree with that reviewer. After reading the story twice, I can sincerely agree with that review. Anyway, my Star Trek/Nanoha fanfic is not getting anywhere right now so I might consider writing a oneshot fanfic for NanoFate. An idea will come to me, I hope.

[TheShinySword]

Originally Posted by Satashi

I got a really spiffy review this morning, one that made me really happy. Anyone else ever get one of those reviews that just makes you feel really good about yourself?

Spoiler for review:

Satashi,

*snip*
-------------------

No Satashi I don't get reviews so I wouldn't know about this "feel really good about yourself" thing don't go pitying me anyone that's only half true XD

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

...

SO!

As of this morning my father got in contact with Microsoft and they're sending us a new disc to do repairs, because apparently what we originally got with the system only covers a portion of it and can't repair the damage Service Pack 3 caused. That should take about 5-7 days, and during that time we still need to remove my hardware and try to back my files up in case we have to resort to System Restore. So, we hopefully will get that done this weekend.

I am posting a Lutecia/Vivio short, if only to let everyone know I'm not dead yet. I wrote the whole thing out on a library computer, so I apologize for any spelling errors or if anything seems off or weird. This isn't my computer, and I'm not as familiar with the library system.

This short is written under the idea that Teana was off-planet with Fate and thus returned during "Mothers and Daughters" and Subaru recently came back from her own mission, so neither of them know that Cia and Vi have become an item. Timeline wise this occurs after "Daddy's Little Girl" and before "The Christmas Locket".

Spoiler for I Spy:

One of the biggest problems with a long-time off-planet mission was that one was woefully behind on current affairs when she returned from said mission and was wandering the corridors of the base the next morning. Which were just what Teana and her longtime partner, Subaru, were doing; if only for lack of anything better. The time in between missions was often calm and peaceful, and it was hard to find much to do this early in the morning.

Teana had just returned from a three-month mission at Fate’s side, and Subaru had only been home from her own field duties for about a day or two. They were just walking that morning, delaying the time until they had to go into office and do the much-hated paperwork (hated in Subaru’s mind, for Teana it was just a mild annoyance). The hallway was relatively deserted, with only a few people still straggling in, when the pair first heard the soft voices drifting from an empty corridor.

Subaru perked up immediately. “Hold up a minute, Tea.”
“Subaru—“
“Hush!”

And with that, Subaru hauled Teana behind the corner before they could be seen. The blue-haired woman peeked cautiously around the edge, ignoring her partner’s hissed protest. After a few minutes, scowling, Teana gave in to her curiosity and peered around as well.

From her place on a bench, Vivio grimaced and rubbed the bandage on her forehead sheepishly, wincing a little as the cut underneath throbbed in protest. Wincing in time with the younger girl, Lutecia bent over her, gently brushing her fingers through long golden strands. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Nanoha-san told me not to go easy on you during the training spar today.”

“It’s all right.” Vivio smirked. “I wouldn’t have let you go easy on me, anyway. It’s just a scratch. It’s not even that deep. It just hurts. Besides, I gave as good as I got, don’t you think?”

Lutecia laughed softly, mindful of her sore ribs. “I’d say so.” Unable to resist, she laid a hand on the bandage. “Still, I hate knowing I did this to you.”

From their hiding place, Teana frowned. “Subaru, what’s the big deal? It’s just Lutecia and Vivio. It’s not like we’ve never seen them together before.”

“Just hold on! I’m getting some vibes…”

“Vibes? Jeez, Subaru, look at them! I mean, I’m not feeling anything—“

Teana’s words trailed off into stunned silence as Lutecia leaned down and lightly brushed her lips against the bandage. Pulling away, she seemed more at ease with her role in Vivio’s minor injury than she had before. “How’s that?”

Vivio kept a perfectly straight face. “I think I would have liked a kiss on the lips more, Cia.”

Lutecia laughed and ruffled Vivio’s hair affectionately. “No can do, Vi. You’ve got to get ready for school and I have to get to work… we’ve got a new case file that I need to look at, and that’ll probably take up my lunch hour too…”

Lutecia’s words were warped into a muffled squeal as Vivio reached up, gripped the collar of her shirt, and yanked the older woman down into a deep kiss. Teana’s jaw dropped and Subaru’s eyebrows joined her hairline. After a few seconds of half-hearted struggle, Lutecia gave in and participated willingly in the kiss, much to Vivio’s delight.

The two parted after a few minutes, and there was no mistaking the smug look on Vivio’s face. “Somehow, Cia, I think you liked that,” the younger girl teased.

With a groan, Lutecia dropped her forehead to Vivio’s. “You’re going to be the death of me,” the older woman muttered, but there was genuine love in her voice as she spoke. “I swear you will be. I can just see it now. Here lies Lutecia Alphine, who died because she loved Vivio Takamachi.”

“As long as they bury me next to you, I have no problem with that description.” Lifting a hand, Vivio lightly stroked Lutecia’s cheek as the older woman closed her eyes, chuckling quietly.

For a moment, Teana and Subaru watched the scene in silence; Teana’s eyes softened slightly.

Hey, Tea. Subaru’s mental voice demanded her attention.

What?

… You owe me twenty bucks. Teana could practically hear the grin in Subaru’s voice.

… Dammit! And I was so SURE Lutecia would end up in a threesome with Erio and Caro!!

...

In defense to the ungodly amount of Cia/Vi fluff in this piece, I would like to say that while I wrote this I was listening to "Guide You Home (I Would Die For You)", the closing theme for Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon.

The last line made me laugh happily

[DezoPenguin]

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

...

SO!

As of this morning my father got in contact with Microsoft and they're sending us a new disc to do repairs, because apparently what we originally got with the system only covers a portion of it and can't repair the damage Service Pack 3 caused. That should take about 5-7 days, and during that time we still need to remove my hardware and try to back my files up in case we have to resort to System Restore. So, we hopefully will get that done this weekend.

I am posting a Lutecia/Vivio short, if only to let everyone know I'm not dead yet. I wrote the whole thing out on a library computer, so I apologize for any spelling errors or if anything seems off or weird. This isn't my computer, and I'm not as familiar with the library system.

This short is written under the idea that Teana was off-planet with Fate and thus returned during "Mothers and Daughters" and Subaru recently came back from her own mission, so neither of them know that Cia and Vi have become an item. Timeline wise this occurs after "Daddy's Little Girl" and before "The Christmas Locket".

Spoiler for I Spy:

One of the biggest problems with a long-time off-planet mission was that one was woefully behind on current affairs when she returned from said mission and was wandering the corridors of the base the next morning. Which were just what Teana and her longtime partner, Subaru, were doing; if only for lack of anything better. The time in between missions was often calm and peaceful, and it was hard to find much to do this early in the morning.

Teana had just returned from a three-month mission at Fate’s side, and Subaru had only been home from her own field duties for about a day or two. They were just walking that morning, delaying the time until they had to go into office and do the much-hated paperwork (hated in Subaru’s mind, for Teana it was just a mild annoyance). The hallway was relatively deserted, with only a few people still straggling in, when the pair first heard the soft voices drifting from an empty corridor.

Subaru perked up immediately. “Hold up a minute, Tea.”
“Subaru—“
“Hush!”

And with that, Subaru hauled Teana behind the corner before they could be seen. The blue-haired woman peeked cautiously around the edge, ignoring her partner’s hissed protest. After a few minutes, scowling, Teana gave in to her curiosity and peered around as well.

From her place on a bench, Vivio grimaced and rubbed the bandage on her forehead sheepishly, wincing a little as the cut underneath throbbed in protest. Wincing in time with the younger girl, Lutecia bent over her, gently brushing her fingers through long golden strands. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Nanoha-san told me not to go easy on you during the training spar today.”

“It’s all right.” Vivio smirked. “I wouldn’t have let you go easy on me, anyway. It’s just a scratch. It’s not even that deep. It just hurts. Besides, I gave as good as I got, don’t you think?”

Lutecia laughed softly, mindful of her sore ribs. “I’d say so.” Unable to resist, she laid a hand on the bandage. “Still, I hate knowing I did this to you.”

From their hiding place, Teana frowned. “Subaru, what’s the big deal? It’s just Lutecia and Vivio. It’s not like we’ve never seen them together before.”

“Just hold on! I’m getting some vibes…”

“Vibes? Jeez, Subaru, look at them! I mean, I’m not feeling anything—“

Teana’s words trailed off into stunned silence as Lutecia leaned down and lightly brushed her lips against the bandage. Pulling away, she seemed more at ease with her role in Vivio’s minor injury than she had before. “How’s that?”

Vivio kept a perfectly straight face. “I think I would have liked a kiss on the lips more, Cia.”

Lutecia laughed and ruffled Vivio’s hair affectionately. “No can do, Vi. You’ve got to get ready for school and I have to get to work… we’ve got a new case file that I need to look at, and that’ll probably take up my lunch hour too…”

Lutecia’s words were warped into a muffled squeal as Vivio reached up, gripped the collar of her shirt, and yanked the older woman down into a deep kiss. Teana’s jaw dropped and Subaru’s eyebrows joined her hairline. After a few seconds of half-hearted struggle, Lutecia gave in and participated willingly in the kiss, much to Vivio’s delight.

The two parted after a few minutes, and there was no mistaking the smug look on Vivio’s face. “Somehow, Cia, I think you liked that,” the younger girl teased.

With a groan, Lutecia dropped her forehead to Vivio’s. “You’re going to be the death of me,” the older woman muttered, but there was genuine love in her voice as she spoke. “I swear you will be. I can just see it now. Here lies Lutecia Alphine, who died because she loved Vivio Takamachi.”

“As long as they bury me next to you, I have no problem with that description.” Lifting a hand, Vivio lightly stroked Lutecia’s cheek as the older woman closed her eyes, chuckling quietly.

For a moment, Teana and Subaru watched the scene in silence; Teana’s eyes softened slightly.

Hey, Tea. Subaru’s mental voice demanded her attention.

What?

… You owe me twenty bucks. Teana could practically hear the grin in Subaru’s voice.

… Dammit! And I was so SURE Lutecia would end up in a threesome with Erio and Caro!!

...

In defense to the ungodly amount of Cia/Vi fluff in this piece, I would like to say that while I wrote this I was listening to "Guide You Home (I Would Die For You)", the closing theme for Spyro: Dawn of the Dragon.

*comfort* Well, I'm glad to hear that you'll be back online soon! And the fic was cute! *dies from fluff overdose* Shiny is right; Tia's last line is cute (and I agree, it would be Tia who thought that, because it seems to be the obvious solution and Tia seems to get stuck in following "the way things are" whereas Subaru usually doesn't even notice there's a box she's so far outside it...).

But you're citing my omakes as part of your canon now...

Originally Posted by TheShinySword

No Satashi I don't get reviews so I wouldn't know about this "feel really good about yourself" thing don't go pitying me anyone that's only half true XD

Awwww, poor Shiny.

*notices that I've only reviewed RebelS, then wonders why a blue puppy is biting my head*

[RadiantBeam]

Link for FF.net, because I couldn't resist: http://www.fanfiction.net/s/4796893/1/

All reviews are welcome and appreciated. (plug)

Also, Dezo, I removed the mention of "Mothers and Daughters" because I realized that I referenced it without your permission. My bad.

[DezoPenguin]

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

Also, Dezo, I removed the mention of "Mothers and Daughters" because I realized that I referenced it without your permission. My bad.

*whap* I thought that was neat, not a request to remove it.

*thinks we need a smiley for hurling a stuffed penguin at someone's head*

Anyway, I finished Chapter 7 of Stahlkonigin, so here's the draft version. Given the discussion of power limiters that has been going on in the wake of Allquall's latest TNoW chapter, it's ironic that I got around to highlighting why Nanoha still has hers in my Vivio-stories continuity.

Spoiler for Stahlkonigin--Chapter 7:

"Okay, kiddo, let's go," Eileen McLaren called.

"Mom, I can't find my hat!" her seven-year-old shouted, a trace of a whine infecting his voice.

"You probably left it at school again, Billy." She thought for a moment. "You weren't wearing it when I picked you up yesterday."

"But Mom, I know I had it in my bag!"

"That's what you said the last three times you left it at school. Now grab your coat and let's get going."

"But--"

"No buts! You're going to be late!"

He snagged his coat off the rack and tucked his arms in, then fumbled with the zipper. Eileen saw that he'd knocked the collar of his school uniform askew, so she adjusted it, then handed Billy his lunch box.

"Okay, let's go."

They left the house and went out to the driveway where their minivan sat waiting, its red color a cheery welcome in the morning sun. They got into the front seats, and Billy immediately reached for the music player.

"Seat belt," Eileen chided him, and he reluctantly pulled the strap into place. His face was full of "You're no fun, Mom," but having already lost the hat discussion he was smart enough not to push things any further, particularly when she was in the process of working her own seat belt around her seven-months-pregnant belly. Eileen loved children and wanted at least three of her own, but figured that the process of having them had to be some special penance ordained by God. Maybe it was to balance things against the blessings of motherhood?

"So, is anything special happening today?" she asked her son as they pulled out onto the street.

"Nah, not much. The magic class is studying basic power channeling, and we're going to have a math quiz at the end of the week." He pouted. "I hate multiplication! Why do we hafta learn that stuff?"

"Because it's important."

"Nuh-uh!" he said truculently.

"You only think that because you don't know how to do it. The fact is that math is one of the most important things you can learn in your life. I use it every single day."

Eileen spent the next five minutes of the drive explaining how the skills Billy was learning in math class actually were important in day-to-day life. Turning the discussion to metroball statistics helped immensely, and she could tell he was warming to the theme when they were interrupted. A car was parked by the side of the road, its hood up, and as the van neared a young woman stepped out, not quite in the street, and waved frantically at them. Eileen took in the appearance of the car--a green sedan, relatively new, about one step down from a luxury model--and the woman--early twenties at most, wearing a blue blouse and white skirt--and slowed to a stop. The woman came up to the driver's side door and Eileen lowered the window.

"Oh, thank Her Majesty you stopped," the blonde said. "My car broke down, today of all days! I've called the auto club already, but they have to come in from town and won't be here for half an hour, and I'm going to be terribly late as it is! I know it's an imposition, but...can you offer me a lift?"

"Where are you going?"

"The Altima Law Offices? I'm the broker for a home sale taking place there this morning, you see. It's about ten minutes from here, right across from the church school?"

That settled it for Eileen.

"You're in luck; I'm taking my son to school right now." She keyed the button to unlock the side door. "Please get in."

"Thanks! You're a lifesaver!"

She slid back the door ans stepped inside, followed immediately by two men dressed like street toughs. Where did they come from?

Billy let out a startled yelp and one of the men fired an ANT at him, the magical blast making him slump over in his seat, unconscious.

"Billy!" Eileen screamed, and reached for the car's alarm beacon, but the blonde woman's next words made her stop instantly.

"I wouldn't try that. There hasn't been a lot of testing on the effects of magic damage on the unborn, and I'm sure that you don't want to be a test case, mmm?"

"W-what do you want?"

"I want you to shut up and listen." A ring on the woman's finger flashed, then vanished, leaving her holding a short, almost generic-looking wooden rod, the tip of which she jabbed into Eileen's ribs. The mother winced, knowing a mage device when she saw it. "If you cooperate, we can do this cleanly and easily, without anyone having to get hurt. If you don't...well, that's the chance you'll have to take."

Eileen flinched. The mage glanced over at the unconscious Billy, and her lips curved up thinly. "You know, I don't think he's really in any shape to be going to school today. I suggest that you call them and let them know that he'll probably be out sick for a couple of days. After that, you and he can get in the back of the van. We're going for a little ride."

Whimpering, Eileen nodded. She started to open a communications link to the school, but the mage jabbed her again.

"Not yet. We can't have them noticing that you have extra passengers." She held up her device. "Crystal Mirage!"

They were gone.

"Now, call," the woman's voice came out of thin air, "and be sure that you put your heart into it."

Illusion magic, Eileen realized. That was how the mage had hidden the two thugs until it was too late. No, more than that; when she looked forward she could see that the green sedan, that piece of middle-class respectability that had convinced her to stop, was gone as well. Probably, it had never been there in the first place.

She took a deep breath, convinced that if she showed and more nervousness during the call than would be expected from a mother with a sick child that the woman or her thugs would blast her instantly. Unconsciously, her hand dropped protectively to her swelling abdomen.

She opened the link.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Fate leaned back in the recliner and let the scent of her second cup of hot coffee tease her nostrils with its promise of the rich taste to come. It felt so good to use her own kitchen again rather than having to eat in a naval vessel's galley. Her blissful state lasted only a few moments before the doorbell jarred her out of it, though.

"If that's a vacuum-cleaner salesman..." she muttered under her breath as she opened the image window which remotely showed her front step. Her eyebrows rose, and she went to the door at once.

"If I could have a moment of your time, ma'am, I'm sure you'll be excited by the new electronic encyclopedia, of interest to every housewife!"

"Come in, Hayate."

Fate reflected that they made an interesting pair, Hayate in her blue-and-white dress uniform and Fate in a fluffy black bathrobe and the bunny slippers Vivio had given her for Christmas nine years ago. She didn't care, and gave her old friend a huge hug once she was inside.

"You look nice," Fate said. "Blue suits you." She took Hayate's off-white trenchcoat and hung it up before showing her old friend into the house.

"I've only worn my brown uniform once since I took this job," Hayate admitted. "There's always something formal requiring my attention that needs the dress uniform. It makes me kind of self-conscious when I spend time in Long Arch's control center, though."

"Can I get you anything? Coffee, maybe?"

"Fate-chan's coffee? That would be great," she said with a blissful sigh.

Fate took Hayate into the kitchen, got down a clean mug, and filled it.

"Here you go. Just so the first sip doesn't surprise you, it's a hazelnut-mocha blend."

"Thanks for the warning." Hayate glanced at the cup. "Hey, this is Nanoha's 'Mother of the Year' mug. Isn't that her special one?"

"She switched to the one Vivio got her this last Christmas, the one that's printed with a photo of the three of us together."

"Oh, I see. Well, my kids hopefully won't think it's too arrogant of me." While Hayate didn't have children of her own, Fate knew that she thought of Rein and the Wolkenritter that way, despite the fact that her guardian knights were centuries older than she was. "Ah, this is heavenly."

"I'm sorry that Nanoha and Vivio aren't here, too, but they left a while ago."

Hayate smiled.

"Vivio reminds me so much of the two of you. Training with Vita in the morning, school through the normal day from nine to three-thirty, and OCS classes for two hours a day four days a week." Since the TSAB had so many mage-talented officer cadets who were still school-age, they'd instituted the after-school OCS program to allow them to continue their full-time education while preparing for their careers. Fate, Hayate, and Nanoha had all gone through a variant of it themselves; it reminded the blonde Enforcer strongly of the Japanese cram schools many of her Uninari City classmates had attended after regular classes to help prepare them for high school and college entrance exams.

"She's not so obsessive about it as we were, though," Fate said. "She's more like you in that respect, dedicated but not driven." Fate paused. "Which reminds me, why are you here? You certainly didn't slip away from the office on a social call."


"Ah! You got me again, Conan-kun. The fact is, you're slotted into my appointment calendar: 'Interview with Fate T. Harlaown, 8:15-8:45.' My presence here is completely justified."

"Interview? Visiting your old friend is an interview, now?" Fate said with a grin.

"CCDF policy states that any candidate for a position shall be interviewed by the section chief or his/her appointed designate, and such interview shall be conducted face-to-face. The NLO answers to me directly, so that makes me the appropriate interviewer."

"NLO?" Fate fastened on the one question which had a specific answer.

"Oops, sorry for the acronym soup." Hayate looked embarrassed. "It stands for Naval Liason Officer, the person via whom I coordinate joint defense efforts with the Navy."

"Mid-based naval operations are parallel to CCDF authority," Fate pointed out.

"They are now. That needs to change. Mid-Childa is the central world of the TSAB and the base of the Council, even though the Administrative Bureau operations HQ is offworld. Theoretically my office is supposed to have absolute responsibility for the defense of Cranagan and, by extension, all Mid, and I have to put in a request through channels to get naval support. Our old friend Jail Scaglietti nearly achieved total control of Mid-Childa because CCDF lacked fleet assets. We can't count on Vita and Nanoha-chan going magical-girl superhero on every problem; it nearly killed both of them and Nanoha ended up permanently sacrificing eight percent of her magical capacity."

Fate nodded, still feeling the ghosts of old worry. Nanoha's recovery from that incident hadn't been easy. It had ended with Shamal slapping her power limiter back in place on medical authority to keep her from overdoing it and reinjuring herself.

"But why me? I'm an Enforcer, a field investigator, not a command-line officer."

"Try that on someone who didn't start out as an investigator herself, Fate-chan. Or I could mention your brother, who also started as an Enforcer before switching to a command position. Besides, we all know you chose the Enforcement Bureau because you like the black uniforms."

"That is not true."

"Oh? Says the woman wearing a black robe, black slippers, and oh, is that black lingerie I see peeking out?"

Fate looked down, face flushing, only to see that her robe was still properly closed.

"Gotcha," Hayate said. Fate groaned.

"In all seriousness, Fate-chan, if things go the way I want them to, the NLO is going to take on a sharply increased role because of the enhanced naval presence. I need someone in that position that I can trust absolutely, because we both know that regardless of its military value there will be those among the fleet who'll see this as an unconscionable power grab by the Ground Forces. You might not always agree with me and I know you'd say so to my face but you'd never start eying my back with a knife. Likewise, those Enforcer's instincts and training would go a long way towards sniffing out if the Navy had something political up their sleeves before it all hit the fan."

"I don't know what to say, Hayate."

"May I suggest 'yes,' then?"

"Hayate!"

The General giggled.

"You're so much more fun to tease than Nanoha-chan! Seriously, though, do think it over, but try to get back to me in the next couple of days with an answer. If you decide not to accept the position I'll need to find someone else for it quickly."

"All right."

"Thanks for the coffee. Rein tries her best, but there's only so much you can do with standard army-issue grounds. Signum says I've turned into a coffee snob since I became a captain."

Fate chuckled.

"You weren't old enough for coffee before you became a captain," she pointed out.

"Then I'm glad that I'm not getting more snobbish with rank." She sighed and handed back her empty cup. "I'm sorry; I do need to get going to my next appointment. It's good to see you again, Fate-chan." The two friends shared another hug before Fate showed Hayate to the door. An official car with a uniformed driver was waiting for the general; Fate waited for the car to drive away before she closed the door.

Liaison Officer, hm? she thought. It was an interesting offer; Hayate had a real habit of keeping her trusted friends close whenever possible. She was definitely a mother hen that way. Fate sometimes thought that was why Hayate kept flying up the ranks, because she sought the authority that would allow her to protect and care for the greatest number of people.

Still thinking about it, Fate strolled back into the kitchen, figuring that since she was home to do it she'd might as well clean up the breakfast dishes. One by one she rinsed them off and slotted them into the dishwasher, but she paused when she got to Nanoha's coffee mug. The photo printed there was one which showed Vivio in the middle, her two mamas snuggled up behind her, each with an arm over her shoulders. As she looked at the three faces smiling at the camera. Fate found her thoughts starting to go towards new possibilities.

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

[RadiantBeam]

Originally Posted by DezoPenguin

*whap* I thought that was neat, not a request to remove it.

*thinks we need a smiley for hurling a stuffed penguin at someone's head*

Anyway, I finished Chapter 7 of Stahlkonigin, so here's the draft version. Given the discussion of power limiters that has been going on in the wake of Allquall's latest TNoW chapter, it's ironic that I got around to highlighting why Nanoha still has hers in my Vivio-stories continuity.

Spoiler for Stahlkonigin--Chapter 7:

"Okay, kiddo, let's go," Eileen McLaren called.

"Mom, I can't find my hat!" her seven-year-old shouted, a trace of a whine infecting his voice.

"You probably left it at school again, Billy." She thought for a moment. "You weren't wearing it when I picked you up yesterday."

"But Mom, I know I had it in my bag!"

"That's what you said the last three times you left it at school. Now grab your coat and let's get going."

"But--"

"No buts! You're going to be late!"

He snagged his coat off the rack and tucked his arms in, then fumbled with the zipper. Eileen saw that he'd knocked the collar of his school uniform askew, so she adjusted it, then handed Billy his lunch box.

"Okay, let's go."

They left the house and went out to the driveway where their minivan sat waiting, its red color a cheery welcome in the morning sun. They got into the front seats, and Billy immediately reached for the music player.

"Seat belt," Eileen chided him, and he reluctantly pulled the strap into place. His face was full of "You're no fun, Mom," but having already lost the hat discussion he was smart enough not to push things any further, particularly when she was in the process of working her own seat belt around her seven-months-pregnant belly. Eileen loved children and wanted at least three of her own, but figured that the process of having them had to be some special penance ordained by God. Maybe it was to balance things against the blessings of motherhood?

"So, is anything special happening today?" she asked her son as they pulled out onto the street.

"Nah, not much. The magic class is studying basic power channeling, and we're going to have a math quiz at the end of the week." He pouted. "I hate multiplication! Why do we hafta learn that stuff?"

"Because it's important."

"Nuh-uh!" he said truculently.

"You only think that because you don't know how to do it. The fact is that math is one of the most important things you can learn in your life. I use it every single day."

Eileen spent the next five minutes of the drive explaining how the skills Billy was learning in math class actually were important in day-to-day life. Turning the discussion to metroball statistics helped immensely, and she could tell he was warming to the theme when they were interrupted. A car was parked by the side of the road, its hood up, and as the van neared a young woman stepped out, not quite in the street, and waved frantically at them. Eileen took in the appearance of the car--a green sedan, relatively new, about one step down from a luxury model--and the woman--early twenties at most, wearing a blue blouse and white skirt--and slowed to a stop. The woman came up to the driver's side door and Eileen lowered the window.

"Oh, thank Her Majesty you stopped," the blonde said. "My car broke down, today of all days! I've called the auto club already, but they have to come in from town and won't be here for half an hour, and I'm going to be terribly late as it is! I know it's an imposition, but...can you offer me a lift?"

"Where are you going?"

"The Altima Law Offices? I'm the broker for a home sale taking place there this morning, you see. It's about ten minutes from here, right across from the church school?"

That settled it for Eileen.

"You're in luck; I'm taking my son to school right now." She keyed the button to unlock the side door. "Please get in."

"Thanks! You're a lifesaver!"

She slid back the door ans stepped inside, followed immediately by two men dressed like street toughs. Where did they come from?

Billy let out a startled yelp and one of the men fired an ANT at him, the magical blast making him slump over in his seat, unconscious.

"Billy!" Eileen screamed, and reached for the car's alarm beacon, but the blonde woman's next words made her stop instantly.

"I wouldn't try that. There hasn't been a lot of testing on the effects of magic damage on the unborn, and I'm sure that you don't want to be a test case, mmm?"

"W-what do you want?"

"I want you to shut up and listen." A ring on the woman's finger flashed, then vanished, leaving her holding a short, almost generic-looking wooden rod, the tip of which she jabbed into Eileen's ribs. The mother winced, knowing a mage device when she saw it. "If you cooperate, we can do this cleanly and easily, without anyone having to get hurt. If you don't...well, that's the chance you'll have to take."

Eileen flinched. The mage glanced over at the unconscious Billy, and her lips curved up thinly. "You know, I don't think he's really in any shape to be going to school today. I suggest that you call them and let them know that he'll probably be out sick for a couple of days. After that, you and he can get in the back of the van. We're going for a little ride."

Whimpering, Eileen nodded. She started to open a communications link to the school, but the mage jabbed her again.

"Not yet. We can't have them noticing that you have extra passengers." She held up her device. "Crystal Mirage!"

They were gone.

"Now, call," the woman's voice came out of thin air, "and be sure that you put your heart into it."

Illusion magic, Eileen realized. That was how the mage had hidden the two thugs until it was too late. No, more than that; when she looked forward she could see that the green sedan, that piece of middle-class respectability that had convinced her to stop, was gone as well. Probably, it had never been there in the first place.

She took a deep breath, convinced that if she showed and more nervousness during the call than would be expected from a mother with a sick child that the woman or her thugs would blast her instantly. Unconsciously, her hand dropped protectively to her swelling abdomen.

She opened the link.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Fate leaned back in the recliner and let the scent of her second cup of hot coffee tease her nostrils with its promise of the rich taste to come. It felt so good to use her own kitchen again rather than having to eat in a naval vessel's galley. Her blissful state lasted only a few moments before the doorbell jarred her out of it, though.

"If that's a vacuum-cleaner salesman..." she muttered under her breath as she opened the image window which remotely showed her front step. Her eyebrows rose, and she went to the door at once.

"If I could have a moment of your time, ma'am, I'm sure you'll be excited by the new electronic encyclopedia, of interest to every housewife!"

"Come in, Hayate."

Fate reflected that they made an interesting pair, Hayate in her blue-and-white dress uniform and Fate in a fluffy black bathrobe and the bunny slippers Vivio had given her for Christmas nine years ago. She didn't care, and gave her old friend a huge hug once she was inside.

"You look nice," Fate said. "Blue suits you." She took Hayate's off-white trenchcoat and hung it up before showing her old friend into the house.

"I've only worn my brown uniform once since I took this job," Hayate admitted. "There's always something formal requiring my attention that needs the dress uniform. It makes me kind of self-conscious when I spend time in Long Arch's control center, though."

"Can I get you anything? Coffee, maybe?"

"Fate-chan's coffee? That would be great," she said with a blissful sigh.

Fate took Hayate into the kitchen, got down a clean mug, and filled it.

"Here you go. Just so the first sip doesn't surprise you, it's a hazelnut-mocha blend."

"Thanks for the warning." Hayate glanced at the cup. "Hey, this is Nanoha's 'Mother of the Year' mug. Isn't that her special one?"

"She switched to the one Vivio got her this last Christmas, the one that's printed with a photo of the three of us together."

"Oh, I see. Well, my kids hopefully won't think it's too arrogant of me." While Hayate didn't have children of her own, Fate knew that she thought of Rein and the Wolkenritter that way, despite the fact that her guardian knights were centuries older than she was. "Ah, this is heavenly."

"I'm sorry that Nanoha and Vivio aren't here, too, but they left a while ago."

Hayate smiled.

"Vivio reminds me so much of the two of you. Training with Vita in the morning, school through the normal day from nine to three-thirty, and OCS classes for two hours a day four days a week." Since the TSAB had so many mage-talented officer cadets who were still school-age, they'd instituted the after-school OCS program to allow them to continue their full-time education while preparing for their careers. Fate, Hayate, and Nanoha had all gone through a variant of it themselves; it reminded the blonde Enforcer strongly of the Japanese cram schools many of her Uninari City classmates had attended after regular classes to help prepare them for high school and college entrance exams.

"She's not so obsessive about it as we were, though," Fate said. "She's more like you in that respect, dedicated but not driven." Fate paused. "Which reminds me, why are you here? You certainly didn't slip away from the office on a social call."


"Ah! You got me again, Conan-kun. The fact is, you're slotted into my appointment calendar: 'Interview with Fate T. Harlaown, 8:15-8:45.' My presence here is completely justified."

"Interview? Visiting your old friend is an interview, now?" Fate said with a grin.

"CCDF policy states that any candidate for a position shall be interviewed by the section chief or his/her appointed designate, and such interview shall be conducted face-to-face. The NLO answers to me directly, so that makes me the appropriate interviewer."

"NLO?" Fate fastened on the one question which had a specific answer.

"Oops, sorry for the acronym soup." Hayate looked embarrassed. "It stands for Naval Liason Officer, the person via whom I coordinate joint defense efforts with the Navy."

"Mid-based naval operations are parallel to CCDF authority," Fate pointed out.

"They are now. That needs to change. Mid-Childa is the central world of the TSAB and the base of the Council, even though the Administrative Bureau operations HQ is offworld. Theoretically my office is supposed to have absolute responsibility for the defense of Cranagan and, by extension, all Mid, and I have to put in a request through channels to get naval support. Our old friend Jail Scaglietti nearly achieved total control of Mid-Childa because CCDF lacked fleet assets. We can't count on Vita and Nanoha-chan going magical-girl superhero on every problem; it nearly killed both of them and Nanoha ended up permanently sacrificing eight percent of her magical capacity."

Fate nodded, still feeling the ghosts of old worry. Nanoha's recovery from that incident hadn't been easy. It had ended with Shamal slapping her power limiter back in place on medical authority to keep her from overdoing it and reinjuring herself.

"But why me? I'm an Enforcer, a field investigator, not a command-line officer."

"Try that on someone who didn't start out as an investigator herself, Fate-chan. Or I could mention your brother, who also started as an Enforcer before switching to a command position. Besides, we all know you chose the Enforcement Bureau because you like the black uniforms."

"That is not true."

"Oh? Says the woman wearing a black robe, black slippers, and oh, is that black lingerie I see peeking out?"

Fate looked down, face flushing, only to see that her robe was still properly closed.

"Gotcha," Hayate said. Fate groaned.

"In all seriousness, Fate-chan, if things go the way I want them to, the NLO is going to take on a sharply increased role because of the enhanced naval presence. I need someone in that position that I can trust absolutely, because we both know that regardless of its military value there will be those among the fleet who'll see this as an unconscionable power grab by the Ground Forces. You might not always agree with me and I know you'd say so to my face but you'd never start eying my back with a knife. Likewise, those Enforcer's instincts and training would go a long way towards sniffing out if the Navy had something political up their sleeves before it all hit the fan."

"I don't know what to say, Hayate."

"May I suggest 'yes,' then?"

"Hayate!"

The General giggled.

"You're so much more fun to tease than Nanoha-chan! Seriously, though, do think it over, but try to get back to me in the next couple of days with an answer. If you decide not to accept the position I'll need to find someone else for it quickly."

"All right."

"Thanks for the coffee. Rein tries her best, but there's only so much you can do with standard army-issue grounds. Signum says I've turned into a coffee snob since I became a captain."

Fate chuckled.

"You weren't old enough for coffee before you became a captain," she pointed out.

"Then I'm glad that I'm not getting more snobbish with rank." She sighed and handed back her empty cup. "I'm sorry; I do need to get going to my next appointment. It's good to see you again, Fate-chan." The two friends shared another hug before Fate showed Hayate to the door. An official car with a uniformed driver was waiting for the general; Fate waited for the car to drive away before she closed the door.

Liaison Officer, hm? she thought. It was an interesting offer; Hayate had a real habit of keeping her trusted friends close whenever possible. She was definitely a mother hen that way. Fate sometimes thought that was why Hayate kept flying up the ranks, because she sought the authority that would allow her to protect and care for the greatest number of people.

Still thinking about it, Fate strolled back into the kitchen, figuring that since she was home to do it she'd might as well clean up the breakfast dishes. One by one she rinsed them off and slotted them into the dishwasher, but she paused when she got to Nanoha's coffee mug. The photo printed there was one which showed Vivio in the middle, her two mamas snuggled up behind her, each with an arm over her shoulders. As she looked at the three faces smiling at the camera. Fate found her thoughts starting to go towards new possibilities.

Prologue
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6

GAH!

You want me to put it back in? They have an Edit button in your Document options...

Now, chapter 7:

Spoiler for SHORT! Ugh:

I kind of scanned through this because I'm on my dad's system with borrowed time, but it seems like there's a second Vivio running around, if I read that passage with Billy and Eileen right. That could prove to be a major blow for Vivio; she'll be pinned for crimes she hasn't committed.

The Fate/Hayate interaction was sweet and funny, though I somehow get the feeling this will backfire on Hataye in some way...

More please!

[yuiseppe]

Originally Posted by RadiantBeam

...

Spoiler for I Spy:

One of the biggest problems with a long-time off-planet mission was that one was woefully behind on current affairs when she returned from said mission and was wandering the corridors of the base the next morning. Which were just what Teana and her longtime partner, Subaru, were doing; if only for lack of anything better. The time in between missions was often calm and peaceful, and it was hard to find much to do this early in the morning.

Teana had just returned from a three-month mission at Fate’s side, and Subaru had only been home from her own field duties for about a day or two. They were just walking that morning, delaying the time until they had to go into office and do the much-hated paperwork (hated in Subaru’s mind, for Teana it was just a mild annoyance). The hallway was relatively deserted, with only a few people still straggling in, when the pair first heard the soft voices drifting from an empty corridor.

Subaru perked up immediately. “Hold up a minute, Tea.”
“Subaru—“
“Hush!”

And with that, Subaru hauled Teana behind the corner before they could be seen. The blue-haired woman peeked cautiously around the edge, ignoring her partner’s hissed protest. After a few minutes, scowling, Teana gave in to her curiosity and peered around as well.

From her place on a bench, Vivio grimaced and rubbed the bandage on her forehead sheepishly, wincing a little as the cut underneath throbbed in protest. Wincing in time with the younger girl, Lutecia bent over her, gently brushing her fingers through long golden strands. “Sorry,” she whispered. “Nanoha-san told me not to go easy on you during the training spar today.”

“It’s all right.” Vivio smirked. “I wouldn’t have let you go easy on me, anyway. It’s just a scratch. It’s not even that deep. It just hurts. Besides, I gave as good as I got, don’t you think?”

Lutecia laughed softly, mindful of her sore ribs. “I’d say so.” Unable to resist, she laid a hand on the bandage. “Still, I hate knowing I did this to you.”

From their hiding place, Teana frowned. “Subaru, what’s the big deal? It’s just Lutecia and Vivio. It’s not like we’ve never seen them together before.”

“Just hold on! I’m getting some vibes…”

“Vibes? Jeez, Subaru, look at them! I mean, I’m not feeling anything—“

Teana’s words trailed off into stunned silence as Lutecia leaned down and lightly brushed her lips against the bandage. Pulling away, she seemed more at ease with her role in Vivio’s minor injury than she had before. “How’s that?”

Vivio kept a perfectly straight face. “I think I would have liked a kiss on the lips more, Cia.”

Lutecia laughed and ruffled Vivio’s hair affectionately. “No can do, Vi. You’ve got to get ready for school and I have to get to work… we’ve got a new case file that I need to look at, and that’ll probably take up my lunch hour too…”

Lutecia’s words were warped into a muffled squeal as Vivio reached up, gripped the collar of her shirt, and yanked the older woman down into a deep kiss. Teana’s jaw dropped and Subaru’s eyebrows joined her hairline. After a few seconds of half-hearted struggle, Lutecia gave in and participated willingly in the kiss, much to Vivio’s delight.

The two parted after a few minutes, and there was no mistaking the smug look on Vivio’s face. “Somehow, Cia, I think you liked that,” the younger girl teased.

With a groan, Lutecia dropped her forehead to Vivio’s. “You’re going to be the death of me,” the older woman muttered, but there was genuine love in her voice as she spoke. “I swear you will be. I can just see it now. Here lies Lutecia Alphine, who died because she loved Vivio Takamachi.”

“As long as they bury me next to you, I have no problem with that description.” Lifting a hand, Vivio lightly stroked Lutecia’s cheek as the older woman closed her eyes, chuckling quietly.

For a moment, Teana and Subaru watched the scene in silence; Teana’s eyes softened slightly.

Hey, Tea. Subaru’s mental voice demanded her attention.

What?

… You owe me twenty bucks. Teana could practically hear the grin in Subaru’s voice.

… Dammit! And I was so SURE Lutecia would end up in a threesome with Erio and Caro!!

hehe for some reason I really enjoy your Vi/Cia pairing. Keep it coming, I've got an extra reserve of fluff quota for this pair

Originally Posted by TheShinySword

No Satashi I don't get reviews so I wouldn't know about this "feel really good about yourself" thing don't go pitying me anyone that's only half true XD

We're all saving our reviews for babysitter, really

Originally Posted by DezoPenguin

She slid back the door ans stepped inside, followed immediately by two men dressed like street toughs. Where did they come from?

Billy let out a startled yelp and one of the men fired an ANT at him, the magical blast making him slump over in his seat, unconscious.

Puny typo ("ans"). I also got lost in the acronym soup with "ANT". It's probably because I took a break for a while and lost track of things though. And yes, choice of name - Billy - really gives him that 'passerby A' feel

[Satashi]

Originally Posted by TheShinySword

No Satashi I don't get reviews so I wouldn't know about this "feel really good about yourself" thing don't go pitying me anyone that's only half true XD

But your stories are funny :3 And I heart Falling Soul <3